Sins of Harmony

Volume 3: Crisis to Ashes

Chapter 54: Underworld Ambushes


Early Night, local time

March 29th, 1008 ANM

Maldives island site

Underground Catacombs

Captain Stallanne Basquellen had seen many things during her tours of duty as an Equestrian military Earth pony, and she hardly could say she was nervous to an extensive degree. She knew what she signed up for.

She quickly changed her mind on that last matter as soon as she entered the catacombs.

Leading her troops, a trio of ponies, 2 Pandas, 2 Dingos and a Pair of Gryphons from the various marines that were heading down into the catacombs, following Varkan's instructions.

They had been through the living areas already, such as where Princess Twilight was once held, as well as Varkan himself. Right now, they passed through the disused hydroponic farm cavern, the growth liquids dried up or gone from the tanks.

It was pitch black in the caverns and tunnels, so lights were used, albeit sparingly.

Coming down another stairwell, they entered the lower chambers.

They donned gas masks and gear, in case some volcanic gases had snuck into the tunnels in their less maintained state.


Lower levels

Crossing over a series of narrow bridges, the lights from the guns or 2 Unicorn horns amidst the team shone down on a large collection of pits, and wells, all coated in solidified lava inside them. Over the radio, Varkan briefed them that this was where manufacturing took place, though he only came down here once.

The next part though, was where he had worked extensively. And here, where they found the secrets even he didn't know.


Lower Levels, laboratory chamber

Lit up, the large long hall was foreboding, and with the formations along it and the well like holes lining the sides of the walkway, it resembled a perverted version of a cathedral.

One of the Dingos grumbled aloud under his breath: "Cor, what's that awful stench?"

Over her radio, Captain Stallanne heard Varkan giving more information:

"This is where large vats of cell culture were kept, but I only used 4 of them at one point, I didn't realise there were more. Be on your guard, especially as it seems by smell that some have been recently used."

"No kidding." Stallanne grumbled, wanting to plug her nose, her gas mask preventing it.

A suppressed yell went up, as one Pandina trooper called out in a loud whisper:

"Doorway, another stairwell, there!"

Shining their lights, they saw the doorway, small, almost like a non-main entry way, leading downstairs.

Varkan barely hesitated in telling them to head deeper.


Meanwhile

Midday, local time

Canterlot, Royal Palace

War Room

"You've never seen there, have you?"

Prince Blueblood's barbed, suspicious jab was spot on. Looking around, Varkan noted how it was only him, Prince Blueblood and Captain Blacksaddler watching. Though Captain Blacklight had been here to take over, as Luna clearly needed another power nap from all these 'late days'.

"No, but I'll do my best. Besides, I know some things there that Starswirl said to keep any eye out for, if they're useful still."

"The Elements?" Night Captain Blacklight asked, having overheard some talk before this scouting raid took place.

"Yeah, Aeternum stole them just before the Manehatten incident, so Tul'rok may have them." Varkan noted.

"If they haven't been stowed on that first ship on the way out of the solar system by now." Captain Blacksaddler grumbled.


Early Night, local time

Maldives island site

Underground Catacombs

Lower levels

They had exited the stairwell, and found themselves staring out at a vast black abyss, even with their horn and torch lights piercing it as best they could.

"Alright, what now?"

Hearing her radio, Captain Stallane was a little apprehensive, but then ordered to her others:

"Get ready. Raybeam, give us a lightburst spell, lets see what we have in here."

One of the two Unicorns among the 4 ponies nodded, charging his horn while the others readied for an attack.

A large white burst flew from the Unicorns's horn, and like a flare, lit up the cavernous chamber.

Light cast arcing shadows over the formations across the chamber walls, a cylindrical space beneath the rock about 300 metres long and 100 metres wide.

In the middle of the chamber was a hard flat surface of hardened, cool lava. Atop it, between the pool and the top of the chamber, where a round hole stretched unseen up through the rocks above, all the way to the surface 500 metres up.

The ceiling hole's rim was lined with a series of large pillars, like a set of apes's fingers holding it in place, and all were made of the ominous energy being material often used, Quintessenite.

At the centre, directly beneath the hole, stretched a larger pillar than others, also made of Quintessenite.

"What are we looking at here?" Captain Stallane murmured, while the others shone their lights around the chamber, barely lighting up wherever they shone.

As Raybeam's lit horn flashed its beam across one part of the chamber walls, as soon as it moved off, the wall's surface began to move slightly.


Meanwhile

Midday, local time

Canterlot, Royal Palace

War Room

On the video screen, Captain Stallane's 1st person viewpoint showed the massive chamber, and the strange setup.

"They're hundreds of metres below sea level now. Anything non-magic wouldn't get through the rocks." Prince Blueblood was fixated, trying to figure out what they were looking at exactly.

"Keep your eyes alert for anything moving. This must be important if it was this big and left behind, too deep for bombardments." Varkan spoke into the mic, while Blacksaddler and Blacklight watched calmly.

All of a sudden, some cries went up, as torches and the camera view shone on one part of the walls, and what was clinging to it.

Drones, urchin quadruped bodied, gorilla-dragon shaped, scorpion-bird shaped, and a manner of ones shaped like many creatures. Thousands of them all clinging to the walls, inactive, but so many of them that it was clear that much of the real walls were obscured by them.

"No attacks, should we leave?"

Blacklight leant forwards quickly, snatching the mic away, though Varkan didn't protest one bit as it turned out.

"Get out of there now! We have no idea what it is, and you're outnumbered!"

"Roger. We're getting out, quick and quiet!".

Stallane's orders were very quickly met, as the camera showed them turn back, though in the least they took some more pictures that were transmitted directly to the war room before they left.

"That, I didn't know there were so many." Varkan admitted.

"But why were they there in such numbers? It must be important." Blacksaddler remarked.


Same time

Canterlot, Royal Palace

Dungeons

They'd all been watching, and relieved as they saw the troops were getting out before trouble started.

"That could'a been a real mess if they stayed longer." Applejack remarked, while Socium couldn't help but speak up:

"Some were like me."

The drone examined its tendrilled limbs and armoured hide with some quiet thought. Nearby, Fluttershy added: "Yes. But you say you follow the master before you were cut off. Your kind are like ants then, a hierarchy all working in a large mind. Some of the bigger ones must be like the soldiers or heavy workers."

"Yes, but sadly each ant is very dangerous on its own when the master isn't so friendly." Starswirl pointed out. He had Caarim aiding him, with some magical spells shining on Caarim's head in ways to nail down the old Aeternum signature, for use later on.

The King Cobra noticed the troops on screen having just turned into a living area, where Varkan's guidence took them out a faster way.

"Left up the tunnel, then there's an exit on the western rim."

"Copy, we're heading in to-"

The troop stopped, as their lights saw a being cemented to the wall of the tunnel before them, the Wyvern stood calmly, his 2 glowing grey eyes regarding them with an unreadable expression.

In their lights, he had a grey scaled skin, but had brown features on his wings, and unseen to them, his back. He looked young, but his eyes proved his true alignment.

"You didn't even think I was home, did you? Well, my new body to have organic pleasures with needs a test drive, so I know the others will work."

A gunshot rang out, as one of the Panda troops fired his rifle. Holes riddled the Wyvern, but he stood tall after shifting slightly, the holes bleeding a strange grey-white liquid instead of blood.

As Tul'rok advanced on the screen, noises appeared behind the troops, and Stallane's camera flickered slightly as she was seized from behind by a larger drone creature, and restrained against the wall with the others.

All eyes in the prison cell, organic or drone, widened as Tul'rok advanced, the bullet wounds in his 'skin' healing noticeably before their eyes.

His hand/wing gripped Stallane's head hard, as Tul'rok's piercing grey gaze shone with his words:

"Its been a while since I've 'felt' much, as an organic would. Lets see how something dying feels to touch."

A few grey and red flashes rang out, and the camera view shuddered as some gurgling filled the audio. Fluttershy's hooves shot to her mouth in horror, while Rainbow Dash and Applejack gasped in shock at the barbarity of the ambush. All Starswirl could do was hang his head in sorrow at the act, while Caarim looked away.

Socium stared at the screen the whole time, and the only expression given was his blue/white eyes dimming slightly.

On screen, the camera, and presumably Stallane's body, fell forwards, the view now on the floor, so that Tul'rok's ankles ran across the screen as he turned in his new Wyvern body to walk off.

"So that's what death feels like to those feeling another being die? Interesting."

His last line seemed to be one of curious satisfaction, while the camera feed just continued rolling.

Tul'rok then paused as he walked off, a few of the drone creatures disappearing ahead of him.

"I know you're watching, probably Canterlot command or something. Your Sowta Prancap attempt is next I'd bet. Well, I think its time to speed things up. The Earth ships will need another 24 hours to be in position, but as for the Moon, we are ready to initiate, now."

"Oh no." Starswirl breathed.

Socium's eyes glimmered again, as he murmured: "Its open again. Its started with the Moon. The control enchantment has been lifted."

"Started what?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Accelerating it. Princess Luna can no longer control the moon, Tul'rok had Discord lift his long held enchantment that allowed that easily."


Meanwhile

Canterlot, Royal Palace

Luna's quarters

Snapping her eyes open, Luna felt something in her core, as her horn seemed to buzz a little, and her cutie mark flicker ever so slightly.

Something drew her gaze towards the night sky, where she knew the Moon, dark as it was right now, was located.

She sensed something was wrong, or right, but in any case, different.


Early Night, local time

Maldives island site

Offshore

As the events unfolded in far space, the navy ships of Equestria, Pandina, New Gryphon and Dingolia had those marines still atop the caldera brought in fast. The island was not secure, and far from inactive.

Up above, a trio of lights close to each other, the closest of the strange craft to Earth, unfurled their shapes, and even from here, they were each a shape of a reflective, very small number 8 at sea level.

Further afield, to those with the equipment to spy it, the gateway opened yet again.


300,000 kilometres from Earth

Moon's equator, light/dark side boundary

In the distance, a quarter rotation around the Moon's orbit path, the gateway flashed once again, showing it was open.

Only one of the 2 stations went more active, the one on the side facing more towards the moon. Out of the gateway, undetected, came thousands upon thousands of years of harvested energy, in microwave form, beamed through from the other side, all arriving in the space of however long the repairs were needed to be done.

The 40 kilometre diameter, sphere shaped station received it, large surface collectors soaking up the microwave radiation easily at close range, and using superconducting means, transferred it directly to the relay spires protruding from the sphere.

The energy, thousands of Petawatts usable, was transmitted through the grgantuan assembly to be beamed in the right direction.

The massive energy beams were unseen, but they impacted the massive energy collector surfaces surrounding the 60 kilometre tall structure on the moon, the collectors marking the 30 kilometre radius base of the landed structure.

Keeping pace, superconductors making the whole system not be overwhelmed, the energy was transmitted up the tower structure, into the main resonating cavity. The superconducting cavity began to receive the energy, the microwave emissions it created from them affecting the cavity chamber at a quantum level.

Unseen particles that flashed in and out of existence across the universe, known as virtual particles, became the surface the 'engine' pushed against. In the brief existence of these particles, they were affected to produce thrust, but due to them vanishing by the mysterious quantum physics that ruled them, no propellant seemed to be used.

As such, the massive structure that dominated the Moon's surface began to work, and special telescopes would detect an enormous microwave radiation source coming from it.

Right before the engine started, the moon had undergone a deshackling. At that moment before it began, a long lasting spell was lifted. The magical damage from the civil war was now running its course, slowing its orbit to zero, and if not for what was happening now, would begin a slow fall towards Earth when it stopped.

But the force now moving the Moon to compensate was not magical, and so, when it was complete, it would be in its orbit as it ever was, with no pauses as someone moved it to keep up the cycle.

Meanwhile, the 3 ships were drawing close to Earth, and they ulfolded the massive 2 side arms each had, revealing a slowly forming pair of massive receiver dishes that made the ship 60 kilometres wide, while its main body was 30 kilometres long, but only 10 kilometres wide and tall, like a cigar. Like a trio of incomprehensibly sized insects, they used their own on board energy from nuclear fusion to power just their own thrust, again using the quantum particle method the Moon-thruster craft was employing, albeit nowhere near as massive in scale.

The 3 ships 'fired', their velocities dropping as they approached near to the same orbit height of satellites, at 35000 and 36000 kilometres. They had another 24 hours before they were in position too, and the 2nd station started to fire.

It had been planned like this by Aeternum, to do the moon first. The Earth wouldn't collide with something if it stopped spinning, and needed less energy to get spinning. But for Tul'rok, it was a way of making his threats all the more tangible.

If they saw what could be done with the moon, that energy being turned on the earth in a weaponised form, even a miniscule part of it, would be enough.


Early Evening, local time

Sowta Prancap, 150 west of Neighbon, Western Africka

Southern mountains, Underground tunnels

Standing before Discord, Tul'rok had another of the organic Wyvern bodies he'd had grown from Varkan's leftover Wyvern tissues in the cloning vat. What work went towards making a cache of Wyvern embryos was put to making Tul'rok a body system much like his old form, but better.

And thanks to some genetic enhanced healing taken from Garnet's body as an example, and exaggerated, and replacing blood with a more efficient, grey/white substitute liquid, meant Tul'rok now had all the benefits of an organic body, and none of the weaknesses.

The Draconeraqus's head was slumped, his yellow and red eyes glaring at Tul'rok's pleased look.

"I did what you asked, and I'll do the same when you want the Earth done."

"Yes you did. I'm unsure how Princess Luna would respond to you helping put her out of a job, and Princess Celestia down the line. But, needs must and all that sort of thing."

Turning around, Tul'rok looked at the only conscious prisoner on the wall, Twilight. The purple Alicorn recoiled as Tul'rok ran a claw across her forehead, stopping at the base of her horn.

"They're coming to save you two, and the two there who aren't awake. Pity, there's no way they'll make up a force that can even get close within 24 hours. Once the Earth vehicles start, you can be sure that you won't live a few seconds more."

"I knew you'd not let us live." Twilight spat, while Tul'rok was unfazed. Up above, the faint rumbling of the NEMA navy ships bombarding the island continued.

"You should keep your mouth shut princess, otherwise I may not-"

BOOM!"

A loud explosion, but an odd sounding one, rocket the cavern, as something detonated in a corridor outside. A series of bursts of what sounded like energy weapons discharging echoed, and Tul'rok turned his gaze in utter rage towards the corridor, all but smashing the doorway open:

"NonoNO! How did it get in here!?"

Outside, a rage filled voice, metallic sounding, bellowed an unknown, gutteral language, as odd sounding weapon fire tore through drones attacking it.

All the while, Tul'rok was gaining information from the other side of the time portal which Aeternum had gathered, and allowed through. He knew what had come through, including the intruder.

"Lock down the corridors! Get-UGH!"

The Wyvern was shot through the chest with a orange energy bolt, as something surged forwards, seeming to demand something to Tul'rok in the corridor.

Twilight struggled, as suddenly felt a familiar electric surge in her horn. It was the same as when the Hephaestus group detonated the EMP as a gesture in Canterlot a few years back. At the same time, the lighting around them flickered, and Discord grunted in pain as he fell to the floor, free from his energy shackles.

"Get us out!" Twilight yelled, as Discord stumbled up, still tired from removing the Moon enchantment. Nodding, the Draconeraqus found himself too tired to teleport, but formed a magic blast in his lion paw to fire at Twilight's restraints.

"Thanks!" Leaping out, Twilight felt Discord remove her horn restrainer. The EMP blast had disabled them, and she now had full magic abilities. Discord too removed his horn shackles, right as Tul'rok bellowed in anger:

"I DON'T HAVE HIM! STOP INTERFERING YOU WRETCHE-"

A loud blast cut him off, as the Wyvern body Tul'rok was using, or half of it, smashed through the doorway, the other half dropped where his assailant was.

Her shining pink in defensive instinct, Twilight paused as she saw what stared at her and Discord for a second.

A two legged form, bulky, and shaped like an ape, sporting unknown insignias on its armour, and a round head sunk into the robotic suit it wore. It was too aggressive to be a robot, too bulky to be a non-organic.

Its visor was opaque, but it seemed to growl more to itself in frustration as it tore off at very fast speed, and actually vanished into thin air as its shape shimmered, some sort of invisibility field.

The Alien was gone as quickly as it had left, but it wasn't out yet. Alarms of deep resonating rings echoed in the tunnels, but clearly the EMP, set off by the Alien, had incapacitated the drone creatures.


"We can't leave them!" Twilight noticed the other two, Faral the female Komodo, and Jorani, the female Python, unconscious due to lack of heat.

Darting his head, Discord knew he and Twilight had magic, but the EMP had in the least halved its power. Shaking his head, Discord said: "I'll take them, you keep anything off me!"

As Discord freed Jorani and Faral from the stone shackles, and began wrapping the python's body around his own, Twilight fired a few spells to get her feeling in her horn back. She had all but her most powerful magics.

Discord ran ahead, though he was slow, his magic mostly to keep his two baggage members as light as possible: "HURRY UP!"

Charging into the tunnels, heading up, Twilight made sure to deal a kick to a twitching drone creature's head as it stared at her.


Elsewhere in the tunnels, the Alien creature was using every resource, weapon and skill it had to fight its way out, and the EMP it had its ship trigger had done its job.

It was much better precision in its wavelengths, and a millenia or so more advanced than anything this world had come up with in terms of similar tech.

But the Alien was only concerned with finding what it was looking for, before anything else that came through the gateway found it before it did. It had no stake in this world, and was an accidental visitor looking for someone that came through long ago through the same portal.

These uninvited visitors would prove to be the wild card, the truly unpredictable thing that came out of all this.

Their presence alone changed everything, regardless of why they were here. In one case, whom was headed to Canterlot right now, their intentions were everything to do with what was unfolding on the Moon, and later the Earth.


In one chamber, his connection fuzzy as he recalibrated for the EMP, Tul'rok's form rose. He had a stockpile of organic bodies, which in wake of this attack, meant they worked when he got them up.

The body worked, but his own mind hub beneath the island was fuzzy, the EMP disturbing it a bit.

The Wyvern body, grey with brown features, staggered to a corner, sending out mental signals:

Find the Alien, kill it on sight. Find Discord and bring him alive, but kill the Alicorn Princess! NOW!


Running through the tunnels, the purple Alicorn and Draconeraqus turned again, and saw a few Reborn clan organics spot them, mostly Chimpanzees kidnapped from the mainland.

Their eyes were glowing grey, and rocklike implants covered their skins.

Firing a few spells, Twilight followed Discord as she turned from the chasing gang of reborn organics in the tunnel.

"What happened back there!?"

"Keep moving!" Discord wasn't in the mood to even try and answer Twilight's frantic question, as the roars of the clearly mind controlled Reborn gang members echoed in the caverns around them.

The EMP affected the drones, but Tul'rok had an army of indoctrinated organics to use, all capable of their own thought, but brainwashed to obey him now.

It was at least less dangerous than if the other creatures, and weapons, had been more online.


Early Evening, local time

Sowta Prancap, 150 west of Neighbon, Western Africka

Southern coastline

"Get the weapons online, we're sitting ducks if they get back up!"

The New Gryphon captain bellowed orders into the intercom, while over on the Equestrian frigate he saw they too were struggling, even with magic weapons. Some of the radios were utterly fried, and others damaged.

Gazing out, he saw the island actiity had died too, even the volcanic smog being sent out by the mountain in places had all but cut off.

He didn't see the Alien craft hovering, invisible, above one mountainside, and actually begin moving as it was commanded from underground.

And in that same place, two prisoners made their getaway amidst the chaos, as an unknown force had come in to find something not there, and created chaos as it made its escape.

Unknowingly, it was the first time in his life as what he was now that Tul'rok was genuinely angry.


Here is where the unknown factor with the unknown races that came through comes into play. Whatever 'saved' Discord and Twilight, did so after the Moon began to be moved, but before the Earth was done.

It came through during the first gateway opening, the furthest back it could go.


And this could be seen as a lucky break, or an unfortunate development, as it seemed as if the plan to attack Sowta Prancap was now suicidal after the Maldives catastrophe.

But now, the story can turn back to Twilight [and Discord].


As usual, please review/critique as one would.


On a interesting note, the quantum vacuum propulsion method used by the ships Tul'rok uses, and boosted on the planetoid scale by transmitted power from thousands of years long gathered, arriving in a few hours via the time portal, is based off an intriguing concept technology currently being tested. Just look up the EM drive, a propellentless drive that seems to, by unknown means, generate momentum or 'thrust' with only electrical input to the resonant cavity chamber, and is a thousand fold more efficient in theory if the resonant chamber is made from a superconductor. NASA is testing it, a respected Chinese Polytechnic institute has tested it, its original British engineers have tested it, and it works consistantly. Unlike Cold fusion its been proven to work, but like cold fusion, the how is unknown, despite its simple setup.

Its the only case of knowing it works, but not how, that I can think of in science. But if it is happening at a Quantum level, that's probably why. Quantum physics is very hard, and basic laws of physics, such as conservation of momentum, may not apply there as much.