Wonderful Mechanical: Keen Eye and the Wonderbolt Saboteur.

by Monocrome_Monogatari

The Bystander Effect

To be honest, I wasn’t really worried too much about Silver and Rivet. Silver seems perceptive and intimidating but…

Rivet views most ponies as intimidating.

There’s a few sets of skills that the socially anxious cultivate in their day to day. Skills like the ability to make yourself part of the scenery, the ability to avoid being where ponies are looking for you, the ability to avoid conflict, and the ability to shamelessly try and make everypony happy.

Rivet would violently deny this but, if you consider silently not saying the truth as bad as saying a lie, then Rivet might be a bigger liar than me.

So I figured we had some time

Now all that’s left is to wait…

“That was an interesting question.”

The voice I heard was too gentle to describe as “jostling” me out of my reverie. It was a slight enough nudging that it took a moment for me to register Piece Maker’s statement.

A clipboard loaded with papers in hoof, the pear-gineer was sporting the same serene smile she wore when we last parted, a smile now slightly out of place below her tired looking eyes, standing next to a sweaty looking Wonderbolt, black coat and a frazzled blonde mane, matching his frazzled looking eyes.

“Oh, hey Piece Maker.” I said. “I take it you’re part of the team who’ll be working on this? Where are the other two thirds of your trio?” I drank in her companion “And, more interestingly…who’s your friend here?”

With the kind of flourish reserved for stage shows, she waved her left hoof in an unveiling motion. “This is our newest elite flyer, Storm Front!”

“Welcome to the compound.” He said as he shook my hoof, his smile and statement just charismatic enough to tell he felt awkward.

“Storm Front… Storm Front…” I let the syllables roll around my tongue. “Wow… What a scenic name!”

“…Scenic?” One eyebrow lifted, as the lines in his forehead tried to follow his thoughts, ending halfway. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard that before…”

“You don’t hear it? Just close your eyes, imagine it…

The dark blue evening sky turning to a distant grey…

The wind merely a whisper of the tempest yet to come…

While possibly a Pegasus hid well behind the cloud line,

Not a creature stands before the storm…”

“Wow!” Piece quietly claps her front hooves. “How poetic!”

Storm just looked confused at my attentions, chuckling a bit. “I’m flattered but, I think you’re kind of looking a bit too into it.”

“I can’t say I’m jealous, though...” I said. “Now with a meaning like that.”

His chuckles putter to a stop “…What exactly are you getting at?”

“A 'Storm Front' means an oncoming storm. In other words it suggests that ever-so-tranquil calm before the storm. It also suggests that scene’s transience, or its destruction. You were named after an end of tranquility, as if your existence was bringing something to a close… Man, which one of your parents hated you enough to name you that?”

…

The last vestiges of a chuckle fled his expression, as his face hardened and his jaw hinged open, swinging open and shut, as if silently wording out what he just heard. Piece Maker stepped back, her pupils traveling a shaking volley between us.

“…What did you say?” I could feel the daggers he stared ripping through me.

“Er…” I looked away “It was just a joke…?”

“A joke?” His nostrils flared. “Are broken families funny to you?”

“Storm Front…” Piece Maker placed her hoof on Storm’s shoulder. “You’re perfectly justified in feeling angry, but he didn’t mean anything. He couldn’t have known… Besides. Even if his reading is right, a storm brings rejuvenation. You should still be happy with your name.”

Uh oh…did I poke a raw spot?

“Oh, sorry about that.” I said “Don’t worry, you’re among friends. If there’s any pony who understands bad parents, it’s me. You wouldn’t believe how much the air cleared after I kicked that garbage to the curb.”

Something about what I said seemed to make him angrier, as his muscles tensed up harder and his eye began to twitch. Just as I was beginning to fear retaliation he turned his head away and took a deep breath.

“Can we…” His words were still tense “Can we please change the subject?”

“Sure!” I said. “So…why are you two so disheveled? Did this malfunction perhaps intrude on something intimate?”

Thunk.

“Wrong.” Piece tapped my head with her clipboard.

“Er…I already have a marefriend.” Storm said.

I gasped. “How scandalous!”

Thunk.

Despite the slapstick, Piece just giggled and rolled her eyes. “It’s simple really.” She explained. “The intercom called the engineers here. I had to run all across the compound. Ratchet and Blue are picking up some supplies in the basement. As for Storm, he just got off practice—“

I wiggled my eyebrows at her.

“…He just finished practice when he heard about what happened. Concerned, he rushed over.”

Storm brushed his hoof against the floor. “I just didn’t want to see anypony get hurt.”

Piece smiled at him “We need to see more of that sentiment in the world.” She turned back to me. “Anyways, since the cleanup crew was already full, and the engineers are still waiting for the room to empty enough, we were just using the moment to make some small talk. That was when you had your…scene with Silver.”

“I have to say.” Storm regarded me warily “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anypony talk to Silver that way.”

“Are you serious?” I said. “No one, not even his superiors, ever plays around with him? That’s just depressing…”

“No, not that.” He said. He paused, biting his lip and looking towards the corners of the room, as if literally looking for the right words. “It’s just, I’ve never seen somepony sound so doubtful to him. He sounded stern as ever, and you just smiled and questioned his motives.” His eyes narrowed. “It was almost like you were looking down on him.”

“You must have been imagining things” I said. “I’m not in a position where I can look down on anypony, Wonderbolt or not.”

“Besides.” Piece Maker swooned, “Doubting ponies is just how Keen expresses his love~.”

“What?” Storm said.

“Long story.” I groaned. “Speaking of questions…” I turned to Piece maker. “It’s strange. I would have expected you to say a question was too mean. Something about ‘Even the strongest ponies’ feelings are fragile?’”

“Well…” She tilted her head “Silver is kind of the exception. Besides, that wasn’t a mean statement directed toward anypony. That question was more of a scathing indictment of all pony-kind.” She smiled and nodded. “I’m more okay with that.”

“Oh? I didn’t take the kind sounding Piece Maker for the misanthropic type.”

She shrugged. “Well, it’s kind of obvious that the world is cruel. Isn’t that reason enough to be kind?”

“Be careful. That line of reasoning is dangerous.” I said.

“Yeah.” Storm Front nodded “Even if there are cruel ponies, you need to have more faith.”

“No, No that’s not what I meant at all.” I chided Storm. “She’s right to feel that way. I was talking about that statement’s logical inverse.”

“Inverse?” Storm asked.

“If ponies being cruel is a reason to be kind, then it follows that ponies being kind is a reason to be cruel.”

“That…doesn’t make any sense.” Storm said.

“Does it? Last I checked, that was the basis behind the Bystander Effect.”

“Bystander Effect…” Storm bit his cheek as he looked upward, contemplative, “…what was that again? I am pretty sure I heard it somewhere…”

I laughed. “It’s no surprise you don’t remember. You’re a Wonderbolt after all. The weaknesses of the everyday pony must be completely foreign to someone as special as you.”

Storm was taken aback by my statement. “Hey, I know that the title may look intimidating, but beneath it, I’m just another pony, just like you.”

I couldn’t help it. I grit my teeth and sneered.

“You know, it’s not healthy to lie to yourself like that."

He stepped back at the unexpected animosity.

After a moment of silence, I just tipped my head and returned to my neutral smile. “Never mind, It’s nothing. Don’t mind me.” I said. “Anyways, let me explain the bystander effect: Imagine that you’re walking along on a sidewalk by a crowded city street. Suddenly, a taxi carriage takes a turn too fast, and the whole thing tips over, slamming into the side of a building. The pony pulling the carriage is knocked out. From within, you can hear the passenger, trapped. She’s writhing in pain, screaming for help. Her leg’s broken. She’s stuck in the splintered wood. Tell me, Storm Front… in this situation, what exactly would you do?”

“I would help her, of course!”

“And what about you, Piece Maker?”

“Um…I’m not sure.” She said “I guess I would call for help?”

“Hmm…” I nodded. “Those are admirable answers. Whether or not you would actually do these things, however, is another thing entirely. After all, this scenario wasn’t a hypothetical. This was news. How do you think ponies responded there?”

They didn’t respond, their expressions growing uneasy.

“Why, it’s simple.” I continued. “Most ponies neither helped nor called for help. They averted their eyes, and kept walking. It took over an hour for any help to arrive.”

“Huh?!” Storm front said. “Are you sure you’re remembering correctly? I mean, I know that there are ponies who could ignore that, but the entire crowd?”

“Hey, these aren’t my words. They’re the words of the victim themselves. Primrose Prose’s article on her time in the ruined coach was really quite riveting. But do either of you have any ideas why it took so long? Why everypony so heartlessly refused to call for help?”

Piece Maker was the first to answer. “It’s sad but…it must have been because they didn’t care about her.”

“Nope! Wrong answer, zero points.” I said. “In fact, most all of them were extremely worried about her.”

“But that doesn’t make any sense!” Storm said “And what does this whole story have to do with assuming… kindness…” His words slowed as something dawned on him.

“It sounds like you’re getting it. The key word to look at here is ‘crowd’.” I said. “If the crash had on some derelict mountain pass, a lone traveler would almost certainly try to help, or at least get help. But all the bystanders saw the crowd swarming around them, and they all independently thought: 'It’s okay. Other ponies are on the job. Faster ponies, stronger ponies, smarter ponies. Somepony must be running for help. Somepony must be getting tools. Somepony must be doing something. There’s no way we’re just abandoning her. After all, ponies are kind.’ ...And because of that assumption of kindness, every single pony thoughtlessly and passively delivered the worst cruelty. That’s why that sort of thought is dangerous.”

“Even if that’s true…” Piece sounded unconvinced, “that's assuming ponies are kind. What does that have to do with assuming that the world is cruel?”

“The inverse equation produces an inverse answer.” I said. “In other words, if assuming ponies are kind brings about thoughtless cruelty, then assuming ponies are cruel brings about thoughtless kindness. Pitying kindness. Unnecessary Kindness. Kindness aimed at the wrong ponies. Kindness loaded with bad assumptions. That sort of thoughtless kindness can hurt just as bad as thoughtless cruelty.” I let out a deep sigh as I let them chew over my words. “Of course, by now it’s a loaded question, but I really want to know your answers:"

“Do you love ideals and hate ponies for failing them, or love ponies and hate ideals for weighing them down?”

“Ponies.” Piece Maker said without hesitation. “Even if they can be cruel, I want to love ponies. If I have to hate ideals to do that, then so be it.”

“And you, Storm Front?”

“I reject the question.”

I laughed. “Not answering isn’t much of an answer.”

“Like you said, the question’s loaded either way.” Storm said. “You make it sound like the only way you can love a pony is for their failures, and any attempt to improve yourself is destined to fail. It’s a false dichotomy.”

“Well…” I said. “Whether or not a pony can ever reach their ideal, and whether or not it’s something they should even think about, that’s another long conversation. We could even go deeper and try to debate what an ideal actually is. Since I don’t have the time, I’ll concede the second part. The first part, however… Storm Front, you don’t spend much time reading, do you?”

“Well…” Storm scratched his chin. “I mean, most of my reading time has been eaten by work but, what makes you say that?”

“Because you don’t understand character.” I said. “What you said is right. You love a pony for their failures. Ponies only really like stoic personalities once they’re able to see the cracks beneath it. Overly aggressive personalities are only palatable when that forwardness often fails them. Cute traits like clumsiness or timidness are just flaws dressed up to be features. Every single thing you like about a pony can eventually be traced to some failure. If a character lacks failures, either internal or external, and if they seem too perfect, then even if they’re harmless or entirely in the right, the reader will want to see them punished for just existing. Really, the line between love and pity is honestly razor thin.”

“…But.” Storm front said “That’s fiction…not reality.”

I shrugged. “I’ve learned more about ponies from books than from ponies. Besides, is there any love more pure than love for a fictional character?”

“…Um” He reflexively looked away, embarrassed for me after my statement. A quick glance around the hall suggested everyone in earshot was going through their own quiet groans.

“Er…” Pierce stammered “Now now…every pony is…different in their own special ways. We shouldn’t be too quick to judge.” She sounded like she was trying to convince herself more than anyone else.

“… Anyways!” Storm said. “Even if that’s true, I still don’t like the question. I don’t like to think about hating.”

Hmm...

“You did it again” I said.

“Did what?” Storm said.

“You didn’t notice it? What about you, Piece?”

“I’m sorry,” She shook her head “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I don’t want to think about hating.” I said. “He said something similar earlier. I didn’t want to see anypony get hurt.”

“…And?” Storm said.

“Well, isn’t that an odd pattern? Whenever you describe something bad happening to another pony, you add an extra verb: a verb that re-centers the sentence on yourself, more-so than the actual victim. Not ‘I didn’t want ponies to get hurt’ but ‘I didn’t want to see ponies getting hurt’. Not ‘I don’t want to hate’ but ‘I don’t want to think about hating.’ I wonder… this could just be coincidental slips of the tongue, or it could be a sign of something more…”

“What exactly are you implying?” Storm said.

“I’m just wondering…your desire to be a good pony… is it based more on resolve, or repression?”

My grin widened as he was shaken by my words.

“Deep down, do you wish to stop pain, or do you just want to avoid acknowledging it? You did run here, but was it because of genuine concern for others, or just because you knew the guilt would be uncomfortable if you didn’t?”

With every statement I stepped forward, closing the gap between us.

“Do you dislike hate because it’s foreign, or because it’s too familiar? You have to have some knowledge of something to truly hate it, so is it that hateful thoughts rarely pass through, or are you pushing down hateful thoughts regularly? Is the ideal Wonderbolt Storm Front the real Storm Front?”

I could practically hear his heartbeat

“Are you really who you say you are?”

Our faces were inches from each other, and the doubt etched into the edges of his eyes were clear as crystal.

“Or rather, are you really who you think you are?”

“I…I…” He stumbled with his words, and stumbled with his legs, stepping back from my approach until--

“Oof!”

He tripped up on his back legs, landing square on his butt. The impact seemed to shake him out of his doubt, as his expression seemed sharper when back on all fours. “I don’t have to listen to this.” He silently walked past me, acknowledging only Piece Maker as he crossed her. “I’m heading back to the showers.”