Fallout Equestria: Cyber's Story

Cyber's Point of View

The elevator doors creaked open with a screech and hiss as the smell of grease and smoke seemed to smack me with tremendous force as the smell crawled its way up my nostrils. Ironhoof walked stepped out of the elevator like the smell didn't even phase him, I've only been down here one other time...and you see how that turned out...but the smell wasn't nearly as bad last time.

"Does it usually smell this bad down here?" I asked as I walked out of the elevator, the now loud hum of the generator now almost blocked out your hearing.

"Not usually...I think one of the filters in the vents need fixed. I need to get maintenance on it soon." Ironhoof said, not stopping to make eye contact. "Pipbuck technician is right up here."

"You just gonna change the subject like that?" I questioned.

"Yep...It's not your business." Ironhoof said as we went into a hallway simply labeled MAINTENANCE WORKERS QUARTERS. "There's the door. Go in, tell the worker what's wrong, get it fixed, then come out and I'll escort you to your room. Got it?" He questioned.

"Sure." I sarcastically said as I walked in the room to see a twitchy, bloodshot eyed, black coated and haired unicorn pony with a cutie mark that just looked like a pile of mechanical parts staring me down as soon as the door opened...damn it...I got Loose Screw. I went to ask for somepony else, but by the time I turned to talk to Ironhoof the door was already locked shut.

"WHAT SEEMS TO BE THE PROBLEM!?" Loose Screw screamed as her left eye twitched.

Loose Screw was sure good with machines...but not much else. She was constantly rumored to be a shut-in down here in her little work room...that seemed to be true so far. The room smelled of sweat and grease...and a few other smells that made me want to gag. I really think this mare was going to snap at any moment.

"WELL...YOU GONNA ANSWER!?" She yelled again.

"Lets start by lowering your voice maybe." I said.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN?" She yelled again...I don't think she even knew that she was talking as loud as she was...maybe all the machines down here almost had her deaf.

"Never mind...Ironhoof sent me down to get my pipbuck looked at." I said, preparing for the sudden loudness of Loose Screw's voice.

"What's wrong with it?" She asked...in a sudden and surprising calm, moderate toned voice this time...I was kindove shocked...her voice just seemed to get so professional when the conversation went to her job...I guess that's why the guards haven't put her down yet.

"Well...you know that message that everyone got about a week ago?" I asked.

"Yea. Why?" She questioned...I was still confused to why her voice just changed whenever the conversation involved her job.

"Well...I just got it about twenty minutes ago, any idea what's wrong.?" I asked...I can't really say I wanted to know, as that would just mean I would now have to attend any meetings.

"Well...sounds like your processor might have a bug. Let me see." Loose Screw said as she reached into her utility belt and pulled out a key that was marked MASTER KEY.

I lifted up my hoof and let her unhook my pipbuck from my forehoof. She took it over to a bench in the corner of the room and began removing parts and screws from it that I have never even seen on my pipbuck before. This was the first time I have had that thing off of my since I was a foal though...and it felt good having it off as the things didn't exactly have padding in them, just some cheap foam that usually started chaffing after about a year of wearing it...you just got used to it though.

Loose Screw started making an assortment of grunting noises as she picked away at my pipbuck, pulling an assortment of parts from it that where alien to me. I'm pretty sure that the only internal part I recognized was when she pulled out the mother board.

"You think there's something wrong with that?" I questioned simply out of curiosity.

"No...the board looks fine...but this, on the other hoof, might just be your problem." She said as she held up her hoof, which had a part that looked exactly like the mother board in my eyes, except it was much smaller...and looked burnt to the crisp.

"Is that the processor you were talking about." I asked.

"That's exactly what it is...looks like it burnt up somehow. You have any idea why this thing blew?" Loose screw asked me.

"Your the pipbuck technician, you tell me." I said, I wasn't sure why she was asking me. She was supposed to be a master when it came to this stuff.

"Well...I've never actually seen this before. Have you gotten any other messages in the pass week, preferably on the day that the weeks messages were sent out?" She asked, staring me down with great intent.

I think she asked me to quick, I really had to think for a minute if I had gotten any other messages sense then. I guarantee that I sat there like an idiot for a good five minutes until I finally settled on "I don't think so."

"Well...I guess I'll put a new processor in and then send you a message, if you don't get it within ten seconds, then that's not the problem."

"Sounds good to me." I said.

Loose Screw turned back to her workbench and pulled out a toolbox labeled SPARE PARTS, then reached in face first and pulled out a brand new processor with her teeth. I then saw her reach back over and grab all the scraps from my pipbuck and started putting it back together. It wasn't long until she was done and locking my pipbuck back onto my forehoof. I got to say, I liked it better when I didn't have it on.

"Alright, I'm going to send you a messa..." She was cut off by a multitude of beeps from my pipbuck...the same static filled beep you get when you receive a message.

I quickly looked down at my pipbuck to see multiple alerts that read

ATTENTION: CYBER BASS

YOU HAVE 4 NEW MESSAGES FROM: TREBLE CLEF

WOULD YOU LIKE TO OPEN MESSAGES

YES NO

I rapidly tapped the YES button on my pipbuck with my hoof, and read the messages.

MESSAGE ONE

HEY CYBER, I WAS WONDERING WHAT YOU WERE DOING TOMMOROW.

I HAVE A FREE DAY AND I THINK I KNOW HOW WE CAN SEE EACHOTHER.

MESSAGE ME BACK WHEN YOU GET THIS PLEASE

FROM: TREBLE CLEF

MESSAGE TWO

IT'S ME AGAIN CYBER

YOU NEVER RESPONDED YESTERDAY

I GUESS YOU WERE JUST BUSY

ANYWAY, PLEASE MESSAGE ME BACK

FROM: TREBLE CLEF

MESSAGE THREE

COME ON CYBER

PLEASE RESPOND

I HAVEN'T SEEN YOU FOR ABOUT A WEEK

CAN YOU PLEASE RESPOND

IM GETTING WORRIED

FROM: TREBLE CLEF

MESSAGE FOUR

WHATEVER CYBER

I THINK YOURE JUST IGNORING ME NOW

IF YOU WERE DEAD THEN IT WOULD HAVE BEEN KNOWN BY NOW

SEE YOU THIS FRIDAY, YOU CAN'T SKIP WORK

FROM: TREBLE CLEF

Mother of Celestia was I in some deep shit now. I needed to get a message to her ASAP.

I lifted up my pipbuck and clicked a button labeled NEW MESSAGE, picked out Treble's name from my contacts, and clicked SEND NEW MESSAGE. Then I began typing.

HEY TREBLE

I AM SO DAMN SORRY ABOUT THIS

I JUST FOUND OUT THAT MY PIPBUCK WAS BUSTED

I'M ACTUALLY IN THE PIPBUCK TECHNICIAN'S ROOM AS I SEND THIS

PLEASE BELIEVE ME TREBLE

YOU KNOW THAT I WOULDN'T IGNORE YOU

PLEASE TELL ME YOU GET THIS

FROM: CYBER

I was now praying that she would get that message. If she wouldn't talk to me, I don't think I would know what to do with myself. She was my only friend down here, and it doesn't help knowing that those four messages were spread out over three days. I could tell a was shaking, and Loose Screw could probably tell something was up to. I wouldn't even make eye contact with her right now, I was to intent on staring at my pipbuck as I waited for a response...then it went off. My pipbuck's screen lit up as the bright green letters NEW MESSAGE appeared on the screen. I frantically tapped the bright green YES button and opened up the message to read

THANK THE GODS

YOU HAD ME REALLY WORRIED CYBER

DISREGARD EVERYTHING IN THOSE LAST MESSAGES

IM REALLY GLAD TO HEAR YOUR OKAY

TOMMOROWS THURSDAY AND IM FREE

WANT TO HANG OUT

FROM: TREBLE CLEF

No pony understands how happy I felt to get that message. I clicked the bright green RESPOND BUTTON, and began typing

HELL YEA

12 O'CLOCK SOUND GOOD

FROM: CYBER

It didn't take long until my screen flashed with the same NEW MESSAGE lettering, and it took me even less long to open it up.

SOUNDS GOOD

SEE YOU THEN

NIGHT BABE

FROM: TREBLE

I was now extremely relieved. I looked up from my pipbuck and looked at Loose Screw.

"It's working now...thanks, you may not realize it, but you really saved my ass there." I said as I stuck out my hoof to shake hers...but she just stood there with an awkward smile on her face. She never broke eye contact, never spoke, didn't even twitch like she usually did...It was starting to creep me the hell out.

"Ummm...Okay...I guess I'll just be leaving then." I said, slowly putting my hoof back down and turned to walk out the door...but then my pipbuck received another message.

I looked down to read what it was, I just assumed it was another from Treble...but I was wrong, and quite surprised.

TRUST ME

I KNOW

FROM: UNKOWN USER

It took me a minute to realized what just happened...but then I looked over at Loose Screw, I think I just made a new friend.

I lifted my pipbuck back up and clicked a set of bright green lettering that I have only clicked one other time, NEW CONTACT. My pipbuck pulled up a screen saying

CONTACT NAME:

CONTACT PIPBUCK NUMBER:

PLEASE FILL IN

CLICK DONE ONCE FINISHED

DONE

I began to fill in the information, then clicked done. My pipbuck received a message reading

NEW CONTACT: LOOSE SCREW

HAS BEEN SUCCESFULLY INSTALLED ON YOUR PIPBUCK

I smiled at Loose Screw and walked out the door to see Ironhoof standing directly outside.

"I'm assuming everything is working now?" He asked.

"Yep." I responded.

"Alright then, I'll escort you back to your room." He said, turning and walking towards the elevators. I followed behind, this was probably one of the best days I've had in the vault in a while.

Foot note: Level Up

New Perk: Pipbuck Technician

From watching pony's tamper with pipbucks, you now have better knowledge on them and can repair them when needed