03-21-1016
The news consumed each and every channel; an unknown force threatened to launch over 7 nuclear missiles across Equestria. Some time ago, they demanded classified information. Princess Celestia had asked to give herself some time to search for the documents. A few days later, every single channel was replaced with the news channel once again, announcing the missile launch.
Before the launch, Celestia had just enough time to hire several master unicorns to construct what are called Vaults; underground environments designed to sustained life. However, metal and concrete cannot last forever. By 1026, most of the vaults were overrun by the fallout, furthermore irradiating the vaults and the ponies still in them.
Harmonic Octave is an innocent unicorn inhabiting Vault 106, the last standing Vault. Along with him are his mother Midnight Shimmer, his father Illuminant Dusk, and his brother Bio-Shock. They're a relatively happy and easygoing family. Like any other, however, they encountered several issues.
Harmonic Octave, only a 9-year-old colt, has practiced the art of lock picking for an estimated 2 years. When Illuminant Dusk leaves with Midnight Shimmer to attend a meeting with Overseer Stonehoof, Harmonic Octave picks the cell door leading to the exit.
Now's my chance to escape.
As it should be, it was no easy task. The locks are one of the best in Equestria
He's glad to finally roam freely without the supervision of his parents. What he didn't expect, however, is the two ponies the same age as him having a discussion at the edge of the left hallway. Harmonic Octave wants to socialize, so he walks over to them.
He begins with an impatient distant holler. “Hello!” One of them glare at Harmonic Octave with a rather grim expression. The other just closes their eyes to the wail for a split second, and then sighs as they roll their eyes and flatten their ears. When Harmonic Octave was at an appropriate distance for a conversation, he speaks up immediately before either of the other two. “Hey, guys, did you see me unlock the cell door? Oh, I've been waiting for this moment my entire life! We're going to have so much fun-”
One of them, Dust Chaser, cuts Harmonic Octave's rapid chatter. “Shut ya mouth, ya unicorn twat! I'm tryna have a conversation here, an' ya interrupted me f' no good reason!”
Harmonic Octave's surge of glee transforms into gloom when he detects the fierce tone of Dust Chaser's outbursts. He folds his ears and crouches down, saying nothing.
Dust Chaser continues spitting out unrelenting insults. “Nopony cares if ya broke outta ya cage! I would lock ya in there myself in a heartbeat.” He begins to pace closer. “I'll have ya snout bleedin' if ya don't get ya sorry plot back in there!” He finishes with a slam of his hoof on the ground.
In sheer horror, Harmonic Octave immediately runs back to the cell, but the door has closed automatically. He tries to push the button with his magic. Meanwhile, the other pony and Dust Chaser slowly approach him. Harmonic Octave continues in his attempts to open the door, but the trembling did not allow him to focus. When the two were about 2 feet away, he finally gets the door open. He jumps in, seals the door, and locks it. Panting heavily, he waits by the door for several minutes. When the hoofsteps and angered screams finally fade, a sense of relief fills his mind.
(Half an hour later…)
Illuminant Dusk and Midnight Shimmer finally return to the cell, both of their coats glistening with sweat. Harmonic Octave surprise-hugs them both. Midnight Shimmer smiles, while Illuminant Dusk is confused. He knows his son, and behavior like this is beyond unusual. Something has happened.
“Octave?” he utters softly.
Harmonic Octave responds immediately. “Yes, Dad?”
“Did something happen while we were gone?”
Harmonic Octave's smile is wiped clean off his face, and then takes a few steps back before confessing. “Yes…”
“Oh my Celestia… What was it this time?”
“Dust Chaser and Brawny Boulder… They…tried to hurt me…”
Midnight Shimmer gasps, and then swiftly approaches Harmonic Octave, searching for any wounds. “Octave, why didn't you tell us!? Are you alright? Did they hurt you?”
Harmonic Octave slips from her grasp. “They almost did.”
“How did they get to you, anyway?”
Harmonic Octave thought that could not tell her the truth. He thought if they knew he can successfully pick a lock, Celestia knows what they would do to him. “They used lockpicks…to get in the cell…”
Both of them gasp, and Illuminant Dusk mutters to himself. “I knew that kid would try something like this one day…” He turns to Midnight Shimmer with an anxious look; a look she feared to ever see again. She begins with a shake of her head, and then her eyes fill with tears. She drops to Illuminant Dusk's shoulder and sobs. He wraps his left wing around her, tears streaming. Harmonic Octave looks up at them, knowing a tragic event will occur. Though, he did not understand what it was.
After a few minutes of letting the weeping clear up, Illuminant Dusk steps away from Midnight Shimmer and to Harmonic Octave. He crouches down to match Harmonic Octave's height. “Listen to me, Octave. Whatever you do, never unlock that door for anypony, even if it's security. Do you understand?” Harmonic Octave remains silent. He repeats his last sentence. “Do you understand me, Octave?” He puts his hooves on his cheeks. “Everything is going to be alright. We're not going to let anypony hurt you. I just need you to do us a favor.”
Harmonic Octave responds quietly. “What are you not telling me, dad?”
Illuminant Dusk becomes speechless, and then stutters. “I… Uh…”
Harmonic Octave's tone changes from demanding to annoyed. “Dad?”
He exhales, and then starts explaining. “Your mother and I…didn't want you to know about this… But you're a stallion now, so we know you'll understand… Do you remember your brother Bio-Shock?”
Harmonic Octave nods.
“He…was taken to the AFC…”
“AFC?”
“Advanced Filly Care… When the Overseer knows of a problem or several coming across any filly in this vault, he sends security to take that filly from their family…and secures them in a large cell composed of many more internal cells…”
Harmonic Octave gasps. “Why would they do that?”
“If the Overseer thinks the parents aren't doing anything to help the filly, they're taken to the AFC…”
“…”
“Octave, we love you more than anything, and we're willing to risk our lives just to know you will be safe. Now, do you understand why we need you to do this?”
Harmonic Octave nods.
“Good. We're going to visit the Overseer now-”
“Wait! If you know they will take me, why are you still going to the Overseer?”
Midnight Shimmer lies down in front of the filly. “As idiotic as it may sound, parents are required to report any problems to the Overseer.”
Harmonic Octave stands up. “Why not keep it a secret?”
“Octave, if we do that, we…might get…executed…”
He gasps. “You don't mean…” Midnight Shimmer nods slowly. “Why does the Overseer have the right to be a bully?!”
“You see, each vault is controlled by an overseer. They are hoof-selected earth ponies picked for their undying loyalty and trust. We disagree with the rules as much as you do, but the Overseer is just making sure the vault stays organized.”
“Organized shmorganized! He's still a bully for making those bad rules!”
“Octave, listen to me. You cannot get caught saying things like that. They will execute us and you. We just need to live with it until we can return to the surface.”
“And about still telling the Overseer…”
She pauses. “We're planning on leaving the vault early.”
“Really? How?”
“Your father will figure out a way to distract the Overseer. He will then eliminate the Overseer, come back to us, and we all work together to open the vault door. However, this will not happen immediately. We'll get to it when you're older.”
“Don't take too long… I don't like it here…”
(Public bar, one year later…)
Harmonic Octave is walking down the hallway to the small bar he's summoned to. It's his 10th birthday today, but his parents did not wish him a happy birthday; neither his uncle, nor aunt, nor even grandmother. Still a bit depressed, he opens the sealed door, only to find a dark room. He senses other ponies within the same room. Feeling a bit paranoid, he switches on the lights.
All of a sudden, the ponies jump up and shout “Surprise!” A few of them had 'party blowers'. The radio was also blasting music. Frightened by the surprise, Harmonic Octave hops back out of the room and trips. When he got up, he smiles, almost laughing. Everyone then shouts “Happy birthday, Harmonic Octave!”
Several minutes later, everypony got comfortable and began socializing. Harmonic Octave was about to confront his father, but Dust Chaser stops him. “Well, well, well… Look who it is…”
Harmonic Octave scowls at the familiar voice, but does not turn to him. “Dust Chaser…”
“Happy birthday, twat…” He chuckles slyly.
Harmonic Octave decides he's had enough. He uses magic to grab Dust Chaser and throws him against a wall. He pins Dust Chaser against the wall by the throat. “What are you doing here?” he mutters with a threatening tone.
The other ponies within the room begin murmuring to each other. Illuminant Dusk speaks up almost immediately. “Octave, put him down.” He turns his head to his father, and then releases Dust Chaser. “Follow me,” Illuminant Dusk commands. They both step out of the room to have a private conversation. “I know how much you hate him, but there just aren't any other local ponies your age.”
Harmonic Octave steps closer, his stare seemingly able to steal one's soul. “I don't care if I have to hang out with a 4-year-old filly. Anypony else would be a hell of a lot better than that bastard!”
“For now, at the very least, accept his presence! You two might have gotten yourselves into trouble, but try to work it out.”
Harmonic Octave hesitates to respond. “Fine…” They agree and return to the party.
Dust Chaser speaks up once more. “What happened, daddy's colt? Did you two kiss?” He laughs as he slams his hoof of the table several times.
“Dust Chaser, we all know you got it on with one of your own…”
Dust Chaser stops laughing as his irises shrink. “N-no! That's not true!”
Harmonic Octave gapes and widens his eyes. “Oh my Celestia, so it is! I actually thought it was another rumor!”
“It is!”
Harmonic Octave raises an eyebrow. “When was the last time you were honest with anypony?”
The room maintains an extended silence. Dust Chaser flattens his ears in shame. He then gets up and attempts a blow, but just barely misses due to the streaming tears. He then attempts a tackle; Harmonic Octave hops back a few hoofsteps. Dust Chaser lands head first on the cold concrete floor, staying down as he muffles his woeful cries. Overwhelmed with agony, he runs for the exit and seals the door behind him.
All of the ponies still in the room stare at Harmonic Octave, their facial expressions a mix of shock and indifference.
(Family's cell, four years later…)
Harmonic Octave is awoken by his mother, Midnight Shimmer.
She whispers softly in his ears. “Today's the day.”
Harmonic Octave hops out of bed to prepare for escape. “Do you have a route planned?”
“Of course. We only have one copy, though.”
“That's fine. Dad and I can travel together.”
“No, Octave. Your father must do this alone. You need to stay with me so I can protect you.”
“Aww…”
“I'm sorry…” She looks at the door, and then back at Harmonic Octave. “Let's not waste any more time.” She turns away. “Dusk? You ready?”
Illuminant Dusk makes eye contact with Midnight Shimmer. “I just need to slip my gun in, and then I'll be set.”
(Fifteen minutes later…)
Midnight Shimmer approaches the Overseer's office with Harmonic Octave by her side. She whispers to him, “Remember to stay calm. If the Overseer sees anything threatening, he might summon his security.” She then rings the visitor's bell built outside of the office. A speaker above the door mutters “Come in.” The airtight door hisses as it opens. The Overseer is rather confused to see Midnight Shimmer once more, but this time with Harmonic Octave. The two step into the room, and the door is shut behind them.
He utters his response in a low tone. “Midnight Shimmer… What is it now?”
She clears her throat before speaking. “I'm sorry if I'm interrupting anything. I'm just worried about my husband. That area has been known to harbor radroaches.”
Stonehoof exhales in frustration. “Mrs. Shimmer, ensuring the safety of everypony in this vault is our number one priority. Of course your husband shall live. We just don't have the technology right now to assemble the androids with trusted Artificial Intelligence. Nevertheless, mechanics and engineers working on one as we speak. For now, your husband must take care of it.”
“How long until it is complete?”
“We've estimated the maximum time limit to be 3 weeks.”
“Well, it's good to see such technology advancing quickly… I don't want my hubby to get hurt or irradiated…”
“Mrs. Shimmer, your husband will be fine. He will be guarded by two manually-operated mobile sentries. He will not become irradiated, either; he's been outfitted with one of the best hazmat suits available.”
“Thank you…”
“No need. …Now, I must ask you something.”
“Yes, sir?”
He hesitates to respond. “Why did you bring your son?”
“Oh, Harmonic Octave. He wanted to hear about his father as well, so I decided to bring him with me. Also, about the two misbehaving ponies, I didn't want them to hurt my little Octave while I'm gone.”
“Do you not trust the security of the locks? Their construction is highly complex, but they're basically two locks in one.”
“To be honest, no… I have a reason, though. Said ponies figured out how to pick the locks to the-”
Stonehoof interrupts her by shouting, “What?!” and slamming both of his fore hooves on the desk.
“Well, you see-”
“Mrs. Shimmer, why did you not let me know of this earlier?!”
“I…saw you were busy, and…I was afraid speaking up…”
“No! When something like this comes up, you must let me know im-me-di-ate-ly!” He slams his right forehoof once for every syllable in the last word of his sentence.
“I'm sorry…”
He ignores Midnight Shimmer's apology and speaks into a microphone. “106-OSH to Titan 1-6. Come in, 1-6.”
A response comes in shortly after. “Titan 1-6. What's the situation?”
“We've got a code gray. I repeat; we've got a code gray at W-415. Send any and all armed forces.”
“Copy all. We're on our way.”
“Double-time it, 1-6. This is urgent.”
“Understood. Titan out.” There is a very short static, and then the speaker outputs no more words.
(Marines' hangout in the Southwest cafeteria…)
General Steel Stomp hangs the portable radio on his utility belt, and steps into a room with pony marines. He bellows in a frightening volume. “Marines! Line up!” All of them jump into a line. “There's been word from the Overseer of a code gray. Your objective is to head over to W-415. Any questions?” He pauses for a few seconds, looking at every marine in line. “Good. Now get moving!” The marines then quickly move up to the designated location.
(Overseer's Office)
Overseer Stonehoof glares at Midnight Shimmer. “You two may stay here if you'd like. You can go with the soldiers the General has sent; guide them to the cell of the two ponies.”
“Thank you, Overseer Stonehoof.”
“No… Thank you. Peace and order is a must in this vault, and the exposure of any misbehaving ponies helps in every way possible.”
Midnight Shimmer gives a small grin.
(Vault door access room)
Illuminant Dusk reaches the task area. What he didn't know was the recently-installed metallic detector. He yet continues. “Illuminant Dusk, reporting for duty, Corporal SpitFire.”
Cpl. SpitFire, a Phoenix-like pegasus mare known for her undying loyalty and unrelenting attitude, hesitates for a few seconds to finish a huff from her cigarette. “Operation code?”
“Operation 749268-C.”
She nods in approval. “Drop any possessions on the conveyor and step through.” Not hesitant at all, he first takes out his .357 snub-nose revolver, and drops it on the conveyor belt. SpitFire chokes on the cigarette as she gasps to the sight of the revolver. “What the hell are you doing with that?!”
Illuminant Dusk stops to the shriek. “Well, you see, I was considering self-defense in case the sentries become malfunctioned in any way…as just a precaution.”
“Self-defense my plot! You will not be carrying that weapon!” She swipes the revolver and throws it onto a shelf. “Where did you find that?”
“Well, there was a dead marine in the last operation. I took the gun and tried to notify you, but you were too busy smoking. You just told me to leave, and I didn't want to be rude, so I left.”
“You didn't even think of putting it down where I could see it?”
“The only other place was the large yellow bin filled with others' confiscated belongings, which was not very noticeable. The shelf had a padlock, so that's out of the question.”
“How about letting the Overseer know?”
“He would've had my head if I walked in with a gun.”
A fire burns in SpitFire's eyes only covered by the slick sunglasses she wears every waking hour. She exhales in agitation. “Just get to the objective before I put you down.”
“I'm sorry, Corporal.” He steps through the metallic detector and opens the steel door VIA retinal scanner.
Before Illuminant Dusk passes through, SpitFire stops him. “Dusk.” He turns around and makes eye contact. “If you're really that desperate, just take this…” She tosses a ballistic knife his way. He catches the knife. Somewhat confused, he glares at it for several seconds, and then up at SpitFire. She merely turns away two seconds after. Somewhat skeptical, Illuminant Dusk slips the knife into his pocket and passes through.
I never trusted SpitFire, he thinks. But this could be something else-
“Hang on, Dusk… Just so you don't cut yourself or anything else you're not supposed to, I'm coming with you…” She gets up from leaning against the wall and enters the chamber with Illuminant Dusk.
Illuminant Dusk becomes nervous and almost starts visibly trembling. Now I've got perfect reason to expect the worst-case scenario… If she tries to take my life, I swear to C-
His thoughts are interrupted by SpitFire's voice, somewhat shaken from choking on the cigarette. “Combination for #15 is 34-19-02.”
Illuminant Dusk unintentionally responds in a provoked-ish tone. “I know…” SpitFire merely glares over her shoulder, and then back to the locker. Considering getting SpitFire's possible thoughts out of her mind, he hollers “Dibs on first in line.” For once, she cracks a smile.
After Illuminant Dusk slips the hazmat suit on, he says to SpitFire, “Out of curiosity, tell me the explicit reason why you trust me with a weapon.”
She sighs before responding. “Well… I've come to trust you; let's go from there. However, with a gun, you'll be making a hell of a lot of noise, which will attract unwanted attention. A knife is quieter, and for close encounters.”
“Well, ballistic knives have been known for range.”
“Yeah. That function is just in case you don't have the strength to stab.” She starts laughing.
“Thank you for your kind words… Is this model reliable for range, though?”
“You'd probably just miss, anyway.” She continues laughing at him, and then ends several seconds later with an exhale. “So… How's Harmonic Octave doing?”
“He's…doing fine…”
“Yeah? He hasn't been killed by Dust Chaser yet?”
Illuminant Dusk turns to SpitFire. “What?”
SpitFire makes eye contact with him. “Oh, you haven't heard? Dust Chaser planned to murder him.”
Illuminant Dusk steps closer to SpitFire, almost threateningly. “How do you know of this?”
“You see, Chaser said I was the most important pony to him. He would do anything for my love. But, when I first saw Harmonic Octave, I…stared at him…like that… I zoned out for a while… And when he looked at me… I didn't say, but I had since lost interest in Chaser. The recent rumor, which you surely know about, made me realize he is not my pony. As a result, I dumped him. He was confused at first, and then he became sad. His little sob stories didn't affect me much; however, he moved on to death threats and such. He well deserved a good slap I packed-”
“I'm sorry, SpitFire, but can you get to the point?”
SpitFire delays. “Sure. I came to his door one day, about to take him back, but I heard him talking to himself. He said Harmonic Octave stole me from him, which is very true. He then muttered that one day, he'll assassinate Harmonic Octave, and that I'd then be crawling back to him. The rest of it, I…just…don't want to talk about…”
“Celestia have mercy…”
“Can we get on with the operation, please?”
“Yeah…” He turns to the entrance to the door keeping the two safe from the irradiated pathway. Once both have their hazmat suits on, the door is opened. A portion of the horrid aroma slipped through the suits. SpitFire coughs twice. Illuminant Dusk looks over his shoulder. “Broken hazmat?”
She takes a deep breath. “Nah. It's just a bit of that horrible smell. Ugh…”
“I've gotten used to it. You will, too.”
“No way. This is a one-time thing.”
“I know, but- Never mind…” The two pass into the area. SpitFire trembles lightly, but just enough to be noticeable. “You alright?”
She tries not to stutter. “I-I'm fine… I'm just…a bit…nervous. I'm just nervous.”
“Nervous about what? The hazmat actually breaking on you? The possible swarm of radroaches?”
Her fright-induced shivering dramatically increases. “M-maybe…”
(Overseer's Office)
The Overseer is sitting in front of his computer, responding to an email. Midnight Shimmer covers Harmonic Octave with her left wing as the two spend probably their last moments together before the ‘big event.' The marines then arrive at the office in a straight line.
Harmonic Octave instantly recognizes Bio-Shock. He utters his name and springs out of his seat, but his mother grasps him with magic. She whispers in his ear. “Octave, it's good to see you remember Bio-Shock, but…he doesn't remember you.”
Harmonic Octave whispers back. “What?”
“All ponies taken to the AFC are tested for eligibility as a marine once they reach a certain age. If they qualify, their past memories are erased and they're taken out of AFC to serve the Overseer.”
The marines stare at Midnight Shimmer, whereas one speaks up. “Ma'am?”
She looks up at the marine. “Yes?”
“What is your source?”
“My source of information?”
“Affirmative.”
“Well, every vault resident was given a copy of the rules and Terms of Service, as well as several sections, weren't they?”
“…That's right. My apologies, ma'am.”
“Oh, it's fine.”
The marine hesitates to continue. “Are you ready to move out?”
“Give me a few more seconds.”
“Very well.”
Midnight Shimmer whispers another thing in Harmonic Octave's ears. “Remember to stay calm…” She looks up at the marines once more. “I'm ready.”
“Lead the way, ma'am.”
“With pleasure.” She steps out of the office and heads down the hallway.
(Vault entrance access area)
Illuminant Dusk continues down the path with SpitFire at his side. Utterly scared, but trying not to show it, SpitFire looks in all directions every few seconds in case anything comes up outside her field of view. Illuminant Dusk knows of this, but refrains from saying anything in the fear she might suffer a mental breakdown.
SpitFire stops at a turn, leans against the wall, and peeks over the corner. She sighs in relief to see no radroaches.
“Are you sure you're alright?” He finally opens his mouth. “You seem alert, even more than usual.”
“Better safe than sorry…”
He hesitates to respond. “I guess you're right.”
A radroach crawls out of the corpse of a marine, frightening SpitFire quite a lot. The mere fact radroaches eat the flesh of a pony made SpitFire's nerves tingle with dismay. All she wanted to do was run away, but the dread rooted her into place.
“Calm down: it's just a radroach. These things aren't too dangerous.” Illuminant Dusk approaches the radroach, ready to attack. It emits a bloodcurdling screech: it was enough to cause SpitFire to faint. Illuminant Dusk lunges and stabs the radroach at the neck, causing an instant death. The involuntary muscle twitches of the dead body sent a slight chill down his spine. He looked back at SpitFire, unconscious on the ground. “So much for the 'fearless pony.'”
(Eleven minutes later…)
Illuminant Dusk opens the door of Overseer Stonehoof's office. He stares at the body, gaping in shock.
He probably got the wrong message, so Illuminant Dusk spoke up. “She chose to travel with me in the irradiated area near the vault entrance. Sooner or later, she fainted at the sight of a radroach.”
Stonehoof's face seemed neutral, but the look in his eyes say he remains uneasy. “You can't be serious.”
“Did she ever say she wasn't afraid of radroaches, but never actually proved it?”
“…How did you know?”
“Lucky guess, I suppose. Anyway, I forgot the path to the nursery. May you lead me there?”
“Of course.” Stonehoof gets out of his chair and guides Illuminant Dusk to the closest nursery, ERW-24. As they progress down the pathway, Stonehoof mutters, “So much for 'relentless attitude…'”
“That's what I said. SpitFire, a pony with nerves of steel? I think not.”
Stonehoof laughs for once. “I'm still quite surprised.”
“Yeah. I can't really blame her, though: the radroaches are quite frightening, especially for a pony who hasn't seen one before.”
“You've got a point.”
“It also crawled out of the guts of a corpse, making it that much scarier.”
“I can imagine.”
“Here's something else to think about: I'm actually not shaken by that sort of stuff.”
“Rumor has it you're truly fearless, even more than SpitFire.”
“At the start, I may have been a little frightened.”
“I've seen a radroach myself, believe it or not: these walls aren't exactly 100% secure.”
“I have to agree, since even the vault door is visibly rusting from the inside. Sooner or later, Overseer Stonehoof, we must to advance to the surface.”
“Don't worry about that. We won't need to move to the surface for a good several years.”
“And those several years will pass by, one after another… …What then?”
“Well, we start by evacuating as many ponies as needed-”
“Including my family, right?”
“Of course, Mr. Dusk. Anyway, as I said earlier, you will not need to worry about the evacuation for a while. While you're safe and sound, enjoy your life. I may be wrong about the time: it may take more than several years. We might even be gone by the time such a situation arises. But it may be breached sooner than expected. Just because this vault has survived longer than the others does not mean it can't end up like the others tomorrow, or even today; maybe even in less than an hour. Basically what I'm trying to say is that we are unsure of exactly when said situation may occur; we can only make predictions based on our current conditions.”
“I see…”
Stonehoof looks forward, noticing they arrived quicker than foreseen. “The nursery is just ahead.” The two enter the nursery, while the Overseer calls for the nurse. “Nurse Redheart?”
She walks into the room, surprised to see the Overseer. “Overseer Stonehoof.” She bows. “How may I help you, sir?”
He replies in a firm tone. “Corporal SpitFire is out cold and we need you to make sure she'll be alright.”
“I absolutely will, sir.”
“Thank you.” Stonehoof sits down in a chair on one side of the nursery. Illuminant Dusk drops SpitFire on a medical bed.
“It's my pleasure, sir.” Redheart approaches SpitFire, performing vital examinations by hoof. She confirms by double-checking her vital signs. “Sir?”
“Yes?”
“She's alive, sir.”
He hesitates to respond, slightly worrying about SpitFire. Nevertheless, he's willing to trust Nurse Redheart. She's trained in the field of medicines and treatment ever since she was a filly. The only times she failed any operations were never her fault.
Despite all of her experience, she's very sensitive when it comes to surgery. That one surgical procedure left her traumatized for days.
(Operation 4----, 101-)
Nurse Redheart sits in a room, awaiting a patient that requested an appointment. Unexpectedly, Doctor ------ rushes into a room, looking quite uneasy.
“Nurse Redheart, I need you to come with me immediately.”
She stares at the doctor, requesting information. “Why? What happened?”
“There's no time to explain. Follow me.” He rushes out to a room not too far.
“What about the patient that n-”
“You'll be substituted by Nurse ----. All the tools you need are here on the right. The new organ is in the container on the top-right.”
Nurse Redheart was performing a liver transplant. Granted she never participated in any surgical matters, but forced to learn the know-how, she recognized the setup: this still made her utterly horrified. She cried to the doctors watching, “You can't possibly expect me to-”
“Redheart, you're the only one in this hospital with enough precision to execute a successful transplant. Do this for us…and for the patient before you.”
She paused for a few seconds to think. These ponies actually look up to me. If I back down from this, I'll be shunned, and maybe kicked out. I can't let that happen. I can't back down… …I can do this.
Nevertheless, her anxiety forces her hoof to tremble. She takes a few seconds to practice aiming the syringe to ensure absolute accuracy. After her shaking dies down a bit, she equips the surgical mask and embeds the syringe, filled with a liquid designed to prevent pain, in the necessary areas. Afterwards, she inserts the sharp scalpel into a starting point in the dotted line, and then slowly cuts along the line, somewhat exposing the malfunctioned liver. The mere glimpse combined with the rotting smell triggers a gag reflex. She widens the opening using a retractor, thus allowing the careful removal of the organ. She forces the blade inside to cut the fleshy connections around the organ. It then begins to slip out of place a little bit. Before she can reach for the box of latex gloves, she's stopped by a voice.
“Ms. Redheart?”
She makes eye contact with a pony overhead, wearing a brown business suit and a steel nametag engraved with words in a formal font.
“My client cannot make contact with latex. It triggers a severe and lasting reaction known as morbilliform.”
Redheart gasps at the shocking news for two reasons; such a reaction is quite devastating, and she'll have to replace the liver using bare hooves. It's bad enough I'm in a transplant operation, and now I must use bare hooves to replace an organ… This can't get any worse…
Yet to back down, she follows instructions. However, her confidence is short-lived: the mere stroke of the abnormally-soft organ caused her to moan in disgust. She manages to pull the malfunctioned liver out and replace it with the new liver. Luckily, she did not have to do anything more. She was then spoken to by an anonymous pony.
“Well done, Redheart. When you exit the room, take a right, and then another right through the second door. It should lead to the surgery analysis room.”
She follows the instructions precisely, unsure of who was waiting for her. After she enters the room, she glares at the pony. “S…Stonehoof?”
He makes eye contact with Redheart. “It seems you've heard of me, but I know nothing about you other than you've dedicated your life to nursery. Anyway, allow me to get to the point. I'm in need of a professional in the field of medicines and nursery, such as you, to care for the ponies in Vault 106.”
She gasps. “Really?”
“You've shown dedication and undying loyalty as a nurse ever since your first day. You pushed forward with an operation you have never done before, as demonstrated today. Such ponies gain the privilege to join a vault to ensure the survival of ponykind. However, they always have a choice. You may back down from this, as if it never happened. We won't stop you. If you choose to follow me into Vault 106, I can assure your survival during the rebirth of Equestria.”
She continues to stare at Stonehoof, simply frozen in shock of receiving such a high honor. “Stonehoof, I…I don't know what to say… You…want me…in a vault?”
“I haven't got all day, Miss Redheart. Will you join Vault 106 or not?”
She decides to go with Stonehoof. “Yes, I will…”
“Good. Follow me, then.” He exits the room.
Nurse Redheart follows Stonehoof closely, but as she glances back into the room, she manages to catch a recognizable sight through the door's window that the patient was being zipped up in a body bag. She opens her mouth to gasp.
Stonehoof looks back at Nurse Redheart. “Miss Redheart? Is something wrong?” She seals her mouth and replies with a gentle shake of her head. Stonehoof continues heading for the hospital exit.
The patient… How could he have died? Did I do something wrong? Have my efforts been in vain? Tears begin forming in her eyes as her irises narrow.
(The next day; 12:03 AM)
Redheart awakens with a shout of dread, afterwards immediately sitting upright. A friend of hers, Minuette, was sleeping over at Redheart's house. The scream caused her to fall out of the bed with a thump.
Rubbing her head, Minuette speaks in an upset tone. “Not funny, Red…”
Redheart remains in a stiff sitting position, seemingly petrified, and irises narrowed. A few seconds later, her ears fold back, tears start dripping, and she begins sobbing in her blanket.
Regretful, Minuette climbs back onto the bed and hugs Redheart. “I'm sorry, Red…”
After a few minutes, Redheart raises her head. She sniffles before muttering to herself. “I should never have taken that operation…”
Minuette manages to make out what she spoke. “What operation?”
Redheart makes eye contact with her. “I was put in a surgical room, and they asked me to-” A sniffle interrupts her. “-to perform a liver transplant…” Her voice tension rises as she restates the type of transplant, and then she starts sobbing into the blanket again.
Minuette strokes Redheart's mane as she speaks. “Shhh… It's alright… The operation is over…”
She replies with her head still in the blanket. “But the patient was being zipped into a body bag…!”
Minuette gasps lightly. So, it was one of those operations… This was worse than I thought… But why was she in one of them?
Redheart rises from the blanket once more, sniffling before speaking. “It doesn't matter, I guess… The past is the past… Mourning over it won't do me any good…”
There you go, Red, Minuette thinks.
“I'm going to make sure ponykind survives the nuclear fallout. This p-”
She interrupts Redheart's speech. “Wait! You're going in a vault?”
She nods. “The transplant was a test to confirm that I have the knowledge and will to participate and succeed in anything relating to medicines, nursing…-”
“Why didn't you tell me about this?!”
“At the moment, I was…too distressed to tell you…” Minuette simply stares at Redheart. “If you're worried about getting in the vault, I've already requsted that they put you in 'Reserved Placement'.”
Minuette throws herself on her pillow as whispers “Oh, thank Celestia…”
“Did you really think I'd leave you for dead, after all you've done for me?”
“Well… Not exactly, but…-”
“Let's just get over it. You're in, and that's all that matters.”
“Yeah…” Minuette throws the blanket over herself. “Good night, Red…”
“Good night…” Redheart lies down and eventually falls asleep.
(ERW-24, 1026)
Illuminant Dusk whispers into Nurse Redheart's ear. “Follow me into the next room. I need to have a private discussion with you.”
Nurse Redheart nods in acceptance and goes with Illuminant Dusk.
He speaks under his breath to ensure privacy. “I've recently discovered that the surface is teeming with life. However, Overseer Stonehoof just won't allow us to exit. Now is our only chance to escape. All I need you to do is inject him with potent sleeping medicines; enough to drop him in a few seconds. My family and I will take care of the rest. If you can do this, I can guarantee your escape with us.”
Nurse Redheart glares at Illuminant Dusk, skeptical of any chance of success. But, she knew anything is worth a try, especially escaping the vault. Growing sick of the four walls surrounding her, she directly looks into his eyes and nods.
“Good. Now let's go.” The two transfer back to the other room.
Nurse Redheart speaks to Stonehoof as she retrieves a syringe filled with strong sedatives. “Sir, there's been a recent…event…since several days ago. If and when one can, everypony must receive a dose of Lisonichinon Zhleranidotus.”
Stonehoof glances at Nurse Redheart, somewhat puzzled. “Excuse me?”
She makes eye contact with him. “They haven't told you?”
“Who's 'they'?”
“Ahh… Never mind.” She walks over to Stonehoof. “Let me see your foreleg.” He lifts out his left foreleg to allow the injection. Nurse Redheart examines the foreleg, searching for a vein. When she finally finds one, she inserts the syringe and empties the medicines into his bloodstream.
Stonehoof immediately feels drowsy. “Ugh… That's…quite strong… I'm feeling instantaneous effects…”
“Don't worry. You'll be sleepy for just a few minutes. Afterwards, you'll be exactly the way you were before.”
He begins lightly swaying sideways. “Redheart, I don't…know about this…”
“Trust me, you'll be fine.”
“Well, okay…” As he lifts himself from the chair, he falls on the ground.
Illuminant Dusk approaches the unconscious body and snaps the neck with a head twist. The body emits a loud, thick crack; enough to disturb even Illuminant Dusk. “There. Now that he's taken care of, we can-”
Nurse Redheart interrupts his sentence. “Dusk, why would you kill him!?”
“If I didn't know what I was doing, I would have done nothing.”
She begins hyperventilating. “You…killed the Overseer…just like that…” The hyperventilation becomes faster and heavier.
He grabs her shoulders, pausing her panic breathing. “Redheart, listen to me. …I promise nopony will lay a hoof on you. Pull yourself together, and stay close to me.”
She nods almost unnoticeably.
“Just in case, take the gun from the Overseer's pocket. I'm sure he's got a suppressor on it, too.”
As Redheart approaches the corpse, she asks Illuminant Dusk, “I thought you promised me you'd protect me…” She picks up the gun, anyway; a Desert Eagle-esque 10mm handgun with a Liberty suppressor and under-barrel laser sight.
“The entire force is going against us, so extra guns are a big help. The guns I obtained don't have suppressors; thus, you play a major role in remaining undetected.”
Redheart looks into the Overseer's corpse further, finding that he was equipped with a kevlar vest. “Since when does the Overseer wear a bulletproof vest?”
“Please tell me your joking…” Illuminant Dusk throws out the revolver, checking that it's loaded with 6 bullets. He then locks the revolver back in and readies the hammer. “Oh, I almost forgot SpitFire.” He walks up to SpitFire still lying on the hospital bed.
SpitFire shuffles slightly and groans. “Ugh…” She sits upright, naturally falling into a hunch. She stares at the distant corpse, her irises narrow. “Is that…the Overseer?”
Illuminant Dusk says “Yes, it is.”
“He's going to be fine, right?”
“Hopefully. It seems the nurse's concoction needed some more work. Anyway, there's little to no time to continue chatting. Let's move.” Illuminant Dusk exits the nursery, heading for the family cell. Redheart and SpitFire follow closely, as instructed.
(Seven minutes later…)
Harmonic Octave is in Midnight Shimmer's arms, slightly shaking as they wait patiently for something to happen. Illuminant Dusk knocks on the door. The two jump at the unexpected sound. She chooses not to respond.
“Honey, it's me; Illuminant Dusk.” He follows the sentence up with another three knocks.
Yet to believe the pony behind the door, she swipes a kitchen knife from the drawer, and then grants entry to whomever is on the other side. Once she confirms that it's Illuminant Dusk, she glares intently at the two followers. “Who're they?”
“I'm sure you know who they are. I promised their escape.”
“What!?”
“Shimmer, do you not see the benefits? With Redheart's medical training, she can tend to wounds. With Corporal SpitFire's marksmanship, she can maintain the condition of our weapons, and even help in firefights. We are required to scrounge for more food, but that shouldn't be much of a problem.”
“I guess you're right.”
The siren sounds throughout the vault as a voice comes over the intercom. “Attention all vault residents, we have a code black. I repeat, we have a code black. This is not a drill. Every resident must be in their designated cell within ten minutes. Anypony caught outside their cell after then will be shot on sight.”
Illuminant Dusk opens the cell door. “We need to move. Now.” He exits the cell, with the group close behind him, and heads for the vault entrance.
Harmonic Octave looks towards his father, slightly concerned. “Dad, is there a weapon I may have?”
“No, Octave. You're too young to use a gun.”
“May I at least have a sort of knife?”
“Octave, now is not the time to converse. We've got a short window to exit the vault without being grouped by many guards, and idle conversations will only slow us down.”
(Twelve minutes later…)
Illuminant Dusk spots a guard eliminating an escaping vault resident. “Hold up…” He dashes behind a wall, and the rest mimic. He turns around to face the group. “We've got security up ahead… Redheart, you do know how to use a gun, right?”
Redheart flattens her ears. “No… It's one of the first times I've even held one…”
“No problem… Give it to SpitFire…”
Redheart obeys and hoofs the 10mm to SpitFire.
SpitFire peeks over the corner of the wall, noticing the guard is distracted cleaning his baton. She aims a little below the head, and fires a round. The bullet successfully hits the guard in the spine, spraying nearby support beams with scarlet blood. The dying pony becomes affected with after-death twitching, sending a chill down each pony's intact spine.
“Good kill,” Illuminant Dusk whispers.
“Lead the way,” suggests Midnight Shimmer. “We don't know how many more are up ahead.”
SpitFire nods in agreement, and leads the group down the path to the vault entrance. She stops in a hallway, passing a warning to the other ponies. “Uniform; twelve o'clock.” They seem to be occupying themselves with the same activity as the previous guard, foolishly turning their back to the group.
SpitFire takes the shot, but misses. The guard jumps forward in fright, and then spots SpitFire. She fires another round, and it hits the guard in the throat and just beside the spinal cord. He drops on the spot, coughing blood followed by muffled screams of immense pain.
“That was way too close…” She continues down the hallway and stops right in front of the Overseer's office. “Here we are.” She enters the passcode into the keypad on the left side of the door.
Midnight Shimmer seems astonished. “I can't believe it…”
“We'll rejoice when we get out.” She then begins hacking the Overseer's terminal.
Illuminant Dusk searches a set of six lockers positioned in a corner. Inside one is six fully-loaded 10mm magazines, two packs of Rad-X, and a combat knife. He sighs at the thought of a rather difficult decision. “Octave?”
Harmonic Octave immediately makes eye contact with his father. “Yes?”
“I've got something for you.”
“O-okay.” Harmonic Octave makes his way to his father's position.
Illuminant Dusk gives the knife to Harmonic Octave. “It's the only weapon you're getting at this moment, so don't lose it.” He slams the locker door shut.
Harmonic Octave manages to hide his excitement. “Thanks, dad.”
“You can thank him later,” Midnight Shimmer shouts. “We've got company!” She seals the exit and shoves a nearby loose pipe through a handlebar, attached to the door, into a natural dent in the wall. “This should keep them at bay for a while. SpitFire, hurry up with whatever you're doing!” The door then immediately lifts. Fortunately, the pipe prevents the door from opening.
“I'm tryin'! The Overseer's terminal is far from easy to hack!”
“Redheart,” Illuminant Dusk says. “Take the 10mm handgun. You, Shimmer, Octave, and I are hiding in the lockers.”
SpitFire successfully hacks the terminal, and then turns to Illuminant Dusk. “What about me?”
“You're authority. They will spare you with a decent explanation as to why you're on the Overseer's terminal.”
SpitFire hesitates. “No need for that.” She activates the Overseer's hidden passage. The other four glare at the pathway in awe. “Come on.” She jumps in, along with the rest of the group, and makes her way to the vault entrance. “There's likely to be resistance, so I'd suggest you give Octave a gun.”
“No,” replies Illuminant Dusk. “He cannot operate a gun, let alone have the capability to fire one accurately.”
Harmonic Octave speaks infuriatingly. “I have a book explaining how to use a gun… Remember you passed it on to me when I was 5?”
“…Oh.”
When the group reaches the room right before the vault entrance, she approaches another locker and throws gas masks to each, including herself. “Okay, each mask has only one filter, and there are no spares. When we're out of here, we need to look for civilization immediately. These filters might be used, so we gotta double-time it.”
Harmonic Octave hesitates to put the mask on. “Are you sure we got this?”
SpitFire, about to put on the mask, places it on the floor to reply. “Octave, there are only two or three guards with 10-inch metal batons. Put them against two guns and knives. Who do you think will win?”
Illuminant Dusk shakes his head in embarrassment. “It's surprising to see even you don't know what your own forces are equipped with… The guards of the vault entrance are carrying an M16A5 using 7.62x54mmR ammunition, along with select fire. They can spray us at any given moment. We stand little chance against them.”
“It's times like these that even a lie can keep you going…”
“The timing was horrible, I'll give you that much!”
“What do you want me to do?!”
“Speak the truth! Lies don't help in any way!”
“Excuse me for caring about Octave's mental stability! I just want him to stay strong, and you just had to come in and ruin it for him!”
“Sane or insane, l-”
Seeing an argument the last to ever arise in such a situation, Harmonic Octave snaps in an instant. “Will you ignorant ponies focus on the matter at hoof?! Here we are, in conflict about things nopony gives a flying feather about! I've never seen such foolish behavior, especially from the ponies I actually look up to!” He locks on to Illuminant Dusk's eyes. “You've been through worse than deceptions, yet you let yourself snap now! Pony up!” He then looks over to SpitFire. “And you! If it weren't for your 'white lie,' we could be out by now! Believe me when I tell you that I hold my lucidity with a titanium hoof!” He slams a hoof on the ground, which induces a headache. He falls to a crouch, and lays a hoof over his head.
Illuminant Dusk lets his head droop. “You're right… Who am I to argue in these circumstances?”
SpitFire bursts into tears as she attempts to muffle her involuntary sobbing. “I… I'm sorry…Octave… I didn't mean to…-” She descends to her knees, making no attempt to deaden her wails as she gives in to her downhearted state of mind.
Harmonic Octave barely succeeds to cast a spell that removes his insufferable pain. He emits a sigh of relief, and then stands up. “Just…don't let it h-”
Two gunshots are heard from the other room; blood and gore splatter on the window.
Redheart opens the airtight door to the next room, leading to the discovery of the two guards' corpses lying on the ground. She groans as she takes a step back and drops on the floor, vomiting.
Harmonic Octave simply stares down at the dead guards, but Illuminant Dusk is visibly shaken by the sudden event. To keep from Harmonic Octave continuously looking at the corpses, Illuminant Dusk grabs him and shields his eyes. “My Celestia… Did they just…-”
Harmonic Octave slips from his father's clutch. “There's no use standing around, discussing the casualty. We need to get moving before the cavalry arrives.” He hops over the corpses to reach the control panel. He attempts to open the door, but the lever can only be moved when unlocked. “Shoot… Maybe one of the guards has the key.”
Illuminant Dusk searches the bodies, but ends up empty-hooved. “Clear.”
“Well, that's just g-” He pauses for a second. “That's it!” His horn emits a peculiar red aura, and a lockpick rises to fit snugly in the lock. It gently sways back and forth, fiddling with the one thing deciding life or death. An unlocking sound is heard shortly afterwards. “I got it!” He pulls the lever down. The machinery then starts up to open the vault.
SpitFire shouts over the whirring mechanisms. “The reinforcements have broken through!”
In slight panic, Harmonic Octave picks up an M16A5 and manually cycles to check for ammunition. Empty… He picks up a magazine, drops the empty one, inserts the new magazine, and then chambers a bullet.
“Octave,” Illuminant Dusk screams, “What are you doing?! Put that down!”
Ignoring his father's command, Harmonic Octave begins taking slow and steady shots. He takes the lives of most; the rest are taken care of by SpitFire and Midnight Shimmer. After the firefight ends rather quickly, he ejects the magazine to check how many bullets he has left. Half a magazine remaining.
The rest of the ponies stare at Harmonic Octave, amazed by his seemingly natural talent in firing weaponry. Illuminant Dusk is the only one to speak. “Octave… How were you able to shoot with such accuracy?”
Harmonic Octave inserts the magazine. “The book teaches how to compensate for recoil, how to line up the iron sights, as well as sight attachments, et cetera.”
“You learned all that from the book? My Celestia, it's more detailed than I assumed.”
“We'll discuss it later. We're leaving right now. There's no doubt we'll be shot on sight after these casualties.” Harmonic Octave swipes two more magazines from the dead security before trotting out of the vault. When he turns around, he notices Illuminant Dusk and Midnight Shimmer have stayed behind. “Hurry it up, you two! We don't have much time!”
Midnight Shimmer picks up the other M16A5. “We can't go with you.”
Harmonic Octave widens his eyes. “Wh…what?”
“The only way to close the vault door is from the inside. Even if the vault door closes, we'll have all of the vault forces on top of us.” She loads a new magazine, and cycles to chamber a new bullet. “We need to stay behind to prevent them from escaping.”
Harmonic Octave gapes, but says nothing. Th…they can't be serious…
“Remember when we said we'd risk our lives to ensure your safety? Now is that time.” She looks to her left, and then back at Harmonic Octave.
Illuminant Dusk raises the lever, ordering the mechanism to seal the vault. “If we survive, we'll try to find you!”
Harmonic Octave merely stands where he is, lastingly traumatized by his parents' decision. Mother… Father… …Why…? Tears begin streaming down his face at the thought of their deaths, never being able to see them again.
“Octave,” SpitFire whispers soothingly, “unless you want your parents' efforts in vain, we need to get moving.”
Harmonic Octave hears gunfire from within the vault, triggering an unbearable sorrow that brings him to his knees.
SpitFire attempts to comfort him by wrapping a wing around him and resting her head on his.
