Half-Hoof: Dire Circumstancesby Alfoals TrottenbauerChaptersIII - Laying LowIV - Secret OperationsVI - AssaultVIII - ReformationIX - Storming The CityI - BeginningsII - On the RiseV - ImprisonmentVII - PreparationsIII - Laying LowThe three fugitives had made it to an ocean that had dried up long ago. The ocean floor was dried up and cracked. Two equine stood in the distance. They galloped in their direction. They too had spotted them. They had resistance uniforms on. "Finally, somepony's here!" One said as he galloped toward them. "Wait, Dusty, don't-!" The mare shouted. It was too late. A gigantic spire shot out from the ground, penetrating his whole body. Blood dripped from the wound. The spire slowly sank into the ground with the body. "I tried to warn him about the Sand barnacles..." The mare lamented, "Leave me. There's something I must do..." There wasn't any help Sven could give. The trio trotted away from her. A gunshot echoed behind them. Sven looked back and saw the mare was dead. They treaded lightly on the sun-baked ocean floor. Smokestacks towered in the distance. They had arrived at the industrial area. IV - Secret Operations"I remember when this used to be City 6, then we used those headcrab canisters, ponies were running around screaming. They all ended up as zombies, it was priceless." A yellow patrolman remarked with his head turned to the guard next to him. "Yeah, good thing we never had to walk these useless streets before then." The lower ranking guard replied. Sven shot the yellow guard's head, the guard's legs buckling. Sweetie Belle and Button Mash came up behind the other two and knocked them out. They took their uniforms and threw the bodies into the dead sea. The disguised three cantered past building after building. A camera emerged from a door and scanned them. "Hey, Doctor Sparkle, take a look at this." Barney Calhoof motioned her over. "Yes, Barney?" Twilight Sparkle asked as she cantered over to the camera monitor. "Looks like we've been found out!" She panicked. The three on the monitor took their helmets off. Twilight noticed their blue jumpsuits under the uniforms. "It's just citizens, let them in." She said, calming down. The doors opened. Sven, Button Mash, and Sweetie Belle trotted in. The room was a monitoring chamber. Twilight observed them in the chamber's slit window. "Take off those disguises and we'll let you in." She clarified. They did so and the entrance opened to a large mass of Resistance soldiers. Twilight trotted in front of the squad. "We haven't had any recruits since Gordon and Ace were captured." She observed. "Dr. Bray said that Gordon was dead." Sven said, confused. "We know they're both in Nova Prospekt. We've tapped into the prison's cameras." She answered, "Bray just wants to scare the remaining rebels into submission." "Let's get you in uniforms and equipped." What Sven presumed to be the armorer said while directing them to the armory. After receiving their uniform, the armorer pointed a hoof at the pegboard in the back. "Pick what suits you." He stated. Sven took a Submachine gun, with an underbarrel grenade launcher. Button Mash took a shotgun, and Sweetie Belle took a .357 Magnum revolver. "You three came just in time, as well. We're shipping out tomorrow." Twilight commented. VI - AssaultIt was daybreak. "Alright everypony, get your weapons ready, we're moving out!" Shining Armor called out. Sven, Button Mash, and Sweetie Belle got out their firearms and started outside with the rest of the company. A squad of Combine Soldiers with red markings had been waiting for them. The soldiers had automatic shotguns out. They opened fire. The rebels started to fire. A cacophony of gunshots echoed through the desolate streets. "Protect Sparkle, cover her!" Shining shouted above the gunfire. The resistance formed around her and Shining Armor. In mere moments, twenty rebels had been shot down. "Retreat, fall back!" He shouted again. The company galloped the opposite way into the dead ocean. The combine gave chase, still firing. Sand barnacles stabbed the squad of combine, taking some rebels as well. "That was a close one, who do we still have?" Shining asked. The company trotted west of the factory. A naval mine-shaped robot rolled towards them. Once it reached them, it let out an electric charge, sending the vanguard flying back. The group shot at the mine, it exploded, taking a few more ponies with it. VIII - ReformationThe battalion of rebels cantered across the dead sea. A rusted, decrepit submarine lay on it's side, halfway sunken into the sea floor. Equine skeletons lay in the back. A gigantic, low black cloud lingered around it, red lightning shooting from it in small arcs. "Stay away from that Particle storm!" Shining shouted from the middle of the company. A stallion had strayed too close to it. A giant bolt of deep red lightning arced to him and hit two others. Their corpses floated with the storm. The company had to move on. They started to canter a bit faster, to make sure the storm didn't follow them. A large building overshadowed the sea. Gunships arose from the side. "Get low to the ground, that's the Gunship bay. If they catch a glimpse of us, none of us will survive." Shining said to Sven. Sven passed it on, and the whole squadron got low. They continued slowly. An alarm went off and an intercom blared from the building. "Batch 1999992786 released, assembling Batch 1999992787." A robotic voice announced. "Get moving!" Shining Armor shouted. The group started to gallop. The prison buildings were in sight. Deep blue lasers from the complex shone on the group. A green laser was aimed at Button mash's head. At the prison tower, the guard took the shot. Shining armor jumped in the way, sacrificing himself for Button. Shining's body turned jet black and drifted in the air before disappearing. The other snipers took their shots, picking off the rebels. "S-shining!" Twilight called out to him. Twilight now led the charge. The remaining rebels galloped at their full speed to avoid getting hit. Sven shot a grenade from his SMG, hitting three snipers. More grenades sailed into the windows. They stormed through the door and came flooding in. The guards inside fired at them, but they were quickly silenced. The flood of rebels burst open cell doors, letting the prisoners free and arming them. Their numbers were larger even than when they started. The billow of rebels burst into the pod control room. They let free everypony in the chambers. Ace and Gordon were freed last. "This is a sight for sore eyes!" Ace commented ecstatically. The sea of resistance poured through the complex, freeing the prisoners. Bray had left the prison before they arrived. They left the prison and set hoof into the dead sea again. More red-marked guards galloped out, wielding automatic shotguns. More snipers switched on their lasers. Red lasers were now prominent along with yellow. A stallion had a red laser fixed on him. The sniper took their shot and the pony exploded into pieces. The yellow lasers were aimed at the ground. The shots were fired and explosions erupted from the ground. Grenades flew into the sniper's nests, the sharpshooters flew back into the wall. A segment of the building collapsed and crushed the Combine soldiers due to damage from the grenades. The mass galloped for City 28. IX - Storming The CityThe dead sea was filled with ponies, the most life it ever had in years. They reached City 28. A large army had been waiting for them. The masses galloped toward each other. The Combine's vanguard had riot shields and stunsticks. The next line was red guards with automatic shotguns, mixed with them were green guards with machine guns. The back were all red snipers. They clashed, Sven saw his comrades bursting into bloody chunks. Grenades sailed into both crowds, exploding, sending ponies with them. It was a bloodbath. The Combine gave way due to sheer numbers. The rebels poured into resident buildings, they came out with hundreds more each time. The tsunami of rebellion flooded through streets toward The Citadel. The Combine still in the city were no match for their ranks. They were nearing their final destination. The Citadel seemed to pierce the heavens and sprawl even further. An alarm resonated through the streets. "Warning: All units; Be alert for Rebellion. Civil Code: Lance, Protect, Enforce." The flood had arrived at The Citadel. They billowed in the tower, bursting through the doors. Most of the Combine Forces had been killed in the city, the Citadel's halls were almost empty. Dr. Bray sat in his office chair, trembling as they entered his office. "O-oh... I see you've come... T-to kill me well, there has to be a more civilized-" They opened fire. The flood left The Citadel. They placed all their explosives at the base of the tower. They detonated it all, causing the Citadel to fall over, like a felled tree. I - BeginningsSven glanced outside the shoddy apartment's window. The Metrocops had been doing a search on the neighboring block. His television was on as mandatory. It was on another braycast. "Thanks to Our Benefactors, Anticitizen Freemane has been eliminated, and Anticitizen Sparks is incarcerated in Nova Prospekt. The world is now safe from any... Obstructions, and we can now reach immortality. Remember, as said by the wisepony Sunset Shimmer, 'The golden key to equality is to clip the wing and brace the horn. All individuality makes us wild and rampant.' " The white-coated moose looked in a mirror to see his antler braces. He had been pondering a way to get rid of them. He glanced out the window again, City 28 made you paranoid in that way. One moment you think all of Tartaurus has blown over, and the next you've got Combine busting down your door. He knew what they did to anypony resisting. They cut out any of your unnecessary parts, then they sew up your jaws. You have to be fed through a tube, and they take out any body mass you had. They pull out wings, tear out horns. They cover your whole head with a metal plate, and they ship you out to work where they please. He was afraid, very much so. He trotted to the fridge and took out a bottle of hard cider. He took a swig and peered out the window. A large group of metrocops were headed for his building. He sat on a chair and pulled an antler brace off. He did the same to the other. He race-cantered to a closet in the next room and levitated out a piece of metal he'd carved into a long knife of sorts. II - On the RiseSoon enough, the group started bucking his door. It burst, the whole squad was in. Sven galloped to one and stabbed him. "Shit!" The officer shouted before falling down. "We have an unrestrained moose, procedure code 9!" An officer with a yellow leg band urgently called into a radio. One pulled out their stunstick and swung. Sven dodged and stabbed them. The group started to flee. He managed to get another before they got away. Sven ran down the stairs and out the door. APCs wheeled in and shot at him with their pulse turrets. Metropolice with pistols galloped in his way. He stabbed one and took his gun, leaving in the metal shard. He galloped past the rest. Officers with orange leg bands let loose marehacks. He galloped into a block of housing. Citizens started pouring out from their doors, all armed. More Metropolice gave chase to the angry mob of ponies. A skirmish had begun. "Requesting reinforcements, Civil Code: 411!" A yellow-banded officer called into his radio. A dropship released a large metal container. It's doors opened and Civil Protection, like a tidal wave flooded into the crowd with riot shields and stunsticks. It was a bloodbath. Armed with nothing but pipes and curtain rods, the mob was quickly suppressed. Sven and a two others managed to escape. "We saw you on our television! We'd been looking to join you." A brown-coated stallion with an orange mane commented. "Must've been the City Scanners. What's your name?" Sven replied. "My name's Button Mash." He answered. "Sweetie Belle." The mare next to him added. They had left the housing district and were headed for the industrial area. Sven had heard one of the factory buildings was a clandestine base of operation for the Resistance. V - ImprisonmentAce Sparks and Gordon Freemane stared at the prison bars, awaiting the pods that would take them to be made into Stalkers. "So, this remind you of Black Forest?" Ace asked Gordon, who seemed to be deeply annoyed. Gordon wished it were still Black Forest, at least there you could be killing things instead of waiting to be killed. Their HEMV suits had been confiscated. They were probably doing research on them for better Metrocops. A prison guard stood outside their cell, levitating a shotgun. Ace got up from the wooden bench they had and started pacing around the cell, plotting an escape plan of sorts. Hoofsteps started to echo, getting closer every time. Slowly, Dr. Bray trotted to their cell. The guard saluted him with a hoof. Bray placidly cleared his throat. "So, I see your 'Resistance' has failed you, Ace." He began, "I bet you both expected to win. What you attempted is disgusting, especially as fellow former Black Forest Employees." "The Resistance is stronger than you think, Bray." Ace retorted. "You lash out at me like a caged animal, Sparks. That's exactly why you'll both be doing... Mandatory labor." "By that you mean being gutted and made your slaves." Ace asserted. "Surely you don't believe your own Rebellious lies?" Bray replied calmly, leaning into the bars. Ace swung a hoof into his snout. "Agh, dammit!" Bray said as he covered his now bleeding snout. "Guards, ready the pods faster." He commanded as he trotted off. VII - PreparationsTheir cell's door opened. It was night. Two prison guards with automatic shotguns escorted both Ace and gordon out of the cell. They were headed to their pods. They were walked at gunpoint down a long, dark corridor. The room at the end was pitch black, save for a cyan light emanating from a control panel. Dr. Bray sat at an office chair in front of the panel. The red guards stopped and saluted at the doorway. "Sparks, Freemane." He greeted. The lights flickered on. There were two chairs behind him. "Have a seat." The guards pushed them into the chairs. "You can still take a turn from your fate and run for office. I'm certain the citizens of City 26 will vote in your favors." He said as he indicated toward a monitor. The whole town's population was rounded up. They were all smiling. "Why would we work for you?" Ace asked. "Put them into their pods." Bray commanded the guards. They were walked to the jet-black cases. They opened and they were shoved in. The pods snapped shut, straightening their legs downward. The pods drug along their tracks lazily. Ace looked to both of his sides. There were thousands of the same case, all on racks, towering above them. There were screams resonating from the chamber. Stalkers. They were in pain, what was left of them could feel pain. After a long, sluggish journey, they were on one of the racks. A citizen was next to Ace. "You're on your way to surgery too?" The citizen asked. "Yeah, what did you do to get here?" Ace replied. "I talked back to an officer, wrote me up for assault and treason." He stated. "When, if, the resistance gets us, I'll make sure you get out. What's your name?" Ace said hopefully. "Rumble." He answered with his ears lowered.
III - Laying LowThe three fugitives had made it to an ocean that had dried up long ago. The ocean floor was dried up and cracked. Two equine stood in the distance. They galloped in their direction. They too had spotted them. They had resistance uniforms on. "Finally, somepony's here!" One said as he galloped toward them. "Wait, Dusty, don't-!" The mare shouted. It was too late. A gigantic spire shot out from the ground, penetrating his whole body. Blood dripped from the wound. The spire slowly sank into the ground with the body. "I tried to warn him about the Sand barnacles..." The mare lamented, "Leave me. There's something I must do..." There wasn't any help Sven could give. The trio trotted away from her. A gunshot echoed behind them. Sven looked back and saw the mare was dead. They treaded lightly on the sun-baked ocean floor. Smokestacks towered in the distance. They had arrived at the industrial area.
IV - Secret Operations"I remember when this used to be City 6, then we used those headcrab canisters, ponies were running around screaming. They all ended up as zombies, it was priceless." A yellow patrolman remarked with his head turned to the guard next to him. "Yeah, good thing we never had to walk these useless streets before then." The lower ranking guard replied. Sven shot the yellow guard's head, the guard's legs buckling. Sweetie Belle and Button Mash came up behind the other two and knocked them out. They took their uniforms and threw the bodies into the dead sea. The disguised three cantered past building after building. A camera emerged from a door and scanned them. "Hey, Doctor Sparkle, take a look at this." Barney Calhoof motioned her over. "Yes, Barney?" Twilight Sparkle asked as she cantered over to the camera monitor. "Looks like we've been found out!" She panicked. The three on the monitor took their helmets off. Twilight noticed their blue jumpsuits under the uniforms. "It's just citizens, let them in." She said, calming down. The doors opened. Sven, Button Mash, and Sweetie Belle trotted in. The room was a monitoring chamber. Twilight observed them in the chamber's slit window. "Take off those disguises and we'll let you in." She clarified. They did so and the entrance opened to a large mass of Resistance soldiers. Twilight trotted in front of the squad. "We haven't had any recruits since Gordon and Ace were captured." She observed. "Dr. Bray said that Gordon was dead." Sven said, confused. "We know they're both in Nova Prospekt. We've tapped into the prison's cameras." She answered, "Bray just wants to scare the remaining rebels into submission." "Let's get you in uniforms and equipped." What Sven presumed to be the armorer said while directing them to the armory. After receiving their uniform, the armorer pointed a hoof at the pegboard in the back. "Pick what suits you." He stated. Sven took a Submachine gun, with an underbarrel grenade launcher. Button Mash took a shotgun, and Sweetie Belle took a .357 Magnum revolver. "You three came just in time, as well. We're shipping out tomorrow." Twilight commented.
VI - AssaultIt was daybreak. "Alright everypony, get your weapons ready, we're moving out!" Shining Armor called out. Sven, Button Mash, and Sweetie Belle got out their firearms and started outside with the rest of the company. A squad of Combine Soldiers with red markings had been waiting for them. The soldiers had automatic shotguns out. They opened fire. The rebels started to fire. A cacophony of gunshots echoed through the desolate streets. "Protect Sparkle, cover her!" Shining shouted above the gunfire. The resistance formed around her and Shining Armor. In mere moments, twenty rebels had been shot down. "Retreat, fall back!" He shouted again. The company galloped the opposite way into the dead ocean. The combine gave chase, still firing. Sand barnacles stabbed the squad of combine, taking some rebels as well. "That was a close one, who do we still have?" Shining asked. The company trotted west of the factory. A naval mine-shaped robot rolled towards them. Once it reached them, it let out an electric charge, sending the vanguard flying back. The group shot at the mine, it exploded, taking a few more ponies with it.
VIII - ReformationThe battalion of rebels cantered across the dead sea. A rusted, decrepit submarine lay on it's side, halfway sunken into the sea floor. Equine skeletons lay in the back. A gigantic, low black cloud lingered around it, red lightning shooting from it in small arcs. "Stay away from that Particle storm!" Shining shouted from the middle of the company. A stallion had strayed too close to it. A giant bolt of deep red lightning arced to him and hit two others. Their corpses floated with the storm. The company had to move on. They started to canter a bit faster, to make sure the storm didn't follow them. A large building overshadowed the sea. Gunships arose from the side. "Get low to the ground, that's the Gunship bay. If they catch a glimpse of us, none of us will survive." Shining said to Sven. Sven passed it on, and the whole squadron got low. They continued slowly. An alarm went off and an intercom blared from the building. "Batch 1999992786 released, assembling Batch 1999992787." A robotic voice announced. "Get moving!" Shining Armor shouted. The group started to gallop. The prison buildings were in sight. Deep blue lasers from the complex shone on the group. A green laser was aimed at Button mash's head. At the prison tower, the guard took the shot. Shining armor jumped in the way, sacrificing himself for Button. Shining's body turned jet black and drifted in the air before disappearing. The other snipers took their shots, picking off the rebels. "S-shining!" Twilight called out to him. Twilight now led the charge. The remaining rebels galloped at their full speed to avoid getting hit. Sven shot a grenade from his SMG, hitting three snipers. More grenades sailed into the windows. They stormed through the door and came flooding in. The guards inside fired at them, but they were quickly silenced. The flood of rebels burst open cell doors, letting the prisoners free and arming them. Their numbers were larger even than when they started. The billow of rebels burst into the pod control room. They let free everypony in the chambers. Ace and Gordon were freed last. "This is a sight for sore eyes!" Ace commented ecstatically. The sea of resistance poured through the complex, freeing the prisoners. Bray had left the prison before they arrived. They left the prison and set hoof into the dead sea again. More red-marked guards galloped out, wielding automatic shotguns. More snipers switched on their lasers. Red lasers were now prominent along with yellow. A stallion had a red laser fixed on him. The sniper took their shot and the pony exploded into pieces. The yellow lasers were aimed at the ground. The shots were fired and explosions erupted from the ground. Grenades flew into the sniper's nests, the sharpshooters flew back into the wall. A segment of the building collapsed and crushed the Combine soldiers due to damage from the grenades. The mass galloped for City 28.
IX - Storming The CityThe dead sea was filled with ponies, the most life it ever had in years. They reached City 28. A large army had been waiting for them. The masses galloped toward each other. The Combine's vanguard had riot shields and stunsticks. The next line was red guards with automatic shotguns, mixed with them were green guards with machine guns. The back were all red snipers. They clashed, Sven saw his comrades bursting into bloody chunks. Grenades sailed into both crowds, exploding, sending ponies with them. It was a bloodbath. The Combine gave way due to sheer numbers. The rebels poured into resident buildings, they came out with hundreds more each time. The tsunami of rebellion flooded through streets toward The Citadel. The Combine still in the city were no match for their ranks. They were nearing their final destination. The Citadel seemed to pierce the heavens and sprawl even further. An alarm resonated through the streets. "Warning: All units; Be alert for Rebellion. Civil Code: Lance, Protect, Enforce." The flood had arrived at The Citadel. They billowed in the tower, bursting through the doors. Most of the Combine Forces had been killed in the city, the Citadel's halls were almost empty. Dr. Bray sat in his office chair, trembling as they entered his office. "O-oh... I see you've come... T-to kill me well, there has to be a more civilized-" They opened fire. The flood left The Citadel. They placed all their explosives at the base of the tower. They detonated it all, causing the Citadel to fall over, like a felled tree.
I - BeginningsSven glanced outside the shoddy apartment's window. The Metrocops had been doing a search on the neighboring block. His television was on as mandatory. It was on another braycast. "Thanks to Our Benefactors, Anticitizen Freemane has been eliminated, and Anticitizen Sparks is incarcerated in Nova Prospekt. The world is now safe from any... Obstructions, and we can now reach immortality. Remember, as said by the wisepony Sunset Shimmer, 'The golden key to equality is to clip the wing and brace the horn. All individuality makes us wild and rampant.' " The white-coated moose looked in a mirror to see his antler braces. He had been pondering a way to get rid of them. He glanced out the window again, City 28 made you paranoid in that way. One moment you think all of Tartaurus has blown over, and the next you've got Combine busting down your door. He knew what they did to anypony resisting. They cut out any of your unnecessary parts, then they sew up your jaws. You have to be fed through a tube, and they take out any body mass you had. They pull out wings, tear out horns. They cover your whole head with a metal plate, and they ship you out to work where they please. He was afraid, very much so. He trotted to the fridge and took out a bottle of hard cider. He took a swig and peered out the window. A large group of metrocops were headed for his building. He sat on a chair and pulled an antler brace off. He did the same to the other. He race-cantered to a closet in the next room and levitated out a piece of metal he'd carved into a long knife of sorts.
II - On the RiseSoon enough, the group started bucking his door. It burst, the whole squad was in. Sven galloped to one and stabbed him. "Shit!" The officer shouted before falling down. "We have an unrestrained moose, procedure code 9!" An officer with a yellow leg band urgently called into a radio. One pulled out their stunstick and swung. Sven dodged and stabbed them. The group started to flee. He managed to get another before they got away. Sven ran down the stairs and out the door. APCs wheeled in and shot at him with their pulse turrets. Metropolice with pistols galloped in his way. He stabbed one and took his gun, leaving in the metal shard. He galloped past the rest. Officers with orange leg bands let loose marehacks. He galloped into a block of housing. Citizens started pouring out from their doors, all armed. More Metropolice gave chase to the angry mob of ponies. A skirmish had begun. "Requesting reinforcements, Civil Code: 411!" A yellow-banded officer called into his radio. A dropship released a large metal container. It's doors opened and Civil Protection, like a tidal wave flooded into the crowd with riot shields and stunsticks. It was a bloodbath. Armed with nothing but pipes and curtain rods, the mob was quickly suppressed. Sven and a two others managed to escape. "We saw you on our television! We'd been looking to join you." A brown-coated stallion with an orange mane commented. "Must've been the City Scanners. What's your name?" Sven replied. "My name's Button Mash." He answered. "Sweetie Belle." The mare next to him added. They had left the housing district and were headed for the industrial area. Sven had heard one of the factory buildings was a clandestine base of operation for the Resistance.
V - ImprisonmentAce Sparks and Gordon Freemane stared at the prison bars, awaiting the pods that would take them to be made into Stalkers. "So, this remind you of Black Forest?" Ace asked Gordon, who seemed to be deeply annoyed. Gordon wished it were still Black Forest, at least there you could be killing things instead of waiting to be killed. Their HEMV suits had been confiscated. They were probably doing research on them for better Metrocops. A prison guard stood outside their cell, levitating a shotgun. Ace got up from the wooden bench they had and started pacing around the cell, plotting an escape plan of sorts. Hoofsteps started to echo, getting closer every time. Slowly, Dr. Bray trotted to their cell. The guard saluted him with a hoof. Bray placidly cleared his throat. "So, I see your 'Resistance' has failed you, Ace." He began, "I bet you both expected to win. What you attempted is disgusting, especially as fellow former Black Forest Employees." "The Resistance is stronger than you think, Bray." Ace retorted. "You lash out at me like a caged animal, Sparks. That's exactly why you'll both be doing... Mandatory labor." "By that you mean being gutted and made your slaves." Ace asserted. "Surely you don't believe your own Rebellious lies?" Bray replied calmly, leaning into the bars. Ace swung a hoof into his snout. "Agh, dammit!" Bray said as he covered his now bleeding snout. "Guards, ready the pods faster." He commanded as he trotted off.
VII - PreparationsTheir cell's door opened. It was night. Two prison guards with automatic shotguns escorted both Ace and gordon out of the cell. They were headed to their pods. They were walked at gunpoint down a long, dark corridor. The room at the end was pitch black, save for a cyan light emanating from a control panel. Dr. Bray sat at an office chair in front of the panel. The red guards stopped and saluted at the doorway. "Sparks, Freemane." He greeted. The lights flickered on. There were two chairs behind him. "Have a seat." The guards pushed them into the chairs. "You can still take a turn from your fate and run for office. I'm certain the citizens of City 26 will vote in your favors." He said as he indicated toward a monitor. The whole town's population was rounded up. They were all smiling. "Why would we work for you?" Ace asked. "Put them into their pods." Bray commanded the guards. They were walked to the jet-black cases. They opened and they were shoved in. The pods snapped shut, straightening their legs downward. The pods drug along their tracks lazily. Ace looked to both of his sides. There were thousands of the same case, all on racks, towering above them. There were screams resonating from the chamber. Stalkers. They were in pain, what was left of them could feel pain. After a long, sluggish journey, they were on one of the racks. A citizen was next to Ace. "You're on your way to surgery too?" The citizen asked. "Yeah, what did you do to get here?" Ace replied. "I talked back to an officer, wrote me up for assault and treason." He stated. "When, if, the resistance gets us, I'll make sure you get out. What's your name?" Ace said hopefully. "Rumble." He answered with his ears lowered.
