Fallout Equestria: S.T.A.L.K.E.R

by aegishailstorm


Chapter 10: Midday Train

Chapter 10: Midday Train

It was still early in the morning, too early even for lunch. But there Nikolai was, chatting with a Zebra whose life he had just saved. Following his well executed ambush of the slaver convoy, he went back and picked up the glowing hunk of anomalous salt which he had been determined to use against the convoy, but had left behind on account of the fact that he simply could not get close enough. It now sat back in his rucksack, along with a few boxes of 9X19 parabellum ammunition and sawn off shotgun which he had picked up. As well as a single 'healing potion' , which he had taken off the bandits and saved for himself. He was curious as to the range of it's healing effects. And decided to store it away for later.


As for the the other captives, they had fled off to god knows where. Stopping only to thank Nikolai. The Zebra had scavenged some things from the dead raiders. A 9 mm sub-gun with a single full magazine and a set of crudely made leather armor. He also took a butchers knife. Sticking it in a makeshift scabbard. Nikolai didn't object, another gun to watch his back was welcome.


"So, where do you come from stranger?" The Zebra asked, eating from a tin of 'preserved hay'. A food item which Nikolai found less than pleasant. Given that it was made for horses and other equine-like creatures. And he was a human.

"A... far off land. The Ukraine. What of you?" Nikolai replied, the Zebra hung his head, " I would prefer not to speak of it. It is a sore subject."


"I insist." Nikolai asked as he pulled his rifles magazine from its well and ejected the round. Snatching it from the ground and sticking it back in the magazine. He removed the rifles dust cover and pulled the spring assembly out. He proceeded to examine the surprisingly clean and unworn interior. He wanted to give the suppressor and barrel a look, but that could wait. He slapped his rifle back together and set it next to himself.


"Is leg good enough to walk on?" The Zebra nodded.

"Yes, yes it is. And please, call me Flashpoint." Nikolai smiled and redonned his GP-5 gas mask. He grabbed his sack and rifle, slinging onto his back and gripping the other one tightly.


"Ходімо!Let's go!" Nikolai waved for the zebra to join him. Flashpoint did so with a slight limp. The bullet which had stuck him had grazed a bone. He held his weapon by his neck. Nikolai tried to imagine himself running around with a rifle in his mouth. But the thought seemed to absurd to his mind. But in a world like this one, with everyone more or less similarly disadvantaged, he could see that it wasn't that bad for them. The pair bid a silent goodbye to the lifeless corpses of the convoy, and began the walk west towards Dodge city.


"I have a question, if you do not mind answering it? Nikolai shrugged. Questions were a normal thing for him.


"Da?"


"Why did you chose to go after that Slaver convoy? Nikolai stopped and looked down at Flashpoint.


"Because I was curious. When I saw that they were in the wrong, I decided to go after them. That was a huge risk, and I will say, it will not happen again. You see, I do not like having the additional holes in my body. Is very bad for health." The zebra nodded quietly.

"I understand." Nikolai grunted, and reached for his radio. Miraculously, he found that Zone FM was still somehow in range of it's meekly little antenna. He turned the receiver knop, and was met with the intro to 'Sharp Dressed Man.'

"What is that noise?" Flashpoint muttered, poking at Nikolai's vest with a hoof. "Is music, good music." The zebra shifted from side to side.

"Acquired taste." He added. "But, I will keep it on, because I am in good mood."

At only an hour and a half into his day, Nikolai had already accomplished quite a bit. He had freed captives from being sold into slavery, learned a bit about Equestrian culture, and made a new friend. Things were going pretty well.


After about half an hour of walking along the highway though the pass, the pair finally emerged on the other side of the mountain range, and found themselves looking out at the outer city limits of Dodge City. In a way, it resembled a town in the American Mid-west. Small suburbs surrounded more industrious city streets, all of which let to the town hall. With it's clock tower which overshadowed all the other buildings. To the north stood the tallest buildings in town, although these paled in comparison to the ones he had encountered in Salt Cube city. These were 3 to 4 stories tall at the most. And, To the west, a line of rails stretched from horizon to horizon.

They walked down the highway towards the entrance, but as they did, Nikolai spotted a group of ponies in the distance who wore armor that was strangely familiar.

"Halt." Nikolai raised his hand and crouched down. He peered at the assortment of ponies at the front gates of Dodge city. He could see clearly the White Apple insignia painted on their shoulder pads.

"What is it?" He pointed to the group of mercenaries.

"Follow me, and don't draw any attention to yourself. I know those guys." Nikolai began to move faster, but not quite to the point of what would be considered jogging or running. Flashpoint did the same. Trailing behind Nikolai with a confused expression on his face.

"Why are you running?"

"I didn't leave off with them on the best terms." The 2 speed walked along a side road parallel to Dodge city until they came to a little roadside veterinary clinic. Long since abandoned and pillaged of everything valuable, but still standing. They shuffled inside, and Nikolai took a seat on one of the tables and looked over at Flashpoint.

"What happened exactly?"

"I would rather not speak of it now. We must find way around those mercs!" Nikolai peeked though the dusty blind. "We could gun them down. " The Zebra shook his head.

"No, that would not work, to much open ground, plus there's no telling what the guards in town may thing once you start shooting. They may just think you're a raider and open fire." Nikolai ran his gloved fingers across the surface of the table, kicking up dust.

"We'll take the long way around town and come in though the train station." Flashpoint stared blankly at the wall. "I've been here before, it won't work." Nikolai swore he could see the Zebra shutter. He grunted though his mask and pointed out the window.

"Either or, I pick or. "Flashpoint responded. Nikolai nodded in agreement.

"Da, what you just said. We go!" He led the way out the back door of clinic, and back onto the road. Even without the aid of his scope, he could still see that they had not yet spotted him.

It took about 20 minutes of walking, but the pair finally made it to the other side of Dodge city, They proceeded parallel to the rail line until they stood on the corroded wood deck of the train station. With not a soul in sight. A tumbleweed blew across the tracks. And Nikolai scratched his head.

"Where is everyone? This place looked packed from the hills."

"I told you so." Nikolai's eyes widened. He raised his gun and sprinted around the building, As soon a he rounded the terminal corner he was met with a half dozen gun barrels pointed at his face. And another dozen past him, at Flashpoint.

"Now what in tarnation are y'all tryin' to do?" The voice was gravely, but calm. A unicorn stallion wearing a sheriffs hat and a rusty badge pinned to a makeshift ballistic vest emerged from the crowd. Keeping the gun barrel of his revolver trained on the Stalker. Nikolai held up his hands slowly.

"Please do not shoot us! I am friend, this is Flashpoint. Do not shoot, please." He had quickly realized that the weapon that the sheriff carried was a 44. magnum. A round that, whilst not capable of penetrating his body armor, could still cause a lot of pain, and severely damage a limb if it struck one.

"What are ya?"

"You should believe this, I am a human. Hoo-man.Вы понимаете?" He gestured for them to lower their guns. They kept them up. An earth pony pointed his left hoof at Flashpoint.

"Why are ya travelin' with stipes?" Nikolai scrunched his face for a moment, then came to the realization that he was talking about Flashpoint.

"Da, I found Zebra friend up in Wither's pass." His radio crackled back to life.

"Клянусь, Владим, если ты еще раз потеряешь пистолет-!" One voice yelled.

"But I did- Where's the growling coming from!?"

The crackle of gunfire echoed over the radio, followed by the frantic noise of a violin and accordion and the growling of some horrible radiation spawn tearing at brick.

"I am sorry, it is always like this." He fiddled with his radio. And a haughty jazz tune began to play in it's place. A couple of the armed ponies stifled back fits of laughter.

"Da, go on and laugh, is funny." He laughed crazily. The pony with the badge raised his hoof.

"Please sir, what are ya doin' tryin' to sneak into my town with a Zebra?"

"We are not trying to cause the trouble. We just need a place to rest up. We're on the run from some really bad people." The sheriff sighed, and ordered the other's to lower their weapons. They did, albeit reluctantly.

"Alright, you can stay. It's just that we ain't exactly used to visitors taking the back entrance of our town." Nikolai sighed, and removed his mask.

"Your town? How- Surely there must be more than one way in and out of this place."

"Yes, there is." The Sheriff replied, "Just usually the only folks that come from that direction are raiders. And I ain't gonna have them roughin' up the townsfolk. Come with me. " He waved them along.

"Name's Sheriff Brick Brandy." He didn't ask for theirs.

The sheriff escorted them down main street. Everything was stylized in a western fashion. Saloons made up for almost half the establishments there. A few other's were boarded up. Rotting away from age.

"I'm used to harsh responses. But it is like they had a vendetta against you." Nikolai whispered into Flashpoint's ear. He hung his head solemnly.

"Zebra's aren't exactly popular around these parts." He responded as a tin can crunched under his boots. Nikolai nodded. "Because of the bombs?" He nodded. Stepping in a puddle. Nikolai's Geiger counter let off a brief chirp, then went silent again.

"What was that?" Nikolai asked the Sheriff. He shrugged. " Don't know, water on the outskirts of town has been irradiated for some time now. But everypony we've hired to try and fix it has gone missing. Heh, they're probably another set of bone in the dirt by now!"

Nikolai took a look up at the grey permanently overcast sky. Then down at the deplorable condition of the streets, and the relatively well maintained shops and saloons. He led them into the town square. The sheriff pointed his gun up in the air with his magic for the second time, and pulled the trigger. Nikolai was getting a bit worried about the lawman-stallions? Lack of muzzle discipline. He wasn't one to talk, Stalkers weren't exactly known for their safety. Errant rounds and the occasional discharge uncomfortably close to a comrades foot were just occupational hazards. But you never went out of your way to do that on purpose unless you were either drunk off your rocker, or simply an idiot.


"Listen here folks! I don't know how many times I have to remind you, Zebra's ain't fair game. No shooting at our guests!" They all franticly nodded their heads and moved on.

"Well, that's it. I ain't responsible for what happens to ya now. Obey the rules. Go on, do your things." Brick Brandy trotted off without saying another word.

Nikolai looked up, and found a set of words carved into a wall and highlighted with a bright array of spray paint.

-You loot, we shoot

-No intentional killing or maiming

-No bounty hunting in public

-Listen to the sheriff



He couldn't help but laugh at them. Like this crowd would ever listen to something like this. A distant gunshot confirmed his thoughts. "We should get moving." Nikolai waved Flashpoint along. Who kept close behind.

They turned off main street, after a little while, and found themselves in a courtyard. Lining either side of a wilted garden were rows of caged ponies. Filthy and in poor spirits. Armed guards trotted back and forth, eyeing Nikolai and his zebra companion closely. Almost like they thought that Flashpoint would turn into a hellhound and devour them at any moment.

"Relax. Nothing is going to bite you!" Nikolai said with a laugh. slapping his knee as he passed them. From there, the pair headed to the northern side of town. Past the glamorous townhall and it's clocktower. And right by a radio station and improvised hospital. They were approached by an scrawny earth pony stallion.

"Um, hello! Are you the mercenaries that Brick Brandy hired to get rid of our radigator problem?" Flashpoint looked around concernedly.

"I beg your pardon?"

"The radigators in the sewers under our town. We've been trying to get them out for weeks. But as the sheriff has already told ya, they've all disappeared." Nikolai shook his head.

"That sounds fun." The stalker said sarcastically, hefting his weapon.

"It does not." The Zebra added hastily.

"Well, I guess we'll have to keep waiting. " The stallion muttered. Nikolai frowned.

"Yes, you shall." He responded. He looked back the way they came. And was not surprised when he spotted the White Apples mercenaries from before. They were talking with a mare about Nikolai. Then, they turned and spotted him.


"Blyat, go!" He took off running down the street with Flashpoint close behind.

"Get away from me! бандит!" He shouted, taking his rifle off safe as he ran. He could hear shouting, but no gunfire. Yet.


"Hey, get back here!" One of them cried, he heard the crack of a 20 gauge shotgun shell being let off into the air. Nikolai hastily gave him the finger. As he and the zebra ducked around a corner. Nikolai pointed to a manhole cover.

"There!" He waved Flashpoint over, " Help me open it." Nikolai donned his GP-5, and pried off the cast iron cover. He quickly shinned his rifle light down into the sewer. He could see the bottom not 4 meters away. He unslung his rucksack and gently lowered it down, then climbed in with Flashpoint just as the mercenaries turned the corner. He slammed the manhole cover shut. And his boots hit the ground after a short decent on a ladder. He picked up his sack and reslung it.

"Well, I don't thing they're going to be following us." Flashpoint muttered with a groan. Nikolai's Geiger counter began to slowly click with activity again.

"Ah, how I missed you!" Nikolai said with begrudging sarcasm as he shinned his rifle down the tunnel.