Fallout Equestria: Nearly Civilized

After trotting up a few flight of stairs, the soldiers along with Topaz right behind them, arrived at an electronic double-door to the main room that is located of the end of an empty hall on the top floor of the building.  The soldiers stop at the door and nod to Topaz, then take their positions at the side of the doors, allowing Topaz to make his way through.

Once Topaz steps through the electronic sliding doors, he is greeted by Overmare Lightning who gotten comfy at her desk at the other end of the spacey room.  As Topaz makes a few more slow steps forward, the doors slide close behind him.

“Ah, it is marvelous to see you once again, Topaz Spectrum.” Overmare Lightning said in a polite tone.

Again…? I have no memory of meeting this mare before, not to mention hearing never her voice, why is she saying this?  Or is it just something she likes to say?

“How do you know my name already?” Topaz asked.

“What?  Is it wrong for the OVERMARE to keep records of every born foal in Chance?” Overmare Lightning replied.

“True…  Uh…  Yeah…” Topaz was still slightly confused on why he was summoned by the Overmare.  “Why exactly did you want me here…?  Did I do something wrong?”

Overmare Lightning began to laugh.  “No.  You’re here because I wanted to give you something for becoming of age here in Chance.  I mean, it is your 24th birthday right now, isn’t it?”

“My birthday…”  Topaz looks at a digital clock mounted on the wall, which reads 12:43am.  “Uh, yes it is, now.”

“Well then, shall we proceed?”

“Do you do this to everypony who becomes of age here at Chance?”

“No actually, I know something about you, your origin specifically.”

“You know…   You know about my parents?”

Overmare Lightning lifts herself from her chair and walks up to Topaz and circles up behind him.  “You could say that…”

Suddenly, Topaz feels a small pain stab into the back of his neck; this he was unaware of and slumps over on the floor a bit.  His first reaction is to reach for the pain and see what’s causing it.  He feels the object in the back of his neck and he precedes to pulls it out to see that it was a syringe; the contents of it have been injected into him.  Topaz glares silently at Overmare Lightning, who has a noticeable smirk on her face.

“What…  What have you done to me!?” Topaz spat out holding the back of his neck.

“Giving you even more potential than you had before, but this potential will have to be learned on your own.” Overmare Lightning replied casually.

“Ugh…” Topaz began to feel a bit woozy and began to loose consciousness.

“Chance is nearly civilized with nothing to stop such greatness, and you could be a boost to this success.  That is why I’m giving you this ‘gift’.  Now rest…”

Soon enough, the only thing Topaz could see was the room around him turning to darkness.

<><><><><><

Topaz woke up to realize he was back in his own bedroom, the back of his neck still aching a bit from the event that happened only a couple of hours ago.  He slowly raised himself up and looked around a bit more, everything seemed normal around him, but he definitely felt different on the inside.  He noticed a present on his nightstand, like any ordinary festive wrapped gift, Topaz picks it up and sets it in front of him before opening it.

The contents of the present box was an Intel Umbrella v2, some synthetic black-leather clothes and coat, and finally a pair of tinted shades with Intel Umbrella uplink enabled for a heads-up-display, and underneath all of that is a rather sci-fi looking chrome five-round cylinder .45-70 Gov’t revolver magnum with the words: ‘Consortium Ballistic Research Custom: Radical Stall’ engraved onto the side of its 8 inch barrel, also where a laser sight is installed onto the bottom of the barrel.  Next to the revolver is a box of twenty .45-70 Gov’t shells and holster.  What the heck would I need this for?  And what’s Radical Stall, the gun or a pony? Topaz thought to himself while studying the magnum.  He set down the other items and turned his attention to the Intel Umbrella v2 and slipped it onto his left fore leg.  The first thing he notices when he powers on the Intel Umbrella is there’s an audio log from Overmare Lightning.  Topaz taps the screen, which begins to play the audio log.  Overmare Lightning’s voice begins to play.

“Mr. Spectrum, glad to have you hearing in on this.  I have a…  Favor I’d like you to get done for me.  It seems odd for the Overmare to be giving you a task even though you weren’t qualified for enlistment, but stay with me, because I know something you don’t.  The task for you is to shoo off some pesky NCR patrol who have recently taken root at the Vanhoover dam, just a few miles away from here.  Why is this dam is so important, you ask?  Well, it is because it is used as a secondary power source for Chance, and I don’t want the NCR cutting an emergency source off or becoming even more nosey and decide to push themselves into MY city.  Though you won’t be much of a journey away from Chance, but things in the Equestrian Wasteland can go down hill really fast.  Also don’t be fooled, there are other ‘survivors’ roaming around who are hostile, such as raiders, but with a lone Pegasus like you, there might be more dangers due to the fact that pretty much a LARGE portion of the Pegasi population is part of the Grand Pegasus Enclave.  Good luck out there and keep me updated.”

That was a bit of information that came out of nowhere…  Topaz shakes his head and hops out of his bed, puts on the apparel he has received and puts the revolver into its holster then heads downstairs.

Bolt is reading a book while laying down on the couch in the living room and remains oblivious to Topaz.

“Uncle Bolt?” Topaz said.

“Yeah…?” Bolt replies and looks up at Topaz, “Whoa!  Where’d you get all of that!?  Especially that magnum!” Bolt’s outburst could probably have been heard by ponies outside.

“The Overmare gave it to me.  Or that’s what I think.” Topaz replied without changing his tone.

“What the hell is it all for!?”

Topaz hesitates to answer, be he manages to get out a few words, “Overmare Lightning is sending me out to the Vanhoover dam to deal with some pests.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa…  You’re being sent out to the Wastelands…  By yourself!?”

“It’s not going to be for too long, Bolt…  The Overmare seemed like she knew what she was doing.”

“But do YOU know what you’re doing!?”

“She gave me all the information I needed to know so far about my task, I’ll also be updating her and she’ll be updating me.”

Bolt put the book he was holding down next to him and gets off of the couch.  “No, no, no, no, no, no.  You’re not going alone, I’m coming with you.  The wastes are-”

Topaz interrupts Bolt and finishes his sentence, “…a very dangerous place, I know.”

“Wow, Overmare Lightning did tell you a lot, didn’t she?”

“Yea…  Maybe a bit too much.”

“If we’re going to the wastelands, at least let me get prepared and I’ll just follow you, alright?” Bolt said as he slowly trots up to his room.

As Bolt disappears up the stairs, then a few minutes later, he is back downstairs adjusting to his apparel. Bolt’s apparel is what the average pony would say that’s what a mercenary might wear, along with a beret and armed with an Assault Carbine.  Bolt’s beret is a unique peace with a flaming grenade insignia and the words ‘LEGION ETRANGERE’ underneath the insignia.

“Ready to take on the whole world aren’t you?” Topaz joked

“Just want to be prepared, who knows what’ll happen out there.”  Bolt replied in a steady voice. “I’m right behind you…”

“Alright, let’s get this thing done, get rewarded, and relax.”  Topaz said as he trotted out with confidence, then all the way to the main gates of Chance.

“You know…  Once we go out there, we’ll have a smaller possibility of ever seeing ourselves at home again?  We might even never see each other again if something goes bad…” Bolt said with a slightly saddened voice.

“I know, but I’m not willing to fail a task given by the Overmare…  Also you worry a bit much…  But I understand.” Topaz said in just about the same tone as Bolt, but trying to keep the feelings down.

The Topaz and Bolt soon arrive at the main gates of Chance, some of the citizens enjoying their time around the city looked curiously at the two.  Once Topaz and Bolt stepped up to the gates, some soldiers nod then step aside as the large sluggish electronic metal gates begin to slide open.  Topaz steps out first, then Bolt following right behind Topaz.  Topaz slowed down his pace to match Bolt’s.

“Are you sure you’re not too old for something like this?” Topaz asked.

“Nah, I think I can pull through.  Besides, I’m not going to let you go alone.  You’re pretty much all I have left ever since my wife died 25 years ago when her caravan was attacked by some filthy raiders, but the worst part is about her death was that she was… pregnant…  But then you, Topaz Spectrum…  Somepony left you on my door step, and a note telling me to take care of you.”  Bolt choked up.

“A foal left on a doorstep for someone else to take care of after some kind of tragedy…  It’s kind of cliché, but I understand to you it was sort of a miracle, right?”

“Being alone to sponge up such a tragedy was hard for me.  Raising you gave me something else to think of…  A future…  For the both of us.”

“Well…  You did a good job raising me; I just sucked at a social life and attending my classes.”

Bolt stopped for a moment to think, then continued trotting alongside Topaz and opened his mouth to change the subject, “We can put that crap aside now…  We’re in the wastelands now…  So we just gotta clear some…  NCR from the dam…?”

Topaz nods, “Anyway possible, smooth words or rough combat.”

“Alright…  We’ll start with smooth words first.”

The two ponies made it across the bridge from Chance and continued down past empty lands, then through the ruins of pre-war Vanhoover.  Topaz studies the derelicts of the once towering buildings and empty, neglected streets.  Bolt seems completely used to such sights.

A majority of the buildings have collapsed on themselves over the centuries of abandonment, few of these buildings can provide shelter, yet still nopony would consider them safe to lay back and relax in anymore.  Shattered windows tell the tale of those who once lived here, along with the colors of advertisements which have faded with time.  Rubble and debris replace the sidewalks nearby the buildings.  Some street lights remain standing while others have fallen, the power running from the damn lights up only the functional displays and lights.  The city sits in complete silence at the moment, dropping a tin can could be heard from a few blocks away.  A lone radio can be heard softly playing pre-war music and sometimes something more patriotic from a window sill of broken down building.  Someone had left the radio there, but by the looks of it, it’s been there for weeks judging by the soot accumulated on it from the decaying city.  Some vehicles have been left behind, most of them pre-war automobiles; the other vehicles can be recognized only as destroyed heavily armored tanks that have already been scavenged of their guns, tracks, and parts of the armor.  The nationality or models of the tanks are unrecognizable due to the damage and rust.

Topaz decides to let curiosity take over for a bit and he hops up onto one of the tanks.  He then slides into the interior of the tank, looking at what’s left of the driver’s seat and empty ammo racks.  Bolt watches Topaz for a moment. “Is that necessary?” Bolt asked, keeping his voice down a bit.

“Knowing is half the battle right?  The better I know one of these things…  The better I can perform against one if we ever encounter one.” Topaz’s voice echoes from the empty shell of the tank.

“Who knows how long these have been here…  And they don’t even work and are missing quite a bit of crap on them.” Bolt questioned.

“Every little bit counts…  Right?”

Bolts sighs and rolls his eyes before turning around to lean his back against the tank Topaz is in.  Suddenly, something moves and catches Bolt’s attention.  The movement appears to flee into a pre-war toy shop.  Bolt taps against the tank’s hull, “Topaz, ready yourself…  I think I saw someone.”

Topaz pops his head out from the tank’s turret.  “Where?” Topaz said as he snaps his attention to his surroundings.

Bolt draws out his Assault Carbine and points with one hoof at the toy shop, “There…  I saw something go into there.”

“Maybe it was just some lost filly or colt that wanted something to play with.”

“I don’t understand how you will ever survive alone out here, Topaz…  You gotta think more cautiously, like if something were to always be the one trying to harm you.  Not your average civilized city folk.  Be ready at the sign of almost anything.” Bolt said without taking his eyes off the toy shop.

“Right…….” Topaz hesitated and unsheathes his magnum, then hops off of the tank and onto the street, then slowly approaches the toy shop alone.

“Topaz…  Slow down, don’t just rush in!” Bolt raised his voice to a shouting whisper.

Topaz didn’t seem to listen and still continues to approach the toy shop with his magnum raised, then right as Topaz goes for the entrance of the toy shop, he catches something at the corner of his eye.  A pony was waiting around a column of rubble.  Time seemed to slow down for Topaz; almost unnaturally it seemed for Topaz himself.  By the time the pony moved an inch in his own flinch; Topaz had already turned, grabbed the pony by the collar of his shirt and pointed his magnum in the pony’s face.  Right then did Topaz realize it was only Jade.

“Holy shit!  Don’t shoot!” Jade screamed in terror as he looked at the details down the magnum’s barrel Topaz wields and how much rifling there was in the barrel.

“Damn it, Jade!  What the hell!” Topaz yelled in an irritated tone.

Bolt ran up behind Topaz, Assault Carbine lowered, but he’s still on guard.

“Why the hell are you here, Jade?” Topaz snapped.

“I was…  Uh… Preparing to leave Chance, then I saw you two making your way to the gates, so I well…  Followed…” Jade smiled nervously at Topaz.

“You nearly got your head blown off; I hope you realized that by now.” Topaz glared at Jade then roughly pulls him up correctly.

“So…  I thought you failed for enlistment, Topaz.  What makes you want to come out here…?” Jade asked while brushing himself off.

“Bolt and I were going to complete a favor for somepony, and can we stop with the enlistment crap…?” Topaz said, lowering his voice.

“A favor for who?” Jade said with an amused tone.

“Just somepony, not like it really matters…  Wanna come along?”

“So, you’re going into the mercenary business too?  I told you it was a good cap maker.”

Topaz shook his head, “Not really mercenary business, just something to do for a bit.”

“Odd…” Jade scratched his chin.  “So where does this favor take us to?”

“To the Vanhoover dam, we’re going to get rid of some NCR patrol.  The means of getting rid of them depends on how much they are willing to cooperate.  Rather listen to our words or by the means of a firefight”

“Sounds easy enough.” Jade said as he followed Topaz.

Bolt looks at Topaz for a second, “So you two know each other?”

“Yea, we talk once in a while.  I wouldn't say he’s that close to me though.”

“It’s something.” Bolt continued to look ahead.

“I think he means we’re friends.” Jade burst out a bit.

“Topaz, I think that if you had a stronger relationship with Jade, you would've just Friend-Zoned yourself right there.” Bolt chuckled to himself a little.

“Maybe a friend to someone who doesn't make friends is something that hits the bar.” Jade said.

Topaz remained silent as Bolt and Jade put a smirk on their faces, then the three continued their way to the dam.