Being cold was no longer a feeling to Midnight Strike. It was a way of life. Pegasi were born with a natural tolerance for the cold, given that they lived in the troposphere, but the weather outside far exceeded this capacity.
The snow of the Frozen North was truly depressing. Not that it seemed to bother some ponies. “Haha! Full house, baby!”
Midnight watched as her friend pumped a hoof into the air and cheered. “Pay up, Sarge!”
“Minuette, you’re so fired,” grumbled the sergeant as she shoved a small pile of bits towards her.
“Lighten up, Cherry,” Minuette replied with a smirk, happily collecting her bits. “You can’t win ‘em all!”
“And you can?” Cherry Berry folded her hooves across her chest and frowned.
Minuette stuck out her tongue at that. “I’m just that good!” The unicorn turned to the radio on the desk next to them and pumped up the volume with her magic.
“...and welcome back all you fine colts and fillies! I’m Vinyl Scratch, and you’re listening to Free Colt Radio!”
Midnight rolled her eyes as she tuned out the overenthusiastic voice of the radio host. She flipped a page in her book, reading silently to herself. In front of her sat a massive computer console, paired with a monitor depicting various camera feeds and screens.
“Hey! You’re wearing my jacket!” whined Minuette as she stood up suddenly, banging the table and scattering their cards.
“...Min, my name is literally embroidered on this,” Cherry Berry said, pointing to the words stitched onto her winter coat. “How can I possibly be wearing your jacket!”
“Well, you took my name off and stitched your name on!” Minuette replied, pointing a hoof accusingly.
Cherry Berry's eye twitched before she sighed. “...seriously?”
“Can you guys, like, shut up?” Midnight grumbled. “Trying to read here.”
Before either pony could answer, there was a beeping noise from the console. Midnight closed her book and set it on the table, before she picked up her headset and slung it over her ears. “Hotel Echo, send traffic.”
“Legend-2, checkin’ in. We’re all clear out here. Looks like another false alarm.”
Midnight scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Yeah, when do these damned sensors work right anyways? I’ll buzz you in.”
“Thank ya kindly.”
“Hey, Sarge, Brae and Caramel are back,” Midnight called out to Cherry.
“They find anything?” replied Cherry Berry, squaring up the deck of cards.
“Nada,” replied Midnight. “Damned sensors are probably on the fritz again.”
Cherry nodded, taking a sip from her coffee. “Probably. Alright, open up and let them in.”
“Rog.” Midnight turned to her console and focused her attention on the first camera. It showed a holding area in between two massive, metal blast doors, designed to withstand even the strongest unicorn spell. The hold was constructed much like an airlock, in that one door had to be closed at all times before the second one could be open. Midnight reached over and flicked a switch. There was a rumbling noise as the first set of blast doors slid open. Two ponies bundled up in thick coats and goggles walked in on the camera feed.
The scanners kicked in as the ponies crossed the threshold, and a klaxon alarm indicated that the magic dampeners had been activated. The entire system had been stress-tested against against every unicorns and changelings to ensure that everypony coming in was exactly who they said they were.
It seemed extremely redundant, but Midnight was no expert.
“... that’s what I’m saying,” she heard Caramel say. “I’d take Dead Basin any day over this hellscape.” His voice was almost lost underneath the rumbling and creaking of the doors as they shifted apart.
“Ah’m with ya there,” replied Braeburn. “Buckin’ freezin’ out here.”
“Welcome to Mount Massive,” Caramel grunted.
As they waited, Midnight flicked the switch again, and the first set of blast doors reversed their motion.
“Hey, you’re the one who wanted to join the Lookouts,” Midnight said over the radio.
Braeburn scoffed. “How was Ah supposed to know they’d send me here? Thought they were gonna stick me in Fort Sandlot. Ah practically live next door, after all.”
“Don’t they use dead bodies for fertilizer there or something?” Caramel asked.
Braeburn sighed as the first set of doors slid closed behind him and the second set began to open. “It’s a rumor. You really think that’s a thing they do out there?”
“You never know,” Caramel observed.
Midnight yawned, checking her watch and counting down the hours until the shift change. “Four more to go,” she muttered to herself. Then, she could take a nice long nap before waking up to sit at the security console again, opening and closing doors and staring out into nothing.
A beeping noise alerted her that the blast doors had opened, and a glance at the monitor told her that Braeburn and Caramel had entered. She flicked the switch again, and the doors began closing. Mission accomplished, she thought dryly.
It wasn’t long before Braeburn’s voice drifted down the hall. “... don’t even see the point of sticking us out here,” he spat.
“Hey, Sarge,” Caramel called to Cherry. “Should we have someone go check out the sensors? Otherwise we’re just going to keep wasting time checking out false alarms.”
Cherry Berry leaned back in her seat and rubbed her chin. “Let’s wait out the storm. No point in sending someone now. Not like anything ever really happens out here anyways.”
“Hoorah,” Caramel replied, pulling his goggles off his face. “You need us for anything else?”
“Nah, we’ve got it covered. Hit the showers,” Cherry replied before going back to her computer.
Midnight watched as the two stallions went deeper into the base, talking amongst themselves. She leaned back and stretched before checking her watch again. Still four more hours.
“Sarge, wouldn’t it be easier if they told us what the hell we’re looking for, exactly?” she asked.
Cherry Berry shrugged, dealing some cards to Minuette. “You know how Overwatch is. ‘Need to know basis,’ and we, apparently, don’t need to know what we’re looking for or why we’re here.”
Midnight grunted in disgust. “Figures.” She reached over and picked up her book again.
Four more hours.
It seemed like an eternity had passed, but somehow, Midnight still had half an hour left in her shift. She had finished her book ages ago and was now entertaining herself by trying to sketch her fellow Lookouts from memory. They had all gotten to know each other quite well, given that they were all stuck in the same building for the foreseeable future. Now, she knew the other Lookouts better than she knew her own extended family.
Just as she was putting the finishing details on Minuette’s ear, a rapid beeping noise began emanating from the console. Midnight sighed in annoyance and dropped her pencil. “Sarge, sensors tripped in sector five.”
“Noted,” replied Cherry, equally bored. “Probably another false alarm. Let it ring out.”
Midnight nodded and picked up the pencil again. She began shading in a shadow underneath Minuette, but didn’t get far before her pencil snapped. “Fucking--” she cursed to herself and reached for her pencil sharpener. As she did, however, she realized that another light had turned red. “Uh, Sarge? Sensors tripped in sector six.”
Cherry Berry sighed, rubbing her head in her hooves. “Great. Now we have to send a team, only for them to find absolutely nothing,” she muttered to herself. She looked up and settled her eyes on Minuette. “Min, suit up. Check it out and sound off if you find anything.”
“Got it, ma’am,” Minuette said happily. She slid out of her seat and ran to her quarters to grab her equipment and cold weather gear.
“You sending her alone?” Midnight asked.
Cherry shrugged. “Five and six are like right next to us. She’ll be fine.”
Midnight moved her sketch aside and put on the headset, going through the usual processes. This time, however, something seemed different. “Sarge, I’ve got sensors going off in sectors seven and eight as well.”
Cherry stood up, going over to the console with a grunt. “Ugh. Looks like we’re going to need to send the tech team out after all,” she muttered.
“Hey Sarge,” called Caramel as he entered the command center. “You’re needed in comms, Overwatch wants you.”
“Got it. Strike, come with me. Might as well let them know what’s going on.” Midnight nodded and took off her headset, following the sergeant down the halls of the outpost.
“And are you certain it’s merely a problem with the sensor array?”
“Almost positive, sir,” Cherry replied. “We’ve been getting bad reads ever since this storm started. I was going to wait it out and send a tech team to check it out.”
The uniformed stallion on the screen nodded. “Very well. If you’re certain. But do be advised that all Hotel Echo outposts are now in Code-4 status.”
Midnight raised an eyebrow. “Something wrong, sir?”
“No. Not yet, anyways. It’s merely a precaution,” the stallion replied. “Proceed with caution.”
Cherry frowned. “Sir, if my troops are in danger, I’d like to know. What the hell are we dealing with?”
“You’re not authorized for that information, sergeant. Is there anything else to report?”
“Not at this time, no,” Cherry grunted back.
“Very good. Dismissed.” Cherry and Midnight nodded with a salute before the image disappeared.
Cherry frowned as the two headed back to the command center. “Code-4. Can’t be good,” she muttered. “Don’t think I’ve ever had that happen in my entire career.”
Midnight bit her lip nervously. “Is that bad, Sarge?”
“It might be. I don’t know.” Cherry paused. “Know what? I’m going to the armory. Better make sure we’re ready for… whatever this is. Head back to command and see if Minuette’s left yet. If she hasn’t, tell her to wait. If she has, recall her. I want an armed patrol to go with her.”
“You got it, ma’am.” Midnight proceeded down the hallways alone before ending up at the command center. “Min?” she called out, looking about the room. Finding it empty, she frowned. “Must have missed her. Guess she let herself out.”
She went over to the console and put on the headset. “Min, you read me?”
There was a short burst of static before a reply came through. “Yeppers! What’s up?”
“Change of plans, Sarge wants you back at base,” Midnight said, relieved.
“Yowza. Alright, I’m on my way.”
Midnight felt herself relax and leaned back in her chair, glad that her friend was okay. “You see anything out there?”
“Nada. Probably just the sensors--”
“What? What happened?”
“Midnight…” Minuette’s voice had suddenly lost its usual, peppy tone. “I think… I think something’s out here. I swear, I saw something in the… snow… Hello? Is someone out there?”
The hairs on Midnight’s mane suddenly stood up. “Min, get back to base camp now.”
“I... “ There was a violent burst of static that made Midnight flinch and grab at her ears in pain. “Ohfuckohfuckohfuck!”
“Min! What’s happening? Talk to me!” Midnight shouted, rustling the papers on her desk. A rapid beeping noise told her that all of the sensors had been triggered now.
“They’re after me!” Minuette screamed “I--I need help!”
Midnight’s eyes went wide, and her heart leapt into her throat. Instinctively, she turned to Cherry’s desk, but was dismayed to find it was still empty. “I… How far are you? I can have a patrol intercept--”
“I’m close!” Minuette shouted. Even through the radio, Midnight could hear the shrieking of the wind. “Just open the damned doors!”
Midnight hesitated, the rational part of her mind screaming that this was a massive breach of protocol. “Fuck it,” she decided, flicking the switch. The first set of blast doors grinded open slowly, creaking and groaning as they slid apart. “Come on, come on,” she whispered.
“I see it! I’m making a break for it!”After the doors slid about a quarter of the way open, Midnight saw a pony dart through the crack, tumbling into the airlock. “I’m in!” she shrieked. “Close them! Close the damned doors!”
Midnight flicked the switch again, and the doors froze before reversing direction. Then, to her dismay, the doors shuddered and grinded to a stop. A red light flicked on in the security console, and a warning alarm sounded over the headset. “Fuck!” Midnight shouted. “Okay, fuck protocol, I’m opening the secondary doors--”
“Alright, I’m ready to go!” Midnight froze as an eerily familiar voice chirped from behind her. Midnight slowly turned in her seat to see Minuette bundled in her winter gear, trotting into the center from her quarters. “What?” she asked, seeing the look on Midnight’s face.
“Midnight! Open the door!” came a panicked cry over the radio. Midnight whirled around to the console to see the pony in the hold banging on the door. “They’re coming for me!”
“Minuette? But… I…” Midnight stammered, her eyes flicking between the monitor and the pony behind her.
Confused, the second Minuette came over to Midnight’s side and raised an eyebrow. “Who’s that? You sent someone else out?”
“Wait, who’s that?” asked the pony outside..
“Who are you ?”Midnight snapped, regaining her composure and yelling into the radio. “Identify yourself!”
The pony was taken aback. “What the hell?! I’m Minuette! You know me!” The pony pulled her goggles and hood off, revealing her face.
The pony next to Midnight screamed. “W-what the buck! That’s not me! I’m me!”
“What the hell is going on up there? Midnight, this isn’t funny! Let me in!”
Minuette suddenly grabbed the second headset. “Look, I don’t know who the fuck you are, but you’re not me!”
“What? That’s bullshit! Who are you? Midnight, whatever she says, that isn’t me!”
Midnight stammered silently, her mind racing. A fuzzy static began appearing on the camera feed, and the Minuette outside glanced through the doors. “Shit! They’re coming! Open the door! Please!”
The Minuette next to her grabbed her foreleg. “Midnight, please, don’t open the door,” she begged. “I don’t know what the fuck that is, but it isn’t me!”
The static on the monitor grew worse, to the point where Midnight couldn’t see the pony outside anymore. “Midnight! Don’t listen to her! You’ve been compromised! Do you hear me? You’ve been compromised! Open the door! They’re coming!”
Midnight’s eyes flicked between the screen, the pony next to her, and the command console.
“OPEN THE DOOR!”
“DON’T!”
“MIDNIGHT! I’M GOING TO FUCKING DIE IF YOU DON’T OPEN THE DOOR!”
“Don’t! She’s not me!”
With a terrified inhale, Midnight squeezed her eyes shut and prayed to Celestia for guidance.
She made a decision.
