//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 (edit) // Story: Fallout Equestria: The Flats // by GaleWind //------------------------------// Scattered clouds floated aimlessly as the sun glared down harshly onto the land. The cracked, dry earth below was an example of the scorching heat. The haze emitting from the ground blurred the surroundings and everything in the distance. Dust kicked up from the ground as the blue vehicle drove across the ground. The scarf did its job at keeping it from going into my mouth. You’d think all the work put into it, the least I could do was put in a windshield. Glancing down at the small clock on the dashboard, it’s been half an hour since I left. Stopping periodically to check the map, I should be coming up on the area. I slowed down once I passed a triangular boulder until I stopped. Pulling out the map, I checked it again. “This should be it.” I said, my voice muffled by the scarf. I was somewhere near the center of the circle. Time to get to work. I pressed the button again and the hum of the engine turned off. Opening the door, I got out and closed it. Lowering the scarf, I dug in my saddlebags and pulled out a small metal detector. Using my nose, I turned it on and began searching the area on three legs. For a while, I didn’t hit anything. A few minutes later, I finally got something. Setting the detector down, I dug back into my bag and pulled out a shovelhead with a handle. I bit down on the handle and pulled, extending it to an actual short shovel. Standing up, balancing perfectly on my hind legs, I began to dig. After a few minutes, I finally hit something. Pulling out the shovel, I dug the rest of the dirt away with my hooves. I saw a piece of it and kept moving dirt away. When there was enough gone, I gripped it and pulled. After a few good tugs, I unearthed a long pipe. I looked it over and down the barrel, it was intact and I didn’t see any fractures. I walked over to the back of Sky Runner, dropped the back door, placed the pipe in it and went back to work. I repeated the process for another hour or two. All in all, I found a few pieces and small sheets of metal, a couple of different sized gears, a tire iron and another pipe. Not bad I guess. I had just got back in and started the engine when I glanced up and spotted something. Not that far away on the road, a large object stood there. Against better judgment, I decided to go take a look. As I got closer, the object came into view. It was the battered remains of an overturned wagon. I came to a stop, parked and got out to take a better look. The covering was ripped in a few places. The two left-side wheels were broken and there were signs of bullet holes on the paneling. There was a harness in the front, so it was pulled. ‘Hard to tell if it was going or coming from Salt Cube City or somepony trying to take a short cut through here.’ I thought, trying to guess where it was from. I walked around and gagged a bit when I probably found the owner or what was left. The elements and wildlife had taken their parts but there were still, ugh, pieces left to tell he was a stallion. Half the face had been pecked off, damn vultures. If I had to guess and judging from the splatter behind him, a bullet to the skull was what killed him. I won’t lie and say I didn’t make about puking but fortunately, I had an iron stomach from years trying Soup Can’s food. Even though it was wrong, I checked the inside of the wagon for anything useful. There wasn’t much left but I did find a couple caps, two bottles of water, a can of beans and a few healing potions, everything else was smashed or gone. After adding the caps to my own and placing the rest in a case in the back, there was one more thing to do. Call it what you want, but I couldn’t leave yet. I took down what was left of the covering and carefully wrapped what was left of the pony without puking. Now for the less disgusting part, I took my shovel and began digging a grave. It had taken time and I was out of breath but I finished it and buried him. I had fashioned a makeshift cross from the wagon. I etched in a crude image of what was left of his cutie mark, a bottle cap with a star in the middle, at the top and a message at the bottom. `Another soul lost, May he now know peace` The deed done, I leaned on the shovel and offered a small prayer. I took my canteen, uncapped it and drank some water. After wetting my throat, I poured a little on the grave before recapping it. “One last drink for the road.” I muttered. I collapsed the shovel, put it away and walked back to the Sky Runner. I just made it to the door when my ears perked up. It was faint but I heard loud rumble sound off in the distance. This part of equestria didn’t get many storms, and I didn’t see the signs of a dust storm so where was it- ‘BANG!’ “Raiders.” I whispered. Diving in, I started the engine, drove off the road and began driving back to Sundown. I glanced to my left and saw what looked like three vehicles. I was nervous, thinking they were close enough to see and follow me. That changed when I heard more gun shots and saw the two vehicles in back were shooting at the lead one. Whoever it was, they were deep trouble. I stopped Sky Runner and looked at the chase. I turned away from it and placed my head on the wheel. Right now, I was debating on what to do next. “Don’t do it Aero, don’t do it. Just keep driving and get back home. This will only cause more trouble than its worth.” I muttered to myself. ‘BANG!’ ‘CRASH!’ The loud sound brought me back to the chase to see the lead vehicle spin out and crash. The sun’s glare bounced off my goggles as I stared at the scene. Odds are whoever that was gone or wouldn’t last long. There was only one option at this point. “Ah, shit.” The overturned motor-wagon had thrown its driver out when one of its back wheels was shot. Two more stopped a few feet away from it, steel spikes jutting from the sides and dried blood splattered over them. Two raider ponies got out of the one on the right while three more sat in the left one. “The little robin thought she could escape. No one escapes!” A yellow stallion cackled. “I get first take.” His partner, a green stallion, said. “I brought her down! I get first!” The first snapped, gesturing to the pistol in his mouth. “Hurry up!” One of the bandits shouted from the other wagon. “Boss gets the first, then we all get to have her.” That got a manic chuckle from all of them. The first two raiders began moving over to the wrecked vehicle. So caught up with thoughts of their reward they almost failed hearing something. “Shut it!” The green raider yelled to the others. “You hear that?” The other raiders stopped and listened too. A low humming sound was gradually getting louder and it sounded like it was coming toward them. “What is that?” The armed raider pistol His partner looked to him to respond but saw a glint coming in that direction. He squinted and didn’t react to the pistol raider shouting at him. When his eyes adjusted to the light, he shouted and dove forward. The pistol raider looked confused and decided to look at what his partner was staring at. “What the hell is wro-” He didn’t finish as he dove forward and narrowly dodged a speeding object from running him over. The vehicle stopped and swung the back end left, slamming into the empty motor-wagon. The hit caused it to tumble and slam into the other, causing its occupants to bail out. The green stallion was the first to recover to see what happened. He yelled in rage and spitting curses upon seeing the state of his ride. His rant was cut short when a bullet exploded out the back of his skull and he went down. I sat in my seat as the barrel of my rifle stuck out the front. The fallen raider’s partner scrambled to get to cover. I adjusted my aim but before I could fire, his friends decided join in. Using both motor-wagons as cover, they opened fire on me. I ducked as soon as the first bullet bounced of the hood. I crawled over the seats as bullets flew over my head, note to self: put some paneling for windows to avoid this mess! I reached the passenger door, opened it and got out. I pressed my back against the side as they kept firing. When they stopped to reload I leaned out and returned fire. Because of their impromptu barrier, I couldn’t get a good shot and soon ducked back again. “We’ll use your skull as a hood ornament!” One of them shouted over the fire. I heard the hiss of air as one of my tires was hit. Cursing, I had to think of something or they’ll make good on that threat. I took a deep breath to calm myself, it was that moment that I smelled something. ‘Wait a second, I know that smell.’ And if I was right, only one thing smelled like that. Moving to the back, I peeked my head out only to draw it back to dodge a bullet. Clenching my teeth, I peeked out again. The wagon I hit was on its side and near the rear, I saw a canister, and it was leaking. Drawing my head back I clenched the rifle in my hooves. I probably only have one shot at this. I took one more deep breath, offered a silent prayer and began. When the firing stopped, I dashed out from cover on my hind legs. Once out, I turned sharply, planted both hooves on the ground and steadied my aim. They had just finished reloading when I bit down and fired. Time seemed to slow down as the flash from the muzzle spread out and the bullet flew out the rifle. It inched through the air, traveling towards its target. I eyes narrowed slowly as I bit down and fired twice more. The three bullets moved slowly as the raiders began looking over their cover. As soon as the first one fired, time sped back up. One of their shots grazed my cheek as I ducked and rolled back to cover. The first bullet I fired hit its target as it punctured the tank and fueled poured out the hole. The other two struck the sides and sparks came from them. They landed it the fuel stream, ignited and followed it to the source. ‘BOOOMMM!!!’ The vehicle became a fireball as its fuel exploded. It was lifted into the air a good few feet before coming back down. The raiders noticed but moved too late as the flaming wreckage came down on the second vehicle. The result was the second one’s tank also igniting, resulting in a second explosion. I stayed behind Sky Runner as I heard bits and pieces of parts hit the exposed side and the top of it. When I heard the crash, I moved out of cover and looked. Both vehicles were flaming balls of twisted metal. I heard screaming and looked left to see one of the raiders rolling on the ground in agony, trying to put himself out. One shot put an end to his screams as he lay burning. I carefully made my way over to the wreckage, watching my steps over sharp or still burning pieces. When I got close, I slung my rifle over my back and got my pistol out. I feel the heat coming from the fire and the smoke coming from them made breathing a bit difficult. I smelt burning flesh as I looked at one of the raiders that perished in the explosion, half his body burned from the fire. Looks like another was crushed because I only saw hind legs underneath the wreckage. Counting the one from earlier, that’s four raiders. “Where’s the fifth one?” I muttered around the handle. My eyes darted around as I scanned for the last raider. I heard a groan and spun right to see where it came from. The last raider, the yellow stallion from earlier, was a few feet away from the others, probably tossed from the force of the explosion. As I carefully walked over, I noticed a small pool of blood. When I was close enough, I found the cause. A piece of a pipe had impaled itself into his side and judging by the pool, hit something important. He was on his back, coughing up more blood. When he heard movement, he raised his head to acknowledge me. His mouth twisted into a snarl and tried to move, but his legs were too battered for the task. When he couldn’t do that, he just glared as I got close enough. The blood pool had gotten bigger, he didn’t have much time. “Why were you chasing that pony over there?” I asked, figuring this is my only shot at answers. The raider’s response was spitting at my hooves. The color was almost gone from his face. He was about to say something when he started coughing harshly. His head went back down as his chest rose slowly and slowly until it went still. I stared at the dead raider for a moment before sighing. I placed my pistol back in its holster and finally let out the breath I was holding in. I breathed heavily as the stress of battle finally left me. I looked back at Sky Runner, even from here I could see the dents, holes in the panels, and flat rear and front tire. Clicking my tongue in irritation, I instead focused on the cause of all this. As the shooting was over, I began making my way to the overturned wagon. When I was right next to it, I could finally get a better look. It was smaller than the other two, it looked more like a cart than a wagon. There was a gas tank in the back but this one was still intact. Except for a missing wheel, the thing was in good shape. “Three motorized vehicles? Where the hell did they come from?!” I muttered. Audio said that some raiders had were spotted with wheels, but this? About a few ways off, I found the driver. Rushing over, I got close enough to get a good look. The driver of the cart was a mare with a red mane tied into a braided ponytail with a tan coat. She looked like she was wearing sheets of cloth wrapped around her chest and tied behind her. I saw a cut on her head and her eyes were closed but she was still breathing, so she may have a concussion. I looked up and noticed it was getting late and she would need medical help. I need to get moving and fast. The motor pool was still moving with activity. A few of the scavengers had come back earlier from less than fruitful finds. There were a few left out there and it was getting late. The rule was that anyone only had until sunset to get here before the gates closed, all those outside were on their own. Sprocket was in his and Aero’s section, rearranging tools. He had gone to talk to his dad and came back a while later. Since then, he’s been helping around until Aero got back. He glanced at a wall clock above him to check the time. There was still an hour or two before the gates closed. But that’s why he was starting to get worried. “Worried that Aero’s still not back yet?” Sprocket turned around to see Dune Rat approaching. “That’s the third time you reorganized your tools.” “Sorry. I can’t help it, he’s usually one of the first ones back and I’m starting to worry. What if he ran into some raiders?” Dune Patted Sprocket on the shoulder. “Calm down, Sprocket. Aero’s smart enough to stay out of trouble, he’s fine. For all we know, he could be heading back right now.” As if answering, a loud bell chimed three times above them. The two ponies walked out the space and looked up. A small tower was perched on the catwalk, peering out into the Wasteland with one pony up there as a lookout. “What do you see, Welder?” Dune Rat shouted from below. A red stallion with a black mane, binoculars in one hoof, leaned over the edge. “I spotted Sky Runner coming right towards us!” He called down, spotting Aero’s ride. Dune Rat gave Sprocket a small smile. “See, nothing to worry about.” Dune looked back up. “How far away is it?” Welder looked through his binoculars and answered. “If I guess, I’d say a few minutes and it looks like its leaning.” “What do you mean, ‘leaning’?” Sprocket called up this time. “I’m not sure. Also, it looks like its hauling something behind him.” “What kind of something?” Dune Rate called. Welder brought his binoculars away and looked down. “It looks like a wagon.” He responded. Dune Rat and Sprocket looked at each other in confusion. The two set out to get ready for the arrival. A few minutes passed and everypony in the motor pool were assembled in the middle, Dune Rat and Sprocket at the front. The gate leading outside slowly started rolling up. All those assembled, waiting for what to come. Sky Runner came into view and began slowing down. When it passed through the gate, all were surprised at its condition. For those that immediately saw it, dents and bullet holes lined one side of it and its tires were flat, punctured. But what really shocked them was the damaged, motor cart chained behind it. As soon as both vehicles cleared the door, it started rolling down and Sky Runner came to a stop, its engine turned off. All the gathered ponies were stunned and hadn’t moved yet as the driver’s door opened. Sprocket was the first as he sprinted over as I came out. “Aero, what the hell happened? You look like you’ve been in a fire fight!” Sprocket exclaimed, looking at the damaged side. I closed the door and turned too looked at him. “That’s because I was in a fire fight.” Sprocket’s jaw worked for a question as he stared at me after answering him. I heard hoofsteps behind me and turned to see Dune Rat looking at me with a flat, hard gaze. “Dare I ask, why were you in a shootout?” He asked, mouthed worked into a frown. Instead of telling, I moved past him and walked around the vehicle, Dune Rat and Sprocket right behind me. I got to the passenger side door and when they were clear, opened it. Everypony got a second surprise upon seeing the unconscious mare in the passenger seat, a cloth wrapped around her head. “Who is that?” I heard Sprocket ask. “She’s who the raiders were shooting at. They were chasing her and I saved her.” I answered. That sparked all the gathered ponies into talking. Some wondered why I did it, others voiced their worries about repercussions, the rest asked about what happened. All this escalated until a sharp whistle silenced it all. “That’s enough! We’ll deal with what happens when it happens. For now, we deal with this.” Dune Rat’s voice rang loud and clear across the motor pool. All the ponies immediately quiet down. He then looked at Sprocket and me. “Sprocket, take her over to Suture to get looked at. Aero, follow me, we need to talk.” He then looked at the gathered ponies. “As for the rest of you, unhitch that cart, scrap it for parts and unload any scrap Aero found.” Orders given, we all set about doing them. Sprocket and I carefully got the mare out of Sky Runner and onto his back. He gave a nod and began walking towards the motor pool exit into town. I know I’ll have to explain things to him, but for now, somepony else was first. Dune Rat gestured me to follow as he walked over and up to nearby staircase to the catwalk. I walked after him but stopped at the stairs and turned back. “Be careful, that thing runs on gas and I’m not sure how stable it is.” I called to the others as they were about to unhitch the vehicle from Sky Runner. They stopped and gave thanks began working cautiously. I walked up the stairs, onto the catwalk and turned right, a door was open at the end and went inside the room. Dune Rat’s office was cluttered but the organized kind of cluttered. There were makeshift shelves lined with various objects, file cabinets and a metal desk in the middle of the room. Two chairs were in front of the desk and one behind it. The stallion in question was behind the desk, sitting in the chair and waiting for me to come in. He gestured me to close the door and I did as I walked up to him and sat in the other chair. “First, can you take your goggles off? You know I want to look you in your eyes when we talk.” He asked me. I gave a nod and used my hoof to push them up on my forehead. I had to squint for a minute to adjust to the light. Wearing goggles all day make seeing normal light uncomfortable for a bit “That’s better. Now first, are you sure you’re okay?” He asked, worry in his voice. He must have seen the graze where the bullet got me. “I’m fine, really. I few close calls those, but nothing serious. Just a scratch.” I said. “Doesn’t mean I can’t worry. Now, tell me exactly what happened after you left, don’t skip on the details.” He said. Placing his hooves under his chin. I took a deep breath and began telling him what happened. I told him from finding scrap to the battered wagon. I didn’t skip on burying the driver or hearing the shots. Throughout the explanation, he kept a straight face, he raised an eyebrow when I got to what the raiders were riding in but nothing more. He listened all the way to the end. “…so after I used Sky Runner to pull the cart back onto its wheels and got her inside, I salvaged what I could and got out before anymore showed up.” I said, finishing my story Nothing was said after I finished. Dune Rat just looked at me as he digested all this information. Finally, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath before releasing it and looking at me. “Aero, while I understand why you did it, you may have put us all in danger. We don’t get into fights because we’re not equipped for it and the nearest place that could help is days away. You’re experienced enough to know this.” He explained to me. “I know and I’m sorry. I thought about it but, I just couldn’t stand by and watch.” I said. “Your heart was in the right place, as it always is. I just hope it turns out okay in the long run.” He said. Sighing, he rubbed his forehead. “Now, about this mare, do you have any idea why the raiders were after her?” “No, she was out the whole trip here.” I said. “Alright, until she wakes up and tells us, she’ll stay with Suture. Also, you brought her back, so she’s your responsibility while she’s here.” He stated. “Alright, thanks for understanding.” I said. He got up walked around and placed a hoof on my shoulder. “I’ve known you since you came to our doors, I know where your heart lies. Now, head on over to Socket Wrench, he’s probably worried sick about you.” He said as he began walking towards the door. Getting out of the chair, I moved my goggles back in place and followed him out. The mechanics had already started breaking down the cart and I saw the gas tank placed in a corner. I made it back to ground level and headed for the exit. “Aero, I swear one of these days, you’re gonna give me a heart attack.” Socket Wrench said as he looked me over. I had only taken a few steps in before he came from behind the counter in worry. Sprocket must’ve given him an update on what he heard. Satisfied that nothing was missing, he stood in front of me. “Didn’t you tell me you weren’t looking for trouble before you left?” He asked. “Yeah, sorry about that. It just kinda happened.” I said. “For your sake, I hope there’s no next time. Sprocket only gave me small details but I suspect there’s more than you just rescuing some random mare from raiders.” He said. “There is, and I know what I did was dangerous but, I just couldn’t stop myself.” I said. “I know you couldn’t, no matter how much you would try to. You have a kind spirit, something rare out here. It may lead to danger but sometimes, the rewards are great.” He spoke with a smile, giving some advice. I returned the smile before speaking. “Thanks, speaking of Sprocket, where is he?” I asked, half expecting to meet him here. “I don’t know, he still isn’t back yet.” He said. “What do you mean?” “After he told me you were back, he went to take the mare over to Suture. He hasn’t come back yet.” He explained. That’s odd, I wonder what’s tak- “Aero!” We turned around to see Sprocket panting hard at the doors. “We need help.” “What’s wrong?” “That mare you brought back, she just woke up. And believe me, she is tearing the place apart!”