Bridlewood: the Cost of Lies

Exterior of Bridlewood Spectra Power Station

The fire engines rattled into the yard just outside the power station and came to a stop, their lights flashing and sirens blaring loudly. Rapid Shadow glanced over to the burning structure. Whereas he had been told it was a small fire, instead the structure was gushing massive amounts of acrid black smoke, and rubble dotted the area around them. The flames jumped in this eldritch manner, and the sky seemed off. He was pretty certain that the building wasn't supposed to give off this strange orange glow, but he did his duty as any good firefighter would.

"Everybody out!" he called, as they bailed out of their trucks. "Get the fire hoses and connect them to the hydrants! We need to get a continous stream of water onto that fire and put it out!"

The ponies on duty immediately went for the equipment racks next to the driver's cabin, and rolled back the shutters to reveal a multitude of equipment ready for use. The piping required for the hoses to work properly was removed, and the fireman carried them to the nearby hydrants to plug them in. Once connected, they then turned the handles.

"Sir?" Brisk Thunder called. "We've got a problem! There's no water pressure!"

"The pipes must have burst again!" Rapid Shadow replied. "We're going to have to pump water manually from the water tenders until this problem is sorted out. Back we go!"

As they disconnected the hoses, a water render rolled in. "Assault Company 2, Tender 4 is standing by."

"Get that high pressure hose focused on the fire and don't let up until I tell you!" Rapid Shadow commanded as they connected up the pipework to the water tender's water tank.

As they turned the handle and water began to obediantly surge out of the fire hose, one other firefighter asked a question over the radio. "Sir, can you taste metal in your mouth?"

Rapid Shadow swirled his tongue around in his mouth a bit. "Yes, I can. Something is very wrong with this fire."

"Shadow, we need you to send a team onto the roof to help fight the blaze. Company 3 just attempted it but were forced back by the smoke. We need more pumps and more appliances."

Rapid Shadow then indicated to another team. "Get your hoses onto the roof and help out with the blaze there!"

The team started to move forward, but then Brisk Thunder tripped on something that was lying on the ground, flew through the air, and crashed onto the ground in front of him with a thud. A sickening crack came from one of his forelimbs crashing into one of those strange blocks. As he tried to get up, he was obviously in pain. "Captain, I think I've broken one of my legs!"

"Understood!" Rapid Shadow replied. "You two, get him to the hospital for treatment. I'll take his place in the team and lead the others up to the roof."

The nearby stairway had collapsed, so the firefighters were forced to make their ascent of the roof via a series of walls and collapsed ladders, all of which stuck out at precarious angles. Add to this the fact that they were lugging heavy machinery up the building and it was all taking longer than hoped.

Added to that, Rapid Shadow began to feel oddly short of breath as he ascended the building. He'd never had this problem before, so what was causing it? He continued to suspect something was up when one of his fellows further down the line broke out in an explosive coughing fit more fitting for somepony who smoked most of their life rather than a trained firefighter. After difficult climbing, they finally reached the top.

The roof was like the very mouth of Tartarus itself, the prison of ancient legend. The smoke was so incredibly thick that moving forward would be a challenge. "Gas masks on!" somebody called.

"We can't see where to aim the water!" shouted another. "The smoke is obscuring our view of the situation!"

"Try to fight the fires closer to our position!" Rapid Shadow responded. "I'll try to get a firefighting plane called in to make a drop over the building!"

The hoses suddenly sprung into life, water surging out of them and striking the flames.

"Let's see how you like that, you son of a bitch!" Rapid Shadow snarled, the team continuing to spray water onto the burning wreckage.

He had no way of knowing it at the time, but this would be the last fire he would ever fight.

Home of Argyle Starshine

When you receive an order to join a Zoom call in the late hours of the night, it's rarely good news. This was the situation I found myself in when I was put into a call between Earth Pony and Unicorn authorities.

The King of the Unicorns, Stoneheart, was on the line, as were Moonlight Hunter and Dapper Gust, professional bootlickers if I ever saw any. Also on the call was a unicorn scientist called Solar Blossom, Alphabittle, another unicorn politician, and Princess Haven, acting on behalf of her father, the Pegasus Emperor.

"Thank you for joining at such a short hour," Stoneheart said, getting down to business immediately. "But there is something extremely important to discuss. Moonlight Hunter and Dapper Gust work for Bridlewood authorities, and I believe there is an incident involving radiation."

"Oh yes," Moonlight Hunter said, her voice grating and annoying. "Fire crews are already on scene containing it, and I'm informed by the plant staff that the reading for radiation is only 3.6 Starswirl. Not great, not terrible, they told me."

Alphabittle suddenly chimed in. "I believe that's about the same amount as a pony is exposed to during a hospital stay. Hardly anything to worry about."

"On the contrary, we need to be careful," Solar Blossom noted. "Just because they quoted one number does not mean it is the case."

3.6 Starswirl. There was something about that number that seemed very familiar. "Your Majesty, I have reason to believe that there is a problem of which you have not been made aware," I said.

"And you are?" Stoneheart asked.

"Argyle Starshine, sir," I replied. "I'm a spectra researcher. The number that has been quoted to you is 3.6 Starswirl, which is indeed not too bad on the face of it. However, this is also the maximum reading that most dosimeters in service today can give out, meaning that the actual radiation levels could be a lot higher."

"This is hardly the time for engaging in paranoid and alarmist hysteria," Alphabittle said suddenly.

"It's not alarmist hysteria if it's a fact!" I snapped back.

"STOP!" Stoneheart snapped. Based on the screens, everybody recoiled in surprise at the outburst, myself included. "Professor Starshine, control yourself. Take a moment to collect your thoughts, and then explain your concerns."

"We hardly need to bother, sir," Alphabittle said. "Surely the accident cannot be that severe with these readings."

"I want to hear what he has to say. Is that clearly understood?"

Alphabittle looked as though he had swallowed several lemons, but nodded his head. "Yes, your Majesty."

"Good. You may continue."

"Thank you, sir. I have seen images of the actual disaster site which shows several large blocks lying about on the ground. Their design is entirely consistent with a core component which can be found at the bottom of this particular reactor model, the CGMR. If my analysis is correct, then those blocks are graphite, which form the moderator for the CGMR reaction process."

"Could somebody please translate that for us? I don't speak scientist," Dapper Gust said, the first thing she had said the entire meeting.

"Could you send those images to me if you have them?" Solar Blossom said. "This is the first I've heard of these images."

"What is the significance of this?" Stoneheart asked.

"Well, sir, if the blocks are indeed graphite, there is virtually no chance that they are only giving out 3.6 Starswirl. The reading is, in all likelihood, a lot, lot higher than that considering the reactor core is full of radioactive material. We would only be able to get a better sense of what is happening if we were to get better readings."

"I think I can back up Professor Starshine's theory," Solar Blossom added. "I detected isotopes which can only come from a reactor core. This leads me to suspect that the core is exposed."

"Well, I think that about cleans that one up," Stoneheart said finally. "Tomorrow morning, a team shall be dispatched to the disaster zone to investigate what is happening. Professor Starshine, I want you on that team. Be prepared for pickup early tomorrow morning by helicopter."

"Yes sir."

"Alphabittle, you are to serve as political liason to the operation. Make sure all is within parameters and clean this mess up. If this gets out we're in a right mess."

Alphabittle seemed surprised, but outwardly made no complaint. I could, however, sense there was some bad blood between us.