Bridlewood Spectra Power Station Safe Zone, another room of the Command Trailer

I studied the new plans we had just been delivered in a mixture of confusion and alarm. As part of my duties to contain and help clean up the disaster, one of many things I had to advise on was the creation of an exclusion zone, in order to ensure people were safely out of the way of any radioactive fallout in the area. I kept examining the display, spotting something wasn't right with the map.

The exclusion zone that had been drawn made no sense whatsoever. The straight lines on the map should have more than made that one clear to me.

As I puzzled over it, Alphabittle entered to see me peering at this map. "What news, Argyle?" he asked. "What of the exclusion zone?"

"The exclusion zone," I said, "as set out on this map before us, makes no sense whatsoever. The area covered is only thirty square miles when I specifically requested one hundred, and furthermore the borders don't make any logical sense." I pointed to one part of the map. "See here, for instance. This area within the marked zone has not received any contaminants or fallout as of the current times." I moved my hoof to another part of the map, on the other side of the area. "But this area has seen Ironium-234 and Somnambulum-136 contamination, and yet is not part of the zone. This makes no sense at all." I slumped in frustration.

"The map has been produced in accordance with-" Alphabittle began.

"In accordance with what, exactly?" I demanded, interrupting the politician. "In accordance with the locations of trees? In accordance with the fact that Moonlight Hunter once took a dump there? In accordance with the position of the nearest supermarket?" I panted, barely having gotten started. "This map has been drawn solely for the purpose of political convenience, an arbitrary decision made by a pencil pusher who has no idea what they are doing. I have no clue how you manage to deal with people like this every day. If I had to, I'd find myself bashing my head against the wall constantly."

There was a pause before Alphabittle spoke. "There is often reason for them to downplay things like this. It allows them to more easily secure awards and bonuses. I will take it up with them over the phone and ask them- no, I will order them- to increase the size of the zone, and rework it in accordance with your data. They won't dare refuse a direct order from a high ranking official within the government."

I nodded. "Thank you," I said. "I have no idea what we would be doing without your support here."

"Just part of the job," Alphabittle sighed, before turning away. I thought he was about to go and make the call, but before he could set off the onboard systems informed us another pony had just entered the trailer behind us.

I turned around to see that General Rider had just entered. He had removed his gas mask, and looked uneasy at the situation. "Greetings, General," I said.

The General saluted in response. "Greetings, gentlecolts," he said. "I wish to discuss the cleanup operation with you. It concerns my own troops."

"By all means, speak your mind," Alphabittle said. "We are all friends here."

General Rider nodded. "At the present moment my troops are employed on the roof to be clearing graphite back into the core and minimise leaks. This operation appears to be working, but there is quite a serious problem we are having."

"And that is?" I asked, thinking I knew where this was going (and sincerely hoping it would not).

"Several of the soldiers have come down with Acute Spectra Syndrome, or ASS for short," the General replied. "They're being seen to in the sick bay, but they are in very poor health. Doctors tell me that the majority of them will not live to see tomorrow morning, and several more in better condition have been asking to be shot."

The normally stoic Alphabittle took a step back, shocked. "Faust preserve us," he muttered.

"This is having a severe effect on morale," the General continued. "Other soldiers are refusing to go onto the roof in numbers where discipline will not be effective. At the current rate of illnesses to deaths, we are losing more men than we can get onto the roof with each passing cleanup attempt. This method is unsustainable, gentlecolts, and I cannot in good faith go on risking the lives of my troops. If any of you can come up with a solution, let me know, as I am aware of the importance of this mission."

"Well, do you have an alternative?" I asked.

"Yes, actually," General Rider said, and pushed a button on the command table. The image scrolled over to a display showcasing a red, pony like robot with wheels and treads attached to the bottom of the legs. It had a number of different attachments fitted, including a dozer blade. I could see where the General's line of thinking was going.

"This," he said, "is Maximus. It's a robot developed by the CanterLogic corporation. I am reliably informed that it is fully capable of withstanding the high radiation levels on the roof of the reactor building, at least according to the assurances of their CEO, Phyllis Cloverleaf. This, I believe, presents our best chance for getting the roof cleared, as it is far better shielded than the robots we tried before. I am aware that this is an awkward about turn, but I honestly believe this could be our best shot."

"By all means," Alphabittle said, a smile on his face, clearly looking forward to seeing an idea that worked. "I shall go and negotiate the lease with her now. Argyle, you devise a plan for getting the robot onto the roof."

I nodded. It wasn't as if I had much choice in the matter.

Tunnels underneath Bridlewood Spectra Power Station Water Cooling Facility

The divers, by now, were making their way through the tunnel system hidden beneath the plant, roughly where the pump rooms had been before the disaster. The water was continuing to drip down through pipes and water feeds that were burst open and badly damaged. The water was pooling at their hooves as they made their way through, their geiger counters screeching at the top of their power readings as they made their way through.

The three of them were painfully aware that this was extremely dangerous, and that at any moment the roof might collapse and molten lava would plunge onto them and into the freezing, radiation packed water. But still, onwards they went into the tunnel system, diving onwards as they hunted for their final target.

Suddenly, the first one indicated with his hoof and grunted. Before them was a large wheel attached to a drainage pump, and below that a series of water silos that could safely drain the water away. This, it seemed, was what they were looking for, and they swam into position around it, ready to get to work at last.

The second of their number swung the wheel around with all their might, the rusty equipment squeaking as it turned and turned, gradually opening up the sluices. As they glanced about in the dark tunnels, their torches barely piercing the gloom, they could hear the sound of water rushing away and down into the bowels of the Earth itself.

The trio breathed a sigh of collective relief as they heard that sound. In that one act, there was no longer any risk from lava breaches. As overdramatic as this sentence may sound, three ponies had just gone and cancelled the apocalypse.

The Miners' Tunnel, a few miles away

There was a roar of laughter from the mining crew as Moonstone Mustang finished the joke. There's had been a hard shift, and the next crew had just gone down the tunnel to continue excavation into the area below the core.

He was just getting up to grab a drink when suddenly he was handed a piece of paper by a guard. He looked at it in confusion, before glancing over to the other miners.

"Apparently," he said, "they've done it."

"Done what, exactly?" asked another miner.

"Three divers have drained the water chamber underneath the reactor and have prevented the explosion. The very thing we were sent in to prevent with our tunnel shenanigans." He turned around. "Did we really do all of that for nothing?"

"On the contrary," Solar Blossom said, stepping in underground, "your work is still needed. We now plan to install a nitrogen plant down here that will gradually cool down the lava from the core, allowing us to slow the contents down. Your tunnels will be used to install it."

Moonstone Mustang seemed a little easier, but in truth he felt as though he had been lied to earlier.

Author's Note

Technical Terms
Acute Spectra Poisoning-A disease that results from excessive exposure to Spectra. Currently uncurable.