Fallout Equestria: Memento Mori

"Giggle at the ghosty, guffaw at the ghouly."

Ok so recap for possibly the hundredth thousandth time. Sneak into a hospital research facility, grab a simple file, get out, get paid big bits and retire. Simple, easy to remember right? Well apparently it’s a little well…WRONG!!!!

Note to self, next time you get an ‘easy’ job for big bits. Refuse! I mean seriously tell whoever’s selling it to shove it up their two-bit flank and just walk away. Goddesses I feel like a friggin fool. Got snuck up on by a bloody psychopath and put into one of these pods, which is bloody freezing mind you, so she can dispose of me at his fucking leisure. And to top it all off my makeup is probably ruined.

“Cryogenesis sequence halted. Powercell corrupted. Beginning patient reanimation sequence.”

An electronic and vaguely feminine voice broke through the silence and for the first time in what felt like an eternity warmth flooded through my body. Slowly I could feel my limbs start to respond to commands they refused to respond to before I was placed in this damn pod. So the bitch was back to settle things huh? Well bring it on! The pod opened with a slow hiss and with all the strength I could muster I blindly began flailing my limbs in an attempt to hit something, anything. Didn’t do much cause I just managed to fall out of the pod like I was having a seizer.

Ugh real graceful filly, real graceful.

I slowly opened my eyes and all I could make out were blurs in the low light. I tried to sit up but just managed to roll on my side. Stubborn, stupid body. The air was musty and warm to the point it was suffocating, like the air was stagnant or something. My vision started to clear and I could make out definite objects, like the other pods and the terminal. The only light was a few flickering bulbs above me. Wow what the hell happened? There wasn’t a single pony in the room other than me and that was a little creepy. And to add to the already ominous atmosphere the terminal’s screen was busted. Unbidden a shiver ran down my spine and not just form the fact that I was freezing my tail off.

Okay there’s a perfectly logical explanation for this. Though I failed to see it. Okay let’s try this again. I slowly rose to my hooves, only shaking a little. I laughed in triumph when I was successfully on my hooves. Now then let’s see if we can get some answers. I made my way to the door, shaking more than I’d like along the way. The door was open and looked rusted open. I looked down the both directions in the dark hallway. Alright back the way I came. With a little less shake to my gait I traced my steps back to the elevator. I pushed the call button and waited. And waited some more. I started to tap my forehoof. Come on you damn thing! After a while a ping sounded and the doors opened.

Finally I…Holy Shit! I fell back with a scream.

In the elevator piles of bones littered the floor; some even managed to roll out. The tattered remains of yellow and pink nurse uniforms and doctor’s coats were among the bones, the colors faded drastically. My heart was going a mile a minute and my chest heaved. What the fuck!? I could feel myself start to tremble as I rose to my hooves and stared at the bones with wide eyes. How did this happen? These look like they’ve been here for decades, and from the fading in the tattered clothes probably longer. How long had I been in that pod and even more so what happened here? I needed answers ASAP.

Alright filly you can do this. I swallowed the lump in my throat and pushed some of the bones away as I stepped into the elevator. I pushed the first floor button and the doors shut. There was a lurch as it started to ascended. After a minute I could hear the sound of metal groaning and then there was another lurch as if the elevator cables had snagged on something.

That’s not good.

As the sound of more groaning became louder I frantically looked around. Above me was a way into the shaft. Alright then plan B. I quickly wormed my way out of my slightly damp suit jacket and swung it over my shoulder. I grimaced as I ripped my wings though he blouse’s fabric. Aw man this ensemble cost me three hundred bits. With a snap I spread my wings and jumped through the hatch. The cord snapped just as I cleared the metal death trap. It plummeted with a metallic screech tat set my teeth on edge until it hit bottom with a deafening crash.Fuck that was close.

Suddenly my wings started to shake. Uh oh…

I grabbed the dangling metal cable just as my wings gave out. Okay so flying is out of the question for a while. I pressed my wings to my sides and started to climb. I made it to the first floor door. A box had ‘Emergency door override’ painted in fading red letters on its casing. I opened to box and pulled the leaver down. The door slowly opened and I jumped through.

“By the Sisters,” I muttered under my breath as I walked along the first floor. The hospital’s halls were in complete disarray. Papers, clipboards, and bones littered the stained white floors. Upended gurneys lined the hallway, some blocking doorways. I felt sick to my stomach as I passed one gurney in particular with a foal’s skeleton on it. It had to have been maybe five or six when it’d died. I felt dizzy and my stomach started to churn.

On the top of my vision a small green blip appeared and a multi-tentacled robot rounded the corner. The array of scalpels and needles attached to its many arms suggested it was used for surgery. It simply floated slowly toward me before stopping. It was kinda chilling; these things weren’t usually this quiet. Suddenly the blip became red and it rushed me with blades raised. I ducked to the side with a yelp as it passed by. One of the blades nicked my side and I hissed in pain.

Fucking hell!

I ducked into a room and slammed the door shut. Okay safe for now, a pair of blades broke through the old wooden door…Or not. I pushed off the door as I heard a drill power up. A saw blade ripped through the door and started to cut the door in half. Oh great it has a bloody bonesaw. Perfect. I frantically looked around for something, anything I could use to defend myself with. I spotted a metal folded chair.

It'll have to do. I picked it up with a defeated sigh and braced myself. The robot ripped through the door in a spray of splinters and surged forward. With a flap of my wings I jumped up and slammed the chair down on its metal casing. It let out a whine as it hit the smooth linoleum floor. It hovered up one more time and I brought the chair down a second time. The lights in its ocular apparatus flickered and died.

I plopped down on my haunches, my chest heaving. What the hell made it go nuts? Slowly a possible answer surfaced as to what happened here. Maybe the robots went haywire and…killed everyone. I felt bile rise from the back of my throat at that thought. That’s when I caught a glimpse of outside. A dark blue dome hung over the research facility. Beyond the sky was really cloudy with the pale yellow moon barely peeking through. The city itself from what I could tell was heavily demolished. It looked like nopony had been here for decades. I gaped at the scene. I looked up at the towers that surrounded the facility. They gave off a faint light at their tips.

“Megaspell foci,” I whispered.

That would mean the facility went on lockdown. Meaning only one thing, a massive attack on the city. I shook my head and stood up. Pain lanced through my side and I looked at the razor thin cut in my side. I looked around the room and spotted a small yellow box with pink butterflies on it. I glared at the case and opened it. Two health potions and some Med X stared back at me. I downed one potion and only gagged slightly at the taste. While my wound closed up I fashioned my suit jacket into a makeshift bag and dumped my screwdriver, health potion and Med X into it. Time to get some answers. The security hub is my best bet. And last I checked it was on the fourth floor. I trotted out into the hallway and saw three more surgicalbots rounded the corner. Fuck...they rushed toward me and I turned tail.

“I FUCKING HATE MACHINES!” I screamed as I ran down the hall.

I skidded to a halt as I came to a metal door that marked the stairwells. I bucked it open and ducked inside. Slamming it shut I looked over to the fire hose hatch just as one of the robots slammed a mechanical arm burst through the glass causing shards to rain down on me. That will do. I ripped the fire hose box open and pulled a length of the hose out.The door swung open just as I slammed the hose on and whirled around. Water surged through the hose’s length and hit the trio of robots full blast. I heard the robots sizzle and die as they hit the adjacent wall with a metallic crunch. I turned the faucet off and slumped against the wall.

Despite myself I smirked and cooed, “Aww poor robots didums get a wittle wet”. What the...?

My ears perked to a clicking noise. I looked around confused before glancing at my Pipbuck. Great the fucking water was irradiated. Fucking perfect. First the quiet robots and now irradiated water. What next, giant mutant alicorns?! I glanced at my pipbuck again. Good only a minor amount of radiation. Magical radiation was nasty stuff that was sure; it would either kill you slowly and painfully or mutate you. Nasty business really. Alright then onward and upward. I met very little resistance up the stairs save for the occasional pile of bones here and there. I couldn’t help but blanch each time but I continued on.

The door to the fourth floor was locked but with a hairpin and a practiced hoof I unlatched it. Ok now then where would the security hub be? I opened up the automap function of the pipbuck. Great it’s just down the hall. With my destination set I went to the door while keeping a wary eye on my E.F.S. The door to the security hub had a dully glowing yellow sign above the door and it was sealed shut with no means to pick a lock.

Hmm…oh yeah!

I pulled the security card from my breast pocket. Bingo! I slid the card through the slot and the door slid open. Inside it was filled with lockers and yellow riot armor hung from hooks as well as a massive peg board filled with flashlights, knockout gas canisters, and tasers. Non-lethal all of it but the tasers would come in handy. I made a mental note to grab some supplies but I had something else I needed to do in here. I trotted over to the cluster of terminals and security camera screens. They should have a record of what happened. I clicked one on.

-Password-

Ugh well my luck had to run out sometime. After a grueling hacking session I was able to get through. A series of logs that led up to about…a month after I was frozen. Celestia damned it. My jaw clenched as I opened the entry listed under that date I was frozen.

‘Mar, 6, XXXX.
Security had to be tightened today, hectic day what with Dr. Strand going off the deep end. She was in a mood let me tell you. It was strange really we found one of our Node unconscious in the Cryolabs. Dr. Strand asked to speak with him personally first when he woke up. When the Doc was done Node looked like he had seen a ghost. Don’t blame him though Dr. Strand can be intimidating, hell even downright creepy when it comes to the new boots. Things went smooth after that but the Doc did ask me for any footage we had of the day. Strange enough our cameras on the lower level had decided to malfunction that day. I got a bad feeling something happened down there. I’ll ask Node in the morning. Flash Point’

Dr. Strand that was her name. As for this Node I was pretty sure he was the one I dropped. This Strand probably threatened him into silence. I clicked on the next entry.

‘Mar. 7, XXXX.

Quiet day. The only thing that happened that was out of the ordinary was Node resigned. Just put in his resignation, no explanation, nothing. Just handed me a slip up paper with his resignation and left without a word. He looked scared for some reason. I’ll stop by his apartment tomorrow and get some answers. Flash Point’

I clicked on the next entry.

’Mar. 10, XXXX.

My first day on as on-duty-captain. It’s so weird Captain Point is anal about missing days. Hell I missed once and he was on my ass for a week. Any way things are alright today nothing to really report. The techies were finally able to set up the Megaspell barrier apparatus in the courtyard. Let me tell you they’re damned big, made me dizzy just looking up at them. Okay time to head home. Peppermint’

The rest of the entries after that were just mundane things, a fried card slot here, a defective robot there. The only bit of news was a patient going nuts and ended up killing one of the nurses. I noted the name of the patient, Starry Skies. They shipped her off to Elysium Asylum where she could be treated. I went to the entries just before they cut out.

‘Mar. 21, XXXX.
Strange day today. A nationwide alert was initiated and Stable-Tech started urging ponies into Stable. We started packing the patients up and started shipping some of them out by sky-carriage. Another thing some of the robots went haywire. The sentries shut down and the surgicalbots and pinkiebots went silent before just shutting down completely. Monkeywrench and her team couldn’t explain it but she said they’d get to the bottom of it soon. Peppermint’

The entries cut off there. That was really unhelpful. Not a damn question answered…well except I found out who it was that froze me. Bastard. My curiosity screamed for answers that and I kinda want to know why robots without combat functions are trying to kill me. That would be extremely helpful. Hmm? Why is there a red blip…? Holy shit! I moved out of the way just as a mechanical arm slammed down on the terminal. One of the robots had snuck up on me. It actually fucking snuck up on me. I shivered as it ripped the array of scalpels that had been meant for me out of the destroyed terminal.

I ducked as it whirled its bonesaw at me. I activated S.A.T.S. and time slowed down as the targeting spell took effect. I cast a glance at the tasers and pulled one to me with my talisman’s telekinesis. I then targeted the robots sensory array with it and fried it. I slipped out of S.A.T.S. as the surgicalbot started to whirl its arms frantically. Just as its back was to me I slipped into S.A.T.S a final time and used the taser to fry its motor. The robot let out a shrill whine then fell to the floor. Fuck I hate machines. I glanced over at the gaudy yellow riot armor and sighed.

Welp time to suit up. I slipped out of my skirt and blouse and pulled one of the riot armors off its hook. Slipping it on I only grimaced slightly at the color. Ugh yellow but it would have to do. Once it was on I pulled a flashlight and a pair of tasers off the peg board. Both had a full charge and could attach to the armor’s forelegs. The riot armor was snug around my pipbuck but the one-size-fits-all enchantment took effect and it formed to my supple curves. Yes they are supple, quite so in fact thank you very much.

Okay enough ego stroking. I eyed the gas canisters and spotted a black case at the far end of the peg board. I pulled it down and popped it open. Inside a canister launcher sat snug in foam. I pulled the light barrel up and looked over the sights, fairly straight. You never know, I slipped the strap over my shoulder and grabbed as many canisters as I could and put them in my makeshift bag. I gave my wings a flap, making sure I could move them comfortably and took a look at the automap. The maintenance room would shed some light on what happened here and hell might even find a way out of this madhouse.

I really hated my curiosity sometimes. I ducked another sawblade and slammed one of my tasers into the robots side. It hit the floor with a whine as electricity fried its circuits. The maintenance room had been easy enough to get to but it was filled, bloody FILLED, with psychotic robots. Did I ever mention that I hated machines? No? Cause I bloody well do!

Another bot rushed me and I flipped over it and gave it a taste of taser in its motor. Another one bites the dust. I sat down and caught my breath as I surveyed the now quiet room. Robots lay on the floor in disarray most fried by my tasers , while some were there to begin. I checked the charge on my tasers. Damn both were in the red. I started searching the worktables in the room and was able to find six spark batteries. I replaced the tasers’ batteries and pocketed the rest in the maintenance saddlebags I’d found. I was even able to grab a bag of bits that had been hidden in one of the lunchboxes. Score!

With my looting complete I trotted over to the terminal at the far end of the room, pushed the bones out of my way, and turned it on. Oh thank Celestia no password was needed. Alright there were a few audio logs and a tech synapses. I clicked on the first audio log.

”Monkeywrench reporting in. Gotta say I’m gonna have to send an angry letter to Stable-Tech. These machines just up and quit, no warning no nothin’. And we can’t even find out what wrong with em. The mechanics are all fine and nothing needs to be replaced, just stopped working. Ugh so frustrating! I got the medical staff breathing down my neck and the janitorial staff is pissing me off. Thank Celestia for Peppermint and her team or I would have stabbed somepony by now. Oh and a damn shame about Flash Point. He was found the other morning with a few bullet wounds. Apparently it was a mugging gone wrong. Fucked up really. Alright gotta go, Nurse Crutches is here to whine…again.”

I clicked the next one

”Alright I am officially pissed. One of the robots started working. That’s a good thing right? WRONG!!! The thing started attacking us, even sliced poor Lucky up pretty good. We had to all but destroy the damned thing before it quit. Now the medical staff is bitchin’ at me for, and get this, ‘destroying delicate equipment.’ Delicate equipment my ass the thing damn near tore Lucky’s leg off. Celestia this is day is so fucked. Hell heard from Peppermint this morning that a nationwide alert just went into effect today. Alright better get the shop all closed up. I’m thirsty as hell and the Sungleam Bar is the destined watering hole. “

And the next one.

Fuck. I just…fuck. We’re locked in here, the facility I mean. Went on high alert the second we heard about the missile attack on Canterlot the citywide barriers were activated. They took two hits and went down. Ours stayed up though. It’s a new barrier spell, damn near impenetrable. But that’s the bad thing. The robots they all…Celestia….they just started slaughtering ponies. Staff, patients, everyone. Goddesses even the foals. I…I don’t know what to do. I could get to the bunker in the courtyard. I heard some of the doctors talking about it. There’s supposed to be an escape route through the sewers there. Maybe I… ” A crash sounded in the background. “No n-no p-please! NOOO!” There was a shrill scream, the sound of a sawblade slicing through flesh and gurgling before the log clicked off.

I stepped away from the terminal like it had come alive, my eyes wide. Canterlot being bombed, missiles hitting Baltimare. The zebra’s must have launched them. Then what happened to the rest of the country? I gasped. Oh fuck! My apartment in Manehatten better be intact or someone’s gonna pay big time.

I shook my head, focus filly! Okay so there's a bunker in the courtyard that should be my way out. I went to a nearby window and spotted it out near the generator sheds. The glass had been shattered so I could easily glide over. I snapped my wings out and gave them a few test flaps. Okay girls don’t fail me now. I murmured a prayer to any god or goddess that was listening before jumping out.

I flew straight to the bunker before my wings gave out again. Luckily I was able to perform a somewhat graceful impromptu landing before crashing horribly. Damned wings work for more than a few minutes please! The dark grey metal building had a sealed armorplated door with a card slot beside it. I smirked and slid the cardkey into the slot. The door opened and I stepped through…just to get slammed into by a pony in dark brawn barding that covered him head to hoof. His head was covered in a dome shaped helmet and a gas mask with bright orange lenses.

We both groaned and I glared at him,” Well that was fucking rude.”

He stood up and ran away. Wow it is true what they said the age of chivalry is dead. He looked over his shoulder,” You might want to run!”

Why would I…? I scowled before turning and coming face to face with a snarling zombie pony. Its flesh was heavily decayed and it had patches of fur here and there. Its teeth were rancid, yellow and worst of all, razor fucking sharp. And its eyes seemed to glow with a white light. Oh that’s why. I chuckled nervously and my ears went flat against my skull,” Umm hi?” It screeched in my face, a rancid smell hitting my poor nose.

Right run.

I screamed, turned tail, and ran after the rude pony. A shiver ran down my spine as I heard an unequine screech behind me. I was able to catch up to him and we burst through one of the entrance doors. We ducked and weaved through hallways until we came to one of the patient rooms. We ran inside and the rude one slammed the door behind us. I slumped to the floor panting. From what I could hear the rude one was as well.

“As…I…was…saying…that…was…rude,” I said between pants.

“Well excuse me for running for my life,” he rasped before standing up,” How’d you get through the barrier?”

“Give me minute out of breath,” I waved a hoof,” Celestia I need to go to the gym more often.” I stood up with a grunt and faced the rude stallion. At least I assumed he was a stallion, sure as hell sounded like one even if he sounded like he gargled with razors on a regular basis,” I was in one of those fucking Cryopods down below thank you very much. What the hell were those things?”

“Screechers,” he said simply, as if I automatically knew what the hell those are. He must have caught my blank expression because he explained,” They’re feral ghouls that were morphed by the energy that runs through northern Baltimare. Quick, cunning, and damn mean.”

“Okay then question number the second,” I drawled,” The fuck’s a ghoul?”

“Wait you said you were in a cryopod right,” I nodded,” So that means you slept through the bombs.” I blinked and he sighed,” Hate to be the bearer of bad news but Equestria burned from balefire bombs some two hundred years ago.”

“Wait what?! Two hundred years!” I screeched,” You mean I’ve been in that damn pod for two hundred years!”

“Two hundred and fifty three to be exact,” he said as-a-matter-of-factly.

“Really? Well thank you that makes me so much better,” I said with enough sarcasm dripping from my voice to curl the linoleum. Fuck that explains the decayed state of the skeletons but…fuck. Two hundred years…

I felt a hoof on my shoulder,” I’m sorry.”

I pushed his hoof off and glared at him before sighing. I slumped onto the floor,” Damn it. That fucking bitch…”

“Look on the bright side you survived the bombs,” he tried reconciling me.

I snorted a stream of hot air through my nose and scoffed,” Yeah woopedy-frigging-do. Rejoice for not burning." I gave a frustrated sigh before glancing back at the stallion. "So how much of Equestria was lost?”

“All of it,” he looked away from me,” It started with Canterlot, then Manehatten, Hoofington, Las Pegasus, here. Not one city was spared. Most ponies made it into the Stables while others were left in the wake of the blast. That’s how ghouls came along. Those of us that weren’t killed by the massive amounts of magical radiation slowly had their fur and hair fall off. We become immune to radiation and can even see in the dark somewhat but our overall vision sucks but that we have unnaturally long lives so I guess that’s a plus.”

I rolled my eyes dramatically. Sounds fun. Wait we, us? “You're one of them?”

He nodded and pulled his gas mask and helmet off. He looked like someone took a meat grinder to his face. Patches of cyan fur were here and there and the only indication he had a mane was a single strip of silver hair next to his bone white horn. I stared at him for a moment before doing what any rational, sane pony would have done in this circumstance; I stumbled back screaming like an idiot.

“Z-z-zombie!” I shrieked.

“Ghoul, ghoul,” he groaned with a shake of his head,” Why does everyone always automatically think zombie when they see a ghoul for the first time? I don’t have a taste for the flesh of stupid ponies or any ponies for that matter. I mean seriously you know how just wrong that is and besides I bet the taste is terrible!” He ranted and took a step forward.

I felt something touch my hoof and grabbed it. Not even bothering to look at what I’d grabbed I chucked it at him,” Stay back!”

He ducked and took another step forward, “Hey watch it! And lower your damn voice. You’re gonna let those the Screechers know where…”

I picked up another object to throw but this time managed to see what I had in my hoof. The eyeless sockets of a pony’s skull stared back at me. You’d think I’m used to skeletons by now but nope: my brain officially fried then and there. The skull rolled out of my hoof as I fainted. I could have sworn I heard it scream “Wheeee!” before I blacked out.

Footnote: Level up!
New Perk added! Fry Those Circuits: You do 10% more damage to all robots and cyberponies.