Chapter 4: Unintended Consequences

Five hundred,
That was how many caps short I was to buying this low quality arm brace. I was so desperate to get my targeting system back, I bartered my watch, one of the few things I held dear in this world just to have my targeting system. But there was one problem, The Pip-buck on my hoof was corrupt. The screen lit up to a black screen with two series of green colored numbers divided by an X that appeared dead center of the screen.

It was working fine before I left the market place in Sector C, but now it wasn't. I tried to get this thing off shortly after to find out if I could do something to get it working again but pulling it off showed no luck. I went to Gunther who was lounging around in the security office. Most likely waiting for Slinger to pull another stunt just so he can get a hold of him.

"Hey Gunther." I called, gingerly giving him a smile.

"Oh hey. wait. Aren't you supposed to be resting" Gunther eyed me down.

"Yes, and I did rest for awhile, I said approaching him.
But when I woke up I noticed my watch had stopped working so I bartered it with the rest of my caps for an older, Thing," I lifted my foreleg showing him exactly what I got myself into.

"You what," Gunther got up out of the security chair he was sitting in, stunned that I would ever trade that thing for anything like this.

"The problem is this thing seems corrupted and at this point I can't get it off."

Gunther pulled my fore hoof forward, taking a closer look.

"Hmm", Gunther sounded in a low rumbling tone
"Oh fuck. Damn it Slinger, what have you gotten yourself into now." Gunther whispered glancing back at the monitors leaving me in confusion. "It's not corrupted, those are coordinates, it's encrypted. Wherever Sizzling Bullet got this from," Gunther looked at me, worried. "It certainly wasn't a fun place and sadly in order to get that thing off, you need to get there.
"Or", Gunther stopped, climbing out of his chair.

There was another option? "Or?" I watched Gunther walk over to the nearest green cabinet.

All I could hear were metal tools being gone through before silence fell between us in the room.

"We could cut your foreleg off and have Stitching Scar sew it back on." Gunther pulled a bow saw out of the mess of tools.

"No, way" I objected backing away, even to the thought of the idea of cutting any part of my body. I shook my head, lets not go there.

"Alright then," Gunther sat back down in the security chair.
"Let that thing guide your way and you'll make it." Gunther took his focus from me to monitors and back again.

I was hoping Gunther would notice me standing there waiting for him to come with me, to wherever this thing was taking me, but no. He intentionally returned his gaze to the monitors, he really doesn't like where I'm going.
I turned to leave, lowering my head. "Thanks, Gunther" I said walking out the door and down the hall. In the Overmare's office, I activated the intercom.

"Attention Sector C. It's Soft Ice, I will be leaving Sector C for awhile and I won't be back for some time so if there is anypony who wishes to see me before I leave, you can. Just meet me at Sector C's stable door.

The speakers fell silent as I let go of the intercom button.

I began to realize what I had to do for myself leading myself back to the mares living quarters to pick up what items I had. I unlocked the ammo can I had at the foot of my bunk. My grandfather's pistol with ammo locked inside. The gun still smelled of Sulfur from that one fateful day.

I could still hear them distinctly as I held the pistol in my hooves, their voices, their shots. I shuttered, my eyes tight, trying to block out the memory. Shaking my head I managed to clear my mind, making my way out.

Many of Sector C's residence waited for me at Sector C's steel door, including Moon Lancer, who looked like she was going to cry when our eyes met.

A few of the ponies wished me a farewell and a take care, while most of them stood in silence. All of which made the few steps over the steel door's threshold longer than it should have been.

Glancing back at Moon Lancer, I saw the truth behind her eyes. This time, I might not be coming back.

The steel door closed behind me, leaving me to the dark frozen wasteland. Climbing the stairway to the surface, my pip-buck ran diagnostics on itself adjusting to the wasteland before returning to pointing me in the right direction.

"Where are you going to take me," I asked, I knew I wasn't going to get an answer.

"I am no pony to say, some things are best left a surprise," some pony walked right up beside me.

I jumped, frightened by the pony who responded to my question.

"Forgive me, I didn't mean to scare you, my name is Boreal." he moved closer, his hooves sunk into the snow with each step.

I stood there hunting for a light source on my pipbuck. If there was one, I would find it,clicking one of the last two buttons I hadn't tried I could see what Boreal looked like. He was nothing much to look at, he was wearing tattered old cloths that covered his entire body, head to hoof, The cloth was ripped being blown by the wind you could clearly see it in howling wind and snow. The cloth itself almost looked like something you might find in any old factory.

taking out my flask I took a sip from it's contains before passing it off to Boreal.

"Bourbon?" Boreal took a sip.

"Yeah, I made it myself," I said taking the flask back from Boreal.

"Wow, what's in that stuff?"

"Painkillers," I said downing another mouthful.

"I know some ponies who would say you shouldn't combine your drink with your meds, but damn, that's good stuff," Boreal pointed at me, stumbling over himself.

Screwing the cap back on my flask, I was reminded that I needed to get moving by the black and green flashing screen on my fore hoof.

"Well, it was nice to meet you Boreal, but it's time for me to head off." I put my flask back in it's place.

"Alright, farewell" Boreal said waving me off before wandering back into the darkness.
The dark, something I had grown to used to in the wasteland, it was almost like a friend to me. But this cold, It seems like it's growing ever bitter every cycle.

"Fire!"

I dove for the snow.
Falcons. Griffons and ponies that swore their allegiance to a mysterious entity. They're basically raiders attacking any stable that have opened their steel door. So any Falcon who has gotten this close to Sector C is a dead Falcon by default. I'm not having this, I grit my teeth landing three shots through the sights of my pistol into three different ponies.

"Reloading, cover me!"

Reloading already, how many are there? I looked at my flashing pip-buck. The map on it blinked in and out from underneath my coordinates. Oh, five. Two more to go. They didn't even have to move, the barrel of their guns flashed as they shot their weapons giving me a general area to shoot at.

I stood up from the snow I flopped into, shooting one of them in the shoulder, flopping into the snow once again. I reloaded. Readying myself I made another shot standing up from the snow once more, shooting one of the last two raiders in the head. Damn lucky shot. Ducking I made a quick reload, before standing up again to shoot the last raider who was right in front of me.

Grabbing me by the hooves he pulled me to the ground, rolling my body in the snow, acting fast I stopped on my back, giving one shot from my pistol bringing silence as the bullet discharged into the Falcon's head.

I stood up, brushing myself off. That couldn't have gone any worse than it did, I wonder how they found their way. I couldn't help but think some pony else knew where Sector C was and sent Falcons to scope it out. Their orders weren't followed if that was the case, they're dead now.

I walked further into the dark, following the direction my pip-buck was carrying me. I was far enough that the orange fire that illuminated 'Sector C' was no longer visible. I couldn't see anything, I was practically blind with the only light coming from my pip-buck.

Author's Note

+1 Luck
+1 light guns
+5 pistols
-1 perception