//------------------------------//
// Part 01: Creation and Discovery 
// Story: Mechanist's Flutter 
// by ZekeDraco 
//------------------------------//

Mechanist's Flutter
[A story by ZekeDraco, Edited by digital-ronin.deviantart.com]

In ten years nothing had changed for the better, the machines we had were still automobiles and the occasional remote control devices. Roboticists were hired left and right for building weapons and were not allowed to pursue their own projects. Morris is a Mechanist; he devised the title to escape the stigma of the Roboticists. He took joy in developing little trinkets and toys that worked with precision and delighted people who saw them. Little devices that displayed a little light show, medium sized devices that could perfectly fold clothes, large devices that could squeegee clean your car (with some minor tweaks for different models). Though this seemed to make him happy, his machinations were all that he had.

Machines to his left, machines to his right; surrounded by machinations constantly. He stepped up his research by learning how to make his own circuit boards and microchips, being cautious not to completely fall under the Roboticist's stigma of a title. Innovations were made that opened new doors and new machines could be made, his efforts in meticulous crafting let him create hundreds pieces and components, that he often considered tiny little bones. A little project of his involved crafting thousands of little pieces and parts that when combined formed the skeletal body of a small dragon, that he considered a drakeling because of its housecat size. He worked with gears and motors defining set limits of movement for limbs, and prior to the final step created artificial scales of a deep blue hue. Finally, the implementation of the circuits and wiring gave life to the little being, the mechanist was happy to have some company at long last. So happy he named the mechanical drakeling Avustre.

The drakeling's AI worked well but soon it grew lonely because it could only be with a human, not another of its kind. So the mechanist made a second one, naming him Cifer. The two drakelings accompanied Morris wherever he went, often snarling at other passengers on the bus he took between home and work. This happiness didn't last long for the mechanist however, the drakelings started distancing themselves from their creator, hiding away in out of reach nooks and crannies in the mechanist's apartment, sometimes for so long they would forget to replenish their energy and shut down until they were found.

Morris felt alienated by his own creations, almost wanting to make more, but couldn't knowing that they would also start acting like Avustre and Cifer. One rainy day his niece had come to visit him, throughout her visit she was playing with a toy, a little pony that was shy, yet she cared for her friends and for her animals. The clock hit 5pm and with eerie timing his sister came and got her daughter, after they left he noticed that his niece had left the little pony on his living room table. He picked up the little pony and got ready to call his sister when his mind started wandering; he looked the little yellow pony in the eyes and grinned.

A day went by and he stepped out of his guest bedroom that he turned into a mechanics lab and over to his computer where he sat down the metal shell of a new project and began to watch an old show. Weeks went by and in his lab he formed the basic skeletal structure of his project. The head came together and fit perfectly on the frame, his handiwork perfect, allowing the full motion of every leg, every vertebrate, and both wings. 


Three months had gone by when he reached the first test of the AI, he had put everything into context, she would be kind, cautious, and would be a masterpiece. Performing one last check, he ensured that the completed head had a yellow coat and the pink mane of the original. He reached to the console and turned on the power, the eyes on the head achieved their focus and the iris' tinted Cyan. As the circuitry controlling the mechanical pony warmed up an automated greeting emerged from her, "Oh! Hello ... my name is Fluttershy."
Morris answered this greeting saying, "I-I'm Morris."
The gentle machine looked around the lab and asked, "Where ... am I?"
"The place where I create all sorts of machines."
"Machines? What kind of machines, Mister Morris?"
"Little gadgets, some time-savers, even toys."
"Toys?"
Morris nodded at her
"What kind of toys? Can I see one? ... I mean if that's okay with you?"
Cifer clawed his way out from under the table and Morris looked down at him. "Cifer?"
"Hunh?" She followed Morris's eyes to see the drakeling, "What is that? He's so cute!"
Morris grinned a little, "He's one of the smarter machines I've made. He can think like a little Dragonling."
She let out a grunt, then a whimper, attempting to get her limbs to move. After realizing that she could not even move her tail, she began crying. In a squeaky voice she whimpered out, "W-why can't I move... what's wrong with me?"
Morris' eyes widen a little, "Y-you're just stuck that's all."
"B-but... not even my wings..."
She turned her head just enough to see her own side out the corner of her eye. As she did Morris hesitantly reached for the console. In response to her mechanical appearance, the pony unleashed an ear-splitting shriek. Morris turned off the power via the console, and her eyes lost their color with the look of horror stuck on her motionless face.

Morris looked over at the unfinished pony and stared at her horrified expression for minutes. He sat down in a chair and and began pondering, he had built this machine and gave it a form of sentience, all in the pursuit of not being alone for the rest of his years. All he desired was someone to be with, and he found a caring soul or rather made one. Thought after thought ran through his mind, he realized that he had a chance to correct some of this error. She knew something was wrong, she knew she was a machine. If he could complete her body before giving her power again, he could try and make it seem like she was having a nightmare; but he knew he wouldn't have the heart to try that.


Over the next few months, Morris reviewed different designs for components, and determined how to make the proper pieces. Assembling pieces and parts as he continued his masterpiece. The AI was kept out of the body and baseline tests were performed to ensure that every leg moved completely, that a lightweight frame and a special device allowed her flight, and that even her tail could move. His schedule would not, could not be altered, he had a goal in his sights and intended to complete it. All the while, his mind jumping between questions about what will happen, why is he compelled, and how he can do this right.

He came home from work, and went straight to his lab; he was on a schedule and didn't have what he needed to complete her artificial coat. He sat the pony on the ground where she stood, sleeping, looking peaceful; his heart was pounding, he was hoping that this time would work better. Hooking a power cable to the machine mare he braced himself the best he could, moving closer to the power switch on the console. As the color returned to her eyes, she looked disoriented. "W-what just happened?" She asked.
Morris replied, "Just a little panic, that's all."
"Oh... I'm sorry", she sat down and looked around, "How did I get here?"
"I took the time to build you."
"Build?"
Memories of her previous activation resurfaced and she immediately turned to look at her back which is still mostly mechanical. She lifted herself up, and tested out her wings; soon enough the gentle pony was in the air, hovering before Morris.
"How is that?" He asks.
She softly set herself down again, hardly making a noise on landing. Her words were laced with disappointment as she replied, "It's ... fine ..."
"It's not the same is it."
"I'm...", She started saying, "I'm not really me, am I?"
"No. Just a copy"
She sighed.
Morris replied, in as calming a tone as he could, "It's okay, nothing to be ashamed about."
"If you say so... But"
Curiously Morris asks, "Yes?"
"N-nothing"
"You can tell me"
"I just wonder ... about ...", Her words became completely unintelligible as she trailed off.
"About?"
She tried to repeat herself but the words were completely inaudible.
"It's alright, what do you want to know about?"
After taking a deep breath she managed to spit out, "The other Fluttershy!"
"Well...She's not here"
"But... she's okay?"
"I suppose she is, I wouldn't really know."
"Oh... okay", letting her uncertainty get the better of her she kicked at the ground, as if that would somehow alleviate her worries.
"Can you move alright?”
She simply nodded.
"Good...Who else do you know?"
"Um... well... I - I don't know."
"Think carefully."
She whimpers, "I - I ... don't ... want to..."
"Oh.", Morris stopped himself from asking further questions and noticed as Avustre walked in with the Fluttershy toy balancing on his back.
She sees Avustre, "Oh! You made another?"
"Hm? Oh, I've made two drakelings, one to keep the other company."
"Oh, how nice. What's that?", She reached for the toy but Avustre backed away from her a little. "Oh... I'm sorry", she said, backing away in response.
A moment passed as Avustre realized she wouldn't hurt him, he let the toy fall off of him and nuzzled it towards her.
"Hm?", She looked confused by the gesture, until Avustre gave a small playful rar.
The confused pony looked at Morris who, grinning a little bit, explained, "He's being friendly."
Using her hoof to pull the toy closer to her, she looked at it, "It's ... me?"
"Yeah"
"Did you make this, too?" She staring at the toy version of herself intently.
"No, it's something my niece had with her.", Morris lets out a yawn, "I need to get some rest, that cable should be long enough you can wander my home. Is that alright with you?"
She stopped staring at the toy, and looked up at Morris, "Cable?" Turning herself around she found a cable attached to the middle of her back. "What's that for?"
"It's supplying your body with the energy it needs for you to function, when I get further along you won't need it."
"I ... need it?"
"Just for now"
"Oh..." She said, and sat down, wrapping her tail around herself as a child would do with a blanket to feel safe.
Morris looked at her for a moment, before wandering off to bed.

After spending some time looking around the room, the faux Fluttershy made herself comfortable near the outlet she was plugged into. After learning of her dependence, she was afraid to stray too far. Instead she curled herself up and discovered that even as an artificial life form she had the ability to sleep.
"H-hello? Is anypony there?", Fluttershy called out into the inky black of space. Never before had she felt so alone. No matter how much she searched none of her friends could be found. Eventually she came across a light, which she followed like a little lost filly. She felt she had no other hope in this bleak world.
The light led her back to the library. Excited she burst through the door, only to find it empty of life. Even the shelves were devoid of the ever-changing collection of books. She turned and looked back the way she came, only to see an equally empty Ponyville.
"No... it's not possible... It can't ..."
From the basement door in the library, she heard voices. She knew they sounded familiar. It was Applejack, arguing with Rainbow again. Fluttershy ran in the direction of the voices and found herself once again in the black nothingness, falling into eternity.

In a start, Flutter woke from her dream, screaming: "NO!"

The drakelings on the living room couch jump to attention, Avustre from a sound sleep, and Cifer with the chewed on TV remote in his mouth.
"I'm sorry I woke you two", Said the mechanical pony as she approached them. Once again hearing the voices of her friends the pony looked at the screen. At first she was unsure of what she was seeing. However, as she watched the artificial pony came to a realization. She did not want to believe it, but in a world in which a man could create artificial life as he saw fit it was entirely possible. She watched the stories that defined her life flash before her eyes, and felt the crushing pain of realization bear down on her. "It's ... all ... fake?"

The drakelings watched curiously as the heartbroken pony ran back to her life giving outlet, and gripped the cable in her mouth. No matter how hard she tried, for some reason she could not bring herself to pull her own plug. Instead she sat back and just glared at the outlet. From out of Morris's bedroom, his voice sounded, "What's going on?"
He walked into the living room, still in his clothes from earlier. "Flutter?"
She doesn't respond.
He hears the TV play the MLP credits, and snaps completely awake, "...You know...don't you..."
The smallest whisper came from the pony, "I ... tried. I ... tried ... to"
He walks over to her and kneels down.
"I tried to pull the plug."
Morris looks at her and pauses, "This is too much for a kind soul like yours to handle. All the memories you hold could only be complete if I were to build the entire world around you, and built all of your friends."
"It still wouldn't be the same."
"I know. You can't keep going can you..."
"How can I?"
"I was always told there is a way..."
"Not for me... Not for Fluttershy"
He felt a strong sense of sorrow try to overtake him, "I've built so much throughout my life, and could never bring myself to undo that work, I've rebuilt Avustre twice because of his tendency to fall from high places instead of leaving him broken. I can't bring myself to take you apart, to essentially take your life... All I could offer is an unending sleep."
Something seemed to change in her voice, "Do it."

Morris stood up and moved to the control console, he slowly input a code and paused. His emotions trying to overpower him and keep him from doing this, keeping as much composure as he could he looked at her once more and said, "Good...night...gentle mare." He pressed the power off button and then sat on the floor, bracing for what would happen. With the last of her quickly fading strength the pony curled up as if she was going to sleep, and closed her eyes. Minutes went by as Morris stared at the motionless mare, "No dreams await you this time... But maybe... someday... Things can be right."

6 Months later
The drakelings gathered around the hooves of the pony as she wandered out into the living room, she kneeled down to greet them as Morris watched from the doorway to his lab. She didn't have the memories of her friends, her personality wasn't as accurate, and that didn't settle well with him. The power core she had let her freely fly around the apartment as she followed Avustre during his bookshelf crawling, no cords and no plugs to constrict her movements. The only solace Morris could find in this version is that she was complete, not a single mechanical component to be seen and able to do things on her own. He went into his lab and cleaned up some cables and loose parts, putting them where they belong; he reached for a cabinet door and paused. Opening it he frowned at the sight of the still sleeping mare, he made sure she was completed so she could wake up one day. Though what has bothered him these last 6 months is that he never gave her her cutie mark, yet out of nowhere she had developed one of her own.