//------------------------------// // Only What You Earn // Story: FoE: Snippet Story // by Windrunner //------------------------------// . "Is it here, scientist?" He was asked. That voice. At the sound he dropped the pry bar he was attempting to use on an air-sealed door. It hit the ground with a heavy clank. An unusually dark orange-coated unicorn stallion wearing a lab coat and thick-rimmed glasses looked to where it was coming from. His expression betrayed being spooked and wary at this voice and its question. He hardly knew what he even looked like, always he showed up unexpectedly and hidden in the dark. Just being near to this presence made the unicorns blood run cold. It always felt dangerous. "No, but.." He began, but with this he found himself slammed into the unyielding steel wall behind him, just hard enough to hurt very much all over. It was not the worst he'd ever received. Standing up and readjusting his glasses he retrieved the bar and continued working at the sealed door. He knew better than to stop just because of that. This was not a pony to anger or displease in any way. "I do wish you would call me by my name. I have been working for you ever so long." He mumbled around the bar while trying to get it to catch between the doors seems. A dark and raspy response was given as he continued to pry at the ancient rusted airlock. "You forget your place. You are scientist and nothing more. I know your depravity. It is by my will alone you have all those pathetic toys you are so fond of, and can take them away. You continue to live at my discretion. Find it. Fail and I will strip you of them and much more. Now, stand aside." The unicorn jumped out of the way as the heavy door was somehow simply ripped from its frame and slammed into the ground letting a tremendous burst of air blast out, stirring up a cloud of dust. The door just barely missed landing on him. He knew the pony did not care. He choked on it violently for a moment. The inner chambers of this small unlisted stable were now accessible. It smelled burnt inside. "How did y.." He was cut off. "Get back to work." The voice was already trailing off into the distance down the old hallway. The scientist panted and dusted himself off shakily as his heartbeat slowed to normal. He stared at it, stunned at the violence and power displayed. He'd known from the start this pony was powerful, but not like this. The thick steel door weighed at least a ton and been torn from its moorings like it was made of paper. He didn't know how this pony knew this place was here. It should contain a piece of what he was told to look for. Like every other time they spoke he felt like it was simple luck just to have survived. For a moment he considered if continuing to work for this pony was worth it before coming to the conclusion that for him, it was. Over the course of his tenuous employment with this figure to accomplish his work he'd been given access to all sorts of intact scientific equipment that simply could not be found in the wastes. Where any of it came from was never revealed. As much a mystery as the dark pony himself. Everything from simple beakers that seemed nearly indestructible to things which he could not even dream of before. Before.. He shook his head. It was best not to think of then. He'd been given all he could ever want and more, and would continue to be given more so long as he did what he was told. When not actively performing research or other jobs like this for the pony hidden in the dark he was allowed to do whatever he wished with the equipment. The presence of the pony could still be dimly felt even at this distance. It seemed able to hide that feeling whenever it wanted to approach unheard or seen. Now he had so many wonderful playthings. He'd even been given test subjects. Lovely, lovely test subjects. He didn't know where they came from either, but it didn't matter. He could do whatever he wanted with most of them. A time or two he was given oddly specific things to figure out how to do to one or two. What he was told to do with them was even more intriguing than some of the things he'd thought up himself. It was a true thrill to do what was asked then. Maybe that was even more of the reason he stayed. The hidden laboratory he was furnished with would have been the envy of any pre-war pony. How some of them screamed as they writhed, tied to the operating table. What a delight to his ears. He nearly drooled just thinking of returning to it. Oh yes. It was most definitely worth continuing. He would never have been able to do these things before. A little pain now and then was a price he was perfectly willing to keep paying. The rewards outweighed it by far. Sometimes he might have enjoyed it a little bit. He pulled a folded map out of his pocket. It showed the layout of the entire facility he was about to enter. What amazing treasures surely lay inside? Too bad he was told only to look for that one thing and ignore anything else. He would just have to come back another time on his own. He would get back to his lab soon enough. Just do what he was told and he would get even more toys to play with. There was so much knowledge to be gained. So many things to try. So very many. His thirst for knowledge knew no bounds. The dark pony hurt him, but also taught a great deal about things he'd never imagined. "For science." He walked inside. - - - He certainly seems happy enough, don't you think?