Possible future project. · 10:21pm Sep 27th, 2016
Posting a teaser for a potential future project to gauge interest.
Sunset's bike glided to a smooth stop in the driveway of Twilight Sparkle's home in the city. The two-car garage was closed; the family SUV and Shining Armor's convertible were parked in the driveway, which piqued Sunset's interest.
Kicking down the kickstand, she stowed her helmet and smoothed out her clothes, then headed for the front door. Before she could even ring the bell, Twilight Velvet opened the door, giving her a wan, haggard smile. "She said you were coming," she said.
Sunset nodded. "What's going on?" she asked. "Twilight sounded, well...way hyper on the phone, and what's up with the garage?"
Velvet grimaced. "Twilight's...taken over the garage," she said. "Her new project needed room to breathe, or so she says." She sighed. "She's in the kitchen taking a break." She stepped aside to allow Sunset into the house.
Sunset headed for the kitchen, where she saw Twilight sitting on a bar stool at the counter. She was a complete mess. She was covered in soot and grime, and the loose coveralls she wore under her white lab coat were stained and greasy. Her hair was an absolute catastrophe. Presently, she was taking large gulps from a can of cola while frowning studiously at something on the tablet she held.
"Alright, Twilight, what's going on?" Sunset demanded. "We barely get a single text from you a day for the past week, you've put your family out of the garage, you're an absolute mess, and you honestly sounded like you were high on something when you called me." She folded her arms. "What's this all about?"
Twilight looked up, blinking dazedly. "Oh! Sunset, you're here. Good. Perfect timing." She finished off her cola and tossed the can into a cloth bag hanging from a peg on the wall, then stood up and stretched. "Come on out." She headed for the door connecting the kitchen to the garage. Sunset frowned and followed her.
What she saw inside gave her pause.
Three workbenches had been set up around the garage. One had a laptop sitting open, a multitude of schematics and diagrams on the display; circuitboards and bits of electronic detritus were scattered around it. Another had a high-end computer system with numerous patched-together cables running between it and a computer assembly that looked to be decades out of date even to Sunset's limited knowledge of computer technology. A third held a large 3D printer and an array of tools and rolled-up blueprints.
None of which held a candle to the floor of the garage, across which was scattered what looked to be half a car. Or at least, enough auto parts to build half a car. In one corner of the garage, two large cylindrical tanks with hazard warning stickers stood; a spray nozzle assembly and hose hung on the wall next to them.
Sunset looked around at everything, taking it all in with wide, shocked eyes. She let out a low whistle. "Twilight, what the heck are you working on here?"
"About twice a month I raid the e-waste reclamation center for anything I can use," Twilight said. "Well, some company just dumped a ton of really old tech from a warehouse that hasn't been opened in decades, and I thought it'd be neat to take a look at some retro computer components they had." She checked something on the computer, then nodded thoughtfully to herself. "Well, I ran into something I wasn't expecting." She snapped her fingers in front of the microphone on her laptop. "Are you awake?"
There was a long pause, followed by a drawn-out digital groan. "Still...sluggish," a heavily digitized voice said. "Bad...connection."
Twilight's face softened. "I know," she said. "It won't be much longer, I promise."
Sunset frowned. "You reprogrammed that annoying digital assistant thing?"
A multi-tone beep rang out as a window popped open on the screen. "I resent being called annoying," a synthesized female voice said.
"Shut up," Twilight said offhandedly. "And yeah, I tweaked her a little to make her less stupid, but that's not what that was."
The larger computer let out an alert beep; Twilight moved over to it and rapidly started working in several windows, her brow furrowed in concentration. "Damn," she whispered as she swiped the mouse around and began reconfiguring...whatever she was working on. The computer started processing; several seconds later, it let out a much more positive-sounding beep, and Twilight smiled. "There we go."
"Uhh, Twilight?" Sunset asked.
"Just a minute." Twilight adjusted her glasses as she rapidly typed a series of commands into the machine; once she stopped, she stepped away. "Okay, that should do it," she said. "Now I just have to wait for the boards to print." She stepped away, turned to Sunset, and let out a breath. "Sorry."
Sunset shook her head. "What is it you're working on, anyway?"
Twilight's eyes danced with excitement. "Sunset, I found something amazing," she said. "About thirty-five years ago, a group of electronics and engineering companies that were way ahead of their time worked together under the direction of a secret corporation to create something incredible. They developed a whole bunch of new technologies...technologies that they didn't share with the world. Some of what they developed has since been reinvented, improved upon, and is in wide use today, but there are parts of what they did that...well...they're still revolutionary, even today." She laid a loving hand on the retro computer assembly next to the more high-end computer. "A lot of it wasn't salvageable, but the most important part is right here."
Sunset tilted her head. "It's an old computer," she said.
Twilight laughed. "Sunset, this isn't just any old computer! This is the most advanced artificial intelligence ever developed!"
Sunset's eyes widened. "An A.I. from...from three decades ago?" She frowned. "Twilight, that's--"
"I know, but trust me! This is the real deal! Nothing we have today compares!" She sighed. "But his logic boards are a mess and his memory system is completely shot. Nothing I have is a permanent fix, and his hardware is incompatible with modern technology. That's what I've been back here doing. Well, part of it. I've been reverse-engineering his microprocessor to rebuild him with new parts and expanded memory."
Sunset frowned. "Umm...okay," she said slowly, "there's a lot of questions I have about all that, but I guess the most important one is...can't you just copy his software to your computer?"
Twilight shook her head. "His entire logic system is hardware-based," she said. "He can't function at the software level. Honestly, I'm not even sure transferring him to new hardware is going to take. Whoever designed him in the first place was an absolute genius, but they did things, well..." She made a face. "They did things a really strange way."
"Okay, so you're back here building a new CPU for an ancient A.I.," Sunset said. "I guess that makes...some sense." She swept her arm out to indicate the various car parts flooding the floor of the garage. "But what's all this crap?"
"Oh." Twilight bit her lip. "Well, you see, I was able to extract a lot of schematic data from his CPU," she said. "The assortment of bits and pieces I got confused the heck out of me once I knew I had an old A.I. unit, so I was able to ask some questions once I figured out how to connect his inputs to my laptop, and then I dug through his schematic files, and, well..." She laughed shakily. "It turns out this A.I.'s original purpose was to control a car."
Sunset stared at Twilight. "A car."
"Like, a super spy car," Twilight said with a firm nod. "I couldn't believe all the amazing stuff it was supposed to do."
Sunset's eyes narrowed as she folded her arms. "And you're rebuilding the car," she said.
"Well of course!" Twilight said, throwing her arms up and wide. "How can I not?"
"Of course," Sunset muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You're crazy. You know that, right?" Twilight made a vague 'so-so' gesture with her hand and smiled sheepishly. Sunset rolled her eyes. "Okay, so...that explains the car guts all over the place." She glanced at the cylindrical tanks in the corner. "I'm almost afraid to ask, but..."
Twilight followed her gaze, and her eyes shone brightly. "That," she said proudly, "is the coolest part! I mean, the coolest part besides resurrecting the most advanced A.I. ever created. See, that super car? It was designed to be indestructible. There was a really complicated chemical formula that the entire car was sprayed with. Most of the actual car was long since gone, but I found just enough of it to reverse-engineer the formula."
Sunset stared at her. "Let me get this straight," she said. "You're building an artificially intelligent, indestructible super spy car."
"Correction. I'm rebuilding an artificially intelligent, indestructible super spy car."
"Uh-huh," Sunset said flatly. "And, what, you plan to drive around the city playing super spy in this thing?"
Twilight shook her head and adjusted her glasses. "Of course not. I don't even have a learner's permit and I hate driving."
Sunset blinked. "Then...why?"
Twilight smirked. "You're gonna drive it."
Sunset stared at her, irises shrinking to pinpricks. "Oh hell no."
Continue, for you amuse me.
I heartily endorse this product and/or service.
puu.sh/rq3IT.png
I have never watched Knight rider outside of the short lived TV reboot but I would totally read this.
A cross between MLP:EQ and Knight Rider? Color me intrigued
Oh my God. Twilight's going to make Sunset the new Nightrider. What's next: turn Rainbow Dash into the new $6,000,000.00 teen?
Oh ho. This should prove very interesting indeed. I look forward to seeing this expanded, though I can only guess how you're going to find the time.
Do it. I command you.
Nah, I'm just kidding. But it sounds pretty damn cool.
Where did the idea come from?
Never seen Knight Rider before, don't know what it is about either. I do think that this is looking good so far and I can't wait to see the full thing when you publish it.
Okay, I know nothing about Knight Rider - as other comments seem to indicate this is about - but Sunset driving an indestructible AI super spy car is just too awesome a concept to not want, wherever it comes from!
I am with them, do it.
But I have one thing to ask well more two things.
1. Is Twilight going to help Sunset out and keep upgrading the car
2. Will someone be after it, what happens to Rarity and the others
ok more 3 things but what Rarity and co going to do just sit back and see what happens or jump in and help out.
or the bad friends may kidnap them in hopes to get the car. but then again we are looking at 30 years later.
so more the kids of the kids of the starting group.
you get the idea.
Are you doing a Knight Rider crossover? If yes I'm on! if not, well I'll be on anyway.
Hope the car end's up being the Pontiac Firebird Trans Am.
If I had enough money, I'd throw it at you for this.
4229937 Watching old reruns of Knight Rider on El Rey while making supper.
4229938
4229940 Every time I run into people who've never seen Knight Rider, I cry a little on the inside. That's sad. So sad.
To put it simply, Knight Rider IS the 80s. Everything about the 80s is Knight Rider.
4229951
In that case, consider this your chance to introduce me to it. I wasn't born until '87, and spent most of my formative years in England...so by the time I was watching American TV, it wasn't on anymore.
4229941 Dude, I haven't developed this past "Twilight rebuilds KITT and Sunset drives KITT" yet.
Make it so... When you clear out a bit of your writing schedule.
Knight Rider was before my time, and I'm not that interested in live action shows that aren't some kind of competition (and even then, at this point the only two that still interest me are Masterchef and Hell's Kitchen), so the fact that it's some kind of parody is nothing special to me.
However, given the level of enjoyment that your stories tend to give me (any and all nitpicks I have with them aside), this seems like it would be a fun story.
Go for it, man!
4229955 Just some ideas I had when reading what you do have, you can rebuild the car but at the same time why have a super spy car and not have some evil group looking for it. Plus the AI has been out of it for like 30 years.
in the end, I know you have not done it that far but the ideas kind of write themselves sometimes.
Just saying.
As soon as KITT is functional, they will have to make a call to the Knight Foundation. At very least to check if it is still in operation.
Hmm, a spy story I see. Well, if it's anything like your other big works, then I say go for it
Not sure what type of spy thing you're going for, but i'm interested ^^
...yes.
To be specific, i will read the
out of this if/when it's written.
4229951 Well to be fair, I was born in 1995. I wasn't really interested in a lot of live action shows when I was growing up. But if this story turns out good it will definitely inspire me to watch a few episodes of Knight Rider. Is it on Netflix?
Wait is this...
Oh my yes it is!
Yes, YES! So want this!
Mage Rider...a shadowy flight into the dangerous world of a woman who does not exist...
4229972 Yep! It's on Netflix and I strongly recommend checking it out.
4229951 What is Knight Rider?
more please.
Ah, yes, I believe you mused about doing this some time ago. It definitely sounds interesting, and I liked seeing your take on EQG Twilight Velvet again.
Ah, yes. I remember Knight Rider when I was a kid.
Gotta love the 80s, man.
4230042 I hardly watched any of it, actually, mostly due to forgetting it was there. I didn't dislike it, but there wasn't enough of it there to really feel one way or the other about.
Knight Rider, huh?
I like it!
At first, I thougth TF, but when you said "spy car" I was like
Count me in!
4229951
Man, reading all these comments about how people haven't seen Knight Rider, combined with you describing it as pure distilled 80's, makes me feel so old.
I'd read it
*Pokes head in*
*Nods*
vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/walkingdead/images/3/3f/Shut-up-and-take-my-money.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/800?cb=20140829235648
this is the best thing I've heard all day.
So Twilight found K.I.T.T.
Never saw Knight Rider. I'm sure I'd like it, but I don't really have an interest.
So either a crossover or taking elements from the source. Sure, why not?
4230159 Welcome to my world, man.
The moment you mentioned "control a car" I knew what you were doing.
And I love it!
Dude. This seems legit. The last line was so worth it!
I never heard of Knight Rider until LEGO Dimensions XD
I may never have seen Knight Rider (it was before my time)... but I have a passing familiarity with it due to versions of KITT and KARR appearing in another fanfic I've read in the past.
Quite frankly, this looks like a very entertaining idea, and I look forward to seeing more of it.
Until next time...
Anon e Mouse Jr.
Oh hell yes.
I may be to young to have ever seen Knight Rider (not to mention not watching any American TV ever), but it seems really cool.
Sir or Madam, you have my attention. Please continue.
You know, I find myself wondering if this would be more of an EQG story with elements drawn from Knight Rider, or more of a shared universe crossover where the events of the Knight Rider TV series happened. Because if it's the latter, I wonder how you plan on squaring something that takes place on "our" Earth with your view of the EQG-verse.
4231013 The former, not the latter.