Longness of Semper, Still I Remember

Journal Entry 001:

It's been a while since I've done one of these things. But since I've grown accustomed to mouthwriting, along with some other new functions over the past half year or so, I better get back on it. I'm told it can be for posterity, assuming anyone'll even read this, as well as therapeutic. So, what the hell? Or, in terms of this place, what the Tartarus?

Let's just get caught up to speed. Everything can be traced back to Project Freelancer, a military organization under the United Nations Space Command of Sol III that had gone horribly wrong. The men in charge were corrupt, and the soldiers following them were blind, wittingly or not. Guess which side I was on.

Eventually, it was the project's own experiments that tore it apart from the inside, and I was the unlucky one sent to pick up the pieces. I recovered weapons, armor enhancements, A.I. fragments and M.I. subjects all in an effort to keep the wrong people from getting to them first. But I was too slow, and also duplicitous.

Everyone fought over and killed for the remnants of Project Freelancer, including old friends and former teammates. I didn't know if I could believe in anyone anymore. But during all that, I met the Reds and Blues in Equestria. They had been used by the Freelancers as I had. They were cannon fodder in a conflict with no purpose but to train and experiment their agents, armor and equipment. Dexter Grif’s own sister, Kaikaina, fell victim to that alongside others.

And the leaders of the equine nation on Caballinus IV were coerced by the project. The central figures were left in the dark, while their subordinates aggressively cooperated with full knowledge and consent to what they were doing. And those who trusted their leaders to make amends and free their homeworld from that insidious program, they collaborated with the Reds and Blues to accomplish that.

But more importantly, both were either stupid, naïve, or some combo of the two to trust. And although I believed myself the only one who could do what was necessary, I had been spat out and tossed from both sides of the battlefield. And worse still, I caused more avoidable trouble for those who were victims of the project as I was.

So, I had to make a decision. And ultimately, I went with those ponies and sim troopers to defend their own homes and lives from the corruption. Together, we were able to put an end to everything. The Freelancers, the fragments, even the Director of the whole operation. They're all gone. Even at the cost of some of our own lives.

Sadly, something must've happened to the Reds and Blues on their ride back to Repertum, because all frequencies lost contact with their ship. One of the sim troopers was killed in action protecting Equestria, along with a former Freelancer agent. Their names were Captain Richard Simmons, and Agent Washington.

Now as for where I fit into all this, well that takes some more difficulty to explain. Agent Washington is dead, him and everything he was, even his birth name. Physically, his body failed, and his heart and brain were shutting down. But before they pulled the plug, the Equestrian leaders managed to pull one last effort to give me a second chance.

They took in one of the tanks holding a spare pony husk from the Forerunner facility in the Frozen North after reconfiguring the hidden entrance. Somehow, they were able to incorporate what they learned about artificial and magical intelligence, and converted my psyche, spirit, mind, whatever, into an M.I. so to inhabit that body while stimulating the dormant nervous system. Yeah, I know, the idea itself is mind-boggling to say the least, so I won't go into details. Even if I understood an eighth of them. I'm sure Church wouldn't envy me. And why I was spared and not Simmons is beyond me. He was the true soldier. And true friend.

So now, I'm an Earth Pony stallion. Grey coat, blonde mane and tail, blue highlights to go with them, and brown eyes. Shortly after I woke up, I somehow got this strange brand on my flanks, much similar to the ponies here on Caballinus. I guess coming back from the dead meant something significant to my identity, or something. Because the marks themselves remind me of Washington's family pet cat. Always getting himself into trouble, nearly getting himself killed, in fact should've five times over, but then walks away like nothing happened. I seem to bounce back with nine lives also. That, or I just have bad luck.

Now, after constant surveillance while recovering, or more, accumulating to this new body for the past ten months, or moons as they say on this planet, I'm given my parole to lead investigations. I also contributed in their efforts to retrieve lost Freelancer weapons and equipment on Caballinus and return them to the UNSC, so there's that. Now these cases concern some sort of occult that believes Ponykind should be the heirs to the Forerunner tech, calling themselves Disciples of Mantle and Pure Reclamation. They're an organization almost as ancient as the Princesses here, if not equally so, and are willing to do anything and everything to ensure Humanity, Sangheili, Covenant Zealots, anybody, doesn't touch it. Even at the cost of their fellow ponies' lives.

The search team assigned to me are as follows:

Special Agent Sweetie Drops, former member of some monster-hunting program under Canterlot supervision. She's an Earth Pony also, currently Ponyville resident, and my parole officer of sorts. Informing the leaders of my recent development and behavioral patterns, in the hopes I don't repeat another back-stab. The Princesses won't admit it, even to themselves it seems, but Lord knows I need it.

Anyway, next is a Unicorn named Moondancer, daughter of the late lead scientist on all things alien found here at Caballinus. From Canterlot, very proficient in spells, defensive, astrophysics and so on. Was threatened by the Disciples alongside her mother for her father's research. So she's definitely motivated and driven to jeopardize their operation as much as she can.

Third is Pegasus Thunderlane, recruited from the reserves in the Wonderbolt division for this intel-espionage assignment. Lives in the adjacent settlement of Ponyville also, with his parents and little brother close by. He had a friend who was killed in the attack of Dodge Junction, a fellow cloud worker who was also ensnared by Freelancer's A.I. fragments.

And then there's another Unicorn, a stallion named Comet Tail. Again, Ponyville. A very knowledgeable astronomer, physicist and arcane engineer that will be assisting Moondancer in complex spells, calculations and the like. He will also learn defensive techniques under her, so to support her properly with his own horn. And right now, I'm glad Tucker's not here.

And lastly is a second Pegasus, one who will provide fitness and endurance training, as well as further reinforcement from the air. Name's Fire Streak. Again, so glad of Tucker's absence. A retired member of the Wonderbolts, he became a gym teacher and health-fitness rehab coach in Cloudsdale. He even became my coach while accumulating to this new body. After the fight against Freelancer, he was more than eager to help when offered a job.

No word from Sunnyside, so I guess she won't be joining. Today's our first day of orientation. A formal meeting, starting to know the team a bit, while also learning some things about each other. As the appointed leader of this team, I decided to put all my cards on the table. Let them know who I was, what I'd been through, what I did, what I expect from them, and how to act if they feel I might cross over for a strategic advantage at others' expense, including them. You get the gist.

I also wanted to ensure that any and all personal gripes they might have with the project through me, or maybe even other individuals, are kept separate from the job, and only confront them directly should they ever entangle with it. I'm sure I'll do great when it comes to the newly crowned Twilight and her friends. And I'm positive it's inevitable. Already, I noticed Moondancer quietly disliking the prospect for some reason. And I'm sure to get the basic chew-out from Special Agent Drops here shortly. The others I guess won't take as brief a time to gather their thoughts, either about me or otherwise.

For now, I believe that's everything off my post-bucket list.

Also, I converted to vegan. At least I still get eggs and dairy. Daisies, not so sure about.

This is ~~Agent~~ Homestead Hunt signing off.