Five Minutes to Midnight

by WinterShade

3...

It had been minutes since the sirens started their whining and everypony had pretty much gotten used to the sound by now. It was still an uncomfortable intrusion, but after longer exposure it was becoming bearable. This was especially true for a frazzled scientist who was frantically running around his laboratory, his white lab coat twirling behind him thanks to the temporal gusts of wind his sudden movement created. In this state, he seemed to pay no attention to anything outside his wild chase as he rushed between his computer terminal, a setup with bubbling flasks and a hastily scribbled backboard. If he heard the sirens’ loud whine or noticed his colleagues running by his small room, he gave no indication, instead focusing solely on whatever no-doubt revolutionary work he was in process of doing.

This work was, however, of less interest to a young soldier who came by his lab with clear orders to evacuate all personnel. When he came upon this frenzied scientist, his first reaction was that of surprise. He believed everypony had already left as soon as the alert started. Still, after a second he composed himself and sternly approached the door, knocking against the frame in an, what he soon realised would be a fruitless, attempt to capture the attention of the pony inside. He tried again, but once more the loud impact of the soldier’s rifle butt against the wooden frame elicited no reaction.

“Figures.” – the soldier said to himself as he entered the room. – “If the obnoxious screeching hadn’t distracted him, I should have known this wouldn’t either.”

Instead, the soldier opted for a more direct approach, hastily marching towards the centre of the room, near where the scientist placed his setup. As he approached, he could hear the pony speaking to himself incoherently, his mind deeply engrossed in whatever he was working on. So deeply engrossed in fact, that even a shout earned only a slightest glance before the pony in the lab coat lowered his eyes on the computer once more.

“Sir, you have to come with me.” – the soldier tried again as he was starting to get irritated by his co-speakers' lack of reaction. – “A general evacuation of the facility has been ordered.”

Once again, the pony ignored him as he simply pushed past him and towards the bubbling flasks.

Now clearly annoyed, the soldier decided to once again switch tactics and firmly grabbed the pony as he was making his next run past him.

“Let me go.” – was all the scientist said, as he tried to break free of the grasp.

“Sir, listen to me!” – the soldier shouted, trying to drag the pony towards the exit. – “Everypony is leaving the complex and I have been ordered to ensure everypony is safely out.”

“Look, I don’t care about your orders.” – the other pony replied in an annoyed tone. – “I have work here to do and I will not abandon it. Just leave me and get out already.”

Now, this really angered the soldier. Here he was, trying to help this stuck-up researcher, and he had the nerve to order him what to do. He hoped this would be a simple sweep, but it seemed it became increasingly hard by the second. And after all this, in all honesty, he considered just leaving the pony here. However, he knew he would likely have a bad time with the commander if she were to find out he disobeyed the orders and left one of her precious brains behind.

“I have my orders!” – the soldier shouted, once again yanking the smaller pony he was holding. – “You will now leave with me, whether you want it or not.”

“I would disagree.” – the scientist shouted back, using the momentary respite after the yank to break free. – “I know you wouldn’t understand, but I am working on something revolutionary here.”

“Frankly, I don’t give a damn.” – the soldier said as he attempted to once again grapple the other pony.

“Great, then we are on the same page.” – the scientist deadpanned, spinning on of his hind hooves to reach the computer terminal. – “Now leave me."

“If you won’t leave…” – the soldier started, raising his rifle and aiming it at the experiment which was in progress on the table next to him. – “…then I will have to force you to.”

This threat finally seemed to get the desired reaction from the scientist as he looked the soldier in the eyes for the first time.

“You wouldn’t dare.” – he hissed, slowly backing away from the terminal.

“Test me.” – the soldier replied in a similar manner, as he used his magic to cock the bolt of his rifle.

A second later, he squeezed the trigger. Almost immediately, pieces of glass were sent flying around the room as several flasks and test tubes were loudly shattered, their contents dispersing.

“What have you done?” – the scientist shouted with a tinge of panic and desperation in his voice as he rushed towards the remains of the experiment.

However, as the scientist rushed towards the table, the residual adrenaline in the soldier’s body and the scientist’s sudden reaction prompted a response which has become somewhat of a reflex to the young soldier. A second bullet flew through the room embedding itself in the wall right behind the desperate pony’s head. A moment later, the labcoated pony collapsed, the leftover momentum planting him at the hooves of the stunned soldier.

As soon as he came to his senses, the soldier ran out of the room, hoping to distance himself from the events that had just transpired as far as possible. Behind him, the other pony continued lying still, his pristine white coat slowly soaked by the liquids leaking from the ruined experiment. The secrets behind it joined soon; a gooey mess pooling across the shiny tiled floor.

Who knows? Maybe this revolutionary research could have helped the world that was soon to come.