Fallout Equestria: Soft Rain Falls

by BurningBright

Chapter 2: First Steps

The next thing I remember after that is waking up in a cell, with one Tartarus of a headache, and my ribs aching like crazy. With a groan, I got to my hooves, trying my best to ignore the pain.

"Well," came the Overdoe's voice, "I see you're up, and we have a mystery that needs solving. Suppose you tell me what happened hmm?." The kindly mare I knew didn't look like her usual self, as she looked at me. Given the circumstances, who can blame her for that?

With a nervous gulp, I started to talk. “Aspen's controller malfunctioned, he was pushing the button for regulation, but nothing was happening...” I found my eyes wet, as I kept trying to explain myself. “He saw my regulator and he cracked, he.... he charged me. I tried everything I could, honest I did, but I couldn't talk him down. I was hoping the jet would just knock him back... I guess the control didn't work or somethin'."

The Overdoe gave a weary sigh, her expression softening. “I was afraid of that. Stable-Tec warned us this might happen in case of regulator malfunction. They even wrote a sentence, in case such an an incident should happen... I'm sorry, but you can't stay here anymore. In case of a murder inside this stable, the rules are clear. Stable-Tec felt that it was a warning sign of isolation-related sickness. In those circumstances, automated security will designate the killer as hostile. I wish there was some way to prevent it, but I don't have access to those systems, except to completely disable the security grid."

"I can buy you twelve hours, if I use my authority to perform a formal banishment. I can provide supplies, but not weapons, or security will open fire."

I felt like a bucket of ice water had just been dropped on my head. My legs buckled as I listened numbly. Banishment? That meant going outside. Maybe letting security kill me wasn't so bad, at least it'd be over fast.

My regulator beeped a warning and I tapped the button, suddenly feeling less scared as the system did its job.

“MOM!” Fern snapped, stepping between me and the Overdoe. “You can see how bucked up this is, you can't send her out there unarmed like thi!. I won't let you!” her regulator beeped several warnings of instability, but she didn't even reach for her button. “She was defending herself! If she hadn't, she'd be dead!” I could hear the stifled sobs in her voice.

The Overdoe looked devastated. “I don't have any control of the automated security, dear, I really wish I did. But she can't stay here anymore, it isn't safe. We can't protect her without shutting down the security, and if we do that, we're all defenseless. We have fawns here, I can't do that."

The little gears in my head started to turn. “Wait, you said security would stop ya issuing weapons?” I asked curiously. “So no guns or blades? I have a request, ma'am. As a maintenance engineer, would it be allowed for me to leave with my equipment? Maybe I can earn a living up there that way, at least.”

Suddenly, the Overdoe's expression became a little more hopeful. “That's it. I can't issue you guns, but I formally issue you with a full set of equipment. Maintenance manuals will be sent to your Pip-Buck, you will be provided with one toolkit, and... one Stable-Tec high-pressure pressure washer. Given your lack of access to mains water, you'll be issued with an internal reservoir. I can't do much else. I'm sorry.”

“Don't be.”, I said, trying to smile weakly. The Overdoe was like family to me. I hated what was happening and was practically overloading my regulator doing this, but I couldn't blame her for protecting the stable.

“Mom, I hereby state myself complicit in these crimes, consider this my confession. Sorry, mom, but there's no way I'm letting my best friend go out there alone.”

The Overdoe turned on her daughter with a snarl. ”DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU'VE JUST DONE?! The Sentry Bots will treat you the same way!” she then rounded on me. “I wish to Tartarus she'd never met you! Since you caused this problem, it's up to you to keep her safe!” She stormed off, her monitor beeping warnings in her Pip-Buck.

The security bucks approached me. Whitebeam placed a reassuring hoof on my shoulder, before escorting me back towards my quarters to gather my few possessions together for the journey.

Mom was in the corner crying when I stepped in. It seems she was trying desperately to cram the useful stuff into a bag, packing warm clothes.

She'd even managed to scrape together some scrapped panels from somewhere, lacing them onto standard utility barding to give the impression of armour, If the individual assembling said armour had never seen armour before and was assembling it blindfolded and muzzled. I trotted up to her and faked a smile, as I gave her a reassuring nuzzle.

Didn't seem to help though, just made the waterworks worse, which set me off, leading to hours of just hugging and crying. I really didn't want to let go, but security was getting anxious. I finished packing in silence. Then, taking one last look at the quarters that had been mine for my entire life, and giving mom one last hug, I turned. Fastening on the closest thing I had to a weapon, loading up the tanks before heading up towards the atrium.

Everydeer in the place was looking at me. Some sounded sympathetic, some hoofed me supplies. Others muttered to themselves about “murderers”. Those ones stared at me with undisguised loathing.

All in all, it was almost a relief to make it through the crowds to the Atrium.

Fern was already there, as was The Overdoe.

Medical hoofed us each a pack of canisters for our Pip-Buck injectors with a few mumbled words. They would keep our regulators going for a week or two, if we could avoid stressing ourselves too much. After that we'd have to figure something out and hope we didn't end up like Aspen.

The Overdoe turned once more to the controls, and with a deafening screech, a hiss and a warning klaxon, the metal arm slid out and engaged with the thick vault door. Within minutes the door was open and we stood on the threshold.

The Overdoe grabbed Fern in one last hug, then security turned their guns on us.

“Winterberry Thicket, Fern Whitetail. According to the laws of this stable, you have been found guilty of, or confessed to, involvement in the murder of Aspen Gully,” the Overdoe said, trying her best to keep her voice neutral. “I am unable to issue a pardon, and as such, I find you both guilty. Under protest. Unless somedoe wishes to retract their confession.”

Looking scared, Fern spoke up. “No, mom. I won't retract my confession. Winterberry is my friend, and I hate this, but I am not sending her up there to face this alone. That would be bucked up."

“Don't do this, fern,” I pleaded with her. “You can stay here in the stable safe, I ain't worth losing that over. Stay here where it's safe, PLEASE.”

Even though I wanted her to stay safe... Inside, a little voice in the back of my head really didn't wanna be out there alone. I wanted to beat the Tartarus out of that traitorous little thought.

Fern looked to me, then to the door and did the bravest--and quite possibly stupidest--thing I've ever seen anydeer do in my entire life . She quickly hugged her mom, then stepped out of the vault door. I followed a few seconds after, working my flank off to shove her back inside, but she was always stronger than me, and buck me was she stubborn.

The door started to hiss shut, and at the last minute, the Overdoe threw a bundle to Fern as we fought. Then, with a final clang, the great steel door slid shut and sealed once more.

It hit us.

There was no going back.

We were so BUCKED.

Author's Note:

Winterberry Level up: Perk earned Packbeast level one: The weight of that heavy gear is starting to pay off, you can now carry heavier loads.
Companion perk: Stubborn will: By TARTARUS you're both as stubborn as each other, when a lock becomes too challenging you may get lucky if you perservere +1 to lockpick skill.

Comments

[Sk1Tz]

"War. War never changed"

Little irritated that I am immediately disinterested with this story with these following clichéd words being the introduction to what could be an interesting adventure. This isn't even the most eye burning part either. Following suit with those notoriously overused four words, you decide to give a rehashment of the background behind the Canon, original Fallout: Equestria story, which is yet another major cliche that isn't needed. If I wanted to know how the war came to be, I would go to the canon source, not read this. You should be giving an introduction about your own story, not someone else's.

Other than that, there's the issue with the major amount of grammatical, capitalization, punctual, and spelling errors. You should grab an editor to fix that.

I feel no connection with the main character. Personally it feels like Littlepip 2.0, Deer version. It's extremely off putting and dull, cause it just feels like a revamped, beloved character of the original story.

[Sk1Tz]

Also, "The Cleaner" isn't an eye catching title of a foe sidestory. Personal preference, maybe, but it doesnt look like there was any creativity put there.

[BurningBright]

7777983 You do make some good points , gonna start work on the redraft now that the word count is a lil higher.