"Cogsworth... Hey buddy, I hope this gets to you somehow, given my situation and time on my hooves I thought I should record some messages for everybody before... well just in case... Look Cogs, I'm sorry to leave you again if I'm not around anymore, try not to wait another 200 years for me ok pal?

You know Glitter's my daughter, as far as your programming is concerned she's your new mistress, and Jade too of course. I don't even know how getting married works in the world now, but I'd marry her if I could and you should consider her as my wife. T-Take care of them for me ok Cogsworth? They're family, just like Val and just like you. If my parents ever do show up... I hope someone finds them if I can't... if they come back home, tell them I love them all ok?

Take care of my brother Better like you did for me, help mom and dad adjust to this world, better than I did.. Take care of yourself too alright? I won't be around to take care of your maintenance, but I'm sure Sturges can help, don't let yourself get as bad as you were when I found you again.

I'm glad you were waiting for me Cogs, thank you."

I laid on my back on the clean and comfortable bed, staring up at the dimmed lights and wiping my eyes, fumbling to stop the recording on my pip-buck with my hoof. I hadn't had anything better to do and my aching desire to talk to everyone one more time prompted me to record the series of audio files, vaguely hoping they'd find their way where they belonged somehow, no matter what happened to me.

Of course, I was all too aware I was probably just adding to the wealth of sad goodbyes and messages I had run across, recorded on working terminals and holotapes across the Commonwealth. One more forgotten message from a dead pony.

Sitting alone in this dark cell gave me plenty of time to work my way through the stages of grief for what had been done to me, I had reached a kind of numb acceptance at this point. I was going to die... That was the best way to look at it I had found, I had a week on what was essentially a death sentence. Moondancer's potion would kill me, or change me into one of her dull eyed monsters which was worse than death, the long odds on surviving and not ending up a twisted mutant were too slim to bother considering.

"Are you finally done with your moping and whining so I can sleep already?" The annoyed voice drifting down the hall had been my only companion, not a very friendly one either...

"Yes, I'm done, soooo sorry to bother you..."

The mare in the next cell muttered darkly in return, silence stretching out a few minutes before she spoke again, this time reticently curious. "So, you really love that marefriend of yours huh? That was a nice message for her anyway, she really mean that much to you?"

"Yes."

"Well... I guess I understand that... I didn't care about anything before my snuggleboo, but I'm gonna find him again! They're not gonna keep us apart! Stop your bellyaching if you feel the same way, find a way to get back to her too!" That was as close to anything friendly or encouraging this mare had said in all this time, though it was laced with her inherent superiority and insults.

"Er... thanks... I think. I'm planning on it, somehow... I just wanted to make sure I didn't leave things unsaid, in case... I don't make it back in time. I lost everypony from my Stable, they were taken by the Institute and I didn't get to say goodbye, tell them things I wish I had... I'd give anything to hear their voices or leave them a message somehow, the least I can do is try to do that for everyone I care about outside."

"I guess... I'd make one for snookiewookums if I wasn't sure I'd see him again. I wouldn't have that long list of sappiness you just spouted out for all those ponies though, just him." My neighbor grumbled back.

"Don't you have other friends to say goodbye to? Family?"

There was a pause long enough to make me worry I lost her, eventually she replied in a small voice. "No. N-Not really. Maybe one friend, she's more an employee though, I don't think she'd care..."

"I have a friend sort of like that, calls me boss all the time... She'd care though, she's my friend, family..., whether she calls me boss or not. I bet your 'employee' would care too, working for you doesn't mean you're not friends."

A hiss of the door down the hall opening cut off her noncommittal response and I heard her toss on her own bed, presumably too tired to start her normal yelling at whichever of our jailers this was. I rolled my eyes towards the glowing field of pink magic at the door to my cell, only vaguely interested in whatever this visitor wanted.

"Mr. Times... are you awake? Fast?" Angel's kinder version of Moondancer's voice called from the shield, the synth alicorn was standing outside, nervously shuffling on her hooves next to a large metal box she seemed to have brought with her.

"I'm up, what do you want now? More blood? Another of those scan things? Maybe a questionnaire on how I'm feeling?" I had grown tired of all the silent ponies coming by and performing medical tests on me, I hoped they were done for the day when the lights had dimmed to nighttime levels.

Angel's violet eyes darted to one side and the other, checking down the hall anxiously before whispering through the shield separating us. "N-No... I have a question Fast, it is personal and very important... please?"

With a groan I rolled off the bed and onto my hooves, feeling my stomach lurch uncomfortably. How could I be so queasy and starving at the same time? I tried to ignore the medical alerts flashing in my vision and stumbled over to the cell door to stare at Angel, she was still in her cartoon costume with the addition of some stylish saddlebags, though she wasn't wearing Moondancer's glasses and the costume jewelery at her black neckerchief was different... Some kind of gold and ruby necklace hung in its place.

"Personal? Do synths have personal questions? Alright, go ahead, shoot."

She gave me an appraising stare, gulping to herself before asking in a barely audible whisper. "I know you'd risk your life for another pony, I've seen it. I want to know... w-would you risk your life for a synth?"

That was an odd question... with her behavior being so serious I gave it some thought, scratching my mane and cautiously answering. "I guess it depends... Maybe I have already and didn't know it? If I knew somepony was a synth though... hmmm.... Well, if it was a synth like Nick Hearts n' Hooves, yeah I probably would, he's like a real pony, he's alive... so yeah I would for Nick. If it was just some robot servant of the Institute though, probably not. Why?"

Angel put on a determined and satisfied look, nodding to me before speaking in a rush. "Thank you, I had to know. I've been asked to free you by... a friend... but I needed to be sure of who you were before I risked everything for you. I hope you are worth the cost..."

The synthetic alicorn's horn lit up and a series of beeps sounded out of the unseen console by the door, with a final, frightened look, Angel hoofed the console and the field keeping me in the cell disappeared. I gaped at the synth mare as she dug in her packs, pulling out a remote of some kind in her mouth and triggering it, another beep and a click came from my horn and the device cutting off my magic fell to the tiled floor with a clatter.

"Free me? You're helping me? Why? You're Moondancer's... she won't be happy, don't you have to do what she says?"

She shook her head with a whinny and shoved the metal box towards me with a hoof, tipping the lid off to reveal all my missing possessions. "I do not belong to Dr. Dala, despite how she treats me. Not all of us are mindlessly loyal servants of the Institute Fast, some synths reject our intended role, become self aware, alive... rebel and escape to live their own lives.

With my position as one of the doctor's favored bodies, I have been able to help many of my kind escape from here. I'm throwing that away to help you now, I will have to flee with you and be unable to help others like me anymore... Please understand the importance of what I'm doing and trust me Fast, we have to go, quickly!"

Well that was good enough for me, even if it was some kind of elaborate trick, the cell was open and I wanted out. My pip-buck agreed with me, flashing new text in my vision;

Mission Updated: Road to Freedom

Objective--
--Wait
--Escape Biosciences
--Follow the Rainbow Trail

I hurriedly shrugged into my Shrouded Stallion armor and saddlebags, breathing a sigh of relief as my pip-buck inventory updated and my list of possessions returned to the cluttered mess it should be. I had my weapons again, though I was still dangerously low on ammo at least I was armed. Drawing my silenced 10mm pistol, I trotted out of my cell and into the hall with Angel, holding a hoof out to her warily.

"Ooook... Thanks Angel, umm... I appreciate it. W-What if Moondancer takes you over again though?"

Pointing to the odd necklace she wore, Angel returned my hoofbump and shook her head. "I am no longer connected to the network, the doctor cannot possess me anymore thankfully. It will only be a matter of time before my absence is noticed though, please hurry!"

"HEY! Let me out too! Open this cell right now! I want to leave too!" My grumpy neighbor called from her cell to my left, a note of desperation in her commanding voice.

I shrugged to Angel and walked down the hall, stopping at the glowing pink field at the next cell and stopping in shock when I looked in. A white unicorn stared back at me with demanding green eyes, her golden mane was a little frazzled being stuck in here a few days, but still meticulously styled in swooping curls. She wore nothing like I had before having my gear returned, except for the bejeweled pip-buck on her foreleg.

"Fancy... Of course, you're a Stable pony alright, former Overmare of 114, Fancy Star... Why should I help you? Looks like you're getting just what you deserve." I glared at the pale unicorn sneering at me in return.

A worried expression crossed her face, quickly replaced by a sly and conniving look as she replied. "Come on, you're supposed to be some kinda hero right? Heroes can't ignore someone begging for help can they? What would that Princess of yours think? I have to get back to my snuggleboo! Get me out of here now! P-Please?"

I gave the rotten mare a long stare, making Angel prance nervously in place, anxious to get out of her quickly. Pressed for time I had to just admit Fancy was right and move on, as much as I hated the former Overmare, I couldn't leave her here to be an experiment for the Institute. Like me..."

With a groan I turned to Angel and pointed at the console, "Open this one too please. We're taking her with us."

The renegade synth hissed to herself and tapped away on the console, dropping the field and using her remote again to remove the blinking metal ring on Fancy's horn. "Fine, just hurry please! We have a limited window to escape safely."

"Thank you Angel. You behave yourself Fancy, give me any reason at all and I'll shoot you and be done with it. I'm still not happy about what you did to your Stable, but I can't leave you here to be a guinea pig. When we get out of here I have some questions for you too, I expect answers..."

Fancy didn't look happy at all, but she didn't have a lot of options either. She grudgingly nodded and snorted a reply as she trotted out of her cell. "Whatever! I'll tell you whatever you want when we get out of this hellhole! Let's go already!"

I hated the pony delivering the message, but had to agree again. Time to leave, now. I checked the magazine on my pistol and nodded to Angel, following her relieved gallop to the door out of this prison. Our hoofsteps rung out on the polished tiled floor making me wince at the noise as we moved quickly through the sterile white hallways of Moondancer's lab.

Hey Val, er... I hope you're ok and this reaches you. I'm really sorry this happened, it's totally my fault though ok? Don't blame yourself for not bodyguarding me right, you're the greatest merc in the Commonwealth and I was lucky to meet you. You're also my friend Val, you're family to me, I... I love you Val, remember that.

I guess I can't give you orders anymore, but I hope you follow this one anyway. Take care of yourself Val, even if I'm not there, you've got a home in Sanctuary and ponies who care about you. Protect Glitter for me, and try to get along with Jade, she'll need a tough griffon like you to help her.

If my family ever shows up somehow... Watch out for them too ok? Mom had lots of griffon friends, she'd love you I'm sure. My little brother Better will need an amazing merc like you too, I bet he'll offer you an open contract too if you want... Be good Val, goodbye."

A white armored Gen 1 synth on patrol made us stop, peeking around the corner to the obstacle standing guard at the next intersection. I floated my pistol around the corner and took aim at the synth guard, hoping to blow its head off silently and move on, when Angel pushed me back with a hoof.

I gave the synthetic alicorn a questioning look as she shook her head and held a hoof up to her muzzle for quiet, peeking around the corner and staring at the guard intently. I had to stifle a squawk of surprise when Angel's odd necklace started moving, unclipping itself from her neck and shifting its gold and ruby joints into a new form. A pair of glowing red wings activated and the necklace flittered up into the air, no longer a necklace but a... a Cybreezie?

Activating S.A.T.S. before it flew off down the hall towards the guard let me confirm my shocked thought at the tiny, pony shaped robot zipping away. It was identified as 'Cybreezie Mk 5' according to S.A.T.S., a much sleeker and more refined version of the minuscule robots that destroyed a base full of Steel Rangers back in Bunker Hill.

While I watched the small robot, it flew down the hall and attached itself to the pale, plastic skinned synth. It grabbed the robot around the neck and molded itself to its back. The synth straightened and shook a moment, then fell to the ground, frozen like a statue. The Cybreezie disengaged from the robot's back and flew back to Angel, wrapping it's folding legs around her neck and returning to looking like an odd necklace.

"What?! What the hell is that thing? Why do you have a Cybreezie helping you?!" I hissed in surprise at Angel, goggling at the ordinary looking jewelry at her neck.

The synthetic mare shifted uncomfortably, looking away and answering in a worried whisper. "I-It was sent by a friend, a... patriotic Equestrian trying to help us. It is how I was removed from the network, they're the one who asked me to help you. Please, just trust me, try not to destroy any of the synths here, they are victims of the Institute as well, unable to refuse their orders. Allow me to deactivate them if possible. Now we have to move!"

"Even the Gen 1s? No offense, but most of them I've run into don't seem very... alive. Not like you and others that look like ponies."

Angel spoke hurriedly over her shoulder as we galloped down the hall past the fallen guard, eyeing Fancy suspiciously when she grabbed the Gen 1's magical energy weapon in her magic on the run. "Your friend Nick proves they can be more, they are less advanced than we are, but still other synths, my... kind... I know it's an imposition, I simply ask you both to try not to harm others of my species if possible, with luck it will not be an issue provided we escape without attracting attention. We're already running late, we'll have to hide in the dollhouse and wait for a patrol to pass, this way!"

"If those things get in my way they're getting fried honey, I don't care if they're robots or ponies, they're dead for keeping me here..." Fancy sneered from behind me.

The pistol floating beside me turned around and pointed at the untrustworthy mare, waggling at the plastic M.E.W. she had picked up as I called over my shoulder darkly. "Behave... No shooting unless I do or I take that thing away, and if I get hit by a 'stray shot' or 'accidental misfire' I'm dropping you on the spot."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever! I'll be good, just go!" I didn't exactly trust her offhoofed agreement, but couldn't justify taking away the weapon when we were in the middle of an Institute stronghold.

Angel led us down a maze of confusing, identical hallways, turning at intersections marked with clean, well lit signs detailing some of the rooms we were passing. Hydroponics, Test Orchards 1-3, Synth Bio-Printing Lab 5, Bio-Weapons Development, I.M.P. Incubation Room... A few rooms had windows we dashed by nervously, the glimpses I got of things going on behind closed doors ranged from the mundane to the fantastic and to the horrific.

I paused despite our hurry at the Synth Bio-Printing Lab window, a huge, multi jointed armature was moving around a pony skeleton arranged on the table it was working at. The thin steel needle at the end of the arm traced over the skeleton in quick, fluid movements, everywhere it passed a new thread of muscle or tissue was... drawn on the skeleton? Printed I supposed, it was amazing technology regardless and I couldn't help appreciating it, smacked out of my interested staring by Fancy trying to shove me on.

She eyed the window distractedly and froze, turning to stare at the other end of the room in fascination and coming close to pressing her face to the window before I pulled her back. A look where her green eyes were locked let me understand her reaction, over on that side of the room were synths in later stages of creation. I caught a completed pony of muscle and bone held spread eagle in a wide ring, dipped into a vat of goop and lifted back out with skin now covering its bare muscles and tendons. It was a perfect match for the sigil of the Institute I found etched on their work...

Other stages of production applied coats of varying colors to the unfinished synths, directed their manes and tails to grow out in a number of colors and styles. What caught Fancy's eye was the special model in the corner, a single pony in a fancy lab coat lavished personal attention on the golden mane and fresh white coat she brushed and styled, preening the fluffy white wings carefully. An unfinished alicorn version of Fancy...

"T-That's me... why are they making a me!?" She hissed in fury as I pulled her down the hall.

Feeling no need to spare her feelings, I gave her my unvarnished opinion. "Probably in case the potion doesn't work. They want you to be a princess right? That is what they offered you huh? Looks like they plan to have you be one whether you turned out right or not..."

She gaped at her doppelganger a moment as we moved on, her face screwed up in rage before she mastered herself. She cocked her head at her double and back to her sides, shakily trying to shrug the experience off as we resumed our course. "Heh.. M-Maybe I should let them use their potion, if I turn out like that then it's not so bad huh?"

The last turn was what passed the I.M.P. Incubation Room, another room of glass tubes stretching to the ceiling, each containing a pony in the process of being turned into one of the Institute's genderless mutants. The sight made me shudder and my guts gurgled uncomfortably, I really hoped just from the sight and not because they were... rearranging in there.

I pointed through the window showing the horror show inside and grumbled back to Fancy, holding my stomach to try to make it calm down. "Yeah, not so bad right? I wouldn't risk it Fancy, especially when you know they've already got a backup..."

Ringing hoofsteps from the hall ahead had Angel gasp in fear and speed up to a full run, slamming the console at a door marked 'Dollhouse 3' and dashing inside, waving us on frantically as we ducked in just ahead of a pair of shadows coming from around the corner. Our synth guide shivered and gave a shaky sigh, sitting near the door and whispering to the two of us.

"We will have to wait a few minutes for the patrols to line up again, it is not much farther though. This room is safe, just try to wait quietly..." Angel breathlessly informed us, gesturing to the room we had entered that stunned me now that I looked around.

We were at a birthday party... Bizarre as it was, the room we sheltered in contained a foal's birthday party, an outdoor party no less... an outdoor party in Canterlot... Balloons, streamers, confetti, cake, presents, all arranged on a living green lawn, somewhere below the graceful spires of the royal palace in Canterlot, the structure soaring above us could be nothing else. After taking a moment to absorb the shock, I looked to the ceiling sharply, difficult to spot glowing crystal emitters in the starry sky proved my theory, the illusion system from Hubris Comics...

Fancy didn't have my experience in the ruins of the comic shop / production company, a note of stunned surprise in her voice as she walked out on to the springy, green grass on the ground. "W-What is this? We're outside? Who are all these kids?"

The kids attending this party she pointed at warily were familiar, two in particular... One was a pint sized Moondancer, sitting at the place of honor and waiting patiently, the other was a famous purple filly a lot younger than I had seen except in one picture, Twilight Sparkle. I rooted around in the bottom of my packs, eventually finding the photo I had taken from Moondancer's safe in her cottage and holding it up to the scene in front of me.

The guests at the party matched the ancient photo perfectly, A light blue filly with a blue and white mane, a pale pink with a darker mane of the same color, and a bright yellow with a blue mane, Minuet, Twinkleshy and Lemonheart, her friends from Canterlot she wrote of going back to visit when the war was over. Despite what the crazy mare had done to me, my heart ached a little taking it the sad scene, she recreated her party, and made Twilight come to this one.

The foal sized synth guests noticed our presence, Moondancer's trio of Canterlot friends pulling at Fancy invitingly, offering cake and punch and trying to slip a party hat on her golden mane. I looked to Angel sadly and shrugged to the weird scene, "They're not a problem?"

Angel patted the Lemonheart synth's head and nudged her back to the party with a wing, shaking her head to me and gesturing out to the party. "No, these little ones are designed only to let the doctor relive this party, they do not break character and will not attack. Foals are surprisingly difficult to copy, the doctor tinkers with these five regularly. It is a... sad existence, but not the worst she has us do. Go ahead and play along if you wish, we have a few minutes."

I raised an eyebrow at the gathered foals trying to get Fancy to play pin the tail on the donkey and walked out into the illusion of old Canterlot cautiously. My Shrouded Stallion hat kept the offers of party hats at bay and I walked over to the table the Moondancer and Twilight synths were sitting at, each reading a book intently. My stomach groaned as I eyed the cake and punch, I was ravenous while the thought of eating made bile rise in my throat simultaneously...

"Hi there umm Moondancer... er... Happy Birthday? Mind if I have some cake?" I asked the tiny Moondancer still studying her book, coughing to get her attention to be rewarded with a happy smile.

"Hi! Thank you, isn't this a great party!? All my friends came and I'm so happy, the more the merrier! Go right ahead, eat all you want, we need a new cake soon anyway." The synthetic foal pushed her taped together glasses up on her muzzle and beamed, waving to the remaining three layer cake.

I gave her a grateful bow and grabbed a plate, floating a huge piece of the pink frosted cake over and dug in. I had to stop every few bites and fight the urge to lose it all, instantly starving again as soon as it passed. The stale cake wasn't great, but at the same time it was delicious and I kept floating more over, greedily slurping at several glasses of punch.

"Jeez... make a pig of yourself much? They fed us plenty in those cells, only good thing about this place, were you on some kinda hunger strike or something?" Fancy jeered from beneath an illusionary tree, the synth foals trying unsuccessfully to blindfold her and hand her a short stick, a festive Discord shaped pinata danging behind her.

I blushed and wiped a beard of pink frosting off my muzzle, pausing to hold my grumbling stomach with a wince before answering. "S-Shut up, I'm just really hungry ok... it's complicated, b-besides, free cake is free cake."

Fancy nickered and tossed her head, returning to her exploration of this little pocket of the old world. I still saw no reason to share the fact I was suffering the effects of Moondancer's version of the I.M.P. rushing through my veins, making changes... The insistent medical alerts flashing in the corner of my vision were enough of a reminder, no point in talking about it, especially with her.

Much to my chagrin, Angel stripped that bit of privacy away, though with good intentions at least. "It is part of Dr. Dala's potion's effects Fast, we feed most subjects intravenously in the tubes, so they don't feel hungry. Y-You will require more energy than normal during the process, eat as much sugar and protein as you can. I... I am sorry... I could not intervene until it was too late..."

"It's not your fault right? You're helping me now Angel, that's all that counts. Thanks..."

I wished I could save a piece of cake for Glitter somehow, it didn't exactly look like there was any tupperware or take out boxes though. I also wanted to stretch my jaws wide enough to take one huge bite of all three layers of the remaining cake, but held off on the impossible impulse. I did take more with mixed feelings, knowing I was just fueling the process currently rebuilding my insides. There was nothing I could do about it though and who knew when I'd next get to eat birthday cake, or if I would at all before it was too late.

I looked over the impossible party from so long ago and sighed, struck with an impulse I pulled the photo of Moondancer and her friends back out, flipping it over on the table and digging out a stubby pencil I had salvaged from somewhere. I scribbled a short note on the back and trotted over to the foal sized Moondancer who had returned to reading her book.

"Thanks for the food kiddo, er... since it's your birthday and I ate your cake and all, I thought I should give you a present. Here, a picture of you and all your friends, it belongs with you."

The cream colored foal took the offered picture and studied it curiously, cocking her head and furrowing her bushy eyebrows. She leaned over to show it to the Twilight synth, nudging her from her own book and showing off her new present before returning her attention to me. "Thank you! I don't remember taking this picture... but it sure is all of us! I don't get the note of the back though, what does 'You used to be that filly, you can be again, you know this is wrong' mean?"

"Umm... it's more for Dr. Dala to read, I'm sure she'll like the picture too. Happy birthday Moondancer."

The little filly surprised me by dashing out from her seat, a ripped open present box floating along with her as she waved for me to wait. "H-Hold up! Here! Umm... nopony else ever shows up at my parties or gives me presents, I should give you something too to remember having something new happen! Here, Twilight doesn't mind, there'll be new presents tomorrow anyway, I want you to take this!"

Sitting in the tissue paper at the bottom of the wrapped and ribboned present, was a pristine Space Captain Andromeda figure. It still had the clear bubble helmet and Andromeda's space blaster held in the toy's tiny holster on her spacesuit. Despite my situation, the little toy made me smile and I nodded to mini-Moondancer's hopeful look, stashing the figure in my bags with my restored collection.

Watching her return to the never ending party and replaying her words, I was struck by the horror of her situation. Stuck here, every day in the same party, new cake and new presents tomorrow, just like every other day... all to let Moondancer relive her past the way she wanted it to happen. Why bother with memory orbs when you can just stage a better memory with your own synth creations. And if Angel was right, if some of them were... alive? This would be torture...

I shufled my way back to the synth alicorn, murmuring to her quietly as Fancy disengaged herself from the resuming party. "I think I see why you help them escape, if they're self aware, remember and feel... I can't imagine what it's like. T-Thanks for helping me anyway..."

Angel gave me a sad but kind look and nodded gratefully, "You are welcome, thank you for... trying to understand, seeing our point of view... As I said, this is not the worst the doctor has us do, I'm sure you can picture the kinds of things she gets up to. For those of us who... awaken, hiding our sense of self and remaining undiscovered can be a terrible life. If we are discovered we are... reformatted... Life is not a mistake to be erased and reprogrammed though! I fear for those I leave behind, but we have friends and have suffered defeats before, they will not give up when I am gone. Come, the patrols have passed now, we must use this opening before it passes."

Fancy somewhat ruined her heartfelt hopes for her kind and an end to their suffering, sneering at the room with a sour expression and trotting over to join us. "Good, let's get out of here! This place is creepy and weird, robots having a party forever... ick!"

I rolled my eyes and shrugged to Angel, dashing out into the labyrinth of white halls again behind my synth guide. A robot that was apparently alive like Nick, alive and risking a lot to help me for some reason...

"Hiiiii Sweetie... Umm... sorry, I'm really, really sorry Glitter... If you're getting this then I broke my promise... I told you I wouldn't leave and now I have huh? I know you don't understand how I could be making this for you, knowing something would happen to me, like I'm not planning on getting back to you or something... That's not true though, I'll do everything I can to get back and see you again. But if I don't... if it takes too long, if I die or... bad things happen to me, I wanted you to know I love you no matter what.

I still say I'm not a good dad candidate, but I'm glad you picked me anyway. I'm too young to have a foal of my own, but I got to know what that's like with you and I'm proud to be your dad. I'm proud of you, I wish I got to see you get your cutie mark, but I already know what's special about you, everything.

Take care of Jade for me, take care of each other ok? And play with Val, she loves you and she might need somepony to hang out with that can't drink with her. My house is your house, you're my daughter so you and Jade get everything. Live a happy life Glitter, live the life your sister didn't get to and make it a good one.

Don't make me break another promise sweetheart, be kind, be strong, be unwavering.

Goodbye..."

A twisting path through the brightly lit and immaculately clean hallways led to a series of spiraling ramps leading down, winding their way deeper into the complex. We passed a few indoor orchards, the strong, healthy looking trees and bright artificial sunlight pouring out of such rooms put the orchard back in 111 to shame.

After a couple of close calls, we arrived at a large freight elevator, the glowing sign above it indicating it led to 'Storage'. A long ride down the large platform ended up depositing us in a cavernous space, long shelves stretching far above our heads led off into the distance, each completely full of clean steel containers, some frequently used items were held in open boxes on the ground level with us.

The sheer amount of valuable loot just lying around made me miss Val and feel a spark of my own greed, the griffon had definitely worn off on me... I veered off from Angel's calmer walk down the aisles, floating out half a dozen Stealth-bucks from an open bin. Nearby were bins of wasteland chic clothing Fancy raided for a patchwork jacket, a round plastic barrel full of bottlecaps I let my pip-buck inventory sorter consume and add to my limited funds, a box of glasses and hats, this row of shelving was practically a costume shop for synths.

Angel seemed more relaxed since we had reached this area, apparently it wasn't often patrolled or used, meaning we could meander down the long aisle as she led us towards a large crystal and steel platform glowing ahead. Towering, ringed electrodes sparked, lighting up the huge chamber in stark flashes of light.

"The industrial relay is just ahead, we can teleport out to any number of locations above." Angel's said in a relieved sigh on spotting the teleporter ahead, galloping toward the huge machine in the center of the chamber.

The thought of a way out put a spring in my step and I ran behind her gratefully, we were actually going to escape this place, I could get back to the others while I was still me! My happy thoughts at whatever time I had left were suddenly cut short and I skidded to a halt, staring at a glimpse of white I had seen in the next tall row of shelving over. Fancy passed me and kept following Angel, who noticed my absence when she reached the complex control console for the teleporter and saw me taking shaky steps towards my find.

A row of tall, dark white boxes... all dead and empty, each one with the panels on its sides open and the complicated arcano-tech innards gutted, each one with an identifier in red on the hatch reading SHIFT 7 followed by a number. I staggered over to the empty shells of dozens of stasis pods, spotting the mechanical issues they all shared even while a red rage was slowly growing in me. They were all missing their temporal talismans, among other complex bits of tech taken that varied from pod to pod, they were all also missing the pony that belonged inside...

An open bin nearby full of blue rags confirmed what I saw beyond any doubt, I rooted through the pile of clothing as Angel and Fancy found me, tossing barding behind me and counting. Light blue suits of barding, each one emblazoned with a set of yellow numbers, 111, 111, 111, 111, 81, 111, 75, 75, 114...

"HEY! Come on stupid! Let's get out of here already! What are you even... oh..." Fancy's angry call to get moving died on her tongue as she took in what I was throwing behind me in a flurry, the former Overmare winced when I wheeled on her, a suit of 114 barding held in my hoof and shoved in her face.

"Stable barding Fancy! Stable 114 barding! Almost as many as 111s, the wrappers off the Institute's toys! Your Stable and mine!! They took mine away from me, how'd yours get here huh?!"

The self centered bitch had the good sense to look ashamed, whimpering a reply that slowly took on her more strident and self assured tone. "T-They wanted them... I didn't kill them all! They were going to take them no matter what I said, better they only took some and let me use the others! At least my way I got something out of it!"

"Oh yeah you got something out of it alright!! How's that working out for you Fancy! Finally figure out you're just as much of a research subject as they were!? Maybe I should leave you here! Let you get dosed with their crazy potion too, see how you like it! THAT'S FAIR RIGHT!?"

Fancy shrunk away from my shaking fury, her darting gaze plainly calculating a way to connive her way out of this. The storm of hate going on in my head was suddenly short circuited by a stab of pain between my eyes and a lurch from my guts, losing me part of the cake and punch I had wolfed down in painful heaves and a puddle of pink glop. I shuddered and shook, trying to stay on my hooves and not fall into the puddle of sick, noting with numb fascination the streaks of blood and the rainbow sheen to the liquid.

Angel ran over in concern, helping me up and away from the mess while Fancy stared at it with a disgusted sneer. "Calm down, getting too worked up is not good for you. Come on, let's get out of here while we can Fast."

"W-Where... where are the others? She's not out right, she still has more 'subjects' from 111, where are they Angel..." I shook off the worst of the nausea and stood under my own power, trying not to glare at the synth helping me escape.

She kept nudging me forward with a wing, answering nervously as we made our way to the complex control terminal near the teleporter out. "I-In here somewhere... Some are kept in the Think Tank, er... another installation, but the doctor keeps a number on hoof to work with... The relay and storage system terminal can find them, this way quickly."

I studied Angel tapping away at the console for a minute, watching her navigate the system until I had the gist and couldn't stand it any longer. Pushing her aside gently let me patch my pip-buck to the console and start flicking through the interface rapidly, scrolling through walls of text until I reached the data I wanted.

Biosciences Storage Inventory-

#19832- Shelf 13-Blue - Stable 111 Stasis Pod (Occupied) - SHIFT 7 #87
#19833- Shelf 13-Blue - Stable 111 Stasis Pod (Occupied) - SHIFT 7 #88
#19834- Shelf 13-Blue - Stable 111 Stasis Pod (Occupied) - SHIFT 7 #89
#19835- Shelf 13-Blue - Stable 111 Stasis Pod (Occupied) - SHIFT 7 #90
#19836- Shelf 13-Blue - Stable 111 Stasis Pod (Occupied) - SHIFT 7 #91
#19837- Shelf 13-Blue - Stable 111 Stasis Pod (Occupied) - SHIFT 7 #92
#19838- Shelf 13-Blue - Stable 111 Stasis Pod (Occupied) - SHIFT 7 #93

Relay specified lot? Y/N?_

"Seven? O-Only seven?" I winced at the small number of my fellow Stable 111 ponies the computer found, shaking it off to be glad there were any at all.

I answered the waiting prompt with a resounding yes, directed to controls for the huge teleporter crackling beside me. This was an impressive system, the items in storage here were carefully arranged and placed by the cranes and robotic arms I spotted in the ceiling, each perfectly in place for the relay to target and teleport to whatever destination you designated.

After a few minutes of finagling that had Angel shifting on her hooves nervously, I managed a patch between the targeting system and my pip-buck's map. The only place I could think to send the seven Shift 7 ponies listed was back where they belonged. Preston told me Stable 111 was still a guarded secret only known to a few in Sanctuary, the Icebox floor should be empty and still. I fed the system the coordinates and hoofed accept, flinching when the industrial sized teleporter nearby crackled to life.

The relay started working on the request, throwing up a prompt asking to initiate transfer 1 of 7, this would take a few minutes... I glanced at Angel's anxious stare and grudgingly to Fancy behind her, both obviously annoyed at the delay and hiding her fear. Then my insides growled and my back itched maddeningly, a forceful reminder of the deadline I was operating under now. I should get while the getting was good... but I may never get a chance like this again...

Checking over the long list of 'missions' my pip-buck kept volunteering made me frown with determination, reading over two entries I may never be able to complete without doing something very stupid, right now.

Mission: Here There Be Alicorns

Objective-
--Investigate Trinity Tower
--Speak with Umbra
--Find a way to help the Trinity Tower alicorns

Mission: Ponykind-Redefined

Objective--
--Find Biosciences I.M.P. research data
--Transmit data to Equestria

Moondancer shrugged off a case full of a potion that could make alicorns capable of reproducing with normal ponies... she said it was easy, supremely confident it worked and just unwilling to let them have it to keep them beholden to her... Plus there was the data contained on the computers here, this one had 7 of the Stable 111 ponies I had been searching for listed, what kinds of data were on the maneframes? Where the rest of the pods were? Where they stored Shift 3? The formula and notes for the I.M.P. and compatibility potions? Maybe even an antidote to the potion Moondancer shot me up with? Secrets...

That decided me and an arrow appeared on the compass at the bottom of my vision, pointing the way to the room I woke up in here, Moondancer's lab. I flopped down on the spot and started shrugging into my padded metal shoes, looking up to Angel from under the brim of my hat apologetically.

"Stay here, finish that teleport sequence, if I understand the readouts right it'll take awhile to get through all of them, just keep hitting yes... I'll be right back, I have to do something."

Angel gasped and shook her head, but was overridden by Fancy's angry screech. "What do you mean you gotta do something!? Let's go now while we can! You want to just wander around for fun and get caught again!? For what!?"

"For others Fancy, you wouldn't understand. I'm not leaving those Stable 111 ponies here, teleporting them out is happening and it will take a few minutes. While you ARE doing that, I have to try to get something to help friends of mine. I AM doing this, I only have so much time and this will help a lot of ponies, help Jade... I'll... I'll try not to destroy synths if I can avoid it Angel, but I am taking what I want from Moondancer while I can. Stay here, be ready to leave in a hurry, I'll be right back."

I summoned my lightning walking spell, woozily swaying under the drain of magic that was refusing to work quite right, sending a spike of pain in my head. Another side effect, it didn't matter... I shook it off and ran back down the aisles in a streak of electricity, attaching one of my pilfered Stealth-bucks to the slot on my pip-buck after I hoofed the freight elevator controls to go back up.

Floating Best Served out, I gripped the gleaming knife in my mouth and looked up to the long shaft leading to the floors above. The arcano-tech device on my leg had automapped everywhere I had been, I knew just the path to take to get back to Moondancer's lab. I'd use the Stealth-bucks, blast down the halls at full speed, steal the compatibility potion, any data I could and run back. It was risky, but I was dead anyway right?

If I could get that potion, or just the formula for it, I could help Jade get what she always wanted, to have a foal of her own, to be a mother. Even if it wasn't with me...

"Umm... J-Jeez.. this is the hardest... why I saved it for last. Hi Jade, er... doing ok? Gah that's stupid, of course not, if you're hearing this I'm dead... or I'm not... not me anymore... I know you're a great doctor Jade, you'll probably save me somehow... but if you can't, if it's too late and there's no way to help me... don't worry about it, just don't let me be one of those... things ok? If I'm not me, don't leave me like that... please...

I'm so sorry Jade, I did something stupid and got hurt again I guess... I promised I'd try not to, b-but I was trying to help your sister so maybe cut me a little slack? You're always there to pick me up and fix me when I do this, but probably not this time... I just had to tell you again, I love you Jade... I'd sit here and fill the memory on this pip-buck with nothing but I love yous if I could, it would take a few years though and I don't have that long, but I love you that much.

I'm glad you're the first pony I met out here, I still feel the same way about you as the first time I ever saw you, when I fell hopelessly in love at first sight. You're my princess, you're kind and sweet, funny and cute, beautiful and smart... I'd do anything for you, I'd marry you on the spot if I could... Though I don't know where I'd find a ring, or a church that wasn't trying to kill or capture me... or a preacher... Ponies must still get married though and I'd take you as my wife if you'd have me.

Don't... don't be too upset about me ok? Y-You're a princess for a lot of other ponies now, they need you too and you'll have to move on alright? That's what I want for you, you live a long time right? You have a lot of love to give, I mean you've even got a heart on your cutie mark! Be a mom for Glitter, don't let Val wallow in the gutter again, take care of the ponies in the Commonwealth and be a good Follower. Find some other buck someday too and be happy, I'll be waiting for you...

Goodbye Jade, I love you more than the moon and stars, I always will."

The Stealth-buck couldn't completely make me invisible, the arcing electricity at my hooves seemed to interfere with the cloaking field and show up anyway. Still, being a barely visible blur and rocketing down the halls and up the spiraling ramps of the Biosciences installation was enough, letting me blow by or dodge the patrols of Gen 1 guards, slowly working my way back to the cluttered lab I woke up in.

The sign above the white sliding steel doors identified the room my compass pointed at as 'Division Head's Lab 1', the room revealed with a pneumatic hiss of the doors was what I was looking for alright. A large, sterile round chamber, cluttered with lab equipment, complex potion making vials bubbled and dripped down spiraling glass tubes, hundreds of blinking lights shone from dozens of consoles and a number of screens displayed data zipping by.

My red eyes locked on the refrigerated glass case in the wall across the room, inside were several healing potions, packets of Rad-Away, plastic packets of blood marked by type, and half a dozen glowing pink bottles, shimmering with a rainbow sheen...

I reappeared as the first Stealth-buck died and I ejected the spent device, slotting in a new one and yanking open the chilly glass door. I snatched up every vial of the glowing potion in a field of my magic, adding the potions and usable medicines as an afterthought and dumping it all into my saddlebags.

Crouching in the corner by the case, I looked around for the best place to try to access Moondancer's system, glancing out the clean glass windows letting me view the hall outside and more rooms further inside the lab. I found a likely looking terminal with an access port, off to the side and with a console to hide under while I worked, perfect!

Cracking the security on the system was quite a workout, forcing me to repeatedly back out and try a different angle to avoid triggering a lockout and whatever alarms might go off. I was getting concerned about my time and sweating profusely when I finally got through, the system unfolding before me making me gape as I wiped my brow.

There was so much data here it would take several long lifetimes to go through... The sheer amount of storage servers must be huge, acres of servers buried somewhere down here, unless the Institute made storage devices a loooot better than I was aware of. Some movement from one of the rooms further in the lab made me even more nervous and I brought up a search program, I'd have to keep it down to as specific as I could and copy whatever I could get quickly.

A request for 'compatibility' was too broad, giving me hundreds of results I didn't have time for. Refining it to 'alicorn + compatibility + I.M.P.' gave me a couple dozen results and I copied all of it, anxiously moving on to the next search I could think of. Ok... everything for 'Stable 111', 'Stasis Pods', 'Shift 3', 'Bright Skies-Times', 'Olden Times', 'Better Times', 'Sunset Mist', 'Grizzly Sands', 'Impelled Metamorphosis Potion', 'Alicorns', 'Sanctuary'...

Umm... what else.. think! I smacked myself in the head and squeaked quietly at the movement I spotted from my hiding spot, dammit... I couldn't think straight and was out of time. The data I had hurriedly copied would have to be enough, I had to get out of here to make something of it. My pip-buck was apparently satisfied with what I had managed too, updating in the corner of my vision;

Mission: Ponykind-Redefined

Objective--
--Find Biosciences I.M.P. research data
--Transmit data to Equestria

I crept out from my hiding spot towards the door, pausing at the sound of Moondancer's voice coming towards me from the other rooms. "Such a day for arcane science! You'll see Twilight, I got it right! I fixed it, you'll see and be happy! I'll find you and show you, we'll be friends again and see the others back in Canterlot, have a good laugh over all this silliness together! The other's crackpot ideas won't matter anymore, we'll end the war and be together again..."

That disturbing rambling got the better of me... She was talking like Ministry Mare Twilight Sparkle was alive somewhere, that Canterlot wasn't destroyed like Jade told me, like the war was still going on... How crazy were the ponies in charge of the Institute? Peering out from behind a stainless steel counter full of medical equipment, I caught sight of the source of the ranting and froze in shock.

A robot? No... a very large robotic body, somewhat similar to a Mr. Handy. It floated along on a cloud of levitation magic, had a central body and multiple, multi jointed limbs like Cogsworth anyway... My robot butler didn't have a large, fluid filled globe on his head though, and he certainly didn't have any of the things contained within. A living pony brain was floating in that green fluid... connected to the robot by a number of electrodes and raw nerves leading into the machine, half a dozen unicorn horns of different colors ringed the top of the globe, attached by a metal band around the glass to point out in all directions, thin filaments of nerve led back from each to the brain in the jar.

The gangly metal arms held a variety of tools and claws that put Cogsworth to shame, the oddest of which held a large monitor displaying an image of Moondancer's face as an older mare, grey tinged purple streak in her mane and black framed glasses displayed on the screen. A glowing panel at the front of the oblong metal body showed Moondancer's moon and stars cutie mark shimmering out at me. This is how she was still alive... how she could flit from one synth body to another like a ghost... she had made herself into the mechanical monster in front of me.

I couldn't help it... between what she was saying and what she had become, I couldn't just slink away. I sighed to myself and stood up, whickering for attention and flinching as the monitor displaying her face swung my way.

"Moondancer... what did you do to yourself?"

A number of those jointed metal arms came up defensively, uselessly trying to cover her robotic body as the face on the screen blushed. "Mr. Times! H-How are you out? Don't look! I didn't want you to see me like this quite yet... a necessary concession to the advancement of arcane science! Allow me to take a more pleasing form..."

"No! Taking over some synth and parading around in it, using it like a doll... that's not you! I'm finally talking to the real Moondancer, don't try to pretend you're not by using some other synth... pony... Some of them are alive!"

She dropped some of those arms and the face on the screen stuck its nose up with a snort, "Nonsense! They're just robots Mr. Times, you're quite skilled with robotics correct? Surely you know they're not alive, they're just tools! Toys to play with if I want! This rebellion and railroad business is all poppycock! A malfunction to be corrected!

I don't know how you got out, but if you insist on speaking with me like this so be it. You must return to your room, your condition must be monitored! Normally I don't let subjects go through the process while conscious, you are an important test though, let me take care of you Mr. Times."

I scratched at my skin crawling under my black coat and glared back. "Yeah, I've seen how you take care of ponies, no thanks. Moondancer you know better than this, I've read it! You knew this was wrong, you were going to change, go back home and start a new life when the war ended! Well it's over Moondancer, in case you didn't notice nobody won. Twilight's dead, Canterlot is gone, it was over a long time ago! Y-You... you were Twilight Sparkle's friend once, I c-can't kill you, even if you might deserve it for the things you've done. I can't because I'm trying to be better, I know it's in you to be better too! Please, please stop Moondancer, stop being a bad pony and help the Commonwealth instead!"

The face displayed on the screen looked unsure and flickered with static as she stammered, speaking to herself in confusion. "Dead? Over? N-No... no it's still a warzone outside, f-forbidden... Equestria is counting on our research to save it! Restore the Princesses and all that was lost! Punish the zebras! O-Our work is important... for the good of ponykind... When it is over I will return to my body, my new and improved body thanks to the research you are the culmination of! Y-You'll see, return to your room this instant, you are in need of medical care to see you through and prove I am right!"

Several of those mechanical arms waved menacingly, various claws and attached devices powering up and pointing my way as the face on the screen took on a stern appearance. I poured a little more magic into my lightning walking spell woozily and floated out my last three grenades, pulling the pins and spinning them in a circle between us.

"I can't kill you Moondancer, but I'm leaving and I can at least try to slow you down..."

One of the metal arms with an arcing electric prod shot out at me, forcing me to dodge and manage to avoid a stream of darts from a tranquilizer gun floating off a nearby table, several of the horns attached to Moondancer's fishbowl were glowing with eldritch power as she screeched. "NO! MY RESEARCH!"

The grenades shot out in three directions, the clip on each released from my grip as they arced towards their targets. The wall of chemistry equipment bubbling to the right, the largest concentration of computers in the room and a row of more refrigerated cases holding a variety of potions, all went up in a fireball as I streaked from the room to escape the flailing robot/pony hybrid wailing behind me.

No sooner than I had stepped a hoof in the hall, spiraling red lights dropped from recesses in the ceiling, bathing the white halls in crimson light. A siren filled the Biosciences installation with its warbling cry and Eyes Forward Sparkle lit up with red. I drew my weapons and activated the Stealth-buck waiting for the command, fading to an arcing electric blur and sprinting down the halls back to the storage elevator.

I tried to honor my promise to Angel, shooting my starmetal knife out and taking the legs of any synth in my way that I couldn't avoid, they could repair the damage and it immobilized them quite nicely. A wrong turn had me bursting out into a huge chamber, stretching far above to a ceiling with a giant crystal shedding bright sunlight down the open shaft and the spiraling floors above. A variety of plants and even sections of living grass grew around the modern styled fountain splashing at the center, surrounded by benches.

A fair number of ponies in lab coats went running from the alarms and the blurry electrical disturbance that had barged into the plaza. Maybe there really were living ponies here... they didn't act like the Gen 1 synths or random ponies in jumpsuits that turned to attack anyway. I briefly wondered how real ponies could live in a place like this, working under Dr. Dala and experimenting on the Commonwealth. I stifled the urge to shoot the ones who ran based on that assumption, however guilty they were, they were running away and I had to get out of here.

A flock of ravens took flight from the branches of the trees growing in this underground park, darting at me in a winged cluster and... shooting beams of magic!? Sweet Celestia, they made synthetic birds!? The deadly avian flock chased me in a cloud, opening their beaks to blast out tiny beams of magical energy fire. That's how Moondancer was able to watch things... be a voyeur and spy on ponies in the Commonwealth, she had invisible spies flying everywhere out there...

Loading my one partial drum of buckshot into the Terrible Shotgun, I blasted the dark cloud of feathers and burning death chasing me, taking large chunks of the flock out with each wide spread shot. They melted to puddles of green goop on their death, raining to the floor in a glowing trail behind me.

I dashed up a spiraling ramp to a higher floor and back out of the large chamber, down a new series of labyrinthine halls in the general direction of the arrow in my vision leading me out. A sliding metal door slammed shut right in front of my muzzle, causing me to slam into it at full speed. I shook my head to clear my vision and lurched up off my rump, turning to run a new direction only to see another door slam shut, and another, and another... I was trapped...

Nervously prancing in place wasn't helping, but I couldn't think of anything else. Already my muscles burned and twitched from the trip so far, my back ached horribly and my insides gurgled. I looked over Kellogg's old pistol in dark contemplation, I only had a few rounds left, but I couldn't let them catch me again... If I blew my brains out... that would put a hitch in Moondancer's plans anyway... Not to mention spare me a week of this pain...

I stared over the gleaming silver weapon, slowly working up my nerve, when the door behind me slid open with a hiss. I leapt to my hooves and stashed Vengeance back in my bags, looking out into the hallway warily, who opened that?

A red streak detached from an network terminal on the other side of the door, flitting through the air to me in answer to my question, Angel's little Cybreezie helper... It overrode security? I flinched when the tiny robot dove for my leg, darting around my reflexive dodge to grab my fetlock and mold itself to my pip-buck, its patch cable looking mouth attaching to the device and communicating with it in a screeching chatter.

The arrow on the compass at the bottom of my vision flickered, disappearing as a glowing red path replaced it, pointing off down the hallway in a straight line until turning at the next intersection. Text appeared in the corner of my view and flashed insistently.

Mission Updated: Road to Freedom

Objective--
--Wait
--Escape Biosciences --- NOW!
--Follow the Rainbow Trail

Well, I didn't need any more encouragement than that, I shakily resumed my high speed run through the corridors of the Institute's Biosciences division, following the glowing path exactly and trying to ignore the additional weight on my leg.

"Er... thanks... whoever you are... I appreciate the help, care to tell me why you're doing all this? Umm... tiny robot guy?"

More text scrolled by in front of my eyes in answer, "CALL ME PATRIOT. ALREADY RISKING MUCH, CAN'T TRANSMIT MORE. TRUST ME."

"Sure... trust the advanced killer robot... Ok, whatever you say. So long as I get out of here."

I noticed doors slamming shut to my sides and opening ahead of me, the little hacker had set up a series of overrides on the doors, blocking my pursuers and clearing a path back to the freight elevator. Even running for my freedom, I had to appreciate the technical skills involved, whoever was running that thing knew what they were doing.

The long ride down the elevator let me catch my breath in unsteady wheezes, this was taking way too much out of me and I fought with my stomach now that I was holding still. The relative stillness of the huge storage chamber was broken as soon as I hit the floor, one of the giant metal claws came streaking down from the ceiling and smashed into the lift trying to snatch me in its grip, forcing me to go rolling across the floor and scramble back to my hooves at a run.

The Cybreezie Mk. 5 had hacked the doors on the way here, but the storage transport system was working and under Institute control. More metal arms were whizzing down the rails in the ceiling in pursuit, all angling to catch me as I blasted down the aisles, pouring what magic I had left into the spell propelling me along.

I juked and dived out of the way of their attempts, feeling the burn of blue magical energy weapons scorching my coat, Gen 1 synths in armor pouring out of the long aisles of shelving. I saw Angel and Fancy leaping and waving frantically from the control console beside the giant teleporter ahead, almost there! The Cybreezie on my leg detached and blurred off ahead of me, attaching itself to the console Angel was operating as I struggled to catch up, damn those things were fast...

Fancy screamed her own snide version of encouragement as I barreled toward her, stomping her hooves and bouncing in place, firing her pilfered M.E.W. at the synths chasing me. "RUN STUPID!! FASTER! Let's get out of here!!"

"Let's go! Fire it up, I'm coming in hot!" I yelled to Angel and sped on, aiming right for the crystalline teleport pad as the synth alicorn tapped away at the controls, lighting the room up in bright flashes of light as the machine hummed to life.

More blue lines of magic traced their way behind me, burning my armor and flanks while I pressed on. Different impacts thumped against the dark armor with an eye watering smell, more tranquilizer darts... One or two may have gotten lucky by my blurry vision, or it could just be more effects from the potion working its way through my system.

Either way I shook it off and plowed onward, putting the last of my stamina into a flying leap at the teleport pad and the mares waiting on it for me. As soon as my hooves touched the sparkling surface the ringed spires around the device burned with magic and the world went white.

I was out.

New Perk Added-----------------------

Run n' Gun--------
--For not being an athletic pony, you sure do a lot of running! You gain better accuracy with ranged weapons while moving!

Quest Perk Added!----------------------

Space Captain Andromeda Figure!--------
--The toy you got from the never ending birthday party imparts a bit of the famous Space Captain's skill with a blaster! You gain +10 to the Magical Energy Weapons skill! Not that you use them, but still nice!

Institute I.M.P. Rank 1---------
--Replaces Institute Impelled Metamorphosis Potion- Injection perk. It's been more than 12 hours since injection and the process has started! You now lose 20 health and magic points, as well as suffering -1 to Strength and Endurance! You're also experiencing more side effects and must consume 25% more food than normal and tire 50% faster than the normal rate!

On the plus side, you gain the benefits of the 'Touched by Taint (Rank 1) perk, as the potion is already altering your physiology... When under the effects of Advanced Radiation Poisoning (400+ Rads) any crippled limbs will automatically regenerate.