The sun shone brightly in the cloudless sky above the Dodgeworld desert; said sky was always cloudless on account of the DELOS resort's lack of a pegasi weather team. Since no vegetation or wildlife was needed at the resort there wasn't any need to keep a supply of rainwater available. As a result, guests of Dodgeworld had to brave the extreme heat and humidity when wandering around the desert where air conditioning was non-existent. It was said heat and humidity that forced Applejack to wipe away a glob of sweat that had accumulated atop her eyebrows as she followed Prickly Pear through the desert.
"How much farther?" AJ asked Prickly, taking a large gulp from her canteen.
"Well," he replied, pointing towards a large outcropping of rocks just a few hundred meters in front of them, "the herd should be just beyond them rocks assumin' they've kept everythin' the same since Ah was here last."
"That's jus' it, Prickly," Applejack said, "what if they up n' changed locations since then? How're we 'posed to find it?"
"We'll find it," Prickly replied, turning around and playfully rustling AJ's mane. "Don't y'all worry yer pretty little head."
With a slight blush in her cheeks, AJ nodded and resumed following him through the desert. Prickly had promised to show Applejack the robot buffalo herd that resided in the Dodgeworld desert that day, but she was starting to lose her patience in finding it. Already they had checked most of its usual locations with no success, and Prickly assured her that it'd be in this last spot or he'd treat her to a big heaping pile of apple fritters upon returning home. Slowly but surely, the two reached the rocks and began climbing them.
"So, Applejack," Prickly said as they hopped onto the first rock, "tell me more about Chief Thunderhooves' tribe. Ah'd love ta hear what livin' flesh and blood buffalo are like as 'posed to the robots here."
"Well, Ah didn't really get ta know them all that well." Applejack wobbled a bit after hopping onto a rock, but quickly caught herself and righted out. "Rainbow Dash would better know what he and his tribe were like. Anyway, what's the robot tribe here like? Are they lifelike like all them other 'bots?"
"They sure as sugar are," Prickly stated. "DELOS doesn't lie when they say ALL their robots are made ta accurately portray their character."
"Fascinatin'."
In little more than two minutes the pair reached the top of the outcropping. From their position they could see clear to the island's western shore and the oceanic horizon beyond. Their gazes, however, lingered on the area just a few hundred meters in front of the rocks where the buffalo herd was currently grazing in a small grass patch.
"Well, looks like we've found 'em," Prickly stated.
"Finally," Applejack sighed as she collapsed onto the rock on her stomach.
Prickly Pear chuckled and sat down next to her. He then took out his canteen and gulped down some water before putting it back. "Ah take it yer not used ta smoldering heat in Ponyville?" he asked.
"Frankly, I don't see how anypony can get used to it," Applejack replied as she sat up on her haunches.
"When you've lived in the desert yer whole life, ya can't help but get accustomed to it."
"Lucky you."
The two stared out at the buffalo herd for a while, observing their movements and activities with a researcher's gaze the whole time. Every now and then one of them would ask the other a question regarding their own respective buffalo experiences, mechanical or otherwise, to which they would share accounts of how they inevitably ticked the buffalo off and almost got trampled, gored, rammed, or outright killed as a result. This was a source of countless chuckles from both of them, and it was from this that Prickly got an idea.
"How 'bout we go on down there an' mess with 'em buffalo?" he asked AJ, pointing toward the herd that was still grazing in the fake grass. "Share the experience with each other?"
Applejack smiled. "Sure thin' Prickly."
With that, the two began hopping down the outcropping of rocks towards the herd.
-----
Grazing mode activated.
Grazing protocol initiated . . . . . . *Error 43* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Error resolved.
Grazing protocol initiated . . . . . . . . . Grazing protocol ceased.
Outside variables detected.
Scanning for variables . . . scanning complete.
Variable/s: Guest/s
Number of Guest/s detected: 2
Query protocol initiated.
Random query selected.
Query activated: "You dare to trespass on our sacred grazing grounds?"
Awaiting response . . . response received.
Received response: Catch
Scanning for intent clarification . . . scanning ceased.
Outside variables detected.
Scanning for variables . . . scanning complete.
Variable/s: Snake/s
Number of Snake/s detected: 1
Panic stampede mode activated.
Alarm protocol initiated.
Alarm activated: "RUN!!!"
Running protocol initiated . . . . . .
Applejack and Prickly Pear failed to contain their laughter as they watched the robot buffalo herd run away from the robot snake that Prickly threw at their leader. They were originally going to simply tease the leader to no end, but were lucky enough to have found a fully functional rattler close to the rocks. Picking it up with a stick, Prickly had carried it over and thrown it at the leader once he noticed him and AJ.
"Sweet Celestia," Applejack managed to spit out through constant chuckles, "Ah wish Ah had a camera right now, cause that was downright hysterical."
"Amen, Applejack," Prickly replied through his own chuckles. "Why's it when robot critters get up and spooked by them snakes it's hilarious but not when real, living critters do?"
"Maybe because there's no reason to worry about a robot's well-bein'?"
"Makes sense."
The two kept up the laughs for a minute afterwards before calming down. Applejack took out her canteen and was about to take a gulp of water when she heard a noise close by. Perking her ears, it sounded like a maraca being shook super fast. Looking in its direction she saw what it was; the rattler that Prickly threw at the buffalo had returned to them and was now shaking its tail and hissing very threateningly at them.
"Uh, Prickly?"
"Yes, AJ?"
"Look."
Prickly followed Applejack's gaze to the robot rattlesnake. With a smile, he glanced back at Applejack.
"Want me ta squash 'im?"
"Would ya?"
Prickly happily trotted up to the robot snake and raised his front hooves above it in preparation. Suddenly, the rattler lunged at him and struck just above his knee, sinking its plastic teeth into his skin and holding firm. With a yelp and shake of his leg, Prickly detached the little serpent from his person and hobbled back over to Applejack.
"Weird," he muttered.
"What?" Applejack asked.
"That wasn't supposed ta happen. Those robot rattlesnakes are programmed to always miss their strikes, or at least not to strike at any target that's close enough to be hit."
"Well, Ah don't know how these robot doohickeys work, but my only concern right now is whether you need medical attention."
Prickly smiled again. "Don't worry, all it gave me was a minor bruise. DELOS has limits on the realism factor of this place; they wouldn't put in anything potentially lethal to guests."
"Still, Ah reckon we should stay away from them Rattlers from now on," Applejack said as she turned back toward the rock outcropping. "C'mon, let's head back to town and get some lunch."
"Ya read my mind, sugarcube," Prickly replied as he turned around as well.
Applejack blushed slightly as she and Prickly began the long, arduous journey back to Dodgeworld proper.
DELOS' robot population was a prime example of Earth pony technology at its finest. Each and every robot was crafted by hoof (telekinesis) personally by DELOS' unicorn technician staff under the supervision of Bite Back, with only cyborgs of the highest quality being permitted for use in the resort. Said robots were under guidance, regardless, from the other half of the technician team; the half that operated during the day, monitoring the robots in case problems arose that required their immediate withdrawal from the resort.
This half of the unicorn technician team operated on the floor above where the robots were repaired by the night team. They monitored the goings on of the resort through a system of "Crystalvision". Crystalvision, as its name suggests, is the process of capturing images within light rays and transmitting them through specially selected and enchanted crystals. Such a practice had been exercised for a long time, even before the banishment of Nightmare Moon, but it was only recently that the use of Crystalvision was authorized to ponies outside of the royal family, and even then only the wealthiest ponies could afford to pay the taxes associated with its use.
Currently, one of the day technicians was staring at one of the many crystals set up throughout the room with Bite Back looking over his shoulder. In the crystal was a scene of two earth ponies climbing up a large outcropping of rocks in the Dodgeworld desert after having thrown a rattler at the buffalo tribe.
"He was attacked?" Bite Back asked the technician.
"Yes sir," the technician replied, using his magic to playback the incident in question. "The Rattler struck out and bit him after having thrown it at Chief M.B."
"Strange," Bite Back mused. "Then again, it's been a while since a guest came across a live one so we wouldn't know if there's a problem with their depth feedback system."
"What should I do sir?"
"Retrieve that Rattler and turn it over to the night team. I want everything nice and peachy when the princesses come for the meeting tonight."
"You got it, boss." The technician then left the room and proceeded to do as he was instructed.
"Hopefully this was an isolated incident," Bite Back muttered under his breath as he continued monitoring his employees.
Perfect. That was all Rainbow Dash could currently think of to describe her vacation in Aviworld. At the moment she was being catered to by three robot maids while she sat back in the joust champion's designated throne atop the Cloudosseum's north end. One was fanning her with an oversize canvas leaf, another was feeding her grapes straight off the stem, and the last was massaging her back and wings.
Rainbow Dash had spent the better part of the previous day jousting with any and everypony who challenged her for the champion's title. Most of said ponies she could tell weren't worth the time and only accepted their challenges because the champion was required to do so lest they forfeit the title back to Brave Heart. She continued this until she had defeated three-fourths of Aviworld's guests, at which point it became clear to everypony that she was invincible, and ceased with their challenges as a result. With her goal of becoming queen of Aviworld essentially completed, Rainbow Dash decided to start milking the perks of being queen for all they were worth, which is why she was currently being tended to by the trio of robot maids.
"Dear Crimson, do be a dear and give me a refill, would you?" Dash asked one of the maids, talking in her best mock Rarity voice.
"Yes, empress," the maid replied in the typical monotone voice before leaving.
Dash let out a contented sigh as she relished in how much better her back felt after having been massaged. She closed her eyes and was about to attempt catching some Zs when she heard the unmistakable sound of clanking armor. Opening her eyes, she lifted an ear to listen more closely. She quickly determined the noise was getting closer when she started hearing hoofsteps alongside the clanking sounds. Turning her head left, she spied Brave Heart trotting up the steps to her throne; his face in its typical expressionless position. That changed, however, when he reached the top of the steps and immediately lowered his gaze to her, his face adopting a look of determination.
"Empress," he said, "I challenge you to a rematch."
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "You'll just get clobbered again." She proceeded to bite a grape off the vine.
"I have been honing my skills since our last joust." Brave Heart flexed his mechanical wings. "It will not be the same match as before."
Swallowing the grape, Dash looked back at the robot. "Fine, but only because I like the perks of being queen too much to give it up."
"Then it is on," Brave Heart affirmed with a wave of his hoof. "I shall see you in the arena by the next hour."
"This is gonna be fun to watch." Bite Back looked over the technician's shoulder to the crystal he was monitoring. Displayed was a split-screen image showing four different views of Aviworld's jousting arena from each corner. In-image, Brave Heart was moving into place on his side of the cloud field while the current empress of Aviworld, Elemental Bearer Rainbow Dash, as Bite Back had learned, did the same on her side. The cyan pegasus was decked out in a suit of shining silver armor. Every time she moved her armor would glisten in the rays of Celestia's sun, cloaking her in a bright gray veil that sporadically shielded her from view of the crystals.
"I'll bet," the technician replied.
As the two looked on, they saw Brave Heart and Rainbow Dash exchange their taunts and the referee inform them of the rules, despite its unnecessity. As soon as the joust started Brave Heart shot forward and poised to strike Rainbow Dash in the chest. Dash, of course, dodged and countered with a successful blow to Brave's right side, briefly disorienting him. Rainbow smirked, knowing she had trapped the robot exactly the same as before. In the blink of an eye, Rainbow positioned herself behind Brave and prepared to execute her winning strategy. She gripped tight her lance and shot forward, her aim targeting Brave's haunches. Suddenly, the robot darted out of her way, and Rainbow's mind went blank as she shot across the arena. The realization of what happened dawned on her just in time, however, and she abruptly halted her flight just meters from the arena's south wall. While Dash looked back at the robot puzzled, Bite Back and the accompanying technician looked at her with glee.
There had been a reason Brave Heart said he'd been honing his skills. In response to seeing Dash's strategy for beating the robot, during the night Bite Back made the call for Brave's hit recovery rate to be increased. As a result, the robotic gladiator could now recover from blows faster than even Rainbow Dash could fly. The reasoning behind this decision was simple: Rainbow's strategy all but eliminated the challenge of defeating Brave Heart. So, to make up for the oversight in the robot's programming Bite Back eliminated the usefulness of said strategy, and right now it was working like a charm as Bite Back noted from looking at the images present in the crystal.
Rainbow Dash gave exhausted breaths as she swerved and dodged Brave Heart's current barrage of attacks with declining stamina. She had expected to win easily again despite any upgrades Brave Heart may have obtained, but she quickly realized that wouldn't happen when he succeeded in avoiding every single attempt she made at the speed & strike tactic. To make matters worse, being a robot Brave Heart was immune to exhaustion and could keep up the fight indefinitely while Rainbow Dash could only go on for as long as her body allowed her to. And judging from her diminishing reaction times to Brave's strikes, she didn't have much time left.
After having dodged close to a couple dozen attacks, Dash felt all but a tad bit of her body's energy drain away. By now she was barely keeping herself in the air. Looking back to Brave Heart, she saw him charging yet again at her. Instead of dodging this time, however, Rainbow gently lowered herself to the cloud ground well before his attack reached her. To conserve what little energy she had left, Rainbow had decided to take the joust onto the ground. Normally she'd mentally berate herself for choosing land over air, but even if Dash had the energy to do so she wouldn't have; she knew victory was hopeless if she kept wasting precious stamina on staying airborne.
Brave Heart continued his charge anyway, adjusting the direction of his flight in response to Dash's landing. Panting uncontrollably, Dash put the last of her energy into leaping out of his way. She rolled over on the cloud ground a few times before coming to a stop standing on her hooves.
That's it, she thought, I'm finished.
With a sigh, Rainbow Dash collapsed to the ground. With all the fight in her gone, Dash waited for Brave Heart to come pick her up so he could throw her through the goalpost.
Well, being queen was nice while it lasted.
A few seconds went by without anything happening. With an indelible moan, Dash lifted her head up and turned in Brave Heart's direction. The robot was hovering just a few meters off the ground with his back to her, staring ahead of him in an apparent daze.
What the . . . ?
Dash passed out.
"What's wrong with him?" Bite Back asked.
"I don't know sir," the technician replied. "Should I retrieve him for diagnosis?"
"Yes, please."
The technician proceeded to exit the room and make his way out to Aviworld. Bite Back, meanwhile, kept staring at the image displayed within the crystal. Brave Heart was still fluttering in place while Rainbow Dash was helped out of the arena by the referee. All the while Bite Back watched he speculated what the problem with Brave's internal systems could be. Sure, command server malfunctions had happened from time to time, but in all prior cases the afflicted robot's system shut down in response as it was designed. To see that protocol now fail concerned Bite Back as it meant there was yet another oversight in the robot's design. This one, however, was far more serious, especially if it turned out to be a flaw in the core design. If that was the case, then every robot with the same core design was at risk of failing.
With a heavy sigh, Bite Back headed for a nearby hallway leading to his personal quarters. If there was one thing he needed above all else right then it was a good, long nap to relieve his stress.