Introduction: The Whistleblower*
Introduction: The Whistleblower*
Introduction: The Whistleblower
Dear Rainbow Dash,
I understand you are a fearless reporter, are you not? Well let me cut to the chase, the ponies here don’t like it when I send out mail. I need help, I need exposure, I need the Celestia forsaken place to get torn down forever! You do not understand what goes on in here! It is horrifying, I think they have been tampering with my dreams. Some kind of Dream Engine, I think, they call it? No matter, you need to investigate this place NOW. If you can help expose this place for its true horrifying nature, I'm sure you will be paid generously for your work. I apologize for not being able to give you my name, just refer to me as...
The Whistleblower.
Another great day on the outskirts of Ponyville. The greatest thing about being a pegasus is being able to live in a cloudhouse. No noise, no disturbances, not a single peep that’s within my hearing range. Until of course, the mailmare drops off my mail. With a fwoosh and a "Rainbow! Mail’s here!" I was out of bed, and getting ready for a new day.
My name is Rainbow Dash, if any of you don't know me. But how wouldn't you? I hold the Element of Loyalty, and am currently a very successful, fearless, journalist who goes to the creepiest, scariest, most horrifying places to discover truths that get me rich. Don't think I'm bragging, but this is truly the best job in the world.
Getting ready in the morning is such a repeated action, I do it without a thought. Grab a shower in some rain clouds, make sure my Video Camera is nice and clean, and check the morning mail. While I'm talking, I might explain to you this new technology. Scientists in Manehatten had devised a way to capture real-time events on a device. That is actually what pushed me to become a journalist, and well, I’m fearless and that's what brings in the real bits.
I'm a bit of a lone pony you may say, and I wouldn't argue. I do jobs on my own then submit the tapes to my boss, and wait for the bits to roll in. The only thing I could complain about is deadlines, most jobs have to be completed when the clients say, if not, I don't get paid. But enough talk, I'm not an egghead.
I trotted to my door, staring intently at the few pieces of paper lying on the floor, before picking them up with my wings. I sat them on the table while I grabbed some salad for breakfast. I can't let restaurant quality food go to waste, now can I? I checked through the first two, one junkmail, one bills. I had requested my food last night to be put on my tab, while I went out with my friends. Six meals cost a lot more than I originally thought. I winced at the big amount and tossed it aside for now. I came to the last letter, not the slightest confused of the missing return address. Tearing it open I began to read.
Dear Rainbow Dash,...
Flying at night was my favorite time to fly. No traffic and no disturbances. Earlier I read a letter on a client who didn't indulge their name to me but gave me a pretty awesome lead. I had ridden the train from Ponyville to Canterlot a few hours before, in hopes I could soon get my bits as stated. I did have to admit, I hadn't heard much about the Canterlot Asylum, mostly just tests ran on their patients. The Whistleblower seemed to state there was more than meets the eye, so I was taking him up on the offer.
I flew down the streets of Canterlot, past the castle, and to the other side of the mountain. Then, I saw it. Canterlot Asylum; the ugliest building I have ever seen. It looked like a castle, except shaped like a square. Sporting four watch towers on each corner, a razor wire fence, and reinforced concrete walls. It looked like once you got there, you weren't getting out. It was primarily dark, save for the street lights leading to the compound.
I landed myself a little down the road. I didn't want to be spotted before even making it to the facility itself. I checked over my items I brought with me: my Video Camera, three batteries, and the letter I received from the mysterious pony known as The Whistleblower. Nodding once, confirming I had everything, I tracked up the road on hooves. Once I reached the security gate, I took an even grander sight at the ugliness emanating from the structure. I lived in a colorful town, filled to the brim with colors in every direction. Something felt off while staring at the gray walls.
No matter, I pulled out my camera and captured the building, not missing even the razor fence lining it. I stepped into the security box, and took a look at the mounted computer showing the many security cameras lining the building, unluckily for me, somepony had shut them all down, and all the computer gave me was an error screen. Just great. I looked once more at the building, planning my route. I didn't see anyway in except through an open window. I trotted to the bottom of it, and carefully and quietly flapped up to the window ledge.
I carefully stepped into the room, and hoofed the camera to my eye, while turning on the "nightvision" setting, just so I could see in the dark room. I didn't know what to expect in a room inside an abandoned asylum, but what I saw came close to my expectations. The trashed room, the flipped chairs, and the broken T.V. reminded me I was in for a long night...
Chapter 1: The Terror Begins
As soon as my hooves hit the floor, the electric lights exploded, plunging me in darkness. The only light source was emanating behind a few overturned couches and chairs. I flipped out my camera and turned on the Night Vision.
Blood... Blood... Why does everywhere I go have to have blood splattered on the floor? I could feel my heart hammer into my chest and my muscles go stiff at the stench, combined with the sight. I tore my eyes off the blood splattered on the floor, and examined every inch with my camera. I had landed in the middle of the room through the window. I peeked around the overturned chair and saw the light source was actually light coming through a cracked door. The little sliver offered no respite to the darkness, so keeping the Night Vision on was the best idea.
To the right of the door was a fireplace, partially blocked by the pile of furniture. Carefully sidestepping the blood, I took a look at the other side of the room. A few destroyed bookcases didn't keep my attention for long, but the paneling on the wall behind it did. I tapped my hoof against it, hard as a rock. So the scratches through the wood must have been created by something sharp, really sharp. I stepped away from the scratches, breathing heavily. C'mon Rainbow! Don't be scared of a few scratches! My confidence restored, I finally made my way to the door. I held my breath as I accidently stepped in something wet and sticky. Resisting the urge to scream, I slowly; and hopefully silently, opened the door.
To my left was a grated door, obstructed by a few fallen bookcases and filing cabinets. The other side did not hold a door behind the few things, but instead the hallway continued. I closed my eyes for a second, due to the Night Vision glaring from the light, I made sure to turn it off while keeping the camera on. The blood trail, because it had to be a trail, led out into the hallway. The room in front of me, also my only current path, looked almost identical to the room I was just in. The room number said : A 218. I made sure to copy that, just in case it might be important later. I also made sure to capture the room behind: A 215.
The next room was free of blood and was also was lit. I noted the lack of anypony, so far, during my whole adventure. Returning my attention to the room in front of me, I moved inside, closing the door quietly behind me. The room, while being an almost replica of the other one, was completely clean. In a strange way, it only made this whole thing all the more creepy. Maybe it was the old painting of a pony that was creepy. I stared at it for a moment and, I swear, I saw its eyes move. Shivering, I suddenly found the bookcase much more interesting. None of the books had titles on the outside, so I moved on. The other wall had two windows with ripped apart curtains.
Turning to my right, I analyzed the last wall with my camera. A few potted plants, and a T.V., that happened to be turned off was mounted on the fireplace. I moved closer to analyze the T.V...
Of course it screamed at me, because why wouldn't random pieces of technology scream at somepony walking by? I almost jumped out of my skin, and I swear my heart was trying to escape my chest. It fled as soon as it came, and I couldn't be bothered to check it out anymore. I flew backwards and hit the opposing wall's bookshelf, crushing my right wing. I winced in pain, and got my hooves back on the ground. I didn't break it, but it was definitely sprained, as moving it hurt. Great, the only special thing my race could do was ripped away just like that. I wanted to scream in frustration and pain, but keeping quiet could possibly keep me hidden a little longer. I then tried being careful of the T.V., which was now emanating much lower screams, like it was a gate directly to Tartarus. The coffee table in front of it held nothing, but a book with no title. Deeming I got the room well, I turned towards another door, that had a sliver of light coming through, just like the last one.
Opening the door quietly, or as quietly as a creaky door can open, I took a step out. To my right was the bookshelf. I looked through on the other side of the hall, so basically I just went around.
To my right were more items blocking my route. Or mostly, it looked like I could barely fit through. Directly in front of me was a door that had planks nailed into it to block it off.
Something freaky was going on here, and I was going to get to the bottom of it. Choosing my only option as a path. I worked on squeezing through the gap, which was a little too small for a pony to squeeze through. I could see more blood splattered on the other side of the gap, which probably didn't bode well. I returned the camera to my bags and I put my front forehooves on each side of the debris, pulling myself through the filing cabinets and bookshelves.
Not only was there blood on the floor, it somehow got itself on the wall. Why, why does everywhere, that pays well, have to have some crazed killer running around? I didn't stare at the hallway for too long, turning to my left, I fled into the open door. This room, unlike the other two, was very small. The bookshelves lining the wall offered, still, no interesting books(that, or it’s that I'm not an avid book reader). However, the office chair and the computer were much more interesting. My camera out once more, I looked over the keyboard, the computer, and the computer core down on the floor, below the desk. The computer gave me somewhat the same error as the ones outside. I sighed in frustration that I couldn't, currently, do anything in this room. My left forehoof dropped from the desk, and bumped off a corner of an open shelf.
Okay, so maybe not nothing. I shifted through some of the papers and found a battery that perfectly matched the batteries I was using for my camera.
Checking to make sure that my current battery loaded in my camera wasn't close to dying, I put the found battery in my saddlebags. I searched around for something else useful but nothing else particularly exciting popped up. The bookshelf, the locked window, and the computer were the only items in the small room. I looked up at the room beyond the room I was in, which was in the same shape as the other room, blocked by nailed-in planks. I looked to my left for another passage, but was greeted by the same hallway with blood everywhere. The blood, mostly stayed to the left side of the hallway, and a hole-like breakage in the wall seemed like somepony had bashed their head against the wall, or it could just be rotting.
I slowly made my way further in, keeping an eye on the blood. However, the only door, that was closest, was covered by blood stains. A strange creaking sound was made evident, the further I went, but it turned out to be a ceiling fan. Okay, seriously? A flickering light too? Because this obviously wasn't creepy enough. A document, that looked like doctor's degree, was mounted to the wall, but I couldn't really read most of it, due to water damage, pr at least what looked like water damage. Sidestepping over the blood, I carefully tried the handle of the door to see if it would open, and either to my horror, or to my delight it was open. This room looked almost identical to the last, except the desk dominated the left side of the room, instead of the right. The only light was a lamp on the desk, and the blue error light, leaking from the computer. I sat myself down on the chair and looked over everything. A gray folder was sitting atop the desk, looking like it hadn't been touched in a while. So I opened it up and began to read.
CANTERLOT PSYCHIATRIC SYSTEMS
PROJECT WALRIDER
Canterlot Asylum CO
Case Number: 174
Patient Initials: DS, "Smiles"
Consultation Dated: 2012.10.14
Initial Date of Patient Consult: 2009.04.12
Patient Age: 19
Gender: Male
Race: Earth
Observing Physician: Dr. Black Hoof
THERAPY STATUS:
Patient claims to have progressed to self-directed lucid dream states. MORPHOGENIC ENGINE activity observed at unprecedented scale.
Continuing stage 4 hormone schedule.
DIAGNOSTICS:
Spirometry revealed no bronchial accumulation.
Hematocrit centrifuge again failed to separate erythrocytes. Highly worrisome.
MRI revealed arrhythmic REM/NREM cycle. Laughter in NREM state.
INTERVIEW NOTES:
Smiles asked about the status of his mother's lawsuit against Canterlot and the asylum. This represents a catastrophic breach in security, despite Smiles' claims that he discovered the truth "in the blood dreams of Doctor Red Mane."
(Note: the only Red on company records, one Red Mane, is an executive from C.R.D.)
All orderlies and security personnel must be questioned, and video security improved to include analytical biometrics.
CANTERLOT PSTCHIATRIC SYSTEMS PROJECT WALRIDER
Canterlot Asylum CO
I couldn't really find anything wrong with the document, but I'm not an egghead. I'm sure Twilight could decipher it all. I slipped the document in my saddlebags, maybe some egghead could hold this against the asylum, but not me. The rest of the room didn't hold any secrets, besides a locked filing cabinet. I turned out into the hallway and made sure nopony was there. Deciding there was still nopony, I trotted slowly further. The door directly in front of me was made of glass, but the kind of glass that is wavy and doesn't let you see through it. Continuing I had two choices-and with that, the door to my left swung shut and a lock was put in place-okay, one choice.
"Hello, is anypony there?" Nothing, not even movement behind the door, shrugging, I went to my only option; the door to my right. There was a shrill noise like screeching metal as soon as I entered, followed by hoofsteps in the vent above the room. The grate was swinging wildly from its position... And there was blood dripping from the ceiling... Of course. Not wanting to get splashed by blood, I made my way over to the other side of the room. There were two soda machines, and on the wall, a poster showed that everypony should recycle... I think.
A sink, with cabinets surrounding it, dominated the other side of the room. A poster above the sink stated that you should wash your hooves. There was a tray with... Leaning over the sink, I let my dinner spill out. Somepony had set some intestines and a can of soda on a tray, and it looked like it was in the process being eaten. Looking away from the horrid sight, I didn't even bother with the refrigerator, afraid it be more of the same, or worse. I left the room, and tried the handle on the glass room, but to no avail. I went back in, avoiding the blood and shattered planks.
The garbage cans were empty, offering nothing. I looked up at the vent, just big enough for me to fit through. Putting away my camera, I tried it,but without wings it could be tricky. I hooked my forehooves on the edge of the vent, lifting myself up with them, I was able to bring my hindleg up, and anchor it in the vent. That made it easy to get inside. The glimpse left showed that I could indeed go that way, good thing too, because it was impossible for me to turn around whilst inside the vent. I scooted myself along until a I reached to a grate.
"Not you, not again!" A pony burst through the, previously, locked door, my vision was limited, so I could only see him flee back into the bathroom after he looked around. My heartbeat had quickened exponentially. Getting my breathing under control, I continued through the vent.
Another grate at the end didn't offer anything exciting, so I dropped out. Having my hooves on steady ground and being able to stand up was something I would never take for granted again. I'm just glad my wings were able to fit. The door to my left was blocked off by debris, so I didn't even try it. The glass made everything blurry, but I could make out the foyer down below, well, some of it. At least it was well lit. To my right was a door with more blockage. So the door was my only option. The sign next to the door read "Library".
I carefully opened the door. When it was halfway open, I saw a pony's body dangling limply, when it screamed at me. Of course it did! I ran out so fast, I think I was going to win the Running of the Leaves next year. I peeked around the door again, the pony's body was now on the floor. I moved around the blood, and tried not to get sick. I flipped out my camera, and turned on Night Vision. Then proceeded to scream. The head had been removed from the body, cleaved cleanly off. Staying quiet was now the least of my worries. I quit looking at the body on the floor, sidestepping over the books on the floor. I came to another dead pony, in the exact same fashion, the head had been cleaved off. The blood had pooled on the floor, so I carefully sidestepped it, not wanting to be in the room anymore.
I went around, led by the maze of bookshelves. Then I screamed again, because I really liked doing that at the moment. A pony had been speared through the bottom to the top of him. The shaft emerged out of his neck. I turned around and ran into another headless pony hanging from the ceiling! This was not my room. I've been in here for twenty minutes, and this alone has made this way worse than any other job. I turned myself around, and tried to see if I could safely make it past all the body parts on the floor. The shelves lining the room speared all had an assortment of heads, how could somepony be so cruel? I got closer to the speared pony and made sure to capture everything around him. I presumed he was dead, until he started flailing around and choking. I screamed again and backed off.
"No, please, listen to me. They killed us. They got out. The Variants. You can't fight them. You have to hide. ...Can unlock the main doors from Security Control." He tried climbing up the spear, but to no avail. "You have to get the fuck out of this terrible place." I began to shake, as the pony died on his final resting... Pole... I wish I could help him, but my own disgust in touching blood and dismembered body parts forced me off. He was probably bleeding everywhere inside and outside so not much help could have been done by my own hooves.
I couldn't bear to look at him anymore, so I turned myself around, and almost ran into a chair with a dismembered torso sitting on it. That did it, I ran out while shakily keeping the camera on my eye. I hastily, and not so quietly, opened the door. I coughed and sputtered, none of that air was healthy to inhale. It led me back out into the glass room, and I forcefully threw myself against the wall. I sat down, resting my legs, and getting myself under control. I looked to my left, and saw the same debris that had blocked me from the other side. To my right was a open area, besides a boxy object on the floor.
I turned off Night Vision, my battery was now about a quarter of the way full. I crawled on my belly passed the object on the floor, and saw debris stacked in the corner, blocking probably more doors. I turned left, yay more debris! Thankfully not completely blocking my path.
I sat down on the wall again, I needed time to think. I needed to get to that security room to open the doors. I did not want to die in here, just like all of these poor ponies had. That pony that got speared was wearing full body armor! I don't know how these "Variants" did it, but that MORPHOGENIC ENGINE experiment probably has something to do with it, maybe Project Walrider? I was still trying to wrap my head around how everything had gone so rogue. Were these "Variants" patients at the asylum? Had the experiments, or something else cause them to go crazy? As much as this mystery began to form into something much more sinister, I knew one thing.
I couldn't accomplish anything sitting here.
I got up and continued to crawl. I crawled past a desk, a chair, a potted plant, and a few boxes that held documents, all of which had damage to them. I stopped at the double doors to my right, and took a second to see if they were open. Nothing. The two doors on the corner were either blocked, or locked as well. That left me turning left, and facing another challenge of squeezing through debris. I trotted over, trying to get a good hoofhold like last time.
"Little pony!" Somepony grabbed my rear hindhoof and pulled me back out. I screamed in his face, in surprise... At whatever this thing was. Its body was bloated and it had massive muscles, beating even those of Big Macintosh! He hauled my screaming body behind him, then threw me at the glass, shattering it, into the foyer below.
I was sore, really, really sore. My head hurt, and my ears were ringing. I started to regain some consciousness for the time being. I heard someone humming beside my body. I blacked out for a second before turning my head to the source. He was a strange looking pony, with some black makeup(I hope) around his eyes.
"And who are you, then?" I blacked out again, not able to make my mouth work correctly.
I started to come back to consciousness as he was examining my camera with his magic.
"I... I see. Merciful Celestia, you have sent me an apostle. Guard your life, filly, you have a calling." I blacked out again... My head really hurt from that fall, I didn't even have time to use my wings...
