PRESIDENT ADDRESSES NATION AFTER ALIEN ATTACKS, ISSUES ORDERS FOR MOBILIZATION OF ALL NATIONAL GUARD REGIMENTS NATIONWIDE.
UN SECURITY COUNCIL CONVENES TO DISCUSS GLOBAL CONCERNS AFTER ATTACK ON US CAPITOL. COUNCIL CHAIRMAN CONCLUDES MEETING, ‘APPROPRIATE ACTIONS ALREADY BEING TAKEN.’
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WARNING: Access to this file is RESTRICTED to personnel with TOP SECRET clearance or above. Attempts to access this file without authorization will be reviewed and be grounds for TERMINATION AND/OR PROSECUTION. Distribution of this file may only be done with authorization from Cmdr. David Bradford, failure to provide authorization will result in TERMINATION AND/OR PROSECUTION.
PROJECTID: Stardust
DOCUMENTID: 043020150932
Attached notes by: Dr. Kim Ngo
“This is the translated document written by ‘Twilight Sparkle’, the alien specimen captured during operation HAMMERHEAD (link redirects to HAMMERHEAD mission files, authorization required) by XCOM personnel. The document is in the form of personal correspondence between subject ‘Sparkle’ and another entity known as ‘Princess Celestia.’ Summaries of the relationship between subject ‘Sparkle’ and ‘Princess Celestia’ can be found in this section of the Stardust files. (links redirect to STARDUST/GOVT/VIP and STARDUST/SPARKLE/REL, authorization required)”
Translation Start:
“Dear Princess Celestia,
I don’t know if you’ll ever get to read this, but I feel it’s my duty to record what has happened. If I can find a way back to Equestria(1) then I hope this can explain.
After you had returned to Canterlot(1), the Elements and I freed Discord(2) but I’m afraid I fell for one of his tricks. I know you said that Fluttershy(2) would be the most capable of reforming him, but he challenged me with a bet. If I won, he’d reform. If I lost, he would turn back to stone. I was so confident that I could win the bet since it was directly related to my studies on magic and friendship(4) but now I fear it was just a trick that I fell for.
The moment I agreed, Discord sent me someplace far away. As of this writing I am still unsure of just how far, but I suspect I may be on another world entirely. I’m afraid it isn’t a peaceful place like Equestria is. The moment I arrived, I saw three of the local inhabitants die to a monster. When the monster found me, I—[the following section is crossed out thoroughly and could not be translated]
When I woke up, I found myself in a laboratory. After some surprises and confusion, I was able to speak with one of the locals who called himself ‘Charles Shen’. In hindsight I should have asked what Charles and the others call themselves, since they certainly aren’t ponies(3). They’re bipedal, mostly hairless and have forelimbs that end in claw-like appendages much like Spike's(2). Judging from what I’ve seen in my short time here, they are tool-users and are extremely clever. I am actually writing this letter with an invention Charles called the ‘ballpoint pen,’ which is a quill with an inkwell inside. Genius, I know!
Charles also described his people briefly, and it sounds like they’re very much alone. They are very suspicious of strangers because they’ve been attacked so much. I can’t think of any reason why anypony would be so mean, especially to a race as clever as Charles’. Charles himself is very curious and asked me several questions on a variety of subjects. I think he also asked questions on behalf of others who weren’t in the room; he described a tool he wore that allowed him to speak and listen to others too far away to hear!
I hope I get to see Charles tomorrow, he’s the only friend I have until I get back home.
I’ll keep writing these letters, though I have no way of delivering them at this time without Spike. I think it will be a good way to record how things progress. In the mean time, I’ll do what I can to help Charles and his friends. I’m the first pony they’ve ever met, so I’ll do my best to leave a good impression.
Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle”
(1)- The location names described are ‘best guess’ translations according to subject ‘Sparkle’. The translations were initially completed by subject ‘Sparkle’ herself through nonconventional means. A detailed explanation of subject ‘Sparkle’s’ translation method can be found here (link redirects to STARDUST/SPARKLE/ABILITIES, authorization required), and a list of locations and a map transcribed by subject ‘Sparkle’ can be found here (link redirects to STARDUST/EQUIS, authorization required)
(2)- As above, the names of other beings are ‘best guess’ translations using ‘Sparkle’s’ method. A list of all current beings described by subject ‘Sparkle’ can be reviewed here. (link redirects to STARDUST/POI, authorization required) Illustrations by subject ‘Sparkle’ are available for nearly all entries.
(3)- The self-identified race that subject ‘Sparkle’ belongs to, which is further divided into four sub-groups. The species name itself is another ‘best guess’ translation. A rather exhaustive list of every intelligent and non-intelligent race can be found in these two locations. (links redirect to STARDUST/SPECIES/SAPIENT and STARDUST/SPECIES/NONSAPIENT, authorization required). Illustrations by subject ‘Sparkle’ are available for the majority of entries.
(4)- Subject ‘Sparkle’ has repeatedly referenced the ‘power of friendship’ and other similar concepts repeatedly. While entirely speculation, it is theorized that subject ‘Sparkle’s’ species is passively telepathic and gains strength or cohesion in numbers. Without a larger sample size this only remains speculation.
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RESEARCH REPORT
Codename: Avalon
Project Goal: Interrogate ‘Unicorn’ retrieved during Operation Hammerhead, 04/02/2015
Project Status: SUSPENDED (04/02/2015)
Attached notes by: Dr. Moira Vahlen
Interrogation of the subject commenced upon its regaining consciousness, but the subject was able to escape its cell through unconventional means. Standard containment procedure was set in place, but before the security team could subdue the subject, Dr Charles Shen was able to contact and establish communications with the subject. The means of communications between Shen and the subject is currently unknown but he reports that the subject is not hostile and very cooperative. Based on that statement and other evidence, Avalon is suspended, and Stardust will take its place to research this apparently willing subject and its abilities.
Personal notes:
I can appreciate how exciting this is, but Shen should go play with his toys in engineering and mind his own business. The research and interrogation of alien subjects is the purview of my team, and he overstepped his bounds by volunteering to interact with the subject. On THAT note, I swear that old man has a death wish for even volunteering in the first place. Entering an area alone with an alien with unknown capabilities was foolish in the extreme. Even an unarmed Sectoid is dangerous due to its mental powers, and the subject…this ‘Twilight’ has proven to have powers that are an order of magnitude more dangerous than the diminutive aliens that first attacked in Europe.
It is more frustrating that Shen suggested modifying the nearly-completed science lab to house ‘Twilight’ as well as conduct future research on it. Drs Ngo and Mills were instantly enamored with the idea, much to my aggravation. Yes, I believe Shen’s evaluation of the specimen’s powers being too great for current facilities to contain. I am also forced to agree with Shen’s assessment that if the specimen were hostile then it would result in significant bloodshed attempting to subdue it by force. ‘A more subtle approach,’ is what Shen said.
I may be opposed to the idea of an alien in the XCOM facility that’s not in Containment, but I would be lying if I didn’t at least acknowledge the potential benefits that this might provide. The specimen has demonstrated a mastery of an ability capable of effects commonly known as ‘telekinesis,’ ‘translation,’ illumination and ’teleportation.’ I’m quite certain that there’s a more rational explanation than what it told Shen. His initial translation after first contact was ‘magic’ and I nearly hit him with my tablet. There has to be a more rational explanation, and I will be the one to find it.
I don’t think I’ll ever tell the others this, but I am a little bit excited at the prospect of Stardust. It’s not every day that a scientist can meet a being that can violate the laws of physics at the wave of a hand, or horn in this case. Well, not without risking life and limb in the process these days. Kim is ecstatic about the prospect of speaking with the subject and learning about an entirely alien culture. Joel has been grinning like an idiot after Shen’s disclosure at the myriad of sapient life from its home world. So long as they maintain the necessary work in other projects, I see no reason to dampen their enthusiasm. Yet.
During Shen’s debriefing and medical scans, I also took note of the subject’s nature as a self-described academic and had asked him several questions and was very curious in general. I’ve left standing instructions for Stardust personnel to answer any questions the subject poses so long as they’re comfortable with it and it doesn’t jeopardize the safety of the project or this world in general.
My chief concern (out of the myriad of concerns brought up by Stardust) is the means in which the specimen can understand us, and what she did to allow Shen to understand her. His translated explanation involved the bridging of concepts between two separate languages, but I am still convinced that this ability may be misused to pull information from a person’s mind. I’ve instituted mandatory daily screenings for both physical and psychological changes for anyone that spends time with the subject.
The others may be all for it but I will NOT let this ‘translation spell’ be cast upon me.
------
CONSTRUCTION REPORT
Construction/Modification: Science Lab
Construction Goal: Convert B3F Science Lab for the purposes of Project Stardust
Estimated completion: 12 Hrs.
Attached notes by: Dr. Charles Shen
After debriefing with the commander and the other doctors, it was decided that Containment was not going to be adequate for holding the new specimen for long periods of time. Containment was designed with short-term holding in mind, and it’s apparent that our new guest will be with us for a bit longer than anticipated. The lab was nearly complete when this situation presented itself; all that was missing was some electrical and plumbing work plus the interior walls and testing equipment. Some simple modification to the original blueprints will allow us to create something akin to secure living quarters for the specimen as well as ample testing space for its many talents. The most challenging portion of the modification is going to be the acquisition and fabrication of the monitoring equipment that the science team has requested. They’ve given new definition to the word ‘thorough.’
Personal notes:
I don’t know if simple words can describe what happened today.
To meet and speak with an intelligent being from another world... the mind can barely grasp the monumental importance of this moment for humanity. My only regret, which isn’t much of a regret at all, is that this will likely be classified for hundreds of years.
The alien itself was not at all what I was expecting to encounter. After the monstrous horror of the invaders, seeing something the size of a large dog look up at you with fear and hope in its eyes is jarring to say the least. She (I’m guessing it’s a she due to tone of voice) called herself ‘Twilight Sparkle’ and appears to have found herself in the middle of our war with the invaders quite by accident. She’s a student and a librarian and has a tendency to be extremely verbose in her explanations. I also saw a hint of the obsessive-compulsive as well, though I’m no psychologist. I just have my impressions as a father to go off of.
Quite simply, it was shocking how human Twilight's mannerisms were. Of course the science team didn’t care much about my personal impressions on her personality or body language, they were more concerned about the content of our discussions. Doctor Mills looked like a kid in on Christmas when I started talking about griffons and dragons, and Moira had a homicidal look in her eye when I tried to elaborate on the ‘magic’ that Twilight had described.
The fabricators are currently making all the necessary equipment for the Stardust lab now, current estimates put completion time at between ten to twelve hours. I still can’t believe David agreed…well, scratch that, I can. He’s always been reasonable when we make suggestions if our logic is sound. I still remember his rather vocal displeasure at Moira’s request for live captures, but he still agreed to it.
I’ve also been appointed the de facto contact for Twilight, at least for the moment. I’m pleased to report that thus far I have been cleared of any immediate suspicion of mental tampering by Medical, along with daily check-ups planned for the future. While it’s inconvenient, I completely agree with the necessity of such precautions. I would be mighty surprised if any evidence was found of tampering with my mind, but I suppose mind control is supposed to be undetectable by the victim until it’s too late to resist.
On that somewhat disturbing note, I have to keep reminding myself that despite Twilight's innocent appearance and intellectual mannerisms, she is still an alien capable of projecting enough physical force to destroy any holding cell we currently have with her mind if the mood strikes her. Perhaps there is some form of mental manipulation in play here, designed to encourage comfort and understanding around our new guest. It's quite a bit more benign than the horrific mind control we're used to seeing if that turns out to be true, but still a concern nonetheless. Again, those security protocols sound like a wise precaution.
I can tell the science team is excited despite the risks. About ten minutes after Stardust received its impromptu approval, Kim gave me an entire stack of paperwork for universal arithmetic and insisted I give it to our guest as soon as she’s moved to the new lab, to gauge her grasp of mathematics and other concepts. Since she wasn’t privy to most of our conversation I think that the good doctor will be rather pleasantly surprised. I think Mills and Ngo are both pleased as punch to have someone to actually talk to, rather than poking dead bodies and guessing at the meanings of markings.
As for my plans, I’m curious if her translation spell can be extended to written works. She mentioned her inability to read the paperwork abandoned in Containment, but she never explicitly said she tried to translate it. I imagine if I were to bring her a book, she’d find some way to read it. I guess I’m not so different from the science team; I just had to find something interesting to experiment with.
Good morning folks! Again I'd like to thank everyone who's taken the time to read and leave comments so far.
This chapter is a 'breather' chapter, in the format of research reports and personal notes from characters. This was initially meant to be provided at the end of the last chapter but I felt that would break up the pacing a bit too much. I also think its a great opportunity to reinforce the XCOM feel of the fic. I know I always held my breath as the countown timer for new research ticked down to one day -- CONTACT DETECTED.
Why are there numbers in Twilight's letter?
2536434
An excellent question, and one I had hoped could be dealt with using italics. In my original copy of the chapter, the numbers were superscripted and tied to the four footnotes at the end of the letter (akin to a research paper). The numbers weren't present in Twilight's original letter, but were added and notated by Dr. Ngo after translation.
Still, excellent question!
Edit: To hopefully make this more transparent in the future, I'm open to sugguestions. Paranthesis? Brackets?
Edit 2: I'll add brackets to the numbers. Sorry again for the confusion!
2536434 you know on wiki
those [#]
they mean refreces
So...Moira doesn't believe the translation spell can be used by Twilight for bad purposes?
You may want to fix that part a bit, it doesn't make sense.
Other than that, this is by far the best XCOM crossover with MLP that I've ever read. Everything seems so spot on, and I'm eager to read the next chapter.
2536969
Herpderp you're right. Perhaps I should start looking for an editor/proofreader...
I'm glad you enjoyed things so far. Here, have a moustache for helping me make things more readable.
Thank you for a great three chapters! I'm looking forward to reading more.
I love how you got reactions down- frightened curiosity mainly (on both Sparkle's and the scientist's part), caution, etc.
This story intrigues me.
I can see that the beginning of the story will be pretty much based on Twilight being a research subject.
I definitly want to know if Twilight can get the trust of the XCOM team and maybe fight alongside them? (Well, the story is tagged "gore")
Then again, I can also see it might be very difficult to continue the story at some point, simply due to writer's block. I sincerly hope that doesn't happen.
2537451
Thanks for stopping by, Dark! I think that's the main appeal of crossover fiction: Seeing how characters react to one another believably.
2537578
The 'gore' tag is more there for me covering my bases. The first entry had three people getting chopped up by a Chryssalid after all (nothing graphic but still blood). Future mission entries will contain similar content. It won't devolve into gorn but this is XCOM, people are going to die.
By "sentient", you mean "sapient". Sentient is one that feels; sapient is one that knows. Therefore, all animals are sentient, even those incapable of rational thinking (non-sapient).
2537705
An excellent point, though I'm a bit confused now that I dug into the definitions of both and found that neither really fits. Sentient is described as consciousness or perception of one's surroundings, while sapient is described as having great wisdom or judgement.
Maybe I'll just throw both words out and use the phrase 'intelligent life'. i134.photobucket.com/albums/q100/TheSteveslols/My%20Little%20Pony/100559__safe_twilight-sparkle_anima_zpsad77a311.gif
Jack Kellar is correct regarding the sentient/sapient thing. Also, this story is excellent so far.
I wonder if Twilight going to end up in the field tearing shit up or if she going to stay in the lab and work as a scientist. Given how she's already showing signs of PTSD after having killed one thing, and the amount of friendly damage she'd be capable of inflicting should she go into a panic in the field, it would probably be a bad idea to send her out there. Then again, I'm not sure how much of a story you'd be able to have if it's nothing but her dissecting corpses and plasma cannons.
In short: Awesome job, please give me more.
ahh xcom took down the observer ufo with only 6 dead
I'm enjoying this so far. The culture clash between ponies and well-intentioned humans is great. I also really like Twilight's recurring horror at killing the chrysalid.
This does feel unpolished in a few ways, however. The beginning was slow; I skipped most of it, and I don't feel like I'm missing anything. Your thing where you tell the same events from different perspectives usually repeats more information than it adds, and sometimes slows down the story. (Twilight's letter in the most recent update is the clearest example of this.)
I can't help wondering what sort of weapons Vahlen will be able to create with access to unicorn magic. Human telepaths with teleportation, gravity magic, and the want-it-need-it spell would be pretty terrifying.
2539642
Thanks for stopping by, Benman!
I actually agree with you on your points, that chapter actually took the longest to write out of all the ones I've written so far. (I've got the next mostly done aside from the editing and halfway into the next) I felt it was a necessary evil to lay down the foundation for both Twilight and XCOM's reactions to the situation. Future chapters will be more linear and with less overlap, though there may be some recap from another character's perspective via written reports in a breather chapter like above.
Considering what humanity has seen of the aliens' abilities and intents, Vahlen comes off as properly paranoid to me. Especially regarding the possibility of mental tampering. She (and the rest of X-Com) reminds me a bit of the SCP Foundation in her (their) approach, actually. It is very in-character.
If anyone can, she can. Really, it is simply an unfortunate word choice. Pony magic is functional magic, it can be analyzed and understood (as Twilight Sparkle herself would attest). As long as Vahlen can get over the fact that it has the label "magic", well... the discoveries should be interesting.
I am looking forward to seeing if you treat psionics and magic as the same basic thing just given different names, or if they are in fact two separate things.
Both would lead to... interesting developments.
I believe you mentioned earlier that as far as the humans know the aliens use of mind control results in their puppets being incapable of normal speech and action, but...
2537830 Well, by convention, "sentient" is absolutely any animal that can feel and respond to stimuli, ie. anything that isn't a sponge. "Sapient" means creatures of human-like intelligence - self-awareness, abstract thought, the whole shebang.
Also, I like that .gif
I need moar!
Ah, Xcom, great game. I can't wait to read more. Poor Twilight, already had to kill something to survive, she won't take it well when the Xcom inevitably wants to utilize her powers to kill more aliens. Say, can we maybe see scenes from Equestria, where the others try to find Twilight and probably get a look into Xcom?
I really need to play X-Com sometime soon. I have it, it's sitting on my desk, I just haven't had the wherewithal to play it because I'm kinda afraid it'll eat up all of my time for a week.
I do like technical stuffs, so this wasn't bad. Still wanna see where the story goes next.
I can't wait for Twilight to befriend a field team, get to know them well, and then watch them get horribly murdered on a mission gone wrong. Its just not XCOM if that doesn't happen.
Twilight might still see some action even if she only stays at the base the original XCOM started having base invasions around halfway through the game. The developers of Enemy Unknown wanted to have them but decided that they'd be to hard to balance to hit the "brutal but fair," difficulty they wanted with only one home base.
2539904
I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed Vahlen's depiction, I was honestly wondering if I was overdoing it just a tad so early in the fic but I suppose it's good to firmly establish her as the hard-liner.
As for Magic, I forsee this scenario occurring:
Vahlen: "Any sufficiently advanced scientific method is indistinguishable from magic."
Twilight: "Any sufficiently studied magic is indistinguishable from science!"
Vahlen: *eye twitch* "Are you mocking me?"
In regards to that video, I must admit that I had never seen the bad ending. Very interesting...
2539911
While doing some research I heard about an interesting thing called the mirror test. Interesting stuff. And the internet is made of gifs. Some are better than others. :D
2540937
I do have plans for the occasional 'Meanwhile, in Equestria' style side stories. I have at least one simmering in the back of my mind, though others may crop up as things develop.
2541109
Thanks for the excellent sugguestions! I had planned on scene changes in future chapters to be prefaced with the time/date/location stamp, which I can bold for further emphasis.
In regards to tabbing, I'm afraid that's a bit related to my style. I've read a ton of fanfics over the years and I've always enjoyed the 'double-return no indent' paragraph breaks. I will take your other sugguestions into consideration for future entries though!
2542124
Be a sadist, do classic difficulty, ironman mode for your first playthrough.
2542185
That's XCOM, baby!
And I found myself a bit dissappointed with the whole 'no base defense' missions. The aliens can attack anywhere in the world, and the one place they don't is the only base manned by the people actively capable of stopping them. I understand it's a secret base but the aliens can't be so obtuse as to not notice Skyrangers coming and going from the same location every time.
2542625
I'd rather not get beat on my first mission.
2542625
I'm sure you could break canon slightly to inject some original flavor. Or making adjustments here and there. As long as it makes sense and well-written, then all the power to you...
...
...
Now's my chance
...
POWER!!!
2543537
I did note that, and in that specific scenario there the base was at risk of exploding (or worse) due to hooking up an alien artifact and giving it juice.
The roles that Shen and Vahlen have fallen into in my fic were more based on several conversations that each of them have. Shen expresses regrets at not meeting peaceful alien life and is horrified at the extent of modification that the aliens have undergone to fight.
'Probe-'em-all' Vahlen primary concern always seemed to be providing a steady stream of meat for her dissection table and had no compunctions of using what they've learned from such experiments to improve their technology.
2542665 Just don't overstep your legspan and you'll be fine
2539904
Mind control within the game has been noticed in 3 different ways and each has shown that the individual expresses either incoherent or unusual speech patterns
1) As they are mind controlled they speak about something starting to control them before they return to a normal speech pattern and state that everything is fine.
2)They get mind controlled but fully state that something is controlling them and they cannot fight it. Most likely they have lost control over their body but can still preform basic tasks like talking.
3) Lastly they go into a blood rage effect, expressing psychopathic needs to kill while being directed to kill allies and not enemies. Shouting ramblings about murder and killing.
With the video you showed it was mostly likely the first example of mind control, also we don't know how long the council has been mind controlled so this could mean different effects. So yes mind control does have extremely obvious signs, thus the caution taken towards Twilight.
2543537
Both Shen and Vahlen are risk takers the difference between them is that Shen is practical thinker and Vahlen is a rational thinker. She is sensible in taking precaution to an alien that has show such power, expressing distrust but also curiosity towards it. Shen however understands just what the circumstances are, that this may be one and only time for cooperation between an alien. He is concerned about it but in his eyes its more feasible to talk rather than to destroy.
2536403
Noticed one thing wrong in this part
Yeah they have walky talky's, episode Read It and Weep
th00.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2012/039/7/e/security_guard_pony_vectors_by_pirill_poveniy-d4ov8pf.png
2545430
Thanks again for your insights, OminousTen! You're proving to be a very studius commenter!
In regards to mind control, it might also be useful to note that the mind control we see take place on the battlefield is immediate and likely through a brute force telepathic attack. It's possible (since I don't think the mechanics of mind control are described beyond the gameplay mechanics) that reduced telepathic attacks over the course of weeks or months would create a more highly-functioning puppet with less obvious signs of mental tampering.
I suppose one analogy might be a thief who breaks down a door and tears a building apart to steal something as opposed to a thief who gets a job at the target location to infiltrate it and leave with barely a sign he was there. Another analogy would be the infamous indoctrination from Mass Effect.
And thanks for the breakdown between Shen and Vahlen's thought processes. I tend to explain things with examples and analogies which doesn't always work, but your explanation is precise and easily understood. Bravo!
Regarding the radios. Excellent catch sir, I completely missed that. I sometimes forget how hit-and-miss the technology level of Equestria is. Is that the only time those radios are shown?
2546584
Yes it is the only time that I have seen a walky talky. Technology in FiM is so hard to pinpoint. They don't have phones yet they have projectors and x-rays. Can build a hydroelectric dam but have little to no electrical lighting. I would not complain if you didn't change what she wrote, I nitpick like a chimpanzee. Best advice I can give you about technology for ponies is to pick a time say the 1920's and just remove some technology from that age that you think best like cars or phones, your choice.
Also thank you about the compliment I love x-com, both the 1994 version and the 2012 one. So I will help anyway I can.
Also have to ask, have you read any SCP articles at all? because like Humanist stated the feel in this chapter was definitely similar to them.
2546660
I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one slightly perplexed about the spotty technology levels of Equestria. Your sugguestion was about right: 1920-ish tech level seems appropriate, with certain industries leaping forward while others haven't even been invented yet. For instance, Twilight's lab in Feeling Pinky Keen might have some advanced monitoring equipment (possibly equivalent to modern day tech) but the Apple farm hasn't advanced past the 19th century if I remember correctly, which I might not.
In regarding SCP, to be perfectly 100% honest I have not heard of it, aside from a MLP/SCP crossover fic that I've favorited but haven't gotten the chance to read yet. The more I hear about it the more I get the impression EVERYONE has heard about it and I'm just finding out about it now. When I was in college people treated me like a cultural luddite or some deprived kid from a 3rd world country because I never saw the Simpsons.
I'll definitely take a gander at some SCP stuff now, since that's been mentioned twice so far.
2547945Iron Will had a wireless headset mic. as did the goats in the episode Putting Your Hoof Down.
We've seen video games, digital watches, a laser security grid, cranes and more. It seemed to me that equestria has advanced tech in quite a few areas they just don't have much tech saturation into the populace. Or maybe that the populace just isn't as interested in high tech as humans are. Much of our desire to increase our tech was due to adverse conditions, from weather to disease to war and more, and with much of that seemingly non-existent or heavily curtailed in Equestria it's possible the drivers of some tech development never even showed up.
2546660In the episode Read it and Weep when Rainbow Dash is running through town you can hear the clicks of lights being turned on. While we do see the hydroelectric dam I thought that it was said that word-of-god said that all things run on magic, of course for all we know the dam could be a system that uses water to charge magic crystals instead of being a normal dam. Which would likely mean that any lights in houses would be magical in nature. Manehattan also had lightning all over the place.
Ponyville seems to be a bit lower on the tech saturation scale than some other places are. Or it could simply be they don't want streetlights in their town.
The weird thing is they are perfectly capable of building some things that they just haven't built. Flim and Flam are proof they could easily build cars if they wanted to but I suppose if you really didn't want to travel long distance what good would a car do you. And we know they have sewage systems as you can hear the toilet flush when Pinkie leaves the outhouse in Dodge Junction.
2559927
All excellent points, Thait!
I actually had an interesting theory regarding that. Perhaps magic is a branch of science equal to the branches used to create the complex (and eccentric) technology that we see here and there. And since Twilight is so good at magic she simply had no need to study devices that produce the effects she herself can create.
Again, thanks for the comment!
2559927 I agree with this point and also bring up another: Necessity vs. cost. The economics of equestria are still on a gold standard and I would bet that many services are still paid for by barter. Why would a pony 'pay' for a car which needs parts from all over the world when they can have a locally built wagon made in a fraction of the time and haul it around themselves? Why kill yourself at a job you hate when you can live comfortably on your talent for a fraction of the cost like Fluttershy does (we see she has almost no money when she goes shopping for fancy foods for Angel.)
In the end, it all comes down to the fact that ponies sense of worth and value, are very different from humans. The only pony who has ANY interest in money at all is Applejack and that is strictly for upkeep, materials she can't make herself (like Big Mac's saggy old plow) or services that would improve her family's life (Like Granny's Saggy old hip)
If there is no value in money, there is no drive to produce, no drive to produce, no industrial revolution, no industrial revolution and technical level stagnates and does not become wide spread. Resulting in schizo tech.
2537660>>2537830
I don't know if someone suggested that in the later chapters but maybe the word you are looking for is sophont? A bit more, if a bit rough on the language and validity might be here.
Oh, also:
Missed a parenthesis here. Though I wonder if superscript would be better there. Provided you can use the tags in the story. It does not seem to work in the comments nor in the blog posts though, so I suppose it's not going to work in the story.
And an apostrophe there.
I know it's been a long time since this was posted but I thought it might help.
Seems good so far, though I am always into most PoE fics, especially if it entails technological differences/advancements. Even if it's not much.
Actually, you have earned a favourite just because of that ballpen thing. I see it so rarely in any of the "Ponies, meet our technology" fics. Really, it's one of the first things that Twilight would obsess about given her position. Such a marvel of engineering, does not stain, makes even lines, holds its own ink, and is refillable. And yet we so rarely see her interact with such a common thing as a pen.
That and it reminded me of Stargate... and as you can see by my avatar...
I'm not really caught up, but:
Keep up the good work!
I don't think "the diminutive aliens that first attacked in Europe" really fits in. Why would Vahlen need to remind herself who Sectoids were, especially in such a roundabout way?
Ladies and Gentlemen the fundamental differences between Engineers and Scientists: Engineers will stop when they know enough to do their jobs; Scientists refuse to stop ever.
yay!
Vahlen certainly wants to do things the hard way, though given what's happened so far in the war it's understandable to an extent. I'm curious to see how Twilight will like her new room.
Typos/Suggestions:
Equestria1 then - Equestria(1) then
Spikes(2). - Spike's(2).
Twilights mannerisms - Twilight's mannerisms
Keep up the great work!
I love how Vahlen is all but breaking down in tears over the fact that she wasn't allowed to torture an innocent and frightened 20ish year old to death and then autopsy its body, and that Shen DARED to interfere in her area of responsibility.
Shen's report and Vahlen's are a good example of when the supplemental files work and when they do not.
Shen's report works. It tells us something new; it doesn't say a lot, and it probably could have been removed without impacting future chapters much, but it allows people unfamiliar with XCOM to understand Shen's job a bit better, and it allows us to understand Twilight's future living quarters a bit better.
Vahlen's report doesn't work. It didn't have to be a summary of the events of the interrogation. It could have added something new. Information gleaned from instrument readings, perhaps, or preliminary findings on how to best combat Twilight. Instead, it summarizes what we thoroughly covered in the last chapter, and in so little detail that it took me out of the story. What were Twilight's "unconventional means" of escape? What were the observable effects? Was the cell damaged? When Shen managed to establish communication, did he walk into the room and talk to the subject in person? Did he use the intercom? Did he flash prime numbers through the lighting system? Did he use telepathy? Vahlen has no reason to be so vague; only the writer does, to minimize rehashing of chapter 2. The report is only useful as a place to attach Vahlen's significantly more interesting personal notes; it's filler on its own.
When did she say that? I can't find any such line. Is Shen remembering things wrong? Actually, this raises an interesting question. If Shen were to go back and check the security footage to confirm what he heard, would he be able to understand it?
Goddamnit, I need to go to bed.
Oh, just one more...
4320865 Bah! Sleep is for the weak and untrained!
4335503
gifsforum.com/images/image/my%20body%20is%20ready/grand/my-body-is-ready-eccbc87e4b5ce2fe28308fd9f2a7baf3-1485.png
Preparations for the sequel are in place.
3# hummm
id love to see how vahlen would react to pinkie that would be a story worth reading (not that this story isnt, its amazing but still, Pinkie)
4684290 I agree the scientists would go nuts trying to figure her out.
4789321 Me too
Interesting bits of information and world building in this chapter. I liked it.
Holy shit. Holy SHIT. Avalon: The paradise that, in arthurian legend, King Arthur was carried to after his death. pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/378800000533751451/f9b75766e42615f233a54094b1dffa3d_400x400.jpeg