Vault 204 was built to house deer rather than ponies. This is the story of the cleaner, a young doe running from her vault into the madness of the wasteland.
Not every Stable was made to hold ponies. From the depths of Stable 204 between Whitetail woods and Vanhoover. Whiteberry , and her best friend Fern are sent out into the wastes.
My Pip-Buck shrieked and squalled, rousing me from an awesome dream. The horrible caterwauling practically felt like a drill in my skull, and the hangover didn't help either. But, I guess you only get your assigned duties once, and a lil' celebration never hurt anybody... Least, not till the morning after.
Getting unsteadily to my hooves, I grumbled to myself. "Bucking mornings, why do they have to start so early?" Feeling my anger at the incessant shriek rising, I shut down the alarm and pushed the red button on my pipbuck. The hiss of a nanoinjector, then a feeling of calm, and I was ready to face my day. It would have been nice to keep dreaming of Pine and those long legs of his. Hay, most does would kill for legs like his. Myself included, shortflank that I am. Or the pretty doe eyes on Fern, for a little longer. But it was time for work.
“Wintergreen, are you up yet?”, my mother shouted from the main room. “If you don't hurry, you're going to be late for work!”
“I'm up, mom!” I shouted back, fastening on my utility barding and buckling up my tool belt. Today was the first day of active service, and hopefully I wouldn't get crappy jobs like cleaning the recyclers or something. I quickly placed my leg in the alcove, and there was another hiss as my pipbuck slotted new doses in place. After a few seconds, the device beeped and I pulled my leg free. I really didn't think my gut would thank me for a big breakfast this morning, and no doubt Mom would have something suitably greasy and gross to teach me a lesson about drinkin' too much. So, grabbing a couple of slices of toast, I bolted out the door and headed to the Ponics bay.
Well. First day on the job and it seems I got the worst jobs; first off, cleaning the organic waste recyclers. Then, some dumb buck had sprayed bars over the forest mural in the main bay, and they'd busted the speakers too. End result? Me strapped into a pressure washer type saddle, hooked into the water main until the tanks filled, then washing down the walls ready for repainting. Now, I am NOT what you would call a strong doe. I'm a decent sprinter, but I do not have a muscly physique, so until I got stronger, every squeeze of the bit was practically sending me slamming into the wall. At least once I got the fill line disconnected, the weight of the tanks served to steady me a little.
My legs wobbled unsteadily, as I figured out how best to brace myself. Not an easy task--every time I thought I'd got it, the water in the tanks would slosh and throw me off kilter again.
Whoever had done this was in for a world of trouble. The Overdoe had been pissed, ordering immediate cleanup. She had sicced security on whoever it was too... I didn't envy them when Oak and Rowan caught up with them. Last time I'd been caught by those two, I hadn't been able to sit down for a week after the tanning I'd got. As if my pelt wasn't red enough without that sort of treatment. Least everybody learned not to get caught, fast.
I really would have liked to get this job over with as soon as possible. I had to be careful, though; we'd all seen in training reels just what these things were capable of if they hit flesh, and the end results were not pretty. Given the overkill way Stable-tec designed their technology, the damn things were more like a sandblaster than a hose on high settings.
Relying on the safety regulator was probably a bad idea, and the safety cutoffs apparently never worked as they were designed to. Last time there had been an incident, the nozzle head had slipped loose. Because of that, according to Aspen, there had been a metal nozzle embedded 6 inches into the concrete in Maintenance wing, and it had taken them almost an hour to lever the damn thing free.
Strangely, as work went on, I found I quite liked the task after all. It was relaxing, didn't require much thought, and I hadn't had to press my Pip-Buck's regulator once the entire afternoon.
I reached out and set my radio to play. Soothing classical music started, and I found myself relaxing into my new duties... Maybe this wasn't so bad, after all. Within a few hours, I had the wall all clear, ready for a new coat of paint.
That done I checked in but apparently nothing else needed doing at the minute, and they had my tag if they needed to reach me anyway so I excused myself and slipped off to the ponics area. I loved it there, all those bright colours, you could practically feel the life in the place. No stupid painted on trees, these were the real deal. Massive apple trees surrounded by other crops. I lay back with a sigh basking in the artificial sunlight. Something just felt right about this place. I would have done just about anything to work down here, but my tests didn't pan out that way. I lay down as best I could with the saddle strapped to me. I'd have taken it off but they were a nightmare to get back on. My shift ended in ten anyway so I just settled in to enjoy the gardens until I was needed.
Eventually, the work klaxon went off, and my Pip-Buck flashed a reminder.
I hit my dose again, the beeping fading as I felt the calmness wash over me. Turning around, I headed towards the break room... What I saw there, well... I really wish I had never seen it. Aspen was just sitting there, like a fawn who'd just broken their favourite toy. His face was bloodied, antlers shattered, desperately pressing the button on his Pip-Buck. Tears streamed down his face. “Why isn't it working?!", he wailed, his Pip-Buck just giving him the empty tone time and time again. Pushing my own button to calm myself, I radioed for security.
"Aspen, buddy?" I said, cautiously stepping forward. "What's wrong?"
Looking up forlornly at me, he asked again. "Why isn't it working? Why can't I just feel normal?" Then his gaze turned. The crazed look he was already wearing got even creepier, as he reached for my Pip-Buck. I backed away nervously, as his expression changed. He lowered his antlers and rushed forward. "I NEED THAT!" he howled! I barely got out of the way, scrambling aside and feeling the searing pain as his antlers scraped my ribs, before I could quite get clear!
“Hoof it over!”, he gibbered, as he came at me again. The shattered remains of his antlers lowered, he looked like a bloody nightmare, charging towards me. I was scared alone and unarmed, trying my best to calm him, but he was shutting me down. As soon as I tried to speak, he would attack again. In my panic, I... guess I used the only weapons I had. Toggling VATS, I bit down on the firing bit for the pressure washer The washer started up with a hiss, driving him back, the jets slamming him into the wall and pulping his skull inside a second.
On seeing that, I did what anybody would do in my situation. Apparently, dry toast doesn't taste any better than anything else coming back up. I heard Oak rushing in, before everything went black.
The next thing I remember after that is waking up in a cell, with one Tartarus of a headache, and my ribs aching like crazy. With a groan, I got to my hooves, trying my best to ignore the pain.
"Well," came the Overdoe's voice, "I see you're up, and we have a mystery that needs solving. Suppose you tell me what happened hmm?." The kindly mare I knew didn't look like her usual self, as she looked at me. Given the circumstances, who can blame her for that?
With a nervous gulp, I started to talk. “Aspen's controller malfunctioned, he was pushing the button for regulation, but nothing was happening...” I found my eyes wet, as I kept trying to explain myself. “He saw my regulator and he cracked, he.... he charged me. I tried everything I could, honest I did, but I couldn't talk him down. I was hoping the jet would just knock him back... I guess the control didn't work or somethin'."
The Overdoe gave a weary sigh, her expression softening. “I was afraid of that. Stable-Tec warned us this might happen in case of regulator malfunction. They even wrote a sentence, in case such an an incident should happen... I'm sorry, but you can't stay here anymore. In case of a murder inside this stable, the rules are clear. Stable-Tec felt that it was a warning sign of isolation-related sickness. In those circumstances, automated security will designate the killer as hostile. I wish there was some way to prevent it, but I don't have access to those systems, except to completely disable the security grid."
"I can buy you twelve hours, if I use my authority to perform a formal banishment. I can provide supplies, but not weapons, or security will open fire."
I felt like a bucket of ice water had just been dropped on my head. My legs buckled as I listened numbly. Banishment? That meant going outside. Maybe letting security kill me wasn't so bad, at least it'd be over fast.
My regulator beeped a warning and I tapped the button, suddenly feeling less scared as the system did its job.
“MOM!” Fern snapped, stepping between me and the Overdoe. “You can see how bucked up this is, you can't send her out there unarmed like thi!. I won't let you!” her regulator beeped several warnings of instability, but she didn't even reach for her button. “She was defending herself! If she hadn't, she'd be dead!” I could hear the stifled sobs in her voice.
The Overdoe looked devastated. “I don't have any control of the automated security, dear, I really wish I did. But she can't stay here anymore, it isn't safe. We can't protect her without shutting down the security, and if we do that, we're all defenseless. We have fawns here, I can't do that."
The little gears in my head started to turn. “Wait, you said security would stop ya issuing weapons?” I asked curiously. “So no guns or blades? I have a request, ma'am. As a maintenance engineer, would it be allowed for me to leave with my equipment? Maybe I can earn a living up there that way, at least.”
Suddenly, the Overdoe's expression became a little more hopeful. “That's it. I can't issue you guns, but I formally issue you with a full set of equipment. Maintenance manuals will be sent to your Pip-Buck, you will be provided with one toolkit, and... one Stable-Tec high-pressure pressure washer. Given your lack of access to mains water, you'll be issued with an internal reservoir. I can't do much else. I'm sorry.”
“Don't be.”, I said, trying to smile weakly. The Overdoe was like family to me. I hated what was happening and was practically overloading my regulator doing this, but I couldn't blame her for protecting the stable.
“Mom, I hereby state myself complicit in these crimes, consider this my confession. Sorry, mom, but there's no way I'm letting my best friend go out there alone.”
The Overdoe turned on her daughter with a snarl. ”DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU'VE JUST DONE?! The Sentry Bots will treat you the same way!” she then rounded on me. “I wish to Tartarus she'd never met you! Since you caused this problem, it's up to you to keep her safe!” She stormed off, her monitor beeping warnings in her Pip-Buck.
The security bucks approached me. Whitebeam placed a reassuring hoof on my shoulder, before escorting me back towards my quarters to gather my few possessions together for the journey.
Mom was in the corner crying when I stepped in. It seems she was trying desperately to cram the useful stuff into a bag, packing warm clothes.
She'd even managed to scrape together some scrapped panels from somewhere, lacing them onto standard utility barding to give the impression of armour, If the individual assembling said armour had never seen armour before and was assembling it blindfolded and muzzled. I trotted up to her and faked a smile, as I gave her a reassuring nuzzle.
Didn't seem to help though, just made the waterworks worse, which set me off, leading to hours of just hugging and crying. I really didn't want to let go, but security was getting anxious. I finished packing in silence. Then, taking one last look at the quarters that had been mine for my entire life, and giving mom one last hug, I turned. Fastening on the closest thing I had to a weapon, loading up the tanks before heading up towards the atrium.
Everydeer in the place was looking at me. Some sounded sympathetic, some hoofed me supplies. Others muttered to themselves about “murderers”. Those ones stared at me with undisguised loathing.
All in all, it was almost a relief to make it through the crowds to the Atrium.
Fern was already there, as was The Overdoe.
Medical hoofed us each a pack of canisters for our Pip-Buck injectors with a few mumbled words. They would keep our regulators going for a week or two, if we could avoid stressing ourselves too much. After that we'd have to figure something out and hope we didn't end up like Aspen.
The Overdoe turned once more to the controls, and with a deafening screech, a hiss and a warning klaxon, the metal arm slid out and engaged with the thick vault door. Within minutes the door was open and we stood on the threshold.
The Overdoe grabbed Fern in one last hug, then security turned their guns on us.
“Winterberry Thicket, Fern Whitetail. According to the laws of this stable, you have been found guilty of, or confessed to, involvement in the murder of Aspen Gully,” the Overdoe said, trying her best to keep her voice neutral. “I am unable to issue a pardon, and as such, I find you both guilty. Under protest. Unless somedoe wishes to retract their confession.”
Looking scared, Fern spoke up. “No, mom. I won't retract my confession. Winterberry is my friend, and I hate this, but I am not sending her up there to face this alone. That would be bucked up."
“Don't do this, fern,” I pleaded with her. “You can stay here in the stable safe, I ain't worth losing that over. Stay here where it's safe, PLEASE.”
Even though I wanted her to stay safe... Inside, a little voice in the back of my head really didn't wanna be out there alone. I wanted to beat the Tartarus out of that traitorous little thought.
Fern looked to me, then to the door and did the bravest--and quite possibly stupidest--thing I've ever seen anydeer do in my entire life . She quickly hugged her mom, then stepped out of the vault door. I followed a few seconds after, working my flank off to shove her back inside, but she was always stronger than me, and buck me was she stubborn.
The door started to hiss shut, and at the last minute, the Overdoe threw a bundle to Fern as we fought. Then, with a final clang, the great steel door slid shut and sealed once more.
We must have sat there staring at that stupid door for hours. Hoping against hope that they'd decide it was a mistake, and let us back in.
Finally, with fumbling hooves, we started to unwrap the bundle that had been thrown to Fern. A single 10mm pistol, a basic medical kit, a set of security barding including helmet. That was it.
Fern offered me the barding, but I refused. “No way in Tartarus I'm letting you go without.” I snapped. “You just put your flank on the line for me, I'd never forgive myself if you got hurt because of it.”
I tried my best to sound brave, but I somehow don't think Fern was fooled. The way my voice shook must have been a giveaway.
Both our regulators were beeping loudly.
“We should ration it,” Fern said. “Use it when we need it badly. We don't have a lot left, two weeks supply tops.”
I nodded in agreement, carefully examining the pistol. Thankfully, it seems the manual that had been uploaded to my pipbuck was a security training manual. The inventory flashed, informing me this pistol was named the Overdoes Guardian. It also seemed to be modified to fire two shots at a time rather than the standard one. After some reading, we learned how to load the pistol safely, although it took us another ten minutes to figure out that the safety was on. I hoofed the pistol back to Fern. “You should keep it. Your mom gave it to you anyway, and I already have some kinda weapon for now.”
Finally, after much procrastination, we pulled our gear together and started off down the tunnel. After a moment of hesitation, we pushed open the rickety wooden door. I heard Fern gasp beside me. Her breath caught in her throat, and her regulator practically screamed at her. My legs buckled under me.
“WHERETHEBUCKISTHECEILING?!”
I shrieked. Hoofing the red button on my pipbuck for all it was worth, I tried to process what was in front of me.
The vast, blighted remains of a forest stretched out for miles. Fern and I clung to each other and bolted back inside, gasping for breath as our brains tried desperately to process what we'd just seen.
Once we had calmed down, I peered outside again cautiously.
After some debate, we decided that we should bed down here for the night, then in the morning head out. We unrolled our bedrolls side by side, threw a blanket over ourselves and tried our best to sleep. Our backs were leaning against the only place we'd ever called home.
My sleep wasn't exactly peaceful. I kept seeing his head exploding. But it kept growing back .
That bloodstained face laughing as they chased me through the Stable.
No matter where I went, every door was locked.
Every time I saw anybody, they just turned their backs.
Now he wasn't alone, the Stable's sentry bots were helping him, turning and herding me back towards him.
Finally I turned to face him, turning the pressure washer towards him. But when I bit down on the bit he changed.
It was Fern who took the hit, her head vanishing in a red mist, just like his had.
Behind me, the ghost of Aspen laughed mockingly. He lowered his head and charged, but this time there was nowhere to run.
I woke up clinging desperately to Fern, sobbing. She was my only real friend, I couldn't stand the thought of losing her.
She clung to me just as tightly, until we both managed to calm ourselves. Our regulators wailed, reducing gradually to an occasional warning beep. Then, once we were a little more calm, we both pushed the button. The usual hiss sounded out as the injector went to work, helping us feel a little safer all by itself.
Neither of us really wanted to get up and out of that tunnel. While we were debating what to do, though, our minds were made up for us by a large radroach dropping from the ledge above, right onto my head. M uch stomping and screamingt later and half a magazine of wasted bullets later we finally got our breathing back down to normal. Between that, and the depressing realization that the door wasn't going to open again--no matter how bad we wanted it to--we made up our minds. We packed up our beds, and accepted going outside was probably our only chance if we wanted to survive out here for long.
Once more we stood, at the threshold to all that nothing. Looking once to each other, we then stepped out into the light of day.
Fern turned to smile at me. It looked a little halfhearted, but hay, right now I'd take what I could get. “We can do this,” she said to me. “We have to. We can't stay here forever.”
Smiling back and softly nosing her, I turned back towards the twisted nightmare that we now had to face together. Whatever had happened to this place, it sure as Tartarus didn't feel anything like the energy I felt in the gardens. It still felt alive, yet somehow... Wrong. The trees themselves had been dyed almost red by the rads they had soaked up, and my pipbuck flashed up the name “Red Forest.”
The gnarled roots around us seemed to have gradually reclaimed the few nearby buildings over the years. “We should see if we can find anything in these buildings,” suggested Fern. “At the very least they'll be more shelter than the tunnels were. Maybe we can even find some supplies.” My heart sank at the thought. I really, really, really didn't want to rummage through what was left of some poor bucker's life and possessions. In the end, though, she was right; we needed to find food. The mild, rusty glow of the grass beneath our hooves really did not look like something we'd wanna eat either.
So for the second time today, we stood in a doorway daring ourselves, then entered the darkness together. At least having a roof over our heads again felt a little better. That relief, though, was shortlived--my heart sank as I saw the skeletal family gathered together. Didn't matter that they'd been dead so long; I still felt kinda bad for them.
“I'm sorry to disturb you, we need food and supplies.” I told them. It didn't even matter that they'd been dead for years. I still felt bad raiding their home like this. Least I could do is be a respectful guest.