Clarinet’s room was just as dark as before, but this time I was on the side next to the light switch. I didn’t feel like waking her up just yet by turning on the light, and from the look of her digital clock on the nightstand, it was a few hours too early to be awake. So I simply stayed in bed and tried to go back to sleep.

It was odd having to share a bed like this, not once, but three times now. My biggest problem with this setup was Clarinet’s habit of cuddling in her sleep. It probably only became a problem for me now because I didn’t medicate myself before going to sleep. Some painkillers, yes, but I wanted to avoid taking anything hard again. Sadly, it was not enough to make some of the pain go away, leaving this dull ache that was keeping me up.

It all made me frustrated, and helping out at medical didn’t help. Mostly sitting around in one spot, taking down the names of the ponies needing some help. But it did give me time to look through the books I was given. It was all a bit mind numbing.

The books were less about how to be a happy citizen, and more about avoiding what the republic considered offensive behavior. Vulgarity was out, which meant that the next time a pony pisses me off I’ll have to be creative with my insults. The books just went on, and on about the do’s and don’ts. I ended up having to reread them to just wrap my brain around them.

In my time at medical, I did learn about how bad things had gotten for me before I had arrived among the equalists, as well as talked to a few ponies that came over to medical. Sadly, most ponies were tight lipped about anything past their daily lives and how they loved the republic. I think I had this new girl smell about me, as very few ponies would talk to me for very long, and didn’t seem to like it whenever I tried to ask a question. It all made me want to go home even more, and spend some time with mom.

Medical here was less a hospital, and more a clinic with a large ward. Not that many beds had been filled, but the place was busy nonetheless. Clarinet had left me at the reception desk to go get changed, with only another mare across the room from me waiting for care. She had a bad cough that sounded like she had something in her lungs.

The reception room was a sterile white and light gray, with the only colors coming from the republic’s seal above the desk, and the posters on the walls. They were similar to the old Ministry of Peace posters that can be found topside, but none of these ones had the Ministry Mare Fluttershy on them, or anything referring to Zebras. One was of two ponies that looked alike, one clean and the other sickly, it showed the clean pony holding one pill in her hoof, the sickly pony holding five. The poster had a message at the bottom, “Abusing your medication is abusing yourself. Remember to always follow proper dosage.”

The rest of the posters followed the same theme, with varied levels of propaganda. One showing a pony in a tophat with their back to a sick pony, and another pony with an equalist leg band helping the pony up. It supported the public healthcare of the republic as they portrayed the capitalists as heartless. Another poster encourages the citizens to learn first aid, and a fourth pushed the importance of clean living. Despite how sterile the room was, the posters gave enough life to it to be pleasant.

When Clarinet got back, she was in scrubs, which came with cute little white cloth shoes. Another pony in a white lab coat followed her, looking a little in need of sleep. “Chime, this is doctor Repique Click. She runs the medical ward here." She reached out her hoof and pointed to me. “And this is Chime, she’s new here and has offered to volunteer. Isn’t that doubleplusgood!?”

Doctor Repique Click was a plain looking older mare, with a faded greenish gray coat, and dirty blond mane. One thing that did stand out was that her prosthetic cyber legs were milky white, and smooth. It was similar to some of the medical ponies in Orthrus, were they had legs made for use in surgeries and other medical procedures that tended to come in contact with lot of blood.

She looked me up and down, pulling out a clipboard and looked through the paperwork. “Yes, here you are. Despite the injuries, and being heavily drugged, you were the healthiest pony to be sent to this station. Being nearly dead notwithstanding.” She paused for a time, looking intently at her notes. I exchange looks with Clarinet, but she simply motioned for me to stay calm. “Right, here it is. You had to have a complete synthetic blood transplant do to a complication in detox, and were claimed legally dead two times before recovering.”

“What?”

Repique sighed. “Sorry, let me explain. The amount of drugs in your system, though not enough to overload your body, did become a toxic cocktail. It was to the point that your own blood was starting to break apart, and had to be replaced. Lucky that the cocktail didn’t involve flux, or they might have had to start cutting out tumors as well. In the end your body had shut down twice, luckily you were already in a medical facility, and they just had to jumpstart your heart and lungs until your brain regained control”

“Twice?”

She sighed. “Yes, this happened twice. In the notes it says that there was a mechanical malfunction. Which to me means that somepony unplugged your life support system before you were ready to come off of it.

I shook my head, and took a deep breath, processing what I was just told. “I remember three drugs being put in me, strong stuff, but nothing that I heard that could do that.”

Repique looked at her clipboard. “Let’s see. There were four chemical compounds we didn’t recognize, probably newer bandit chems, so they were likely the culprit. There were also high traces of chill, and rush in your system, along with some buck, and Mint-als.” She put the clipboard away, and glared at Clarinet. “Care to explain.”

Clarinets eyes darted about before she sighed. “It was a ungood situation. The Buck, and Mint-als I had were crushed and mix in a few bottles of water. We used the mixtures to keep everypony awake, aware, and able to push onward. The Chill and rush were just for Chime, she was still in a super ungood shape, and needed to be numb and awake.”

I nodded at her explanation. “True, everything hurt at the time. I don’t think I could have moved far without the stuff.”

“And the four other compounds?” Repique asked.

“Well I was taking back some new chems for our ponies to study.” She said sheepishly. “One of my friends managed to get three medical chems from the capitalists. From what she told me, the drugs were used in regenerative treatments, so I figured that it could help her. The fourth was a bandit chem I got from a local dealer. They told me that it helps resist radiation and boost the physical body.”

Repique face hoofed. “And you just gave them all to her?”

Clarinet stomped her hoof down. “She was going to unlive, so I took a risk, and she is alive.”

We all paused for a long moment. Repique was first to break the silence. “So she is, but next time you may not be so lucky.”

The tension in the room slowly faded, and the doctor turned her attention the other pony who had started coughing and wheezing. Her and Clarinet took the sickly pony to the ward, and I was told to sit behind the reception desk, and to do reception things.

It was a simple enough job, but with little to do, and it didn’t help that half way through it I got a migraine that lasted around an hour. I could only guess it was from my body getting fuck up two days ago, or from the sheer blandness that was everything.

Opening my eyes, and saw that only an hour had passed on the clock. I regretted not taking the chill like before, but if I wanted to get better I needed to stay clean. But still, if sleeping only an hour or two at a time becomes a regular thing, I might as well give in and save my sanity.

Closing my eyes, I focused on getting back to sleep. Back home, if I was having a night like this I’d just go to the bar, get drunk, and trot on home to sleep. Sadly, to my annoyance, alcohol was not something that was easy to get here, and even the places that sold some were closed after lights out. Alcohol was around, but buying a bottle had a three-day waiting period at the soonest, and the only bar in the station had only one drink. Mushroom vodka. Something I had never tried before, and wish I never did.

Paixiao, Clarinet, and I decided to meet up there later. Paixiao also said that she’d bring Ruan if possible. Under different circumstances, I would have enjoyed this simpler kind of life, but I knew if I didn’t get moving, something would move me. I knew this because that’s what Phobetor’s eyes were telling me, every time I open them, she’d be staring back at me from the other end of the room.

When the shift was over, I couldn’t get away from that desk fast enough. The volunteer work didn’t stress me out, physically or mentally, but it was boring. I just needed a change of scenery, and something to dull my aching body. It also didn’t help that I wasn’t getting paid for this, but that was a minor concern right now.

The station’s bar was nothing all that fantastic, not having a name, or much in the way of booze. One thing that gave the place some personality was that the posters were being used as wall paper, both republic posters, and even some old world posters. Pinkie Pie watching us from across the room, her eyes somehow following us.

The four of us met up at a table, each one of us having a bowl of pink mush, food sticks, and a glass of water. I had also ordered a shot of mushroom vodka, which got me worried looks from the others. I didn’t really care, and Clarinet already paid for the shot, so I was not going to waste it.

“You should…” Paixiao spoke up, but was stopped by Ruan.

I shrugged and downed the vodka. It burned... it burned really bad. “What the fuck is in this stuff?” My body shivered as it hit my stomach, and the burning sensation reversed course. “It’s coming back up.” Ruan and Clarinet both laughed, as one of them patted me on the back.

“Mushroom vodka, kicks everypony’s flank.” Clarinet said with a laugh.

I shivered one more time before the feeling subsided. “Ya, that was strong stuff.”

“One hundred and twenty proof strong. Most ponies cut it with water first.” Clarinet explained. “Most alcohol that is made goes into medical equipment, so the alcohol that’s for consumption tends to be strong.”

“Ya.” Ruan sighed. “It’d probably make for a good martini, but no syrups or juice here. Such a waste.”

Clarinet smirked “Well from what I’ve been told, ponies with a good E.C.S. can order outside supplies.” She scratched her chin, holding up the leg with her other hoof. “There are rules, like no weapons or subversive materials. I’ve seen one pony with a whole bar setup, it was small, but pluscool.”

Ruan paused for a moment. “So what you're saying is that as long as I play nice, and be the good citizen, I can still have the things I want.” Clarinet nodded, and Ruan sighed. “I don’t know, still feels weird to me.”

“I…” Paixiao spoke up. “I like it. We all get food, and clean water. Even though Ruan snores, the beds are real beds, which is nice.” She sipped her water. “I also like being able to trot around without having to worry about getting robbed.”

“I can agree with that.” I spoke up. Food and water was never that big of a worry for me, though there were days after leaving Orthrus that I had to skip a meal. But Sweet had a knack for finding jobs. As for getting robbed, ponies that could rob an armed pony were rarely brave enough to try, and the ones stupid enough to actually do it, were dead long before I knew about them. But remembering that I was Chime right now, I needed to act like I had more in common with Paixiao for the moment.

Our get together continued on, mostly small talk, but with a few interesting bits. Ruan had been given a job assisting with the train depot. From what she told us, she will be helping with safety checks and general maintenance. As it turns out, the trains here did not run all the time, and turn in after lights out. Each station had an extra train, which they would switch out every day as the other train is checked over by the maintenance crew. This meant that no trains move at night, making a good opportunity for me to slip out.

Paixiao on the other hoof got a job with waste management and recycling. She was tasked with gathering up the garbage, so nothing all that interesting. But one thing that did catch my attention, was the disposal process. Simply, the garbage is taken to another station for processing, meaning all the other stations take their garbage to that one station. This gave me another option to slip away disguised as a garbage hauler.

Having two options to move to another station under the radar helped put me ease. So right now I just needed to bide my time, and prepare to move out. I didn’t know how well guarded the republic had this station, but I’d be a fool to think that they weren’t prepared for at least one of their new citizens to change their mind and try to run away. The fact that I never heard about the conditions here was a good indicator that nopony had ever left to tell about it.

Once more my eyes opened up to find that less than an hour had passed. Phobetor had not moved, still staring at me from the corner of the room, I knew she had something to say, but I was not ready to hear it yet. Closing my eyes, thoughts of escape galloped in my head. Nothing came up involving me getting to one of the outer stations, only being able to move within the republic controlled stations. I needed more information, I needed to find a hole in their security, or at least a way to get a message out. If Rototom knew I was here, she’d get me out.

I just couldn’t put my hoof on it, but something felt seriously wrong here. Like the longer I was here, the harder it would get to leave. I understood all the regulations, programs, and even what the happier citizen project really was. It was something Orthrus trained us in, not a big part of our training, but something that we had to do every year. Public pacification.

Simply it was about getting the public at large to act in a more favorable way, and how to lessen the feeling of resistance towards the government. It was why Orthrus was so hooves off with almost everything, it kept most complaints being about how they needed us, and less complaints about wanting us to go away. The places we did have a presence were seen as our territory, of which we charge a tax to pass through, and anypony who chose to take a different path ran the risk of running into bandits or having to fend off rad-roaches. This meant that anypony who didn’t want to deal with Orthrus, didn’t, and the ponies who wanted to have safer lives were much politer to us and paid the tax.

The republic seemed to have something similar going on, but in a far more direct and extreme way. The E.C.S. was frightening enough, not the idea of it, something like that would not fly on the other islands. Well I hoped it would not catch on with the other islands. What frightened me was how celebrated it was here. Almost everything Clarinet did was to raise her score, and she didn’t see that it was keeping her from her kids. It was not just her, but it seemed that almost everypony here was more concerned with their E.C.S. then just being ponies.

But that’s not what bugged me, not completely. It was something that I was not seeing, something that was unspoken. Everything else was out in the open, where my mind can challenge it, and be understood for what it was. But I knew there was something else here that was trying to get at me, I could feel it in my gut.

I think I started getting this feeling after we had left the bar, and I joined Clarinet with some more volunteer work. This time we were cleaning sheets and military uniforms. The ponies whose job it was to do this did most of the work, we simply made things easier for them by pushing carts, and cleaning the area.

We had stopped by our place to change into more comfortable work clothes, Clarinet didn’t want me ruining my nicer clothes so soon after getting them, so jumpsuits it was. Despite the grayness of the dress uniform, I did like the look of it, even the little hat. It all had a lady like feel to it, unlike the rest of the clothes.

From our room, it didn’t take us long to get to the laundry facility. The humidity in this place was as bad as it was on the surface, even had its own bad smell to it. When Clarinet told me that we were going to push things around, she literally meant that we were going to push things around. The laundry facility we were at held about fifty/fifty volunteers and workers, and was where the republic got a lot of sheets, uniforms, and other things cleaned. The volunteers job here was to simply keep things moving, nothing complex or all that labor intensive. It was the same kind of job that new recruits in Orthrus would do, just that we were choosing to do it.

Everypony here worked as a team, not one of them were alone, not even on breaks. I simply followed Clarinets lead, and soon we were transferring a large basket of sheets over to get sorted. The large baskets rested on a cart that had been made to have a pony strapped to a harness so that they could easily pull it. The job of the second pony was to make sure nothing fell out of the basket, and to clear the way for the pony pulling. I chose to have the harness attached, pulling meant I didn’t have to put myself out there all that much as we did this.

Pulling the large basket proved to be simple enough, even with how loaded it was, others around me seemed to struggle a little more than I was. It was probably because of the back legs I had, the full cybernetics had more power behind them, and griped the floor better than my old ones did.

Sorting was a mess of full baskets as ponies walked over them. They would throw the contents into a large pile, as more ponies pulled out clothes, sheets, and other stuff into different baskets. “We got another load!” A mare shouted as the others groaned. The mare trotted over to us, and pointed to the group of baskets that some ponies were standing on. “Get that unloaded, we got a freshly sorted basket ready to be taken to the wash.”

Trotting the basket over to the bunch, two workers helped pull it off, and directed us to where we were to pick up the next one. “Thanks for the help.” One of the workers said as she trotted alongside us. “It seems that it’s been one load after another today.” The mare didn’t look the best, with dark shadows under her eyes, and a slightly unfocused stare.

“Doing overtime?” I asked.

The mare shook her head. “No, same shift as everypony else. Just not been feeling well, that’s all.”

“I know how you feel.” I sighed. “Went through a grinder before getting here, and owe the pony I’m partnered with, my life. So I’m on some painkillers right now, though a bowl of vegetable soup would probably help just as good.”

The worker mare laughed. “Ya, I think I know what you’re getting at. I try not to eat that pink crap when I can, just doesn’t go down well with me. When you start earning bits, I suggest putting in an order for dried fruits and vegetables. It doesn’t hurt your E.C.S. and you can skip the pink mush.”

She helped push a new basket onto our cart, this one almost completely overfilled with military uniforms. When the basket was locked in place one of the fatigues fell onto my head. I simply stood there as Clarinet threw the pants back onto the basket, and so we were off.

Leaving sorting, I couldn’t help but linger on what the mare had been talking about. “Hey, Clarinet?”

“Yes?” She singsonged the word.

“Do you eat anything other then that pink stuff? Or other than the food sticks that come with it?”

She looked up and away from me for a moment before looking back and nodding. “Sometimes.” She turned her head forward to see another basket coming the opposite way. She backed away to avoid a collision, and when it had passed, she quickly trotted back up to me. “But not often. It’s easier to just save up my bits for more important things. But they didn’t have any of the stuff on the other island, so I had to make do with the stuff we were giving out. It gave me a bit of a headache though.”

“Important stuff?” I didn’t see much of the way of stuff at her place, and I was a bit worried that she spent her bits on me, and the other two mares.

She nodded. “Yep, I’ve been making sure my little fillies are getting good food and books to read. There’s no way they're not going to become important ponies in the republic.”

Looking at her, she had a smile on her face, not the eerie one she normally had, but something more relaxed and natural. I think that’s why I never felt uneasy around Clarinet, she had this honest care about her. Not that she was some pony I could trust, she had drunk the rad-roach poison tainted fruit drink that the equalists had been giving her. But I knew she would be honest with me about it, right up to my execution.

Shaking off the thought, we arrived at the washers and dropped off the basket. We picked up another basket, and took it to the dyers. From the dryers, we took another basket to where the clothes were folded up and packed away. This continued for a few hours, until there were no more baskets to move.

Still a little early, but this time much closer to the time I needed to get up, so this time I sat up and stretched a little. My spine popped as I flexed back, and were my flesh met my cybernetic connections I felt sore. After all the thrashing I had been giving them in the fights before I got here, I probably needed to get the connections looked at. I had seen a few infections that happened because of stress put on the connections, and while it was rare nowadays, it’s only because most ponies get it regularly checked out.

Looking down at Clarinet, it was too dark to properly see her, but I could make out her outline. I couldn’t help but feel a bit sad. Before the day was over, we had visited her foals again, the two fillies bouncing around like they were last time. The other foals were also happy to see her, and they all had quickly overpowered her in a large pile.

She had read them all a story, sang a lullaby, and kissed them goodnight.

That was why she made me feel sad, she should be raising her foals herself. She had gone from a young bandit to a productive member of society, all thanks to the republic. But then the republic tells her that she is still not a perfect enough citizen for her to live with her foals. Every positive I see from the republic is met with a bigger negative.

“Not bad for first impressions, you’re a real work pony.” Phobetor sat at the desk, poking at the terminal. She faded into the darkness, almost all the way, but her golden eyes were still barely visible. “I’d give you a nine. It be a ten, but you’re not as nearly worn out as all the other ponies. That and the back legs, if they saw it, you’d stick out like a unicorn horn in an earth pony lineup.

“It’s not like I have control over what’s happening.” I quietly spat back at the dream mare. “I just want to go home.”

“Try it, and the next thing you know, you're digging out a new tunnel deep underground.” She said with a calm, knowing voice. “I think they call it… Fun Camp.” She pushed back on the desk, stretching over the chair, yet making no noise whatsoever. “Plus, it’s not in the deal. My secrets have kept you safe, but now you must repay me.”

I sighed. “How?”

“Go to the heart of the republic, Persephone Station. There is something there far beyond my current reach, and you will find it for me.” Phobetor got out of the seat and trotted over to me. “And yes, from there is the way home.”

“How do I know you’re not lying?” The mare creeped me out, making the fur on my neck stand up.

Phobetor wrapped her hooves around my neck, forcing me to be nose to nose with her. “Simple. You’re going to walk out the front door, and a pony you know will pick you up. A pegasus that you've had your mind on.”

Before I could respond, the clock buzzed, and the radio turned on.

“Good morning to all the wonderful citizens of the Republic.” It was the radio mare, who seemed to have spot on timing. “I have a few topics today to talk about, and another message from president Garmon Keys. First on the list is more information about the tunnel collapse that happened the other day. Due to big efforts of the citizens living in the area who volunteered, an opening to the tunnel has been made. Not long after, the lost pony was found and is said to soon make a quick recovery. Now that a life is out of danger, the tunnel has been closed off from any more digging, all citizens are advised to keep away until the extent of the damage is known, and any breaches to the surface have been closed up. So stay safe citizens, your government is here to help.”

“In other news, the rumors of the theater shutting down have proven false. The rumors started when the Tremolo sisters were talking about taking their act to the other stations. It seemed that one overzealous fan mistook it as though the theater was shutting down. As it turns out, the singing sisters are staying at the theater, though it be nice hear about the joy they could spread, but there is no stage better than the theater here in Persephone Station.”

The sound of papers shifted around. “So that’s it for the news, I’ll be letting you know when there is more to know, but now a word from president Garmon Keys.”

The voice of Garmon Keys spoke up, same as before. “Hello good citizens of the republic. I’m happy to hear that the lost pony was found. It goes to show just how good the citizens of the republic are, and making me even prouder to serve you all. That’s why this morning I bring you a story, an old one told to me by my grandma, and one I hold dear to my heart.”

It was hard to tell if he was sincere, or just full of it. Either way I had to give him credit, he was good. But as politicians were, I knew he was lying through his teeth, it was what politicians do. It just seemed that the role Garmon played was of the caring father, where most played up the strong mare. It was different, of that I was sure, but he was probably doing the same song and dance as all other politicians.

“Long ago, before the revolution, when the capitalists still lorded over the working ponies. There was a group of mares who had started a contest to choose who was most beautiful, and a crowd had gathered to watch.”

“The first mare was a unicorn noble from the Orphic Kingdom, born protected from the toxins. In fact, she almost glistened in the light of the stations lamps. Her coat was without dirt, her mane and tail were long, lustrous, and fluffy. The dress she wore was made of the finest cloth, decorated with gems. She was clearly the crowd favorite, with many seeing the visage of the princesses in her.”

“The second was a Mirage Pony, the heiress of a corporation. Clean, straight, and all business, the mare had an air of intelligence and authority about her. Lacking the glitz and glamor of the unicorn, this mare made up for it with style. Her clothes were finely tailored to both be stylish and practical, her mane and tail were not as long, but had a wave to it, and bleached at the tips. Covering her eyes were blue shades with white rimes, making her look like the famous stars of old Applewood.”

“The last mare held her chest out proud, but only got sneers and laughter. She was a simple factory worker, her mane and tail were greasy and tied back. Her coat covered in dirt and grease. The clothes she wore where simple work clothes, torn and dirtied from her work. And last, her legs were of old and worn cybernetics, having long lost their shine from the grueling and thankless job she does.”

“The first two mares simply ignored the third mare, and continued with their contest, flaunting their beauty. That is, until one voice shouted from the back of the crowd. It was an old stallion, his mane had long turned white, and coat began to sag. ‘You should be ashamed at yourselves!’ the old stallion shouted. With a weak hoof, he pointed at the third mare. ‘Don’t you see that she is the most beautiful?’ The rest of the ponies paused to stare, confused by the sudden outburst."

“The old stallion went onto explain why. Pointing out that her legs were worn because of how much work she dedicated herself to. Her mane and tail lacked the same bounce as the other two because she values her own family over being better looking. The torn up clothes, and oil smudges on her coat were because she was not afraid to get dirty to get her job done. He stated that she was a ‘beautiful for being a working mare, and the only mare a stallion would truly want. “

“The crowd paused for a moment more, and then all changed their minds, now favoring the third mare. The two other mares simply left, holding their heads in shame as they knew no matter how beautiful they could make themselves, they could never be as beautiful on the inside as the working mare was.”

Garmon Keys gave a little laugh. “And that’s the story I’d always been told. It has a lesson I take to heart, myself. You can make yourself look beautiful, but what truly matters is what’s on the inside. That’s where it counts. Ponies who know what it means to work hard, understand their fellow pony, and help all to be equal with each other, they are who is most beautiful to me. Now I’d love to share my wisdom with you some more, but like everypony, I too have a job to do, along with ponies to help. So have a wonderful morning, and never forget that happiness comes from what you can do for others.”

The radio crackled, and the familiar, somewhat monotone mare's voice returned. “As wonderful as always, that was Garmon Keys, making our morning a little happier with his presence. But sadly, like all good things, that time has come to pass. But stay tuned. We will hear from him again later on, as he is if anything, always able to return.”

I felt Clarinet reach over me to turn on the light, the sudden brightness blinding me for a moment. “Good morning Chime, ready for another day?” She didn’t have that upbeat feel to her, probably do to her still being half asleep.

“Ya… are you going to be doing the same thing as yesterday?” If she was, I had a few plans. Mostly it was to gather more information that could help me. If at all possible, something for a plan on getting to Persephone Station without raising suspicion. If Phobetor was right, not that I trusted some shadowy dream mare completely, it was my ticket out of here.

Clarinet got out of bed, moving past me, naked again. It didn’t bother me too much, as we were both mares. But I had to sleep next to her, making it a bit weird for me. “Yep… well no. There’s no Orientation, you already did that. But I do plan on working at medical, and some volunteer work. What about you?”

“Another day helping you out sounds like a good plan, this all still feels a bit odd to me.” I also didn’t want to go to the job placement office, I had a strong feeling that it was not going to help me.

“Good plus. It’s always good to have another helping hoof at medical.” She trotted over to the bathroom. “I’m going to get washed up, you can use the tub next.”

The door closed, and I was left alone in the room. There were some clothes haphazardly thrown around the room, mine were in a nice pile. Somehow Clarinets panties were hanging on her terminal monitor, making me sigh and shake my head.

In front of the door was some mail, two letters addressed to Clarinet, and one to me. Taking them to the desk, I placed Clarinet’s mail on the side. Opening the one to me, out dropped a large card, a note, and a pin. The card was one of the miniature posters that ponies here collected. It depicted three ponies standing side by side all holding tools, above them was the Republic's symbol, and printed on the bottom was the words, “Together we are strong.” The pin looked a lot like the symbol for the ministry of awesome, a cloud with a thunderbolt, and two wings. Putting the pin to the side, I picked up the note.

Opening up the note, it read:

“Dear miss Chime Catbell.

Sincerely, the Ministry of Awesome. “

I folded up the note, and put it over the pin, pushed the two to the back of the desk were some junk was. The ministry of awesome was as well-known as it was in the old world, so I knew fuck all about them. It also didn’t help that the republic's version of the ministries were just shadows of the old world ministries, mostly just a name used to help keep order. But it was an interesting offer, and possibly what I was looking for to get where I want.

Sitting at the desk, I pulled off Clarinets loaned underwear and threw it onto the bed. Turning on the terminal, I plugged in my E.C.S. pass card, the screen flashed as numbers scrolled across the screen. it went blank for a second, and than words popped up on screen.

It made sense that I didn’t have a score yet, they probably had ponies keeping an eye on me to see if I did anything suspicious. I did get a feeling that I was being watched most of the time. It was not much different then whenever I entered a station I was a stranger in, but it was more intense.

The contact was predictably Clarinet, it showing me her own E.C.S. and associations. Her score was 414+, the ‘+’ meaning that it had gone up. And her associations were the M.o.I. and the M.o.P. From what she told me, she just did a lot of busy work for the other ministry’s, so her main association was mostly with the M.o.P.

Checking the Claimable benefits, it showed that I had earned an extra ration. It stated that due to my volunteer work and attending orientation, I can claim an M.R.E. pack at the ration dispensary. It didn’t sound all that appetizing, but I was betting that it was going to be better tasting than the normal stuff. If there was one thing I can say about the republic's system, it was that nopony was going hungry here.

The special offer was about doing volunteer work, but with a guarantee for getting a prize. There was cleaning out train carts and the area around the rail lines, with the prize being a postcard and a M.R.E. It didn’t seem like much of a prize, but the card was a collector’s item, so I can see how it would draw in volunteers.

With nothing else to see, I logged out of the terminal and put my card to the side. Thinking about it, the whole system the republic had was not all that bad, but I just couldn’t bring myself to like it. The guarantee that nopony goes hungry, incentives for volunteer work, and a culture based around cooperation had its positives to it. And I like the idea about it. But everything seemed to lack color, even when I did volunteer work. Nopony said or did anything interesting at all. It all made me miss Sweet, and I knew this place would drive her up the wall.

I chuckled to myself, remembering one time during basic training when Sweet got bored and started stacking the chairs in the mess hall. Somehow I got roped into it, and we managed to make a pyramid with chairs. We both spent the rest of the week cleaning the bathrooms because of it. Good times.

“Enjoying yourself?” Clarinet trotted into the room, clean and smiling.

“Just remembering a good time I had with a friend awhile back.” I got out of the seat, and trotted past her.

She picked up some of her clothes, and a clean pair of panties from an open drawer. “Oh where’s this friend of yours?”

I sighed. “Hospitalized. We ran into a monster in the big island tunnels, and she got hurt really bad. Lost her eyes.”

Clarinets ears drooped. “Oh, I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be.” I shook my head. “She’s a strong mare, I’m just glad she’s still alive.”

In the washroom the bucket was left by the tub, and so I washed yesterday’s grime away. I didn’t bother soaping up, as I didn’t get that dirty, I just needed the water to get a little grime off of me. The warm water felt nice on me, though I wished Clarinet had a shower. Showers were probably for ponies more equal than others. Damnit, If I had to actually stay here, I’d make it so showers were available for everypony. Say something about it being not equal for ponies who can't simply take a bath, biased against the aquatically unable.

I chuckled to myself as it hit me. The ‘equality’ here was a joke. The E.C.S. was simply about separating loyal ponies, from ones who would be dissenters. It was hard to tell how many ponies understood this, or how many were playing it like a game. Clarinet seemed to be a true believer, but Ruan and Paixiao were still new here, so they were unlikely to buy into the equalist propaganda. But the two mares also had a good enough reason to stay and play along, even if they saw right through it.

The two mares obviously did not have good lives going for them outside of the republic. Clarinet as well. It seems that the republic offered them everything they needed, no, it was giving them everything they needed. Food, water, shelter, work, and safety. I was raised to understand that I had to earn those things, but I also saw many ponies who couldn’t, and slowly wasted away because of it.

Shaking my head, I understood that relying on anypony here would be a big mistake. Just trying to get a scrapper to let go of their pile of junk is liable to give you a black eye, but putting the safety of their new lives at risk? That’d get me shot.

As I dried off, I looked in the mirror and saw that I was starting to look more like my old self. The dark black and red ring around my eye had faded a little, and the fur around the scar on my lip was getting a little thicker. Small blessings I guess.

Feeling clean I trotted out of the wash room, and looked for my clothes. I was greeted by a happy looking Clarinet, holding the card I got in the mail. “I knew you made a good impression at orientation!”

Picking out my spare pair of gray underwear from my gray saddlebag, and slipped it on. “What do you mean?”

“Well, not everypony gets their first poster card so soon! Only the ponies that show good understanding about being equal tend to get them so quickly.”

I chose to put more casual work clothes on, a button down shirt and overall shorts. Not my style, but after being in a skirt all day yesterday I like the idea of not having my plot exposed. The shirt was also white, which was a nice change from all the gray. “That’s good, I guess. But I think you should keep the card, you were the one helping me.”

Clarinet waved her hoof playfully. “No you did goodplus. Anywho I already have this poster card, so it’s yours.”

“I guess I’ll hold onto it then.” Looking at her, she had put on a simple Jumpsuit that fit snugly on her. “So did you read about the special offer they're having for helping clean the train?”

She sighed. “Ya, I’d love to go, but work-work is more important than volunteer-work.” Shrugging She trotted over to the door. “It’s fine, the card they're giving out is probably just the extras from this month. So I probably already have what their hoofing out.”

“Right, I guess I’ll stick with you then.” I pulled out the military cap, and placed it on my head. “You know more than me around here. Oh, also one other thing, if it’s not too much to ask?”

“What is it?” Clarinet responded with a raised eyebrow.

“I think we should get a cot. That bed just barely fits two ponies.”

She waved her hoof dismissively. “Don’t be silly, it’s plenty comfortable. We just have to snuggle closer.”

“Into stallion’s Clarinet.” I sighed. “Into stallions.”

She laughed and trotted to the front door. “Can’t blame a mare for trying. Well, we can look into it later. Right now we need our first meal of the day.”

“Super bland pink paste, the best way to start the day, yay.” I pulled the pin and the note from the back of the desk and dropped them in one of my pockets. I was still uncertain about what they wanted with me, but getting in good with one of the powers-that-be sounded like the best way to open more doors, and get closer to getting home.

“One M.R.E. pack” I asked as I hoofed over my E.C.S. pass card.

The mare at the food dispensary pushed the card into a port and tapped at the terminal before nodding and hoofing back my card. “One M.R.E. meal pack. I’m sure you want the breakfast pack, but we do also have a lunch and dinner pack available.”

I thought about it for a moment, but I was too curious about what was in these packs to not ask. “Can you tell me what’s in them?”

“Sure, let me see.” She tapped at her terminal. “Well we have the pineapple pancakes pack for breakfast, the carrot and cabbage pack for lunch, and a full garden salad for the dinner pack.”

I felt my mouth start to drool, after having to spent a whole day eating pink paste, I could not skip on this opportunity. “I’ll just take the breakfast pack”

The mare smiled. “I’ll just be a moment.” She turned around and trotted off into a side room.

“Not bad, getting an M.R.E. after your first day.” Clarinet piped up. “I tend to just send them to my foals.”

I was sure she did. Behind the bandit past and the chem damage, Clarinet was clearly a loving mother. “I’m just doing what I can.” And doing my best to not look like a pony who the equalists would like to shoot. “It’s nice that the republic gives a little back.” The nicer things I say about the republic, the less it seems that other ponies keep an eye on me.

Clarinet giggled. “I know, right? That’s how I got a job outside of the republic. The ministry of Awesome said I’d be perfect for a recruiting job, and set me up in a soup kitchen.” She had a proud look on her face. “It’s sad that they didn’t want to officially hire me, but I did get to act as a representative of the M.o.P. and the M.o.I.”

The mare inside the food dispensary came back holding a gray packet, placing it on the counter in front of me. “Here you go miss, enjoy your meal.”

I took the M.R.E. and we left, going to a table where Paixiao and Ruan were waiting for us. Everypony but me were still eating the pink paste, and food sticks. Opening the packet, the sweet smell of pineapples hit my nose, making me drool a little more.

“What!? How did you get that?” Ruan whined. “Clarinet, did you by that for her? What cunt do I have to lick to get one?”

Clarinet’s face went red. “No… no. She earned it with the volunteer work she did yesterday.” She shifted her eyes around and slowly opened her mouth, but I cleared my throat, getting everyone's attention.

“Now, I’m one not to care about what ponies do in their free time, but I don’t think this is the best place for a discussion like this.” I already shared a bed with one pony, I didn’t need to share it with a second.

Ruan and Clarinet looked away, both looking a bit Embarrassed. Paixiao looked unfazed by the little exchange, and was already half done with her breakfast. Licking the pink stuff off her lips, she saw the two embarrassed mares and giggled. “If you two come to our place tonight, I can show you a few tricks.”

Rolling my eyes, I waved her off dismissively. “Sorry, into stallions.”

“Same here.” Ruan said with a sigh.

Paixiao shrugged. “So am I, but It never hurts to expand your skill set.”

Clarinet looked a bit flustered, opening her mouth, but only to close it again. It was easy to see that the lesbian pony was interested in Paixiao’s offer, but didn’t want to ask out in the open. Feeling pity on my roommate, I decided to change the conversation. “Now I know we all like to talk about a good pole to ride, but I think we can save it for later. What I’d like to talk about is the pins that Clarinet has. I thought we were all equal?”

Clarinets ears perked up, and she looked down at her three pins. “These, there not all that special.”

“That’s a fucking lie.” Ruan blurted out. “Other than the pins, I’ve seen nopony with any accessories. Other than of the pink flower that’s printed everywhere.”

“Well, okay.” Clarinet said as she puffed up her chest. “There markers of a pony who’s been given official training by a ministry.” She pointed at the M.o.P. pin. “Trained under the Ministry of Peace, I know first aid, and have other basic medical training.” She lowered her hoof to the M.o.I. pin. “The Ministry of image officially educated me in equal speak, and proper equal edict.”

Ruan raised an eyebrow. “So what, the pins just mean you’re an official on some stuff?”

Clarinet nodded. “Yes, if a pony is in need of medical care, I can provide the necessary medical assistance to keep them alive until the proper medical ponies arrive. Or if a pony is unsure if that there not being equal, I can advise them on what they’re doing right or unright.”

It was simple enough, but seemed a bit too basic to be a ministry thing. “On the subject of the ministries, how much power do they have. I know they were somewhat powerful in the old republic, but they don’t seem to have that much of a presence here?”

Giggling, Clarinet playfully waved her hoof at me. “Of course they don’t. The old ministries were what was dividing the republic, like how it divided equestria. Today, their role is to help organize the citizens and help make a more equal republic. The real power is the Institution of Equality.”

“The Institution of Equality?” I had to ask. With much of the republic hidden from the rest of the metro, I barely even knew what the old ministries were at all. “What do they do?”

Clarinet had a big smile on her face. “Well, they help to make everypony more equal.” Her smile faded, and scrunched up. “I mean, well, it’s hard to explain. But it’s the only ministry with a leader. That’s who Garmon Keys is, he’s the head of the Institution of Equality, and the president of the Republic.” She scratched her chin for a moment. “From what I remember, other than the leadership of the republic, their role is of historical accuracy, and education.”

Ruan snorted almost spitting up her water as she laughed. “So you're saying that the republic is led by a bunch of eggheads?”

Pausing for a moment to think, Clarinet nodded. “Ya, I do remember a few times when Garmon Keys talked about his time as a professor. Some of his favorite stories are about his own students. Just listen to the radio, he will eventually talk about it sooner or later.”

I didn’t think I’d get more information out of Clarinet. She didn’t seem well educated on the topic, so it would be unnecessary to push the subject further. “Enough about politics, never been a good dining subject. How about that stallion? You know, the father of your foals? I know you’ve got to have a few stories to tell about him.”

It seemed that the one pony least interested in talking about stallions was Clarinet, but she did decide to tell us a few things. One was that her eldest sister was the one still in a relationship with the stallion, Clarinets involvement was more out of family obligation, same for her other sister. She also told us that Sopranino was the real vicious one in the family, and one of the few things that kept her in check was her almost content pregnant state. She also had the nicknames of the Brood Mother by the rest of the station. I got a feeling of disappointment from Clarinet when she talked about her sister Sopranino, unlike the rest of the ponies in her family.

The conversation shifted subjects a few times before we were done. Ruan didn’t have much in the way of story’s. Her life consisting mostly of working, and gambling. Paixiao on the other hoof lead a much more colorful life, both as scavenger, and as a cheap prostitute. We asked if she was ever worried about getting pregnant during that time, and she simply shook her head and told us with a sigh that she was sterile.

When it was my turn to talk, I used my words very carefully, so not to give away that I was not who I said I was. Though I still mentioned my time with Merit, and how my back legs didn’t work right after. Paixiao gave me a few looks, but never said anything. I could only guess she didn’t believe everything I said, but didn’t want to stir up trouble.

Soon it was time for us to part ways, and we wrapped up our conversation. On our way to medical, I suggested that Clarinet spend some extra time with Paixiao later, and her face turned a shade redder. If anything, Clarinet deserved a little fun.

The time in medical went on same as before, but I did have myself checked out by the doc when there was time. I was recovering quite well, and so far there were no signs of addiction in my system. But Doctor Click did warn me that my system was still vulnerable to addiction right now.

I did have one pony who was willing to talk with me, though after some time I’d wish she would stop. It was as though she just wanted to hear her own voice, and I was the poor soul who gave her the opportunity. It would have been different if she had something relevant to talk about, but it was all about her daily life, which was boring and incredibly dull.

When it was all over, I was overjoyed to leave, dead set at doing something that would get me out of this station. The first thing I needed to do was get away from Clarinet. It was simple enough, but I didn’t want to just slip away. I wanted to give something back, I owed her too much as it was.

“Hey Clarinet?” I called out.

“Yes, Chime?” She said my name in her sing-songy voice.

I got in close to her and smiled. “I’m betting you want some alone time with Paixiao, right?”

She blushed. “Well… I don’t think it’d be appropriate.”

I rolled my eyes. “That’s not the point. She said that she’s willing, so why not take her up on it?”

Clarinet sighed. “but, she said she’s not into mares.”

Trotting up ahead a little, I turned to look her in the eyes. “Neither am I, the difference is that she’s willing to entertain your interest, and I’m not.”

Her ears drooped, and she hoofed at the ground. “I see, well, it’s okay.”

Stepping up to her, so that we were almost muzzle to muzzle. “So what’s the problem, you're both adults.”

She looked away. “It’s not that, it’s just, you know...”

“I don’t, so tell me.” I said calmly.

Looking me in the eye, she sighed. “You're more my type. You have this feeling for you, like everything’s going to be just fine as long as I trust you. You’re like somepony I knew, long ago, before the republic.” Her cheeks flushed brighter. “I… I… I really like you.”

I put my head to hers. “Clarinet, you’re a good mare, and I like you too, but not in the same way.” I took a deep breath. “I’m sure there’s a pony out there just for you, but you can’t just sit around and wait for them to find you. It never works that way.” Taking a step back, I looked her in the eyes. “You already do so much for others, why don’t you do something for yourself and go get laid?”

She back away. “No, I don’t think…”

Cutting her off with one solid laugh, I put a hoof on her shoulder “Then stop thinking, stop caring about what’s proper, and just ask her. Other ponies are looking up to you, so show them a bit of happiness they can have here. Share your happiness with them.”

Clarinet wiped a tear from her eye. “Ya, I should at least ask. I do know a few stallions that I can introduce the others to. We can make it a party.” Okay, that I didn’t see coming. “You want to join?” Some time with a stallion sounded like fun, but I had other goals in mind.

I shook my head. “Sorry, but I’m thinking of getting a job. I can’t just keep relying on you.”

She shrugged. “Well let me know if you ever change your mind. I know we would make a good couple.” Trotting pass me, I watched as she entered into the food court, and joined up with the other two. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but Ruan looked a bit flustered from where I was standing.

Pulling out the M.o.A. Pin, I placed it on the chest of my shirt. It gave me this feeling, nothing magical, but a sense of importance. Straightening myself up a little, I made my way to the job placement office.

There were very few ponies at the job placement office, and two desks open, one for general job placement, and a second for ministry placement. All the other ponies here were waiting or in line for general job placement, leaving the other desk completely free.

The mare at the ministry placement desk took a long look at me, sizing me up. “I see, just a moment.” She tapped at a terminal for a moment, and nodded. “Go to room 3B off to the left. A representative will be with you shortly.”

The room was no different than the one from orientation, just dimly lit and empty. Finding a seat, I just picked one at random and relaxed as I waited. The air was stale, and definitely had some dust floating about. Though not as bad as some of the old abandoned tunnels that you can find in the metro. But still, this room felt like it had been unused for some time.

A cold sensation came from behind me, sending a chill up my spine. It was the distinct feeling of being watched, not the normal feeling of being watched, like when trotting around this station. No, this made me feel more uneasy, more worries. I didn’t like it at all. “I made my choice, Phobetor.”

“What makes you sure that this is the right path?” Phobetor’s voice was like a whisper in my ear. “You still have two other paths to choose from.”

I opened my mouth to respond, but she put her hoof over it, cutting me off as she sat next to me, phasing thru the chair. “I’d advise on not talking, don't need other ponies thinking you’ve gone insane. Just let me take care of your side of the conversation”

I glared at her, and she simply smiled, looking at me with her golden eyes. “Yes my little pony, there are ears hearing what you say, and eyes that are following what you do.” She waved her hoof dismissively. “Don’t despair, I doubt they caught on. That unfortunate episode with the memory magic, it turned any suspicion of you to ash. They seem more interested in you as a pony it seems. Would you be interested in my educated guess to why?”

I stretched my back and wings, getting a few pops from the bones. Relaxing in my seat, I gave Phobetor a nod.

She rubbed her hooves together, and giggled. “Now sadly what I know is limited, so this is an educated guess in all things. But I would have to say that your performance back on Pineapple Island was a big boon. You managed to act sober, and capable enough to help defend the other pony’s, though you were far too drugged to be doing anything but mumble and trot.” Phobetor winked at me. “Don’t forget to thank me.”

I didn’t know if that explained my survival, or just made it more confusing. I still didn’t even know what Phobetor was, but I did know that she did scare me a bit. Something about her was just wrong, other than her being some creepy dream pony.

Phobetor tapped her chin, still smiling. “So it’s safe to assume that they think you may be special, or at least worth giving extra attention to.” She relaxed her hooves, silently tapping on the floor. “Maybe they're interested in seeing if you have a mutation that they could use, and want you as a lab rat.” She shrugged. “What does it matter now, you’ve made your choice.”

Smirking, Phobetor looked me in the eyes. “On the topic of choice, you did make the right one, not that there was any other. This places secrets are sealed tight, I doubt they’d let a pony roam free, or sneak out. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were waiting for a pony to try. Some pony they can pin as a spy, use as scapegoat for all they see wrong with the world.”

Sighing, I slumped back into my seat. “So where do i go from here?” I mumbled.

“Forward, until you get to your destination.” Phobetor’s voice became a faint whisper, and looking over she was gone.

Brightness. Everything became bright, so I lifted a hoof up to block it, and realized my eyes were closed. Opening them, the room came into focus, and two ponies stood on the little stage. One was a very gray looking Mirage pony mare, with a dark gray coat, and lighter gray mane and tail, she seemed to blend in with her gray dress uniform. The other pony was Blaster Beam, looking as gung ho as before.

The gun platform of a mare gave me a coy look. “Sleep well?” Blaster Beam said, chuckling to herself as she did. Her voice was still as eerily synthetic as always. “I’m glad you decided to come around, makes things easier for us.” She chuckled again, and pointed at me. “But before we get started, you probably want to wipe that drool off, it’s a bit distracting.”

Sitting up straight, I quickly wiped my mouth, feeling a little embarrassed by it. “Sorry about that.”

Blaster Beam shrugged. “Ehh, if it was a problem, I’d turn you to ash in your sleep.” The gray pony cleared her throat, making Blaster Beam cringe a little. “I mean I would have filed a report on your unbecoming behavior.”

Giving the cyberpony a nod, the gray mare stepped forward. “Miss Chime, now for the first order of business. For your assistance on the gunboat, despite your condition, and your treatment after the fact, you are to receive compensation. Now, we cannot simply give out bits or raise you E.C.S., as that would unbalance the equality of the station by showing such favorable support for one pony.” The mare trotted over to a gray box that was sitting near her, no not a box, but a hard case saddlebag. Picking it up, she passed it over to me. “The saddlebag, and the contents inside are your compensation.”

Looking at the saddlebag, it was the kind used by ponies working construction. Plenty strong, and distributed its weight a better than most saddlebags. Opening one side, I pulled out a box of food supplement bars, made with fresh oats, grains, and dried fruit. The other side had a few more boxes of the same stuff. Looking up at the gray mare, I simply raised an eyebrow.

“Ahh yes, an explanation would be required.” The gray mare stated. “First off, before you ask, call me Miss Shade. Now as for the compensation, as you may have noticed already, food is a bit limited in variety around here. Even if you can get an M.R.E. there is no guarantee it will be in stock. So any extra food is considered highly valuable, and giving some out is a good way to expand your social connections.”

Closing the saddlebag, I placed it on the seat next to me. “So Miss Shade… what your saying is that my compensation is a boost to my E.C.S. by having me giving out free food supplement bars, and making friends.”

Miss Shade nodded. “Good. I’d thought you’d understand. Getting integrated can be a bit of a challenge for some ponies. It could be years before they make enough connections and raise their E.C.S. to move to one of our main stations. Something like this can dramatically reduce the time it takes to make such connections.”

Nodding, I didn’t quite understand it all, but I could understand that this gift was more about me becoming more under their control then actually rewarding me. “I guess I’ll just put it to good use.”

Blaster Beam huffed. “I got a better idea. Come with me tomorrow, I got a job that needs a pony not squeamish about pulling a trigger. Sadly, I can’t just pull ponies from active duty. It messes with our system, you see. But having a pony who doesn’t have a designated job, a pony like yourself, won’t be a problem for the system.”

“So what do you want me to do, shoot something?” I had to ask.

She shrugged. “Hope not. There’s just a few rumors going around, bad ones, and I’ve been assigned to check them out. But I’m not going without backup, I ain’t going down like Theremin did.” Blaster Beam’s suddenly lit up, like she remembered something important. “Oh, if you do this, I’ll introduce you to some very important ponies. Even get you a choice of places to stay, just pick a station. Trust me, the Ministry of Awesome looks after their own.”

“I see.” I had already decided to go with the M.o.A. but it seemed that there would be some work to do before I got were I wanted to go. That, and working with Blaster Beam didn’t sound like the best idea ever. “I’ll consider it.”

Blaster Beam rolled her eyes. “Of course you will, and after you decide to join me, meet me at the north subway after you’ve had your morning meal. I’ll be waiting. Now go, I’m sure you got a few things to do, ponies to meet.”

With nothing more to say, and out of not wanting to irritate Blaster Beam, I got out of my seat. Taking the saddle bag with me, I trotted to the door. Looking back, I could see that the two mares were looking at each other, even moving their heads a bit, but not talking. I knew the mannerisms of ponies talking through telepathy talismans. I didn’t know what they had planned for me, but I had definitely left a mark. It was either a good thing, or a bad thing, but it would only be revealed in time. Stepping out of the room, I felt it would be a good idea to meet up with the others to see if they would like a food supplement bar or two.

Footnote.

Quest progression: The Magic of Equality is not Friendship.(40%)