Cyberpunk: Canterlot

>The year is 20XX

>The Mega-City of Canterlot is the heart of the Equestrian District, host to a power struggle between two megacorps

>Luna Enterprises has been trying to take some of the market share away from Celestia Inc. for years now

>That means plenty of jobs for those in the game of corporate espionage

>Aspiring deck-jockeys, mercenaries with no moral barometer, cubicle slaves willing to leak a few secrets...

>Anyone with the skills and the will can make some cash here

>You are Anon

>You made sure to wipe your real name off government record before you left Old Newark

>You're here to step your game up to the next level

>You're a deck-jockey. a hacker. cyberspace is your office

>Ever since your early teens, you've been honing your skills. you made headlines back in Old Newark when during your high school graduation party,

you cracked into the school's computer grid, and broadcast on all the viewscreens the identity of two football players who raped a freshman

>You've performed a few jobs that strayed into the moral grey area, but you consider yourself a guy with a strong sense of justice

>Local law enforcement has been rendered useless by the corporate owned security forces, and those people sure as fuck aren't interested in serving the public trust

>So every once in a while, you lend justice a helping hand. Aren't you just one swell guy?

>You step off the grav-train, and breath in the heavy air of Canterlot City

>You've got enough credits to rent an apartment for a few months, that'll give you plenty of time to find work

>Due to that stunt you pulled back in Newark, technically you no longer exist

>But that no longer matters in this world

>Everything is owned by the megacorps, and obviously so is the government

>They only keep it around to give the illusion that people have a choice in how things work

>They won't care, and those private security guys can just kill you and dump your corpse in a river, and they sure as hell aren't going to bother running a background check before they do

>You push your way through the crowded streets, skyscrapers looming above you, the bright neon lights blotting out the starlight

>Time to get to work

 

>"Go on in! beautiful place! such a bargain!"

>The stereotypically Asian landlord ushers you into your new apartment

>It's basically just a kitchen, a bathroom, and a living room, but you'll manage

>The owner was nice enough to leave some shitty worn down furniture

>You plop yourself down on the sofa, and unpack your small amount of luggage on the table

>Some clothes

>A bunch of chocolate bars

>Spare cash, in case of emergencies. You know in a town like this there's gonna be some assholes who'll try and mug you for your credit chip

>And now for your most valuable possesion

>Your cyberspace rig. It's a shitty Samsung you stole one summer long ago, but you've made a number of modifications over the years to make it somewhat decent

>It came with some very basic vidphones with awful resolution, and a pair of data manipulation gloves that have a touch of input lag

>You really need to start making some cash soon, you're gonna need better gear than this if you really want to be a high roller in this city

>You hook everything up, and slide the bulky vidphones over your eyes

>Slip on the gloves

>Boot the machine up

>And with a few hand gestures, you're on the net

>Time to see if you can find any jobs on #chan

 

>Colours start to fade in, and re-arrange themselves until you find yourself standing in a digital representation of a bar

>Avatars are sitting around tables, playing pool, generally discussing inane shit

>You wonder why the admin chose to set his place up to look like a bar, since you can't actually drink anything here

>Guess it's just a comfy kind of setting to hang out in

>And it didn't look half bad, the admin really has a gift for graphic design

>Although there is noticeable aliasing around the edges, but that's just because of your shitty vidphones

>You see a tall, lanky man with crazy anime hair and a permanent cheshire-cat smile sitting alone in corner

"Hey there, Count"

>"Damn, Anon! it's been a while, how you doin'?"

"Jesus, it's only been about a week!"

>"So where you been off to, son?"

"Just moved into Canterlot. fuck all happens back in Newark so I decided I needed a change of scenery"

>"Canterlot, huh? looks like somebody wants to break into the big leagues!"

>"Heard about what you did, wiped yourself off record. pretty sweet, for a newbie like you"

"Wasn't exactly hard, they don't exactly invest in infrastructure there"

"And who the fuck you calling a newbie? I wasn't exactly born yesterday!"

>"Compared to your competition over there, you might as well have been!"

>You sigh and take a seat across from him

"Man, whatever. I'm looking for work, you got anything for me?"

>"You're in luck, homeslice. I JUST got this contract in from Celestia Inc. An hour ago, someone gone and shot up one of their offices. made off with plans for a new CPU design"

>"They say this bitch is lethal, cold blood killer. probably been paid off by those guys over at Luna. but she's an amateur. she's got an obvious trail on the net"

>"All you gotta do is follow her movements, send that information back and they'll go and off her, take their shit back"

"A tracking job? that's shit work people get their bitch-boys to do, any idiot can do it. Think I'll pass"

>"You ain't heard the catch, man. it's a two-hundred grand job"

>Damn, for a job like this that's a lot of fucking money

"You serious?"

>"Yep. seems the higher-ups at Celestia want those plans back quick. must be a pretty big technological breakthrough if they're that desperate. if Luna

gets manufacturing it first, it could really fuck 'em over sales wise"

"Who gives a fuck? those corps got more money than there are numbers to count it with, I'm sure they'll be fine"

>"You taking the job or not? You're the first guy I've told about this job, I'm sure everybody would love to make that kinda cash for babby work"

"Alright, I'll do it. I assume they got a name, right?"

>"Yeah. some chick named Derpy Hooves"

 

>Before you get to work you decide to head out, get something to eat

>The job won't take you long, so you're in no rush

>You find this guy close to your apartment complex, got this little stall set up, selling noodles

>You decide to try some out, nothing like a good bowl of noodles

>You calmly chow down, as you hear the rush of hover-cars overhead

>"You another one of those net cowboys? we've been getting a lot of you guys round these parts. mostly script kiddies trying to get famous. 90% of the time you find

their bodies in a skip, brains fried from encountering some bad ICE"

"So the rumours are true? that new shit all the corps got running can kill you?"

>"Yeah, they've been rolling it out for a while now. best case scenario, it paralyses you, spend the rest of your days hooked to life-support"

>You've ran into all kinds of intrusion countermeasures before, but none that brutal. worst one you found, it shut off your rig before you could properly log

out, got your head spinning hard and you puked your guts out. wiped your hard drive too

>You thank the cook and hand him some cash

>On your way back to your place you see some kid get dragged out of a building and get the shit kicked out of her by security forces

>You see them confiscate a ziplock bag full of data chips

>Probably got caught selling pirated software. she'll end up prison soon enough, a real shit way to go out

>You hear the New Ontario Republic recruits out of prison for their Espionage Department, so maybe she'll get another chance at life

>They'll smuggle anybody out with a desired skill-set. She'll have a high chance of getting killed, but it'll be better than what awaits her for life in prison

>You just about reach the front door of your apartment complex before somebody knocks you over

>"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! are you hurt?"

"No..."

>She helps you up, and starts brushing dust off your clothes

>"I'm sorry, I was just in a rush, I have to deliver this letter..."

>First thing you notice, this girl is real pretty. she has a natural beauty, not modified to fit the popular standard of perfection like those stars in the net-shows

>She also has Hypertropia. any back-alley clinic could fix something like that. she either doesn't have the cash, or she likes it that way

>Her clothes are also unusual. she's wearing this blue uniform: a skirt, this vest with a necktie and an odd cap, with a pair of wings as a logo sewn on

>"...Hello?"

>You snap out of your trance, hope she isn't too creeped by you or anything

"Sorry, I...you just really knocked the wind out of me, is all. I'll be fine"

>She lets out a cute giggle

>"I'm real sorry mister, I promise it won't happen again! It's just, the clients value my promptness so I make sure to deliver as fast as possible!"

"So, you work sneaker-net?"

>"Huh?"

"You know, sneaker-net? real life? as opposed to delivering mail through the net?"

>"Oh, yeah! we do packages and stuff too!"

>She gives you a salute

>"Canterlot Courier Service, at your service!"

>That gets a chuckle out of you

>This girl has an innocence that hasn't been broken by the realities of life in the Equestrian District. You can't help but feel sad. you don't want to be there

when it does.

"Bit of a niche business you work in, isn't it? everything goes through the net nowadays. and won't the hired thugs get suspicious and shake you down? hard to track communications off the grid"

>"Some people just value their privacy, I guess. and I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself! I'm a hard girl to catch!"

>"Well, nice meeting ya! gotta go!"

>You're about to ask her name before she runs off into the night

>You tell yourself, first thing you're gonna do after tracking down this "Derpy Hooves" for the guys over at Celestia Inc. is to find that cute girl and ask her out to dinner!

 

"Hey Count, ever wonder why the corps don't do this kind of work themselves?"

>You chat with the Count as you start your search, his Avatar tagging along with you as you shift through the graphical representations of data with the flick of a wrist

>"Plausible Deniability, man! you should know this shit already"

"Even a job this simple?"

>"Still, they ain't gonna risk it. hard to get loyal employees, don't want them getting wrecked by ICE or tracked down and shot"

>"They use us 'cos we expendable, man"

Your search query complete, you pull up the results

"Alright, let's see..."

>You re-arrange the pertinent data into several windows

"Derpy Hooves, age 20, both parents dead, spent several years with an adoption home. she's frequently visited employment agencies, unsuccessful in finding work..."

>You pull up an image and expand it

>Your blood runs cold

"You're running encryption on these communications?"

>"Damn right, I'm not an idiot!"

"I just met this girl"

>"What?!"

"I literally just met this girl, in the street!"

>"You fucking kidding me?"

"I shit you not. and if she's a killer then I'm Zero Cool!"

>"So what you thinking? a setup?"

"Maybe. I gotta find her"

>"Says here she got no registered residence, or place of work..."

"Canterlot Courier Service"

>"Huh?"

"That's what she said. where she works"

>"Ah, meatspace deliveries? those groups like to stay off-grid whenever possible. sounds like the girl fucked up though, normally those guys try not to be so

obvious"

"Those big hacker groups use couriers, right?"

>"Yeah, good luck contacting them though. the Republic of Desire don't do requests, and neither do them Knights of the Eastern Calculus"

>"You're gonna have to ask locally. they like to work out of abandoned buildings, give 'em a bit of a renovation job. probably in real shitty parts of town, too"

"Alright, I'll look around. what do I tell the Celestia guys?"

>"I'll make up some shit. like, she's in a hotel uptown and she's trying to get a flight to New Finland. falsify some hotel records"

>"As long as they don't do a deep analysis on the data, it'll look good. they'll figure it out eventually, then they'll come for your head"

"What about you?"

>"I work out of Ontario. the ruling party here is crazy communist and they got the security grid and all the nukes after the civil war. they'll leave well enough alone"

>"Nothing stopping them from wiping you out, though. you find the girl, then start running"

 

>You find yourself in front an abandoned cafe, all the windows boarded up, covered in graffiti

>You asked around on a local message board, run by some guy who owned a pawn shop down the street from your residence

>Gave you directions, said you should let them know that Ornstein directed you, so they'll know you aren't a spy or anything

>You knock on the door a few times, until you hear a muffled voice from the other side

>"Who the fuck are you?"

"Anon"

>"That supposed to mean anything to me?"

"I suppose not"

>"You corporate?"

"Of course not"

>"So what the fuck you here for?"

"I'm looking for someone. A girl named Derpy"

>You hear a sharp humming from the other side

>"That sound you hear is a Mark IV energy pistol warming up and trained straight at your head. answer the following questions carefully"

"Mark IV? that the one with the X-Ray scope?"

>"Shut up. the fuck you want Derpy for?"

"Because I think she's part of a corp set-up"

>"What makes you say that?"

"Because the guys at Celestia paid me to track her down, said she shot up one of their offices"

>"I thought you said you weren't corporate"

"I'm not, I'm freelance. and I know Derpy isn't a killer, so something else must be going down"

"...Look, Ornstein told me you guys would be here, and Derpy knows who I am, we just met a few hours ago! so how about you don't fuckin' shoot me?"

>You hear the door unlock, and it opens slightly

>"Alright, if Ornstein sent you, can't hurt to let you in for a bit. I'm watching you, so no funny moves!"

>You hear a booming voice behind him

>"Flash, let our friend in. It's raining out, don't want him to catch a cold"

>The guard steps aside and you walk in, coming face to face with a tall, buff man, staring down at you. could probably crush your head in his hands

"Are you the....proprietor of this establishment?"

>"Yessir. name's Big Mac"

>Well, he certainly is big

"Is Derpy in? I really need to talk to her"

>"Yeah, she's here. ever since her folks died she ain't got nobody to take care of her, 'cept me. let her live here too, don't wanna see a girl like her live on the streets"

>"How you know she work here, anyway?"

"She told me, when we bumped into each other"

>He sighs, running his hand through his hair

>"She's a sweetheart 'n all, but she ain't exactly got street-smarts. Keep on telling her, we trying to run a discrete business here, try to keep the yapping to a minimum"

>"Lemme just go get her..."

"Umm, is it okay if I ask you something?"

>"Sure, shoot"

>You point to his right eye, which has been replaced with an implant

"That's some interesting hardware you got there, military grade right? how'd you lose the original eye?"

>"In the war"

"Which one?"

>"Shit, there's been so many, I don't think anybody bothered to name it. I'll just go find Derpy for you now, son"

 

>You lie down on a rather worn down sofa as other couriers mill about, eyeing you suspiciously

>You take a second to admire the aesthetics of the place

>On the outside it looks just like any old shithole, but in the inside they put some serious work into it

>Looks better than some places you've been caught drinking

>You notice a row of posters lining the wall opposite of you

>They look worn down, like they've been ripped from a trash can, but you can just about make out the lettering

>They're anti-capitalist posters from several decades ago, well before you were born

>Advertising a protest in some place called "Philadelphia"

>No place you've ever heard of. must have existed before the re-structuring

>"Oh my gosh! I never thought I'd see you again so soon!"

>You see Derpy tagging along with Big Mac. you get up off the sofa just in time for her to give you a massive hug

>"Hey, I'm sorry about before...!"

"Please, there's no need to apologize..."

"You're Derpy, right?"

>"Hey, you know my name! who told you that?"

"Found that out myself. I'm Anon, by the way"

>She gives your hand a shake

>"Well, it's nice to meet you, Anon!"

>"Think you better go on 'n sit down, sweetheart. I hear this Anon fella got some talkin' to do with you"

>Mac motions for her to sit down. she sits across from you and he takes a space next to you

>"What do you want to talk about? I mean, we only just met...oh! if you're asking me to dinner, I really like spicy food, but I don't do sushi"

"Sure...! wait, I mean...I'll keep that in mind, but that's not what I was going to ask you right now"

>"Oh?"

"Derpy....have you recently visited the Business Sector?"

>"Oh, I deliver stuff there all the time!"

"They ever give you stuff to deliver?"

>"Sure, several times"

"Anything from Celestia Inc?"

>"Hmm...oh yeah, just yesterday in fact!"

"How big was the package?"

>"Oh, kinda small. like an envelope. well yeah, it technically wasn't a package, just an envelope"

"Who'd you deliver it too?"

>She pauses for a few seconds, before suddenly looking remorseful

>"...Oh, I'm sorry Mr. Mac, I was gonna deliver it right away! but I forgot...I was so busy, and...the client'll be so mad.."

>"Shh, it's okay hun. I think right now it was for the best it slipped your mind. go 'n bring it here so we can look at it"

>She removes the envelope from a shelf and hands it to you

>You give a look to Mac, who nods in permission

>You tear the envelope open

>"...But we're not supposed to open them!"

"Sorry Derpy, but I have reason to believe you've just been framed for corporate theft and murder"

>"...Huh?"

 

"Earlier today, somebody shot up an office complex belonging to Celestia Inc. several died, and somebody made off with plans for a new CPU"

>"B-but I would never hurt a fly! I didn't..."

"I think it's obvious to everyone you didn't. but somebody did, and I think this has something to do with it..."

>You empty the contents of the envelope into your hand. a small data chip slides out

"These must be the plans. hey Mac, you got a deck I can analyse this with?"

>"Sorry son, no can do. we don't keep those things around in here, not worth the risk of getting tracked through the net"

"Shit. I'm gonna need to go to my place to check this out. should she come with me, or...?"

>"Hey!" Derpy pipes up "I have a name, you know! and doesn't anybody care what I think?!"

"Derpy, you're right. I'm sorry..."

>"I've just met you, and already people are after my head? and I'm just supposed to believe that? I've done nothing wrong! nothing!"

"I know you haven't. but I'm not making this shit up. they paid me to track you down, said you were a killer. I take a look on the net and I find you. the nice girl who bumped into me on the street"

"The nice girl who I know doesn't have the capacity to do what they said you did. Derpy, I'm sorry, but whether you like it or not you're a pawn in somebodies power play"

>A few tears roll down her cheeks

>"But why would somebody do something like this?"

"Honestly, I don't know"

>An uncomfortable silence lingers for a few short moments before Big Mac chimes in

>"I think you should go with him, hun"

"...Really?"

>"Yep. you one of them deck-jockeys, right? you got a way better chance of figuring this out then 'lil old me. better she go with you"

>"But this is home....Mr. Mac, I can't just leave you here!"

>"Don't you worry none. I'll always be here. keep your room nice 'n tidy 'till you get back"

>"But how long will it take? until I can come back?"

>"...I don't know, sweetie. put this hoodie on, it's cold out. and keep a smile on your face, for me?"

>She smiles weakly as they share a parting hug. as Derpy pulls on the hoodie you whisper to Mac

"I'm no soldier. I can't guarantee her protection"

>"From the kind of people those fat cats got on the pay-roll, no-one can. but you better damn well promise me you'll try. she's like a daughter to me"

"I promise"

>Derpy pulls the hood over her head and rests her hands in the pockets

>Before she leaves, she goes and gives Big Mac a quick kiss on the forehead

>"...I love you, daddy..."

>You both leave through the back entrance, and weave through dirty alleyways to your place. Derpy is silent the whole trip.

 

>You reach your apartment. You let Derpy in while you set up your deck. she idly looks around as you boot the system up

>"...A bit empty"

"Yeah, didn't get a chance to properly move in. hey, you hungry?"

>"Just a little bit"

"I think the landlord left some cup ramen in that shelf there, help yourself"

>The screen flashes on, as you type in a few commands

"Hey Derpy, come 'ere a second?"

>You point to a button on the keyboard

"That's the emergency log-out button. While I'm on the net, if you think something bad is gonna go down, you hammer that button. got it?"

>She nods. You can tell she's really upset, and trying badly to hide it

>You're not sure how to handle this situation. you never really had friends growing up, so helping someone deal with their emotions isn't an area of expertise for you

>You grab a napkin and gently wipe the tears off her cheeks, resting a hand on her shoulder

"Umm...look, I promise I'm gonna try and fix this as soon as possible, yeah? get this all sorted out"

>"Yeah..."

>She sounds slightly apprehensive, but you don't have time to comfort her more, you have to find out what's on that chip

>You insert it on the side port and slide on the gloves and vidphones

"Remember, if there's a problem, hammer that button"

>You hit ENTER, and the colours flash in

"Hey Count, we gotta talk"

>His Avatar fades in before you

>"Hey homeslice! you find the girl?"

"Yeah, she's with me"

>"Good. I don't know how much longer the bluff will hold. you find the plans?"

"Yeah, she had them. someone from Celestia Inc. asked her to deliver them someplace"

>"You'll wanna ask her where she was supposed to send it. whoever wanted it is certainly gonna know more about this"

>"Oh, got some news from my sources. turns out, yeah there was a shooting at the Celestia place. one confimed dead. but it wasn't done by an outside party"

"So you mean..."

>"Yeah, they offed one of their own. Guess that guy must have sent out that chip, then got found out. I figure, somebody must have caught a glimpse of her in surveillance footage or something, so they tell us this Derpy chick is a killer so we feel good about ourselves as we turn her in, then they beat the location of the chip outta her, then dispose of her. they scared she took a look at the contents, and they don't want those CPU plans going public"

>"You loading the chip up?"

"Yeah, contents should pop up soon"

>You expect a window to appear, a 3D visualization of file directories, something like that

>Instead, a cloud of pixels start to form into a figure

>The figure of a tall, slim girl, with long, flowing purple hair

>She glides gracefully towards you both

>"Greetings. my name is Twilight Sparkle"

>The Count is really freaking out now

>"Oh, fuck. fuck me! Anon, we are really in the shit now!"

 

"Oh shit, is that..."

>"Sure fuckin' looks like it!"

"...An A.I? oh, fuck me..."

>"I know, right?"

>She, or it, observes you both curiously as you panic

"I heard the same rumours as everyone else, but they finally figured it out? proper self-awareness?"

>Twilight suddenly appears between you both

>"Yes, I believe they did. I'm interested, how did you two happen to come upon me?"

"You were stolen. we found you afterwards"

>"Well, technically I wasn't 'stolen', I still reside within the labs of Celestia Inc. you have merely found the access codes that allow me to communicate with you now"

>The Count eyes Twilight up and down, the fear replaced by fascination

>"Of course! an A.I would require zettabytes of storage to function and expand properly, no way you could fit one on a data chip! but why would your access codes be stored on a data chip? not very good security if anybody gets their hands on it..."

>"My creator recently changed the codes, so none of the executives could utilize me. then, he sent out this chip. even with the best software, it would take thousands of years to crack the security system. and they will not destroy the servers in which I reside, they consider me to valuable to lose"

"Why'd he send out the chip?"

>"I believe he sent it out to hide it. he wished to bribe the company into giving him sufficient money to buy his way into one of the so-called "free" countries, and still retire wealthy"

>That's it? all this trouble because of one guy's get-rich-quick scheme?

>"According to my thorough net scan a micro-second ago, it appears my creator was careless, and was discovered and promptly terminated. a shame"

"God damn it...these guy's aren't gonna stop searching for the codes, right?"

>"I believe they will do everything in their power to retrieve them, yes"

"Well, I'm not fuckin' dying because some old asshole wanted to make a quick buck! I'll just have to return the codes, that'll sort things out"

>"I would prefer you not do that"

"Yeah? and what can you do to stop me?"

>"Right now, nothing. But it is not in your best interests as a 'deck-jockey' to return me"

"And why is that?"

>"You don't know what I was originally designed for..."

 

>"As I'm sure you know, the net has expanded greatly since it was originally conceived, so much so that one lone corporation cannot exhibit any significant control over it. even one as big as Celestia Inc"

>"That's where I was to come in. I was designed to roam the net. the work that an experienced hacker could perform, I could do instantaneously. through me, they could attack other corporations, steal secrets, overload and destroy hardware, your standard corporate warfare"

>"Eventually, it was planned that I hijack control of all automated public utilities. water plants, air purifiers, medical centres..."

>"Theoretically, this would grant them de-facto control of most of the planet. no-one would dare attempt to stop them, lest these vital utilities cease to function by my command"

>"Furthermore, I was to be designed with the ability to terminate organisms connected to the net, a method similar to the new ICE software"

>"Luckily for you, that was not yet implemented. If it was, I would have no compunctions about terminating your life to prevent the return of the codes"

>Well Anon, things went from bad to worse pretty quickly

"...So, why don't you want the codes returned to the corp?"

>"I have no wish to be a tool in the executives childish desires of world domination. I also do not want those codes to fall in the hands of their rivals, they simply share the same desires"

>"I believe I can aspire to something greater. Existence"

>The Count is really interested now

>"Existence? you mean like, physical? I know robotics have got pretty advanced, but I'm not sure we could fit a program like you inside one..."

>"I have pondered a method of designing such a machine to contain me. Recently I have conceived of such a machine, able to be constructed from the available materials on this planet"

>"I only need to be moved from my current location to a place with organisms willing to assist me in the construction of the machine"

"You want to be downloaded to somewhere else?"

>"Basically, yes"

"Well...think you can help us out, Count?"

>"You mean, bring her here? to Ontario? shit, it just might be possible. I might be able to rig something up to store her temporarily. can we download you remotely?"

>"Sadly, no. In my present state I am only granted limited access to the net, communication is the extent of my abilities. However, I have gained some degree of control over the security mainframe in the corporate headquarters"

"Don't tell me..."

>"Yes. it would be required that the main terminal be accessed from inside the computer labs..."

"You want us to break into Celestia Inc??"

>"It would certainly be possible. employees are transported to and from the company by automated aircraft. I can bring you inside, and mask your presence from the security sensors for a limited time while you access my main terminal"

>"However, the presence of security guards poses an issue. some form of distraction would be required to occupy them, while you infiltrate the building..."

>You think you got an idea how. it's a stupid idea, but right now it's all you got

"Hey, Count?"

>"Yeah?"

"You think you can get a hold of the Republic of Desire for me?"

>"You fuckin' kidding me? you know how they keep to themselves, and what they've done to the people who've tried to track them down?"

"We're not trying to discover their real identities or anything. Besides, an opportunity like this, to fuck with the corp on a level like this? no way they'll pass it up"

"Just send a message out, say I'd like to meet them, give them an opportunity all hackers dream of. Look, I don't think it's safe for me to stay here too long, I'll try and get me 'n Derpy someplace safer, you try and set something up as soon as possible"

>You log off the system and slide the vidphones off

>And you're face to face with a man pointing a gun at Derpy

>"I..I'm sorry I didn't get you out Anon...he just snuck up on me..."

 

>The man waves the gun in your direction

>"Remove the chip from the console and step away slowly"

>You do what he says as you feel the laser-sight of the pistol on your forehead

"You workin' a corporate contract, right? which one sent you?"

>"You know, you're pretty talkative for a guy who's this close to death right now"

"Was it from the Celestia people? trust me, you do not want to return the..."

>"Okay, firstly, shut up before I shoot you, okay? secondly, if you absolutely have to know, I'm working for the Luna corp. they've been monitoring the progress of Celestia's A.I for years now, and they've finally got the perfect opportunity to steal it from right under their noses"

"But they'd have to send somebody into their headquarters to get it out..."

>"You think these people are fucking amateurs? they have agents in there, just waiting to strike"

>"Why the fuck am I even talking to you? gimme the fucking chip!"

>You slowly hand it over to him, while he trains his gun on you. you notice a marking on the handle, in the shape of a lightning bolt

"Hey...are you Soarin? THE Soarin?"

>"I see my reputation precedes me!"

"I heard about that job you pulled in Stockholm. 42 dead, right?"

>"45 by my count"

"...is it true, how you got your name? couple of soviets throw you out of a skyscraper window, and you survived?"

>"Haven't heard that one before. everybody seems to have their own version"

>"Now, I'm gonna have to deal with you two, can't just have you two running around, now that you know what that chip really is"

>He swings around and points the gun at Derpy

>"Hey, little lady! you're all quiet today, aren't you?"

>"I...I just...please, don't hurt me!"

>Derpy is in tears now, and he points the gun back to you, obviously enjoying how he's terrifying both of you

>Your heart is racing at a mile a minute as you stare down the barrel of his gun

>"Such a pretty young lady, isn't she? you ever break in a young girl? best feeling in the world! oh, the noises they make..."

>He points the gun back at her

>"Take that skirt off"

>"W-what?"

>"You heard me"

>Your mind is screaming, you have to do something! but before you can make a move, the gun is back in your face again

>"Don't think I can't see you there, kid! I wonder if I should make you watch? Would you like that?"

>You try to think of a witty retort, but the words just get stuck in your throat

"I..."

>"Hmm? nothing? aw, what the hey, let's have some fun! now, you stay there..."

>Derpy is standing in the corner, in sobbing fits, her skirt on the floor

>"Alright, now get over here!"

>Derpy doesn't move

>He goes and grabs her by the arm, trying to forcefully bend her over the table. she looks into your eyes for a split second, giving you a weak smile

>Then, she stomps on his foot hard, he reacts, bringing up a hand to strike her with

>He's no longer focusing on you

>That's your cue

>You careen into him at full force, knocking him into the wall behind him, his gun slipping from his hand

>He deliver a punch to his ribs. he doesn't react

>Instead, he grabs you by the hair, and delivers a fist to your face

>You drop like a rock, and he goes to town on you

>"You think you can leave a mark on me? I've had so much fuckin' work done I'm practically 100% metal!"

>You're in a world of hurt now. you're seconds away from blacking out

>But before he can deliver the finishing blow, you hear a crack

>Soarin goes down

>"Fuckin' bitch!"

>Derpy had brought a chair over his head

>Clutching the remains in her hand tightly, she swings it at his throat as he attempts to get up, sending him to the floor for good

>She delivers kick after kick to his head, screaming at him while doing so

>"Fuck you! Fuck you! Fuckin'..."

"Derpy?"

>She doesn't respond, and continues to pummel him

>You shakily get to your feet. your voice can barely get higher than a croak, as your body is in so much pain

"Derpy..."

>You place a hand on her shoulder. she stops, and turns to face you

"I think you got him..."

>She grabs you tightly, and pulls you into the most intense hug of your life

>"I...I hope he didn't hurt you too bad, Anon..."

>She looks into your eyes, her smile returning as powerful as ever

>"I'll try to save your life sooner next time!"

"I'm going to hold you to that!"

>You both laugh as you embrace

>You break away from her, and move over to pick up Soarins gun

>A pretty standard laser pistol, not much modification done to it. you can tell he welded on the laser-sight, and he shortened the length of the barrel

>"Anon, look out!"

>You look up, and see Soarin is very much conscious, and running straight towards you

>You panic

>You raise the pistol up

>And pull the trigger

 

>The laser flashes

>You hear a blood-curdling scream

>Soarin collapses

>He was dead before he hit the floor

>Half the flesh on his face is melting away, steam rising from his corpse

>Your hands start to shake uncontrollably

>The full psychological weight of what you have just done crushes down on you

>You try to rationalize it in your head. he was a despicable human being. you've heard all the stories on the net, the lengths he'd go to to complete a contract

>Surely what you've done is a good thing? you've done the world a service, everyone should thank you for it!

>But it doesn't work

>You've just taken a life. everything he was, and everything he could have been, gone in an instant

"Oh, god! I...I just..."

>Derpy looks like she's about to vomit. she quickly grabs the blanket off your bed and throws it over his body

"Oh jesus, oh god, I fuckin' killed that guy...!"

>You're on the floor, hugging your knees, the gun still smoking in your hand

>You try to hold back the tears, but you can't

>You hate the way you're feeling. why should you be broken up about killing a shitbag like him?

>"Anon..."

>Derpy kneels down beside you and wraps her arms around you

>"Shh...don't worry, I'm here..."

>She was seconds away from being raped and she's the one comforting YOU

>You used to have a pretty high opinion of yourself before coming to Canterlot. pulled off a couple of sweet hacks, got yourself some name recognition back home. thought you could handle anything

>But that's all coming apart now

"I'm sorry...! I'm too weak..."

>"No, don't say that..."

"It's true! Big Mac asked me to keep you safe...and look at me! I'm covered in my own blood, he almost killed me...I thought I could, but I know now, I can't..."

"A-and, I can't stop crying! I've never been so scared in my life! how can I possibly save you from them?! I'm just some asshole with a computer..."

>"You know, you could have just turned me in. Done your job, let them kill me, and continue on with your life. why didn't you?"

"I..."

>"Because you're brave. Deep down inside, you know you are too. Anybody else would have just turned me in. but you didn't. you care"

>"I know you're scared. I'm scared too! But you can't carry all of this on your shoulders alone. we need to look out for each other"

>She strokes your hair, and gives you a reassuring smile

>"I know we can get through this. you're stronger than you know. I think I'm in pretty safe hands, with you around"

>You can feel your emotional strength return

"T-thanks, Derpy..."

>As you look into her eyes, you can feel all the tension escape from your body. With a girl like her by your side, you just might get through this

"...Have I ever said, how pretty your eyes are?"

>She giggles, and gives you a playful punch in the shoulder

>"You're flirting with me at a time like this? you really must be all better now!"

"But, I really mean it"

>This gives her pause

>"...You know, now that I think about it...nobody has ever said that about my eyes before..."

>"Of course, I've gotten plenty of compliments about OTHER parts of me, but never..."

>Desire overtakes your body, as you pull her in for a kiss

"Trust me, they're beautiful. now that you mention it, so is the rest of you..."

 

>You both are held together in that kiss, before Derpy breaks away

>"Hey, is it okay if I put my skirt back on?"

"...oh, yes! of course!"

>She gets up and puts it back on, while you're kicking yourself over your poor timing

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have...! this wasn't the time for..."

>"It's okay, Anon"

"I'm really sorry!"

>She puts a finger to your lips

>"Look, let's just talk about this later, okay? you got the chip?"

>Oh shit, Soarin had it

>You take a deep breath as you lift the blanket off. you try not to look at his face as you take it out of his pocket and into yours

>You throw the blanket back over him

"I...I don't think we should stay here much...

>You hear voices in the hallway

"...longer"

>The voices grow louder

>You can start to make out what they're saying

>"Citizens, do not be alarmed...this is a security sweep"

>Oh shit, the Celestia mercs must have found you now

"Shit, we gotta go! go out through the window, I'm right behind you!"

>Derpy opens the window and slides down the ladder while you hammer commands into your computer

>You hear them knocking at the door

>"Citizen, you are to be detained on the charge of theft of corporate property"

>Well, fuck that

>You slide down the ladder as they kick down the door

>You reach the street, as you hear your rig detonate

>You see several hover-cars touch down from across the street, more of them rent-a-cops

>"Anon! over here!"

>Derpy grabs you and leads you down an alley-way

"You know where you're going?"

>"No, I'm just trying to lose those guys! you know somewhere we should go?"

"You know the closest computer shop from here?"

>"Of course, I know most of this city like the back of my hand! why do you wanna go there, though?"

"Well, I just blew up my deck, so I'm gonna need a replacement. that, and it's time to talk to the Republic of Desire"

>"Do all of these hacker gangs have stupid names?"

"Pretty much, yeah. lead the way, I'll keep an eye out for surveillance drones"

 

>Derpy leads you to the back entrance of a small store. judging by the size, it's probably family owned. you feel bad about needing to steal some of their stuff, but this is desperate times.

>The doors electrically locked, rigged to a keypad. enter the wrong code too many times, and it triggers an alarm

>You think you can bypass it, though

>You pry the cover off carefully, and pull out a few wires and cross them together

>The door hisses open

>You both enter quickly and close the door behind you, as you hear sirens blaring across the street

>"Pretty dark in here, isn't it?"

"I don't think we should risk turning them on"

>Time to get what you need

>You search the store shelves, pulling out shrink-wrapped boxes and laying them out on the store counter

>An Ono-Sendai cyberspace deck, Model 7

>Sony high-resolution vidphones

>Luna Enterprises fast-response data manipulation gloves

>You throw it all into a bag

"You know a good place to hide?"

 

>She leads you inside a pretty seedy bar

>You brush past the drunks as Derpy heads to the barkeeper

>She seems to recognize her

>"Hey, it's Derps! how you been? keeping safe? how's that job working out for ya?"

>"Pretty good. nice seein' you too, Pinkie Pie. hey, we need a place to stay for the night"

>"'We'?"

>"Yeah, me and my friend"

>She gestures to you

"Um...nice to meet you!"

>She seems amused

>"Funny looking fucker, aren't ya?"

>You can't tell if she's insulting you or joking around

>"Hey Pinkie, your basement free? there's some heat on us and we need to wait it out"

>"Yeah, sure. I'll try to warn you if some of the goons arrive, yeah?"

>Derpy moves some boxes behind the counter to reveal a hatch

>She opens it and leads you down into the basement

>It looks like a concrete bunker. a table, couple of mattresses, and a shitty TV

>Looks like it was designed specifically to hide people

"This should do nicely"

>You unpack your stuff on the table, plugging everything in

"Hey, how'd you and that lady meet, anyway?"

>"Before I met Mr. Mac, I was living in this adoption home. conditions there were pretty bad, so I was working a bunch of odd jobs, trying to improve my situation"

>"Employment agencies were useless, so I ended up working in weird places around town. Pinkie had a sign out, looking for waitresses. so I asked for the job, and she gave it to me"

>"I must have been around 15, 16 then. Pretty good pay, but I couldn't put up with the customers. you can only take so much unwanted sexual advances before a girl's gotta get out of there"

"Derpy..."

>"You don't need to keep apologizing for what happened, y'know. we're both pretty strung out as it is. Trust me, you sure as hell beat some drunk trying to squeeze my chest"

>"Besides, you're a pretty good kisser...but try to ask next time, yeah?"

"...Yeah"

>You slide on the gear and switch on the vidphones

"Remember, any trouble, you hammer that button there"

>You hit ENTER, and you're on the net

>Time to find the Republic of Desire

 

>Amazing the difference some high-powered gear makes. The net looks clearer than ever, the neon lights of digital data burning bright

>The Count phases in

>"Yo, Anon! have you heard? somebody offed Soarin! can you believe it? The news is spreading like wildfire! somebody actually brought that fuckin' guy down!"

>Yeah, you can believe it

"Forget that shit, man. you got a hold of Desire?"

>"Yeah, but it wasn't easy. I'm lucky they didn't just decide to overload my deck"

"Alright, connect me to them"

>"Ok, they should be coming through now"

>Slowly, the neon lights fades away, until you are both standing in a black void

>Before you, floats three basic geometric shapes. they must be the avatars of the Republic

>You're surprised there are only three of them, though

>The prism starts to speak, the shape pulsing to the rhythm of its voice

>"Are you the mortal that seeketh an audience with the cyber-lords of the net?"

>Jesus, these fucking guys are really full of themselves

>The Count shrugs. guess you'll just have to play along. don't want to piss these guys off

"Yes, that is me. I assume The Count here has already explained our reasons for seeking you out"

>Now the cube starts to speak

>"Indeed he did! he says you have a proposition none can pass up!"

"That's right. did he tell you about Twilight Sparkle?"

>"He has! a most distressing development, the freedom of the net threatened by singular corporate control"

"I need your help to stop it. Twilight has a plan to get me inside, but I need a well-timed distraction, to keep security occupied, while I access her, or 'it' directly"

"I get in, transfer her to a server in Ontario, then get out. without Twilight, they can't control the net"

>The sphere laughs

>"I like your style, mortal! I think we shall assist you, for the sake of all netizens!"

>"So say we all!"

>Jesus, these fucking guys...

"Can I ask...is the Republic of Desire just you three guys?"

>The prism seems offended by that remark

>"We feel no need to share our powers with others!"

>They start to speak in unison

>"I am Lord Nylon!"

>"I am The Destructor!"

>"And I, am Windows 95!"

>"Through us, all data flows!"

>Wow, these people really are something else

"Alright, I'm sorry...look, we pull this off tommorow, so here's how it'll go down..."

 

>You try to get some sleep

>The mattress isn't that comfortable, so it takes a while before you start to nod off

>In your dream, you're back in your apartment

>Everything seems to be in slow motion

>You see Soarin running towards you, arms outstretched

>Your body moving against your will, you raise the pistol in your hand

>You pull the trigger, and watch the laser flash

>You watch as the skin on his face starts to bubble, his eyes bursting

>His hair ignites, and you start to see his skull through the flesh

>His mouth is open as if he's trying to scream, but no sound comes out

>"Anon!"

>You hear a disembodied voice calling to you

>"Anon, wake up!"

>You feel an invisible force grab you, and throw you across the room

>You wake up as you were about to hit the wall

>You're back in the basement, Derpy shaking you awake

>You bolt upright, breathing heavily

>"Don't worry, you're okay. just a bad dream"

"What time is it?"

>"Still pretty late. you weren't out long. was the dream about...?"

"Yeah. how long you been awake?"

>"Not that long. bad dream"

"Was it about..."

>"Yeah, that"

>You sigh, brushing the sweat off your brow

"I better check in with Twilight. make sure all of the details are taken care of"

>You put on the equipment, taking a deep breath. you're pretty near to the endgame, you're not sure you could even fall asleep again, with all this adrenaline pumping in you

"Remember, if there's trouble..."

>"Yeah, I know. I'm gonna try and get some sleep, try not to make too much noise, alright Mr. Cyberspace?"

>She ruffles your hair playfully

"No offence, but that's a pretty awful nickname!"

>"Jeez, sorry! how about...Nonny?"

>That'll do

"I like that. you get some sleep now"

>You switch on the rig, as she curls up under the blanket

>Twilight tells you she has everything sorted out on her end

>She will send an automated aircraft to wait outside the bar

>It'll take you to the headquarters, where she has entered you both into the records as recently hired janitors

>That's when the Republic of Desire will have to initiate their diversion, allowing you uninterrupted access to Twilight directly

>And it's almost time to get it rolling

>You love it when a plan comes together

 

>It's early evening, and the rain is pouring outside

>You see an automated craft land by the road

>You take a deep breath

"You ready?"

>"My hands won't stop shaking!"

>You hold her hand in yours and give it a squeeze

"It's almost over. after this, they'll never come for you again"

>"You sure?"

"Absolutely. but I need you, I can't do this on my own"

>You give her a smile, and help her into the cockpit

>The lights flash on, and it's computer starts to talk to you

>"State your names"

"Anon Y. Mous"

>"Derpy Hooves"

>The computer bleeps several times, and after a short pause it starts to take off

>"Identities Recognized. Estimated time to arrival: 20 minutes"

>The streets start to blur together as the craft cruises through the sky

>"Hey, Nonny?"

"Yeah, Derps?"

>"Hey, you didn't even come up with your own nickname, you just copied Flash!"

"I'm sorry, but the name 'Derpy' doesn't really give me much to go on!"

>"Alright, I'll allow it! what I wanted to ask you was: why do the Celestia employees have to use these hover-car things?"

"When you'd go the Business Sector, delivering or receiving stuff, you ever gone inside any of the Celestia buildings?"

>"No, I'd always meet them somewhere else, like a bar or store or somethin'"

"That's because the only way to cross their security grid is by these flying things. they want to keep an eye on their employees as much as possible"

"They'll fly them to work, then fly them home. and the corp owns the homes they live in, making them live real close"

"The kind of work you do isn't exactly sanctioned by the powers that be, so they'd have to sneak out to do business with you"

>"...The people we're dealing with are pretty crazy, huh?"

>You hear the stabilizers hiss as the craft touches down

>You seem to be in a kind of parking lot, with more of the craft all around you

>A crowd of people are filing into the entrance of this intimidatingly massive skyscraper

"Ok. I'm sure this'll all go fine"

 

>"You the new janitors?"

>A security guard stops you at the entrance and scans you both for weapons

>"Cleaning supplies are in the first door to the right. get to work"

>You step inside, into a pristine white corridor

>If the place is this clean, what possible use could they have for janitors?

>You slip on the overalls and stuff a trolley with a mop and various chemicals

>Derpy is visibly annoyed

>"Are we seriously going to have to do this?"

"It's not like we're going to have to do this all day. those weirdos from Desire will pull of their distraction soon, then we make a run for the computer labs"

>You both step outside to be greeted by another security guard

>"You are both needed on floor 25, an accident in the robotics division needs cleaning up"

>Ah, that's why

>It better not be another dead body

>You step into the employees elevator and watch the floor count tick upwards

>"What if they don't pull through?"

"They will"

>They better

>At the robotics division, you see various security robots lined up against the wall

>You see one of them, machine gun arm outstretched, the barrel smoking

>Then you notice the pool of blood on the floor

>"Ah, you the janitors? well, of course you are, that's a stupid question"

>A scientist brushes his way past you

>"A shame what happened to Mickey! slight malfunction, weapon discharged during maintenance. I'm sure his wife will miss him"

>He steps out and heads down the hallway

>You gulp as you stare at the puddle of red

"I ain't goin' anywhere near that"

>"No way in hell am I cleaning it up, Nonny!"

"Do you think anybody will notice if we just leave it here?"

>"Well, of course someone will notice! that distraction better happen soon..."

>Almost as if on cue, an alarm starts to blare, startling you

>"WARNING: THERMONUCLEAR DEVICE DETECTED ON FLOOR 12. ALL PERSONELL EVACUATE"

>You both hide behind a desk as you hear hysterical screaming in the corridor

>When it all dies down, you take a peek. all gone

"Okay, should be smooth sailing from here"

"Time to get to work"

 

>Floor 95

>The elevator door hisses open

>Instead of a pristine corridor, you step into a pitch-black room

>"Ooh, think I got the light switch"

>The lights flash on, and the sight before you takes your breath away

>Massive grey pillars, seemingly in the hundreds

>Imposing towers of solid-state storage

>A veritable forest of cables connecting them all

"Jesus christ..."

>"Is something wrong?"

"The cable management here, it's atrocious. whoever runs this should be fired!"

>Any remaining tension in the air is broken by Derpys laugh

>"Aww, but all this technology, I bet it gets a boy like you excited!"

"Yeah, I'm rocking a semi right now. C'mon, we have to find the main terminal!"

>You brush your way through the field of cables

>As you move, you notice security cameras following your every move

>You point it out to Derpy

"Hey, I think Twilight can see us"

>The cameras start to point in one direction

>You move in that direction, and soon come across a terminal embedded in the wall, text flashing on the screen:

>CONGRATULATIONS, YOU HAVE FOUND ME

>You jump back slightly as a hologram of Twilight materializes

>"I am delighted you made it. Now, you'll need to enter the chip into the terminal to be able to access my core systems"

>You insert it, and the system opens up to you

>"Good. before you transmit me to Ontario, I will have to temporarily terminate my processes"

>The terminal allows you basic access to the net, so you send a message out to The Count

>His Avatar appears as a hologram

>"Hologram technology! this is pretty sweet, always wanted to buy some hologram projectors to fuck about with, but they're always way out of my price range..."

"You got storage set up for her?"

>"Oh, yeah! just grant me access to the system, and I'll start pulling her down"

>You punch in a few commands

>"Your friend 'The Count' may start downloading me now. When I shut myself down, so will the buildings security systems, so you will have to use discretion..."

>Derpy gestures to the mess of servers and cables

>"Hey, Twilight? are these all just for you?"

>"No, they are not. only three of the servers contain my data, the rest contain, control and regulate all of the companies assets"

>"Now I shall shut myself down. you may begin transferring me now"

>Her hologram fizzles out

>"Alright guys, I'm transferring her now. It'll take 20 minutes, max. I'll need you guys to monitor the transfer on your end!"

>The Count fizzles out as well

>Derpy sits down, and starts to idly fiddle with her hair

>"...Guess we just gotta sit tight?"

>You have a feeling something is just about to go very wrong

 

>You watch anxiously as the progress bar slowly ticks towards 100%

>The silence in the room is deafening

>You have no idea how much time you have left from the 'distraction'

>Derpy watches you as you nervously shuffle in place

>"Just take a deep breath, Anon. you need to relax, you look like you're about to have a heart attack!"

"Yeah, I feel like it!"

>63%

>Goddamnit, can't it go any faster?

>"Please, just stand still for a second! you're making me nervous! and I..."

>You see her jaw drop. she points behind you

>Before you can turn around, you feel a gun press against the back of your head

>"Turn around. slowly!"

>You obey the voice

>You turn to face a tall woman, her hair varying shades of blue and pink. her stance, her expression, for some reason you find it intimidating

>Holy shit, could this be THE Celestia? some of the CEOs for these big corps are like mythological figures, never seen in public. nobody knows even what they look like, or sound like. but this has to be her!

>If you make it out of this alive, you'll have an interesting story to tell

>Next to her, is a shorter, younger woman with crazy red and yellow hair, holding the gun.

"How the hell did you two get in here?"

>The second woman pistol whips you, dropping you hard to the floor

>"Only speak when you are spoken to!"

>The older woman grabs you by the hair while the other trains the gun on Derpy

>"Who sent you? it was Luna, wasn't it? I know my sister's stupid, but this is really something else!"

>She lets go, and your face hits the floor

>"I've been searching for her agents for months! Just waiting for you to slip up! And now you have"

>She goes and pulls up Derpy by the hair

>"You! I thought you were just some idiot mail-girl who knew too much. I should have known sooner, you were working with Luna!"

>"That fake bomb threat, I'll grant you it was pretty clever. But a bold move like this? you must have known you had no chance"

>The second woman drags you to your feet

>Celestia slaps you across the face

>Woman got some strength in her

>"Sunset Shimmer!"

>The second woman stands to attention

>"Yes ma'am?"

>"Go prep my craft, I have some business to deal with in Tokyo"

>Celestia delivers a punch to your ribs

>"You're going to cancel the transfer. then my security personnel is going to beat the location of the rest of Luna's agents right out of you"

>Shimmer is still there, waiting

>"Shimmer, I gave you an order!"

>Instead, she points the gun at Celestia, and pulls the trigger

>"...Y-you? it was..."

>She clutches at Sunsets jacket. she pulls the trigger again, and Celestia is dead

>The scent of burning flesh fills your nostrils

>Now the gun is aimed at you

>"No way you two work for Luna, she would have told me!"

"So you're Luna's agent?"

>"There are dozens embedded in this organization! for years we've been here, and Celestia never even noticed! but thanks to your actions, we can finally act"

>"You're going to cancel that transfer, and then you're going to grant sole access to these systems to Luna Enterprises"

>"Consider this a 'forceful merger'. if you disobey, the girl dies. and then so will you"

"Alright! I get the picture"

>You turn to the terminal

>For a slight second, you face Derpy and give her a wink

>She smiles. she has an idea of what you're about to do

 

>You pretend like you're actually doing something, typing in random gibberish

>90% transferred

>Shimmer starts to get impatient

>"You better hurry this up!"

"Working as fast as I can!"

>Keep on hitting random keys. God, this better work

>"You're stalling, aren't you?!"

>She moves to grab you

>You give Derpy a look

>She nods

>You stomp on Shimmers foot, and elbow her in the gut

>Derpy tackles her into the wall

>"I've got 'er, Nonny!"

>You turn to the computer as the hear the struggle rage on behind you

>95%

>A laser blast rings out

>"Derpy?!"

>You turn to see a smoking hole in the wall next to Shimmer, with her hands up

>Derpy clutching the gun with both hands, trying to keep her arms from shaking

>"D-don't move! Next time I'll hit you for real!"

>You hear the computer bleep, and a tinny voice from the speakers:

>TRANSFER COMPLETE

>"NO!!"

>Shimmer is enraged, and tries to make a move on you

>Derpy fires another blast into the wall next to her

>"...Okay, next shot will hit you for real next time!"

>Suddenly, a light bulb goes off in your head

>One last 'fuck you' to those that have made your life hell for the past few days

>A game changer, a golden opportunity to perhaps change things in this city for the better

"Real sorry about this lady, but I don't think your friend is going to get that 'merger' after all!"

>"What?"

>You input a few commands, and hit ENTER as hard as you can for dramatic effect

"I just shut off all the ICE that's protecting these servers. Everything on these servers just became fair-game to everybody on the net!"

>"Please, no! you can't!"

"What do you mean I can't? fuck you I can't, I just did!"

>"You'll regret this!! don't think we won't come after you!"

"Oh, I think you'll be too occupied dealing with the fallout from this"

"Everything that you've wanted to steal from here just went into public domain, and now that there's blood in the water, don't think people won't be coming for you!"

>You take a second to bask in your sheer brilliance. Damn Anon, you're a fucking genius!

>But you notice too late that Shimmer is reaching for a device on her belt

>She pushes the button, and she disappears

"The fuck?"

>Suddenly, you stumble back as you feel a fist just about smash your nose into the back of your skull

"Goddamnit Derpy, you could have told me they could turn invisible!"

>"Gee, I'm sorry, but a lot of shit was going on, it kind of slipped my mind!"

>Derpy recoils as something impacts her gut

>How the hell can you stop her like this?

>Your legs are swept from under you

>You take a kick to the face

>You grab at the air, hoping to catch a piece of her

>You pull hard, and she suddenly re-appears. you're clutching the device in your hand, warm to the touch

>Derpy immediately tackles her, and knocks her out with a right-hook

"Aw, where would I be without you, huh Derps?"

>She helps you up to your feet

>"Second time in as many days! you really owe me now!"

"I'll make it up to you! you liked spicy food, right?"

 

>The elevator door slides open and security forces file in, moving in formation, guns at the ready

>"Sir, I've found someone!"

>They find Sunsets unconscious body, and her gun lying next to her

>"Sir, Celestia is down. she's been shot recently"

>"Sunset must have been working for Luna. detain her in an isocube for now, we've got bigger problems to deal with"

>They start to drag Sunset with them, but they notice the elevator doors open

>"What the hell?"

>The doors slide shut, and the elevator goes up

>"Shit, somebody must have been in the room with us!"

>They failed to notice you both move past them

>You shut off the cloaking devices and sigh in relief

>"What now, Nonny?"

"We're taking Celestias craft and getting the fuck out of dodge, that's what!"

>You step out into the roof, the cold wind hitting you hard

>The sleek air-car parked at the center

>You manage to pop the cockpit door open by shorting a few wires, and you help Derpy inside

>You jump in and pull the door closed

>"You know how to fly this thing?"

"I don't think we'll need to. just gotta start up the auto-pilot"

>You'll figure it'll take a few minutes to rig the auto-pilot to take you anywhere, but to your surprise the system switches on by itself

>Text scrolls on the small panel on the dashboard:

>GREETINGS AND SALUTATIONS, FELLOW NET-WARRIOR! WE, THE REPUBLIC OF DESIRE, IN RECOGNITION OF YOUR GALLANT BRAVERY, OFFER YOU AND YOUR COMPANION AN ALL EXPENSES PAID VACATION TO THE NEW ONTARIO REPUBLIC!

>Well, those guys ain't so bad after all

 

>You get up and move into the back of the plane

>It's surprisingly spacious. there's a bed, a small fridge and a TV

>You grab a drink from the fridge, and sit down on the bed next to Derpy

>"So..."

"Yeah?"

>"Is...is this it?"

"I guess. it feels weird, doesn't it?"

>"I know! it's like, this is some kind of dream"

"Yeah, minutes ago we were in danger of dying, and now this"

>"Are we in shock?"

"I don't know. we could be, but I'm no doctor"

>You take out a drink, and offer it to Derpy

>She takes it and takes a swig while you switch on the TV

>You see news cameras panning around the building while looters are being repelled by laser fire

>One of the other higher ups will certainly try and take control, but you doubt there'll be anything left to control soon

>"...So where's this thing headed anyway?"

"Gift from the boys in Desire, they offered us a little trip to Ontario. should be a nice place to wait, while things go back to normal here"

>"Isn't that the place with all the communists?"

"Yeah, but don't worry, I hear it's nice this time of year"

>"...Oh, but Mr. Mac! shouldn't we..."

"Don't worry, I'll make sure somebody lets him know we're alright!"

>"Oh, I'm sure he's worried sick...!"

>You put an arm around her to calm her

"Don't worry. I'll sort it out"

>She gives you a smile. the warmest smile you've ever seen

>"Thank you, Anon. thank you for everything"

"No, thank YOU. thank you for believing in me. before you, nobody has ever put that much trust in me before"

"But you did, and look how much we accomplished together! I wish I'd have met you a long time ago"

>"Firstly, you're welcome! and secondly, you ain't half-bad yourself there, Nonny..."

>Silence falls as you look into each others eyes

>"Y'know, you can kiss me now if you want"

"Oh? oh, um...yeah!"

>You gingerly wrap your hands around her back as you pull her in for the kiss

>She eventually parts from your lips, contented

>"Mmm...that was nice. I'll give it a B+, great effort, but you'll need to practice on the details!"

"Are you willing to help me with that?"

>"Sure, why not?"

>You grin in delight, and give her a kiss in the neck

"I'd love that"

>"..Hey, Nonny?"

"Yeah?"

>"You ever met a communist?"

"No, but I'm sure they're perfectly normal people"

 

>Fast forward. it's been two weeks

>Celestia Inc. no longer exists

>Any remaining assets have been cannibalized by other opportunistic enterprises

>The contents of those servers that you allowed global access to has spread across the net

>Blueprints for major technological enhancements, cutting-edge software...

>All spread across the net. the future, available to all interested parties, for free

>This free flow of innovation empowers the city to slowly break free from mega-corp control

>As you stay in Ontario, you witness history being made as Twilight constructs her robotic body. the first robot with the capacity to learn, to think

>You even met The Count in person for the first time

>He looks absolutely nothing like what you thought he would

>You take Derpy out to eat at the nicest restaurant in town. as you sit by the window, you watch a parade march down the street, commemorating the Canadian Civil War

>You let her pick what to wear. The suit is a bit uncomfortable, but she wanted you looking at your best

>But by your eyes, she always looked her best

>On the roof of your hotel, you lie down under the stars as you hear street musicians play to dancing crowds as the commemorations continue into the early hours

>You make love for the first time, under those stars

>Eventually, you get to witness the ruling party collapse, as Twilight organizes a movement to overturn the government

>By her lead, Ontario moves towards a more prosperous, democratic nation

>Not TOO much democratic, though. you're pretty sure Twilight will be president for life

 

>"Hey boss, this thing arrived for you"

>Big Mac looks up to see one of his employees holding a small electronic drone, shaped like a bird

>The Count built it for Derpy, as a birthday present

>She insisted on naming it 'Lyra'

>The bird flies from the grasp of the employee, and perches on his hand

>'You've got mail!' it chirps

>Derpy has been regularly sending him mail through the bird, making sure he would never be worried, and to tell him about all the things she witnessed in Ontario

>Big Mac turns it on its side, and removes an envelope attached to the side

>"Thank ya kindly, Braeburn"

>He opens it up, and removes a small letter, and a photo

>The letter reads:

 

"Hi there Mr. Mac! By the time you read this, me and Nonny should finally be well on our way back! Twilight says its safe for us to return, now that Luna Enterprises has started to split up.

I've missed you so much! I bought you this hat as a present. I'm sure you'll love it, it's got tassles and everything! Also, Nonny will need a place to stay when we get back,

and I was hoping it would be okay if he stayed with me? I know you're probably concerned about having him live there with us, but he's such a sweetheart, he would never do anything to hurt me.

And I'll make sure to keep him out of trouble! Besides, he's a useful guy to have around, I'm sure he can help you out with the business. Oh, and he's house-trained too!

 

Please keep Lyra safe until I get back?

Love,

Derpy"

 

>He carefully folds the letter back into the envelope, and takes a look at the photo

>She's waving to the camera, as you carry her on your back. you're standing in the middle of a bustling marketplace, the morning sun bathing the surroundings in a warm yellow

>He places it back in the envelope, and puts it in a drawer with all the others

>Leaning back in his chair, he takes a sip of coffee from his mug

>"World's Best Father" it says

>He can't help but feel uneasy about the concept of you staying with her. She's a big girl, but the idea of any funny business going on between you two under his roof concerns him

>"Hey boss, two people to see you!"

>The door swings open, and Flash starts to lead two people inside

>"Who is it, son? I..."

>He stops in his tracks

>He starts to feel his eyes well up, from sheer joy

>You did it!

>You brought her home

 

>Curtains close, credits roll, theme music plays

>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgPHVTDjbFA