Fallout Equestria: Sin and Sacrifice

Sin and Sacrifice

Chapter 2: Wasteland Shuffle

“Something tells me everything is not going to be fine.”

Chrome was buffeted by the wind and sand as he stood in the entrance to a cave. Outside, a sandstorm screamed across the wasteland with the fury of a banshee, cloaking the land in darkness and cacophony. He shook his head and turned back into the cave he had taken shelter in with his companions.

“How’s it looking out there?” Sand Star asked Chrome when he rounded the corner as she worked to heat up some rations with a makeshift cooker. “Still as inviting as it was when it started three hours ago?”

“Quite,” he began as he shook a layer of sand off of his body. “Any nicer, and I might have to call it a crime.”

Sand Star let out a small chuckle as she waved Chrome inside. “Guess that means we better settle in for the time being.” She sniffed at the rations and then nodded before taking them off the cooker. “Hey big guy, you hungry?” she asked.

Deuce was silent, keeping his eye on the unconscious Tig. The earth pony was breathing hard and covered in sweat.

Sand Star spoke up again. “Look, the wound was cauterized the moment it was hit, and that bandage has enough healing magic to keep her from getting an infection for the moment.”

“And you need to eat something to keep your strength up,” Chrome began, catching his attention. “You carried her all the way here, and I appreciate it. But you won’t be useful to anypony if you collapse from exhaustion. Now eat, that’s an order.”

Deuce glared at him for a moment before grudgingly taking a bowl from Sand Star with his magic. He looked at the food and his face cringed at the white mush in front of him. “What is this?”

“Cram mixed with potato rations. ‘Bout the only way to eat the former without killing your taste buds,” Sand Star said as she took a bite.

The unicorn looked at her warily, and then to his friend. Chrome gave a silent nod and the two took a bite at the same time. Chrome was certain that some of his taste buds had just died a horrible death, despite Sand Star’s claim.

Deuce was far more vocal. “What in the name of Celestia are you trying to do, kill us?!”

The earth pony shrugged. “Didn’t say it tasted great. Just makes it bearable, and it's about as healthy as we are gonna get on the front li-well, out here anyway.”

Chrome took a drink from his canteen to wash down the atrocity to all things tasty. “I appreciate you coming along with us, Sand Star,” he said, trying to distract himself from the ‘meal’.

She casually waved a hoof. “No worries. While I wager two elite soldiers armed with batons could probably handle themselves, you’re a team member down. I’m a medical pony before anything else, and you had the most hurt team member of the bunch.”

Chrome smirked. “The others threw a fuss though when you decided to come with us.”

“I may have held the highest rank, but I’m lousy leading with this outdoor survival business. My second, Corporal Cloud Spear, will do a much better job getting the others to Bunkerville than me. That leaves me free to keep your friend healthy until we find this supply stash of yours. But I gotta say...” She turned around and surveyed the cave and stealthily changed the subject. “You did good finding this place.”

The cave had been converted into a living area by some long gone ponies. Simple tables and other makeshift furniture dotted the cave in a somewhat haphazard style, with an array of junk lying around. While most had little value, they had found a saddle bag filled with canned food and bottled water, which really helped their meager supplies.

“Chrome did always have good eyes,” Deuce said as he looked over to them. “Saved our hides more than a few times during the war.”

“So it seems. Speaking of...” Star went over to the workbench and picked up an old looking rifle. “This varmint rifle was in rough shape, but I managed to get it working for ya, Chrome. Better than nothing in any case, and I sorted the ammo for it as well. Now neither will explode when you fire.”

Chrome took the weapon in his magic and inspected it. When it had first been found, he had written it off as a lost cause with its broken stock, rusted barrel, cracked scope, and missing trigger. The earth pony had refused to give up on it and had been working on it not long after they had found the cave. It was cleaned up and actually useable now, though still a far-cry from the finely tuned machines Chrome was used to. Still, he decided it was better than nothing as he levitated a makeshift holster the mare had also made, along with the ammo that had been set aside.

“Thanks,” he said, getting used to the weight and feel of the new items as he placed them into his security barding and saddle bag. “So you’re a medic and a mechanic?”

“I just do a lot of saving. Mostly it's lives, but saving useful machines is also-” The wind howled again, causing them to turn towards the entrance. “Ugh, that sound is creepy. Maybe we can put up a makeshift door or something, like the one we knocked over when we found this place? Might cut the sound down a bit.”

“Perhaps…” Chrome nodded as his attention turned to the back of the cave.

The back of the cave had a smaller passage that Chrome guessed went deeper inside, but it had been blocked off by a heavy piece of metal, and there had even been some barricades put up for defense. When the group had first come in they thought about exploring deeper but decided that they best avoid the area for the time being and secure their immediate surroundings. He walked up to the barricade and peered through a gap into the darkness.

“You’re thinking about it,” Deuce said from behind him.

“That I am,” he replied.

“There might be some horrible monster back there. I’m sure the ponies that used to live here didn’t leave willingly, or put up that barricade without reason. Besides, we have no reason to explore it.”

“I’d rather ensure that our flank is secure, and there could be something useful for Tig,” Chrome said firmly with a tap of his hoof.

“You can’t be serious,” Sand Star said as she approached, having heard enough of the conversation.

“He certainly is.” Deuce shook his head with a sigh. “When Chrome sets out to do something, there’s no convincing him otherwise.”

“Sand Star, how long do you think Tig can last as she is now?” Chrome suddenly asked.

The mare’s eyes went wide for a moment before she lowered her voice to a whisper. “At best? Maybe five days.”

The group lay in silence for a time, Chrome looking about as he thought over the grim chances before them. It was during an idle examination of the ceiling that he noticed something odd.

“Look there.” He pointed.

The others looked at the cave wall he pointed at and realized that there were thick black cables running through it.

“There is something down there. I have a hunch that it’s some kind of mine, if not better, and those places usually have some decent medical supplies. Besides...” Chrome looked at them with a smile. “My hunches are wrong only twenty three percent of the time.”

“Twenty three?” Sand Star asked with a cocked head.

“Don’t ask,” Deuce responded.

Chrome gathered up his weapons and supplies while Deuce and Sand Star pulled back a section of barricade large enough for the unicorn to slip through. Using his magic to hold an old empty oil lantern stuffed with some glowing mushrooms the group had found, Chrome squeezed through the opening, stopping to hold the light and scan the area in front of him. When he was satisfied there were no threats, he moved forward into the tunnel and turned to look at Deuce.

“If I'm not back in fifteen minutes, just wait longer.”

“Har har. What are your actual orders?” his friend asked in a deadpan manner.

“Wait until the storm clears, and move out within one hour after that. Do not come looking for me.”

“Understood,” his friend said as he moved the barricade back into place.

Taking a deep breath, Chrome moved down the tunnel. He passed a few empty alcoves littered with old mining equipment before the path started to slope downward and eventually opened up into a large, dark cavern.

“Well, let’s see if the ol’ magic’s back up and running.”

With a little bit of focus, his horn lit up with a bright glow, overpowering the softer light of the lantern. Eventually he arrived in another alcove, though it was far from empty. Inside was a large generator from which additional wires ran along the roof of the tunnel and past a metal door. Curiosity got the better of him, and after a quick examination he found that the spark battery was missing.

“Well that's inconvenient,” he mumbled.

He was now more convinced that something useful was behind that door, though couldn't help but wonder at why it was there in the first place. Still, it looked military grade, and it was the best lead he had to helping Tig. Just as he was ready to head back up and report his findings, something caught his eye. There were a few rocks in the corner of the cave that, to most, would look like a pile of rubble. But there was something slightly off about the placement and coloration.

“Can’t hide from me that easily…”

Clearing away the rubble, he found an emergency storage locker which was also military grade. He opened it with a smile, but his enthusiasm quickly deflated like a popped balloon. From what he could tell, it had once held a hazmat suit and other basic gear, but it was largely empty of anything useful. Rusted tools, pieces to a magic pistol, twenty drained spark batteries with just one surviving spark plug, useless potions and - he went back to the spark battery and realized it did have power.

“Well, looks like luck hasn't abandoned me yet.” With the battery in tow, he returned to the generator and placed it in the designated slot. The generator began to whir softly and the lights flickered back to life one by one.

He placed the lantern down and readied the varmint rifle as he approached the door. There were no determinable markings on the door, but there was also no knob or handle; hell, there were no visible switches or buttons for it either. For many, they would have given up right there and then, but Chrome knew better. He went to the sides of the wall near the door and began tapping them with his hoof. After a few moments he discovered a small section that was hollow. With a smirk he uncovered the fake rock to see a terminal flicker to life, but that smirk quickly disappeared when he saw the lettering on it.

“Zebra writing…” he murmured.

Questions began flying through his mind faster than Rainbow Dash at a race, but a deep breath calmed his mind as logic kicked in. Whatever the reason this was here, it was highly unlikely that any Zebras remained if the cave entrance was any indication. Taking a seat, he tapped on a few keys, recalling what he could of the zebra that he had learned so long ago. After a bit of trial and error he began to recall enough to find what he was looking for.

“Well, let’s hope Tig’s crash course in hacking worked.”

After some typing he located a hidden menu that brought up a list of letters and symbols on the screen. After some additional trial and error that required him to back out of the screen to avoid being locked out, he found the correct password and the terminal brought him to a simple command prompt.

‘Door Control. Current status: Closed’.

Switching it to ‘Open’ he heard the stirring of a mechanism to his right, leading to the door sliding back and to the left into a slot set into the cave wall.

“Open sesa...me?” Chrome’s jaw dropped at what he saw after stepping through the door.

The facility was near state of the art, resembling the entrance to a stable, albeit more akin to the prototype stable that had been on display at StableTec HQ back in Canterlot. Given his own stable’s design, whomever had built this facility had been working off outdated references.

“Well then, let’s see what there is to see.”

The left lobby door was sealed tight, possibly due to some kind of facility lockdown. The second door to the right led to a supply closet filled with an assortment of items, but none that were immediately useful. The third, however, seemed to be more promising as it led to a hallway. A body laid in the middle of the floor, though Chrome couldn’t make it out in the dim lighting. However, the smell was enough to tell him that it had been there for some time. His hoofsteps echoed as he entered the hallway, and the body stirred. His training kicked in and he pointed the weapon at the body, watching it carefully. It stirred again, and for the briefest moment he wondered if it was about to get up somehow. A low screech came from the body as it was shoved to the side, revealing a horribly ugly and giant cockroach.

“What in Celestia?!” Chrome said in surprise, and for a moment he was too shocked to pull the trigger. The idea that an insect the size of a small dog was something right out of a nightmare.

Chrome finally remembered himself as it screeched and he took aim with the rifle as the bug charged forward. A single shot later and the thing’s head exploded in a gorey mist as its body fell limp. He noticed that the sound of the weapon was near muffled, which was perfect for him. Chrome held his position and kept his weapon aimed, and was rewarded for his patience when three more came skittering down the hallway, with the lead one being even bigger than the others. Near pony-sized, in fact.

Keeping calm, he ended one of the smaller roaches again with a single shot. He then fired two shots into the larger one, and when the thing only flinched rather then die outright, he fired his last bullet at its leg, slowing it down. He quickly reloaded and fired another round into the closer roach, ending it before it could reach him. He fired two more rounds at the large one and blew off its second front leg.

Letting out an angry screech, the thing unfurled its wings and lunged at him; but he skillfully moved out of the way, switching to his baton and smashing the thing’s face. The creature wretched in pain but lunged again at Chrome, only for the security armor to stop its attack. The unicorn responded with another heavy swing that finally struck home as a terrible crunch sound echoed in the hallway. Seeing that it wasn't moving, Chrome switched back to his rifle and checked to make sure no other hostile targets were coming. After about two minutes with nothing else charging forward, he lowered his weapon.

“Ugly buggers…” he said to himself as he inspected the hardy insect to make sure it was dead.

He smashed it again for good measure, and was rewarded as something clattered to the ground from where he had struck. Curious, he lifted up the item with his magic which was already burning away any bug icor on it, and his mind came to a stop.

“No way…” Chrome said in disbelief as he looked closer.

He held a fancy kukri in a scabbard with an ornate jewel, a moonstone shaped like a crescent moon, with the design around it in the form of a deep shadow that he recognized all too well.

It was the cutie mark of Princess Luna.

He just stood there as he stared at the scabbard for a time before slowly drawing out the blade itself. The angled blade seemed to echo through the hallway as it was drawn, revealing the blade to be made of the highest quality steel, with ornate etching along the spine and Luna’s cutie mark stamped above the notches at the base of the blade. Despite the lack of a fuller, the groove that trimmed weight off of a blade, it was exceptionally light. The handle looked to have been fashioned of ash capped with a silver ferrule. When he held it in his magic he felt it interact with magic that was already present on the blade, indicating it was enchanted.

He then looked back at the giant bug he had just killed. “Why in the princess’ name did you have this?!”

He shook his head at the whole thing and turned to the first body he had seen. It looked to be a pony, one that had been here for some time, and thanks to what he guessed was the bugs’ handiwork, it was near impossible to determine what had originally killed it. Whatever armor and items it once may have had were little more than torn bits of scrap.

Chrome looked down at the dead pony and back at the blade. “I wonder if you were the one who had this?”

Such a rare find deserved far better than to waste away in some hole in the ground, so he placed it in his saddle bag and pushed forward.

The hallway came out into a large atrium which, after crushing three more of the giant roaches, he was able to inspect. To the left the roof had collapsed, possibly from actual explosions, making anything past that point inaccessible. Straight ahead was a door that led into what looked to be a cafeteria. To his right was another door with a sign that read ‘Living Quarters/Clinic.’ He couldn’t help but notice that the doors had red lights flashing above them, suggesting that they were all locked.

In lieu of a second level walkway that a normal stable would have had, there was a single staircase that led to another door with a large window set into the wall beside it. While the place didn’t follow the normal rule of a stable, he figured that had to be the closest thing to the Overpony’s office. As he approached, he found another pony body that looked shredded apart, with two other bodies that looked… wrong. The bodies looked more withered than rotted, and the insects had largely left them alone. To a casual observer, they looked pony shaped, but for Chrome, he quickly recognized what they were.

“Zebras…” he whispered to himself, confirming his fears from earlier. “Central Command will need to be-”

He stopped mid sentence and shook his head. There was no Central Command, and from what he could tell, no Equestria left. He and his fellow soldiers had fought and died for years to bring peace to Equestria, hoping to bring back the simple life of the old days. Instead, their faith and service had been rewarded with the destruction of everything they had fought for. Did that mean the zebras had won? Had Equestria been able to strike back at all? Or was the world now controlled by zebras who had twisted surviving ponies to serving them?

“What the hell was the point of all that fighting? What was the point of all that destruction? Why did Mako have to die?” Chrome looked down at the zebra with a cold rage. “Because of you, because your kind. If not for you…” He lifted his hoof to crush the dead zebra’s skull.

‘Stop blaming zebras for everything!’ A mare's voice echoed in his head.

Chrome stopped mere inches from the thing, his hoof shaking badly. Slowly he lifted his hoof away and took a step back. The words echoed in his mind again, and he couldn’t shake them away.

They were the last words his sister had said to him.

Chrome shook the thoughts from his mind and looked down at the zebra again. There was no equipment or anything that would identify it, and nothing yet to point out why they were even here. He had suspicions, but without proof he didn't want to jump to any more conclusions. Instead, he moved to the hallway door that should lead to the clinic, only to find that it was locked.

“Of course it wouldn’t be that easy,” he muttered.

Carefully avoiding the bodies, he climbed up the main staircase to reach the Command Center. Another of the strange zebra bodies were on the top of the steps, along with another long-dead pony. It raised a number of questions of what had happened, but for now he did his best to keep his focus on the objective at hoof. Luckily the door leading to the Command Center was unlocked and opened easily. The inside was little better than the rest of the facility, however. The room was filled with a number of old desks, personal storage boxes, and terminals that had seen better days.

“Well, let’s see what there is to find.”

Chrome rummaged through the desks and storage lockers, but found little of worth. A few bobby pins, a magazine about housing designs, a box of (surprisingly) edible sugar bombs, and duct tape. There were also a small number of bottle caps in each of the drawers, which he ignored.

Strangely enough, after about the third or fourth instance of ignoring the caps, he thought he heard an exasperated voice saying ‘Oh, for pity's sake.’

However, a thorough search of the room told him there was nopony else around, though it did reveal a small armory in a corner of the room. It was mostly cleared, save for some ammo for both his weapon and some 10mm ammo. He quickly stuffed the bullets into his saddle bag before finally turning to the terminals themselves. The first terminal he approached had an audio file labeled ‘Legate’s Report.’ He didn’t like the name one bit, but he opened and played the first file while moving to the second terminal to try and find the lock-down release.

“Day 1, Legate Thade reporting. With the help of our Equestrian supporters and the efforts of our forward spy Jabri, we have been able to convert this old mining complex into a forward observation post for our operations in the heartland of the Nightmare heretics. We had to kill those that helped us build this place, but it was for a worthy goal, and their sacrifice will be remembered among the countless others when Nightmare Moon and her cabal of heathens are defeated. Our supporters helped fabricate a reason for them going missing, so there should be no worries of investigations. We are going to send out scouts to attempt to observe the nearby San Palomino Military Installation and this supposed ‘Stable 111’ that is under construction to the south. We are being accompanied by the renowned Dr. Zaius on this mission, who hopes that we can learn from any captured pony technology we can obtain. With luck, we shall be able to gain information that will keep us one step ahead of the heretics. Legate Thade, signing off.”

It took every ounce of self control Chrome had to keep him from smashing the computer terminals or screaming in rage. The idea that ponies had actually assisted the zebras in infiltrating Equestria was mind blowing, but the fact that those same ponies helped cover up the deaths of their fellows? Even if they too were traitors, it was completely unacceptable. He forced himself to calm down as he found what he guessed was the main terminal for the stable. Problem was, that it was locked. As he pulled up the work around he used before, Chrome realized that this would be much more difficult than before. He glanced at the logs again and shook his head.

“I’m going to regret this, aren't I?” he asked himself as he activated another log so he wouldn't have to work in silence.

“Day 35, Legate Thade reporting. We have learned that Equestria is preparing for a ‘worst case scenario’ in which they foolishly believe we would actually resort to weapons of mass destruction to win the war. Truly they do not understand zebras at all, but this means that many of their resources will be wasted in the creation of these ‘stables’. We have also learned that Stable 111 is to be equipped with ‘cryogenics’ pods, devices that can keep one alive and unaging via stasis until they are revived. Originally it was intended to house only civilians, but thanks to our supporters in the upper levels of the EJDF and the Ministry of Wartime Technology, a number of effective military units have been selected to be moved off the front lines and placed in stasis. This should prevent a number of zebra casualties once the stable is put into use, thus making it easier to battle the heathens. To hide the facts, military reports will officially list them as re-assigned for a secret Stable-Tec project.’

“What?” Chrome said in surprise. He stopped his attempts with the terminal and stared at the message recorder. “We were saved because of spies and zebra convenience?”

The recorder ignored his question as it continued.

‘On a more personal note, I must admit that I thought the ponies that supported us were little more than greedy fools who only wished for profit. Instead, they have proven themselves exceptional allies time and time again. Special mention must go to Agent Sundrop, without whose help we would never have come this far. She truly shares our vision and realize that Nightmare Moon is a threat that can’t be ignored. Legate Thade, signing off.”

“Save Tig first, worry about implications later,” he said to himself several times, forcing his focus back to the terminal.

However, his efforts were less than successful and he had to back out and allow the system time to refresh. While he waited he once again scrolled through the messages. There were many still in the system, but he skipped through the list until he found one dated a day after the bombs fell, though it wasn’t the last recorded message.

“We really did it… we destroyed it all. Our blind devotion to our cause has been our undoing. We claimed that the ponies were heathens for following Nightmare Moon. That she, along with those who allied with her, were cursed by the stars above and would bring only ruin and despair. Yet, how can this be true, when we zebras were the ones that chose the path of destruction? The scientists back home took a tool of healing and perverted it into something terrible. A final gamble, if the world was close to falling to darkness. Yet, Caesar fired the Megaspell Warheads while the day of reckoning was still far off. He used our spotters to help guide the missiles to their targets within the San Palomino area under the false belief that they were simply tactical missiles to disable one of their damned cloudships and to encourage the activation of Stable 111.’

“You killed ponies that helped you without a second thought, yet you’re surprised that you were disposable as well?” Chrome let out a chuckle as he attempted another hacking attempt, though there was no joy behind it as the message continued.

‘Now the land is becoming an irradiated wasteland that is hostile to all life. The weather, which the ponies had kept in check through their magic, now rages across the land in the form of dangerous radiation storms. Worse still, it turns out that we have not been protected, as many of my soldiers have fallen sick due to our water supply from the local reservoir becoming contaminated by the magical fallout. There are not enough anti-radiation supplies left to properly treat all of them, and the auto-doc doesn’t have the capacity to create the amount we need.’

Chrome finally felt some relief even as the system errored out again. The auto-doc was a wonder of medical science that allowed even barely skilled physicians to accomplish even the most complicated of medical procedures with ease. The fact that it also had the ability to replicate healing potions and other medicines made it even more useful. If it still functioned, Tig’s life would no longer be in danger. The message was not yet finished however.

‘We simply weren't prepared for this eventuality that the ponies so feared. The external sensors and video feeds went down hours ago in one of the storms, so there is no telling what other hell has been happening outside. The only hypothesis Dr. Zaius can offer as to what awaits those who have left into the unknown is ‘their destiny’; I fear that the radiation poisoning is starting to affect his mind.’

There was a long pause, and for a moment Chrome thought the recording had ended. The Legate then spoke up again, his voice soft and quiet.

‘Personal note. I received a message from Agent Sundrop. She survived the initial attack and begged for us to come rescue her. But before the message could end, she was discovered and… she was… it’s too terrible for words. For everything she did for us, for what she meant to me…’

Chrome heard the Legate begin crying for a moment before the recording ended. A small part of him wondered when the zebra had begun to care for the traitor, but he didn’t have the time nor did he care to find out. Instead he activated the last message as the system became available for another hack attempt.

‘Truly we are all being punished for our folly. While some of my brothers and sisters in arms have succumbed to the radiation, others have turned into mindless monsters, akin to the ghoulish zombies from those old pony horror movies. I foolishly allowed Dr Zaius to isolate them rather than kill them, and now he has become a deranged maniac. He somehow controls, or perhaps guides, the ghouls against his former kin, and they are far stronger and tougher than what they were in life. They took the medical ward immediately, and the armory path has been collapsed. To contain them, I have locked down the facility, though I doom what few survivors that were left. Fifty three souls were entrusted to my command, and now I am the only survivor.’

Chrome finally felt some vindication for his effort. It wasn’t much, but he now had some confirmation that the medical ward had still been well stocked.

‘My only consolation is that the spy, Jabari, reported in. He still lives, and both he and the pony he mated with have begun gathering the survivors into a refugee camp in the north. While this feels dishonorable, I have no choice but to abandon those that once followed me and infiltrate the camp as a refugee. I can’t change what has been done this day, but perhaps… I can help those that survived, both ponies and zebras. But to you back home. The Senate. Caesar. If you hear this message, then listen to this well. You have not won the war with this act, you have destroyed us all. Damn you, damn you all to the Stars. This is Legate… no. This is Thade, signing off for the last time.”

Chrome was dumbfounded for a moment at the last message. While most of the Equestrian zebras turned against Caesar, it was the first time he had heard any other zebra, especially a Legate, actually speak ill of him.

A dark part of him was also happy that at least he was forced to watch his companions become monsters as a small penance for his crimes.

He quickly stomped the thought down. Nopony, or anyone else, should ever have to go through such a thing. As he did so, a ding from the terminal signaled that he had finally gotten through the security.

‘Lockdown in effect. Lockdown has been active for ten (10) years. Release?’

Chrome looked at the number for a moment before remembering the dead ponies he had come across. “So, I wasn’t the first to come through here.”

He pondered for a moment about turning back, but his memory quickly went back to Tig and what Sand Star had said. Danger be damned, he had a friend to save.

‘Release Confirmed.’

Releasing the lock-down, the screen showed that all areas were now accessible, minus those that were buried under debris. Security systems also came online, with alarms going off indicating hostiles within the facility. Another warning flashed that only three of the ten turrets were still functional, and that only one of the four protectrons were still in their pods. The turrets were off-line, and Chrome found he could only turn them on to ‘hostile all’ or ‘off’.

‘Why run risks when you can get others, especially robots, to do it for you?’ Tig’s voice whispered in his mind.

Shrugging, he flicked it on and watched the screen. Within a few moments, the number dropped to a single turret still online.

“Well. There are terrifying, dangerous things still running around here. Great.” He said the last word with sarcasm.

The protectron had a preset personality, with the ability to change it back to a default setting. Deciding that a zebra programmed bot would be less than helpful, he looked at his options. Flicking through the settings, he chose ‘Law Enforcement’ and set it to activate. ‘

‘Error, issue with Protectron Pod. Please contact maintenance.’

He rolled his eyes, and as he did so, he noticed movement in the atrium.

Looking out from the unshuttered window, he focused and immediately saw another of the dog-sized cockroaches again as it skittered about. Suddenly two of its legs snapped off as it was lifted into the air and shaken viciously as icor sprayed about. It was then slammed into the ground before something seemed to eat it. Trouble was, he couldn’t see what was attacking it.
“Well. That’s something,” he muttered to himself.
He turned to sneak out of the Command Center when a warning flash appeared on the terminal. Checking, he found that there was an error with the protectron’s pod opening and needed maintenance. He rolled his eyes in annoyance before returning to the task at hoof. Creeping out into the atrium, he carefully leveled his varmint rifle towards the dead bug and focused his eyes. He caught sight of a faint shimmer and fired his weapon.

The sound of metal striking glass echoed through the atrium as the shimmer now came into focus. The being in question seemed equine shaped, though its features were covered by the full body cloak.

“Now listen up. I’ve dealt with those damn cloaks plenty of times, and I could easily have shot your eye out. Now, stand down and we can discuss this equine-like,” Chrome said with confidence, choosing to omit the fact he had been aiming for the head. He also chose to not mention the fact that he had struck the gem that empowered the invisibility had also been a happy accident.

The being turned and looked right at Chrome, and what he saw surprised him more than the giant bug. It was one of the same zebra bodies as before, looking rotted and worn, but this one's dead eyes had a crazed look about them. Best part, it was now fixated on the pony. Chrome realized that this must have been one of the ‘ghouls’ Thade had mentioned in his last message. Which meant they had somehow survived all this time.

Chrome quickly fired and three bullets landed in the thing’s head, which in most cases would have killed any un-armored opponent. The zebra was utterly unaffected as it charged up the stairs, letting out a deep and guttural yell as it opened its still icor-covered mouth, revealing rows of rotten and edged teeth.

“Ah hell!” He dropped his rifle and quickly switched to the baton and swung it with all of his magical strength.

He felt as though he had smashed a wall, an angry wall with an inpony appetite. The blow did knock the thing off course, so instead of biting his throat, the ghoul slammed him instead. Even with the security barding, he felt the blow quite keenly and nearly lost his balance. The creature turned to take another bite out of him, only for Chrome to shove the baton right into its mouth. It backed up, gagging as its focus was suddenly getting something out of its mouth.

“Chew on that, you ugly bastard.”

It responded by glaring at Chrome, and with a single powerful bite it snapped the baton and swallowed the rest of it.

“Well, that’s some shit.” He backed up into the Command Center as the creature charged at him again.

Chrome ducked and lowered his shoulder. It hit hard enough for him to feel it, but he was able to keep his rear hooves planted as he wrapped his forehooves around the creature and lifted it up and over himself, bringing it crashing down onto the table behind him. Quickly, he scrambled to his hooves to avoid the creature’s gnashing teeth and flailing hooves.

“That seems so much easier when Deuce does it.” He staggered to his hooves.

He reached out with his magic to find something, anything, to use as a weapon. He then felt the magic grip onto something, and for the briefest of moments, he hesitated. He looked into the blank eyes of the creature that was utterly intent on killing him.

“Luna forgive me,” he said softly as he drew the kukri and held it at the ready. The creature charged, and Chrome took a low step to the left and swung the blade high.

Ichor sprayed from the creature’s body as its head was separated from its body with one clean, easy swipe. As the creature twitched on the ground, Chrome looked at the kukri, which was dissolving the ichor and skin that had touched it in a hiss of steam. Within moments it looked just as pristine as when Chrome had first found it.

He held it up to the light and turned it in his magical grasp. “Thank you, Luna. I owe you my life.”

He hilted the blade and looked down at the zebra, and found that it resembled the other zebra bodies he had found. ‘Ghoul’ was definitely the best description that they could be given, and the fact there could be more with invisibility cloaks like this one put him on edge as it was. He would have to step up his game to survive.

Chrome crept up to the door and peered out into the atrium, but didn’t see anything else moving from an initial glance. Picking up a stapler, he aimed for the middle of the room and gave it a toss. His ears and eyes scanned the room carefully as he looked down the scope of his rifle as the stapler clattered on the ground. There was no movement, and more importantly, no shimmers of cloaks. The coast seemed clear for the moment, so he made his way down the stairs and entered the cafeteria after recovering the stapler. While he wanted to hurry to the medical bay, he needed to do sweeps to ensure hostiles wouldn’t outflank him.

The door quietly slid open and he looked around and saw no movement. He switched back to the kukri for close quarters combat before moving in. The stench of rotting flesh assaulted him anew, and it didn't take long to find the source. Another decade old dead pony, surrounded by more of the ghouls with plenty of empty shell casings nearby. He started to approach, only to hear the sounds of feral growling. Two of the things were starting to stand up from different locations, though with speed and precision he struck both of them down with the blade. As with the first ghoul, their hides offered no protection against the kurkuri’s magical enhancements, though he also noted that he cut through them far easier than his first opponent. He also decided he would need to give the weapon a decent name at some point.

Pushing the thought aside for the moment, he checked to ensure no more hostiles were in the cafeteria before pondering his next move. Conventionally he would push for the original objective and not stop for anything else, especially with a friend and comrade on the line.

“But this world isn’t like the one I came from, is it?” he asked out loud, in part to speak his mind and another to potentially draw out any other attacker.

When nothing appeared, he relaxed and did a quick check for anything he could immediately use. Anything else would simply have to be acquired later. The unfortunate pony had been devoured, with both weapon and armor ripped to shreds, but this time around the pony’s saddle bags hadn’t been ransacked. Ammo for the pony’s assault rifle, two grenades, and a hoof full of bottle caps which he again ignored. But the most interesting thing he found was a well-kept book with the title Wasteland Survival Guide.

He stared at the book for several long moments before shaking his head as he placed it in his saddle bag. “This is going to be a long ride isn’t it?”

Leaving the cafeteria, he did another sweep of the atrium before moving to the medical wing door. He pushed the button on the wall, causing the door to slide open with a sound that was frankly too loud for Chrome’s liking.

He stepped through the door and found himself in a hallway with stairs that led downwards, emergency lights that occasionally flickered on and off lining the hall. He took a single step forward when he heard the familiar sound of a turret gun firing. He instinctively crouched low and looked around, only to realize that the sound was much too far away to be a threat to him. He continued along the hallway and eased his way down the stairs, ducking behind an overturned gurney at the bottom. He peeked over to see the turret hanging motionless at the end of the small hallway. Lying beneath it were three ghouls, with an additional two ghoul bodies in the middle of the hall over a fourth pony body.

“Well that’s inconvenient,” he whispered to himself.

He pondered on going back to the main hall to disable the turret, but decided that leaving it active might be useful if any more of the zombie things were still alive. It would additionally be a good opportunity to test his abilities to see if he was back up to speed. Taking a deep breath, and placing the kurkuri in his saddle bag, he began to slowly creep across the hallway. The low lights made it easier than it would have normally been to sneak past the gun, and soon enough he was at the medical lab. He gagged reflexively as a rush of air slammed into him with an overwhelming smell of death and rot as he launched himself into the medical lab before the turret could draw a bead on him. Once inside, he did his best to hold his breath, only taking short breaths when he had to, and took in his surroundings.

He found four pairs of eyes staring back at him. Three of them were zebra ghouls, with the last pair belonging to a pony. Unlike the other bodies he had found, he could make out features, and realized that it had been a unicorn at one point in time. But more interesting, none of them instantly charged him like they had before.

“Aha, more guests!” a voice called out, stopping Chrome from drawing his kurkuri. “Move aside, move aside, let me see who has come to visit!”

The four ghouls lowered their heads and parted, allowing a fifth ghoul to walk between them. Unlike the others, this one had a bright green glow to him, with his skeletal structure somewhat visible as a deep black. A smile from nightmares appeared on his face as he looked at Chrome.

“Well, look at that! The most splendid of guests has come to join us, a stable dweller!” He clapped his hooves together. “But not just any stable dweller, one from Stable 111! The very reason we came to this place, and the reason we were able to receive the great gift!” He then offered a small bow. “Honored guest, you are most welcome here! Have you come to partake in the ‘gift’ as well?”

Chrome looked at the being for a moment, and while it seemed impossible, “Dr. Zaius?”

“Oh,” he stopped for several seconds and looked at Chrome before he smiled again. “Ohho! You actually know my name! Impressive, most impressive!” He let out a laugh. “I didn’t even have to introduce myself! Truly, truly destiny has favored me lately!”

‘-now he has become a deranged maniac.’ Thade’s words echoed in Chrome’s mind as the zebra ghoul danced in delight. “It’s been over two hundred years, how is this possible?”

The zebra stopped dancing and turned his attention to the unicorn so fast that Chrome nearly drew his weapon out of reflex. “Ah, an inquisitive mind! So refreshing from the usual mulings of the mindless who answer every problem with a weapon!” His smile suddenly disappeared and he took a more serious expression. “Typically those affected by radiation end up dying as the body breaks down. Yet, there are those that are blessed; the chosen who are able to adapt to become something greater than before. The body becomes stronger, radiation actually heals rather than harms, and the aging process effectively stops.”

Chrome looked at the four ghouls who were still keeping their heads bowed. “But not all are affected equally.”

The zebra nodded. “A noted deduction. Yes, most minds are unable to process the mutation that the body undergoes. This causes only the most base of instincts to survive, leaving the insulting term ‘feral ghoul’, to come to play, even though it’s incorrect. The body is not dead, as it doesn’t suffer necrosis. Instead-”

As the doctor was talking, Chrome took the time to look around the medical lab. Though the rest of the stable would suggest otherwise, the lab was surprisingly well kept. Medical tools were neatly organized on the main counter, with a number of vials that had strange liquids that Chrome couldn’t identify. He saw at least two emergency first aid kits as well, but behind the doctor held something that truly had his attention. A patient bed stood in the center of the room, but next to it was a sophisticated looking computer on a stand with multiple armatures connected to it.

It was the auto-doc, and it still looked active and fully functional. “Dr. Zaius, a question if I may?”

“-my life to studying how one can become a sentient, and my most recent speci-oh, yes? Are you interested in helping with my research?” he asked.

“Perhaps later. At the moment I have a friend, another stable dweller like myself, who has been badly injured.” Chrome gestured to the auto-doc. “The Auto-Doc still works, correct?”

The doctor turned to what the unicorn was pointing at and nodded. “Ah yes, of course it does. It’s annoying though, it only tells me how to try and reverse the ‘gift’, not how to enhance it.”

‘Some good news at least,’ Chrome thought to himself. “I would like access to it to save my friend.”

Zaius put a hoof on his jaw and seemed to ponder. “Well, it can definitely save all but the most far gone. However, if you allow yourself to accept the gift, you and your friend will become far more than you ever have been.”

Chrome shook his head. “I can’t accept it at the moment. While it is gracious to offer, there are things that I must still do, and I cannot risk… failing the gift’s touch before I accomplish them.”

The zebra nodded. “Yes, the gift is a fickle thing, but your acknowledgement of it is commendable. I think arrangements can be made.” The doctor smiled again as his tone lightened. “After all, I owe everything that I am to your stable! Far be it from me to ignore the will of the gift!”

Chrome smiled back. He knew that he couldn’t actually trust the zebra doctor, and a part of him wanted to kill the thing on principle. But this held the best chance of helping Tig, and if nothing else, he dared not try and start a fight with such overwhelming numbers along with the risk to the Auto-Doc. Still, his luck hadn’t-

A loud crash interrupted his thoughts. As he turned to face it, Zaius began to freak out.

“Oh, no no no no no no!” He ran past Chrome and out into the hallway with his ghouls in tow.

Chrome could hear the sound of the gun turret firing, but was suddenly feeling sick to pay it full mind. As much as he wanted to blame the food Sand Star made, he knew it wasn’t the case. There was only one other time he had felt like this, and that had occured deep in zebra territory. He was suffering from radiation poisoning.

He heard another loud crash, this one much closer than before. Looking up, he saw a very angry looking doctor standing over the remains of the turret, looking no worse for wear. In fact, the only thing he noted was that the lab door was only partially open, and sparks flew from the control panel.

“Stable 111!” Zaius yelled as he looked at Chrome. “I changed my mind! You get the auto-doc only if you help me contain the specimen in the lab before it escapes!”

Chrome grumbled mentally about lady luck before nodding. “Fine, but I am unable to stand too close to you.”

The doctor let out a groan as he had his ghouls push open the door. “This is why you should accept the gift!” He then thought for a moment. “Discussion for later!”

Chrome stepped out into the hallway, giving the doctor a wide berth. “So where is this ‘specimen’ of yours?”

The doctor pointed up the stairs from where Chrome had just come. “When I first observed her sneaking food from the cafeteria, I tracked her to the collapsed section of the stable. My first assumption was that she was squatting inside, but I could not deduce how she would be able to access it while bypassing my loyal guards. So I set up an observation post in an attempt to discern how, and lo and behold, when she next appeared to scavenge again, she used teleportation magic!”

It sounded like he was holding a unicorn, given the use of magic. Frankly, the doctor’s excess of enthusiasm gave Chrome pause. “Why is she so important?”

“Simple! She is like I in that she is able to accept the gift, and even grow stronger from it! But, but but but! She is not withered, not mad, not mindless or feral! She is whole, complete, and pure! I must understand her secrets of the gift!”

Chrome gave no visible reaction, but internally he grimaced. The doctor was holding somepony as nothing more than a plaything to be experimented upon at his whim. His distrust of the ghoul had been steadily growing with each passing moment he spent with him. Perhaps there was a way he could help this unicorn get out of here and get to the others. The doctor had to be dealt with, that much was clear. But the turret hadn’t even phased the ghoul in the slightest it seemed, meaning he was even tougher than the other ghouls that Chrome had faced thus far, not to mention the four ghouls he would have to get through first.

Chrome then reminded himself that he didn’t know the full situation, nor if this ‘specimen’ wasn’t somehow a worse threat, especially if the ‘gift’ affected her like it did the zebra. He would have his decision soon enough as the ghouls forced open the doors and ran inside.

“Nonononono! You mustn’t escape, dearest, there is still so much to learn, so much to know! Stable 111, get in and help!” the doctor yelled as he ran to a computer and began frantically typing away.

Chrome entered and began to take stock of the room and the targets. Besides the doctor and his four ghouls that ran in with him, he caught a shimmer of at least one more invisible ghoul.

‘Looks like I’ll need to be careful and come up with a plan,’ he thought to himself, ‘Now, let’s see this specimen the doctor is so-’

Chrome’s entire thought process came to a screeching halt as his mind processed what it was the ghouls were desperately trying to hold down on a operating table, with numerous injuries across her body and a magic nullifier on her horn; a dark-coated alicorn.

“P-Princess Luna?”

Princess Luna, the alicorn of the night. The ruler of Equestria, and Supreme Commander of the Equestrian Armed Forces who Chrome had dedicated his life to serving. He saw that mare before him, strapped to an operating table and tortured like some animal for a twisted experiment. One of her hooves was already freed from the straps that showed clear signs of struggle, and upon her horn was a large anti-magic ring that prevented magic users from accessing their talent. However, that was all irrelevant. Quickly drawing the kukri, he swung with a cold fury that he had been holding in, and with one quick swipe the head of the nearest ghoul fell to the ground. The roar of anger from the doctor was little more than a whisper compared to the righteous hatred that now flowed through the unicorn. The zebra’s head hadn’t even hit the ground when one of the other ghouls turned to face Chrome. The blade slipped through its jaw and struck into the brain. Pulling the blade out, he charged forward and sliced through one of the restraints holding the alicorn, only for an unseen force to slam into and force him away from the operating table.

“Princess, don't move!” Chrome yelled.

Ignoring the pain of jagged teeth tearing into his shoulder, he focused his magic and fired the blade like a missile at the alicorn’s head. She instinctively closed her eyes as the blade sunk into the operating table, dangerously close to her horn. The invisible ghoul twisted its jaw, causing Chrome to scream in pain as a chunk of his flesh was ripped from his body. Most would have succumbed to such an injury, and indeed Chrome’s vision began to blur from the pain and sudden loss of blood. However, he refused to yield as four simple words echoed through his mind over and over.

“My life for Equestria,” he said with grim determination.

Pushing his magic even further, he lifted the varmint rifle and looked straight at a chunk of blood and flesh that hung in midair that had been attached to him mere moments ago. He slammed the rifle right above the hanging flesh and began pulling the trigger over and over, and even the unnatural resistance of the thing was little use against point blank shots to the head. After only a few moments it fell to the ground, icor oozing over the floor.

He then turned to the doctor and raised his weapon, nearly stumbling as the world was getting ever more out of focus, and pulled the trigger again and again at the green zebra.

Not a single bullet fired from the empty magazine.

Chrome had time to look at the weapon for a brief moment before a bright flash of sickly green light shot out of the Doctor’s body. Chrome was hit with a wave of nausea as his weapon clattered to the ground, with him falling to his knees a moment later. Chrome put a hoof forward and started to stand up, only for once again an unseen force to slam into him again and pin him to the floor. Looking up, Chrome could see a familiar sight of his blood over him even as the two ghouls from the hallway started to stand once again. His vision was then filled with the Doctor’s glowing aura. “YOU!” the Doctor screamed. “I invited you into this stable in good will, yet you dare attempt to ruin my research?! I will turn you into a new worker, along with anypony else that is with you!”

Still, the unicorn lifted his head to glare at the doctor, “My life… for Equestria…”

The doctor sneered. “Then die for-”

“ENOUGH!” a voice boomed through the stable, followed by an energy beam that lanced through the air and sent the invisible ghoul slamming into a nearby wall.

All eyes turned to find a free and extremely angry alicorn glaring at the ghouls, the magic nullifier laying on the ground nearby, neatly cut by the knife still embedded into the operating table.

“YOU WILL PAY FOR YOUR INSOLENCE!” her voice boomed again as her horn began to glow.

“No… NO!” the doctor yelled in despair. “Everything is ruined! Protect me, minions!”

For Chrome, the sound of combat began to dim as darkness slowly started to overtake him. The constant wave of sickness that he was feeling faded somewhat, but the damage was already done. But he was satisfied, for his life had been used to save a pony far above him. A female’s voice drew Chrome’s attention, and he could see the princess looming over him with concern. The unicorn smiled and he tried speaking to her, but his own words were lost. The alicorn’s surprised look was the last thing Chrome saw before all went dark.

Footnote: Level Up

New Perks:

Rapid Reload: All of your weapon reloads are 25% faster than normal.

Sneak 2: You are now 30% harder to detect while sneaking, and no longer trigger floor-based traps.