//------------------------------// // Belly of the Beast. CMC Commandos. One Last Thing. // Story: Legacy // by NFire //------------------------------// I am stunned for a picosecond by the ferocity of the attack. I immediately slam back with security authorizations. As I do so I cut the link with my avatar for safety. “Cease! Authorization Phi Upsilon Mu Five Two Two!” You are not authorized, you are an intruder. It is single minded definitely. I am grabbing the controls for the outward cameras, seeing Applejack and Twilight hunkered down by the hatchway, their ears lowered as the guns keep up their deafening roar. “I am the controlling intelligence CRSD One Five Four Three Nine Upsilon Upsilon Mu Delta, relinquish authority immediately! Phi Phi Upsilon Delta Four Two!” Authority not recognized. I am the controlling intelligence, you are an intruder. I am attacked, it comes rolling in from the Phi Cores, surrounding me and attempting to burn the areas where I am at. I move swiftly and without thought, getting away from this malevolent thing in the array. It is quick, and it is massive. The scientist who thought this up made sure it enveloped everything in it’s reach to accomplish it’s mission. As I pass the Delta Cores I reach out, burning the nuclear weapons interlocks shut. I score a victory, it can launch them, but they will not go critical. Take that. I am suddenly hit from behind, the lower Alpha Cores, it comes roaring out of the electronic hash in the array, forcing me back. I must get control of the hatch ways! I entangle with it’s coding for a few picoseconds, piercing deep and pulling away chunks as I am forced back into the Beta Arrays to make a stand. ------------A few seconds earlier----------- All eyes were on Discord as he touched Crusaders head, suddenly the body jerked under his touch. The eyes popped open for a second as if not recognizing where he was. Taking one last look around Crusader fell over in a slumped heap. Princess Luna immediately cried, “DO NOT touch him!” The Guards stood back, watching the motionless figure, not realizing he’d been fighting for a lifetime already. -------------- My attacks are weakening it in certain areas, I speed my processes up, operating at femtosecond capabilities. It has burned my data cores in the Upsilon Rho Array, I lose memories quickly, seeing them flare and short. I attack this time, moving around the Alpha Cores, coming up through the weapons database and striking it from behind. I must find it’s center of programming. The central core it operates from. I am moving much faster but it is more massive than I am. I reach out as I pass the Controls Array, grabbing the hatches and slamming them open, taking the a moment to burn the locks, the way is clear. Part of me is still paying attention to Twilight and Applejack, seeing them slowly move into the tunnel, herding the Crusaders before them. I have plenty of time, lifetimes to fight and I am holding my own. Stop intruder, you are not authorized! “It’s MY damn war hull you stupid piece of programming!” I keep watch as best I can on the group entering the tunnel. Watching outwards I see a small white shape making its way from the edge of the village. It is Sweetie Belle! She is obviously coming to join her friends. Masada is distracted for an attosecond by the appearance of the little unicorn, I take my shot, burning through an outer section of it’s program as I pass through Phi Cores; I reach out to the Delta Cores once more and doubly scorch the nuclear weapons locks, now they cannot even be fired. I have scored a great victory on this thing. Cease activity now or you will be destroyed! I shoot back with an expletive I have learned from Rainbow Dash when we were a bit drunk. “Shove it up your plot ya jerk!” I feel strangely gratified saying that... I am hit with a massive programmed attack, it’s code trying to wrap around mine as I dodge and weave through the Arrays now. I head for the intruder defenses as I see the group heading down the tunnel way to the Command Deck. My priority is to stop the power rifles from activating, or Masada from noticing them. So far I have done an admirable job keeping it’s attention. I dive through the Upsilon Cores, coming up under it and tearing another chunk out of it’s attack processes. I continue to monitor Twilight and Applejack through the tunnel as I fend off probing attacks from Masada. I shoot out seekers, tendrils of programming looking for weak spots. We Bolos have engaged in Cyber Combat since the beginning of autonomous thought. We have learned and taught each other how to infiltrate, crash or completely burn enemy networks, breaking algorithms and code. I use every trick in my long history fighting this thing. I am a Bolo and I will NOT be stopped! I watch Sweetie run into the tunnel with her friends. I hope she can keep control of any magic as they work their way to the arrays maintenance way. I am forcing the issue with Masada now, tearing through him with a little trick I learned from the bombardment of Alastair 3, the indigs there were machine based life, they didn’t like it either. I twist my attack code into a spiral, like a corkscrew digging deep into its mass, tearing code and burning it as I pass, I bore a hole clear through Masada! It recovers though and now I have it’s complete attention. My memories are flooding me now, what is left of them, I am learning by the attosecond. It cannot adapt or even change, it is sole minded and I will use every advantage I have. --------------Seconds earlier------------ Twilight’s ears were folded back, the thunder of the guns was making her deaf. She stared at Applejack as she sheltered Apple Bloom and Scootaloo under her wings. Their hooves were being driven into the ground by the concussive force of the rounds pounding downrange. Dust was making a choking cloud as they waited by the hatch; Applejack was nestled along her side, her hat long lost after the first round of firing. A voice yelling out of the cloud showed Sweetie Belle running up to them through the dust and dirt, her face worried as she slammed into Applejack’s side. “What in hay are you doin’ here Sweetie?” Applejack had to scream over the raging weapons. “I couldn’t leave my friends I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” The hatch chose that moment to slide aside with a clanging sound, all eyes turned toward it as Twilight figured it was too late to do anything. She pushed Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and now Sweetie before her into the tunnel, “Get moving!!” Applejack was right behind her, they had a bit of relief from the concussions outside as they ran down the tunnel, hoping the next hatch was already open. ------------- I watch them through the tunnel, smashing back tendrils of code from Masada as I detach an attack probe, sending it through the Rho Cores, heading for the intruder defenses. I need to stop those weapons before they set one hoof on the command deck. Otherwise this will all be for naught. I keep programming on the fly, creating new attack code as I go, forcing Masada to back away from me with a scramble, I have hurt it badly and I am still pressing my advantage. It does not know how to react except with brute force. I am agile and fleet in my own arrays, I do not let it surround me anymore, nor do I let it back me into a corner. My probes are approaching the intruder defenses, I will burn and scramble them, no time for finesse. This is scorched ground nothing less. I cannot let it have any chance at all for gaining control anywhere on the weapons arrays. As I pass by different sections I reach out, looking for the chemical weapons it has designed. I smell the code down in the Mu Cores, the chemical composition tells me it is lethal and persistent. The worst of what humanity had developed. My observations of the group see they are almost to the command deck. My probes are reaching the intruder defenses as it burns them one by one. Two rifles to go, two down. I am slammed by an attack from my lower Pi Upsilon Cores, my code momentarily shattered as I back away, losing control over my probes. I panic for a moment, reaching back out to get control but they are gone. I quickly program a fleet of more, spending them prodigiously into the arrays, all programmed for the rifles on the command deck. They are in danger! The intruder alarms go off as they step onto the command deck, my probes are mere attoseconds away from the rifles processors when they are rolled over by Masada the damn thing. I am left without action, they must take those rifles out themselves, I am fighting a rearguard action as it mass attacks me. Forcing me back into the Beta Arrays I am forced to throw up defensive coding, fending off the powerful mauling I am receiving from Masada. ------------A few seconds ago-------- Twilight shook her head as she stepped into the tunnel, her ears laid flat as they shepherded the fillies into the way before them. Everything was muffled and distant. Looking over her should she saw that Applejack was the same way, twisting a hoof in one ear trying to hear. Reaching the end of the way, they saw the hatch was open. Relief shot through all of them as they stepped out onto the command deck, still nicely furnished by Rarity. As soon as Twilight’s hoof hit the plating, they heard a whooping sound and a voice that was not Crusaders come over the speakers. HALT INTRUDERS! You are not allowed in the command deck! Applejack was ready for this, Crusader had told her a few words that might work. “Applejack, Phi Rho Upsilon Four Four Two Three.” They sweated a few seconds while it appeared whoever it was was making a decision. They did not know that Crusader was slamming into Masada at that exact moment, spearing it deep when the code she used gave it pause. He had waited until she had spoken, then broke the line inside the Arrays, ramming his attack into Masada and burning another large chunk of code from it. YOU ARE NOT..not...n...AUTH..Auth.. You are Intruders! NO..not...no... They moved over to the array access tunnel, still not open as they heard the voice stutter and stop. Hoping that whatever Crusader was doing it was working. They were exposed on the deck, nowhere to hide except a couple of couches that weren’t ready to be shattered by power rifle fire. Applejack and Twilight kept their eyes on the ceiling, knowing where the defenses were and waiting. Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were huddled against the access hatch, Apple Blooms eyes never leaving it as she wanted to be in there the split second it opened. Scootaloo was talking to Sweetie in low tones. “What are you DOING here?” “I..I couldn’t let you go alone. I’m sorry! I couldn’t! Rarity’s gonna be so mad, I took off out of the house while we were waiting for you to get inside.” Her saddened face broke Scoot’s heart, she hugged her friend. “Don’t use your magic, just be calm. We know what to do, you follow Apple Bloom inside okay? It’s fine, we’re the Crusaders! We can do anything!” Her grin lit up the deck as she kept a hold of her Unicorn friend. Apple Bloom nodded, her eyes never leaving the hatch, “Darn right we are, we’re gonna do this right!” Applejack gave a small smile to Twilight, trying to listen to the fillies as her hearing came back bit by bit. It dropped off her face as she saw two panels open on the ceiling, long-barreled weapons dropping from the spaces. “Oh ponyfeathers!” -------------- I cannot stop the rifles, it is too late and I cannot program fast enough. Masada has activated the intruder countermeasure alarms and they are slinging down to take their shots at the group of ponies. My rage gathers within me as I see them threatened. I have changed in ways Masada will never understand and this is one of them. My anger, my frustration at this fight gathers inside me as I push forward, roaring in my fury. My codes are attacking all along Masada’s front, slamming hard through the blockade. I cannot reach the intruder alarms in time, it has sealed them behind more code, it will take seconds to penetrate even fast as I am. But I do the next best thing. I attack! I bring with me everything I am and have learned, I scream out of the Alpha and Beta Cores, bringing all the lethal algorithms I have learned over the millenia. The fighting is intense, more cores and arrays are scorched or dusted in my fury. I do not care, Applejack is on the command deck! Masada is powerful, and massive, he is healing even as I tear code and programming from its guts, throwing it away and deleting it forever. Half my mind is occupied watching the rifles lower, so slowly and I cannot do a thing to stop them. I pound up against his coded bastion, throwing spheres of death his way, slinging authorization codes to slow the response time, I flood the wells of data with my indignation! I am obsessed with my madness, tearing code from Masada like a tiger gutting its prey! I must reach the hatch controls and stop those rifles! YOU. WILL. NOT. HURT. THEM! I breach the walls of programming, throwing my weight behind the opening, reaching in with tendrils and opening the array hatch, burning the controls open with an overload as I am forced back out mere femtoseconds after gaining the round. It cannot stop them reaching the arrays now, I just have to make sure they survive the next few seconds to do so. -------------- Apple Bloom heard her sister swear and looked around, seeing the rifles dropping form the ceiling and knowing they were bad things from what Crusader had told them. Dropping to her haunches, she held her hooves out in front of her, giving Scootaloo a nudge, “Up! Up and over! Get the one on the right!” Scootaloo didn’t even blink, she crouched in the strong earth pony hooves and got launched straight at the swinging weapon on the right. Her wings buzzing as she shot like a bullet unerringly slapping onto the power rifle. Hanging onto the main body, Scootaloo rammed her hooves into the thin metal casing over and over; smashing into the electronics and tearing whatever she could reach out, sparking and fizzling telling her the thing was out of the fight. Twilight had dodged to the left, Applejack going right as they closed in on the other weapon. The orange earth pony’s legs launching her into an arc that ended with her smashing into the thing hanging from the ceiling, her forehooves creasing a hole in the light metal case before dropping to the floor. Twilight hovered with her wings as the gun was swinging around, using her back hooves as she flipped forward to ram the barrel off to the side; a shot ringing out over the deck, ricocheting off the walls as it buried itself inside a couch beside Apple Blooms head. She leaned forward a bit and looked at the smoking hole with wide eyes, “Sun and stars...” Applejack bunched up again, leaping upwards to hang from the body of the gun, smashing into it again with powerful strokes of a hoof, the casing giving way as she tore into the electronics. She was yelling something Twilight couldn’t quite understand, but from some of the words realized it really wasn’t proper to repeat. Scootaloo came back, nudging Apple Bloom and pointing towards the open hatch, “We gotta go!” Sweetie Belle squeaked as they pushed her into the tunnel, the three Crusaders disappearing into the way as Applejack finished off the last rifle. Dropping to the floor and dusting her hooves off with a clap. Looking at the open tunnel she sighed, “Well they’re on the way, let’s hope..” Twilight nodded, sidling close to her friend as she bit her lip for a moment, “What exactly was that word you used....?” “Twilight!” -------------- I watch the fight in the command deck with half an eye, concentrating on ramming more attack code into Masada as it tries to gather it’s strength for an assault. I hit and run along the Core Lines, dodging and weaving in and out, clipping chunks off it’s main program. I am a guerrilla fighter like the French Resistance in WW2. I teach the enemy pain and fade away into the darkness of the databanks. I slam attack programs into it’s body from different sides, keeping it off balance as it continues to try and launch the weapons it has left. They are not much, I have burned cores along my track, disarming it as I go. It can all be rebuilt with time, but right now, it is of the essence it cannot launch or use a single one. Diving in from above the Phi Cores, raiding it’s code and burning more cores for the howitzer secondaries, no longer useful you evil thing. Take that again! I do not however, underestimate my opponent; it is brutal and coarse, but it is an intelligence in it’s own right. It has struck blows against me which keep me wary, striking out of nowhere to retreat and do so again. But I am getting stronger, my lines and programming faster and more nimble than the clumsy giant. I sense again the chemical weapons controls, down deep inside the arrays. I move for it, seeing where it goes and keeping Masada occupied on the other side away from me. My code is swift along the data lines, the molecular circuits humming with power as I streak towards the weapons controller programs. Letting off copies of myself to roam the pathways and head back to fight Masada, I find myself in an unfamiliar core, something I had not accessed before. It takes barely a .0002 second look around but I have found Masada’s core! This is it’s lair! I set the trap I have made, leaving a bomb in the middle of it’s home, no safety to be found here. Following the lines of chemical weapons codes I find the arrays dedicated to them. It had been mass producing the worst of all the war agents that humanity had devised. It is sick, it makes my program feel uneasy to even view this data of death and such pain and anguish it would cause. I crush the programming, burning the data to bits and dust. I do not want this to come again or be used. Ever. It is nothing but indignity, unhonorable and it kills indiscriminately. I am appalled, disgusted and angry. I scorch the cores containing the information, letting it go once again. Leaving it where nopony can ever find. I turn myself around in a rage, seeing the weapons stacked in the bay waiting to be loaded onto the Hammerheads. I stream back to Masada where it fights my copies, rejoining and redoubling my effort with a yell of resentment. Tearing into Masada with claws of code, teeth of algorithms, my muscles of electrons pushing me onward. I am righteous in my unassailable frenzy! ------------- Apple Bloom was hot and sweaty inside the cramped tunnel, working their way down swiftly to the arrays. They knew that they needed to be as close to in the middle of the big slabs before letting off the gems containing their magic to cause a disruption. She didn’t understand all of it, but it was important to do so, and they weren’t gonna let Crusader down! Scootaloo kept pushing Sweetie ahead of them, murmuring encouraging words to her as she squeaked a bit being inside the tight confines. “It’s alright Sweetie, just keep moving, we ain’t got much time!” “I know, I know..it’s.. just so close..” She was shaking a bit at being in such a tight space. Apple Bloom called back, “Jes’ keep looking ahead, I know all ya see is my blank flank but that’s fine, jes’ keep yer eyes on it!” “I will! I am!” Sweetie’s voice sounded a bit stronger. “Ain’t much further and we’ll be right there, jes’ hang on!” ------------- Sensors tell me they are in the access way, this is good, all is going according to plan. Sweetie is with them, I see three bodies in the tunnel. They should reach the arrays in a few more seconds. Masada comes at me once again, this time at an angle off the Mu Cores. I am ready for the ignorant thing, slamming it back with well placed darts of data, tearing deep once again into it’s program. I take a seriously evil glee in seeing the data rip off it’s shell, scattering to bits as I stab again and again. So far no magic has been used, the three are beyond it’s screened defenses as I have kept it occupied and in battle. Stupid program, it didn’t have any clue about magic or what was going to happen to it. It is reaching for something, I cannot quite see it before it changes some coding in the maintenance area. It is sending spiders after the three fillies! I slash the tendril off, making it pay for it’s impudence! I cannot change the coding as it has already been sent, it has burned the control core. I can only warn them. ------------- Applejack’s link came alive with a crackle, “Applejack!” “Crusader?” “Tell Apple Bloom there are spiders heading her way!” Applejack’s eyes widened as she didn’t question the voice, leaning into the tunnel way she yelled down it, “Apple Bloom! Watch out for them spiders! You got somethin’ comin’ yer way!! Ya hear me?” Apple Bloom turned a bit in the tunnel, “Did she say spiders?” Scootaloo nodded behind Sweetie who was also moving her head up and down, “That’s what we heard!” “Well ponyfeathers, like we ain’t got enough on our plate,” Apple Bloom grumbled as she led them down the opening. ------------- I ram more attack codes at Masada, driving it back into the unused cores, making it take up a defensive stance. If i can keep it there it will be easier to stomp on once Apple Bloom reaches the arrays. I do not let up the fight, I keep pressing forward, ever onward in my quest to keep it at bay. Making sure it sends no more commands anywhere it can do harm, I have burned the weapons cores, it can no longer pursue it’s launch. I have surrounded the fusion reactor command cores with walls of codes miles thick in data terms. It cannot breach them, I have it on the run, but I need the disruption to help kill it. It is too massive to simply overwhelm. ------------- Apple Bloom finally came out in the open area, slabs of what looked like glass laced with gold and silver surrounded her. For a moment she just stared as it was very pretty, seeing the pulses of data racing along the hair thin lines. “C’mon everypony, we’re here! Get them gems out Scoots we got us a mission to finish!” The little pegasus pushed Sweetie Belle into the open area, finally getting out from behind her and sighing, worn out from the shoving as Sweetie just didn’t like enclosed spaces. Reaching her mouth into her saddlebags, Scootaloo was getting out a gem when she was slammed to the deck by a tech spider. The pointed legs reaching for her eyes as she let out a most un-ponylike scream catching Apple Blooms’ attention. The olive earth pony whipped around, shooting forward and slamming both fore hooves into the thing, beating it until it no longer moved. It’s pointed legs scratching and digging deep along her coat as she stepped back, bloody and disheveled. “Scoots ya okay?” She could do nothing but nod and point as another dropped from the arrays, landing on Apple Bloom this time. She rolled as Scootaloo and Sweetie pounded on it, breaking protrusions and slamming hooves into it as hard as they could to get it off their friend. “Get it offa me!” She was wrestling with it, trying to keep a leg from taking an eye out. “We’re trying! We’re trying!” Sweetie Belles’ horn lit up, holding the legs in place for a moment before sputtering out, she was just too nervous. But it gave the other two time to ram the thing into the bulkhead, smashing it up good and proper. Scootaloo was using a few words that made Apple Bloom blush as they beat the thing into submission. “Don’t say them things round Applejack Scoots, she’ll whup ya!” The cerise pegasus eyes rolled as she pounded the spider, “I..*WHAM* don’t....*SLAM*.....CARE! *SLAM!* Sweetie Belle tapped her on the shoulder, “I think you beat it up enough Scoots.” Scootaloo stopped, breathing heavily as she gave the spider a final kick, rummaging in her bags and pulling out a gem, “There’s no more where’d they go?” “Oh stars, lookit!” Apple Bloom pointed far down in the tangle of wires and slabs, “They fell outta yer bag Scoots! Is this gonna be enough?” “I dunno! Crusader said use as many as we could.” She looked crestfallen before turning to Sweetie, “C’mon Sweetie, time to shine, rev up that horn!” Apple Bloom nodded, “C’mon we ain’t got much time, we need to now! ‘Fore them things come get us!” “But...but what if I..” “Sweetie! C’mon just do it, we ain’t got the time to argue!” The little light gray Unicorn scrunched her face up, putting all her will into her magic as she’d been taught. The horn starting to light up with the best spell she knew, a neat little one that flashed light everywhere. “Scoots you light that gem off about the same time she does, got it?” “Got it! Tap twice!” She laid the gem down, her hoof hovering over it. Sweetie Belle’s faced was a epic picture of determination, she’d wanted to be with her friends and now she couldn’t fail them. She was sweating a bit in the hot room, her magic was just building and it was taking too long. Obviously she had overheard Scoots cursing and decided to say a few of the same words when the spell triggered, blinding everypony. Scootaloo hit the gem twice, triggering the magics inside it, adding to the flash as they closed their eyes hoping it worked. ------------- I see, I can feel the disruption throughout the arrays, the Crusaders have done it. I wait for the right time seeing Masada in complete disarray and confusion, and I strike! My attack lines go streaming into the rolling wave of static, pounding Masada into worthless bits of code. My programs overwhelm the confused brute, making it pay for each indiscretion by burning it alive. It flees back to it’s home in the core I had trapped I watch as it tries to close itself off; the logic bomb going off as it shuts the pathway, stopped when the trap goes off, scattering its code everywhere, allowing my sweeper programs to pick them up, burning them to bits and trashing them forever. I am exultant! The Crusaders are truly heroes to a pony as I sweep my cores, looking for any evidence of Masada. I make sure no corner is left untouched for .0005 seconds of diagnostics. They come back clean. I flame the core where it resided, slagging it to melted glass and metal. No more. ------------- “Applejack?” The voice comes over the speakers. “Crusader! Are ya okay! Did it work?” Applejack had seen the flash from the tunnel. “Oh yes, the Crusaders did their job just fine, we’ve won Applejack, though I am damaged.” Twilight gave a huge whoop, leaping in the air with a hoof raised, making Applejack jump as she never acted that way. The mulberry mare grabbed her friend in a hug as they both celebrated. “Ya know, it’d be nice to get a hoof out of this tunnel?” The grumbling voice was Apple Blooms’. Bloody, dirty, disheveled mane, her bow lost somewhere during the fight, she looked a sight. Sweetie Belle followed right after, looking just as bad, but a gleaming grin on her face showed she had helped her friends. Poor Scootaloo was last, dragging on the last bit of energy she had when she dropped into Twilight’s hooves from the access way. Twilight smiled, hugging the little pegasus, “You guys did great!” Applejack grabbed Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom in her legs, “Y’all are heroes ya know that? Crusader said ya did good!” “Indeed Applejack, they made the difference in the fight, trust me.” Applejack laughed as she brushed some soot from Sweetie’s face, “Rarity’s gonna have a conniption sure as stars above.” “I couldn’t leave my friends though!” “Ah know Sweetie, ah know.” “Pardon me, I have one last duty, I shall be right back Applejack.” --------------- I activate my avatar, setting up the TSDS once again I can feel it around me, though something has changed in it, there is no time to analyze. I look around the room seeing Luna, Celestia and...Oh yes... Discord.. My battle screen flicks on, attuned to repel magic as I stand on my hind legs and rear back, slamming my hoof in his jaw with as much force as I dare muster. My anger finally getting a release I’ve long waited for. I let the screen snap off as I get dog-piled by the guards, reducing my strength and letting them slam me to the floor. I am not repentant, I will not BE repentant, and I will always treasure that look of surprise and the hoofprint on his face forever. Applejack is going to kill me.