Fallout: Equestria
Spare Parts
"If you've got the caps, I've also got several implants available to enhance your physical attributes."
She was perfect.
I kept the lighting low as I looked her over. She was a beautiful brown mare, with a short blue mane and tail. Her eyes were shut, the result of a combined effort from stun grenades, a blow to the back of her head, and an induced coma brought about by my own drugs. The unicorn had been successfully taken without any severe damages. Her companions had sadly gotten away from the trap, but she was the only pony I wanted.
I tried to keep from shaking. Years of work had brought me and this mare to this very moment. I wanted to laugh and dance for joy. However, that wouldn’t be suitable for such an operation. We were about to save Equestria.
I began bringing the tools closer to the mare, setting up a functional medical area. Reworking a badly damaged Ministry of Wartime Technology base into a top of the line medical facility hadn’t been easy, but it was the only place that could give me everything I needed. Almost everything. All I had needed was a hero…
I pet the mare’s head, smiling, “You’re gonna be everyone’s hero!”
Not that she knew it yet. I had heard rumors about this mare. The Shield. The unicorn guardian of Detrot. This little pony had been making waves through the wasteland, stories of a new hero rising. Looking at her now, I was comforted that I had made the right choice. This was a gift. If I didn’t do this for her, she’d be dead within a few weeks at most.
It occurred to me that I was stalling. I swallowed, making sure that she was completely unconscious and unarmed. It was time to begin.
The first thing I had to do was undress her. Considering what was about to happen, this wasn’t gonna be the worst part of her day. She was wearing a brown jacket with armored pieces haphazardly placed on. I began with that, gently tossing it aside. She wore a grey shirt underneath, along with her brown boots and black armored pants. I continued with the boots, taking off the armored shoes slowly until something caught my eye.
A Pipbuck. Clever mare. I doubted it was hers; she didn’t have the look of a stable pony. However, the fact that she had one though showed intelligence and skill. It also gave me an idea.
I moved for my toolbox, beginning to take off the precious piece of technology. As I began to pull it off, noting in relief that it showed that she was unconscious, I saw her name.
Balance Point. What an oddly suited name.
I was extremely careful when taking the Pipbuck off, placing it near some robot parts. This was something she would need later. I finished with the rest of her boots, tossing them with her coat. I then went to take off the grey shirt, tossing it too. I finally pulled the pants off, allowing closer examination of the subject.
As mares went, she was rather cute. I was pleased to note there were no scars or serious injuries being covered by the clothes. However, I felt my face get hot as I noticed there was a final piece of clothing I missed. Frilly and sexy pink panties. A small part of me wondered why a wasteland hardened mare would wear something so… dainty. I peeled those off to look over her completely. Even her body was perfect.
I eyed her cutie mark, a picture of a protective white shield with yellow around the edge. It made me smile, more certain than ever that she was the pony for this job. She was born for it.
The next step in my job was to prepare her for everything ahead. If she died on the table, everything would have been meaningless. Worse than meaningless; a waste. I began to set her into the machines, registering her heartbeat and condition, as well as injecting enough painkillers into her to ensure she wouldn't feel a thing. The pain wouldn’t benefit her.
I swallowed, wondering where I should begin. I knew how to do it all, but actually having the subject here made me wonder where to start. I looked back at the Pipbuck, realizing that I should have that reconnected as soon as possible. So I began with the legs.
With any luck, this would be easy as I had made sure the legs were strapped down to the table. I began drawing lines around her legs, showing exactly where I needed to operate. I chose a nearby laser, precise enough to get through bone and skin without making a mess of it. This was the last chance. Either I let her go now, or proceed with the operation.
I turned on the laser. With extreme caution, I began cutting through her front left leg, trying to make it as fast as possible. The move was swift, leaving a stub where the leg was. I would have to move fast, to ensure that there was no permanent damage.
I reached through the parts and machines I had, grabbing the appropriate leg. The limbs were from a modified suit of Steel Ranger armor. With delicate precision, I began to fuse the leg to the stump. Sparks flew and blood began to soak onto the top of the leg, but I kept up the work.
After a few delicate minutes, the leg was intact. Balance Point hadn’t so much as flinched, which I was thankful for. The next thing to do was install the Pipbuck inside the leg.
I had to admit, she was clever to hide the expensive lifesaver inside her boot, so I was taking it to the next level. Installing it safely inside the armor, where it would be invisible to all other ponies. As an extra bonus, it assured me that the operation had been a success, the leg was fully attached and operational. Now I could install the other legs…
* * *
She was looking tougher already. As I finished cleaning the blood and safely storing the flesh legs in storage for safekeeping, I was pleased to note that her strength would be far more impressive. All the legs were operational and ready for whatever battles she entered.
Now the really hard parts could begin. I wondered what should be upgraded next. Her legs were strapped down and she was still unconscious, so I wasn’t worried about time. I began to open one of her eyes to examine it.
Her eye was dull, no doubt due to the amount of drugs in her system. The color was a cooling cyan, which I had to admit looked nice. I decided that her new eyes would keep the color. I pulled out a sharp blade, and began to carefully cut them out one at a time, making sure not to damage the optic nerve. Her new eyes would be far more advanced, able to see everything with more clarity, and with more information. The eyes had a slightly uncanny appearance, but it was something that I didn’t want to worry about at the moment. There were bigger priorities.
Next were the ears. I was happy that I didn’t have to remove anything for a change. Instead, I added a pair of implants to enhance hearing. They were barely noticeable. While I was busy with her face, I began to pull out her teeth. One by one, I pulled the bloody white things from her gums, placing them into jars. I was making sure to save every single piece of her flesh body in prime condition, in case something went wrong with her replacements. I replaced the teeth with metal grey implants, sharper in case she needed a stronger bite. Anything was possible in the wasteland.
As I began to think about what to do next, I realized my hooves were shaking again. I needed to take a small break. After making sure there was no chance that she’d be waking up, I sat down to admire my developing masterpiece.
There was still so much to do, I realized. Equestria destroyed heroes the way dogs destroyed toys. If she even wanted a chance to survive, I’d have to push things even further. I took a swig of water, rubbing my chin. I was unbelievably relieved that things had worked out so far. However, I’d have to be extremely careful with the next step, or Balance would die on the table.
I washed my hooves, grabbing some clean cutting tools. I lined up my blade, just above her chest. With a slow breath, I began to cut.
Opening the chest still faintly disgusted me, even after years of practice. Looking over her organs, I was pleased to note that they all seemed healthy, not that she’d need them after this. They would leave, one by one. Lungs, liver, kidneys, intestines, heart, and bones. A shopping list of what kept a pony alive, all removed with the patience of a saint, replaced with metal talismans and reinforced steel. There would no longer be a need to eat, or worry about energy. Healing would be faster, and repairing the parts would be simpler then fixing any injured organs. After ensuring that her body wouldn’t rip apart under the pressure of all these machines, I stitched her chest back together.
I looked at a clock, noticing that the afternoon had come and gone. I was exhausted, but I couldn’t stop. Everything had to be done as soon as possible, I couldn’t afford to run out of painkillers. With a resigned grunt, I took a shot of Dash. I made a mental note to ensure that her body could receive helpful drugs on demand.
Dash felt like a kick, and my shaking returned with full force. With only my willpower, I forced myself to become calm. Her body would still be vulnerable, so I had to go even further.
I grabbed an electric razor, turning it on. With a final breath, I began to cut. Fur, tail, everything. Pink flesh was becoming easier to see as fur fell around the table. I began to notice that her body was shaking, ever so softly.
I stopped. Checking over all the machines, there was nothing to suggest that she was waking up. I hoped that she wasn’t feeling any of this, but it was too late to stop. As I reached her rump, I stopped. I looked at her cutie mark, being the last pony who ever would. With a heavy heart and a regretful sigh, I cut the fur away. All that remained was fur on her head, and a very short mane. I noticed it made her look more like a colt.
I reached for some grey metal plates, beginning to fuse them around her body. Her flesh sizzled and burned, becoming permanently damaged. But it was no matter, as it would forever be hidden from eyesight. Around her back, I began forcing long metal wings inside her. They wouldn’t help her fly, but they would work well to shield her from gunfire. The armor itself would protect her from anything the wasteland could throw at her.
The armor went over her entire body, all the way up to her neck. Turning it would be out of the question, but it would protect her from beheadings and other deadly attacks. I wanted to cover her face too, but I understood how she might need to look more like a pony in some regions of Equestria. Instead, I began another careful job. I had to cut into her skull, removing chunks of bone to replace them with reinforcing metal. I was extremely careful that nothing damaged the brain, but understood that her head would feel very heavy from now on. I was certain that she could take it, however. The hardest part was restoring the flesh, making sure that her face wasn’t just a bunch of ugly scars. Like an artist though, I slowly enhanced her until her brain was completely safe.
A new thought reached me as I finished her skull, one that I had never thought of before. Why stop now? Her face was nice, but very… plain. It could be so much more. What if she needed to persuade someone, or use her looks to get past a dangerous situation? With a low smile, I took out my blades.
I gently puffed out her cheeks, adjusted her nose, gave her a wider smile. She would be the most beautiful mare in Equestria, as well as the most heroic. Many ponies believed that beauty was given to those who were good at heart. If that was the case, this mare would be the kindest, greatest pony to have ever lived. For the first time, I was actually having fun with my work, modifying every inch of her face to perfection. A small gift for all the sacrifices she’d make for saving the world.
An hour passed, as I walked away for another shot of Dash. I was pleased with my work. While I had never trained to be plastic surgeon, I believed that I had proven to be an artist of the pony body. More than that, everything was set. Her metal body was reinforced and strong, promising protection and the possibility for a hero to arise that would crush the evil of the wasteland. Now I could work on the finishing touches, final modifications that would put even the best Steel Rangers to shame.
Where her cutie marks once were, I fused drug canisters to her body. Dash, Med-X, Hydra, potions… As soon as she needed them, her body would inject her with them. She would be maximized for combat every time. I made sure to create an override though; I didn’t want to risk her becoming addicted. Within her chest, I inserted extra life-support systems. Inside her hooves, I inserted retractable blades to increase her deadliness. Part of me wondered if I should add other weapons, but I wasn’t sure what Balance Point liked to use. Besides that, it would be a pain to reload.
I looked over her, my creation finished. Balance Point didn’t look like a pony anymore. Instead, she looked like a warrior out of a story. A blade to slice through the monsters in Equestria. The shield of all good ponies. I smiled softly to myself, yawning.
I looked at the clock, noticing that it was nearly three in the morning. My shaking was increasing, and tiredness was sweeping over me like a heavy blanket. I didn’t want to sleep, but my body was giving out. Helpless to stop it, I curled up in the shadow of my new heroine, darkness falling upon me…
* * *
Damn… As soon as I began to wake up, my body felt slow and unresponsive. It felt like a hangover, but the worst one I ever experienced. Everything felt dim and faded. How much did I drink last night?
I forced my eyes to open, groaning softly. As soon as my eyes opened though, numbers and letters assaulted my vision, blinding me. I groaned louder, trying to shake it away. My body stayed motionless though, and I couldn’t feel my neck. The numbers began to fade, reaching the corners of my eyes. The room I was in looked bright to me, I could see every detail in crystal clarity. I began to feel a dull pain all over my body, my ears picking up the heavy sounds of a pony snoring.
I looked down at myself, trying to remember what happened. The last thing that came to mind was my upcoming date with Destiny. The pony had always been a soft spoken stallion, but he was about as loyal as they came. Dear Celestia, tell me I didn’t lose memory of our date.
I could see my body now, and something within me froze. All I saw was solid grey metal, all over me. I gently wiggled my hooves, and the metal responded. My eyes widened. “WHAT THE FUCK?!”
I began to wiggle my body, noticing that I’d been strapped down to the table. I screamed, forcing my body to rip itself free of this nightmare. With frightening strength, I pulled myself off of the table, wires snapping and machines beeping wildly. I snarled, looking around. My clothing was thrown away into a small pile in the corner of the room. The chamber was filled with bloody tools and complicated machines. Realization smashed upon me, and I screamed again.
“Balance! Calm down!” I heard a voice, but I threw the pony away with a heavy hoof. I began tearing at the armor, looking for a way to take it off. It was becoming increasingly clear that there was no way to remove it, the metal pieces fused directly into me. My eyes were blinded, my hearing was slamming me with every single noise around me. I bit my lips, the sheer pressure bringing new pain.
I tried to get up, only managing to throw myself to the floor. Everything about me felt heavy. Like an anchor, I was forced to the ground. My head was too heavy, I couldn’t even lift it. Red lights were filling my eyesight, warning me with words I couldn’t even understand. I howled in rage, my horn glowing. Everything in the room went flying with a powerful telekinetic force.
A mirror smashed in front of my body, shattering into a million pieces. All the pieces showed me a single… thing. A robot with a face that wasn’t mine. It wasn’t just the glowing eyes or new mane, but everything about my face was changed. That wasn’t me!
I used my hoof to throw the mirror shards across the room, sending the armored freak away from me. I felt something smack my face, noticing with newfound horror a pair of wings sticking out of my back. My horn glowed again, as I tried to rip them out.
“Stop!” The voice told me again, a hoof grabbing me by the horn. I screamed, grabbing the assailant with a hoof, smashing him into the wall.
What I saw before me was an old pony, covered in wrinkles and scars. He wore a bloody white coat, and broken glasses. He stared at me not with terror or rage, but with admiration. “You’ll break the wings,” He told me as I held him against the wall.
“What did you do to me!?” I snarled, my voice taking on a freaky static at the end. This isn’t my voice!
“I saved you!” He told me, his body shaking in my grip. “I made you a hero!”
I smashed my hoof next to his face, cracking the wall. He seemed to get my message.
“I-I modified your body,” He told me in a rush, “Equestria needs a hero! T-there is nopony strong enough to save the wasteland! Every hero that has e-ever gone has died to the monsters out there!”
“What does this have to do with me?!” I screamed, more static emerging from my mouth.
“Don’t scream,” He warned me, “You’ll damage your voice.”
This time I didn’t hold back. I brought a hoof to his leg, snapping it like a twig. He screamed, falling down to the ground. I snarled, feeling new teeth in my mouth. A coldness in my gums.
“E-equestria needed a hero…” He repeated, quieter, “Somepony who could make the needed sacrifice… I’ve been looking for a pony for years…”
“To experiment on?!”
“To prepare!” He lifted his head to face me. “To equip for a war against all the raiders and monsters in the wasteland! You were already going out there to throw your life away, I just gave you the chance to win!”
I stared at him, utterly stunned by this pony. “What did you do to me?” I asked, quieter.
He groaned, trying to stand up. “I replaced everything… Legs, skin, eyes, organs… Everything to make you unstoppable.”
I reached my hooves against my metal body, sudden terror reaching me. I couldn’t feel anything under my neck. Nothing but a dull pain that existed everywhere. My legs felt so heavy, unnatural.
Taking my silence as a way to continue, he looked at me, “I perfected you, Balance Point. You won’t be a hero… You’ll be a savior.”
My head was spinning, I began to take deep breaths to calm myself, only to notice I couldn’t even feel my lungs taking the air in. I felt like crying, but nothing came. No feeling at all. At the back of my mind, I realized faintly there was something I had forgotten. “W-what about my friends? Destiny, Heartware, Small Flame?”
He blinked, “I imagine they’re fine. I was only after you. I only took you.” The confusion in his voice was enough to convince me, but I somehow was able to see his heart through his skin, my eyes informing me his body language was telling the truth.
Regardless, I pushed him onto the table, searching the room to make sure that my friends hadn’t been trapped in this asylum. There was only one door, next to my pile of clothes. I swallowed, noticing that everything was suddenly too small for me to wear. Even the panties.
Sorry, Destiny…
I went to the door, noticing that it had been locked. I snarled, smashing my hoof into the door, breaking it down without problem. I charged in.
“Is anypony in… here…?” I trailed off, my robotic eyes taking in a new horror. My legs, my eyes, my body parts were all trapped in jars and containers, floating in some kind of grey liquid. The room began closing in on me, as I felt something very deep within me snap as I stared at my organs. It was gone. Everything had just been ripped out of me! My fucking eyes were staring at me, judging me from a counter. I flailed back, my unwieldly hooves smashing into things, my heart dropping in front of my face. My eyes automatically focused on it, enhancing the image to show me the thing was still beating.
I dragged myself out, shutting my eyes. I knew what I had to do. I looked up at the old pony, getting up to stand over him. He didn’t move, staring at me.
“C-can you reverse this?” I finally asked, “I don’t want this!”
“I could reverse it…” He trailed off, a hope springing up inside me. Then he looked me straight in the eyes, “But I won’t.”
The hope came crashing down, burning on impact. I grabbed him, pushing him to the table in rage. A few canisters of Dash were pushed to the ground. “FIX ME!”
The pony shook his head, “This is for your own good, Balance!”
I grabbed him by the throat, my hooves freakishly still. “I’ll kill you!”
“No you won’t…” He told me softly, “You’re too good a pony for that. That’s why I chose you.”
I stared at him, wanting nothing else but to crush his puny body. I could hear his heartbeat, moving dizzyingly fast. But that look in his eyes told me so much more. It was a look of victory. By turning me into a monster, he saw himself as the champion. I hated him for that.
I twisted my hooves, and felt his life leave his body. He gurgled once, than went limp. With horror, I dropped the elder pony’s body.
I stepped back, trying to gather myself. My mind was racing, I felt something jab me where my cutie mark was. I looked back, but I couldn’t tell what it was under all that armor. There was so much I didn’t know about this body, and I had just killed the pony that could have told me. I screamed again, loud and powerfully. It wasn’t the scream of a pony, but of a machine. Words went over my eyes, an objective.
Mission: Find friends.
I didn’t understand it though, as my scream slowly descended into a dark and terrifying sob, filled with all the pain my broken body could muster.
Author's Note
Thank you for reading this standalone story into the FO:E universe started by Kkat. I'd like to thank Mossie55 for doing art for this story, and for the Turn of an Era team for editing and reviewing this story. Be warned, the picture does contain blood. http://mossie55.deviantart.com/art/Request-Cyborg-Transformation-428040309
Finally, I'd like to note that I have a new project coming soon also for the FO:E universe. Stay tuned for more adventures, and thank you again for reading.
