• Published 28th Sep 2013
  • 1,843 Views, 47 Comments

The Clockwork Chronicles - Ash19256



One month before Nightmare Night, a strange object crashes in the Everfree. What arises from the wreckage will challenge everything anyone thought they knew about Equestria's extra-terrestrial neighbors.

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Chapter 3: First Contact

As Twilight pried opened the panels, the Mane Six began to cautiously approach the strange object. They halted when a strange, oddly shaped machine appeared in the gap where the panels had been.

It appeared to be four feet tall, with a dull grey coloration that looked a little like metal, though most alloys that the ponies had experience with weren’t this dull. It looked about as tall as Applejack.

"What is that?" asked Twilight quietly. She didn't want to risk angering the alien.
"Ah don't know, but Ah’m dang sure that it ain't tryin' ta hurt us. It actually looks like it's waitin' for us to talk to it!" replied Applejack. She decided to continue approaching, but in a more open fashion. After a bit of hesitation, the rest of the Mane Six followed. By common consensus, the CMC stayed hidden, ready to get help if anything went wrong.

"Uh… Hello?" Twilight asked nervously. The strange device replied with a pleasant sounding voice, startling everypony present. "Greetings. I am Clockwork. May I inquire as to your name?" His voice was rather deep, and a little tinny.

"Uhm... My name is Twilight Sparkle.... Might I ask what you are, exactly?" asked Twilight.

"I am an artificial intelligence. An intelligent machine, specifically designed for exploring planets similar to my home planet of Earth."

"So... you’re an alien?" asked Rainbow Dash.

"Yes, I suppose that term would be applicable", Clockwork replied.

"Why are you here?" asked Twilight.

"I was sent here to explore this planet; observing the rather intriguing movement of the orbiting star. I had the secondary objective of searching for signs of intelligent life, which I appear to have more than achieved.”

"So you’re not here to conquer the planet?" asked Rainbow Dash.

"Of course not. That’s more like the plot of a rather pathetic science fiction movie than an actual occurrence. Besides, my creators wish to establish peaceful relations with other species, not subjugate them. Not to mention, Earth is over 250 light-years away from this planet, and my creators, when I left, weren’t technologically equipped for sending life that far."

"What do your creators look like?" asked Fluttershy.

"Although I could easily describe them, it would be far easier and more effective for me to show you using my inbuilt hologram projector,” he replied, a prideful undertone apparent in his voice.

"Holo-whats-it?" Rainbow Dash asked, confused.

"Observe." A beam of blue light shone from the dome on the underside of Clockwork's octagonal frame, soon expanding to display a translucent matrix of squares. The first of two figures appeared, hovering in a transparent sphere. Soon after, a second appeared, clearly a female. Soon after the demonstration, the projector was disengaged, and the grid disappeared. Clockwork looked around.

"Any questions?" Clockwork asked.

"I have one. Can we go inside now? It's going to start raining soon," asked a small, female voice, which sounded like a glass armonica(1), clear and gentle. Clockwork looked around for the source, sensor domes rotating slowly with a whirring noise.

"I'm down here," the voice said helpfully. Clockwork looked down, and saw a little foal. He noted with bemusement that the foal had both wings and a horn. "Oh. Hello,” said Clockwork.

"Hi, my name's Nyx," the little foal said.

"My name is Clockwork." Clockwork was curious as to why the foal was part of the ponies' first contact team. This was answered with the next sentence out of Twilight Sparkle's mouth.

"Nyx! You were supposed to stay with the rest of the Cutie Mark Crusaders!" Twilight all but shouted this at the young foal. Clockwork assumed they were related in some fashion.

"But Mom, the rest of the CMC have already headed back to the treehouse because of the rain that was scheduled to occur in a minute!" Nyx complained.

"Dang it! That means I need to get the weather team going, ASAP!" Rainbow Dash shouted. With that, she took to the skies and flew off at speeds rivaling WWI fighter aircraft.

"Weather team?" Clockwork asked. "What does that mean?"

"I'll explain later. It's probably best we get to the library." With that, Twilight turned and started walking towards Ponyville.
Noting he had nothing better to do, Clockwork followed. The others were at first unnerved by the rythmic, mechanical noises Clockwork's servos and actuators made as he followed them, but soon got used to it.

"So, might Ah ask what that "Earth" you mentioned is like?" asked the orange pony next to Clockwork.

"Earth is quite a bit like this planet, actually. Similar atmospheric conditions, similar gravity, similar plants and small animals," Clockwork replied. "Also, I don't believe I heard your name. Might I ask what it is?"

"Name's Applejack," Applejack replied. "Ah'm in charge of the apple farm to the north of Ponyville."

“I presume that is the settlement I spotted not terribly far away?” Clockwork asked.

“Eeyup. Sweet Apple Acres makes the best apple products this side of Equestria!” Applejack bragged proudly.


Nyx was absorbed in her thoughts during the walk back to the library. On one hoof, she had met a friendly robot from another planet, and on the other, said robot was an extraterrestrial. She was worried about how Clockwork would react to discovering about how she had been Nightmare Moon. Add in the fact that a lot of her friends would probably be afraid of Clockwork, and she had a lot to think about. So absorbed was she in her thinking that when Clockwork came to a stop in front of the library, she ran into him.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention,” Nyx said, subconsciously preparing for Clockwork getting angry. Instead, he replied, "Oh, it's alright. I have a feeling you were thinking about everything that has occurred recently. That would drive anyone to distraction."

"I was just thinking about how everypony is going to react when it gets out that you are here in Ponyville," Nyx said. "My friends are probably going to be a little scared of you at first, Clockwork."

"That would be an understandable and logical reaction on their part. At times, it is wise to fear the unknown,” Clockwork said. "Gods know that my creators' ancestors were terrified of the first AI they created."

"Huh. That's interesting," said Nyx. "Now that I think about it, what is that.... stuff you're made out of? It didn't feel like metal, but it looks like it."

"Carbon nano-fiber plating. Think of it as artificial diamond woven into a cloth-like material, then dunked in resin to harden the material into workable plates. It’s very complicated; that was a gross oversimplification," Clockwork replied. "Also rather expensive, due to its immense durability."

"Cool! So does that mean you’re indestructible?" Nyx asked, excited.

"Not quite indestructible, but definitely very hard to damage," Clockwork replied.

"We're here!" Twilight shouted, interrupting Clockwork and Nyx's chat. "Come on in, the rain will start soon!"

"I have this odd feeling," Clockwork said, “That this will be interesting for all involved.”

Author's Note:
(1) -- The Glass Armonica has a soft sound, and can be played with clarity.

Author's Note:

(1) -- Clockwork speaks with a voice that sounds like a slightly artificial voice with a British accent.
(2) -- Clockwork, for reference, is about the height of Applejack, is a steel gray color, and moves with all the subtlety of the CMC at full gallop when he doesn't care about being quiet. Add in the fact that his "face" happens to be one of the side panels of the octagonal turret in which the top mounted sensors are, and you could see why he would be intimidating.