Hawkeye went into Violet’s room to bring him his food. She saw that he was passed out on the bed and slid the tray off her back, onto a small table and pulled the blanket over him. She paused when her face was close to his. She inhaled lightly, breathing in his scent, before slowly pulling away. She then walked out the door, closing it quietly.
“I don't remember you ever bringing me dinner...” Bad Apple said leaning against a wall with his hooves crossed. “There is something about him, isn't there?”
“Don't tell me you're a believer now...” Hawkeye said looking at him.
“I just keep wondering… if Crescent is so sure, why doesn't he take him to see the Oracle?” He asked, stretching a bit.
“Crescent will take him...when he's ready.” She said walking away.
Bad Apple just smiled to himself as he watched Hawkeye before he went back to his own room.
Crescent Sliver and Violet walked down a busy street, full of people going to work. Crescent casually walked through them, but Violet kept on being hit or shoved aside.
“The Maretrix is a system, Violet.” Crescent Sliver began as they walked. “That system is our enemy. But when you're inside, you look around. What do you see? Business people, teachers, lawyers, carpenters. The very minds of the people we are trying to save. But until we do, these people are still a part of that system, and that makes them our enemy.”
At that moment a woman wearing a bright red dress and bright red lipstick walked by, and Violet couldn't help but stare.
“You have to understand, most of these people are not ready to be unplugged. And many of them are so inert, so hopelessly dependent on the system that they will fight to protect it. Were you listening to me, Violet?” He asked turning around. “Or were you looking at the woman in the red dress?”
“I was...” Violet stuttered trying to recall what Crescent had just said.
“Look again.” Crescent said, nodding behind Violet.
Violet turned around, to see that the woman in the red dress has turned into an Agent, and was pointing a gun at his head. Violet ducked, covering his head with his hands.
“Freeze it.” He said looking up.
All the people and animals around them froze in place as Crescent walked up to Violet.
“This… this isn't the Maretrix?” Violet asked looking around.
“No. It's another program, designed to teach you one thing: If you are not one of us, you are one of them.” The white haired man said gesturing to the Agent.
“What are they?” He asked, looking at the frozen Agent.
“Changelings but in the Maretrix we call them Agents.” Crescent explained. “They can move in and out of the Maretrix and can make themselves look like anypony still plugged to their Hivemind. That means that anyone we haven't unplugged is potentially an Agent. Inside the Maretrix, they are everypony and they are no pony. We have survived by hiding from them...and by running from them. But they are the gatekeepers. They are guarding all the doors, they are holding all the keys, which means that sooner or later... Somepony is going to have to fight them.”
“Somepony.” The brown heard man said, knowing that he meant him.
“I won't lie to you, Violet.” Crescent sighed. “Every single man or woman who has stood their ground, everypony who has fought an agent has died. But where they have failed, you will succeed.”
“Why?” Violet asked puzzled.
“I've seen an Agent punch through a concrete wall. Men have emptied entire clips at them, and hit nothing but air.” He said, sighing at the memories of his fallen allies. “Yet their strength and their speed, are still based on a world built on rules. Because of that, they will never be as strong, or as fast, as you can be.”
“What are you trying to tell me? That I can...dodge bullets?” He asked, cocking an eyebrow.
“No, Violet.” Crescent said with a laugh. “I'm trying to tell you, that when you're ready... you won't have to....” At that moment, his cell phone went off and He picked it up. “Yes?”
“We've got trouble.” Mixer said from the other end.
They both come out of the program, and move to the cockpit of the airship.
“Did Canterlot send a warning?” Crescent asked.
“No, another ship.” Crisp said, as the rest of the crew arrived and sat down. “Shit... Wasps sweeping in quick.” He said looking a holographic image of 4 bee-like creatures.
“...Wasps?" Violet asked confused.
“A Changeling sentinel. A magic powered machine the Changelings designed for one thing.” Hawkeye explained.
“Search...and destroy.” Crisp finished.
“Set her down right over there....” Crescent said, pointing to a half-destroyed wall. “How are we doing, Mixer?” He asked once they landed.
“Power offline...CMP armed and ready...” Mixer said, putting his hoof over a big red button.
“CMP?” The tan Unicorn asked, looking at Mixer.
“Concentrated Magic Pulse. Disables any magical system within the blast radius. It's the only weapon we have against the Changelings.” Hawkeye explained.
“Where are we?” He asked looking around.
“These are old Diamond Dog tunnels.” She said, turning to face him.
“Diamond Dogs?” He said surprised.
“They used to be underground cities that spanned for hundreds of miles. Now these tunnels are all that's left.” The dark green manned mare explained.
“Quiet!” Crescent ordered as the sentinels arrived.
Mechanical insect like creatures flew towards their ship. One opened up a long cable-like extensions and swirled it about. It then moved on in the other direction, with the rest following. The crew all sighed in relief before going back to what they were doing.
Unable to sleep, Violet got up and went to the main deck to see Bad Apple, who was sitting monitoring the Maretrix on a couple of monitors. Violet quietly approached him.
“Whoa, Violet! You scared the bejeezus outta me.” B.A. said when he realizes he was there, jumping a bit.
“Sorry…” Violet said tiredly.
“It's okay.” The caramel colored earth pony said, turning back to the monitors.
“Is that...” The unicorn asked, being cut off by a yawn.
“The Maretrix?” B.A. finished. “Yeah.”
“Do you always look at it encoded?” Violet asked, looking at the monitors, which were displaying different lines of code.
“Well, you have to. The image translator spell works for the construct. But there's way too many minds to decode the Maretrix.” He explained. “You get used to it...I, I don't even see the code. All I see is...blond, brunette, redhead...” Bad Apple said gestures towards the monitors and laughing at his small joke. “Hey, you uh...you want a drink?” He asked, pulling up a large jug and putting it on a small table next to the monitors.
“Sure.” Violet said nodding.
B.A. poured Violet a drink from the large jug into a make ship cup and he took it in his telekinetic grip.
“You know, I know what you're thinking, because right now I'm thinking the same thing. Actually, I've been thinking it ever since I got here....Why, oh why, didn't I take the blue pill.” B.A. said shaking his head.
Violet took a sip of his drink and almost chocked on it, as Bad Apple laughed at him a bit.
“Good shit, huh? Crisp makes it. It's good for two things: degreasing engines, and killin’ brain cells.” He said cannon balling the jug.
“Oh!” Violet said trying to breathe.
“So...can I ask you something? Did he tell you why he did it?” The earth pony asked once Violet’s breath was back to normal. Violet nodded coughing one last time and B.A. whistled. “Jee-zus! What a mind job...So, you're here to save the world...what do you say to something like that?!” Bad Apple said with a chuckle. “A little piece of advice… you see an Agent, you do what we do. Run... run your ass off.”
“Thanks for the drink...” Violet said swallows down the last mouthful before heading back to his room.
“Sweet dreams...” He called after him, before turning back to the monitors.
An Agent was sitting across from someone in a restaurant watching him eat.
“So we have a deal, Mr. Williams?” The Agent asked.
“Please, call me B.A.” Bad Apple said, eating some bacon. “You know, I know this bacon doesn't exist. I know that when I put it in my mouth, the Maretrix is telling my brain that it is crispy... and delicious.” He sighed. “After nine years, you know what I realize?” The man with slicked back hair said, putting the bacon into his mouth, and sighing as he chewed it with his eyes closed. “Ignorance is bliss.”
“Then we have a deal?” The Agent asked watching him eat.
“I don't want to remember nothing. No-thing. You understand?” He said making sure the Agent got it. “And I wanna be rich… you know, someone important. Like an actor.”
“Whatever you want... B.A…” The Agent said in a monotone voice.
“Okay. I get my body back into a power plant, re-insert me into the Maretrix, I'll get you what you want.” Bad Apple said fishing the bacon.
“The Access codes to New Canterlot’s mainframe…” He began but got interrupted.
“No, I told you, I don't know them.” The black haired man said cutting the Agent off. “But, I can get you the man who does.”
“Crescent Sliver.” The Agent said with a smile on his face.