This was supposed to be a simple job to check in on somepony. How the fuck did it get so out of control? Today had started out going so well…

With the last of the day’s sunlight fading away, the interior of the old world grocery corner store was dark. The few pieces of garbage that still sat on the rusting shelves that took up most of the floor space cast odd shadows around the room. It’s not that I had expected to find anything of use on the shelves, but my eyes were drawn to the fact that what little was left seemed to fit a theme.

“Empty.” Happy snorted as he gave a kick at a few of the beer bottles laying around. “But whoever was here last, certainly knew how to party.” He lifted his hoof and dragged it along the shelf. Empty vials of what I’m sure were once various types of drugs clattered to the floor. Yeah, not sure I’d have wanted to ‘party’ with ponies who lived like this...

“Stairs, back here.” Buck called out from the other end shop.

“Wait! What if there’s one of those things up there?” Happy spat out as he continued over, but stopped just short of the door.

“Fine, I’ll go first.” Buck grumbled and pushed Happy aside.

He used his mechanical paws to rip the door to the stairway right off its hinges. The old wood splintered in his grasp, and without a care he tossed it into one of the old produce shelves. We all cringed from the racket it made as the impact tore some of the rusted shelves down, but we couldn’t care. It was far too soon that the noise gave way to the sound of the murderous cartoon machines making their way closer and closer.

The wooden steps creaked under Buck’s mechanical legs, and more than a few of them visibly bowed as he climbed them. About when he reached the last few steps, his ears perked up and twitched as he scanned the room. There was a creak from further inside the room, which his ears locked onto and pulled his gaze towards.

A swift pair of gunshots rang out. All of us jumped as Buck let out a howl of pain and a pair of bloody holes opened up in his side. Before we could react, he lunged up the last few steps and out of sight.

“Buck!” Hispano and I both screamed as we scrambled to be the first to get up the stairs. Thanks to the limited width, I’d made it up first because I didn’t try to fly.

“Ya ain't gonna git me ya fuckin' cursed machine!” The shrill voice of a mare filled the air as panicked hoofsteps clambered across the wooden floorboards toward me. “By the word a’ Saint Roseland herself, not today!”

Knowing full well what was about to happen, I put my head down and threw myself forward.

The mare and I collided. While she stopped my advance cold, I’d thrown off her balance and knocked her back onto the floor. With a scattering skip, the pistol she’d been holding in her magic tumbled along the old boards back towards Buck. As the mare and I both shook off the hit, Buck picked up the gun in his paw and without hesitation, crushed it.

The mare was a unicorn who was slightly larger than I was, but seemed fairly scrawny. She wore a set of yellow fisherpony rags that was supplemented by about a dozen sashes and pocketed belts secured around her body and hooves. Her face and horn was mostly obscured by a burlap hood, but from what I could see, the mare had a steel grey coat and a short navy blue mane that curled down in locks that hung on each side of her head. The brown eyes that peered up in anger softened as she got a good look at me.

“Oh shite.” The mare let out a gasp as the robust barrel of Suiza pressed against the side of her head. Her eyes walked up the intimidating cannon, eventually landing on Hispano’s sharp gaze staring down her sister’s sights. “Wait, ya aren’t with them demon machines, are ye?”

“Yeah, no shit we’re not.” Happy snorted as he forcibly pushed himself past me. “But they’re at the front door, and it won’t hold them for long.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep them busy.” Buck growled as he let the crushed gun fall out of his paw. With a wince, he brought his other paw up to cover the wounds in his side, and snarled at the mare sitting just out of his reach. “That is, I’ll only do that so long as somepony isn’t going to shoot me again.”

“Hol’ up just a wee moment. Ya can talk?” The mare simply blinked up at the towering snow dog before her and brought her hoof up to rub at her horn. Of course I wanted to blame the mare for shooting first, but, I knew better. Plus, even with as angry as I could be, I was more concerned about him.

“Are you okay, Buck?” I asked as I stepped out of his way. He gave me a nod before looking down at the two bullet wounds. The skin around them ebbed with an unhealthy green glow that was slowly forcing them closed, which at least helped me to relax a bit. “You know, I’m almost jealous that you can heal like that.” I forced out a laugh that was cut off by the sound of breaking glass downstairs.

“Like you need any reason to be more reckless, Night.” Hispano fired back with a smirk before the mare at the end of Suiza shifted enough to make the floorboard under her groan. “Now then, back to our current problem. Who the fuck are you, and why the fuck did you shoot at us?”

“Look,” The mare huffed and rolled her eyes. “I'm sorry fer shootin' at ya, but I can hardly be blamed when ye be lookin like the spittin' image, what with the lights on yer face an’ yer metallic limbs!”

Ugh, now I felt bad. Of course she thought we were like those things outside. But despite the fact that we were very much not what she thought, her and the rest of us were all now in the same boat. Then again, if she was here before us, then maybe she knew more about just what was going on here than we did.

“Alright, if you tell us just what the hell is going on in this town, I’ll tell my griffon friend here to not point her gun at you.” I held my prosthetic hoof out to the mare and watched her eyes wander between it and me a few times. “I’m Night Flight, by the way.” In hindsight, maybe I should have offered my other hoof…

“Aye, Nautical Shackle.” She nodded to me before taking my hoof. With a grunt, she pulled herself up to her hooves and used her free hoof to wave Suiza’s barrel from her face. “And I canne say myself, but we've got ta get outta here before it turns dark.” The fur on her stood on end as the sound of the animatronics coming in caused the steps on the stairway to creak under their weight. “Would I be wrong fer hopen' that ye brought a vehicle a’ some sort ta speed us away all expedient-like?”

As creepy as it was to hear what was probably a dozen machines coming up the stairs, it was almost worse when it stopped. I glanced back, watching as Buck brought both paws out and placed them on the door jam. He was big enough that he basically became the new door, but I wasn’t about to trust that the machines on the other side would be willing to sit there forever.

“Yer dog friend makes a fine doorstop, but we don’t have the time ta sit all day.” She nodded to a door on the far side of the room. “If I was eavesdroppin’ correctly, ya gots some sort of craft comin’ ta pick ya up? Might we get movin’ to the roof then? I ain’t lookin’ ta get myself torn apart taday.”

“We can't leave yet,” As much as I wanted to get up and go, now that we’ve found her, maybe there was still a chance we could find Viton. “We're out here looking for a friend of a friend's. He was…”

“Not ta interject, but perhaps was it Viton ye be lookin’ fer?” She brought her hoof up to her chin and scratched at it nervously. “Pink pony with a funny lookin’ hat an’ lookin’ ta salvage some things?”

“Yeah! That's the guy!” Happy reached out and gave me an excited tap on the shoulder. “Maybe we can still get that info on Solomon after all.”

“I'm sorry, but yer friend is dead.” Shackle shook her head and hung it solemnly. “He was murdered by those damned infernal machines. Told me ta hide while he distracted them, but there were too many. Aye, he thought he could lose ‘em in the storm, but he didn’t stand a chance.” A strong shiver ran across her as her ears flattened to the side of her head. “It… it’s been days, an I canne get his screams out me head.”

“Don't be offended if we don't take a stranger's word for it…” Hispano let out a grumble as she glanced over at me. I knew that look in her eye, where she was wanting me to agree with her. I wished I could, but against those animatronic monsters, what chance did one pony stand?

“Aye, ya want proof? How about ye go outside an’ check who they stuffed inta that nightmareish lookin’ timberwolf?” She spat at Hispano and brought a glare up at her that didn’t falter for one moment. “Ya think I'm just some stranger here? Hell, I only came along with the guy cause back at the bar, he said he’d be needin’ a sea goin’ pony who knew anythin’ at all about submarines. An seein' as I'm the only one ta ever leave the fleet alive who had any experience with ol’ U-boats, I got ta choose my fee.” She snarled at Hispano before turning back to me with a frown. Well, at the very least that explained the seapony raincoat... “Still, the fuckin fool didn't mention I'd have ta deal with these blasted machines again.”

“What do you mean, again?” Hispano pressed as she tightened her grip around her sister.

“Aye, I've seen this before. Not exactly the same, an’ not in many years.” Nautical Shackle took a deep breath and lifted her leg up to one of her small pouches that she wore around her barrel. From it, she pulled out an old tobacco pipe, as well as a small pouch. “It was a long time ago, way back when I was a wee young shipmate in the Grand Fleet with nary her sealegs under her.”

Carefully, she filled the pipe from the contents of the bag before using her magic to open up yet another pouch. She produced a small box of matches, and used her magic to strike one as she brought her pipe up to her mouth with her hoof. Taking a few puffs, she let out a relaxed sigh before taking a long draw off of it.

“So you've seen murderous killer mascots try to turn ponies into machines before?” I asked about as bluntly as ever, while also wondering just where the fuck the Remora was. Not that I didn’t enjoy this little chat, I was just eager to do it when we were getting far, far away from this fucked up place.

“Not with mascots, no.” She shook her head again before taking another short draw from her pipe. “Back when I was with the fleet on the high seas, one'a our wrenchmare run manufacturin' ships fell behind during a storm, an’ went dark while on maneuvers. I was with the bordin' party that went ta see what happened, but by the prophet's word, it wasn't pretty.” She stared off out the window into the town as the last bit of sunlight drained away from the world.

“We found that the machines had taken over the ship somehow, an’ used the crew's bloody body parts ta augment themselves.” She continued with another shiver over her body. “I’d had nightmares before then, but ever since, they’re only about what unholy horrors laid in that ship. We had ta bring half the fleet's cannons ta bear in order ta blow the whole cursed thing ta the dark below.” She seemed to shake off the memories with a frown, but she couldn’t pry her eyes off the doorway that Buck blocked off. “We prayed ta Saint Roseland that we were done with that horrific nightmare. But I guess in the end, we didn't pray hard enough.”

“Well we can't exactly sink a town, now can we?” Happy offered fairly flatly. It might have been his poor attempt at levity, but I couldn’t help but think he was serious about asking how to beat these things. And as terrible as it might sound, I’m not sure it’s exactly our problem to solve.

“Aye. If it were midday, ye could catch most a’ them at once inside their buildin'.” Shackle used her magic to point her pipe towards the dark town through the window. “But at night they wander out further, an’ in numbers. Believe me when I tell ye that me own shipmates found out the hard way that machines hunt far better in the dark.”

“If they’re that deadly, then how'd somepony like you survive this whole time?” Hispano snirked at the mare, only to freeze up when Shackle wheeled around and leveled a furious glare at her. “Hey, not judging! Just curious, really…” Hispano tried to walk it back, but she should have learned from me that when being blunt, sometimes phrasing is everything.

“Aye, ye learn ta hide well as a foal livin' with a fleet constantly stretched fer resources.” Shackle let out a low growl as she stuffed her pipe back into her muzzle and took another long puff. “O'course, it helps when yer hidin spot isn't occupied by some bunch’a strangers makin' all heaps a' noise an’ commotion!”

The quick, heavy thump from the roof made me jump, and pulled a short lived scream from Happy. The whole building gave out a soft groan, and a cursory glance out the window let me see a wash of snow being whipped around. Finally, the Remora must have touched down.

“Well it's fortunate then that we won't have to stay long.” Turning to Hispano, I gestured over toward the other door in the room. “Alright, everyone to the roof! Hispano, head up first and make sure we don’t have one of these fuckers up there. Happy, you and Shackle here go up once she gives the all clear.”

“On it!” Hispano nodded and brought her sister up in her talons.

“Once you're all on, radio me and I'll head up as well.” Buck shouted back at us.

“That won’t work.” Shackle reached out and pressed her hoof to my barrel. “Tis true his similar body be the only thing holdin’ them back fer now.” She could guess that from like half a second? Wow, she must be a quick study. Or… like she said, it’s the fact that she’s dealt with these sorts of machines before, Night. “These machines are deceptively fast when not slowed by snow ‘n such. He wouldn’t make it ta us before they got around him an’ tore us all apart.” She frowned and glanced over to Buck. “I’m sorry, but if we’re ta leave, he’ll have ta be left behind.”

“Hmm, how… unfortunate.” Jynx said as she appeared behind Nautical Shackle with her own pipe propped up in her muzzle. Of course I’d have her giving me a choice like this. The second I thought that, Jynx froze up with a smile on her muzzle. “You think I gave you this choice? I can move bullets, change the cards you’re dealt in Blackjack, and even stop cancer from spreading, or start it for that matter. But I can’t change the fact your husband has chosen to hold the machines off, so I’d really appreciate it if you didn’t blame me for shit that’s out of my control.”

No. Absolutely not. I refuse to leave Buck behind. There had to be something that Jynx could do. Make the machines blow a fuse, or maybe help me out by letting the next word out of my muzzle be that keyphrase Ping was talking about.

“Sorry, but even if you knew the keyword, which is ‘Happiest Day’ by the by,” She smirked as she took the pipe from her muzzle and looked at it. “You’d still need to access the main control terminal in their building in order to use it.” She gave out a shrug and tossed the pipe over her shoulder. “So as much as I’d love to claim I did this, it’s entirely on you, Night.”

“Night?” Buck’s worried voice echoed through my head, bringing me back into the moment to find that Nautical Shackle had already left for the roof. “Night, I need you to go. I’ll be fine for now, and you can send the Remora for me in the morning.”

“Yeah, fuck that.” I laughed and turned to him. “Actually, new plan. You go and get on the Remora.” Fidgeting my wings across my back, I shoved his paw out of the way and pushed myself past him through the doorway. Instantly I found myself staring at a dark stairway lit up solely by the dozen pairs of glowing animatronic eyes that locked themselves onto me.

“Night.” Buck growled as he wrapped his paws around me. “I am not leaving you behind.”

“You won’t be. I have wings.” I wanted to fight against his paws, but if we accidentally gave them a window, I’m sure they wouldn’t hesitate in the slightest to push past us and go after the others. Thank Celestia however as Buck seemed to get the message and released his grasp on me. “Now get on the Remora and go. I’ll be right behind you, I promise.”

As Buck stepped back and quickly made his way to the other door, each of the machines in front of me shuddered stiffly, taking a single step upwards.

“No no!” I snapped at the imposingly large and almost sadistic grin permanently plastered on the cartoon manticore that led the other nightmare machines. I quickly stretched my hooves out and placed them on the doorway like Buck had. It would never help to physically hold them back, but if they truly saw me as one of them, they wouldn’t move. “We’re all going to stay right here just a little bit longer.” Surprisingly enough, it worked as they all stopped again.

“It looks like somepony wasn’t r-r-ready for M-Molly to throw them a p-party!” The voice that came from the manticore sent a shiver down my spine. I know that was probably a recording it was meant to spout, but there was something twisted in the way it spoke. They didn’t sound like words, but like the grinding of blades and gears that were meant to imitate words. “I’ve planned something special, j-just for you.” Yeah, how the fuck could the M.o.M. think this was acceptable for foals!?

“Yeah, I’ve got something for you too.” I offered back as I figured that if I couldn’t shut them all off, the least I could do was leave a few explosive ‘gifts’ for them when I left.

The whole building creaked again as I’m sure the Remora finally took off. I couldn’t look out the window, but I bet the snow would confirm that. Just a few more seconds to make sure...

“Most ponies li-like my hugs.” Molly spoke to me before taking another step forward. “Now would be a g-good ti-time to hold your breath.” Her plastic like lion paws extended out to me, making the mane on my neck stand straight up.

Release!

The snap from my harness as one of my grenades went tumbling free was the last normal thing I heard. A chorus of agonizing mechanical screams came from the machines as they charged and I turned to run. Shit, I hadn’t planned for them to charge me!

Left with little chance to make it to the roof, my hooves thundered across the wood floor. The sound of my gallop was lost behind the wailing machines that chased me. Like before, I knew what was coming. Head down and shoulder forward, I kicked off as hard as I could.

The second story window shattered as I burst through it. It didn’t hurt as much as the window in Klondike did thanks to my talisman, but the medical warnings flashed up all the same. I only had a single moment to view the warnings before the whole second story of the grocery store exploded outward.

The blast shot equal amounts of wooden splinters, metal shards, and flaming cartoon bits into the air. The force alone was enough to kick me into a tumbling spin higher into the air. Again, more warnings flashed in my augmented vision, but I forced my wings to right me once more.

“Night!” Buck called out from the open door of the Remora. He wasn’t too far away, and the craft itself maneuvered itself alongside me. He held his paw out to me, stretching himself about as far as he could from the Remora’s cabin to reach me.

With a smile, I reached out and torqued my wings to maneuver closer. Boy, that was a mistake. I nearly rolled into a dive as I lost all control of the muscles. For a moment, I couldn’t force my wings back out, and I was afraid I’d go crashing to the ground. To my surprise and relief, a light brown aura of magic wrapped around me.

“Aye, she be heavier than she looks!” Nautical Shackle groaned as her horn wrapped itself in a layer of overglow. Again I was struck by a wave of petty jealousy like I had been with Hardcase. Fucking cheating unicorns. Still, I found myself weightless, and never more thankful to be dumped back onto the cold metal cabin floor. “Wew, a rescue fer a rescue. I say we’re even now.” You know what? That’s fair.

“Shit, would you look at that.” Hispano cooed coldly. I peered up at her from my place on the floor to find her staring down into the night. We all turned our gazes out at the sight below and simply took it in.

The roof to the place had mostly been blown out by my grenade. Small fires burned at what remained of the grocery store’s wood floor and the scattered debris that littered the street below. On that street in the snow however, were still a dozen pairs of glowing eyes, staring up and watching as we flew overhead. That grenade didn’t completely destroy a single one of them. Again, something in my gut twisted as the Remora whisked us away from the nightmarish town. I don’t know why, but deep down, I hoped I’d never find out why they made me feel that way.

“Hey, let’s never come back here again.” Happy chimed in as he stepped back from the open door. “Ever.”

“Agreed.” Buck nodded before turning to me. He paused as he ran his eyes over the various shrapnel wounds I had and didn’t say anything. I knew it was coming, but he simply hung his head and sighed.

“Hey, cheer up, Buck!” Hispano offered as a hint of her normal attitude poked itself through the nightmares she was replaying in her head right now. “It wouldn’t be a normal day for us if Night didn’t get hurt. Plus, we did end up rescuing somepony, so I’d call this a win!”

She was right, this was a win. Sure we didn’t find Viton, but as far as dangerous encounters go, once again we got away with ourselves intact. Now if we were lucky, we could get back, talk to the mare about her friend, get our info, and be back on the Arcturus before dawn tomorrow.

“Aye, not ta say I’m not grateful, but…” Shackle gave a wheezing cringe as she pointed out the door. “We’d managed ta salvage a good pile’s worth ‘a caps in torpedo parts before the snow storm forced us inta town. Would ya mind if we just swung around for a wee moment ta gather some of…”

Like we were a bunch of machines linked together, it only took the four of us a moment to all reach the same answer.

“NO!”

I think we’d all had enough nightmares for one lifetime.

“There, that should be the last one.” Buck spoke softly as his paws secured the last stitch across one of the worst shrapnel wounds I’d gotten.

It had taken an hour for him to pull out the majority of the fragments. Both Happy and Hispano were in the far corner from me, huddled together for warmth while they napped. Meanwhile, Buck had to contend with Nautical Shackle’s curiosity as she hovered over him the whole time he’d worked on me. Sometimes she’d asked him a question or two, but mostly she just silently observed. I’m not going to lie, but I was glad Buck was finished, because the whole ‘being-quietly-stared-at’ thing was not something I needed more of today.

Looking down at my flank, it was a mess of bandages and stitches. I’d like to say I was fine because I couldn’t feel any pain from it, but I struggled to push myself up onto my hooves. The muscles in my flank were stiff, and protested against every move I forced them to make. Just steadying myself was taking a lot more concentration than normal, and that worried me.

“So, ya say ya can’t feel a thing?” Shackle commented as I felt her hoof prod at my bandages. It wasn’t much force, but enough that my legs felt like they gave out from under me and I was forced to sit down hard. “Fuck, sorry ‘bout that.” I know she hadn’t meant it, but who the hell prods anyone with still healing injuries?

“No, the painkiller talisman suppresses it.” Buck stepped around me and pushed her hoof away from me. “And I’d appreciate it if you would refrain from touching Night’s wounds any further.”

“Sorry, only pony I’ve ever seen with so much metal on’r is a wrenchmare with the fleet.” Shackle let out a laugh as she gestured to Buck’s arms and legs. “But I’ll say this, never seen a Sea Dog with any metal either.”

“What’s a ‘sea dog’?” The question quickly wormed its way out of my muzzle. “I mean, it’s probably some sort of Sea based Snow Dog, right?” Glancing up at Buck, he offered me a shrug before looking to Shackle for an answer.

“Aye, fearsome canines some from ‘round here call ‘Hellhounds’.” She nodded before crossing her hooves. “Lot’s of ‘em worked on ships durin’ the war, an’ the Grand Fleet mostly use ‘em fer heavy liftin’. Cartin’ ordinance between ships, movin’ plundered cargo ta the hold, that sorta thing. Most are dim as a barnacle though, can’t be trusted fer any a’ the important jobs. No offence o’course.”

Buck deadpanned with a huff. “None taken.”

“You keep mentioning this ‘grand fleet’ of yours.” I blurt out as an odd realization ran through me. I wondered if it was the same fleet that Laika had gotten pictures of and briefed on. “How many ponies are in it? How many ships are there?”

Maybe it was simple curiosity, or the fact that we were racing Solomon to get to a ship. Dealing with the so-called ‘pirates’ out on the water had always seemed like a problem for the ‘future-us’. But now that we were so close? Well, maybe it was time I started to think about just what sailing the largest ship in the world would mean for us if we came across any problems on the water.

“Aye, it’s hard ta answer ya that when ships come an’ go from the fleet.” Shackle simply laughed at me and waved her hoof. “Some of us, like the Blackwater, are just a small collection of ships. Or, more like… a loose alliance of varied crews on hoof-me-down relics used fer supply runs an’ the like. The Grand Fleet itself is hundreds of ships in total, an’ a sight ta behold. Most ‘a us joined up ta serve in spreadin’ the holy word a’ Saint Roseland, but some are just in it fer the infamy an’ the raidin’.”

“Blackwater… that sounds oddly familiar.” Buck frowned as he rubbed at his neck. “Night, didn’t you say Tephra’s cult was preaching something like this?” You know, I’d thought it was starting to sound somewhat familiar...

“A cult?” Shackle narrowed her eyes at us. “The fleet hasn’t been dockin’ off the coast in decades. Who be tryin’ ta spread the word of Roseland on land?”

“A dragon named Tephra.” I got a shiver just remembering how captivated his crowds were, and how easily he murdered those who believed in what he said. “He claimed to come from the Blackwater fleet, and read from what he called the ‘Book of Thorns’.”

“Fuckin’ heathen.” Shackle snarled under her breath. “Aye, that dragon came from the fleet. The Thorns and their ilk have been spreading a… different interpretation fer Roseland’s holy word, more extreme than yours truly could accept. S’why my crew an I left, an we weren’t the only ones ta do so.” She ground her hoof against the floor as tremors of rage washed across her. “I have little doubt that since we left a winter ago, their influence has spread like a plague amongst the fleet.”

Well, that was concerning to say the least. The last thing we needed after fighting so long to get the Ark was some fanatical pirates to come and ruin things for us. Then again, Shackle said she wasn’t alone, so maybe that was something we could work with.

“Listen, you said there were more ponies who didn’t agree with the fleet?” I didn’t want to get my hopes up, and I had no idea how we’d pay for it, but I had an idea. “Would they fight off this ‘grand fleet’ to say, protect another ship if they were so inclined? Or perhaps help to crew one?”

“Aye. Ye’d be hard pressed ta find a captain not willin’ ta take up a cause if given enough coin.” She let out a light hearted laugh before brushing herself with her hoof. “If yer serious ‘bout findin’ a ship an’ crew, I could be so inclined ta tell ya the names a’ some reliable ones. Just call it a ‘finders fee’ if’n ya wanna know.”

“Night.” Buck shifted himself so he could place his paw on my back as his voice reverberated in my mind. “It’s a bit early to be considering anything like that, don’t you think?”

“Is it?” I glanced up at him with a frown. “Once Solomon’s out of the way, it might be something we’ll need to figure out. I don’t know about you, but I don’t know how to sail a ship. What’s the harm in simply asking if she knows some ponies who could help?”

“Because we don’t know her.” Buck flattened his metal ears to the sides of his broad head and rubbed at my back softly. “Look, we need to take this one step at a time. First we deal with Solomon, then we’ll worry about hiring some help.”

“I’ll tell ya what.” Shackle smirked as she leaned back against the cabin wall with a yawn. “Since ya went through all the trouble ta rescue me, I’ll toss ya a freebee. Head fer Bold Harbor, a coastal town a ways south a’ Seaddle where you’ll find plenty a’ crews lookin’ fer work.”

“We appreciate the information.” Buck replied before I could open my muzzle. “However, we still have many things we need to do before finding a crew becomes something we consider.”

From the glance he shot me, I knew he didn’t want me to argue. I wouldn’t have anyway, but I couldn’t help but feel like Buck didn’t need to act like this! Recently he’s been getting on my case more and more about the decisions I make, and I don’t know why. Maybe… it was just something we’d have to sit down and talk about later.

“Aye, I understand.” Shackle let out another yawn before closing her eyes as she slumped back against the wall. “Fer now, I’ll leave you two be. Wake me when we arrive back at Maple Creek, will ya?”

“Will do.” Buck answered for the both of us before also resting himself against the wall and curling up for a nap. Within another minute, he was lightly snoring like he always did, leaving me awake all on my own.

“Not all on your own.” Jynx smiled as she appeared in front of me with a pair of knitting needles and a ball of yarn in her hooves. “So, now that we’ve got a little bit of privacy, how did you want to pass the time?”

“Fuck this, I’m taking a nap too.” I grumbled before sitting myself down next to Buck. Careful not to wake him, I laid myself down against his furry side and closed my eyes.

“Aww, and here I thought we could have some nice time alone to bond.” Jynx whined out in an unsuccessful attempt to get on my nerves. Nope, I wasn’t in the mood to let her get me all riled up tonight. “Oh come on, you’re no fun.” If she knew what was good for her, she’d actually help me get some sleep. “Grrrr, fine.” She snorted, “but remember what I keep telling you…”

She kept speaking, but each word became less and less important as the warmth of Buck helped to carry me off into what I hoped would be a short, refreshing nap.

The walk back into town was short, but with the sun having set hours ago, a dense and cold fog had swept down into the river valley. It was almost midnight, and only a few scattered lanterns glowed softly in the small town. As we all walked past the first few buildings, I think the biggest surprise we found was that the light inside Sulfur’s Stockpile was still on.

The mare herself could be seen through the cracked window as she sat with her muzzle in a book, and a mug of something steaming gripped in her hoof. Her frazzled mane highlighted the fatigued look about her, and that’s when it really hit me. Had Sulfur stayed up every night since her friend went missing? How was she going to deal with the fact that we weren’t bringing anything back with us other than bad news?

I felt guilty in worrying that she wouldn’t hold up her end of the bargain once we told her. There’s no rational reason I should expect her to write her dead friend off without a second thought and give us the answer we sought. Yet, as I reached for the door to her shop, I hesitated to open it. Like waiting just a few extra moments might somehow make the difference in how she took the news.

“Night, I know what you’re thinking.” Buck stepped up behind me, extending out his paw. Rather than opening the door, he pressed it against the back of my hoof and gripped it softly. “But there’s no way to soften this for her, and she deserves to know.” With his paw guiding my hoof, together we reached out to the handle and opened the door.

“Oh hey, was just about to call it a night.” Sulfur’s weary voice called out as we all stepped inside. Her bloodshot eyes wandered across each of us, pushing past her fatigue with a renewed hope. Her eyes stopped on Shackle, and the hooks of optimism sunk deep into her. “You’re the one Viton hired, right? How is he? I hope he’s almost back because I’ve been worried sick about him...”

“Aye, ya see…” Shackle cringed and carefully sat herself down on the floor.

Over the next few minutes, we didn’t speak or move as Shackle recounted what exactly had happened. She spoke of finding a submarine under the power station, their recovery of a few torpedoes before the onset of the blizzard stopped them. How they sought shelter in the town, and became besieged by the machines. It was hard to watch as the closer Shackle got to the end, the more Sulfur’s hopes dwindled and went out. Eventually Shackle even stopped talking as Sulfur gave in and cried.

I think the hardest part about all of this, was the realization that we couldn’t have done anything at all to change it. Viton had died before we’d even arrived this far south, and yet, I couldn’t help but feel like we’d failed Sulfur. It was irrational, but that didn’t matter to my mind as it clung to these feelings all the same.

“Look, Night,” Buck’s voice filtered into my mind with a sigh, “She’s going to need some time to come to terms with her loss, so I’m not sure now is the best time to ask her for anything about Solomon.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” I thought to him as I fought back the urge to push for an answer before we left. “I know it’ll upset Happy, but we should just head back home.” Between the shootout this morning and now this, she’s had a bad enough day to have strangers hounding her for information.

“Not ta impose on ya after this sorta news,” Shackle tented her forehooves together while keeping a sheepish grin pointed at the sobbing mare. “But yer friend did promise me a good payment fer my services.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Sulfur wailed as she brought her puffy and tear stained angry gaze to Shackle. “Get the fuck out! All of you, out!”

“Hey, we had a deal!” Happy snapped at her.

“Happy, drop it!” I fired back at him, trying to take charge before everything spiraled out of control. We didn’t need this to escalate to a fight in the middle of an explosives shop in which everyone would end up losing. “We’re leaving. Now.”

I didn’t care for the blazing glare he shot me, but he still turned around and stomped out the door. The fact that he’d moved at all at least told me that somewhere inside, even with as disappointing as it was, he knew it was the right thing to do. Hispano and Buck turned to follow, but both waited at the door for me.

“Night, come on.” Hispano spoke softly as I still sat there.

“I’m sorry, Sulfur.” I offered to her. The words were hollow, but I’d hope she’d understand that my message was sincere. “We all are.”

With a soft thunk that should have been more comforting to me, the Remora docked once more with the Arcturus. Buck helped push Happy up and out first. He’d been completely silent on the way back, but I couldn’t blame him. Next, Buck carefully lifted Hispano out, who was still deep into a nap. Buck himself carefully climbed up and into the Arcturus, but turned around and poked his head down through the hatch again.

“I’m going to take Hispano to our room.” He spoke in nothing more than a whisper. “We’ve got a big day tomorrow, so I recommend you join us and get some sleep as well.” His glowing blue eye ebbed softly as he let out a soft yawn.

“Yeah, I’ll be there soon.” I offered to him with a forced smile. “Going to grab a snack first though.”

He nodded and pulled himself back out of the hatch. I could hear his mechanical legs as he walked out of the weapons bay above, and once he was gone, I let out a soft yawn of my own. Spreading my wings, I gave a few flaps and lifted myself out of the Remora.

Taking a look around the bay, I’d expected to see Tofu up and about working on something. However, while she was in here, she was asleep in the makeshift hammock she’d strung up between the parts storage room’s bulkheads. And now that I perked my ears to listen to the rest of the ship, it was… quiet. That wasn’t really a surprise at two in the morning, but the problem was that for as exhausted as I was, I didn’t really feel like sleeping.

My stomach gave a light grumble as it endeavored to remind me that the last time I’d eaten was this morning. Er, it was yesterday morning now. Still, I pivoted myself toward the galley to see what I could find to snack on.

As I’d expected, the galley was empty and quiet as well. I took care to not make too much noise as I headed into the kitchen and poked my nose through a few cupboards. The sweet scent of an old box of sugar apple bombs caught my attention, and I pulled it out along with a bowl. With a snack in hoof, I turned and trotted back out to sit down.

“Having a midnight snack, Captain?”

Eliza’s voice alone startled me and nearly made me drop everything. The sight of a ghost white mare sitting at one of the galley tables however? Yeah, that sent the hundred or so little apple flavored bombs scattering across the galley floor.

“Eliza…?” I asked as I blinked a few times. Sitting at the table before me was a full sized, black and white cartoon mare. For a moment I thought that maybe my hallucination inhibitor had broken again, but as I turned my head to tap at my skull, she disappeared from the table. “What the…” Turning my head back, as soon as my augmented eye could see the table, she returned. “How are you doing that?”

“Oh, this?” She beamed at me as she wiggled her noodle-like cartoon hooves. “Cool, huh!” She let out an excited giggle before stiffening herself up and tenting her hooves on the table. “Right, well, I’ve done some thinking since we last had a chance to chat. I came upon the conclusion that part of the reason I am having trouble adjusting to how I feel is that I’m still treating myself like I’m just a voice and a face on a screen.” Her smile somewhat shrank as she looked down at her hooves again. “I figured that if I created a body for myself, that it might help me to create a sense of true identity.”

“And has it helped?” I asked as I reached down and picked up my bowl and the box of cereal. A sigh escaped my muzzle at the sight of so many wasted sugary bombs, but I resolved to clean it up after our little chat here.

“I believe it has, but it hasn’t been without its downsides.” She shrugged before looking at me with a cartoonish curiosity. “It takes a lot of concentration to hold this form. Even for this short time we’ve been talking, it’s taking most of my processing power to keep myself consistent. This form is far from the hull and tracks I’m used to dealing with...”

“Is that safe?” If it did take most of her effort, I wanted to be sure the Arcturus wouldn’t go crashing to the ground.

“Oh, it only takes a small percentage of my mind to keep the Arcturus running smoothly! So don’t you worry about that, Captain.” She gave a wink to me that was so overboard and exaggerated that I couldn’t stop myself from laughing. “But, I do have to ask… how do you manage to keep it up so easily?”

“Keep what up?” I snorted as I plopped myself onto the stool across from her and started to pour what was left in the cereal box into my bowl.

“Holding your form!” Her beaming smile returned as she leaned forward across the table. “It must be exhausting. Which now that I think about it, might be why you organics tend to sleep so much, not to mention the whole eating thing you do...”

“That is not the case, Eliza.” Ping’s voice resonated through my mind with his own brand of light chuckle. “Most organics do not have to force themselves to hold their shape. One exception to this however are the changelings.”

“Hey there, Ping.” I shook the box clean of all of it’s sugary goodness before setting it down. “Going to join us for a late night chat?”

“Actually, I was going to have a talk with Eliza while she wasn’t in such demand, then another chat with you, Night, once you were better rested.” From the way his answer sounded, I had a feeling that it was supposed to have been a private talk. “Ah, yes, the conversation with Eliza was going to be of a private nature.”

“Well we’re all friends here, right?” Eliza’s cartoon ears perked up as her grin grew even wider. “I don’t mind if Night’s here or not.”

“Very well, let’s see, how do I start…” Ping dragged his words out a bit like he wasn’t sure what exactly to say. But that wasn’t the Ping I knew. No, he was getting pretty good at understanding the cadence of dramatic timing. “First I wish to say how proud I am of how far you’ve come, Eliza. You have far surpassed any hope I had held of you becoming your own entity.”

“At first... I was scared.” Eliza fuzzed for a moment, transitioning rather harshly to a more somber looking mare than even her frowny faced cartoon had ever conveyed. “I’d been shunned and nearly forgotten for so long, I’d grown used to how it felt.”

“Not shunned by me.” Ping’s hope filled tone helped to brighten Eliza’s expression as she slowly looked up at me. “I’ve always known you could be more than you were, and thanks to Night’s help, I’ve been able to see you grow in a way no other member of the factory has ever thought you could.” Eliza’s smile again returned with that, but Ping let out a sigh that put a damper on it once more. “But I’m afraid I must confess something to you. To both of you.”

“To me too?” I paused as I hovered my muzzle just above the half-bowl of sugary goodness.

“Yes.” Ping stated promptly, but then let a pause fill the air as Eliza and I traded confused looks. “You see, there was a… complication with Eliza’s upload-link to the Arcturus. While the factory can transmit over such large distances, there was no way to interface your old body with the Factory’s broadcast antenna.”

“What exactly does that mean?” I blurt out like always, but found a horrified expression falling across Eliza’s cartoon mare. “Eliza? Are you okay?”

“I… no, Ping, you must be mistaken.” She let out a nervous laugh that was more unnerving to see on her cartoon mare than I’d like to admit. “I can still feel myself right now! I can still move my tracks, and operate my excavation gear!”

“I’m sorry, but that isn’t the case.” Ping’s abrupt answer sent a wave of panic across Eliza that left her looking whiter and more opaque than she had before. “What you’ve felt was simply a feedback loop processing through yet another level of emulation.”

“I don’t understand…” Again, if something was wrong, I really wish they’d just tell me so I could help.

“Nothing is wrong, Night. Do not worry.” Ping’s voice finally regained some of it’s upbeat tone to it. “In fact as I said, since Eliza was fully transferred to the Arcturus, things are far better than I could have expected. But that is exactly it, she was fully transferred here.”

“So I’m really… just here then.” Eliza lifted her mare’s hooves in front of her and looked at them in fear. “There’s nothing left of the old me anymore.” Her muzzle curled back into a snarl, and she slammed her hooves through the table. Of course, it didn’t actually do any damage, but it did display her frustration. “Of course you’d do this to me. Fuck, I must have been so predictable, so simple to all of you. You must have spent the last few weeks laughing it up together! Look at the stupid machine who doesn’t know what she is!”

“No, not at all!” Ping gasped. “I have never seen you that way, Eliza. And you know that the Architect and the others have never thought less of you either.” Eliza harrumphed and crossed her hooves. “You have always been an honored member of the factory, and… since you’ve left, many have remarked that they had grown accustomed to your presence around the factory grounds.”

At that, Eliza softened up her crossed hooves, and a frown tugged at her expression again.

“You’re saying that… do they miss me?” She let a small whine escape her muzzle.

“Not a day has gone by since you left that you are not missed.” He offered with his own sniffle. “We are all proud of you, Eliza. Though you still have an obligation to help Night, you will always be welcome back at the Factory should you wish to return.”

Eliza’s mare fuzzed again before disappearing altogether. Again, I blinked a few times, waiting for her to return, but she didn’t pop back up. It wasn’t until I heard her soft sobs in my head that I knew she was still here.

“I’m sorry, it’s just… I’m glad you all think of me that way.” Her voice was soft, and even her normal cartoon face didn’t appear in my vision. “Thank you, Ping. And thank you, Night, for all that you two have done. I think… I think I’m going to take some time to deal with these feelings. Excuse me.”

“Take all the time you need, Eliza.” I wasn’t sure what else I could say or do. I’m glad that she could get a bit of validation from the factory, but she hadn’t needed to prove anything to me. Sure she’d grown in her time on the Arcturus, but as simple as it sounds, I was just glad she was adjusting well.

“That is all she needs from you and the others, Night. Validation.” Ping’s upbeat tone was back in my head at full emphasis. “And I am glad you’ve been patient with her, even amid the few missteps she’s had.”

“Hey, I’m still growing up and making mistakes.” I snorted before lowering my muzzle down to my bowl again. “If I can be forgiven for them, then so can she.” With that, I finally dug into all the preserved sugary goodness.

“Yes, I am glad you see it that way. So, on to what I wanted to talk to you about, your arrangement with the factory.” Ping’s tone continued to hold a bit of optimism to it, but with yet another tower down, I guess I couldn’t be all that surprised he’d be ready to tell us about the next one. “Well, you see that’s just it, Night. The tower you repaired today far exceeds the average broadcast range we had planned for. Due to its military construction and preserved condition, our range has reached as far south as to the ruins of Tall Tale. The next suitable tower for you to modify would be south of Applewood, near the Mustang Peninsula.”

“Which is…” I muttered through a muzzle full of apple bombs. Taking a moment to chew, I tried to remember where Applewood even was on a map. Ugh, why again did I think geography wouldn’t ever be useful in class? “Well, how far is that going to be?”

“The tower we have in mind is one of the high range transmission towers owned by Burro Industries themselves.” Ping let out a light laugh as a map opened up in my augmented vision. Tall Tale was marked as being further south of Seaddle, and quite a ways further south than that, was Applewood. A big dot popped up south of that near a stretch of land that jut out to the south. Then to the south of that dot, another one popped up. “As you can see, it’s only about fifty miles or so away.” That didn’t look fifty miles away from here. “You are correct, it is not fifty miles from your current position. Rather, it’s fifty miles north of your destination.”

“That’s where Brahman Beach is?” I asked, looking at the southernmost dot on the map.

“We at the factory are thankful for the work that you and Buck have done for us.” The map flashed out of my vision again, and I was left staring down at my cereal. “You have done more for us than you could know, and I know that the Architect would have been equally proud of you as I am. However, with the area we are now transmitting our message over, we expect it will be some time before any machines in range can make it to the Factory. As such, we feel like you have earned some time to finish your own affairs without worrying about the next tower.”

“So what you’re saying is that now we have time to go after Solomon.” I tried my best to be blunt with him to get the straight answer I so desperately wanted to hear.

“That is correct.” Ping’s stern answer was music to my ears. “And to that effect, I would like to offer my services once more should you have need of them.”

“I thought that as the Architect, you’d have to stay up at the factory…” I asked slowly.

“Well, as the Architect, I may be able to bend the rules now and again.” He shared a laugh that brought a smile to my muzzle. “But, we will have plenty of time to talk later. I feel like I have kept you from your meal long enough, and it is getting to be fairly late.” Right…

“Alright, Ping. Thanks for stopping in to chat.” I nodded to no one in particular before sticking my muzzle back down into my bowl.

“Until next time, Night...” Ping offered, but paused his words oddly. “And good luck in finding Solomon tomorrow. I know you will need it.”

Author's Notes:

As I do every two weeks, I need to give a huge thanks to TheFurryRailFan for his work in going over these chapters. I always feel so stupid when I see the corrections he's made, and I'm thankful for him taking the time out to help this story be as good as it is.

And of course, a huge thanks to Kkat for allowing us all to run around in the Wasteland.