Chapter 2: Experiments
Dmitri opened the door to the lab and the lights came on, only to reveal a disheveled Charles sitting in the middle of the room. His generally untidy hair had turned into a tattered, greasy mess, his eyes were bloodshot and dull, and the skin on his face hung like cloth on a wire frame. After overcoming his initial shock, Dmitri stepped cautiously into the room. "Charles... Are you alright?"
Charles continued staring into the distance, seemingly not noticing Dmitri's presence, let alone his question. After a while, he finally stirred. He slowly stood up and turned to Dmitri, the dullness in his eyes replaced by a manic conviction. "It's going to work this time. We will run the test, and we will get it to work. we will succeed." He started going around the room, booting up computers and powering various devices.
At this point, Dmitri had gone far past simply being concerned. He walked up to his friend and put a hand on his shoulder, only to be shrugged off. With Charles' mental health in question, Dmitri tried to talk some sense into him without putting him over the edge. "Charles, hold on a minute. Er... Do you not think we should run protocols first?"
Charles was now moving at a frantic pace, flipping switches, pressing buttons, and activating machines all over the room. "No, there's no time. We have to complete the contract today. If we can safely transport a human more than two hundred meters, it will fulfill all the requirements. Then they'll have to keep funding us."
"Charles, we cannot do that! The risks are enormous! Besides, we do not even have a test subject." Dmitri regretted his words the moment he said them. Charles stopped and stared directly into Dmitri's eyes, and the thought of him being a mad scientist was suddenly far more sinister and real. Dmitri knew that there were only two possible responses to his statement, and he didn't like either of them.
"I will be the subject. All I need you to do is set the coordinates and start the test." Even though he knew it was coming, Dmitri couldn't believe what Charles was saying. He couldn't let it happen. He would have to stop his friend before he did something that couldn't be fixed. Throwing himself at the nearest computer, Dmitri started shutting off all electronics he could reach. "No, no, you'll ruin it!"
Charles tackled Dmitri to the ground and the two wrestled with each other. Although Charles had an advantage in weight and strength, Dmitri was more flexible and energetic, which quickly led them to a stalemate. After a moment, they both realized this and disengaged. Standing up, Dmitri tried again to talk some sense into his friend. "What you are suggesting is effectively suicide. If just one thing goes wrong, you could be torn to shreds, or worse! Do you really want to throw your life away?"
"Don't you get it? My life's work is about to be destroyed and my wife has left me. There's no way I'll get my job back at the university if this project fails. Hell, I'll be lucky if I get hired back as a janitor! This is all I have left to live for. Can't you help me this one, last time?"
Now Dmitri realized just had bad things were. He knew that Charles truly loved his wife, which made his current behavior more understandable. As Dmitri thought about it, he couldn't deny Charles' logic. Besides, it wasn't guaranteed to fail, and success would solve several of their problems. The more he pondered, more rationalizations wormed their way into his mind, until he found himself agreeing with such a dangerous endeavor, against his better judgement.
"...Very well, then," Dmitri said with a sense of finality, "I will help you."
The two got back to activating the various computers and machines around the room, and before long they were ready to begin. Charles took a deep breath, walked to the center of the ring, and signaled for his friend to begin. Dmitri turned on a nearby research video camera and stated "instant transmission of physical objects over range, test one. Time and date is 0931 hours, June 7, 2017. Test subject... Doctor Charles Nicholson. Subject mass: 96.16 kilograms.Target destination is 3 meters East of the instant transmission device's ring. Beginning test." He typed in a command on a computer, causing the ring to be slowly lifted from the ground by a set of mechanical arms. Charles stood tall and rigid as it reached about waist height on him. "Activating laser stabilizers." Dmitri flipped a switch, causing the devices on the inside of the ring to emit read beams, connecting each one to each other and forming a star pattern around Charles. A low hum began to fill the room as the building's backup generator kicked on, supplementing the energy coming from the local power grid. "Beginning matter redistribution..." Dmitri's finger hovered over the button, as hesitant as a man being forced to kill another. The truth wasn't far off.
"Do it!" Charles' already grey eyes took on a steely quality as they turned to Dmitri, each as cold and sharp as a knife.
"... Now." Dmitri pressed the button, and the generator went from a low hum to a feral roar. Lights and control panels dimmed and flickered as energy was rerouted to power the machine. What hair Charles had left stood on end and his lab coat flapped about, while little eddies of wind started blowing loose paper around. Sparks of electricity arced off the tips of his hair and fingertips, growing in intensity to the point where one might have mistaken him for some primeval god of storms. He continued to stand straight and rigid, his skin glowing from the energy around him. Sparks flew as one of the fluorescent bulbs shattered, then two more. Charles shouted something, but the cacophony around them was too great for Dmitri to hear. Charles dared to lift his hand and motioned for Dmitri to take cover. The young scientist ducked under the desk as several more bulbs exploded, causing glass and sparks to shower down where he had stood only a moment before. The generator gave one last, unearthly howl before a blast of wind tore through the room, followed by complete silence and darkness.
"Spike, have you found the matrix chalk yet?" Spike pulled open another drawer and rummaged around, digging for the elusive writing tool. Twilight's level of organization normally made scenarios like this nonexistent, but given her natural talent for teleportation, a spell targeting matrix wasn't normally necessary. However, the theories in her book implied spells far too complex for even an accomplished unicorn like Twilight to attempt without tools. This worried the young dragon; his friend rarely failed in casting a spell, but when she did, the results were spectacular. "Wait, I've found it!"
Spike climbed down the stairs and into the library proper before continuing into the basement laboratory. There he found Twilight inscribing a circle in the center of the room. Neat towers of paper were stacked up a small table, filled with several days' worth of notes and research. Twilight's computer (a very expensive gift from the University of Canterlot,) had been pushed as far away from the middle of the room as possible and covered with several protective sheets. Owloysius was perched quietly on a fan in the opposite corner. As Spike reached the bottom of the stairs, Twilight completed a pentagram in the circle and placed a thick, yellow candle on each corner. "Wow," Spike said, "that's kind of ominous."
"Ah, Spike, just in time. Do you have the checklist ready?" The young dragon quickly retrieved a scroll and quill from under the stairwell where he frequently stashed spare checklists in case of lab disasters. "Good, then we can begin. First on the checklist: checklist?"
"Check." Spike checked a small box on the list with an image of a smaller checklist next to it and wondered how long it would take before he (or the reader) would be sick of the words "check" and "list."
"Notes?"
"Check" As Twilight went through the various supplies, Spike checked them off one-by-one. Since their return from Canterlot, Twilight had focused on studying the multiverse book, only occasionally leaving to spend time with her friends and buy groceries. This didn't bother Spike too much; it was fairly normal behavior for her. What did bother him was the possibilities of that book. Sure, there was the chance that they could end up with a visitor from the universe where everypony gave away gems, but there was also the chance that they could get a zombie pony.
"And finally, double checked the checklist?" Spike scrolled through the paper one last time before marking off the final box. He rolled up the list and placed it and the quill on the table, taking the moment to massage his aching wrist. Whether for good or for ill, Twilight was always thorough. "Great," she said, "now we can get started on the experiment. Spike, please get another checklist." Spike wordlessly gave her a deadpan stare, holding his swollen claw so she could better see it.
"... Or we can let Owloysius do it this time." Twilight grinned sheepishly as the owl, upon hearing his name, flew from his perch and collected another scroll of paper. He landed on the table and rolled out the list, clutching the quill in his claw. "He's become quite adept with the pen, you know."
"Hoo," he replied.
"Argh, You!" Spike and Owloysius had grown close over their time together, but the bird could be rather scatterbrained. It almost seemed like he only ever had one question on his mind. Owloysius rolled his eyes and started marking his list as Twilight began her experiment. Spike stood idly by as twilight wrote arcane runes on the inner edge of the circle. Spike certainly didn't want to write anymore, but he didn't mean to leave Twilight and Owloysius with all the work. "Uh, Twilight? I still want to help..."
Twilight turned and looked at him, tapping her chin in thought before a flash of inspiration came to eyes. "I was going to light these candles with a mundane match, but now that I think about it, dragon's fire would be much better. Spike, would you like to do the honors?"
The young dragon skipped forward excitedly, stopping short of the inscribed diagram. Twilight had put a lot of work into it, and he didn't want to be the one to ruin it. He breathed a small tongue of green flame over the wick of the first candle, causing it to light. He carefully continued around the circle, conscious of the delicate chalk design. After lighting the final one, he stood back to admire his accomplishment. However, he noticed something strange; the candles were maintaining the emerald hue of his fire. "Twilight," he inquired, "why haven't they turned orange yet?"
"I wasn't kidding when I said your fire would help," said Twilight, chuckling softly. "Dragon's fire is full of potent magic, and combined with these enchanted candles, it should greatly improve the stability and sustainability of the spell. Owloysius, please get the lights." The owl flew to the top of the staircase and flipped the switch, perching on the guardrail near the door. Although the candles weren't terribly big, they provided a comfortable amount of light, even if their green radiance was a little eerie.
"Wait, why didn't you just do that with magic?" Spike asked.
"I don't want to risk losing the spell to instability caused by residual magic energy. Speaking of which..."
Twilight began chanting. Spike knew that Twilight didn't like incantations due to their association with dark magic, but he also knew that she was taking no chances with this spell. It would have sounded tribal or occult coming from anypony else, but somehow she made it sound as if she were merely reading off a list. As she continued, the candles noticeably dimmed and the room grew much darker. Spike caught Owloysius out of the corner of his eye as the brown avian escaped through the door, obviously not interested in the rest of the experiment. As he watched, the candles suddenly lost much of their strength and began guttering in their sockets. The sudden darkness caused a chill to run up the young dragon's spine, and the sensation of a block of cold lead landing in his stomach. He squeezed his eyes shut and said with a shuddering whisper, "Twilight, I'm scared..."
The chanting stopped, but Spike dared not to open his eyes. He felt the warm embrace of a foreleg wrapping around his shoulders. Trying desperately not to cry, he looked up at Twilight. "It's alright, Spike. We don't need to do this experiment. We can stop if you like," she said, smiling. It was the smile that she wore just for him, that told him how much she cared for him and loved him. He reflected on all the times that she had given him that smile before, when he was at his weakest and needed her support. This time, however, he wasn't going to be weak. He would handle his fear all by himself, and Twilight would get to meet a pony from another world.
"... No. I'm alright, Twilight. We can do it."
"Thank you, Spike," she said, hugging him tightly. She returned to the circle, pausing to say, "You know, I once read that bravery isn't having no fear, but choosing to go on in spite of fear." It filled Spike's heart with pride to hear such praise from his friend, and it made the darkness no longer seem so scary. "I'm on the last step. Now we just have to cast the actual spell."
Twilight charged her horn with ethereal energy and tapped it to the circle. The energy coursed through the ring, causing it to glow bright purple. Tiny bolts of lightning jolted about on it's surface, and odd gusts of wind began blowing around. A tiny bead of bright light appeared about three feet above the circle and begun to expand. As it grew, electricity began sparking off of it and the wind picked up, disturbing Twilight's notes. When it reached about six feet in diameter, it suddenly imploded with a sharp popping sound, extinguishing the candles.
"Hold on a moment!" Twilight's magic illuminated the room, allowing her to then activate the light switch safely. A cloud of smoke rose from the center of the circle, hiding whatever it may have contained. Although Spike's heart felt like it was about to leap out of his chest, he turned on the fan, blowing the smoke away to reveal...
Nothing.
Despite his fear, Spike was a little disappointed. They had worked so hard to finish this experiment, only for it to have been all for naught. Looking at the inscription on the floor, he noticed that it was completely ruined. "Gee Twilight, I'm sorry. I thought for sure it would work." Twilight just stood there, as still as a board. She was breathing deeply through her nose, and had a confused expression. Spike was worried that the failure had broken her. It wouldn't have been the first time.
"Spike... Do you smell that?" He inhaled deeply through his nose and noticed a highly unusual smell.
"Cabbage? But you hate cabbage!"
"I know! Isn't it wonderful?" She began to bounce around the room, giggling like a school filly. Spike didn't think she was broken anymore. Now he knew. He cocked his eyebrow, wondering how he would manage to get her to snap back to reality.
"Uh, Twilight? Maybe you need some fresh air."
Twilight stopped and scooped up Spike with her forelegs, smiling manically. "Don't you see? The spell did work! It connected to another universe! And they have cabbages!"
Spike realized that, indeed, the smell was strongest in the lingering smoke. "Wow, you're right!" he said. Of course, he knew that success could break Twilight just as well as failure, so he was no less concerned.
After Twilight regained her composure, she collected and reorganized her notes, adding the results of the experiment. Spike knew he couldn't quite appreciate science in the same way she did, but he did like to see her happy. In fact, this was the happiest he'd seen her since she discovered how great it was to have friends. After helping with cleanup, Spike made for his basket, ready for a well-deserved nap.
After the dust had settled, Dmitri peered over the desk. The battery powered emergency lights had come on, revealing a figure slumped in the middle of the room. Dmitri jumped up and rushed to his side, fearing the worst. "Charles? Dr. Nicholson!?"
"... It didn't work. All of the work, all the research, and it failed. I failed." The older man's eyes, which had once been bright and full of life, were now as dull and stagnant as pools of swamp water. Dmitri was unsure on what to do; never before had he seen his friend in such a state of despair. Eventually, he decided that it would be best to just sit with Charles and provide him with company.
Putting his hand on the man's shoulder, Dmitri urged his friend to get up. Charles stood and allowed the younger scientist to guide him, but it seemed almost subconscious. Dmitri lead him to the front of the building, where there were a couple of couches, and had him sit. Dmitri sat next to him, lending his support as best he could. Whether they sat there for minutes or hours, Dmitri wasn't sure. All he knew was that his friend needed him, and that he was there.
After some unknown amount of time, Dmitri heard a tapping. Looking up to the glass doors at the entrance, he saw two men in black suits and sunglasses, one with a briefcase. Answering the door, he let in the two government officials. After initial greetings, they asked to see Dr. Nicholson. Dmitri looked back at his friend, who still seemed to be in a catatonic state. "I am afraid the doctor is in no condition to deal with any paperwork right now," he told them. "I am his lead assistant. Perhaps I can do it instead?"
After talking briefly between each other, the two officials agreed that it was acceptable. They gave Dmitri various papers to sign and asked for copies of all notes and test results related to the project. He collected the data off of a computer and gave it to them in the form of a flash drive, which they stored with the documents in the briefcase. They informed him that he had two weeks to collect his personal items from the research center before his pass card was revoked. "Thank you for your time, Dr. Kovac," said the older of the two agents "and have a nice day."
Dmitri saw the men out, then got to work packing up his personal affairs. Although he didn't take much with him to work, it took longer than normal, as he would frequently stop to check on Charles. He also decided to pack up his friend's things, which took much longer, given the man's greater investment in the project. By the time he was finished, it was already late in the day. Taking another look at his friend, Dmitri saw that he was still catatonic. Slipping the older scientist's arm over his shoulder, he found that Charles was still responsive enough to be lead around.
"I am going to take you home, okay Charles?" Dmitri had knew he wouldn't respond, but he still hoped for it anyway. With one arm on his friend and one on his box of personal items, he lead his friend to his car. He put the box in the back seat and bundled Charles into the passenger seat, making sure he was belted in. He thought about getting his friend's stuff as he sat in the driver's seat, but decided against it, as the man would have to come back for his vehicle regardless. He wished the gate guard a good evening as he made his way to his friend's house.
After pulling up, Dmitri helped Charles out of the car. The younger scientist looked sadly at the empty space where Lenore's car was usually parked. Although he trusted his friend, he had almost hoped that he'd been lied to. As they approached the front door, he heard Charles mumble something while pulling out a set of keys. Dmitri was grateful that the man had recovered some, mostly because he had been worried, but also because he didn't like the idea of going into someone else's home when they weren't fully conscious. After unlocking the door, Charles plodded in, gesturing for Dmitri to follow.
Dmitri had been to his friend's house before, but he always appreciated Charles' simplicity when it came to decor. The living room was painted in warm, earthy colors, and the floor was covered with well maintained carpet. There was a single sofa against one wall with a recliner next to it, both facing a television on the other wall. With the exception of a few pictures on the walls and a single bookcase packed with books, the room was mostly unadorned. It was a good place to be if one wanted to feel comfortable and at ease.
Charles dropped down heavily on the sofa and let out a sad, heavy sigh. Dmitri sat quietly on the recliner, deciding to wait and see what his friend would say. They sat there for a few minutes before the older of the two decided to speak. It was a simple phrase, but one that threatened to release a great deal of emotion. "I'm sorry, Dimmy."
"... Sorry for what?"
"I'm sorry for... For everything. I'm sorry for pursuing this hopeless task, for wasting everyone's time, and for ruining both of our reputations. I'm sorry that I grew so focused on it that it ruined my marriage, that I didn't even think of how my obsession would affect other people. And I'm sorry to you, for forcing you to do something you didn't want to do, and using our friendship against you. I don't deserve your kindness, let alone your forgiveness."
As Charles said these last words, he covered his face and began to cry. Dmitri wasn't sure what to do; he was so used to Charles being stoic and a little dry-witted that seeing this open display of emotion was unsettling. After a moment, he decided to speak, choosing his words carefully.
"Charles... It is not something to worry about now. It is in the past, and it cannot be changed. I may not have liked it, but I do not blame you for what happened. You were... Eager to accomplish something. I can understand that. I am sure that the worst is now behind us. If we keep moving forward, it will work out in the end, I'm sure of it. And for the record, my kindness is not something for you to earn; I gave it out freely, because we are friends."
Charles had stopped crying, but was still obviously in bad sorts. He looked up at Dmitri, who smiled compassionately back.
"... I suppose you're right, Dimmy. I need to get over this pity party and start moving in the right direction. Now that I'm unemployed, I have a lot of work to do."
Dmitri chuckled and stood up, now confident that his friend would recover. "All right, my friend, but there is still one thing you must do. Go and get a good night's sleep. I left your car at the laboratory, so I'll be by first thing tomorrow morning to pick you up." Charles stretched out on the sofa and said farewell to Dmitri as the younger man stepped out the door. He drove off as quietly as he could, leaving his friend to find what peace he could in sleep.
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This is quite well-written, even if the pace is somewhat slow. One thing though:
According to My Little Pony: The Art of Equestria the ponies' technology is comparable to Earth's as it was just past the 1900s, so there should be no computers. Although, that same book mentions that they'll sometimes use higher examples of science for dramatic or comedic effect. Even so, I like the story so far.