• Published 15th Dec 2015
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The War Machine - Urimas Ebonheart



An experimental self aware A.I. driven robotic soldier named Adam is told he's been ordered to be destroyed by the government... His creator frees him from his military directives and tells him to run. He has a new directive now, self preservation.

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Chapter 9: This Means War

The War Machine
Chapter 9: This Means War

After Luna's operation, Twilight and I returned to the Lab while Celestia went back to the throne room. I locked myself into my station in the Trailer and ran a thorough diagnostic scan on my emotional systems.

It appears that the Elements have rewritten the code to allow a broader more natural range of emotions, allowing me to laugh and even get upset. I am not sure what to think about this.

By the time I was done, it was morning already.

"Good morning, Adam," Twilight greets me as she walks in.

I unlock myself and step out of the Trailer. "Good morning, Twilight," I reply.

"Thought I'd let you know that Luna is awake and is not a happy camper," she tells me.

"I see, I shall go and visit her then," I say to Twilight and head into the Castle.

I walk along the halls to the medical wing while ponies passing by smile, nodded, and wave at me; I couldn't return the smiles but I did nod and wave back.

I reach the medical wing and a Nurse leads me to Luna's room where I can hear voices behind the door.

"As your Princess, I order you to apply a numbing spell!" I hear Luna say.

"I'm sorry, Princess Luna, but Princess Celestia has ordered us not to do so," a mare replies to her.

"Then I'll just apply it myself," the Princess says angrily.

I open the door and step inside. "I am afraid you'll just have to bear with it, Luna. As I told you before, the pain is your nerves trying to connect with the prosthetic limb," I explain to her.

She glares at me, then hisses as the prosthetic twitches slightly. "Still doesn't make this any less pleasant," she replies and lays her head back on the pillow.

"Would you rather have the pain numbed where there's a very high chance that your nerves will never move your leg, or feel some discomfort for a few days to have full control of the leg?" I ask her.

She sighs and waves her right foreleg at me. "Fine, I see your point," she says and hisses in pain as the prosthetic twitches again. "Still doesn't make me feel any better," she mumbles quietly.

I have an idea that might get her mind off it for a while. "Would you like me to show you how the radio works?" I offer her.

"Very well," she replies with a nod.

I stand beside her and open the panel on her leg, revealing two dials and two buttons. "The left dial changes the radio frequency while the right dial changes the volume, pressing the right button allows you to contact the radio station while the left turns the radio on and off," I explain to her.

She winces in discomfort again as her horn glows, she presses the power button with her magic and the screen indicating the frequency and volume lights up with the classical channel playing. I find it amusing as she just stares at her new leg while music is playing from it.

"So, how do you like it?" I ask her.

She blinks a few times and looks up at me. "It is incredible, how long will -ow- will it take until I can move it?" she replies and then asks me.

"Another two to three days at most, by then your nerves should have assimilated with the socket and then to the prosthetic. The leg can also be removed for maintenance and repairs," I tell her.

She turns the frequency dial and finds the trance genre channel.

Her head starts bobbing up and down to the beat with a smile on her face, though she does wince every now and then in pain.

"What manner of music is this? I've never heard of its kind before," she asks me.

"The genre is called trance using synthetic and percussion instruments. Equestria has no synthesizers from what I have seen," I reply.

"I see," she mumbles and continues to listen to the music.

"I must return to the Lab, I have something to discuss with Twilight. I am glad to see you are alright and hope the music at least helps take your mind off the pain," I say to her and head for the door.

"Thank you, Adam. It is better than just lying here with nothing to do," she replies and closes her eyes, enjoying the music even more.


One Month, One Week and Four Days Later


I've sorted through most of the files and data on magic I've read and taken pictures of during the first two days after visiting Luna, it would seem my maximum magical output is three-hundred and fifty thaumics. Just as Twilight said, the amount of an average unicorn. Twilight herself is now at nine-hundred and twenty-four thanks to her Element, she was at four-hundred and seven beforehand.

Celestia has two-thousand, three-hundred and eighty-one thaumics while Luna is five-hundred below her.

Luna is now out of the medical wing and walking around with her new leg, she's thanked me numerous times and has given me something she calls a wishing star, a small crystal vial with a strong energy source inside it. She says it's a star she has pulled from the night itself and placed into a vial and if someone makes a wish with all of their heart, the star may grant it; but it's only a legend started by the ponies she says.

She was also getting extremely bored during her second day in the medical wing, so I let her play with my Ovion and explained to her how it functioned and how to play the games. With how enamoured she is with it now, I don't think I'll be getting it back any time soon.

Twilight, Spike, and I returned to Ponyville for two weeks where Twilight's friends all asked questions on how it went.

After those two weeks, we returned to the Lab in Canterlot to begin research into amplifying the radio signals with magic.

Shining Armour visited Twilight and Spike a few times during our research, she has such a strange nickname for him, BBBFF, which I was told meant Big Brother Best Friend Forever.

I've also done another scan of the changeling we still have. We've discovered the signal coming from it is some sort of biological network and the signal is coming from the south west of Ponyville within the Everfree Forest.

I theorised that it was similar to that of ants or bees, which Twilight agrees with.

During the last month, Twilight’s friends from Ponyville came to visit and went into Canterlot to have fun with her while I remained at the Lab. They said goodbye after a few days and went back to Ponyville where Twilight said we should be back after the radio enhancement tests.


I'm standing in the Lab behind Twilight and a few other scientists who are etching a rune into one of those radios she told me the guards are using after we found a possible way to boost the signals to a longer range.

Once done, they stand back and Twilight's horn glows, my scanners show the magical energy in the rune rising.

Alert!
Magical energy signature unstable due to interference from a secondary magic source.
Device detonation imminent.

Processing... I storm forward and quickly push the scientists and Twilight away, getting shouts of protest from them, I then lean over the radio, wrap my arms around it and use myself as a blast shield.

The Lab shakes very slightly as the radio explodes, fortunately, it only had the force of a fragmentation grenade.

“Holy guacamole! What happened!?” Spike shouts out.

"Adam! Are you alright!?" Twilight asks me with worry while coughing through the smoke filling the Lab.

I stand up straight and examine my chest, my magazine pouches are ruined but the plating held strong.

"I am perfectly functional, Twilight," I reply and turn to face her.

"How did you know that would happen?" she asks while still coughing. "It looked like it was going just how we calculated..." she says depressed as the scientists use their magic to vent the smoke out the large doors.

"My scanners detected a faint secondary magical signature interfering with yours, it was the cause of the instability," I tell her.

She gasps and I start to scan the area for a matching signature.

Scanning...
Scanning...
Scanning...
Signature detected, target located.

I look to my right at a unicorn guard standing by the door who is looking back at me nervously while levitating a few scrolls of blueprints for a prosthetic hind leg that's still in the development stage. Since Luna's prosthetic was a huge success, Celestia has asked me to make a functional hind leg as well at a later date using cheaper, more common and accessible materials.

I start walking towards him, which causes him to panic and hastily stuff the blueprint into a saddlebag before bolting out of the room. I give chase down the hallway, leaving cracked footprints in the marble floor as Twilight calls out to me. "Adam! What's going on!?" she asks, her voice getting more and more distant.

I don't reply but connect to Luna's radio. "Princess Luna, we have a traitor among the guards who almost killed Twilight and the scientists with an explosion and stole the hind leg prosthetic blueprints and possibly a few more. I am currently pursuing the target, unicorn, male, towards the main lobby. Over," I inform her and activate my jet skates, it is fortunate the halls are clear and wide enough for me to do so.

The unicorn looks back and yelps as he sees me gaining on him.

"Adam? Did you say there's a traitor among the guard!?" she asks stunned.

"Affirmative, target has just reached the lobby. Over," I reply and narrowly miss a maid who shrieks in fright.

The traitor pulls the entrance doors closed with his magic as he runs outside, I however, don't slow down and cross my arms in front of me while crouching down and ram straight through the large wooden doors. Ponies scream from the loud noise as I sail through the air and land at the bottom of the short staircase, cracking the paved road beneath me. Splinters of the door scatter around me as I reactivate my jet skates and continue my pursuit.

The traitor yelps in surprise and redoubles his efforts to escape, I don't have a firearm on me and I don't want to use a missile in a crowded area.

"Try to capture him alive if you can, I'll alert my sister at once," she tells me.

"Understood," I confirm.

He looks back and starts to fire bolts of magic at me, but they all harmlessly dissipate against my plating. Compared to Nightmare Moon's magic, these are like someone throwing baseballs at me.

I increase my speed to full and hold my arms out to my sides, ready to ensnare him.

"Adam? This is Celestia. Do whatever it takes to capture that guard without harming the citizens," she orders me. I can just hear the anger in her tone.

"Roger that," I reply.

I'm getting closer, just a few more seconds and I'll have him.

Alert.
Explosive device detected at three o'clock.

I glance to my right and see a small black sphere with a lit fuse on it, a crudely made bomb. It detonates, sending me off course as my right foot is sent into my left. I tumble down the street and into the front of a building.

System malfunction.
Initiating quick reboot.
Rebooting...
Rebooting...
Reboot complete.

I quickly get up and pull myself out of the hole I made, ponies are screaming in fear and trying to get away. My tracking systems still have the unicorn's signature locked and I resume my pursuit.

Scanners indicate the unicorn has taken to the air. I look up to see him being carried away by two gryphons with several of the pegasi guard chasing after them.

"Celestia, target has gone airborne, two gryphons are carrying him away," I radio in to Celestia. Gunshots echo throughout the streets as the pegasi begin dropping, My optics zoom in and see primitive flintlock styled pistols in the gryphons talons. "Update, they have crude forms of firearms and are killing the pursuing guards. Requesting permission to use lethal force, over," I ask.

I hear her growl slightly. "Denied, I'm on my way," she replies.

Seconds later, Celestia teleports in the air and uses her magic to hold the traitor and gryphons in place. She glares at them and turns to take them back to the Castle, but another gunshot goes off which hits Celestia in the chest.

Processing, calculating projectile origin.
Trajectory calculated. Location marked.

I quickly fire off a missile at the fleeing traitor and gryphons, who in a scream of terror, are torn apart by the resulting explosion which showers the buildings below in blood and burnt gore.

I dash forward and catch Celestia before she hits the ground and quickly place her down where the guards tend to her, I head towards the marked location which is an old abandoned looking house and charge right through the front door to see a gryphon packing up a musket styled rifle with a long spyglass like scope, he spots me and pulls out another of those pistols and shoots me in the head.

I don't even flinch as it ricochets off.

I lunge at him and activate my tasers as he attempts to take flight out of one of the windows, but I grip one of his wings and snap the middle joint along with a large electric shock. He spasms for a few seconds before passing out.

I grasp him by the back of his neck with my right hand and the bag with his weapons and equipment with my left. I drag him out of the old building to see Celestia being taken back to the Castle on the back of a cart like ambulance with a padded bed and I follow behind them.

Ponies line the street, muttering to each other as they watch the cart roll by. I scan Celestia to find the bullet has punctured one of her lungs. She's suffering from internal bleeding and gasping for breath, at the rate we're moving, it'll be too late.

"Detain this gryphon for interrogation and lock these items away until the Princesses call for them," I order the guards who look at me confused.

I rip off the harness from the pony pulling the cart, nudge him aside and grip the two side bars in my hands, I then activate my jet skates again and go as fast as safely possible.

"Luna. Celestia has been shot, her left lung has collapsed and she's bleeding internally. Prepare an operating room with Doctors on standby, I'm on my way with her now. ETA: three minutes. Over," I radio in to Luna.

"Oh no... A-Alright, I'll have a room prepared right away... please get her here quickly," she replies.

Once I reach the Castle, I lift Celestia out of the cart and carry her to the medical wing. I arrive and place her down on the prepared bed where the Doctors furiously begin working to save her.

I exit the operating room where Luna has the most enraged expression I've ever seen on anyone to date. "Who did this to her," she asks calmly, but there's a hint of malice under it.

"A gryphon with a primitive rifle shot her while she was restraining the traitor and his accomplices. I managed to eliminate the fleeing targets before catching Celestia and then apprehending the shooter," I inform her.

"They're still alive? Take me to them, I wish to get some answers from them myself," she orders me.

"Negative, you are emotionally unstable right now, you may end up killing him before we get the information we need," I reply.

She glares at me for a few seconds and growls in frustration. "Fine, I shall watch over my sister. You keep guard over the prisoner until we can interrogate him," she tells me and enters the operating room.

Twilight has been silent while Luna and I talked, she then walks up to me with a tear stained face. "Do you think she'll make it?" she asks me with a stutter in her voice.

"She'll need a blood transfusion most likely, but according to my scans, Luna has the same blood type as her so she'll be fine once they repair her lung," I reply. "Please excuse me, Twilight. I have a prisoner to watch over," I tell her and leave towards the lobby.

The guards arrive and drag the gryphon and his gear along, Shining Armour is also here while scowling at the gryphon, I follow behind them to the Castle's Prison where he's shackled, gagged, and tied down to the bed.

I then turn to the guards looking up at me. "I have been ordered by Princess Luna to stand watch over the prisoner until they are ready to interrogate him," I inform them.

"Very well," Shining Armour says. "Star Lance, Morning Glory, help Adam keep watch on the prisoner and get whatever he needs for him," he orders two guards.

The stallion named Star Lance is an earth pony with a big muscular build, the mare named Morning Glory is a unicorn that's nearly half his size. They both salute to Shining Armour with a 'Yes sir!' together.

The others leave as I stand by the wall and keep my sight on the gryphon.


Three Days Later


I haven't left my post in the last three days, following my order to keep watch on the prisoner, one of the advantages of being an A.I. He woke up two days ago and has tried all he could to break free, but it was all in vain.

He also refused to eat so he was force fed by a unicorn guard.

Celestia has pulled through her operation and is still recovering in the medical wing. Twilight has informed me that all of Equestria is in an uproar at the news of the gryphons attack on her.

A messenger squad has been sent to Gryphonia to demand the reason behind the attack just hours after Celestia had her operation.

Princess Luna walks into the room and I nodded to her. "Has our prisoner behaved himself," she asks coldly.

"Nothing new to report, Luna," I reply to her.

"Then let us get this interrogation started, my sister is listening in through my radio," she tells me.

"I have been programmed with a variety of interrogation methods, would you allow me to conduct it?" I inform and ask her.

"Very well, begin," she orders.

The guards open the cell door and I step inside with Luna. I then remove the gag which the gryphon takes the chance to move his jaw around, getting a few stiff cracks.

"What is your name?" I ask him.

"Go jump off the mountain you mechanical freak," he replies with a snarl.

"I'll ask again, what is your name?" I repeat my question.

He spits on my left leg in reply, how he managed to do so with a beak is surprising.

I activate my taser on a low setting and place my left hand on his back for just a second, making him tense up and yelp.

"What is your name?" I ask him again.

"You might as well kill me, I'll tell you nothing," he growls back at me.

"You tell us what we want to know and you'll remain unharmed and well fed, even your injuries treated," I tell him. Now comes the psychological method. "Or I can mutilate your body to the point where no one would ever recognise you again, while you're still alive. I can shut off my emotions, I will feel no mercy, regret, or remorse. I will be cold, heartless, and detached," I explain to him and raise both my arms up and extend my blades.

"I will carve you up like an animal, skinned alive, muscles flayed, arteries burnt to prevent bleeding out, and crush your bones to splinters bit by bit," I tell him with an emotionless tone getting his eyes to go wide in fear. I hear one of the guards throwing up behind me.

"Or, I can leave you to Princess Luna's fury seeing as you're the one who injured her sister. I'm sure she'll have a much worse fate to bestow upon you than I," I finish.

The gryphon looks to Luna who has an expression telling him that she has untold horrors awaiting him.

"I... I-I..." The gryphon stutters in reply.

"Very well then. He's all yours, Princess," I say and back away from them.

A disturbing smile spreads on her face as she lifts her prosthetic leg up and takes a hard step forward, cracking the stone easily beneath her.

"Alright! Alright! I'll tell you!" he screams in absolute fear, I notice Luna's mane and tail swirling in the air behind her like a flame.


One Hour, Twelve Minutes Later


We left the Prison where the now crying and gibbering gryphon remains unharmed.

The gryphon ambassador Jackaal, told the Gryphonia King that Equestria was holding out on new much more advanced technology and wouldn't share it or the machine that can create it.

They were ordered to infiltrate the Lab after months of surveillance -which Luna flat out corrected as spying- and retrieve anything they could. The radio detonating was supposed to be a distraction so the bribed guard could steal any important documents or blueprints and then meet up at a drop off point at the base of Mount Canter.

Their main focus was on the prosthetic blueprints after witnessing Luna's adjustment to her new leg. Especially when she got angry at Prince Blueblood when he kept on insisting to increase the taxes, she slammed her prosthetic into a column to intimidate him. Instead she demolished it to rubble, causing the Prince to flee in fear. Apparently, I'm lucky to not have a run in with him yet.

"What are your thoughts on this, Adam?" Luna asks me as we head towards the medical wing. She's still in a foul mood because she couldn't rip the gryphon apart afterwards.

"I have calculated two possibilities. One, the Gryphonia King really did order this and as a result, has gotten a foreign leader injured and almost killed along with a group of civilians and guards in the theft attempt. Two, Ambassador Jackaal gave their King false information in an attempt to initiate hostilities with Equestria, he was adamant about getting my technology at the gathering months back," I reply.

"Both are possible... We'll have to wait and see what the reply the squad we sent to Gryphonia will receive, they should have arrived by now," she replies.

We enter Celestia's room in the medical wing and greet her. "Good afternoon, Celestia. I hope you are feeling much better," I greet the bed ridden Princess.

"Much, though it is still sore to breath too deeply," she replies while listening to her personal radio she had brought from her office. Peaceful ambient music fills the room giving a calm and relaxing feeling to it.

"What do we do about this attack, sister? Do we declare war on Gryphonia? Or hunt down the one named Jackaal?" Luna asks Celestia.

Celestia opens her mouth in reply, but a bright flash of light blinds the room and on her bed lies a scroll with three red ribbons on it.

Luna and Celestia stare at it in horror while I'm only confused. Celestia opens the letter and reads it aloud.

"Princess Celestia. The Gryphonian King has been murdered by Ambassador Jackaal while he and his allies have seized the throne. I regret to inform you we will not be returning alive. In your service forever, Ambassador Soft Quill," she finishes. There's blood stains at the end of the letter.

Celestia places a hoof on the stain as tears flow down her face, her expression then turns into anger. "That arrogant buzzard! I've tolerated his threats and demands about technology for years, and now he's not only assassinated a royal, but murdered a close friend and her guards..." she says through gritted teeth.

"Then this means..." Luna says.

Celestia looks up to the two of us. "This means war."

Author's Note:

Next chapter I'm writing is for my Terracana fic.

Looks like The War Machine is back on the featured list :)