The location of the meeting was an isolated barn, but it could just as well have been anywhere. Two were meeting here today. One could keep the meeting secret from everypony, because the barn, though dilapidated, was a part of his farm and he could go there whenever he wanted. Nopony would dare intrude on the boss when he chained the door closed. They’d just assume that disrepair had made the place dangerous, and that wandering in would cost them their jobs even if they survived whatever falling boards or other hazards might be inside.
The other visitor wouldn’t be seen entering, or leaving. She wasn’t even there; but an image projected using the previously unexplored harmonic resonance of the magical aura of Gaia Memories.
“TERROR” the Memory’s voice shook the loose planks on the walls. There was a flash of black light, that cast impossible shadows of violet and gold wherever there was any decoration, and then there were two ponies standing in the same room, though separated by impossible distance. There were also two Gaia Memories standing upright, in slots in a pedestal in the middle of the room, with arcs of black and red lightning leaping between them. The pedestal only had a single slot, they both knew this, but the connection between their Memories was strong enough to create a connection to another pedestal, and a single Memory user to have their image transmitted over the impossible distance to where the other was waiting.
“How’s she taking it?” there were no simple greetings. They’d used this system enough times now that there was no question whether it was working.
“She misses you. Of course.”
“And I her. I have family here, as well, and my work is important.”
“You can return any time. I’m sure your talents would be appreciated.”
“The icy dopant is here. I’m sure of it. I can’t give up on my revenge.”
“She? You were sure it was a stallion after the attack.”
“I don’t know. It could be. But this week, I saw a mare who seemed to have power over ice, and I immediately believed I’d been wrong. That taught me. I can’t jump to conclusions.”
“Warm. I know, it could so easily have been Winter, but–”
“You know?” suddenly the red pony’s voice was deeper, and hostile. “Was that one of yours? I thought I was the only distributor in this town!”
“It was not. But we have begun reading the reports that the Champions of Harmony send to their Princess. They make it all too easy, Rose tells me everything they do. They have gained access to the Gaia Library, but they don’t even think to shuffle the books afterwards, and every keyword they look for is recorded in the index. It’s almost too easy to follow events in Ponyville just by looking at what they are interested in.”
“You know everything that’s happened?”
“I know you took a kick from an earth-earth metahybrid. How are you coping?”
“The Engine Memory cracked again, a piece off the corner this time. I thought you said it would be stronger.”
“There’s a limit to what synthetic Memories can handle. I’ll send a replacement with the next shipment. But I meant your mental wellbeing.”
“I can deal with that. She doesn’t understand what we’re doing, she’s only seen the unlicensed dopants, or the weak ponies who can’t control the power. Once we have a final prototype, she’ll be the first to understand.”
“I wish I shared your optimism. But my research is going well, and I believe we are coming close to the final evolution of the 4th generation Gaia Memory. The Fountain is already increasing its output of crystals, and I believe the birth of the Xtreme Driver is imminent.”
“Extreme?”
“The ultimate Gaia Memory, which with the right technology to control it will allow us to purge Equestria of all undesirable elements, and create a new world according to perfect scientific design. A world of true harmony, where everypony is the greatest they can be. When Xtreme is ready, our efforts will all be rewarded. We will not allow the mistakes of my ancestors to be repeated. No alicorn will be born to take the ultimate Driver from us this time.”
“I look forward to it.”
“Then is there anything else?” Both ponies shook their heads, moved forward, and retrieved their Memories from their relevant pedestals. The projected image vanished without fanfare, as if it had never been there.
One pony sat alone in a room she’d chosen for its solitude, and wished there was somepony to comfort her. The Gaia Driver mitigated the worst side effects of her Memory, but she was still acutely aware of how weak she was without it, every single time she had to place it in the transmission pedestal. She hunched down, shaking for a few moments more. If the Memories had been destroyed, if they hadn’t managed to unlock the crystals’ power, then her sister would be dead already. That was reason enough to believe that these things were the future. But out of all the negative thoughts that came into her mind, her worst fear was still that they might be going about this the wrong way.
As always when she was down, she forced herself to remember her sister’s body, still and cold on the rocky ground. Anything was better than that, she knew with a certainty that could drive away any second thoughts. She was determined that no other pony would ever have to live through that experience, and if some strangers had to die along the way then so be it.