//------------------------------//
// Part 5: Wired In Parallel 
// Story: S.P.A.R.K.S. 
// by Cardinal Dan Productions 
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The sun soared high overhead now as Spike chewed quietly on an appetizer left by the waitress as they sat down. From across the table, Sparks looked on, watching him intently. It was difficult to avoid her gaze, impossible even. He hadn’t given her an answer to her question yet, and how could he? A million thoughts were rushing through his head all at once now, and he found it mind-numbing to focus on any one of them without receiving a severe case of whiplash.

Moments earlier, Sparks had shown interest in him, a lot of interest. She had asked him if they could be, as she worded it, a couple, essentially asking him out on a date. This was new territory for Spike, and he was sailing in totally unfamiliar waters. He’d never been on a date with any mare, let alone an artificial intelligence. He’d never been asked out, nor had done the asking himself. To put it plainly, he was young and inexperienced.

Part of him wanted to crawl into a hole in the ground and cover himself up so he wouldn’t have to see her peering, gorgeous eyes through her glowing, orange visor, but the rest of him wanted to shout ‘Yes!’ and leap into her hooves. In an instant, he had forgotten about his crush on Rarity, which now seemed nothing more than an endless game of cat and mouse. Right in front of him was a beautiful mare. She was incredibly smart but naive and inexperienced herself, much like him. It was clear that they both liked each other, but there were problems.

One of the biggest ones was Twilight. Sparks was technically her property. Twilight had made the synthetic pony as a helping hoof. Spike was certain she hadn’t envisioned for Sparks to develop a desire for intimacy. If things were going to work out between them, she would have to approve of it, and if she didn’t... Spike didn’t like to dwell on that thought.

Another problem was his own lack of confidence in himself. He’d never been in this kind of position before. The fear of making a wrong move, a misstep, or saying something inappropriate paralyzed him completely. What if he agreed to a relationship with Sparks? What would happen immediately after? What if he declined? How would she react? Did she have laser eyes that could cut him in half if he upset her? Needless to say, he was terrified to find answers to any of his questions. His own nervous shaking must have been disturbing the table, because the ice in his water chimed musically against the side of the glass.

Underneath the table, Sparks touched a hoof against the hand resting in his lap. “Scanning... Your heart rate has risen drastically, Spike. You are stressed...”

He picked up the glass and took a long sip of water before setting it back down again. “Yeah, just a little bit...” A long sigh escaped his lips as he finally looked her directly in the eyes. “Sparks, I just... I don’t know. It’s a lot to think about, and the more I think about it, the worse I feel. I’m honestly a little uncomfortable.”

She leaned forward, crossing the table a ways while still holding his hand beneath. “I did not mean to cause you so much distress, Spike. I only wished to experience this feeling ponies share with each other. It is puzzling, and I wish to understand why they choose to engage in such activities. I hope my request for us to become a couple was not misconstrued as a desire for us to mate, Spike.” She looked down at the table and let out a long sigh. “Besides such foolishness being physically impossible, my core programming restricts me from having selfish desires. Twilight Sparkle put into my programming a series of restrictions to block these kinds of thoughts. My only purpose is to serve.”

Spike let out a sigh of relief. He was grateful that Twilight had the foresight to restrict Sparks in such a way that wouldn’t constrain her abilities to record data and store vast amounts of knowledge. “So... Twilight just made you unable to ‘want’ anything? What about the dress Rarity made you?”

Sparks retracted her hooves and observed herself, looking the gown over. “I can appreciate the aesthetically pleasing combination of colors and materials, Spike, but I did not ask for this apparel. You recommended that I hide my synthetic body from view, and Rarity was generous enough to provide the materials necessary to accomplish this task.” Then, a silly grin came over her face as she looked him in the eyes. “I do happen to like the way I look, though.”

She sounded convincing enough, but Spike was certain there was more she wasn’t telling him. Perhaps Twilight wanted it that way. It was possible that she didn’t want Sparks spilling all of the secrets of her conception to anyone that asked nicely enough. It was as though she wasn’t lying, necessarily, just not telling the whole truth.

Moments later, the waitress returned with the food he ordered. “Here ya’ are...” She placed the hay burger and salad in front of Spike and even gave Sparks a glass of water, despite her deliberately telling the server that she didn’t require anything. Sparks eyed the glass but didn’t object, instead choosing to remain quiet as the waitress finished delivering Spike his food. “Enjoy...” She then flashed a friendly smile before returning to the kitchen.

Seeing the hay burger at last in front of him, his stomach growled, reminding him just how hungry he really was. With earnest, he picked it up and took a big bite. “Mmmmmm...” He couldn’t help letting out a satisfied moan as he chewed contentedly. From across the table, Sparks watched him with interest, peering back and forth between him and the food in his hands. When Spike noticed her staring, he set the burger down and jokingly slid the plate across the table towards her. “Want some?”

He was only teasing, but look on Sparks’ face told him she thought he might have been serious. “Spike, I have no need of nutrition and sustenance. Given the fact that I have no stomach, digestive tract, or means of waste disposal, the consumption of food and water would be pointless and possibly damage my internal hardware.”

Spike raised his hands as a gesture of surrender before taking back the plate. “Easy, Sparks... I was only joking. I didn’t mean it.”

The stern look on her face melted away instantly, and she then took on a more regretful face as she realized her error. “Oh... My apologies, Spike. I did not realize that you were merely attempting to use my inability to eat as a means of relaying social pleasantries. Now that I know this, I see the humor in your gesture of offering me food that you knew I would be unable to consume.” After that lengthy response, she let loose a hearty laugh.

Spike managed a smile too. He couldn’t help himself. Seeing Sparks learn and grow was fascinating. He thought about how amazing the world must seem to her. Everything was new, bright, and beautiful. Even the simplest things he might have taken for granted, like hugging his friends, was simply mind blowing to her.

He reached for a fork and raised it to take a stab at the salad, but a growing queeziness in his chest caused him to pause. As he set the fork back down, a burp forced its way out of his mouth, and he belched green flames into the air. From the fire fell a neatly tied letter.

Sparks watched the whole thing with eyes wide. “A dragon that can send and receive communication mediums at will through the use of unknown dragon magic… This is most fascinating…”

Spike picked up the letter and opened it, only to find some alarming news. He clutched onto the paper as he shot up from the table. “Come on, Sparks, we gotta go!” There wasn’t any time to finish his meal. He dropped the bits he owed onto the table and took her hoof in his hand before making a dash for the exit. “Twilight’s on her way back right now! If she finds out I took you out of the palace, she’ll kill me!”

Sparks didn’t look nearly as worried as he dragged her along. “Spike, I find the probability of Twilight Sparkle terminating you quite unlikely.”

He shook his head. “It’s just a figure of speech, Sparks. You’re missing the point. Twilight told me to stay out of trouble, and messing with her work is definitely trouble! I’ve got to get you back into your core before she finds out!”

The artificial mare appeared to be thinking it over, all the while Spike was visibly motioning for her to hurry up. Then, she nodded and smiled at him. “Alright, Spike. I do not wish for you to be in trouble. I will withhold any information about the events of today from Twilight Sparkle.”

Spike let out a sigh of relief as they neared the palace. He only hoped that they had made it in time.


***Up Next: Systems Normal***