*Inhales* "Updaaaaaaaate, yeeeesssssss!"

Hooray! Good stuff, hammy. Can't wait to get the rest of the hive's story!

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Gritt has been immensely generous, and likely saved her life multiple times in that situation.
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Everything we've learned about Gritt has showed him going out of his way to help ponies. He's the "town hero", the guy who, in Alloys eyes, learns pointless things about the residents of Four Hoove. So no, I don't think he needs to get over himself, he seems completely justified.

You do realize that if he did all that and was expecting to be thanked for it, then clearly he wasn't doing it to be generous. He was doing it to make himself feel important. That’s called selfishness not generosity. Heroes don’t save people to be praised. They do it because it’s the right thing to do. The end result of saving someone is all that a real hero needs to feel good about their actions. Also, pointing out that he’s the town hero drives this point home even more.

He wasn’t asked to join her, she didn’t ask him to put himself in danger and if he was expecting a thank you for inserting himself into her problems then he clearly didn’t do any of it out of the goodness of his heart. She might be a loner and a bit of an ass, but he’s clearly a selfish brat that needs to grow up and get over himself. If he’s going to pretend it be a hero then he needs to learn that heroes don’t do what they do to be thanked.

Congratulations it has been a healthy fic-boy
It took a while for me to remember the story. But i have enjoyed the chapter, I am eager to read more :)

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Did you forget all the times he’s introduced himself as her caravan guard? Regardless of intent on his part, he accepted the roll Alloy was hiring out. Just because he turned down payment for his services doesn't mean his place there was anything more than that of a bodyguard. Although, considering what he needs to eat to survive, his characters actions are more understandable now. If not still unprofessional and childish.

As for Alloy being an unlikeable asshole; I think she’s devolved past that point right now. Here’s hoping that her character can make a comeback. If not as a likeable character then as something close to what she was in the beginning.

Love the way things have been going. Poor, poor Alloy needs to catch a break!
Or find a quicksave button!

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Now its over 2 years ago as said that I read the segment and wrote my comment, so my best guest of why I said what I said was because it started looking like it would go one way, and then went another way. Seeing how I mentions a curve ball was it properly presented in a way where the slavery first was showing up at a later point, heck if I can remember it.

Ghoul changeling that transform into a corpse version of you? That's awesome! And probably not great for the sanity of anyone fighting them.

Wow, makes you wonder what are in those files Grit is downloading. Hopefully they find some other stuff down there. Real expensive getting that help to dig out Grit's home and family. I mean it does sound like this place was supplied by stable-tech, maybe they have some other stuff there.

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You do know that the front door of the stable opens into the stable, right?
Regardless of how long it’ll take them to dig out, they can still dig themselves out. Also, having raiders hang outside the collapsed entrance for an unforeseeable amount of time would be a waste of pony power.
Then again, seeing how Malice just needlessly wasted a huge bomb to essentially inconvenience some stable ponies, I wouldn’t be surprised if she did that.

Good news! Bourbon wasn’t actually in this chapter!
Horrible news… Some asshole named Tangerine showed up and is making Bourbon look like a saint.
You can tell by the way he acted that he’s not after the Pip-Bucks for security. He clearly just wants them for himself. Otherwise he wouldn’t have given up on getting that key.
I’m willing to bet that he’s going to use them to take over Sugarland. Just wait and see.

So, now Alloy knows what a changeling looks like (somewhat). I bet she won't have any irrational phobias about Grit or changelings after they leave the hive. You know, despite seeing all those dead ponies hanging from the ceiling. If Alloy dosen’t have a myriad of questions for Grit about what changelings are after this venture then clearly she’s lost her mind.

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I do, and im not saying they can't dig from their side, just that it would be impractical. They could open the door, but the earth pushing against it may damage the mechanisms in a way that prevents it from being able to lock again. The door seems pretty important so I wouldn't risk it. Besides, your original point has been proven to be valid, Malice either has an ulterior motive, or wasn't thinking to hard about her "solution"

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I can barely remember writing my original response, and that was yesterday. I'm sad that I have to wait another month for the next chap, this is a great story.

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Alloy has been ignoring morals since the beginning, but yeah, she is developing into a kinder individual.

Gritt, in exceedingly stressful situations, goes out of his way to save both Alloy's and his own life. Alloy could easily have jeopardised both. His behavior, while self serving, has always been at the benefit of others. I don't see you can call him selfish when he acts mostly for others. He didn't want praise, he wanted recognition (alloy hadn't said anything at all about it, something arguably worse his wanting to be thanked). Of course he helped Alloy out of the goodness of his heart. He literally intended to gain nothing from the original decision to go with Alloy. He didn't save her expecting praise, he did it because he felt he had to, because it was the right thing to do. Only after facing blatant hostility from Alloy did he begin to feel miffed, something that is totally justified. The townsfolk like him, not because he wants them to praise him for his services, but because he does the services gladly. He has never been shown to be selfish. Actually, the townsfolk probably like him more because he's fun to drink with

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If you know that the door is pulled into the stable then you should also know that all the mechanisms for
the door are also inside the stable too. None of them would be damage by opening the door and the rubble pushing against it shouldn’t add any problems to them seeing as they are made to pull a ten foot tall, five foot thick door made of solid steel built to withstand a direct blast from a nuclear explosion. The only problem with the door would be closing it again seeing as all the rubble would fall into the stable. With the now added difficulty of the radiation in the rubble, that would be the only real reason not to open it. Unless they suddenly have radiation suits in the stable.

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well, I'm fairly sure when the flood hit that one stable the door couldn't close, I've no doubt it can withstand anything while closed, but when opening it may not be as secure

Awesome chapter!!!!

Just fuck grit already, Alloy.

Aww those poor folk down there! I'm very intrigued as to what they'll find, love spooky caves.
Another well put together chapter Ham, can't wait for more. Also I hope we get to see more of them two stable ponies.

Ham, if you ever need a backup editor, I'd be happy to oblige.

I started reading this yesterday, and I'm really enjoying it. I don't know how long it's sat in the festering quagmire that is my Read Later list, because I add things more often than I read them.

I will say I have Asperger's, and I could see Alloy as being Autistic. She's bad with social skills, and latched on to haggling and mercantile bartering as a part of socialising and became adept at it through practice and necessity, but I don't think she realises that haggling isn't the entirety of social interaction and there's other things about being social, too. In a lot of her narration, it's pretty clear that she's a craftspony that would be happiest with a good, solid forge, as much coal as she needs, food when she's hungry (or better yet, no need to actually eat) and no body else, at all, or people that only interrupt to ask her to forge something. I'd be happiest in a library that stretches forever, with access to so many books, and the only other people in the library are like me, and we talk only to suggest new books to each other.

Alloy gets her negotiating on! Even if it didn't go quite as well as she hoped. Still, a step forward... though I'm a little concerned about what might be going on with Sugarland. I don't know if there's anything screwy going on there, and it all makes sense, but at the same time, it's not what was expected, which is always a tiny bit concerning.

And that last bit. The ghouls. The hive. Oof. Grit's taking it reasonably well. Or at least, he looks like he's taking it reasonably well, given some of his more subtle reactions. I'm guessing he's experienced enough to have a good idea of what he might find, but still, I imagine that's got to be a little difficult.

Also, holy crap how did I never connect Meadow and Spark what's wrong with me I'm not sure if that was intentional, but I love it

Ayy, finally got around to this. Good chapter, movin' things along pretty well. The interaction with Tangerine, I really liked the feel of that interaction. She's done pretty well selling, occasionally upselling, it's good to see the flip side that Alloy's actually pretty vulnerable still to raw confidence and strongarm negotiations. Wasn't expecting the hive, definitely interested in seeing what Grit got off that terminal.

And it happened fast, but I love that Alloy sorta blurted out that she considers him a friend. It was adorably awkward for both of them, and I absolutely loved it.

Also, Grit looking a bit... thinner, was the word I believe you used. If I had to pick a point that I've dwelt on in particular since reading this, it's gotta be that line. The implication I'm seeing is that he isn't getting enough emotional nourishment, and while this theme should have been a lot more apparent to me earlier, I'd have to hazard a guess that a subplot of Alloy being... "forced" is too strong a word, but having to emotionally commit towards Grit would be an interesting direction to take. She's already come a long ways relatively speaking, but not so much in terms of emotions he'd really be able to "feed" off of.

Love where you're goin, keep it up mang!

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Unless there was a rewrite of the chapter that first describes the collar that I’m not aware of, it’s never mention that the collar she was given to bring him back was a bomb collar. It was just the normal kind you put on a slave to chain them to the next slave.

If there was a rewrite then I think I’ll need to go back over the old chapters and see what else has changed too.

GARGH! I am out of chapters, and there are still so many questions unanswered! Whats up with the chicken in the party? Who are the stallions in pink suits? What are Malice up to, and can I get her number? And when will the croc join the party! The suspense, its killing me!
You are not a good doctor, you are killing your readers with this story, making them hooked to this literary nectar, and then cut them off cold turkey! Doctors should heal people, not make them addicted!

AHHH! The nitpick have returned!
"“That’s what I was hopin’, too. Bring 'em someplace t' meet, outside o' Sugarland.”" You have hit enter two times before this line.

"glancing between her and the barricade ;" You have a space in front of your semicolon

" I ate a stringy mouthful of of Flam" One of them is enough

"nearly touching the tip of my horn to the first point and concentrating." Past tense

" The material was smoother" Smooth? Another word? This one does at least not fit in

What I love about this story it's how down to earth it is. It's not an epic with big armies or the fate of the world hanging on our heroes. If there is one such thing in plan I don't mind it because the characters and the world has set up themselves really wonderfully <3

When the next chapter is going to be posted?

This needs more updates!

Another fic to add to my ever-growing collection of ones I need to finish reading!

And now I must trash my own fic, since parts seem a little too similar for my liking.

Almost a year since the last chapter… Sniffle I miss this story

Are you still working on this?

Dear Doctor Ham, I am suffering from a story deficiency, and only a new chapter can cure me!

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i concede to your point, if only because I have no idea what mine might have been.

I would be willing to pay millions for this story to be finished....

An excellent story so far. I really do hope you continue it.even being incompleted I would recommend it.

Did this story die?

I tip my metaphorical hat to you Doctor. This story was better than I ever expected. I do hope you are well, and return to finish it someday. Thanks for crafting such an enjoyable, down-to-earth FoE story.

Rather enjoyed reading this again, I do hope you come back to this.

Yes, I absolutely promise that WEcon will be finished

bruh

Ya know...im still tempted to read this...even if it seems that it will never get updated again...

The premise is neat and rarely used.

Welp. Read all the way up to date.

Now the wait. ^^

Really hope this updates again.

Damn cliff hangers.
Also I really hate the Sugarland ponies now.

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Only problem is that malice is...well malice.

One could almost call her... malicious!

Hope this comes back one day

Rest in Peace , Wasteland Economics.

Such a great story. R.I.P.

Alas poor story, you were good up to this point, but you never advanced beyond it. It was worth the read, I guess the rest is up to me...