//------------------------------// // Chapter 29: Towards a New Socialism // Story: The Story of Reik: The Communist Revolutionary: MLP // by Reik //------------------------------// Iris weaved through the throng of ponies. Horus had since lag behind and was long gone, but the pegasus paid little thought to the loss of her assistant. Again the idea of stretching her wings and gliding over the masses surfaced and again it was reminded of the strict law set up by the guards overhead. Flying was strictly off-limits, even for a Commissar. Fortunately her destination was not far, after a few minutes she found herself in the still foreign Apple Family house. Although she had moved her own possessions into the home and had her writings covering every flat surface, it was still not hers. It was for this among other reasons that she had spent much time outside in the workplaces. As she moved through the door and into her own workplace, she casted her coat and hat in a pile in the corner. The door slid open once more and the small form of Apple Bloom swept pass the pegasus and up the stairs without a word. Although it was not as active as her sisters, Iris could tell Apple Bloom hated her as much as Applejack. But this meant little to her, Iris had never cared for the opinions of those other than herself. She replaced the train of thought with reality and moved into the next room, her sanctuary. The gentle crackle from a lantern was soothing, the smell of parchment and ink was easing. The red pegasus stumbled over to a chair and collapsed into its embrace. From nowhere her limbs became weak, her thoughts began to slow, sleep was soon to overtake her. "How much do you know about computers?" She snapped back to the world with a jerk to see the hunched form of Reik stepping over the threshold. Her eyes fluttered and she stretched her neck. "What?" she mumbled, still recovering from the period of rest. "Computers, how much do you know about computers?" He said in the exact same tone, sounding uninterested but not lazy. Iris gave the stallion a peculiar gaze and asked. "Not much, why are we talking about computers?" Reik sighed gently and moved over to the table that was buried in scrolls, he looked the collection as he spoke. "I had a thought, things have changed, I need a pony who knows things about computers." Iris rose from the chair and continued. "Why are we suddenly in need of computers?" Reik didn't appear to be looking specifically at any one schematic, just gazing over the entire mass, moving papers here and there to get a better look at others. "Our method of distribution is no longer sustainable or preferable. I had an idea that will make things easier, but to do this I need computers, are you sure you're not suited for computers?" Iris paused before responding. Why was this happening, not the change, but the conversation. What was the point of some official council if one could just voice ideas and plans unofficially? Rarely did he contribute to the meetings but now he was before her altering their entire plan in a casual conversation. It was as if he operated independently of the commissariat he himself had established. "I'm an engineer, you're going to have to find another specialist." A quiet sigh from the stallion led to the next question. "What's changed, is something wrong." Still looking at the parchment, Reik explained, but not directly to her, he sounded distant, speaking to the air. "No no, nothing wrong, just a thought, tell me Iris, have you ever worked on an air-conditioning apparatus, oh, I forgot to say hello." Iris's confusion was mounting, yet he had not failed them in the past so she went along. "Uh, hello, and yes, a while ago I toyed with something like that." Reik left no pause and responded with a quicker tone. "And did this apparatus change the temperature of the room according to a set plan or according to temperature signals?" Iris didn't completely understand the inquiry and kept silent with a greater expression of confusion. Reik looked up from the table and leveled his gaze on Iris. It was now that the pegasus noticed that he wore a thin smile. "Did it make the room hot when it was cold and cold when hot or did it have a set schedule for when it would change the temperature." Iris nodded, following now. "The first, it wasn't that automated." "Why?" "Such a design would require a more complex mechanism." Nodding, Reik moved his vision back to the table. "I had a thought, about how similar economics and air conditioners are. The one you toyed with, all it could do was respond, not predict, and so will be subject to instabilities when the room gets too hot or too cold, but the system that already knows the room, the one that is automated, knows how heat is dissipated, will eliminate overheating, and does not operate by trial and error. So similar." Iris took a step closer, hoping to move into his field of vision and get her attention. "And? what's so similar?" "The systems." His tone was quick. "The market system can only respond to the stimulus of cost and demand. not only that, but unlike the machine that has a common goal, the system is made up of competing firms all with different goals, but our planned replacement for that madness, to be any better, must be like the perfect air conditioner, it must know its environment, its subjects, its tools. I thought of this and began reevaluating the economic plan, I found that to decide and objects value requires more than was determined, much more must be done, more than I or another can do." He looked back at Iris, a great enthusiasm she had not known for some time came out with voice. "I need a computer, and not just for the algorithms, but for keeping track of the workers, their share, tokens, yes, those can be incorporated, whatever it is it must be heavily automated." Economics where not her realm, she was recruited to build its foundations, but it became clear to the pegasus that this was groundbreaking, something that was essential if they where to maximize efficiency. "I DONT KNOW where it is." twilight mumbled after the princess's proclamation. "The stone, I don't know where it is." she elaborated upon seeing the expression of confusion worn by the alicorn before her. Celestia cast her vision back towards the still mumbling Zecora. "I want this over, now." She paused and Twilight saw her eyes slowly lose focus, gazing lazily at the ceremony. "But I will not have the entire force of Equestria brought down upon him and have the talisman used against us." Her tone was losing its strength, Twilight could tell the presence of her princess was not enough to end the occupation. There would still be work and struggle to be had. "We must wait, assemble our power, and when the conditions are right, we will end this, but." She said the last word with emphasis and turned her gaze, now refocused, on Twilight. "I need you go back, and return, often, tell me of the village, what is happening, what Reik's plans may be, and anything else that could bring this to a swifter end." She lifted her head and spoke with a refound tone of command. "Good luck my student, the fate of Equestria may lie in the balance of this conflict." The command was simple and said with speed, but it filled the purple unicorn's chest with fire. She nodded quickly and dashed out of the hut, nearly tripping on her way out. 'Good luck', the words repeated in her mind. There was work, and struggle to be had, but with the Princess of the sun at their head, the forces of Equestria could not falter. Her warming pride seemed to melt the snow that stretched before her.