Ponywalkers

Chapter 1

A Night To Escape Purgatory

The whirring of the generator could be heard through the wall as Kris added more chemicals to the battered paper cup on the scale. “I’m just saying there is no reason to start up number three.” Kris said to his older companion who sat paging through his kindle.

“Senior's order,” the first class replied. “Just drop in the FFT and align it, then you're good for the night I’ll turn over with the other section, No need to come back to the lab.”

“You know I will never disobey an order to quit work; besides, I think Yarborough wanted to lose a game or two tonight.”

“The SH?” asked his supervisor not looking up from the reader in his hands.

“Yeah I know he keeps building new decks.” Kris laughed as he turned and grabbed the polyethylene bottle from the metal countertop.  It was now full of Trisodium Phosphate “shit I’m gonna have to run to the main space and grab some hot water for this.”  Kris bent down and picked up his backpack he had stored at the beginning of his watch.

“Don’t worry just use the jug the filter can be lifted in three”  The petty officer said finally closing the cover to his kindle.  “I’m gonna check fuel levels, and here don’t forget the keys.”

“Thanks” Kriss said rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment after catching the keys “Almost forgot.”

“No problem but get some sleep tonight we have the late watch tomorrow, which means flight quarters.”

Kris regained his smug look “Don’t worry old man.  I don’t need it SLEEP IS FOR THE WEAK”  Kris unzipped the smallest pouch on his navy issued backpack reveal two cans of Monster energy drink.  “Five more in my locker and the ship store will still sell me two a day they haven’t cut me off since Dubai.”

“You’re gonna have a heart attack.”

“Not before you if you don’t quit getting so worked up” Kris laughed opening the watertight door. “Have a good night.”

As he ascended the ladder to the main deck of the floating hunk of steel that had become his purgatory for the last five months, Kris thought about what he would do when he touched back state-side.  Maybe Atlantis Comic and Games, he could grab a box or two of the new Magic set as a welcome home gift to himself.  If he got back on a weekend he could go to the clubs in Virginia Beach.  His 21st birthday had just occurred a few nights previously and he had had a quite bleak party as they drank soda and played cards.  He may just relax on base once more having access to decent wifi, play some video games, video chat with his buds back home.

His thoughts were interrupted as he rounded the corner that led to the Bev Line a small passageway(P-Way in case this term is used later) that ran alongside the crew’s mess.  “Hey ponyboy!” came a cheerful yell from the far end of the P-Way.  The voice had been Messer a culinary specialist onboard his ship walking off the mess decks with a laptop under his arm.  “Has your shadow found you yet?”

“Wilcox?  No Why?” Kris asked curiously looking at the laptop under Messer’s arm. “Another LAN party?”

“Yep Twenty-one and three” Messer said a grin spreading across his face

“I mean if I had a suitable laptop I’d wreck all of you.”  In truth Kris was horrible at first person shooters and hated the player base for most.

“Sure you would almighty gaming god” Messer gave an exaggerated bow to Kris.

“Rise my subject,” Kris said in the most proper voice he could muster playing along with the little charade “Now what were you saying about Wilcox?”

“Oh he was watching the door downstairs pretty intently figured he was waiting for you.  I asked him if he needed anything and he just kind of grunted.”

Wilcox was a Cryptotech onboard with the personality you expect of someone who is cooped up all day.  He was shy and couldn’t really talk to anyone but Kris without becoming a nervous wreck.  A result of the previous issue resulted in Kris becoming the kid’s only friend on the ship.

“Honestly I want him to be able to talk to other people to you know just help him.  I tried being an asshole get him to stop talking to me and leave him with no other option, I just don’t know what to do I can’t be that mean to him.” Kris said hoping Messer would have some level headed advice for him.

“I don’t know man but you need to find out in three…two…oooonnee.”  As Messer dragged out these last words he backed down the P-Way leaving Kris standing alone and defenseless to the incoming attack.

“Hey” Came the softest voice Kris had ever heard from behind.  “H-H-Have you had a ch-ch-chance to read anymore of th-that story I sent you.”  Little Willy Wilcox muttered.

“Naw man I told you I’m pretty busy.” Kris lied.  The truth is he had read it, and actually had quite enjoyed the fanfic that Wilcox had found and sent to his phone.  Kris would admit his adoration for the show and music the fans created but preferred to keep his reading of fanfiction a secret among most people.  “if you wanna chat you’re gonna have to walk with me bud.”

“Huh-Huh y-you have work to do?”

“Just gotta dump some chemicals In the boiler before they bring up the generator tonight.”  Kris’s life for the last five months had been to operate as an oil king onboard the warship ensure the movement of oil and the chemistry of the waste heat boilers remained constant and safe.  He continued on his way aft as the buzz in his ear droned on falling into the noises of ship’s equipment that he had learned to tune out, giving a small nod every now and then Wilcox became none the wiser of his subjects deafness.

As they passed the ships barbershop Kris stole a glance inside to see a balding man sitting across from his future opponent.  He made two more turns before finally coming to the aft most boiler room on the ship.  If the generator were running this space would be in the hundreds in terms of temperature but before they started it Kris could feels the cool ocean breeze blowing in from the open door to the fantail.  “Wait here a moment bud.” Kris said donning his hearing protection and stepped over the knee knocker into the space.  After adjusting a few valves He poured the contents of the bottle into the tank and aligned it for feed.  “well that’s that” He stepped out of the engineering compartment.

“So um I was just wondering if that invitation to join you at the convention in July was still up in the air?”  Wilcox asked looking from Kris to the ground then back up.

“Yeah man I told you if you wanna crash in our hotel room you can.  I should warn you though, “Kris continued as they walked back to the barbershop, “My buddy Cameron can get a little wild after a few drinks.”  Kris laughed at the idea of Wilcox going out to the clubs with them in Baltimore.  Imagine if he did what the sailor who joined him on the last trip did.  Though he wasn’t a Brony a third class in Kris’s old work center had joined him on the trip and while at a bar had signed them both up for a human auction.  Maybe that was what this kid needed just one good night out in town.

In truth Wilcox was no more than two years his younger but Kris couldn’t help but view him as a child due to his timid helpless nature.  “So what are you doing now?” the shy sailor asked.

“Onward to battle.” Kris yelled raising his hand as he rounded the final turn toward the barbershop.  Its incandescent white light spilled ibnto the P-way standing out from the red overhead lighting set throughout the ship at night.

“You have a game at this time of night?”

“I always have a game lined up, besides new deck” Kris smiled as he opened the door to the barbershop.  He shouldered his bag onto the small bench where personell could wait to have their hair grievously wounded by the unskilled barber.

“Hey ponyboy and shaky are here.” Said the balding man looking back as the door opened.  He was another turbine mechanic on the ship by the name of Gray, at the age of twenty-two the navy had taken it’s toll on him in the form of a receding hairline…very receding.  Turning back to the match at hand Gray laughed “So I swing in with nighthawk, any blockers in response?”

“How can I you killed them,” came Yarborough's depressed response from the far side of the table.  “I’m down to six.”

“Ok them I’m gonna hit you with a bump in the night and a bolt of-“ Before Gray could finish Yarborough was reaching for his cards

“I scoop” Yarborough said “Your next bro” he said looking at Kris “The next time I see those vamps I’m gonna off myself.”

Gray stepped aside gesturing for Kris to take his spot. “So how you doing t-t-t-t-t-tonight Wilcox” Gray mocked laughing.

Kris opened his bag and reached in pulling a twenty-sided die, a mat, and a grocery back that had been wrapped around the contents it held.  He spread the mat across the counter and reached inside the grocery bag pulling out a stack of cards which bore green sleeves and set them in the upper right corner of his mat, on top of a picture of Princess Luna Wings spread back.

“Is that princess flutterfuck?” Yarborough laughed as Kris began spreading the deck into eight piles to shuffle its contents.

“Laugh while you can I’m about to drop three megatons of love and tolerance on your ass” Kris said not looking up from his cards.

“You know green isn’t your color.”

“Why is that? Is it because first place gets a golden trophy and all the loser gets is a golden shower?” Kris asked putting his deck in the middle of the table to be cut.

“Roll I got eighteen” Yarborough said as he drew a hand of seven cards.  Kris rolled the die watching a 9 land face up “I’ll take the play” Yarborough laid down a cards on the side of his field closest to him which bore a blue and green textbox.

“Guildgates? No my only weakness.” Kris smirked grabbing his chest in fake pain.  “My go?”

“Fuck your sarcasm take your turn”  The match ended rather abruptly as Kris drew and laid down a forest followed by a elf to help him gain an early game life advantage.  Yarborough didin’t do much except place down lands throughout the early turns making Kris’s turn three attack for fifteen of his 20 life made Yarborough quit rather quickly.

“You won’t win if you keep giving up.” Kris explained

“You would have annihilated me next turn I was at five” Yarborough sighed “I don’t know why this didn’t work, I’m out guys I have work tomorrow.”

“We all do” Kris pleaded “come on one more game.”

Gray finally spoke up “Kris haven’t you been up for like twenty-four hours?”

“Twenty-eight-ish, why?”  Kris replied.

“Man go rack out you need to sleep besides I’m out too.” Gray said opening the door before looking back as Kris looked at Wilcox and held up a deck of cards. “Kris come on.”

“Yeah fine” the walk to berthing was quick and Gray made sure he didn’t wander off on the hunt for more games.  After a quick shower to wash the fuel and sweat from his body Kris climbed up to the third rack on the right side of the cube.  As he stepped onto the bar he saw a bible postioned on the rack below his.  His full name was Kristian but he had shortened it after a falling out with religion a year previously.

Kris rested his head on his all to comfortable navy issued brick of a pillow, the three stuffed animals that resided on his rack held tightly to his chest.  The hardness of the pillow did nothing to hold off the seductive siren call of sleep as his eyes drifted closed staring at a poster of the cutie mark crusaders, a memento from the previous year’s trip to BronyCon.

Kris opened his eyes to a blinding light. “Hey man turn that shit off they haven’t even played reveille yet,” he called to the unknown switch flipper.  He moved his arm to cover his face from the light, as he neared his appendage to its desired location he was stricken by the sight of smooth tan fur coating his arm.  Startled he threw himself back finding he was no longer in his small rack as he landed squarely upon his haunches.  Wait haunches?  How had he gotten on land? How had daylight come? And what had happened to his body?