387 is standing in front of what the staff member leading him and the group of drones through the cruise ship corridors pointed out as the royal suite for Queen Chrysalis.
“Your Majesty, we’re here,” he broadcasts. A moment later, Chrysalis opens the door and looks down in disdain at the assembled group.
“Huh, everyone is accounted for,” she raises an eyebrow, “I was kind of expecting at least one of you to get lost.”
“I accidentally found the sliding room!” reports 99111, “And a pony threw a chewy bubble brick at me.” it shrinks as 387 shoots it a glare, “I apologized and gave it back even before you dragged me out. And I only took one bite…”
“Mare showers?” she asks 387 flatly.
“Yes,” the warrior nods.
“Did you find the servant quarters?”
“Already marked on the map.”
“Good job. Now, you and 93 will take the hoofmaiden cabin next to mine. The drones can divide the two servants’ quarters downstairs any way they want. Let’s have them show some problem solving capabilities, how about that?”
“They could still use a basic objective, Your Majesty.”
Chrysalis looks over the drones again before sniffing the air and saying.
“Get cleaned up. We can’t have you representing the changeling hive filthy like this.”
Green flames envelop the drones in an instant, and the grime of travelling turns into fine black ash blending with the color of their carapace but still caked on it.
“All done,” 10013 salutes, a small pile of dust dropping on the floor.
Chrysalis narrows her eyes.
“Hence what I was saying about the clear objective,” 387 sighs, “I’ll take care of this.”
“Fine, I’m going to have a proper bath. Don’t bother me,” she returns into her suite.
387 points towards the next door.
“Inside. Now!”
The cabin is fully furnished with a table bolted to the floor in the center under the porthole, two wardrobes, two beds on the opposite sides of the room, and a big chest next to each one. A door leading into the side room is closed, and from behind it they can hear running water and sense the presence of 93’s hive link.
As the drones trot inside, 387 stops them just by the door and points at the black smears on the carpet around them.
“That’s what the Queen meant,” he says, “Now, I don’t know why she wanted you here-”
“She said she wanted us to see how ponies are, don’t you rememb-” 36658 shuts up when faced with 387’s intense stare.
“That was a lie,” he whispers, “And I intend to figure out the truth.”
“Then what are we supposed to be doing?” asks 10013, “It’s not sleepy time, or worky time, or even breaky time.”
“Undefined time is confusing time…” mumbles 99380.
387 rubs his temples.
“Look, you’re on a big break so think of this as one very long break time until someone wants something from you.”
“Breaky time-” 36658 corrects the warrior.
10013 slams its hoof into 36658’s mouth the instant 387’s eyes start to bulge.
“Gotcha!” 20100 nods before tilting its head, “Wait, does that mean we can’t sleep until we get back home? That’s what sleepy time’s for.”
387’s temple rubbing is suddenly failing to at least slow down the encroaching migraine.
“No no no… ugh. We’re setting up a new time. You listening?” he asks and they all nod, “This is all trip time with a fresh set of rules. Understood?”
“Trippy time!” 99380 nods as things get much clearer.
“Oh, just like that time when I tried making a new version of agonyslayers by licking that colorful slimy hopper-” 36658 nods knowingly.
“NO! NEVERMIND!” 387 facehoofs with an audible crack, “New name - it’s ship time.”
“Shippy time,” smiles 99111.
“I will slap y- yes, shippy time,” he sighs in defeat, “Shippy time is like breaky time but you can sleep. You might even have to work too but only when someone explicitly asks you to.”
“Explicitly like swearing or…” asks 10013.
“The other explicit,” 387’s eye twitches.
“Understood,” 10013 nods, “I asked because we get both of those a lot. I think we cleared everything up, right, guys?” it looks at its fellow drones.
“About digging…?” peeps 99526.
“NO DIGGING!” 387 barks, “Under any circumstances. If you make a hole in the ship we’ll sink and if by any miracle you survive, I will personally make sure you regret living for the rest of your short time because if you prove to be a burden or even a direct problem then the Queen will connect your failures with those of every drone back home. She might even order you to collapse the shrine to High Score and wipe your minds to forget everything about it. Understood?”
*Gasps all around!*
*Nod nod nod nod!*
*Spoooooked face!*
“Good,” 387 continues, “10013, you’re in charge of the drones here. First, you’re to find your two cabins and then get cleaned up properly, soap and everything.”
“Yes, 387!” 10013 looks around with a determined expression, “We can’t disappoint High Score so we gotta be the cleanest and shiniest drones ever. Let’s go!”
“Yaaaay!”
The drones march off, leaving behind a faint black trail.
“Why do I know this will end badly no matter what I say?” whispers 387 and sits down into the stomped layer of black ash by the door left behind by the drones. No reason to dirty anything else until he takes a bath himself.
***
After such a long time of walking through open fields and forests, the narrower corridors of the cruise ship, albeit still easily wide enough for entire carts, feel so much more like home. Unfortunately, that’s where the good part for 10013 ends, because it can understand perfectly why the clumped up drones behind it are so uncharacteristically silent. The deck where the higher ranked passenger cabins are is filled with stern-looking, armed and in some cases armored escorts of all sorts, none of whom look even remotely pleased with the changelings being there, shooting them dirty glares through narrowed eyes.
Despite all that, 10013 leads the way, supported by the knowledge that the Queen would probably be at least mildly angry if something happened to any of them. That is, until one of those leather-clad warrior zebras 36658 noticed earlier steps in front of 10013, looks down, and ask in a stern voice:
“May I have a word, changelings?”
10013 stops and looks up. The group behind it shuffles backwards with the exception of Smiley who… smiles.
“W-We gotta go- go downstairs and get c-cleaned up. Umm, top orders. Sorry,” 10013’s ears fold back.
To its surprise, the zebra gives it a puzzled glance before stepping aside and adding:
“I didn’t mean to frighten you. The baron of Northern San Palomino, however, would be interested in talking to you when you have a moment,” she nods to the door she’s guarding.
“W-We’ll tell the Queen-”
“I was specifically told to ask one of you, not your Queen or any, as he called them, ‘high rank’.”
10013 blinks in surprise.
“Oh… okay,” it nods, its voice steadier now that it doesn’t look like any kicking is on the way, “We’ll see what we can do,” it pauses, “Umm, thank you for being nice.”
The zebra is clearly at loss for words, so she only nods. One awkward moment of silence later, the drones resume walking.
“...she was so big…”
“Oh goop, I completely forgot to check how she tastes,” 36658 facehoofs after a while.
“I wouldn’t risk making a nice zebra mad by biting her,” 10013 shakes its head.
“I WOULD ASK FIRST!” huffs 36658 indignantly.
“And if she said no?”
“I would wibble,” replies 36658, clearly proud of its plan.
“And if she still said no?”
“Uhh, wibble more?” 36658 loses some of its decisiveness.
“Aaaand if attempt number three fails too?”
“Then I know she’s a soulless gribbler in disguise and I run.”
“Fair point,” 10013 leads the way down a staircase onto the servant deck.
The Baron of Northern San Palomino understands how to talk to Changeling Drones...
Is this our good friend the former fake Blueblood having been granted a title in Equestria for services rendered to the crown?
Changlings, on board a ship, explicitly told No Digging.
Why do I get the feeling this is going to be that Parrot and Magician joke somewhere?
I am liking this mystery take of these changelings! The description already gave me thoughts of the Thing or Murder on the Orient Express; I can't wait to see where this goes!
Yes, indeed, that'd be a good idea, or else they'll come up with one of their own, and before you know it, the cruise ship is somehow sinking and the drones are all too ashamed to admit how they managed to do it without meaning to.
Well...maybe it wasn't a total lie? I mean, maybe she figured, "while we're at it, I might as well have the drones doing that too...it'd help give myself a plausible cover story too." Chrysalis may be egotistical, but she does still have some sense of practicality to her, after all.
Heaven forbid should one of them happen to find a thing of polish then, so they can become literally shiny.
Oh good, the Baron actually knows the difference and the significance of that difference--for a second there, I was worried they just wanted to speak with any ol' changeling that's not Chrysalis, expecting to still get a knowledgeable and professional creature...and get a drone instead.
But if they're legit wanting specifically at least one drone, then...actually, that raises some possible questions that might be worth asking about that, because that suggests some past experience with the various changeling castes that I'd imagine still isn't terribly common knowledge with the other creatures of Equestria...
11177592
I have had the same thought as well, especially as it'd also probably explain the zebra escorts, and I'd love to see 1313 pop up again, having enjoyed his particular arc in the previous story. But I'm also somewhat afraid to get my hopes up just in case it isn't.
If drones ever weaponise the wibble, we are all doomed XD
11177592
At my rate of updates we'll see in roughly 3-8 weeks. So, nuclear catastrophe first, I suppose.
11177704
I'm not that smart.
11177785
Hercule Poirot vs. The Thing. I can see an Epic Rap Battles of History episode in that.
11178116
Anti-wibble tech is currently being researched deep in labs under Canterlot.
11177961
- So, we just wanted to clean the floor and so we kept cleaning and cleaning and then flappy swimmies started coming through.
- 387 is just a paranoid old changeling.
- Well, there could be a certain northern royal on the guest list who might not entirely appreciate being followed everywhere by a mob of drones.
- It's a mysteryyyyy...
The Changeling nation is a beautiful comparison of superhuman innocence with inhuman evil. _It's like the two emotions come together and become something else__
11355458
Eh, it's more drones than anyone else. High ranks are dicks.
A zebra with some understanding of changeling society? Sounds like some drug brewing bug~