Chapter 40. First Things First
"Ah, good to have you back!" Cacha said to her pistol boot as she slipped it back on.
"Is that really a carrot dispenser?" the curious changeling drone that had just delivered it asked.
"It is at the moment," Cacha confirmed. "Watch."
She extended her fingers, reaching for where the grip would be, the weapon unfolding itself in response, putting the grip into her grasp. Ready, she aimed it and squeezed the trigger, resulting in a small piece of purple carrot splattering against the cream wall she had been targeting.
"It's... it's a..." the drone said, quivering, fear evident, despite its hard-to-read eyes.
"It is," Cacha confirmed, "and at the moment it is loaded with carrot, which won't kill, even if I was to shoot anyone."
"Are you going to shoot anyone?" the drone asked, clearly wondering if she was the intended target.
"No, of course not!" Cacha frowned. "It's my pistol. I wanted it back, just like I wanted my bag and food generator back. It's as simple as that."
"But..."
"I've had plenty of opportunity to shoot you, already," I said to the drone, "yet I haven't, have I?"
"But you are not carrying a gun at the moment."
"I am a gun," I said, extending a hoof, which promptly transformed into a scarier weapon than the one Cacha was wearing. The poor drone squeaked, and nearly laid an egg. My point made, I returned my hoof to the floor, the weapon vanishing as I did.
"Aneki, are you stirring the drones?" a child-like voice asked, from out in the corridor.
"Yes, Kakuun, I'm afraid I am. Or should that be she's afraid I am," I said as the miniature princess walked into the room, still in her pony guise. "I was just showing her my inner self."
"You showed her the gun turret?"
"No. This time I formed a hoof-gun."
Kakuun froze, staring at me with wide eyes. "You mean that the turret isn't your only inbuilt weapon?"
"It was the same weapon. Perhaps if you considered me to be a changeling that can only turn into a weapon, you may understand me better. I am now a weapon that looks like a pony."
"That... That is scary! Were you built specifically to kill the old queen? Were you really one step ahead of us, or are all of you Hellites just that dangerous?" Kakuun paused. "No, you can't all have weapons like that, can you? If you did, the changelings would have been the ones that got exterminated."
"Quite so," Cacha said. "If I had a weapon like that, I wouldn't need this carrot dispenser, would I?"
"Oh, that's a gun too, is it?" Kakuun asked.
"Only for me," Cacha said. "For anypony else, it's just a boot."
"I choose negotiation as my weapon," Kakuun said. "Maybe I won't get exactly what I want, but at least I'll live."
"Smart girl," I said.
"Hang on," Kakuun said, levitating a folder from the saddlebag she was wearing. She opened it, and flicked through several pages, before stopping to read one. "There is no mention of you having any sort of weapon when you were being examined in the lab. You really were built to kill us, weren't you?"
I shook my head. "The reason I was one of the three ponies captured and brought up here was simply that I don't like risking lives. This was a dangerous mission, so as the coordinators for dangerous missions, Cacha and I personally accompanied one pony with expertise in computers and wiring on this job."
"That still doesn't explain how you got the gun," Kakuun muttered, "or aren't you going to tell me about that?"
"I simply walked into the wrong room," I said, "and found myself the victim of mad scientists for the second time."
"Oh," Kakuun said, fully understanding my meaning.
"Could I have a look at that file please?" I asked. "Perhaps it will tell me who the father is."
"Father of who?" Kakuun asked.
"Of the foal inside me," I said.
Kakuun gasped. "That means you were already pregnant when you were converted into the weapon."
"Sad, isn't it?"
"Very sad. Very scary." Kakuun passed me the folder. "There is no mention of anything about a pregnancy in here."
She was quite right about the lack of any information pertaining to the foal. The file covered everything Central knew about my life, from my school records (which I was not embarrassed about), my employment, my love of running, including my marathon win, my accident and subsequent recovery during my internment. The scientific details, however, were missing, apart from general comments such as the EMP treatment, and that they had introduced various foreign substances to my body to observe the results. The details of my escape were simply listed as: disposal of subject: classified.
"Bugger. I guess I really do have to go over there and thump some heads," I said. "Again."
"Thump heads?" Kakuun asked.
"Figuratively speaking this time. Last time I was there I had to resort to bumping heads in order to escape. Speaking of which, why isn't there anything about that here? Surely there isn't anything that is of higher classification than your access level?"
"There is. I am just a youngster, after all. It wasn't as if the former queen gave me access to everything. And now, you are the queen, so it's you who has that access level. Amusingly, I am of high enough ranking to have you recognized as the new queen, but that, perhaps, is because your qualifications were beyond dispute."
"In the current system, is there anypony... anyone else that is ranked higher than you, apart from me?"
"Higher, no. Equal, perhaps. That doesn't mean I have the clearance or the right to look at what someone declares to be for the queen's eyes only. That classification is often abused to block all access to something that is to be kept secret, as the likelihood of the queen wanting to see that particular thing is remote, particularly if she doesn't know of its existence."
"Ah, I understand. Your clearance level will need to be upgraded then, if we are truly going to solve the problems we face. You are the queen of the changelings, after all, so the queen's access you shall have."
"Thank you for your consideration," Kakuun said. "You are so open minded. I wonder if there could have been a chance of you negotiating with the former queen."
"I did negotiate with her," I said, not that the particular negotiation had gone well.
"It would be more accurate to say that you negated her," Cacha said. "The oti bit of negotiation didn't come into it."
"I did, didn't I. That, after all, was the result of her methods," I said. "Of course, talking would have been better, but she wasn't inclined to listen."
"I think I will stick with verbal negotiations," Kakuun said. "For the sake of my kind, I must survive. Being in this position is very lonely... scary. Again, thank you for being prepared to work with me."
She was staring up at me with her big, green eyes, a real air of innocence about her. I really could get to like this creature.
We were gathered in the office that handled security and ID assignments. There was nothing particularly remarkable about the room, apart from the computer and printer that were used to produce the ID cards. I had already organized for Kakuun's access level to be raised to equal mine. That had surprised the changeling drone who worked there, but she hadn't objected.
"As the queen, you are automatically 1A1, but that isn't anonymous," the changeling drone said. "As such I have assigned you a second identity 1C3. Cacha, you are 1C4, and Maisie is 1C5. Although I don't see it being a problem, if them being consecutive is an issue, please say so now, and I will assign new codes."
"It isn't a problem. It just means we have been trained as a team, doesn't it?" I asked.
"That is the most likely interpretation by others, but so far, there have never been trained teams of inspectors. 1XX numbers are reserved for staff that hold the highest ranking, so a team of 1XX numbers is unlikely."
"What about Princess Kakuun?"
"I have assigned her the secondary code, 1D2, as clearly she cannot be from the same group as you. It is exceedingly unusual for one so young to have a clearance at all."
"People will just have to get used to it, won't they?" I said.
"People?" Cacha asked.
"Ponies doesn't seem as relevant, anymore."
"As you are happy with these designations, here are your identity cards. The system has already been programmed to accept them, H'ven wide," the drone said. "Your Majesty, even though your 1C3 card does not identify you as the queen, if you enter the code associated with your 1A1 identity, you will be given full access, although that will risk others working out who you really are. Once you have memorized these codes, please eat the material on which they are printed."
The drone passed each of us our ID cards, and a secondary, orange card with our secret codes printed on them.
"Thank you," I said. The material the secret codes were printed on did look quite edible.
"Carrot," Cacha said. "Purple carrot has been used for the text while orange is used for the background. They must be using a food generator as a printer!"
What was it with this place and carrot?
"I suggest we dress up for our visit to the facility you were held at, Aneki," Kakuun said. "Those coveralls don't look the part. Some inspectors just go au naturel while some dress as if for business, but if you are wanting to go incognito, I'd suggest dressing up to the point where your clothes draw the attention. That we have horns will be unusual enough for them, so I'd go as far as suggesting hats or bonnets, too."
"So, we hide in plain sight by being too obvious? Why not? But where are we going to get these wonderful outfits? It's not like I have a wardrobe anymore," I said, "and even when I did, it was pretty basic."
"You will dress from the queen's wardrobe, of course!" Kakuun said. "I have my own outfits, too."
"Cool, now that is something I could get into!"
"The clothes or the wardrobe? It is indeed large enough to get into." Kakuun smirked.
"What about us?" Maisie asked.
"You get to pick something from my new wardrobe, but after I've taken my pick!" I said. There had to be some advantages to being the queen, after all.
"Your Majesty, so far there has been one pony who has objected to your ruling regarding the Hellspawn," the drone informed me. "As per your instructions, that pony is now being held in the outer ring of Central."
"What is his position, and what are his objections?" I asked.
"He is a commander with the security force. He claims Hellspawn are diseased, contagious and extremely dangerous. He insists that he will still consider them a pest to be exterminated on sight."
"He isn't a doctor, so what makes him think he has the right to make that call?"
"He was involved in an action to hunt down and kill a member of the Hellspawn in which all members of one of his squads were killed. I believe his conclusion is a combination of the false information the ponies were being fed about the Hellspawn, and that his personal interaction with a member of them was so tragic."
"What is his Central ID?" I asked. I had a sneaking suspicion I knew who it was: RU12 or whatever it was.
"Commander 1R2," the drone said.
"I knew it! He's right about one thing, and it isn't that we are diseased. Please take me to him now."
"As you wish, Your Majesty."
"Cacha, Maisie, you may want to come too," I said.
Leaving the inner hub was the reverse of entering it, via that giant airlock. Several drones, transformed into muscled stallions, accompanied us, several genuine pony guards joining the squad as we exited the air lock. It was interesting being escorted by those that kept their weapons pointed away from us.
We three Hellites were guided into the corridors of the outer hub, somewhere we had not yet visited, bar our initial transit through it. This time we went through the area that was full of storage racks and shelves, and into another, smaller airlock, again with its purpose being to keep anyone from escaping or entering against the wishes of those in control. Unless I was greatly mistaken, I was the one in control.
Once we were inside, it was obvious we were in prison area, holding cells along one wall. We were guided to the first one, and the door opened for us. My mind briefly considered the possibility that this was a trap, then I remembered my universal door opener. No one would be stupid enough to encourage me to fire that in anger, again. Once we were inside, the door was not closed. Instead, the changeling guards moved to block the doorway. The pony guards moved up behind them.
"This is the pony that has refused to obey your orders," one of the guards informed me, mostly to indicate I was now in charge of the proceedings.
"So you're the pony with the weak stomach?" I said to the black maned pony standing before us. His coat was a warm, medium-grey, and he was wearing a jacket that bore indications of his rank.
"Weak stomach?" 1R2 asked.
"It was most unbecoming a pony of your rank to empty your guts upon learning the fate of your squad," I said, referring back to the rather awful sensation that had been transmitted to me at the time I told him of 3V3's condition.
"Why do you bring that up? How did you know that? For that matter, what are fucking Hellspawn even doing in here, you damned, disease carrying freaks?"
"Newsflash, buster. Hellspawn are not infectious, despite what you may have been told. I don't expect you will believe me, though, as you seem prepared to ignore my orders. Did I not send word that Hellspawn, or Hellites, were not to be disturbed? Yet here you are, refusing to obey them?"
"Fuck you, bitch. Who do you think you are? The queen?"
"She's the queen," Maisie, Cacha, and at least two of the guard chorused.
"Are you fucking kidding me?"
"No, we're not," Cacha said.
I flicked my 1A1 ID card at the pony. "Whatever you think your rank is, I'm higher. You will obey the new rulings, or else..."
"Or else what?" 1R2 growled. Clearly he was prepared to push his luck.
"Or else this," I said, walking up to him so we were nose to nose. That took more steps than expected, because he backed away as I approached, eventually cornering himself. I reached up behind his head with a hoof, grabbed it, and planted a mushy kiss, right on his lips, even going as far is to insert my tongue.
He reacted violently, struggling, pushing himself away as soon as I released him.
"Why the hell did you do that?" he asked, stunned.
"The way I see it now is there are two outcomes. The first is nothing happens to you, proving we are not contagious, and that your objections are without foundation. The second is we are contagious, and you turn into one of the Hellspawn yourself, in which case you will be doing everything in your power to make sure the Hellspawn are kept safe, out of self interest."
IR2 spat at the floor several times, before looking me in the eye. "Okay, you win that argument, but you're just reinforcing my other objection. Your kind are way too violent, too dangerous."
"Do you still blame me for wiping out your squad? Or perhaps you've seen the lovely black mark I left on the sky dome? This is your last warning. You will submit to the new orders, or I will personally shoot you with the same gun."
"That... was you? Both times?" He gasped, eyes wide.
"Yes, it was me, talking through 3V3's comms unit. That's how I knew you lost your lunch. As for the black patch, that happened when the formerly most powerful... pony challenged me. As you said, I'm extremely dangerous, but that does not apply to all of my kind. Now, you can live up to your security clearance, and keep this conversation to yourself, or you can add yet another black mark to your name."
1R2 bowed his head. "I submit."
"Good," I said, retrieving my ID card. Turning, I addressed the nearest changeling guard. "Can you have 1R2 assigned to a position where he is monitored, for the time being."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"I leave him in your hooves, then," I said, dismissing the problem.
"I can't believe it," I heard 1R2 mutter as I left. "She's the queen."
Despite being on the ground level, the entrance to the deniable facility in which I had been held before was underground. As it was near the outer wall of the life support dome, it was under the mountains that were attached to the outer wall, all the way around the dome. The area was mostly devoted to industry, storage, and other unsightly elements of a functioning city.
The place was as nondescript as one could get: just another doorway along an underground passage, very much like those of the sublevels. The door itself was painted to blend in with the metalwork that surrounded it, and its signage was small, and easily overlooked.
"Central's Deniable Facility Four, please stamp hoof three times then ring the doorbell twice for entry. Have your secret code ready," Cacha said, as she looked up at the sign over the door.
"That's funny," Maisie said. "I'm sure it says Recyclying Center, old technology purchased."
"You have to read between the lines, my dear mare," I said, "but as a cover, that is indeed what they do, if the stash of goodies I found down in the basement is anything to judge by. That's where I purloined my food generators."
"Ooh, the queen nicked something!" Cacha giggle.
"They nicked more first! They nicked my whole bloody life!"
"Now, now, darling, don't you have a more interesting life because of it?" Cacha asked, smirking.
"Touché."
"One could argue that with you being the queen and all, you own everything, anyway."
"I don't see that being right," I said, "even if such was the law."
"Anyway, are we going to stand around here in the street, or are we going to go bump some heads?" Cacha asked.
"Perhaps I should have dressed in black and worn shades to fit the part."
"No, leave the shade wearing to me." Cacha responded by putting on a pair of the aforementioned. She was dressed in black.
I had gone for something I thought a little more stylish, and likely to cover my slightly enlarged belly. The dress was off-white and reached to the floor, entirely hiding my Hellite features. A brown waist coat provided accent. A matching, soft-brimmed hat hid my horn, and to some extent, my eyes. It didn't really say inspector, though.
Maisie had gone for a chocolate brown, mare's business suit, not unlike Cacha's black one. Kakuun was simply in her pony guise, which was akin to dressing up, her being a changeling and all.
"Shall we?" Cacha asked, opening the door for me.
"Indeed."
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I always rush to read these the moment they are out. Can't wait to see what Aneki will stirr up in the facility
"He isn't a doctor, so what thinks he has the right to make that call?
*so what makes him think he has the right*
Yay! New chapter.
I hope you don't mind, but I mayyyy have asked one my actually popular fimfiction acquaintances to plug this story in the notes of his. He said he'll read it, and plug if it's as good as I claim.
Tsk
Hug herrrrr! You know you wanna!
Hah! Indeed.
Uh-oh. Tyrant in the making!
This trip is just full of new experiences!
I'd call it a "skeleton key", but I don't think it leaves that much behind of its target, really
Yeah. clearly, as you just saw, she resorted to killing you instead of, um, something... less violent
Okay, so, she was pretty forceful, I guess. Aneki, this Queen thing is already going to your head!
Honestly... that bunch of ponies with the gigantic cannon blew itself up, anyway
5793308
Why would I mind?
HELL TO THE YES
ANEKI IS GOING PLACES
I LOVE THIS WORLD
YOU ARE THE BEST!!!
5796770 Thanks for the explanation. Looks like all my preconception of life's fundamentals have been thrown out the window.
By the way, from reading your story and comments, you seem highly educated. Out of curiosity; what do you do in life?
5796790 Me? I'm a grumpy old man! I used to work in electronics and computers. I still dabble in the former.
"Stay away you're contagious!"
*big sloppy french kiss*
"Stay away you're violent!"
"...I give up."
I like their outfits they're going to be the strangest inspectors ever.
Can drones lay eggs? The need for a queen makes that route a little suspect if the changelings can continue to breed without one.
Bruce Willis would like to disagree on how well the negotiation went.
How does RU12 know about the queen, or was the question rhetorical?
Is Cacha jealous? Aneki is sure acting abrasive, all that power is already going to her head. Also, the other guards changed opinion real fast. They can't think outside orders it seems.
Do all 1XX know about the changeling overlords?
I guess she would start to show if she was 2 or 3 months pregnant now. Taking dangerous jobs is now putting her child in danger.
5796824
A grumpy old man writing stories! PREPOSTEROUS! I assumed you had some knowledge of engineering, needed something to get the idea for an engineering unicorn. Most characters in stories are something rather mundane, especially the HiE ones. Also, what electronics do you work on? I have been slowly collecting stuff to make a small EE work bench. Really want an o-scope now and a reworking tool (heat gun).
6377357
With some species of ant, queens lay eggs for drones and queens, and drones lay eggs for males. Drones do not need to be fertilized to do this. Males only mate with queens (in a mad orgy during the mating flight).
Mostly rhetorical, but like other high ranked 1 and perhaps 2 series, he knows there is a (pony) queen.
Changeling drones. Not really ones for challenging the social order! As for the ponies? "Oh, less work. We don't gotta go hunting dangerous creatures that aren't actually dangerous. Cool!"
Pony 1XX series think there is a pony queen. The don't know about changelings. Changeling 1XX series obviously know.
I'm into synthesizers. http://www.cgs.synth.net/. I used to work in industry with power conditioners, uninterruptable power supplies, road marking machines, hobby electronic magazines and so on.
1C4, you mean?
6577666 Indeed I do!
Everything in this story makes sense now except why the habitat was created, what remains outside, and what happened to the hellite alicorn.
But she's taking out the trash.