There were no other options, and Aaron knew it. He thought of every possible way for things to pan out, but there were none that made him feel better. Neglect the general's order for making a weapon, millions of innocent people die in the raging war. Create the weapon and save humanity, millions of innocent ponies and other creatures die. Ignore both sides, they fight until one or the other simply can't stand anymore and fades away into history, then he gets a bullet to the skull. None of these options ended well. Neither side had even bothered to try diplomacy.
There was only one thing he could do, since humanity was the one side that wouldn't tear him limb from limb simply for existing, he decided to make the weapon, humanity deserved another chance. Maybe after the war ended humanity could actually try to achieve harmony, just like Cloud Hoof and his kind were trying to do. Creating a war changing weapon would be difficult to say the least. He had failed most of his college engineering classes, and he didn't even believe harnessing the energy would be possible.
The only place to start would be the archives, see if someone had found a way to use the energy without knowing it. The Fort Greenewell archives were the most complete, being that they were the best place to find a hard copy of a document since libraries had started going completely digital in the early 2000's. Damn shame that the Surge had annihilated most digital functions.
A solitary Army archivist stood watch behind his desk, feet kicked back, watching what looked like a recorded Super Bowl from the mid 2000's on a small tube television.
"Sir?" said Dr Patterson, obviously interrupting the terribly interesting half time show.
"Huh? What?" The Army archivist looked up from his TV, noticing the scientist for the first time.
"I need some information."
"That's what books are for. Now scram, lab coat." He waved a hand at Dr Patterson, intent on seeing the second half of the game. Aaron reached down and yanked the television's cord from the wall, twirling the plug around in the air. "What the hell you little prick!?" shouted the archivist.
"Patriots win by three, happy? Now tell me where I can find information on military energy weapon projects!"
"That's stored in the classified archives, back in the back rooms. But that requires class five clearance, which I don't even have."
"Well I do have it. Would you so kindly point me in the direction of the classified archives?" he grinned as he flashed the badge he received the night he had been drafted as a civilian scientist.
The archivist gave the card a quick visual inspection, then he pointed down a row. "Aisle seventeen, the door right past the files labeled 'Roswell'."
"Thank you for your cooperation sir." He determined that when he had some free time he might just peek into those Roswell files, but more pressing matters were at hand. He went down aisle seventeen, seeing the nondescript door Aaron believed he had been tricked, but the key card lock told him different. Swiping his card, Aaron opened the door and peered into the room. Inside sat several file cabinets lined against the wall, a single dingy bulb hung over a desk in the center of the room. "What a freakin' stereotype," taking a in a sigh of air laden with dust, "Better get started."
For the next two days those archives were everything but his bedroom, though he did sleep in there some. Documents ranging from orbital EMP's, atomic bombs, and lazer beams to advanced optics, holograms and even the most current missile defense system all told him nothing. However, some of Nikola Tesla's work struck him as interesting. Tesla had been able to harness latent planetary energy to accomplish simple tasks like lighting a bulb without cables. Astounding for his time, even more astounding for Dr Patterson. He read on, Tesla's crowning achievement had been his Tesla Tower of Power, a massive Tesla coil which broadcast a frequency of energy to power homes and even influence the weather.
This was a gold mine! Aaron had to control his eager shaking. The document clearly stated that after the tower had been activated, local animals had begun acting oddly, acting more feral and eventually dying for various reasons. Tesla's Tower had been decommissioned by the government after a certain event in the Siberian wilderness left the government wondering if such a device was safe enough to keep in existence. To this day Geiger counters and other electronic detectors did not pick up any form of radiation or electromagnetism at the Siberian site, yet some type of energy still lingered in the form of something higher on the energy scale than gamma.
"Surge energy, or something like it," he murmured to himself.
He read on, classified and translated Soviet documents detailed a report that people around the blast zone began to experience strange phenomenon, like animals emulating human behavior and increased sightings of strange creatures. However, it seemed the animals almost always went into some type of psychosis or died horrendous deaths.
He had found his weapon, and it had been right under the noses of science and the military for a century.
Another document in a folder caught his eye, an ongoing military project code-named Lazarus. He could not glean the function or intent of Lazarus, ninety percent of the document was completely blacked out. This type of thing was the highest level of top secret, and the one thing he saw was that huge amounts of steel beams, glass panes, nitrogen gas and plastic tubing were required, and all were being shipped to a certain base. "....Fort Greenewell, what the fuck is going on here?"
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Cloud Hoof hoped his plan would work, for months they had prepared defenses and trained themselves for the coming battle. His pegasi had accepted his leadership without question, and each day they pushed the limits of what they knew they could do. He currently oversaw a mixed formation of pegasi and gryphons running their drills. The pegasi gripped head heavy spears in their mouths and did strafing runs on ground based targets, the gryphons defended their flanks and would use their heavier builds to fight off aerial counterattacks. The pegasi were deadly accurate after months of training. Feeling proud of his flying fighters, Cloud Hoof flew to a large cloud formation to check on the progress of his artillery unit.
Early on in his experiments Cloud had learned that pegasi could indeed manipulate the weather, even to the point of making lightning bolts appear out of even the smallest clouds, but bigger clouds typically made stronger bolts. A deadly thing, lightning. Deadly enough to rival the thunder weapons of the humans. A familiar face joined him on his nimbus perch. The king of the gryphons greeted Cloud with his fiendish familiarity.
"I see your theory was correct, Cloud Hoof. How well can your artillery ponies strike from this height?"
"Generally within ten feet. How are the ground preparations?"
"Better than expected, we encountered a new race this morning with a knowledge of metallurgy and tunneling. Due to their affinity for the gems they stole from their old masters, we have taken to calling them Diamond Dogs. If we can provide them with payment and raw materials, they say they will gladly smith us weapons and armor. But outfitting all of our soldiers will present a challenge in itself. Starswirl has conducted a census, and he proclaims we are half a million strong and growing!"
"Excellent Grelkas, metal spearheads will penetrate further than our current stone spears and an armored charge will be less susceptible to human thunder weapons. But where can we find raw iron?"
"Our scouts report that a few human settlements in our vicinity are mostly intact, and riddled with metal."
"You always have an answer, my friend."
"Indeed, ah, but it appears we have a messenger."
A grey pegasus mare very quickly approached from below. Her face had a look that told Cloud something urgent was happening. She overshot her landing and crash landed on the cloud bearing the pegasus general and the gryphon king. She clumsily stood and saluted.
"Reporting Sir!"
"What is it? Human attack?"
"No sir, it's your wife! She is in labor! Sir?"
Cloud's face had taken on a look of utter incredulity. The gears and cogs had stopped running in his head, like a wrench had been thrown inside. Very dully he looked at the messenger, then at his friend Grelkas.
Grelkas broke the silence. "Well you lummox! Get moving, Starshine needs you!"
Cloud Hoof snapped out of his fugue, then took off at the fastest speed anypony had ever seen him fly.
Grelkas yelled to his friend from above. "And congratulations!"
Some believe Cloud Hoof was the first pony to break the sound barrier that day, some even say he broke it and ground the pieces into dust. He almost forgot to apply his wing brake when he zoomed in to the medical hut that housed his wife. He hit the ground running, dashing for the door to the hut. Lowering his head, he rammed the door down, only to see his wife laying in a makeshift bed.
"Starshine! I came as quickly as I could!"
A mare zebra intercepted him as he lunged for the bed. "Not so fast, hot shot. In a talking mood she is not! Her labor pains are great! You will have to go outside and wait."
Grudgingly he obliged the zebra nurse, wondering if she always talked in rhymes.
"And close the damn door on your way out!" the zebra mare yelled to him. Guess that mystery was solved.
Cloud took a vigil outside the door, pacing back and forth. Many times ponies and other creatures passed him by, asking what the matter was, he would only grunt unintelligently. His pacing hooves began to dig a hole in his small track. Every so often a cry of pain would resound from inside the hut, but it was a pain he could not do a thing about. It seemed like a decade before the zebra poked her head out. "Well sir, it is done. You may come in and see the life that has begun."
Cloud trotted in, moving immediately to the bed where his family lay. In the hooves of his Starshine, who never looked more beautiful, lay a sky blue foal swaddled in cloth, a fire red mane cresting her tiny head.
Starshine wearily spoke, "It's a girl."
The foal opened her eyes for the first time, curiously looking upon her proud father with dazzling violet eyes.
"Hi there little one, I'm your daddy," he said with joyous tears gracing his eyes. "Daddy, I'm a daddy," he said to himself. A million emotions ran through his heart. Joy, pride, protectiveness and responsibility. But also fear for the uncertain world she had been born into. But most of all, Cloud Hoof felt love. Love for his wife, love for his daughter, love for all life in the wide world. He nuzzled his beautiful foal, never wanting to let her go.
"What should we call her, Cloud?"
The stallion thought for a moment. Here lay a beacon of light in the storm of war, a small mote of hope piercing through the tempest. A reason to keep fighting, a reason to keep living. Cloud looked upon his now complete family and said, "Hurricane. Her name is Hurricane."
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Dr. Patterson was once again brought before General Winters, this time as a part of a war council with the generals of every remaining fighting force in America. A great migration had brought every one and every soldier under them here, to Stronghold. They were all a part of the final plan, the attack and annihilation of the Surge creature army gathering at their source. Washington had no influence here, the armed forces had completely abandoned the useless bureaucracy. Yet this was the place the monsters feared most, the dread human citadel of Stronghold, now housing over 200,000 fighting men and women and another 100,000 civilian refugees.
At the head of the semi circular table was General Winters, being the X.O. of Greenewell. "Dr. Patterson, what is your report?"
Aaron cleared his throat. "Gentlemen of this council of war, I have unearthed a possible solution to our problem. But first I say we should try diplomacy over violence."
Winters slammed a fist down on the table. "Enough of your pacifist crap! Now what is your report?"
Dr Patterson gave an inward growl, controlling the urge to simply walk out of the room. Instead he continued. "I have rediscovered a way for us to block and possibly alter Surge energy."
"Rediscovered, Dr. Patterson?" asked an Air Force Colonel.
"Yes sir, famed scientist Nikola Tesla had unwittingly created an altered form of the energy. I believe this altered energy can be used to contain any further Surges, which are likely if we continue to engage the enemy. Furthermore, if I can direct it in a powerful enough beam, I believe the altered energy can effectively kill or disable a Surge creature of any strength."
General Esera of the remaining Special Forces nodded his head. "It sounds perfect Dr. Patterson, what's the catch?"
"The catch is that we need to place at least six Tesla Towers within a 1 mile ring of the peak of the mountain where we believe the Surges originate. That should allow for a tight seal and absolute containment. And if we contain the source, the real enemy cannot continue with its retaliation."
Winters leaned back in his chair. "With the army at our base, we could reconquer every state in the Union, capturing the base of the mountain should pose no difficulty against the enemy rabble. With the addition of your weapon, we could be back in time for supper."
"Of course general, but before I consent to make a weapon, tell me what Lazarus is."
Every man in the council glared at Aaron. "How do you know about Lazarus?" Winters said with venom dripping in his voice.
"While researching your weapon, I found this document." He removed the folder from his coat, tossing it to the semi circular table that housed the council. The general opened the folder, thumbing through the blacked out pages.
"This is top secret information, more classified than the atomic bomb was in 1943. You could be charged with high treason and executed just for touching it."
"Kill me and you have no weapon. No weapon, more Surges happen, and we lose no matter how many soldiers you send to their deaths."
Winters snapped the folder shut, placing it aside to destroy when the meeting was over. "If you want to know, talk to your precious colleague. She heads the project here and knows more about it than any of us. If you tell anyone else; to hell with the weapon, you dangle from your neck until you stop kicking."
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Aaron stormed out of the war room. Dr Mcentyre had been hiding something from him. Something that could alter the outcome of the war. He checked the lab, he checked the canteen and finally went directly to Eve's private quarters. He knew she had to be inside, those were the only three places she ever was. And nobody ever went into her quarters, one of the perks of being a lady on base was some privacy. He knocked, no answer.
"Open the door Eve, it's Aaron! We need to talk!"
"Go away damn it! Can't you give a lady some goddamned privacy?" called a muffled voice through the door.
An anger swelled in him, and like Cloud Hoof had done on the night of his escape Dr Patterson reared back and kicked the door nearly off its hinges. Inside he saw his startled mentor reading some novel at her desk. She blushed as she tucked it away, then turned to anger at the intruder. "What the hell is wrong with you Aaron!?"
"The better question is what have you been keeping from me?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Eve said as she frantically sought a way to calm him down before he went wild.
"Lazarus, what is Project Lazarus?" The mention of the name had Eve's face turn pale.
Dr. Mcentyre sighed and sat down at her desk. "Oh, Jesus. Well, the cat's out of the bag on this one, who told you? You know what, that's not important. Let me tell you a little story, kid. Take a seat and grab a drink or something."
He took a seat on her bunk, not seeing anything worth imbibing at this point.
"Years ago in the 1980's a foundling group of astrophysicists decided that the Earth couldn't hold their ambitions anymore. Using government grant money and some private donations, they began drafting designs for a feasible intergalactic starship."
"What? Lazarus is a damn spacecraft?"
"No, and don't interrupt me. It was called Project Daedalus, and the goal was to launch a manned ship across the cosmos to Barnard's Star, a slight little journey of about 6 light years. However, since we still don't have faster than light drives, and it looks like we never will at this point, it would have taken somewhere in the range of 800,000 years just to get there. There was no way a crew would survive the journey, even if all their descendants were dedicated to the mission. This is where the military gets involved. You see, they were also investigating the problem, but for a different end. They didn't want the starship, they wanted certain components of it. We had almost perfected the solution for our problem."
"How?"
"What did I say about interrupting? Anyway, we thought of a brilliant plan to put our astronauts into suspended animation for the duration of the voyage. They don't age a day and the journey goes by like that." She snapped her fingers loudly. "The military of course wanted to use our invention for war here on Earth. They planned to freeze entire elite armies during peacetime, then reanimate them in a time of war as reinforcements. Or they could use it to freeze VIPs who wanted to get cured of an incurable disease, but medicine was years away from a cure. Or they could even use it to suspend populations to serve as a founder populace after some apocalypse."
"'Lazarus, come forth.' And with those words Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead..." Dr Patterson murmured, finally making the connection.
"Precisely, what they want now is a combination of options one and three, if they fail that is. If they lose the campaign at the Surge mountain, they will withdraw what remaining force they have and put them in cryo-stasis, after the enemy grows complacent and fractured, we rise from the grave and reestablish ourselves. You know how you were told that ninety percent of the base is underground? They never told you how far underground. Lazarus is here, about twenty stories below our feet. There are enough cryo-stasis modules for around 150,000 people currently. We were going to make more, but Congress saw that as too many as it was. Those Washington fatcats see Fort Greenewell as their own personal bomb shelter for when things go nuclear, or in this case go divine retribution. That's why the government was so eager to get reconnected with Greenewell after The Surge."
"That's why the military is gathered here, not to succeed, but in case they fail."
With the stress of revealing such top secret information making her hands shake, Dr Mcentyre pulled a cigarette out of her pocket, fumbling for her lighter. "I can already tell you, I think we'll need more tubes."
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I am particularly proud of this one. It makes me feel such strong emotions when I read the father scene. But more to the point, the scientific information presented here is mostly fact. Nikola Tesla did indeed build a Tower of Power with the intent to electrify whole cities and control the weather. It is still speculated as to whether the Tunguska event was a product of Tesla's Tower or a rogue comet strike. And yes, animals did act strangely after the device's activation, eventually dying. And on another note, Project Daedalus is also a real life initiative to design a practical starship, my addition of the cryo-stasis was merely a plot device to give mankind a way out. If you have any questions, comments or criticisms, post below.