Fallout: Equestria - Machina

“F-f-f-fuck me…” I shivered as the biting cold air chilled me to the bone. Being the dumbass I was, I forgot to grab the jacket that was on that unconscious stallion back in the cave. Leave it to me to get too excited and forget something important. While it was cloudy and a light bit of snow fell, it was still clearly daytime and, thankfully, showed no signs of turning into a full-blown blizzard again like the night before. Though still, in my simple thin jacket, I was freezing. “Fuck I’m cold!” I finally shouted at nopony in general. I heard the echo bounce off the distant cliffs and crags of the mountains. I still had a long way to go before I would reach my destination…

The hours dragged on and on and, surprisingly, there was no word from Pai. Thinking she was busy still defragging all of that data, I left her alone. Thanks to the frigid temperature and the fact that I’ve had nothing to eat or drink in the past two days, I began to feel my progress slow as my body grew more and more fatigued. Finally, I stopped and fell over into the snow. “Damnit, Gauge...you had one job…” I scolded myself, my vision slowly darkening. My whole body was numb now...was this what death felt like?

Just before I lost consciousness, I saw a group of heavily clothed figures approach me. “There she is! Quick, get her some blankets!” Were they talking about me? I didn’t know anypony this far north. Oh well, sleep time…

When I came to, I didn’t feel cold anymore. In fact, I felt the warmest I’ve been since I started this journey… My eyes slowly opened and were greeted with the bright blue stare of a pony. Blinking, I rubbed the sleep from my eyes. No, not a pony… “What the-” I felt a cloven hoof press up against my muzzle.

“Shh, you’re in Goathaven. Your little A.I. friend uploaded herself into one of our terminals and told us that you were freezing to death out in the plains.” I sat up with a groan. So that’s why Pai wasn’t talking...she was finding me help… I owe her so much already, this only adds to that long list…

The goat tilted her head, her bright red mane falling to one side as she looked at me curiously. “Got a fever? You’re cheeks are red.”

I blinked, now noticing that my cheeks were very warm. I had been blushing. Shaking my head, I looked at the goat. “Oh- no, just….thinking.” I looked around. “I didn’t think there’d be a settlement this far out...it’s certainly not on my pipbuck’s map.”

The goat smiled “Well yeah! This area is a complete dark zone since before the Great Fallout. Anyway, where’d you get them?” she asked excitedly.
I blinked, a little confused. “Got what?”

“Your leg and A.I. friend, of course! I’m a bit of a techie myself.” she exclaimed, as if Hearth’s Warming had come early.

“Oh, I built my leg and Pai’s my best friend’s sister...if that makes sense.” I replied. Honestly, if I hadn’t been there myself through it all, I would think Pai being Storm’s sister as being made up.

“Sister? You have another A.I.?” The she-goat looked a bit more confused than before.

Pai spoke up over my pipbuck’s speaker. “No, silly! My sister and I were simply made in the same facility! Storm’s a flesh and blood pony.”

“I...don’t understand. Ah well, the name’s Gadget by the way. Gadget Steamhoof!” she said proudly. “I’m one of Goathaven’s Tech Wizards and, if I play my cards right, next in line to become the Grand Engineer.”

Having no clue what any of these things meant, I simply settled for giving a dumb look. “Uh...what?”

“Oh- sorry. Our Grand Engineer is our village leader. The Tech Wizards are those of us trained with building and repairing things from the salvage our scavengers bring back from Fortuna-” Gadget explained tried to explain before I cut her off.

“Fortuna?! Wait, it’s real?!” I asked, a new surge of energy filling my body.

“Of course it’s real! Why wouldn’t it be?” Gadget looked at me as if I was stupid for not knowing whether or not the hidden city was real or not.

“Everypony else thinks it’s just a myth. Actually, finding the place is why I was out in the snow in the first place.” Honestly, I only half believed the place was real anyway. With the news that everything I was searching for was real, I quickly slid out of the warm bed and, upon seeing my clothes and equipment on the bedside table, I slid them on.

“Wait-” Gadget started to say.

“Wait? Why? My goal is so close!” I exclaimed while sliding my saddlebags on.

“Well, for one, you need one of us as a guide through the mountain pass...second, you’re kinda being held prisoner.” she said nervously.

My jaw dropped open. Just then, I noticed that all of my ammo had been taken- even what was loaded into my guns. “Prisoner?! Why?! I haven’t done anything!”

“Well, we don’t get many visitors here. Actually, most die before they even make it halfway...so the current Grand Engineer has placed you under house arrest until you are well enough to go back home…” Gadget’s words sounded sad, which was only confirmed by her ears folding back as her bright blue eyes stared at me.

My rump hit the ground. Had I really travelled all this way for nothing afterall? “You’ve got to be kidding me… so even after coming all this way, I’ll just have to turn around and leave?”

“Well...I can try to talk to our leader for you. If I can convince her to allow you to take the Trial, that might convince everyone you are trustworthy…” Gadget pondered as she tapped her chin with her hoof.

I tilted my head curiously. “Trial?”

“Oh, it’s what everyone must take when they come of age. If they pass, they are then trained in one of three roles: Tech Wizard, Scavenger, or Botanist. If you fail...well, you don’t come out.”

I swallowed hard and tried to put of an air of courage. “I-I’ll take this trial then, if you can convince your Grand Engineer...I mean, I’ve survived this long, haven’t I?”

Gadget bit her lower lip. “Alright...just- just stay put for now.” I nodded as she turned to leave, shutting and locking the door behind her.

As she left, I flung my things to the side and flopped down on the bed. The blankets we're nice and warm and, surprisingly enough the room I was in was heated. Paid eventually popped up in my vision and poked at me like she usually does, making my eye twitch once more. “Hey! Really neat, aren’t they?” She said in her usual cheerful tone. Honestly, I wasn’t in the mood…

I felt warm drops roll down my cheeks. Was I crying? “Not now, Pai… I just found out that this whole journey might be for nothing…” No matter what I did, I couldn’t stop the wave of tears from pouring out of me. I rolled over onto my side and sobbed into the pillow.

I must’ve cried myself to sleep, because the next thing I knew I was being shaken awake by Gadget. Pai was in sleep mode, her avatar appearing in the lower left corner of my vision. “Huh...wha?” I asked groggily.

“I….I’m sorry. The GE said no, that only our kind are allowed to take the trial…” Gadget’s news only drove me into a further depressed state. I was going to have to go home after all… I couldn’t save my mom and dad two years ago and I can’t fulfill my promise to Pai… No. I wasn’t going to let it end like this.

“Fine…” I faced away from Gadget, not letting her look into my eyes for they would betray what I had planned…

I heard Gadget hesitate for a moment before turning to leave. I couldn’t see her, but I could tell she felt bad for me.

I waited until the sky was dark and the town outside my window was empty. Upon opening the front door, I noticed that there weren’t even guards posted. So much for being help prisoner. Looking around, the whole town came into view for the first time. It was a small town built into a cliffside along the mountains. Several small houses with various machines attached to them lay scattered about, while there were only about three larger buildings- possibly where they grow their food. Farther up the cliff, I saw something right out of a Daring Do novel. An extravagant mechanical doorway built into the mountainside, possibly leading to a cave. My adventurer’s instincts and common sense told me that that is where this trial was...I hope.

I crept along the dark streets, which seemed to only be lit by a few lamps here and there as well as the starry sky above. Pai popped up in my vision once again. “Hey, Gauge? I don’t think this is a good idea… I mean- they already said no-”

I cut her off. “I know they said no, Pai… but I’ve still got to try. I made a promise to you, after all.”

The pink A.I. pony gave me a soft smile. “Gauge…” Whether it was her sensing my determination or what, Pai eventually nodded. “Alright.”

A soft smile crept onto my muzzle and I felt my cheeks grow warm. “A-alright Pai, work your magic and get this door open.” I was now standing in front of the door into the mountainside. Pai’s face contorted into one of somepony deeply focussed. Soon enough she disappeared from my vision and, a few seconds later, I heard the rumbling of mechanical components as the great metal door was lifted up. I lit my horn and looked around. THe interior of the room I was looking into was designed almost exactly after something from a Daring Do novel, proving that this was more than just a simple coincidence.

As I stepped into the chamber, I heard a voice and nearly jumped out of my own skin. “I had a feeling you’d try this…” It was an elderly females voice. Turning, I flashed my hornlight in her direction. Despite looking very old, the goat in front of me looked like she could still hold her own in a fight. “Tell me, why do you seek Fortunate so badly?” Her look was stern and piercing.

Feeling dread wash through. Me, I gulped and sighed. “I-I made a promise… to my A.I. friend. I promised I’d do whatever it takes to get her a body.”

“But why Fortuna? You clearly seem capable enough to build a simple robot body for her.” The old goat asked.

I bit my lower lip. She had a point. Paid would do just fine in a simple robot pony body… was I really out here for my self? No. Paid was all that mattered right now. “There are rumors of technology melding with organic matter in Fortuna. T-that’s the type of body I promised her. She…” I felt my cheeks burning “She means the world to me, and I would do anything for her. She’s done so much for me, going through all of this is the least I can do to repay her.”

The old goat smiled, her gaze still piercing right through me. “Very well. Since you’re so keen on going, I’ll have you run the trial tomorrow. Oh, and good job hacking that door. Not many can break into here. The Machina coded that door herself.” Wait, Machina? Who’s that?
Before I could ask, she turned and left. “Good night.” As the old goat left through the doorway, I was left in silence. It took me a moment, but eventually I realised that I had just talked with the Grand Engineer.

As soon as I got back to my room, I began checking over my equipment, unsure of what I’d need in the trial the next day. Honestly, I was so excited that I didn’t get a wink of sleep...though that didn’t matter much as I had slept so long already. Pai popped up in my vision. “Whatever this thing is, I’ll be here with you through it all! By the way…” Pai looked bashful as she curled one leg around the other. “What did you mean when you said I meant the world to you…?”

My cheeks flushed bright red. “O-oh, that… I-I mean, you are a really good friend and...y-yeah, that’s it.”

Pai looked a little disappointed. “Oh, I guess that makes sense. You probably mean the world to Storm as a good friend, too!” I could sense through her bright smile that there was a tinge of sadness, as if she had been hoping for more.

I flopped on the bed and stared past Pai to the ceiling. “Yeah...Storm too…” I let out a soft sigh. It’s not what I meant, but… it’d have to do for now. I had a trial to worry about in the morning.

--Chapter End--

“I have changed. Just like you.”

Quests Finished: Haven

Quests Started: Trials and Tribulations

Levels Earned: 3-4

Perks Earned: none