Alternate Worlds: Humanity's Century of Oblivion

Chapters

Act I, Chapter 1: First Came Diplomacy...
Act I, Chapter 3: A Lot Can Happen After Three Weeks
Act I, Chapter 2: ...Then Came Conflict

Act I, Chapter 1: First Came Diplomacy...

Act I: An Echo of Another World

Fire. That was one of the only things Private Johnson Manke, a newly recruited GEST soldier, could see.

It was everywhere in two forms. Flames licked the rocky and brown soil of the hill, burning some of the few bodies that were captured in the second set of fire. This second fire was the hailstorm of lasers flying through the sky. They struck down dozens of soldiers, human and machine alike. Men were dying, screaming for dear life as rockets plummeted right down on them. Machines of war trekked across the ground, stomping on fallen heads and blasting their shots into the smoky, deathly air. Huge rolling locomotives with plates and plates of metal unleashed their fiery and catastrophic shells into the hordes of soldiers. The battle was teeming with life, yet it was becoming a burden for death himself.

This was the Battle of Fort Frashniim.

Private Manke kept himself low in the debris, only firing whenever he thought it was necessary. He already had the blood of two men on his hands, and it felt unsettling. Still, he kept low and thought about the fight, not morality. His fellow comrades did the same and obeyed the orders given by their sergeant. As he spat his words through the air, more and more lasers dived for him and his squadron. Manke kept his head down and prayed to God that he would survive this fight.

"Colonel Vincent has thinned out the right side for us!" Shouted the sergeant through the explosions, gunfire, and shouts of valor and pain. "When I say so, get over to that ditch over there!"

The squadron ducked down as a rocket flew by them from the sunny, smoky sky and struck a GEST tank. The entire tank blasted apart into shrapnel that stabbed the other soldiers nearby. Hungry flames dug their way out of its tearing hull and into the smoky yet still oxygenated air. Several more streams of lasers tore through the smoke and into the ground, metal, or people in the battlefield. Another explosion dangerously close to the squadron erupted from the ground.

The sergeant darted his eyes around the field, gave his laser assault rifle a firm grip, and prepared his legs. "Now!"

The squadron sprinted through the field as fast as they could. More lasers and rockets zoomed by their ears and faces. One squaddie was shot in the head thrice and left for dead by the squadron. Another one lost their entire head by a sniper high up the hill. Even with the carnage and danger present in the field, the squad kept running.

They ran until they returned to cover right behind a broken down tank. They were close to Fort Frashniim now, and they could hear the whirring of the mechanical monsters stomping around the field. One of them caught sight of the squadron and blasted them with a barrage of lasers from its machine gun. The lasers ripped through the dead tank, begging to strike one of the soldiers. With another shout and a sound of pressurized steam, the squadron got out of cover and gunned down the machine. It fell to the ground with an electrical snap and explosion, alerting the other machines and humans nearby. Guns pointed at the squadron as they hugged the metal wall of the fort.

"James, put that explosive on the wall!" the sergeant ordered. "Everyone else, stand back!"

The squadron kept their distance from the explosive as James primed it for detonation. He mounted it onto the wall and pressed the blue button on its side. He then rushed away from the explosive and regrouped with the other soldiers.

The explosive cracked and crumbled the entire wall with a huge plume of fire. The squadron kept themselves safe from the flying debris as part of the fort collapsed around the explosive. With a way into the fort, the squadron once again sprinted deeper into enemy territory.

The squadron kept themselves behind cover and aimed their guns at the soldiers ahead. One of the soldiers spotted them and shouted at them in a different language. A few more soldiers marched next to him and fired right at the squadron. Lasers pelted the metal walls and dug holes into them. The GEST soldiers fired back, killing two of the soldiers and hitting another in the arm. Private Manke aimed for the other two soldiers and fired at their heads, destroying their grey matter with just two simple shots. The squadron then rushed through the hallway and into a big room wth two more GEST squadrons. A few machines broke into scrap, and a few more foreign soldiers screamed swears and curses in their native tongue.

More foreign soldiers stormed into the room and into a few patches of cover. One of the GEST soldiers tossed a grenade into one of the covers. When it detonated, five foreign soldiers' bodies splattered into bits of bone and gore from the red blast of energy. The squadrons picked off the other soldiers until the area was clear. All of the GEST soldiers ran into the next hallway and up a flight of stairs, splattering a few brains and hearts along the way. They eventually made it into a smaller enclosed room with more foreign soldiers and two machines of war.

The squadrons gunned down the soldiers and threw EMP grenades at the machines. The sergeants then hustled to the table and examined its contents. One of the sergeants snatched a small square of metal with a blue hologram in it and put it in one of their pockets. More gunfire and explosions were heard outside, but it was much less than before. A few more GEST soldiers marched into the room, swarming it with their presence.

The sergeant that took the square opened up a communications link to Colonel Vincent. "We got the map and stormed the fort. Consider our mission done."

"Good work, soldier," replied Vincent through the link. "Report back to the beach for escort to Jaminino City. We got what we want now."

"Yes, sir." The sergeant cut the link and turned to his squaddies. "Onto the beach! Let's go!"

And so the GEST soldiers stormed the fort one more time, killing a few more foreign soldiers and machines as they returned to their homeland.

This was the battle of Fort Frashniim.

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General Solk paced inside his command station with worry dancing in his mind. He rubbed the stubble on his middle-aged chin and looked around the room a tenth time. The monitors were still running, and his employees were still alive. He then looked to the table, holograms, and sets of chairs on his right. He could feel how serious the war was becoming.

"Sandra," he started as he turned his bald head to a woman sitting at one of the monitors, "give me a report on Fort Frashniim stat."

"Our troops have successfully took intel from the fort and destroyed it," Sandra informed Solk. "Casualties for our troops when they were advancing up the hill are high, though. Expect about a sixteenth of what we put on the field coming back."

"That's the fourth time we took some heavy losses." Solk darted his eyes around the room again. He readjusted the emblem with a globe with five stars around it on his grey battle armor. "Any updates on that anomaly in the Pacific?"

"No, sir," Sandra replied. "Data involving the anomaly is still vague, and we have no idea what is there yet."

"Is the fleet flying there still airborne?"

"Yes, sir, they are still alive and unhurt. They should be at the anomaly in about five minutes."

"Good." Solk sat in a nearby chair and got back up as fast as he sat down. He fidgeted with his armor a little bit more and paced around the room again.

One of the male employees swiveled their chair around to face Solk. "You've been acting pretty tense, sir. What seems to be the problem?"

"The problem is the anomaly," Solk answered as he fixed the epaulets on his shoulders. "Every time we got an anomaly, it was some alien force trying to kill us. The skeletons, the Dark Army, the kavarians, and now, whatever this is. Do we have missiles primed for the anomaly yet?"

"Yes, sir," replied another male employee with a deeper voice. "Missiles will fire at your command, sir. Whenever you're ready, they'll head for the anomaly."

"Good." Solk sat down in his chair at one end of the table and tapped his fingers on the table. "Let's just hope this invasion is as easy as those last ones."

"Sir, we're getting a transmission from the HRM," Sandra stated to Solk. "Should I open the link?"

Solk nodded and calmed himself a little. "Go ahead."

A panel popped up from the table to right in front of Solk's face. He remembered the Roman nose, thick, black eyebrows, hazel eyes, and wrinkled bald head anywhere. "General Solk," the older man started with a deep, Russian, and clear voice, "I have noticed that you dispatched some air units to investigate the Pacific anomaly, yes?"

"I have," Solk spat. "Why are you so concerned about it?"

"Last time you investigated an anomaly, it resulted in war. I must command you to withdraw your units so that I can use my diplomacy."

"And what, spread lies about the GEST while you're at it? No."

The man's glare penetrated Solk's soul. "I am not playing any games with you, Solk. I believe that we can create an era of peace for humanity. As much as I want this war to end, it must continue if your ignorance and immature approaches to other life persists. Allow me to handle this before I have to start another unwanted bloodbath."

Solk narrowed his eyes at the man and spoke with a deep hatred. "No, Vance Nemsin. I need to know if this anomaly is a threat to mankind, and your diplomacy will only result in a possible war."

Vance grunted and glared at Solk again. "Typical of you, Solk. You are as stubborn as you were in World War III. Do you know that your introduction to them with warships and armored soldiers can be taken as an act of war? You are about to start a conflict none of us want. Please, for the betterment of mankind, withdraw them, now."

"Sir, the fleet has reached the anomaly," the first male employee blurted. "Do you want me to give you a view from Lieutenant Drake's perspective?"

Solk turned to the employee and nodded. "Yes. Please do that stat." Solk then turned back to Vance. "Too late now. My fleet is at the anomaly."

"You have no idea what you are doing," Vance grumbled irritably. "Your actions with this anomaly can spell death for mankind. You have learned nothing from the kavarians."

"What I've learned from them is that these aliens are pushovers. Now, get out of my sight." Solk cut the link and enlarged the panel showing Drake's perspective. "Now, what is happening over there?"

Lieutenant Drake was sitting inside his drop ship with his squaddies. He looked over to the pilot and co-pilot to see the still bright sky and sun. The drop ship itself made a slow descent onto land. Drake could hear the pilot and co-pilot mumble something about the landscape as they lowered to ground level. Once the drop ship landed, the ramp door on the back of the drop ship lowered. The rush of air into the drop ship startled the soldiers for a second. For some inexplicable reason, their skin felt tingly despite the full body suits and helmets they wore.

The seven other drop ships landed close to Drake's drop ship. He and his squaddies got out of the drop ship and scanned the landscape. For some reason, it was bright, way too bright. The colors of the landscape hurt their eyes from the strain it induced. The weird, unusual clouds that look like spirals that could fit better in the animated Hercules movie than here. In the distance was a small town that could considered even lower in technology and population than Jaminino Island's most backwater and raided towns. However, one building, which was strikingly larger than the rest, was what looked like a castle made out of an amalgamation of jewels and gems.

"What the hell?" one of the squaddies exclaimed. "What am I looking at, what it feels like to be an old world European?"

"Hey, it does feel like that," admitted another squaddie. "Let's not do the whole killing them thing though. Maybe these aliens are nice."

"Well, whatever they are, we need to be careful," warned Drake with a partially Australian accent. "We're in what looks like another world, so anything can happen. Stay sharp, comrades."

"I'm feeling a little weary," one of the other squaddies proclaimed. "I think I need to lie down for a little while."

"You stay on your feet, soldier," Drake snapped. "No one's sleeping on an anomaly investigation."

The soldier shook his head and slapped his helmet. "You're right, sir! There's no reason to rest here!"

The four squadrons kept walking until they reached the outskirts of the town. Drake gave a baffled frown to the buildings. "Where are the people? I thought this was a town. Is it deserted?"

"Well, there are those alien horselike creatures roaming about," a squaddie noticed as he pointed to a group of four of the creatures. "Maybe those are pets and the people are inside?"

"That could be right." Drake thought about the idea for a little while. "Let's see the supposed mayor or head of the town and see what's going on here."

The GEST soldiers walked into the low budget streets and took a closer look at the architecture and designs. A few of the creatures stared at the soldiers, some walking away from them, and some others just eyeing them carefully. Either way, the creatures had some sort of confusion or wary reaction to the soldiers. The soldiers quickly noticed how small they were. They were only about a little higher than the soldiers' waists, and they had a few differing features. Some had wings, some had horns, and all of them had different colors for their hair and bodies. They also had odd insignias on the top section of their hind legs.

One of the squaddies was fuming from the stares. He hated stares ever since his childhood. "Oi, what're you lot looking at?" he snapped a a band of five of the creatures with a thick British accent. The creatures staggered back a little and quivered a little bit.

"Um, you're just strange looking, that's all," one of the creatures answered with a feminine voice.

Right at that moment, the British GEST soldier jumped back and cocked his gun. "Bloody hell! These buggers talk!"

Several more soldiers jumped and readied their guns. One of them slowly walked up to the group of five. "Alright, before we do anything crazy here, I'd like to know what the hell you things are and what this place is."

"Well, that's simple," another one of the strange creatures noted. "You're in Ponyville, one of the many towns of Equestria?"

"So, we're apparently in a new world or country, huh?" assumed Lieutenant Drake. "And its inhabitants are, ponies. I don't know whether to be worried or confused."

"We might as well call off the investigation now," one of the squaddies proposed. "They're harmless. We can just go home if they're all th–"

"Hold it, soldier," Drake interrupted. "Just because something looks safe doesn't mean it is safe. Nature has a funny way of telling you that bright colors means death."

"Oh, we wouldn't cause any harm to all of you," a male pony commented. "We don't really have any real reason to do it."

"Okay then. Does any of you know where we can find a political figure here? I would like to conduct some diplomacy."

"You can talk to Mayor Mare or Princess Twilight Sparkle," one of the female ponies answered. Three GEST soldiers kept themselves from laughing. "They might be who you're looking for."

"And where can I find them?" Drake asked. He and his soldiers glanced their eyes around the section of the town.

"Twilight is in the big castle over there, and Mayor Mare is down the road to your right. You'll see a tall building. You can't miss it."

Drake turned to his soldiers and pointed to the castle. "Alright, soldiers. We're going to the princess first. I bet a figure with that name a higher tier than the mayor."

Drake and the soldiers made their way through the town and up to the strange castle. Drake walked up to the wooden door and knocked on it thrice in a row with a firm fist. A faint voice on the other side could be heard, and a few even fainter footsteps were audible. The door then swung open to reveal another small mare, yet slightly taller and with both wings and a horn. It had a purple coat, a darker purple mane and tail with a streak of dark pink in each. It also had several stars with six points each—one being purple and the biggest—on its flanks.

The pony jumped and shrieked from what she thought was a dozen or more mechanized monsters. She shut the door with one slam.

"Ehh, maybe we shouldn't have suited up, sir," a squaddie thought out loud.

"It's better to be safe than sorry," Drake noted. "Did you want to be stabbed several times?"

"Uh, not rea–"

"Then shut it."

The door opened again, much more slowly this time. The pony poked its head through the opening and glared at Lieutenant Drake, the one soldier she thought looked the scariest with its big shoulder pads and dark grey armor. It didn't help that all of the soldiers had helmets that covered all of their heads. "Hello? Who are you?"

Drake pointed a thumb at himself. "I'm Lieutenant Drake, a representative of the Global Extraterrestrial Security Troop. I'm here to gather some information about this world. My commander wishes to make this world non-hostile towards us."

The pony opened the door a little more. "What exactly are you?"

"I'm a human, and so are the rest of my soldiers. We mean no harm, Princess Twilight Sparkle, yes?"

The pony nodded and opened the door to about halfway open. "Yes, that's me. If you're here for information about Equestria, I can help you. However, I highly suggest you talk to Princess Celestia in Canterlot afterwards."

"Good to know." Drake stepped a foot forward. "May we come in for this discussion?"

"Sure." Twilight opened the door all the way and welcomed the soldiers inside the castle. "Follow me. I have a good room for meetings like this."

Twilight and the soldiers behind her walked through the castle's halls. She eventually guided them into a large room with the roots of a tree on the ceiling and several lines of gems hanging from the roots. There was also a large, circular table with seven seats surrounding it. Six of them had different insignias on them. One of them was the exact same insignia as what was on Twilight. She sat down in that chair and looked over at the soldiers.

"This is the best meeting room I have," Twilight explained with a constant smile on her face. "It's used for something else, but I think this can work for now."

The sergeants and Lieutenant Drake sat in the other five seats. The last one was too small for any of them to sit in.

Twilight looked around the table and noticed the emblems on their armor. Four of them had three chevrons in front of a globe for their emblems, and Lieutenant Drake had what looked like a metal capital I in front of a globe. "So, what do you five want to know first?"

"I think we should deal with the obvious questions first," Drake proposed. "What exactly are you ponies, and what do you do?"

"Oh, that's pretty easy to answer. There are four types of ponies in Equestria. There are Earth ponies that are usually hardy and strong, pegasi that control the weather and sky, unicorns that can conjure different types of spells, and alicorns like me that can be considered powerful rulers or stronger variants of unicorns. There are only five alicorns in existence right now, me being included. The other three types are common throughout all of Equestria. You probably saw a few of them in Ponyville."

Drake nodded his head as the other sergeants murmured to themselves. "Interesting. How advanced technologically do you think you ponies are? Hopefully, you know more to architecture and life than cottages and unpaved roads."

"If you're looking for technology, you came to the wrong town. Manehattan or other big cities with lots of ponyfolk have much more technology than what you see here. Ponyville is more of a rural town, not a metropolis."

"What types of technology do they have there? Are there at least structures with steel frames and concrete?"

Twilight nodded. "They have those. I think they have phones if I am correct as well."

Drake folded his hands as passively as possible. "Well, it sounds like your species is not too backward in tech. Now, back to these alicorns. How powerful are they?"

"Well, it kind of depends on their magic and importance. Princess Celestia needs to raise the sun, so she has the magic to do that. Princess Luna can travel between dreams and raises the moon. Cadence has magic involving love, and I have magic involving friendship."

At this point, the three GEST soldiers from earlier couldn't handle the ridiculousness. They howled with laughter and slapped their knees with some disbelief and some humor out of friendship and love. Two other soldiers felt ill and tired, but they kept the conditions to themselves.

One of the sergeants turned to the laughing soldiers. "Control yourselves at once! This is not the time for unprofessionalism!"

The soldiers stopped their laughing and acted as professional as they could. Drake nodded at the sergeant. "Thank you. Now, I thought that you said there were five alicorns. Did one die?"

Twilight shook here head. "Oh, not at all. One of them is just a baby right now."

"Hmm, now, I'm a little curious. Could you tell a little about your role in Ponyville? What you do on a daily basis, I mean."

Twilight's face grew a wider smile. "Oh, boy, I've got a lot to tell you..."

Act I, Chapter 3: A Lot Can Happen After Three Weeks

A lone boy, about fourteen years of age, was skipping down the roads of Vagruz, one of the HRM's bustling cities. He hopped along down the sidewalk with a thick roll of posters in his right arm. He whistled a tune to himself as he scanned the populated streets for a good place to put a poster. He found a wall on the side of a bakery to be the perfect spot for a poster.

The boy walked over to a crossroads and turned to his right. The cars kept themselves behind the path of white lines and allowed the boy to continue his journey to the bakery. He hopped from the black pavement and onto the sidewalk again as he took a single poster from his roll. He peeled off the thin coating on its back and slapped it onto the bakery's famished wall. He then skipped along to another building a few blocks away, waving at people as they drove or walked by. Once he made it to the building wall, he took another poster, peeled off the coating, and placed it onto the wall.

A middle-aged man leaning against the wall noticed the boy and his posters. He held an electronic cigarette in his right hand and wore a gray business suit. "Hello there, boy. What are you doing there?" He talked with a scratchy and constrained voice with Russia stamped onto it.

"I'm putting up posters for my father," the boy answered with a somewhat high and chipper Russian accent. "He wanted me to put these up for him, so I'm going around the town and putting them where everyone will see them."

The man eyed the poster carefully for a second. He rubbed his eyes and stared again. "Boy, why don't you take a look at what you were propagating."

The boy looked up at the poster and frowned at it. "I'm not sure what you mean, sir. What could possibly look odd from a poster like this?"

The man stepped closer to the poster and examined it thoroughly. It presented to be what looked like a bleak and grayscale atmosphere with war machines and bombs on its left half and an unusually bright and colorful landscape with trees, rivers, clouds, and a shining sun on its right half. A strange building on a hill was placed in the center of the poster. A line of people marched up the hill and into the building, and a line of ponies, sometimes with horns or wings, trotted out of the building from the other side. The poster said 'Do not live a life filled with war, avoid the horrors and live in peace!' in bold Russian letters on the top and bottom of the poster. There was even a stamp of approval from the HRM in the bottom right corner.

The man glanced at the boy and back at the poster. He swore under his breath and shook his head. "Is this a joke from the government? Is this what they find as funny?"

"No, sir, this is not a joke at all," the boy answered to a rhetorical question. "There's even a gathering involving this near the water fountain."

"A gathering?" the man asked as he smoked his cigarette and blew a plume of smoke. "What could this gathering be?"

"You'll have to see it for yourself, sir." The boy walked away from the building wall, posters still in his hands. "I need to put up more of these posters. Bye!"

The man stared back at the poster for a full minute. He then walked around the building to a small parking lot. He unlocked and opened the front door to a futuristic Volkswagen. He climbed into the driver's seat and drove out of the parking lot and into the streets. He drove down the slightly congested turns and curves until he found a parking lot in a local supermarket and parked his car in it. He then looked over to the public water fountain to his right.

There was a sea of people standing in the grass of the small park. Some people had cameras, some had phones, and others stared like an audience in front of a play. In front of the expansive crowd was a horse creature that the man could describe as only one thing: majestic. The sight of Princess Celestia, a mare that obviously stood over the crowd, looked like an angel of the heavens themselves. The area around her radiated with a warm, sunny glow not present anywhere else in the overcast city. A large ray of sunlight beamed down from the clouds and onto Celestia, making her even more surreal than imaginable.

The man shoved through the people as gently as possible. When he made it halfway to Celestia, he listened to and watched her with open interest.

"What type of powers can you say you have?" asked a reporter almost right next to Celestia.

She turned to the reporter with a warm smile. "I'm afraid I need to continue my speech. Any further questions need to be asked after the speech." Celestia turned away from the reporter and to the mass in front of her. "Anyway, I believe that every single one of you is wary of this war you all are part of, am I correct?"

There were several murmurs, yesses, and nods sprinkled in the crowd.

"Well, I have a special program that I believe can provide an escape for all of you. I have seen the costs that this war has put on you and your families, and I cannot bear to see your land tear itself away with every hundred or so dying for your government. That is why I am here to announce a grand opening of a gateway to a new, peaceful, and blissful life for every single one of you. This gateway may look like a simple building to all of you, but it is what determines your life. Will you become a greater form and escape this terrifying war as a new species, or will you face the missiles that have been aimed at this city?"

Most of the crowd exploded into an uproar from Celestia's last sentence. People shouted and murmured with both fear and anger.

"Missiles?" a man declared bitterly. "The GEST want to destroy millions of civilians too? What is wrong with them?"

"I've never liked the war anyway!" screamed another man. "It's draining me of my hard-earned money!"

"As long as I can leave this horrible war, I'm in!" shouted a woman in the far back.

The chattering continued until an HRM soldier returned the peace with a single cock from a gun. Celestia frowned and shook her head at the soldier. He put it away in respect.

"Yes, yes, I know how much this war hurt all of you," Celestia continued. "The HRM also knew how unsupportive you all were of the long conflict, so they decided that letting you decide your fate in the war is the best option for mankind. This gateway to a new life can save every human here from certain death. All you have to do is trust me and my words."

"So, what exactly does this gateway do?" a man in the messy crowd asked.

"This gateway converts any humans that walk into it into these creatures called ponies. They look like me, except shorter. The conversion will do two things for you. First, it allows you to enter my nation and prosper while the war continues. Second, it washes you of all terrible thoughts, fixes any physical injuries you have, and extends your lives longer than what most of you will live to. You will be given a second chance at life in a new world where the word war is never spoken."

"Wait a second, I know what this is," a woman closer to the front of the crowd thought out loud. "This is an ascension! We are being saved from the horrible future to come!"

"Hey, you might be on to something!" agreed a man from a few people away. "Yeah, this is an ascension! Nothing could look more glorious and beautiful than this angel that speaks before us!"

A few people in the crowd shot awkward frowns at the rejoicing civilians. One of the men looked around the crowd and spoke up. "Um, I can agree that this is a nice gift this being is giving us, but it seems a little terrifying to say the least. Does anyone here understand that this gift involves giving up your humanity and becoming another creature for the rest of your life?"

"The change will be temporary," Celestia answered with her still calm voice. "You will all become humans whenever you want to if you believe that the body of a pony is too much for you. Speaking of pony bodies, there are three types you can choose from. There are earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns. Earth ponies are strong and durable, pegasi have wings that allow flight and control over the weather, and unicorns can use several fields of magic to obtain whatever their heart desires."

The man narrowed his eyes at Celestia. "I still do not like this idea. What is the point of us becoming one of your kind?"

"This war will become much more disastrous than it already is. I will take all of you to my nation, Equestria, so that you can escape the future destruction that will approach this city and country. You will have to become a pony to live there until the war ends. So, now that you know everything there is to know, what is your choice? Will you stay here and risk being a casualty of war, or will you become a pony to survive?"

The crowd radiated with discussion over themselves. A large portion of the crowd agreed with Celestia and her plan to escape the war. Some of them hated the war enough to do anything to escape it, some were afraid of what the GEST would do next, and a few others believed that this was the beginning of the rapture. A few dozen or more in the crowd distrusted this idea and left the crowd.

As a few people got into their cars and left the event, Celestia cleared her throat. "For all of you wanting to start the program, please proceed to 8th Street. The facility on that street is open and ready for any and all participants."

The crowd shuffled and misshaped in the field. flocks of people walked through the mess of cars and got in the ones they owned. Cars hummed and drove down the clearing roads. The field was soon vacant as everyone and their cars left to enter the facility. Celestia smiled a small smile and turned to the HRM soldier next to her.

"I think they will love Equestria," Celestia softly spoke to the soldier. "Do you agree with me?"

The soldier shrugged. "I don't care for it right now. I'm just waiting for the colonel to call me to battle."

Celestia turned back to the empty field and dreamed about the citizens of Vagruz. She saw them enjoying Equestria's beauty, getting new jobs that they excelled in, and smiling happily. She still felt confused and awkward about the converting part of the plan, but it was for the best. Equestria needed to be safe, no matter what had to be done.

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General Solk was pacing in the command station for a second time. However, instead of being nervous, he was enraged from a new set of news involving abominations and genetics. Solk's face kept itself in the most passive pissed off face possible, and his hands were trembling for a strangulation. His heart and mind raced against each other, and his skin was melting with a salty liquid known to most as sweat.

"I, I have no words for this," Solk hissed through his clenched teeth. "Kidnapping and interrogating GEST personnel with torture is one thing, but, genetics involving altering human DNA? How, fucking, dare they?" Solk turned his head to Sandra. "Put up a view of one of our reconnaissance drones in Vagruz. I want to see what the goddamned HRM built."

A panel popped up from the table. Solk sat down in front of it and examined the scene. A huge city with various buildings and skyscrapers covered the surface. Not only were the streets paved with cars, but the sidewalks were molded out of people. Long lines stretched from one medium sized facility to all over the area. They stretched farther than the drone's view, and they were moving inhumanly fast. Most lines for a restaurant, store, or someplace that has something in high demand takes hours to get a couple hundred people satisfied. This line had a couple hundred people move into the facility every minute.

The drone flew down to the entrance of the facility. Above the front door was a plaque that read 'Human Conversion Center' on it. The drone flew inside and saw five more lines diverge from the first one. The lines waltzed into six separate chambers with metal sliding doors. Every time a door opened, up to a dozen people shuffled into the chamber. The door closed, gave a shake from the whirring and machinery inside for twenty seconds, and opened with a vacant chamber. Around the room was a few HRM soldiers that eyed the people that passed by. One of them gave a deathly glare at the drone, pointed his laser pistol at it, and shot it in the camera twice.

"Dammit!" shouted Solk as the panel fuzzed with static. "Well, the HRM has something strange going on over there. If that's where they're changing those people, I need some more intel for what they are actually doing to them." Solk opened up a comm link. "Corporal Manke, are you there?"

"Alive and ready!" Manke replied. "What do you need?"

"You and the rest of the squad need to meet me in the command station. I got a very important job for you."

"Yes, sir!" The comm link was cut, allowing General Solk to ponder the HRM's dark intents again.

When Manke and his squad—which was composed of three privates, a corporal, and a sergeant—arrived at the command station, Solk gestured them to sit down at the table. They took their seats and kept their eyes on Solk as he took his seat.

"So, what's the situation?" the sergeant asked politely.

"You six are going on an investigation," Solk answered. "You'll be visiting Vagruz to gather some intel on their conversion facility. Something is happening there, and I need answers."

"We'll be safe, Solk," a corporal assured as he cocked his laser gun. "This shouldn't be too difficult."

"No no no, you're missing the whole point. Whatever you do, do not, and I repeat, do not kill anyone. You're investigating a facility, not going out guns blazing and shooting everything. Tell the HRM that you're there for a formal negotiation."

"What the hell will that do?" the sergeant argued. "They'll just shoot us anyway!"

"The HRM won't attack if you're there for negotiation. They may be against us in the war, but they like to act as civil as possible to make us look like savages. We can use that to our advantage and make them show us the facility." Solk put six small, circular metal pieces on the table. "Put these on your helmets. If things get serious in the facility, press them to teleport back to the barracks. I don't know what the hell they're doing there, so be very careful." Solk got up from his chair and checked the time. "Your flight to the city is on platform A-17. Good luck."

The squadron got up from their seats and walked out of the command station. They traveled through the dozens of halls until they made it to the correct set of helipads. A singular drop ship was waiting for them, ready to take off and depart. The squadron walked into the drop ship and took their seats.

"Vagruz, right?" the pilot asked the squadron.

"Yes, that's right," the sergeant answered. "We're ready to depart."

The ramp door closed itself as the ship ascended into the sky. It faced northeast and began its journey. The ship gradually sped up until it reached full speed and zoomed through the sky and clouds.

<>————————————————————————————————————————————<>

Once the ship reached Vagruz, it landed in the expansive field where the water fountain was located. The ramp door lowered and clanked onto the ground, and the squadron walked out the ship and onto the green grass. Before they could search for the facility, an armored HRM truck rolled onto the field and next to the ship. Eight HRM soldiers and Captain Kliment marched out the truck and in front of the squadron. The soldiers cocked their weapons and aimed them at the squadron. Kliment stepped forward to see the group.

"Здравствуйте, вы негодяи," Kliment started with a harsh tone. "Why are you here, to start another fight in front of Celestia?"

"No," the sergeant answered with a calm tone. "We are here for negotiations, not violence."

"General Solk finally gave up? Поделом ему. What exactly are you here to negotiate? Peace, land, resources? What is it that you're in one of our biggest cities for?"

"We're here to see what is happening at your facility. We heard that you have this new human DNA altering building here."

A grin wrapped around Kliment's concealed face. "You're here for that? Well, why didn't you say so? You have complete permission to examine it to your heart's content. Вы будете жаль, что вы пришли сюда."

The soldiers lowered their weapons and positioned themselves around the squadron. Four soldiers stood in the back while four more and the captain were in the front. Kliment ordered the squadron to get in the back of the truck and wait for their arrival to the facility. The squadron sat in their seats as they waited.

When the truck arrived at the facility, the back door of the truck opened. "Stay between my troops," Kliment ordered to the GEST soldiers. "We're only a hundred meters away. It won't take long to reach the facility."

The group walked along the sidewalk, giving the squadron a marvelous view of the city. Towering buildings and skyscrapers lined the streets, cars roared through the streets, and a few pedestrians walked down the sidewalks either opposing or with the group's direction. Manke noticed a strange poster on one of the buildings. It was the exact same one the little boy smacked on dozens of walls. Manke felt his stomach flip on its side and eyes widen a smidgen.

When the group reached the facility entrance, they slowed to let Kliment clear the way. "Каждый человек, из пути!"

The line split itself to allow the group through it. The squadron immediately noticed a few more posters in Russian writing. They were unintelligible, but the squadron knew that they were definitely propaganda posters. The unified people, the artistic style, and the use of political figures like Vance Nemsin revealed the true nature of the posters. The squadron also took note of the HRM soldiers that scanned the moving lines like hawks high in the sky and looking for prey.

"Go through doorway three," Kliment declared as he and his four soldiers moved out of the squadron's way. "You can see for yourself what this facility has to offer."

Manke felt a few shivers crawl up his spine as he eyed the doorways. "This doesn't seem like a the best way t–"

"Get in there before we have to force it," one of the HRM soldiers demanded.

The squadron walked through the open doorway with no more questions or concerns. The room they walked into had an impossible, glistening white covering every tile and section of the room. On the ceiling were twelve hollow domes hanging from thick metal tubes. They were arranged in a three by four pattern. Lights flashed and sounds beeped from the mysterious machines above the soldiers.

The hanging devices lowered down to just above the soldiers' heads and stopped in a sudden halt. "Please remove any headwear to properly complete the conversion process," a robotic, feminine voice stated with a monotone voice.

"Conversion?" the corporal questioned with a snarky growl. "There's no way in hell that I'm changing my body."

"Alright, it's time we get out of this room," a private noted as he took out a cutting torch from his toolbox. He walked up to the next door and held the cutting torch up to it. He slowly cut through the metal door from the bottom to the top. He then put away the tool and tugged onto one of the sides of the door. "Hey, I'm gonna need a hand or two!"

The sergeant and another private pulled the other side of the door. Manke and the other two soldiers joined in, making two groups of three on both sides of the door. They pulled open the door until it was big enough to let them through. The soldiers then ran through the opening and out the small room of pure white.

"Comrades," the sergeant started with a tremble in his words, "I believe we found out what the HRM are doing."

The next room left all of the soldiers surprised and scared at the sight they saw. The room mimicked the first one, but it had a few slight changes. The propaganda posters were replaced with welcome posters presenting various smiling, cheering ponies and Russian writing. Lines of stumbling ponies struggling to walk tried their best to walk over to a strange, swirling vortex inside of a somewhat large metal ring. A few more ponies in golden armor helped the ponies stand up and move along to the portal. There were absolutely no other humans in the room.

"So, is it safe to assume that these civilians are being turned into ponies?" Manke asked to the sergeant.

"Yes, but we need more intel. Let's go through that thing and see what's on the other side."

As the squadron walked into a struggling line of ponies, one of the armored ponies walked up to the squadron and confronted them. "You Six didn't change. Don't the you want to go back and try again?"

"Thanks, but no thanks," the sergeant answered with a head shake and a hand held up in front the guard's face. "We're here to investigate. Just leave us be, and nothing will happen."

"Investigate what? Non-converted humans are prohibited in this area. May I suggest yo–"

"We're investigating, and that's final." The sergeant raised his voice and shoved the guard aside. "I won't hesitate to stab a combat knife into your skull if you don't back off and leave us alone."

The guard walked backwards with a quivering frown and small pupils. The squadron continued along through the portal and to another world.

The first thing the soldiers saw was a blinding sun that was brighter than usual. After they adjusted to the light, they saw some rolling hills, a few trees, and the metal checkpoint they were standing on. A small reception desk with a single unicorn mare sat next to a rotary gate. The mare had a peach coat and a swirly mane full of magenta and cyan. A long line of ponies stood and tripped as they waited for their turn. In the distance was a train station with an idle train filling up with ponies.

"Let's see what is happening here before our hearts explode," the corporal declared. The sergeant agreed with him and ordered the squadron to go to the receptionist. Once they walked up to the desk, all eyes locked onto the soldiers, including the receptionist.

"Uh, um, may I help you?" the mare asked with uneasiness.

The sergeant put one hand on the desk and looked down at the mare. "Yes, we would like to know what exactly is happening here so that we don't have to die by this land's disease."

"Oh, these ponies are moving into Equestria. I'm just registering them as citizens and giving them brochures so that they can be free to choose where they want to go here. Other than that, I don't know. I was just placed here to deal with these ponies. If you want actual answers, talk to a pony with authority like Princess Celestia or Princess Twilight Sparkle."

"Do you know how far away they are? I don't see any civilization for miles."

"You'll have to take the train to get to any of the towns. The ride to Canterlot is about two hours."

"We'll be bled out by the time we get there," a private blurted. "We need a faster route."

"What else can we do?" the corporal shot back at the private. "We got no vehicles, and we got no time. Our work here should be done now."

Right when the corporal's sentence ended, eleven HRM soldiers rushed out of the portal and aimed their laser rifles at the squadron. The ponies in the line and the receptionist panicked and kept themselves out of the soldiers' lines of sight.

One of the HRM soldiers stepped forward and aimed for the sergeant. "You're coming with us. Formal negotiations don't involve sabotaging a facility, trespassing, and threats to employees."

"Alright, investigation is over!" barked the sergeant. "Everyone, activate your emergency teleporters!"

The six GEST soldiers pressed the circular devices on their helmets. Their bodies fizzed into blue and green particles and disappeared into the air. The HRM soldiers opened fire on the soldiers, hoping to get at least one shot on them.

They missed every time.

One of the HRM soldiers threw his gun on the ground. "Проклятье! We almost had them!"

Another soldier glanced at the area once populated with six GEST soldiers. "At least we made them run away. We stopped them before anything else could happen."

"Правда. At least we did something other than ruin the captain's plans."

"What just happened here?" the receptionist squeaked from under the desk. Only her head popped out of the desk and planted itself on the table, staring right at the HRM soldiers with two petrified eyeballs.

"We fought soldiers, that's what happened," vaguely answered another soldier. "Go back to your business. No one will disturb you again."

As the soldiers hustled back through the portal, the receptionist slithered back into her seat and recalled the entire event. She snapped out of her long gaze once she heard tapping next to her ear. "Can we get back to the famous cities thing again?"

"Oh, right!" She smiled sheepishly and levitated a brochure up to the stallion next to her. "All this ruckus is distracting me. Here, this brochure will tell you all about the different sights every town has to see. It even has a few occupation recommendations for you too."

The stallion struggled to grab the brochure in one hoof. He balanced it on his hoof and walked through the rotary gate and to the train station.

The receptionist glanced at the portal one more time. She watched as a dozen ponies waddled through the portal and into the line. "That's better. No more freaky metal things pointing things at me."

Act I, Chapter 2: ...Then Came Conflict

As five futuristic helicopters descended onto the grassy ground, several soldiers funneled out of the ships and onto the surface. There were five squadrons of five and a captain in glorified armor. Every soldier had H, R, and M in red and in that order etched into their suits. The letters sat right in front of their hearts and had different chevrons, stars, and capital I-shaped pieces around the letters. The captain had gilded epaulets and a helmet that concealed his face in a black visor. His armor was a toffee tan with accents of red, and his weapon was the usual laser rifle with a laser scope modification. The five sergeants also had toffee tan and red armor, but they had no epaulets. The regular soldiers had simple tan armor and simple laser rifles.

The soldiers marched up to a gate and confronted two ponies in golden armor and wielding spears. They crossed their spears right when the soldiers walked onto the drawbridge.

"Halt!" one of the guards shouted at the soldiers. "Who goes there?"

"Конечно, они говорят на английском языке," the captain grumbled to himself. His Russian accent was as thick as a redwood. "Greetings, ponies. I am Kliment Vashniin, representative of the Human Revolutionist Militia. I am here to speak with your Princess Celestia."

"What duties do you have that are so important for the princess?"

"I am here to negotiate peace with her. Your nation stumbled into our world, and we want to ensure the protection of this nation from outside attacks."

"There is no need to let them wait any longer," a distant voice from the sky announced. What the soldiers could have mistaken for as an angel flew down in front of the soldiers. It was taller than Kliment, immediately intimidating him from its size alone. The pony had a coat as white as heaven's clouds, and its colorful mane and tail drifted through an impossible breeze. It had immense wings and a long and prominent horn. It wore a golden crown on its head and a golden yoke around the base of its neck. Its two pink irises pointed down at Kliment. They looked open, yet they also looked hungry for something. "I knew that I was needed once I noticed those strange machines float down from the sky."

"Those ships are just helicopters," Kliment answered to an indirect question. "My commander wants me to talk to you about peace. I also have many bits of information you may need to know."

"We can do so at my castle." The tall mare turned its body to the gate and kept its eyes focused on Kliment. "Come. It is best we discuss this peace you desire as soon as possible."

Kliment gestured his men forward and began following the creature. "You are the Celestia those ponies were speaking of, yes?"

The tall mare nodded. "Yes, I am Princess Celestia, ruler of Equestria. I have lived longer than any of the ponies you see around you."

"Ну, она бессмертная сука," assumed one of the soldiers. He was soon met with a deathly glare from the sergeant next to him.

Celestia and the HRM soldiers walked through Canterlot's labyrinth of streets. The soldiers had a few glares and stares shot at them from a few unicorns walking down the streets. Once Celestia and the soldiers reached the castle, they walked through its many halls to reach the throne room. The HRM admired the mosaic windows in the halls. Three of the regular soldiers had raspy coughs as they walked to the throne room.

Once they were inside the room, Celestia sat on her throne and faced the HRM soldiers. "So, what brought all of you to Equestria?"

"We came here with warnings and the desire of negotiating peace with your nation," Kliment answered. "I will start with the warnings. There is this government called the Global Extraterrestrial Security Troop, or the GEST. They have already came to this world, and I believe they might have some deadly decisions that they are going to make."

"What kind of decisions?" Celestia's smile drooped to a neutral state.

"They might either destroy this nation or steal all of its resources. They have been doing this for years. I have even heard that they have primed missiles that are aiming for this nation."

Celestia tilted her head a little. "Missiles?"

"Think of them as gigantic bombs that fly through the sky. Just one of them can destroy this entire city."

Celestia's eyes widened a little. "That sounds very destructive. Why would they do that?"

"The GEST has dealt with aliens for a long time, about seven decades. They believe that your species is a threat to the human race and should be monitored for studying."

"If they are pointing weapons of mass destruction on us, I think this GEST is the threat to us. What would we do that would harm them?"

"Anything they can think of. I am not sure what your species can do, but whatever it is, it will make them worried. You see, we, the HRM, are at war with them. They want to create a government where capitalism rules and gives the possibility of unequal treatment. We want to create a government where everyone is equal and provides for the government. This conflict might spread to this nation, as it is in the middle of what we call 'Dead Man's Sea'. Pirates and bandits sail everywhere over here, and they might land here and attack."

"I see." Celestia thought to herself about this scenario. "Wait, I never had a problem with your species before. What happened?"

"Well, your entire nation appeared on our planet, Earth. The GEST see your species as invaders that are capable of anything. That is why they are investigating this nation."

"So, you are part of a government called the HRM, and you are at war with the GEST? Are both groups your species?"

"Yes, they are. We both strive for the betterment of mankind, but it seems that the GEST want the war path while we focus on the peaceful path."

"Have you tried negotiating with them? It almost seems like your war is pointless if both of you want a better species in the end."

Kliment shook his head. "We cannot negotiate with them. Their ideas of a better human race are far different from ours. They want capitalism, we want socialism. They want an aristocracy, we want a democracy. They want isolation of the human race, we want peace and trade with other species. We cannot negotiate with a group composed of radicals either. They would never agree with our changes as long as they support their General Solk and his outrageous ideas. However, I believe that if we work together and form an alliance, we could stop the GEST from destroying your nation."

Celestia pondered the request. She had no idea what to do. Siding with the HRM would drag Equestria into the war and possibly destroy it, but refusing could result in the HRM being a future adversary. She had to think long and hard to finally reach a conclusion.

Before she could say her answer, the door in the back of the throne room slammed open and revealed four squadrons of GEST soldiers and lieutenant Drake himself. To say the least, he was very pissed.

"I knew you bastards would be here!" shouted Drake with a burning rage. "You never let us conduct diplomacy in peace!" Drake cocked his laser rifle as the other soldiers raised their rifles. "Soldiers, fire at will!"

The GEST soldiers shot a barrage of lasers through the room and into the HRM soldiers. Some of them fell to the ground in dying shouts of their native tongue. Some of the HRM soldiers fought back and killed a few GEST soldiers with some lasers to the head or chest. Two of the HRM sergeants were killed by multiple lasers to their shielded faces. Celestia kept herself protected by a small barrier spell. She darted her eyes from dying soldier to dying soldier, internally screaming from the bloodshed right in front of her eyes.

Celestia eventually couldn't handle the fighting anymore and unleashed a spell upon all of the soldiers, freezing them in place. Her words were booming and aggressive. "Enough! This conflict has gone too far! I want every single one of you out of my castle at once!"

"Вы понимаете, что вы сделали, вы дикие ублюдков?" an HRM soldier bitterly spat at Drake and his soldiers.

Celestia deactivated her spell, dropping the soldiers back onto the the ground. She gave the soldiers a glare and a heated scowl. "Come back when all of you are civil enough to have a meeting without spilling blood."

The soldiers, now under the heavy intimidation from Celestia, walked out of the throne room. There was only one quarter of the original HRM soldiers left, and the GEST soldiers lost half of their soldiers. Both groups of squadrons refrained from killing each other for the rest of their journey back to their ships. Celestia, now by herself and without any soldiers to hinder her rethinking or mood, thought about this mess. These humans have quite a feud between them, she began to herself. What will happen when they come back again? Are they going to declare war on Equestria, fight between themselves and forget us, or something even worse? I need a way to stop them from destroying all of Equestria, but what?

"I see that you have a little problem with those infernal humans," a voice commented from somewhere in the throne room. It was raspy and throaty yet slick and sinister. "I can help you with this problem, but you'll have to trust me one hundred percent."

"Who's there?" Celestia demanded. "Are you some one of the many twisted monsters from Tartarus?"

"No, not at all. I am just a simple creature that was defeated by the humans years ago. I only wish to help you avoid the same fate that I had after humanity got the best of me."

Celestia was still searching for the voice's origin. "You encountered these humans before?"

"Yes, and they were far more advanced than I expected them to be. They had laser weaponry, hovercraft technology, potential interstellar and intergalactic travel, bulletproof armor, advanced robotics, and more. They were quite a hardy and determined bunch."

"So, you have fought these humans?"

"Yes, yes I did, but it was due to their poisoning of my world. They killed every member of my species and left me as the only survivor. I still do not understand why they would do such a thing."

Celestia frowned for the creature. "I am terribly sorry for your losses. I never knew these humans could do such a thing."

"They can do much more if your world is invading their turf. If they already have missiles primed at you, we must act fast."

"What can we do to stop them from destroying Equestria?"

The air in front of Celestia's throne radiated with a blue light. The light disappeared and revealed a new creature. Its body had the same build as a human, but it had two huge, floppy ears folded backward. Its eyes were colossal when compared to its body, and its fingers had scalpel sharp claws. It also had a curly tail that extended out of its body. The entire creature itself was covered in an onyx suit with a thick, leathery substance in the more flexible parts of it and plates of metal around its body and limbs. The head was covered by a helmet with no visor.

The creature pressed a pad on its armor, unlocking and removing the helmet from around his head to his neck and shoulders. The creature's skin was a light pink, and its eyes were two massive black ovals with reflections in each of them. Its big ears were still folded back. It smirked a little to show its sharp teeth. The creature then took a deep breath to collect Equestria's air into its lungs. "Ah, that is the best air I've ever breathed. Anyway, I will give you my technology. I have a very special plan to stop these humans from destroying this nation. You will most certainly like it."

Celestia eyed the creature and kept her voice firm. "When will you start giving me the technology and plans needed?"

The creature's mouth grinned to hide its true intent. "We start now. First order of business, DNA manipulation."

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Private Manke sat inside of the drop ship he was assigned to. He was with his fellow comrades and his sergeant, waiting for the sweet relief of fighting and the comfort of Jaminino City's barracks.

One of the squaddies was listening to their comm link. When the link was finally cut, he faced the soldier to his right. "Hey, have you heard of some weird events that are occurring?"

The soldier shrugged and mumbled his words. "Like what?"

"From what I just got done hearing, an entire island came out of nowhere in the Pacific Ocean. The dudes on the other end said that there were bright colors and midget horses there."

"Huh, sounds like Jaminino Island's arrival without the freaky giant scorpions and abandoned temples."

"Hold up a second, soldier," the sergeant intervened as he held out a hand to the squaddies, "what island just rose from the ocean?"

The first soldier turned to the sergeant. "The other soldiers said that it was this entire world where these small horses dominate as the advanced species. Even though it's not as advanced as us, it has some pretty decent technology under its belt."

"A world where horses rule?" questioned another soldier next to the sergeant. "It must be weird to have your mounts be that intelligent."

"If I'm correct, I don't think humans even exist on it at all. It's just horses and who knows what else."

"So, what's General Solk going to do about the island?" the sergeant asked with some interest. "Is he going to claim it as property of the GEST?"

The first soldier shrugged. "I'm not sure. I do know that we might have pissed off their ruler."

Another soldier with a southern accent hopped into the conversation. "How the hell did we piss off a leader of a race of intelligent horses? Did we ride 'em or somethin'?"

"We shot and killed a few HRM soldiers, that's why."

The sergeant huffed at the answer. "Ugh, I get that we have the kill any HRM if we meet them policy for a good reason, but maybe we should have some restrictions on that policy. A good soldier knows not to shoot the enemy in front of a foreign ruler."

"Does this information change our mission?" Manke asked the other soldiers. "It'd be nice if that battle we fought in earlier is the last one we'd be in for today."

The second squaddie faced Manke and smirked through his helmet. "Don't worry, newbie, we're still going home."

"Attention, soldiers, we're almost at Jaminino City," the co-pilot announced. "Brace for landing."

The drop ship flew over a stretch of sea and to a coastal city on a massive landmass. The city itself was colossal and unique with its design. The skyscrapers of the city were cylindrical with domes and singular antennas on their tops. Eight tall towers with coils on their tops surrounded the city in an octagon arrangement. Some of the towers were partially submerged in water to provide a complete octagon. The city had several different characteristics with its setup and structure. There were a few factories and depots scattered around the command center in the middle of the city. The command center was an enormous complex with some helipads on it, dozens of walkways, and a few towers hanging from its sides. Swaths of skyscrapers filled the skyline of the city, and a couple residential zones rested near the edges of the city. A huge, metal wall with turret, watchtower, and mortar defenses wrapped around the towers. The wall ended once it reached the ocean.

The drop ship flew over to one of the empty helipads hanging off the command center and slowly descended onto it. The ramp door opened, and the soldiers walked out of the ship and into the command center. They navigated the intricate hallways and paths teeming with either soldiers, workers, or scientists to reach the section leading to the barracks.

When the soldiers were only two floors away from the barracks, a lieutenant walked up to them and halted their travels. "Excuse me, but is Private Manke part of your squadron?"

Manke raised his hand and stepped forward. "That's me. What's the reason?"

"General Solk needs you in his office immediately."

Manke felt his body shake a little, but he kept his fear at bay. "Why does he want me?"

"He didn't provide an exact reason. He just wants you in his office."

Manke walked up to the lieutenant and glanced from path to path in the crossroads. "Um, I'm not very familiar with this place. Can you take me to his office?"

The lieutenant sighed and nodded. "Well, you are a private, so it makes sense why you'd request that. Sure, just follow me to his office."

Manke and the lieutenant walked down the left hallway and rode an elevator up to the thirty-fifth floor. They kept walking through the hallways until they reached the commanders' hallways. The lieutenant walked over to the third door on the left and stood next to it. Austin G. Solk was written on the door. "Well, here's his office," the lieutenant told Manke. "I need to get going now. There's a batch of new recruits that need training."

As the lieutenant hustled to a nearby elevator, Manke opened the door to Solk's office and stepped inside the office. The office was fairly vacant with the exception of a few filing cabinets, a desk with three swivel chairs on their respective sides, a desk name plate with Solk's full name, a stack of documents with a pen, a computer, and a porcelain cup full of coffee. Solk sat in his chair and navigated through the tabs on his computer. Once Manke was right next to one of the two empty chairs, Solk turned from his computer to Manke. "So, you must be Private Manke, right?"

"Yup, that's me," answered Manke. "What do you need me for?"

"You're here because I have randomly chosen you for a special program I created. You see, I usually appoint anyone who's a colonel or higher to be tested in the chronocrystallization process. However, I want to know how someone will act, behave, and, most importantly, survive when they are built from the ground up already chronocrystallized."

"One question," Manke interrupted in one of Solk's pauses. "What is this chronocrystallization process?"

"To put it simply, it involves putting a chronocrystal, a type of gem we found in meteors decades ago, into someone. The crystal alters the body in ways not imagineable. The crystal gives partial immortality, resistance to injuries and wounds, an increased rate of healing, a greater memory capacity, and strengthened bodily functions like lifting objects, fighting disease, or breaking down food. I'm wondering if you're ready to be the first clone to be chronocrystallized."

"Well, all of the effects sound really beneficial. Why don't you use that stuff for all of your soldiers?"

"We only have a minute amount of chronocrystals. We have to save them for those that we believe are crucial leaders or fighters for the war. However, you will be the only exception, as the scientists testing the crystals want some information regarding the effects it has on clones. So, what is your option?"

Manke had one last question. "Is the process painful?"

"Not at all. All I need to do is put a chronocrystal in your hand. The crystal does the rest."

Manke thought to himself for a few seconds before making his decision. "I accept your offer."

"Good." Solk reached under his desk and lifted a teal box onto the desk. He set it down in front of Manke and unlocked it by entering a code into its keypad. The box flicked open to reveal a small, pulsing cyan crystal on its side. Solk took it out of the box and placed it in Manke's left palm. "It won't do anything until you remove your glove. Just set the crystal where I put it, and it should make you more powerful than before."

Manke placed the crystal on the desk. He removed his left glove with his other hand and grabbed the crystal with the exposed hand. The crystal glowed much brighter than before as it clung onto his skin. The crystal seeped through his hand and into his body. With every passing second, the crystal shrunk until all of it was absorbed into Manke's hand. After he absorbed all of the crystal, he felt a surge of energy rush into his brain. His vision flashed blue for a second, and his senses and body felt rejuvenated, despite his short life.

"Congratulations," Solk started with a small smile, "you're now a chronocrystallized human."

Manke took his glove and put it back on his hand. "So, what do I do now?"

"I'll now take personal control over your missions. For now, rest in the barracks for a while. You've already fought through hell and back, so I don't think you need to do it again."

Manke got up from his chair and headed for the door. He looked over to Solk as he opened the door. "Thanks for the crystal, Solk. I won't let you down."

Solk nodded at Manke, staying mum as he returned to his computer and cup of coffee. Manke closed the door and began his journey to the barracks. Unfortunately, Manke had to talk to a sergeant major to have him as a guide.

Now, what was General Solk examining on his computer? Well, ever since the negotiations and diplomacy between Equestria and the GEST ended, he was searching through some of the recently made reports. The report that intrigued him the most was the one involving the strange illness from two of the GEST soldiers. General Solk read through the next section of the report involving Twilight's discussion with Lieutenant Drake.

Deadly Disease Discovered in New Landmass? Recent Research Supports This Claim

Throughout the conversation involving Twilight's studies, free time, and occupations, Lieutenant Drake and his sergeants analyzed her information and asked more questions that arose from her explanation of her daily life. Partway through the conversation, two of the corporals assigned with Lieutenant Drake experienced severe chest pain, migraines, drowsiness, aphasia, problems with eyesight and hearing, pins and needles, internal and external hemorrhaging, and loss of consciousness.

The issues were first noticed when blood leaked from the bottom of the two corporal's helmets. Upon removal of their helmets, it was shown that they were bleeding severely from the ears, eyes, noses, and mouths. Only seconds after the discovery, they both spoke gibberish and collapsed to the ground. They were pronounced clinically dead two minutes after losing consciousness. Similar symptoms of significantly lower degrees were reported in several more of the soldiers, including Lieutenant Drake himself.

After their visit to what has been discovered as Equestria, five out of eleven of the surviving soldiers were treated from the mysterious illness. Three of the five soldiers, including two sergeants, died from severe brain damage, several aneurysms, and rapid degeneration and rupturing of the cardiac muscle. The other two soldiers were scanned and shown to have suffered from degeneration of the cardiac muscle and moderate brain damage, but they were able continue living in a persistent vegetative state. The rest of the soldiers, including Lieutenant Drake, were shown to have minor hemorrhaging, minimal brain damage, and minimal cardiac muscle degeneration. These soldiers are expected to make full recoveries in approximately three weeks. As for the two soldiers in a persistent vegetative state, full recovery is not expected, and death is likely to occur in less than a week.

Blood, artery, vein, cardiac muscle, white matter, and grey matter samples are to be collected from the deceased soldiers for further studying into what the mystery disease may be. Contact with infected and deceased soldiers is to be limited to scientists, and samples of infected tissue are to be studied under biosafety level two conditions. Further research and discoveries involving the mystery disease will be released as soon as they are completed.

Dr. Poirre