Author's Note

The first chapter, usually the worst. I promise, though. They will only get better.

Chapter 1: Refuge

In the darkness of the room, Runestone’s purple eyes popped open. He tilted his head as he raised his Pip-buck to eye level. 7:55AM. Once more, he had beaten the alarm. He didn’t even know why he bothered setting it up every night. Ever since his job as Stable 147’s librarian, it was the same routine. Wake up, get food, sit in the desk and wait for nothing. But it was another day and he might as well get on with it.

He reached his hoof over and powered off the alarm clock that was set up by his bed before it rang. He let out a loud yawn as he stretched his front and back legs out one by one. “Another day in paradise,” he said, with a clear amount of sarcasm. He was evacuated to Stable 147 when the Changeling Raid sirens went off during his school session. He kept waiting by to door for his parents until the last second, right before the Stable door was sealed, protecting everypony from the Great Changeling War. While Runestone was certain this place was safer then whatever happened outside the Stable, it wasn’t exactly a thriving environment.

Runestone illuminated the room with his horn, granting him sight in the dark room. He walked over to the light switch, not wanting to waste his magical ability for too long, and flipped the light on, lighting up the room. It wasn’t much to look at. The entire room had steel walls and looked like a military bunker, but so did the rest of the Stable. He walked over to the mirror in his bedroom, levitating the hairbrush with his magic and brushing his midnight blue mane, styling it to something much more to his liking rather than the bedhead he woke up with.

Satisfied with his grooming, he put on the standard Stable 147 uniform. He gritted his teeth as he tried to fit it over his hindquarters. It itched everywhere and it was way too tight. “Celestia, I hate this thing.” Just once, he would love it if they wore actual clothing. Even wearing nothing was okay. But it did no good complaining. He had written requests to the overseer about all his complaints on Stable life and he was always met with the same, unemotional, “thank you for your feedback” reply.

He walked out of his room, which was conveniently attached to the library. He quickly flipped on the switches and used his magic to clear the entire room of dust, not that it would do much good. No pony came to the library on a regular basis, save the two sole friends he really cared about, First Aid and Gaia. Reading had become a lost art. The only reason they needed a library was to store and catalog all the reading material for whenever it was clear for them get out of the Stable. But it was sealed many years ago. He doubted they would ever get out now.

Complaining did him no good as he made his way to the Cafeteria. The server, a purple stallion named Grape Seed, gave Runestone his morning ration unit. “Morning, Runestone.”

“Is it really morning? You can’t even tell without that clock.”

“Gonna catch the game tonight?”

“Maybe. Who’s playing? No, wait, silly me. Stable 147 Alpha team and Stable 147 Beta team, just like every single game.” Runestone shook his head as he scarfed down the ration unit. It was scientifically engineered by Equestria-tech to provide a pony with one meal’s worth of essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. Everything a pony needed to get through the day. And to top it off, it had no taste or flavor to it.

While the Stable had plenty of food, the Overseer saw fit to ration it out for long term, which was understandable. No pony knew how long they were going to be down here and they couldn’t just scarf down everything as they waited. So meals had to be carefully dealt to everypony, even the Overseer. Everypony hated it, but until a representative of the Royal Council of Equestria opened the Stable for them, there was not much else that could be done.

But with everything wrong with life in the Stable, Runestone knew there was just as much better. He had his friends who hung out with him after work, he always got to read whatever he wanted to read, and at least the Overseer kept everypony safe from the dangers of the outside. It wasn’t ideal, but it was as close as he could get in a time like this.

As Runestone finished his ration bar, he quickly topped it off with a sip of water from the fountain, grateful that water would never run out here. He licked his lips from the fresh, cold taste before returning back to the library. He took a seat in front of the Library’s computer, typing in his password and opening the text-based operating system. “Okay, time for another day of filling up the library book archive.” He picked up a book he had set aside the day before and opened it up, reading it while using his magic to type out the book word for word.

He was certain these books would not last however long they would remain in the Stable, and even if they did, no pony would bother hauling them. No pony in the Stable cared to read anymore, content with the Stable’s television or radio channels. Reading had become obsolete as far as everypony else was concerned. Not to Runestone, though. He planned to pass along all the knowledge he had gained to the outside world the second they were released.

Runestone read the book silently to himself as he typed. This book was entitled “Lighting Coil’s Hoofnotes” and it broke down the concepts behind energy-based weapons and technology. As he read, he kept thinking to himself how to build one of these. It seemed like a simple concept as far as he was concerned, all he needed were the right parts, and permission from the Overseer, both of which wouldn’t be hard to get.

The unicorn continued reading and typing away, occasionally taking a glance up to check if the library was still vacant. He was constantly despaired by the emptiness. He sighed, continuing his work up until the lunch bell rang, indicating to everypony in the Stable that it was time for their second ration unit of the day. Runestone took a piece of paper and marked where he was in the book before setting it back down on the desk, making his way to the cafeteria once more.

Once inside, he took his second ration meal of the day and took to a corner booth, where a white Pegasus stallion with a red Mohawk mane was already sitting. Runestone smiled as he took his seat next to him. “Hey First Aid. Where’s Gaia?”

First Aid looked to Runestone and smiled. “Probably finishing a round in the trash heaps. I just hope she washes up before getting here.” He finished the ration bar he held in his hoof. “Usual deal tonight?”

“Unless you really wanna watch the game.” Runestone took a quick sniff. “Oh, here she comes.”

On cue, an orange mare stepped in. Her lime green main was braided and hung off the right side of her neck while her tail of the same color curled around in a spiral. She was covered in dirt and grime and the overpowering stench of trash made everypony groan. But she paid no attention to them as she collected her ration bar and joined her two friends. “Hey First Aid, hey Runestone.”

Both colts nodded to her as Runestone finished his meal quickly. “Hey Gaia. Just once, I’d like to eat until my belly is full.”
Gaia nodded in agreement. “I hear that. And before you two say anything, of course I’ll shower before I show up.”

“We know, Gaia.” Runestone smiled, trying his best to ignore the smell. “Anything good in the compost today?”

“A few cherry bombs, which I put in my storage area. I keep telling security not to throw them in the trash because it will blow the furnace. But do they listen? No, they just toss everything they feel like. Broken weapons, batteries, these guys are clearly not very intelligent.” Gaia shook her head, scarfing down her ration bar.

“Careful Gaia. Never know when your dad’s listening,” First Aid teased.
“Oh, don’t even get me started on him. Last night, he took a fission battery from me and tossed it in the furnace without even a pause. The thing melted and the acid leaked out and started eating the furnace, so I was stuck trying to figure out how to fix it. He’s lucky the damage was minor. I reported him to the Overseer though. I got a chuckle listening to him get lectured. Last time I’ll see him in the furnace.”

“That’s good. Last thing we need is the garbage disposal unit broken.” Runestone smiled. He then leaned back, looking off at the ceiling. “I wonder what happened to my parents. They couldn’t drop me off. They were out in the city while I was at school.” He sighed. “I think they were still out there when the Stable was sealed.”

“It’s okay man. They may yet still be alive.” First Aid pat his Unicorn friend on the back. “But let’s focus on right here, right now.”

“Yeah. Okay, so library with the jukebox tonight, right?”

Gaia and First Aid both nodded as the buzzer rang in the cafeteria, signaling that lunch was over. The trio nodded to each other one last time before returning to their jobs.

Runestone happily got back to his library and continued with his book. He had been taking mental notes on every concept behind the energy based weapon and felt he could possibly build one from scratch, assuming the Stable had the parts and the Overseer gave him permission.

He shrugged and continued typing away on the Stable computer, copying the book word for word as he made mental notes over and over. This always excited him. He loved learning things no pony else could understand. It was the reason he was the only pony to get a Pip-Buck. He kept forgetting how he got it, especially since the day was so unremarkable. The Stable only got one Pip-buck, an Advanced Pip-Buck 3000G unit with projector display, wireless data sharing, and voice command. Stable 147 was the only stable to receive it along with an instruction manual, but no pony could even begin to understand it. Meanwhile, he read through the manual and had the whole thing memorized and understood instantly, and was rewarded with the device, as well as his cutie mark, which was an opened book with magical sparkles flowing from it.

He shook his head. It was the reason he got the job as a librarian and why Gaia and First Aid were his only two friends. He treasured knowledge above all else, something no pony else understood, not even the Overseer, it seemed. So, everypony left him to his books and personal devices. It disappointed him to no end that the value of these treasures were so undermined.

Finally, Runestone finished the book, just as the dinner bell rang. He smiled as he closed and set the book down before walking back to the cafeteria, taking the same spot as usual with his friends. “I just finished a book on energy weapons. I think if I can get the right parts, I could build a laser pistol.”

Gaia giggled. “That would be impressive.”

A new, masculine voice joined their conversation, “Indeed.”

The trio turned to see the Overseer standing next to them. Tall and middle aged, his brown main hung from his head as he stared at the three of them with his dark green eyes. As Runestone looked into his face, he saw something he never saw in any other pony here in the Stable. Something….cunning.

The three nodded politely as they continued their meager meal while he continued speaking. “I suppose I could approve of such a project, as long as it is immediately handed over to security.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way, sir.”

“Excellent. But I cannot divert the resources for you. You will have to find the parts yourself. Oh, and Gaia, your father still wants to be in the furnace, but it is more out of concern for you than anything else. He promises that he won’t touch any of the volatile items and never interfere with your work again.”

“Very well. I suppose I have no choice but to accept that.”

“One more thing. I heard you three do not wish to partake in the game tonight?”

First Aid looked up to the Overseer. “Sir, with all due respect, why should we? It’s the same game as it has been every Friday. It’s like reading the same story every week. You enjoy it the first few times, but nothing really changes in the long run.”

“You’ve a point. Perhaps it is time we come up with different activities. Oh, and yes, Runestone, we have been receiving your requests and complaints, but in this Stable with the resources we have, it’s very hard to just come up with fresh food and new clothes. I hope you can understand that.”

Runestone nodded. “Of course sir.”

“Very well. Now, I will leave you three to your antics. Just don’t do anything that would compromise the Stable.”

Gaia smiled brightly. “We would never, sir.”

With that, the Stable’s Overseer left the three to their conversation. Gaia frowned once he was out of the cafeteria. “I wish he would stop lying.”

Runestone put his front left hoof to his head. “Gaia, please. We’re gonna have fun tonight. Let’s not ruin it with one of your conspiracy theories.” He had heard enough from her ever since she could talk. She had been accusing the Overseer of many bad things behind his back, from wasting resources to even privately executing ponies.

“Am I the only one wondering why we have never seen Sweet Roll for, what, five years now?” Five years ago, the filly, who had just gotten his cutie mark is culinary arts, had mysteriously disappeared. While everypony else thought nothing of it, the trio sitting did a small level of investigation, only for it to yield no actual results, which made the whole situation even more suspicious.

First Aid shook his head. “No, I have no question something happened and the Overseer covered it up. But the Overseer is keeping us safe. That is what matters the most right now.”

Gaia nodded as she spoke, agreeing with First Aid, “For now, yes. I don’t argue that the benefits we are gaining far outweigh the consequences. But mark my words, one day it will get out of hand.”

Runestone nodded. “But until that day comes, we will not have any sort of conspiracy talks. Now, we should decide what our plan is for tonight. I don’t want to just read privately. We should actually do something.” Runestone leaned on the table, his hoof rubbing his forehead as he thought.

First Aid was the first to chime in. “We should do another project. Like when we made the jukebox. Go through the garbage and Stable storage areas, find a bunch of parts, and build something.”

Runestone nodded with a slight smile. “Sounds good, but what should we build that won’t get us in trouble?”
Gaia thought for a bit. “Something everypony here can use.”

Runestone thought hard. “I think I saw an old projector and movie reels that were in pretty derelict condition.”
“Sounds good to me. Let’s go get a saddlebag and pick them up.” The trio picked themselves up from their seats. First Aid, being the fastest of the three, went to his room to get a saddle bag while the other two made their way to one of the Stable’s many storage rooms. Normally only security and the Overseer would be able to open such units, but Runestone learned how to pick locks ages ago, frequently raiding the storage units for books that hadn’t been placed in the library like they should have. The three would get in without any hindrance as Runestone pulled out his trusty screwdriver. “Gaia? Bobby Pins?”

Gaia smiled as she reached for her main, pulling a single pin out. “Here you are.”

Runestone gladly accepted it, levitating the pin and pushing it into the door’s keyhole. “Just a second.” He carefully turned the pin, trying to find the sweet spot through trial and error while pushing the keyhole with his screwdriver.

As the Unicorn carefully worked on the lock, First Aid arrived with his white saddlebag. “I got the bag.”

“I’ve almost got the door.” He slowly worked it until the lock finally clicked, unsealing the room. “Got it.” He pushed on the door’s control button, raising the door into the ceiling. “Shall we?”

The trio stepped in. They always enjoyed raiding the Stable’s storage rooms because there were always new things to be found. Books, toys, electronics, anything and everything. It excited them to see so many things they had never seen before. They split up and wandered the room, searching for anything and everything remotely useful.

Runestone rummaged through several spare parts. “Hmm, I think I can use some of these for my laser pistol. First Aid?”

“On my way.” The Pegasus flew over to his friend, allowing Runestone to easily levitate the parts with his magic and place them in the bag. First Aid grunted slightly at the sudden increase in weight. “I may wanna pass this off to Gaia. She’s definitely stronger than me.”

“You do that.” Runestone smiled as he continued working, digging through the piles of utterly random stuff. Once in a while, he would find more parts, while he passed off to Gaia for storage. He even found a small number of books that missed his many inspections.

There salvage work continued for an hour until Gaia shouted out from a corner of the room. “I think I found it!”

The other two followed her voice to see an old, decrepit movie projector with a sound board. Next to it were piles of old film reels encased in large, flat, metal cylinders, each one labeled with the title and director of the movie.

Runestone smiled. “Let’s load this all up.” He carefully lifted the projector itself with his magic, both the projector and his horn glowing with a purple aura as the device levitated in the air. Meanwhile, Gaia and First Aid were getting the movie reels into the saddlebag. “I think this is all we can carry. Let’s take it all back to the library and get to work.” With that, the trio convoyed their way back to their sanctuary of knowledge. No, life in the Stable wasn’t perfect, but as far as these three were concerned, it could only get better.