And the world, it starts to burn... (UNEDITED)
"This is bad. Do we have anything in these files?" A scientist asked his colleagues.
"Little. Some mentions of DIrect Energy Weapons, but data is either corrupt or require technologies we have no idea how to make. These... mini-reactors, we got several mentions of them, but database has nothing." One answered.
"Well, I got something. Two weapons, one is called Rocket Propelled Grenade, basically a shoulder launched missile. Dunno what the heck made them shoot rockets from their shoulders, but at this point, I would not be surprised to find an infantry gun that shoots miniature nuclear weapons. Our ancestors were either fightings wars we can only dream of or they were all insane.”
“*cough* Yeah about that...” Came a timid response from the next terminal. The scientist moved away to reveal a schematics of ‘Fat Boy Nuclear Launch Mechanism’ with the text ‘Rejected’ under it.
“OH COME ON! Anyway, the other is scrapped 'Shoulder Mounted Heavy Weapon', SMHW. This thing is apparently a giant gun that soldier carries on his shoulder. It mentions it was designed to counter Armor Suits, but was scrapped as 'unpractical' due to weight and size."
"Well, let's make at least one prototype. It might be good enough against dragons. As for that rocket thingy, get the blueprints to engineers and have them see what they can cook up. Anything else? Any vehicles?"
"A lot, but many of them are not practical for us. Numerous Armor Suits, but we don't have resources for those. Wolf model is pretty much closest we can make, but when I look it's specs it's designated as an artillery unit, not as an assault unit. It would be useless at the current combat ranges.”
“I got few AA-vehicles, but two of them are manual control systems and one has been marked as 'failure'. One appears to be good, but it uses too small caliber for dragons. Might work against changelings, if we can improve the targeting subroutine."
"Good, good."
"Beyond that... tons and tons of weapons, as if our ancestors were gearing up for a massive stellar war. Most of it is either useless or out of our reach."
"Damn... still, what we got is better than nothing. Get them to engineers, see what they can do. Our boys back down need all we can give them."
“Yes, sir. Also, General Caravel is here for your report.”
“Right, right... I get to it.” The lead scientist said and stood up, heading for his office. Most of the members of Project Rediscovery either spend their time down on the engineering, trying to figure out how their ancestors had gotten stuff working.
It was not that they didn’t document, oh no. It was that documents referenced other documents, that referenced other documents, that kept referencing to other documents... until they hit data corrupted. So they had a blueprint for soldier sized laser cannon, which required Gillian Lens Technology and Nogometa Energy Cells... which required Friedson Cutting System, that also required Nogometa Energy Cells, that required Gillian Containment Field, and so on and so on. Endless loop that went on and on, until you hit a wall.
Problem was, that most of the data about anything related to Gillian Technologies Incorporated and their technology was either missing key components or corrupted beyond recovery. Same thing with numerous other technologies their ancestors had used in their technologies. He couldn’t help but wonder how they could have lost so much, it was not like the data had been destroyed on purpose... right?
He walked inside his office, where General Caravel was waiting for him.
“Good even director Tieson. Have you made any progress?”
“Some. We got few weapons sent down to engineering. The think they can produce Heavy Infantry Combat Systems, if they can figure out the encryption used in the data files. It’s not perfect, but fearless, tireless and most importantly, expendable combat unit could bolster our troops well. Still, main problem is the lack of complete blueprints.”
H.I.C.S. had been a motherload, really. Complete, self-contained data container that detailed small, remote controlled combat drone. It lacked a lot compared to living, breathing human, but on the other hand... losing one of them wasn’t that big defeat and they didn’t require too much resources to be build. Few deals with other nations and they could easily mass produce them without compromising Luna Aeternal. Plus, it’s targeting system was able to distinguish targets based on LOOKS, not by thermal images. Only problem was... that whoever had made them had encrypted heavily. Data files were more tightly locked than what happened in ISA.
“You are a scientist. You can figure out how to use our own technologies to supplement them, right?”
“Not really. We barely have any idea what all the parts do, since we lack their documentation. The directed energy weapon system we are mostly working on, it has so many what we call ‘black boxes’ that we aren’t even sure where to begin. Some of them even require materials we have never heard before, like one thing that has 52 syllable long name, but the staff calls it ‘nonsensicalium’. I mean, an element that allows you to control the direction of light mid-air by using electricity? That goes against all laws of physics! And don’t you dare to say it’s magic, science invalid or I will punch you, general or not.”
“Damn it. We had thought that it would be as simple as digging up ancient weapons and recreating them.”
“So did everyone. As it turns out, since those things weren’t the top priority, their data files got lower priority on back-ups and thanks to the nature of solar flares, we spend so much time just restoring our databases that they got lost sometime in the past and nobody noticed. Either we don’t know how to make the weapons or they are out of our reach or they are impractical. A capital class warship is not really something we could build.”
“At least, not in time. Reich und Gott, do we have ANYTHING that could help?”
“Well, few Anti-Air weapons that are based on flak are in our reach, so we are looking into those. Then there are few weapons our ancestors deemed impractical, but are practical to us, so we are looking at those too.”
“Good. Good. With Project Final Argument being launched tomorrow, we are finally starting to shape up. Let’s hope that the enemy will keep down until we are ready.”
“We all hope so. All those lives lost...”
“Yes. Well, General Saral is heading down now. She will take care of things soon enough. Let’s hope she can keep things under control.”
“General on site!” Came a shout from a guard. Saral really hated that tradition. It felt... wrong. She had read it had been tradition in the old battleships in the ancient times, before they got scrapped for their resources and generators. Entire room stood up and saluted her. She gave a quick salute back.
“At ease. Carry on.” Room returned to it’s normal activity, while governor Varn walked to her.
“General Saral, how good to meet you. Our armed forces have been gathering and waiting for your orders to move.”
“I want to know where our joint operations center is and what we got.”
“I... am afraid I don’t understand? Our army is what we got in New Hope City.”
“I mean opscenter! Where the allied forces are lead from. You don’t expect us to each fight individually?”
“I’m afraid we don’t have such command center ready.”
“REICH UND GOTT!”
“Sir, if I may, the leaders have been assembling in Canterlot. Perhaps you if you were to attend to their meetings and propose such idea, such command center could be established?”
“Well, what you waiting for!? Get me a ride there. We need to get a centralized command as soon as possible.” Saral said. How was she supposed to lead a war if there was almost nothing to lead!?
Meanwhile, in an alternative universe...
“Anything yet?” Celestia asked Spell Nexus, the lead unicorn in magic in Twilight Sparkles absence.
“No, Your Highness. The Universal Window spell is very simple in theory, but we do not know yet how to ‘lock’ it to certain ponies without presence of their double. Few tests we have so far run has shown us random universes, which were really interesting if I may add, but ultimately we have not located missing ponied yet. Furthermore, we have no idea how to establish a stable portal between two world.”
“Well, keep looking into it. We need to get them back.” Celestia said and turned to leave. Spell Nexus bowed and returned to his book. Celestia knew she was being too harsh, but she was worried. First Discord escapes and now her best student, as well as her friends, had disappeared. She had no idea what had happened to them, apart that they were somewhere in the multiverse. Oh why, why she hadn’t destroyed that book?
Because she had never expected anything like this. Back in the days, she had even used the spell. Peek into other worlds. She had seen Equestria in even greater glory, she had seen Equestria in ruins. She had different types of Equestria and herself. Sometimes she was benevolent, sometimes she was a tyrant. There was one world where she was locked in mortal fight between her Solar Empire and Luna’s Lunar Republic. That had been a shock. Then there had been The Equestrian Wasteland. One reason why she had stamped on the technological progress, making sure it was slow and controlled. Then there had been the world where she had been a griffin. So many possibilities.
“Sister, you worry too much.” Luna appeared on her side.
“But what if I don’t? What if they are in trouble? What if they are in some sort of world that is a nightmare?” Image of her student walking in a wasteland she had (without knowing) created made her shudder.
“I am sure they ended up somewhere nice, place where they and their doubles have already defeated Discord. They are probably having fun right now, especially Rainbow Dash.”
“It’s too strong!” Came a shout from a pegasus. Rainbow Dash and her double had been alerted about an uncontrolled hurricane that threatened to hit Hoofington.
“Work harder! We need to at least weaken it!” Rainbow Dash shouted. She took quick look at her double. At first she had been hesitant to allow her to come, but so far the disguise had been holding up and she was major help. Alternative universe or not, she was still Rainbow Dash, the best flyer in Equestria. Half of the reason why they had managed to control the hurricane to certain extend was her work. Where she personally had been unable to be, her double had picked up the problem spot.
Right now Hoofington was save, the hurricane had been directed to empty wastelands of Second Impact. It was the area where the second asteroid, originally aimed at Cloudsdale, but thanks to malfunctioning guidance reactor, it had missed it’s mark. Still, several tons of flaming falling at supersonic speeds had been enough to destroy large area and severely damage Cloudsdale.
Right now that empty area was perfect place to allow the hurricane to weaken itself. Nothing that it could damage and nothing that could strengthen it. It was a perfect place. Sometimes she regretted coming up with the plan to close the skies, but without it humans would have simply overrun them. They had been in a war, a war they didn’t even know why it was being fought. Back then all she had been thinking was victory. About half-way she had been simply wishing it to end.
“Da- Swift Wing, how is everything there?” She shouted at her double.
“Seems OK, it’s starting to weaken.” Came the response.
“Wow, she’s good at this. Almost good as you. She ain’t interested in joining?” Speedrun asked her. Speed Run was the new captain on the Wonderbolts and always eager to recruit new fliers. Guess she wasted to restore Wonderbolts into their former glory.
“I don’t think so, not right now. I can ask her later, but right now, we got a bigger problem.”
“We can take it from here, but be on a standby anyway. We can’t be sure with these things.”
“Fine, but be sure to call at the first sign of trouble.”
“No problem, I am not too proud to ask for help.” Speedrun said. It was true, she was not afraid to admit the Wonderbolts could not do everything. She would call upon locals to help them when problem grew too big. For the most part though, they were elite flyers. So when they asked for help, you were better to answer or you risked your own life too.
“Alright everyone, time to pull out. Wonderbolts got it from here, but be ready to get back in a minute. Thank you for all your work and have a nice trip back home!” Rainbow Dash shouted. Slowly pegasis flew away, everyone returning to their home. Dash and her double started to head to Ponyville.
“I think we should appear together so often....” Her double commented as the flew.
“Why so?” She asked. That was a weird thing to say.
“Well, it appears they think we two are... uh... dating...” Her double said clearly embarrassed. Rainbow Dash just facehooved at this.
“Not this again... why does everyone insist that I am a lesbian!? Because I adopted Scootaloo, but didn’t get a stallion? Because I prefer to spend time with my friends, who happen to be mares too!? Who the Tartarus started that rumor!?”
“Hey, I just arrived here! I have no idea myself. It was quite weird that it was even asked from me.” Her double said, backing off slightly. Rainbow Dash took a deep breath and sighed.
“Fine, fine. I don’t really care, but it’s getting annoying. I can’t show myself with anyone without being asked if I am dating them! So far the rumours have had me dating Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, Trixie, both Princesses, Fluttershy who was oddly quiet about it, Derpy, Cheerilee, Cadance, Mrs. Cupcake, Photo Finish, even Granny Smith! I mean, GRANNY SMITH! How in the name of the sun would that even work!?”
“Okay, okay, I got it, you don’t like it getting out of the hand...” Her double said. “Maybe, you know, you could just go and date some and then drop them?” her double said, before stopping for a moment to think. “Nah, bad idea and not really fair even.”
“I was wondering what the heck you were talking about.”
“And that is how you remove a bullet from a wound.” Fluttershy said while finishing with the wounded bunny. Some humans had figured out how to remove magical traces from meat and since they were omnivores... Animals rarely, if ever, ventured near human settlements anymore. They just too high chance of getting shot. Her double had been mortified when animals had arrived with bleeding wounds. She had been even more horrified when instead of just putting bandages, she had took out her tools and dug into the wounds, removing the bullet and then cauterizing them.
Problem with the bullet wound was, that it was equally dangerous to remove the bullet, as it was to get them. Removing the bullet could cause more damage and sometimes, pressure made by bullet was only thing keeping the victim from bleeding out. Even after getting the bullet out safely, infection rate was very high.
“Horrible. This is just horrible...” Her double said.
“Yes. At least animals are keeping their distance now, at first they weren’t careful. It was even worse.” She said. “Back then, they didn’t know. They were curious. When someone figured out how to make them... edible...” She shuddered ”they become targets. Humans can survive with vegetation only, so why do they need to hunt!?” She couldn't understand it. If choice was between dying and hunting, she could understand it. However, with humans, it was a choice between hurting someone or eating plants.
“Umm... guess they need it, they have artificial meat... not that it makes any right... how often does this happen?”
“...it used to be ten, twelve times a month... now it’s just few....”
“Oh, good....”
“Because humans got better in their hunting skills.”
“Oh my....”
“Guess I was too hard to her... She didn’t mean anything.” Twilight muttered to herself as she walked to the hospital. Two days ago, she had lost her temper and walked away because the took Trixie’s words the wrong way. Guess she really needed to work on that. However, when she arrived at the section where Trixie was supposed to be, she was nowhere to be seen. She walked to a nurse who was nearby.
“Yes? How may I help you?”
“I am looking for Trixie Lulamoon, any idea where she is?”
“Oh she? Left already, despite the orders from the doctors.”
“Oh, I see... thank you.” Twilight said and turned to walk away.
“Umm, if you could, could you take these painkillers to her? She left them here.” The nurse asked, pointing towards a bottle of white pills.
“Sure, I’ll do that.” Twilight answered. She picked up the bottle and placed it in her saddlebag. She then headed towards Trixie’s office/apartment. Either she would be there, or... actually, now that she thought about it, she was always on some mission or in her office. She arrived at the door leading to the office. She knocked at the door.
“Trixie? You there?” Silence. She knocked again. Nothing. She thought about leaving, but then again, she had promised to bring the painkillers to her. She tried and found that the door was not locked. She opened the door. “Trixie?”
Trixie office was, well, mid-way to complete mess. There was still resemblance of order, but it looked like someone had come and punched and kicked half of the stuff, before deciding it was stupid and went to do something else. She took few careful steps around assortment of documents and papers on the ground. She noticed that the storm had apparently ended with “Proposition to reform Equestrian armed forces”. It had been credited to one of Trixies guards.
She looked at the desk. It had pile of envelopes and empty papers on it. Also, a list of survivors and members of Trixies unit. In middle, there was a simple written letter.
“Dear Mr.Carrot
I regret to inform you that your brother had fallen in line of duty to the Equestria. As the closest living relative, it is my heavy duty to inform you through this letter of his sacrifice and”
Letter ended abruptly. Twilight recognized the letter, she had gotten one after her brother had died. Trixie had clearly been unable to keep writing. Judging by the letter and pile of envelopes, she wrote each letter herself, instead of using mass produced versions. On the floor, there were several bottles of alcohol. It was kinda surreal experience. She had always believed that commanders just signed the letters without giving them another thought. Evidently, some took the losses more personally than others.
She followed a trail of bottles to the bathroom, where she saw Trixie hunched over a toilet. She sighed and nudged the blue unicorn.
“Time to wake up. What would your men think?” She asked, meaning to make her. What she got, however, was a low sob.
“Nothing. All dead. All cause I screwed up. Should have prepared exit route. Should have prepared for dragons. Something. Now they are all dead. Carrot Field. Sharp Spear. Jolly Roger. Danger Jaeger. Every single one. Dead. Now they demand me to write each of their families? How am I going to explain it to them? Sorry, your son died. Too bad, but hey, I am alive?” Trixie said between her sobs. She dropped down and pulled last remaining bottle closer to her. Twilight grabbed it before it reached the drunken unicorn’s lips.
“Okay, I think that is enough for you. Didn’t expect to see you like this. Ain’t you Grea tnad Po-”
“YOU AIN’T GOT NO RIGHT TO CALL ME THAT! Not even as an insult! Only my men are allowed call me that! What do you know about losing ponies? Huh? You only lost your parents and brother! In way that nobody can blame you! Me!? THEY WERE ONLY ONES TO ACCEPT ME! They trusted me! And I betrayed them! So shut up and leave me alone.”
Twilight took a step back after the outburst. Guess she and others had overestimated Trixie. She was no better than anyone else. She can take pressure, but after it reaches the boiling point... she too would crack. She reached her hoof to Trixies shoulder.
“I’m... sorry. But you need to stop now. Get some sleep. Rest.”
“Okay...fine... I’m sorry too... for what I said in hospital... I didn’t mean to...”
“It’s okay, I took it wrong. Come on now, off to bed?” She helped Trixie to slowly stagger to the bed and laid her down. She took a bowl and placed it near her, you never knew if she might need it. “Okay, sleep now. I leave some painkillers on the table, don’t take them until you are sober, okay?”
“Okay... bye Twilight... and thanks...” Trixie mumbled before falling asleep. Twilight shook her head and left the pills on the table. As she exited the apartment, she encountered a pony walking towards it.
“Oh, hello. I am Deep Psyche, do you know if Trixie is there?”
“Yeah, drunk of her ass. Took her to bed.”
“Oh dear...”
“You’re her therapist?” Twilight asked and took a little bit longer look at the stallion in front of her. He was... a rather unremarkable pegasys. Black coat and brown mane, with a green question mark as his cutie mark.
“Ah, she has told about me then? Good, that means she is healing even better... but I’m afraid how she takes this latest event. Please, how was she?”
“... I...” She couldn’t herself go and talk to others about her problems, so what right she had to talk about others? “You need to ask herself. I am not really the best one to talk.”
“Hmm... I see... Well, if you are going to visit her more often, here is my card, do contact me if there is a need.” He said and turned to walk away.
“Yeah.... be seeing you...” She said and put the card away. Like hell she was calling him.
Discord was watching as the few remaining survivors were dragged off and dragons feasted on fresh corpses. There was something that was bugging him. After the initial battle, the level of chaos had dropped considerably. How had that happened? So much chaos in one place and then... it was gone. Disappeared.
His course was set now, but he had come to a conclusion that he might have been too hasty. He would need to make sure, that after he had gained the absolute victory there would someone alive too. With no life, this world would be static, devoid of action, devoid of chaos. A perfect world for order. Exact opposite what he wished.
Still... he had taken this course. Death and destruction, great for short term chaos, were his tools for now, but in the long term... he would need to think something. He was the spirit of chaos, not evil. Not many realized the difference. He didn’t particularly enjoy death and destruction, but he enjoyed the chaos was that was born from it. Life itself was chaotic and much more reliable source of chaos.
However, he was opposed by those who called themselves “Harmony”. Not order, but Harmony. Forces of Order had been defeated long time ago or had been subjugated, made to serve them. He had been part of that, millenias ago. It had been logical back then. Order had wanted to wipe out life, to create a perfect, static and orderly world. Of course he could not allow such thing to happen. Life itself was chaos. Without living beings to experience and create chaos, what would he be?
Right now, he could feel the power in his grasp. Changeling Swarms would need time to reform and move themselves. Dragons needed time to heal their wounds. It could be a month before he could strike again. So he would need a new plan. He had already send changelings to infiltrate Equestria, but he would need more. Something, that would cause his opponents defenses to crumble without a single death.
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Cookies for those who get all the references in this chapter
1492681 Is it a media reference or from another fan-fic? Because if its the latter i think i have an idea. Also what dose Reich und Gott mean? ilooked it up but could not find it.
1492681
There's one from fallout....
and I can't see anymore......
sorry.
Also uh, this is a bit late but I wanted to ask why do
ponies have hell instead of Tartarus and ass instead of flankthe surviving humans were the nazi's that hid on the moon at the end of 1945?
1493060
Both, references to other fics and media references
Reich = German for realm, kingdom, or empire. In this context, it means state.
Und = German for "and"
Gott = German for "God"
So essentially, they are saying "State and God". It's a cultural thing for humans in this universe, pretty much same as someone saying "God damn
it" (Honestly, I just thought it sounded cool in German. I did thought an in-universe explanation too, though)
1493114
Well, that's one down :)
1493170
Uh...wasn't the title a verse in some song?
1493207
Good, now which song?
1493227
Uh.....
ohgodwhy.jpeg.....¨
...
Mass Effect 3 Take it back? badpokerface.img
1493518
1493540
....
I...got it?
1493550
Yup
1493579
YES!
....
I fell good...really good....
oh well time to sleep
with a green question mark as his cutie mark
My name is Deep Psyche ... but you can call me The Riddler.
1493816
And we got another winner
I think Spell Nexus is the headmaster of Celestia's school in the fic Past Sins. If I'm right, then I'm glad I met another one who likes Pen Stoke's masterpiece.
1496920
Here, have a cookie
EDIT
I should note that many of these characters/shout outs will disappear after this. This chapter had so many opportunities to write a shout outs that I could not resist XD