Somber's game Session XIV Log

[17:06:20] <%Somber> The night was carrying on as usual. Laughter. Fireworks. Strange music blaring back and forth. Gun shots. Screams. The five had holed up on the first floor of the police station. The mare Brass kept tapping her horse shoes as she stared at the door, waiting... waiting. "What's taking them so long?" she asked impatiently. The stallions with the
[17:06:58] <%Somber> hunting rifles snorted softly and looked over at the others. "She's always been this way. Used to complain about the caravans being inconsiderate."
[17:12:23] Aria sits next to Skyshine, looking a little nervous. She'd gotten a little rest, but being in a raider encampment set her on edge. "Skyshine?" she asks before swallowing hard.
[17:12:54] Skyshine looks up from her staring at the floor in front of the door of all things. "Hmm, yes Aria? Everything alright?"
[17:14:05] <%Somber> Little tendrils of purple vapor creep between the doors, then are sucked back out... creeping in... sucking back out... like the flickering tongues of smoky snakes.
[17:14:45] Red_Line wakes up from his nap well rested "Well, at lets I feel good, how are the rest doing?" looking over the reiders
[17:14:49] Aria sighs. "As alright as anypony can be. I was just thinking about what you said about those trippy past illusions we've been entering... Do you really think we've actually been going back in time?" she asked, keeping her voice low as not to let the raiders hear.
[17:18:04] Skyshine frowns at the question. "Um... I think we're actually going back in time. The last time we left the past... goodness that sounds weird to say, I noticed that everything just changed. Like you were stepping out of one stream into another. I don't know if we're actually changing anything, but... it's something to think about."
[17:18:42] Star_Chaser sat by quietly watching the doors. This was... Disconcerting to say the least. It was one thing to expect an attack, but the way the smoke kept coming and going likt hat. It was like the city itself was breathing down their necks.
[17:19:31] <%Somber> Aria's pipbuck crackled, the old stallion rasping, "Twilight Sparkle once discovered a spell that could take her back in time a few days for one minute... if Equestria had time travel like that, there wouldn't have been a war. Since there was, it's pretty safe to say that you're not travelling through time."
[17:20:04] Tiller shakes his head. "I don't think we're going back in time. It doesn't work like that. When our gear changed when we entered the police station, it actually physically changed. It happened quickly, but I saw it morph."
[17:20:38] Skyshine nods. "That's what I saw too, Tiller. I've been trying to figure that out." She pouts slightly. "I also liked my pistol being pink."
[17:20:40] Tiller continues, "If we'd gone back in time, our stuff wouldn't have changed. It would have been replaced instantly, or simply de-aged."
[17:20:50] Aria stared at the floor. "I hope he's right. That would mean I killed a really innocent pony, not a crazy one..."
[17:21:00] Tiller kicks a stone. "Pink is not a stealthy color..."
[17:21:21] <%Somber> The old stallion then asked, "I have a question for you, Aria. Since you're such a devotee of the 'Lightbringer'. Are these raiders good or bad?"
[17:21:29] Tiller finds a nice shadow with a clear view of the doors and hides in it.
[17:21:49] Aria stops for a second. "What if we're not going back in time, but our consciousness is. Same with all these other ponies. Then our bodies end up just acting out what are minds are doing in the past..."
[17:22:02] <%Somber> Oddly enough, Brass and Hunter kept bantering back and forth as if they couldn't hear the old stallion talking on her pipbuck.
[17:22:03] Red_Line goes through some stretches and quick jabes and kicks to limber up "Well lets see if all this is just some time travel or a big mind bucking."
[17:22:43] Aria listens before looking around the room. "I don't know. Are these ponies raiders or gangers? There is a difference."
[17:22:49] Tiller whispers quietly, "It's a headfuck."
[17:23:17] Aria [[email protected]] has quit (Connection closed).
[17:24:14] Skyshine starts sketching things out on the ground with her hoof. "Well... maybe, assuming Aria is right, the thing is that we've seen two different points in the past. One was pre-balefire attacks at the hospital. The other, here at the station, was just following that." She frowns. "Maybe there's a reason we're seeing those times?"
[17:25:12] Aria [[email protected]] joined the channel.
[17:25:41] <%Somber> "Oh? What's the difference? I'm curious..." The old voice sounded amused.
[17:25:45] Tiller hisses "It made me hear things about my daughter... my wife... It's trying to find out how we tick, just like radio-guy said."
[17:27:14] Skyshine smiles sympathetically at Tiller. "It's doing it to everypony here. It takes your worst fears and the things that hurt you most and uses it against you." She looks sadly over at Brass. "Question is why."
[17:28:02] Aria thinks for a second. "Well, raiders tend to take and destroy out of an apparent madness. The Wasteland has destroyed them. Gangers on the other hand, while similar in using violence and theft, still seem to have a form of society, hierarchy, and family among their own. They still have something that is keeping them sane, keeping them even a little ponies."
[17:28:09] Star_Chaser frowns. "To find out why it all went wrong, I think. How it might not have gone wrong if things were different."
[17:28:15] Tiller shrugs. "Ask the headshrinker."
[17:28:26] <Aria> "Maybe Gangers gang together to get the strength to fight off the wasteland. To stop them from becoming raiders."
[17:29:57] <%Somber> "Raiders. Gangers. It all sounds rather semantic to me." the old pony said. "I doubt the slain caravaner cares for such fine distinction."
[17:30:14] Red_Line nods a bit "I was thinking that some how the mist or gas works as a why to work some kind of telepathy spell."
[17:32:37] <Red_Line> "Thats how it gets in to your head. Then so kind low level illusion spell as a feedback."
[17:34:15] Skyshine looks thoughtful. "But how is it targetted to the pony? That's the thing that I'm not following. Unless it taps into the fear centres of your brain, but... as a treatment, that makes negative sense. Especially for Wartime Stress Disorder. Flashbacks and fear are part of the symptoms!"
[17:34:56] Star_Chaser looks towards Red Line. "I doubt it's that simple. This place... I've never even heard of a place remotely like this. The specialized design must have required the Ministries to be involved." She shook her head and looked back towards the door. "Whatever is going on here, it's unlikely to end well for anyone involved."
[17:34:57] Tiller decides to save on 10mm and switches to the .357 he found in the police station underground garage.
[17:35:44] Tiller shakes his head. "We've already seen the treatment, remember Skyshine? Memory wipes. Poor Madd..."
[17:36:21] Aria hums. "Maybe some wacko doctor thought it would be better if the patient faced their fears?"
[17:37:18] <%Somber> "Certainly. Four of the six were instrumental to this place. Peace provided the pretext and the motivation. Morale the interest in understanding the pony mind. Technology in the fundament of this place. Arcane Science in its function."
[17:37:19] Red_Line gives a shrug "Well thats my two bits on how it works. Not why it works. Must have some type of megaspell some where to keep running for so long."
[17:38:39] <%Somber> "I ask you again... why does evil exist? That is why you all are here. These people... if you want to call them that... are unaware. Only you five have an inkling of what this place means. Of what it can do."
[17:39:46] Aria smiles weakly. "My mom always said evil exists because there's an absense of good to fight it."
[17:39:52] Tiller "Evil is an artificial description. Evil exists because we see behavior, and actions, and we say 'that is evil'. Evil exists because we say it does."
[17:40:43] <%Somber> "You see? Even you can't agree."
[17:41:07] Tiller "No. We do agree, we just say it differently."
[17:42:11] Red_Line all most spits at this "Evil is a thing. It lives in all of us and the moment y'all can get that through your heads, the better off you will be."
[17:42:15] Star_Chaser shakes her head. "Semantics, Tiller. He means, why do ponies do things like slaughter the defenseless prisoners after the end? Why do raiders raid and murder? What makes one group decide that another has to die? And how does the group being killed respond? This place, this duality between the NCR and these raiders, is a heart of that. Two groups who have all the reason in
[17:42:15] Star_Chaser the wasteland to hate one another, but both needs what the other has. Even in the face of such oppressive crossed situations, could they manage to meet and resolve their differences without combat? Despite the illusion of it in the past?" She frowns and sighs quietly. "Seems stupid to me. But I'm not a philosopher."
[17:43:32] <%Somber> The old pony sounds excited. "Yes... yes yes yes... now you get to it. Why does it happen? Why does it exist? Why does it go on and on? And most importantly... how do you stop it... forever?"
[17:44:00] <Red_Line> "You don't."
[17:44:12] Skyshine looks to Red_Line. "Yes. Yes you do."
[17:44:49] Tiller is droll. "Maybe not, but you could certainly pass for one. I think that if the purpose of this place is to go on as it is, we cannot participate in its arranged circumstances, such as this one. I just don't know how to break from it."
[17:44:49] <Red_Line> "You lean to live with it. And rease your young not to do bad things."
[17:46:21] Skyshine stamps a hoof. "You do so by trying to unite everyone. By being kind. By showing others that they can be better. To teach your children that kindness, generosity, laughter, honesty, and loyalty are a way of life. That's how you change the world."
[17:46:32] <%Somber> "As you can see... there are some differences of opinion on the matter. But there can only be one answer..."
[17:47:08] <Red_Line> "You stop them from stepping on bugs. Teach them not to pull on each others mains. You have to tell them how to be nice. Or they grow up mean."
[17:47:20] Star_Chaser stands up and turns towards Tiller. "I don't care what it's purpose is. Ponies are suffering and dieing because of it. And I'll be bucked in the face before I walk away from a bunch of ponies suffering and dieing because some idiot before the end thought a social experiment was more important tha lives and happiness!"
[17:49:14] <%Somber> "You misunderstand the magnitude of your situation. What happens here... what you do... has far greater consequences than you can imagine," the old stallion rasped.
[17:49:51] Tiller "Again with the consequences. This is just another experiment, isn't it? Like in the police station?"
[17:50:33] <%Somber> "Of course. But as with any experiment, its the results that matter, not the suffering of the mice."
[17:50:50] Skyshine shakes her head. "I don't think it is, Tiller. Why do you think Mr. Mysterious and Gravelly on the pipbuck keeps asking us existential questions about the nature of good and evil, and comments on our actions."
[17:51:11] <%Somber> Suddenly the doors burst open and in stormed a half dozen NCR troopers in a veil of purple smoke.
[17:51:43] Tiller "...Hm. I wonder... I wonder if the machine we are in, the machine for ponies, is trying to /learn/ from us...?"
[17:53:01] Star_Chaser goes wide-eyed briefly, opening her mouth to say something just as the NCR burst in and everything went to hell.
[17:54:16] Aria jumps to her hooves. "Biscuits! Fighting time!"
[17:56:58] Red_Line plants his hooves "Could have had some thing to eat first."
[18:03:39] Star_Chaser closed her mouth around the bit for her battle saddle, turning towards the newly arrived soldiers she backpeddled slightly, lining up on the closest and letting rip with the newly acquired Service Rifle in a hail of bullets.
[18:06:42] <%Somber> Soldier 1 gets all shot up by Star. Then Hunter blasts him with his hunting rifles. "Die, you NCR pig! Die!"
[18:07:56] <%Somber> Unfortunately his shots go wild. Brass tries to smash one.
[18:09:10] <%Somber> The wild mare crushes the head of soldier one. "You like that?! Huh? You like that? I like that!" She shouted at the fallen soldier.
[18:09:38] Red_Line sets his telekinesis over the nearist desk hovering it in front of himself as cover, then casts Cloak of the Elements
[18:15:16] Skyshine dashes behind Red Line's desk and fires off a shot before ducking behind the desk again.
[18:19:18] <%Somber> The blast hit soldier number two, who lets out a cry of pain.
[18:20:46] Tiller fires three shots at soldier 2.
[18:22:45] <%Somber> The blasts hit deep, but the soldier isn't quite dead yet.
[18:25:53] <Aria> Aria charges the nearest soldier, firing a light strike spell on her approach before swinging away with her 9-Iron.
[18:33:00] <%Somber> The soldiers concentrate their fire and shoot Brass into a heap of bloody pony meat. "No less than you raiders deserve," One soldier sneers. "The NCR will stamp you out." Hunter screamed, "Sister! Die you mule fuckers!"
[18:33:35] <%Somber> The other two fire at the remainder in suppressive sweeps.
[18:45:28] Star_Chaser curses as Brass gets gunned down and she takes a shot herself. Turning her attention towards the second soldier and unloading like she did on the first. She wasn't yelling or shouting or giving orders. Right now the only options available were too obvious to need that.
[18:47:03] <%Somber> Soldier 2 is taken out, blood spurting from his mouth before he collapses in a heap.
[18:48:30] <%Somber> Hunter turns and his linked hunting rifles boom in unison, taking out soldier number three. "That was for my sister, you NCR fuckers!"
[18:50:52] Red_Line gives out a war cry as he cast Spirit of Flame on himself, bursting to flames as he rushes one of the troopers takeinf two swings at him
[18:54:40] <%Somber> Soldier four was seered by the flames as he is struck.
[18:55:47] Skyshine takes a moment to blink as Red Line bursts into flames before firing off two shots at Soldier 5 before ducking back behind cover
[18:57:49] <%Somber> Soldier five is wounded but still in the fight.
[19:00:03] <%Somber> Two swings of the driver, and soldier five goes does in a heap.
[19:01:43] <%Somber> Soldier six blows hunter away.
[19:06:34] Star_Chaser growls as Soldier Six opens fire on the raider, turning her attention towards that one. This wasn't right, not at all. Hallucinations couldn't kill people like this. These were some kind of artificial ponies? No way did the NCR outpost have this many to spare!
[19:10:46] Aria snarls at the soldiers as Hunter goes down. "Damn it! Stop killing ponies!"
[19:10:46] <%Somber> Six was shot but once.
[19:11:17] <%Somber> "You just killed ponies, murderer!" Six yelled back at Aria.
[19:11:29] <Aria> "You shot first!"
[19:13:01] <%Somber> "No... you did!" Six yelled back at her. "You raiders always shoot first!"
[19:13:07] Red_Line fails his flaming hooves at the trooper in front of him
[19:14:48] <%Somber> Red line crushes the screaming pony beneath his hooves.
[19:16:19] Skyshine stands up and aims at the last NCR soldier. "Then stand down! We don't want to kill anypony, but attacking and shooting isn't stopping the endless cycle of death and pain! Please, just stand down so we can talk!"
[19:17:52] Aria charges six and swings away.
[19:18:41] Star_Chaser [[email protected]] has quit (Connection closed).
[19:18:47] Star_Chaser [[email protected]] joined the channel.
[19:18:48] ChanServ sets mode +o Star_Chaser
[19:19:59] Tiller fires the last shots in the cylinder at soldier six.
[19:21:56] <%Somber> "Ah! You liars! Back up! I need back up!" Six screamed and opened fire at Tiller.
[19:23:41] <%Somber> Only one shot hit before his assault rifle jammed. He cleared it... and five more soldiers stormed in out of the mist. "Kill them all! Meet up with the ones upstairs and kill them!"
[19:25:37] Star_Chaser lets out a 'tch'. "Who's taking bets that the raiders die each night and are back to normal each morning?" She backs up towards the stairs. "Somehow I don't think we'll be so lucky. Fall back!" Taking aim on Soldier Six she unloads the last two rounds from her service rifle.
[19:30:53] Red_Line tosses the desk at the troopers and makes a run for the stairway "Make a run for it. This shits is only getting worst."
[19:33:24] <%Somber> the desk is thrown wildly.
[19:34:58] Skyshine bolts forward TOWARD the enemy troops, only to stop, grab and assault rifle, and make a bee-line flight back toward the stairs
[19:36:38] Aria runs to the stairs and waits until everypony has gotten past her before raising a shield and following.
[19:38:09] Tiller runs back to the stairs and down.
[19:41:57] Red_Line runs down the stairs lighting the way
[19:51:20] <%Somber> The NCR troopers focus their fire blasting a storm of bullets that tears into their primary defender. Round after round rips into her. "Kill her! Isn't she dead yet? Kill the raider bitch! Like the Lightbringer! Like the Light bringer!" They shouted as they poured on the gunfire.
[19:53:46] Star_Chaser is cut into quite thoroughly by the excessive amounts of firearms heading her way. Coughing up blood briefly before doing her best to grab Aria and tug her towards the stairs. She wasn't exactly the strongest pony, but right now that probably didn't matter THAT much. Just not letting go enough to avoid having the unconscious companion fall down the stairs would be enough.
[19:54:43] <%Somber> Aria is... very very bloody...
[19:56:47] Red_Line stops and see's how badly Aria is and casts Heal on her for what it's worth, then grasps her with his telekinesis "Run damb it, run."
[19:59:26] <%Somber> Star chaser and Red Line stagger down with the prone, bloody form of Aria. foamy blood speckles her lips as she lay limp in his magic.
[19:59:27] Skyshine tosses her assault rifle at Tiller. "Covering fire!" She shouts as she pulls her medical bag from her saddlepacks. "Aria, don't you die on me. And Star, please hold off bleeding to death."
[20:00:15] <%Somber> They were all in the control room... with the switches that had to be operated... the get ponies through the security door...
[20:01:02] Tiller manages to catch the rifle deftly. Nice!
[20:03:10] Skyshine pulls everything out of her kit and starts working on Aria. "Heal Star." She instructs Red_Line.
[20:03:39] Red_Line gives a nod to Skyshine
[20:06:08] Skyshine injects and wraps and pulls bullets out with tweezers as best and as quickly as she can.
[20:06:40] Aria gasps loudly, coughing up blood after Skyshine injects the potion. Bullets start working their way out of her body and wounds begin closing. "Gah. I-Wah."
[20:07:23] Tiller aims the rifle up the stairs and shoots at thin air
[20:08:32] <%Somber> After Tiller fires... testing to see if the rifle works or something, three soldiers race to the top of the stairs and take aim at the massive flaming target.
[20:15:47] Star_Chaser looks up the stairs at the soldiers, the anger and ongoing combat. The state of her allies and herself. For a moment she stands, then coughs briefly and calls up the stairs. "We surrender!" She waves for the others to stop shooting and put down their weapons. "You're NCR! We surrender. We'll stand trial for what we've done. But we're not going to fight any more." She moves
[20:15:47] Star_Chaser to empty the magazines from her two rifles onto the floor at her sides.
[20:17:50] Red_Line run to cover by the stairway "Welp we'er fucked. Can some one find the way out already."
[20:21:42] Skyshine covers Aria with her wings and tries to look nonthreatening. It's not really that hard for her.
[20:23:24] Aria shutters. "I-I could get us out. Just let me out and I can hit the button from the outside... Like before," she mutters, trying to move to stand, but instead just kind of flopping over. Skyshine's wings are nice though.
[20:25:08] Tiller opens his mouth and the rifle clatters to the floor. He drops flat next to it. "I surrender!"
[20:27:03] <%Somber> The half dozen soldiers storm down and form a semi circle, the unicorns taking their weapons away as they shout for them not to move. For several tense seconds, each of them had a gun to their heads as over head came the bark of fire and the screams of dying raiders. "Too bad you lot tried to get away down here. If you'd stood with those bunch upstairs,
[20:27:33] <%Somber> you might have stood a chance, but what do you expect of raiders, eh? Always trying to save your own tails." One soldier jeered at them.
[20:28:05] <%Somber> "Should make like the Lightbringer and kill em all. No mercy for raiders."
[20:28:26] <%Somber> "How many foals have you raped, bastard?" one growled at Tiller.
[20:29:24] Tiller bristles, but doesn't rise to the bait.
[20:29:49] Red_Line stands there letting the flames die down
[20:30:07] Tiller quietly, "I have a wife. And a daughter. And they're both far away from here. I hope they're well."
[20:30:07] <%Somber> Good, given the pony with a gun to his head really seems to want a reason to use it.
[20:30:45] Star_Chaser lets out a quiet 'tch'. But doesn't answer their jives or claims of abandoning others.
[20:30:55] Aria stands up slowly and weakly. "Except we aren't raiders. I'm an NCR citizen and a former resident of Stable Two," she says, raising her forehoof. "We were sent here by the NCR troops being attacked by raiders at the library."
[20:31:30] <Aria> "The raiders told us you attacked them every night. We want to know why you haven't been helping your fellow soldiers?"
[20:43:02] <%Somber> "We didn't send nopony to no one. Get in the cells! Soon as our comander gets here, she'll decide what to do with cowardly traitors." And they march the six into the jail cells. "You two. Guard this scum. If they so much as twitch or try and talk you into releasing them, put a bullet in them." The two soldiers saluted. Then the NCR troopers stepped
[20:44:21] <%Somber> out. The helmeted mare looked at the stallion. "I fucking hate waiting." The stallion sighed and shook his helmeted head. "You're always so impatient. Like when we were escorting the caravans. Always in a hurry to be attacked..."
[20:44:49] Tiller lies down on a bunk. "Red, could you give me some healin' juice? I'm a little shot up."
[20:45:05] Skyshine twitches at the last line from the helmeted mare. "Brass?"
[20:45:38] <%Somber> The mare pulled off her helmet and Brass looked at Skyshine. "Huh? You know me?"
[20:46:01] Red_Line nods to Tiller "Lets see what we can do."
[20:46:21] Skyshine blinks several times. "I... I thought I did."
[20:46:24] Aria swallows hard. "How..."
[20:46:38] Red_Line starts casting some healing
[20:46:58] Skyshine looks to the stallion. "You must be Hunter."
[20:47:20] <%Somber> "Crazy ass raiders," she muttered. Hunter pushed back his helmet and nodded coolly to Skyshine.
[20:47:43] Aria steps next to Skyshine, ready to cast a shield around them at a moments notice.
[20:47:46] Star_Chaser frowns. "No surprise there." She sighs quietly and shakes her head. "This place is mad."
[20:48:46] <%Somber> Aria's radio crackles. "Hardly. Raiders. NCR. The difference is as superficial as the uniforms they wear. One's evil is another's good." the old stallion wheezed.
[20:48:57] Skyshine looks at Brass. "I'm sorry for what happened to you. Or what will happen to you. I don't know which it is anymore."
[20:50:22] Tiller "Skyshine, I'm pretty sure it's the former.
[20:51:04] Star_Chaser frowns and shakes her head. "I'm sorry that this place exists at all. Some kind of sick joke." She sighs quietly and settles down.
[20:51:46] Skyshine looks down and lets her ears droop. "Something bad happened to her. You don't just... get like she was in this place without a reason."
[20:52:05] Tiller "It was designed to help ponies, I think. Well, it was supposed to help ponies. I don't think that's what it's doing anymore, or possibly ever did."
[20:52:58] <%Somber> "On the contrary... it was, is, and will..." the stallion rasped. "The question is 'how'."
[20:53:35] Aria sighs. "Mad scientists. I'm calling it. This guy's probably one too for all we know," she says, lifting up her Pipbuck.
[20:53:39] <%Somber> Suddenly the world became incredibly bright, and all faded to white.
[20:53:53] Skyshine gives the pipbuck a look, skewing an ear up. "How indeed. If you want to help ponies, especially hurt ones, you listen...oww..."
[20:55:33] Star_Chaser winces in pain at the sudden brightness.
[20:57:54] Tiller closes his eyes and waits for the bright light to fade.
[21:00:29] Red_Line looks at all the white "Well here we go again."
[21:01:21] Aria falls over from the blinding light. "Ouch!"