//------------------------------// // Malicious eyes // Story: Trinity - Nature // by Ice4smaster //------------------------------// Malicious eyes Darkness, numb darkness all she could feel in her body in perfect weightlessness. She had no idea how long she floated in the silent abyss. It was, surprisingly smoothing, calming, cold. Then things became warmer, she began to feel again, first she felt her heart beat once more, weak, and labored, but there, then her limbs with the weight of a ton, numb and burning, each joint scream. Her chest rise and fall in a perfect rhythm she had no control over, constantly sending jolt of pain. She felt as she had been dried out, her throat, her lungs, skin, lips, like a desert that seen not a single drop of rain in a millennia. Then the smells and sounds began their assault, muffled, quietly, yet ear shuttering strength in them. As time passed on, the pain became less, she no longer felt made out of lead, scorched alive by the sun inside out. The sounds around her made sense now, she could hear beeping in perfect sync with her heart. Could feel she is laying in a bed some short, tucked in, warm. She felt as life slowly returning into her body. She was alive. The memories began to surface, a mere glimpse of what have happened, the cruise ship, the storm, screaming ponies, the burning, blinding sun and the endless waves of the ocean. She cracked her eyes open after long minutes of struggling. The light was dim, but still assault her eyes with pain until she could get used to it, the blurry view cleared up, yet what she saw made no sense first, she could not put her hoof on it what she saw with her eyes, until the wheels in her brain began turning. Above her, as she lay there, she saw a metal ceiling, nothing alike she had ever seen before, it was way perfect, smooth, shiny, clean lines where different elements meet, the light, like out from a scifi story. And so things after one another began registering to the weathered mare. She was restrained, could feel the strong belts around her hooves, she could feel the niddles in her forelegs, the tube shown down her windpipe as pumped air in and out with a choking, dry sensation now in her throat and mouth. Lyra panicked now, and the heart monitor signalled this with a rapid increase in the beeping. The gag reflex kicked in, she tried cough only have pain surge from her neck. Tears rolled down her cheek as she struggled for a minute, and slowly tired out. She was way weak, her struggle was for nothing, remained as she was, restrained, scared, and with an unnerving feeling of being choked, yet she had air in her lungs. As she was calm again, she look around and take in as much of her surroundings as she could. She could see a curtain on both sides blocking her view, the ceiling and wall behind and above her made out from metal with strange machinery attached to said wall above her head. Along the sides she could see bags hanged up with small tubes lead downwards, transparent liquid dripping at a slow but steady rate. The mint green lyrist steeled herself. She had no idea where she was exactly, but she was in some unrealistically advance hospital, as much she understood. Restrained into her bed, a bed that was way bigger than her. It could easily accommodate a minotaur with space to spare, just by judging the distance of the two sides of the bed from her head. And Lyra knew for sure, the minotaurs are all, but advanced in medical sciences or have craftsponyship to do such quality bed or walls for the matter. Who ever have found her, and she hoped, her friends, had no ill intentions. As she could feel in her guts, they not been any of the races of the known world. Few minutes have passed, it didn't fully registrate for the unicorn when she began to hear voices, and trot closing in. The rhythm was similar to a biped minotaur, without the clop sound of hooves, it was muffled, kind of stealthy, sneaky. And the voices, was a conversation between two, one male and one female, and it was fluent Equestrian, but some words she could not understand at all. “..So the unicorn regain her consciousness as seams..” “Yes Dr Michael..” And that moment two tall biped creatures came into her line of sight, being she had never seen before or heard of, towering above her. They both wear layers of clothes, with a large white medical coat on top. They had hands, but with five fingers, unlike minotaurs with their 4. They seemed to have bare smooth skin except for their head. Both the male and female face being obscured by a thin white mask. They also possessed some strange googles, she could see the lights dance on the surface, like miniature texts flowing occasionally. Lyra could see a strange flat device in the hand of the male, he lifted it up and began to make strange movements with his alien hands, like he would be drawing with simple stroking movements. Then the female leaned closer to her and spoke in a smoothing, calming voice. “Good morning Minty. Hope it's alright if I call you this way until you can tell us your own name. Don't be scared, you are in good hands and safe, as your friends are, they all made it, and they will pull through as you do. You and your friends suffered serious dehydration and sun stroke in the small lifeboat where we found you. You likely feel weak for days to come with soreness in your limbs, but it will subdue.” She leaned back as the male, the doctor began to speak. “Hello, my name is Dr Michael, me and my colleague, Nurse Ururu will do a quick check up on you, don't be scared, though it might be uncomfortable. We will check on your muscles and stomach, take blood, urine and saliva samples as well check your vision, hearing and reflexes to be sure you haven't suffered any brain or other organ damage, now that you woke up from your short coma.” The creatures wait patiently as a few moments later Lyra gave a weak but visible nod that she understood what they been saying to her. The lyrist felt somewhat relieved, her friends are alive as well, and they taking care of them all. Though she sure did not look forward to the medical check up, she always hate it. And she was sure any sane being, pony or otherwise, even the ones who practice healing and knew what all is about, hate it being on the receiving end of such procedures. As she finished with the very thought they began the examination while talking to her in a calming tone, explaining what they exactly do. “Sir, one of the ponies woke up not long ago. Also our the other jet will arrive in 5 minutes.” “Good, keep me posted on the events Commander Kay.” “Yes Sir.” The general just nodded, the light of the screens reflects in her smooth, google like cybernetic eyes as follow all the different events and operations in progress with a neutral, calculating look. Small miracles and good news were indeed good, but there was no time nor margin to make errors or have a slip in judgement, not in his position. He was looking at the newest report of the Titan Gate, which would allow transportation of large scale assets to this new strange world. And the first on the list was the super carrier. The super carrier as they called it commonly, or by the proper type designation of NHC-350000 was a true engineering masterpiece. An 350000 Ton, 750 m long behemoth, not just able carry and launch fighters, but larger, heavier aircraft’s, bombers that normally could be operated from ground bases only. A crew consisting of 11000 men and woman, armed with 14 Hybrid Gatekeeper turrets, with gatling, rail, and multipurpose missile launchers. Situated behind the command tower she had midrange cruise missile launcher racks with 6x18 cruise missiles loaded and ready, 12 of these armed with 3 Megaton pure fusion warheads. The ship was powered by 10 thorium based nuclear reactors, unlike the old uranium based ones, slightly weaker but far more stable and far more cost efficient in regards of the fission fuel. The carrier had it's very own production centers, able to produce not just fuel for the jets, but also ammunition at a steady rate if the resources was present. Furthermore they were able to manufacture spare parts for the jets as well after some reconfiguration. By all means it was a mobile base, and at times some even referred to it as a mothership based on scifi stories. It was the first of her kind, and they plan to build 3 more over the following years so they could have the necessary firepower to protect the last of humanity as made their way into this new world and restart. The general gave a cold and sure smile, soon he would have a trump-card in his hands and god have mercy on the sod souls who dare to threaten the new growing colony of mankind. The unlikely group of survivors was getting up as the sun rose. Dave, already up and began hail the incoming jet. And data transfer began in it's earnest. It was Vinyl who shot up fastest. “Ahhhyeee! Good morning everypony!” Boomed the DJ voice, Dave just shook his head and had a giggle as saw the others attempt to shield their ears from the assaulting volume the ever energetic white mare signal a new day. “Come on lazy flanks, time to move them!” “Trixie does not approve this type of wake up call...” “What's wrong with that?” Asked Vinyl with a shock on her face, Trixie shook her head, and just remained silent, getting up to her hooves. “Vinyl Scratch...” It was Octavia turn to sound her voice. “Could you, please, moderate your self? I know it's morning and you are energetic, but please don't shout.” “Awww, but where's the fun in that, in the slow wake up when we can party!” The cellist trademark facehoof silently echoed through the morning beach as made it's expected appearance. Dave just laughed at this one, and, infecting Vinyl as well. Octavias tired, sleepy eyes dart between the two, and moments later she rose her right hoof to silence them. “And no massage for you...” jabbed her hoof at Vinyl “or for you..” then at Dave “In the foreseeable future for this.” Vinyl gave a slack jawed face which quickly turned into a putty face. The human couldn't hold it, burst out in laughter pointing at Vinyl. He was carefree, and why he shouldn't be, soon the team would reach the island. The avalanche of antics got broken by Midnight. “Sooo... are your kin coming?” She gesture towards the horizon and indeed, a small speck was visible, growing more and more as slowly a loud roar began fill the air. “Yup, it's them! Time to get off of this rock, wouldn't you agree?” The others been surprised, Midnight less so, as unknown to them she was awake awhile too, and saw as the human began giggling for no other apparent reason even before her very sensitive ears could peek up the distant roar of the approaching form. “Oh you sneaky one, you have been having that.. wireless as you call it?.. chatter with them already, don't you.” Octavia gave a smile and shook her head, and the growing smirk on his face was all the answer needed. “That's one nice trick we could have a good use for the Guard.” “Well let's see how things play out, it might be arranged, miss vampony overlord” Midnight gave her trademark toothy smirk in response. By this time the roar of the engines has increased tenfold, and the jet was clearly visible in all her glory, in VTOL mode as made her descend to the island only a couple hundred meters away. The little ponies watched in awe as a sleek black metal bird touched down, and the engines cut off after a few seconds later. Not that they have never seen a flying machine before, but this was compact, heavy, made from metal and other strange materials, and yet it is flown with grace. Then a ramp lowered from the belly of the beast, and so did the human step on the sandy beach. A scouting team, consist 4 spec ops, 2 doctors and 1 field scientist. “Good morning lads!” Shout Dave with a wave of his hand, the ponies quickly next to him, with hope and a slight nervousness as the new group made it's way towards them. “Good morning Ice! I see you found new friends already, what about us?” “Oh quiet you, Bulkhead!” The largest of the group spoke, and he was truly big, towering over the others with a head easily. As they got close the features of the humans was now clear, Bulkhead, as like his fellow soldiers clearly had unaturalistic look to them. Lack of any heared and like their head made of strange materials, a combination of skin and metal plates, texture like a living skin, but with distinct lines running around where they put them together. Bit alarming were their eyes, or what was installed, with a slight glow to them, like goggles literally embedded into their skulls. “I see you guys never change, I thought you switched to never generation Cybernetic eyes.” “And lose out on the charming looks these babies give us? No way man. And i'm sure your little friends love them.” The giant gave a big toothy grin of his, Dave and he did a bro fist. Then Midnight step forward as she looked up all the towering beings before her. “It's a pleasure to meet you humans, I'd suppose this is an informal first contact, but I’m kind of representing Equestria being the captain of the Night Guard.” Midnight rose her foreleg as Bulk kneel down and return the gesture. “The pleasure is ours and we will look forward for a more formal meeting in the near future, which might be in two days time when your airship arrives here.” This surprised even Midnight. “How you know?” Was all she could say, to give a voice to the other mares exact thoughts on this revelation. Dave just smirked just smirked and lip towards them 'Technology'. Trixie gave a smirk in response, the one that said exactly 'You guys and your fancy toys' as the response came from Bulkhead. “Well why, we saw them on the way here, they had the same idea of this island and survivors as we did.” He gave a chuckle, but soon his facial features grew grim, it was unspoken yet echo through the air, the loss of life, who didn't make it. And the very grief reflected in the eyes of the smaller ponies. While for the humans been only a few, a team lost. For them, an entire ship, thousands of souls, all lost, engulfed by the cruel ocean. The group settled down, the doctors quickly examined the survivors who obviously felt a bit uncomfortable, especially when they checked the sensitive parts of the ponies, namely their horns or in case of Midnight her bat like wings, but they agreed to it, not misunderstanding their intentions. Non the less they amused mildly by the curiosity and enthusiasm of the doctors and scientist. All the while the Spec Ops setup automated sentry turrets around their new camp, under the cover of the imposing black jet. The group soon grew more as the two pilots join them. Not to far off in the midst of the tropical forest cover a set of green eyes watched intently the events transpire on the sandy beach. After a long time stopped it's observation and vanished into the darkness of the forest with a weak, waspy like sound fade away.