Chapter One: Stable 30

Fallout Equestria: A Wanderer’s Tale

By TornadoFIM

Chapter One: Stable 30

“If the door was never to be opened again -- how would we know what was on the other side?”

Silence.

Stable 30 was never really the most cheery place, nor was it the most exciting. Ponies would just get out of bed and get to work depending on their cutie mark and what was predicted of them on the C.A.T. I had grown up here and with that being said, I was also destined to die here. I had no job which was pretty unfortunate and as you might think, pretty stupid. Most or rather, all Ponies within the Stables were meant to be given a particular job, I however was not so lucky and honestly, I could care less. My sister and I, Cyclone, live together. Same room, same Stable as you may have guessed. My sister however works as a nurse -- not the kind that will just do check ups, but she was the type of nurse who would check up on wounds and illnesses. Since our parents died, we’ve been much closer to each other.

Stable 30’s employment system wasn’t exactly the greatest. If you were even slightly disabled in anyway, no matter if it was mentally or physically, they’d turn you down instantly. That’s what happened with my mother -- she was paralysed in the wings and they turned her down. Not that she needed them in anyway down here. My father however worked as a doctor who treated those with different injuries and illnesses. No matter if they were mental illnesses or illnesses like flu.

It was within the dying minutes of the working hours. The very mundane corridors of Stable 30 were brightly lit up with the large, rectangular bulbs that ran along the ceiling, beaming down into the shiny, silver surface of the floor. The depressing, grey walls, scratched with large scratches draped all over the walls, revealing some of the silver plating of the steel beneath the colorless paint. Stains of different possible causes lingered around the cables that stuck out of the plastic boxing for the wires nailed to the corners of both the ceiling and the floor; some of the cables were laid out untidily along the floor, making it a blatant hazard. The corridors were tight and very claustrophobic which for some made it hard to cope with. The unfortunate ones very much like me were not within the Atrium, but were closer to the reactor level.

Dust floated around in the dull atmosphere as it hovered around the warmth of the lights fixed onto the ceiling. The dark room I was sat within was poorly lit up. The windows were murky and stained with a yellowing, dry coating. The only light source I had was coming from within the corridors and also the healthy green light on the PipBuck on my left hoof, but the room was slightly visible within the dark. The bed, sitting against the right-hoof wall, where the rusty steel frame it was made out of was rough and degrading. It was a single bed, but the dull, green bed sheets laid upon it were fairly clean. There were two white, fluffy pillows at either side. One side being mine and the other side being Cyclone’s. The desk I sat at was placed against the back wall, where the cold, wooden surface pressed against my hooves. It had wheels beneath it, making it easy to move and adjust. It had three drawers stacked on top of each other, each of them with a handle in the shape of a half circle so those without horns much like myself could open it. One tall, grey and plain wardrobe sat within the right-hoof corner where two, thin and mundane doors made of the same scratched steel as the corridor walls were attached to the base of it. Two empty plastic boxes were sitting on top of wardrobe, gathering dust.

I sat at the desk in complete silence, alone and bored. The sound of the fans within the air ducts around the Stable hummed through the atmosphere, making it quite relaxing for an upbeat buck like myself. But I just wanted some peace and quiet. Which for the most part I got, just me on my own sitting in the darkness. Not very exciting but it was as good as it got when it came to having some peace and quiet.

I slouched down, placing my muzzle onto the desk, just staring at the scarred and dirty tabletop before me. The sound of hoof steps echoing through the corridors was heard, before the sound of the door opening and grinding against the rusty gears within the mechanics. A bright light from the corridors flooded in before a shadow took its place once again. I lifted my snout from the table, my ears twitching and then glancing back at the pony that had entered the room.

“Look who decided to get out of bed.”

Seeing a blue mare with a long, blue and white mane styled in a similar style as Rainbow Dash’s was standing in the doorway. Her PipBuck: glowing the bright green color that it had on the screen. Her scarlet eyes glowing within the green aura of the PipBuck screen and her bright blue and yellow Stable jacket that she wore underneath the doctor’s coat also revealed from the green glow. She had a small, brown pouch sitting on her back -- this was her saddle bag. It was a smooth and leather and also contained her cutie mark which was a gradient tornado with a black lightning bolt down the middle of it. The smirk upon her face growing as she looked at me. This was my sister.

“‘Bout time you did -- while I’m at work, you get to sit here and do nothin’ all day!” She walked into the room, before sitting onto the bed and then taking off her doctor’s coat which wrapped over her Stable jacket. “I’m taking a guess that you’ve been sitting here all day.”

“I didn’t actually…” I mumbled tiredly, “I had to run a few errands. I yawned before glancing back to her yet again, seeing her lying on the bed. She giggled to herself in a matter of disbelief.

“Oh yeah? What exactly were those errands?” She said as she reached into the small saddle bag that lay beside her. Looking into the small pouch sitting next to her, she poked her nose into it as she looked around within it.

“Just some errands…”

“Yeah right. If you ever did a job, it would be sleeping for six hours.” Cyclone laughed to herself. Her disbelief made me slightly angry, but she was the average sister. The type who loves to irritate their family members especially brothers or sisters. It was fun at times, but sometimes it got a little… annoying.

Sitting there in silence, I placed my head on the desk with my face looking down at the scarred surface of the desk. The sound of hooves shuffling in a full bag prevented me from sleeping. Cyclone soon let out a cry of success. As if she was searching for something and finally found it. I turned back to look at her to see her holding a small, round object within her hooves. It glowed softly with an aqua tone. The glow wasn’t too strong, but it faded in and out softly and gently. Getting onto my hooves and walking towards Cyclone, I looked at the orb within her hooves as she held it.

“What’s that?” I asked with a tone of curiosity. She looked up at me, her red eyes looking into mine as I looked back into hers. A small, loving smile spread across her face as she soon closed her hooves over it to prevent herself from dropping it.

“It’s an old good luck charm of mine -- it always helped me to get through my day, and maybe it might help you some day,” she slowly pushed her hooves towards me, offering to give me the small orb. “It helped me remember how mom and dad are still with us, no matter if they are dead. I want you to have it.”

“C-Cyclone… I-”

“Please… take it.” Cyclone interrupted me, as she used one of her hooves to take mine before lifting it off of the ground and then placing it on there and holding it there, “no matter how far apart we are, we’ll always be together my brother.”

Staring at in silence, I nodded in a thank you. I felt like I was stealing off of her, as it was originally hers. I didn’t want to take it, but I didn’t want to refuse. I placed it on the desk I had just left, before hugging my sister gently. She hugged back. How I was grateful, I didn’t want the gift she gave me… but I didn’t want to refuse either. I took it for her sake, so she’d be happy.

Within the night, sleeping within the surprisingly comfy bed of our room within the Stable, the sound of echoing alarms suddenly woke me up. Launching myself from the back end of the bed, the alarm lights within the corridors was the only source of light, as all the lights that were in the corridor were all out. I felt no warmth nearby; I felt no pony on the other end of the bed. The ringing noise of alarms echoed throughout the steel corridors of the Stable and so did the shouts of guards and the sound of ponies running down the corridor.

I lifted myself from the bed before walking over to the large, plain wardrobe at the end of the bed. Opening one of the panel like doors, I grabbed my saddle bag which sat within the corner. Placing it onto my back and soon fastening it around me, I walked over to the desk and then grabbed the orb that Cyclone had given me. I looked into it, and then let out a sigh before placing into my saddle bag and then fastening the small flap on the top of the left bag.

Walking towards the door, I opened it and then walked out into the corridor where the sound of the alarms echoed violently around the Stable. I had to rely on the split second of light that was from each complete rotation of the alarm lights that were mounted on the walls and ceiling.

“Where is she?!”

The sound of a voice shouting from down the hallway that I was stood by boomed through the corridors. Following the sound quickly, I heard the sound of an army of hoof steps trotting along the floor within the darkness. Seeing a glimpse of a guard’s flank, I quickly picked up the pace as the sound of gunfire was heard which followed by the sound of screams of agony. The sound of the Overmare’s voice through the speakers was heard through the speakers.

“Attention all Stable 30 residents: remain within your homes, anypony seen outside of their homes will be shot on sight. This message will repeat!”

Hearing even more shots echo down the hallway, as the sound of ponies screaming and begging for mercy echoed throughout, I tried to remain silent as I trod along the long and thin corridor. This was madness, all of this was. The killing, the sudden panic and drama. What had happened? Where had Cyclone gone? Why is everything just crumbling and decaying within Stable 30?

“Find her and kill her!”

Another guard’s bitter voice was heard within the darkness in the Stable. Reaching a small room at the end of the corridor, the glowing teal screens of computers upon dusty old and rusting desks that were hugging the plain, grey walls gave me enough light to see where I was going. Large, steel and dusty shelves stood around the room containing different books and boxes stacked upon each of the weak and thin shelves. But the lights from the computers also gave away my position. As I had entered, a window was on the left me. And unfortunately, by the window was the Atrium. Guards were within the atrium, preventing those who had tried escape through there getting passed.

The sound of what seemed to be a thousand bullets being thrown at me was heard, before the glass beside me shattered as each of the bullets pierced their way through the glass. I quickly ducked down and curled up on the cold, steel floor as the sound of machine guns rebounded off of the steel walls.

“There’s one here!!”

Crap! I had to hurry and get out of sight. Quickly getting onto my hooves, I pushed my way through the large but cramped office as I tried to dodge bullets. The bullets pinged off of the shelves and walls as they failed to hit me, however I felt one of the hundreds of bullets skim the skin upon my flank. I fell with a yelp, as I felt blood draw from the thin cut upon my flank, quickly charging through the room; I reached the other side and burst through the door.

Charging down the corridor, I saw one of the Stable guards with his back turned to me in front of me. Before the young security guard could turn to face me, I quickly used my hindlegs to buck him in the back of the head. He fell forward after the powerful jolt was applied to the back of his head and with that, a small pistol dropped beside his body. Grabbing the small, silver gun with my wing, I held it in a grasp and trotted down the corridor keeping a firm grip on it.

Walking into another office, I saw a bloodied up pony lying in a pool of blood. The lack of light around the room made it hard for me to know who it was, but the wounds within the pony’s stomach and chest area were deep. The blood that leaked from them stained the Stable 30 coat with a blood red tint, as the mare coughed violently.

“D-don’t… shoot… please?”

Hearing the soft whimpers of a mare, I looked down at her with a saddened expression. They were monsters -- they were killing residents of the Stable for an invalid reason. I moved close enough so that the light on my PipBuck screen would show the face of who it was. Seeing the face come into clear view, it was not Cyclone. I felt relieved that it wasn’t her who was shot, but I felt pity for the mare that had been. The grey mare, whose mane was white and done up in a ponytail, looked up at me showing nothing but content.

“F-finally, somepony who… won’t attack me…” the young mare winced. “You’re her brother… aren’t you? The brother of Cyclone Flash? Didn’t she tell you why she left?” I blinked as she asked this. She coughed yet again, but this time spitting blood onto the floor before turning back to look at me with a weak smile.

“She never said anything…” I frowned, before looking down with a pout. She also frowned as she coughed yet again. “But why would she leave without saying why?” I felt a hoof gently touch my chest, before looking to the mare that was now losing the remainder of her life.

“S-she left this for you… before she left the Stable. You might want to have a listen to it before you chase after her,” she coughed as she reached into her jacket’s pocket and then brought out a holotape. I took the small tape off of her, before downloading it onto my PipBuck.

“Thank you…” I commented in a slightly depressed tone. So much had happened; so many ponies had been slaughtered. Was I the only sane one here? For a short while, there was silence. The only sound audible was the sound of my own breathing and the sound of guards wandering the empty Stable corridors.

“Y-you have to go… if you want to have a chance at finding her, you must go,” the mare weakly said. I got back onto my hooves and then soon left the office to get back out into the dark corridors of the Stable.

While wandering down the lonesome corridors of Stable 30, I finally found myself at a door with a glowing green sign above it stating: Overmare’s office. Upon opening the door, I entered to find the large office completely torn apart. Desks were toppled over and blood was smeared all over the walls and mainframe computers that sat near the wall. The steel, tiled flooring was no longer clean as the flickering lights that dangled and swung from side to side from the ceiling allowed some vision around the room. The Overmare’s body was mangled and curled up within the corner as various wounds had torn her body apart. There was no hope for her now.

Seeing a small hatch within the wall beside the Overmare’s body, I went to inspect it. There was a small, and barely lit up tunnel. The walls within the passage were made of perfectly crafted out of stone. The lights which hung on small threads had a weak glow that only lit up a small portion of the radius around them. I took a deep breath before squeezing myself through and then slowly walking my way through the tight corridor.

“I heard something over here!!”

I heard one of the guard’s voices behind me. I heard the hooves of a group of guards getting closer as the clopping sound echoed around the walls. I had to hurry, they were close. I started to pick up the pace, as I felt the wound on my flank grind against the wall. I groaned in pain and agony as I tried to move as fast as possible. I glanced back to see a blood trail along the wall. Son of a bitch, scraping the wound hurt a lot!

Eventually reaching the end, I pushed myself through a small gap at the end. I stumbled and fell onto the floor with a loud thud. The floor was made of a rusted steel grating, while the room I was in was a small control room where a large console sat just in front of me. Many of the glowing buttons upon the interface were large, hoof sized ones so that they could be easily pressed. The walls made of a smooth but scratched metal along the skin of it. The marks all over the walls were thin stripes that had been clawed onto the walls. Lifting my head from the steel floor, seeing a small doorway that lead into a larger room.

“Did you hear that!?”

Oh crap. There were guards here too!? But the main question was, how many? I climbed to my hooves, before walking to the doorway and then peeking out of it. A large room with the wall and ceiling being part of a cave. Crooked rocks and boulders made the walls and ceiling. A large circular, metal door at the end of the room to the left of me sat closed. There was a large number thirty on the back of it within the center. There were only two guards… thank Celestia. They were looking my way, but fortunately didn’t see me yet -- I gripped onto the pistol that was within my wing’s grasp before aiming towards the guards.

“OVER THERE!!”

Crap! They had seen me. With that bullets were soon thrown at me. Quickly ducking back behind cover, the bullets scraped against the metal. The screeching and pinging noises of the bullets grinding against the steel pierced my ears almost. I cringed and then peeked around before aiming with my pistol and firing a shot to one of the guards.

BANG!

The guards quickly ducked down and hid behind another console by the mechanism which opened the door if activated. I hid behind cover yet again and counted my breaths as silence dominated. The echoing hoof steps and whispers of the guards who were also planning were heard within the lonely silence. I quickly turned around to see the ponies peeking over the console within the center of the room. I then quickly targeted them in S.A.T.S. and then prepared to target their heads.

S.A.T.S.

S.A.T.S. is a targeting ability given to all residents of the Stables. When using S.A.T.S. you will see the limbs which are available to be chosen. Once selecting a target’s limbs, you can open fire and deal heavy damage. However, always check the percentage on a target’s limbs - the higher the percentage, the more likely you are to hit a target.

Selecting the heads successfully I soon unleashed two spinning shots towards them that quickly struck them down. Blood splashed into the air as both bullets drilled into their skulls, as the screams of agony heard from the guards was heard and a loud thump of their corpses hitting the floor was also heard. Walking over to the bodies, I glanced around the room for anymore guards that could be within the area. Luckily, I was alone yet again. I sat down at the two, bloody corpses and began to search them for items. The sight made me gip, but I was trying to ignore it. However, I wasn’t very successful with loot. I only found a small amount of ammo and a few bandages for the wound on my flank.

Standing back onto my hooves, I stood by the console which was slightly grazed by the bullets I had fired and then initiated the console to open the Stable door. The sound of an echoing alarm was heard before the mechanism moved towards the door and then gripped onto it. As the door was pulled from its locks, a loud screeching was heard as the metal grinded with the metal below the door. The door was soon rolled onto its side into the wall, revealing a cave exit beyond the large, metal door.

Going into my PipBuck, I soon selected the holotape given to me by the mare I had seen earlier and I began to play it before I left. The tape was entitled: #000000

“Tornado.

“I know it has probably shocked you that I am gone, but I have my reasons. However I cannot tell you what they are. But just remember, there are ponies at Stable 30 who will look after you and care for you. I promise you.

“I am not going to tell you where I am going, or why I have left Stable 30. But I will tell you this. Don’t follow me. Stay where you are, don’t even go anywhere near the door to leave Stable 30. I have a life of my own now and it’s about time you took care of yourself. I’m sorry, Tornado.”

The message finished there. As it did, I trotted down the rusty, steel stairs and slowly walked beyond the entrance of Stable 30. Walking towards a small gap within the cave at the end of the short walkway, the bright light coming into it was a sickly yellow color and it glowed brightly. I stopped at the small gap, staring into the light and then I took a deep breath.

“Oh I’m coming, alright. And I am not resting until I find you.”

Footnote: Level up!

New perk: Dead Eye - your accuracy with pistols has increased by 10% another benefit of this perk is headshots without S.A.T.S. are now instant kills.

Current level: 2