The Big Dayum Rust Caper, One
From a distance, a large murmuring crowd could be seen gathered tightly before the front entrance to an elaborately tall building. The structure rose in three terraces, with its edges and balconies poking out in jagged spires. Cold lanterns hung off of each corner, and a pulsating beacon twirled atop the very summit like a lighthouse. A round metal platform surrounded this centralized building like a bagel, and in the dead of night it was laced with all manners of glowing gold bulbs. Surly-faced guard ponies stood at length, glaring at the rowdy group of citizens that were becoming thicker and thicker. Several of the ponies demanded audience with the boss of the Syndicate, but those guarding the entrances stood icily still.
Over a hundred feet away, three figures stood in the shadows beneath an electric lamp that had shorted out.
Echo turned around—the other two only noticed from the sudden swivel of his slitted eyes, glowing with starlight.
“Alright,” he murmured, quieter than a whisper. His long-sleeved hoof pointed at the building. “The Syndicate's Headquarters here in Rust is exposed for its top three levels. The other levels are below the top platform and never see sunlight.”
“Just how many levels are we talkin' about?” Bard remarked.
“At least eight,” Echo said. “Making about eleven levels total.”
“Hard to believe that anypony could build anything eleven floors up in the middle of the ocean,” Rainbow Dash murmured.
“Eh heh heh heh heh,” Bard chuckled.
The other two glared at him.
“Ahem.” He motioned back to Echo. “Pardon.”
Stifling a sigh, Echo pointed back at the structure. “The main entrance is there—past the crowd—and on the south side of the building along the eleventh floor. It's guarded by at least six guards at all time: four outside and two inside. Whenever the Syndicate receives guests, the two who are guarding the inside of the door are tasked with escorting them to the Boss' office or to supply storage or wherever. Doesn't matter where they go, but there'll be another pair of guards who'll switch stations with the first two the very moment they arrive.”
“So they'll mosey on over to the inside of the front entrance to replace the first two?” Bard remarked.
“Affirmative,” Echo droned. “Considering that the Boss' office is on the top floor and supply storage is on the ninth floor, it takes approximately one hundred and eighty seconds for two guards to replace the posts along the inner door entrance.”
“So, that means two and a half minutes during which things will be clear on the inside entrance,” Rainbow said.
“Well, assumin' that no guests are escorted to the little colt's room,” Bard mused.
“It may not look like it from here, but the Syndicates' payroll is spread super thin,” Echo said. “So recently as a few months ago, security was three times as tight as they can afford to keep it now.”
“Lemme guess. You know this cuz you've seen it all from the inside,” Bard said.
“Exactly.” Echo nodded. “Now, nopony can just... waltz in through the front entrance. There's a very specific combination lock.”
Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Well, of course there is.”
“'Specific' being the key word here,” Echo said. “Not exactly complicated.” His fangs showed as he tightened his jawline. “There are six possible numerical inputs, and it's changed every shift daily. The main entrance is kept locked at all times, save for when the Boss says otherwise. Such as when he wishes to address the crowd.”
“Or when he fancies entertainin' guests with a super valuable bat-pony to turn in,” Bard said.
“Hrmmmff... right.” Echo exhaled. “When this happens, the four guards outside alert the two guards inside with a special password spoken through an intercom. One of two inside enters the combination, and then one of the guards outside enters the same combination. Then and only then does the door open... and slowly.”
“So, wait...” Rainbow Dash leaned forward. “Just where is this combination lock thingy located?”
“Low and to the right of the outer door's frame,” Echo explained. “Beyond view of the common public from almost all angles. The Syndicate isn't exactly stupid.”
“Yeah... uh huh...” Rainbow arched an eyebrow. “And the interior one?”
Echo blinked at her. “... ... ...uhm... it's... it's located in the exact same place, only inside.”
“Just how thick is the doorframe?” Rainbow asked. “Like... if a pony was to press her physical body up to the outside, just how far away would the other lock be?”
“I... don't freakin' know...” Echo's slitted eyes narrowed. “Six feet? It's thick metal, but it's no dam.”
“Hah...” Rainbow grinned wide. “Cake. And the combination is entered every time the door's open?”
“Yes, and the password spoken.”
“Killer. I've got this,” Rainbow said.
“Erm... you've got what, darlin'?” Bard said, blinking.
“The password/combination thingy. It'll be a glide in the park.”
“But... h-how in the Hell could you possibly figure that all out?!” Bard exclaimed.
“Don't worry.” Rainbow winked at two fixed points in the air. “I've got us a way in. Trust me.”
Silence.
“Uh huh...” Echo cleared his throat. “Well, assuming you can somehow slip past the Syndicate's failsafe, you'll wish to make your way to the Central Vault if you're hoping to even have a taste of the bits that they're storing down there.”
“And just where is it?”
“On the fourth floor, about seven floors down. Any deeper and it'd be below water,” Echo explained. “Security will be tight on every level. It'd be next to impossible for a single pony to get past the Syndicate's thugs.”
“Perhaps a distraction's in order,” Bard said. “Could anypony comin' in through the front entrance somehow distract everypony below without makin' too big of a fuss?”
“No.” Echo shook his head. “But somepony entering at the sixth floor could.”
“And...” Bard exchanged glances with Rainbow Dash. “...how would one enter the sixth floor?”
Theanim Mane unrolled a map across the hotel room floor. He pointed at a series of thin white lines connecting across the blue printed paper. “This is the Sixth level of Rust. It's the only above-water platform that connects with the Syndicate's central building. To get there, you have to traverse a long, winding alleyway that tapers off into a dead end, all the while bypassing several patrols and Verlaxion knows who else might be acting as the eyes and ears of the local gang down in those levels.”
“I've got one question,” Rainbow Dash said.
Theanim looked up from the map. “By all means.”
Rainbow squinted. “...why do you have a map like this?”
Theanim Mane sighed. “I was supremely bored last time I visited here.”
“Yeah, well, you didn't have me around that time, did ya, Theams?” Echo smirked... at least until a brown hoof swatted him in the skull. “Ow!”
“Right.” Theanim continued, resting his forelimb. “At the end of this alleyway, there's an auxiliary entrance to the Syndicate's building. It too is guarded, although not quite as securely as the entrance up top. The sixth floor passage is simply the means why which the Boss' headquarters rids itself of daily refuse.”
“So... uh... a garbage chute,” Rainbow said. She blinked, then smiled. “A Trash Trench!”
“Erm... I think 'auxiliary entrance' is as snazzy a title as it will ever deserve, Miss Dash”
“Yeah, uh huh.” Rainbow Dash tilted her head up, blinking at the others. “So who here wants to perilously navigate the Syndicate's Trash Trench and set off a chain reaction of stealthy goodness at the very end?”
Theanim face-hoofed, groaning.
“Remember...” Rainbow smirked. “Many of Doc Mane's synapses died so that we could get this precious information.”
“The good news is that it'll be under the cover of shadow at all times,” Echo said, rubbing his skull. “It's even deeper than the Dust district.”
“Albeit seedier,” Theanim said.
“Right. That too.”
“Well, spank my flank and call me 'Kelly!'” Bard grinned. “We've got this one in the bag!” He looked aside. “Ain't that right, Dubya-Cee?”
The griffon chewed on a wooden toothpick. With a metal clatter, he raised a “talon's-up” and nodded.
Bard pointed at the griffon with a proud smile. “Yer lookin' at the best shadow-murkin'-and-lurkin' ace up anypony's sleeve!” He placed a hoof on his friend's shoulder. “If there's a need for a one-soul-sneakin' mission, then Dubya-Cee's yer bird-lion... or lion-bird... or—”
Wildcard angrily slapped Bard's hoof off his shoulder.
“Ahem...” Bard squirmed where he stood. “'Course, reckon he'll need help bein' allowed in so he can lend a beak.”
“That's where I'd come in,” Rainbow said.
“Hmmm?” Theanim blinked, adjusting his goggles.
“I'll enter through the front door as established,” Rainbow said. “Using Echo's descriptions, I'll sneak my way to the sixth floor and open the door for Wildcard to come in. Then the two of us will make a distraction so that we can enter the Syndicate's Vault together.”
“Dun you mean a second distraction?” Bard remarked.
“Huh?” Rainbow blinked.
“Well, dun y'all forget...” Bard pointed at Echo. “This here's the bait. We ain't even gonna get the door to this place open unless we bring in the bat-pony front-and-center!”
“I do believe that is rather obvious, Mister... 'Bard,'” Theanim said with a shudder.
“But we haven't yet agreed on is who does it!” Bard waved his hoof. “I'm yer stallion! Somethin' tells me that this here midnighter will be super important in the Boss' eyes. So, in case the head hauncho to the Syndicate shows up, we're gonna need somepony to bedazzle and sweet-talk him for as long as it takes!” He winked across the hotel room. “That way purdy-fruity here and Dubya-Cee will have enough time to wrangle their way in and get busy... stealthy and platonic-like, of course.”
“Suit yourself,” Theanim said. “You're certainly doing enough to stall these proceedings. I'm certain you'll have what it takes to keep the Syndicate's Boss distracted.” He glanced aside. “How do you feel about this mercenary taking charge of the infiltration, Miss Dash?”
“'Purdy... fruity...?'” the mare drawled, muzzle scrunched.
While Theanim sighed yet again, Echo spoke up: “I still don't see how Lady Banana Farts here is going to bypass the front lock.”
“I'm telling you guys...” Rainbow squinted. “I've got the gift.”
Theanim looked pointedly at her. He blinked, then nodded at the rest. “She's right. She can get us inside.”
“Is that a fact?” Bard adjusted his stetson and folded his forelimbs. “And you mind explaining just how, Mr. Scientist?”
“I'll leave that up to Miss Dash herself,” Theanim said, returning a glare. “Suffice it to say that I've witnessed first-hoof that she is a mare of extraordinary finesse and expertise. And, atop all of that, she has far more gifts than the rest of us combined. Gifts both extraordinary and powerful.” He fiddled with his goggles and said, “Those who have failed miserably against her in a hoof-fight can certainly attest, I would think.”
Wildcard and Bard exchanged blank glances.
“Now...” Theanim leaned forward, softly exhaling. “...just what kind of a distraction can Miss Dash and Mr. Wildcard make once they've reunited within the fourth level?”
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Pocket ghost powers: activate!
AND THEN ECHO ACTUALLY TURNED INTO RUST.
That, or the city suddenly became a wisecracking pony.
The Syndicate isn't meant to entertain, Mr. Mane.
No fortress is impenetrable when you have Dash and her
xray hacksfriends!I can't help but feel that whatever part Theanim plays in the plan will involve lots of screaming...
6172661
Ghost OP, Valve plz nerf.
Let's hope that once Rainbow and Wildcard are inside, everything goes according to plan, because WC is mute and I don't think RD knows Griffin Sign Language.
And by 'according to plan' I mean 'to hell in a
handbasketRust bucket'6172641
I wouldn't put it past IC.
They keep talking about this Vault, and I can't help but think about Borderlands.
And now small part of me expects the Syndicate's Boss to be some charismatic Handsome Jack-esque douchebag. Would be cool, but... still. Video games ruined me
''Welcome to Rust, kiddos.''
Unless Bard is a professional sweet-talker, or the Boss is ghey as hell, I can't imagine his 'bedazzling' working very well. Rarity could probably help, but since she's still stuck with Lady Banana Farts... yeah.
Sudden Griffon Harmonica solo.
Gotta love the planning stages of a good heist.
img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20150206184822/megamitensei/images/a/a7/Persona_5_Hideout.jpg
I can't wait for this all to go horribly right.
-Memories given light, ease a lonely flight. Ynanhluutr.
No, Rainbow! You have to share your plan offstage if you want it to work!
Good way to get Verlaxon's attention whether you want it or not.
I wonder how well Rainbow Dash and Wildcard are going to be able to communicate, seeing as how Dubya-Cee isn't exactly vocally inclined.
6172721
I already had in my head a sort of expectation about the boss guy, but your idea is infinitely better. I'll definitely be putting handsome Jack's voice in my head for his lines.
Careful planning instead of just barging in. I like it.
Plan is not stupid, something's going to go terribly wrong.
6172740 Yeah, the're boned.
6172731
i42.tinypic.com/280qfzp.jpg
Hey kid, wanna heist?
This is planned too well.
Yeah, there's no way such a logical and organized plan is going to work. We're talking about Easthorse here.
Although... Could you imagine if their plan actually went off without a hitch? I think that would blow a few minds around here.
The Syndicate has made a critical error. A small east horse should be able to penetrate the vault's outer defences.
Purdy Fruity ... I so got to use that
Things might go horribly wrong.
All right chums, time's up, let's do this!
As the smartness of a plan increases, the chances of success rapidly become closer to zero.
6173095 6173336 6173112 I want to say that a well-planned plan will not work because that's not how RD works, but then I remember how RD and the Jury extracted the Changeling Queen with a well-planned plan...sooooo......
Yup, now I'm rather happy with my earlier music choice. Let's bust this shit wide open.... then do the necessary paperwork.
Someone smirked at eleven. That implies that Verlaxions Castle or whatever would be equivalent, will be an awful lot higher.
I know Dash implied Twilight and Rarity when talking about the locking mechanism, but when two code pads with cycling codes are in the same place on opposite sides of the wall, it implies theres a cable duct running straight between them, for electrical signaling, fibre optic, or mechanical links, unless the pads are just there and use magical effects for linking. Also, like car locks and a lot of elec tronic locks, the encryption on teh pad, only pulls a single wire, or triggers a single power lead, letting you bypass all the encryption with a coathanger and a small power supply. A good lock will still have simple wire based activation, but there will be two or more stages, and they have to go in a given sequence. As in the physical bolts are encoded. If youve ever looked in the back of the smaller walk in bank vault doors, all the securing bolts are on a common frame and so one activation pulls all of them together.
Of course, all this security means nothing when you have two invisible magical ghost horses that can listen to what the password and counterphase are and what numbers are being said, as well as whats actually being different. Imagine the fun you would have if the number displayed on a given key kept changing. Ten numbers on a moving 20 button pad is almost 64 bit encryption in its own right, even if the actual code is 1234.
Oh dear. dont forget the worse inside joke. WC in the Waste chute.
Forget the cherry bomb, that Griffin is going to Pineapple those facilities. One way or the other.
And then, theres Tentacle Bob.
If shes small and white, is it going to be Rarity that gets her ghost horn stuck in a mana feed instead of a signals port?
Hey, for all we know, griffonic sign language is something passed down through their culture, and dash learned it from Gilda. I mean, if everywhere uses the same system of currency, sign language isn't too far off.
I approve of sudden harmonica solo. Initiate it NOW.
I can't wait for the improvisation that will happen when this falls apart.
And we have Diet Zaid 2.0.
6173421
That's... actually a really good point.
Welp. 41 days of unregrettable commitment and I've made it just in time for a multi-part Rust romp. And here I thought it'd take all summer for my med log to change.
Ohhhh I'm so gonna miss reading chapters in bulk. Still, it feels good to finally be near the front of the pack.
6173336
If she can pull off a comprehensive plan to save Val Roa, then this should be a cake walk with the addition of her Noclip buddies.
...Should.
6173546 6173563 6173112 6172970
Well, This is a stupid idea, and it satisfies my want of a Heat/Payday/[another heist thing] with this group. *S--t-Eating grin* What could go wrong
Though, if they still had the Noble Jury--may her skystone rest in glowing pieces-- they could just take the vault a la Saint's Row III
6173113 Well, the Syndicate doesn't consider a small east horse to be any threat, or they'd have a tighter defense. An analysis of the plans provided by Theamin Mane has demonstrated a weakness in the headquarters. But the approach will not be easy. You are required to maneuver straight down this trench and skim the surface to this point. The target area is only two meters wide.
6173280
LEEEEROOOOOOY DASHKIIIIIIINS
What could go wrong?
Hmm . . . the plan seems sound, but I have a feeling that things won't be so simple in practice.
6173815 EVERYTHING.
Everything is gonna go teats up isn't it...
6173421 I'm convinced sheer dumb luck would be at play there.
6173645
Welcome to the Jury 2.0, enjoy the ride
It's going to happen. You know it.
Oh, now this is going to be fun. I can't wait to see what goes wrong.
-Spirit (Yeast and Treacle)
6173645 Welcome to the Lunar Ninth! Congratulations on catching up.
6174671 No, no it's not Jury 2.0. It's New Jury! All the flavor and charm of Original Jury, but with none of the calories! Try New Jury today!
I love it when characters actually explain their plans! Makes me feel like a kitten with a ball of yarn!
6173645 welcome to the lunar ninth!
Wait, it's not actually that stupid. BUT, it may be just well-organized enough to work.
Explosions most likely, probably will also involve some short skirts in there as well not sorry
Ok, so maybe not THAT stupid but still impossible.
Still some of the best plans to have
The Italian job plus a bait-and-switch. Dis gun be good.
6291912 I'd put a few bits on the fact that a few colons will implode.
6174348
Possibly in the most delicious way possible.
6624266 im curious....is THIS the story that started the "dis gun be goood" thing?
The sad part is, without that hint I would have totally missed the earlier "trench" reference.
I m just making an observation...compared to past confrontations, everything that has happened since the Grand Choke has been way more relaxed and not that dangerous compared to everything that happened beforehand. Anything will seem better compared to the Steel Wing though.