Fallout: Equestria - Parallelism

Bland's question catches me off guard.

This whole thing is crazy. To rob the Crystal Lotus, the most lucrative and prestigious casino in the city, owned by the Softhooves family, and not just anyone, but the Mother of the family herself, Eileen Softhooves, would be reckless to say the least!

Or is he joking?

"I almost believed you," I sigh in relief and cover my eyes. "You scared the shit out of me." Bland looks at me confused.

"Does it look like I'm joking?" he asks, a little chagrined.

"There's no way you're-" I look at him.

There's not even a hint of a prank in his gaze.

"It is," the light lilac unicorn interrupts me calmly. "We do intend to do it, but we need caps and a couple other trusted ponies to pull it off. Let's talk things over in your office where there are fewer ears," he says quietly and heads into my office.

There, Bland stops beside the office desk, turning sideways to it; I stand in front of it, for my nerves don't allow me to sit.

"So then?" the unicorn asks.

"Enlighten me first," I raise my front leg, signaling to take my time, "what you intend to do. I want to know what I'm signing up for."

"The plan is still being worked out. Remember when you gave me the information on who to contact to pull off something illegal?"

Is he now talking about those brothers, one of whom wanted to try his luck as a kidnapper? Oh, holy smokes...

"Oh," I sigh doomily. "Did they talk you into going for it?"

"I didn't have to be talked into it, I agreed without blinking an eye, for I know some of the secrets of that casino that I had access to while working there. I'm aware of the risks."

If it weren't for his connections and caps, because of that knowledge, he'd probably be found dead in some dumpster. It's cheaper than erasing his memory.

"A huge one," I add.

"...But it's worth it," he ignores my remark. "We're not going to rob the casino itself, but just the Mother of the Family's personal vault—with an impressive amount of capital. It won't be a simple robbery, but a subtle act against unfair treatment of us, since we're made scapegoats whenever this family wants."

"A subtle act?" I smirk.

Oh, so this is about the unfair treatment of stallions?

"Of course, we might come under suspicion, since there aren't many idi... ponies in Vanhoover, in the opinion of the Family, that would risk putting their hooves on the Head's treasure. That stuck-up bitch Eileen is aware that only resentful stallions... of the survivors, I mean, would try to rob her personally. She'll know it's not a simple robbery. I just want revenge on Eileen, just as much as Flare Heart wants it."

"Okay. But what does that have to do with me?"

"The thing is, Softhooves has good informants who can track down the stolen cash in town. We'll hide the wealth in your nest, which even I don't know the location of."

"And then what happens to the stolen treasure?"

"We'll move it here in small portions under the guise of casino profits. In case of force majeure, I'll adjust the Glass Key casino paperwork so that no one will be suspicious when they find more of the cap equivalent than they should. It won't hurt."

The cap equivalent? Oh, right. Flint Gray, the Сounselor of the Waterfall family, tells me that most of the caps on the accounts of the city's six banks do not exist in their purest form. Many precious things are stored in safe deposit boxes, converted to the cap equivalent.

I suspect that the Mother of the Family's personal savings are also mostly made up of valuable items like precious metals and gems.

"Why worry so much about someone suspecting something in our own casino?"

"There could be Softhooves sniffers among the staff of the casino, it's impossible to check everyone completely."

"What's your plan?"

"We go into Softhooves' private vault, then you take the loot by the Vertibuck to your bunker. Then we'll bring it here little by little. Gradually we'll arrange for the precious things to be deposited in a bank account."

"You mean... the bank won't ask questions about where the casino got the goods?"

"Don't forget that many customers would rather wear jewelry than caps. Especially the rich ones. That's what they do, and they exchange the jewelry immediately for chips. At market value."

"And if the Softhooves do get to the bottom of this?"

"One way or another, they won't find everything stolen here. And you'll be able to use the caps for your own use without having to show up at the casino—I'm sure there'll be fucking tons more caps, gems, and other jewelry."

"Well, they won't be that expensive anymore. I discovered a gem mine and gave it to the Steelmane family, so the price will drop considerably soon," I remark casually.

"In any case, the gems won't be useless... You found w-what?" Bland's eyes get wide.

"A pre-war mine full of gems to the east, just off the edge of the Vanhoover region," I smile innocently.

"Holy shit! Some miracles in a sieve. I can see now why Bluerise thinks you're an extraordinary, brave, and extremely lucky pony. I thought she was joking about you, so I didn't interrupt her, but now I'm sure. You don't look like you've been to fiery Tartarus. It's true what they say, looks can be deceiving," Bland grins.

"It's deceiving!" the unrestrained laughter of my human self suddenly sounds in my head.

"So you agree? It is necessary to allocate the caps for this. The sum you brought will be quite sufficient."

"I... I don't want to be involved and take responsibility."

"You don't have to, we'll organize it ourselves."

"That's not what I mean. What if someone gets hurt?"

"There's always a risk," Bland sighs, as if enunciating an obvious truth to me. "There's no way to avoid it. You always have to take risks to achieve something."

"We're sure to get the Softhooves to hate us."

"You already do," he sees the confusion on my face and explains, "You're an independent casino owner. The Softhooves are going to try to take away your business one way or another. Or another family will try to pull it off. It's inevitable. You can't be on good terms with everyone, especially the Families, if you're independent."

I have no argument. The Softhooves are really going to start working against me sooner or later. And there's no way I can avoid that. Maybe it's better to strike first.

"Prepare for them to strike back. But Bland's got a point. We've already gotten into internal squabbles since we freed Dodger from captivity about a month ago."

"You know," Bland interrupts my musings, "at points like this I agree with Prince's views. Not about the slave trade. If you don't take responsibility, someone else does. And you become a slave to those who are more responsible than you. Those in power realize their responsibility, may even be afraid of it, but they accept it."

If I want to achieve the opportunity to return to my world—or at least learn my reasons for being here...

"I still want to return home. So it's worth accepting. We've come far enough. We had to take part in the fate of New Vegas after the chip was delivered. We've already gotten a lot of attention."

"So be it, I give my permission and agree to participate. Just be thoroughly organized," I mutter sternly, pointing at Bland with a hoof.

"Now that's what I call determination!" Bland's mood instantly lifts. "Two twenty-six hours will probably be enough. One more thing: if you know any ponies you can trust, let me know."

***

Back at Heavenly Harbor, I tell my team what kind of scheme I'm involved in once again. As expected, everyone takes the news differently.

Ferris isn't happy. He talks about the risk I'm taking on myself and others, but generally accepts my dangerous venture as a given. Refuses to participate for obvious reasons.

Blaze fully agrees to the venture.

Nara and Flow don't fully understand what's going on.

Caroline is interested.

Professor doesn't care: he refuses to participate, explaining that he has no time for such nonsense, but adds that he can prepare the necessary potions: invisibility, silent walking and the like.

Motley and Lemon, as well as Ferris, are not happy—worried about me. But my pegasus decides to participate so she can personally oversee everything.

Lemon is delighted that I was able to solve the city's energy problem, but stubbornly disapproves of my scheme.

"Competing with families is extremely dangerous," she reminds me. "I don't want you to get hurt. You have enough risks in your life as it is. The Crater, The Island."

"I had to."

"I know. For the title of a King. For the Dome. And how I hate it," she says. "If you ever go to Stable 66, I'll hate you, too. My parents died there. I don't want to mourn you, too. Such a good pony, and so stupid."

Lemon leaves the dining room. I'm left alone, staring at my empty plate despondently. Professor is in his lab. Ferris and Edge are in the workshop. Motley is flying around the hall with Nara on her back.

The pink pony with a lingonberry mane comes out of the kitchen and heads toward me.

"Pick up the plates?" she asks. "What's bothering you? Are you sad?"

I don't even know what to answer.

"Is there anything I can do to help you?"

"No," I answer without looking at her.

I feel her embrace on my shoulders. Her lips quickly touch my cheeks and she breaks the hug. She lowers her head in embarrassment as I look at her in surprise.

"I..." she begins, stammering, "saw a p-pony in the Stab-ble trying to help her saddened friend. He smiled afterward. Sadly... it didn't work out that way with..."

I can't help but smile. That's too sweet of her.

"Oh, you did smile after all..."

I hug her tightly.

"Thank you. You're doing everything right. Way to go."

***

26th of the Month of Heather, Cyanday. Sixty-third day of my stay.

Though I'm usually comfortable around Motley, tonight I can't sleep well, only doze and think about the daring robbery my acquaintances have pulled off, still pondering the worth of it. I don't really need the caps, except to restore the casino to full order. Well, and to buy into the bunker comfortable furniture and other furnishings for the sake of the comfort of those who inhabit it.

I can think of all kinds of outcomes. I'm already regretting having agreed to this.

"Can't sleep?" I ask with a smile when I see Professor in the main hall, sitting in a chair with a bottle of beer.

He turns to me and smiles tiredly, shaking his head negatively.

"Decided to take a break from work," he replies in his usual quick and crisp tone.

I move closer and sit down in the other chair beside him.

"Do you ever sleep at all? It feels like you're awake all the time."

"I sleep so my body and brain can rest, and with a fresh mind I take up research again. I drink a special potion to keep me from feeling tired and sleepy for longer. Time is always short for the work I've been working hard on for decades. Why aren't you sleeping yourself?"

"I keep thinking about this robbery, wondering how I could have made it worse. I'm worried."

"We all worry the moment we decide our own fate, facing difficult choices." Professor takes a sip from the bottle, after which he looks at me. "It doesn't seem right when one of your conversation partners enjoys alcohol and the other doesn't."

"That's okay, I'm not thirsty. Especially not in the middle of the night. You'll have to pee during a lovely nap, then try to sleep again," I laugh.

"Agreed," the stallion swallows the rest of his beer. Glancing at the empty bottle, he sets it on the nearest table. "What exactly do you worry about the robbery? Like I said, it's nothing. I'm more greedy for knowledge than caps."

"Someone could get hurt..."

Professor laughs and lowers his head.

"You keep thinking only of yourself."

"Meaning?"

"You're not the only one responsible. Scientific discoveries and new technologies seem to be something positive that will surely improve the lives of all of us. But... You see where we've ended up."

"The Wasteland," I nod. "The apocalypse."

"The Steel Rangers are right about something. Technology in the hooves of uneducated ponies can be harmful not only to themselves, but to those around them."

Hugh Willford, 'Pervert', revealed that the Steel Rangers were responsible for the technology that the Ministry of Wartime Technology had a part in creating.

"Originally megaspells were created for healing. To heal the wounded on the battlefield in the blink of an eye. Sounds right and noble, doesn't it?"

I nod.

"Then that noble technology was adapted to create destructive weapons. Good intentions turned into a disaster that changed everything on the planet Equus. When engineers create things, when scientists make discoveries, there's always the risk of unfortunate consequences. Do you think, Daniel, are the creators of megaspells responsible for the apocalypse that happened?"

Tough question.

"Well... I don't even know. It's hard to answer."

"You made a hammer to pound nails and build a shack for your family. Then that same hammer was used to beat your closest friend to death. Will you feel guilty for making the hammer?"

"Yes..."

"Why? How are you responsible for what someone else did? Here are Vanhoover's masters responsible for the actions of their slaves. The slaves are their property. Those in authority are responsible for the actions of their subordinates as part of their duties."

"As part of their duties? How's that?"

"You're a casino owner. Your subordinate dealer was injured during a deal of playing cards when an outraged player attacked him yelling, 'Fuck this place!' You are responsible for the dealer's health. At least in a normal society, it should be. Now imagine a different situation. He's injured at home during a robbery. You're no longer responsible for his health. Do you understand? You are not responsible for the lives of others, unless they are your subordinates who fulfill the duties you have assigned to them. Why then do they always blame the scientists who created some technology that was altered and used to their detriment? The only ones to blame are those who modified it and used it for a knowingly harmful purpose."

"And what does that have to do with the robbery?"

"Positive actions can lead to an unfortunate result one way or another—whether you're directly responsible or not. And vice versa. Negative actions can lead to a positive outcome. The consequences can always be different. All that's left is to face it and accept them."

"How can robbery lead to a positive outcome?"

"Well... I don't know. You use the loot to improve the casino, give a lot of ponies a job, they can feed their families. The options are many. Besides, the way I see it, the robbery would have happened without you. This way, you'd be in control. If you decided to rob the Vanhoover Polytechnic Institute—to make their technology and knowledge available to everyone—I'd be happy to participate."

He laughs. I, unable to resist, laugh too.

"How do you know the history of megaspells?"

"I've traveled all over the world. Studied it."

"How did you get into researching mutations?"

"It's a long story."

"I'm interested to hear it. After all, it's not every day you meet a genetic scientist in the Wasteland. Surely you have some experience you could share with me."

"All right... Maybe you'll learn something. I'll start by saying that I was a Steel Ranger."

I freeze, staring at the crimson-red unicorn with a neat beige mane. He smiles.

"Unexpected, isn't it? Yes. I was born in one of the Steel Ranger chapters. For certain reasons, I can't say which one."

"Oh..." I stretch out.

Sounds like he's on the run, or being chased. I can see now why he won't even give his real name to Sunny Waterfall, who he's worked with for a year.

His recent mention of the Steel Rangers now looks natural.

"Leaving was unwelcome to the organization?" I clarify. He nods. "What made you leave? Wasn't happy with life?"

"I was satisfied with everything at first. More than satisfied, even. If someone had told me at fifteen that I'd quit the Steel Rangers, I'd have thought he was crazy. Ordinary parents, ordinary friends, ordinary wife. I had access to knowledge and education that many in the Wasteland don't have. What set me apart from the others was that I felt more attracted to living creatures than to technology. Even small insects. I considered every living creature and plant to be, and still do, something extraordinary—these tiny, yet graceful living organisms, each one designed in its own way... Growing organisms that emerge from a tiny seed."

"Did the Steels disapprove of your research?"

"Approved and encouraged. Yet it wasn't a priority. It was more important to counter aggressive flora and fauna. Nothing more. I researched mutations and changes in living organisms, their effects, the dangers they posed. The Steel Rangers had access to the library. I proofread everything, compared, researched and experimented. But without pre-war samples, I didn't know much. Only analyzed what is there now."

"You were a scribe?"

"Yes. Already in my twenties, I achieved the status of head of a small department that focused on the study of living organisms. Because of the Steel Rangers' lack of in-depth study of this area, it wasn't hard for me to achieve such a position."

"And what wasn't satisfactory?"

"Lack of progress. I hit the limit too soon. Like I said, the Steel Rangers only cared about protecting their brothers and sisters from aggressive flora and fauna and things like that. All I had to do was train and manage the other scribes."

"The Steel Rangers didn't dedicate resources to major projects?"

"Resources are not unlimited. They need to be saved and optimized efficiently. I understand that. We were talking about global research projects that could do some good."

"Like your Reverse Mutation Serum?"

"That became a more concrete goal later on. Due to the megaspells and radiation, the diversity of flora and fauna was greatly reduced. Most of the organisms died, the survivors mutated. But mutations in accelerated order appeared chaotically and often were not useful for survival, so their hosts quickly died out. Evolution in extremely fast-tracked. And now we see only a minuscule fraction of the diversity we used to see. I wanted to bring back that diversity and natural purity. Radiation and the Impelled Metamorphosis Potion have corrupted and ruined everything. It's more profitable for the Steel Rangers to just burn and destroy everything dangerous. And they'd be right. It's... just self-interest."

"And that didn't suit you?"

"A little. I was okay with it. I wasn't happy with the other thing. Which was that I was having more and more fights with my scribes, with the Elder. Even with my wife and parents. The Steel Rangers don't want to share not only technology, but knowledge. You do realize that researching methods of fighting aggressive organisms, ways to create something useful from skins and bodies would help the residents of the Wasteland to survive. Set up joint projects with the settlements, enlist their help. But the Steels fear the Wastelanders would use the knowledge to the detriment of others, especially against the Steels themselves."

The joke about robbing the institute followed by the free flow of knowledge doesn't seem so much of a joke anymore.

"You weren't happy with the Steel Rangers appropriating knowledge only for themselves?"

"Without knowledge sharing, there will be no progress. Moreover, the Steel Rangers do not seek progress. It is foolish to fear that some Wasteland folk will use the knowledge we have gained for pernicious purposes. It could happen without us. We could pool knowledge and accelerate progress, but it will not happen. And... I couldn't live like that. The hatred for this policy grew over five years."

"Is that why you left?"

"What was I supposed to do? I couldn't achieve reform alone, and I'm no orator, but I couldn't live in stagnation. Before I left, I packed up my things: useful technology like a PipBuck, the data storage device, a plasma pistol I'd modified in my spare time to the point where it didn't require spark batteries. No one took my departure positively. Especially the warehouse supervisors."

"What about your loved ones?"

"What about them? I stopped interacting with my parents a long time ago. With my wife, the only arguments I've had are over my excessive interest in biology. And the heated arguments with my superiors made it look bad in her eyes. The only thing I feel a little sorry for is my daughters..."

"You abandoned your children?"

"Twin daughters. They were three years old at the time, I'm twenty-five. I... never pursued family life. I did it out of a sense of duty, to replenish the ranks of the Steel Rangers. So it wasn't that hard to leave."

"Never thought about what's happened to them now? Would you like to see them?"

"I used to think about it, and then I kind of didn't care. They've become worthy representatives of the organization for sure. In any case, I went to the territory of another chapter. There they took me for a regular self-taught scientist. I tried not to flash my PipBuck and the plasma pistol in their presence."

"Doesn't it bother you that I have a Steel Ranger member in my company?"

"You mean 'Berry'?" I nod. "I'm rather surprised by her calm attitude toward the Vertibuck and Caroline. Steel Rangers could kill for that kind of technology. Also her physique. Where are her superiors looking..."

"She's had some recent health problems due to a virus or illness. Hence the extra weight."

"Oh, that's it... It wasn't her fault that this happened. Though I'm sure her brothers and sisters still secretly despise her because of it."

How right he is...

"And how long have you been traveling the Equestrian Wasteland?"

"About ten years. Then another twenty-five years on the neighboring continent on the remnants of the Zebra Empire."

"Wait a minute. He was twenty-five. He wandered around Equestria for another ten years. So he was thirty-five when he went to the zebras, where he stayed for another twenty-five. So he should be sixty—but he doesn't look old. He's about forty."

Professor smiles broadly.

"You're doing all right with arithmetic, I see," he remarks.

"How?"

"The zebra potions are amazing. For my outstanding services, one of the powerful tribes created a potion for me that stops the aging process for several decades. It delayed my natural death by twenty years."

"Wow, that means among the zebras..."

"I suspect what you're about to ask. No. This potion is extremely difficult to make. There are too many nuances. Also, because of their reverent attitude toward alchemy... they would never give me the recipe."

"I take it they have a lot of interesting things going on since they possess such powerful potions?"

"Definitely. Their culture is built around surrounding nature and potions. There's a prophecy of a new Caesar that will unite all the tribes. I've seen a dozen failed attempts at unification in twenty-five years. So many of them have superstitions associated with belief in a higher power that one wonders what ignorance of the things of the world can lead to. They seemed savages to me, but quite adequate, if you don't start up conversations on the subject of these wacky superstitions about evil and treacherous stars."

"Evil and treacherous stars?"

"Don't fill your head with that. Trust me. I don't want to go into it."

"What about potions?"

"Every tribe is famous for their secret recipes for unique potions. It took me a lot of effort to get some of them: sometimes I solved their problems that they couldn't handle themselves, sometimes I went through their, in my opinion, stupid rituals with the intention of gaining access to this invaluable knowledge. But besides knowledge, I got some valuable things, like that unique armor you saw. I also obtained a self-refilling phial and a special magical amulet."

"A self-refilling phial?" I raise an eyebrow.

"It's called the Rainbow Phial—a rare item in zebra territory. An artifact. The magic to create it was lost long ago. The phial fills itself with liquid."

"Huh... what kind of liquid? With what properties?"

"Any kind of liquid. You can change its properties at any time—and quite easily, if you know how to do it. Once the phial is emptied, the liquid will refill in twenty-six hours. As I said, the properties of the potion depend on the knowledge of the person using it. The stronger your alchemical knowledge, the more options you have. Potion of cure. Of magic restoration. And so on."

"Unique thing..." The world of magic never ceases to amaze me. "What's the amulet?"

"It absorbs and stores magic from the surrounding energy streams like the body of an average unicorn. After your own magic is spent, all you have to do is focus the rest of it on it and you are fully restored. The amulet regenerates its magical reserve in about a day, too."

"Why would zebras need a magic-replenishing amulet?"

"They didn't create it. It was the property of one of Equestria's pre-war spies. That's why they gave it to me."

"Now I see how you managed to sneak into Mushu alone. You wouldn't be afraid to jump into a volcano with stuff like that. And how much territory do the zebra tribes occupy?"

"As much as the Zebra Empire occupied before the war. The south and almost the entire center of the neighboring continent of Solstice with the islands adjacent to that continent. However, most of the tribes, as well as the pre-war settlements and cities with the capital, are located in the south, the warmest and most welcoming environment. In the central part of the eastern coast and islands, there is a very dangerous and harsh territory that no one can take control of because of the semi-intelligent aggressive creatures, Tartarus."

"Tartarus?"

I've heard the name repeatedly, but I can't recall it.

"A conventional name for a place of high magical instability. Zebras have made repeated attempts to penetrate its depths, apparently in search of gems."

High magical instability. Motley mentioned it, but she's not versed in the subject. Maybe Professor can chew on the concept for me?

"This isn't the first time I've heard about high magical instability. What is it? Is it radiation? I know that radiation comes from using magic-infused gems. After momentary or complete depletion, they 'dissolve' like butter in a frying pan and generate magical radiation. Byproduct. The higher the dose, the stronger the effects of this radiation, this 'shattered' magical energy, which is what causes the changes when interacting with the living. What about high magical instability? Are they somehow related?"

"I don't study complex magical energies, magical flows around and so on. I only know in general terms."

"That will be enough."

"Basically... Radiation and high magical instability are not the same thing, though both can cause mutations and physical changes in living organisms. But it's only the latter that causes permanent weather anomalies of such a huge scale as in the Desert Ocean. It's probably a matter of, uh... concentration, I suppose. The scaling level of this 'fragmented' magical energy... as if 'clustered' by its own or external forces. Concentrated... and it's like it's becoming another kind of energy in its own right. The radiation becomes so abundant that it generates a new unstable force... or something like that."

"How complicated... But this other unstable magical energy is still the source of mutations and changes?"

"Yes. Except that the radiation is barely detected by the equipment."

"Still hard to understand."

"I guess... we can use this analogy. If radiation is falling snowflakes all around you, then high magical instability is a huge avalanche of snowflakes coming down the mountain. It is more unpredictable than radiation. While radiation is expected and observed, high magical instability may or may not affect living beings. Only on the environment it affects constantly, causing, for example, storms, hurricanes, winds and other abnormal phenomena. This unstable independent energy is probably what those monsters in Tartarus are feeding on, and in the northern part of the Sapphire Sea it has spawned monsters. For the rest of us, it can be devastating if we fall into the anomalies it generates, even minor ones. That's why its definition includes the word 'instability'. In other words, impermanence and chaos."

"Can it be countered?"

"Logically, yes. It's not like it's spread across the entire planet. Apparently, standard magic or some other kind of energy holds it back. In practice, however, there are only failures, for this unstable energy is essentially just a theory: there are no sensors or devices to detect it directly. There is no high radiation background, where it should be according to estimates and calculations, but there are various anomalies that can not cause radiation, even if it was there. That's how the theory of high magical instability came about."

"Wait... Tartarus was before the war. The anomalies in the Sapphire Sea came after. Who came up with the theory?"

"The theory existed before the war. It was meant to explain what was happening in the Desert Ocean and Tartarus. After the megaspells fell, two other places with similar anomalies appeared—the northern part of the Sapphire Sea and a substantial part of the Great Deserts in the center of Equestria. Because of the similarities, I linked them to this pre-war theory."

"Curiously, Motley also linked the two pre-war locations to the two new ones. Or did the scientists of the Enclave did it. If two different ponies came to the same conclusion, then the anomalies really are similar."

"Do you think... Can high magical instability teleport over long distances?"

The crimson-red unicorn is puzzled.

"This is the first time I've heard of such an assumption. Look. After the fall of themega spells, the northern part of the Sapphire Sea has been replenished with new kinds of monstrous huge creatures, making that part of the sea extremely dangerous to swim across. Only dragons can compete with them on an equal terms. Even the airspace is not worth flying in due to magical storms, winds that can tear ponies to pieces, and other weather anomalies caused by the powerful and destructive megaspells used in the bombing of the Griffon Kingdom. Almost immediately after this event, the Instability shifted out to sea—possibly due to the winds—releasing the Griffon Territory from its effects."

"The huge creatures from the north of the Sapphire Sea and Tartarus are leaving?"

"That has not been observed. I tend to assume that the high magical instability attracts them. It may even be the reason they exist in the first place. That's why they don't leave its bounds. It's a good thing. Then again, I haven't explored these places because of the, uh... the dangers. Perhaps in the future, when I've studied everything and can't get any further in my research, I'll visit these places."

"I know next to nothing about the Great Deserts."

"It's not surprising. It's a dangerous place that even I haven't ventured into, but I plan to. As with the northern part of the Sapphire Sea, the high magical instability was formed from the fall of the megaspells—from the incredible concentration of radiation. Flying over this area is also dangerous due to the strong winds and sandstorms that tend to rise even above the Cloud Curtain that the pegasi had set up shortly before the apocalypse, damaging it. At first all the holes were patched up, but then it was abandoned, so the weather there is often sunny and hot. Something the rest of the Wasteland doesn't have."

"Does the unstable zone completely cover the Great Deserts?"

"About seventy percent. You can traverse it safely along the West and East coasts."

"And what's life in the central part like?"

"Those places were sparsely populated before the war because of the unfriendly conditions: heat, scant vegetation... and now the high magical instability with its weather anomalies, as well as the huge underground worms, have been added. Crossing this area by land without fast transportation is risky: it's hard to get your feet away from those nasty worms or anomalies, whose unstable magic can tear you to pieces or worse. However, small islands of stability are found around the mountains. These can be traversed, but are not recommended."

"Why?"

"Again, recommendations from those I've had the opportunity to work near the borders with the Great Deserts. Huge concentrations of feral tribes of ponies and non-ponies. Bulls, for example. They're unlikely to leave travelers without their twisted attention. They've learned to survive out there. They move a lot on transport, built whole cults around it: they consider different types of transport as their totems, messengers of the gods patronizing them. And it is not surprising, because thanks to transportation they were able to survive and move through the desert. There are almost no civilized settlements there by Wasteland standards like there are in other parts of Equestria."

"Where do they get their fuel or energy sources from?"

"No idea. Maybe it's the very nature of the high magical instability. I haven't been there. I only know from some that their spirits and gods are those very weather anomalies and other quirks of the effects of high magical instability. Some tribes try to please these spirits and gods by offering sacrifices and prayers so that they will not anger them. It is not hard to guess that chaotic processes sometimes contribute to this, strengthening the faith. As is usually the case, coincidence is mistaken for the will of divine forces."

"What was this place before the war? As far as I know, it was home to the bulls, to whom the lands are sacred. And Equestria wanted to occupy these places because of the coal deposits."

"I don't know that much. I'm going to be a little biased due to the fact that the Zebras had their own perspective on what was going on, and I've lived with them for the last twenty-five years. When the conflict with the zebras came to a head after Princess Luna came to the throne, Equestria needed to build more transportation land routes, including railroads, and find even more natural resources. After all, the air routes were already completely clogged, and some of the pegasi had been sent to the front. There was a banal shortage of pulling pegasi, given that few wanted to be in harness at all. After a while, the Great Deserts were discovered to have small deposits of coal, the very coal that had caused the conflict. And gems and other minerals. So they unceremoniously began laying railroads there, completely destroying homes. The Zebras were aware of this and repeatedly tried to take over this area rich in natural resources. Therefore, the Zebra Empire pelted the area with powerful magical bombs during the megaspells exchandge to deprive Equestria of some of its resources—or at least access to them. This was most likely the cause of the high magical instability. I have no doubt that the ponies and bulls who survived in those places were aware of those deposits. There's almost no one to share them with now."

"Almost?"

"Well... some trade caravans have managed to connect, exchanging fuel and gems for various supplies they need or things they couldn't get in their sacred lands. Actually, it was through these traders and brokers that I was able to find out what was going on there in the first place."

"Did they try to explore the Desert Ocean and Tartarus in the pre-war world?"

"Of course. We had better luck with Tartarus. It doesn't have those crazy storms. There are weather anomalies, but they are weak compared to the Desert Ocean. The vast ocean is filled with magical storms and other impressive weather anomalies. The most powerful and destructive of all four places."

"And that hinders its exploration?"

"Yes, that's why it's hardly explored at all. Those small islands in it are actually on the edge of where it's still possible to return from. You can't see anything from a distance because of the thick white fog. The pre-war expeditions that went there never returned, and communication with them was cut off. Flying is also impossible: incessant storms, stronger wind currents, intense flashes and lightning strikes, violent tornadoes, and other magical things."

"There are theories and hypotheses to explain the appearance of Tartarus and the Desert Ocean instability zone?"

"Many. An obscene number. The most popular reason is the Crystal Empire. Allegedly there was a third continent there that disappeared as a result of the insane experiments of the Crystal Empire's inhabitants. The Zebras generally consider it on the level of evil and treacherous stars."

Curious... The Crystal Empire was associated with the griffons, as told by Lilac. It's mentioned in Equestria. And in zebra mythology, the Empire also appears.

"Do you believe that?" I ask.

"It's hard to say. I don't. There's too little evidence, but I don't deny that high magical instability couldn't have come about on its own. After all, the new zones of instability were created by bombing. In general, the Crystal Empire is being tied to everything, as if there's some universal explanation."

"Funny. Lilac had said something similar."

"And... why did you come back to Equestria?"

"I'm done with my research on the flora and fauna in the zebra lands. And I don't plan on going to Tartarus just yet. The creatures there have nothing to do with radiation anyway. So here I am back home: determined to visit the farthest corners of Equestria I haven't visited yet."

"And the stories from Hoofland didn't disturb you?"

"At the beginning of my journey, they did. There are no returns from there, so I didn't want to take any chances. But then I acquired the powerful things of the zebras and I wasn't afraid. For good reason: The Island and Mushu are exactly what I'm looking for. The effects of the Impelled Metamorphosis Potion."

"You know so much... Thank you for sharing. Loaded me up with new experiences."

Professor laughs and yawns.

"I always like to discuss something at length. Leading a debate. Though this time I was more like answering your questions. That's not fair. But... I'll get over it, I'm tired anyway. I'm gonna go to bed. Good night, Daniel."

I walk back to the bed where my pegasus is sleeping. I climb under the covers and cuddle her gently, snuggling up to her and willingly snuggling my face into her lovely chestnut mane.

***

"Still," Ferris says, not taking his eyes off his study of an Apostle in the armory, "why did you agree to this?"

I'm sitting at my workbench, repairing armor after fighting in the Rainbow Mine, which is how my backup PipBuck characterized the location of the gem-rich mine where we encountered the nearly unkillable overgrown-chameleon bone vampire. Motley, Blaze, and Caroline headed off to the Glass Key Casino while I check my gear, practicing my repair and magical lockpicking skills at the same time.

"No, I realize," the griffon continues, "that by taking that thing down, you've gained confidence in your abilities and the feeling that you can roll mountains if you so choose. But, as I told you, it's a dangerous thing to mess with an entire family, and the most powerful one in the city. Especially if the Mother figures out it's your doing."

"I've fought the Families once before," I say a little absent-mindedly, remembering the Mojave Wasteland, and with it Omerta and the Syndicate. "And imagining what that fight was like. I was dragged into that kaleidoscope of events quite by accident back then, but I handled it well, showing what I was willing to do. And what I can do."

"So, even if the Mother of Softhooves realizes that you did it, she will think three times before taking action against you. That way you'll make a statement that you're best not to be messed with over nothing."

"Yes. The Softhooves dream of gaining control of all the casinos in Vanhoover, and it's only a matter of time before they take over the Glass Key. The mother of the family is already rich: she gets a steady income from her casino and porn studio, and this way we'll only rob her of herself. I highly doubt that she will reveal the fact that she, the head of the richest family in the city, was robbed. Otherwise her reputation will plummet below the soil."

"You'll have to back up your words with more than just the robbery. What makes you so sure of yourself? Oh, and surviving the Crater, Northern Soul, and other places is impressive in itself, but..."

"I got shot in the head and buried in a grave."

"No way..."

"That's right. I could show my memories."

"Fucking egg... And you're still breathing and walking around. You're a real badass. If you can survive a situation like that, you're a dominant one. Maybe someday you'll take down both Silent Ghost and Prince... Oh. Then I'll give myself to you, because there's no point in resisting you. You'll fuck anyone anyway."

He chuckles. His feathered friend Edge makes a pecking noise that sounds like laughter.

"Can we not..."

"How's your research on Judge going?" I decide to change the subject.

"Not bad so far," he replies without taking his eyes off the case. "I've figured out the properties and characteristics of this wonderful rifle: strong and light metal alloys, increased rate of fire and accuracy, excellent recoil suppression, a large magazine and a spell that enchants the ammunition. Standard caliber for high-powered sniper rifles are used. They can be enchanted with one type for different effects. Listen to this. Bullets can do damage with incendiary or pulse damage. There's also a spell that increases the bullet's penetration by increasing its air streamlining, resulting in damage comparable to that of an anti-machine rifle shot, but with a higher rate of fire. And the cherry on the cake—the spell enchants the bullet for burst damage, though not as powerful as explosive rounds. This spell can only be cast on regular ammunition. The more complex the spell, the lower the rate of fire, because it takes time to cast the spell on ammunition. They are loaded when they hit the bolt. And like all Apostles, Judge is indestructible. All in all, a deadly weapon."

"Amazing..." That's an actual saving of expensive types of ammunition. "How can a weapon be so versatile?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out. Your Defender, as you know, has one type of spell permanently cast on it that increases the shot's heap and velocity, and thus both penetration and killing power. But I've never been able to find what these spells are 'tied' to, or what they are fueled by. Strange..." the griffon says thoughtfully, and then, looking at the disassembled rifle, exclaims indignantly. "No way!"

"What happened?" I worry, approaching his workbench where the rifle, a disassembled Apostle, lies. Its ordinary and high quality parts are familiar to me and there's nothing supernatural there... Except for a tiny faintly shimmering purple pebble. "What's that?"

"It turns out that because of this tiny little thing," he points a claw at the pebble, "the weapon is indestructible."

"And that's a problem?" I wonder.

"Yes!" he grimaces. "I assumed the cause would be magical enchanted stones."

"What are these then?" I smile incomprehensibly.

"I don't know."

"Meaning?"

"Literally!" Ferris growls in a frenzy. "I mean, think about it: how can such a tiny crystal serve as an inexhaustible fuel for an indestructibility spell and cast spells on bullets on top of that! At best, at its size, it can power an ordinary light bulb! I thought I'd find out what gemstone to use to create my own copies of such weapons."

"Don't be discouraged, continue to study its features. Maybe you'll get to the bottom of it."

"You are right. Nothing great comes without effort," he smiles wryly and continues on with his work while I return to mine. Later, he discovers an equally small—even smaller—crystal in my Defender as well.

***

In the evening Motley returns, kissing and hugging me as a greeting. She goes into the workshop with some kind of box and tells me not to peek.

Blaze sits pensively in the dining room, sipping a Sparkle Cola. I join him, grabbing myself a bottle of water.

"Could use a whiskey..."

I don't feel up to it.

Almost at the same moment Flow joins us, asking permission to sit next to us and saying that she'll listen to our conversation in silence, since she has nothing to do. Blaze and I nod in agreement.

"What's Motley excited about?" I wonder, sipping water from my glass.

"Go ask her, I don't know. Before she came back, she asked me to wait while she ran through the stores and got a few things."

"Yeah, by the way, how did it go? Did Bland agree to take you on the robbery?"

"Absolutely," the gray wingless pegasus says, taking a sip of Sparkle Cola. "He even informed me right away that it will be my job to pilot Venture after we load the treasure into it."

"Just going to be the driver?" I smile, taking another sip of water.

"I don't need to head straight here as soon as I'm loaded, but make a detour around the mountains and flit between them for a while in case I'm followed. Bland said Venture is by no means a quiet vehicle, so in case of difficulties I should try to drop my tail. Even if there isn't one, it's not worth the risk."

"What about Motley and Caroline?"

"No idea what their roles in this play will be."

"Hopefully Bland will clear things up," I finish the rest of my water. Blaze has already drained his bottle of Sparkle Cola.

"I'm curious, what did you see in my former commanding officer?" the gray stallion asks, peering into my eyes as if trying to burn me with his gaze. "I can understand what she saw in you—you have the kind of warm and friendly smile that would make an iceberg in the ice melt—but I didn't expect your feelings to be mutual."

"We share a common experience. We've both killed loved ones."

"What, your pony-" the stallion's eyes round at the terrible assumption.

"Under the influence of hallucinations. I didn't realize it was her. We were exploring the cave, inhaled the substances because of the mushrooms... When the effects wore off, I saw what I'd done."

Flow covers her mouth with her hoof in horror. Blaze is just as stunned.

"Oh shit... I sympathize with you," he says. "A similar situation, indeed. But you weren't conscious when you did it. You didn't know mushrooms cause hallucinations, did you?"

"But I should have seen it coming."

"You can't see it all coming, buddy. You can't foresee everything... Do you think Motley did the right thing?"

"I'm not excusing her, but I understand. She's had too much on her plate. And it's your own fault for following."

"Light convinced us to go after her before the higher officers noticed anything. It was only later that we found out what she'd done. If she'd come forward, confessed, cooperated with the investigation, she wouldn't have been executed. She'd have been isolated. If I were her, I wouldn't want to go to prison either, but... I still can't forgive her, because if she had agreed to turn herself in, I wouldn't be in the clutches of a pervert... Okay, enough with the sad stuff. Why don't we change the subject?" Blaze sighs.

"A game of cards?" I suggest, smiling. The pony cheers up immediately.

"I'm barely proficient, but I know the rules of some card games... thanks to Motley. She taught us back in the day."

"That's okay, practice won't hurt. We'll have some fun. Flow, come with us," I gesture for her to join us. She hesitantly moves closer.

"B-but... I don't know how," she lowers her eyes, sitting down next to me.

"I'm not forcing you, pinkie cake," I smile affectionately. "You can just watch. But it'll be more fun to play together! He, that gentlecolt, can't play very well either. And this way you'll pass the time and have a good experience!"

We sit up till late in the evening playing card games, with little Nara also coming to watch. Flow is having fun learning how to play cards, because she has to make choices and quick decisions. Blaze is happy to win, though he quickly realizes that I am giving in—unlike the pink earth pony.

Nara watches curiously, looking at everyone's cards, sometimes revealing who has what 'drawings'. We resent her, and the orange filly apologizes, shamefully hiding her eyes and lowering her head. We smile indulgently at her and rub her mane. Later, she even asks me to teach her how to flip and swap those carton picture cards according to the rules. I agree to teach her later, offering to watch for now: maybe she'll figure it out for herself.

Later, Motley shows up. She wants me to go somewhere with her. Flow remembers that she hadn't washed the dishes after supper and runs off to the kitchen.

Motley pulls me outside the bunker.

The beige pony doesn't say anything to me. We find ourselves on the surface, blown by a cool fall wind off the snow-capped mountains. It's a good thing we threw on warm clothes before we left Heavenly Harbor. The pegasus grabs me, takes off, and drags me somewhere to the east, flying between the rocks. She's barely holding back some violent emotion; it feels like she wants to show me something important and unimaginably cool.

Soon we find ourselves on the opposite side of the mountain range from the underground shelter; the pegasus lands on a small ledge, lowering me to the ground before sitting down beside me and telling me to look to the east.

"What's there to look at?" I ask interestedly, gazing off into the distance at the lifeless hills near the mountains.

The pegasus rustles and searches for something in her pockets. Abruptly and unexpectedly she rebukes me to keep my eyes forward, and then she stares straight ahead.

I hear a muffled thud from the hills: a yellow light shoots up from the ground and into the sky. It rises and explodes with a flash of light, making a loud and distinctive crackling sound. Many small colored lights scatter across the sky like drops.

Fireworks!

After the first shot—another, another, and another! The flashes brightly color the sky, creating a colorful light show.

It's been a long time since I've seen such beauty! It's mesmerizing and breathtaking... it's so beautiful.

Motley leans snugly against me, hugging my front leg tightly and resting his head on my shoulder, and gazes ahead. And not immediately I feel her hugging me with her wing.

I savor the spectacle. The last flash ends this extravaganza of colors quite solidly by making a louder sound. The multicolored lights cover a much larger area. I try to pick up my jaw—the amazement and delight is still reflected on my face.

This is simply fabulous and magical! I've only seen fireworks once, but it doesn't compare to this magical beauty I've just seen.

"Did you like it?" without changing position, the pony suddenly asks in the reigning silence.

"Yes..." I whisper slowly and enthusiastically, unable to move away from the experience. "Surprise... It's gorgeous!" I say fervently, looking into the eyes of the pegasus pressed against me.

The pony wraps her leg around mine even tighter. She unclenches her hug and timidly looks into my eyes before wrapping her legs around my neck.

"I'm so glad you liked it," she rubs her nose against mine, "I wanted to do something different for you."

"Hopefully our friends will also see it someday?" I ask. The pony looks into my eyes again, still wrapping her front legs around my neck. "Nara would be frightened at first, but would also look at it enthusiastically. Would have gotten unimaginable impressions of the beauty she saw."

"Well..." she averts her gaze. "Later, that's for sure, but for now, this gift is just for you." Her gaze returns to me. Beautiful eyes. Every time I look into them, I feel an unusually pleasant sense of lightness. A little ticklish. Joyful.

"Thank you! That was really beautiful," I say and kiss her.

Oh, crap, I've got to do something special like that.

"Admit you're an alien. That would be a total deal breaker."

If you fuck around, I'll break your ass.

***

28th of the Month of Heather, Violetday. Sixty-fifth day of my stay.

The twenty-six hours are spent preparing. All my time is spent mostly tweaking the robbery plan and practicing various spells.

It's that day. Lunch. I'm sitting at a gambling table in a dark blue outfit with white inserts. The dealer in front of me is shuffling cards. Nearby are several unfamiliar ponies who have joined the game and are pinning their hopes on winning a few hundred caps.

Around at the gaming tables and machines are many well-dressed ponies. They are hoping that luck will turn their way today. Nearby guards with guns at their sides, making it clear that they are vigilant in keeping order among the visitors. There is noise and clamor everywhere: dissatisfied, occasionally happy and just voices, the clatter of chips, the sound of slot machines. Unnoticeable to be here is easy.

The interior of the casino is made in soft red and beige colors, everything here looks elegant, clean and neat. Everywhere paints the symbol of the casino in the form of a crystal flower—lotus, and in the background plays a calm and peaceful melody. The Glass Key Casino is far from such elegance and number of visitors, but that's for now... Inside the Softhooves Casino building there is a pool and grounds where lovely young mares in satin dresses dance, entertaining visitors and catching their eyes with the beauty and fluidity of their movements.

They are no match for my beige pegasus.

One more batch and I'll go to another table. Or maybe I'll go to the minibar for a drink.

The earpiece in my ear makes itself known with the crackle of brief interference, behind which I recognize Bland's voice.

"It's time," he says evenly on the other end. The piss rushes through the pipes. "Head for your entry point without attracting attention."

I get up from my chair and move to my destination, taking my paltry winnings and exchanging them for caps to head for the elevators.

The elevator to the Mother of the Family's private vault is unguarded as it is rarely used. The only way to activate it is from the guard's room—in the case of a break-in from inside the vault itself—or with a special key card read by Eileen herself. I can't get through here alone.

"Angel?" I say, looking into the security camera and smiling. There's another crackle of static in my earpiece; it's followed by Motley's voice.

"Yes, yes, I can see you on the monitor," she replies, sighing doomfully when I use her call sign, which everyone but the pegasus herself accepted. "It's coming up, Caroline is about to complete the break-in."

Motley's job is to infiltrate the security area with a StealthBuck, knock out the guards with the Professor's sleeping gas, and connect the hacking modules to some terminals so that Caroline can remotely perform the break-in. This she is capable of after an upgrade courtesy of 'Berry' or Lemon Star. It is necessary to gain access to the elevator controls in Eileen's vault and the security camera computer console to disable the recording of all cameras here and downstairs and disable the turrets there as well. The guards in the security room are being checked, asking for status via radio after a certain amount of time—that's the time frame we have to fit in.

The dark orange stallion with a yellow mane and wearing a smart tuxedo came up to me.

"And you have the same outfit as last time," he smiles at me, standing beside me. "Couldn't get another one?"

"Two-horned," I turn to him, "I've had enough of one, you know. This is no time for small talk." The elevator doors open and we step inside, starting our way down.

"Wonderful casino," he smiles again. "Too bad there aren't any stallion dancers here."

"Can you be quiet?" I turn to him with concern. "One little mistake, and..."

"Don't hang your nose," Flame Heart stares tiredly at the ceiling. "I've pulled off a lot of dangerous operations like this with my brother. This one's a little more tricky, and it requires delicacy..."

"You think putting a hole in the wall is delicate?" I sarcasm. Damn, my nerves are fraying.

"There was no other option to get Eileen's riches out discreetly. We're lucky the sewer runs next to the vault."

"I know. I just... Can't keep my anxiety down either. A robbery, a major one at that, is a pretty risky endeavor. I'm not talking about the fact that the robbery itself is not to my liking."

"That's why I'm here! To help you control your emotions and assist you in breaking into the vault. After that, we'll take the booty and enjoy the result of our work."

We step out of the elevator into a lighted corridor whose walls are composed entirely of concrete. At the other end we can see an extension of the space with a huge steel door to a vault. Along the corridor, disabled turrets hang from the ceiling. The vault itself is made entirely of steel. Flame and I will need to hack and pry open these doors using our lockpicking skills. Caroline, controlling several construction drones, must take her time and make a hole in the wall of the corridor. As I pass one of the walls, I hear the distinct sounds of drilling. Thanks to the noise in the main halls, they can't know what's going on here. In case of any complications, Motley will notify us—she's our eyes and ears.

I've never seen this level of security in the post-war world. That shouldn't be surprising, given that the Softhooves have the best intel ponies in Vanhoover, providing the family with the intelligence and security they need.

About ten minutes pass behind the door cracking. Suddenly I notice something extra in the intricate mechanism.

"Flame, stop!" I say in horror as he is about to swing the vault doors open.

"What is it?" he stiffens, making no unnecessary movements and even holding his breath.

"I think there's an audible alarm in here."

"What makes you think that?" he puzzles. "Bland didn't mention any kind of alarm on the vault doors."

"Take a closer look. Over here," I beckon him, pointing to the internal components of the doors.

"I don't see any... Fuck!" His face pales. "How did I not realize at first... Well, it's a pain in the ass. We could try disabling the alarm itself, and the casino won't be alerted that the vault is open, but disabling it might be noticed by Eileen. She'd be surprised to see that her alarm doesn't signal that it's working. It's like the signal in your PipBuck... Right! She's got one. If you turn off the alarm, she'll definitely notice. We have to tell Flare."

I knew it couldn't go smoothly—but there is no turning back. Caroline has already made a hole in the wall where a pony can fit through freely. Flare is the only living pony next to Caroline's robots on the other side of the wall.

Damn... what a stench it is in here. The stench of sewer stench fills the hallway little by little. I remember my journey through the sewers of the Crater, where I'd been at Ferris's mercy in a shitpipe. The memory gives me chills all over my body.

Here stands a large wagon, obtained from outside, in the Wasteland. Caroline's robots will have to haul it to another exit of the sewers so it won't be immediately obvious that the booty was transported on a Vertibuck.

Flare and Flame discuss and argue heatedly, but come to an agreement: we will finish the job after all. We inform Motley to lock down the elevator leading here and let her scurry off to the rendezvous point. By the time Eileen notices the disabled alarm, gets here—she's at some meeting a few blocks away—and unlocks the elevator, we should have time to load the wagon, and later, Venture.

We disable the alarms, open the vault doors, and make our way inside. There are chests and bags everywhere, stuffed to the brim with caps, gems, precious metals, and other expensive stuff. Flame uses telekinesis to drag the boxes and chests into the wagon, grabbing whatever comes under his hoof, and I can't move.

"Yeah, yeah, see how many valuable magical pebbles that bitch has?" Flame says, breathing heavily. "Take it, don't be shy," he adds cheerfully.

That's not what surprises me. Among the usual chests and crates, there are some that are distinctive... Familiar. Of dark metal and with symbols painted on them that I've seen once before—on the power armor of Violet Ardor, who became the head of the raiders, and the power armor of Motley Cloud. The Enclave.

To say I'm shocked is an understatement. I don't notice Flame already hauling those crates into the wagon without much interest. He only comments that they're noticeably heavier, and grumbles that they're locked with fancy cloud locks.

What sort of shit have I stepped in again?

***

Flame and Flare are surprised by these crates, however I say we'll deal with it later. I don't want to hold them up and distract them. Let them focus on the transportation: every second counts.

We haul everything in the vault and load the booty onto a large wagon; the huge tower of crates has to be supported by magic.

We're already at the exit near Venture when Motley radios that Eileen Softhooves and her escort have suddenly appeared at the entrance, literally bursting into the casino.

We're still on time. We just have to load the crates into the Vertibuck and get out of here. Blaze is horrified to see the black boxes. I say again that we'll talk about this later; let him concentrate on piloting the transport, which is already overloaded: the speed will be noticeably slower, harder to control.

Before departing, the wagon is dragged off to another location in the maze of sewers, and Caroline destroys it. The rendezvous point is outside Vanhoover, but not in Heavenly Harbor so that Bland and the Heart brothers don't know where the stolen goods will be hidden. Motley and Bland are waiting for us there.

In addition to me, Motley, Flame, Flare, Bland, Blaze, and Caroline took part in the robbery. It turned out that we didn't need more ponies; the main thing was to get control of the security systems unnoticed. We had previously decided not to rob the entire casino, since, according to Bland, there were some pretty normal ponies and non-ponies working here. But what Eileen had was enough to last us for a long time. At a rough estimate, with all the caps, gems, and other valuables, we're rich to the tune of about four hundred thousand caps. She is incredibly rich... Was. The remaining smaller portion of her savings is in the family's bank accounts, as far as I know.

And then there are the Enclave's crates. The biggest mystery of the vault.

Motley and Blaze are shocked and frightened by the discovery. The crates are locked with an elaborate cloud lock. This is odd, considering only Eileen has access to the vault itself, why would she need locks that only pegasi can unlock?

Based on the markings on the crates—Motley and Blaze helped us figure them out—inside are energy-magic technology, ammunition, and power armor. In addition, one of the standard storage crates contained a rare stealth cloak. Steel Rangers head scribe Iron Willford needs it to complete his project.

The Enclave gear clearly does not belong to the Mother of Softhooves. It had been given to her for temporary safekeeping—but by whom? Could it be the Enclave itself? Motley and Blaze claim that the Enclave has never contacted the surface residents. They can't know everything, but still. I keep feeling like we've bitten off more than we can chew. Of the stolen goods, these are the locked black crates that Eileen will be looking for the most. I'm sure of it.

We may have messed up Softhooves' plans that somehow involve the Enclave.

A question pops into my mind, addressed to Professor a few days earlier: How can a robbery lead to a positive outcome?

I'll hide all the loot in my bunker until the turmoil settles down—we'll decide what to do with it later. But for now, the crates need to be broken into. The cloud locks can only be opened or picked by a pegasus, but Motley and Blaze have no lockpicking skills, so I don't know what to do with them yet. Gems are sources and reservoirs of magical energy, like batteries, they are used in almost everything and for different purposes, so their value and usefulness will always be undeniable. Also among the loot are other things that are expensive by the standards of this world.

Bland, Flame and Flare are heading back to Vanhoover—it's a few hours away. And with the rest of them, I return to Heavenly Harbor by Vertibuck, making a few circles among the mountains. It's a good thing my hiding place is somewhere in the mountains, and I can't find it without exact coordinates; I was just lucky enough to find it when I was walking nearby and saw the path. Eileen will not openly report the robbery, I think: it would tarnish her reputation. Besides, among the stolen goods was something important and secret, given to her for safekeeping.

What was the plan of Eileen Softhooves, the head of the most powerful and wealthy family in the city?

***

In the evening, I'm already sitting in my Glass Key Casino office. I'm flipping through documents. It's good that I have such an experienced and trusted assistant, who is fully aware of everything, when I myself am only superficially familiar with this area. All I know so far is what not to do to avoid making things worse.

Flame and Flare will work for us for essentially nothing—except for difficult tasks and dangerous assignments—and will keep order in the Glass Key Casino. They need a solid place where they can do their own business in the future. But now the brothers have decided to lay low and enjoy the results of the work. The plan of the robbery was made by Flare, Bland only provided the information he knew about the casino. He was surprised, too, however, to learn that Eileen had gone to the expense of installing sound alarms on the vault doors. He remembered clearly that before he had been fired at work, nothing like that had warned him about in case of critical situations.

A polite knock on the office door pulls me out of my thoughts.

"Come in," I say, looking at the door.

It opens and someone I wasn't expecting to see shows up in the doorway.

"Good day, Daniel," a snow-white unicorn in a tuxedo pronounces, entering the cabinet. "Took my advice. Not a bad business to take over," he smiles weakly, as if looking around but not focusing on anything. I struggle to deal with my emotions at the unexpected visit to my humble office by the father of all Vanhoover.

"Good day, Prince," I greet him, barely painting a smile on my face. "Have a seat," I offer, pointing to the couch in the corner.

"Thank you, however I won't be here long," he walks over to my desk and looks down at me. "I'll say this right off the bat. You know how to surprise. I'm not going to hide it. You've accomplished what only two ponies in the history of Vanhoover have been able to accomplish before you: getting a recommendation from the Family."

Оh. Does that mean... But which of the two Families championed me?

"Hooray!"

"From whom exactly?"

Prince smiles broadly.

"I've never seen anything like this before... Two Families wrote a recommendation on you at the same time."

My jaw drops.

"I had the same reaction," Prince says. "I didn't think such a thing was possible. You've done... amazing things. Been able to convince me of your trustworthiness and responsibility. Every family thinks only of themselves, and.... It's... I just don't have the words."

Two recommendations... Fuck my horn.

Prince continues to be surprised.

"The Crater, the Vertibucks, Green Island, and now a solution to the energy problem that's been keeping progress from moving forward, especially the Steelmane family. They're all about technology. Gem prices will drop. And yet, because of their ownership of the mine, the family is now almost richer than the Softhooves. They can now fully power all the alternative energy research and development. Mass-produce vertibucks and more."

At the mention of Softhooves, I suddenly remember that Eileen might have been up to something serious and big. I won't tell Prince, though: I must have already messed up her plans by robbing her and taking the crates of Enclave technology. I think she's really siding with them for her own personal goals or the Family's. I'll keep quiet for now. If she threatens me, I'll tell her I'll reveal her secret deal where she got the Enclave technology. I can blackmail her and maybe get her anything I want.

Sounds appealing.

The robbery had a positive outcome. I guess so. Anyway, with this blackmail, I can also convince her to get off me, my associates and the casino. And if she finds out that two Families have spoken up for me at once, one of which will soon become powerful and influential... She'll think twice before she turns against me.

Still, it is necessary to take action and notify Prince about the Enclave. I'm sure they'll poke their noses out and show up here sooner or later.

I pull a blank holotape out of my desk drawer and insert it into my spare PipBuck, recording all the information about the Enclave that my pegasus once gave me. The Steel Rangers had already gotten this information when I gave them the combat Vertibuck I'd gotten at the Northern Soul.

The visitor watches my actions with some surprise and interest. I hand the holotape to him.

"What's this?" he inquires, scrutinizing it in his telekinetic cloud of magic.

"This has information about the Enclave. And I feel a responsibility to the city."

The Prince's gaze settles on me. A look of surprise briefly appears in his eyes, followed by a look of appreciation on his face.

"You feel a responsibility to Vanhoover. That's what I want to hear from a King. Where did the information come from?"

"From a reliable source. I doubt anything has changed in a year in the Enclave. It seems to me they could show up at any minute, since they've been conducting mostly just reconnaissance operations—which suggests they're preparing for something big by analyzing information from the surface. I want the city to be ready for their arrival."

"You've done so much for the city... I don't even know what kind of task-check to give you. It all seems meaningless and pale against what you've already done."

"Why don't we skip the test?"

The smile fades from the Prince's face. I suspect that he actually already knows what he's going to assign me; it's like he's been planning it for a long time. That's the feeling. And for some reason, it's uneasy.

"Let's not break tradition. Normally my lieutenant and deputy Redstone handles this, but in this case, I've come to personally assign the new promising candidate this task. You have proven yourself to be responsible and reliable to the city. I suggest you go it alone this time because numbers won't solve anything here. At least you won't put your companions at risk. Your mission will be to investigate Stable 66."