//------------------------------// // Chapter 100 // Story: Unshaken // by The 24th Pegasus //------------------------------// Despite how easily the Gang managed to infiltrate the auction tent and get into position, anxiety clawed at Kestrel’s gut as she waited for the minutes to tick by. Minute by minute, more and more ponies funneled into the tent, striking up conversations with each other and discussing business propositions. Wanderer and Silver moved around the tent as they acted out their roles as part of the wait staff, providing drink refills and ignoring the casual remarks of their ‘unfortunate situations’ compared to the self-made fortunes of the upper class. Kestrel and Tumbleweed, meanwhile, stood at opposite ends of the tent, watching everything that happened with eagle eyes, and each subtly holding their breaths as they waited for the time of the auction to begin—and wondering if Starlight and Party Favor would show up before it started or not. Do Starlight and Party Favor return before the robbery is set to begin? Critical Yes So it was an amazing relief for Kestrel when she noticed the two wheeling in a fresh tray of hors d’oeuvres, calm and apparently none the worse for wear. She skirted around the edge of the crowd to catch up with the two as they began replacing the nearly-empty appetizer table, turning her back to the bourgeoisie inside to make sure she wasn’t overheard. “Where were you two?” she asked in a low voice. “We was startin’ to get worried.” “We had to make a little detour,” Starlight said. “Some of the police patrolling the main entrance, they’ve jailed me in the past for ‘inciting riots’. They’d recognize me if we weren’t careful. We had to approach from another direction, but we did find something interesting on our way here.” “Oh yeah?” Kestrel looked over her shoulder to make sure her conversation hadn’t attracted any attention, then stepped a little closer. “Like what?” “Remember when I mentioned the Apples were going to debut a flying machine at the conference?” Starlight asked her. When Kestrel nodded, she continued. “Well, it’s set up for a demonstration this afternoon, after the auction. And on top of that, it’s nearby, just a bit to the southwest. If we need to make a quick exit, that might be our best bet.” “Flyin’ machine?” Kestrel scoffed at that. “That I’d like to see. Ain’t never gonna be nothin’ that’s able to fly like a pegasus on the wing. It just some sort of big balloon or somethin’, or what?” “It’s a big machine made out of wood and canvas,” Starlight said. “And it’s got two engines on it that look like they’re turning oversized boat screws. I’m not sure how exactly that’ll make it fly better than a balloon, but the Apples seem pretty confident in it. They wouldn’t bring something untested to a big conference about how rich and successful they are.” “Stealing that flying machine will just add insult to injury,” Party Favor chipped in. “What a devastating day for the bourgeoisie this will be!” Kestrel frowned at him. “Keep your damn voice down,” she hissed. “Let’s not blow it now.” Then she looked back at Starlight. “So you’re sure you weren’t recognized comin’ in here?” “I’m sure,” Starlight said with a nod. Her eyes then narrowed at Kestrel. “What about you and your Gang? I’d think the four of you would be far more recognizable than us.” The Gang rolls Lady Luck (average of 6) to avoid being recognized by anypony in the tent: Success “Not that I’m aware,” Kestrel said, looking around the tent, but all the ponies inside were too engrossed in their conversations or the upcoming auction to be paying attention to the outlaws hiding around them. Everything was going just as they’d hoped, and the fat cats didn’t even think that they might be about to get robbed. After all, that would involve paying close attention to the lower class ponies giving them food and drinks, and surely no self-respecting pony of the upper crust would want to stain their eyeballs by letting them linger on such filth. “That’s good,” Starlight said when she too confirmed that nopony else in the tent seemed restless or suspicious. She looked at a watch on her foreleg and nodded. “Auction will be starting in a few minutes, and then our distraction should hopefully start. Do you remember what everypony is supposed to be doing?” “Yeah, yeah,” Kestrel said, waving a hoof. “Me and Silvie’ll be workin’ the crowd over for money, while Wanderer and Party Favor make sure nopony leaves. You and Tumbleweed’ll be up on the stage givin’ your little speech ‘bout equality and all that. Then once we got this place cleared out, we skedaddle.” “Good.” Starlight took a deep breath and bobbed her head one last time as if to reassure herself. “Let’s get into position then. It’s about to start.” They separated and dispersed around the tent, with Starlight moving closer to the stage while Party Favor moved closer to the tent flap leading outside. Kestrel quietly undid the buttons on her security uniform, ready to toss it off and free her wings as soon as the Gang made their move, and tucked herself away in the shadowy corner of the side of the tent. All she had to wait for now was the distraction to start and the auction to begin. While she waited for that, though, a small hubbub of applause and congratulations broke out as an orange earth pony stepped inside. She was dressed in a simple black suit and a black cowcolt hat that was obviously finely made and very expensive despite the humble origins it tried to pass itself off for. The mare’s blonde hair had been expertly coiffed, and Kestrel wasn’t sure if her white freckles were painted on or what, considering how perfectly spaced they seemed to be. When she looked to the side at Starlight, she saw the revolutionary bristle, and she knew right away that she was looking at Applejack, president and CEO of the Apple Conglomerates, and one of the richest ponies in all of Equestria. Everything the Gang robbed from her here today probably wouldn’t even be a drop in the vast ocean of the mare’s wealth. After sharing a few words with some acquaintances of hers, Applejack soon made her way around the tent, passing almost right in front of Kestrel, as she trotted up to the stage. She soon found her place in the center of the stage, took her hat off, and held it against her chest as she addressed the crowd. “Fillies and gentlecolts, it is a mighty fine pleasure to see y’all here today, in celebration of everythin’ that we at the Apple Conglomerates have achieved since this time last year,” she began, putting on a practiced smile that seemed perfectly designed to set a pony at ease. “All the companies in our family have worked so very hard to bring the absolute best we can to the Equestrian consumer, and for many of our folks here, this week has been the first chance they’ve had to share those inventions with the common Equestrian. So not only is this conference a celebration of the success of the Conglomerates, but also the success of everypony who made this week possible. Let’s have a round of applause for all our hardworkin’ ponies out there!” Applause and a few excited whistles answered her as the ponies present figuratively patted themselves on the back for making more money in the past year. She was starting to see why Starlight hated these ponies so much. Most of the time, the Gang had them cowering on the other end of a gun, so they weren’t so cocky, bold, and insufferable then. But now that she had to hang around them for a few minutes before bringing things back to the status quo… As the applause died down, Applejack resumed her obviously-rehearsed speech. “Now, it’s been a fun week, I think I can say that for certain, and it’s time that we cap the thing off with a little last bit of fun for us who’ve worked so hard to make this all happen. I’m sure many of you have found yourselves a mite bit richer after these past few days, and them bits in your bag are just burnin’ through the fabric. So, that’s why I’ve taken the liberty to assemble this auction today, where all y’all who want somethin’ a little bit special from my personal collection can take a stab at anythin’ that suits your fancy. And just so I don’t have y’all clutchin’ your purse strings so tight in anticipation of what the big thing at this auction is gonna be, I’ll be startin’ with it up front so you’ve got nothin’ to hold back for.” She looked over her shoulder and nodded to a member of the wait staff that had followed her into the tent, and that pony ran off behind the stage to fetch whatever it is that would be up for auction first. Excited whispering made its way through the crowd as the bidders speculated on what it was that Applejack could be bringing out for them, but Kestrel had her ears pointed the other way, toward the north. If she was lucky, hopefully she’d hear the commotion of Roughshod and Trixie and Snapshot setting off their distraction any minute now. It was just about noon… Does the distraction begin promptly at noon? Yes Then she heard it, the faintest crack-bang off in the distance. It was soon joined by more, sounding like distant fireworks to the untrained ear, but Kestrel knew it was the distraction kicking off. That was good; If the distraction hadn’t happened, then the looting team might have had to operate without any distraction drawing the Pinks away. And the Pinks would certainly recognize the report of firearms at a distance, unlike most of the ponies in the auction tent. The wait staff pony returned, wheeling something covered in cloth out into the middle of the stage. Applejack stepped to the side, making sure everypony had a clear line of sight to it, and began to speak. “Now, what I’m ‘bout to show you is the prototype for somethin’ that’s gonna be very big in the future. Many of us need hired help ‘round the house, and that’s a fact. But payin’ zebras or griffons to do that labor for you gets expensive, fast. Celestia forbid you’re forced to hire other ponies; they’ll demand an unreasonable wage for their modest services. But what we at the Conglomerates decided to do was to take some inspiration from the mages of yore who built magical golems to aid in their tasks, and economize it for most citizens in Equestria to afford. We’ve been hard at work on this, and we finally have created a workin’ prototype usin’ gems and simple enchantments. Fillies and gentlecolts, I present to you the Workhorse of Tomorrow!” The assistant pulled the cloth off of what it was concealing, and Kestrel’s eyebrow raised up as she saw what looked like a mechanical equine standing on the stage before them all. It had the general shape of a pony, though the gears inside of its brass casing were plainly visible, if dormant. Dull gems were buried inside of its body or in its head, and a pair of sapphires had been used for its eyes, staring blankly out into the crowd. And, as Applejack flipped a switch at the base of its neck, it shook, shuddered, and whirred to life, its gemstones beginning to glow brightly as the enchantments inside surged to life. And then it began to speak. “Hello, everypony!” it said in a tinny, cheerful mare’s voice. “I am the Workhorse of Tomorrow, though my creators have affectionately referred to me as ‘Gizmo’. I was built to serve and perform simple manual labors. My functions are many and varied, and include such things as crop tending, heavy lifting, and personal and polite service and housekeeping at your estates. How may I be of service to you today?” Awed silence dominated the tent, even coming from Kestrel as she tried to comprehend what she was seeing. Had the Apple Conglomerates built some kind of automaton? Was it alive? Never in her wildest dreams did Kestrel think she’d see a pony made out of metal act so lively and lifelike. For the grand finale of the conference, Applejack certainly hadn’t disappointed. “Gizmo is just the first of many Workhorses of Tomorrow,” Applejack explained. “Future models will be more limited in their range of services to keep costs down; most ponies ain’t gonna need somethin’ that can pluck weeds outta their fields and then pour wine for ‘em at dinner. Gizmo and her sisters will be sturdy, reliable, and best of all, you ain’t gotta feed ‘em or pay ‘em anythin’! Equestrians will save so much money havin’ one or two or even three of these workhorses ‘round their homes and estates, and this is just the beginning. So, the startin’ price for dear Gizmo here is five thousand bits!” Hooves immediately began to fly into the air as the ponies furiously bid for the right to take Gizmo home with them. Kestrel, meanwhile, turned her attention to Tumbleweed. The Gang’s leader nodded, and his magic pulled a bandana out of the pocket of his jacket, fashioning it around his muzzle to obscure it. Shrugging off her jacket and freeing her wings, Kestrel pulled a bandana out and did the same. Then, drawing her revolver, she stepped away from the tent wall. It was time. [NO POLL FOR THIS CHAPTER]