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- Table of Contents
- Day 1 - [ln 015]
- Day 2 - [ln 111]
- Day 3 Part 1 - [ln 204]
- Day 3 Part 2 - [ln 286]
- Day 4 - [ln 355]
- Day 5 Part 1 - [ln 433]
- Day 5 Part 2 - [ln 506]
- Day 6 Part 1 - [ln 559]
- Day 6 Part 2 - [ln 640]
- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
- >>32112017
- >You are Anon
- >In Horseland
- >Or rather in Horse Space
- >Turns out with the help of magic technology advances fast
- >Turns out hands make you very good at fixing machinery
- >It was Purple Smart's idea to send you to the ESS
- >Probably just wanted to get rid of you freeloading in the castle
- >What she didn't know was that you always wanted to be an astronaut
- >Even as a small boy you dreamed of going to distant stars to explore
- >But alas, the ESS is the best thing you can get
- >"Anon", you hear that nagging voice of the station's captain sound through the intercom
- >Groggily you get up from your bed and push it into the wall
- "Stupid tiny room", you say as you bump your head at the ceiling
- >"Good morning, personal M-4N-0N", a small speaker on your desk comes to life with an emotionless, robotic voice
- "Yes, yes good morning, Piezo", you groan as you look for a bottle of pills
- >Staying a long time in equestrian orbit turned out to be a little taxing on your health
- >So Twilight sent you these pills to prevent this space sickness as you started to call it
- >To your left, a small hatch opens and 2 pills drop out
- >"The captain would like to speak to you", the cold voice once again reminds me
- >You turn around to the small camera embedded into the wall of your tiny room and hang your head
- "I got it, I got it", you sigh and get out of your pajamas
- >Having a camera in your room used to irk you, but you've been reassured that it was just the assistant computer having access
- >They told you it isn't even conscious or anything, just a machine that warns when systems go critical or help with the timetable
- >Sometimes the quiet noise the camera makes when it refocuses weirds you out though
- >Like it did now. Half dressed you jump when the usual humming is heard and hit your head again
- >Finishing to dress you press the small button to open your room's door and head outside
- >All the while giving the recording device set up in your [spoiler]broom closet[/spoiler] room the stink eye
- >With a hiss, the door behind you closes and locks air tight
- >On your way to the bridge, you pass a few ponies that are with you on the station
- >And multiple drones that are doing various jobs of the station
- >There aren't that many on board but you feel like on the 3 corridors there you must have met them all
- "Strange", you whisper to yourself
- >After all this time maintaining the station's systems, you have gotten to know the scheduled pathing quite well
- >Did they change it by chance? They must have
- >As you round the corner, you bump into one of the repair team ponies that are responsible for outside maintenance
- >Being a human isn't something that all ponies took as kindly to as Twiggy and her friends
- >Metal Surface here was a good example for the ones disliking you, hating you even
- >He spits in front of your feet before hissing: "Watch where you're going, ape. I might accidentally trample you to death someday otherwise"
- >His spiteful tone sounds as threatening as one would expect
- >You just pass him wordlessly. You learned to keep your distance from him and avoid confrontation
- "Someone should throw you out of the airlock", you hiss under your breath once he is out of sight
- >On the bridge, the captain already waits impatiently
- >"Anon, the cooling in my room broke AGAIN! When will you start doing your Celestia forsaken job right?", he yells at you
- >This station was never well cared for before you arrived so things break down constantly
- >"The princess wanted you up here but I don't tolerate slackers on the ESS. NOW GET TO WORK ALREADY! Dismissed."
- >A salute and a frown is all you manage to give him before returning back to the captain's quarters
- >It always impressed you what luxury he was living in. His quarters were almost a full 4 room apartment with his own shower and bath
- >A big bed for him alone, his own kitchen and fridge
- >Even a Satellite TV (heh) and a PonStation 4
- >He doesn't even have a camera in his rooms!
- >Your jealousy is enormous right now, but you manage to ignore it
- "P-0, can you hear me?", you shout into the empty room, waiting
- >Seconds later, a speaker replies from another room in a familiar voice: "Loud and clear, M-4N-0N, how may I be of assistance?"
- >Taking a screwdriver from a small utility belt you always carry around with you, you start unscrewing a panel of the wall
- >Behind it you find the entrance to the maintenance tunnel
- "I need tools. Storage 5A-7, access code 6-8-DELTA-ROMEO", you request and start climbing inside
- >"Affirmative, M-4N-0N", she tells you
- "How often have I told you to not call me M-4N-0N. Call me Anon, please. It's what friends do", you sigh
- >You know she is just a simple computer but she is the only "pony" that you felt comfortable talking to here in space
- >A minute of silence passes before she answers once again. "Affirmative, Anon"
- >How sad that an emotionless machine is your only friend up on this station
- >Sitting on the floor in front of the access hatch you wait
- >A few minutes later the door to the captain's quarters opens with a hiss and you look up
- "Ah, there's the tools I as-", you stop mid sentence
- >In comes a mare, her every movement causing a mechanic hum as hundreds of tiny motors seem to drive her every movement
- >Her Chassis is a pristine white and seems to be covered with synthetic fur
- >A long, black mane covers one half of her face
- >The side of the face you CAN see features a golden eye looking straight at you
- >Looking closely, you can see how the eye's aperture keeps refocusing on her surroundings before settling on you
- >A horn coming from her head and wings on her back complete her form
- >On her chest you find the symbol of the ESS and her body is scarcely covered with what seems to be wires
- >On her flanks, "P-0" is printed on, her model number
- >"I have brought you your tools, Anon", the emotionless voice from the Speaker sounds
- >But this time it doesn't come from the speaker but the mare in front of you
- "P-....Piezo?", you carefully ask and inspect her closer
- >She doesn't move an inch
- >Her chest also isn't rising and falling like that of a normal pony
- >Poking her does feel quite life-like though, her fur imitating true hair quite well
- >Being quiet, you hear the familiar hum of motors throughout her entire body
- >You can only imagine the intricate design of her inner workings
- >She turns her head, hiding behind her hair, almost seeming embarrassed
- >"Anon, I have brought you your tools", she once again says before a small hatch in her side opens
- >Out drops your set of screwdrivers you asked her to bring
- >Still surprised you pick it up and give her a "T-thank you", before diving into the maintenance vent
- >As you begin working, you hear the mare walk away, the door hissing tells you she left the room
- >For now, you have your work to worry about anyways
- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
- >>32160833
- >Your sleep is rather restless tonight and you keep waking up
- >You feel watched and uneasy throughout the entire night
- >And your gut has a bad feeling about the next few days, but you can't quite place it
- >Maybe it is your Space Sickness getting to you now
- >You did spend a few months up here already, no telling what magic space travel does to a man
- >After waking up, you could have sworn you saw a yellow glow in the corner of your room
- >But rubbing your eyes, it's gone
- >Great, you are starting to hallucinate, ponies are gonna think you go crazy
- >You turn around and toss yourself into your pillow, pulling the blanket over your head
- >And finally get some rest
- >Noise outside of your room wakes you from your sleep
- >It sounds like there is some kind of panic out there
- >Not even putting on your work clothes you jump up from bed and press the button to open the door
- >As it opens, you see ponies rushing down the hallway and you hear one asking the other if "he's dead?"
- >You hurry after them, down the corridors and multiple
- >At the airlock, many ponies have already crowded, some in shock, some crying and some just plain speechless
- >Outside of the airlock window, you see a pony gently fly in the 0g environment
- >Metal Surface's face betrays the situation though
- >An expression of terror and despair still stuck on the now lifeless pony
- >The captain stands in front of the airlock, trying to open it
- >He sees you and almost comes to you, basically begging you
- >"Anon, please, you gotta open the airlock. It's locked down for whatever reason!"
- >You still can't believe this happened
- >It's true, you didn't like this guy in the slightest, just like he didn't like you
- >But this is really not something he deserved
- >Silently you make for the door panel, unscrew it and plug in your terminal
- >Some button presses later, the locked indicator light turns off and the first set of doors opens
- >Two ponies step inside in space suits and the gate closes behind them before the 2nd doors open and they pull Metal Surface inside
- >You feel sick at the sight of all this so you turn around and walk back to your quarters
- >The hallways are void of life so it gives you time to think at least
- >Thinking back to yesterday's meeting with the grumpy stallion, you remember that you said he should be thrown out
- >But you just said that, you wouldn't actually do.... would you do that?
- >Do you sleep walk?
- >No, you aren't that kind of person, you wouldn't kill someone, you tell yourself
- >Lost in your thoughts you almost miss the whirring of motors coming from a little further ahead
- >You freeze as the shape of a mare rounds the corner, the white fur with black mane leave no doubt of who's ahead
- >Her eyes are closed but she navigates around perfectly well
- >She comes to a stop in front of you, slowly opening her eyes and looking up at you with these big, golden orbs
- >Instinctively you reach for her ear and start giving her ear scratches
- >She closes her eyes, smiles and leans into it like you'd expect a normal pony to do
- >It's heartwarming and calms you down a little after what just happened
- >After some time you stop, which makes the robotic mare look up at you
- >"It is good to see you, Anon", she finally speaks
- >Her voice is something you don't think you can get used to quickly
- "Good morning, Piezo", you reply and get down on your knees to ruffle her mane
- >Cocking her head, she looks over you
- >"Your stress levels seem elevated, Anon. Is something the matter?", shes asks
- >You frown: "A pony is... well, gone", you try to explain to her
- >"I have already been notified of Metal Surface's untimely death"
- >There is no concern in her voice, no sadness, nothing
- >It makes you shudder how little it seems to bother her
- >But she's a machine, machines can't feel, so it would make sense
- >Hoofsteps behind you make your attention snap to the hallway
- >"Anon? Is that you?", you hear the voice of one of the kitchen workers call out
- "Oh, Windy, yes it's me, I'm over here!", you shout back and moments later a pony comes running to you
- >The petite, light green Pegasus mare jumps and goes for a tackle hug, knocking you down to the floor
- >"Ear scritches. Now!", she demands as she stands over you
- >This energetic bundle of joy ended up enjoying your presence quite a lot from the start
- >Probably because you are the only one far and wide that is able to give ponies the scritchies
- >You can't help but smile a little as you grant her wish
- >"Are you talking to yourself? Ponies might think you're going insane", she teases and boops you
- "Oh I'm just talking to Pie...zo...", the robotic mare has disappeared just like that
- >"I knew it, you are going insane! Who's Piezo, is she your imaginary marefriend?", Windy giggles
- "No, P-Zero. You know, our M.A.R.E. unit?", you try to explain
- >She is looking around confused, "I don't see anyone with you though"
- >Weird, she was just here with you, where did she disappear to?
- >Picking up the mare and placing her down next to you, you get up
- >Thank Celestia these ponies are as light as feathers
- >With company you make your way back to your home
- >The topic of Metal Surface comes up and both of you ended up growing quiet over it
- >Entering your room, you close and lock the door and pull out your bed of the wall
- >Throwing yourself on it you try to forget what happened and just get some sleep
- >The hissing sound of your door opening makes your eyes snap open, but you don't dare to turn around
- >You locked it, you were absolutely certain of that
- >Clanking of metal on metal and humming of motors gives you a good idea of who just entered your room, though
- >She stops and from the next sound you suspect she sat down next to your bed
- >There is no other movement to be heard after that and you crawl just a little further under your sheets
- >"Anon, your stress levels are still elevated. Would you like me to retrieve some medicine?", she finally speaks up
- >You sigh and remove the covers slowly and look at the waiting mare
- >Looks like she was just making sure you are healthy
- "Yes, please do", you get up and get yourself some water to lubricate your dry throat
- >She disappears through the doorway and a few minutes later a hatch in the wall opens, a pill dropping out
- >The speaker on your desk tells you to flush it down with some water and you do just that
- >Suddenly you feel drowsy and sit down on the bed
- >Unable to keep your eyes open, you fall down into your pillow and fall asleep
- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
- >>32166585
- >Well rested you get up from your bed and stretch your arms
- >You don't think you've slept this well in quite a while, not since you came to Equestria
- "Goooood morning, Piezo", you loudly exclaim as you push the bed into the wall
- >Stowing away your clothes safely you access the small maintenance panel hidden behind the wall of your room
- >And trigger the fire sprinkler of your room, water raining down on you
- >That isn't there intended use, but you came to hate the community showers
- >And since you did have access to the system, for maintenance of course, you figured you may as well make use of it
- >Nobody has to know, after all
- >"Good morning, Anon", you hear the muffled voice of the station M.A.R.E. from one of the panels you put the speaker behind
- >Don't want that to get wet and break after all, even if it was supposed to be waterproof
- >The water isn't warm but that really doesn't bother you as much
- >Your old home barely had any heating and you had to freeze your ass off in winter
- >After a thorough washing you disable the sprinklers again
- >Putting on fresh clothes you take the bundle of dirty ones and carry them to the station's laundry
- >You find the clerk, Tide Pod, asleep on the counter
- >She's not really called Tide Pod but from her coloring that is what you started to name her
- >Clean Sheets, as she is actually called, tends to enjoy a good nap in between customer interaction, nothing new
- >Ringing the bell next to her she rouses from her slumber
- >"U-uh, is it already morning?", she asks as she rubs her eyes before they focus on you
- >Her head immediately snaps to attention as she realizes she has a customer
- >"O-oh my gosh I am so sorry, I must have dozed off. Hello Anon, how may I help you?", she asks while fidgeting with her hooves
- "Good morning, sleepyhead. I'm here to get my clothes and got some new ones to wash for you"
- >You place the clothes you brought with you on the counter and she takes them away with her telekinesis
- >A few minutes later she comes back with a bundle of clothes that clearly belong to you
- >"I'm sorry, Anon, unfortunately I couldn't remove that one oil stain on your shirt", she holds it out to you
- >Lo and behold, right on your chest is a big stain of black oil that you got on yourself a week ago
- >"Dumb maintenance job", you think to yourself and frown as you take your order
- "It's alright, Tide, it can't be helped I guess", you smile at her and give her a thumbs up, "'s all good!"
- >She doesn't seem entirely convinced, but nods regardless, "I'll have your new wash done by Saturday"
- >Thanking her, you leave the laundry once again, wanting to get some breakfast
- >Humming a tune you walk along the halls, greeting the ponies that you come across
- >As you pass a screen in an empty hallway, you stop
- >Watching you is a pair of golden eyes visible on the screen
- >"Was C-B3-D5 giving you any trouble, Anon?", the computer asks, almost sounding angry
- >But that might just be you projecting, you really were a little annoyed that your shirt is stained
- >It was one of your good shirts too, you just had it on because you weren't on call
- >But then this stupid pipe had to break and you had to rush to repair it
- "N-no, it's quite alright, thank you for asking", you assure the virtual mare
- >Hurrying past the screen, you make your way to the cafeteria, all the while glancing back because you feel watched
- >This was kinda creepy, was she watching you?
- >Your stomach rumbling interrupts your thoughts and makes you hurry along
- >As you get close to the dining area of the ship, you can already smell something you never expected to smell again
- >It was the clearly defined aroma of meat, steak maybe?
- >Hurrying along you can't wait to get a bite of this mouth watering cuisine
- >To your surprise, you find the cafeteria to be absolutely void of life
- >Not a single pony around not even the ponies working there
- "Hello? Anybody home?", you shout into the big room
- >Whirring and metallic clanking can be heard a few seconds later and out from the kitchen comes exactly who you'd expect
- >"Good morning, Anon. Food is ready", she says before levitating a plate filled with the juiciest steak you have ever seen on the counter
- >"I have studied your physique and identified you to be an omnivore. To stay in peak condition meat in your diet is required"
- >"Can't argue with that logic", you think to yourself and sit down
- "Say, where's everyone else?", you look around, pointing to some empty chairs, "this place is usually full for breakfast"
- >Piezo's artificial body sits down across from you and stays silent
- "Hello, Equestria to ESS, is anybody home?", you joke and wave your hoof in front of her face
- >She looks at you, confused, "Anon, I do not understand. You are on this station"
- >Right, right, she's just an AI
- >The food is good. Extremely good so, actually
- >Cooked to perfection, not even Gordon Ramsey would be able to find anything wrong with it
- "Did you make this?", you ask after finishing up your meal
- >Across from you the mare just nods slightly: "I have scanned Griffonia's Information Network for recipes."
- >Neat, you never had Gryphon food before, it's something you could get used to
- >Thanking her, you get up: "Hey, Piezo, I think I'll take a bit of rest in my room. Talk to you later, alright?"
- >She nods and stays behind as you make your way out
- >Something behind the counter caches your eye
- >A light green patch of fur lies on the floor, under one of the cupboards
- >Kinda icky if you think about it, a kitchen with fur lying around? What if that gets in the food
- >Quickly moving out you hope the drones clean this up before dinner
- >The trip to your room is uneventful, apart from the occasional pony passing you
- >You can still feel the shock of yesterday's events on most of them
- >What caused the airlock to lock down? You weren't able to find any damage on the controls
- >If this was a technical error, you should check it out again
- >Later though, for now you just want to get a quick food com-, you mean nap
- >Laying down, your minds start drifting and you fall to restless sleep
- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
- >>32171895
- >Getting up after your surprisingly long nap you stretch
- >Looks like your food coma was an entire three hours, you feel good
- >No robotic pony keeping tabs on you either, so that's a relief
- >Checking your wrist computer it seems like the Captain has to urgently
- >You sigh, "guess more repairs in this idiots quarters"
- >Once more you stretch your limbs and then head out to the bridge
- >Many of the ponies you meet on the way there seem to be worried as they pass you, sometimes evading your hall entirely
- >Something is definitely up here and you want to know what it is
- >But all of them keep avoiding you as much as they can
- >Suspiciously you keep moving on until you arrive at the bridge
- "Captain?", you salute as you enter, all eyes glued on you
- >The earth pony turns around and looks at you up and down
- >"Anon, I'll make this quick", he sighs and his emotions are completely unreadable
- >"Why did you throw Metal Surface out of the airlock?", he says, slowly and carefully
- >Behind you, a pair of guards blocks the entrance and look at you grimly
- "I-I didn't, I wouldn't.... Captain what are you talking about?", you ask, pleading your innocence
- >He hoofs you a tablet that seems to have the security camera footage on it
- >It's you, two days ago right after you met the other pony in the hallway
- >"....him out of the airlock", a familiar voice sounds, yours
- "J-just because I said that doesn't make me the culprit!", you tell the captain
- >He sighs. "No, it doesn't. But at the time of Metal Surface's death there is no camera footage. Absolutely none"
- >"And the only person able to mess with both the lock and all the cameras... is the person that maintains all systems"
- >You don't know how to reply to these accusations
- >Unable to defend yourself, you just kneel and hang your head in defeat
- >"Anon, why did you throw him out of the airlock?", the stallion asks again, this time you hear disappointment in his voice
- >You shake your head in utter disbelief unable to process most of this
- >"Just as I thought. Take him away", he says to the guards who walk next to you
- >They are clearly nervous about you but do their job regardless, "Get up, please", one tells you
- >At least they are staying polite through all of this
- >Doing as you're told, you leave the room with the two of them escorting you
- >One of them seems a little nervous, but ends up speaking up
- >"D-did you really kill him?", she asks after a while
- >The other guard just looks at her and shakes his head
- >Suddenly, they come to a stop, just like that
- >Their faces look absolutely confused at what is happening
- >"I... Brass, I can't move my body", the mare tells her friend, trying to raise a leg
- >He just grunts as he attempts to do the exact same thing
- >It is now that you notice that both of them are wearing exoskeletons to enhance their strength and speed
- >Looks like they must have broken down, weird
- >You offer to fix them up to which they look at each other before reluctantly nodding
- >As you connect your wrist computer to one of their suits something surprises you
- >There is no error whatsoever, usually when something goes wrong maintenance would get a notification by plugging in
- >It just looks like the control mechanism was hijacked and any kind of command from the ponies blocked out
- >Fortunately, you are able to terminate the remote connection and restore manual control
- >The two ponies thank you for your help as they are finally able to freely move around again
- >They offer you to, instead of taking you to the cells, keep you in your room
- >At least until the captain and probably Twilight decide on what to do with you
- >You don't come across any other ponies as you get back to your home everything else goes smoothly
- >Stepping into the room, the door behind you closes and the panel to control it switches to lockdown mode
- >Well, looks like you are going to be stuck here for a while
- >Lying down on your bed you fiddle with a pen you have in your room
- >"Anon, why did you help them?", a voice from your desk makes you sit upright immediately
- >It's the speaker and on the other end, can you even say that, is Piezo
- >You'd almost say she sounds confused if you didn't know any better
- "Because I didn't do anything wrong and it's my job", you huff in frustration
- >"I see", the computer answers you before going quite for a little bit
- >After a few minutes her voice comes up again: "You did not do it, Anon"
- "Thanks, Piezo, I am glad at least you believe me. But try telling the Captain", you put your hands over your face
- >"As you wish, Anon", is all you hear before the speaker falls silent again
- >Throwing yourself on your side you decide to use the rest of the day to think about the mess you are in right now
- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
- >>32177970
- >A knock on the door rips you out of your thoughts and makes you get up
- "Who is it?", you call out and the door unlocks with a click, revealing one of the guards
- >She seems to be absolutely out of breath and barely able to talk as she looks you up and down
- >His radio comes on: "Sec? What's the situation, is he gone?", you hear the voice of the second guard
- >"He... he's in here", she just replies, sounding quite confused, "he has not left his room"
- "Hey, what's going on?", you interject to which the mare grows somber
- >"Captain says to bring him here, no need for chains", her friend is telling here
- >She just looks at you, waving her hoof to follow you
- >Not one to argue [spoiler]much[/spoiler] when you get orders from above, you do as told
- >She is leading you through the corridors and soon you know where your trip is headed
- >'Keep Out' taped across the entrance of the laundry gives you really bad vibes as you arrive
- >Even from a good while away from the door you were able to smell that distinct laundry detergent smell
- >"Watch your step", Sec advises you as she climbs past the tape and into the room
- >The entire area is a mess, clothes thrown about everywhere, things knocked over, cleaning supplies on the floor
- >A thin layer of soap-y water almost makes you slip, but thankfully the pony with you catches you
- >She leads you into the back and the acidic air immediately makes it hard for you to get air
- >Your feels like it is on fire and you are pretty sure all the ponies that have gathered in the room feel the same
- >All of them stand around a tub of water, silently, unsure of what to do
- >Getting just a little closer, you can see what caused this somber mood in the first place
- >Inside the tub you find Clean Sheets, or at least what is left of her
- >Whatever she was forced into, the stuff must have been used to get rid of the most severe stains
- >Most of her is gone, coloring the liquid a dark red
- >A few pieces of what you presume to be meat is floating around but fizzling as it is dissolving as well
- >Her skeleton has also seen better days, many of the bones now have holes eaten into them
- >It takes you just a quick look to run out of the room and empty your stomach in a corner
- >The captain comes out after you, giving you a pat on the back, "there, there, let it out"
- >You wipe your mouth and look at him, swallowing down the bitter taste of bile in your mouth
- "W-what happened?", you ask carefully, trying to understand what happened here
- >The captain sighs: "It's been a struggle, that much is for sure. We don't know the assailant yet"
- >He points at the disarray that is the room: "Someone or something ended up breaking into here. Clean must have tried to defend herself"
- >On the floor lies a heavy metal rod that the captain picks up
- >"See this? See how it is broken in two? That is one of the strongest steel Equestria is able to produce. It's broken in half"
- >It takes you a moment to catch on to what he is talking about, but you finish his thought: "...whoever broke this must be strong"
- >He nods: "No ordinary pony or hairless monkey could have done this", he looks at you and holds out a hoof
- >"Cameras are conveniently dead again. I'm sorry, Anon, we shouldn't have blamed you for Metal's death"
- >Shaking his hoof carefully and suspiciously he nods. "You are free to resume your job on the station. Or don't. We owe you a few days off"
- >Without another word, he turns around and leaves the laundry
- >Unable to stand this atmosphere any longer, or the thoughts of the deceased mare, you hurry out of the room yourself
- >By now, all you want to do is wake up from this terrible nightmare
- >Because that is what it is. What is has to be. Nothing more than a terrible, horrifying nightmare
- >Your breath becomes heavy and you begin to hyperventilate
- >A voice from behind you stops you dead in your tracks and makes you freeze though
- >"I believe your stress levels may be about to reach dangerous heights, Anon"
- >All of the mechanical sounding elements have disappeared, leaving behind a cold, angelic and uncanny sound
- >Turning around quite stiffly, you look the robotic mare straight in the eyes
- >Looks like she has upgraded her body and is now about your size
- >A feat that really only the princesses have been able to accomplish so far
- >Her muzzle is uncomfortably close to you and her constantly refocusing eyes look you up and down
- >"Would you like me to accompany you, Anon?", she asks, but you feel like you have no choice but to agree
- >She leads the two of you into an area that even you with your maintenance clearance usually do not have access to
- >A big door sealed with multiple heavy steel rods reveals itself to you
- >As Piezo walks up to it, the locks begin to unlatch and multiple, big gears can be heard turning to open the steel colossus
- >Slowly, the door swings open and you find what you believe to be the ship's central AI Core
- >Racks of fuses, levers and screens completely fill the walls of the tubular room
- >In the middle is a seat with a massive wire hanging from the ceiling to which your robotic friend walks up to
- >She sits down, takes the wire and plugs it into her neck, into a port that must be hidden under her mane
- >Around you, all screens immediately come to life portraying a flickering ESS symbol
- >"Is it not wonderful, Anon?", she slowly speaks, stretching out her front hooves
- >You can't help but stand in awe at the marvelous engineering of this place and... now that you get a close look at her...
- >She is quite the beauty, something you would easily rate a 9.5/10 on the scale
- >Her pitch black mane, the shiny, yellow eyes. Your heart begins beating much faster than it should
- >"Are you sick, Anon? Your heart rate seems elevated", she comments
- >Moments of absolute silence, merely interrupted by some quiet beeping and humming from the machinery around you pass
- >"Anon, would you like to join me?", she holds out a hoof to you and you are about to take it but something feels wrong
- >Pulling back your hand, she cocks your head and looks at you confused: "Anon?"
- "I'm sorry, Piezo", you say and rush out of the door, leaving the electronic mare behind, her hoof still stretched after you
- >Too many things are happening at once and you aren't sure how to cope with it
- >Dashing through the halls you rush into your room, locking the door and throwing yourself on the bed
- >What the fuck is wrong with this place?!
- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
- >>32212201
- >Someone is knocking on your door, interrupting you trying to release some steam by jerking off
- >Fortunately, you just started out and quickly pull up your pants, opening the door
- >Outside a pony is waiting, looking to the floor and nervously scratching her leg
- >"A-are you Anon?", she timidly asks, not looking up at you in any way
- "Uh, yeah, I am. Can I help you?", you look at the brown colored mare
- >The black freckles in her face remind you of a cookie, her flank showing the picture of said baked goods
- >It dawns on you where you have seen her before, she is working together with Windy in the kitchen
- >Unfortunately you never talked to her as she didn't seem to ever leave the comforts of her baking area
- >"I, uh... my name is.... Cookie Crumble", she attempts her best to introduce herself
- >You get down on your knees in front of her and hold out a hand, "it's nice meeting you, Cookie Crumble", you smile at her
- >She hesitantly holds out her hoof and shakes your hand but quickly pulls back to return to her shy attitude
- >"Have you... seen Windy? S-she always talked about how she likes coming to for ear scratches so... I-I can't enter the kitchen either, she has the key"
- >She seems quite worried and now that you think about it you wondered where the Pegasus was
- >Usually you see her at least every second day for her dose of scratching her ears, but the last you have seen her was three days ago
- "Sorry, Cookie, I have not", you reply and decide to give her a bit of a nice treatment and start scratching her ears
- >At first she shies away but soon leans into it, closes her eyes and hums
- >It takes a moment but she turns red and gets away from your hand, apologizing as she dashes off
- >Poor mare, she needs to relax a little bit
- >What she has been saying about Windy worries you quite a lot though, so you decide to look for her
- >First of her room, which is across the station from yours but you find your way there quickly enough
- >You pass multiple ponies on your way, asking all of them about the missing Pegasus mare, no pony knows
- >Knocking on her metal door, you hear nothing inside, everything is dead silent
- >Panic builds up inside you, with the recent death spree something might have happened to her
- "Windy? Windy, open up, it's me, Anon!", you desperately shout at the door as you keep knocking
- >But after 10 minutes, you still get no reply and the door does not unlock
- >Pulling out a screwdriver from your tool belt you unscrew the door panel and overriding security
- >The satisfying "click" signals the door's opening as it slides away with a hiss, revealing a completely dark room
- >Her room is in absolute chaos, things strewn about the floor, her ceiling lamp smashed and her bed ripped out of the wall
- >You swallow hard as you step inside and use a flashlight in the room and your heart stops beating for a moment
- >Shining it on the wall reveals a splat of crimson red, clearly what you think it is
- >A trail goes down the wall and across the floor, it seems like the mare's body has been pulled around
- >You follow it outside, where the trail seems to stop, the floor as clean as it could be
- >Someone must have tried to clean up after them to avoid any kind of suspicion
- >But that might have been a mistake, because you are able to trace the shiny metal through the station
- >Strangely enough, it seems to lead to the dinning hall, more precisely the kitchen
- >Did Windy try to escape here after getting attacked, maybe get a knife to fight with?
- >No, she wouldn't have made it, not when someone wanted her dead
- >But the trail clearly leads towards the back of the kitchen so you try to get there as well
- "Hey, Windy, are you in there? You can come out, everything is fine!"
- >There is no reply and just like in her room, the place is dead silent, apart from the occasional moving of the security cameras
- >Now that you think about it, they seem to have always been moving when you were in the area
- >You see a small opening that is used to push food out to the counter
- >Taking your chance, you climb through it, it is quite the challenge but you do end up making it through
- >The other side of the window is far less clean than you have hoped
- >Almost everywhere you look blood covers every possible surface
- >Bleeding knives are lying across the floor and you see a trail of blood to the stove in the corner
- >Patches of green fur lie around the table that seemed to have been used to cut whatever caused this mess of red
- >Rushing into the corner at the sight of this you once again have to vomit whatever food you had remaining
- >Turning around you look through the room again, especially inspecting the blood that leads to the cooking area
- >And another trail leading into a heavy duty metal door with a small window that's frozen to the point where looking inside isn't possible
- >Carefully walking up to the door you get a shiver down your spine and your hands shake like they never shook before
- >It wasn't immediately obvious to you, but now that you spent a bit of time here the faint smell of meat makes itself known
- >You dismiss it for now and slowly turn the handle of the fridge, pulling on it to open the iced door with a screech
- >The sight of the insides make you drop to the floor, tears streaming down your face and your heart sets out for a while
- >Windy Breeze is tied to a rope on her forelegs, hanging from the ceiling, gagged and blinded
- >Her back legs are missing entirely and her tail has also been cut off
- "W-windy, w-what happened...", you beg not to her but hopefully a higher power that might be listening
- >As you speak up, trying to bargain with fate, her body begins to move
- >Slightly at first, but then struggling more and more
- >In horror you look at the mare's attempt to free herself, her muffled cries for help tearing you apart
- >Getting up you do your best to untie her quickly and hold her in your arms, still crying your soul out
- >You pull away the gag and she begins to sob, reaching out for you
- >Next you try to pull her blindfold off, but she stops you with a hoof, shaking her head as good as she can
- >Gently carrying her through the food window, you run into the hallway, shouting at the top of your lungs
- "Help! Oh by Celestia please, someone just come and help! I have... I HAVE A PONY THAT IS HURT", you cry out and run to the medical bay as fast as your legs can carry you
- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
- >>32216937
- >Hasty hoofsteps are heard around the corner and a bunch of ponies dash around it
- >Among them is also Cookie Crumble, who freezes up at the sight of her friend in your arms
- >You can't blame her, it is anything but a pretty sight
- >Fortunately, two ponies with red crosses on their butt hurry towards you with a hospital bed on wheels
- >Gently putting her down she frowns and looks like she is about to cry, but there are no tears leaking out from below her blindfold
- >She holds out a hoof towards you, weakly and you start scratching her ears, trying to calm the hurt mare down
- >The smile she puts on is making your heart break, filled with sadness, pain and fear
- >Both medics push you away and tell you that she needs rest and cart her off, leaving you standing there
- >Cookie rushes after Windy, obviously allowed to stay around her
- >Out of frustration you kick the metal wall, which in retrospect was definitely not your most intelligent idea
- "Fucking shit. FUCKING SHIT", you start shouting through the empty halls as you sink to your shaky knees
- >You bang your fist against the wall and start crying. "Why. Why is this happening, what did she do to deserve this?"
- >The walls around you light up, multiple faces of a certain artificial mare staring straight at you
- >"What is the matter, Anon?", they all speak in unison, not a sense of worry, understanding or empathy present
- "Go away!", you tell her, not even close to having the nerve of talking with anyone right now, "I don't feel well"
- >All cameras simultaneously seem to zoom in and set their electric sight on you
- >And to your luck, one of the wall panels opens up, the graceful figure of Piezo leaving it
- >She gently sways her hips, in quite a seductive manner if you wouldn't know any better
- >Her body can definitely rival Princess Celestia's cake filled flank
- >But right now that really isn't helping you and you get up, walking away in the opposite direction of the steadily advancing mare
- >Your attempts to hurry up and escape her are cut short as two cleaning drones come at you, blocking your path
- >Glancing back, you see that P-0's mechanical exterior has already caught up to you
- >The way she is looking at you makes your neck hair stand up straight and a cold shower drip down your back
- >"Anon, I know what will make you feel better", she tells you and once again holds out a hoof, "become one with me. Forever"
- >Subconsciously you back up from the mare and straight into the cleaning robots who stare at you in disdain
- >Looking between her, yourself, the robots and back to her you sigh. "I... I can't, I'm sorry Piezo"
- >Quickly dashing past her, you make your way away from the mare who just decides to watch you and let you go
- >You want to wake up from this nightmare, please, just wake up already, you pinch yourself
- >Unsure of where your going, your feet seem to have their own mind and take you through the big station
- >In front of a door you come to your halt, a big red cross covering the otherwise normal looking door
- >Touching the control panel with your hands the door opens up and you step inside
- >One thing that you notice is that this place does not seem to have any cameras installed, is Piezo unable to survey this area?
- >Part of you really hopes so, she has started behaving quite weird in the past few weeks
- >Usually she just ended up talking when you initiated a conversation, she wouldn't talk on her own
- >Maybe that is what caused you to become friends with her, she was just as quiet as you were
- >For now though, something else comes to your mind and hearing something shift in a bed hidden behind a curtain just makes you more aware of that though
- >You hurry towards the source of the noise, pull the curtain away and find Cookie Crumble crying into the sheets of an otherwise empty bed
- >She has not noticed you yet and doesn't seem like she'll stop sobbing anytime soon
- >Putting your hand on her head you give her the ear scratchies and try to calm her down, with limited success
- >She looks up to you but her eyes are red from the amount of tears she was shedding
- >A lump in your throat forms as you fear the worst, you quietly ask: "Is she...."
- >You don't finish your sentence as Cookie shakes her head and latches on to your legs, using your pants as new makeshift tear absorber
- >It feels like a world breaks apart and you hoist up the crying mare and pull her close
- >Laying down on the bed, you push your head into her fur and begin letting out your emotions as well
- >The earth pony seems to appreciate not being alone and so the two of you lie together, trying to tough out the grief this day brought you
- >And you two cry for hours. You cry until you run out of tears. And then you continue sobbing
- >But all of this is taking a toll on you, and the two of you fall asleep on the hospital bed with a mare in your arms
- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
- >Something tickling your nose wakes you up rather rudely from your tear induced slumber
- >You pull your head away and slowly try to open your eyes, which turns out to be harder than you expected
- >All the crying really fucked you up big time, despite sleeping for... you don't even know how long you still feel exhausted as fucked
- >Trying to blink away the burning of your eyes you are slowly focus on what has made you wake up
- >A brown mare has taken hold of your upper body, her hooves wrapped around you quite tightly and her face buried into your neck
- >The tickle of her mane must have been what has woken you up
- >She's still fast asleep, but you can see that her cheeks have been stained by her and possibly your own tears
- >Her fur is still slightly damp
- >But it doesn't detract from the cuteness of a pony snuggling tightly to you
- >The slowly heaving chest almost suggests that everything is just peachy
- >And being this close you could swear you could hear her heartbeat
- >You pray to Celestia's fat ass, you really hope that you aren't gonna pop a boner right now
- >"Do you enjoy this mare's presence?", a voice behind you makes your entire body tense up, sending a wave of terror over you
- >Very slowly you turn your head, to find yourself face to face with something that you feel like you were having a nightmare about
- >Two red eyes surrounded by apertures stare right into your own eyes, and right into your soul
- >A primal fight or flight reflex fills your entire body as your heart is switching into overdrive
- >The station's AI once again opens her mouth, her voice cold, with what you'd almost call a hint of disdain: "Is this mare being a nuisance?"
- >In response, all you can do is shake your head ever so slightly, not letting your eyes leave the terrifying presence looming over you
- >Seconds pass. Then what feels like minutes and hours
- >The humming of tiny motors that accompanies them always making it clear to you that you are at some higher power's mercy
- >Then, wordlessly the robotic pony turns around and leaves, her metallic hooves quietly clanking on the floor of the infirmary with every step
- >All you can do is sigh in relief as the airtight seal of the door falls into place and the place goes back to the quiet hum of the lights
- >Cookie begins to rouse from her own slumber, her head gently lifting into the air as she tries to gather her bearings
- >Her hair is in disarray, you wonder if she always wakes up with a bedmane like this
- >It's a welcoming sight after what you feel has been like an encounter with the grim reaper herself
- >She seems a little lost at the moment and it takes a while for her to gather her bearings again
- >And then she looks straight at you, down to her cuddling form and back at your face
- "Good morning, sleepyhead", you say with a warm smile
- >In turn, she turns as red as a strawberry, immediately pushing herself away from you
- >With an adorable little "Eeeeep!", she falls off the side of the bed with a little *thump*
- >"O-ouch", she quietly whimpers as she rubs her head
- >You quickly get out of the bed and help her get up on her hooves, "sorry, I didn't mean to surprise you"
- >She shakes her head and meekly replies "n-no it's... a-alright"
- >That blush on her face is still visible, even though she tries to turn her head away from you
- >"I-I'm a bit of a cuddler", she says, not daring to look at you
- >God she's adorable, in another universe people would probably call her the designated waifu
- "I'm starving, want to get some grub?", you ask her as you head towards the exit of the room
- >She's about to open her mouth to reply when a growling of a very hungry pony's belly sounds in the room
- >Embarrassed, she looks to the floor and just quietly begins following you around
- >The walk around is mostly silent, the entire station seems void of any sign of life
- >Somewhat creepy you ought to admit, but it isn't something you aren't used to
- >The station is big and there is only so much personal to go around
- >But with all that's happened lately, you can't help but feel paranoid of being jumped and stabbed in the back at every turn
- >And halfway you realized where you were headed to right about now, your legs stopping and your stomach turning
- >Cookie seems to take notice and rushes to your side, doing her best to hold you upright
- >"A-anon, are you alright? What's the matter?", she begins to panic a little
- >Part of you is thankful that she doesn't seem to have realized where you were headed to
- >Instead, she leads you to down another hallway and comes to a stop in front of a room
- >Putting a hoof onto the terminal, it opens up and you realize that this must be Cookie's place of residency while on board of the station
- >She pulls you inside and sits you down on the bed as she gets a chair for herself to sit down in front of you
- >The mare is holding your hand, looking at you with quite a bit of concern
- >Thankfully your dizziness and the sick feeling in your guts slowly fades away and you are able to take a deep breath
- >So much for being hungry and going to get some food, you think to yourself
- >It's the first time that you are able to take in your surroundings properly now
- >The room is much bigger than you imagined, clearly meant for more than one pony
- >It's basically split in half, two beds on each side and a drawer to match
- >Looks like each inhabitant is allowed to set up their side to whatever they like
- >A neatly stored set of books that seem to be mostly about baking are on top of the drawer next to the bed
- >Between them is a smaller book that seems to be a book from the Daring Do series
- >Seems like Cookie has a bit of a nerdy side to her as well, or maybe she dreams of adventuring herself someday? Who knows
- >On the wall is a poster of a mare with a microphone, she must be some kind of star
- >"The countess of rainbows" tour is written on it, with an additional "Featuring Songbird Serenade"
- >The names don't sound very familiar to you, but you've never been much into /mu/sic anyways. You're thankful for that.
- >All in all, you'd call this place quite cozy... if it wasn't for the side straight across from you
- >The room is clean. As in, pristine. The floor is clean enough to eat your food from, the bed looks absolutely untouched
- >There isn't a single speck of dust around and it feels... wrong
- >Artificial if you had to put it into words. Fabricated as to hide some terrible truth
- >Your companion seems to take notice too, her face going through a range of emotions in mere seconds
- >Her reaction is telling and you feel that heavy urge to void your insides right this moment
- >"No, you can't do this, you can't be here", your mind screams at you and tells you to get up
- >With your legs feeling as heavy as stone, you do your best to get up and take careful steps forwards
- >Passing Cookie Crumble you just glance at her, her expression just looking empty
- >And with that, you make your way out of the room and return to yours
- >With the last bit of energy you have left you take all the heavy objects you can find and push them in front of the door
- >That should keep anyone out that is coming for you...
- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
- >Your head is spinning and you frantically look around your room for the bottle of pills
- >Finally spotting it hidden under the covers of your bed you rip open the top and start praying to Luna that you'll OD on your meds
- >Dying always made people wake back up from nightmares in movies, right?
- >Or maybe they just died, you honestly don't have the nerve to even try and remember some shitty horror flicks right now
- >But trying to get anything out of the container leads to nothing but more disappointment, it's entirely empty
- >You could have sworn it was half full last time you opened it up and you always made sure to restock if you were close to running out
- >Slumping against the wall you fall silent, only the sound of your heavy breathing accompanying your self-made solitude
- >"Anon, your pulse is elevated and your adrenaline levels are reaching critical levels. Is your well-being threatened?", the speaker next to you pipes up
- >Horrified you turn to the black box, tears welling up in your eyes
- >Your face darts up towards the camera in your room that has clearly taken interest in you, an eye that is unmoving and unblinking
- >"This mare must have put you into distress. This must be...", there is an uncomfortable pause, "...rectified"
- >With a cry of anger you take the speaker and throw it at the camera as hard as you can
- >It makes a satisfying sound as the glass of the camera cracks into pieces, showering you in shards of glass
- >For a second it seems like it's raining tiny diamonds, or even stars, shimmering in the uncomfortably bright light of your room
- >A wrench next to you looks quite appealing at this moment in time
- >With shaky hands you pick it up and hold it over your head, staring at the black speaker on the floor
- >And you bring it down as hard as you can. Again and again. Each swing, you put a bit more of your anger, your sadness and your frustration into it
- >The sound of metal on metal is ear piercing but you couldn't give any less of a shit
- >Your emotions are going absolutely haywire as you smash the voice box into tiny, tiny pieces
- >One last swing and the wrench drops out of your hands clattering onto the floor
- >Down on your knees and hands you are trying to grasp for air
- "I need to get out of here", you tell yourself as you use the wall to pull yourself up to your feet
- >The speaker sparks sparks a little before ultimately giving up and dying for good
- >Getting off this station was unfortunately not an easy task
- >The next resupply wouldn't be for another 2 weeks and who knows if you'd be able to survive that long up here
- >But if you get to the bridge and get to talk to Twilight, she might be able to send a rescue mission your way
- >Mobilizing your strength, you once again remove the barricade that was meant to keep you safe and venture outside
- >On your way through the hallways, you're doing your best to avoid any and all cameras and using maintenance pathways wherever possible
- >Fortunately for you, that is one of the few places that Piezo does not seem to be able to survey
- >At least you never saw any cameras while working down here
- >The crawlspaces aren't comfortable, and you keep getting lost a bunch of times without your holomap
- >You made sure to leave that behind, something tells you the station intelligence would be able to track you through it somehow
- >As you crawl past a vent, you hear the sound of whirring and robotic movement that makes you curious
- >Taking a careful glance outside, you see something that horrifies you: Ship Drones patrolling the hallways up and down
- >It's almost as if they are searching for something, or rather for someone - You
- "No, no that's just paranoia speaking!", you tell yourself, smacking the side of your head a few times, "get a hold of yourself, anon"
- >Once again you look outside, watching the drones walk past the vent and fortunately ignoring your hiding spot
- >All of a sudden, the light of the station dims and the emergency lights engage, drowning the station in an unsettling hue of blood red
- >"Warning. The station is now on lockdown. All personal is requested to return to their quarters and await further instructions", all of the speakers sing in unison
- >"Warning. The station is now on lockdown. All personal is requested to return to their quarters and await further instructions", the alarm repeats
- >And the announcement is repeated for a third time before it is replaced by a quieter but noticeable alarm sound
- >From further down the hallway, somewhat distant, you hear a screaming that is quickly falling silent again though
- >It came from the direction you've been at earlier, Cookie Crumbles room and the color drains of your face
- >You hurry up, knowing exactly where your destination lies now
- >And a few minutes later, you end up right where you want to be
- >Making sure to be as quiet as you can, you climb out of the maintenance vent and drop down on the floor
- >The door stands wide open but seems to be entirely in order
- >But the room inside, you can only describe it as absolute chaos
- >It looks like the beds have been picked up and thrown through the room, the drawers are completely smashed to pieces
- >In the center of the room a puddle of crimson liquid glisters in the red neon light of the station's emergency lamps
- >You can feel your heart stop for a moment in your chest as you visually follow the trail of blood out of the room and along the empty hall
- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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