//------------------------------// // Home Base Files - #02: Research and Future Troubles Ahead // Story: Project New World // by NinjaMare //------------------------------// “It’s done!” Aynesworth said with great joy as she raised her hands up like a little girl getting a present. “The algorithm to decipher the ponies written language is done!” “Excellent work Miss. Aynesworth, now can you begin working on de-coding what text the R.O.V.E.R has documented thus far?” the head researcher, Augustine, said to her fellow scientist. “I’m already putting the data through the program, but it will take some time to get some information out of it.” Aynesworth says as she watches the data transfer from the R.O.V.E.R’s memory banks, and into the monitor she’s using. With that Augustine left Aynesworth to her work, and headed back over to the main table of the room, watching R.O.V.E.R go about exploring the settlement it was in. As well as give the poor equines a fright. A few of the other researchers at the table were also watching the main monitor, examining everything that was on screen. All except the elderly man at the table, as he was holding a tablet in his hand and examining the pony images from the R.O.V.E.R’s memory bank. “How peculiar.” “What is Mr. Adam?” Augustine asked as she turned away from the flat screen. “These ponies.” The old man said as he switches to a new pony image. “There bodies are so scrunched up, and small I’m surprised that their internal organs can even function. And their eyes are so big that they must take up a good amount of space in their skull, their brains must pretty small.” “I have to agree with Mr. Adam on this.” The African American man said as looks at the ponies on the main screen, watching them run away. “They appear to have evolved to appear more cuter and plush like, rather than practical like animals of our world. they must not have any natural enemies.” “I suppose you have a point there Charles.” The southern accented woman said the man’s conclusion. “Not only that, but why are they so colorful. Honestly, the amount of color they have is hurting my eyes.” “When we’re able to understand their written language, you can probably ask them why they’re so colorful Mrs. Jules.” Augustine said to the woman as she leans back into her chair. “Although I’m more interested in how their world works, like their social structure.” The other three members of the table looked towards the woman as she adjusted her glasses. “From what I can grasp from footage alone, those two winged unicorns adorned in that fancy jewelry, they must be part of this worlds ruling class.” “Interesting theory Ms. Augustine.” Adam said as he looked away from the tablet, and up to the main screen. The researchers continued to watch the R.O.V.E.R explore the town, and seemed to be making itself a nuisance of the town. One such incident was when the mechanical animal scared two ponies carrying a couch, and to the rescue the R.O.V.E.R’s watchers seemed to be pleading in forgiveness with the ponies the machine scares, while the robotic animal continues to just wonder around and study the area. “Maybe we should order the R.O.V.E.R to take it easy on its investigation, especially on the ponies places of residence and business.” Jules said as she runs a hand through her hair. “Or we can have the R.O.V.E.R return to exploring the wilds of this world, like its supposed to.” Charles suggested as he looked at his fellow scientist. “We could send in a different robot to investigate the town, one that is less of a troubling sight, and so large to scare these poor creatures.” Augustine pondered on the idea as the places a hand to her chin. “We could possibly request the Manufacture Department to make a more smaller scouting drone.” The woman says as she spoke up. “Aside from the R.O.V.E.R unit, I doubt we could use the other two units.” “We could use the L.A.RC unit. It is more optimal for worldwide cartography—” “Yes, but it is an air-based unit, it can’t do much on the ground, so it won’t be able to gather any information on the floral or fauna. Plus, its bird-eye view can’t see everything.” Augustine said to the group. “It is only deployed when the R.O.V.E.R has finished its own mission, and use it to map out the world so we have a full lay of the land.” “What was that?” Augustine and the others looked to Jules as she spoke up, before turning to look at the monitor, where they saw a brief flash of green light. When the R.O.V.E.R reached the alleyway that the light came from, but when the machine looked inside the alleyway there was only three pegasi, and upon seeing the machine they of coursed freaked out and flew off. “Perhaps we should ask the Manufacture Department to make a more, friendlier size reconnaissance robot. And one outfitted with a speaker so that it might be able to converse with the ponies, once we got their language down.” Augustine said to the group which they all nodded in agreement. Charles then stood up from the table, and began to make their way towards the rooms door. “I’ll head to the workshop to put in a request to create a smaller recon robot.” “And remember Charles, emphasize on ‘not to threatening’.” The man nodded to Augustine’s word’s before leaving the room. As the dark skinned man left the room, the remaining researchers watched as the R.O.V.E.R unit continued on its search. Eventually the machine came upon another unusual building, this one however looks more like a little girls playhouse set, but the researchers attention was take away from the building and instead towards a pony exiting it. However what the pony was wearing was what really got the researchers attention. “Is that a dress?” Adam said as he looked at the grey pony with wearing a purple dress. “Strange, I didn’t think these equines would have anything like clothes.” Jules said as she looked closely at the pony, before it ran away in fright. “But how would these equines even make clothing with their hooves?” “As we’ve seen the unicorns can manipulate things with that aura they generate.” Augustine says as the R.O.V.E.R starts inspecting the building. “With that in mind, it’s not impossible that one would use their ESP ability to creature clothing.” “True. But why would equines need clothes for?” Adam says as the R.O.V.E.R tries to enter the building. “All of the equines are naked, so modesty and nudity isn’t as crucial to their society.” “Maybe it’s simply for ceremony or parties?” The three research kept going back and forth with their reasoning why ponies needed clothes, while the R.O.V.E.R unit starts to rummage through the clothes in the building once it managed to enter. The researchers eventually put their discussion about the reasoning for ponies needing clothes to the side, and went back to observe what the R.O.V.E.R was up to, only to see it messing around with the clothes on the racks. And apparently being threated by a white unicorn. But the designated R.O.V.E.R ‘watchers’ of the ponies appeared, and both tried to calm the white unicorn down, plus trying to get the mechanical animal out of the store. “Okay I think that the R.O.V.E.R has caused enough troubles for the day.” Augustine says as she walks over to the machines main Hud screen, and gave it orders to leave the shop, and only observe buildings from the outside. “That should take care of that.” The woman says as she walks back to the table. “Ugh, Miss. Augustine, did you forget to tell the R.O.V.E.R to leave the clothes behind?” Adam says to the woman before she got too far. The head researcher turned to look at the screen…and saw the R.O.V.E.R requesting a portal to open, so it can deliver some valuable cargo! Before Augustine could reach the Hud monitor the portal had already opened, and the dress that the machine was holding was already stuffed through. the three researchers ran out the Observation room, and headed down a small flight of stairs to the Gate Platform Chamber, where the saw the portal crew shutting the machine down…and one of them holding the dress in her hand. “Quickly re-open the portal at the last coordinates of the R.O.V.E.R.” Augustine said to the crew. “But why Miss. and, where did this dress come from.” “Just do it.” the woman said worriedly. “The last thing we need is the inhabitants of that world the R.O.V.E.R is in to think we’re thieves. No open the blasted portal, and shove the dress back in!” “Yes Ma’am!” The crew scrambled to get the Gate’s power units powered up, and once subtle energy was build up for a small portal, they activated the machine. The portal was no bigger than a basketball, and was high enough for the female worker to toss the dress in. Once the gown was back on its side, the machine was shut down again, and the three researchers gave a sigh of relief. “Perhaps we should also instruct the robot to NOT steal things from the ponies while it investigates.” The head researcher says as she and her companions trek back up the stairs, as the two said in unison. “Agreed.” ~~~~~ As the researchers headed back to the Observation Room, in another part of the Compound where the Gate Platform was held, something was stirring. In one chamber that was as big as a large animal encloser, filled with various forms of planet life both native to Earth and samples from the other three worlds, something was skulking through the makeshift foliage. And on the monitor of a overlooking observation deck, two guards and one other research watched as the only creature in the enclosure was moving about. “Sir do you think it was wise to bring that creature here, without the higher ups permission?” one of the guards asked as they watched the creature move through the brush, before pouncing on a large pile of meat that was on a remote control buggy. “Those people do not need to know about this.” The researcher, a middle-aged Lantin man with a smoothed back head of black hair said, as he watches the creature feast. “This creature has some intriguing capabilities, and if I can re-create those abilities, we could develop a new line of arms and weapons.” “Still sir…” a female guard said as she watches the creature eat, before using its long tail to grab a slab of meat…and electrocute it to the point of being cooked well-done. “This creature is dangerous. Remember, it was the reason for the 2nd R.O.V.E.R unit to be destroyed.” “True, but with the A.P.E unit we were able to capture the creature.” The researcher says as he continues to watch the creature feed, cooking more meat with its electrical abilities. “Besides, we also have the A.P.E unit on stand-by, in case things do get, hostile.” The two guards gave each other a concerned look before they looked back towards the screen, where the beast ate half of the food on the transport buggy, before grabbing a good amount of beef in its tail, and slinking off into the brush. Even with the tight security, and the assurance of the A.P.E on stand-by, they still felt nervous being around the same vicinity of the creature.