The Story of Aperture

The next day delta squad packed their tents up and checked their data pads for the new path plotted through the caves.

“I was up all night working on this with Commander Bowdler. Please do NOT ruin this one” said Matrix in a groggy voice through each of their headsets. “Now if you don’t mind, I’m going to drink my body weight in coffee.  Please try to not die before I get back. I’d put Bowdler on, but I don’t want the filthy language he has to say to Lightning on my airways.”

“If I hadn’t used those grenades Aperture would have died, and not only would he have died, you still wouldn’t be able to see these caves” retorted Lightning “Tell Bowdler to stick that in his pipe and smoke it”

There was a pause and a burst of static and muttering.

“Bowdler says for you to go smoke something else” Replied Matrix and the mic went quiet.

Delta squad set off into the direction the nav indicated. Lighting led the way, followed by Zayelx who had the torch. Aperture followed at the back. He had the book Dasher had given him. The spell for weaponised magic was fairly simple. You need to focus on a feeling. Any feeling, though anger was one of the most potent concentrated on the feeling hard enough and direct it at your target. Then cut the thought train to let the bolt fly. He practiced a few shots back down the tunnel, but the largest he could produce was only big enough to knock down a squirrel or bunny. Nothing like the Sanctums hatred fuelled magic he was competing against. Downcast, he decided to try conventional weapons. He got the butterfly knife from his saddlebags and gave it a few practice flips. Suddenly interested, Zayelx gave Kestrel the torch and came back to help Aperture. He showed him a few basic openings and was reasonably impressed with Aperture’s skill.

All of a sudden there was a huge crash and the roof of the tunnel exploded with a lick of flames and a crash of explosives. A shower of rubble trapped Lightning and Kestrel on the side of the tunnel heading towards the facility, but the side with Aperture and Zayelx dropped through the rocky ground into the raging river below. Aperture was hurt from the explosion and stunned as he hit the water. He thrashed about in the dark river, but he was wounded and he couldn’t swim. At the last moment his hooves gripped a piece of rotten timber from the tunnel support and hung on for his life. Eventually after battling the current and the debris fruitlessly, Aperture was swept under. He caught a fleeting glance of Zayelx fighting a snarling black head, but then he was thrust back under.

Aperture awoke to see Zayelx looking down on him. He was holding a glow stick. The two of them were on a small beach of grey slimy shale beside the torrent of water. The glow stick lit the place in an eerie green. In amongst the rocks and weeds Aperture noticed protruding bones of ponies less fortunate than themselves, and various items they had dropped. Aperture noticed a bizarre wand like device in bleached bone with a blue tip, a few gold jewellery pieces including a gold chain and broach, a leather bound book in which the ink had washed away, dog tags and a rusty iron key. He picked through the pile and took what he thought might be useful

“We took quite a tumble there!” He said helping Aperture up.  Both of their data pads were water damaged, and Zayelx’s was cracked across the middle. “Three Sanctum Earth ponies decided to drop in and pay us a visit, they thought using depth charges on land to get down to us would be fun”. I saw one crushed by rubble and strangled another one in the river. That still leaves one, so be wary.”

As if on cue Zayelx was flung to one side and landed heavily on his right foreleg, and cut his knee badly. The glow stick dropped into the water and left them with only their slowly adjusting eyes to see. Aperture scrambled back from the sanctum member. It was beaten, muddy and wounded like Zayelx and himself. One ice blue eye was badly swollen and its bleached fangs were bared in a horrible grimace, it was different to normal sanctum glee at tormenting, it just wanted Aperture to die. It advanced on him slowly; one of its legs was crippled. Aperture concentrated on his pain and fired a bolt of magic at the advancing foe, who shrugged it off as a foal might shrug off a hit from a water balloon. Aperture’s back touched the wall, cornered, but he felt something pressing into him. Quickly as he could manage, Aperture produced and opened the butterfly knife from his bag. The sanctum member reared up to strike a blow with its front hooves, Aperture slid the knife between its legs to Zayelx, who caught it deftly, and rammed it hard into the unfortunate creature’s spine. The Seventh Sanctum member gave a pitiful cry and collapsed. Zayelx yanked the knife and washed it in the river before closing it and giving it back.

“Your quick thinking saved both our lives” he commented “Bowdler was right to suggest we bring you”. Aperture glowed at the compliment, and stood up, taking Zayelx’s proffered hoof thankfully. Despite the compliment he didn’t feel quick or useful, he wasn’t entirely sure he was cut out for adventuring. He looked at the cuts and grazes on his own knees. Not for the first or last time he wished to be back in the castle in his warm room with Luna…

Luna…

He gritted his teeth. They had to get to her beacon, whatever the cost.

“You ready to move?” he asked. Zayelx was also rummaging through the beaches treasure. There was something glowing under a pile of tree bark. He fished it out; the source was a glowing ring. Aperture put it on his horn, and it shed a little light onto the corridor so they could see.

Despite his condition, Zayelx agreed and the two set off with the new light to try and find a way back to the others. Unfortunately, both had lost their head mics and the data pad had severe water damage. Aperture suddenly had a though. The glowing green ring could be radioactive! He cringed, but thought nothing more of it. What were the alternatives? Gathering together their supplies, the two ponies set out to meet up with their friends, who knew if they’d find them. Aperture led the way into the water hewn passages, ever wary no-pony knew what might lurk in the deepest caves.