The Secrets of Caduceus

Everypony trots through the beautiful flower garden courtyard and into the tall blue building. Inside, I see room with marble flooring and marble walls. Giant potted plants and flowers decorate the large room. A waiting area lies near the entrance, and is outlined by a row of couches that make up a square formation. Ponies bustle back and forth trying to get reservations  for dinner, trying to fix miscommunications about reservations, and meeting the ponies in their reserved parties.

In the centre of the lobby is a giant glass tube that reaches up into the higher floors of the restaurant.

"What is that?" I ask, pointing at the giant glass tube.

Strings replies, "My sources tell me that it's a giant elevator that leads up to different floors of the restaurant. The kitchen is on the second highest floor, the dining areas are on every floor below the kitchen, and the executive office is on the top floor."

"I see. This really is a technologically advanced city. I can see that it's not even using magic to power it."

Everypony makes their way to the glass tube, and the glass doors open as each step into the elevator. A silent hum fills the tube as the elevator platform slowly ascends higher and higher. As we rise, we pass by floors and floors of ponies in formal wear in the dining areas. The tube provides a full three hundred and sixty degree view of each floor. Red velvet carpets line the floor, marble pillars sustain the ceiling, and sky blue steel steel walls hold the entire thing together.

Finally, we reach the fourth floor of the building. It's modelled in the exact same fashion as the other floors. The platform stops, and then S.I.R.T. proceeds to the first step of it's operation.

"There he is. Tailor Velvet, over at the table near the giant curtains." Ace says, as he points to the gargantuan glass window with gargantuan drapes to match it.

I look over to where she points, and see a young red stallion with a brown mane running down his neck. He's sitting alone at a glass table under the giant window.

Then, I notice that only two (2) mares had followed me off the elevator. Strings and Ace walk forwards towards the target. I decide to split off from the group for a little bit, and try to find our missing Thorns.

I slip back into the elevator non-chalauntly, but should I go up or down? Surely Thorns wouldn't have tried to go back to the ground floor. Maybe this a part of the plan that Ace 'forgot' to mention to me specifically. Or maybe Aura sensed us, and now she's done something with Thorns! Regardless, I'm still going to look for her.

I step into the glass tube and begin to ascend up the building. As I'm rising, I then remember the device that's placed in my ear.

The communicator! I can use it to try and find her.

I tap the earpiece, a beep sounds, and then I begin to speak, "Hello? Thorns, come in!"

Waiting patiently, the humming of the elevator is the only noise that can be heard.

Then, suddenly, "This is a problem Apollo. You made the right decision looking for her, try checking the higher floors. Strings and I will deal with Tailor."

I nod, knowing that nopony will see it, and trot into the middle of the moving platform for a better view of each floor.

For every level I pass, each becomes emptier and emptier. I soon find myself at the top floor, the executive's office.

Unlike the rest of the building, the glass is tainted black and non-transparent. I exit the glass tube and trot into a room that matches the fanciness of the dining area. Red velvet carpets line the floor, and marble walls surround me. But instead of tables, wooden desks are scattered symmetrically around the room.

There's a distinct lack of ponies working at said desks, strange...

Suddenly, a crackling voice begins to come from nowhere, "Apollo... Outside the window... Over here..."

Realizing the voice is from my communicator, I gallop straight for the window that overlooks the city. By window, I mean the giant glass wall that wraps all around the tip of the building.

Outside, I see a certain blue mare dangling from a rope attached to her stomach. The other end of the rope is attached to a cloud that remains motionless a few metres away.

"Behind you!" I hear her shout through the ear communicator.

*BANG*

The glass in front of me cracks, and I spin around to find a small group of armed bulky stallions standing by the elevator door.

I dive for cover by the nearest desk, as bullets begin to fly above me. With no gun, the options I have a limited to surrender or die.

"Apolo! Thorns! Come in!" A familiar earth pony's voice shouts into my ear

Thorns replies, "We're here. Coronis is trapped under gunfire, and I'm... Hanging."

"Hanging-- Whatever, you don't need to explain. I'm sending Dove up now, we're just warming up to Tailor."

Hopefully she can get here before I get pierced by a bullet. Each gunshot sounds like it's getting closer, and in turn, the ponies shooting at me are as well. I can't tell how many gunners there are, but I think I saw about six (6) of them.

"Ace, I'm kinda of... Caught with something as well..." Dove's voice responds.

"What kind of 'something' are we talking about here?" Ace asks.

*SCREECH*

The communicator begins to make strange noises, it looks like somepony's earpiece is malfunctioning. But I don't have any time to ask, as I'm currently being barraged by a storm of bullets.

Suddenly, the gunfire stops. Then, I hear something strange coming from behind the desk. It's.. A voice, but it's sounds extremely distorted, almost robotic...

"Chance of survival... Calculating... Confirmed. Zero point five percent. Current options limited to two, surrender or confiscation of life. You have thirty minutes to comply." The voice says.

Don't tell me this place has...

I peek out of from behind the desk, and I'm almost not surprised by what I see. A pony covered in metal armour stands tall in front of me. A metal helmet sits on his head, and a glowing red strip of transparent covers his eyes.

"Thorns...?" I ask without moving a muscle.

"Yes?" A flat toned voice replies.

"Does this place have robots?"

"Yes."

"Great."

"Yup."

The android interrupts the short conversation, "Cease conversation with your comrade, and come with us."

I let out a sigh, seeing as there's no other option, "Very well."

After standing up, the rest of the shooters are revealed as mechanical ponies as well. Just what is this place?!

As I start walking alongside the robot, I stop and remember the mare outside hanging from a cloud, "Wait! I know I have no chance of survival, and I know you don't really owe me anything because you're... Well, a robot. But can you please let my friend over there--"

I turn around, to find that Thorns is missing! Only a cloud with an empty noose remains hanging in the sky. Where in the world did she--

*SCREECH*

The sound of metal scraping metal drives me to the ground. I look up with my hooves over my ears to see what's making that awful noise.

A blue mare stands on top of a pile of metal ponies, each with a series of multiple gaping holes in their armour. The blue mare wields two long slender blades that are attached to the anklets on her forehooves. A rotary disc on the anklets seem to allow the user to angle the blades to their preference. Another futuristic device that seems unrealistic.

She jumps forward onto the metal pony and starts slashing away mercilessly. Her silver steel blades furiously whip back and forth as she cuts deep into the metal. The hilts, which are attached to her anklets, are red and decorated with a bloomed rose on the end of each of them.

It only takes about ten (10) seconds flat before the armoured stallion is covered in gashes and cut marks in his steel plating. Thorns performs an unneeded backflip off of her prey as it collapses to the ground.

"Hurry up. Whoever sent these soldiers after us will surely know that they've been deactivated. We need to regroup with Ace, she already has Tailor in custody." She says, as she dashes back into the elevator.

I close my jaw, which was previously hanging wide open, and then follow her down the glass tube. Impatiently she taps her right fore hoof on the transparently metal surface we stand on.

Strange, the lift seems to be going down faster than usual...