//------------------------------// // Site Echo // Story: Spark // by Fyn16 //------------------------------// Site Echo “See anything up there?” Nimbus called out, his throat feeling like sandpaper from hours of exposure to the hostile environment that was the Equestrian Badlands. Storm Runner craned his neck and held a hoof up to block out the light of the setting sun as he surveyed the surrounding terrain. Below, Octavia was patiently reclining on the ground, drawing lazy circles in the sand with her hooves out of sheer boredom. The Badlands had that effect on most ponies. “No, I- wait a minute.” Storm peered harder into the quickly fading light. Ahead, he could barely make something out- like a gaping wound in the unbroken skin of the desert. He looked back down at Nimbus. “Hey, you said we were looking for a canyon, right?” “Yeah,” Nimbus called up, anxiously tapping his hooves together. They were running out of daylight rapidly, and Bright Future’s teleportation spell had undoubtedly set him at least an hour ahead, “see one?” “Almost directly to our west,” Storm Runner replied, adding sarcastically, “which is awesome because that means the sun’s in my eyes. Can I come back down already?” “Come on down, Storm,” Nimbus said with a slight chuckle; even in the face of adversity Storm’s dry humor shone through. Ugh, “dry humor,” he thought, bad pun given our current location. “let’s get a move on,” he sighed, “before my mind decides to start cracking off bad jokes.” Storm Runner raised an eyebrow at his friend’s odd comment, but said nothing, settling back down roughly on his hooves and kicking up a slight cloud of dust with his wingwash. Nimbus coughed, waving the fine grit away from his face. “Easy there, Storm. I’d rather not choke to death with our objective in sight.” “I can’t believe it actually exists,” Storm said. “Well, we don’t know for sure,” Octavia pointed out, “all we saw was the canyon.” “Even so, a canyon is good shelter,” Nimbus said, starting towards the crack in the earth with the other two in tow. The sun was dipping lower on the horizon, and as its rays pierced through the atmosphere, the sky turned a brilliant shade of red and orange. Cottony clouds seemed to soak up the fading day’s light, turning even more vibrant than the sky around them. It was nothing like Nimbus had ever seen before. “Won’t see a sunset like that in Manehattan,” he said to the others, his thoughts turning towards home. It occurred to him, then, how strange this whole situation really was. Here he was, trekking across the desert with two other ponies under constant threat of mortal danger, while only a few hundred miles away his family was watching the same sunset, probably eating hayburgers on the patio with no idea of what he was doing at the moment. “It’s beautiful,” Octavia agreed. If she hadn’t been in the middle of a delicate operation, she would have been inspired by the sight to compose a piece of music, but since she was part of such an operation, she simply took in the sun’s beauty as it set, followed swiftly by the appearance of the stars, pinpoints of light dotting the sky. A full moon, she noted, how long has it been since I’ve even seen the moon? Two, three days? She couldn’t even remember. On the airship, she’d lost sense of time due to her confinement. As her mind drifted to thoughts of her time in captivity, Octavia couldn’t help but think about her time spent as a hostage. There was no doubt about it- the pony that stepped off that airship was a different Octavia from the one that got on. After facing adversity, and looking evil in the eye, the mare realized that her own problems were actually small in comparison. She had courage now, something she realized she’d never fully experienced before. Would she have enough to face her parents upon her return? That remained to be seen. Right now, she could only focus on surviving long enough to make it back to them. “Night’s falling,” Storm Runner observed, “might want to pick up the pace. I don’t want to stick around to find out whether desert fauna’s friendly to ponies or not.” “Sounds good to me,” Nimbus said, a sudden, brisk breeze chilling him. He couldn’t have agreed more. The desert at night could be a creepy place, after all. … Silky Sunset’s lungs burned as she galloped, faster than she’d ever run before. How? How could things have gone wrong so quickly? At breakneck pace she raced through the dark corridors- the lights had gone dim long ago- trying hard to outrun it- the voice. The voice was everywhere; inside her head, all around her, urging her to return, to descend again, but she’d seen enough. She knew what lay in wait for her in the bowels of Site Echo. She would not return. As she climbed the last stair and tumbled over into the main lobby, she heard a sound that made her blood freeze- a faint clicking. The weapon was here- a biological force that she now knew was more than capable of tearing Equestria apart. She forced herself to run faster, to escape Spark. Adrenaline surged through her, turning her speed and agility to near superpony levels. Ahead, she saw light- the exit. It was so close now, so close… “Don’t you dare leave me!” she heard, “don’t you dare leave me behind! You’re a part of this too!” Bright Future. So he was still alive, then. Sunset didn’t even want to think of how. She just diverted all of her energy to survival, fleeing as quickly as possible. The Aviators might try to kill her; they’d at least take her into custody. Regardless, she had to warn them. Site Echo was not safe. And with Bright Future’s cries behind her, she ran onward. … Following Bright Future’s and Silky Sunset’s hoofsteps, Nimbus, Octavia, and Storm Runner descended into the canyon, each of them keeping their eyes peeled for something out of the ordinary. “Check it out,” Storm said, nodding towards one of the canyon walls, “a rockslide. And the hoofprints lead right to it.” Nimbus scratched his head, confused. “Really? It’s like he doesn’t care whether we find him or not.” “For some reason, that worries me most of all,” Octavia said. “From what I gathered, Bright Future is smart; very smart. If he didn’t want to be found, chances are we wouldn’t have found him.” “Or he picked tonight to go on a stupid streak,” Storm Runner mumbled, shrugging, “which would be lucky for us.” “But highly unlikely,” Nimbus added. “We need to be careful. Follow those hoofprints; they should lead us right to the entrance.” The ponies trotted across the sand to the rockslide. The night had begun in earnest now, and Nimbus shivered. Normally, he wasn’t bothered by the possibility of danger, but there was something… off about this place, something that felt unsettlingly out of tune with nature. He put his fear out of his head, trying to maintain a professional separation as he approached the point where the hoofsteps disappeared into the rockslide. Several rocks had already been moved, it appeared, by levitation. “Sloppy work again,” Storm said, “didn’t even bother resealing the entrance.” He approached the entrance, where a dark hole stood, and peeked in. “Interesting. Bright Future must have preserved the facility by sealing it inside the canyon wall. The rockslide would have been enough to convince any witnesses that the site was destroyed. That sneaky son of a Manticore probably committed treason right under royal supervision.” “What do you see in there?” Octavia said, completely unaware that she was whispering. Storm Runner waited a moment, letting his eyes adjust to the darkness. He could hear a tapping sound, and it almost appeared that something was moving in- “Gaaah!” Storm yelled as a blue blur impacted him at high speed. The two forms tumbled head over hooves, kicking up sand and stones in a cloud of dust. Storm instinctively punched, assuming he’d been attacked. To his surprise, his assailant didn’t attempt to resist. His punch flipped the creature immediately off of him, and he scrambled to his hooves, prepared for a counterattack. As the dust cleared, however, he stopped, eyes wide. It was a pony, and at first glance, it appeared to be Silky Sunset. But as the three ponies looked on, all believed that there was no chance that the shivering, huddled, frightened wreck in front of them was at all the same pony that had been so strong and confident earlier that day. “Please, please don’t hurt me,” she gasped through ragged sobs. Storm Runner’s eyes narrowed. “What is this, some kind of trick? Where’s Bright Future?!” “Bright Future… I don’t know… what’s… how could anypony be cruel enough to create a weapon like that?” “The weapon exists?” Nimbus said, turning to Storm Runner, “this is serious. If Bright Future’s got his hooves on it, there’s no telling what he’ll do.” “How do we know she’s not working with him now?” Storm Runner said, “when we last saw them, Bright Future took her hostage. You think he’d just let her go? I think this is a trap.” Octavia looked up at the two Aviators as she knelt at Sunset’s side. The Unicorn was convulsing now, and sweating profusely. “She’s going into shock! Whether she’s with Bright Future or not, we can’t just let her die!” Nimbus glanced from Storm Runner back down to Silky Sunset, snapping himself out of his argument. Octavia was right- petty disagreements would get them nowhere right now. He knelt down next to Octavia, and Storm did the same. Looking Sunset in the eyes, Nimbus spoke. “Silky Sunset, I want you to focus on me. Slow your breathing, calm down… we want to help you.” Sunset’s eyes traveled upward, meeting Nimbus’s- enemy to enemy- only now Nimbus was doing his best to save her. “Good,” he said, watching the rising and falling of her chest begin to slow, “good, just focus.” “Sunset, what’s this weapon you’re talking about?” Storm Runner pressed. Silky’s eyes shot over to him, and her breathing rate began to increase again. Octavia held up a hoof, telling Storm Runner to stop, and the Pegasus relented. Silky Sunset blinked slowly, then exhaled. “I don’t- I don’t want to talk about what I saw in there,” Sunset said haltingly, “mostly because I’m not sure I even saw what it was. Bright Future is gone, but I think he’s still alive. Project Spark is… there’s much more to it than the Awakening thought. Spark isn’t just a weapon. I think it’s an entire program.” “Why should we trust you?” Storm Runner said as Sunset started to stand, “you still haven’t given us a good reason to believe anything you’ve said.” “I know,” Sunset replied, “but whether you believe me or not, I know you Aviators were deployed with the purpose of shutting this place down for good, and after careful consideration, I’ve decided that you’re right.” Sunset started to rock back and forth on her hooves nervously. “I know you have absolutely no reason to trust me, but you have to understand that what I saw in there was very real, and it poses a significant threat to all of us; both those allied with the Awakening and those who support the sisters.” Nimbus sighed. “I really want to believe you, Silky Sunset, but Storm Runner’s right. We have no reason to trust you. To that end, as much as I hate to do this, you’re going to have to come in with us. We can’t risk you escaping, and if there is, in fact, a trap for us in there, we’ll expect you to let us know.” Silky stared at the dark entrance to the site, trembling. “There must be some other way…” she said. “No,” Octavia said sternly, “while you may be with us now, there is no question that you were against us before. I agree with the Aviators. We’re not taking the risk of letting you escape.” “Very well,” Sunset said, gulping, “just know that if we see Bright Future in there, no matter what he says, do not listen to him. Something about him has changed.” For some reason, these last words chilled Nimbus’s blood most of all. Suddenly Site Echo seemed considerably more sinister. It was becoming clearer and clearer to him that whatever was inside the facility was more than just a weapon, and for the first time in his career, he was afraid of what he’d find. … The main lobby was dark, save for a few flickering emergency lights. In the darkness, the ponies could make out simple shapes, but nothing concrete. To Nimbus, the total darkness combined with the eerie stillness and quiet was a warning sign- the facility telling him just one time to turn back around before things got really serious. Doing his best to ignore his feelings, Nimbus tapped on the wall. “That’s got to be at least two feet of reinforced steel. This place could stop a magical bombardment if it had to.” “We need to get some lights on,” Storm Runner said, grunting as he tripped over what he guessed was a swiveling chair. “They won’t work,” Sunset said, “Bright Future tried turning them on, but they went down again just before he disappeared. You don’t want to know what’s in here with us anyway.” The hair of Nimbus’s mane rose and he could feel goosebumps form at Silky’s statement. “Silky... what exactly is in here with us?” The Unicorn said nothing. Instead, she pointed her horn at the ceiling and let her magic flow into it. Gradually, her horn began to illuminate the room, and as Nimbus’s eyes swept over the facility, he became more and more convinced that something here had gone terribly wrong. All across the room, dotting the floor, walls, and ceiling, were transparent, greenish things that Nimbus could only describe as pods. They looked organic, and delicate- most definitely not created by any pony, and as far as he could tell, not made by any creature known to ponykind. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw movement in one of the pods. Hesitantly, Nimbus beckoned to Sunset and walked over to it. “Give me some light on this pod,” he said. Sunset winced, shining her horn on the green object. Nimbus peered through the casing into what looked like cloudy fluid inside. Suddenly, the object inside shifted, coming into view for a brief second. It was a face. Nimbus doubled back, head reeling. He heard Storm Runner retch nearby. There was no doubt about what he’d seen- there was something alive inside the pod. “Dear Celestia,” he rasped, “I think… I think that was a pony.” “But why?” Storm Runner groaned, recovering, “and what the hay is this stuff anyway?” “Say what you will,” Octavia said shakily, “but that looks a great deal like a cocoon to me.” “Do you know what did this?” Nimbus asked turning to Sunset who looked quite pale. “Project Spark…” she said, “Bright Future said it had something to do with Project Spark.” “Hey,” Storm Runner called out, taking a folder off of a desk, “I’ve got a file with Bright Future’s name on it. Might shed some light on this.” The Pegasus cracked it open and gave it a quick read-through. “Memorandum for new researchers- welcome to Project Spark. Your work here will not only assist in creating the greatest deterrent force the world has ever known, it will also help us to create the perfect soldier. The official title for our work is ‘biological weapon,’ but I can assure you that Project Spark is much more than this. As you are all well aware, you are sworn to secrecy about what goes on in this facility. This is purely in the interest of national security, which I know you all appreciate. Welcome once again; together we can pave the way for a new, powerful Equestria.” Storm Runner set the memo aside. “Nothing we already knew there. What I want to know is why these ponies are… cocooned.” He took another look at the encased pony and shuddered, tilting his head away. “Let’s just figure out a way to take this place down. Might be some load-bearing points further inside.” “Octavia, are you sure you want to come with us?” Nimbus asked, feeling a bit uneasy himself. Octavia was on edge, but she nodded anyway. “I’m fine, Nimbus. You may need another set of hooves anyway.” Nimbus shrugged, “then we’d best keep moving. Fortunately for us, these ponies are dormant. There’s no telling who’s side they’d be on if they were awake.” He didn’t bother saying “alive.” If there was one thing scarier than being in a room full of cocooned ponies, it was being in a room of cocooned dead ponies. Storm Runner gave Silky Sunset a rough shove. “Take point, Unicorn. You have the magic, which makes you our only source of light.” “Oh please, no-“ “And you’re a wanted criminal, so I really don’t care what you have to say.” Nimbus glared at Storm Runner but didn’t bother making a comment. Silky had to lead, whether she wanted to or not. She was the only source of light. The group trudged through the rest of the lobby. As Nimbus’s eyes adjusted to the dim light, details became clearer. The lobby itself was nothing special- a steel, undecorated cube of a room with a few spartan desks and uncomfortable-looking chairs scattered everywhere. There were more cocoons- at least thirty of them- and all contained what looked like the shadowy figure of a pony. “How did they do this?” Nimbus wondered aloud, “some kind of spell?” “I’ve never seen a spell that can create a true organic substance,” Octavia said, “and that’s definitely what these ponies are imprisoned in.” “I’m going to radio this in to Cicada,” Nimbus said, taking out his helmet. He donned it and tuned in the appropriate frequency. He was met with some static, but attributed this to interference. “Raider One to Cicada, do you read me?” There was a pause, followed by more static. “Raider One, here. Cicada, do you read me?” After the second burst of static, Nimbus shoved his helmet back into the saddlebag, frustrated. “These things work fine most of the time, must be a magical jammer somewhere in the facility.” “Don’t mind it,” Silky said, defeated, “come on- there’s much more to the facility than what you see here.” The ponies followed Sunset through a doorway, hanging from which was a heavy, barred steel door. The next room was a hallway. Protective suits hung from the walls on either side, looking for all the world like motionless ponies in the dark. “There’s a sign,” Octavia said, heading over to the wall, “looks like it’s a precautionary statement. ‘Full body protection must be worn at all times while dealing with Spark subjects due to the possibility of revival.” “Revival of what?” Nimbus asked. Octavia shook her head, “doesn’t say.” The lights in the hallway clicked on suddenly, and everypony jumped. “Who did that?” Storm Runner called. “We were all here, in the middle of the hallway,” Nimbus said, “nopony’s near a light switch.” Welcome to Site Echo. The voice of Bright Future rang out over an old, scratchy-sounding PA system, catching the group off guard. “Bright Future, stop this,” Nimbus called, “I don’t know what happened here, but you will be held responsible. Is that what you want? Those ponies in the lobby- if they’re dead, their blood is on your hooves.” There was a brief chuckle- a dark, dry sound, then Bright Future continued. We knew the sisters would close down the site once they found out about it, so we worked right up to the deadline. I knew we could benefit Equestria with what we were doing here, so instead of destroying the site, I contained it, collapsing the entrance only. Just before the collapse we had a… containment issue. We had no choice but to leave some of our scientists inside. It’s lucky they stayed, actually. Thirty-two years without sustenance has a way of thinning out the samples, and Spark is as valuable to me today as it was all those years ago. “You monster,” Nimbus hissed. “But what is it?” Storm Runner yelled, “what is Spark?” Do you recall, dear ponies, the legends of the Dark Ones? “Myths,” Nimbus shot back, “they’re myths. And I’ve heard about them, yes. They were evil creatures that fed on love and could change form at will. Why?” Bright Future snorted, Myths, hah. Maybe to some, but the idea? Very achievable. Imagine, Nimbus, the next generation of soldiers- infiltrators who could blend in with our foes, who could take them down from the inside. You see, I used to think the Dark Ones were just a story, too. Then I found one. The PA cut out, cryptically, leaving the three ponies shivering in the hallway. “It’s not him,” Sunset whispered, “it can’t be him. I saw him- I saw-“ “What did you see?” Octavia asked. “There was a green light. It surrounded him, and I heard laughing, but it wasn’t Bright Future. There was somepony else with us.” Silky stopped suddenly, looking down at the floor. The memories were still fresh. “There must be a records room,” Storm said, continuing down the hall as the others followed, “if we’re going to have any chance of finding out what exactly happened here, that’ll be our best bet.” He cracked open the door at the end of the hall, and the old metal squeaked eerily on its hinges. “Holy…” Storm Runner’s jaw dropped and his exclamation trailed off into nothing as he took in the sight that befell him. “What is it?” Nimbus said, rushing to his friend’s side. As soon as he saw what Storm was referring to, he also stopped dead in his tracks, taken aback by the sheer magnitude of the room ahead of them. It was huge, about the size of the Manehattan Concert Hall, if somepony had decided to place the building underground. But what was even more intriguing was the room’s content- rows stacked upon rows of glass tanks stacked one on top of the other up to the ceiling, framed by stairs and walkways. All of the tanks bore a murky liquid, similar to the ones they’d seen in the cocoons, though these looked a touch more artificial. The place was sterile, almost medical in appearance, but this tidiness was a drastic contrast to what lay at the end of the room- a huge, gaping hole that looked big enough to swallow a house. Inside, the darkness only became murkier, but Nimbus could see the outlines of even more cocoons within. A strange humming sound seemed to resonate throughout the entire room as well, and it felt as if it penetrated through the ponies’ skin. There was no doubt in Nimbus’s mind now that they were looking at the central area of operations for Project Spark. One could almost feel the presence of evil in the room. “This is where it happened,” Silky Sunset whispered, “this is where they took Bright Future away.” “Ponies,” Nimbus said slowly, “I think we’ve found Project Spark.”