Road Gangs: Ray Part II

The dim glow of the morning sun began rising from the vast prominence of the Foal Mountain range, shimmering over the small capitol city Handlirsch of the Changeling Empire. The city was still heavily under construction, with only twenty-five of its eighty-nine major buildings completed. These included large apartment complexes for inner-city residents, as well as various governmental centers and factories.

The castle palace itself was located on the southern slope of the mountain, much like Canterlot a few dozen miles away, overlooking the rest of the city. It was much darker and gothic in appearance than its Canterlot counterpart, still under repair and restoration from its previously derelict state.

The hivemind was no longer a literal hive like before in the Amber Forest, but now an official monarchy form of governmental organization. Though, the signature and revolutionary biotechnology used in the old hive had been retained for the construction of the Changeling Empire. It was crude and unworldly, but undeniably efficient.

The technology was also no longer limited to construction of their habitat, and was now used for the development of competing automobiles and military weapons with various EMDETech and Lunar Defence Products counterparts.

Unfortunately, the vehicles themselves had no primary fuel source thanks to the petroleum wells and Equestria's only refinery under Canterlot jurisdiction, whom the Changelings have yet to form official political relations with since they have been granted permission to rebuild society at this location. However, talks have been made to change this for years, and negotiations have been officially scheduled for the following month.

One of the goals was to obtain thirty-five percent of the manufacturing rights of the Canterlot refinery, as well as equal joint jurisdiction of one of the desert oil wells, though they were prepared to settle for a lesser number, and even the exclusion of rights to the selected well. Just as long as they received a reasonable amount of the refined fuel to power their line of machines, for a fitting price amongst the Changeling society.

Electricity had also been an issue, but recently solved thanks to hydropower provided from a dam constructed in the nearby river system. It was more than enough needed to run the major factories and miscellaneous appliances in the city.

Lighting on the other hand made use of the old-fashioned bioluminescence via what were called "lightbags", which were basically transparent, flexible bladders made of rubber, filled with a mixture of water, milkweed fluid, and an enzyme found in Changeling blood. The mixture reacts and creates a glow that can be adjusted with how much of the enzyme is added, and can even be given color with traditional fluid-coloring methods. These odd successors to lightbulbs could last up to two decades without noticeable loss of luminescence.

Older forms of the lightbag technology made use of luciferin pigments and luciferase enzymes found in the eyes of younger Changelings, which, when exposed to oxygen, creates the common blue glow. Not only was this method limited to the eye color of the subjects, but it was painful and dangerous to extract, and therefore it was abandoned when this later method was invented.

Equestrians were unaware of this super-efficient lighting method, but the Changelings knew it would benefit them a great deal, so therefore it was added to the petroleum deal. In exchange of the supply in fuel for their competing innovations and joint ownership of production methods, they would share the technology and freely export it to the Equestrian market for widespread use.

In their eyes, one would be foolish to refuse such an offer, and they were prepared for the upcoming exchange with upmost enthusiasm.

The adjacent Emerald Forest was very similar in general appearance to the southernmost Everfree, following a large stream of water called the Jewel River, named for its habitation of water beetles with bright green, highly-reflective exoskeletons. Smaller residents lived within the forest and along the river in quiet cottages, secluded from the noise of the industrial Handlirsch City.

At the moment, Ray and Queen Chrysalis of the Changeling Empire had been using the skies above this secretive location to test their latest flying machine, an open-airframe two-seat helicopter based on the general shape and layout of the ancient Bell Model 47. It had been a secret project among the two, as well as Junkers, in preparation for a demonstration of the technology for Equestrian market when it was ready. Hopefully in time to be a decent supplement to the lightbag in the upcoming petroleum deal.

The machine was named the CR-1 "Snakefly", and this day was its tenth successful flight since construction and tether tests last year. It was tested twice with pontoons attached to the skids, proving its versatility as an amphibious aircraft as well.

As it turned out, Junkers had rotorcraft-piloting experience prior to his recruitment to the Phantom Raiders, long before the second invasion of Caterlot. He had been a pilot of a Hughes-MDD 500 "Defender" in another faction that had fallen victim to his later overlords, and therefore had decided to help teach Ray how to fly such an aircraft.

Ray, after many months of gathering the knowledge and eventual private practice, had then decided to teach Chrysalis. It was an obvious redundancy for her species, given that she has wings that allow her far more versatility than the aircraft, but she was enthused and expressed curiosity at its appeal to those without her ability.

She had not only learnt the art of mechanical flying, with much quicker progress than Ray, no less, but had grown to enjoy it on a level that contrasted her natural ability. She could not explain it, but she loved it, and that is all that mattered to her when she soared in the mighty Snakefly.

Today she decided to show off her talent, blasting the newly-installed stereo system with a cassette of King Kobra songs as she flew low-level behind the treelines, following the river like a road. Back and fourth the aircraft tilted as she guided their way over the curves of the stream, forcing Ray to hang on to a safety handle above the opening to his side of the cockpit canopy.

"Hey," he started, shouting over the sound of the rotors and glaring stereo system, "I wonder if this is what it was like back in the Vietnam War!"

"The what?" She shouted back.

"Vietnam! That dirty little war about thirteen-hundred years ago! Lots of jungle-fighting and low-flying helicopters galore!"

She let out a heavy laugh. "We could be over the old battlefields for all we know!"

"Yeah! If only our old geographic records were still intact, huh?"

"I am having so much fun! How 'bout you?"

He shrugged at her sharp change of subject. "I'm riding on a killer rainbow, my queen!"

Junkers watched casually reclined in a lawn chair as the Snakefly returned from its twenty-minute flight and landed softly on the pad constructed of wood and roofing tin. Engine powered down and rotors slowed, followed by the exit of its two pilots.

Chrysalis trotted over to Ray with a huge smile on her face, kissing him on the head with the excitement of a little filly. "That was so much fun!"

Ray grinned as they headed over to Junkers. "Nothing says adventure like the possibility of crashing and burning."

She gasped playfully. "Do you not trust my aspiring piloting skill?"

He turned to her. "Come on, you know I'm pulling your tail. I think we're both ready for a public demonstration of Snakefly."

"I think so too."

Junkers had removed himself from his seat and approached the two pilots. "You've got to be the most hotshot pilots I've ever seen. And I mean that in the best possible way. Keep it up, you'll be giving the Wonderbolts a run for their money."

They both shook their heads with disapproval, then Ray spoke up. "What time is it?"

Junkers looked at his watch. "It's eight-thirty. Oh jeeze, we've got twenty-five minutes to get to the classrooms."

"Let's go." Ray lead the three to their vehicles.

Ray's El Camino had been fully restored from its totaled state thanks to Changeling bioengineering and was even given a fresh red paint job. Junkers' vehicle was an EMDETech copy of a 1970 Plymouth GTX that he bought with earnings from his job at the Royal Equestrian Defence Force training center in Canterlot.

He and Ray were both instructors and technical consultants at REDF and EMDETech for various military and combat related issues. Ray specifically taught what he did since the second Canterlot invasion, as well as equipment and vehicle operation, team organization, and safety.

They both got into their vehicles and started them up, while Chrysalis stayed behind to prepare the aircraft for transportation back to the hanger located back at one of the factories.

"Ray?" Junkers called out on the radio communicator.

Ray picked up his own and answered. "Yeah?"

"How 'bout a race?"

"Might as well, seeing as we're behind schedule. Name the route and damage."

"The main drag. Last one there buys the cider. A whole freakin' six-pack. Damaging enough?"

"Holy crap, you got it, pal."

They both threw down the communicators and they were off without any official count-down.

With these vehicles now in use among the kingdom, newly-passed Equestrian law enforced a speed limit of fourty-five miles-per-hour on this particular street. However, these two were far past this limit as they sped and ripped around the corners.

Passing by the more residential areas caught many worriful eyes at the reckless display, as if they were a couple of maniacs. Deep inside, Ray felt that was probably what he was always like, and the war-torn desert wastelands were the only suppression of it until now. He could only speculate that Junkers' situation was similar, if not the exact same.

Junkers picked his communicator up. "So what is it with you and Chrysalis these days?"

Ray was surprised at the question and raised his communicator with hesitation. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, come on. Three years you've been bunking at the palace. Room right next to her's in the royal wing. Grand meals next to her in the dining hall. Joint-development of a secret rotorcraft prototype with me as the third wheel. General informality. Jeeze, kissing on the head. Feel free to stop me any time."

"Friendship is magic, smartass."

"I'm serious, bro. Really, what's up?"

"I'm telling you, nothing's up. She's a good friend, if not a 'war-buddy' from back in the day. We're comfortable around each other. No trust issues whatsoever."

"So you're not like... you know."

Ray was becoming rather uncomfortable with the conversation, shifting his eyes in sharp directions in between watching the road in front of them. "Of course not. Hell, she's a different species than me. And do you really think I'd risk my relations with the Equestrians with such a controversial relationship?"

"You tell me. Do you find her attractive?"

He gritted his teeth with a final "Get bent." then threw the communicator down. Junkers' laugh in response was loud enough to briefly distort his signal to static.

As the miles passed by, Junkers had gained an advantage over Ray and lead the way. As he desperately searched for a way to get ahead, he noticed a nearby car-wash, with its customers and employees staring wide-eyed and jaws dropped at them. More importantly he spotted some kind of metal ramp.

The ramp was placed behind a concrete barrier to prevent excess splashing from the pressure-washers in the truckwalks underneath when they cleaned the undercarriage of large trucks. It was unoccupied and just high enough for a stunt he had in mind, and therefore he grabbed hold of the opportunity as it approached.

Ray deviated from the paving and headed for the ramp full-speed, almost flying as he drove over it. His heart sank when he saw it was only a half-ramp that lead to another from a dangerously far distance, sandwiching in between them long and wide truckwalks. It was like an incomplete bridge over a canal.

A pony fixing one of the pressure-washers looked up in utter horror, and in almost slow-motion Ray could read a crystal-clear "Ohhhhhh shiiiiiiit!!" rolling off his lips. The fact this was the first time he had ever seen or heard such profanity uttered from these creatures was the last thing on his mind. There he was, mere feet from certain death, miraculously reaching the other ramp in just the right moment for him to return back to his pathway on the road with Junkers.

They were side-by-side this time, with none of them making advances to go ahead. Ray could see Junkers staring at the side of his eyes between inspections of the road. He met his gaze, amused at Junkers' complete shock at the stunt as he slowly raised the communicator to his mouth.

"Ray." He started. "Is our friendship really worth messing up like that?"

He shrugged and picked his own back up. "Hey, I'm still here, aren't I? Keep your mind on that cider, brother."

"You're starting to sound like Rainbow Dash."

Ray busted through the door of the Improvised Ordnance classroom with an overly-excited expression behind dripping sweat. There he met the gaze of fifteen students in Celestial and Lunar Guard uniforms, staring at him with dead silence as if he'd gone insane with his awkward display.

"Right." He eased up and corrected his posture as he slowly shut the door behind him. "How y'all doing today?"

A few guardsmen in the front row muttered "good", still with puzzlement.

He wiped away the sweat and made his way to his desk, thumbing through the schedule. His desk and various shelves and counters were filled with inert explosives and other improvised ordnance, purposefully displayed by Ray and other staff for physical demonstration of their operation when required. Not to mention they served as fitting decoration.

"It's Thursday already?" He muttered to himself out loud, still reading the schedule. "Blasted 'Claymore Thursday', man..." He cleared his throat and picked up a blue dummy Claymore mine from his desk, then made his way in front of it with the most authorative expression he could muster as he faced the class.

"'Morning, everyo-... pony. Today's our special monthly 'Claymore Thursday'! That's right, we'll be learning some more about this little baddie right here. Some of you may remember last month's class where we covered the improvisation of a home-made directional mine like the Claymore. Well today we'll learn how to use it."

A guardsman in the back row raised his hoof.

"Yeah?"

"I was just wondering, is that thing live? See, I don't feel like going through another case of the 'rocket trashcan' today, ya know?"

Ray grinned. "How 'bout you come on up here and find out for yourself? We should do more demonstrations around here, right guys?"

The students laughed and cheered him on.

"Yeah, no thanks."

"Oh yes, you're gonna trot right on over here." He pointed to a location on the floor as he pulled the safety from the mine.

The guardsman shrugged and got out of his seat, gradually making his way towards Ray. "Might as well go out with a bang."

"You eat up this shit like candy, don't you?"

He shrugged again, now in the spot he was directed. "What can I say? I like things that go 'boom'.

"Yeah? So what about the trashcan incident?"

"I like things that go 'boom', not when they go 'boom' in my face."

"You're in the wrong line of work then, my friend." He nodded to the side of the room.

The guardsman turned to see another Claymore on a nearby table, facing directly at him. He turned back to Ray with yet another shrug. "Cool."

Ray raised his other hand to reveal a detonator in his grasp, which he smashed onto the surface of the dummy mine in his hands with a "click" that made the guardsmen flinch out of his hotheaded attitude. He grinned wider with amusement.

"That's not funny, man!"

The rest of the class bursting out in laughter said otherwise, prompting him to storm back to his desk.

"Now remember, there are two types of triggers for the directional mine. Low-tech tripwire, and the wired electronic detonator. Depends on the fuse assembly on the device. So if we were to-..."

He was cut off by the door opening, making way for Agusta. He approached Ray with an intimidatingly serious expression that silenced the happy mood of the class.

"Ray, we've got to talk."

Ray held up the dummy mine and detonator. "I'm a little busy at the moment. Maybe after-..."

"Now."