Outbreak

Chapter XIII

No Parking

After their eight-hour air ride aboard the airship "Harmony 1", Princess Twilight Sparkle and Dr. Seymour had finally touched down in the city of Chitin. Arriving at the early time of 8:45, the two were picked up from the air strip promptly by a team of changeling expeditors hired to ensure that the two arrived at their living arrangements without any trouble. With these helpful workers at their disposal, Twilight and her partner had done just that, and carefully unpacked their provisions for the next several days.

"...You know, I was kind of expecting something different for our hotel rooms." Twilight admitted to her partner as he assisted her by following up on the paperwork they had brought in from their research the day before. "Given what the queen told us about the kingdom, I half-expected something like-"

"Black, chitinous walls covered in green membrane-bound light cells?" Seymour guessed, flipping through the pages of his personal notebook. "Neon-yellow slime oozing about in said cells?"

"...Yeah, something like that." answered Twilight.

"Me too." Seymour responded. "But this place is awesome! I mean, just look at the beds- extra soft chaplain-class rooms, I've never sat on anything that comfy!"

"Oh boy... Are you sure you're twenty-six years old?"

"You know, I find myself wondering that sometimes..." Seymour casually responded, bouncing onto Twilight's bed. "OOH! Springy!"

Surprisingly enough, the rooms assigned to the two were even nicer than their five-star bedrooms aboard the airship. The walls were painted a deep shade of crimson, contrasting nicely with the luxurious, pure-white sheets covering their memory foam beds. Each room possessed a wall made entirely of glass panes, allowing an impeccable view of the city beyond. The bathrooms were immaculate and spotless, offering several wall-jets for showering into a deep bath tub, and red velvet carpeting offered a comfortable padding for hooves.

After he had finished bouncing about on Twilight's bed, the giddy professor darted into the bathroom, lavishing the marble floors and massive, deep sinks.

"And these sinks!" he exclaimed, eliciting an eye roll and giggle from his alicorn partner. "They're so big! I could probably take a bath in one of these babies!"

Hehe, a tad eccentric...

Seymour gave a slightly exhausted sigh as he exited back into the main room.

"Whew... Now that that's out of my system..." he declared. "I think I'll head back to my room for a nap after last night's endeavor to find a solid hour or two of sleep."

"Hey, don't you be going off to bed just yet!" Twilight instructed, laying several hair brushes from her personal collection neatly on her bed. "We're going to be picked up by CIDA any time now! They're supposed to be taking us to that hospital, remember?"

"Aww..." Seymour groaned. "I thought we didn't have to do that until later."

"We're lucky they gave us a chance to investigate that place at all." Twilight continued. "Count your blessings, Doctor."

Seymour shook his head slowly before turning toward Twilight again.

"Hey, you know you can just call me Seymour, right?" he offered, extending a hoof to her. "We're partners now- and any partner is a friend of mine, Twilight."

"O-Oh, sure... hehe..." Twilight giggled, an embarrassed blush forming over her face. "Sorry about that, I've just never met a doctorate professor who didn't like to be called by his title."

"Oh, no... It's not even that." Seymour calmed. "It's just that, since we're partners, why don't we just skip the formalities?"

Twilight, overtaken by her partner's words looked down toward the floor with her same smile and blush.

"Besides... you're starting to grow on me a little bit."

Twilight reached for the doctor's hoof with her own, attempting to affirm the friendship Seymour had been suggesting.

*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*

"...Oh, that must be our ride to the hospital." Twilight interrupted, pulling her hoof away and eliciting a small frown from Seymour. "Shall we head out?"

Any sort of unusual medical circumstances in the Changeling Kingdom were chiefly handled by the Changeling Infectious Disease Alliance, or CIDA as it was more commonly known. Their expertise in the field of epidemiology and public health had to be top notch- more than two billion changelings across the vast empire depended upon them to minimize the risk caused by infectious disease spread through admittedly poor sanitation systems- especially in the industrial sectors covering more than seventy percent of the kingdom. Coupled with this, their rank in the colony superseded most soldiers, giving them easy access to details restricted from the common public. Ever since their induction several decades prior to the rule of Queen Chrysalis, commonplace outbreaks such as polio, cholera, malaria, and tuberculosis- diseases which had killed hundreds upon hundreds of millions over the changeling's long ancestry- had become much less severe due to their efforts. Furthermore, CIDA had been one of several international parties responsible for the discovery of viral illness only fifty years before the current throne. Naturally, the top-grade organization was the first to respond to the mysterious deaths of 132 changelings just the previous day.

Twilight and Seymour had accompanied a small group of agents in a CIDA chartered van to the hospital where the second reported outbreak had become visible just hours before. Both were on edge- partly due to the fact that neither of the two had ever ridden in such a machine before. As strange as it was to them, however, the changeling technological boom had made such an automatic vehicle rather common in the wealthier parts of the Changeling Kingdom.

"...Urp. I think I might be getting a bit queasy back here, Twilight..." Seymour groaned in the back seat of the standard-looking white van. "How long until we get to the hospital...?"

"Easy now Seymour, we can't have you getting sick all over changeling government property- they said it's a minimum of 100 bits Equestrian money to clean puke out of these cars..." Twilight explained, looking to Seymour with a soft smile.

"Ulp, I hope we get there soon..." Seymour continued. "I think I might hurl any second now..."

"If you do, you'll be walking to the hospital." Twilight frowned. "Don't even think about getting sick near me."

"We will arrive in a few minutes, you two." One of the changeling passengers cut in. "And you- white whiny one- try your best not to get sick.

"CIDA has you summed up pretty well, Seymour..." Twilight snickered.

"Oh, be quiet you."

Twilight shook her head before turning to the driver.

"Um, excuse me..." she inquired. "But shouldn't we be wearing some sort of protective clothing or something? I mean, this is a pretty nasty virus we're dealing with here..."

"The required preventative measures have been taken and you will receive light biohazard garments and facial protection at the destination." a female driver replied. "The illness is not airborne, so just do not touch anything and you will be fine."

"...Great." Twilight mumbled. "That really helps ease the tension back here."

"I think I just threw up in my mouth a little..." Seymour moaned, clutching a hoof to his snout.

"That's real good to hear, Seymour..."

After just a minute or two of driving time, the CIDA-logo van had turned into the open-air pavilion of the medical facility. Upon pulling into their destination, the changeling driver announced their location in accordance with protocol to the two foreigners.

"Here we are- Medical Facility 10-B, Chitin Southeastern." the changeling echoed through her feminine voice.

The hospital the two had been taken to could barely be viewed through the large mass of changelings gathered outside of the building. Multiple news teams were commenting on the chaotic scene as the unruly crown shouted and wailed at those guarding the hospital doors.

"YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO US!" one changeling shouted at her oppressor- a large-bodied soldier wearing green and black camouflage with a red beret.

"WHAT ABOUT THE LARVAE?!" another protested.

Each time the crowd grew a bit too restless, soldiers planted in front of the many large entrance ways to the hospital would push them back, hitting onlookers with weapons that resembled those in Princess Celestia's story from thirty years prior.

"STAY BACK!" the guards commanded in unison. "NO CHANGELINGS ALLOWED INSIDE THE FACILITY!"

"THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!" many unnamed members of the crowd hissed

"THE QUEEN HAS ORDERED COMPLETE QUARANTINE OF THE FACILITY! NO CIVILIANS ARE TO ENTER OR LEAVE THE BUILDING!"

Twilight grew quickly concerned at the unfolding scene, turning to the driver for answers.

"Um... how do you all suppose we get inside the hospital?" she questioned. "It doesn't look like it will be as easy as we thought it might be."

"You two have a level 3 clearance, you will be allowed in regardless of turmoil outside or inside of the hospital." the driver answered, handing Twilight and her partner a lanyard with a red-colored badge. "We are to take you two around to the main entrance- you will be met by soldiers. Just flash this security badge and you will be escorted inside the facility."

"What if they say no?" Seymour added, biting his lip. "They don't seem to be in a very friendly mood..."

"The queen has told them to expect two ponies with level 3 clearance- they dare not disobey our almighty empress." one of the other changeling agents in the back of the car spoke.

"...Well, guess we can't argue with that." spoke Seymour with a shrug of his shoulders. "But how are we going to get through all of these ten-zillion changelings?"

"Her highness could carry us over the crowd with relative ease." one CIDA team member suggested.

"What?! No!" Twilight protested. "I can't just carry a full-grown pony across 100 meters, no offense Seymour."

"Oh, none taken... hehe...he..." Seymour laughed, fearfully shifting his gaze down to his flanks. [i...]I knew I shouldn't have passed up that free fitness club membership...

"I could teleport us there, but that would take way to much energy to accomplish." Twilight explained, causing a previously inquiring changeling to lower her foreleg.

"Do not worry, Equestrians. We are merely playing to our humorous sides." the driver laughed.

"How professional..." groaned Twilight.

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Seymour questioned. "What are we going to do about this crowd?"

"Subtlety will be our option, Equestrians..." the driver answered, finally garnering the trust of the two Equestrian Delegates.

Changelings moved about in a frenzied black mob, attempting to clear out from in front of the CIDA vehicle as the horn blared at the immense crowd. Huge clusters of frenzied female working-class changelings hissed and swore at the rude intrusion as they dodged the van moving slowly to the front entrance.

"...I could have thought of this..." Seymour grumbled to Twilight.

"You and I both." Twilight sighed. "I guess subtlety is out the window now."

The team inside of the van felt vibrations throughout the vehicle's chassis as many an enraged changeling bystander beat mercilessly on the side of the car. Every black, gnarled hoof emitted a metallic clang against the steel frame with each hit.

"...Um, they're beating on our ride..." Twilight spoke to the small group of CIDA agents. "Should we be concerned about this?"

"They are scared." one team member responded. Just try not to make eye contact and stay close to us when we leave the van."

"O-Okay..."

Shortly after passing through a razor-wire gate, the van had finally come to a stop- just clearing the mob of changelings. Once clear, however, the crowd of frenzied onlookers had morphed into large clusters of sick, begging changelings laying about on the concrete steps.

"...Oh my goodness..." Twilight muttered, clearly and visibly stunned at the sight before her- hundreds of sick changelings must have been present, many begging and pleading to armed guards for any help they could get.

"What the hell are they doing?" Seymour added, also mortified at the sight of so many suffering changelings. "They're just... ignoring them all."

The car had finally pulled to a stop in front of a set of black stairs leading up to the entrance. Without hesitation, several changeling soldiers cloaked in white scrubs and face masks rushed up to the van to closely examine whom and what was inside. One guard tapped the driver's side window, causing the female driver to roll it down.

"You are in a restricted area- you are to give proper warrant for crossing our barrier, or we are authorized to use lethal force"

"...Well, he sure seems nice." Seymour remarked in the backseat, easily hearing the officer's loud, commanding voice.

"Seymour, please..." Twilight whispered. "Now is not the time for jokes!"

"Sorry, Twilight." he apologized. "I'm just so jittery right now, it's like my nerves are all jangled up. I've never done anything like this before..."

"...It's fine, just try to be on your best behavior." Twilight whispered back.

"We have brought ambassadors from Equestria, and CIDA headquarters has given orders to take them to this facility." The driver spoke, flashing a CIDA-logo lanyard.

Taking the Lanyard from the driver, the officer walked a short distance to a small, green tent, leaving the car's inhabitants to the scrutiny of the other two soldiers.

"...Um, excuse me, sir..." Seymour questioned in a very nervous tone. "...I'm sorry to ask, but why are there so many sick changelings just laying on the ground outside?"

Turning a cold gaze toward the professor, the soldier in question decided to give Seymour just enough information to satisfy him, and nothing more.

"They just closed the hospital." he explained. "Too many sick changelings, we're overrun. There's no more space in the infection control wards, and we cannot risk putting the ill with the other patients."

"Wait, they CLOSED the hospital?!" Seymour exclaimed. "What about the other sick and injured who need help?!"

"No exceptions." the guard stated firmly.

"But, sir... forgive me, but that's not right!" Seymour protested, gesturing out the window with his forelegs.

"NO. EXCEPTIONS." hissed the guard.

"...O-Oh, okay then..." muttered Seymour, shrinking back into his seat.

Soon enough, the officer had returned with the driver's I.D. lanyard, handing it back.

"Please move along. We have determined that the situation is too volatile." he spoke. "Turn around and go home."

"Excuse me?!" the driver barked at the officer. "We have direct orders from CIDA to investigate the outbreak at this hospital!"

"I'm sorry worker, but we now require level 4 clearance to allow any entry into the hospital." the officer explained.

"This is an outrage!" the driver exclaimed. "We have an Equestrian princess assigned to this mission, directed from the queen herself!"

"...Wait, a princess?" the officer questioned.

"Princess Twilight Sparkle has been sent to investigate with one of the top virologists in Canterlot, Dr. Seymour." the driver retorted. \

Seymour's eyes went wide.

"W-Wait now, I'm not exactly a-"

"SHHH!" Twilight commanded, kneeing her partner.

The officer shook his head, sighing in defeat.

"...Very well, they may pass." he spoke. "Please follow us around to the screening station. We will get you all suited up there."