Equestria Route Zero

Act Three, Scene Six – Where The Strangers Come From, Part 2

“You really did go deeper into the caves.”

Octavia Melody stood in front of Dusty, holding his hands in her own. Against the backdrop of the orange flames, this scene could be mistaken for the end of a romantic novel, where the two main characters finally come together forever & sail off into  the sunset.

“Well, you were easy enough to find.” she joked. “I've met a few of your former assistants. One can't help but hear things. So, this is what became of our project.”

Dusty shook his head sheepishly. “Oh... I've made some additions. Frederick stole the data tapes for the first half, so I've had some blank spots to fill.”

“Yes, I know. He published his version, actually. I'm sorry to report that it's a bit tediously sentimental...”

“We've been looking for you.” Shining Armor was quick to pull me out of my daydreaming, as he stormed into my view towards the reunited 'couple'. Octavia calmly let go of Dusty's hands & placed her own toegther in front of her waist, before turning to face our company.

“So you've found the address data? Just pass it over to Dusty here.” She turned back to Dusty. “Dusty, will you be a dear & crunch these numbers? We're looking to sort out a street name collison. 'Timberwolf Drive'.”

“Wasn't the Bureau going to process it?” I asked.

“I insist.” said Dusty. “I have cycles to spare. I'll just pack my pipe & get to it. I should only be an hour or so. Steam will carry it over to...” He went off going about his business before we could hear the end of the sentence. By the time he was even speaking, he was half way across the hall, & already working. Octavia walked over to us.

“I'll be over at the Bureau for the rest of the night. Just mark it 'private materials for the attention of Senior Clerk Melody'.”

“& how do we get there from here?” I asked again.

“The Bridge!” Somehow, Dusty's voice had managed to make it to our ears from over on the other side.

“Yes. The Bridge.” Octavia agreed. “Through the gate over there.”

She pointed to one side of the hall, where the wooden platform extended out towards a large hulking gateway, which opened as soon as she lit the way for the next step in our journey. By the time the maw had swung open fully, Dusty had made his way back over to us, pipe lit & in his own maw.

“Now we, too, recede into history.” His sentimentality caught the attention of Octavia who turned back towards her old friend.

“Good to... Good night, Dusty.” She kissed him once on the cheek & gave him a long stare into his pale green eyes, rubbing the side of his head in affection. She lowered her head & walked towards the gate with us.

“Meet me at the Bureau, & we'll get you on your way. Head counter clockwise to the cathode ray, then turn around. Then it's just clockwise until you find the Bureau.”

We thanked her for the help, & waved one last time back at Dusty. By now, he had dragged one of his remaining assistants to his side, practically covering them in pieces of paper as he worked his magic. We knew he would send the details of the address with the poor soul he was now tirelessly working half to death.

We walked through the gate, & before us was a large chasm in the ground, the greenish glow emanating from its depths. Peering downwards, a single walkway that zigzagged from one way to the next was the only way down, towards The Bridge. We started the ascent & from somewhere we could hear the sounds of merry music, sweet bluegrass flying through the air. On the way down, we passed curious items along the way: a backpack, a tape player, a half collapsed bookshelf, a small monitor, & a lantern. I couldn't help but think these 'artefacts' may be the same ones present in the little game we had sat through earlier.

Soon, we made to The Bridge. Both the truck & the bike, as well as Winona & Cloudchaser, were waiting. Somehow they had changed location without knowing it, but it didn't seem to affect either of them. I doubt they even realised they had somehow changed locations. The Bridge itself was only half of a bridge, in fact. Both  of the vehicles sat near the drop off, standing on the precipice of falling off.

“What happened up there?” asked Cloudchaser the moment she saw us descend from the hall.

“I'm not actually sure.” replied Flitter.

“Very mysterious, ma'am.” Both grabbed their helmets from their respective seats on the bike & started preparing themselves for the journey ahead.

“Thanks for waiting, old girl.” Winona yapped at my reply, a slight spring in her step. She quickly followed the rest of us to the truck, & we set off into the Zero once more.

Soon enough, we made it back to the Bureau. In the short amount of time that we hadn't been here, not much had changed. Except perhaps it was a little bit lighter than what it had been. Chances are by now it was getting closer to early morning. A lot had happened so far tonight.

Together, with Flitter & Shining Armor, we walked over to the reception of the Bureau & rang the Bureau. Surprisingly, Octavia herself answered the call.

“Here you are. Miss Coral has the rest of the evening off, so I'm minding the desk.”

“Any word on the address?” Shining Armor asked. By now, Dusty's assistant should have sent it over for processing. Sure enough, Octavia pulled out a file from a folder she was carrying. How the courier had delivered it before we made it was something of a mystery I never managed to figure out that night.

“Good news: Dusty & his assistants were able to sort through the noise. I had Vinyl cross-reference their results against some of our records. She found a corresponding mail stop, on the Echo River route. As it happens, a night ferry is scheduled to make its stop here shortly. The ferryman carries the mail & collects the garbage as well. I'm sure you can catch a ride out that way. You're welcome to wait here. I have to get to packing.”

& with that, she was gone. I called after her, “Thanks for your help!”

“Ha. 'Happy to help'.” she recited, but then she stopped in her tracks. “It's funny. I suppose we just repeat it until it's true. Safe travels. Try to stay out of the water. It's colder than it looks, & deep.”

We thanked her once more & made our way back to the rest of the group. After explaining the situation, Misty asked the question that a child could only be expected to ask.

“How long do we have to wait?”

“Oh, who knows...” Although he jokingly said it, Shining Armor wasn't all there at hat point. Like me, I think his mind was still focused on what had happened earlier in the churchyard.

“Alright, what happened?” Flitter asked.

“What?”

“In the church, at the graveyard.” Flitter has sussed it all out. “You two came out of there all weird. What happened?” Shining almost looked offended at the question. I waved my hand to get his attention.

“It's OK. You can tell them. It doesn't matter anymore.” I was right. It really didn't.

“Fine.” & so, he started recounting our encounter. “So, we were in that graveyard...”

“Well, this can't be right. Looks like an old church.” said Shining Armor.

He was right. Against a dark green backdrop, a barely standing wooden church stood in front of us, many a hole in its sides & roof. Surrounding in front of us were a number of headstones, all about Misty's height.

“Worth a look inside.” I suggested. A grunt was all I got in reply.

“I want to stay outside.” An unusually quiet voice came out of Misty then. I remember asking why. “I... I think I saw a lizard.”

“I'll stay with her.” Flitter said. She's also told Cloudchaser to go back to the vehicles before he could say a word. He looked disheartened on leaving but after Flitter mentioned Winona was waiting for him, his eyes lit up & his stride returned to his step.

“OK. We'll make it quick.”

Leaving both Flitter & Misty alone to their 'lizards', we made our way into the church. The place was a husk, empty save for one single pew at the back of the room. Not even a altar was around. The only feature was that pew. Looking around was impossible, as there was nothing to search, nor interact with. The place was quite literally deserted of anything. Looking down, the floor was solid metal, weird boot heel scuffs had made dents in the surface. Even through our shoes, we could tell the floor was eerily cold. Even if there was no reason for us to stay, we both took a seat at the single pew.

“I don't know what I expected.” I couldn't help but agree with Shining Armor's statement. I honestly expected at last something that wasn't the internal derelict remains of a church.

“The Strangers, he kept saying.” I remarked. Shining merely chuckled quietly.

“Kind of vague already, isn't it? Dusty's a stranger. Hell, you & I are practically strangers.” He cleared his throat loudly, leant forwards & clasped his hands together, rather fittingly for a church. “Listen... earlier, in the mine, I didn't want to talk about it, but...”

“You don't have to talk about it.”

“No, it's OK. I want to. When I saw Twilight... she was on TV. I was testing a simple tube repair, flipping through channels to check the saturation, & she was just there. It was kind of horrible. I mean, I told you she disappeared? Suddenly? Ran away? But we thought...”

“You thought she was dead.” I bluntly finished for him. Shining took a deep breath before continuing.

“Yeah, I guess I don't like to say it. Dead. & then, the next time I flipped to channel two... Twilight. It's burned in my vision, now. She's standing in a room. There's tape on the walls, like markings. & desks... a classroom, maybe? The camera is in the corner so it's this sort of forty-five degree angle into the room, & there's Twilight right in the centre of the picture. I stopped turning the dial... hell, I think I stopped breathing. Eventually, she spoke, but there was no sound – just this awful hum. I read the closed captions. She said to go to the mine. Find something there. I can't remember her exact words. Whenever I try, I get... distracted. Fuzzy. I -”

He began coughing & continued speaking when he stopped.

“It's so dusty in here, right?” I nodded. “You'd think with all these holes in the ceiling - “

He paused, & sat upright. He looked behind him & looked towards me, a scare written on his face. “Did you hear that?”

“Must ha-” I was cut off before I could finish speaking. The pew shook violently, vibrating as if threatening to throw us off the seat. It settled momentarily, before slowly descending below. Looking to the side, a series of cogs & gears whirred under the metal floor. Before long, our pew joined with a load more pews, making a full set. In front stood an altar. It was as if the original church had sunk under the ground years before & someone had built a decaying husk over the top. Our eyes took a moment to adjust to the low light but sometimes, I wish it hadn't.

Walking down from the altar was not a priest in full frock. Instead, a tall skeletal being clambered slowly towards us, its bones clanging against the now stone floor. I don't know about Shining Armor but the thing that scared me the most was the colour of its bones – a glowing, neon orange. The same hue as my new leg. My first thought was how it could be possibly that my leg could look the same as one of these 'things'. But soon, I began to question the being itself, & to what it was doing.

I noticed that it was carrying something, a strap straddling its shoulder. Reaching back with its skeletal hand, it pulled out a tape machine & pressed one of the buttons. A crackly drawl entered the room, almost like static. The being opened its jaw, & stood there patiently. It almost looked as if it were smiling. Suddenly, a voice could be heard. It took us a moment to realise it was using the machine to communicate. A soft voice extended from either its mouth or the machine, I don't know.

“My regrets. I hope I didn't keep you waiting long; we don't see a lot of foot traffic these days. I guess you're here about the job. I'm afraid we only have one opening at the moment. Horrible business...”

Slowly, I stood us from the pew &, despite the strangeness of the situation, I explained the reason we had actually come to the church.

“We're actually looking for some information about an old computer.” Unfortunately, the Stranger  ignored what I had to say & answered something else entirely. My guess at the time was that, using a tape machine, the being was limited in what it could say.

“Certainly, I'll tell you everything you need to know. I've only just met you, but I feel certain there's a place for you here. I'll just take you over to the dispatcher. Show you the trucks. Get you familiarised. We can converse as we go.”

It motioned for us to follow, & led us down a flight of stairs. Looking out, the room was much more than a church. In size, it looked more like a massive warehouse, what with the number of crates, boxes & trucks that lay strewn about the place. To my eye, this looked like a delivery company. Shining pulled me to one side as we descended down the stairs.

“What is this place?” He asked quietly.

“Well, it's not an old church.”

“I have to ask you to step in here a moment - “ It pointed towards a small side room. Looking inside, it appeared to be a small set of changing rooms. Why these Strangers would need to change was confusing – it wasn't as if they wore anything anyway. “ - this is for your safety. & adjust your outfits just a bit. There's some protective headgear up on the wall back there. Please remove your shoes & eyeglasses.”

We grabbed some helmets, the sort a builder would use, but didn't take off our shoes. We also explained we weren't wearing any glasses of the sort. Again, this didn't seem to bother the creature. Again, it told us to follow, leading us down another flight of stairs & into some sort of lobby area. In it, a series of computers with more Strangers were found, a series of numbers & odd symbols flashing in sequence on their screens. At the back, another Stranger stood surrounded by three teenage girls, all eagerly pointing at stuff. Despite the facial features, it looked quite distraught over the ordeal.

“Ah! More new arrivals this evening! Plenty to do. Got to relay the formula.” said our guide at seeing this.

“Sorry, what formula?” asked Shining Armor.

“Eh? Oh, The Formula! Changed our lives. Once, years ago, we were as prisoners to the intricacies of our debts here. We'd have to account for everything on paper. Compounding interest by hand, reassessing amortisation & leveraged asset distributions according to nightly merit decay...” Quite frankly, it had lost both of us with its ramblings. “Then, she stepped out of the dark caves, to show us the light of The Formula! She had a brilliant grasp of mathematics, & a saint-like way right through the numbers. Now, we just plug our daily numbers into The Formula, & run it all through the adding machine. We occasionally suffer some surplus drift, but she instructed us on all necessary adjustments. It was devastating to see our revered mathematician go, but she was needed elsewhere. Her legacy abides.”

Clear to both Shining & myself, the Stranger was talking about Twilight Sparkle. & as much as I would have liked to have found out what had happened to her, I pressed on with the matter at hand.

“We actually just need to ask you about a computer.”

“Hm? No, the orientation is all done by voice & rote. We don't believe electronics have a role in our company culture. Computers are tools. Plenty of interesting mechanical this-&-that ahead, though. Shall we move on?” It pointed us towards yet another set of stairs. Finally reaching the ground floor, a group of small open-air cars sat parked symmetrically.

“Here's the fleet.” it joked. “Ha ha. Oh, we just use these to get around internally. I don't, personally. I'm a copywriter, you see. Text on bottles & flyers, ad copy, that sort of thing. 'Discerning shades & heartsick lovers have long known the taste of Hard Times, & held it in favour of all other spirits!' That was one of mine. So, the trucks are just east a ways, in shipping. You can become acquainted with the dispatcher there. Give me a tap on the shoulder, if you see something that catches your eye. Always happy to show off the facilities. Sublime machinery.”

Together, we got into the nearest shuttle. The small thing was a bright yellow & was essentially brighter than any other lamp in the warehouse. The Stranger took the driving seat, & started the electric motor. Silently, it drove us about fifty feet to the left, into a packing area where more Strangers were busy loading up trucks with small boxes.

“Here it is.” It turned in its seat, facing us. “Now, I have to ask, as a matter of course: what kind of experience do you have driving trucks?”

“I drove deliveries for an antique shop, up until this last run.” I spoke truthfully.

“Aha, precious cargo... you'll do fine. & you can drive... safely, can't you? I haven't any doubt, now, it's only... after what happened with Teal this evening.”

“What happened with Teal this evening?” spoke up Shining.

“Well, the dust is still clearing, of course. Perhaps she closed her eyes a moment. Or simply hit a curve too devilish. I do pity ill-fated Teal – she was good company. & slow to anger. But, if we're speaking confidentially...” It shrugged its shoulders before continuing. “Well, with all that lost product to be repaid – bourbon & glass dashed across the interstate, & a few casks too – we're all just thankful she had no... next of kin. So. Let's see if we can ring up the dispatcher.”

Disembarking from the shuttle car, it took us to one of the trucks currently being loaded. Opening the cabin door, it then took hold of the CB radio, opening up a portal that let out a gravelly voice in commune with another.

“10-20 on that load, come back?”

“Up in the hummingbird cave, 10-12, city kitty.”

“This a good time, dispatch?” asked our guide. “We may have found Teal's replacement – thought you might like to get acquainted.”

“10-9, come again?”

Our Stranger looked over to me, & offered the handset of the CB radio. “Introduce yourself.”

I took it, cautiously. I pressed into the button that allowed the other end to hear me. “...Hello?”

“Tell dispatch something impressive about yourself – they're very well regarded here!” Still with that jaw open, the Stranger sat there in the cabin, expecting me to continue on with this charade.

“You folks know anything about a mouldy old computer?” I asked, almost shouted into the handset.

“99, wheel-holder, gotta pay the water bill.” & with that, there was silence on the other end.

“Ah. So. I'm certain they'll call back before long. Let's take a look around the truck, eh?”

It stayed seated but directed us instead. After pointing us to check out a numerous amount of things of this one truck, the dispatcher finally made a return call on the radio.

“Driver, come back.”

“Ah, there's dispatch. Now, tell them about your experience. Tell them the truck's in good shape. Tell them you'll start in the morning.” You could taste the eagerness on its crackly voice.

“I really can't...” I started. Shining Armor had cut in before I had even a chance to finish.

“Yeah, we've got to finish this delivery & a few -” Another voice through the CB radio cut through the conversation.

“10-33, dispatch, got two black eyes & a flock of crocodiles, come back.” Disptach answered.

“10-4, back down & prick your eyelids, driver. Come back, Lem.”

“10-4” said our Stranger, whom I had now started to call Lem after hearing dispatch say it.

“Come back, wheel-holder.” Lem held out the CB handset once more for me to speak into.

“Um... 10-4?”

“Got your eyes on? Good. Listen to this: -” But there was nothing to listen to. Dispatch went quiet. Lem quickly put the handset back in its holder, & jumped out of the truck cabin.

“So... I think that went well. Let's head back & seal the deal, eh? & I've got one more thing to show you...”

Again, we drove back to the lobby area, a distance we could have easily walked. I guessed these shuttle cars existed maybe because of their skeletal forms were brittle to the floor. It was a guess at most, but it was the only reason I could fathom having the vehicles. It parked the car back in its original parking spot & quickly got out of the vehicle.

“Hurry up, only so much time during the night.” Shining ran up & pulled its shoulder, spinning Lem around on the spot. It tilted its head in surprise, I guess, had to tell when there's no flesh to indicate anything.

“Wait, we... We only came here looking for some answers about this stupid moudly computer -”

“Oh, the old man in the cave, with the mouldy computer.” It straightened out its head, & appeared to take a deep breath. The sound could be heard & whether that was a part of the tape machine or not was not seen. “The black mould, it's drawn to whiskey, some of it inevitably evaporates into the air. The angel's share. It goes through the vents here & out into the caves. If we scrape that mould up, we can usually apply some pressure & cold to it – squeeze & condense their share back into drinkable whiskey. Every drop counts in this business! So we'd go down & scrape it off his equipment, just like any other place it grows. He kept sending his people here to drive us away! Paranoid. Truly paranoid. Well, now we have The Formula, so we don't need to go collecting mould. But we didn't do anything to his mouldy computer. He just forgot the password. One of his assistants shared it with me: dome in air. That'll get you going. I'm sure of it. So. Join me upstairs?”

We followed Lem all the way back upstairs, past the lobby & the changing rooms, & back into the church area. It motioned for us to take our headgear off. Perhaps these Strangers had some sense of decorum & understood when to be polite & what-not. After we had done so, Lem pointed a bony finger towards the altar. Atop the altar sat a small machine, an miniaturised analog computer, whirring away interested in nothing but its own business.

“This is our adding machine. This is where we come for our daily ritual: to calculate the day's interest & repayment according to The Formula. I usually do so at the beginning of my shift, so I know how many hours I need in order to keep up. Yes, I believe you'll do well here, sir. Happy to have you. Congratulations! You're hired.”

From behind the altar, Lem pulled out a glass bottle full of a liquid of some sort, as well as three glasses. He started pouring before any of us could interject.

“Wait, we can't -”

“It's customary here to start each day with a shift drink” Lem explained as he finished pouring. “Let's make it special. Mark the occasion. This is the top-shelf stuff, now! Single barrel!”

“He doesn't -”

“Down the hatch. Vinum memoriae mors!” & with that, Lem downed its own glass. Where the drink went was another mystery. It looked to me as I picked up my glass. While I didn't down it like Lem, I took a swig. It was whiskey.

“Decent enough. Welcome aboard!” Lem held out its hand, a welcoming hand shake on offer. Shining hit it back down to Lem's side.

“He's not working for you! We have to get back to this... our... he has a delivery to make.”

“What's this? Not working? Are you turning down this opportunity?” Lem's questions came hard & fast. Shining's interruption knocked me out of a stupor that the whiskey had pulled me into. That was my first drink in a number of years. I shook my head awake.

“He's right, I have to make this, um...”

“I'm... disappointed.” said Lem. “& I'm afraid this leaves us with a delicate problem. As I indicated, this is the top-shelf stuff you're drinking now. It isn't cheap. If it's not your first shift drink... Well, & there's the matter of this tour just now. My time & experience are billed at quite a premium! This is not good for you, my friend. You're in quite deep, by my back-of-the-envelope estimations. Well, we have that in common, I suppose. All of us. Yes, I'm afraid you'll have to work this off somehow. It's just the way of it.”

“What's happening right now?” asked Shining.

“You can start tomorrow. Take the time to settle your affairs. Of course, the interest begins to compound immediately, &... well, we'll go over The Formula when you get here. I should get back to work. See you tomorrow, then.”

“So. I guess I start in the morning.”

“I guess...” Shining couldn't help but agree.

“I'm confused.” said Misty.

“It's just the way things go, kid.”

After Shining had recounted the tale, Flitter had all but stood there, jaw gaping as he recounted our story of our meeting with The Strangers. This was the quietest I had seen her in the short time I knew her. Finally, she spoke.

“Huh. Well, that still gives us a few hours to roam, right? Where's that ferry?” & with that last question, she spun on her heels, facing the river that went right past the Bureau. In the distance, a foghorn could be heard. The ferry wasn't too far away now.

Silence encapsulated us for the next few minutes as the story sank into everyone who hadn't experienced it first hand. & soon enough, the ferry pulled up alongside the river bank. It was as Octavia described it – a barge carrying both mail & garbage. The most interesting piece of its cargo though wasn't the collection of boxes marked with the Bureau logo though – it was the full grown dragon that sat smack bang in the centre of the deck.

END OF ACT III