Twilight and her friends listen to the final transmissions of a dying planet.
Twilight Sparkle was using radio signals to view the stars of the night sky when she picked up a signal of some sort.
After a few days of working she managed to get a clear signal.
What she heard on that first day caused her to invite her friends to listen to the strange signal the next day.
Over the next few days Twilight and her friends listen to the final words of a group of aliens as they try to survive on a planet that has died by their own hands.
Note: I was inspired to write this after reading several other stories about the Mane 6 listening to radio signals from space. This will be a short story.
Twilight Sparkle slowly turned the dial on her latest invention. She hadn’t decided on what to call it yet, but the basic premise of it was a device that used radio waves to map out the stars in the sky. In order to get it to work, she had had to install a large antenna and dish on the roof of her castle in Ponyville.
At first it had been working well, then one night as she adjusted the dished she ended up picking up something mixed in with the static. She had spent the next couple of days trying to clean up the signal to see what it was but so far she was having no luck.
As she worked she heard a knock on the castle’s large door and she sighed. Spike was currently running errands in town, so that left her to go answer the door. Leaving the radio set, she made her way from the side room into the main room of the castle, past the large map in the center of the room and towards the front door. When she got there, she opened it and saw Applejack standing outside.
“Hey Applejack.” She said smiling at her friend.
“Hey there sugarcube.” Applejack said smiling. “Ah was wonderin’ if you were alright. Nopony’s seen you for a few days.”
Twilight blinked at her. “A few days?” She thought about it before smiling sheepishly. “Eh…I kind of got wrapped up in something.”
“Ah’m guessin’ it has somethin’ to do with that big tower thing you added to the castle?” Applejack asked, looking up at the roof and the large metal tower topped by a large dish pointed at the sky.
“Yes it does.” Twilight said and noticed Rarity and Fluttershy making their way towards the castle door.
“Ah, Twilight, darling. It’s so good to see you again. It’s been too long.” Rarity said and Fluttershy gave a small wave.
“Yeah. As I was telling Applejack, I got wrapped up in a project I was working on.” She said, laughing nervously.
“Oh? What are you working on?” Fluttershy asked looking at her curiously.
“Well, I’ve been using radio waves to view the stars and I think I picked something up. But I can’t make out what it is through all the background noise.” Twilight explained.
“What, like aliens or something?” Applejack asked, smiling at the sheer ridiculousness of the thought.
“Well…the dish is pointed towards the sky, so….possibly…” Twilight said. She had actually been so focused on cleaning up the signal she hadn’t thought of what the signal could be. Her friends just stared at her for a little bit.
“That sounds like it could be an amazing discovery, if it is.” Rarity said as she thought what sort of fashion aliens might have, though it was hard to imagine;, as she had no idea what aliens could look like.
Twilight nodded. “Yeah, that is true. Just think of how much it would change our theories and views of the universe to know there is other intelligent life out there.” Twilight said as she thought how making contact could advance Equestria’s scientific field by leaps and bounds.
“Ah’m sure you want to get back to your fancy radio, so I’ll head back to the farm. Ah was just taking a small break to make sure you were okay, Twi.” Applejack said.
Rarity nodded. “And Fluttershy and I have our weekly date at the spa, so we will bid you farewell also, Twilight.”
Twilight nodded and bid her friends goodbye before returning to the side room. She spent another hour doing everything she could think of to clean up the signal before she sighed in frustration and let her head fall onto the control panel.
Her head hit the control panel harder than she thought it would, and her head shot up as she yelled and rubbed her forehead. A moment later, a slow tone came from the speakers of the radio.
She blinked as the slow tone continued for another minute, and then an emotionless voice began to speak:
This is an emergency broadcast for the continental United States. The federal government has issued a state of emergency for the following states:
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California…
The emotionless voice continued to name off places Twilight had never heard of, all of them in alphabetical order...
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Twilight had been counting. The voice had listed 48 names total and Twilight wondered what could have happened for so many places to be having an emergency.
If you have access to a fallout shelter, it is recommended you enter it and await further instructions. The National Guard has been deployed to provide aide and Martial Law has been declared across the United States. Citizens are asked to remain calm and await further instructions.
The slow tones started to play again and after a minute the message repeated. Twilight listened to it again, in case it changed, but after the fourth time she realized it was some form of recording. Her mind raced with thoughts on what could have happened. She didn’t know what fallout was but she knew it must have been bad if there was a shelter built just for it. What could have happened that everypony was being told to seek shelter underground?
After listening to the message for the tenth time, Twilight turned off the radio. It didn’t give her any more information she could use.
She needed time to think about what the alien message had said and what it could mean.
The night after Twilight had listened to the alien transmission, sleep had been difficult to catch. Her mind raced with thought on what the message could mean and what could have happened. She had realized that the United States was a country and that the names the message had said were either cities or sections of the country.
But the thought of what could have caused an emergency in so many places where the alien government would tell its people to seek shelter... She couldn’t come up with any solid theory that made sense to her. The only idea she could think of was something like when Tirek was destroying Equestria but the message had made no mention of something like that and she thought they would have.
When she did finally fall asleep, her dreams were filled with images of alien ponies huddled together in caves and other underground shelters as Tirek rampaged across Equestria after draining the land of its magic.
The next morning, she had gone and fetched her friends so they could listen to the message and maybe help her come up with some theories on what could have happened. Pinkie Pie, of course, had been the most enthusiastic about it, as she wanted to hear what aliens sounded like. Rainbow Dash had thought the idea of aliens was awesome while Rarity and Applejack were just curious and Fluttershy simply hoped the aliens were friendly.
Twilight hadn’t told any of them what the message had said; she didn’t want it to affect what they thought while listening.
Once they were settled, she started to adjust the dials again looking for the signal. After a few minutes of only static, Rainbow Dash sighed.
“Come on Twilight, I thought you said you picked up a message from aliens. What’s taking so long?” She said, crossing her hooves over her chest as he hovered in the middle of the small room.
“Darling, Twilight probably needs to find the message again.” Rarity told the flying mare.
“Or she just dreamed about picking up aliens.” Rainbow said with a bored tone.
“Listen, sugarcube, if Twi said she heard an alien message, then Ah believe her.” Applejack said.
“Twi knows the difference between a dream and what’s real.”
“I wonder what sort of parties aliens like to have.” Pinkie Pie mused as she bounced around the room.
“Maybe they stopped sending the message?” Fluttershy suggested.
“No, I don’t think they would have.” Twilight as she turned a dial. The static changed slightly and she smiled. She could hear a voice behind the static and she slowly adjusted another dial and…
I repeat, this is Captain Jared Graceland to command. Please respond, Command.
Twilight blinked. This was a different voice than yesterday and it seemed to not be a recording.
Command, please respond. We have one-hundred and fifty civilians in need of medical attention. We have evaced to a safe zone fifty-six klicks south of the Seattle hot zone. I repeat, we have one-hundred and fifty civilians in need of medical attention. Command, do you copy?
Twilight blinked again and looked back at her friends, who were all staring at the radio wide eyed; even Rainbow Dash had landed.
“Um…Twilight, what is happening…?” Fluttershy asked.
“I…I don’t know, this isn’t the message I heard yesterday.”
She looked at the radio as the captain continued to speak:
Command, someone respond! Where the hell is everyone? This is Captain Graceland to Command, respond! We are in need of medical supplies, we have injured. We need help here, dammit! Someone fucking respond!
Twilight flinched as the captain was starting to lose his temper with the fact his command wasn’t responding to him.
Dammit, we have women and children here Command! In desperate need of medical assistance. Fucking respond!
Twilight reached a hoof out and turned off the radio. She had heard enough and wasn’t sure she wanted to hear more about the Captain’s situation and the fact whoever he was trying to talk to wasn’t responding for some reason.
She turned and looked back at her friends and saw Fluttershy had retreated into her mane, her bottom lip quivering, while Rainbow Dash and Applejack just stared wide eyed. Rarity looked both offended and concerned at the same time and Pinkie’s mane had lost some of its poof as she stared sadly at the radio.
“I…I don’t know what’s going on. That wasn’t what I heard yesterday. Yesterday’s message was some tones and a recorded message talking about an emergency being declared and that ponies should seek shelter.“
Twilight said. She was shaking slightly as she thought about what the Captain had said. He was trying to get aid from whoever was in charge. Ponies who hadn’t responded to him despite the dire situation he was clearly in.
“Do….do you think they are going to be okay?” Fluttershy asked quietly.
Twilight looked at her. “I…I don’t know.” Twilight said. She didn’t know what a woman was but she definitely knew what children were. And she could guess that the Captain was part of the aliens’ military, possibly the National Guard yesterday’s message had mentioned.
She couldn’t help but imagine ponies cowering in some kind of cave while hurt and surrounded by their military that is supposed to help them, but is unable to do so because they’re in the same situation as the rest of them.
“I….I think that’s enough listening to alien radio signals….” Twilight said. Her friends nodded and without a word, the group slowly left the small room.
It had been a few days since Twilight and her friends had listened to the alien captain’s call for help and in that time Twilight had been having an inner battle between her curiosity about the aliens and the fact she was horrified by what seemed to be happening to them. She hadn’t been sleeping to well do to a few nightmares she had been having about what little she had heard over the radio but the last couple of night Luna seems to have noticed as her dreams have been her normal good dreams.
It was a little before lunch when a knock came at the castle door and Spike went to answer it as Twilight finished the page of the book she was reading, she reached the end of it and marked her place she was surprised to find Fluttershy entering the room following Spike, the yellow Pegasus had a concerned look on her face.
“Fluttershy is everything alright? Is something wrong with one of your animals?” Twilight asked setting her book to the side.
“Oh, no my animals are fine, thank you for asking. “Fluttershy said and shifted on her hooves a bit uncomfortable as she stared down at them. “It’s just….”
Twilight waited for a few moment to see if her friend would continue band when she did not she spoke up. “Just what? Fluttershy you know you can talk to me about anything.”
Fluttershy looked up at the purple Alicorn and hide partly behind her mane. “It’s just…I want to see how the aliens are doing.” She said in a soft voice.
Twilight blinked. “What? But….you heard what was happening, why do you want to hear more?”
The other mare nodded. “I know and that’s why I want to hear more, I want to make sure they are ok and know if they got any help.” She said. “It’s been bothering me since we left here a few days ago and I need to know they are ok.”
Twilight stared at her friend in disbelief, out of all her friends Fluttershy had been the last one she had expected wanting to hear more of the aliens plight but she could see the determination in the other mares eye, she knew what she was asking but she wanted to know.
Sighing Twilight got to her hooves. “Ok, we can listen for a little bit if I can the signal again, I haven’t used the radio sine that day.” Twilight said as she started to make her way towards the radio room the yellow Pegasus following close behind.
Once they reached it Twilight turned on the radio and started to adjust dials as she searched for the alien signal.
…and water are not an issue, the bunker has more than enough for how many of us there are.
Twilight stopped as she heard the voice of Captain Graceland talking from the speakers.
Mrs. Andrews has set up a sort of school for the children and when I asked why she was setting up a school she told me that even if we are stuck in this bunker it is no excuse for the children to abandoned their learning. Needless to say I was taken aback by her response and I had expected the kids to groan and not want to learn but it seems they are enjoying it, I think it’s because of the fact it is something familiar while everything else is so up into the air right now.
Twilight couldn’t help smiling as she heard the Captain explain that the aliens seem to be doing ok and actually were adapting to whatever was happening to them and she saw Fluttershy with a relieved smile as well.
So far everyone seems to be settling in to wait, I keep trying to raise command but have gotten no response, I evens started broadcasting on open frequencies hoping to hear from anyone though it seems if anyone is out there they either can’t hear this or have no way to respond or that our antenna isn’t working and I’m talking into dead air.
That produced a small frown from the face of the two ponies at this. If the captain hadn’t been able to reach anyone then why was he broadcasting, they got their answer when the Captain continued as if he heard their thoughts.
I have no idea why I’m even bothering to broadcast at this point, maybe it’s on the off chance I get a response or maybe it’s just something for me to do that doesn’t involve trying to keep things organized among a hundred and fifty scared civilians when all I have are twenty of my fellow guardsmen. Who knows, I’m not a psychologist, I just do what I am told and follow my duty.
Twilight blinked at this, psychology was a relatively new science in Equestria but the way the captain spoke it sounded like it was well established on the aliens world, at least enough so for him to mention it
Anyways I suppose I should get back to….what the hell?
Twilight blinked as the Captain suddenly shifted tone and then she started to hear a low rubbing sound from the speakers.
Is that a….oh shit!
Twilight flinched back as the captain yelled as the rumbling grew louder and she could hear crashing over the radio.
After a few minutes the rumbling stopped.
Is everyone alright? Report damnit!
Twilight could hear Captain Graceland shouting, he sounded distant from the radio.
You there go check on the civilians make sure they weren't hurt in that quake.
There was a short pause and then the Captain spoke again much closer to the radio.
We just had a massive earthquake, I’m signing off as we need to check to make sure the bunker wasn’t damaged, this is Captain Graceland of the US National Guard signing off.
Twilight heard the radio go dead as the Graceland shut off his radio and twilight made her way over to hers to shut it off as well. Once that was done she turned back to her friend. “Well they seem to be doing ok all things considered.”
Fluttershy nodded and smiled. “Yeah, I’m so happy to hear that.” She’s aid and then he smile fell. “Um…Twilight…if its ok with you…could I come by in a couple of days and maybe listen to more? I want to make sure they are all ok after having an earthquake as it sounded bad.”
“Well…”Twilight thought, she had to admit her curiosity had won out do to hearing that the aliens were doing ok despite everything. “I don’t see why not.” She said with a smile. “We could invite the girls over again and make it a small get together. Fluttershy nodded with a smile. “I’d like that.”
After that they two talked for a few more minutes before Fluttershy said her goodbyes and left as Twilight returned to her reading.
Twilight bit her bottom lip as she adjusted dials on the radio. It had been a few days since the last transmission from Graceland and in that time Twilight’s friends had been over for a couple of days before having to get back to their own lives for the most part. This was the third time they had gotten together to listen to the aliens.
Once they had all learned that the aliens were doing ok the others had all been fine with listening to more, Pinkie had actually wanted to find a way to either throw a party for them or at least talk to them so she could help cheer them up but Twilight had explained that she wasn’t really sure how to set up a broadcaster for her radio and that tampering with it might cause them to permanently lose the signal.
After that Pinkie had decided that if they couldn’t have a party with the alien then the least they could do was party for them so that it might somehow reach them across the vastness of space. Twilight knew it was better not to argue with the pink mare when she had a plan for a party and as such each time the friend had been over though with each failed attempt to get the alien signal it had been just a quiet affair.
“I don’t know why I can’t pick them up, he seemed to broadcast about this time every day. “Twilight mutter to herself as she adjusted the dials once more.
“Maybe he is busy? You did say he was trying to keep everyone organized darling. “Rarity suggested from the small table that had been moved into the radio room to aide in Pinkie’s party, as such it had snacks and drinks resting atop it.
“Maybe.” Twilight said as she continued to turn dials.
This is Captain Graceland of the US National Guard broadcasting on all frequencies
Twilight smiled as the Captain’s voice came through the speakers loud and clear and she made her way over to her friends.
After the quake a few days ago I and my men did a sweep of the bunker and apart from shelves of supplies and the like falling over nothing seems damaged, we did have a few injuries among the civilians but nothing our medics couldn’t handle. Corporal Locklear think that the nearby volcano, Saint Helens I believe he called it, might have erupted do to being destabilized by the bombs but no real way to be sure as its still to dangerous to go outside.
Twilight and her friends listened intently, Pinkie while munching on some popcorn and Rainbow was enjoying a cupcake while the other had some drink as they listened but for the most part they were all focused on the radio.
Frankly I don’t really care what caused that quake, what I’m more concerned with is the civilians.
Twilight’s ears perked up as she heard that and listened more intently as Graceland sighed.
I’m not sure what it is but people are getting sick and the medics are doing their best to tend to them, to try and keep it from spreading I had them moved to another part of the bunker but it doesn’t seem to be helping as more and more people are getting sick and nothing the medics are doing seems to be helping those who are sick as they keep getting worse.
The group of friends stopping eating and stared at the radio intently as the Captain spoke.
I’m not sure what it is but…I’ve spoken to Sergeant Foemen and he does have a theory about what it is, I just pray to god he is wrong but I am going to have my men sweep the bunker with their Geiger counters. With some luck they will come up empty, of not….well…we will cross that bridge when we come to it.
Anyways I need to go overseer the sweep. This is Captain Graceland US National Guard signing off.
With that the radio went silent. The group of mare all looked between each other.
“I hope they get better soon.” Fluttershy said.
“Me too darling.” Rarity agreed.
“What in tarnation is a Geiger counter?” Applejack asked.
Twilight shrugged. “I don’t know, I’ve never heard of anything called a Geiger and I’m not sure why they would count them.” Twilight said.
“Well to see how many they have of course silly.” Pinkie Pie said trying to lift the mood. “I mean you always want to know how many you have don’t you, just like cupcakes!”
“Somehow Pinkie I don’t think they mean something like cupcakes.” Twilight said.
“Well whatever it is I’m sure they will be fine. “Rainbow said. “This Graceland seems to know what he is doing and is handling…whatever is happening.”
Twilight looked at her cyan friend and hoped she was right. After that the friends started to talk about other things to get their minds off the radio though they did plan to listen to more of the aliens when they got the chance.
Twilight and her friends sat in the radio room, Twilight adjusting dials on the radio trying to find the alien signal, it had been about three days since she had last heard from Captain Graceland and they all wanted to know what was happening to them.
“Twi I don’t think they are going to be on.” Applejack said walking up beside the Alicorn. “They are probably busy dealing with the sick.”
“I know but I just want to know they are ok. “Twilight said, she knew her desire to hear from the alien was moving past just curiosity about them but she couldn’t get what Graceland was having to deal with out of her head. The Idea of a stallion having to deal with so many sick ponies while having no help from the outside do to some sort of disaster and the Captain talking into a radio in the vain hope of somepony hearing? She felt if she didn’t listen then she was abandoning the aliens and somehow making everything the captain was doing mean nothing.
“Twilight darling, I want to know what is happening with those ponies as well but I think he are getting to close to this. “Rarity said placing hoof on her friend’s shoulder.
“No, I’m fine. “Twilight said as she adjusted dials once more her wings shifting in frustration. She didn’t see her friends all share looks of concern.
This is Captain Graceland of the US National Guard broadcasting on all frequencies.
“YES!” Twilight cheer, a large smile on her muzzle as she heard the captain’s voice and she stepped her smile slowly dropping as she realized the Captain sounded exhausted and was taking a while to speak more. After a few minutes there was a sigh.
My men did a sweep of the bunker with their Geiger counters and confirmed significant damage to part of the bunker allowing radiation to leak inside.
Twilight blinked and searched her mind for a definition of radiation but came up blank as Graceland sighed once more.
I had the section of the bunker sealed but it maybe too late as the leak was significant and more and more people are getting sick and the sicker are getting sicker. I fear we may all be suffering from severe radiation poisoning.
The six mares recoiled their ears plastered against their heads. They may not know was radiation was but poisoning they did know.
I ordered my men to give their Iodine pills to the kids in hopes it will be enough to counteract the effects at least for them. I’m not going to lie though, I don’t think our chances are very good and a lot of people are scared. Oh who am I kissing we are all scared shitless.
The way I see it the earthquake mixed with whatever damage was caused by the bombs landing nearby lead to the breech and we didn’t catch it in time.
The mares jumped as there was the sound of something being thrown against the wall.
I should have fucking had my men sweep the bunker with their Geiger counter just after the quake that way they could have found it early and sealed the section off and prevented all of this. But no, no I had my men do a visual inspection only I didn’t even think of a leak till after people started getting sick.
And now because of me we may all die in this godforsaken hole in the ground.
Twilight looked at the radio in horror. Whatever was wrong whatever this radiation was doing it was bad enough that the captain thought they were going to die.
I know I could make an excuse of me having to keep track of so many things, or it’s due to how little I’ve been able to sleep or any number of other excuses available to me but that won’t change the fact of what is happening now.
Come on we know you have meds for this, you are the fucking military.
You all need to return to the main room, we are doing everything we can for you.
What the hell?
Twilight blinked as she could hear distant raised voices.
Bullshit you are just keeping everything for yourselves to save your own asses!
Sir step back now! You are all ordered to return to the main room now!
Fuck you we aren’t leaving till you help us!
Sir don’t--
Twilight and the other jumped as there was a crash and then the radio speakers were filled with the sound of loud bangs and clatter and the sound of screams of pain and fear.
Goddamnit!
Twilight head the sound of hooffalls galloping from the radio.
Cease firing! Cease firing! I am fucking ordering you to cea—
Twilight blinked as the radio suddenly cut out in a wave of static. “What? NO!’ Twilight cried out and teleported over to the radio and started to turn dials desperately trying to get the signal back. “Come one, where is it.” She said.
She didn’t notice the fact her friends had all paled. After a few minutes Twilight felt a hoof on her shoulder. “Twi I think that’s enough for today.” Applejack said.
“No, I can get the signal back.” Twilight said and kept turning knobs, she had to know what happened.
“Twilight darling Applejack is right. I think we have listened enough.” Rarity said and gently used to magic to pull Twilight around to face the,
Twilight blinked as she saw her friend’s faces and then took a deep breath looking down. “I guess you are right.
Applejack placed a hoof on the young Alicorn’s shoulder again. “Cheer up Twi, everything will be ok, I am sure of it.”
“I guess you are right AJ.” Twilight said, her friends shared a look and when Twilight walked out of the room they all followed.
It had been over a week since the last transmission from Captain Graceland, over a week since whatever happened in the bunker and in that time Twiligot had been at the radio trying to find the signal she had given up sleeping and barely ate. She had to know what happened she had to know they were ok. Deep down she knew something bad had happened as ponies don’t scream like that for no reason and she could only imagine what the bangs and clattering had been that seemed to be causing it.
“Come ne, come on where are you Captain, don’t tell me you gave up transmitting. “Twilight said as she turned dials. She cursed the fact she hadn’t built the radio with a mic and broadcaster so she could have spoken to the Captain and let him know somepony was listening and could hear him and did care.
“Come on, you have to work, you haven’t failed to pick up the signal yet.” Twilight said as she worked, she had to find the signal.
“Twilight?” She heard Spike say from the door.
“I’m a bit busy Spike.” Twilight said not taking her eyes off the dials as she turned them.
“We know surgarcube, that’s why we are here. “Applejack said as she walked in followed by the rest of Twilights friends. “And frankly we are concerned ‘bout you Twi, Spike tells us you haven’ left this room since we left last week.”
“Has it been that long? I haven’t noticed.” Twilight said as she adjusted dials.
The five mares looked at each other as Twi didn’t seem to really be paying any attention to them. They then looked back out the door and stepped to the side as two other entered the room.
“Twilight your friends are very concerned about you.” A voice said causing the Twilight to freeze and slowly turn away from the radio to see both Princess Celestia and Luna standing by the door her friends to one side of the room.
“P-Princess!” Twilight said and quickly spun around and bowed out of reflex.
“Rise Twilight you do not need to bow.” Celestia said with a small smile.
The younger Alicorn quickly rose with a small blush on her face. “Wh-why are you here Princess?” Twilight asked running a hoof through her mane to try and fix it as best as she could.
“We sent for her darling.” Rarity spoke up. “You haven’t left this room in over a week and spike told us you haven’t slept and have barley eaten anything.”
“I’m fine.” Twilight said trying to not show how exhausted she was.
“Twi you and the rest of us know you aren’t, you’ve never stayed up this long before.” Applejack said.
“Yes Twilight Sparkle I have noticed your dreams have been absent for some time so we know you have not slept at all.” Luna said.
“Twilight I understand discovering proof of life on other planets is important but you shouldn’t sacrifice your health for it.” Celestia said. “You have already made great stride from what your friends tell me and I’m sure you can rest and come back to it.”
Twilight looked at her hooves. “This isn’t about proof of aliens….”She said quietly and the gathered ponies shared looks.
“Then pray tell us Twilight what is it you sacrifice yourself for?” Luna asked for the group.
Twilight looked back up at each of them, a few tears at the edge of her eyes. “I need to know what is happing to them.” She said and the other looked back. “Captain Graceland and the rest of them are trapped in some sort of desperate situation and Graceland has been sending out messages hoping to find help or just anypony else. I might not be able to reply to him or send help but I can at least listen to him so he isn’t quite so alone even if he doesn’t know somepony can hear him.” She said and looked back at the radio. “Somepony has to listen.” She said making her way back and started to adjust dials again.
The other ponies and even the Princess shared looked before they all entered the room fully, Celestia walking up to Twilight. “I understand you feel this way Twilight but is it really so important to lose sleep over?”
“Yes.” Twilight didn’t hesitate as she adjusted the dials. “Something happened Princess, something bad, real bad. I need to know what happened and I can’t miss Graceland’s transmission.”
The Solar Princess nodded and could tell this meant a lot to the younger Alicorn and she had to admit to herself that seeing her student so concerned for these aliens’ well ebbing did make her proud.
The speakers suddenly let forth a slightly wet sounding cough causing everyone in the room to face the radio.
This…..this is…Captain Graceland….US National Guard…..like it really fucking matters anymore.
Twilight’s ears went against her head tightly as she could hear the Captain’s breathing heavily and how bad it sounded, it sounded like he fluids in his lungs.
As of……3 hours ago I am the last living person in this bunker.
Twilight looked at the radio in horror. “No….”
Things got so much worse…you can’t put people in a small space while they are getting sick and not expect them to panic somehow….we were all scared the civilians and my men. The civilians thought we had some sort of medicine to fix all of this, thought we were keeping it for ourselves and some of them attacked my men….all hell broke loose as the civilians panicked and my men panicked…..by the time I was able to regain control half the civilians were dead and the other either injured or scare shitless.
I couldn’t punish my men for defending themselves and I couldn’t blame the civilians, we all have so deep in the shit that it was bound to happen.
I had the bodies moved to another part of the bunker so the civilians could calm down a bit, not that they really trusted us anymore but they were too scared to do anything. I did what I could to try and smooth things over and so did Mrs. Andrews who seems to be the only one not panicked.
Twilight recoiled as the speaks set forth with more coughs.
Damn that hurts like hell.
The civilians kept getting sick and even some of my men started t as well…..the iodine pills did nothing for the kids….their bodies weren’t strong enough to fight the radiation.
If was shortly after the first deaths when everyone was feeling the effects when…well I guess you could call it an incident happened.
Corporal Smithers, I guess he couldn’t take the pain anymore…he drew his side arm and before anyone could stop him blew his brains all over the back wall of the main room…right in front of everyone else.
We quickly calmed the civilians and removed the bodies but….but I saw the way a lot of them looked after that…I could tell what they were thinking….
I made a decision….we had a lot of morphine left….so…so I gave them the option….I don’t know if that makes me a monster or a saint….whatever I am I have to live with for whatever remains of my life.
It started off…slowly, just a couple of the sickest….then a few more….then more taking the offer….by the time it was over it was just me, Sergeant Fromen, Private Locklear and Mrs. Andrews left….and….and I had to watch them die.
Mrs. Andrews was the last to go…and do you know what she told me before she went?
She told me none of this was my fault.
Twilight and the other flinched as Graceland laughed bitterly.
Not my fault, that’s rich. I had one job, one simple job. Keep my men and the civilians alive and look at it now? This bunker that was supposed to keep us alive became our tomb.
Twiglet flinched as Graceland had another coughing fit that lasted longer then the last.
Oh….that’s not good…looks like my lungs are filling with blood.
They heard the Captain laughed bitterly again.
Guess it’s what I deserve for failing my duty, living long enough to watch everyone I was supposed to protect die and then take the longest to die myself, it’s what I deserve. I failed; there is no excuse as there are dozens of other things I could have done that would have prevented this outcome.
And you want to know the best part about all of this? Do you?
All this happened over a dispute over land, that’s right, a small strip of land lead them to destroying to world with the push of a button. Isn’t it amazing? Something so stupid lead to the world burning.
The radio let forth more coughs and Twilight could tell the captain as having more trouble breathing.
I don’t even know why the hell I’m bothering to talk into this damn thing, I doubt anyone is listening. I don’t even know if there is anyone left alive. Hell for all I know we were the only ones to survive and now we are dead.
I don’t know….maybe I’m talking in case someone is listing….that way they know what happened in this god forsaken hole and know we tried, lord knows we tried.
Maybe some else out there is doing better then use, hell maybe after I die a rescue team will arrive e and open the door ready to save all our sorry asses only to find a tomb. Or maybe civilization will come back and centuries from down some archeologist will find this bunker and open it up and find our skeletons and will debate what happened to us and we will end up as some foot note in history.
Who the fuck knows?
The speakers let froth Graceland’s bitter laugh once more that devolved into coughs.
I don’t think I have much longer left to live.
Guess this is it huh?
My final words.
I wonder what they should be?
May god have mercy on our souls?
No to cliché and I doubt he would anyways.
Long live America?
Think it’s a little late to say that
How about this.
I am a failure, I failed my men and I failed the civilians who were depending on me to save them. Their blood is on my hands and no one else’s. Every death in this hole is on me, not my men not the bastard who fired the nukes. Me and only me.
Yeah…that will work.
This is Captain Jared Graceland, United States National Guard signing off for the last time and I am a failure.
With that the radio went dead.
No one in the room spoke, what could they say? They just heard the last words of a dying person who thought he was a failure and that no one heard them.
Carefully Twilight reached out and turned off her radio. “You weren’t a failure Captain….you did your best and nopony can fault you for that…”She said quietly as she turned from the radio and walked to the door. Slowly the others left one by one. No one spoke; they were all in their own heads trying to process what they had just heard.
They had just heard the final words of a dying planet that was bathed in fire by the hands of those who lived upon it something nopony could ever imagine happening in their worst nightmares…
In nuclear war all men are cremated equal. --Dexter Gordon
