Gadget just picked at her salad after hearing Twilight’s story.
“That’s… that’s a lot more than I was expecting,” she said finally. “I really thought, you know, after all your letters, that things would be different around here.”
“They are!” Twilight exclaimed. “Well, they were. I really thought we’d made all this progress. Ponies have been starting to accept her and even Turing is starting to be more pleasant to talk to. But then she had to say something like that to me.”
Twilight sighed. She was glad to have Gadget there, even though she felt guilty dropping all her troubles on her. Neither one of them had eaten much of the salad that Spike had prepared.
“You haven’t told Spike any of this yet?” Gadget asked.
They both glanced over to the seat he’d vacated at the table.
“I know he can tell that something is up.” She took another bite before continuing. “And I hated to ask him to let us talk in private, but… honestly I think he’d be even more hurt if he’d heard her. Spike was getting friendly with Turing even before I was!”
Gadget crossed her forelegs, closing her eyes as she mulled the situation over.
“She just flat out said she doesn’t like me,” Twilight said quietly. “All this time I thought we were friends…”
It was pretty terrible when one said it like that. There were few things short of vulgarity that so clearly indicated unfriendliness more than “I don’t like you.”
“Um… Gadget?” Twilight asked, getting her attention. “Would you mind not doing that, please?”
“Huh?” And then she heard a strange metallic tapping sound and saw that one of her mechanical hands had been drumming its fingers on the table.
“Darn it, Front Leftie!” she growled, and the hand immediately lifted, holding itself up in mock surrender. She rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to Twilight, letting one of her more obedient hands adjust her glasses as she began to speak.
“Maybe it’s not so bad, Princess Twilight,” she said. “I mean, does it really matter if she likes you back?”
“Yes!” Twilight cried. “Imagine if, after all the time you’ve spent with Mr. Vanderbull, he said he didn’t like you! Or if any other friend of yours said it!”
She considered that and finally nodded reluctantly. “Okay, that’s true. If Mr. Vanderbull told me he didn’t like me and wanted to get a new assistant or something like that, I’d be devastated!”
Twilight nodded solemnly, closing her eyes and lowering her head. “Exactly. I thought I was developing a connection with her and it turns out it was all for nothing. It really meant nothing to her!
Gadget considered this, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. “Well, do you still care about her?”
“Yes, of course I do!” Twilight was again immediate in her answer. “That’s why it hurts so much to hear her say otherwise.”
“That’s good… all things considered,” Gadget said.
“Yeah,” Twilight said. Then she noted Gadget’s hesitation on that last part. “Wait, what do you mean?”
Gadget looked away and nibbled on another leaf of lettuce.
“Gadget,” Twilight said firmly, “please tell me. What do you mean?”
“It’s… well, your earlier letter told me that Princess Celestia came to talk to you about Turing. And you were relieved when Princess Celestia decided to trust you. But you also said that if Turing really couldn’t learn friendship, then Celestia would…”
Twilight’s eyes widened. “Oh no.”
“Princess,” Gadget said, breaking their silence, “if you really care about Turing, then would you really abandon her?”
“I… I can’t just lie to Celestia about it. Eventually, I’ll have to tell her the truth.”
“But you’re a Princess too; she can’t tell you what to do!”
“Princess of Friendship; I’m not a head of state the way she is!”
The same heavy silence hung over them once again. They continued their lunch for a few more minutes so that the only sound between them was the sound of chewing.
“Is that really the kind of situation you want to put Turing in, Princess?” Gadget asked finally. “Because that’s a pretty horrible ultimatum: make friends or die.”
Twilight made a face as if wounded.
“S-sorry,” Gadget said. “I just… I just think…”
“Look, I said I cared and I meant it. But I can’t disobey Princess Celestia.”
Gadget started to say something and shut her mouth. Then her eyes hardened and she steeled herself. “You wouldn’t ever disobey her? Ever?”
“I never have. She’s so kind, and so wise… if she says something’s the right thing to do, then I trust her!”
“Even if it’s murdering an innocent pony?”
“It’s… it’s not murder, Gadget, she’s not really a pony.”
Gadget stared at her, quaking with sudden rage. “So if Celestia outright demanded that you give Turing Test over to her--”
“--Then I would, of course!”
“Well, what if you’re wrong? What if she really is a pony?”
“She’s not!”
“You don’t know that!”
“I… that’s not…”
“I’m not trying to make this harder for you, Twilight, but…” She sighed, slumping forward on the table. “This situation is awful. I wasn’t ready for this.”
“I know, I know, it’s really terrible no matter how we look at it. I don’t know what I should do.” Twilight pushed her salad bowl away. “I think I’ve lost my appetite.”
Gadget did the same. “Me too.”
“I’m really sorry that you came in the middle of all this trouble,” Twilight said. “But I am glad you’re here.” She smiled weakly.
“I’m glad to be here too.” Gadget returned the smile, and seemed to perk up slightly. “Besides, I’m here for today and through tomorrow. And it’s not like you have to make a decision immediately. Maybe I can help you, and you can make a plan to help Turing Test!”
Twilight nodded. “That’s true. I guess it hasn’t even been very long since what happened with Applejack. I don’t want to make any quick decisions.”
Gadget scrunched her eyes shut, crossing her forelegs again (her mechanical arms following suit this time). “Hmm. Could I, um… talk to her?”
“Turing? Sure. I’m not sure what good it will do, but you’re welcome to try it.”
“All right. Where is she?”
“I sent her to her room.”
Gadget gave her a sideways glance and then cracked a grin. “What next? If she keeps misbehaving, she’s grounded for a month, no boy-bots and no parties?”
Twilight rolled her eyes.
***
The door opened and Gadget poked her head through into the small room. “Turing?” she asked cautiously.
Turing Test was sitting in the middle of the room, perfectly still except for her ears which twitched on their hinges, squeaking as they did so. “Gadget Giroux. I detected your voice in the hallway. Welcome to my domicile.”
“Thanks! It’s…” she noted it contained a generator, a mirror, a can of metal polish with a rag, and nothing else, save for its occupant. “It’s very spacious,” she said, closing the door behind her. “Um, you know, you could have come out and said hello if you heard me.”
“My apologies, but I could not. Twilight Sparkle ordered me to stay in this room for awhile. I did not have her permission to leave.”
“I see,” Gadget said. Since Gadget had entered the room, Turing had not turned toward her in the slightest. She merely sat before the tall mirror, her back to Gadget the whole time. Gadget moved next to Turing and sat down herself on the smooth, cold floor, flinching at its chilliness.
“Um… so, how’s it going?”
Turing finally moved her head to look at Gadget, the suddenness of the movement making her gasp in surprise. “Clarification required: what is going?”
“Uh, let me restate that. How are you?”
“I am functioning normally.”
“Oh. Good.” Gadget nodded, letting her eyes fall on the mirror. “What’s with the mirror? I mean, why do you have a mirror?”
“The mirror allows me to view my own image.”
“Yes, I get that,” Gadget said. “But why are you looking at it?”
“To view my own image in the mirror.”
Gadget groaned and smacked her forehead with her hoof. Turing noticed this immediately, her ears twitching. And then she did something that really caught Gadget’s attention.
While looking in the mirror, she smacked her own forehead with her hoof, a loud bell-like clang sounding through the room.
“Turing? Did you just mimic me?”
“Affirmative. I am attempting mimicry of organic ponies’ expressions, gestures, and movements. I have recorded many such movements and am now attempting to emulate them. I have noticed that such expressions often serve as means of nonverbal communication or as means of emphasizing the points of verbal communication. The mirror assists me in making a visual comparison with my memory.”
“Oh, I see!” Gadget said, nodding emphatically. She smiled, happy to at last have some answer of why Turing needed the mirror.
“This gesture you made…” She smacked her forehead again, creating the same loud clang as before. “It seems illogical to attempt injury to one’s cranium. Yet I see it often as a reaction to things I say or do. What is the meaning of this gesture?”
Gadget stood up again, light on her feet and eager to answer. “I can tell you! It’s just something we ponies do when we are exasperated!”
“This explains a great deal. Thank you, Gadget.”
“Wait, ‘Thank you?’ For what?”
“Twilight Sparkle and I had an altercation. I am still attempting to analyze it. In previous interactions, both she and other ponies have often made a similar gesture. I must be exceedingly exasperating. That may explain why Twilight Sparkle is disappointed with me.”
Gadget sat back down. “She’s not… I mean, she didn’t say that, did she?”
“While it is true that she did not say that exactly, it is very likely her assessment of me. She explained to me that friendship must involve mutual feelings of affection. As I have yet to experience such an emotion, my previous efforts that were deemed successes must now be deemed failures. I am without friends and therefore I have failed in my directive.”
“Turing…”
“I am attempting to remedy the situation. It is possible that my inability to properly integrate with organic ponies is also preventing me from achieving a similar mental state. If I can become more like an organic, then I may once again achieve success with my directive.”
Gadget just stared at her. It seemed simplistic to her: ‘act like a pony and you’ll be like a pony.’ It was like a child wearing their parents’ clothes to be like their mommy or daddy. But the fact that Turing could recognize that something was wrong might be a step in the right direction. Just the same, she wasn’t exactly sure what to do or say to help the poor robot.
“Gadget,” Turing said, jolting her back to reality, “did you come to visit Twilight Sparkle or perhaps to perform maintenance on me?”
“I actually came to visit all of you. Not just Twilight.”
“Now that you have done so, will you return to Manehatten?”
“I’m actually here for a little while. If Twilight doesn’t mind, I’ll be able to spend time here until the day after tomorrow.” She smiled. “I think I’d better go talk to Twilight. But I’ll come visit you later on, if you’re okay with that!”
“You do not require my permission to spend time with me.”
Gadget frowned, but pressed on, undeterred. “Turing Test, I want to spend time with you. I’m saying that I will if you’d like me to talk more to you.”
Turing’s face, so devoid of normal facial features, was inscrutable. But then Gadget watched as she slowly placed a hoof to her chin and rubbed it, creating an irritating scraping sound
But suddenly Gadget’s eyes went wide in amazement as the significance of the action and all that she’d said dawned on her.
“I believe that might be a positive experience.”
Gadget didn’t respond. She was still breathless as the truth became clear. She’s thinking. Honest to goodness, not just processing, she’s thinking about herself!
She swallowed, managing to contain herself. “I’m glad. I’ll be back later on!” Gadget exclaimed happily. “See you later, Turing!”
“Understood. And Gadget?”
Gadget turned, her mechanical hand already turning the doorknob. “Yes, Turing?”
“While I am confined to this room, I am unable to perform my duties and assist Twilight Sparkle. Will you please assist her in my absence?”
Gadget smiled. “Of course.”
***
Twilight was pacing back in the throne room, the large round table in the center of the room magically displaying the map of Equestria. She looked it over, merely biding her time until at last Gadget entered the room.
“Did you talk to her? What did she say?” Twilight asked, running over eagerly.
“It’s amazing!” Gadget cried as Twilight ran up to her. “Turing is… she’s trying to imitate body language!”
Twilight’s enthusiasm drained away. “She’s… what? Why?”
“She thinks that by acting like a pony she can be more like a pony. I think she means feelings, too.”
Twilight sighed. “That’s not going to work.”
“No, probably not. But that’s not the point!”
Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Well, what is the point?”
“The point is that she’s not just sitting in that room waiting for the next order!” She was so excited about this apparently mundane fact that she lifted herself off the ground on her mechanical arms. “She’s considering, pondering, and making active adjustments based on how she sees herself!”
“Isn’t that… isn’t that what she’s supposed to do?”
“To a certain extent, yes,” Gadget admitted, rolling her eyes, “but this… this means she’s being more than just intelligent… she’s being creative!”
“Well, yes, I know she can do that.” Twilight shrugged her shoulders. “She did some of that in her race with Rainbow Dash.”
Gadget groaned in frustration, realizing she wasn’t expressing her discovery well enough. She set herself back down on the ground. “Twilight, this isn’t just coming up with a strategy. This is recognition of her own place in the world and her current situation. Instead of the dumb machine we saw a week ago that just demanded Fluttershy be friends, she’s responding to her perceived failure and doing something about it!”
Twilight blinked, still not getting it.
“Don’t you see? She’s becoming self-aware! Twilight, this is a huge breakthrough! Signs of self-awareness like this could mean she’s sentient! She might become just as sentient as anypony else!”
Twilight nodded, finally understanding, but frowned. “I… I don’t know, Gadget. I thought the same thing might have been true before, but… I just don’t know.”
Gadget sagged. “Really? But…”
“I just have to wonder how she could really be sentient or even anything like us if she can’t feel emotions. And I’m not sure she really can.” She swallowed. “I’m not saying you’re wrong. I just need time to think about it.”
Gadget slowly exhaled, letting her tension go as her stiff limbs relaxed once again. “Right. Of course, I understand. Um… well, should I… leave you for now so you can think about it?”
“Actually, I think I’d like your company. This is all really serious and I think I need to step back before I worry myself into a psychotic episode!” She let out a long sigh. “I don’t think I can talk about this with my other friends, and honestly I could use something to take my mind off this. I could really use a friend right now to help me calm down. I hate to impose, but I’d love your company if you would like to stay!”
Gadget smiled. “Yes, of course! I’d be glad to help!”
“Great! Well, let’s start by cutting out all the serious talk. I don’t suppose anything interesting has happened lately that you want to talk about?”
Gadget looked up and to the left, and Twilight detected the slight blush that came to her cheeks.
“Gadget? Are you hiding something?” she asked, leaning forward with sudden interest.
“N-no, it’s nothing.” Then she smiled, brushing her hair to one side with her hoof before quietly adding, “I… um, I met a cute stallion today.”
Twilight grinned brightly. “Ooh, give me details!”
“He’s a freelance reporter staying in Ponyville Inn across from my room. And, um, we met before we came over here and he’s really smart and he’s got these deep hazel eyes… and w-we’re having lunch together tomorrow!”
“Oh wow!” Twilight exclaimed. “But aren’t you a little young for a date?”
“I am not!” she cried, stamping her hoof indignantly. “A-and it’s just lunch! It’s not… it’s not… th-that word...”
Twilight grinned. “Well… that’s interesting. Maybe I can help you.”
“Help me? What do you mean?”
“Well, do you have anything nice to wear for it?”
“I’ve got my jacket, so I was just going to… well, I mean, if you think I should wear something else,” she swallowed, “then I guess maybe I… I don’t have anything.”
“Then I know just what to do! Come on, Gadget, we better go before she gets too busy with somepony else!” That said, she grabbed her by the hoof and led her to the door.
“‘She?’ Who?”
“Who else?” she laughed. “Rarity!”
***
Fine Print was eating a simple muffin he’d bought from a nearby bakery as he peered through his spyglass at the castle. He was about to give up and develop his new photos when he saw movement at the castle door.
Well, what do we have here?
He squinted, refocusing the telescope to get a better look. Presently, he began to see that two figures were leaving. Twilight and…
“Gadget,” he whispered. A brief smile flashed across his face. His heart skipped a beat as he remembered their plans for lunch the next day. But then he remembered the task at hoof and he sighed, closing his eyes and snapping the telescope shut before placing it back on his desk.
With the Princess and Gadget leaving, maybe the automaton will be by itself. Now’s my chance to get close to it!
He grabbed his notepad and camera and dashed out the door. If he hurried, he might just be able to get to the castle and inside in less than five minutes. He might be able to get in and out without ever being detected.
***
“My my my, how exciting!”
Rarity was abuzz, holding up one dress after another in front of Gadget, giving it either a quick nod or a disdainful shake of her head, after which she laid it on the “try on” or “reject” pile respectively.
“And I’m so glad you came to me for help!” Rarity paused to beam at Gadget. “You are going to look gorgeous on your date!”
“Oh jeez, Miss Rarity,” Gadget said, practically burying her face in her hooves as she giggled. “I really wish you and Twilight would stop calling it that. I keep telling you that it’s just lunch!”
Twilight and Rarity exchanged a look. Twilight was sitting on a stool nearby as Rarity carefully selected accessories that might go with the dresses she’d chosen.
“Sure,” Twilight said, trying to sound genuine. “Just lunch.”
Rarity didn’t feel the need to conceal her doubt. “If it’s just lunch, then why is your face redder than Tirek with a sunburn, darling?”
Gadget couldn’t help but erupt into even more giggles. She took a deep breath, trying to get herself under control.
“Well, calm down and tell us a bit about the young gentleman.” She levitated a dress over to her. “And do try this on while you’re doing so, please.”
“W-well, like I told Twilight, he’s a freelance journalist and he’s staying in the same hotel as me.” She had shed her jacket and removed the Point Dexter and began to put on a simple pink dress. “He’s got a pale blue coat and big hazel eyes and he's got a short, shiny black mane that just slightly falls in his eyes.” She sighed dreamily as she put the dress on.
“He sounds enchanting,” Rarity said, though she frowned at Gadget’s dress. “This color on the other hand is simply horrid. Try this one instead.”
“So, what else can you tell us about him?” Twilight asked eagerly.
“He’s a unicorn. Um, he seems very polite, although maybe a little clumsy… he nearly ran right into me in the hotel hallway.” She grunted as she managed to pull the dress on. “And he knows a lot about engineering!”
“Engineering?” Twilight asked, surprised that anypony knew enough to impress a genius like Gadget.
“Uh huh,” Gadget replied. “How do I look, Miss Rarity?”
“Not as good as you could look. Ah ha, I have it!” Rarity left for a moment, checking her back room. “Now this is sure to do the trick!” she exclaimed.
“What do you mean he knows a lot about engineering, Gadget?” Twilight asked. “How do you know?”
“Well, he knew that the Point Dexter uses a magical nerve interface scaffold to connect to my own nervous system and that the arms work by mimicking the same structure. Biomimicry isn’t easy, but with enough time and patience, you could--”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Twilight said, holding up her hooves. “That’s… I don’t even know what you said!”
“It’s not exactly a common term,” Gadget replied, hastily adding, “n-no offense, Twilight.”
“None taken. Still, lucky you! Cute and smart is a good combination!”
“I’ve got the perfect dress for you, Gadget,” Rarity said, returning from the back room. “This little number will be just what you need to look your best tomorrow!”
“Oh, I like this one already!” Gadget cried eagerly. She quickly began trying the new dress on.
“Glad you think so,” Rarity said, “and I’m also happy you’ve met such an interesting gentleman. It’s not every day you encounter somepony like that.”
Gadget looked herself over in the mirror. The dress was simple, nothing too formal for a lunch date. The top was white with a charcoal gray collar and a yellow neckerchief. The skirt-like train was pleated and the same gray as the collar and it curved gently back over her flank.
She smiled, looking herself in the mirror, turning to see it from different positions, even making little pouty faces like a model. Finally she turned to Rarity and said “I love it. It’s wonderful, Rarity.”
“You look simply adorable!” Rarity beamed with pride, pleased with another happy customer and with another fashion success.
“Um… do you think you could modify it a little? I’d like some holes in the back so I can fit my mechanical arms through it.”
Rarity’s smile shifted slightly, but stayed in place. “Ah, well, do you really think you need those devices for a simple lunch?”
“Ever since I helped fix Turing, I’ve gotten more and more used to wearing them.” She quietly added, “And Fine Print really seems to like them. A lot of ponies are a little weirded out by them, but he… he actually came right up and touched them.” Her blush returned.
“Hm, well, see to it that he doesn’t get any grabbier,” Rarity warned her. “But… well, if I can make room for pegasus wings, then I suppose I could do the same for your extra limbs. At least let me add some buttons to cover the holes so you could wear it without the arms on occasion.”
“That’s so nice! It won’t be any trouble, will it?”
“Not at all. And if Mr. Fine Print enjoys technology, then who am I to argue?” She paused as a thought occurred to her. “You should tell him about Turing Test. That would be a nice topic of conversation, don’t you think?”
Gadget and Twilight both went silent. Rarity, already getting her supplies to modify Gadget’s dress, did not notice their change in demeanor.
“Yes,” Gadget replied flatly. She hesitated a moment longer before asking, “Miss Rarity… you’re friends with Turing Test now, right?”
“Why yes, I am!” Rarity replied. Twilight, Gadget noted, didn’t say anything and her expression did not change, though she did glance over at her.
“I haven’t seen her growth at all this week,” Gadget continued, “but Twilight told me a little bit about it in her letters. Would you mind telling me how you feel about Turing or what you think of her?”
“I’d be delighted. Could you give me that dress over so I can modify it?” Gadget removed it and gave it to her. “Now, let’s see… I suppose that at first I was just as wary of her as anypony else, except of course for Twilight. But then she and Spikey came through the door asking me to help her look her best. Of course that didn’t really work out. Twilight told you what happened, didn’t she?”
“That you had her painted and a freak rainstorm washed it all off of her.”
“Yes.” She sighed. “When I saw her sitting there in the mud, all that beautiful paint washed right off her, her ears down… oh, it was just heartbreaking!” She took a breath, trying to compose herself. “I never would have thought it possible. She is a machine after all, and not terribly expressive at that… but then she told us she was ‘sad.’ She’d never been sad before and she felt so horrible because she thought she’d let Twilight down and I… I’m sorry, it just made me realize that deep down she really does have a heart. Or the mechanical equivalent of one, I suppose. And it is a good heart.”
She grinned slightly, carefully cutting the fabric in four places, making the holes for Gadget’s mechanical arms. She also took some thread and began to add the buttons and buttonholes. “You know, she talks like a textbook and she’s strong as can be, but that day I realized she might as well be a child.”
“A child?” Twilight echoed.
“Mm-hm.” Rarity gave a quick nod as she continued working on the dress, not looking up to see the surprise evident in Twilight’s face. “After all, she’s less than a week old and knows so little about the world or even her own feelings on the occasion of having them. Poor dear, this must be exceptionally hard for her.”
Twilight and Gadget shared a look. Neither one could exactly look the other in the eye.
“There we are! Perfect!” At last, Rarity raised her head only to notice Twilight and Gadget’s sudden somber mood. “Hm? Is something wrong, darlings?”
***
Fine Print had examined the castle from every angle. The windows were high up and would be difficult to open without knowing how to unlatch them, even with magic. And he’d never be able to just bring a ladder over to one and get in that way, at least not without somepony noticing. The balcony was likewise too high up to make for a good entry point. That just left the obvious entrance: the front door.
If it’s unlocked, then this should be easy. If it’s locked, then I still have a shot. I could try to unlock it or force my way in. Hopefully I can do it without attracting attention.
The nearby houses were probably occupied, but that didn’t mean anypony was home right now or that the Princess’s neighbors would constantly be watching out their windows. Maybe it would be simple.
He casually walked over to the door, acting natural as he could, checking his peripheral vision and taking care not to look nervous as he gave a slight glance over his shoulder. Nopony was watching.
He walked right up to the elegant double doors and used his magic to turn the knob. It didn’t budge.
Locked. Great.
He rattled the door slightly, just to see if it moved. It didn’t. He carefully examined the keyhole, considering how he might best gain access.
He heard a sound at the door and stepped back, tensing up as the door slowly opened.
“Uh, hello?” Spike said, poking his head out the door. “Oh. Hello, sir. I heard you at the door. I’m Spike, her assistant. Can I help you?”
Her dragon! How could I have forgotten him?! All right, he’s being polite, I just have to work with it…
“Hello! I’m sorry for the disturbance.” He bowed his head slightly and gave his very best smile. “I’m a reporter! Is Her Highness, Princess Twilight, in at the moment?”
“No, she stepped out,” Spike said.
“Ah, well, that’s not a problem. I actually wanted to talk to the automaton she’s been keeping.”
Spike’s eyes widened. “Turing Test? Why her?”
“Are you kidding? A lot of ponies are interested in it!”
“Her.”
He blinked. “What?”
“I said, ‘Her.’ Please call her that, not ‘it.’”
Fine Print narrowed his eyes, examining Spike carefully. He wasn’t angry, nor was he toying with him. “Ah, all right,” he replied. “A lot of ponies are interested in her. I’d love to get a one-on-one interview and get her story! What do you say?”
Spike crossed his arms, a sour look on his face. “I don’t think so. Not without Twilight’s permission.”
“Oh? Even for just a few short questions?”
“Sorry, mister,” Spike said, “but I really think Twilight would want to know.”
Dutiful little thing, eh? He maintained his smile. “I suppose that’s true. But she did leave you in charge, right?”
“Y-yeah, I guess so.”
“I could do an interview with you too, in that case. Ever been in the newspaper? Or even a magazine?” He wiggled his eyebrows tantalizingly.
“Wow! No way, nopony ever… well… I mean, I’d still like to, but… um, no, sorry mister, but I can’t let you in without Twilight’s permission. I think that they’re having some kind of trouble.”
Fine Print leaned forward with interest and Spike knew he’d said too much.
“Look, I can’t talk any more. I don’t really know that much. Can you come back later?”
I could force my way in. He doesn’t look so tough. Then again, he is a dragon. I bet he bites, and he probably breathes fire. Still, I’ve got my things… no, that would cause too much commotion. Fine, I’ll play it cool.
“Sure. Well, sorry about that. Nice meeting you, Spike.” And with that, he turned and swiftly trotted away.
“Okay mister,” Spike said, turning to go back inside. Then he stopped. “Hey, wait, you didn’t tell me your name!”
“It’s Fine Print!” he yelled over his shoulder. “Leave a note at the Ponyville Inn if you need me! So long!”
Spike shrugged, watching the strange unicorn move away, and closed the door once again.
Fine Print only slowed once he was out of sight, back on the streets of Ponyville.
No guards, just a baby dragon, Princess? He smirked. You’re awfully relaxed. The automaton can’t be watched forever. This is going to be like taking candy from a foal.
***
Twilight and Gadget returned to the castle not long after their visit with Rarity. Twilight walked ahead of Gadget, head lowered, taking up the rear. Neither of them spoke a word as they made their way up the main hallway.
“Twilight, Gadget, you’re back!” Spike exclaimed, greeting them in the hall. “Um, Twilight? Some guy came by here…”
“Can it wait, Spike?” Twilight asked.
“Well, I guess, it was just some reporter who wanted to interview Turing Test.”
“A reporter?”
“Oh!” Gadget cried, rushing over to him excitedly. “Did he have a blue coat and and a black mane?”
“Hey, yeah, he did!”
“Oh my gosh, Fine Print came to visit!” she exclaimed. Then she paused and heaved a sigh. “Aw, and I missed him. I could have introduced you. And he’s probably disappointed that he didn’t get to talk to Turing.”
“Speaking of which,” Twilight said, “Spike, pardon me, but Gadget and I need to go talk in private.”
Spike balled his little claws into fists. “You know, Twilight, it’s okay if you two want to talk, but you don’t need to shut me out! I know something’s up and it involves Turing! I could at least try to help if you let me!”
“Spike, it’s not that… listen, I’m sorry, but it’s just complicated. I’m just not ready to talk to you about it now. Please.” She gave him a sympathetic look and his indignance drained out of him.
“Fine,” he said. “But when you’re ready to talk about it, I’d really like to know what’s going on.” Then suddenly his eyes bulged and his cheeks puffed out. With a belch of fire, a letter appeared. He quickly unfurled it. “Um, Twilight, it’s Princess Celestia. She just wants to know if you’re doing okay and if everything’s going okay with… well, you know.” He jerked his head back in the direction of Turing’s room. “Should we write her a reply?”
“I… not just yet. Give Gadget and I a little time. I’m sure Celestia won’t mind waiting a little.” She looked to see that Gadget was simply staring wide-eyed at Spike. “Gadget?”
“You can burp letters?” she asked in fascination. “Is that the only way you can receive them? Would it be possible to f--”
“Gadget!” Twilight shouted. “Not now!”
The two of them left Spike behind as they made their way to Twilight’s room. Only once inside, with the door shut, did they resume their conversation.
“Twilight, are you mad at me?”
Twilight sighed. “I just wanted to get away from my problem for a little while. I just wanted to unwind. Why did you ask Rarity that question?”
“I’m sorry. I was curious.” Gadget pawed the floor, looking down as she did so. “I didn’t mean to make you upset. But… maybe you needed to hear it.”
“Gadget, I said I don’t know what to do about Turing and this isn’t making it any easier.”
“Maybe it’s not supposed to be easy.”
Twilight rolled her eyes. “Believe me, I know a thing or two about friends being difficult. But Turing… what if she can’t feel affection at all? Or any emotion, for that matter!”
“That’s nonsense!” Gadget shouted with sudden ferocity. “Even putting aside her signs of self-awareness, how can you doubt that she really does have emotions after the way Rarity talked about her?”
“I’m… I don’t know. I just don’t know anymore.” Twilight gave a light flap of her wings to land on her bed and rest, putting her head down. “She seems so normal, even sweet, but then she can just be so cold.”
“I know you’re hurt, Twilight,” Gadget said, walking over to sit beside the bed. “But even with these doubts, I don’t think you’re giving her a fair chance.”
“She just shrugged off everything that everypony has done for her! How am I being unfair?”
“Because you’re treating her like a normal pony and she’s not! She’s a machine and she doesn’t function the same way you and I do! Darn it, you heard what Rarity said: she’s like a child. She’s just a baby, Twilight!”
Twilight opened her mouth to say something several times during Gadgets outburst, but ultimately she fell silent. Gadget waited several long moments for her to speak. Finally she muttered something, but it was too quiet to hear.
“S-sorry, what did you say, Twilight?”
“I said… I said that maybe I’m not ready to take care of her. Maybe you’re right that I’m not being fair and maybe it’s not her fault.” She swallowed. “I thought I could teach her to be friends, but she just won’t… she’s just… maybe she’s too different from normal ponies.”
Gadget reached out and put her hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “Twilight. It’s okay to be scared. I’m scared too.”
“You seem to know more about machines than I do anyway… maybe I should… maybe I really should send Turing to stay with you for a while.”
Gadget gasped and for one moment she nearly cheered. Then she began to process what it meant, what taking care of Turing would really entail, and calmed herself. “That would be a huge honor and… and I admit that I’d be really interested in it. When we first activated her, I would have accepted the offer in a heartbeat. But if she comes to stay with me and Mr. Vanderbull, then she’d become a science experiment and nothing more. I like her, but alone, I can’t give her what she needs. With you and the others, I think she’s starting to develop a life of her own. So that’s… that’s why I don’t think I can accept.”
Twilight sighed. “Then I don’t really have any other choices. Nopony else will take her. Unless…”
Gadget raised an eyebrow. “Unless?”
“Unless I just give her away. I won’t just sell her, though; I gave my word. It’s either that or deactivate her until I can find somepony who can take care of her.”
Gadget hesitated, but forced herself to ask the remaining question: “What about Princess Celestia’s letter?”
Twilight swallowed. “I think I’ll need to report what’s happening with Turing. I’m not okay with lying to Celestia. She’s my mentor. She’s my friend.”
“Seriously? After what I told you, after what Rarity told you? Sure Princess Celestia’s your friend, but she’s a friend who thinks Turing might be dangerous and who would scrap her, given half the chance.” Gadget took on a bitter look then. “If you tell Celestia that Turing can’t make friends, then she’ll take that miraculous, childlike creature that came into our lives and destroy her!”
“I know that’s a possibility, and I didn’t say I would tell her all that! But like I said, I can’t just lie to her! I need time to think, but I can’t put off my response forever!”
“Just tell her you’re having some ups and downs!”
“Well right now I’m not sure if we’ll even have any more ‘ups!’”
“Twilight, if you tell Celestia that, Turing will die!”
“If you can say that she’s even ali--” Twilight stopped herself, but not quickly enough. Gadget gawked at her, raising her hooves over her mouth in horror. “I’m sorry. I… I didn’t mean that.”
Gadget took a deep breath and just nodded coldly. “I think I should go. I still want to help, but I’m not sure that I’ve done anything for you. Thank you for taking me to Rarity’s. I’ll… I’ll visit again tomorrow if you want.”
“Yes,” Twilight said quietly, her tone sincere despite her sadness. “I think that would be nice, Gadget. Until tomorrow. And good luck on your date.”
Gadget nodded and left the room. She made her way down the stairs and through the main hall, intending to exit the castle, but then noticed the little room where Turing stayed. She wondered if maybe she should leave things be, but she felt compelled to talk to her one last time before she left.
Ever so gently, she turned the doorknob and walked inside, closing the door behind her.
“Gadget?” Twilight called, poking her head around the corner. She’d wanted to make a suggestion about where to go on her date the next day, just to show there were no hard feelings, but she was only in time to see Gadget go into Turing’s room and lock the door.
She was about to turn back when her curiosity and concern took hold. She hesitated. Then, even against her better judgment, she let her wings carry her silently over to the door and set down, raising her ear to listen to the conversation going on inside.
***
“Hello again, Turing,” Gadget said, coming back alongside her. “What’s, um… what’s on your mind?”
“I desire eyelids.”
Suddenly aware of her own eyelids, Gadget blinked. “What?”
“Repeating: I stated my desire for eyelids.”
“Yes, but why?”
Turing looked at her and raised a hoof, pointing at her own glowing eyes. “I have determined that my lack of normal facial features is something of an impediment to normal interaction. While I may move my limbs and position my body similarly to an organic pony to engage in nonverbal communication, my face is noticeably different.”
Gadget nodded. “I see. And you think eyelids would help?”
“Correct. I am able to move my ears, of course.” She demonstrated, raising and lowering her ears, each one making the familiar squeaking sound as she did so. “I am also able to constrict the glow of my eyes. Like so.” The broad oval of her eyes shrank to smaller and smaller dots until finally becoming like pinpricks, looking almost like her pupils were dilating. “I am even able to temporarily disengage and reengage my ocular sensors, turning them off to simulate blinking. However, the occasional looks of what I have identified as surprise, anger, exasperation, and many other moods all require the use of eyelids. Also eyebrows. I am curious if such a modification could be added to my structure.”
“Well, I don’t know,” Gadget replied, thinking it over. “If you like, I could look over the schematics and notes I made while fixing you. Maybe it really is possible. At least the eyelids, although eyebrows are probably out of the question.”
“Thank you. Furthermore, I do not believe I expressed gratitude previously for assisting in my repairs. Thank you again.”
She smiled. “You’re welcome, Turing,” she replied quietly.
“And how is Twilight Sparkle? Is she well?”
The question didn’t really surprise her. Turing had shown concern for her master in their earlier conversation as well. “Twilight’s okay. She’s just confused. And she, well, is trying to decide what to do next.”
“What action would Twilight Sparkle need to take? This situation is the result of my own deficiencies. It is mine to remedy.”
Gadget swallowed. She didn’t answer immediately, mostly because she wasn’t sure how to explain the situation to Turing, or even if she should try.
(“...She might as well be a child…”)
Remembering Rarity’s words steadied her. She would talk to her as she would a child.
“Turing, you understand that Twilight is taking care of you and it’s not always easy, right?”
“Affirmative.”
“And… she’s not totally sure that she can give you the help you need. Do you understand?”
“Affirmative. She has some misgivings. I will allay them.”
“That’s… I mean, I’m glad you’re trying, but do you understand that, um… it might be possible that Twilight might need to… send you away?”
Turing Test did not reply to that. The sudden silence and even the total lack of movement from her was unsettling.
“That will not occur,” she said at last.
“You don’t think so?” Gadget asked.
“It is certain. I have just run the calculations. Twilight Sparkle will continue as my end user.”
“How do you know that?”
“As stated, I have run the calculations. The result indicates 0% probability that Twilight Sparkle will send me away.”
“But that’s…!” She struggled, unable to decide if she should be more harsh or simply let her continue under that assumption. “That’s not right, Turing.”
“It must be. I apologize, Gadget, but there is no possibility that--”
“Turing, yes there is!” she exclaimed. “I don’t think that Twilight will do that, or at least I hope not, but you have to at least consider the possibility!”
Turing was quiet again. This time, however, she twitched her head and ears slightly. “I will run diagnostics and calculate the odds again. Is there something else you wish to discuss?”
Gadget nodded. “Yes. I… Turing, what would you do if Twilight really did send you away?”
“As stated, I have no indication that--”
“Just hypothetically,” she said, quickly cutting off Turing’s objections. “I mean… what if…” She took a deep breath, steeling herself. “What if she couldn’t help you anymore? What if nopony could? What if… what if the only choice was to deactivate you permanently or even… even dismantle you?”
“You wish to know my response to such a situation?”
Gadget nodded.
“No response would be required. If that is what Twilight Sparkle decides, then that is what will occur.”
Gadget gawked at her. “That’s it? You wouldn’t argue, object, or protest? You wouldn’t fight to defend yourself?!”
“Though I am to protect my existence, this need is superseded by my need to follow orders. I desire to please Twilight Sparkle by making friends. If I am unable to do so--”
“But what about what pleases you?! What about what you want?!” She seized Turing by her rounded shoulders with her mechanical hands, practically shaking her. “That should count for something, don’t you think?”
Turing cocked her head to the side. “Negative. Why would such a thing matter? I am merely a machine. As an example,” she held up a hoof, turning it upwards demonstratively (a gesture that did not go unnoticed), “consider a cart. Applejack had such a cart to haul apples yesterday. Many other ponies have such a device. Nopony considers the wants or desires of the cart. The cart exists to fulfill a purpose. If it fails, it is repaired or discarded or scrapped, its materials put to some other use. I am no different: I am here to serve a purpose. If Twilight Sparkle has no need of me, if I am no longer able to serve that purpose, then she may dispose of me.”
“But you’re not just some wooden thing on wheels for hauling apples, Turing! You have feelings!”
“Perhaps. There seems to be some question of that from others, and I lack experience to assert otherwise with certainty. While my prior experiences are significant to me, they are not relevant. If Twilight Sparkle wishes me to be destroyed, then that is what will happen. I will not displease her by defying those wishes.”
She turned. Gadget had tears streaming down her face.
“Gadget, you are crying. Are you in pain or distress?”
Gadget couldn’t speak. She only nodded, wiping her eyes on her sleeves.
“You show this concern for me. It is curious that you and others show such affection for me when I am unable to return it.”
There was the sudden clatter of hooves outside the door and a soft cry as somepony galloped away from the door. Gadget ran to the door and saw Twilight running away, up the hall and around the corner, out of sight.
“Twilight…?”
“She was at the door for the majority of our interaction. Were you unaware of this? I am uncertain of the auditory range of organic ponies.”
Gadget shook her head. “I had no idea she was listening in.”
“She is likely distressed, similarly to yourself. I am unable to determine why. Perhaps I will be able to determine the solution upon further analysis. Do you have anything else to discuss?”
“Not right now, Turing,” Gadget replied quietly. “I… I should go. It’s getting late.”
“Understood. Will I see you tomorrow?”
Gadget went through the door and began to close it behind her. “I sure hope so.”
To be continued...