The Human Event

by Shocks


Progress

The Canterlot Horn.

The name given to the small but rather tall mountain range that laid at the heart of Equestria. With the city of the same name resting upon its slopes, the horn was represented as a bastion of pony kind for centuries since its construction. The gleaming spires that displayed Canterlot's majesty could be seen for miles around and made the city seem like a jewel to those around it.

And up till the unforeseen events months before, this would still be true. Now however, the city was but a front for the true jewel that it hid from the world. The creation of pony kind that was a marvel in engineering and with the latest mechanics that technology had to offer. The facility that had rose from a simple parchment blueprint to a fully constructed building of metal and stone within months of its planning. Though, one would never find this spoken facility inside Canterlot's city limits. Or spoken about by its citizens.

In fact, only a rare few inside the gleaming cityscape were even aware of its construction. Even fewer then those were aware of its true purpose. For the facility was not meant to be a laboratory for science, hoping to reach newfound knowledge and information. Nor was it an area where pony kind could expand in a field many found they lacked in, weaponry and technology, to boost their strength that magic could not offer. It wasn’t even a personal retreat for the princesses, or a bunker to protect them in times of war.

Because, the main purpose of the facility was not to keep something out, but rather, something in.

To label the building's purpose in simplicity, it was a prison. A detention center made to house creatures that ponies had once seen as aliens, then friends, and now enemies.

This facility was designed to contain the humans that had come to Equestria through means that to the day were still not fully understood.

Due to the special prisoners, the facility had to be kept away from the populace, to avoid any fiasco caused by an attempted breakout. As such, few places in Equestria could be found were they would garner little attention. It's final placement for construction would later come after being simply overlooked, and proved to be a perfect spot to keep watch on the prisoners and respond in a quick manner should the need arise.

The facility was constructed inside the Canterlot Horn, inside the mountain were thousands of tons of rock and stone would shelter it away form the world. Where no pony could enter without passing through its many guarded entrances. Sidestep the rows of enchantments that denied spells like teleportation. Or deal with the contingent of guards that called the facility home.

And in one particular area of the facility, one such guard was already busy with the day's events.

He sat at a metal desk in his small office that made up a part of the structure's control center, responsible for observing and responding to any occurrence inside the building.

In a slightly hunched position, something he was not well aware of, the guard was breezing through paperwork, his eyes dancing across the parchment as his quill attempted to keep pace. Reaching the bottom of the current report he was on, the quill dashed across the edge of the paper, a signature left behind as proof of his completion.

Lifting the paper in his ivory magic, the thin sheet rolled up into a more compact state for easy delivery, and was placed on the right side of his desk, joining multiple other reports that had already been read through. The stallion turned his attention to the opposite side of the desktop, where more reports calmly waited to be completed.

Noticing the 'in' stack seemed to have received no damage despite the numerous parchments he had taken from it, the guard sighed, leaning back into his plush office chair in a moment of reprieve, despite the protest of his stiff muscles.

I’m getting old. The thought echoed in his mind.

True to his own admittance, the stallion appeared to be well in the years of age, as his dull ash coat seemed to have lost the luster that had once been the inviting feature of his younger self. His mane, once a brilliant ivory much like his aura, now sported a mix of grey streaks in it, noting the ageing of the stallion. Even his beard in recent months seemed to mention the guard's age in earnest, as he had to trim it numerously to keep him from becoming a Starswirl the Bearded look-alike. Even his armor had somewhat increased ever so slightly in weight overt the years, despite in still well built physique.

Propping his forelegs on the desk, he rested his chin on his connected hooves, contemplating his years in the guard, and how many more he had in them.

Heh, back then it was all about chasing some tail.

This was a statement he was unashamed to admit, as he found many new recruits were just like him, believing the guard was a simple yet easy way to establish a career through life. Stand guard here, patrol over there, look intimidating here, all play and no work. Not to mention thoughts of impressing mares as they strutted around in their fancy armor, their bulk falsely looking larger in part to the golden metal.

He would sometimes find it comical when the drill sergeants crushed those ideas of the rookies like bugs. How their smug faces contorted into exhausted and weary expressions as they trained.

The stallion chuckled slightly, shaking his head at the memories.

Returning his attention back to his work, he had just smoothly placed another parchment in front of him when a rapping at the door to his office drew his attention away.

"Lieutenant? Sir are you busy? We have Doctor Stein here with the supply report"

Recognizing the voice as belonging to his subordinate, an earth pony by the name of Overwatch, the stallion sighed, placing his levitating quill delicately back in its inkwell, ready to be used when necessary. His brow furrowed as his eyes drifted to the 'in' box of his paperwork, and the door to his office. A small mental debate erupted inside his head, but the opposing side was quickly crushed.

Doctor Stein's reports were crucial to the patient’s conditions, and needed to be addressed at once. He could continue his paperwork afterward.

Clearing his throat, the pony ordered, "Bring him in Overwatch"

At once, his door opened to allow a pony in coloration strikingly similar to himself walk in as a brown coated guard looked on. The newcomer dressed in a drab white lab coat as well as sporting a small grey goatee, could easily be classified as the stallion's brother, his grey coat color as well as pure alabaster mane strikingly akin to his own. They were even both unicorns in kind.

But that was where the similarities ended, something that he was happy for.

Nodding his head, he motioned a foreleg to the new arrival.

"Dr.Stein, please. Take a seat" he motioned to the two chairs stationed before his desk. The other stallion smiled, and took a seat in the leftmost chair.

"That will be all Overwatch" the guard called to his comrade, who still stood at attention in the open doorway. With a quick salute, the door was closed with an audible click, leaving the two stallions alone in the well lit office.

His eyes glanced over the slightly leaner stallion for a moment before he spoke up. "Doctor, you have the latest supply report for me?"

The other pony seemed to be startled somewhat by his sudden question and answered hastily, even as he reached into his lab coat.

"Yes yes, that I do Lieutenant Obelisk" the unicorn said, his voice sounding a mix between a Gerneighan and Stalliongard accent. In a moment, a manila folder was removed from his coat, before being placed into the waiting hoof of the lieutenant.

Accepting the paperwork with a nod, Obelisk opened up the folder to review its contents. Dr. Stein however appeared to fidget in his seat by a fraction, something noted by the guard. The 'good' doctor always was squirmy around the other stallion, something that always made Obelisk narrow his eyes.

"Lieutenant, if it is not too much trouble, I would like to return to my su-patients as soon as possible. We are attempting another run at the removal process. I would like to be there to supervise this. “Stein insisted.

"In a moment Doctor Stein. I will be finished with this soon enough" the ash grey pony replied, his eyes never once leaving the paper before him.

His eyes were working across the current page he was on, moving between the various lists of supplies that were needed. Most were quite standard, the basics and necessities.

Food, water, sheets, gowns, medical equipment...

Shifting the page over to the next one, the lieutenant decided to make some idle conversation as well as using it to find out certain things Dr. Stein always seemed to fail to mention in his report.

"So, Doctor. I've heard the latest attempts at removing the magic of the patients has resulted in numerous failures. How are the routes to suppress or dampen their magic going?" he asked, looking up at Stein for the briefest of moments, his eyes boring into the doctor.

"Ah well, ze success is non existent I assure you. It is proving fruitless to continue zat route"

"Mhm" Obelisk simply hummed.

"It is truly a mystery these humans, the magic zey posses! It is a marvel. A true anomaly! So raw, so untamed! We have yet to unlock their secrets!" the doctor suddenly blurted out, as a glimmer appeared in his eye.

The lieutenant raised an eyebrow at this but kept reading through the report. "Was that not the purpose of this facility Doctor? To find how they have magic and to find away to remove it?"

"Yes yes, which is ze truth" Stein shrugged the question off. "But I think nopony was prepared to find that-"

As the scientist/doctor talked away, the older stallion found his attention firmly absorbed in the latest page of the report and after rereading the page numerous times, found his brow furrowing in a displeasurable gesture.

"Doctor" his hard voice rang out, authority laced in as his eyes bored into the other pony. The thinner stallion wilted under his hard gaze, sinking into his chair more so then before.

"Ah...yes?" Dr.Stein inquired.

"You are asking for four more stasis headbands. This is the sixth time you have asked for more. Its starting to become a concerning matter. Need I remind you these bands are not only hard to create, but you are aware of their source correct?"

The lab coat pony nodded diligently. “I am aware zat Princess Luna must be specially requested to make zem. However, some nurses have informed me that their su-patients are functioning normally, doing things on their own. Ze may be becoming immune to ze effects or the band is defective. I lean toward the latter. This is why we need more" the doctor stated, if slightly irritantly.

For a moment, it was a staring match between the two, Obelisk searching Stein's features for any sigh of deceit while the doctor remained impassive. Though, finding nothing, the stallion nodded.

"Very well, I will make sure the Princess is informed of the need. Other then that, this report is complete. You may leave at your leisure Doctor" the guardspony spoke to which Dr.Stein was more then willing to end the conversation.

"Excellent. A good day to you Lieutenant. I shall inform you of any further developments" the doctor called as he left, the door opening as he approached it.

"I will be waiting to accept those reports" the other pony replied, expectation hidden in his voice.

The door closed behind Stein, leaving Obelisk alone once more.

The stallion's eyes never left the door to his office, as if believing they could still track Stein through the door.

One thought remained in his mind.

I never liked that pony.


Deep within the mountain, far away from where the facility laid, a cavern was breached.

Similar to the crystal caverns that was long forgotten below Canterlot; this cavern sported a dim lime green luminescent glow, evident by the thousands of small stalagmites and stalactites that dotted its surface. While not enough to stem the tide of darkness that flooded the mountain feature, it provided enough light for those to see unassisted. This however, was blasted away as a golden glow encroached upon it, rays of light piercing the dark veil from a spot in a near wall.

Only small holes of light were seen at first, peeking through the little holes that were not formed naturally.

Then a few more holes, the sounds of medium sized rocks and stones falling to the floor echoing around the expanse of the area.

Shadows moved behind the light, blocking it for seconds before resuming.

If one was nearby enough to hear, voices whispered behind the cracks in the wall. The voices seemed to increase in a moment before going silent once more.

Then, a blast.

Rocks and pebbles sprayed across the cavern as the wall lost a moderate size of its area, a hole now opened into the cavern, the artificial light now illuminating near the entire structure. The echoes deafened all sound as the effects from the blast settled down.

For a moment, nothing else occurred.

Then the shadows reemerged from the hole, their sources bipedal and quadrupedal figures.

The tallest entered the cavern slowly, followed by the hunched form of the other biped and the quadruped in turn.

The biped looked around, taking in the area around it. Then it spoke, even as its hands lost their glowing aura.

"One step closer. Hang on Julia. I'm coming”.