Conspiracy
The amber lights of Manehattan Air Base glowed steadily in the ever-darkening night. By the time Nimbus and Storm Runner entered the traffic pattern, the sun’s last rays disappeared from the sky, and when their hooves finally touched tarmac, every trace of light above was gone.
Nimbus was still feeling shaky from Silky Sunset’s comment earlier, but he was slowly recovering. Storm Runner hadn’t heard a word of the conversation about Sun Blaze, and he seemed to have bought his story about the comm failure. Still, he made a mental note to be more cautious in the future. He and Storm Runner trotted off the runway and towards the squadron building of the 132nd Aviator Squadron, or “Windigo” as its members referred to it. The squadron’s patch, bearing a steely-eyed Windigo, bore down on them from above as they passed through the doors.
“Evening, Lieutenants,” a Pegasus called from down the hall. It was Cyclone Sprint, the squadron’s third newest Aviator ahead of Nimbus and Storm Runner. The pony, as far as Nimbus could tell, considered himself practically invincible. He was a stereotypical Aviator- cocky, brash, competitive, good-looking, and generally despised while his back was turned. What made the situation worse was that as a First Lieutenant, he was one rank senior to Nimbus and Storm, who were only Second Lieutenants- a fact he never made them forget. Still, he wasn’t bad in the air- probably his only somewhat redeeming feature.
“Good evening, sir,” Nimbus said, very slightly stressing the “sir” with a hint of distaste. Evidently Cyclone never picked up on the audial cue and puffed himself up a bit.
“Got two Griffons over the Bay today,” he said, keeping pace with the two Aviators as they headed down the hall to Colonel Cloudsplitter’s office, “I’m guessing they were going for our cargo ships again, harassing them and whatnot… anyway they saw me coming and turned tail. Pretty sure they cut their travel time back to the Griffon Kingdom in half.”
“Well, that’s cool,” Storm Runner mumbled, voice dripping with sarcasm. “Me and Nimbus foiled a probable Awakening plot.”
Cyclone was staring off into space throughout Storm Runner’s comment, and when it finally registered that the pony had said something, he faked a yawn. “Well, that’s… not really as exciting as my day, but I guess they don’t slap the good jobs on new Lieutenants.”
“Don’t bet on it,” Storm Runner said, “we’re reporting to the Colonel now. Could be something big.”
“Doubt it,” Cyclone snorted, “but hey- whatever floats your boat. See you two tomorrow.”
“Yeah, later,” Nimbus sighed as he and Storm stopped in front of the oak door to Cloudsplitter’s office. Both were nothing short of apprehensive. They’d only reported to the Colonel on their inprocessing day, and while she appeared to do her best to seem approachable, her vastly superior rank made talking to her considerably daunting.
“So are you gonna knock, or should I?” Storm Runner asked.
“I dunno,” Nimbus said, “maybe we should-“
“I can hear you two out there, you know,” a voice called from inside the office, “and before you ask, yes you have permission to enter.”
Nimbus swallowed a lump that felt the size of a watermelon in his throat and opened the door slowly. The door made a faint creaking sound that, to Nimbus, seemed like the wail of a banshee, heralding incoming doom. Both ponies trotted in and immediately snapped to rigid attention. Nimbus reported in.
“Ma’am, Lieutenant Nimbus and Lieutenant Storm Runner report as ordered.”
“Seats, please,” Cloudsplitter said, pushing two seats out from behind her desk towards the two Aviators. Nimbus carefully took his seat, sitting down in the position of attention.
“At ease,” Cloudsplitter said, “you two look like you’ve seen a ghost. For Celestia’s sake… am I that scary?”
Storm Runner coughed.
“Right,” Cloudsplitter said, “well, I certainly can’t blame you two. You’ve only been here a few weeks. Now, the mission you two were tasked with today- I was debriefed on the matter by the Manehattan Chief of Police. He said you two prevented an Awakening plan of some sort- so our intel was obviously correct- and that you’d managed to catch the perpetrators alive. I must say- well done for your first non-patrol sortie.”
Nimbus swelled with pride, though he tried his best not to show it. It was true- he and Storm Runner had been assigned rather ordinary harbor patrols since they’d arrived. It wasn’t until the day’s mission came up that Cloudsplitter made the decision to send them, in order to evaluate their usefulness and potential for future tasks.
“The chief also mentioned something about minor property damage, which I’ll just gloss over. It’s not like either of you lit that bomb,” she looked between Nimbus and Storm Runner, “…right?”
“Yes ma’am,” Storm Runner said, eliciting a swift kick from Nimbus, who interrupted.
“No, ma’am.”
Cloudsplitter’s gaze shifted from Nimbus to Storm Runner and back, confused. The situation was awkward, to say the least.
Storm Runner shook his head. “What we mean, ma’am, is that neither of us blew up the bomb.”
“That’s what I thought,” Cloudsplitter said, “what interests me is the device that I’m assuming you two brought back- the Chief mentioned it was an audio recorder?”
Storm Runner produced the recorder and set it on her desk. “This is it, ma’am. The police, as far as I understand, figured the Pegasus they’ve got in custody tried to broadcast this nationwide. That’s why he targeted the broadcast tower.”
“Hmm,” Cloudsplitter said, turning the device over in her hooves and examining it, “well, normally I’d check to make sure your clearance level is good for this, but… I’m just gonna go ahead and play this thing. You two found it, you ought to know what’s on it, too. Odds are it’s just some more Awakening blather.”
Without further ado, she rewound the recorder and pressed the play button on it. Immediately, a gruff voice launched into a short announcement.
“Ponies of Equestria, you thought us gone. For most of our organization, this is in fact true. Our numbers have thinned, and you undoubtedly think us weak because of this. This is far from the truth. Our numbers are few, but our resolve is strong. Nightmare Moon is gone, but our goal remains the same. Celestia and Luna must step down. We know now that negotiation is impossible, and have turned to our only other option. There remains one way to cleanse Equestria forever. Prepare yourselves, ponies, for in a few weeks’ time, we will unleash the power contained within Site Echo upon this nation. Perhaps then you will truly know our power. Sleep tonight, but remember- we are not gone. And we will not fade away.”
Cloudsplitter frowned. “Eerie, full of revolutionist buzzwords, and on top of it all, it’s referencing an urban legend. They really are desperate.”
“Urban legend, ma’am?” Storm Runner said.
“That’s right. Supposedly Site Echo was a weapons development facility during the Great Griffon War. The story goes that whatever they built in there was destroyed forever after the war, but some believe it still exists- the site that is. I think it’s a load of manure. I’ve got top secret clearance and I haven’t seen a shred of proof that the site ever existed in the first place.”
“But the Awakening seems convinced it exists,” Nimbus said, “to the point that they were willing to broadcast a recording about it. I guarantee they’ll be going after it.” He paused. “If, hypothetically, this ‘Site Echo’ were real, how much trouble would we be in if they managed to find it?”
“Hm,” Cloudsplitter said, “big trouble. Supposedly whatever’s in there would devastate life in Equestria, or perhaps all over the world if discovered. The common belief is that it’s a superweapon. Like I said- not something we’d want the Awakening to get their hooves on.”
“Well, then we should go after it,” Nimbus said, standing up from his chair. Suddenly he felt empowered, no longer held back by his rank. “If there’s any chance that Site Echo really exists- even a slim one- then we can’t let the Awakening get to it first.”
“Well, you won’t get any argument from me on that,” said Cloudsplitter, “but you have to realize that the taxpayers might think otherwise. Across the ocean, we’ve got Griffons dropping in daily, and while none of them have fired on us yet, things are pretty tense. We’re not the only squadron within fifty miles of Manehattan, but we’re the fastest-deploying one. If we pull out on some wild Cockatrice chase, there’s no telling what could happen while we’re gone, and if our mission turns out to be fruitless, it’s entirely possible we could be shut down. Besides- I don’t even know where we’d begin. I have some contacts that might… agh, good grief. I need time.”
She turned to Nimbus and Storm Runner. “You two are free to go- don’t bother with reporting out. I need some time to think about this. Standby, and be prepared for anything when you show up tomorrow. I’m not saying we’re going on this mission, but it’s definitely a possibility. You two get some rest. I’ll expect you back on base at 0745 tomorrow.”
“Yes ma’am,” Nimbus said, saluting and turning sharply around. Storm Runner did the same, and both walked out the door in perfect marching cadence. Cloudsplitter sighed and shook her head. Rookies would be rookies. Everypony had been there once. The two new Aviators were just what the squadron needed. They added a bit of stability and spirit to the mix. Cyclone Sprint was intolerable ninety percent of the time, and Star Burst… she shuddered. Now was not the time to think about Star Burst. There was important work to be done. She grabbed some paper and a pen- time to put the base’s mail phoenix to good use…
…
“That wasn’t at all what I expected,” Nimbus said as he and Storm Runner turned toward the building exit.
“What, you thought she’d just decide to go chase down an urban legend?” Storm Runner said, “come on, she’s smarter than that.”
“No, I agree,” Nimbus said. “I’m just surprised we both got out of there alive after bringing up such a ridiculous idea.”
“Well it’s not like she’s a demon from Tartarus,” Storm pointed out, “the Colonel’s pretty chill most of the time. I think it’s cool that you respect her, but to be honest, I don’t see any reason to fear her.”
“I don’t fear her,” Nimbus replied, “I fear her rank. Guess that’s just a problem with- hey!”
Nimbus was shunted into a wall as an olive and yellow Pegasus stumbled right into his path. At the collision, papers flew into the air and the Pegasus started collecting them. “Oh my, oh dear Celestia, I’m so sorry,” he said.
“Let me help you with that, sir,” Storm Runner said, bending down and collecting whatever papers he could.
“Thanks you two,” the Pegasus said. It was Star Burst, probably the squadron’s most enigmatic officer. The pony was a Captain, and had a strong history of decorated service, yet nopony knew much of anything else about him aside from the record. He’d never shared details of his personal life, and tended to keep to himself. Nopony seemed to mind that either, as Star Burst just came across as a little… awkward at times.
“How’d your first real mission go?” the pony asked with a waver in his tone that Nimbus felt almost bad about classifying as borderline neurotic.
“Oh, you know,” Nimbus said, tapping his front hooves together awkwardly, “it wasn’t bad. Storm and I got the job done and found about some place called Site Echo.”
Star Burst’s right eye twitched. “You said Site Echo?”
“Yeah, we think that’s where the Awakening’s headed,” Storm said, picking up the rest of the papers and passing them back to Star, who stuffed them into his saddlebag.
“Please tell me you’re not actually going to look for it.”
Nimbus cocked an eyebrow. “You believe it exists?”
Star Burst snorted. “Are you kidding me? Ever look at the big budget holes that came up during the latter half of the Griffon War? The evidence is there… nopony wants to believe it, though. Trust me- I say it exists, and I hope the rumors that it wasn’t destroyed are wrong. Whatever’s out there-“ he fixed Nimbus and Storm Runner with a serious glance as he slowly backed away, “-will doom us all. Mark my words. You two have a good night.”
Nimbus blinked absently, watching the odd pony leave. Storm Runner hadn’t moved a muscle.
“Well, okay then,” Storm said at last, “you wanna remind me just how that nutjob reached Captain again?”
“Well he does have an impressive reco-“
“I’m leaning towards luck,” Storm continued, cutting Nimbus off as the two left the building and stepped into the crisp, cool night. Nimbus couldn’t wait to get back to his apartment and sink into bed. He could practically feel the warm covers around his body now…
“Hey,” Storm Runner said, breaking Nimbus’s daydream, “so maybe this mission tomorrow will be the end of us running missions for the cops, too.”
Nimbus paused to think about this. Storm had a point- lately, the Manehattan police force had been somewhat short of personnel after the Summer Sun Celebration fiasco, at least compared to the rising number of new threats coming out of the woodwork each day. Enter the Royal Equestrian Air Force, which agreed to support local police operations for a while. With the majority of said operations now focusing on the Awakening, it was highly possible that, if this mission toppled the Awakening for good, the police would let the Aviators go about their usual missions.
“I suppose it’s possible,” he said aloud, “but that’s assuming we even get to launch this mission. I don’t know who Cloudsplitter’s going to run this one by for permission, but chasing an urban legend’s going to be hard for anypony to swallow.”
“Suppose so,” Storm said, nodding as he split off towards his own apartment building. “Well, I’ll see you tomorrow, then. And don’t lose hope- there’s always a chance somepony’ll see this situation like we do.”
“Have a good night,” Nimbus said, turning away. Enemies, conspiracies, and high-ranking officers- today had been just a mess of events. Yawning, he headed for home. It was time for sleep.
…
The holding cell wasn’t too shabby, Silky Sunset admitted to herself. It was clean, and it had a working sink. The bed was practically new as well. Maybe they were taking pity on her; anything was possible. A few hours earlier, the police had spent a while questioning her about her actions. She simply told them the Awakening would rise again. It wasn’t some big secret by far. She was simply relaying the message the audio recorder had been intended to deliver. During the entire interview, she’d remained quite calm- to a point that she could sense her interviewer’s discomfort. It had been almost pleasing.
Outside the cell, the door to the station’s waiting room opened and a tan Earth Pony walked in, escorted by a police officer.
“You have five minutes,” the officer said, then left, closing the door behind him. Outside, he turned and focused his eyes on the stallion. If his intentions were to free Sunset, his efforts would be foiled before they barely began. The stallion took a seat on a bench just outside the cell.
“Sunset,” he said, “I bring news for you.”
Sunset frowned. “You risked exposing yourself, on my behalf, brother. Why?”
“Rising Star was captured in Canterlot today,” the pony said, “instead of being imprisoned, he took his own life. You were his deputy, and you know what that means.”
Silky Sunset shook with a shiver of excitement and apprehension. Rising Star was the Awakening’s leader. Now that he was dead, it was her place to claim.
“Brother, I am unable to lead from this cage,” she said at last. “You must choose somepony else.”
“That’s where you’re wrong,” the Earth Pony said, “We have a plan, and all you’ll have to do is remain here until tomorrow afternoon.”
“Go on…” Sunset said, a very faint smile playing about her face.
From outside the soundproof cell, the officer had no idea what was being spoken between the two, but the ever-widening smile on Sunset’s face unnerved him. When it was finally time for her visitor to leave, he escorted the pony out. Before closing the door, he turned to Sunset.
“Good night,” he said. He never liked playing the bad cop, and wishing prisoners a good night, he felt, was a simple, trust-building gesture.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Silky Sunset said, fixing him with her gaze.
The officer backed out and closed the door, never breaking eye contact. He’d seen insane prisoners, psychopaths, and even some that just seemed purely evil. This was completely different from anything he’d seen before. The mare’s gaze seemed to pierce his soul. He locked the door and turned, nodding to the station’s receptionist as he left the building and trotted out into the street. It was high time to go home and forget this ever happened.