The Olden World

by Czar_Yoshi

Bombing Dilemma

"So." Shinespark spread her hooves, an imaginary map sitting on the table between them. "Dealing with bombs. First, let's imagine what would be the worst-case scenario, right?"

"Of course," Gerardo replied.

Shinespark nodded. "Right. So, the Water District is on the eastern end of Ironridge. The primary mountain range this city is built against runs from east to west, and we are nestled into a corner where that turns to northwest. Mhm?"

Her horn lit, and she began flicking dots of telekinesis at the table, as if they could help her track her thoughts. "The eastern rim of the Earth District crater is a small, short mountain range that runs north to south, sticking out of the main range. There's a hole in it, about the size of one mountain peak... Think of it like a set of teeth, with one missing. Or, whatever the griffon equivalent of that is."

Gerardo nodded. "Consider it considered."

"Good." Shinespark turned back to the table. "The east and west dams stretch across that hole, forming the lake where a mountain could be. They're parallel to each other, running north to south, and there's just the one mountain peak to the north."

She moved her telekinesis slightly. "So, the west dam can be seen from all of Ironridge, the east dam from almost none of it. That makes sense, because someone would have noticed the bombs if they were visible. Right?"

"Right," Gerardo confirmed.

"Now, if the east dam is gone, the water will rush out..." More moving telekinesis. "And then go north, because the mountain slope there goes down that way, since the mountains run from east to west. Sosa lies along the river basin to the north of the mountain that forms the north wall of the reservoir. So, the east half of Sosa would get hit the hardest. That's Arambai's old factory, where Nimwick is now."

Gerardo peered at the half-formed figures on the table, assembling it all in his brain.

"Okay. A lot of the land around Sosa has been sculpted," Shinespark continued. "A long time ago we messed with the terrain a bunch to get the river to form a lake, and then have a lot of flat, low land around it where the factories are built, because we needed to be by the water. We still do that, sometimes. But what matters is that no matter where the water comes from, all of Sosa is on one gigantic floodplane, and the water won't drain down the river fast enough for anything that survives the initial wave not to get swamped. In short, we would lose everything..." She sighed, massaging her forehead. "We'd have to make a complete and total evacuation to ensure ponies were safe. Maybe leave a few to the west on towers, who can fly... and Sosa is all unicorns. We'd have to get help from wives and children who are pegasi. That would be a mess."

"Well, it is what Selma recommended," Gerardo remarked.

Shinespark's eyebrows rose. "Is it, now?"

"Well..." Gerardo hesitated. "Admittedly, I may be confusing it with my own advice. In the heat of the moment, I can't remember for sure if that was his exact counsel. Though it does seem a sound plan, does it not? As this is not a residential district, there should be no ordinary citizens about, and everyone here will be accustomed to leaving and have a home elsewhere to return to."

"Yeah... Sound..." Shinespark grimaced.

Gerardo stared. "You don't seem convinced."

Shinespark eyed him back, gaze level. "You don't think it's the slightest bit suspicious that a military commander who very definitely sees Sosa as an enemy would let you find yourself in a scenario where the logical course of action is to completely abandon our district, in turn letting anyone who pleased come in and do whatever they wanted? What if we did evacuate? What if those bombs are fakes, and all they want is a chance to run in here with nopony around to stop them? Do you have any idea how much there is in Sosa the Defense Force might want to steal?"

"I haven't but I can guess," Gerardo said, shaking his head. "And that does indeed sound plausible. Unfortunately, I possess neither a horn nor the knowledge to use one, and had to rely entirely on Selma's confirmation that the strange devices that very much resemble bombs are, in fact, bombs. It would be truly optimal if one with the ability to tell for certain could get up there, but that would require going back through-"

"I'll ask Braen to do it," Shinespark interrupted. "Regardless of her methods, she's skilled with magic and familiar with weapons, and can fly to get up there. And if it's a military matter, she'll definitely take it seriously."

Gerardo blinked. "You truly do seem in close contact with her. Given her history of robbing and assaulting your factory goods, I'd expect at least slightly more tension."

"It's a working relationship." Shinespark shrugged. "We have a lot to gain by cooperating, and really aren't all that different. Both of our primary goals are to inspire Sosans and give them hope, for one. Her version of empowering is just... a lot more brute-force than mine. But what matters is that she'll do it, and she won't be wrong."

"As a matter of fact..." Gerardo raised a talon, lighting up with recollection. "Now that we're discussing military means, I seem to recall Selma advocating we invade the Defense Force fortress. He greatly stressed that the triggering mechanism only worked from a short range, implying that if we completely secured the area near it, we would be safe. What do you make of that?"

"Well, no matter what, we need to get those bombs looked at." Shinespark shook her head. "We're not doing anything costly until we've confirmed that they're real. Unfortunately, he would know that, so either they will be real and just never intended to be used, or they're bait to get someone important to the Water District. Unfortunately, that might be a risk we have to-"

Suddenly, she flinched as if stabbed with a needle. Eyes constricting to pinpricks, both forehooves shot to the amulet dangling from her neck. "Oh no," she breathed. "That is not an alarm I want to have triggered..."

"What's this?" Gerardo abruptly stood in concern, sending his chair reeling. "Are you quite all right?"

"Go hang out in the Oasis, or talk to my mother or something," Shinespark directed, tone harsh and commanding. "I'll be back later, but I have to go, right now. This is urgent."

With a blue burst, she vanished in a flash of teleportation, leaving Gerardo blinking and alone in the conference room.

"Well, that was unexpected," he remarked to no one, drumming his talons and settling his wings. "I do hope it isn't a portent that I'm about to meet a watery doom."

Standing, he took three steps toward the door... then turned back to the table, his sword laying there, glittering and black. He blinked. It seemed a shame to leave it laying around where anyone could find and take it, and as Shinespark was correct that he would have to stick around to use the boat to Riverfall...

His talons closed around the hilt, feeling a pleasing sense of familiarity as they thrust the weapon back into the long-empty scabbard on his belt. Smiling merrily, Gerardo pushed open the door and exited to the rest of the complex.

Comments

[RoboRed]

...Well that doesn't bode well...

[Boopers]

Little does she know that Braen and Dior are one and the same.

[Hap]

I may be confusing it with my own advice. In the heat of the moment, I can't remember for sure if that was his exact council.

A council is a group of advisors who provide counsel on a subject.

[bronyheat]

Yay, he finally got his sword back!
But yeah, more importantly, what was the alarm all about? Also I'd like to have an enchanted amulet to brain alarm setup; I tend to sleep through normal alarms.