What is an AI? Is it a mind programmed by us to think, to analyze and to adapt? Is it simple responses of code linked to react to a situation? Or is it simply a body of metal moulded to adapt and grow? If these are what makes a machine... how are they any different from us?
Ponyville – 10 minutes after impact
Celestia was scared.
Running through the streets of Ponyville in search of ponies in trouble, she could see great fires sending smoke roaring into the skies, as her little ponies cried for help. The object had sent sparks and flaming debris all over town, causing the light dry roofing material favoured in Ponyville to quickly light in great pillars of flames that cascaded over the lands. Luna however, had quickly rallied the guards with the pegasi divisions already arriving, attempting to put out the fires that sprung up seemingly everywhere.
"Sister, Sir Shining Armour is preparing the rest of the guard squads and will arrive soon", Luna said appearing next.
"Good, with their help the flames can be controlled quickly and this catastrophe ended", Celestia replied, her body covered in black spots from smoke and ash which covered the air.
"We should check the crash site sister, whatever manner of creature that caused this may still be dangerous!" Luna said, worry evident in her voice.
"Then let us move quickly Lulu", Celestia cried before launching the air towards the biggest pillar of smoke near the edge of town.
Crash site – 10 minutes after impact
Vinyl scratch groaned as she awoke from unconsciousness. She remembered resting at a tree, then a massive ball of fire, getting thrown into the air.
Wait FIRE!
Quickly scrambling to her hooves and removing her clouded glasses, Vinyl looked up to see a mass of twisted metal reflecting the fire that has now spread forming a semicircle around the sleeping DJ. Panic quickly building up Vinyl backed away from the flames, coughing at the smoke invading her lungs as she longed for an escape.
Looking at the smallest part of the flames she ran, preparing to jump the roaring fire when as if fate wanted her dead. The fire suddenly roared sending a massive wave of heat forcing Vinyl back to the metal heap behind her.
Now trapped and with no escape Vinyl laid low on the singed grass, attempting to stop the smoke constricting her lungs. But just before she fell into the darkness, she looked up to see stars burning in broad daylight. Getting closer and closer.....
Crash site – Celestia’s POV
Celestia landed hard, kicking up dirt around her as she bolted to a nearby purple pegasus or at least, the charred remains of one. A tear slid town her face as she moved from pony to pony, helping those she could as Luna tackled the blazes with her magic, creating ice cold water that hissed upon contact with the flames.
Celestia was in the process of moving all the injured ponies she could find, to a safe area surrounded by royal guards and doctors, when a high pitched whistling reached her ears. Looking up she spotted five fireballs dropping towards the ground, screeching with their descent.
Celestia reacted quickly, putting a shield up between her ponies and the meteors as they smashed into the ground around the crash site, sending dirt raining into the sky. As the dust cleared Celestia watched as five large biped creatures emerged from the craters, each one comprised of a shining silver metal. They stood on two strange hooves at least full two feet higher than her six foot frame, glaring at her with their single glowing red eyes.
Four of the creatures took positions around the crash site as one proceeded to enter the flames with large clumping sounds which faded, as it proceeded towards whatever impacted there. Luna quickly approached the beings with a squad of her royal night guards at her flank.
"WHAT MANNER OF BEAST ARE YE AND WHY HAVE THY APPROACHED", Luna roared in the RCV to the metal creatures.
In response one of the creatures raised is arm which transformed into a long object with several barrels with holes at the ends. Pointing its new limb at Luna it replied in an echoing yet monotone voice.
"Unknown creature you are interfering with Allied Alliance Australian Defence Force objectives. Leave this area immediately or you will be fired upon".
Celestia approached her sister’s side to confront the visitors calling out.
"You are on Equestrian soil, our land! By what reason do you have the right to land here and tell us to vacate our land? Tell us of your purpose here creature or we will you use force to remove you!"
Celestia stood boldly before the creature awaiting its response.
Raising its arm towards her it replied.
"You have been deemed a threat to the mission. Non-lethal force has been authorised".
Celestia stood for a moment before its arm glowed and an orange beam, seemingly made from light itself leapt towards her only for a cry of SISTER, to ring through the air as she was knocked sideways, out of the beams path.
Looking where she was standing, she bared witness an unconscious Luna blasted back a few feet from the robot. Trembling in rage, Celestia roared and spawned great fireballs, flinging them at the aliens until smoke blocked all vision of the targets. Waiting for the smoke to clear, Celestia stood boldly over her sister's body glaring at the smoke cloud, now fading away...
To reveal four aliens...
Completely unharmed.
Royal guards charged at the creatures who dispatched them with ease, one firing its light weapon repetitively sending them flying back, while another simply swung its arm through the mass of charging guards, sending bodies flying. A guard dived from above smashing his spear into one of the creature’s eyes, only for it to snap in half leaving the creature to grab him with a strange claw dragging him down.
"You have been deemed a level 2 threat. Lethal force has been authorised".
Tossing the captain to the ground it raised its giant clamp like hoof above the guard, about to crush the life from him, when it froze along with every other creature.
"Designation Legion has been found. New orders accepted - Threat level returned to 0 - Returning to passive stance".
The four creatures suddenly took positions in front of the flames while ignoring, the retreating guards. An uneasy few minutes past with Celestia watching the beast's carefully, when the 5th creature suddenly emerged from the fire, its armour blackened from the heat as another smaller biped follow behind.
This creature was around Celestia’s height as it approached, carrying a white unicorn with a two tone blue mane stung over its shoulder. It appeared badly burnt and yet it was visibly healing, with its strange white skin regrowing over its flesh as it approached its armour copying, flowing down with his skins regrowth. It seemed to be a mixture of flesh and metal, parts of its body made from strange complex machinery as its amour quickly covered what was visible. Picking up the pony strung over its shoulder, it placed her gently in front of Celestia, the guards watching as it backed off to the other metal monsters behind him.
Turning around it used its two blood red eyes to look into hers before making a gesture with one of its five digit claws towards the pony saying.
"That civilian is suffering from smoke inhalation and some minor burns. I recommend you give her medical support if you wish for it to survive, otherwise I can provide it if necessary."
Crash site - 15 minutes after impact
[SYSTEMS OFFLINE]
[REACTIVATING VC FUSION CORE]
[ACTIVATION SUCCESSFUL]
[BEACON –ONLINE]
[VITAL SYSTEMS – ONLINE]
[BODY INTEGRITY – 67 PERCENT]
[ACTIVATION OF NEURAL IMPLANTS – SUCCESSFUL]
[PRIMARY BOOT – COMPLETED]
[WARNING – HIGH HEAT FACTOR DETECTED]
[AWAKING DESIGNATION ‘LEGION’]
I awoke to flames, burning my body as my senses returned. I was under a large metal beam, probably part of the original framework of the ship while flames licked around me. My sensors spamming error reports as the heat overloaded the implants. Pushing against the metal I shifted it slowly off my body, revealing seared flesh and blackened metal across my chest. The armour I was wearing had somehow retained its regeneration ability and was slowly travelling across my chest repairing itself.
As this was occurring I raised a skeletal hand to my eyes, revealing bone with metal expertly carved into its depths with precision only the best could muster. The metal revealed blue circuitry which followed its path as the nanites repaired the flesh at my elbow before travelling down to my hand, intent on repairing all damage done.
Unable to stand even with the beam off me, I settled for crouching under the crushed ceiling as I waited for the drones that the ship would have been sent out to arrive. My sensors still unable to repair themselves due to the nanites focusing on keeping me alive, could only reach out to a very close area just outside the ship. My heat sensors, while blaring from the heat around me had spotted a dramatically cooler object in the shape of an equine just outside. Switching to X-ray, I confirmed I was indeed looking at a native most likely, one the variety with horns.
My scanners suddenly lit up as a Class 7 Hunter Drone approached. It reached up to the metal, ignoring the equine before it, as its arm became a hand like appendage which ripped the metal wall apart, tossing the scrap casually into the fires around the shredded wreckage of the drop ship. Reaching in it grabbed and pulled me out the wreckage before its scanners swept across me, bathing me in a red glow. After it evaluated my physical integrity, it placed me down before opening its sensors to my disposal. What I could see was... less than desirable.
The natives had engaged the drones protecting the crash zone, attempting to use spears against the titanium shells of the drones. Quickly accessing there commands I froze the units, ordering them to disregard the natives and return to the guard positions. The natives seemed to appreciate this, bolting away from the machines to regroup next to a species I hadn't encountered before. This one was approximately my height, and also contained wings and a horn. It also wore regalia upon its head.
Deciding to return my presence to my local area, I turned to the small pony next to me. The small horned creature was struggling to breath due to the smoke covering the immediate crash site. Quickly scanning her body, I spotted black ash covering her lungs. Picking up the native, I proceeded to order the hunter drone to clear our path of flames as we proceeded towards the area where the natives had been fighting the drones.
The hunter snuffed out the last of the flames in our path by simply kicking them, revealing a large clearing where the equine military stood dressed in bright golden armour. I approached the large white creature which stood ahead from the rest, its rainbow mane flowing in the air spreading the radiation they produced around harmlessly. Stepping forward I placed the horned equine before her, before returning to my machines. I faced her, looking into its eyes as the last of my body and skin healed before the host in front of me.
"That civilian is suffering from smoke inhalation and some minor burns. I recommend you give her medical support if you wish for it to survive, otherwise I can provide it if necessary," I called out to the large white cross-breed.
It simply stared at me for a moment before opening its mouth to respond.
"My name is Princess Celestia, Ruler of these lands and controller of the sun, who are you and why have you come here?" she replied.
"My name is Ascensioneer 12 of the Allied Alliance, but you may call me Legion."
"As for why I have come here it, it’s to establish peaceful negotiations and exchange or organise the protection of information", I replied in my synthetic voice.
Celestia was furious at this creature. It destroyed parts of her little pony’s towns, demolishes the guards and then injures Luna? And it has the gall to speak of peace!?!
"Peace?" she spat," you burn down my little pony’s houses, assault me and my guards and attack my sister in the name of peace!?!"
"I never assaulted your guards or your sister, if you approached my drones when they were attempting to recover me and did not heed their warnings it is of your own consequence they attacked", I replied unfazed by her rage.
"Also I never intentionally damaged your citizen’s towns. The cloud city was not expected when I approached, as my sensors told me it was just a large quantity of compressed clouds."
"A weather anomaly at most".
"As for the damage to the town behind you, it was the result of a large energy attack when I passed over your mountain
settlement, which critically damaged my transports engines causing the crash and any losses or injured that were a result of it", I finished turning to examine the native soldiers that surrounded me.
The equine forces, primarily the flying type with some basic equines mixed in, were moving to form a semicircle around me and the drones, probably to prevent us from attacking. Their golden armour shining in the bright flame light. They all looked woefully inexperienced and appeared to have little if any training as they rushed to create a rather sloppy barrier between me and the town. Some weren't interested in me though, flying around with actual clouds creating rain over the fires.
"PRINCESS", a voice cried out over the flames.
Another armoured equine approached in the bright golden attire they seemed to favour, this one was horned and had six non-armoured equines with it. These quickly took positions with their leader, taking protective stances except for one which was shuddering behind the others in fear. No sooner did they take their positions, dozens of equines all the horned variety took positions, my sensors sending warnings of radiation levels building around them.
My drones took defensive positions around me in response to the radiation spikes, aiming their weapons at the approaching native forces.
"I'VE GOT IT", the blue and rainbow winged pony yelled, before charging me.
To her own kind, I would guess they think she is going fast. To me, paint could dry faster then her. I simply watched as the nearest drone reached out and ensnared her in its grip, before slinging her back around towards the equines again.
"As I was saying Princess Celestia, that civilian needs medical attention," I stated pointing to the horned creature in front of her.
thumbs up here for yes to skype conversation
thumbs up here for no to the skype conversation
Also look at the Author Notes grammar, I did not touch it.
1919433 maybe. but i doubt we would survive on the surface. radiation alone would force us underground
Like the story with such advance tech they would be children to him. Btw is he immortal? Can he control the machines with his mind? If so then this will get really interesting.
1919459 more or less yes. sufficient injury's would kill him, but age has no effect.
Misunderstandings cleared up eloquently? What manner of sorcery is this? (I approve)
1919468
It's like the anti-thesis to all HiE fics.
Great story. These are the kinds of stories i daydream about. I'd love to throw ideas into this (tech-wise), since it is actually pretty close to a story i was going to write myself (guess i should've actually written it, but you'll probably write one better). My only question, quantum entanglement grade information processing, storage, and response?
Yes!! A THOUSAND TIMES YES!!!!
I LOVED IT!
1919533 yes but with distance limitations
1919552 Awesome then, but that just makes me want to ask a hundred more. Curse the insatiable search for knowledge
1919559 im more worried about the 5 thumbs up to me and my friends skype conversation. im going to be so embarrassed if i gotta put that up
1919564 You only have yourself to blame on that
finally someone putting the ponies in there place , they started it and try to blame him? no i don't think so no you must learn your actions have consequences
1919579 Yes, yes he does.....
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Not to be an Amerifag, but when did Australia get into the picture?
1919602 1919564 Just don't label them as chapters please, post them labeled intermissions or Authors pages. That always bugs me.
1919612 Since he thought of it and typed it.
1919612 since i was born and raised in australia
1919659
Hmmm, yeah... I suppose that's as good of a reason as any, great chapter by the way.
My god. The Aussies made a super being filled with the knowledge of humanity. And flung if into space. It landed on Equestria. Well at least the guards aren't totally useless. I love it. I don't love the ghastly long wait between updates though.
1919715 sorry about that
YAY!
Australian!
This only gets more epic as I read.
freakin australia... they got sick of dealing with their lot on earth so they went to space.
That was badass
Huzzar for Australia!
Now how soon can we expect the next chapter...
1919771>>1919852>>1919943 Aussie Aussie Aussie
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no
Those Drones are interesting. At least the ship didn't also drop a Heavy War Mech (Just one of those things are huge) or at least 1/2 of Battle Mechs to show full reason not to mess with the Old Mind (Can't really call it the Hive Mind since that goes with the changelings in this story [Maybe "The Link"]). This is really good though the wait can cause readers to forget why they were reading it. If you need any OCs to add to your story just take a look through my Blog I got a great many to choose from.
I dont want crap, or funny crap... i want GOOD crap with chapters of 3000+ words :(
This is really interesting!! I want more ^^
Don't worry I'm waiting on the tip of my hooves.
I VOTE FOR THE STUFF TO BE CHAPTER.
Id say post the random stiff as a separate story so as not to detract from this one.
For all that is good, is Legion simply going to let Vinyl suffer from smoke inhalation or is he going to wait for Celestia's approval? Logic be damned, help her without permission. It might be the wrong course of action, but it would be a human course of action.
Yay update!!!
This is a good story good thing he stopped the drones from killing the ponies!
I love this fic, it's very nice, although you MIGHT need an editor, or a proofreader at the least, I found a lot of typos and some of the scenes didn't flow as well as they could have.
But that isn't saying that I don't like it, on the contrary I'm finding it fun to read, keep up the good work!
On an unrelated note, HOLY CRAP THE MAIN CHARACTER ISN'T AMERICAN! What's this? AN AUSSIE?! WOOOOOO!
Seriously though, to find someone who makes the character Aussie is pretty unusual, kudos my friend. And yes, I'm Australian, how'd you guess?
Edit: If you're looking for a proofreader, I'm open, hint hint...
I must say I like this so far
I do have a tip:
I keep seeing you doing this:
Instead of this:
It feels a little odd to me. Usually, what you're doing is used for thought lines (in italic too)
Dialogue should allways have the double quotations ( " )
Anyway, keep it up!
1924854
I'm Australian too
I like where this story is headed
THIS IS So AWESOME!!!!!
I (metaphorically) love you!
I like this story but find the lack of further chapters disturbing.
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