//------------------------------// // Welcome to the Machine, Part 1 // Story: The Iron Horse: Everything's Better With Robots! // by The Hat Man //------------------------------// The world gradually came back to Twilight in waves. Her throat felt dry, and she coughed several times. She was vaguely aware of someone saying “Water,” but she wasn’t really in any condition to reply. Her vision was blurry, and her eyes still felt heavy. She rubbed them and began to sit up, coming back to consciousness by degrees. She blinked a few more times and saw where she was. She was back in the small building at the distillery. The giant old still, Old Betsy, was still there. She looked to the side of it and saw Professor Cobbler standing next to it. “You!” she shouted, trying to get to her hooves. However, her legs felt like they’d turned to jelly, and she nearly lost her balance. A few nearby ponies caught her and steadied her before she fell. “Easy now,” Cobbler said, coming over to her, his face crossed with lines of worry. “Just give it another few moments, and then the effects of the serum should be gone.” Twilight glanced at the two ponies, a stallion and a mare, who held her. They were wearing matching gray uniforms. She recognized them as the same uniforms worn by the ponies that had attacked her and her friends. My friends! She jerked her head upright at the thought. She tried to use her magic, but nothing happened, and she remembered the device on her horn. She tried to flare her wings, but then she felt something holding them down and turned to see that they’d been bound tightly with cords. “What did you do to my friends?!” she demanded. She tried to lunge at Cobbler, but the two ponies held her back. “I assure you, I’ve done nothing at all to them. I have no intention of harming them, or you,” he said, placing his hoof on his chest. “In truth, Twilight, I would have been fairly content to let you and your friends go on your merry way, but once you discovered my association with Mr. Umahara, well, I decided it was time for a change of plans.” Twilight glowered at him. “When you went to get the floor plans of the warehouse… you managed to send a message warning him that we were coming.” “I’d had him there as a backup plan, yes,” he said. “I had a telephone installed in the back room. Remarkably useful device, isn’t it? A quick call telling him to be ready was all it took.” “So, you’re involved with all this,” Twilight growled, clenching her teeth. “The conspiracy, the spying, and sending Turing Test to find me!” “Indeed I am,” he replied. He smiled. “I’m actually quite proud of 003 and the others. I look forward to telling you more, but perhaps it’s best if I show rather than tell.” He went to the wall by the still. He pulled back a brick, revealing a switch. He pulled it, and the flame under the still went out. He then went to the hatch on the still. He turned the handle on it, and the hiss of hydraulics was heard. To Twilight’s amazement, the side of the still actually slid open, revealing the hollow interior. “Please, follow me,” he said as the two guards led her inside the still. He pulled another switch, and the copper side of the still slid back into place, enclosing them. A lamp came on overhead. There was a rumble, and she gasped as the floor suddenly began to drop. The platform descended into a concrete shaft. “An elevator!” Twilight exclaimed. “Yes. I keep my secrets well-hidden, Twilight, but I believe it’s time I shared them with you. Yes,” he said, chuckling to himself as the elevator descended further and further below the earth, “I do believe it’s time I show you what we’ve built beneath everypony’s hooves.” The elevator softly rumbled as it moved down the shaft, a breeze gusting up lightly as they went, and Twilight noticed the tops of four sets of caterpillar treads pressed against the walls under the platform. It was getting harder to see, but then dim lights on the rim of the platform flicked on; Twilight stiffened and glanced upward to see the light at the top of the elevator shaft already looking tiny and distant above them. Red steel beams to reinforce the shaft ran alongside them. Markers went by her: thirty meters deep… fifty… a hundred… A brass plaque was on the wall, easily read as they descended past it: PROGRESS Twilight glanced over at Cobbler, who was smirking. A few moments later, another one went by: INNOVATION “What did those signs mean?” Twilight asked. “I’m fairly certain they’re in your vocabulary, Twilight,” Cobbler said, chuckling. The two guards joined him. Further along, another plaque was seen: FREEDOM “Enough! Where are you taking me?!” she demanded, panic rising up in her voice. Cobbler’s expression softened, and he smiled at her. “Don’t worry, Twilight Sparkle. I’m taking you to a wonderful place. We’ve kept it hidden for a long time, but, as any good earth pony will tell you,” here he tipped his hat, wiggling his eyebrows, “sometimes you have to plant something very deep if you want it to grow.” Twilight stared back at him. She swallowed. “And what exactly are you growing here?” “As I said,” he replied, “why tell you… when I can show.” Bright light showed from below the platform, and then the elevator slowed as the concrete suddenly gave way to glass in the front, the panes held in reinforced steel. Twilight whirled around to look. Her mouth dropped open. “Oh.” Before her was a vast chamber carved into the rock of the earth. The very size of it brought to her mind a new definition of the word “cavernous”. They were still over a hundred meters from the floor, but she could look out and see that the room extended back perhaps a kilometer, or even more, and was about half as wide. The ceiling blazed with hanging lamps, bathing the cavern in synthetic sunlight. More than halfway down the walls but still high above the ground, a network of catwalks crisscrossed the void, going into and out of rounded tunnels carved into the gray stone walls. Pegasi were flying between them, but among them were also several strange machines with whirling propellers. On the floor below she could see numerous distinct areas. Great machines with scores of flashing lights stood in great rows. Further away she could make out a marketplace filled with kiosks and vendors standing outside. There were statues, fountains, and raised platforms with dining areas. And in the distance beyond them, she could spy the entrance to… “What is that?” she whispered. “Is that… an amphitheater?!” “It certainly is,” Cobbler replied. “We have rallies and plays there, and occasionally even a movie.” “I like the automata matches,” one of the guards remarked. “Inventors build little remote-control machines and fight them against each other.” “I find them rather crude entertainment, myself,” Cobbler said, clicking his tongue. Then he sighed, adding, “The younger among us like them, though.” Twilight was still in awe. “There must be hundreds of ponies here,” she whispered. “I believe at our last count we were at 987,” Cobbler said, puffing out his chest. “A shame, though… I really had hoped we could reach a thousand before… well…” “Before what?” Twilight asked. “You’ll see,” Cobbler said, winking at her. Twilight bit her lip at that answer as she at last looked directly below. Strange devices, large and small, were displayed on either side of a broad pathway of stone tiles. There were dozens of ponies gathered among them, many of them already pointing excitedly at the elevator. At her, she realized. A few pegasi even flew up and took some pictures before flying off when Cobbler shooed them away. “How… I mean… what is this place?” Twilight breathed. “This is the seedling nation that will become the future,” Cobbler replied. “This is the nascent future that soon will give unto all of ponykind a better world than the one its old masters could promise. This is what we’ve hidden from the prying eyes of those on the surface, but it is nearly ready to burst forth and spread to every corner of Equestria, and, in supplanting it, it will become Equestria.” The elevator reached the bottom. Gleaming, polished brass doors slid open, and Cobbler practically galloped outside with the giddy excitement of a young colt. He stood before the gathered crowd and spread his forelegs wide as he stood. “Twilight Sparkle!” he bellowed. “At long last, we welcome you to… TechQuestria!” The crowd erupted into thunderous cheers and applause. Twilight blinked. “To… what?!” Cobbler coughed, his reserved demeanor returning. “Yes, well,” he said, blushing slightly, “I admit I didn’t care for the name, but it won the vote, and now it’s grown on me.” “No, no, it’s not the name,” Twilight said, shaking her head. “I mean… what exactly is this place? What is the purpose of all this?” “Oh, now, I would have thought that was obvious, Twilight,” Cobbler said. “Given what you and your cohorts have already uncovered about our little, ah… ‘club.’” The crowd laughed at that. Twilight took a deep breath. “Let me see… you’re opposed to Celestia’s--” The crowd began booing loudly at Celestia’s name. Cobbler waved his hoof, quieting them down. “--to her cautious stance on technology. And since I’m guessing you’re also responsible for moving the sun and moon without the Princesses’ permission, you’re also opposed to their rule in general.” “You are correct on all counts so far,” Cobbler said. The crowd gave another round of applause. Twilight raised an eyebrow at this. This really isn’t what I expected the conspirators to be like, she thought to herself. “So… what, you’re planning to conquer Equestria?” “‘Conquer?’!” one of the ponies in the crowd shouted before bursting into laughter. Others began to join him. Cobbler chuckled as he went over and put his hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “Oh, my dear Twilight, you must think us nothing more than a gaggle of mad scientists,” he said, shaking his head, “but nothing could be further from the truth! We only want to help Equestria! We don’t wish to ‘conquer’ this country, we wish to liberate it from the Princesses who hold it down under their hooves!” Twilight narrowed her eyes at him. “Do you not believe me?” he asked, frowning. “You all know that I’m a Princess, right?” She put her ears back, eyeing the crowd distrustfully. “Is this some kind of cruel joke? Are you all acting like I’m an honored guest to humiliate me? Is that it?!” She shouted those last words, her anger rising. “No, we love you, Princess Twilight!” a mare in the crowd shouted. “We’d never do that!” said a stallion next to her. “You’re the hero of Equestria, Twilight Sparkle!” The crowd began loudly cheering for her. Gradually, it dawned on Twilight that this wasn’t some elaborate joke. She’d felt like she was on display, like Cobbler was gloating or parading her in front of his followers… but now it seemed that these ponies genuinely admired her. “Then… if you feel that way… why did you kidnap me?!” The crowd went silent. They all began looking to each other. “Um, Mr. President?” one of the ponies, a unicorn stallion, asked, raising his hoof as he stepped forward. “She has a point. Do we really have to keep her restrained like that? Maybe we could take off her magic suppressor, or at least unbind her wings?” Others began to agree, but Cobbler removed his hat and raised his chin, saying, “My friends, I understand what you mean, and though I have apologized to her, I doubt Twilight Sparkle is ready to trust us. However, I am sure that once she gets to know us a little better, she’ll be more inclined to become a citizen of our beloved nation.” He looked to Twilight hopefully. She raised an eyebrow at him. “Well, perhaps you just need to see what we have to offer,” he said, replacing his hat and giving her a small smile. “Twilight, these ponies represent different Departments here in TechQuestria. They have brought some of their most promising inventions out to display solely for your benefit. They want to show you what we can offer to ponies everywhere. You’re a bit of a scientist yourself, are you not?” “I… yes, I suppose I am,” Twilight said. She glanced around. She had to admit that her curiosity about the devices around her was growing. These were the ponies who had built Turing Test and her siblings. Learning more about them and what they were capable of could be beneficial, she decided, and indulging them might get her more answers than resisting them every step of the way. “All right,” she said, coming up alongside Cobbler, “I’ll take a look. After all, it’s been a while since I’ve been to a science fair.” The ponies excitedly dispersed, going to their stations to ready their inventions for Twilight’s perusal. I just have to hope, Twilight thought to herself as she watched them scurry, that Spike and Gadget can get help before things get worse. *** Spike groaned, flopping onto his back on the bed in the small quarters in the Royal Guard outpost. “Ugh, they’ve been gone a while!” he grumbled. “Mm hmm,” Gadget muttered as she continued leaning over the nearby work desk. “Do you think everything’s all right?” he asked, sitting up as worry lines crossed his face. “Mm hmm,” Gadget replied. Spike cleared his throat. “Gadget!” he said. Gadget jerked her head up and then turned around to look at him. He saw she had some tools in her mechanical hands and was adjusting something on the desk. “I’m just saying, the sun’s starting to set, and we still haven’t heard back from the other guards!” Gadget looked out the window. Sure enough, the land all around them was already painted by a yellowish orange color as the sun sank closer to the horizon. “I guess,” she said, and turned back to her work. Spike hopped off the bed. “Hey, come on, Gadget, aren’t you even a bit worried? When we saw that flare go up, I thought maybe they’d found something, and when all the guards left except for Buttercup, I thought maybe they’d be coming home with Turing Test soon! How can you--” “I know!” she cried, pounding a hoof on the desk. “Look, I know, Spike, but there’s nothing I can do right now except wait! Until they need my help, I just want to work on something else to keep myself occupied, okay?!” Spike cringed, looking away. “Yeah… yeah, okay. I’m sorry,” he said softly as he turned away. Gadget sighed and set her tools down. “No, Spike, I… it’s me who should be sorry,” she said, putting a hoof on his shoulder. “I shouldn’t be ignoring you while we wait. I’m sure this isn’t easy for you either.” “No,” he said, but then gave a small smile. “Then again, with all the stuff Twilight does when she and the others go off, I’m almost used to it. Heh heh.” “Well, I’m not,” Gadget sighed. Then she used one of her mechanical hands to ruffle the scales on his head playfully, giggling as he squirmed. “Still, waiting is part of the gig, isn’t it? We assistants have to stick together, don’t we?” “I guess so,” he replied, squirming, though he chuckled as he pushed her mechanical hand away. “So, um… what are you working on?” “Hm? Oh!” She brightened and took hold of the device. “It’s a listening device!” she exclaimed and held it before him. It was a flat, rectangular object with a conical dish on one end and a wire leading to small bud-shaped nub. “So… how does it work?” he asked. “Oh, well… hang on…” She set it down on the desk, taking off the front panel and adjusting some of the small machinery inside. She nodded to herself, replaced the panel, screwed it tightly back into place, and held the device out to Spike. “Put the bud in your ear,” she said, “and then point the dish at whatever you want to. You should be able to hear a pony whispering fifty meters away!” “Neat! Too bad I don’t have ears,” he said. They both chuckled at that. Still, he took hold of the device, flipping a little switch on the side to turn it on. He put the bud near where his ear would be, and walked to the window, pointing the dish outside at the trees surrounding the outpost. “Whoa! I can hear birds! And squirrels!” His eyes lit up, and he looked over at Gadget, a broad grin on his face. “This is awesome!” “O-oh, no,” she said, blushing slightly. “I just always bring little parts with me when I go traveling so I have something to do if I get bored or anxious.” She opened her jacket, displaying all the small pockets stuffed with gears, wiring, and bits of electronics. “Cool!” Spike said. He turned back to the woods, scanning with the listening device. Then his eyes bulged. “Hey, I think I hear some ponies talking out there!” “Spike, you shouldn’t be listening in on somepony’s private conversation!” she cried, covering her mouth in shock. “Huh? N-no, it’s not like that!” he exclaimed, shoving it back into her hooves. “Good,” she said, and placed the bud in her ear before going to the window. “Now let’s see what they’re talking about.” “What the--?! You said I shouldn’t be listening in on somepony’s conversation!” he exclaimed, stamping his foot indignantly. “Yeah, and I shouldn’t either,” she said, turning and sticking her tongue out at him. “But I’m still gonna.” “No fair,” he grumbled, crossing his arms. Gadget scanned the area slowly. Like Spike had said, there was the sound of wildlife and the rustle of the breeze through the trees, but then… (“--ing you … really gonna … soon?”) (“Ju-- --ax, the ... --ident is going …”) (“Well, yeah, but … even with --ight Sparkle?”) Gadget froze. Did they just say ‘Twilight Sparkle’? “Uh, Gadget?” Spike asked. “Everything okay?” “Spike,” Gadget whispered, narrowing her eyes. “Stay here.” “Huh? What do you mean? Is everything okay?” “I’m… not sure yet,” she said. “I can’t quite make out what those ponies are saying, so I’m going to try to get closer. Just stay put.” Without another word, she slipped out the window. They were on the second floor, but she reached down with her two front mechanical arms while the back two held the windowsill. She released her grip and set down easily. Keeping her head low, she made for the woods. From his vantage point, Spike watched her, his anxiety growing, until he heard a loud ringing downstairs. Startled, he rushed out of the room and down the stairs. He saw Buttercup holding one of those telephone devices at the front desk. “Buttercup?” he asked. “Oh, hey, Spike!” Buttercup said, smiling jovially. “Sorry, I have to take this call. It might be important! Maybe it’s even from Sergeant Sea Hawk!” “I didn’t know you guys had a telephone,” Spike said, raising an eyebrow. “Well, they’re just so darn useful!” Buttercup said. “Hang on.” He picked up the earpiece. “Mustangian Royal Guard here! This is PFC Buttercup speaking!” (“It is as Celestia wills it.”) Buttercup’s expression changed. His stature was more relaxed, and his gaze unfocused. “Uh, Buttercup?” Spike asked. (“Smile and tell him everything’s okay.”) “Everything’s okay,” Buttercup said, giving him a smile. “You sure?” Spike asked. Buttercup nodded. He continued listening to the phone for a few moments more before hanging up. “Who was it?” Spike asked. “Just someone asking if I could come look at something really quick. I need to step out a second,” he said. “Please wait here, okay?” Spike furrowed his brow. “If you say so,” he said, and turned to go upstairs. Man, he thought to himself, I hope he’s not doing that thing where he just got bad news and he’s afraid to tell me. I’m mature enough to take it! As soon as he was gone, Buttercup slipped outside and made his way up the path through the woods. Meanwhile, Gadget was creeping through the trees, getting closer to the conversation to try and hear better. She finally spotted a pair of ponies, an earth pony stallion and mare in matching gray uniforms. Who the heck are they? she wondered. She raised the listening device. They were only a short distance away now, so they should be easier to hear. “--aking so long?” the stallion asked. “Your watch is probably fast,” the mare replied. “Just hold on.” They continued standing there, the stallion looking around anxiously. Gadget could barely see them through the trees and bushes, but she crouched lower, fairly certain that she wouldn’t be spotted. Thus far, she wasn’t at all sure they were up to anything, but there was something about their posture and their strange matching clothing. Her instincts told her there was something amiss. Their heads rose, and they both looked up the road. Gadget also turned her head. Someone was coming their way. She watched, holding her breath until they came into view. It was Buttercup. “You’ve been activated?” the mare asked. Buttercup nodded stiffly. “Then here,” the stallion said, placing a small pouch in Buttercup’s hoof. “Complete your orders, then stand by. Don’t let them leave.” Gadget’s throat went dry as she watched Buttercup nod and wordlessly go back up the road toward the outpost. ‘Don’t let them leave?’ Do they mean us? Oh no, Spike! She started to stealthily make her way back without being heard, but she heard the stallion speak again. “That ought to do it,” the stallion said, letting out a relaxed sigh. “No way they’ll get a message out now.” “I bet the telegraph office is already getting an earful,” the mare chuckled. “Radio the other guards to come here and pick those two up.” The stallion nodded and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small radio earpiece. He placed it in his ear. “Guards, you are to return to the outpost and apprehend the fugitives. It is as Celestia wills it.” Gadget’s blood went cold. There was no time to waste, so she bolted through the woods. Over her shoulder, she thought she might have heard the mare call out to her, followed by the stallion yelling frantically into the radio “We’ve been spotted! Move in, move in, move in!” Her cover was blown now, that was certain, but all that mattered was getting to Spike before Buttercup did whatever he was going to do. She ran at the outpost and used her mechanical limbs to vault herself up at the open window. She pulled herself up and balanced herself on the sill. “Spike!” she cried, and then she froze. Spike was sitting on the bed, sipping from a cup of tea. Buttercup was standing in the doorway, holding a serving tray, watching him drink with a somewhat vacant look. “Oh, hey, you’re back!” Spike said, wiping his mouth. “Find anything?” Gadget looked from Buttercup to the tea in Spike’s claw, her eyes bulging. “The tea!” “Huh? Well, you might not want it. I mean, thanks and all, Buttercup, but it actually tastes a little bitter and--” Gadget slapped the teacup out of Spike’s claws. Ignoring his cries of protest, Gadget got close and saw that there were tiny flecks of blue in the dark brown liquid. She looked up at Buttercup, whose expression was turning serious. Before he could react further, however, a mechanical hand shot out and reached into the chestplate on his armor. She snatched out the tiny pouch he’d been concealing. It came loose and dumped blue powder all over the floor. “Oopsie,” Buttercup said slowly. His expression darkened. “You shouldn’t have done that, Miss Gadget.” Spike wasn’t always one to read the room, but even in this case he could tell something was amiss. He slowly backed away from Buttercup. “Gadget? What’s wrong with Buttercup?” he whispered. “I don’t know,” she whispered back. “But I think the conspirators got to him… they’re controlling him somehow!” “No, no, guys,” he said, giving them a lopsided grin. “I’m a loyal soldier to Celestia… this is all her will…” Spike made a face. “Yeahhh, not buying that.” “Spike, we’ve got to get out of here. Now.” Buttercup looked stern. “You have to stay here.” He took a step forward. “I can’t let you leave.” “Spike, the window!” Gadget cried, but then Buttercup sprang forward, belying his prodigious size, and wrapped his forelegs around Gadget, catching her in a bear hug and lifting her off the ground. “Gadget!” Spike shouted. Gadget struggled and kicked, but Buttercup was unbelievably strong. She’d assumed that the guard’s girth had been mostly fat, but it seemed that she’d been wrong: it was almost all muscle. He was squeezing her so hard she couldn’t breathe. Luckily for her, he only managed to bind her regular limbs. Her mechanical limbs reached over to the wooden chair sitting by the desk, seizing it and smashing it over Buttercup’s back. This wasn’t enough to make him let go completely, but it did stun him enough to let her yank his legs out from under him with her anterior arms. Once he lost his balance and tumbled forward, Gadget regained her footing and managed to seize the large earth pony with all four hands. She lifted him up, with him struggling all the while, and looked to the window. “Sorry about this, Mr. Buttercup,” she whispered, and heaved him with all her might, tossing him through the window, smashing the glass and a good portion of the wall too as he tumbled out and landed roughly on the ground below. She and Spike looked out and saw the mare and stallion from before gawking at the sight of the guard lying in a daze on the ground. Then they looked up at her and began to back away, their eyes bulging in fear. Just then, she heard the flapping of wings and looked up. Swooping in from over the trees, a pair of pegasi arrived and landed next to Buttercup. “Violet Wisp and Orange Slice!” Gadget cried. “Don’t tell me they’ve gotten to you too!” The pair only blinked up at her. Then Violet Wisp glanced back down at Buttercup, shaking him gently. “Rise and shine,” she said as he sat up slowly, groaning, “because it’s go time, Buttercup!” A moment later, Sea Hawk emerged from the woods. Like the others, his eyes were strange and distant. But he still carried his usual stern demeanor. “Your orders, Sarge?” Violet Wisp asked. Sea Hawk locked eyes with Gadget. “Storm the building,” he said calmly. Gadget gulped and looked over at Spike. She snatched him up and retreated back into the outpost, then dashed down the hall and into one of the other rooms. “We don’t have a lot of time,” she whispered to the little dragon. “The conspirators have our friends. We need to get help, Spike.” She reached into her jacket and removed a pad of paper. She also took out a pencil and wrote an urgent note on it. Through the floorboards, she could hear the sound of other ponies entering the outpost on the ground floor. They were coming. “Here,” Gadget said, shoving it into his claws. “This is a note for Princess Celestia, telling her we need backup and that the Royal Guards here in Mustangia have been compromised. Can you send it?” Spike grinned, giving her a thumbs up. “No problem!” He rolled up the note and took a deep breath. He breathed fire on it, waiting for the note to disappear in a puff of magical green flame. The note simply caught fire, the edges turning black and curling. Spike dropped it, and Gadget began to stomp on it to put out the flames. Spike waved away the smoke from it as it smoldered. “What the… is that supposed to happen?!” Gadget hissed. “No, of course not!” he cried. “I don’t get it… the note should have gone directly to Celestia! Why didn’t it…” Then they both locked eyes. “The tea,” they said in unison. “It must have done something to my dragonfire magic,” Spike whispered. “I… I can’t send a letter to the Princesses! To anyone!” They froze up as they heard the sound of somepony knocking on doors down the hallway. “Gadget… Spike?” Violet Wisp called. “Why don’t you come on out?” There was a clattering sound - Gadget guessed it to be the sound of somepony kicking in a door - and then an annoyed grunt. She recognized the grunt as Orange Slice’s. “We don’t want to hurt you,” Violet Wisp said calmly, knocking on another door. “Unless you’re hiding in my room!” Orange Slice growled. Gadget looked around. The simple room had athletic posters as well as pictures of mares in sexy poses. On the desk were pictures of Orange Slice with various girls… as well as one with his mother and sisters. He appeared much younger and was wearing braces and had freckles. Gadget might have chuckled if she hadn’t been so scared. There was a knock at the door. “Come on out, you two,” Violet Wisp said. “I can smell the smoke. You tried to send a letter didn’t you?” “The heck with this!” Orange Slice snarled. “Get out of my room!” He kicked in the door and the pair rushed in. The room was empty. “What the…?” Orange Slice asked, tilting his head. “Where’d they go?” “Under the bed!” Violet Wisp cried, diving forward and lifting up the bed. “N-no, wait, I--” “Oh, gross!” Violet Wisp said, gagging, setting the bed back down roughly. “Those were definitely not our fugitives.” “Then… the window?” Violet Wisp shook her head. “Sarge, Buttercup, and the two others are watching the exterior.” She tapped a radio earpiece she wore. “They’d have alerted us if they tried to sneak out.” “Then where…” Then it dawned on them, and they both finally looked up. Gadget was using her mechanical hands to cling to the ceiling, holding Spike in her forelegs. “Hi!” they both said in unison, and dropped down. Gadget landed squarely on Orange Slice’s back, pinning him to the ground. Spike landed on Violet Wisp’s neck and began yanking her ears, causing her to shout in pain and rage. He let go when Gadget seized her by her armor with one mechanical hand and tossed her out the door, through the hallway, and into the wall on the other side. “Listen you two, please!” Gadget cried. “We’re not your enemies!” “That’s right!” Spike added. “Remember, we’re on the same side!” “Celestia has declared you our enemies,” Violet Wisp said, struggling to stand. She looked to Gadget, her eyes jerking somewhat involuntarily. “We must bring you in,” Orange Slice growled, trying to shove Gadget off of him. “And that’s what we’ll do!” Violet Wisp shouted as she sprang forward suddenly. Gadget gasped at the sudden burst of speed from the pegasus as she tackled her and Spike. The momentum was enough to carry both of them backward, and they both crashed through the window. Spike yelled in fear, but Gadget still managed to hold him with her forelegs while she caught herself with one mechanical hand. “There they are!” She turned to see Sea Hawk and Buttercup galloping over to her. Violet Wisp and Orange Slice were recovering inside. Hanging from a window was a terrible defensive position, she realized. She’d need to get some high ground. “Hang on, Spike!” she shouted. Then, to everypony’s amazement, she shoved her mechanical fingers into the wall and, like some strange insect, simply began to climb the side of the wall, her mechanical arms helping her skitter up to the roof before anypony else could catch her. Once they were atop the roof, Gadget set Spike down at last. From below, she heard Sea Hawk call “Somepony get me a bullhorn!” “Right away, Sarge!” Buttercup exclaimed. A moment later, Gadget heard Sea Hawk’s amplified voice. She gingerly peered over the wall. “Gadget, Spike, you might as well turn yourselves in!” he called. “We know you can’t send a letter to Celestia, and we’ve taken the precaution of cutting every telegraph wire leading out of Mustangia!” “If I’m an enemy of Celestia, then why would I be trying to warn her about the conspiracy against her?” Sea Hawk’s eyes drifted apart for a moment, his head lolling to the side. Then he shook his head and replied “It is Celestia’s will that she not be warned about the conspiracy against her!” Gadget smacked her forehead, groaning. “Whoa,” Spike whispered. “That’s some good brainwashing.” “We’re not brainwashed!” Orange Slice shouted, flying out to stand next to his fellow Royal Guards. “I would know if I was brainwashed!” Buttercup tapped his chin. “Ooh, but would you? I mean, I sure don’t feel brainwashed, but maybe it’s because I’m so brainwashed and…” He winced, rubbing his temples. “My head hurts.” “It’s all right, guards,” said a familiar voice from just overhead. “Just trust that it is as Celestia wills it.” Gadget turned and looked up, her eyes going wide. “Blue Blazer!” she cried. Sure enough, Blue Blazer was there, wearing her trademark blue clothing and pillbox hat. “It’s just wonderful to see you again, Gadget,” Blue Blazer said, crossing her forelegs as she looked down smugly at the young mare. “And you must be Spike the Dragon!” “That’s right!” Spike said, puffing out his chest, looking up at her fiercely. “What did you do to our friends?” “Nothing,” she said. “We would never harm them. Not unless we had to. And the same applies to you two. So listen carefully: surrender now. Take off those mechanical arms of yours, Gadget, and both of you lie flat on the ground on your bellies and we’ll take you into custody. And then, Gadget, I can show you that wonderful place I told you about!” She flashed a beaming smile. “I can take you to TechQuestria!” Gadget cocked her head to the side. “Wait… ‘TechQuestria?’” “Oh man, that is lame,” Spike said, shaking his head. “That name, um, won the vote,” Blue Blazer grumbled. “A-anyway, I strongly suggest you surrender. Otherwise…” Gadget heard a sound and saw that Orange Slice and Violet Wisp had flown up to opposite sides of the roof while Blue Blazer was distracting her. Violet Wisp had carried up Sea Hawk, and Orange Slice had, with no small effort and a lot of grunting, carried up Buttercup. The four had them surrounded. “So, Gadget, Spike, what do you think?” Blue Blazer asked. “I think,” Gadget said quietly, “that you forgot two important rules.” “Oh?” Blue Blazer asked, her expression darkening. “And what rules are those?” “First of all,” Gadget said, a smirk appearing on her face, “I warned you about messing with earth ponies. But especially…” Gadget stood on her hind legs. They all watched as, one by one, her mechanical hands retreated back into the wrists of her arms. Then each one was replaced by a different device. One hand was replaced with piston, another with a sparking electronic taser, another with a round shield made of interlocking plates in a pinwheel formation, and the last with a giant, vice-like claw. They all gawked at the sight. “...you should never mess with a genius!” She raised her forelegs triumphantly and broke into mad, cackling laughter. Jeez, Spike thought to himself as he swallowed. I’m sure glad she’s on our side. Blue Blazer grit her teeth. "It seems you're a little more prepared after last time, Gadget," she muttered. "Well played." “Spike,” Gadget whispered, “stay close to me. I’ll keep you safe, but I need you to watch my back, okay?” “Oh! R-right!” Gadget smirked. “Let’s show these ponies why we’re Equestria’s number one assistants!” Spike chuckled. “Yeah. And once we’re done here, we’ll save our friends!” Blue Blazer swallowed and tapped her radio earpiece. “Dispatch, come in. This is Blue Blazer… we’re going to need some backup.” *** Twilight stood on a concrete platform and watched as a boxy machine exited a tunnel and trundled along a set of rails towards her, following a set of wires hung above it.  Once it had come to a full stop in front of her, the doors on the side pushed out slightly and parted, opening wide. She followed Cobbler inside, the guards still flanking her. Though the machine resembled a train and the principle was essentially the same, he referred to it as a ‘tram’. A dozen or so ponies were inside, and when they saw Cobbler their eyes lit up and they all rose to their hooves. “Mr. President!” said a mare. “Oh, would you like my seat?” “No, no, I wouldn’t think of it,” he laughed. “There is plenty of room for us all.” Then the ponies noticed Twilight. Though none approached her, she heard them whispering excitedly. She still hadn’t fully absorbed that these ponies idolized her no less - and perhaps even more - than the ponies of Equestria. “I have a private tram for ease of transportation,” Cobbler whispered to her, “but I thought you might like to see our public transportation system first. What do you think?” “It’s… um…” She honestly didn’t know what to say. The interior of the car was simple, with bench seats with only the barest of cushioning, and the walls were dull and metallic, unlike the passenger cars she’d ridden while taking the railroad. Still, it moved swiftly, and she had to admire the ingenuity of the TechQuestrians in building an efficient means of getting around their underground city. “It’s… nice.” Cobbler frowned. “I suppose it is a bit spartan, but I thought you might have more to say than that,” he said. Then he shrugged. “Ah well. At least you seemed to enjoy the science fair.” That was true enough. There had been a machine that produced ice without magic. Another invention was a substance so slick that it could cut friction down to almost nothing (the inventor was thinking of using it to coat pipes or perhaps pots and pans). There was a machine that could suck all the water out of food to preserve it in a matter of minutes, a box that could heat a substance with invisible energy, a device that detected things by bouncing sound waves off of them, and - most impressive to Twilight - a prototype for a glass panel that could turn sunlight into electrical energy. “I have to admit, some of those things might benefit Equestria,” Twilight said, containing her enthusiasm. It wasn’t that she wasn’t appreciative, of course, but she just didn’t want to give Cobbler the satisfaction. Cobbler’s mood, however, wasn’t the slightest bit deterred. “Ha ha! And that’s just a sample of what I have to show you, Twilight! Oh, you are just going to be dazzled when you see what we’ve built!” Twilight idly looked out the window. However, as the day wore on and the tour continued, even she couldn’t keep her enthusiasm totally in check. TechQuestria, it turned out, was even bigger than she’d realized. Each “Department” was like a little village unto itself. The Computer Science Department was building a machine that surpassed the one Talon Turing was working on in terms of size and power. The Aeronautics Lab was building giant propellers, jets, and even rockets that they claimed could one day carry ponies - and their technology - into the heavens. Medical Research was building prostheses and a device that could magically scan text and produce synthetic speech for the blind. The Alchemy & Chemistry Department was working on using atmospheric nitrogen and hydrogen to create an ammonia-rich fertilizer to aid farming in barren lands. Acoustic Engineering was trying to make a machine that would use sound waves to break up kidney stones. Mechanical Engineering had plans to create automatic devices to do everything from making hay fries to vacuuming a floor to even building other machines. In many of these cases, of course, the work was theoretical and nowhere near producing a fully functional model. Still, the enthusiasm, the energy, the hope that the ponies working there had was infectious. They greeted her warmly, asked what she thought, and asked her if she would want to see their work come to fruition on the surface. After a few hours of this, she was wearing a smile as she trotted alongside Cobbler as they walked down a wide stone hallway with stucco decorations lining the walls. “I see you’re enjoying yourself,” Cobbler said, his voice echoing in the empty hallway. She paused, startled out of her thoughts by his question. “I…” She sighed, realizing she’d been caught up in the moment. “I have to admit it. These ponies and the things they’ve done really are amazing.” Then she paused. “How… how in the world did all this come to be? Where did all these ponies come from? For that matter, how can you afford to pay for all of this?!” “Well, the first question is a bit of a long story, which I promise I shall tell you,” Cobbler said, holding up his hoof, “but as to the second, the answer is that many came from above, from all around Equestria and beyond, but found the current climate a bit inhospitable for innovators of their caliber. We offered them the chance to practice science as they pleased without interruption or restraint. And, well, in return for our pooling of resources, we all share the benefits. TechQuestria, through various aliases and dummy corporations, owns the rights on quite a few patents and collects their royalties.” “Patents?” “You’ve seen those headphones that can magically store music from a record? Shortwave radio earpieces? Automated electronic elevators?” Twilight’s eyes bulged. “All those were you?” “Indeed so. They keep some funds flowing in, but a lot of our work is funded through the donations of our more, ah, private supporters. Still… I must admit that financing this place is quite difficult.” He sighed. “Without government support, many of these future inventions will die on the vine.” Twilight stopped in her tracks, narrowing her eyes. Cobbler paused when he saw Twilight wasn’t following. “Twilight? Is something wrong?” “Is that what this is all about?” she asked. “Money?” Cobbler frowned. “In part. As mundane as it may seem, economics is a fact of life. But the larger problem is that Celestia’s created a climate of distrust in technology to the point that even private funding is difficult to procure. And all because of one little scare she had a century ago…” “The one with your ancestor,” Twilight said. “Dearborn Crumble.” “Yes,” he said bitterly, his expression souring. “Granddaddy created something that could have revolutionized the world, and in her fear, Celestia cast it aside.” “Then this is about your grandfather?” Cobbler chuckled. “Oh, my dear Twilight, if only it were that simple. It’s about a great many things.” Twilight continued staring at him. “Professor Cobbler,” she said, “I appreciate this tour, but I think it’s time you told me what this is all for, and what you want from me.” He looked at her for a moment, then nodded. “Very well. After all, you have been very patient and quite indulgent of me. Let me take you to your quarters, and then we can discuss this formally.” She followed him through more twists and turns. She was quickly learning that the complex that made up TechQuestria may have expanded throughout the caverns below Mustangia, but those who’d built it had taken care to include multiple paths through each area. A pony could walk on hoof from the residential district via pathways and stairs to one of the major Departments to the Great Hall if they wished, or take the tram or a series of elevators. And what she’d seen, she knew, was just a fraction of the whole place. In any case, eventually they arrived at a small, simply decorated room. Like everywhere else in TechQuestria, it had electric lights, and it also had a living room with a coffee table, a sofa, an armchair, and a bookshelf with a supply of modern and classic books. It also had a kitchen with an electric stove and running water, and a small bedroom with a single bed. It reminded Twilight a bit of the apartments or hotel rooms she’d seen in Manehattan, but with fewer frills. Still, she did notice the simple paintings on the wall and the potted plants on the tables. “Would you care for some music?” Cobbler asked as Twilight sat on the sofa. Twilight looked around. She didn’t see a record player anywhere. “Oh, that’s right!” he laughed. “Well, allow me to show you something else we’ve cooked up.” He went to a small, brown wooden box with knobs on it. He turned it, and a little panel on it began to glow. Twilight gasped as music emanated from it. It was a simple jazz tune with piano and a saxophone. “A recording of some kind?” she asked. “Long-range public radio,” Cobbler explained, taking a seat on the armchair. “We broadcast all over TechQuestria. In some spots, you can even pick up the signal on the surface. We’ve been thinking of introducing it to Mustang City, much like we have with the telephone. We use the town as a bit of a testing ground. It’s our hope that successes there will lead to successes across the rest of Equestria.” Twilight nodded slowly. “I think that would be very nice,” she said. “But please, if we could get to the point? I’d really like to know what all this is for, and then I want to see my friends.” “I can arrange a visit between a few of you at a time, but for the time being, I cannot allow you all in the same space.” Twilight sat forward. “But why--” “That little ‘light show’ of yours,” he said, raising an eyebrow. “It can only activate when you are in proximity to one another, and I’m not about to let you unleash it against our nation.” Twilight made a face. “All right, then. But if you expect me to cooperate at all, you’d better have told me the truth when you said you hadn’t hurt them.” “I can promise you that I have told the truth,” he said, removing his hat and placing it over his heart. “I regret having lied to you before, but from this point forward, I intend to be perfectly honest. And thus, I believe it is time to answer your main question: ‘What do we want?’” He looked to the two guards and nodded. One stepped forward, drawing an envelope out of his uniform pocket. He opened it, removed some folded papers, and placed them flat on the coffee table. Twilight began to read the words at the top of the page. We, the Ponies of Equestria, in the spirit of Progress, Innovation, and Freedom, do hereby establish a new order. We do hereby reject a system which governs by the few, and create upon this nation a new governance not of Kings or Queens or Princesses, but of all ponies of all races… Twilight read further, her eyes growing wide. Her mouth dropped open. At last, she looked up from the document and met Cobbler’s gaze. “You want to overthrow Celestia… and make Equestria a Republic?” Cobbler sat up, his chest swelling with pride. “Yes, Twilight Sparkle,” he said, his eyes lighting up as he replaced his hat. “It is our goal to bring an end to ‘The Kingdom of Equestria’ and make it a democratic republic. And we shall call this new nation ‘The Ponies’ Democratic Republic of Equestria!’” Twilight only gawked at him. “I know you must be stunned,” he said, “but consider this: every local government in Equestria is democratically voted upon. Why, your chosen hometown of Ponyville has an election next year! “And yet,” he spat, “the national government was established a millennium ago as a diarchy! When Starswirl the Bearded and the rest of his ilk decided that the best way to unite the newly-formed nation was to have it ruled by a pair of alicorns, who carried traits of all three races, they might have had the stability of the nation in mind. But with Luna banished, Equestria has languished under the rule of a single pony. Why should it be so, I ask you, Princess Twilight? Do you not believe that no pony is greater than another? Why shouldn’t ponies of the nation control their own fate?” “Professor,” Twilight said sharply. “Calm down.” Cobbler blinked. It was then that he noticed that he’d gotten to his hooves and was leaning unsettlingly close to Twilight. “Ah… I apologize,” he said, stepping back and straightening his jacket. Twilight looked down. “Celestia… isn’t perfect,” she said. “I admit that. In fact, I’ve learned that more in the last six months than I’d ever imagined. But isn’t she a good ruler? We’ve had a thousand years of peace, with no major wars. Poverty is low, nopony goes hungry, and everypony is free to live the way they want. None of the technology you’ve been working on is illegal, even if it hasn’t caught on. Isn’t this a little… drastic?” Cobbler pushed his lips in and out as he thought about how to respond. “Is she a good ruler? I… will begrudgingly admit that she is, in many respects. But though life in Equestria is satisfactory, it could be great. The technology which she has damned through faint praise or outright scorn could have revolutionized the land and made life for all ponies far greater than we could imagine! “And besides, no matter how great a ruler she may be, no one pony should have all that power. And not for so long. If you’ll peruse that document further, you’ll find the makings of a constitution for a new Equestria, one with a government made up of elected representatives from every town and region, along with one executive officer. It is the way we’ve done things here in TechQuestria, my dear, and it has worked gloriously!” “Except for your dumb, punny name,” Twilight said, smirking as she raised an eyebrow. “Yes, well,” he grumbled, “no government governs perfectly. But the point is that we have representatives for all the civilian residents as well as a pony from each Department, and one Executive: me. I did not force my way into this position, Twilight Sparkle; I was elected as President.” “And let me guess,” Twilight said, giving a roll of her eyes, “you want to be the new President of Equestria?” Cobbler shook his head. “No, Princess Twilight. The ponies of Equestria will want somepony they know and admire. Somepony to bridge the gap between the days of royalty and the new era of democracy. Twilight Sparkle,” he said, pointing his hoof at her, “we want you to be President.” To be continued...