The Runners

by DungeonMiner

Chapter 25

A quick call to Harmony’s Ringo, Flashpoint’s brother, and her mother was back in Harmony Inc hooves. Flashpoint went on to explain that she, as well as everyone else in her family, and possibly the company thought that Twilight Velvet had died in a magical lab accident nearly eight years ago.

Now, though, the story was different.

“And you said Marés were the ones to grab you?” Shining asked at the impromptu meeting spot, an empty FeedBag parking lot that sat just off the highway.

Velvet nodded. “They were, but more importantly, why did you let your sister become a Runner?”

“I didn’t let her, these are orders from Mr. Spikarunz,” he said, defensively. “These are his orders not mine.”

“It’s not that big of a deal, Mom,” Flashpoint said. “I’m just doing a job.”

“Just doing a job?” she asked, horrified. “The ponies taking me were just doing a job; does that excuse them?”

Rarity decided that answering was probably not the best idea and kept her mouth shut. Somehow, the other four ponies had followed her example.

“Yes, Mom, it does. Because for a lot of those poor dreks—er, ponies—that’s the only way for them to make a living! Some of these ponies were blacklisted for dumb reasons, and now have to jump through hoops just to afford soy-meal! I know, I’ve been living off of it!”

“How did you spend your entire savings?” Shining asked.

Flashpoint sighed. “I didn’t. Spike wanted me to have an ‘authentic’ Runner experience, so he shut down my account and took my SIN.”

“What?”

“I’ll get it back when we finish what he wants,” she said, “but that doesn’t matter! The point is that Runners are ponies that are just trying to do their job. It’s a frag—it’s a really bad job, but it’s a job that somepony has to do!”

“Is that so?” Twilight Velvet asked. “Listen to you; you’ve obviously spent too much time around them. You can’t go three sentences without swearing!”

Flashpoint frowned, and Shining suddenly took interest elsewhere.

“Mom, the bigger point is that this is what Spike wants me to do. It’s a tough job, but it's one that he believes needs to be done, and that I am the one to do it. So I am. I’m Running now, and you know what? I kinda like it.”

The entire team shot Flashpoint a quizzical look, filled with raised eyebrows and incredulous frowns.

“I mean…” Flashpoint began, wavering a second under their gaze, “sure, getting shot isn’t how I’d want to spend my evenings, but I’m learning so much! I know more about how the other corps do business now than ever. I know that no job is too small, no opportunity too unimportant. I’ve learned how every decision has a consequence, and that someone, somewhere is going to have their hooves stepped on because of it. I now know about how Runners are so useful and important to everything a corp wants to do and why they need to be treated with some respect, at least. That, that and out here, I get to put my magic to the test! I earned my street name by doing something with a spell I didn’t even know was possible! I never get to do that up with Spike.”

Twilight Velvet sighed. “Shining...just...take me home.”

“I’ve already called,” Shining said.

“And I’ve already answered,” a voice said, that earned the attention of every pony present. All eyes fell onto the towering form of Spikarunz himself, who smiled as he saw the Runners and the reunited family. “When I heard that my little pet project brought back one of my favorite ponies, I just had to see it for myself!”

“Mr. Spikearunz!” the three corp employees said in unison.

“What’s more, I’m thrilled to hear about what you’ve discovered, Ms. Flashpoint. That's what you're going by these days, isn't it?”

“Yes, sir,” Flashpoint said, managing to mostly hide the squeak in her voice from being caught off guard.

“What I do want to know is when you started calling me just ‘Spike’ behind my back. Not even worth a ‘mister,’ huh?”

She didn’t answer.

“I tell you what; I am so happy about this, I’m going to treat you all to a meal!”

Every pony looked between themselves. “Um, thank you?”

“Oh, please,” Spike said. “I insist. By a twist of fate, you’ve brought one of my best mages back to me, so as a good turn back, you get dinner at least.”

A limo pulled up, seeming summoned by the dragon. “Come on, get in. I know a wonderful place downtown.”

As everyone piled in, Rarity and the others found themselves sitting in what was probably the most beautiful vehicle they had sat in for a long time. The light above them glowed a soft, amber light, and the ride moved so smoothly, that the decker didn’t even feel like she was moving.

Spike, meanwhile, pulled out his comm. “Yes? Hello? I would like to make a reservation for five minutes from now? Yes, I know it is rather sudden, which is why I’m willing to pay triple. Yes, the conference room will do nicely. Thank you.”

He hung up and smiled. “That should do just fine.”

“Um, Mr. Spikarunz, aren’t we a little undressed for such an event?” Rarity asked.

“You’re with me,” the dragon replied. “That’s all the dress you need.”

The limo pulled up to an enormous skyscraper, and Spike quickly ushered them inside. He merely nodded to the guards, who seemed caught between apprehending the street ponies that obviously had no place being here, and wanting to continue to live after Spike gave them a look. The short elevator ride ended with the eight ponies walking into a penthouse restaurant, which overlooked the city as it glimmered in the evening sun.

A waiter greeted them instantly, and though he did glance at the ponies in their street garb, he decided he wouldn’t say anything. “Right this way, please.”

The waiting staff quickly led them away to a singular, isolated room, with a table that was perhaps a bit big for only nine of them but was nonetheless set. “We shall be back in a moment with the wine selection, until then, please, look over the menu.”

Spike nodded as he picked up his menu. “I’ve always liked this place. They specialize in exotic foods and such. More importantly, Mrs. Velvet, you have to let me know where you’ve been this whole time.”

“Stuck with Marés Industries, sir. Specifically a basement.”

“Marés? Fascinating. I never picked them as being interested enough in magic to bother.”

“They had me testing their security against magic. At first, they did it by having me run through mazes that they set up as though they were methods of escape. Eventually, they dropped the act, though.”

“Terrible,” Spike said. “You’ll have to share what you’ve discovered, but for now, I am just glad you’re back. Our magical R&D has been sorely lacking without your input.”

“I can do that,” Velvet said, “Especially if you decide to let me know why you thought it was a good idea to let my daughter become a Runner?”

Spike raised an eyebrow. “You know, asking about the affairs of dragons is often a dangerous thing?”

“As is coming between a mother and her child,” Velvet replied.

The wine came, and Rarity decided that she’d get a head start on the night and drain her glass. Flashpoint followed her example soon after, emptying her drink.

“You do make a wonderful point,” Spike said eventually, “and I will concede to it. I cannot tell you everything, for obvious reasons, but I will tell you that your daughter was selected by a power higher than I for this job.”

All eyes went to the dragon, many of which bulged at the thought.

“Higher than you?” Flashpoint asked.

“Much,” Spike replied. “If you remember the old ways, of course. Still, I would like to assure you, Mrs. Velvet, that your daughter is a vital part of a crucial plan. One that will shape the future as we know it.”

“That seems a little lofty for Runners,” Velvet said.

Spike shrugged. “Many times, things are, yet this is the case, and if I had the choice, I would not risk such a great asset if I could help it. Despite the good it seems to have done her,” he added with a smirk.

Food was quickly served, though Rarity hadn’t registered it as a thought buzzed through her head. “This run is bigger than a dragon.”

“Speaking of Running, how have things been for your group, Flashpoint?” the dragon asked.

“Well,” the mage replied. “Though I don’t remember telling you what my street name is.”

“Strange how the world works,” he replied. “But give me the details! Or at least the ones you can while maintaining some plausible deniability,” he said with a smirk.

“Well,” Flashpoint said as Rarity stared into the abyss that was her salad. “We’re currently between jobs. The last one we had had was to insert a different mage for our Ringo, and the mage was apparently replacing mom, and the one before that was the Run we ran for you.”

Spike nodded. “And you did a wonderful job at that too,” Spike said. “Honestly, I’m quite impressed with all your work. In fact, I think you’re ready for another job. Not one of the big ones, it’s just a job.”

“What did’ja have in mind?” Steel asked.

“Just a little corporate espionage,” Spike said with a smirk, before turning. “Shining, do you have the datachip for the job you were given this morning?”

“The Haflinger job?”

“The same,” Spike said.

“I do, as it happens. I have a few fixers lined up.”

“Cancel them; I’m sure these ponies can handle it. They’ve proven themselves more than competent.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Wonderful, now, let’s enjoy dinner, and I hope to hear back from you by the end of the week.”

<><><|><><>

Haflinger Technologies was, by rights, a no-name company. A subsidiary of Harmony Inc, Spike let them run their business as they wanted, producing very little to show for their hard work in building gaming decks.

In a sudden move to branch out, whether pressured by Spike or their researchers, Haflinger began researching a new software program. Initially, it was going to be the foundation of their AI for their VR games, when a new application came to their attention. The AI had, by some incredible coincidence, the potential of becoming one of the most potent ICs in Matrix history.

The fact that they didn’t let Spike know was the first mistake.

For a few months, Haflinger tried to keep quiet about the problem, though Spike heard about it before they had much chance of hiding it. Still, he didn’t make a move, instead of watching what they’d do.

When murmurs of going independent on the back of this AI started passing between the Haflinger employees, they made their second mistake.

At this moment, if they had brought the AI to Spike, told them what they had planned to do with it, and even admitted to the fact that they were thinking of going independent, he would have given them raises. Instead, they decided to replace Harmony Inc. Security with their own ponies.

And that was the last mistake.

Their job was to sneak into the Haflinger offices, locate the AI, capture it, and then infect the entirety of the Haflinger’s digital system with the virus on the datachip.

“Hopefully,” Spike explained as they ate dinner, “they’ll reach out to me, have their system fixed, and believe they lost their work. All with minimal loss of life and pony power.”

“How noble of you,” Rarity said.

“Say what you will of me, Miss Gem, but I take care of my employees.”

“Which is why you’re sending us in to shoot them,” she replied.

“Ah,” Spike said with a smile, “but I control the schedules. The only ponies that will be there will be the ones directly responsible for the would-be coup. They’ve decided that they were going to take a piece of my horde. They’re not my employees anymore.”

“Noted, sir.”

“Next week, Thursday, that’s your time to strike.”

As far as the legwork was concerned, the job was relatively straightforward. The office building was situated next to a construction site for a new building, which offered the best point of insertion, especially if they wanted to go in on a higher floor. With the extra information about the number of ponies, and the layout and location of the matrix core, provided by Spike, they had everything they needed to complete the job without much problem.

Of course, that didn’t stop Web from double- and triple-checking anyway.

“I know it's usually the other way around,” Rarity thought as she watched the pegasus shaman move between several different string boards on the location, “but her paranoia is going to get us killed one day.”

“Gem, can you check something for me?” Web asked.

“What?”

“Can you send a sprite to check out the core?” Web requested. “Just to confirm it’s there?”

“Why would we need to confirm it?” Rarity asked.

“Here,” Web said, pointing to several printouts of ledgers and such. “Did you notice anything strange about these purchases when you retrieved these?”

Rarity thought back to it. “Not really.”

“Not even the three-thousand nubit receipt for an interior decorator?”

“Well, if the place is drab, then they have to spend some money to get it up to snuff. They want to go independent, after all. Having the blandest foyer in the city won’t do much for them otherwise.”

Web leveled a slight deadpan glare at Rarity, before sighing. “For three-thousand nubits?”

“Well, it is a little pricey, but...hm...yes. I do see what you mean.”

“I believe that the ‘interior decorating’ had something to do with their core. It’s the center of their best chance at becoming independent, and if they know Spike is going to come after them, then it only makes sense that they’d move their moneymaker where Spike wouldn’t expect it to be.”

“That’s fair enough, but sending a sprite, or even if I went myself, can show our hand too early. They can get caught, just like I can.”

Web sighed. “So, we have no guarantee that the target is even there?”

“Not without risking the entire operation,” Rarity said.

“How’s the planning going?” Flashpoint asked as she came down the stairs of the safe house.

“Not well,” Web said. “Despite all the information Spike Ringo gave us, we have no guarantee that the target is even at the facility. We have evidence that suggests that they might have moved everything under our noses to keep Spike from being able to retaliate.”

“Spike Ringo?” Flashpoint asked.

“I’ve never had a Ringo who introduced himself by his actual name before,” Web admitted softly. “I’m still trying to process that information.”

“So, what’s the problem then?”

“We can’t actually confirm the position of the core without showing our hand, and we’ll certainly not have the time when we move onto the facility, especially if we want to move through undetected. Searching for it could cause more problems than it fixes.”

“Well, I do have good news, then,” Flashpoint said.

“What?”

“I am, technically, still an employee of Harmony Inc. I know the diagnostics codes.”

Both Rarity and Web blinked at her.

“All we need to do is get in, and as long as I have the security clearance, I can ask the system to give me all the info we need.”

Web blinked, before turning to Rarity. Rarity blinked and looked to Web.

“Flashpoint,” Web said. “Have I ever told you that you are a wonderful asset to the team?”

“No, but I won’t hold it against you.”

“Let’s get you a new SIN chip, Flashpoint,” Rarity said, leading the orchid-furred unicorn away. “I’m sure your old one is gathering dust, and you need a presentable chip for your meeting.”

Flashpoint smiled. “Sounds like a plan.”

<><><|><><>

Night fell across the city, and the team watched the Haflinger building from across the street in the van.

“We’ve got another twenty minutes before the last shift gets in,” Web said. “That’s when we move.”

“Alright, one last time,” Rarity said. “We go in fast, trenchcoats on. We stay quiet as long as we can and try to get Flashpoint to a maintenance terminal. Once she’s there, she can tell us where the core is, and we grab the AI and leave. If all goes well, the alarm doesn’t get raised, and we’re out before things get mohawk.”

The others nodded. Quiet it was.

“Alright. Ready to move?” Rarity asked.

Nods all around.

“No questions?”

They shook their heads. “Good.”

The party waited as Web counted down the clock. Fifteen minutes, ten minutes, five minutes.

Ponies began to wander out of the office’s various doors and entrances, scattering to the respective vehicles as the clock ticked down. “One minute,” Web whispered to the others.

Hooves and magic tightened around guns and fetishes, ready to spring forward.

“Thirty seconds.”

They took deep, calming breaths.

“Ten seconds,” Web called. “Nine, eight, seven.”

They checked ammo one last time.

“Six, five, four.”

Safeties came off.

“Three, two, one.”

The van door slipped open, and the team stepped out. They crossed the street as quickly as they dared, keeping weapons hidden beneath coats, but ready to spring up at any moment.

They moved up to the door, composed themselves, and then stepped inside as Flashpoint swiped her new fake-but-not-really-fake SIN chip across the reader, and the doors swung open. They walked through, even as the door rang to signal their entrance.

“Can I help you?” the receptionist at the front desk asked, glaring over at the six ponies that came in, all dressed like various street thugs.

Flashpoint walked up to the desk, Rarity by her side. “You can actually,” Flashpoint said as she removed her hood. “My name is Twilight Sparkle,” Flashpoint said as she handed over her SIN. “I am Mr. Spikarunz's personal assistant, and I’m here to conduct a quick inspection.”

The mare at the front desk’s face went from nervous to incredulous to panicked in the space of a second as she read the chip. “Ms. Sparkle! I, um, we...we weren’t expecting anyth—”

“Of course not,” Rarity said, as her pheromone emitter began to waft soothing scents around the room. “Nopony expects a surprise inspection, much less one carried out by a group of ponies dressed in street clothes at midnight, but that’s very much the point, isn’t it?”

The mare at the front desk seemed to have a hard time processing all of the information, which was precisely what Rarity hoped her pheromones would do. “I...I suppose…” she said, unsure of herself.

Flashpoint pressed the advantage. “Look, this is just a very simple case of a code 383-49b, I can get the paperwork for you if you want, but Mr. Spikearunz has me on a very strict schedule tonight, and I can’t afford to waste any time, miss...what is your name?”

“Inkroll?” she responded, still confused.

Rarity had already pulled her information up while they had been talking, and sent Flashpoint her employee number.

“Yes, Ms. Inkroll, Employee number G468-923-AYZ. Yes, take that name and number down for me,” Flashpoint said, ordering Rarity, who made a big show of typing the information.

Inkroll felt panic rise in the back of her throat. “No, that—that won’t be necessary. Just go ahead and go in!” she said, forcing a smile.

“Thank you,” Flashpoint said, before pushing forward.

The others followed, smirking to themselves as they walked inside. “You know, having a corp insider makes this easy!” Candy whispered in a chipper tone.

“Shh. Wait until after we leave the building before saying stuff like that,” Steel chastised.

She wasn’t wrong, though. They made their way to the terminal relatively quickly, and, even with a few ponies glancing at them, they managed to get the information they needed without pulling a weapon.

“So, what do we have?” Rarity asked.

“It looks like Web was right. They moved everything to a server in the basement. If we access it from up here, it’s going to alert everypony that we’re here for reasons beyond an inspection.”

“Well,” Rarity said. “I figured that we were going to start rocking mohawks at some point, darling…”

Comments

[Booster Spice]

Gaming AI? Someones built Button Mash?

As for Rocking Mohawks, Id hate to become the point of intrest for the Shadow Shaman. Especially if they have The Rock backing them up.

Then again, Ive more likely forgotton which crews are available and who they work for. Thats what CAOS is for.

[djthomp]

That previous mission ended a little more abruptly than I was expecting, but when a mission is over I guess it's over so why stick around. I really have to wonder who it was that just arranged for Twilight's crew to swap Trixie for her mother, and why. By his reaction, it clearly wasn't Spike.

Spike raised an eyebrow. “You know, asking about the affairs of dragons is often a dangerous thing?”

“As is coming between a mother and her child,” Velvet replied.

Duck and cover!

“You do make a wonderful point,” Spike said eventually, “and I will concede to it. I cannot tell you everything, for obvious reasons, but I will tell you that your daughter was selected by a power higher than I for this job.”

Scary.

This new job feels like a milk run, which of course means something will go wrong.

[Iron Comet]

Spike I think has a source inside Gems runners. Or he has someone spying on them from outside. Not the best situation for Rarity with the info that recently came to light Bout her ability. Or did Spike already know?