Chapter Three: Vigilant
Unknown
Chapter Three: Vigilant
Fire. Fire everywhere, with smoke clouding my vision and the flames licking my legs. I couldn't feel it yet, but I knew I would soon.
I couldn't move: I was tied to something, my arms behind my back, and I could do nothing to free myself.
All around me people laughed and talked vigorously, paying no attention to me as I slowly burned.
The flames were growing larger. They looked like snakes as they began to wrap around my torso, waiting for the right moment to sink their teeth into my flesh.
One of the people separated themselves from the crowd and walked over to me, drink in hand. He spoke to me in an unfamiliar tongue, and when I didn't respond, he threw his drink in my face. It smelled and tasted like gasoline.
The flames began to grow. My suit began to melt, and the molten metal and Kevlar were burning holes right through my body. I looked up into his eyes, and saw my melting face reflected in his eyes. He smiled.
I smiled back, and waited for the end, silent except for the sound of sizzling flesh.
Juggernauts never screamed.
\\\\\
With a jolt, I woke up.
My heart was beating a mile a minute, and I could hear its echo within my skull. I sat up and removed my helmet, ripping the gas mask off as soon as I could. I rested my head in my hands.
If this was what normal people experienced on a daily basis upon going to sleep, I did not envy them. I wished that I could go back to my dreamless unconsciousness within the cryogenic chamber, but that was a feat I doubted I could accomplish.
Send me to war, and my heartbeat would only be slightly elevated; put me to sleep, and it was the loudest part of me. I eyed the discarded gas mask, then the gift basket beside me.
To eat, I had to remove my gas mask. I had already done this a few times without consequence, so I figured that if the air was poisonous, I would be dead already. Even if the effects took time to present themselves, I had been a dead man walking for most of my remembered days.
My hunger was the final push in my decision. I grabbed one of the fruits and sniffed it tentatively. I couldn't place it, but it smelled different. Fresh. I bit into it and was surprised by the crisp and coolness of the flesh and how much juice there was—the cold that continued to radiate from the chambers probably had something to do with it. Sweet, but also tart. The flavour burst on my tongue as juice dribbled down my chin.
It was the single greatest thing I could remember tasting.
I devoured almost the entire fruit. There were some small, black seeds within the center that I didn't bother with, instead choosing to spit them out. The center of the fruit was a bit nearly as delicious as the rest, but it was still a step above any of the food within the kitchen.
I grabbed another one. Then another one. And another one.
I forced myself to stop after the fourth one resided comfortably within my stomach. There was roughly twenty of the fruits still left in the basket, and I wanted to conserve them for as long as possible. I had to force myself away from them. I grabbed my helmet and put it on as an added layer of discouragement.
I thought about what the fruit and large article of clothing were meant to represent. It was obviously some sort of appeasement. Food and shelter perhaps? Was the fabric meant as a blanket?
I unfolded it. It was square and roughly twice my height in both directions. I couldn't feel the texture with my gloves on, but it was strong enough to resist my attempt to tear it. I could think of many future uses for it already.
Did the creatures know I was alone? Where I slept?
I stopped breathing and listened, suddenly paranoid. How much had they explored? What did they know?
To take my mind off of the possibilities, I walked through the kitchen, purposefully avoiding the blood trail that acted somewhat like a escape route embedded in the floor. I passed the body of the man wearing the chef's apparel, still impaled like a spit roast. A felt a small pang of guilt as I kept walking.
At some point, I'd have to start cleaning up the mess of blood and guts from the various people and creatures. They should've begun to decompose already, but the ship remained unnaturally cold, and preserved the tissue from rotting, so I felt in no rush to become the janitor. I was concerned about the lack of corpses, however: On a ship this size, the crew should've numbered in the hundreds, but I had only found half a dozen bodies at most.
That also brought up the question of where they all slept.
The left side of the ship, the parts of which I was most familiar with, consisted of the Cryogenic Chamber Room, the kitchen, the Arming Room, and one entrance to the hangar. On the right side, there was the Cockpit, the massive Engine Room, and the other avenue of access into the launching bay. Nowhere that I had seen was there sleeping accommodations for non-Juggernaut personnel.
After paranoia made me check the hangar, and I confirmed that no creatures were within, I returned to the Cockpit and started digging through the wreckage. There had to be some sort of entrance hidden from view; I could feel it, a nagging sensation that I was missing something in plain sight.
When I pushed aside a large piece of machinery that I was unfamiliar with, I saw an out-of-place, smooth piece of metal protruding from the wall. I stared at it for several seconds before realizing what it was.
A lever. Feeling a strange sense of trepidation, I grabbed it and pulled down.
The whir of machinery, loud within the dead ship, heralded a trap door's awakening beneath my feet. I quickly stepped backwards, crunching some now-worthless computer parts beneath my boots. The trap door raised with an ominous slowness, squeaking as it did. I waited until the whirring stopped before bending over and examining the depths.
I saw several stairs leading downward, but the floor and anything beyond was undecipherable. It was pitch black.
Submachine gun in hand, I ducked my head and descended into the darkness.
\\\\\
It was dark enough that I was forced to turn on the tiny light attached to the side of my helmet to be able to see where I was going. Once, an almost indistinguishable amount of years ago, I was aboard a submarine. The corridors that I was traversing were uncomfortably reminiscent of that time.
I barely fit in the passageway. Forced to bow my head and tuck my shoulders in, the process was slow-going. The fact that the lower level was laid out somewhat like a maze didn't make it any easier. I must have taken a dozen wrong turns before eventually wandering into the place I was searching for.
The Living Quarters.
There was nothing alive about them now. The amount of dried blood was tremendous. Bunk beds laid twisted and mangled, some with their occupants inside. Cracked open footlockers were strewn every which way, exposing people's clothes, journals, and other personal items. Somehow, people fit their entire lives into a metal container no longer than my leg and no wider than my arm. I supposed it was better than giving it up entirely.
I paced through the remains of the room, and started counting the bodies. The corpses that were still in one piece were the easiest to count, but not all had four limbs and a head to their name. After piecing together the more spread out ones, I counted roughly sixty fallen crew members, the majority of which were male. I was still missing about twenty or so personnel, but I assumed they would be found in time. Either that, or the local wildlife had taken them.
As I turned to leave, my curiosity sated and my nose twitching from the beginnings of tissue degradation, I heard a rustle behind me. I spun around, weapon outstretched, cocked, and ready. Another rustle. Slowly, I walked towards the source of the sound, kicking any detritus out of my way as I went.
I heard a whimper, and a softly spoken cry for help. I stopped, and looked down.
Below me was an outstretched hand, and behind that, a bloody, bruised, and very much alive face looking up at me. If they hadn't made a noise, I wouldn't have noticed, as there were other bodies nearly suffocating whomever still clung to life.
Someone else had survived.
The thought brought anxiousness. I considered turning around and walking away, but a wave of guilt stalled my motion. I had already failed to do my duty once: I didn't intend to do so again.
Glancing behind and making sure nothing had followed me, I clicked the safety on and stowed my submachine gun away. Hands now free, I reefed on a section of mangled bedding struts. With more area to work, I quickly went about picking up and moving the deceased to free the survivor. I gave the dead as much respect as I could under the circumstances.
When the last of the bodies were moved, I gingerly picked up the survivor and carried her in front of me, draped over my arms. A fireman's carry was not practical in such a situation.
I glanced down at the frail body that I held. The survivor was a woman, dressed in what looked like shredded pyjamas. She was missing her left arm from the bicep down. I heard mumbled whispers of thanks and prayers as I delved back into the catacombs towards the exit, the only light coming from my helmet.
As climbed up the steps that led into the cockpit, I heard several bangs in quick succession coming from the hole that I had covered the previous day.
Because curious horse creatures were exactly what I needed now.
Gritting my teeth and cradling the woman in a single arm, I kicked the metal desk that I had purposefully left as an added weight off of the metal sheeting, and pulled the sheet itself up with my free hand.
A wide-eyed head looked up at me. I stared at the creature for a few seconds before realizing it was the same horned, green-blue creature that had approached me before I collapsed the hangar ramp. It glanced between myself and the injured crew member, then licked its lips and spoke to me again.
I still didn't understand the point it was trying to convey, and I didn't have time to make sense of it. I pointed at it and made a shooing motion, similar to how I made the three smaller creatures understand.
It ignored me and kept chattering, this time pointing one of its limbs at the now-unconscious woman cradled in the crook of my arm.
I had no time for charades. For the first time since my awakening from the cryogenic freezer, I had a reason to rush. I let out a rumbling growl, and the creature seemed to understand that, for its head disappeared and I could hear it clonking down the makeshift ramp as it retreated. I replaced the metal sheet and desk before jogging down the hallway towards the Cryogenic Chamber Room.
I remembered that there should be first aid kits there. With any luck, they still would be.
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*Sees update* "It... cannot be. *Sharp intake of breath through closed teeth making a sound similar to a balloon deflating when you hold the end and it doesn't flap around to make a farting noise, but more like a whine/whistle.* Heavy voice: Yyyyuueeeesssssssssss
Now to read it.
Post read edit: Ooh we have a survivor here, and green-blue makes what seablue... Lyra?
How did Lyra get in? I thought he shot the entrance shut.
All of my yes and the yeses that I stole from all of fimfiction.
Another human to the story? And a female no less? Things are becoming quite interesting my friend. Interesting indeed.
2668036
I think she was using the hole the CMC found.
He growled...
The fucking juggernaut growled at her... hehe
Don't mess with a man while he's holding his woman I mean uhm don't you something better to do while I'm saving people?!
2668036
They built a ramp up to where the hangar door was a knocked on the barricade, at least that's what I am getting from this.
2668131
See 2668055's comment.
*Sees one favorite updated*
Meh, better check now, I still got a Wolverine in Equestria story to read...
*Sees Unknown*
Holy... "Don't worry Six, reinforcements are on the way!"
Yay for survivorz! C'mon, hurry Six! She's gonna bleed out! Hope your Medicine skill is high enough...
*Pinkie gasp* I know! We can name her Seven! Or Twenty-One!
As you can probably tell, many of my favorite stories being updated in the span of a single day has put me in a darn chipper mood today. I don't always get hyper, but when I do, it's on the internet.
Who might this blue-green unicorn be? My bits are on Lyra Heartstrings. Damn language barrier. Why can't Twilight make a spontaneous breakthrough like she did in Cube Land and perform that spell?
I think Six should've accepted the perceived help. If his luck is really that rotten, then the medkits are all gone already.
The mutilation of the bodies begs the question; the hell happened to the ship? The bodies should look banged up, not put through a bloody meat grinder. Unless the crash was just that bad.
Maybe when, or if she wakes up, she'll ask for his name. But then maybe he'll be like,"I'm Batman." Dun dun duuuun! How's that for a plot twist?
But in all seriousness, if she dies, I wonder how Six will take it. Will he blame himself for not being able to save her, or will he just shrug it off like he did with the chef and callously add her to the pile of bodies?
Let's see if Six is down on his Luck stat, shall we? If he isn't then he may just have a companion in the hellhole/purgatory/paradise that is Equestria.
You get.... 5 Explosions!
I have started reading this because of the summary, but now I can't wait to see how you carry this story!
2668149 And I thought I put a lot of excitement in my comment, I know that giddy feeling. Makes ya feel like you can go to the lottery and get the winning scratch off... and then you lose.
2668219
Darn it, does anybody actually win those???
Freakin' government and their conspiracies...
Ponies pov???
Writing, characterization and pacing are great.
Backstory and detail simplified a bit for the sake of plot progression is acceptable so far.
Interaction seems believable and solid.
Too early to determine ultimate direction, but there being a potential human pair interacting with the ponies is something I have never seen before so I am hoping it goes in that direction.
Also too early to determine if or how your headcanon my differ from canon Equestria, but I am hoping not too much. Though the biology of the timberwolf is already a bit off from canon.
2668260 I think people win them... but they're just not us. They cheat somehow, I'm going with x-ray glasses.
2668313
X-Ray glasses? Take my money. ALL OF IT!
I gotta go with the military subtlety kidnapping people while they're asleep and surgically placing experimental implants on their cerebral cortexes that allow for enhanced overall mental abilities (and somehow, luck)... But that's just me.
Well now with your luck, you just freed her to have her die on you....
And you commentors, it can't be Lyra, she's not a pegasus!!!
And pony point of view?
2668355
It is implied that said pony is Lyra. Did I say it was a pegasus? If so, please point it out so I may fix it.
2668262
And in regards to a pony point of view... we'll see.
2668367
Didn't you say in the last chapter how a seagreen pegasus flew into the hangar and witnessed him killing the timberwolf? And then you said the same sea green animal/creature came back? Or I'm completely wrong...
2668349 Sure I'll take all of your money... *Hands you over cheap cereal box "x-ray" glasses*
*Whistles and speed walks away.*
I smiled back, and waited for the end, silent except for the sound of sizzling flesh.
Juggernauts never screamed.
you sir have just made my night
2668381
While it's true that that was indeed a pegasus, the colour was never described. The Juggernaut is referring to the to the very first pony that approached him, right before he severed the hangar ramp.
2668405
*I chuckle to myself, knowing that one of us has just been fooled*
"Sucker!"
*Travels the world and, using his 'cereal box' X-ray glasses, conquers every single game played at all the casinos. The self proclaimed Unknown Pony soon became a billionaire and, with his newfound wealth, built a teleporter that took him to another world, one known as Equestria. Donning his Juggernaut suit, he set down and took out anypony foolish enough to challenge him and his magic-piercing rounds. He then took on the new title of King of Equestria and Quickscop3rs.
Then everyone died.
The end.
Heh, might've taken that one a bit too far. I think I'd better stop, Storyteller may just get pissed at me for typing nonsense on his comments...
2668476
Annoyed? Perish the thought. It was your words that kept me sane back in the days of fanfiction.net.
2668468
Oh.....
Eh, I was wrong ah well...
2668476 You really don't need anti-magic rounds, because being in our dimension magic is impossible both humans and our toys are immune to magic. As far as they're concerned the laws of physics say it doesn't exist so it doesn't exist and the energy just dissipates upon impact. Also everyone died? You killed Octavia? You monster!
Another thing: How in the bloody hell did you get cereal box x-ray glasses to actually work?
Also I can totally see me going to Equestria and singing this song while I killed everthing. (Except Octavia.)
2668486
Aww. Dem feelz, bro.
2668529
You really do have a point there. And yah, ah done killed Octavia! Only ones that were spared were Rainbow Dash and Donut Joe. Dash because she's best pony, and Joe because I like donuts and the name Joe. Joejoejoejoejoe...
Haha! If only the government took that song to heart!
2668562 Oi, no one kills the cello pony! Now you'll have to deal with the Imperial flagship; H.M.S. Agamemnon! farm4.static.flickr.com/3414/3429946627_903153d418_b.jpg Now, you die.
Ah, if the government took that song to heart I'd believe in anything. Magic: Real! Flying Painis Cupcakes: Sure why not? Sadly it'll never happen, not if nut bags keep going on shooting sprees every couple months.
Missing part of arm GROOVVYY
2668583
O rly??? I khil dem n00bz @nd haiterz! *Pulls out an RPG-7 and fires the rocket. Everything goes fine, until it curves upward at the last second, missing the ship and hitting Scootaloo, who just learned how to fly*
Well. That could've gone better. Plan B.
*GIGN team outfitted with riot gears is inbound to your position*
The Pavelow drops off my army of three and they open fire with their OP MP5s and OP riot shields alongside The Unknown Pony Juggernaut who is using dual rayguns... Lolz, ur shihp is scrooed.
And yeah, it's as if these gun toting nutjobs have nothing better to do. You want to shoot somebody? CoD is there for twenty bucks. Why not sell the guns to buy an Xbox?
2668655 The H.M.S. Agamemnon is 3,000ft long and has a crew of just under 2,000. Her 144inch railguns can launch a 10 ton tungsten round at mach 75 and can destroy a planet in only a couple salvos, pluse her energy shields, smaller 60inch railguns, and 6 inch autoloading anti-fighter cannons. Also anti-missile laser systems. Your little swat team isn't going to do anything against British engineering.
Haha, I agree, go buy CoD you crazies, its cheaper and you get to kill plenty of annoying little 5 year olds.
2668700
Zat is vhere you are vrong, mein little pony.
My SWAT team has anti-ship rounds, you hear?! Anti-ship!!! Their riot shields are made of the best damn hardened plastic you have ever seen! Their very armor, made from kevlar, makes adamantium look like silly putty! And I have dual rayguns. Your argument is invalid. And my team has procured one of the most dangerous weapons in Equestria; Pinkie's physics and logic defying/piercing party cannon! Prepare to meet your sugary death! Oh, and we resurrected the other five Elements. You now have approximately 2.482 nanoseconds to maneuver your ship to dodge our super-awesome-mega-loveandtolerance-hammerofdawn-friendship-laser-magic-shipseeking-antimaterial-deathbeam.
hey quick question, is this from a game or movie?
2668787 Okay... "Helm, spin up the warp engines, seems we found another luny so we'll just leave before this gets drawn out. Bye luny." Then the ship proceeded to enter warp just as the beam fired at it, and you never saw them again. Also, Octavia's remains were beamed aboard via transporters and nanites are currently repairing her body. She'll be fine. Victory for Britain.
Also: Plastic and kevlar vs naval rounds? Haha, no. Not in any reality. Pinkie physics or not.
is this juggernaut character in another fic? everyone keeps talking about him like he is.
2668381
I don't think he specified color, let me check.
Yeah, he never specified the color of the pegasus that had seen him in action.
2668814
*Looks at the desolate battlefield.*
Alright, troops. I'm not sure who won, but I'm pretty sure your superior weapons and kevlar and plastic (and not our super magic whatever beam) forced them into retreat. Good work.
*Resurrects everypony one by one, even Scoots*
Pvt. Astor! Have you found Octavia's remains?
'No sir.'
A shame. I actually liked her second album.
And so the Courier who had cheated death in Goodsprings cheated death once more. The newly-resurrected Equestria prospered under the Unknown Juggernaut's watchful eye. Literally. From his AC-130 gunship that Pinkie built for him on his seventh birthday. She needed 11 kills for that one. Had to resurrect Dash 11 times.
2668901 Sends a primitive radio message, sub-space is so much better you know? This is Captain Edwin Doyle, first we did not retreat, we left because we didn't feel like getting in a long draw out battle where both sides performed that act known as "Gary Stu". Second, Octavia is with us and she's fine, she has taken up quite an interest in British classical music and culture. Oh, and one last thing... our shields are designed to filter out anything magical along with normal lasers, and projectiles, your little beam wouldn't have done anything other than make a fancy light show.
2668804
Based off of the Juggernauts in Call of Duty.
2668826
Not quite sure what you mean by that. Care to elaborate?
2668959
I keep seeing people talk about a guy named Six. Thought that maybe they were talking about the jugg. am I wrong here or was his name said and I just missed it?
edit: ty for clearing that up guys...sorta.
2668967
Ah, no, they're talking about something that I only vaguely understand. Completely unrelated.
2668985 "THE UNKNOWN PONY" named your Jugg "Six" that's where that came from... yes he's a bit hard to follow, but luckily I'm just as crazy.
2668967
Six is a stand in name, like John Doe in a record or N in an equation.
2668938
*The mane six hear your heartless broadcast, and look at me with teary, puppy eyes and drooping ears*
"But it was our beam of friendship," Fluttershy cries.
Dammit, man! See what you did? You made the mane six cry. Including Flutters. One does not simply make Fluttershy cry.
Pvt. Astor and Pinkie began chanting and laughing, "They retreated! Ha Ha!"
Such a merry time we're having in this cramped gunship.
*Flips on autopilot and reclines back to retire for the night*
Hey man, Juggernauts need sleep too! But mark my words, Edwin. This isn't over!
*Ends broadcast*
Well, damn, that was entertaining. How did that start anyway? My chipper mood, to the lottery ticket, to X-ray glasses, to a full scale war in Equestria? Something is wrong with the picture, and I think it's the glasses. People are probably reading this, thinking, WTF. Storyteller's just there, "Okay..." and gives an indifferent shrug before returning to his business. Welp, it was fun. Let's argue nonsensically some other time, eh?
2669022 Sure...
Just to let you know, you were the one who decided to kill everything, the British Empire has committed no crimes or acts of war. I'm still amazed the ponies would trust you after... oh I don't know; you killed them! *Mumbles* Damn crazy horses.
Also Octavia doesn't like you... had something to do with you killing her with her own cello and destorying it in the process. Yeah...
I want more, man. Longer chapterrrrsssss.
I need more, man~! Please, god, I'll do just about anything as long as it doesn't cost money, or require much more than me being on my computer...