Chapter Ninety-Two: Silo Three Bids Thee Welcome
The explosion made the floor rumble, Sassi and Astral pausing for a few moments.
‘Chaos magic fields dissipated. Situation nominal.’ Their helmets reported simultaneously.
“I hope he got out,” Astral sighed. “He really wasn’t that bad. Hurt, but not a bad pony at all.”
“Considering it’s chaos magic, I’d say he got out,” the mare said rather confidently. “After all, that’d be pretty on-point for chaos. We did get a nice boost in supplies and armaments thanks to him.”
The mare glanced over to Astral, gently nudging his shoulder as they walked.
“He looked up to you, I think.”
“Huh?”
“Arcane. Especially when you talked about wanting to help.”
Astral didn’t have a response, kicking a bit of rubble as they passed in thought.
“I suppose? He seemed a bit more relaxed when I talked to him.”
“I think he saw some of the things that made me fall in love with you. He reminded me of a little sibling when he looked at you at times. Learning from an older brother.”
Even from behind the helmet, Sassi was tickled to see Astral’s demeanor shift to being bashful. She could imagine his ears flushing at that.
“I guess,” he mumbled.
“Don’t sell yourself short, Astral. I love you for a lot of reasons. I’m just happy that someone else can see a few of them.”
There was some more indistinct mumbling from Astral’s end, Sassi playfully nudging his shoulder again. The stallion stopped, resting his head against hers.
“Thank you, Sas,” he whispered, Astral’s voice hitching.
Sassi made a mental note to compliment her special somepony more often. If anypony deserved to know how special they were…
She abruptly stumbled as they took a step forwards, Astral catching the mare with an outstretched hoof.
“We need to turn this thing off,” he said, Sassi taking a few deep breaths.
“Whoa. That caught up quickly. Sorry for the mood killer. Just a wave of dizziness.”
“AI. Where’s a safe location to shut down the reactor?”
‘Plotting.’
Sassi glanced over to the stallion with an appreciative smile, standing back up with a shake of her legs.
“Probably not immediately safe. But if we can hunker down somewhere we can give it and you a rest,” Astral mused. “I’d prefer to shut it down now. But I don’t know if I’d be able to walk.”
‘Course to Silo 3 sub-levels plotted. Potential exit to surface identified. Warning. Unable to calculate distance due to unknown Silo layout. Potential safe locations identified.
Warning: Route hazards detected. Complete failure of interior sensors.
Warning: Multiple security door containment failures.
Warning: Containment breached.
Warning: Pressurized vessels breached; contamination detected. Unable to identify biohazard.
Warning: Increased spore count detected.
Warning: Power grid failure. Emergency lighting operating at minimum levels.
Warning: Extreme temperature differential detected near a safe location.
Warning: Last motion sensor reading before failure indicated multiple signatures- unable to distinguish individual signatures due to density.
Proceed with caution.’
“That’s a lot of warnings,” Astral added, Sassi letting out a huff.
“At least it’s informative. We know how big of a pile of manure we’re walking into.”
“…It’s a big pile.”
Nearing the end of their current hallway, the Thestrals kept an eye on their motion detection, still finding it clear. Unfortunately, the air wasn’t as immaculate.
“Yuck. Looks like pea soup,” Astral muttered as they trotted along toward a set of large stairs. The spores were emanating from underneath various doors. Neither Thestral wanted to know what was behind them.
“Nasty stuff. Shame we can’t burn it all, but best we get through here quickly and quietly. Most of the Fonies are behind us, but who knows what else there is.”
Sassi’s words were sobering but accurate. They traversed the office-like halls without issue, neatly-placed signs on the wall leading them to an atrium adjacent to the main Silo shaft.
“Looks like we take a left at the atrium, and that leads us through a few floors, and then to that safe zone,” Sassi muttered as she examined the RASP scan. Even as an older model, it was able to link with the more modern helmet and survey the surrounding area and project it via the HUD in a wire-frame model. The filters thankfully had remained compatible, and they had a hefty amount of spares.
“Sas?” Astral whispered, the stallion having stopped. The gun at his side was already humming, the automatic shotgun aimed down the dark hallway.
The mare’s miniguns sped up, but there wasn’t anything living ahead of them. The air had cleared slightly, but visible spores still lingered.
A large barricade of furniture and office equipment barred the entrance to the atrium. A hole had been ripped through the left side. Dried blood and gore drenched the floor.
“Watch our backs,” Sassi whispered as they walked slowly forwards through the barricade. Blood was everywhere. The dim emergency lights gave it a black, oil-like appearance.
Their backs to the barricade, the two Thestrals looked across the atrium, helmet lights illuminating a scene of destruction. Most prominent, however, was a table set off to their right with various radio equipment.
Scrawled on the walls were two words, the letters written in blood. The final letter trailed off, the line of fluid pooling on the floor as if a paintbrush had been dragged off into the darkness.
‘SAVE US’
As if mocking the two Thestrals, a sign on the opposite end of the atrium flickered, the light illuminating blood splattered across every wall of the room.
‘Welcome to Silo 3, Atrium 13’
The two Thestrals scanned the room, top to bottom. The other two entrances to the atrium were barricaded, but each had large, matching holes in them. There must have been survivors here at one point, for there was a small eating and sleeping area, as well as a pile of spent supplies.
“Clear, for now,” Sassi whispered, “how are you holding up?”
“Been better.”
The fact Astral’s heartbeat was elevated significantly backed up his words. Even though he could walk on his own he still was far from being in fighting condition, and Astral knew it.
“Let’s not linger.”
There were radio frequencies scrawled on the wall near the table with the bloody message. Dozens of them and all were crossed out. Bloody hoofprints and indistinguishable tracks on the ground led away from another message scrawled across a smattering of notes.
‘NOBODY IS COMING’
“They couldn’t get past the shielding, huh?” Astral whispered as they slowly walked to the left-most exit.
“Nope. And this far underground, they’d have to have much more powerful radios even without the shields to reach. They never had a chance, especially with the spores.” Sassi replied. “Let me know if you need a break.”
“Will do.”
The previous atmosphere of safety had utterly evaporated. A dark, pervasive evil now pervaded every sense. Despite a clear motion sensor, it felt like eyes were boring into the back of Sassi’s head.
This was different. It wasn’t like before with the modified Skitters. This felt intentional as if the moment they entered the atrium the Thestrals were on an alien planet. Every hoof step felt like an alarm bell of trespassing, and yet all they could do was venture further.
No words were said as they walked down a ramp, an airlock in front of them bisecting the hallway. At least, it had used to be an airlock. The metal and glass were utterly shredded, blood splattered everywhere.
A burnt-out sign was plastered above the entryway.
‘Lab 7: Mutagenic Compound Synthesis and Splicing’
“We have to go through here, another floor or so of what looks like various lab and testing rooms. Then we’re safe at least for a bit,” Sassi whispered. “Just like before. Watch our backs, and I’ll-”
Blip.
The Thestral’s froze, guns spinning up. They didn’t move a muscle, the RASP suit picking up the sound of something skittering across metal. And then it stopped.
For a fraction of a second, their motion tracker had been completely saturated with movement, hundreds of dots swirling around them.
And then it was gone.
If Silo 3 had a face (click here) LoTR fans will get it.
Oh, wait. You thought Silo 1 & 2 were the worst things here? 
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Uh, period after quickly?
Yeah, I'll watch OUT backs.
Those are the only grammatical issues I found. All good.
Man, Silo 3 is going to be one hell of a journey then if Silo 1 & 2 were a cake-walk. ~Prepare yourselves for the Rubberband Man!~
Can't wait for the next chapter!
-Harpy
11439963
Fixed, thank you!
And it's a dark doozy indeed!
11440418
Good tone for the music. The Transformers: The Movie was really all about that kind of nonsensical hope and daring despite the situation. I mean when you fight a planet that devours worlds, and shrugs off a moon exploding in its mouth, you kinda need that attitude.
It doesn't really have any 80s vibe, but TTGL has some pretty good orchestral parts. Less rock, more rap, and cyberspace synth, but you wouldn't think it works. And it has the same attitude as the Transformers movie, so they got something right.
11428227
RASP mafia... now I'm imagining a Spartan mafia. And also if the company ever manages to surface another site where RASP was a focus, I could see other possible survivors walking out. That family could grow... or those individuals would become their own family, if they thought it wasn't possible to integrate, become crime lords or the like.
...that's stuck in my head for some reason. If you plan to go on past this story, you maybe should do something with that. I think it's a tear. Or a window. Or whatever you call that thing when it's obviously happened elsewhere in the paraverse and you just know it, even when there's no logical reason for you to.
11440470
I'd say it's a good song all around! TTGL? I'll have to check into the soundtrack...
And a RASP/Spartan Mafia would be interesting indeed. I shan't say anything though!
With a lack of normal ponies to reference these two/three modified ponies off of, I am beginning to imagine that Astral and gang is somehow on the large/heavy end of the earth pony spectrum. Probably Troubleshoes or alicorn sized.
I wouldn't be surprised if Astral was taller than Sassi from a RASP induced growth spurt.
It felt like they have been this way for a long while now
11440749
I can confirm they're still normal-sized Thestrals- just pack a bigger punch! I.e, far denser bone and muscle, heightened metabolism, etc. That also falls in line with the RASP program- if you're making a super-soldier for sometimes covert operations, don't want them to stand out (i.e be MASSIVE)
So...no Space Marine stature here! But that said, having them grow a few inches due to the modifications is definitely within the realm of possibility and 100% makes sense. I'll see how it all plays out! If that detail is added, you can take credit!
11440839
It's Just all talk about Astartes ponies.
Astral Ponies?
11440952
Oh gosh. Astartes but in MLP.....oh good heavens.
11440470
Response to your idea of rasp survivors Steelheart a earth pony I described a while ago is probably a rasp recipient. That is if the author is going to use them
We’ve got contacts, people, let’s-
o h n o
11441041
As of now, I'm not going to tie this universe with FoE- but that is certainly a springboard if someone wanted to.
11441052
Oh no indeed.
11441115
You do remember that I only mentioned her as a guard that would show up when they exited
11440957
We're good, as long as MC isn't some lucky moron in power armor who had been shot in head and survived.
Waitaminut. That'd be Chamomile from Blue Destiny.
11441468
Ok fair enough.
11441529
