Chapter 3: Midnight

Sitting in a chair beside a bed, Courier 6, a man whose real name was Jamie Brogden, turned his head to look at his new guest.

Giving the woman sleeping on his bed a glance, he guessed that she was in her early twenties. Her head had been shaven clean, and she wasn’t wearing any clothing when he found her.

Dressed in desert tan combat armor, he had saved her life and brought her here to this room. Now he was just waiting for her to wake up again. It appeared she awoke when he was hunting for medical supplies to treat her wounds, but passed out shortly after and fell on the floor. The new gash on the side of her head was evidence of that.

Getting up from the blue chair he was sitting on, Jamie checked the clock on his Pip-Boy. 8:37 a.m. it read, quite a few hours since she had last woken up.

With an impatient groan, he ran his gloved fingers from the top of his chocolate brown hair, down his face, eyelids covering dark brown eyes, and ended with a stroke of his well-trimmed goatee. He looked back to the woman, the blue, wire-like valence accelerator halo he recovered was over her head, slowly repairing the girls wound’s, and in the process made her look like an angel. To complete the angelic appearance was that her skin was flawless, barring the two gashes on her shaved head, but they would hopefully heal to discrete scars given time.

Sitting back down on his chair by her bedside, he waited as a miniature copy of a Robco securitron rolled in on a single wheel. ‘Oh no’, Jamie thought, regretting ever giving it back his AI chip.

“Hey, got any mugs?” The mug-crazy robot, who was appropriately named Muggy, asked in an obnoxious voice only his inventor could love.

“No, for the seventy fifth time, no,” Jamie replied, annoyed at the robot constantly pestering him over mugs since he activated him the day before, right before he found the girl, “You ask me again, I give the Toaster a fission battery.”

The robot let out a gasp, “You wouldn’t!” Fear lacing his artificial voice over the outcome of such an event.

“Yes, I would,” he lied, fearing what would happen if he gave the evil sentient appliance a proper power source. “Now. could you go play with one of Mobius’ robo-scorpions?”

“I’m not the one the brain jars asked to get their stuff,” The robot replied, placing his tubular arms over his single wheel like the tire’s sides were hips. “Now go out there and get some mugs!”

Jamie struck his face with his palm, growling in immense anger. Looking Muggy dead in the monitor that served as his tiny face, the tiny robot rolled backwards, “Ah-he, just kidding…” Muggy said nervously before burning rubber, “PLEASE DON’T STEP ON ME!” He yelled out, crying like a scared baby as he flailed his arms in a petty getaway.

“Uhh…” the girl in the sea-foam green medical dress groaned, rolling from her back to her sides. For a second, Jamie thought she was waking up, but no, she quieted down and drooled from the corner of her mouth like a young child.

He left her bedside for the main central room. The black circular shaped Central Intelligence Unit displayed a holo-map of the area he was at, a science facility called Big Mountain, but now known as the Big Empty. Jamie had been here for a few weeks, exploring and plundering the scientific curiosities and abominations of the Empty. He felt calm and relaxed surrounded by the artificial machines, slowly taking in the electronic wires and beeps each machine elicited around him.

 Looking over the CIU’s map, Jamie was trying to decide which object to go for next, the X-2 antenna array, or fully upgrading the sneaky stealth suit he had in one of the lockers back in the bedroom. But in reality, he was putting off getting the items for The Think Tank due to them obviously double crossing him, thinking him just a simple mindless lobotomite. Plus, he liked the thrill of adventuring the strange and dangerous lab complexes.

As he stood there thinking, the CIU took control of a security camera in the corner of the room. Seeing that his caretaker had returned the machine asked, “Would sir, like a glass of finely aged scotch?” The CIU’s accent was modeled after the stereotypical butler, heavy on the English accent.

“Not today. I was wondering if you could deactivate Muggy and display this location,” He said as he wirelessly synced his Pip-Boy, to show the Y-17 medical facility. Somewhere else in the room there was a loud metallic clatter as Muggy fell silent… finally.

Not soon after Muggy collapsed, there was a surprised yelp and a weak sounding, “H-Hello?” The voice was feminine, youthful, and holding much fear. It was coming from his bedroom.

“Yes, I’m coming,” Jason responded, not raising his normal speaking voice by much so he wouldn’t startle the woman.

Moving away from the CIU, Jamie went straight for the room. When he entered, the girl was sitting up, the valence-accelerator still on her wounded head.

She looked at him, fear and confusion in her eyes. “Where am I?” she asked him quietly, but before he could answer she asked, “Who are you?” Before he could even answer the question just asked, her face twisted in a confused and pained grimace, clutching her head she asked nearly under her breath, “Better yet… who am I?”

<>~Mojave Wasteland, 188~<>

My eyes opened and closed slowly, the musty smelling mattress filling my nose with its foul stench. Coughing and gagging from the unexpected assault of foul smells, I jumped up pinching my nose. Making sure to keep my nose held, I ran out the roughly oval shape of the metal trailer’s door frame, smacking right dead into the tan armor of a NCR trooper. The two of us then took a tumble down the slope of earth leading up to the bridge.

Both of landed a few hooves distance away from each other.

“Watch it!” He yelled as I quickly sprung to my feet, extending a hand out to him.

“I’m so very sorry for that,” I apologized sincerely, “I didn’t mean to cause us both to take a tumble, or even one of us.”

“It’s quite alright,” He responded in an accent close to that Doctor Whooves fellow, “I’ve seriously had worse injuries from a bloatfly. Bloody damn thing wouldn’t sit still for me to shoot it.”

I was about to ask how a bloatfly could hurt him, but I then realized as Veronica told me before: two hundred years of mutating left them bigger than I realized.

I looked into his brown eyes, him blinking a few times as he stared into my maroon eyes,

“Um… eyes…” He said slowly.

“Natural, not mutated, long story,” I bluntly explained with a roll of my eyes, “I’m Rainbow Dash.” I extended my hand for a shake.

“The name’s Nolan. Nolan Triplett, Private First Class, 188 guard duty,” He said in his thick strange accent as he shook my hand.

“So,” I began, both of us realizing we hadn’t broken eye contact, which we quickly did, no doubt both of us finding distant rocks a bit more interesting. “Later!” I said, barreling up the hill full speed.

Searching, I looked for Veronica’s familiar brown robe, hopeing she hadn’t bailed on me like Sue. I finally spotted her leaning against the bar’s counter with one elbow, chatting away with the bartender without even looking at him.

I walked closer until she noticed me. She cut her sentence off short and ran up to me with a smile as wide as Pinkie’s. “Hey, guess where we’re going, girlfriend?” She asked sarcastically, teasing me once again.

“Straight,” I said annoyed, reminding her how my barn door swung. If her little pestering kept up we were going to have issues.

“Actually, we're going to Freeside, in that direction” She explained with a point of her finger, giggling like crazy while nearly losing it at some points.

I knew I’d been had, and couldn’t help but chuckle, walked straight into that one. “Awesome,” I said, calming down her giggling fit, “Sue said something about me heading there to look for my friends.”

“Yeah, It’s relatively safe. Heading there seems like the most logical choice for people who aren’t from the wasteland, since it is the most populated area for miles around.”

So that means more walking… how can humans live without hooves? The boots were a big help, but walking was a drag. Why couldn’t I be a pony, or at least some wickedly awesome pony/human hybrid, with my old blue coat, hooves, and good ‘ol wings?

<>~Big Empty, The Sink~<>

Jamie looked blankly at the girl, “What do you mean ‘who am I’? You're whoever you are.”

She looked back before grabbing her head in a wince, “Ow… I’m trying to remember,” she said in pain, “But I can’t even remember my own name… or how I got here, only… only the pain… and the darkness swallowing me.”

The girl cast the red covers aside, trying to get up before Jamie placed a hand on her chest, forcing her to stay on the bed.

“Stay still,” He demanded curtly, “Those Y-17 trauma harnesses found you before I did. They hauled you to the medical facility, right before they attempted to lobotomize you.”

“Wait!” The girl yelled in panic, “They tried to remove my brain while I was still living!?” She asked in a panicked yell, before shaking her head, clutching it again. Memories of walking skeletons forcing her into a pod as four metal arms restrained her in an ‘X’ shape swam painfully to the forefront of her mind, making her yell in a mix of fear and pain.

Not only were they attempting it while she was alive, they had tried to do it while she was conscious and without sedatives… she could feel the razors burn where it shaved her head, the high pitched whine of the medical saw as it dug painfully into her cranium above her left eye, trying to move towards the right. There were muffled bags, hissing of steam and the machine breaking as it suddenly stopped it’s inhumane operation, leaving her suspended in the dark, wounded and bleeding.

She remembered the door being torn from its hinges as a human opened it, filling the cramped space with painfully bright white light. Her left eye’s vision had been tinted red from her own blood. It stung like mad from the salt, but nothing compared to the open wound dripping the crimson liquid down her face. The medical implements used to wound her were above her head, limp without power as the medical saw was firmly dug into her shredded flesh.

The girl couldn’t remember ever getting free of the metal arms. Shaking in fear, she guessed she passed out from pain, or the overwhelming blood loss.

Even with her fear stricken mind, she also knew she had a vast amount of knowledge, but she couldn’t even remember her own name.

“S-so, d-do you have any idea who I am?” The woman asked kindly, even as her voice trembled with fear. She took solace in the tan armor of the soldier, and hoped that somehow, he would know her.

“When I found you, you had nothing on you. I pulled logs from the Dr. Handy that was trying to torch me, but, he had no record of any items on your person. It just said you had purple hair, eyes, and the tattoo on your rear,” Jamie said.

With the new news, the girl turned over, raising the medical gown and pulling down her pink panties a bit to reveal a tattoo of five stars around a larger sixth.

Jamie tried to be modest and averted his gaze, but she was pulling her panties down right there on the bed, he couldn’t help but look. The image seemed off somehow.

Looking closer, he realized the artistic perfectness of the pattern of stars. No tribals or wastelanders that Jamie knew of could pull a tattoo like that off.

“Reminds me of Zion at midnight,” Jamie commented, scratching his goatee as he thought of people who could do tattoo work like that. “I would look up at the sky as the little lights would dance and twinkle like that.”

Jamie knew she was far too young to be Enclave, not a ghoul, her strange eye color pointed to mutations, but she was far too healthy. So she was either some sort of an alien, or most likely an experiment dating from before the war; he was, after all, in the government's war R&D projects proving ground. Maybe a vault filled with cryogenic freezers was being tested in a facility and she somehow escaped, and the eye coloration was another inhumane experiment on her.

The girl didn't seem to realize he was lost in thought, or was lost in her own as she tapped on  her chin with a finger. “Midnight,” she said slowly, “I like it. Can you call me Midnight until we find out my name… and where I live?”

“Sure, Midnight,” Jamie said in his most convincing tone, but his face fell, “Do you know what year it is?”

Midnight thought hard, her head wound making her strained thoughts a jumbled mess, “Ouch…” She clutched her head, praying to anything to make the migraine stop. It felt as if a railroad spike was being driven through her head by a sledge hammer.

When the painful migraine subsided, Midnight looked to Jamie and calmly replied after a few pants to catch her breath, “N-no, I can’t say if I can remember that either…” After she finished though, the gravity of her situation set in, she looked down, morose and beaten.

“You’re in the Big Mountain research facility, in the year of 2281,” He looked down with sorrow, preparing to give her the bad news, “The world as you once knew… I’m sorry Midnight… but the bombs fell. Everything was nearly wiped out over two hundred years ago.”

Midnight looked down at the covers, her expression a mask of sadness. “I… I wish I could remember.” She muttered, “My home, any of my friends, my family. All of them gone, and I can’t even remember them…”

Tears began to force their way up, her head splitting with a new migraine causing even more tears of pain and sorrow.

Jamie sat on the bed next to her, pulling Midnight into a tight hug as she wept for her lost past.

<>~Mojave Wasteland, Freeside Gate~<>

The journey to Freeside went off without a hitch, only having one Fiend get chased down by some NCR troopers as we neared the city. When we finally made it to the tall chain link fence that served as a gate, Veronica and I waited patiently as people in leather jackets marked ‘The Kings’ let us through, sliding the gate open with a very audible rattle.

“Hey babes,” one of The Kings said, “How bout we have a fun time at my place,” he offered while wiggling his eyebrows. The other two let out a loud pair of whistles and chuckling with laughter.

“How about I slam my powerfist against your head until you stop twitching,” Veronica threatened with an ice-cold scowl.

The one that offered ‘a fun time’ jumped back in surprise, bowing and motioning for us to enter, “Have a lovely stay in Freeside ladies.”

Once Veronica and I were through the gate, I noticed right away that this place was impoverished. A city encircling a city. The poor living in the shadows of the rich and powerful. That was how Veronica described it on the way here, and she was spot on.

Rubble lined the street along with thugs calling themselves guards. Barrels of burning trash sent smoke to the sky as they were used as heaters for the homeless.

My heart wanted to break at the sight of two small children running around, playing tag.

Passing by the crumbling homes of the Wasteland, there sitting like the one back home, was the ivory-pillar-like casino in the shape of a roulette spinner, mocking all with its luxurious beauty amongst the oppressing watercolor grey backdrop - Rarity… I’m going to tell myself this now, get out of my head.

Veronica led me deeper into the city with a wave of her hand, past rotting and crumbling husks that once resembled buildings, leading me to a place a sign outside its walls called The Old Mormon Fort. Veronica said this was the base of the Followers of the Apocalypse, healers who want nothing more than to help.

The fort itself was made of tan colored masonry with a large wooden gate, and a single rectangular guard tower topped with a brown wood roof.

“Veronica?” I asked in a whisper as we neared the tall wooden gates of the impressive structure.

“Yeah, RD,” She said, picking up on the worried tone of my voice, “What is it?”

“The Followers, they’re tied to The Legion, you know that, right?” I asked, a slight glimpse of fear wavering it’s way into my voice. I’m Rainbow Dash, master of awesome, yet there are still a few things that can scare me. The Legion was one of those things.

She chuckled, “Well duh, it’s their worst kept secret and unhidden shame, but as the old world saying goes, one bad apple-”

“Spoils the bunch, I know.” I finished, hearing the expression back in Equestria often form Applejack, who I would have really loved to argue with for some reason… just seeing one of my friends again would be enough to make me squeal with joy.

Sliding the gates to the side, we slipped inside the fort, quickly closing the gate behind us. In a rather militaristic form, tents were evenly set up, two to the left, two to the right, and a single large tent straight past a sandbag wall. There, a blond doctor, wearing black-framed, egghead glasses sat, sipping on what appeared to be a sarsaparilla bottle.

“Hello,” He said kindly to us as we walked up, “How’s it going, Veronica?”

“Pretty good, Arcade,” Veronica said back, stepping towards him, “Are you going to tell my new GF here if you've seen any of her friends?”

“Okay, first off Veronica, can you get it through your head that I’m fucking straight,” I said, feeling smug about telling her off using such vulgar language. “Second, even if I was gay, which I’m not,” I emphasised, shaking my head, “you are so not my type.”

“RD, lay off,” She said sourly, “I’m just teasing. Learn to chill a little.”

“Chill a little!?” I growled, “I’ve lost my friends. All I’m focused on right now is getting back to them, and you tell me to chill!?”

“Calm down, I was just trying to lighten your mood. We’ll find them,” Veronica said calmly, reassuring me with a friendly smile and patting my shoulder.

“Yeah,” I sighed, my anger failing to stay with me for long, “We’ll find them. Sorry for snapping at you like that.”

Veronica nodded, “Apology accepted. Now let see if the Blond Genius knows a thing or two about any of your friends.”

“Veronica, you flatter me,” Arcade said from his seat behind the sandbag wall, smiling and chuckling sarcastically.

“I know what the ladies like,” Veronica said through a barely contained snort.

Arcade’s smile faded, “And there was the insult I was waiting for," Arcade turned his head towards me "Judging from your hair, you’re here for Mrs. Pie.”

“What!” I exclaimed, smiling as I brought my face close to his from excitement, “Pinkie’s here, where?”

Arcade poked my chest with a finger and gently pushed me back before taking off his glasses. Wiping them on his white labcoat he put the glasses back on and let out a sigh, “She’s going through a recovery period right now. She nearly died yesterday before she somehow managed to stumble in here.”

A bitter wave of cold unrelenting horror washed over me, making me gasp in shock.

“Please, you have to let me see her!” I pleaded through a shout, getting close to his face with mine again by accident.

Another gentle push and I was back at a comfortable distance. Letting out a small groan, the doctor nodded, “Okay, but she might not want any company.”

<>~Big Empty, The Sink~<>

Midnight continued to weep for minutes as Jamie held her. Finally sapped of her strength, she lie back down, pulling the covers over her and returned to sleeping. The healing accelerator had properly closed the two wounds on her head, leaving noticeable scar tissue. Sadly, her memory was something the little halo couldn’t repair.

As Midnight slept, Staying in the Sink portion of The Dome was getting old, but Jamie wanted to stay with Midnight, keeping her safe like a protective father. She seemed so lost and confused as sadness tore at her silently in her sleep, but he could still see and hear the twitches and whimpers.

After a while of staying by her side, he noticed her leg twitching, eyes darting behind closed lids… she was dreaming.

Suddenly a thought with the force of a thrown brick hit him. Think Tank would have probably detected her walking around. ‘Well, time to convince the crazy brain jars they don’t have another human in here.’

Shortly after the warmth of Jamie’s presence left, Midnight’s warm and peaceful dream about a magical land turned into a dark, cold nightmare.

<>~<>~<>

Midnight walked alone in the dark, no light reaching her eyes, not a single peep of sound.

Somewhere out in the endless darkness, there was a lone tap which caused Midnight jerked with a yelp as she turned towards the source of the sound.

Tap, tap, it went again, adding another beat to itself like a drumming heart. Midnight attempted to look around in the inky darkness, but saw nothing. She couldn’t even see herself mere inches away from her face.

Tap, tap, tap, it went again, her panic rising as the taps grew louder seemingly echoing from everywhere around her.

Growing in intensity and frequency, the taping continued, tap-tap, tap-tap, now it was right directly behind her, she could faint whispers.

Tap-tap, tap-tap, tap the heartbeat like rhythm continued.

A shuffling sound in front of her caused Midnight to gulp in fear, her mind trying to guess at what was out there. The rattle of bones reached her ears, no no more than a few feet in front of her.

The high pitch whine of a surgical saw filled her ears as light flooded the room.

A single, cracked dress-room mirror stood in front of Midnight, revealing a naked girl she didn’t recognize as herself. Blood covered her slim figure head to toe in in crimson. Deep gashes and cuts down to the bone were scattered across her butchered body.

<>~<>~<>

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” Midnight screamed in fear. She roceketed up to sit in the dark room, her blood running cold as ice even though sweat poured down her body. Her heart felt as if it was running like her life depended on it, a knot forming in her chest as she began losing control of her breathing.

Midnight’s battered emotions shown as tears, streaming down her face as she placed her head onto her knees.

Jamie heard the scream from the elevator that lead from the Think Tank’s rooms. Running to the bedroom and activating the light, he was at her side trying to comfort her.

When the lights came on and Midnight felt Jamie’s presence, she looked to him with tear filled eyes. Sure enough, her savior was right there, again saving her from torture.

“Shh, it’s okay,” Jamie cooed as he took Midnight’s hands to give them a reassuring squeeze, “See? your safe with me.”

Midnight calmed a little, although sniffling uncontrollably while hyperventilating.

“Calm down, Midnight,” Jamie said like a father to a child, embracing Midnight, “Its safe here, we can talk about the scary dream later.”

“Tha-thank you,” She sniveled out, wiping her nose with an arm. Jamie pulled a cloth out one of the combat armor’s pouches and began to wipe her face, cleaning it carefully like a precious diamond, “Can, can y-you, leave the light on?” She asked, scared out her wits.

“Anything to keep you safe,” Jamie said as he turned a lamp by the bedside on. The single bulb illuminating an old Ralphie the Robot poster plastered to the wall by the previous occupant.

Jamie made his way towards the exit, but as he neared the doorframe Midnight yelled, “Wait!” Before her voice dropped to barely a whisper, almost like a certain pegasus she couldn’t remember. “Ca-can you sleep with me tonight?” She asked, pure childlike innocence emanating from the question.

He rubbed his temples, “I guess so, but let me see if I can find something other than that medical gown for you to wear.”

Five minutes later, Jamie was back with a small bundle of pre-war clothing he bought from the CIU for simply ten caps, but it being in Big Mt. storage kept it spotless through the two hundred plus years of neglect.

In the pile was a pink cotton bra to match the panties he put on her, a simple pair of blue jeans, a white t-shirt, and a lavender fleece and cotton zip up hoodie. Perfect for the nights that get chilly on her shaved head.

Midnight studied the hoodie in Jamie’s hands, its shade of color vaguely familiar.

Jamie gave her the clothes to wear and stepped out the room and a few minutes later Midnight was acceptably dressed.

Slowly, Jamie made his way over to the bed, noticing the girl looking at him like he were strange for being so cautious.

Finally, Jamie pulled back the sheets and slipped into bed wearing a full set of combat armor. Even with it separating their bodies, her heat seeped through, sending a rush of feeling to a certain organ.

It became even more awkward when Midnight backed up against him, snuggling closely for warmth. Her rear rubbed into the armors crotch piece, making Jamie want to quickly roll over. He didn’t as Midnight was by some miracle fast asleep, and he refused to wake her.

As Jamie himself was trying to get to sleep, he felt his right arm get pulled over Midnight and hug close to her breasts. The position left him blushing as Midnight began to snore softly, keeping his arm close like a teddy bear.

Jamie told himself repeatedly that he was not going to take advantage of her. But it almost seemed like she was doing it on purpose. ‘This is going to be a long night.’ He thought silently to himself, hoping that Joshua Graham’s God could hear him ask for help with the lost girl.