//------------------------------// // Chapter Two - Self-discovery // Story: Rainbooms of Thunder // by Crystal Static //------------------------------// Rainbooms of Thunder Self-discovery I woke up the next morning at exactly seven-twenty-five, at least according to the clock in the corner of my eye. I have a charge of ninety-nine percent and draining, and a flashing icon telling me to 'inspect my hardware for blockages and debris'. As I look over my body, I realize just how different I am from what I thought I was. My wings, they are almost a pea-pod shape with glowing lights that are marked as exhaust ports in my vision, and my legs look like something out of a Termarenator movie. I can see the motors and mechanical parts on my legs, as well as some glowing...  ports... of some kind on my hooves. Actually, now that I think about it, the ports on my legs are glowing just like the ports on my wings, I think that is what allows me to fly and work with clouds… Wait a second, I can ask my body a question and it should answer, if what happened when I woke up earlier is anything to go by… What are those glowing things on my legs and wings? A box of text pops up in my vision. The ports on your wings and hooves allow the channeling of simulated pegasi magic, allowing you the gift of flight and the ability to move and manipulate clouds with the same abilities as a normal pegasus. The small vertical meter on the left hand side of your display tells you the current amount of simulated pegasi magic in your system. Levels will spike as you use it. When in flight, the levels will be higher when doing extreme maneuvers or flying at high speeds. When manipulating clouds, levels fluctuate depending on what task you are trying to accomplish. When you are not in flight or manipulating clouds, levels will be nominal, although cloud walking has a slightly higher level than baseline. So I don't even have real pegasi magic. What am I? You are an experimental prototype android that was created to determine the viability of simulating pegasi magic for military and civilian use. Your personality matrix was added later on in construction to allow you to blend into Equestrian society while you await the Omega Command from your creators. Wait, so I am an android? That is so cool! But what is the 'Omega Command'? The Omega Command activates your weapon system protocols, and initiates radio communications between this platform and the remote defense communications relay in Canterlot Weapon system protocols? I have weapons? What kind of weapons do I have? You are equipped with a magi-electrical discharge emitter on your right shoulder, and a sonic wave emitter on your left, as well as magi-electrical plasma blade units on your wings and fetlocks. You can enable and disable your weapon system protocols as needed through the command interface. System, enable weapon system protocols. A few icons pop up on my display, and the panels that were housing my weapons pulled back. The electro cannon thing looks like one of those magical lightning rods you see in cloudsdale, and the sonic blaster looks like a subwoofer attached to a radar dish. The plasma blades smell like after a thundercloud goes off but look sweet. What looks like some kind of targeting system pops up on my display, highlighting everything that can be targeted and telling me what it is. System, disable weapon system protocols. No use having the turned on in the hospital… thinking of which, why am I still in here? You are in here because you have not yet made an effort to leave, and you were first brought here by the unicorn Twilight Sparkle after suffering severe impact trauma from colliding with the ground at supersonic speeds. Frankly, if you weren't an android you would be dead. Shut up, nopony asked you. Wait, did you just snark me? I did snark you So am I going crazy, or is there actually a voice in my head? You are not 'going crazy', I am simply the core programming virtual assistant interface that allows you to maintain optimal operation without overloading your thought processors when you need information about something. That explains it… I'll probably go crazy anyways, but thanks for clearing that up...  "Hey nurse, can I leave? I mean, I am a robot apparently, and I doubt you know how to use a wrench to fix me…" "It seems like you should be okay to go, just follow me up to the front desk and we can get you checked out." As we trot up the the front desk, I notice all of the ponies in the waiting room staring at me, "Are you guys gonna keep staring at me? I know I just got twenty percent cooler, but I'm no different than before." They all look away, probably in shame for staring. "Okay Miss Dash, just sign here, initial here, and date here, and you should be good to go." "Thank you nurse Redheart. To be honest, I am still kinda in shock about this, so thanks for helping me out with all of this." "It's no trouble Rainbow, I know how hard it is dealing with something life changing, and you have all of my support." "Hey now, don't be getting all mushy on me, gotta keep my awesomeness quota you know?" "Yes, I am aware of your 'awesomeness quota'." I finish signing everything, and head out the door. The streets are empty, and I feel hungry…  I thought I couldn't get hungry anymore? You can get hungry, but it only nourishes you in the sense that it provides energy and materials to be converted into fluids that lubricate and maintain your body. Like when you take a carriage to get its axles greased. Well that was a little insulting, being compared to a carriage like that, I have to be at least sixty percent more radical than a carriage. But either way, I guess I'm going to Sugarcube. I head into Sugarcube Corner, and only have a moment to register that the lights are turned off before suddenly being blinded. "SURPRISE!" Self-defense protocols engaging My back panels open up and my pulse cannon starts pointing at the people. "Hold it, new feature or something, let me just figure out how to turn this off" System, disable weapon system protocols. Next time, don't let it activate when there is a surprise party. My pulse cannon goes away, and as I turn back to look at the ponies, I see a wall of pink. "Ohmygosh Dashie, I was going to ask if you were surprised, but then I saw your self-defense protocols kicked in and you whipped out a mark-seven compact magi-ionic pulse cannon from your port-side weapon bay, and then I realized that it would only do that if you were super surprised like right now, well really about seven seconds ago but who's counting not me, but do you like your 'Congratulations on finding out you were secretly a robot this entire time' party?" I stare dumbfounded for a moment, "...Yes Pinkie, I was surprised, and the party doesn't look so bad." I turn to the other ponies "sorry for scaring you like that, when I woke up, I got smacked with a lot of new stuff, and still don't have a handle over all of it yet…" "Well anywho, I think you are really going to enjoy the party, I set up pin the tail on the pony, twister, karaoke, cake, pie, cookies, cupcakes, punch, the fun punch, gummy is in here somewhere, and a package of batteries in case you couldn't eat normal food." "Thank you Pinkie… I think? Well, I'm gonna go mingle…"