A Thousand Yard Shot

Chapter One

One Year Earlier.

I walked into the atrium feeling apprehensive to say the least; I had gotten a cryptic phone call asking to meet downtown at a restaurant I knew of, but could never afford, with the assurances that everything would be explained. I arrived 15 minutes early per my usual M.O for these sorts of things; I took a seat and waited for my contact to arrive.

I suppose if I’m going to be relating this tale, we should start with introductions, my name is Zack, Zack Forbes, and I’ve been a cop in Montana now for going on 5 years, local Sheriff’s Department, nothing major. Which is another reason why this call has me stumped, but then again I’ve learned not to be surprised since “The Event”, as some news outlets have taken to calling it, they feel a teenage desire to be edgy and monosyllabic I suppose. Everyone on Earth should know what happened but I’ll say it again for the people in the back.

You remember the Large Hadron Collider? CERN was all proud of it for about 15 minutes way back when. Well one day a group of Eco-terrorists meshed with some doomsday wackjobs, and this pack of geniuses decided to attack CERN, crank the Hadron collider up to eleven and let her rip. Instead of dooming all life as we know it, they only took themselves out and cracked open a giant portal to a world that shouldn’t exist but does all the same: Equestria.

Now most of us believed that alien life would resemble anything other than what my neighbor used to raise i.e. Ponies, that’s where 98% of humanity would be incorrect, and to say that these things looked almost exactly like horses would not be understating the point in the slightest. Then the Princesses showed up and declared that mutual cooperation is the way to success and prosperity for both our species, it took a lot of convincing but they finally met with the U.N and got a deal hacked out that both parties were amenable to.

A  few years after the Event, things have calmed down considerably, trade routes are open and there’s talk of permanent human immigration in the works. Hell I still haven’t even seen a pony up close yet, but that what I get for living in a state that is best represented by my High School partying career, nobody invited you, go home; you can leave the beer though thanks. I’ve just kept on doing my job, watching all of these wondrous happenings unfold; something tells me I won’t be out of the fight for ve-

“Mr. Forbes?”

I stood and took in my contact, he was about 5’7 with sandy hair, the kind of guy you’d miss in a crowd, but when I looked him in the eye everything changed, he had a look about him that suggested he’d spent time slinging lead at bad guys, unless my radar is way off. I took his outstretched hand.

“Just Zack will be fine Mr.?”

“My name isn’t important, what I’m here to offer you is”

I was a little taken aback by his cloak and dagger response, but I rolled with it, “What might that be exactly?”

No-name smiled, “I’m going to cut right to the chase if you don’t mind”

I shook my head, “I prefer honesty sir.”

He straightened his tie and leaned across the table slightly, “There is a unit being put together, best of the best from MIL/ LE, Intel community and Private sector, they want a cross border unit to police the human immigrants, make sure no undesirables fuck it up for the rest of us.

I cocked an eyebrow, “I fail to see how this involves me at all, I know the kind of guys you’re after and I’m not sure I fit that mold, I’m a nobody deputy from BFE Montana”

He responded by pulling a folder from his briefcase and sliding it across the table, “This is why”

I opened the folder, and I immediately saw things I’d hoped never to see again, needless to say I slammed it shut in a hurry. “Why in the fuck would you bring this up?!”

No- name simply smiled “Because you’re exactly the kind of guy we’re looking for, not many people, not even cops would run headlong into an incident like that. You’ve got the kind of mental toughness that fits our mold Mr. Forbes. The only thing left to say is yes or no.”

I checked my temper quickly, “If I say no?”

He shrugged, “This meeting never happened and you go back to being a nobody. You say yes? Well I can promise you answers, and the kind of top tier training, equipment and personnel that you’re used to. Not mentioning that we’re doing something good here Zack, we’re trying to maintain peaceful relations with an alien nation that cured cancer for fuck’s sake!”

The outburst only showed how passionate he was about this project, and try as I might I couldn’t help but feel that myself, and that the conversation had drawn, inexorably, towards this conclusion.

Stay in Montana at the SO and do what? Hide from the world now that there are so many amazing things in it. Fuck it we’ll do it live.

I smiled slightly, “Where do I sign?”