It wasn’t long before Ynez slowed the ship down. Out the front window of the freighter, she and Mam could see that they were a ways away from the edge of an asteroid field.

The system scanned across the area in front of them, and soon beeped an affirmative that Andro-48 had been identified some ways into the field.

"He didn’t mention anything about an asteroid field,” noted Mam. “Maybe he just expected us to pull in close to the landing area, and get knocked apart by another one of these things?”

“I highly doubt that was his plan,” said Ynez. “He seemed unable to think as the others can.”

“I suppose,” said Mam, as she headed back into the freighter, with Ynez following behind her. A ways down from the cryochambers were several escape pods. Pressing the button on one, the chamber door hissed open.

The pod was the size of a coffin, and Mam’s added size made it incredibly cramped, but she wasn’t going to let a minor case of claustrophobia stop her.

Ynez closed the top over her, and there was a sealing hiss as the pod was readied.

“I got your ship linked to my communicator,” Mam said through the glass front. “I’ll keep in contact. If I go silent for at least four hours, you know what to do.”

Ynez flashed her a thumbs up, and headed over to the release controls.

There was a sudden lurch as the ship expelled the pod out into space. Mam pressed a button, and saw a light that confirmed the cloaking shield had been activated, rendering the pod invisible.

Near each of her hands, she grasped a control shaft, and carefully began maneuvering her way towards Andro-48. Soon, Mam was forced to slow down her journey, as she was almost hit by floating debris, and other asteroids in the field.

Be patient, she thought to herself. Won’t do Plenn much good if you kill yourself this way.

It was at least 30 minutes, before Mam began hovering along the upper areas of Andro-48, and finally saw what she was looking for. The structure on the asteroid looked almost like a metal box from her vantage point, and she found herself hovering closer, slowly moving to handle the mild rotation of the asteroid.

Rather than land by the metal structure, Mam located an area at least a few miles away, and set her sights on it. The area seemed isolated enough, and Mam couldn’t see anything from scans that indicated vehicles or signs of life were active in the area.

The pod touched down with a slight whump, as Mam placed an oxygen mask over her muzzle, detached the opening door, and stepped out.

“I’ve landed,” she radioed to Ynez, before surveying the landscape.

The surface was incredibly drab and grey, making the stars overhead seem brighter than usual.

Carefully, she began to take short leaps across the landscape. When she saw the glint of metal, she stopped leaping, and began to slowly tread towards the structure.

Never know if there might be boobytraps, she thought.

Seeking cover from one large rock structure to another, she got closer and closer, until she was within thirty feet of her target.

The structure truly seemed to be nothing more than a metal box, which could have housed about a dozen of her ranger craft. Several antenna jutted out from one corner, while blinking lights could be seen in various areas. There even appeared to be a large entry door, that Mam guessed was where Eoniah had entered with Plenn several days before.

She couldn’t see any scanning devices, but Mam was pretty sure that there had to be security measures in place. An isolated building like this, whomever had constructed it, would surely be taking precautions.

Stealthily, she completed a circular scan of the structure, and it confirmed her suspicions: the only way in was through the large door.

Some sort of diversion would need to be created, but one that would get the door open long enough for her to get in without being seen.

It was then that she contact Ynez.

“Hey,” she said, “Home in on my location. I need a distraction nearby. Is there anything on the freighter that might cause a big enough commotion to make them open up down here?”

“This ship wasn’t really made to fight,” replied Ynez, “I don’t think it has the proper bite.”

Mam was quiet for a bit, as she tried to take stock of what the ship had. It was several minutes before she had a thought.

“Ynez, the escape pods, is there a way that you can control them from your cockpit?"

Twenty minutes later, Mam looked to the stars, and saw a flash of light, and heard a growing roar.

Hunkering down behind her hiding place, she felt the ground shake as an escape pod struck a few miles beyond the structure!

Peering out from behind her rock, she kept her eyes on the door. She waited, and waited, and waited, and waited. Just when it looked like her plan had been for nought, a light above the door started to flash orange, and the entryway opened up!

Out of it trundled a hover truck, that headed straight for the point of impact.

Mam then began her careful following of the vehicle, doing her best to stay hidden by numerous rocks and craters on the surface.

Going by foot was slower than expected, and by the time she had found the impact crater of the capsule, the truck was already parked near its edge, and a figure in a white space suit and air mask, was already in the crater, studying the wreckage.

As she observed the truck, she noted its windows were heavily-tinted. She knew she had to get into the bunker, but almost every option she could think of would lead to her presence being exposed eventually. Out of all the choices, she decided to go with one that would at least get her through the door undetected.

Drawing her pistol, she carefully made her way down into the crater, where the driver was observing what was left. It appeared he was communicating with somepony, but she couldn’t hear what that side of the conversation was about.

“No, it doesn’t look like anypony was in it,” said the figure, the nasally voice identifying him as a young stallion, “Could somepony have been vaporized on impact? Well, how would I know? I’ve never seen something like this before!”

As Mam snuck closer to him, she could see the blinking of the radio transmitter on his suit’s belt, and a transmitter piece in his left ear, which was allowing him to speak and listen to whomever he was conversing with. She was now so close to the figure, that she could very well kill him…but she knew she needed him. Carefully, she reached out towards the activation switch for the transmitter.

“I understand it’s almost time,” said the stallion, “but I fail to see how an impact like this c-hello? Sir?”

As he reached down, his eyes found a pistol aimed up at him, and he backed away, falling over the remains of the pod! From his appearance, Mam could see he was a brown stallion with a shock of orange-brown hair that flopped over his forehead.

“Stay where you are,” said Mam, walking over to him. “It’s your lucky day. I need somepony like you.”

“W-where did you come from?” he asked. “Were you in this-“

“I don’t have time for stupid questions,” she said, “I’m going to ask you one very important question, and it’s answer is going to depend on what happens to you next: can you get me to Prince Plenn Te?”

Those words made the stallion’s brown eyes go wide.

“H-how do you know-“

“Answer, the question!” demanded Mam.

Y-y-yeah, I can get you to him, just please don’t hurt me!”

“Get up,” said Mam. "We’re going to use your truck to get in. You alert anypony as to my presence, you’re not going to see your family ever again.”

“E-even my Mom-“

“Especially your Mom! Now come on, get back into the truck, mister…?"

“Nutobh,” he whimpered. "Nutobh Sam. And you-“

“Stop asking stupid questions and get in the truck, Nutobh!”

“Right,” he said, scrambling up the side of the crater, with Mam close behind.

When he opened the truck door, she saw something on the passenger seat, a device with a glowing screen.

“What’s that?” she asked.

“Just my Gamepony,” he said. “Gets boring here-HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?”

By this time, Mam had picked it up and was examining it.

“This better not be recording us-“

“IT’S JUST A GAMEPONY!” he whined, “GIVE IT BACK, I’M ALMOST FINISHED WITH THAT GAME!!”

“Stop whining like a baby,” huffed Mam, “I’ll give this back once you get me to the prince.”

Nutobh just scrunched up his face as he slid over to the drivers side, and Mam squeezed in. Like most vehicles, this one wasn’t built for her figure, but still she kept her pistol trained on the stallion.

“Now, take me to Plenn,” she ordered.

The stallion obeyed. The vehicle shuddered to life, and headed back.

“You can turn the transmitter back on,” she said. “Tell them you had technical difficulties. And remember, any funny stuff, and you know what’s in store for you.”

“J-just don’t mess with my Gamepony,” he warned in a shaky voice.

“Sweet Celestia, are you a whiner,” she huffed. “I bet you don’t even have a somepony.”

“Hey, at least my Mom likes me,” he huffed back.

“She has to like you…she’s your Mom.”

Nutobh just shot Mam a stink-eyed look, and turned the transmitter back on.

“-me in,” came a voice. “Nutobh, do you copy?”

“Still, here,” said the timid stallion, trying to watch the terrain, while eyeing Mam’s weapon.

“What happened? Why’d you go silent?”

“I…I thought I heard something. I tried to run up the crater, but fell and damaged the transmitter. G-got it working again, and I’m coming back in.”

“I’m sure the doctor would have wanted something from the wreckage site.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry, m-maybe I can get a weapon and come back-“

“No way I’m trusting you with a weapon, kid,” the voice snapped. “I swear, I give you one, you’ll shoot yourself in the hoof in three seconds.”

“I would not!”

“Look, just shut up and get back here. The doctor wants you to administer another dosage. Make you work for that internship.”

“Fine. Over and out.”

As he turned his transmitter to silent, he saw Mam chuckling.

“What’s so funny?” he asked.

“…you’re an intern?” she smiled.

“Yeah, what of it?

“Oh look, we’re almost there.”

As the truck hovered up to the door, it opened up, and Nutobh drove inside.

Mam scanned the interior for security cameras, but couldn’t make out any through tinted glass.

She was preparing herself for when Nutobh would park the vehicle, but instead, he maneuvered it towards some doors, that Mam recalled Eoniah mentioning.

They parted down the middle and Mam was surprised to realize that the doors were for a lift! The vehicle hovered into the small space, the doors closed, and the room shuddered as it began to descend!

“How far down does this go?” asked Mam.

“Quite a ways,” replied Nutobh.

“Will we be expecting any company at the bottom? A large army of some sort?”

At this, Nutobh burst out laughing.

“What’s so funny?” asked Mam.

“Yeah, right. No way the doctor can afford an army. Besides, if he could, do you think I’d be just an intern?”

“Probably,” Mam said under her breath, before she continued speaking. “So, this doctor, does he have like, yellow hair and green skin?”

“No,” said the kid, eyeing her directness, “that sounds like his assistant, Namuras. How do you know what he-“

“I ask the questions, not you,” she said, waving his Gamepony in the air.

“You know, you could just give it to me now,” he said, “I just want to make sure my progress is saved-“

“You’ll get it back when I’m ready to give it to you,” she said firmly.

Suddenly, there was a shudder, and a set of doors parted, revealing a long corridor of metal panels and doors, cut into the asteroids inner rock work.

“What is this place?” asked Mam, as flickering lights illuminated the long corridor the truck began to hover down.

“The doctor’s big project,” noted the stallion.

“How many other prisoners does he have down here besides the prince?”

“He’s the only one down here as far as I know.”

“What does he need Plenn for?”

Suddenly, the transmitter crackled to life.

“Nutobh, come in,” came the voice.

Numaras“?” asked Mam.

“Mm-hm,” nodded Nutobh.

“Ok, here’s what you’re gonna do. Take me straight to Plenn, and don’t say a word about me. You do that, and I give you your Gamepony back, understand?”

Nutobh nodded, as he pressed the transmitter switch.

“I’m here, Numaras,” said Nutobh, into the transmitter. “I’m going to head over to the chamber to give the prince his medication. I can’t recall, do I use Code 38 to obtain the stuff from the lab?”

There was a short pause, and suddenly the transmitter cut out.

“Hello?” asked Nutobh.

“Affirmative,” came Numaras’ voice as the transmitter crackled back to life. “And remember, just one dose this time. He’s already pretty full, but we don’t want to push him over the edge until it’s time. Also, best to use Entrypoint H3. You should be close.”

“Copy,” replied Nutubh, “over and out for now.”

“What did he mean by that?” asked Mam. “What are you doing to Plenn?”

“You’ll find out soon enough,” smiled the stallion uneasily.

“I asked you a question,” said Mam. “Now answer-“

“And here we are,” said Nutobh, as the vehicle came to a halt in front of a set of metal doors with “H3” painted on them. “Now, my Gamepony?”

“Fine,” said Mam, lowering her weapon and passing the unit to Nutobh. As his hand grabbed it from her, she reached out and grabbed the energy fob from the vehicles ignition.

“Hey! Give that back!” he cried out.

“Once I get Plenn out,” she said. “We’ll need this thing to get top-side. Now just sit here like a good little colt, and play your stupid little Gamepony.”

"It's not stupid,” he replied, and quickly became engrossed in his device.

What a loser, thought Mam, as she opened her door, and approached the numbered key panel on the side of the door. She punched in “38,” but the door didn’t budge. A few more attempts produced the same result.

“Hey, that code didn’t work,” she called back to Nutobh.

“Of course not,” he said, not looking up from his device. “The code to that one is 12345.”

Mam rolled her eyes, entered the numbers, and to her surprise, the doors parted with a metallic hiss.

Guess they’re pretty confident in keeping things safe in this place, she thought.

As she passed through the doors, she stood on the inside and waited for them to close. Once they had clanged shut, she found herself in creepy darkness.

Removing a lite-brite tube from the side of her suit, its bright white beam played over the environment. She was in a massive cavern, that when she looked up, seemed to stretch so tall that she was sure it was higher than the hotel she and Plenn had stayed in!

The rock work to her right stretched down into darkness, while to her left a massive dark wall seemed to be…undulating slightly?

Mam had never seen anything quite like it before. It looked like it was alive, but maybe some sort of massive sub-terranean worm, whose head she couldn’t see off in the far darkness?

Best not to wake it, she thought, as she felt her heart seem to beat a bit quicker.

It was then that her light caught the shine of some ladders resting against it.

Not going to worry about that, she thought. I need to find Plenn.

She turned the light over to the rock wall, and came across another door, built into the side. Like before, she tried the number 38, but got a buzzing sound. She was about to go back and ask Nutobh, when a ridiculous thought came to her, and she entered, 12345.

“Oh for crying out loud,” she murmured, as the door slid open with a hiss.

A light turned on in the room behind the door, and Mam pocketed her lite-brite. It appeared to be a medical facility. In the center was an examination table, and lining the walls were cabinets and trays that each had a keypad.

Mam tried to find information on what was going on, but there were no stray papers anywhere. In one corner there was a computer that required a passcode. She tried 38, but it was incorrect. She tried 12345, but it was incorrect as well, with the computer giving a warning that a third incorrect entry would sound an alarm.

She walked away, and rapped on a few large doors in the walls.

“Plenn?” she called out. “It’s Mam. Can you hear me?”

Each request produced no response. Pretty soon, she had gone over the entire area, and found nothing.

“He has to be here somewhere,” she thought to herself. “Unless, there’s other places like this further down the dark-“

Clickity-clickity-click

The sound caused Mam to grab her pistol and aim in the direction of the doorway, but the brightness of the room made her unable to see anything but darkness outside.

Pulling out her lite-brite, she attached it to the top of the pistol, turned it on, and slowly made her way back out into the darkness.

As she took a few steps out of the room, she nearly screamed as the door slammed shut, leaving the only illumination coming from her weapon.

What was that sound, she wondered, trying to keep her imagination under control.

Suddenly, there was the sound of falling rocks as some seemed to bounce off the large blue worm and fell to the ground.

“Mmmppphhh,” came a sound from above it.

“W-who’s there?” called out Mam, her light pointing in the direction of the sound.

Suddenly, the large blue thing trembled, and the area around her began to tremble as well! Mam’s chest wobbled for a few seconds, and then stopped, as the tremors subsided.

What the heck is this thing? she thought, walking over towards one of the ladders.

Her Guardian had told her what curiosity had done to the cat, but for some strange reason, she was compelled to go up.

As she ascended the ladder, Mam soon realized just how high it went. She glanced back down, and had to close her eyes for a few seconds, realizing that from where she stood, a fall from this height would surely kill her!

Eventually, she found the top surface of the blue “worm,” and gingerly set hoof on it. First one, and then the other. She waited a few moments, but nothing happened. Stranger still, it felt like her heart's beating was...quickening.

Looking down at her hooves, she saw they left a slight indent in the surface, but it was still pretty firm.

She had taken a few more steps, when she heard two sounds.

The first was the clickety-clickety-click similar to before, and towards her left in the darkness, was that moaning sound.

Carefully, she held out the pistol, and began to carefully walk towards the moaning.

The beam of her light played along the blue surface, and when she raised the light a ways, Mam almost gasped.

She was looking into the face of Prince Plenn Te! He had been blindfolded, and a mouth piece with a tube had been placed over his nose and mouth, the tube attached to a small belt around his waist, and inserted into a plastic box with a percentage meter on it.

“Plenn?” called out Mam as she scrambled over to him. “Plenn, it’s Mam.”

She undid the blindfold, and saw that his eyes were closed.

“Plenn?” she called, slapping him lightly on the face, as she swore she felt that her heart was going to beat right out of her chest! “Plenn? Wake up. We need to go-“

Clickety-clickety-click

Mam froze as she heard that sound again…a sound that seemed to be coming from right next to her…along with what seemed to be soft breathing.

As she began to slowly turn, she heard the sound of air, and felt a stabbing pain in her neck!

“Ow!” she cried out, and reached for her neck, only to pull out a small tranq dart.

“Wh-what the-“ was all she could mutter, as her vision began to waver, and she fell over the side of the blue mass, before a slight feeling of weightlessness overtook her, and then darkness moments later.

“I still say we should kill her,” came a faint voice nearby.

“And I still say no, my assistant,” came another voice. “Apphenia’s offspring will need nourishment.”

Mam’s eyes felt like they were being weighed down, as she slowly opened them against the glare of the bright lights. She soon realized she was back in the little room she had explored. There was also a feeling of coldness she was feeling on her body, and as her eyes looked down, she realized she had been strapped to the examination table (her upper body elevated to an angle), and was completed naked!

“LET ME OUT OF THIS!!” she cried out, rattling the table and shaking her chest, but the metal restraints at her wrists and ankles, kept her firmly in place.

“I’m afraid that’s not in the cards,” said a tan stallion on the other side of the room wearing a lab coat, whom Mam realized had no mane. As he turned to look at her, she saw his piercing blue eyes staring at her, making her feel even more violated to be naked.

“Shall I gag her?” asked a yellow stallion with green hair (and wearing a lab coat as well), enter her field of vision.

“No need,” smiled the tan stallion, “nopony is coming to rescue her.”

“You obviously don’t know the ranger corp,” said Mam. “If I don’t report in to them soon, they’re going to know something is up. They’ll bust down those doors up there, come on down here, and then you’ll all be in trouble.”

She waited for the bald stallion to fret, but instead, he just burst out laughing in a very unsettling manner.

“You must be the pony his highness was blathering about after his injections,” he chuckled. “Kept talking about a big, cute ranger who would come for him.”

At the word “cute,” Mam was hoping her cheeks were not flushing red.

“Never mind the sweet talk,” she said. “You are holding up a very valuable business transaction between the Turgid Kingdom and the Galactic Emperor.”

“The only business I’m interested in, vixen, is my own,” smiled the tan stallion.

“And just what is your business, mister, what’s-yer-name?”

“Don’t tell her, doc,” said the yellow assistant. “She’ll-“

“I am Dr Dourif,” replied the bald stallion, “and this is my assistant, Namuras.”

“And now she knows our names,” sighed Namuras.

“I know you were the one who took receipt of Plenn,” noted Mam to the yellow stallion.

“H-how do you know that?” he asked.

“Never mind how I know that. You seem to like keeping secrets, so why should I tell you?”

Suddenly, Namuras jumped over to the restrained ranger, grabbed her left nipple, and began to twist!

“Argh-agh-AGGHHHH!!!” cried out Mam. “STOP!!!”

“TELL ME HOW YOU KNOW!!” Yelled Namuras. “TELL ME-“

Suddenly, he cried out in pain as Dourif shocked him with an electrical prod, and the assistant collapsed to the floor, twitching.

“Restrain yourself,” said the doctor calmly, his hooves quietly clopping across the metal floor. “This young pony is our guest. We can at least show her some manners.”

“Speaking of which,” said Mam, trying to ignore the pain in her nipple, “how about giving me something to wear?”

“I am afraid I cannot do that, Ms…?”

“Mam Marella, Ranger BE-113.”

“Yes, Ms Marella, I unfortunately have nothing on hand to clothe a filly of your…fullness, and your suit is too dangerous for me to return to you.”

It was then that Mam saw a metal box on a countertop nearby, where the suit was sitting, disassembled inside. As the wheels in her head turned, she decided to put a plan into action.

“Well, at least you have manners,” she smiled at Dourif. “But really, if you let me out of these things, I promise to behave. Heck, I’ll even be nice and give you a great, big hug. And maybe…something more.”

She could see the doctor’s face waver, and slowly, he approached her, and was out of sight behind her. Mam heard the rattle of keys, but did not feel the release of the restraints. And then, there was a soft breath next to her left ear.

“Nice try, Ms Marella,” said the doctor, “but you’re too late. My heart belongs to another, far more lovely, and whom I have been infatuated with, for quite some time.”

A moment later, he had walked back into her sight, smiling with a nonchalant expression.

“Oh, and who is she?” she asked. “I guarantee you that whomever she is, there’s no way she can measure up to me.”

“Compared to her, you’re little more than some bratty little kid-sister,” grunted Namuras on the floor.

It was then that Dourif walked over, and kicked the assistant in the back, causing him to cry out.

“BEHAVE!!” cried the doctor.

Mam’s eyes continued to play around the room, when her gaze stopped at the dark entryway.

Staring back at her, were a pair of bright yellow eyes, the irises vertical “slits.”

“Ah, there you are,” called out Dourif in a tone that signified familiarity. “I see you’re getting a better look at our guest. I daresay, she’ll never compare to your beauty. Why don’t you come inside, and show yourself, here in the light?”

Suddenly, the eyes disappeared, followed by the clickety-clickety-click sound Mam had heard in the darkness.

“She’s a little shy around strangers,” smiled the doctor. “Especially those who want to take away her new partner.”

“Partner?” asked Mam. “Who-what is that thing?”

At this, Dourif walked over to Mam, his expression one of indifference, before he slapped her across the face.

“You will not insult Apphenia in my presence, EVER!!” his voice rang out.

“Okay, okay,” whimpered Mam, her cheek stinging. “Wha-who…is she?”

“The next evolution,” sighed Dourif, clopping across the room to a computer panel. “An evolutionary leap that soon, will make the entire galaxy tremble at her hooves.”

Suddenly, a display lit up in the floor, and Mam found herself looking over a three-dimensional hologram of a creature that looked like a pony, but not quite.

It’s height was easily twice that of Mam. The head looked like that of a pony, but older, as if age had “withered” the rounded cheeks and muzzle of youth. From its head protruded what appeared to be a malformed “nub” that could have been a young unicorn’s horn.

Protruding from her upper-torso, Mam was all-the-more surprised to see a massive chest, larger than her own!

As the hologram rotated, she could see the figure, though tall, had definition in its limbs, notable of which was a rather voluptuous thickening in the thigh and buttocks region.

“Ah yes,” smiled Dourif, looking up to the rotating figure, “my baby…my angel of the night.”

“Y-your daughter?” asked Mam, trying to comprehend what he was getting at.

“In a matter of speaking,” he replied. “In truth, Apphenia had many fathers, and a few mothers. There were so many back then, that believed in the potential of genetic power. Do you have any idea how slow the evolutionary process is? Too slow for us to ever grasp enough potential in any of our lifetimes!”

As he said this, there was a groan as Namuras struggled to his hooves.

“Clean yourself up, and run further diagnostics on the prince,” said Dourif. "Make sure that last injection is doing its job."

Mam watched as the assistant hobbled over to a monitor.

“Now, where were we?” asked Dourif to Mam.

“Something about lifetimes?” noted Mam, thinking if she kept him talking, she might figure out a way to get herself free, or a way to get her and Plenn out.

“Ah yes,” he continued. “Time, something that we are all adrift in. We fight against its waves and tides, and yet eventually, we all must drown in it’s grip, as the cycle continues anew. It’s so unfair, stallions like myself can see such potential, but must be held at its mercy. My study in genetics revealed so many wonders. I wanted to see and know so much when I was beginning my career, but it was impossible. And then one day, a colleague told me, about a project…a project that as soon as I realized its potential, I knew how I could achieve immortality, even though I too would still succumb to the cruel mistress of death herself.”

“And…how would you do that?” asked Mam, trying to keep herself from showing that she thought this fellow was truly mad.

“With a project, my voluptuous vixen. Project Apphenia. From my studies, I realized the closest ones to reach immortality, were the alicorns of old. They would rule for many years beyond the common pony, even controlling various elements…power beyond mere ponies! But alas, even they eventually succumbed to death. But what if they could be resurrected, through a most unexpected method? Multiplication. As far as many scholars know, so few of the most powerful alicorns bore no offspring, and were often divine births by which none of our research has been able to determine an origin. And thus, I saw the potential: a divine birth by way of genetic technology. Only a handful of my colleagues could grasp what I was proposing. I met with the most ridiculous of oppositions. Some called me unethical, others balked at my demands to exhume the ancient tombs for material. They couldn’t see-THEY REFUSED TO SEE!! And so, I knew…I knew that I needed to make this evolutionary leap my focus. It would take time. I would age most certainly, but I was determined that I would live to see Project Apphenia, bear fruit.”

How much longer is he going to go on, wondered Mam.

“Fortunately, there were a few that aligned with my vision, and together, we began to work towards shifting our colleagues' focus towards Apphenia. We knew where some of the problems were, and so, a few of my negative colleagues had some…unfortunate accidents. The money-ponies didn’t have much of a care whom replaced them, as long as they were cheap. That was where I and several others came in. We filled a number of holes on the review boards, and soon enough, there were enough to get my dream going.”

“And how did you convince the money-ponies that this was worth their funding?” asked Mam. “Even with the super-elites, I know they won’t fund something unless there’s something in it for them.”

“Very astute,” smiled Dourif, strutting over, and stroking her braised cheek. “Does that hurt?”

“Not so much now,” she replied, feeling a mild stinging.

“Good. Yes, even charitably-wealthy donors need to know there’s something in it for them, and even I knew I had to sweet talk a number of them to open wide the purse-strings. It was all a matter of offering them something that they were missing from their own lives. They would not see the evolutionary potential that Apphenia would bring, but there was a word that I knew would pique their interest, just as it had I when I was very young: immortality.”

“Immortality?” asked Mam.

“Of course, vixen,” smiled Dourif, stroking her mane in an unsettling manner. “Remember when you were young? Did you ever think, that you would not live forever?”

“Well-“

“Of course not!” He cried out, walking away quickly, before continuing. “The folly of youth, is that you never think of death. Life stretches out before you. Beauty, strength, young bodies exuberantly bursting forth into fountains of development from centuries of copulation! Fulfilling the needs of reproduction, offspring to carry on those who have discovered the keys to virility and abundance! Their seed nestled deep in the bowels until it is deemed time! But then, on feathery black wings, one can hear her draw closer. Not right away, but she approaches. As the eyes become a bit hazy, the mane thins, and the cherubic complexion becomes gaunt and withdrawn. Tis’ death…death, come to relieve one of their gasp of life, before flesh and bone crumble to dust. Yes, as a youth, these thoughts never pass through your mind, but the older you get, there it is. You beg for more time, wish for it, and if you are an elite, you never want the party to end. I knew this all too well. I had seen promising scientists and geneticists seethe with rage that their best intentions were rejected, because they did not fit into the specifics that were part of the elite mindset. So I came prepared. I spoke to them like a pony who wanted to help. I stroked their egos, claimed they were titans who could move mountains, and then…reminded them that lady death was bearing down on them. It worked like a charm, and slowly, I began to have their foundation’s capital funneled into my project.”

“But this was never about them,” smirked Mam. “It was all about you-“

“It was about Apphenia,” interjected Dourif. “She would be perfect. Through her, immortality would flow. She would be a statuesque beauty to rival the likes of Celestia and Luna. But as you know, alicorns have been extinct for so long. But I knew, locked within their remains-“

“You didn’t,” exclaimed Mam.

“I DID!!” retorted Dourif. “And the best part? The donors made it happen, and nopony was the wiser. Can you imagine the uproar, if the tombs of the sisters were opened, without good reason? Well, what better ruse than making the public think that there might be a long, lost descendant! But one would need evidence to back up such a claim, and with enough morons to believe the story, public support soon had everypony begging to exhume their royal highnesses, to get the necessary evidence for the testing. In the end, the pony we hired claimed she made it all up and disappeared from sight, but at last, we had the material to begin our project. The genetic elements proved to be more complex than we had originally thought, but this did not deter us, and after several years…she was born.”

“I take it the donors were pleased?” asked Mam. “Figured you’d fashion an Apphenia for each of them? Or, fashion each of them into an Apphenia?”

“Now see, that’s the fun thing about donors,” smiled Dourif. “If you make stuff too complicated for them, they start to tune out. All they want to know, is if what they are paying for, is ‘paying off.’ All I had to do was send out letters with a bunch of mumbo-jumbo, along with charts and graphs that they couldn’t even begin to comprehend, and everything was fine. And when I requested more funds, they began siphoning it from other projects in the facility. A number of them were even shut down. But they were of no concern to me, for we knew ours was a noble effort.”

“And so you moved into this bunker and that brings us to today,” noted Mam. “Seems pretty straight-forward to me.”

“Oh you would think that, wouldn’t you?” smiled Dourif, before his smile melted into a seething look of rage. “It would have been perfect…except for her.”

“Who’s ‘her?’”

“I…I can’t recall her name, but she was truly a traitor to my cause. I was so wrapped up in the development of Apphenia, that I didn’t realize what she was doing. Apparently, she had siphoned help from several traitors in my midst. They were attempting something…similar, but not to the results that I sought. And then…I learned that she had gotten to them…the elites saw ‘potential’ in what she proposed: a ‘Plan B’ to my Apphenia! Before I knew it, my funding was being siphoned, I had requests to work with her, to share my knowledge. It was insulting! I asked politely for her to give up her hopeless project, but she refused. Then I threatened, and of all things, I was reported for raising my v-FOR RAISING MY VOICE!! And so, there was only one thing to do…if she held her own ridiculous project in such high esteem…surely, she would be willing to perish with it.”

Mam’s heart was beating faster. “You-you-“

“I gave her every chance,” sighed Dourif. “She was jeopardizing my Apphenia...what happened next, she brought on herself. Unfortunately, my colleagues had miscalculated what was necessary, and the facility was leveled, as were many others, their names I do not recall anymore, but I carry a memory of their sacrifice of that day. As far as I knew, my rival and her failed experiment perished, but I and Apphenia survived. At that point, she was still developing in her chamber, but I managed to get her away before emergency personnel arrived. My hope was that those sifting through the wreckage would believe us to have been disintegrated…and when my reviews of news footage turned up no traces of a search for me or my precious, I knew I had succeeded. But I had come to learn a valuable lesson: only I was to be entrusted with the development of Apphenia. I saw the future. It would be a lonely journey, but I would see to it that we would get there...together.”

Jeez, is he long-winded, thought Mam…as he took a breath and continued!

“Fortunately, I had been siphoning off funds from the donors as a nest egg, and found this asteroid. There were plenty of engineers and construction crew desperate for work, and pretty soon, I had concocted this ‘nest’ for our future. When I felt she was ready, I let her out. She roamed here within the darkness of the caverns. Naturally, any chance for her to escape was sealed off. I cared for her, fed her, and taught her myself. But alas, it seemed that genetically, she would be unable to properly develop as I had dreamed. Her horn failed to fully materialize, let alone possess magic, and I tried so hard to assist in the development of her wings. Alas, my attempts to help her resulted in her tearing off one of my legs. After that, I respected her wishes. But in light of that, I came to still love my daughter, as deformed as she was. Her visual acuity in the dark grew, and she soon developed an ability to clamber about the surfaces down here. I tweaked her musculature ever so slightly, and soon she could scuttle with frightening speed. And soon, she ‘came of age.’ Naturally, I who had been her father, was more than willing to be her mate.”

Mam shuddered at the thought of such a gross thing.

“But alas,” continued the mad doctor, “she spurned my advances. I begged, pleaded, reminded her of the sacrifices I had made to secure her birth, but alas, it was not to be. And so, I kept watch over her, and soon she began to lay her eggs. Deep in the caverns, I would hear her cry out in heartache, longing for a proper mate who would please her, and be virile enough to bring forth the new race I dreamed to see. And then, word spread about the coming of age of Prince Plenn Te of the Turgid Kingdom. While he was definitely more virile than my own self, I saw potential. The youthful stamina, enhanced beyond measure, would make him an ideal mate for my Apphenia. Tell me, didn’t it nearly make you weak in the knees yourself, vixen?”

“…what are you talking about?” asked Mam.

“Oh come now, surely you saw for yourself when you were close to him.”

“Saw what?”

At this, Dourif smacked his forehead in frustration.

“Namuras, show us the video feeds.”

Mam watched as a bank of monitors next to her lit up. Nightvision showed various areas of the caverns, including what she took as the large blue wall.

“What is that thing?” she asked. “Some kind of cavern-worm?”

At this, Dourif let out a loud laugh.

“Look closer,” he smirked.

Mam eyed the various monitors, and as her brain put the pieces together, a look of shock and horror fell across her face.

“Th-that’s Plenn’s Penis!” she cried out.

“Indeed it is,” smiled Dourif. “I must say, I am surprised the excretion of pheremones his body has been giving off once we started his injections, didn’t clue you in sooner.”

“Wh-how-why-“ gasped out Mam, “What have you done to him!?”

“Calm yourself, vixen,” said Dourif. “I am willing to continue my story, but lower your voice, or I’ll have Namuras sedate you.”

Mam slowed her breathing and quieted down, glancing from the monitors, to Dourif.

“Now, to answer your question. My research had shown the Turgid Kingdom was known for its virile males, and word was that the Emperor’s daughter wished to partake in the prince's precious bodily fluids. But truly, why waste such delicacies on a spoiled brat, when they could be used for a much more, nobler purpose? And thus, I put a plan in place, to get him here. I daresay your meddling resulted in a delay of my Apphenia meeting her prince.”

“You’re welcome,” smirked Mam.

“That was not a compliment,” growled Dourif, before continuing. "All it took was a few slip-ups by the young stud, and soon, my associates had captured and brought him here. Fortunately, we’ve kept him well-sedated for much of his journey, but upon bringing him down here, it was time for him to grow beyond the norms of ponydom. That was when Namuras and I unleashed-“

“What about the stupid twerp and his Gamepony?” interjected Mam.

“He’s just some kid Namuras’ girlfriend had,” sighed Dourif. “He’s not important to this thing.”

“Oh, okay.”

“Anyways, as I was saying, that was when Namuras and I unleashed an incredibly potent cocktail of virile enhancement. Gallons of it were utilized, and soon, the prince’s ‘jewels’ were expanding and swelling to immense size! There were even special injections to increase the release of pheromones, and I saw my Apphenia hover around him, in a way I knew as a sign that she approved of the mate I had provided for her. We even fashioned a special cover for his tip to keep him from leaking. As it stands now, I daresay we’re about ready for blast-off, right Namuras?”

“Seems like it,” said the assistant, “his heart rate is at an optimum level, and he’s so full he’s fit to burst at any time.”

“B-but how will he fit?” asked Mam.

At this, Namuras changed the cameras, to show numerous chambers inside the asteroid, and the screen showed numerous eggs in an assortment of clusters.

“Her physiology may seem similar on the outside,” said Dourif, “but she will not carry offspring like you. What you see on the monitors, is the culmination of over 9 years of laying. Hundreds of eggs lie merely tens of hundreds of yards from where the head of his highness’ penis resides. When he ejaculates, a torrent of semen will flood these chambers, covering and nurturing these eggs. And thanks to my genetic work, their development will start immediately, until within the first hour, a new race will be born, one that I shall let loose upon this galaxy. And what’s more, each of them carries the genetic ability to reproduce asexually. They’ll keep multiplying, until they eventually take over the galaxy, a hoard so powerful and potently unstoppable, that not even the Emperor himself will be able to stop them! The power of the alicorns, brought about in a new era, as the old ways fall aside, and my genius, will live forever!!”

The room went silent as Dourif breathed heavily, before smiling down at the strapped-in Mam.

“And you will have a front row seat,” he smiled. “Don’t you feel privileged?”

“…no,” Mam replied, her eyes narrowed.

“…no?” asked Dourif, looking incredulously at her.

“No, because this isn’t a miracle, this is all the lunacy of a stallion gone mad. You’ve engineered the extinction of ponydom, created an abomination, and have turned my Plenn into little more than a toy for your pet. I demand that in the name of-“

“No!” cried out Dourif, as he suddenly rushed towards Mam, and began hitting her violently. “No-no-no-no-no-no-SHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUP-“

Mam was unable to shield herself, and tried to endure the pain of the mad-stallion’s pummeling, until Namuras pulled him off!

Dourif began to attack his assistant, before he turned and rushed to the doorway of the lab. He his hands gripped the sides of the doorframe tightly, as he tried to control his breathing. Eventually, his breathing returned to normal. He turned to look at the ranger who was whimpering quietly, before he eyed his assistant.

“Get her off of that table, and bring her outside. It’s time my Apphenia met her children’s first meal.”

TO BE CONTINUED…

Author's Note

Wow...if you think this was long, you should have seen the 1000+ words that were cut and pushed into Episode IX! Chrome_Shield helped convince me to carry some information over to the next chapter and find a stopping point with what we have here, and it probably was for the best.

Dr Dourif (does anyone know where that is in reference to?) I had the most fun with, writing the rantings of a scientifically-unbalanced madman (I was somewhat inspired by a long monologue from the villain in the last 3/4 of the film, The Robot vs the Aztec Mummy), who seems to be commonplace in most B-movie science fiction stories or films.

I also had a ball with the character of Nutobh. He's based on a fan-fave character whose fanfic and fanart shenanigans just irritate the **** out of me, so I was glad to get some of my issues with him out of my system in this one.

The craziest thing I worried about, was how to get Mam inside the bunker. I swear it took a few days of just twisting the problem around in my head, and then it worked itself out!

I did wonder how this chapter was going to go. They all are intimidating, and I did wonder if the doctor's rantings would make sense, without getting too deep into detail. In my mind, I had a general idea of what he was doing, but when one starts typing, it's a question if this fictional mumbo-jumbo will actually make sense to others.

For the next chapter, I'm not sure how long it may get. I do know it will be at least 5000 words, but it could end up as long as this one. As to what is in store...let's just say I'm mentally regrouping, so I can tell a proper episode that I can feel just as blown away by as this one.