Terminal 0014523
Date 14/3/04
Log Number 1
Operator: Crimson Crosshair
Log Begin...
As I gazed up into the sky, I thought about how life might have been before, if it was as peaceful as the history books lead on, was it more so than that, or was less peaceful than we were taught to believe? I would have to say that my guess is that it was either as or greater, because if things had been like they are now then I highly doubt we would even be here.
But no sooner had my mind started to wonder, had I been brought back into reality by a unicorn mare with a white mane and coat, and fiery red eyes.
"Hey, don't drift on me, you're still on unofficial patrol, remember?"
My soon to be wife, [Error 4: File Corruption], is right, I still have to finish my patrol of this residential sector. Maybe I should elaborate a bit, I'm a guardspony in the Stalliongrad Civil Defense Force, and I take my job VERY seriously.
"No, ma'am, no drifting, have I told you how beautiful you are today?"
"Oh shove it, what were you thinking about anyway?" she giggled lightly as she playfully nudged me.
"How beautiful you are."
"I call bullshit, but I'll take it."
We continued on for about five blocks and came to rest in a park, I stood ever vigilant while she relaxed on a park bench. We just smiled at each other and watched the fillies and colts run about on the playground, just enjoying themselves and having fun.
"I hope this ends soon, I'd like to quit the SCDF and settle down..."
"I know, but just think what Empress Applejack wants for us. She'll end it all at the peace summit next month, don't worry.", she smiled up at me once she finished, she honestly believed what she said.
"Yeah, maybe...I just don't hold your sense of optimism. Alright then, ready to continue our-..."
"Bro, get home, pack some shit, then get over here to the Applejack Memorial Station!", that was my brother popping up in my private comm channel and backing out after he spoke his bit.
"What's up, Crossy?"
"Bro just told me to do a few things, sounded really rushed and urgent."
On a hunch I scanned through the comms channels, only to find them all static, apart from the emergency channel and the siege channel which were absolutely alive...odd.
"Hop onto my back and I'll fly us home."
"Why? We can walk, it's only five blocks, love."
"Damnit, don't fight me on this, I'm not flying us for the fun of it!"
"Ok, sorry...", I barely heard her say meekly as she clambered onto my barding.
We were flying silent until I knew nopony could hear me, "No, I'm sorry...I'm just afraid is all..."
I caught bits and pieces of what the two channels had to offer...and I am scared shitless.
"Why, what are you afraid of?"
I sighed as I searched for the words to use, and I finally settled on the blunt approach, "The CE launched all their armament, their primary targets being us, the USC, and the NLR."
I heard her gasp in shock, but not say a word, I couldn't blame her, this was a VERY bad scenario that only the higher ups had contingencies for.
We landed on the porch of our home, nothing special, just a typical brick house, and I bucked the front door open. If things go as I think they will, then I won't have to worry about anything being stolen. We walked into the living room, where I pulled out a pair of saddlebags for both of us.
"Go pack what we'll need, then fill the rest up with guns, ammo, barding, and medical supplies. Alright?"
"Da, I'll be done in three."
"We've got two, now go and hurry up, we'll meet back here when we're finished."
We went our separate ways, she went to her study, and I went to our room. I had just stepped over the threshold when I heard a beep from my ear piece, heralding a pony joining my private comms channel, "Bro, where the hell are you?!"
"Home, we just started packing, don't get your dick in a knot."
"...who the hell is 'we'?!"
"Wow, you're some special kind of stupid ain't ya? Take a guess, moron."
"...dude...no, leave here there."
"Hey, fuck you, and just when were you gonna tell me that Omega-Level threat protocols were enacted, huh asshole?!"
At that I shut the channel down, I hope the static busted one the prick's eardrums. My outro may have been spoken a bit too loudly, because I heard her call from the stairway.
"What's going on, are you alright, Cross?"
"I'm fine, just finish up, one minute!"
"I'm already done though."
"Alright then, on my way down."
I was SO kicking his ass later.
[Error 23: Missing Data]
[Source: Remote Deletion from Terminal 10863]
We were nearly to the AJ Station when I heard a chime, telling me that somepony opened my channel back up, only one pony other than me has the password. "Hey dad, kinda busy flying with two hundred and ninety three pound, can it wait?"
"Hello son, you are on the way to the Applejack Memorial Station, right?"
"Affirmative, Crimson Actual, one minute out and coming in hot, request eastern doors be open upon arrival, how copy?"
"Solid copy, Crimson Actual, eastern doors will be open, be careful out there."
The little mare on my back poked my neck lightly, "Who was that, Cross?"
"Grand Artificer."
"Wh-what?! Why would the Grand Artificer be talking to you?"
"Checking up on something, hang on, we're going in for a hard landing!"
As I neared the open doors, I tucked my wings in just before they would have clipped the steel frames, which would have probably broken them, and started to quickly lose altitude. Once I hit the ground I started to try use my armoured hooves as brakes, which eventually worked.
"The ride has come to a full and complete stop, all passengers are free to disembark now, please take all overhead luggage, and exit through either the left or right side exits. Thank you for traveling Air Cross, have a good day."
No sooner had I finished, had my lover jumped off my back and embraced the solid ground like a long lost child.
"Oh come one, it wasn't that bad."
I looked toward the sounds of hooves coming up the stairs and saw my brother, Dyno Run. I waited until he got close enough for me to hit, and when he did, I applebucked him right in the ribs.
He fell to the ground coughing and gagging, "What the fuck was that for, asshole?!"
"That was for telling me to leave her, if you EVER even JOKE about putting her in harm's way, I promise you brother, that I will kill you in the most creative, painful and amusing way I can think of, got it?!"
"Y-yeah..."
"I think I outrank you, so I ask again, GOT IT?!"
"Yes, sergeant!"
"Good, let's go nurse Shot."
"I can't believe your brother's such a dick, it's amazing how different you two are, like night and day..."
"Yep."
We went down the wide stairs of the metro as I heard sirens and klaxons start outside, and I heard the emergency shutters close up on all the doors and windows of the station, thirteen tons of steel encased the station now. As soon as we reached the floor below, I was embraced in a hug.
"Hey dad, good to see you again." I said as I smiled at the dust coloured unicorn stallion who stood before me, he was about late fifties I think, with mustache and beard combo, his mane, which was grayed heavily but still had streaks of black in it, still sported the typical well kept style he always had, even in times like these he still managed to look scholarly.
Console stepped up to be beside me, "I'm Console Shot, you're sons keeper.", she said in good humor.
Dad chuckled a bit at the joke "I always thought your brother would be the one with the keeper, what with how foalish he acts, but it's good to finally meet you, my name is Historic Tome." he bowed slightly to Console.
She mouthed his name a few times before her face lit up with surprise "Y-you're the Grand Artificer! But wait...that would mean...", she looked between the both of us, "...but..."
"Yep, I'm the son of the Grand Artificer himself, Applejack's go to stallion for anything dealing with records or history, speaking of our lovely leader, did she make it down here?"
"Yes, she's in a meeting with the leaders of the military and SCDF that made it down here, you might want to find her later and get the debrief, I'll tell her to be on the lookout for you also."
"Thanks, dad, well I think we're gonna go drop this stuff off somewhere and go to sleep."
"Good idea, military leaders have their quarters being constructed in the maintenance tunnels, go pick out a room...I think the security room is open still, better hurry up."
"Solid copy, thanks."
"Oh, by the way, have you seen your brother?"
"I think he's in med-bay."
"Strange, well alright then, I better go check up on him. It was nice to finally meet you Console!"
"Likewise Mr. Tome."
At that, we were left alone in the dark tunnel, just the two of us, I looked over at Console and she gave me the most mischievous grin I've ever seen...and then I awoke. I awoke in a dark cold room whose only light was coming from a candle on the desk in the opposite side of the room, with a warm mare cuddled up to my left side, and my Colt AR-51 standing by the bed to my right. This was reality, the dark, hard, cold reality. I was dreaming of my life, the most memorable part of it from before.
Author's Note
Lemme tell ya'll right now, that Ah had a hell of a time with this chapter, long story short Ah ALMOST got finished, left, came back an hour or so later only t'find that th'broswer had closed out somehow...worst part is Ah actually liked what Ag had typed up and a good bit was winged...
F...M...L...
But now it's done, hope ya'll enjoy it!
Terminal 0014523
Date 11/5/04
Log Number 12
Operator: Crimson Crosshair
Log Begin...
"But I know what I'm talking about, you don't know a damn thing about these."
"Wrong dear brother, I know about the AJ-37s and you are wrong!" Dyno decided he wanted to try to play smart with me, let's win this.
"Alright look bro, you're motor pool, I'm scout division and I use the 37s when I go outside the station, you stay in the station and work on your little mechanical contraptions...by the way, what do you guys use to fuel the generators and shit down here?" the eternal question for me, the meaning of life question is not this important!
"Oh, you know...typical fuels like 'Go buck yourself '."
"Ah, makes sense, if I can make a suggestion though bro?"
"Go ahead."
"Why not try using the fucks I don't give, that's a nearly infinite source." Don't fuck with me, my fucks are legion!
"...don't you have somewhere you need to be?" Victory is mine!!!
"Yeah...why?" What's he getting at with this?
"Well?"
"Well what?"
"THEN GO BOTHER SOMEPONY ELSE!!!
"Fine, lil'bitch."
[Error 4]
[File Corruption]
I stood in front of a large, oaken door, hoof in position to knock but something held me back...fear. The door flew open as I stood there petrified and a purple stallion stared back at me, surprised that I'd been there in the first place. We both recovered at roughly the same moment and he started regarding me very closely, waiting for me to make the first move.
"Uhm...good evening sir, its been a while since we met last, I assume you know who I am still?" this stallion struck fear into my very heart and soul, he intimidated me because he's so important to my life.
"Yes it has, and you know what they say about assuming, yes?"
"Yes sir...oh, I'm so sorry, were you about to go somewhere?"
"Oh, yes, thanks for reminding me, I've been meaning to go check on my daughter today, its been a week or so since I last talked to her."
"yeah, she was talking about you the other day actually." her father, Farsight, an Ex-sniper for the Stalliongrad Force Recon, an elite special forces division that spent the majority of their mission time behind enemy lines, he was on leave back home when the word went out to key members of the military and government.
"That's good, I'd hate to have to kill you for turning her against me or something." he chuckled so I assume it was a joke.
"Yeah, oh by the way she's kinda the reason I'm here." time for him to kill me.
"Interesting, I'm assuming you found a certain piece of jewlery that happened to be gold with a diamond back up top during your last joint op with a ranger?"
B-but.........what?! How did he...what?! "Uhh..."
"Thought so, and with this knowledge I think I know what you're going to ask me, and the answer is yes."
"Wait...what?" a smile was starting to grow on my face.
"Yep. I've come to understand you and how you work since we've been down here, so I know that you won't hurt her at all, lest you reap the consequences...that and you make her happy, that's the important part."
Having Farsight say this is like Luna coming into the station and offer...something completely fucking awesome!
"Thank you sir, I'm glad you've come to this conclusion and have given me this answer."
""Hey Cross? Fuck that protocol shit, you're family now...now go do something other than nip at my heels like a puppy."he said that last part with humor so I simply nodded and went towards the shit hole that was supposed to be our bar.
[Error %#0$1]
[S*41(*2( 001(%#]
"Hey guys, let's take our drinks and head to 'Them'." 'Them' is a rather large room with speakers that we were able to make from salvaged parts from topside, the room itself was converted into a club, mainly only guards and scout division's ponies go there to hang out, but a few civis do too.
"Oh hell yeah!" I was with three buds at the 'bar' at the moment, Aero Tracer, Pain Killer, and 'Jack Hammer'.
"Let's do it bitches, been a couple weeks since I heard some Pon-3." Jack Hammer is a pony from the Granny Smith Station, 'bout two days from our station, no pony here knows his real name though.
We took a shit ton of drinks down to 'Them' and opened our own bar down there, we take shit from topside when we can, booze is number one priority up there for us, so we have a good stock pile of our own stuff down here, locked away and hidden nicely.
"Ay! Crosser's back everypony!" some random pony by the speaker yelled, when I'm down here I control the good booze, and good tunes. But tonight's a night that my best friend, Forward Observer, was in charge of the music. Those that want to control the music in here must use their own cache of music, we're good music wise.
I opened up our stash of drinks when an odd yet familiar voice spoke up.
"Vell vell vell, if it isn't Cross, how are you my friend?"
I looked up to see a large feathery figure, "Well well well, if it isn't Stonetalon, how's the sexiest gryphon in the metro today?" Stonetalon's a snowy gryphon, solid white with the bluest of eyes, she showed up about two weeks ago at the bar, we chatted it up for a bit, then I told her about the club down here...and the drinks that aren't recycled from fermented foodstuffs.
"As much as I love your flattery my feathered friend, I'm here on business." I kind you not when I say that she, for a gryphon, is smoke'n hot, and she's fairly responsible for some hot nights with me and Console, very fun and very hot nights.
"Sorry to hear that, I was kinda hoping that your visit was more...pleasure." I spoke in a soft, warm tone making her blush, turning her face into a light pink.
"Maybe next time, ja?"
"Sure thing, anyhow, what brings ya down here?" I dropped the tone I'd been using and pulled out a bottle of Applejack Daniel's as she started.
"I have a proposition for you and your merry band of outcasts, pays well."
"What is it and what do we get paid with?"
"Anything you find during this mission, plus a fuck ton of bullets and maybe...MAYBE something special."
"Well if that something special is what I hope it is then I'm all in." I said with a sly grin at the gryphon.
"I'm not saying it isn't, but the mission is a simple recon to a hotel topside."
"Really? I'd thought you wanted something like a hit done, I was ready to kill somepony, man!"
"Well, it may involve that later on."
"Seriously? Oi, Jack, get yer shit together, we go'n topside!"
Jack simply grinned and smacked the other two parts of our group awake then they all three went up towards the armoury.
"I vant you four to investigate the Gummy Smile hotel in Troden Square, there is rumor of something living in there, the mission is simple, investigate, clear, and return...got it?"
"Gummy, Troden, get in, kill, get out, got it."
"...sure, simplify such a briefe...just don't die, ja?"
"No promises." I chuckled as I left to meet up with the others, this was gonna be a fun couple of hours.
Author's Note
It...is...ALIVE!!!
I bring you this chapter from beyond the land of the dead, just for you guys!
Few points, I noticed some mistakes with the first chapter so if you guys see'em please point'em out.
Next I feel like pulling a Dark Tower with this story, those who have read that series from beginning to end should know what I mean, too early to tell but if I do ya'll are gonna hate me...in a good way. XD
Well enjoy the chapter, I'll start on the next one soon, pinkie promise! :D
Terminal 0014523
Date 11/05/04
Log Number 14
Operator: Crimson Crosshair
Log Begin...
We made it to th'hotel without much anything happening and were approach'n the door when somethin caught mah attention, a sound off to our right and behind some cover.
Ah signaled everypony to find some cover and get ready to light that area th'fuck up when a pony Ah'd never seen before came out and threw his gun down, face covered in fear.
"Who th'hell are you and what th'hell are ya doing out here, y'got a death wish or somethin?!" I semi-shouted cause what ever th'hell's in th'hotel Ah do NOT wanna wake it up...
His eyes darted amongst th'group an finally he piped up "I'm...I'm Axe, Battle Axe...I was with The Children of Peace, on a mission to reestablish relations with Might of Stalliongrad...but when we got here...we learned just how bad you all had it...almost two-hundred of us came up here...now...now I'm the only one left..."
He kept shiftin around but seemed harmless...so why kill'em...yet...
We went on inside th'hotel to find out what lives here so we can start loot'n th'place an go home. Ah noticed somethin movein around inside but...we never saw anythin move'n...
"Stay alert...somethin's fucked..."
Axe followed us in, Ah made Hammer stay behind'em an watch his ass...just cause he looks harmless don't mean he IS harmless...
"Hey...Cross...do you hear that?" Aero had stopped, ears perked up.
"Mmmm...no, can't say that Ah-...ah shit...GET OUT!!!" Some sorry mother fucker set up a shit ton of motion sensors and had wired'em into time bombs...we walked right into th'sensors' field and stood there like a bunch o'idgits...
"Holy god damn! Everypony all good?!"
"No, we're not 'All Good' Aero, where the fuck is Cross?!"
"Oh no...oh please...no...they're coming, they heard the explosions and they are coming to kill all of us!!!"
"Th'fuck you talk'n about little one...?"
A loud, high-pitched screech rang out in the skies above...it was at this moment that the group knew... "Oh shit...we're fucked...Hammer get out the MG, Pain crack out your SMG and the good stuff, Axe...just...fuck...just don't die!!!"
"Ah shit...think Ah broke somethin...ya'll good...?" no response... "Guys...ya'll kick'n or are ya'll dead...?" still nothin...oh wait, mah helmet's got a flashlight...
Holy shit...Ah'm not even in th'same ROOM as Ah was when th'explosions rang out...looks like Ah fell...two floors? Sub-basement by th'looks of it...goddess damn...
"Well well well...look at what ze Gargoyle dropped in!" that voice...it's a clopzi...shit...
"Howdy, th'name's Crosshair, ya'll th'ones holed up in this shit hole of a hotel?"
There were three of them, and at my name one perked up. "Why ze fuck should we care who you ar-"
"It iz him! Holy shit it iz The Crimzon Sniper!!! Zir, could you possibly zign mien Rifle?"
"Uh..." not what I was expecting...like...seriously...what the fuck... "Ummm...sure...t'who do Ah have th'pleasure o'signin this to?"
"Mien name iz Breach Sweep, I am none too gutt vith a scoped rifle but I am a fan of your vork Crimson!"
As Ah finished signing th'Clopzi's rifle Ah noticed th'other two had eased up. "So, what're we waitin for? Let's get th'fuck outta here!"
Sweep followed me with stars in'is eyes an his two comrades followed with caution and suspision...can't blame'em, a pegasus with an AJ-37 and a big ass rifle fall through th'ceilin above ya an tells ya t'follow'em? Shit..."
As we went further into th'depths of th'hotel, Ah couldn't shake th'feel'n that somethin...somewhere...was watchin us...always watchin us...
Author's Note
Random update, story ain't dead life just sucks an takes up all mah time...
In the beginning of the end, Equestria broke into nine nations...well...ten really, but most ponies don't count The Swarm as a nation, more like an untamed land ravaged by war and strife. The four princesses took control of their respective kingdoms; Princess Luna took control of a patch of land and named it the New Lunar Republic, it became an industrial super power, Celestia took control of Canterlot and some of the area surrounding it and became the Solar Empire, Princess Cadence and her Crystal Empire took up the badlands and even further north of that, Stalliongrad and it's satellites became known as the Communist Might of Stalliongrad, Germaney and Itaily became one nation and controlled most of the eastern coast and became the fascist Clopzi Party, Cloudsdale and it's satellite states became known as the United Skies of Cloudsdale, princess Twilight took Ponyville and it's satellite states and were later known as the Confederacy of Pony, bordering the USC and CP to the west and south was the Saddle Arabian Emirate, to the north-west of the SAE was The Swarm, and finally, to the west of The Swarm was the only nation that remained completely neutral throughout the whole war, The Children of Peace.
Now I know a lot of you are thinking just who was in charge of all these nations, well, a bit more into the history of Equestria at the time. Princess Luna took the throne from Celestia during a Coup, she thought that she could do a far better job at ruling the kingdom, when she took the throne though, those who started the coup disappeared, thus making it look like Luna started the whole thing to obtain power. This started riots and eventually civil war, this was known as the Lunarian Betrayal. This civil war lead to the creation of the nine nations. But these nations were constantly at war with each other, so Luna sent the bearers of the old bearers of the Elements of Harmony to try to make peace between the nations. The bearers took a nation, and tried to establish a form of control in their governments, Lady Applejack took the CMS and was very quickly revered and loved by it's ponies. Pinkie Pie took Germaney and Itaily, and proposed a change in the regime and created the fascist Clopzi Party. Rarity took control of the Saddle Arabian Emirate with almost no issue. Lady Rainbow Dash took control of the USC and turned it into a military state much like the CMS, but being aerial based more than anything. Finally, Lady Fluttershy created The Children of Peace, and showed no wish for war or violence and started her nation with humanitarian aid missions.
The NLR and SE became the two main power houses in Equestria, they eventually came to each other's throats. The Crystal Empire stood for everything that stood against the CMS and Clopzi Party, so the Crystal Empire made it near impossible for the CMS and CP to trade with them, this was not a wise decision.
At this point, no nation had any true allies, it was mostly 'Every Pony for Themselves'. Eventually the CMS got fed up with the Crystal Empire's trade embargoes, and asked Lady Applejack to find a way to make the CE stop trying to ruin their economic standing. Lady Applejack brought the issue up at a meeting that was broadcasted live across Equestria, the CE agreed to stop, but never did, at the next meeting she was angered by their lies, and threatened with war in the heat of the moment, but the event being broadcasted again, she couldn't take it back. Every nation but the CE thought that she would actually engage in all out combat with the Empire, and she knew that if she didn't, that she'd be labeled a liar and betrayer to those around her. So when the CE still did nothing about their embargoes, she sent tanks to a CE colony on the border of the badlands, the ruby colony of Rubaria. The majority of the tanks hid in the surrounding forest, while the rest stayed around the colony. The CE sent anti-tank squads to deal with the tanks in the colony, the only ones they knew of, so when they engaged in combat, the rest of the tank battalions surrounded the colony and laid waste to it.
The SAE was enraged at this destruction of such a gorgeous formation of gems and crystals. The CE was stunned, and vulnerable to a series of fast attack strikes by the tanks and rebels in the CE. The SAE sent forces to reinforce the CE and her colonies, and also enlisted the aid of it's only other ally, the Confederacy of Pony. The CP sent it's Magic Special Forces into the CMS for a series of assassinations on military personnel and officers. The ponies of the CMS were in a blood lust for revenge and war, chants of hatred and anger rose from the streets of Stalliongrad and all other cities and villages in the CMS. Lady Applejack had no choice but to retaliate against the CP and SAE.
The USC, caring for the CMS as a sister nation, sent aerial strikes against the CP and SAE. Long-range bomber strikes against their capitals and trade caravans did wonders to cripple the nations and their combat abilities. Though this angered the Solar Empire, whose great armies marched to war against the USC and CMS.
The Clopzi Party, not caring for the SE and it's beliefs, joined the fray on the side of the CMS and USC, sending in hordes of tanks and other armored vehicles.
The NLR took pity upon the only nations that helped it come into power. Now the NLR didn't have an army at this time, but it had thousands of factories and mass production facilities, and used them to produce weapons and ammunition for it's allies. The ponies of the NLR started to form militias that purchased weapons and munitions that it's own soldiers made, and marched to the front lines bearing the NLR standard with it.
Now by this point the CE never joined the war, though being the overall cause of it, until the two year anniversary of the war's start. This is when the war took a turn for the worst, the CE had spent it's whole time researching new weapons...they succeeded in their objectives. The CE had created a spell that would turn anything it touched, into pure crystal. They then put this spell into a missile, and launched it at a joint-compound controlled by the CMS and Clopzies...the test was successful. There were no survivors, only crystal.
This weapon was then given to the CE's allies to do with as they pleased. The SE decided to modify the spell missiles to carry a spell that would incinerate an area whose size could be chosen before launch. The SAE and CP did the same, but their spells differed. The SAE's spell was a simple explosion that ended up leaving some sort of residue in the area of the blast, this residue turned out to be the real danger of their spell. The CP changed the spell into one that would turn the oxygen in the blast radius into a poisonous gas.
This was the beginning of the end...and the prelude to the real story.
Author's Note
Well well well, what've we got'ere? Guess Ah should introduce mahself, Ah'm Vital Shot, an Ah'll be ya'lls guide through this dark, dark world. Questions, comments, concerns? No? Good. Then we can get this ride started!
(If anyone notes any mistakes, it's probably because I'm my own editor...for now... hopefully...anyhow, leave feedback, I'd be much obliged!)
