I was ordinary. An act of kindness sent me to an early grave. The beings above looked down, and gave me a second chance to live. I accepted. They asked for a favor. I asked for help. I expected a new body. I became a pile of goo...wait, what?
"Expand. Recover. Protect"
When given the chance, would you want to take another stab at living? Markus Obediah took that chance when a lab accident sent him to critical care. The beings in power saw this as an opportunity. Markus thought he would receive a new body, new powers, or at least become a new person. Instead, he must now command and become part of an army the likes none have ever seen before. An army that can mold and shape into whatever form it wishes. An army that can use any and every resource to fuel a massive war machine. An army with so much potential, it can spell disaster or progress in the extreme to this new and unexplored world. An army of...goo?
*KABOOM!!* Beams of blue light burst through the tree-line, scattering the entire platoon that had just dug in a few dozen feet in front of me. All around me, I could hear the stallions and mares screaming and shouting orders, lightning crackling through the sky, projectiles flying every which way, chipping away at my sanity, over and over again. It was an experience I thought I would never witness in my lifetime. Yet here I was, waist deep in mud, struggling to hold onto this tiny, precious life of mine. Tears were streaming down my face, the emotions inside seeking to pull me in every direction possible. All I could ever do was sit in the mud and watch one the world's most historic battles take place right in front of me.
The location is Everfree Forest. It had become Discord's paradise. It. Was. Chaos.
The burning wreckage of the airship fleets lay scattered across the battlefield and beyond. The ground was littered with ponies, minotaurs, and griffons. All were in varying states of mind, ranging from outraged shooting (and failing) to destroy the enemy, to lying on the ground unconscious. One blond-haired, prissy unicorn was thrashing in the wet dirt, shrieking at the top of his lungs, trying desperately to scrape off something that was apparently clinging onto his armor. The substance was melting, MELTING, all of the armor and weapons he held into an unrecognizable heap. The frantic jostling broke the straps, giving the terrified "soldier" the chance to throw off everything and run back the way we marched, madly dashing to the safety of the deteriorating shields. I didn't blame him. No one could. Given the monstrosity we were fighting, I was surprised that only a little more than half of the soldiers and fighters actually held their ground. An honorable, yet futile last stand.
The fighting in the air was no better. With no visibility of what lay in wait underneath the canopy, pegasi were taking blind shots with their storm clouds, hoping to at least clear out a few trees. Griffons fired their crossbows and rifles with fervor. Or desperation. It was honestly hard to tell by this point. By their movements and flight patterns, it seemed to be that it was a last ditch strategy. A poorly planned and fatal mistake. In retaliation, light spells I've never seen nor heard of shot out at blinding speed in the hundreds, bathing the rainy sky in a brilliant blue light. The flyers dodged to their sides, only to realized in horror that the glowing missiles changed their direction as well. At contact, the spells burst into explosive shockwaves, rocking the very soil beneath my feet. Dozens of senseless bodies tumbled to the ground, where they would meet a very uncertain fate. Those fortuitous enough to miraculously evade a direct hit were wailing in agony, descending to the ground in too much pain or flying erratically back to the shields. One very lucky rainbow-haired pegasus had managed to escape the volley completely. I could see and hear her screaming and yelling at the forest canopy below, before carrying an injured griffon away from the carnage. The last of our air support was taken down.
A horn sounded to the right of me, shocking me out of my stupor. I got scared out of my wits when an armored, seven-foot minotaur splashed down into the mud next to me. Her short horns were curved inward, giving the impression of a helmet on her face. Even though her entire body was heavily fortified with iron, she strode towards me like the whole set was weightless. It took me a moment to comprehend that she was shouting at me. It took me another second to understand what the words coming out of her mouth meant.
"Get on your feet soldier!"
A pathetic "H-h-huh?" was all I could manage.
"I said on your feet! The retreating horn just sounded! We need to get out of this Tartarus hole before we get le-"*BOOM!!*
"GAAAAAAH!!"
A giant blue ball shot out of the forest and smashed directly into her side, knocking flail, shield, and consciousness out of her in a split second and flinging her across the field. My eyes widened when I realized that I too, had been thrown backwards and into the sky above. For an eternity I hung there, grasping at the seconds of peace I would never have again, before rapidly descending to dirt below. Pain shot through my left shoulder and spine as I hit the ground hard, tumbling around for a moment before smacking my head against a boulder. Dazed, in pain, and now bleeding, I shook my head to clear it before looking up.
The scene before me was now definitely one of Tartarus on Equis. Everywhere I turned, griffons, minotaurs, and ponies were running for their lives. The bursts of light were rocketing out of the trees in faster and faster frequency. They knew they had the upper hand now. They always knew. For some unknowable reason, they found a way to be one step ahead of every plan our strategists came up with. New locations, secret messages, even threats from the Princesses and kings to supposed spies did next to nothing to break the cycle. Was this all really for nothing? Was I actually witnessing the end of days?
"G-get away! Get away from m-meeee!!"
A cry for help had my head whip back to the forest edge, my eyes bigger than dinner plates at this point. A screaming pegasus pony with white fur and massive muscles burst through the tree line and onto the muddy terrain. Seconds later, a light spell tore through the trees and hit said pony in the back of the neck, followed by a loud *CRACK* that echoed through the battlefield. His eyes immediately rolled back, blacking out and splashing into the mud below. All my senses and emotions kicked into overdrive. This was way beyond terrifying now. I didn't care if they called me a coward, or was punished for insubordination. I would rather be humiliated for the rest of my life than to be taken by these cruel beings. I wanted out. NOW. I started backing away from the forest, hoping to run when the light spells decreased their shots.
I could only take a few steps before a loud and thunderous rumble started to violently shake the earth beneath me. From the tree-line shot out three, titanic eruptions of soil and silt, shooting dozens of feet into the air. The blasts of mud and debris were snaking its way towards me at unbelievable speeds. This is it, I thought. A raging pile of dirt. This was how my life would end. I didn't even have the time to blink when the three explosive masses streamed past my spot. Torn between overwhelming relief and utter confusion, all I wanted to do was turn around and bawl right then and ther-
*CRACK-BOOM!!*
Behind the defensive shields, the three mountains of earth literally cracked the ground beneath and volcanically erupted, sending a shockwave powerful enough to cast everything within it hurtling across the sky. Ponies, minotaurs, griffons, it mattered not. They all watched in terror as three massive, un-earthly tendrils shot out of the ground and hundreds of feet into the air, writhing and swinging every which way. Black as night, yet pulsating with blue energy, they imposed a feeling of dread, as if they had judged us and deemed us unworthy of life itself. No one dared to move as precious seconds ticked by.
In one smooth, arcing motion, the longest tendril smashed into the ground and swung with all of its power. The wagons, armory, cannons, and barracks were ripped to shreds. Weapons, utensils, and other small pieces of equipment were instantly pulverized and liquified. Tents, bags, and personal belongings crumbled undertow, never to be seen again. A second tendril slammed itself into a large mass of soldiers, sending them to the sky and denying any attempts at escape. Anyone caught in the swing was ripped off the ground and dragged into the tentacle itself. Hundreds of screams pierced the air, only to be muffled by the sounds of drowning, then silenced within the gel-like substance. The third and final tendril rocketed to the ground. The blue-haired unicorn in purple armor could only watch in terror as the massive glob rammed right into him and the unicorn mages, breaking his horn and putting him in a coma. Unicorns struggled to use magic, only causing the matter to target and wrap around their horns. A spark of light pulsed into the horns, causing them to howl in pain before going limp in defeat.The shield surrounding our army flickered for a brief second, before shattering into a million pieces. The last sound I heard before blacking out was the low rumble of millions of feet, rushing in to claim their prize. Our last defense had fallen.
The kingdom of Equestria was over.
Five months earlier...
[LOG ENTRY] [3 APRIL, 3122] [LOCATION: UNKNOWN]
It has been four days since landing, and I have just found out that this function even exists. I have decided to keep a journal within these records in order to keep my writing skills and sanity in check. This will be kinda hard to do, seeing as I don't have any arms...or legs...or body...or any bloody part that is remotely human-WHATTHEHELLHAPPENEDTOMEWTFBBQ.
"You better slow down Tristen! Or do you want to end up like, THE ZOMBIE OF TELMA LAAAKE! RAAAAAH!"
"EEEK!! Help me! Ha ha ha!!"
Markus Obediah laughed along as he strolled down the side walk, keeping one eye one his younger brother and another on the great view he had of the towering city skyscrapers ahead of him. A gentle breeze flowed through the air, calming his nerves and making him feel relaxed while he kicked a stone blocking his path. Packing, unpacking, decorations, new neighbors, school crash courses; these were just a few of the many speed bumps during the transition. It wasn't easy, and not everyone was pleased about it. But everyone was together, and that's what mattered the most.
It had been a few months since the Obediah family left their home satellite on The Armstrong, taking their growing trading business with them to a newly colonized planet just a few hundred-thousand lightyears away. This freshly terraformed world was the first major project their father headed himself, and he wanted his family to proudly be the first citizens to occupy it. The planet's name was still sitting in bureaucratic hell, but the borders were now officially open to the public. The family of six (domestic leopard included) arrived at their beautiful mountainside palace, settled in, and opened the major trading centers to the cosmos.
In just a few short weeks, hundreds of thousands of people arrived to become part of the already growing population. People from all walks of life graced its earthly soil. A soldier seeking retirement, a broke merchant wanting to start anew, an immigrant family escaping the troubles of a global war; it did not matter who you were, all were welcome. As long as you abided by the rules and contributed to society, you were left to your own devices and free to call any place your home. Even with the influx of citizens, it would take at least decades to completely fill the planet.
Markus and Tristen were taking advantage of this openness, traveling by skyship to explore the wonders they now called their backyard. Their current stop was the city of Vells, a metropolis on stilts over a lush forest that was considered the "pitstop" for new arrivals before they headed out into the unknown expanse. They were going to visit a relative that had just arrived for fueling. Though they wouldn't look the part, the Obediah's were actually part of a militaristic family. For thirty generations, the eldest Obediah relative would take over Galaxy Ultratech Corporation, or GU Corp, one of the smallest, yet most powerful private militaries in the known galaxy. They valued quality over quantity, and shined all the brighter for it. Their inventions, originally intended for battle, were a major boost to humanity's galactic expansion. It was GU Corp that was responsible for ending over a quarter of the known wars raging across the cosmos and for creating the galaxy-famed Cosmic Rail, a warping complex that shuttled workers between star systems in a matter of minutes.
Jason Obediah, Markus' father, was the first family member ever to break the cycle. He preferred the excitement of terraformation, building new worlds and landscapes to give humanity new wonders to explore. After marrying a young and upcoming tradeswoman named Emiline, he resigned from his service at GU Corp and joined a robust terraforming company. Jason's father, a commander in the military, had become outraged at his decision to leave, becoming distant and refusing to talk to him whenever they were in the same room. It was a harsh consequence, but Jason learned to live with the guilt. He had three children and moved to a satellite colony, a temporary home until he had assured his position.
Now, twenty-two years later, Jason's dreams had come true. Relatives from all over the galaxy requested to see the fruits of his labor, and one of his cousins had come to visit now. Tristen was the first to spot him next to an open cargo bay door amongst the sea of people.
"Uncle Manny! Uncle Manny!" Tristen shouted at the top of his lungs. "Over here!"
Named after a famous boxer of the twenty-first century, Manny Obediah was someone who you just wanted to be around. With a lean build, chestnut hair, and piercing brown eyes, one would think that he would shun too much contact, when the exact opposite actually held true. Fun, easygoing, and great with jokes, he was always seen walking about with friends, family, and even complete strangers. If left to his own devices, the man would talk for hours at a time. Right now, Manny was surprisingly alone, talking on his holo-speak before shutting it off and looking towards the boys with a big smile.
"Hey, if it isn't the little Fry-bean! Hopped out of any sand pits lately?" he asked in a joking tone.
"That's mean uncle! That happened only twice, and I'm seven years older now!"
"You mean, you're seven years old." Markus interrupted. "It's nice to see you stop by uncle Manny. I assume you're here for more than just a visit?"
"Unfortunately, yeah." Manny sighed. "You know GU Corp; once a war pops up, we're the first fighting force everyone calls." He leaned back and stretched his arms. "Though this time, I don't know if some of us will make it."
"Wow, that bad? Who's the lucky punching bag?"
"The way things are going right now, it may the other way around."
Markus smirked. "Come on, it can't be that bad."
"Actually, it can. We're fighting Earth."
Markus froze, a frown immediately replacing his smile. "Holy hell... That's more than bad, it's suicide!"
"That's not the worst of it. With the Solar System suddenly now considered a hyperpower, our current clients and customers are terrified of losing their money and influence." Manny sat down on an empty workbench and stared at the sky, a scowl plastered on his face. "The filthy pigs are demanding a share of the profits Mars and Venus make as a sign of trust. If the trifecta won't comply, they threaten to take the system by force and create a new government in the name of "equal opportunity". Greedy bastards don't even care about the people doing the actual fighting."
Manny shook his head. "And we can't even back out of this now unless we're willing to break policies. Don't get me wrong. Financially, GU Corp could be set for the next several decades if we pull this off. On a military stand point, however, we would have to sacrifice a lot of man power to be at least close to efficient as possible, and man power is something we currently lack."
*Yawn* "Marky, I'm bored. Can we go back to the walking around now?" Tristen moaned. He was currently fiddling with the circuitry of a city police droid, re-programming it with a pocket-sized conduit to tap dance at the sound of a hover engine.
Markus chuckled. "Alright, let's get you back to the ship. Our next stop is goi-"
"Actually, Markus..." Manny sheepishly grinned, scratching the back of his head. "I was hoping you would give something back to your father. He kinda forgot about a few cases and crates on the ship from his...earlier expenditures."
Markus raised an eyebrow. "...What do mean by, expenditures?"
"Remember when your father wanted to be a," *Ahem* ", an "actor" before he found terraforming?"
"Oh god, please don't remind me."
Manny sighed. "Well, some of the "props" that he and other people have definitely used were left behind when he resigned. The storage room that houses them will need to be restocked with gear for the upcoming war, and since nobody wants to even go near the damn stuff, well, they need to be shipped out. I'm in quite a pickle right now, so if you could deliver the stuff instead of me, that would be fantastic."
Tristen beamed with excitement, tossing the unfortunate police droid over the guard rail and down to the forest below before sprinting over to Markus. "Wow! Dad was going to be an actor?!? What kind of actor was he going to be? Theater? The movies? Ooh, ooh! Maybe even a circus performer!"
Markus wasn't quite sure how to answer that. "Uh, no he wasn't exactly... any of those. He was... how should I say..."
"Well, the answer is actually quite simple." Manny piped in. He squatted in front of the boy get to eye level. "You see kid, when a man and a woman fall in love with each othe-"
*AHEM!!* "Tristen, why don't you go wait at the skyship while I go and fetch dad's belongings?" Markus interrupted.
"Awww, I wanted to see the battleship up close..." Tristen pouted. He started making puppy dog eyes, trying to guilt trip his brother.
"Tell you what. If you wait in the ship and behave while i'm gone, I will personally give you access to at least some of the high-quality biomass I own to further decorate your aquaroom." He took a white, electric card out of his pocket and handed it the the young boy. "I'll even let you use the public telepad to get you there faster."
"Really?!? Deal!" Tristen exclaimed, swiping the card from his brother's hand and taking off, running to the nearest transport hub. "Bye uncle Manny! See you later Marky!"
"Don't forget to tell G.A.R. to clear the loading dock! I'll be coming back in a few hours or so!" yelled Mark.
"See ya Fry-bean! Have fun!" Manny shouted. "He sure has grown quite a bit, hasn't he?"
Markus scoffed. "If only I could say the same about his temper. Have you seen him when he's angry? He reminds me of a delirious baboon. Trust me, I've seen one."
Manny laughed. "Hahahaha!" *sigh* "You haven't changed a bit either. C'mon, I'm refueling the ship at hangar Delta. You can tell me how this little patch-of-dirt planet is treatin' you along the way."
The Spitting Cobra was enormous, a tough-looking battle cruiser that had obviously seen much combat. Spanning three-hundred feet wide and fifteen-hundred feet across, the blue-grey vessel was a wonderous marvel to behold. Turrets and cannons poked out in every direction. Four, massive engines occupied the back of the ship, creating a low rumble as they were being tested for fluid leaks. The command center sat in between two, behemoth-sized matter disruptors, twin pieces of experimental artillery that fired reality-twisting projectiles at unbelievable speeds. Any enemy would feel frightened by being anywhere near the monster, especially when the giant guns were pointed at them.
Having already seen the warship on previous visitations, Markus was alternatively walking alongside Manny, reciting to him the plans and concepts his family made for laying out an orbital defense grid. They were currently chatting inside the cargo holds of the vessel, making their way down the aisles to the storage container of "acting props".
"-and the orbital flak cannons won't arrive until next year, so we're left with a blind spot around the moon station." Markus was explaining. "The EMP and anti-shield artillery are already locked in place, and we can't spread out our fighters, or the defense line would be too thin."
"Interesting..." Manny mused. He tapped his head in thought before speaking again. "You know, if your family's willing to spend a few more credits, GU Corp actually has a solution to the dillema. We've developed a warp-snaring configuration capable of blanketing a continent. It's just been released to the public, so the price is insane, but since you're family, I wouldn't doubt that our executive would give you a fairly decent discount."
"That's... actually pretty generous of you." Markus replied. "I'll have to talk it over with mother, but it will definitly be an open option. Oh, I guess this is the container?"
The pair arrived in front of a glossy red storage unit. It didn't look like much exept for a crossed out sign that said [PROPS DEPARTMENT], but the contents inside were apparently making the crew members uncomfortable. Markus groaned. Just thinking about the conversations to come gave him a headache.
Manny chuckled. "Hehe, hey don't worry. At least you now have exciting memorabilia of your father's days long past. I'll go get the lift while you can sort through all the mess in there." With that, he jogged off to the control deck to grab the lift keys.
With a sigh, Markus walked up to the front door, twisting the handle just a crack when a holopanel flickered to life in front of him.
[HALT. UNAUTHORIZED ENTRY DETECTED. PLEASE STANDBY WHILE BODY SCAN IS IN PROGRE-PRO-PRO-*zzzt*-]
[ACCESS: GRANTED. PLEASE STEER CLEAR OF THE AUTOMATIC DOORS.]
Huh, strange, Markus thought as the storage box doors were opening. I need to tell Manny that the shipping containers need maintenence. It'd be terrrible if the V.I. did that for everyone.
Markus walked inside and pressed the lights on to find... nothing. No boxes, no crates, no cases. Just a plain, empty room with a holo panel casually pulsing with light anchored to the wall.
"Huh?" Markus said, a puzzled look setting on his face. "Is this the right container? It said "props" on the outside, so either the stuff has be-"
*SLAM!!*
"GYAAH!! WHAT THE-?!?"
The doors behind Markus swung shut and locked, sealing him inside the box. He ran to the doors and started banging on them, hoping to get someone's attention.
"Hello?!? Anyone out there?!? I'm trapped inside this container!! ...Damn, just what the hell is going on he-"
*PSSSSSSSSSSSSSSST*
Markus looked up. From a vent attached to the ceiling, a green gas was being sprayed into the storage unit. All of a sudden, he started coughing and wheezing, unable to find any breath. The ground was getting blurry beneath his feet, making him lose balance and trip onto the floor.
*Beep* The holopanel in the room flickered on, revealing a familiar face and a devilish grin.
"Hey there Markus. You alright? I know that stuff stings a bit, seeing that it's the same gas we use for our training, but don't worry about the dying part. Once it's flushed out of your system, you'll be good as new."
"MANNY, YOU BASTARD!! WHAT THE HELL ARE DOING?!?"
Manny leaned back in a chair and twiddled his fingers.
"The answer is actually quite simple. Remember when I said that GU Corp was low on man power? Well, the boss says that we don't have the time to go through our regular recruitment procedures, so he gave the greenlight for us commanders to enlist the members we want, however we want. When he said that, I immediatly thought of you! Aren't I just the sweetest?"
"YOU LIED TO ME!!" *COUGH* "THERE WAS NO CARGO!!"
Manny looked thoughtful. "Actually, that part was true. There was all this random junk in that containter your father left. We burned it years ago though."
Markus started banging on the door. "YOU PIECE OF SHIT!! GET ME OUT OF HERE!! *COUGH*, *COUGH* "MANNY!!"
"You know, now that I think about it," Manny reached over and pulled out a stack of papers lying on his desk, sifting through its contents. "one of my colleagues was particularly adamant about training you himself. Ah, here it is. He said that this was a great chance to, and I quote," *ahem* ","straighten out the Obediah legacy and give my bastard grandson a real life worth living", end quote. Congratulations! You're getting quality grandpa-and-grandson bonding time!"
"LET ME OUT!!" *COUGH* "LET ME OUT NO-" *COUGH*, *COUGH* "Ugh..."
Markus collapsed on the floor, barely able to here Manny speak up again.
"Oh, I can see that it's getting close to your bed time, so I'll leave you to rest now." Manny said in a mocking tone.
"You're gonna have a fantastic time meeting new friends and criminals at the training grounds, so you need the energy to wake up bright and early tommorow morning. On behalf of our great, little family, I officialy wel-... t-.... Gal-...Corpor-..." *zzzt*
