//------------------------------// // Chapter #11 // Story: Operation Imortuus // by Pika53 //------------------------------// Equestria - Arkley Mansion/Research Center; east wing first floor, 11:15 pm 9th July 20xx, Night, Weather: Cloudy Sitting inside a small study, Vickers didn't catch much of the conversation between the other R.R.T.S. team as they passed through the nearby hallway. All he knew was that time was of the essence; but he wanted to outline a few possible scenarios before he acted. He'd received his orders a week ago but hadn't expected to be in a position to carry them out so soon. His original team's chariot going down had been a fluke as had their recent EMRF pilot's sudden display of cowardice. Still, he should have been more prepared. Being caught in this type of situation was so... unprofessional. He sighed, putting the thoughts aside. There'd be time for self-recrimination later. He hadn't expected to be here but never the less he was; and kicking himself for lack of foresight wasn't going to change anything. Besides, there was too much to do. Vickers knew the grounds of the estate well enough and the labs like the back of his hoof, but he'd only been inside the mansion a few times... and not at all since he'd been officially transferred to Canterlot. The place was a maze designed by a genius architect at the bidding of a madmare with all kinds of tricky little mechanisms; mechanisms that were going to make the job twice as hard as it needed to be. It was as if he were trapped in an espionage thriller, complete with mad scientists and a ticking clock. Unfortunately, he hadn't bothered to learn more about the mansion itself because he didn't think he needed the information. His original plan had been to lead both the Reaper and Zeta teams to the estate and clear the area before he proceeded to the labs and wrapped things up. He had the master keys and codes to access most of the estate of course; they'd been sent along with his orders. The problem was that there was no key to the nearby door to the garden. It was a puzzle lock of sorts... requiring the small hexagonal copper crest he possessed and currently the only way to reach the labs without walking through the forest. The entrance to the labs themselves was yet another puzzle lock... but that one shouldn't be a concern. Of course, Vickers had absolutely no intention of going back outside without an army backing him up; the dogs would be on him in moments. Shuddering, Vickers let the though go as he recalled what he'd learned about the initial incident. The last contact had been about six weeks ago. A hysteric Dr. Cruz had called to demand an immediate quarantine of the facility. By then they were all infected and suffering from a kind of paranoid mania; one of the more charming side effects of the virus. Celestia only knew what sort of traps the researchers in the labs had messed with as they slowly lost their minds. Naturally, his superiors had quietly observed what was happening over the last two months while the inept local PD investigated as the virus gradually lost its punch; then they'd sent him in to clean up the mess... which by now was considerable. Hefting the small hexagonal crest in his right hoof, Vickers reflected on how fortunate it was that he'd chosen this particular location to monitor the remaining squad's progress. Not only could he hear them coming and going but it would also allow him to get a head start to the labs. It had been quite easy really, he'd almost forgotten about the plaster statue upon the dining hall's upper balcony; and the hidden compartment within. Rather than waist time searching for the compartment, he'd just shoved the hideous thing off the balcony. Even though it hadn't held the crest, the sparkle of the blue jewel amidst the rubble had been just as good. One of the few mechanisms he'd remembered from a previous visit was a manticore statue that required a pair of different colored jewels to be placed in its eye sockets just off the dining hall. A quick visit to the statue had confirmed his suspicions; both eye sockets had been empty, and once he'd placed the blue gem in the proper socket the manticore statue had turned to one side and presented him with the crest. Just like that, he was one step closer to completing his mission. Of course he'd had a close call when he'd gone downstairs to retrieve the gem; almost stepping into that Jaden fellow’s path as the boy had blundered through the main hall in a hurry to get somewhere. Perhaps he'd disable the door when he went through, just to be safe. After all, he'd already made a number of mistakes on this mission and didn't want to make any more. Although he'd already ditched the R.R.T.S. to map out a new strategy it seemed the R.R.T.S. Reaper's were a bright group which made his margin for error very slim. The study he'd taken refuge in was sparsely decorated but comfortable. He might even take a nap while he waited for the others to catch up. After a few minutes, Vickers stood up and stretched; turning to scan some of the titles on the bookshelf behind him. Despite being eager to get moving, he figured it would take the others a while to navigate the house; and there really wasn't anything he could do to speed up the process. Frowning, he struggled to make sense of all the technical titles displayed. Biochemistry texts and medical journals littered the shelves, prompting Vickers to roll his eyes and sigh. Maybe he'd get that nap in after all. His gaze fell across one heavy-looking tome all alone on a lower shelf and picked it up. The book was bound in fine red leather and Vickers was glad to be able to read the title; even if it was as stupid as 'Eagle of East, Wolf of West'. He blinked. If he recalled correctly, that was written on the fountain that lead to the underground labs themselves. Vickers stared at the words, feeling his good mood begin to slip away. It couldn't be. While the researchers had gone nuts, surely they hadn't locked down the labs. There was no reason for that. He opened the book almost frantically, praying to Celestia he was wrong... only to let out a low moan of helpless rage at what he found tucked into the sham book's pages. Laying within the cut away compartment was a brass medallion with an eagle engraved on it; part of the key to yet another insane puzzle locks. It was like the punchline to a cruel joke. In order to get out of the house, he had to find one or both of the small hexagonal copper crests. Once out in the courtyard, he'd need to travel through a winding maze of tunnels that lead to a hidden section of the garden where an old stone fountain marked the entrance to the underground labs. The fountain was a marvel of engineering that could be opened and closed to hide the facility underneath; provided of course you had the keys: two medallions made of brass; an eagle engraved on one and a wolf engraved on the other. Finding the eagle meant that the gate was closed. And that meant that the wolf could literally be anywhere. The stunning revelation also meant that his chances of even getting to the labs had just dropped down to somewhere near zero. Unable to control his fury, Vickers snatched the medal and threw the book against the desk. As the book bounced off the desk and hit the floor with a hollow thump, the lamp shook slightly; causing beams of light to leap crazily around the room for a brief moment. There was no longer any point to keeping the hexagonal copper crest; his perfect plan was ruined. Reluctantly, Vickers would have to give up his edge and hope that one of the others would inadvertently stumble across the wolf for him; secreted away somewhere upon the massive sprawling estate. Naturally, that meant more risks, more searching, and a chance that one of the Reaper's would reach the labs before he did. Seething, the stallion trembled silently where he stood; trying hard not to scream. *************** Equestria - Arkley Mansion/Research Center; Guard Quarters, 11:15 pm 9th July 20xx, Night, Weather: Cloudy Standing within a study in what appeared to be a bunkhouse of some kind, Fiora tried to make sense of recent events. After their nightmarish sprint through the forest, she and Shadow, along with a few of the dolls, had managed to take shelter in a small house. After clearing the area, and disposing of a number of assorted monsters that had seen fit to attack them along the way, they'd followed a long winding path through a courtyard to their current location. The hall they'd stepped into had been plain undecorated wood as had been the small bedroom and lounge they'd discovered just off the silent corridor. She'd noticed the thick unmarked dust in the hallway on the way in with a sinking resignation; realizing that none of the other R.R.T.S. members had made it to this area. They still couldn't contact anypony over the radio and Fiora desperately hoped that her little sister and the others were safe. Fiora shuddered at the memory of the creatures they'd discovered within the lounge itself and didn't look forward to finding out what else might be lurking around the place; particularly since the map they'd found indicated that there was more to the place than what they'd seen so far. Shuddering again, Fiora looked on as the little gray pegasus sat near an old trunk surrounded by papers, envelopes and a few grainy photos she'd uncovered while the tan earth pony ambled around the room all jittery. The pink earth pony meanwhile, lay on a nearby cot and looked on in utter boredom as Shadow browsed a nearby bookcase before approaching a battered wooden desk and pulling at the top drawer. The unicorn scowled as the drawer refused to open before reaching underneath. Moments later, he smirked as he pulled out a key from under the desk and unlocked the desk drawer. “Looks like we just caught a break.” he said softly before turning and tossing something toward her. Fiora easily caught the object with a forehoof and allowed herself a smile as she recognized it as a set of keys. The leather tag had the word “Marcus” burned into one side with the number “345” written on the back in smudged ball point pen. Although she didn't know the significance of the number, assuming the keys were for the bunkhouse then they were one step closer getting off the estate. They could at least check those rooms they couldn't access before. “Don't worry, we'll find them.” Shadow spoke up; somehow sensing her anxiety. Fiora silently nodded her thanks at the statement as they continued to watch the little gray pegasus continue to examine the papers surrounding her. She seemed totally absorbed in what she was reading; the act reminding Fiora of a certain caramel colored alicorn she knew and prompting her and Shadow to exchange amused glances. As the unicorn approached her, Derpigun looked up; eyes clouded by worry. “Find anything?” Shadow asked. “Yeah, a couple of things. Listen to this: 'Four days since the accident and the plant at Point 42 is still growing and mutating at an incredible rate...'” Derpigun replied, holding up a piece of paper. She skipped ahead, skimming the page with a hoof as she spoke. “This report calls the thing Plant 42 and says it's roots are in the basement... here. 'Shortly after the accident, one of the infected members of the research team became violent and broke the water tank in the basement; flooding the entire section. We think some trace chemicals used in the T-virus tests contaminated the water and contributed to Plant 42's radical mutations.'” “Uh, that don't sound good.” ApplePills commented. “What is that supposed to even mean?” Pinkis asked. Fiora shrugged in confusion as Derpigun continued to read. “A number of shoots have already been traced to different parts of the building but the main plant now hangs from the ceiling in the large conference room on the first floor. We've determined that Plant 42 has become sensitive to movement and is now carnivorous. In close proximity to other living creatures, it uses tentacular, prehensile vines to entrap its prey while leech-like adaptions latch onto exposed skin and draw fatal quantities of blood from its prey; several staff members have already fallen victim to this.” “It's dated May fifteenth and signed by somepony named Cruz.” Derpigun concluded somberly. Shaking her head again, Fiora wondered how somepony could invent a virus like the one they'd come across. It seemed to infect everything it touched with madness; transforming its carrier into a vicious carnivore that was hungry for blood. What where these ponies thinking? “So, whatever this stuff is it infects plants too... lovely.” Pinkis grumbled; echoing Fiora's own thoughts. “It's not just that...” Derpigun retorted, holding up a photo. Stepping forward to get a better look, Fiora noted that the photo was a blurry snapshot of a gray colored stallion wearing a lab coat. He was standing stiffly in front of a plain wooden door and Fiora realized that it was the very same door they'd all passed through not fifteen minutes before... the front entrance to the bunkhouse. Form over her shoulder, Fiora could hear Shadow murmuring in disbelief at the situation as she passed the photo to the other two members of their little group. “WHAT?! You mean that screwball carnivorous plant is somewhere in here?” Pinkis snapped incredulously. “Yeah. Maybe it’s guarding a back door.” Shadow replied. “Well, we won't know for sure until we have a look.” Fiora said, making her way toward the door leading to the main hall. Silently, the group made their way down the corridor that lead to the bunkhouse's two locked rooms. As they approached the first door, they could all hear an ominous buzzing sound from behind the door. Exchanging glances, Fiora quickly unlocked the door but didn't open it; choosing instead to try the other door first. No sooner had she finished unlocking the second door than something crawled through a hoof sized hole in a nearby wall that she hadn't noticed before. Stumbling away from the insectal abomination, Fiora watched as Shadow shot the creature just after it leaped off the wall and began to fly toward her; a single round being sufficient to drop it. As they inspected the remains, Fiora shuddered. If there was one thing she hated more than rats it was bugs; particularly arachnids the size of cattle... and now what looked to be overgrown hornets. “There must be dozens of the things in the other room.” Shadow remarked in awe. “Great, maybe we'll find a can of industrial bug spray in there while we're at it.” Pinkis retorted irritably. Every eye turned toward the little pink earth pony. “What?” Pinkis asked before her eyes grew wide as she realized where the conversation was going. “Whoa, there is no way I'm going in there with those things running lose!” she screeched while holding up her forehooves. Fiora could certainly understand the logic as she wasn't thrilled by the idea of entering a room swarming with ravenous insects either. “I'll go.” Derpigun spoke up. Every eye turned toward the little gray pegasus. “I'm not really looking forward to dealing with flying mutant bugs either but I might have a better chance at evading them while looking for something to get rid of the nasty things.” Derpigun admitted. Nodding, Fiora drew and handed her sidearm to the little gray pegasus who nodded and seemed to be psyching herself up as Fiora positioned herself beside the door. “Good luck, darling.” the larger evening blue colored pegasus said as she opened the door. Nodding, Derpigun darted through the opening and Fiora quickly closed it again. Minutes passed before a frantic shout to open the door could be heard. Fiora complied and Derpigun hurled through, only to bounce off the opposite wall as Fiora re-secured the door. Over the little gray pegasus's gasps, they could hear a more intense buzzing sound along with several dozen thumps against the door. The sound prompting Shadow and Fiora to exchange worried glances. “So, how'd it go?” Pinkis asked. Still panting, Derpigun held up a can of insecticide set inside a convenient spray applicator. “The nest is near the hole... and it’s a big one.” she murmured. “Nice work.” Shadow remarked as he took the insecticide and headed toward the hole in the wall. “Maybe now we can take care of these little pests and move on.” he continued before pumping the insecticide into the hole. The group waited a good fifteen minutes before entering the room the bugs had occupied. Aside from the massive number of hornet corpses that littered the area and a wooden table, the room was sparsely decorated. Aside from a small corridor to the left that presumably lead to the bug's nest, there were three other doors in the room. The first one was located near the one they'd entered through and had what appeared to be a numeric lock while the other two were on the other side of the room. After reclaiming her weapon, Fiora quickly approached the far left door and cautiously opened it; only to discover that it lead to a study of some kind. Making her way toward the next one, Fiora was about to open the door when an ominous thump sounded from somewhere behind it. Turning, she motioned that the monstrous plant was behind the door and receiving nods as she made her way back to the others. Shadow meanwhile, typed the number on the keys into the keypad and the door unlocked. He then opened the door to reveal a small room containing several shelves filled with tiny glass bottles and a rust filled sink. Shadow and Fiora exchanged curious glances at the unexpected discovery as Derpigun began murmuring excitedly to herself while examining the tiny glass bottles upon the shelves. ApplePills was also examining the contense upon the shelves; although it was with the intensity of a crazed addict. “Hey, one of the reports I was reading earlier mentioned something about a phytotoxin called V-Jolt that can kill the plant!” the little gray pegasus piped up. “I can make it here. Assuming of course we can get to the basement and find the plant's root.” she continued. Shadow and Fiora exchanged intrigued glances as they realized where the conversation was going. “Then we can dispose of the plant without having to actually face it.” Fiora concluded as a smirk slowly crossed her face. “How long will you need?” Shadow asked, just as excited by the news. Derpigun hummed to herself softly for a moment before replying. “Ten, maybe fifteen minutes.” “Then let's do this!” Fiora remarked enthusiastically. As Derpigun set to work on creating the V-Jolt solution, ApplePills squealed in delight and pounced upon another bottle on one of the shelves. Shadow, Pinkis, and Fiora glanced at one another; exchanging opinions among themselves without uttering a single word. “Uh, should we just leave them alone like this?” Shadow asked. “This won't end well.” Pinkis replied, rolling her eyes. “Let's just find that basement so we can leave this dreadful place.” Fiora retorted, heading for the room's exit.