Stolen Minds

by TcogArchitect

Mission Log 15: Ponies' Departure

Published November 25th, 2013

"You're certain this wasn't just a dream?"

"Yes, sir. I can remember it more clearly than any other lucid dream I've had. I'm fairly certain it was real."

"We'll ask Twilight. If she confirms what you witnessed about Luna's powers, then we can take what you learned as fact. Anything else to report?"

"No, sir."

"Well, then, let's go." Leeroy got up from his seat, and I stepped aside for him, before following along as he strode down to the communal room, dodging various people flying down the corridors as we went. When we arrived, the atmosphere had settled into a light depression. Apparently, word had gotten around about Fluttershy, and the ponies were in low spirits because of it. I made a mental note to see if one of my other comrades could help, but continued on anyway. The two of us made our way to the room she was in, where Twilight and the others were floating around, offering various experiences to try and get her to remember something. The Admiral didn't waste time, however, in getting their attention.

"Twilight Sparkle?" She turned from where she was holding herself in a chair.

"Yes?"

"Would you mind stepping outside for a moment, please?"

"Um... Sure." She pushed toward us, and we left the room once more. Outside, she used the wall to stop herself and stay put. "So, what's the problem?" She smiled nervously.

"I just wanted to ask a couple of follow-up questions regarding one of the princesses you mentioned. Luna. To start, you said that she was capable of moving the moon, and changing star patterns, correct?" Twilight nodded. "Were there any other significant abilities or duties she possessed?" She nodded again.

"Yes, of course. For starters, she was also known for blessing newlyweds, as well as being a mathematical genius, and therefore doing most of the country's taxes. But one of the more common duties she performed was helping ponies in their dreams. She could enter any other pony's dream, and communicate with them there."

"What about creating a dream space, and bringing others there? Would she be able to do that?"

"Well... I'm not sure, to be honest. It sounds like something she could do, but I've never heard of it before. Why do you ask?" Leeroy nodded to me, and I returned it before speaking.

"Because I just woke up from a dream where I was talking to her." Twilight leaned forward as her eyes went wide. "She seemed tired, but when I mentioned you, she got excited. I told her you and the others were safe, and that we're already working on freeing the rest of your planet, and it seemed to have quite an effect. I didn't speak with her for long, though. I woke up before I could get any more info." The effect on her was immediate. Her mouth broke out in a huge smile, and her posture relaxed, causing her to float freely again.

"That's fantastic! If Luna was still mostly alright, then Celestia and Cadence should be, too!" She seemed like she might start hyperventilating from excitement, for a moment. "What about the others you saw? Can you remember any details about them?" I shook my head.

"No. There were a lot of ponies there, of all three subspecies. Too many for me to really recall any significant details about any single one, especially from a dream." She nodded, her excitement stymied, but still present.

"Well, at least it's something. This makes it even more important, though, that we figure out where they are. And more important that we get ready." Leeroy nodded.

"Agreed. Gather your friends, and bring them back out to the communal room, please."

"Um, sure." Twilight went back in, and I gave the Admiral a questioning look. He simply nodded in the direction of the communal room, and started walking back out. I followed him, and soon we were joined by Twilight and her friends in the open area. They went out a ways, and Leeroy clapped his hands loudly and deliberately until he had the attention of everyone in the room.

"Now that I have your attention, I have some very important news. As you all know, your planet and the rest of your species are still under Emrini control. And while we will be doing everything in our power to change that, I'm sure some of you would like to personally ensure the well-being of your friends and families. As such, any ponies who wish to enlist in our military will be given a form for pseudo-citizenship, and the necessary paperwork to go through recruitment procedures. Anyone who is interested in this, inform one of the ship's crew, and they will acquire the forms for you. That is all." I followed him out, and once we left earshot of the ponies, I quickened my pace to walk next to him.

"That was a pretty executive decision, there. You sure it was a good idea, doing that without the paperwork?" He raised an eyebrow at me.

"What makes you think I didn't do the paperwork?" I smirked back at him.

"Please, Leeroy. I know you like the back of my hand. There's no way you did the paperwork. It wouldn't have gone through yet." He smiled again.

"No, I didn't. I didn't need to. I got a directive from high command today, telling me to recruit as many ponies as possible. Apparently, they want to make as good an impression as possible, making sure they understand just how seriously we're taking this. I'm not entirely convinced it will work how they want it to, but I don't have any problem with these ponies getting training, and certainly not with them not being around for us to have to feed. You already know that every ounce counts on a ship like this." I nodded.

"Yeah, I do. But command wanting to make a good impression? That doesn't quite make sense. If they wanted to do that, why not use the usual technique of giving them a whole bunch of free stuff? It seems to me more like they want to put the ponies' powers to work for us. Not entirely benevolent, in my opinion."

"I don't know, Sergeant. All I was told was that command wanted to make a good impression by letting them fight. Beyond that, I have no idea." Yeah, this didn't sound at all suspicious. Not like I could do anything about it, though. If command wanted to put the ponies to work for our military, the best I would be able to do is convince the ponies themselves not to join. And that probably wouldn't work too well, given that most of them still had heavy stakes on the outcome of the war. Even if it did, I would land enemies in really high places, that I wouldn't be able to touch. And then I wouldn't be able to help anyone. Even so, the idea that our own people would take advantage of them further after everything else got me riled up again. I saluted a farewell to the Admiral, and broke away toward the training facilities. As I walked, I continued thinking about everything that had happened to them up to this point. The mind control devices, the breeding houses, the overpopulated prisons, the killing they had been forced to participate in, and the pitiful condition they had been reduced to during their captivity. From what I had heard described by the ponies, they had essentially been living in paradise. And now it was gone. Broken. Destroyed. Irrevocably, undeniably obliterated. Sure, it could be rebuilt, but like Twilight had said, it would never be the same place again. All because the Emrini couldn't be bothered to try being peaceful, and we weren't smart enough to figure out that they had been enslaved. My pace increased as I got more heated, until I finally reached the gym. I raced through changing into a workout suit, and immediately started assaulting one of the punching bags, which had been designed with zero gravity in mind, tethered to both the floor and the ceiling. I beat on it, for I don't know how long, until I could see the imprints of my fists in the material. Still unsatisfied, I moved around to the other side, and continued my beatdown of the poor, sand-filled bag. I was raging, now. Barely in control of my berserker condition. All I could think of was breaking the body of every single Emrini that attempted to stop me from getting these ponies home. I didn't care what it took, they were going to make it. And I held the same opinion of high command. If they thought, for even one microsecond, that I wouldn't go rogue to keep these innocents safe, then there was going to be a day where they didn't wake up. After I finally burned off my anger, I leaned against the punching bag, panting and sweating and possibly bleeding again.

"You really need to stop letting your empathy get ahold of you like that." I didn't turn around. I recognized the voice as Leeroy.

"How long have I been in here?"

"Four hours. All of your squad tried to get through to you first, one by one, but after they failed, they reported it to me, and I let them leave, since I already knew you weren't going to get any worse. That was about an hour and a half ago." I nodded, starting to feel the fatigue as the adrenaline wore off.

"What about the whole 'recruitment' thing?"

"Going well. Most of the ponies wanted to sign up, actually. Including the rest of our HVIs. Except Fluttershy, for obvious reasons." That was surprising.

"All of them? I didn't take Pinkie or Rarity to be the fighting type." He made a dismissive noise.

"Me neither. But I guess that shows how much we know, huh?" That got a laugh out of me.

"So, is this the part where I get lectured about not going berserk in a non-combat situation because it scares the pants off of everyone?" He laughed once in response.

"No, if I was going to do that, it would have happened already. I'm just here to make sure you get back to your room in one piece." I finally managed to work up the will to move, shifting my weight to lean in such a way I could see him. He was floating in the middle of the room, staring at an old, slightly worn photograph. I already knew what was on it. Two boys; a tall one with black hair and eyes, standing proudly with numerous scrapes and bruises all over him, and his arms crossed in defiance, with the other leaning his head and arm on the taller one's shoulder, with brown hair, blue eyes, a cut lip from where someone else had punched him, and tears visible from a reflection of light. The tall one wore a grin of victory, whereas the short one had a smile that came with the knowledge that he'd never be without backup. He put the picture back in his pocket, and motioned for me to get moving.

"Come on, let's go."

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Another night of sleep later, and I was feeling a whole lot better. I once more headed to the communal room with the ponies in it, and went over to talk to the five friends.

"So, I hear you ladies are planning on all going into training." They all nodded. "Most of you, I can understand, but what about you, Rarity? I figured you wouldn't want anything to do with this, considering how high-class you seem to be." She smiled that special, 'oh, please' smile that all women seem to be capable of.

"Normally, you would be right. I typically loathe getting into the thick of things like this. But I have several very personal reasons to do this myself. Most importantly, my sister. She's strong, but this is most likely too much for her and her friends. I plan on carrying her out of whatever hole they put her in myself. Even if I have to rip every single Emrini standing between us limb from limb." The level of calmness she had while saying this was downright creepy. Note to self: never piss off Rarity.

"What about you, Pinkie? Family reasons, too?" She nodded.

"Yeah. I have two sisters about the same age as me still missing. And then there's the Cake twins. I don't even know what would have happened to them." That killed the mood instantly. All of them certainly seemed to have more than sufficient reason to go through with this, which was more than enough reason for me to assist them.

"Well then, let me give you some advice before you get your papers filled out: Don't let your anger become your reason for fighting." They looked at me, confused. "While you're in training, it's easy to let your goals change from 'save my family' to 'kill my enemies'. Most people don't even notice it, and it's what causes them the most problems. Being angry is fine. Anger being your only motivation is not. When that happens, everything else just starts to fade, and you lose sight of what you really care about. So make sure you keep your reasons for fighting the same." They all seemed to actually understand what I was saying, and nodded their assurances. "On another note, how's Fluttershy doing? Any better than before?" Once more, five pairs of ears drooped. It would have been funny, if it wasn't so damn depressing.

"No," Twilight started, "not even a little. She still can't remember anything, and nothing we say or do seems to trigger any memories."

"Just give it time. Once her head heals on its own more, she'll start remembering things by herself. And since all of you will be heading off for training soon anyway, that'll give her plenty of time to get started. Relax, she's in good hands." They all sighed, and Twilight spoke up again.

"I just wish there was more we could do."

"No use wishing. Just let the doctors do their jobs, and you do yours. She'll get through this, I promise."

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Two weeks later, all of the paperwork had gone through the system, and the ponies were ready for training. Everyone said their goodbyes, and most of the ship's crew were present to see the shuttle off as it took them to the training grounds on the other side of the planet. It was quiet after that, and I took a few extra days to myself, using the time to check up on my various investments and bank accounts, as well as my estate on Mars, which was currently in my housekeeper's care. During this time, Fluttershy's condition markedly improved. She was up and walking around again, although she still couldn't remember anything, and her wings didn't seem to be regaining muscle properly. I didn't have too much time to think about it, though, because I soon received an encrypted message on my computer's secure connection from local command.

Shadow Soldier Sergeant Kuro Maldone

Your presence is required on-world, at the Altipolis police station, precinct twelve. This request is designated as priority one urgency, and level six security. Possible breach of planetary defenses. Report for duty immediately. Bring armaments. Upon completion of reading this message, purge contents and delete all remaining evidence.

UESDF High Command, Communications Division

I read it over twice more, just to let it all sink in, then sent my destroyer program after the files connected to it. I was quite proud of myself for having created that program. Completely erases all information that is connected to a given file, then saves the file and deletes that. Makes it nearly impossible to retrieve information from anything once it's finished. After I was satisfied that that was done, I headed back down to the armory. I didn't think I would need my full suit, but the message specifically told me to bring guns. I decided to bring my own Soldier Buddy, and a Stormbringer shotgun. The rifle, so I would be able to use range to my advantage if necessary, and the shotgun for two reasons. First, it was built small, which let me carry it and the full-sized Soldier Buddy without too much issue. Second, it was built with a Metal Storm design, which meant that every time I pumped it, another shell was ready to fire. Pump it four times with a full clip, and the entire thing fires at once. A veritable wall of death, even at mid-range. At close range, it was practically an explosive, from how little was left of the target. And with the two of them together, I would be ready for a fight at any range.

Two hours later, and I was at my destination. It looked like any other police station in the city; big, utilitarian, and it had the words 'Altipolis Police Station Number 12' painted in huge, white letters above the door, making sure that no one could miss it for what it is. I walked in, and headed straight for the receptionist desk. She seemed startled at first by a six-foot-tall guy carrying an assault rifle and a shotgun, but she quickly realized who I was and came out to guide me personally. She led me down one of the larger hallways, and into the main area of the station. Various personnel were milling about, obviously disconcerted as a whole about whatever was going on. I continued following my guide, until she stopped to one side of a door marked 'Commissioner Seelah Randall'. I nodded my thanks, and she left. I opened the door, and stepped into a fairly well-kept office. The desk was clean of extraneous materials, and what was on it was in an obvious organizational pattern. There were a few plaques on the wall, which looked to be awards of some sort, and a bookcase in one corner stuffed with what looked like case note binders. I didn't really register anything beyond the obvious, though, as my attention was focused on the woman leaning over the desk, staring at what appeared to be a map of part of the city. She was pretty tall, about 5'9", probably, and was wearing a tight-fitting white button-up shirt, a black short-sleeved kevlar jacket, and loose black kevlar pants. She had long red hair held back in a ponytail, striking green eyes, and possibly the largest chest I'd ever seen in person, though that didn't seem to stop her clothes from holding it all in. She stood up straight as the door closed, and spoke with an air of practiced authority.

"You must be Sergeant Maldone."

"I am. So, what's got you all so frazzled that you deemed it necessary to call for a Shadow Soldier?"

"We received a report two days ago that there is an Emrini somewhere in the city." My mind blanked out for half a second, then properly absorbed the information.

"Well, shit."

Comments

[Lauralite]

Well shit my ass... Honestly I'm looking forward to how Rarity works in combat... That'll be interesting, especially with her 'rip them limb from limb to pull sweetie belle out' attittude. Moving on... Ah flutters... I actually expected most of what's happening to her(I only got back too reading recently and I let a few chapters go by before I did...) post traumatic stress is a bitch and thats not the only issue she has... Anyway... Emrini in the city... My only starement... "Well boys... Looks like we've got work to do."

Overall it has been and still is a great ride my technologically inclined friend, I especially like the terms you came up with. Pana, Unia, Erna, Pena, and Honra. Very nice touch my nerd side takes a running/flying leap of joy every time you deepen this specific universe you have created!

[TcogArchitect]

3538613

I've had world-building as my primary concern for fiction since I was little, when I was introduced to a role-playing game my parents made, where the characters can go to different worlds at almost any time. I even made a planet with no gravity, at one point. I was quite proud of that one.

[Lauralite]

3538634 well keep it up, because this is quickly becoming one of my favorite stories, not quite up with Luna Rising(Luna Rising is better for different reasons than this story so its not for lack of being mind numbingly amazing.) but its coming very close.

[Mecha G]

Emrini in the city? What if it turns out to be the defector?

Also, what's going to happen when Flutters gets her memory back?

And we still dinner know what Earth Crackers are capable of. And whatever happened to weather control?

[Earthpatriot117]

Huh, the shotgun sounds just like the one from the turok evolution video game.