//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: Illusion // by XerX //------------------------------// //------------------------------// // Chapter 1// Story: Illusion // by XerX//------------------------------// ——————————————————— //////———————————————////// //////———————————————////// ——————————————————— The day grew dark, and in a secret underground laboratory, something amazing was going down. Four scientists gather around a small table, putting together the final touches on their newest project. What they were creating was something never done before... Artificial Life. Sure, there were robotics done before, but this was different. The life they were making was all too real, yet it wasn't real at all. Something really different. "Did you make sure everything is set up correctly?" One of the scientists called out. "I'm absolutely positive! Nothing can go wrong." Another says. He types vigorously on a large keyboard, his hooves moving at lightning speed. "Systems are go." He states. One of the scientists nod and trots over to a large button protected by casing. He looks back at the other three, waiting for their approval. As if by cue, they all nod at the same time, and he lifts the case and hits the switch. Lights start to go off, and sirens could be heard all around the room. All of the scientist ponies step back and watch the two large metallic orbs hanging from the ceiling form bolts of lightning, which shoot down and start to form a ball of electricity on a table underneath. Everypony watches in awe as the ball starts to form into a peculiar shape, the shape of a pony. "It's going as planned!" One scientist shouts. They all agree in their minds. The form on the table starts to create shape, and creating the illusion of a real pony. The texture of the coat, the mane, everything, down to the finest detail. The process then completes and the machine starts to shut off, before a lone bolt of lightning shoots randomly, which hits a generator, causing the power in the building to die. The room is dark, the lights have died along with the sirens and any other machinery in the building, except for the mass on the table before them, which sparked with excess electricity and glowed dimly. Not expecting this result, the scientists were completely caught off guard by this surprise. They all approach the new pony cautiously, and they form a small circle around it. The pony stirs, fluttering it's eyes open. It's eyes also glow, but only for a second before they fade into normal looking eyes. It looks around at the scientists surrounding it sheepishly. One scientist sticks his hoof out, and the electric pony flinches, staring at the hoof. The scientist backs down and looks towards the other scientists. "Do you speak?" One asks the pony. It just looks towards him and blinks. The scientist gives a look of disappointment which quickly disappears as the pony does speak. At first it makes a garbled noise, then tries again. "...Yes, I can...speak." it says shyly. They all grin and nod at each other. One scientist lights a candle and starts taking notes with his magic grasping a pencil and notepad. "Can you state your name?" Another scientist calls out. The pony looks at him confused, as if it didn't understand what he said. "...Name?" It asks dumbly. The scientist chuckles lightly. "Yes, your name...what you call yourself by." He re-states. The pony takes this question into thought, tapping its hoof thoughtfully on its chin. "I do not know..." It merely says. The scientist smiles weakly. "Well, what would you like to be called then?" He asks. The pony goes back to thinking. It looks itself over in the process. It's coat is glowing, but underneath the glow it's pitch black, it's mane is fairly long, blond in colour, same with it's tail. Sparks of electricity jump around on it, yet it feels no pain. It's gender...seems to be a colt. He looks up at the scientist and smiles. "You may call me Flash." He says. The scientists all smile broadly, the one with the notepad taking the notes down. ------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------ Flash looks around, moving his limbs slowly. The scientists have returned the power to the building, and have moved Flash into another room, this one completely white with a clear table in the middle. He looks around, confused about the situation. "Where am I?" He asks. A voice reverberates through the room, coming from the large megaphone in the corner of the room, right beside a small camera. "You are in our examining room. We are going to take some tests now. Please just sit still until instructed otherwise. Understand?" Flash nods in response. He sits there for a few minutes before a different pony, a unicorn in particular, brings in a peculiar box, and sets it on the table. He opens the box and pulls out curled wires with tongs on the ends. Flash watches with interest as the unicorn pulls out all of the wire, but then flinches when the unicorn turns towards him, clipping the tongs onto Flash with magic. The unicorn then hits a switch on the box and leaves. Before he knew it, Flash was shocked with electricity. Surprisingly, it didn't hurt him, but it scared him nevertheless. The box before him continued to feed him electricity, each time being more powerful than the last. It was at the second highest setting when it actually hurt. The electricity surged through Flash's body, causing him to fall to the floor, writhing in pain. He proceeded to get up before getting hit with the strongest surge, knocking him out unconscious. ------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------ "I think we are done here." "I agree, but what do we do with him?" "We certainly cannot allow him to interact with the outside world. He might be dangerous." "So, you propose we lock him in a cell and leave him there?" "I don't care! I don't need him anymore. Just...get rid of him!" ... Flash awakens in a dark cement room. He rubs his eyes and sees a cage door on one end and an barred window on another end. He gets up and tries to head towards the door, only to be pulled back by a chain bolted to the wall behind him. He grunts angrily, and turns his head towards the door. "Hey! Why am I chained to a wall?!" He yells. No answer was given to him, which frustrated him more. "HEY! HELLO?! Anypony there?!!" He screams. The bang of a door is heard, followed by hoofsteps. An earth pony in a officer uniform appears, an expression of annoyance plastered in his face. "Shuddup!" The guard yells. Flash growls angrily at the guard. "Hey! What's the deal? Why am I chained?" Flash asks. "Your useless." The guard responds. Flash's expression changes quickly from anger to distress. "W-what?" He asks. "You heard me! Your useless! Nopony needs you anymore so you've been disposed of in here!" He growls, then leaves the room with a louder slam of the door. Flash sits there, at a loss for words. "...Useless...?" He sobs.