“It basically builds up in your system. You never feel it until it's too late.”

As we approached the Ironshod Manufacturing Factory my Pipbuck begun to click a lot more than usual and the geiger counter inched towards the yellow.

“Aw shoot,” Said Nicky who was suddenly right next to me.

“Hmm, best we not spend too much time here.” Ollie said taking my pipbuck and hoof into hers, “Let me know when and if it reaches red, sweetie, and we’ll need some RadAway when we get back to the Chariot.”

“Um,” I swallowed attempting to hide the my blush, “I–I will.”

Ollie then began walking into the factory, followed by Nicky.  It took me a moment to regain my composure before following them.

***  ***  ***

The lobby of the factory was covered in a layer of dust.  All it contained was a small metal desk and a burnt out computer.  Behind the desk was the skeleton of what was likely the receptionist or some other wastelander who had sought refuge in the factory long before us and some faded posters of weapons that were destroyed by a time and the thin stream of radioactive water leaking from the ceiling..  Off to the left of the room was a flickering vending machine labeled “Sparkle-Cola” and a door into what appeared to be a break room.

Ollie used her horn to magically open the Sparkle cola machine and loot the remainder of the bottles left in the machine.  Personally the mildly glowing liquid did not look that appetizing.

Noticing the disgusted look on my face Ollie opened a bottle, pocketed the cap and offered it to me.

“Trust me, the amount of Rads in this won’t kill you.” she said still levitating the bottle near me as she opened one for herself, “It tastes better than irradiated water, that's for sure.”

Reluctantly I took the bottle from her magical grasp and took a sip.  When the bubbly carrot flavored liquid hit my tongue I realized how thirsty i really was.  I don’t think I had a single drop of anything since the previous night’s Forget-Me-Shot - though if I did I probably wouldn’t remember and it was likely expelled when I had puked back in Ollie’s room.

A few moments later Nicky trotted up balancing her loot from the break room on her head.  It was exactly 3 fancy buck cakes.  And was it just me or had Nicky’s colors increased in saturation and her mane back to the poofy curls she had when I met her?

We were in the middle of our snack break when a vaguely pony shaped robot with a glass jar on it’s head came into the lobby from the door to the factory floor.

“Unauthorized ponies detected!” the robot shouted, “Lethal force will be used!”

It then shot what looked like a bolt of lightning and scorched the wall above our heads filling the air with the stench of smoke and burnt ozone. Ollie darted for the desk and flipped it to create some cover and Nicky darted to the safety of the break room.  I grabbed my half empty bottle of Sparkle-Cola in my mouth and threw it at the robot while ducking for cover behind the desk.  Another bolt hit the bottle midair vaporizing it and the remainder of the soda.

I groaned as the taste of carrot was now replaced by the metal flavor of my beam pistol’s mouth grip.  Would it have killed somepony to make guns flavored? I thought to myself, but I should have been paying attention as a bolt struck the metal desk and arched over the top of our cover and though my body.

Weakly I pushed away from the conductive cover and pulled out a healing potion and downed it.  As the warm healing magic restored my strength, I slipped into SATS and targetted 2 shots into the glass that held it’s brain.  

BIZZT, BIZZT the shots rang out as I released the spell. The first struck it in the glass case, but only left a small scorch mark.  The second missed because the robot moved closer to get a better shot at Ollie and I.

Since shooting the glass was ineffective with my beam weapon, I decided to aim for the metal part.  I slipped into SATS again since I’d only used 2 of 4 available SATS guided shots.  I targeted it’s torso just below the glass and released the spell.

BIZZT, BIZZT the shots rang out as they impacted the torso of the brainbot.  Though not as ineffective as aiming at the brain case, they didn’t cause as much damage as I’d hoped.  The robot was still able to fire back nearly missing my right ear with a lightning bolt.

Then a metal apple flew from the break room and landed at the wheeled hooves of the robot.  I noticed that it had a blue ring around it and that it didn't have a stem.  I braced for the impact of the explosion, but instead it sent out a pulse of blue electricity and the brainbot powered down.

Cautiously I walked out from being the desk.  Nicky skipped out of the break room, grenade stem still in her mouth, with the biggest smile on her face.  She spat the stem out and looked over at me.  Upon noticing my puzzled look she laughed.

“Stable ponies don’t know nothin’!” she begun before motioning a hoof towards the now useless grande, “There are a few different types of grandes.  Plesma, have green ringy-things. I used dem on Marker’s crew, Regular explosive one have a red ring, and this one was a mayrex distrubtion grenade, has a blue ring and works best on robotty things”

“I told you she was an expert, though not in pronunciation.  Plasma and matrix disruption is what she meant.” Ollie said as Nicky trotted off wrench in mouth to loot the now disabled brainbot.

While Nicky and Ollie went back to finish their snack, I took a peek out the door the robot had entered from to make sure there were no more on the way.  Just incase Nicky had given me her last matrix disruption grenade.

The factory consisted of a manufacturing floor that had been dug into the ground and a bunch of narrow metal catwalks hanging from the ceiling at my level on the second floor.  The Center catwalk lead to an office the reminded me of the Overmare’s office from back in the stable.  It even had a clouded window overlooking the factory.  There were large dormant generators on the far wall of the factory floor that were wired to numerous conveyor belts and other weapon building machines.  Patrolling the factory floor were a bunch more of those brainbots - at least 10 or 20, but luckily there were no more on our level.

That didn’t stop them from shooting thiere surprisingly long range lightning at attack at me.  A bolt struck my flank as dived back into the lobby area.

“Celstia’s fiery marehood!” I screeched and immediately downed a healing potion, “We may have a problem."

As the burn on my rump healed I told them of the situation out on the factory floor.

“So what are our options?” I asked Ollie as she moved the desk to the door to provide some cover.

“Well, we have a few options.  We rush down there, guns blazing and hope to destroy the robots before we die, which is not an option I’d prefer.  Then there is a better option, that I’m not too fond of either, where we have Knick-Knack sneak around a drop grenades down on those generators on the far wall.  The explosion shouldn’t reach us, but it will destroy the robots.  Downside, the factory floor will be bathed in a lethal dose of magical radiation, so no bulk ammo if it is down there.”  She responded.

“Where are the blueprints held?”

“They’d be in the boss’s office, across the kitty-catwalks.” Nicky answered.

“That far above the factory floor, should be fine for a quick jaunt to the office and back.” Ollie chimed in.

“Well, all things considered,” I pondered, “A few less caps vs. getting out of here with our lives.  The second option is better.  Nicky, you up for your part?” I said turning to where Nicky had been.

Moments later there was a very loud BOOM and myPipbuck’s geiger-counter spiked.  Then Nicky returned and downed a healing potion and a Rad Away.

We then filed slowly onto the catwalk that buckled slightly under our weight.  My pipbuck clicked ominously as we crossed.  The only other sound was our hooves on the metal and the low hum of the lights on the ceiling.  As we walked, out of the corner of my eye I thought I saw one of the brain-bots move, but when I turned to see it nothing was there.

The office was furnished with wood trimmed walls, but in the decades since the apocalypse, the wood had begun to rot, filling the air with a musty smell.  There were a bunch of of yellowed papers everywhere along with a thick coat of dust.  Along the left wall was some filing cabinets and on the back wall was a desk with a terminal and a wall safe.  The pony who had previously worked in the office was still there with a bullet hole in his head.

I pushed him aside and begun to hack the terminal.  It has been ages since I last had to hack a terminal and the one in Stable 13’s medbay was much easier.  It took me 4 times backing completely out before I got the password.  It was “WEAPONIZE.”

Once in I had access to the IMF security, but since we had destroyed all the bots that wasn’t a concern.  I was also able to unlock the safe.  There were a few more files, but we were already taking megadose of radiation and I had no time to look at them so I copied them to my pipbuck and turned my attention to the safe.  There were 3 blueprints, some pre-war bits, and some ammo I assumed were specialty ammo based on the colored rings on the casings..

The filing cabinets only held 5 caps and a bunch of useless earrings papers.  So we all took a Rad Away and a Rad-X and begun to cross the catwalk again.  We were halfway across when a bolt of lightning struck the ceiling above us.  The 2 century old catwalk supports gave and the catwalk begun to fall.

“Run!” I screamed at the ponies in front of me.

Ollie lifted Nicky on to her back and leaped for the door on the other end of the catwalk.  I was close behind when another bolt of lightning struck the catwalk and arched through my body.  I collapsed, then the catwalk did and I plummeted into the magical radiation below.

The last thing I heard before passing out was “Well now, Clash, that could have gone better.”  in the same voice that had ended my dream.

***  ***  ***

Darkness, all I saw was darkness. Then suddenly I’m back on the catwalk lightning repeatedly arching though my body.  All I can feel is the pain.  I try to call out but my voice dies in my throat.

“Today is my lucky day.” echoed the voice of Marker, “I found a new form of torture, such a lovely pass time.”

The green glow around me spiked, the clicking of my pipbuck increased. The heat beneath me scorched my under belly.  I felt myself dying.

“Wake up clash.” rang the voice in my head.

***  ***  ***

“Hey Thucky, you thinkth thshe goths anything good on ther?”

“Stop talking, bugbrain, I’m searching.  Hmm, about 50 caps, 3 weapons blueprints and--Ooh a beam pistol!”

“Tho–those are mine,” I rasped squinting to see in the brightness of the grey.

“Shit, Bugz, she’s alive!”

“B–bral–” I said before puking for the second time today, but this time I tasted blood in my mouth.

“Thshe theems thow hathe radiathon poisthoning. We can thill thake her thtuff.”

“I’m not robbing a half dead pony, I’m not that kind of griffon and neither are you.  We are helping her. Bugz, get the Rad Away.”

At that, I passed out again.

***  ***  ***

I awoke on a mattress feeling sore all over.  I could still taste the copper flavor of blood in my mouth.  My head felt like it had been blown to smithereens several times over, yet was completely intact.

I heard my captors–no my rescuers–the creatures who saved me, I think one said he was a griffon What in all of equestria is a griffon? I heard them talking just a few feet away..

“Do you think she’ll pull through?” one said.

“She still has radiation poisoning, so I don’t know.  We are out of Rad Away and we don’t have any healing potions. She might not make it if we don’t get more.” The other said.

I forced my aching body to get up and move closer to where they were sitting.

“The thing I’m still trying to figure out is how she got on the roof of the Ironshod Factory since she is an earth pony.” The second said.

“I was on the roof?” I asked weakly, my legs giving out beneath me causing me to fall the the floor with a thud..

“She’s awake!” the first said surprised by my presence.

“Yes, that is where we found you.” The second said, “Laying on the roof looking like you were dead.  What’s your name?”

“Clash Coat.” I answered meekly, “Who are you?”

“I’m Bucky,” the second creature, now known as Bucky, said then motioned to the unicorn in silhouette next to him, “And this is Bu - I mean - Archer.”

“Nice to meet you both, thank you for saving me.  I’ve been told that is a rarity in the wasteland.”  I told them.

“Well, I’d hate to give a bad name to the griffon race and I try to keep Archie on the up and up ever since I found him.” Bucky said.

“Now I’d hate to sound like a stable pony,” I rasped weakly waving my Pipbucked hoof, “But what is a griffon?”

“What are they teaching you down in those stables?  They don’t tell of the majestic griffon race?”  Bucky begun.

“Such modesty.”  Archer joked.

“I came from an uptight stable, if you didn’t fit their standard of beauty you don’t get an education.”  I said staring at my hooves.

“Cheer up Clash, you are a very beautiful mare.” Archer said blushing.

“Good old Archie, always the charmer.” Bucky said whimsically, “Back to your re-education, griffons were one of 3 flying races in equestria before it all went to hell.  It was them, pegasi, and the Princesses, you know the princesses, right?”

“Celestia and Luna?  The goddesses?” I asked.

“Correct, you are acing my class, Clash.” Bucky teased.

“What is a pegasi?” I asked.

“Well, basically they are ponies with feathers.” Bucky explained, “Now-a-days they are part of a group known as the enclave.  They live above the cloud layer.  They are bad news, if you encounter them you’ll likely not live to tell the tail.”

Great, more questions than answers, I thought to myself.

“Oh pegasus.” I said dumbly, “Never heard them called pegasi before.”

“It just means more than one of them.” Bucky squawked, “Now, we should get some rest, especially fillies with radiation poisoning.”

“Yes, Short Tail.”  I said without thinking, but immediately corrected myself and said, “Bucky.”

“Archie, help Clash back to the mattress, I’ll take first watch.” Bucky said turning to face the open window pane and grabbing his rifle in his talons.

I felt Archer’s magic wrap around me and lifted me towards the mattress. I then fell into a very restless, dreamless sleep.

***  ***  ***

In the grey of the morning I could get a better look at my 2 new companions.  Bucky, the griffon, had a long green beak with yellow, orange, red, and blue splotches on it.  It reminded me of a toucan picture I’d seen in a nature magazine Short Tail had back in the stable.  His plumage matched too with black feathers on top of his head and yellow on the underside of his head and down on to his mid section.  His front talons were baby blue and aside from his large black wings his lower half was that of a big cat.  He had white fur with a black stripes starting from the center of his back and going down his sides.  His body ended in a long white tail.

Archer was just a light blue unicorn buck with a silver mane and green eyes.  His Cutie mark is that of a crossbow.  His right ear looks like a hole has been cut through it in the shape of a perfect circle.

I was glad that my Stable 13 brainwashing was unable to classify Bucky as Desirable or Undesirable.  I was able to get to know him without judging him first.  Archer on the other hoof was very desirable looking, despite his ear scar - and I mentally slapped my brain for the judgmental thought.

“So where were you headed before you magically wound up on the Ironshod roof?”  Bucky asked shaking me from my thoughts.

“Oh,” I said tapping my hoof on my pipbuck so it displayed the map, “my companions and I were staying at the Chariot Hotel.  Actually one of them is one of the re-founders--I think. I should probably head back there.”

“The Chariot Hotel?” Archer asked looking at the map, “In your condition, it will take almost 3 days for us to get there.”

“Lucky for you, we found you and will gladly escort you back to your friends.” Bucky chirped.

***  ***  ***

We walked the desolate streets at a slow pace.  Archer’s magic holding me up as I walked while also levitating a crossbow.  Bucky, having wings, was flying from rooftop to rooftop using his rifle to shoot any raiders or bandits that may try to attack me in my weak state.  Though occasionally I’d hear a small whipping noise as Archer fired his arrows at well hidden raiders bucky had missed.

Every now and them Bucky would return to the street level with scavenged or looted supplies.  He mostly gave me healing potions and Rad Aways. to help my deteriorating condition.  Though he also found me some spark batteries for my beam pistol.

As the sky grew darker I became less able to walk as a brownish-red icor begun leaking from my rear as my insides liquefied.   So Archer put me over his back so his horn wouldn’t be as strained; careful to have my leakage not get on him.

Finally Bucky announced, “We’ll spend the night here!” while landing on a burned out skywagon.  Archer lifted me into the wagon and force fed me a radaway before wandering off to scavenge some food while Bucky took watch over me.

Though the headache, stomach-ache, and anal burning kept me from sleeping.  I almost prefer the after effects of a Forget-Me-Shot, at least I’d know I had fun before feeling like death.

***  ***  ***

I don’t know how long I was out for, but I must have slept at least a few hours because Archer had come back.  I could hear him and Bucky talking outside the skywagon, though I couldn’t see them from my position.  They were talking much quieter than they had the night before as if this was a conversation they didn’t want me waking up to.  I felt bad for eavesdropping on their private chat, but there wasn’t much else to do.

“No! I will not risk getting you killed.” Bucky angrily whispered.

“But, I hathen’t had tso usth a glimmer thith long bethore. Thshe isth thleeping tharther athay than lastht night.  I neethed tho restht my mathic.” Archer said in the lisping voice I’d heard on the Ironshot roof.

I silently inched closer to the wall and pressed my ear to the metal to hear the conversation better.

“What if she doesn’t take kindly to you like that?  She may be sick, but one well placed shot from her pistol and your dust. Please glimmer, she is on the other side of this wall.”   He said tapping a talon on the skywagon.

I yelped, not expecting the sudden noise.  I quickly inched myself away from the wall as Bucky came into view.  There was what appeared to be a blue-green flash behind the wall before Archer came into view carrying a saddle bag of scavenged goods.  

Was it just me or was his mane now more blond than silver? I thought to myself.  Must be the firelight or radiation poisoning playing tricks on my eyes.

“You feeling up for some real food?” Bucky asked from the open rear of the wagon.

I nodded and he reached into Archer’s bag a pulled out a box that said “Sugar Apple Bombs” and passed them to me.  I poured them into my hoof and cautiously licked one up with my tongue.  I slowly chewed the crunchy, sweet, slightly stale puff.  Even with the taste of blood still in my mouth, it was the best food I’d ever tasted.  Though I couldn’t help the feeling I’d tasked them before during my forgotten night.

I ate a few more before my radiation poisoning caused me to empty my stomach.  So I just drank another Rad Away and tried to fall back asleep.

***  ***  ***

The next day I was too weak to walk so I spent the entire day on Archer’s back; which I came to realize was oddly uncomfortable.  Though it looked like any other pony’s back, it was hard as a rock.  As if his skin was some kind of armour.  And if I looked at it in a certain way, it looked almost black and shiny instead of blue.

As we turned down another street Bucky returned to street level with a worried look on his face.

“Marker has set up camp a little ways up.  He might be moving on the Chariot.” Bucky explained.

At the mention of Marker’s name my eye shot open, and I felt a sudden surge of strength.

“Marker is moving on the chariot!  We have to warn them!” I said hopping to my hooves, but only managed to walk a few feet before collapsing.

“Cut your losses kid, the Chariot is doomed whether you warn them or not.  You can hang with us.  We’ll find someplace safer to purge your radiation.” Bucky said sternly.

“No!” I said into the dirt as I begun to grad myself along the street, “I have to warn them, there is still time to get them to safety.”

“In your state, you're more likely to end up dead and Marker still takes the Chariot.” Bucky pleaded.

“What. About. Being. An. Upstanding. Griffon?” I said continuing to drag myself down the street, “You could have left me on that roof.”

“She has got a point.  How could we live with ourselves if we don’t try to warn them.” Archer said, “You can fly off with your tail between your legs Buck, but I’m going to get Clash to that hotel.”

I felt Archer’s magic surround me and lift me on his back.  He then began to gallop at full speed down the road.

We didn’t get far before Bucky landed in front of us making Archer come to a hault.

“If we’re going to do this, then we need a different route then straight into their camp.” Buck said sternly, “It will be taxing on me, and likely not a pleasant ride for you, but I could fly you both there, completely avoiding Marker’s camp.”

***  ***  ***

Give me a ride on Archer’s uncomfortable back anyday.  I wrapped my front hooves tightly around Bucky’s neck as he flew swiftly over Detrot.  Archer had to be carried beneath him in his talons, though from my angle it looked as if Archer were hovering a few inches below Bucky.

Within minutes we were on the steps of the Chariot.  Archer ran inside to get some help for me while I puked blood and stomach acid all over the steps.

“Clash! oh thank heavens you're alright!” I heard the voice of Ollie say, but the radiation poisoning topped with the vertigo of flying had me in and out of consciousness.

I felt the warmth of Ollie’s magic surround me and carry me into the chariot.  I hadn't realized it before, but Archer’s magic had felt cold.

That was my final thought before I passed out.

***  ***  ***

Footnotes:

Clash Coat: Level up

New Perk Added: Lead Belly - With the Lead Belly perk, 50% less radiation is taken every time you drink from an irradiated water source or eat irradiated food and drink.

Quest Perk Added: Minor Mutation: Crystalline skin (rank 1) - your crystal pony DNA has reacted with the magical radiation in a very odd way.  While under the effects of minor radiation poisoning your skin is able to stop most low caliber ammunition, as if you are wearing light armour.  So go ahead, walk the wasteland naked.

Skill increase: Science is now 30

Nicky: Level up

New Perk added: TNT, You're Dynamite - you have an incredible knack for blowing things up.  +10% accuracy when using explosive weaponry.  You also take 15% less radiation at all times.

Ollie Factory: Level up

New Perk added: Egghead - You will add +2 skill points each time you gain a new experience level.

New companion: Bucky - Level 8

Strength - 7

Perception - 5

Endurance - 6

Charisma - 6

Intelligence - 6

Agility - 7

Luck - 3

Tagged Skills:

Sneak

Big Guns

Small Guns

Traits:

none

New Companion: Archer - Level 4

Strength - 5

Perception - 6

Endurance - 7

Charisma - 6

Intelligence - 6

Agility - 6

Luck - 4

Tagged Skills:

Sneak

Small Guns

Science

Traits:

none

Quest Updated:

Gun Runner Run, I - √ Scavenge the Ironshod Manufacturing Factory for any weapon blueprints and unique ammo.

                           Return to the Gun Runners and give them your findings.

Faction Status:

Stable 13 – Vilified

Marker’s Gang – Disliked

The Chariot Hotel – Neutral

Finders (West Branch) – Neutral

Gun Runners – Neutral