Outer Worlds: Equestria

Outer Worlds: Equestria

Chapter 3: Powertrip

The idea that I would be able to contact Spark Gap, since apparently something interrupted his connection to my Eye Dentity Scanner, was put on hold after Sweet Kisses explained that many of the Non-Responsible’s systems were compromised due to a power regulator blowing up forcing them to make an emergency landing. Without a power regulator the ship didn’t have communications, and more to the point it didn’t have the ability to leave the place where it was sitting.

I had accurately assumed that the part wasn’t just going to be lying around, but Sweet Kisses explained that on the way into orbit she had scanned the community of Standing Water. She was sure, within a ninety percent accuracy that the township had, or at least knew of the location for, a power regulator. It meant visiting a township, and that was something she was fine with me doing. I hadn’t asked, but it looked as if she was more than just sitting in the pilot’s chair. From the looks of things it looked as if she had been integrated into the Non-Responsible’s computer system. I suppose that being integrated allowed her the chance to have a better than average memory, but more than that I’d imagine that it allowed her to sense things through the ship's sensors.

The idea of being tied like that to a ship seemed wrong somehow. I suppose that was because it would remove the chance to move, to explore, and it just left the existence of the ship. No, that wasn’t right. It didn’t even leave the existence of the ship itself. It was most likely only existing inside of the cockpit. I wasn’t sure if the computer system for the ship was advanced enough to carry the sensation of all of the sensors for her to experience. If that was the case, did she feel everything that happened inside and out of the ship? That began to change the idea for me. If she was able to experience everything the ship experienced, then she was more or less the ship itself.

She could experience all of the sensation of travel, she would know what it felt like to experience jumping into the faster than light travel of the Flash Drive, and it would undoubtedly be difficult for her to make connections with others. I didn’t know for certain, but I had to believe that more or less being a ship made things difficult for her to create lasting relationships. I could only imagine what it would be like if she wanted to be intimate with someone.

I knew about Synth ponies, mostly from second hand, but I did know about them, and I knew that they could become intimate with regular ponies. The most advanced synth ponies could practically pass for regular ponies, except that they didn’t age. Sweet Kisses didn’t look like the most advanced ones. She looked older. Then again it could be that time had simply not been kind to her. For all rights and purposes I knew that Synth Ponies were more or less immortal. They weren’t eternal, or I assumed they could be destroyed, but from what I had heard, and if Sweet Kisses was anything to go by, the oldest Synth Ponies were close to a thousand years old, and they still worked.

It was possible that they could potentially work forever. To live so long, know so many ponies, and see and experience so much loss was mind boggling. How could somepony deal with it? I’d heard stories about the princesses, and I knew that they had more or less been immortal as well. The stories I’d heard ranged from the idea that they were a little over a thousand years old to they were as old as time itself. Everything I’d heard said that they were approachable, but I hadn’t been there. Even if Sweet Kisses was one of the oldest Synth Ponies I doubt that she would have been there.

I shook my head, and despite my musings I felt confident that everything would be okay. It was almost as if there was a tiny rainbow maned pegasus inside of my head telling me that it was all going to turn out awesome, and that I was twenty percent cooler just because I was now a captain of my own ship. There was something about that I did like. Sure, the Non-Responsible was currently landbound, but it was a ship. In truth it was freedom. It was the ability to fly through space, and somehow the idea of flying felt good.

I noticed what looked like buildings in the distance, and I began moving toward them. As I got closer, I noticed the mining gear I’d seen before. Before me was about six or seven marauders. All of them seemed to be milling about the few buildings, and I took a step back. I had the rifle still with me, and luckily I had around thirty shells for it. Surprisingly the rifle was a decent weapon, although it was a little short. I wanted, no I needed, something that would get their attention. I just didn’t need that attention on me. I noticed several crates, similar to the ones that Private Scrumptious had stacked, sitting on the ground, or on porches of the various buildings.

What I could do was simple enough. Get most of them to gather around a box, shoot it, and hopefully the resulting blast would be more than enough to deal with them all. If I could manage it I would certainly save on ammo, but then why was I even worrying about that? I considered the situation itself. Yes, my introduction to marauders wasn't ideal. They had threatened to rape and or eat me. Neither option was one that I really wanted. The other marauders didn’t seem any better. I seemed safe in assuming that they were less likely to assist and more likely to help themselves to every body cavity that I had along with slitting my throat.

I shook my head. I could sneak past. That was the best option that I had. I could sneak past, and then I could hope that they wouldn’t notice me. I began making my way when I heard one of them giggle. It sounded wrong, sort of a long insane giggle that contained something of a guttural growl. I’d heard of the laughing dogs of Zebrfrica before, and I’d even heard an old data recording of one. This giggle wasn’t that far removed from that sound.

The others began to follow the sound, the giggle escaping from them as well, and I watched as they ran toward a house just for its door to shut. It was likely that someone was in there. And it was likely that the door might keep them out, but then again who was to say that the door might give and they could get through. I looked at the situation, and I winced. If it was me inside of the building I’d want help. I looked at the porch they were gathered on, and I saw a yellowish glowing crate. I took aim, fired, and hit the crate. When I did the explosion caught six of the seven marauders in the blast. I watched in horror as four of them were ripped into tiny pieces from the blast itself. The other two lay twisted and broken out in the street, but one stood. From the way it lookednhe didn’t escape unscaved, but he was no longer attempting to bang on the door to the building. Which if he, and I assumed it was a he, had looked I’m certain he would have noticed the door was no longer standing.

Instead his attention was completely on me.

“Gonna kill you slow!”

Ah, it was a mare’s voice, so I had been wrong, and she was a very large mare. I watched as she got near, and realized that her mining suit had been designed to have a saddle that worked with mining equipment. At some point she had changed that out, and in doing so had rigged up a couple of weapons. I watched as the first one glowed for a second, and then instead of firing it exploded in on itself. I would have assumed that it was a lower quality weapon, but more likely what had happened was that the explosion had damaged it beyond repair.

When it exploded the marauder mare was caught in what looked like glowing red energy for a moment. She screamed in pain, and then the energy surged to a blinding brightness before it disappeared and what was left was a small pile of faintly glowing ash. I moved forward, slowly, toward the building and realized that it had been some kind of business. I looked inside to see a young colt. He wasn’t quite old enough to be a stallion, too old to be a little colt, and instead he was in that awkward world between. I saw the saddle bag he had, and his eyes looked on at me in terror. Still, he held the saddle bag that was in his teeth and backed up. It was obvious that it wasn’t his, and more than likely the bag had belonged to whomever had owned this building. If the dust, and disarray, of the area indicated anything it was that this building had long since been unoccupied. I moved forward, slowly, and gave my warmest smile.

“Hey,” I said, “It’s alright, I’m not going to hurt you. My name is Slim Chance, what’s yours?”

He swallowed, and looked at me, “I… I’m Butterscotch,” he said, “You can’t have it.”

I looked at him with uncertainty, “Can’t have what?” I asked, “I’m looking for a part to repair my ship, and I doubt that you have that.”

He relaxed a little, and I took a better look at him. He was a butter yellow, his mane was soft cobalt blue, and I noticed little tufts of fur at the tip of his ears. They were adorable, in their own way, but it was a trait that I didn’t see often on pegasi. He looked more relaxed when I said that I didn’t want what he had, but he looked no less guarded.

“Do you need help getting to town?”

He shook his head, “Imma not allowed,” he replied, “My ‘rents died, and I don’t have a skill that works with the cannery. So, I was kicked out.”

I shook my head, “Wait, what?” I asked, “What do you mean they kicked you out?”

He shrugged his shoulders, “Happens a lot,” he said while he appeared guarded, “It’s a company town, Spacey’s Favorites wants it to produce, and if there’s someone that can’t produce they’re supposed to leave.”

That felt wrong. Sure, I understood in a much more limited fashion to what he most likely felt. My mother had kicked me out when I refused to become Tick Tock’s trophy wife. But I hadn’t been kicked out of Hoofington. I wasn’t drummed out of town because I refused to marry somepony I didn’t love. He’d been kicked out of what was likely everything he’d ever known because he didn’t have a marketable skill.

“Do you have a place to go to?”

He looked at me like I’d grown a second head, “Why do you want to know?” he asked, “A...are you planning on going there?”

It was obvious now that his life, and my life, were far different. He was worried about me finding out where he might be staying. He was worried about what I may or may not do. Even after I’d been thrown out by my mother I didn’t worry about what might happen to me. I had already signed up to join the colonists, and I had friends that I could depend on. That thought reminded me of Baldwin. I secretly wished that he was here. Baldwin had grown up around siblings, and he was used to dealing with ponies about Butterscotch’s age. The only reference I had was from when I was a filly, and honestly at that point in my life I was either chasing colts or listening to music my mother hated.

I sighed, too late to regret anything. I kept the warm smile, and I shook my head, “If I did, it would be to visit, nothing else,” I said, “I promise. I don’t like hurting ponies.”

He looked at me and finally he nodded, “I… I live at the old Horticulturist Labs. Ms Dream runs it,” he said, “I got asked to sneak out here cause we got a new pony in that was mighty sick.”

I looked at him for a moment. I needed to get the part for my ship, there was no getting around that, but I couldn’t just let him wander out alone and hope that he made it to where he lived. I shook my head, “Look, would you mind if I walked with you for a while?” I asked, “I wouldn’t mind seeing if anypony might know where I can get the parts that I need for my ship.”

He looked at me, and I could tell that he wasn’t exactly sure about letting me follow him, but after a moment he nodded. The two of us followed a road that seemed to twist and wind around the strange grass that grew on the surface. I noticed that when the grass blew and the sun’s light hit just right it looked almost like a green flowing ocean that surrounded the little strip of road that wound its way through. I saw more buildings in the distance, but he turned away from them, going down into what looked like a valley. I could see how the entire place seemed to change. The strange grass was still there, but I smelled flowers, actual flowers, growing.

There was an Unicorn mare at the entrance of what looked a very small village standing with a much bigger rifle floating in her magic.

“Butterscotch, you get the medicine Day Dream sent you for?”

He nodded, “I sure did Mrs. Swirl.”

She gave a nod, “Good, now who is this?”

I gave my best smile, stepped forward, and looked at the mare before me. She was charcoal gray, her mane and tail were both white with red stripes in them. There were three claw marks over her right eye, and from it looked like the eye itself was now blind. She didn’t look like someone that would simply bend over and allow whatever to happen. I saw a fighter, a mare that had been made strong and tough from her surroundings. I gave a little swallow.

“My name is Slim Chance,” I said, “I’m the Captain of the Non-Responsible.”

She took a look at me, her soft golden eye, and glassy golden eye, seeming to study me for a moment. She snorted, “Ms. Day Dream says we welcome all kinds here,” she said, “I reckon that we gotta since so many get tossed out on account that they aren’t making it in Standing Water. But, know this. I’m the law here, and if’n you even act like you’re gonna go marauder on us, I’ll put a bullet through you quicker than you can spit, got it?”

I gave a nod, and she motioned for me to head on into the small village. I walked in and I saw mostly healthy looking ponies. There was no look of desperation, or anguish on their faces. Instead they looked good. It almost looked a little like what the historical section of Chapel looked like. Of course it was missing the chapel dedicated to the Princesses, but it honestly was picturesque. I moved through the small village, seeing ponies that waved at me, and none of them seemed angry or upset that I was there. I followed Butterscotch until he came toward a large greenhouse.

I stepped inside and saw an older mare. Her mane looked as if most of it had turned silverish gray, there were wrinkles around her eyes, and I could see either smile or frown lines on her muzzle around her mouth. She gave a soft and warm smile to Butterscotch who opened the saddlebag and pulled out what looked like a small case.

“Good,” she said, “So Auntie Frosted Cakes Auntie-Biotics was still there. This will help our new resident, and it will also help others that decide to leave that dreadful place.”

She looked up at me, “Oh, but where are my manners,” she said, “I am Day Dream, former Taste Chemists for Spacey’s Favorites, and I suppose the leader of this little village. And who might you be?”

I moved near her, and I could see that her coat had been a deeper and richer blue, but gray had begun to sprout in it as well. She looked lighter than I suspected she had when she was younger. Even though she was certainly older than me I couldn’t help but notice that she was undeniably cute. I believed when she was my age she would have been the kind of cute that would make some mares question their own sexuality. I forced the thoughts about getting to know the younger her, looked at the current her, and smiled back at her. I needed to let her know what I was looking for, and maybe she’d know where I could get one.

“I’m Slim Chance, Captain of the Non-Responsible, Mare of adventure, wooer of stallions and mares alike, and I would have liked the chance to hunt for your radish,” I said before I could stop myself, “Ummm, I mean…”

She covered her mouth with her hoof and giggled. I felt incredibly embarrassed and wondered if it would be possible for the universe to simply open up, swallow me whole, and just make everything disappear forever. That would be fine, right? Instead the universe seemed to think that I needed to deal with the fact that I just told this older mare that I would have liked to hunt for her radish, and possibly make her crawl backwards on me. Her violet eyes twinkled merrily at my expense for a few moments before she waved it off.

“Oh, to young enough to enjoy such a thing,” she said, “If I were a few years younger, or you a few years older, I’d hold you to that. But unfortunately neither of us are. But Captain, what brings you to Equestria two?”

Still feeling embarrassed I looked at the ground and not in the beautiful eyes of the mare that I just awkwardly proposed some casual sex to. I needed to find out about a Power Regulator, and maybe she would know where there was one that I could get.

“My ship needs a Power Regulator,” I said, “and I came across Butterscotch in a few buildings outside of a massive wall. It looked like marauders were surrounding the building, and I figured that it wouldn’t be right to just leave him.”

She studied me for a moment, “Hmmm,” she said, “It’s not often that a Freelancer lands near here, and even less often that one goes out of their way to help. The only thing of value that Butterscotch had was the medicine, and you let him keep it.”

She turned, and I couldn’t help but notice the sway in her hips. Yes, age had been kind to Day Dream, and I desperately needed to look somewhere, anywhere, else than her. I followed her and noticed that she was caring for a large group of plants. Some looked like they were similar to the grass and other plants outside, but others looked like they belonged back in Equestria. She picked what looked like bananas, but they had strange blue ends on them that seemed to end in small tentacles. She peeled one, and handed it to me.

“So, since you helped Butterscotch, and likely helped our newest resident, I’m of the mind that the only thing you really are searching for is a Power Regulator. There’s one here, but it helps control the power for our homes and this greenhouse,” she said, “There is one in Standing Water, but it is used to power the entire town.”

She looked at me for a few moments, “I believe there are potentially a few others out there,” she said, “But where they’re located I couldn’t tell you. I would suggest that if you take one, you take it from Standing Water. The cannery there is killing ponies. I suspect that their eating the food from it, and only the food from it, has caused them to develop the sickness that our newest resident has.”

She gave me a soft smile, “Look, I’ve got to figure that you’ve likely not been in Standing Water yet,” she said, “And I wouldn’t suggest that anypony do something like this without getting the facts straight first. But Captain, that place is a curse. It grinds everypony, everycreature, that lives in it down into nothing over time. If you want my opinion go there, look into the town itself, and see what it’s like. The town is killing its residents, and that’s not right. Take a look around, talk to the boss of the town, Mr. Dirty Bit himself, if he will see you, and make a decision. I just hope that the one you make is the one that has a chance of actually saving ponies.”

I nodded, and walked out, and headed out of the town. As I neared the entrance to the community Ms. Swirl stopped me, “Heard that you helped Butterscotch,” she said, “That means that you’re more than likely a good pony.”

She studied me for a moment, “Look, I don’t like the idea of asking anypony for help, especially those ponies that I don’t know too well, but dammit,” she swore, “A couple of nights ago a young mare that lived here went missing. She just up and disappeared. Not sure what could have gotten into that fool head of hers, but she took off. It’s likely that the marauders have done something to her, but there’s always the chance that she might be okay. If you don’t mind, would you look for her?”

I gave her a nod, “Sure, what’s her name?”

She studied me for a moment, “Sugar Sweet,” she said, “She’s about your height, off cream colored coat, lime green mane and tail, got a beautiful set of blue eyes, and her cutie mark is an Auntie Frosted Cake’s Purple Razzleberry Crunch. Not hard to figure how she got that, after all she loves to eat those things like they’re going out of style. But, if’n you could find her, and at least let us know what happened, well, we’d be thankful.”

I smiled, “Of course, do you know why she might have have run?”

She shook her head, “Naw, she was alright, and I kinda was a little sweet on her, but her best pal is old Scorched Pine. He’s the firewood pony back down there. The two of them would watch the Masked Accountant or some such thing. If’n you don’t mind, you might ask him about what he figures made her up and leave.”

I nodded, “Okay,” I said, “I’ll go check in with him.”

Moving back down the hill I wondered if this was right. I really needed to get the ship into the air, but at the same time it didn’t seem right to not give them the help they needed. I looked around, trying to find a firewood pony, and I realized that I was trying too hard. I didn’t need to specifically look for the pony, instead I saw several stacked up piles of firewood. Among them was a light orange stallion with a blond mane and tail and he had a pair of rich brown eyes. Like Private Scrumptious, he was absolutely Scrumptious, but I was not going to put my hoof in my mouth again. He gave me a smile as he finished stacking the wood. I couldn’t help but notice the stout build that seemed to be a staple with Earth Ponies.

“Howdy,” he said, “I’m Scorched Pine, what can I do you for?”

I grinned at him, “A couple of hours?”

And that was the moment that my hoof was reinserted into my mouth.

You’ve unlocked Pitchhitter. Now, you have special dialogue options with either male or female characters.