Rhinestone Eyes, Part 1
Twilight marched up the stairs, almost reaching the very top floor of the castle, and went to an arched, open window to the side of one hallway. She peered through it and spotted Turing Test, who was sitting atop a parapet on one of the high towers of the castle. It was possible to reach the spot on hoof, but instead she spread her wings and flew out, landing just behind Turing.
The robot was sitting atop the wall, her neck bent as she peered down at Ponyville. She remained motionless, even as Twilight approached her, and it would have been almost reasonable to mistake her for a statue except for the way the cool breeze lightly ruffled the white polymer coils that made up her mane. Twilight forced herself to smile.
“Hello, Turing Test!” Twilight said brightly. She went over to the wall to look out at Ponyville alongside her. “Anything going on?”
“No threats detected.”
Twilight let her smile falter for a moment, but she ignored the dry response. Instead, grasping for a new subject, she looked around at the partly cloudy sky. “Sooo… some weather we’ve been getting lately, right?”
Turing’s eyes shifted inside her head as she glanced up at the clouds. “There is always some weather.” She glanced back at the ground. “If it is not satisfactory, you could report your displeasure to a designated weather pony. Rainbow Dash would be sufficient.”
“Hey, speaking of Rainbow Dash,” Twilight said, spreading her wings and fluttering out in front of her, “she said that she’d like your help making an aerial obstacle course. She says you’d know how to help her since you’re, as she says, ‘the second best flier in Ponyville.’ Do you want to go visit her today?”
Turing was silent for a moment. “Are you ordering me to assist her?”
Twilight blinked, then tilted her head. “No, I’m not ordering you. I’m asking you.”
“I will assist her if you require it. Otherwise, I will maintain my watch.”
“That’s not…” She let out a sigh, but kept herself hovering in front of Turing, occupying her gaze. Let’s try this again, she thought to herself. “Well, how about we go visit Rarity instead? You know, we still have to get her present to you from the jewelers in Manehatten. And we could pay a visit to Gadget! Her last letter said she’d really like to see you!”
Turing remained silent. Her ears twitched slightly, but she otherwise remained still. Sitting hunched over like this, she didn’t resemble a robot so much as a gargoyle, silently guarding Ponyville with ever-watchful, unblinking eyes.
“Turing!” Twilight snapped. “I asked you a question!”
With glacial slowness, Turing Test ever-so-slightly lifted her head. “Jewelry on my exterior would not improve my function. Furthermore, if Gadget wishes to see me, then you can send her a photograph of me.”
“Okay, that’s it!” Twilight landed back on the parapet and stomped her hoof. “Turing, come down off that ledge and talk to me! That’s an order!”
Turing promptly sat up and planted her hooves on the ground, standing erect before Twilight. “Acknowledged. How may I assist you?”
“Turing, I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but… No. That’s not true.” Her sour expression gave way to a frown as she lowered her head. “I actually have a pretty good idea about what’s wrong, but I’ve been giving you space ever since it happened. Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and even I have all been working through things, but you haven’t been the same since that night.”
Turing said nothing and only stood there, still as a statue once again. After several moments, Twilight finally broke the silence with another exasperated sigh.
“Listen,” she said quietly, “I’m sorry for not spending more time with you. You didn’t seem like you wanted to talk about it at first, but I know what happened has been eating at you…”
“No corrosion has been detected.”
Twilight laughed. “That’s the old Turing I remember!” She smiled, hoping maybe that would trigger some reaction, but Turing remained still. Twilight stepped closer, putting her hoof to her own chest. “Turing Test, I’m sorry. I knew something was up as soon as we had that talk with Princess Celestia…”
***
Two days ago…
Pinkie Pie was still talking with Rainbow Dash and Rarity, alternating between talking about what had happened and what would happen once they got back to Ponyville. “It was really scary and awful and I was sooo worried,” she said, pacing back and forth, her lips drawn into a deep frown. “But a fun party would be just the thing to take everypony’s mind off things!” She put on a broad smile as she looked to Rarity and Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow Dash and Rarity both raised an eyebrow and they exchanged a look. “I dunno, Pinkie Pie,” Rainbow said, folding her forelegs as she sat on the sofa next to Rarity. “I really don’t remember anything anyway, so it’s not like it’s a big deal for me.”
Rarity cleared her throat. “I wouldn’t mind a relaxing day at the spa with you, Pinkie,” she said, “but I must agree with Rainbow Dash. After what I’ve been through, I’m not sure a celebration like a party is quite what I had in mind.” She smiled kindly at Pinkie. “I do appreciate the gesture, nonetheless.”
“Ooh, can Bon Bon and I get in on that?” Lyra asked, walking over to them. “I haven’t been to the spa in a long time, but after last night, well…”
Pinkie nodded emphatically before turning to Rainbow Dash.
“Eh, what the hay, I’m in too,” Dash replied.
Meanwhile, Derpy was busy doting on the Doctor. “Really, Doc, you look even more stressed out than usual!” she was saying, hovering over him and brushing the dirt and dust from him. “Did you really have to wander around the Castle once the Royal Guard came?”
“Oh come now, Derpy,” he said, waving a hoof as he tossed his head back. “You didn’t really think I’d waste the opportunity to examine this old castle with its gizmos and booby traps? I simply had to explore!”
“What if this old place started crumbling?!” she cried, throwing her hooves in the air. “After all we went through trying to help everypony, I was really worried when I couldn’t find you here!”
“Ah, well…” The Doctor ran his hoof under the collar of his tie and looked away. “Yes. Sorry to have worried you.” He turned back to her and smiled. “Even so, it seems we all owe you our thanks for getting the message to Princess Twilight’s assistant so quickly.”
She blushed and set back down on the ground. “I almost got lost once, but I saw the moonlight shining off Princess Twilight’s castle and I flew right at it! Um, I was going a little too fast and I broke through Princess Twilight’s window. Spike was kinda mad, but then I told him what happened and he sent the message to Princess Celestia.”
“Well, never mind that. I doubt Princess Twilight will mind a broken window after all is said and done.” He rested his hoof on her shoulder. “Excellent work as usual, Derpy.”
“Thanks,” she said, and then narrowed her eyes, a slight grin coming to her face, “...Time Turner.”
He winced. “Ah. Could we postpone that talk for another day?”
She raised an eyebrow. “Welllll, okay. But you owe me breakfast when we get back to Ponyville.”
He laughed. “I’ll stuff you so full of muffins you’ll think you were one!”
Bon Bon and Princess Celestia stood by watching all this. They exchanged glances before Celestia motioned to Bon Bon to follow her. They made their way through the halls of the Castle of the Two Sisters as the Royal Guard occupied themselves with searching the area for evidence or gathering up Grace and Glory.
Celestia looked down at Bon Bon as they walked. “I have to say, Agent Sweetie Drops, I wasn’t expecting to get that letter from Spike in the middle of the night, and I was very surprised to hear that two criminals like these managed to find their way back to Equestria after all this time without being noticed.” She narrowed her eyes, her tone grave. “I’ll feel much better knowing they’re no longer a threat.”
Bon Bon nodded. “I feel the same way. I’m just glad Derpy was able to get a message to Spike so he could notify you. By the way, Your Majesty, what will be done with those two?” She swallowed. “I realize that I’m no longer an agent of the RMCA, but I’d sleep better at night if I knew.”
“I can understand, especially after what you’ve been through.” The two of them stopped at a window overlooking the courtyard. Guards were wrapping Glory’s unconscious body in chains, the links glowing yellow even in the early morning light. Celestia pointed down at them. “Glory is being bound in magical restraining shackles. They’ll sap his strength and prevent another escape while he’s interrogated. As you can imagine, I would very much like to know who hired them for this task.”
Bon Bon rolled her eyes. “Hopefully he’ll talk, Your Majesty, but given what we know about him, I doubt he’ll surrender the information readily, if at all.”
Celestia nodded. “You’re probably right. Either way, we’ll see if we can extract the dark magic and reverse the alchemy done to him. If so, then he’ll face the dungeons. But if not… I doubt any place but Tartarus would hold him.”
Celestia turned from the window and Bon Bon followed her as they travelled up the steps, making their way to the Sanctuary of the Elements of Harmony. “As for Grace, we’ll cover her eyes just in case her powers return, but she’ll probably be spending a lot of time bedridden in a specialized asylum. We’ll try to remove her enhancements as well. If she ever regains consciousness, she’ll also be punished for her crimes.”
“I see. Um, by the way, Your Majesty,” Bon Bon said, rubbing the back of her neck as they reached the top of the stairs, “I just want to thank you again for pardoning me for not contacting you and the Royal Guard about my suspicions earlier.”
Celestia paused and turned back to her, giving a small smile. “Since you did it to prevent a disaster like the raid on the Umbral Order’s compound, I suppose you had your reasons and that they were justifiable. And besides, it is as you said: you aren’t a member of the RMCA, so I can’t really punish you for anything anyway.” She leaned down to her. “Not to mention that your friend Lyra argued quite strongly on your behalf.”
“Ahahaha… yeah,” Bon Bon muttered, cheeks turning red as she remembered how Lyra had gone right up to the Princess and shouted about how Celestia couldn’t punish her. “She’s a little... protective.”
“As are you, from what I gathered.”
Bon Bon’s blush intensified at that.
“But now, I think there’s somepony else I need to see.”
Bon Bon bowed her head and Celestia walked over to where Twilight was sitting with Turing Test. Twilight rose to her hooves when she saw the Princess approach and Turing did the same.
“Well… it seems the guards and I showed up a little late to help,” Celestia said to Twilight, “but I am relieved that you are all unharmed.” She turned to face Turing Test. “Agent Sweetie… er, Bon Bon informed me of the situation. She told me of everything that happened and what you did, Turing Test. Do you have anything else to add?”
“Negative. Bon Bon would have sufficient information for you.” Her ears twitched. “Your Highness,” she added.
Celestia smiled and nodded her head. “Well then, I suppose I should thank you for protecting Princess Twilight and the others.”
Twilight put her foreleg around Turing Test, facing her. “You really did great, Turing. If it wasn’t for you, who knows what might have happened?”
Turing looked from Celestia to Twilight and back again, but didn’t respond for a moment. Then she said, “I am glad that Twilight Sparkle and my other friends are safe. If the situation is secure, I have a request for you, Princess Celestia. May I make it?”
Celestia tilted her head. “A request?” The question had caught her off guard, but she smiled and nodded. “Of course. What is it?”
“I would like some time with my friends. After that time, I will submit myself.”
Celestia blinked. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think I understand. What are you saying?”
“Clarifying: I would like to spend a small amount of time to express my appreciation to my friends before I am disassembled.”
Celestia jerked her head up, her ears straightening. Twilight gasped and she looked up at Celestia.
“Princess Celestia, you can’t--”
Celestia held up a hoof, cutting Twilight off. “Indeed I couldn’t. Turing Test, I have no intention of disassembling you. Why would you think such a thing?”
Turing tilted her head back and forth and then raised her hoof, gesturing to the hole in the wall of the sanctuary created when she kicked Glory through it. “Twilight Sparkle told me that you had specified that I was not to harm anypony. However, the situation required force to attain the best possible outcome. I have now violated your directive to not harm anypony by physically assaulting one pony and mentally assaulting another. Therefore, I assumed I would be disassembled.”
Celestia looked away, raising her hoof to her face. Twilight went over to Turing.
“Turing Test, you can’t really think that Princess Celestia would have you destroyed after you saved everypony’s lives, can you?!”
The robot sat back down on the stone floor. “That was the consequence you outlined. Harming others was not to be tolerated. I have harmed others. The circumstances of that fact are not relevant.”
“Turing, no!” Twilight cried.
“She’s right, Turing Test,” Celestia said, putting her hoof on Turing’s shoulder. “Though I did state things as you said, I intended it to be in case you ever became a threat. I never imagined that you would be put in a position where you would have to use such brute force in defense of others. I…” She swallowed. “I’m sorry. I had judged you from our first meeting to be no more than a machine with no sense of care or regard for living beings. But it now seems to me that not only did you save your friends, but you did so despite believing that it would mean your own destruction.” She lowered her head and smiled at her. “How could I possibly destroy somepony so noble as that?”
Twilight beamed at Celestia and rushed to her side, embracing her. “Thank you, Celestia.” She released her and faced Turing Test. “You see, Turing Test? Everything’s fine! You’re a hero!”
Turing’s eyes contracted for a moment, but then returned to normal and she stood up. At first Twilight and Celestia thought she might say something, but at first, she only stood up and trotted over to where some of the Royal Guard were busy tying Grace up into a straightjacket and putting a blindfold over her eyes. She was still lying there, motionless, a faint sound coming from her open mouth as she breathed slowly.
Limp and unresisting, she looked less like the sagacious nun that had terrorized them all and more like a discarded ragdoll.
Turing looked back at the two princesses. “Twilight Sparkle, may we return home?”
“Y-yes, of course.” Twilight glanced up at Celestia before walking over to Turing. “We’ll go together. All of us.” She swallowed, peering at Turing more closely. “Are you really okay, Turing?”
Turing began to walk toward the door. “All systems functional.”
Celestia held out her hoof and stopped Twilight as they watched her go. “Princess Twilight,” she whispered, “I am glad that you’re safe and I also believe that Turing Test has proven herself to be an ally, but something feels wrong about all this. If she were a real pony, I would say that she’s acting as if she feels guilty.” She glanced over at Turing, who had stopped by the stairs and was looking back at Twilight expectantly. “Is that… possible?”
Twilight furrowed her brow. “I… I don’t know.”
***
“So, how about it, Turing?” Twilight asked, staring her down as they stood on the parapet. “You’re acting strangely. I checked your room: you’ve turned away your mirror like you don’t want to look at yourself. Now you’re out here looking down at Ponyville for threats, like you’re some kind of bodyguard. Honestly, you’re acting a little bit like you used to when we first activated you. That seems like a step backwards.” She sighed. “You won’t talk to me and you don’t want to spend time with your friends. Ever since that night, you’ve been… well, different.”
Turing Test said nothing.
“Turing, say something!” Twilight shouted.
“Something.”
“Turing, that’s not--”
“That was a joke. Ha ha.” She paused, her ears twitching. “Twilight Sparkle, what do you wish for me to say?”
“I want you to tell me if Celestia is right, for starters.” She swallowed. “Back in the castle, after what you did to Grace, you said you were a ‘monster.’ That sure sounds to me like you do feel guilty. So, do you?”
Turing’s ears slowly raised and lowered on their hinges. “Were my actions in error? If you are displeased with my actions, then I apologize.”
“No, but--”
“Then there is no need for me to feel guilty.” She turned to look back at the edge of the parapet. “May I return to my duty as your sentry or do you require more from me?”
“Darn it, Turing, stop it!” Twilight yelled, her nostrils flaring. “Why are you acting like this? I could help you, Turing! You’re my friend, and I...” She took a deep breath and let it out, her voice shaking as she whispered, “and I just don’t want you to suffer. Not when I could help you.” She sank to her haunches.
Turing paused, then came over to her and sat down as well. “Your concern is appreciated. However, it is not necessary. Please do not feel sad, Twilight Sparkle. I am all right.”
“No you aren’t, Turing,” Twilight said, shaking her head slowly as she shut her eyes. “I can tell. You’re not acting like yourself. You may not be organic, but you have thoughts and feelings; and right now, I don’t think they’re good ones. You’re evading my questions, and I’d order you to answer them, but I don’t want to force you if you’re not ready to talk.” She swallowed and stood. “But I am here to talk to you when you do feel up to it. Okay?”
Turing also stood. “Acknowledged.”
Twilight smiled and leaned toward her. “So, just tell me once, and be honest… do you feel guilty?”
Turing lowered her head. “No data available.”
Twilight blinked. “‘No data?’ What does--”
There was a sound and a small flash of light and Twilight glanced down at her flank. Her cutie mark was glowing and making a light, high-pitched sound.
“Oh no, not now!” She sighed. “Turing, it looks like the Map is calling me. I need to find out what’s happening. But later on, I still want to talk.”
“Understood.” Turing resumed her place on the parapet. “I will be here when you return.”
***
Another two days later, Turing and Spike were busying themselves with cleaning the castle. With the time Twilight and her friends had spent there, not to mention the fact that Celestia and the Royal Guard had wanted to make sure she and the others were all right, the castle had actually gotten a bit dirtier than usual.
“I sure hope Twilight’s happy to see the castle so clean when she gets back,” Spike said as he dusted off a table in the main hall with a feather duster. “She always likes it when she comes back from a trip to a nice, tidy house. At least, she did back when we lived in the library.”
He looked over his shoulder to see that Turing was just up the hallway. She had switched to U-Mode and was using her magic to levitate a washcloth. She was carefully cleaning off a smudge on the wall. He knew she heard every word he said, but she hadn’t been particularly talkative ever since the incident at the castle.
“Hey, uh, Turing Test, I was thinking of checking in with Big Mac and getting a game of hoofball going with some other ponies around town. Do you want to play too?” He put down the feather duster and went over to her. “You were great when we played catch a while ago. You remember that?”
“Affirmative. I remember everything.”
He rocked back and forth on his heels. “So… uh… hoofball then?”
Turing examined the spot she’d been scrubbing and turned away from it, apparently satisfied that it had been removed. “Negative. Hoofball would serve no purpose.”
Spike sighed. He was about to pursue the question when there was a knock at the castle door. He went over to it and opened it. To his surprise, Fluttershy was standing there. She raised her head and smiled when she saw him.
“Oh hey, Fluttershy!” he said, returning her smile as he stepped out to greet her. “What are you doing here?”
“I, um, I was just wondering if everypony was still away,” she replied. She glanced over his shoulder and spotted Turing Test in the hallway. She took a step back. “Um, the map called everypony but me away to Appleloosa. So, um… I thought they might be back by now.”
Spike shook his head. “Sorry, Fluttershy. Nopony’s back yet. It must be a pretty big deal over there.” He frowned. “I’m sure they’re fine. I kinda wonder why the map didn’t want you to go with them, though.”
“Oh, I’m sure it’s okay,” she said, smoothing her mane down. “Besides, it gives me a chance to get ready for the big butterfly migration!” She raised her head, her eyes lighting up. “There are so many butterflies coming soon! For the next three days, they’ll be coming to this grove of trees that I visit every year!” She gave a flap of her wings and took to the air as she leaped with excitement. “Oh, they’re sooo pretty! And I really wanted to share it with my friends. I was going to take pictures, and make sure the butterflies are all healthy enough for the trip!” She sighed, returning to the ground. “Oh well. Maybe they’ll be back in time anyway.”
Spike smiled. “I’ll tell you what: I’ll tell Twilight and the others about it as soon as they get back. If you’ve got three days, then they might still show up before then!”
She nodded. “Um... you could come help if you wanted, Spike,” she added. “You’re a friend of mine too. I mean, if you were interested.”
He rubbed the back of his neck and looked away. “I would, but… I kinda get allergies around this time of year. And, uh, when I sneeze, it can get a little… fiery.”
“Oh! Oh my goodness, I had no idea!” Fluttershy bit her lip, realizing the effect a burst of flame would have on a bunch of butterflies.
“You could ask Bulk Biceps! I heard you helped him get over his fear of butterflies.”
“That’s true, but… he’s still a little too noisy. He might scare them away.”
“Well, there’s…” Spike hesitated, furrowing his brow, “...Discord?”
“I suppose I could,” Fluttershy replied, tapping her chin. “Oh, but he gets bored so easily. I’m not sure he would want to hang around to watch the butterflies all day.” She heaved a sigh, moving to leave. “I guess it’s all right. I’ll just take a lot of good pictures this afternoon and maybe I can share them with everypony else later.”
Spike smiled up at her. “Sure. Sorry, Fluttershy.” He waved to her as she left. She glanced over her shoulder, heaving a sigh and then went on her way. As she went, Spike went back into the castle.
Poor Fluttershy, he said to himself. I really wish I could watch those butterflies with her, but with my allergies, that would be a disaster. If only there was somepony else who could…
He raised his head, a smile appearing on his face. He ran down the hallway. “Turing! Turing Test, are you there?”
At the sound of his voice, she stepped out from one of the rooms, washcloth draped across her back. “I am here. How may I assist you, Spike the Dragon?”
“Fluttershy just came by,” he said, thumbing in the direction of the door. “She wants to watch the butterflies as they come through for their migration over the next three days. I think she’s a little lonely since her other friends are all away on this friendship mission.” He folded his arms and looked at her pointedly.
Turing stared back at him. “Thank you for that information. However, it does not appear to be applicable to my situation.”
Spike made a face, dropping his arms to his sides. “I bet if Twilight was here, she would be asking you if you’d like to join Fluttershy.”
“Were that the case, I would inform her that my contributions to such an activity would be minimal.” She turned away. “I will now proceed to clean another room.”
Spike grit his teeth and ran ahead of her. “Hang on, Turing!” He held up a claw before her face, halting her. “Look… Twilight is worried about you and so am I. You need to stop moping around the castle.”
“Robots do not mope. I am merely focusing on my duties as Twilight Sparkle’s assistant.”
“No, that’s what I’m doing,” he said, thumping his chest. “Twilight may be your ‘end user’ or whatever, but while she’s gone, I should be in charge around here, right?”
Turing stepped around him. “That assumption is without basis. Twilight Sparkle established no hierarchy of command or authority while she is away. It is just as likely that I would be placed in charge of you.”
Spike rushed back ahead of her. “Very funny, Turing,” he said, narrowing his eyes.
“Your facial expression indicates that you do not find this humorous. However, it is still the case that I do not have to follow your orders if I choose not to. You are clearly attempting to convince me that I should keep Fluttershy company, but I have no reason to do so.”
She tried to move around him, but he stepped in front of her again. She paused, then tried to go around him to the left, only to have him block her path again. She quickly sidestepped him and began to rush by, but he grabbed her mane and jumped on her back.
“Ha! What’re you going to do noOWWOAHWOAHWOAH!!” he yelled as she suddenly took off.
“Dismount, Spike the Dragon,” she intoned, sharply jumping around, bucking in an attempt to dislodge her rider.
“No, I - ow! - I won’t!” he yelled. “I’ll tell Twi- ow! -Twilight if you keep this up!”
He was getting sore from all the bouncing around she was doing as she ran back and forth around the hallway. His claws were still seized tightly around the coils of her mane, but the jostling was beginning to jar them loose. He reached up and grabbed onto one of her ears for leverage just as she reared up on her hind legs, the force finally throwing him free.
“Uwaaah!” he shouted, landing on his back. “Oww…” He sat up and rubbed his head. “Jeez, Turing, you could have broken… something… uh oh…”
He looked down at his claw. In it there was a curved piece of metal and he winced when he saw what it was.
Turing was staring down at him. Her right ear was missing. A few loose wires hung from where the ear had been.
Spike gulped. “Uhhh… sorry?”
Turing sat down before him. “No. It was my error. There was no need to physically resist you.” She paused, lowering her head. “I am not certain why I took that action. I am…”
Spike waited for her to finish, glancing down at the metal ear he held in his claw. He frowned at her, but said nothing as he waited.
“I am not sure what is wrong with me,” she said at last. “Twilight Sparkle has put forth a hypothesis about my condition, but I do not believe it is accurate. Or, to clarify, it is partially accurate, but I do not believe it addresses my problems. Perhaps I am malfunctioning. Perhaps the severity of those malfunctions is impeding my ability to follow my directives.”
Spike rubbed his chin, “Jeez, Turing, I don’t know. I really don’t know what to do, but…” He stood up straight and then snapped his fingers, a grin coming to his face. “Hey, I’ve got it! Your primary directive is to make friends, right?”
“Affirmative.”
“Well, you and Fluttershy aren’t friends yet, and she could really use a friend about now…” He folded his arms again. “It would be a good opportunity to make a friend if you kept her company, right? I bet that’s what Twilight would want. And it would be against your directive to not try, wouldn’t it?” His grin broadened.
Turing twitched her ear. Where her other ear had been, there was a momentary spark of electricity. “You are attempting to manipulate me by exploiting my programming.”
“Yep! How’s it working?”
She held out her hoof, glancing at the ear he held. He looked from her to the ear, then placed it on her hoof and she examined it closely. “The tactic is effective. You are correct that this is an opportunity to make a friend and I must follow that directive.” She leaned closer to him. “However, Spike the Dragon, I will point out that your manipulation is not appreciated.”
He shrugged. “Eh. I’ll live.” Then his expression softened. “Look, I know you don’t like this, but even a guy like me can see that you’re not okay, Turing. And I bet Fluttershy can help. She’s one of the nicest ponies around and she really knows how to take care of her friends. Maybe if you help her, then she can help you.”
She glanced down at the ear, then levitated it. “Very well,” she said, strolling by him. She went to her room and brought out a saddlebag. She placed the ear into it and then draped the saddlebag over her back. “However, my current appearance could potentially be distracting. I will first attempt to have my ear repaired. One of my recent acquaintances may be of assistance. I must visit the Doctor.”
***
Turing Test made her way into Ponyville. The sky was clear and blue and she noted that some of the leaves on the trees were starting to change color. Her scans indicated that the ambient temperature had dropped significantly since she’d last ventured outside the castle. She soon found herself at the towering, gazebo-shaped Town Hall and began looking around. She did not actually know where the Doctor might be found, and in fact she didn’t even know if the Doctor would be capable of fixing her ear, but given his apparent skills with machines, it seemed probable. It also seemed likely that she would find somepony who knew how or where to find him.
Upon scanning the nearby residents, she noted again how some of the Ponyville citizens gave a small start, almost tripping over their hooves when they saw her. They gave her a wide berth as they walked right by. A few others waved to her or offered slight smiles, but nopony came near to say hello.
Previous visual records indicate that organic ponies often say hello or make greetings in passing. She processed that and scanned her memories. Familiar greetings and questions regarding one’s physical and mental state are common. Although more ponies seem to recognize this unit since Nightmare Night, greetings typical of organic ponies have not been offered.
She sat down. Were Twilight Sparkle there, she would have asked her about that, perhaps how she might approach others and initiate the conversation herself.
But Twilight Sparkle was not there. Only now did it occur to her that she was outside without anypony accompanying her. She raised her head, ear twitching.
This unit was ordered not to travel unaccompanied. Current actions appear to be in direct contradiction of that order. Analyzing…
Turing was at a loss. Although she had many processes running simultaneously at a given time, she was aware of each and every one of them. That she had somehow made an action without knowing why was strange. It should have been impossible!
Explanation found: this unit was told harming other ponies was unacceptable and would result in deactivation at the same time as being told that unaccompanied travel was also forbidden. However, deactivation did not occur upon this unit’s assault on the individuals identified as Grace and Glory. Therefore, the entire order was determined to be invalidated.
The explanation made sense. However, the fact that she had to process through that information to learn the reason did not make sense.
Initiating diagnosis… root cause of undetected process unknown. Possible causes: (1) hidden directives implanted by creators similar to emergency maintenance codes removed by Gadget; (2) fault in memory defragmentation after incident with Grace; (3) underlying system malfunction.
It was impossible to know which of them it might be, but the first seemed unlikely to be the cause, and the second didn’t seem right either, as her self-diagnostic showed the defragmentation had been successful. Which meant the highest likelihood was the third possibility: she might be malfunctioning.
Destabilizing.
“Oh hey, look, it’s Turing Test!”
She turned around, already recognizing the sound of Lyra’s voice. She saw that Lyra was, unsurprisingly, accompanied by Bon Bon.
“We haven’t seen you since, um… Nightmare Night!” Lyra said, giggling nervously as her eyes moved from Turing to Bon Bon and back. “Sssooo… how are things?”
“Please specify the things you wish to inquire about.”
Lyra and Bon Bon laughed about that. Turing only cocked her head.
Bon Bon stepped forward. “You know, Turing, you really are a funny pony when we’re not in a life-or-death situation.” She smiled. “Anyway, Lyra and I got tired of moping around the house, so we decided to go outside and do some shopping, stop off at the cafe, that sort of thing. How about you? Did you decide to quit moping too?”
“Robots do not…” She paused. “It is unlikely that robots mope.”
Lyra and Bon Bon glanced at each other, then back at Turing. Lyra cleared her throat. “Well, maybe you should go do something fun, take your mind off things.”
Bon Bon nodded. “Lyra and I were going to go see about entering this carrot-dog-eating contest that Golden Harvest is putting on later.”
Placing a hoof to her chest, Lyra tossed her mane back and held her head high. “Of course, I’m going to take first prize!”
“Pffft, not if I take it first!” Bon Bon said, narrowing her eyes and grinning at her.
“Ha! You?!” Lyra waved a hoof dismissively. “You may be the sweets maker, but I’m the big eater. If you eat all those carrot-dogs, you’re gonna get a wicked bad tummy ache!”
“Me? You talk a big game, but you’ve got no sense of reality!” Bon Bon turned to face Turing, gesturing back at Lyra. “Do you know, Turing Test, that Lyra once entered a thumb wrestling competition in the Griffon Kingdom?!”
“So what?”
“Lyra, you don’t. Have. Thumbs!”
“I still placed in the top 10!”
“Only because your competitors kept dropping out before a match when they saw the way you made googly eyes at all the other species with hands and claws and stuff, you weirdo! You were literally the only pony there!”
Lyra took a step back. “H-hey, I’m not a weirdo! I’m just curious.” She looked down and frowned. “I thought you said you liked that about me.”
Bon Bon softened. “Aw, come on Lyra.” She put her hoof on Lyra’s shoulder. “I do like that about you. I was just teasing you a little. Hey, I bet you really will win that carrot-dog-eating contest.”
“Really?” Lyra raised her head and smiled, putting her foreleg over Bon Bon’s. “I mean, the competition’s fierce.”
“Not as fierce as you,” Bon Bon giggled. The two smiled, staring into each other’s eyes.
“Initiating coughing sound: ahem.” Turing had raised her hoof to where her mouth would have been, doing her best to mimic an intentional cough.
Lyra and Bon Bon looked around. A small crowd of other ponies had slowed down to watch their “argument.”
“JUST KISS ALREADY!” Bulk Biceps yelled from the back of the crowd.
“All right, all right, everypony move on,” Bon Bon grumbled, hiding her burning red cheeks behind a raised hoof. “Nothing to see here, just two best friends having an argument.”
The crowd dispersed, leaving Lyra and Bon Bon alone with Turing Test again.
“So…” Lyra said, looking to Turing. Then she raised her eyebrow and pointed to the empty spot on the side of Turing’s head. “Hey, what happened to your ear?”
“It was unintentionally broken off. I am seeking to repair it.”
“Ooh, I know, you should… oh, wait.” Lyra cleared her throat and put her hoof to the side of her mouth. “YOU SHOULD TALK TO THE DOCTOR! HE COULD PROBABLY REPAIR IT,” she shouted into Turing’s good ear.
Bon Bon put her hoof to her face, closing her eyes as she shook her head. “Lyra, we’ve been talking to her this whole time; I think she would have said something if she had trouble hearing us!”
“Oh. Heh heh… right.”
“In answer to your suggestion, I had a similar idea. The Doctor’s ‘time bomb’ and invisibility device indicate that he has proficiency with mechanical devices. Which I am.” Turing lightly patted her saddle bag. “I have brought the earpiece. While I still have auditory capability, my range and sensitivity has been compromised. Can you direct me to the Doctor’s residence or place of business?”
“Sure thing!” Bon Bon said. “In fact, we’ve got some time, so we can just take you there! Follow us!”
***
After a knock on the heavy metal door, there was a clattering sound and some indistinct muttering before the latch was lifted and the door opened. The Doctor, mane even messier than usual, stuck his head out.
“Hm, yes?” He saw the three of them there and his face lit up, especially when he saw Turing Test. “Ah, my friends! So good of you to come visit! Can I help you with something?”
“Good to see you too, Doc,” Bon Bon said, smiling back. She gestured toward Turing Test. “Turing Test here has a request.”
“Correct. I have broken my ear. Do you think you could repair it?”
“Your ear…?” He glanced up and saw the small wires protruding slightly from where her ear had been. “Ah! Well, that’s quite unfortunate; however I’m afraid you’ll have to come back in an hour. You see, I really only have a moment here, as I’ve been constructing a new device with Derpy’s assistance, and I really should get back to--”
There was a loud crash as something heavy and metallic fell over. The sound of shattering glass was also heard.
“Oopsie,” said a familiar voice from somewhere inside the house.
The Doctor blinked. “Well! Seems my schedule just got freed up a bit. Come in, come in! I have some leftover Nightmare Night candy if you'd like a Jelly Baby.”
The group trotted inside the dome-shaped building and saw Derpy looking down at some strange contraption that had fallen over, spilling glass and gears and wires all over the floor.
“Doc!” Derpy cried, hovering over him, her hooves flying to her face. “I am sooo sorry!”
“Ah well,” he said, waving a hoof dismissively, keeping his smile in place. “My own fault for not designing it to be sturdier. I suppose Equestria will last another day without a means of automatically cleaning its dishes.”
Lyra’s ears perked up. “That thing’s a mechanical dishwasher?” she asked.
“It was going to be,” the Doctor sighed, though he immediately perked right back up. “Not to worry, though! I still have quite a few devices I’ve been working on!” He ran over to a table and picked up a small rectangular device with a rotating brass knob on the top. “Like this! Ha ha! Ding!”
The small device went ding.
“What is that?” Turing Test asked.
“It’s a machine that goes ding.” He looked down at it, furrowing his brow. “Now, if I could only figure out why…”
Bon Bon cleared her throat. “Um, Doc?”
“Hm? Ah, yes, your ear!” He whirled around, beaming at Derpy. “Derpy, we’ll need my screwdriver! Miss Turing Test here seems to have had an unfortunate accident involving her ear.”
“Oh no!” She flew over to Turing and saw the wires. “Oh my gosh, does it hurt?”
“I do not feel pain.” Turing replied. “However, my auditory ability has been impaired, as I only have one functioning ear left.” She twitched her remaining ear to demonstrate, causing it to squeak on its hinges as she did so.
“Oh my gosh, they make little squeaking sounds!” Derpy cried, laughing in delight. “Just listen to that, Doc!” She touched the ear and began moving it up and down, causing it to squeak again.
The Doctor made a face. “Um, Derpy, I wouldn’t--”
She was giggling at the sound, moving it rapidly until the ear suddenly snapped off its hinges and fell to the floor, clattering metallically as it hit.
The small machine in the doctor’s hoof went ding again.
“Oh.” Derpy’s eyes welled up and she landed in front of Turing. “Oh my gosh, I am sooo sorry!”
Turing cocked her head to the side. “What?”
The Doctor rubbed his forehead. “Oh dear, that’s going to complicate things. Derpy, the screwdriver, please!” He turned to Lyra and Bon Bon. “Ladies, if you please, there is a box with a variety of screws on the table. Could one of you locate it for me, please?”
A few moments later, the Doctor had both ears laid out and was busily re-attaching them to Turing’s head.
“Hmm… my word, that doesn’t look right… still.” He held the screwdriver in his mouth and gently pushed some of the wires back into the ear. “Turing Test? Can you hear me?”
“Auditory sensors partially restored. Affirmative, Doctor.”
“Ha!” He pushed a screw through the hinges and began tightening it. “You know, these ears really shouldn’t have snapped off so easily, considering the rest of your design. They don’t seem to fit quite right. If I were to guess, I’d say they weren’t originally built for you. What did your creators have in mind?”
“I do not know,” she replied, lowering her head so he could work more easily. “My creators are unknown, their original purpose a mystery.”
“Really? Well, that’s… unexpected.” He looked at the ear. “Try moving it now.”
She twitched the ear and it moved easily, though it still made a slight squeaking noise.
“There we are! Let’s do the other one, shall we?”
Turing obliged, lowering her head, and he began working on the other ear.
“But tell me,” he said, peering at the hinges more carefully, “there must be something you know about your past. Anypony who could construct something as wonderful as you, my friend, well… he or she must be absolutely brilliant!”
“There is no conclusive data on that subject.” She turned her head slightly again. “However, one of my creators, a stallion identifying himself as ‘Fine Print,’ indicated that I was created by a group of ponies. Their purpose is unknown. All that is known is that I am the most advanced automaton that is currently known and that my original identification before assuming the name ‘Turing Test,’ is Unit 003M.”
“Oh? ‘Zero zero three?’ Well then,” he said as he rubbed his chin, “it stands to reason that there are more of you somewhere.”
“Unknown. The possibility has been considered. However, it is also possible that others were constructed, tested, and dismantled.”
“That would make sense, I suppose,” the Doctor said, getting back to work. “After all, if they wished to save on time and resources, they might well have recycled your predecessors’ parts. That would explain the ears not fitting quite right.”
Turing’s eyes shrank momentarily.
The Doctor, nose buried in her wiring, did not notice. “I suppose you could say you have the family ears in that case! Haha--”
“Doc.”
He turned to see Derpy putting her hoof on his shoulder gently. She and the other two mares also looked uneasy and both had turned away.
“Oh,” he said, turning back to Turing Test. “Ah. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean, well…”
When he didn’t continue, Turing spoke up. “There is no need to apologize. It seemed a distinct possibility that I am the only operational machine of my kind. I now suspect that it will remain that way for the foreseeable future.”
The Doctor paused in his work at that, frowning down at her, then finished up what he was doing.
“Well, there we are,” he said. “Right as rain! Probably even better than they were before, in fact!”
Turing raised her head and twitched her ears. First one, then the other, then together in sync.
“Full auditory function restored. Thank you, Doctor.”
Bon Bon stepped forward. “Hey, um, Turing Test?” she said, clearing her throat. “Listen, you don’t know for sure that there won’t be other robots like you, right?”
“I do not.” She stepped closer to Bon Bon. “However, with the actions I have taken, I doubt that others like me will be constructed.”
Bon Bon opened her mouth to reply when Turing added, “That is, of course, if they are wise.”
Bon Bon shut her mouth, her eyes going wide.
Lyra jumped forward. “Wait a minute!” she cried. “Why ‘wise?’ Don’t you want them to build more machines?”
Turing stared back at her, but then lowered her head. “Yes.” Her voice grew quieter. “The fact that there are no others of my kind has been the focus of my thoughts lately. I have discovered that many creatures find purpose among others of their own kind. However, I have no peers with whom I can find such a purpose, although I do value my organic friends.
“But with my actions against Grace and Glory, I have likely jeopardized any future my kind might have had.”
“Now wait just one moment!” the Doctor said, rushing to her side. “You are a marvel! A technological feat beyond compare! And, if I might add, quite the hero as well!” He smiled warmly at her. “The world needs more brave and selfless ponies in it. Why wouldn’t Equestria want more ponies like you?”
Turing backed up and turned away from the others. “You all are very kind for your concern and optimism, but I do not find it to be realistic. I am the first independently sapient machine in Equestria. And when given full freedom to make a decision of my own, I used it to inflict violence on living beings. I must accept the consequences of those actions.” She raised her hoof and glanced down, noting her own reflection in the shiny brass appendage.
“Among those consequences is the fact that I have proven machines can be violent. I used my strength and power of my own will to be violent. Other robots like me could very well do the same. Everypony is calling me a hero, but they have overlooked that I could just as easily become a threat.”
She looked over her shoulder at the others. They all wore similar expressions of unease or discomfort. Bon Bon and the Doctor wouldn’t even look at her.
“My apologies,” she said, turning fully back to face them. She bowed her head. “I am grateful for your companionship and assistance, in spite the things I have done. I do not deserve such treatment.”
The others gasped and Derpy rushed over to her, hovering as she glowered down. “Don’t say things like that!” she shouted, her eyes ablaze. “You saved ponies’ lives!”
Bon Bon looked up at Derpy and smiled. “She’s right, Turing.” She heaved a long sigh. “Listen: I… I don’t like to talk about my time in the RMCA. Neither does the Doctor.”
The Doctor shot her a look, but she ignored him.
“I know you feel bad about using violence to solve a problem. Believe me, I know how that feels too. I know you feel awful, but I think ponies will remember that you saved others, not that you hurt others.”
She walked over and held Turing in an embrace. “You stopped two awful ponies from hurting anypony else. You saved our friends. You saved my best friend, Turing. And that’s why I’m proud to call you my friend too. We all are!”
Turing remained still, but as the others came close and embraced her, her ears stood erect.
“You are all so kind.” They let her go and smiled at her. However, she still turned away and began trotting toward the door. “Your friendships are accepted, but a monster with friends is still a monster.”
They stood in stunned silence as she opened the door and walked out.
“Oh dear,” the Doctor said.
“What do we do, Doc?” Derpy asked. “We should go after her!”
“No,” Bon Bon said, holding out a hoof. “There’s something more to this; something she doesn’t want to talk about, maybe something she’s not ready to admit. Even for a robot, I think it’s going to take a little time before she can figure things out. But when she does,” she turned to Lyra and rested her head against hers, “then at least she’ll have four new friends to lean on.”
***
Turing made her way up the sun-dappled dirt path, past the flowers and tiny trees and birdhouses. Ahead of her was Fluttershy’s home. The green-roofed cottage looked less like a house and more like a tree with the amount of greenery and small creatures frollicking nearby. Some of the tiny rabbits and birds fled as she made her way up the path. She could hear even more animals, including chickens, squirrels, and a variety of birds and lizards, from behind the house. She didn’t know what they were, of course, as she’d had very little exposure to animals and never heard their sounds before.
That could be a possible topic of conversation with Fluttershy, she supposed. The only thing to do was to complete her objective and try to make friends with her. Fluttershy would either accept her offer and she could try to fulfill her directive or she would reject Turing outright and she could go back to the castle.
Turing Test raised her heavy metallic hoof and knocked three times on the door to the cottage.
“Coming!” Fluttershy’s high, melodic voice emanated from somewhere deep within the cottage. Turing didn’t hear hoofsteps, so she supposed Fluttershy must be flying. The sound of other animals scurrying around and chirping and chattering accompanied her. Finally the sound of hooves hitting the wooden floor was audible and the small door to the cottage gently opened.
“Hello? I-is that you, Mr. Greenhooves?” Fluttershy gently poked her head out, pushing her mane out of her eyes. “If it’s about my pansies, I--” She froze, eyes constricting when she saw Turing Test standing there.
“Greetings, Fluttershy.” Turing put her hoof to her chest. “It has come to my attention that you have nopony to accompany you to the butterfly migration. I have come to offer myself as company.”
Fluttershy looked to the left and right. “I-is Twilight back? Is she with you?”
“No. I am alone. However, I will be sufficient company for this occasion.”
“Ohhh, nooo, that’s…” She swallowed, forcing herself to smile weakly. “I’m okay by myself. You don’t need to do this.”
“In actuality, I do. As it is my directive to make friends, I require your cooperation.” She stepped closer. “If you will comply--”
“Eep!” Fluttershy cried and slammed the door.
“Analyzing… perhaps I should not have used the word ‘comply,’ as it is reminiscent of our first interact--”
“Please, just go away!” Fluttershy cried from behind the door. “You haven’t changed at all! You’re still a scary machine pony who wants to force me to make friends!”
Turing considered pursuing the topic, but given what Fluttershy had just said, she realized that being forceful would probably make things worse.
“Understood. I will leave you now.”
She turned and began walking down the path, away from the cottage. With her sensitive ears, she heard more creatures emerge from their hiding spaces once she’d left.
Analysis: this unit is still perceived as frightening. Given recent violent actions, this perception is reasonable.
She picked up her pace, intending to rush back to the castle. She didn’t want to encounter any other ponies that day.
“Well well well…”
Turing stopped in her tracks. Someone was speaking, but for some reason she couldn’t determine the direction or point of origin.
“...you know, I was going to visit Fluttershy today despite how dreadfully boring her little butterfly watching activity would probably be. But then I come across you, whatever you might be!”
Turing began glancing around. She didn’t detect anypony on infrared scanners and even her magic sensors failed to spot anything out of the ordinary. She began to wonder if she was malfunctioning and hearing something that wasn’t there. She wondered, could the Doctor have repaired her ears insufficiently?
“I am a robot, sometimes called an automaton. I am a machine, a mechanical pony, and I am known as Turing Test. Please identify yourself.”
Laughter echoed all around her. Suddenly there was a flash of light and a tall, slender creature stood before her. It had mismatched legs, arms, and even antlers. It bent down and flashed a snaggle-toothed grin at her with yellow eyes and red pupils.
“Well, since you asked so nicely,” the being said, bowing dramatically at the waist, “my name is Discord, the Master of Chaos!” Discord wiggled his eyebrows at her. “And it seems that both our days just got much more interesting!”
Somewhere in the distance, something went ding.
To be continued...
If you were wanting more Fluttershy, don't worry, she's got a role coming up. 
Special thanks for this chapter go to my three guest editors (in alphabetical order): E3gner, GenerousGypsy, and The Knight Templar. Many thanks, all three of you!
And now, on to the references!
-Fluttershy mentions getting helping Bulk Biceps get over his fear of butterflies, which is a shameless reference to my one-shot, not-so-great story "BUTTERFLIES!!" which I doubt anyone here would have gotten without looking under this spoiler.
-Lyra eating carrot-dogs is a reference to the "Friendship Games" short "All's Fair in Love and Friendship Games," wherein Lyra and Bon Bon compete in different ways, including Lyra stuffing her face with hot dog after hot dog.
-On that same note, when Lyra says eating all those carrot-dogs would give her "a wicked bad tummy ache," it's a nod to the infamous, hilarious short APPLE.MOV by HotDiggetyDemon.
-The Doc offering the gang Jelly Babies is another homage to the Fourth Doctor, who habitually carried them around and offered them to others.
-The Machine that Goes Ding is a direct reference to well, The Machine that Goes Ding in the 50th Anniversary "Doctor Who" special "The Day of the Doctor." (Also, indirectly, the Timey Wimey Detector in the episode "Blink" because apparently I can't get enough of that damn episode.)
-Oh, and silly me, I forgot to mention the inspiration for the chapter title. Pay attention to the lyrics for this little gem from the Gorillaz, especially the opening, and you might see the connection:
Art, as usual, by Colby Green, who worked extra hard to get the illustration out on time for this chapter.
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"It goes ding when there's stuff." I miss Tennant.
I want to be mad at Fluttershy, but she is the type to be scared of her own shadow, do I don't know how to feel. Still, she didn't have to be so mean. Ironic considering she is the element of kindness.
This chapter is a good fellow-up from the past arc.
As I was afraid, the events necessary to defeat Grace and Glory drove Turing into a "Heroic BSOD": she think that she is a monster - at last a potential one, afraid that she is the malfunctioning and could become a threat...
And by returning to act as a mechanical, logical system, Turing is limiting her possible actions to prevent a future breakdown
What Turing have is a trauma and what she needs is someone that could act as a therapist - the problem is that the one most qualified to do it, is the one totally scared of her! (Fluttershy...
)
At last Turing's friend network now is larger, with the Doctor, Derpy, Lyra and Bon Bon - she will need!
A welcome note of levity
And thank you for put Celestia as the Reasonable Authority Figure that she is.
With Discord on the picture, I have a reason to be afraid for Turing, right?
You know , before you said that the machine going Ding was a reference , I thought that it was a trouble detector.
You know , since both time it happened in the story was before trouble (hearing trouble in one case.)
Ponyville being Ponyville , it would make sense for the device to go Ding frequently... and it could be incredibly usefull if they understood it's use.
Also , "depressed" Turing remind me of Glados for some reason ...Maybe the snarkiness.
)
(I read the passage where she expressed her displeasure at Spike in Glados voice... and then added a "meatbag" in my head
6379188
Who said it isn't?
... BULK BICEPS PEOPLE! VOICE OF ALL SHIPPING COMMENTS AND BEST PONY OF THIS CHAPTER!
... And Fluttershy is the freaking worst.
Look, before there are torches and pitchforks, I want to ask the question, is this REALLY Fluttershy of season 5? The Cutie Map is here so I assume so, the only amount of assertiveness I've seen is insulting Turing and saying she never changed from before...
WELL HOW THE BLEEDING FUCK WOULD YOU KNOW?! YOU'VE BEEN IN THE FUCKING BACKGROUND HIDING AWAY FROM HER YOU DAMN-
UUURURUURRRGRHHHHHH!!!!
...
Alright, yeah, Fluttershy is quickly getting to be what I most hate about her now, cowardly, shy, awkward, cute, then back to damn cowardly. I hate this seemingly 180 she has with animals that are REALLY dangerous, even conquering her fears on Dragons one time, and yet she STILL falls into this pattern.
/But Poison Joker! Wasn't it said baby steps were needed to make this happen?/
Well I'm glad you asked sir, well the answer to that is that while she is still taking those baby steps, WHEN EVERYBODY ELSE IS DOING A DOUBLE BACKFLIP OVER MAGMA! Please... where was determined, kind, and harsh Fluttershy? The one that I can actually love when she's cute because she's freaking CUTE for being CUTE.
... Anyway, now back to Turing's dilemma.
The situation of the day? Power, and learning how to use it.
Turing is a being that is both informed and logical, yet very emotionally childish, she tries to learn from her past experiences and work to adapt herself to be a better being overall. She knew that her power was tremendous, and she had followed her guild lines closely. However, when Grace and Glory happened...
Hmm, I really can't blame her, it's the same as thug kids who carry a knife around, they don't think much about it until they actually use it, they look at themselves and think 'What the fuck am I doing...' Turing IS a living weapon of sorts, she's been gifted these friends, to possess this power, and given free will... all of this, and now look at what she did with it.
She has a strong morality derived like a child, where doing a bad thing for the first time would make you feel immense guilt, she crippled and hospitalized a pair of ponies, not two villains but two ponies, she is looking at the switch blade which is herself and now is trying to curb her emotional side, yet still strangely being emotional.
Is she a monster for using her power in hurting other ponies? She doesn't know...
The only thing for it... is a little... urg, Kindness.
HOPEFULLY IF SHE GETS OUT FROM UNDER HER FREAKING BED AND SHOWS SOME FUCKING NERVES FOR ONCE-
Alright... alright.
Right now, we get a meeting between form vs shifting, logic vs disorder, chaotic humor vs awesome deadpan.
NOW BEGIN...
it goes ding when there's stuff
"I'm Discord, master of Chaos."
Uh-oh... Back away slowly Turing, he can smell fear.
6380147 Aw shucks, you're just saying that! But seriously, I am actually a little proud of that one.
Hope you're liking the story!
Wait a minute, the machine that went ding in Doctor who made its dinging noise whenever it detected shapeshifters nearby.
Does that mean there are gonna be changelings? :D
Unfortunately I haven't kept up with my Dr Who, so I missed that reference.
But it did remind me of the machine that goes "PING" in the hospital scene of Monty Python's Meaning of Life.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wshyX6Hw52I
I was happy to help :)
Discord appearing does add some interesting potential. I know you wouldn't do it with all the detail work you've done thus far, but I'll say it just in case: Please do not have have him Discord ex machina her into an organic being. I've seen it done before and it never ends well, and just hastens the end unnecessarily. I love this story too much to let it fall into that trap.
Oh dear. :D
...Also... I'm wondering if Turing still remembers how to duplicate Grace's ability...
If so, that might be part of the "monster" thing.
regarding the butterflies reference:
Well, they might have gotten it if they'd read the other story, mightn't they? :)
6380227
I thought of that too. :)
He speaks the words we all want to say!
You're tempting fate Doctor.
See what I mean???
6380370 I agree, it would ruin the point of the whole story.
Well this chapter had plenty of entertainment. Nothing that I expected from the last chapter happened. Seeing all the sad moments that Turing is experiencing makes me wonder if she can cry? It's good to see Discord, I can tell a lot of interesting things are going to happen with these two. I wonder what Discord will do to Turing, maybe turn her into a real pony?(go all Pinocchio on her.)
I think I see the problem with Turing, though I can only make speculation. I think the reason she sees herself as "frightening", a "threat" and a "monster" is because she didn't just want to stop Grace and Glory. She wanted to kill them. She wanted to see them die. She is developing her personality, ideals, emotions and morals and this was a situation where she felt pure rage. She saw what Grace and Glory did to her friends and before she was literally incapable of committing an act of violence, regardless of the situation. But then she was given free reign to do what she wanted. And what she wanted was to defeat Grace and Glory with her new found freedom But because she stopped herself from truly giving in to her anger and hate for Grace and Glory, she didn't kill them. She left Glory a broken and defeated stallion and Grace a vegetable for who knows how long, an outcome that she (theoretically) still feels an amount of regret for. She is the first and, possibly, only android (if that classification applies) to be given the option of free will and she used that freedom to commit an act of incredible violence. Regardless of being the morally right thing to do, she used her free will to commit violence. A thing that is usually associated with evil and monsters. Others call her a hero but she has no concept of what others of her kind would do because there are possibly no others that are like her for which she has to take reference from. By pony and organic standards, she can be regarded as a hero, but what about android standards? Others can call you a hero and say that you did the right thing but what matters is that do you think you're a hero?
6379926 why would turing fear discord.... i mean its a new chance to make friends hehehehe
I thought this was a reference to;
though I had remembered it slightly wrong.
Really looking forward to discord
6380968 Robots operate via logic and reason, though Turing is developing emotions and may be better equipped to deal with physics breaking than the average robopony, it's difficult to say whether or not she's ready for Discord's... well presence. He could be simply impossible to her, and thus she will have to concede that he and his magic can be classified as "unknown," or he could actually cause her to malfunction- especially given her emotional compromise.
Mostly because John Delancie though.
"I wish I were a real boy- I mean- organic pony."
If having the ability to harm others makes one a monster, then we are all monsters.
Comment reply time! Ok, first to all the folks who commented on the Machine that Goes Ding. Namely 6379112 6379713 6380292 and especially 6380227 who said:
There might be! I'm considering scenarios for later chapters. I have shifted some of my ideas around as I plot them out, so maybe. But in this case, no. In fact, the one to figure out what the Machine that Goes Ding actually does is 6379188 :
Nice powers of observation there, Deynarth! It is indeed a trouble/chaos detector. Though with Derpy around, it's a wonder it doesn't just ding itself to pieces.
(And yes, crossr, I do love me some Monty Python, as last chapter revealed. 
Heh. Machine that Goes Ping indeed!)
Next to those who are peeved at Fluttershy:
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Rest assured, Fluttershy's problems with Turing Test will be addressed in more detail, but consider Fluttershy's personality and what she has been known to dislike and you'll see why she doesn't care much for Turing. It goes a lot deeper than what Flutters actually says. But I'll save that for later...
And now onto something else... anticipation for Discord and Turing's interactions!
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And then there's this...
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I love the amount of speculation you all have. Just like before, however, I can't say anything that will happen, but I will instead pose a question: If you were in Turing's hooves, would you make such a wish? Why? Or why not?
There were a lot of other great comments too from 6380539 6380968 and 6382154.
There were also many intelligent comments that I can't discuss in great detail here, but there are some very interesting theories from 6379186 6379673 and 6380681. Check those out for some waxing of a philosophical/speculative nature.
Thanks to you all and I'll see you next time!
6383414 oh nothing just THE MORAL OF THE PAST FOUR CHAPTERS
*Tranqued*
*Slumps over*
6383514 Well, we'll see, sailor.
............ yeah Discord and Turing Test.......... we're all going 2 die
of LOLS
sorry couldn't keep cereal ( and yes i meant 2 spell it that way) to long 
love the story so far
Discord will enjoy discourse with Turing, because Discord is a very logical being who prefers to curb his boredom by pretending he can't see beyond face-value, adding a layer of constant mental challenge and constant humor to his life.
Discord will find Turing refreshing, finally another being with the intellect to keep up with his logical leaps but without those pesky social instincts to hold them back.
These two will yak about hypothetical genocide one moment and yammer about the mechanics of air conditioning the next.
This will be glorious.
---: "Spike the Dragon, I have returned from Fluttershy's domicile."
: "Great to have you back Turing! So how did it go?"
: "Awesome! I knew you could do it! Look, you're already acting less mopey! I bet Twilight is gonna explode from happiness when she hears you made a new friend all on your own!"
: 
---: "I have fulfilled my Primary directive."
---: "Indeed. I also believe Twilight will feel positively towards my success in befriending Discord."
Doctor, that machine is there to tell you that your baby is A-OK. It's the most expensive machine in the hospital!
Or was it on loan from across the city? I can never remember these things. Someone get a doctor in here who knows our machines!
6400698 Hey, I'm glad you decided to give it a look!
I know what you mean. That's the problem with the long stories, isn't it? They have to make it worth your while to make you want to keep reading it, unlike a short one-shot. I hope you enjoy the story, regardless: that part with Celestia is a pretty major ongoing plot point.
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So, Fluttershy's strong negative reaction to Turing Test have bigger reasons than that fatidic first impression... interesting...
Question: how much time passed between Turing's (first) reactivation and her meeting with Discord?
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Good question! In fact, I had to go back over to get the exact number! But here it is, spoilered for anyone who hasn't read the story and happens upon this comment.
Day -3: Turing discovered @ night, identified as automaton by Twilight
Day -2: Turing is examined and referenced, letter requesting help sent to Celestia
Day -1: Twi meets Vanderbull & Gadget, repairs begun
Day 1: repairs continue, Turing is activated that night
Day 2: Turing gets her name, Gadget and Vanderbull return to Manehatten
Day 3: Twilight teaches Turing to use magic
Day 4: Celestia visits, Turing befriends Rarity
Day 5: Turing races Rainbow Dash, loses
Day 6: 2nd race w/ Rainbow Dash, rescues Fancy Pants & Co.
Day 7: Returns next morning via train
Day 8: Applejack questions Turing, Gadget visits
Day 9: Gadget's date w/ Fine Print, Fine Print revealed as spy, Twilight makes amends with Turing
Day 10: Gadget returns to Manehatten, Pinkie throws Turing a party
Day 11: Pinkie tries to teach Turing humor, Turing meets Maud, Turing befriends Pinkie
Day 12: Maud leaves Ponyville; Grace and Glory accept the contract on Turing, spend next five days preparing
(five days pass)
Day 17: Glory scouts Ponyville, Grace and Glory brainwash Lyra and Bon Bon
Day 18: Nightmare Night, events at the Castle of Two Sisters
Day 19: Morning after, Grace and Glory apprehended
Day 20: Everypony tries to recuperate
Day 21: Twilight confronts Turing, Cutie Map calls all but Fluttershy away
Day 22: n/a
Day 23: Fluttershy mentions butterfly migration, Turing breaks/fixes ears, meets Discord
So, there you are! The story so far has taken place over 26 days and it has been 23 days since Turing was activated. Actually, I was glad you asked... I had a general idea how long it had been, but not exactly.
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Thank you for the detailed answer and glad to help!
I was calculating around a month too - I'm a bit surprised that it actually less than it.
It also put Turing Test's development in perspective - although most ponies assume that her mind is exactly like of an adult pony, with all instincts and emotional baggage (and keep expecting answers at such level), if we consider that she only have, at first when she was reactivated, the potential to develop emotions, with no instincts (except maybe self-preservation) or frames to measure her own reactions... her development so far is being amazing!
6417989 Whoops! Thanks for catching that!
Thanks for giving the story a read and I'm glad you enjoyed it!
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Something tells me you know this sort of behavior from experience. Lots of doc's don't know the machinery half as well as the nurses or techs.
6379480 I thought it was a reference to part of the Monty Python movie The Meaning of Life. It has a machine that goes ping!. It's the doctor's (not a capital D) favorite.
All the classy robots want Jelly Babies!
Reference to portal?
"Maybe Black Mesa, that was a joke. Ha ha, fat chance." - GLaDOS
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I cry everytim lol
the good old bat signal........never liked that part. Everytime I see,read or hear that, I always image the main six to got through some old cartoon rescue heroes scene,...before they finally arrive at the scene dressed as super Heroes.
Really a nice chapter, I can´t stop reading again, and I really need to sleep right now, otherwise I maybe oversleep or something like that, or I just don't really be in top condition tomorrow.
I remembered the first chapters where Turing was sad because of every little try to be a real Pony didn't worked. I like it if she is trying tto find herself.
in this universe it should be jelly FILLY, not jelly baby
7287985 it would be jelly "FOAL" not filly. Filly is a child female pony, like colt is the male equivalent.
7453958 That would be true, but they actually use the word "baby" pretty interchangeably. Examples:
-In "Somepony to Watch Over Me," Apple Bloom tells AJ, "I'm not a baby anymore!"
-"Baby Cakes" in the episode title as well as several times in the episode
-and, quite recently, "The One Where Pinkie Pie Knows," which is all over the place.
So, yeah, I just went with Jelly Baby because it was more immediately recognizable and within the bounds of the language they use in the show.
Good attention to detail, though!
Ok, will there be a sequel that includes Starlight Glimmer?
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At the end of the story there's a link to my blog where I've written an Afterword discussing any sequel plans. If you want more detailed information, drop me a PM so I don't risk leaving a spoiler in the comments.
He'd turn them into bread and butterflies, much to fluttershy's mixed exasperation and delight.
Pfft.
Pfffffthahahahaha niiice
YES.
It goes ding when there's stuff.
So I was re-reading this story (again), I re-read my favorites every so often, and this time around, I got a particular song stuck in my head while reading this arc. I can't put my finger on the WHY, but I feel it captures Touring's headspace...or at least it's my impression of it. What do you think, Hat Man?
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Hey there! Sorry for taking a bit of time to get back to you on this. For one thing, I'm so honored that you re-reading my story. It's so gratifying to know that I've written something that people are willing to read to completion not just once, but multiple times.
I've actually never heard this song before. I'm not sure if it perfectly fits with where Turing Test is: it doesn't quite capture her guilt, but it certainly fits with her confusion and need to move on with her life after such a world-shaking experience.
So, thanks for sharing this lovely tune (I do know Supertramp, of course, but this will be a new addition to my rotation!) and for your insight into Turing's character. I think you can tell that I appreciate a good musical reference, after all.