Final Solution

by Luna-tic Scientist


03 - Stealing Back a Life

Days of Wasp and Spider, Part II: Final Solution
by Luna-tic Scientist

=== Chapter 03: Stealing Back a Life ===


"You're right, the clock is running." Fusion stood up, ruffling her wings and stretching her legs. "I'll take some of the compressed food and enough water so that I don't need to stop. It's about three-quarters of a day's flight back to the corral, so I should arrive after she goes off shift." And make sure I remember lots of locations on the route, she added silently.

"As we discussed at length last night, and this morning," Gravity said, rolling her eyes, "now get going!"

Fusion grinned at the exasperation in the other mare's tone, then placed a set of Security pony panniers around her middle. With a final nod, she trotted out of the shelter and down the slope towards the river and a clear patch to take off.

The early stages of the flight back to the corral were a joy. Fusion thundered through the sharp-edged valleys at tree-top height, snaking along the hillsides low enough to clip the highest branches with her hooves. The exhilaration, the sheer freedom of movement, unbeholden by the errand of any Dog, made her laugh out loud, and she dived, passing low over the surface of a lake. Wingtips grazing the surface, Fusion trailed a forehoof in the water, singing out her happiness at the top of her lungs as the cold glacier-fed water sprayed along her underside.

Feeding more power into her flight magic, Fusion transitioned from wings to a more direct propulsion method. The air parted in front of her like she was nosing through a field of high grasses, closing behind her tail to be flicked out rearwards with a hearty magical buck. Wings held close to her sides like a stooping hawk, the white mare cracked the sound barrier for a moment, but her control of the airflow around her body swallowed the shockwave as if it had never been born.

This is nothing! Fusion thought, twisting her head to look up at the cloudless sky. The amount of effort she'd expended against her seemingly bottomless reserves was no more than if she'd been flying normally; despite this, the mare was travelling as fast as a bullet. How fast could I go, away from the need to dodge the mountains? The temptation was horribly strong and, for a moment, Fusion fantasised about getting high enough that the ground curved at the edges and the sky above was black.

Up in that perfect sky was a thing, a glinting dot travelling a ruler straight path across the emptiness. The sight poured cold water on the mare's daydream, making her wonder how many eyes looked down on this wilderness, perhaps eyes able to track a moving object the size of a pony against a cluttered background. Suddenly thankful she'd not taken anything that might be easily detected, Fusion let her speed bleed away and continued at a more sedate pace.

Gravity had only known their location relative to the corral in the vaguest terms, so Fusion navigated by the sun for a while, pausing for a rest break when she picked up one of the transpolar deep tunnels by the glow visible through her shadow sight. Lying on the top of a hill that poked above the tree line, the white mare chewed thoughtfully on one of the ration blocks while staring out at the distant artery of lights from the tunnel. She was much too far away to make out the high velocity ThaumoLev trains that would be sweeping through it, but it was clear enough for her to try a little experiment.

The shadow sight used the same areas of the brain that normal vision did; persuading your brain to accept both sets of visual information simultaneously was a recipe for blinding headaches... but what if a pony only had one eye? Fusion cautiously opened her good eye while holding on to the vision of the jewelled snake, deep underground.

There was no pain and Fusion sighed with relief. With a tiny bit of effort, no more than it took to walk in a straight line, she could maintain the strange half-sight. "It's better than nothing," she murmured, "enough to stop me from walking into ponies, at least." And could be very useful.

The mare stood up and stretched her wings, inspecting the big primary feathers for any damage. No more trick flying now, she reminded herself, you're just a regular servitor doing something nopony cares about. Speaking of which... With a slight feeling of unease, Fusion closed her connection to the sun, shaking herself all over to settle her now lank and heavy mane. Pushing the fear away, she took two quick steps and was airborne, circled to reach the standard servitor flight altitude, then headed south along the line of the tunnel.

Despite Fusion's nervousness, the remaining twenty kiloseconds of flight time were uneventful. Everypony in the sky had a reason for being there, and none wanted to be anything but on time for whatever their Masters had ordered them to do. Aside from the occasional wing-waggle of greeting, the only real contact she had was being dive bombed by a group of foals on a training flight, much to the embarrassment of their teacher.

For a few seconds the mare had been at the centre of a pastel maelstrom of feathers and fur, and she smiled at their excited chatter, resisting their entreaties to join them in a game of cloud tag, before folding her wings and dropping out of the flock to allow the teacher to round them up. They dived after her, but their teacher, a near snow-white stallion with a slightly misshapen left wing, pulled them up in a field of golden magic and scolded them back into line.

The brief surge of flight traffic from shift change was the worst time; flying into somepony who knew her would be a disaster, so Fusion kept most of her attention on the half of her visual field filled with the black of the shadow world. It wasn't so dark anymore, filled with little triplets of pastel light over the near continuous tunnel network of Lacunae Hive. The mare watched the lights intently, hunting for colours that matched anypony she knew.

What am I going to do if I'm seen? The thought rattled around her head and Fusion chewed at the insides of her mouth in consternation. That she would be able to win any fight wasn't really the issue, but the idea of having to hurt somepony was turning her insides to water.

Careful route selection and good timing meant that Fusion's paranoia never manifested; she managed to avoid any contact while sweeping over the darkening countryside, the familiar shape of corral twenty-seven soon appearing on the horizon. Final approach would be the difficult bit, so the mare landed amid one of the outlying orchards and went the rest of the way by hoof.

Fusion touched down in one of the avenues between two of the rows of apple trees, their leaves just starting to turn brown from the advancing season. The mare groaned in relief, working the kinks out of her tired wings and resettling the ruffled feathers. The flight had taken forty kiloseconds, mostly without the use of her new magic, the longest she'd ever taken by a considerable margin.

She'd seen the farming team at work as she flew in, a cluster of pale colour over in one of the fields a little way around from her position, so knew she was safe for now. Despite this, Fusion immediately moved off the path, trotting in the smaller gap between the rows, doing her best to stay out of sight. Working her way close to the corral took a little time, so the sky was completely dark when Fusion had the infirmary in sight.

The low slung building was at two or three times its normal capacity; every single stall was occupied by one or more ponies too badly injured to work. Fusion remembered her own drive to obey, to please her Masters no matter the personal cost, and wondered what had happened to cause this. She knew all these ponies, of course -- the corral was a tight-knit little community -- the infirmary was full of friends and the parents of friends. They are all those who have lost foals to Security. There was Redshift, Bow Shock and so many others, far more than the building was supposed to hold.

Fusion hesitated over one familiar-looking set of colours, uncertain because one of the wing glows was strangely distorted. That almost looks like... The mare's mouth dropped open and she sank to her belly next to one gnarled tree, legs suddenly unable to take her weight. Mother, what happened? For a moment, Fusion contemplated opening a sharing with Gravity, then reluctantly discarded the idea. What could she do except worry, and I can't take the chance of being seen. Once the link was established the amount of effort was minimal, but to actually signal Gravity at this range would be like sending up a flare.

The urge to gallop down there and check on Plasma was almost impossible to resist, and Fusion banged the side of her head against the tree's rough bark to distract herself from the images her imagination was creating. Tears rolled unnoticed down her muzzle, the liquid doing nothing to interfere with her shadow sight's view of the infirmary.

"Fusion? Is that you?"

Fusion froze, her misery turning to terror in an instant. Stupid mare! What are you going to do now? The nightmare scenario had come true, and she was no closer to a solution now than when it had first reared its ugly head. "Hello, Packet," she said, turning slowly, "you're out late."

"Out--" Packet Switcher was aghast, shock making his wings twitch and ears flick forwards. "Is that all you can say? How can you even be here?"

"Why, what have they told you about me?" Fusion said, getting to her hooves and taking a step towards her friend. What do you think you know? Have they called me a traitor and a danger to the Masters? She trotted past him, leading Packet away from the edge of the orchard and out of view of the rest of the corral. As they halted in a little hollow, Fusion studied his silhouette through her shadow sight; there was no sign that the stallion was anything other than surprised at her reappearance. The patterns started to form in her mind, the magical potential hanging over her friend like a storm cloud.

"I thought you were dead!" he said, stepping forwards himself to study her from the side, one wing coming forward to touch the damp fur beneath her prosthetic eye.

"You know how these rumours get started," Fusion said weakly, moving her head to point her real eye at him, "there was an accident much like the last time, and they only let me out a few kiloseconds ago. I just came back to find..." The mare's wings drooped, and she turned to look in the direction of the infirmary building.

"I've never been so pleased to be wrong! They've had me on extended shifts and I've been barracked out at the power plant; this was my first opportunity to get back to the corral, and look who I've run into!" Packet stepped next to Fusion, eyes shining with happiness, and gave her an enthusiastic nudge that sent the mare staggering.

"What were the odds," Fusion said dully, not meeting her friend's gaze.

Packet didn't seem to notice, just hooked a wing over her withers and rubbed his head against hers. "We can go back together -- I want to see the look on your parent's faces when you walk into their shelter. Is Gravity around somewhere as well?" He took a step forward, pushing the white mare along the path.

Fusion felt the world start to spin out of control and she scrabbled for some reason not to go. No good, he already knows! Packet would never be able to keep this a secret, would never believe any reason to keep the news to himself. I'm so sorry, Packet, but what choice do I have? Fusion thought, faking a smile even while her heart was breaking. "Yes, let's go now and--" Without warning she lashed out, throwing power into her mental patterns.

Light, blinding to her dark-adapted eye, lit the trees and cast stark shadows up into the canopy. Fusion didn't dare use her new strength -- this sudden outpouring of magic risked attracting attention as it was; to add something completely outside everypony's experience to the mix would make discovery inevitable. Her attack rolled over him and he collapsed to the leaf-litter with a pained grunt, fighting for breath. A telekinetic glow flowed over the stallion's body like oil, folding his legs and wings into a semblance of peaceful rest.

More magic, by far and away the greater amount, crowded around his head and horn, easily cancelling out his near instinctive attempts to shake off her hold. Packet wasn't really trying to escape, and just stared up at her with a dumbfounded look on his face. "What--" His eyes bulged when Fusion produced a metal collar from her panniers, then he really started to struggle.

The fight was short and unequal. Even without using her new techniques, Fusion had started from a position of total surprise and domination; it was only moments before the little jewelled ring and its tethered collar was slipped over Packet's horn and around his neck. Fusion relaxed her hold on his magic, ears folding flat as he tried to use his power and sparks flashed under the collar. The stallion squealed at the sudden pain. "In the Maker's name, what are you doing!? Get this thing off me!" he gasped. Little fitful glows danced over his horn, tiny fireflies of light compared to what would normally be seen. The sound of electricity filled the air, the shocks making Packet's skin shiver and his forelegs twitch uncontrollably.

Fusion held his head back, pulling off his communicator disk and casting it aside. She spread the fur of his throat, cringing as the muscles in his neck trembled at her tentative touch. She started to feel ill. "I'm s-so sorry, I've got no choice," she said, voice trembling, "I'll explain it all soon, I hope you'll understand and forgive me." His expression changed from pain and confusion to one of horror when she produced the single use injector and pushed the needle into his flesh.

===

A few long golden hairs were caught in the door to the refrigerated morgue compartment. Spiral Fracture stared at the blank metal panel for a long moment, then pulled it open, extending the steel tray. The spot lights flicked on at the movement, illuminating the slumped body of Slipstream, wreathed in a gentle haze of mist. The mare carefully reached in and removed the errant hairs, coiling the stallion's straggly mane and tail over his flank. "I'm sorry, Slip, but the living take priority. I'll see you again tomorrow to send you on your way."

You've repaid your creation debt to the Masters ten times over, no matter how this life ended. You’re one step closer to the Maker; perhaps I’ll be able to do as much as you and meet you again in the next cycle. Nudging the tray back into the wall with one hip, Spiral gently closed the door and backed out of stall eleven to make the quick journey to the front of the infirmary for one last check of her patients before turning in for the night. Her mate and fellow veterinarian, Trocar Point, would be waiting for her, assuming he had returned from his shift at the sector hospital.

The sun had long since set and the air was cold and fresh, but did little to lift her out of the deep well of fatigue the day had left her in; Spiral did her best to follow her own instructions and put Slip out of her mind, using gentle pulses of magic to inspect the occupants of each stall in the infirmary. The Masters and their gryphons had departed only a few kiloseconds after they'd finished checking each pony for the Blessing, leaving the stunned occupants of the corral to pick up the pieces.

Once the worst injuries were stabilised -- the gryphon military medics had provided invaluable assistance before they had been called away -- Spiral had grabbed as much sleep as she could, before tackling all her new patients. The day that followed was a blur of frantic activity; she'd managed to patch up and send home the majority -- those suffering from simple fractures, sprains and concussions -- leaving her with those who needed more focused care to make sure they regained their full health. Her little infirmary was designed to hold ten, but tonight some of the stalls were at triple capacity. There were a dozen with broken bones or dislocated joints; others-- Only a couple, praise the Maker! --who combined breaks with muscle ripped and gouged by gryphon talons.

Everypony was horrified by what Fusion and Gravity did; there was no need for the Masters to be so... aggressive. There was a cats-claws prickle at the back of Spiral’s head and the green mare bowed slightly. “The Masters are the paws of the Maker,” she whispered, pushing aside the dangerous thoughts and resuming her inspection.

The remainder of the ponies were suffering from various levels of fugue. Many were present as a precaution, kept from falling down the rabbit hole of doubt and fear by the liberal use of magic and drugs -- these would require counselling, but should recover fully with time. Spiral paused and nosed through the door to number six, the dim green glow from her horn providing plenty of light for her dark adapted eyes. Within was a single pony, kept isolated for fear of infecting the others with his distress. "You did it once, Redshift, you can do it again," she whispered to the inert shape on the padded floor. A caress of magic confirmed he was still heavily sedated, so deeply drugged that he wouldn't even dream.

Turning away, Spiral struggled to suppress her doubts; if anything he was further down that self-destructive path than he had been on the day of Fusion's visit.

The next stall held the patient that had occupied a large fraction of her time during most of the daylight hours. Plasma Cascade, cream fur still holding a few stubborn rust-red stains, lay within a set of padded wedges designed to keep her upright even while unconscious. Her head was kept at a comfortable angle, resting against a platform on a short stand. Her left wing was folded neatly, strapped to her flank to keep it still, the right... A metal and plastic armature jutted out from her side, supporting her wing in a half extended position so Spiral could work on it. Stripped of its feathers, the limb looked like it came off a corpse, with sunken and damaged flesh over lumpy, half repaired bones.

I'll do what I can for you, Spiral thought, chewing at the inside of her mouth, there's been nothing from the Eugenics Board, so maybe they'll let me fix you after all.

The effects of the Master's punishment were severe and the repair work was intricate. Both radius and ulna had been turned into a mess of bone splinters that were taking an inordinate amount of time to reassemble. The only saving grace was that her humerus, made stronger by its core of magically active flight material, had only been fractured in a few places. Even that could have been repaired, if she were allowed the time... Oh, I wish you'd stayed down, Plasma. Didn't you see the signs?

She turned and looked back at the darkened stall holding the heavily sedated mare. "And we know why you made that mistake, don't we, Plasma?" Spiral shivered, the first night after her two daughters had failed to return from the training centre had been terrible; it was only through dint of great willpower and constant focus on the will of the Maker that she avoided slipping into fugue. She could imagine very clearly what had caused Plasma to forget the Agent's orders.

The Agent... Spiral's ears folded back and her head drooped; they'd heard nothing about Fusion and Gravity, except that they had been involved in some kind of accident at another Institute facility... then to discover the terrible news that they had betrayed the Masters. Ponies that had known Plasma and Helium for a gigasecond or more were avoiding them like they were infected.

You poor mare, she thought, at least Random will be returned to me soon. Spiral blinked away the tears that threatened to cloud her vision at the thought of Single, her other daughter, likely ash in some medical waste incinerator by now. But why are they keeping Random and the others so long? Is it because of what Plasma's daughters did? Are the Masters investigating everypony involved with Fusion and Gravity? The explanation had a terrible ring of truth to it, given the events of the previous night.

...and this is the Master they have put in charge of finding out what has happened, this Agent Salrath. Spiral cringed involuntarily, seeing Salrath's grinning face as she prepared to euthanize Slipstream. Freezing suddenly, the mare let out a shocked whinny, the sound loud in the quiet of the infirmary. Is this the Master who has a hold on my daughter? What if she-- With the thought came a sliver of doubt, followed by a needle of pain, sharp enough to make her gasp at the suddenness of it.

Don't think like that, you know the Masters are good; they'd never punish Random for just doing her duty, she thought, but it did little to stem the tide of discomfort that seemed to flow from a point at the back of her skull. Come back to me soon. I know you, you are a good pony. Her silent plea went unanswered but for another jab from the Maker, punishing her for this weakness. Spiral bit back a gasp, trying to think of other things as the pain grew strong enough to make her legs tremble.

"Maker, please, I'm trying my best," she grunted out through clenched teeth. No, not that, I'm not ready! Spiral whimpered, stumbling towards the emergency aid box half way along the corridor. The pain made it hard to think, harder still to use her magic, and the mare knocked the box from its bracket before she was able to open it.

The contents spilled across the floor and Spiral nosed through the neat packages, trying to identify the injector she needed. The symptoms were clear; the events of the last day meant that she'd become very familiar with the early signs. This was a precursor to a full-blown punishment fugue attack; if she couldn't interrupt the mental cycle very quickly, she'd have to endure the Maker's Test right here. If her mate was as tired as she was, he might be asleep already. They might not find her until dawn.

The mare's vision started to blur, breath coming in strained gasps as she fumbled the cap off the painkiller injector and set the dose for her body mass. "The Masters are t-the p-p-paws--" Spiral shrieked as the pain made her back arch, falling to the floor with the injector rolling from her grasp. Maker, I beg--

Another pony was there, barely visible through her tears. The pale shape knelt next to her, cradling her head and whispering something indecipherable in her ear. There was a pressure at her throat, almost unnoticed beneath the agony, then the fire in her body started to go out. Consciousness began to fade, drowning the remains of the pain under deep drifts of cold snow. "Thank you," she whispered, eyes closing.

"I hope you still think like that tomorrow," the other pony said.

Spiral's ears flicked in confusion, then she murmured an indistinct protest as the pony placed something cool and metallic around her neck.

===

Fusion trotted deep into the dark orchard, the floating mass of Spiral glowing a pale white-gold at her side. Sneaking out of the corral with the unconscious pony had been nerve-wracking, but the infirmary was at the edge of the little settlement and nopony else had been around. She'd argued long and hard with Gravity over this part of the plan; in the end her sister had won, and Fusion had agreed to only use the teleport spell a safe distance from the corral.

Finally reaching the spot where she'd cached Packet Switcher, she gently lifted him into the air. "Right then," she muttered, focusing all her attention on Spiral's head. A quick flash of power and a tiny section of the other mare's horn went dark; it was the work of a moment to do the same for Packet. "Far better you aren't awake for that, I think. Free, for better or worse." The process was getting easier with each attempt, the standardised nature of the Blessing making it almost routine. What else could I do with this?

The teleport spell's pattern filled her mind and she inserted her memory of their first destination. Not too high, plenty of clear air all around and no Masters or ponies in sight. At least, none when she'd picked the spot. There'd been no clouds in the area, so no reason for an operating weather team, but...

Fusion wrapped her own body in the same telekinetic haze, then made the pattern real.

~~~discontinuity~~~

A hard wind slapped her across the head and flanks, but Fusion was ready for it. She'd materialised in the middle of a shallow valley, a tenth of a kilolength off the ground and far enough from the hills that her lateral velocity could be safely controlled without danger.

The trick is to fold up yourself in as much as possible and hold it there with your magic -- and resist the instinct to open your wings until you slow riiiight down, otherwise you'll snap them clean off!

The words of the military pony from the transport come back to her and she smiled. "You'd love this, Lamellar." Fusion spread her wings, nosing into the slipstream and converting the free velocity into a more controlled glide. Closing her eyes, she felt for the sun, shivering as the connection snapped open like it was waiting for her. Pastel light bloomed and everything suddenly became easy.

~~~discontinuity~~~

The next jump increased her altitude by a few thousand lengths, the energy required to lift them all against gravity a noticeable extra effort. Fusion appeared above a high mountain peak, its covering of snow glowing with fleeting colours from her emergence. She killed her speed, curving down to settle on the flattened top of the mountain. Breath steaming in the thin air, the mare stared out over the mountain range.

The view was stunningly beautiful, captivating enough that Fusion ignored her building shortness of breath. The Blessing would never have allowed me the opportunity to appreciate this, she thought. "We could have been partners, instead you made us slaves." Slave. She knew the meaning of the word, but to use it to describe her own family's situation still seemed alien. The desire to serve was still strong, and a vague feeling of guilt nagged at Fusion. Will this ever go away?

Troubled, Fusion pushed the emotions away, concentrating on the mountains. The world glittered beneath her, stark and white under the pair of shepherd moons. The air was perfectly clear and the sky an absolute black. Fusion cast her dark adapted eye upwards, watching the fast pinpoints of low orbiting satellites move against the static background of the debris ring. Through her shadow sight the view was similar, although the white pinpoints were replaced by little constellations of laser-pure colours.

"I'm a foal to think this empty land is out of reach," she muttered, any thoughts of the view evaporating.

To her left, Spiral coughed, a dry, rattling sound. More guilt, this time from a far more reasonable source, and Fusion cursed her own thoughtlessness. Two quick steps had her gliding off the mountain, Spiral and Packet in tow.

~~~discontinuity~~~

She flashed into the little valley that held their temporary camp, the moons flicking to new positions in the sky. Gravity was there to meet her, staring up in concern as she lowered not one, but two ponies to the ground.

"You were discovered? Do we need to move?" She spoke in hushed tones, casting a furtive glance at a sleeping Lilac. Little violet glows danced over the piles of equipment, pulling out the most useful components.

Fusion watched her sister with some concern. Something had obviously happened while she was gone; the other mare's movements seemed jerky and she had a wild-eyed look about her. "Not yet, should have until dawn and the next shift change. No change to the plan. Packet found me while I was waiting for Spiral to finish up. What choice did I have?" She shuffled her hooves and looked at the other mare, her ears drooping.

"He's from your foal cohort, so I'd hope he could be convinced to join us..." Gravity trailed off, a troubled look on her face.

"Then what? He needs to be returned before his next shift, no matter what else happens. I've already removed his Blessing... was that a mistake?"

"The next step is still to rescue Random, right? I know Packet got on well with her, perhaps we can use her situation to turn him?"

Fusion blinked at Gravity's pragmatic suggestion; to use her friend's plight like that seemed so callous and unlike the mare, but given the number of lives at risk, perhaps this was the best way. "You've been thinking about this too, huh?"

Gravity looked downcast. "I've had some quite terrible ideas while you were gone. I'm trying not to think of them, but they make so much sense." She turned away, voice dropping to a murmur. "Why am I thinking like this, Fusion? Did it do something to me, twist something inside my head? I can't stop it, I-I enjoy the fighting, and--."

"You are not evil," Fusion said loudly, stepping forward and into Gravity hard enough to send the mare staggering.

Gravity wheeled, ears back and fury flashing in her eyes, then her face crumpled and tears started to dampen her muzzle. "You see? I can't hold it back, I--"

"These are monstrous times, but you are not a monster. I have had similar thoughts, only I acted upon them. Less than a kilosecond ago I assaulted and drugged one of my closest friends, and if he can't convince me that he's really on our side, I'm going to have to... well, at the very least keep him prisoner. The important thing is to find a direction for that anger; use it to keep yourself strong."

"How will I know if I've gone too far?" Gravity said, sagging against Fusion. "I couldn't stop myself last time, what if it happens again?" She saw the uncertainty on Fusion's face, then continued. "While you were gone, I kept thinking of all the things we could do, the best ponies to free."

"Tell me your darkest thoughts; I've bound to have already considered these things." Fusion looked down at the top of Gravity's head, gently nibbling the silky fur between her ears and hooking one wing over her withers.

"It's nothing more than what the Masters have already done. When we visited Spiral to get checked, I saw what Redshift was going through..." Gravity swallowed, the sound clearly audible in the silence. "Go to another corral and steal their foals. Use that as leverage to break their parent's Blessing." She twisted and looked up at Fusion, searching her face for some trace of disgust or horror.

Fusion schooled her expression to one of compassion, but some trace of her true feelings must have leaked out. In truth, she'd only intended to start with friends and family, perhaps the families of the foals taken by Security, those she knew had enough reason to start questioning the Master's treatment of the ones they loved. To hear Gravity extend the plan to its logical conclusion made her wince.

"I knew it." Gravity's face fell, and she turned her head away. "That thing that got into my head did something to me, or--"

"Gravity..."

"--perhaps it can only encourage, and I've been like this all along. Perhaps this is me--"

"Stop it, Gravity!" Fusion pawed the ground, kicking up clods of earth.

The blue mare fell silent, breathing heavily, her head held low. "Just thinking these things doesn't make you a monster," Fusion said, capturing Gravity's head and forcing the other mare to meet her gaze. "You know it is wrong, so that creature can't have done anything to you. It got into my head as well, and I've not noticed any changes. I think this is all down to losing your Blessing and having your world turned upside down. Don't you think that's at least possible?"

"Do you feel the same way? The weight of the world upon your back?"

"Only half the world, now. I know you, sister. You will do the right thing -- and if you don't, I will act as your conscience, as I expect you to do for me." Fusion stared at the dirt she'd kicked up, using a hoof to pack it back into one of the furrows. "The time will come for hard decisions, soon enough," she said softly, "until then we will take it one day at a time. I don't yet know how to save our people, but every plan we come up with brings us one step closer to a solution. Anyway, even if we were that desperate, it's a stupid idea; one borne out of worry and too many shocks." The white mare looked up and smiled gently to take the sting from her words.

"It is? But..." Gravity trailed off, looking thoughtful. "I suppose you're right. We'd never be able to give their foals back, would we?"

Fusion relaxed inside. She never even considered the obvious solution, thank the Maker for that. It is only stress that's driving her to this. "Absolutely, and when we did, they'd hate us for all time." The mare paused catching Gravity's gaze. "Listen, we never did have a proper chance to talk -- don't look at me like that," she said as Gravity opened her mouth to protest, "I know you've been keeping some of the details of your fight from me."

"There's been no time... with Lilac and now this..."

Fusion's ears drooped and she lowered her head. "I need to talk about it. I need to tell somepony what I had to do and what has been done to me... you're the only pony who could possibly understand. More than anything, I need to know that we're okay." Fusion eyed Gravity hopefully, then her ears drooped further when the blue mare took a cautious step backwards.

There was a hint of panic in her sister's eyes before she turned away to examine the two drugged ponies. "Yes, as soon as we're safe we must talk. I want us to be okay, too." Gravity sniffed, her voice trembling, then she cleared her throat and nodded at Spiral and Packet. "Who do you want to start with first?"

"Spiral," Fusion said, closing her eyes and letting Gravity get away with the change of subject, "she is critical. More so now I've found out that mother is injured."

"What! How?"

"I don’t know. Just a broken wing, by the looks of things. I took Spiral just after she'd finished getting everypony settled for the night. We'll ask her."

"And Packet?"

"Packet... we'll just have to see what happens."

===

Spiral Fracture awoke with a snap, unconsciously bringing forward one wing to rub at the sore patch on her throat. Staring into her eyes was an anxious-looking white pony with a multi-hued -- and disturbingly mobile -- mane and tail. Spiral blinked, trying to clear the fuzz from her brain. The last thing I remember was falling into fugue, and... her mind shied away from the memory, trying desperately not to stumble down the same rabbit hole. Please, no. I can't go through that again. It didn't work and the thoughts tumbled in one after another.

Oh, Random, where are you, my daughter? Why have they kept you for so long? Spiral cringed against the resurgence of the pain, a vision of Redshift, writhing and sweating on the stall floor for the second time in the same megasecond, only given relief when the drugs knocked him senseless.

Nothing happened.

The absence of something she'd had for her whole life shocked the mare so completely that she nearly forgot what had brought on the attack in the first place. Her brow knitted and she stared at the pony lying in front of her. "Fusion? Is that you?" she said cautiously, looking up at the ceiling with its packed earth and logs. "Where am I? I remember..."

"Hello, Spiral. I'm afraid I've got something unpleasant to show you. It's about Random."

Dread flooded Spiral and she shrank back from Fusion. Please, Maker, don't let me be right about the Agent. "You said she was being looked after, and that she'd be home soon," she said in a small voice. But the Agent said you were dead, and that you--

Fusion's ears flattened and she looked... angry. "When you treated my eye that first time, I could see you were having trouble holding it together. You were afraid that the Masters were not going to give your daughter back, so the Maker was punishing you for that selfish desire." The fury in Fusion's face bled through into her voice, and she nearly spat the last two words.

The dread was replaced by panic, blotting out even thoughts of Random and Fusion's evasiveness. Maker, please, I didn't think like that, I don't-- Spiral's mouth dropped open and she probed that thought again, dredging up the memories from her conversation with Fusion that first time. Nothing. What should have brought a spike of agony resulted in no sensation at all. Her mind latched on to the void, filling it with long suppressed thoughts of her daughters.

Tears started to roll down her muzzle and Fusion nodded sadly. "I lied to you, told you what you needed to hear. Let me show you my memories from when I visited Random." Fusion's horn started to glow, and Spiral felt the familiar pressure of the sharing spell.

Five seconds later she dropped the spell link and staggered to her hooves. Stumbling away from Fusion and that nightmarish vision-- Random, wing-shoulder swollen and inflamed, little spots of blood along her half-denuded wings and a look of despair on her muzzle --she breathed heavily, trying to understand why this mare would show her such lies. "How could you make up such things?" she said, finding her own anger. Her horn lit up and she reached out to grab a hold of Fusion, to shake some sense into the pony.

Her power was smoothly deflected away, defocused and diffused. It was like trying to get a grip on air.

"I don't have the skill to lie through memories; I only learnt the spell a few days ago."

No, I won't think like that, I can't think like that! Maker, please guide me to the right choice... Spiral waited, nerves singing with anticipation, but there was nothing except that awful vision of Random pulling out her own feathers. Spiral moaned, horn flaring a lurid green as she lashed out in frustration, but Fusion's power swaddled her in layer upon layer of deadening calm, holding her still and soaking up her rage.

"I'm sorry, Spiral, but you need to see the rest of it, and you need to believe that it is the truth. Are you willing to do at least that?" Fusion's voice was calm and compassionate, but layered with iron.

"What choice do I have? I can't stop you." It can't be true, because if it is...

"I can't force a sharing," Fusion said gently.

"Fine. Show me your lies, then let me go. Who else is going to treat your mother if you keep me here?" Spiral cringed inside; such a threat was an appalling abuse of power and she immediately felt guilty, but kept her features defiant.

Fusion's mouth dropped open and her ears flicked back, then she turned to stare at Gravity as the blue mare settled down next to her. "We'll take you back, either way. You might not be too happy about that once you see what I have to show you. What happened to mother?"

"Last night the corral was visited by Security. There was this one Agent in charge--" Spiral broke off, unable to get the memories out of her mind. "Before they scanned us all..." The green mare's mouth hung open and she used her shadow sight to examine the sisters. No Blessing, and both with some level of horn damage... even if it is very localised for Gravity. "That's what they were looking for, wasn't it? You've-you've taken my Blessing, and they thought you might have done the same trick to ponies at the corral. Even after they thought you were dead, they wanted to make sure that you hadn't left anything behind."

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that the Dogs have ways to check that don't need a pony's magic. Still, I had hoped..." Fusion looked unsettled, then sighed. "Nothing to be done about it; I didn't do anything to anypony at the corral. What happened?"

"The Agent, she questioned your parents; told them that you were dead and responsible for killing Masters." The mare shook her head, unable to believe her own words. Perhaps it is all some strange test, nopony would ever... but Trocar said that there were stories going around his hospital, about an injured Master. "Plasma disobeyed a direct order and the Agent punished her for it."

"An Agent," Gravity said, sitting bolt upright and her expression becoming fierce. "Tall, with brindled fur? Was she called Salrath?" Spiral nodded, not trusting herself to speak, shying away when the blue mare gave a low growl. "I knew it was a mistake to leave her alive. Fusion, if we ever see her again..."

Spiral glanced at the other sister, whose own face had become grim. "It bought us time, but I won't make that mistake again," Fusion said.

Is it really true, then? "Your mother will be fine; most of the damage was to her wing. I'm mid way through rebuilding the radius... but if I can't finish soon, I have authorization to amputate."

Gravity looked shocked, then narrowed her eyes. "Doesn't need to fly for her job, does she?"

Spiral flinched at the anger in the blue mare's voice. "I don't mean to threaten you, but it's the truth. The longer the injury is left, the harder it will be to repair." And the less likely I'll be allowed to do the work, she thought, gesturing at Fusion's prosthetic eye. She felt a little flash of anger at the injustice of it all. So many I've had to euthanize, ponies with families, ponies who-- Spiral bit back on the thought, tensing for pain that never came. "Surely I don't have to tell you the consequences of a delay?" she finished a little uncertainly. What if they are telling the truth? I could...

"Look, it's obvious that you both have experienced something to make you think this way -- I can see you have the same arcane symptoms. Let me use my magic, I have some experience with mental disorders." She brought one wing forward, waving it to encompass the odd mane discolouration effects both sisters shared.

The pair stared at her for a moment, then Fusion shook her head, smiling despite the situation. "Really, Spiral? You really believe that?"

"I won't know until you let me look," the mare said, leaning forwards and alternating her gaze between the two ponies. "Whatever has happened, I'm sure it can be fixed and you can go back to work. There has obviously been some kind of a mistake... your Masters must be looking--"

"They are not. We really did what the Agent said we did. Even if they were looking, they have no idea where to even start. I want to convince you, Spiral, because only then can we get your daughter away from where they are keeping her. Gravity and I will share everything with you -- separately, so you don't think we have manufactured this whole tale."

Gravity nodded. "And then we will take you back, no matter what you decide... but you really must see everything."

An involuntary whinny escaped Spiral's throat and she sagged slightly. Please don't make me see that again. The two ponies seemed so sure of themselves and she had a sick feeling that at least some elements of their story were true. ...and where am I? Shadow sight showed none of the familiar tunnel landmarks she was used to. Can Fusion have carried me this far in a single night? Even without the antidote used to awaken her, the drugs wouldn't have lasted that long. It can't be true, it mustn't be true. All the regrets and worries from nearly two gigaseconds of general practice flooded in, unstemmed by the Maker's guidance.

"Show me," she said, trying to keep the desperation from her voice.

The other two ponies nodded, horns starting to glow.

When they had finished, nearly ten kiloseconds later, Spiral felt like she had been drugged again. She'd separately trawled up and down the two mare's memories of the recent days, hunting for any inconsistencies that might have implied a fictionalised or delusional account, and found nothing. Her desperation increased as time went on, her mask of professional detachment slipping as she returned yet again to Fusion's memories of Random. It's all true, she thought, and that must mean... oh my baby, my poor baby, you never did anything to deserve this.

This is cruel... I know the Masters must make hard decisions all the time, but there has always been a good reason. I've-I've euthanized ponies because a replacement was available and it wasn't worth the effort required to fix them. Fully aware of what the Blessing had done to her, Spiral pushed the chain of logic past that artificial barrier in her mind, long past the point where little stabs of pain would have derailed the thoughts. Why did all those ponies have to die? One command is all it would have taken to release them from their service. We already feed ourselves, so why not let them live out their days and help the best they can?

She dropped out of the sharing and stared back at Fusion through red and tear dampened eyes. "Fine," she said hollowly, "I believe you. But why are you showing me my daughter being..." Spiral's mouth worked, as if unwilling to complete the sentence. "...tortured. What possible good could it do?"

Fusion smiled grimly. "You saw Gravity's memories of the Institute. We are going to bring back Random and all the foals, but first we really need your help." Fusion inclined her head to the third pony of this little treasonous herd, a young stallion sprawled awkwardly on a pile of pine brush.

Spiral immediately picked out the problem and, even though she had already seen the extent of his injuries through Gravity's memories, started to sweep the pony with her magic. "It will take too long," she said, opening her eyes and smiling sadly down at Lilac. "The security pony was correct; you need days of care before you are safe to be left. Even now, toxins are building up in your blood; you can't just interrupt gut function without side effects. The other medic was very good, but..." She gestured helplessly at his flank with its attached dressing. "...there's nothing I can do here."

Lilac's ears drooped, and he smiled wanly back at Spiral. "I'd come to terms with what was going to happen to me, but when I saw you I had hoped... so I really am going to die?"

"You will not!" Gravity said fiercely, her anger only subsiding when Fusion lay next to her and spread one wing over her back.

"Is there any way you can hide him in the infirmary?" Fusion said, frowning.

"No, all the stalls are full, although there is number eleven... Ponies who go in there don't come out, and it's big enough that..." she trailed off, the beginnings of an idea unfolding in her head. They don't come out, but they could come here! Her mouth dropped open in wonder at the elegance of the plan. I would never have to kill another pony... The thought hung heavy in her mind, the image of Slipstream in the morgue blocking out any consideration of risk.

I could give them a second chance. What about Trocar? Her mate had been dealing with the stress of losing both daughters rather better than she had, but he was still a medic, and had experienced all the joys and horrors that it was possible to endure. He needs to see it all, needs to know the truth behind everything. Spiral filed the idea away; it would be treason of the highest order and would have to be planned carefully.

When her eyes focused again, it was on the faces of two expectant mares. Spiral looked down at Lilac and smiled. "My little pony, I think there is a way."