//------------------------------// // Chapter 9: Job for Crazies // Story: Bounty Hunters 3: Genesis // by Jasper77W //------------------------------// The group turned a corner, reaching a checkpoint held by survivors. "Ma'am! You made it!" a pony said, looking up from the sights of her rifle. "Don't sound so surprised." Daring said. "Is the escape route secure?" "Yes ma'am." "Good." Daring said, gesturing for the others to pass first. "Hold this position for another five minutes, then head for the escape route. Don't stop for anypony- it's survival of the fittest now." The pony saluted. "Will do." "There's a network of sewers under the city. We already know the layout on the top of our heads, so navigation will be much easier for us. They'll get lost in there in no time. We just gotta watch out for lingering mutations, otherwise it's fine." Daring said, striding down the corridor and in the direction where a lot of ponies were heading. "Isn't that, like; worse?" Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "It's our only chance of survival. We stay up here, they kill us. We go down there, if you're fit enough- you might make it." Daring said. * "Spitfire, ma'am." a soldier saluted as Spitfire strode onto the bridge. She waved him down, looking around angrily. "Somepony tell me what the hay is going on!" "Ma'am! Science Faction infantry activity just increased by twenty percent in the Fillydelphia region. We believe they may have found Agent R Dash." an officer approached Spitfire with a notepad. "Great." Spitfire cursed, running a hoof through her mane. "They're currently in the sewers, from what Octavia tells us. They've got Science Faction units chasing them all over the place." "Spitfire- we need Rainbow to get to that intel. We're stuck here if we don't do anything soon!" Soarin said, laying a hoof on Spitfire's shoulder. "If she goes down, we won't find anypony else qualified enough to get that intel. Our only chance at saving ourselves from this reality... Don't let it slip away." Spitfire shook her head slowly, a heavy frown on her face as she weighed the options. Then she closed her eyes, letting out a deep sigh. When they opened again, they were determined- and trained on the ultimate goal. "Prep a team for an infiltration mission." she said, turning away. "I want the best of the best. I know that we've never done anything like this before- but desperate times call for desperate measures." "Ma'am?" the officer waited for further orders- the bridge was silent, anticipating Spitfire's decision. "Send the team three heavy gunships. I want Magnum on one of them. Send them around the entire Science Faction fleet, so they can't trace back on records as to where the ships came from. Then send them from the COLOSSUS and attack the barricade section over the Ponyville-Fillydelphia border. I want them to infiltrate the barricade of that section and take over its weapons." The bridge stared in awe at their supreme commander. "Get moving, officers. Tell them to use the Drop Pods on the barricade for extraction- we can't let them come back, since the Science Faction will easily suspect us immediately. Tell Rainbow and Octavia to keep going for Ponyville and stay alive. Tell our soldiers they have ten minutes to pack their gear for survival on the surface- go! Get moving officers! We've got a big one on our hooves!" Spitfire yelled, clapping her hooves together and setting a pace for the officers of the bridge to work. * Magnum had just received the order- it was practically a suicide mission, but it sounded like fun. She didn't have much to pack, so she didn't bother at all- there was nothing of value to her. Except her silver pistol, of course- just to keep a reminder on who she is. Now she was sitting on her bed, the heavy metal pistol in her hooves and the barrel pressed lightly against her temple. She asked herself the same question she asked herself all those years ago- should she pull the trigger and relieve herself of all of life's burdens? To take the quick escape- and ditch everypony behind her? She couldn't let down mom, dad, and definitely not Rose. She'll keep her promise to them- while she was the only one still alive, she'll make it count. So as usual, the answer was no. She placed the fully loaded pistol into her hip holster, standing up and heading towards the armory. She brought a rifle Applebloom made for her with her- that was always her weapon of choice. How it worked, she still had no idea- but it did. It could switch between pretty much any projectile weapon, and is compatible with all ammo types. Applebloom called the ACPW, standing for All Compatible Projectile Weapon- but whatever. Magnum just called it 'my rifle'. "Magnum." an officer called out, approaching her on the catwalk next to the hangar bay. "Officer." Magnum said, slowing to a stop. "Supreme Commander Spitfire has promoted you to Squad Leader of this operation." Magnum nodded her thanks, walking on and heading towards the armory. The hangar was even busier than it usually was, the crew preparing three heavy gunships for the mission. The gunships have two main thrusters on its sides, allowing for accurate course adjusting and hovering. The hulls are heavily armored, leaving gaps only for the four main guns and two prism guns. Missiles were lined up and ready to go at the bottom of its wings, including special types like cluster missiles and bunker busters. The doors to the passenger bay are on its sides, so when the ships do crash there'll always be an alternate exit. Two heavy manual-operated 9mm cannons are mounted on either side, giving its firing ability a lot more maneuverability. Magnum strode into the armory, finding a squad of eleven ponies staring blankly at her as she entered. Then she realized- she was the one that was supposed to have the plans. "Right-" she rubbed her hooves together. "I want three mid-rangers, two long rangers, three close-quarters and three of you with full access and demolition kits. Go! Get your stuff- we don't have much time!" she yelled. The ponies started scrambling all over the armory, the mid-rangers taking assault rifles and anti-matter rifles off the shelves, stacking their armor slots full with ammo. Magnum walked into a separate branch of the armory, into the suiting area. The suiting area was a large white room outfitted and completely operated by robots, and as the name suggests- it fits you up to the right type of armor. Magnum stepped onto a platform in the middle of the room, and immediately the robots came to life. They plucked parts out from storage slots in the walls, placing them onto Magnum's body and locking them in place. Within seconds she was fully suited into the MKII armor, her helmet unfolding from her back and folding over her head. The MKII armor was outfitted with heavy armor, immune to most high-calibre weapons. It had a heck load of ammo slots, however lacked room for a proper shield- making it vulnerable to energy weapons. There were motors at the joints, basically amplifying the strength and speed of its users. There were also a number of other gadgets implemented into the suit, hidden underneath the thick armor. Magnum stepped down from the platform with a heavy clunk, the motors letting out a barely audible whine as they whirred to life. She plucked the ACPW from her belt, the weapon unfolding and clicking into a large calibre sniper. She checked all the functions of the armor and the weapon, making sure they worked, before folding the ACPW back into a pistol and placing it on her belt. "Is everypony geared up?" she asked, stepping into the main armory. "Yes ma'am." her new squad said in unison, already suited by the other suiting areas. "Do we know the set up? One of each specialization in each ship. We'll be separated and deployed across the barricade section 709. Sort yourselves out, now! We're leaving!" * "Test subject 204 is waking." a stallion in a white coat said, his face hidden in the shadows of the dark lab. They stood on one side of a heavy one-way glass wall, a metal door sealed tight leading into the chambers where test subject 204 was being held. Test subject 204 was a light blue unicorn, her cool light and dark blue mane and tail dangling by her side as she stirred in her sleep on a single white bed. "Finally." a heavily synthesized voice said, the owner of the voice completely hidden in the shadows. She had a glowing blue eye and various other indicator lights on the right side of her body, glowing dimly in the shadows. "In theory, we should've turned her obsession with brushing into an obsession for blood. But... Nothing's for sure yet, considering the 203 subjects that came before her..." the stallion paused. "We've got an almost infinite number of survivors we could use- none of it goes to waste as long as we perfect the project." the figure hidden in the shadows said. "Should I open the chamber gates?" the stallion asked as test subject 204 woke up, yawning. "Go ahead. Try not to get yourself killed whilst doing so." Val said, walking out from the shadows and standing with her arms folded in front of the one-way glass. The stallion gulped, stepping forward and slowly pulling a giant lever on the side of the door. It clicked, and slowly swung open. "Hello, Colgate." Val said, grinning as she entered the bright white room. This was only one of the many experimentation labs located throughout the S.F. COLOSSUS, many of the beds stained with the blood of deceased victims. Colgate had her eyes half open, tired and sleepless. But those tired eyes had a special glint in them- and Val's grin widened even further than it already was as she saw the bloodlust in those crisp blue eyes. Colgate didn't say anything, just roared and slammed a hoof into the side of Val's face. The force was pretty impressive, she took note in her head. She stumbled back, spitting blood onto the floor. Already those shiny pixels were appearing around her, healing her wounds. Colgate struck again, her mind filled with blind bloodlust and rage. Val took a hoof to the stomach, doubling over. And before she recovered she already had an elbow in her face- but she didn't fall. Colgate swung again. But this time Val stopped her dead with a robotic hand. They stared into each other's eyes, Colgate desperately trying to free herself. Val smiled, wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth with a spare hand. The hate she could see in those blue eyes- it was beautiful. "That's pretty conclusive." she said to herself, thumping Colgate on the head and knocking her out cold. She crumpled to the floor, her eyes rolling up and into her head. * "Entering COLOSSUS controlled territory." the pilot said as the three gunships neared the huge Science Faction cruiser. "Keep calm everypony. This is our last point before we set off on the proper mission. Won't be too far away now... But check your weapons, just in case." Magnum said, looking around at her division of the squad. Just three other ponies, however all amongst the best of fighters on the OASIS. They couldn't see outside since they were in the passenger bay and there were no windows, but as soon as the heard the loud clunk they knew they had docked successfully. "Alright. Waiting for the security logs to register us into the database..." the pilot said, watching a monitor on the cockpit's control console. "Aaand... We're done. We've been registered... Check your weapons, because the moment we enter barricade controlled territory that's trouble." "Remember the plan ponies." Magnum said, speaking through the comms. "Team 1 enter the barricade first while team 2- my team- provides cover fire from the gunship. Team 3 head straight for the hangar and disable their ships while we act as a distraction. We shoot our way in and cause as much destruction as possible, then meet up with Agent R Dash on the surface using the barricade Drop Pods. Clear?" "Roger." the squad said in unison. "Last systems and weapons check... Not all of us are going to make it out. Although, it would be a pleasant miracle if we did." Magnum said, letting out a deep breath. "Good luck, everypony." * "Copy." Octavia said as Spitfire finished explaining the plan to her. "We'll be on our way." she turned to Rainbow. "Oi- we'll need to keep heading for Ponyville underground. Spitfire's set up a rendezvous on the Ponyville-Fillydelphia border." The sewers were dark and damp and basically had no light, but even so Octavia could still see the sudden excited glint in Rainbow's eyes as the name of the captain of the Wonderbolts was mentioned. "Spitfire? What? Did I hear her name?" "Yes, you did." Octavia rolled her eyes. "In this reality that you have no memory of, Spitfire is the captain of the OASIS, the magic faction flag ship." "I'm working for Spitfire? Oh-my-gosh-Oh-my-gosh-Oh-my-gosh-Oh-my-gosh- I mean, ok." Rainbow said, her sheepish expression hidden in the shadows. After all these years.... Still... * "Right, ladies... Here we are." the pilot let out a deep breath he'd been holding for several seconds now, flicking several switches and resting a hoof on a lever. "On your signal, Squad Leader." "All weapons check! All systems check! Get those 9mms working!" Magnum yelled, clapping her hooves together. "Chop chop! Get into position!" "Enemy defenses are starting to point our way... Suspicions are rising..." the pilot hummed. "Are we in position?" Magnum asked. "Team 1, ready." "Team 3, ready." "GO!!" Magnum yelled, taking control of the 9mm cannon on the left side of the gunship. The pilot pushed the lever, and the doors either side dropped down; the depressurized ship shaking slightly. The suits the ponies were wearing kept them alive in conditions of such here in space, providing them with oxygen and other vital supplies. The vast open area of space was still a breath taking sight, after all these years living on a space cruiser. The barricade was just like a huge metal planet down below, stretching on beyond view. Clouds of cosmic radiation floated here and there in the distance, outlined by the shining stars and other planets. But this was no time for sight seeing. "OPEN FIRE!!" Magnum yelled, firing precise shots with the 9mm. "Firing missiles." the pilot said, flicking some switches. There was a loud whoosh as several of the explosives on board were sent flying off, leaving behind them large trails of smoke. "Target the anti-aircraft batteries!" Magnum yelled. "Two down." the pilot said, turning the joystick and aiming for another cluster of missile launchers. A loud and defeating buzzing filled the air, shaking the entire gunship as its four main guns opened fire. Bullets here in space were way more deadly than on the surface- there was no air resistance, and barely any gravity. The bullets tore through the air, nothing but glowing golden streaks of light passing between the gunship and the AA batteries. There was a loud boom as a bullet struck the tip of a missile, blowing both it and the launcher up in a huge fireball. The smoke started drifting apart, slowly dispersing. "Stryfe! STRYFE!" Magnum yelled, ducking down as a series of bullets made their way into the passenger compartment and just above her head. The pilot yanked the joystick, sending the gunship flying left. "RPG!!" Storm yelled, the close-ranger in Magnum's team. "Turn right! TURN RIGHT!!" Magnum yelled at the pilot. The ship's two thrusters twisted, sending it slowly rotating towards the right. "HOLY MOTHER OF-" Magnum yelled, hitting the deck as the rocket grazed the edge of the passenger compartment door, flew in, then flew out the other side. "Saved it." the pilot said, holding down the trigger for the main guns and reducing the defense tower to smithereens. "Team 1- you're clear for landing!!" Magnum yelled as all the surface defenses were taken down. "Incoming infantry troops from the barricade!!" Storm shouted, pointing down at the surface of the barricade- there were several gates open, enemy infantry pouring out and firing at the gunships. The barricade had one disadvantage- its infantry had to come in waves. There was a pressurization chamber behind each gate that would depressurized and pressurize, as to keep the pressure inside the rest of the barricade steady. But the chamber can only hold so many ponies at once... And it takes a while to depressurize. "Mow them down!" Magnum yelled, holding down the trigger of the 9mm. * "We've sealed off the exit- don't know how long it'll take for them to find us." a stallion said to Daring Do. "They aren't our problem right now." Daring sighed, checking her shotgun. "Welcome to the sewers, everypony. Where every last undead pony is probably lingering during daytime, and possibly nighttime too." "Stay sharp." Rainbow said, her cleaver pointing this way and that. The loud sounds of battle had gone, suddenly replaced by this eery silence as they slushed through knee-deep muck and sewage waste. "Hell!" a pony yelled, jumping out of the water and pointing her rifle into the muck, aiming around the darkness. "Something just brushed against my leg!" "Shuck-" Daring cursed, looking down at the murky waters of the sewer. "Can't see crap! Anypony got a flashlight?" "Here." a stallion said, flicking on a bright white light- and everypony froze in horror as they spotted a large group of silent zombies standing three meters in front of them. "Everypony.. Just... Keep calm..." Daring said slowly, her voice quivering as she slowly backed off. Suddenly Rainbow's head felt like it had burst open, and she screamed; stumbling back. Through her tear blurred eyes she saw the zombies stir, and Daring tried to make her shut up. She tried to shut herself up, but it wasn't working- soon she was somewhere else, in a dimly lit wooden house. Through the dreamy vision she was having she could hear the distant sounds of reality, dull and out of reach- still she could hear herself screaming, although she had no control over the matter. There was a light yellow pegasus pony in the room, her pink mane dangling by her side. She looked like she had been starving for several days already, the usually bright pink butterflies on her flank now faded and dull. It was Fluttershy. There was a loud crack, and the door to the room crashed open. Fluttershy didn't seem to react to it at all, just staring down at the ground miserably. Two assault units entered the room, rifles already trained on the pegasus. "Get up! GET UP GODDAMNIT!!" Rainbow yelled, but she knew Fluttershy couldn't hear her. She could only hope... Fluttershy looked up, a bead of a tear hanging by the corner of her eye as she stared down the barrel of the assault rifle. "NO!!" Rainbow screamed as the rifle went off, her entire vision flashing white. She couldn't see anything after the bang- she was left in this dream state, her head pounding against her skull and her being completely out of control of her body. Then everything snapped back to the real world as a zombie pony came out of the darkness of reality and sunk its teeth deep into her shoulder.