Fallout Equestria: Scorched Earth

Chapter Four

Old World Terror

ll

Day 7

Let me just get this out of the way Buck Robots! Immediately after we walked in the door a light started flashing red and a turret opened fire on us followed by a pony Tron and for those of you who don't now a pony, Tron is a robot mostly shaped like a pony but with a much bigger head that's longer with a glass dome at the top so we're here in two rooms of to the side of the hallway with a pony Tron coming for us and a turret covering the hall shine ducked into a different room than me so I don't know what was going on with her but in my room looking around I saw a table and skeletons … there were four of them all seemed to belong dead soldiers choosing not to focus on them I looked around some more for a way to fend of that pony Tron and I found it a plasma grenade two actually but I only needed one I threw it out the door and waited then I saw the blast of plasma and heard the pony Tron smack against the floor the turret was still firing but now I had some more time to think.

"Desert you ok. "

I was glad to now Shine was ok and it didn't take long for me to respond.

"Yeah just tossed out a plasma grenade took out the pony Tron. "

Yes, I did me being clever and all but now I have to deal with that turret and just on queue Shine responded.

"What are we gonna do bout the turret? "

I didn't know what I was gonna do but I would think of something so I said something along those lines.

"Give me a minute to think of something. "

There were other things in the room most notably a terminal setting down in front of it I turned it on and it flared to life flashing a bit of code by before it flashed up some wartime propaganda on screen it was a pony in power armor but it was a power armor I hadn't seen before it was colored a sickly tan kinda like the desert outside it had an armored container on it's back with a tube leading from it to the mouthpiece of the helmet there was a picture of all the ministry logos around a sun and moon in the background while in the foreground with the odd power armor it said “support your friends and family fighting outside Equestria to keep the peace” the propaganda flashed away and left a few commands on screen as well as a warning.

"Warning security breach takes cover while our brave soldiers and the automated defenses handle the situation."

Following that warning we're a few commands end breach providers, disable turrets, activate gas purge that last one wasn't something I even wanted to consider thinking about what it did but I did click yes on the other two when I did so the red warning lights turned back to their natural color and the turret stopped shooting so I told Shine.

"The coast is clear I’ve deactivated the turrets. "

"Alright uh, desert ya might wanna see this. "

She sounded kinda worried so I hurried my way across the hall and when I opened the door to her room I saw what was worrying her so much but before I could say it silver spoke for me.

"Ghouls…"

They were everywhere all over different terminals they looked like zombies almost Shine started talking all worried or concerned when silver spoke.

"Yeah, they uh the turret stopped and some panels opened up revealing these monitors and uh… sweet Storm. "

Sweet Storm that was an unusual one and I was curious of her unusual swear but more about what she was pointing at on the monitor I looked to where she was pointing her hoof and I agreed with her curse it was one of those power armor suits with what looked like battle saddled machine guns.

"I don't think we can beat that. "

She was right that was too much then something weird happened a voice called out.

"Hey who the bucks up there. "

It sounded so raspy like someone had been chain-smoking for their entire life.

I stared at an intercom on the wall a tad frozen or maybe anxious I couldn't put my hoof on it but none the less i just stood their staring at it until silver eventually spoke.

"Answer it we can trust him. "

Silver sounded so sure that I didn't bother pressing him but shine did.

"Are you sure?"

I felt the same as her but I new silver wouldn't budge not on something like this i dont know how i did maybe its because hes in my head or some shit but I just knew he wouldn't.

"He hasn't fired all of the shots from his machine guns thus he has a mind. "

well i guess that made sense and shine seamed to agree because she didn't protest in any remark

Reaching over I responded to the voice.

"Hello hello this is Desert care airmen E-2."

uh how do I know that.

"Your memories are coming back. "

My memories, what does he know about my memories.

"I know a lot Desert. I know much more than you could ever comprehend."

Shine wasn't committing on anything so i assumed Silver was just peeking to me directly

The voice on the intercom laughed through my thoughts and I discovered there are worse things than getting shot his voice was so dry and raspy even with the power armor filtering every word he spoke through his heavily armored helmet and the armor covering his everything.

"So those damn cunts finally got off their asses and sent someone!"

There was laughter in his voice not of joy though this was a laugh of pain and hatred witch was weird seeing as it was highly filtered, I went to speak again but he cut me off.

"You know how long I've been here?, care to take a guess."

He was holding back tears on the other end of that intercom or at least he would be if he had any more tears to cry, I didn't say anything because I knew if I did id be wrong Shine was also saying quite glancing over at her she was setting down holding back the urge to speak I taking my hoof off the intercom told her.

"Shine can you go see what all stuff you can find without going too far in."

She nodded and got up to search the room while I continued my conversation with the mysterious ghoul.

"I put my hoof back on the com only to get him yelling into it a pained yell.

"Too long I've been here over 200 Celesta damn years!"

He cut the com but I still spoke despite it.

"I'm sorry. "

I felt like I had failed the poor pony and that I hadn’t done enough.

"Your sorry, that's funny. "

He chuckled I didn't speak.

"No that's really funny because before those bastards locked me in here they said we're sorry and you know what happened to them they died horrible deaths by my hoof. "

I wasn't sure if he was trying to threaten me or not but I responded.

"I'll get you out of here. "

He didn't respond and i thought to myself "i need to stop making promises to different creatures".

Pretty soon we finished sweeping the first floor all in all on the first floor there wasn't much in the way of danger only supplies we found seven healing potions and one advanced two bottles of vodka and a good bit of ammo among other things that I dont feel like listing but feel it might enhance your viewing experiences.

Healing potion normal x7
Healing potion advanced x2
Combat armor x4
Fatigues x6
Steady (drug) x26
Ripper (hoof held chainsaw) X1
Vodka x2
Plasma grenade x1
20 plasma cartridge 65 in total
A good shit load of millimeter
And some services rifles x3
368 5.56 ammo
6 sparkle colas
48 cactus crisp specifically 2 24 packs
40 Equestrian bits
20 bottle caps
8$ in klug
And to top it of a single can of mixed vegetables and a fresh apple or at least i think its fresh

Theirs all of are newly acquired shit your welcome I wasted my time making it comprehensive.

There weren't any stairs going anywhere but there was an elevator with three floors going down to the third floor down the light above the elevator went from 0 to 1 than to 2 and finally, basement when the door opened to the basement there was a thundering crash that echoed throughout the dim and darkly light basement some pony had propped a filing cabinet against the door and when we opened it slammed with the force of 200 years onto the ground launching its accumulated dust into the air and alerting all of the ghouls on this level of the facility of where we were and immediately after it hit there was silence and as quick as the silence came it left permeated by the gallop of hooves and the clambering over furniture as the ghouls came running out of a side door on are left and from the right and left at the end of the hall.

And then Shine spoke in low shocked voice what I was thinking.

"Deer Luna. "

I didn't take the time to be baffled that was time I spent lifting the filing cabinet with my telekinesis and holding it horizontal at chest level of where the ghouls were and then yelling to shine in her stupor state.

"Shine help me with this!"

"Oh uh yeah. "

Shine took hold of her end of the filing cabinet and I told her my plan.

"Alright on three we charge them 1."

I started counting off as Shine stammered words out her mouth.

"What! That's the plan. "

What's wrong with my plan it's the best I could think of.

"2."

I continued on as I pulled my rifle from its place between mine and Silvers body's.

"I uh… for buck sake alright let's do this."

Shine then pulled her shotgun out with tk (telekinesis) and began resting it on top of the filing cabinet.

"3 charge!"

At that finale command we both started at full gallop charging the horde of ghouls weapons drawn and firing their must have been twenty, no thirty-some ghouls charging out of doors towards us.

When we collided shine let the first shot ring out through the halls preparing two or three ghouls in the face with her buckshot dropping one of them while I blasted one in the head as another one was trying to climb over it than shine fired off her second shot out from her double-barrel taking another one out and I shot off two more blast of plasma turning one to goo as it clambered over their fellow abominations and burning the ones beneath it with it's melted body than another shot at one trying to crawl under the cabinet it tanked the shot and bit into my fore hoof hard enough to draw a good bit of blood and in retaliation I blew off his head with my shiny new revolver then swerving it in telekinesis I turned it toward the amassed crowd of death and emptied the cylinder into three different ghouls dropping them by now Shine had reloaded her double barrel and was shooting again.

"Shine how many you killed so far. "

It took her a second to answer but she did after downing yet another ghoul.

"That makes four what about you. "

"Nine. "

I said it proudly as I took two more out with my rifle.

We had killed what looked like half of the ghoul horde when we heard a bang and saw a door at the end of the hall come flying off its hinges slamming into the wall across the hall from where it was which took Shines focus for a second and that's all it took for a particularly nasty ghoul to climb over the cabinet and pin her to the ground making her lose focus on her tk and drop her shotgun as well as the cabinet opening the floodgates for the swarm of ghouls and as I noticed this I with all my strength pushed forward with my tk picking up her end and slamming myself into the cabinet to assist in my tk I knocked over all the ghouls immediately behind/attached to the cabinet before reloading my revolver and plasma rifle I opened fire on the ghoul pining her down with the rife and vice versa pointing at the horde with the revolver sending lead into the heads of the different ghouls and burning the one atop Shine with magic plasma as she shot it into the side of the ghouls head blasting it clean off with her shotgun then as she rose up I looked back towards the amass of ghouls and saw what had previously sent the door flying it was a ghoul and it was glowing! Yes glowing it was a sickly bright putrid green color and it was seeping radiation I quickly turned my rifle to it and yelled to Shine.

"Run!"

I was afraid and bucking stupid why did I think it was a good idea to charge them I could have gotten us killed i'm such a fool than as I realized my idiocy Shine went off towards the elevator at full glop and I followed suit with her and pulling my newly acquired plasma grenade from my saddle bags and I tossed it into the horde where it cracked agenst the head of one ghoul before it exploded killing all but one or two ghouls excluding the glowing one.

"Your alright Shine."

"Uh yeah, just a little scuffed and bruised up is all. "

Thank the princess above as I was thanking them Silver's voice bellowed through my head and took my mind back to the task at hand.

"Focus Desert it's not over yet."

Silver was right I needed to focus looking back towards where the horde was there was the glowing one and two ghouls one of them was limping and the other well he was missing some limbs so I didn't count him as a threat.

"Shine ya ready."

I Quickly reloaded my revolver as she spoke.

"Yeah, uh"

she pondered for a second in silence before restarting her statement

"yeah, I’m gonna be fine."

She cracked her shotgun open and slid a fresh she'll in to replace the one she used to paint the wall with ghoul brains.

The glowing one started to sprint at us in full gallop and I started unloading both plasma and lead into him to damn near no effect and thus it didn't stop him, Shine coming to my left side for what I can assume was a better position she shot the hobbling ghoul and the glowing one in it's side dropping one but not both before reloading after having emptied my revolver into the ghoul and the ground around him same with my rifle he finally made it up to me and I knew I wouldn't be able to reload by the time he attacked so I dropped both my weapons from tk to focus all of my tk on the glowing one and grabbed the throat of the ghoul with my tk then I ripped it out more specifically his esophagus, upon ripping it out the putrid green blood from the ghoul began to permeate the ground as he continued coming at me and when he reached me he tackled me starting to go for a bight with his jagged rotten teeth and as he opened his maw letting the drool and breath stain my face and the breath itself was that of a corpse that had laid in the heat for much longer then it should have I felt his blood from the open hole in his throat start to seep through and stain my armor and the coat beneath before the ghoul could get any further with it's radioactive maw Shine shot it twice in the head blowing it to pieces atop me getting it in my eyes and mouth rolling it's now lifeless body off me I wiped my eyes and spit out what I could it wasn't much and I seemed fine so I tried to not think about the fact that I just ingested pure radioactive blood instead I started up conversation.

"Thank you Shine I owe you one."

If we survive this death trap i thought to myself but didn't chose to voice the thought.

"I'm gonna hold you to that."

Shine sounded tired and I didn't blame her I was almost their myself after that encounter but we had a job to do and by luna's ass I was going to do it.

"Alright let's get whatever we can find and I’ll go talk to the ghoul wherever he is."

At that I left shine to go look for the power-armored ghoul from earlier and after wandering around the basement for a bit it notably got darker the further into the basement I went until I rounded a corner and I found a big door in between myself and the door their we're a few barricades facing’ away from the door and some lights crashed down onto the ground one of witch was snapped in-half on the barricade it had fallen from the already flickering ceiling onto one of the many long-dead skeletons laying outside at first I wasn't sure what to think of the scene I saw until I checked a terminal nearby to the door with the screen flickering to life it said on screen.

Blast doors sealed high rads inside please be aware without proper equipment you may die if you open or enter you may want to consult your local engineer or scientist do you wish to continue.

Then a box appeared on screen with the words yes and no on the two sides of the screen I stared at that screen for what seemed like an eternity not sure of what I was supposed to do the air was getting heavy with my thoughts and I honestly wasn't sure what to do pretty soon my heavy thoughts we're pierced by the raspy metallic voice of the ghoul from earlier and then I realized how offensive calling him the ghoul was even if he didn't know about it and though to myself I really needed to get his name I was getting tired of just saying the ghoul but yeah I heard his voice through my thoughts.

"Desert you out there. "

Getting off my haunches I headed over to the intercom and pressed my hoof to the com before speaking.

"Yeah, I’m here…"

I was out off it so I regain my composer before speaking again

" I’m here. "

"Good, I need you to open this door. "

I couldn't do that though not with what that terminal said, but I also couldn't leave somepony here alone for any longer then what I assumed was much longer than what was deemed ok even by wasteland standards.

"I..."

My words choked in my mouth and I didn't know what to say.

"What just open the Celesta damn door."

He sounded like he was gonna knock the door down himself then their was a brief silence before I got my voice back.

"There's a... The terminal out here says that there are lethal levels of radiation behind this door and I can't open that door knowing that id be putting myself and my companions at risk."

I ain't doing any more stupid shit today I led an emotionally destrot mare into a factory and than we charged a horn of feral ghouls with a bucking filing cabinet and expected it to wok when I could have just thrown my luna damn grenade, to begin with, man I really am stupid.

Before I could continue bombarding myself the ghoul cut me off.

"There isn't any more radiation it's safe."

He sounded tired like he'd been awake for days and was about to pass out.

"Oh, really explain how do you know. "

I wasn't sure what to make of the situation still in all honesty more proof I’m an idiot but at leased i was aware of that fact.

"I am the radiation."

Now wait, hold up he's the radiation.

"What!"

"I absorbed it all over 100 years ago and have been releasing it slowly I can reabsorb all of it if you really need me to just please I don't want to be trapped here any longer than I have to be."

That one through me for a loop he absorbed it and was willing to do it again i was dumb founded.

"Uh, are you sure your gonna be alright if you do that? "

I couldn't believe it I was about to tell someone to absorb radiation.

"Yes I’ll be fine I’ll just take a while give me half an hour."

And at that, he sounded more joyful than any time id spoken to him before and he cut the coms.

Heading back through the basement I went and found Shine as she was drinking a 200 some year old soft drink and opening up a fridge that didn't help illuminate the already dark halls we were in, she pulled out another bottle of … cactus crisp made with no artificial flavors it looked warm in a green bottle it had a cactus on the front of its label with a washed-out face smiling and standing in the desert.

Popping the cork off the bottle was an unusually challenging, time had really sealed it tight and I couldn't get it open Shine must've noticed me having trouble because she came over and pulled out this really fancy gizmo it had a handle with a knob on the side of it and at the end of the handle was a circle she slid the cork into than turning the knob three screws at the end of metal pieces coming from the rod started turning and retracting in towards the cork until they screwed into it and shine pulled it out.

I was dumbfounded almost lost my train of thought because of it but I caught myself.

"Hey uh shine thanks but we need to head back up to the first floor kill time for about a half an hour."

"What about mister intercom ghoul. "

So many questions why can't ponies just accept that when I say jump they need to jump and before you start questioning me that was a metaphor so shut up.

"He needs to get some of his shit together that's why we're killing time."

Finishing my statement I decided to take a swig of my cactus crisp and luna bit my flank was that shit sour.

"Shine how do you drink this."

She just looked at me while drinking her own before breaking away from it.

"What do you mean it tastes great. "

That confirms it, my companion, it just as bat shit as me.

I left Shine to her own devices choosing to explore the rest of the basement that I hadn't been through before I found some pre-war bits from Equestria and a good old sparkle cola it was lukewarm but in my opinion, it was better than sex especially since it washed the taste of that cactus crisp out of my mouth which I was very thankful for it, pretty soon I couldn’t even taste it anymore not that I was complaining or anything besides that I found some more rounds for my revolver hollowpoints id read something about them before they were supposed to be good with light or unarmored targets or some shit kinda wish I had them before fighting a bunch of ghouls they sound like they would have been better than my armor-piercing rounds I also found a little bit of ammo for my plasma rifle but not much only 20 cartridges and honestly I’m starting to think the military just didn't use magical energy weapons or MEW’s for short.

"They didn't really they were used more by the airforce and now the “Grand Pegasus Enclave”.

Oh great now Silvers a history teacher what next is he gonna till me he invented the wheel.

"I've done more than you can."

I cut him off.

"Yeah yeah yeah you know more than my mind has the right to know or can comprehend or bla bla bla just shut up about it and give me some damn answers! "

I was getting fed up with his bull and wanted some bloody answers and that simple fact seemed to stun him or maybe it combined with the fact that I didn't sand to listen to his bullshit anymore but who knows with him he was silent after that he always popped in for a brief minute before leaving me in silence than he moved off my back and started walking and just like last time his skin coat mane and tail grew back with rapid succession that's when I realized I was dreaming he had somehow put me seamlessly to sleep without me realizing it damn bastard.

"So what do you want from me Silver? "

I was already tired of his bull I don't even know why I bring him with me still when I don't even need him I have Shine.

"What I want from you is of my concern and I will always be with you don't have a choice in the matter."

Of course, I have a choice and it is my concern as to what he wants from me but I didn't say that not that it matters.

"Oh really if it's none of my concern then why am I here with you."

I wanted answers.

"I know and that's why you’re here you want answers so ask away."

Princess be damned he was seriously giving me answers so I asked the question that i wanted the answer to the most.

"Who am I? "

I knew who I was I'm desert care and I woke up in a hole saved a now widowed mare and I'm trying to save a town but that's all I knew nothing more and nothing less.

Silver than pulled out a clipboard and began reading from it.

"Name: Desert Care, Age 27, Race Unicorn, Allegiance Member of the Grand Pegasus Enclave, rank E-3, Job ground intelligence, Description red coat black mane and tail with a cutie mark of two red syringes crossed to form a cross statement: I want to help better the lives of all ponies by ensuring that all the death of the ground below is eradicated, Status MIA. "

I was speechless I was I don't even know, I keep hearing about the enclave and now or I was no I’m technically still part of it and, I don't even know what it is.

“The Enclave” the last remnants of the Equestria air force and now a mere shell of what they once were thanks to a few ponies. "

Oh yeah silver can read my thoughts which are currently going mad and no I’m not gonna write them they’re too chaotic jumping between the various things Silver just told me about.

"I know this must be a lot of information so I’ll let you ponder it for a while then will talk some more."

I had finally gathered my thoughts by the time Silver finished and went to speak only to be shoved off my haunches and into reality opening my eyes I was sitting there still where I had been before but everything around me was completely wrecked and thrown back from where I was not that it wasn't wrecked before but it was much worse than it had been standing up I figured it had been long enough and I went to check on the rad levels behind the blast door. They were still high but more condensed than they were before so I went and spoke to him on the intercom.

"Are you ready for us to open the door? "

"Desert I’ve been ready for the past two hundred years you can open the door it's safe "

With that he cut off comes and I headed over to the terminal to open the door and going through the loading process I got back to the yes or no box and hitting yes the blast door started rising up as warning lights flashed red and sirens started screaming out their song of.

"warning high radiation please exit the facility. "

I didn't pay any care to the warning beyond just being annoyed by it pretty soon Shine came bolting down to where we were at a damn near full gallop pace she was clearly concerned.

"Desert! Why is the facility entering a warning sequence!"

She was panicking so I tried to calm her down with the truth.

"It's just the blast door opening we're fine. "

That seemed to calm her down a little but she was still visibly concerned as she pulled out one of those cactus crisp drinks and some moonshine that she started spiking it with before drinking it down while watching the door with me.

Eventually, a power-armored pony began to slowly trot out of the rising door he was glowing a sickly radiant green like the glowing one from earlier, I saw his glowing rays of light shooting out of every open spot in his armor permeating the land around him with the sickly glow of his radiation filled body and accompanying his sickly green glow was a bright wight headlamp on his helmet that flashed out into our faces as he clambered his clunky steel hooves out the door.

Hello, Desert I’m Seafire.

footnote:no level up
you haven't got enuf experience to level up try finishing this quest.