Deep Rock Equestria: Into The Abyss

by The Atlantean

36. [Rainbow Dash] Busywork

Full Mission Roll:

10 Aquarqs [3,3], 100 Dystrum, Haz 3, Hollow Bough

Warning: Lethal Enemies, Anomaly: N/A

Machine Event: Kursite Infection

Encounters: Cargo Crate, Lost Pack

Extra Resources: N/A

Mission Special Beer: Tunnel Rat

Roll System in Final Phase

A few days and low-hazard solo missions later, Rainbow Dash pulled up their next team mission on the central holotable and grinned. “You’re gonna like this one, Sunset. We do this mission, both of us get access to the Mineral Trading Terminal, and I know you’re itching for some more Magnite.”

Sunset grimaced. “Lethal Enemies, Rainbow. That’s more dangerous than you think, especially on a Point Extraction. Remember the Fungus Bogs?”

Rarity crossed her arms with a nod. Her hand was still bandaged, but she looked fine otherwise. “We’ll need to be quick, girls. The bugs will only get more numerous as the mission goes on, and even without Lethal Enemies they’re not to be trifled with.”

Applejack frowned. “Ah know you’ve been sneakin’ away on solo missions since we were goin’ ourselves, Rarity. Don’t overwork yourself. You can sit this one out if you’re not feelin’ it. Ah’m sure we’d be fine without you.”

“I’m fine, Applejack, but I appreciate your concern. I can do this.”

“If you say.”

Rainbow raised an eyebrow, but after a few seconds of silence turned her attention back to the table. “Okay. Are we all going?”

Rarity nodded. “Yes, we are. Set it in, dear, and check your gear before you board. Modifications can be the difference between life and death.”

---------------------------------

Rainbow ran down the Drop Pod’s ramp and onto the fern-covered rocky overgrowth of the Hollow Bough. The region’s trademark thorny vines and spiked plants were everywhere under the light of Sunset’s flare as it arced into the ceiling. The Drop Pod returned to the surface, and moments later the Mine Head drilled through the ceiling and crashed to the ground, deploying its platform and turrets.

“Alright, girls,” Rarity said. “Aquarqs, ten of them. Let’s move. Rainbow, I want a zipline to that ledge over there. Applejack, dig out the Aquarqs nearest to the Mine Head and drop them nearby. Sunset, see what this cave has to offer. I’ll shoot platforms to any minerals you need. And everyone, as soon as we have enough Nitra, I want to see a resupply near the Mine Head.”

“Gotcha!” Sunset said, and she disappeared with her grappling hook.

Rainbow set up the zipline while Applejack jogged to an Aquarq deposit and started drilling. She then set another to a Nitra vein near the ceiling and hooked herself to it. As she rode, the others dug the easier-to-reach minerals and Sunset continued to grapple around at incredible speed.

The Nitra filled her bag quickly. She zipped back to the ground, deposited in the Mine Head, and hooked herself to the first zipline. It took a few minutes to reach the other side, and in that time the team had deposited three Aquarqs and various other minerals.

The comms cracked. “Roger that, Supply Pod incoming.”

Rarity said, “I called it near the Mine Head. Hunter from 17-A said having one on standby as soon as possible is generally a good idea for Point Extractions.”

“Ah gotcha,” Applejack replied. “Anythin’ up there, Rainbow?”

Rainbow tossed a flare. A strange contraption appeared in the dark which her laser pointed identified as a “Kursite Grinder”. The walls had a few veins of Nitra and gold, but otherwise the area was bare.

“Nothing but a Machine Event and some minerals.”

Sunset grappled up and fired a flare into the ceiling as Rarity platformed the minerals she could see. They went to work, clearing the shelf in just a few minutes.

“Hey, Rainbow,” Sunset said, “what do you think our chances are of finding Fluttershy?”

Rainbow shook her head. “Not great. I know we missed her by a few minutes once, but she’s not predictable like another school’s soccer team. I know her well, but not enough to get in her head, you know?”

“Yeah. Or maybe we still can. She likes animals, so where would she find them?”

“With the Glyphid Queen,” Rainbow joked. She stopped in her tracks. “Wait a minute.”

Sunset grinned. “Exactly. She’s the big bug. We find the Queen, we find Fluttershy.”

“And we kill two birds with one stone. Well, we wouldn’t kill birds. Fluttershy would hate that, but you know what I mean.”

The comm crackled. “Hold on to your gizzards, ladies. Swarm incoming!”

The two girls froze for a second. Rainbow moved first, bolting to the edge of the ledge and leaping for the zipline. She hooked herself to the line as she passed it, swinging to the side as she slid down to the Mine Head. Sunset grappled moments later as Rarity and Applejack appeared from their respective corners of the cave.

Glyphid screeches echoed in the darkness.

“Swarm! I repeat, swarm!”

Rainbow revved her minigun as the bugs crawled out of the walls, bathed in the light of both the Mine Head’s searchlights and Sunset’s flares. She fired into the growing crowd with the Mine Head’s three turrets blasting any that came too close. Meanwhile, Rarity lobbed a grenade into a gurgling Praetorian reeling from Applejack’s torching, and an Acid Spitter in the ceiling screeched at a quick pelting from Sunset and fell to the floor.

“The last of them are approaching you now,” Mission Control reported after a few more minutes.

Rainbow grinned and grabbed a resupply leaf. “Too easy. Hey, Sunset, did you ever figure out what that thing was that fell off your belt?”

Sunset shot a Web Spitter in the Mine Head’s descent tunnel, and it fell wailing to the floor. “It was the gamma-range adapter for my radio. R&D thinks it started blanketing the comm channels when it broke, and that’s what was jamming us.”

“Oh. Don’t break it this time.”

“I don’t plan on it. Hey, Rarity, how many more Aquarqs do we need?”

Rarity looked up from inspecting her hand. “Three. They’ll be on the far end of the cave. Rainbow, dear, could you shoot a zipline over that way?”

Rainbow planted her feet into the ground and fired. “That good?”

“Perfect, dear. Sunset, I trust you can get the Aquarqs?”

Sunset grappled into the darkness without a word. Then the distant cave wall brightened under the light of her flare. The last three Aquarqs soon appeared, and the three still at the Mine Head gathered them while Sunset grabbed the final bit of Dystrum.

Rarity moved to the rocket launch button and looked at each of the others. “Are we ready?”

Rainbow, Sunset, and Applejack nodded their agreements. Rarity hit the button, and the launch alarm began to blare. A few seconds later, the cargo rocket was on its way to orbit.

The countdown to the Drop Pod’s arrival and the race to it before it left were hectic as usual, but all four made it in time with no strange occurances.

Author's Note:

Sorry it's been a while. I wrapped myself in school and other projects, and then I moved back to the States. I don't know when I'll update DRE in the future, but I haven't forgotten it yet.

Comments

[Venerable Ro]

A dystrum secondary, rare pull that. Glad to have you back.

[CrazyShadow]

OKTOBERFEST!!!

[Alyarin9000]

Ahhh, Point Extraction. Always fun.
Dystrum's always hard for a new group, looks like they're becoming a well oiled machine now

[Zubric]

So the reason they can’t use automated machines is because there’s literally bugs that control it by latching on? That how the lore goes?

Also you gotta admit that the drill pods sure are Biltwell if they can only survive reentry but plough into the earth at tremendous speeds and then return to orbit in one tank of gas

[SayuriCeleste]

where is Maud??

[The Atlantean]

11425478
She has not appeared thus far. If I ever get around to doing more work on this fic, she may or may not appear.

[TheGJ90]

I had no idea this was a thing...

WHY DID NOT FIND THIS STORY SOONER?!

Rock and stone, you beautiful brony!

[Dwarf Marine]

11653460
Much obliged.

[Phara_mine]

Finally at the latest chapter at last. I'm liking it. Quite a fast development but not a supersonic speeds.

It's sad to see no update for a whole year though. Hope you'll come back here eventually.

Rock and stone brotha!