Bounty Hunters 3: Genesis

by Jasper77W

Chapter 50: Welcome to Haven

"Um... Yeah." Was all Rainbow managed to say as Sweetiebot clunked her way to the group.

"If we could get our guests to HQ now. We're not in too much of a hurry, but we definitely don't have a lot of time." Applebloom said. "Spitfire and the OASIS crew are working on a tactic now. The main idea is to keep the science faction bottled on the surface, where it'll be most advantageous for us as many of the recruited local tribes probably don't have equipment that'll take them to space and are obviously more adapted to ground or aerial fights instead of space. The main idea is that we'll take over the various science faction outposts here on the surface, and believe me there's quite a few. While our ground forces are doing that, our tiny space fleet will keep theirs at bay and hold them so our ground forces don't get nuked. But once we have access to the outposts they'll have no way of nuking us since we'll have control over the long range prism cannons, which could easily shoot down the nukes at a moment's notice. Once that happens, their space fleet will have no choice but to come to the surface and attempt a take over here- and we'll smother them if they do. Point is, once we have their outposts their nukes will never reach us, thus completely rendering their fleet pointless. Because if they can fire prism beams at us, we can retaliate with our own. Easy peesy, just saying though. We don't need to worry about that- yet." Applebloom started striding down the street, the others following. "Our main priority- YOUR main priority- is to get the world motivated."

Rainbow nodded- must be that speech thing.

"We need the world to stand up for itself- we're just a small portion. That's where the science faction is wrong- they think they're only facing us. But we aren't their only enemies- they chose to go against the world, force it to obey them- and that's how they made the world their enemy." Applebloom said. "We just need someone to tell them to rise- and what better than to have the heroes of the Manehatten incident AND the capturer of Val in the previous reality do it?"

"We aren't heroes. We were just there at the right place and the right time." Octavia said.

"Two times in a row? Statistically improbable." Sweetiebot replied.

"Sweetie Belle, you mind calling a tour transport for us?" Scootaloo asked.

"Not at all." Sweetiebot grinned, her internal systems calling for a nearby transport.

Suddenly a hovering platform slid out of a parking slot in the side of a building, and slowly flew down towards them. It landed before them, just a big wide sheet of metal that was automatically controlled. It still hovered lightly above the ground, and sunk a slight bit as everyone got on.

"AL, tour mode. Take us to HQ." Scootaloo said, and the platform started lifting off again.

"Whoa." The two fillies quickly ran to the center of the platform as it gained altitude and curled up there, vertigo taking the better of them.

Applebloom noticed, and gave a friendly smile.

"AL, if you don't mind engaging safety rails for the fillies." She said.

"Certainly." The robotic female voice replied, and a blue energy field rose from the edges of the platform. It only rose up to about waist height, serving as a hoofrail. The fillies were less scared now, but still were uncertain- and poked their hooves at the shield.

"We have magic electricity generators over there-" Applebloom pointed at two tall cylindrical buildings to their far left. "They power the entire city. A gravity spell cast onto the water in those generators create current, which then fuels turbines in the generator which essentially generate energy. Some of that energy, only about ten percent- is then used to keep the spell going, so it's a consistent cycle which keeps producing energy. Quite efficient, and we haven't had any accidents yet."

"The ponies here look pretty happy." Rainbow said.

"Well, they do have reason to be." Applebloom said with a bit of a proud smile. But then she noticed Rainbow wasn't smiling- in fact, she even looked a bit sad.

"Is something wrong Rainbow?" Octavia asked.

"All of this..." Rainbow looked around her, at all the happiness, freedom and prosperity. Then her eyes seemed to settle on a group of laughing fillies who just came out of some sort of candy shop. "...it's not going to last is it? The war's coming... How many of us will be able to enjoy life afterwards? How many of us will be left with a life to enjoy at all? And it was our fault wasn't it... If only we didn't-"

"Rainbow-" Octavia stopped her. "Stop thinking about what could've been. Because what could've been, will never be what has been. And what has been lasts, and is being created every second time drags on."

Rainbow nodded, but her mood didn't seem to improve the slightest as she only stared down at the ground.

"We've seen ponies come and go in our business, we've seen hope and we've seen despair; we've seen love and we've seen hate- and there are many other things we haven't yet set eyes upon. Some things we wish to see, others we don't and fight to prevent. But does that mean we won't see the things we don't want to see? No, it doesn't. When we try it doesn't always mean success. The war is coming and lives are going to be lost, there's no stopping it. All we can do is fight hard, make sure we win, and end this quick." Octavia said, giving Rainbow a light pat on the shoulder.

"Can't we negotiate? There has to be a way to prevent this from happening... I know there is- there's always a way..." Rainbow started, shaking her head as she ran various possibilities through her head.

"We've tried, Rainbow. For the few centuries before the wars, we have all tried. But we failed. This is the only way for us, if we want the greater good. We need to sacrifice something, if we want to achieve that goal." Octavia said.

"But what if I fail? What if my words do nothing?" Rainbow finally looked up- and Octavia could see the anxiety on her face.

"You won't." She said, and smiled.

"How do you know I won't?"

"Because you always get your way." Octavia said, and finally a smile crept onto Rainbow's face.

"Thanks, Tavi. I feel much better now."

"That's what friends are for." Octavia nodded.

"It is, isn't it..." Sweetiebot said to herself, a smile on her face.

Applebloom and Scootaloo both cast her raised eyebrows, in which she didn't bother hide her amusement.

"That's what friends are for." Sweetiebot quoted, smiling. "I suppose, yeah. Watching backs and having fun right?" She tapped her own brain, which was firmly implanted in her metal cased head.

"Do suppose." Applebloom said with a smirk, in which Scootaloo chuckled at.

"Alright, we're here." Scootaloo said, a grin on her face as the hover transport parked down on one of the many landing platforms built into the side of CMC HQ.

The energy shields that acted as hoof rails disengaged, and the ponies stepped off.

"AL, please show our guests to their rooms." Scootaloo said. "We'd love to spend more time together, but we just need to make some final preparations. In the meantime, rest up! And feel free to order room service or go down to the food court at level seventy-two. Ask AL for guidance if you get lost- and we'll call you guys through the intercoms if we need a meeting or something."

"Now go rest up- you've all earned it well enough." Applebloom said.

"If the guests would please come this way." AL said through the systems.

"If you don't mind I'd like to visit a friend who should be in the med bay? She was on the first wave of ponies to arrive on speeders." Zealo said, which made Rainbow and Octavia jump a little as they didn't even notice his presence. Wait, was he with them the whole time?

"Please state the name of your friend?" AL asked in an artificially polite manner.

"Magnum Aimbot." Zealo said, ignoring the odd glances the others were casting his way.

"Please follow the red arrow." AL said, leading Zealo off in a different direction while sending the others in another via blue holographic arrows.

*

The first thing Rainbow did when she got to her hotel room was fall face-first into the king sized bed. She buried her face in a pillow, every inch of her body relaxing.

"You seem to be VERY tired." AL observed, which made Rainbow jump as she didn't expect her to be in here. "I can start the bath for you if you want. Also, you seem startled- so you can tell me if you wish to turn private mode on, in which I will not be present until called upon again."

"Is there a mute function? And yes, please start the bath for me... I'm dying..." Rainbow moaned, rolling onto her back and yawning.

"There is no mute function. And it is advised you take your suit off before the bed collapses under the excess weight." AL said, and Rainbow could hear splashing in the bathroom as the AI turned the taps of the bath on. "Is there a desired temperature you would like to set your bath to?"

"Can you make a suggestion as to what temperature a stressed out and completely battered pony like me should bathe in?" Rainbow asked, her suit unfolding around her and packing itself away as a suitcase next to her. Her dark clothing underneath drifted down next to her and over her sheets.

"Foreign object detected." The suitcase said, popped open; and seemingly coughed up the cleaver handle. Then it sealed itself again.

"Setting to forty degrees Celsius." AL said, adjusting the hot to cold water ratio. "In the meantime, if you would like to order any snacks I could do that for you. Note that these orders are free, as directed by the CMC."

"Is it normal for a pony to start having emotional attachments to an AI?" Rainbow stretched. "Cause I think it's happening between us right now. A bottle of apple cider and a chocolate bar please."

"Order placed, will arrive soon. And yes, based on statistics in user reviews about my performance as an AI it is considered normal." AL replied.

"No thoughts on that?" Rainbow raised an eyebrow at the ceiling.

AL was silent for a few moments. "It is pleasant to be considered likable by statistics based on user reviews."

"Is it possible for you to speak like a normal pony?" Rainbow asked.

"At my current stage, no. My programmers have focused mainly on functions and tasks I am able to perform and basic emotions like excitement, happiness, sadness, and so on. At my current stage I cannot yet define what you call 'normal'." AL said.

"Really? How come I don't hear any emotional change?"

"Because there is nothing to cause emotional change right now." AL replied dryly.

"Do you take on a physical form?" Rainbow asked.

"Not at the moment, although technically I am the building you are currently in. I do have a holographic appearance, however. Your order has arrived, by the way." AL said as there was a soft beep, and a socket in the wall opened up. A robotic arm placed a bottle of apple cider and a bar of chocolate carefully on the bedside table, then retreated back as the socket closed again.

"I'd like to see your holographic appearance sometime." Rainbow said, taking the chocolate bar and unwrapping it. "Also, do you mind playing some music?"

"What kind?"

"How about an orchestral... I feel so bloody tired. Something relaxing."

"Filtering.... Sixty four tracks found. Create playlist?"

Rainbow nodded.

"Playing." AL said as a smooth orchestral track started drifting through the speakers. Then the splashing in the bathroom ceased. "Your bath is ready."

"I can't wait for this." Rainbow yawned loudly, getting up and heading to the bathroom. She dropped her clothes outside, and stepped inside.

*

Magnum looked around her, once again surrounded by darkness. Then came that familiar sensation again- she was being dragged into another window. She could see it speeding towards her in the darkness- a piece of her past, glowing white.

Then it flew right up to her, and suddenly the darkness around her was gone in a loud poof. Now she was standing in a room, the floors carpeted and a fireplace's flame burning away at the wooden logs placed inside.

She recognized this place. Cozy, well decorated for the holiday season- well furnished, warm and bright.

Here she was again, at home. In a different reality.

There was some laughing to her right, and she turned.

Two fillies, both colored with different shades of the same blue, were standing on their back hooves on the sofa and staring out the window. Snow slowly built up on the windowsill as Hearth's Warming Eve crept its way towards the small and ordinary family home. The two fillies, older and younger sisters; laughed and pointed at the different shaped snowflakes as they made their slow descent to earth. Their warm breaths made the cold glass foggy, turning it to a mirror that reflected their young faces.

Magnum remembered this scene- the one night before everything changed and her entire life was thrown out of balance.

"Magnum! Rose! Dinner's ready!" She heard mother call- but she wasn't referring to her.
The two fillies on the sofa looked in the direction of the dinner table, which was out of sight of Magnum.

She recognized those faces. One her own, the other of her sister- her sister that she never saw alive again.

They trotted away to the dinner table, and Magnum heard the scraping of chairs as they sat down.

Then the window was gone, and darkness settled around her once again, leaving her alone- just like it had done a thousand times before as fragments of her memories were thrown back at her in a huge chaotic storm.

But there was something odd with that memory just then... It wasn't the memory, it was its connection with a different set of memories from a much more recent past. Army academy days... There was someone there, someone... That was also in that memory just then- but who could it have been?

Her mind hurt just from thinking of it, and since she was in a coma- she was trapped in her own mind. The darkness around her fizzed as she struggled to make the connection, and failed.

"Damnit." She cursed, but then something else was happening- the area around her was lightening. This wasn't another window... This felt like something else...

Slowly she could feel something else connecting to her brain- then her one functional eye slid open.

She could hear beeping next to her, the distinct pulses of a heartbeat monitor. Everything was quite blurry- and bright. Yes, definitely bright and white. Slowly her eye focused on a plain white ceiling, and she groaned. Everything was quiet, so she must be in some sort of hospital private ward.

But from what she could remember... She was in Rainbow's car. And that was it, and she had passed out.

"Ugh..." She muttered, her hoof moving to rub her aching head- but something was on top of it, keeping it from moving.

Her first thoughts were shackles, but what really was keeping her arm in place was something much better. Something so unexpected, she didn't even know how to react.

She could only stare and blink. Was it.... Yeah, there was no doubt. None at all. She knows it's possible, since realities have crossed. But even so, even if she knows it's possible- it still seems so surreal.

Zealo must've been here for a while, and he had fallen asleep- his head resting gently on her arm as he breathed quietly.

Magnum didn't know whether to laugh or to cry- so her expression was a mixture of both. But one thing she was sure she would do...

She grabbed Zealo, and wrenched him into a hug that she had been waiting to give him for a very, very long time.

Author's Note:

Whoa. Chapter 50? That took a while...