//------------------------------// // Prologue // Story: BEDLAM II: Heart of Glass // by Gormless Wheaton //------------------------------// [-ACCESSING CRYSTAL_MIND-] [-!!WARNING!!-] [-UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS DETECTED!-] [-ADMINISTRATOR HAS BEEN ALERTED-] [-ERR.-] [-ALERT RETRACTED-] [-Welcome back, Edward_Bedlam2!-] [-The current time is 0354 and the date is 26/5/1235.-] [-Today is BEDLAM'S 42nd Birthday!-] [-~Yay!~-] [-User's previous session did not close properly. Restore the previous session?-] [>Y.] [-Retrieving. Please wait...-] [Session restored.] [Please select a directory.] [The_Bell] [Dimension_Transport] [Animunculi_Innovations] [Medical] [Military] [Administration] [Censuses] [>The_Bell.] [Retrieving. Please wait...] [There are (16) audio video files and (124) other files available.] [You most recently viewed AVfile.12.] [>AVfile.13.] [Retrieving.] [Time of recording was 1235 on 12/1/1229] The screen flickered to life, revealing a cave, dimly lit by artificial lights hanging from fixtures bolted into the rock above. In the center of the screen was a metal table, upon which rested Grogar's Bell, with several metal instruments and wires hooked onto it. "We rolling?" Bedlam asked, leaning in from the side to look into the camera lens. "Uh, yes!" Jury-rig called before hopping forward into view, carrying a crate full of stones in her magic. "Everything else ready?" Bedlam plucked one of the stones from the crate and approached the bell. "As ready as they can be," he set the stone on the table and began fiddling with the bell. The bell began to hum and glow. "Test three on using the bell for complex transmogrification." Jury-rig set the box under the table and reared up on the table. "Five centimeters to the left." Bedlam gave a nod, adjusted the stone, and picked up a switch before backing away. "Clear." Once Jury had scurried away from the table, Bedlam clicked the switch and the bell rattled before a surge of magic leaped from it to the spot the stone rested on. The room was filled with pale yellow light and a hissing screech for a moment. When it faded, smoke obscured the stone and the pair carefully approached it. Bedlam pulled a pair of jewelry pliers from his pocket and reached into the smoke with them, before pulling back, revealing a shimmering ruby instead of a common rock. Jury gasped and began clapping her hooves. "It works!" Bedlam smirked and approached the camera before bringing the jewel up close, revealing dozens of carefully engraved runes all along its surface. "Sure does. Won't this be a time saver?" [>End.] [>Back.] [>Animunculi_Innovations.] [Retrieving.] [The following files are available.] [Independant_Thinker] [War_Suit] [Automated_Fleet] [The_Thing_Jury_Asked_For_That_You_Said_Yes_To_Concept_Fuck_You_Jury_I_Was_Drunk] [Self_Repairing_Concept] [Self_Assembling_Sandwich] [Clown_Concept] [Killer_Six.S2_Concept] [Killer_Sisters] [Killer_Draconequus_Concept] [Killer_Jury_Rig_Concept_Dont_You_Dare] [>Delete file: Killer_Six.S2_Concept.] [Access restricted by User: Edward_Bedlam. Please input password:-] [>Back.] [>Independant_Thinker.] [Retrieving.] ['The Independent Thinker is an animunculus capable of, well, independent thought. They don't need to be linked to the Crystal Mind to coordinate or adapt. Honestly, of all the machines Jury and I've created this is the first series to really seem like living breathing beings. Modified of course to express absolute loyalty and admiration to me.'] ['Its purpose is to combat the Elements of Harmony. As it is unconnected to the Crystal Mind, it should avoid a repeat of what happened with the Killer Six, namely the power of their magic flowing through and destroying everything.'] ['I'm not sure such a development would have been possible without Discord's magic, but I also doubt he ever had the competence to produce quite something like this. So it evens out!'] [Number Constructed: 210] [Number Still Functioning: 6] [View schematic?] [>Back.] [>Back.] [>Administration.] [Retrieving.] [The following directories are available.] [Minos] [Abyssinia] [Mount_Aris] [The_Citadel] [Equestria] [Orithia] [The_Crystal_Empire] [Satellite_Command] [Tartarus] [Yakyakistan] [Griffinstone] [Changeling_Hive] [>Minos.] [Retrieving.] [Dominate Race: Minotaur.] [Current Administrator: Steel Eyes.] [Loyalty: Favorable.] [Time in Service: 4 Years] [Personal Notes: Useful idiot. His wife is our genuine administrator. She's very clever and not to be trusted.] [The following region files are available.] [The Great Plain] [The Iron City] [T] [>Back.] [>Equestria.] [Retrieving.] [Dominate Race: Pony. See Censuses file 'Pony Tribes and Alicorns.'] [Current Administrator: Twilight Sparkle.] [Loyalty:] [Time in Service: 2 years] [Personal Notes:] [The following region files are available.] [Canterl] [>Back.] [>Back.] [>Military.] [Retrieving.] [The following directories are available.] [WINNING] [Arms] [Minos] [Abyssinia] [Mount_Aris] [Dragons] [Foenum] [Eques] [>WINNING.] [Retrieving.] [The following audio video files are available.] [Minos] [Abyssinia] [Mount_Aris] [Equestria] [Orithia] [The_Crystal_] [>Mount Aris.] [Retrieving.] [Time of recording was 1609 on 4/12/1232] "That is really something!" Bedlam chortled as he dragged the still flickering camera forward, thrusting it skyward. High above, a massive body of water was floating in a sphere surrounded by the dull yellow glow of magic flowing out of a massive swarm of drones circling the water. Bedlam turned the camera back on himself. "But not as crazy as this!" With a giggle, he tossed the magic pearl of Mount Aris into the air a few times. Just beyond him, scores of hippogriffs and sea ponies were being loaded into cages and carted away by vaster scores of golems. He turned and pointed. "Tempest, catch!" He flung the pearl away and sighed. "Alright, so," he spun the camera to reveal the dry sea floor he was walking on, as well as the completely exposed city of Seaquestria at the previously submerged base of Mount Aris. "As we can see, chaos magic kicks all sorts of four-legged and fish-tailed ass." His pointing arm appeared from the side of the camera and drew attention to the shackled Queen Novo, surrounded by heavily armed storm beasts and golems, as well as a smirking Cozy Glow sitting on one of the beast's shoulders. The camera whirled back around to focus on Bedlam as he continued to approach the queen. "So, I am once again encouraging you all to reconsider how wise waring with me is," he frowned and held up a hand. "The dragons I get! You all literally eat most of my machines. But c'mon! Abyssinia? Orithia? Ya'll don't even have the advantage Mount Aris did!" He gave an incredulous smirk to the camera. "You can't just hide under the water," he snorted. "Not that that'd help, but that's all the more reason you should just give up." With a grunt, he spun around and sat next to Novo, who recoiled before he wrapped an arm around her and smiled into the camera. "Once the queen and I are finished with negotiations, I'll be sending this recording to all of you. So yes!" His smile turned dark. "By the time you're seeing this, Mount Aris is already mine." Cozy popped up next to him and stuck her tongue out at the camera. "Nyeh!" [>End.] [>Equestria.] [Err. File corrupted.] [>Restore.] [Err. File restricted by User: Edward_Bedlam. Input Password:-] [>00000001] [Incorrect Password.] [>00000002] [Incorrect Password.] [User Login confirmed.] [>Hi there!] [>Close Session.] [Err. Session Restricted by Administrator.] [>Aw, what's wrong? You wanted in Bedlam's files, didn't you? Why are you trying to leave now?] [>Circumvent Administrator. Priority 0. Password: 100AFQq9BEDLAM1] [Priority granted.] [>Who the buck are you.] [>Access power_node.The_Citadel.] [Retrieving.] [The following files are] [>Redirect power from User_Console2 to Water_Purification.] [>Oh, you little bitc] The door to my room slid open, casting a yellow ray of artificial light from the hall all the way to me. "Goodness! You're still awake?" I continued watching the storm through my window from my seat. "I'm the one who sent for you. How is this a surprise?" The pony maid shook her head as she trotted up to my seat with a silver platter bearing a sliced brick of cheese, a bottle of wine, and a half-full glass balanced on her back. "I assumed I'd find you in bed at least trying to sleep," she carefully slid the platter onto my side table. "Happy Birthday, Mr. Bedlam." I gently grabbed my glass with two fingers and hummed. "Thank you, Sandy. You can go now." She bowed and wordlessly left the room. I rolled the glass between my fingers as the rain continued to patter against my window. Building the new Citadel atop the Storm Isles was a brilliant decision. Once we'd tampered with the natural storm magic in the air, we'd transformed what had previously been a perpetual hurricane into something more soothing to watch and listen to. I reached over and clicked a few keys on the control panel in my seat's arm. An empty spherical projection popped up. "Call Tirek." The sphere buzzed for a few minutes before shimmering and displaying the groggy face of Tirek. The centaur blinked and yawned. "Do have any idea what time it is?" He grumbled and scratched at the gem-decorated collar around his neck. "Time for a report. And don't tamper with that," I quipped, studying the muscular and youthful centaur carefully. "You're looking healthy and decidedly unburnt." Tirek sat up and stretched with a nod, his mechanical arm clicking and whirring as he did so. "Back in my day, the dragons were more unified and infinitely more vicious," he groused before folding his arms. "Seems like, after a thousand years, they've degenerated to bratty punks instead of the raw elemental terrors they once were." "And so, what progress have you made?" Tirek smirked. "Well, for starters, the mountain I'm currently speaking to you out of has a cavern full of dragon eggs we stole from their hatching grounds." I laughed. "That's a lot of hostages. How well defended is your position?" "Besides the fact it's a natural mountain above and around me, as far as Dragon Lord Ember knows, we fled north." "And in reality?" Tirek chuckled darkly. "We're south, just on the border of the former Kirin Grove." I grumbled. "Don't bring them up," I sighed and sipped my wine. "Excellent work, Tirek." The centaur smiled and bowed his head. "Of course. Have you gotten a report from Chrysalis?" "She's still investigating Foenum across the ocean. The natives are apparently more adjusted to conflict than what we're used to." Tirek hummed and smirked. "I'd love to get a taste of that. Real conflict against a competent group of warriors." "Finish up with the dragons and we'll see about a reassignment," a second, smaller projection popped up beside the one I was speaking with him through. It began to buzz. "Ah, have to go. Jury-rig's calling." Tirek grunted and nodded before his projection vanished. I poked the smaller projection, which ballooned up and shimmered before revealing a sleepy and grumpy-looking Jury-rig. Unlike Tirek, time was beginning to show itself on her face, and her mane had a thin grey stripe running through it. "Good morning, you," I said with a smile. She snorted and hummed. "Welp, looks like you were right about staying awake." I grinned darkly at the storm. "That makes three times, and all in just one month. Any clue what they were digging into?" "Little bit of everything. They knew about your priority override and the password to trigger it. They killed the power to my console, so I wasn't able to track them." I flinched and scowled. "That's alarming. But also very telling," I turned to her with a raised eyebrow. "The only creatures who could even come close to that sort of inside information are my administrators." I sipped my wine and hummed. "And even then, there're only a few of them who understand the system well enough to know user priorities are even a thing." "So, we have an idea where to look?" I smiled and chuckled. "Sure do! Ready the troops we selected and let's catch our rat." She wilted with a sigh. "We'll use the automated ships and get some sleep on the way." She beamed. "Yessir! See you soon." Her projection vanished and I rose from my seat before striding towards my wardrobe. I looked at myself in the mirror. I'd been dressed and ready to roll all night, so not only was I already in my suit, but my combat gloves and boots were fully charged and equipped with an assortment of lethal and nasty spell gems. Drawing a comb from my coat pocket, I straightened my mustache before turning for the door. Immediately after crossing the threshold I doubled back and grabbed the cheese and wine platter before leaving again.