“Is that black stuff supposed to come out of a wound...?” I felt my knees suddenly get weak as I was a little nauseous of my clearly infected bite. I turned up to Marcus as I fell to my knees on the concrete. He turned to look at me and scrambled to help but it was clear I was down for the count with this injury. I started to get the tingling sensation in my hooves, you know, that feeling ponies get when parts of their body fall asleep and they can’t feel their hooves. I shivered and started sweating. I was unable to move, what if I could never walk again?? What will become of my sister? Or these ponies I helped?
Meanwhile Aurora examined my wound. She touched my hooves and asked me if I could move them. I shook my head and Aurora said something about me getting bit by a bloodbug to Marcus and that he needs to bring some Buck, a strength enhancing med from before the war, to her and he started searching packs. A few minutes later he returned with a bottle and gave it to Aurora. She put a few tablets in my mouth and I swallowed them. The effect was immediate as I felt blood rush to my hooves again and the tingling feeling went away. I set one hoof on the ground and lifted my body up.
“I think I can handle it now... Thank you Aurora, Marcus, you two probably saved my life...” I smiled and hugged both of them tightly, Aurora got quite hot and I noticed her blushing. I also realized I was probably oozing onto them and pulled away.
“I don’t know if buck is always going to be the answer but here, take this bottle for now. If you don’t feel your hooves, take a pill.” She handed over the bottle and it seemed to be about half full of pills. “I think we should take her to Newport Harbor and see if we can flush the poison with the surgeon over there. It's a little dangerous over there, but all I can do here is clean out and bandage this wound. It may take a few weeks to flush but-...”
I cut her off mid-sentence, “No, no. It’s okay. All I need done is to have this wound cleaned. I personally think the poison isn’t that bad, I can probably walk it off over time.” Aurora looked down; probably I had hurt her feelings since she just wanted to help, but I was a little nervous I would get stuck in some building forever when I need to be out looking for my sister. And that wasn’t an option for me. She had to be somewhere out there, I knew it and I didn’t want to waste time in my search.
“But your personal diagnosis doesn’t matter, Aurora is the doctor here. You should listen to her,” Curie spoke up for the first time since we left the building and I glanced over at her, feeling a little rude.
“I think I will take my chances. I have plenty of other important stuff that I can do rather than get my system flushed of poison that is fixed with one tablet of buck.” Adding further insult to injury.
“Important things like?” Curie raised an eyebrow.
After she said that I thought for a moment about my priorities. I looked at all the ponies around me who had been trapped in the building by the raiders. I looked at Aurora who seemed to want to keep me alive for, what, for me saving them one time? These are good ponies. Was I going to be so selfish as to just look for my sister and abandon the them despite all the evil in this world? I thought about this to myself and, slowly, finding my sister became less of a priority than saving these ponies from the wasteland that plagues their lives with fear.
[Misc Quest Added: “Wasteland Savior?”]
Marcus shook his head. “It doesn’t matter, we need somewhere to stay, so we are leaving soon.” He turned to me. “You don’t have to come with us if you don’t want to. You’ve already exceeded my expectations as a wastelander, but I am going to take the rest of my group to a place called The Sanctuary up the road. You can join us if you want.” He nodded to the rest of the group and they all moved to follow him, except for Aurora who waited in front of me.
Curie turned back for a moment and nodded to Aurora, who spoke up, “If I were you, I’d come with us. The wasteland is no place to travel alone, Oscura.” And with that she followed the rest of the group. I took a quick look at the power armor in the pit. As useful as it seemed, there wasn’t much I could do with a drained fusion core, not being able to move it and all. Plus, the whole side was dented in, so I covered it with some old curtain I pulled from a store window on the street and left it
--- 0 ---
I had ended up following them and sticking beside Curie and Aurora at the end of the small group. The light was leaving the grey clouds that covered us as day turned to afternoon. I wouldn’t say I was afraid of the dark, but I was a little cautious, especially after the surprise attack by a pack of wild dogs on the road. It made me wary of anything that resembled movement in the treeline as we walked. After a bit, I had noticed we were going up the road I came on and decided to ask questions.
“So, Curie or Aurora, whoever can answer, what’s so special about The Sanctuary?”
Aurora spoke up first, “We don’t know a lot since we have never been there ever, but it’s apparently an old neighborhood from before the bombs that has roofs to sleep under and probably hasn’t been looted yet.” She had a happy skip in her step after the last part. “It probably has some medical supplies too. Just you wait mom, I’ll show you that earth ponies can be doctors too. If a unicorn can do it, so can I.” She said that in a hushed voice and I begun to get an idea of why she, became a doctor in the first place.
“Oh, and don’t forget about the unopened Stable too! Stable 111, what a marvel of engineering! Of course we’d need some assistance opening it. But I suppose we can figure that out when we see the Stable with our own eyes. But all that can wait because I’m quite excited to see a stable.” Curie was practically drooling, but quickly regained her composure and shook her head. “Er uh, speaking of Stable’s, where did you get that Stable Suit and Pipbuck Oscura? The last time a set of Stable barding made it out into the wasteland was when the original group of Gunners who came from Stable 75 sold theirs in Lucky City. But as far as I know, all those were sold almost immediately and not one has been seen in the Neighvada Commonwealth since. Those Gunners tend to be really nasty, and it seems that most folk who come from Stables tend to be a sort of shoot-on-sight bunch.”
That made me flinch a little and rethink what I was gonna say next, “Well, it was my mother’s suit and Pipbuck. She never really said where she got it though, sorry.” I had to think fast on that response.
“That’s a good thing, if you were a Stable pony, I don’t know if we’d be able to trust you. It probably wouldn’t matter that you saved us since you could be just tricking us. The Gunners, other Stable folk, being such a blight on the wasteland and all...” Aurora smiled and I just tugged my leather jacket tighter onto my back and covering the big ‘111’ on my back. If they found out I literally just left the ‘unopened Stable’, I could lose the only friends I’ve managed to find at all.
Marcus turned around and our small group stopped, the neighborhood I had explored and looted was just up ahead (it made me feel bad since Aurora thought it was still unlooted, but I’m sure I’ve missed most of it). “Looks like we are here everyone. Since none of you have probably made a new settlement, the first two orders of business is to loot and clear the area of possible threats. Stay on your guard. Mama Bloom, come with me, I’ll keep you safe.” He nodded to an elderly pony that I had seen back at the museum who seemed to have bad eyesight. He was stern but understanding.
Aurora started to raise a hoof but Marcus called back. “I’m sorry Doc, Oscura will have to wait a little longer before you can check out her wound again. We will need all the pony power we have to search the town and clear it before nightfall. Make teams of 2 to clear the neighborhood. We will check the Stable out and see what we can do to get it open as soon as the sun comes up.” He trotted off with his Laser rifle and started looking around.
“It’s okay Aurora. I’ll be fine for a bit longer.” I patted her on the back and she nodded.
“Okay I suppose.” She nodded, “I’ll go with y-”
Curie cut her off, “Oscura, come with me to clear a few homes, I wanna tell you something important.”
“Uh well I was going to go with Aurora to look around...” I half smiled and gestured behind me to Aurora who seemed to be a little bashful now that we were in relative safety.
“Is that true?” Curie peered around me at the little Aurora.
“N-No it’s okay, I’ll just go with Ares. I need to check out his leg anyway.” She blushed and shuffled away to the pony who had been shot in the leg before the Museum. He was a deep red color with a grey mane and as they trotted off I noticed a bandage around his hoof. She must’ve fixed him up while I cleared the raiders outside.
“Looks like we are a team.” I turned back to Curie.
“It would appear so...” We started walking toward a house.
“So, what was that all about? And why did Aurora not want to go with me?”
Curie rolled her eyes, “wow, you must not see it. She likes you. Though she’s good at hiding it.” I tilted my head in confusion. “She yanno, like-likes you. Like why are you looking at me like It’s a stupid concept?”
A little appalled by her insult I looked away, “I guess it just seems weird for me to think that mares like other mares in that way. To be honest I think she is a great mare. She is smart and has a good heart, but I’m not in love with her or anything.”
“Well it’s weird to me that you like bucks. Bucks bring nothing but trouble.” She kicked in the door to the house and we trotted in as she continued her thought. “All they do is get ya pregnant, then what? How are you supposed to take care of a whining and crying filly in anywhere short of Lucky City, the answer is that you can’t. You’ll be dead the moment a raider hears your filly’s crys. And it won't be pleasant either. Though sometimes there will be a one in a million ‘good stallion’ and Marcus is one of them. He took Mama Bloom with him because he cares about the elderly and he cares about mares. It isn’t so often that ya find a guy like that in this wasteland.” She spoke as if this wasn’t her home.
I nodded silently as we finished up a bare minimum sweep of the house. All that Curie said makes sense. They were all good reasons to not get with bucks and I told myself I’d at least think about Aurora some. “So, why did you want me on your team instead of Auroras if that's what you think?”
“I think that I at least needed to say something to ya before you went and broke her heart without even knowing. And to save you the pain of having to figure these things out for yourself. After all It’s only your first week out in the wasteland.”
“Wha. How did you know?” I slowly began to feel a pit in my stomach form. Is she gonna kill me?
“Let’s just say I have connections in high places.” She looked up at the sky as she ignited a glowing spell on her horn, illuminating the area as it grew dark. I wondered if she had a connection to the Goddesses or something since I just noticed she was a unicorn. It was also for the first time that I noticed she had a white coat with a silver mane. She also wore a jacket like me but hers was a little longer. She also had a saddle pack that covered her flanks neatly. “Or at least I used to, I know that Stable 111 wasn’t opened and I caught a glimpse of the 111 on your back some time ago when your jacket was looser. Plus I don’t think I’d ever fall for your story about a family heirloom or something since Stable suits are so rare. Also, yes, the rest of the ponies would probably kill you if they found out so don’t tell them, or take of the suit soon. You were a Stable dweller, but you’re not any more. Your secret is safe with me. I’ll do my best to direct you if you need help with something since I’ve been out here several years. Also I’ll keep you out of trouble with Marcus.”
I nodded and felt my muscles loosen after hearing this, “So were you a Stable dweller too?”
“Not exactly, but I do know what it’s like to be surprised by a world you weren’t born into.” Then she got quiet.
As we rounded the corner into another room we noticed a gaping hole in the floor. The hole was filled with an ominous green glow like I had seen in the Museum. Though unlike the museum, the hole was just a hole. I couldn’t see any cage at the bottom or magical power generator. When I looked down, there was only a tunnel and I saw a wisp of grey-black hair round the bend into said tunnel. “...Gris...?” I said it under my breath as I looked down, but the moment the hair was around the corner, the light was gone. The hole was pitch black.
“Who is Gris?” Curie was still looking down the hole but was fully invested in what she just asked.
“Uh,” I switched on my pipbuck light and started walking down the slope to the bottom of the hole where the tunnel was, “It’s a bit of a long-ish story.”
“That’s okay, we have some time.” She pressed as I rolled my eyes.
“Well a little bit before I left the Stable some ponies in suits came down there. They came down alongside this buck and took Gris. She is my sister and I left the Stable to rescue her from whoever kidnapped her. But just recently I’ve figured out I have absolutely nothing to go on. I don’t even know where to start looking.” I more or less pouted as we descended into the hole.
“Well, if I was looking for someone, I’d head to Lucky City. There is a detective there that supposedly is good for finding kidnapped ponies. Here, let me mark the location on your pipbuck map.”
“You can mark locations??” She nodded and I held out my hoof for her. She just finished up marking it when I heard a faint rumble.
“What is that?” A giant hairless rat broke from the wall of dirt beside us with a screech and both Curie and I screamed our heads off. What? That’s terrifying!
I pulled out my pistol and engaged S.A.T.S. to fight the fast enemy, targeted three shots to its head, and fired. The rat died mid-air after it lunged at me. Phew. Then two more came out of the walls behind us and darted after us, cutting off the exit. I was still recovering from the last use of S.A.T.S. so I couldn’t use it to get a clear shot on them. Curie and I ran deeper into the hole and rounded the bend into the tunnel I saw my sister go down.
“C’mon, this way.” I led Curie down the tunnel as she was pulling out a weird pistol that I had I knew only the army used. I couldn’t fathom how she got it. It had streaks of green and little green tubes running down the side. Curie stopped running and turned as the rats caught up to us. She shot two shots of green energy and each his a rat, melting it into a pile of green goo.
I jumped back and gasped, “Where did you get that?? Only the military used those.” I was still a little stunned by its power.
“Oh, you know, my mom gave it to me,” She grinned, referencing my story earlier.
I mumbled something about sarcasm under my breath and sighed,“Well either way, that was a good shot, thank you. I probably wouldn’t have been able to take em out.”
“Anytime,” we turned around and saw a flickering light down the tunnel. “Any idea what that might be?”
“No clue.” I started walking down the tunnel and saw a big trailer that was half buried with the words ‘EMERGENCY WATER’.
“It’s a water supply!” I started running down to the flickering light which turned out to be caused by its power capacitors. Curie came down after me and gasped.
“I think this is one of the old trucks they distributed in case of emergency before the war. This one must’ve fallen underground somehow but I have no idea how.” Curie was once again drooling at the tech. We rummaged through it and came up empty handed though, no water at all. Even the water spell matrix was missing its program terminal(Though it was otherwise intact).
“Looks like my luck has run short on this one..” I frowned and looked at the useless piece of junk.
“Whoa whoa whoa. What are you talking about? This is one of the rarest things you can find in the wasteland. There is only one other truck like this in the Commonwealth and even if it’s broken, I’m positive I can fix it. Given the right parts of course.” Curie smiled triumphantly at me. “Though program terminals are very rare and hard to move. Though I might know of a place that might have one, and has the means to move it.”
“So, if I go get it, can you fix this machine so we can provide water to the settlement?”
Curie nodded, “Actually we can provide water for the whole Los Pegasus population. These things are capable of pumping out liters upon liters of clean water in a matter of minutes. There were only two in the whole city because it only took two to quench the city at peak population. It’s weird that both trucks have been destroyed. You’d think ponies would want the water. Though this one is in considerably good shape.” She looked over the machinery inside, “This one has only the program terminal missing, so it should still be able to pump water out at max capacity.”
“It’s that useful? If that’s the case, we need to fix this thing up. We could give the whole population of the commonwealth clean drinking water, not to mention our own settlement. So where is this place that might have one?”
“I’ll tell you when we discuss it with Marcus. Up top. For now, let’s head back.”
I nodded and we started back where we came from, “By the way, how did you learn all of this?”
“I just read it in a book somewhere.” But that’s all I got out of her as she shut up after that, clearly not wanting me to ask questions about her past.
--- 0 ---
“So, let me get this straight. We found a water truck? And you know how to fix it?” Marcus and curie had been going back and forth for the past couple minutes about the truck.
Curie smiled and nodded, “Yep! But the only problem is we need a part that Gizmo has. And you know as much as me that he’s not gonna give it up.”
I just sat in the corner of the room, listening, as Aurora was scraping out the black gunk from my wound with a knife and pouring water on it to clean it out. I had taken a buck pill a half hour ago or so but my chest still was numb. I hadn’t been able to feel anything since New Concord.
“Right... So what’s the plan?” Marcus rubbed his hoof on his chin and looked down.
“We send him someone he doesn’t know of course!” She turned to me. “That’s where you come in Oscura.”
“So who is Gizmo? I’m glad you want me to help and all but I don’t know anything about him.”
“That’s the point. He won’t be suspicious of someone new! Just know he owns the only Casino in Newport Harbor and basically runs the entire settlement. He’s the one who has the Program Terminal. That’s like basic knowledge. Everypony knows that, but don’t bring up the Terminal in casual conversation.” Curie seemed a little serious about him. I didn’t understand what Marcus and Curie did to prevent them from going back to Gizmo.
Aurora stood as soon as she finished wrapping my chest in bandages, I zipped up my jumpsuit and made sure no one could see the number on my back.
“I want to go too. I just joined your group last month. I don’t know Gizmo so whatever you two can’t do, I can. Plus, I will have to change her bandages in a few days anyways. All the more reason to go.” She nodded.
“Don’t worry Aurora, I was about to suggest that you go with Oscura. She will probably need some help along the way. I want to talk to you privately before you leave though.”
“Nobody is leaving yet. I want the both of you to get a good night’s sleep before you go.” Marcus frowned, “Everyone else is asleep and it’s nearly midnight. I think your chances of survival are much higher if you sleep and wait till morning. And Oscura, you can still be the General if you like. The Minutebucks need a new face to wipe away the failures of the old system and you are perfect for the position. At least think of my offer before you sleep tonight.”
“Alright... I will. Thank you.” I walked out, and started heading towards one of the unoccupied homes, planning on taking it as my own when Aurora stopped me.
“Um Oscura, can you sleep in my house tonight, since we will be leaving together tomorrow?”
We got into bed and I thought about all that happened today. About how lucky I was to run into Marcus’ group. This was just my first day out of the Stable though, with more to come. I also thought about Marcus’ offer. I wanted the position but I wasn’t sure If it would keep me from finding Gris.
Just as I said that, a place came to mind where Gris could be. Our old home at the Lucky Spinners. It’s unlikely that her captors would take her there but I found it possible that she could go there if she managed to escape. I yawned. I guess I could think about it tomorrow, I was tired.
“Goodnight Oscura, I’m glad to have met you.”
“I’m glad I met you too. Night.”
[End of Day 1]
0oo0
Voting:
A- Oscura decides she will take the job as general and use the minutemen to help the Commonwealth while she tries to find her sis(She will still be going to Newport)
B- Oscura goes to Newport and along the way helps other ponies
C- Oscura goes to Newport for a special quest line
D- Oscura goes directly to the Silver Spinners for a Special Quest line
(Happy Voting!)
(Author Note: Phew, it’s finally done. After a week and a half of grudging work, the shortest and perhaps worst chapter has been written. But Alas, it was required to further the plotline. I didn’t enjoy this chapter at all though due to the minimal action. It was more or less opening up big pot holes to fill in later so I can make the story more interesting.
But yeah, this chapter is the most important one for plot development. Even in the options. One of the voting options is the “morally good” option and one is the bad one. Then there are two uh, neutral ones. So the chapter options are important too.
Well, anyways, I hope you enjoyed. Please vote for chapter 4 and like the book so more people can vote and whatnot!)