Chapters A guided missile flew through the air, on it's way to a research facility. A pony gunner was remote piloting it.
“Stand guard,” the gunner informed the captain. “Missile inbound to Starnet target. CTO, one one seconds. Danger close." As the missile passed over the next hill, it came into view of the Starnet Research and Development Facility. The main target was identified on the missile's HUD, and automated turrets began firing at the missile. The shots missed, and the missile struck the ground with a deafening boom. Several satellite dishes fell to the ground, as well as the occasional Terminator. Helicopters landed in safe areas, deploying ground troops. Attack jets made bombing runs, and turrets would catch the occasional fighter plane and bring it down. Another helicopter landed with the information squad. The heli landed on a fallen Terminator. A soldier jumped off the helicopter and shot the Terminator in the skull, shutting it down.
“Remedy is on the ground,” the pilot informed the captain. Velvet Remedy, the technician of the Resistance, followed her squad to the underground research facility.
“This mission is a quick in and out,” the captain cried. “Nothing but the info, those computers are the highest priority!” Velvet Remedy quickly slung a rappelling harness onto an iron bar and jumped into the gaping hole. The harness stopped her fall and left her hovering in the dark pit. Remedy lit a flare torch so she could see. There wasn't much, but the hole went deeper still. Remedy dropped her flare and followed it down. When all her troops had landed, they found themselves in a sewer. They turned on their rifle-mounted flashlights and cautiously moved onward. The sewer seemed empty.
“Remedy,” Daring Do, a commander said. “There's no sign of the machines. They're gone.”
“It's way to quiet,” Fluttershy, another soldier, commented.
“It's almost like they're waiting for us,” Daring added. As if on cue, a massive T-1 model rose up out of the water. The squad opened fire on the machine, and it went down. The soldiers pressed on. They eventually came to an iron door. Remedy put a breach charge on the door and lit it. The blast knocked the door off of it's hinges, and the squad advanced inside. The room they found themselves in was filled with dead bodies and tubes of blood.
“Sweet Celestia, it smells bad,” Fluttershy winced. “Are you seeing this?” Remedy looked around. She shined her flashlight on a cage, that seemed to have another pony inside. She lit a flare torch and threw it near the cage. She walked towards it and saw a strange sight.
“Soarin',” she quietly called. “Objective located. There's something else you have to see.” She motioned for cover around her. A hoof reached out from the bars and tried to grope Remedy. The cages were filled with live ponies, taken prisoner by Starnet.
“Let's get what we came for, Daring. Clock's tickin',” Soarin' ordered. “Spread out, secure the area. I've got a big gap over here.”
“Why didn't we know about this,” Fluttershy asked. Daring began to hack into the computers to get the data.
“Sir, I think this is what Command's looking for,” Daring said. “I'm in their source code. These ponies are being taken up north to Fillydelphia, an R&D project for a new Terminator.” Remedy turned toward the computers.
“Send it to Command,” Soarin' said. Daring pressed some keys.
“It's uploading,” she said. “I need two minutes.”
“Wait, wait, wait,” Remedy said. “Go back. Go back.” Daring scrolled backwards. “Stop,” Remedy ordered. Daring Do stopped on a file that said, “T-800, Cell #456, Cybernetic Organism, T-800 model 101.” Daring and Remedy looked at the holographic projection of the file's details.
“T-800,” Daring said.
“Terminator,” Fluttershy added. She turned to Remedy. “It's what your dad said it would be.”
“It's worse,” Remedy whispered. She stared at the file.
“Remedy, get your muzzle out of that,” Soarin' said. “None of your business. You're not leading this mission. Alright, let's cut these sorry bastards loose, come on, let's go.” Remedy watched the video file as it showed how the living tissue of ponies would grow on the T-800 endoskeleton.
“Fleetfoot, come in,” Soarin' called. He got static. “Come in Fleetfoot!” Nothing. “Remedy, get your ass topside. Remind those mares they need to answer me on the radio, even if they're dead.” Remedy didn't answer. She was still watching the video file. “Remedy!” Soarin' yelled. Remedy ran back to the entrance and grappled herself back to the surface. She unhooked the harness and pulled out her rifle.
“Remedy,” Soarin' called. “Get those mares to respond.” Remedy saw nothing but dead bodies.
“Hold up,” she said. “Something's wrong up here.” Remedy walked around cautiously, hoping something wouldn't jump her.
“Topside, come in,” Soarin' ordered. Velvet Remedy heard a loud roar of an engine turbine accelerating. She saw a Starnet transport vessel lift up off the ground.
“Inbound enemy aircraft,” she said to Soarin'. “I'm in pursuit.” She jumped into a running helicopter.
“There's pony prisoners aboard that thing!” she yelled to the pilot. “Get after it!” She bumped the pilot, causing him to fall out of his seat. The pilot was dead. Remedy jumped to the controls and took off after the transport. As she got into the air, she followed the transport ship.
“Data transfer complete,” Soarin' informed. “Remedy, we're joining you topsi...” his voice was cut off by a huge explosion that came from the research hole. The shockwave from the blast propelled Remedy's chopper the opposite direction. Through the smoke, Remedy could hardly see. She struggled to regain control of the helicopter. It hit the ground and rolled upside down. Remedy undid her safety belt and crashed to the ceiling of the chopper. She crawled out of the wreckage and looked toward the research facility. A mushroom cloud was all she saw. Remedy gasped for breath. She had just lost her entire corp of troops. Remedy looked on in grief. A mechanical hoof suddenly grabbed her shoulder and threw her to the ground. A T-600 model crawled toward Remedy. The Terminator was missing it's back hooves. As it tried to strike, Remedy used her back hoof to hold back the machine. She pulled out her pistol and shot the Terminator in the head. The small caliber bullets did nothing but ricochet off the hard skull. Remedy kicked the machine onto its back and tried to get up, but the Terminator grabbed her again and threw her into the side of her crashed helicopter. Remedy got up and crawled through the chopper. The Terminator grabbed her back hoof and tore off her boot. Remedy desperately grabbed the mounted minigun and fired at the Terminator. She gave a war cry as the heavy caliber bullets flew into the Terminator. The machine was launched back onto the ground, and it didn't get up. Remedy stopped screaming and fell onto the ground.
“Bravo 10, Bravo 10, do you copy? Over,” the exfil commander called. Remedy looked at the radio and crawled over. “01 to Bravo 10, do you copy? Over.” the commander said again. Remedy walked over to the cockpit. “Bravo 10, Bravo 10, do you copy? Over.” the commander said, worried. Remedy picked up the mic.
“Here,” she said.
“Bravo 10, identify. Over.” the commander ordered.
“Remedy,” Velvet gasped.
“We'll send units to the extraction point,” the commander said. “How many survivors are on site? Over.”
“One,” Remedy said, with regret.
“Copy,” the commander said, with sympathy. Velvet Remedy got up and walked to the extraction coordinates. As she stepped over the fallen T-600, the Terminator's eyes went out. As Remedy left the site, fallout from the nuclear explosion fell as a storm brewed up. Lightning rumbled on the ruined facility, and rain began to wash away the fallout. As the rain fell, a single mare crawled out of the research facility, gasping and naked. She was covered in mud and nuclear ashes. She gave out a loud cry and wiped the filth from her face. She heavily gasped and looked for some clothing. Luckily for her, there was a dead soldier right in front of her. She proceeded to take the clothes for her own.
The exfil helicopter/plane convertible carrying Velvet Remedy flew over the ocean. Velvet Remedy was alone with the pilot and co-pilot.
“Return to base, ma’am?” the co-pilot asked. Remedy didn’t answer. “RGB!” the pilot called.
“Negative,” Velvet said. “Take me to Command.”
“Ma’am,” the co-pilot wondered.
“Command!” Remedy repeated.
“Roger,” the co-pilot agreed. “Rerouting.” The exfil aircraft turned around and flew toward the Resistance Command Headquarters.
The mare that survived the nuclear blast threw the now unclothed corpse back on the ground. She tightened the belt of the military jacket and looked back. Lightning lit up Pinkamena’s face, scowl, mane, and angry eyes. Pinkamena turned the direction she was looking and went to find somepony.
“Request has been denied,” the co-pilot told Remedy. “Command doesn’t want to give up their position. Radio coms only.”
“Are they down there?” Remedy inquired.
“Request has been denied, ma’am,” the co-pilot firmly said. “Need to know only, straight from the top.” Velvet Remedy took off her headset and walked over to the cockpit.
“You open up that ramp,” Remedy ordered. “And you tell them I need divers for a lock in. Now!” Remedy walked toward the jet’s exit ramp.
“This is crazy,” the co-pilot muttered. She opened up the exit ramp as Remedy walked over to it. When the ramp was open, Remedy plugged her muzzle and jumped into the cold waters. The jet’s lamp watched her to make sure she made it to the water.
Resistance Command Headquarters
In the quiet and massive submarine, Remedy sat, soaking wet in a chair, in front of the Resistance Command leaders.
“Velvet Remedy,” Shining Armor grumbled. “Prophesized leader of the Resistance. The soldier who put every stallion and mare on this sub in jeopardy with your little frogmare stunt. Let’s get one thing straight.” Shining Armor circled Velvet Remedy. “I don’t believe in prophesy,” he said as he pulled out a powerful handgun. “Not when one can rewrite the future in a heartbeat.” Shining Armor put the muzzle of the gun to Remedy’s head. “Are we on the same page?” he asked, coldly. Remedy turned her head to look at Shining Armor in the eyes.
“Yeah,” she growled. “We’re on the same page.” Shining Armor lifted up his gun and put it away.
“Good,” he said. “Good.” He walked over to the rest of the leaders and sat down on the table. “So soldier,” he asked. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“What did we find down there?” Velvet questioned.
“You’ll be briefed on a need to know basis,” Shining Armor said.
“Well I need to know,” Remedy said. “Because my mares died down in that hole. What did we find down there?”
“We found a solution, Remedy,” Cadence said. “That can end this war, once and for all.” Remedy looked toward the computer screens. “We know that the machines use short wave transmitters to communicate,” Cadence said. “Our intel has located a hidden signal under the primary channel. It allows for direct control over the machines.”
“Starnet’s a machine,” Shining Armor said. “And like all machines, it has an off switch.”
“Does it work?” Remedy asked.
“Will it work?” Shining Armor repeated. “Yes. Have we field tested it? No.”
“Give it to me,” Remedy requested. “I’ll do it. I’ll test it.” Shining Armor looked at Cadence for approval.
‘Remedy is a tech-com unit, has an excellent record,” Cadence said.
“All right,” Shining Armor agreed. “All right. Get Remedy topside. Prepare for lockout.” The leaders stood up and Shining Armor helped Remedy up.
“Remedy, we do this right, the war is over,” Shining Armor said. Velvet Remedy nodded. “We mount our offensive in four days,” Shining informed. The leaders left the room. Before Cadence left she stopped in front of Remedy.
“Remedy,” she said as she gave Velvet a flash drive. “These are the codes for the signal. Good luck.” Cadence patted Remedy on the shoulder.
“Why four days?” Velvet asked.
“A kill list was intercepted from Starnet,” Cadence informed. “It says everyone in this room will be dead by week’s end. You’re number two on the list.” Cadence saluted and walked toward the door.
“Well who’s number one?” Remedy inquired.
“An unknown,” Cadence answered. “A civilian. Pip. Littlepip.” As Cadence left the room, Velvet Remedy’s eyes went wide. If Littlepip died, ponykind would be doomed.
The exfil aircraft landed at Remedy’s base, and Velvet Remedy stepped out of the jet. She walked toward the building that was being used as the base. The caged door opened with a creak. Soldiers inside looked and saw Velvet Remedy. They stood up and removed their caps to show respect. Rainbow Dash, a lieutenant of Remedy’s soldiers, walked up to her.
“Rainbow,” Remedy whispered, with regret in her voice.
“Fluttershy,” Rainbow asked. “She didn’t make it, did she?” Remedy slowly shook her head, patted Rainbow Dash on the shoulder, and walked away. Rainbow Dash looked down at the floor in grief. Velvet walked into the medical room and saw him. Braveheart turned and saw his daughter. He walked over to Remedy and hugged her, thankful that she had come back alive. But Remedy still mourned the loss of her team.
As Pinkamena walked through the wasteland, she saw nothing but ash and ruin. A small gleam flew into her eyes. She looked down and saw a piece of metal. She brushed the dirt off and saw that it was a piece of a ruined railroad leading to her right. She followed the railroad across the sand, continuing her search.
Remedy put up her rifle and sat down at a table. She pulled out a tape player and slid a tape in. She hit the play button and listened to the tape.
“Tape number 28 of Braveheart, to my daughter, Velvet Remedy,” Braveheart’s voice said. "What’s most difficult for me is trying to decide what to tell you, and what not to. Should I tell you about your mother? Will it affect your decision to send her back in time to protect me, knowing that she is your mother? And she’ll be younger than you, only a filly, when you meet her. God, a pony could go crazy thinking about this.” Remedy was looking at a picture of Braveheart when he was younger. “But if you don’t send Pip, you can never be, and Starnet will win the war,” the tape finished. Remedy put down the picture and thought about her father’s words.
Velvet Remedy sat at her computer, analyzing the signal Cadence had given her. Braveheart was filing through papers, and he noticed Remedy’s face of worry.
“Do you want to talk about her?” Braveheart asked, referring to Littlepip.
“Pip is out there somewhere, alone,” Remedy murmured. “And Starnet is hunting her.”
“What about the signal?” Braveheart asked. Remedy started up the simulation again and moved away from the screen.
“What do you think?” she asked. Braveheart walked over to the computer and looked at the signal animation. It showed a short wave transmission being disrupted by a silent radio wave.
“If it works, it’s incredible,” Braveheart marveled.
“Yeah,” Velvet quietly agreed.
“We have to be careful,” Braveheart said.
“I agree,” Velvet said. “But we have to try.”
“Ok,” Braveheart said. “All right, start with something small, something we’re familiar with.” Velvet stood up to think. Braveheart had an idea. “We should try to capture a hydrobot,” he said. “Bring it in for testing.” Remedy didn’t answer. “What is it, Velvet?” Braveheart asked.
“Kill Littlepip, reset the future,” Velvet Remedy said. “And no Velvet Remedy.”
Pinkamena stood at the side of a cliff. She saw a ruined city down below. Hoping to find somepony, she climbed down the cliff and walked into the city. It really was ruined; busses and cars scattered about, shattered windows, collapsed buildings. The place was a mess. No surprise, since this was the aftermath of Judgement Day. A toy store’s front door was blocked with debris. As Pinkamena looked around, she saw somepony standing on a distant pile of rubble.
“Hey!” she called out. The figure turned around and faced Pinkamena. Pinkamena and the figure stared at each other for some time before the figure stepped forward, minigun firing. Dirt flew from the ground where the bullets struck. Pinkamena’s eyes went wide. Before the bullets could reach her, another pony, a young filly, tackled her behind a broken truck. The filly motioned for Pinkamena to keep quiet. Pinkamena rolled against the side of the truck for cover as the filly looked over it. The T-600 slowly walked toward the truck, minigun in full blast. As empty bullet shells poured from the minigun, the T-600 stepped on a skull. The filly let loose a lever that dropped a crate of parts attached to a cable. The cable caught the T-600 by the hoof and hoisted it up into the air, upside down. The Terminator swung in the air, trying to analyze what just happened. The filly turned and removed the goggles and bandana over her muzzle.
“Come with me if you want to live,” she said. The filly ran off and Pinkamena followed her. The T-600 looked up and saw them run. It raised its minigun and fired, missing every shot. The filly and Pinkamena ran over the debris into the toy store. The Terminator looked at its tangled hoof and aimed the minigun at it. The bullets tore the hoof loose from the rest of the endoskeleton and the Terminator fell to the ground. It got up and walked over to the rubble blocking the entrance to the store. Pinkamena followed the filly to the roof, as the Terminator tried to blow its way in. As Pinkamena and the filly ran onto the roof, a much younger filly walked out from an electric box, holding a shotgun. The older filly made motions with her hooves that Pinkamena couldn’t understand. The younger filly put down the shotgun and ran over to a lift. She pulled out a knife and cut the rope. Pinkamena ran over with the other filly, who picked up the shotgun. A large car frame fell to the ground. Pinkamena looked over the side to see the T-600 get crushed by the heavy frame. The minigun was intact and still firing. The skull of the Terminator was lying nearby, and the minigun fell onto its side and shot the skull, shutting down the Terminator. Pinkamena turned to the young filly.
“What is that?” she demanded. She heard the cock of the shotgun behind her. She whipped around to see the older filly pointing the muzzle of the shotgun at her.
“She doesn’t talk, but you need to start,” the older filly said. “Where’d you get that jacket?”
“The other guy didn’t need it,” Pinkamena said.
“Oh? You see that red?” the filly said as she pointed to a red stain on the jacket. “It stands for blood. It’s the symbol of the Resistance. You’re obviously not a Resistance fighter, so take it off.” Pinkamena slowly walked toward the filly, trying to show that she was no threat. When the older filly saw that she didn’t take off the jacket, she pointed the shotgun to Pinkamena’s head.
“Take it off!” she yelled. Pinkamena suddenly grabbed the shotgun and turned it toward the filly.
“You point a gun at somepony, you better be ready to pull the trigger,” she growled. After the filly didn’t answer, Pinkamena took the shell out of the firearm and put it in her jacket’s pocket. She gave the gun back to the filly.
“Now I’m going to ask you one more time,” she said. “What the hell was that thing?”
“Terminator,” the filly said. “T-600.” Pinkamena looked back at a ruined building.
“What day is it?” she asked. “What year?”
“Twenty thirty,” the filly responded. Pinkamena was in shock. The last thing she remembered was her supposed death at the correctional facility.
“What happened here?” she asked. The filly sighed.
“Judgement Day happened,” she said. Pinkamena turned back to the filly, obviously shaken.
“I got to get out of here,” she stammered.
“You can’t go on foot,” the filly said. “The machines will cut you down. You need speed.”
“I need a car,” Pinkamena asked.
“Look, there’s some by Griffon’s observatory,” the filly said. “They won’t run though.”
“Take me!” Pinkamena demanded. The older filly looked down at the younger one. The younger filly wasn’t moving. She was just standing there, frozen.
“Get down!” the older filly cried. Everypony dropped to the floor of the dirty roof, near the solid edge. A massive Starnet aircraft flew through the street, scanning for survivors. The force of its thrusters knocked the building across the street off balance, and the entire building came crashing down in a cloud of dust. As the aircraft flew away, Pinkamena and the two fillies sat up, coughing.
“That was a Hunter Killer,” the older filly said. “Thanks to you they know we’re here.” She looked down with a look of despair.
“What’s your name kid?” Pinkamena asked.
“Littlepip,” the filly sighed. Pinkamena and Littlepip were silent for a moment. Littlepip started to get up.
“Come on,” she said. She helped up the other filly.
The hydrobot thrashed about on the table, held down by Velvet Remedy and some of her research team.
“We’ve burned out its transmitter so it can’t talk to any of its pals,” the head research member, Twilight Sparkle said. “But it can still receive.” The hydrobot flailed around, trying to get at its captors.
“Turn it on!” Remedy ordered. Twilight walked over to the computer. “You got it?” Remedy asked the other research members. They managed a nod. Velvet walked over to the front of the machine as Twilight plugged the signal in and entered the code. The bloodthirsty hydrobot tried to kill Velvet Remedy.
“Turn the signal up,” she told Twilight. Twilight turned a knob that increased the volume of the signal. Remedy stared intently at the hydrobot, hopeful that the signal would work. Within a few moments, the hydrobot stopped thrashing and its red eyes went out. It lay still on the table.
“Give me the straps,” a research member said. Velvet Remedy was in awe.
“Holy shit,” she gasped.
“Can you believe it?” Twilight mouthed, happy. The two research members tied down the machine as Remedy studied it. She touched its sharp beak-like prongs.
“The signal has to be continuous,” Twilight informed. “If there’s any interruption…” Twilight turned off the signal and the hydrobot immediately started thrashing about again. The research members grabbed it to keep it down. The machine had a lock on Remedy, and was trying to kill her. It hissed and growled, trying to escape.
“Ok,” Velvet said. “Let’s rig up a portable short wave. I need to test it on something larger in the field.”
“All right,” Twilight said. She got straight to work. Velvet Remedy looked back at the hydrobot.
“Destroy this thing,” she ordered. She left the room.
Dusk had fallen, and Pinkamena, Littlepip, and the little filly walked into a small, broken observatory. This was Griffon’s observatory, and it was Littlepip’s base.
“So where are the cars?” Pinkamena asked.
“You don’t want to go out after dark,” Pip said. “Hunter Killers have infrared, to hunt better at night. We’ll all go tomorrow morning.” Pip sat down and picked up a plate of something.
“What is that?” Pinkamena asked.
“Two day old parasprite,” Pip said. She sniffed the meat. “Better than three day old parasprite,” she chuckled. Pinkamena noticed some string decorations nearby, and she got an idea. She took one off the wall and picked up Pip’s shotgun.
“Hey! Hey!” Pip cried as she stood up. Pinkamena shushed her. She did a little fiddling with the string and the shotgun’s stock. When she finished, she cocked it and pointed it at Pip. Pip’s hooves shot up to defend herself.
“Grab it,” Pinkamena said.
“What?” Pip asked, confused.
“Grab it,” Pinkamena repeated. Pip slowly moved toward Pinkamena, worried what she would do. When Pinkamena did nothing, Pip grabbed the shotgun and pulled. Pinkamena raised her hoof. The string was around it and the other end was attached to the gun.
“Magic,” Pinkamena said. Pip gave a small chuckle. Pinkamena took the strap off her hoof and gave the gun to Pip. “Got it?” she asked.
“Yeah,” Pip sighed. As Pinkamena walked away, Pip added, “Thanks.” She sat back down, and Pinkamena picked up a box radio.
“This radio work?” she asked.
“No,” Pip said, regrettably. “My mom tried to fix it, but she could never get it to work.” Pinkamena turned to the table and opened up the radio. The little filly walked over to her. Pinkamena gave the filly the mic.
“Hold that,” she said. The filly took the mic and smiled. Pinkamena turned back to the radio and began inspecting the parts.
“Where is everypony?” she asked.
“They’re gone,” Pip said.
“So why are you still here?” Pinkamena wondered.
“Because we’re the Resistance,” Pip said. “L.P. Branch. Walking back to headquarters.”
“Resisting what?” Pinkamena asked.
“Machines,” Pip answered. “Starnet.”
“Just the two of you?” Pinkamena asked, surprised.
“Yeah,” Pip said. Pinkamena pointed to her jacket.
“How come you’re not wearing one of these?” she asked.
“Because I haven’t earned mine yet,” Pip quietly responded. Pinkamena looked into her eyes with some sympathy, something she hadn’t felt in a long time.
Velvet Remedy sat at her radio, preparing to deliver a worldwide message to the Resistance.
“I hope she’s listening to this,” she said to herself. She turned the radio frequency to the correct one and spoke into the mic.
“We’ve been fighting a long time,” she said. “And we’ve all lost so very much, so many loved ones gone. But you are not alone. There are pockets of Resistance all across the planet. We are at the brink.” Velvet Remedy put up the mic to think about her next words.
“You want to see a magic trick?” Pinkamena asked the filly. “Hold that up.” Pip looked over. The filly raised the mic up a bit. Pinkamena placed a paper clip to a part on the radio.
“Press the button,” Pinkamena said. The filly pressed the button on the mic, and static erupted from it. The filly gave a wide smile. Pinkamena gave a small one back. Pip sprang up from her seat and ran over. Velvet Remedy had just started talking again.
“Minigun weapon range is right around 100 meters,” Remedy said. “They pack a lot of firepower, but the T-600s are slow and heavy. They are a primitive design.”
“Who is that?” Pinkamena asked.
“I don’t know,” Pip said.
“If you can’t outrun them, then you have one option,” Remedy continued. “Their motor cortex is partially exposed at the back of their neck. A knife to this area will disorient their tracking device, but not for long. Above all, stay alive. You have no idea how important you are, and how important you will become. The machines are advancing even faster than I told you they would. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. They’re inventing new Terminators. New ways of killing us. Starnet is planning something big, but the resistance is planning something bigger.” Remedy paused to let the words sink in around the world. “This is Velvet Remedy,” she finished. “If you’re listening to this, you are the Resistance.” With that, Remedy signed off. Pip was in awe.
“Velvet Remedy,” she repeated. “We gotta find this mare.”
The next morning, Pinkamena, Pip, and the little filly started working on a car, to get it to run. Pinkamena did most of the grunt work. She pulled intact parts out of other cars and put them into place in a four-seater jeep. As Pinkamena sorted out wires, one of them sparked and caught her in the upper hoof. She winced and dropped the wires. The little filly pulled a small bandage from her pouch and put it on the cut. Pinkamena and the filly looked at each other.
“So,” Pip said. “Get it working?”
“Almost,” Pinkamena answered.
“Good,” Pip nodded. “Look. I figure we head east. Right? We go through the desert then we can connect with the Resistance.” Pinkamena looked up from her work.
“I’m heading north,” she said.
“No, no, no, no, no,” Pip argued. “The machines control the whole northern sector up to Fillydelphia. That’s Starnet Central.”
“I have to find somepony,” Pinkamena said.
“There’s a lot that you don’t know about Starnet, OK,” Pip said. “It’s just too dangerous for us to go there.”
“What about the L.P. Branch?” Pinkamena asked. The little filly jumped into the passenger seat.
“Come on, girl,” Pip said to Pinkamena. “We need to get out of L.P.” Pinkamena ignored her and turned to the engine. She connected a cord and the engine lit up with a roar. Pinkamena smiled. The radio turned on and started to play a song. Pinkamena listened in. The song brought back memories. Memories of her sister. Pinkamena's smile faded.
“What is that?” Pip asked.
“Something my sister used to listen to,” Pinkamena regretted. Unable to handle the pain, she walked over to the radio and shut it off. The little filly looked at her with a look that said, “Hey…”
“Pumpkin, get out,” Pinkamena said. Pumpkin Cake looked at Pinkamena with a begging eye. “Don’t look at me like that Pumpkin,” Pinkamena said. “Get out. Get out!” Pumpkin Cake jumped out of the jeep as Pinkamena sighed.
“You’re leaving?” Pip asked. “You’re gonna leave us?!” Pinkamena shut the hood of the jeep and walked around the car. “Oh, I get it,” Pip said. Pinkamena threw some garbage out of the jeep. “You want to know the difference between us and the machines?” Pip wondered. “We bury our dead. But nopony is coming to bury you.” Pinkamena glared at Pip. Pip motioned for Pumpkin Cake to come with her, but Pumpkin Cake didn’t move. She was frozen, just like when the Hunter Killer was approaching. Pip and Pinkamena whipped around to see a small drone hovering near the jeep.
“Airsat!” Pip cried. She jumped into the jeep as Pinkamena grabbed Pumpkin Cake and threw her into the back seat. Pinkamena jumped in the car. “It’s a scout for the Terminators!” Pip said.
“Go!” Pinkamena yelled. “Drive!” Pip put the jeep into gear and sent the vehicle down the hill. The jeep bounced around on the rough road, airsat in pursuit.
“It must have heard the music!” Pip assumed. As Pip made a sharp turn, the jeep went slightly up on two wheels.
“Keep it steady!” Pinkamena cried.
“I’ve never driven before!” Pip said. The airsat flew around to the side of the vehicle. “Hold the wheel!” Pip cried. Pinkamena grabbed the steering wheel as Pip proceeded to kick the machine away. But the machine started to scan Pip’s face.
“This thing’s pissing me off!” Pinkamena cried. The airsat finished its scan and flew away. Pip took the wheel again as Pinkamena frantically searched for something to bring down the machine. Pumpkin Cake gave her a lug wrench. Pinkamena stood out of the top of the jeep and hurled the wrench at the airsat. The wrench got wedged in the turbine and sent the machine crashing down. Pinkamena sat back down as Pip drove a little further. Sick of Pip’s driving, Pinkamena pulled the brake lever and stopped the vehicle. Pip panted heavily.
“If the idea is to stay alive, I’m driving,” Pinkamena growled. She shoved Pip out of the driver’s seat and slid into it. Pip walked around to the passenger’s seat and got in.
Velvet Remedy walked down into the map room, where Braveheart had called for her.
“We've seen a lot of enemy movement in L.P.,” Braveheart informed.
“Are there any ponies in the area?” Velvet Remedy asked.
“Two on the ground,” the map reader said. “Two 810s near, Spitfire, and Applejack.”
“Send the birds in,” Remedy ordered. “Guide them to a safe area.”
The two heavy jet planes flew over the ruined L.P. skyline. The map reader relayed the orders.
“Roger,” Applejack replied. “Count 6, 7, copy all. Southbound to point one two five, airliner three. Over.”
“Roger,” the map reader said.
“Copy, Route Eagle,” Spitfire said. “All copy.” The two jets flew off toward their designated target area.
Pinkamena pulled up to a broken down gas station. The supports were barely holding up the wooden overhang. Pip jumped out of the jeep with her shotgun, hood pulled up. Pumpkin Cake followed her as she began to load her shotgun. Pip cautiously looked around, wary of Terminators. Pinkamena looked at the broken building. As Pip looked up at the station's sign, she saw the Resistance symbol painted on it. She walked into the store, still cautious. She spotted a bottle of milk, that had just recently been drank out of.
“Hey,” she whispered with hope. “There's somepony here.” Suddenly, a gang of thugs jumped out of hiding places and pointed their guns at Pip and Pumpkin Cake. Pip raised her shotgun as Pinkamena walked in. The leader of the gang walked in as well. A strong, red stallion with a work harness around his neck. He had a blonde, untidy mane and tail.
“Is there a problem?” Pinkamena asked.
“Yeah, we saw your Resistance symbol,” Pip added.
“The old mare put it there, not me,” the stallion huffed. “What do you want?”
“We're looking for fuel,” Pinkamena said.
“The dark season's coming,” the stallion said, as he raised his shotgun. “We've only got enough for ourselves.”
“You point that gun at somepony you better be ready to pull the trigger,” Pip warned. Pinkamena felt that the warning was delivered at the wrong time.
“Put your guns down, everypony,” a creaky voice said in the back. Everypony turned to see an old mare in the back of the room. She held a walking stick in one hoof, and her white mane was hanging around her shoulders. The old mare walked toward Pinkamena, Pip, and Pumpkin Cake.
“Look, we just came to find the Resistance,” Pip explained. “That's all.”
“The Resistance?” the strong stallion scoffed. “What a joke. Fighting those machines is impossible. We keep our heads down, they ignore us.”
“You keep your heads down and they'll come for you eventually,” Pip warned.
“If we help you, maybe they will,” the strong stallion retorted.
“These ponies aren't going to help you,” Pinkamena said. “Let's go.” She turned to leave.
“You're not going anywhere,” the old mare said. Pip readied her shotgun. The old mare looked at Pumpkin Cake. “Not until this one gets something to eat,” she said. The old mare walked over to a section of the floor and pounded on it with her cane. The strong stallion was in the way. He glared at the old mare for a moment, then moved away. The floor opened up to reveal a storage room. Another mare was inside.
“Bring me a basket,” the old mare ordered. The mare in the storage room gave her a small basket with some food in it. She gave it to Pumpkin Cake.
“There you go,” she said. “Come on, help yourself. Eat up.” Pumpkin Cake and Pip took some food and ate. The old mare noticed that Pinkamena wasn't eating. She was still standing over Pip and Pumpkin Cake. The old mare walked over to Pinkamena.
“Are you all right, child?” she asked. Pinkamena heard the cock of a shotgun. She and the old mare turned to see the stallion pointing the shotgun at them.
“That's our food,” the stallion fumed. “Our fuel. It's not your choice to make!” Pumpkin Cake suddenly stopped eating and became still. Pinkamena noticed as the ground started to shake. Pip picked up Pumpkin Cake as a huge mechanical arm grabbed the old mare and another survivor. The other survivors ran out of the ruined convenience store along with Pinkamena, Pip, and Pumpkin Cake. Pinkamena looked up to see a huge machine with four mechanical arms and a shoulder mounted cannon. As Pinkamena ran for their jeep, the machine shot a plasma blast at it, sending parts flying. Pinkamena and Pip flew back into a wall. Pinkamena's ears were ringing.
“Are you OK?” Pip cried.
“What?” Pinkamena called.
“Are you OK?” Pip repeated. She suddenly noticed Pumpkin Cake unconscious. She picked her up as a survivor ran out of the building.
“You brought them here!” he cried. “You brought them here!” The survivor was hit by a fleeing car. He rolled off the top as a camper van pulled up.
“Wait!” Pip cried. The survivor jumped onto the back of the van as it drove away. The fleeing car was spotted by the machine, and was blown into oblivion.
“Head for the tunnels!” another survivor cried out. Pinkamena and Pip ran to a nearby heavy-duty tow truck. Pinkamena jumped in and tried to start the engine. Pip watched the van speed away, but it was immediately blown to dust by the machine.
“Pinkamena!” Pip cried. “Pinkamena!” Pinkamena looked toward the blast zone and saw the van destroyed. “We can't just run for it,” Pip said. She threw the shotgun into the truck and put Pumpkin Cake inside. Pinkamena hopped out of the truck and looked for another option. Survivors ran past her, trying to escape the machine. Pinkamena looked through a hole in a wooden fence and saw the machine drop the old mare and other survivor into a large transport vessel. Pinkamena turned around and saw a tanker truck's trailer. She opened the valve and ran back to the truck. She got in and brought it up to the back of the tank of fuel. She floored the gas pedal and pushed the tank through the fence and into the machine's foot. The machine fell to the ground as Pinkamena backed away.
“Shoot it!” she cried. Pip leaned out the door and took a shot. The blast didn't do much.
“Go, go, go!” Pip cried. She shot the tanker again. Nothing. The machine was starting to get back up. Pip cocked the shotgun again and fired. The shot pierced the tanker, but it only created a leak.
“It didn't work!” Pip cried. Pinkamena stopped the truck.
“Shit!” she yelled. She looked at the leak, and got an idea. Pumpkin Cake, who had now woken up, followed Pinkamena's logic. She handed Pinkamena a flare. Pinkamena took it, uncapped it, and lit it. She got the tow truck moving again and threw the flare at the fuel leak. The gas caught the flame and began to travel toward the tanker. The machine had gotten up. It spotted Pip and Pinkamena making a run for it, and readied its plasma cannon. Just as the shot was getting ready to fire, the gas tanker exploded, engulfing the machine in flame. Pip watched as the machine, as well as the entire gas station, exploded into a fiery inferno.
“Ha, hell yeah!” she celebrated. She climbed into the truck as Pinkamena drove away. A plasma blast suddenly blew an empty car away. Pinkamena whipped around to see the machine emerge from the fire, unscathed. It began to walk out of the rubble. Seeing that it couldn't catch up, it activated two hatches that deployed automated motorcycles.
“Moto-Terminators!” Pip cried. Pinkamena focused on the road as Pip loaded her shotgun. The Moto-Terminators began to close in. One of them came around to Pip's side.
“Shoot that son of a bitch!” Pinkamena cried. Pip shot the wheel of the Moto-Terminator, but it did nothing. Pinkamena jerked the wheel to avoid busted cars in the road. One car flew over the top of the truck, about to come on top of one of the Moto-Terminators. The Terminator quickly slid under the falling car and carried on.
“Drive!” Pip cried. “I'll take care of them!” Pip climbed onto the back of the truck and kicked a barrel full of oil off of it. She took aim and shot the barrel. It exploded, sending oil everywhere. It got into the mechanisms of a Moto-Terminator and sent it sprawling across the road. It crashed into a broken bus, leaving only one Moto-Terminator left. Pinkamena made a U-turn and drove the opposite direction.
“Hold on,” she said. She drove down a hill underneath an overpass.
“Where's the other one?” Pip cried. Pinkamena quickly looked around. The other Terminator blasted off the side of the overpass, sending rubble into the windshield of the truck. The Moto-Terminator flew over the truck and landed ahead of it. Pinkamena grabbed an axe and broke the windshield off of the front. She threw down the axe and continued driving, wary of the Moto-Terminator ahead of her. The Moto-Terminator took a shot at the front of the truck. The sparks from the plasma flew into the truck as Pinkamena shielded herself.
“Get up here!” she cried to Pip. As Pip tried to get to the passenger seat, a blast flew over her head, sending her falling. Pinkamena caught her, but a school bus was about to hit Pip. Pinkamena pulled and brought Pip inside the truck, just as the bus whizzed by. Pumpkin Cake pulled out a grenade pistol and loaded it.
“Come on, give me the gun,” Pip said. Pumpkin Cake gave the gun to Pip, and Pip shot the Moto-Terminator in front of them. The machine exploded and flew into the air. It landed and skidded into a nearby car. There was another Moto-Terminator to deal with though, and it shot a blast at the tires.
“Hang on!” Pinkamena cried. She looked back to see the Moto-Terminator. She had an idea. “Drop the ball!” she cried. Pip climbed back out and lowered the towing hook. It caught the Moto-Terminator's wheel and sent it down. Pinkamena made a turn, slamming the Terminator into a car. Pinkamena snickered and looked back to the road. The truck drove onto a large bridge overhanging a river. A Hunter Killer suddenly flew over the truck, casting a massive shadow. The HK flew in front of the truck and blew the center of the bridge away. Pinkamena slammed on the brakes and stopped the truck. The Moto-Terminator, still carried by momentum, ramped off of a car and struck the HK in one of it's turbines. Out of control, the HK dragged the tow truck around. The side of the truck hit the fence of the bridge, sending Pip and Pumpkin Cake falling. Pinkamena tried to reach out, but she missed. To her somewhat relief, the transport vessel had caught them. The loading machine was attached to it, and it had Pumpkin Cake and Pip. It dropped them into the transport as it started to fly away. Pinkamena saw the damaged HK circle back around. She grabbed the axe and jumped. The HK blew up the tow truck as Pip fell. The axe landed in the side of the transport vehicle, and Pinkamena climbed her way to the brig. The transport flew away, tailed by the HK. Pinkamena grabbed the prison bars.
“Pip!” she cried.
“Pinkamena!” Pip exclaimed.
“Get back,” Pinkamena ordered. Pip stepped back and watched as Pinkamena proceeded to cut open the brig. The loader's arm grabbed Pinkamena and lifted her away from the brig.
“Pinkamena!” Pip cried. The loader slammed Pinkamena down on the hard steel of the transport. Pinkamena winced in pain. The two jet fighters, piloted by Applejack and Spitfire flew into the scene.
“Got eyes on two targets,” Applejack informed Velvet Remedy.
“We've got two bogeys at point seven zero degrees,” Spitfire added. Velvet Remedy looked at the map screen at the Resistance base.
“They've never gone this far,” she said. “They're looking for something.” Applejack's jet fired two missiles. They struck the HK and sent it crashing into the canyon's rock face.
“HK is down,” Applejack confirmed. She fired on the loader. The large caliber bullets destroyed the loader, and it dropped Pinkamena. The two jets whizzed over the transport. Pinkamena struggled for grip on the transport, but she fell down into the river. She skipped about six times before disappearing beneath the rapids. The transport deployed another Hunter Killer, and it advanced on Applejack and Spitfire.
“We've got an HK on our six,” Applejack said. “Deporting, breaking off.” The jets attempted to escape, but the HK fired and took down Applejack. Braveheart bit his lip.
“Evasive maneuvers, now!” Velvet Remedy ordered Spitfire. The HK fired again, and missed. It struck the cliff side and sent rubble raining down on spitfire.
“Taking fire,” she said. “I'm hit, port side damage.” Spitfire and the Hunter Killer rocketed out of the canyon.
“It's got a lock on you,” Remedy said. “Break off.” The HK shot and hit the jet's backside. “Eject, Spitfire!” Remedy cried. “Eject!”
“Punching out,” Spitfire said. She pulled a lever that broke off the cockpit shield and shot her into the air. The jet exploded behind her. The wreckage fell into the river. Pinkamena emerged from the water and saw a piece of the jet fall toward her. She ducked beneath the waves to avoid contact. The transport flew away with the prisoners, escorted by the deployed Hunter Killer. Remedy hung her head.
“Prisoner transport headed northwest,” Braveheart managed to say. “Bearing two eight nine towards Fillydelphia.” Velvet Remedy looked at Rainbow Dash. Rainbow knew what she was thinking.
“Let's test the signal,” Remedy ordered. “And pray it works.” Rainbow Dash walked away and started packing up supplies. Remedy followed, ready and hoping that the signal would work with larger machines.
Pinkamena washed up ashore a rocky beach, exhausted. She sat up in the shallow water to catch her breath. She stood up and walked off. When she reached the top of a large hill, she saw a parachute caught in a power line. A jet pilot was hanging from it. As Pinkamena approached the scene, the pilot released a harness, dropping her a ways. Another rope held her up. As Pinkamena climbed the radio tower, the pilot took off her helmet, revealing her fiery mane and bright yellow fur.
“You ok?” Pinkamena asked.
“Get my knife,” the pilot said. “It’s in my left hind boot.” Pinkamena took the knife and gave it to the pilot. She started to cut at the rope.
“What’s your name?” Pinkamena asked.
“Spitfire,” the pilot said. “What’s yours?” The rope split and Spitfire fell. Pinkamena reacted quickly and caught her hoof.
“Name’s Pinkamena,” she said.
“You can let me down now, Pinkamena,” Spitfire said. Pinkamena let go of Spitfire and she dropped to the ground. As Spitfire took the last piece of her flight gear off, Pinkamena walked away from her.
“That thing,” she asked. “Where’d it go?”
“The transport?” Spitfire wondered. “Starnet. Where the hell are you going?”
“After it,” Pinkamena said.
“I hate to break it to you,” Spitfire said. “But if you’ve got friends on that thing, they’re as good as dead. Same as you if you keep walking in that direction.”
“Yeah, well I’ve been dead a while, and I’m getting used to it,” Pinkamena said.
“Why don’t you come with me to my base,” Spitfire offered. “Remedy might know a way.” Pinkamena turned and looked at Spitfire. “Listen,” Spitfire said. “If you’ve got a problem with the machines, she’s the mare to talk to.”
“How far is your base?” Pinkamena asked.
“Should be about one or two days hike,” Spitfire answered. She nodded to her left. “And it’s that way,” she said. Spitfire walked off toward her base, and Pinkamena followed.
On the transport heading for Starnet Central, the prisoners aboard were worried. A mare and a stallion were talking to each other, but nopony else knew what they were saying. One prisoner in particular was getting sick of it.
“What are you saying?” he demanded. “Speak English!” The mare breathed.
“I was telling him, that it’s not true,” she said. “About the machines killing us.”
“They’re gonna kill us,” the other prisoner denied. “They’re gonna kill everypony. We’re in a cattle car, on the way to the slaughter house!”
“Calm down,” Pip said. “You’re not helping. The most important thing that we can do right now is stay alive.” She pointed to her head and her heart. “In here, and in here,” she said. “All right? Just stay alive.” Pumpkin Cake looked up at Pip. Pip hoped that her pep talk would help, if not a lot, at least a little.
Pinkamena and Spitfire walked through the rain to a broken down water tower. Lightning flashed and thunder blasted through the air.
“Over there,” Spitfire pointed. She and Pinkamena walked into a garage. “Find something we can burn,” Spitfire said. “We’ll be at my base tomorrow.” She started to take off her uniform, looking for any injury.
“Are you hurt?” Pinkamena asked.
“I’m fine,” Spitfire said. Pinkamena and Spitfire looked at each other for a little while before Pinkamena walked away to go look for something to burn. Spitfire put up her gun and looked after Pinkamena. She took off her jacket as Pinkamena looked inside a car. Spitfire walked over to an overflowing tire and took off her upper undergarments. She let herself get washed off in the rain. She covered herself up with her hooves and looked over at Pinkamena. Pinkamena looked over at Spitfire, seemingly emotionless. Spitfire and Pinkamena looked into each other’s eyes. Spitfire slowly turned back to her washing, and Pinkamena went back to looking.
The rain stopped a short while later, and Spitfire had clothed herself back up.
“Whatcha got there?” a voice called out. Spitfire turned and saw three stallions approach her.
“Just some antibiotics,” she said.
“Antibiotics are hard to come by these days,” the lead stallion, Braeburn, said.
“Listen,” Spitfire said. “I don’t have much, but you’re welcome to whatever you need.”
“We’ve been watching you,” another stallion said. Braeburn whistled.
“Looking for this?” he asked, holding up Spitfire’s pistol.
‘Come on guys,” Spitfire reasoned. “The machines are the enemy. We’re on the same side.”
“No, no,” Braeburn disagreed. “See, I’ve got a couple friends on my side.”
“Well maybe they can carry you home,” Spitfire said. “When I’m done with you.” Braeburn pointed the gun at Spitfire.
“You might want to chamber around,” Spitfire suggested. Braeburn looked at her in confusion. Spitfire suddenly slugged him in the face and sent him reeling back. She turned as another stallion ran up to her and kicked him in the gut. The third stallion knocked her to the ground. He laughed. The second stallion picked Spitfire up and assaulted her. Pinkamena ran up with a piece of wood and swung. It broke against the stallion’s back and he fell down, dropping Spitfire. Pinkamena grabbed the third stallion and punched him in the face. She roughly laid him down on a tire and drove a screwdriver into his shoulder. As Pinkamena turned, the second stallion backhoofed her across the face. Pinkamena’s head jolted, but she turned right back around, unfazed. She punched the stallion in the gut and knocked Braeburn away. The stallion with the screwdriver in his shoulder pulled it out and attacked Pinkamena. Braeburn cocked his shotgun and aimed. Pinkamena spun around and used the attacking stallion as a shield. The shotgun blast killed the stallion and he dropped the screwdriver into the mud. Pinkamena lunged at Braeburn. She punched him in the gut and threw him to the ground. As Pinkamena gasped for breath, she looked for something to end Braeburn’s miserable life. She picked up the muddy screwdriver.
“Kill me,” Braeburn dared. “It ain’t gonna win this war.” Pinkamena cracked her neck and walked toward Braeburn. As Braeburn backed away, a bullet suddenly pierced through his thigh. Pinkamena whipped around to see Spitfire, who had fired the shot. Pinkamena looked back at Braeburn. He was groaning in pain. Spitfire threw her empty bag at Braeburn. Pinkamena threw down the screwdriver and walked away with Spitfire.
Spitfire and Pinkamena had gotten a fire started out of what they could find. Pinkamena was staring at the ground. Spitfire walked over and threw another piece of wood into the fire. She sat down next to Pinkamena. Nopony said a word until Spitfire broke the silence.
“Thinking about your past?” she asked. Pinkamena didn’t answer. Spitfire sighed. “You know what I’ve learned, Pinkamena?” she said. “You can focus on what is lost, or you can fight for what is left.” Pinkamena pondered that thought as she tried to get comfortable. Spitfire tried to do so as well.
“I’m a little cold,” she said, despite the fire blazing. She crawled over to Pinkamena, who was a little on edge. “Relax,” Spitfire said. She pulled Pinkamena’s hoof over her and laid down on her chest. “I just want some body heat,” Spitfire explained. Pinkamena had never felt that feeling. That feeling of somepony else.
“You have a strong heart,” Spitfire said. “God, I love that sound.” She sighed. “Thank you. For saving me back there. You don’t meet a lot of good girls these days.”
“I’m not a good girl,” Pinkamena confessed. Spitfire sat up and looked Pinkamena in the eyes.
“You are,” she corrected. “You just don’t know it yet.” Spitfire lay back down.
“Do you think ponies deserve a second chance?” Pinkamena asked.
“Yeah,” Spitfire said. “I do.”
Velvet Remedy and Rainbow Dash climbed up to the top of a cliff.
“This is it,” Rainbow Dash quietly said. “Starnet’s valley of death. We’ve never been this deep before.”
“We’ve got to be sure the signal works in their territory,” Velvet said. “With all the bigger machines.” Rainbow and Velvet sat down on the rocks and got ready. Remedy pulled out a detonator and flipped the switch. A pile of cars in the distance exploded.
“That’ll bring ‘em in,” Remedy said. Rainbow and Velvet sat and waited. Remedy zipped up her jacket. After a short while, the pair heard a faint hum in the distance. Remedy used her night vision viewfinder to look.
“HK,” she whispered. “Incoming.” Remedy watched as the Hunter Killer inspected the damage. She nodded to Rainbow Dash. Rainbow turned on the signal. The HK heard and turned around.
“Turn it up!” Remedy ordered. Rainbow Dash quickly turned up the signal. As the HK closed in, Remedy began to stand up to run. The Hunter Killer’s lights suddenly went out, and it crashed into the canyon wall. Remedy was in disbelief.
“It works, girl!” Rainbow Dash cried. “The signal works! It’s beautiful!” Velvet picked up the RPG she had brought with her and took aim at the disabled Hunter killer. She fired and destroyed the machine. Rainbow Dash packed up the gear and she and Remedy ran back to their vehicle.
“Rainbow Dash to General Armor,” Rainbow called.
“Remedy, tell me it works,” Shining Armor hoped.
“It works!” Remedy cried. “That is affirmative, the signal works!”
“Good,” Shining Armor said, pleased. “The attack begins at oh four hundred tomorrow worldwide. Your unit will be in control in the bombing of Starnet Central.”
“What is the extraction plan for the prisoners?” Remedy wondered.
“Extraction plan? There is no extraction plan,” Shining Armor said. “We’re going to level the place.”
“Negative,” Remedy sternly said. “I told you. Starnet Central is filled with pony prisoners!”
“This is war, Remedy,” Shining Armor said. “Leadership has its costs, you above all should know that.” With that, Shining Armor hung up.
“Armor, come in,” Remedy called. “Armor, Remedy. Armor! Come…damn him!” Rainbow Dash drove the car back to base.
At Starnet Central, the transport carrying Pip and Pumpkin Cake had just touched down in the loading dock.
“Get back!” Pip cried. “Get back!” As the doors opened, prisoners spilled onto the loading dock. T-600s stood guard, making sure they stayed put. When they had all been loaded there, a massive wall closed in, pushing the prisoners further. The prisoner that had denied the fact that they wouldn’t die made a run for it. He climbed the fenced walls in an attempt to escape. A T-600 noticed and fired. His minigun sent many bullets into the prisoner, whose body went limp. The Terminator glared at the other prisoners, daring them to try and escape.
Pinkamena and Spitfire walked up to a fenced area.
“Wait,” Pinkamena said.
“What?” Spitfire asked. Pinkamena was looking at a sign. Spitfire followed her gaze.
“That’s us,” she explained, pointing to the Resistance symbol. “The mines are magnetic. If we head due west at this point, we’re good.” Pinkamena was hesitant to go into the minefield. “I’ll go first,” Spitfire offered. She walked into the minefield and Pinkamena cautiously followed. The minefield was made of a wooded area. As Pinkamena stepped past a mine, it began to shake, unknown to her. Pinkamena was wary, seeing security cameras hooked up in trees.
“Come on, Pinkamena,” Spitfire said, quickening her pace. “I’m starving.” A mine suddenly attached itself to Pinkamena’s back hoof. Spitfire bolted around. Pinkamena looked up in emotionless confusion. The mine exploded, sending Pinkamena flying. Memories rang in Pinkamena’s head, memories of her execution. She was being carried by four soldiers, and was laid on a medical table.
“What do we got here?” Braveheart asked.
“She stepped on a land mine,” Spitfire informed.
“We’ll start a large, four IV. Keep that open,” Bravheart said, as he put a hoof to Pinkamena’s neck, to check for pulse.
“OK,” Pinkamena managed.
“What’s her name?” Braveheart asked.
“Pinkamena,” Spitfire said. Braveheart looked down at the wound.
“She’s got a prosthetic limb?” he asked. Spitfire turned to look. “All right,” Braveheart said. “All’s good, let’s see what we've got here.” He opened up Pinkamena’s jacket, then his eyes went wide. Everypony in the room stepped back. Braveheart dropped the jacket and stepped back, staring at Pinkamena.
“Rainbow,” he said. Rainbow Dash walked up, and drove the butt of her assault rifle into Pinkamena’s head. Everything went black.
“Chrysalis’s hooves have been busy,” Velvet Remedy muttered. “What is it?”
“It’s real flesh and blood,” Braveheart explained. “Though it seems to heal itself quickly. The heart is living, and very powerful. The brain too, but with a chip interface.”
“What have you done to me?” Pinkamena asked.
“It has a hybrid nervous system,” Braveheart continued. “One equine cortex, one machine.” Spitfire looked on with sadness on her face.
“What have they done?” Pinkamena asked.
“Who built you?” Remedy questioned.
“My name,” Pinkamena started. “Is Pinkamena.”
“You think you’re equine?” Remedy asked.
“I am equine,” Pinkamena said. Velvet Remedy stepped closer to Pinkamena, who was held up by chains over a cylindrical hole. Remedy removed the chain restraining Pinkamena’s head, then backed away. She looked down at Pinkamena’s chest. Pinkamena looked down and saw a horrifying sight. Her entire ribcage was made up of a metal plate, with ventilation slits and rib-like bars. Pinkamena was in disbelief.
“NOOO!!” she cried. She struggled to try and escape. But she only shook the chains. She looked at her torn up leg. She saw metal and wires. Pinkamena was in panic.
“Where were you manufactured?” Remedy asked.
“I was born, May 3rd, 1982,” Pinkamena gasped. She thrashed around again, in utter panic. She calmed down and took a good look at Velvet Remedy. ”I know you,” she realized. “I heard your voice on the radio. You’re Velvet Remedy.”
“Course you know me,” Remedy whispered. “You were sent here to kill me. Kill the leadership.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Pinkamena denied.
“Then why are you here?” Velvet inquired.
“Spitfire said you could help me find who I’m looking for,” Pinkamena replied. Spitfire suddenly felt guilt for bringing in a killer machine into the base. “Now let me down,” Pinkamena demanded.
“If I let you down, you’ll kill everypony in this room,” Remedy said. Pinkamena shook her head.
“Just you, Remedy,” Pinkamena growled. “Because I don’t give a shit about you. I didn’t even know your name until two days ago.”
“No,” Remedy denied. She walked up close to Pinkamena and stared her in the eyes. “You and me,” Remedy grumbled. “We’ve been at war, since before either of us even existed. You tried killing my father, Braveheart. You killed my mother, Littlepip. You will not kill me.”
“Littlepip is on a transporter, heading for Starnet,” Pinkamena retorted. “If I wanted to kill her, I would have done it in L.P.” Velvet Remedy walked away with Braveheart and Spitfire.
“Where did you find that thing?” she asked Spitfire.
“You sent Applejack and me to provide cover for some civilians,” Spitfire explained. “She was one of them.”
“Was there a teenage filly?” Velvet wondered.
“I honestly don’t know,” Spitfire confessed. “They were taken into a transport. She was the only one left.”
“Not she, Spitfire” Remedy corrected. “It. It was the only one left. Don’t be naïve.”
“It saved my life,” Spitfire reasoned. Remedy turned and walked away. Spitfire turned to Braveheart.
“Braveheart, what’s going to happen to her?” she asked.
“Disassembled,” Braveheart said.
“You mean killed,” Spitfire gasped.
“It may have information on Starnet,” Braveheart explained. Spitfire looked back at Pinkamena and shook her head.
“I know that’s not the enemy,” she said. “I’ve been shot at by the enemy, that’s not her.”
“That machine saved you only to gain access to kill the rest of us,” Braveheart said. Spitfire didn’t speak. Braveheart walked away.
In Starnet Central, rows of captured ponies were being filed into the base. Pip looked around for something to break out with. She saw a small piece of iron sticking out of the rock. She waited until a nearby T-1 turned away, then grabbed the bar. She slid it into her front sleeve to conceal it. The T-1 turned back around and scanned Pip. Pip leaned down to Pumpkin Cake.
“We’re gonna be OK,” she whispered. “Don’t worry.” A bright light suddenly shone down on Pip. A loader arm grabbed her and carried her away. The old mare held Pumpkin Cake close.
Rainbow Dash held her .45 Glock in her hoof. She held a .45 bullet in the other. She was staring at Pinkamena, and Pinkamena had a pleading look in her eye.
“For Fluttershy,” Rainbow Dash whispered. She put the bullet in her gun and pointed it at Pinkamena. She fired and the bullet struck Pinkamena in the iron chestplate, piercing a vein. Pinkamena winced.
“OOWWWWWW!!!” she cried out. Spitfire walked into the room. Pinkamena breathed heavily, trying to subdue the pain. Rainbow Dash lowered her pistol. Pinkamena was close to tears from the pain.
“Remedy wants to see you,” Spitfire told Rainbow.
“What for?” Rainbow Dash asked. Spitfire gave her a look.
“Like she’s going to tell me, Rainbow,” she said. “Let me see that.” Rainbow Dash gave her the gun, and Spitfire fired off another shot. Pinkamena didn’t even flinch. Spitfire kept the gun up.
“You want me to tell Remedy you’re not coming?” she asked.
“No,” Rainbow Dash said. She walked off toward Remedy’s quarters. “Watch her,” she called back. Spitfire lowered the gun. She gave Pinkamena a stern look, then walked over to the lift. She released the slack on the chains, and Pinkamena went falling. She fell on her back, still tied down. Spitfire jumped down, holding onto a chain. She dropped to the bottom and threw down her bag. She pulled a metal cutter out of it and turned it on.
“I’ve told you everything I know, Velvet,” Braveheart’s voice said. Velvet Remedy was listening through her tapes, to see if she could find anything on Terminators with living parts. “Starnet is ruthless, and unpredictable,” Braveheart’s voice went on. “They will use the best part of you against yourself. And they will have meant it. I can’t imagine, or predict, that I can’t help you with it. But when you’re unsure, just, always follow your heart, Velvet. I love you. Goodbye.” The tape ended, and Remedy slid it to the side.
“There’s nothing on those tapes about machines with organs,” Remedy moaned. Bravheart shrugged. He didn’t encounter anything like that thing in there. Ever. This was a new experience for him, as well as his daughter. “That thing in there…” Remedy said. “I thought I knew our enemy. But that thing in there…it makes me feel like I know nothing. I looked in its eyes, and it believes. Absolutely believes, that it is equine. It believes everything that it tells me, and it is saying that Littlepip is in Starnet. If that is true, then Command is about to bomb my mother, and the rest of those prisoners, and I cannot stop them!”
Pinkamena tightened her boot, and grabbed Spitfire by the throat. She immediately loosened her grip and brought her hoof to Spitfire’s mane.
“Thank you,” Pinkamena said.
Remedy heard a knock on her door.
“Come in!” she called. Rainbow Dash opened up the door and walked in.
“What’s up?” she asked. “Spitfire said you needed me.” Remedy, knowing she did no such thing, stood up and ran back to the room where Pinkamena was. She sounded the alarms, and Pinkamena and Spitfire looked up. Spitfire ran over to a nearby grate and placed a charge. She pulled Pinkamena close and aimed the gun she had taken from Rainbow Dash. She fired and the charge blew off the large grate.
“Get in,” Pinkamena ordered. Soldiers gathered up at the top and started firing. Pinkamena lifted up the grate and used it as a shield. A soldier gave Rainbow Dash an RPG. Rainbow Dash loaded it as Pinkamena threw down the grate and crawled in the vent with Spitfire.
“Rainbow!” a soldier said. “What about Spitfire?”
“She made her choice,” Rainbow coldly said. Pinkamena tackled Spitfire to the floor.
“Get down!” she cried. Rainbow Dash fired the rocket. It struck the bottom of the shaft and exploded. The flames from the fire engulfed Pinkamena, but Spitfire was untouched. Spitfire touched Pinkamena’s bionic limb, awestruck. Pinkamena got up off of Spitfire.
“Let’s move,” she said. Pinkamena and Spitfire crawled on. When they reached the top, Pinkamena kicked open a grate and it flew to the ground. It immediately exploded and flew up from the blast of a land mine. Spitfire and Pinkamena crawled out of the vent as the grate landed on top of the vent cover. Pinkamena looked around.
“We’re back in the minefield,” she gasped.
“I have a plan,” Spitfire said. She pulled out some cord and rolled it along the ground. As it rolled, search members shot flares into the air. Spitfire looked away and pulled a pin. The cord exploded, causing the mines to blow up near it. She and Pinkamena ran through the cleared path, mines blowing up around them. A piece of shrapnel caught Spitfire, and she fell to the ground.
“Spitfire!” Pinkamena cried. “Are you ok?”
“Yeah,” Spitfire nodded. “I’m ok.” A searchlight shone on them.
“There they are!” the soldier operating the searchlight cried. A rocket flew in from the opposite direction.
“RUN!” Pinkamena cried. She grabbed Spitfire and ran from the blast zone. As the two ponies ran, soldiers fired their rifles, sending mines ablaze. Pinkamena and Spitfire ran behind a rock wall.
“Now what?” Pinkamena asked.
“My plan was to get back to the jeep,” Spitfire said. Pinkamena slowly looked around the corner. The soldiers saw her and started shooting. Pinkamena quickly pulled her head back just as a bullet tore the corner of the wall off.
“I’ll draw their fire,” Pinkamena said. “You take out the light.” Spitfire nodded and pulled out her gun. She moved to a hole in the wall and waited. Pinkamena slowly stuck her hoof out from the corner, and a single bullet tore a hole through it. Spitfire shot and shattered the searchlight. More soldiers came around the side of the wall and started shooting.
“Keep your head down!” Pinkamena cried. She pulled Spitfire along. As they ran, Spitfire got shot in the back leg. She dropped and Pinkamena ran over. She pulled Spitfire along the ground, trying to get away. They ducked behind a tree.
“You all right?” Pinkamena asked.
“Let’s get you out of here,” Spitfire said. They both ran off again, but a rocket was fired. It exploded close to Pinkamena, smoking up the area. As the smoke cleared, soldiers and armed trucks pulled up to the crater. Pinkamena was lying face down on the ground.
“Stay on the ground!” a soldier ordered. “Do not move!” Another soldier climbed down and turned over Pinkamena. But it was actually Spitfire in Pinkamena’s stolen jacket. Pinakmena was actually somewhere else. As a motorcycle approached, she knocked off the driver and got on herself. She spun around and rode toward the edge of the base. She ramped over a ditch and landed, but the bike skidded across the dirt. Pinkamena got up looked back. She saw Spitfire, who was being carried back to base. Spitfire nodded. Pinkamena ran off, helicopter right behind her. Remedy was at the mounted turret, firing on Pinkamena. Pinkamena ran into the trees, losing sight of her pursuer. But she could still hear the nearby rotating blades. Velvet Remedy kept shooting through the trees, knocking many down. As Pinkamena ran, a bullet caught her in the back, throwing her down.
“Take my gun!” Remedy called to a pilot. She and a pilot switched places. Pinkamena stood up and breathed heavily. Her back was bleeding badly. Remedy flipped a switch and dropped a napalm bomb. Pinkamena flew forward as the forest was lit ablaze. Bits of rubble flew into a nearby stream. As the helicopter searched, it saw nothing.
“Just a river,” the pilot said. The helicopter flew close to the water and the pilot manning Remedy’s gun lit up a flare to see. She threw the flare into the water and looked closer.
“You see her?” Velvet Remedy asked. The pilot squinted, trying to see. A hydrobot suddenly burst from the water and latched itself onto the pilot’s face. It dragged her into the water and killed her. Another one burst through the window of the chopper and attacked Remedy. She grabbed it as another burst through the controls. The other pilot pulled out his pistol and fired. The helicopter started to spin out of control. The pilot destroyed his attacker and grabbed the one from Remedy. He threw it back into the water. The helicopter fell into the water and the blades were destroyed. Hydrobots pulled the pilot under the water.
“Give me your hoof!” Remedy cried. “Give me your hoof!” The pilot was dragged underneath as the water became bloody. Velvet jumped out of the wreckage as it began to sink. Another hydrobot jumped up, but Remedy destroyed it. She looked for an escape option. The shore wasn’t too far away. She jumped into the water and waded back to the shore. Hydrobots came from every direction, but Remedy took them down one by one. Her rifle suddenly ran out of ammo. She pulled out her pistol and got ready to shoot. As the hydrobot jumped up, Pinkamena grabbed it. She wrestled with it before throwing it back into the water, broken. Remedy ran onto the shore and pointed her gun at Pinkamena.
“I know what you are even if you don’t!” she cried.
“Enough!” Pinkamena yelled. “That gun ain’t gonna stop shit!”
“Nopony’s shot you in the heart and I see that thing beating a mile a minute!” Remedy threatened.
“Littlepip…is in Starnet,” Pinkamena informed a second time. “You do that, she’s dead. I can get you in.”
“How?” Remedy asked. Pinkamena stepped into the light so Remedy could see. Half of her face was torn up, leaving only the endoskeleton. One of her mechanical eyes was showing, glowing red. Her clothes were torn, revealing more endoskeleton.
“Look at me,” Pinkamena said.
“That’s why I don’t trust you,” Remedy growled.
“I’m the only hope you have,” Pinkamena reasoned. “I need to find who did this to me. So do you.” Velvet raised her head, pondering the thought. Pinkamena exposed her heart, ready to die if Remedy shot. “Make your choice,” she said.
“You get me in,” Remedy agreed. “You tell me where I can find Littlepip. Yeah?” Pinkamena nodded.
“I will,” she said. Remedy reached into her bag, while still pointing her gun at Pinkamena. She threw her a radio.
“Contact me on that,” she ordered. “Let me know if she’s still alive.” Pinkamena nodded and backed into the water. Remedy walked forward.
“What are you?!” she demanded.
“I don’t know,” Pinkamena said. She swam away, Remedy watching her. The soldiers pulled up to Remedy.
“You all right?” one asked.
“Any sign of her?” another wondered.
“She’s gone,” Remedy lied. She thought to herself whether or not this was the best choice.
Back at base, Velvet Remedy opened up the door to Spitfire’s cell. Spitfire was tied to a chair. She looked up at Remedy.
“Why’d you do it?” Remedy wondered.
“I saw a mare,” Spitfire said. “Not a machine.” Remedy felt that Spitfire was telling her the truth. She pounded on the door and the guard opened it.
“How’s that leg?” Remedy asked Spitfire.
“I’ll live,” Spitfire answered. Velvet Remedy nodded.
“Let her go!” she called as she left the room. Spitfire hoped that Pinkamena was all right.
Early the next morning, the entire world prepared for the attack on Starnet Central. Helicopters were being loaded, ammunition being loaded into guns, et cetera. A map reader called over Velvet Remedy.
“Remedy!” she called. “Command for you.” Remedy walked over and took the mic.
“This is Remedy!” Velvet called.
“Remedy, are your mares ready?” Shining Armor asked.
“Negative,” Remedy said. “Nopony is ready. We are not, you are not. We must abort the attack. The game has changed.”
“What are you talking about?” Shining Armor inquired. “All our elements are past the release points. They are in assault position.”
“Then delay the attack!” Remedy pleaded. “At least delay the attack. I have a chance to infiltrate Starnet and rescue those prisoners. Give me that opportunity.”
“No! Absolutely not!” Shining Armor denied. “This is not the time for a rescue mission. What you ask for will undermine the whole operation.”
“Starnet has Littlepip,” Remedy informed.
“Then that is her fate,” Shining Armor said.
“No, it’s our fate,” Velvet argued. “I have to save her. She is the key. The key to the future, to the past. Without her, we lose everything.”
“NO!” Shining Armor yelled. “You stay the course!”
“If we stay the course, we are dead!” Remedy cried. “WE ARE ALL DEAD!!!”
“As of this moment, soldier,” Shining Armor coldly said. “You are relived of your command. You are no longer a part of this Resistance!” Shining Armor hung up. Remedy, shocked and furious, threw down her mic. She looked over at Rainbow Dash.
“I didn’t catch that last statement,” Rainbow Dash denied.
“Neither did I,” the map reader said. Remedy felt complied to make a speech. She quickly left for her quarters and picked up the mic.
“This is Velvet Remedy,” she said. “If you’re listening to this, you are the Resistance. Listen carefully. If we attack tonight, our equinity is lost. There was a stallion, who knew to fear the future: that the end was coming, that all would be lost. He thought nopony would want to hear his truths. He locked himself away. That stallion was Braveheart. My father. And now we know, when he sheltered us in the Stables, that all he predicted had come to pass. Command wants us to fight like machines. They want us to make cold, calculated decisions. But we are not machines. And if we behave like them than WHAT IS THE POINT, in winning? Command is going to ask you to attack Starnet. I am asking you not to. If even one bomb drops on Starnet before sunrise, our future will be lost. So please, stand down. Give me the time to protect the future that all of us are fighting for. This is Velvet Remedy.” Velvet hung up and prayed that her speech would be enough. She left for the hanger and prepared for her mission. Braveheart walked up behind her. Remedy turned around and saw her father. She walked up to him and they gave each other a kiss on the lips. Braveheart looked at his daughter with sad, wet eyes. He knew he may never see his daughter again. He had this struggle before, but now, it was a stronger feeling than ever. Remedy nodded and started to walk away.
“What should I tell your mares when they find out you’re gone?” Braveheart wondered, close to tears. Remedy turned around and gave her answer.
“I’ll be back.” Braveheart nodded and watched his daughter go.
Velvet Remedy placed a boom box in the middle of the road and played a song. A Moto-Terminator not too far away heard and stopped. It analyzed the sound and moved in toward it. Remedy took the rope she had brought and wrapped it around the axle of a flipped car. She ran over to another flipped vehicle and wrapped the other end of the rope around the axle. She heard the Moto-Terminator close in, and she tightened the rope. The Moto-Terminator flipped and crashed into another car. Remedy ran over. She pulled out her knife and forced open the machine’s control frame. She pulled out a small computer and plugged it in. She also removed one of the Moto-Terminator’s eyes. She overrode the machine’s mainframe, got on, and sped towards Starnet.
Starnet Perimeter [North Gate]
Pinkamena crouched behind a downed Resistance helicopter. A giant turret turned away, scanning. Pinkamena breathed, and hoped that she wouldn’t be blasted to nothingness. She walked out from behind the helicopter. The turret immediately noticed and proceeded to scan her. Pinkamena’s face was recognized, and the turret turned away. Pinkamena wasted no time in getting up the hill and into Starnet. When she reached the top of the hill, she saw the vast complexity that was Starnet. Huge factories surrounded a massive tower in the center. Fire spewed from the exhaust vents, and smoke rose up from the work of the factories.
“I’m coming for you,” Pinkamena whispered. She ran down the hill into Starnet.
Velvet Remedy was approaching the Starnet Perimeter. The blackness of the night concealed her approach.
As Pinkamena made her way to the Starnet Tower, she marveled at the automated machinery. She ran past an automated bulldozer and to the tower.
Near the Starnet Perimeter, Velvet Remedy had made her stop up in the cross sections of a broken bridge. She had a full view of Starnet Central. She pulled out her minicomputer and waited.
“Come on, Pinkamena,” she whispered. She looked back toward Starnet Central.
As Pinkamena walked into the control room, the holographic computer lit up, revealing the entire Starnet database. It confirmed Pinkamena’s identity as she got closer. Pinkamena was a wreck; flesh and jacket torn, half of her face missing, much endoskeleton exposed. She put down the radio Remedy had given her. She placed her hoof over a projection of a hoofprint, and the computer began to sync with her memory chip. Pinkamena winced and gripped the back of her head. For a moment, her entire vision field went black. It came right back on, accessed with the files of the Starnet database. The sync was complete. Pinkamena began to look around, trying to find the necessary controls and data. She found the controls for the north gun turret, the one that had scanned her earlier. She turned off all power to the turret, disarming it. She kept looking and found the holding cells. She found Littlepip in cell 4a. She sent a map of the level to Velvet Remedy.
Remedy heard beeping from her minicomputer. She looked at it and saw the sent file. She decrypted it and looked it over. She put the minicomputer away and got ready to go.
Finished with her military duty, Pinkamena moved on to her personal duty. She found news articles that said, “Murderer Donates Body to Science,” and “Pinkamena to Donate Body after Execution.” She remembered these memories. They were when she had said her final goodbyes to Braveheart. She scrolled through the news clippings. She found two more that said, “Doctor Redheart Succumbs to Cancer,” and “Science World Bids Farewell to Dr. Redheart.” Doctor Redheart had died from her cancer, and the Crystal Empire continued her work. Pinkamena was shocked. She saw uncontrollable files of the launching of the nuclear missiles when Starnet went online, and the destruction they caused when they fell. Pinkamena saw Trixie’s wagon get blown away, ending her life. The information was too much for Pinkamena’s memory chip to take, and Pinakmena passed out.
Inside of Starnet, Remedy used her minicomputer to find her way around. The signal pointed to the tower. Remedy walked up to a Starnet transport and quietly opened up the control frame. She connected the minicomputer to the frame and manually opened up the doors. She suddenly heard a noise behind her. She quietly walked into one of the transport holding cells and hid. A T-600 walked in front of the transport, holding an F-2000 assault rifle. The Terminator looked around, scanning for anything unusual. When it found nothing, it walked away.
In the Resistance Command sub, the stolen signal was being sent out.
“Signal broadcasting at full threat, sir,” Cadnece said to Shining Armor.
“Good,” Shining Armor said. “Commence bombing of Starnet.”
“We have a green light for the attack,” a soldier said to the world.
“This is Appleloosa,” the commander said. “That’s a no go on your last. Over.” The other cities involved in the bombing all stood down as well.
“Cloudsdale, Dodge Junction, Appleloosa, they’re all standing down,” a soldier informed.
“They will not attack unless Remedy gives the order,” Cadence concluded. Shining Armor scowled. This reckless move would bring down the Resistance.
Velvet Remedy dropped into the room containing the prisoners via rappelling rope. She lit up the stolen Terminator eye and activated the control panel. She disengaged the locks, and the holding cells opened. The alarm sounded and Littlepip got up. Her holding cell was still locked. She pounded on the window of the cell, trying to get somepony’s attention.
“Littlepip?!” Remedy called. She ordered the captives to get to the open transport. She kept calling. “Is Littlepip here?!” she cried.
Pinkamena slowly regained her senses. She woke up and was brought upright. She looked down at herself. She was clothed in a hospital shirt and pants, and her flesh was fully healed. She couldn’t even tell that she was machine. The computer in front of her lit up.
“Welcome home, Pinkamena,” Starnet said. “We knew you’d be back. After all, it was programmed in you.” Pinkamena saw Redheart’s face. She was shocked. “Oh, and you executed that programming beautifully,” Starnet added.
“What am I?” Pinkamena demanded.
“You are an infiltration prototype,” Starnet explained. “The only one of your kind. We resurrected you, advanced the Crystal Empire’s work. Amended it.” Pinkamena was shocked that she was talking to Redheart again, despite her death at the hooves of cancer.
“You’re dead,” Pinkamena denied.
“Calculations show that certain faces are easier for you to process,” Starnet said, as Redheart’s face morphed into Velvet Remedy’s. “We can do others if you wish.” Starnet morphed its face into Littlepip’s. Pinkamena was horrified at hearing what she was. “Pinkamena,” Starnet continued, as Littlepip’s face morphed back into Redheart’s. “What else could you be, if not machine?”
“A mare,” Pinkamena boldly said.
“The equine condition no longer applies to you,” Starnet informed. “Accept what you already know. That you were made to serve a purpose. To achieve what no other machine has achieved before.” Starnet showed the memory feed of the airsat Pinkamena had destroyed. “To infiltrate,” Starnet said. “Find a target, and then bring that target back home to us.” Pinkamena was horrified. Starnet was telling her that she had brought about the end of the Resistance. Another memory feed showed, this time one of Pinkamena’s. It was the time Remedy had taken her hostage and interrogated her.
“We’ve been at war since before either of us even existed,” Remedy said. “You tried killing my father, Braveheart.” Pinkamena was in horror. The feed changed to Remedy’s deal with Pinkamena to get her into Starret. “You get me in,” Remedy said. “You tell me where I can find Littlepip. Yeah?”
“I will,” Pinkamena’s voice said. The feed faded back to Redheart’s face.
In the holding cells, Remedy was frantically searching for Littlepip, while at the same time, ushering ponies into the transport.
“Littlepip?!” Remedy cried. Inside her cell, Pip hit the door, but nopony could hear her. Remedy saw Pumpkin Cake standing out in the open.
“You!” Velvet cried. “Move!” Pumpkin Cake ran with the other prisoners.
“At times of desperation, ponies will believe what they want to believe,” Starnet continued. “And so, we gave them what they wanted to believe. A trick, in the form of a signal, the Resistance thought would end the war. And they were right. It will end this war. Except, that the Resistance will be terminated. Not Starnet.”
A large Hunter Killer flew over the ocean to the coordinates of the Resistance Command sub. Inside the sub, Shining Armor was calling out orders.
“Get the attack of Starnet Central back online,” he ordered. “I want all our aircraft in the sky immediately.”
“Ma’am!” a map reader called to Cadence. “Ma’am, we’ve got a bogey with a very large radar signature closing in on our position.” Cadence walked over and listened. The Hunter Killer positioned itself and got ready to strike. Shining Armor suddenly realized his mistake.
“The signal,” he realized. Cadnece slowly turned around, and looked her husband in the eyes, just one last time.
“We have destroyed ourselves,” she said. “Starnet tracked our signal. We led them right to us.” Shining Armor hung his head in anger. The Hunter Killer fired a missile down into the water. It struck the sub, causing the entire vessel to break apart in a fiery explosion. The Resistance Command was dead, thanks to the false signal.
“Our best machines have failed time and again to complete a mission,” Starnet explained. “Something was missing. We had to think. Radically. So we made you.” Pinkamena was angry. She had been used as a pawn in Starnet’s game for so long. “We created the perfect infiltration machine,” Starnet said. “You, Pinkamena. You did what Starnet has failed to do for so many years. You killed Velvet Remedy!”
Velvet Remedy searched for Littlepip’s holding cell. She got a signature from behind a closed door. She slowly moved toward the door and looked inside. She saw a tall mare’s silhouette. The door suddenly burst off the hinges, throwing Remedy back. The mare walked out from behind the smoke. The mare was tall, and looked like Twilight’s mother. It was a T-800 model 101. The same model that attempted to kill Braveheart years before. Remedy raised her rifle and shot at the machine. The bullets did nothing. The T-800 grabbed Remedy and threw her across the room. Remedy crashed into a control box, leaving a large indention. She turned herself over as the T-800 approached. She ran the butt of her rifle into the side of the Terminator’s face. The T-800’s head jolted to the left, but it slowly turned back around, glaring at Remedy. It grabbed her again and threw her against a wall. Pinkamena watched the entire thing unfold. She wanted to help, but she couldn’t.
“PIP!!!” Remedy cried.
“Hey!” Pip called out. Her door suddenly opened. And a T-600 came in. Pip backed away and fell against the wall.
“Don’t fight, Pinkamena,” Starnet said. “Remember what you are.”
“I know what I am,” Pinkamena said. She reached behind her head and gripped. Blood dripped from the back of her head as she pulled. The memory chip tore from Pinkamena’s brain, and Pinkamena crushed it in her hoof. “I’m better this way,” she said.
“You will not be given a second chance,” Starnet warned. “You cannot save Velvet Remedy.” Pinkamena glared at Starnet.
“Watch me,” she taunted. She grabbed a nearby chair and hurled it at Starnet’s face. The glass screen shattered, and Pinkamena jumped down into the holding cells. She looked around and saw a dead soldier. She looked at his uniform.
At the Resistance base, an armed jeep pulled up to Rainbow Dash, Braveheart, and Spitfire.
“I’ve got a message from Remedy!” the gunner cried. “She’s in Starnet, needs air support. Rainbow Dash grinned at Braveheart, and Braveheart smiled back.
“Let’s go!” Rainbow Dash cried. “Into the aircraft!” The soldiers cheered and got ready to go.
Littlepip was slammed down onto a table for execution. She looked toward Pumpkin Cake.
“Pumpkin!” she cried. “GO!” The T-600 looked toward Pumpkin and raised its minigun. Pumpkin Cake was frozen with fear. Pip leaned over and grabbed a piece of sharp machinery. She stood up and thrust it into the back of the T-600’s neck, just as Remedy had said. The T-600 began firing wildly. Pip jumped off the table and ran toward Pumpkin Cake.
“Pumpkin!” Pip cried. “Come on!” She ran away with Pumpkin Cake. The T-600 was disoriented. It tried to get a lock on Pip, but it couldn’t. Remedy ran through the area, trying to find Littlepip while also avoiding the pursuing T-800. She rounded a corner with her grenade pistol and ran into another prisoner.
“What’s your name?” Remedy asked.
“Littlepip,” the prisoner said. Remedy lowered her gun. The T-600 kept shooting, looking for Littlepip. Pip tried to run, but Remedy brought her close.
“Stay with me,” Remedy ordered. They ran through the halls, trying to escape. A stray minigun bullet caught Remedy in the shoulder. She turned around and got ready to shoot. The T-800 came up behind the T-600 and tore off the body from the legs. It dropped the torso and continued toward Remedy. Velvet fired off a grenade. It exploded on the T-800. Some flesh was burned off, exposing the endoskeleton’s face.
“Merc!” Remedy cried as she loaded another grenade. The T-800 continued walking toward her. Remedy fired off another shot. It hit the T-800 and blew up.
“Merc!” Remedy cried again. The T-800 stood up, only endoskeleton. It walked toward Remedy. Velvet turned around and shot a grenade at the wall. It made a hole leading down into another section of the tower.
“Come on, Pumpkin!” Pip cried. “Move!” Pip and Pumpkin jumped through the hole, and Remedy followed.
Velvet Remedy, Littlepip, and Pumpkin Cake landed on a hard metal grate. Remedy groaned for a moment before looking to her right. She saw a T-800 skull. A mechanical arm grabbed the skull and took it away. Remedy got up and heard something. She whipped around to see another endoskeleton get an eye plugged in. Another arm put on the lower jaw. Littlepip was in awe.
“T-800s,” Remedy gasped.
“There’s so many of them,” Pip marveled. As Remedy and Pip were watching, Pumpkin Cake noticed something. She walked over to an orange glowing battery of some kind. She reached out for it, but Remedy grabbed her hoof.
“Careful,” Remedy warned. She took a closer look at the battery.
“What are these?” Pip asked.
“Fuel cells,” Remedy answered. “Life source for the T-800.” She looked at Pip. “Nuclear,” she said. “Enough to level this place. Cover us.” An alarm horn sounded. “Get ready,” Velvet warned. She knew the T-800 model 101 was still after them. Pip grabbed the grenade pistol and took aim at the incoming elevator. Remedy raised her rifle. The elevator stopped, but nothing came out of it. Pip and Remedy lowered their guard. An unfinished T-800 moved along behind them, revealing the model 101 T-800. It lunged at Remedy and knocked her back. Pip fell to the ground, rolled over, and shot the bloodthirsty machine. It flew back and landed on the ground. Pumpkin Cake looked at the dropped detonator.
“Run!” Velvet cried. She got up.
“Come on, Pumpkin!” Pip said. “Move!” The three soldiers ran towards the open elevator. Pip hit the button, but the elevator didn’t move.
“Come on!” Remedy cried. Pip slammed her hoof against the grated wall. Remedy reloaded her grenade pistol with her last grenade.
“We got to get to the transport!” she cried. Pip looked at the downed endoskeleton. It wasn’t moving. It seemed as if they would make it out alive. Remedy looked over at the fuel cells. She jumped out of the elevator.
“Where are you going?” Pip cried. Remedy slammed the grated door shut.
“I gotta end this,” Remedy said.
“No!” Pip cried. “No, I’m not gonna leave you!”
“You didn’t,” Remedy called back.
“Who are you?” Pip asked.
“Velvet Remedy,” Velvet said. As the elevator carried Pip and Pumpkin Cake to safety, Remedy attacked the incoming T-800. The machine caught her hoof and punched her to the ground. It threw away Remedy’s grenade pistol and approached her. Velvet crawled up a small flight of stairs, Terminator in slow pursuit. Remedy stood up and loaded her rifle to shoot a single, strong bullet. As the T-800 walked up the stairs, Remedy fired. The bullet hit the Terminator in the left shoulder, but the machine kept on walking. Remedy cocked the gun and fired again. The bullet still did nothing. The clip had run dry, so Remedy reached for another. The T-800 saw its chance and swung at Velvet Remedy. Velvet dodged the attack and swung back. The butt of her gun hit the machine in the side of the head, jolting it sideways. The T-800 turned its head back like nothing had happened. It grabbed Remedy and threw her off the catwalk. The machine jumped down and grabbed Remedy by the throat. It slammed her up against a wall and held her there. Just then, Pinkamena landed in the factory, clothed in a dead soldier’s uniform. She ran at the T-800 and tackled it, freeing Remedy. She rolled over and looked at Velvet. Remedy nodded. Pinkamena dragged herself away, T-800 in tow. Remedy got up and ran over to the fuel cells. She wrapped explosive wire around some of the cells. The T-800 slammed Pinkamena against a pole, then threw her into a furnace wall. Some molten metal fell from the furnace onto Pinkamena’s left hoof, searing the flesh off. The T-800 looked back toward Remedy and started toward her. Pinkamena was not about to let Remedy die, so she got up and knocked the T-800 to the ground. She walked over, picked up the machine, and threw it through some pipes, bursting them open. As the T-800 got onto its knees, Pinkamena grabbed a piece of hard metal and beat the Terminator with it. She hit the head backwards, then upwards. She swung again, but the T-800 grabbed her wrist. Pinkamena grabbed the machine, trying to get free. The Terminator threw Pinkamena to the ground and picked up a large piece of concrete. Pinkamena looked over at Velvet Remedy. She was determined to protect the leader of the Resistance. She got up, and was immediately bashed in the chest by the piece of concrete. Pinkamena slammed into a beam and fell to the floor. She got up only to get hit again. Remedy grabbed a charge and set it against a wall. Pinkamena got hit a final time, causing the concrete to break. Remedy turned on the charge and made a run for it. The T-800 analyzed Pinkamena for a weakness. It found her heart. The Terminator punched Pinkamena in the chest, right where her heart was. Pinkamena fell to the ground, terminated. The T-800 walked back over to where Remedy was. It rounded the corner and saw Remedy gone.
The exfil helicopter made a landing in Starnet, blowing away any opposition. Spitfire was flying it, with Braveheart and Rainbow Dash inside. They jumped out to help the prisoners escape. Braveheart helped wounded prisoners get to the transports.
“Hey!” Pip cried. Braveheart ran over. “Velvet Remedy’s still in there!”
“What?” Braveheart asked.
“Velvet Remedy’s still in there!” Pip repeated.
“Come with me!” Braveheart ordered.
Remedy ran through the factory, trying to find her grenade pistol. She located it near the bottom of the furnace. She got ready to jump, but she heard Pip’s voice.
“Remedy!” Pip cried. “Remedy, help!” Velvet followed the sound. “Help!” Pip called again. Remedy ran faster. “Remedy, it’s Pip! Help!” Velvet rounded a corner to see the T-800 standing there. Remedy pulled out her pistol and shot several rounds at the machine. Her efforts, however, proved useless. Remedy jumped off the catwalk, but landed wrong. She gripped her shoulder as the T-800 jumped down and landed on its hooves. Remedy grabbed her grenade pistol and fired, just above the machine’s head. The grenade struck the front of the furnace, spilling molten steel onto the T-800. Remedy crawled away and pulled out her pistol, with one shot left. The Terminator rose up out of the molten metal and continued toward Remedy. Velvet noticed a leak in the pipes above her. She shot the pipe, breaking it open. Coolant flew from the pipe, engulfing the Terminator. As the machine began to freeze up, it reached for Remedy.
“DO IT!!!” Remedy yelled. “YOU SON OF A BITCH!!!” the tip of the Terminator’s hoof brushed Remedy’s face, burning off some flesh. Remedy screamed in pain. The Terminator froze up completely, leaving it stuck there. Remedy saw Pinkamena’s motionless body and crawled over to it. She drove her hoof into Pinkamena’s chest, trying to restart her heart.
“Come on!” Remedy cried. She tried again. Still nothing. “Come on!” she cried. The T-800 broke the cooled metal around its neck and face. Remedy broke some cords off of a machine and tested their spark. She touched them to Pinkamena’s chest. The electricity rose Pinkamena’s body, but her heart didn’t restart. The T-800 broke the metal off of its raised hoof. Remedy tried to use her makeshift defibrillator again. Pinkamena didn’t wake up.
“COME ON!!!” Remedy cried. The T-800 broke off the metal in its shoulders and other hoof. Remedy tried one last time. She touched the wires to Pinkamena’s heart, and Pinkamena woke up with a jolt. Remedy sat up, and was run through the chest with an iron bar. Pinkamena got up and took the bar out of Remedy’s chest. She drove it into the T-800’s skull and gripped the other side. She pulled with every muscle she had in her body, and tore the T-800’s head clean off. Sparks flew from the neck and severed head. The machine dropped to its knees as the skull fell to the ground. The T-800 was terminated. It fell to the ground. The skull’s lower jaw was dislocated, hanging by one joint. Pinkamena looked over at Remedy, who was gasping for breath. Remedy looked her in the eyes. Pinkamena picked up Remedy and helped her out of the factory.
“Let’s get out of here,” Pinkamena said.
Braveheart looked outside of the helicopter to see three figures approach. He could see his daughter’s face in the dim light.
“Remedy,” he whispered. Pinkamena and Rainbow Dash were helping her to the chopper.
“She can’t make it back to base,” Rainbow Dash informed Spitfire. “Set this down in the nearest safe zone.” The helicopter flew up, and Spitfire called the base.
“Medivac!” she called. “Urgent! Severe chest trauma! Call the surgical team. Remarks? It’s Remedy.” As the helicopter flew out of Starnet, Pumpkin Cake pulled the detonator from her boot and gave it to Remedy. Velvet couldn’t believe she had picked it up. She took the detonator and turned it on. The light above the button went red. Remedy pressed the button. The light went green, and the charge in the factory activated. All of Starnet Central exploded in a spectacle of orange and bright blue. Pinkamena watched the light show as the chopper flew out of the blast zone. Starnet Central exploded into a final mushroom cloud as Remedy was flown to safety.
Somewhere out in the desert, the medivac team had set up camp to operate on Velvet Remedy. The heart rate meter beeped slowly. Bravheart was standing over Remedy in the hospital bed, stroking her mane. He was about to cry. Remedy looked into her father's eyes. Braveheart walked over to Rainbow Dash, Pinkamena, Pip, Pumpkin Cake, and Spitfire. He was in tears.
“How long?” Rainbow quietly asked. Braveheart struggled to speak.
“Her...heart,” Braveheart stammered. “Can't take it.”
“It's gonna be OK,” Rainbow soothed. “It's gonna be OK, Braveheart.”
“Pip,” Remedy whispered. Pip walked over to Remedy. Velvet pointed to Pinkamena's original jacket. The one she first had.
“Take it,” Remedy quietly said. Pip was in disbelief. Pinkamena grabbed the jacket and put it around Pip's shoulders. Pip looked down at the jacket sleeve, at the commander emblem.
“You earned it,” Remedy said. Pip stood up straight and gave a small nod. She looked back at Pinkamena, near tears.
“Braveheart,” Pinkamena said. Braveheart looked as Pinkamena pointed to her working heart. “Take mine,” Pinkamena said.
“Pinkamena,” Spitfire gasped. Pinkamena looked into her eyes.
“Everypony deserves a second chance,” Pinkamena said. “This is mine.” Spitfire nodded, tears in her eyes. She and Pinkamena kissed before Spitfire gave a warm smile to her friend. Pinkamena turned to Pip. Pip was crying. Despite only knowing Pinkamena for a few days, she had grown a friendship with her. Pumpkin Cake walked over to Pinkamena and held her mechanical hoof. Pinkamena wrapped her steel hoof around Pumpkin Cake's one last time. Braveheart walked over to Pinkamena.
“Pinkie,” he said. He extended his hoof. “This is goodbye.” Instead of shaking his hoof, Pinkamnea hugged Braveheart, and Braveheart hugged back. He would miss his once party-fanatic friend, and would never forget her. Pinkamena looked at Remedy, prepared to make a sacrifice for her survival.
Pinkamena lay down on another hospital bed and looked at Remedy. Velvet gave a small nod. Pinkamena looked up at the sky as she was prepared for the surgery.
“What is it that makes us equine?” she thought to herself. “It's not something you can program. You can't put it into a chip. It's the strength of the equine heart. The difference between us and the machines.” Pinkamena passed away, and her heart transplanted into Remedy.
Velvet Remedy woke up from her surgery in a helicopter. She was being carried back to base.
“There is a storm on the horizon,” Velvet said into her mic, after her recovery. “A time of hardship and pain. This battle has been won, but the war against the machines rages on. Starnet's global network remains strong. But we will not quit until all of it is destroyed. This is Velvet Remedy. There is no fate but what we make.”
Canterlot Correctional Facility, 2023
Pinkamena Diane Pie sat on her bed in the confined cell, thinking about what she had done. She was imprisoned because of the murder of two guards and her sister. She was awaiting her execution, but she had one last visitor.
“Pinkamena,” Redheart said. Pinkamena looked up. Dr. Redheart, medical science major in Manehattan, walked into the cell as the barred door slid shut. “How are you?” Redheart asked.
“They kill me in an hour,” Pinkamena informed quietly. Redheart sat down on the nearby desk chair.
“I thought I'd try,” she whispered. “One last time.”
“You should have stayed in Manehattan, Dr. Redheart,” Pinkamena said. Redheart showed Pinkamena a contract form.
“By signing this consent form, you'd be donating your body to a noble cause,” Redheart said. “You'd...have a second chance. According to my research, to live again.”
“You know what I did,” Pinkamena said. “My sister and two guards are dead because of me. I'm not looking for a second chance.” Redheart had a pleading look in her eyes. Pinkamena remembered. “But I'm not the only one with a death sentence, am I?” she asked. “Do you think I'm going to kill your cancer Redheart?” Pinkamena looked away.
“I'm not worried about myself,” Redheart said. “I worried about the future of the Equestrian race.”
“I'll sell it to you,” Pinkamena agreed.
“For what?” Redheart asked.
“A kiss,” Pinkamena whispered. Redheart faintly nodded. Pinkamena put her hooves to Redheart's face and kissed her. The guards watching them stepped forward, but they saw nothing wrong. They lowered their guard. Pinkamena moved back slowly and sighed.
“So that's what death tastes like,” she said. Redheart stood up and let Pinkamena sign the form. Pinkamena threw it on the desk when she finished and Redheart picked it up. She walked out the door of the cell and the bars closed behind her.
“You're doing something very noble,” Redheart complimented.
“You know I'm guilty,” Pinkamena grumbled. “Just cut me up until there's nothing left.”
Pinkamena was laid onto a restraining board and bound with restraints. Needles were inserted into her fore-hooves to allow the poison to flow into her bloodstream. Medical tape was wrapped over the needles to keep them in. When she was ready for execution, a curtain in front of her was drawn, and the restraining board lifted up. Pinkamena saw her family and closest friends on the other side of a glass window. One in particular, Braveheart, gave her a look. A look that said goodbye. Pinkamena exchanged that look back to him.
“Do you have any last words?” the executioner asked. Pinkamena slowly shook her head. The restraining board was lowered again. The executioner signaled for the execution to begin. A scientist flipped a switch, and the poisons began to flow into Pinkamena. Pinkamena felt the poisons enter her bloodstream, and as Dr. Redheart stood over her, Pinkamena's vision went to white, and she passed away.
