Chapter Sixty Six: Return
Fear threatened to overwhelm Sassi’s training and logic.
She forced it down, immediately pulling Astral closer to the healing apparatus. Blood, tar, and foam oozed from the unconscious stallion’s mouth, the pony completely dead weight. Even with her extra strength, she couldn’t haul him fully up onto the bed. Thankfully it had a lowering function so the mare could carefully drag him.
The fact the bed held Astral’s weight with the armor and was able to rise back up to normal levels was impressive.
Now that he was closer to the diamond-shaped crystals, the devices brightened up again as the metal arms lowered slightly. The healing aura spread over Astral, the crystals blinking once. The mare retrieved and put on the RASP helmet.
‘New User. Identify.’
“Sassi Satin.”
‘Voice authorization of previous user confirmed.’
“Display status of other user.”
Sassi’s lips trembled as the outline of a pony was displayed, all of it marked in bright red status lights.
“Should I take off the armor to increase the efficiency of the medical bay’s healing?”
‘Not advised at this time. Armor healing matrices are stabilizing vitals in addition to external spells. Mesh compression systems are providing pressure on multiple, deep lacerations in tandem with vita-foam. Recommend tying in armor systems to the additional power supply and calibrating to work with exterior spells for maximum effectiveness. Initiate?’
“Do it.”
The armor itself glowed, the healing spell flickering for a brief moment.
‘Calibration complete. Utilizing armor healing systems in conjunction with Silo Three Medical Bay, Bed Two. Efficiency at ninety-seven percent; operational maximum. If there is an interruption of power, the RASP reactor can provide an estimated twenty-seven minutes of backup power for Bed Two at full spell strength. Recommend replacing supplemental medical supplies. Current reserves exhausted.’
Sassi carefully rolled Astral partially over, retrieving the last reload for the armor. Slotting in the combination of foam and medications, the mare’s eyes widened in horror as all of the medication levels abruptly dropped by twenty percent before stabilizing.
He was already fading.
“Status and recommendations?” Sassi asked, her voice hitching as Astral coughed up some black tar.
‘Critical condition. Extreme blood toxicity detected. Unstable genetic structure detected. Multiple puncture wounds to vitals including liver and lungs detected and sealed with vita-foam. Multiple, severe contusions across forelimbs, ribcage, spine, and abdomen.
Medical armor reserves such as vita-foam, antibiotics, steroids, and painkillers may be exhausted within 72 hours. Maximum levels of painkillers and antibiotics already deployed; maintaining. Further use is limited.
Recommendation: Movement of the injured user is not advised. Constant power supply to healing elements is critical for user survival at this stage. Obtain additional armor reserves.
Projection: Unknown survival rate. Side effects of unstable genetic structure unknown. Currently evaluating.’
“Would adding another bed’s healing crystals help?”
‘Negative. Magical fields of current user are saturated. Additional healing crystals would drain power and be ineffective, potentially decreasing spell potency.’
The Thestral took a few deep breaths, putting the helmet down.
“Switch to external audio and visual displays,” Sassi said, then looking at the HUD projected above the device. A small icon then faded. “What was that which disappeared?”
‘RASP Armor is set to broadcast when a connection is established to an exterior network. Drive storage at 12% capacity.’
“Well, don’t do that anymore, not until we know more.”
‘Confirmed.’
A wave of helplessness swept over Sassi, the mare shuddering. Not being able to do anything for Astral was disturbing on a level the mare was struggling to deal with. And that was outside of the mind-control she had just gone through. Sassi couldn’t think about that, not yet. Even that brief thought made her stomach clench.
She stood up, retrieving the other discarded minigun and buckling it on. While less effective, the gun could operate while not connected to the RASP armor for a limited time; it just needed to be recharged after each use. The helmet could still be synced to it, so that solved the aiming problem.
It’d have to do.
To that end, Sassi retrieved the other minigun, setting it aside to draw less power from the armor’s systems.
And then she was left looking at Astral. Locating a stack of clean cloth stuffed in the back of a cabinet, Sassi trotted back over to her friend. Her hoof shook slightly as she wiped his mouth. Blood, foam, and detoxification tar stained Astral’s lips, the Thestral still unconscious. She gently placed her hoof against his cheek for a moment, then pulled away.
Her hoof was shaking. The tidal wave of fear was only barely held back by her walls of training that kicked in.
There’d be time to think later. First, assess the situation, herself, the room, and then outside the room.
The first was spotty. They were in Silo Three. Specifically, a medical center. There were a lot of holes in Sassi’s knowledge as to where they exactly were. Her experience in Three was vastly limited and confined to specific sections. She didn’t even know how deep this Silo went. The only parts of this place that Sassi did know were buried deep under trauma and past job experience in the prisoner blocks.
Neither would be pleasant to navigate, but she shoved that down. They also had limited supplies; so, scavenging was the name of the game in this room.
The opportunity had been so close, escaping just out of reach. That fact battered Sassi’s mind. Astral could have escaped, part of the mare had expected him to.
And yet once again, the stallion had proven her wrong on all counts.
The second assessment of herself was simple, Sassi’s previous thoughts leading into it. Her emotions and mental conflict threatened to shatter all of Sassi’s training. Even now, the mare’s limbs shook as memories tore at the Thestral’s mind. Physically, she was fine. Mentally, she was a wreck, but that wasn’t a new revelation.
The third assessment was the medical bay. A careful inspection of the entrances revealed decent barricades at each. Even the double doors had been hastily reinforced and blocked. There was nothing visible outside of the windows on the doors aside from the dim lights. Sassi solved that problem first, immediately covering the windows with some papers dampened from a still-operational faucet. The last thing she wanted was for something to spy on them.
Sassi then carefully went through each cabinet, setting aside things they could use. While nine out of ten items were either destroyed, used, or stolen, there was a growing pile of items they could use. Clean water, a few more medical supplies, portable healing crystals, rags, and other odds and ends. An inspection of Astral’s armor revealed some basic water and food supplies, and the items from his other set. Sassi’s armor still had all of her basic survival gear, sans the guns that had been torn off of her. At least they had enough food and water for a few days. She didn’t trust the faucet water, not yet. But their supplies were enough for now.
The final assessment would have to wait. She wasn’t about to leave the room just yet.
The training then slowed, waiting for the mare to decide what to do next.
Now she could think.
A single item brushed against Sassi’s hoof as she dug into her saddlebags again, and it made more tears abruptly swell in her eyes.
A carefully-woven vine circlet looked back at her. The flowers were wilted, but the green vines still were vibrant and out of place in the dimly-lit medical bay.
Walking over to Astral, Sassi stared at the prone stallion.
“You went through all of t-this, for me?” she asked him, tears rolling down the Thestral’s cheeks as she sat next to him. “Do you even know what this means? The treatment you went through. It will…you could…”
He had to have known, yet here he is. Astral was willing to die to save me, to be modified.
He did all this just for me.
Her lips trembled, soft sobs making the mare’s sides shake. She didn’t know what to say. The RASP was something the mare was familiar with; she had helped each version of the armor after all. The fact that Astral was wearing the latest armor indicated that on at least some level, the modifications had taken.
Astral was like her now. He had willingly been modified just to save her, even if it meant risking death. That pushed Sassi’s mind to the limit, the mare resting her head on Astral’s bed as she continued to cry. The idea that someone would willingly go through the procedure she had been forced into, didn’t make sense. He must have known the risks, the side effects…
There was only one scenario in which logic won out, and it made Sassi’s heart ache. She couldn’t go there. She couldn’t think that way just yet.
“Do you care that much for me, Astral?” she whispered. “Because I’m h-having a hard time imagining anyone feeling that way about me. Caring t-that much.”
Wanting me that much.
Am I worth all of this?
She reached over a hoof to gently rest it against Astral’s cheek. The tears continued to flow from her eyes as the stallion let out a soft murmur, moving his head ever so slightly to press against her trembling touch.
Is this what it’s like for someone to love you?
To fight for you?
That thought caused more tears to well up. She couldn’t process the weight of those statements, not when it was tied to so many buried dreams, and futures the mare thought would never happen. Yet Astral refused to stop feeding the fire of those long-forgotten hopes.
It was too much, far too much to continue mulling over for Sassi’s limited emotional battery. Seeing the stallion she cared about lying near death was a blow enough. Knowing that he had done all of this for her was the knock-out punch. The future Sassi wanted more than anything was dying, and all she could do was watch.
No.
She dried her eyes, a snarl forming on her lips as an almost painful warmth ignited in the mare’s chest. Taking a deep breath, the mare adjusted the minigun and carefully unbarricaded the door.
I won’t let that happen.
If Astral was going to have a chance at waking up, Sassi had to make sure those machines stayed undamaged and powered. And she’d kill anything that stood in her way. Her eyes narrowed at that. She could be vulnerable and afraid, allowing herself to explore the emotions that had been suppressed and ignored for so long. Sassi even accepted the idea of having another good, solid cry later.
But not now.
Thinking about her emotions wasn’t going to keep Astral alive. Ironically, the mare realized her training would.
Next assessment. Make sure the area is clear.
Now, she had a goal. That made things feel even better.
Let’s see what’s in this hallway.
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Sassi is on the warpath.
Time for Sassi to face the Veteran/Legendary difficulty part of the game. Hopefully she and Astral don't get killed by infinite grenade spams. Or auto-headshot snipers.
At least sassi is able to provide overwatch, that increases their odds of survival by quite a lot
11268864
Indeed!
11268862
Hooves crossed!
11268844
So if Astral is DoomGuy, then is Sassi...Isabelle?
"We rip and tear until it's done, then head back home and have some fun. Together we are ONE!"
Gonna miss multiple chapters a week but at least I can hold less suspense now.
I'm gonna be in Arizona for two months, might not be able to comment tomorrow (flying out). I may be able to comment more after I get there, though; who know, I might even start writing again.
Poor Sassi. (Um. Poor Astral too, I guess, but he's unconscious, it's not like he needs my sympathies.)
11269060
No worries; and best of luck with your writing!
11269017
Fair enough! =)
11269005
I mean.....appears adorable and innocent until she gets a weapon?
11269153
I mean, he's in medicated dreamland, so I doubt Astral's doing that bad...
And so, the roles have reversed.
I don't have a clue what Sassi will find out there. Didn't a nuclear practically happened after Astral locked the medical bay doors?
11269559
Indeed.
11269800
Who knows? The reactor detonated, the massive doors shut, and that's all they know...
“Should I take off the armor?”
“No.” It’s basically keeping him from falling apart.
The underlying horror here is Sassi worked on this program and understands *exactly* the ramifications of what Astral has done. Dude effectively sacrificed himself to save her.
If I was a corporate exec I’d be shaking at the thought of either of these poners showing up at my door at 2:47 am.
11270603
A spot on comment. And trust me, that alllllll will come crashing down. As you said, she knows exactly what Astral is going through.
Pretty sure the exec would beg for a Canterlot dungeon.
Allright, I started reading this three weeks ago and finally caught up with the Story. Keep up the good work, I am greatly enjoying this Story
11274987
Glad to hear it!
I just realised how slanted the technological progress is in this universe, they've got sattelites, phones and reactors but the repeating crossbows are still mainstream and muzzle-loading gunpowder weapons are still new. Show how much friendlier this universe is—except for a certain company infamous for heinous experiments and already killed more than 100k creatures which were either test subjects, possible whistleblowers or accidents, we don't have that in our world, so a win for humanity?
11432258
It's a unique 'verse. It's more of cased rounds being widespread that isn't yet adopted. But as you said, the world is generally kind...well, not so much under the surface.
All I gotta say with your words in the author’s note.
11686282
