//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: Just Doing My Job // Story: Resident Pon-Evil (Mission III) - Operation: Cryptic Origins // by Delta 727 //------------------------------// You ain't seen nothin' yet. You ever have nightmares? Like one where you just feel terrified, trying to fight it away? And you're thrashing and shifting, trying to get away from whatever it is? And somewhere in the back of your mind, you feel like you're gonna die? And then, when you think it's all over, you wake up in a cold sweat? Well, imagine this. You're having that same nightmare, and you're fighting for your survival, and you actually think like you're gonna wake up. But, of course, you never do. That's what the Outbreak felt like. But before I get into that, lemme tell you a bit about myself, and how this all started. My name's Golden Harp. Yeah, I don't like the name either, so I made up a nickname when I was a colt. Harper. I'm a Pegasus, but I spend most of my time on the ground. I have a golden coat with a dark yellow mane, and orange eyes. I guess that's how I got the name Golden Harp. That, and my cutie mark's a harp. Never really enjoyed playing the harp, but it was just kinda my talent. Even though I could've gone into business playing the harp, I chose a different path to get paid. I'm a patrol officer at the Manehattan Police Department. Yeah, that's right. I'm a badge-wearing, pistol-whipping, mare-magnet...ing bad flank. I don't have much of a family. I live alone, but I do see my mare friend every day at work. It's not often a pony gets comfortable with another member of the force. But, when I met her, it was just kinda mutual. Not just because she's just so funny, smart, and adorable, but also because she looked like what I'd look like if I was a mare. Which, thank Celestia, I'm not. And the last time I saw her was the day it happened. *Begin Transmission* Beep! Beep! Beep! Golden Harp clicked off his alarm clock, groaning and rubbing sleep from his eyes. It was 7:30 A.M. Time to get up for work. He slung his legs out from under the sheets, and groggily sat up. His room was dark, barely lit by the light of dawn coming in from his blinds. His room was nothing past simple. Grey walls, grey sheets, grey carpet, a dresser, a closet, and a small nightstand with his grey lamp, grey alarm clock, and grey picture frame of him in his uniform the first day of work with his mare friend. He dragged himself out of bed, grabbing his round eyeglasses off of his nightstand, and put them on his muzzle. He trotted slowly out of his room, into his bathroom, and looked at himself in the mirror. His yellow mane was ruffled, and his eyes were sagging from sleep. He slowly readjusted his mane, and sighed. Then, he smiled. It was orientation day. They'd be getting a new shipment of recruits, and he and his mare friend would be in charge of showing them the ropes. That made him brighten up immediately, and trot out of his small, one floor house with his head high. He stepped outside into the busy streets of Manehattan. Over the years, Manehattan had become a bigger and bigger city, soon becoming the economic center of Equestria. He trotted down the busy street of Manehattan, several ponies making their way to work in the busy morning commute. Signs in windows were flipped around to Open, shutters floated up inside windows, and lights switched on all up and down the street. He passed a clothing store and a cafe, greeted an old neighbor sweeping wood shavings off the sidewalk in front of his furniture workshop, and stopped at a bakery for a croissant, a cinnamon roll, and two cups of coffee. With two cups and a small, white, paper bag in hoof, he trotted up to the front doors of the police station, right up the street from City Hall. Canterlot was a friendly, bustling city. And it was his job to keep it safe. But why he does it is all in the history. Years before his time, Equestria was guarded by nothing but stallions with knight armor and spear guns. But when the civil war between the zebras and ponies broke out, they soon learned they weren't enough. The spears were too large and heavy, and the guns took too long to reload. They were nearly overrun by the zebras. After the war ended in a stalemate, the zebras migrated back toward the Everfree forest and the Badlands. The ponies decided it was time for an upgrade. Their spears were replaced by the lighter and much less expensive firearms, such as pistols and assault rifles, and their armor was made with bulletproof fibers and steel plates. Then, there were some ponies who thought it just wasn't enough. A small squad from the armed forces grew paranoid, and soon, plotted treason. They were a small squad called Harrow team. At first, they only consisted of a few ponies. Then, when their ideas began to float around the department, more and more ponies began to join them. They had all kinds of crazy ideas in mind. Chemical weapons, mechs, sentry turrets, even biomechanical upgrades. But the police chief wouldn't have any of it. And one day, Harrow team had enough. They, and all of their supporters, requested voluntary discharge, and left. About a year later, they'd built a compound on the edge of town on an area of land in an abandoned field. They spent several years, working away in the compound, but nopony ever knew what they were doing. They just left them alone, thinking they were all crazy. But one day, there came a small shipment on the doorstep of the Canterlot police station. A small box, with a hexagon filled in with alternating red and white triangles implanted on the lid. Inside were three vials of yellow liquid fitted in cutout holes in a block of foam. And stuck on the lid of the box was a yellow sticky note, which had a message written neatly in black pen. We're not crazy. We're not paranoid. We're not extremists. We're invincible. And today, we declare Harrow's End. Immediately, the vials were disposed of, and their effects were never known. Golden Harp had heard all the stories, but he never listened to them. Harrow's End was crazy, but they weren't dangerous. He thought they'd all probably kill themselves on their experiments, and he was perfectly fine with that. A dead pony was better than a crazy pony. He opened the front door to the police station, which led into a main lobby with a white tile floor, pale white ceilings and walls, a potted plant on either side of the door, a few rows of chairs to the right, a large sliding door that led to the main offices and holding cells, and a round, polished wood reception desk in front of the back door. Behind the desk was a brown, unicorn mare with a bright brown mane and dark blue eyes. She smiled as Golden Harp walked in. "Harper," she said in a friendly tone. "Good ta see ya. And you brought me coffee! You shouldn't have." Golden Harp smiled back. "Sorry, Cocoa, these ain't for you. They're for my mare friend." "Ah, you lover colt," Cocoa replied. "Still would've appreciated one." "Maybe next time. You seen her around?" Cocoa just smiled, but didn't reply. Something wrapped around his neck, and giggled in his hear. "Hey there, hon!" A mare's voice replied. Golden Harp smiled. "Well, good morning, Marigold." He held up the coffee and bag. "Brought ya breakfast." Marigold let go of Golden Harp's neck, and trotted in front of him. She wasn't wearing her police riot uniform, but a thinner, lightly padded, black body suit, leaving only her head and her tail out in the open. "Ya remember mah order?" Golden Harp held up the coffee and the bag. "One cinnamon roll, lightly iced, and a mocha with a half shot of espresso." Marigold smiled. "Cream an' sugar?" "You know it. Cup on the left." Marigold reached for one of the cups, and Golden Harp cleared his throat. "My left, silly." Marigold just smiled, gently shoving his shoulder, and taking her coffee. Marigold took a gentle sip, then smiled. "Perfect. Let's go back to th' office." She flicked her head around, turning for the door behind the reception desk. Golden Harp quickly caught up, opening it for her. "Chivalry ain't dead yet," Golden Harp said. Marigold curtsied affectionately, and trotted through, and Golden Harp followed. They trotted past the main holding cells, all of them empty, and went through the door on the end into the main offices. Several ponies were trotting around, some carrying papers, some trotting together and having conversations, and some typing away on computers or organizing papers at their desk. Marigold and Golden Harp trotted to their right to two desks put together, each with a computer and a few file folders. Golden Harp sat down in the desk on the right, and Marigold across from him. Golden Harp set the bag on his desk, and Marigold reached across and took it, taking out her cinnamon roll. "Calm down there, Gluttony," Golden Harp said mockingly. "Hey, ah haven't had a thing t' eat all morning," she took a bite of the cinnamon roll, and said around a mouth full, "Ah'm starvin'!" Golden Harp smiled and took his croissant out of the bag, taking a bite himself, before turning on his computer. "Well, let's get to work." --- About four hours later, it was lunch break. Golden Harp and Marigold left the police station, side by side, and trotted up the street to the old cafe. They went inside, and found a seat in two metal, decorative chairs against the right wall. Marigold found herself staring at a T.V. in the upper corner of the restaurant, and Golden Harp turned around to see what was on. It was a news report. Specifically, the weather. Clear skies and moderate heat of about 80 degrees, but there was a rainstorm approaching. "Well, that ain't good," Marigold said. "We might be walkin' home in th' rain." "A little rain won't kill ya," Golden Harp said. "You can hide under me, if you want." "Now, y'all stop talkin' like that," Marigold rested one leg on the table at a right angle. "We're in public, y'know." "Ah, they don't care." Golden Harp adjusted his glasses. "Now, let's ea-" Golden Harp was cut off as the weather report ended. "We interrupt this broadcast for a Public Service Announcement. There has been a large fire reported at the Harrow's End company building. All civilians in the general area are being evacuated. It is currently unknown if there are any chemicals leaking from the compound, but armed personnel were seen fleeing the building. Repeat, all citizens in general area of the compound are to evacuate immediately. All citizens in Manehattan are advised to remain near a television or radio for further updates. We now return you to your original program." "Well, now, that ain't good..." Marigold said. "Ah, don't worry about it," Golden Harp reassured her. "It's about time those psychos blew themselves up." "Ah jus' don't like it..." Marigold shook her head. "Celestia knows what they were doin' in there. Whatever it was, ah'm sure it wasn't pretty." "Well, it's gonna be a pile of ash in a few hours." He chuckled. "Much better that way, eh?" Marigold just placed a hoof on her chest, a sick look on her face. "Ah'm not hungry anymore..." "Yeah," Golden Harp said, placing a hoof on his chest. "Me neither. Let's go. We need to be back for orientation." --- Several hours later, night was falling over Manehattan. A steady rain was falling. Margold and Golden Harp left the police station at the end of their shift. Golden Harp yawned. "Well, I'd better be off..." Marigold smiled, faking a yawn. "Yeah, ah'd best be on mah way..." They both just looked at each other, smiling, before both saying at the same time, "My place." "Aw, c'mon, Marigold," Golden Harp said. "I don't wanna trouble you." "Well, mah place has more room, an' it's closer. 'Sides, it's raining." Marigold replied. "Y'all come home with me." She widened her eyes, curling her lips into a pleading expression. "Pweeease, Harpy?" Golden Harp just chuckled. "Oh, you know I can't resist that face. Alright, your place." Marigold's face went back to normal, and she giggled, trotting in the direction of her home. Golden Harp followed happily, ready to retire for the night. "It's such a beautiful night..." Golden Harp said. "Sure is, ain't it? D'spite the rain." Marigold replied, still trotting forward. "Not as beautiful as you, though," Golden Harp smiled. Marigold blushed, smiling" Ah, stop it, y'all! Yer makin' me blush." "I try my best," Golden Harp replied. They trotted silently for a few more minutes before Golden Harp stopped. "Marigold... Can I ask you something?" Marigold stopped. "Alright, shoot." "Y'know I love you, right?" Golden Harp asked shyly. "Well, sure. Ah know. Why?" Marigold tilted her head. Golden Harp scratched the back of his head. "Well, I've been meaning to ask you something... Something really important." "Yeah? Well, what is it?" Marigold looked confused. Golden Harp pulled a small silk-coated box from his pocket, and carefully kept it hidden behind his other front leg. He shivered slightly, knowing his big moment had come. "Marigold, will you ma-" Golden Harp was cut off as a bright light lit up the street. He groaned as he slid the box back into his pocket, and turned around. In the street were three armed ponies wearing thin body suits, padding, and night vision goggles. They were all pointing flashlights on the bottom of their guns at Golden Harp and Marigold. One of them spoke up. "Are you Officers Golden Harp and Marigold?" Marigold tried to speak up, but Golden Harp cut her off. "Yeah, yeah, what is it? I was in the middle of something here!" The three ponies lowered their guns, taking the light off of Golden Harp and Marigold, trotting forward to them, while only one came up close to them. The other two turned to watch the rest of the street. The lead pony introduced himself. "Agent Black Jack. You can call me Jack. I am a special operations soldier for the Canterlot Special Services." "I could care less who you are," Golden Harp said irritably. "All I care about is why you're pointing guns at me and my mare friend." "Sir," Black Jack continued. "There's been an explosion at the Harrow's End facility. Unfortunately, we have reason to believe that they were conducting chemical experiments, and that some of the chemicals were released in the destruction. We've been sent to evacuate all civilians in the case that the released chemicals may be lethal. I'm gonna need you two to come with us." "Like hoof I am!" Golden Harp replied. "I'm trying to take my mare friend home, and I'm not leaving on a hunch that those psychopaths might or might not have broken some of their toys!" Black Jack cautiously raised his gun. "Sir, if you refuse to come with us, I will have authorization to use force." Golden Harp tried to respond, but Marigold cut in, stepping between the two of them. "Whoa, hold on there, sugarcube! We ain't lookin' fer a fight. We'll go with ya, if it'll make ya happy an' keep us safe. Right, Harpy?" Golden Harp squinted through his eyeglasses past Marigold at the soldier, then only grunted. "Well, 'at should be enough," Marigold said. "Now let's go, so we can go home." Black Jack nodded. "Good. Now follow us. We'll take you to a safe house on the edge of town not far from here." He turned around, and signaled for the other two soldiers to follow. Marigold began to follow them, and so did Golden Harp, who grumbled under his breath. "I don't like this," Golden Harp finally said. "Yeah, yeah, ah know," Marigold replied. "But ya like me, so ah see no point in y'all turnin' around." Golden Harp was silent soon after, and the two ponies followed Black Jack and his team into the shadows of the buildings of Manehattan. --- Soon after they left the Station, Golden Harp, Marigold, and Black Jack and his squad found themselves leaving the city of Manehattan. After the long while of walking, Golden Harp finally spoke up. "So how long have you had this secret safe house in the middle of nowhere?" Black Jack didn't even turn to look at him as he spoke. "It's been there for as long as I can remember. In fact, there's more than one. They were installed after the civil war in case we needed to quickly evacuate civilians to a safe location, but we didn't think we'd have to use them for a possible chemical outbreak." "So why were you looking for us in specific?" Golden Harp asked. "How did you know our names?" Black Jack shrugged. "Just had orders to find you two in specific. There were dozens of us all assigned to find certain ponies. You two were at the top of my list. In fact, you were the only ones on my list." Golden Harp glared at him in suspicious confusion. "Any idea why that is?" Black Jack just shrugged again, then pointed ahead of him. "There's the safe house." The safe house was a large, square building with few windows and several fire escapes and catwalks lining the outside, all with guards standing watch from them. The front had a large bulkhead door, and two guards were seen standing out front. As they approached the safe house, the two guards out front stood at the ready for the approaching ponies. One of them, a stallion in a similar outfit to Black Jack said, "State your name and rank." "Specialist Black Jack. I have with me Operatives Poker Chip and Spades, and Officers Golden Harp and Marigold from the Manehattan police station. They are to be regarded as High Value Targets." The two guards lowered their guns, and the stallion that stopped them clicked on his radio. "Open the door. We have two H.V.T.s in custody." The guards stepped away from the door, and the bulkhead door began to slide open. A large rectangle of light flooded from the opening doors, and opened to reveal a large compound floor lined with several beds, a few doors on the walls, and a stairway to iron catwalks on the second floor, as well leading to doors on the second floor. But most noticeable of all were the several dozen ponies buzzing around the compound. Black Jack and his team stepped right past Golden Harp and Marigold. "C'mon, you two," Black Jack said. "Snap out of it. The Commander wants to see you." "Us?" Marigold asked. "Now why would he wanna see us?" "She", Black Jack corrected, "was holding a meeting for any pony who's working for any armed forces in Manehattan. Specifically, your department. And you two weren't there, so now she wants to see you two alone. Now let's get moving." He trotted his way through the crowd of ponies toward a door at the far back of the compound, and his team, Golden Harp, and Marigold followed. Pushing through the crowd of ponies, all chatting away about their concern of what happened at Harrow's End, why they had to stay in a safe house, and when they'd get to go home. When they reached the door at the back, Black Jack knocked twice, then pushed open the door, and Golden Harp, Marigold, and Black Jack's team followed him in. Inside, there was a small wooden desk, and that was about it. That, and the red, grey-maned mare sitting behind it, adjusting her bifocals. "Commander Cherry," Black Jack said. "These're the officers you requested. Did the others show up?" "Yes, they did," Cherry replied. "Thank you, Black Jack. You and your team are dismissed." Black Jack nodded, and he and his team left, leaving Golden Harp and Marigold alone with Commander Cherry. "So you two are patrol officers from the Manehattan police department, are you not?" Cherry asked. "Yeah, that's us," Golden Harp replied. "So why do you need us? And why are we the only ones here, for that matter? And who are you, anyway?" "Calm down," Cherry said. "Golden Harp, was it?" Golden Harp nodded. "Good. Commander Cherry. And by Commander, I mean Commander from the Canterlot Royal Guard and Military. I need you, and specifically you, because you two are two of the few able officers not already deployed in Manehattan. In fact, as I recall, you're the only ones. All other available officers are in the streets, including Black Jack and his team. So may I ask why you two were in the middle of the street while the town was being locked down due to a possible terrorist threat?" "Well, Commander," Golden Harp replied. "You just answered your own question. 'Possible terrorist threat' doesn't sound like enough to make us think it's a threat to Equestria itself." Cherry sighed. *Unfortunately, officer, you're wrong." Marigold, who had been silent for some time, finally spoke up. "Wrong? Why's that?" Cherry reached down, and pulled a file out. She set it on the desk, and opened it. "This is our file on Harrow's End. As it turns out, they were testing much worse things than nuclear weapons." "Worse how?" Marigold asked. "You tell me," Cherry replied. "How much worse does 'bio-organic weapons' sound?" "Bio-organic..." Golden Harp trailed off. "That's not even possible." "Oh, it's not only possible," Cherry assured, "It's dangerous. And worst of all, that explosion let them loose." "What're y'all talkin' about?" Marigold asked. "Let what loose?" "I'm not gonna sugar coat it for you two," Cherry replied. "When our military officers went in to contain the site, we found ponies there. Dead ponies. At least, we only thought they were dead. Soon, somehow, they got back up. They were completely burned alive, torn apart, and somehow they got back up." "This sounds completely far-fetched, commander," Golden Harp said. "Well, it only gets worse," Cherry continued. "They were feral. Violent. They didn't react to commands, and no matter how much we tried to subdue them, they fought. I even got an account from an officer who said his partner was bitten by one of them, and he began to get sick. Soon, he also became violent, and he tore his partner apart, ate him alive." "Oh, no..." Marigold murmured. "Yer not sayin'..." Cherry cut her off. "I am. We've got an infection on our hooves." --- "It's a dangerous business going out your front door." - J. R. R. Tolkien *Transmission Ended*