Chapter 3
The two princesses were giggling as they stepped out of their vehicle that has dropped them off within the shipyards outside a private fence. A sign stood there with the royal insignia, a crystal heart surrounded by a golden crown, showing all that this dock was reserved for said crown.
“Hehehe, Ok ok, I got a new one,” Cadence quirks an eyebrow and looks over to Twilight, “What runs but has no legs, lay on a bed but does not sleep, aaand has a mouth but does not speak?”
Twilight puts her hoof up to her chin as her brow scrunched up in concentration.
“Hmmm… I know I’ve heard this one before… Is it, a river?”
“Oh poo,” Cadence pouted, “Was hoping that would stump you.” She gives her sister-in-law a mock glare, “You’re not cheating are you?”
“Pfft, I don’t have to cheat. I’m just good at riddles.”
As they walked up to the gate, the two noticed a small crowd waiting for them. The group of ponies and one human noticed them too, and as they approached they greeted them half way.
“Mother! There you are!”
Cadence grinned broadly as she walked up to her daughter, “Starshine! What are you doing here?”
The middle aged mare, known as Princess Mi Amore Starshine, was a light purple unicorn of wavy blue mane and tail with a light pink stripe. On her brow laid a golden circlet, showing her station. She smiled broadly as she hugged her mother.
Cadence hugged her tightly, “Not that I am happily surprised.”
“Well-”
“Grandma!” Two voices shouted when Cadence was crushed on both sides by a young mare and stallion in a blur of blue and peach.
“Moonie,” Cadence kissed the top of a blue unicorn stallion, “And Starlit,” she kissed the top of a peach colored pegasus, “You’re here too!”
“Well of course, we want to see the imprinting of a Royal Class ship in action!” The unicorn Adamant Moon smiled up at the alicorn.
“And also of course, we want to see our ever loving grandma!” Starlit Compass finished. The twins smiled big at her in their Naval Cadet formal uniform.
“Eh-hem.”
Everyone turned to the purple alicorn, who bore a small frown and upturned eyebrow, her hoof tapping the pavement.
“Auntie!”
The two cadet officers rushed Twilight who giggled and hugged the two of them.
“Oooh, it’s so good to see you two. How are my two brave nephews?”
“We’re good! Only another three months till we’re out of the academy-”
“-And we can get assigned to a ship!”
“Hehe, well good for you. I remember when Shiny finally graduated, he was so proud,” she smiled broadly and beamed at them, “And I’m sure he’d be just as proud of you.”
The two smiled and blushed, scuffing their hooves as they thought of their idle and grandfather praising them.
A clearing of a throat off to the side brought everypony’s attention to a brown stallion with a black mane, an old wooden sail ship that was half in construction bore on his flank. He looked at them with a bored expression.
“Not that this isn’t… a tender moment, your Highnesses,” Logic said, “But I do have a schedule to keep. So we should hurry along and get this ole girl running.”
Twilight giggled as she turned to the old ship wright.
"Sorry Logic, just got caught up in... The... Moment."
She finally fully noticed that standing next to Logical Course, was a tanned human male with cropped black hair and brown eyes. He stood around 5'10", a little short for today's average human. He wore a blue coverall showing he's a worker for the shipyards.
What really caught her attention was the black circlet that he wore around his brow, with part of it that branches off around one eye. If memory recalls, it was called an Iris. The hardware allows humans and ponies that wear it to connect with the cloud without needing implants. It's not as seamless or immersive, and is much more limited. The eye piece projects images directly into the retina and tracks eye movement for limited hands free control. Complement it with a tablet and anyone can function within advance technological society, albeit more 'clumsy.' Looking at the tool belt he wore he indeed had a small tablet to work with too.
Its common for ponies, since most reject the implants, but it's rare for humans as most gets them when they're infants. Only humans that Twilight knows of are naturalists, normally belonging to... A religion... 'Ooh'.
The human noticed her staring at him. Stepping forward with a small smile, he bowed at the waste stiffly, which surprised Twilight once again.
"Afternoon Your Highness. My name is Robert Fix-It. I am Mr. Logic's apprentice."
The princess smiles and waves for him to stand again, “Hello Mr. Fix-It, sorry for staring,” she scrapes her hoof on the ground, “That was rude of me.”
He returns her smile, “It’s fine, really.”
“I gotta say though, Fix-It? It’s an odd name for a human.”
“Hehe yeah, my parents wanted me to have an ‘Equestrian’ name. They were immigrants and moved here about 30 years ago. Got tired of being treated differently for not having implants.”
“Yeah I noticed that,” she nods to the circlet, “I am assuming you’re naturalist Mr. Fix-It?”
“Indeed, and Robert is fine, though my friends call me Bob. I don’t know why though. But yes we’re Catholic, my family have never even had any genetic modifications.” He puffs his chest out proudly, “100% grade A human.”
“Impressive. Personally while I feel that what humans, and ourselves, have accomplished is progress to a better end. I can’t help but admire your families and those like you who face against such odds and hold onto what they believe in.”
Cadence came up alongside Twilight with and with a raised eyebrow, whispers to her, “Oh really? Coming from the princess who was preaching about progress necessity earlier?”
“Sshh, I didn’t mean it like that,” Twilight whispered back.
“Did too.”
Did not.”
“Did too!”
“Did not!”
Cough
The two of them turned to Logical Course with guilty smiles on their face. Logic sighed, “Can we please get a move on? I got magic capacitors that I need to oversee the replacement of on a freighter on the other side of the shipyards in an hour.” He pulls out a tablet and with a stylus in his teeth he tapped it a couple times, “... Never mind, in 45 minutes! So if you don’t mind let’s get it over with.” He turned back towards the gate and started to lead the group onwards.
Twilight once again whispers to Cadence, “I see ole scrooge hasn’t changed.” To which Cadence tried to suppress a giggle.
“I heard that!”
“Eep!”
Cadence couldn’t hold it in as she burst out laughing at Twilight's embarrassment.
“This is going to be one of those days isn’t it?” Logic grumbled to Bob, who chuckled silently as he walked beside his mentor.
~~~~~<('-'<)~~~~~