Joseph was bored.
This was no exception for him; actually it was the rule more than any other feeling. Little could challenge him, little could push the limits of his intellect or aptitude for more than a few moments. When those moments were over, it was back to playing Pokémon.
That was what he wanted to be doing now; what he would’ve been doing if he hadn’t been dragged into the library too early in the morning by the neediest pony in the whole colony. “Why don’t you have your boyfriend do this?” he muttered, his voice as sour as he could make it. Unfortunately he hadn’t slept properly in days, and it barely came out as decipherable English.
Alex shoved him in the side, harder than her little body would’ve suggested was possible. No, not little. She would see that thought, and take revenge. She was sixteen. That was an “adult”, and she would wrestle anyone who told her otherwise. “Oliver and I aren’t seeing each other. And he isn’t a computer expert. Just because you taught him how to scan the books doesn’t mean he knows how to search them.”
Joseph contented himself with the thought of the mare waiting for him in his warm bed back in the fancy RV he lived in now. It still smelled like a new car, though he liked the other smells better. All he had to do was figure out a way to get Alex off his back. One look at her fiery glare, and he quickly ruled the best thing to do was solve whatever problem she had as quickly as possible. It might sting his pride, but… Alex hadn’t exactly been this insistent on something when it didn’t matter before. Whatever this was about, it had to be important.
Joseph had only been awake for ten minutes or so, just long enough to roll out of bed still smelling like the night before, not washing his mane or even brushing it. He’d at least remembered to pull on a pair of pants, which wasn’t always a constant if Moriah wasn’t there to suggest it.
The library they had chosen wouldn’t surprise anyone; it was the county library. The entirety of their modifications consisted of 5kW of solar panels on the roof to keep the lights on and run the hardware the HPI had given them. No AC, no other computers, and nothing at all at night. It was practically the stone age.
Still, the library had become another of their unofficial meeting spots. The building was very old, with stone and mortar dating all the way back to 1858. Joseph ignored the huge pile of random books that was Alex’s spot, or the neatly arranged Equestrian volumes where Oliver usually sat. He passed the magical saddle-bags containing the Equestrian library without even a second glance, though they remained fascinating to him when he was awake. He passed his own corner, where he had put together a fort with a knocked-over table and posters of spell diagrams he had copied. No, he wasn’t going to be learning anymore magic today.
When they learned about the Equestrian library, the HPI had transported several machines at once to help digitize the books. They were nothing special really, just scanners with light-plates to get as clear a read on the text as possible, along with a database computer. It was that computer that was his target.
“If anyone paid attention when I explained things, I wouldn’t have to do this.” He hopped up into the chair, landing on his haunches and jittering the mouse about with his magic.
There was something otherworldly about the feeling, even now. Time had not made the act of commanding reality itself seem more mundane. The rush of energy, the brief sensation that the mouse or the chair was a part of him, his substance to command. It was tearing control away from the laws of the universe themselves. Was it like programming? That comparison felt like comparing his smartphone to a similarly-sized abacus.
Alex didn’t sit, instead propping her hooves up on the edge of the table so she could see the screen more clearly. He shoved her to one side, since of course she’d chosen to stand right in the way. “You’re going to find it!”
He rolled his eyes, though each passing second made him more awake. If he kept at this much longer he wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep! That made him want to kick something, but instead all he did was briefly shout. “Gaaaaaaah! Alex, you’re… you’re… you haven’t even told me what I’m looking for!” The keyboard shimmered with his magic too, and a few keystrokes brought him to the right directory. “Hell, it’s probably not in here! There are only a few hundred; most of the library is still in there!” He pointed back at the saddle-bags with a hoof, fuming. “Go in and look yourself! It’s your magicsack!”
Alex turned over her shoulder, glaring at him. “Don’t think I haven’t. This will only take a second. Search for “magical creatures”.
Joseph complied. “Four thousand hits.” The scroll-bar had become so slim on the one side that he would’ve had trouble clicking it accurately without his magic. “Anything else?”
“Insect.”
Joseph’s eyes widened a little, though he didn’t look around. “You’re trying to find out more about the freak, huh?” He added the term, and many more results vanished. Books with those two terms in proximity were not nearly as numerous. “Two hundred. Mostly in… three different books, it looks like. Which one do you want to look at?”
Alex’s eyes barely seemed to even see the page, and she answered without hesitation. It unnerved him a little. “How about ‘Guide to Preservation Biology’.”
“Why?” Maybe if she explained, he would be able to follow her logic.
She shrugged. “It was one of the red-cover books, the ones they wanted us to read first. Back cover said…” Her eyes glazed over a little, as if she could see something he couldn’t. “‘A comprehensive guide to the species assigned by the Preservation Spell, from hooves to tail...’” She trailed off. “I didn’t actually read it. I meant to, but…” She glanced at the huge pile of books that were at her workstation. The entire Harvard Classics collection was on the top of the stack, a rickety table barely standing under the weight. “Human books were more interesting. I was gonna get to it!”
He raised a hoof, silencing her. “I don’t care why you didn’t read it. Let’s both read it right now.” He opened the book, or at least the scanned copy. Text filled the screen, accompanied by crude illustrations. The highlights were from the same paragraph of text under a heading called “Changelings”. Joseph jumped quickly to the header, where somepony had sketched a horrific-looking image.
The pony depicted was a great deal like Riley, if Riley was five feet tall with the body of a majestic monster. Elegant, lean, and powerful. Another sketch beside it showed a much smaller member of the same species, much more in proportion with a regular pony. “Next page.”
Joseph was indignant. “What? I’m still-”
She reached up, forcing the mouse down manually. She clicked through several more pages, past the section about changelings into the next strange species. “This can’t be right.” She let herself fall onto her hooves, glaring at Joseph. “Can you check to see if there was a problem with the scan? I think maybe Oliver must’ve not turned the pages right or something… Damnit, that isn’t right, they’ve got numbers! Why are there only three pages about changelings when there are sixteen about diamond dogs? How is that fair? There should be whole books!”
“Most of the library isn’t scanned yet, maybe it’s with the rest of the books,” he suggested, reversing through the pages she had skipped past. Sure enough, they were about griffons for all but the last three.
“If it is, the ‘Further Reading’ section lied about there not being anything. Information scarce my flank!” She turned away. “Oh, thanks for your help, Joseph. It would help even more if you don’t call Riley a freak next time.” She galloped off, kicking the double-doors open and practically flying out onto the street. He groaned, but a few seconds later he heard the sound of a car starting. The car that had brought him to the library.
He nearly fell out of his seat in his desire to make it to the doors as fast as possible. He didn’t stand a chance; by the time he made it out to the parking lot, not even brake lights were visible down the road.
He swore loudly, shaking the empty village with the most inventive profanity he could think of. Unfortunately nobody was around to compliment him on his cleverness, not even Huan. A noble, yet ultimately fruitless endeavor. When he was done, he stomped back inside, fumbling around until he found the walkie-talkie in its charging stand. “Joe here; is anyone else awake yet? I’ve been dumped in the library by an inconsiderate pony, and I need someone to come and pick me up.”
He waited, hoping Moriah at least would be awake. She would’ve come and got him, no question in his mind. Unfortunately, she liked the early mornings about as much as he did, and made no sign she’d heard him. Even Alex hadn’t had a radio with her, not that he’d seen in the car. She was going to get a sternly worded piece of his mind when he saw her next, and he was going to get an apology.
It was only fair.
He wasn’t left completely without response, though. After a few seconds, he heard Oliver’s voice. “Hey, Joseph! You at the library?”
“Yes.” He tried to keep his annoyance from showing through. He failed dismally.
“I was headed there anyway. Sky made doughnuts, you want me to bring you any?”
That cut his terse response short. “Y-yeah, I would. Maple bars?”
“I’ll bring two.”
Joseph saw no sense in waiting outside in the sun, so he headed back into the library proper and over to his workstation. It was hard to say if he or Alex kept their area least clean; Joseph had fewer books, but he had also written on every nearby surface with permanent marker. The strange letters of the runic alphabet covered everything, each with their own supernatural meaning. Learning a language often meant first mastering the keywords and the differences in syntax between the languages he knew. Joseph postulated he could thus learn magic quickest by first mastering the language of magic.
He didn’t return to the computer, not right away. He already felt sour about Alex leaving him behind, and he knew if he tried to read anything new he wouldn’t really get much out of the experience. He had to be calm to read.
He did, on the other hand, have three Equestrian books, each weighted down to various pages. All three had red covers, which meant they belonged to the set Alex called “READ FIRST.” Unlike the strange book on species they had located during a search, “Mastering Unicorn Magic for Foals and Beyond” made no reference to humanity, Earth, or the Preservation Spell. Nor did “A Beginner’s Guide to Runes” or “Levitation for Dullponies.” Joseph had read each in their entirety, sometimes several times.
Unfortunately, just reading something did not mean he understood. Joseph got himself comfortable on a pile of cushions he had stolen from a nearby church, resting his back against the wall as he levitated the first book down from the table and into his field of view. If nothing else, all this reading was great practice for his endurance; levitating even something very light for hours at a time was not nearly so easy as merely holding it.
The simple illumination charm will be one of the most versatile enchantments in your repertoire, and requires very little practice to master. Any unicorn wishing to…
Right as I post a reply to your comment.
Cheers, Starscribe!
Edit: Looks like Joe's starting with the basics of unicorn magic, good on him!
That picture
so magical curses and monsters a thing that happen?
41.media.tumblr.com/bc4edef80be34eda3479aa5249c97dec/tumblr_nrts2fcC781rsmidfo1_1280.png Joseph is not amused...
But I am!!!
Sounds like they're all settled into roles, some more begrudgingly than others.
So... was there any information about changelings in there other than a picture of Chrysalis and a drone?!
If there was, did Alex read it?!
*sigh*
I can tell that Joseph's perspective is going to be entertaining though :)
6228998
I had the same thought, but that was the only conflicting information.
Alex's cutie mark appears to have given her not only an eidetic memory, but the ability to read entire pages instantly.
Pretty cool for her, annoying for us since we didn't get to see any of that information on changelings, and Joe hasn't bothered going back to read it himself. Come on, Joe! Have you no curiosity?
About all we got from it is that they don't have a lot of information, though between Oliver being the one to scan it in and his saying that there are things about her biology that can't be good for them, we can probably guess that's based on something he read while scanning.
Aww poor joe, I know the feeling when no one is around to here your cleverly inventive swears... That's why I just swear in foreign languages
6229052
Joe is tired of your sit
Infact, he looks a lot like me when I'vd been up all night or someone rudely wakes me up
6229073
With poor old joe being tech support
1v1 me bruh, I'll wreck u wiv mah Dunsparce.
6229119
Well, I don't think it is her cutie mark that gave her that ability. I was hinted at in the previous story that that was one of the results of whatever the princesses did to her before she came back from Equestria. Hopefully we will get more information in the Alex chapters about what really happened.
The guy certainly has an amount of snark behind him doesn't he?
And surprisingly blunt about his relationships as well, Alex is kind of being a bit of a jerk, shooing him out of bed and leaving him behind, but he doesn't seem to be that resentful about it.
Kind of like me, angry for the moment, but I don't hold a grudge.
6229216
I thought it was only hinted at that it was because of something that had changed while she was gone, but that it wasn't specifically said what it was. She got the cutie mark at the same time as whatever the princesses did, so that makes it hard to distinguish between the two by timing.
Her cutie mark looks to me like "preserving human knowledge" though, which fits rather neatly with an eidetic memory. Small evidence, I know.
Don't really like Joseph much, even though I can relate to him as I'm the main computer troubleshooter for everyone I know. He doesn't share my desire to be useful.
Him and Moriah together makes me nervous. They're pretty much the two biggest troublemakers and loudest voices against Alex. Other apocalypse survival stories have taught me that is not a good thing. Luckily Joseph is too lazy to want to overthrow Alex.
6229299 keep in mind, unreliable narrator. Alex is apparently bossy, pushy, and has an inconsiderate streak a mile wide--- and kind of inobservant; it took her MONTHS to figure out that she was physically stronger than everyone else. And OH my, she's SIXTEEN? No wonder she has a 'tude.... and no wonder Moriah's pissed at her. HOw would YOU care to be an adult getting bossed around by someone who was barely into her training bra?
Now... Where is Alex off to in such a hurry? Obviously she's drawn some kind of conclusion from the very limited information in the book (likely a word-for-word transcription of Shining Armour, Cadence and Twilight's experiences with Chrysalis). A conclusion that meant that she had to be somewhere now, not later. 'Somewhere' probably meaning 'with Riley'.
6229345
Don't forget that Alex was evidently once older than her current biological age... and male. That's three hormone-intensive tranformations she went through in a matter of months. Anyone's behaviour could be expected to be a little messed up after that.
6229228
Reminds me of myself too...
6229299
I doubt he'd even want the power in the first place.
So mlp does nt exist in this earth universe but knowledge of pony changelings does?
6229345
Also that it's Moriah's fault Alex is Sixteen. There is probably some built up frustration on Alex's end that hasn't cleared up yet.
6229384
They got the information from one of the books that Alex brought back from Equestria in the first story.
Other than driving. And social interaction. And pretty much anything that actually does push the limits of his aptitude outside of his specialization. A few moments later, he will be back to playing Pokémon, but not because it's too easy. Just the opposite. And then, of course, there was that cryptography work...
Oh, self-awareness, where art thou?
In any case, looks the only thing faster than Alex's reading speed is her adding more books to her To Read pile. And her enthusiasm for the big picture seems to miss minor details like her friends at times. Of course, some of that could be a drowsy unreliable narrator and passive aggression. It remains to be seen.
In any case, it should be interesting to see more from Joe's perspective. The description of unicorn magic was especially cool.
Interesting pov, very haughty, very sure of things. Not going to pick a fight with the one who can twist him into a pretzel with half a thought and a quarter of that time to do so. Joseph only views Joseph as important. And how others can be used for the same. Rather reminding of a certain great and arrogant blueball.
A very good foil though, all things considered.
After the adventure that was LPoE, seeing events from these different perspectives is such a joy. And Joe's programming approach to magic is very interesting. I bet he'll be downright frightening once he gets the hang of enchanting things.
Get used to it, Joseph, tech support will be in your future for as long as the computers last.
* Has a set of books clearly labeled "Read these first"
* Doesn't read them first.
Oh Alex.
Also, Diamond Dogs are a potential species conversion target? That's significantly closer to human form, could come in handy to have a few of them around.
It's interesting to see how the others view Alex. In the first story, although Alex complained about the attitudes of the other survivors, we really didn't see the bossy side of her that often since the story was told from her perspective. Now we see not one, but two ponies not overly thrilled with how Alex is doing. Moria's opinion of Alex is probably worse. So I can't help but feel a little worried about Alex maintaining her position as leader.
That being said, I still feel that Alex is definitely still the best pony for the job. Everything she does is for the community she is trying to build. Hopefully she can find a girlfriend soon, someone who she can talk to , let off steam, and have on her side.
Out of that huge library of books Alex brought back from Equestria, I can't help but wonder if any Daring Do books made it in there.
orig12.deviantart.net/dabe/f/2014/290/0/a/daring_do_adventure_collection_books__d_by_galvan19-d83591l.jpg
6229384
If you didn't read the prequel to this, well that's your fault. In the previous story, Alex traveled to an alternate universe (that being Equestria) for about a week and brought an entire library's worth of books back with her. They probably got the information from a book.
Also, about MLP (and therefore Bronies) not existing on this alternate Earth, I have a head-canon about that. If you look at the history of how MLP came to be, you'll find something interesting. Before MLP existed, Lauren Faust was given the offer to make a show called "Milky Way and The Galaxy Girls". However, she noticed how horribly the My Little Pony franchise was tanking and thought that maybe, just maybe, she might be able to make it work. She declined the offer for the other show and got to work on a new generation of MLP instead. The first thing she did was draw what the characters should look like and, as you can see, there were quite a few revisions before she came up with what we see in the show
orig03.deviantart.net/8cde/f/2012/273/f/e/pony_space_wallpaper_mane_6_conceptual___by_morningstar_1337-d5gclj2.png
Then she wrote up the script for the first episode, showed it to some guys at Hasbro and the rest is history.
However, I believe the world this story takes place in was spun off of an alternate timeline where Lauren took up the offer for that other show. Therefore, that world had plus one dumb little girls show, Bronies didn't exist and the MLP franchise was officially dead.
Anyone else unable to see the picture?
6229035
They don't do that for good reason: One of the things they're trying to bring back is more vehicles. As such, they take a tiny car from Paris, drive it to a city, then salvage several large vehicles and each come back in separate ones. That way Paris only loses one car per trip, and they bring back several trucks each time. The wagon train would be more comfortable, but you wouldn't be able to bring back as much material as they do that way.
6228923
And they're probably going to be the first parents we see, if they keep it up like this!
6229051
Yes, theoretically. I don't see many magical monsters showing up until unicorns bumble around with their magic and create them, though.
6229097
It seems to me Alex memorized the pages and then immediately moved onto her next task. Either she read them at a glance, or she's going to read the pages from her memory now as she goes about her day. Since this chapter wasn't from Alex's perspective, we won't be able to find out. X.x
6229119
Well scanning through the library is his job. It would make sense that if anypony was going to have read it, it'd be him.
6229179
It's way easier now! Spoilers are still a thing I've got to be wary of, but not nearly as much. It's way easier to reveal plot elements than accidentally use a pronoun.
6229182
I think the artist captured his look perfectly in this image. Maybe not raw cutepower like Riley, but... still perfect!
6229299
I think that, despite Joseph's loyalty to Moriah, I don't think he would try to overthrow Alex, if you could even call her a leader. There just aren't any replacements. Adrian might be a good candidate, if he wasn't planning on leaving. Of course, were something to happen to her, that might be enough reason to compel him to stay. ALSO, Cloudy Skies took over last time Alex was gone. It's possible he wouldn't want to risk that happening again, and neither would Moriah. It's also possible neither of them wanted to be in charge last time, and they actually gave the power to Sky. We just don't know.
6229367
That sounds exactly like something we'll be seeing as soon as I finish writing these responses and click the submit button. Or rather, something we would see for sure if we were still getting the journal entries. Unfortunately, this isn't Alex's chapter, so we just won't see what she did in the detail we would if it was.
6229568
Joe was really fun to write. I'm kinda bummed to have to switch perspectives... but I think I'm going to feel that way about all of them. Only get five entries, so as soon as I start getting attached, it's time to say goodbye.
6229812
Depends on how much of his computer abilities apply directly to magic. If it's a large portion, he could be pretty dang useful for the group. Or if it's easy enough to adapt that any of his skills are useful at all. I think it's more he wants his old knowledge to work. I'm not certain if it will or not.
6229912
That's instructions for you! Who on earth actually reads those? Well, I guess a few people do, but... not Alex!
6230429
I'm not sure which way it'll end up being in the story, but I'm sure I'll try to make it an engaging and enjoyable story, whichever way I end up choosing! Or gets chosen by the art gods. I'm not really sure.
6231127
I thought cloudy was her girlfriend! Well, not the romantic kind. But her friend. Best friend? Not sure if they count or not. I think Riley kinda threw a wrench into the works there.
6232670
It really should load just fine, just tested! You're welcome to try Zutcha's tumblr directly if it isn't working.
Three words come to mind reading this chapter: arrogant, entitled, dick.
What a coincidence! Joe and Alex have the same drawing style!
Is it just me or did Alex swiched from a stallion to a mare?
Or does just my translation suck?
really alex is different from me. she uses her strength to get points across and when i am really annoyed i threaten to set people on fire or when i'm angry my voice gets... demonic apparently. yay for raw intimidation coming from a spindly psychopath.(me) i am not actually a psychopath but people have called me that. but i am thin and of slightly above average height. really though it is amusing that in real life i am intimidating. just when i am angry though. like the hulk but instead of getting green i get scary.
6329336
...
So far I think Joe and Moriah might not only be my least favorite members of the group, I think they are among my least favorite characters in all the stories I've read. So annoying, with sticks up their butts.,, which makes them feel even more real and well written.
Is Joe autistic or something? He is almost exactly like a coworker I knew with Asperger's - super smart, but couldn't really handle being around people and didn't really understand what personal hygiene was...
Though I don't like or agree with what the ponies did - Moriah is just comes off as a psycho, contrarian, conspiracy theorist nutjob in her rants.
6506587
You've never met anyone who grew up with highly opinionated parents with money. As you move past financial security and into affluence, it becomes easier to assume that all of your values were correct, because you falsely attribute your success to them. It also becomes easy to connect with others in the same ideological camp.
This results in a sort of intellectual inbreeding, where a mindset is held to be more correct than real experiences might suggest. Racism, fanaticism, radical political ideologies, all grow much more readily in such enclosed situations.
This is most noticeable in the offspring of the members of these groups, because the young of our species are not born with a natural immune response to lies, manipulation, delusion, obsession, coercion, or abuse.
In the end, you see stable groups spanning generations that spit out characters exactly like her.
Edit;
Autistic spectrum disorders don't make you smarter. They mostly make you obsessed, in a way. Specialized beyond reason, hence its nature as a disorder. If someone autistic is good at something with a result society values, you see them as savants. Otherwise, and this holds for the majority of those with autistic spectrum disorders, they tend to be marginalized.
Because savants get more attention than the disabled and marginalized, the misconception that they're naturally smarter is easy to spread.
6552083
Much wisdom to be found in your comment.
But I'm not certain that would be the explanation in this case for the antisocial traits those two ponies have presented. Not because your explanations aren't valid, but because I feel like their characters haven't been illustrated well enough yet at this point in the story to make an accurate psychological assessment.