//------------------------------// // IV – Scheme // Story: Frequency // by PaulAsaran //------------------------------// Chapter IV Scheme “One thing keeps bugging me about this story,” Vinyl said as she pulled closed another trash bag. Adi’s voice crackled over the radio. “Oh?” She set the bag down next to a pile of similarly engorged ones. “You say you’ve got all this cool stuff: magnetic trains, 3D movies, supercomputers that fit in your pocket, even space flight… but there’s no magic.” “You say that as if it’s unusual.” “C’mon, Adi.” Vinyl began clearing the last corner of the kitchen of debris, grimacing at the stains on the floor. “You really want me to think technology’s ever going to get that far?” “I know it may seem like science fiction to you,” Adi admitted, “but I assure you, everything I’m saying exists within the bounds of reality. Technology can make it happen.” “Bull.” Vinyl opened her fridge and began dumping its contents into the bag, occasionally pausing to sniff at some leftovers which invariably made her wrinkle her muzzle in disgust. “Sweet Celestia, why did I ever let this place get so bad?” “I beg your pardon?” “Oh, sorry.” Vinyl stepped back and used her magic to remove a particularly moldy… something. Was it just her or did it actually move? She covered her muzzle as the thing fell unceremoniously into the waiting bag. “Just bemoaning the state of my kitchen.” “You mean you’re still cleaning? It’s been over an hour!” Vinyl blushed with a lopsided grin and hurriedly closed the bag. “I’m, uh, almost done with the trash.” “Just the trash?” With a small laugh, Vinyl cast one last look through the fridge. “I may have gotten lazy in the past few… er… years.” The radio was silent save for the continuous static. “Adi?” “Sorry,” she replied, “I’m just trying to think of what your kitchen must look like. Excuse me while I shudder.” Dropping onto the cushion by the table, Vinyl let out a low moan. “And I’ve still got to scrub the cabinets and floors, dust, sweep, mop, wipe down the fridge – that’s gonna be fun – and probably replace some of the furniture.” She paused to think on it, then groaned. “Then I’ve got the rest of my apartment to deal with.” A sigh rose from the speaker. “Vinyl, why’d you ever let it get so bad in the first place?” She considered the question, slowly rising to a proper sitting position. “Because I’m never here. I was always at work, or going to some concert or… or something. And when I am here, I’m alone.” She bowed her head. “I hate being alone…” “What was that?” Her head jerked up. “Nothing, nothing! It’s just that, if nopony’s going to be here, why bother cleaning up? But I’ve been here most of the time over the past week.” “So now you’re constantly looking at it, right?” Vinyl nodded with a grimace. “I just couldn’t take it anymore. If I’m gonna stay here and chat with ya, I might as well do it while cleaning up.” “Well.” Adi took on an indignant tone. “Had I known I was being such an inconvenience, I’d have minded my own business.” “Oh, you’re totally inconvenient,” Vinyl countered with a grin. She struck an elaborate pose, one hoof raised high above her head in imitation of some haughty statue she’d once seen in Canterlot’s upper levels. “There I was, minding my own business and enjoying the funk, and suddenly I find myself talking to some disembodied voice and getting ready to scrub mold from my refrigerator. Thanks a lot.” “I thought you said you enjoyed the funk.” Vinyl snorted down a laugh. “One can only take so much funk, no matter how enjoyable.” “Truer words were never spoken.” Adi giggled, the sound coming out odd through a rise in the static. “Speaking of questionable art forms, how’s that new album coming?” “‘Questionable art forms?’” Vinyl leaned her elbow on the table and raised an eyebrow. “Are you saying my music is bad?” “Yes.” She attained a deadpan frown. “Way to sugarcoat it, Adi.” Another laugh rose over the static. “I’m just kidding, Vinyl. Your style isn’t my cup of tea, but it’s far better than the crap I’ve had to listen to over and over again for the past two years.” Vinyl sat up and pointed at the speaker. “A-ha, got ya!” “Oh boy.” “If you were really out in the cold vacuum of space,” she said with confidence, “how is it that you have any power to listen to things like a walkcolt... or 'walkman,' as you call it? It’s not like there’s a store on the next moon to buy batteries, right?” “Actually,” Adi replied, “the brainiacs on Earth figured out how to make electricity using the solar winds.” Vinyl stared at the radio. “Solar winds? What the hay is that?” There was a pause, and when Adi spoke she had a certain sheepishness in her tone. “I don’t know the science behind it, to be honest. I mean, I read about it, but forgot 'cause I'm just the girl holding the screwdriver. They hired me to build the thing, not understand its inner workings. All I know is that I wind the crank and a boom with some big solar doohickey stretches out and makes more power.” It wasn’t an easy image for Vinyl to grasp. “Where do you come up with this stuff?” “I didn’t,” Adi replied. “Some genius at NASA did.” Vinyl slumped. “Right, the space business.” Adi’s took on a lecturing tone. “You can keep trying, but you’ll never find a flaw in my story.” “No?” “No.” Vinyl peered at the radio. “Then why are you in that ship in the first place?” Silence. After some time, Vinyl sat up and crossed her forelegs. “Shouldn’t take that long to think up an origin story. Didn’t you have it planned out like everything else?” “It hurts, okay?” Vinyl blinked. “What do ya mean, ‘it hurts?’” “I can’t go home, Vinyl.” Adi’s voice cracked. “Even… Even if I could, they’re all dead. There’s nothing to go home to.” Ears perked, Vinyl leaned over the radio. “I don’t know everything.” Adi took a long, deep breath. “Some said it was terrorists, others that it was an accident. Who knows? All I know is that there was a virus and they couldn’t contain it.” Adi grew quiet. Vinyl lifted the radio and stared at it, waiting with bated breath. She fidgeted, then shifted, finally spoke. “Adi?” The radio crackled back to life. “S-sorry. I was just… I’ve got this wicker doll. Mom bought it during one of her aid trips in Africa. Gave it to me when I was three. She said it was meant to hold my guardian spirit. It… it represents Olapa.” Vinyl chewed her lip and held the radio close. “Who’s Olapa?” A sniff rose from the speaker. “I’m not sure. I think she was supposed to be a moon goddess.” “I… I see.” Another long, heart-wrenching pause. “I still remember the day Chicago went dark.” “Chicago?” Another sniff. “Home.” “Oh.” Vinyl tilted her head, thinking on the name. Her ears folded as she rolled her eyes; there went the mood. “Coltcago.” “What?” “Coltcago.” Vinyl set the radio down and shrugged. “If you’re going to make up names, at least try not to make them up after major cities.” Adi’s pitch grew with her volume. “When the hell are you going to figure out that I’m not making this stuff up?” Vinyl glowered. “When are you going to tell me what’s really going on?” “I’ve already told you!” Her shout pierced Vinyl’s ears, prompting her to turn down the volume. “You know what? Forget it. I don’t feel like talking anymore.” “Adi!” Vinyl slammed a hoof onto the table. “Come on, this is getting ridiculous. I’ve been entertaining you for a week now. You promised to tell me what’s going on!” “What do you want me to say?” Adi snapped back. “How do I prove something like this? I’m stuck here, Vinyl.” Vinyl threw up her hooves. “Stuck where?” “In Hell, okay? Or the next best thing.” Adi paused, her deep breaths coming through the speaker despite the lowered volume. “I… I can’t do this right now. I need to go to bed, anyway.” “You can’t dodge this forever,” Vinyl snarled. Static. “Adi?” She glanced from the speaker to her microphone. “Adi. You there?” Nothing. Vinyl slammed the microphone to the table and turned away, hooves crossed as she huffed. That pony was as stubborn as a mule, if not more so. She eyed the clock and reminded herself once again that she needed to fix it. A moment’s calculation told her it was mid-afternoon. Being off tonight, she pondered the rest of her day. The kitchen still needed a lot of work before it could qualify as ‘clean,’ but she wasn’t in the mood for the effort. The radio’s static finally caught her attention; she promptly turned it off. Just like that, the apartment grew quiet. The silence thickened the air and pressed against her eardrums. Vinyl observed it, absorbed it, thought about it. Her eyes went to the radio, then to the empty spot at the table. The silence lingered. She threw back her head. “Dammit, it’s too quiet!” Grumbling, she jerked to her hooves and stomped for her bedroom. Her pack sat at the foot of her bed. She grabbed it and fished around inside. A few seconds of frustrated searching produced a small set of headphones and a walkcolt. Flopping onto the bed, she put on the headphones and hit the shuffle button. Synthesized beats filled her head. Vinyl focused on the music and let her mind wander. Minutes passed. The song ended, a new one started. Vinyl rolled over and stared at the ceiling. She watched the shadows creep. Her lips pursed and she redoubled her attempts to focus only on the music. Another song started. “Oh, come on…” Vinyl sat up and pulled the headphones off her head, letting them drop to the floor. She kept that way for a while, forelegs wrapped about her knees as she stared at the foot of the bed. Her eyes shifted towards the window, the sunlight still streaming through the blinds. With a groan, she climbed out of bed and trudged back to the kitchen. She flicked on the radio and grabbed the microphone in both hooves. “Adi? Adi, you there?” Static met her ears. She waited a few seconds. “Come on, Adi, I’m sorry. Talk to me.” She tilted her head and perked her ear. Time passed. With a deep sigh, she leaned over the table, a hoof pressed to her cheek. “Adi, please. I’m really sorry, okay? Let me hear your voice.” Vinyl gazed at the radio, a sinking feeling in her gut. Slowly, she let her head drop to the table. “Talk to me… please. I don’t like being alone.” Nothing but static. She was two months early for her annual visit. Vinyl figured he wouldn’t mind. A light breeze ruffled her mane. Autumn would be here soon. As she walked along the dirt path, she eyed the green leaves all around her and wondered how long it would be before they started turning red. She always came here at the wrong time, after the trees were bare. Maybe if she came more often… Ah, but she lectured herself about that kind of thing every year, didn’t she? She didn’t have to look up to know when to turn off the path. Her hooves touched soft grass as she slipped under the familiar willow tree with the ugly knot in the trunk. She reached up to rub her hoof absentmindedly on the rough spot, as she always did. Soon she’d passed from beneath the low limbs, the limp leaves brushing against her head and parting like a curtain. Vinyl walked by the many stones with their myriad letters. The familiar names slipped through her mind, the memories stored in her head. She used to come here once a month. Maybe she should start doing that again. No. Down that path lay misery. She found the stone, set amongst its peers just like any other. To most ponies it was just another name, a faceless member of the Six Feet Under club. To her, this stone was a grey face, a purple mane and an exasperated smile. It was bright orange eyes and a crescent wrench cutie mark. It was a warm body in a cold world, with a soothing voice for a lost filly. Here lies Bright Weld, Beloved Father and Brother. “Hey, Dad.” Vinyl’s horn lit up, lifting a foam container off her back. She sat and let the container drop to the grass. “I brought take out this time. Yeah, I know, ‘I didn’t teach you to cook to order mystery meat and a plate full of grease.’” She chuckled, but it was a weak sound. “My kitchen’s not exactly up to some home cooking right now.” The box opened and she lifted an egg roll from it. “I know you never cared for Quinese, but I think you’ll live. So to speak.” She lay in the grass before the stone and nibbled on her food. “It’s not that bad, really. Not my favorite place, but it works.” She took a moment to eat and listen to the sounds all around her; the birds in the trees, the wind in the leaves. She felt so… heavy. “I know, I’m early.” The tip of her hoof ran circles in the grass. “I just… wanted to see ya, okay?” A few more bites. “No, nothing’s wrong.” Her gaze lingered on the tombstone. Her lips gradually dropped to a frown. “Okay… there is something.” She looked out over the cemetery, her eyes passing over the myriad stones. “This is a nice place. I’m glad we were able to afford it. Maybe if I ever hit the big time I’ll be able to afford a spot right by you.” Another bite. “That’s… a long shot.” Her eyes fell to the grassy area to the side of the tombstone; still open, just waiting for somepony to fill it up with another rock. She hoped it would be hers. “Don’t look at me that way,” she grumbled, picking out another egg roll. “It’s nothing like that. I didn’t get that much from my mother.” She rolled onto her back. The sky was a bright orange. The stars had yet to come out. “I’ve been thinking about things lately. Scary things.” She sighed and let the egg roll drop into her mouth. It poked up loosely from between her lips while she chewed. Just as it was about to fall, she caught it up in her magic again. “I guess everypony has these fears once in a while, right?” She craned her neck so she could look at the tombstone upside down. “How about you? You ever think about how you might die alone?” A blade of grass tickled the top of her muzzle. After a while she relaxed, taking another bite of egg roll and staring at the sky. “It’s been on my mind a lot lately. I met somepony.” She couldn’t help smirking. “Shut up, it’s not like that.” With a chuckle, she added, “You wish, ya old dog.” Another bite as she sobered. Her hooves rested on her barrel. Her egg roll dropped to the grass. “Dad… do you remember that night in the attic? You told me the story of why you had that radio in the first place.” Her lip trembled and she closed her eyes. “I remember the story. It stuck with me. We never spoke about it again, but I thought about it a lot. At first it scared me, then it was just an idle curiosity.” She looked to the tombstone again. “I think I’ve met someone in a similar situation. She won’t tell me the truth, Dad. The way she talks to me… it’s like your story. Like you, she just wants somepony to talk to her, somepony to make her feel like she’s not alone.” Her gaze returned to the darkening sky. “You… you said you were pushed to the brink. I think she’s there, Dad. I’m trying to help her, but she won’t let me.” Vinyl rolled back to her belly and gazed intently at the name on the stone. “Somepony spoke to you. Somepony helped you. Tell me what she said that made it all better.” Time passed in silence. A breeze rustled her mane. Her chin rested on the grass. “I want to help her, Dad. Tell me how. Tell me what I have to say. Please, let me save her like that somepony saved you.” Time went on. The world grew ever darker. Vinyl waited, her ears low as she tried to hear a voice she knew would never come. After a while, she turned onto her back once again. The stars were finally coming out. They made her smile. “You always liked the stars.” She set her hooves behind her head. “That’s why you wanted to be out here, right?” She turned her head to the side, where the Lonely Mountain rose tall over her. The spires of Canterlot Castle created a ghostly image against the twilight. If she focused hard enough and used her imagination, she figured she could see the faint glimmer of a pair of horns. Her gaze turned back to the sky, and she could just see the moon as it peered through the trees. “Heh.” Vinyl smirked and shook her head. “It’s crazy. Adi claims she’s up there, among the stars. It’s ridiculous, isn’t it?” She watched the astral light show, her vision bouncing from constellation to constellation. “Princess Luna really knows her stuff, doesn’t she? I bet she could prove Adi’s not up there.” An owl hooted. Another wind passed, brushing Vinyl’s mane into her eyes. She made no attempt to fix it. She just lay there, taking in the cool evening and thinking about her father and the stars and Adi and— Vinyl sat up with a jerk, her eyes going wide. A lone idea was locked in her brain, and she slowly turned to stare at the distant castle. “She… she really could, couldn’t she?” She pondered, swishing the idea around in her skull to grasp its flavor. Was it really that crazy? Vinyl climbed to her hooves and pushed the foam container towards the stone. “Good talk, you can have the rest. Thanks, Dad!” A grin set on her lips, she made for the cemetery gates at full gallop. Adi’s voice broke through the static. “You there?” Vinyl was sitting at the table, tossing the microphone in the air. She caught it with a flourish. “Yep, I’m here.” “Oh, good.” A sigh rose through the speaker. “Hey. I’m, uh, sorry about yesterday. I guess I lost my head.” “Don’t worry about it.” Vinyl grinned and moved her hoof in a line through the air. “We’re cool, baby. I’m smoooooth.” It took a moment for Adi to respond. “Well, you sound chipper.” “Oh, I am.” She relaxed on her cushion and crossed her legs behind her head. “Cooler than a cucumber. Happier than a clown. Got more sunshine in my smile than Celestia. So on and so forth.” A relieved laugh hit her ears. “That’s good to know,” Adi said. “So what’s got you in such a good mood?” Vinyl’s grin became a smirk. “I’ve got ya.” “Got me?” “Yep.” She leaned against the table, eyeing the radio. “I’ve figured out a way to prove your story’s fake.” Adi sighed. “Great. What is it this time? Some perceived flaw in my ‘scheme?’” “Nope.” Vinyl tossed the microphone a couple times, expending energy. She decided to keep playing Adi’s game… for now. “You know Luna, right?” “Luna?” Static filled the room as Adi went silent for a few seconds. “Didn’t you say she was a queen or something?” Vinyl rolled her eyes; she just couldn’t get the mare to slip up. “She’s a princess, actually. Co-ruler of Equestria, rules the night?” “Oh, that’s right.” Adi laughed. “And you say my story is ridiculous. How could a person control the moon and stars? That’s some potent stuff there. I want some.” Vinyl shrugged. “Actually, she just controls the moon. Common mistake.” “Right.” Adi’s voice was confident. “Also, why would a princess rule a nation? That doesn’t make any sense.” Pointing at the radio, Vinyl replied, “For your sake, I’m going to assume that wasn’t a mistake. They call themselves ‘princess’ because they don’t want to give the impression of dictators. Most ‘Queens’ and ‘Empresses’ have left a pretty bad impression throughout history.” “Does that really work?” Adi asked, curiosity laced in her tone. “Can’t say.” Vinyl shrugged. “Celestia’s loved by everypony. Luna’s… getting better.” “Getting better?” “It’s a long story.” One she obviously already knew. “Anyway, Princess Luna is why I’m so smug right now.” “Oh?” “Yep.” Another toss of the microphone. “Princess Luna might not have made the stars, or control them, but she’s the biggest expert you can find on astronomy. I’m betting she can tell me if your story is true or not, and probably pinpoint where you are.” Adi was quiet for a while. “Do you… really think she could do that?” “Well, I don’t know for certain,” Vinyl admitted with a chuckle, “but if anypony can, it’s her. Which means she’ll finally expose your little story as a fake.” The radio was quiet, the ever present static filling the room. Vinyl’s smile slowly faded as she stared at the speaker. “Adi?” “H-how long?” She cocked her head. “What?” “How long, Vinyl? B-before… before she tries?” “Oh.” Vinyl blushed and rubbed the back of her head. “I… don’t know for sure. I went last night to figure out how to make an appointment with the Night Court. You know how bureaucracies are. I won’t be able to set hoof in the court for another three weeks.” Adi’s voice was weak. “I see.” “But when I do, I’m going to ask her if she can locate you.” Vinyl regained her bravado, ears perking as she pointed once more at the radio. “So if you wanna come clean, you’ve got three weeks. Like I said, I’ve got ya this time!” “I hope you do, Vinyl. I really do.” Vinyl waited, eyes set on the radio. Her ears folded again as she thought about how Adi had just sounded. “You know I’m trying to help you, right?” Adi’s response came quickly. “Of course I do.” “Then why won’t you let me?” Vinyl leaned against the table, eyes set to the speaker. “Come on, Adi. You wouldn’t have to wait three weeks if you just told the truth now.” “It’s no use.” Adi sighed. “You won’t believe the truth, Vinyl. My story isn’t going to change, no matter what.” “But why?” Another long pause. “If this… ‘princess’ can do what you hope she can, then you’ll understand in three weeks. We just have to wait.” Vinyl considered this response with a grim frown. After a few seconds the raised her hooves in defeat. “Alright, fine. If that’s the way you want it to be, then I won’t bring it up again.” “You’ve said that before.” “Three weeks.” Vinyl set her hoof to her heart. “I’ll bet my sunglasses on it.” An uncertain chuckle rose from the radio. “Your sunglasses? I’m so touched.” “Hey, these sunglasses are important to me!” Vinyl grinned, tapping the aforementioned glasses that were, as always, resting on her horn. “They were a gift, and not cheap.” “A gift, huh? From who?” “My father.” Adi laughed. “He gave you sunglasses? Doesn’t sound like such a big deal to me.” “Well they are.” Vinyl sat back and shrugged. “They were a cute-ceañera present.” “Cute-ceañera?” Vinyl rolled her eyes. “Not even dignifying that one with a response.” Another chuckle from Adi. “Technically, that counts as a response.” She stuck her tongue out at the radio. “Whatever. Three weeks, Adi, then the truth comes out. I won’t say anything about it until then.” Adi’s voice grew somber once more. “Good. I’ll be looking forward to it.” Vinyl paused. There was that tone again. “Me too,” she whispered. “I’m looking forward to it, too.”