Prologue: A Letter from Uncle
“Hmm... I will never quite understand that officer...” I mumbled to myself. Stamping across the catwalk to the downstairs factory floor I looked over the motor pool. Hmmm... Nice to see the guys are still hard at work. Walking across the work area, narrowly dodging sparks and metal shavings I approach Jag.
“Hey Jag, how you doing man, hows the project?” I asked, looking down at my friend's legs sticking out from under the rough metal frame of the newest project sent in from Capital.
“Oh, hey Blowtorch, didn't see you at all, you know with being up and under the job, you know I can see well but not that well.” He always we a cocky one. He sat up after sliding out from under the big metal... whatever it was and sat up holding his claw out for help up. I clasped it and yanked him to his feet, almost throwing him over the other way. “You always were stronger than you knew!” He joked patting me on the shoulder and eliciting an eye roll from me.
“Yeah, yeah, hows your new project going? Anything problematic come up?” I asked, turning to look at him. He shifted and shrugged. “Nothing? Man you get all the easy breaks! All my crap comes down in ruins.” I whined.
“Oh, yeah about that by the way...” Oh no, that can't be good. “There is a courier for you waiting from the Office of Menial Labor.” I am right its very not good! Nodding I kept my cool and waved as I rushed to the door. Please not reassignment, please not reassignment! Standing outside of the door was the courier. He stood lazily, slouching a little, not looking all to interested in being here. To be fair though I am pretty sure I am the only one actually interested in being at the motor pool. To be fair though I am sorta a nut when it comes to making things so I guess that makes sense though.
“Are you comrade Macksis Specklefeather?” he asked me, clearly lacking all interest into whether I was or wasn't.
“Yes.” I said, staring down the letter he held in one claw, its red and orange striped border almost mocking me.
“Here you go, may the State help you, so you may help... eh...” He trailed off during the formal farewell and started to fly away. That however was not at all of any interest to me. I pulled at the seal of the letter and it started to peal, each second grating by. Please, please, please! It finally popped open and my eyes screamed across its lines.
Dear Nephew,
How long has it been! I really have been missing you! Ever since they relocated me into the city it has been all hustle and bustle what with the send these workers here and those ones there. Makes you really miss life down on our little farm.
Your aunt has been fine and well quite frankly I don't think she has adjusted at all she keeps insisting on tending a garden but you know her, always working. 'We don't need a garden!' I tell her but she keeps saying about how are we gunna get food and I keep telling her that we will get it from the OML distributor.
How has work been down at the factory? I know I wasn't looking forward to working in such a dreary looking place, ever since they built it out there on the edge of town. But you always seemed to like it well enough. Still making any friends? I know you aren't exactly the most social of people but you know maybe there would be others with a noggin' like yours in there working hard just like you.
Speaking of work by the way, the other day the Commissioner of OML was talking to me, such a nice gentleman and I started talking about you and well he had been looking for good hard working personable citizens to be good examples in a new embassy in the pony lands. So well he liked the sound of you, quite a lot in fact. So you are being transferred, have your things ready by tomorrow, and you will be escorted to docks.
May the State help you, so you may help the State.
Sincerely,
Your Uncle, Blackclaw
P.S. You must come visit in the city there is quite a good amount of fine dames, sometimes I think your aunt catches me looking!
Well I mean that was really nice of him to write and all, I don't often hear from him. I mean I have missed him pretty badly since he was moved away, but that's just the way it works. Heh, aunty never was very good at adjusting to anything new I bet she isn't taking to the city well. Yeah I have been liking the factory work so I mean its good but- wait... what was that last part?!
You are being transferred.
“DAMNIT!” I shouted from the doorway. Everyone inside stopped to look at me, numerous visors being lifted and grinders falling silent. “Just uh... transfer notice.” Countless rolling eyes and the place roared to life again. I walked back to my little house, well they were all little compared to the factory, to be fair though that place was a little bit of an eyesore. It was a nice little farming village, I remember helping my uncle plowing the fields while my aunt made us lunch. I pushed open the door to the little one room house and walked over to the bed. Sitting down I looked about and dropped my head, “They are sending you somewhere else, Blowtorch...” I guess that was it for this remaining in the family, after I move then it will just be another housing assignment to whoever else moves in.
I grab a dufflebag from under the bed and slide it out. It held that same insignia, a claw holding a hammer above the letters OML. Lifting the standard issue bag onto the bed I put in a small picture of my family and my tool belt into it. Honestly, I don't have much else. While I was sitting there, I watched the brass doorknob roll across the floor and hit my paw. Damn thing must have fallen off again. I picked it up and looked at it. Aunty used to have my hide if I didn't get these shining. Standing I began to walk over to the door to put it back on when I looked at it again. Guess something will stay in the family... I walked back over to the bed, stuffing it into the duffle too. “You're the Office of Maintenance and Repair's problem now little friend.” I jumped onto my bed and started to wonder about just exactly what it is I will be doing as I drifted off to sleep.
Welcome to Equestria, leave your socialism by the door
Morning came all too quick for my tastes as the morning wake-up call blared across our small village- well their small village. I guess since I am leaving I forfeit all ownership of this place. A knock at my door caused me to sit up, rubbing my head with a claw as I wondered over to the door. Peaking out of the window I could see a griffin from the Office of Security and Law, she was apparently my escort. She looked serious and grizzled like she has been through much rougher stuff than simply carrying out work transfers.
"Comrade Macksis Speckle-feather? It is time for your trip." She called from the outside stoop.
"On my way!" I shouted back as I walked back to the bed to retrieve my dufflebag. One more sweeping glance around the old place before I took a deep breath and turned back to the door, gently pushing it open.
"Comrade Macksis reporting." I lazily blathered out giving what might have been the most insincere salute ever. She eyed me up, her expression not one of amusement. She seems to take all this a lot more seriously than me.
"You are to follow me to the docks where you will meet your accompanying comrades and begin your voyage to Equestria. I see you have your belongings. Then let us proceed." She turned and started down the hill towards the docks. The morning air was crisp and pleasant, not too warm and not too cool. I was, however, not all that busy enjoying it as I was more preoccupied with the fact that I may never feel the morning here again.
After about 18 minutes or so of walking we arrived at the docks. Different ships streamed in and out of the little port all the time. Goods from the factory were sent out to military and metropolitan areas all the time. Some agricultural goods were shipped out here too, but that's not really what the town is about anymore. Anyway on the dock was something very much not griffin made. It was what appeared to be a ship made of crystals... cause apparently buoyancy doesn't apply anymore! Either way there were a whole bunch of colorful ponies rushing about on its deck gathering good for what I can only assume would be my trip to the pony lands, this Equestria.
"Your ship is the... crystal one..." She spat, clearly not enjoying the design ascetic of the vessel. She started to turn. "May the State help you, so you may help the State." And with that she was headed away, actually taking wing and flying away from the crazy pony vessel. I slowly walked up the dock, still wondering how the thing didn't capsize and sink when a pony with a horn wondered up and looked up at me questioningly. I looked back down at it, well her... or him... can't exactly tell, it was pink and I hadn't even really heard much about ponies, let alone saw one.
"My name is Never Doldrums and I am the captain of this vessel! I am very excited to meet you and hope to make your trip to Equestria the most pleasant trip EVER!" Her exuberance was a slight bit scary. Sure hope they aren't all like that!
"Er... the name is Macksis, but most just call me Blowtorch." I sheepishly replied, scratching the back of my neck.
"Nice to meet you Mr. Blowtorch! Please follow me aboard!" She nearly shouted. Seriously though, the cheeriness of that caliber was way over the top. She led me aboard the ship, which I could feel now was gently pitching in the waves. Once aboard she explained about their journey there and how things went smoothly. I was to be honest not all that interested. I didn't want to be here, I wanted to stay in my little house in town. Soon enough though ropes were pulled in and we set sail for Equestria as it was called.
The voyage there was not nearly as smooth as theirs was to the Griffin Kingdoms. I don't really want to recall how much I puked either. It was NOT a pleasant time. Either way that's how I got here. Standing on the docks of a strange place they call Equestria.
Author's Note
Hiya y'all! Author here to tell you to please leave any and all feedback in the comments! I love to hear what you guys think! And please feel free to post what you think Blowtorch should do next, it might just make it into the next chapter!
