Fallout Equestria: Stable 36

The stable machinery clunked and thrummed around her, thumping and whirring with the beat of its own mechanical heart. Copper Wire ignored a beat of sweat tickling its way down her cheek, focused instead on listening to the sounds around her. This was how she began her day, sitting in her office doing a roll call of her babies. Her ears flicked left, where she could hear the whooshing of the power generator, methodically releasing the magical radiation it generated into powering their enormous stable every second. She’d have to replace a part in the cooling system soon, the whoosh sounded a little slurred, and that meant heat was building up. It could wait though. She turned her ears right, the comforting sounds of the air purifying system hard at work. Turning her head upwards, she closed her eyes and strained to listen to the upper floors of the stable, each piece of equipment calling out to her in its own special voice, telling her what parts were wearing thin, what would need fixing, the harmonious song of her children pouring into her ears.

There was dissonance in the song. Someone was sick, and needed her help. Pressing her ear against the wall, she stilled her breath and slowed her own heart, seeking the cry for her tender care. Up. Upwards, towards the middle… Copper's eyes flew open. In the Cafe, someone was crying. The once tranquil room disappeared in a flurry of her movement, tools clanking as they attached to her belt. She paused for a second, her mind scanning her inventory, before snagging a bag of washers. Like her Momma always said, when in doubt, bring a change of washers. At least, that's what Copper liked to think her Momma would have said, but she died before Copper even got her cutie mark. But hey, a girl can imagine.

Her wings blurring at her sides, she flew through the stable like a tornado, shoving ponies out of her way. Her baby's calls got more urgent, and Copper bounced off the walls in a desperate flight to get through the corridors faster. Ignoring the cries of the cramps in her sides she landed outside the Cafe in a flurry of orange feathers, bucking the doors wide open.

“I am here! Don't worry!” she cried to the stunned room in triumph, taking in the shocked faces of the still room. Coffee Bean placed an espresso cup down, her eyebrows raised.

“May I ask why you have just kicked down my door, Copper?”

“Where's the emergency?” Jelly Bean stuck his head out from the kitchen doors.

Copper flew over the counter, roughly shoving Coffee out of the way. Coffee gave a squeak of protest, fumbling to catch herself.

“Don't worry, baby.” Copper crooned softly to the water dispenser mounted on the back wall of the coffee shop. “I am here to save you. Just tell me where it hurts.”

Coffee straightened herself, and was now angrily pushing at Copper. “Cop-”

“Shh! Can't you see she's suffering? Let her talk.” Copper glared the mare into submission before turning back to the dispenser, unscrewing the covering plate from the wall. No one stands in the way of the Chief Engineer. “Tell me why you called for me, baby, I'm here.” Murmuring comforts quietly to the machine, Copper looked closely at all the pipes, mentally comparing them all to her schematics. Everything seemed fine, but there was pain here. Pain and suffering. Her eyes caught on a pipe that was bigger than it ought to be. It was puffed up and swollen, pressure building within. Something had blocked it and was now causing the machine to slow. Another day or so and it would have exploded, turning the covering plate into a projectile that would have killed everyone in the Cafe. Copper nodded and patted the pipe softly before rounding on Coffee with fury in her eyes.

“Why didn't you alert me the moment this machine began to delay? It is off by a full second! Do you know what could have happened if I hadn't heard her cries? Do you know how much she has been suffering?”

Coffee looked guiltily away for a moment, before raising her chin in defiance. “Every time something goes wrong with my machinery, you close my shop for a day to fix it. That's a day that I can't make coffee. How would you feel if you couldn't touch any machinery for a whole day?”

“I wouldn't ever be able to have a day like that because you ponies keep ruining my precious babies!”

“You aren't touching that machine until I close, Copper Wire! I won't have it!”

“If I don't fix her, she will be in pain and eventually kill someone, you uneducated swine! If that pipe blows, you won't have a Cafe to run!”

“Machines don't feel p-”

Jelly Bean pulled his sister back, clamping his hoof over her mouth. “How long til ya can get it fixed, Cop?”

Copper looked back at the dispenser, her heart aching at the puffy pipe. It must be so uncomfortable in there for her baby, all swollen and painful. “A day to replace the pipe and refit her. I have to find the right parts, and I dunno if we have any on hand. I might need to cut some.”

“Can ya do it in half a day? Get us open for the dinner rush?” Jelly clamped down harder on his sister, almost pinning her to the floor as he looked up pleadingly.

Copper sucked on her bottom lip, squinting at him. She could take the pipe from the dispenser in the Overmare's office, that baby was hardly used any more and wouldn't mind lending a pipe. She could then cut and replace a new one later, after she fixed this one. The Overmare would just have to sit tight, it's not like she even used her that much. Mental calculations done, Copper nodded.

“Course I can. Who do you think I am? It all comes down to the wire.” She grinned at Jelly, before turning back to the crowded Cafe. “Get out! This place is closed until 5 o'clock! Leave now or I will personally throw you out!” Taking off over their heads, she flew away in a bustle of feathers.

Grumbling, the Cafe emptied and Jelly lifted his sister from the floor.

“Half a day ain't so bad, right?” He grinned weakly. Coffee wiped her mouth, staring very hard at her little brother.

“Jelly Bean, you should have been in the kitchen making scones with jam and cream for the morning tea parties. Tell me why I have just spent the last five minutes tasting mashed potato on your hoof.”

Jelly's grin faltered under the accusing gaze of his sister.

“How many customers did you serve mashed potato instead of clotted cream?”

Jelly began edging his way out the door. “Oh Copper might need help with that pipe, guess I'd better go help her now.” Taking flight, he soared out of the door, fleeing from his sister's enraged screeching.