I nearly fell out of my bed twice in one week.
The alarms were not like Hush's alarm clock, they were much the louder and the blaring could be heard throughout the Stable. Heck, I didn't even know we had alarms. That meant one thing,
Something has gone horribly wrong!
A feeling that I haven't felt in years stabbed at my heart,
Fear.
Shit! Is Hush ok?
I looked over to see that my brother was sitting up in his bed, probably wondering the same thoughts that were rushing through mine. Except he was still recovering from a nasty hangover.
I hoped that he could hear me as I tried to shout over the alarms
"Hush! You ok?! We need to get out of here and see what is happening!"
He looked at me and flashed an 'ok' signal at me before throwing up on the floor...
The was no time to worry about the bile on the floor right now, something told me that we had to get out as quickly as we can.
But then I thought
Wait, what if we don't come back? What happens if whatever is happening right now is so bad that it forces us to have to evacuate the vault, or even worse, it kills all of us?
I shook of the even idea of that, but just in case, I decided to bring my tool belt and told Hush to grab only what he would need
Hush nodded and rushed over to a drawer, putting different devices I couldn't identify into a duffle bag.
He made his way back to me, this time with the full duffle bag on his back.
Hush handed me a pill bottle labeled 'Rad-x'
"What the hell is this for?!"
I asked with the alarms still sounding in the background
He sloppily signaled back with a hoof on his head, likely from a nasty headache
'Stops radiation, take three.'
I just realized that my Geiger counter was clicking, indicating that there was a good amount of radiation flooding the room.
I took four of the pills to be safe, handed back the bottle,
and once again, I stepped out into the dimly lit hallway of the living quarters.
I was instantly horrified
It looked like half the hallway was melting and the bodies of ponies were strewn left and right
Upon opening the door, our Geiger counters suddenly lit up clicking quicker and loader then before, we were taking large doses of radiation every second we stood around here.
I bolted for the stairs leading up, with Hush close behind me.
On our way, we saw the motionless bodies of ponies, just lying there.
Some looked like they were already rotting away.
What if we never woke up and were doomed to the same fate as these ponies
We ran as fast as our bodies could carry us, and as we ascended the stairs, our Geiger counters began to slow down.
When we reached the top of the stairs, there was still radiation present but very small amounts.
Ponies were crammed in between the two rooms that made up the fourth/ground floor.
Surprisingly, the crowd quickly parted, many of the ponies staring at us and whispering to each other.
I had no idea what they were talking about until I reached the front.
At the door of the Stable was my boss,
Waiting for us.
The mare let out a breath of relief and adjusted her glasses.
Paper Clips had the same monotone face as she always had,
even in a situation like this, her stance never fell
"Good to see that you two are still alive, you two are the only remaining mechanics in this Stable"
She said.
Mechanics? Isn't that a bit generous? I fix pipes and occasionally other things, and Hush fixes terminals and air conditioners.
I thought to myself, guessing it wouldn't be the greatest idea to make a joke right now.
"What the hell is going on right now? What do you mean we're the last "mechanics" in the Stable?!"
I responded, maybe a bit loader then I should of, the again, the Stable was falling apart around us.
Paper Clips continued with a different tone, one I didn't expect from her,
Guilt.
"I was in charge of everything because the Overseer was stepping down.
The main reactor blew last night because I didn't listen to the reports of it being unstable."
She exhaled and looked down at her hooves,
"Instead I continued the use of the Chamber."
That's why she called for Hush and I! It was to make sure the Chamber didn't explode!
That would have been great knowledge before we could have potentially died...
"The first idea was to evacuated everypony out of the Stable, it's too late to fix anything now,
but we can't leave the Stable because there isn't enough power left to open the Stable door."
She checked her Pipbuck before continuing
"I sent some ponies to attempt to turn on the backup generator on the second floor half an hour ago,
but they haven't made it back,
so I took a gamble and used our remaining power to sound the alarms, hoping that at least one of you were still alive."
I just realized that the alarms had stopped sounding.
Not much power at all.
"Who did you send out?"
I asked
Clips answered, quickly but quietly
"I sent out the hex siblings and somepony on the S.C.F. who volunteered to help them."
Shit, we really are the only ponies left who can save them.
I have an annoying feeling that we're all going to die
"So I'm supposed to go back down into the radiation wave that is eating away at the Stable and turn on this backup generator which is going to give us enough power to open the Stable door"
I wondered aloud, pausing for a brief moment before I carried on
"This is the task that a mechanic, a technician and a S.C.F. officer failed to complete but you expect a single plumber/mechanic to do this?"
Paper Clips nodded slowly
Ah there's that wonderful feeling again, regret!
"What if I'm killed?"
I finished
"Then we'll remember you, that is if you actually get the power working and we don't die."
Clips replied
Hush and I were both slightly taken aback by her comment.
I don't want to die, every pony feels the same way, even if they don't say so. I didn't want to be born in this Stable, told to work a job I never wanted to do from a very young age. I would have loved to die with happy and surrounded by friends and family, but no matter what I did, you couldn't escape an early death brought on by the Chamber. I would have liked to have someone to love. I would have like to stand by Hush to make sure has a good future.
Yet here I am, probably going to die and be forgotten by everyone
"Fine I'll do it."
I remarked, not knowing how low my chances of survival actually were.
As I prepared for possibly my last job, I took the last of Hush's RadX
Thank whatever deity that controls this world that my brother is dating a doctor!
I thought to myself, trying to brush of the idea of death that was looming in my mind.
Looking at the pill bottle in my hoof, I found myself smiling.
At least Hush doesn't have to do this, even if I die today, I'll make sure he survives this.
I signaled 'I wont die' to Hush with hoof sign,
he didn't respond, just gave me a concerned smile.
He had a face that was worried but hopeful.
I waved to Paper Clips and made my way to the stairs.
Eyes stared at me as I went, some with hope in their eyes, some worried, and some disappointed.
These were the eyes of ponies I was tasked to save.
There's that feeling again!
I could feel the radiation hit me as I made my way down a floor
Even with the medicine, I could feel the radiation grow stronger with each step lower.
With ever step the weight of my decision grew heavier as well
It felt like I was walking deeper and deeper into the core of a planet, the Stable got hotter and hotter.
I finally reached the second floor, almost tripping over a pony's body in the process.
It looked fresh, compared to the other bodies I've seen up to this point, this one wasn't as affected by the radiation yet
I guess Hush and I weren't the only one's who were woken up by the alarms.
The pony's face was twisted into a look of pure fear and confusion.
The idea of what she must have felt in her last moments scared me a bit.
I faintly remember who this corpse used to be, I think she was a waitress at 'The Hole in a Hole'
Her name had something to do with birds I think.
It's hard to believe that someone you see every other day is now dead right in front of you, even if you never bothered to get to know them.
For I reason I don't know, I didn't repulse or look away from the body, I just stood there for a minute, my mind blank.
I should be having a mental breakdown right now, or at least throwing up,
but somehow I feel unaffected by the fact that this situation is real.
Unless this is what it's like to have a mental breakdown
The clicking of my Geiger counter snapped me out of my trail of thought.
If I keep on wasting time, everypony's going to die!
I stepped over the mare and quickly made my way onto the second floor.
I rushed through the second floor, a place I would come everyday since the day I was born, but now might never see again.
A place that is now in chaos.
Judging by the dark smoke that was blowing out of the floor vents, the first floor is still in a radioactive blaze.
The smoke was making it hard to read the names of the rooms I passed, and breath.
My throat and skin began to itch and sting with pain, and my eyes were starting to water,
I couldn't tell if it was the radiation or the death around me that caused that last one.
I hurried past numerous bodies, some I could recognize, some I might of seen there faces somewhere
I passed a body with the orange and purple mane of Hex Code,
meaning that I'm getting closer to my destination.
I made my way past the Cafeteria, a certain Mr. Handy unit was keeping the door from closing.
Finally,
I made my way to the last room at the end of the corridor.
The radiation levels increasing slightly the closer I got to the door.
This has to be it.
There on the un-powered sign above the door read Emergency Power
Bingo!
I opened the door only to be blasted with an immense surge of radiation.
The heat alone forced me to cover my watering eyes,
fighting against the rays, I made my way step by step to the large furnace-like machine that called the backup generator.
Reaching the generator, I removed my hoof from my eyes only to allow them to have another reason to cry.
There in front of me was the S.C.F. officer that volunteered to help the Hex siblings,
A mare I used to know named Taser.
I wanted to scream, or do anything, but I knew that wouldn't change what I was seeing in front of me.
Taze's body was leaned on a corner of the machine, her body was heavily affected by the radiation.
Her skin was beginning to dry up and fall off, her hair was falling out, and it looked like some of her flesh was already rotting away.
At least she looked like she died peacefully.
Stop
I knelt down a laced a hoof on my deceased friends face,
she had a peaceful smile.
I can't...
A tear rolled down my cheek as the memories of my childhood rushed back
Stop Thinking About IT!
It took every will and muscle in my body to stand back up.
I have a job to do.
"Goodbye Taze, it's been fun."
Goodbye my friend.
I wanted to say something anything else to calm myself down, but the radiation stung my throat and made my head throb in pain.
If I keep wasting time, I'm gonna die...
I unconsciously made my way to the control terminal,
Hex Wrench's body was clasping to the keyboard.
I gently placed his remains on the ground and booted up the terminal,
only to be met with a screen that said Enter Password>_
Fuck!
I screamed in my head, as I banded a hoof on the metal surface of the machine
Thinking is starting to hurt...
I looked back over at Taze's body, about to give up, when I realized something:
Her hoof was pointing to he Pipbuck, which shown the words <Recording Finished>
Taze, I would kiss you right now if you weren't dead!
Shit, did I just think that?
That might be the radiation getting to me...
I took the holotape from Taze's Pipbuck, inserted it into my own and hit play.
Taze's welcoming voice sounded in the small room.
"Hello whomever finds this tape, I'm Taser, or I'm probably now the body that you took this tape from.
Anyway, I'm going to hope that you're Spazzy. The terminal to my left is to activate this generator, the
terminal needs this password that Wrench gave me before he passed out, I think he's dead. Anyway,
The password is 'ShitHitTheFan'...
Huh, well isn't that appropriate?
I think I might be dying now. Best of luck with whatever you need this generator for, and if you are Spazzy,
good luc-"
The recording ended there.
Taze was truly an amazing mystery that could never be solved.
She was crazy, but not psychological.
I inputted the code into the terminal and the system logged in.
I don't really know if I should curse out or praise fate right now...
The next screen had some text about the makers of the terminal and a link that said />Start Generator.
Upon clicking it, there was a rumble within the machine, fire spit out of the furnace and the power turned on again.
I would have felt joy in a moment like this,
but the indescribable pain that followed was horrible.
I fell from the keyboard and clenched my body.
The medication must have worn off because I felt the full force of the radiation in seconds.
It felt like my insides were in a high-powered microwave and I became extremely disoriented, my head felt like it was being crushed.
All I could think at that moment was:
I'm going to die.
I wanted to run as fast as I could to safety, but everything hurt too much as I limped through the second floor.
I wanted to get back to Hush and my everypony else, but the pain was driving me to want to end it all.
I wondered if it would be easier if I just laid there and died...
NO! I promised that I would survive to Hush, no to everyone!
My head was hurting more and more, I was starting to see things.
The hallway kept getting blurrier and blurrier the more I walked and some of the bodies began to twitch and move.
I managed to make it to the stairwell, but I coughed up a lot of blood and collapsed.
I laid there in a puddle of my own blood and sweat, all I could do was think:
I really am going to die here aren't I?
I guess I couldn't keep my promise Hush.
Hopefully you and Doll have a good life together.
At least I can die knowing that I saved everyone.
I thought to myself as a tear went down my face.
Wow, even crying hurts now.
Everything was fading away, it was getting really hard to think and I couldn't move an inch.
I saw pony walking toward me from the hallway, or it might be the radiation playing with my mind.
the figure stopped at my body and it felt like as if I was being picked up.
I closed my eyes, the world was black and peaceful for a moment.
When I opened them again, I saw that I was being carried up the stairs.
Could this stranger be saving me?
I thought to myself before I closed my eyes again
judging by how I could hear voices growing loader, the fourth floor is getting closer!
Suddenly, I was dropped, I didn't feel my impact onto the stairs because of the pain I was already feeling.
Something must have happened to my unknown savior because I heard something heavy roll down the stair well behind me.
It really is the end
I was so close to everypony too...
I'm... really... getting.... tired.
I could feel myself drifting off.
I could see the tile floor of the shower again,
the sound of water sounded faintly in my ears.
"Fuck It"
I muttered in a raspy voice, each word burning my throat.
I can't just give up like this!
I'm not going to have some stranger carry my sorry ass up these stairs, and then die because they weren't able to finish!
said the same small, raspy voice in my head.
I turned my body around and began to crawl up the stairs.
My Joints that I moved felt like it was being ripped apart.
My Organs felt like they were being scraped against a cheese grater.
My Senses were being assaulted to the point of not working.
My Brain hurt so much that every thought I had felt like a bomb going off in My Head.
But I kept going!
They were the most painful nine steps I had to ever endure.
I wanted to die, but I wouldn't let myself.
That little raspy voice in my head kept on dishing out the motivational insults.
I kept on going.
I finally made it to a clearing.
Nine more steps to go!
Thankfully, a group of ponies who were waiting at the top say me and helped me up before I could injure myself even more.
That is also when I realized how fucked up my body had gotten.
As I was picked up, I could literally feel my organs sink downward.
Ow, Holy Shit OOOWWW!
Ponies stared in wonder, joy, and surprise as I was lifted through the crowd.
I don't blame any of them for being surprised.
I was brought to the front where Paper Clips, Hush and Doll were waiting for me at the front,
I must have been looking like shit because Doll looked like she was about to have a stroke.
I felt like Shit...
Paper Clips fixed her glasses and cleared her voice, saying:
"You did good Speak Easy."
I didn't realize that she was kind enough to actually use my real name,
a name I didn't here for most of my life.
But, being the idiot that I am, I responded
"I bet your real proud, sitting up here with a thumb up your useless ass expecting me to die down there but at least save it."
I really hope I said that because of the radiation exposure, or I'm really going crazy.
Regardless, It felt amazing to say!
I'm lucky I passed out before I could hear her response.
Here I am again, using some stranger's shower.
I was standing up again.
The water was nice, it was warm and it felt good on my coat.
I was breathing slowly however.
The time suddenly stopped,
the water froze mid air and the world stood in silence.
Steam flowed out of the drain and spread all throughout the tight space before making it's way up and over the door, leaving the glass fogged up.
Voices entered where the steam left, there where tens, no, hundreds of them, all whispering the same sentence:
"Pay Attention"
The faces of ponies began to appear and disappear in the fogged windows, most belonged to the bodies I saw on the second floor,
including Taze...
The voices continued to chant quietly, some giggled at my reaction to seeing Taze's face again.
Then, all the ponies' faces went away, leaving only one, it was a stalion with a dark blue mane, a brownish-green coat and bright blue eyes.
He wasn't anypony I could recognize, he wasn't a pony from Stable 45, that's for sure.
The voices stopped chanting,
but a mare's familiar voice said clearly into my ear:
"He's Next"
The world spun out of control with the hundreds of voices laughing with evil glee in the background.
I returned to the original bathroom shower scene, no fogged glass, no hundreds of vices whispering in my ear,
Just the sound of water droplets hitting the tile floor of the shower.
My head felt heavy and slow however, and something inside me told me to look at my hooves...
I lifted my hoof to my face,
it was covered in a thick red liquid.
Blood.
Am I bleeding?
Was all I could manage before I felt my body go limp.
As I fell, the world went black.
I woke up with sweat rolling sown my face and I was breathing heavy.
Where was I?
I came too somewhere different, it wasn't the Stable, the ceiling was higher...
I looked around a bit, It looked like one of those pre-war offices that were always in Stable-Tec commercials.
It looked like a private office, and judging by the hardness, I was laid on a hard wooden surface, likely a desk.
There was a needle in my arm that led to a bag filled with an unknown or orange liquid that read RadAway
Well at least that part's easy to figure out
There was also a tray beside the desk with empty bags of RadAway and empty syringes.
Wait... I'm not in pain?
Looking at my body, I could see that I had a few very large cuts down my chest, now being held closed by thread an staples.
Are those office staples?
I looked up and around the room I was now in
In the corner of the room sat a mare in a surgeon outfit, a mask dangling from her neck.
Doll was reading a magazine about medicine and had a pair of earblooms plugged into her Pipbuck.
Is there radio stations outside the Stable?
In the other corner was a coat rack sporting a single doctors coat, Doll's.
It was caked in dry and fresh blood on the sleeves, the original white was yellowing.
Is it mine?
She must have realized my wondering eyes because she put down her magazine, stood up from the chair and spoke up.
"I see that your finally awake."
"You feeling better?"
"More or less."
I responded, my voice cracking a bit but relatively back to it's original, non raspy self.
Doll gave me a friendly smile, almost as is she was exclaiming 'Happy Birthday' at a foal's party, and said:
"Welcome to the outside world Speak Easy"
Perk Gained:
Mini Motivator- You now have a little motivator in your head that helps to get things done!
+Critical chance, +Speech success skill, +Barter Skills, -Self Respect
Perk Gained:
Rad Resistance (rank 1)- You have experienced some genuine radiation! Your encounter has given you some resistance!
+25% Rad Resistance
Perk Gained:
Rad Resistance (rank 2)- You almost became a ghoul, Be more careful! Your encounter has given you some resistance!
+50% Rad Resistance