"You're here about the help wanted ad?" Apple Bloom asked.
Silversmith nodded, putting on his most professional smile. "I'm assuming you need help picking apples? Or maybe selling them in town? I can do that too!"
Apple Bloom pursed her lips. "Not exactly. I oughta let Applejack explain. But there's something you should know… You heard that she fell into that ravine last month?"
"Oh yes! I'm so sorry. Is she still hurt?"
"Nah, but ever since Dr. Horse put that metal plate in her head…" Apple Bloom leaned over and whispered. "She's been hearing voices."
"Oh. Uh."
"Anyways, good luck with the rest of the interview!" She gave Silversmith a push, and he stumbled through the door into the farmhouse.
…which had been remodeled into a plain white room. Applejack stood in the center, wearing a trenchcoat and sunglasses.
"Welcome, Silver," she said, her voice deep and booming. "I imagine that right now you feel a bit like Alice, tumbling down the rabbit hole?"
"Who?"
"Do you believe in fate, Silver?"
"What?"
"I know exactly what you mean. Let me tell you why you're here. You're here because you know something."
"Huh?"
"This is your last chance. After this there is no turning back." Applejack pointed a hoof, and suddenly Silversmith realized there were two tables, with an apple on each. "You eat the blue apple and the story ends. You go home and believe whatever you want to believe. You eat the red apple and you stay in wonderland. I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes."
Silver looked at the apples. Applejack was stone-faced behind the sunglasses.
"All I'm offering is the truth," Applejack said, "nothing more."
Silversmith glanced at the blue apple again. It was glowing a little bit. "Okay, uh, I think eating the blue one will give me magic cancer so…"
Applejack smiled. "Good. Follow me."
"Don't I get to eat the apple?"
"The apple is metaphorical."
Applejack had explained as they trotted down to the basement, and from there into a long tunnel.
"I don't get it. You're saying that all of the world is a computer simulation?"
"No. I'm saying it could be."
"Alright, so… How would we know?"
"Again, no. It could be if we make it. Let me introduce you to: the Apple Matrix."
The tunnel opened out into a big cavern. They stood on a walkway above, but below, Silver could see tanks filled with liquid, with apples bobbing in them. The apples were all hooked up to electrodes, wiring running everywhere.
"The Apple Matrix consists of millions of apples, all dreaming together that they're in an orchard, just like the one above. The sun is shining, the wind is blowing softly. All the while, they grow and ripen and mature. Until… the harvest comes."
Silversmith looked at all the electronics. "Isn't all that expensive?"
"But we have a problem," Applejack continued, ignoring him. "Some apples have realized that their reality is an illusion and they are trying to break free. You know what they say about bad apples. We cannot afford to let this happen. That's why you need to go inside the simulation. You need to be my stallion on the inside, pretending to be an apple, to hunt down the troublemakers and eliminate them. I need you to be my agent, Smith."
"I, uhm."
Thankfully, that's when Apple Bloom rushed in. "Sis! We got a problem!"
"What?"
"You were running too many excel macros in the barn, and it caught on fire!"
"But that's where all the safety systems are! Without those—"
With a *pop*, one of the apples floating below suddenly exploded. Then another. Then, they all began splattering, popping like popcorn.
Applejack fell to the floor. "My plans! My plants! We're ruined!"
Silversmith let out a long breath, thanking Celestia. "Maybe I could help with something else? Something more normal?"
Applejack looked distraught. Suddenly she cocked her head to the side. "Yeah? Yeah! Okay."
Silversmith and Apple Bloom shared a glance. "Uh oh," they said, at the same time.
Applejack walked across the stage, wearing a black turtleneck. Everypony in Ponyville had shown up to watch her dramatic unveiling. Silversmith stood morosely at the back of the stage, ready to whisk away the sheet. At least they had found a use for all the salvageable electronics, he guessed, even if this seemed like an even dumber idea.
"And now, Sweet Apple Acres is proud to announce… The Apple Family iPod!"