Ch10: Mares dig Giant Robots
A Vivid Dreamer – Ch10
Mares Dig Giant Robots
“Reactor online, sensors online, weapons online. All systems nominal.” Luna opened her eyes when she heard the strange tinny voice of a mare. She found herself seated within an oddly shaped cabin, there were strange lights, screens and switches arrayed around her. Looking over herself Luna found that she was wearing a strange grey jumpsuit, she also had a helmet adorning her head; it had a hole for her horn to slip through. But what was concerning Luna at the moment was that the visor to her helmet was displaying strange symbols, bars and texts. Given that she had another change of wardrobe; Luna deduced that she was once again integrated into the dream. It was then that she noticed the panoramic view the window to the cabin gave her.
Just outside Luna saw what she could only amount to being a dry dock. The lighting outside her cabin was dark but there were still dim lights that allowed her to see the catwalks and scaffolds; they crisscrossed above her and she could see humans walking about. That’s when she noticed the statue to her right, it was a massive bipedal thing; it had legs and what looked like arms but without hands. It reminded her of how Ryan looked but a lot more bulky and constructed out of metal, its features didn’t make sense; blocky with plates placed in odd areas, but it was still freighting to look at. On her left was another statue but it was only a fraction of the size of the first one she spotted; its ‘legs’ were bent backwards, reminding her of the shape of ostrich legs. These were topped but a square ‘head’ but at the front of the head she noticed a glass canopy; looking closely she could see a figure move within. ‘Am I within a statue as well?” Luna mused to herself. Looking past the small statue she noted a bigger one behind it; it was roughly three times larger than the small one she spotted but about the same size as the one she spotted on her right. Luna decided that now was as good a time as any to find the dreamer, so lighting her horn Luna began to search.
Only to find out that he was right in front of her. Looking over the displays, buttons and switches in front of her Luna realized that some of them were built into the back of a seat. Leaning forward and craning her neck Luna was able to peer into the front of the seat, there busy working over some of the mysterious controls was the ‘human’ Ryan. He was wearing a similar jumpsuit to that of Luna’s as well as a similar helmet. Luna decided to make her presences known, “Hello Ryan.”
“AAAAAHHHHHHH-- *Crack* --GAH-- *Thud* sssssssssss… ow.”
“Are you alright?” Luna asked in concern, she was not sure what had just happened but Ryan was busy holding his left elbow with one hand and used the other to clutch a knee. Not knowing what exactly happened, she was fairly certain that she had startled him.
“Ow… yeah I’m fine just jerked a knee and hit my funny bone.”
Luna blinked, “But it wasn’t very funny, it looks like it hurt.”
“No, it’s a nerve in the elbow that when struck causes odd sensations within the body, sorta like pins and needles.”
“Then why is it called a funny ‘bone’?”
Ryan began to turn around to face the direction of the voice, “I’m not really sure, I believe it to be—“his eyes widened in surprise as they meet Luna’s before narrowing. He then returned to a proper seated position facing forward, when he spoke again his tone was a bit flustered, “mechs are supposed to be single pilot, I’m not even sure how you got in without me noticing. I guess I’ll just chalk it up to dream logic.” Luna saw him pull out the modified Bit; this time with an emerald in the center, giving it a flick before catching it again. She couldn’t see the result as he was too far forward. Luna was pulled out of her efforts to see was Ryan was doing when a female voice, not at all tinny but more natural sounding, almost gruff, filled her helmet.
“Alright Diamond Dogs, we are approaching the mission objective. We will be dropping in five mikes.” Ryan began flipping a few more switches and pushed maybe three buttons, before laying his hands on a pair of larger levers. He didn’t turn his head as he began talking again.
“Welp if you wish to stay, you’ll be in for a little adventure. By the way, how do you know when I’m dreaming?” seeing the opportunity to have a little fun Luna craned her neck again to bring he face above Ryan’s other shoulder. In a voice that was just barely a whisper Luna hissed.
“We always know when you’re dreaming.” Luna could help but stifle a giggle when she saw Ryan visibly stiffen and then shudder.
“Okay, not creepy at all. The fact that I have had not only one pony but two prancing about in my head while I’m dreaming is quite disturbing.” In a hushed murmur barely audible to Luna he muttered, “I’m just glad you didn’t see my first few dreams.” Continuing in a to speak in a normal tone, “Why are you prancing around my dreams in the first place?”
“It is our duty to safeguard the dreams of our little ponies.”
“Yes I know, but I’m not a pony so why the interest?”
“Well when we first found your dreams, the differences intrigued me. But it wasn’t until We tried to show your dreams to Celestia that you really caught our attention. Those monsters that we observed were so horrifying that brought Our sister to tears as she shattered the nightmare.”
“That was Celestia?” He brought his hands up across his chest to clasp his shoulders; trying to steady himself as he began to shake. Luna could only frown at this reaction, as he went silent. Just when she about to ask if he was okay, he spoke up again, “The Flood.”
“We beg your pardon?” Luna was uncertain as to what water had to do with those monsters, when he explained.
“They are called The Flood; a parasitic life form that feeds off sentience and is capable of molding flesh to fit it whims.” Luna was trying to wrap her head around how such vile creatures could exist. Luna was busy considering the potential threat that The Flood posed and how it could be dealt with, when her thoughts were derailed again by the mare’s voice within her helmet.
“Alright Dogs, we are above the target, dropping in three… two… one!” Luna’s heart and stomach where fighting for dominance over her throat. The scaffolding and catwalks of the dry dock flew up past the canopy, the glass viewports were suddenly filled with the orange glow of a sunset sky. The horizon slowly creeping upwards, Luna’s internal organs quickly settled themselves when she realised that she was falling. Looking out to her sides, Luna quickly recalled the statues she saw before. But this time they had large black rings fitted around them; each corner of the rings had massive barrel shaped object attached.
“You do realise that we are falling correct? I do not believe that this contraption is capable of flight.” Luna questioned.
“Just give it a moment; it doesn’t need to fly it just needs to land.” There was no doubt excitement was in his voice. Just before Luna could question him again she heard a massive roar erupt from her right. Looking over to the sound Luna spotted the massive statue, but this time the objects at its corners were spewing massive columns of fire and smoke slowing its decent. Luna heard a second roar off to her left and spotted the other two statues doing the same.
“Well since you’re here you might as enjoy the ride. Engaging retros… now!” The cabin Luna occupied was suddenly filled with a similar roar and began to shake violently. Luna suddenly found her stomach sitting in her lap at the sudden deceleration. There was a massive thud and a shudder felt through the cabin, the view outside the cabin was filled with lush green of plains with sparsely spread trees; they looked so small. ‘how high up are we?’ Luna thought as she surveyed the outside of the cabin. That’s when her sight was filled with massive bulk of one of the statues, as it continued to move forward of its own power; each step slow and ponderous with a resounding thud.
“What are those?” Luna didn’t really ask anyone, but Ryan heard it anyway.
“Mechs, that there is an Atlas our heavy hitter. There,” Luna caught Ryan pointing out front to the smaller metal statue sprinting across the trees “is are scout, running a Flea,” pointing to Luna’s left was another mech with massive box shoulders and pointed ‘arms’ “ that’s our brawler a Madcat, and we are fire support in a Vulture.” Luna was awestruck as these massive machines were able to move across the uneven terrain.
“Yes but what are they?”
“Oh, heh, I forgot you wouldn’t know of them. They are… sort of hard to explain, it’s easiest to say that they are machines of war.” With the movement of one of his arms the cabin began shifting left and right and was filled with the sound of repeating thuds; they began moving forward.
“Why would you need things of such size for war, wouldn’t infantry be more subtle?”
“uhm? Think of these as weapons platforms that carry multiple weapons capable or massive destruction. And the easiest way to defeat a mech is with another mech. And currently we are assaulting a mercenary stronghold, know to contain mechs, in order to retrieve The MacGuffin.” There it was again the artifact Luna had learned about in the nightmare. recalling her experiences, not only from the nightmare, but from the other dreams as well, Luna asked the questions that had plagued her the most.
“Why am I not able to influence your dreams? And why is it that when you are aware that you are dreaming you don’t wake up?”
“Wait? You don’t know about lucid dreaming?”
“Lucid dreaming? What is—“ Luna was suddenly interrupted by a harsh sounding male voice that blared into her helmet.
“Enemy mech spotted… tagging.”
“Hold on to that thought I’m going to show you something nopony has ever seen before.” Within Luna’s visor new symbols began to appear, primary among them was a large red rectangle. Luna felt the cabin shift as the green circle in the center of her visor was brought within the red rectangle; a single tone sounded though her helmet as the green circle turned red. When a solid beep responded to the tone, loud whooshing could be heard just outside the glass on either side of the cabin. What Luna saw next were several long cylindrical projectiles travel through the air on columns of smoke. The projectiles arched through the air, meeting up with several more that could be traced back to the Madcat. Luna watched as they landed on another mech, that was framed with red on her visor, as it crested a hill. As each projectile made contact there was an explosion. When the clouds passed Luna could see the other mech’s arms to be missing. Luna gapped at the damage done to something so large, until repeating thunder cracks sounded from the Atlas. Luna was again in awe as she watched the opposing mech getting battered by massive shaped cannonballs, each successful hit mangling the armor of the enemy. The opposing mech started to turn to face Luna and Ryan, but before it could bring its self to bear the cabin was filled with a loud thrum. Luna watched as four lances or bright neon energy reached out to touch the damaged opponent; two blue and two green.
The lances of energy touched the chest of the enemy mech, some from Ryan’s own another four green one from the Madcat and several small red beams. The armor the beams made contact with began to glow bright orange. When the spots began to glow white, slag began falling to the ground. When the lances died down the opponent stood there; missing an arm and covered with glowing holes burned into its chest plating.
A bright white light began shining through the holes in its chest as it began to tip. The enemy mech fell with a reverberating crash. Luna watched as the fallen mech began to glow; rays of white light shone through its joints and back. The light began to glow so intensely Luna covered her eyes with a hoof. When the light suddenly brightened then died, she risked dropping her hoof and opening her eyes. There Luna saw the remains of the attack; what looked like a metal skeleton covered in warped metal, within relatively small crater.
“That was quite the show of destructive potential.” Luna commented dumbstruck by the capabilities of the giant walking machines.
“You think that was impressive? This is just the Wests take on mechanised combat, you should the Easts interpretation. They believe that--” Ryan didn’t get to finish his sentance when he suddenly shook, a large ripple sent through the entirety of the dream. “OOF!”
Luna’s helmet was filled with the tinny mares voice again, “Oy? You better not be asleep there.” As the voice continued to talk it took on a more masculine tone, by the time it finished talking it sounded like a stallion. Luna recognised the events taking place within the dream.
“Someone is trying to wake you, why?”
“Eh… well, I’m not to privy to having ponies waltz about in my dreams so I’ve tried to stay awake at night. instead I’ve kinda been falling asleep while working, and Ingot doesn’t take too kindle to sleeping on the job.” Again the voice sounded through Luna’s helmet, the voice was defiantly that of an aged stallion, it sounded a little too familiar.
“Iffin you don’t wake up by the count of three imma fetchin the BIG hammer. One… ” Luna could only raise an eye brow at the statement as well as the reaction it seemed to garner from Ryan; he was suddenly frantic, searching for something around his seat.
“Two…”
“AH HA! Found it, well it has been nice meeting you again princess, but I must be off.” He gave something under his seat a hard yank. The glass canopy above their heads blew open, and Luna’s chair was violently launched into the air. The massive mech she had just occupied moments ago got smaller and smaller as she rode a chair balanced on a column of fire and smoke. Looking back down she saw the mech engulfed in a white light, there was a sudden burst of light that blinded Luna.
Luna sat there waiting for the light to subside, but after a minute and a half of waiting when nothing happened she hazarded a peek. The reason the light didn’t fade was because Luna was once again on her balcony, her sisters sun sitting on at its zenith basking Luna in its golden glow. So blinking away the spots in her vision Luna began to ponder the events that lead to another ejection from Ryan’s dreams.
“Ingot… Ingot? As in Iron Ingot?” a small slowly crept its way across Luna’s muzzle until it threatened to split her face in two.
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Aw sheit
Pony hooves are rubber balloons filled with coffee grinds.
2627340
That makes all the sense.
2627378
Someone blog posted saying this is how pony hooves might work.
Needless to say, everyone responded with "So... You're saying pony hooves are balloons filled with coffee grounds?"
Great new chapter, can't wait for more!
Yes! Mechwarrior!
Or is it mechassault?Pony hooves work by magic.
2629791
MAGIC: dont gotta explain squat
Heh.
Of course this comment is a bit late, but with all the military-themed dreams he's been having, Ryan clearly forgot a little thing called "OpSec": small bits of Unclassified clues regarding his life being dropped about that any hostile observer could eventually piece together to divine a bunch of major Top Secret info that he needed to keep hidden! Like himself!