//------------------------------// // II. Recover (unedited) // Story: Replicated Wanderer // by QuartzScale //------------------------------// “Now son I know you wanted to stay home but this is getting ridiculous. You are staying with your uncle and learning something constructive instead of sitting around playing games.” My father loudly raised his voice. “But I'm only twelve dad.” “And that's two to high to sit around playing games.” He answered dismissively. I sighed internally. If I vocalized that he would lecture me… again. I didn't need to hear another spiel on the importance of doing something with my life with another long winded tale that usually went nowhere. The car bumped on the now beat down dirt path as we headed towards my uncle’s house. Funnily enough, he was on my mother’s side of the family and my dad and him didn't like each other. How they put aside their differences just to make me more active in life was beyond my comprehension that was for sure. The car finally rolled to a stop as we reached a large two story log cabin with an extra attachment off to the side where a steady stream of smoke poured from the smokestack from all the projects he would work on. I just sat there knowing that this would entirely suck. “Enjoy your summer son. Your mother will call you tonight.” My dad mentioned as he rushed me out of the car with my two suitcases. Claudius was a stern man. The moment I got there I was dragged over to the kiln and had a large apron draped over my chest. “Keep the fire going by pumping air into the furnace. I'm testing out an old method and now that my free la- you are here I can actually do it well. Now get your butt over here and work the bellows.” Claudius ordered. “Right…” This was the second time he made me work during the summer. The radiating heat had already sent me into a constant sweat which trickled down my neck and turned my shirt from light gray to dark gray. The steam from when the drops hit anything that was heated nearly threatened to blind me from the sweltering searing heat. “Ok that's good. Get on the anvil and try to drag out the stock a couple more inches.” Claudius commanded as he sent me over to get one of the smithing hammers he kept close by. It took me a while to get the right length out without thinning the metal. He was always particular about how I went about forging armor and was the most critical the first time I did it during the previous summer. Through constant trial and error I figured out how to accomplish at the very least a breastplate before my summer was over. It took me several hours before I could fully realize what was where I could actually be. A different dimension or another planet were the only thoughts in my mind now. The cold mountain air blew past me but I didn't feel cold at all. I stared at the now setting sun which didn't harm my eyes. My own sensors actually mentioned placing on tinted lenses over my mechanical eyes to filter out the intense rays of the sun. =Reception acquired. First capsule located far to the south= “Seriously… I got reception only because I'm this high.” I could feel the intense heat build up in my system of misguided rage. I couldn't even tell what I was truly angry at though, my situation or myself. I had to keep the despair at bay for now… there would be time to sulk after I made certain beyond a shadow of a doubt that nothing would be able to kill me. If I could figure out my own systems I could effectively be immortal. =Capsule specified area. Two hundred miles of current location.= “Looks like I get to jump.” Before I could go a small compartment opened up on my arm revealing a small device. I thought it was one of the modules until I took it out of my arm and examined it more closely. Several files seemed to flashed through my mind from the central processor there. I placed it on the very top of the mountain leaving it behind as the files finished scrolling through my mind. A teleportation point should I ever need to find new places. It would be a fitting place to at the very least have a place to easily get back to find more capsules. Satisfied that I at the very least didn’t need to climb back up with my own two feet again I looked out to the horizon. Throwing all caution to the wind I dashed off of the peak directly south allowing gravity to take me all the way down. It had to have been over ten thousand meters though the sensors in my body were unable to accurately measure just how far I had climbed. Eight thousand meters, my body felt the rush of wind as I sailed further down. Five thousand meters and I couldn’t even make out shapes anymore. Three thousand meters and colors no longer existed. At one thousand meters my legs automatically activated halting my momentum enough to grab onto the mountain cliffs. The momentum still carried as I nearly tore through the sheer rock wall leaving several grooves where my feet had touched while my hand tore through the stone easily enough. Once I hit the ground I took off running back through the forest. While I couldn’t exactly see that far ahead of me the internal sensors I had seemed to be guiding me directly south. The world still seemed to be an untamed mess and I needed to get something to give me an edge. That… creature hadn’t appeared throughout my climb but he could probably appear at any moment. Wasting little time I dashed faster tearing through any brush that got in my way which startled several random creatures in the forest who all ran at my presence. I could’ve sworn that one of the creatures looked like a snake and a chicken had a baby. It had tried to stare into my soul but I rushed so fast past it I nearly flattened it under my boots I wanted to say. “No time for a fricassee, I’m off on the hunt.” I muttered more to myself to break that monotonous silence that would threaten me every once in a while. The forest kept surprising me in new ways as several creatures would stare out from the darkness at me but my charging advance would send them fleeing. I didn’t want to stop either, otherwise, I didn’t think I would get back up. I didn’t want to voice it out loud but that despair was still hounding me even after the fall. The fact that I didn’t activate the dash attachments in my legs willingly told me everything I needed to know. It was going to be trying to crush me anytime I let my guard down. Starswirl sat at the table a bit annoyed at that moment. Celestia and Luna had once again forgotten their homework. Unsure of how to handle the sudden lack of things to grade Starswirl decided a lecture was needed. “Girls… girls… girls…,” Starswirl started only to find it harder than he thought to speak, “You need to know the importance of this lesson before you head out to handle the rest of the world.” “But Starswirl~ Golems are boring. Every golem that is made effectively only survives for one year if at that. They can’t do more than mine things and act as physical barriers.” Celestia grouses slightly. “Doth mine sister speak the truth Starswirl.” Luna intoned though with her small stature she lisps it out instead in a highly childish manner which hurt Starswirl on an emotional level. “Yes. It is very important. Look… Golems are a new form of magic which can functionally handle the wear and tear of the environment better than ponies can and with their effective casing and magical circuits within they could function more efficiently on jobs that are extremely hazardous to others. One golem could effectively equal hundreds of ponies on what they are capable of. While they are fragile think of what could be accomplished should we ever figure out how to make one run longer than a year… The possibilities are endless.” Starswirl fantasized outloud. “Starswirl, most golems usually end up in insane fits of not knowing the difference between being alive and functioning. The ones who do burn up their crystal matrixes trying to come to terms with their own functional mortality. Nopony has ever managed to create a golem that would do more than work.” Celestia explained. “If it is so easy to explain the nuances then why do I not have your homework on my desk at this very moment then Princess?” Starswirl countered quickly enough that Celestia was caught off guard into a stammering mess. “W-w-well I-i-i j-j-just… Ok fine. I forgot I’m sorry I was attending to learning more about the movement of the sun.” Celestia pouted as she stared holes into the floor. “Luna?” Starswirl started. “The moon. Something about it felt natural.” Luna groused as she bowed her head letting her ears droop. Starswirl was uncertain how to continue this. They were doing exactly as was foretold in tying bonds to the very celestial objects that governed the sea of stars beyond even their individual magical reach. He couldn’t be mad at them nor could he be disappointed if only because they were doing what came naturally. Celestia looked over the notes about golems as did Luna but their interest was low on this aspect as Starswirl had predicted. Golems were a branch of magic involving Runic Spells and partial Soul Bindings. It was a messy ritual that would give many pause for thought on how to go about it. The fact that all golems that had been created turned into such dangerous monsters over time due to the constant wear and tear of their crystal processors and fragile nature of their internal parts made him extremely wary when his former colleagues tried to create one. They had wound up destroyed by their own shortsightedness. “Princesses. It is important to learn these things in case something happens that requires you to deal with situations that may come up whenever you least expect it.” Starswirl lectured on until a door burst open from the side with a servant barreling through straight for the three of them. “Starswirl! Starswirl! It’s terrible.” The servant cried out as she tripped over her own hooves landing in a heap before the three. Celestia and Luna’s chuckles didn’t deter Starswirl’s sudden shift towards wondering if he was asking for trouble the moment he said that. “Art thou okay?” Luna hopped off her seat managing to get the servant back of their hooves. “Yes. Thank you Princess Luna. I’m sorry for barging in at such an unmannerly hour but something was seen wandering the forest to the west by one of the guard patrols. It looked like a functional golem but it was bipedal in nature and covered entirely in blue armor.” The servant announced to the surprise of all three. “Starswirl can you tell the future!?” Celestia cried out as she feverishly poured over the notes on Crystal Golems and any weaknesses that they might have with Luna right on her flank helping out. “Please watch over them. I shall get the pillars to assist me in dealing with this golem.” Starswirl sharpened his gaze as he trotted out of the room to the chagrin of the princesses and relief of the servant. “Oh thanks the stars...:” The servant muttered turned away from both princesses as her eyes quickly shined to yellow sclera with red pupils before returning to their original purple irises. With his plan in motion the servant in mare’s clothing complied with Starswirl’s request if only to play the long game. It wasn’t his ideal chaos but it would pay off in spades the moment that Discord decided he had had enough fun. Besides… what they don’t know wouldn’t kill them… Well it might… ‘Perhaps I should have thought this more thoroughly…’ Discord mused before continuing with his random tasks for the Princesses before getting another one of the servants to take over and disappearing from the castle. It took me several hours of meticulous guess work to figure out where I was going exactly. I knew south was the right direction but it was becoming ridiculous with how many twists and turns I had to make just to get through the underbrush. Finally as I reached the point that I was supposed to get to I had to make another detour to the west where the beacon in my head was droning with the constant beep. ‘Shut up beep. Shut up beep. Shut up beep. Shut up beep. Shut up beep!’ I mentally commanded and if by magic my body complied with the demand. At this point I needed to check on my weapons system. By sheer accident I had attacked something with what could be considered lethal force and while the creature survived with only a small scratch the look on its face told a different story. That was the first time it looked as though something was capable of scratching it in any capacity. I was in a dangerous body in a sense. The X frame and body was built with limitless potential and constant improvement. Every section of the body was meant to increase in capabilities through time. That unfortunately meant I needed to tone down the weapons system to a more manageable level. I am not a killer. I might be capable of it. I’m certain anyone is if pushed hard enough but I didn’t want to do it and find it easier with every execution. The creature that attempted to mess with my mind was a panicked response… though with the look they gave me I was more than certain that they didn’t see it that way and considered it a declaration of war. Looking through the mental files within my brain I found the weapons output of the X Buster. Really, it was the Mega Buster MK-17 but that was a mouthful and unwieldy to say outloud. I looked through the setting finding out just how lethal my shots would be. At only a twenty five percent charge I could tear through concrete without too much problem… and flesh would be seared from the power. With a few mental commands I place the number down to ten percent output which seemed to alo pull off the taxing feeling I was getting during my trek south. “Is there a way to merely stun opponents…?” I muttered only to find the safeties on for my buster. Apparently any flesh and blood targets would only be stunned from even a charged shot which was weird because that creature was targeted with more than fifty percent power at that moment. Which meant it wasn’t flesh and blood or the moment it tried to mess with my head the limiters immediately went off. Too many unknown variables meant caution was to be stressed more than ever. Even then I still hadn’t met any other sapient creatures. A large lion with bat wings and a scorpion tail had tried to kill me only stopping when he realized that I was made more of metal than anything. The flying spider things ran off when they realized I could actually endure and outright ignore their wrath. The chicken snake creatures tried to stare into my eyes only for me to ignore it and nearly run right over it. Nothing had tried to talk to me even though that first creature did. “Perhaps I’m getting too antsy now… Don’t assume and you’ll be fine. Right?” I patted myself on the back for whatever fleeting comfort I could get out of it. My nerves were still shot at the difference of the continent and how… clear the skies were. There were still plenty of clouds in the sky and everything seemed to be naturally spreading around but every once in a while, while I was on top of that tall mountain a cloud would instantly disappear as if someone kicked them out of the sky. That was absurd though… I’m sure of it. After tearing through another twelve tree roots I finally opened my eyes to the sight before me. There were several large caverns in front which seemed utterly ghastly. I felt somewhere deep inside of me that something died. I don’t know why either. Undeterred by the weird feeling I immediately dashed into the caverns with nary a worry in my soul… since I didn’t exactly have a beating heart. “Are you certain this is where it went Starswirl? A golem hasn’t been around these parts for years.” Rockhoof started as he led the way the two lanterns hanging on his sides. “From what the servant managed out that is the case… Look.” Starswirl pointed at the long strides and heavy prints in the ground. The figure who stood moments ago being heavier than even Rockhoof on a bad day. “We have something Swirls. The figure rushed into the Ghastly Caverns.” Magnus stated as he slung his shield across his back. “They certainly were a golem. I sensed no emotions from it… At least I don’t think I did. Something was off about the golem. It seemed to move with purpose. It’s eyes showed a certain reasoning. It even smiled I think.” Somnambula spoke drawing both Mistmane and Meadowbrook’s attention. “We must be careful then. Ghastly Caverns is dangerous and could bring our doom.” Meadowbrook muttered as she placed her mask on. “I’m sensing a lot of Dark Magic in this place Starswirl. More than I thought was possible. Are you certain we should enter this place. What if that golem is drawing magic from here?” Mistmane whispered to Starswirl who actually contemplated it. “I have prepared a banishment spell should it ever come to that point. Golems are not that strong and the dark magic would cause the crystal circuitry it runs off to sputter and expire from the constant exposure.” Starswirl patted his fellow unicorn on the back. Unbeknownst to all that went into the inner sanctum of the caverns as murky black shadow slowly slid across the ground looking intently into absorbing more of the darkness that dwelled within. I made my way around the large sections of serrated stalagmites and stalactites without too much trouble. The ones I did get too close to actually snapped whenever I pressed too hard against them. The path through was a twisted mess of dead ends and pitfalls. My eyes had adjusted to the dark easily enough and parts of my armor had started to glow to illuminate my path. It got so bad that I actually felt enough of a twinge of fear to give myself at the very minimum fifty percent lethality to my weapons system. The built in limiter pulsed from time to time if anything sapient showed up but I wasn’t sure that anything that survived by more than instinct lived within this place. “Why the hell does it want me to go fifty meters down now damn it all…” I hissed out in exasperation. The trip inside had started out fine up until I hit the first dead end and my sensor reoriented themselves. I had barely gone in for twenty minutes and I was already reading three new tunnels had somehow been dug out within seconds. That was impossible for any creature to do that easily. Then I found one of the dug out paths and found that it was spacious enough for me to jump and touch the ceiling. Apparently I was little over 160 centimeters and I could hit the ceiling just barely… that meant whatever dug these things were well over three meters in diameter and pretty long from the dimensions of the tunnel. That also meant I could effectively jump little more than twice my height. “Huh… more you know then... “ I muttered to myself. Once again the loneliness was starting to get worse by the second. Finally after several times being turned around and other times falling deliberately into deep pits because I thought they would lead me somewhere my sensors finally started to ping for some reason. In front of me were two large metal discs stacked one on top of the other. As I drew closer it opened up revealing a glass tube between them. My mind clicked instantly to the times that Dr. Light would appear from the capsule. I waited a moment hoping that there would be an A.I. also willing to assist me… those moments became minutes… then those minutes became an hour. The internal clock in my head couldn’t be lying either. Sighing, I stepped up into the glass tube and suddenly several files were jammed into my head including the armor parts of the first set of Light’s upgrades followed closely by the weapons archive of the first eight mavericks. The armor set would not immediately activate. Twelve hours were apparently needed to integrate the upgrade efficiently without rendering me catatonic. After stepping out of the capsule it immediately started to short out before disintegrating into dust… “What the absolute f-” I stopped at that moment. For some reason I couldn’t explain why my motion sensors were going off revealing twelve different creatures within these tunnels. Six were closing in. Five were at random places digging around which meant they were most likely the tunnelers. The last one… that one was skulking around following the six carefully… “Crap… crap crap crap crap… ” I rushed off in case something went horribly wrong.