Scootaloo pulled up to the crowd of ponies gathered on a tall hill just outside of town. She parked her scooter, hanging her helmet on the handlebars, before eagerly pushing through a veritable forest of legs to see if she could find her idol. Fortunately for her, Rainbow Dash was making sure that absolutely everypony saw her strutting and revving the crowd up.
“Come on, everypony!” she was saying, hovering overhead to be as visible as possible. “This is your chance to see! Mare vs Machine!”
“Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo exclaimed, eagerly flapping her wings as she bounded forward. “I heard you’re going to race Twilight’s robot! Uh… Turing Test, that’s it! Is it true?”
“Guess everypony heard!” Rainbow Dash said, loud enough for the entire crowd to hear her. “But in case you all just showed up... yes it is true! I’m going to race a robot!” She landed and ruffled Scootaloo’s mane affectionately, quietly adding, “And I’m glad you came, squirt.”
“Good luck in the race, Rainbow Dash!” she cried.
“Thanks. I won’t need it, but thanks!”
Scootaloo didn’t think she could be more excited, but then she always loved to watch Rainbow Dash compete. Then she looked and saw Twilight and Turing Test a short distance away. Twilight did not look anywhere near as enthusiastic as Rainbow Dash. Since Twilight had been tutoring her during Twilight Time, it seemed wrong to not cheer her and Turing on as well, so she approached the pair of them.
Twilight was pacing back and forth and muttering to herself. Turing Test was doing nothing but standing there.
“Um, hi there, Twilight!” Scootaloo said, trying to get Twilight’s attention.
“Huh? Oh, uh, hello Scootaloo,” Twilight said, stopping to take in the sight of her. “I guess you’re here to watch the race… just like everypony else…”
“Yeah, I… um, are you okay?”
Twilight looked around, shifting her eyes nervously. “Maybe. But if things go wrong or… or there’s another lightning strike… No, no, no thunderclouds today...” She seemed to forget that Scootaloo was there and went back to pacing.
Scootaloo looked over to Turing. She approached the robot pony nervously, but decided that it would only be right to wish her luck too, since she was the one actually racing Rainbow Dash.
“Um.. h-hey, Turing Test!” she said hesitantly.
Turing swiveled her head around to stare at the little orange filly.
She paused for a moment, startled by Turing's rapid movement and the sudden stare of her glowing eyes. “I wanted to wish you good luck in the race!”
Turing didn’t seem to understand at first and said nothing. Her ears moved slightly on their hinges, squeaking gently as they did so, before she replied, “Understood. You are following polite social convention by expressing well-wishes for the competitors.”
“I… think so, yeah,” Scootaloo replied.
“Am I to understand that you favor my chances in the race?”
Scootaloo looked away and laughed nervously as she rubbed the back of her neck. “Actually, I’m sorry, but I think Rainbow Dash will win. Or at least I hope she wins.”
Turing's ears twitched again. “I do not understand how the outcome benefits you in a way that you would have preference. Please clarify.”
“I guess it doesn’t really do anything for me… but if she wins, it’ll make Rainbow Dash happy, and she’s my big sister!”
“Understood. In truth, I am uncertain of the outcome. I believe it will be a good means of testing my abilities while comparing them to those of a biological pony. Rainbow Dash displays high physical prowess.”
“That’s true. You’ll have to fly pretty fast to beat her!”
Then Twilight interrupted this with another outburst. “She could overheat! She might catch on fire! Oh no, oh no no no…!”
Scootaloo realized that Twilight was still talking to herself and returned her attention to Turing. “What’s wrong with Twilight?”
“Twilight Sparkle seems to be concerned about my participation in the race,” Turing replied. “Because my flight capabilities have never been utilized, she worries that I will be incapable or become damaged. She also worries that other ponies will ridicule me if I fail to defeat Rainbow Dash. Paradoxically, she also fears that Rainbow Dash will become hostile if I am successful in defeating her.”
“Wait a minute... you're going to fly? I heard it was a race, but I thought it was a race on hoof!”
“Incorrect. My running capability has been assessed as far beyond that of any biological pony. My flight has never been tested, and although I have data instructing me how to fly, I have yet to fly in actuality.”
“I didn’t even know you could fly!” Scootaloo exclaimed. The little filly peered around Turing, frowning as she looked along Turing's body. “Well, where are your wings?”
“One moment: I will display them. Switching to P-Mode.”
Scootaloo jumped back as the wings appeared once again, clattering as they emerged from her back and locked into position.
“Whoa…” Scootaloo breathed.
The crowd of ponies had been focused on Rainbow Dash, who was showboating and already proclaiming her inevitable victory, but the sight of the shiny metallic wings suddenly got their attention and an awestruck “Oooh!” swelled up from them as they turned and approached her.
“Wow, look at those!” a mare exclaimed.
“Can she really fly on those? Cool!” a stallion asked excitedly.
More and more questions and cheers were tossed out and suddenly Twilight came back to reality when she realized the focus had turned back to Turing.
“N-now careful, everypony! Please remember that Turing Test has never actually flown before!”
“And that’s only one reason why she’s gonna lose!” Rainbow Dash growled, angry that Turing had inadvertently stolen the attention away from her. “Enough waiting around, this crowd is big enough!” She turned to Turing and grinned. “What do you say, robot? Are you ready to get this show on the road?”
“Where we are going, we do not need roads.”
The crowd laughed at that and Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes, none of them realizing that Turing was not trying to be clever.
“Ooh, ooh, Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo cried, getting her idol’s attention. “Can I be the one to hold the flag and start the race? Pleeeeasse?”
“Ha! Of course!” She then took to the air, hovering above everypony, preparing to lay down the course and rules of the race.
A cheer went up from the crowd as they realized the race was about to start.
“The race is from here, around the peak of Dragon’s Fang Mountain,” Rainbow Dash began, pointing to the peak of the mountain in the distance, “then over the Everfree forest and touching the flagpole on top of the Castle of the Two Sisters. After that, it's back over Ponyville to ring the bell at the Ponyville Clocktower, and finally back here, busting the cloud above the crowd to end the race!” She pointed to the solitary white cloud placed above them.
From the hill on which they stood, it would be easy to see the competitors as they completed each leg of the race. The course was a vague rhombus shape and the circuit would take them over most of Ponyville, especially when they reached the Clocktower. Turing looked over each landmark and started to analyze the course to determine the best way to approach them.
“Any questions, robot?” Rainbow Dash asked, giving her a taunting sideways glance.
“No clarification is required.”
“And her name is Turing Test, not ‘robot,’ Rainbow Dash,” Twilight Sparkle added, making a face.
“All right, all right, if that’s what you want, Twi,” she replied, holding up her hooves in mock surrender.
Twilight motioned for Turing Test to come closer to talk to her one more time, privately, before the race. “Turing, listen: you don’t have to do this. I mean, I hate to say it, but I think everypony here is hoping Rainbow Dash wins.”
Turing cocked her head to the side and Twilight knew she didn’t understand. “That is irrelevant.”
“Maybe, maybe not,” she said, “but that doesn’t change the fact that I still think this is dangerous.”
“Do not worry, Twilight Sparkle. My systems are all operating normally. I have more than enough battery power, even after this morning’s assessments, to complete this race. I will take no unnecessary risk that would cause injury to Rainbow Dash, myself, or others. However, if you forbid my participation, then I will comply.”
Twilight hesitated, but she realized that dropping out now that things had gone this far would reflect badly on her and Turing alike. And part of her, however tiny, was annoyed at Rainbow for her treatment of Turing Test and wanted to wipe that grin off her face.
“Okay, Turing, let’s see you race,” she said finally, giving her a confident grin. Then she leaned in, quietly adding “Just don’t go easy on her.”
“Understood.”
“Are we going to talk all day or are we gonna race?!” Rainbow shouted, landing and placing herself at the starting line.
Turing walked over to the starting line as well. “We will race.”
“Ha! That’s what I wanted to hear!”
“However, I must caution you and those gathered,” she added. “My wings work on jet propulsion. Please avoid positioning yourself in close proximity directly behind me or you may be injured by streams of heated air.”
“Good to know,” Dash said, polishing a hoof on her chest before examining it disinterestedly, “but don’t worry. I don’t think I’ll have to worry about being behind you.”
They both got into position, knees bent. Scootaloo took up a spot before them. She was about to give the countdown when they all heard a sound. It started as a low whine, but then they all saw that Turing Test had started the jets in her wings, warming them up and preparing them for takeoff. The sound of them running was surprisingly loud and they kicked up the grass and dirt behind her as she revved them up to speed. When she took off, it would be easy to boost them high enough to propel herself forwards.
This might be tougher than I thought if she doesn’t need to flap! Rainbow thought, although outwardly she gave no sign of worry. I thought she was going to try flapping those metal wings, but if she’s got jets then…
“Racers, on your marks!” Scootaloo said, holding up the flag as she stood on two legs. “Get set…” They readied their legs, preparing for takeoff. “GO!!”
The flag came down and Rainbow Dash burst forward into the air. Turing Test leaped into the air as well, her jets going on full blast, likewise propelling her forward. Rainbow had the lead at the start, but Turing rapidly accelerated and was soon flying far faster than the crowd had expected her to go.
The race was on.
***
Rainbow Dash had launched herself with both her legs and her wings and rapidly accelerated to a solid cruising speed. The mountain was dead ahead and she knew that even at this speed she would leave almost any other pegasus in the dust behind her.
That robot is waaay too heavy to catch up, jets or no jets! she reasoned. Plus I was already half a kilometer ahead of her before she barely left the starting line! This is going to be a... wait, what’s that sound?
He ears twitched and she risked a glance backward as a steady, high-pitched rumble and whine got louder and louder. Sure enough, Turing Test was behind her. And she was catching up quickly.
Faster than I thought! Rainbow realized, turning her attention back to the race. She didn’t want to burn too much energy at the start, but she’d need to keep her lead. She didn’t want to let a machine pass her for even a second. With that in mind, she began to flap her wings even harder and sped up.
Turing, by contrast, had been accelerating the whole time and found she was still able to go faster. Catching up to Rainbow Dash would not be difficult, according to her calculations. But going faster than Rainbow was not the real problem.
Estimating aerial maneuverability… unable to match that of Rainbow Dash. Turing’s systems reworked the math and she adjusted her strategy on the fly. Adjusting course and flight path to compensate.
The peak of the mountain was getting closer and judging by how nimble Rainbow Dash was in the air, it was likely that she would simply go right around it at a sharp angle and speed toward the next target at the Castle of the Two Sisters. But Turing could not perform such a sudden change in direction without a massive sacrifice in speed; her weight and momentum were simply too great. There was only one solution…
Rainbow heard the sound of Turing’s jets get quieter and naturally assumed that she was falling behind. But a glint of sunlight on metal caught her peripheral vision and she saw that in fact Turing was moving away, but to the side. She was curving away from the straight path.
What the hay is she doing?! Why would she take the long path away from the mountain?
What Rainbow hadn’t realized was that Turing was actually going faster than she was, but rather than going straight at the peak, she was taking a longer curve around it. Rainbow approached the peak and made a hairpin turn, while Turing banked around it in a long, sweeping path. But as Rainbow made the turn, she saw that Turing was returning to a straighter path and getting closer. Without sacrificing her speed, Turing was closing the gap between them.
“You think that’s going to work?!” Rainbow Dash yelled. She grinned. That won’t work on the next leg! You have to touch the flagpole and can’t just bank around it: good luck not losing any speed on that!
***
The pegasi had the best view of the race as they hovered over the crowd at the hill. Several of them were sporting binoculars. They watched as Turing took the long curve around the peak, but to their surprise, her extra speed made it so she went around it at the exact same time as Rainbow Dash, just at a wider turn.
“They’re both around the peak!” one of them yelled. “Looks like neither one’s got a sure lead yet!”
The crowd yelled excitedly. The two dots in the distance, the shining metal one and colorful rainbow streak, were now heading for the skies over the Everfree Forest, and beyond that was the Castle of the Two Sisters.
***
Rainbow grit her teeth as she saw that Turing’s path was coming closer to her own. And as they got closer, she realized something else and it chilled her even worse than the fierce wind in her face:
Turing was still speeding up. A few seconds later, it became clear that the mechanical pony had passed her!
Calculating, Turing’s systems told her. Flagpole is a small target. Banking to conserve speed is inefficient. Evaluating options…
Rainbow Dash didn’t seem to have many options either. A straight path was the only real path she could take. She could just surge forward, then put on the brakes and tap the flagpole with her back hooves and spring off it…
No, no, that’ll slow me down too much! Rainbow Dash realized, shaking her head. She’s still going way too fast. If I slow down to hit the pole, she’ll increase her lead! Think, Rainbow, think! How can I touch that pole without losing speed?!
Then it hit her. A sly grin spread across her face as they lowered their altitude and the trees of the Everfree became visible. The ruins of the castle were now in sight and she could spot the details of the crumbling courtyard and dilapidated towers. And best of all, Turing was slowing down.
Adjusting flight speed, Turing’s systems informed her. She decided that she would have to time the rate of deceleration so that she could touch the flagpole and turn around as fast as possible. There was no other way that she could determine.
Rainbow suddenly soared right by Turing as she was slowing. While Turing intended to slow down and fire her jets in retrograde to touch the flagpole and rapidly accelerate, Dash wasn’t slowing down at all.
Rainbow stuck out her hoof as she zoomed toward the flagpole. Rather than merely touching the flagpole and springing off it, she hooked her foreleg around it and swung around, letting her momentum slingshot her toward her next target.
Turing watched as Rainbow surged onward, flippantly saluting as she sped away. It was too late to adjust her own strategy as she turned around, letting her jets slow her down just enough to tap the flagpole before reversing direction.
Lead lost. Recalculating… odds of loss now at 80%. Adjusting strategy…
***
“Rainbow Dash is in the lead! Oh my gosh, she just swung around that flagpole without slowing down at all!”
“Woohoo, all right Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo screamed.
The crowd erupted in cheers. Twilight had taken flight as well and was watching the two racers uneasily. Oh, Turing, what are you going to do now? You can’t change directions as fast as Rainbow and you’ll have to slow down to hit the bell! Rainbow’s just too good a racer…
***
Rainbow knew she had it in the bag. She was worried she’d have to go supersonic, and that would give her plenty of speed, but it also burned a lot of energy and left her exhausted. A Sonic Rainboom was therefore a great stunt, but not necessarily a great racing technique unless you didn’t have far to go.
The Ponyville Clocktower was dead ahead, just a few kilometers away. It was a straight shot, so she aimed right for the bell. She would slow down at the last second, ring the bell, then blast off toward the finish line. Sure, she had to slow down since she couldn’t swing around that heavy bell like she could the flagpole, but then Turing would have to do the same, and she couldn’t accelerate as fast as Rainbow Dash.
But just then, she heard a sound overhead and looked up with astonishment.
Turing Test was directly over her, the jets in her wings roaring at full blast as she sped forward, taking a larger and larger lead.
Heh. Whatever, Rainbow said to herself. You still have to slow down, ya dumb robot. I’ll just pass you again like last time. The finish line isn’t that far away from the Clocktower, either, so even your speed won’t help you now!
But to Rainbow’s surprise, Turing did not slow down. She was rocketing at the Clocktower at full speed, and now she was well ahead of Rainbow. In fact, if she kept that up, she would hit the bell dead on! At that speed, a pony would break her neck!
At least, a normal pony would…
And then Rainbow realized, too late, what Turing was doing.
Turing went at the bell at full speed. She cut her jets at the very last second, folding her wings inwards and straightening her body out like an arrow. Her narrow frame went right through the support columns of the Clocktower steeple and she glanced off the side of the bell with her body, creating a loud, reverberant ringing as she ricocheted off it, her titanium hull leaving her totally undamaged from the impact. Once that was done, she spread her wings and re-started her jets, letting her momentum carry her until the power of the jets allowed her to bank and turn toward the finish line.
Some distance behind her, Rainbow Dash was trying hard to think of a way to save this race, and it wasn’t looking good.
Updating… Turing calculated. Odds of victory now at 70%...
***
“Holy smoke! Th-the robot just rammed right into that bell and kept going! She’s in the lead! She’s coming this way!”
The crowd gasped, some in awe, some (who favored Rainbow Dash) in fear, and others just fell totally silent.
Not among any of them was Twilight who couldn’t contain herself: “Go, Turing Test, go!”
She clasped her hooves over her mouth guiltily as the others looked to her.
“Er… well, I mean, they are both my friends, after all.”
A few of the other ponies in the crowd smiled at that. A few of them even began to cheer and some even began to chant: “Tur-ing-Test! Tur-ing-Test! Tur-ing-Test!”
***
Rainbow was running out of time. If she slowed down and rang the bell like she was planning to originally, Turing Test would get too far ahead and would be uncatchable. But if she tried to do what Turing did, that wouldn’t work either. Turing was made of metal, so hitting the bell even at that speed did nothing to her; in contrast, Rainbow Dash would break a rib or a hoof or a leg if she collided with the bell!
Come on, Rainbow Dash, think, think! How can you ring that bell without slowing down to touch it?! It’s impossible, totally…
Then she had a flash of inspiration. She could ring the bell without touching it. She grinned.
***
“Hey, wait, is she slowing down yet?” one of the observers of the race asked.
“No, I think… wait, she’s speeding up?!”
Twilight and Scootaloo exchanged glances. They both knew what was coming next.
***
Rainbow felt her wings practically burning as the energy in her body began to focus and she squinted into the wind. She pushed herself more and more, speeding up, pushing beyond her limits as Ponyville below her became a blur and then…
KABOOM!
Rainbow shot right by the Clocktower just as she smashed through the sound barrier. The shockwave of the Sonic Rainboom spread outward and since it was so close to the tower, the force of it rang the bell loud enough to be heard right after the thunderous explosion of her hitting Mach 1.
Now with a brilliant streak of rainbow trailing her, Dash turned rapidly and soared at the finish line, focused on the cloud placed over the cheering onlookers. But the problem was that Turing was still ahead, even if that gap was closing. And now she had expended most of her energy…
This is gonna be close!! she thought, willing herself to fight the fatigue and the burning in her wings. The two were coming at the cloud crossways and it was anypony’s guess who would reach it first.
Turing Test saw the cloud directly ahead too and had already detected that Rainbow Dash had exceeded sonic speed. She had her jets on at full power and was positioned for the least amount of wind resistance, but still she could go no faster. It was very clear at that point that, while Turing could go faster than Rainbow Dash on average for longer, her maximum speed was still subsonic. Rainbow’s absolute maximum speed was supersonic. Rainbow was slowing down from fatigue, but only slightly. Not even Turing could calculate the winner of the race at that point. The two were practically on a collision course.
The crowd held its breath collectively as the two racers surged at them, the screaming sound of them cutting through the wind growing exponentially louder until they were both right there and the crowd stared up at the cloud and watched as…
...Rainbow Dash, by barely a meter, burst through the small cloud, busting it and winning the race.
To be continued...