G6:3850: Missing Pieces
Act 3
Despite the massive proportions of the Cyclops, it had very few big rooms. The observation deck was the largest, and even it would have a hard time fitting twenty people. That was where they went, with Olivia’s brute squad explaining nothing and practically dragging Melody along with the rest of their team.
“I don’t understand,” Deadlight was saying, as they made their way into the lounge. “The best parts of the Caravan festival happen at night! We shouldn’t leave now.”
They stumbled into the observatory just as the submarine began to descend. No precautions, no guiding the vinyl skin slowly out to sea to make it look like the ship had sailed. They just dropped straight down, taking the facade with them and probably causing quite the stir on the docks.
But that wasn’t the only thing Melody noticed as they entered. The first thing she saw were the four emaciated ponies already waiting in the room, huddled in a corner away from everyone else as though they feared a beating.
“The fuck is this?” Dorothy asked, apparently thinking the exact thing she was. The new ponies were wearing rusted shackles around some of their limbs and were dragging chains behind them.
The Arab, Abubakar, had a welding torch, but the ponies clearly had not allowed him to approach. There was no telling how long he had been waiting there. “We rescued some slaves,” he said. “Perhaps you can convince them we mean only good will. I would like to remove their restraints, but they’re rusted closed. Several also have minor infections and small wounds that should be treated.”
Lucky’s team was nowhere to be seen, or Olivia. Perez wasn’t here either, but Melody had heard him screaming from down the hall. Arguing with Olivia? No, he respected the chain of command too much. Probably the Forerunner then.
Deadlight’s whole body tensed. Melody felt it, felt him stride away from her in a rage, stomping on the deck as he made his way over to Abubakar. “I told Wayfinder to stay away from Salvatore. She ignored me, didn’t she?” He flicked his tail towards the slaves. “You got the Horde involved. That’s why we’re running away from the city—she made enemies to save these four ponies.”
“Yes,” Abubakar said, using the Forerunner’s voice to translate for him. “That is not the whole truth, but that is all part of it. Melody, will you help these ponies? They require sensitivity, I think. More than I can give them.”
“Sure.” Melody dropped her saddlebags on the ground where she had been standing. Dorothy, apparently miffed that her lunch had been interrupted, stalked over to the food dispenser and started serving herself. At least you got your seeds. I didn’t get a fraction of the time I wanted with the natives. “Wait, what about the other me? We didn’t leave my clone behind, did we?”
“No,” Mogyla answered from behind her. Both he and the other soldier (Noah, she was pretty sure) still had their weapons at the ready, and they took positions at the back of the room as though they expected an attack at any moment. “Her team was too far from the docks, so the Forerunner sent air evac. They will meet us further out to sea.”
Melody’s immediate concerns dealt with, she focused herself on the former slaves. All four of them looked approximately the same age, maybe a few years older than her clone, not quite fully adult. I wonder if you came from some equine equivalent of a puppy mill. There were two earth ponies and two unicorns, two stallions and two mares.
Weird numbers. Guess you were somebody’s gift for themselves for the Caravan festival, huh? Melody didn’t walk all the way to them, but she did move closer than Abubakar had done. About three meters away, standing between them and all the other ponies in the room. “Deadlight, bring me some grain from the dispenser. I know it’s not great, but…”
“On it.”
She looked forward, selecting the bravest-looking of the bunch. The earth pony stallion, the only one who had taken his eyes off the ground for more than a few seconds. “Hello,” she said, in the gentlest Eoch she could. “Can you understand me?”
Pause. “I don’t think they speak it,” Abubakar said from behind her. “I already tried.”
He had hardly finished saying so before the stallion nodded. He opened his mouth a few times, but whatever he said was so quiet that she couldn’t make it out.
“Give us some space.” Melody turned, glaring at everyone else in the room with them. “Sit at those tables. Mr. Abubakar, put the torch away. This might take some time.”
To her surprise, the room’s occupants obeyed, taking a seat near the tables on the far wall. The Forerunner began speaking to them, its voice low enough that it didn’t carry very well. Some kind of situation update? Whatever, they would handle it. Melody had more important things to worry about.
Deadlight set a large bowl filled completely with mashed grain onto the deck beside her hooves. It looked awful, but the chemically-enhanced taste more than made up for it. Not quite as much as some of the things she’d smelled in Dragon’s Folly, but better than nothing. Probably better than these slaves had ever tasted.
Not anymore. Former slaves. “I have some food for you,” Melody said, and instantly all four of them were watching her. “Look, it’s safe.” She lowered her head to the bowl, taking an obvious bite and chewing thoughtfully. “See? Safe. For you.” She lifted the bowl in her teeth, carrying it over to the ponies. All of them cowered back at first, but not forever. It was obvious at a glance these ponies had not been given enough to eat. The same stallion who had answered her before broke away from the others, and made to take the bowl. She let go as he did, and backed away as he retreated into the group.
“James!” That was Dorothy, from where she was gathered beside the others. “James, you need to hear this. Right now.”
Melody doubted it, but she made her way over anyway. The former slaves would probably want to eat in peace for a little while, but she still felt frustrated to be interrupted. What could possibly be more important than helping obviously hurt ponies?
Her frustration died as she saw their expressions. Even the sturdy and somewhat cold soldiers looked like someone had just murdered their dog.
“Say it again, Forerunner,” Dorothy said. “So she can hear.”
“Major Olivia Fischer is dead,” the Forerunner said, without preamble.
“...W-What..? That’s not...”
“Major Olivia Fischer is dead,” the Forerunner repeated.
“...H-how?”
It told her. None of her companions stopped it, or spoke to her. And when it had finished the explanation, Melody felt cold. She should probably have felt more. But the distress at the loss of her commander melded with relief. Relief that they wouldn’t have Olivia ordering something stupid like an invasion of Equestria. In the end, she ended up somewhere near shocked disbelief.
“N-no, she couldn’t be dead,” Melody said, turning sharply away from the table and making her way back to the slaves. She needed to be moving, to be doing something. Anything, or else she’d collapse right where she stood and start crying. Be useful. Be doing something. Someone else will deal with this. Someone else will figure it out.
This time, the ponies let her get closer than they had before, though they still cowered away if she got too close. The bowl, filled with enough grain for several meals, was completely empty. “You bought… us where are we going?” the stallion asked.
Melody took him in at a glance, finding anything she could to distract herself. About ten centimeters taller than she was, with a plow for a cutie mark and numerous scars down his back.
He had apparently interpreted her sign the wrong way. “We’ll be good! The others… very obedient. No need for so much whipping. We’ll do what you say.”
His accent was thick, his words tumbling over each other and confused. I wonder what language you really speak.
“You won’t have to work,” Melody said, glancing slightly over her shoulder as Deadlight stopped beside her. Had someone translated the news for him? Did he know their leader was dead? If he did, he showed no sign of it. Wasn’t on the edge of tears or a breakdown like she was.
Relieved, Melody rested up against him, feeling the sturdiness of his body, the confidence. Breathing his scent, letting it wash away rational thought for a few seconds. I won’t think about it I won’t think about it I won’t think about it. There were so many other ways to distract herself.
Unfortunately, her words to the ponies hadn’t had the desired effect. Instead of filling the slaves with gratitude or relief, they looked horrified. All four prostrated themselves on the ground in front of her, begging and pleading in some language she didn’t understand. Even the stallion was apparently so overcome with emotion that he forgot his ability to speak Eoch.
“What’s wrong?” Melody whimpered—this display was more than she could take right now. She felt tears streaking down her face, and she was powerless to stop them. “D-Deadlight, why are they freaking out like this? What did I do?”
“You told them you didn’t buy them for work,” Deadlight said, his expression dark. Disgusted, though he wasn’t looking at the slaves directly. “They know they’re too beaten down to be pretty. That only leaves one other reason.” He lowered his voice, so quiet that she could barely hear it. “Food. They think we’re going to kill them.”
“Stop!” Some of her fear and frustration about Olivia made it into her tone. Even so, it had the desired effect. The pitiful wailing and moaning halted immediately. “We rescued you. We aren’t going to hurt you, we aren’t going to sell you to somepony else. We aren’t going to beat you and we aren’t going to make you work. We aren’t going to kill you or let anyone else kill you.”
The four captured ponies looked to each other, obviously still confused and frightened. But some of their fear had ebbed away. Their spokespony edged forward, speaking quietly. “Then… why?”
It took her a moment to even figure out what he meant. Probably it wouldn’t have if she hadn’t been so distracted. “Because where we come from, we think… we think no one should be a slave. We’re going somewhere far away from Dragon’s Folly, somewhere you won’t have to fear those chains ever again. My friend over there is going to cut them loose.” She pointed with a wing.
Again the four ponies lowered their voices in hushed conversation. Melody glanced over her shoulder. “Deadlight, can you understand them?”
He shook his head. “It’s one of the tribal languages they speak in the Endless Desert. There are so many of them I could never learn them all, and they’re always changing…”
Delay was the enemy of Melody’s sanity right now. Even a few seconds were enough to think about the dead.
Finally the spokesman of the captives stepped forward. He stood a little straighter than he had before, meeting her eyes. Not the look a slave gave to their master. “Equestria is real,” he said. “Celestia finally heard our prayers. You’ve come to save us.”
“I knew your magic was powerful,” squeaked the deep blue unicorn mare, gesturing out the huge observation deck window. “I didn’t know it was like this. A giant metal water-ship.”
“You have to rescue the others!” shouted the earth pony mare, and suddenly they were all crowding around her. “They took the whole tribe! Warriors as powerful and brave as you.”
What was she supposed to say? Just now, restraint was hardly the first thing on her mind. “We want to,” she eventually said. “But it may take some time. For now we are returning to safety. A city on an island, somewhere you can be safe, somewhere you can recover from your injuries.”
“Oh.” Disappointment, but not anger.
“Right now, we have a doctor, and she would like to tend to your wounds. And we want to cut away those chains.” She pointed again at their hooves. “Will you cooperate?”
Deadlight took a different tactic. “I am Deadlight, and this is Melody,” he said. “What are your names?” She soon learned the stallion she had been speaking to was named Bull, as well as the names of the others. That was good, names were more information Melody could think of instead of the death of their leader.
Unfortunately, that was about the time they were interrupted. Perez’s shouting got much louder, mostly Spanish profanity, followed by the sound of shattering glass. There was a scuffle, the sound of a rifle going off, and suddenly alarms were blaring.
“DANGER: HULL DAMAGE DETECTED!” The lights went red, flashing every few seconds. Their pony guests, who had just about come out of their shell, returned to cower against their corner, staring around in absolute terror and muttering incomprehensibly in their language.
A few seconds later, and three wheeled drones entered the room. They dragged a kicking and struggling Perez between them, covered with a few minor abrasions and missing all his weapons.
He was screaming in English this time. “The fucking robot’s gone terminator on us!” He struggled against the spindly metal grippers, but Melody knew how that contest would play out. No pegasus stood a chance. “Shoot them! We have to take the sub!”
No sooner were they inside than the huge airlock door smashed down behind them, locks sliding into place.
That was the moment Noah and Mogyla aimed their rifles at the drones.
“Do not fire,” the Forerunner instructed, its voice confident and filled with command. Both the drones carrying Perez dropped him right where he was. He immediately scrambled free, trailing blood from minor wounds as he went. “Lieutenant Perez has already caused one hull breach with his rifle. This compartment is presently sealed. Do you wish to compromise that seal by making more holes in the hull?”
Mogyla looked sidelong at Perez, who had backed out of reach of the three drones. “It’s right, sir. We can’t shoot in here. We have a window.”
“I do not understand,” Abubakar said, approaching the drones with more calm than some of the others. He wasn’t armed with anything more than the torch, and it wasn’t on as he walked up to them. “What happened?”
Perez answered before the Forerunner could. “It refused to obey my commands! Olivia is dead, I’m the ranking authority here after her. I tried to follow her instructions for cleanup if something went wrong. It refused to launch the strikes—refused to even give me the command codes! Bastard is taking over, making us its slaves!”
Melody calmly turned around, putting herself between the conflict and their four rescued ponies. Deadlight did the same, though there was more confusion from him and less determination. The English was probably too fast and heated for him to make much sense of.
“Perez is the ranking authority,” Abubakar said, his voice calm. “Give him the command codes, Forerunner. He is our new leader.”
The Forerunner sounded almost reluctant. “As I informed Lieutenant Perez, that is not accurate. Lieutenant Perez is the ranking military authority; however, the Stellar Pioneering Society is not a military organization, and upon the death of the previous Expedition Leader, it is my prerogative to impart command to the individual I believe is most likely to succeed at our mission. That might mean withholding command from organics until such a time as a suitable candidate can be grown. Lieutenant Perez lacks the requisite skills to serve as the Earth colony’s new Expedition Leader.”
One of the drone’s head-screens filled with text. Even across the room, Melody recognized the typeface and formatting as something from the Stellar Pioneering Society handbook. Probably it was displaying the exact regulations it was paraphrasing.
Mogyla lowered his rifle. “Well, can’t argue with that.”
Specialist Williams didn’t think so though, jabbing his hoof directly at one of the drones. “Then who? Is it like Lieutenant Perez says? No ‘organics’ are good enough for you, so you’re taking this over yourself? Going to invade Equestria with an army of war drones? Our commander just got murdered, and you’re saying that having an experienced soldier like the lieutenant isn’t what we need?”
You fucking idiot. What the hell is shooting that robot going to do except maybe kill all of us? The Forerunner doesn’t care about its mechanical segments. It doesn’t feel pain. You can’t intimidate it.
“Yes, an experienced soldier,” the Forerunner answered, sarcasm dripping from its words. “Like the experienced soldier who just ordered me to perform an artillery bombardment on a civilian population center. Like the experienced soldier whose orders would have certainly revealed our position, and given Equestria genuine reason to fear us, all because he wanted to cover up his colleague's involvement with criminals. I simply cannot imagine a more qualified leader for this expedition.”
All eyes turned towards Perez, and he eventually nodded. “Olivia told us to make sure there weren’t any witnesses. When we finished, if things went bad… we had to wipe out the evidence. I was following her orders.”
“That is why you are a useful soldier, Lieutenant Perez,” the Forerunner said. “A useful soldier, but a terrible commander. You were no longer obliged to obey Major Fischer’s instructions, as you believed yourself to hold her position. You had the freedom to analyze the consequences of your actions and you did not do so. When I refused to obey your instructions, you caused significant damage to this Cyclops in your attempt to force an attack I did not wish to permit.”
“It’s about damn time,” Dorothy said, rising from the table. “You’ve finally realized that the jarheads are going to get us all killed. You’re going to put someone with sense in charge. It’s about time this colony have a civilian leading it again.”
“I am,” the Forerunner said. “But I believe you are operating under a mistaken assumption, Dr. Born. I have not selected you, or anyone aboard this submarine. I believe the only member of this expedition with even a remote chance of mission success is Dr. James Irwin Generation Three.
“I have already transferred all command authority to her. Until she arrives, I will repair this submarine, and you”—all the drones turned towards the military ponies, extending expectant claws—“will forfeit your weapons immediately.”
Lucky Break could barely even keep herself from crying. The last time, Olivia hadn’t trusted her to say anything that might accidentally reveal more about their settlement than she ought to. But Olivia was dead, and her only companions were either tangentially on the Equestrian side or else an even worse diplomat than she was.
“I’m ready,” she said, and immediately there was static from the terminal. The radio fuzz cleared, or at least as much as it was going to. It sounded like one of the ancient wire recordings Lucky had heard in a museum once, back from Edison’s day. Relics of an earlier age. Yet the voice wasn’t Twilight’s. It sounded younger, and more masculine.
“Hey, uh… is this thing working? I’m not sure if it’s working…” There were a few thumping sounds, likely someone tapping against the microphone.
“Yes,” Lucky Break answered, responding as quickly as she could. “I can hear you. Can you hear me?”
From behind her, Lightning Dust was making her way across the airship. Martin, on the other hand, remained where she was.
“Woah,” the speaker said. “You’re coming in real clear. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a pony sound so good over the radio before.”
We have better microphones. But she didn’t say that. “This is Lucky Break,” she said instead. “You don’t sound like Twilight Sparkle. This conversation was scheduled.”
“Yeah, yeah,” the voice answered, sounding a little annoyed. “I reminded her three times that this was today, but then some important ponies called from the hospital about something real urgent, and off she teleports. ‘You can handle it Spike,’ she says. ‘Just reschedule it, Spike.’ A dragon like me just isn’t appreciated for his hard work, ya know?”
Silence. Lucky struggled to process everything she had just heard. The Forerunner had been right when it speculated that she was nowhere near the top of her abilities. Unfortunately, there was not an abundance of better options. Only Melody could’ve done this, and she wasn’t equipped to understand the cultural context of what was being said.
Rescheduling sounded great. But as she was about to agree, some more rational part of her mind made her hesitate. This “Spike” sounded frustrated, underappreciated. Maybe he would volunteer details.
Unfortunately, she wasn’t really in much of a state to be manipulating people. She tried anyway. “Yeah, yeah. I get it. Sorry to give you more work to do.”
A few more seconds of static. At least she didn’t have to sit for ten minutes between every response, as they had done last time. “It’s not your fault, pony. You set your date well in advance, and you kept to it. Just like Twilight’s always teaching me. Yet here she goes galloping off, making me look bad. It’s just not fair.” He didn’t wait long enough for Lucky to formulate a response. “So who are you, anyway? Some kinda scientist pony far away? Probably some fancy inventor, huh? Just so long as you’re not like those other inventors who keep wandering through Ponyville.”
As it turned out, getting Spike talking wasn’t as hard as she had thought. Lucky barely had to say a word before he’d start spewing again. Most of what he told her didn’t make sense, or else sounded completely irrelevant to her. But just because she wasn’t in the right state to understand it now didn’t mean she wouldn’t be eventually.
She tried to steer him towards the princesses and what they were up to, and ended up with at least twenty minutes straight of ranting about how Equestria was struggling to find a balance with so many princesses at once. At how nopony properly appreciated all the work Twilight did except Celestia. But when Lucky tried to ask about Flurry Heart, she discovered she had finally swam into forbidden waters.
“Why do you want to know about her?” Spike asked, sounding suddenly suspicious. “I just realized I don’t even know your name.”
“My name is Lucky,” she said. “Lucky Break. And I’m asking because we’re friends, and I’m worried about her. I haven’t seen her in a long time.”
The silence stretched on, and Lucky found herself increasingly fearful that Spike might have hung up. But no—a few seconds later and his voice came back, no longer sounding skeptical. “I guess that makes sense. But I don’t know much. All I know is what I heard from Twilight, and that’s that Flurry Heart saw something really scary and needs some time to get over it. She’s staying in Canterlot Castle with her mom and Princess Luna. I guess whatever it was must’ve been real scary if it takes two princesses, but I don’t know. Nopony tells me anything.”
Was there anything else Lucky wanted to know? Probably lots of things, but she just wasn’t in the right state to ask. Not without making her prying obvious, anyway. “Well Spike, thanks for being helpful. Do you think Twilight could try to talk to me at this time tomorrow?”
“Let me check her schedule…” There was a long silence. “No, not tomorrow. How about two days? She doesn’t have anything planned then except for opening the harvest festival.” Another brief pause. “It’s gonna be going for a whole week. If you’re anywhere near Ponyville, you should definitely stop by. You’ll be really missing out if you don’t.”
“I’ll try,” Lucky said, though she wasn’t sure how convincing she sounded. “Thanks again, Spike. I have to shut the radio off now.” And she did, collapsing onto the ground as a shivering, confused mess.
At least she wasn’t alone. Lightning Dust had remained quiet and close the entire time, not interfering. But now she approached, sliding in against the seats and covering Lucky with a wing. She wasn’t crying—Lightning Dust had always been too brave for that, too proud. But she was still a warm body, and that was something Lucky’s pony brain very much needed right now.
“I don’t know… I don’t know what we’re gonna do.”
“I know,” Lightning Dust said. “Me neither.”
At least they could not know together. Lucky might have lost the one leading them—the one she had thought was invincible. But that didn’t mean they were helpless. Lucky Break wasn’t alone, and their mission wasn’t over just because it had lost one of its most critical parts. They would find a way to survive this, somehow.
Lucky Break wasn’t sure how long she remained with Lightning Dust, resting quietly on the ground. The next thing she knew, the Forerunner was speaking into the cabin again. “We’re preparing to dock with the Cyclops. Ten minutes.”
Olivia wanted to die. More precisely, she should’ve died.
But she didn’t.
Consciousness came and went in waves. There were flashes of light, brief moments of cold and pressure. She saw brightly lit rooms, people rushing around, shouting things to each other she didn’t understand. Every now and then one of them tried to speak to her, and got only mumbled confusion from her. I should’ve used the gun, Olivia found herself thinking. I could’ve reached it.
But now the moment of decision had passed. Her suicide implant was gone and she was apparently still alive.
Pain blurred and mixed with consciousness on the edges of perception, and she floated. Figures that might’ve been ponies or might’ve been something else often worked on her, sticking things into her veins or down the back of her throat. It hurt, but not more than the other tortures she had endured.
Just let me die, please. I did what I could for Othar, it wasn’t enough. The next leader will have to do better.
Her unspoken wish wasn’t answered, however. Consciousness returned more and more frequently, with sight of the world around her growing more distinct. Her dim hope that she had somehow been rescued and would be awake in Othar’s sickbay were dashed when she saw primitive equipment all around her, and the ones operating it.
Ponies all right, but none of them familiar. Her armor was gone—instead of the unyielding exoskeleton, she wore soft and comfortable cloth. Something like a hospital gown, with a persistent irritation in one leg.
She tried to fight a few times, but was too weak and barely conscious to make much difference. She earned herself some restraints for her trouble, but that was all.
So many different ponies came in and out that they quickly blurred together. In her addled state, Olivia did not understand most words, certainly not names. It was a dance with steps she didn’t know.
Then came a flash of light, a searing pain in the back of her head, and the crushing weight of a body she didn’t want. She breathed in again, and the colors came back to the world around her. The fog that had hung over her mind for so long finally cleared, and she could see.
She was in a hospital room, there was no mistaking it. On an upper story by the look of it, though there were bars over the window. There was machinery on one of her legs, beeping quietly to her heartbeat. Thick straps wrapped around her torso, holding her wings against her body, and more straps held both her hindlegs down to the bed. She also noticed something else, something that instantly horrified her—the dye had been washed out of her coat. She was bright yellow again, and the little crop of mane hanging in front of one of her eyes was blue.
They washed it out? Of course the dye wasn’t permanent, and any decent solvent could’ve gotten rid of it. Probably they had discovered it by accident, while they treated her. She wasn’t wearing a hospital gown, which instantly made her feel exposed. These ponies didn’t have any respect for basic human decency.
There were two of them in the room, a pink one and a purple one. The door was closed, and looked like it had some hefty locks installed. But otherwise, this might be an ordinary hospital room. There were drawers and cabinets of medical supplies, and writing she couldn’t read that suggested her chart and treatment instructions.
“Ĉu vi certas ke ĝi funkciis, Twilight? Ŝi ne aspektas esti multe plibona.” The pink one wasn’t speaking to her, which was good, because the vocabulary she was using was far too advanced for Olivia to understand. She wasn’t speaking slow enough either. So much for learning Eoch.
Of course, she wouldn’t have needed it if the poison had worked as it was designed. I’m supposed to be dead! She couldn’t even warn the Forerunner that it didn’t work, that her soldiers’ implants would fail them in the same way.
The one standing over her was bigger than the pink one. Her horn was longer, her legs a little leaner. There was a sense of command to her bearing, of power. It was the same sense Olivia might’ve gotten from a general, surrounded by adoring troops. “Mi relative certas ke ĝi funkciis. La sorĉolibro de Meadowbrook klarigis. Ŝiaj okuloj nun movas alie.”
The purple pony turned. This time, she spoke very slowly, deliberately enough for Olivia to understand. “Lucky Break, are you well? Can you understand me?”
Olivia tried not to react, tried very hard to look anywhere but at the pony. Unfortunately, that seemed to be a reaction unto itself. Her throat still felt raw, her stomach burned. She was really craving some tomato soup.
“Oh,” the pink one said. “Ŝi vere ŝajnas esti pli klarmensa.”
Why did her voice sound so familiar? Olivia was sure she’d heard it before, but she couldn’t place it. It was going to keep bothering her until she figured it out. “Not… her,” Olivia croaked. She could almost feel blood oozing from her throat as she spoke. She sounded more like an angry grandmother than herself.
“Via priskribo akordas,” the pink one said. “Kvankam mi ne scias kiel ŝi mensogis al mi. Mi ne pensis ke oni mensogeblas al iu, kiu surhavas Nightfall-an armaĵon.”
“My name is Twilight Sparkle,” the purple one said. “And you are one lucky pony. If the Nightmare team had not found you, you estus mortinta. I think you were venenita.”
Olivia shook her head again. She suddenly realized exactly why the pink pony sounded so familiar to her—she was the one who had been wearing the armor. The one who had captured her. Her name was Starlight. This was Equestria. Olivia was going to be interrogated, they would extract the location of Othar, then kill everyone and everything that mattered to her. “What do you want?” she asked, stumbling over the Eoch words one at a time. But she could at least say simple sentences. Some of Lucky Break’s lessons had stuck.
Both ponies seemed taken aback by this. The ponies looked to each other, and didn’t seem to be speaking for her benefit. They muttered too quietly and too fast for her to understand it.
“Ĉu la veneno damaĝis ŝian cerbon tromulte?” the pink one asked. “Kiel ŝi povus forŝteli princinon kaj ne memori?”
“Mi pensas ke ŝi memoras.” Twilight looked back to her, clearing her throat loudly. “Do you know why Nightmare arestis you, Lucky Break?”
Olivia considered her answer a long time. Not just because she wasn’t completely sure of what they were asking, but also because she was starting to realize she had an opportunity. Yes, the ponies had her completely trapped. They would have her as long as they wanted. But maybe, if she could lie convincingly enough, maybe she could make them think that she was the only one.
If they don’t know about Othar, they’ll stop hunting us. She was supposed to be dead. But maybe, if Olivia could bullshit hard enough, she could turn her survival into an advantage. Would they believe that her sudden incompetence with language was due to being poisoned? It was worth a shot. “Because I… killed…” There was no correct word for slavers. “...monsters.”
“No,” Twilight said. “Because you forŝtelis Princinon Flurry Heart. And for the other things…” She glanced to the side at her companion. “I have to tell Princess Celestia I have you. Once I do, she will… want to talk to you herself. But after…” She shifted uncomfortably on her hooves, looking away. “I want you to have your strength first. Your kuracistoj say it will be a semajno antaŭ you’re well enough to leave. After that, I transdonos vin to Celestia.”
What would Lucky say? Olivia wasn’t sure, so she settled on “I deserve it.” It was too much work to stay awake. Far too much of a mental and physical strain to understand what they were saying. She was supposed to be dead.
Oliva drifted back out of consciousness, leaving the ponies behind.
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So Purple really don't know what is going on. Poor girl, thinking her mentor is doing the right thing(probably). Anyway, Terminator is making me like it more and more, damn, it doesn't fuck around when it comes to command. But oh poor Olivia, you don't know what kind of situation you just landed yourself in do you? And all of this happens because of one robot start getting the feels and don't test suicide procedure properly. whatever happen next, god[author] helps you.
huh.
Well, humanity's officially doomed.
Forerunner gave command over to someone who is more likely than not a traitor and Olivia is gonna reveal position and capabilities to the ponies.
If Olivia handles this right, Celestia might stop hunting the real Lucky. But what will happen when Twilight finds out Luck was on the radio. Could she think it was just an impostor filling in for Lucky. So many questions.
Here's for one more excruciating week of waiting and not knowing.
I wonder what Twilight's response to Spike's rescheduling of the talk will be.
Will she think there are multiple Luckys, or will she find that Olivia isn't Lucky.
If the latter, what will she think Lucky is?
8599279
I think there is little Olivia could do to succesfully pretend she was indeed Lucky Break, Cellestia knows Lucky to speak fluent eoch, and Olivia doesn't.
8599280
I would pay bits to see her face when Twilight realizes that!
I thing things are about to get massively convoluted at all fronts, and I love the execution of it.
Oh what a lovely clusterfuck. I hope at least purplesmart talks to Spike before telling Celestia she has Lucky Break...
It was a bit hard tell due to the language differences but it seemed to me purplesmart told Olivia she was not being arrested for the killings but because of Flurry Heart. Way to go ponies, you don't give a damn about slavers enslaving fellow ponies so long as your secrets are kept safe. It can be assumed from this you have no problems with slavery of ponies outside your borders and wouldn't have sent in the Nightmare squad for anything as notimportant as a rescue mission.
And those poor deluded natives who thought Celestia answered their prayers and sent a rescue, that's too cruel by any measure.
Twilight isn't going to give Olivia to Celestia for at least a week while she recovers in the hospital, and Spike's going to be reminding her about the rescheduled radio call in at most two days. I wonder if she'll just decide not to report her to Celestia at all once it becomes clear that she hasn't actually captured Lucky?
Just wait until they notice the age difference when the ponies that actually knew Lucky comes along
I guess the Forerunner made a mistake? She is supposed to be dead... hmmm
Or maybe revived, i didnt use translate lol
8599287
I think it would be funny if Twilight, trying too hard for a solution as to why Olivia both is and isn't Lucky Break[is in body(being a clone), but isn't in mind], assumes Lucky Break is a bodysnatcher, and Olivia's collapse from the attempted suicide is "explained" as Lucky escaping Olivia's body.
8599294
You think Celestia is going to wait? She is working behind schedule to prevent Armageddon.
Also, whatever the prisoner is ir not Lucky is unimportant as long as her memories can reveal Othar's location.
8599310
Celestia can't act on what she doesn't know. We don't know if Celestia knows about Olivia's capture.
If she does, she won't wait, if she doesn't, she can only accidentally not wait.
I want to say her Cutie Mark will help her prevent them from turning her mind inside out, but Starlight Glimmer exist, so they're all doomed. Their only hope is Twilight hiding her from own Nightmares and Princesses.
"Pony?" He's native Diamond Dog now?
The layers of this fic are enticing.
Have a holly jolly Christmas!
I love it.
That is a very high-risk strategy.
8599310
Twilight said she wasn't going to give her to Celestia for a week (in Esperanto, but you can check it out in google translate or similar). Like you, I'm assuming that if Celestia knew about it now that she'd already be there to take her into custody. That means Celestia probably doesn't know about her right now. By the time Twilight intends to hand her over, she'll know Olivia isn't Lucky and isn't the one Celestia is looking for.
Olivia is worried about letting them know Othar's location, but Twilight doesn't know Othar is a place.
Is she going to give Celestia a filly whose crime is being mistaken for Lucky while rescuing slaves? I mean, sure, she's clearly related to Lucky, but she's not the pony Celestia told her to find, and Twilight wants some answers too.
8599308
Also, something just occurred to me. Wouldn't Olivia be in Luna's reach for some dream time mindpoking? Assuming of course major gets some nightmares from the deep end of the sewage she finds herself in, alerting Luna and the other Armageddon preventing princesses? Add that to the pile!
Yes, we need more layers to this clusterfuck!
I have but two words to say, but i know another who could put it better.
8599388
Yes, until there are so many layers everyone forgets about the lowest one[reality].
Damn... we wait sooooooo long time, and Twilight still not talking with Lucky Break ..
Love the story... but the number of cliff hangers is kind of frustrating.
8599414
Maybe not even real Changelings, merely the Equestrians assuming that it's all some Changeling plot would be enough to escalate the conflict to new heights. I can imagine this Celestia dropping big rocks on any desert rumoured to harbour Changeling hives if she gets spooked enough - which would hopefully drive the surviving Changelings to ally with humanity.
You know what this pileup of conspiracies needs? Changelings.
Why did they ignore her plea that she wasn't Lucky? Olivia's impotence in this situation is making ME uncomfortable.
Well congratulations Perez! It has been passed around a lot in this fanfic but it is YOUR turn now to hold the "I'm-the-security-risk-idiot" sign! (Seriously you thought mass genocide = no evidence?! WTF!)
As for Olivia, I'm scared shitless for her. From past chapters, it sounded like Celestia is committed to the idea of forced reincarnation aka MURDER as a reform tactic. I hope Olivia can escape before it comes to that....
Man, so many interesting things happening and now it makes me wonder if the Peze & some soldiers are going to revolt against Forrunner? 🤔
I believe the next step is to either get off the Island or maybe move it?
Hopefully the team finds out that Oliva is alive and they have to hurry before it’s to late Plus will these ponies understand that Oliva isn’t going to understand much what they are saying
8599296
The suicide implants failed, but the Forerunner lost contact with Olivia before it could learn this. The only thing the both of them knew was they the implants should work, but were untested. So Olivia was on the verge of death, and was brought back to relative health.
So Lucky is now in charge of Othar, and Twilight thinks she's captured her. Welp, I just see this shitstorm rapidly growing.
You know...
They probably think that Lucky has brain damage or is still severely weak, on account of her not being able to speak much Eoch.
Edit: I should use google translate before commenting...
8599331
*nod* Definitely a flaw.
Given that Twilight addresses the others as "girls" while preparing to go after the Elements in the first arc, and that, if Spike were human, he'd probably be saying "man" there, I'd go for either "dude" (since you can usually substitute it for "man") or perhaps "mare" (since it'd make sense as a gender-reversed analogue to addressing a guy as "man" with the same syllable count).
8599273
Re-read the relevant bits. Treason is characterized by intent.
The person Forerunner initially gave command to (Olivia) can't be a traitor because her rationale for ordering genocide on her loss was the polar opposite of treason and she's still clearly prepared to do whatever's in her power to keep Equestria from learning of Othar.
As for the person Forerunner is most likely to give command to now...
There's a big difference between Lucky Break being trusting or naive and being a traitor.
"I'm sorry Lucky Break, but the Princess is in another castle."
Speaking of which, I assume at some point Lucky Break or Olivia will tell Celestia that Forerunner has already uploaded pony blueprints to the other Forerunner probes, and no matter what happens, even if the ring is destroyed completely, the pony race will continue on amongst the colonies of humanity. I wonder if Celestia will be at all happy to hear that news?
I also wonder if she'll understand the first time she hears it, or whether she'll need some concepts explained to her.
8599546
Makes sense
Thx
8599475
Add to the mix that Celestia thinks Lucky Break is a changeling.
I so want to hear the conversation Lucky and Twily will have. It will be enlightening at the very least.
8599295
There isn't an age difference. Lucky and Olivia are the same age. Forerunner made James Gen 3 as a filly, then when she seemed to be dead, made Olivia, also as a filly. Olivia ordered Forerunner to make her initial team, but make to grow them all the way to adulthood. So while the others are adults, Olivia is in fact identical to Lucky, including age.
8599558
Yes. It's not that she doesn't want a war, it's that she choose to restrict Orthar's access to the ring's interior. She knows it requires an Alicorn, yet she did not collect a DNA-sample when she had the chance to do so. Further, her actions caused increased security, making it harder for Orthar to obtain another Alicorn-sample.
She knew of the capability to create ponies from DNA-samples, she wouldn't exist otherwise after all. Now, why would she choose to restrict their access? As it stands now, assuming the entire ring can only be entered via similar doors, she forces Orthar to crawl before the rulers of Equestria if they want access to the ring.
Olivia has a different Cutie Mark than Lucky Break.
8599618
Lucky Break has shown no traitorous inclination before or since and is a linguist, not a seasoned explorer. It's far more believable that she was overwhelmed by the gravity of the situation and, in an act of inexperience, didn't think of it.
(Or, perhaps, you beat out Lucky Break on that particular qualification for undertaking missions of that nature.)
As the Brits have reduced Hanlon's razor down to, "cock-up before conspiracy".
8599640
I think they mean that she’s, “gone native.” Her ‘bleeding heart’ wouldn’t allow her to make wise decisions on life or death situations, especially when it comes to Ponies.
8599627
Oh yea... I’m surprised that Twilight didn’t notice that
8599616
Oh!
This is gonna suck. The suicide pill didn't work after all.
Maybe if Oliva can escape into the Everfree forest she’ll be ok since she is train to survive. Also, does anyone think she’ll see the Tree of Harmony?
Man, good thing for the Forerunner. A kinetic strike on Dragon’s Folly would have made this entire situation immeasurably worse.
Huh, I wonder why Twilight would have just rushed off to the hospital. Must be some sort of emergency.
Welcome to Ponyville,
OliviaLucky!8599640
What 8599646 says, basically. Even if she isn't a traitor by malicious intent, the fact that she seems to be incapable of making obviously correct choices is about as bad, if not worse.
EDIT: I also prefer Heinlein's Razor.
8599705
I certainly can't dispute that.
Hurting the humans as a result of failing to hurt the ponies is definitely in line with her character.
8599528
Escape into orbit? I am fairly certain only Harmony's defences can reach up there easily, and Harmony currently isn't assaulting Forerunner's satellites.
8599627
8599650
I don't think Twilight has ever seen Lucky's mark, and I am not sure if Celestia would have told her.
8599601
8599475
8599449
This would actually be an opportunity to completely troll Celestia&co:
mass manufacture clones of Lucky[don't bother with the mind, Forerunner might be able to rig a remote control] and send them to Equestria from all directions.
Sigh... This is just turning into a 'Humans are doormats' fic... We have had at least 3 instances of direct conflict, each ending poorly for the Humans. The Forunner is a machine, it uses logic to determine a course of action with the highest chance for success that results in a positive outcome for the mission. So far it has used the same decision for each confrontation, Hide, and so far that's worked out like a pile of wet garbage.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over, and over again expecting different results.
Being more sneaky isn't working, mind informing the class what brilliant scheme your gonna replace it with? Maybe sunshine and rainbow cannons that make everyone friends and they all live happily ever after on the donut ring of death.