Apple Computer, Part 2
Applejack returned to the farmhouse, letting the screen door shut behind her. Apple Bloom was on the floor of the living room, reading a textbook (most likely for her homework, Applejack figured) while Big Mac stretched out on the sofa, taking a breather after a hard day’s work. She heard the bubbling of water and took a whiff of the mouth-watering scent that emanated from the kitchen.
“Smells dang good, Granny!” Applejack called, poking her head into the kitchen.
“It should be!” Granny called back, stirring a pot of soup that was simmering on the stove.
Applejack smiled. A good meal might be just the thing to lift her spirits.
Knock-knock-knock.
“I’ll get it!” Apple Bloom hollered.
Applejack’s grin faltered for a moment, but she kept it in place.
Be nice. She’s your guest. She helped out all day and didn’t even ask fer a single bit. You were raised to be hospitable! Applejack nodded, resolving to take her own advice, and turned back into the living room.
Turing Test stepped into the living room. “Good evening, Applejack and Apple Bloom and Big McIntosh,” she said. “Thank you for inviting me to your home.”
“Aw, it wasn’t nothin’!” Apple Bloom quipped, waving a hoof dismissively.
“Eeyup!” Big Mac said, getting up from the sofa to greet his guest more politely.
“Well, it’s only right after ya helped out, an’ all,” Applejack added.
Turing bowed her head slightly, then turned to Apple Bloom. “You said that your invitation ‘was not nothing.’ I believe your meaning was that it was no great expenditure of effort?”
Apple Bloom blinked. “Uh… I guess?”
“I apologize. You and your family use many double negatives. I am not used to them.”
Applejack raised an eyebrow. “You ain’t makin’ fun of the way we talk, are ya?” she asked, her voice turning cold.
“No. I am merely attempting to understand. Your vernacular provides a unique puzzle that I enjoy decoding.” She looked down and saw the way Apple Bloom was still peering up at her in confusion. “What I mean is that I like the way you talk.”
“Oh!” Apple Bloom said, perking up. “Well, I kinda like the way you talk too! It sure ain’t like anypony else I know!”
“Is that so? Many ponies react negatively to my voice.” The mechanical mare’s ears raised. “Thank you for the compliment, Apple Bloom.”
Big Mac chuckled while Applejack just shook her head. Then she noticed something: Turing Test had no luggage, despite saying that she would bring her personal generator.
“Uh, where’s that generator o’ yours, by the way?” she asked.
“I left it in the barn.”
The three Apple siblings exchanged a mutual look of confusion.
“Why?” Applejack asked.
“I assumed I would be residing there for the night.”
“What?!” Apple Bloom cried, her head jerking straight up. “You ain’t no piece o’ farm equipment, Turing, you’re our guest! And ain’t no guest o’ our family’s gonna sleep in no barn!” With that, the little filly galloped out the front door. “I’ll go get it for ya, Turing!”
Turing Test stared after her and then turned to Big Mac and Applejack. “You intend for me to stay in your house?”
Big Mac chuckled. “Eeyup!” he replied. “Apple Bloom is right. You can sleep in the guest room.”
Applejack felt like rolling her eyes again, but even she had to crack a smile when Turing Test put a hoof to her chest. “That is so kind of you. I have never been invited into another pony’s home in this manner. Thank you very much.”
Big Mac put his hoof on the robot’s shoulder. “Yer welcome, Miss Turing.”
“Shucks, we’re just doin’ what’s right,” Applejack added, tipping her hat. “Just, uh… try not to break the bed. I know how heavy you are.”
Turing Test nodded. “I will not break your bed. I will not need it, as I do not need to lie down to enter sleep mode. However, the gesture is still appreciated.”
Just then, there came the sound of a little filly grunting and something being dragged across dirt.
“Oh for pony’s sake, looks like that generator’s a mite too big fer that gal,” Applejack grumbled, trotting out the door. “Go ahead an’ make yerself comfortable. I’ll get yer luggage fer ya.”
Turing started to follow her. “Perhaps I should retrieve it while you rest, Applejack.”
Applejack froze in place and turned back to stare at her. “I’ve ‘rested’ enough fer today. I think I can handle luggin’ one little ol’ generator up some stairs, Missy.”
Turing Test halted and nodded. “As you wish. Thank you for your help.”
“Hm,” Applejack sniffed, and dashed out the door to help Apple Bloom.
***
A few minutes later, Granny Smith called the rest of the family in for dinner.
Turing stood by while the rest of the Apples took their seats around the simple wooden table. She glanced at her own seat, poking it gently with her hoof.
“Problem, Turing?” Apple Bloom asked.
“I am uncertain that this chair will support my weight.”
“Oh, pshaw!” Granny Smith said, bringing the pot of soup to the table. “Big Mac made these chairs himself! If it can support a tall drink o’ water like him, I expect that it can accommodate anypony!”
Big Mac thrust out his chin proudly. “Eey--”
The chair creaked and groaned as Turing slowly rested her weight on it.
“--m-maybe,” Big Mac finished, watching the robot take a seat next to him.
They all held their breath as she finally sat down completely, only daring to breathe once the chair miraculously managed to not break.
“Sitting sequence complete.”
“Well, now that that’s over,” Granny Smith said, taking her own seat, “everypony dig in!”
The meal consisted of rolls, mashed potatoes and gravy, steamed broccoli, and a hearty bowl of vegetable soup. In seconds, the family had filled their plates and bowls, leaving only Turing’s place empty.
“Don’t be shy now, Young Missy,” Granny Smith said, gesturing to Turing’s empty plate. “You better eat up ‘fore these young uns polish it all off!”
Applejack smacked her forehead. “Granny, fer the last time--!”
Turing held up a hoof. “It is all right, Applejack. I will explain.” She turned to Granny Smith. “It is not that I am not hungry or that the food does not appear appetizing, Granny Smith. I am physically incapable of eating anything. I have no mouth, esophagus, stomach, or digestive organs of any kind.”
“That right?” Granny Smith said, rubbing her chin. “Well, on the upside, more pie fer the rest of us for dessert!”
Turing’s ears shot up and she glanced over at the kitchen counter. “Pie?” Her gaze fixated on the towering apple pie as it cooled, steam rising through the hole made in the center of its cinnamon-sprinkled crust.
“Uh, everything all right over there?” Applejack asked.
“Affirmative,” she replied, though her gaze stayed focused on the pie. “It is just that I once tasted a slice of apple pie by means of Discord’s magic.”
Granny Smith’s eyes widened. “So that’s what happened to that slice o’ pie that went missin’!”
“I told y’all I didn’t eat it!” Apple Bloom shouted, pounding her hooves on the table.
“Well, my mistake,” Granny Smith said. “Have an extra slice tonight then, sugarcube.”
Turing was still staring at the pie. “I remember the taste. It was a sensation unlike any I had experienced. It is at times like these that I wish I was organic.”
“Well, it’d be kinda lousy not to be able to enjoy pie,” Apple Bloom said, stuffing her face with a spoonful of mashed potatoes, “but on the bright side, you gotta be one o’ the fastest, strongest ponies around! You worked an entire day in the orchard and you ain’t even tired! I sure wish I never got tired after a hard day’s work!”
Applejack gave her little sister a sideways glance as she took a bite of her own dinner roll.
“So, Miss Turing,” Granny Smith said, ladeling more vegetable soup into her bowl, “what kinda hobbies do ya have?”
“I do not have any hobbies. My primary directive is to make friends, and I also assist Twilight Sparkle and Spike the Dragon with various duties, but I have no hobbies of my own.”
“Ooh, ooh, wait a minute!” Apple Bloom said, raising a hoof. “I heard from Scootaloo that you were learnin’ about humor from Pinkie Pie!”
Turing tapped her chin. “In a manner of speaking, I suppose that I do have some talent with humor, though not everypony appreciates it equally.” She looked around the table and saw they were all looking at her expectantly. “Very well. Shall I tell you a joke?”
“Oh this oughta be rich,” Applejack said, leaning forward on the table, a smirk appearing on her face. “Go right ahead.”
“Acknowledged.” She paused, her ears twitching. “Applejack, what is covered with fur, has four legs, and makes barking sounds?”
Applejack blinked and glanced over to the corner of the room, where Winona was sleeping soundly. “Uh… a dog?”
“Oh. My apologies. I see that you have already heard that joke.”
The room was silent at first. Then, suddenly, Big Mac began to snicker, then loudly guffaw. It spread to Apple Bloom and Granny Smith.
“That’s a good one, Turing!” Apple Bloom managed to say.
“Thank you,” she replied.
Applejack, meanwhile, whipped her head around, staring at her family members in confusion. “What?! That… that ain’t even a joke!”
“Oh, lighten up, Applejack!” Apple Bloom said, placing a hoof on her sister’s shoulder, still laughing at Turing’s “joke.”
“I’m plenty lightened up! But that’s… I mean…”
“I did warn you that not everypony appreciates my style of humor,” Turing Test said.
“But that ain’t even funny!” Applejack shouted, startling everypony else at the table. “That’d be like if I said, ‘What has feathered wings and flies?’ And then you said--”
“A very unhygienic pegasus?”
This got another round of laughter as Applejack grit her teeth, barely holding in the scream of rage she felt building in her gut.
“Hoo-wee, you might talk kinda funny an’ look a little different, but yer quite a jokester in addition to bein’ a hard worker there, Miss Turing!” Granny Smith said, wiping her eyes.
Applejack frowned, but fell silent and stuffed a whole sprig of broccoli in her mouth.
“So, Apple Bloom, what did ya learn in school today?” Granny Smith asked.
“Well, we read some stories, an’ that was pretty fun.” The filly scratched her head, trying to remember. “An’ then we had math, an’ Miss Cheerilee gave us homework. But we also talked about the Princesses!”
“That right?” Granny Smith asked. “An’ what did ya learn?”
“Well, we didn’t learn all that much about Twilight,” Apple Bloom said, “but I guess I can ask her myself. We did learn a lot about how they run things in Canterlot, though!”
Turing leaned closer. “I would be interested in learning about that as well.”
Applejack narrowed her eyes. “Wait, you live with a Princess of Equestria an’ you don’t know about that?”
“It has not been a major focus of my efforts. It seems that Twilight Sparkle’s duties in the larger role of governing Equestria are still relatively undefined. I am, however, aware that she holds authority when the other Princesses are unable to perform their duties. A significant portion of her other work beyond furthering the goal of Friendship involves diplomatic relations.”
“Well, that’s good to know,” Apple Bloom said, nodding her head. “But as fer Canterlot, it looks like Equestria is pretty much run by Celestia. An a lil’ bit by Luna, I guess, but our textbooks are from before she came back from the moon.”
“You mean to say that Celestia makes all decisions regarding the laws of Equestria?”
“Yeah, I guess, but the book says that there’s this group o’ ponies called… um…” Apple Bloom shut her eyes, trying to remember the term. “Oh! That’s right!” she exclaimed, her eyes popping open again. “The Royal Cabinet! They’re a group o’ ponies called Ministers that take care o’ different things around Equestria and give their advice to Celestia so she can make the best decision!”
“How are these Ministers selected?” Turing asked, apparently quite engrossed in the topic.
“Miss Cheerilee says Princess Celestia chooses ‘em, but a lot of ‘em come from old Canterlot families an’ stuff.”
“Understood,” Turing Test intoned. “Thank you for the information, Apple Bloom.”
“Well, looks like yer doin’ just fine in class then,” Granny Smith said, a warm smile on her face.
The family settled into relaxed silence as they continued eating. This was punctuated by the whirring sound of Turing’s neck as she intently watched them, glancing from one to another.
This eventually caught Applejack’s attention and she raised an eyebrow. “Somethin’ on yer mind?” she asked.
Turing shook her head. “No. I am merely observing you as you eat. I find it fascinating.” She turned to look at Big Mac, who was wolfing down his broccoli. “Incredible.”
The stallion paused in the middle of chewing, glancing back at her nervously.
“Well,” Applejack quipped with a roll of her eyes, “nothin’ like a little bit o’ awkwardness durin’ dinner.”
“Applejack, you hush!” Granny Smith snapped. “She’s just curious is all! Ain’t nothin’ awkward about it!”
Then came a loud, groaning creak and the sound of wood splintering and Turing suddenly seemed to be a few inches shorter.
“Oh,” she said. “Perhaps I should--”
The chair finally snapped as the legs gave out and Turing crashed to the floor, the wooden chair clattering in a pile of debris.
“It seems my weight exceeded the load-bearing limitations of the chair,” she intoned from beneath the table. “I apologize for damaging your furniture. Also your floor.”
Granny Smith sighed. “All righty, now it’s awkward.” She pushed back her plate. “Welp, who wants pie?”
***
After dinner and dessert, Big Mac challenged Turing Test to a game of Reversi. Turing Test played black, while Big Mac played white. They sat in the living room, playing on a coffee table while Applejack did the dishes.
The first game had been close, with Big Mac narrowly beating Turing Test (despite it being the first time she’d ever played the game).
The second time, Big Mac swore was the toughest game he’d ever played in his life and he lost outright.
“Hmm,” Big Mac grunted, wiping his brow as he stared down at the finished board.
“I apologize for defeating you, Big McIntosh,” Turing said. “My ability to analyze the rules and predict movesets gives me a significant advantage. I will understand if you do not wish to play again. Do you wish to cease this activity?”
But, to her surprise, Big Mac shook his head. “Nope!” he said. “About the only pony that ever beats me is Applejack. An’ even then it ain’t too often. I’d like to see if I can beat a robot.” He smiled at her. “If ya’d like to.”
Turing nodded. “Affirmative. I hope I will continue to provide a challenge.”
Just then, they heard Granny Smith call from upstairs: “Applejack! Can ya come up here an’ check my math? I think I got this here budget figured out, but I need somepony to double check!”
“In a minute, Granny!” Applejack hollered back from the kitchen. “I’m still tryin’ to finish up the dishes!”
Turing Test stood up. “Perhaps I can be of assistance,” she said. “Big McIntosh, may we postpone our game?”
He nodded. “Eeyup!”
“Thank you.” That said, she made her way up the stairs to the family study, where Granny Smith was surrounded by several stacks of paper.
“Huh?” Granny Smith said, seeing the mechanical mare in the doorway. “What’re you doin’ here? Thought you were relaxin’ with my grandson downstairs.”
“That is correct. However, I heard your call for assistance and I believe I may be able to help.”
“That right?” Granny Smith scratched her head and looked over at the papers. “Well, if ya feel like givin’ it a shot, be my guest!”
“Acknowledged.” Turing looked down at the final sums that Granny had written down, then went to one stack after another, flipping rapidly through the pages and scanning them. Her eyes constricted a moment as she processed the data, then she went to the the final sums once again.
“There was a slight miscalculation in your expenditures,” she said. “This figure should be increased by 150 bits. However, you would reduce your expenditures by up to 5% by purchasing your oats in bulk. Spike the Dragon orders them from Oatmeal Raisin once a month.”
“No foolin’?!” Granny Smith exclaimed, looking at the new figures. “Well, don’t that just beat all! Thank ya kindly, Miss Turing!”
“You are welcome, Granny Smith.”
Then a small voice shouted “Wowee!” and they both turned to see Apple Bloom standing in the doorway.
“Apple Bloom, I thought you were doin’ yer homework,” Granny Smith said, frowning.
“I was!” Apple Bloom protested. “Honest! I was just gettin’ up fer a drink o’ water when I saw Turing Test workin’ with ya!” She ran over to Turing Test. “You must be one o’ the smartest ponies in Equestria to do math like that!”
“It is merely an ability that I possess,” Turing replied. “It is not difficult.”
“Then, um… do ya think you can help me with my math homework? Usually Applejack does it, buuut…”
“Affirmative,” Turing replied, nodding her head slightly. “I will assist you.”
“Apple Bloom,” Granny Smith said, narrowing her eyes at the filly, “you know that Applejack just checks yer homework. Don’t go makin’ Miss Turing do it all!”
“I understand.” She looked down at Apple Bloom. “I will be happy to check your answers to determine if they are correct.”
“Great!” Apple Bloom said, and took her by the hoof. “C’mon, I’ll show ya my room!”
Turing wasn’t sure why Apple Bloom felt the need to take her hoof, but she didn’t protest as Apple Bloom made her way up the hall to her room. The homework, scrawled in pencil on a simple worksheet, was lying on Apple Bloom’s desk next to her open textbook.
“I went through it with an abacus, but I ain’t quite sure I got ‘em all.”
Turing gave another quick nod and glanced at the paper. A mere moment later, she said, “Numbers 3, 7, and 8 are incorrect.”
“What?!” Apple Bloom cried, leaping forward and resting her hooves on the desk. “That’s impossible! Ohhhh, why is this stuff so hard?!”
“Mathematics is primarily a function of determining rules and applying them. For instance, it seems that your answer to number three is a result of not knowing the rules of order of operations.”
Apple Bloom frowned and glanced up at her. “Say what now?”
“Question number 3 asks for the result of the equation ‘6 + 2 x 3.’ You added six to two first, but order of operation dictates that you perform multiplication function first.”
“Oh!” she said, seeming to understand. “Then, the answer is… 12?”
“Correct.”
Apple Bloom cheered, rearing up and kicking her forelegs. “I think I got it! So, uh, which do ya do first fer these; mutiplyin’ or subtractin’?”
“Multiplication and division are equally important, followed by addition and subtraction. Therefore, you should multiply or divide before you add or subtract.”
“Then I think I know why I got them other problems wrong! Lemme just fix those, and…”
She erased her other incorrect answers and re-did the equations as Turing Test stood by.
“...okay! How ‘bout now?”
Turing nodded. “All answers are correct.”
“All right!” she cheered, hugging Turing Test. “Thanks, Turing!”
“What the… Apple Bloom?”
They both turned to see Applejack in the doorway, her mouth slightly agape. “Wh-what’s goin’ on here?”
“I am assisting Apple Bloom with her math homework.”
“She just looked at it fer barely more’n a second an’ she told me which ones were wrong, Applejack!” Apple Bloom added, grinning brightly. “Plus I think I’m startin’ to get this now!”
“Yeah, but… I mean…” Applejack stammered.
“Hm? What is it?” Apple Bloom asked, raising an eyebrow.
“It’s just… you know, usually it’s me that helps with yer homework,” Applejack murmured.
Turing’s ears shifted. “Have I overstepped my obligation to your family, Applejack?”
“N-no, it’s just…”
She paused, seeing only a blank stare from Apple Bloom and an even blanker stare from Turing Test.
“Tch! Never mind!” she said with a click of her tongue. “Y’all do whatever; I’m just gonna hit the hay early tonight!”
They watched as she turned and left the room.
“Have I done something inappropriate, Apple Bloom?” Turing asked, tilting her head as she looked down at the young filly.
“I don’t think so, but just the same Applejack seems to be actin’ funny lately,” Apple Bloom replied. She heaved a sigh. “I know she’s frustrated about that thing with her hips an’ all… maybe she’s just worried about this harvest an’ it’s makin’ her cranky?”
“I see.” She then tapped her chin, raising her head slightly, then said, “Apple Bloom, I wish to have one more game with Big McIntosh, but after that, would you mind recharging my battery? I have expended a significant amount of power and may require more tomorrow.”
“Sure thing!” Apple Bloom replied, smiling up at her. Then, to Turing’s surprise, she actually gave her a small hug. “It’s the least I can do to thank ya fer all the help yer doin’ around the farm!”
Turing’s ears raised. “Acknowledged. You are welcome, Apple Bloom.”
***
That night, as the rest of the Apple Family slept, Turing Test sat in the guest room, her bed undisturbed and unused.
She’d chosen not to go into sleep mode, but instead had merely waited, listening to the sounds of the house and waiting to hear any signs that any of the others were awake. When she was certain that none of them were, she got up slowly and, as quietly as her whirring mechanical limbs would allow, made her way to the door, down the hallway, descended the stairs, and left through the front door.
The Apples are unlike any other ponies I have encountered. Their treatment of me has been accepting and hospitable to the point of allowing me inside their home as one of them. My assistance was offered without expectation of compensation, and yet they act as though they feel I must be compensated in some way. The nature of this relationship warrants further investigation.
She walked across the darkened yard and straight to the barn, opening the door and walking inside. It was pitch black inside the musty old building, but her eyes allowed her to see in almost total darkness, so she swiftly went to the nearest cart and began loading it up with buckets.
The Apples are so kind to me. I wish to show my appreciation. Furthermore, if Applejack is concerned about the harvest, then I may become friends with her by alleviating those worries.
Clouds passed over the pale moon, dimming the silvery light that barely illuminated the orchard. And yet, as the world slept, a robot made her way down the dirt path and into the orchard, beginning her work in the thick shadows beneath the canopy of the trees.
***
Applejack groaned and sat up in bed. Through her window, she saw that it was still dark outside; Celestia hadn’t even raised the sun yet. She smacked her lips and stretched her back. She’d worked hours less than usual the previous day and she’d gone to bed early, and her body now told her that she had slept quite enough and should get up and get moving. The fact that it was too early to be up was apparently of no consequence… she just wasn’t tired.
Grumbling to herself, she slipped out of bed, taking her hat from the hat rack by her bed and placing it on her head. In her mirror, she put her straw-colored mane up in a braid as usual and walked out into the hallway, stepping lightly to not wake her still-sleeping family. If she was up, she reasoned, she might as well get a head start on her chores.
But as she walked downstairs to the kitchen and started to heat the water for her coffee, she heard a strange rumbling sound outside. She squinted and peered out into the still darkness. Something was moving out by the barn. It sounded very familiar… the sound of a cart being pulled down a bumpy dirt road. And in the dark she saw what looked like two violet points of light that were slowly moving and bobbing rhythmically toward the house.
Her eyes went wide. “Oh fer Pete’s sake!”
She galloped out the back door and ran over to the barn. Sure enough, Turing Test, eyes illuminating the path, was hauling a cart that was completely full of apples.
“Good morning, Applejack,” Turing Test said, coming to a stop. In the violet light from her own gaze, she could see that Applejack had her teeth grit and was seething at her. “You appear to be upset. Did I wake you? If so, I apologize; I was attempting to minimize noise as I worked.”
“What the hay do you think you’re doin’ out here?!” Applejack shouted.
“I am the hay harvesting apples.”
Applejack got right in Turing’s face. “I mean why are you harvestin’ apples at this hour!”
“I have actually been harvesting apples for this and many other hours. Six hours and twelve minutes, to be exact.”
Applejack’s jaw dropped open. “You’ve been workin’ all dang night?!”
“Affirmative. The harvest is now at 91% completion. I estimate that it be completed in approximately one hour and ten minutes.”
“But… but why?” Applejack stammered, looking at her helplessly. “Why didn’t ya just wait until today so we could do it together?!”
Turing cocked her head to the side, her ears working. “There was no reason to do so. Organic ponies require sleep to maintain their health. I, however, do not. Entering sleep mode for a period of several hours was determined to be inefficient, so I felt I could best assist your family by continuing to work at night while you all slept.”
Applejack opened her mouth and worked her jaw as she tried to find the words. “But I… I mean, why couldn’t ya just let me…”
Turing Test waited for her to say more, but finally Applejack just heaved a sigh.
“Never mind,” she whispered. “Just go ahead and finish up… I guess I’ll go do my mornin’ chores an’ such. That’s somethin’ at least.”
Turing Test watched her go and then continued to haul the apples back to the barn. She continued to do so in silence until the sun finally began to rise, finishing just in time for the rest of the family to come out and see her bring in the very last haul of apples.
They greeted her with cheers and with praise and thanked her profoundly for all she’d done for them. All of them, Turing noted, except for Applejack, who was curiously absent.
***
The Apple family was gathered at their kitchen table once again. At the end of the table, however, sat an outsider.
“Ya know, we don’t usually have somepony else at a family meetin’,” Applejack remarked, pointing in Turing Test’s direction.
“Maybe not,” Granny Smith said, “but all things considered, I think it might be good to have ‘er right here fer this ‘un.”
Applejack crossed her forelegs. “I s’pose,” she grumbled.
Turing Test looked around at the face of the other Apples. “Was my action unwanted?”
“Nope!” Big Mac said, shaking his head.
“Big Mac’s right!” Apple Bloom agreed. “We got our harvest in a few days early! We ain’t never done that before!”
“Darn tootin’!” Granny Smith exclaimed. “Point is, Miss Turing, that with this much time, we can ship out some orders an’ sell the rest in the market right now. We got three or four whole days extra to do whatever we feel like!”
“Ooh, ooh!” Apple Bloom jumped up from her seat. “We should go on a family vacation! That way we can all relax an’ Applejack can take a rest on account o’ her Bucker’s Hips!”
“My hips are just fine!” Applejack shouted, pounding her hoof on the table, glaring at her younger sister. “Ain’t no cause to relax right now!”
“Yer sister’s right, Apple Bloom,” Granny Smith said, holding up a piece of paper she’d brought to the table. “I did a quick tally with Miss Turing here after givin’ the budget a second look this mornin’, and I think we can do a whole lot fer the farm if we use the next few days to take on some new projects.”
“Now we’re talkin’!” Applejack said, her frown replaced with a grin. “No time like the present to get ahead o’ the game!”
Granny Smith laughed. “That’s the spirit there, Applejack! Gotta strike while the iron is hot, after all. So, that bein’ the case, I suggest we plant a cover crop o’ winter rye in the western field an’ make an early bunch o’ cider. Instead o’ breakin’ even this year, we just might come out ahead!”
The others all smiled broadly at that.
“All Apples in favor?” Granny Smith asked. Four hooves, her own included, shot straight up. “Then it looks like we got ourselves some work to do!”
Applejack heaved a sigh of relief and smiled at Turing Test. “Well, thanks fer all yer help, Turing Test,” Applejack said, tipping her hat slightly, “but I guess we can take it from here.”
Turing looked to Applejack, and then to each of the others’ faces. They were all smiling as well. “Then my assistance is no longer required?”
“Nope!” Applejack said, shaking her head. She pushed back from the table. “I’ll go help ya with yer things an’ then--”
“May I stay?”
This got a look of confusion from all except for Apple Bloom, who gasped and broke into a bright smile.
“Well, uh, I mean,” Granny Smith said as she rubbed her chin, “yer welcome to stay here until Twilight comes back, but we don’t wanna take advantage o’ yer kindness…”
“On the contrary,” Turing said, holding a hoof to her chest. “I am enjoying my time with all of you… with y’all.”
This got a look of surprise from three of the Apples and a chuckle from Big Mac.
“I wish to repay your kindness. It is no trouble for me to provide assistance, and I am certain that I can contribute significantly to completing these new objectives as well as any others on this farm. Will you allow me to assist you?”
Applejack swallowed. “Th-that’s mighty kind o’ ya,” she started to say.
“It sure is!” Apple Bloom exclaimed before Applejack could continue. “I think we should say yes, everypony! Turing Test is fun an’ she’s nice an’ we really could use an extra hoof!”
“Eeyup!” Big Mac added.
“Well, I guess if that’s what ya want, then we might as well!” Granny Smith declared, giving a decisive nod.
“Now hang on a minute!” Applejack exclaimed, holding a hoof out. This drew stares from the rest of her family and she cringed. “Well, I mean… we don’t wanna take advantage o’ somepony, do we?”
“The idiom ‘to take advantage of somepony’ implies utilizing a pony in a way that is unfair and contrary to the desires of that pony. However, providing assistance appears to be mutually beneficial for both myself and your family.”
“Sure seems that way,” Granny Smith said. She narrowed her eyes at Applejack. “Unless you got another reason why she shouldn’t be helpin’ us out?”
“W-well, I mean…”
Applejack’s eyes darted around. She was met by the innocently curious gaze from Apple Bloom and the suspicious eyebrow raises of Big Mac and Granny Smith. And then there was the eternally blank stare coming from the robot. And in her heart, she knew she had no real reason to object.
At least, no reason that didn’t sound selfish, even to her.
“No. I guess yer right,” she said, forcing herself to smile. “Guess we best get started!”
Turing raised a hoof. “Yee-haw.”
***
A short while later, Applejack was out by the road with a hammer and a can of nails as she fixed a broken fence. She picked a nail up in her teeth, pushed it slightly into the new rail, then picked up a hammer and rapidly began hammering the nail into the wood. She’d been so focused on the task, she didn’t even hear the telltale sounds of hooves slowly making their way over to her.
Granny Smith watched as Applejack grit her teeth and pounded the nail into the wood with far more vigor and energy and aggression than anypony had a reason to use for simple repair work.
“Applejack.”
“Gah!” Applejack shouted in surprise, causing the hammer to go flying from her mouth and sail by Granny Smith, narrowly missing the older mare’s head.
“Oh jeez Louise, Granny, are you all right?!” Applejack exclaimed, rushing over to her.
“Fine, fine, thank goodness,” Granny said, rolling her eyes. “Really, though, I should be asking you that question.”
“Huh? What question?”
“What I mean is, Applejack… are you all right?”
Applejack blinked, then frowned and tossed her mane back. “O’ course I am!” she replied. “No reason not to be!”
“Just ‘cause you ain’t got a reason don’t mean you ain’t,” Granny Smith said quietly, watching her granddaughter retrieve the hammer. “Look, uh, about Turing Test…”
Applejack made no visible reaction. “Yeah? What about her?”
“I talked to Big Mac. Honey, I know how yer feelin’,” she sighed and patted her own hip. “Believe me, if anypony understands this, it’s me. When I first found out I had Bucker’s Hips myself--”
“Granny…”
“--I thought it was all over. But that just wasn’t true!”
“Granny.”
“No sirree, and it ain’t over fer you! Ya just need to pull back a bit an’ let that nice robot help!”
“Granny!” Applejack shouted, this time loud enough to stun Granny Smith into silence.
“Y-yes?” she asked. “What is it?”
“Look, it ain’t the help I mind!” Applejack exclaimed. “I told Twilight that!”
Granny Smith blinked. “Well, then what’s eatin’ ya?”
“It’s… I mean…” Applejack bit her lip. “W-well what about you?”
She tilted her head. “Uh, what about me?”
Applejack tapped the fence. “This here fence is the same one that got damaged by the Flim Flam brothers when they came through here with their contraption. You remember that?”
Granny Smith scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Well, o’ course I do! Dang troublemakers!”
“Well, ya sure minded when they came through here tryin’ to automate the whole cider-makin’ process with that contraption o’ theirs,” Applejack said, glancing around and lowering her voice. “But, I mean… how’s this any different?”
Granny Smith blinked a few times, furrowing her brow. “Whaddya mean ‘this?’” she asked. Then her eyes widened. “Wait, you mean Miss Turing?”
“Well, it ain’t exactly different--”
“The hay it ain’t!” Granny Smith shouted, stomping a hoof. “Them carpetbaggers were just gonna make a mass-produced version o’ our cider fer the sake o’ doin’ it quicker! An’ sure enough, just as soon as the goin’ got tough, they went an’ sacrificed the quality to beat us in that race!”
“Yeah, but now we’re usin’ a machine just to speed things up around here!” Applejack said. “That ain’t exactly traditional!”
Granny Smith shook her head. “That nice young pony is volunteerin’ to help. She’s a pony first an’ a machine second in my book. Besides,” she added with a chuckle, “I like her.”
“You… what?”
“Personality counts fer a whole heck o’ a lot, Applejack,” Granny Smith said. “Last I checked that Squeeziny Cider 66 wasn’t makin’ jokes at dinner, helpin’ save the farm for free, an’ checkin’ Apple Bloom’s homework. Besides, it ain’t like she’s gonna change how we do things around here. She may be a machine, but she’s doin’ things our way, like she’s one o’ us.
“So really, is that yer problem? That she’s a machine?”
Applejack swallowed. “Yes.” Her eyes shifted slightly to the left.
Granny Smith frowned. “Yer a bad liar, Applejack, an’ that’s why ya oughtn’t do it!” She turned and began plodding back down the road. “When you feel like tellin’ us all what’s really stuck in yer craw, you know where to find us!”
Applejack grumbled to herself and went back to her task.
Not five minutes went by when she heard the rumbling of wheels and saw Turing Test hauling a large wagon filled with crates of apples ready to be shipped. The robot paused as she came up alongside Applejack.
“Hello, Applejack,” Turing Test said.
“Howdy,” Applejack said flatly, continuing to fix the fence without looking up at her.
“I am hauling these apples to Barnyard Bargains. Mr. Filthy Rich has an order for them.”
“That’s nice,” Applejack replied, still not looking at her.
“You appear to be repairing that fence.”
“Yep. That’s what I’m doin’.” She bent down to take another nail only to see that the can was gone. “What the--” Then she looked up.
Turing Test had levitated the can over to her and was levitating out one nail at a time. She quickly drew one out and then drove it into the wood with her hoof in a single blow. She repeated that same motion several times and finished the rest of the repair work in less than a minute. She then trotted over to Applejack and placed the can of nails back on the ground as Applejack gawked at her.
“Repair work is completed. You are welcome.” That said, Turing Test went back to the cart, slipping the harness back over herself as she began to trot back down the road.
Applejack stared after her. She clenched her teeth and pawed at the dirt, breathing through her nostrils like a wild, feral mustang.
Ya think yer so great? Applejack said to herself. Yer so much better’n me?! Well, we’ll just see about that!
***
That afternoon, Applejack went out to the eastern field and began plowing it, readying it for the cover crop of winter rye. A few minutes in, Turing came out as well. She watched Applejack plowing, stopping occasionally when the plow hit a stone, and began to plow from the opposite side. Applejack watched as she rapidly pulled the heavy plow through the hard dirt, occasionally stopping, giving a simple stomp that launched an offending stone into the air, and smashing it between her hooves before proceeding.
In the time it took Applejack to do a quarter of the field, Turing did the other three quarters.
And before Applejack could go to retrieve the rye seeds, Turing had galloped back to the barn, retrieved them herself, and then switched to U-Mode to evenly plant the seeds rapidly in each row, perfectly spaced from one another.
The next day, after another dinner of odd jokes and Turing learning more games to play with Big Mac and checking Apple Bloom’s homework, Applejack had decided to try to clear the land of some old tree stumps.
She’d gone out to where the old stumps were with some shovels and hatchets only to see that Turing was already there. The robot was yanking out the entire stump, roots and all, from the ground with her bare hooves.
And then later that day, Turing had used her P-Mode to retrieve a rain cloud from over the Everfree Forest to water the western field and start growing the winter rye.
And then they’d started harvesting the more bitter apples to begin making cider, and of course Turing did most of the work in a fraction of time.
And when Applejack had offered to help Granny Smith fix dinner, apparently she’d already agreed to teach Turing Test. Over dinner, the others eagerly described to Turing how to make cider.
Sure enough, the next morning they had several barrels of cider that Turing had made herself overnight.
After three days, Applejack looked around to see what needed doing on her farm and saw that there really was nothing to do. Big Mac was in town selling apples, Granny Smith and Turing Test were organizing items in the attic, and Apple Bloom was at school.
She’d even offered to meet Apple Bloom after school to walk her home and the little filly had said “Great! Turing Test said she’d do the same, so we can all come home together!” And then she’d mumbled some half-hearted excuse to get herself out of it.
That morning, already hearing Turing Test working outside on some task, Applejack walked by the robot’s room and spied the crank generator.
If I could just smash that contraption, she’d have no way to charge herself.
She reeled back. Had she really just thought that? Had she really considered sabotaging Turing Test by breaking her charger?
She lowered her head and ears, cheeks burning in shame. What would her family think of her if they’d known she’d even considered such an idea?
***
So there she was, on the third day, sitting out on the back porch in a rocking chair, reading a book. Or at least she was trying to read a book. In reality, she’d read and re-read the same page half a dozen times, unable to focus. Finally she grunted and set the book aside, laying back in the rocker.
“Nice weather, ain’t it?”
Applejack sat up, hearing Granny Smith’s voice as she came out the back door.
“I guess. Pegasi are keepin’ things a mite warm for this late in autumn,” Applejack replied.
“Maybe so,” Granny Smith replied. She held up a bag in one hoof. “By the way, that nice Miss Fluttershy came by. Says she’s back after spendin’ time with that friend o’ hers. Even brought us a nice gift.”
Applejack leaned over from where she sat and saw the bag was filled with dozens of brown, arrow-shaped mushrooms.
“That was nice of her,” Applejack said, taking one out. She popped it in her mouth and chewed it, then made a face. “Eugh!” She swallowed but spat off to the side of the porch. “The hay kinda mushrooms are these?”
“Didn’t say,” Granny Smith said, frowning. “They really that bad?” She took one for herself, then gagged instantly, spitting it out as well. “Good gravy, yer right! Might have to double-boil them things before we put ‘em in a stew.”
Applejack rolled her eyes as Granny Smith took a seat in her own rocker. “Oh well,” Granny Smith said. “Sure is a nice day fer sittin’ out on the porch, ain’t it?”
Applejack made no response. “Wouldn’t know. I’d rather be doin’ something with my time.”
“Personally, a nice sit outside on a day like today is about the best thing since sliced bread.” She let out a contented sigh, closing her eyes as she began to rock back and forth.
“Honestly, Granny? I’m squirmin’ like a worm on a hook! I oughta be on my hooves, gettin’ chores done, doin’...” she bit her lip, eyes darting back and forth, “I dunno… somethin’!”
“Chores are done, we’re days ahead o’ schedule, an’ there ain’t nothin’ wrong with takin’ a load off,” Granny Smith said, covering her mouth with her hoof as she yawned. “Just sit back and take a load off. Trust me, someday when yer an old nag like me, you’ll appreciate an afternoon nap! Try to relax.”
“R-relax?!” Applejack stammered, sitting up. She turned and stared at the older mare as she reclined in the chair… and Applejack suddenly felt as though she were looking at her own future.
With a sharp cry, she leaped off the chair and darted away from the porch, leaving her grandmother behind. She ran across the orchard, darting through the rows of trees now bare of apples and showing their autumn colors. She ran and made her way to the top of a hill overlooking her farm.
Her farm.
There was a tree next to her, a tall sturdy oak. Still breathing hard from her run, she felt her rage boil over and ran over to the tree, whirling around and bucking it with all her might. And then she kicked it again. And again. And again. Over and over she kicked it, letting a scream of frustration build in her throat until it burst forth as a mighty howl that echoed across the orchard. And yet she continued to kick the tree until at last she felt the first painful stings in her hips and she threw herself to the ground, sobbing like a newborn filly.
Relax?! How could anypony relax! she asked herself. No matter what I do, I can’t win! This here is my farm, my home, an’ now she’s the one who’s runnin’ it all! Better’n me! Better’n I ever was! Better’n I ever will be! They don’t need…
She shut her eyes tightly, trying to avoid the awful thought coming to her.
They don’t need me anymore.
She let out one last sob and felt the fight drain out of her. That was the awful truth of it. Turing Test was right there, doing her job, doing everypony else’s job for free, and the farm was prospering. The robot had done them a huge service and with each task completed, she earned even more praise from the other Apple family members. And what could Applejack do to fight that? It wasn’t in the farm’s best interest to send her away, and if she lost her temper, she’d only seem like an immature, jealous little foal.
And all the while, Turing would just keep working away. She’d never need to rest, never get tired, never get sick, and she’d work quickly and efficiently and even Applejack had to admit that the mechanical mare was nice to boot.
It was all over; Turing Test was unbeatable. And Applejack realized she needed to face the harsh truth of what was happening to her.
With a shaky sigh, she gradually got to her hooves. The pain in her hips was subsiding at least. But as she stood, she wobbled slightly.
For some reason, she felt lightheaded and her cheeks felt slightly numb.
“Applejack?”
She gasped and whirled around. Turing Test was standing there. She hadn’t even heard the robot’s approach.
“Turing Test,” Applejack said, narrowing her eyes at her. “Look, I appreciate all you’ve done, but I think you’ve done enough. Please,” she said, putting her hooves together, “just… just go home. I can’t stand it no more! I can’t stand just sittin’ around like a bump on a log while you do all the work!”
Turing Test stared back at her in silence. “We are not… friends?”
Applejack heaved a sigh. “No. No, we ain’t.”
And then she froze when she saw Turing Test give a shrug of her mechanical shoulders. “That’s fine by me. I reckon I don’t really care.”
Applejack blinked. “W-what?” she whispered. “What’s goin’ on? Why’re ya talkin’ like that?”
“Well, thing is, Applejack,” Turing said, trotting over to her, “I already decided that I like it here. An’ the rest o’ yer family like me. I think I’ll settle in an’ become the newest member o’ the Apple clan. After all, it ain’t like they need you anymore.”
There was a quick movement and suddenly Applejack’s hat was on Turing’s head.
“My hat!” Applejack shouted, leaping to take it back.
“Guess it’s mine now, ‘sugarcube.’” Turing gave a distorted, synthetic chuckle. “Beep boop, y’all.”
“I knew you were trouble from the moment I laid eyes on ya!” Applejack shouted, lunging at Turing Test again. “I never shoulda trusted ya!”
“Hindsight’s 20-20. But look on the bright side… Big Mac and Apple Bloom are getting a much more efficient sister, and Sweet Apple Acres will be bigger and better than ever!” She continued backing away as Applejack futily took another swipe at her, reaching for the hat. “As for you… you should retire. An organic pony like you shouldn’t work so hard. You should just… relax.”
At that, Applejack exploded and took off after Turing Test, who laughed tauntingly as she seemed to effortlessly keep ahead of her, and followed her down the hill and through the trees… right up to the edge of the Everfree Forest.
She skidded to a halt as Turing Test ran inside.
“What is the matter, Applejack?” came Turing’s voice from somewhere deep in the forest’s shadows. “I suppose fear is another one of your weaknesses. As a robot, it is not a weakness I have. That is just one more reason that I am your superior.”
“I… I ain’t afraid o’ you!” Applejack roared. “I’ll finish this once an’ fer all!”
And with that, she ran right into the depths of the forest.
***
Back at the house, Turing Test poked her head out the back door. “Granny Smith, I will now go to retrieve Apple Bloom from school. Do you require any further assistance, or do you wish for me to retrieve any groceries or supplies?”
Granny Smith was staring at her hoof. “Mm?” she murmured. “No. I… I don’t reckon.”
Turing nodded. “Very well. If you see Applejack, please inform her of my status.”
She was about to turn and go back into the house when she caught a faint sound in the distance. Her mechanical ears twitched and she thought she heard Applejack’s voice, but only for an instant. She briefly considered investigating the sound, but decided that if anypony could handle themselves, it was Applejack.
She shut the back door behind her.
To be continued...
As per usual, thanks everyone for reading! Also, if you're still hungry for more, there's a deleted scene that you can check out in my blog.
I was also going to have a line at dinner where Granny or AJ asked if anypony wanted to say "grace," which would cause Turing to momentarily panic, impulsively thinking about that other Grace. I cut it for length and because I didn't want to bring the concept of religion into the fic and have that be something people could bicker about in the comments just for the sake of a joke. 
No references this time, but a note about the chapter illustration, drawn as always by my good buddy Mr. Colby Green. You might have noticed that there are no chairs in the picture despite it being part of the scene. If so, well, that's my fault. I neglected to mention it to the guy and it would have been too difficult to change so late in the game. Still, I thought it was a charming picture and I still wanted to use it, so if you have a complaint, go ahead and lodge it at me, not the artist. 
Next time, we'll see if the conflict mushrooms into something even bigger than before. 
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Of course, hallucinogens. I first thought it was something more sinister, like Changelings or that technology cult.
The lesson here is don't eat mushrooms unless you know exactly what they are.
Religion is deucedly difficult to put into any fic, and probably best just to sidestep when it does not really relate to the plot. I hope AJ has a safe trip. (both meanings.)
SHROOMS!!!
well, this just got interesting.
Not counting parentheses or exponents (which Applebloom would most likely not have to deal with at her grade level) there's a slight mis-statement in what Turing said.
PEMDAS happens equally by the two groups as it's laid out; if Parentheses/Exponents are both in an equation, you do them left to right. Not, Parentheses first then exponents.
Same for Multiplication/Division and so on. They're both equally important.
Wouldn't phase Applebloom's homework in that homework equation, but it might down the road.
So, I guess we still need Applejack to check her homework...
...once she's off the shrooms...
7009218 Argh, and this is why you never have an English major write mathematics into a work of fiction!
I'll fix it to make it a little clearer.
7009292 No biggie--I'm an Art grad m'self. I didn't even learn about the Order of Operations until I was in college (though when checking this it was suppose to be fourth grade level stuff) and the only reason I remember it is that I made a sketch of a snake with a Mohawk with a caption that said, "PEMDAS--the rejected pokemon".
Teacher loved it so much, she had me draw it on the chalkboard and everyone in class used it to remember the Order of Operations.
Life's funny like that.
Don't eat unknown shrooms folks !
... one thing bother me however : Did Big Mac manage to beat Turing in their last game or not ?
Self worth issues. Called it.
7009369
More than self-worth issues, it's a maturation crisis related to Applejack's ontological inertia from years of self-justified emotional self-sacrifice being nullified as traumatically as it was justified.
This was a difficult concept to compress into a not-wall-of-text!
>saying grace
"Very well. 'Grace'. ...did I say it incorrectly?"
Mebbe Discord is trying to teach Applejack a lesson.
IT'S THE SHROOMS!!! Applejack is high out of her damn mind and having a freak out.
Oh hey, look... it's exactly everything Celestia was afraid of happening.
It took me reading the comments twice to realize what happened.
There's definitely a lesson for Turing here. It is possible to be too helpful. I have to be careful of this myself as we are very capable in many ways (well, not physical, but most anything that requires technical skill is up for grabs), and it took a while for us to realize people don't like it when you're constantly offering your assistance.
It's something akin to "showing off" but slightly different.
Poor Applejack is unintentionally personifying Turing incorrectly, and those shrooms aren't helping...
Keep going! ;)
Excellent chapter here! Will things get better for AJ? I can't wait to read the next part!
So looks like my suspicions were correct. I was going to suggest having a scene with Turing going over the finances last chapter but it looks you already did it without me suggesting it. The issue with Applejack is a touchy subject, I'm pretty sure in some point in everyone's life has gone through with something like this. You determine how much your worth by what you can do. But when you find someone that can do everything you do much better, you start to think that you aren't worth as much before which then leads you to think that you're worthless. And when you think you're worthless that's when you put yourself in a dark and vulnerable place. And that's the worst place anyone can be. So I can't wait to see how you'll get Applejack out of this dark place(not Everfree Forest) and back into the light.
7009546
I didn't think such an accurate description of Applejack's current emotional state could be so succinct. I am genuinely impressed.
derpicdn.net/img/2015/5/16/896735/large.jpg
Never accept a gift from Tree Hugger
derpicdn.net/img/2015/5/22/901648/tall.jpeg
Nice work with Applejack, anyway. Her reason to dislike Turing may appear childish at first, but if you consider her personality and her character in general, it's perfectly logical that one of her biggest fears it to be considered no longer useful.
"attention and she raised"
"attention, and"?
"Besides, it ain’t like she’s gonna change how we do things around here. She may be a machine, but she’s doin’ things our way, like she’s one o’ us."
Hm. An interesting perspective, and not one I'd thought of.
"Not five minutes went by when"
"minutes had gone by"?
"And then later that day, Turing had used her P-Mode to retrieve a rain cloud from over the Everfree Forest to water the western field and start growing the winter rye."
Ah, that answers the question of whether she can manipulate weather. Which may already have been answered; I remember having it but not whether or not I already found out. My apologies if I'm just forgetting.
"in a fraction of time"
"the time" or "the time it would have take Applejack", or something of the like?
"her home and the little"
"home, and"?
"laying back in the rocker"
"lying"?
Hm. I think that I might be missing something with the mushrooms.
"huge service and with"
"service, and"?
"other Apple family members"
Ought "family" to be capitalized?
"subsiding at least"
"subsiding, at"?
"lightheaded and her"
"lightheaded, and"?
...Those were, in fact, the wrong mushrooms, weren't they?
"movement and suddenly"
"movement, and"?
"twitched and she"
"twitched, and"?
...
So, Fluttershy.
I expect that you and Tree Hugger know what you're doing when it comes to, ah, personal recreational mycology.
But you really, really need to be more careful where you leave the mushrooms.
Oh dear.
"Next time, we'll see if the conflict mushrooms into something even bigger than before.
"
[obligatory groan]
:)
7009546 I think a wall of text might be easier to understand though, allow me to take a whirl.
So, AJ's been feeling down because her place on the farm is changing due to her Bucker's hips. However, before she could come to terms with it, Turing Test come around and helps out with the work, causing them to be ahead of schedule. AJ takes this badly, as it seems that she's been replaced. On top of that, Turing helping Apple Bloom with her homework causes her to doubt that she's even needed in her own family. That feeling of insecurity, coupled with what appear to be hallucinogenic mushrooms (thank you very much Tree Hugger), cause AJ to chase a hallucination of Turing into the Everfree in an attempt to reclaim her place.
At least neither of them swallowed the whole mushroom. I'm not sure what would constitute an overdose, but...
(Pinkie just told me something, and I think I understood it.>
Either it's the shrooms talking or that was a changeling, my monies on the mushrooms tho.
And once again I have the urge to tackle glomp the metal pony even knowing it will just result in me breaking my nose when I collide with her face first. STOP TUGGING AT MY HEART!!!!
First my heart, not my stomach. And the picture doesn't help. *goes to get a snack*
This whole sequence has me grinning.
I hate it when this happens, especially in the middle of the night. I usually read for half an hour and that helps.
So AJ is doing the Mushroom Samba??? Oh boy, this will be interesting. Part of me wants to see her in the Everfree treating everything dangerous as harmless and the other wants to see her tearing through Ponyville.
Great chapter - good slice-of-life and heartwrenching at Applejack's struggle - the tragedy is that Turing have no intention of substitute her - in her job or as a pony - and although Applejack's knows it, she can't help but feel it... and now, due that hallucinogenic mushrooms, she is after what she thinks that Turing should have been and wants, in order to justify her emotions to herself...
I can see this scenario developing in two ways:
1) An exausted Applejack is found by Zecora, who treats her from her intoxication. Now she realizes how her feelings against Turing made her act, she would try make amends...
2) An intoxicated Applejack is found by the real Turing, who came for her due Applejack's disappearance. In a fit of anger, Applejack attack the equinoid, maybe damaging her. Later her family found both, and after the disintoxication, an ashamed Applejack talks with Turing, who forgives her...
Can't wait to see how this will develop!
7012021
You've got some bits right there, but not quite.
7010363 Thanks so much for the help as always!
Oh there will be an explanation as to why Fluttershy brought over something so potent, but I assure you this crisis was intentional.
7009749
And everyone kept saying that she was just being a technophobic, paranoid b
ch.
This really isn't the central conflict of the arc, but it does play around with the themes introduced earlier nonetheless. Thank you for taking notice of that.
7009369
7009546
7009998
7010924
Looks like all of you have picked up on the theme I was really going for. And yet there's actually just a little bit more going on that hasn't been revealed - on Applejack's part AND on Turing's part. Expect to see the resolution in the next chapter (or two, if it goes long [and knowing me, it might])!
7012100
You're welcome. :)
Yes, I assumed that there'd be one. :)
But... intentional? On whose part?!
...
Prooooobably safe to bet on Discord...
Or, possibly, the idea of Applejack really needing to lighten up was proposed during the, ahem, trip, and this method didn't stop sounding like a good idea quickly enough.
7010363
It was not confirmed with actions until now.
What was confirmed was that Turing is too heavy to rest on clouds, regardless.
7012302
Ah, thanks.
7012256 Doh! I meant unintentional. Whyyyy are my fingers stupid today?!
7012331
Ah. That quite changes the meaning. :D
Dang magic mushrooms.
So... no pain-induced nightmare-filled unconsciousness, then.
Huh. Well, I'm curious to see what's going on there. My current guess is some sort of hallucination-inducing predator that feeds on despair or something.
7013424
Might want to check the other comments.
...
I don't know whenever to hug Applejack for her fears, smack her across the head to get some sense inside her, or laugh at the fact she's high off magic mushrooms...
Well, at the very least you didn't go down the path I THOUGHT you would, smashing the charger and taking Turing out of the equation, she's ashamed by it at least. Also, she doesn't hate her for being a machine, or maybe because she's doing so much work that affects her pride...
Nope, it's the fact she's straight up jealous, well, it's an ugly emotion, but it does seem sad that Turing seems to be doing everything on the farm, ten times better, faster than she ever could, not to mention, the difference becomes more apparent when she's suffering from buck-hip or whatever.
And now she's high off magic mushrooms...great.
This is like Applebuck Season times 10.
Relaxing, means she's not working,, not working means she's not helping, selfless and stubborn and a dash of envy...
Heh, so her mind constructs the illusion of Turing being evil, just to help her cope with it.
...I'm looking forward to the results, and what connection can be drawn to help her understand Turing...
Side note, I didn't understand that dog joke, dammit.
7013811
The last half is right on, but "jealous" is slightly off the mark. A few of the other readers had some really good and insightful comments that you might find informative. Or you can just wait for the next chapter (or two, if it gets too long and I need to split it) and find out for yourself. In either case, I appreciate the commenting as always!
This is continuing the running gag that Turing isn't very good at telling regular jokes, but she's got a talent for anti-humor, wherein she tells something that sounds like a joke, but the punchline is mundane and not funny. The lack of the typical punchline is what surprises the listener, which ironically is funny. In this case, Turing asks a question with an obvious answer that should be common knowledge and which Applejack immediately understands, but then Turing treats it like Applejack's already heard the "joke."
...W-well, Turing did say that not everyone gets her style of humor.
7012091
Fair enough - can't wait to see how the situation will be solved
Really curious to see Turing's side of the situation. I wonder if Turing could argue - like a certain Machine - that Applejack is not interchangeable, and add that but she, Turing, could be... I wonder how Applejack and the others would react.
And Granny Smith have the right attitude!
Ponies and AIs can co-exist.
The mental image that this line gives me is absolutely adorable.
Also, don't do drugs kids.
I reviewed your story, you can find it here. Also, have a ribbon.
s13.postimg.org/5a2dthj87/Giz_Vyc0.png
7009356 I believe he touched slightly upon this in a blog of his but he did not give a certain answer.
Applejack is hallucinating. Probably from the mushrooms that flutters gave her
When I first saw TT go all evil-like I was all like "Itsa Nightmare." Then at the ending I was like, "Ohhhhh shit. Its a changeling." Then came the thing about mushrooms in the AN and was like, " Oh. Those mushrooms were hallucinogenic, and she's chasing a hallucination."
Two things:
1. This arc is rather obviously designed to give the reader a better look into Celestia's "plowtaumaton" story.
2. Don't eat strange mushrooms kids!
Oh god I dunno why but that made me laugh so hard.
I hope grace isn't back