Fallout Equestria: Shard, A Zebra's Tale

I: Needs must when Luna drives

“This is Shard contacting Home. Do you read us? We have arrived in the Baltimare region. I repeat, do you read us?”

The sound of static filled the air around Akoa as she fiddled plaintively with several wires hanging from the back of the radio unit. She had lost signal to Home shortly before arriving in the Baltimare area and it worried her. She was posted with three incredibly diverse zebras, but no clear leader had been assigned. Without direction from the tribe she feared imminent failure.

“Hey, have you had any luck?”

Another zebra had appeared in the doorway behind her. He was rather slight and seemed to lack any presence. Akoa wondered how long he had been stood behind her. She sat up from under the desk.

“I'm afraid not, Val. I've tried contacting both Home and the other scout groups, but no success. I can only assume we are out of range. Either that or something is interfering with the signal.”

Val sighed, exasperated. “Would it not be more effective outside on the surface, as opposed to down here in a mine?”

The group had discovered a small gem mine a few miles south of Baltimare City, which they had quickly scouted out and deemed safe to inhabit. A relic of the pre-war world, the mine had been stripped clean long ago. All that remained were the bones of the desperate ponies cowering within when the megaspells fell. Or were they zebras? It was difficult to tell.

“I have tried the radio on the surface numerous times. Nothing. Not even a second of connectivity. My aim now is to upgrade it somehow, boost the signal strength. Of course, I needed a workstation to tinker, so I kindly commandeered this gentlecolt’s office.” She pointed at a skeleton slumped back on a worn sofa in the corner. “He won’t be needing it.”

Val turned back to Akoa, a look of disgust on his face. “How can you speak like that? They were a living being once.”

“They were, but now they aren't. Circle of life, I'm afraid. Now, do you have anything useful to tell me, or can I return to my duties?” She leant back down under the desk.

Akoa had always been a no-nonsense sort, ever since fillyhood. Growing up in the tribe she had always wanted to design things, build things never seen before. She was good with her hooves and her head, always dreaming up new inventions. If only she had an opportunity to create them. It was when she grew older the opportunity seemed to come, as she was delighted to become the official engineer of the tribe. As it turned out though, it was rather a dull job. She rarely did more than repair a broken conveyor belt or elevator system in the Hearth, and was never allowed near the construction tables. She never got to do anything cool like design a new rifle or build an incredible android. What a waste. Ever since then she saw no point in dreaming big. What was the point in being an optimist in a world that doesn't care for you? Especially one tinged with radioactive death.

She looked up over her stomach as Val slipped into the room from the doorway. Reaching into his saddlebags he pulled out a map, flattening it onto the desk. “This is a map of the local area. I found it in the foreman’s office.” The map focused on Baltimare City, with several new locations drawn on around it. “We are here.” He pointed with his hoof to the mine. “To the north we have Baltimare City. To the south, Horseshoe Bay. The East is nothing but ocean, so that’s a no-go of course. To the west, seemingly nothing. The map is blank. But this is where it gets interesting.” Grabbing the corner of the page with his mouth, he turned the map over. A message had been scrawled on the back of the paper. Val cleared his throat and proceeded to read, slowly and purposefully.

“To my friends, never travel North of Baltimare. The town officials say the forest there has been overrun by cragidiles, but you should know that this isn't true. Slavers from Fillydelphia are travelling south, and they’ll soon decide to overrun ‘The Backwards Baltimare’.”

“Backwards Baltimare?” Akoa interrupted.

“I don’t know. Perhaps a nickname for the city? Anyway,” Val continued, “it gets stranger. The message ends with one phrase, repeated multiple times.”

Akoa leant up from her work, intrigued. “Go on.”

“Beware the sea. She never sleeps. Repeated over and over again.”

Akoa laughed. “Well, they were clearly a mental-case then. Ignore it. Of course the sea is dangerous. Everything in this backward little nation is now.” Val could not help but express is concern in the matter. “Should we not mention this to Daxi and Xato? Surely it would be in our best interests to warn them.”

Akoa rolled her eyes and slumped down below the desk again. “Forget those psychos. The less they know, the safer I feel. Besides, they aren't here. They said something about scouting out one of the medical stations we passed on the way here. They've taken two of the stealth suits.”

Val knew this meant something bad was going on. He’d only known the two of them vaguely back in the tribe, but had learnt enough to know they weren't zebras of diplomacy or particular good-nature. Wherever they were, though, Val was just glad they weren't here with him.

Night had fallen on God-Light Medical Station. The air was quiet, populated only by the noise of the occasional breath of wind, or the groan of a patient. Lights shone down from the top of the building, but nopony could be seen. Just Daxi’s luck. She liked a fight. The station had nothing in the way of security structures, so she and Xato had approached the encampment with ease. They didn't even lock the gates. Amateurs.

“Xato. You search the main structure. I’ll take the out-buildings.”

The two shimmering outlines disappeared into the camp.

Daxi slowly pushed open the first door she came to. She knew she was supposed to be looking for gems, but she wanted some kit of her own. Primarily medical supplies. She knew the amount doled out to her group would not last long. They wouldn't healthily last one zebra for any great deal of time, let alone four. And as much as she didn't want to stoop to using medicine pulled from ponies hooves, she knew it was necessary.

“Needs must when Luna drives.”

Stepping inside she found herself in what appeared to be a staff bedding area. Expertly she began quietly sifting through cabinets and draws around the room. She grabbed everything she could, stuffing it into her saddlebags before slipping out again. As tempting as it was to kill one of these ponies in their sleep, she knew it was probably not wise. She just hoped Xato remembered that too. A stealth mission, she had said. A stealth mission.

Xato was taken aback by the sight before him. He had entered the main building, only to be greeted by a huge number of hospital beds and gurneys. Each appeared to be occupied by a pony, some in more varying degrees of pain and duress than others. Walking through the hall, he found himself staring at the warped bodies around him. He hated ponykind with a passion, and so he found it oddly comforting to see so many in such pain. He would enjoy this. He proceeded to start rummaging through draws, stealing whole swathes of materials from the cabinets around the room. He took a moment to read the labels. “Buck, Party Time Mint-als, Dash. What a joke!” he thought to himself. He didn't understand why Daxi wanted this medicine so much. They had been given ample supplies by Lliko. Surely they would only need what the tribe had given them? He was snapped back to reality when he heard a groan behind him, emanating from one of the beds. He spun on his heels.

There he could see a stallion and a griffon, both in serious pain. It looked like the stallion had lost his leg somehow. As for the griffon, well, Xato was sure wings didn't naturally go at that angle. Stepping closer, Xato saw the extent of the damage to the stallion. His leg had gone a vile green, contrasting the light pink of his flesh around the wound. Surrounding his bedsit were numerous IV bags and drips, all pumping medicine into the stallion’s veins. Xato was no doctor, but even he could tell this stuff was keeping his little friend here alive. He grinned. This stallion wasn't going to survive very long in the wastes without a leg, so what was the harm in helping him along to the grave just that little bit sooner? He leant forward, slowly lifting the IV bags down off of the arm they were held on. Placing them down on the bedside, he disconnected the bags from the tubes, letting them flop down uselessly by the pony’s side. He placed the drips away in his saddlebags, and stepped back ready to leave. As he did he looked back at the griffon, now motionless and quiet. He leant across, placing both hooves on either side of the griffon’s head. In one swift motion he yanked the head to the side, breaking her neck. It wasn't fair for a griffon to be trapped in a hell-hole with these ponies. Content with his work, he turned to the door, and joined Daxi who was waiting there for him.

As quickly as they had arrived, two shimmering outlines disappeared into the night.

“You did what?!” Val couldn't help but scream at Xato, something he knew was rather foolish, in retrospect.

Xato scoffed. “What, you braindead or something? We went to get meds, and I saw a weak little pony cripple hoggin’ a load of ‘em. And why waste good drugs on a bag of bones like that? So I unplugged him. ” He turned towards Daxi, who smiled and nodded approvingly.

“Xato’s right, you know. We came here with a job to do, by any means necessary. Even if I did tell him to be quiet about it.” Daxi looked around the mine they occupied, her eyes coming to rest on several skeletons piled up in a corner. “The thing about these ponies is that they can’t look after themselves. Always got to run crying to somepony else or hide in a corner. And look where that got them.” She kicked a rock at the pile, dislodging several bones. They came tumbling down with a thud.

Val’s eyes darted between Daxi and Xato. “What are you talking about? Of course they can’t look after themselves, there was a nuclear war! You honestly expect them to be gaily skipping around, hoof in hoof as if nothing happened? They need help!”

Daxi stepped forward, staring deep into Val’s eyes. An unnerving smile broke out across her face. “If I didn't know any wiser I’d say you sound a lot like one of those pony sympathisers. That’s not a wise stance to take in the presence of a soldier like myself or Xato here. If it weren't for Lliko and the Hearth choosing you to be here, I’d have kicked you out into the wastes for making such a disgusting comment. Then we’d see how far your pony-loving got you, as they unloaded their guns at the mere sight of you. Ponies fear Zebras. That’s the way it should be.”

Val stayed strong, maintaining his composure. “How would you know how a pony feels about a zebra? I’d bet you've never even spoken to one! In fact, have you even ever left Zebra territory before this mission?”

Daxi raised her hoof and threw it forward into Val’s neck, pinning him to the cold steel wall behind them. “Who the hell do you think you are? Some do-gooder that’s gonna restore harmony? Don’t make me laugh! If Lliko knew how you spoke, you’d be a shame on the tribe. You wouldn't be allowed to fight under his banner! And then what would you be? Nothing. Nothing!”

“Hey, let him go!” A voice - stern and assertive - issued from the hallway. Akoa’s head had appeared around the door, staring daggers at Daxi. “Get your sorry flanks in the office. We have plans to discuss. Unlike you three I've actually been doing work.”

Daxi growled and brought her hoof away from Val’s throat. He slid down the wall, gasping for air. She leant down towards the hunched stallion, whispering in his ear. “You see Val, this is why you aren't in charge. You lead with your heart, not your head. These ponies are the villains. They don’t deserve your petty sympathy.” With that she turned and left the room, with Xato hot on her heels. Val gasped for breath as he regained composure. Clearly he would have to work a little harder to create a sense of diplomacy amongst his so-called colleagues.