Daniel's heart thudded in his chest. His brain was working overtime trying to process what he had just witnessed. Each consecutive theory seemed more ridiculous than the last. Maybe he was just delirious. Perhaps he hit his head at some point, causing him to see things. The creatures could be genetically engineered to have psychic powers. Or they could be hyper advanced extraterrestrials sent to scout out Earth as a possible colony. And he had hit one with his car! Or maybe he was just going crazy. Whatever the case he needed someone else's opinion, to tell him that it would all be okay and that he wasn't crazy.
"Stephanie! Stephanie, please come quick we might have a serious problem!" Daniel yelled.
Stephanie rushed out of their room with Buldger in tow.
"What's the matter?" she asked.
"I'm not really sure, but it's weird, and I need you to tell me I'm not crazy,"
"You're not crazy,"
He smiled, his eye twitching a bit. "Thanks but maybe you should hear what I have to tell you before you say that."
"Alright, let's go sit down and you can tell me what happened. I'm assuming it has something to do with our guests?" she asked, getting a little concerned.
He nodded. "Okay let's go," she said, grabbing his hand and pulling him into the living room and plopping down next to him on the couch. Buldger jumped up into Daniel's lap, probably crushing several of his organs in the process.
"Oof! Jeez Buldger, I swear it's like he thinks he's still a puppy or something," he said gently patting him on the head.
"Okay, so tell me what happened."
"Well, when I first entered the garage everything was pretty normal. The animals were awake and they started to watch me once they heard me come in. That's when things started to get strange."
"What happened?" she asked listening intently.
"The purple one walked up to me, got on one knee, and bowed its head,"
"That's a little strange, but not X-files worthy," Stephanie commented.
"Oh just wait, it gets better. Then it started to make a bunch of horse noises like whinnies and stuff, but it sounded more organized somehow. It was almost like it was speaking another language," he explained. "I didn't really know what to do, so I just started talking to them. I placed the bowl on the ground and the purple one came up and examined it. It seemed excited and made some more noises while looking at the other two before returning its attention to the vegetables. That's when it happened. The purple one's horn began to glow magenta, and so did one of the carrots before it levitated out of the bowl!"
"What? What do you mean it levitated?" she asked.
"Exactly that, the carrot started to hover in midair! It was just floating right in front of the purple one's face as she scrutinized it, still covered in that weird glow," Daniel continued.
"So what did you do?" Stephanie asked.
"To be honest, I sort of panicked. When I realized that the carrot was floating it spooked me. Looking back on it now it doesn't seem scary at all, but at the time I guess I just didn't expect it. Anyways, after I jumped back, both the creature's horn and the carrot stopped glowing, and the carrot just, sorta, fell back into the bowl. I didn't know what to do after that, so I got out of there and locked the door behind me for good measure," he concluded.
Stephanie just starred at Daniel with a look of severe puzzlement after he had finished speaking. She didn't say anything and it was starting to worry Daniel just a bit.
"Well, are you going to say something? Do you think I'm crazy?" he asked, a bit worried that his wife did in fact think so.
She looked him in his eyes, and smiled. "No, I believe you, I'm just trying to come up with a theory, any theory, that might explain what happened. I mean I've never read about any animals doing anything even remotely close to what you described, at least outside of mythology. Then again our guests are certainly not like anything I've ever seen either."
"I know what you mean," he grumbled.
"So what should we do now?" Stephanie asked.
"I don't know, what do you think we should do?"
"You said that they seemed intelligent, right?"
Daniel nodded in affirmation.
"Maybe there's some way we can test that," she said letting a smile creep onto her face.
"But how?" he asked.
"We could go back in there with some pens and paper and see if they can understand simple pictures or words. Oh! And some books! Books with lots of pictures," she said, the excitement in her voice clearly showing.
"I don't know if we should do that, especially after what just happened," he suggested a little hesitantly.
Her smile faltered a bit "But Daniel, if you're right, and if they are intelligent enough to develop a language, then it could be the first species ever discovered to have achieved sapience besides humans!"
"I still don't know about this. I'm just trying to remain cautious," he explained.
"Come on what's the harm in trying?" she asked.
"That's exactly the problem, we don't know what the harm would be! I mean these are living beings that are intelligent and can control things with some kind of psychic power. What if their intentions are hostile?" he asked.
"Part of me feels that way too, but don't you think that leaving them locked in our garage might hold the same risks as trying to establish communication?" she asked.
"I suppose you're right, but if we're going to do this, then we need to do it the right way."
"And what, exactly, is the right way?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"We need to be calm and careful, and we should try to plan ahead in case something should happen," Daniel told her.
"Well, yes, I understand that, I mean did you think I would just run in there without any thought as to what I was doing?" she asked with a smirk.
"That's true, but I also know you have an adventurous side that often leaves you quite careless of your actions," he replied with a deadpan stare.
"Hmm, touché!" she grinned. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go prepare for first contact!" she chirped, springing up from the couch.
"You're such a dork."
"I love you too," she sung, kissing him on the nose before she ran ahead of him, into the bedroom, to plan.
* * *
Twilight paced around the room anxiously. Now that she had eaten something, she was able to think more clearly, and she wasn't liking their situation.
"I just don't know what to do! I tried to establish communication, and only managed to scare him off! Ugh! This would be so much easier if I had a checklist!" she shouted.
"Twilight, I'm sure everything will be fine," Fluttershy whispered.
"How will it be fine? I may have just single-hoofedley ruined our chances of finding our way home! Or establishing peaceful relations with a new species......" she pouted.
"Well, we could always just try to escape," Applejack suggested.
"That is beginning to sound like the most logical option.... Maybe we should just get out of here,” she thought aloud.
"We can't just leave! We're responsible for the damage we've caused, and I can't just walk away from that," Fluttershy responded, a little angrily. "And umm, I'm not even sure I could escape in my condition."
" Alright then, we should come up with a plan ta get home with them there critters' help or wait 'til Fluttershy is healthy enough for all of us to escape."
"We have to show them that we just want to try and communicate, and that we mean them no harm," said Twilight "Then we can work our way up from there... So that means that we must be as non-threatening and as cooperative as possible. Do you both understand that?" Fluttershy and Applejack nodded.
"Alright, now I think that we should work o-" Twilight began before being interrupted by the creaking of the door as it was slowly opened.
The ponies watched as not one, but both creatures emerged from the doorway carrying various things.
"Remember girls, be calm." Twilight whispered.
The two creatures approached the three ponies slowly and deliberately, keeping an especially close eye on Twilight. The unicorn felt quite intimidated by the presence of both creatures, but remained calm. The two creatures sat down across from the three and began to lay things in front of them. The first object was a pad of very white rectangular paper. The next set of objects was several cylindrical tubes that looked almost like plastic pencils, and finally, a book with a very carefully drawn tree, surrounded by various animals.
After the creatures had laid everything out they stopped moving and looked at them. They seemed to be waiting for something, perhaps some sort of acknowledgment. Not knowing what else to do, Twilight slowly nodded her head. The two creatures looked at each other and said something in their language before returning their focus to the ponies. They were apparently satisfied with Twilight's answer because they began to do something else. The more muscular of the two creatures picked up one of the cylindrical tubes and removed the top of the cylinder, revealing a pointed tip. Twilight briefly considered the possibility that it might be some kind of weapon, but immediately relaxed once it placed the tip on the paper.
'So I was right, it is some kind of writing instrument,' Twilight thought.
The creature drew a very simple and neat picture. It was a dot with a line underneath it. It looked up at Twilight for a response. When she did nothing it continued. The second drawing was of two dots with a curved mark with a line under it. It continued drawing very similar drawings to the previous ones. It wasn't until the sixth drawing that Twilight understood.
"They're numbers...."
"What Twilight?" asked Applejack.
"The markings underneath the dots, they must represent numbers. They're trying to teach us their numbers!" Twilight exclaimed excitedly.
"Are ya sure? They just look like squiggles to me." Applejack said, scrutinizing the shapes being written down upon the paper.
"And shouldn't there only be four?" Fluttershy asked.
"Oh I'm almost certain that they're numbers. It's possible that they use a number system greater than base four! I'll admit it's strange, but it's totally possible," Twilight explained to the two.
They stopped when they noticed the creatures were watching them with amusement.
"What are ya'll lookin' at?" Applejack threatened, snorting a bit.
Immediately the creatures stopped smiling and returned to writing out the numbers.
"Applejack! That was rude. There's no reason to behave like that," scolded Fluttershy.
"Also, we're trying to be on our best behavior around them, remember?" Twilight reminded her.
"Sorry, ah just don't really trust them is all."
"Don't worry about it Applejack, nothing bad has happened yet. Just try to stay calm and remember it's not their fault they can't understand us," said Twilight.
Applejack nodded in understanding and Twilight returned to the paper. The creature took the paper and slid it across the floor, along with the writing cylinder, towards Twilight. Twilight looked up at it and watched as it motioned towards itself, then the paper and then began to motion towards Twilight and the paper.
"You want me to write out our numbers?" Twilight asked, making motions with her hooves to hopefully convey writing.
When the creature nodded Twilight began to reach out with her magic to grab the writing utensil, but stopped when she remembered the creature's previous reaction to magic.
"Applejack? Will you write out the numbers for me? I don't want to scare the creatures with my telekinesis and, well, my mouth writing is rather sloppy," Twilight asked, a little embarrassed of her poor, non-magical, writing skills.
"Sure, ah can do that. Just make sure that they don't try anythin' while ah'm writing."
"Don't worry AJ it'll be fine, we're right here for you," Fluttershy offered.
Applejack approached the creature before reaching down and grabbing the writing utensil. The creatures watched intently as Applejack wrote out the regular numbers underneath the creatures' numbers. After she was done the two began to converse amongst each other.
~"Oh my God! You were right! They are intelligent, they understood the numbers!"~
~"I know, it's amazing, they even wrote out what I assume are their own numbers."~
~"It looks like they use a base four system, that could get confusing."~
~"It'll be fine, we just have to move on to the next test."~
~"Oh this is so exciting! This could be one of the greatest scientific discoveries of all time, another species that is sapient!"~
~"I know, it's incredible!"~
The three ponies watched as the two creatures before them excitedly chattered away in their harsh language.
"What do ya think they're talkin' about?" asked Applejack
"Do you think we did something to offend them?" Fluttershy asked, worriedly.
"No, they don't sound angry... I think that they're excited that we understood what they were doing," said Twilight.
"Why? They're just numbers," said Applejack.
"No they're not just numbers, they're proof that we're intelligent and that we understand that they are as well. It's the first true communication we've had with our friends here. After all, math is the universal language," Twilight beamed.
"If ya say so,” Applejack grumbled, rolling her eyes, remembering a certain family member back home, who was always going on about his fancy mathematics.
By now the creatures had finished talking, and had started writing out something else. It was the symbols for what Twilight assumed was a two followed by a cross and then the symbol for three. After that was a pair of horizontal lines and their symbol for five.
After that was the exact same thing except there was no five symbol.
"Oh, they want to see if we can do arithmetic, that cross must be their symbol for addition, and the horizontal lines must mean equals," Twilight deduced.
"Well then what should ah do?" asked Applejack.
"Answer it of course," Twilight replied eagerly, hoping to get a better challenge afterwards.
Applejack returned to the paper and wrote a five in the blank. When the creatures saw this they were ecstatic and had big smiles on their faces. The larger one wrote out more problems, and the ponies answered them accordingly. They continued to answer the math problems until early evening. By that point they had learned the symbols for subtraction, multiplication, division, and square root, while the creatures, in turn, learned theirs. The math lesson ended when the two bipeds excused themselves, and left the room. They took the pages with the math problems with them, but left the three with some paper and the writing cylinders.
"I think that was very productive," Twilight said, a smile upon her face.
"It had a little too much math for my taste," Applejack grunted.
"Come on Applejack, wasn't it exciting learning math in a different language?" Twilight asked imploringly.
"Hmm, nope," said Applejack.
Twilight frowned and huffed at Applejack, while Applejack just giggled.
"I'm just glad that nopony got hurt," said Fluttershy.
"Ain't that the truth."
"You know this isn't that bad," Twilight considered aloud.
And for once, they all agreed with her.
* * *
"That was, wow!" Stephanie exclaimed.
"I know, I feel the same way. It's amazing." Daniel beamed.
"At first I was skeptical, but now I don't know what to think."
"It is a lot to take in," Daniel agreed.
"We need an expert, or at least someone more competent than us," Stephanie said.
"You ready to call Marcus and get him in on this?" he asked.
She nodded "Yes, I think it's time we gave Marcus a call. But not right now, I'm starving."
Daniel laughed, "Alright dinner first, then we inform someone official about the sapient multicolored ponies in our garage."
"It's a deal," she smiled as she once again ran ahead of her husband, into the kitchen, to start preparing a meal for themselves and their guests.
I do so love a pony on Earth story. Nice work.
This story is extremely good, but you update far too sparsely :P
I mean, all that time, only 3k words? Please write some moar :D
3523435 It's not so much how long the writing takes, it's just that I don't have much spare time.
Why was levitation such a big deal? There are lots of ways to levitate something in our current understandings of energy. You could use zero point energy, dipole magnetism, electromagnetic induction, as well as others. Even if none of those was how Twilight was actually lifting the carrot, the initial shock of seeing it seemed a bit much.
3523452>>3523452
Not everyone's a gigantic science buff. Besides the fact that it's still amazing a horse can do it, regardless... it either shows intelligence, or something else- in this case, magic.
3523462
Well "magic" might just be a different way of expressing the same unified field of energy than matter is. We know that all subatomic particles are just excitations to various fields of energy, like the electron is just an excitation of the quantum field, a Higgs boson is just an excitation of the Higgs field.
Having had some practice with psychokinesis, I know that the mind can affect our personal electromagnetic fields, but obviously, we didn't evolve for it, or it would just come naturally to us. Instead, it must be learned as a skill, like driving. It's kind of obvious that unicorns evolved to use magic just by where the horn is located. I think it's safe to say that a unicorn's horn is wired directly to their brain, and is chemically suitable to conduct large amounts of bio-electricity to create various magnetic fields and frequencies.
3523473
Yeah, I'm sorry, but I don't get any of that, lol. I hated science in school.
Either way, though, it's amazing. It's certainly a big enough deal to get excited like that.
You know, I actually tried to figure out how to count in base four but it turns out that I think I might b 2 dum fr it hurrdurr. Kudos to you for making me learn something today.
Applejack's opinion on math:
global3.memecdn.com/math_c_337773.jpg
sapient, not sentient
3523476
You realize he's half making shit up right. In order, the hl2 grav-gun doesn't work irl, dipole magnetism tends to require a large amount of water in the object (thats the dipolar molecule its working on), and for magnetic induction to be strong enough to work on a non-conductor like a carrot would definitely have some... side effects. Not to mention any of those things working would look nothing like the telekinesis in the show.
Also when someone starts claiming to do pyschokinesis, the correct response generally isn't, "Wow! So scientific!"
3523852
Well, to be honest, I didn't read half of it. I really don't like when people flaunt their intelligence over others, and it seemed that was what he was doing here. Also, yeah, I could kinda guess he was making some of it up. I was humoring him. I mean, how many scientists are on this site, really? Pretty low chance running into one.
Also, someone complaining about science on a pony story :/ especially if the story has NOTHING do do with science, like this one.
3523852>>3524003
If you are going to criticize what I say here, then at least have the decency to address me directly about it. I admit to not having a PhD. in physics, (yet) but I'm still someone of science, which is partly why Twilight Sparkle is my favorite pony.
As for the subject of human psychokinetic ability, I suggest you watch this whole documentary.
3524195
Fine. What I just said, but to you. Happy?
I'm not watching that whole thing.
3524213
Well then, you are missing out on some rather interesting experiments that have been done regarding human consciousness
3524227
Eh, to be honest, I don't care. I really doubt that we'll ever actually REALLY have telekinesis, and until it's an everyday thing where people are levitating cell phones with their minds, meh. I don't care much for science, or experiments, or anything like that. I'm much more interested in contemporary literature and stuff like that. I want to be a published writer, so I focus my energies there >.>
You know, I still don't understand how people can say they're are to busy to write 2000 words a week. I myself can easily write 300-400 words in an hour, so average 350. So, if you wrote at what I consider my own leisurely pace, then spending one hour a day writing would get you 2450 words in a week. It took you 43 days to write 3017 words, averaging about 70 words a day... I cannot believe someone who is writing an MLP fanfiction doesn't have an hour a day to donate to the task.
Heck, I'm a full time student in college, babysit my niece and nephew on a regular basis, and write articles for the local newspaper and I still have at least an average of 3 to 4 hours of free-time a day, usually more on the weekends.
Oh, and as someone already mentioned, sentience is not sapience. Animals are sentient as it is just being self-aware. Sapient is higher thinking, like with humans. Though both humans and ponies are sentient beings, they're just also sapient.
3523452
Why wouldnt it be a big deal? It can be done technology, but when was the last time a small horse made its horn glow and levitated an object? Thats kinda like asking "why is shooting someone with a bullet and their fingers a big deal?"
3524195
Okay, this is bloody hilarious. Just going off the first 1:30.
The stupid:
Uses clips from the russian experiment in PSI during the cold war. (Never panned out)
Uses clips of table lifting. Yeah no, this has been investigated pretty extensively to no positive evidence while in laboratory conditions.
Makes the incredibly tired claim of humans using only 7% of their brain capacity (Normally claimed at 10%). Having even basic knowledge of neurology would tell how unbelievably wrong this is. The reason was a misunderstanding of the purpose of glial cells to thought.
Not to mention the utter inanity of calling program "The 5th Dimension", while extra dimensions are possible, and even expected in some theories, there's nothing special about the 5th one as opposed to the 11th one expected by string theory.
It would about as relevant to the actual content as calling it Rigel IV, because both a possible 4th planet around Rigel and the 5th dimension will have about the same effect on the macroscopic phenomenon this is about.
Finally, claiming to be a scientist while linking to quite possibly the least reliable source you could, instead of any article that has passed review. Or even something that wasn't clearly set up for dramatic purpose to abuse the power of a narrative.
Yeah, I'm not going to waste an hour watching the idiotic video whose only present support is a NWO conspiracy theorist.
3524771
Well actually, the most interesting parts were things like the global consciousness project, or the "light dial" experiment, both of which show that the human mind does have a measurable effect on the physical world.
And I also hate to say this, but what you learned in high school science class is simply not all that there is to reality.
3523452 When was the last time you saw a horse that can make things float with a glowing horn attached to their skull? Yeah, you haven't.
3525163
You are correct in the assertion that I have indeed never seen a unicorn. But I also know that everything that exists in living organisms either has or had a biological purpous to it. If I ever did see a unicorn, sentient or not, my first question would be "What is that horn for?" While psychokinesis may not have been my first guess, the positioning of the horn implies that it is connected to the brain somehow.
3525178 Your logic is assuming that everyone on the planet is exactly like you.
3525211
Well, more accurately, I'm assuming that the characters in this story have exactly the same education as me, but you're almost right! (not really)
3524852
So in order to demonstrate the validity of my experiments, I will show them next to incredibly famous examples of frauds and terrible woo ideas, BRILLIANT! You have answered and demonstrated nothing. The people who only repeat that you need to open your mind are both more direct and more convincing than your bull.
Also, just looking at the page for global consciousness project, I have to say, for an alleged science major, you have never taken a course in statistics, or quantum mechanics, or even a philosophy of science course.
>3525178
Your first assumption on seeing a horn on a head is a connection to the brain. I know I can come off as condescending, but... have you in your life ever seen an animal. Horned animals are incredibly common, in fact, one of the few horn-like appendages that you would be able to say is connected to the brain, the narwhal's, isn't a horn at all, but a sensory organ and tooth.
3525297
Sorry, but we are getting nowhere with this. Despite what it looks like, I didn't come on to the internet to have negativity thrown my way.
Why would you assert that you know what classes I have or have not taken? You don't even know my real name, or what school I go to.
So I guess Darryl Sloan was right, no one can convince someone of the existence of psychokinesis except that person. If you really want evidence, then you are just going to have to buckle down and do your own experiments on it, which I bet you will never do because you make it sound like you think that you already know everything there is to know about this universe.
Don't even bother replying to this comment, I won't read it. It seems we have hit a dead end.
3525178
Not so, the position of the horn would far more likely indicate an offensive/defensive adaptaion. It could also likely serve a display/dominance function.
3525324 I concur good sir.
People in the comments arguing about the scientific problems with this story, while I'm over here feeling like I'm the only one that noticed how the ponies were still kept in the cage after showing they're sapient.
3526285 they maybe sapiant but normal every day items could freak them out or harm them. It's probably best that they are contained safely right now.
3525324
This is the weakest "Your mean" cop-out I've ever seen. Your not required by any means to defend your beliefs over the internet in a futile argument, but if your not going to defend your questionable and controversial beliefs after you state them as fact, and run the second you get called out on it, why bring it up in the first place. Now, if you wanted me to just me mean to you, instead of just towards your argument, I would just insult the fact you've decided that bringing up an indie zombie film maker adds credibility the over-used and still terrible statement that boils down to calling your opposite close-minded instead making a relevant point.
I can be negative, this was just making a point because this manner of stupidity is endemic across the internet and to propogate it while claiming some vague authority in the field over a layman is an act in incredibly poor taste.
Provide actual evidence if you want people to believe you, there's a reason why I, apparently quite correctly, immediately associated you to the idiots who do nothing to prove their point but call all those who disagree with them close-minded. Its neither an effective logical technique, nor a rhetorical one. The problem with that is, I don't doubt we lack a lot of knowledge about the world, but this garbage is offensive not only in that it belittles what we do know, but it spits in the face of the process that garners us knowledge in the first place.
Why would I assert that I know what classes you have or have not taken? Because the mistakes you evidence would be solved within the first semester of the classes I listed. That you show no awareness means your either pretending a physics major, you lack comprehension of your courses, or you attend the worst non-accredited fraudulent university you could find.
3526458 Even if they could speak the same language, good luck justifying that to them. "We kept you held prisoner against your own will for your own safety."
Thank you so very much for the new chapter.
3526820
I honestly don't know how much of this is against their own will. a locked door isn't much of a barrier to either twilight or applejack. also the couple has to be concerned with their own safety, after all applejack did attack them.
I don't have much to say about the chapter, but here's some proofreading:
You ended this sentence with a comma.
The word "she" should not be capitalized.
Pretty sure there should be a comma in there, between the words "plopping" and "couch."
Again, you’re missing a comma.
You’re missing a period.
I think you meant to say “starred.”
You’re missing a period.
I’m pretty sure there should be a comma before the word “right.”
Spacing error
"Alright dinner first, then we inform someone official about the sentient multicolored ponies in our garage."
Uh oh, this doesn't bode well...
Anyway, I enjoyed the story so far, and I'm eagerly looking forward to more
Some errors that I have noticed:
It should be "sapience" here. Pretty much every animal is sentient.
Again, "sapient".
And again...
3527375>>3527450>>3523572 Thank you
Mistakes have been fixed.
Not sure if unicorns and pegasi don't exist in this world...
...Or the humans are just too stupid to know what they are...
Also, "writing cylinders?" Really? They sure as heck have pencils in Equestria.
I've deduced that this is a weird head-canon.
3547218 Well they're supposed to be pens and the only tools for writing we've seen on the show have been quills and pencils.
3547218 Oh and the unicorns and pegasi look much much different from the originals in greek mythology.
3547246 Oops. I kept thinking of pencils. I guess unicorns and pegasi don't exist in this world of theirs.
The only problem I'm having with this story is the erratic indenting. Otherwise, it's great.
I wish this story would update more frequently.
The story has promise, but it's pretty rough. You have what I call a case of talking to yourself. That's three closely related issues.
First, your dialog doesn't distinguish itself between characters. Your word choice, sentence length, and vocabulary are all fairly uniform across all characters and narration.
Second, you don't emote your characters. Thoughts are fully formed and reasonable, even in times of high stress or outright panic. There's little to no indication of body language or tone.
Third, your characters function largely in unison. Dissenting opinions, disbelief, or arguments are settled with one or two lines. Events are largely received uniformly by a group, with any dialog internal to that group rarely expanding beyond a random person having an idea and everyone else instantly agreeing to it.
Taken together, these three issues give your story a uniform, largely uninteresting tone. This is exacerbated by a lack of detail in the setting, objects, and even the characters. It's bland, pure and simple.
5813431
3. +
Very not realistic