Fallout: Equestria - In Need of a Doctor: Prolouge

Prologue: Prison Break

War. War never changes. The end of the world happened just as many predicted it would, too many ponies and not enough space or resources to go around. The details are trivial and pointless; the reasons as always purely equine ones. Equestria was nearly wiped clean of life, a great cleansing, a megaspell spark struck by equine hooves quickly raged out of control. Spears of balefire struck down from the skies, swallowing the continents in flames and fell beneath the boiling oceans. Equinity was almost extinguished, their spirits becoming part of the background radiation that blanked Equestria. A quiet darkness fell across the globe, lasting many years.

In the centuries since that great war, the ponies that managed to survive the megaspells and balefire bombs slowly returned to the surface, leaving behind their bunkers and Stables that housed them for generations as a world passed them by. When they opened their inhabitants set across the ruins of the old world to once again find purpose and meaning in their lives. Life in the wasteland however is hard and cruel; not everyone is fit for the new world and its dangers. Many break, becoming raiders that terrorize the growing seeds of civilization. Those that don't break though, they become stronger forming societies, forming tribes, establishing villages and working to try and return some form of law and order to the chaos that surrounds them.

In the decades since those first stables opened, what had been the coastal region of Equestria was brought under the flag of UNET; The United Tribes of Equestria. Dedicated to old world values and the rule of law, they have made great efforts in united the scattered tribes who would have failed without their support. The key to their success is all thanks to one discovery: The Cerberus Detention Facility. So named for its design; a main building, with three wings extending from it all in the same direction. It is one of the truly rare building in the wasteland, relatively untouched and completely intact. An engineering masterpiece, the Prison was a collaboration of various Ministries and some of the top companies in Equestria, such as Robronco and Stable-Tec, built to house war criminals, terrorists, and other major criminals that would threaten Equestrian peace.

While many groups have tried to keep a hold of it over the years since the war, UNET has held it the longest thanks to their unity and collaboration. Now a veritable fortress, it now stands as a symbol of their ideals of how together ponies can accomplish anything and that the wasteland can be tamed. One of the main hubs of the growing nation, it provides a place to put criminals of the wasteland without always having to kill them and group of police officers and securitrons that can be quickly dispatched to handle the security in various villages... so long as they can afford it. But the best laid plans of mice and ponies often go astray, and soon this paragon of justice will be used for much darker means.

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In the shadows of night, a barely seen figure watches the prison from up on a hill. "They think they bring stability to these wretched lands, they're just another cause of the disease." A tinny voice proclaims to no one in particular. "Gentlecolts, BEHOLD as Tonight, I stick the first blow for true freedom! And with it the seeds will be planted so that Equinity can return to its former glory!" the voice continues monologing, a steel hoof comes down on small box with a singular button on top. Activating multiple large boxes on the east wall of the east wing of the prison. A loud thrum is heard and soon the wall firelessly explodes in a shower of rock and within minutes several dozen former prisoners return to the wasteland.

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Freedom. The one word that ran through the head of the pony known only as Prisoner 2; Not because she is the second Prisoner, but because she resides in Cell #2, at least she did until the wall came down. Like all prisoners she wears a blue jumpsuit, not too different from those found in the Stables, except that the usual yellow stripes and highlights were orange, hers was emblazoned with a large number 2 on the back. All prisoners were also equip with a pip-buck on their left foreleg, allowing the prison to keep track of their position at all times to prevent escapees from getting far. But that didn't matter to her now, as she wasted no time in making her way back into the wasteland.

It had been years since she was arrested, she couldn't remember the crime... or even her bucking name... She had been 'Prisoner 2' for the the greater part of a decade, her identity striped from her. UNET's idea of reformation removing the offender's past so that they could start anew when their sentence was up. Normally Prisoner 2 is fairly inconsequential, being quiet and well behaved, there hadn't been much point in raising a fuss, as no one ever escaped from Cerberus; but all that changed in a brief instant, she didn't know why but she wasn't going to stand around and question it either.

The wasteland was both strange and familiar to her, having vague memories of it from before her incarceration. The dangers out there didn't matter to her, She had to find out who she was, and why she was there... Was she even guilty of whatever crime they charged her of? She wasn't sure if she could answer these questions, or even where to begin... All she really knew was that she was free now, and she was never going back...

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The klaxon of alarms sound throughout the prison as a third of the all collapses releasing about two dozen prisoners back into the wastelands. The guards and securitrons scramble to try and get things under control. A tall and imposing muscular stallion with a brick wall cutie-mark, watches the chaos disapprovingly. "What in tartarus is happening down here and what were with all those explosions?" He yells to the guards as she makes his way down the stairs, each step he takes rattling the metal staircase violently.

"N-not explosions per se, Warden Barricade. Someone set up several Resonate Frequency Detonators along the wall, causing them to shatter like glass. Its damaged several of the computers and has allowed many prisoners to escape." explains a thin lanky guard with a pair of glasses that look like they are barely holding together. His cutie-mark is a pair of binoculars.

"RFDs? Impossible. NO ONE could have access to that many to do damage like this." The warden replies.

"There is always the Steel Rangers, they're always harboring pre-war technology, and we know they've had their eyes on this Prison for a while." The guard responds

Warden Barricade ponders this for a moment, but shakes his head. "No. This is too cowardly for them. We'd have had a straight on attack, and I doubt they would have done such damage and risk the technology we have." He states firmly, then after a moment he considers what is important. "Whatever did this... It doesn't matter right now. Send out the Securitrons to track down and bring the prisoners back, dead or alive, it doesn't matter. we can't have them running free and undermine our efforts to drag this wasteland kicking and screaming back into an enlightened age."

The guardpony shakes his head. "It won't be that simple sir. The attack damaged several of our computer networks, including our ability to keep track of the Prisoners' PipBucks. It could be days, or weeks before its fully operational again. If we send the Securitrons out, they'll be flying blind. Not only would  we have to send out mass quantities of them, and the more that are out there unsupervised and without proper tracking there are a chance ponies could get hurt in this ponyhunt."

"And if we do nothing but wait, who knows what that scum will do. Send them out, nothing is to stop them from recapturing those inmates. If anyone gets in the way, then they are impeding officers of the law and are to be treated as criminals as well. Always remember, WE are the law and what keeps UNET and civilization together. So tell me, Constable Vigilance, are you wanting to be the one responsible for the end of civilization as we know it, again?"

"N-No sir." Vigilance replies with a heavy gulp.

"Good, I'll be in my office. I'm going to have to explain this to the Princess and her court and I need to be ready. So don't bother me unless it is absolutely important."

----

As dawn breaks over the Coastal Wasteland, the sight of dozens of Securitrons can be seen filtering out of the prison and spreading out to every part of the wasteland in the search for escaped inmates. Programed to not only bring them back dead or alive, but to handle any others they deem as criminals in the process. No one expecting that this event has begun the countdown to the end of all life in the wasteland...