Chase
“Free at last, this should be fun...or dangerous, even better right?”
- the inexperienced
I stood in the middle of the station surrounded by every zebra I have ever meet. They were all loudly and quickly talking to each other. The effect was downing each other out in a choir of babbling. Yet somehow I was being left out, no one paid any attention to me. Father was next to me talking to Hunter.
I tried reaching out to him to get his attention, be he paid no attention to me. Words failed me as I tried to speak. It filled me with frustration that rose and rose climbing ever higher. When I couldn’t handle it anymore I opened my mouth and let out a screamed. My frustration made manifest. The room was silent, and everyone looked at me with terror.
I woke up with a gasp flinging my hooves, almost rolling out of my cot. It took a few moments for my breathing came down. When it was finally low enough to hear over the pounding of blood in my ears. I was able to make out the soft rustling of another restless dreamer in the next room.
I got up and reached for a lighter and candle. Being practiced in the dark, it only took me a moment to get the candle lit. Walking into my father's room with the feeble light, I found him sleeping on his couch bed. He tossing about so much he’d kicked off his blanket.
Mumbling softly, I swore I heard him mutter a name or two before endlessly repeating no. I figured he was dreaming about the war again. It surprised me, he hasn’t had them that much since I was foal. Guess it was just another sign of the stress was getting to him. I was careful in waking him, with a soft nudge on his shoulder.
He woke with watery eyes, reaching out at me, “Khon...is that you?”
“Ya…you okay?” I asked
“Ya,” he replied turning away trying to bury himself in that couch.
As I reached for his blanket I cautiously asked him, “do you want to talk about it?”
“No,” he said in very quiet voice, “just go back to bed.”
I covered him with the blanket and trotted quietly back to my room. Throwing myself back into my bed I left my candle lit wanting to look at my post cards. Day dreaming about sunny exotic places was always preferable over the dark places dreams were made of.
The day after Hunter left a new envoy of traders from Riga, our closest neighbor came to our station. That only made me feel even more uneasy, having a whole bunch of strangers out on our station platform. I didn’t like the foreign traders all that much. I understood we depended on trade. It was much easier to have them come here to buy our tea, rather than us send out a caravan of our own out. If only my feelings would be so rational.
With regular envoys moving back and forth, a steady stream of merchants from beyond our rail line came pouring in. We were taking advantage of the frequent travelers, with so many buying our stock at once we were able to charge higher prices. Out of disaster, we found a bit of opportunity. It was also the perfect opportunity to hear rumors of the outside.
I skipped a few meals and used my food to bribe merchants for advice on how to get to the Civitatem. Noticing how uncharacteristically friendly I’d been with the foreigners, Zolani took it upon himself to introducing me more mare merchants. The jerk thought I fishing for mates outside our little community. However he did introduce me to a merchant, Karish was her name. She was going to be making regular trips back and forth through Riga to the Guild ring over the next few days. I offered to work for her, help pump her hoof-car past Riga and Zolani wanted to join too. We negotiated for a few bullets as pay.
With a ride and excuse ready I was able to secure a passport. Had to spend a few bullets to get a photo of me. Then got them developed on to a nice printed document showing how I was of the Exhibition station. All merchants assured me I wouldn’t get anywhere without one.
Spent the next three days between trying to preparing for a journey. All the while hoping I wouldn’t actually have to go. I spent the third day anxious with no sign of Hunter having returned. Out of growing desperation with hunter’s own imposed deadline looming I volunteered to watch the six hundredth mark. That once easy and relatively safe duty had fallen on a lottery of who draws the shortest straw. One of the unlucky draws were only too ready to trade their post, he even paid me a bullet for it.
Then Zolani copied me and swapped for sixth hundred post. After hearing both of us were next up our mother insisted on coming with us. Zolani told me prayed for the both of us that she didn’t find out we volunteered. Honestly I was pretty glad to be able to possibly spend my last day at the station with the zebra’s I care most for.
I visited to our local stations armory to gear up for the shift. It was one of the rooms below the station platform, next to where the geothermal generators lay. The armory was really a former detention room for travelers that thought they could skip on the fare. So naturally the locked holding area was perfect for storing weapons. The room was a bit noisy though as electrical tools worked on all manner of things.
I only need to show the short straw I was paid to take to the mare working there. She gave me a leather jacket and a plastic miners helmet. The helmet had a little flashlight attached to the front.
The battery was inside the helmet on the back with some ugly but, with a generously lengthed wire that lead to a hoof cranked charger. I cranked it a few time to make sure that battery was charged. Then a gun to augment my own pistol. The infamous Bastard gun.
A Frankenstein creation of still working parts of broken or worn out firearms. I knew the trigger and firing mechanisms originated from a kalash, but that was about it. The handle felt like it came from a handgun, and the barrel had water inside it that let out steam as the weapon over-heated as it often did. Yes you had to water the gun. It’s loading was awkward as well. The magazine was stripped naked on the back side facilitating how it loaded into the right side of the gun and the thirty round magazine actually feed through the weapon left to right as you fired it.
Nothing was worse than having to pull the magazine though when only half used. Oh even watering it still didn’t preventing it from overheating, and soon as it does it’ll jam like hell. To top it off, it had piss poor accuracy even when you weren’t using the metro made ‘dirty bullets.’ What it was good at was putting bullets down range...and doing it very quickly at that. Sides the beauty of using a broken piece of shit was that it really couldn’t get anymore broken.
Collecting the equipment and two magazines of dirty bullets, I had to race back up to the platform to join the group leaving north of the station. There were four of us, trotting up to the two hundred mark. It was busy at the barricade. Bricks were being laid down with mortar and the beginnings of overhead scaffolding where being set up. The scaffolding was high enough another line of zebra could lie prone and fire from it.
As we approached they gave us an all clear, letting us pass. After that we had our weapons out and read till we reached the six hundred mark. I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding when I saw the four posted there were still alive and well.
As we arrived to the the six hundred mark I noted it had some major upgrades. A crude wall of bricks had been set up. Standing at chest height shielding most of a zebra while letting them freely shoot. The other side had a patch work sharpened metal rebar sticking out discouraging any charging creature. A nicer fire pit had been dug out. I definitely appreciated that. Though no sooner then after we relieved the current guards did Zolani started yammering.
“What a load of shit eh?” Zolani asked. With so many foreigners moving about we were able to gleam small bits of news from around the metro, like the banning of Zolani’s favorite recreational herb.
“I’m not that bothered by it. I mean I don’t see the point in the Guild banning hookah, but I’ll agree that’s dumb,” I honestly replied.
Our mother added, “well maybe now you’ll finally be able to save up some bullets.”
He snapped back, “what you said once you did hookah all the time.”
Now our mother, Larentia was what she called herself a learned and proper mare. She had taught myself and all the other younger zebras here our three R's. Naturally she was very good at dealing with self entitled little colts who talked back.
“We had seconds to respond,” she snapped back. “Young, frightened stallions much like yourself radio in trying to hit fliers out of the skies with eighty-eight cannons. Or moving ships trying to hit moving vehicles half a mile away. We had to do all the calculations and if we were a little bit off or too slow. They didn’t radio back, so yes I needed something you help with the stress.”
She carefully avoided continuing how not long after that targeting talismans took that job over. When she moved to less do or die support role within the army, how she continued to use that forum of recreation. She followed with, “so now what’s so stressful in your life eh?”
Zolani shrugged before pointing a hoof at the tunnel behind him. Dismissing her rebuttal, trying to sound smarter than he was, “you don’t get it, it’s all about power. They are starting with our recreation, what’s next?!” as continued to get louder and more fervent, “they are proving they can control even stations that aren’t under their government, next...”
“Oh shut up,” the zebra next to him said joining our little family conversation. “With your blathering you’ll bring every blasted dark one down on us, and maybe a few nosalis to complete the mess.”
Zolani sat down looking sullen. He didn’t stay quiet for long though. He smugly asked the Zebra, “Acca they can’t be serious, I mean they can’t actually stop merchants from carrying it through their stations can they?”
Acca was an older zebra, I used to pester her a lot growing up about surface homes. She used to work as a mason, she could go into great detail of different type of buildings and how they were built, even explained to me parts of the inside of the pro-consuls manor. On occasion she made trips to the guild for her expertise on salvaged building materials when the station needed some for repairs.
She sighed before answering Zolani, “last time I had gone down to market station was about a year ago. They had so much traffic, all backed up to hell with new security procedures. Passports weren’t enough anymore, had to fill out new documentation papers, reasons for being there etcetera. After filling them out, and letting me into the market area. Took forever getting in, and my half wit supplier had left my bricks piled up inside their residential area. So the merchant brings me out there then leaves me to count them out and stack on my cart. Some guard or their excuse for a police stops by demands my passport, then that bastard asked for documents showing clearance to be in the residential area.”
She paused when Zolani piped up, “so wasn’t it obvious what you were doing, he could’ve just asked the merchant who sold you that shit.”
“Eeyup,” Acca replied, “explained that to him, asked him to fetch the merchant or the self evidence of what I was doing. Instead the fanatic started harping on, ‘why isn’t he with you’ or ‘your not aloud outside the market area’ then started accusing me of being a spy. Before I knew what to do guild soldiers started surrounding me with on of their own practically foaming at the mouth how a spy snuck in. They were right about ready to drag me out of the station and have me shot, when the merchant I was working with came back. A few bribes later, he got me out only having my bullets ripped off and half the shit I paid for. With the rampant paranoia that’s been growing among them it’s a small wonder they can get any trading done.”
Undeterred Zolani muttered how he’d ‘undermine them’ swearing to work up enough to buy a UV light and start a grow-op. The three of us didn’t have the heart to inform him of all the technical problems with that or the absolute fortune a working UV lighting set is worth. We spent the next hours of our watch tending to the feeble little embers that was our fire. Acca produced a small brass kettle and we proceeded to make small pot of exhibition tea. Next we proceeded with the arduous task of drinking that tar like substance. We had a saying, ‘How could we ever expect to sell this if we don’t at least drink it ourselves!’
As the end of our watch neared I grew more anxious. I really didn’t want to accept that Hunter had calmly trotted to her death. I kept on imagining her sneaking up and sitting next to us covered in the ichor and gore of the dark ones. Surprising us as a joke proclaiming the monsters are no more. I kept turning to watch the tunnel, the soft light of embers killed my night vision but that didn’t matter. The tunnels between stations were true dark, even night vision goggles would not serve you. The only warning we’d have would be sound of cans on strings being tripped or the crunch of crushed plaster and glass being stepped on.
With Hunter’s imposed deadline looming, I was losing hope of her survival. That and her final task I’d have to carry out. No she wasn’t dead she couldn’t be, this was normal I reminded myself. She’d appear and disappear and come back months or a year later, that’s how it has always been. The Spartans were a force of death, immune to it themselves.
No matter how bad the infestation be it bandits or mutants they always succeeded in purging it. You couldn’t even escape them on the surface, because they reigned supreme there, and she was best Spartan. Okay she was the only one I ever met, but other zebra’s swore she was the best. I had to accept that while it was unlikely she was dead, she gave me a job that I’d have to do.
With myself brooding over these facts and Zolani finally quieted, the quiet stillness of the metro sharpened our hearing. The single sound of a metal can being knocked over some distance from us, alerted us four. We froze for a moment before we wordless slung over our firearms and took them into our mouth grips. We all stood there with our guns ready flicking our headlights on illuminating the dark tunnel. I had to squint my eyes for a few moments just seeing white light was enough to make me feel discomfort.
“There!” Acca gestured in front of her. I tensed ready to shoot. I couldn’t see it at first but then I spotted little furry creature darted across the spot of light.
“Don’t shoot!” Zolani cried before like a moron running in front of us chasing after the creature.
“Mhp-yol-wani,” I mumbled mouth full of gun, before spitting it out to shout at him, “dammit Zolani stop!”
Mother screamed at him, “get back here you little-” some sort of obscenity I’m not sure how to pronounce. Apparently it was some sort of depraved and uncomfortable equestrian sex act.
“Don’t shoot!” he cried again, I could only see the soft light of his headlight bouncing around in the darkness. We heard some high pitch whining as he came back into our lights. A small white furred creature stood up on his back trying desperately to lick his face.
I squinted my eyes still trying to adjust, “Is that,” I started to asked.
“A puppy!” He beamed with childlike glee.
“Oh no,” mother started, “no that thing probably has worms don’t let it anywhere near your snout.”
“Hush,” he soothed, “he doesn’t have worms he’s too friendly. No doubt he grew up under the care of equines.”
Acca light beamed down the tunnel, “Only one kind of equine that way,” she said. We all stopped to stare at the creature. I looked back at us with it’s tongue hanging out and head cocked slightly to the side. With a heavy sigh Zolani set the animal down. The animal twirled around and ran laps around his hooves.
“Sorry buddy, you’ve got to go” he mumbled trying to shove the animal back. The animal ignored him opting to wander closer to us. Mother fired a single shot from her own bastard rifle into the tunnel ceiling. The dog ran back north with a sharp yelp. After that we all sat sullen and somber, for the rest of our shift.
Four zebra showed up right on time to relieved us. Same as before guns out till we reached the two hundred meter mark. Once we reached the station I could see my soon to be merchant Employer waiting on the platform. She looked at me and Zolani expectantly.
“Well be an hour,” I hastily shouted to her. Mother raised an eyebrow at me. “She um hired me Zolani...to help pump her hoof-car to Riga, didn’t he tell you?”
He obviously didn’t as mother turned to him. He was flabbergasted stammering ah's and um’s. That worked for me as lept onto the station platform. A quick trot down to the armory to let them know I was keeping my gear. The answer I got was “what ever you sell/loose it you’ll have to pay it back.” Satisfied I head back up to my room to grab my supplies. As I approached the office though I could see the light was on inside through the close curtains.
Not sure if father had company or not I soft knocked on the door. I heard a “come in.” Walking in a found me father sitting with all four hooves on his couch, “sit” he softly instructed me tapping with his hoof beside him. I sat on the other end leaving a space between us.
“So...I take it you're leaving now then eh?” he said looking at me barding and gun slung across my shoulder. I only nodded. “I...I’m sorry” he said with a heavy sigh.
He raised a hoof to stop me from contradicting, “I was part of the problem, I was so stupid and ignorant when I was young. I volunteered for the legion before the war. I remember being so scared that I was going to miss my chance at glory and simply be a peacetime soldier. Thanks to the propaganda we didn’t think Equestria would last more than three months. I served nineteen years before being discharged, I was expecting the world to end at that point.”
He looked me directly in the eyes, “I wasn’t expecting you, or any of this. Back then was a miserable time, I had lost almost everyone I ever knew. We were not wrong to resist Equestria but, I had taken part in many things that were wrong. Since then I’ve a life of incredible piece. You’ve given me piece, and I...I stole you from your real mother.”
We were quiet for a bit, I knew most of this, though most if from mother or other people. First time father had admitted his thoughts on the war or his actions in though. He was looking more visibly shaken after saying this.
I reached out to him, putting a hoof on his shoulder, “you rescued me, I like my life here and I think of you, Larentia and Zolani as my real family. Exhibition is my home, and I’ll fight for it.”
He let out a sad chuckle, “I’d come with you but, I wouldn’t be welcome inside the Civitatem, in fact I’d cause problems.”
I figured now was the best time to press for answers as I leaned in asked, “Why, what happened?”
He hesitated taking a few moments, before saying, “It’ll be important, not to tell people that you know me or are close to me, in fact don’t talk about me. During the Equestria blitz, we lay siege on Hoofington. It was going badly, I-we lost…. I had to call a retreat...it ended in a rout. Zebra’s like Hunter thought it was a good call, but it was controversial.”
“Hunter said something about shattered hoof ridge...” I started before he cut off.
“I doubt she told you anything, the Equestrian’s...they did something to us...I can’t talk about it,” he trailing off. He withdrew into himself lost in dark thoughts. I decided to leave him be, getting up and heading to my room.
I had prepacked everything, pressed and dried food rations, extra canteens, a gas mask with a spare filter, a first aid kit, and some rat traps and all my ammo. I debated about bringing a tent but thought better of it. Opting to simply pack a bed roll. I figured better to leave my post cards here, something to look forwards to when a I got back. Magazines of gardening, home making and furniture I reasoned could be read-admired while in stations and sold if need be, so I self justified bringing them. All together my saddle wasn’t too heavy or bulky.
As I exited my room back into the office father stopped me. He wrapped a leg around my neck in a awkward hug. It became less so when I returned it. “Take care of yourself, and if anyone threatens you...shoot first,” he said full sincerity, “there would be no point to any this if I lost you.”
“Yah,” I said as we broke apart, “I’ll take care of myself, and I’ll shoot straight if I have to.” With that I left. I headed straight to the rail off station platform to my employer. I found her with a large zebra stallion.
He wore a leather collar and was loading large heavy bundles that held our tea in them. She held more than that though in carts attached to the front and back of her hoof-car I could also see lots of pots of ceramic that I guess held oil made from nosalis fats. She also had a cage with a small drab song bird in it, I understood immediately. If the bird randomly falls over dead, the air was bad. Ergo get your gas mask on. Zolani was there arguing with mother, it seemed like she was trying to force home to accept somethings.
Karish greeted me with a smile and wave, “ready to go, were almost loaded up here.” I nodded.
The stallion with the leather collar looked up to me, “I’d finish faster with your help.” He was bigger than me but they way he looked and talked made me think we was younger then I.
Karish shot him a look, “not his job slave.” He shrugged and picked up the large bag with his teeth tossing it onto the cart. That was a bit awkward, she’s not the first merchant I’ve scene with a slave or bonded servant before, but never talked to one before wasn’t sure what to say to him. He didn’t have marks or bruises on him so I assumed he must be under circumstantial issues, either way I planned to avoid him.
I caught onto the argument as I approached Zolani and mother. “Take it dammit, I don’t eat that much and what am i going to spend these on,” she forcefully tried pushing rations and a purse of bullets on him.
He resisted equally as much, “I’m fine, I can take care of myself, I don’t need-.” She switched targets galloping at me. Before I could offer any resistance she grabbed one of my bags and dumped what I was sure her entire supply of rations. I froze while she emptied her purse of bullets.
“No no,” I insisted say, “you need some for yourself!”
“I’m going to be so worried over you two i doubt I’ll be able to eat anything over the next few days,” she rebutted, “and I really didn’t appreciate you both dumping this on me last minute!” She wield guilt against me. I hung my head as she forcefully shut and tied my saddle bag closed, ending the debate. Zolani sighed defeated as well.
During our spat Karish’s slave finished loading the carts. With that she hopped on the hoof-car, with her slave copying her.
Mother trotted back over to Zolani giving him a tight hug, “Khon is in charge okay?” He started to whine but she insisted, “okay?” She let him go once nodded. She turned to embrace me as well. When she did she whispered into my ear, “take this opportunity, and don’t come back.” Surprised I tried to pull away but she wouldn’t let go. “Find a job and don’t come back here, not till it’s safe. I buried a husband once, I will not bury my sons.” With that she let me go, “I told Zolani the same thing.”
I glanced at him and realized he was looking angry and hurt. I didn’t know how to feel. This simplified things, but at the same time I wasn’t happy hearing her wanting to send me away. Felt like she wanted to abandon me but it came from her love and desire to protect me. I rationalized this away, I was coming back with the greatest army that still existed. I’d make here safe. I found myself feeling determined as I climbed onto the cart. I waved mother good bye as we all began pumping the cart.
Once we built up momentum Zolani and the slave took over letting myself and Karish relax. “We're free at last!” Zolani grunted between pumps, “well most us anyways,” he sheepishly added glancing at stallion in front of him. No one was amused by that comment. I deliberately avoided looking at him the slave.
Karish look up at me, “does he bother you?” I shook my head. “Well most of us start out like him, that’s how I got my Guild membership.”
“Really?” I was planning on reaching the Civitatem through the Guild ring, figured now was the best time to learn about them.
“I was in my teens when I came into metro, had no family and no usable skills. Most other mares like that had whore themselves to survive. I didn’t want to live like that...well not at first, anyways I wandered a bit, tried to join the guild but you need large amounts of bullets and contacts within them to get started. So I sold myself to a merchant. Found out I was better at it them him, netted him some good deals, more than paid for my freedom with some left over, and I knew my way around the business by then,” she ended her story with a note of pride.
I turned to the laboring slave, “oh so you're in this to join the guild?”
He didn’t answer. Karish let out a chortle, “Fuck no, he hasn’t got the sense or nor wit for this job. Nah he was starving shoveling shit for a living when I bought him. He’s good just doing manual labor and living of the boon of my salesmareship.”
I sat back satisfied with that. I guessed his case that was an example of the best life one could have down here if they didn’t come from a great station like ours. Then again I guess it served as a warning for what life could be like for my fellow zebras of our station should it fall.
“Ya I can haul a good load around with him but with you two,” she gestured to the cart behind and infront of her, “if this run goes well I might have enough to start an expansion, probably set up shop along the ring.”
“Where you going to be selling all this stuff?” I asked.
She smiled, “trade secret, tell you what if want in you can sell yourself to me? We could get a contract signed at any guild station.”
I was taken back, “no the one time job for pay works for me,” I sheepishly mumbled.
“It’s a life, he’ll tell ya I’m fair,” she smirked gesturing to her slave. “So what about you two just looking to make some quick bullets, if your looking to buy something I could get you guys in touch with the right merchant?”
Zolani piped up, “some hookah or something to start a grow op with.”
She burst into a fit of laughter that was soon replaced by very serious expression, “be honest, do you have any drugs on you, I won’t be mad but you gotta be straight with me. I won’t vouch for either of you.”
I shook my head, so did Zolani. I looked at him for a bit then gave him a swift kick in the flank. “Okay, okay!” he cried, “I only got herb on me thou nothing else.”
She nodded, “okay just smoke it all before we reach the ring.”
Zolani let out a nervous laugh, “we gonna be a problem, kinda brought my whole stash.”
“Ah don’t worry I’ll help,” Karish replied with a smirk.
“Haha really? Your like the coolest boss,” Zolani replied, then added, “you’ll pay for it right...right?” she stared at him with a raised brow. “Fuck…” he mumbled.
We approached and then cleared the two hundredth mark. The zebra’s there recognized us. They cheered and we waved back. Karish commented how the two of us made crossing the checkpoint a breeze.
She asked curiously, “so you two are brothers?” guess our moment with mother tipped her off. We nodded, “well you look nothing alike, green eyes and your stripes are all straight I’d assume pure Romani.” she gestured to Zolani, “-and you...can’t place bit of a mix?”
I shrugged, Zolani piped up, “nah he’s got a different daddy, but isn’t the resemblance obvious?” He let go of the lever of the pump leaving his poor partner to work alone. He grabbed me by the tail and raised his own butt. I was jerked up for half a second before pulling away, I grabbed the lever and started pumping away my obvious frustration.
“Neat, twin glyphs can’t say I see that often...or ever,” Karish commented.
“Wait no I mean we both have supple yet firm glutes,” he joked.
“Your fucking high aren't you?” I muttered at him.
He made a big show of wrapping a hoof around my shoulder stating, “little brother I’m always high on life you should know that,” before taking over pumping the car. While his antics were annoying it did make me feel good, to show and tell any outsider that we were as thick as blood.
When reach the seventh hundredth mark a slow moron was crossing the rail line. Despite ample warning from us and his comrades he clumsily tripped and rolled out the way as we came past. That elected a collective laughter for the zebra’s posted there, Zolani mocked him shouting, “don’t lose your head now!”
The caged bird didn’t make a noise the entire trip, the creak of the car being the only noise till we approached the thousand meter mark. One of our station guards flagged us down. Hitting the break we squealed to a halt.
“The track is wrecked up ahead,” he said, “merchant just pass on the other lane spotted the track has a break on it. No traffic on this line until we or Riga get a crew to repair it. Unless you can move this onto the left track, mind you that will screw traffic heading this way.”
That wasn’t possible, the car with everything was way too heavy. Karish seemed calmed, or I guess she’s experienced at dealing with setbacks. “How far down did they say?”
“Couple of clicks,” he replied.
Karish took some time considering her next move before making her decision, “there’s a service line about half a click down we can take, it’s not well lit and it links into the sewer system so who knows what’s wandering along it…but it has rails and we are on a car and armed so we’ll be fine. If it’s broken down there well fuck it he’ll head back and have to wait for the main line to be repaired.”
I didn’t really know anything really beyond this point being the further I’ve ever been from the station. I did however understand that the public metro was only a fraction of what existed compared to alternate routs, service tunnels, underground centers and sewers. Aside from just knowing they existed I was ignorant beyond that.
“Alright who’s the better shot?” she asked looking between me and Zolani.
Zolani responded “Well I’m better looking, stronger, older but um ya I’m slightly baked at the moment and Khon’s army daddy taught him how to shoot.”
“Okay so three of us will work the lever I want to get through there as quickly as possible, Khon you’ll stand and keep your gun out alright?” Karish ordered, “This what I’m paying you lot for.”
We released the brake and all worked to rebuild momentum. As we moved past the thousand meter mark the first indication that we were past zebra habitation was more rats. There are always rats but out here they were out in open. Mercifully they scamped along the walls as far from us as they could and avoided our lights.
We labored another half a click until we came to the service tunnel. It had none of the emergency lights I was so use to and the tunnel was mucher smaller. We would’ve gone right past it without noticing, luckily Karish knew where to shop. Zolani and I hopped out and worked the switch to move the rail on the line leading into the side tunnel. Wasn’t till after dumping generous amounts of lubricating oil provided by Karish that we were able to move the switch. Karish meanwhile with her slave got the hoof-car on the new line before we switched it back. She started a small debate over switching it back but neither Zolani nor I would budge on it, we feared it could misdirect the repair crew from our station.
She put up oil lamps on the side of car making it bright enough to see around the hoof-car. After that she made us all rest for a bit. When ready, like before we all worked to get the hoof-car’s momentum going. Then the three of them worked hard keeping the car at a good speed. I stood up on my hind legs resting my lower belly and front legs against the seat of the car helping me stay standing. My bastard gun hung loosely off my shoulder while I instead held my charger occasionally flexing my fetlock on the handle keeping my headlight overcharged. Took well over a full minute for my eyes to adjust but worth it with the tunnel ahead brightly illuminated.
The caged bird began to make it’s presence known as we merged into this tunnel. Not chirping, in fact I was sure at this point it couldn’t for some reason, but it was insistently fluttering in it’s cage. After merging into this tunnel the foreboding wall of darkness gave no clues as to how far the tunnel behind us went. Our new narrow tunnel was clearly neglected. Roots shot through the ceiling, though we may not be that far down. Evident by the increased huffing and puffing coming from the working zebra’s indicated we maybe going up a small incline. Still the pipes running along the walls were all rusted, and rusted through in many places. Thankfully whatever water or fluid they once held was gone, but that had damaged the rail. Not enough for me to see any breaks but the added friction of the rust did us no favors.
Our first kilometer was quiet and peaceful nothing but the creaking of the car and the huffing of the laboring of zebras. Maybe it was just the creepiness of the tunnel but I felt really uneasy, I could feel a growing tightness in my chest. My light caught a shadow, no more like a faint still silhouette of an equine in the distance but I couldn’t see who was casting it.
As I leaned in to see better Zolani spoke out, “my chest hurts.”
We all paused for a moment, “I’m sorry we got to get through here as quickly as possible, if your going to collapse on me trade with-,”
Zolani started to refused claiming he wasn’t tired when I spoke-up, “me too I think…” I wasn’t short of breath or in pain but I could definitely now feel something like a tightness in my chest.
“Should we get our gas masks on?” the slave asked.
“No,” Karish rebutted, “dam bird should get less energetic not more so if that was it, sides the masks would only limit our breathing and tire us out faster, just work harder!”
I looked back up, that silhouette was gone, or maybe we passed it. The feeling didn’t go away, instead grew stronger. My earlier thoughts that it was a tightness was wrong, it was more like an unfamiliar sense. I had difficulty interpreting what I was feeling, instincts could only confusingly tell me that something was getting close, gaining on us. Another silhouette was softly illuminated up ahead.
“See that? There!” I pointed
Karish stood up and leaned forwards, “No…” she said, “You don't have to ask my permission just shoot if you see something!”
More and more silhouettes began showing up along the sides of the tunnels. “No, I can’t be the only one seeing this.”
“What?” the slave and Karish both said leaning to the side, however when Zolani took a moment to spot pumping and turn around his “oh fuck!” confirmed I wasn’t crazy. Or at least some other zebra shared my hallucinations. I could see one in the middle of the tracks and we were rapidly approaching.
This one was different, it was looking at us, aware of us, it reached out to us with a foreleg. Turned back screaming, “stop the cart!” I didn’t bother to listen to Karish as I reached for the brake. She leaned forwards to stop me, her slave gave me a mighty push back. I fell back against the seat of the hoof-car. As I climbed up I was able to look behind us. I saw a white glowing ball of light hovering over the tracks rapidly approaching us. I raised my foreleg to point at it, to give some kind of warning, but as I tried to speak my vision turned red, then black.
I must have passed out as I awoke sprawled out on all fours. I immediately noticed I wasn’t on the hoof-car, nor was I in a tunnel. I was in some sort of white foggy, not a room but rather space as I couldn’t see any walls. I could see Zolani, he was sprawled out like I was but motionless. My body was too heavy to lift but I could raise my head. Some some things around me were close enough to make out through the thick fog. Randomly a few black organic looking Stalagmite jetted out from the floor made of the same material. I felt horrified, I knew where I was.
I could hear heavy hoof fails beside me as something trotted up beside me. Hunter stood next to me clad in her armor and donning her gas mask looking fierce and deadly. A light trail of smoke rose from her twin cannons. “Get up!” she demanded without looking at me. Without waiting for a reply I heard her bite down on her trigger. Her cannons roared to life repeatedly firing their heavy caliber rounds. She fired a long burst, the contrast of noise was so sharp I could hear the crisp sound of spent rounds clicking on the ground. Suddenly a dark one appeared before her. It raised a foreleg. Without even touching her she flew backward with such force one of the barrels tore itself from her saddle. And with that she was gone from sight.
The dark one turned to Zolani examining him. I tried to speak but was unable to. As if sensing my frustration the thing turned from him and approached me. “NO!NO!NO! GO AWAY! GO AWAY!” I repeated the mantra in my mind. It wasn’t touching me but felt it, I didn’t understand, something alien was inside me I could feel it. As the dark one came closer the fog obscured less of it. I could see forever in those onyx orbs for it had for eyes, its muzzle flexed as the vertical slits on the front of it’s muzzle opened and closed. I reached out to me.
I heard the cocking a gun before the loud bang. The side of the dark one’s head opened with a spray of black ichor.
I awoke back on the hoof-car, a weak yellow beam came from headlight flickering on and off. The light from our lamps had also burned low. I slowly got up trying to take in my surroundings. My head felt foggy. It took all my mental effort to recall what I just saw, and even then I wasn’t sure what I saw. Hunter...I saw her or I had a vision, or was it just some messed up dream.
Zolani was lying back in an awkward position but he was groaning and waking up. “Hey where you shooting at something?” he asked as he came to.
“No,” I responded as climbed to my hooves. That convinced me it wasn’t just a dream, I wanted to pester him with what he remembered but I figured getting our bearings first was more important. We were surprisingly still moving albeit very slowly. Karish and her slave were both slumped forwards. It seemed like we all just collectively collapsed. As Zolani began trying to rouse the other two I noted our bird was missing, or rather the cage it inhabited was melted and deformed. A pile of smoking ash lay inside it.
I cranked my charger, recharging my headlight to get more light. I heard light steps rapidly approaching from behind us. I cranked harder returning my light to a bright beam. At the very edges of the beam I could make out the faint outline of a nosalis. Not just one I found as a scan back and forth, they formed a solid wall of sickly pale and pink flesh behind us.
“Oh fuck,” Zolani managed to get out as one let out a roar leading the horde into a charge. We both threw our body on the lever trying to just jump start the hoof car. We were rewarded with a car squealing forwards a little faster. The lever on the other side served to roughly knock the other two backwards finally awakening them.
They were obviously groggy and unable to understand our situation. “Wake the fuck up!” Zolani encouraged.
The beats were on us. We were starting to get fast enough the creatures hesitated jumping on looking for better handles. One jumped onto the rear cart, taking one step forwards it reached out with a claw and grabbed Karish’s mane. I fumbled for my baster rifled. Confused and dazed she offered no resistance to beast until it had firm hold on her. As it dragged her back, she flung her hooves about uselessly. Her slave only just starting to comprehend what was happening, now started to try and grab her.
As they fumbled for each other, she managed to bite down on his leather collar. He however had no handle to get leverage on her. I brought my gun to bear but had no shot take without hitting either of them. The beast simply fell backwards using its weight to drag her with it. The leather color snapped and she too fell back being instantly swarmed by the monsters. Her screams of pain being instantly drowned out but collective squeals and roars of the other nosalis.
I had little time to react to that, a nosalis next to me was huffing and puffing away almost parallel to me. I aimed down and bit on the trigger letting out three rounds. The kick from the gun helped me let go of the trigger not wasting any more ammo. Couldn’t tell if I outright killed it nor not, but animal crumbled serving to trip the other monsters behind it.
“Pump the car you asshole!” Zolani screamed at the bewildered slave. He nodded his head. Seemed his desire to carry out orders overrode what ever else he was feeling as pumped the hoof-car with all his strength. The effect was immediate as we rocked and lurched forwards. The beasts had to do a full gallop making it difficult for them to climb onto the cart. Although another one had made in onto the rear cart and was trying for the same tactic as the first one. A burst of fire from my gun denied it. It clutched it belly before rolling back knocking back it’s brethren behind it like a bowling ball.
“Khon!” my brother screamed ducking forwards. Turned to see a nosalis running parallel next to him nipping at him. He moved far enough out the way I was able to get a clear shot. I had to hold out for a longer burst of fire, the jarring and awkward angle made most of my chaotic fire misses. Thankfully all it was taking was one good hit to make the monsters trip and get tangled up the others, problem was there was so many of them I feared the inevitable.
I could see the magazine starting to make it way through my gun. The car rustled as one the creatures jumped onto the cart standing next to the slave. He threw himself to the side trying to give as much space between himself and the monster. Luckily was still trying to adjust and gain firm footing. A burst of lead into its chest made if fall back. With our most productive asset trying to get back into rhythm we clearly lost some precious speed allowing a pair to climb up onto the rear cart. I stood up making sure I wouldn’t shoot the slave and sprayed lead clipping the two. One fell backwards while the other fell forwards. It continued to crawl forwards prompting another burst of lead to it’s body. The magazine was dangerously close to being empty, quickly eyeballing to figured only have four or five rounds still loaded. I didn’t know how we’ll survive reloading.
“I see light!” the slave shouted, working with renewed vigor. Far off I could hear the dinging of an alarm bell.
“Don’t shoot us! Don’t Shoot!” scream Zolani. Meanwhile a pair of nosalis made there way beside me. I fired at the first one and pulled up, a line of red opened on the first one all the way to the second one. I was greeted by a hollow clicking sound. I popped the magazine out, gripped in my fetlock I roughly jammed it in my saddle swapping it out for another one.
As I pulled out a fresh magazine my brother warned as another monster made it to his side. He hand to let go of the level and duck forward to avoid its snapping maw of the. I fumbled missing the hole in the gun trying to shove the magazine in. The monster grabbed a hold of the car and pulled himself in. Getting leverage it climbed over him and went for me.
I finally got the magazine to fit into the gun and slammed on it to shove it all the way through. I only need to pull the firing pin and...the monster snapped out and caught my foreleg in its maw mid cock. It’s teeth must have been dulled as it failed to punch through the leather of my barding but it’s jaw had more then enough power behind it to crush my limb. It shook it’s head violently back and forth preventing me from arming my weapon, not like I could hit it the way I was. If fact I didn’t have have the presence of mind to do so, I was completely occupied with worst pain of life. I felt for sure the break was going to snap in half.
The nosalis tried pulling back dragging my off the car like they did with Karish. Only this time my brother was able to hold on to me. He was cling to me for dear life and with monster literally sitting on him. It had us both pinned, but unable to escape. A loud bang sounded with a fountain of blood and guts shooting out from the back of the beast. The monster let go of me and tumbled backwards as Zolani shoved it off.
I clutched my freed limb as he grinned at me with my revolver in his mouth. I heard and felt another one behind me. I turned to see a nosalis standing on the cart in front with it's claws outstretched. It must have gotten around and then up there while we were distracted. I aimed my bastard gun at it and, click-click-click...oh right it the firing pin wasn’t set.
It swiped its front paw at me slamming me full force in face. The gun and helmet prevented its claws from remove my face. The force of it however made it feel like it was going to take my head off anyways. I flew up and over slamming into the wall of the tunnel. My light was out definitely smashed as I landed on the cold hard cement, winded. I took everything to roll to my side and press against the corner of the wall. My instincts for some reason told me it would be more pleasant to torn apart by beasts from the back then the front.
As I lay catching my breath huddled to wall, without a light to attract attention. The boom of the .44 revolver and frantic shouting from my brother attracted the horde. I lay there for a second as the main group passed leaving only a trickle yet constant flow of nosalis. Then numerous machine guns began firing off. I decided to make my charge, they sounded like they couldn’t be more than a hundred meters away. I rolled to my hooves and dashed towards the light down the tunnel. Adrenaline fueling my charge and numbed the pain of my limb. The monsters ahead didn’t notice me and collapsed as what ever defenders lay before me cut them down opening a path to salvation for me.
“No give him chance, he’s still alive!” I could hear Zolani desperately arguing with who ever was there. I could hear more monsters behind me but I didn’t look back. I was soon able to zebras, and the car was abandoned having cleared there barricade. It was a proper set-up, sandbags piled up on either side of the rail line with sharpened rebar sticking out it and a wooden plank build over top for zebra’s to fire from a prone position.
“There he is! RUN!” he shouted to me. I had no intention stopping as I gained on him. Rather than slow down I ran into him with full force, he had set himself to up to catch me. I tackled him as he embraced me soften my landing as we collapsed.
“Alright now!” someone shouted. A zebra in a firefighter suit complete with a respirator trotted forwards. He had two large tanks strapped to his back. He stood upright and held a nozzle in his hooves. When he pulled back on the valve I was treated to a fiery spectacle. Flames whooshed down the tunnel consuming everything. He only had the flames go for a few seconds and then stopped them.
Most of the creatures were still live, albeit writhing in flames. Still there were more following...whoosh. More piled on rushing past charred corpses and panicked flaming nosalis...whoosh. The last few run towards him...whoosh. Those not dead yet snarled and made high pitched whines...whoosh. In my personal opinion at that moment whoosh seemed like a greatest single response to anything and everything ever.
The defenders all at once let out cheers. Zolani and I looked at each other for moment and let out a deep full laughter amazed we survived that. As I untangled myself from him one of the defenders on platform above me chimed, “welcome to Riga.”
I mumbled a thanks as I got up. Now that my life wasn’t in immediate danger my leg decided to remind me it was in pain and galloping on it did it no favors. The fire-zebra turned to us and took off his-I mean her mask and glared at us. “Ya bunch of idjits, you're all lucky to be alive, didn’t you know the tunnel is in a foul mood right now, why would you dare cross it now!” she shouted at us. I had no idea what she was on about but Zolani took offense to that and decided to argue with her.
I limped away letting him argue with the scary firemare of unsure sanity, that was his choice. As I climbed onto the car I found Karish’s slave sitting beside it looking at total loss with himself. “Hey, you did great there,” I awkwardly tried to compliment him, “I um...you I never got your name?”
“Oh,” he replied “Flamma.”
I leaned back resting, regaining my breath. I reach out a my good foreleg to him offering a hoof bump, “Thanks Flamma.”
Footnote:
Quest event perk: Touched by the other side -- You can now trigger additional events when in contact with the other worldly.
Hairline fracture right foreleg -1 Agility penalty without pain medications or until healed.
Current Ammo:
Military grade rounds : 105
‘Dirty’ 5.45 rounds: 30
Revolver rounds : 5
P.S. This story is inspired by the works of Fallout Equestria by Kkat (link) and Metro 2033 by Dmitry
Glukhovsky (link). All intellectual property of “My Little Pony” and “Metro 2033”