Commencing
Psssssh...
"Release of Subjects: In progress."
A blast of hot air shot out of the piston as all the pressure around Nova released all at once.
"Pressurization levels: Normal. Cabin air filter levels: Normal. Toxins detected: None." An electronic voice droned on, speaking. The glass door to the pod opened as Nova crumbled out of it. His hooves and horn felt sore as if he had spent the last night drinking way too much tonic and cider. "Vital signs within acceptable parameters. Commencing... Experiment: CRASH LANDING." The electronic voice stopped before a sharp tone shot through the speaker.
"Welcome, subjects." A more pony-like voice spoke this time. The voice was deep, yet warm. The stallion's voice had a slight accent attached to it, although Nova couldn't decipher exactly where he was from. Different buzzers, beeps, and other voices nearly drowned out his own. Subjects...? Nova was confused. He didn't remember signing up for anything like this, and certainly not anything about being locked inside a pod. "You lucky few ponies have been chosen to continue on our previous subjects’ quest for the betterment of Ponykind!"
Nova's head spun. Where was he? How did he get here? Where was here? His hooves were also having trouble finding a strong footing.
"Now, some of you may be experiencing some... er... 'side-effects' from the medicines we gave you, and the hyperbaric pod's amplified pressure, but it's nothing to be worried about, trust me. The effects will wear off soon."
"Why me?" Nova's speech was slurred.
"Switching to single room frequency. Casting to: Subject #004. Gender: Stallion. Race: Unicorn. Age: Twenty. Name: Nova [REDACTED]. Occupation: Scholar. Coat color: Dark blue. Eye color: Gray. Hair color: Black--"
"Enough! I can see him now, you know."
"Very well, doctor. Resuming normal procedures.”
"Nurse, note that Subject #004 was the first to become conscious."
"Yes, doctor." A mare's quiet voice responded. Nova could barely hear them coherently. He was fighting to stay conscious and losing quickly. I've gotta... gotta get up. His blurred vision and hooves guided him towards the pod he had just exited.
"To answer your question..." The volume of his voice lowered for a moment before he huffed. "Cura, do you see his cutie mark anywhere in these files?"
"No, doctor."
"The interns must have forgotten to note it, of course..." He sighed. "Please note that his cutie mark is a large, imploding star with one, two, three, four, five smaller stars around it. Get a photograph of it if you can, darling."
"Yes, doctor."
The stallion cleared his throat before continuing. "As I was saying before, we put a variety of ponies through different filters and parameters for physical strength, mental capacity, and background. You fit one of the ones we're looking for, and that's..." The stallion paused for a moment. "Subject, please tell me you're not going to go right back to sleep? Your heart rate is lowering, and you're staggering."
Nova pulled himself up to the pod before his hooves collapsed, landing with his fore-hooves and chest up in the pod.
"Sleeping already... what a bore... computer, set his management to...automatic. I'm going to check with the other..."
Eclipse slammed her shoulder into the glass pod. A wailing siren droned on as she continued to try to force her way out.
No way this is happening to me! I won't let them get their hooves on me!
"Warning! Warning! Pod integrity at 50%. Pressurization: Dropping."
"Switching to single room frequency. Casting to: Subject #002. Gender: Mare. Race: Pegasus. Age: Twenty-seven. Name: Eclipse. Occupation--"
A gasp shot through the intercom, causing the robotic voice to pause. "Stop, stop! You're depressurizing the pod!"
"You think I care?!" She drove her shoulder into the glass another time. The glass cracking echoed throughout the pod.
"You won't when you're dead! Depressurizing suddenly at that level will kill you!"
Eclipse froze, her shoulder still in the glass.
"That's right... look, I dunno what caused your pod's opening to fail, but I can still get you out. Just sit back and I'll open it manually. Got the button right here in front of me."
Eclipse slowly, cautiously leaned back onto the white, vinyl seat of the pod. She folded her wings behind her back, using them as a pillow.
"I'm gonna open the door, okay?"
Eclipse sighed. "Just hurry up. I think I cut my shoulder trying to break through." A small cut had formed on her right shoulder, easily noticeable due to her white coat.
Psssssh...
A sudden jolt of pain shot up Eclipse’s spine as the pod slowly opened. She looked back, seeing a sharp syringe pulled back into the pod with another hiss.
"Sorry, but you're too unstable for me to release you into our environment right now. I've administered a sedative."
Eclipse stepped out the pod, suddenly dizzy. "What... you... you son of a..." She flapped her wings, rushing up towards the speaker and the black windows beside it.
"No, no, no--"
Eclipse's wings, suddenly too numb to continue, gave out, sending her into a tailspin into the ground. She landed with a loud thud. Her light yellow mane came to rest in her eyes and on her face. "Whew... that was close, subject. It is a bore that I haven't gotten the chance to find out more about you and the other subjects."
"Others?" Eclipse asked, looking up at the speaker she had just tried to attack.
"Oh yeah. Don't worry, you'll meet them soon." The doctor halted for a moment. "Well, looks like our time is up. I'll send in my nurse to bring your food and clean up that wound."
Eclipse rested her head on the cold floor, slowly losing consciousness.
"Authorization card recognized. Depressurizing cabin. Welcome, Nurse Cura."
"Switching to single room frequency. Casting to: Subject #003."
"Computer, tell me, who's this mare? She's slipped my mind, thanks to the last subject."
"Of course, doctor. Gender: Mare. Race: Unicorn. Age: Twenty-five. Name: Rarity [REDACTED]. Occupation: Seamstress. Coat color: Light grey. Eye color: Azure. Mane color: Indigo."
"Ah... right... at least they didn't forget her cutie mark. How could you..." The doctor swooned, especially interested in Rarity. However, a quick slap brought him back to reality. "Ah, all right, just teasing! Can't I just have some fun?!"
"Not with another mare, you're not!" A mare's angered voice ordered.
"But she's not just another ma-" The stallion froze for a moment, before nervously chuckling. "Just kidding. I would never do that to you, sweetie." He said in an unusually cheerful tone. The mare remained silent. "Let's get to work, shall we? Depressurize her pod and release her. Let's hope she's in better shape than the last unicorn I saw."
"Yes, doctor. Depressurizing pod. Releasing: Subject #003"
Psssssshhh
A choked coughing fit bounced throughout the room as a single white hoof stepped out of the pod. Rarity rested her other forehoof on the side of the pod as she stepped down out of it.
"Where--" Another cough ripped through her before she covered her mouth. "Hello? Pardon me, is anyone here?" She called out as she stepped behind the pod.
"Up here, darling. I can see you."
Rarity turned back up to the speaker. "Oh, thank goodness! I thought I had been abandoned here to fester. Where are you?"
"At your control panel. I can see you through this window." The tink of a hoof tapping against glass could be heard from the stallion's side.
"Control panel?" Rarity chuckled. "Alright, Rainbow Dash, who's the lovely acquaintance you put up to this practical joke, hm?"
"Hm... I don't think she knows you're here, dear. Not yet, at least."
Rarity halfheartedly laughed. "You may stop now. I'm fully aware this is your idea of a 'joke.' It is beginning to run a bit ragged, darling."
The stallion snorted. "I'm sorry my lady, but I'm afraid this isn't a joke. We're going to continue with the testing in a few hours, so please prepare yourself."
Rarity's heart dropped. She nervously chuckled. "O-okay, you can stop now. You've made your point, now please put an end to this practical joke."
"Ohhhh boy.... this is gonna be interesting." He huffed. "How do I explain this... nopony knows you're here. At all." Fear filled Rarity's heart. "Not Starlight, not Sweetie Belle, not Spike... especially not Princess Celestia or Luna. Just you, me, and a few other ponies."
"Stop it please, darling!"
"There's no reason to be scared. You'll just be here a few months and then you'll be on your way. It'll be like nothing ever happened."
"A few months?! Oh, no-no-no! That simply cannot be!" Rarity looked around the room, frantically looking for her sister. "Where's Sweetie?!"
"Sent to Sweet Apple Acres. You went on a 'long business trip.’ You won't be back for a week, perhaps two."
"How did you get me here?!"
"Oh, a little finesse, a few bits, and some over-the-counter medication can go a long way if you know what you're doing."
"How-how dare you!" Rarity lost her ladylike composure. How dare he assault her!
"Ooo, a temper! I like it."
"Swine! Disgusting swine!"
"Ah, ah, ah--" The stallion spoke in a sonorous voice as a loud buzz went through the room. "Remember sweetie, I'm in charge here." He warned. "And as much as I would hate to punish you, I won't hold back on giving you more hours on your experimentation time."
Rarity bit her tongue, despite her burning need to spew some very unladylike things to the stallion who had kidnapped her.
"Oh, and we still have hygienic products in the room to your right, so you don't have to worry that pretty little head about that."
"Don't you dare speak to me like that..." Rarity spoke under her breath. Thankfully, the stallion hadn't heard her.
"Aw, looks like our time's up for today. I still have one more subject to get to. See you tomorrow, love." The stallion could audibly be heard trotting away. "Ta-ta!" He mocked.
"Switching to all room frequency."
"Vile..." Rarity cursed. "Étalon vil!" She turned, finding she had been placed inside an entirely white room. White tiles, white padded walls, a few white cabinets (hopefully with food and water stocked inside), the pod... even the sheets inside were white.
At least he's competent enough to not clash anything... Rarity noted, almost in a joking manner. There were two doors to her left and right.
I suppose I could at least make sure this facility is secure. Rarity turned to go towards the right door but was halted by another piston hissing.
"Authorization card recognized. Welcome, Nurse Cura."
All right, rush out, take out as many as you can, then run, Alto Volare ordered to himself sternly. He always followed a code while he was on duty, even when he was just in the training academy: Fast, hard, and no heroics. Although he had repeated it back to himself countless times before, he still repeated his own code to himself over and over again, almost obsessively. His cutie mark told his story perfectly. With a spear atop a shield on the sides of his flanks, he was the example of a model officer.
"Switching to single room frequency: Casting to... Subject #001. Gender: Stallion. Race: Earth Pony. Age: Twenty-nine. Name: Alto Volare. Occupation: Trainee Officer. Division: Night's Guard. Coat color: Grey. Eye color: Hazel. Mane color: Silver."
"Now... let's see... ah, the officer. Computer, open the pod."
"Yes, doctor. Depressurizing pod..."
A bolt of steam shot out of the pod as it opened. Alto covered his mouth, coughing as he was overwhelmed by the smoggy smell of the steam. He rushed out, looking around. The room was completely empty, aside from the pod at the middle, the pads on the walls, the two doors on each side of him, and the intercom with the black one-way window below it.
"All right... what the hell is this?"
"Well, a room, but that's not the point." The stallion chuckled. Alto looked up to the speaker.
"Who are you?"
"Oh, that'd be ruining the surprise." He snickered. "But I know everything about you. For being such a highly regarded junior officer, you were rather easy to subdue."
Alto growled. "Come here and say that to my face, don't hide behind that glass if you're going to insult me." Alto turned back to the pod he had just exited, looking at the pipes and insulation leading into the pod. He took hold of the nearest, largest pipe, ripping it off the hinges and galloping towards the window. With a swift, yet heavy hoof, he swung the pipe towards the middle of the glass, cracking the glass with ease.
"Whoa-- hey! We're on a budget you know!"
"Like I care." Alto drew back, winding up for another swing and leaving another mark where the pipe had hit.
"Escape attempt detected and logged. Initiating lockdown."
The padded walls suddenly locked over the glass before Alto could get in another swing.
"Oh, I love this computer. Certainly more than I love you right now..." The stallion sighed. "You just gave me a whole mound of paperwork to sort through... I have to log this whole incident now." He said, dreading work. "You get one freebie, but that better not happen again. The Administrator will not like this."
"Administrator?"
The stallion had gone silent. It remained for a minute or so, lingering as Alto awaited his answer.
"Hey, answer me!"
"Switching to all room frequency."
A unicorn with a white cap stepped in, trotting through a previously hidden padded door. She had a black and silver stethoscope draped over her neck, sticking out over her white coat. Her black mane had strands of gray at the hairline, and her mane had been tied back in two pigtails behind her head. Rarity took a step back, cautious of the mysterious mare.
"Calm down, I'm not here to hurt you." She trotted up to Rarity. "Dr. Lost Legacy wanted me to make sure your vitals were still good. Equipment's been bugging out recently."
Rarity bared her teeth. "Stay away!"
"Why the hay do they always fight…?" The unicorn sighed. Her voice was cold, without any compassion or care for the mare standing in front of her. "Look, either you can willingly let me do it or I can have the guards come in and hold you down while I do it."
Rarity, figuring the former would be a wise choice, reluctantly relented. "Just complete it hastily."
"Don't worry, I don't want to be here as much as you do." She breathed as her gray magic lifted the stethoscope over her head, gently placing the earpieces in each ear. She placed the silver end on Rarity's chest.
"Elevated heart rate, normal with anger." The unicorn muttered to herself. Her magic moved the stethoscope lower. "Deep breath." She ordered clearly. Rarity followed her order. No point in opposing her, I suppose.
"Out."
Rarity, once again, followed her order. "Everything's normal. The daily schedule is on the back of the pod, showers and bathrooms are to the right. There's a few books and magazines to keep you entertained outside of experimentation hours, but that's really unimportant. Food will be placed in your chamber every other day. I'll be here every other week to check your physical health," the unicorn said in a rushed manner, as she had already begun trotting away. "Blah blah blah, don't bother escaping. And if you break your neck trying, I won't help." She stepped back behind the door before it closed.
There was something strange about that mare... Rarity noted. She was cold for being a nurse. But... She stepped back behind the pod. I suppose I can use the schedule, hopefully to my advantage.
There was a small glass panel between all the bolts and pipes leading in and out of the flooring.
Subjects' Daily Schedule.
Note: Subject to daily changes, as set by the Administrator.
Note: Experiments are on a mandatory bi-weekly basis. Failure to comply will result in severe punishment.
"The Administrator?” Rarity questioned. Perhaps that pony is the leader of this chaos?
6:00 AM: Subject wake up
6:05-6:45 AM: Breakfast/morning hygiene period
6:45- 8:00 AM: Daily Dream Session
Dream sessions? Rarity was confused. Why would they need a dream session only 45 minutes after waking up?
8:00-11:00 AM: Assigned Research time
11:00 AM-12:00 PM: Rest period/Lunch
12:00 PM-4:00 PM: Assigned Experiment #1 time
Rarity's heart dropped. An experiment? For four full hours? No, no! This cannot happen! She had been afraid when an old friend would experiment by putting a spell or two on her for a few minutes, but how would she survive for four full hours? More importantly, why would they do this to her of all ponies?
5:00-6:30 PM: Assigned subject interaction time
Subject interactions? There's more than just me? Rarity, in truth, felt some relief just by reading that. Perhaps knowing that she wouldn't be alone helped her in a way.
6:30-7:00 PM: Nightly hygiene period
7:00-11:00 PM: Assigned rest period
11:00 PM-6:00 AM: Allotted sleep time
Thank goodness, only seems I'll dislike the experiment time. She quiet released a relieved sigh. There must be a clock on here. They wouldn't supply me with a schedule without providing me with a method to determine how long I may have before it starts.
Current Time: 6:05 AM
The doctor rushed down the hall, walking by different doctors, nurses, and just general passersby. He followed a continuous red line. The line was long and tedious, but he always knew which step to take and which turn to make, such is the brilliance of this doctor. However, he wasn't feeling so brilliant at that moment in time. He felt... almost terrified.
The Administrator is gonna be angry... the doctor dreaded. He hated coming to her office, mainly because it usually ends with her throwing him out. No, I have no choice. Either go or get dragged there, he told himself as he approached the large, wooden door. He straightened his gray mane back as quickly as he could, wiping it back on top of his head. Taking a deep breath and summoning up whatever courage he could, he knocked on the door three times.
"Enter." The Administrator spoke in a two-toned voice. Her voice was quiet, yet commanding, and with confidence.
The doctor stepped into the dark room. His brown coat almost blended in with the wooden chair in front of her desk. His administrator was sitting in her usual chair; tall, and clad in elegant leather. He glanced up at the clock behind the Administrator's chair, noting that it was still early in the morning. Her face and body were covered by shadows. The only things visible were her armored purple horseshoes and her thick black cloak.
"I'm sorry to interrupt you, ma'am. I know you're busy, but there's been a.... a-an incident with one of my subjects.”
The Administrator breathed out an exasperated sigh. "How many times have we gotten through this process, Lost Legacy? Hm?"
"Too many, ma'am." Legacy quickly replied.
"Exactly; too many times. We're not made of money, and we can't continue to fund this project if you're not going to make any progress."
"With all due respect ma'am, we have made progress. Subjects #024, #214, and #100 have passed through the program. Subject #024 could barely work at her farm for the months after the experiments, #214 went into hiding for years, and #100 barely flew for the year after."
"All of it has been temporary. We want permanent results, dammit. For all the work and sleepless nights we've put into this, they should suffer twice as much as we did." The Administrator stood, bitterness strong with her voice. "Even the few you do manage to brainwash, they don't last long without our magic. We need permanent."
"I-I can give you permanent!" Legacy spoke out of term and immediately regretted it. She turned to him with an angry glare. The clock suddenly stopped ticking.
A tentacle of dark, dangerous magic snaked its way around his hind hoof. It lifted him off the ground, slithering its way up to his neck, tightening as it circled around him like a boa constrictor.
"You should be well aware of what happens to ponies who speak out of term. "
"A-Apologies ma'am!" Legacy grabbed the tentacle, pulling it away from his throat. "Please don't!" He pled. The Administrator opened a single, cat-like eye staring him down. The iris widened, becoming normal, almost like a pony's, except it was an unusually dark shade of purple. The tentacle retracted, releasing him.
"I... I'm sorry. I just--" This voice was... different. It was only a single tone, and it sounded like an actual pony's voice. "You've got a couple of months. Give us results or the funding will be the least of your worries." She returned to her normal manner of speaking.
"Yes, ma'am." Legacy straightened his posture and brushed his mane down, making sure no strands of his gray mane had gone out of place. "We'll put it into overdrive today."
"No, we don't want them breaking too fast."
"B-But-" "You'll get an extra month or so to work, keep your head."
Legacy sighed, relieved. "Yes ma'am, thank you."
She nodded. "One more thing, when you get to Rarity, bring her to us. We'd like to deal with her personally."
"With all due respect ma'am, I don't think that's going to end well for her."
"And with all due respect Legacy, we know what we're doing."
"Of-of course, ma'am. Sorry." He bowed.
"Now get out. We need time to ourselves."
She didn't have to tell him twice. Legacy quickly made his exit, closing the door behind him.
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I need more of this, this is amazing! Possible get ride if dark and horror tags and replace them with mystery, depending on where the story is going? Great work so far!
9310008
Thank you for the feedback!
Added Mystery tag!
I KNOW WHO “The Administrator” IS!!
ITS NIGHTTMARE MOON!!
9310031
When will u update the story?
9312039
The next chapter will be out Monday
9312250
Sounds good!