Division 48

Division 48

High above the skies so bright
Watching all with delight
The black guardian deep in slumber
Waits for the proper number
The black guardian in his sleep
Counts the time, week by week
Years go by, millennia pass
The time is right, he opens his eyes
The Achilles shall now rise
Brings down life and demise
One side will receive the latter
For the other it won’t matter
It’s beginning of the end
Whose side are you on my friend?

Chronicles of Equestria, The prophecy of Silver Wielder

Location: Equestria, previously known as Earth, The Forbidden Grounds, previously known as Western Europe
Dimensional designated number: 1003DN31XMV/1102 – Level 1 Interference
Data according to Dimensional Guardians Nexus Archives.

1881km above the ground a single silver and black object slowly rotates around Earth (or what’s left of her). At first glance it looks like a chunk of metal, a spherical orb with two thermal panels to generate its electricity. Normally the satellite circles the earth everyday, unnoticed, forgotten, a remnant of long lost civilization. Yet again the sun comes around, the light shines brightly and gently strokes the thermal panels of the satellite, and the circle begins again. This time however it’s different... The whole construction suddenly shutters with movement, thermal panels extending twofold, a flickering green light emanating from the lower base of the construction comes to life. The ancient machine activates its oldest protocols and gets ready to finally fulfill the purpose its creators gave it...

.
..
...
....
....LOADING....
....
....
....ACHILLES DEFENCE NETWORK...
....
....
....START UP SEQUENCE....
....
....
....SATELITE 1 OPERATIONAL...
....WESTERN EUROPE AREA....
....CONNECTING TO DIVISION 48 HEADQUARTERS...
....CONNECTION ESTABLISHED – 1000,1 MHZ....
....DOWNLOADING UPDATE....
....UPDATING INFORMATION....
....RECIEVING V.3 PACKAGE PROTOCOL....
....UPDATE COMPLETE....
....COMPILING VHAI DATABASE....
....COMPLETE....
....
....
....
....LOCATION: WESTERN EUROPE....
....FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY....
....LIFE SIGNATURES: EST. 30 000 000 000....
....UNABLE TO ESTALIBH CONNECTION TO MIDH ....
....DATE: EST 4259....
....BASE 1, 3 – 18, 20 – 40, 42 – 72, 74 - 93 OFFLINE...
....BASE 94, 73, 41, 19, 2 ONLINE.....
....OPERATIONAL LEVEL EST. 71%....
....CONDITION 9....
....ACTIVATING DEMISE TRANSMITTER...
....SENDING PACKAGE....
....PRIORITY BASE – 94....
...
..
.

Cold air whistled outside the abandoned ancient building. Covered in thick layer of ice the massive construction stood proud and fearsome. The architects of this construction were long gone, race diminished, not in war or ideology, but by the technological development and lust for more effective sources of power. Still humankind managed to preserve itself through such sturdy constructs. This one looked like a black cube to the creatures that now dwelled on Earth. Standing 50 meters high with massive reinforced airlock doors in the lower middle part of the building. Easily visible to anyone, but not recognized as an entrance by equine entities that saw it nowadays. 3 Titanium alloy electronic locks, keeping the sealed door together, shut off, holding God only knows what secrets. The whole building was silent and dead. Lost temple of unknown deities, or an old library. Not even one window was apparent in the structure, its insides completely sealed off from the outside world. To the ignorant creatures of today, it was only an interesting historic curiosity. However if by any chance an actual human was able to see it, he or she would probably go with:

“Holy shit, this definitely is some kind of a secret military outpost!”

And they probably wouldn’t be far off. Someone still familiar with the long gone ancient human language would be able to read “Base 94” above the dreadful airlock. To a human this whole situation would be mighty suspicious. To a talking magical pony however, it was not...

Location: Earth, United Earth Federation, Division 48, Base 94, The Eternal Eye Chamber, Berlin
Time: 2101, March 12th 22:00, 15 minutes to Singularity Collapse

“Mr. President, last ark just entered higher atmosphere of Earth”

A tall black man in a Division 48 officer uniform spoke. Face covered with hardly healed burns, not showing any signs of emotion. Military experience visible through the way he moved. Only his eyes showed sings of overwhelming dread.

“Thank you Colonel, I’m well aware of the fact”

An old slim man sitting on a very comfortable chair replied. His face covered with eerie shadow, a sick green glow enveloping his figure through the glass panel behind him. His old, but still sleek hands, an evidence of a lifetime of political and desk work, folded together on the wooden desk. Who would have thought, that this old man in his 70s held in his hands the fate of humankind.

“I do appreciate your company Colonel… With the last ark, our whole civilization leaves its birthplace, our beautiful Earth. Who could have though I’ll live to actually see the end of the world.”

The old man said in a monotone and husky voice, his position not changing.

“No one could have anticipated that, this early Sir. I stay here, because I feel responsible for the situation as one of the highest ranking officer in Division”

The military-man spoke, his voice strong, resolve hard as iron, but heart beating like crazy. He will lose his life here, for his planet. He didn’t regret his decision of staying behind, when a space was still available on Ark 3. It’s that his survival instinct was kicking in, telling him to get the hell out of here. He wasn’t about to do that, but it was a hard feeling to fight with.

The old man smiled in the darkness, a smile of hope and fulfillment, but also regret and sadness. His eyes glossed over, calm but sad.

“You have nothing to be sorry for Colonel. It was sure to happen and this thing behind me was going to appear anyway. Your people and your division only studied it and gathered necessary information. Without them we wouldn’t be able to finish Achilles and the supply and security bases. Additionally humankind survived yet another cataclysm, a one that maybe needed a huge sacrifice, but we still live.”

He leaned forward into the artificial light, his face showing age, silvery hair combed down in a neat fashion. His pale skin and bags under eyes showed that he spent a lot of time away from sun, working, completing the Condition 9 Project.

“Sir, whatever happens in 5 minutes, it was a pleasure to serve under you! And in my opinion as long as Condition 9 takes effect, our planet is safe...”

The colonel almost shouted the first part, this time all of his emotions taking control of him. He was proud, proud of his planet, proud of his service and proud of assuring the planets future.

“Yes, I feel we completed our mission Colonel, we couldn’t stop the event, but we could ensure that it won’t consume us in the process. And after 20 years, when the anomaly radiation clears out, well… Humankind will come back to reclaim its true home.”

This time the old man smiled widely, obviously relieved that in the end, humanity got the upper hand and won against impossible odds. He then looked at his golden watch…

“20 seconds Colonel, we may see each other again, on the other side…”

“I hope we will Sir. I would be disappointed if we didn’t”

The colonel smiled widely and closed his eyes. One final thought crossed his mind. What If condition 9 doesn’t start on time? He didn’t find any answers when the bright green light enveloped the room and his figure, intensifying each second. The singularity roared with fury extending more and more, consuming everything on its patch. And then both the President and the Colonel were disintegrated by the quickly shifting energies of the singularity. Whole planet was quickly being enveloped in that strange green light causing different shifts of reality, time and dimension. The Earth as humans knew it was gone and something new was born, with the sturdy human constructs still intact and waiting… Waiting for the proper condition... Waiting for the signal to awaken.