Book 1 - The Behemoth came to Canterlot

by Equimorto

Journey Through the Dark - Part 8

"A couple of cycles at most," the mare replied. She finally turned towards the stallion, not looking particularly happy. "Figured out anything about what she needs them for yet? I know you've been sneaking out by yourself again."

"No luck." The stallion took a seat in front of the mare. "They're keeping their lips shut up north, I'd have to go there myself."

"Ask for a transfer." The mare gave a dry chuckle. "Do you think this is... You know, our whole deal now?"

The stallion buried his face in his hooves. "For a few years at least. Even if they start up mass production, she'll keep up us here for a series two and three and to keep working on improvements."

The mare sighed, low and heavy. "Yeah. I figured. Nothing we can do about it then, right?"

"You can quit at any moment." The stallion came back up from his hooves. "Just walk out the door and keep going, and hope the first guard doesn't aim for the legs. She'll find someone who's happier to do this, or more scared of death."

"Or she'll just make someone more compliant," the mare replied. "Free will is a luxury ponykind didn't have a few generations ago, and she can take it away whenever she feels like."

"I doubt that would lead to good research," the stallion replied, grabbing a spare biscuit from the table he then put in his mouth.

"Oh, it wouldn't," said the mare. "Of course it wouldn't. We wouldn't be chatting like this and risking our lives digging for forbidden information if it did. But there's a compromise between the two, most likely. Or, like you said, she just needs to find someone who enjoys it. No shortage of psychos out there who'd be having fun with this."

"Makes you wonder why she picked us," the stallion said. "Feel like doing any actual work?" he asked.

"I haven't felt like working a single time in the last two years. At least. But right now specifically I can kinda get away with not doing it, so of course not." She fetched a sheet of paper and a pencil and began to scribble down something. "I'll be going to the archives again, later. I'm not sure what I'll be looking for, but every book that's there ought to be there for a reason, so I'll probably find something."

Mentally, Twilight took note of the mention of archives.

The stallion sighed. "I guess I could bribe a guard to bribe a guard to bribe a guard to bribe a researcher to get some information from the Empire. It would only cost me about twice my life savings but the likelihood of being found out is so high I'll probably never live to have to pay it. "

"Just forget it," the mare said. She seemed to be working on some sort of formula. Twilight recognised some pieces of it, but wasn't yet sure what it was. "We're never finding out what's happening there unless the information leaks. And we'll probably know about the leaks when we're asked to test a new upgrade on the ones responsible."

The stallion sighed, again. "Would it be morally right to try to stop this?"

"The rest of the world would say the opposite. But you would be sticking to your principles, at least," said the mare.

Comments

[FanOfMostEverything]

Free will is a luxury ponykind didn't have a few generations ago, and she can take it away whenever she feels like.

Well. That's an interesting point to note. Again, I have to wonder how long Twilight can stay here before something goes inevitably wrong, but in the meantime, she's picking up some fascinating intel.