Fallout Equestria: Baltimare Heights

I had woken up early the following morning, my pipbuck was off and I had a blanket laid over me. It was the top cover of Xeyal's bed. Having just finished taking a shower, I came out of the bathroom with my mane wrapped up in the towel and Xeyal was sitting beside her bed, adjusting her security barding. She looked up at me and smiled. "Good morning, Shimmer."

I just blinked slowly, still waking up. The shower hadn't done much in the way of that. "Good morning to you too, Xeyal." I walked over to the window and poked my head between the curtains. The sun was just barely coming up and there was no fog in sight. Looking down still made me queasy though.

I sat down next to my bed and rubbed the towel into my mane before pulling it off. I tossed it flat over the back of the desk chair and started getting ready for the day. Deciding that the body armor was staying here, I had no need for it today. Xeyal looked at me as I put on my saddlebags. "What?" I asked her as I levitated a hairbrush from my bag and began fixing my mop of a mane.

"I would prefer you to wear your armor." She walked around the beds and pulled out a brush of her own. Putting it on one hoof, she lifted my tail with the other and started brushing it. While I didn't much care for anyone touching my tail, I wasn't going to stop her though. This feels so strange, but oddly satisfying. I was able to watch her in the mirror, sitting just behind me, working knots from my damp tail.

I found myself looking at the angles of her facial structure and the pattern of stripes she had. Unlike most zebras back in the stable, she kept her mane long and braided, ending in a ponytail. "I don't feel like wearing my barding. It's heavy and I wouldn't mind finding something new to wear."

She didn't look up, "Understandable, I will not ask again."

"You might consider taking yours off. You aren't a part of the security here, somepony might get the wrong idea." I could feel her pause with the brush in the base of my tail.

Finishing off one last full length stroke she put her brush on the dresser beside me. "You make a good point. I suppose I am being overly protective."

Setting my brush down, I used my magic to help take her saddlebags off so she could remove her armor. Once she was out of it, she put her bags back on. "I feel…"

"Aggressively beautiful?" I offered with the most dashing grin I could manage.

She stared at me for a short time before slowly starting again, "No… I was going to say "naked". I prefer having protection on."

I laughed, "That's what he said."

She didn't laugh, Instead she decidedly left the room, leaving me to hurry and catch the closing door with a hoof. Why am I so dumb sometimes? "Hey, wait up!"

Her long legs carried her so quickly when she put on this speedy strut. She didn't slow down leaving with no option other than a quick trot to catch up. "What's wrong?"

"You are." She answered keeping her eyes forward.

I was joking! Damnit… The two of us passed a mare who appeared to be intoxicated, she pressed her shoulder into the wall and stopped to gawk when she saw the big zebra walking straight at her. Once we passed she started talking to herself.

We reached the elevators and called one of them. While we waited, I loomed up at Xeyal, "I'm sorry."

"You have no reason to apologize."

That made my mind reel. Then why the hell are you acting so offended!"

There was a "ding!" and the doors opened. Thankfully we boarded an empty lift. Once the doors closed and we were off to the ground level. I was stuck sharing the most awkward silence the two of us have ever shared and I had no idea why.

The door opened and she waved a hoof for me to go first. I did so and she followed me out. "Well, uh… I started then my stomach growled. "Breakfast?"

"Sure, lead the way." She followed behind me, head held high as we walked over to the desk.

"Good morning!" a younger mare said as we approached.

"Morning, any place here got coffee?" I asked her. I would love something warm to sip on.

"Sure do, You'll want the Haystack. It's the restaurant on the left just before you hit the market." She told us and waved when we turned to leave.

Over my should I offered her my thanks while Xeyal remained quiet. The zebra just quietly followed me the whole way, and most the ponies out and about those early were focused on themselves or the ones they were with. No spotlight on us this time, thank Celestia. We entered the Haystacks to find that it had quite a few patrons present. It was a lively atmosphere as everyone talked, laughed and ate.

One of the signs near the door told us to take a seat and we'd be served soon. We did just that, Xeyal sat across the table from me. It was a small window seat in the front-most corner and we didn't wait long for a mare to approach us. She was white with a two-toned strawberry red and pink mane. Wearing an apron that matched she levitated a notepad. "Good morning! Here are some menus, and what would you two like to drink?"

At least someone here was cheerful.

Xeyal spoke up, "I would like a pot of hot water, please."

"I'll take a cup of coffee, please. Black." I added, crossing my hooves and leaning on the table.

The waitress shifted her weight to one hip, "I'll be back shortly." She did a little twirl and left us.

I looked at the laminated paper in front of me and skimmed the options. "A hundred and fifty caps for a pair of wheatcakes? Well, I guess that's what I'll be having."

Without looking up from her menu, "I imagine it will come with more than just the cakes."

Good point. I pushed my menu to one side and leaned back with a foreleg over the back of my chair. Xeyal put her menu to one side and reached into her saddlebag. Pulling out a little wooden box with a latch on it; she flipped it open and plucked a teabag from it before returning the box to her bag.

I was about to ask what kind it was when the waitress returned with a pair of cups and two coffee pots. One with hot water and the other filled with coffee. I didn't wait, as the waitress' magic dispersed; I took hold of the coffee pot and poured myself a cup. The waitress watched Xeyal open the top of the water pot, drop the teabag in before closing its lid on the string.

"Are you two ready to order?" She asked, readying her pencil over the paper pad.

"Yes, I would like number 7." I told her with a smile.

"That comes with a side, would you like today's soup or some hash browns? We also have two kinds of syrup, apple cobbler and honey grass." The waitress smiled kindly and looked back and forth.

I didn't give it much thought, "Hash browns and the apple cobbler syrup please."

She gave a curt nod and looked at Xeyal patiently. "I would like the number two. What is the soup of the day?"

I levitated my coffee cup and gently blew on it. The waitress answered swiftly while writing, "Today we have celery broth soup. It's better than it sounds. I like it."

"I would like a bowl as my side dish, thank you ma'am." Xeyal chimed in before she bit the string and gave it a tug. The string had a little knot that caught on the lid of the pot as the bag sank on its own.

The waitress stashed her notepad and picked up the menus before she left us with a friendly wave. I took a timid sip off my cup while Xeyal poured herself a cup of tea. I was still feeling stupid from my previous awkwardness so I chose to keep my dumb mouth shut.

Thankfully the coffee was drinkable, hot, but drinkable. "My tea is an herbal blend I prepared myself. I have been looking forward to this for a week now." Xeyal held her cup before her and took a drink. She gave a delighted little, "Mmm…"

I involuntarily smiled behind my cup just as I went to take a full drink. Seeing Xeyal without her armor, in such a relaxed setting, it felt surreal. She had always had a bit of an imposing presence, but seeing her down-dressed and simply enjoying tea made me realize just how far we’ve come from the mundane life we both had led back home. Now that I gave it the thought, this was the first time I’d ever seen her genuinely happy.

She noticed. Because of course she would notice me. How long have I been taking this drink? I took a big gulp and broke out into a coughing fit. Holding my breath as soon as it started, I quickly put my cup on the table before spilling it everywhere. My magic collapsed and I drew everyone's attention as I coughed out of control. Finally, as it began to subside and I was left trying to breath intermittently between softer coughs, I heard someone at another table ask, “Is she dying over there?”

Hearing that, I wish it were the case. Instead, between my coughs I made it a point to choke out, “Sorry… Wrong pipe… I…”

Xeyal just stared at me wide-eyed but when she heard my explanation she took a drink of her tea again. “It happens to us all, also. Here comes our food.” I looked over to see the mare levitating a pair of plates on her way toward us. When she arrived, she gave me a plate of wheat cakes topped with sliced strawberries and a syrup made of apples and a smaller bowl of hash browns with green beans and topped with a little tomato sauce.

Xeyal received hers, a bowl of soup, it was a thicker broth soup and I could see small chunks of peppers and herbs floating across the top. Beside that she received a fruit salad boasting a healthy amount of green leafy goodness with apples, pears, carrots. There were also a variety of nuts and seeds that brought it all together to be a beautifully built dish. “Thank you ma’am, tell the cook that this looks really good.” Xeyal told the waitress.

“I will pass that on. Enjoy your breakfasts!” She gave a little wave and spun away to visit another table that had just been seated.

The two of us dug in and sure enough, it was delicious. My cakes were deliciously filling and I was fairly happy with it and the potatoes and beans. Overall, I couldn’t find any reason to complain. “I’m surprised this is as good as it looked, how’s yours?” I asked her when I slowed my shoveling of sweet breakfast food to my face.

She was busy looking around the room, taking in the atmosphere of the old world's architecture and designs. The building had a variety of intricate stone carvings of plant life that decorated the pillars that held up the lower roof here. There were quite a few different flowers growing in planter boxes built into the stonework that helped to separate the benched dining booths. She looked back at me just and swallowed the bite she’d been working on. “I agree with you. The food is excellent. However, I do miss the elder chef back home.”

I wasn’t sure what to say, so I continued to eat and watch the ponies around the room having their own conversations. I could make out bits and pieces of nearby tables, but they were talking about other ponies and situations that didn’t have much substance to me and my mind wanted to just speculate about who Mr. Avenue was and what he would be like, but I didn’t see much point in worrying about any of that until we had a scheduled meeting.

Xeyal broke the silence, “Would you like to try some of my tea?”

I looked down at my empty coffee cup. I pushed the cup forward with the front of a hoof. “Sure, I’d love some. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a zebra tea blend.”

That earned me a smile as she filled my cup, “It is a sunflower green tea with a hint of little mint added to give it a more airy flavor.”

I levitated it before me. It had a nice gold tint to it; like a cup of liquid gold. “This’ll be delicious.”

Having finished and paid for our meals, the two of us went about checking the various shops to get a better idea of the prices. We discovered that ammo was available, but would only be purchasable through the Heights security. Any munitions bought would be added to our collection in the front checkpoint. Xeyal and I weren't surprised to see that summer dresses made before the war were substantially more expensive than the highest quality reinforced barding we had come across. We spent around three hours browsing shops looking for more casual clothing that was priced well above our budgets to little success.

We walked into another shop to find the walls and every surface in between was absolutely covered in weapons. One wall was nothing but bladed weapons while the other side had large guns. a massive six barreled machine gun sat as a centerpiece pointed right at us. The short but stockily built unicorn buck sat drinking a beer behind a counter that displayed all sorts of small guns. Some of which looked to be magical in nature.

The plump pink unicorn cocked an eye at us when we approached the desk, eyeballing the walls around us. "Just looking or are you gonna buy a thing?"

"Debatable," was all I told him before taking a step over to a case where a long flat blade caught my eye. "What's this cost?"

"That bastard sword'd be seven hundred and fifty caps. Nothin' special about it, it's a two-sided blade." He leaned into his chair as he tilted his beer back again, emptying it. He rolled forward onto all four and disappeared behind his counter.

"I'll pass for now, but I was wondering if you had anything with custom enchantments or knew which shop may have raw gems and crafting tools." I asked as kindly as I could.

He hadn't given it much thought. "That shits rare and expensive. I buy busted shooters and fix 'em. Ain't got time to go lookin' through other ponies wares. Now if you pair ain't browsing' to buy, I don't think I can help yah much."

Xeyal walked over and joined us, "I would like to make a purchase."

His ears swiveled toward her. "What was it?" He asked her immediately.

She tilted her head, "Over here," she said before turning and walking back to the other side of the shop. I followed along to see what it was.

She pointed a hoof into the case at a unique looking piece. A double ended blade with a uniquely ornate mouth grip in the middle. The hilt guards were made of silver and the mouth grip was bound in a very old looking piece of leather. Both of the long blades were double sided and had zebracan glyphical script written along the center. "How much for this blade?"

The shop owner walked around the case, opened it and very carefully levitated the blade and the cloth under it and placed it on the table. "Well, this was a piece I had brought in by some drug addict. I have no idea where he found it but it's incredibly sharp." He eyed the zebra as she inspected it closer. "It's one of the more unique blades I've ever seen, I can sell it to you for one thousand five hundred caps."

Xeyal nodded and went for her caps, but I stepped up to counter his proposed price. "Hold up, that's far too expensive. How about eight hundred caps?"

He raised an eyebrow, "How about two thousand caps or you can leave now without it."

I rolled my eyes, "Fine, twelve hundred and I'll drop three hundred on that 9mm machine gun behind you, the long barreled one to your right."

He turned and grabbed the gun off the wall. "This is a SM-9, it was a standard model produced by Ironshod Firearms near the start of the war. This one is modified for earth pony use, make it four hundred and you've got a deal."

"Fine," we made the exchange and promptly left him with sixteen hundred caps, Xeyal was looking very happy with the purchese. I was given the submachine gun while he wrapped the knife in its cloth and boxed it telling us he would have it delivered to security.

"What did the glyphs on that blade say?" I asked her.

"That is a zebra warriors spirit weapon. I want to learn more about it but will need to show it to the elders to learn more. From legends I have heard. It possesses the soul of the warrior who wielded it and will never dull or degrade." She came to a stop and looked down at me. "Those glyphs said "Glory of Battle" on one side, reversed and flipped, the other blade read as "The Soul of Might"."

With that she started walking again and I let her take the lead. "We should find a medicine shop, we need to make sure we're stocked up." I said as I watched ponies who stopped to watch the zebra trot along just ahead of me.

Xeyal seemed to be ignoring the zebras as she looked from shop to shop for one that might have what we needed. She looked down at me, "This way." She pivoted, turning and taking us in between the food stalls toward a shop on the far side of the floor.

When we arrived in front of a building with a sign that read PharmaSin, which was written across a sign that depicted a blood bag, I could only assume this place had medical supplies. Few ponies were inside as we entered. A white maned earth pony mare was sitting behind a desk near the entrance reading a book. She closed it and looked up at us, "What you want?" She asked us quite bluntly.

Xeyal kept the lead, "We require medical supplies, do you have healing potions and RadAway?"

"I have both of 'em. I also have practically every drug under the cloud. If you ain't got Rad-X and Med-X, I recommend them as a pinch save."

"Sure, can we get some of those too?" I asked her.

"Sure. One moment." The elderly mare got up and went to her back wall. She opened a few drawers and collected items into a bag.

All of the drawers were labeled and I started reading them. Day Tripper, Moondust, Jet, Addictol, Buffout, Rage, Hydra, Mentats, Steady, Ex-Cell, Steady, Turbo, Psycho, Fixer. "Do you have anything for curing poison?"

"That I do." She mumbled, grabbing us some four bottles from a bin labeled, "Anti-Tonic". She turned back to us and put the bag on the counter. "These will cure most poisons you may come across. All in all, this will cost you four hundred caps."

This time Xeyal covered the payment, and stowed the medicines in her saddlebags. "What else do we need?" Xeyal asked as we left the shop.

"Well, I'd still like to find something more suitable to wear before we start meeting important ponies." SHIT! I spoke too soon.

There in front of us stood Amethyst Smoke flanked by a couple security ponies. Today she actually wore a Light blue dress suit over a white blouse and a tie that matched her eyes. She approached us and stopped right before me. "Come with me. The council is waiting to hear your case."

Both Xeyal and I looked at one another then back at her, "lead the way." Amethyst turned and started walking away, the guards waited for us to follow and fell in behind us. We were led back to the elevators and once all five of us had boarded, Amethyst pressed a button and turned to face the two of us. "So you are aware, the Council consists of five ponies and all five have connections that span most of the Equestrian Wastelands' largest settlements. I've given them my opinions of you, Glimmer Stone, and they seemed particularly interested in questioning you themselves."

The elevator slowed to a stop and the doors opened to a small room where only two of the four elevators reached. Each side of the room had a row of chairs and the far wall had a pair of doors with a camera above it. Amethyst guided us to the doors and gave a quick knock before we proceeded. Both the guards followed us in and watched us intently but stayed at the door. Amethyst guided Xeyal and I to the center of the room before she turned to us. She held up a hoof and didn't speak.

There were three ponies seated behind three of the five individual desks that all faced the door in a semi-circular fashion. We stood before them while Amethyst went and filled the fourth desk, leaving just the center desk empty. Of course; it was also the biggest desk at that.

None of them spoke as Amethyst Smoke sat down. That bitch is one of the council members!

I looked at the other members. An older black stallion unicorn with a gray mane sat to the left of Amethyst, and on the opposite side of the empty desk were two more mares. One was light green with a light blue mane, the other was purple with a black and white mane. After a moment of no one speaking one of the other doors opened. Out came a unicorn who looked to be about my age, he was white with a gold mane. Having taken a seat at his desk, he pressed his hooves together and stared at me for far too long. An eerie feeling crept up my spine causing me to flick my tail out.

He smiled and put his hooves down as he leaned on his desk. "You are the Stable 109 ponies I have been told about. Looking to set a common grounds trade route, yes?"

My hair stood on end. His voice was sharp and seductive, but he emphasized syllables in a jarring way. It rolled off as pompous and self-entitled. When I finally answered him, I tried to sound confident in my role, "Yes, we are."

All eyes were now on us. "Then let us begin. Where is your stable located and what trade goods could you offer us?"

I looked up to see Xeyal stoic as ever, her eyes focused solely on him. So I returned my focus to him as well. "We're the remnants of the MAS hub scientists and our stable is located beneath it. We've only recently reclaimed the ministry tower as a part of our home but with it we have a lot to offer. We have food and medicine as well as a variety of facilities that will be repurposed for manufacturing useful materials. The issue is that we lack some key components and the tower is requiring a lot of sudden upkeep which can take time. The most pressing matter right now is that of the Steel Rangers, they noticed the tower shielding drop and paid us a visit. They want to claim it for themselves and that can not happen." It wasn't everything but hopefully these ponies were trustworthy.

All five of them shared glances. The mare on the far left raised her hoof and Mr. Avenue nodded to her. "Mrs. Olive Twist?"

She pushed up and stood with her forward hooves planted on her desk. "I want to preface this with a statement: I do not trust either of you. Now, as you have witnessed, we have a lot of ponies to care for and protect. In what ways would your community be capable of upsetting or disrupting the peace we hold dearly?"

Well then.

I mulled over her question, but it was Xeyal who spoke first. "We have enough well kept weapons to arm a formidable fighting force of well-fed and fit ponies in armor. Above this, the Ministry hub houses many experiments and dangerous magical artifacts that could serve potentially catastrophic results. We have a technological advantage over you and while it would be a bloodbath neither of us want or need. However, if the Steel Rangers take that tower from us, all that it holds very well could destroy Baltimare."

I chimed in as the council members wrote notes, "I believe that the leadership of my stable would like to have a relationship that is mutually beneficial. We've come here because we lack knowledge and friends in this world we have only just rediscovered." I had taken to looking at each one of them and the only one to have matched my gaze was that of Mr. Avenue.

Mrs. Twist started to say something when Mr. Avenue some over her. "I like you two. Sharper than most, and quick to the point. I do not envy the position you have found yourselves in. This part of the wasteland is particularly hazardous and our local Steel Ranger chapter is particularly strict. Being on their radar is never a good time." He looked over at the gray-maned buck. "Mr. Genes Dio, you were our liaison with them. What would Star Paladin Dancer possibly want from the Ministry of Arcane Science?"

He gave a burst of laughter. "Technology, of course! That mare wants nothing more than the technology it preserves." Taking a more serious tone, he looked at me. Once I'd met his eye he spoke again. "The real question is, what is the most dangerous thing you have there?"

A behemoth of a unicorn locked in stasis? My mind conjured an image of Stalwart and that experimental serum. Then I remembered the floor that had been entirely barricaded. "Honestly? I haven't got a clue. When the shields were up, it shut down several of the security protocols and some floors were made entirely inaccessible decades ago." Then I thought about it. "I do recall a single report mentioning a megaspell chamber, but it made no mention as to what the spell was."

That made ears prick and asshole tighten. Everyone except Xeyal and I were immediately put on edge. Mr. Twist hesitantly spoke, "Do you have this document?"

"I do." I sat down and navigated the menus of my pipbuck and asked, "Do you have a terminal I can transfer this to?"

Mr. Avenue stood and waved a hoof to me. "This way to my office." When he saw Xeyal start to follow me, he looked at her, "Ms. Stone only. Please wait here, ma'am."

Xeyal stopped, dipped her head in a bow and took a seat on the floor. I followed Avenue through to his office where he guided me to the computer on his desk. He set it up for a data transfer and I plugged my pipbuck in. Transferring a copy of the document that made mention of the Megaspell. "You see, I know a great deal about what the Ministry Mares had happening here in Baltimare," he started with a weavering voice. The file loaded and opened so I gave him the silence he'd need while reading the report. Once he had finished he looked back to me. "As I suspected. You see, during the war there had been a boom of industry here, spurred on by the war. I knew of the megaspell chambers here in Baltimare. I should have expected it to be in the MAS hub." He closed the report and turned off the screen. "Regardless of the spells that chamber can make. I can not let the Star Paladin claim that hub. Come on , let the council hear my argument."

He walked past me and opened the door. I walked back out first with him just a step behind and returned to the center floor where Xeyal still sat. Mr. Avenue took his place once again and cleared his throat. In a swave, smooth voice he spoke with the authority he held. "Ms. Stone speaks the truth. If the Steel Rangers plan to assault the MAS hub for control it is our duty to our city to protect the good folk of Stable 109."

The council sat quiet for a moment, then the mare to his left spoke for the first time. Her curly black and white mane bounced as she stood, hooves on desk. "If we are to trade with this new community, we should dispatch a caravan. One which offers security and hospitality. We will need to have an informant present who can take proper stock of their needs as well as our quickest courier for communications." The mare sat back down. "If we are to have a positive relationship, it is only right that one of us should meet with your leadership for further dealings."

"I offer my services." Amethyst Smoke said as she stood. "Mrs. Prise Opal, I believe I am the most qualified informant available and a member of this council. I will hoof pick a courier myself and we will require at least ten of our finest officers."

Mr. Avenue nodded. "It seems we are in agreement that the Stable 109 community needs our assistance. Hooves in favor of Mrs. Smoke's proposal." He put his own hoof up, as did each of the other ponies. "Good. We are in agreement. Tonight we will send an Envoy to the MAS hub. Ms. Stone, would you like to travel with them?"

I had been considering that… but… "No. I will be remaining here as a liaison for my Stable. If you need me to get any work done."

Mr. Avenue nodded. "Alright, we will come back to that. For now though," he looked to the other council members. "Any question?"

Amethyst stood once again, "Yes. While it is a short distance, were there any hazards along the way?"

Xeyal stepped forward, "We had an encounter along the way. A large stallion and his goons tried to hold us up. We killed him and made a run for it. There were many others there along with mounted guns in the windows above."

"They also had a rocket launcher!" My outburst surprised me as much as Xeyal who looked back at me with a wide-eyed expression. "What? It scared the shit outta me."

Amethyst levitated a pen. "Where were these bandits?"

"Uh…" I honestly had no clue. "Between here and there? The street had four lanes and some very wide sidewalks."

Xeyal just shook her head. Probably in disappointment. "They were in a hotel bed and breakfast called The Salted Bay. It was along OceanFront boulevard."

Wait, she actually paid attention to all that? Even when we were running from the ghouls and getting shot at?

Xeyal continued her explanation "We also found a store room in a small convenient store on Clover avenue that had a storage room filled with untouched canned goods. If you do stop to gather that supplies, I have the keys right here. Do not go into the managers' office." Afterwards, she dug into her bag and pulled out the keyring.

"How come?" Amethyst asked.

While Xeyal walked over and dropped the keys on her desk, I offered an answer. "Someone was brutalized in the office. No idea how it happened, but it can't be more than two months old. It was weird, they even put the keys back in the register."

That left the room quiet as Xeyal returned to standing beside me facing Mr. Avenue. From his left came a cough, drawing everyone's attention as Mrs. Opal stood up. "I do have a question for you two. What sort of supplies are needed? This way, we can have a cart ready by lunch."

Xeyal looked to me for an answer, so I thought about it. "Well, We're in need of gemstones, scrap metal and ponies who can teach them about the wasteland. Weapons and ammunition probably wouldn't be a bad idea either. We don't have very many options that can take down Steel Rangers easily."

She sat down and started writing again while Mr. Dio stood up. "What purpose did the Steel Rangers have? How many were present at the time of the attack?"

"We did not arrive in time to see how the conflict started, however, we killed two of them and disabled the third one's weapons. He left with a proclamation claiming the MAS hub as property of the Ministry of Wartime Technology."

"How long ago was that?" He asked.

"Maybe four or five days ago." I told him.

"Chances are likely that they have prepared a much stronger force and are making their way there. Sta Paladin Dance doesn't take losses like this very lightly." He sat and began to write.

"Any other questions?" I asked.

Mr. Avenue stood, We will send out our caravan before leaving and I haven't had any scout reports regarding Steel Rangers. That means we have time and hopefully they will be open to other options." He sat back down and crossed his hooves in front of him. "Now, I have a job for the two of you. I want you to make your way south of here, to the shipyard and check to see if any of those ships are in operational shape. If one is, take note and come back. You'll want to be careful not to fall into the water and be aware there are robots that patrol the warehouses. If you feel inclined to scavenge, you can keep whatever you find."

I nodded when Xeyal briefly looked my way. "Sounds good, may I ask why you need a ship?"

"It's so we can trade with other coastal settlements, at least that is our hope." Mr. Avenue answered. "This meeting is now over. You all know what needs to be done."

Amethyst Smoke joined me and Xeyal as we started back to the elevator. "Hey, Glimmer, is there anything else I need to know before going to your stable?"

The three of us left the room and waited for the elevator to arrive. "Yeah, some ghouls have kept the tower in pretty good shape, don't shoot them when you get there and knock on the doors. Major Starsail is the pony you want to speak to first. He's the ghouls leader and a part of our leadership council."

Hearing the ding of the elevator and the doors opening, the three of us stepped inside. "Floor eleven, please."

Footnote:
No Levels Gained