After hours of searching, reading, analyzing and the occasional cake break Eclipse and Twilight had been through all the books and narrowed down three that mentioned labs, aperture and hidden facilities that when magical dated were from similar eras to the diary that had all that could potentially be useful. The first book was called Princess Celestia's hidden secrets. The second was called fantastic hidden places in the equestrian landscape and where to find them. The third was called Aperture Science’s operation manual which was just a book telling employees to not touch anything other than their supervisors telling them to and it wasn’t much help.
“I’ll read about Celestia's secrets and you do the others as that could be potential archaeological spots for you and um, well I don’t... think that… Well, Princess Celestia would want a non-royal alicorn to find her deepest secrets.” Twilight said with a chuckle as she took the book in question and began to read it thoroughly as she had now an opportunity to see the deep dark things her mentor hides. Eclipse didn’t object as he was gonna propose the same idea as he enjoyed secret locations forgotten by history.
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In canterlot Celestia was enjoying a nice cup of tea to help down one of her most favourite delicacies a rich chocolate fudge cake cut with a perfect ten degree angle at the point of the sector and thirteen centimeter radius from tip to circumference with a soft scoop of vanilla ice cream with a nice chocolate sauce glaze over the cake and ice cream combo.
Across the table sat Luna eating a more humble and less ‘plot widening’ scone with cream then jam, as was the proper way to, with a cup of coffee that kept her awake. “Sister you know that habit of yours is turning into an addiction I’ve heard rumors during my nightly duties that you are sneaking into the royal pantry.” she said to her sister as she carefully sipped her coffee as it was still a little too hot.
“Huh, Luna my appetite for these delicious cakes are nothing more than a snack tis all.” Celestia stated as she'd finished the slice and looked at the waiter which nodded and went to get her another.
“After a thousand years of me on the moon I guess some things never change sister,” Luna said as she began to chuckle at her sister's antics. “like the fact you are not a good lier.”
“pfft lie I never lied to you at least… since you've been back in Equestria that is.” Celestia said as she began to get a little nervous about the way the conversation was heading “Guards please can me and my sister have a moment alone?” she rhetorically asked as she knew they'd obey.
“Hmm, good move I guess you knew I was going to inquire about one of the things I've noticed changed since I've gone… So I will just get to it what happened to my labs.”
“Huh, your lab if you mean Aperture I can not say if that was your labs but I think it would be a good idea if you forgot about them.” Celestia said as she leaned back in her seat and sighed, “When we banished you I took over the facility as it's Royal funder and they wasn't happy with this of course as well they kinda liked you but that would not stop them trying to improve Equestria and break the laws of physics.”
“That does sound like them.” Luna said with a chuckle before sighing and asking her sister solemnly “so what happened?”
“We… They tried to… Create an artificial intelligence computer called A genetic life and disk operating system codename GLaDOS. She was a former employee who was in love with that lemon guy and he after suffering from some sort of rock poisoning ordered that she be the one to be uploaded to the machine… Her name was Shadow Aura.” Celestia began as she revealed why aperture was not in operation.
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Shadow was a young changeling who was a renegade from her hive and enjoyed her job as the CEO's assistant she prided herself on keeping up with all the projects of the company and what her boss had to do for the next few months. She was the brains behind him and never asked for anything in return.
One day she was walking through the glistening white corridors towards where the lab boys were working on the GLaDOS machine “OK if I die from this illness before the computer I can transfer my intelligence into I want Shadow to run this place she's been the backbone of this facility and is damn lot smarter than some of you. Heck, put her in my computer see what I care… Thanks for listening back to work.” the voice of her boss said but she could tell the message was pre-recorded as news had come in he died that morning.
She continued onwards when a technician stopped her “Let me past please. ” she asked him politely but he grabbed hold of her as she tried to go past and dragged her into a white room with a metal operating table and strapped her to it.
“I’m sorry Miss Shadow we were told to put you into the system from the top and that is what we must do.” One of the technicians said as from a booth Celestia was watching as panels moved to reveal what seemed to be a control room with a mechanical alicorn plugged into its machines. Shadow struggled in her binds as she felt a helmet fall on her head and power up before falling asleep from a sudden needle in her hoof.
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“You forced that girl to be put into a machine because of some crazed stallion’s death wish after ranting about lemons,” Luna said with an angered look on her face as he was listening to this tale. “She was an innocent being that you allowed to be a test subject for what did you call it.”
“GLaDOS a genetic life and disk operating system.” Celestia said thankful she’d soundproofed her room eons ago as Luna was full canterlot voicing her only messing up her hair for a second before it’s magical etherealness sorted itself out as she poured a cup of tea and continued “Well what happened was Shadow was successfully uploaded into the GLaDOS mainframe becoming the enrichment centers artificial overseer but one thing the lab could never do was stop her revenge.”
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“Princess Celestia you need to evacuate it’s GLaDOS she’s released…. Gas into the enrichment center… she’s been behaving so we let her have a… small controlled test of her choice…” A scientist said as he ran towards the princess “she wanted access to neurotoxin… to test is the cat dead or alive paradox…. We should have known” he said as he began to choke on the gas pouring into through the vents before collapsing causing Celestia to panic slightly scooped him up and running for the exit.
“Damn on bring your foal to work day why shadow… No after this she doesn’t deserve the name of the sweet little changeling that roamed these halls….” Celestia said to herself as she ran past more dead scientist some of them holding their foals in a failed attempt to save them as Celestia had done with the now deceased scientist in her magic. She sadly let the body of the scientist go adding him to the pile of collapsed lifeless ponies on the floor.
“Princess… come on we have to get you out of here.” One scientist said pulling her along a gas mask on his face and fear in his eyes as he popped one on her “Damn machine I told em she’ll remember what we did to her.” was all Celestia heard before she fell unconscious.
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“So what happened obviously you got out.” Luna said still annoyed at her sister for allowing Shadow to be have been killed by those scientists all those years ago as the aperture was once her pride and joy and now she assumed it was no more.
“Me and that scientists locked up the site deep in the crystal empire’s frozen territories where no one could enter…. I awoke outside of the facility when he did that…. The other staff and foals they had brought to work died.” Celestia said with a sigh as she saw Luna’s anger turn to sadness in seconds before her.
“How many….” The night princess asked looking at Celestia “I want to know how many innocent ponies died on your watch.”
“3475 staff and 2364 foals,” Celestia said with a sigh of defeat “we don’t know about the test subjects who were in an airtight stasis vault but there was 200 of em down there and she’ll be using them for testing I bet.”
“You let all those ponies die the second you let these scientists kill that poor changeling mare… But I won’t hold it against you…. If you help me to shut her down.” Luna said as she sadly stood up and moved to the door. “We’ll head out in the morning… get some Sleep.”