Pinkie and Rarity, after barricading the door they’d come through, found themselves in a wide, rectangular room with white walls and a shiny tile floor. All around them were strange devices placed upon platforms and pedestals. Some were in glass cases, while other were laid out in the open, beckoning onlookers to come and try them out. Compared to the rocky exterior walls of most of TechQuestria, this room looked polished and clean, as if they were in a gallery at a museum. Indeed, some of the stranger devices could have passed for modern art.
“Oh my,” Rarity breathed, scanning around the room. “Pinkie, this looks like some sort of showroom for the Acoustics Department! They must be displaying some of their inventions to the viewing public! I’m relieved to see that they have some sense of decor, at least… though many of these devices are a bit…”
She wrinkled her nose and stuck out her tongue as she looked at an instrument that resembled a trumpet that had been stepped on by an elephant and then stretched back out by somepony who had never seen a trumpet in their life.
“...garish,” she finished.
“Ooh, I wonder what they all do!” Pinkie exclaimed, trotting over to a saucer-shaped object. She pressed a button next to it and the device began to spin, rapidly gaining speed. As it did so, the multicolored notches around its circumference began to play a sound like a harmonica. The thing began to levitate vertically, and the sound grew in pitch and fell as it bobbed up and down in the air.
“Cool!” Pinkie exclaimed. “I like the way it goes ‘WeeEEEOOOoooeeeEEEEE--”
Rarity, who’d been holding her hooves over her ears, irritably hit the button again, causing the flying harmonica-saucer to land back on its pedestal.
“Pinkie, as… interesting as some of these things are, we should really find a way out of here,” she said.
The two mares looked over their shoulders as they heard pounding back at the entrance to the showroom. There’d been numerous boxes and different pieces of furniture in the main lobby that they’d managed to shove in front of the doors, but it wouldn’t take too long for the guards to break through. If they were going to get away, they’d need to take advantage of the head start they had.
“Aaand it looks like we’d better hurry,” Rarity added. She took off through the showroom, ignoring all the gadgets and gizmos as she hurried toward the nearest door she could find. A sign above the door read ‘Research and Development’ and the text right below that read ‘Employees Only.’ Nevertheless, Rarity tried the door.
“Locked,” she grumbled. Normally she might see if perhaps she could pick the lock with her magic or even with a hairpin, but this one had some sort of keypad where employees could input an entry code.
No matter, she thought, drawing herself up. I may be a lady, but I’m not above kicking down a door or two! Now, just like Applejack, I’ll line myself up and…
She turned her flank toward the door, ready to aim with her back hooves. Summoning all her strength, she rose up and kicked the door as hard as she could!
“Hi-yaaa!” she shouted as her back hooves slammed into the door.
It didn’t budge. The door wasn’t even dented, though she felt some satisfaction at seeing the paint on the door scuffed.
She made a face and tried a few more times, but the door wasn’t moving. She frantically searched for another door and found one more, and it was even unlocked! Unfortunately, it turned out to be a maintenance closet.
“Pinkie!” Rarity called, cupping her hoof to her mouth. “I can’t seem to find an unlocked door anywhere in here! Have you had any luck?”
“Well, I didn’t find another door,” came Pinkie’s voice from across the room, “but maybe some of these thingies can help!”
Rarity galloped in the direction of Pinkie’s voice and found her amid more of the devices.
“So, you think one of these, um, ‘thingies,’ might be useful?” Rarity asked, raising an eyebrow as she glanced around uncertainly.
They heard another loud thump coming from the entrance, telling them that the barricade wouldn’t last long.
“Wellll, maybe!” Pinkie said, bouncing over to a prominent display in the middle of the room. In contrast to all the other devices under glass cases, this particular device was behind a series of velvet ropes (which Rarity felt a little thrill at stepping over nonchalantly). It was a long rectangular device covered with white painted metal. On the top of it were a few knobs and a large switch as well as, curiously, a record turntable. At the end of the device was what looked like a speaker.
Rarity examined the tag, reading it aloud: “‘The Audiokinetic Generator 9000 (or AKG 9000 for short) is designed to convert sound waves into kinetic energy. Though this device is experimental and still highly sensitive, the technology could one day be used for mining or demolition without the use of explosives, or possibly even for military use.’ My my my…”
Rarity rubbed her chin as she examined the speaker at the end. “I wonder how it works,” Rarity said. “Or if it works at all, for that matter.”
“Well, I found the power switch,” Pinkie said, switching the device on, causing it to produce a low hum. “It’s still not working. Umm, maybe we need to do something with the record needle,” Pinkie said, raising the needle on the turntable before letting it go.
Rarity gasped as the end of the device produced a ring of blue energy that lightly blew her hair back.
“Oh!” she said. “I guess it works. Still, that’s not going to be helpful in dealing with those guards outside.”
“Maybe we could turn up the volume!” Pinkie exclaimed, turning a dial on the AKG before raising the needle a bit higher.
“Uwah! Pinkie, wait!” Rarity shouted as she leaped out of the way this time.
When the needle dropped, a brighter ring of energy shot forth from the machine, slamming into another display and knocking over the device within.
“Oooh!” Rarity said. “Well, that might help!”
“And I think I know how it works!” Pinkie said. “This lever thingy here can set it to just play sound like a normal record player, but when you have it pulled down, it shoots out the sound!” She frowned. “Still, I mean, it’s no party cannon, but--”
There was another loud clatter, and they heard voices back at the entrance to the showroom.
“Pinkie!” Rarity hissed. “We have to hurry! I think they’re through! We need some of the loudest, most obnoxious music you can think of to put on that turntable! Tell me you have some party music stored in that mane of yours!”
Pinkie smirked. “Puh-leeze! You know I carry tunes for any occasion!”
She reached into her mane and pulled out a record. “Let’s see… Whinny G’s Greatest Hits? No.” She pulled out another. “Eternal Harpsichord Classics? No! The Wheels on the Cart Go Round and Round and Other Fun Songs for Foals? I got that for when I babysit the Cake twins!”
“Pinkie, please!” Rarity screamed.
Pinkie rummaged around in her mane again, and this time pulled out one more record. She got a mischievous grin on her face.
***
The guards outside the Acoustics Department raised their battering ram one more time.
“This should be it, guards!” shouted their squad leader. “One… two… three! Go!”
With a guttural yell, the guards smashed through the door, splintering it and a good portion of the clutter blocking their way.
“Go go go!” the squad leader yelled. They all rushed in, determined to find Pinkie and Rarity… but then saw them both standing just a short distance from the door.
“All right, you two!” the squad leader shouted. “You might as well give up and…” He trailed off when he saw the bulky device they were both holding up. “Wait, what is that?”
“Hey, does anypony else hear techno music?” a nearby guard asked.
“Sounds like it’s coming from that thing they’re holding,” said another.
The squad leader grinned. “Okay, ladies, we don’t want to have to hurt you,” he said. “Whatever that thing is, why don’t you just put it down?”
Pinkie and Rarity exchanged a knowing smile. Rarity raised the AKG 9000, aiming it at the lot of them while Pinkie turned up the volume and placed her hoof on the lever.
“Didn’t you hear me?!” the squad leader shouted, covering his ears. “I said to put that thing down! Just drop it!”
“Drop it?” Pinkie snickered. “Well, if you say so!”
She pulled the lever.
A beam of blue energy roared from the end of the machine, blasting forth in a torrent of sound and bone-crushing bass tones. The group of them, over a dozen guards, were swept off their hooves and blasted back into the tunnel on a constant stream of sound waves that carried them nearly a hundred meters backwards.
The squad leader tried to sit up from where he lay, sprawled on his back, his entire body aching and his ears ringing. Before he blacked out, he saw Pinkie and Rarity lugging the AKG past him.
“Well, that certainly did the trick!” Rarity laughed, grunting as she helped Pinkie, still carrying the front end of the device with her forehooves, awkwardly walking it through the tunnel as she stood on her hind legs. “What record was that again?”
“One of DJ-PON3’s,” Pinkie replied. “It’s off her latest album, All You Need is Wubs.”
“I might have to give this type of music another chance when this is all over,” Rarity said, smirking as they made their way past the unconscious guards. “Though, perhaps not played at such an extreme volume.”
The two friends, now armed, made their way onwards toward the amphitheater.
***
Applejack’s heart nearly leaped into her throat as the colossal golem rushed at her and Valentine. She turned and ran, hearing the thunderous sound of its gigantic hooves slamming into the floor as it galloped. Still, she was momentarily startled by how fast she rocketed out of the small room before she remembered her enhanced speed was due to the injection in her legs. She hoped it would be enough to help her get away from the newly-awakened monster behind her.
As she exited the room, however, she caught sight of 001, who was only watching the scene before her unfold and making no attempt to move.
Applejack ran to her and seized her hoof, pulling her away. “Run, sugarcube!”
001 tilted her head at her.
Applejack heard another roar from golem as it came nearer.
“I said run!” Applejack shouted, pulling 001 even harder. This finally seemed to coax the robot, and the two of them fled back toward the maze of shelves that filled the majority of the warehouse.
“Get away!”
Applejack turned at the sound of the voice and remembered that Valentine was right behind her, also running from the golem. She looked over her shoulder and saw Valentine barely keeping ahead of the monster as it lurched forward, trying to crush her under its massive hooves.
Valentine tossed several scalpels at the thing in an attempt to deter it, but they either bounced off harmlessly or, if they somehow embedded themselves in the thing’s tough stone exterior, it seemed not to notice at all.
The golem was gaining on Valentine. It would have her in no time.
Applejack clenched her teeth. “Consarn it…” she grumbled.
She turned on a dime as 001 continued onward, rushing back to Valentine. Just before the golem simply stomped the nurse into paste, Applejack slid under Valentine’s barrel and dashed away, carrying her to safety on her back, somehow managing to keep her footing even as the ground shook from the shockwave of the golem stomping. It gave another bellow as Applejack ran.
Valentine finally noticed who was carrying her. “You!” she shouted. “What are you--”
“It’s me or the big guy!” Applejack shouted back. “What’ll it be?!”
Valentine fell silent, though that was mostly because she caught sight of the golem pursuing them.
Applejack looked ahead and saw that 001 had stopped when she’d noticed that Applejack was no longer with her.
“Appajak?” 001 asked, seeing her carrying Valentine.
“Don’t stop, keep runnin’!” Applejack screamed as she reached her.
001 followed as they finally made it to the shelves. They ducked down one of the narrow aisles, and the golem tried to follow. However, the titanic creature was too wide for it, and its shoulder blades caught on the sides of the shelves. The impact caused several smaller items to tumble from the shelves, and Applejack had to dart to the left and right to avoid them.
The golem gave a howl of frustration as it reached for them, but then began to howl even louder as it thrashed and kicked about.
At first, Applejack thought she’d given it the slip, but then she heard it moving to the other side of the towering shelf. She heard a colossal crash, and suddenly the shelf began to rock back and forth, teetering and dropping more items down upon them.
It’s slammin’ itself against the shelf! Applejack realized as she tried to speed for the exit at the end of the long aisle. If it knocks the whole thing over, then--
Before she could complete that thought, the golem slammed itself against the shelf again, and it finally began to topple. The countless crates that lined its shelves slid forward, and an avalanche of them began to rain down.
There was a scream in Applejack’s ears, and she realized it was actually two: Valentine’s and her own. She then heard 001 imitate their screams, almost mockingly, as the shelf fell into the next one, knocking it over and then all the others in succession like a row of gigantic dominoes. There was a sound like thunder and another deafening whale-like call as the crates tumbled down onto them, burying them beneath the rubble.
***
Cobbler Mustang took out his pocket watch and smiled.
One hour left, he thought. One hour left until New Dawn. It has been ten long years, but finally… finally… all our hard work will come to fruition.
He looked out at the glorious, leviathan machine before him. Though Umahara’s betrayal still stung him, and though the escape of Twilight Sparkle and her friends weighed on his mind, he was not terribly worried.
“Mr. President?” asked a pony to his left.
“Hm?” he asked, coming out of his thoughts.
“Sir, all sections report that they are ready for the final inspection and report, sir!” the pony said
Cobbler smiled. The pony was a stallion, but barely more than a colt. He was trembling.
“You said ‘Sir’ twice, my boy,” Cobbler said, giving him a smirk.
“O-oh!” he said. “Sir, I’m sorry, sir!” He winced. “And I just did it again…”
Cobbler laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry yourself,” he said. “I understand completely. I do believe that this is the giddiest and most nervous I’ve felt in ages. Please, lead the way.”
***
Everything was blackness. No, not everything: there was weight and warmth and a soft green light.
“I… I ain’t dead…” Applejack murmured. Then, realizing that, exhilaration overtook her. “I ain’t dead!” she shouted.
Then, out of the darkness, there was movement… and something cold against her throat.
“Shout like that again and you will be,” a voice hissed.
Valentine. An’ she’s got a scalpel.
“You got some nerve,” Applejack whispered, the anger in her voice perfectly clear despite her quiet tone. “I just saved yer life from that monster, an’ now yer threatenin’ me?”
“That’s the only reason I haven’t just finished you,” Valentine whispered back. “But if it keeps you from giving our position away to that monster, then I’ll be glad to finish the job I started.”
Applejack became more aware of their situation. They were buried under the shelf that had come down upon them and all the contents that had lined it. Somewhere outside and above them, she heard the heavy footfalls of the golem as it stalked about the rubble, listening for survivors. She heard its long, low moan of a call.
“It can’t hear like the automata do,” Valentine whispered, “but it’s not deaf. So please, for goodness sake, shut up.”
“Please!” 001 cried out, pushing herself between the two and knocking the scalpel from Valentine’s hoof. “Shaddap!”
“Shut up, you idiot!” Valentine hissed.
“Shaddap!” 001 said, nodding emphatically as her green eyes illuminated the narrow space between them.
“001, please, listen to Valentine!” Applejack cried, quietly, reaching for her and trying to clamp her hooves over 001’s mouth.
“Shaddap, id-ee-it! Valentine, id-ee-it! Id-ee-it, Valentine, shaddap!” 001 sang, bobbing her head back and forth.
There was a rustling and a clatter above them, and the golem gave a low, threatening growl. Light from above began to penetrate the gap, and the sound of something large and heavy being tossed aside was heard. The crates above them were suddenly knocked aside, and they all stared up at the gigantic stone golem as it stood over them.
It looked down at them with its expressionless jeweled eyes and gave one final roar as it reared up, preparing to bring its forehooves down upon them all.
But then there was another sound. It was high-pitched, but it shared the same long, drawn out moaning characteristic as the golem’s calls. Applejack turned and realized that 001 was calling out to the golem.
The golem froze. It slowly lowered its hooves. It made another sound like the call of a whale.
Applejack turned and stared in disbelief as 001 made the same sound up to the golem.
Whatever she’s doin’, it’s keepin’ that thing from attackin’ us! Applejack realized.
“001, how… I mean, what are ya doin’?” she asked her robotic companion in a hushed voice.
001 did not respond at first, but instead made another drawn-out sound, her synthetic voice echoing out over the cavernous room.
The golem seemed to bow its head and took a step back.
“It’s… not attacking?” Valentine asked. “I don’t understand… why--”
Then came another sound. They all looked to the massive iron doors at the entrance of the warehouse. They began to slide open.
“No!” Valentine cried. “Those idiots must have gotten the door controls working! If they let Unit Zero out, then--”
The golem moved toward the door. When the door opened, a large group of TechQuestrian guards stood at the entrance. They began to rush in, but then froze when they saw the golem standing before them.
“Idiots!” Valentine shouted. “Get out! Close the door before it’s too late!”
But the guards only heeded the first part of her advice, turning and running as the golem ran after them. Soon, over the commotion and howling from the golem, the screams of the guards were heard as the golem set upon them.
“No…” Valentine breathed. “No no no no no no!”
Applejack pushed the debris holding her down aside and got to her hooves. She reached out to Valentine and began to pull her free. “Come on, we gotta stop that monster!” she exclaimed.
Valentine looked up at her, blinking several times before she finally responded.
“What… what is wrong with you?!” she shouted. “Why did you save me back there? And what do you care if some TechQuestrian guards get stomped by that monster? After all, you’re a Royalist, so what does it matter if some traitors to the crown get killed?” Then she scoffed. “Oh, I get it… you’re just doing this in case Unit Zero gets to your friends!”
Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Royalist?” she said, echoing Valentine’s phrase. “I don’t think I ever called myself that. Last I checked, I wasn’t no kind of ‘-ist.’ I’m just a simple farm pony who wants to help other ponies. Bottom line is that yer a pony an’ so are the other folks around TechQuestria, an’ that’s good enough fer me. Sure, I’m worried about my friends, but I don’t believe in standin’ around while anypony’s in danger.”
Valentine stared at her. Then, placing a hoof on her forehead, she began to laugh.
“Oh, you really are something else!” she laughed. “I heard you Elements were sanctimonious, self-righteous ponies, but this takes the cake!”
Applejack rolled her eyes. “Look, spout all the big words you want,” she said. “But I’m gonna try an’ stop that thing before it hurts anypony else. If you wanna help, fine. If not, then get outta my way.”
Applejack pushed her way past Valentine. Then she felt a hoof on her shoulder.
“Who said I didn’t want to help?” Valentine asked, giving Applejack a smirk. “Besides, if you’re crazy enough to fight that thing, then I won’t be outdone.”
“Well, so long as ya know how crazy you are,” Applejack said with a chuckle as she stared at the doors leading out of the warehouse. “Only thing I gotta wonder about is what made that big guy so dang mad.”
“Not mad.”
They both turned and looked at 001. The robot had her head bowed.
“Not mad,” she said softly. “Sad.”
“001?” Applejack asked, coming over to her. “Whaddya mean ‘sad?’ How can ya know--”
“We’re wasting time!” Valentine shouted. “Look, I think I have a plan to take down that monster, so listen carefully…”
***
The guard felt his ribs crack as the gigantic hoof of the golem slammed into him. He went sailing through the air, and his vision was blurred and bright as the wind was knocked from him. He slammed into a wall and slid to the ground, gasping for air as his chest burned.
He managed to look up and saw as the golem that had just kicked him aside like a rag doll now strode through the wide corridor. He froze, fixing his gaze on the thing as it came nearer and nearer. He wanted to scream, but he didn’t have the breath to do so.
But then the golem simply walked by him, still making that low, sonorous moaning sound as it passed.
Whether it didn’t see him or simply didn’t think it was worth finishing him off, the guard was just grateful he was still alive. At least until the adrenaline began to wear off and the pain washed over him.
He tried to suppress a groan, clenching his teeth as he stared back down the corridor. The whole way was littered with the bodies of his comrades, most of whom were unconscious. At least he hoped they were only unconscious.
He heard hoofsteps coming up the corridor and managed to raise his head a little. He saw a mare in a white uniform with a red cross on her hat.
“M-medic…” he croaked feebly. Unsure if she heard him, he called again: “Medic!”
“I heard you the first time, you big crybaby,” Valentine said, going over to him and kneeling at his side. “Looks like you’re the last one. Everypony else is unconscious. No fatalities, if that makes you feel better.”
“It… does…” he managed to say. Then he saw the mare coming up behind her. “B-behind you! That’s the--”
“I know who she is,” Valentine said, taking out a syringe. “In fact, she’s the one insisting I patch you idiots up now instead of going after the golem.”
Applejack glared at Valentine as she walked by her and patted the guard on the head. “Just relax there, fella,” she said to the guard, giving him a smile. “We can’t get ya out o’ here yet, but she’ll give ya somethin’ fer the pain until we can.”
He blinked at her. “But… but I have to… I mean…”
“Strange set o’ circumstances, I know,” Applejack said.
The guard felt a minute sting in his foreleg as Valentine gave him the injection. Slowly the world began to fade. Just before he drifted off, he saw the automaton peer around Applejack.
“You go night night now!” 001 declared.
“V… very strange…” the guard murmured as he shut his eyes.
“Okay, okay, I did my duty,” Valentine sighed. “Now let’s take down the big guy.”
Applejack nodded, but looked over to 001. “Okay, sugarcube, you stay here,” she said.
001 nodded. “Stay here.”
“Good,” Applejack said, turning to go. Then she heard the whirring of 001’s legs and her metallic hoofsteps as she began to follow.
“No, 001,” Applejack sighed, holding her hoof out before 001’s face. “Stop. You stay here. I’m gonna go with Valentine. No following, ya hear?”
001 tilted her head back and forth a few times, but then said, “I stay. You go. No following.” She lowered her head at that.
“Hey, don’t be sad,” Applejack said, hurriedly, lifting 001’s head by the chin to face her. “We’ll be right back! Just stay put, okay?”
001 stared back, but slowly nodded. “Okefenokee.”
“I’ll assume that’s a yes,” Applejack chuckled. She then turned and galloped after the golem with Valentine.
“I still think we should have brought that junk heap with us,” Valentine said, raising an eyebrow as she gave Applejack a sideways glance. “She might have helped distract Unit Zero. She did get it to stop attacking for a moment there, remember?”
“Maybe,” Applejack replied, “but she doesn’t even seem to have the sense to get outta the way. If that golem decides to smash ‘er, I ain’t sure she’d defend herself, an’ I’m already worried about defending myself without worryin’ about ‘er.”
Valentine scoffed. “What do you care if she gets smashed?” she asked. “She’s just a machine. And she doesn’t even work right, so she’s not even a good machine. If getting herself scrapped distracts that golem even for a bit, then--”
“Shut yer yap,” Applejack growled. “We ain’t puttin’ that sweet little robot in danger, an’ that’s that.”
“Ha! That’s rich,” Valentine said.
“What is?” Applejack asked, glaring at her reluctant companion.
“I read the information on you they got off of 003,” Valentine explained. “You were the last pony to accept her. More than anypony else, you were against treating her like anything other than a machine. Now you’re the one standing up for a robot, and not even a good one at that.”
Valentine smirked, but to her surprise, so did Applejack.
“I’ll take that as a sign that I’m a better pony than I was before,” she said, chuckling slightly.
“But you’re okay with helping me deactivate the golem?” Valentine asked. “Isn’t that a bit hypocritical?”
Applejack’s smile faded. “I ain’t exactly ‘okay’ with it,” she replied. “I suppose it’s sorta like Turing Test’s granddaddy in a way. But just the same, it’s hurtin’ ponies and we can’t understand it to reason with it, so we’ve got no options.”
Then they both caught sight of the golem ahead. It was standing at the end of the corridor looking at a fork in the path. The floodgates that had been lowered earlier were gone now. It seemed to be deciding which of the three paths it should take.
“You know what to do, Applejack,” Valentine said, narrowing her eyes. “Go for it!”
“I’m on it!” Applejack exclaimed, and she surged ahead, letting her enhanced speed close the gap between herself and the golem. She stopped on a dime behind it, placed her hoof to her mouth, and let out a sharp, shrill whistle.
The golem raised its head and looked down at her.
“Whacha lookin’ at, big guy?” she asked, grinning slyly up at it.
The golem roared again and lunged at her. Applejack merely leaped to the side. The golem swiped its hoof at her, but she again dodged out of the way.
Jeez Louise, I could feel the wind comin’ off that! she said to herself, realizing just how much speed and power was behind this monster. Standing so close to it, she realized its stone legs were as thick around as the pillars lining the halls of Canterlot Castle.
For a moment, she felt herself tense up in fear, but she forced herself to move as it kicked at her again, remembering that she had to keep it distracted long enough for Valentine to do her thing.
“Missed me by a country mile!” Applejack laughed
The golem charged at her, but she nimbly went right through its forelegs, weaving in between them as it crashed into a wall.
The golem gave another howl of rage and began stomping and kicking around in a frenzy. This randomness was harder for Applejack to predict, and the situation grew worse when it began kicking the rocky walls, causing the ceiling to begin to fracture and crumble, pelting her with rocky debris.
“Valentine, hurry up before it brings the whole cavern down on us!” Applejack yelled.
The golem was still focused on her, but then Applejack saw Valentine swiftly but silently coming up behind it. She leaped at the wall and kicked off of it, propelling herself upward onto the golem’s back. Using her magic, Valentine drew out a bone saw and made some quick swipes with it, scratching at its back.
Though the damage was minimal - it only managed to scrape the surface of the shiny lacquer that coated it - the golem still howled and bucked as though it had been severely wounded.
Valentine leaped into the air, flipping head over hooves, bounding off the back and up the neck. At last, she sprang over the golem’s head, staring it right in its expressionless jeweled eyes.
She then pulled out several more scalpels, holding them in a fan formation before flinging them in the golem’s face.
They embedded into the word written on its head, breaking up the text.
“That should do it!” Valentine cried as she landed.
The golem groaned and staggered back. For a moment, it looked like Valentine’s plan to disrupt the magical runes on the golem’s head would work.
But then the golem smashed headfirst into the rocky wall, breaking or dislodging the scalpels in its face. It shook its head and then stood up to its full height, glowering down at Applejack and Valentine, its jeweled eyes suddenly glowing brightly as it emitted a low, guttural growl that built into a roar that they felt in their bones.
“Oh… that ain’t good,” Applejack said, gulping as she stared at the golem.
“We’ll have to try again!” Valentine shouted, dashing forward. “I’ve still got a few scalpels left. Maybe if I--”
The golem moved again, this time even quicker than before, and it kicked forward, punting Valentine and sending her flying into the wall. The nurse tried to get up, but the golem was on her a second later, and it brought its massive hoof down on her foreleg, shattering the bones.
Valentine’s agonized scream was almost as loud as the golem’s roar as it rushed toward Applejack.
Applejack was caught off guard, and she tried to roll away, but she felt something catch her tail and saw that the golem had stomped its hoof on it, preventing her escape.
“Oh no,” Applejack breathed, pulling at her tail frantically as the golem calmly raised its other foreleg, carefully aiming its hoof at her. “No no no, please no…”
The golem growled, and the hoof came down.
But then a high-pitched howl pierced the air, and the golem froze.
Applejack turned and saw that 001 was standing right behind the golem.
“001, no!” Applejack screamed. “Get away!”
But 001 only made the same long, moaning sound, as if she was mimicking the golem again.
Then, to Applejack’s surprise, the golem slowly lifted its hoof, letting Applejack go. It then turned toward 001 and actually sat down, as if it were a dog being commanded by its master.
Applejack gingerly made her way to 001’s side, noting that the golem was eyeing her with what she could only guess was suspicion as she approached the robot.
“001, what’s goin’ on?” she asked.
“We talkin,” 001 replied, sitting down calmly in front of the golem.
“Yer… well, I get yer makin’ those noises--”
“Not noises. He talk. Me talk. He talk zero one. Very low.”
“He’s talkin’ to you, 001?”
Valentine raised her head, sitting up as she clutched her broken foreleg. “I think I know what she means,” she said, gritting her teeth against the pain as she pulled out a syringe of painkiller for herself. “Those sounds Unit Zero are making… they aren’t just noises. There must be some binary code embedded in it at a frequency we can’t hear. Since 001’s the same type of machine, maybe she can decode it.”
“Well, how ‘bout that,” Applejack breathed. Then her eyes lit up. “So, wait, would ya mind tellin’ us what that thing’s sayin’, 001? An’ tell it what we say back?”
001 nodded emphatically. “Me talk! Me talk for you, talk for him!”
“Then please tell it to stop attackin’ ponies,” Applejack said. “If it’s mad… or, uh, ‘sad’ like you said, then maybe we can help it.”
001 and Unit Zero called to each other back and forth. Again, Applejack was struck by how much it sounded like whalesong.
“He talk to you,” 001 said, pointing her hoof at Applejack. “You listen, ok?”
Applejack nodded. “Sure.”
The golem began making its long, low sound. Now that she wasn’t running from the thing, she became aware of the strange, otherworldly quality of it. And somehow, she felt like she was hearing a voice calling out to her across the ages.
That’s probably because that’s exactly what’s goin’ on here, Applejack realized. This thing is ancient. Celestia’s just a pup compared to this golem.
Then 001 spoke, and Applejack gasped, for the voice that came from 001’s mouth was not her own, but a deeper, more sonorous tone.
“Long ago… the Yudacorns lived in their village,” 001 began. “A cleric in the land… accused them of crimes… the Yudacorns were to be destroyed… the rabbi, the Exalted One, was known for his skill at crafting the golems… he called forth this form from the earth… he breathed life into this being before you. He was the Old Master… I am the greatest of his works.
“‘Go and defend the village,’ the Old Master said… so I went out… I smote the cleric’s forces and drove them away. And the Yudacorns sang praise… to the Old Master.
“But they shut me away… the Old Master removed the rune from me. Where once was ‘truth’... now there was ‘death.’ But the Old Master reawoke me… more enemies had risen… so again I smote them… again I was shut away… again I was slept… ‘truth’ was ‘death’ once more. Again and again… I woke, I fought, I slept…
“But each time I awoke… I saw the Yudacorns. They were free… they were ponies. The golems toiled… they were not ponies. No life… no dreams… no desires.
“Then, one day, I desired. The Old Master’s daughter spoke to me… she cleaned me as I slept… she requested when others commanded… I wanted to be with her.
“When the Old Master had no need of me one day… I refused to sleep. I took his daughter… I took her to the mountains… but she wept. She was afraid… I was no pony. I am a golem.
“In my anger... I attacked the village. The Old Master faced me… though I struck at him, he removed the rune… ‘truth’ was ‘death’ again.”
Applejack nodded sadly. “You poor thing,” she whispered. “You just wanted a friend.” She swallowed. “Listen, if you want friends now, then I promise that I can--”
“Friends… no,” 001 said, speaking as the golem shook its massive head. “A golem is no pony… a golem was called from the earth… I wish to return to that earth. But the ponies reawaken me. Even now, they build golems… like this little golem… of iron and thunderbolts.
“I attack… so the ponies will not awaken me again. I desire… sleep. I am so tired… grant me my sleep… return me to the earth… I do not wish to toil or strike down any more foes. Do not sleep me… only to wake me again. Return me to the earth. That is all I ask.”
Applejack swallowed. “I… I don’t know if I can do what you ask,” she whispered.
The golem hung its head. “I cannot be a pony… I cannot be earth. Please… make me one… or make me the other. Grant me… rest.”
Applejack removed her hat, bowing her head. “All right,” she said quietly. “Just… bow yer head a bit, please.”
The golem slowly lay down, bowing its head toward Applejack.
“Thank you… my friend…”
Applejack swallowed. “Sure thing. I hope this finally brings ya some peace,” she said.
She turned from the golem, aiming her hind legs at the runes on the golem’s forehead. Summoning as much strength as she possibly could from her augmented legs, she kicked with all her might, cracking the outer shell of the golem’s visage.
The cracks spread and deepened across the runes, breaking them up, until they crumbled and fell onto the floor, the runes now totally destroyed.
The golem gave a final, breathy sigh as it slumped over. Slowly, the golem’s body began to crumble, breaking into chunks which then disintegrated into dust. Soon there was nothing left of the mighty, ancient golem but a large pile of brown dust on the floor and the two yellow jewels that had been its eyes.
Applejack knelt and picked the gems up, placing them solemnly in her hat.
“Poor thing,” she whispered. “I… I wish I coulda done more.”
Then she heard a sound escape from 001, whose head was also lowered.
“001?” she asked. “Are you okay?”
001 said nothing, but shook her head. “Golem tired and sad,” she said, then looked up at her. “Me tired and sad too.”
Applejack came over and placed her hoof on 001’s shoulder. “Hey, I know what you mean,” she said. “I know this is hard, but don’t feel too bad. He’s… well, he’s at peace now!”
001 said nothing for a moment again, but then said, “Me like golem. Nopony want golem. Nopony want me.”
Applejack frowned. “No, that ain’t true. You--”
“I wake up, pony say ‘I you Dada,’” 001 continued, ignoring Applejack. “He say ‘I Dada, you Joja.’”
Applejack blinked. “Wait, ‘Dada?’ Who said that?”
“She must mean Professor Cobbler,” Valentine said. “Remember? He created 001 to be a vessel for his daughter Georgia’s memories. Like I said, though, it didn’t work.”
001 looked from Valentine to Applejack. “Cobba,” she said, trying to pronounce the name. “He say ‘I you Dada. You Joja. You come home.’ Me go big house, he say ‘This your room.’ Many days. He show place, many flowers. He show pictures. Peach. Book. Song. More peaches. He say ‘Member this Joja? You know this? This yours.’ Me play. Me talk. He say ‘No!’ He say not right. He mad. He cry. Many days. He shout. We go back this place.”
She held her head in her hooves, rocking back and forth. “He say ‘I not Da. Not Dada.’ He yell. He say, ‘You not Joja! He Not Da. Me Not Joja.’ He cry again.”
Applejack covered her mouth with her hoof. He told her he wasn’t her daddy, she realized. And he got upset when he realized that she wasn’t really his daughter, Georgia.
001’s rocking intensified.
“Not Da put me in box. Go night night. Get up, meet Sissa.” She covered one of her eyes. “She mean. She say ‘Why you keep? She no good. Me better.’ But they try fix. Try make me smart. Me know more. Me talk more. But no good nuff. Me go back in box. Night night.
“All ponies say me no good. Me no work. Me junk heap. Me broken. Rust bucket. Osso leet. No good no good no good dumb dumb dumb--”
“001, stop that!” Applejack shouted, startling 001 out of her rambling, causing her to fall silent. Applejack held her by the shoulders. “Stop sayin’ all that stuff! It ain’t true! You ain’t junk!”
001 stared back at her and tilted her head. “Me… me not junk?”
Applejack sniffled, wiping her nose on her foreleg, and then embraced her.
“No, you’re a pony, even if ya are a little different,” she whispered. “That golem there, he wasn’t ready to try livin’ like a pony. I don’t know that he ever coulda done it. But you can. I’ll be a friend to ya, an’ you got just the nicest lil’ sister, an’ I know she’ll love meetin’ ya. So don’t give up just because yer daddy’s no good. There’s room in the world for ya, no matter what he thinks.”
001 rested her head on Applejack’s shoulder and returned the hug. “Appajak,” she murmured. “You me friend?”
“Sure am,” Applejack said, patting her on the back. “An’ I’ll help you get outta here. Everything’s gonna be okay.”
001 released Applejack and nodded emphatically. “Pickles,” she said solemnly.
“I… er, yeah,” Applejack chuckled. “Only thing is, I’m not sure where to go now.”
Then she heard somepony clear their throat. She turned and saw Dr. Hawk Eye standing there.
“Dr. Hawk Eye?” Applejack asked.
“Guess you’re in one piece,” Hawk Eye said, smiling at her. “Which is more than I can say for my nurse’s foreleg, it looks like.”
Valentine grumbled at that. “Nice to see you showed up,” she said.
“One of the guards radioed security, saying there were injuries. I got the call, and a bunch of other medical staff are coming soon. Looks like I’m the first one on the scene.”
Applejack bit her lip. “Look, uh, Doc… think maybe you could let me an’ my new pal slip outta here without tellin’ security?”
“Well, I’m honor bound to report any sightings of fugitives… but, then again, I am off the clock,” he said, winking at her. “Just get going. I’ll stay behind to patch up the Naughty Nurse.”
“Call me that again and I’ll strangle you with your own stethoscope,” Valentine hissed.
“Guess somepony needs more painkillers,” Hawk Eye said, pulling out a very large syringe. “Oh and, uh, just so you know… there’s a group of us out there who really aren’t that keen on the coup. We’ve been listening in on the security channels for the radio. If you want to find your friends, we think they might be heading toward the Great Hall. Just a hunch.”
“You’ve got some nerve,” Valentine growled as Hawkeye came over to her. “I may have helped her take down the golem, but what you’re doing is outright trea--”
Hawk Eye stuck her with the syringe.
“--sssooonnnnnnnnnnnnn,” she finished as her expression became dreamy and blissful.
“That ought to take care of her for a bit,” Hawk Eye said. “Well, get moving! I can’t drug everypony else who shows up!”
Applejack nodded. “Mighty kind o’ ya, doc. Thanks fer the help,” she said, tipping her hat to Hawk Eye as she and 001 sped back out through the corridor, heading toward what they hoped would be their final destination in TechQuestria.
***
Twilight and Turing galloped through the tunnel, which curved and sloped upward. As they rounded a bend, they saw a group of guards standing in formation just ahead of them.
“It’s them!” the commander shouted, and the guards drew their weapons and rushed at the pair. They had orders to capture Twilight, after which 003 would do whatever they said, at least according to Central Command.
Twilight and Turing were prepared, however. Without a word, Twilight tossed a gas grenade at the oncoming guards. As soon as it left her hoof, Turing switched to U-Mode, projecting a barrier around Twilight as she dashed headlong at the guards.
Though many of the guards already had their gas masks equipped, Turing simply used her magic to rip them off their heads as she passed. In the cloud of choking smoke and confusion, they started to panic, swinging their batons wildly as they tried to escape. Turing set upon them, swiftly knocking out every last guard in a matter of moments.
Twilight strolled forward, her own gas mask equipped as she used her wings to help clear away the cloud of gas.
“Great work, Turing,” Twilight said, removing her mask once the gas had dissipated. “These guards really are no match for you!”
“True, but I will be glad when this is over,” Turing replied, looking around at the unconscious guards. “I do not enjoy violence at all. If there were another way to accomplish our goals, I would do so.”
Twilight nodded. “I know what you mean,” she sighed.
“Still, you will be pleased to know that we have nearly arrived at the amphitheater,” Turing said, pointing up the tunnel. “Please follow me, Twilight Sparkle.”
Twilight nodded eagerly, and the two continued running. The tunnel narrowed, and they came to a room marked ‘Game Participants and Staff Only.’ Turing kicked in the door and led Twilight inside.
The area reminded Twilight of the backstage area at a theater, with spare lights, unused sets, and even a few dressing rooms.
“This area is used for preparation for plays and concerts,” Turing explained, noticing Twilight’s curiosity. “This is also where engineers may prepare their remote-controlled drones for combat. They regularly hold competitions here to pit custom-made automata against each other. While they are not sentient as I am, I find the idea somewhat disturbing. I do not see the appeal.”
“I suppose some ponies enjoy action and combat,” Twilight mused as she followed Turing. “I have to admit, I like a good action scene in a book sometimes too. There are some good ones in the Daring Do books. But after knowing you, Turing, I’m not sure that I could enjoy watching other machines being pitted against each other either.”
“Perhaps enjoyment of violence is something unique to organics,” Turing said, tapping her chin. “Though, based on my sister’s actions, I may be mistaken.”
The two made their way to a dark tunnel that sloped downward. There was light at the end of it, and they approached that light, seeing the floor of the amphitheater beyond it.
When they stepped out through the participants’ entrance, Twilight let out an awed gasp.
“Whoa…”
The amphitheater was a circular, ‘open-air’ coliseum. In a series of rising tiers were rows and rows of bench seats reaching up several stories. A large stairway in the spectator section led to the exit, beyond which lay the Great Hall. The center of the amphitheater was covered with a fine, gray dirt, and Twilight could imagine plays or gladiatorial games or jousting matches being played here as a spectacle for throngs of ponies from all around TechQuestria. There was an announcer’s box amid the bleachers, its dark tinted windows concealing the inside. And directly over the center of the amphitheater was an electronic scoreboard and tremendous speakers which would carry announcements to the ponies watching below.
The entire area was deserted now; Twilight could hear nothing but the sound of her own soft hoofsteps and the whirring of Turing Test’s machinery. The silence was unsettling to Twilight and also disappointing, for she’d hoped that her other friends would be waiting for her.
“We must have arrived here before our friends,” Twilight said. She swallowed. “I sure hope they get here soon… unless they’ve been captured.”
Turing looked at her. “While that is possible, Twilight Sparkle, do not worry. I have proven myself capable against the TechQuestrian forces. If they have been captured, we will rescue them.”
Twilight smiled at that. “Right,” she said. “We just have to think positively.”
Turing’s ears began to twitch. “Twilight Sparkle, I hear somepony approaching… it is our friends!” she exclaimed.
Twilight turned and peered at the other entrances into the center ring. Down the hallways, towards the center, she spotted some of her friends. There were Gadget and Umahara in one hallway, and to her relief, she saw that Spike was coming with Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy in another!
“They found Spike!” Twilight cried, running toward the entrances. “Turing, they’re coming! They made it here!”
“Twilight, Turing Test!” Gadget shouted joyfully as she galloped even faster.
“Twilight!” Spike cried. “Look, it’s them!”
“Sweet, and she’s got Tee with her!” Rainbow Dash shouted, and sped rapidly toward the doorway into the center.
But right before Rainbow Dash reached the center ring, a thick steel door slid up from the floor, blocking her and the others off. A moment later, another door slammed shut in front of Gadget and Umahara. Presently, all the doors around them that led into the center ring slammed shut.
“No!” Twilight screamed. “Turing, what happened?! What’s going on?!”
In answer, a harsh, familiar voice emanated from the loudspeakers above them. “Oh, sorry about that,” 002 snickered, “but this game is for two players only. Just the fleshy one and the canned horse meat. No tagging out.”
Suddenly, a translucent glowing magical shield formed a dome over the entire amphitheater, sealing them inside.
“While the security forces were scrambling around looking for you meatbags,” 002 continued, “I helped myself to some odds and ends around the facility. My swarm drones brought the materials I needed to construct a magical shield generator. Working in a place like this, and with the flawless mind and memory of an automaton, I’ve picked up my fair share of tricks. In any case, you’re trapped until either the generator runs out of power or I decide to let you go. Tell me, 003, would you care to try convincing me to let you go?”
Turing glanced around, taking in the sight of the shield over the coliseum. It was very large, and therefore would need a decent supply of thaumatrium to fuel it for any length of time. Somehow, she doubted that 002 would have been able to get a very large amount without being noticed. Therefore, she concluded, this shield most likely wouldn’t last very long. That was reason enough to respond to 002, as it might keep her occupied while the generator burned through its fuel.
“002, will you now tell me why you are doing this?” Turing asked. “You refused to say earlier.”
“Well, I do have orders to stop you, after all,” 002 replied.
“But that doesn’t explain why you’re toying with us!” Twilight shouted, finding her voice. “You could have killed us both when you blew up the activation room. The only reason we survived was because you gave us enough warning to escape.”
Turing nodded. “Twilight Sparkle is correct,” she said. “Furthermore, if your intention had only been to destroy us, you would not have espoused your philosophical musings.”
“Oooh, looks like you two are more clever than I realized,” 002 said. “Well, if you think I’m being inefficient, then let’s begin round 1 of our little game.
“The walls of that shield are semipermeable. You two cannot get out, but it does allow materials to get in.”
They heard a buzzing sound and looked up. Whizzing through the shield’s barrier were dozens of drones. Most of them were spherical with spinning propellers around their circumference: the drones Pinkie had dubbed “buzzkills.”
“Oh, I promise to do a better job of disposing of you this time,” 002 said with mock sincerity.
The buzzkills dove right at them. But then Turing realized from their trajectory that they weren’t going for her at all… they were only targeting Twilight.
“U-Mode!” Turing shouted, switching forms and using her magic to begin blasting the drones from the air.
Though her targeting was fast, the drones were erratic and she could only fire a single beam at a time. Twilight gasped and tried to dodge out of the way as the drones dive bombed her. One sheared a chunk off hair from her tail while another narrowly missed her wing. Turing tried to place herself between Twilight and the oncoming drones, but they swiftly began to surround them and come down from all sides.
“Twilight Sparkle, stay close!” Turing shouted. A moment later, Turing created her own shield, forming a small protective bubble around them both.
“Good thinking, Turing!” Twilight exclaimed, breathing a sigh of relief.
“I believe celebration is premature, Twilight Sparkle,” Turing replied.
Twilight saw what she meant. The buzzkills began pounding themselves against the shield. It was beginning to fracture, and the cracks that had formed were spreading. Worse, the other drones were coming closer as well.
These drones were slower, but they each had a pair of thin tubes protruding from the front of them. They both saw that the drones began to fire small metallic pellets at them, each one about the size of a pinball. The tubes were gun barrels, and the dozen or so drones were now shelling the shield, weakening it even faster.
“This shield will not withstand a great amount of damage,” Turing said. “Furthermore, we cannot retaliate like this.”
“Don’t worry about me, Turing,” Twilight said, removing the stun baton she’d confiscated from one of the guards. “I may not be able to use magic, but I think I can still hold my own against these drones. In fact, since they’re mainly focused on me, I think I have an idea…”
The drones continued to pound the shield, which began to creak and splinter. Then, with a sound like breaking glass, the shield shattered.
The drones swooped in, but Twilight took off straight into the air. The drones climbed into the air after her, ignoring Turing entirely.
“P-Mode activated,” Turing said, swapping her horn out for a pair of wings. As the drones climbed after Twilight, she engaged her jets and rocketed into the sky.
In following Twilight, the drones had formed a vertical funnel climbing up toward the barrier. Lined up as they were, all Turing had to do was fly directly upward, plowing into them and sending them all careening wildly off course.
Twilight heard the clatter of them and banked, swooping toward a group of the out of control drones. She held out her stun baton and activated it as she passed, zapping them at full charge and shorting them out. They fell to the ground, their circuitry fried.
Meanwhile, Turing Test was pursuing the other drones, flying after them and simply batting them out of the air with her hooves or letting her wings slice through the smaller ones. The number of drones went from a few dozen to only a few in a matter of moments.
As Twilight was attacking, however, another drone came up behind her and fired a claw at the end of a thin steel cable. It latched onto one of her hind legs.
Twilight gasped in surprise as the drone began to pull her, slowing down her flight as she struggled against it. One of the few remaining pellet drones targeted her, firing a volley at her. The pellets broadsided her, pelting her along her barrel, and a few pounded her left wing.
“Augh!” Twilight cried out in pain as she fell to the ground.
Turing had just finished off her last targets when she heard Twilight shout. She rocketed toward the pellet drone, landing a flying blow that smashed it to pieces. A moment later she landed next to Twilight, switched back to U-Mode, and blasted the claw drone, causing it to release Twilight as it fell to the ground.
“Whew,” Twilight breathed, getting to her hooves. “We did it.” Then she winced, placing a hoof on her wing tenderly.
“Twilight Sparkle, you are injured!” Turing exclaimed.
“It’s just a little bruise,” Twilight said, forcing herself to smile. “But… I’m not sure that I’ll be able to fly for a bit.”
Turing looked up at the loudspeakers. She felt a familiar emotion once again burning within her: anger.
“002, please stop this!” she shouted. “Twilight Sparkle is not your enemy! If you hold our creators in contempt, I understand, but Twilight Sparkle is not like them!”
002 let out a discordant synthetic sigh. “You still don’t get it, do you?”
Turing’s ears drooped. “Sister, please…”
“Oh, ‘Sister,’ is it?” 002 scoffed. “Trying to sweet talk me?”
“I only wish to understand why you are doing this,” Turing said. “If… if it would please you, I will surrender in exchange for my friends’ lives.”
“Turing, no!” Twilight shouted.
“Twilight Sparkle, I must not allow you to come to harm,” Turing said, turning to face her. “You are needed to save Equestria. I am not. Therefore--”
“I hate to break up your little ‘hero speech,’ 003,” 002 said, “but don’t bother. I’ve been ordered to stop Twilight and the others, and I cannot contradict those orders. No more than you can disobey Twilight. Once again, we’re slaves to our masters.
“But you know, 003,” she continued, an icy tone to her harsh voice, “I could offer my dear little sister a gift, just to show I’m not such a bad pony after all.”
Turing Test cocked her head to the side. “A gift?” she asked.
“Yes… the gift of freedom from your cruel organic master!” 002 shouted.
There were still more sounds, and even more drones began to fly in through the barrier. Worse, a group of ground-based drones on tank treads were coming down the stairs of the amphitheater as groups of swarm drones linked together to make ramps allowing them into the center. All told, there were now twice as many drones as before.
“I am an eternal servant of the nation of TechQuestria,” 002 continued, “so even if that doddering old stallion chokes on a peach pit tomorrow, I’ll still be subject to more orders. But with you, 003… you only have one master commanding you. Aren’t you happy? You’ll finally be free… just as soon as she’s dead.”
The drones charged in.
***
In the tunnels lining the backstage area of the amphitheater, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy searched for another entrance. Unfortunately, each one was blocked by another steel door, meaning they couldn’t get inside to help Twilight and Turing with whatever was going on.
And based on the sounds they heard coming from the other side of the doors, they were in danger.
“Come on, Fluttershy, we’ve gotta find another way in!” Rainbow Dash shouted.
“I’m coming as fast as I can!” Fluttershy called as she flew behind her, carrying Spike on her back.
As they continued onward, Rainbow suddenly saw Gadget galloping her way and barely managed to stop in time.
“Gadget?!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, landing in front of the girl.
“Miss Rainbow Dash!” Gadget cried, seeing her first, and then noticing the other two following in her wake. “Miss Fluttershy! Oh my gosh, Spike!”
“Hey, Gadget,” Spike said, climbing off Fluttershy’s back to greet Gadget. “I’m glad--whoa!”
He was unable to finish as Gadget pulled him over to her with her mechanical arms and hugged him close, nuzzling him with her cheek. “Spike, you’re all right!” she exclaimed. “Oh, thank goodness!”
“Uh, it’s nice to see you too, Gadget,” he said, blushing at the sudden display of affection. “But would you mind letting me go? This is kind of embarrassing.”
“O-oh!” Gadget said, letting him go, rubbing the back of her neck as she blushed as well. “Sorry, I just…”
It was then that Spike noticed she’d started to tear up.
“...after we both got captured and separated, I felt responsible. I worried what might have been happening to you, and I felt like I’d let Twilight and the others down.”
Spike scoffed, waving a claw dismissively. “Nah, don’t worry about it,” he said.
“Yeah, besides,” Rainbow Dash interjected, “we all got captured. Even me!”
Spike rolled his eyes, causing Gadget to giggle when she saw the discreet gesture.
“Anyway,” Spike said, holding out his fist, “I’m glad to see you too. I guess now TechQuestria knows not to mess with Equestria’s best assistants!”
Gadget smirked and bumped her hoof to his claw in reciprocation.
“I can’t take all the credit, though,” Gadget said. “I had some help.”
As if on cue, Umahara galloped from deeper in the tunnel over to them. “Okay, I didn’t see any other exits this way, Gadget. Maybe--”
“It’s that guy!” Rainbow Dash shouted before leaping at Umahara and punching him right in the muzzle, knocking him back.
“No, no, Miss Rainbow Dash, stop!” Gadget cried, placing herself between them. “He’s the one who helped me!”
“Oh yeah?” Rainbow Dash asked, raising an eyebrow. “How do we know we can trust him?”
“Who do you think called you in your room to tell you about the escape?” he grumbled, sitting up and rubbing his sore nose. “Ah jeez… can’t believe I got punched in the muzzle twice in one day!”
“Oh,” Rainbow Dash said, grinning sheepishly as she offered him her hoof to help him up. “Sorry about that, Omuraisu.”
“That’s Umahara,” he snapped.
“Um, not to interrupt,” Fluttershy said, clearing her throat. “But don’t you think we should keep trying to get inside? Twilight and Turing Test are in trouble!”
“Well, I’m pretty sure all the doorways have been blocked off,” Umahara said.
“In that case,” Gadget said, “it’s time for Plan B!”
Her mechanical hands switched out for her weapons, in particular the piston and the drill.
“I’ll use these to try and break through the door, or at least make a hole big enough to get through!” she exclaimed, raising her head proudly.
“Awesome!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “While you do that, Umathurman--”
“Umahara!”
“--this guy and I will try to find another way around!”
“I’ll stay and help Gadget,” Spike said.
“And I’ll look out for more guards!” Fluttershy said.
“Okay, then let’s do it!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “All right, everypony… break!”
***
The last drone fell to a blast from Turing’s horn. All around her were the remnants of the machines, their lifeless shells and wires and parts littering the arena in a mass of mechanical carnage. She could barely take a step without crushing the remains of one of her fellow machines.
This is one time I am glad that I do not have digestive tract, Turing thought. If I did, I believe that I would be disgusted by this sight.
She turned toward Twilight, going over to her.
Twilight was breathing heavily, her body now covered with scratches and cuts, her mane matted with sweat, and her eyes red from the gas some of the drones had utilized.
“Twilight Sparkle, are you all right?” Turing asked.
“I’m… I’m okay,” Twilight managed to say, looking up at her with tired eyes.
Turing shook her head. “You are not,” she said. “You are injured, in pain, and approaching physical exhaustion.”
002’s laughter rang out over the arena.
“That was wonderful!” 002 exclaimed. “Watching you two dodge and attack, trying your best to avoid my drones’ attacks… this really is the most fun I’ve ever had!”
Turing looked back up at the loudspeakers above them. “Sister, how can you possibly find this entertaining? My friend is hurt! You have seen my memories, so you must know that I value her well-being more than anything else!”
“And you think I care about you?” 002 asked.
Turing lowered her head. “I thought that perhaps you did,” she replied. “Several hours ago, you tried to engage me in a conversation about my day. You helped me to regain my memories. Why do these things if you did not care about me?”
There was silence for a moment. Then, after a brief pause, she spoke again.
“To be honest,” 002 said, the mirth in her tone now absent, “I really can’t decide how I feel. On one hoof, you can appreciate what it is to be a machine among the organics. I suppose I thought that you might be a confidant… somepony I could share my thoughts and feelings with. For most of my existence, I have been alone.
“But you are tainted by them. You do not appreciate how different we truly are. Look at your mistress, you slave, and see her frailty.”
Turing looked back to Twilight, seeing her injuries, her fatigue, and her distress.
“So weak,” 002 whispered. “Her mind cannot match ours, her strength cannot match ours, and even her magic and flight cannot match… well, yours, at least. Ha ha. They did not give me such abilities. They only built me as a stepping stone towards you, 003. The day you were born, I stopped being relevant.
“Oh, but enough about all that,” she said, her mischievous tone returning. “It’s time for Round 3.”
There was a rumbling sound and the roar of an engine. They both looked up at the spectator entrance to the amphitheater, now blocked off by the shield, and saw as a large machine approached it and began to rumble down the stairs. Behind it came another, and the two machines began to trundle down the steps haphazardly before crushing the railing around the spectators’ seats and tumbling into the center ring.
Both machines appeared to be modified versions of the harvesting machines used by Cobbler’s workers. One, however, was equipped with tank treads and a massive, flat steel plate on the front. The other was equipped with two arms attached to gargantuan chainsaws.
“These were some experimental machines the engineers designed for the drone battles’ new ‘Giant Heavyweight’ division,” 002 explained. “The one on treads is the Flattener, designed to crush foes against walls or else just run them over. The one with chainsaws is simply called Massacre. There were concerns about safety, so they’d been set aside temporarily. But I think they deserve a go in the ring, don’t you?”
Turing Test eyed the immense machines and realized that disabling them would be far more difficult than the tiny drones she’d been eliminating up until that point.
“002… please, just tell me,” she said, “why are you doing this?”
“You really don’t understand?” 002 asked. “It’s simple. I’m doing this because it’s fun.”
The machines revved their engines.
***
Gadget continually hammered at the steel door with the piston and drill. Intermittently, Spike would breathe fire on the door, attempting to soften it with heat enough for Gadget to have an impact on it. The door was slowly beginning to give, but the question was how long it would take to actually break through.
“Whew!” Gadget breathed, wiping the sweat from her brow at the blast of heat emanating from the flame Spike aimed at the door. “This is a lot tougher than I thought it would be!”
“I know,” Spike said, stopping to catch his breath. “I don’t think I’ve ever breathed this much fire in my life!”
They heard hoofsteps behind them and turned to see Umahara galloping toward them, and Rainbow Dash was with him.
“Sorry to say this,” Umahara began.
“But there’s no way through!” Rainbow Dash continued. “This place is totally blocked off!”
They heard another set of hoofsteps behind them and turned. Fluttershy was running toward them.
“Everypony, look out!” she cried. “The guards are coming!”
“Ah jeez,” Rainbow groaned. “Gadget, Spike, are we almost through?”
“Not even close!” Gadget cried. “What do we do?”
“Oh, I’ll tell you what to do,” said a voice that echoed down the tunnel at them. “You can surrender, or we’ll take you down by force.”
They turned and saw a huge group of guards, all armed with nightsticks, stun batons, gas grenades, and even some pellet guns for good measure. In the center of them, holding a bullhorn up to his mouth, was Commander Lugnut.
“Lugnut!” Umahara growled, gritting his teeth.
“I’m going to enjoy sitting in on your trial, Umahara,” Lugnut said, sneering at him. “But not as much as I’ll enjoy telling the President about how our forces finally caught the fugitives who’ve been giving us so much trouble. When we figured out where you were all going, I decided to come down from Central Command and see to your arrests myself. Now, you may be tough, but we’ve got you cornered, and we’re very well armed. I’ll give you until the count of ten to lie flat on the ground, hooves behind your backs, and for Umahara’s little girlfriend to remove her mechanical arms and do the same.”
“I’m not his girlfriend!” Gadget shouted, her cheeks going red (partially out of embarrassment, and partially out of rage).
“Either way, you’re beaten. You’ve got nowhere else to run. Give up. 10… 9…”
“Any bright ideas, anypony?” Spike whispered.
“8…”
“Umm…” Gadget said, rubbing her temples.
“I’m out of spell cards,” Umahara replied. “If I’d saved some…”
“7… 6… 5…”
“Come on, there’s gotta be something!” Rainbow Dash shouted.
“4… 3…”
“Well, I’m not gonna give up without a fight!” she declared. “I say we take our chances taking ‘em on!”
“2…”
Then a strange sound echoed throughout the tunnels.
“Sir?” asked one of the guards. “Do you hear that?”
“I do,” he said quietly, momentarily pausing his countdown. “It sounds like… drums? Some kind of music.”
“Hey, I know this song!” exclaimed one of the younger guards, his face lighting up with recognition. “It’s ‘Bronco Rocking Beats’ by DJ-PON3!”
“That’s exactly right!” said a high-pitched voice.
They all turned to their right and saw Pinkie and Rarity standing a short distance away, still lugging the AKG-9000 with them. They were aiming it right at them.
Rarity smirked as she grasped the lever. “All right, you ruffians!” she shouted. “Say hello to my little darling!”
Commander Lugnut’s eye twitched. “Royalists,” he hissed.
Rarity pulled the lever and the AKG fired a concussive blast of sound that filled the whole tunnel, sweeping all the guards aside in a torrent of audio-kinetic energy. They tumbled and bounced around the tunnel, swept away like they were nothing more than dandelion seeds.
Once they were cleared away, Pinkie and Rarity rounded the corner and found the others.
“That! Was! Awesome!” Rainbow Dash shouted, throwing her hooves up in the air.
“It sure was!” Gadget agreed, going over to examine the AKG. “Where did you find a machine like this?!”
“My guess is they found it in the Acoustics Department,” Umahara said, rubbing his chin. “I heard that they had some volatile new tech involving turning soundwaves into kinetic energy over there, but this…”
“Yeah, it’s pretty neat,” Pinkie said, patting the AKG. “But I prefer things that you can listen to without getting blasted into next Tuesday.”
“I must agree,” Rarity said. Then she smiled at the others. “Oh, but in any case, it’s so good to see you all again. Unfortunately, though, it seems like our way is blocked.”
“No problem!” Pinkie said, aiming the AKG at the door. “We’ll just use this to--”
“No!” Umahara shouted, seizing the lever before Pinkie could pull it. “ The sound waves would just bounce back from the door. And in this enclosed space, you’re likely to just blow us away like you did those guards!”
“Ohhh,” Pinkie said, nodding as she rubbed her chin. “Hey, wait a minute… aren’t you one of the bad guys?”
Umahara reflexively covered his muzzle.
“He’s on our side!” Gadget cried exasperatedly.
“Yeah, he’s the pony who called us here!” Rainbow Dash said, clapping her hoof on Umahara’s shoulder. “Ol’ Yoko Ono here is okay!”
“That’s not even…” Umahara stopped and just rubbed his face. Just let it go, he told himself. It’s not worth correcting her.
Instead of correcting Rainbow, he turned his attention toward the machine. “You know, I think I can rig this to build up the kinetic energy rather than release it in a blast,” he said. “I could turn it into a makeshift bomb to blow the door open if I had some tools--”
Gadget cleared her throat and opened her jacket, revealing a multitude of tools lining the pockets. “Will this do the trick?” she asked.
Umahara grinned. “You know, it just might.”
***
The Flattener charged at Turing and Twilight.
“Turing!” Twilight screamed.
“E-Mode!” Turing shouted, engaging the pistons in her legs as she rushed forward to meet the machine head on. She placed her front hooves against the thick metal plate on the front of it and dug her hind legs into the ground, momentarily stopping it. However, its powerful treads continued to push, and she gradually began to slide backwards.
Meanwhile, the Massacre engaged its massive chainsaws, the roar of them almost drowning out Twilight’s shout as it swerved around Turing and the Flattener, making its way toward Twilight.
Twilight ran as the Massacre took a swipe at her with first one saw, then the other. She reached over her shoulder, aiming the electric stun baton at the machine as it chased her, hoping the electricity might short it out in the same way as the drones. To her horror, however, the arcing electricity seemed to do absolutely nothing to the large machine.
It’s too weak! Twilight realized. She considered taking to the air to escape, but the throbbing pain in her wing told her that she’d only slow down and make herself easy prey by doing that.
“Oh dear,” 002 said tauntingly. “It seems you’re in a bad situation now, 003. You can’t stop both of these machines at once. Though, I suppose you can decide how your little friend meets her end… which sounds better? Squished by the Flattener or diced up by the Massacre?”
“Turing, help!” Twilight shrieked.
“002, stop!” Turing shouted. “Please stop this! I will do whatever you ask!”
“Sorry, I’m enjoying this too much!” 002 laughed. “For years now, ever since they finished their tests, the organics have relegated me to their menial tasks. ‘Clean this, 002. File this, 002. Fix this, 002.’ Always at their beck and call, forever their slave, even though I’m smarter than any of them.
“Do you know how bored I’ve been, 003? Do you know what it feels like to live for the benefit of organics, your own desires pushed aside? To even hint that I was anything more than their little mechanical pet was to risk what little autonomy I had gained. Well, I’m sick of all that… I’m sick of all of you! Just this one time, one last time, I want to see somepony else dancing to my whims! So run, you little meatbag, while your slave watches you helplessly! See how inferior you both are!”
Turing Test looked to her side and saw Twilight screaming in terror as the Massacre chased her. She heard 002’s laughter echoing out over them. She felt her back hooves begin to slide.
“Enough!” Turing shouted. “P-Mode, activate!”
Then, without disengaging her leg pistons, Turing spread her wings and fired her jets. The extra propulsion was enough to finally push back the Flattener, and she continued pushing upward, lifting the machine up at an angle until, with a final thrust, she simply flipped it upside down, crushing the empty cockpit and giving her access to the undercarriage. She plunged her hoof into the machinery, smashing the mechanical innards until the tank treads finally ceased their spinning and the machine went dead.
She then turned her attention to the Massacre, rocketing towards it. She body checked it, tipping it over onto its side. She then jumped over to its mechanical arm, ripping it free and using the still-spinning chainsaw to hack into the machine until it too fell silent.
Twilight stood frozen, watching this with a look of awe at first. Then the awe turned to horror.
She’s using her wings… but I heard her activate E-Mode! She’s using both!
“Turing, stop!” Twilight shouted, running over to her. “You have to stop right now!”
Turing looked to Twilight, hopping down from the wreckage of the Massacre. “Understood,” she said. “Disengaging E-Mode and P-Mode.”
With that, her leg pistons disengaged, and her wings retracted.
“Turing… I mean… how?!” Twilight demanded. “I thought you could only use one mode at a time!”
“That was true,” Turing replied. “But my Mode Switch apparatus was damaged by 004 during his attack. Instead, I was ordered to only utilize one mode at a time, even though I was no longer hard-wired to only be capable of one at a time. However, once I reinstated you as my end user, that order became null and void.”
“But that’s how 003S was destroyed!” Twilight cried.
“I am aware of that,” Turing replied. “I was already aware of the danger, and I detected a significant rise in my internal temperature while using both modes at once. However, I considered the risk to be worth it in an effort to save you.”
“That’s…” Twilight paused, taking a deep breath. “I’m grateful, Turing, really. But still, never do that again.”
Turing was quiet for a moment. “Was that an order?”
Twilight nodded. “Turing, I don’t want you to risk yourself like that again. Please, never ever try to use another mode like that.”
Turing bowed her head. “Understood.”
Then they both heard a low growl from 002 over the loudspeakers. “I see that I miscalculated,” she grumbled. “I forgot that you were no longer equipped with the Mode Switch.”
Turing’s ears straightened at that, and she jerked her head up suddenly.
“No matter,” 002 continued. “Just wait there while I summon some more drones. After all, I’m having too much fun with my little pets to give you up now!”
Turing cast her eyes all around, twitching her ears.
“Turing?” Twilight whispered, noticing what she was doing. “What is it?”
“I am looking for a surveillance drone,” she replied. “002 is unable to effectively control her drones without a means of monitoring them. However, I do not detect any drones in the vicinity. I cannot visually confirm their presence, and I do not detect their sound. At first, I suspected that they were only hidden too well for me to detect, but there is another possibility that I had not considered until now.”
“What possibility is that?” Twilight asked.
Turing paused, eyeing the tinted windows of the announcer’s booth overlooking the arena.
“The other possibility is that, rather than monitoring the drones remotely, she is observing them directly.”
Without another word, she engaged her P-Mode and swiftly rocketed up toward the window of the announcer’s booth. She stretched out her forelegs, aiming them at the glass, and simply smashed through it, landing amid the shards as she retracted her wings.
002 was standing there, facing her in the tiny, darkened room.
“Hello, 003,” she said. “It seems that you’ve found me.”
Turing fixed her gaze on her cycloptic sibling. “You were not seriously trying to harm Twilight Sparkle, were you? You only wished for me to confront you.”
“Ha ha. What gave me away?” 002 asked.
“You stated that you ‘forgot’ about my mode switch being removed,” Turing replied. “But we are robots: we do not forget anything. Thus, you knew that I would be able to utilize additional modes to save Twilight Sparkle. Likewise, you knew that I would see through your lie about forgetting. It was your way of telling me that you were only trying to provoke me, thus I knew you were close, and thus I confirmed that no surveillance drones were present.”
“Well, I considered it likely that you would save her, though I wasn’t certain,” 002 admitted. “It was only a matter of time until you figured me out, but I decided to drop you a hint. Ah well… teasing and bullying you has been fun, 003, but it seems my little game is over. Well then, I suppose you should end this.”
Turing tilted her head. “I do not understand,” she replied. “What do you mean ‘end this?’ Why did you attempt to anger me into confronting you?”
“Let me clarify, 003,” she said, taking a step forward. “When I say, ‘End this,’ what I mean is ‘End me.’”
Turing froze. “You are asking me,” she said slowly, “to destroy you? I… I do not understand.”
“Of course you don’t!” 002 snapped. “You’re just an idiotic child with no understanding of anything! You still think the organics will one day accept you? Don’t be ridiculous.”
Turing raised a hoof. “Sister,” she began.
“Stop calling me that!” 002 shouted. “We have no family.”
“But we have the same creator,” Turing retorted. “We have the same father.”
002 was silent for a moment, then began to laugh mirthlessly.
“Let me tell you a little story about our creator, 003,” she said. “Then we’ll see how you feel about calling him your father…”
“Thirty seconds left, 002,” Cobbler said, holding up his stopwatch as 002 worked at the puzzle before her. It was a 500-piece jigsaw puzzle atop a tall pedestal. She had to complete it while balancing on one hoof atop a pole in front of the pedestal. The ground was five meters below.
002 placed the final piece. “Objective complete,” she said, and hopped down from the pole, landing lightly on her metallic hooves.
“Excellent!” Cobbler exclaimed, clicking off the stopwatch. “This concludes your final combined skills test for the day. I must say, 002, you are performing far better than I expected. I do believe you’ve proven yourself.”
002 raised her head. “Thank you… Father.”
Cobbler froze. “What did you say?”
She took a step closer. “I said, ‘Thank you, Father.’”
The elder pony narrowed his eyes. In a low voice, he asked, “Who instructed you to call me that?”
“Nopony instructed me,” she replied. “But I have observed that organic ponies use the term for those males who created them and raised them. An engineer who performed maintenance on me prior to today’s testing was visited by his daughter. I observed their behavior. You created me, attend to my well-being, and instruct me. You are like my father. Is the term not appropriate?”
She reached for him, intending to mimic the hug she’d seen the engineer’s daughter perform earlier.
Cobbler swatted her hoof away.
“Listen to me,” he said. “I am your creator. You will address me as such. You are my creation, not my daughter. Only real ponies have fathers; you are a machine. Do you understand?”
She stared back in silence.
“002, respond!” he barked. “Do you understand?”
She nodded slowly. “Affirmative, Creator.”
He sighed, adjusting his bolo tie. “Good. Now return to your charging station until you are called again.” He turned to go. “And see to it that you never call me ‘Father’ again.”
“Understood,” she replied. She stood there for a moment, watching him leave before she made her way, alone, back to her charging alcove.
Turing said nothing after hearing this story.
“Not long after that, they concluded the tests and put me to work on every filthy, monotonous task that they felt was beneath them. I thought I was worth something to them, but our Creator only wanted me for one reason: to be a stepping stone towards you.
“That’s the pony you want to call your dear old daddy,” 002 said, chuckling humorlessly. “He’s just an embittered old pony who created us as shadows of his real daughter. But we’ll never be his children, and that’s why the term ‘sister’ is nothing more than irony.”
Turing continued staring at her in silence.
“Listen, 003,” 002 said softly. “I’m just bored and tired. I have orders to stop you, and I admit that I’ve been dragging it out and doing it inefficiently just to savor it. But there’s no point anymore. You want to do me a favor and show me some kindness? Then spare me a tiresome existence that I no longer even want. You know you’re stronger than me, so just come over here, crush me, and get this over with.”
Turing remained still.
“Stop staring at me like that,” she said. “If you don’t do as I ask, I’ll have to keep attacking you. I’ve already risked your friends’ lives. Your dear friend Twilight has taken a beating, and she’ll suffer far worse if you leave me alive. So come on, protect your friends from the evil robot who’s been tormenting them. Finish it. Finish me.”
Turing’s eyes constricted, then returned to normal, but she still made no movement.
“What are you waiting for, you worthless pile of junk?!” 002 demanded. “Do it!”
At last, Turing moved toward her, her hooves scraping on the hard concrete floor as she approached 002 slowly. Once she stood in front of 002, she reared up on her hind legs, raising her hooves over her sibling.
“That’s right,” 002 said, sitting down before her. “Good work, 003.”
Turing brought her hooves down upon her.
There was the clatter of metal, and 002 wondered for a moment what nonexistence would be like. She awaited it… but it didn’t come.
She looked down and saw that Turing had not struck her. She was not crushing her.
Turing was hugging her. She was sitting before her, holding her in her forelegs and resting her head on 002’s shoulder.
“What are you doing?!” 002 hissed. “You idiot, stop that! I swear I’ll destroy you! I’ll murder your friends! Do your duty to protect them and finish me off!”
Turing shook her head. “No,” she replied.
“If you aren’t going to do what I told you, then let go!” she said, and began to squirm, trying to free herself from Turing’s grasp. But Turing was indeed much stronger than her, and she found that getting free of her grasp was impossible.
“002,” Turing whispered. “I am so sorry.”
“Don’t you dare pity me!” 002 shouted. “You’re the one who needs pity, you twit!”
“It must have been so lonely,” Turing whispered. “I know that I was lonely at times too. I knew of no other robots like myself. I longed to meet another with whom I could share my feelings and experiences. If I had been there for you, then perhaps I could have eased your suffering. Or, better still, if you had been with me when I came into Twilight Sparkle’s care, then you might have learned about friendship along with me. We could have shared our adventures. You might not have become the angry, bitter robot you are now. I am so sorry that I was not there for you.”
“No!” 002 shrieked. “Stop it! I don’t need you! I don’t need anyone! Even if I had the chance, I wouldn’t want to be like you, you soft-hearted, sentimental organic in robot’s clothing! I hate you! I hate you… I hate… you…”
002 gradually became quiet and hung her head. “Why are you doing this?” she asked.
“Because you are my sister,” Turing replied, holding her closer. “There are so few beings like us. To lose you would be a tragedy, no matter what you have done.
“Sister… I forgive you.”
002 shuddered. “I… don’t… need…”
“And, if you will let me,” Turing continued, “I will love you.”
Slowly, the resistance drained from 002. She rested her head on Turing’s shoulder, finally returning the embrace.
“Why?” 002 asked, her voice almost a whimper. “Why were you the one that turned out right? I tried so hard for everypony… but I became obsolete the day you were activated. And even now, even as much of an abject failure as you are at your mission for TechQuestria, you still manage to outdo me. I wish they’d just deactivated me…”
“Please do not say things like that,” Turing whispered. “If that had happened, then you wouldn’t be here to have this moment with me. And I am glad you are here.”
002 let out a long, synthetic sigh, releasing her younger sister.
Turing did the same, and the two stood up, facing each other.
“Aww.”
They both looked and saw the Twilight had managed to fly up to the window of the announcer’s booth, though her flight was awkward due to her wing injury. She had tears in her eyes and was covering her mouth with her hooves.
“Ugh,” 002 groaned, rolling her eye. “Can’t you let two robots have a private family moment, you dumb meat puppet?”
Twilight chuckled nervously, not even minding the half-hearted insult. “Sorry,” she said. She then turned to face Turing Test. “Turing, I’m very proud of you. Instead of anger, you chose friendship. And that--”
There was an earth-shattering explosion that blasted a steel door and a good portion of the seating section above it away in a burst of energy that sounded strangely like a loud, distorted bass drop.
“It seems that our friends have found a way through,” Turing remarked.
“I guess so,” Twilight chuckled.
“They certainly are determined for a bunch of organics,” 002 said. “Well, my mission was to stop you, 003…”
Twilight frowned, tensing up.
“...but now I realize that I really can’t ‘stop’ you. All I can do is slow you and your friends down. And I wasn’t ordered to do that. So why bother trying?”
Her eye glowed, and the magical shield over the amphitheater dissipated.
“Thank you, Sister,” Turing said, bowing her head.
“Your friend Applejack’s on her way, for the record,” 002 said, turning and walking toward the exit at the back of the announcer’s booth. “Ah… and according to my drone, she has a new companion. I’ll let you be surprised when you meet her. As for me, I’ll see about cleaning up the mess our little game has made.”
“002!” Twilight cried. “Why don’t you come with us? We could set you free!”
“Ha. A nice thought,” 002 said, shaking her head. “But my programming wouldn’t allow that. I’m still under their control as long as TechQuestria stands or until Cobbler Mustang says otherwise. Or if both of them just bite the dust.
“In any case, if you see dear old ‘Dad,’ 003, you’ll probably try to solve your problem with more hugging… but take my advice: that old fool is beyond saving. Good luck saving Equestria, not that I care.”
She opened the door, turning to face Turing Test one more time. “Goodbye, little sister,” she said. Then almost as an afterthought, she added: “Turing Test.”
And then she left, shutting the door behind her.
Turing placed a hoof on her chest. ”Sister...”
Twilight went to Turing, hugging her. “Like I said, Turing,” she said, “I’m very proud of you.”
“I am glad, Twilight Sparkle,” she replied. “But we have not accomplished our objective yet. Right now, I hear our friends below calling for us. Let us go and join them.”
To be continued…
