Collateral Historyby Genesis SwiftChaptersChapter 1: The Find.Chapter 2: First Contact.Chapter 4: A Coffin Guarded by a Cube.Chapter 5: Answers to the End...Chapter 3: Death, Colleagues, and Respect.Chapter 1: The Find.Chapter 1: The Find. Dear Blink, If you are reading this than the time to prepare is now; for my recent observation of some ruins has unleashed a horror of great magnitude. I was doing what I normally do as my job, my talent discovering more about the past and the origins of our own lives... Genesis means origin, that is my name and oddly enough that applies to my talent; a high understanding and experienced research of human culture and life. Most ponies that do studying and research happen to be unicorns but I am a pegasus and an intellectual intrigued with human beings. My coat is a cool dark blue with a short cut mane that is just as white as ice with sky blue highlights an addition of mine. Might I add that I am engaged to a lovely girl by the name Grace and I miss her every moment I'm off at work. My cutie mark confuses other ponies and a little myself all I know is that it is some human artifact. That is who I am and I am currently on an adventure. The air was cold with a howl of winter gusting behind it. I had prepared for a long day of searching with only rumors to guide me. I was airborne at the time for the advantage of height to aid my search. When I found what I had been tipped off to look for, the description matched. I touched down with the dust being blown away by my wing's quick landing of anticipation. I had found the ruins I had been looking for that I had heard ever so much about. I was standing right outside the only personnel door, that was sealed up in a metal to powerful to get through with any magic or force, and nearby a giant what seemed to be a metal entrance for a larger vehicle or aircraft was lined with the same stuff. There was no handle on this door, instead the only thing was this electronic gadget with a small crack which you could only slide a piece of paper through if you tried. But here is the weird thing it lit up, it was actually alive with energy. Looking around for any clues I found a plastic card with bar-coding, and random numbers/letters on one side, and on the other a symbol of an eagle with the words "In God We Trust" above it, and below what I could read "United States O". I pondered what the rest could of said but nothing good came up so I slid it into my saddle bag just in case it had any further use to me. Now that I think about it I didn't have to decipher those words I had seen them on many pieces of paper across the many ruins I had been through, of America that's what it always says. The area around me was grassy plain for the most part with a few ruins of buildings around. Near the middle lay an obelisk not that tall and slightly broken off at the tip but I can probably guess that most of it lay underground. I went into a larger pile of ruins nearby the metal structure's entrance that were excavated to see if I could find any clues on how to get in. Since it is just ruins there wasn't much to look at as expected, but what I did find was a dented trash bin. I took a gander inside and saw a crumpled paper; no harm in taking it. I unraveled the paper and my luck turned up, the gadget that's on the door was on the paper and I believe this will tell me how to open that same door. The words didn't catch my eye because the pictures were all I needed to see; besides I can always decipher them later. The picture was zoomed in on the top where a card was hovering above it with an arrow next to it pointing down. The next one showed the same card at the bottom with a light pinging on and the door open. I withdrew the card from my saddle bag and knew this is how I'm gonna get in. I just pray to celestia herself that this is the card I need and it works. When I headed out here to the discovery of the metal entrance it was already dawn with an orange sky. I don't have much of a camp but flint n' steel for a fire and a bedroll will do to keep me warm under this cold night's sky. I slept horribly that night. I had a dream where I could see a panning of the ruins with the obelisk a lot taller and a lot more ruins on each side with a giant shallow pool near the obelisk, with a screaming louder than a siren's in my ears; it was terrifying. My bottom eyelids were heavy and dark with deprivation and the feeling of hunger throbbing in my stomach, thank Blink for making me these dragon lilly muffins I ate well for the morning.The casual breakfast helped me wake up for the day though I wish I had something more satisfying than water to wash the meal down. Yawning I stretched out my hooves and gave my wings a good lap around the area. Of course I always limber up before I go into a potentially dangerous structure; I didn't expect that though and thought it would be perfectly normal in there but I've been wrong before. Now filled with anticipation I took the plastic card out of my saddle bag had it so the bar-code was on the left side and slid it down the gadget so that it may open. The door let out a little pinging sound. Green light, door opens. I say my casual catchphrase "This is where the fun begins; when only discovery and mystery lay ahead." -Chapter End- Author's Note Hey if you find anything that seems to be a punctuation error that I didn't catch in the final edit plz message me. Oh and any pointers for future stories would be nice. Chapter 2: First Contact.Chapter 2: First Contact. I never knew that I’d be in a situation like that, it seemed like a dream come true. I found the greatest find an adventurer could find in all of Equestria; I found a person with the reward of answers that I could only hope to discover through whatever text I may find. But the price for a reward is almost as tragic as the reward itself… The second I put one hoof through the door way a light came on lighting up a large parallel hallway. It had tinted Hexagonal glass patterned walls and ceiling; yet the floor remained a transparent glass which I could see a sliding panel zooming back and forth down the hallway. By the time I walked down a quarter of the hallway an electronic voice dispersed throughout the air as though it had no source. With no emotion behind it, it said "Bio-signature scanning activated. Please stand still." Startled I panicked "Wait, bio what!?" Suddenly the sliding panel at the end of the room brought up a coordinate plane through the floor and it came down slowly towards me. I looked around for an exit, first behind me where I had originally came from an ajar doorway; now it had sealed itself shut, than towards the ceiling for any ventilation shafts but none were there. Too late now the grid was already touching me so as the voice said, I stood still. The grid phased through me so I knew it wasn't dangerous for I felt nothing. I had thought I was to be cut to pieces; little did I notice this voice said it was scanning so I was being identified. An advanced technology that could scan with phased I dare say "lasers" with little emphasis. The beings before us were definitely past the tech ponies handled or any other race I’ve seen. "Unnatural equine horse bio-signature detected please standby for personnel investigation." Quite insulted I responded with a correction “I’m not a horse, although quite similar ponies are smaller more denser than a horse…” Quickly interrupted by a loud siren and flashing lights that scared me white as a ghost, even though my coat is a dark blue but that’s beside the point; I was frightened. The blaring sound seared through my ears with the potential to make me go deaf. I leaned against the wall trying to plug my ears with my hooves. Minutes had passed and the sirens stopped, my ears stopped ringing and I needed to continue further but the door ahead lay shut. I searched and searched for any way out of the area but was unsuccessful. Than the adventure became a hundred times more worth it to continue… “Hello, oh my god is somebody really out there? Hey you listen closely; I’ve been trapped here since I don’t even know when. I didn’t think anybody would be alive out there I thought mankind had ended but I’m glad I was wrong. I’m going to unlock the doors for you; I’m in the command room on the bottom level please come find me.” This voice was lifelike, this voice was different, and this voice spoke in a way no other pony spoke. My ears pricked up, my eyes widened, and mouth agape out of shock from what I just heard; this voice w…was human.I tried to ask questions I tried to communicate but no response came back. I didn’t question why, I was so excited I ran eager to meet the species that had long thought been extinct before us. Every question would have an answer and more questions would arise a colt in any study could only wish to have the answers I would receive. I continued running until I was in the next room. As eager as I was the area around me still intrigued me to a point of my wings uncontrollably fluttering about with joy. Like an energetic young colt I looked around interested by everything I saw; which in this case was everything. From the beakers and the vials, to the weird screens of imaging and text, and even the floor patterning under my hooves I examined it all. Pulled out a journal from my saddle bag with a pen and wrote down what I saw. I almost forgot that I had a HUMAN BEING waiting for me so with the realization of this I put away my tools and continued further in the compound following any signs that pointed towards the "command room" that the.. uh I don't want to call him human that seems to aliening I'll just say man that's better. I went entered a small boxed room that seemed like a dead end but the signs pointed this direction towards the main compound. Next the door slowly shut behind me but I was not worried about it; because through quick observation I found a panel with buttons lining up all over it. I had to pull out my journal and decipher book to figure out what this panel said. I etched what I saw and wrote the letters down in Equestrian lettering in the end I had deciphered "Elevator floors." I have a certain understanding of what this means, I'll press the button that allows me to get the closest to this command room. But I have no clue where this room is; all I know is that man said he was at the bottom level so lowest floor. I pressed the lowest button... So that just opened the door. The numbers must be the floor numbers so if this is the entrance than the lowest floor is six.Pressed the button and the elevator closed its doors. Whatever I did caused the whole room to start rumbling and my body had this feeling of lightness for a few seconds. I guess I was going down deeper into the structure. Excited for what answers I may discover. -Chapter End- Chapter 4: A Coffin Guarded by a Cube....All I could think was who or what. Who or what was in this secured death bed? Should of left it alone shouldn't have let my curiosity guide me without an expectation of consequence; but it is to late now... All I thought about were the answers I worked so hard to receive, I can't believe I didn't think this through. Yet is it to much to say that I couldn't have expected this? Don't ask questions you don't want the answers to; cause the answers can be blinding... A part of me really didn't want to continue through this crazy structure; but I just had to, curiosity and the sake of research is bent on this discovery. I headed down the stairs of floor five towards the door I couldn't open, until now. I gave the card a quick slide through (which is pretty difficult when your a pegasus) and it checked out; yet the door went through a ton of mechanics just to open. The door opened revealing a massively long hallway of just, well emptiness. A barrier of metal blocked the rest of the hallway having only small open windows pointing towards the opposite side. Hopefully the door on this barrier didn't have some blasted contraption to stop my path this time. I'm sick of elevators. The door was easy to open, but I quickly realized that the out side didn't have a way to open it. I set my saddle bag down in the door way just so it'd stay open, I'll pick it up on the way back. I gently started flying due to soar hooves. A long hover through this really bland hallway. When I got to the other side I slid the same card through the next contraption praying that it would work. *Bleep*. Oh thank goodness it did. There I was, in the very room with the cube. I got up close to it and saw a sign that looked like an obvious caution sign placed beside it. For safety measures I needed to decipher this to see what I was messing with and, oh shit I left my saddle bag at that door. I went back to grab my stuff which was just my journal and deciphering book. Okay so if that is this than... okay that doesn't make any sense. I got this out of the sign. "Caution when entering: Room is exactly 93 degrees kelvin and is unchangeable." But that's impossible 93 degrees Kelvin is approximately... Negative two hundred and ninety two degrees Fahrenheit, which is negative one hundred and eighty degrees Celsius, rounded of course. So I'd be a ponycicle in ten seconds flat, tartarus it wouldn't even take that long. I knew it was cold in there to you could feel the cube resonating an aura of chill brrr. All this way just for nothing, could I even open that door? I reached my hoof towards it and lightly touched it. To my surprise the object itself was not cold in fact it didn't feel like anything. I opened the door up but if I stood in front of it the breeze alone would kill me. Than at that moment a heat wave poured into the room, most likely a safety installation to avoid the cold from spreading around. Good idea to cause it aloud me to look inside the cube but not enter. Chains and a coffin made of stone wrapped up in those very chains. That was all I saw. What was inside the coffin I could never know because it was guarded by the aura of the cube. I was never gonna be able to find out, and to express my frustration; I took my pen and chucked it right at the coffin only for it to freeze into a large ice ball that became larger as it went. I hit the coffin hard enough to rattle the chains and locks, at that moment I was smacked hard enough to be knocked unconscious. Whatever I did. Whatever I caused to happen; would be the very thing I write about now. Should of left it alone! Why did I get so mad with the status of that coffin being inaccessible! Well I now know something I never wanted to know and that is my own wrong doing. The answer more than blinds it completely cripples you and destroys everything around you; than it goes for you, when it knows that you have nothing else to live for. When you are broken and alone... I woke with the lights out; but some other lights were on, as if in an alert status. The cube had closed its doors and I didn't want to mess with it again. I got up and knew that I needed to go. I may leave with no success but it wouldn't hurt to try once again to get to floor six. By the look of the place now it may possible to do so. Heading back for the elevator now I entered the long room with the barricade. It was wrecked in a way that made it go from bland to near unbearable to look at. Which reminded me that I didn't happen to go through a door to get in here, the door was torn apart. I don't know what happened that caused this I just pray that wereponies don't exist and that I'm not one of them. I went to grab my stuff which still held open the doorway and slid my journal and deciphering book into the bag. Whatever that did this, werepony or something else didn't need to use the door; it tore through the barrier plus the doorway ahead. Concerned I rushed to the top of the stairs to see the source of this destruction. Yet the only sight I saw was a hole in the elevators roof. Whatever this was the compounds security didn't stop it at the large hallway most likely designed now to hold it off. Shells of the discharged projectiles were scattered in that hall, along with destructive forces causing its shape to warp from metal, to exposed compacted dirt. Maybe I caused a major problem in the compound to cause this... maybe but the whole in the elevator roof doesn't seem to agree with that theory. I entered the elevator, tried not to think on it to much and hit the six button. I know the ledges are here to hold on to but I don't have thumbs so I'll try my best to keep my balance. To my surprise the elevator began. "This is finally coming to a close." And with that comment I went on to face the greatest challenge. -Chapter End- Chapter 5: Answers to the End...Prepare Blink for Equestria itself is in grave danger. The elements I don't know if they will work; or if the elements can even be used against it in time. I just don't know what we are truly up against now. What I saw may have not been the worst of it, but it was for them... Elevator on the move, and a human to confront with, of all things. Why do I have to do this, well I bloody know why; for the sake of research, for the sake of discovery, and maybe for the sake of my very own life! Mostly my own curiosity but, I bet anypony would be curious. Static sound came in and than the man was back for his final one way talk. "I had to I'm sorry, I just had to try and stop anyone from entering this compound. If you got this far I failed. I can only wish whatever happens, it isn't a repeat of what happened already. But the world may be changed now far more than mankind could of comprehended. Or this could just be all for nothing. Adjatent disable security systems." "Containment bunker security offline." "Good luck." I was completely confused by this whole message. What did he mean may be changed? What was this event that happened once already? All for nothing? What does it all mean? The elevator had stopped. I grabbed my journal and a writing utensil to take notes on everything I wanted to know. I had so many questions to ask and I knew I was gonna have answers. The door opened wide and a whole room filled with screen projections was revealed. One major thing that caught my eye was the seat over watching it all. I entered. "Greetings, uhh human I am Genesis, anthropologist researcher, and explorer for the land of Equestria." "..." "Uh, hello?" I got no response. Maybe I was a little unexpectedly kind to him; he may of thought I disliked him for his attempt at my execution? I approached the seat and it started turning towards me. Moment of truth. Reward of answers. The biggest find yet. All so much what I had fought for. The Tragic Reward... Nothing but bones which crumbled to dust in front of me. The elevator draft didn't even let me see my dreams intact just destroyed. "W...Why? Did I do all this for nothing? How did he even speak," The man returned to tell me my answers. "Now you know. After a while I left these prerecorded messages as a way to maybe be saved one day," he said very weakly. "But now I know I won't make it through. I survived four months of life with nothing and no one." That was the end of the man's last message. I sat there with tears building up in my eyes. I didn't want to be here anymore all this place had for me were whispers of the past, whispers of sadness. This place only reminded me that there were people who had family's that died off with the world, somehow; and it sounds like their end wasn't a pleasant one. I searched the command room and looked up at the main projected screen thing. It was waiting for some code or something to be typed in. If this is the command room it may hold a lot of information on what had happened. I didn't know how to put the words on the screen. I looked down and the main seat had the same panel as all the other screens had under them. Maybe just maybe that journal I had could help. I took out the journal I had found on floor five. All it kept repeating was the word "Able" but it was capitalized that's not how it works. I don't know but this could be the screens lost code. I went ahead to put the same letters in; but hooves don't allow for easy typing. I took out a pen and well, jabbed at the keys. The screen went on and brought up a film of a sort. I saw a panicking intact city of human civilization. Than destruction washed through by some other man causing it all; but he wasn't like the others he had a strange magical essence. The man was pouring energy from his body into the ground below making it crack, the screen than showed an image of the planet itself and you could see the arcane magic being imbued around the world. Than it cut back to the city below and people were being slaughtered, I couldn't hold my stomach now. This being continued a rampage of destruction and the video ended with that. Another message came in from I believe the man called her Adjatent, the very robotic female voice voice. "Subject Able eliminated all life on the planet on the year 2096 along with changing the planets logic and laws of science." I attempted asking this Adjatent a question," Um Adjatent whats the current status and whereabouts now of Able?" "Subject class keter, end scenario, Able is active, and escaped containment approximately forty five minutes ago." I immediately froze in place. Escaped forty five minutes ago but that's around the time I was knocked out. I knew what it was, the coffin the chains they held this "Able" and he was contained until I hit it. I couldn't spend any more time here no matter what the research. Equestria was on the precipice of the same fate humanity had undergone. At the time I felt weak, my vision was blurred and my stomach cringed. I couldn't help but wish I never entered this building or that it was even discovered in the first place. I needed to escape I needed to get the word out to Blink. He was the closest pony I knew to Princess Celestia and my best friend I can always count on him. We need to prepare to defend Equestria from Able. I flew back to the elevator but it had completely stopped working from going up. I looked up and took flight through the whole in its roof Headed as far as I could. When I reached the entrance where I had first been observed by a laser grid; Adjatent offered me advice I needed to take. "Would you like a copy of all information on Subject Able?" And of course this answer was,"Yes." I grabbed a few papers that slid out of a machine behind me. It had all I needed to know. Five keys had also come to me via delivery system of technology I did not understand. I exited the compound, took out a pen, and began my letter to Blink. All I know is that if we don't stop this Able all of Equestria is doomed. I will do anything to assist; for I have caused this problem and, I take full responsibility. I ask for your help along with Celestia and her loyal subjects. We all must do what we are able to do; and now more than ever. Signed Genesis. Author's Note I know its called a monitor. But ponies don't. Chapter 3: Death, Colleagues, and Respect.A sad sight I held but I couldn't forget. These humans were like us in so many ways that I almost think of them as current friends, but sadly they aren't currently here and never can be. May they find rest with whoever they believed in as a deity. Blink I can't let all these things happen to us that's why I'm writing this so you can prepare and preserve this knowledge yourself... The elevator came to a sudden stop that almost made me lose my balance. I thought over a few things before I exited. How am I going to get answers out of someone who wants me dead... During the elevator ride. I patiently waited for this elevator to reach its destination and that's when my adventure took a dark turn for the worst. "Hey... I don't want to do this and I may have leaded you in here; but that was an accident. I now know what I have to do," Hesitantly the man continued, "And I can't let you continue any further." The static voice came back with unpleasant news,"Containment bunker security systems now online." I was just about to respond when the man had came back with some little aggravating news. "Don't bother yelling at me or asking me why I'm doing this, this intercom only goes one way so I can't hear you." You can't have a conversation and even a decent friendly one at that, with technology being so antisocial. I had to stay vigilante now I had to be ready for whatever this "security" was gonna throw my way. Well maybe if i could get to him I could talk some sense into him. I had to limber up my wings a bit more to be ready to fly and take evasive maneuvers, that and my hooves were killing me. I entered a small room that had many buttons and panels in front of a glass window that gives a nice view of a large room with a large black speckled cube that had a door way on its side. Quite intrigued I wanted to get down there some how and check things out. I took a look at the panels and screens, but I didn't to touch anything because I had no idea what they did. I took a look back at the elevator next to it was a stairway leading downstairs. I knew my way now, but first. "Argh, I want to press one!" I finally decided that I'd look for one that I know wouldn't completely blow up everything. I spent a few minutes deciphering a few words and also writing down the ones I didn't understand in my journal which happens to be a whole ton of them. Finally I closed up and repacked my tools and decided on pushing on the one that said deactivate screens... Apparently the glass in the room wasn't even glass they were just projections of that room I had saw. I was surprised on how truly far this tech was. We are ages away from this at least I know were kind of following their footsteps in industrialization; they had trains and so do we that's close enough right. I was just about to be on my way hopefully towards that room but I had just caught site of something that could be vital to research. A ponies or in this case a persons journal fell onto the floor, I took a brief look at its contents and slid the journal into my saddlebag promising myself that I'd research its scripture later. I started my way down the stairs into a room full of lockers filled with tools and tool parts. Observing the small room I wanted to get a closer look at the tools inside the lockers... *BANG!* "Ahhhh!" I was startled half to death I had knocked one the tools off the bench and when it hit the ground it made a loud sound. I checked what it was my first observation was that the hollow tube the tool held was smoking. I looked at the area the tool pointed towards and it had put a hole into one of the lockers. The tool dislodged a projectile that was obviously dangerous. I ran a few things over in my head and thought to myself. Were humans really so uncooperative with each other that they may have created weapons to combat war with one another; or maybe to avoid their own end maybe that's it. But why would these weapons be in hear. I tried not to think it over to much I just left all the weapons alone and headed towards the door that looked very reinforced. This door had the same gadget the front entrance had I knew exactly what to do. I pulled out the plastic card from my saddle bag and slid it right through, instead this time the door didn't open and the gadget didn't flash green it just flashed red. I guess this card was a one time use thing or maybe it just wasn't the right one either way I needed another one. I searched the two rooms but I didn't find a card so I headed back to the elevator. Entering the elevator I realized this was the fifth floor not the sixth. That guy had stopped me from getting straight to the command room meaning that the sixth floor is the command room or at least I'm guessing. I knew i wouldn't be able to get there currently so I went straight for the number four button. This time I was weighted briefly by the elevator rising this time. I exited the elevator quickly I don't know why but it just psyches me out. Outside the elevator was a hallway with multiple rooms to enter. I walked down the hallway and entered the first door on the right. Now I've seen some pretty gruesome sights but this was beyond that; there was I'm pretty sure blood along the walls and the floor. It has been thousands of years so the blood was dried up and a darker color, there was body but it had decomposed to a point if the bones were just blown on they'd crumble to dust. I had to search the area around the body cause I knew that it may contain the card. No luck just death I wanted to throw up but I held my stomach as bad as it felt. I checked all the rooms some had more blood than the others; at least out of the five rooms two were clean. Still didn't have a card so I went on to the end of the hallway where these humans who had their own work spaces most likely met to talk of their findings. Fellow researchers... if only I could of met them. The room had some counters, a line of seats facing a chalk board with equations all over it, and much to my stomachs demise; blood coloring the walls and floor. I found my card next to a machine on the counter that smelled slightly of coffee. I looked around at the room and felt sadness poor over me as I thought of these researchers as colleagues. I went up to the chalk board and spent a long time over the equation in the end just to solve it, maybe it will help ease the souls more towards peace. I started heading back to the elevator when suddenly two machines came out the wall and by the look of them, weapons. Immediately they started discharging the projectiles; I took shelter inside the room to my right. The elevator was down a hallway that had weapons that some how were tripped into activation. I started thinking on what I should do and to my surprise the man was back to give me some history lessons. "I know this is a horrible sight to see and I would rather not defile the scientists resting place in these offices. But I need to get rid of you, now this will be your resting place," he said with a respectful tone that made me think of him as a better man but either way he wanted to kill me, and I can't have that happen. The projectiles stopped coming but I knew it was because I wasn't there, what technology allows objects to track and compute logic. I couldn't think of anything I didn't completely know what I was up against I needed to observe its reactions. In this way I threw a pen out in the hallway... Okay so it's not sound activated. The next test was a risky one. I started reaching my hoof out into the hallway, I hesitated a little but than continued. As soon as my hoof was out in the open I heard the weapons spin up to fire. Quickly I brought back my hoof and let out a deep breath. Heat activated maybe? I thought so I looked around the room for anything that could produce heat. I looked at a machine that resembled the one that smelled of coffee earlier and thought, no pony likes cold coffee. I looked at the machine to see how it works and some of the buttons were very familiar; I pressed what I thought was the power button than, it started working. Ten minutes and I'll have my fresh brewed coffee......*Ting*. Well that was like three but that's better; anyways the coffee was steaming with heat at least I think it was coffee.*Sip* "Bleck, that tastes horrible!" Okay so taste testing was a stupid idea but my curiosity got the better of me. This could be my ticket out but I don't think that this one brew is gonna get me past the hallway. I just can't check ahead like in an adventure book that tells me to flip to page forty-two if you chose the next room on the left and pray to Celestia that it doesn't result in your demise, no no, luck ain't getting me out of this one. My own choice though was one that would naturally be the scariest... Go straight for the elevator. I took my hot, dark, bland, over thousands of years old coffee and tossed it at the wall. Immediate reaction from the machines and than from me making a break for it. I took flight while I saw the machines pounding a wall with projectiles. I got to the elevator but the machines caught sight of me. Moment of truth here everypony. [Bullets Pinging against metal sound] I didn't want to open my eyes to see me full of holes but I wasn't I was alive. "Thank Celestia I'm alive, Woohoo! There is no trap I can't get through!" I let that one out of my system because, well I just survived a murderous trap. Coffee is a life saver and I'll keep a coffee machine at home from now on; even though I don't drink coffee. Alright so back to floor five to see what this black speckled cube room is about. -Chapter End- Author's Note This chapter mixes tension with comedy trying to give it this realistic out look on things. Honestly wouldn't you be screaming with joy if you just survived a near death encounter, "man that was close woooo!"
Chapter 1: The Find.Chapter 1: The Find. Dear Blink, If you are reading this than the time to prepare is now; for my recent observation of some ruins has unleashed a horror of great magnitude. I was doing what I normally do as my job, my talent discovering more about the past and the origins of our own lives... Genesis means origin, that is my name and oddly enough that applies to my talent; a high understanding and experienced research of human culture and life. Most ponies that do studying and research happen to be unicorns but I am a pegasus and an intellectual intrigued with human beings. My coat is a cool dark blue with a short cut mane that is just as white as ice with sky blue highlights an addition of mine. Might I add that I am engaged to a lovely girl by the name Grace and I miss her every moment I'm off at work. My cutie mark confuses other ponies and a little myself all I know is that it is some human artifact. That is who I am and I am currently on an adventure. The air was cold with a howl of winter gusting behind it. I had prepared for a long day of searching with only rumors to guide me. I was airborne at the time for the advantage of height to aid my search. When I found what I had been tipped off to look for, the description matched. I touched down with the dust being blown away by my wing's quick landing of anticipation. I had found the ruins I had been looking for that I had heard ever so much about. I was standing right outside the only personnel door, that was sealed up in a metal to powerful to get through with any magic or force, and nearby a giant what seemed to be a metal entrance for a larger vehicle or aircraft was lined with the same stuff. There was no handle on this door, instead the only thing was this electronic gadget with a small crack which you could only slide a piece of paper through if you tried. But here is the weird thing it lit up, it was actually alive with energy. Looking around for any clues I found a plastic card with bar-coding, and random numbers/letters on one side, and on the other a symbol of an eagle with the words "In God We Trust" above it, and below what I could read "United States O". I pondered what the rest could of said but nothing good came up so I slid it into my saddle bag just in case it had any further use to me. Now that I think about it I didn't have to decipher those words I had seen them on many pieces of paper across the many ruins I had been through, of America that's what it always says. The area around me was grassy plain for the most part with a few ruins of buildings around. Near the middle lay an obelisk not that tall and slightly broken off at the tip but I can probably guess that most of it lay underground. I went into a larger pile of ruins nearby the metal structure's entrance that were excavated to see if I could find any clues on how to get in. Since it is just ruins there wasn't much to look at as expected, but what I did find was a dented trash bin. I took a gander inside and saw a crumpled paper; no harm in taking it. I unraveled the paper and my luck turned up, the gadget that's on the door was on the paper and I believe this will tell me how to open that same door. The words didn't catch my eye because the pictures were all I needed to see; besides I can always decipher them later. The picture was zoomed in on the top where a card was hovering above it with an arrow next to it pointing down. The next one showed the same card at the bottom with a light pinging on and the door open. I withdrew the card from my saddle bag and knew this is how I'm gonna get in. I just pray to celestia herself that this is the card I need and it works. When I headed out here to the discovery of the metal entrance it was already dawn with an orange sky. I don't have much of a camp but flint n' steel for a fire and a bedroll will do to keep me warm under this cold night's sky. I slept horribly that night. I had a dream where I could see a panning of the ruins with the obelisk a lot taller and a lot more ruins on each side with a giant shallow pool near the obelisk, with a screaming louder than a siren's in my ears; it was terrifying. My bottom eyelids were heavy and dark with deprivation and the feeling of hunger throbbing in my stomach, thank Blink for making me these dragon lilly muffins I ate well for the morning.The casual breakfast helped me wake up for the day though I wish I had something more satisfying than water to wash the meal down. Yawning I stretched out my hooves and gave my wings a good lap around the area. Of course I always limber up before I go into a potentially dangerous structure; I didn't expect that though and thought it would be perfectly normal in there but I've been wrong before. Now filled with anticipation I took the plastic card out of my saddle bag had it so the bar-code was on the left side and slid it down the gadget so that it may open. The door let out a little pinging sound. Green light, door opens. I say my casual catchphrase "This is where the fun begins; when only discovery and mystery lay ahead." -Chapter End- Author's Note Hey if you find anything that seems to be a punctuation error that I didn't catch in the final edit plz message me. Oh and any pointers for future stories would be nice.
Chapter 2: First Contact.Chapter 2: First Contact. I never knew that I’d be in a situation like that, it seemed like a dream come true. I found the greatest find an adventurer could find in all of Equestria; I found a person with the reward of answers that I could only hope to discover through whatever text I may find. But the price for a reward is almost as tragic as the reward itself… The second I put one hoof through the door way a light came on lighting up a large parallel hallway. It had tinted Hexagonal glass patterned walls and ceiling; yet the floor remained a transparent glass which I could see a sliding panel zooming back and forth down the hallway. By the time I walked down a quarter of the hallway an electronic voice dispersed throughout the air as though it had no source. With no emotion behind it, it said "Bio-signature scanning activated. Please stand still." Startled I panicked "Wait, bio what!?" Suddenly the sliding panel at the end of the room brought up a coordinate plane through the floor and it came down slowly towards me. I looked around for an exit, first behind me where I had originally came from an ajar doorway; now it had sealed itself shut, than towards the ceiling for any ventilation shafts but none were there. Too late now the grid was already touching me so as the voice said, I stood still. The grid phased through me so I knew it wasn't dangerous for I felt nothing. I had thought I was to be cut to pieces; little did I notice this voice said it was scanning so I was being identified. An advanced technology that could scan with phased I dare say "lasers" with little emphasis. The beings before us were definitely past the tech ponies handled or any other race I’ve seen. "Unnatural equine horse bio-signature detected please standby for personnel investigation." Quite insulted I responded with a correction “I’m not a horse, although quite similar ponies are smaller more denser than a horse…” Quickly interrupted by a loud siren and flashing lights that scared me white as a ghost, even though my coat is a dark blue but that’s beside the point; I was frightened. The blaring sound seared through my ears with the potential to make me go deaf. I leaned against the wall trying to plug my ears with my hooves. Minutes had passed and the sirens stopped, my ears stopped ringing and I needed to continue further but the door ahead lay shut. I searched and searched for any way out of the area but was unsuccessful. Than the adventure became a hundred times more worth it to continue… “Hello, oh my god is somebody really out there? Hey you listen closely; I’ve been trapped here since I don’t even know when. I didn’t think anybody would be alive out there I thought mankind had ended but I’m glad I was wrong. I’m going to unlock the doors for you; I’m in the command room on the bottom level please come find me.” This voice was lifelike, this voice was different, and this voice spoke in a way no other pony spoke. My ears pricked up, my eyes widened, and mouth agape out of shock from what I just heard; this voice w…was human.I tried to ask questions I tried to communicate but no response came back. I didn’t question why, I was so excited I ran eager to meet the species that had long thought been extinct before us. Every question would have an answer and more questions would arise a colt in any study could only wish to have the answers I would receive. I continued running until I was in the next room. As eager as I was the area around me still intrigued me to a point of my wings uncontrollably fluttering about with joy. Like an energetic young colt I looked around interested by everything I saw; which in this case was everything. From the beakers and the vials, to the weird screens of imaging and text, and even the floor patterning under my hooves I examined it all. Pulled out a journal from my saddle bag with a pen and wrote down what I saw. I almost forgot that I had a HUMAN BEING waiting for me so with the realization of this I put away my tools and continued further in the compound following any signs that pointed towards the "command room" that the.. uh I don't want to call him human that seems to aliening I'll just say man that's better. I went entered a small boxed room that seemed like a dead end but the signs pointed this direction towards the main compound. Next the door slowly shut behind me but I was not worried about it; because through quick observation I found a panel with buttons lining up all over it. I had to pull out my journal and decipher book to figure out what this panel said. I etched what I saw and wrote the letters down in Equestrian lettering in the end I had deciphered "Elevator floors." I have a certain understanding of what this means, I'll press the button that allows me to get the closest to this command room. But I have no clue where this room is; all I know is that man said he was at the bottom level so lowest floor. I pressed the lowest button... So that just opened the door. The numbers must be the floor numbers so if this is the entrance than the lowest floor is six.Pressed the button and the elevator closed its doors. Whatever I did caused the whole room to start rumbling and my body had this feeling of lightness for a few seconds. I guess I was going down deeper into the structure. Excited for what answers I may discover. -Chapter End-
Chapter 4: A Coffin Guarded by a Cube....All I could think was who or what. Who or what was in this secured death bed? Should of left it alone shouldn't have let my curiosity guide me without an expectation of consequence; but it is to late now... All I thought about were the answers I worked so hard to receive, I can't believe I didn't think this through. Yet is it to much to say that I couldn't have expected this? Don't ask questions you don't want the answers to; cause the answers can be blinding... A part of me really didn't want to continue through this crazy structure; but I just had to, curiosity and the sake of research is bent on this discovery. I headed down the stairs of floor five towards the door I couldn't open, until now. I gave the card a quick slide through (which is pretty difficult when your a pegasus) and it checked out; yet the door went through a ton of mechanics just to open. The door opened revealing a massively long hallway of just, well emptiness. A barrier of metal blocked the rest of the hallway having only small open windows pointing towards the opposite side. Hopefully the door on this barrier didn't have some blasted contraption to stop my path this time. I'm sick of elevators. The door was easy to open, but I quickly realized that the out side didn't have a way to open it. I set my saddle bag down in the door way just so it'd stay open, I'll pick it up on the way back. I gently started flying due to soar hooves. A long hover through this really bland hallway. When I got to the other side I slid the same card through the next contraption praying that it would work. *Bleep*. Oh thank goodness it did. There I was, in the very room with the cube. I got up close to it and saw a sign that looked like an obvious caution sign placed beside it. For safety measures I needed to decipher this to see what I was messing with and, oh shit I left my saddle bag at that door. I went back to grab my stuff which was just my journal and deciphering book. Okay so if that is this than... okay that doesn't make any sense. I got this out of the sign. "Caution when entering: Room is exactly 93 degrees kelvin and is unchangeable." But that's impossible 93 degrees Kelvin is approximately... Negative two hundred and ninety two degrees Fahrenheit, which is negative one hundred and eighty degrees Celsius, rounded of course. So I'd be a ponycicle in ten seconds flat, tartarus it wouldn't even take that long. I knew it was cold in there to you could feel the cube resonating an aura of chill brrr. All this way just for nothing, could I even open that door? I reached my hoof towards it and lightly touched it. To my surprise the object itself was not cold in fact it didn't feel like anything. I opened the door up but if I stood in front of it the breeze alone would kill me. Than at that moment a heat wave poured into the room, most likely a safety installation to avoid the cold from spreading around. Good idea to cause it aloud me to look inside the cube but not enter. Chains and a coffin made of stone wrapped up in those very chains. That was all I saw. What was inside the coffin I could never know because it was guarded by the aura of the cube. I was never gonna be able to find out, and to express my frustration; I took my pen and chucked it right at the coffin only for it to freeze into a large ice ball that became larger as it went. I hit the coffin hard enough to rattle the chains and locks, at that moment I was smacked hard enough to be knocked unconscious. Whatever I did. Whatever I caused to happen; would be the very thing I write about now. Should of left it alone! Why did I get so mad with the status of that coffin being inaccessible! Well I now know something I never wanted to know and that is my own wrong doing. The answer more than blinds it completely cripples you and destroys everything around you; than it goes for you, when it knows that you have nothing else to live for. When you are broken and alone... I woke with the lights out; but some other lights were on, as if in an alert status. The cube had closed its doors and I didn't want to mess with it again. I got up and knew that I needed to go. I may leave with no success but it wouldn't hurt to try once again to get to floor six. By the look of the place now it may possible to do so. Heading back for the elevator now I entered the long room with the barricade. It was wrecked in a way that made it go from bland to near unbearable to look at. Which reminded me that I didn't happen to go through a door to get in here, the door was torn apart. I don't know what happened that caused this I just pray that wereponies don't exist and that I'm not one of them. I went to grab my stuff which still held open the doorway and slid my journal and deciphering book into the bag. Whatever that did this, werepony or something else didn't need to use the door; it tore through the barrier plus the doorway ahead. Concerned I rushed to the top of the stairs to see the source of this destruction. Yet the only sight I saw was a hole in the elevators roof. Whatever this was the compounds security didn't stop it at the large hallway most likely designed now to hold it off. Shells of the discharged projectiles were scattered in that hall, along with destructive forces causing its shape to warp from metal, to exposed compacted dirt. Maybe I caused a major problem in the compound to cause this... maybe but the whole in the elevator roof doesn't seem to agree with that theory. I entered the elevator, tried not to think on it to much and hit the six button. I know the ledges are here to hold on to but I don't have thumbs so I'll try my best to keep my balance. To my surprise the elevator began. "This is finally coming to a close." And with that comment I went on to face the greatest challenge. -Chapter End-
Chapter 5: Answers to the End...Prepare Blink for Equestria itself is in grave danger. The elements I don't know if they will work; or if the elements can even be used against it in time. I just don't know what we are truly up against now. What I saw may have not been the worst of it, but it was for them... Elevator on the move, and a human to confront with, of all things. Why do I have to do this, well I bloody know why; for the sake of research, for the sake of discovery, and maybe for the sake of my very own life! Mostly my own curiosity but, I bet anypony would be curious. Static sound came in and than the man was back for his final one way talk. "I had to I'm sorry, I just had to try and stop anyone from entering this compound. If you got this far I failed. I can only wish whatever happens, it isn't a repeat of what happened already. But the world may be changed now far more than mankind could of comprehended. Or this could just be all for nothing. Adjatent disable security systems." "Containment bunker security offline." "Good luck." I was completely confused by this whole message. What did he mean may be changed? What was this event that happened once already? All for nothing? What does it all mean? The elevator had stopped. I grabbed my journal and a writing utensil to take notes on everything I wanted to know. I had so many questions to ask and I knew I was gonna have answers. The door opened wide and a whole room filled with screen projections was revealed. One major thing that caught my eye was the seat over watching it all. I entered. "Greetings, uhh human I am Genesis, anthropologist researcher, and explorer for the land of Equestria." "..." "Uh, hello?" I got no response. Maybe I was a little unexpectedly kind to him; he may of thought I disliked him for his attempt at my execution? I approached the seat and it started turning towards me. Moment of truth. Reward of answers. The biggest find yet. All so much what I had fought for. The Tragic Reward... Nothing but bones which crumbled to dust in front of me. The elevator draft didn't even let me see my dreams intact just destroyed. "W...Why? Did I do all this for nothing? How did he even speak," The man returned to tell me my answers. "Now you know. After a while I left these prerecorded messages as a way to maybe be saved one day," he said very weakly. "But now I know I won't make it through. I survived four months of life with nothing and no one." That was the end of the man's last message. I sat there with tears building up in my eyes. I didn't want to be here anymore all this place had for me were whispers of the past, whispers of sadness. This place only reminded me that there were people who had family's that died off with the world, somehow; and it sounds like their end wasn't a pleasant one. I searched the command room and looked up at the main projected screen thing. It was waiting for some code or something to be typed in. If this is the command room it may hold a lot of information on what had happened. I didn't know how to put the words on the screen. I looked down and the main seat had the same panel as all the other screens had under them. Maybe just maybe that journal I had could help. I took out the journal I had found on floor five. All it kept repeating was the word "Able" but it was capitalized that's not how it works. I don't know but this could be the screens lost code. I went ahead to put the same letters in; but hooves don't allow for easy typing. I took out a pen and well, jabbed at the keys. The screen went on and brought up a film of a sort. I saw a panicking intact city of human civilization. Than destruction washed through by some other man causing it all; but he wasn't like the others he had a strange magical essence. The man was pouring energy from his body into the ground below making it crack, the screen than showed an image of the planet itself and you could see the arcane magic being imbued around the world. Than it cut back to the city below and people were being slaughtered, I couldn't hold my stomach now. This being continued a rampage of destruction and the video ended with that. Another message came in from I believe the man called her Adjatent, the very robotic female voice voice. "Subject Able eliminated all life on the planet on the year 2096 along with changing the planets logic and laws of science." I attempted asking this Adjatent a question," Um Adjatent whats the current status and whereabouts now of Able?" "Subject class keter, end scenario, Able is active, and escaped containment approximately forty five minutes ago." I immediately froze in place. Escaped forty five minutes ago but that's around the time I was knocked out. I knew what it was, the coffin the chains they held this "Able" and he was contained until I hit it. I couldn't spend any more time here no matter what the research. Equestria was on the precipice of the same fate humanity had undergone. At the time I felt weak, my vision was blurred and my stomach cringed. I couldn't help but wish I never entered this building or that it was even discovered in the first place. I needed to escape I needed to get the word out to Blink. He was the closest pony I knew to Princess Celestia and my best friend I can always count on him. We need to prepare to defend Equestria from Able. I flew back to the elevator but it had completely stopped working from going up. I looked up and took flight through the whole in its roof Headed as far as I could. When I reached the entrance where I had first been observed by a laser grid; Adjatent offered me advice I needed to take. "Would you like a copy of all information on Subject Able?" And of course this answer was,"Yes." I grabbed a few papers that slid out of a machine behind me. It had all I needed to know. Five keys had also come to me via delivery system of technology I did not understand. I exited the compound, took out a pen, and began my letter to Blink. All I know is that if we don't stop this Able all of Equestria is doomed. I will do anything to assist; for I have caused this problem and, I take full responsibility. I ask for your help along with Celestia and her loyal subjects. We all must do what we are able to do; and now more than ever. Signed Genesis. Author's Note I know its called a monitor. But ponies don't.
Chapter 3: Death, Colleagues, and Respect.A sad sight I held but I couldn't forget. These humans were like us in so many ways that I almost think of them as current friends, but sadly they aren't currently here and never can be. May they find rest with whoever they believed in as a deity. Blink I can't let all these things happen to us that's why I'm writing this so you can prepare and preserve this knowledge yourself... The elevator came to a sudden stop that almost made me lose my balance. I thought over a few things before I exited. How am I going to get answers out of someone who wants me dead... During the elevator ride. I patiently waited for this elevator to reach its destination and that's when my adventure took a dark turn for the worst. "Hey... I don't want to do this and I may have leaded you in here; but that was an accident. I now know what I have to do," Hesitantly the man continued, "And I can't let you continue any further." The static voice came back with unpleasant news,"Containment bunker security systems now online." I was just about to respond when the man had came back with some little aggravating news. "Don't bother yelling at me or asking me why I'm doing this, this intercom only goes one way so I can't hear you." You can't have a conversation and even a decent friendly one at that, with technology being so antisocial. I had to stay vigilante now I had to be ready for whatever this "security" was gonna throw my way. Well maybe if i could get to him I could talk some sense into him. I had to limber up my wings a bit more to be ready to fly and take evasive maneuvers, that and my hooves were killing me. I entered a small room that had many buttons and panels in front of a glass window that gives a nice view of a large room with a large black speckled cube that had a door way on its side. Quite intrigued I wanted to get down there some how and check things out. I took a look at the panels and screens, but I didn't to touch anything because I had no idea what they did. I took a look back at the elevator next to it was a stairway leading downstairs. I knew my way now, but first. "Argh, I want to press one!" I finally decided that I'd look for one that I know wouldn't completely blow up everything. I spent a few minutes deciphering a few words and also writing down the ones I didn't understand in my journal which happens to be a whole ton of them. Finally I closed up and repacked my tools and decided on pushing on the one that said deactivate screens... Apparently the glass in the room wasn't even glass they were just projections of that room I had saw. I was surprised on how truly far this tech was. We are ages away from this at least I know were kind of following their footsteps in industrialization; they had trains and so do we that's close enough right. I was just about to be on my way hopefully towards that room but I had just caught site of something that could be vital to research. A ponies or in this case a persons journal fell onto the floor, I took a brief look at its contents and slid the journal into my saddlebag promising myself that I'd research its scripture later. I started my way down the stairs into a room full of lockers filled with tools and tool parts. Observing the small room I wanted to get a closer look at the tools inside the lockers... *BANG!* "Ahhhh!" I was startled half to death I had knocked one the tools off the bench and when it hit the ground it made a loud sound. I checked what it was my first observation was that the hollow tube the tool held was smoking. I looked at the area the tool pointed towards and it had put a hole into one of the lockers. The tool dislodged a projectile that was obviously dangerous. I ran a few things over in my head and thought to myself. Were humans really so uncooperative with each other that they may have created weapons to combat war with one another; or maybe to avoid their own end maybe that's it. But why would these weapons be in hear. I tried not to think it over to much I just left all the weapons alone and headed towards the door that looked very reinforced. This door had the same gadget the front entrance had I knew exactly what to do. I pulled out the plastic card from my saddle bag and slid it right through, instead this time the door didn't open and the gadget didn't flash green it just flashed red. I guess this card was a one time use thing or maybe it just wasn't the right one either way I needed another one. I searched the two rooms but I didn't find a card so I headed back to the elevator. Entering the elevator I realized this was the fifth floor not the sixth. That guy had stopped me from getting straight to the command room meaning that the sixth floor is the command room or at least I'm guessing. I knew i wouldn't be able to get there currently so I went straight for the number four button. This time I was weighted briefly by the elevator rising this time. I exited the elevator quickly I don't know why but it just psyches me out. Outside the elevator was a hallway with multiple rooms to enter. I walked down the hallway and entered the first door on the right. Now I've seen some pretty gruesome sights but this was beyond that; there was I'm pretty sure blood along the walls and the floor. It has been thousands of years so the blood was dried up and a darker color, there was body but it had decomposed to a point if the bones were just blown on they'd crumble to dust. I had to search the area around the body cause I knew that it may contain the card. No luck just death I wanted to throw up but I held my stomach as bad as it felt. I checked all the rooms some had more blood than the others; at least out of the five rooms two were clean. Still didn't have a card so I went on to the end of the hallway where these humans who had their own work spaces most likely met to talk of their findings. Fellow researchers... if only I could of met them. The room had some counters, a line of seats facing a chalk board with equations all over it, and much to my stomachs demise; blood coloring the walls and floor. I found my card next to a machine on the counter that smelled slightly of coffee. I looked around at the room and felt sadness poor over me as I thought of these researchers as colleagues. I went up to the chalk board and spent a long time over the equation in the end just to solve it, maybe it will help ease the souls more towards peace. I started heading back to the elevator when suddenly two machines came out the wall and by the look of them, weapons. Immediately they started discharging the projectiles; I took shelter inside the room to my right. The elevator was down a hallway that had weapons that some how were tripped into activation. I started thinking on what I should do and to my surprise the man was back to give me some history lessons. "I know this is a horrible sight to see and I would rather not defile the scientists resting place in these offices. But I need to get rid of you, now this will be your resting place," he said with a respectful tone that made me think of him as a better man but either way he wanted to kill me, and I can't have that happen. The projectiles stopped coming but I knew it was because I wasn't there, what technology allows objects to track and compute logic. I couldn't think of anything I didn't completely know what I was up against I needed to observe its reactions. In this way I threw a pen out in the hallway... Okay so it's not sound activated. The next test was a risky one. I started reaching my hoof out into the hallway, I hesitated a little but than continued. As soon as my hoof was out in the open I heard the weapons spin up to fire. Quickly I brought back my hoof and let out a deep breath. Heat activated maybe? I thought so I looked around the room for anything that could produce heat. I looked at a machine that resembled the one that smelled of coffee earlier and thought, no pony likes cold coffee. I looked at the machine to see how it works and some of the buttons were very familiar; I pressed what I thought was the power button than, it started working. Ten minutes and I'll have my fresh brewed coffee......*Ting*. Well that was like three but that's better; anyways the coffee was steaming with heat at least I think it was coffee.*Sip* "Bleck, that tastes horrible!" Okay so taste testing was a stupid idea but my curiosity got the better of me. This could be my ticket out but I don't think that this one brew is gonna get me past the hallway. I just can't check ahead like in an adventure book that tells me to flip to page forty-two if you chose the next room on the left and pray to Celestia that it doesn't result in your demise, no no, luck ain't getting me out of this one. My own choice though was one that would naturally be the scariest... Go straight for the elevator. I took my hot, dark, bland, over thousands of years old coffee and tossed it at the wall. Immediate reaction from the machines and than from me making a break for it. I took flight while I saw the machines pounding a wall with projectiles. I got to the elevator but the machines caught sight of me. Moment of truth here everypony. [Bullets Pinging against metal sound] I didn't want to open my eyes to see me full of holes but I wasn't I was alive. "Thank Celestia I'm alive, Woohoo! There is no trap I can't get through!" I let that one out of my system because, well I just survived a murderous trap. Coffee is a life saver and I'll keep a coffee machine at home from now on; even though I don't drink coffee. Alright so back to floor five to see what this black speckled cube room is about. -Chapter End- Author's Note This chapter mixes tension with comedy trying to give it this realistic out look on things. Honestly wouldn't you be screaming with joy if you just survived a near death encounter, "man that was close woooo!"
