Scavenge for the Future

by Evilhumour

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

The three of them stepped cautiously into the jumpgate station, Scratched peering around the room and trying to take in all of what she was seeing in at once.

It wasn’t all that much. To be fair, it seemed to be a simple airlock if anything though the controls seemed to be archaic with valves needed to start pressurization instead of an automatic sensor in place.

Before she could look closer, however, Spliced’s magic reached out and closed the door behind them with her magic moving the valves. She then raised a wing for them, indicating that they should wait. She held it up for a moment before she removed her own helmet and tilted her head to the side.

Zaat moved to take his own helmet off but Spliced’s magic stopped him and she replaced her helmet. “No air,” she said over the suit intercom.

“Then how did you breathe there?” Scratched asked.

“Part of my condition; I can adapt to what kills me. Not immediately, but over time. I’m well used to breathing in nothing by now,” she replied, stepping forwards towards the door of the station and pulling it open.

“We’re in luck,” Spliced said as they examined the status of the jumpgate. Despite the deteriorated state of the station from the outside, the interior seemed to be pristine. “I might be able to restore power, but let us get to the main control room first.”

The two of them nodded their heads as they followed her through the gravity-voided halls with the stamp of Shining Tomorrow's logo on the walls, stopping to check their maps at each intersection before moving on.

It took them about forty minutes before they finally reached the main control room, with white drapes over every console.

“Further proof that this was a planned shutdown,” Spliced pointed out as she removed one. “If it was a freak accident, they wouldn’t have put this stuff out. Now, if I can get into their systems and find the log...” She sat down in the chair and began to try to start up the machine with nothing happening.

“Let me check if I can get it up and running first,” Scratched said as she got lower to the ground to pull out the covering case and was about to peer in when Zaat called out.

“Hey it just turned on,” her friend said who was sitting at his own terminal. “Everything just turned on.”

“Even the air is back on,” Spliced said as she took off her helmet. “Though you should wait before you take yours off, it is still cycling through.”

“How did everything turn on, and why would this station even still have functioning systems when it was abandoned?” Zaat asked.

“Multiple redundancies?” Scratched as she stood up with Spliced leaning down to peer at her. “What is i-,” she turned her head to see a small near invisible button embedded into the bottom of the terminal. Unless she knew to look for it, she would have never seen it.

“I do not like where this is heading,” Spliced said, sitting up right as she began to examine the terminal. “This station is too well maintained and this secretive activation button...”

“Oh damn,” Zaat swore, breathing sharply. “There are log files here about fleet positioning. A privately owned one that is very large. What the hell does Shining Tomorrow need with something like that? They’re a low level galactic organization.”

“Where are the jumps located?” Spliced asked appearing by his side with Scratched on his other side.

“Hesterland space, Terakian space, Lhat’kan… this is all over the galaxy,” Zaat said as he continued to pry further into the computer before his face paled. “These personal logs mention something called ‘Final Order’… by the gods, this is some sort of hidden military organization.”

“And the first two places are not only the biggest galactic governments left, but these are deep within their space. If they were to play things right, they could not only start a war between them but maneuver things to take over what’s left standing,” Spliced said with horror in her eyes. “I knew the galaxy was in a decaying state, but this… it’s like they’re trying to force the long night to come early for everyone.”

“They can play the hero to whoever is left alive and rule over them for a very long time, right Spliced?” Scratched asked.

“Exactly.” Spliced looked grim. “Of course, what really scares me is if they decide to move into the next universe over after they’re done here.”

“You mean… they might target Equuis?” Scratched asked.

Spliced nodded. “And that is something I will not allow to happen.” She turned to Zaat. “You’ve got access to their data. Drain it dry so we can get everything here to Hesturland. And make sure to duplicate everything so we have backups, just in case.”

“You got it,” Zaat said as he went to work.

“What about me?” Scratched asked.

“Contact Aerostorm and tell her what we’ve found; I am going to start preparations for an automated jump.” Scratched couldn’t help her ears from falling but she wasn’t one year old and was mature enough to know others could do more good than she was able to right now.

“Right,” she replied as all of them got to work.

---

Clever Vision frowned as his secretary brought him an update.

One of their private, hidden jump gates had been activated without proper authorization. Looking at what ship had used his jumpgate, his eyes narrowed.

“We’ve got a problem,” he told her. “The Excelsior just jumped to Hesturland.”

The secretary nodded. “Shall I send the signal, sir?”

“Do it. If those kids can get the government to listen to them, our operation is about to get blown wide open, so we need to move fast.” The stallion steepled his hooves together. “I was hoping we’d have more time, but it looks like it’s now or never.”

“Yes, sir.” The pink mare spun around and left.

Clear Vision watched her go, and smirked at the sight - he loved the view of that flank. “And so it begins…”

Author's Note:

Second to last chapter people.

We are nearly there.

Comments

[ShadowLDrago]

“Part of my condition; I can adapt to what kills me. Not immediately, but over time. I’m well used to breathing in nothing by now,” she replied, stepping forwards towards the door of the station and pulling it open.

Like Doomsday, except less Chaotic Evil.

“Hesterland space, Terakian space, Lhat’kan… this is all over the galaxy,” Zaat said as he continued to pry further into the computer before his face paled. “These personal logs mention something called ‘Final Order’… by the gods, this is some sort of hidden military organization.”

Oh joyous day,

Clear Vision watched her go, and smirked at the sight - he loved the view of that flank. “And so it begins…”

The greatest shitstorm of our time.

[LoudThunder]

Now we have a little problem. Just a very small and little one. The damm universe is about to go to war
May the lord help them.