Fallout Equestria: Strawberry Jam

by Comrade Marble

Dispatch

Food is our common ground, a universal experience.

Rich or poor.

Mare or stallion.

Pegasus, Unicorn, or Earth Pony.

Everypony needs to eat.

The pursuit of sustenance is a core part of life: On a very basic level, much of the social constructs that ponies assemble are defined by the pursuit of this basic but overriding objective. Regardless of who somepony is or where they are born, everypony needs to eat.

The ways in which a pony chooses to do this can tell much about them: their values, tastes, and capabilities are all laid bare by the necessity of food.

This thought process can also be applied to the groups that ponies create. By viewing the way that they consume resources and account for their members, one can gauge the values of a given group with some degree of accuracy.

The culinary culture of the Grand Pegasus Enclave, as seemingly barren as it is, is an excellent example of this simple reality.

A key example of this is the Enclave Standard Ration Package. Coming in six varieties of flavor, each uniform bar is held within a minimalistic, grey, tri-laminate pouch. Each bar is composed of a carefully curated selection of nutrients, designed solely for the purpose of sustaining the individual consuming it. Given the emphasis the Enclave places on manufacturing, each meal sleeve is reusable, citizens being expected to return them to the relevant rationing authority upon the completion of their meal.

Despite the tight regime surrounding them and their relative uniformity of appearance, each variety of ESRP is composed of different ingredients, each with a unique texture and flavor.

The brown bar, for example, is generally considered the most savory of the options available. The flavor is a unique sort of smoky, nutty, umami, leaving it a favorite among the general population. This unique flavor is a result of its key ingredient: crickets. Chosen for their efficiency, crickets are a valued part of every citizen’s diet in the form of the brown bar.

When observed through the lens of culinary culture, one can clearly see an intense emphasis on efficiency and reusability, one birthed through the devastating famines and shortages that have wracked the Grand Pegasus Enclave throughout its existence. The ration packs and their components are intended to be emmintly renewable and reusable, both tailored for the pegasus nation’s unique place in the sky.

Supplementing the ration packages are a small variety of flavor supplements, salt being the most common, given its relative abundance as a result of the sea harvesting operations. There are few regular alternatives to salt, though one of the most valued acquisitions of the surface teams is always additional flavoring alternatives.

While by any metric, the pursuit of culinary flavoring alternatives is a petty endeavor for a military force, it is one of the most regular pursuits of the surface teams. The reason for this is quite simple: the Enclave’s organization as a democratic society, as flawed and backwards as it may be, has ensured that the military pursues endeavors that are valued by the common citizen. The presentation of additional flavoring options never ceases to raise morale in population centers where they are introduced: the continued acquisition of these materials is, as such, a high priority for the vaunted forces of the Enclave’s armed forces.

The importance of such missions to Councilor Headwind’s reelection campaign did little to assuage Sergeant Downdraft’s frustration as she examined her Pipbuck, glancing over the information that had been so generously provided to her by the simpering Lieutenant that had been transferred to Tempestus a few months back.

GR-SR-SECTOR 0314T IO0863 AAR

ALL INDIVIDUALS HANDLING THIS INFORMATION ARE REQUIRED TO PROTECT IT FROM UNAUTHORIZED DISCLOSURE IN THE INTEREST OF THE NATIONAL SECURITY OF THE GRAND PEGASUS ENCLAVE. HANDLING, STORAGE, REPRODUCTION, AND DISPOSITION OF THE ATTACHED DOCUMENT WILL BE IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE COUNCIL ORDER(S), STATUTE(S), AND AGENCY IMPLEMENTING REGULATIONS.

EXERCISE DATE
5/23/183
COMMANDING OFFICERS
Sergeant Starry Gaze
PERSONNEL
Senior Wingpony Lightning Strike
Wingpony Snowblind
Wingpony Dewdrop
SCOPE
Residential Block, Formerly 183 Canter Heights, Trottingham
AREA
Sector 0314T

MISSION: Squad was dispatched to complete the purge of an identified wastelander insurgent group in 183 Canter Heights.

EXECUTION: Squad made ground fall before dawn. Significant amount of equine remains are observed within the building. Raid is completed within established timescale of five minutes and the complex is cleared with no casualties or complications: all insurgents liquidated. Three prisoners recovered from the complex, two in critical condition, terminated due to lack of medical priority. Surviving equine detained, pending review. Significant stockpile of substance identified as ‘Auntie Fragaria’s Strawberry Jam’ recovered. Initial scientific inquiry performed by Sergeant Gaze indicates that the substance is both edible and quite palatable.

FOLLOW UP: Initial investigation indicates that the recovered equine asset is potentially connected to further supply of flavoring material known as ‘Auntie Fragaria’s Strawberry Jam.’ Further investigation is strongly advised.

Downdraft still couldn’t believe that Gaze had just… eaten the red substance that he’d found in the wastelander den; while the small jars were quite innocent in appearance, nothing down on the surface could be trusted, particularly not something found within the hives that the insurgents hid themselves away in. The fact that command was now interested in acquiring more of the substance was just…

She sighed.

It was pointless but that didn’t really matter when it came down to it: orders were orders, regardless of how inane they were. It wasn’t her job to question why the acquisition of this ‘strawberry jam’ was necessary for national security.

She just had to get it.

Sergeant Gaze wasn’t exactly a sterling investigator, unfortunately. While the footage from the helmet cameras of the strike team was quite helpful, it did little more than add context to the events that she’d reviewed in the report. The only real lead they had was the filth-ridden groundpounder that Gaze’s troopers had dragged out of one of the makeshift cells in the depths of the building.

Given her orders… she’d probably have to talk to them.

She paused for a moment, then corrected herself internally: her.

She didn’t have much experience in interrogation, though she imagined it would be rather difficult to build a rapport if she remained as impersonal as she would have preferred.

Dimming the screen of her pipbuck, she took an opportunity to adjust her appearance, ensuring that the tan overcoat of her officer’s uniform was neatly secured over the black thermal bodysuit issued to all soldiers and straightening the patrol cap that sat proudly atop her head.

It was time to talk to the… pony from down below.

Comments

[Sir Mediocre]

Serious birb pones seeking clandestine condiments... you have my attention.

Also, assuming your date of 5/23/183 is relative to the year of the Last Day, this story takes place 5 years before my own fic. Cool.

A couple few minor technical quibbles:

core part of life: On a very basic level

When setting off a second, directly related thought with a colon, the first word should be capitalized, though with a semicolon, it doesn't need to be. A general rule of thumb is that if the related sentence is complete and could be independent, capitalize it and use a colon. If it is complete, but can't be independent from the first thought without seeming out-of-place, use a semicolon and don't capitalize.

minimalistic, grey, tri-laminate pouch

Consecutive adjectives need commas.

Squad made ground fall before dawn, making use of inbuilt night-vision capabilities to begin the raid.

We can presume that the superiors reading this brief will be aware of the equipment issued to their operatives and the uses thereof, so that half of this sentence can go. If you were narrating the event directly, it would be fine, but in a report, it is unnecessary.

found in the wastelander den: while the small jars

In this case, the second thought can be set off with a semicolon rather than a colon. The two thoughts are related, yes, but they can stand on their own, so a semicolon is better.

Sergeant Gaze wasn’t exactly a sterling investigator, unfortunately: while the footage from the helmet cameras of the strike team was quite helpful, it did little more than add context to the events that she’d reviewed in the report: the only real lead they had was the filth ridden groundpounder that Gaze’s troopers had dragged out of one of the makeshift cells that the insurgents had made use of.

I'm glad you are unafraid to use colons, but these sentences don't really need them. Each sentence can stand on its own... and you especially don't want to separate more than one consecutive sentence with colons. Also, "filth ridden" should have a hyphen.
Oh, and your third-to-last paragraph is missing its ending period.

Anyway... please, continue.

[Comrade Marble]

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Thank you so much for the review! I didn't have an editor to run the chapter by so your suggestions are very much appreciated. Thanks for the feedback