The next part of the exhibit, as it turned out, was a long, wide hall completely filled with automata of all shapes and sizes. As amazing as the previous exhibits had been, the sheer variety of machines in this room left them stunned once again.
“Welcome to the Main Hall of the exhibit!” Blue Blazer cried dramatically, standing on her hind legs as she spread her forelegs wide with glee. “In here we have a collection of more recent automata, stretching over the whole of the Equestrian period, including many from the most recent Golden Age of Automata started by Henriette Marellardet! Enjoy!”
The group dispersed, eagerly examining the fascinating machines.
“Blue Blazer!” Luna called. “Is this true? Could this automaton truly play chess?”
Blue Blazer walked over and saw Luna had placed herself before a tall, realistic-looking automaton with a moustache and a turban on his head. Before him was a chessboard, the pieces all set and ready to play a game.
“I’m afraid this is actually not a true automaton, Your Highness.” Blue Blazer stood on the other side of the thing, peering over its shoulder. “This is called, simply, the ‘Saddle Arabian’. It appeared to be able to play chess very well, but in actuality, the machine was moved by the inventor’s son, a natural chess prodigy, who hid in this compartment below the board.” Blue Blazer flipped a switch on the pedestal below the chessboard and revealed the empty compartment.
“A ruse?” Luna frowned. “How terrible that somepony would deceive others like that!”
“Perhaps so,” Blue Blazer said, glancing over at Turing Test, who was still following Twilight, “but it inspired others who wondered how it worked to think up new ways to make a ‘thinking’ machine. Even though this automaton couldn’t really beat other ponies at chess, it seems somepony was successful at making a smarter automaton.”
Twilight and Turing stopped by an automaton with a button nearby it. The automaton had a head like a young stallion, but the rest of his body was only a wire frame. Visible on its insides were numerous gears and below it was a large spool-like object with what looked like many flat gears. Before it was a writing desk with a fountain pen in a holder and a blank sheet of paper. Curious, Twilight pressed the button.
With several clicks and whirrs, the pony lowered its head, taking the pen in its mouth, and it began to write something on the paper.
“Oh, cool! Is that one of Marellardet’s?” Gadget asked, rushing over.
“Indeed so,” Blue Blazer said, coming over. “This automaton can produce any of four different drawings and three different poems. We think this one is right at about 100 years of age. The cams inside it allow it a wide range of movement and it has the largest ‘memory’ of its kind!”
“Incredible!” Twilight cried, peering down at the paper. “I can’t believe she was able to build this so long ago!”
Turing raised her hoof, getting Blue Blazer’s attention. “I have an inquiry, Blue Blazer.”
“Hm? Yes, what is it?” She smiled at the mechanical mare.
“Can any of these machines speak?”
Blue Blazer cocked her head. “Uh, well, some of them can sing notes or play instruments--”
“Perhaps I should be more specific. Do any of these automata display the capability to produce and comprehend speech as I do? Are any of these automata like me?”
Blue Blazer heaved a sigh. “No, I’m afraid not. None of them are as advanced as you are. You are a work of unparalleled genius. None of these other automata can compare to you.”
Turing was quiet for a moment, but then said “Understood.”
“Turing…” Twilight began.
“It is all right, Twilight Sparkle,” Turing said. “Blue Blazer did state as much earlier. I was merely curious to what degree I compared with my predecessors in this museum.”
“Wellll,” Blue Blazer said, rubbing her chin, “there are some that definitely resemble you in some fashion. For example, would you like to meet the original ‘robots?’”
Turing raised her head. “Please clarify: I was told these machines were classified as ‘automata.’ I believed I was the only one to identify as a ‘robot.’”
Blue Blazer grinned and beckoned for the group to follow her. “Take a look at these then, everypony.”
The group stopped and saw a series of mannequins. Two were frightened looking ponies, while the others were of ponies that were wearing outlandish-looking silver masks and silvery suits.
“How strange,” Luna said, narrowing her eyes. “This looks like the scene of some garish play.”
“Correct, Your Highness!” Blue Blazer exclaimed.
“Oh!” Gadget said, her eyes going wide. “Then these aren’t machines at all? Then why are they here?”
“These are original costumes used in the play Rossaddle’s Universal Robots.”
Turing’s head immediately swivelled over to look at Blue Blazer, her attention squarely on her.
“The play was about a group of artificial ponies that eventually overthrew their creators.”
“That is a common theme in organic literature,” Turing said. She turned slightly to Twilight. “Perhaps I could write a book. It would be about a robot like myself who was accepted by ponies and everything was pleasant and no bad things or major conflicts ever occurred.”
Twilight made a face. “Sounds fascinating.”
“Sarcasm detected.”
Twilight ignored that and directed their attention back to Blue Blazer. “But what’s the significance of this? And why the term ‘robot’ when ‘automaton’ was so common?”
“Because this was the first work of fiction to depict such artificial creatures as the fully functional, but independent, servants of ponykind,” Blue Blazer said with a wry grin. “You see, it was written by a pony across the sea in another language. And in his language, the word ‘robot’ doesn’t mean a machine pony like you, Turing Test. The word means ‘slave.’”
The group gasped. Turing’s eyes contracted and her ears twitched asymmetrically. After a moment, she replied only with “Understood.” She turned her attention back to the frozen scene before them, saying nothing else.
Twilight glanced over at Luna and Gadget, subtly darting her eyes over at Turing and giving a slight jerk of her head in Turing’s direction.
“Ah! I think I will examine this other automaton across the room!” Luna proclaimed, hurriedly turning away.
Gadget wore a forced smile, slowly retreating. “Yes, I, um… yeah, I also will do that!”
Blue Blazer trotted away after her as Twilight came up next to Turing Test.
“Uh, Turing… are you okay?”
“I am all right, Twilight Sparkle. However, if you are expressing concern, there is no need to worry. Blue Blazer’s information was unexpected, but I have no emotional reaction to it.”
“I, um… well, good for you.” She sighed. “I wish I could say the same.”
Turing glanced at her. “I do not understand why this seems to distress you.” She tapped her chin, producing the usual ringing sound. “Does this have something to do with our previous conversation after my inquiry ‘Is it correct to say that Turing Test is a slave?’”
Twilight drew in a deep breath. “I’d almost forgotten about it until now.”
“My inquiry was based on my misunderstanding of Spike the Dragon’s position. However, your response was ‘Um… no, that’s not exactly correct either.’ Since then, I have accepted that you do not consider me a slave. You do not force me to do labor and you respect me as an entity. It is true that you are my end user and thus may order me to do whatever you wish…”
Twilight opened her mouth, intending to comment on that, but Turing did not notice as she carried on.
“...however, I identify you as my friend, my mentor, and my caretaker. The term ‘slave’ is therefore unfitting.”
Twilight smiled and put her foreleg around Turing. “It is.” She turned back to the “robots” that stood before them. “So… do you want to stop calling yourself a ‘robot,’ now that you know what it means?”
“Negative.”
Twilight blinked. “Huh? Why not?”
“I selected the term because it was applied to characters in Button Mash’s comic book. They resembled me as they were capable of independent action and decision making. The robots here may have inspired the writer of the comic, but they are also independently functional and it seems that the playwright also depicted them as asserting their own dominance over organics. Although I do not wish to harm anypony, this is still an example of machines asserting their will.”
Twilight furrowed her brow, but then her eyes lit up. “Oh! You mean you like the term ‘robot’ because you associate it with machines with a mind of their own!”
“Affirmative. And additionally,” she said, turning to look Twilight in the eye, “it was one of my first choices. I prefer the term because it was the term I chose for myself.”
Twilight chuckled. “I can’t argue with that. ‘Robot’ it is!”
With that, the two moved on to the next display.
A short distance away, Gadget was looking at a porcelain mare dressed in an elegant floral patterned silk robe of some kind.
“This… is this from Neighpon?” Gadget asked breathlessly.
“Indeed so, Miss Gadget!” Blue Blazer laughed. “This is a tea-serving automaton, or, as they call it over there, ‘karakuri ningyo.’ It works with a wound spring and several cams and levers. If you add the water, it will boil it, pour it, wheel itself into a room along a track, and serve the tea.”
“Amazing… I hear they love automata over in Neighpon!”
“Yes,” Blue Blazer sighed, “but the machines are all mainly built just for entertainment. If you ask me, it would be much nicer to see this technology grow a little more.”
“Totally!” Gadget said, nodding emphatically.
“Though, again, judging by Turing Test, somepony might have already cracked the problem.” She leaned in, lowering her voice. “Just out of curiosity, have you all figured out who built her?”
Gadget bit her lip. “I, um… well, I’ve been doing research on it, but I can’t really share my findings,” she whispered. “Sorry. It’s classified.”
Blue Blazer nodded solemnly. “Of course. My apologies.” Then she looked back over her shoulder at Turing Test. “Still… she is a marvel of technology. Wouldn’t you love to meet the ponies who built her and find out how they did it?”
Gadget heaved a sigh and pushed her glasses up along her muzzle. “Absolutely. I’d also want to know what they built her for and why they sent her to look for Twilight, though.”
“Hm,” Blue Blazer murmured. “Not knowing something, having that technology right in front of you and being denied the answer… I don’t know about you, but I find it more than a little frustrating.”
Gadget made a sour face. “I’m with you there.”
“Gadget, Blue Blazer, Princess Luna,” Turing called, waving to them all. “We have found something of particular interest.”
They walked over and saw that Turing and Twilight had found a mechanical pony attached to a plow. It stood in a small rectangular pen filled with sand. Its steel shell shone dully in the lights of the exhibit, a patina of rust spots here and there adding to a sense of great age. Large bolts dominated the joints, and an open back allowed several long, thin tubes, almost like light bulbs, to protrude from its depths.
Luna peered at it. “Hm… I do not see what makes this so special. It seems less ornate than the others. And why does it have a plow attached to it?”
“An analysis of its structure shows many similarities to my own,” Turing replied. “This may have inspired the ponies who constructed me. Additionally, the bulbs on its back appear to be capable of converting unicorn magic to electrical energy. I utilize a similar structure to recharge my battery in the event of not being near a generator.”
“Exactly!” Blue Blazer said. “Pardon me, Princess Luna, but would you oblige and cast some magic onto the device?”
Luna glanced at the bulbs and then, horn glowing, cast a bolt of magic onto them. The automaton slowly began to move, its legs making a groaning, high-pitched squeak as it took its first steps. Creaking and rattling, the gears and wires inside it began to work in unison to push it forward. It gained momentum and started to pull the plow. When it reached the end of the sand, it turned itself around and plowed a second row. They noted that it was doing so in perfectly spaced intervals.
Luna’s eyes lit up. “Ah ha! Now I see your interest in this!”
Gadget closed her eyes, thinking carefully. Then she opened them and turned to Blue Blazer. “Does this work similarly to the writing automaton we saw earlier?” she asked. “Something that lets you program the size and area of the field so it knows when to turn around?”
“Exactly!” Blue Blazer said. “My my, Gadget, you truly do have a gift for this!”
“I agree,” Luna said. “I am fortunate to have such an informative guide as you, Blue Blazer, and tour-mate as you, Gadget.” She bowed to Gadget, who pulled her jacket up around her face, hiding it.
“There is one further point of interest, according to Twilight Sparkle,” Turing said, drawing their attention.
Twilight glanced up at Luna, squirming uncomfortably. As the others looked to her expectantly, she took a deep breath. “A while back, Princess Celestia told me that she once encountered an inventor who built a farming automaton. Unless I’m mistaken, this is that automaton. And, well…”
Luna was looking at her, a smile upon her face. Twilight swallowed, starting to regret bringing this to everypony’s attention. Unfortunately, it seemed that she’d already gone beyond the point of no return.
“She was worried that it would replace all the farm ponies whose jobs depended on plowing and tending the land. And so, she… she…”
“Allow me, Your Highness,” Blue Blazer said, bowing to Twilight. “Her Highness, Princess Celestia, spoke out against the technology, refusing to sponsor it and casting a negative light on all those who would have sponsored it. The inventor of this automaton had to close his business and scrap his machines, save for a few he kept on his own farm. His family donated this old relic after hearing of this exhibit, hoping that others would hear of how his dreams were crushed under Celestia’s hoof--”
“‘Tis a lie!” Luna shouted, stomping her hoof. The others all looked to her in shock. Luna’s wings were flared and her teeth were grit. “My sister would never idly crush the dreams of one of her subjects! If what you say is true, then Celestia only did so because it was the right thing for Equestria!”
And then, curiously, Blue Blazer stood her ground and merely smiled. “You know, we have estimated that this could have cut the amount of time spent plowing for the average farmer by at least a third and up to fifty percent. The time and labor saved would have allowed such a farmer to invest his or her time in other things, growing other crops, and saving on labor expenses to farmhooves who themselves could have been doing other jobs. We missed out on a hundred years of a more boisterous economy because your sister was focused on the short term instead of looking past her muzzle--”
Blue Blazer stopped as she felt a hoof land firmly on her shoulder. She froze and turned to Gadget, who had a tense look on her face and was shaking her head. Blue Blazer looked to Luna and gulped when she saw that the Princess of the Night was glaring at her, nostrils flaring as she seethed.
“Ah.” Blue Blazer bowed low. “My apologies, Your Highness.” She raised her gaze slightly. “I’ve spoken out of turn.”
Luna opened her mouth to say something, but then noticed the strained expressions on everypony else’s faces and managed to calm herself. Placing a hoof on her chest, she waited for her heart rate to slow before speaking.
“It is all right, Blue Blazer,” she said. Looking away, she added, “I was not aware that such things had passed during my absence. My sister was once obsessed with improving the technology of Equestria. It seems after a millennium, she has changed. I will have to discuss this with her.”
The group lapsed into silence, the heavy feeling after the conflict dissipating slowly. Then there was the sound of a ringing bell and the final creak of the automaton’s limbs as it finished plowing the little makeshift “field.”
“The automaton has completed its objective,” Turing observed. “The bell must be an indicator to signal completion. It is a simple design, but it is also effective.” She looked to Twilight. “It is difficult to explain, but I feel as though I share the strongest kinship with this machine than the others we have seen. It may be the design. Or it may be that it seems the most functionally useful automaton: it serves a purpose for the ponies of Equestria beyond merely being aesthetically pleasing.”
They all smiled at that, relaxing a bit at the robotic mare’s observations.
“However, unlike the farming automaton, I am both functional and aesthetically pleasing.” She raised her foreleg, indicating the amethyst brooch on it. “I could plow the fields of Equestria and look fabulous while doing so.”
Twilight rolled her eyes as the others chuckled. “I see that quick visit with Rarity before we left for Manehattan rubbed off on you, Turing.”
Blue Blazer clapped her hooves together, getting their attention. “Well, there is one last thing you might want to see, everypony,” she said. “At the end of this hall is a small theater where you can see a movie documenting our restoration efforts on some of these very automata you’ve seen today!”
“Ooh!” Twilight said, her eyes sparkling. “That sounds ama--”
“One moment,” Luna said, suddenly looking like a giddy little filly as a smile came to her face. “A movie? I have heard about these strange moving pictures but I haven’t had the time to view one for myself! You mean you have one right here in this very museum?”
“Er, well, yes,” Blue Blazer replied, keeping her smile in place.
“Luna, I have also never seen a ‘movie,’” Turing remarked.
“Then come, my mechanical companion!” Luna exclaimed, raising a hoof decisively. “We shall experience the wonders of the moving picture for the first time together!”
Luna and Turing began to gallop toward the small theater at the end of the hall. Twilight rolled her eyes again, following the two of them.
“Uh, Princess Twilight,” Blue Blazer called, “could you go on ahead of me? Just press the button on the wall inside the theater and the film will automatically start.” Then she put a hoof on Gadget’s shoulder. “I’d actually like Gadget to stay a moment so I could talk to her about some things, if that’s all right.”
Twilight and Gadget exchanged glances and Gadget shrugged her shoulders.
“If it’s fine by her, it’s fine by me,” Twilight said. She waved a hoof and ran off to join the others.
Gadget smiled as she watched her go, then turned to Blue Blazer. “What did you want to talk about, Miss Blazer?” she asked. “Is there something else you wanted to show me?” She looked around excitedly, wondering if she’d missed something in the large hall.
“Well, in a manner of speaking,” Blue Blazer chuckled. “I actually just wanted to talk a little bit, but I suppose I do have some cute little gadgets, Gadget.”
They both chuckled, Gadget shaking her head and placing a hoof to her forehead. “If I had a bit for each time I’d heard that…”
Blue Blazer rolled up her sleeve. On it was a device tied around her foreleg. It had a few wires and a tiny antenna.
“Ooh, is that a short-wave radio transmitter?”
“It sure is!” She pressed a button on it. “Watch this. It sends a little signal that notifies the security guards. See?”
Gadget looked around and saw that several of the museum guards, each wearing white shirts and little earpieces, had entered the room. One by one, each took up a post at the exits to the room.
“Wow, that’s… um…” Gadget paused. Something felt off. Why were they there and why did it feel like they were boxing her in all of a sudden? She tensed up.
“And now here’s another something I wanted to show you.” She beckoned a guard over and he held up something else. It was small, rectangular, flat, and metallic. It also had a glass vial on the side and a shiny golden disc on the front. The guard pressed a button and the disc started to spin.
Gadget’s eyes went wide and her blood went cold. A spell card! she started to back away, her voice catching in her throat.
“You recognize it, I see,” Blue Blazer said. “Relax, this isn’t an offensive spell card.”
The disc emitted a high-pitched whine and the guard tossed the card over at the door that led to the miniature theater where Luna, Twilight, and Turing had gone. A second later, a large, glowing bubble appeared, completely covering the door.
“Bubble of Silence spell. Neat, isn’t it?” Blue Blazer continued to wear a calm smile even as Gadget’s eyes began to dart around. She was surrounded. And even if she yelled, the Bubble of Silence would prevent her friends from hearing her.
“Sorry for all this. I wasn’t sure I’d even get a good chance to talk to you, and I had to take extra precautions to prevent 003 from hearing us. She does have such good ears, doesn’t she? And I should know. I helped design them.”
Gadget swallowed. “What do you want?” she managed to say.
“Tricky question, but that’s why I’m here, after all. Explanations really are my special talent.” She cleared her throat. “You’ve seen these machines,” she said, gesturing to the collection of automata around them. “You’ve seen what they can do. And you’ve seen Unit 003, or ‘Turing Test,’ as you’re calling her. Just look at the massive gap between that farming automaton and your mechanical friend. She is the culmination of years of research and development, the brainchild of a great many minds, and the defiant response to a generation of thwarted ideals. We are a group of the most brilliant ponies in Equestria, Gadget, who are calling for a scientific revolution a hundred years deferred.
“But what we want right now, Gadget, is something special.”
Gadget’s mouth felt dry as Blue Blazer rested her hoof on her shoulder.
“Gadget Giroux, we want you.”
***
The donkey calling himself Burrojangles stepped out of the workshop, pushing his janitor’s trolley before him, his camera back in the hidden compartment below it. He locked the door behind him and then started to push the trolley back toward the elevator. But the trolley didn’t budge and only then did he see that a huge, heavy hand was resting on it.
He gazed up, following the arm up its owner. The weathered face of Cornelius Vanderbull looked down at him.
“Oh, hey there, boss!” Burrojangles said. “There a problem?”
“Who are you?”
“Name’s Burrojangles, sir. I just--”
“No. Who are you really?” He leaned down. “I didn’t hire you. I know every pony in this building and I don’t know you. You don’t belong here.”
“W-well, to tell the truth, I’m kinda helping out a friend of mine.” He manage a grin, his long ears lifting slightly. “Didn’t think it’d be a big deal, I just needed a few extra bits.”
Vanderbull grit his teeth. Without another word, he suddenly seized the donkey by his ears and yanked him off the ground, causing him yelp in pain as Vanderbull held him aloft.
“Who sent you? Carneighgie? Rockefoaler? Or are you just some Luddite saboteur?!” He shook him roughly. “Answer me! What were you doing in my assistant’s workshop?!”
Burrojangles went limp. “All right, all right, I give! I’ll tell ya,” he said, his face falling. “I’m… I’m working for…” He muttered something, barely above a whisper.
“What’s that?” Vanderbull pulled him closer. “Speak up!”
The donkey suddenly became energized and jerked up, kicking Vanderbull in the chin. The aging minotaur dropped the donkey, who crashed onto the trolley, toppling it. The door on the hidden compartment fell open and the camera tumbled out.
The two froze at the sight of it.
Espionage! Vanderbull realized. He reached for the camera, but the donkey had the strap in his teeth first and dashed down the hallway with it, heading for the stairwell. Vanderbull took a step and slid on the spilled cleaning fluid that was spreading over the floor. He wouldn’t be able to catch him. But that wasn’t his only option.
His muscles bulging, he seized the trolley and lifted it over his head. Taking aim he reared back and hurled it at the fleeing donkey.
The trolley flew through the air and smashed into Burrojangles, knocking him to the ground and allowing Vanderbull to run down the hallway, catching up to him. Vanderbull saw that Burrojangles had dropped the camera and snatched it up. Burrojangles shook his head, ears flopping around, and gasped when he saw that Vanderbull had the camera.
The old minotaur held it up tauntingly and beckoned to the donkey who was barely half his size. “By all means, Mr. Burrojangles,” he said, drawing his lips up into a sneer, “try and take it.”
Burrojangles swallowed. He wasn’t crazy enough to fight a minotaur for that camera. He dashed toward the stairwell and the sound of his hooves clattering could be heard.
Vanderbull didn’t bother to pursue him. He was strong, true, but he’d been around four-legged creatures long enough to know that he couldn’t outrun one. Instead he dashed toward his office and found the button for the P.A. system on his desk. He pressed the single red button on it and began speaking, his voice blasting out from every loudspeaker in the building.
“Attention! This is Vanderbull addressing all employees: We have a spy and possible saboteur. He is to be halted and detained. If you see a donkey dressed as a custodian or otherwise, you are to stop him and notify security. Whoever does so will receive a 20% increase in their annual salary.”
The donkey calling himself Burrojangles heard the sound of Vanderbull’s voice over the P.A. system and he began to sweat profusely. He saw several others on the stairs and had to dodge them as they tried to restrain him, but fortunately they were all a bunch of wispy techno-geeks or fat desk-jockeys, so they could do little more than slow him down.
At last he reached the basement. He knew there was an emergency exit that he could probably get through. He made his way through the maze of boxes and crates and other things in storage, coughing at the amount of dust and mildew in the air. He at last made the final turn and saw the door.
He froze. Standing right before him was a tall, reddish-brown unicorn stallion dressed in a security guard’s uniform.
The two stared back at each other. The guard smiled. Then, almost casually, the guard held open the door for him.
“Better get going, sir,” he said, winking at him. “Oh, and you might want to give me a quick kick in the ribs. I’ll tell them you gave me the slip.”
The donkey shook his head. “I’m afraid not. Vanderbull will investigate every security guard. He’s no doubt realized that one of the guards allowed me to slip in here in the first place. And he’ll soon realize it was you.” Noticeably, his accent had vanished. “You’ll have to come with me.”
“Great,” the guard sighed, giving a roll of his eyes. “So much for the cushiest job I ever had.”
“I’m sure we can find something else in the group for you,” the donkey chuckled, as the two of them went through the door.
They let the door close behind them and shed their uniforms. The two made their way into the darkened alley by the Vanderbull building, then pushed into the crowd of ponies on the sidewalk before catching a cab, following the flow of hundreds of other ponies into the city, vanishing into an ocean of faces.
***
“So,” Gadget said, finding her voice, “you’re with the group that built Turing Test?”
“Yes,” Blue Blazer replied.
“And… you want me to join you?”
She nodded. “Exactly.”
Gadget narrowed her eyes. “No.”
Blue Blazer raised an eyebrow, but her grin stayed in place. “Oh? Are you sure about that answer?”
Gadget glanced around the room at all the guards, taking a step back, her ears laid flat.
Blue Blazer covered her mouth, stifling a laugh. “Calm down, Gadget. We aren’t here to kidnap you. We’re here as friends. If, in the end, you decide to say no, then we won’t force you.”
Raising her head, Gadget relaxed. “Th-then, I still say no!”
“Well, hold that thought,” Blue Blazer said. She pointed to her flank, displaying the proud ‘Q&A’ mark on it. “This mark is a sign of my special talent: explaining things. I’m not just some pony who snuck into the museum, Gadget; this really is my job. So, how about this: I will set your mind at ease and let you ask me some questions. Obviously, I can’t answer everything, but I’ll do my best to be informative.” Her smile dropped slightly and she looked at her pointedly. “It’s important to us that you come willingly. So don’t be afraid of us. We’re not your enemies.”
Gadget hesitated a moment, then growing bolder, loudly asked, “If that’s true, then what did you send Turing after Twilight for?”
“That’s classified.” Blue Blazer sighed. “But if it’s any comfort, I assure you that we didn’t send Unit 003 as an assassin. We don’t mean any harm to Princess Twilight.”
Gadget paused, considering her next question. “Okay… then who are you?”
“There’s a better question,” Blue Blazer said, nodding approvingly. “Let me answer that with a few questions of my own: What if I told you there was a place where you could do virtually anything you wanted with your gifts? What if I told you about a place where scientists, engineers, researchers, and technophiles of all kinds, ages, and races were working together? And then what if I told you that you would be free to pursue your interests at your own pace, be they your own projects, or to join in someone else’s?”
Gadget stared back at her and Blue Blazer leaned in, eyes blazing, her smile radiant. “Such a place exists, Gadget! I’ve seen it! I’ve been there! And that is the kind of place I’m offering to take you to!”
Gadget frowned. “I have that. With Mr. Vanderbull, I can do anything I want--”
“--Provided it doesn’t conflict with your duties as his assistant or involve gasoline, that is.” She shook her head as Gadget gawked at her.
“You’ve been spying on me?!” she shouted.
“Easy now,” Blue Blazer said, holding up her hooves. “I apologize, but we have to do our, well... ‘research’ on potential recruits. But I must say, your history is quite interesting!”
Gadget’s throat felt dry. When she didn’t say anything, Blue Blazer continued.
“Listen. We know your story.” She came close, looking her in the eyes. “You quit school, ostensibly because you believed you’d learned all there was to know. That might have been true, but also I’m betting it’s also because the other colts and fillies were picking on you, calling you an ‘egghead’ or a ‘know-it-all’ or just thinking you were stuck-up for flaunting your prodigious skills over them. With all that bullying, it’s no wonder you holed up in the shack behind your parents’ house and used it as your makeshift workshop for a whole year.”
She narrowed her eyes. “I know that pain, Gadget. I know what it means to be so passionate and have nopony understand.”
“I--”
“And then,” Blue Blazer said, continuing on, “you spent that year developing your mechanical limbs before you finally got them right, which in turn got you your job with Vanderbull Industries. But, when you really think about it, nothing’s really changed, has it? You’re the boss’s favorite, but you feel out of place among the older workers and engineers, and you know they talk behind your back, calling you Vanderbull’s ‘pet pony.’”
Gadget looked away. “Th-that’s… I’m not--”
“And while I’m not going to deny you have a nice position,” Blue Blazer said, coming up behind Gadget, practically whispering in her ear, “we both know that Vanderbull just wants to mold you into his own image.”
Gadget felt a chill run down her spine.
“So,” Blue Blazer asked, pulling back, “am I correct?”
“S-so what if that’s true?!” Gadget cried, whirling around on her. Her teeth were grit and her eyes were aflame. “Mr. Vanderbull took me in, believed in me, and taught me everything I know about business! What’s wrong with that?! Maybe someday I can start my own business with the things he taught me!”
Blue Blazer shook her head. “He knows you too well. Out of your gratitude, you’ll stay with him until he finally tries to pass the business on to you. And you aren’t sure, at your age, if that’s really what you want to do with your life, or even if you’ll be able to follow his example. But you don’t have the guts to say anything because you’re afraid he’ll be disappointed in you.”
Gadget shut her eyes. “Sh-shut up!”
“You’re saying it’s not true?”
The young mare refused to meet her gaze. “Next question,” she whispered. “You obviously did your research on me back in Vanhoover as well as somehow getting some gossip about me from Vanderbull Industries. And you did it without me or Mr. Vanderbull knowing.” At last, she glanced over to her. “Just how many of you are there?”
Blue Blazer just smiled. “A lot.”
Gadget narrowed her eyes, glaring at her.
“Well, I wish I could give you a more direct answer, but I have to keep some things a secret and, in all honesty, I am not totally sure. But,” she added, raising her eyebrows, “it’s more than you think. Unit 003 isn’t the kind of thing some mad scientist cooks up in his basement with a small number of assistants, you know. We’re a movement. A growing movement. And we are in places you can’t imagine.”
Hugging herself, Gadget let that sink in. They could be anywhere. They could be everywhere. “Okay, then here’s my next question,” she said, taking a deep breath to steady her nerves. “Of all the ponies you could have gone after, why me?”
Blue Blazer walked around her, circling her slowly. “Well, first, it was at the behest of a certain pony. He’s a trusted associate of ours. I believe you know him as ‘Fine Print.’”
Gadget stiffened, her ears going straight up. “Wh-what? What about him?”
“He told us all about the brilliant - and cute! - young mare he met in Ponyville,” she said. At the word “cute,” Gadget’s cheeks turned bright red. Blue Blazer took Gadget’s hoof in her own, looking into her eyes, her expression solemn, almost sad. “He still cares for you. He wanted you to know that.”
Practically snarling, Gadget snatched her hoof back. “Cares for me?! He tried to wipe my friend’s memory and then he electrocuted me! Y-you can tell him the feeling’s not mutual!”
Blue Blazer sat, crossing her forelegs, with a smirk on her face. “You’re blushing, you know.”
Gadget turned away. “He hurt me. And he betrayed my trust.” She hugged herself, fighting the lump in her throat. “I really thought he was special. And he lied, used me, and treated Turing like… like some object! I won’t forgive him!”
She let out a sigh. “The offer is open regardless of your feelings about ‘Fine Print.’ And I realize you probably don’t trust us after ‘spying’ on you. But let me assure you: we aren’t trying to blackmail you and we aren’t after your research. We respect every scientist’s right to his or her own data. We only want what you’re willing to bring to the table.
“And that brings me to the second part of my answer about why we’re interested in you.” She smiled. “Gadget, your dedication is nearly unmatched, and your accomplishment at such a young age - creating the most advanced artificial prosthesis ever and managing to repair an advanced machine like 003 almost unaided, among other things - makes you a prime candidate for our organization.” She put her hoof to her chest. “We are not the bad guys here. We want to help you. We want to help everypony.”
“Then here’s a question for you!” Gadget shouted, her eyes ablaze. “Why the hay would I ever betray my friends by joining their enemies?!”
Blue Blazer rolled her eyes, letting out a loud groan. “‘Friends?’ What friends?!” she exploded. “Unit 003, for all the personality she’s managed to simulate, is still just a machine. She’s a collection of parts, and proud of her as we are, the bottom line is that she isn’t a living thing and she never will be! And furthermore the only reason you’re friends with Princess Twilight is because you helped fix her pet robot.” She shook her head, rubbing her temples. “And you want to stay with Vanderbull because you think he’s your friend? That old robber baron might have helped you grow into what you are now, but his time is already coming to an end.
“I mean, really… trains? We’re already looking toward the next big thing, and I’m willing to bet you are too. You’re ready for something new and he’s just holding you back! You’re in the prime time of your life, Gadget! It’s time to move on!”
Gadget’s knees felt weak. She felt hot, angry tears well up and spill down her cheeks. “No… s-stop it and leave me alone!”
Blue Blazer watched as Gadget slumped to her haunches and removed her glasses, trying to wipe her eyes with the sleeves of her jacket. Frowning, she sat next to Gadget and put her foreleg over her shoulder. “I know it hurts. I know how I felt when I first learned the truth.”
“The… truth?” Gadget managed to whisper.
“Should I count that as a question?” Blue Blazer asked, chuckling to herself. “Yes, Gadget, the truth. I realized that this country needs to stop living in the past. Those like Vanderbull and Celestia once upheld progress and furthered the cause of science. But now they’re just in the way. It is our time, Gadget. It is your time. Just say the word and we can leave right now. I’ll take you to a wonderful place where you can make some real friends: other brilliant ponies like you who will adore you for your beautiful mind! Come help us build the future.”
The young inventor sniffled, still trying to regain her composure. “What sort of future? Just what is all this about?”
“I can’t say too much right now, obviously. However,” she said, taking on a dreamy, far-off look, “I can say that it will be absolutely fantastic. Unit 003 could just be the beginning! We envision a world where nopony has to toil or suffer or go hungry and where machines have freed the modern Equestrian to do anything he or she wants as automata like 003 shoulder our burdens! We could use the technology we’re developing to heal the sick, enable the powerless, and connect the ponies across the nation to each other, all without anypony to hold us back! Just come with me and you can be part of it all!”
Gadget took a deep breath, still sniffling a little, and gently pushed Blue Blazer back as she rose to her hooves. “I see. I understand now.”
Blue Blazer raised her chin. “Very well then.” She glanced over at the exit. “We don’t have much time. Let’s--”
“My answer’s still no.”
The whole room froze. The security guards watching all this gawked at her, as did Blue Blazer.
Gadget took a deep breath, steadying herself, but she wore a proud smile. “I may not know who you really are, but at least I know a little more about you. You can pretend you’re just trying to live in freedom or benevolently working toward some great future, but you sent Turing Test after Twilight for some reason, and you wouldn’t have done that if you were content to mind your own business. Not to mention that you’ve probably sent spies to Vanderbull Industries and who knows how many other places. If you were really so benevolent, you wouldn’t be hiding and sneaking around. My Papa always told me that ponies who hide have something to hide. Whatever you’re planning, it won’t work. I’ll make sure of that myself!”
Blue Blazer grit her teeth. “You’re a fool, Gadget,” she hissed. “You’re giving up the best opportunity of your life for a handful of so-called ‘friends!’”
“And you’re just like Fine Print,” Gadget said, tossing her messy brown mane back. “You may have helped build Turing Test, you may even be in awe of her and what she can do, but if you can see her, talk to her, and still not accept that she has the capacity for real friendship, then you’re not as smart as you think you are. She is my friend, and if she’s what helped me and Twilight become friends too, then I don’t see anything wrong with that!”
Blue Blazer scoffed at that, wearing a sour expression. “So you’ll continue being that old minotaur’s lackey for their sake?”
She shook her head. “I’m no lackey. I’m Gadgette Fabienne Giroux, and I choose to ally myself with Mr. Vanderbull because I believe in him as a friend too. And if the time ever comes when I strike out on my own, I’ll do it for my sake, not yours.”
Blue Blazer groaned, lowering her head. “It’s a real shame, but if that’s what you’ve decided, then there’s nothing else to talk about.”
She nodded to a nearby guard, a unicorn who suddenly drew out a syringe.
“H-hey, what gives?” Gadget exclaimed, eyeing the needle.
“We’re leaving Manehattan. We’d hoped you’d come with us, but if you aren’t, then we can’t just leave you to warn Twilight and Luna. Just relax and in an hour or so, you’ll wake up as though nothing ever happened, with the last hour completely faded from your memory.”
Gadget backed up and was suddenly seized by two guards, a stallion and a mare, who held her by the forelegs. The other guard approached with the syringe.
“L-let me go!” she screamed.
“Just stay still now,” the guard said, raising the syringe.
“Y-you know,” Gadget stammered, eyes fixed on the needle, “I can tell you something else about the Point Dexter, since you’re interested in it.”
Blue Blazer sniffed. “Oh? And that is?”
“It runs on my earth pony magic, but it takes an awful lot to support the heavy metal limbs and extend it out from my body like that. Which means I had to train myself to use my magic and build it up just to use the mechanical arms as well as I can now. That includes exercise every morning, even now, and lots and lots of strength training.”
And then Gadget’s terrified expression gave way to one of steely confidence. “In other words, you probably shouldn’t have estimated me by my size.”
Suddenly she stood on her hind legs, lifting up both the stallion and mare guard on her forelegs off the ground as if they weighed no more than a feather, and then flung them both off, throwing them roughly to the floor. The confused security guard with the syringe staggered back, but Gadget had already launched herself at him, turning around rapidly and bucking both legs into his chest, sending him sailing across the room, luckily just missing a display case with one of the automata in it. Having dropped the syringe, it now flipped through the air and Gadget swatted it away, sending it sailing across the room, right at the Bubble of Silence.
Blue Blazer watched in slack-jawed horror as the magical bubble burst with a loud pop.
No sooner did that happen than a horde of guards swarmed over Gadget, trying to subdue her. Even with so many ponies trying to take her down, Gadget kept fighting, throwing them off and refusing to be dragged to the ground. As one guard tried to cover her mouth, she elbowed him in the ribs hard enough to break bone and she raised her head, gasping for air.
“Twilight, Turing, Luna, help!!”
A moment later, all three of them appeared in a burst of light as Twilight teleported them into the room.
“Gadget?!” Twilight exclaimed, seeing half a dozen guards trying to subdue the small mare.
“They’re with the group that built Turing Test!” Gadget cried, using the moment to break free from the guards’ grip. She flung a hoof at them all. “They’re plotting against Equestria!”
It only took a second for Twilight, Turing, and Luna to understand and they all faced down the security guards, heads lowered and backs arched.
Luna’s nostrils flared, her expression livid. “TREACHEROUS CURS!” she bellowed, her Royal Canterlot Voice so loud that everypony winced, holding their ears. “SURRENDER, OR FACE THE WRATH OF TWO PRINCESSES OF EQUESTRIA AND A PONY WROUGHT FROM IRON!”
“Correction: I am predominantly composed of titanium alloy,” Turing remarked. “However, that material is much stronger than iron and our combined capabilities should be more than sufficient to overcome our opponents.”
“YES! THAT IS ALSO GOOD!”
The guards all balked at the thought of fighting two alicorns and a nigh-unstoppable automaton. They all looked to their leader.
“Everypony, retreat!” Blue Blazer shouted. At that, each one removed a spell card from their shirts, pressing a button on the devices to activate them.
Twilight realized what was happening a second too late. “No! Stop them before--!”
A series of flashes was seen and the group of them vanished, leaving no trace. Even the few guards Gadget had taken down managed to get to their spell cards in time, vanishing with the rest.
“Turing!” Twilight cried urgently, seizing Turing by the shoulders, “can you replicate their teleport spell and follow them?”
Turing shook her head. “My apologies, Twilight Sparkle. Those devices do not leave a residual energy pattern like that of natural magic. I am unable to follow.”
Gadget heaved a sigh. “They could be anywhere by now.”
Luna put her hoof to her chest. “I shall alert the guards. We may yet be able to stop those interlopers before they escape!”
As Luna teleported, Gadget dashed to Twilight’s side. “Twilight, Turing, we’d better get back to Vanderbull Industries. Blue Blazer told me… well, she told me a lot of things that I’ll explain on the way, but if I’m right, then we have to get over there now!”
***
A few hours later, Luna entered Vanderbull’s spacious office. Twilight, Gadget, and Turing Test had all occupied chairs before Vanderbull’s desk. They all rose to their hooves when Luna came through the double doors.
“Your Highness,” Vanderbull said, bowing respectfully.
“I have just spoken with the Guard and the police, my friends,” Luna said, looking to each of them. “They are investigating and a national hunt for these perpetrators will be conducted. Unfortunately, there has been no word of any sightings thus far. I fear they may already have slipped through our hooves.”
“My humblest apologies,” Vanderbull said, getting down on one knee. “They infiltrated my place of business without my knowing and--”
Luna placed a hoof on his shoulder. “Please, Mr. Vanderbull,” Luna said, smiling gently. “Rise. As I hear it, you personally attempted to apprehend one of the culprits.”
Gadget jerked her head toward Vanderbull. “Sir?!” The aging minotaur turned away, his cheeks turning an uncharacteristic shade of red.
“And your assistant took down a number of the conspirators with her bare hooves as well.”
Vanderbull gasped, staring at Gadget. “Gadget? You did not tell me--”
Luna cleared her throat, getting both their attentions. “Perhaps we should instead share our information to see if we can combat these perpetrators before another such incident occurs.”
Everyone looked to each other, nodding their heads in agreement.
“Very well. Perhaps we should begin with their creation.” She looked over to Turing Test. “Turing Test, is there anything at all you can tell us that might shed some light on your creators?”
Turing shook her head. “My apologies. I have no data on anything before my reactivation approximately one month ago.”
Luna was quiet for a moment, but then asked, “Are you certain? Please, while I can understand that you may have some lingering loyalty to those who built you, I would ask that you be absolutely truthful.”
Twilight moved to Turing’s side and put her foreleg around Turing’s shoulders, causing the robot to look to her. “Princess Luna, Turing Test is my friend and she is loyal to me, her friends, and the ponies of Equestria. She has no reason to lie. If she says she doesn’t know, then I guarantee she is telling the truth.”
Turing bowed her head slightly. “Thank you, Twilight Sparkle. I value your trust.” She turned back to Luna. “I have spoken the truth, Luna. I do not serve my creators, whatever their purpose may be.”
Luna smiled. “Very well then. I apologize for doubting you.” She bowed her head slightly, then turned to face Vanderbull and Gadget. “And what of you two? What can you tell us?”
Vanderbull stepped forward. “Your Majesty, I have developed the photographs in Burrojangles’ camera. I had suspected his cause was industrial espionage, but now it seems he was a part of this conspiracy as well.” He went to his desk, unlocked a drawer and removing a manilla folder. Inside were several photographs which he laid on the coffee table at the center of the office. The others gathered around.
Twilight picked one up. It was a picture of a piece of paper with what looked like several names. There were also pictures of several documents listing numbers, maps with lines drawn on them, and one of a large bulletin board with several other papers posted onto it with pushpins.
Gadget’s jaw dropped. “Oh my gosh,” she whispered. “These… my investigation!”
“It seems,” Vanderbull said, glancing over at Gadget, “that none of these photos were of Gadget’s research or blueprints. None of her inventions were touched, the Point Dexter is still in place, and nothing at all seems to be missing.”
Gadget said nothing, but her mind was reeling and her heart was racing. Blue Blazer wasn’t lying. They didn’t try to steal my research. But why?
“If nothing was stolen, then what is all this?” Luna asked. “And what do you mean, ‘investigation,’ young Gadget?”
Gadget blinked, raising her head at the sound of her name. “Oh! Uh, well, Mr. Vanderbull and Twilight asked me to do some research to see if I could figure out who Turing’s creators could be.” She tapped on the photo with several names on it. “This is my main list. On it are all the possible candidates who I believe could have built Turing.”
Twilight squinted at the list. “Well, how did you come up with those names?”
Gadget began passing around the photos. “Take a look, everypony. I’ve been checking up on each of these places. Some are individuals, some are businesses, but all of them have some things that could have gone toward building Turing and others like her.”
“Analyzing,” Turing said, slowly moving her gaze over all the photos. “Complete. Understood, Gadget. You have been investigating those who have the resources used in my construction or those who had the means to acquire them. For instance, you have been investigating those who had access to titanium, which composes my hull.”
“Right!” Gadget held up a picture displaying a foundry. “There are only a few places like that in Equestria. And I also looked for other things, like places or companies that make or use thaumatrium. It’s very expensive and hard to make, but Turing has six whole jars of it to power her magic abilities. There are a few other things, like facilities that are far from the city or that have large warehouses where they could conduct testing. I doubt they got Turing to fly correctly on the first try.”
“Your list currently displays 25 different names, Gadget. Do you suspect each of them may be involved?”
Gadget sighed, shaking her head. “No. Some of these businesses are competitors and a bunch of the ponies on here are only on there because they’re rich enough to finance things.” Gadget gave her a half smile. “You’re the ultimate luxury item, Turing. Constructing you wouldn’t have been cheap. It would take a very rich pony, or possibly many rich ponies, to fund your construction. And honestly, this is only as far as I could narrow it down.”
Twilight gasped. “Then there’s only one explanation for all this!” she cried. “Gadget, they must have come to see if you were on to them!”
“My thoughts exactly!” Vanderbull growled, clenching a fist. “But even without these photographs, if they are associated with any of the ponies or businesses on that list--”
“--then Burrojangles will still be able to alert them,” Gadget said, her voice hushed, “and they’ll begin to cover their tracks.” She wobbled on her feet, feeling faint, and collapsed back into one of the chairs. “Oh no…”
Luna grimaced at the photos. “These conspirators have not won yet, my friends,” she said. “Gadget, though I realize you may not have arrived at a definitive answer, we cannot afford to wait. I request that you turn over your research to me and the Royal Guard will begin a nationwide investigation.”
“I have a suggestion,” Turing Test said, getting Luna’s attention. “According to Gadget, Blue Blazer made statements that indicated a larger dispersal of operatives throughout Equestria. This means they are skilled at evading detection. However, the complexity of such a large network would likely result in many flaws and weak points and necessitate a high degree of communication. By simultaneously investigating multiple suspected individuals, the likelihood of discovering something incriminating will increase.”
Luna smiled. “A wise strategy. I will recommend that to the Guard.” She then heaved a sigh. “However, I am afraid I must now return to Canterlot, my friends. The hour grows late and my sister will be expecting me. And, I… I believe I have much to discuss with her.”
They all bowed to her.
“Twilight, Turing Test, will you accompany me to the door, please?”
Twilight and Turing nodded and followed her to the door.
Vanderbull straightened his tie. “Please, Your Majesty, allow me to also--”
Luna looked over her shoulder. She was smiling, but Vanderbull stopped nonetheless. “There is no need, good sir, though your offer is appreciated. However, I would like to speak with my fellow princess and her ward more privately.”
Vanderbull nodded, bowing at the waist. “As you wish, Your Majesty.”
Luna left then, Twilight and Turing following her.
“Sir?” Gadget asked once they’d gone. “Um… is that true? What Princess Luna said about you fighting with that spy, I mean?”
Vanderbull grumbled noncommittally and refused to meet her eyes. But then Gadget spotted the small, hoof-shaped bruise on his chin.
“Oh my gosh, sir, you’re hurt!” She reached up, practically climbing him. “Are you okay? Does it hurt?”
“For goodness sake, Gadget, stop that!” he growled, pushing her away, his blush returning. “Honestly, you don’t grow up in Minos without toughening up a bit. I will be fine, though in truth I’m more angry that I didn’t simply snap that miserable donkey in half when I had the chance and let him get away.” He clenched both his fists, practically shaking with rage. “If I ever see him or any of those other traitorous vermin, I’ll…”
He sighed, letting his anger drain away, and adjusted his tie.
“Ah, no matter. It is out of my hands now.” He then crossed his arms and glanced down at Gadget with a grin. “And it seems you had something of a scuffle yourself. Would you care to tell me about that?”
Gadget looked away and Vanderbull’s smile faded. “Gadget? What’s the matter?”
The young mare sat with her head bowed. “I told you that Blue Blazer tried to recruit me, sir,” she said quietly.
He nodded. “Yes. And you rightly refused. And I am proud of you.” He smiled, but she did not raise her head to see it.
“Sir… what I didn’t tell you was that… I…” She swallowed and looked up at him, her brown eyes tearing up. When she spoke again, her voice was quivering. “I almost said yes.”
Vanderbull was silent, his gaze frozen, fixed on her. Slowly, he went back to his desk, sitting down in his tall chair, then leaning forward as he rested his arms on the desk.
“Sir?” Gadget asked, her voice cracking. “Please…” she managed to say, “please, say something.”
Vanderbull inhaled through his nostrils, taking a breath so deep that Gadget wondered if he would ever exhale. At last, he let it out and looked at her.
“Gadget, please go home.”
“S-sir?”
He looked away, his expression troubled. “Your shift is over. I would...” He paused, swallowing. “I would like to discuss this tomorrow morning. I will expect you at 8 o’clock sharp.”
***
Twilight and Turing Test walked behind Luna, who was silent until they got to the elevator.
“These things,” Luna said, making a face, “make me nervous.”
Twilight raised an eyebrow. “What, elevators?”
“Yes.” She took a deep breath and entered as the door slid open. “I feel that they could fall at any moment. It is one of the things of the modern world I could do without. I am glad Celestia has not installed one in the Palace.”
The doors slid closed and Luna relaxed slightly, though she was still tense. “I suppose that it is to be expected, though, with the long passage of time, that one could come to abhor such drastic changes as not having to ascend or descend a staircase. Or light a candle to illuminate a room. Or having a companion,” she said, glancing sideways at Turing Test, “who is not flesh and blood, but made of metal.”
Twilight and Turing looked at each other, but then turned back to Luna as they heard her chuckle. “Still, as much as I lament the time I have lost, I am glad to see the fledgling nation of Equestria grow into what it has become today. And that includes the technology that has allowed it to do so.”
The elevator dinged and the doors opened, allowing them to step out into the hallway on the ground floor. The large, open lobby was still somewhat busy, but everypony standing nearby cleared the way for the two Princesses, stopping what they were doing and bowing their heads.
It was only once Luna, Twilight, and Turing were outside and the Royal Guards standing by her chariot stepped forward that she continued speaking.
“While I cannot condone these conspirators, they may have some legitimate concerns. Perhaps if I can discuss the things I have learned with my sister, then maybe those concerns can be addressed before any harm befalls another.”
Twilight bowed her head. “I think that’s a wonderful idea, Princess Luna.”
“However,” Luna said, her gaze hardening, “I must believe in the goodness of my sister’s heart. If she has done something, for good or for ill, then it is because she must have had the benefit of Equestria in mind. These ponies act as though she is some sort of tyrant, but it was Celestia herself who directed me to see this exhibit with my own eyes and allowed me to form my own mindset. It may be that she is now reconsidering her own position and thus did not wish to press her own ideas upon me.” She paused, a slight grin on her face. “She is just and kind. I will carry that knowledge with me as I discuss my findings with her.”
Twilight nodded. “I hope you two have a good discussion, Princess Luna,” she said.
“And I am glad that our interactions were positive,” Turing added.
Luna smiled and then turned to face Turing Test. “Indeed so, Turing Test. I am glad to have made your acquaintance. Though it may pump electricity through your veins rather than blood, I believe you to have a good heart.”
Turing cocked her head. “Correction: I do not have a circulatory--”
“Turing, Turing, stop,” Twilight groaned. “She’s saying she thinks you’re a good pony. Or robot.”
“Indeed!” Luna said. “You are strange, but I am glad to count you among my friends.”
Turing bowed her head. “I am also glad. I hope we will meet again.”
“As do I.” Luna nodded to the two Royal Guards pulling her chariot and they spread their wings. A moment later, Twilight and Turing watched as they took to the air and the chariot flew off in the direction of the setting sun.
To be continued...
