Project: Chrysalis

6. Project Cure-All

The lobby of Lab 28 resounded with hysteria. Everypony was shaking, mumbling reassurances, trying to convince themselves the horrors just witnessed were but a dream or a hallucination. Fluttershy sat alone, curled up and pouring her eyes out, petrified by fear. Pinkie rocked back and forth in fetal position, weakly uttering "Giggle at the Ghosties" as she shivered uncontrollably. Rainbow Dash and Rarity huddled together, seeking solace in each other's embrace. Applejack hid her fear under her hat, but was mortified just the same. Several white-clad doctors lay on the floor, holding their temples with their hooves.

Twilight Sparkle was speechless. Standing over the dead body of the first pony they noticed, her mind rushed a mile a minute trying to piece together what had just happened. Frozen in terror, she found herself unable to move. Dr. Antlion was in very much the same state, next to the lavender unicorn. But something finally grabbed his attention enough to make a move.

The severed leg.

He walked slowly to it, unsure if the limb were still alive, or perhaps even animate, developing into a separate creature like some alien. That however did not happen. The black talon was still and dead. Its anatomy was strikingly similar to the specimen's he had back at his home. There were even those odd holes in the metacarpal region. A clear, white bone stuck out from the point of removal.

Meanwhile Celestia stood with Vixen, both emotionally better off than the rest. Things were quickly beginning to deteriorate, Celestia thought. The beast had confirmed her suspicions, and now the alicorn had exposed the six Elements of Harmony to an unnatural danger.

Chairpony Vixen, on the other hoof, was concerned more about being fired than the safety. In her briny ocean of arrogance, the suited old mare firmly believed whatever had just attack could be contained. Backup would be brought in, and confidentiality agreements would be signed. A few minor hiccups. Nothing more.

She proceeded to the door and inputted a code...or she would have if the interface weren't destroyed. Sparks flew from the cracked and hopelessly inoperative panel. The door mechanisms were damaged too. She called to Celestia.

"Princess, please break down the door."

Albeit glaring at the pony, Celestia did as she asked, and blasted her magnificent beam of magic at the door. The metals grew red hot, causing the solar princess to smile. The smile quickly faded when the blast ended and the door was unfazed. "Chairpony, why can't I break the door?"

"I...I don't know...try again."

Again she fired the magical stream, and again the metal behemoth of a door glowed a dim red. And again, nothing happened. The Princess had unleashed as much energy as she could, and was growing weaker.

"W...why won't it work? What did you make these doors out of?"

Vixen's eyes widened as she recalled the materials ordered for the lab's construction. "High-quality alloys. Proven to be heat resistance, have immense tensile strength, and be virtually indestructible. It would require industrial equipment to break one down."

"So even I, as powerful as I am, cannot breach these walls? Does this mean we are...trapped within this compound?" Celestia tried her best to be quiet, but her words met the ears of another white pony.

"TRAPPED!! Nononononono!! That can't be! Please! Please Princess! Tell me we aren't trapped!" Rarity was groveling at the alicorn's feet, still trembling. The Princess couldn't find an appropriate response. Rarity looked up with absolute desperation in her eyes. "So that's that. We're trapped in the lab, waiting to be eaten by WHATEVER THE FUCK THAT WAS!!"

If there was ever a time when somepony could tell when a heart broke by their countenance, Celestia was certain it was then. Her own chest pained at the gravity of the situation. Defeat overtook everypony as they gathered, waiting to be devoured by a nameless monster.

The six best friends dropped what grieving they were doing and huddled into a circle, bittersweet smiles meekly forming on their faces. A sort of farewell that meant more than mere words could express. Twilight though sought to break the moment and turned to the Princess. She wasn't quite sure what to think of her mentor; all six of them were disillusioned.

"Princess, w...what was that? And what do you have to do with it? There's no reason to lie; it will come back soon enough." Her melancholic tone was an alleviation of the paralyzing fear felt just moments ago.

Celestia hesitated to answer. What could be salvaged? Were they truly trapped? Was there a way out? Security needed to remain. But she was backed into a corner. Perhaps fragments could be revealed, and hopefully, that would suffice. She cursed her irresponsible rationale, but it was necessary. Now the question remained, would the ever-inquisitive Twilight be satisfied with weak, incomplete answers, trusting the Princess?

The alicorn finally opened her mouth, but was interrupted by a distant Dr. Antlion. "It's a changeling, isn't it? The similarities are undeniable."

"...Yes." Celestia admitted. "A changeling."

The doctor continued. "But not just any changeling; no this one seems special. Princess, what is it exactly? We all saw the hive. All the changelings in that population are dead, save for that one. What did you do to them?"

"I assured you doctor...we did nothing to exterminated the changelings. However they met their demise is as of yet unclear."

Chairpony Vixen chimed in. "That's right! We recovered a specimen, but have not yet conducted any test"

"Another question I have: this originally seemed far-fetched, but the plausibility has increased. Creatures in nature do not possess both exo and endo skeletons, and that thing's shell is made of keratin. I'm completely open to the idea of a biological uniquity, but the dots line up rather well here."

Now it was Twilights turn to join in. "He makes a valid point; the Lab, its proximity to the hive, the unique nature of the Changelings. What does this lab do? And I want the truth."

"Yeah! I ain't much for all this technical stuff, but it don't take a genius to figure out something's amiss." Applejack stood up and adjusted her hat.

"My little ponies...I think there is something you should see." Everypony in the room got up and followed the Princess as she began to move towards a door, heretofore locked. She pressed a button and the metal door opened, revealed a blue-lit room of tanks filled with water and...something else. "THIS is the purpose of Lab 28."

They all looked around, investigating the machines and computers. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy flew up and eyed the displays. Rarity inspected one tank very closely, and flinched when she realized what she was staring at. Everypony else subsequently grew shocked, except the scientists.

The tanks were filled with small pony-shaped objects bearing eerie black dots, oddly similar to eyes. Small protrusions jutted from the main body, and seemed to be randomly placed. Each was grotesque in its own way, and appeared like a surrealist art piece. But these weren't sculptures; they looked like diminutive ponies, almost like...

Each tank was labeled with numbers, but one in particular stood out. Marked "428", the object was warped and twisted, scarcely resembling the others. Metal fixtures plague its form, resembling a macabre cyborg from a science-fiction story. Upon closer inspection, the implants looked like some kind of life support.

Twilight turned her attention from the tanks, thoroughly creeped out. Her voice trembling, she addressed Celestia. "Princess, what is all this? What are the things inside these tanks?"

"I'll answer that." Vixen interjected. "This is Project cure-All, an ongoing endeavor to discover ways of curing diseases like cancer and congenital disorders, regenerating limbs, and just helping ponykind."

"Why is it so...clandestine?"

"The public hasn't been so receptive of it in the past, but the Princess has always been a big supporter."

Rainbow Dash read aloud an entry on a screen. “‘Subject #428 Diagnosed with following problems: cardiac arrest, cerebral hemorrhaging, advanced hypertensive trauma, and incomplete separation of abdominal cavity.' What the hell? Twi, I...I think these things are...alive."

Twilight was holding her chin, thinking. "Is there anymore?"

"Yeah."

"Read it."

“‘Subject however has proven most receptive of serum batch 3.21. Synthesis levels approached 65% of projected transformation threshold.' Twilight, are they trying to...mutate these...whatever they are?"

Twilight merely looked up at Celestia, her face demanding an answer. "Um...you see...these are..." She had to think fast. Anymore lies would be welcome. "These are Caballiuli."

"Caba...what?" Applejack asked.

"A Caballiulus is a small, magically spawned...puppet if you will." Twilight began to explain. "Back in ancient times they were created to play pranks or even kill ponies. You can charm one to temporarily give it a soul. But...I thought they were a great taboo. Princess?"

"Please see the bigger picture. The scientists here have been trying to bring one to life."

A doctor caught on to the lie. "Oh...yes! Imagine, Ms. Twilight, if we could...transform these...Caballiuli into real ponies, think of the applications. We could cure all diseases and make a world without weakness!"

Antlion spoke up, eyes fixed on #428 "You know, I've seen quite a few films that deal with a similar concept. Doesn't normally turn out well. Am I to assume that the Changelings were rogue fruits of Project Cure-All? 'Cause that was it seems like to me? You all created them, didn't you? And they escaped."

The scientist rubbed the back of his head, stumbling over his words. "Well...um..."

"Yes." Celestia projected. "And this is a very unflattering truth. Please, forgive me everypony. Their secrecy was necessary to prevent widespread panic."

Twilight was stunned. The Changelings were...created? But...why would Celestia ever be involved with something like that? "No. You're kidding Princess. Tell me you're kidding! Tell me!"

The diarch shook her head, her face heavy with guilt. "I'm sorry. It is true."

"They attacked Canterlot...because of you...and they killed those ponies...because..."

"Don't say it." Celestia's eyes began dripping tears. "We tried so very hard to stop them. None of this was ever my intention..."

"And now..." Twilight began

"...We're trapped." Rarity finished.

"Food for..." Pinkie's flat mane visibly screamed her sorrow.

Fluttershy hung her head low.

Antlion wasn't done. "So you tried to stop them? You provoked the Queen. It's the Queen that's out there, right?"

"Yes."

"And you pissed her off..."

The scientist was quick to debate. "We have not! IT is a mindless, merciless monster that exists only to kill! It needs no reason, but to watch you die!"

"Wait a second!" Applejack shouted. "If y’all made one? Why couldn't ya make another? Not that that's a bad thing."

Vixen replied. "Because the original mind behind the project, Dr. Sableheart, was killed by the base Changeling almost twenty years ago. It also managed to kill its caretaker, Dr. Felthoof. It then escaped and likely founded the swarm."

"Twenty years ago...so you've been trying to replicate it the whole time? Twilight reasoned.

"Yes."

"I'd like to believe that, Chairpony." Antlion began. "But the Changeling Queen wasn't a vessel for research...it's obviously meant for another purpose. Its shapeshifting abilities, strong armor, speed, regenerative capabilities...this Dr. Sableheart didn't animate a Caballiulus to find a cure for cancer...he made a weapon."

At that moment, everypony glared at Vixen and the Princess, shouting unintelligibly. "Now Dr. Sableheart's research was his intellectual property―"

"Property?! He made a monster and let it loose!" Shouted Rainbow Dash

"And now it's mad!" Pinkie Pie got fire in her eyes.

"Dammit you completely ignored bioethics!" Antlion yelled.

"It was a necessary component of foreign policy. We just lost control..." Celestia justified

"Control? You never had control!" Twilight summoned the audacity to speak out against her teacher.

"EVERYPONY QUIET!!" Applejack screamed. "Now we're not here to debate right and wrong. I've got apples to buck. Now Doc, ready your gun. And everypony get whatever y’all can scrounge. This thing ain't immortal, nor is it bulletproof."

The tattered guard, still traumatized from the death of his partner, objected. "But...we tried to shoot it...it didn't work."

"What caliber were y’all usin'?"

".22"

"That's far too small. Her carapace is too thick." Antlion knew high caliber weapons would come in handy.

"I'll stick with this shotgun, if'n it's alright."

"Go for it."

"Thanks. Now Chairpony, y’all got any other exits around here?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. On the wall is a map."

Applejack cantered towards a map encased in a glass box. She bucked it, and Twilight levitated the paper out. It was placed on a table.

"Looks like there's one not far from here. Come on everypony!" The lavender mare and all the others had a renewed sense of hope.

"And if anything moves, shoot it." Applejack pumped the shotgun.

The group headed out, Twilight levitating an emergency axe, Rarity with a crowbar, Rainbow Dash clutching a metal pipe, and Fluttershy grabbing some first-aid supplies laying around the lab room. Twilight gave Celestia a mean look before rushing to the front with Applejack.

Vixen opened a door and the group went into the dimly lit hall, eyes constantly watching the surroundings. Anything moves...shoot it.

The Last Changeling, hideously deformed, clung to the pipes on the ceiling. These were her halls now. The invaders would come, unaware of what hid in the shadows. She would bide her time, watching and waiting. Let them remain in suspense, feeding only when her physique dictated. Maximize the fear. The Queen needed energy...power. The ponies were but pawns in her final plan. The real prize would come in time.

Her shell flaked, and small wounds opened up. “So soon?” She thought. She could wait a bit longer. Always threes steps ahead...she knew where they were in HER halls. The darkness was her ally. She could creep anywhere. Change the board to suit her. They were going exactly where she wanted them to. Exactly.

Soon, all would be done...and she could fade away...end her pain...her regret.