Fallout Equestria: Aftershock
Prologue
Once upon a time in a Stable.

In the magical land of Equest-.... Oh what the hay! What gives?! It's almost a bloody broken record at this point! Lets get the sitrep done! I'm Sparkplug, proud Stable Tech certified maintenance pony for the great and... Dull coloured Stable 281 of Stable Tech. Stable 281? Yeah pretty out of the norms, reason is that this stable have such a high digit is because somewhere along the line Stable Tech screwed up and built 2 Stable 81, to avoid confusion and to correct their mistake they named the Northern Stable 81: Stable 181 while the Southern Stable 81: Stable 281, the later is my glorious and dull home. Anyway! Enought about Stable Tech already!

I just turned 20 yesterday. Most of my generation was there, we had a real blast and of course... I got wasted hardcore!... Apple Ciders's the best! Except when it come to hangover....

"Beep!"
"Beep!"
"Beep!"

Ugh! With a quick thump of my hoof I silenced that blasphemous alarmclock. Early morning... Hate those! I groaned under my bedcover. I croaked "10 more minutes for Celestia's sake! Just..." Back to Luna's dreamscape I went! Enjoying a pleasant after sleep nap.

"BoOOop!"

Great, now the intercom was freaking out at the entrance of my room... Why does everything have to be so important down here at Stable 281? Then I heard a warping noise. "Augh..... 10 more minutes?..." I croaked.

Then the bed got flipped to the side, sending me sprawling onto the floor next to it in utter confusion! I finally opened my eyes and looked up with a blurry gaze at a very unhappy and stern father, his dimly glowing steel grey iris were almost looking like daggers pointed at me. "Um.... Hey....Dad?" I smiled sheepishly at him.

No ponies know why but down there in Stable 281 everypony have glowing iris in their eyes... It as often been the subject of various debates within the infirmary of the stable. Well, all I know about it is that its a condition that started appearing among the inhabitants of the Stable after the second and third generation of ponies down there decades after the balefire bombs dropped like crazy out there. Somepony think its something the stable wasn't able to block out, some others think that it's long-term underground dwelling while others, the more scientific of us believe it's due to our particularly unique prototype induction spark talisman generator that takes almost half of the Stable maintenance grid, supposedly some sort of super mega awesome power generator that could feed the stable for the next millennia or so. Some ponies even call it the P.I.S.T.G. Bleh silly acronyms, anyway the more scientific of us believe that our conditions are due to a mutation provoked by something called Induction Emission Radiation. or I.E.R. Again, acronym-loving wierdos.

My father frowned down at me and than facehoofed "What am I ever gonna do with you kiddo!.... You're ALWAYS late for your shift! Your mother and I have both been working around the clock to make up to your absence down at the P.I.S.T.G. Room! Do you HAVE any IDEAS how drained we are?!" He said with a sigh. "Just... Nevermind! Hurry up and get into your utility barding and get down there before the Overmare herself storm your room! Her patience is already at the brim of fury! And you know how Overmare Tablette is about last minute ponies! Now on the double soldier!" At these last words, he grunted and teleported back to maintenance.

Yep. That was my father, Head Maintenance Fiddlegear, Grey coated unicorn pony with a wild greyish blue mane. Who is also my boss. Heck even mom work down there as the second in command of the maintenance crew! Momma Cogheart, go family tradition! As for me, I was just a sleepyheaded late maintenance pony by the name of Sparkplug or Spark for my friends and family.

I groaned hard as I stretched out of my bedsheet and cover tossing them aside with my levitation magic than rubbed my eyes with my left fetlock and walked up to the bathroom to stare briefly into the mirror right above a badly clogged sink. Note to self: Ask the plumber pony to get that fixed later. I looked down at the sink and let out a depressed sigh before looking up at my mug: Bed ragged, my grey coat, dark blue mane and tail both decorated with a streak of white trough them and my awesomely glowing electric blue iris and to finish it all a robust average-sized horn! Not to forget my lovely cutie mark, a.... sparkplug. in the middle of it. All are where they should be! A utility young stallion with a boring day ahead!

After trying my best to fix that disaster that was my mane and tail, I moved over to my bedside and once I got my drawer open and took one of the many look-alike utility barding, I carefully looked over it briefly before nodding and commented to it "You'll do for today..." than I went to slip inside of it, it fitted me like a horseshoe! After a few more stretches I look up at the picture sitting on the drawer and smiled proudly at it. On it was the picture of a earth pony buck in steel ranger power armor of the T45 Series and next to him a lovely unicorn mare in labcoat and reading glasses, but what was more catching was the little filly standing atop the armor on her father's back giving a gleeful smile at the camera, my ancestors that sought refuge in Stable 281 before its massive gear-door sealed up for the last century and a half.

I then left my room and walked into the living room of our personal quarter. Being an important family we were given a lot of space. I moved to the kitchen and grabbed a fancy buck cake from the reserve and took a bite fo it! Hmmm... sweet. I dug the taste, then I opened the fridge and looked through its content carefully, dozens of sparkle colas and some fresh apples from our hydroponic garden! I took one of the colas and a single apple, setting them in a lunchbox atop the fridge and proceeded to finish my snack before looking around the living room briefly as my magic closed the lunchbox i than proceeded to levitate it to my side attaching it to my barding's extra straps, before leaving my family quarter I decided to make a brief detour into our personal storage room! As the door hydraulic whistle and the door opened, I smiled even more proudly at the Heirloom sitting inside of the storage. The old T45c that belonged to my ancestor, I carefully moved up and brushed the dust off one of its pauldrons and smiled at the words written on it 'Los Alicorn Steel Ranger Second Division' and than looked up at the name written on the collar 'Steel Ranger Master Sergeant Apple 'Jackhammer' Rig. I snorted quietly as I looked at the words that were written on the armor's left flank: 'Kiss that Stripes!'

I swear my ancestor sure had some sense of humor I guess, mom always told me the story how my ancestor, Jackhammer forcefully plowed trough Stable 281 security to get his family into the Stable safety and in the process, made the first Overmare wet herself in front of everypony! Turned out the whole stable was forced to accept the extra 3 ponies that entered the stable at the last minute before the massive gear-shape door shut close! Who would mess with a battle-hardened Steel Ranger who only wanted to keep his family safe anyway? Eventually Jackhammer became Security chief and his power armor became a symbol of peace and justice within the Stable, his wife: my wayward grandmother Spark Wielder became Chief-Maintenance pony since the position was empty, as for their daughter Zap Spaz, she followed in her mother's footstep eventually making Maintenance and Technical Pony a family tradition but that didn't stop us from stubbornly holding to our military tradition.

Mom even taught me how to remove and reattach a Pickbuck blindfolded with only my magic as a tool, giving the magic said shape was a challenge! Of course She had me train on a broken Pipbuck 1500 Prototype with the designated Pipbuck Key since I had to mesmerize its shape.

As for my Pipbuck, I have inherited the one that belonged to Jackhammer a long time ago, it is a 3000 Military Model and oh buck! I love the Pickbuck 3000-M! What makes it different from the other 3000's variant is it's ability to interface with most of the Steel Ranger Power Armor variants even the older variants like the T45c in our Storage room. Dad told me that my Pipbuck is a bit of a black sheep down there due to its military's origin the equestrian field camouflage coating it and the symbol of the Ministry of Wartime Technology that decorated the background of the pipbuck amber tinted screen when it is powered on! Safe to say that this pipbuck was meant for combat due to the other unique feature to it was the Military-grade attachment to it a EFS-Enhancer Range Finder, something the M.O.W.T. worked on with Stable-Tec in a joint venture before the bombs fell, I guess it must be that extra tiny black box rigged to it. Last time I gave it a try, my Pipbuck emitted some sort of sonar-ping and suddenly a lot of number appeared on my EFS! It must be very handy for a military pony who's doing some extra long range shooting.

Anyway, after a brief look around the living room of my family quarter, I stepped outside and quickly proceeded to the westernmost intersection of the residential area of the stable and then the most annoying voice of the stable came from behind me...

"HEY SPARKY! HOW'S MY FAVOURITE LAZY PONY DOING TODAY!? OH! YOU HAVE A BRUISE ON THE MUZZLE! GUESS YOUR DAD GOT PISSY? WANT A MUFFIN?! I LOVE MUFFIN! HERE! HAVE A MUFFIN!"
Then she shoved a muffin up my mouth as I was about to protest. A-yup... Crazy self-appointed party pony of the stable. Ugh... Somepony kill me already. Jubilee, crazy earth pony mare with minty green coat and candy pink mane and tail. Go figure how she got that swirling party hat cutie mark.

I opened my lunchbox and spat the muffin into it and sighed "Hey Jubee, Doing decently well, Yes dad furious at me for being late, thanks for the muffin, I have to go to work now! Kay? Thanks, Bye!" I stampeded into the elevator and clicked repetitively on the maintenance button on the elevator navigation board quickly! Quick! Close before she gets in! CLOSE Be- Thank you, Celestia! I sighed in relief as the Elevator closed!

"HEY WAIT-" Was the last thing I heard from Jubilee before the door closed, I slumped on my haunches and sighed deeply something felt wrong though, the elevator wasn't going down but the opposite actually, it was going up! Then it suddenly stopped! The door opened and I went completely stiff.

In front of me stood the only mare I never liked in the whole stable, the Overmare Tablette and by the look she had in her eyes I guess she didn't like me one bit as well. She always claimed I was some sort of 'renegade' example for the stable and always considered me as a pony that the stable would do without. In all honesty, she's an imperious bitch.

"Mister Plug." Said the aged lavender-coated unicorn mare that was in stable barding with an elegant coat at the colors of Stable-Tec, wearing her grey-ish yellow mane in a bean above her head and reading spectacles sitting on the bridge of her muzzle. She proceeded to my left in the elevator and the door shut behind her. Oh, Celestia fuck me side-way with her horn! "Late as always, I presume?..." She was staring at me calculatingly.

"A-yup Ma'am....." I shooked.

"You do know you're a bad example for all the Stable's youth by doing so right?" She said with a calm sigh.

"A-Yup," I replied calmly with a hint of shame in my expression.

"Please don't make it a daily habit.... I already tolerate it to be a weekly habit so far." She said closing her eyes, carefully brushing her brows with her right hoof than looked at me once more with those calm and wise yellow glowing iris. "I have business in Utility beneath Maintenance with Fixit, She said she wanted to show me something she found down there. Please give my regard to your parents for me would you?.."

"A-Yup." ... I guess that was all I could say to her for now...

"Eugh! Quit doing that 'A-Yup' crap with me young stallion! You know I greatly despise that from you?!" She shouted at me frowning, stomping a hoof in frustration!

"Hehe sorry Overmare Tablette. Habit I took up from my Apple ancestor!" I grinned sheepishly at her as the elevator dinged and a synthetic voice said 'maintenance' I stepped out, chuckling a little as I proceeded to my workstation.

"Foals these days...." Grumbled the Overmare as the elevator shut behind me.

I proceeded down the hall which was rather dark but not really a big deal to me. Since the glowing iris anomaly came with a positive effect, seeing in the dark woo! Eventually I found out why it was so dark as a pair of glowing brown eyes on the side of the Hallway looked up at me. I sighed in relief and approached the maintenance stallion in utility barding, by the tired look in his eyes I easily guessed who I was about to talk to.

"Hey Rustscrap, fuses again?" I said meekly to the middle-aged unicorn stallion.

"Yeh.... 'damn thing keep blowing up... Mind checking the power influx with yer dad? 'm guess'n that's what keep giv'n them poor fuses bad strokes." Rustscrap said with a calm tone and looked left and right. "And if ye be see'n Fixit tell her she still owes me for that Playpony Magazine she took from ma office d'bitch scraped ma magazine!"

"Sure thing... Rusty. Oh and... Avoid utility right now, Overmare Tablette is down there!" I chuckled a little as I walked past him as he went tense at these last words I told him.

"Damn bugger hag darn nagg'n bitch is!...." he mumbled as he went back to swapping the fuses for the hallway's lights. "Still piss at me for not fixing her damned bloody toaster..." A rather colorful namecalling I must add.

As I left Rustscrap behind I finally stepped in front of one of the many stable standard hydraulic-powered dull gray door, on top of it was neatly labeled "Generator" I took a deep breather and opened the door and stepped into the large dome-like room, in the middle of it was the massive prototype induction spark talisman generator, a massive spire surrounded by 4 massive coils and lots of zapping. I swear the moment I stepped into the room I could almost feel the static tickling at my mane.

"Oh good, there you are son! Mind helping me with that loose power cable over there?" I smiled at my mother's voice and looked up at her hanging on a floating ladder held by father's magic, hanging upside down to it my mother was working on one of the many micro-matrix that processed the power to the Stable. The Induction Resonance Spark Talisman Generator was one of a kind.

From what I read about it, it was still a highly unstable but near unlimited source of power designed specifically and only for Stable 281. I do not know why only our stable got one and not any others out there. So far it has been running fine ever since 281 got sealed. I'm not even sure if Stable 181 had gotten one as well considering it is our 'Sister' Stable afterall.

"Sure mom! Just let me get one of the blowtorches and it will be done in 10 seconds flat!" I said sheepishly as I trotted over to a toolbox with 'Sparky no touchy.' written on its cover opening it and went scrounging for the said tool "Um nope.... Nope...... Nope!... AH! Got it!" As I deposed my lunchbox next to the toolbox and exchanged it for my blowtorch I went next to the ladder to which my mother was hanging spinning the blowtorch in my magic and lit it up, getting to work and wielding the damaged power cable back into place delicately was a trivial task but a must to keep things working.

"Your mother and I been thinking about it for a while Sparky... But well... Um... We think you are at the right age to give it a try." The voice of dad came to my right, I quirked an eyebrow up and tilted my head to look at him as he was working on one of the many terminals while monitoring the status of the generator he than looked up at me and smiled. "That is getting the T45c a spin around the stable that is! I'm sure it will help bolster the morale and put on a nice show for the foals to enjoy. I hope you've been reading the manual about power armor handling I gave ya months ago!"

"Sure I did dad but if you want me t-wait whaaaaaat?!" I said looking at him mouth agape, eyes going wide my magic interrupted as the blowtorch landed square on top of my head! "...Ow!" I grunted while wincing, rubbing my head with my right hoof and looked at my father who was looking at me and trying his best not to snicker at my clumsiness. "Y-yes I've been reading it for the third time now... are you sure about that dad? I mean that armor is as old as the Stable and um.. I don't want to break it accidentally!" I said.

Then my mother exploded into a laughter above my head, my father chuckled as well then my mother shouted from above our head "Okay Sparky! Breaking a Power Armor! Seriously?! You gonna need to be ultra super duper clumsy to break the thing! Heck, I'm sure you can't do as much damage to it as that Blowtorch did to your noggin! That tin ton warhorse has more resilience than you do sunny! Ain't no anypony who will tell you otherwise!" she said as she calmed her laughter and sighed before adding. "Besides I want to see if that thing is as truly formidable as they say when it's on the move!"

Mom smiled down at me, half her crimson-colored mane flopped over her face, her smiling muzzle poking through it! Mother has always been a daredevil even for a unicorn, she sure lived up for the thrill considering she was hanging upside-down over one of the huge coils that surrounded the Spark Talisman Generator. I could still spot a glimmer of her adorable emerald glowing iris trough that mess of a mane of her's, as for her coat, it was a black night coat. Somepony could say that she was the opposite of me colorwise.

"Your mom's right kiddo, heck I'm not even sure if we have anything that could break the thing, the T45c come with hardening coating too! So I'm sure it would take more than some fancy magic energy rifles to do some serious damage to it, sure the armor could use a bit of a polishing but beside of that I'm gem solid that, the suit will work flawlessly, Heck! I even replaced the armor Spark-Matrix and got the repair talisman in working condition again so that the old tin can could start serving again! So what do you say son?" my dad said calmly, giving me a confident smile and nodded at me.

I sighed calmly. "Er..... Well, why not it's my day-off tomorrow right?" I said. My father nodded to my words and i smiled. "Alright, I'll give the steel monster a try and go around the stable! Heck.. I think I'll even try to make the Overmare wet herself!" I said jokingly with a mischievous grin.

My parents burst into laughter at the last words as they finally calm down dad chuckled and said "Yeah you go show her that Jackhammer ghost is still watching over the stable! Oh, I also modified the helmet, it can now accommodate your unicorn horn." Dad Father said.

"Oh cool!" I said before grabbing the blowtorch up, looking at the pressure gauge on it before carefully setting it back into my designated toolbox! "Enough foaling around before the Overmare string us all up for being relaxed on the job." I said and my parents nodded.

The next 6 hours was mostly boring, lots of tuning. Sometimes I had to go take a peek at each monitor screens, making sure all was in the green than went on to my workbench, my parents already left an hour ago to go rest at the stable atrium before heading back home while I diligently committed to my shift. As time went on I grew even more bored and went sitting at my workbench and opened one of the many Playpony magazines I hid beneath it.

* 2 hours later.

Just when I was enjoying a bit of a personal 'lectur' a shout came from behind me "PERVERT!" I squeaked in surprise and fell off my stool onto my back! I blinked a few time as a young mare freshly out of fillyhood came standing above me, with a mocking grin.

Tan coat, white mane, and tail, Earth pony. The only mare in the stable I truly consider my closest friend down there in these dull grey halls. "Hey Fixit." I said as I tried to ignore the ache growing in my back from the fall and also tried my best to ignore the insult. "What brings you to the lovely and boring mess that is the Generator room, Fix?"

"Oh!... Nothing just came to give you some company since... Well.. I know how booOOOoooring Generator is at this hour and how you are always alone at this time of the day here! But THAN I caught you watching lewd stuff! YOU! Naughty naughty stallion!" She said with an evil smirk "Perhaps I should tell your parents about that secret stash of yours!... PERVERT!"

My ears folded back onto my head... Ouch... She sure knows how to give some low blow with her words than I squeaked in a small voice "...Please don't." I bawled my eyes at her giving her a fake expression of distress.

Than she burst into a laughter "Oh Goddesses! That's what I love about you big goof! Sparky! Of all the Stallion in this cursed-boring stable your the only one that manages to look cute despite your earth pony-like stature!... I swear! I never have seen a unicorn with your athletic stature before and yet you still manage to make yourself look.... Cute!"

So that day I found out I was somewhat cute? Um, go me I guess?

"Alright! ALRIGHT! I swear you mares love to tease my poor soul a lot! Eugh!..." I said and shooked my head before grunting a little as I stood back up on my hooves, sliding my playpony magazine back into my secret stash! "So what do you have on your mind Happy?" I said as I sat down on my haunch, scratching the back of my head with my left forehoof.

"Ooooh nothing, in particular, found some sort of.... Beacon today down in Utility... Showed it to the Overmare." She said while squirming uncomfortably and added: "Something happened." With a hint of worry and nervousness in her voice.

I frowned a little then said. "What happened?"

"The Overmare poked it... and... well... It went active." She said, looking at me before continuing. "The Overmare told me to keep it a secret for now but I'm worried and well your my best friend and I want you to take a look at it, I know you been reading a lot of military stuff and also that you are the most versed into the stuff.... So please come take a look at it."

I blinked than look over at the Generator, pondering a moment then went on to a computer and turned on the auto-maintain system I've installed in place a few months ago to improve the life quality of the Maintenance Pony crew. Wich by the way I mostly mean, me. "Lead the way Happy," I said while setting the fallen stool straight. She nodded and move on than I followed.

It didn't take us long, the trek to the Utility level was brief, heck even the maintenance elevator was mostly unused at this time of the day, then she brought me to a storage room and brought me to one of the corners of it. "There it is." She said motioning to a device with a blinking light atop of it. I looked down at the device and went on to examine it carefully.

"Hrm.... aaah.......... oooh whoaow.... What in the Goddesses Names does an M.O.A. distress beacon doing in a Stable?!" I said with a hint of surprise in my eyes despite of the darkness in the room my dimly glowing eyes could easily recognize the symbol on the beacon, a winged cloud with a bolt coming out of it surrounded by a circle. than i added. "If i recall teach's saying about history, the MoA was mostly a Storage Ministry of some sort... So maybe this beacon was accidentally shipped to Stable 281?..." As i spoke my theory, Fixit seemed to relax a little but than she said.

"Well is it even normal for it to go active after all these years? I read in a Equestrian Electronic Magazine that things like this needed some sort of receptors to work! What if somepony... or someone out there is getting a signal? From that thing?" she crossed her hooves looking down at the beacon uneasily rubbing her left fetlock than she added. "I mean i don't like it one bit... I feel something itching in the back of my mane I'm telling!" She added, as she looked up at me in the eyes, her glowing purple iris were so adorable in this darkness.

"Well, what did the Overmare said about it?" I asked her.

"Oh, she said to keep a low profile about it and when she was done looking around the storage for anything else she went back to the Overmare Room in a hurry, saying she'd need to monitor something." She replied and went silent as I pondered.

"Well... I'm sure we are safe? I mean, what could this beacon contact anyway? Everything is constantly reported dead and barren out there! Your heard the Overmare say it yourself, unless i'm wrong and I've been sleeping in on the Overmare's public speeches." I said with a casual sheepish grin.

Fixit chuckled heartfully "Gosh! Sparky your so full of it sometime! You do know staying up late at night and all those quick naps will get you into big troubles sometime right?" She finally calmed down and sighed then added. "Just.... alright I'll stay down there and keep an eye on the damn thing for tonight as for you... I have an odd feeling just.... Stay close to that big tin can of yours alright?" she said and I nodded, I guess she was talking about the T45c.

"Alright Fixit." I said then I looked at the clock in my Pipbuck that was bracing my right foreleg, it was already 1800. Sweet Celestia, time sure flew by fast... I grunted in annoyance before looking at Fixit. "Good night Fix."

" 'Night Sparkplug...." she said before going silent and went to flop down on her haunches to observe the beacon intensively for any other reaction.

On these last words I walked out of utility into the maintenance elevator and pressed the button residential, I couldn't help but ponder about that beacon.... What if.... What if it was actually broadcasting its location somewhere to somepony?... I groaned and held my head with a hoof for a moment. "Coffee first, question later Sparkplug..." I said to myself

But one thing Fixit was right about, the T45c was my heirloom now it belongs to me. It was my 20th's birthday present from dad, he always said the suit was never meant for him. When he discovered my fondness for it, he decided to gift it to me, I don't know if that was true or not, he just said that by wearing it I would be paying my respect to Jackhammer.

*

As the elevator let out its pleasant ding and the speaker said in a soothing voice "Residential." Its door opened I took a quick look at the intersection and before heading in the direction of my family quarter. I decided to go by a small detour by the Atrium to see if anypony was there doing anything at this hour. Carefully I walked to the door in the opposite direction of the Residential area to a pressurized door that had the letters above it saying 'Atrium'. As I stepped into the atrium I took a brief look at this rather imposing hall that has 2 stories and a very high ceiling with a magical sunlight effect that came from a magical representation of a dusk noting the time of the day.

A quick look around I came to realize that Winestreak, Tabletop, and Gamble were still in the Atrium by a round table with a pile of game cards between them, Tabletop and Gamble were glaring at each other intensively while both holding a deck of cards in their hooves! Winestreak was as always, supervising the game. Than suddenly Tabletop, the sand-coated earth pony mare with a wild streak of red mane grinned wildly as her purple iris glowed slightly more for a brief moment and say in a victorious tone. "Royal flush! You lose this time Gamble ...AH!" Tabletop said.

"OH FEATHERHORSE!" A green pine-coated unicorn stallion shouted angrily and went on to flip the table in anger with his magic before crossing his hooves pouting angrily his topaz colored iris glowed slightly brighter as to put in evidence is anger!

"Don't be a sore loser Gamble you've gotten a tad over your head in confidence young buck...." Said Winestreak an aged red-coated maneless earth pony one-eyed mare that usually worked at the Stable's hydroponic farm. "Anyway, you actually win over 79 percent of your games. So don't take a defeat at heart." She'd say in a soft tone, Winestreak was not young and considering she lost her mane and left eye permanently to an accident in the hydroponic garden involving the detonation of one of the pressure valve for the water flow decades ago she managed to maintain her proud and calm demeanor, her remaining eye glowed with a calm red hue.

Then the 3 of them noticed me and looked up at me, I gave them a sly grin and say "Hum.... Hey?...."

Than Tabletop snorted. "Ooooh, Sparky you are soooo in trouble! I heard the head security chief is looking for you again! Guess you woke up late again huh?" She said. I gulped drily in respond and nodded.

Winestreak sighed calmly before adding. "You do know foal, you'l be the end of your parents, right? You can't let them do your works all the time.... I even trotted into your Mother who was heading to the Infirmary to get a Med-X to ease her migraine." She said with a disappointed stare in my direction.

I guess that didn't help that she spend an hour being upside down to a ladder right? I thought to reassure myself.

Gamble snorted and rolled his eyes. "Whatever, Thardy as always been late when it came to do is part for the stable! But not for when it come to tinker at his Goddesses forsaken worktable.... So Thard... What did you tinkered this time? Another Spritebot with a spell matrix that shoot bolt of magic that dress up mares in suggestive clothing again?!" I frowned at the nickname he gave me but than I sighed.

"If the Chief is pissed at me, she just have to meet me at my family quarter. Sorry Wine I didn't mean to trouble my mother today and Gamble up yours! This Spritebot thing was a joke and it was suppose to conjure clown attire, not perverted clothing that has gotten all the stables mare beating me to pulps one after another for a week! And yes Gamble, i love you too" I muttered next. "...Moron..."

Gamble snarled. "What did you say punk?!" He shouted at me, glaring at me.

"I said you are an M-" I was about to say when a voice boomed to our right.

"ENOUGH! Sparkplug! To your quarter!" shouted Chief Steelheart. Holy Goddesses..... Big Sister Security Chief Steelheart was on the scene and I'm... Well I'm in trouble now. The imposing black-coated battle-scarred unicorn mare in stable security barding found me and as always she never wore her helmet exposing her wildstreak of spiked dark blue mane. She than glared at the other 3.

"You know the rules already! NO gambling in the Atrium! Report to security now and put those damn cards!.... Actually Gambleroll! For calling a fellow stable dweller a punk I want you to report to Correctional Facility now!" My sister said, touché, I know I was being an ass using my sister's position to punish the buck I hated the most in the stable right after Overmare Tablette but damn seeing him being subdued by my sister was sooo satisfying!

"F-fuck not again!" Gamble said as he protested before getting a deathly glare from Steelheart, her eyes glowered a deep navy blue glow than Gamble cowered and said "S-sorry Ma'am! Heading there n-now!"

The trio scampered off in their designated direction, I felt sad for Winestreak since she was just entertaining herself by watching the game and making sure no cheating was occurring but well rules are rules. As i started to walk away my sister stopped me in my track.

"Sparky....." She said sternly, gazing angrily at the flipped-over table.

"Yes, Sis?" I said calmly as she took a deep breath and turned her head to face me her expression was less hard now and softer but still with a hint of irritation behind those glowing iris.

"You need to behave, your not a colt anymore and your action will reflect on your reputation for a long while if you don't change those bad behaviors of yours..... Look... I care a lot about you but know this, I can't let my feelings get in the way of my duty to the Stable, so please.... Stop being late okay? Because when you do. Not only you give Mom and Dad a bad rep. But also me and as of lately... The Overmare's trust in me as been considerably dwindling down because of how forgiving I am of your lack of responsibility...." She said calmly looking at me. As I was about to talk she didn't gave me a chance and added "Now.... Go to home, apologies to Mom and Dad and behave, okay Lil' bro?"

I noded calmly, she was right I have never been the best of example as a son nor as a brother and even nor as a stable dweller. I looked up at her. "Sorry, sis.... And I'll do as you said.." I replied to her with a sincere smile. Personally, I was amazed she didn't raise her hoof on me this time! But i did feel bad since she was truely right and yes. I do have to change for my sake and the stable sake.

I looked up to my sister and gave her a stern and brief military salute with my right forehoof nearly hitting myself in the face with it! Wich rewarded me with a smile from her and she grinned. "Hehe... even after all this time family tradition endure heh? I swear if we weren't stable dwellers we'd be some pretty damn good soldiers out there!" She said with a proud smile, I chuckled at her then she moved me away "Now go home and report to dad now Lil' soldier!" She added.

Without a word, I bolted back into the hallway that leads to the residential area and quickly throttled my way to my family's quarter. As i opened the door my eyes went wide at the mess! In the middle of our living room, the coffee table was pushed aside making place to the beastly T45c Steel Ranger Power Armor, my father was beneath it tinkering with it, mostly tuning doing some tune up to it. While my mother was sitting in the kitchen tongue poked out doing some tuning with the Armor's helmet!

Mom spoke first. They both were out of their utility barding! Showing their cutie marks proudly, my mother was a lovely Cog with a big heart in the middle of it, sign of a great love for technologies, father's was a Gear with sparkles around it!
"Here's our Lil' Champion, Fiddly!" My mom shouted happily while smiling at me, she looked exhausted but still in a good mood before moving off the chair, heading to set the helmet on the coffee stable in the living room and step up next to the power armor, bucking it hard with her rear hooves!

"Ah! Stable as a Fiddle!" She added, dad chuckled at her then looked the armor over and nodded.

"Yep, 'just finished fixing the servos, stabilization and now the new Spark Matrix is wired! Oh! I also added a brand new Mana Core I managed to scrounge from the Stable storage! Now go on Thundy! give the armor a try!" My father said before spinning the valve on the back of the power armor with his magic! it opened neatly revealing its inner-framework! "Step in son!" He added.

I hesitated one moment "Here goes nothing...." I said with a dry gulp than took hooves into the armor's leggings than a beeping sound came from the suit and enclosed around me! covering me entirely in the heavy self-assisted bracing of the armor a whistling sound came from my back as it was airtight sealed and the valve on my back spun and locked as the armor became fully sealed. Followed by an hum as the mana core in the power pack kicked in.

"Look's sharp son!" My mom said as she cooed! than she gave me a smirk. "Now the cream on top of the cake!" She added before stepping in front of me, levitating the helmet in her magic, carefully sliding it atop of my head, locking it to the suit's collar and attach the rebreather tubing neatly behind my helmet. Another whistling sound came from the collar section noticing me that the helmet was fully on now. "There! Now you should see some addition appearing to your E.F.S.... Any sign of changes?" She said with a hint of curiosity in her gaze.

I looked closely at my E.F.S. than suddenly in the corner of it I could see a smiling Military Pony grinning. followed by a series of lines appeared, I went on and read them as my parents stood in front of the Armor, damn... That thing has given me a head taller than the two of them!

HUD and EFS Online!
Mana Core Sealed!
Spark Matrix Engaged!
T45c Engaged!
Diagnostic in Progress!
Unknown Utilisator Detected!
Updating...
Genealogical Pattern Recognised!
New Owner: Sparkplug Thunderbolt!
Logic-Designation Recognition complete!
Updating E.F.S...
Warning! Pipbuck 3000-M Detected! Tuning...
Tuning complete! Pipbuck 3000-M Range Finder Spell Matrix Adapted to T45c usage!
Activating all suits utility protocols! Scanning...
Combat Drugs Container - Empty
Radaway Container - Empty
Healing Potion Container - 57%
Main Battle-Saddle Armament - Empty
Alternative Battle-Saddle Armament - Empty
Self-Repair Talisman Online!
Please, Standby... Searching Power Armor updates from M.O.W.T. Datacenter... ERROR No signal found! Report to maintenance pony for a manual update!
Check up Complete!
Welcome Steel Ranger Sergeant Sparkplug!

I blinked twice and I spoke. "Um... Wow..... That's a lot of...... I guess things to keep track of I guess?"

My father snorted a little and nodded. "Aye! Get use to it! Remember kiddo that armor is rightfully yours now! Now try moving around a little, and don't worry I already noticed our neighbor that we would be doing some run test on the old lass.. And wow..... The armor sure is a fine piece of arcane technologies the name on the collar swapped from Steel Ranger Master Sergeant Jackhammer to your name! and heh. It recognise you as a "Sergeant" pretty neat! Must be some sort of integrated identification matrix or something." He said.

My mother skeed happily! "Ohmygosh!ohmygosh!ohmygosh! Thisarmorisbaddass! ILOVEIT!" She shouted and squirmed impatiently. I almost forgot how much mom was a technofreak, I'll never forget the day she found a spark grenade in the stable storage and literally trigger it in her own face only to end up giggling like a little filly as her mane stood on edges. Dad had to explain to the Overmare about it and ended up saying a lie insisting it was an accident, lucky him the Overmare ended up believing him.

"Alright... Here goes nothing!" I said. On my last words, I started moving around a little, as I read in the manuals the armor reacted to my every move and was adapting to my strength and reflex, the balance was good than I started to throtted slowly around the room...

Damn it felt so awesome! Each of my steps I could hear the echoes of the extended metal exohooves below me! and as i looked down and look at my steps carefully, i noticed that each of my step raised a small layer of dust upward sign of how heavy the armor is! I finally stopped and commented. "Ummmm the articulation are fine now lets see the gyro's....." I said as I started to turn around on myself slowly, each of my heavy steps sent my heart drumming in my chest with excitement! I will be honest I truly felt strong and unstoppable in that armor! It was so AWESOME!

"The gyro's seems to be working fine thanks to the last minute tune up I did to them!" My father commented nodding calmly. "Cog get me the anti-machine rifle now, we'll mount it ammo-less onto the armor." He added.

My mom didn't took the time to nods or say anything she'd just rushed up to the storage depot in the back of the living room and came back with an equestrian army box and settled it down. Entering the code on it security panel than it beeped positively and unclasped with a whistling noise she opened the box with a wild grin. "Damn that thing is such a beast!" She'd said huffing as she hoisted the massive rifle into her magic and slowly moved to my side, strapping the rifle into the battle-saddle integrated into the armor, my eyes went wide as i saw the massive rifle cannon coming in my line of sight, than as it was mounted, new lines appeared in my E.F.S.

Armament Update...
Battle-Saddle Weapon Mounted!
Arcane Analyse Complete!
Heavy Anti-Machine Rifle IS-AT14.5mm Mounted!
Ammo count: 0%!
Report to Quartermaster for Ammo Refill!

I looked at the box from which the weapon was picked up from and noticed the 2 box of ammo in it, there must have been over a hundred rounds in those considering I could see some shellings in the box top lid... How does the Overmare let us keep that ordinance?!

"Fun fact kiddo I recently tuned up the anti-machine rifle as well, new rifling, automated Receiver and a new reinforced cannon for long-term use... Don't tell the Overmare we did it since she'll be royalty piss if she find out we made this tin ton baby battle-ready with some of the Stable resources.... Now if i recall, you'll notice 2 levers in your mouth grips inside that helmet of yours! One is for the main saddled weapon mounted on your right side which is currently the Rifle, the other is for the alternate saddled weapon on your left side which we could mount pretty much anything into it from standard Issues assault rifles, miniguns , rocket Launcher, grenade launcher and balefire egg launcher. I doubt we'll ever get out hooves onto the big tools, all that 281's have is 10mm pistols, security batons and taser guns.... So that beast here." He pointed a hoof at the big flank'n beast of a rifle. "Is one of a kind, I heard from some old recording that our wayward old man Apple 'Jackhammer' Rig had it custom made too by Ironshod Armament somewhere in Los Alicorness coastal district despite of all the competition with Los Alicorness Armament." Dad gave me a tired smile. "Now lets get you out of that thing." he added.

As he flicked his magic twice he frowns and blinked. "Something wrong love?" Mom said.

"Yeah... The Valve on the Power Pack won't bulge!." My dad answered. I blinked twice and finally caught what was going on!

"Is there no emergency lever or switch? Anything?!" I said nervously.

"No...... That armor is one of the older model.... I'll even say it was almost phased out and replaced by both the T50 and the T60 Series by the end of the War...... But my only tool that could open it is in the Generator Room.... Sorry son but you gonna have to sleep in the old Lass for the night." At these last words my father stretched and went to the Master bedroom! I was speechless!....

"Don't worry Sparky we'll get you out of it tomorrow first thing in the morning okay?.... Well at least! Look at it on the bright side! you'll get to know how Apple Rig slept when off duty when he was on the frontline! I read that the frame of the armor is rather comfy!" My mother told me with an optimistic tone, I chuckled a little than nodded, she than yawned before saying. "Well off to bed with me! Stay out of trouble!" Than she left for the master bedroom as well....

Well, here I was now... Still quite awake from my late sleeping, I looked around me and blinked and suddenly found myself with various new possibility... and well since the gun wasn't loaded I carefully started to get in tune with the Anti-Machine Rifle as I engaged the E.F.S. Combat Mode and a large crosshair appeared in my line of sight!

"Hrm... I guess that's where the Rifle is aiming at..." I commented to myself. before trying something, I carefully turned my head left and right and noticed the crosshair moving around, staying focused on where the weapon was pointing at. "....Cool...." than I smiled in glee and took a step back and entered into a combat stance aiming at my mom's forgotten teacup, aiming the crosshair at it and pulled the battle-saddle lever with my tongue!

CLACK!

The rammer in the rifle receiver let out one heck of a slamming noise! Goddesses! The rifle even gave a small shock in my side! I was in a glee of total excitement! Making me wonder how loud it would be if I shot an actual round, picturing the damage it could do! I read in the many magazine from War-Time Equestria I got from the stable utility level that these things can be a real pain in the flank for Zebra Tanks truly capable of punching some punishment into their armor like a knife cutting through butter!

I took a few more steps around enjoying the weight and the comfort of the armor. I truly felt safe. The T45c was one of the bulkiest variants of the T45 Series and was battle-proven to be resistant to explosion and since I'm inside of it, I could guess how resistant it looked like, looking to my left and my right and I was able to look at the large shield-like protective pauldrons that were covering the side of my forelegs, I than raised a forehoof up looking at it, it was mostly a mechanical extension, my natural hooves were tucked safely inside of the bracing of my power armored legs!

Then the room of our Quarter opened.

"Holy sweet Goddesses mothers of all Equestria!" Big sister Steelheart shouted at the mess in the living room of our quarter but then her gaze turned to the massive frame of my power armor her eyes went wide and her jaw dropped for a moment before finally saying. "Holy..... Hay..... Sparky?"

I nodded remaining silent under my protective helmet!

"Whoa... Just whoa...... I only saw that thing in the shadow of our personal storage depot and never bother removing the cover from it but now... Seeing it under the light of the living room... Damn!.... It look actually badass! Hehe you'd give all of security ponies a run for their bits!" She said with a snicker. "Nice upgrades!... Why are you in it?..." She added.

"Stuck in it, dad can't open it, I-I hope it's just lockdown or something," I said with a modulated voice from my helmet's intercom.

Than my sister's eyes went wide noticing the large rifle cannon sitting on my side. "Sweet Celestia!... I hope for your sake that thing isn't loaded! Or OOoooh! You're so going to be in trouble if it is!" She said glaring at me waiting for my answer, okay Sister going security chief mode! Answer quick!

"N-nope," I said calmly taking an at ease military stance in front of her. Lucky me she relaxed then slowly a smirk spread across her face.

"Mind.... Comming with me to Correctional?" She said while grinning viciously. Oooooh boy i knew what she had in mind. Okay, i knew where was that going considering i knew how much my sister was a bit of a sadistic when it come to punishment but sweet Celestia! I swear she'd just engaged twisted big sister mode!

"You... want me to give a hardcore goosebump to Gamble?...." At my words, big sister Steelgaze noded!

"Ooooh its about time he learn his lesson! He should learn not to mess with a wayward daughter of Jackhammer! Believe or not when I went to interrogate him he spat in my face! Only Celestia know what strength held me back from pummeling him into a pulp! I swear this brat is even worse than his father at time.... Now come." She trotted toward our Quarter's exit

I followed. "Is it sure its wise? What if the Overmare find out?" I said, she stopped at my comment and nodded before moving back deeper into our Quarter and to her room and back with spray paints!

"Hold still and show me that oversized fat metal right flank!" She said, I did so at her command, big sister orders always overrules anyway.... Than she started painting on the flank, the completely faded symbol of the Equestrian Army on my right flank was replaced with a M.O.W.T. Symbol with a blending of Stable-Tec Symbol the word written beneath it 'Steel Ranger Stable-281 Division' she then looked at me and grinned before speaking with a tone of authority! "There! Don't know what to do with that insult to zebra kind on that other flank but for now it will do! Now you are officially a Stable Steel Ranger! Well... when your in this beast of a power armor that is! Now get moving soldier!"

From my long foalhood training alongside my older sister and with a little help of dad, even if we were mostly a family of maintenance pony we stubbornly kept to our old military roots, every weeks we spend a day running military drill in our quarter and big sister got us some spare time to train at the security office's shooting range to train with 10mm pistols since for some reason we had a massive stockpile of those down in the Stable's storage level. My little military pony in my mind is telling me it might be due to the proximity of an old equestrian army stockpile on the surface close to the stable... well that's what I heard from one of the audio recording tapes Jackhammer left behind before he passed away. If I also remember correctly Stable 281 is located somewhere in the southern outskirt of Los Alicorness a massive ponypolis dedicated to Goddess Celestia and somewhere up in the far north was the utopian city of Hoofington from my ancestor logs it was supposed to be a city of the future, well if the stable ever get the all-clear signal and open its door i might go check it out, after all 'city of the future' mean that there is a lot of advanced technological wonders there.

"SIR YES SIR!" I shouted than blinked at the awkward than I added "Err... Ma'am?..." my sister snorted and rolled her eyes then moved on.

*

As my inner-soldier took over as i followed! It didn't took long as we made our way to Correctional without any interruption due to all ponies being asleep... It was well over 2200 anyway. As we arrived my sister stopped by the Correctional door, typing the access code in the small computer next to the door and opened it! i walked in carefully than she grinned as she went to one of the cell's door and typed the code than mouthed to me. "Be as loud as you can be, and scary too! Give that 'punk' a lesson." She'd said with a wink.

I nodded as I took a deep breather... here we go! I stand up and begin to give some heavy hoofsteps, the power armor responded well, being very noisy and doing a light tremor at each step as I walked into Gambleroll cell's stirring him awake as he looked up half-asleep first than his eyes went wide at the imposing power armored pony standing and looking down at him! I spoke with my most fearsome word. And what came next was unexpected. As my E.F.S. lit up.

Canterlot Royal Voice Prototype Talisman Engaged!

"WE DO NOT TOLERATE THY UNRULY NATURE TOWARD THY STABLE! YOU SHALL SUBMIT TO AUTHORITY AND BEHAVE LIKE THY GOOD LITTLE PONY YOU ARE! NOW RESPECT THE OVERMARE! IN THY GODDESSES NAME SHE COMMANDS!"

Canterlot Royal Voice Prototype Talisman Disengaged!

I was shocked at my own voice and how my armor translated my words as I actually recall just saying. 'Follow the rules or I'll stomp on you like the little Radroach you are!' Guess that... The module needs some working... But what came next was priceless.

Gambleroll turned pale.... and pissed on himself! ...and fainted.

My sister eyes went wide at my loud booming voice than as she noticed Gamble's reaction she couldn't help herself but flop onto her back, laughing very hard, holding her side as she rolled and laughed until she ran out of wind in her lungs.

Than static came from the intercom. "Overmare Tablette to Correctional! What the hay is going on down there!? Reports of a Booming Voice was heard coming from your sector! Please respond quickly or I'll order all security to head down there now! Over!" My sister swallowed hard and regained her composure rather quickly trotting quickly to a nearby intercom and pressed on it!

"Nothing wrong Ma'am! Just interrogating Gamble with a new method! Unfortunately he has fainted, Ma'am. Over." a moment of silence before a reply came.

Static came from the intercom before the voice of the Overmare came to us again from its speakers. "Chief Steelheart! For Luna's sake hold up the zeal a little! Last thing I need is ponies dying from fear induced stroke down there alright? Augh... Just..... Go back to your family's quarter and make sure your little brother doesn't do anything foalish! Over!"

"Y-yes Ma'am! Over." Sister pressed the intercom off than sighed turning around facing me with a frown that slowly faded into a grin "Welp... that was..... unexpected? What was that voice?! By the Goddesses it was loud."

"I don't know..... something called Canterlot Royal Voice Prototype Talisman triggered as I shouted in my helmet intercom.... hrm..... one moment... I'll try something..." I took a deep breath "Deactive Canterlot Royal Voice Talisman" than my E.F.S. Lit

C.R.V.P.T. Deactivated!.
Reactivation Command is: Engage C.R.V.P.T.

Well, that's something that wasn't in the Steel Range Power Armor Manual. I guess I'll have to make some research on the T45c....

"Did it work?" my sister said with a hint of curiosity at me and I nodded "Yep... might be useful at some point. Anyway lets head home, was a pretty wild day and I could use a nap even if its gonna be inside of that badass tin can."

Sis laughed at me and then commented while swaying backward and forward "Yooou are really stuck inside of that thing aren't you?" I nodded, she just chuckled "Come on, Sarge, Lets head home." She'd say teasingly with a yawn and stretched before trotting out of Correctional.

*

As we headed back home my sister bidding me good night and went to her own quarter. I sighed calmly as I stood in the middle of the living room and comment to no-one in particular "I guess... I just... Sleep in that thing huh?" At these words I closed my eyes trailing into slumber, I'm a hard sleeper after all and in all honesty, the armor interior sure is comfy!

***

Footnote: Level up!

New Perk: Fixcolt
You are reliable! When it comes to tinkering with advanced arcane technologies or repairing material you are the pony of the deal! On the other hoof ponies that use damaged equipment might get jealous of you... (Repair increased by 25%!)

This story may be re-edited and improved later on!

Author's Note

New Adventure Begin!
Character: Sparkplug
Race: Mutant Unicorn
Gender: Stallion

Strength: 6
Perception: 6
Endurance: 8
Charisma: 5
Intelligence: 6
Agility: 4
Luck: 3

Trait
Barding Master: You spend a long time reading book abouts bardings and Power Armor and enjoy tinkering with them anytime you get a chance to! You are a master of the art of protection! (Repair Skill get a 50% Bonus when it come to repairing Barding or Power Armors! Also you are now capable of restoring Exotic Power Armor such as the T45c and unusual models of Power Armor!

Military Pony: Trough harduous training in your Stable alongside your tough big sister you came to become a resillient and capable soldier! It might have not have been your stable assigned profession, but you aced the shooting range with a gun! (Small Gun and Big Gun skills start at 50!)

Skill Tags

Small Guns
Big Guns
Repair

Wew! Here's the prologue of FoE:Aftershock! I will be working more intensively and polishing it more in the future! Do keep in mind that this is my first fiction! I edited it as much as i could with my knowledge of english! Do keep in mind i am french canadian so english ain't my prime language! Anyway!

A Big thanks to Kkat for bringing us the Fallout Equestria Universe and his story FoE,

Hasbro for giving us MLP:FiM

Somber for deepening the Fallout Equestrian lore with his story FoE:Porject Horizon and also allowing me to let some of the ponies from Project Horizon to make some potential camoe appearance in this story!