Infiltrating the Infiltrators [Comment-driven story]

"Uhhh ehmehmmmmm..." you mumble into the telephone receiver as you plan out what you'll say. Five minutes with one of the most important ponies on the continent feels like such a short amount of time...

Cold Strike. Time. Running. Out. Form. Words!

"...uhh- I've successfully entered the Queen's Tower and made contact with some high-profile individuals. My documents were accepted and I don't think I've raised any suspicions. Er, to me in particular. Last night I followed a pair of scientists into an underground section of the Tower- one that doesn't appear on any maps, that I think they're hiding from the public- and managed to steal a folder with two papers. I couldn't make any sense of the first one..."

You're referring to the utterly torn, destroyed paper you found in the folder. A pile of dirt would be more meaningful, but you've kept it safely in your saddlebags with the other document. Just in case.

"...but the other document, it's full of... dates. They're demonstrating something at a secret 'test site'- they being a 'Nationale Energiekommission'- National Energy Commission. I think it's something big. There's a 'royal demonstration' on the fifteenth of October- that's in twelve days."

You glance at the clock. Three minutes left. What else, what else...?

"There's two other demonstrations. Uh, one starts today, and the other is the day after tomorrow. The Reichsarmee will be there, and an ethics council-"

The operator's voice is sharp. "Agent, stand by."

"Stand by!?" you respond much louder than intended. You look around the inn to see if anyone noticed, but they're still focused on the loud, fanatic changeling soldier. "Stand by?" you repeat much more quietly.

"The Director wants to talk to you personally. I'm trying to get a secure receiving line," explains the operator. "And... there."

"Agent. There's only three minutes till the, ugh, press meeting, so unfortunately we can't talk as long as I'd like to." The voice is contained, refined, cracked from the burden of six years of war. Yet, even through the static you can tell it retains an element of warmth and comfort.

"Pr- uh, yes, Director." You've only spoken to the Director face-to-face once, right after you finished training, but you've seen and heard her voice everywhere; she regularly appears in the newspapers and radio addresses.

"I want you to pursue this lead as strongly as possible, Cold Strike. That's a direct order. Move at your own discretion, be careful, but find out as much as you can about these demonstrations before the fifteenth. Everything else can come afterwards."

That's what you were doing anyways, but it feels reassuring to hear it from the Director. You're on the right track.

"Have you found anything about our missing agent? Any leads?"

"No... but it's only been a day. Uh, I found something else. There was a changeling who helped me, called, uh... 'Ella'." You neglect to mention that you almost killed each other during your initial encounter. "She claims she's part of, uh, an organization called the 'Eisenwagen'. I'm trying to establish contact with them. Do you, uh, know anything about...?"

There's a short pause. "I can't say I've heard of them. And- that's my time. We'll get someone to pick up your report in a couple of days, just arrange it with the listening post. And, Cold Strike-"

She sounds serious. You listen carefully. "Yes, Director?"

"Make friends, Cold Strike. Friendship is... important. That will be all, Agent."

You wince at the sharp burst of static as she puts down the telephone receiver. 'Make friends'? With who, the changelings? Maybe she meant to look for allies of the Equestrian government?

"Agent, we can get an accomplice to pick up your report on the... eighth of October, from Vesalipolis Central. Grey-marked changeling with green eyes and a straw hat. The phrase is 'Stars are pretty...' and the response is '...but Luna shines brighter.'" the listening post agent explains.

You pull out a notepad and pencil and quickly jot all the information down. You're not keen on blowing your cover by misremembering a key detail.

"Right, I've got it... what time should I be there?"

"Let's say dusk. Less people around. If the accomplice doesn't show within an hour, bail and try to call us again. Anything else you need, Agent?"

You glance behind you and realize a couple of changelings are staring. It seems the soldier is wrapping up. "Nothing for now, I'll just put it in the report. Uh, bye."

"Good luck, Agent." The line is cut.

You dispel any spells you've cast on the phone and put down the receiver. Finally talking to a friendly pony after weeks in the Changeling Lands feels cathartic.

As you trot out of the inn, hugging the wall and trying to pick up any attention, you listen in to the soldier's speech.

"And with this, we will finally reclaim what is rightfully ours! We have crushed the deer, and beat the bears at their own game. Soon the supposedly unbreakable yaks will fall too."

You scoot past a small crowd gathered near the entrance. Each changeling glares at you as you pass.

"Then with hardened hooves we shall tear down the harmonists and communists. The only future for Equus is Pax Chrysalia, and the only future for its inhabitants is as citizens of a changeling hegemony."

Under thunderous applause and shouting you slip back out into the street.

It's strangely quiet and deserted outside, despite being busy just a few minutes ago. You move easily through the nearly empty streets, feeling more free without worrying about changelings looking at you.

The streets are much wider here than in Canterlot. Almost all of them are paved with heavy bricks or asphalt for motor vehicles, which are a frequent sight. The distant sound of motor engines is everpresent, mixing in with the regular hubbub of the city. Dammit, you're starting to miss the peaceful silence of the Tower already.

You don't have to go far before you reach a walled off area; the Heer Housing Complex. Beyond the wall you can see large apartment buildings- much larger than the already towering ones that lined the streets. They look much newer and more modern than the ancient hive buildings you've seen so far; like the Great Queen's Tower, these buildings are fashioned out of steel and concrete rather than bricks and wood.

You're not sure what the point of the wall is when changelings can just fly. Thankfully you find an ornate gate set into the wall as you walk along it. There doesn't seem to be any guards around, so you just slip in and find yourself in a small back garden behind one of the apartment blocks. A few chairs and tables with parasols lie haphazardly between neat flowerbeds and bushes.

A pair of changelings are sitting silently at one of the tables. They glance at you but don't raise any objections.

Might as well ask them for directions. "Uh, hey! Do you know where Block C is?"

The changelings don't respond. Damn changelings. You realize they look pretty old, too; the chitin around their muzzles is cracked and greying, and their eyes have deep lines around them.

"Uh, I'm talking to you two. I'm looking for Block C."

"Why would you show your muzzle here, pony?" growls one of the changelings, not looking at you. "Do you have a death wish?"

You glare back at her, slightly confused and unsure how to respond. You only asked a question.

The other changeling sighs. "Honey, please. Not right now. You need to rest, not scream at... ponies."

"No, I want to know what a pony is doing here. What ungodly work are you up to, pony? Are you here to spy on us? Are you an assassin? Well, there's nothing left to spy on or kill here, yeah? So just... scram." The changeling collapses on the table, slightly exhausted from giving such a furious monologue.

"...whar?" Your heart nearly stopped at the 'spy' part, but it seems she's just throwing a crazed rant at you rather than actual accusations.

"Let's go inside, honey. We can put on that record you always like listening to, and I'll make some lunch. Yeah?" The second changeling helps the other one stand up, and glares at you. As if you've done something wrong. "She's right, though. What could you possibly be here for?"

"I'm seeing a Captain Konrad." What's so important about this place? It's just an apartment complex. "I- please, just point me to Block C. I'm not here to bother anyone."

The changeling's expression softens. "Heh. You'll be doing plenty of bothering, whether you intend to or not. This is Block C, right here, by the Queen and her kingdom." He abruptly turns to leave, guiding the other changeling- his partner?- back inside.

You wait for them to disappear through a pair of glass doors before trotting over to the building and looking up. It's certainly no Tower, but it's big in its own right. Perhaps fourteen or fifteen stories. You note the lack of protruding landing platforms that adorn most other changeling buildings, likely for security; everyone is forced to go through the ground floor first.

Didn't stop you, though.

You push through the glass doors and find yourself in a tiny reception room. There's no one at the desk- this is probably just a secondary reception, given this is the back entrance- but the bulletin board behind it is full of various bright pamphlets and forms.

You skim over various security notices and codes of conduct, noting an unusual amount of pamphlets related to veterans' events.

Oh... 'Heer Housing Complex'. Army Housing Complex. These aren't just any apartments, they're specifically built for soldiers and veterans.

You feel distinctly uncomfortable as you realize you're in a building of changelings who have almost certainly been fighting ponies just a few years ago.

Also, your Changeling-language skills suck.

You locate a stairwell right off the reception, which saves you from having to go through the main reception room, and climb up it till you reach the fifth floor. It's actually much nicer than the stairwell in the Tower. The walls and railings are freshly painted and it's brightly lit by exterior windows. Windows, in a changeling building. Unimaginable.

The stairwell has doors going in two opposite directions on each floor. At the fifth floor you take a random door and enter a hallway with windows on one side and apartment doors on the other. Each door has a name plate- changelings really seem to love those- and you read each one in turn.

Most of the names have '(a.D)' at the end of them, indicating the occupant is retired, and all of them have military ranks. After twenty or so doors you nearly miss 'Korvettenkapitän Konrad'.

A Navy officer in the Army Housing Complex? Hm.

You knock loudly on the door and wait. After a few moments, the door opens and an annoyed looking Captain Konrad peeks out.

"Didn't believe my eyes when I saw a pony standing outside through the peekhole. You're not here to arrest me, you're not delivering food, and you're not offering condolences. What do you want?" He lazily throws open the door, revealing a rifle leaning against the wall of the entrance hall.

"I'm just here to talk, Captain. Uh, you might recognize me from the State Bank yesterday. Berthold threw me out."

Konrad snorts. "Yeah, I remember you. I'm surprised you just left. Spineless aren't you?"

Your muzzle heats up. "I was- it seemed like a bad time."

"Great. Well, this is a bad time to see me. Goodbye." He moves to shut the door but you wedge your hoof in before it closes.

"Hold on! Just- hear me out."

"Listen, my brother is dead, I've had a shit day and I've got fifteen rounds of ammunition," he growls.

You gape at him. "You won't shoot me!"

"You want to disprove that?"

Ordinarily you'd just leave and come back later, but... you have a time limit now. Thirteen days isn't a lot of time to get top-secret information. You can't afford to waste any time.

You could try to naturally get him talking. Offering condolences for his brother would be a start...

Or, heck it, you could be bold and show him the secret document directly. You recall him ranting about Queen Chrysalis back in the State Bank. It's risky, but in the worst case scenario you can play it off as something you found by chance and see if Konrad does anything about it. He doesn't seem to care about the authorities given he just threatened to kill you.

It's time to choose...

What do you do about Captain Konrad?

A - Come back later.
B - Try to talk and reason with him.
C - Show him the document with the dates on it.

Option C wins the vote with 66% of 3 total votes.