Chapter 2: Audience.

“you're not an idiot tram.”

I looked at Levete, no, not Levete, this pony wasn't the pony i’d known in school, this pony was strong, assertive, and a leader. Nonetheless, I was confused, “Defy celestia? Didn't celestia die about hundreds of years ago?” after I said that, Lavete looked at me like I was an idiot, she rolled her eyes and drooped her ears, she said in a condescending tone and letting out a heavy sigh, “It's an expression Tram..”

My eyes stung, my throat hurt and my legs were weak, in a word, I was tired. Tired of talking, and just all around sleep deprived, I wanted to stop sitting on my warm bed and get into it, maybe have her snuggle up with me, but, I doubted she’d go for it. I finally caught myself staring and asked, “why are you telling me this? It doesn't take a former bio teacher to realize were on borrowed time.” Lavete raised an eyebrow and looked confused, “wait so you know that expression but you didn't get mine? Uhg. Nevermind.”

The room around us, my room, wasn’t it's usual self, warm and comfy was replaced by cold, dark, and quiet. The only noise coming from our conversation, and it was barely a whisper, and it was a conversation I soon wanted to end. “Tram. Tomorrow there is going to be a meeting, well, not a meeting like everyone's been led to believe. This meeting will be a lottery. This lottery is going to save stable 84.” She grimaced after saying these words, and took a long breath, than she continued, each word sounding more and more forced,“The lottery is going to randomly select one Pony, out of everyone in the whole stable, to venture out into the outside world and find help.”

I was confused, worried, and even more curious. I looked at her, beckoning for more details, I received none. I finally asked her, “I think I understand but I must ask again, why are you telling me?” Lavete took a long time to answer, she almost did twice, opening her mouth, but then closing it a moment later, not sure what to say, it felt like we’d been standing there for hours, and I was about to interject until finally she spoke. “Because the lottery isn't going to be random. You are going to be selected along with one pony from medical and one pony from security. You three will venture out of the Stable and find assistance.”

All the fur on my body stood up and a chill went down my spine as she said the words, I was stunned, I didn't know what to say, what could I say, No? Please no? “i'm sure this will come as a shock to you Tram but please try to remain calm.” Calm was the last thing on my mind, I wasn't an aggressive pony, but I wanted to punch her. Right in her stupid little face. My hooves started shaking out of anger and fear, but mostly the fear.. I practically yelled at her, my voice radiating pure hate. “STAY CALM? HOW WOULD I STAY CALM! YOU'RE TAKING ME AWAY FROM MY HOME!” I only had one question, and I intended to get an answer one way or another. “WHY?!” Lavete looked taken back by my outburst, her face looked sad and she looked away.. a tear ran down her face and dropped onto the floor, followed by another, and another, her voice quivered as she spoke, “Do-don’t make me say it, you're not an idiot..”

I knew I wasn't dumb, you don't become a teacher if you are. I looked at her becoming more angry as every second loomed forward, “What. Do you mean.” As usual, Lavete took a long time to respond, a habit of hers I was starting to hate. “Look Tram, our, ‘Random’ lottery, isn't random at all, but you already know this. Allow me to explain.. First we took every pony and put their names on a terminal. Then we took anypony who was in the medical bay, security, maintenance, food prep, and any teachers from the core curriculum. That left us with about 60 ponies, 20 of which being teachers, in the.. less important classes, like yourself.”

She took a pause, sniffling loudly and wiping away some more tears with her hoof then began speaking again. “Then we took the one with the lowest average scores of students and selected them as our ‘Random candidate’ and, now i'm here explaining it to you.” I won't lie. Lavete's words hurt, they cut through my make believe ego like a knife, basically explaining why my entire contribution to the stable meant next to nothing. I was being exiled from the stable.. to go out into the Big Outside and surely die, looking for help I won't find, just because my life was deemed the least important? I couldn't believe it, the quivering in my hooves wasn't from anger, it was from fright, I love 84.. but was I willing to risk my life for it? It felt, surreal. The wool was being violently ripped from my eyes, and the vision of myself living happily to a nice old age, with a family and lots of friends in the safe walls of the stable i’d grown up in, slowly slipped away. No, I can't accept this, there must be a way out of this. I just had to think..

Resisting the urge to cry, and mustering as much confidence I could, I stood up over her and said in my sternest voice. “No. You can't do this. Ill expose you! I'll tell everypony about this injustice! This is just.. dark!” Lavete looked at me for a moment then stood up to her full height, despite me being a few inches taller, she stared me down unwavered. “You may Tram, and I am sure some may listen, but I assure you, it gets darker. I inherited a pretty golden reputation from my father, and if you tell anyone what i've done, I will deny it, and they'll believe me. I'm the fucking overseer, and you're just a wannabe botanist. Think Tram. Why am I telling you this? Why didn't I just let you find out tomorrow minutes before your saddled up and sent out?” I opened my mouth to answer but no words came out. “Because I like you, and I wanted to at least give you forewarning to your new life.” her sad face looked even sadder but it didn't drop even as she said those hurtful words.

I was stunned once again, my flanks hit the floor as I collapsed to a sitting position, I winced as my butt hit the cold floor. Any confidence or pride I had, was shattered yet again, I wasn't even angry anymore, I didn't feel much of anything, I felt. I don't know how I felt. I guess.. bad. That sums it up well. Lavete looked down at me and the sadness in her eyes turned to pity, “It's nothing personal Tram, I like you, I really do. I wish I hadn't of said it so rudely..” I believed her, she looked remorseful enough, “But i'm not sorry for my actions. You are figuratively the weakest cog in the giant machine that is this stable. And I must do what's best for the stable, though I hate to have to send anypony out, it makes sense to send the person whose absence would cause the least damage yes?” I.. how. How could she ask me that? She expected me to sympathise with her!?

How dare the overseer ask me for a response after saying something so.. evil. She basically said ‘I'm sending you out because no one will miss you. Don't you agree?’ I hated her, and I hated that she was right even more, she was right, I was going to do nothing about it but hope tomorrow never comes. But of course, as all days do, eventually it will. It always does.a

Lavete saw the Cocktail of expressions on my face. Horror, sorrow, betrayal.. She must have figured I wasn't planning on saying anything more, and she was right once again. I was content on staring at her hooves, I noticed a tear drop hit the floor. Not one of my own either, mine rested on my cheeks, I looked up to see her blubbering like a baby once again, She muttered “I'm so.. so.. sorry..”

I looked up at her, I had a blank expression on my face, the mix of my emotions must of transformed into something my body wasn't prepared to handle, so indifference was the only thing I could muster. “Apparently not sorry enough to not do it. Ask yourself, what is sending me, and 2 other poor souls into the outside gonna do?” Lavete took the question like a slap to the face, apparently she's changed, just not all the way. she can bring out her tough, stern, leader side, but on the inside, she was just as big of a cry baby as the day I met her back in grade school.

She spoke with a quiver, “I d-dont think.. you understand. I want your trio to go out and find communities, towns, tribes, anything really, and bring them back here to breed with our Stable and hopefully help us integrate into the outside world..” She said the words with a mix of pride and sorrow, she thought her plan was above par. But she hated that she was being forced to actually use it.. She sniffled and rubbed some more tears off her face and in a calmer voice, “Well i've been here long enough, and i've caused you enough grief for tonight.. I think it's about time I left, if I don't ponies may start to talk, and I don't need rumors spread, goodnight Tram, try to get some sleep, big day tomorrow.” Lavete walked on over to my door, a shudder in each step, pushed the button, exhaled deeply, and walked out and down the hall, closing the door behind her. Goodnight? She actually expected me to sleep after that bombshell? What kind of sadistic maniac is she? I threw my hooves against the floor in anger. I was pissed, sad, confused, and scared all at the same time.

“What am I gonna do? Why would she do this to me?” I asked myself this at least a hundred times while I laid silent in my bed, took me hours to become tired once again, and only after I cried myself to sleep and woke up sniffling, did I realize.. I do the same thing every day, I have for the past 2 years, and I could be replaced by a robot and it wouldn't effect anything, not even replaced, just removed, and the whole stable would be just fine. It makes sense to be quite honest, removing someone like cherry top, a key player in the stable, could have disastrous consequences.. I wasn't mad anymore, just dwelling in my own pity, wishing that I was more important.

I woke up instinctively at 6am, my eyes burned as I opened them, I saw the same room, the same greyish blue walls, but I didn't reach for water, I didn't even get up, I finally knew what I was gonna do about today. I was going to sleep for the rest of my life. So I simply rolled back over and went to sleep, hoping in the back of my mind this was a cruel dream, no, a nightmare. If they wanted me, those fuckers could come get me.. Just as I closed my eyes and began to drift off to sleep.. *knock knock* and then I heard the same beautiful voice I did the day before, “Tram!!! Wake up!!” oh annah.. I groaned and contemplated just yelling ‘go away’ or something, but then I thought to myself, “there's no reason to be mad at her.. Or anyone, not even the overseer. If it wasn't me, it would be someone else, someone important..” I got up while I mumbled that to myself, my hooves touched the cold floor and I winced, I walked shakily to the door, my hooves threatening to collapse under me with every step, I didn't really care if they did or not. What should I tell her? Should I tell her I always wanted her? Should I tell her to join me in my room and give me a good send off to die? Each step I took towards the door was heavy and felt like I was walking through applesauce, as each step dragged on, I thought to myself, “why not? I'm leaving anyway, might as well tell her how I feel” I lifted my hoof and weakly pushed the button, as the door slid up, Annah stood there smiling at me.

I grimaced back at her. She looked ecstatic, her red name had been freshly brushed, her coat looked a little damp, probably just finished a shower, her wings flexed every so often, is that a real thing? I've always wondered.. but.. one day i’d heard a rumor that after pegasi wake up, they have to spend about an hour flexing their wings to pump pooled blood into them so they work properly, than again i’d heard that from a deer. A familiar deer. So grain of salt probably.

I said dismissively, “hey there.” she noticed the look I was giving her and stopped for a moment, her once smiling face turned dull, and she said sheepishly, “Tram? Are you ok?” I glared at her, I shouldn't have, but I was just mad, Not even at her, just bitter in general. Annah looked blankly at me and asked, “oh no.. did she change her mind?” what. My face contorted quickly to a look of utter confusion, how did she.. Why did she.. what?! She got tired of the silence and added hesitantly, “did the overseer change her mind about letting you out? If she did, don't worry, I promise to bring you back a souvenir!” she said to me reassuringly. I just stared blankly.. What? I was so confused.. So she told everyone? Is everyone leaving? Or maybe she came clean and told everyone her ploy.. Or, no.. no, no, no. she wouldn't. The medical pony she decided to send was Annah? Why her.. She was a good doctor, the whole stable benefits from her, sure she lost a few patients every.. once.. oh. That's when I understood. It was some sick revenge.. Annah couldn't save her father when he died.. so Lavete’s killing Annah by sending her out.. she can't survive out there.. Shes so innocent, so pure so, So smoking hot, So smoking..

Fuck. I recoiled my hoof from the small fire annah just made, and yelled, “God dammit annah! That was really close to my hoof!” I scowled at her again, she shrugged saying, “you were just staring at me for some reason and I got bored, sorry.” she didn't even sound like she was sorry, she just liked the fire. “wait. The overseer is sending me and you out?” I have always been open to some alone time with annah, but I never pictured this. Annah shook her head No at me and said sticking her tongue out, “apparently this twosome is gonna be a threesome! The overseers sending us out with a security pony to keep us safe! shooouuld be fun!” She closed her eyes and her tongue stuck out as she smiled at me, I went red after hearing that, i'm not to sure she understood what kind of threesome I was thinking of.

She snapped me out of my fantasy by reminding me, “in fact we're gonna find out right now! They’re canceling all work from 6:30 to 7:30 so we can all attend the meeting!” she lifted her pip leg and her eyes narrowed a moment, “which is gonna be in 10 mins! Let's start heading there now, we can walk together, apparently we get to be on stage as the..” Deepening her voice, she sat back on her flank and made a large, sweeping gesture with her hooves that seems to signify a greater purpose and said “THE SAVIOURS OF THE STABLE!”

The saviour huh, yah. I can dig that. Maybe Ive been thinking about this all wrong.. I spoke much happier, I was still kinda bitter, but I can't lie, her enthusiasm to see the outside was infectious. I couldn't tell if I felt happier or sadder now. I was happy to be talking to Annah, happy to know that she at least had a better attitude than I did about our situation, but on the other hoof,she was also being forced out there, well maybe not forced, but outside isn't good, even if you want out there “Yeah uh, sure.. wait we have to be on stage?” there were only a few occasions where ponies besides the overseer were on stage, Usually when there receiving an award, or there in a coffin about to be recycled. Which one were we?

Annah looked at me with a big mischievous smirk, she punched my arm lightly with her hoof and said tauntingly, “What? Got stage fright? Do I need to walk you under my wing?” and she extended her right wing, snickering as it spread out fully. I rolled my eyes at her and said, “oh screw you! Haha, i'm just a little tired alright?” if I could count on annah for 2 things, it's starting fires, freaking me out with medical waste, and cheering me up. I counted those first two as one funnily enough. I considered taking the offer, an excuse to get real close to Annah sounds nice, but considering we’d now be spending a lot of time together, I should pass on anything that would ruin our established friendship.. than again she did offer.. Bad Tram. Bad. Thinking with the wrong head again.

“Is this your thing now?” Annah asked me curiously, snapping out of my thoughts, “w-what?” she raised an eyebrow and said “Well.. you're just staring at me?” I realized my stupidity and looked away from her, “Uh yeah i'm good. Your right just nervous.” quickly trying to change the subject, “Let's get going shall we?” I Straightened a bit, annah put her wing down and smiled gleefully, “You bet!” and we both proceeded to trot down the hall.

*thump* *thump* *thump*

Is all we could hear as we walked down the hall, after turning a corner, we were face to face with a sight neither of us have ever seen before. “whoa.” is all I could manage to say as I saw the entire vault gathered in one room. All of them pounding the floor with their hooves, all slamming in unison in a 3 beat manner, and I thought it was loud yesterday.. We couldn't even get inside the hub, the door was practically blocked by a huge crowd of ponies pushing to get inside. At this rate we wouldn't even see the stage till it's time to go.

*thump* *thump* *thump*

Annah glanced at me before spreading her wings and hopping about a foot in the air. with small flaps of her wings she not only knocked some hats off about 4 ponies, she was able to get a pretty good view of what the stage looked like. Her ears grazed the ceiling of the stable roof as she flew into the hub. The hubs ceiling was much higher than the hallways, second she had the room she ascended up and just like that my comrade was gone.
“great. How am I gonna get through here?”

It took about 10 minutes before the pool of ponies migrated into The Hub enough to let me inside, and what did I see? The same thing I saw a minute ago, back of necks and tails. I rolled my eyes, “the least they could do in exchange for exiling me is give me easier access.” I looked around and I saw rivets on the stage, she was talking with some Yellow earth pony buck in security-barding, i’d never seen him before. He looked just as ecstatic as annah did, and he carried a gun on his belt, was that really necessary? I mean our biggest problem will just be lack of food out there, anything dangerous died when the bombs dropped.

Realizing that the swarm of ponies wasn't getting any thinner, I decided to start shoving. I shoved and shoved my way through a bunch of ponies, but I don't think anyone noticed. We were practically nose to neck, jammed closer together than a pack of cigarettes, not that i've ever smoked any though, just an expression I picked up. I eventually got to the stairs where the overseer stood, she was shaking ponies hooves and smiling big and wide, until she saw me.

My mane was a wreck, if I wake up and don't brush it right away, it shows. The look on my face was a new emotion I invented, a mix between, “i hate you, and please save me” I wasn't even wearing my vault suit. Who cared anymore. I approached her and she waved a pony away from her, as I approached she cleared her throat and said, “Oh my.. well tram you're looking.. nude.” she looked away and said “wouldn't you like a suit?” I glared at her with my new emotion face, and said “no i'll be fine.” and I walked past her onto the stage, I got some murmurs as ponies saw me walk up, but it didn't matter anymore, I wouldn't see them ever again anyway. I looked off the stage at the sea of ponies, I got a little disoriented, wobbling a bit I looked over to my new companions, well I guess one wasn’t new. “Hey there Tram! Finally made it eh?” Annah smiled at me as she said that, I put a hoof to my chest as I said “wouldn't be here if I didn't hehe” I looked over at the yellow buck who wore the barding and helmet extended a hoof, “Hey there i'm Tram Tailfeather, nice to meet you” he quickly grabbed my hoof and shook it unintentionally hard, “Great to see you Mr. T!” Mr. T? Wait.. I knew that voice.. I cocked an eye at him and said worryingly, “You wouldn't happen to be a former student of mine would you?” he took off his helmet to reveal a short orange mane, “yes sir. Last year I graduated from your class, thanks for remembering me! It's Swarley btw, real names swirly, but that's a mare's name so, my friends just call me swarley” I rolled my eyes, no one should say “BTW” out loud. Than my eyes widened. Why. Out of all the security ponies why him? He's so young.. still had some acne on his face for celestia's sake! “So you're, coming out with us..?” he smiled wide and said, “Sure am! Volunteered last night!”

That helps. That helped me alot to resist the urge to pounce on the overseer on the stairs below. At least she wasn't settling some revenge scheme, he wanted to go out and die.
“I uh.. uhm.” I glanced at Annah who took the hint and decided to bail me out, “Well hey! Looks like we're gonna be co-workers for a while! Let's get friendly, me and Tram have known each other for while, what about you Swarley?” Annah gave him a reassuring smile, “well.. if I remember we did meet Ms. R, you gave me my physical to become a security guard remember?” he reddened as he said this, Annah laughed, “Oh yah! You were the buck with the Testica- nevermind!” she snickered as Swarley went even redder, I realised my mistake of letting Annah take hold of a conversation.

“So what do you-” I was cut off by the overseer approaching from behind saying, “Well gentlecolts and mare, it's about time to send you off, but first! A speech. From yours truly..” she turned and walked towards the edge of the stage where a microphone sat, she picked it up and blew into it, testing to see if it worked. “*bwoo* is this on? Ok good.” she continued..

“Hello ponies of stable 84. I am Ms. Tandi, your Overseer, I know the passing of my father is fresh in all of our hearts” she glanced behind her at Annah as she said this, “But that is in the past, and even in the comfort and safety of our vault, time does not stand still, for the Big Outside. Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past, or the present, are certain to miss the future.” she stomped her hoof loudly on the stage, earning a big *Thump* as if to add to the dramaticness of her speech “I said, are certain to miss the future!” her voice grew faster, and more powerful, inspirational. “My father's death was the last straw. We've been in this vault so long, We will are not gonna be in here much longer though!” many ponies in the crowed gasped and looked confused, the overseer saw this and quickly added, “ Don't worry ponies, I invited all you here to tell you my solution on how to safely conduct this” she was interrupted by a mare from the crowd yelling loudly up at the stage, a yellow mare with the same orange mane worn by Swarley, she shoved her way to the front, even knocking down a pony, “Then why is he there! He's just a buck!” I could hear the pure hatred in her voice, she sounded like she was a
step away from breathing fire.

Swarley reddened and let out a small “oh no..” the overseer looked taken back by the mare, than she returned to speaking “As I always say, let those who wish to serve do it Mrs. Convoy..” The mare replied, “That's bull shit! You get down from there right now young Colt!”” Swarley didn't budge.. he simply looked away, an orange buck with a red name walked behind the mare and mumbled something in her ear before he pulled her away with a glow of his horn, she went kicking and screaming. After the screams of “Ill kill you!” and “Rot in Tartarus!”went quiet, the overseer continued her, even though I hate to admit it.. great speech.

The lights in The Hub flicked off for about 2 seconds before they came back on, Nothing too uncommon, the speakers took a lot of power and the lights were connected to the same mainframe. I heard my good friend Doe yell from the crowed, “It must be the generators! No one's there to manage them! I could he-” The Overseer waved a hoof, “Stay. I'm sure they can wait a few more moments.” She returned to her speech voice, “Now ponies, you may be scared for future generations. But let me tell you, these three brave ponies, are going to venture out into the wastes and save 84!” her words were met with many hoof stomps in approval, a few moments after the hoof stomping had concluded, one unknown buck screamed out, “Any last words of inspiration to our venturers, Great Overseer?!” she pondered for a moment than looked at us standing behind her and spoke.

“Don't pray to Celestia, for an easier life. Pray to be, Stronger ponies…”

And as she said that, instead of hoof stomps, something else happened.

*click*

Every light in the stable, including the ones from our pip bucks this time, turned off.

Hoof note: Level up Perk added: Mutual moderator, you become more observant while inside.

Author's Note

Next chapter out soon!
Perhaps next week!