Ch. 1: Another Day

Extraria: And Then I Was to Serve
Chapter 1: Another Day

Prereader: Zeela
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“If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.”
-Lao Tzu, Chinese philosopher, ca. 600 BC

Pain.

A lot of it, all over the place. Not just one kind of pain either, but the full spectrum of throbbing, stabbing, burning, and aching torment, like a rainbow of agony.
A pounding headache is the first thing I feel as I come to. How long have I been out? What happened?

Next is grinding pain in every joint in my body, along with a burning sensation in my wrists and ankles, and a freezing cold gnawing at the very core of my bones, like I’ve been hauled out of a frozen lake. With a shuddering breath, I try to huddle myself together, only to realize that I can't move at all. I appear to be strapped to some kind of slab or table, naked and soaking wet.
My eyes open wide in horror, only to reveal that I am also blindfolded. What the fuck is this?

Suddenly, a sharp prod to me side. I yelp in pain and attempt to shift away from whatever just poked me.
“It reacted to that! I believe it's conscious now.” a gravelly wheezing male voice announces from my left.
“Aha!” another male voice, this one much smoother and crisper “Good thing there was some Sal Volatile around here. I imagine it would wake it up even if it was dead. Ugh...”

Smelling salts? Guess that explains why my nostrils are burning, but why? What's going on?
“Why did you want to wake it up anyway, Doctor? It might be dangerous. Just look at its canine teeth! Mark my words, you'll regret this when it drags you back to its hive to feed it's hatchlings!” he warns half-jokingly. A third voice, a nasal and heavily accented one, speaks up from the opposite side of the table.

“Nonsense! Eet is obviously a male mammal, or an analogue of one at least! Observe! Bodyhair, admittedly pitiful, und ze vestigial nippulz und skin muscles causink ze skin to appear bumpy! Ze canines also appear vestigial, like ours, und eet lacks claws. No, I belief eet is mostly harmless.”

Alright, I’ve heard enough. This is obviously some kind of fucked up idea of a joke. «And I believe your brain is vestigial.” I snap at the Doctor Strangelove wannabe. “What the fuck is going on? Did my coworkers put you up to this? Let me go already!”

Whatever I expected to happen, it was not the minute-long utter silence that followed my outburst. No familiar voice laughing to let me know this was all just a sick prank. The room is completely silent save for the distant sound of birds outside, the quiet ticking of a clock somewhere, and the slightly labored breathing of gravelly wheezy-guy.

Why aren't they saying anything? Shit...this isn't a prank...I’ve been kidnapped, haven't I? What are they going to do to me? Am I going to die?

Panic starts to take hold of me, and I struggle against the ropes holding me down.
“Y-you motherfuckers! Let me go!” I scream and thrash about, desperate to get away from whatever fate awaits me. I feel the ropes cutting into my wrists, and warm blood starts trickling across my frigid skin.

“It...talked...oh dear...” Crispy-guy mutters. I'm too busy panicking and screaming incoherently to hear anything. “Zis changes everythink, Herr Merlot... If we...Oy! Oy! He's bleedink!”
“Calm it down before it hurts itself! Righty!”

Something heavy pushes against my chest, pinning me to the table. “Calm down!” Gravelly-guy says firmly “We're not going to harm you, I assure you, but you need to calm down.”
I stop struggling, more out of resignation than compliance. I can't stop myself from shaking though.
“Good...” the weight is lifted from my chest before he continues “I'd like you to answer a few questions before we decide what to do with you. Can you do that?”

I nod. It's not like I have much of a choice anyway. I just want to go home...
“Are you aggressive? -Cough-” His breathing seems to become more labored “Do you fight?”.
“I-I’ve only fought in defense. I don't start fights.” I answer truthfully. He doesn't reply to this, but takes a moment before he asks his next question.

“Meat -cough cough- Do you eat meat?” the question confuses me, but it sounds like he's expecting an answer.
Am I being held captive by some kind of vegan terrorists? Why would a kidnapper want to know what I eat?
“I..yes...” I do eat meat regularly, if my modest salary permits it. Truth be told, I’d eat more of it if I could, and I usually reward myself by going to a steakhouse on paydays if I’ve worked a lot of overtime lately.
“I...see. ” my captor seems to think for a moment “Are you a hunter? Do you kill what you eat yourself?”

“M-my grandfather taught me how to gut the fish we caught when I was a kid, but other than that, n-no, never.” I start to get nervous again, afraid that my captors might change their minds about not harming me. These questions have a certain PETAesque undertone to them. The other two have been quiet while I’ve been interrogated.

“If I told you that all you have to do to become free again is to... -cough- is to eat the flesh of another captive...would you accept my offer?”
I take it back. This guy is the bastard child of Jigsaw and Hannibal Lecter. My mind goes blank and I start shaking violently in blind terror. Then I start hyperventilating and panicking again.

“Y-you sick fucks! I won't do it! I won't do it! I won't do it! Fuck you! I won't do it!” I scream between choked sobs, straining against the ropes. I can't do this. Why is this happening to me? I've never done anything to deserve this fucked up nightmare. They might as well just kill me and get it over with!

“O-oy, Righty...” the doctor sounds concerned. Again, I'm pushed down against the table “Calm down! Calm down! There's no...-cough- no way we'd do that. It was a necessary question. I'm done now. You can relax.”
“Und you tell him zis after causink him an emotional trauma...” he sighs “Still, I think zis reaction is promisink?”
“Hm...”

“W-why are you doing this? Wh-what did I do wrong?” I'm still shaken, but at least I'm not screaming and thrashing around wildly anymore.
This time, Crispy-guy speaks up...I think the doctor called him Merlot?
“It is through no fault of your own that you are here, I'm afraid...” he says with a somber voice “We can talk about that later. As for why...”

He pauses for a moment, possibly to formulate a statement in his mind. I have no way of telling with the blindfold still on.
“Let's just say that your appearance here has been as much of a shock to us as I’m sure our appearance will be to you.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Zis is no time for playink with words, Merlot. But you're right. I've certainly never heard about anythink like zis before...”
“Regardless, we had to secure you for our own safety. The questions were meant to determine how likely a threat you would be to us if we freed you.”

I have no idea what to say. I have no idea how to even begin putting his words into context. There's an awkward silence in the room again. 'Righty' is the first one to break it. “Right. Let's get this over with.” he says as something slides my blindfold off. The ropes around my wrists and ankles are also removed.

My eyes are immediately stung by a blinding light and I groan as I clench them shut.
Thankfully, someone pulls the curtains in the room closed, and after blinking at the ceiling for a minute, my vision adjusts to the dimmed light.

Something in my peripheral vision catches my attention. It looks like the head of a hazmat-suit. However, as I turn my head, I see a pair of impossibly large violet eyes staring back at me through the visor. The shock makes me shoot up into sitting position, startling the creatures to back away from me.
The eyes...their stares...their shapes...it's all wrong. This is impossible! I'm hyperventilating, and my vision begins to swim. The shock, combined with the stress and physical exhaustion, causes me to black out. The last thing I register is muffled shouts and concerned stares, then darkness.

- - - -

By now you might be thinking “What's going on here, and who is this guy passing out all the time?”. I guess this a good time to back up a bit and let you know who I am and how I ended up being strapped down and interrogated by these alien...things.

My name is James Maxwell. I'm twenty-something years old and I’m a welder working at a machine shop, in the same little industrial town I grew up in with my grandfather and my older brother Jason.

I've always loved machines. My grandfather was a car mechanic, and although I never had much of an interest in the cars themselves, I never lost my fascination with what made them work.
My grandfather had an endless patience with grandchildren crawling all over whatever he was trying to fix, and growing up with a grandfather also made me appreciate the past a lot more, I think. Jason didn't seem to care too much, but I'd be fascinated by things like the Nixie tubes on the frequency display of an old radio, or grandfather's Curta calculator.

You know that fine line between madness and genius? Whoever invented the Curta calculator was tapdancing all over it, and he'll make you feel like the dumbest chimp in the world if you ever dare to look inside one.

I decided I wanted to become a mechanical engineer, and I worked hard to make it happen. I worked my ass off. But about halfway through university, I...well...
Actually, never mind that. Something happened that I don't want to think too much about right now, so I decided to get a welders certificate and took a job in my hometown instead. It's a decent job I’m content with, and earning enough to get by is good enough for me.

There's something special about people working in places like that. Having a job where being distracted at the wrong time could mean that you won't make it to old age with all your limbs intact, I mean. One of the older guys lost an eye when he was young, when they were kinda lax on safety equipment. A steel bracket his colleague had been working on was accidentally launched from his steel cutter across the workshop, right in his face. And here he is, still not giving a fuck. I myself could tell you firsthand what it's like to be welding inside a pipe section replacement for an oil refinery when there's a gas leak from your gear.

My point is, it's a job where you stop worrying too much about about fiery explosions until they happen and you go home tired to rest up for a new exciting day of predictable work and potential dismemberment. At least you can get a good steak in this town.

It was just another one of these days, when I got home from work. Home being a modest apartment consisting of a bedroom, a tiny bathroom and a combined kitchen and living room. I was going through my usual routine of after-work beer and checking the news feeds on my laptop before going to the bathroom to take a shower.

“Another day ends...” I muttered to myself as I threw the dirty work clothes in the laundry basket.
It was now late September, and the worst time of the year was ahead, where the days would only get darker.
I turned and looked at myself in the mirror. I'm not really a hulking behemoth, but I'm definitely not scrawny. Too much heavy lifting at work. I think sturdy is a good word. Like a tree.

I stretched my sturdy tree-body, releasing a cacophony of pops and groans before I leaned closer to the mirror. I need a shave. Starting to look kind of gruff. Then I looked myself in the eyes and saw steel blue eyes with green flecks staring back. They didn't look happy. I really haven't smiled a lot lately, have I? I tried faking a smile. It looked just that. Fake. I shrugged and got in the shower.

“I was born one mornin' when the sun didn't shine-” I croaked in an atrocious attempt at singing in the shower. As the sweat and grime of the day got washed away by the hot water, I was starting to feel lightheaded. It was nothing unusual, but after a few seconds I started feeling a kind of sharp tingling in my skin, like static electricity building up.

This was unusual, and alarmingly so. “I picked up my shovel and I walked to the mine..what the fuck..?” I shrieked as the shower cabinet shattered around me and the whole room was swallowed into an incomprehensible roiling chaos of impossible shapes, colors, and sensations.

I flailed helplessly and screaming through an imperceptible hole in reality, like a ragdoll in the blender of some cosmic horror making a cosmic smoothie out of the very essence of reality, with my bathroom thrown in for the hell of it. It went like this for about 5 milliseconds before my poor brain simply overloaded from extreme sensory input and shut down.

- - - -

I wake up with a start and inhale sharply as my eyes open wide. My immediate confusion subsides after a few seconds as I try to recall what happened.
That's right, I woke up on a table. There were voices and questions, and then...no...
As I keep recalling, I look around me. I seem to have been moved to some kind of office, onto a small couch. Layers of blankets have been piled upon me, and my wrists have been bandaged.

I nervously look at the room itself. It's a nice office with a wooden floor and ceiling. The leaf-patterned light beige walls have been decorated with framed technical schematics and a few pictures of primitive steam locomotives.

A muffled cough and the sound of writing makes me look to the other end of the room. My eyes widen at the sight of the creature behind the desk there. It's definitely equine in shape, but the proportions are very different from a normal horse.

Especially the head. It's muzzle is considerably shorter, and it's huge violet eyes are more forward aligned. It's coat is a dull reddish brown, and it's mane is ash grey. Surprisingly, it not only has a full beard of the same color, but it's also wearing a red vest with brass buttons...

“Hm? Oh, you're awake!” The pen it was holding in it's mouth falls onto the paper it was writing on. That voice...This must be 'Righty' “My father and Doctor Cast will be here shortly. Try to relax for a while.”
He looks at me curiously for a few seconds “Um...would you like some coffee?”

I barely register anything he says, but manage to nod slowly. Righty slides off his chair onto the floor, and trots over to me with an empty mug. I accept the mug, and he goes back to get a pot of coffee from a stove in the corner of the room.

As he pours coffee into the mug, I hear familiar voices approach from outside the office.
“...zat resulted in kompletely meltink ze bismuth alloy off ze mica disks. Even ze orichalcum clamps evaporated! Zat metal is priceless, and it was only lent to us from Canterlot...”
“I'm sure the institute will look the other way. The proof of concept model worked fine after all, and the benefit of..”

The door swings open, and two new faces enter the room.
“Aha! Well now, it looks like our mostly vestigial friend here is awake.”
“Ugh...I will never hear ze end of zis, will I...?”

Ch. 2: Getting Your Bearings

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Extraria: And Then I Was to Serve
Chapter 2: Getting Your Bearings

Pre-reader: Zeela
----

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Merlot Mirage, savant and owner of this facility." the one speaking has a burgundy coat and reddish purple mane. His eyes are a slightly dark violet, and he has a pencil mustache. Out of everyone in the room, he is wearing the most clothes by far; a dark beige vest with matching pants that end just above his hocks. He's also wearing a brown collared cape and a scarlet scarf.

"You've already met my son, Righty Tighty, the manager of this workshop." he continues. Righty nods in acknowledgment "And this is Doctor Ingot Cast. He is, as you've probably guessed, not an authority on biology, but a metallurgist sent from the University of Marelin to aid us on our current project."

"Eet is a pleasure..." he nods at me as he smiles cautiously.

Unlike the other two, the doctor isn't wearing anything except for a pair of glasses in front of steel gray eyes. Compared to the other two he seems somewhat slender, with a white coat and brown mane.
Also, there's a horn sticking out of his forehead.

"A unicorn..." I mutter. This is too surreal. It feels like the wheels in my brain are spinning red hot to process everything that's going on around me. I can practically feel every neuron pulsing, frantically assessing and relaying information to its neighbors. My observation seems to surprise everyone in the room, however, and Doctor Cast looks very interested in finding out more.
“Zat is correct! You know of ponies? Where are you from? Und what exactly are you?”
“You're not real. You can't be. I…I was in the s-shower and had some kind of stroke or something, and now I’m hallucinating.”

Righty frowns. “You're NOT hallucinating.” he looks at the cup I'm still holding “Why don't you try some of that coffee?” he suggests.
I look at the dark steaming liquid for a second before I take a sip.
And scald myself on burning hot coffee. “Ow!”
“It's hot, right? But it tastes of coffee, like you would expect? Now look at your forelimbs. How do they feel?”
“Sore...” I look at the bandages. It doesn't really feel like a bad injury.
“Right. Now look at me. Do I look any different from before?” He still has that serious look.
“No?”
“What did that coffee taste like, and how does your wrists feel?”
“Like hot coffee. Still sore. What's going on?”
“Your observations are all consistent, and you're making them because you're actually here, seeing real things, drinking real coffee.”

It makes sense, I suppose, but something bothers me.
“Your voice. Weren't you wheezing and coughing a lot earlier?” I narrow my eyes at him, but he merely throws an unconcerned look over to the desk. Then I see the small inhaler-shaped device on top of it.
“My Salbutamol inhaler. I have occupational asthma, resulting from prolonged exposure to rosin fumes from the flux we use when we solder copper pipes here.”
Alright then. I take a deep breath and turn the cup between my hands as I lean forward, resting my elbows on my knees. I have no idea what to think anymore. The spinning wheels have frozen in place, and the neuronic cacophony has died down to quiet whispers.

“Look, you're obviously confused by all this, and to be honest, we're not sure what happened.” Righty looks to his father, who simply nods for him to continue “Hm...assume for now that what you're experiencing is real. If you have any questions you'd like to ask, we'll answer them as best as we're able to. Let you get your bearings, you know. Then, if you're up to it, we'd like to ask you a few of our own. Sounds fair?”

I take a moment to gather my thoughts. What Righty is saying is true. This will probably be easier if I just accept this as reality for now, and getting a few answers would help, I think. Aside for my initial treatment, they haven't given me any reason to assume they have any ill intent, and they obviously didn't intend for me to be here in the first place. I have no idea what they plan to do with me once we're done here, but for now they seem as interested as I am in figuring out what's going on.

“Sounds good to me.” I reply quietly, leaning back on the couch. I feel awkward sitting in it. It's much too low to be comfortable for a human, and the soft velour upholstery feels like it's stuffed with bricks. I drape one of the towel-sized blankets over my shoulders as I think about what I should ask them.

“First, I’d like to know where I am.” Merlot, Righty, And Doctor Cast share a look before Merlot decides to answer the question. “You are currently in our workshop on the outskirts of Trottingham, an old city in the nation of Equestria.”
“Excuse me?” I honestly don't know what kind of answer I was expecting. I gape at Merlot like an imbecile trying to comprehend what was just said. He seems amused by this.
“You don't know of Equestria? I'm not really surprised. As far as I know, there are no records of there being anything matching your description in the known world, whatever you are. Err, perhaps there's a map you could...no?” I guess he was thinking of having me point out my original location, but Righty shakes his head at the request. Apparently there's no map available here.

“Equestria? Where the hell is Equestria? Am I even still on Earth?” I ask exasperatedly, only to have the whole room look at me like I'm talking nonsense.
“I'm not sure I understand. Can you elaborate the question? Is Earth the name of your homeland?”
“Earth? Terra? Gaia? Tellus? The third planet orbiting the sun?” the way Merlot's expression snaps into one of sudden comprehension says it all. The others seem to realize what's going on too.

“If it is as you say, then there can be no doubt. This world does not orbit its sun, nor is it the third one from it.”
“He's an alien? That's what you're saying?” Righty raises an eyebrow incredulously.
“I won't speculate on his origin, but it's clear that he's foreign to Equestria at least. Let's settle on that for now and let him ask his questions.”

I don't know if it's because I’m already in shock, having trouble believing any of this to be real, or because I already suspected it, but this revelation that I’m not on earth anymore doesn't surprise me as much as one would think. Maybe it's a combination of all three reasons, I don't know.

“What do you mean; your world doesn't orbit its sun?” I ask the burgundy horse thing. Either something even weirder is going on, or these creatures don't have a good grasp on astronomy.
“The sun and moon are raised through the power of the royal princesses Cel-” he begins “Actually, forget I asked, next question.” I interrupt him brusquely, fighting the urge to flip the table and walk out of the office. They seem a little put off, but this shit is just too much for me right now. Maybe this question thing was a bad idea.

“Sorry, it's just... I guess I'm asking questions that only serve to raise more questions, and I’m not sure if I can handle all this at once...” I apologize, not wanting to offend my only allies here. Doctor Cast nods sympathetically, while Righty waves it off. Merlot looks pensively at one of the pictures on the wall.

“I just realized that I don't know what you call yourselves. What are you?” I should've asked this earlier, I guess.
“The majority of the inhabitants in Equestria belong to one of three tribes collectively called ponies. As you somehow guessed, Doctor Cast is a unicorn. My son and I are earth ponies. There is also the pegasi-”
“What? Flying horses? Really?” I know this is going to cause questions, and sure enough, they all react with varying degrees of alarm and wide eyed disbelief. Merlot narrows his eyes at me suspiciously.

“Alright, either you're joking, or there's something you're not telling us. How is it that you're able to identify unicorns and pegasi if you're not from Equestria?” he asks.
“Where I’m from, Unicorns and Pegasi are mythical creatures. There are “earth ponies”, but those are non-sapient beasts that don't really look all that similar to your kind of...ponies.” I'm not sure it would be correct to call Merlot and the others anthropomorphic, but they are definitely sleeker and more neotenous than regular ponies.

“I see...” Merlot seems to accept this answer hesitantly. Doctor Cast seems fascinated, contrasting with Righty, who doesn't seem to react at all.
“And what about you? What can you tell about yourself?”
“My name is James Maxwell. I am a welder working at a machine shop in my hometown, Fairview...” I've always hated introducing myself, ever since I was a kid. Usually I either feel like I'm about as interesting as pocket lint, or I feel like I’m being vain, as if I'm trying to make myself more interesting than I really am by adding in stuff like hobbies and marital status and whatever. I usually keep it brief, hoping it'll be good enough.
“James Maxwell... I see. Anything else you can tell us?” I guess it wasn't. Shit, what do they want...?
“Uhm... I'm not sure what else to say.”

“Well, what are you? As far as we're able to tell, you're some kind of simian analogue, but you look different from any primates I've ever heard of.” I mentally slap myself. Of course they'd want to know that. I think the doctor already asked earlier.
“Oh, right. I'm a human. Yeah, we're primates, I guess.” Merlot and Doctor Cast nod approvingly to each other, no doubt pleased to have correctly guessed what kind of animal I am.

“Oh! You said you were a welder, didn't you?” Merlot suddenly blurts out excitedly “I would very much like to hear what kind of technology humans have!”
The sudden change from “distanced and dignified” to “manic child in a candy store” is unnerving. Before I can say anything, however, the doctor speaks up.
“As much as I'd like to hear zis, I belief eet is time I get to ze hospital.” he says with an odd mixture of concern and bitterness “I'll probably come back later, unless eet is anythink serious, but I doubt that. Until then, gentlemen.”
“Oh, right... Yes, you should do that. Take care, Doctor.” Merlot says as Doctor Cast leaves the office.

“Is he alright?” I ask the burgundy stallion, who seems more serious now. However, it is Righty who replies to my question “He's not physically injured, but it looks like the...anomaly that brought you here caused him an acute thaumatical disjunction. Unicorns can be temporarily cut off from their magic when their horns suffer any form of trauma, but that usually resolves itself after a short while. Doctor Cast has been cut off for almost two hours now, which is worrying, but he insisted on staying here. It's good that he finally came to his senses and went to the hospital...”
“Indeed, it would not do the project any good if he was injured, and Canterlot would prob-” “The project? Canterlot?” Righty snaps as he glares at his father. Merlot and I jump at the sudden anger in his voice. “Ingot Cast may have permanently lost the very thing that defines him as a unicorn, and James could have been dead! It's a miracle nopony got injured, and you're worried about scandal? -cough- You're unbelievable sometimes!” he hisses

Merlot looks extremely uncomfortable at Righty's sudden change in demeanor, and I can't blame him. I get the feeling Righty is the kind of...individual...who is normally mellow and restrained, but the atmosphere right now is intense!
“I-I don't mean to interrupt, but how exactly did I get here?” I ask, hoping it will be enough to stop things from escalating. Thankfully, Righty breaks his glare and turns away with a huff, much to his father's relief. “You explain.” he simply says to him.

“Oh, yes of course...” Merlot smiles nervously, turning to me “And, um, for what it's worth, you have my sincere apologies for all this. I'm sure being separated from your friends and family in this way must be quite distressing.”
“Right...”
“Right! And of course I'm going to find a way to redeem the situation, but we can talk about that later.” he clears his throat and begins his explanation.

“One of the greatest equestrian innovations over the last century is its railroad network. The steam locomotive is revolutionizing passenger and goods transport, tying the nation together, and reinforcing the infrastructure between major settlements. However, there are two things a steam engine needs to operate, namely fuel and water.” He pauses to see if I have any questions. I obviously don't, but we never got to the part where we compare technology levels. “Now, fuel is normally not a problem, but the with the current designs their dependency on water is a liability, especially in arid and mountainous regions where you can't depend on rainwater to replenish the water tower supply. If a boiler runs dry between towers, it not only puts the whole engine at risk of severe damage, but it will have to be hauled manually to the nearest water source, causing delays and possibly injuries.”

“About a year ago we were commissioned by The Royal Institution of Canterlot to help devise a way to eliminate these problems, and what we came up with was the Spatial Contraction Fountain, as much a wonder of magic and metallurgy as engineering.”
“Magic?” I ask, though I don't think I have the energy to add the tone of disbelief I wanted. He said the device used magic. Everything would be much easier if I could just shut up and blindly accept everything I’m being told at this point.
“Yes?” Merlot replies “What about it?”
“Nothing. Please continue.”
“As I was saying, after consulting some experts, we were able to create a device that would generate a field around itself by tapping into ambient leylines. This field will connect with the fields around any similar devices, effectively making the space around the first and second device the same space by bridging them through the fourth dimension.”

“A good analogy would be to draw a map on a flat piece of paper and put two marks on it, representing the devices” he pauses to allow my simian brain time to conjure up an image of a map “and then you fold the map so the backside of where you placed the marks are touching. When the devices are activated, a hole is punched through the paper, and anything that enters at point A will immediately emerge at point B, and vice versa. Do you understand me so far, James Maxwell?”

Merlot is basically giving me the explanation of a wormhole. I nod, letting him continue.
“The idea was to place one of these devices at the bottom of a lake and keep it constantly active. Smaller devices would be placed in water towers along the railway network, and activated by float switches when water levels were low. The water pressure at the bottom of the lake would force the water through the linked space, filling the empty tower until the float switch could deactivate the destination device.”
“Alright” I nod slowly “But what does that have to do with me?”
Merlot rubs a hoof against his chin as he thinks for a moment. Righty, who has calmed down again also looks interested in hearing this. It is only now I realize that the coffee I’m still holding has gone cold. I put it down on the table in front of me before Merlot decides to speak again.

“Obviously the prototypes didn't work as intended when we tested them. Either because of a freak anomaly, or simply because the scaled up version works differently from the small proof of concept devices. The exact nature of the malfunction is purely speculation at this point, but... assuming that the things that came out of the receiver device wasn't part of your immediate environment, I think maybe there is a chance that instead of punching a hole through a sheet of paper, the device somehow took a shortcut by punching a hole through a whole stack of papers, dragging with it whatever happened to be in the corresponding spaces on the different planes.”

To be honest, I'm only halfway following him at this point, but it sounds like this wormhole device just grabbed a bunch of random stuff from different dimensions and shoved it through the exit in Equestria. I'm kind of curious about the things that appeared with me that he mentioned.
“Other things came through with me? What kind of things?”
Righty trots over to the window behind his desk and motions for me to follow. I wrap a blanket around my waist, keeping the one around my shoulders where it is before I stand up. I notice that my legs feel kind of numb and shaky, but I seem to be able to use them just fine.

It is the first time the ponies see me standing at full height and, from their expressions, it seems they find the sight equally novel and imposing, as their eye level is roughly around the middle of my abdomen. After making sure that my legs aren't about to give out on me, I walk over to the window with the other two.

What I see appears to be a yard surrounded by brick buildings bathing in the evening sunlight, no doubt related to the workshop. A railroad track runs from outside the complex into what looks like a platform in one of the larger buildings, which I guess is either intended for train repairs or handling shipments. The styles of the buildings aren’t very different from what you'd expect of early 20th century factory buildings on earth. In the middle of the yard stands two wooden structures. One is a simple water tower, slightly elevated above the hard packed dirt ground. The other is a splintered mess of shattered wood, greenish sludge, and....jellyfish? The sludge is spread in a semicircle from where it burst out of the tower, but from the dampness of the soil, it's obvious that there's been vastly more liquid spilling out of the tower than its intact twin could possibly contain. I think I see pieces of my bathroom here and there as well.

“Aside from a vast amount of carbonated brine, there were large single-celled organisms the size of apples skittering about the yard. They were obviously not adapted for the environment they now found themselves in, and they all died as their membranes burst after a few minutes. Various gasses also forced their way through, along with a fair amount of black smoke. The green sludge you see was actually a mass of what I guess was bioluminescent algae.” Merlot explains while pointing around the yard with a hoof “It was near the end of the event that Doctor Cast suddenly panicked about not being able to use magic, but he calmed down when it became clear that there was a possibility that the local ecosystem could be at risk from what our experiment had caused.”

“While we were sifting through the sludge and debris,” he continues “it became clear that the problem was solving itself. The environment just wasn't suitable for the life forms that had come through. That is, until we found you face down in a puddle. You were unconscious, but alive, so we hosed you off and brought you into the workshop until we could figure out what to do next. And that's pretty much it.”

The reality of the situation is starting to sink in. It really happened. This ridiculous cauldron of insanity I'm trapped is actually real. On one hand, I find it slightly comforting to know I haven't gone batshit insane. On the other hand, maybe insanity would've been easier to deal with. This is just...fuck.

“So what will happen to me now...?” I ask somberly to no one. I know I’m not in immediate danger, but I know nothing about how things work in this world, or how these ponies think. For all I know they could decide to put me in a zoo or something. The irony of someone as mundane and ordinary as me being shown off to alien ponies as an exotic creature from a world beyond isn't lost on me. All because I was in the shower at the wrong time. My stomach rumbles. I frown at the sound. Great, now I’m hungry too.

“I suppose we'll work something out, but right now I guess we should get you something to eat.”

Ch. 3: Like Dark Paint in Water

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Extraria: And Then I Was to Serve
Chapter 3: Like Dark Paint in Water

Pre-reader: Zeela
----

For the first time since I got here, I'm left alone in the workshop cafeteria with my thoughts and my food while Righty and Merlot are out in the yard to finish the cleanup. Apparently it's Saturday here, and the workers won't return until Monday, which is fine by me. The ones who found me seem to have handled this better than I have, to be honest, but I wonder how the average pony would react to an alien creature suddenly appearing among them. Would they panic? Would they be hostile?

“Alien.” I mutter quietly to myself. If the word didn't leave such a bad taste, I’d probably find it amusing that this is what I’ll be referred to from now on. An outsider. One who doesn't belong in this world. I look at the food before me. How would the cook who prepared this hours ago react if he found out that something like me would be sitting here and eating it, in his workplace?

Hunger and fatigue are getting to me. I better stop thinking about this for now.

I take a deep breath, clearing these ominous thoughts from my mind, and concentrate on the food in front of me instead. A large bowl of minestrone soup, some fragrant soft bread, and even a slice of redcurrant tart for dessert. It all looks very tasty.

Even more interesting is the mug of pale ale in front of me. The idea of serving alcoholic beverage at work seems out-of-place to me, but at the same time wonderfully old-fashioned and indulgent. I imagine the workers must enjoy working here, assuming they benefit from this practice as well.

As I eat, I can feel my strength returning, and my mood improves a bit. The savory vegetable soup and the hearty rustic bread are filling, and when I’m done I feel sated, and calmer. The ale probably helped me there too. It was pretty good ale, and the light bitterness complemented the rest of the meal well; except maybe for the tart, which I haven't tried yet.

My...hosts… also provided me with some very basic clothes when they noticed that I kept the blankets from the office wrapped around me as we left for the cafeteria. They seemed to find this aversion to the natural state puzzling, but Merlot seemed to sympathize when I explained that it was a matter of dignity and personal discomfort at being naked.

They didn't ask any more about the matter and after a few questions about human clothing and cutting up a couple of burlap sacks, I now have a makeshift tunic and ski...kilt to wear. They're ugly and uncomfortable, but at least I can walk around without feeling like a deviant. Some rags and strings serve as footwraps.

This really confused the ponies. Why would a creature evolve feet it couldn't walk on without protection? I guess the skin on my feet would eventually harden, but I’m not interested in risking cuts and infections in the meantime. Plus, I don't like having dirty cold feet.

I take a tentative bite out of the tart, and my eyes widen as the flavor shocks my tongue. Holy shit, it's so sweet it BURNS!

I frown and push the dessert away from me, washing the sickeningly sweet taste away with the dregs of my ale. Is this some kind of mistake, or do pony taste buds work differently? I hope it's the former. I'm not really a fan of sweet things, but it would be horrible if every dessert ever would be like this instant-diabetes monstrosity right here.

I shake my head and get up, deciding to stretch my legs and go take a look around for a bit until Righty and Merlot gets back.

I leave the cafeteria and walk down the corridor we came from, and soon reach my destination; a section of the corridor with large glass windows. I didn't get the chance to take in the view when we passed by the first time.

From here, I see outside the walls surrounding the complex. Bushes and a few small trees, all speckled with early fall colors, dot a grassy slope down to a small river lazily flowing by, the evening sun making it sparkle in the golden light. On the opposite side, heavier vegetation obscures my view, but I can make out a few slate tiled roofs and ornate spires in the distance. That must be Trottingham.

My eye catches a glimpse of something in the air, high above the city. I can just barely make out the shape of winged ponies circling around, doing small dives and loops as they play. I already knew about there being pegasi here, so I’m not as surprised as I am fascinated by the sight. I feel calm, almost tranquil, as I watch them glide through the air, sometimes doing little tricks in the golden light, some light clouds adding pink and orange tones as a backdrop.
I just stand there, watching the pegasi play for a while, until they descend back into the city. It's getting darker.

“Sometimes, I wonder what life would be like if I had been born a pegasus, or a unicorn.” I'm startled by Righty, who I only now realize is standing next to me, watching the same scene “To fly freely without a care, or to interact with the world using only your mind.”

“Must be tough being an earthpony.” I reply, imagining how powerless they must feel in comparison.
I'm surprised when I hear him chuckling, however.

“No, I wouldn't say that. Not really. We all have our place in life, and we're all equally precious and special.” he thinks for a moment before he continues “Our connection to nature, life, and the earth is what's makes us different. Anypony can plant a seed and make it grow, or break a rock, but an earthpony will make that seed thrive, and intuitively know where the rock is weakest. We are strong, and generally try to keep our hooves on the ground, if you know what I mean.”

“It also colors our place in society. Pegasi are generally more flighty and temperamental, while unicorns are more prone to being fickle and whimsical. Earth ponies value traditions and the bonds that connect us all. We're the foundation the house has been built on.”

I raise an eyebrow “Sounds like a generalization.”

Righty nods, smiling awkwardly “You're right, it's a huge generalization, and it sounded worse than I intended. My father's housekeeper would never forgive me for calling her fickle or whimsical. I was only trying to give a general impression of the different types of ponies, and how we get along. Without each other, we would stagnate and perish as a nation and culture.”

“I see...”

“Yes...” Righty sheepishly replies. Sensing an incoming awkward silence, I change the subject.

“It's kind of amazing that there are three completely different types of ponies though.”

“You think so? I take it there's only one type of human then?”

“Not counting different skin colors and minor physical differences, yes.” I briefly consider mentioning angels and wizards as mythical equivalents to pegasi and unicorns, but decide to just leave it. I've decided to cautiously accept the possibility of there being magic, even if I haven't witnessed it yet. I mean, I'm in a world with flying horses and wormhole machines, so who am I to start questioning things now? “How did the cleanup go, by the way?”

“We've incinerated most of the organic matter and buried the rest.” he sighs “Whatever is left out there will be washed away when the rain starts soon.”

I look out at the peaceful sky. It's mostly clear, except for a few light clouds. Not a sign of impending rain at all.

“Not very optimistic, are you? ” I remark jokingly, and almost immediately black clouds start spilling in from over the workshop, like paint from a brush dipped in clear water. Not only that, but there are individual clouds coming in from other directions, as if they had a mind of their own.

“What's going on with the clouds? Is that normal?” I ask, staring incredulously at the clouds gathering up above.

“-Cough- Yeah, that's normal. The weather in Equestria is managed by the pegasi. They have the ability to manipulate clouds directly. In fact, Cloudsdale is a pegasus city made up almost entirely of clouds.”

“What? That's amazing!” Righty looks at me, a smirk forming in his beard as I lean in so far my face almost touches the window, looking for any sign of someone moving the clouds around. And sure enough, I soon spot a few fliers pushing a stray cloud back up where it belongs. Surreal.

“Well, the equipment is safely stored away, and the refuse has been removed.” I turn around to see Merlot walking towards us “Just in time for the rain to deal with whatever is left out there.”

He joins us by the window, watching the light drizzle growing into a pouring downfall outside.
I wonder if there's other types of weather the ponies control. What about snow or fog? Or wind? Is there even seasons here, if the sun orbits the planet?

“About your future situation...” Merlot starts “We discussed it while we were working outside. And as we see it, you have a few options.”

“If you decide to reveal yourself publicly, it might cause a panic, and Canterlot would no doubt get involved. You'd be thoroughly questioned and evaluated, possibly detained indefinitely or even experimented on. You could try staying hidden out in the wilderness, but you'd be on your own, far from any settlement.”

“Righty could use another welder, if you're interested. You could try keeping a low profile here in the workshop, but honestly, it's as good as the first alternative when you're this close to a major city like Trottingham.”

“Then there's our third option. My housekeeper has been pestering me for a while now about employing another servant to lighten the workload. If you're interested, I might have a position as a hoofcolt for you. It's a position with varied work schedule, mostly for show, really. And better yet, our home is near a small town that's remote enough not to draw too much attention. If we put out a rumor that our family has an...exotic servant, we could probably gradually introduce you to the community there, without too much of a risk of everypony panicking or Canterlot getting involved.”

Merlot and Righty look at me, trying to gauge my response to these options.
I don't like the idea of being a government captive with an uncertain future, or living like an animal in a world I have no familiarity with.

The second alternative is, like they said, extremely uncertain, and hardly better than the first. It would also mean that I’d stay cooped up inside this complex forever.

The third alternative is almost absurd. A human being the servant of a talking miniature horse.
Then I realize that I am at a crossroad with no way back where I came from.

“There's no chance of ever going back home, then.” the melancholy in my voice is a little surprising.
But it stings when I think about the town I grew up in.

The places grandfather used to take me and Jason.

My friends at work who will worry when I stop showing up and later assume I’m dead somewhere.

Realizing that I will never see another human being again.

The fact that I had possibilities that are now lost forever.

...the graves that will go untended and forgotten without me to remember them...

“I'm...stuck here...for the rest of my life...” I fight the choking sensation in my throat. The hollow feeling welling up in my chest. I can't do this now. I can't, I can't, I can't! Fuck!

“H-hey...James! Are you ok?” I'm unable to reply, or I’ll lose control of myself. I breathe hard and steel myself, killing these feelings of loss and hopelessness with my resolve alone.

After a few seconds I manage to force it back down...barely.

“I'm fine.” I respond monotonously. Merlot seems awkward. Righty simply nods in sympathy.

“Well...we might be able to find a way, eventually, if we find the cause of the malfunction. But that might take a long time. Months, or years.” Merlot says as he stares into the darkness and rain. In the distance a few flashes of lightning dart across the sky, and just as the thunder rolls by, a door slams open somewhere in the building, followed by rushed hoofbeats.

“Herr Merlot, we haf a problem!” Doctor Cast calls out as he rushes through the corridors.

“We're here, Doctor.” Righty calls out, leading the pale unicorn in our direction. As he rounds a corner, it becomes obvious that he's very disturbed about something.

“Merlot, I belief we need to get out of here as soon as possible.” he urges the burgundy stallion, glancing nervously out the window “Ze hospital was overflowink with unicorns. Ze streets were startink to fill up outside when I got finally got out.”

Eyes widening in horror, the two eartponies stare at the doctor with terrified realization.
“The anomaly...your magic..” Righty meekly whispers.

“It wasn't just me, Righty. The whole city ees cut off, maybe beyond zat as well, I don't know. Merlot, zis is a disaster. If we somehow get linked to zis...” he gulps “We could end up gettink exiled, Merlot. Or locked in a dungeon. Or worse! Und Herr Maxwell here...”

Fear and suspense starts to sink in, and I also notice a strange feeling of guilt, which makes no sense. I couldn't possibly have caused this. But will the ponies feel the same way?

Merlot stares into the air with unfocused eyes, with an expression you'd expect on someone who had just been asked to solve a difficult puzzle to save their lives.

“Alright, I have an idea...” he suddenly says as his eyes shift back into focus, turning to me “and I’m sorry to tell you this, but you will have to make your decision right now. We can't stay here.”

I rub a hand across my face, trying to focus my mind. The options just got worse, leaving only one alternative that could possibly end well.
Not much of a choice, is it...

“Alright.” I say to Merlot as I turn to him.

“I'll accept your offer.”