Chapter 11
Chapter 11
To say that Kelso was weary of the so called Unknowable Mare was something of an understatement. They all were, to deny it was as the Unknowable Mare herself had put: ‘a falsehood’. The Unknowable Mare was by no means trustworthy. If anything she was downright sadistic and malicious, she had already taken pleasure in causing Pinkie Pie mental anguish. Maybe one could even go as far to say that she was malevolent.
However, things were not quite so simple. The Unknowable Mare, while pretentious, and deplorable also happened to dislike FutureTec just as much, or if not more than Kelso or any other member of their party. She knew what was going on, and she was more than willing to share that information with them. Why that was, neither Kelso, nor Sparky could say, but what they did know was this: they had an opportunity that would not come again to learn the full extent of FutureTec’s plans. It was not one that they could afford to pass up… even if it meant spending time with the most malicious and dangerous pony that they had ever known.
The Unknowable Mare was not like them. She was different, alien to them, her abilities and her demeanour set her apart. This was, perhaps, why she deemed herself unknowable.
If anything, Kelso was worried about the Unknowable Mare’s abilities. Her telepathy was strong; one of the first things that she had said to her was that her mind was an open book. Surely, the Unknowable Mare knew that Kelso found her deplorable, negative emotions were harder to hide, and the Unknowable Mare was the best at routing them out. She had to know, but if she did, she did not make it clear that she did. It was very possible that she didn’t care. If her telepathic abilities were as strong as she claimed, and Kelso had every reason to believe that they were, then the Unknowable Mare had to have known that Kelso needed the knowledge that she had. If anything, the association with the Unknowable Mare was a necessary evil.
The Unknowable Mare led the way down the corridor and into a small room on the far side of the complex. Much like the AI Core, the room was empty except for a small device in the centre of the room. There were pylons arranged in the shape of a six pointed star, with a seventh in the middle of the arrangement. Blue lines were painted on the floor connecting each of the pylons, and more paint in the shape of a circle had been placed around them.
‘What the hell is that?’ Kelso asked.
‘The psionic resonator’, Viola said as she read off of Doctor Fontaine’s MIP. ‘A device designed to amplify psychic abilities for the direct transfer of information into another’s mind’.
The Unknowable Mare nodded in agreement as she trotted up to the psionic resonator and took her place before the seventh pylon. ‘The strands shall reveal to you the truth. Take your places along the star wheel, so that you may learn’, the Unknowable Mare said.
‘What are you going to show us?’ Kelso asked.
‘The strands will show the prologue to the awakening’, the Unknowable Mare said cryptically, causing Kelso to frown. The metaphors were starting to rub her the wrong way.
‘Speak plainly for the dumb people in the room’, Kelso said with a scowl.
‘Speak for yourself Kelso! I, am highly intelligent!’ Viola said in annoyance, giving her partner a light kick in the flank. ‘She’s going to show us the events that led up to the founding of the Republic’.
The Unknowable Mare nodded her head in affirmation. ‘Past is prologue, there is much to know’, she said and gestured for them to step up to the pylons.
Sparky looked at Dizzy nervously, and took a step forward, taking her place at the first pylon. Dizzy was soon to follow, and took to the pylon next to Sparky. Hopely took to the third corner and Viola took to the fourth.
Kelso looked over to Pinkie Pie, who had sat down in the back of the room and looked to her with a frown. ‘I think I’m going to pass… you go on ahead though’, Pinkie Pie said, pointing off towards the unoccupied fifth and sixth corners.
‘Are you sure? I can afford the mystery if you want me to stay out here with you’, Kelso said, offering Pinkie Pie a small smile.
‘No, that’s okay’, Pinkie Pie said as she shook her head. She looked up to Kelso and offered her a small smile. ‘Thank you for offering though’.
‘You’re welcome’, Kelso said, and begrudgingly stepped up to the fifth pylon and glanced over at the unoccupied sixth. Part of her wish that Pinkie Pie had taken to it, if only for the moral support, but she could understand the pink pony did not. if Kelso had experienced the Unknowable Mare’s telepathic abilities as Pinkie Pie had, she probably would have flat out refused too.
‘Everybody ready?’ Hopely asked, taking in a deep breath.
‘As ready as we’re ever going to be’, Dizzy said with a shrug.
‘Close your eyes, and embrace the void!’ the Unknowable Mare said.
There wasn’t a choice involved, Kelso felt her eyelids grow heavy, and before she knew it, they were shut. The world grew dark as the last bit of light that still seeped in through the meeting point of her eyelids was snuffed out.
…
Kelso opened her eyes to discover that she was no longer in the room with the psionic resonator. Instead, she was looking at a very grand and stylish room. The room was an entrance hall to a very large building, void of objects entirely. The room was painted with bright colours on the walls, and most of the windows that lined these walls were made of stained glass. The far end of the room, along the northern wall was a grand staircase, ornately decorated, and looked to have been manually carved from mahogany by a unicorn crafter.
‘Kelso?’ asked a voice from behind her. She turned to discover that Sparky was standing behind her, along with Dizzy, Hopely and Viola. The Unknowable Mare, however, was absent from the group, unfortunately, she didn’t know if that was a good thing or not.
‘Where are we?’ Kelso asked.
‘Judging by what we’re looking at…’ Dizzy said as she walked along the marble floor and towards one of the stained glass windows. ‘Hmm… this place matches the descriptions of entrance hall to the royal castle in Canterlot’.
Kelso looked around the room, taking in her surroundings. ‘We’re in the Old Monarchy then?’ she asked.
‘Incorrect! Older’ a voice boomed from above them, causing the five mares to jump in surprise. Kelso looked up towards the tall ceiling, only to discover that no one was up there. ‘This chapter is forgotten, long ago, far outside the minds of the living’, the voice boomed again.
‘How long ago?’ Kelso asked, shouting up at the ceiling.
‘By your count, eleven hundred years’, the voice boomed again. ‘Watch!’
A door at the top of the staircase creaked open and a unicorn mare slowly trotted out of it. The unicorn mare was taller than most, and had a slender build, her coat was a silvery white, and her mane and tail were a bubble gum pink. Her mane was cropped short at shoulder length, while her tail flowed behind her at a normal length. Sparky’s jaw dropped open as she looked at the mare’s flank.
‘She has a cutie mark!’ Sparky said.
The unicorn mare continued to trot down the stairs, having not taken notice of them at all, as she got closer, they were better able to see what her cutie mark was. It was a sun.
Everyone in the room knew instantly who this was. They were looking at Princess Celestia. The princess reached the bottom of the stairs, and continued to trot along the hall towards the door, completely oblivious that Kelso and company were even there, despite the fact that she was looking right at them. Sparky and Hopely even had to hurry out of the princess’ way, lest she run into them.
‘Uh? Hello!’ Hopely cried out in annoyance. ‘Standing right here!’
Princess Celestia did not respond, and continued on her way, as if she hadn’t heard them at all.
‘I don’t think she can hear us…’ Dizzy said as she examined the princess. ‘No, of course not! We’re reliving a memory; we weren’t here when it actually happened, so there’s no way she would know that we’re watching’.
‘Let’s follow her; we don’t want to miss the content!’ Viola said as she galloped after the princess to close the growing gap between her and the group. The others took off after her, and as they reached the door, it opened, and another unicorn mare trotted inside and stumbled headlong into Princess Celestia.
‘Oh! Pardon me your highness, I am so very sorry, I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going...’ the second unicorn said.
Princess Celestia offered this second unicorn a small smile. ‘Oh, it’s quite all right’, she said reassuringly.
The second unicorn was not familiar to any of the members of the group. No descriptions of a mare quite like her could be remembered from history classes in school. The second unicorn mare had a green coat and a multi-coloured mane that held various shades of green. Most of her mane was a forest green, with a celadon streak in it. This mare, oddly enough, vaguely resembled the holographic image of Twilight Sparkle that they had seen earlier. She too, had a cutie mark, though it was not of something that Kelso recognised.
Sparky took a closer look, raising an eyebrow in confusion, and double checking to make sure that she had seen it correctly. ‘A Thermionic valve? That’s ancient tech, but still too new for this time period… at least, so I would think’, Sparky said with a shrug.
‘Emerald, please, I’ve known you your entire life, you’re like my other sister, you don’t need to be so formal with me’, Celestia said placing a hoof on the mare’s shoulder and smiling warmly at her.
‘I know’, Emerald said with a shrug. ‘I’m just nervous... that’s all, the Sunburst project is ready for testing, my dream within my grasp... I’m just worried I’m not going to be able to contain myself for the Queen’.
‘Did she just say queen?!’ Sparky cried out in surprise.
‘Yes she did’, Dizzy said. ‘When did Equestria have a queen?’
‘You are awfully excited about a weapon... Emerald’, Princess Celestia said uneasily.
Emerald frowned slightly at Princess Celestia and paced over towards an open window, looking out it and unto the city of Canterlot below. ‘It’s not the weapon itself that I’m interested in; I’m interested in the applications of it! If the weapon works, we can adapt the technology to generate power! We’d be free of our reliance of fossil fuels, which we’re going to run out of eventually. Imagine cheap, clean energy for everypony! It’s just... it’s so exciting!’
Princess Celestia offered a shrug, and trotted over to join Emerald at the window. ‘I haven’t really been keeping up with science...’ she said with a frown.
‘Oh you really should! It’s so exciting Princess! There is so much that science has to offer! The Sunburst project alone has so many applications! I wouldn’t be surprised that if in 10 years we’ll put a pony on the moon! We might even be able to leave our little Tau Ceti system!’ Emerald said, unable to contain her enthusiasm about the project.
Sparky and Dizzy looked at each other, and then to the rest of their group. ‘Any of you ever heard of the Sunburst Project?’ Sparky asked.
‘Not a word, and I was a history major in University’, Hopely said with a frown. ‘There is so little information from the time before the Old Monarchy, but if we are when I think we are… we might be about to learn why’.
‘Tau Ceti?’ Princess Celestia asked in confusion.
‘You know? The star our planet orbits?’ Emerald said.
Princess Celestia frowned at Emerald and offered her a small shrug. ‘I just call it the sun’, she said.
‘So do most ponies’, Emerald said with a frown. ‘But that implies that ours is the only one! There’s another star a lot like ours that’s 12 light years from here! Can you imagine what we might find if we were to go there!? Maybe we’d find intelligent life! Oh I just get so excited at the prospects!’
‘Emerald, don’t you think that’s a little silly? I mean... aliens? What is the likelihood of them existing?’ Princess Celestia asked with a frown.
‘What’s the likelihood that they don’t?’ Emerald Sparkle asked. ‘I mean, think about it, what if we are the only planet with life on it? What will happen when our sun dies? Is that just it? Are all civilisations in the universe dead?! It’s too depressing to think that we’re all that’s here, there has to be something else!’
‘I suppose...’ Celestia said with a frown, as if she didn’t know what to think about the prospect.
‘Well, I have to go; it’s almost time for my audience with the queen! It’s been nice talking to you again Celestia... I’ve kind of missed it’, Emerald said, smiling warmly at princess of the sun.
‘I have too’, Princess Celestia said, nodding in agreement. ‘You really should come around more Emerald; I know mother has certainly missed your visits, and I’m sure Luna would be a better pony to talk about science with than I would, she’s really interested in… oh what do you call it, radio?’
Emerald nodded. ‘I think maybe I will have to, I’ve forgotten how much I missed you and Luna’s company... I think maybe I will’, she added with a smile.
Princess Celestia returned her smile, and said her goodbyes to her fellow unicorn. They parted ways, with Emerald headed up the stairs towards another part of Canterlot Castle. Princess Celestia, on the other hoof, continued towards the door, looking very disturbed by her conversation.
Princess Celestia opened the front door and headed outside, shutting the door behind her.
There was a loud sigh from the staircase as the mare called Emerald sat down on it, and looked towards the door. ‘I wish you could accept me, Princess Celestia’, she said with a frown. She continued to sit on the staircase, disappointed over her conversation with the princess, and said nothing more.
Sparky turned towards the open window and took a look out of it. ‘What were they… oh my…’ Sparky said, interrupting herself.
‘What is it?’ Kelso asked as she joined her friend at the window. Her jaw fell open too. Looking out onto the Equestrian society from Canterlot Castle, one could see for kilometres. The familiar sight of Ponyville was absent, as it would not be built for nearly a millennium. In its place, however, were several factories with tall smokestacks, billowing clouds of thick black smoke into the sky. They looked down to see that several construction crews were busy at the base of the mountain, digging up the ground with heavy machinery.
‘Sparky… is that…?’ Kelso began.
‘It is… that’s where the FutureTec Whitetail Industrial Complex is supposed to be’, Sparky said.
Sparky and Kelso had to wonder now, the Old Monarchy was a preindustrial feudal society, but what they were looking at was clearly an Equestria in a pre-atomic age industrial society. If this was what Equestria was like eleven hundred years ago… then what happened to all this?
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We finally get to see how this world was made.
Can't wait for the next chapter.
Wait until they learn that Celestia got rid of anything that Luna could conceivably turn into a weapon of mass destruction. It'll blow their minds, baby!!!
with an easily repaired medical condition and how love and tolerance were reserved for the physically perfect. It'll maybe reconcile her to the worship of an ascended being.)
(Also, I cannot wait to see how Dizzy reacts to the life story of someone
CLIFFHANGER
not a moment too soon.
Random word(sorta) Blarghel.
Oh the joy now we shall see the making of things.
Almost willing to bet that the weapon creation of Emeralds is gonna blow up or some conspiracy with it.
Reading this, so much nostalgia. Oh Emerald. I love the references you keep making to your oldest, Vinyls revolver. The great and powerful Trixie's shotgun.
-Lord Lussean
640242 BADASS STORY TIEM
wow. awesome chapter, again, i can't wait to see what's going to happen.
also, now i think i know what pinkie meant with: And that's how equestria was made when she explained of her cutiemark to the CMC
keep up the awesome work!
Suddenly, I wonder what the hell happened to Spike.
CELESTIA HAPPENED
Hm. I find myself feeling very sorry for changeling Pinkie.
So what happened to Celestia? I mean so far she's been mentioned in the past tense and in the last chapter Twilight's shade was whimpering about how she had to get rid of Cadance and Shining Armor after they apparently took over. What happened there?
640835
Give it some time. Those events were more recent. Its certainly interesting to see that Equestria had this level of tech at one point before having it removed, most likely by Celestia's command. I'm curious as to what the supposed weapon is meant to do as well, considering that Emerald wants to convert it into a power generation device. Perhaps Celestia sees it as a greater threat as a whole, since its using atomic power. We've all see the potential dangers should such a facility's safety systems fail. This is all quite intriguing to observe.
Maybe... FutureTec tried to go back in time to advance science and failed?
Changlings, its gotta be, or aliens
This... actually didn't surprise me. ._.
642100
Sadly some surprises are gonna hard to come by for those of us that read the first 3 series. *sigh* Almost wish I didn't know where this was going.
That said, really like the story! Love to see the evoultion of your writing too, you have gotten so muich better since the "All Good Things" series. I just love this universe you have made and I'm glad to see it developed even more!
So many references to your other books... I LOVE IT
641149 Uh oh, sound the fallout sierns we've got a real dozy coming in the next few chapters!
As for what FutureTec was trying to do, to quote a certain baby dragon "I have no idea, and I don't know whether I should excited or scared to find out."