The Pre-Occupational assigNment fYnal, or the P.O.N.Y, was starting tomorrow, and I needed to study everything I needed to know to become a scavenger. Why a scavenger you may ask. Where do I start? Scavengers get to leave the Safe to look for supplies for everypony. I don't care much for the supply part. What I really want to do is get out. I've been living in this Safe for 16 years, ever since I was born. We're forbidden from leaving, with the exception of scavengers, like I said. My brother used to be a scavenger. But he disappeared while on a mission to get to Canterlot. No pony ever bothered to look for him, which pissed me off when I learned about it.
I was looking over my brother's old records. It contained all the answers he chose on the P.O.N.Y test to get the job, when a knock came to the door. I was sort of relived. All I've been doing was trying to find a way to sneak the test answers into the EC (Educational Chamber) for tomorrow. I needed to take a break. I opened the door and saw August, my best friend. He looked excited for something. He had something behind him. It looked like a rifle. But I knew that was impossible. No civies were allowed to own weapons. Only the security force was allowed to acquire weapons, and August was sort of a goody-two-horseshoe. Civies is civilians of Safes. He would never break the rules. I asked the only question in my head. "How did you get that gun?" I asked in shock. August's grin grew wider and he brought out another one. "Are those real?" He just shook his head furiously and tossed one of the guns to me.
I barely caught it out of the sky. August motioned for me to follow him. I looked back at my desk, where the records were. "But I need to study for the P.O.N.Y tomorrow." August hoof-faced himself and held out his hoof. I gave back the gun. He walked off into the metal hallway looking for someone else to shoot with. I looked at my Pip-Pony attached to my hoof. It was already past midnight. I groaned and slumped back into my chair and looked at the records again. I could hear my clock ticking. The sounds bounced off the walls and slammed into my ear. It made them twitch. I looked at my Pip again and now noticed that it was almost 2 in the morning. I just threw my hooves in the air and walked into the bedroom. I jumped into bed and fell asleep before my face even hit the pillow. Of course, I dreamed about the stupid test. I dreamed that I got some low job like a plumber or something like that.
I woke up to a loud, high-pitched noise coming from my arm. It was the alarm I had set on my Pip-Pony. I threw the covers off me and slowly, but surely, got up. I went into the bathroom and took a quick shower. The warm water made me drowsy and I almost fell asleep standing up. I jumped out and quickly dried myself off. I got into my brown and dark yellow Safe suit in record time and headed for the EC. Ponies, all of the same age as me, were standing outside the EC, talking about what job they wanted. No one from what I could tell wanted to be a scavenger. The chamber doesn't open for another hour. While waiting, I saw August, along with his girlfriend, Hazel. She always had a curly, green mane that always reflected the light. And her Safe suit always seems to be too tight for her body. I decided to talk to my friends before taking the P.O.N.Y. I'm sure that's what everyone does, right? "Morning, August! Hey, Hazel." I cheerily said. August smiled and waved. Hazel waved as well, looking at me with those seductive eyes of hers. I blushed, but I tried not to show it. She was already with August. I really need to remember that. "What're you hoping to get?" I asked, trying to find a way to start a conversation. "I'm hoping to get the job as a mechanic. I've always been fascinated with machines." replied Hazel. August shrugged. I'm guessing he was going to be whatever he got. Classic August, never knowing what to choose.
The sign saying "Educational Chamber" above the entrance lit up. It was time. I was getting nervous. I took quick breaths and entered the room. It was a dark classroom wit a projector illuminating a image of the Safe mascot with the words "P.O.N.Y" above it. Everyone was taking their seats. Those who were too late needed to stand up to take the test. I was lucky enough to find a seat right next to the projector. The teacher, Mr. Gage, was handing everypony the packet. "This is it, this is it" I kept repeating in my head. As soon as Mr. Gage placed the packet on my desk, I ripped in out and read through the instructions at light speed. I finally got to the first question.
"1. You are out in the wasteland. There are two roads that lead to your destination. You need to deliver supplies. One will get you there quicker, but you will meet much more resistance. The other takes longer, but there will be less chance of engaging in combat. What will you do?
a.) Take the shorter route. You are equipped with the weapons to surpass the resistors.
b.) Take the longer route. You need to get the supplies to the destination. Take no chances.
c.) Turn back.
d.) Build a robot to protect you.
Answer: A
- A survivor is looking to trade with you. Your supplies are requested by a high-priority client. What will you do?
a.) Trade with the survivor. He won't need much.
b.) Refuse to trade and be on your way. The mission is too important.
c.) Say nothing.
d.) Trade everything in exchange for mechanical parts.
Answer: B"
After a few more pages of question, I turned my packet in. Mr. Gage smiled and told me that I could leave. The results would be posted later that day. I was too tired by the test to think straight. You wouldn't believe me if I told you, but the test really stresses you out. I was planning to go get a bite to eat at the bar and clear my head when I noticed something. A low, buzzing noise, coming from the Safe entrance. I know it was forbidden to see the entrance hall, but I was too curious. I slowly opened the door leading to the entrance. The guard was asleep. Behind the guard was a bunch of monitors, showing video feed of the Safe, including the outside. A group of ponies, all wearing Wastelander armor and carrying rifles, were standing outside. I recognized them by their armor. They were bandits. I've never heard of them trying to raid a Safe before. Sure, they've attacked some settlements, but they've never attacked a Safe. They were carving a hole into the entrance! I swung my head at the Safe entrance and sure enough, a drill was slowly making its way through the door, leaving behind a hole large enough for a full-grown pony to squeeze through. I dashed out of the entrance and into the halls. Shortly after, I heard gunshots and yelling. I looked back. The ponies were through the Safe entrance, and probably killed the guard. One of them spotted me and began to fire at my direction. I barely was able to dodge the bullets and get out of the way. The alarms were set off and the Safe was flooded in dark red light. It was much harder to see.
I ran past the bar, where the bandits were killing everyone inside. I saw some pony at the door window. A security officer was bashing at the door, trying to get out. I tried to open the door, but it was jammed. I tried to budge it, but I looked at the window on the door, and it was covered in blood. I knew I was too late. But as I thought, I realized that I could grab a weapon from the officer, but I needed to keep the bandits in mind. As if on cue, the door was beginning to slide open. It must of been locked from the inside. I rolled behind a box and hid there for a solid ten minutes. After that, I looked back up and entered the bar. Ponies were laying all over the floors, staining it with blood. I tried to step over the bodies out of respect. The officer didn't have a gun on him. I looked around the floor and luckily, there was a pistol laying next to a waitress, who's body was on top of a table. I grabbed it and tried to find a way to remove the clip. Even though I've never used a gun, I've read about them. I guess that's a little close to experience. I found a little button near the grip. I pressed it and the mag dropped out. I picked it up off the ground and looked at it. It was full, but there were no more mags around. I had to conserve the shots. I put the mag back in the grip. Suddenly, a pony appeared from the back of the bar. He had some food in his hooves. He must of been raiding the freezer where they kept the food. As soon as he saw me, he dropped the food and pointed his gun at me. I snapped and pulled the trigger on my pistol. A small but powerful force pushed my hoof back a bit, followed by the smell of smoke. I opened my eyes and looked att eh raider. Blood was pouring out of his neck. He was gasping for breath and he keeled over and continued to gasp for air. He eventually bled to death. I continued to stand there and stare at the bandit's blood covered body. I've never killed somepony. I've never even gotten in a fight before.
I was still in shock over what I did when I heard the door behind me open. I turned around. It was some security soldiers. "You there!" one of them yelled, pointing at me. "We're executing Order Alpha Charlie Niner-niner. Come with us!" I read about that sequence. It meant the security forces were evacuating Safe #28. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. We were leaving the Safe. It was the entire reason I studied day and night for the past month for the P.O.N.Y. Well, that entire month was a waste. But at least I finally get to see the Wasteland. But, I guess fate doesn't want anypony out of the Safe. As the announcement declared the order, the officers and I headed for the Safe entrance, but the bandits must of known what the order meant too, because as we reached the door to the entrance, bandits were surrounding it, preventing anypony from leaving. Some Safe civies were lined up. They were all blinded and gagged. They were kneeling with the bandits pointing the guns at them. As we were spying on the bandits, I accidentally tripped and the sound of me tripping echoed across the entire bunker. When I looked back up, the civies were on the ground, bullets pierced through their heads and blood flowing out soon after. The bandits saw us and opened fire. The security officers told me to take cover as they returned fire. Even with the training and experience, the officers were eventually gunned down by the bandits' large numbers. But they diffidently made a dent in the bandits as well.
Looking at the officers's bodies, I noticed that their rifles were still operational. I grabbed one and peeked out of cover. I leaned against the rifle and began shooting. I struck a few before they fired back at me. My gun soon stopped shooting and just made clicking noises. I hid back in cover and took out the mag. I dug through the officers's pockets, looking for more ammo. Eventually, I found one and inserted the clip. I peeked out again and pulled the trigger, but the gun still didn't fire. I was confused. Then I remembered that I needed to clear the gas system to fire again. I pulled back a peg on the side of the rifle and the gun clicked. I fired and it did so. Soon, all the bandits were eliminated. I jumped up with excitement. I never felt the adrenaline you get when you shoot a gun. I liked it.
But I had to shake it off if I wanted to escape. I ran over the bodies and ran into the Safe entrance chamber. I shut the door behind me and looked around the controls. I had no idea how to operate the door. Then, I found a terminal with an entrance opening command. I clicked on the command, but then a box opened up. It said "Enter Pass code". I was stumped. Then I had an idea. The guard who was on duty here must have the the pass code. I rummaged through his pockets for something. Then, I found a piece of paper with a four letter word on it. "Open" Clever pass code. I inputted the code into the box. The terminal made a electric buzzing, then a loud grinding noise echoed in the small room. The door began rolling out of the way, allowing me to leave. A grin grew across my face. I was finally going to see the Wasteland. I was still thinking about my friends and family back in the Safe, but I knew it was survival of the fittest. I opened a locker on the other end of the room. I found a gas mask, another pistol, some pistol rounds, and security armor. I put on the armor, strapped on the gas mask, and grabbed the rounds and put it in a side bag attached to my armor. I took a deep, hot breath and took my first steps on the radiated dirt of New Pegasus.
The gas mask was really choking me. It was boiling inside. And the Sun wasn't really helping. I took a look around the Wasteland. I was shocked. It was much different from what I though it would look like. Dust storms were blowing across the land. Electricity lines were snapped and hanging from tall structures. One-story houses were completely destroyed. Windows cracked or missing, entire rooms buried underneath the collapsed roof. It was hard to believe that one bomb could do all this. I looked around. I spotted hoof prints in the dirt. It was a peculiar shape. It was the same shape as August. He must of escaped before the bandits surrounded the entrance. If the tales of the Wasteland were true, then I would need all the company I could get. I followed the hoof prints. It led to a slightly-less destroyed house. "August!" I yelled. "Are you there!?" No answer. I walked up to the house and yelled his name again. All I could hear was the harsh wind and the glass shards cracking beneath my hooves. But, soon, another noise was heard. It was shaking. Shaking wood to be exact. I turned around a saw a shaking wardrobe. I pulled out my pistol and opened the wardrobe door slowly. The next hing I knew, I was tackled down by a unknown force. I could feel the glass shards pricking at my back. Luckily, my armor was keeping it from piercing my skin. The being was swinging a rusty knife around wildly, trying to stab me in the heart.
I tried to free myself, but the being was surprisingly strong. I couldn't tell who it was over the dust, which was blocking most of my view through the goggles. Whoever it was, I'm sure he would stop if I just showed him, or her, who it was. I pulled my mask off and let my body be exposed to the radiated air. The being stopped trying to stab me. It WAS August. August was already standing up, realizing that he was about to stab his best friend. "Zelig!? You're alive!? Oh, Celestia, I'm so sorry!" He kept apologizing while I slowly got up. "August, it's alright... I'm just glad you're alive." I truly was. It was good to see a friendly face after that raid in Safe #28. I realized that Haley wasn't with him. But probably mentioning her to August would make him emotional. "How'd you get out of the Safe?" I asked August. "I was about to ask you the same thing." said August. "I just shot my way out." I said triumphantly. "I took the more sneaky way out." Of course he did.
As we talked about what happened, I noticed a town just down the road from where we were. I told August and he got the idea of going there to find some supplies. We traveled down the cracked cement road and arrived at the town in no time. Most buildings already collapsed, and the ones that weren't were nailed shut. I cursed out loud. But then, I heard some thing walking up behind us. I looked behind me and saw another pony. He was wearing tattered clothes and his body wasn't much cleaner. The pony spoke in a cracked, dry voice. "Those're Safe clothin', I reckon?" he said in a strong accent. August and I remained quiet. "Th' quiet types, ah see. Well, if yer gonna survive out in th' Wasteland, yer gonna need new clothin'. Them bandit fellas would love t' have yer flanks on a pike." That was certainly useful to know. "Do you know if there's any populated city around here?" I asked, trying to change the subject. The pony thought for a second. Then, he motioned as if he had an idea. "Well, there is Las Pegasus. It's held out by th' N.E.I.G.H.S. Ya'll better be careful and keep yer head down if yer gonna head over there. But if ya just follow th' rules and stay out o' their way, ya'll be just fine." I've heard about Las Pegasus before. But I've never heard much other than that it's one of the only cities to not be completely destroyed by the bomb. The ponies living there weren't as lucky, however. The blast, as well as the radiation from the aftermath, slowly killed the ponies living in the once-bustling city.
The city was our best chance at survival in the Wasteland. But we had no idea where to go. And with all the monsters, bandits, and other dangerous things out there, it only made our journey more difficult. I even heard that they cleaned up all the radiation in the city. Although that may just be an urban myth, it's still worth checking out. We thanked the pony, who was gone by the time me and August made up our minds, and headed for our new goal. Who knows, we may even find a few more companions on our journey. My Pip was starting to beep and glow. The same was happening to August's Pip-Pony. I looked at mine. On the screen, it said "New map radio source detected. Download data?" Then the two options yes and no appeared. I looked at August, then back at the Pip-Pony. I clicked yes, and the Pip shut off, then turned back on. Nothing seemed different. I switched to the map, and realized that the map was different. It wasn't of the Safe anymore. It was of the entire Wasteland. That made this a little easier. I marked Las Pegasus on the Pip and we began our long and perilous journey towards New Pegasus. Over the horizon, off in the distance, I spotted a tall tower. It was the Pegasus Needle. Seeing the tower gave me a little bit of hope. I couldn't explain it, and I still can't, but it did.
Day 0: Nighttime
Our first day camping out in the Wasteland. Not exactly a great first. The nights were unbearably long and hot. Monsters wouldn't shut up so it was impossible to sleep. August and I had to take turns on lookout while the other slept for probably 20 minutes. We didn't really have any weapons to do any damage. Hopefully, if we run into any other town, they’ll have some real weapons. My Pip showed that there was a little town not too far. About a 2 hour journey on hoof. But, we were in no condition to walk anymore. Following the Pegasus Needle was not the best idea out here. The dust storms never let up. And, of course, they’re always right on us. So most of the time, we end up going the wrong way. On the bright side of things, we haven’t run into any trouble. At least not yet.
Day 1: Morning
Finally, the Sun began to rise over the horizon. I was on lookout when the Sun rose. It was so bright; it was as if another bomb was detonated. My eyes took a good five minutes to adjust. I shook August furiously, trying to wake him. One thing you need to know about August, he was a damn heavy sleeper. He could have probably slept through the bandit raid if they got to the Safe any earlier then they did. I resorted to kicking his body, but he wouldn't budge. I shot into the air and he flew off the mat. “I’m up! I’m up!” he yelled, still partially asleep. “Morning, Sun shine!” I joked. He gave me a sour look and got up, brushing off the dust from his suit. “Come on.” I said. “We got a long day today.” “Like we needed it to be any longer…” he mumbled under his breath. He was never good at staying awake either.
As we headed down the cracked road, what the pony we met when first left the Safe said, about changing our suits, was bouncing around through my head. “Maybe the town up ahead will have some clothes for us to buy.” I thought. It was getting hot in the suit. I could tell the same thing was happening to August. He was becoming a waterfall of sweat.
Havenwyn was established near the end of the war. It pretty much acted as a place for soldiers to get a little R&R before sending them to their deaths. After the bomb, every one left. But it was recently brought back up by some wanderers who happened to pass by the town and decided to settle there. The town wasn't very impressive when we arrived, but then again, neither was the entire land now. The first thing August ran for was the outhouse. All of the locals were giving us looks. At first I thought it was because August nearly trampled ten ponies trying to get to the bathroom, but then as I looked around, there were a bunch of other ponies, all nailed to differently shaped metal beams. Beneath the nailed bodies were bonfires that slowly crept up to the helpless victim. I could tell they were all alive, but barely. Next to one of the dying ponies was a red flag with a strange looking creature on it. It appeared to be a dragon hybrid with a deer antler on the right side of his head, a blue goat horn on the left, one long fang, a snake tongue, a goat beard, the right arm of a lion, the left claw of an eagle, the right leg of a lizard, the left leg of a goat, a bat's right wing, a pegasus' left wing, and a dragon-like snake's tail with a white tail tuft. The shape of the creatures body resembled that of a snake. The creature was encircling a Sun and Moon crescent symbol. The flag barely fluttered due to the lack of wind.
I was turning into a nervous wreck just by looking at the poor bastards, and I don't even know what the ponies who did this look like yet. Then, ponies in red-colored armor got out of the houses, all armed with weapons. Their armor appeared to be made out of animal hide. Out of all the intimidating-looking ponies, one walked up to me. I noticed that he had a dusty old rifle strapped to his back, along with a rusty machete. Judging from the difference in his armor, I could easily guess that this one was the leader. He stared at my suit for a good 5 minutes, then he spoke in a deep, dry voice. "This is Safe clothing, yes?" I tried to say yes, but all that came out of my mouth was the sound of chattering teeth. "And your friend?" He pointed to the outhouse, where August just exited with a face of relief slapped on his face. I nodded. Two other ponies walked to the leader's side, one accompanied by a dog who was growling loudly, the other armed with a double barrel shotgun that was held together by tape. Finally, I got the courage to speak. "L-look, buddy. Y-you seem like a nice guy. All we w-want is some new clothing and we'll b-be out of your hair." I managed to stammer out.
The guard with the shotgun suddenly lifted his weapon, aiming at me. I shot my hoof for my pistol and aimed back at him. We were in a standoff when the leader held out his hoof, aiming at both me and the guard. "Gentlecolts, that will not be necessary." I kept my aim until the guard lowered his gun, then I did the same. "New clothing, you require?" he thought for a minute while I filled in a confused August on the situation. "I will offer you a deal. Your weapon," he pointed at my pistol. "And in exchange, I will give you some of our best armor. Made from the very skin of timber wolves." It was tempting, but this pistol was our only weapon, except for the knife August found in that destroyed house that he almost killed me with. I'm still gonna have to get him back for that, but we're getting off topic here. "Why do you need my pistol? You seem to be well armed already." the leader just shook his head in disappointment. "Looks can be deceiving. Our legion is very short on weapons, and our war with N.E.I.G.H.S is only beginning. We need everything we need to defeat them." I read about something with N.E.I.G.H.S. I read something about a war going on between them and a group called "Discord's Legion of Chaos". they must of been part of it.
"What do you think we should do?" I asked August. "Just give them the gun. We'll probably find more, right?" he wasn't too worried about losing our only decent weapon. Seemed a little strange of him. I sighed and took my pistol. "Alright, you have a deal." "Let us have the gun first." I handed the gun to him. He took the gun from me and looked at it with glee for a split second. He's acting pretty weird for just one gun. "I am a pony of my word, and since you have fulfilled your part of the bargain, I will fill mine." He turned to one of his guards. "Get the armor for these gentlecolts." he said in a higher, more awkward tone. I was starting to get suspicious. The guard entered a tall building that appeared to be in the center of town, and exited a few minutes later carrying two pieces of armor on his shoulder. He plopped it down in front of me, letting both ash and dirt fly into my eyes. I wiped them clean and took a look at the armor. It was indeed tough and thick, but one thing bothered me. The theme of the armor. It had the legion's symbol all over it, along with it's main colors. If any N.E.I.G.H.S saw me, they would probably shoot on sight. Maybe if we were lucky enough to find some paint, we could go over it. But I couldn't complain. We needed protection against the dangers of the Wasteland, and this armor was going to give us just that.
