Anomalous Materials

by Codes and Ponies

3: New Homes, Power Milking, & Prankster Gods

Once the train stopped, Gina, Colette, & Richard got out. Having found an old house that was for sale, they purchased it & started looking for work.

Of course, no newcomer to Equanus was safe from mischievous gods.

As Richard was on his way home after an initial job interview with Emerald Hill Research Facility, someone nopony dares to encounter showed up from out of nowhere.

"Hello, Doctor Richard Keller!" said a certain pompous patchwork of a mad god. Richard was shocked.

"How do you know my name? Who are you?", asked the trembling stallion.

"Why, I am Discord. Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony. I know who you are because as a god, I can read minds." replied Discord.

"I don't need my life any more chaotic than it's become. Why are you here?", queried Richard as he could feel his mind being probed.

"Well, since being reformed, I have made it a habit to personally greet newcomers to our fine planet," said Discord, "And I have also come to warn you."

"Warn me about what?" asked Richard.

"Some alien species is headed to this world. Judging by the context of the strange language they're using, they want to loot this planet's resources and convert Equanus into a substitute home world for themselves. Also headed here is a monster worse than anything I can imagine. It is faceless, and nigh-invulnerable. I've noticed your associates are well-armed, but you have no way of protecting yourself. You will need these." replied Discord as he gave Richard a saddlebag with various armaments.

The mad god continued, "I don't think you were randomly given a second chance at life. I get the feeling you were brought here to solve something not even the full power of The Elements of Harmony themselves-or even the full power of AN ALICORN-could solve. I may be chaos incarnate, but even I couldn't bear to see this world reduced to a husk run by those things. Arrivederci!" Discord teleported away.

Gina was busy setting up her office in a research base that dealt with hazardous environments. She was just given the same greeting & warning that Richard was, but she knew she could handle it.

Is it me, or did that dragon-horse-deer-bird thing's voice sound like Q?, she thought.

As she was experimenting with her magic, she discovered most of her magical ability was in some way related to either applied physics, biological engineering, or mechanical engineering. One of the things she discovered she could do was handle heavy-duty scientific equipment with her mechanical engineering magic. She could also make approximations of resonance imagery or hard-light Fluid Dynamic simulation models (though slightly less accurate than those made by computers) with her applied physics magic. As far as her biological engineering magic went, she could make a highly accurate hard-light simulation of the thermodynamic flow of a Pegasus's body, or alchemically transmute a bacterium to make a chemical.

Meanwhile, Colette was also warned by Discord. Being the jumpy, demented mare she was, she drew her M4, but she put it away after finding out it wouldn't have worked.

Colette got a job as a research associate for a physics facility.

Most of Colette's magic had to do with either electrical engineering or robotics. She could find the tiniest error in a circuit board design with her electrical engineering magic, or do a thorough dismantling & repair of a maintenance arm with her robotics magic. She has also come to the conclusion that Canterlot is a silly place.

As the 3 ponies got home, Richard called them into the living room so they could discuss the menace. There was something familiar in Discord's comment about "alien planet looters". Richard also showed them his weapons: a pipe wrench, a knife, a creature that could be used as a grappling hook, a 0.357 Magnum Desert Eagle with a 9-round magazine & 54 spare rounds, an M249 machine gun with a 200-round 5.56 millimeter by 45 millimeter bullet magazine & 2,000 spare rounds, an M40A3 Sniper Rifle with a 5-round 7.62 by 51 millimeter bullet magazine & 15 spare rounds, an alien grenade launcher with a 5-round explosive fruit magazine & 20 spare rounds, & an alien electricity gun with infinite ammunition.

Author's Note:

Who are these "alien planet looters?" Are they something the trio encountered before? How will Richard fare upon encountering Changelings? Why is Discord willfully helping somepony prevent an instance of the very concept he is an embodiment of? And who is the monster that scares Discord? Hint: It's not Slender Stallion. All these questions will be answered, & many more will be raised, in future installments of Anomalous Materials.

Comments

[TehAussieGriffin]

Man, this story tries hard, and would make a... passable comedy (Which is about as funny as I can write.) if you made all the interactions as bad as Celestia's introduction. Since this was supposed to be serious, I have to give this a thumbs-down.
A.G.

[Codes and Ponies]

2810266 I do plan on giving it a rewrite. I wrote chapter 1 at 5 A.M. without getting any sleep beforehand.

[TehAussieGriffin]

2812018
In all fairness that's a rough draft, yet if you want me to edit it for you I can hammer out a price via PM. (Donations to charity always make me feel better.)
A.G.

[Codes and Ponies]

2840463 A friend on deviantART is gonna help me with it. I also have very good reason for both lack of G-Stallion & the ease with which Gina, Colette, & Richard all come to terms with their situation. Finally, the scene where Richard had a breakdown over not listening to Stanley Rosenberg is gonna be a recurring thing. Postscript: You have played Haλf-Life 1: Decay, right? This story is supposed to cross that over with MLP. I know the Lambda normally replaces the "A" in "Half" in the title, but that's actually wrong. Lambda is "L", not "A".