267 - Worth Betting On
“I’m telling you, this is a bad idea!”
“These ponies are critically ill, and need to be taken to a hospital with all possible haste,” replied Lex evenly. He’d somehow managed to keep his temper in check, despite Coal Hopper’s continued opposition to loading the sick ponies onto the train for transport back to Canterlot. Nor was his forbearance entirely due to exhaustion, either. This is an excellent opportunity to put what Nosey and Sonata’s recommendation into practice, he’d decided, resolving himself to treat Coal Hopper like she was an idiot who couldn’t comprehend basic logic rather than demanding she operate at his level. “Your train is currently the only method of delivering them to the treatment they need.”
“But Tall Tale is right over there!” Coal Hopper’s hoof jabbed southward as she frowned at him. “Just put them on a boat and they’ll be there before sunrise!”
“There are no boats available,” answered Lex, fighting down the urge to rebuke her for not realizing that on her own. If that course of action were viable, I’d have taken it!
“Yeah, well, you’re such a big shot, you should have just magicked one up,” muttered Coal Hopper, some of the fire in her voice receding as she sat down.
Lex grit his teeth at the not-so-subtle indictment of his abilities, but there was nothing he could say to that. He had considered trying to repair the boat that C. Shells had brought them here on – he’d met her when he’d used a spell to fix some damage to its hull back in Tall Tale – but had determined that doing so wasn’t feasible. Tlerekithres had ripped the vessel apart, letting half of it sink into the bay while the other half had been thrown at them during the battle at the docks, breaking into pieces on the wharf, most of which had subsequently been blown away by the storm that the kraken had conjured. Since his spell required that all the pieces of a broken object be present in order to repair it, Lex felt certain that even channeling additional energy through it wouldn’t have let the spell fix the ship.
The other course of action would have been to use magic to contact Ribbon Cutter – the deputy mayor that he’d left in charge of Tall Tale in his absence – and have her send another ship to Vanhoover. He could have done it; even if he couldn’t use his scrying spell without an ornate mirror to focus it through, he could have prepared his other long-range communication spell, the one that allowed for the sender and the recipient to exchange up to twenty-five words each. Except that there’s no way that Tall Tale has any ships to send, he’d realized. After all, he’d taken the last viable one when he’d left the city for Vanhoover just over a week ago, and there was no way for Las Pegasus – the only other major city on the western coast – to have heard that Tall Tale’s port was open again (Ribbon Cutter having closed it while she’d been under the dragon’s enchantment) and sent a ship there in that short of a time.
That would change later, of course, but for right now this train was the only thing connecting Vanhoover to the rest of Equestria.
“Look,” piped up Coal Hopper, “I was telling whatshername, Sonata, that we wouldn’t have just abandoned ponies in need, and we wouldn’t, but you have to realize that we’re not set up to carry passengers. Especially special needs passengers.”
She gestured to the train again, as if she thought he hadn’t noticed it before. “All of our cars are either shipping cars or liquid tanks. We only have the one passenger car, right behind the engine, and it’s already full with the crew.”
“The shipping cars-” started Lex.
“-aren’t safe to travel in,” interrupted Coal Hopper, having anticipated what he was going to say. “I know everypony thinks that you can just jump in those like it’s no big deal, but think for a second. There’s no hoofholds to grab onto if you lose your balance, and no cushions if you fall. There aren’t any amenities like beds or chairs or blankets. The only things in any of them right now are tarps, some tools, and a bunch of empty shipping crates. And that’s not even the worst part.” She paused for a moment, giving him a pointed look before continuing. “The worst part is that the coupling for shipping cars doesn’t have any passenger access. Do you know what that means?” She didn’t wait for him to reply, immediately answering her own question. “It means that there’s no way to move between the cars. Not without risking your life by doing something stupid like climbing onto the roof and jumping from one car to another. So everypony in those cars will be stuck there, completely isolated, for the entire three-day breakneck trip back to Canterlot. That’s not exactly the most secure way to travel, especially for a bunch of ponies that are already in bad shape.” She was panting slightly by the time she finished, wiping a hoof across her forehead. “Now do you see why this is a bad idea?”
“I’m aware that the trip will be inconvenient for all involved.” Lex’s answer was given around gritted teeth. He knew he was supposed to be talking to Coal Hopper like she was a complete idiot – which she was rapidly proving herself to be anyway – but there was only so much abject stupidity that Lex could stand before it became intolerable, and right now she was pushing his limit. “But after three days, they’ll arrive in Canterlot, where they can get the treatment they need. That won’t be the case if they stay here.”
“Okay, look-”
“Tada!” Fortunately, Lex was spared any further nonsense as Sonata climbed onto the station platform, grinning as she gestured at the five ponies following her. “Fencer and company, present and accounted for! Plus, I totes explained what’s going on, so you don’t have to! It’s all part of what we offer here at Sonata’s Spokespony Services. Please tip generously: we accept hugs, kisses, and nuzzles.” She trotted closer as she spoke, moving to sit alongside him and leaned toward him expectantly.
Lex cringed, unable to keep his eyes from darting to the other six ponies on the platform with them, fighting down a mild surge of anxiety. Not wanting to embarrass himself by telegraphing that he had no idea how to properly respond to her playful affection, he took the only acceptable alternative he could think of: he ignored it, turning back to Coal Hopper instead. “Go coordinate with the doctors. Make sure they know to transport only those patients who require a functioning hospital, and who are strong enough to travel. We’ll set aside supplies and provisions for them.”
Coal Hopper looked ready to argue, but settled for throwing her forehooves into the air in exasperation before wandering away from the platform, brushing past Fencer and her friends without so much as a word. The other ponies watched her go, before turning their attention back to Lex and a pouting Sonata. Silence hung for a moment, until Granola Bar nudged Fencer, who jumped before taking a tentative step forward. “Listen, um, I want-”
“Sonata said she explained the situation, but I want to make sure there are no ambiguities,” interrupted Lex unceremoniously. “Your job is to stop any threat of a ghoul outbreak before it starts. If any of the ponies being transported expire before they reach Canterlot, then I want you to mutilate their bodies in whatever manner is necessary to prevent them from becoming undead, is that clear?”
A mousy-looking mare, practically hiding in the back of the group, spoke up. “Um, couldn’t-, I’m sorry, I heard what you were saying to that pony that just left. Couldn’t you have the doctors just use one of the hospitals here? I mean, there’s no more ghouls, right? Just, you know…just get them going again.”
“That’s a great idea!” piped up Sonata, looking at Lex for confirmation.
But he was already shaking his head. “That won’t work.”
“Yeah, that totes won’t work,” echoed Sonata seamlessly.
Unable to resist a mild snort at his girlfriend’s antics, Lex kept going. “None of the buildings in Vanhoover are currently fit for habitation. The hospital we visited earlier in the day was still filthy from the floodwaters. Everything was scattered about haphazardly, and while there were plenty of medical supplies left over, a large portion of the actual equipment was ruined. It will take a dedicated cleanup and resupply before it’s fit for actually housing patients again, which is more than our current resources can adequately handle.”
“Oh…” The mare’s ears lowered, a crestfallen look spreading across her face. “Sorry, I should have known that.”
“No no, it was a good question!” Sonata sent the smaller mare a warm smile, before looking at Lex. “Right?”
“Actually, it-”
“See? Even Lex agrees! Oh, and he also says that he’s, like, super grateful that you’re all willing to do this, and that it totes helps out a lot!”
“Yeah, because this worked out so well for the last group he sent somewhere to do his dirty work,” muttered the large stallion of the group, the same one that had berated him last night for not immediately tending to Fencer’s wounds.
Lex felt his features tighten at the comment, but to his mild surprise, Sonata again responded before he could. “What was that?!” she snarled, her features twisting with rage, taking a threatening step closer to the stallion.
Despite the fact that he was a head taller and quite a bit heavier than her, the other pony blanched, waving a hoof nervously. “Nothing!”
“Darn right it was nothing!” growled Sonata, still giving him a glare.
The tension hung in the air for a moment, before Fencer took a step forward, drawing all eyes to her; her own were locked on Lex. “May I ask you something?”
When he curtly nodded, she licked her lips for a moment before going ahead. “Why do you want us to do this? If it’s just disabling ponies that die on the trip, even the doctors could do that.”
“Because-,” started Lex.
“Hey, spokespony, remember?” interrupted Sonata. Doing so earned a glare from her boyfriend, but she’d seen that expression of his often enough that it rolled right off her back. “You tell me, and I’ll tell her.”
“Actually,” interjected Fencer. “I’d like to hear it from him.”
Sonata’s eyebrows went up. “For realsies?” She glanced back and forth between Lex and Fencer for a moment before heaving a sigh. “Alright…”
Lex frowned at Sonata for another few seconds before turning his attention back to Fencer. “Sending these ponies to Canterlot is extremely risky. If they turn into ghouls, it could lead to an outbreak that engulfs all of Equestria in the undead.”
Fencer tilted her head. “Then why do it at all, if it’s that dangerous?”
“Because,” answered Lex easily. “These ponies’ lives are in danger. I cannot in good conscience deny them a chance to receive the best possible medical care – much better than we can give them here – because of what might happen. Saving them means that the risk must be taken.”
“…even if it means everywhere else possibly becoming like Vanhoover?” Behind her, Fencer’s friends winced at the question, quite clearly horrified by the prospect.
“That’s why I’m sending you.” Lex didn’t hesitate for a moment, looking Fencer dead in the eye as he said that. “You’ve amply demonstrated that you’re more than a match for even a large number of ghouls. With you on the train, the threat to Equestria will be minimized.”
Fencer bit her lip at that, swallowing before she spoke again. “How do you know that I won’t just cut out? That I won’t jump off the train and run away or something if things go bad?”
“Because you’ve been reformed,” answered Lex matter-of-factly.
“…yeah?” Fencer’s voice was so small it was barely audible.
“Yes. You proved that last night.”
But she shook her head. “That wasn’t-…” She sighed, her ears folding back. “I was just angry. I wasn’t thinking about saving you, or my friends, or the camp ponies, or anything else.” She kept her eyes on the ground as she spoke. “I honestly thought that we were all gonna die, and I just wanted to take down as many of those things as I could.” Her shoulders slumped then, eyes closing. “I’m not reformed.”
Under any other circumstances, Lex would have taken her words at face value. But he’d heard what she’d said when she’d attacked the ghouls, demanding that they return the ponies she cared about, the same way he had when he’d demanded that Xiriel return Nosey, whom he’d later realized that he cared about. That had been what led to him realizing that her words when he’d sentenced her had all been true, that she wasn’t the same mare who’d callously threatened Cozy’s husband right in front of her.
“You’re wrong.” The sheer confidence in Lex’s voice made her lift her head, giving him a surprised look. “You’re not the pony you were when I met you.”
Her eyes filling with tears, Fencer tried to speak, but the words wouldn’t come. “I…”
“You’re reformed,” Lex repeated. “And I’m willing to bet all of Equestria on it.”
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The feelings ring true. Sometimes yourself is the hardest thing to get forgiveness from.
A lot of responsibility has been placed on Fencer. Will she be able to carry out the gruesome deed she's just been told to do? Would her friends be up to the task as well?
Depending on what kind of shipping container it is, there should be a method to secure the crates and stop them from moving around during transit. And with some ingenuity, they could use the bedding from the gurney(if not salvage some of the mattresses from the mattress store) to cushion the crates enough for some makeshift seating arrangements for the patients. It's not ideal but it would minimize some of the risks.
The other concern I have is how many ponies can the shipping cars accommodate. If there isn't enough room for everyone, that would require the use of separate cars which would isolate Fencer and her group from each other. And if anyone acts too hastily, it could be disastrous.
Still, this depends on the doctors' assessment on whether or not any of the rescued survivors can handle a 3 day trip to Canterlot.
Place open crates on their sides facing each other to make cot bunks? So only a small amount of padding is needed to secure the patients while allowing reasonable access? That way you get at least two levels of stack as well? Biggest problem will be the watering and the hole in the corner for waste disposal.
9125237 Quite right. It's ironic that Lex would be the one to help her get there (in fact, I doubt he fully realizes exactly what he's doing).
9125600 Crates don't really make good bunks, no matter how you arrange them. And tarps aside, there isn't much in the way of padding, most of which will need to be given to the patients anyway. It's going to be a harsh trip, one way or another...but at least after three days, they'll be back among civilization.
9125259 Hopefully Fencer won't need to take action. Lex is sending her as a safety precaution, after all. Though given that he's just said that he believes in her (even if he wouldn't phrase it like that), she might feel better about herself if she managed to live up to it.
Taking some of the mattresses from the place where the new survivors were holed up might seem like a good idea, but I wouldn't count on it. There's really no way those things aren't filthy after everything that they've been through, not the least of which was having a bunch of confined ponies basically living on them 24/7 for who knows how long. More likely, it's going to be loading the hospital beds onto the train, with the patients on them, and using the crates and tarps to store necessary medical supplies, food, and water, with everyone else (i.e. the doctors, Fencer and co.) sleeping on the floor.
That presumes that they're all placed in one car, of course. That's going to be awkward, since splitting them up makes for increased risk, and Lex won't want that, but packing them too tightly impacts their health and safety. Hopefully there won't be too many of them altogether.
9126103
There's a really obscure piece of lore, from back in 2nd Edition when only mortals could gain class levels. I don't know where it was originally published but they posted a copy here.
BOO! Boo Lex, Boo! Sonata needs to explain PDFing your way to relatableness.
Yeah, he and the Princesses are going to have to have it out. Their live-and-let-live policies between cities are looking increasingly outdated as communications and transportation erases distance.
9126483
That's not lore, it's fanfiction. I own most of the old Planescape products (which is the campaign setting that's explicitly tying itself to), and I've read most of what I don't already own, and I'm extremely confident in saying that this was never in any official product. (Maybe the Pages of Pain novel, which I haven't read, but that was wildly non-canon anyway.)
At some point she's going to call him out on the fact that he's not living up to his "I want everyone who sees us to know that I love you more than anyone else ever could" speech back in chapter fifty-one.
Such a confrontation might be in the near future, given that the princesses are already intent on heading to Vanhoover. Of course, they're not the type that shoot first and ask questions later, but that doesn't mean that things might not go very badly depending on what they see, how they interpret it, and how Lex reacts to their presence...
9126575
Ah man! I thought it was legit. Well, that individual has really good production values on their fanfiction then.
I feel like Kara will have helpful advice about making him jealous or something.
I feel like they never really get around to shooting or asking questions.
and she will do things right yes she has changed, the fires of hell either tempers the steel or makes it brittle, either way it burns away hate.
9126596
A lot of people found Planescape's style evocative enough to inspire fiction. Just look at Fire and Dust (though, as I recall, the author of that did want to get it published by WotC, and it didn't work out).
Some "helpful" advice.
Eh, Celestia's not that passive. When I first watched A Canterlot Wedding - Part 2, and Queen Chrysalis revealed herself, I was just starting to wonder if Princess Celestia was going to stand there and do nothing while Chrysalis monologued, when sure enough she stepped up and fought her. Sure, she lost, but at least she tried.
9126687 She does seem like she's going to come out the other side of what she's been through. Hopefully, at least.
The tension is palpable!
9221687 But is Lex right to bet on Fencer? She doesn't think so, but Lex is - once again - refusing to listen to someone else's judgment.