Fallout: Equestria - SURVIVOR

FALLOUT EQUESTRIA: SURVIVOR

Chapter 2: Escape

“The pony that will be sacrificed this year is none other than the chirpy maintenance pony himself...FLATFOOT.”

My mind shut down for a good five seconds before I got control again. My back legs wobbled so much that I fell back on my hunches. Sweat poured down my forehead, and I couldn’t remember when I started breathing so quickly.

Ponies around the atrium were starting to turn their heads towards me. Some had on a look of sadness, tears just barely escaping their eyes. Some looked upset, but had the deep sense of relief on them as well. Other were slowly shaking their heads while they smiled.

“Flatfoot, would you please walk up here to the stage please. There is much that has to be done,” said the O.S. from behind his podium.

I didn’t want to walk up there, I didn’t want to be at his mercy. I wanted to run, to get away from the stallion who now had my life in his hooves. But the guards had moved in front of every door, blocking all the ways out. Their horns were glowing, and all were pointed at me.

“Flatfoot, we mustn’t keep the stable waiting. You know we have to do this within the hour. Think about everypony here,” said the O.S., who wore a sincere smile...had to be fake.

Something grabbed me on the back and pulled me back to my feet. I looked back, and saw Dial standing behind me. She wore the most evil smirk I had ever seen on a pony, and no one else was even looking at her.

She gave me a push with her hoof. “Go on Flatfoot, walk up to the stage.”

I swallowed a lump in my throat and looked up towards the stage. It seemed like such a long distance away, even if it was just a few feet. The O.S. continued to smile at me, most likely with glee that no pony questioned.

Slowly, I moved my hooves and began walking towards the stage. Ponies moved so that I had a walkway up there, so now it would take even less time.

But I had barely moved a few feet when something slammed into me. I didn’t fall over, but he impact was enough to get me to stop. Hooves grabbed my face and turned it to my left. It was then I found out who the hooves belonged to.

“Zest.”

The look on Zest’s face made my heart split in two. Her eyes were scrunched together and watering so much that tears ran down her cheeks like a faucet. Her lips were trembling and her nose was beginning to run. Sobs left her mouth, but every time they did she began to choke up.

“I’m sorry...I’m so sorry Flat. I didn’t think a pony like you would be chosen, but you were. I should have done something...I don’t know what...but something. I’m sorry I couldn’t help you out…” she tried to say more, but she just started crying again.

I had never seen Zest like this before. What I was seeing now was a sad, broken pony who was losing somepony close: ME. Zest had always been known for teasing me and trying to get me jealous. But now, she was just somepony who wanted to be hugged and comforted.

At first I didn’t know what to do. Zest had never been like this, so I didn’t know what would make her better. But the more I thought, the more she pulled me closer.

And that’s when I knew what to do.

I wrapped my hooves around her and pulled her into a hug. Zest continued to cry, and gratefully returned the hug. I heard a few ponies awing at us, but I didn’t care. I was helping a friend, even if I was on my way to death.

But a moment later, I felt something grab my jumpsuit and pull me back. Zest got yanked back to, and the force knocked her to the floor. A large guard stood behind her, scowling at me. Another guard stood behind me, keeping his hoof on my shoulder.

“I’m so sorry to break up the moment...Zest. But I did say that no one was allowed to stop the sacrifice on his way up here. Lucky for you your display of affection has made me choose not to punish you. Guards, escort Flatfoot up here so nopony disturbs him,” said the O.S.

The guard behind Zest walked to my side, pushing me against the other guard. They grabbed me with their magic, and soon began dragging me towards the stage. My hooves scraped across the ground while they did.

Ponies amongst the crowd began saying things to me as I passed.

“Sorry about this Flatfoot.”

“I never wanted you to be the one chosen.”

“Good Luck Flats.”

“Tell Celestia I said hi.”

I was almost at the stage, when a voice rang out.

“NO, NO, NOT MY SON! I CAN’T LOSE MY SON TOO!”

I looked back around to see the sound of the voice. Ponies were moving aside as a figure came closer to the pathway. The last ponies moved out of the way, and Mom came barreling towards us.

Her face was covered in tears, and her eyes were blood red. She rang towards us faster than a wonderbolt, and with just as much determination.

But before she could get to us, two guards appeared out of the crowd and blocked her path. She tried to get past them, but they held her back with magic. Her hoof reached towards me, stretching past the shield of magic.

“You can’t have my son! He’s all I have left. Don’t you see what you’re doing; he’s important to this stable. We’ll all die without him,” she screamed.

“You’re right Lead Pipe, we will all die without him. And that’s why he’s being sacrificed; so that all in the stable may live,” said the O.S.

“I’LL KILL YOU FOR SAYING THAT!” screamed mom, who was now pushing even harder against the guard’s magic. But nothing could get through a shield that strong.

“Okay...well thank you for saying that Lead Pipe.” He looked at the two stallions holding her back. “Guards, escort her to the medical bay for psychological treatment. She’ll need some after what happens here today. And make sure they’re very thorough.” It was almost demoic the way he smiled at the comment.

The guards nodded and began pulling my mom towards the exit. I tried to turn and run after them, but the two stallions kept a tight hold on me. And I was pretty sure the only reason I couldn’t talk was because of the magic that surrounded my face. The guards once again pulled me towards the stage, while my mom continued to cry out behind me. I could feel tears gathering in my eyes, but none fell.

The walk seemed to get slower and slower the more we walked. Ponies and guards alike became sluggish and unresponsive. The lights flickered and everything seemed calm.

That’s when it finally hit me: I’m Going To Die.

This wasn’t fake or a joke, this was the real deal. I was going to be killed. By what, I didn’t have a clue. All that mattered was that my life was over. I was going to DIE!

After what seemed like forever, we finally reached the stage. The guards released their magic and stepped away from me. I breathed in a sigh of relief, glad to be out of their bind. Magic and me have had a history, but it ain’t always great.

“Flatfoot, would you come up to the mike please,” asked the O.S. I could hear glee in his voice, and sensed an evil smile he was trying to keep concealed. He was obviously having a great time telling me what to do.

Not seeing any other choice, I slowly walked up the steps to the podium. I could feel all the eyes in the room staring at me like I was a prisoner being led to the gallows. Which, when you thought about it, this was pretty much the same thing.

I stopped next to the podium and turned to face the O.S. He was looking at me with a calm smile, like the one a grandfather gave to this rowdy grandfoal. There was another buzz in the back of my head, saying I should beat the living crap out of him. But my reasonability set in again, and I held myself back. No use attacking somepony if guards are all around you ready to fire.

The O.S. turned to the large crowd of ponies looking at us. “Ponies of Stable 11, I present to you this year's sacrifice! This brave and fearless pony will be giving up his life so that all of you may live. He will be taking a journey not all of us can take yet, but one we will indeed take someday. I know many of you may be upset that he was chosen, but be assured he was the one the stable, as a majority, voted for. So now, I would like to hand the mike over to Flatfoot, so that he may say his final goodbye to all of you.”

The O.S. moved to the side of the podium, and ushered for me to step behind it. I didn’t see any other options at this point besides running, which would have gotten me killed faster than Celestia could raise the sun. So, slowly, I walked over to the podium. The O.S. whispered to me when I passed him.

“Remember, all the guards are watching you.”

“Thanks for the reminder ass hole,” I said before I faced the crowd, who all stared back at me. Eyes of sadness, worry, glee, and a bunch of other emotions I couldn’t decipher all focused on me. They all just watched and waited for me to say something.

I cleared my throat, hoping to get the lump I had out of it. The mixes sent out that screeching wave they usually do, causing a few foals to cover their ears. I stepped back slightly and tried again.

“Uh...hello everypony. If...if you didn’t hear the O.S., my name is Flatfoot. It seems like I’m the one who’s been chosen, by you, to be sacrificed this year. I’ll admit...I didn’t think this would happen to me. I knew that it was a possibility, but I never thought that I’d be standing up here moments before dying.” the last words stuck in my throat like a clogged apple.

A few ponies in the area began crying, while others just looked at me sadly. I looked farther back and found Zest where she had been standing earlier. Tears continued to flow down her cheeks in waves, splashing down to the floor. Good thing she didn’t wear mascara, or it’d have been running dry by now.

“...I, uh, I just wanted to say that things may look bad, but they will get better. You’ll all leave here today, mourn for a while, then get back to doing what you’re doing. I may be gone soon, but you’ll still be here; keeping this stable going. I will miss you all, but I’m also...Proud...that I get to do this for you.” I thought hard about what to say next, but for some reason, the words just flew out of me.

“Because it’s for the good of you, it’s for the good of me...and it’s for the good of STABLE 11!” I screamed.

The crowd was silent for a few seconds. Their faces were all looking like I had just slapped them in the face. I didn’t know where I should step away or say something else.

But then I heard clapping. A pony, farther in the back, was clapping his hooves and smiling at me. Soon others joined in, until everypony in the atrium was clapping and cheering for me.

“Amazing Flat” screamed a pony.

“We love you Flat,” screamed another.

“Best speech ever,” called Caps, who was crying like a little foal.

The energy in the room was building, and it wasn’t sadness or misery: it was joy. Ponies were happy, even in this awful time. They weren’t thinking about what was going to happen, they were thinking about what I was doing. This actually got me to smile a little.

But the next thing I knew, I was being pushed aside and found myself once again between two stable guards. The O.S. stood in front of the mikes, and soon the whole Stable went quiet.

“That was a beautiful speech Flatfoot. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to top that. But now the words have been spoken, and it’s time for the sacrifice. Please follow me,” he said, before turning around and walking towards the door behind the stage.

The guards turned me around and matched me across the stage and down the steps to the door. I could hear ponies calling out more words of luck, but it all cut out when the door closed behind me. The guards moved away from me and stood by the door.

The O.S. turned to look at me. His smile was so smug you’d think he was the new rich foal at school with a lot of connections. Dial stepped next to him with the same expression.

“They really should be with each other, they can terrorize anypony they come across,” I thought.

“I’m very surprised at how you handled that Flatfoot. I was ready to blast you with my own magic if you spoke out. But instead you put on quite a show, one that probably tops all last speeches given by sacrifices. You really know how to keep up the act,” he said.

I narrowed my eyes, trying to hide any fear that wanted to crawl up to my face. “I can say the same to you. All that about “stable ponies choosing me” was pretty convincing. And let’s not forget when you acted like you were so surprised I was picked,” I shot back.

The O.S. smiled smugly “why thank you Flatfoot. I practiced in front of a mirror last night. I wanted to make sure I sounded realistic, and it turns out I did.”

“So you decided to make me the sacrifice because I found out the truth. Smart, I will admit, but I said I wasn’t going to say anything,” I said.

“Yes you did, but you can never be too cautious when dealing with a secret like that. I could already see you spilling everything during cider season. So to keep the secret safe, I made you the sacrifice. As simple as that,” he said with a smile.

I was getting more cross with this guy the more I listened to him. But I had a few questions to ask before I did anything I would regret.

“So tell me, since I’m going to die soon, why do you pick the sacrifices. Why is it that the ponies of the stable can’t decide,” I asked.

The O.S. looked at me like I had just cursed him out. “Why, because ponies are idiots that’s why. For years we let the stupid ponies of this stable get to decide who got killed every year. They ranged from good for nothings to high up officials. We lost many great ponies during those years. So, when I was elected Overstallion, I decided to make a few changes. From then on, I decided who was to be sacrificed. That way, I could make sure no pony who was valuable to the stable could be sacrificed. Then, our stable could live for years to come, and only have the best ponies living in it.”

My mouth dropped open in shock, and my legs began to wobble. This pony was mad, mad with power. He used his position to rig the whole process. Now no pony could make their claims. This wasn’t a democracy, this was a dictatorship.

“But it also means you yourself can’t be sacrificed either,” I said sternly to him.

He slowly rubbed his chin while he thought about it. “Well yes, that is another perk to this. But I primarily did it for the stable.”

“Sir, I don’t want to rush you when you’re enjoying yourself, but we really do need to get on with the sacrifice,” said Dial, who I had almost forgotten was there.

“Quite right Dial, mustn’t keep the computer waiting,” he said before turning to me, “now Flatfoot, please proceed to my office. The guards will escort you, but I believe you know where it is.” He said the last part with a smile King Sombra would have worn.

The guards walked from the door and positioned themselves on either side of me. The other guards began walking up the stairs, with the O.S. and Dial walking closely behind them. The guards on my sides encased me in their magic, and once again pulled me along.

***

It seemed like forever, but we soon reached the O.S.’s office. The doors opened and the seven of us crowded into the tiny room. I could see ponies in the auditorium outside the window on the fall wall. Some saw me, and began waving at me. If I could have moved my legs, I might have waved back.

“Alright Flatfoot, let’s get down to business. This is where you and I see each other for the last time,” said the O.S.

I looked around, a little confused. “Are you going to kill me here,” I asked.

The O.S. shook his head, and still wore a smile. “Oh no, not in here. Blood stains are so hard to get out of the wood. No, we have someplace else for you to go. From here you shall proceed to the Sacrifice Chamber. And there, well, the name says it all.”

The O.S. walked up to his terminal and activated it. He typed in a few codes, then stepped away from his desk. At that moment, I heard machinery grinding. Then the O.S. desk rose off the floor and up to the ceiling. Below it was a hidden staircase that lead to a large metal door. It looked grimy, and a few smears of blood could be see along the walls.

“Well, there you go Flatfoot. Go down these stairs and through the door. The computer will take care of things from there. Off you go now,” said the O.S., waving his hoof down towards the steps. The guards gave me an extra push, which did get me moving.

The fear that was running through my body was like nothing I’d ever faced before. My legs were barely able to keep myself up, and my teeth were chattering so much that I was afraid they would break. Everyone had their eye on me, and I couldn’t go anywhere but down from where I was.

So, I slowly walked down the staircase to the door. I looked back at the opening, seeing everypony looking at me either with a smile or a grimace. The O.S. walked to the opening, looking down at me with an evil grin.

“Remember….it’s for the good of the Stable,” he said.

I really wanted to go up and punch him in the face and break his horn. But I was just one pony against a group of five armed ponies. My odds were against me, and a pony knows that means to just do what you’re told. I turned back to the door, and with a few deep breaths, opened it. Hissing filled the air as it slowly swung open, revealing a long hallway behind it. There were lights above some pipes, and the walls had a small amount of rust on them.

I walked through the opening, but when I did, the door slammed shut behind me. I jumped a little at this, but overall I was okay. I was already scared, so something like that wasn’t going to push me over.

But maybe a strange voice would.

“Congratulations, martyr, your fantastic journey is only just beginning. Please proceed to the light.”

The voice was calm, like a mother talking to her scared foal. It definitely sounded like it was coming out a speaker, but the voice still sounded nice. My legs stopped wiggling, and my teeth stopped chattering. I didn’t know if this was some kind of hypnosis, but I did what it said. My legs began moving, even though I didn’t want to move.

The farther I walked, the harder it became to look at the end of the hallway. A large, bright light was shining on the other end. My legs were so focused on getting me there that I couldn’t even put my hoof up to block it.

“The light is calming and puts your mind at ease. Go to the light.”

That voice was beginning to sound less southing and more like a stallion luring foals to their untimely demise. The wiggling in my legs began to come back, but I was still able to walk. The light was getting closer, and it was so bright I had to close my eyes.

But soon, the light glowed so dim that I was able to open my eyes. I wasn’t in the hallway anymore, but a small room. There was another door on the other side, which looked like all normal Stable doors. Four spotlights were pointed at the door I’d just come through.

“Why would they want to blind the sacrifices,” I asked.

As I looked around the room more, the door at the other end of it began to open. A small amount of light leaked out of it, and a small gust of air blew outward. The door continued to open until it hit the back wall. Even with the light from the spotlights, it was still hard to see inside.

I slowly walked towards it until I was standing in the doorframe. The room beyond was very large, between the size of the O.S. office and the atrium. The walls were void of anything, except for the splatter of blood every few inches. The floor was also dirty and covered in blood. A few streaks rang through the stains at certain points, but I couldn’t figure out what they were.

In the center of the room was table with an old projector on it. A few wires from from it, down the table leg, and into one of the side walls. A large and plump chair sat next to the table, colored a very appropriate shade of red. To the left of that was a small circular table with a vase of flowers on it. They looked tall and healthy, so they must have been fakes. Finally, a large sheet covered the wall in front of the projector.

“Welcome, please sit in the chair. The show is about to begin."

“If that voice doesn’t shut up soon, I’m going to lose it,” I said through gritted teeth. I was being led to my death by a stallion who had died hundreds of years ago. The thought of that really pissed me off. But I couldn’t do anything about that more than I can do about this.

I walked up to the chair and looked around it. I didn’t see any needles, so that probably meant they weren’t going to poison me. I didn’t see any hatchets or knives either, which hopefully meant no stabbing. Plus the chair looked fairly clean, and comfortable to.

I slowly sat down in the chair, facing the white screen that hung from the opposite wall. I heard something click, and looked around. The projector had started up, and a Stable Tec logo appeared on it. But it soon scrolled away, and was replaced by a different picture. It showed a stallion relaxing on the beach with a pair of sunglasses and a picnic basket next to him.

"Greetings, martyr, and welcome! If you're here now, it means you've been offered up as a sacrifice so that your stable can continue to thrive. Currently, you may be feeling sad or angry. Perhaps you never got to have grandfoals, or to enjoy the pleasures of a fresh cigar. But march with your chin held high, soldier, and remember that each of us has an important role to play."

If this was supposed to make me feel better, then it wasn’t working. I did care about having grandfoals, and I already enjoyed a cigar before. Not only that, but this was telling me to the HAPPY that I was being sacrificed.

So yeah, the stable gets to live. I really am happy that they get to live. But to know that I’M going to die just made me feel like shit. And it wasn’t because others wanted me to, it was because I found out the O.S. secret. That was the only reason I was here. But my brain kept telling me their was nothing I could do, so I listened to the creepy speaker voice.

“For some ponies, their role might be to heal the sick. For others, it might mean they will build things, or become a wonderbolt. And some of us are meant to forfeit our lives for the good of the people. Sure, it might not be as fun as becoming a wonderbolt, but it's every bit as important.”

I felt a connection to what this slide was saying, except for the part about becoming a wonderbolt. I was an earth pony, and flying wasn’t something we could do. So when it came to career choices, wonderbolts weren’t an option.

The other parts of the slide did strike a connection with me.

As a maintenance pony, I’d gotten used to building and repairing things. It just came with the job requirements. I’d fixed everything from pip-bucks to Terminals. And when it came to building, I was just as good. My unfinished magic powered lamp still sat in my room. Maybe somepony in maintenance would find it and finish it. But that was probably just wishful thinking.

The other part didn’t concern me, but it concerned my best friend.

Zest may have been weird at times, but she was good at what she did. There wasn’t a surgery she couldn’t perform or disease she couldn’t cure. She was definitely one of, if the the most important pony in the Medical Bay. If I ever had a medical problem, I knew I could turn to her.

But I guess now, I’d unintentionally given her the worst disease anypony could get...sadness. She had been tearing up when my name got called, and even tackle-hugged me when I started to head up. She said she was sorry, that she wished she could have done something. While there was nothing she could have done, it still made stomach ache seeing her like that. I just wanted to hold her tight, and never let go until she was happy again.

Geeze, if I thought like that any longer I’d start crying too.

"Let's take a moment to reflect on the moments that made your life worth living. Think about that time you kissed your steady mare for the first time under the bleachers at the big game. Or when you snuck out after curfew to catch that new flick that your parents wouldn't let you see because it was too scary. Boy, were they right! And who could forget when you met the love of your life. What a looker! These are just examples.”

If only my life had been that exciting. I’d never kissed a mare before, and there wasn’t anything new in terms of movies in the stable. Nothing for me to sneak out and see. This projection was shooting false info at me, and it didn’t make me feel better.

My whole body tensed a little, and I started to grit my teeth. For some reason, I was becoming very angry. The nobbing in the back of my skull, that was always being put out by my brain, was beginning to grow stronger. It felt harder to keep it down, and part of me wondered what was going on in my brain right now.

“Come on Flats...don’t get too angry. There’s nothing you can do...there’s nothing you can do,” I repeated to myself. I had to close my eyes and concentrate, because I felt like I was ready to burst.

“You’re stuck in a room with no way out and will soon face whatever they use to kill ponies. I can’t stop it, and I won’t try to. This is how I end...even if I don’t like it,” I said to myself.

“Do you feel that feeling stirring in your chest as you think of these things? Good. What you are feeling is peace. You've led a great life - living it has been its own reward. But, it is only the beginning.”

I didn’t think this stirring was peace, but I couldn’t say what it was. I’d never felt something like this before. It was pulling at me, twisting the inside of my brain like a spring. My breathing grew more rapid while my hooves pushed deeper into the upholstery.

“what...what is happening,” I asked through gritted teeth.

“Close your eyes now and imagine what joys await you in the next life - the afterlife.”

“Come on Flats, get yourself together. Calm breaths, happy thoughts. This is it: don’t die being like this. You are a good pony who does what he has to. I’m the sacrifice...I’m going to die,” I said, with my eyes snapped shut and my teeth pressing against each other.

“Can you see them? Good.”

And that’s when I snapped.

“...No...FUCK THIS!” I screamed.

My eyes shot open, and my face turned into one of great anger. My ears shot straight up, and my hooves stopped pushing into the chair.

My brain, the only thing that told me the safe thing to do, had gone quiet. Instead, the constant nagging in the back of my skull had fully taken over. My head kicked into overdrive, and big time.

“I am not going to be sacrificed. I will not going to be the O.S.’s pawn. I’m going to live, and I’m going to kick the O.S.’s ass for what he’s done. And nothing is going to get in my way,” I fumed.

I really shouldn’t have said that.

Just at that moment, I heard the sound of gears turning. It sounded like it was coming from the walls, so I looked around the room. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, until I got to the wall on my right side.

A small door was lifting itself up and into the wall. Dust and grime floated down  and obscured the view. Once the door was all the way up, everything got quiet. The dust settled, and I saw what was on the other side.

It was definitely the biggest robot I’d ever seen. Four legs held it up at the bottom, all fitted with wheels. It had a large body with a small round head. Two arms sat on either side, each with a different weapon. The right arm was fitted with a grabbing claw that looked like it could cut through me. The left arm was a complete laser cannon. Tubes ran from the cannon to the robot, no doubt being the ammunition tubes.

The eyes on the robot turned on and off, almost like it was blinking. But then the lights came on all over the thing, and it slowly rolled out of it’s space. The head looked around the room, before landing on me.

“Yearly sacrifice identified. Please stand still while you are disintegrated. Resistance is futile.”

“Shit,” I said to myself.

The robot aimed it’s large laser cannon at me. I heard the sound of power building up in the back of it. The red light in the cannon grew bigger and brighter.

“Move Flatfoot, MOVE,” my head screamed.

I dove behind the chair just as the cannon fired. The beam of energy shot over my head and blasted against the wall behind me. A large black shot indicated where it had hit. To think that could have been me almost made me sick.

“Target not in visible range. Search for target. Execute on sight.”

I mentally cursed myself as I watched the robot begin to roll around the room. It’s cannon started up again, ready to fire when it saw me. It headed first to the wall on my right side, before slowly moving to the wall on the left side. Sooner or later, it would come around the chair and see me.

“Okay, think Flatfoot: you need a plan,” I thought. I’d never dealt with this kind of machinery before, but I was skilled in robotics. I’d helped the stable guards repair an old security bot a few years back. It failed again after a year, but it did give me some understanding of how robots work.

I carefully looked around the chair. The robot was going along the wall with the door I’d come through. That meant only one wall between it and me. If I didn’t come up with something fast, then I’d be barbecued.

The robot turned and looked at the door carefully. It had closed when I’d walked through, but it maybe thought I’d somehow opened it and gotten out. But I hadn’t, and looking at that door was a very stupid mistake.

I looked at the back of the robot, and smiled at what I saw. Sitting near the bottom of the middle section was a square piece of metal attached to a latch. Either that meant a battery compartment, or a control panel. The only problem: how do I get to it.

The robot stopped looking at the door and continued along the wall. It reached the corner, and began moving along the wall to my left. My time was running short, and I needed to get to that panel. I just had to distract it.

Then it finally hit me. I looked over at the table next to the chair. The only object on it was a small vase with a few fake flowers in it. I slowly snuck over to the table and picked up the vase. It was light, but not too light. No water was in it, and the flowers were glued to the bottom.

I moved back against the chair and looked for the robot. It was near enough to me that I could see it without looking too far around the chair. I had to act fast, or it would see me in a few seconds.

So I turned towards the corner near the door, and threw the vase as hard as I could. It soared through the air, before smashing into the wall with a loud CRACK.

The robot stopped moving along the wall. It turned around, and started moving towards the broken vase. I crept slowly from behind the chair and began sneaking up to the back of it. The robot was so focused on the vase, it didn’t even notice me.

When it reached the broken vase, it looked down at it. I moved in from behind and got close enough that I could open the panel. I unhooked the latch and swung the plate to the left. Beneath the plate was a crisscross of wires and switches. The dials had no name plates, and the wires all got tangled up in each other.

I had to hurry: the robot wouldn’t be occupied forever. It was already starting to look up from the vase. Panic would normally overtake me and I’d just run away. But for some reason, this just gave me more urge to focus. I scanned the switches, hoping to find the one I wanted.

And thank the goddesses, I did.

Located under some wiring near the bottom, I found the one switch that actually had a label: EMERGENCY SHUTDOWN.

I quickly reached a hoof out and flipped the switch. The lights on the robot quickly went out, and the whole machine became still. I slowly reversed away from the machine, hoping it didn’t come back online. But it stayed still and silent.

“Wow Flats, you did it. You took out a high performance Sentry Bot without destroying it. You are one smart pony,” I said with a smug smile.

But my happiness didn’t last long. I may still be alive, but the O.S. sent me down here to die. I couldn’t stay down here forever, and I’d die if I just walked back up there. I needed to use my brain again...I needed a plan.

I looked over at the door the robot had come through. Since it was so big, the door had to be large to. And it wasn’t just a small closet; it was another room. I walked to the door and peered into the room.

It looked to be the size of the room before this one. But what was in the room is what made my mouth drop.

Hanging on the walls was an assortment of weapons! Small guns huddled on one side of the room, while large ones sat on the other side. A table was set against the wall across from the door. Cases of bullets and tool kits sat neatly along the top. A long barrel shotgun sat against a corner, looking like it’d never been touched.

“Sweet Celestia. They have a whole room full of weapons down here. Did they never think a pony would beat the robot and get in here?” I asked myself as I walked towards the table.

Then again, they probably didn’t think a pony would be able to outsmart the robot. Maybe they thought only stupid or really scared ponies would be sacrificed. But that still didn’t explain what this was all doing down here.

I reached the table and looked over the ammunition that lay out in front of me. Assortments of bullets ranging from 9mm to 50 Caliber were all set in boxes along the top. Each one looked brand new, without any signs of decay or rust. The same could be said for the guns. All looked fully functional and shinny.

“Well, I’ve got a room full of weapons at my disposal...now what?” I asked. I may have been able to defeat one robot, but their was a whole section of soldiers up in the Stable. And if they saw me, they’ed either shoot me or capture me. Either way, I’d be right back here with the intent of being killed.

Plus, there was no place in the stable I could hide. Every part of the stable was checked regularly by the guards. Eventually my luck would run out and I’d be found. And I couldn’t ask one of my friends for help either. I’d be dragging them into this mess and getting them killed to. I couldn’t let that happen. But if I couldn’t do any of that, where could I go?

...Wait, if there was no place in the stable I could go, there was only one place I could go.

“Outside,” I said silently.

***

“I’ve got to be the craziest son of a bitch there ever was.”

I looked around the room for any kind of bag I could find. If I was really going to try and leave the stable, I’d have to be prepared. Water, Medicine...Protection. So I’d need a bag to carry everything in.

I opened a crate under the table and looked around inside. I found more ammunition and a few smaller guns, but no medicine or food and water. I shut the crate and moved onto the next one. I didn’t find any food, but I did strike a jackpot on everything else.

The crate was full of yellow medical kits and had a brand new saddlebag in it. The color was dark brown and had the standard Stable-Tec insignia on it. The medical kits were all stacked in neat rows, so I quickly picked a few out. Each one contained two cases of clean water, five rad-aways, some med-x, and five stimpacks. I picked a few out and dumped their contents into my saddlebags. I shut the crate and flung the bags onto my back. The weight was almost not there, and the padding felt great on my skin. I could move around without any disturbance, and the items didn’t move around either.

Now that I’d gotten that taken care of, I looked around at the guns hanging from the walls. I knew I’d have to defend myself once I got to the O.S. office, but I didn’t know which gun to pick. Some were small, so I could easily hold and store them. Some were large, which meant more power but a harder chance to fire right.

Plus, being and earth pony, I had to find one I could shout off with my mouth. I did see a few guns with mouth holders, and they seemed rather nice. Two that caught my eye were hanging very close to each other.

One was a small gun with a long barrel. The back end looked like a normal gun, but the bud was pointing sideways and looked like someone could hold it in their mouth.

 I walked over to it and pulled it down from the wall. It wasn’t too heavy or too light. I put the mouthpiece in my mouth to see how it felt. It fit perfectly and I could look right down the center of the barrel. I thought about putting some ammo in it and testing it out, but I didn’t have the time. I stuck it in my saddlebag and moved to the other gun.

This one was much different from the small gun. This one was large and had a much longer barrel. There was no piece for my mouth to fit on the end, so this one likely was meant for those who can use magic. It was probably a shotgun, so firing it with my mouth probably wouldn’t be a good idea.

“This could really come in handy if I’m facing something big. But I really don’t want to lose my teeth when I use it. There has to be something here I can use to help fire it,” I said.

I began opening the last two crates left under the table. The first one I opened had a few boxes of ammo and a few cans of syrup apples. Since I didn’t have any food, I grabbed the cans and put them in my saddlebag. Once again, I barely felt them in there.

I moved onto the last crate and opened it. And once again, the princesses were looking down on me with favor. Because sitting inside the crate was a brand new, unused, and perfectly clean battle-saddle. The leather back cover looked perfectly smooth, and the gun holders weren’t rusted at all. The firing mechanism didn’t have any missing or broken parts, so I hoped it all worked fine.

“Celestia, Luna, thank you both for giving me my ticket out of here. Praise be to Equestria,” I said, before carefully lifting the battle-saddle out of the box.

I set it carefully on the ground and went to retrieve the shotgun. It had a little more weight to it, but I was able to carry it over to the saddle. I slid the gun into the holster and set up the firing mechanism. Everything fit perfectly into place.

Once everything was set, I lifted the battle-saddle onto my back. It fit perfectly, and like my saddlebags, the leather felt great against my skin. Then again, most of the saddle covered my jumpsuit.

I tightened the leather straps under my belly and made sure it was loose enough it wouldn’t hurt, but tight enough so it didn’t roll around. I walked around the room a bit to see how it felt.

“Feels good and stable, and doesn’t really slow me down. Now, I think I should at least test this one. I’d hate for this thing to be dead weight,” I said.

I went back to the table and gathered up all the ammo I could fit in the loading slots. I attached a magazine into the gun, and walked into the sacrifice chamber. The projector was still on, but it only showed a logo of Stable-Tec. The Sentry Bot still sat quietly in the corner.

“Perfect target practice,” I said to myself. I walked back to the chair and turned towards the robot. I lined up the barrel right at the robots head. Once I did, I grabbed the fire mechanism with my mouth and pushed down on it. I heard a blast, and felt the gun push against the saddle. I stumped a little, but I didn’t loose my footing. Unfortunately, the bullet didn’t hit the robot. It smacked into the wall, flattened out, and fell to the floor.

“Shit. If I can’t hit anything, how am I going to survive out their. There’s got to be a way I can fire straight,” I said.

I began thinking about what I could do, when my pipbuck began to blink. I brought it up to my face and looked at the screen. The screen said “Press Me.”

“Can’t be much simpler than that,” I said, and pressed the screen. The words disappeared and another screen popped up. It had an image of a pony on it, and the letters S.A.T.S. on the top.

“What in the name of Celestia is this,” I asked myself.

A note appeared on the screen with some writing. I scanned over the document and was surprised by what I found.

“The Stable-Tec Assisted Targeting Spell, or S.A.T.S. for short, is a new feature on all Stable-Tec PipBucks. This spell, which can be used by Unicorns, Pegasus, and Earth Ponies, will allow you to get your eye in on all targets. Simply activate the spell with your head, and pinpoint your target. The spell will allow you to pick the part of your target you wish to hit, and make sure it lands a bullseye. Enjoy, and shoot responsibly.”

“Really...it’s that simple. Just activate this spell and choose what I want to shoot. Please tell me this isn’t some prank by Stable-Tec,” I said to myself.

But if this thing really did work, then I might have a shot, literally, at getting out of here. And personally, I’d rather try this and be proven wrong then not try at all. So, I looked confidently back at the robot. I concentrated hard, and mentally screamed “S.A.T.S., ON!”

It was like my eyes had become a telescope. My vision zoomed until it looked like I was right in front of the bot. But then it got weirder. The robot's left arm glowed green, which didn’t make much sense. I looked at the other arm, and was shocked when the light jumped from one arm and onto the other. No matter what part I looked at, the green light always encased it.

“Well, I guess that’s how it works. But, let’s see how it performs,” I said. I looked up at the robot’s head, which now glowed green. I cautiously bit down on the gun trigger, and pressed it hard. The bullet shot from the barrel and passed clear through the robot’s head. Sparks flew from it, but thankfully nothing exploded.

“Wow...this thing is AWESOME! Now, I can shoot whatever I want. Gee, I wish I’d known about this during my fight with Lock Pick,” I said happily.

“Well, it looks like I have everything I need to make it out of here. Now, let’s just hope the whole security force isn’t waiting for me on the other side. But if they were, I’d have to deal with them with lethal force.

I turned toward the closed door to the hallway. Once I walked through those doors, I’d be the enemy of everypony in the stable. It would be hard, but I was willing to pay the price. So, I walked to the door and pulled it open. Looking at the long hallway beyond, I walked through the door, leaving the dark sacrifice chamber behind me.

***

The walk back down the hallway was much faster than the first time. I paid no attention to the blood stains or the blinding lights behind me. The voice wasn’t saying anything, which was perfectly fine with me. That voice gave me the creeps.

I finally made it to the other side of the hallway. The door I’d walked through was closed. But I could see a small amount of light sneaking through the bottom, which must mean the O.S.’s desk was still up. Another thing on the list of good things happening to me.

I moved to the door and slowly pulled it open. Light poured into the hallway as I opened it more. I stopped when it was still mostly closed but I could look outside through the open part. I moved over to the opening and looked out.

As I suspected, the O.S.’s desk was still up in the air. The room seemed fairly quiet, but I couldn’t tell if there was anypony in it. I’d have to go up and see if anypony was there. So I opened the door more and slipped through. I kept my walking as quiet as I could, and slowly moved up the stairs.

When I was close to the top, I stuck my head up and looked around the room. The path to the O.S.’s office door was clear, and there was nopony behind the desk either. But as I looked around the room, I did spot somepony.

The O.S. was looking out at the atrium through his office window. His face showed one of pride and happiness; no doubt from thinking he’d gotten rid of me. Now he was probably thinking of how nopony would get in his way again.

But I wasn’t dead, and I was ready to kill him with my guns. But if I fired off a gun here, the whole Stable would be able to hear it. I had to find a way to incapacitate him without killing him. Plus, I had to get the passcode if I wanted to open the Stable door. It would either be on his PipBuck, or on his terminal.

“Ponies die, Ponies live. Those that die do because they aren’t smart enough to find a way to live. Those that live do because they can use their knowledge to have others killed instead. Flatfoot died, and I shall live. Seems we all have our place,” he said as he nodded his head.

I contemplated on what I could do. The O.S. was a unicorn, which meant he had magic on his side. If I tried anything, he could use his magic to counteract it. I need to stop him before he could use his magic. I need to be fast, and I needed to not be seen.

The O.S.’s PipBuck began glowing and shouting out “You’ve Got A Message.” Wow...Deja Vu.

The O.S. brought his PipBuck up to his face and opened the message.

“This is your chance; he’s distracted. Sneak up to him like you did with the Sentry Bot,” I thought to myself. So I moved up the last few stairs and maneuvered myself behind the O.S. I turned around and had my legs ready. Since I was an Earth Pony, I was going to use my natural strength to take care of this guy.

“Stable sensors reported the sound of gunfire only moments ago. Sensors say it originated from the sacrifice chamber. This most likely means that Flatfoot has been taken care of. I’ll report back to you when we have complete confirmation. Signed Dial,” read the O.S. He put his PipBuck down and smiled as he looked to the window.

“Well it seems that Flatfoot is no longer with us. Let us remember the pony as he was: A small and unimportant pony who stuck his nose into things it didn’t belong. Now I’m free of that pest, and I’ll never see him again.”

“Never might be sooner than you think,” I said sternly.

The O.S.’s body tensed up as if electricity was running through it. But just as fast he started turning around towards me.

“Now or never,” I thought.

I pulled my rear legs back, then shot them towards the O.S. I felt my hooves collide with the side of his face, and the CRUNCH that came with it. I looked and saw the O.S. stagger back to the wall. His nose was bleeding and a large bump was beginning to form where I’d hit. But he still wasn’t unconscious, so I went in for another blow. I made my hooves curve at the last second, giving him an good left hook to the left side of his face.

The O.S. staggered for a second, before slowly crumpling to the floor. Blood continued to flow out of his nose, and the two bumps he had just kept getting bigger. If I didn’t fucking hate the stallion, then I’d probably feel sorry for him. But he tried to kill me, so I was extremely happy.

I moved over to the body and put a hoof up to his neck. After a few seconds, I felt a slight beating of a pulse. He wasn’t dead, but he wasn’t going to be harming anyone anytime soon. I reached down and activated his PipBuck. Scrolling through the sections, I soon found the one labeled NOTES.

I opened the section up and scrolled through the list of notes he had on their. They ranged from simple repair notes to preparations for the sacrifice. All interesting, but all not the one that would help me out.

I was about to give up and start searching the terminal, when I hit the jackpot. At the very bottom of the list sat a note with the title: STABLE DOOR OVERRIDE CODE.

I tapped the file and looked at the options that it showed me: Delete, Open, or Transfer. I selected transfer and typed in my PipBuck registration code. The note icon rolled into a scroll and burned up. And a second later, a fire image blazed on my PipBuck before turning into a scroll that flew to my notes section.

“Alright, step one is done. Now it’s time for step two; getting out of this place without dying.”

I walked over to the office door and pressed the button. The door opened and I looked out into the hallway. I couldn’t see anypony in sight, and the Eyes Forward Sparkle didn’t sense anypony in the nearby area.

Since the coast was clear, I ran out of the office and down the hallway. The stable door was on the next level up, past the dining area. Once I got to the door, I’d be able to get out.

So I increased my speed and ran for the nearest stairs.

***

I made it to the stairs without encountering anypony. Most ponies chose to stay inside the rest of the day after a sacrifice was chosen. Some mourned, some slept, and some had a party if the pony sacrificed was their enemy. I’ve done all three over the course of my time here.

I jumped the last few stairs and found myself in another deserted hallway. An empty theater room sat on the right side with a note saying “Closed For Sacrifices. Check Back Tomorrow.”

The other side was the dining area. The door was open, and I smelled fresh food being cooked from the grill in the back. No doubt Whisk would be making comfort food for the ponies who needed it. I always had a few hooffulls when I was younger.

But I didn’t have the time to sit and remember. I shook my head and ran down the hallway. I came to a corner and duck to the left side. I continued running until I came across another door. It wasn’t for the Main Entrance, but I knew what it was.

I pressed the button on the wall and the door sprang open. On the other side sat the stable bar. A long counter ran along the back wall, with an assortment of wines and alcohol stacked on shelves behind that. Comfortable stools ran along the counter, and a few tables were scattered around the area. Behind the bar, cleaning a glass, was Tapper. He ran the bar and served all the drinks. His dark green pelt went well with his stable jumpsuit and rusty orange mane. His cutie mark, a shot glass, was just visible under his suit.

But then my head darted to another pony in the room. In the corner, sitting at a small table, was Zest. Her mane was slopped down and messy. Black streaks ran down her eyes, which were bloodshot. Twenty empty bottles sat around the table, and a half empty one was clutched in her hooves.

I ran into the room, past Tapper, and up to Zest. She looked even worse up close.

“Zest, what are you doing. What happened to you?”

Zest didn’t respond right away, and just continued to look into space. But then she slowly lifted  her head and looked at me. Her eyes were emotionless, and her mouth seemed covered in a mixture of different drinks. I could definitely smell it.

“...Not now Tapper….I’m trying to drown my sorrows. Maybe, maybe you could get me another drink? I think this one’s almost out,” she said, taking another sip from the bottle.

“Zest, snap out of it. It’s me: Flatfoot. Your best friend in the whole stable,” I said.

“Don’t be stupid...Flatfoot’s dead. I saw him get taken away by the O.S. He’s gone….gone forever.”

I was getting more annoyed. Zest had drank so much her brain wasn’t even working right. I had to snap her out of this somehow. But I didn’t have a clue on how to do it.

I turned towards the bar. “Hey Tapper, I need some help!”

Tapper stopped cleaning his glass and looked over at me. His eyes bulged out when they did. He quickly ran from behind the bar and up to me.

“Flats, what are you doing here? You’re supposed to be dead,” he screamed.

“So I heard. But you really didn’t see me when I walked in or hear me when I was talking to Zest?”

He shrugged. “Hey, when you run a bar, you learn to tune out voices and ponies who aren’t directed at you.”

“Well right now I need some help.” I waved a hoof at Zest, who was still drinking. “I need to snap Zest out of this and fast. You’ve dealt with drunk ponies before, you must have some way of snapping them out of it.”

Tapper rubbed his chin. “Well, she’s a lot more drunk than most ponies I get. But I may have a way to get her going again. But you have to promise not to hit me when I do this.”

I raised an eyebrow again. “What are you going to do?”

Tapper rubbed his hooves together while a grin appeared on his face. I was starting to get nervous.

“I’m going to shock her out of her stupper,” he said.

“Zest is a pretty tough pony. What can you possibly do that will make her get out of this,” I asked.

“You’ll See. Now just don’t hit me when I start.”

He walked over to Zest and positioned himself on her left side. She took no notice of him and kept staring into space. I watched, waiting to see what kind of tactic Tapper was going to use.

Tapper reached his hoof towards Zest, before suddenly turning down and putting it between her legs. Zest’s eyes popped open faster than anything I’d ever seen. Her mouth opened and let out a high pitched scream. She fell off the chair and curled up in a ball on the floor, holding her neither regions carefully.

“OW...WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT FOR TAPPER,” she screamed.

Tapper held a hoof up to his mouth, trying to hold back a laugh. If the situation was different, I might have laughed too. And I was glad Tapper had warned me before, because normally I’d have him down on the ground bloody by now.

“Well you were in a stupor, and there was a pony who needed to talk to you,” he said, still trying not to laugh.

“Whoever this fucker is, he’ll be getting the same beating I’m going to give you!”

“Aw come on Zest, I’ve been through enough already,” I said with a smug smile.

Zest’s eyes popped open and looked straight at me. She looked shocked, then began to smile. Her eyes watered, causing the black streaks to wash away. Pain not being a problem, she jumped off the floor and ran over to me. She wrapped her hooves around me, brought me close, and buried her face in my chest.

“Flats….it’s you. You're ALIVE! How’d you escape, how’d you find me….and where did you get that sweet gun and battle-saddle,” she asked, eyeing my new gear with a smile.

“It’s good to see you to Zest. But I don’t have time to explain everything. I need you to listen to me and remember everything I say….you too Tapper,” I said to the pair.

The two looked at me, confused. “What’s the problem Flats. Is something wrong,” asked Tapper.

“Something is VERY wrong. Look, the reason I was picked to be sacrificed was because I found out something big. Something the O.S. didn’t want getting out. The elections are rigged, no ponies vote counts. The O.S. is the one who picks who is sacrificed. When I found out, he picked me so I wouldn’t say anything.”

Zest shook her head. “Wait a minute…. the votes don’t count. The O.S. decides who gets picked. But….why would he do that,” she asked.

“Because he wants to make sure anypony important, like himself, doesn’t get picked. When I was fixing that fuse box, I overheard his conversation with Dial and found out. He caught me, and that led to everything else. I took care of him, but I can’t stay here. So….I’m leaving the stable.”

Tapper and Zest’s mouths dropped open, and their eyes grew wide. I figured they react positively.

“Flats, are you NUTS! Going outside is a death sentence! There’s nothing out there, and if there is, it’ll probably kill you. What’s the point to doing something like that,” Zest screamed.

“I agree with Zest on this one,” said Tapper. “I’ve heard stories about what’s outside the Stable, and it isn’t good. No pony has ever left this Stable, and the door hasn’t opened for 120 years. How do you even plan on opening it?”

I pulled up my PipBuck and opened the Override note, showing it to the two. “I’ve gotten the override code. Once I get to the door, I just have to type it in and I’ll be outta here.”

“How on earth did you get that?” Zest asked with a raised eyebrow.

I slowly rubbed the back of my head. “I….may have knocked the O.S. out and took it from his PipBuck.”

“You knocked the O.S. out! Oh, if he didn’t hate you before, he’s going to now,” said Tapper.

“Even more reason for me to get out of here. I don’t know how long he’ll be out, but I don’t want to be around when he wakes up. I need to get to the Stable door before any guards see me. Hopefully they…”

“ATTENTION STABLE 11, ATTENTION STABLE 11. THIS IS AN URGENT MESSAGE FROM YOUR OVERSTALLION!”

“Crap,” I thought.

“THIS IS A STABLE EMERGENCY! FLATFOOT, THIS YEAR’S SACRIFICE, HAS ESCAPED FROM THE CHAMBERS! ALL GUARDS ARE TO SEARCH THE STABLE AND FIND HIM! CITIZENS ARE TO STAY IN THEIR ROOMS AND NOT INTERFERE! IF ANYPONY IS CAUGHT HELPING THIS RENEGADE, THEY WILL FACE A PUNISHMENT GREATER THAN DEATH! BE WARNED: FLATFOOT IS CARRYING A RIFLE AND IS THOUGHT TO BE MENTALLY INSANE. ALL GUARDS ARE TO TAKE CAUTION WHEN APPROACHING HIM. BRING HIM TO THE O.S.’S OFFICE WHEN FOUND, BUT IF NECESSARY, YOU MAY SHOOT ON SIGHT! NOW FIND THAT STALLION!”

The speakers cut off, and the Stable seemed to go eerily quiet. But then, I heard the sound of hooves running along the metal floor. It was coming from everywhere, so the guards must have spread out fast.

“Well that’s just great. Now I have the entire security section hunting me down. So much for getting out of here silently,” I said.

Zest walked up to me and put a hoof on my shoulder, smiling. Under different circumstances, I might have blushed. “Don’t worry Flats; we’ll help you out. No pony tries to kill our friend and gets away with it.”

I wanted to smile, to say thank you for everything. But instead, I shook her hoof away and frowned. “Sorry Zest, but I have to do this alone. You heard the O.S.; anypony who is caught helping me will face extreme punishment. I don’t want that to happen to you, or anypony else.”

“So what, we’re just supposed to do nothing while you try and get out of this place,” asked Tapper.

“YES,” I screamed. I was wasting time, time in which the guards would be spreading out in the stable. If I wanted to get to the door, I’d have to move fast.

“Look, I have to bolt now or I’ll be caught.” I walked up to Zest and embraced her. “I’m….I’m sorry Zest. I’ll miss you, but I hope to see you again. Try not to do anything stupid okay,” I asked with a smile.

Zest sniffed and tried to smile to. “O….okay. But promise me you’ll come back alright!”

I giggled at the comment. Zest seemed to know just how to make me laugh. Even when I was in a life or death situation.

“Hey Flats, catch!”

I turned towards the bar just in time to see something flying towards me. I grabbed it in my hoof and examined it. It was a bottle of “Apple Arcs Top Notch Cider”, which the label said was over 150 years old!

“When you head outside, there’s going to be times you need to relax. Have this one on me, and show the outside just what a stable pony can do,” said Tapper from behind the bar.

I put the cider bottle in my bag, then walked up and held my hoof out to Tapper. “Thanks Tapper. I hope your bar doesn’t suffer from what I’m about to do.”

Tapper grabbed my hoof and gave it a firm shake. “My pleasure Flats. And don’t worry about me and my bar. If it does suffer, the I can always drown my sorrows in alcohol.”

I rolled my eyes at the thought, but figured he was only joking. At least I hoped he was only joking. But I pushed it aside, turned to the door, and breathed.

“Well, goodbye guys.”

And then I bolted out of the room and down the hallway towards the entrance.

***

I quickly got to the end of the hallway, but stopped before I turned a corner. My E.F.S was showing a red dot on the other side of the corner. I sneaked up to the bend and looked around at the other side.

The second hallway was shorter, and I could see the other end from where I was. A door sat on the opposite side of the hallway. A sign above the door described my destination: MAIN ENTRANCE.

But the I spotted what my red dot had been showing.

A guard was standing in front of the door, keeping an eye on the door and the hallway. He didn’t seem to notice me, so I must have been well hidden. He wore stand issue stable guard barding and helmet. A gun was holstered onto his leg, and was in easy range of unholstering. Since I didn’t see a horn on his head, he must have been an earth pony.

“Okay, I have to get past this guard if I want to get to the door. I really don’t want to shoot him, but I can’t just knock him out like I did the O.S.; he’s too far away. Come on Flatfoot, use your brain,” I thought. I ran through a few different options in my head, but it took me a minute to find a good one.

I moved round the corner and began walking towards the door. The guard turned around and jumped a little when he saw me. He instantly went for his gun and pulled it out of its holster. With lightning speed he pointed the end at me.

“Stop right where you are Flatfoot,” he called through a full mouth. His eyes looked fierce and his whole body wobbled. From nerves or adrenaline I had now idea. But I didn’t stop and kept on walking towards him.

“I SAID STOP, I’ll shoot if I have to,” he screamed.

I didn’t respond to his threats, and kept walking until I was a leg's length away from him. The barrel was so close to my head, if he shot I was dead. But I kept my cool and just smiled at him.

“Okay, I’ve stopped. So what are you going to do now,” I asked.

The stallion seemed a little confused about what I was doing. But he quickly put his fierce look back on. “I’m taking you to the Overstallion as instructed. You are in no position to refuse or resist.”

I raised an eyebrow questionably. “Am I? From what I’m seeing it’s your 9mm gun against my battle-saddle. I’m not an expert on guns, but I think a weapon like mine beats a weapon like yours every time.”

The guard looked down at the shotgun attached to my battle-saddle. His eyes grew wider, and his fierce demeanor soon began to dissolve.

“Where….where did you get that?” His voice became shaky, and so did the rest of his body.

“Doesn’t matter where I got it.” I could feel his confidence drain from him with every word I said. “What matters is that I got it. Now, do you feel lucky enough to go up against me with a toy like that?” I said, looking at his 9mm gun.

The stallion remained still for a moment, looking back and forth at our weapons. His pupils had gotten smaller, and his gun was now beginning to shake like the rest of him. Eventually, he lowered his gun back into his holster.

“No….no I don’t.”

“Good. Now I want you to get away from this area and not come back until further notice. If you see any guards on the way down, tell them the same thing. Failure to do so will result in painful injuries,” I said. I shifted my saddle a little just for emphasis.

The guard looked at me nervously before nodding. “yes, yes sir. I’ll, just, leave,” he said. He walked past me and down the hallway. I watched him until he disappeared around the corner with a flick of his tail.

“Wow, didn’t think that would work. But hey, I didn’t have to kill him, so that’s a bonus,” I said happily. I reached over the pressed the button on the wall. The door slip up and I walked into the entrance room.

I’d never been in there before, but it wasn’t exactly a classy room. The walls and floor were covered in rust. Old computers sat in a small side area to the left of me. Some rusty metal crates were stacked along the right wall, with a desk and terminal sitting in front of them.

A small section of stairs led to the lower area of the room. At the top of the stairs sat the door control pad. It looked fairly clean, but a few patches of rust coated the lower areas. Above the bottom of the stairs sat the door opening mechanism. It looked like a round tube with a pole sticking out of it. And at the other end of the room sat the large, cog-shaped, stable door.

“Wow, never thought I’d come into this room. Let alone come in here so that I could leave,” I said to myself.

I walked over to the stable door control panel. It seemed like a simple control panel; a keypad, a few blinking lights, and a small lever.

“Great description Flats. Good to know those years of working in maintenance have paid off,” I thought. But I shook those thoughts away and focused on the task at hoof.

I brought up my PipBuck and opened the fire containing the override code. According to the text, the code was “072574-LMF.”

I looked over the keypad and quickly typed in the passcode. Once I hit enter, a green light appeared above the small switch.

“Hopefully that means it worked. Guess I’m about to find out,” I said. I grabbed the lever with my hoof and pulled it down quickly.

BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP!

Alarms began ringing all around me. It wasn’t loud enough that I had to cover my ears, but I did grimace a little when it started up. I looked at the door and notice an orange warning light spinning above it.

Then the cylinder moved down, extending its pole into the stable door. Once it was in, it pulled back which brought the door with it. The screeching of metal against metal along with the siren was enough for me to cover my ears.

Once the door had been pulled out, it rolled to the right along a set of grooves. It tapped the wall and moved no more than that. I moved away from the panel and looked out beyond the door. All I could see was pitch black.

“Didn’t expect it to be so dark. Is the rest of the outside like this,” I wondered. “But it doesn’t matter. I can’t stay here, and out there was the one place I could go. Safety in the Stables doesn't apply to me anymore, or ever again. This is where my life changes.”

I walked down the stairs and began walking towards the open doorway. I stopped just before the entrance and looked at the blackness beyond. I hoped that my PipBuck light would be able to light my way.

“I know I have to leave….but….can I really do this?”

“Oh I believe you can do it Flatfoot.”

My head shot into the air before jerking around to look behind me. I hadn’t even noticed five ponies walking into the room.

Four were stable guards, each one a unicorn. They all had their guns drawn and pointing at me. The pony in the middle had two lumps on the side of his face and bandages covering his nose. He was giving me a death glare, and I knew why. I had just knocked his face up a while ago.

“Go ahead Flatfoot; leave the stable. Die outside along rather than in the comfort of your home. See how ponies react to your death being for nothing,” said the O.S.

“I’d rather die outside a free pony than die a slave to you in here,” I shot back. Anger overtook me again and what was left of my willpower was the only thing keeping me from shooting the bastard.

“You do realize that if you leave, you’d never be let back in. I’ll make sure the stable override code is changed and place guards at the entrance. You’d be stuck out there forever, and have nopony to help you. But it doesn’t have to be this way,” he said with a smug smile.

I looked at him questionably. “How so,” I asked.

“Well,” he started, waving a hoof in the air. “You could give yourself up right here and now. I’ll have the guards escort you to the sacrifice chamber and give you a choice. You can choose how you want to die. Knife, Gun, Hanging, you name it. Therefore the sacrifice is complete, and you get the satisfaction of choosing how you die. Everypony wins,” he said happily.

This stallion was fucking nuts. Everything that dealt with me ended in my dying. I really wanted to blast him with my gun, but then I’d have to deal with five high class unicorns and their guns. Guns were bad enough, but guns and spells were twenty times worse.

Well I wasn’t going to have it. Not this time, and not ever again.

“So I get to choose how I die?” I asked.

The O.S. smiled smugly. “Yes you do; anyway you want. Well, except maybe my explosives. We have to keep the chamber intact you see.”

“Alright then. I choose to die outside, ALONE!”

I turned away from the five and bolted out the stable door. I screeched to a stop a few feet outside and looked back. The guards still had their guns aimed at me, but they hadn’t fired at all.

The O.S. looked at me with disappointment in his face. He slowly shook his head. “Tsk, Tsk, Tsk. I had hoped it wouldn’t come to this Flatfoot. But it seems you’ve given me no choice.” He turned to the farthest guard on his right side. “Guard, shut the door.”

“Right away sir,” he said. The unicorn’s horn grew brighter, and the magic engulfed the control pad. The alarm bell rang out again as the stable door began to roll back into place. But the overstallion wasn’t done talking to me just yet.

“Know this Flatfoot: when you’re lying on the ground dying from Celestia knows what, remember that this is what you choose.”

And with that, Stable 11 door rolled into place, before sliding itself shut once more.

___________________________________________________

Flatfoot :

S.P.E.C.I.A.L

Strength: 8

Perception: 5

Endurance: 6

Charisma: 9

Intelligence: 6

Agility: 4

Luck: 8

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