Outbreak
The Mare of the skies cargo bay was nearing capacity, ponies in orange boiler suits trotted back and forth across its wide expanse. The ships main cargo bay door yawned open revealing beyond it the snowy plains of the griffon kingdoms northern border.
Despite the cold temperature, sweat matted the fur of the ponies faces as wheeled in crates and strapped them securely to racks. Armed security guards in padded red uniforms could be seen dotted around the cargo bay. While Equestria was peaceful, the territories surrounding it were not, and as a result the guards were there to deter any pirates who might try their luck.
Up on the highest gantry River breeze was struggling to get her work done, the light green earth pony mare was preoccupied by her co worker Wild tail, a skinny looking tan Pegasus who was busy trying to prize the lid off of one of the crates.
"Now what are you up to?" She asked with an irritated growl, "we were hired to get this stuff loaded, not product test it".
Wild tail was barely listening, with a last great heave he managed to finally prize off the lid. Smiling to himself he began digging through the crates packing peanuts before pulling out a small blue metal canister.
"True, but I work hard and I don't think one little freebie is to much to ask for my services" he replied with a grin.
Looking at the canister Wild tail read the label out loud.
"Intelidrol, guaranteed to increase cognitive functions by up to seventy percent".
"Come on River, you've got to be at least a little bit curious" Wild said while shaking the canister.
River breeze folder her fore hooves "I'm really not, I don't want anything messing with my head, thank you very much"
Wild ran a hoof though his dark blue mane
"Ok, but come on, if this stuff can make you up to seventy percent smarter think of what you could do". His eyes took on a dreamy gaze
"I could be the next clover the clever".
River began to laugh.
"One problem with your dream there air head, Clover was a unicorn and last time I checked you didn't have a horn on that thick skull of yours"
Wild pouted as he popped off the lid on the canister.
"You know what I meant, besides with one squirt of this stuff and I could become smart enough to leave this dead end job".
The Tardis flew through the chaos of the time vortex. On the outside it appeared as an ordinary blue police box, the inside however revealed something far from ordinary. The inside was a vast open space full of imposing girders, walkways and staircases. The centre of the room was dominated by a large console with a cylindrical tube reaching up to the ceiling. Inside the tube could be seen the time rotor, who's vertical movements synchronized perfectly with the wheezing groan of the Tardis ancient engines.
Walking around the console was a light brown earth pony stallion, his mane was a similar but slightly darker shade of brown that swept back over his head. On his flanks could be seen an hourglass cutie mark and around his neck rested a green tie.
"One of these days I'm going to figure out why I end up looking like this every time I come back here" He grumbled to himself as he fiddled with the console.
He had still never really got the hang of having hooves, and as a result was having more trouble than usual in controlling his temperamental mode of transport.
"I mean it wouldn't be so bad if I became one of those unicorn types, at least they can hold things in their magic".
His grumbling was cut short by the sound of hoof steps coming down the stairs behind him. Turning around he easily found the source. Making her way down the stairs was a grey Pegasus mare, she had a blonde mane and like himself she had a cutie mark on her flank, while his was an hourglass however, hers was a stream of bubbles. The most striking feature however was her eyes, while her left seemed to be looking at him her right was lazily drifting upwards to look at the ceiling. While this didn't bother him it did sometimes make it tricky to tell where she was actually looking.
"Morning doctor" she said sleepily as she slowly stretched her wings, "at least I think its morning, its hard to tell sometimes"
The doctor chuckled as he turned back to the console.
"The time of day is relative in here Derpy, though if my calculations are correct we should be arriving in Ponyville at roughly half past ten in the morning".
"I hope" he muttered under his breath as his clumsily flicked a switch with his hoof.
Up on the gantry River breeze watched as Wild tail fiddled with the canister
"Tch, they could have made it a bit easier for ponies to use this thing" he muttered, as he tried to depress the dispenser cap "I don't think the griffons took into account our lack of claws when they made them".
After several attempts he finally managed to squirt some into his mouth.
"Hmm not bad" he said after swallowing "tastes kind of like cherry, hey Moondust you want some?"
Moondust, a hulking earth pony stallion had just arrived on the upper gantry via one of the cargo lifts. His coat was dark blue while his mane was a brilliant silver.
"What is it?" he asked in a thick stalliongrad accent "I have much work to do".
Wild tail offered him the canister with a smug look.
"This stuff can make you smarter with just one little spray" he explained.
Moondust took the canister with a sceptical look, turning it over in his hoof he read the label. After several moments his eyebrow raised.
"Sure why not" he replied with sigh "might be useful in future".
River breeze shook her head as she went back to securing another crate. Suddenly she froze as she heard the two stallions cry out in pain. Turning around she saw both Wild tail and Moondust staggering from one side of the walkway to the other clutching their heads. Their pupils rapidly began to expand, until they eclipsed their irises along with almost all of the whites of their eyes. River paled, as she saw black veins spreading over their face and down their fore hooves.
"Guys" she whimpered "what's happening?"
The two stallions stared at her eerily, their bodies were tensed like a predator ready to strike. River breeze didn't hear the slow grinding wheeze of the Tardis engines as it materialised nearby, she was already screaming.
Wild tail and Moondust reached out for her, both Screaming the same phrase over and over again.
"SET ME FREE!" "SET ME FREE!" "SET ME FREE!"
