Cranks and Bubbles

by guppygirl

Chapter Four: Control Alt Delete

“Cyberponies?”
Any trace of the Doctor’s usual joking attitude had vanished. A maelstrom of emotions was battling across his face - anger, hatred, remorse, and, most of all, fear.
“I take it you have encountered these creatures before, Doctor?” Pride Leader questioned.
Rounding on her, the Doctor answered, speaking quickly, “Once, yes, though I don’t know if they’ve met me yet. What I do know is that the two ponies I came here with are in a lot of danger if those things find them!”

*o*o*o*o*

There were a lot of things to worry about right then. After all, the Cyberponies were marching them to not even Celestia could know where, to do goodness knows what to them. The filly who’d gotten the two into this mess in the first place was walking alongside the two older ponies, silently crying in fear. And weighing very heavily on all three ponies’ minds was the knowledge that, no matter what lay ahead, it likely spelled death for all three.
But that wasn’t the things Derpy was worried most about right then. No, right then, the most pressing concern on her thoughts was Tick Tock.
The unicorn was incredibly able for a paralyzed pony. He could keep pace with herself and the Doctor when walking with seemingly little difficulty, and could even outpace her over short distances. But unfortunately, he was still disabled. At first, he’d been nervous, but otherwise fine. Before long, though, she noticed that his breath was coming a little faster than what she’d deem necessary, and he seemed to be concentrating on keeping up. Now, about four minutes into their continuous hike, it was quickly becoming obvious that Tick Tock was tiring out. It seemed as though sheer determination was the only thing keeping him on his hooves and moving forward, and even so, his pace was beginning to lag.

This did not escape the Cyberponies’ notice. The one bringing up the rear of the group gave him an unpleasant shove when he began to fall behind. “KEEP UP.”
Tick Tock gritted his teeth, frustration filling his voice as he grunted, “This is the fastest I can walk.”
The Cyberpony regarded him, expressionless face cold. “YOU ARE A DEFECTIVE UNIT.”
“Hey!” Derpy immediately turned around, eyes flashing. “That isn’t a nice thing to say about-”
There was a crack and a cry, and blinding pain filled the side of Derpy’s head. A second jolt of pain in her side told her that she’d fallen, her wing in a very uncomfortable place underneath her.
“Derpy? Are you all right?” She looked up blearily to see Tick Tock standing in front of her, eyes worried. He was the one who’d cried out when the Cyberpony struck her, she realized belatedly. She accepted the hoof he offered her and pulled herself into a standing position.
The Cyberpony who’d assaulted her spoke again. “DO NOT STOP WALKING AGAIN UNTIL WE HAVE REACHED OUR DESTINATION OR YOU WILL BE DELETED.”
Derpy shot Tick Tock a weary glance and turned back to the hallway ahead of them, giving the terrified foal beside her what she hoped was a comforting look. Her wing throbbed terribly.

*o*o*o*o*

The Doctor’s expression was grim as he pulled on the leather armor Pride Leader had given him. He’d told her, and Oak Leaf as well, that things were far too dangerous to send anypony else in, and that he would handle the Cyberponies alone. Pride Leader had argued for a long time, but finally conceded so long as he agreed to take some protective equipment along with him.
“Where are you going?”
Hearing a familiar voice, the Doctor looked up to see the pony they’d met on the surface - Rainforest Rose - watching him, emerald gaze intense.
He returned it levelly. “My friends are missing. I’m going to go find them.”
“Alone?” Rainforest Rose cocked her head slightly, seeming mildly concerned. “Isn’t that dangerous?”
“Exactly,” the Doctor replied, fiddling with his new armor, “which is why I’m going alone. I’ve faced these things before, and I know how to fight them. I don’t want to risk anypony else trying to help and only getting hurt.”
“And if you get hurt?”
He stopped, looking away from his work, and held her gaze steadily. Finally, after several seconds, he broke away, picking up his borrowed helmet and settling it on his head. The gap for his ears was far too large, but he ignored it. Turning, he gave a curt nod to the ocelot-pony. “So long, Rainforest Rose.” Brushing past her, he started into one of the tunnels leading away from the main complex, hoping that it was the right one.

*o*o*o*o*

“WE HAVE LOCATED OFFWORLD INTRUDERS IN THESE TUNNELS.”
Hearing a subordinate speak, the Cyber Leader turned, expecting to find at least two upgrade-able ponies, even if it meant having to make a few adjustments to one of the machines.
Instead, it was met with the sight of three ponies - one native to this planet, but too young to upgrade, one wall-eyed pegasus with a frightened look and an awkwardly-held wing, and a unicorn whose death glare would have been far more frightening had he not been panting heavily, face flushed and clearly completely out of energy.

After regarding the assembled ponies for a moment, the Cyber Leader turned its empty gaze to the Cyberponies who had brought them. “YOU HAVE BROUGHT ME A SPECIMEN UNSUITABLE FOR UPGRADING AND TWO DEFECTIVE UNITS.”
Derpy’s eyes flashed in annoyance at that word once more. This time, however, she wisely held her tongue.
Then a third Cyberpony abruptly cut into the conversation. “CYBER LEADER, DATA INDICATES THAT THIS MARE HAS BEEN ENCOUNTERED BEFORE, AND THWARTED A PLAN TO CONVERT THE BEINGS OF EQUUS BY DESTROYING THE ASSEMBLY LINE.”
A confused look flicked through Tick Tock’s green eyes, and he shot a look at the mare beside him, too out-of-breath to ask the question on his mind.
Meanwhile, Derpy’s ears drooped, and she giggled nervously. “Oh. I was kinda hoping that hadn’t happened yet.”
Turning back to her, the Cyber Leader spoke flatly. “SUCH A DANGEROUS LIFE-FORM IS UNSUITABLE FOR CONVERSION, AND MUST BE DELETED.” It raised a hoof, and blue bolts of energy shot through the entire limb.
As the Cyber Leader reached for her, Derpy froze, mismatched eyes wide. Terrified, she couldn’t move, transfixed by the sight of her death approaching, in the form of a metallic hoof.
Her parents, Carrot Top… they would never even know what happened to her.
Suddenly, something grabbed her mane, tugging her out of the way just in time. She twisted her head around to see Tick Tock, a whirlwind of anger and fear igniting his eyes and his jaws clamped around a clump of her mane. His gaze drilled straight into hers. “Run!”

*o*o*o*o*

The sonic screwdriver’s sound echoed off the walls of the tunnel. The Doctor examined the readout closely. “Certainly seems they came this way…”
“That is a really annoying sound.”
Startled, the Doctor turned to find Rainforest Rose standing behind him. She was suited up in the same armor as he was, and simply stood, flicking an ear in mild irritation.
“Rainforest Rose? What are you doing here?” the Doctor demanded.
“Coming with you,” Rainforest Rose answered, tossing her mane as though she expected no argument.
Flabbergasted, the Doctor sputtered, “Wha - bu - I-I told you it was dangerous!”
Rainforest Rose blew out a mocking breath. “Never stopped me before.”
The Doctor opened his mouth to answer, and she silenced him with one furry hoof. “Look, Doctor, I’ll be honest. I’m not completely sure what we’re up against here. But those… things… have my sister. And I’m getting her back. You can’t leave me behind on this one.”
The Doctor hesitated, then finally pushed her hoof away from his mouth with a sigh. “All right, but if you get hurt…”
“It’s my fault,” answered Rainforest Rose brightly, “gotcha.” As she started walking, she inquired curiously, “So, where do you three come from?”
“Oh, here, there, and everywhere,” the Doctor answered simply. “We tour the stars, always on the lookout for adventure.”
“That sounds nice,” Rainforest Rose said with a wistful sigh. “Everypony here is so cautious all the time - every once in a while, a queen just wants to have an adventure, you know?”
The Doctor smiled at her, eyes flashing mischievously. “Did I mention we also travel in time?”
Rainforest Rose gasped, shoving the Doctor’s shoulder. “You do not!”
“Maybe I’ll show you when this is all over, Miss Rainforest Rose,” the Doctor said in an aloof tone.
“Oh, you’d better,” answered Rainforest Rose mock-threateningly. “Oh,” she added, almost as an afterthought, “Rainforest Rose is kind of a mouthful. You can just call me Rose.” With that, she bounded off ahead, completely missing the pang of sadness that flashed through the Doctor’s eyes… and the confusion that followed it.

*o*o*o*o*

Three left turns, two rights, and one accidental split-up and regrouping later, Derpy, Tick Tock, and their charge were thoroughly lost in the twisting complex of tunnels running through the planet. The expression on the foal’s face told Derpy that she didn’t know where they were, either. Hopefully, that meant the Cyberponies wouldn’t be able to find them, either.
“Can we stop for a second?” Derpy asked, out of breath. Her side burned, and her wing ached more than anything she’d ever experienced before.
“Sure,” grunted Tick Tock, sitting heavily as the group came to a stop. The stallion was running on fumes, and Derpy knew it. Unfortunately, she also knew that the Doctor didn’t know where they were, and had no way to get to them.
Sitting beside him, she said, “I’m sorry about this. I never should have run off like that-”
Tick Tock was already shaking his head. “No, you were right. There was a foal in danger. Better getting lost and saving a life than ignoring it.”
“I’m not sure we have saved a life, though,” Derpy answered quietly, gaze fixed on the small kitten-foal huddled in the corner.
Tick Tock was silent for a moment. Then, when he spoke, his tone was concerned. “Is your wing all right? I noticed that it seemed like you hurt it earlier.”
“O-Oh. Yeah.” Derpy glanced back at the feathered appendage in question. An attempt to stretch it left her wincing, sucking a whistling breath between her teeth.
“Here, let me see.” Tick Tock reached for her wing, and Derpy braced herself, expecting the touch to hurt. Much to her surprise, his touch was gentle, featherlight. She glanced back, surprised, as his hooftip skimmed over the wing. His horn was glowing, as well, a spell allowing him to detect what was beneath his hoof. How much control did it take for a pony with so little feeling in his hooves to have such a soft touch?
His touch hesitated over where her wing joined her body - where the pain was worst. With a small sigh - relief? disappointment? - he said, “Luckily, it doesn’t seem to broken. Just out of joint. I can fix it for you, but it’s gonna hurt… a lot.”
It already hurt due to the strange angle she was carrying her wing at. “Do it.” She braced.
Tick Tock hesitated for a moment, before nodding. “On three.” A shimmering cloud of magic enveloped the end of her wing, warm and tingling. “One. Two. Three.” On three, he gave a sharp tug, and with a pop, the wing snapped back into place.
Derpy clamped her teeth together hard, biting back a squeal of pain. After several seconds, she forced herself to relax, rolling her shoulders and opening her eyes. She’d had them squeezed shut so hard, for a moment, she saw stars.
Once her vision had cleared, she shook her head clear and glanced at Tick Tock, who was watching her with a worried look. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “Yeah. Thanks.”
Tick Tock nodded. “Unfortunately, dislocated bones tend to result in pulled muscles, especially since your wing was out of place for so long… I’ll have the Doctor check when we get back to-”
Metallic hoofbeats filled the air, and all three ponies’ eyes widened in terror. Derpy sprang to her hooves, wings automatically flaring out to catch the air and let her get an aerial view. A bolt of pain shot through her right wing, and with a gasp, she settled back onto the ground.
And realized that she had likely just given away their position.
Tick Tock and the foal were tired out from all the running they had already done, and Derpy couldn’t try to lead the Cyberponies away by flying overhead. They were trapped. Frightened, all three ponies watched out the entrance of the tunnel they were hiding in.
The first faces to appear were much furrier than expected.
“The screwdriver says they went the other way!”
“Yeah, well, my sense of smell says they went this way, and my nose is never wrong!”
At the first voice, Derpy and Tick Tock shot each other ecstatic glances - the Doctor! - but it was the second that made the filly light up. She darted past the older two ponies before either could try to stop her, making a beeline for the entrance to the tunnel before the two bickering ponies walked past and missed them entirely.
That was when the two ponies stopped, eyes wide at the sight ahead of them, and a robotic voice rang out, “HALT OR YOU SHALL BE DELETED.”
The smaller pony skidded to a stop and scrambled backwards, eyes bulging.
“Oh, great,” the Doctor grumbled. “You again. Have we met yet?”
“YOU ARE THE DOCTOR AND THEREFORE MUST BE DELETED,” the Cyberpony answered. “THE FEMALE SHALL BE UPGRADED. DO NOT RESIST.”
The lead Cyberpony lifted a hoof, and the Doctor produced the sonic screwdriver, prepared to fight back.
Suddenly, the Cybers were enveloped in sparkling green. Immediately, with a long, ear-piercing metallic groan, their joints all froze into place, preventing any of them from moving.
“What the…” Rainforest Rose stared at the ponies, appalled.
The Doctor, meanwhile, turned with a massive grin. “Tick Tock! Derpy! Good to see you!” His jovial expression then melted into a stern one. “If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times - no wandering off!”
Tick Tock only answered with a wry grin, magic fading from his horn as the spell ended, locking the Cyberponies into position.
“Sorry, Doctor,” Derpy answered, stepping towards the Earth pony. “It was my fault - I heard the sound of a foal crying and ran off to investigate.”
“A foal?” he asked, ears perked inquisitively.
“Rosie!”
The little pony finally spoke, darting past Derpy. When Rainforest Rose laid eyes on the filly, several expressions cycled over her face, finally landing on joy, tears gathering in her feline eyes. “Snowy!”
The larger of the two cat-ponies reached towards the other for a hug. Just before they touched, however, her face quickly morphed into one of pain, and she screamed out as blue electricity shot through her. The other four ponies were horrified as she collapsed, one of the Cyberponies having just managed to reach far enough to shock her.

The few seconds of stunned silence were shattered by a child’s wail. “SIS!”

*o*o*o*o*

Derpy stood quietly on the TARDIS floor. The Doctor had ushered the other two off of the planet immediately, and left a “surprise” in the Cyberponies’ base on the planet - a new and improved version of one of Tick Tock’s bombs, which he had perfected after the fight. He had also hardly spoken since the Cyberpony got to Rainforest Rose.
Her eyes burned with the threat of tears as she remembered the way that the other mare’s face had changed so abruptly. She’d been so happy, and then…
She suddenly noticed Tick Tock, sitting a short distance away from her. He was watching her from the corner of his eyes, trying to remain subtle about it, but the concern in his gaze was anything but.
Realizing he’d been caught, he immediately looked away, eartips burning red. Then, with an air of reluctance, he pulled himself to his hooves, trotting over to her side. In a low voice, so as not to attract the other stallion’s attention, he said, “Come with me to the med bay - I want to make sure you didn’t tear any muscles in your wing.”
Derpy looked back at him, suddenly remembering his soft touch as he’d explored the surface of her feathers before. She hoped her blush wasn’t obvious as she answered, “S-Sure.”
Tick Tock turned to the back of the TARDIS, heading deeper inside. Before following, Derpy hesitated for just a moment, glancing back at her somber Doctor.
Then, shaking her mane, she followed Tick Tock, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

Author's Note:

So, as you may have noticed, I've been experimenting lately with my art style for this fanfic... Please feel free to leave feedback or tips in the comments! I'd also like to know: are you okay with the more stylistic art, or would you prefer I play it closer to canon? Next update will be up soon, and I hope to hear from you all then!

Comments

[Sunset Horizon]

Nice chapter, I really like it.

[Dragon Eye]

Is Rainforest Rose pony Rose, If so no argument here

[guppygirl]

6637339 No - Rainforest Rose's name is only meant to be a coincidence.

[abc10]

gr8!