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// 28 - Rainbow Power 
// Story: Universal Language 
// by David Silver 
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Rainbow would have flown to the White House. She knew the way! The humans had been quite insistent that she not fly over that city under any circumstances. "Boring." But they did let her walk along. "I don't need any guards. Applejack has a ladyfriend that isn't made for abuse. I, by myself? Yeah, go ahead and try and hurt me. It might even be fun."

They weren't there to harm her, but were merely to make sure that nothing got in her way as she went to meet the president. The doors were opened for her and she strode through them without hesitation. She smiled at all the humans gathered there. "Which of you is the head guy?"

President Wilson stepped to the fore, offering a hand. "Miss Dash? A pleasure to meet you."

Rainbow pressed her hoof against his hand. "Nice to meet you too." Her eyes wandered about. "Huh, interesting place you have here. Even I can feel some history around it. Don't go into it, history's not my thing, but still, cool."

He chuckled once. "Is there anything I can get you? Some coffee, maybe?"

"A soda?" She pulled her hoof back and plopped down on the floor with a smile. "We don't drink coffee in space." She paused. "But we aren't in space." A sly smile spread on her face. "I changed my mind. I'll try a cup. Now! How can I help you all be happier little creatures?"

Wilson reached down and stroked her mane gently. "Are you really that bored up there? We have lots of work to do for us. Ponies might think it's pointless, but it's vital to us."

Rainbow groaned. "It isn't that. Twilight said it was important, so it is. We know she usually knows which way's up. I don't understand some of the really nerdy stuff, but it still has to happen. If it's like China, we'll be building a big fancy place for the battery and then the big power unit, right?"

The president pulled back with a mild scowl. "Yes, we were thinking that. It should make our country safer from foreign enemies and more affordable for our people." He glanced at one of his aides. "However, there is some concern about having the means of power generation be from another planet. I wanted to ask, as a token of honesty between us, are we permitted to inspect the device?"

Rainbow cocked a brow. "Huh? Oh! Twilight was expecting that. Yeah, knock yourself out. Just try not to break it as you do it. You'll be cutting off your own power. That'd be bad. Then she'll probably call me to come fix it." She huffed in annoyance at the idea. "Don't break it."

The president chuckled as he rubbed Rainbow's head gently with a hand. "Of course. We're all friends here." He stepped back, looking around the room. "I've said this before, but I want to impress on all of you the need for transparency. As we improve our relationship with you ponies, it's imperative that we allow you to see what we're doing."

Rainbow pointed up at her head. "Not that I mind exactly, but what's up with the petting? Are you making an advance? We just met!"

Wilson fought the urge to color. "Apologies if that was improper, Miss Dash. We humans are still getting used to having fuzzy creatures of about your size that we wouldn't consider petting, should the opportunity arise. For instance." He made a soft whistle, summoning a dog to rush into the room. "My dear friend here." He stroked the dog gently across the head, to the dog's delight. "Jack, this is Rainbow Dash."

Jack was eager to come say hello to the curious new creature with a lot of sniffing, which turned into licking and some barking.

Rainbow laughed at the canine exploration, hoofing at the dog and soon wrestling with him in the playful spirit the canine intended. "Jacks's a good little dog. Who is? You are." She rubbed the dog's belly with a giggle, but then blinked. "Oh! I'm like a dog? Crazy. I'm not a dog." She turned an ear back. "So if you want petting privs, you're going to have to earn it."

A laughter filled the room as the president joined her in stroking Jack, who rolled over in a slobbering heap of delight at all the attention he was receiving. "Now, now, we won't force the issue. But if there's anything you want us to do or see, just tell us."

Rainbow hopped to her hooves. "Well, I'm liking the way you talk, so far. Clear and open, huh? Yeah, just the way I like my skies. Speaking of that! Why can't I fly around here?" She pointed up. "They said I just can't, but didn't say why."

Wilson snorted softly at that. "Ah, well, we're right over a city." He smiled gently. "Can't let you do that. Imagine all the photographs people would take, and if you were to hit anything? What then? Besides, this isn't just a normal city, it's our capital. We guard this airspace very very carefully, and since we can't know where you are easily, a momentary mistake could get you hurt, or us hurt."

"I doubt that first part." Rainbow rolled her eyes at the idea of human weapons bothering her. "But I got a solution! I did it with the Chinese too." She reached up, batting at her earpiece. "Twilight? Send the tracker."

A few computers nearby beeped as things were sent to them.

"Use that, whatever it is. It should let you see where I am. Then, nocreature's scared when I fly around, right?" Rainbow grinned hopefully at the president.

He was already glancing over what had been sent to his computer. "It seems to be the location data from your communicator." He shook his head in disbelief. "Is this what your spacefaring civilization is like? In either event, we can forward this along, and it would reduce the danger posed by things. I would ask that you don't fly within 10 feet of any government buildings. Can you do that?"

"10 feet." Rainbow glanced down at her hooves. "Should be doable. Twilight sent me the schematic of DC so I wouldn't get lost, so I should be good to go." She bounced on her hooves excitedly. "And now I can fly." She propelled into the air, hovering in the office. "Oh yeah! You haven't toured a city until you've flown over it a few times if you ask me."

Rainbow tossed the president a gesture that loosely translated to a thumbs up. "You'll know where I am, so call me when you need any help with the battery." She swept out the window, zipping around the room. "Whew! Freedom!" She blasted into the sky with a rainbow blur, zooming up, up, and away from the White House.

Her joy was soon apparent to all those on the ground as she performed a tight circle around the Washington Monument, turning the sunset sky into a riot of colours as she slid through the sky.

President Wilson shook his head, hand already making a phonecall to call off several emergencies that Rainbow's flight had prompted. "Let's get everyone up to speed on our guest." He turned back to his desk, running a finger across its surface. "This isn't how I wanted this to go. I don't think she realized how many systems she triggered with that little stunt."

A single missile intercepted Rainbow, crashing into her before she noticed it was there. A bright explosion filled the sky with a great bang. She hit the ground a moment later, smoldering, but also laughing. "Sheesh. Is this just a human thing?" She shook herself out as her body undid the harm of the explosive moment. "Crazy." She launched right back into the air, not at all dissuaded.

Wilson winced. "Yes, I'm sending you how to track her. Do not fire on her. She's allowed in the air space. Someone make sure she's—" But he saw her zoom right back into the air. "Never mind, she's fine. Send her my apologies for that. Not how I planned day 1 to go." He sank onto his chair and grabbed a pen. "But no time to mope. We have plenty to do. We're behind China on this, and unlimited power isn't something to wait on."

"Sir."

Wilson looked up at the man that had spoken.

"Congressional contacts are informing us that they're receiving intense pressure from the power suppliers. They don't want us to continue."

Wilson slammed his desk with the closed side of his fist. "I don't care what they want. This is a literal gift from the heavens, a cure for one of our most pressing issues. To not take it is madness." He put pen to paper. "This is too important. We cannot waste this opportunity." And so he drafted a declaration of a state of emergency. America simply couldn't leave that chance to abandon its power struggle to the whimsies of the congressional body.

It was signed, and he set it aside with a sigh. "How goes the construction of the battery's housing?" He leaned back in his chair.

"They are making progress, but it isn't ready yet." The man stepped forward, laying down the blueprints before the president. "Rainbow Dash may have arrived at an inopportune time."

"How so?" Wilson cocked a brow. "Surely we can make it work regardless of the timing."

"There's been a problem, sir." He pulled out a different set of papers, laying them out across the table. "And it's not her fault, really. America's grid is a patchwork of different grids that don't all play nicely, and belong to different private organizations." He sighed as he tapped one diagram after another. "It's a mess. Whoever made it must have been drunk when they did so."

Wilson glared at the table. "I may be signing away any chance for a re-election, but this has to be done."

He ripped up the declaration he had only just drafted, starting anew. "I may be remembered as a president that stepped over the line of presidential power, but if that gets this done, so be it." He signed his name once more with a firm flourish before setting it aside, where the same man took it away. "I'm tired of doing nothing about it. What does the constitution say? If Congress can't act, the President can." There were a thousand caveats on that, but by the time they worked through them, he hoped, the power would already be connected, and going back would be essentially impossible.