Chapter 13: After Elvis...
The only sounds in the Sound Stage were the rain and occasional thunder from outside. Everypony inside was stunned into silence, because the report of a fifty-caliber rifle is LOUD, the one from a forty-five only slightly less so. Freida stepped away from her rifle, which was positioned just so against the wall by the ladies’ room. She walked up to the stage, where the corpse of the minotaur Elvis lay, blood still coming from the ruined throat, polished horns and jewelry glittering in the stage lights. Fran came from her hiding spot, her forty-five held in a ready position, safety on. Together, they inspected the corpse.
“I thought I jumped a bit,” Fran muttered. “I was aiming for the eye.”
“Still, you hit the throat, which is just as good,” Freida said quietly as she checked for any signs of life. There wasn’t, because what was not quite visible from the front is that the back of the minotaur’s head had been blown out by Freida’s bullet, leaving a fine spray of brains and blood over the back of the stage that could be seen by the two ladies, but not by anypony else, due to the stage elevation.
Fred made his way to the stage, taking slow, measured, loudly clopping steps. “May I have your attention, please, ladies and gentleponies,” he called out in a stage speaker’s voice, meaning he was plainly audible to everyone, even though he was not using a microphone. “Elvis has left the building.
“All of you are aware that Elvis has put me in charge until he takes command back. Since he will no longer be able to, I have some pronouncements to make to everypony.
“First, from this day forward, no being can ever control your mind. Elvis and his boss did, which made you all eager to follow his demands. Now, my command is to set those orders aside and work for yourselves. Over the next however long, my friends and I will remain here to help you establish yourselves properly. You have a chance here, ponies. Let us help you build yourselves up to where you not just survive, but thrive.
“Next, we are to consider ourselves a family, working together so we can live in comfort amidst the ruins of the old world. Before we leave, we will put you in contact with others who can help you, via long distance. None of you are dumb, and I’m sure we can get this done swiftly.
“Now, which among you considers yourself fit to lead the crew here?”
All was quiet as the assembled Memphis ponies all looked at each other, wondering who had the nerve to step forward. Eventually, a mottled turquoise blue and emerald green pegasus stepped forward, blue mane, green tail, and pale blue wings. “I will,” she said. “Stella DeMarco, formerly Sergeant in the Memphis P.D., street detail. Now that I don’t have the urge to bend down and kiss Elvis’ hooves, let’s see what it will take to get our act together. You’re willing to assist, right?”
“Yes, we are, Stella. We’re willing to delay our journey long enough to help you get on your hooves. Tonight, there are only a few chores that need doing. They are disposing of the trash and checking the back garden. Once that is done, everypony go get a good night’s sleep, and after breakfast, we will get together again at the hotel, where we can all sit and hash out what needs to be done. Will you need any help doing so tonight, Stella?” Fred asked.
“No, I don’t think so. We can get rid of the trash. Why check the back garden? That’s a no-go area,” Stella said.
“Elvis was in the process of building something, most likely to summon his boss from where it is to here. We must see to it that it is defaced and denatured enough to make it useless. From what I’m told, it’s simple enough to do, just make sure all the markings are blotted and scratched out. Tomorrow will be soon enough.
“Frick, Frack, let’s look into shutting things down here. Bring up the house lights and shut down the music, deal?” Fred advised.
“Right, Fred. Securing music station,” Frick said, shutting his gear down.
“Shut down spots, turn up house lights, aye,” Frack said from his station, bringing up what house lights he could before shutting down the spots. Stella called upon the unicorns to get the body outside, and two earth ponies to dig a hole to put it in.
In an elaborately set up tepee someplace else, a raven and a coyote watched the cleanup on a large crystal ball. They had already watched the performance. “Pay up,” Raven told his associate.
“How could she manage such a big gun? No way she could have hit him square!” Coyote complained as a pouch levitated from him to Raven.
“Patience, measurements, set up and a hell of a lot of luck, Trickster. You were paying too much attention to the ponies. Forgot that non-ponies were immune to the compulsion,” Raven replied, switching the crystal ball to a movie.
“Ponies are the most common here on this continent. Not enough of anything else to worry about,” Coyote maintained.
“Think again, old friend. Only takes the right one to undo plans. In this case, more than one, but I knew these people already. How could you have stopped Fred, anyhow?” Raven asked as he fast-forwarded through the credits of ‘Dancing With Wolves’.
“By working harder to keep him under control. I didn’t know at the time you had already touched him! He was smart, making it look to Elvis all was fine, but doing sneaky things out of his sight!” Coyote complained.
“You need to make more friends outside your circles, Coyote. I may not be local there, but I do have friends, like Chief Kolopin,” Raven said smugly.
“Shut up and pass the popcorn…”
The next morning, four of the Deliverance crew, and Doctor Moe, met up with the Memphis group for breakfast. The day was clear and cool, traces of last night’s storm evaporating. Fred brought the wagon, which was loaded with grains, fish for the pegasi, bread and butter, along with one of the spare coffeepots and a two-pound can of coffee. Frick and Fred let Stella coordinate breakfast preparations before sitting down with her.
“Have you outlined a plan for what you want to get done today, Stella?” Fred asked.
“Yes, I do, Fred. Today, I want to focus on the hotel we are staying at. Staying there and fixing it up is just going to be quite a lot for us to handle, so I am going to have us all move out of the hotel and go to the row of houses south of the mansion. I can have a crew sort through them and determine their suitability, and wiring up generators to each of the ones we choose so we can, at least, have power,” Stella told them.
“Not a bad idea at all, Stella,” Fred told her. “What about scavenging for supplies?”
“What I would like from your folk to start is to build us a couple of those folding wagons you have, so I can send teams out to scavenge. I would also like radios to help coordinate our movements. Fortunately, I know where to find some, like the local police station. Just going to need to get some doors open,” Stella said.
“That, I can help you with,” Frick told the former cop. “I can teach your unicorns how to use their magic to open simple locks. Better than beating a door down, right?”
“Got that right. Why break what you can’t fix? Once open, we can install our own locks, until you teach the other unicorns the trick.” Stella said around a slug of coffee.
“One thing we’re going to need is a lot of printer paper, ink and binders,” Fred said. “We can print out manuals for you, about what it takes to be a unicorn, pegasus, earth pony, Ornithian, or any other species. A basic text on magics, a bestiary, a potion-making guide and a herbary to start.
“This was all planned and scheduled, by beings who have a lot of power. They saw what was coming, and asked themselves what could they do to save a population of over seven billion? They did it, by changing all of us into forms that can handle the magic, and arranging for us to come back, a few at first, taking ten thousand years before all is said and done. I, for one, am quite glad to be what I am, instead of the alternative. How about you?”
“We’ll always miss what we once had, but there’s no going back, so we had best do what we can with what we have, right?” Stella said, to her group’s nodding approval, those that heard her.
“Good attitude, Stella. Now, let’s get down to brass tacks here. First off, none of us from the Deliverance knows anything about Memphis, so we’ll need your help and the help of your crew to source what we need to start. You want wagons? Where can we get the parts?” Fred asked. “Plus, the sooner we get the paper, ink and binders, the sooner you’ll get books to refer to.”
Stella finished chewing on a piece of fish before answering Fred. “Okay, here’s my plan. Fred, I will give you two of my earth ponies. Take the wagon and get what you need to build two more. A unicorn and earth pony team will do some more scavenging for basic supplies. The three unicorns and remaining earth pony will check out the houses south of Graceland.
“The pegasi are going to be taking flight lessons from Frack until we can get off the ground and back again with some degree of competency. Once that is done, and we can fly on our own, then I’ll split us up to do some searching ourselves.”
“Why could you not learn to fly from Joaquin?” Frack asked.
“We tried, but we could not achieve flight when he showed us. You, being a pegasus like the three of us, can show us how to feel what it is like to fly. He, being a parrot, works on different principles. We don’t transform our arms to wings like he can,” Stella explained.
“Good point,” Frack said. “I didn’t think of that. If you can’t at least get up and down safely by lunch, I’ll give up Vanilla Cokes.” After a short pause, he added, “For a day.”
“Lunch to lunch, bro. I’ll hold you to that!” Frick interjected with a laugh.
“What about Joaquin and I?” Fran asked.
“Joaquin knows where to get paper and ink. I request you head back to your boat and get ready to start printing. He will meet you there, and please get the initial books printed up. In time, we’ll make our own computer system and make copies on our own,” Stella told her, sounding like a police sergeant facing a rough day. Without coffee and doughnuts.
“I like that idea. Let’s get started, everyone!” Frick semi-ordered, the ponies dispersing to their assigned jobs.
It was a very tired bunch of ponies and others that gathered for dinner. The only one that looked fresh, other than Doctor Moe, was Freida. She had done the cooking for everyone, and made sure they had what they needed. Towards the end of dinner, Stella made her way to the table where the Deliverance crew were. “Okay, I got a grip on what we’ll be doing the rest of the week,” she announced to the group.
“Oh? And that is?” Frick asked.
“We’ve picked out the houses we’re going to renovate and retrofit, so one team will do just that, splicing a generator to a house main and removing unneeded power-draining appliances, replacing lights with low-draw bulbs and such. Another team will take a wagon and go salvaging. I want you on that team, Captain Frick, so we can set up a radio link with the WSU. I at least want the pieces set up by the end of the day tomorrow. One team will set up the fuel purifier and run it, filling a barrel or two with clean gas. I have other ideas as well, but I want time to think of them,” Stella sighed. “This day was rougher than I expected.”
“First day of freedom in however long,” Moe observed. “You’re shedding stress you didn’t know you had. Plus, learning to get off the ground has to have been difficult. It’s not that you have used your wings before. I heard his shouting at you from inside.”
“Frack does have his own way of getting students to fly,” Freida said.
“Yeah, by channeling Gunny,” Stella groaned, flexing her wings gently.
“Hey, if it works, use it, right?” the gold-maned pegasus said with a smile. “Tomorrow, we’ll see if the lessons stuck.” Stella and the other two pegasi let out a synchronized moan, followed by the laughter of everyone in the dining area.
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a grate chapter.
i love the
Great chapter, that's one more settlement created along the riverside. Now as to what will become their thing for trading and sustaining themselves...