Beeping. Not rapid, just occasional, like a heart monitor.
Heart rate is stable
“Yes she’ll be just fine, no thanks to you.”
Care to Explain. I asked growing impatient and irritable.
“Failure to heed my warnings caused a major fault in the structural integrity of the launch tunnel,-
Launch Tunnel?
“Yes it was built to your specification while you were indisposed. Being a major collapse in the system the carpenters came to investigate, and recovered your sleeping body as I relayed emergency Retrieval instructions for the targets we tagged earlier.”
That explains a lot.
Sitting up from the extra cot in the corner of the room, I turned around and surveyed the few rows of stabilizing kids.
“Wheres the Adult?”
“In the next room, she seemed to grow in strength when she was Isolated from the younger changelings.” Answered the butter yellow pegasus in the corner.
Nodding my head, I stood and made my way into the room closing the door behind me. Pulling a chair close to the bed I sat down and layer my cane across my lap.
Leave us.
"As you wish."
" I know you're not asleep so can I offer you a drink?"
"How did you know?" She asks, tilting her head to see me.
"Your ears twisted toward the door when I opened it."
"So what do you want, money? I have none, power, I am weak."
"A contract."
At this she merely squinted one eye at me and tilted her head.
"Come again?" She asked.
"A contract. You live with me from now on, and give me joint control of the hive. But in return I will assure your race never dies out, sparing no expense to do so."
"And what would cause a dissolution of this contract." She asked, air thick with tension.
"You would have to kill me, and write the words 'I hereby dissolve this contract' with my blood."
I wonder if she's going to agree to these terms?
"Fairly odd dissolution terms don't you think?"
"I have my reasons"
"I accept."
"Then I hereby devote my life to your race, and give you this tool as a sign of our agreement."
"A signet?!"
"Ah but it is a magic signet, it will allow you to give anyone you choose the symbol of our nation. It is a good way of showing that you own a company or, area of land, showing authority on documents and being just plain cool looking."
"But its not large enough to fit around my hoof, how will I use it?" She asked, curiosity replacing the tension.
"Then I'll have Aj resize it for you. Get some more rest for now." I said as I moved for the door. "Dinner will be served in a while." I said as I exited the room closing the door behind me.
"Well?" The carpenters asked in unison.
"We have reached a contract!" I said with my head held high. Cheers erupted from the six mares in front of me.
"Now! Let's start building a nation!" I roared, running off toward the design room.
Just you wait Chrysalis, I'll build you an amazing kingdom where you'll never be hunted or starved.
It had been three hours and progress was steady.
"I need you to take a look at this list of materials for the homes, and this one for the water system." Twi said, handing me two large binders full of plans.
"Ok."
"How's the structure system coming along?"
"Take a look." I said, getting up and letting her sit down to the table.
I went through the building materials and specifications, there was a lot involved with the placements of each house, as they would allow for a multitude of extreme weather.
"I fixed the shaping of the bathrooms to be more pony oriented." Twi remarked as I opened the water system plans.
"That drainage line will need to be doubled in capacity, and reinforced. The fresh water system needs to be about fifty feet deeper, and moved further from the water heating system." I mentioned as I edited the plans.
I handed the plans back to Twi and glance over the changes to the structure plans.
"Everything looks good, well get started with 'operation invisible' right after breakfast" I told her as I got off the chair and stretched.
"Are you sure you can pull that off? There's so many variables that you have to get just right or you could end up.." She stopped as I leaned down and kissed her on the forehead.
"Hakuna Matata!"
Medical Ward, Intensive Care. Chrysalis POV
Blinking the sleep from my tired eyes, I raise my head and take a second look at my surroundings. Along with the blank walls and instruments of a stupid pony hospital,
there were plenty of foreign tools and machinery.
“What is this place anyway?”
“It’s our intensive care unit.” A voice from behind me spoke up.
I turned my head around and nearly fell of the bed in surprise. “What are you supposed to be!” I yelled at the monstrous thing standing in the room.
“Didn’t mean ta scare ya there, names Jackie. Im’a machine Jordan made to run the engineering side of the ship.”
“Then why are you here?”
“Well seeing as I was ahead of schedule, I thought I’d come an wish the newpony well. And size that signet.”
“I’m alive.” I deadpanned, holding my hoof and signet out.
She sat next to me and began to look at the metal band.
“Well ya must be famished, If ya can copy me ya’ll find Jordan on the top floor of the ship. Should get a decent meal since I’m his favorite!” She stated with pride.
I looked at her with a raised brow.
“Why would you tell me all this? Don’t act like you care, you wretched....thing!” I snip turning my nose up and away.
A smack to the back of my head gives me reason to turn around and look at her again, She’s standing next to the bed now, hat in claw, eyes full of anger.
“I’m trying ta show some hospitality, I honestly wouldn’t care if ya die or not. But Jordan seems to have taken a liking to ya, so shut yer tramp mouth an take it!” She steams.
Recovering after a second slap to the face, I look down and take a breath. Focusing the little bit of magic I had left I felt the energy slowly wash over me, bathing my figure in green fire and reshaping me to this odd form.
After borrowing Jackie’s hat I open the door and take a few tentative steps, looking up I see twelve of my children, tired beaten and barely holding on. moving quickly through the room, I open the next door and step into what Jackie had called an ‘Elevator’. Pressing the button with the highest number the floor began to move upward, almost costing me my footing.
Grabbing the rail I wait until the floor finally stops moving then open the door, stepping out onto solid ground I see Jordan look up and wave me over. Moving at a swift pace I am shortly standing next to Jordan as he moves behind me, snaking his arms around my torso, I took Jackie’s hat off and placed it on his head as she had instructed, apparently it was common practice between the two.
He placed his chin on my head and took a deep breath, holding it for a few seconds before slowly releasing it into the ether. Then it hit me it was slow like a faucet being gently turned on, then the pressure being raised ever so gently until it was at it's greatest. The bitterness of his sorrow, the salt of regret, the smoky flavor of pain, the sweetness of his love, the hint of tang wrapped in his contentment, and the roaring spice of his anger. I was nearly overwhelmed with the emotional buffet at my disposal, I was sure that my children and a would be well fed.
Maybe I could get used to this.