It was raining again. It always seemed to be raining when I would come home from at least one of my shifts at Glossman Corporate Farms, as security. It wouldn’t be so bad except that where I was working that day was only a step above the glorified slavery. Getting to the door I quickly punched in the code for the day and pulled the door open. “Just run the Security program Corky.” I said without preamble while stripping out of my uniform jacket. “On second thought, Corky please boot up the full dive, with grandfathers AMB playlist running for background noise.” Grabbing a towel he crosses to the room that had been converted to house my Haptic suit and the assorted gear to help with movement. Pulling up my searches I continued the research I had been doing into window vegetable gardens at low cost. The song “Loyalty” by Acoustic Pony and Mondo Brony playing in the background was suitably uplifting after seeing those people whose jobs involved basically slavery to the larger company.
While running the calculations for what would be needed to make some of these planters for some of the people in the nearby Stacks. I noticed an ad was waiting, almost patiently for me to notice it. The ad was one of an anthropomorphic Pegasus wearing a Gi with what looked almost like a shuriken star in a circle on the breast. I remembered grandfather telling me about the old role playing game group he was in as a young man and how as a bunch of bronies and pegasisters they often had OC’s. If he were alive I am sure he would have been pissed to see his friends OC used nominally without her permission. Still it got my attention so I activated the link.
"Imagine that perfect someone, or perhaps you prefer somepony. Imagine them being ready for you, waiting for you, loving you. Well friend, imagine no longer. Vogon Biotech has the answer for you today. And our answer is simple. Order your very own Help mate! Fully functional, completely reliable, and the moment you touch them they bond with you for life. That's right, they bond with you for life. How much more perfect can they be? If you're interested please, click the order button," It irritated me that the ad used a Voice of God rather than having the avatar talk. Again I clicked the link, and looking back I am glad I did.
I shut my eyes while the change over loaded, when I opened them I saw a chestnut brown anthropomorphic stallion standing in front of me, after a moment I quirk my brow at his quizzical expression. “If you are looking for my grandfather you missed him by about five years.” I remark “Still I am interested care to share?” after the words left my mouth I can almost see the lightbulb go off in his head
“Ah, that explains it then. Mr. Tempyst, thank you for choosing Vogon Biotech. According to our records you are interested in a helpmate. Our tracking of Netflix has lead us to believe that you are mostly heterosexual," he said. I gave him a flat look before laughing
“Please don’t count college in that.” I replied “ So what exactly are we talking about?”
“Very well Mr. Tempyst” he replied ignoring my joke. He smiled brightly and snapped his fingers. We walked over to a window that appeared. He pulled a crushed velvet rope and a drape that was closed on the window pulled away. I had watched MLP FIM with my grandfather as a child I still did when I missed him particularly, so I was able to recognize most of the cast being there save for some of the very well known ones.
"What we're selling Mr. Tempyst is a living fantasy. A living, breathing, fantasy that will not end when you shut off your computer. It won't disappear when a television show goes off of the air, and it will grow with you. Isn't that something worth considering?" he asked. As I looked at the gallery of characters I felt my gaze linger on the anthromorph of Chrysalis. Across from her were the Crystal Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, and her Husband Prince Shining Armor.
Looking between the three I turned to the stallion “I teach self defence several days a week. I think shining would be able to help with that.” Remembering how many of the classes are growing more to be larger than I can handle alone. For a second I thought Cadence’s look became a slight frown, though that could have been my imagination. “How much?”
"That's always the rub isn't it? It doesn't matter how much an artist loves their work. At the end of the day it's about how much money it's worth. They are twenty-two thousand credits a piece. It might sound steep, but consider what you are purchasing. It's not a machine, but a living breathing fantasy. He will eat, sleep, sweat, and even bleed. Everything He feels when he wakes up is real. There is no preprogrammed emotions in her. Oh, he'll have memories, slightly altered to match his new body, of his world, friends, and family. Everything ever written by the creators of the show, and of course any of the fan based content you would like us to consider, will be added to his memories. But beyond that all of her experiences and new memories will be completely of your and his making," he said.”though that is a bit of a surprise. We expected you to go for a female.”
Running a brief calculation in my head I knew I couldn’t afford him and his wife at the moment “I dislike the idea of breaking up a family, can I purchase him and put some down on his wife?” ignoring the minor jab.
“While we can offer payment plans they would require a substantial down payment on two that our calculations don’t indicate you could not afford.” the stallion replies “I am sorry Mr. Tempest I simply cannot authorise that.”
With a sigh I nodded “I understand though I will be back as soon as possible to procure his wife.” my tone comes out slightly harder than intended I note as the stallion steps back “Grandfather taught me family is the most precious thing you can have, I won’t have one broken because I live simply.” I offer as an explanation “Please expect to see me again.”
“Very well sir. please press his image.” Doing so his eyes flashed the same blue as his magic aura before he disappeared. “He is being prepared now, It will take approximately two months for him to be properly grown and have his memories implanted.” the stallion states before I can even ask “I should also state that he will be one of a kind. We here at Vogon pride ourselves on ensuring that our customers get exactly what they are paying for. You are getting The Shining Armor, not A Shining Armor there will be no other versions of him made.” This actually takes me back a moment though it explains the holes in the inventory. “now if you would choose the clothing he will be arriving in?” Where Shining had been standing there were now sets of clothing that he had been seen in during the show, His captains armor, his ‘dress blues’ and the training clothing being the clothing offered. Reaching out I selected the dress blues. mostly because of the promise I had just made to vogon about his wife.
“Any fan content?” the stallion asks, to which I shake my head more than happy with the way Shining had developed as the show went on. Snapping his fingers again I have to shut my eyes as the layout changes, VR sickness will do that to you. When I open them again instead of the stallion there is an anthropomorphic Discord standing behind a desk with an old fashioned cash register holding out a receipt to me. I can’t help but smile, he was one of my favorite redemption stories.
“Take good care of the prince, you wouldn’t want Princess sparkle coming down on you for mistreating her brother now would you?” The eldritch god of chaos says before starting to disappear
“Wait, my I ask one more thing before I go?” I start and not waiting for an answer “could you send an alert to where ever Twilight is that her brother is safe when he gets here?” Discord seems to offer a bemused look before nodding his head. “Thank you.”
Logging out and removing my Haptic suit I look at the old style clock in the room and swear profusely. I had only ten minutes to get ready for my night class rushing to get changed “Corky, activate student retinal scan protocol and why didn’t you warn me of the time!?” In retrospect I should not have been yelling at the A.I. the effect of that day would turn out to be the one of the best starting points I had ever had.
Though what rout that journey took was something I think none of us expected.