//------------------------------// // There's more than one of everything // Story: Hope in the burning skies // by Kalimdor //------------------------------// Place: Edge of Milky Way galaxy, ‘Rainbow Bridge’ Grathius research facility. Year: 2494 “Station is secured, no casualties, awaiting your commands master.” “Gather whole force and remaining human resources on Mist. After that Unicorn squad leaders have to return on my position.” “Acknowledged.” Sword looked around. Now white and red flags reminded him of something but he couldn’t remember what. He stopped on lying dead women. Sisters, exactly the same. “They are clones.” “Yes, like I reported. Whole station was filled with these walking corpses.” Karl kicked near body to be sure it will not get up “Now thanks to Unicorns they patiently lie and wait to be disposed of. Lockdown is lifted, we can proceed to launch chamber master pioneer.” Main door opened and wall instructions leaded the way to chamber OO. “Very well, initiate transfer sequence. I will do a little trip.” Their steps echoed in long and spatial corridor. Signs politely directed them through maze, from time to time passing tainted red cleaning bots. Each of three station’s arc reactors generated enough power to supply small planet for month, inner shell transferred dull and tiring noise coming from them. “Andy! Here you are!” Tightly organized group of young children, elderly and people in smock led by floating orb, source of the voice emerged from airlock. Sword recognized it right away. “Where are YOU?” “Already on Mist, they will manage without me in person, just follow the light. My little sheep flock.” Orb spin around its own axis “You have lovely adjutant, do your things and don’t forget about our drinking beer contest tonight.” “I will not make it tonight and remember that Aysi have higher rank than you.” “I noticed this huge piece of metal protecting heart which I wanted so badly. You always stick a knife in my back, no beer for you.” Orb spin once more and addressed the group last sentence “Follow me.” They were protected part of infiltration mission. Pack passed both of them but small child approached him with closed hands, hiding something within ghostly white palms. She was wrapped in violet towel made especially for freed young specimen, spiky hood with plushy horn hid her bruised head. Sword knelt on one knee and focused all his attention on young human. Act of raw affection baffled little one and shaky hands meet his face. Fast reaction for clumsy move was sufficient and there was no problem to receive gift hand to hand. It was little paper horse or something highly resembling it. “Will you…” her voice softens with every word “really help us?” “Yes and I will see you later, Grathius unicorn.” Girl sent him wide smile and ran in the direction of the moving away group joining other children heartily discussing her achievement. “This is very interesting way of getting loyalists master.” “Did I give you permission to speak?” Glimpse of eyes make him realized that they were something more. Monitors hung on ascetic walls politely showed the way to go. They walked silent and finally end up in front of enormous gate. Multiple locks freed the wings, hiding in the walls and revealing big spherical room. Sword read about this in reports but his imagination was too shallow to fully describe magnitude of this. In the center of bright white sphere stood small brilliant black pillar with blinking white lights. He sprinted and slid his way to see up close object which was heart of the station. On top of the pillar in calm stasis floated a gem. Shallow strings of energy covered, heart shaped flawless ruby. It would be a jewel crown in his little set but here served far more important task aside from dusting under lock. “Beautiful. Prepare transition!” “It is done master. You need to locate yourself in the post right there.” When he stood in the desired place and asked “Do I look all right? Honestly.” “Very good and handsome, master. Have a nice trip we will await eagerly for your arrival.” Karl turned around and stopped just before the door from outside and vanished as they shut creating perfect sphere. One of the nearby tiles rose up and mechanized arm coming from uncovered hole placed sleek briefcase just before him. Another one took gently his left hand and placed golden bracelet watch. After this both hid and tiles once again covered the floor. Lights turned off and place filled with utter black. Just one red point in center hollowly illuminated space. Pillar started to shine his own light and sent huge wave of energy into gem. Red color filled whole room as whole energy went inside it. Jewel shined for brief moment and red energy escaped its oppression trying to disperse into the void. Energy with speed nearly not noticeable for human eye bounced off the walls and ended in the center of the sphere, without certain shape. Tiles below him changed to mirroring ones and he noticed the revealing slowly opening in the top of room. Sword focused his eyes on now a bit dimmed light and somewhere inside he realized that energy is likewise observing him. It slowly floated in his direction with every passing second started to take the form. They looked now in each other eyes, elegant human male and dazzling red unicorn. “I am an element of love.” echoed somewhere in the depths of his head making it heavy. “Why you need my help?“ “I need you to lend me your power for a great cause.” he said in his mind “It is not like you have a choice.” “The cause is just and proud but you are going for your little and pitiful goals. You will need to see it for yourself then embrace real cause.” With every word warm energy flowed into him and pony silhouette was vanishing ”It is fascinating and sad that you want to be loved so much. Love is not to be created, but to be earned.” Voice vanished with the energy. He felt a weird sensation in his stomach and opening in the top of the sphere started to suck him in. His body changed to energy itself and other object floated around him like nucleus and electrons. He couldn’t move his joints or react, just surrender to the flow. Later he was traveling with rainbow current to location he desired and wanted. *** “Something is odd.” Karl said to himself silently “Transition is not as clear as always.” He changed position to easier access to module and called the arc reactor maintenance squad. “Boss here, there is slight change in final destination course. Is there calculating problem on your side?” “We wanted to connect you earlier, everything is alright but OUR coordinates changed. It never happened before!” Little sweat drops appeared on his forehead as he saw the message lights all blinking crazy. Transition stole all his attention. He accepted first connection from station’s control room. “We have company, boss. We need permission to activate and engage station defenses. Unicorns are ready for orders.” “Enemy?” “Crown, it is fucking crown, sir. One ship, heavy cruiser. It is pulling us on collision course. We don't know how!” The most elusive branch existing in midst of Anarchy Reigns is here in power. “Permission granted. Light them up.” “Acknowledged.” He checked once more if transition process will not be aborted and ran to forces waiting for him. Matthew said they are the best of the best. Time for a real test has come. *** Journey has ended. He landed without problem on the grey dirt and rocks in the middle of the night. First he thought that he ended up on somepony plot, but after his eyes became accustomed to the darkness he realized this is normal landscape. This was not a place he wished to be. Cloudy sky permitted for little light coming from the stars. It illuminated the area for him to see small dead trees and burned to the ground grass. As far as he could see the same monotonous grey landscape. Lifeless. He placed his briefcase on the muddy ground and turned on his wrist watch. It was personal multi-tasker shaped to be a fancy watch. Its wealthy shield with engraved G shined as the starlight reflected in it. Mechanisms were easy to see and small cogs moved simultaneously. Synchronized for three hours he stays here, after that he will end up in station once more. He pushed top of three buttons and holo-pad appeared. All test receptors acquired data faster than he could say ‘ON’ and results were grim. First environmental observations stated that he was in area after big catastrophic event. Radiation levels were far bigger than normal. Land unsuitable for cultivation or sustaining microscopic life. He was on nuclear wasteland, ready to be embraced by nuclear winter. Localization stated clearly that Sword was between apple plantation and pony village. Right planet, wrong time. He opened a briefcase and choose cylindrical item, green screen was counting time and showing coordinates. Not right ones. Change was made in sector count when he was traveling here. Realization hit him with power of bare hammer, old man’s theories were right. The time was right, planet was terribly wrong. Planet in parallel universe. He still could see energy levels in cylinder giving him two more jumps with one hour time lapse between them. Even thinking about one hour staying here made him sick. He needed to find shelter and fast. Apple plantation was near so he chose to stay there for time being and jump once more. Correctly. He changed watch mode to analyze current subject situation. Surroundings, life state, objectives and location. Sound of closing briefcase echoed through empty space. He took two kind prototype Grathius guns with holsters and his folding sword and started to walk in acres direction. Watch remained silent and he was passing dead trees one after another. He felt like in crazy little girl room of dwarfed things. Remains of narrow road with same remains of small wood fence. If the trees were healthy he could take every apple without stepping on toes. Cold wind swelled in strength lashing his face and he noticed remote source of light. Probably campfire set by locals. It would not hurt him if there is pony knowing the violet filly and where she might be in this deserted land. This was not a pony he was looking for but he might help her. If she needed help. Suddenly, with the watch notice, surroundings detector gave him four readings. One, one, two in neighborhood of the fire. Making campfire need some more effort. Maybe resting group of natives, good place for start his little side adventure. He came close enough to source and Sword noticed lying equine. One of the readings lying in his sight within light of the fire, three others hidden in shadows. With this, not welcoming land was enough evidence backing theory for obvious passersby trap. Sword decided to play a game with them a bit and then resume approach to apple acres. Sword approached prepared scene enough to be seen by all his new friends. Lying beige unicorn was more terrified with his appearance than he assumed. It was a crying matter. Dust covered silenced and chained equine mercilessly left here to lure unaware ponies. He was deeply surprised that they could do something like this to themselves, in the brink of extinction. Other ones remained in shadows as he approached lying one. With one swing he spread out his sword, making pony fight mercilessly against his gag in mouth. He put the tip into filthy piece of cloth and cut in half. Gag fell on the ground but unicorn was looking at him in shock saying nothing. Pony needed little push. “I think you wanted to tell me something.” “It’s a trap!” loud cry hit his ears. Watch still showed four not moving readings and pony stood on his hooves. “No need to scream, I know that Sherlock.” Unicorn twisted his head in wonder; another two swings freed him completely. “Stand behind me and STAY there… Sherlock.” Pony servile did what he said. In the end of this little standoff, unicorn would be one last source of information for him. “I presume you three are too ugly to show yourselves? I need information and then I will let you throttle away.” This little statement has dared other three to stand in the light of fire. They remained silent watching him carefully. Likewise. Reality showed hiding truth about living here ponies. Fully armed and prepared, in leather, standing before him pointing with improvised weapons. Magically even. Watch synthetic voice pierced the remaining silence. “Tier zero race, self-aware, using slow non-energetic projectile weaponry, strength value normal, Nion users. Threat level is very low.” Lifeless voice from nowhere baffled whole trio uncovering leader now in front of the pack. Other two were terrified and shaken. Floating one could not be in the place and other in mouth nearly falling on the ground. “You are one, buckin’, monster!” “Nice to meet you.”