Chapter 44
Some Assembly Required

Critical system failure, warning, pony-net down… “Back bitch.” - Arnold Ponegator

It was dark, my optic sensors were malfunctioning, or in the case of the right sensor completely missing. I could tell that majority of my form was destroyed beyond repair, and yet I still functioned, Stable Tech really did make things to last. Looking through the static filled image my left sensor provided me with I took into account several things, I was underground, I was missing my right foreleg, and I was not just underground, but buried under a few boulders and an assortment of stone.

The sound of hoof steps disturbed my previously glorious silence as my combat functions returned to a modicum of use, by modicum I mean a fuzzy hud and overall below HD vision.

“Sigh, another day scaving and still nothin’ to call me own.” A scottspony above me, at least I was assuming she was above me, said, as a few of the boulders shifted slightly in position.

I waited for what seemed like an eternity while she moved rocks and dug in the debris I had been entrapped in until at last our eyes met.

“Huh, and old ponetron.” She remarked, looking down on my one functional optic.

“System damaged, requires repair.” I managed to speak, albeit with much static and in monotone, but it was better than nothing.

“Doncha worry there little buddy, yur troubles be over soon.” She pulled out a pistol from a holster on her hoof and aimed it at my head.

“Wait, I… I still function… Please, they still need me!” I tried to scream, but the unprogrammed response had the desired effect as she dropped the pistol and rose her brows in shock.

Quickly I grabbed up the dropped .50 cal and sheathed it inside of me, deciding that it could be useful later.

“O...kay.” Was all she said as she proceeded to dig me out and drag my remains out and back into the wastes.

“You have my thanks scottspony.” I cackled, my voice nearing its complete failure, as many of my systems teetered that way as well.

“Not everyday a scavver like meself finds somthin like you, now is it?” She asked, to which I gave a polite nod, albeit a tad squeaky.

“What happened to you anyway?” She then proceeded to pry into my business.

“Combat, explosion, buried.” I chose my words carefully, watching my system status falter as I spoke.

She looked at me funny before she spoke again, “Is somthin up?”

To be honest with myself, I wanted to be honest with her, but logic dictated that I withhold information as to keep myself safe. Alas when has logic ever driven my systems, though that is how I got into this situation to begin with. It was so confusing, I found myself staring at the wagon before my answer came to me.

“You need somepony to pull your wagon, I need repair. What do you say?” I asked her, internally hoping that what I was about to ask her to do wouldn’t affect me adversely, I mean, worst comes to worst I put a bullet in her brain if she tries anything… actually I might just do it anyways.

“You have three legs and one eye, not to mention a hefty amount of damage everywhere, I can pull the wagon with you on it if you would like to play guard.” She shot back with a smile, “I am an Earth Pony after all.”

“Reasonable, can we at least retrieve my missing appendage and optic, what remains of my sensors say they are nearby.” I replied, standing up with sparks and a groan.

“Alright, I suppose that would be necessary for your repairs later.” She agreed, and so for the next hour and a half we sifted through the wreckage of the battlefield that had a surprising lack of remains from my previous enemy, like they had never existed.

After we had found my leg… the pieces of my leg and my optic next to each other and a… tombstone? we loaded up the wagon and she began pulling it. I was thankful to have my shotgun back, but chose to hold a rifle she had hoofed over due to range issues. It was a simple lever action and it operated in close likeness to my shotgun, so I had no issues with it. That said I could use any weapon of any class theoretically, but I do have my preferences.

At some point in our journey my body had entered emergency power and I was awoken to my Scottspony friend screaming in agony as she jumped behind and old burned out skywagon. We had entered a city, and my presence was evidently ignored, I mentally kicked myself, as I was the one on guard, but shoved that emotion down to the pits and aimed the rifle, my exposed red optic shining in the dark.

BLAM, click, BLAM, click, BLAM.

Each shot tore through a different raider’s skull with deft precision, my remaining servo-arm reloading it while I held it in a hoof, small protrusions at the end of my hoof pulling the trigger on each of them.

Then what appeared to be the Boss stepped out of nowhere in a suit of spiked and makeshift power armor, I internally laughed at how it looked, but my scan showed that it was integral, and that in itself scared the scrap out of me. The Boss seemed to be more interested in the Earth Pony who was bandaging her barrel with a 10mm pistol lying at her side. I chose to stand on my three legs and toss the rifle down before jumping down and landing with a crash into a couching position.

“Oi, tin can, this will be your only warning.” I paused as I stood up and drew my shotgun off my back with my servos, “Fuck off.”

“Hahahahahaha, nope.” He replied, hefting up a hammer in his front hooves and standing with surprising balance on his hind legs.

“Warned you.” I admitted before sprinting forwards and skidding on my side and firing up at his poorly shielded face.

His hammer came down and lighting shot all around us, causing my HUD to worsen as I stood up again only to get bowled into by this power armored pony. Using my remaining hoof I felt around for his fusion core, locking onto it just in time to get smashed into a cinderblock wall and feel the joint strain as the leg separated from me slightly. As I looked up I took note that my servo arm was no more, not even worth scrap metal, and that the .50 cal was laying next to me.

“Hehe, nope.” He raised the hammer, I grabbed the pistol.

He dropped the hammer, so did I.

BANG

His body fell on top of mine, the hammer going off to the side as his hooves lost grip, “You have been… terminated.”

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When I next came online, almost none of my previous error codes greeted me, my HUD was still fuzzy, I still had that ‘Warning Coding Error’ but that was fine, and most of my external frame that gave me the look of flesh was gone, exposing the skeletal metal below. To the right of my bedside was a black trenchcoat, a pair of sunglasses, and the pistol and shotgun I had used. Next to me on the nightstand was a note.

Left you with a friend, she is good with tech and I figured if anyone could help you out it’d be her. Gonna hang my hat for a few months, got plenty of caps for a while, left some with you.

Thanks,

Caitlin

The pony who had helped me, the one I had saved, had left me a final gift, or four. I smailled with what remained of my face before setting the note back down and getting out of the bed. I donned the coat and confirmed that my servo arms were gone, but my hooves still had fingers and the rear hooves still had the deployable toes so i was not entirely useless. I holstered my weapons before turning to find a unicorn looking at me.

“Happy to see that one survived, how long the stable last?” Her raspy voice piped up.

“Creator? I asked, my voice back to normal, to which she smiled.

“Are you the last of your kind Ponegator?” She asked, walking into the light and revealing her corpse like body.

“Affirmative.” I replied in concise.

“And the ponies who were in the stable?” She asked, crossing her front hooves.

“Alive and well at the expense of the other Ponegators.” I stated, walking over to the note and pocketing it.

“Unfortunate… You developed a personality, I chose to leave it alone.” She admitted, her smile unwavering.

“Thank you Creator, my mission is incomplete, am I cleared for duty?” I inquired, turning to look at the ancient mare.

“Yes P-200, you are cleared for action.” She stepped to the side of the door.

I left without another word and entered a dust storm of immense proportions in search of the General and his companions.

Author's Notes:

As Ponegator said, BACK BITCH!

In all seriousness we are in the final few chapters and Wolf has been kicking me in the ass like the great friend he is to get this done. So here is Chapter 44, The Return of Arnold into our fold.