Ink Well watched Ditzy through the window of the door, heart going out to his captured acquaintance as The Doctor ran his sonic over the solid metal. Both front hooves against the wall he moved his head rapidly, a great look of frustration on his face. After a few seconds he stopped, slamming the door with his front left hoof. “Ifs 'ead'ocked!” He dropped his sonic into his collar as he turned on Fusebox, a fire in his eyes. “How is this door deadlocked? You shouldn't have deadlock technology, and even if you did, why in the world would you ever deadlock seal this door?”
Fusebox took a step back, frightened by The Doctor's determined look. “It's a safety measure! The ship thinks that room was disconnected, so it sealed the door to keep the air locked in here, should something happen. Nothing we can do about it.”
“Then get on the radio and tell Nebula to open it!” The Doctor jumped up to the door, looking straight into Ditzy's crossed eyes. “I'm going to save you, just hold on!” Ditzy shouted something back, words unheard, before looking to the side frightfully. A moment later she ran, Rapid right behind her carrying the unconscious zebra. Then shot past the brass blur, chasing down its captured prey.
The Doctor turned around, staring daggers at the yellow unicorn behind him. “Fusebox, you have ten seconds to give me some good news.”
The unicorn shook her head. “How do you know my name? And what do you expect me to-”
The Doctor's gaze didn't falter. “Nine.”
A chill ran through the hall, Fusebox stammering slightly as The Doctor continued his countdown. “I- the door- it-” She stopped, taking a quick breath to steady herself before looking him in the eye once more. “We can't do anything about it from here. If I were back in the bridge I could-”
Before she finished her sentence The Doctor was already past her and running down the hall. “Don't just talk about it, move!” Still shaken from his reaction, Fusebox followed, picking up the pace as she ran down the hall.
“Fi, what should I do?” called Spanner from near the door, beginning to follow as well.
“Just stay here and await further orders!” The two ponies turned the corner, leaving Spanner to guard the door.
To the side of the hall stood Ink Well, completely forgotten in the transaction before him. He might as well have been invisible for all of the use he was. Following The Doctor was disappointing so far, The Doctor forgetting he was there half the time and the other half treating him like a foal. He was obviously more interested in Ditzy, the search for his attackers lowering in priority once she had arrived. And why not? He'd been nothing but clueless so far, with a giant red flag popping up with his pitiful fake name. He should have never left, instead he should have just gone back inside and spent the evening watching his show with Rose like he'd promised.
Ink Well reached a hoof to his pocket, tapping it gently to be sure the crystal rose was still there. This whole thing was a wreck, a ruined evening beyond recompense, and though it was much too late for that, he wanted out. Yet he was sure that Ditzy had called out to him of all ponies. Why? Surely The Doctor is more useful. With the way they were acting they've already been through a lot together, what could possibly rank me higher on Ditzy's priorities than The Doctor?
Questions in mind he walked over to the door, looking through the window. The scene behind was empty, just a few pods and an empty pathway, nothing at all to suggest the skirmish that it had held previously. That brass blur. It had to be that thing from the theater roof, or at least something similar. Wasn't it going back to it's creator? Is there another one? If that's the case then what's it doing here? Why would it be on... this...
A chill ran down Ink Well's spine, realization dawning like the sun over a frozen mountaintop. It's after me. It's my fault it's here. That thing targeted the ship because I'm on it! And now Ditzy and Rapid and all of the ponies on this ship are in danger because of me. He took a step back from the door, face set in a look of determination. No time to delay then. I got her into this mess, and if she wants me to save her, then I'm gonna be the pony to get her out of it. “I've got to get in there.”
A low impressed whistle followed his statement from below his right wing. Beside him Spanner was kneeling in front of the melted section of wall, examining the damaged controls and nodding appreciatively. He turned towards Ink Well, and, seeing that he had an audience, tilted his head towards the door. “That was a precision shot. Went straight through the wiring that would lock the door down without actually damaging any of the mechanisms. And focusing the energy from the two shots into one? I told her not to keep that thing fully charged! But I'm just some colt, why would they listen to me?”
Ink Well looked at the blue mechanic, his earlier thoughts still echoing around his head. “Can you get the door open?”
Spanner pointed to his wrench cutie mark and smiled. “Are you kidding? I earned that thing on this ship. I know it like the back of my hoof. If anypony can open this door, it's me.” He put down his tool saddlebag, wrapping his wing around a screwdriver and reaching into the melted panel. He bit his lip, fiddling with the wiring behind the wall for a full minute before pulling it out, frowning, and returning to his toolbag.
Ink Well stood over him, a little annoyed at the failure of the young braggart. “So how well do you know the back of your hoof?”
Spanner snorted. “Shut up. Just a little rusty is all. Been a while since I last looked at it.” He pulled out this thin snaking tube with an eyepiece at the end. “Just let me get a closer look.” He threaded the tube into the hole, looking into the other end as he wiggled it around. After a few seconds his frown deepened. “Shoot, took out all the wiring to the door. It's not gonna open without a manual override. Gonna have to enter the maintenance tunnels to do it.” As he talked he pulled out the tube, returning it to his tool bag before slinging the bag across his back.
Ink Well watched him start to go. “Maintenance tunnels? Could I get in through those?”
Spanner shrugged, cantering down the hall. “I suppose. They run through the whole ship, though they're a bit tight. I'm not sure you'll be able to fit.”
Ink Well followed, annoyance in his voice again. “Won't fit?”
Spanner looked back, lowering his hat in an attempt to avoid the glare behind him. “Hey, don't get angry at me, the tunnels weren't meant for ponies, they were meant for droids. At the start of the trip I could only enter because I was just a little colt, and now I just barely squeeze in because I happen to have a light frame. I mean, Fi's no heavyweight and even she can't get in. Just stay here by the door and I'll have it open in no time at all.”
Ink Well looked over the other pegasus. He was still in that lanky phase of growing up, tall with all his limbs a bit too long and skinny for his body, but even that didn't have much to it. It was much like Ink Well had looked as a colt. Spanner was lucky he hadn't been dealing with other young ponies growing up. They'd have tortured him to no end, if Ink Well's past was any indication. It was during that phase that Ink Well had shied away from other ponies, learning how to hide and out fly his tormentors and turning his attentions to writing instead of interaction. Even now he had a tendency to eat light, keep active, and avoid crowds, though that was as much from his past as habitual after years of no money and angry interviewees.
Taking a moment to look himself over, Ink Well realized that he really wasn't that much bigger than the colt he was following, just filled out a little more to look lean instead of lanky. He wasn't sure if that was a comforting or depressing thought. You'd think five years would've gotten me out of that look. Still, probably for the best. Ink Well smirked, following the mechanic again. “You'd be amazed the places I can fit into. Just show me the tunnel and point me in the right direction.”
Spanner took a left down the next corridor, stopping at the library door to swipe a card through the lock. As the light blinked green, he shrugged at Ink Well. “Whatever you say.” Ink Well followed Spanner past the mystery statue, through the bookshelves and to a blank section of wall at the far end. There Spanner hit a button, sliding open a tiny hole in the wall, perfectly square, that came just above Ink Well's elbow. Smiling slyly, Spanner taunted him. “Still think you can fit in there?”
Ink Well ignored the comment, instead leaning down and looking at the hole straight on to judge its size. He wasn't fully confident he'd fit, but determined to try anyway, he reached one forehoof in, lowering his head and pulling himself in to his shoulders. The maintenance tunnel was more than wide enough, with a little space available even with his legs positioned slightly to the side. Unfortunately, even with his legs to the side and his wings pulled in against his body, he was bumping the top of the tunnel with every movement. With his neck fully extended forward his ears and mane slid across the metal above him, while both the top and bottom of his jacket brushed metal with each awkward shuffling step. Using his back hooves for purchase he pushed further, sliding in and feeling his jacket snag against a bolt in the roof above him, freeing with a soft tearing sound. With a few more scraping nudges he managed to push his rear end in as well. It was a very tight fit, but he made it in, and that was one obstacle out of the way.
“Coming through!” Spanner wriggled past him, the slightly smaller pegasus able to jam himself through in the space between Ink Well's body and the wall, though he wasn't much better off in the tight space. As their heads passed, he looked over and smiled. “Guess you weren't lying. Alright, follow me.” He crawled steadily through the tight tunnel, moving surprisingly nimbly among the wires and piping from years of running through them.
Ink Well on the other hoof slid through slowly, internally wincing each time he heard a tiny tear coming from his jacket. Rarity is going to kill me for what I'm did to her jacket... Actually, she won't have a chance. Marquee is going to kill me for skipping out on the show. He shook his head, pressing onwards after the other pegasus. Save Ditzy first. Rose will keep them at bay. She's waiting for you, Inky, don't leave her disappointed. He caught up moments later to see Spanner down a side tunnel, waving him along.
“I'm going to get the door open, but the access panel to the colony room is up ahead on the left. There'll be a button set into the wall next to a blank spot.” Ink Well nodded and started down the tunnel, stopping only when he heard Spanner's voice again. He couldn't turn around to look back, but he did try to peer over his shoulder. “Hey, good luck saving your friend! May Luna's light guide your path.”
Ink Well smiled. “Thanks. Good luck on the door, I'm counting on you for a quick escape.”
“You got it Ink Blot.” With that they went their separate ways, Spanner spinning to run down the side tunnel while Ink Well slowly crawled to Ditzy's rescue.
“I'll get you out of there Ditzy. Nopony's getting hurt on my account.”
---
“Have you figured out who they are yet?”
Starcall shook her head, pointing to her monitor. “Nearly there. I got a little distracted with the whole thing with Straight Edge.”
“Did you-?”
She nodded. “I sent a wake-up call to Steelheart, he'll be up here to help momentarily.”
Nebula nodded back. “Good. Thank you.” She looked out of the main window at the ever approaching planet. The autopilot was already starting the landing procedures. They'd hit the atmosphere within half an hour. Now if only this whole issue could be solved before then...
Starcall gave a curt nod. “Of course, Captain.” She kept watching Nebula for a few moments, seeing her absentmindedly working her left wing, and frowned. “Are you alright? Do you need anything?”
Immediately Nebula stopped, snapping her wing to her side. “No, I'm fine. Just a little stiff, nothing more.” Starcall just nodded, returning to her computer and the check she was running.
Nebula snorted quietly to herself, working her shoulder in an attempt to soothe the pain in her wing joint. She'd felt it when the door was broken, like a needle jabbing through her muscle. But there was no reason to worry anypony about it. There never had been. She rubbed her neck, still slightly sore from the weight of the cables when she'd moved. They were supposed to be simple power and router cables, just pulling magic to power the ship's batteries and use the spare sections of her brain as computing space, but they had a side effect.
She was the ship. Nopony in the hundreds of years since the implant had ever realized that connection, so the fact that Derpy and Mr. Smith picked up on it instantly had been slightly surprising. When she'd first discovered this property she'd kept it silent, not wanting to ruin the concepts of the now ancient transports with worries of hurting her. But try as she might to hide it from others, she reveled in it herself. She could feel it all: every hoofstep, the thrum of the engines, all the sleeping ponies in the pods, the plants growing in the terrarium; every scanner, every warning, every calculation and comm message, they were her. She could feel the electricity coursing through the wires like blood through her veins, the flow of magic just as natural in the ship as through her body. The meteor had been a blow, and her wing still throbbed though the hull was fixed, but this new one wasn't going away. It wouldn't before landing, she'd already tried to reconnect the door to little effect. She'd have to muscle through, there was simply no other way.
The pain didn't worry her. It wasn't an issue. It hadn't been on her unshielded journeys through the galaxy, it hadn't been when her suit failed on that first flight to the moon, and it certainly wouldn't be now. What did worry her was the imperfection on her scans. She could feel Steelheart rousing, could feel Starcall and herself in the bridge, the two ponies moving towards her and the two climbing into the maintenance ducts, even the ones in the colony section, two unconscious and two running. It was what they were running from that was a mystery. It was just a hole in the scans, like they slipped over something. No matter what she did she couldn't pinpoint it. Something she couldn't scan... It was unsettling.
As she focused on this, she felt Starcall's computations end. She looked over to see her second-in-command dumbstruck, just staring at the screen, utterly disbelieving of what she saw. “What is it? What'd you find?”
Starcall shook her head, tapping away at the keyboard. “No. This can't be. There must be an error.”
Nebula smiled, ready for this possibility. Her hoof brushed against the book on her chair, the last in her library. It'd be much more than an amusing story if what she suspected was true. “Don't withhold information Starcall, what does it say?”
“The first is Ditzy 'Derpy Hooves' Doo, supposedly deceased for over 1500 years. Second just says 'The Doctor' and has a list of 'Confirmed Sightings' with different faces and dates stretching back from before Equestria was founded to just a few years ago. And the third...” Starcall leaned closer to the screen, as if she still couldn't believe what she was looking at. Nebula waited patiently, already sure of the answer when Starcall spoke. “The third is Ink Well. The Ink Well,” she said, shaking her head. “That can't be right, I'll run it again.”
“Don't bother.” Nebula turned her chair to the door, looking at it expectantly. “Our database was never wrong before, and right now we have bigger problems than visitations from the dead.”
The door slid open to reveal Fusebox glaring at The Doctor as he chided her. “Ah, yes, military training at its finest when the civilians can outrun you.”
As they stepped inside, Nebula spoke. “Fi, what's the situation? Why has the colony door locked down?”
Fusebox stopped, rattling off a salute. “There is an intruder in-” She was nudged aside by The Doctor, who gave her a stern look. She gave him one back. “What do you think you're doing?”
“Multitasking. You open the door, I'll talk to the military official.” He waved her off like one would a small child, turning to face Nebula. “What you have in there is-”
Fusebox stood in front of him. “You can't just treat me like some foal! I am a military officer and-”
“You are a thick pony that needs to open that door before somepony else gets hurt!” The glare in The Doctor's eyes held the fury of a thousand suns, and under its gaze Fusebox scurried to her computer panel, working on diagnosing the problem with the door. The Doctor then turned to Nebula once more, smiling, but talking quickly and seriously. “What you have in there is a robot or unknown make or origin and unknown capabilities that has locked itself with three members of your crew and my companion, all of which is the biggest mistake it has made in its time active.”
Nebula nodded, intent on what The Doctor had to say. In the back of her mind she felt Fusebox working at the terminal, trying to connect to the sealed door. With each failing the pain in her shoulder sparked up again. Internally Nebula shook her head. That's not going to work. Spanner has the right idea. Changing her attention back to the pony in front of her, she voiced the one question that had been nagging at her mind. “Very well. How do you know so much about it? Why can't I pick it up on my scans?”
He looked into her eyes, his own with a weariness from ages of travel, though tempered with a fire of determination at the task at hoof. “I have run into one before. Though I didn't get quite enough of a look at this one to confirm it's the same thing, I was picking up the same readings when I tracked it here. As for your scans, it's made of brass, magic just slips right off of it.”
Really? Able to travel between galaxies and I've still got trouble with brass? What kind of weak captain am I? Mother would be furious. Shaking her head clear of her own thoughts she decided to test this Doctor. “You've run into one before? You were tracking it? These don't seem to coincide with the story you gave me earlier.”
“I wasn't completely truthful earlier, Captain. I was traveling with my companion following the readings of another brass pony when it diverged. I followed what I thought was the main trail and ended up on your ship.”
He's still lying to me. I'm not sure I like this Doctor. Mine would at least tell the truth. “Would your companion be Ditzy or Ink Well, Doctor? And please stop with the half-truths, if you could. We have a situation on our hooves.” At the mention of Ink Well's name both Starcall and Fi looked up from their panels, Fi with confusion while Starcall was more skeptical.
The Doctor just smiled. “Fantastic! You've been catching up on your reading then?”
“My ship has an extensive library, and I read every book in it but one.” She magicked up the book in question, showing The Doctor the blue cover through the green glow. “It tells some very interesting things. But my grandfather's distaste of spoilers has rubbed off on me, I'm afraid. There is a reason I named this ship after him.” She let the book descend as she kept talking. “How do we stop the brass pony?”
“All you have to do is keep the ship running and land it. I, on the other hoof, will run in there and take care of it as soon as Fusebox gets that door open. By the way...” The Doctor looked over to the unicorn in question. “How is that coming along?”
“I keep pinging the door and I get no response. It's as though all of the circuitry has been disconnected. I'm going to get Spanner to confirm.” Fi tapped a hoof to her ear, activating the earpiece. “Spanner, I need you to run a test on the door. I need to know what's wrong with it.”
The pegasus' voice crackled back, sounding to the room on Fi's modified transmitter. Whatever The Doctor had done, it was effective. “Already did that Fi. Nothing doing, the whole circuit board melted.”
By this time The Doctor had walked across the room to Fi's side, his presence not helping her as she tried to remember the workings of the ship. Mid through she began to tell her plan. “Okay, then we are going to have to trip the mechanism there, it should be doable if you apply power to-”
The other voice trampled her own. “Not gonna work Fi, I already tried that. And before you start, yes, I'm already in the tunnels working on the manual override.”
“Oh, I like him. He's thinking on his hooves.” said The Doctor to a slightly annoyed Fusebox. She turned away from him, mind switching from her own plan to what the results of the override would be. In the silence the voice came back over the speakers.
“By the way, since I'm fairly sure Mr. Smith can hear me unless you got a new comm, Ink Blot went through here into the colony section to save that Derpy mare.” The atmosphere in the room thickened perceptibly, a dread silence encompassing the bridge. It was even strong enough to affect Spanner, who, after a few moments had passed, said “Did I say something wrong?”
All eyes fell on The Doctor, the fire in his features even more prominent now. He walked up to Fusebox's ear and started yelling at Spanner, causing Fi to flinch from the volume. “You just let him in there?! Spanner, you... You have until the time I reach the door have it open. Nopony is dying today. Not on my watch!” With that he ran from the room, followed shortly by a dazed Fusebox, left ear splayed back from the yelling it had endured.
As they left another figure watched them go with interest, only entering when they were out of sight. It was a thin griffon with tawny wings and matching fur. Upon his head were white feathers, with a heart-shaped patch of grey feathers surrounding his eyes and a grey-tipped plume atop his head. He had with him a small bag from which dangled his personal ID, the name Steelheart and his picture prominent on it. With a hint of a high class Canterlot accent betraying his upbringing he addressed the room. “I wasn't aware we were going to have visitors. What have I missed? And why have I been summoned?”
Putting on her best Captain's face, Nebula recounted events. “Ah, Doctor Steelheart, glad you could join us. There's an incident in the colony section, and if we can get them out of there we'll need you to check on Chip and Edge and give them any medical attention they may need. We may also have other wounded, but until the threat is taken out we will not know for certain.” A pinprick of pain lanced through her wing as Spanner did something to the door control, causing Nebula to visibly wince before the doctor.
Steelheart raised an intrigued eyebrow, zeroing in on the source of his captain's pain. “Tell me, Captain, is your wing bothering you? Would you like me to check on it?”
Nebula knew better than to try to hide it from him. Once he spotted a pony in pain it was just a matter of time before he made it better, whether they wanted his help or not. “If you'd like.” She turned her chair back to the window, extending her wing to simplify Steelheart's work. He grabbed the burgundy feathers gently in his claws, retracting, extending, and rotating it carefully to find source of the damage.
Nebula let him continue with his futile search as she looked out the window at the ever-nearing planet. Her ship, the pride and joy of both herself and the New Lunar Republic, the ship she had named after her grandfather in his memory, the ship whose every last bolt and wire was tied to her body, had been invaded. It was no longer safe for the ponies aboard, threatened by something she couldn't scan, couldn't even pinpoint. She felt almost violated by this little brass beast, wanting with all her heart that thing out of her. But instead of being out there helping, she, the Captain, was sitting in the bridge getting a massage for phantom pains. It was humiliating, but just like the twinge in her shoulder, she'd just have to muscle through.
Not finding any issues, Steelheart moved on to his normal checks, starting with the connection points at her neck. As he examined each point Nebula sat strong, but she was sighing inwardly. Her crew needed her and she could do nothing. Now, more than she had during any point in the ten year trip, Nebula wished she wasn't tied to the bridge.
----
Derpy skidded around a cryopod, followed immediately by Rapid Fire as they hid from their hunter. Once more the clanking stopped, the metallic hoofsteps ceasing the second they tried to glimpse their attacker. Derpy peeked out of her hiding spot, scanning the room quickly as Rapid caught her breath, the weight of the unconscious zebra starting to wear her out. Seeing nothing yet again, Derpy turned to her guard, concern in her whispered words. “Do you need a break? We could probably stop here, for a little while at least.”
Rapid shook her head, still breathing heavily but quickly recovering as she whispered back. “No. If we stop then we'll just end up trapped.” She moved her shoulders slightly, working out the ache no doubt building up in them. “Besides, I came in here to save my friends, and I still have one missing in action.”
“Do you know where she is?”
“The repairs were on the second floor at row forty something, so I would assume somewhere near there. We're in the eighties now, so it's nearly half the sector away.” Rapid looked to the floor. “I should have been there to protect them. It was foolish to let them go alone, even if it was just repairs.”
Derpy placed a consoling hoof on her shoulder. “There now, there's no need for that. You had stowaways to take care of in the bridge. If wouldn't have been right for you to leave your Captain alone either.” Rapid looked into her face, still looking grim, but not as harsh as she did a moment ago. Derpy countered the look with a bright smile. “I promise you that everything will be okay. I'm sure of it.”
“How can you say that?”
“Because either The Doctor or Ink Well will make it so. They always do.”
Rapid snorted. “Yes, that's comforting, an engineer and a long dead diplomat, definitely who I want on my side in a fight. Unless you were talking about that journalist you were traveling with, but somehow that gives me less confidence.”
“Diplomat?” It took Derpy a moment to realize she hadn't used Ink Well's alias, and she hid the reaction by stepping into the hall, this time scanning for possible paths instead of just possible threats. “Right, of course, slip of the tongue, silly me. But there's a lot more to that journalist than meets the eye.” She turned around, looking at her blind spot with a warily eye. Nothing, not even a hint of motion.
Rapid gave the back of the blonde mare's head a skeptical look. “I'm sure...” She looked as though she were about to say more when suddenly Derpy ran off, heading a few rows down before ducking off from the main path. Rapid followed, not wanting to split up in case they were attacked. However, when she rounded the next corner she was met with a cross-eyed smirk. “Where were you going? Were you trying to get us attacked?”
“No, I was testing something. Tell me, did you hear anything as you chased me?”
Rapid grew angrier. “What kind of question is that? No, I guess I didn't, but I was a little more worried about sticking together. If that thing gets one of us alone we're done for!”
Derpy stepped free from cover again, frowning down the hallway. “That's just it. There weren't any pursuing steps. We weren't being chased.” Rapid's face only registered puzzlement. Derpy continued. “I was standing free in the hallway and there was nothing. No chase, no noise, no visual, nothing. It could easily have taken both of us out, me in the hall and you as you lagged behind, but we are both still here. What does this tell you about our attacker?” Rapid continued to giver her a blank stare, this one stemming more from the sudden lecture than a lack of comprehension. “So that's why The Doctor likes to do that so much.” Derpy just smiled brightly as she finished her thought. “Anyway, It means that either it has lost us or chasing us was no longer its top priority.”
Rapid was befuddled as she looked at Derpy, who was smiling proudly for her logic. Her confusion wasn't from the explanation so much as the expression. “Why do you look so happy? That thing is either setting a trap, breaking out of here, or hurting Chip as we speak. We know even less than we did when it was chasing us!”
Derpy's confidence faded, dampened by the practical pony before her. “Well, yeah, I guess, but since we aren't being attacked, this is the perfect chance to go help Chip, right?” Rapid's scowl didn't move, so Derpy continued, voice slowly becoming dejected as her eyes drifted to the floor. “I mean, If it is a trap, it probably isn't set for us, so we can save her without fear. It's the best chance we got...”
Rapid's face softened. After a moment of quiet, she nodded, stepping out into the main hall with Derpy. “You're right. We've got one shot at this, let's make it worth the effort.”
Derpy brightened up a little, smiling and nodding herself before staring down the hall, moving from row to row, eyes trained for any motion. Behind her Rapid Fire did the same, looking behind and around them from the cover of the pods before darting to the next row. Like this they made their way through the silence, not a sound heard, not a soul spotted.
As the rows went by the duo got more confident, moving more quickly and not searching as carefully at each stop. This was why, a few rows from the stairs to the upper level, Derpy was surprised to find her hiding spot occupied by another pony. She slid into the row, bumping against the intruder before she let out a squeal, backpedaling out of there. Rapid ran up behind her, weapons trained on the foreign form.
The parchment furred pegasus in the ripped tuxedo jacket waved his forehooves in front of him, trying to get the mare's attention. “Whoa whoa whoa it's me it's me!”
Derpy looked from behind Rapid, smiling as she recognized the stallion before her. “Ink Well!”
Ink Well's own smile appeared. “Ditzy!”
Rapid lowered her weapons and raised her eyebrow. “Ink Well?”
Derpy leaped over her, catching Ink Well in a flying hug. “You came! I knew you would!”
“You called for me, I couldn't just leave you waiting.” He removed himself from her grip, looking her in the eyes. “I am so sorry, it's my fault you're in this mess, but I think I found a way out. If we can make it to the maintenance tunnels then-”
“You got in through the tunnels? Have you got a better plan? I get how a scrawny thing like you squeezed through, but we'll never fit in there.”
Ink Well ducked away from her, recoiling from the blow to his self esteem. “Ouch, tell me how you really feel.” He waved it off. “It's okay, Spanner is in the tunnels working on the door as we speak, so if you head there then I'm sure they'll be open soon. I'll-”
There was a soft whirring overhead, followed by a loud click. “Source located. Prepare for collection.” Derpy looked up to see the brass pony perched silently upon the top pod in the row, it's empty eyes staring at Ink Well. A moment later it hurtled down at Ink Well, its forehoof arcing with electricity.
Ink Well didn't even look at the assailant, just rolling out into the hall and charging down it. The brass pony followed, sparing no heed to the two mares present or their lifeless cargo as it clattered after its prey. Just before he disappeared down another side aisle, Ink Well called back to them. “I'll distract it as long as I can! You two get to the door! The Doctor should be waiting for you.”
Derpy made a motion to follow him, then stopped knowing better than to chase a fleeing stallion. With that she turned to Rapid. “You heard the stallion, let's go get your friend safe.”
“Will he be alright? Does he have a plan?”
“That is his plan.” Derpy saw the look on Rapid's face and just smiled wider. “I've watched him escape from worse, he'll be okay. He's buying time, so let's not waste it.” With that Derpy flew up the nearby stairs, the clanking coming from the brass pony's hooves no quieter for the floor between her and it. Ignoring it she flew down the hall, not even hardly needing to scan before she found the other injured engineer laying in the center of the hall. She was already working on lifting the sleeping orange mare when Rapid arrived.
“Put her on my back, I'll carry her too.” Rapid knelt down, starting to take on the weight of the pony before Derpy interfered.
“If you're weighed down with both we'll never be able to outrun the robot if it comes back.” Derpy shifted Chip's weight, trying to place the orange pony on her own back. “I'll take her.”
Rapid stopped her, shifting the weight between them. “I want to ensure Chip will be safe, and I just can't if you're in charge of her. I'm more than strong enough to carry both. Help me with this.”
Derpy pulled back. “I am. All I want to do is help you, and you've kept me at bay with suspicion. I will do nothing to harm Chip. Please, let me help you.”
“... Alright. I trust you. Just... Let's get out of here, quick.” With Rapid's help Chip was placed on Derpy's back. Then they left all four mares finally making their way to the door.
----
Ink Well's heart pounded in his chest as he shot into the connecting row, the brass pony sliding down the hall past him. He ran between the pods, turning at the next hall and continuing on his way. It has no traction. That will probably be the difference between esc– The brass pony reappeared in a blaze of fire, the jets beneath its hooves flaring as it cut him off. Ink Well jumped in the air, placing his forehooves on its back to vault it. Its body sank in, indenting slightly from the pressure. He flapped his wings, removing his hooves and inching himself over the metal pony just as a spark shot over it, the whole body crackling blue.
Another flap of his wings took his back hooves over the arcing surface, the electricity licking against his fur. He landed on the far side in a full sprint, kicking off and taking wing down the tight hall as the pony behind him ceased crackling, its surface returning to the brass finish as gouts of flame propelled it after him. He didn't look back, knowing to do so would simply slow him down, but he could still feel the empty gaze of those eyes running him through. He shook it off with his thoughts. Right, the fire thing, explains the lack of rubber on the hooves, though it does have more over the rest of its body than the last one, and it seems to be a little more flexible. Maybe it's- Signaled by the sudden heat behind him, Ink Well tucked in his wing, rolling into a pinpoint turn into the next row. Get away first, think about it later.
Ink Well executed another turn at the next corner, a hoof connecting with the floor acting as a pivot point for his whole body to slingshot back into the hall. His pursuer ducked in behind him once more, catching up again with its fire propelled legs. Again Ink Well banked sharply into a row, only to be matched by the pony behind him, now wise to his tricks. Even with him weaving between rows back and forth it still was catching up, simply having more speed behind it than he did.
Ink Well made another sharp corner, forced to put three legs to the floor to drift into the next row, the brass pony hot on his trail. He galloped a few steps with additional wing propulsion, then sprung off all four legs to the right, twisting as he did. His body spiraled elegantly, the thin form cleanly fitting through the tiny gap between the pods, barely missing the wiring, piping, and support beams holding them up. The brass pony just shot past, unable to turn fast enough or fit through the hole. It rounded the next bend, entering that row to find Ink Well sailing straight through, a single flap of his wings keeping him upright and perfectly aligned to spiral through another hole in the next row. With an angry whir it shot past him again, about to turn into the next row when it spotted just his hind legs slipping through the wall of pods, twisting as effortlessly as before.
Ink Well pirouetted his way through the last two walls without so much as his jacket touching a wire. At the far end he landed on his hooves directly before the entrance to the maintenance tunnel, tapping the button on the wall lightly and, with his remaining momentum, sliding into it, making a perfect stop against the far wall as the entrance closed behind him. Outside the brass pony whirred in anger, slamming its hooves into the ground as it tried to catch up, but Ink Well couldn't hear the cacophany over his heart pounding in his ears. It worked! By Celestia's Mane it worked! He sat for a moment, absolutely dumbstruck that he didn't crash or mess up that entire spin. Pumping a hoof to himself, he stared at the wall he came from, adrenaline buzzing through his whole body. That never should have worked. Nopony is EVER going to believe you just did that, but you did! It was nothing but luck, but sometimes it's better to be lucky than good, and right now, you are the luckiest colt in-
As he celebrated the door slid open, the piercing stare of the brass pony waiting the second it did. Immediately Ink Well's heart dropped, all of the happiness from the rush of that last stunt gone in an instant, replaced by fear and, at himself, anger. A single of the brass hooves touched down inside the vent, the others contorting around the main body to shuffle it quickly along despite the tight space and the odd angles. Ink Well didn't bother to watch this feat of engineering though. He was too busy running for his life. What were you thinking? Of course it could open the door! Just because you're lucky doesn't give you the right to stop running! You're being chased by a-OH GEEZ it's right behind you! Don't look back, just keep crawling! You can figure this out.
Ink Well shot through the tunnel, moving as fast as he could in the narrow passage, the strange metal spider shuttling behind him at a surprising pace. At the first intersection he kicked off the wall, going down the side tunnel in an effort to lose the beast behind him. It stalled momentarily, turning slowly to face him before scuttling after him once more.
Ink Well started to take tunnels at random, anything to lose it, to get it far out of the way while the doors were opened and Derpy and the others were saved. He could keep this up for hours! It wasn't like the adrenaline in his system was running thin or his lungs were burning or anything. No, that was just his body screaming at him that his mind needed to stop lying to itself, just like it needed to stop hallucinating that voice in his ear.
Wait, that repeated. What did it say? Ink Well kept his ears ready as the voice came back through, Spanner identifiably behind the layer of static. “Take your next left, Ink Blot.” Ink Well did what the voice said, glad to have some sort of bearing in the maze within the ship. Almost immediately the voice chimed back in. “Oh good, you can hear me. I've got you on the monitor, though I can't see what's following. Just listen to me and I'll get you out of there. Next left, then immediately right.” Ink Well did as he was told, moving slightly faster now that he wasn't in charge of making directions, keeping him just that much farther from the pony following him.
“Two lefts from now, then another left, then a right, then book it, you got that?” Ink Well nodded, completely unsure if the pony guiding him would see it, then picked up the pace again, his second wind hitting as he struggled around the first turn, tearing another small chunk from his jacket on the corner. As he made it past that and to the second he caught a glimpse of the brass pony spider behind him, having arguably more trouble sorting its legs out at the turn. He hurried on, the left, then the right, able to see Spanner at the panel giving him the go-ahead. He put all his energy into his legs like he was trying to break the crawl speed record as he heard the clanking of the thing behind him.
On the straightaway it was faster, every second getting nearer and nearer, each thump of the metal hooves sounding off with an angry whir and a crackling buzz from deep within it. Ink Well could start to smell the ozone in the duct, could almost feel his mane standing on end, could swear his hooves were starting to tickle as they touched the metal floor, but he kept going, ignoring it all and scrambling with all his might.
As soon as he passed the threshold Spanner slammed his hoof into the console before him, the entire wall sparking and shorting. Brushing the tip of Ink Well's tail on its descent, a heavy metal wall slammed into place, a resounding thump signifying it as an immovable barrier. Ink Well sat behind Spanner, gasping for air as the younger pegasus looked from the wall to him, seemingly caught somewhere between relief, excitement, and happiness. “Made it! Got you out of there! Though Mr. Smith is going to kill me for that.”
Breathily, between gasps, Ink Well let the confusion on his face spill out.“Why?” *Gasp.* “What did...” *Wheeze.* “...you do?”
“I made it think that the Colony Sector is no longer attached to the ship. It locked down everything in an attempt to keep the atmosphere in. That thing isn't getting out, but neither are we getting in. And...” Spanner looked to the ground, extremely ashamed of the next part. “Rapid and Ms. Derpy aren't getting out either.”
Ink Well looked defeated. “So I just...” *Breath.* “... went in there to save them, and not only failed at that, but, in an effort to save my own flank, got them trapped in there with that thing permanently?”
“No, not permanently. It'll release once we land, but... yeah...”
“Ah. Wonderful. Let me just...” Ink Well flopped back in the vent, legs spread out as the wave of his failure washed over him. He took in a deep breath, letting it all out slowly as, behind the wall, the metal beast pounded away, raging at losing its prey so narrowly. He closed his eyes, picturing Derpy's smiling face waiting behind that door, and sighed. Looks like I failed you... Guess I'm not the hero you wanted after all. With that, he spun around, beginning his crawl back to the library. “Looks like Mr. Smith isn't going to be pleased with us at all.”