“You’ll never guess what I just heard!”

After collecting their stuff Mercy searched the bodies of the bandits, collecting items off of them without explaining why he was taking them, Chrome still didn’t know why he grabbed a bag of bottle caps off the leader but he was still in shock over what he had seen.

They has walked for about an hour in silence when they had met two other ponies, an earth pony mare in a slightly dirty dress and a unicorn stallion in a leather jacket and sun glasses. “So….he killed your husband and you didn’t hunt him down or hire someone to kill him?” Mercy asked tilting his head in confusion.

The mare nodded. “Yes that is right. He killed my husband and I did grieve but after thinking I realized that killing him wouldn’t bring my husband back and if he had any family then I’d run the risk of them hunting me down and killing me. It would just cause a vicious unending cycle of death and hate. So I made up my mind and the last 6 years I have been traveling the wasteland preaching non-violence in every settlement we have come across.” She said smiling.

“And you’ve done this without a single weapon between the two of you?” Mercy asked. “Seems rather dangerous.”

“Perhaps, but in six years we’ve never had any problems. “ She smiled again. And mercy looked at the unicorn. “He was an acquaintance I knew and was the first pony to listen and take my words to heart. He has been traveling with me ever since. “She smiled at the unicorn and he nodded towards her smiling back. When she looked away the smile fell as if it had never been there. “anyways we have taken enough of your time, I’m sure you want to get going before it gets dark, Thank you two for listening to my speech. “She said smiling wide.

Chrome couldn’t help smiling back. “No thank you, it sounds like a wonderful dream, a world without killing.” He said imagining it compared to what little of the wasteland he had seen. Mercy merely nodded.

“Good luck and stay safe on your journey. “She said and started to walk up the road back the way Mercy and Chrome had come from, the unicorn hung back looking at them, mercy staring back.

Once she was a ways off he spoke in a somewhat deep voice. “The stallion who killed her husband became paranoid she was going to hunt him down. So he was making plans to kill her first.”

“You killed him didn’t you.” Mercy stated and the unicorn looked at the back of the Earth pony mare as she walked without fear.

“I firmly believe in what she is doing and will do everything I can to ensure her dream becomes a reality.” He said and his horn glowed and his jacket shifted. As quick as lighting Mercy’s Revolver was out and aimed at his chest and they stared at each other Chrome staring in shock between the two of them. “Heh...”The unicorn chuckled and smirks and the glow around his horn faded and Mercy revolver disappeared back into his saddle bags. The unicorn nodded his head. “Stay safe.” He said before trotting after the mare.

Mercy and Chrome continued walking for another fifteen minutes before Mercy turned and walked off the road towards a small hill with a few rocks around its base. Chrome had to trot to catch up as the change in direction was so sudden. When he got close he saw what Mercy was looking at, Raiders a dozen of them, all of them shot in the head without drawing their weapons or firing a shot. “Wh-What happened to them?” Chrome asked looking at mercy.

“Simple, he killed them. She’d probably kill herself if she ever found out.” Mercy chuckled. “Spreading the seeds of non-violence. “He looked back down the road the two had been walking. “Wonder how many lives it’s going to cost?” And with that Mercy turn back and started walking down the road again and Chrome had to trot to catch back up once again glancing back at where the Raiders ambush had been ambushed.

oooOOOooo

Mercy and Chrome walked on in silence for a while, Chrome thinking about the two ponies they had met and what Mercy had said about them after they had found the dead raiders. He glanced at Mercy who was looking straight ahead as they walked the road. Mercy hadn’t said a word since they left the ambush; Chrome could only guess what he was thinking.

His companion didn’t seem the type to start a conversation much less have one now that Chrome thought about. He sighed; the last hour being spent in silence was new to him. In the Stable even if he wasn’t talking there were always ponies that were nearby. He had never noticed how noisy the Stable was till now when he experienced this level of silence.

Chrome opened his mouth to say something, anything to try and start a conversation when there was a beep from his Pip-Buck and he stopped and looked at it, even Mercy stopped and looked at him as he had hear it. Chrome lifted his leg and looked at it, seems his Pip-Buck was booting up on its own. Sure enough his vision was filled with the Stable-Tec logo and he blinked as it switched to a new logo appeared.

The new logo was seven symbols, at the top was a star surrounded by five other smaller stars, to the right of that symbol was a cloud with a lightning bolt coming off of that, bellow that was what looked like three balloons, bottom symbol was three butterflies. Next to that were three apples and then three diamonds. All of them were connected by lines to a large crescent moon in the middle of the symbol. Chrome didn’t remember ever seeing this logo when he booted up his Pip-Buck before.

The symbol faded and that was when Chrome noticed that the HUD was now a dark blue color instead of the green it used to be. He watched as number and letter scrawled across his vision. What was going on, his Pip-Buck never did this before. The letters and number scrolled by too fast for him to see them clearly. After a few second the scrolling stopped and one by one the part of his HUD started to return one by one, as each appeared there was number scrolling above each for a few second before the next part of the HUD activated. When it finished a message flashed in the top left corner.

RADIO STATION SIERRA-FOXTROT-118 DETECTED

Chrome blinked then another messaged flashed just above his EFS

TUNE TO SIERRA-FOXTROT-118

Chrome blinked again. “What is it? Why do you keep blinking?” Mercy asked staring at him from a few inched away causing Chrome to cry out as he jumped back. He had been so focused of what his HUD was doing he hadn’t noticed Mercy move so close.

“Uh…my Pip-Buck just turned back on all on its own and is telling me to turn to some radio station called Sierra-Foxtrot-118.” He said blinking again.

“Huh…never heard of it. “Mercy said and lifted his right foreleg and rolled up the coat sleeve reveling a Pip-Buck. Chrome blinked staring at it. Mercy looked up at him. “What? Thought you were the only one with a Pip-Buck?” HE said with a chuckle before looking back at the Pip-Buck. “Odd…I’m not picking up any station by that name, just the standard station that always play.” Mercy looked back at Chrome as he lowered his leg and shook it so the sleeve went back down over the Pip-Buck.

Blinking once again Chrome lifted his leg and started to flip through the menus till he found the radio and turned it to Sierra-Foxtrot-118 and a synthesized male voice was speaking.

“Come in Operative, this is Beom, Come in Operative, Please respond, over.” Both Mercy and Chrome stared at his Pip-buck. “Operative, please respond, this is Beom respond, over.”

“Uh….hi?” Chrome said getting a look from Mercy and he flushed a bit as he could tell what they were thinking.

There was a pause. “I’m reading you loud and clear Operative. Please state your call sign, over.” Chrome blinked Call sign? What did that mean?

“Stable Pony. “ Mercy said.

“Stable-Pony, confirm call sign.”

Before Chrome could say anything Mercy spoke. “Confirmed.”

“Confirmed, Operative Stable-pony call sign. “ Chrome glared at Mercy who only laughed. “Operative Stable-Pony what is your status, over?”

Chrome blinked looking at his Pip-Buck then at Mercy then back to his Pip-Buck. “Who are you? And what are you talking about?” He asked.

There was another pause. “I am Beom. Please state your status Stable-Pony.” Beom answered simply. Well that answered as many questions as it raised.

“Um….kinda hungry.” Chrome said. And was met with silence for a long while.

“Operative Stable-Pony please repeats…it sounded like you said you were….hungry?” The voice said hesitantly as if it wasn’t sure it heard right.

“I did. “He said looking at Mercy who shrugged.

“Right….it seems there is a settlement at the end of the road you are currently on…you and your squad should be able to find food there….though I’m not picking up any radio transmission of IFF tags from the settlement so I do not know who they are as I don’t recall a town being there before. Estimated time of arrival is two hours.” Beom said the last bit with a bit of confusion in his voice.

“Are you alright?”

“Affirmative just a bit confused is all, nothing you need to worry about.” Beom said happily. “I need to check on a few things, do you require more assistance Operative Stable-Pony? Over.”

“Um…no we are good.”

“Affirmative, contact me on this channel if you require any assistance. I will contact you if anything comes up. Beom out.” And with that the station went dead.

Chrome looked over at mercy turning off the radio. “What the hell what that all about?” He asked.

Mercy shrugged. “Hell if I know, sounded like some crazy pony who got his hands on a radio and is looking to make friends, and It seems he likes you. “Mercy chuckled and started walking again. Chrome took another look at his Pip-Buck and shook his head before starting to trot after Mercy.

Author's Note

50% Towards leveling up, You really need to start doing things, at this rate you'll be dead within the week.

New Equipment: Operative Pip-Buck. You're old Utility Pip-Buck has had it's OS completely rewritten. It now has advance decryption algorithms, the ability to tap into restricted military radio frequencies, access to what remains of the Equestrian Military Network and will grant you access to high security areas of military installations as well as Ministry Hubs, provided the security system isn't to corrupted so as not to recognize your clearance as well as any and all old file that were on it previously.