Gravy Train (Patreon)

Another moment from my Royal Equestria Security Forces (RESF) dreamscape. In particularly the events taking place around Ft. Trotterdale.

     Like real individuals some of the characters in my dreamscapes are willing to do horrible things, but even with them there are certain things that are beyond the pale. Lines they will not cross, or actions they will never condone under any circumstance. This applies to even the Queen of Changelings.

     One of the fluorescent tube bulbs in the room was humming and flickering in a spastic fashion. The Queen of Changelings ignored it. Chrysalis slowly scrolled the spreadsheet up on her laptop as she checked the numbers on it against the stack of invoices that were haphazardly piled up on a ratty table. Behind her and to either side stood 6 of her enforcers. For this late night meeting none of them were wearing their disguises. The ponies there knew exactly who they were dealing with. In the background one could here the whirring sound of forklifts and pallets clattering as they were loaded on trucks. This was punctuated by the rattling sound of rolling metal doors on trucks being closed.

     Finally the queen was satisfied that the invoices matched the spreadsheet. Slowly leaning back in her chair she removed a water bottle she'd brought with her from her messenger bag and took a long sip. It was almost midnight but the air in what usually was the employee break room was hot and muggy. Ft. Trotterdale was experiencing its summertime tradition of evening thunderstorms, and apparently the A/C had called in sick for the evening. Because nothing meaningful was coming from the vents.

     As she drank her water one of the queen's drones stuck his head in the room and looked at the queen and nodded his head. This told her majesty that the trucks were loaded and ready to roll. she returned the drone's nod and then looked across the table at the pony seated across from her. The unicorn mare had been silently scowling at the changeling for the last 15 minutes.

     Broken Jaw was a brutal and callous individual, but so long as you knew that going in, and stuck to the letter of an arrangement she was a pony you could work with. A perpetual scowl on her face made it look like the mare had been weaned on a pickle. Like the queen the mare had 5 of her hired muscle standing behind her. Stowing her water bottle Chrysalis spoke.

     "Well. Upon review, all the books look to be properly reconciled as is to be expected. As usual Broken Jaw you've delivered what you've said you would."

     The mare shrugged her shoulders. "Eh.  Why shouldn't I? You pay your fucking bills on time, so why should I go and do anything to fuck up my gravy train!"

     Chrysalis grinned. "Speaking of the gravy train." The mare quickly tapped a couple of keystrokes on her laptop. As she did her horn glowed for a moment. Then she tapped another series of keystrokes. Then she hit the enter key and looked over at the unicorn.

     "There. Payment has been transferred to the agreed to account. You should be receiving a notification any second." The phone in front of the mare chimed. "Ah! That should be it! Please confirm that the correct and agreed to amount has been transferred before I leave."

     Broken Jaw picked up her phone and tapped a series of inputs and stared at the screen. For the first time that evening the tiniest of smile crept across her face. "Yeah! Payday!" She looked back at the Queen. "Like I said. You pay your fucking bills on time!"

     The mare started to reach for something under her jacket with her right hand. She paused as she saw the queen's enforcers tense ever so slightly. The queen remained still. Slowly Broken Jaw moved her hand away her jacket. She glared at the enforcers.

     "Eh! What the fuck? You guys deaf or what? why should I go and do anything to fuck up my gravy train? I'm just getting a smoke." She looked at the queen and very sarcastic voice spoke.

     "Does your Majesty mind if I have a fucking smoke at the end of another successful job? You know in celebration of it and shit like that."

     Chrysalis considered smoking to be a disgusting habit, but she knew that the unicorn was almost continuous chain smokers, and Broken Jaw had abstained from doing it the whole time she'd been in the room. So the changeling felt she could be generous this time.

     "No I don't mind." The changeling said with a neutral face. The mare's scowl softened tiny bit and slowly she reached into the jacket and with equal care she withdrew a crumpled pack of cigarettes. She held the pack up for the queen's enforcers to see as she addressed them.

     "See. Fucking smokes. Nothing else. Shit! Why in Tartarus would I try something here anyways? Between my guys and your trigger happy shitheads this room would be a fucking wood chipper!"

     Chrysalis genuinely grinned at the mare. "I have to ask for your forgiveness. Recently I've had to deal with some individuals who've tried to eliminate your gravy train." Link 

     The unicorn's horn glowed a little and a small ball of flame appeared in front of her. She leaned forward and lit her cigarette. Slowly she reclined back in her chair and stared up at the ceiling as she took a long pull of her smoke. "Well they obviously fucked up that job." She blew a long stream of smoke up at the ceiling and then looked over at the changeling grinning. "Which is good for my bank account!"

     The Queen of the Changelings was about to reply when there was the crash of toppling pallets out on the warehouse floor followed by a high pitch scream. A few seconds later a male voice roared out. "You stupid, clumsy foal! What are you doing up here!"This was followed by the sound of repeated blunt trauma.

     Chrysalis froze in the middle of typing something on her laptop. She turned her head toward the break room doorway. She listened for a second before looking across the table at Broken Jaw. "What, was, that?" The queen asked coldly.

To be continued.