OutLive

by Lyraah

Prologue: Finem Temporis

In a broken world, a broken empire. The pieces of civilization lay scattered and stagnant. Pieces of our empire lay buried in asphalt. Our dreams twisted in aerosol...

"Experiment 71. Within just a few days, everything spiralled out of control. It saw to the breakdown in essential institutions, civil disorder and massive civilian casualties. It has revealed just how vulnerable we are. Our lifestyle, our security, our safety. It all depends on a delicate and unstable economy; we've created something so complicated and dangerous that we are unable to control. We live in a complex world, the more complex it is, the more fragile it becomes. We are a house of cards, remove just one, and everything falls apart. From the first second 'Pathogen Zero' starts to spread, many ponies will be infected. From this point, the breakdown will happen fast."

Day 1 - hospitals will reach capacity, panic will strike.

Day 2 - quarantine zones will be established, resources will be rationed, transport will go into lockdown.

Day 3 - International trade will stop, the oil will dry up, the stock market will collapse.

Day 4 - the power will fail, the shelves will be empty, the taps will run dry, and once hunger and despair take hold, ponies will anything for survival.

By Day 5 - Everypony will be a potential threat.

Our complex world is primed for breakdown, and once the chaos strikes, there won't be the resources to save us all.

The real question is, what will it take to save what remains?

*** *** ***

I saw it all.

That day, I’ll never forget what I've seen…That very day where everything fell apart, that very day where a blanket of darkness covered the land. Cities, ponies, hope, everything seemed to vanish. Life goes on, a different life. We adapt, we change and we fight to stay alive. How I see it, the end of the world, so to speak, was not the end. It was merely the start of a nightmare and many continued to fuel that nightmare. Violence, Greed, ponies will do anything for food, water, power.

Many deemed our sworn nation of Amareia in the South responsible for this act of terror and war. For over 20 years, Equestria and Amareia relations were uneasy and all it takes was a little spark for it to rage into a full blown war. I have really not understood much about that but I don't think it matters. All i know is that Equestria and Amareia are not really the closest of empires.

Since then, many leaders rose up, claiming of this “New Equestria” that they will rebuild. Many chosed their sides, many did not. This lashed out into conflict almost instantaneously, many were brutally murdered and slaughtered, forced to fight for their “Order”.

What is my purpose here? What is my ultimate goal? I am just but a survivor, barely somepony who can change the outcome of Equestria’s fate. But something changed when I met this pony; I was determined to seek the truth, for I know it is not that simple. I have not always done the right things, make the right choices and i regret some of it, but at least i tried, i really did. What are we without angst? Where would we be without a desire to fight for what we want and combat the things in this world that we find wrong and terrible? Fucking nowhere, that's where. Pick up hooves and use them to hold up your beliefs. Don't be afraid to flex them. We all have to fight for something.

Oh, maybe I should introduce myself, get to know me better. My name is Eve and I work as a security guard pony for Central Security Front of Vanhoover , before everything went to shit... I get deployed on all sorts of events, Art Exhibitions, Parades, even as the Mayor’s bodyguard at some point during her speeches. I had some basic training as an enforcer. Let's say i am proficient with weapons, although i have not had to use one in a particular job.

To be honest, my job isn’t as exciting as many claims to be. Just standing at one spot for the whole day can really be unbearable. I’ve seen many colleagues go down under the hot sun due to heatstroke or exhaustion. I have no idea why I chose this job, but I like it all the same. I don't even know if that makes sense.

My hobbies are nothing special, I love playing video games and reading. I lived alone in a small town on the outskirts of Vanhoover, in a small neighborhood. There is nothing special about where I live, except Vanhoover is apparently one of the most livable cities in the world, not anymore.

Anyway, a pleasure for you to come in this journey with me, but before I tell you that story, it is appropriate that I tell you this one, what really happened on that fateful day…

Author's Note:

My first fic, so I've decided to sit down and type something once and for all. The first pony perspective is harder to write but I did it anyway. Constructive criticism is very much appreciated :) A little reference here if you could find it :p