Breeze Of Cerberus

“Warning, contamination detected, please stay calm and wait for the decontamination team”

That message is the first thing I hear along with this loud and annoying alarm, I know it's to inform the decontamination team, but gosh, it's so stressful, how can I keep my calm with this and the fact that I'm in a contaminated area? The colors don’t help either: red and orange lights, how are we supposed to feel like we’re not going die? I truly wonder who the idiot is that chose the colors, seriously, I know it's meant to warn you, but he could have chosen Zen colors, which would make ponies a little less stressed...

Yes, I'm stressed! But I'm also pissed, I'm the only pony trapped here, who could have better luck than me?! I need to relax... To ‘keep calm’ as the message says... It's hard to do so though, knowing that you are trapped, wondering if the contamination is or isn't going to kill you... I shouldn't think of that though, or I will panic and that would not be good.

I lie down against the wall and try to relax, it's the only thing I can do after all; Less than 10 minutes have passed and I'm already tired of waiting. I don't know how long this is supposed go on for but, I'm sure of one thing; It’s pissing me off! I would like to fall asleep, but the floor is so uncomfortable. I'm here, alone, with only one thing to keep me away from boredom... my imagination.

I start to imagine myself with lots of friends. We’re having fun in a Pinkie Pie styled party (I don't know where this name came from but these parties are the best we can find and the most expensive too). It’s nothing special though, I’ve never had enough friends for something like that, or enough money. Soon a handsome stallion comes near me, he starts to talk to me in a sweet voice and I fall for his charm. We dance together then, after, go to “the lovers cliff”. It's a small bridge that goes a bit away from the station. We have a magnificent and romantic view of Space all around us because of the windows that are at the end of the bridge. The windows let us see the Space and Loralius VII, an arctic planet, with a beautiful white and blue color (I've been there before... I was alone and it was for work. There were a lot of happy couples… well it is THE romantic view of the station after all...) And then, after looking into each others eyes he starts to get his mouth closer to mine...

A loud, metallic sound snaps me out of my daydreaming... Oh come on! But It was so good! Whatever… The sound came from the end of the corridor that I'm in. I look at where it came from and see something on the ground... from the way that it looks... it's a pony! How could he get in here? And what was that metallic sound? I guess the only way to know is to go to him.

I get up and begin to walk, directing my path to the pony and soon see where he came from, but also guess by all the metal shards on the ground: the vent. He passed by it and destroyed the panel to get out from there, making that metallic sound... Well, he'll get a rude wake up for stopping my dreams. But I don't think he'll wake up soon... Or wake up at all... There’s... only half of his body on him! All of his hind part is missing... But there’s no blood, how can this be?! His RIG doesn't have a single bar… He is dead, for sure... But there is something strange... Something… disturbing on his back… there are two appendages, with sharp claws at the end of each one... I have never seen anything like this.

I don't have time to get a closer look at him; he wakes up and looks at me! His face... It's all rotten! Or rather, there’s no skin on it! And his mouth, it is missing the bottom part... it’s disgusting... But how can he be living?! It's.... It's impossible! He looks at me with his dead eyes before attacking me with one of his back appendages! I fall to the ground, he, no, it misses me, but it was close! I start to crawl backwards but it chases me, moving by using its strange claws! I get up and start to gallop the opposite way. The thing is slow but still moves fast enough to follow me.

I gallop as fast as I can, fear tearing my stomach, making my legs move by themselves. I can't hear anything except that voice in my head screaming “RUN!”. I can't think of the pain in my legs and my lungs, because the fear is so big that it takes every single place in my thoughts. That thing is a real monster, and my body can feel it. Some tears form at the corners of my eyes of the fear. I feel like my stomach is being crushed. But I can't stop running, I have to continue, or I'll get killed!

I reach two small corridors, one on my left, the other on my right; each one is a dead end because of those anti-contamination doors. I'm trapped in here with that thing; it starts to catch up with me. But I see something at the end of one of the corridors... Yes! It's a security post, its small letting only two ponies in, but it can be closed! Its door and window, bullet proof as well, since the revolts years ago. It's my chance to get protection!

I go down the left corridor and gallop to the security post, when I'm in I make the heavy door slide down and lock myself in. Security… Never felt so good to be in one of my job places and I’ve never been so happy to be either. That… thing reaches the station and starts to hit the glass with its claws. It can try, but it will never succeed in getting in here!

Alright... Now the first thing to do is to try and join somepony, anypony. I take a look at the computer and access it with my security code. I start to mess up a bit, trying to find any communication system, but the ‘thing’ keeps disturbing me making me miss the ‘click’ many times... In moments, a window opens on the screen and a video begins to play...

A yellow Pegasus with a pink mane and blue eyes appears in front of what ever device recorded this video; she starts to talk with a calm and shy voice:

“Hum... Twilight, are you sure I should do this, I mean, it doesn't seems necessary... “

-“Of course it is Fluttershy! Ponies in the future will be able see you and learn about what you thought of!” (This voice come from behind the camera, I don't know who this, “Twilight”, is)

-“You mean... they can see me?!” she hid herself with her wings

-”No they can't Fluttershy, don't worry.”

-”Ok Twilight...” she takes a deep breath and starts to talk “Since I've seen those... brutes attacking my poor little tortoises with those filthy guns, and how their shells resisted a bit before breaking, I had an idea. Because… I'm scared that somepony could get hurt with them guns... you know... by accident... nopony would attack another pony though, right? But with the help of Twilight we made bullet proof windows and doors and it works perfectly! I'm so happy that I'm useful for the well being of my little friends!”

-”Ok, now Fluttershy, go behind the window so we'll show that it is effective.”

-”Hum... I'm not sure Twilight, if something goes wrong... I mean, because it's not meant to...”

-”Trust me Fluttershy, go on!”

-”If you say so...” she takes a lot of “protection accessories” like pillows and a football helmet, then goes behind a glass, but hides her face. A gun levitates in front of the camera and shoots at the glass stopping the bullet, Fluttershy still scream though... I think it was a scream. “Pl...Please Twilight, tell me everything is ok...”

-”Everything is ok, you can come back now.” the yellow mare returns in front of the recording device

-”Well... that's how it works... I think...”

And the video ends, it was sure... special, but, at least I know more about those windows… even if it doesn't really help me. I now feel that this place is a real fortress, some luck finally.

Talking of luck, as I continue to search the computer, a small radio I hadn't seen starts to make a static noise, then a voice could be heard from it:

“Hello? Can anypony hear me?”

-”Hello?” I answer

-”Oh thanks, finally somepony, I started to lose any hope, who are you?”

-”I'm Spring Breeze, a security mare.”

-”Spring?! It's me, Bolt!”

-”Bolt?! I'm so happy to hear somepony I know!” Shining Bolt is a co worker. Even though we talk during work, we don't really go out and do things like friends. “I'm trapped because of this damn anti-contamination system, and also, a pony, if we can even say it is one... It chased me and is now hitting the glass of the security post I'm in!”

-”What do you mean by 'if we can even say it is one'” I quickly described it. “I see. The whole station has gone mad, everypony galloping everywhere in panic, I think now we know why... Can you take a closer look at this... thing?”

-”Yes, I think so...” I take a closer look then gasp. “No... It’s not possible...”

-”What is it?!”

-”This... thing... it's one of the dead miners from this morning! It's... It's impossible...”

-”Hmmm... Maybe it's a plague from the mine, so it means there’s how many of them?”

-”Only two.”

-”Thanks goodness there’s not more, those things can't be stopped by our rods, and using knives doesn't work either!”

-”Oh... is anypony with you?”

-”Yes, Hortensia is with me.”

-”Alright, so you said there’s panic in the station?”

-”Yes, it's a real mess and... “ A mare scream can be heard, Bolt then screams in terror too. The only thing remaining is the radio static...

-”Bolt?! Answer me, Bolt!”

But there’s no answer. No... it can't be... Is he... dead? I can't think like that, I'm sure they galloped away, they must have galloped away! They can't be dead!

I roll up like a ball on the ground, shaking and whining, everything is a real nightmare, I have to wake up from it, this is impossible! Why do I have such bad luck?! Why can't I live happily like the other stations do? Why does this have to happen on MY station?! I... I have to calm down... I'm a security mare... I should be prepared for these situations... Calm... I need to breathe calmly... Take my time...

As I stop shaking and finally calm myself, another voice comes out of the radio, this one’s not Bolt’s voice, but it's still a voice:

“Anypony there?! Please answer me, I need some help!”

-”Spring Breeze here, I'm a security mare, how can I help you?”

-”Oh good, a security mare, just what I need! I'm trapped in a security post, I closed the door but I destroyed the button by punching it. I can't get out of here!”

-”I... I really don't know how to help, I'm trapped in an anti-contamination area, I can't get out.'

-”But... Don't you have an emergency code, to open these doors in case of a problem?”

-”I'm really sorry... but I can't... Sorry...”

-”Can't you hack the security post computer and access the door opening system to free yourself?”

-”Maybe... I'll give it a shot but... I promise nothing, ok?”

-”Ok, I wish you good luck.”

Well, luck is really what I need right now... Well, I had better get started.

I open the computer console and start to hack the system, damn it's pretty hard, but it’s not a security computer for nothing. It has a lot of securities and firewalls that I need to override, and of course, it doesn’t let me do it easily, and the stress doesn't help. I’ve had to restart my hacking many time’s, doing it fast doesn't mean that it will be done quicker... So I start to think before doing, taking my time, then... finally I access the anti-contamination doors system!

“I did it! I'm in the door system!”

-”Oh great! I'm on the 8th floor, in the east wing!”

-“Alright, I'm coming; I'll be as quick as possible!”

I turn off the radio and recall about that thing... it’s not hitting the window... I take a look and see, and find that It’s not there anymore... It has gone.

Carefully, I unlock the security post door and slide it open. I then peek outside, it’s not there... Good, then it’s time to go. I open the anti-contamination doors and step outside the corridor to reach the plaza on this floor... Bolt was right, it is a real mess, ponies galloping/flying everywhere, some stomping on others without caring because of the panic. But they are all trying to go in the same direction: the docks, where the ships are located. It's understandable, everypony wants to leave this station now.

But I don't have time for this, I have to help somepony! I gallop to the elevator and go to the 8th floor, where he said he was located. I use my map and my holographic line to find the east wing, it’s a pretty easy route, because I have reached the heavy doors of the corridor quite fast. This is where the pony is located. I start hacking them, trying to keep my concentration even with all the screams of panic. After like... 10 minutes, I finally unlock the doors.

I walk into the corridor and go to the security post, the pony is there. He welcomes me with a big smile and says that I might need to override the system in this door too because it's locked... But I'm not that good at door overriding; I'm only good at computer hacking... But, well, I still have to try to save him. I open a small area on the door and start to mess up the wires.

After a moment, I see something in the vent behind the pony, I shout to him: “Behind you!”, he turns around... a thing grabs him and pulls him into the vent. I can hear the echo of his screaming! Some blood leaks out of the vent... and... an hoof fall off...No... Not him too... I'm a failure at protecting other ponies... I'm not worthy of my job... Why did I choose this work? No, it's not that... I was just not fast enough to save him, If only I had hacked those doors faster, he could still be alive...

I continue whining, laying against the wall... But I don't have time for this. A sound could be heard from the corridor, it frightens me and I start to run opposite way, running away from it. I'm really scared and don't watch where I'm going. I bump into a Pegasus that is flying in mid air to go faster. He is a bit dizzy from the shock and passes over the rail, falling. I try to catch him before he falls, I don't want another death on me. But the only thing I do succeed to do... Is fall down with him…