//------------------------------// // Mining Crusade // Story: Archangel's New Assignment // by SabreXio //------------------------------// "Ok, try it now" I shouted to Guardian "Powering up" he replied as he threw the main power switch. A faint hum came from the main battery cell as the power flowed from it and into the conduits. This was the main power storage system that I had just spent almost a week straight working to get back to full power. Up till now, Firestorm had been running on its back-up generator, but if I could get the energy conduits repaired then the base would be operating at peak efficiency. "Seems ok so far" I reported. This was immediately followed by a series of loud pops. I turned back to the conduit I had been working on to find its contents leaking onto the floor. I followed the conduit back to the cell and found every section was leaking and damaged. "Captain, I am detecting a massive power failure" my assistant reported as he disabled the battery. "I really did think all it needed was some duct tape" "And I told you that that would never work" "Well damn" I said in defeat "looks like I need to find more conduit fluid" "Actually Sir, I have detected a large concentration of Cupro-Ferric Alloy in a cave system a few miles from here" "Really?" "Affirmative, and to top it off, I have never seen this much ore in one place" "Sweet" I replied "I'll get the RAATT ready and head there" I left the power room and made my way to the back of the base where the vehicle launch bay was. I hadn't done much work on some of the vehicles here, but one was completely functional: the Rapid Armored All-Terrain Transport, or RAATT for short. This six-wheeled monster is part Stryker, part M3 Bradley, and all amazing. It has a carrying capacity of four troopers, mounted a double barreled 20mm reciprocating cannon in a ball turret at the back and was capable of speeds of up to seventy miles an hour. "Tau, Phi, Mu" I shouted, trying to get the three robots attention I heard some metallic clicking, as well as some air moving and a wheel rolling. then I saw three half-sized robots stop in front of me. "Ok guys, I need the three of you to get the RAATT loaded for a mining trip" Tau's red eye lit up and he made a whistling sound. Each of the three 'Brothers' as I called them collectively was radically different in design. The de facto leader of the trio was Tau, a robot with a spherical body with a single red eye on a stalk. On the bottom of the sphere was a small thruster providing his locomotion and four radially mounted arms allowed him amazing dexterity He also spoke mostly through computerized beeps and whistles that only his compatriots could decipher, making him the most difficult to understand. Phi looked up at Tau. "Nononononononono, [gibberish]" he said. Phi was the most flexible of the three given his modularity and wide conic shape. He was composed of a metal cone that had a myriad of ports for attaching arms and tools( Currently he had eight normal grabber claw arms. He tended to speak in a very rapid gibberish with the occasional discernible word. A tap on Tau's back drew his attention to the last member of the group. Mu was the most sensible of the group but tended to have assertiveness issues. The monowheel drone is also the most imposing with broad square shoulders, long segmented arms capped with claw machine grabbers and a screen on his front that acted as his face and method of communication: pictures. Of the three, I found him easiest to interpret. He waved his arms in front of him saying 'no' and then displayed a picture of a pickaxe. Apparently Tau didn't agree as he responded by punching Mu in the shoulder. Quickly, this little meeting dissolved into a symphony of beeping, metallic clanking and frantic gibberish as the trio squabbled like little kids. "Hey!" I said as I snapped my fingers "Knock it off" They quickly disengaged and lined back up, each mumbling their own version of an apology. "Thank you, now: Mu is right, I need Det-packs and coring charges loaded on the RAATT, along with a hole bore and a cart" The drones expressed understanding. "Get to it" I ordered causing the robots to all scamper off to gather the supplies I requested. I guess this is what having children is like "Hi Captain!" "AHHHHH" I screamed as I jumped about six feet in the air. After landing I whipped around to try and find what had startled me. "How do you ponies keep DOING that?!" I half asked, half shouted as my heart rate equalized In front of me were three familiar little fillies: Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom "Sorry Captain" Scootaloo said stifling her laughter "We didn't mean ta scare ya" I took a deep breath "You didn't scare me, you startled me" I said trying to save my dignity "there's a difference" "That's not what it looked like to me" Scootaloo said with an amused grin "Is there something I can do for you three" "Well, we saw that really big door open" Sweetie Belle began as she pointed a hoof at the door "And we were wonderin' what'cha were doin'" Apple Bloom continued "Oh, I'm just getting ready to go mining" "Really? Can we come?" Scootaloo asked intently fluttering her tiny wings. "What?" "We wanna help" Apple Bloom said "Why?" I asked. No one ever asked to help before, especially when they didn't know what it was. "So we can get our Cutie Marks" she answered. "What makes you think I can get you a Cutie Mark?" "Because we've tried everything else..." Apple Bloom said "And you're the most awesome pony we know" Scootaloo said still excited "Wait, I thought Rainbow Dash was the most awesome pony you knew?" I asked "Well...she is, b-but you're a different kind of awesome" I just chuckled a little "So you three really think I can help?" "It's the only thing we haven't tried" Apple Bloom said while the other two nodded in agreement "Look girls, I'd really like to help but I can't possibly bring you along" I said "It's way too dangerous" "Awwww" All three groaned "I'm sorry but that's just how it is" "Pleeeeeeeeease Captain" they all said in unison, accompanied by three sets of huge puppy eyes. It was the most adorable sight I'd ever seen. I tried everything I could to resist the cuteness, but my systems just couldn't handle it. "Sigh...OK fine, you can come" I said causing the ponies to jump around with joy "But on one condition" I continued getting the fillies attention again "And that is that you get permission" "We're gonna get our Cutie Marks fer sure this time!" Apple Bloom declared "Ok then, if you get permission, meet here tomorrow after breakfast" I said "And make sure you bring whatever you need with you" And then the three darted off to talk to there respective guardians. I just laughed and shook my head. "D'awwwww" A three voices behind me cooed. I turned around to see the Brothers all looking at the fillies, immobilized by the cuteness. I snapped my fingers again and jerked my head towards the RAATT, signaling them to knock it off. "Don't you three have something to be doing?" The next day I reached the armory and picked my gear. Since I was going to be in a confined space with ponies, I needed something compact and suppressible, but still with enough punch to stop something big. "Honey Badger" I said to myself as I picked up the rifle and strapped it to my back. I also grabbed the three special drones I'd whipped up last night. A Kevlar vest and an arm upgrade finished off my preparations. "Captain, those adorable little ponies are back" Firestorm reported. She had a soft spot for those three and they seemed to like her as well. "On my way" I said as I grabbed some mags and left for the vehicle bay. Once I arrived I found the three fillies waiting semi patiently. "Good morning" I said as I walked in "You three ready to go?" "You bet" Scootaloo answered "Wait, don't you guys have, like, backpacks or something?" I asked. I know I'd seen ponies wearing packs slung over their backs before. "Uh, well we did, but some floating metal octopus thing took our saddlebags when we got here" Sweetie Belle said "Oh" I replied then I shouted for Tau, who hovered over shortly after. "You mean him, right?" I asked the girls who all nodded yes "Tau, where did you put their bags?" I asked He responded by pointing one arm at the RAATT and making a series of chirping sounds. "So that's where they are?" He bobbed up and down, as though nodding "Don't worry, he just loaded them on the vehicle" "Vehicle?" Sweetie Belle asked "Did you think we were walking there?" I replied as I walked toward the transport with the ponies in pursuit. As soon as we got close, Applebloom spoke up. "Wow, Ah've never seen a carriage like that before" "Yeah, but where do the ponies hook to it?" Scootaloo asked "And where are we going to find ponies strong enough to pull it?" Sweetie Belle added "All will be revealed shortly" I answered cryptically We stopped along the right side of the transport and it lowered itself to ground level. "Yes, it's suppose to do that" I said pre-empting the question. I then opened the hatch on the side and folded the stairs down, ushering the ponies in. I followed and closed up the entrance, then sat down at the controls. "How are you gonna drive this thing if there aren't any windows?" Scootaloo asked. I answered by flipping a few switched and starting the RAATT. In an instant, the vehicle lit up and the covers over the windshield retracted. Then the engine growled to life, prompting the fillies to dart to my side, cowering in fear. "W-w-what's that sound?" Sweetie Belle asked "Relax, that's the engine" I said "It's what makes this thing go" The girls relaxed a bit "How does the engine do that?" I just sighed and thought, This is going to be a long trip.