Level 4 Compromises

Now, we know how easily smallpox spreads. However, smallpox in its entirety was completely unknown to our wonderful pony friends here. In fact, the worst disease they'd ever had was that sickness outbreak in Ponyville after some distasteful muffins were made. To ponyfolk, that's all there was, so they had nothing to fear.

In the little town I mentioned earlier, smallpox had already begun to spread. The first thing you couldn't deny was the smell. It was dreadful. The man lying prone outside the steel ball had begun to stink horribly. This was the pus underneath his skin, and it was one of the foretelling signs of smallpox. Two griffons in particular had already come down with smallpox, because they were the only ones brave enough to stand their ground when an alien steps out of his ship. None of the two knew it, and this is often considered the deadliest part of smallpox: you can be spreading the virus to so many other people before you even start to feel ill. The two had the oncoming signs of smallpox. Crimson, one of the two griffons, was a medic-for-hire in the little town. When the Philip had landed, many of them sensed that the man was not well. While it burdened him to do so, Crimson had begun quickly assessing the alien. He noted the odor and the disturbing appearance of his body, but they were perceived as common traits, and Crimson assumed the man had sustained injury upon impact. He had gone home to sleep, alone in his house. He had never looked into dating or anything of the sort, mostly because he was one of the only griffons who could use his wits rather than raising a claw.

Twilight was being sent to analyze the body. After the frantic call from the sheriff, Celestia thought that sending somepony over would console him, even if no explanation was found. She regretted doing this, as Twilight had just been coronated, and it seemed wrong to send her off to what she would call "field work". However, there weren't many options. Many ponies in Equestria were suited for the job, but none of them had put in as much studying as her pupil. Although what were called "humans" seemed to be only a myth, Twilight had dedicated herself into studying them. She was fascinated with their anatomy and mythology. Although she didn't seem quite as enthusiastic about them as others, she was the most qualified to look at what appeared to be a human.

The second griffon in question was named Blaze, a famous flier, as well as Gilda's cousin. She'd taken part in Young Fliers competitions before, and had won quite a few awards. While she wasn't called to action, she had stood there, looking at the pod in anger. Whatever had landed in her town would certainly be kicked out. Of course, she hadn't prepared herself for a confrontation with the human, so she simply watch Philip collapse in front of the crowd. She was the first griffon in that town to develop symptoms, but she would be the key to getting the virus elsewhere.

Twilight, perhaps, was the most prepared for an epidemic. She had crafted herself a space suit: what we may call a Chemturion. Its purpose was to keep the body free of airborne viruses. Areas where this was required were called "Level 4" zones. Given to laboratories where Ebola, smallpox, and other viruses were in play, the door was under negative air pressure, meaning it kept all the air in the room without a chance for it to escape. The Chemturion was a large, blue, airtight suit. A helmet slid down securely as dry air was streamed in from the back. If you had claustrophobia, you wouldn't want to get in this suit. People have freaked out and lost their minds in these things. She had only crafted such a horrendous thing when she worked with contagious viruses, such as feather flu. Of course, she wouldn't have need it had she not become an alicorn, and she cursed her wings every time she had to slip into that suit.

She began to set up a small "gray zone" near the crash site. The gray zone was the area between the prep area and the hot zone. Chemical showers were a big aspect of it, cleansing you before you entered it. However, chemicals were hard to come by, so Twilight settled for some water. While she had no idea what lay before her, she wasn't going to take the risk that this human was infectious. It frightened a few of the griffons in town, who had been told to leave the quarantine area, that she was wearing an "armor suit", but she didn't have much of a choice. Stepping into the hot zone, which had been sealed off with sticky tape and warnings, she began to analyze the subject. Neither the sticky tape nor the warnings would have been of real help, but that's a decision Twilight looks back on with regret. She had studied a lot about humans. While she wasn't obsessed with them like other ponies she knew, she found them to be interesting. She loved the mythology, whether it be the pyramids of a land named Giza, or how a revolution formed a nation, it interested her how these creatures worked. She didn't approve of everything they did, specifically the slaughter, but that wasn't her problem. What she knew for fact, however, was the general appearance of a human. Generally smooth skin, something called hair, two legs, two arms, a head, and a body was the most of what she knew. This man had all of those, but not the smooth skin. She knew about the aging process, so she was going to assume that the creature had grown old, but his hair was still present, unlike most older men. She tugged at it, the roar of dry air filling her space suit. Not a wig. So what was wrong with this man? She could assume it was a skin condition, but she couldn't make a firm decision. Backing into the gray zone, she unplugged the air, took off her helmet, and rested.

Twilight eventually decided that to make a full conclusion, she would need the body brought home. There was little argument with the griffons; most of them were deadly afraid of whatever it was. Twilight brought her equipment and the body into her lab in her library at home. She suspended the body in a clear glass case, just in case. Before dusk approached, Spike had gone to sleep, leaving Twilight in the dim light of her study, books of human anatomy and history sprawled on her desk. Flipping pages, she wanted to give up. This was a hopeless endeavor. She was going to call it a skin condition. Finally, on a page in her history book, she found something strange that made her want to vomit. They were pictures of smallpox-ridden victims, showing the stages of the virus as it progressed through the human body. Rashes, pustules, and finally scars covered the bodies. It was horrifying to look at. She glanced away, turning to the body suspended in the case. Scars had marred his body. Were they burns that had been created as he burned through their atmosphere? She read into it, despite how much it disgusted her.

Victims report a burning feeling wherever the rash is present, as well as extraordinary pain in those areas as well. High fever, dizziness, and weakness are all foretelling signs of smallpox. A vaccine has been found recently, marking an end to....

Twilight didn't read much past that. So far, no one had said anything regarding that, and it wasn't likely that it would happen. Perhaps smallpox wasn't lethal to ponies, she thought. The book said nothing about that, so she had to assume it was fine. Still, she couldn't shake the idea that something was wrong. Whether it was the disease or the griffons, something just wasn't right.