"You can take the blindfold off now." Alex leaned back in her seat, so she could see Amy's reaction. She had been to Bountiful plenty of times herself, it had no wonders for her. But for her friend...
Amy tugged on the blindfold, and her jaws fell open. Alex heard her gasp, letting her awe wash over her along with the flashing lights and colors. Alex remembered her first visit. It was good to see that emotion shared.
Bountiful was a city of steel and stone, as the old cities had been. In some ways it was like driving a car through Raven City: steel walls and bright lights and people in jumpsuits. Bountiful was Raven at scale, not compact like a space-ship. The city was not large. The entire collection of homes and factories and vertical farms took up a single valley, sheltered by mountains on either side. The whole valley was perpetually overcast by a blanket of angry clouds that never quite rained.
Yet for all it was like a pre-Event city, it was also fifty years more advanced. For every pony they passed, there were at least three robotic drones, either driving cargo along the road, or zipping through the air between buildings. Alex took them past "city hall", so named because it held most of the computational power.
Almost all the structures they passed looked big enough for humans, which meant they would be big enough for all but the most unfortunate of the transformed. Amy seemed able to form coherent words again, because she asked, "This is... how... how can this exist?"
Alex tapped the screen. "Athena, could you please drive us through the factory district? Get a good view for Amy. Take it slow, if that won't slow down any of your trucks."
"It will slow them down," said the voice. "I find the minor delay in this case acceptable."
"Psh. You want to show off and we both know it." Alex nudged Amy, gesturing outside at a driverless cargo truck. "See Amy, the HPI use a single system for all this stuff. Every vehicle you see, all the machines in every building you don't see, they're all part of the ATHENA network."
"So it was alive?"
"I am not alive. I am a distributed intelligence network, connected to this device and many others by way of radio and satellite communication."
"Athena is too modest." Alex rested a hoof on the controls. "I guess I wasn't forthright with you when I said they can't build living machines, Amy. They made Athena." She turned from her friend to the car itself. "Athena, what is the definition of alive?"
"The condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganic objects and dead organisms, being manifested by growth through metabolism, reproduction, and the power of adaptation to environment through changes originating internally."
"Athena, if you think about it you've been alive since we first launched you up there. You're constantly growing through nuclear and solar-powered metabolism. You reproduce... You make your own decisions about how to adapt to your environment. You've been doing it for decades. If I remember the stories, you sent the signal to us, even though that hadn't been in your programming."
They drove past the factories then, a dozen buildings of roughly similar shape. Sleepless machines labored within, the heartbeat of Bountiful’s iron blood.
"It was not an error." Athena had never expressed emotion to Alex, and she didn't now. No matter what she was saying, it was always flat and neutral. Yet even so, Alex imagined emotion behind the words as she heard them now. "I observe my directives."
She was a little taken aback by that response. Amy didn't seem to have noticed. "I meant that as a complement, Athena. I meant to highlight your capacity for reason." The synthesized voice said no more, so she continued. "You'll get to know Athena quite well if you spend enough time here, Amy. She runs everything."
"Sounds amazing."
"Oh, did I mention the part where she enslaves you and makes you into her robot maid?"
"That sounds-" Amy finally looked back, glaring. "You made that part up."
"Just making sure you're listening." She gestured at the factory. "So I made that part up. You can see Athena doesn't need our labor anyway, so there wouldn't be a point."
"Incorrect," the voice said, though as without emotion as ever. "Human survival cannot presently be achieved. Fulfilling my directive requires that humans and quadrupedal derivatives create the missing technologies."
"Well, you heard her." Alex grinned. "Clothiers first Athena, if you please." Her ears flattened in sudden embarrassment. "You might've noticed that everypony here is dressed all the time. If we get out of this car, well... we'll stand out. So let's get you an authentic Bountiful jumpsuit, then maybe we can find a cafe or something. Hell, grass would be better than liquid rations for dinner."
Amy didn't blush. She admired humans, but Cloudy brought her up in a household that had never known modesty. She had no conception of the embarrassment that Alex felt. "Ask me to come out here with you alone, and now you’re inviting me to dinner?" She nudged Day with one hoof, who only retreated further. Unfortunately, she could go no further than the door. "If I didn't know better, I'd swear you were taking me on a date."
Alex struck her back on the shoulder, as hard as she dared. "I'm too old for you, Amy. Don't even think about it." Athena stopped the car then, saving her from any further embarrassment. "Or I make you pay for your own crap. They use chits here too..."
Amy beamed. "That's great! That means I can buy souvenirs!"
They didn't buy souvenirs (forbidden cities didn't have gift shops). They did pick up jumpsuits, all light fabrics and Velcro fastenings. Civilian jumpsuits were short-sleeved, with a tail-hole that made wearing them bearable.
No matter how fancy Bountiful might look, it was still a small city with a small population. There were only a few restaurants.
She took Amy to one of the vertical farms, the one that grew most of the "real" food that Bountiful citizens ate. "Are you sure this is the right place?" Amy asked, staring at the building as they approached. Its windows were so clear she almost couldn't see them, except where metal supports held everything together.
"Absolutely." They stepped inside the first floor, a bustling grocer filled with ponies and others, herbivore and omnivore alike. They walked past refrigerated cells filled with identical plastic crates. Amy slowed as they walked through, attracting polite stares from the other customers. "Come on... it's just a supermarket..."
"But those were oranges!" Amy protested. "Those aren't in season! How can they-"
Alex hurried her into the elevator at the end of the room, which closed and began to rise. "Just look." The walls of the elevator were glass, and proudly displayed the interior of the farm itself. The second floor held tanks of fish and algae. Beyond those were racks and racks of vegetables, or single branches of fruit trees. Each was set into clear substrate gel and tended by drones that rolled through the narrow aisles.
"We had only just started building these when the Event happened," Alex explained, shrugging one shoulder. "They're not quite as efficient as an earth pony farm. But because they grow straight through winter, they actually produce faster than we can."
"Why don't..." Amy stammered, as they continued to rise. The elevator was not fast. "Why don't they teach ponies in other cities how to build these? Why don't they have earth ponies running them, wouldn't that make them even better? Why-"
Alex reached up with a hoof, closing Amy's mouth. "Instead of asking all those questions, why don't you think about the answers yourself? Ask me if you can't figure it out." They reached the roof.
Amy didn't answer for a long time. Not as they took a table near the edge of the roof, not as they ordered or chatted about nothing in particular. It got darker above as night approached. Lights just got brighter all around them, and the city continued uninterrupted.
"I think I get what's been bothering me," Amy finally said, when their meal was done and their plates were empty. "If the HPI can build all this amazing stuff, why aren't we all living this way. It's not just the farms! If we could live this way, maybe we could help them with their inventing! Unless ponies just aren't as smart as humans-"
"Nothing like that!" Alex answered, scooting a little closer to Amy in her chair. "Understand I wasn't part of the decision." At Amy's nod, she continued. "Consider the cost in resources." She gestured off the roof at the structures around them. "The HPI stockpiled to build this place before the event. It was intended to be right on top of Raven, and to expand as the anti-thaumic technology got better."
"They didn't come up with any big leaps in shielding, but they did end up with a way to keep their people alive longer. Well, Sunset Shimmer did." She shrugged. "But no matter who's living here, the supplies used to build this place are all gone. Repairs are all made with scavenged or recycled stuff, which is why the HPI still trades for scrap. As I understand it, that's the biggest limiting factor. The HPI could never build like this at a global scale. Even if they wanted to share, we just don't have the industry to produce the raw materials."
Amy considered that, then nodded. "So they're going to wait... until we can make the things they need. Until we've got better factories. I guess that makes sense. That's why the HPI has technical consultants flying around. They want us all to start making the things that humans used to make in the old world."
"It might be a long, long time before that happens. Their estimates suggest it might be hundreds and hundreds of years. It takes millions and millions of ponies to make an advanced economy. At the present rate..." she trailed off. Unless many more ponies started coming back, it would take more than a thousand years for the whole world to have enough.
She didn't say any of that. Oh no, she had an even more unpleasant truth to explain. "Just remember when you're here that Bountiful and Raven and everything else the HPI do isn't meant for everyone. They don't mind helping ponies, but... that's not what they set out to do. Their first priority is making sure humanity survives. It's so important to them that they have some pretty draconian ways of keeping ponies loyal once they're out. If you wanted to live here, you'd have to agree to all of it too."
That got her attention. "What measures?"
"You can’t have children." Alex gestured around them. "Notice how you haven't seen a foal since you got here? That's cuz everypony here is sterile. When a human in Raven gets to retire, they choose whether they want to live here or somewhere else like Taylor. If they don't stay, they can't ever come back. So far as I know, Taylor's the only exception, since she was part of the team that helped build it. Neither her nor me can be citizens, cuz we've both had at least one foal. For the ponies in Bountiful, Raven is their family."
"That's what you meant earlier..." Amy frowned down at her hooves. "That's why you said I could live here, but you couldn't. You think they'd let me move in with just your word? You didn't make it seem like they let their own people come back..."
She shrugged. "The mayor still owes me a favor. If you really wanted to move in, I'm sure I could set it up. It helps when your word is good. Plus..." She grinned. "If I told them how I knew, I know they wouldn't doubt me."
Amy was too far away to shove her, but she did glare from across the table. "You'd really do that?"
"Psh, like anypony would care. Sweating the little things is part of the culture I hope we leave in the past. Just don't decide yet. We're going to be here all summer. If you decide you want to live here after all once we leave, I'll arrange it." She rose to her hooves.
Amy nodded. "I can wait." She got to her hooves too. "I've read the novels. Is this the part where you take me to a movie?"
Lonely day rolled her eyes. "The movie usually comes before dinner. Actually, I thought you'd rather see the gaming league. It's what most people do for fun around here."
* * *
The gaming hall was ablaze with lights and music, far louder than anywhere else in the city. The line was so thick in fact that Alex gestured away, tugging Amy down another street.
"Hey don't leave the line!" Amy protested. "It shouldn't take more than an hour..."
Alex persisted. She might be young, but she was also an earth pony. A pegasus standing against her stubbornness was like a sandcastle standing against the tide. "There's a smaller arcade down another street."
Amy relented. "Is it as exciting as what everypony's in line for?"
"It's the same equipment." Once they were out of the line and walking down the street, Alex could hear herself think again over the thumping electronic music beyond. "It must be a tournament night, so if we went now you wouldn't even be able to play. You have to be on a ranked team for that."
"Tournaments are a big deal. Do ponies bet on them, like they do on races in Alexandria?"
She nodded. "Big time. The tournaments are the biggest way that Raven stays in contact with Bountiful. Teams have to be half human, half equine." As they walked, the crowds thinned very quickly, and they were soon on a street that was practically deserted. Alex hoped the arcade was even open on a tournament night.
"What kind of game is it exactly? It must be amazing if everyone likes it so much."
She shrugged. "It's a very thinly disguised training tool... but it can be pretty exciting. I really hope we can get them in Alexandria in a few centuries. Maybe remove a few of the, uh... scenarios." Like the ones involving hostile ponies attacking Raven. Those probably wouldn't do.
"You've played it?"
Alex nodded. "Only citizens can compete in the tournaments, but I've played smaller games when I visit. I bet you'll be better. It's all flying."
"You think we'll be able to play at the same time?"
Alex shrugged, walking up to the arcade door. It was lit inside, though she didn't see anypony actually moving about. She pushed, and the door swung in. It was open, then. She held the door open for her friend, then followed into the arcade.
Alex learned why the arcade hadn't been closed: Every single observation station had been taken, with little crowds milling around them. Evidently they weren't the first to give up watching tonight's games "in person".
"Hey Gordon!" She waved, hurrying over to the proprietor. The griffin froze, one claw on the rag he was using to clean his bar. Arcade this might be, but Bountiful had no children. She walked right up to the bar, then glanced over her shoulder. "Want anything?"
"Can you make a cosmopolitan?"
If Gordon's glare had been any harsher, it would've melted the ceiling tiles. "We don't have that." He reached behind the bar to a fridge, and drew out two different bottles. "Light or dark?"
"She wants light," Alex answered before she could, crossing the distance. "Me too." He grunted again, popping the lids open with an opener on the bar. He put a straw in each, then set them down at opposite corners of a six-drink carrier. Alex reciprocated by opening her satchel and depositing a few chits on the counter. Far more than the price of a drink.
"The rest is for two simulators until closing time. Do you have two next to each other anywhere?"
Gordon rolled his eyes. "Little lady, nobody's using any of my simulators." A wave of screams echoed from the other side of the room, along with dozens of pounding hooves on steel. "If you wanted an observation console, forget it." His eyes narrowed on Amy. "Non-citizen?"
"Yeah, but she's clear. She'll get her gauntlet tomorrow, it's just not in yet..."
"She breaks my simulator, you pay." His beak flashed. "Not cheap for a little lady."
It was her turn to roll her eyes. She tilted her satchel towards him, showing him all it contained. "Good enough?"
If he was shocked by what was inside, he made no sign of it. "Just don't break anything." He turned his back on them, and went right back to cleaning.
"Cool. Come on Amy." She took the carrier in her mouth, leading her friend towards the back of the room. She took a stairwell down into the "banquet area," where ponies could have parties and so-on. There were machines in here too, along with several empty tables. It was much quieter down here, not another pony in sight. Alex found two machines beside each other in the very corner of the room, and set the bottles down on a low table.
Alex took the straw out and spat it to the floor, before taking the whole bottle in her teeth and tilting backward. She didn't actually take that long a sip; Gordon didn't make anything weak or watered down, and she didn't drink often. Even so, the Alex that had been simply would not allow her to drink ale through a straw. That much of her old self had survived these fifty years.
"Take it slow with that stuff," she said, flicking her tail towards the table. "You can get beer like it in Alexandria, but you probably never have. If you like it, you can try the stout next time. It's too much for me."
Amy giggled. "You still take a few ounces of coffee in your milk in the morning, don't you?"
"It's called a Blondie." Her ears flattened, and Alex hurried past her to the machines. Her pride was somewhat eased by the choking gasp that came from behind her as Amy tasted real ale for the first time. There was a reason Alex hadn't chosen a table too close to any of the machines.
"Alright Alex, enough putting it off." She climbed up beside one of the machines. "Show me how to play!"
The simulator was easily long enough for a human to lie in without a limb sticking out, its central section raised and padded. Most of the rest of the mechanism folded away when not in use, except for the sensor dome meant for the user's head.
"Climb onto that. Stick your legs out, and hold still. If you move too fast, you'll break something and I'll probably have to blow the whole summer's budget to get it fixed.”
Amy stepped up, resting her underbelly on the soft padding. These things might not be sanitary in Alexandria, but here every user would be fully dressed, themselves not exempt. "What's-" She didn't even finish asking before servos began to whine from all around her.
"Occupant not recognized," the simulator said, in Athena's voice. "Pegasus, female adult. Should wing control module be configured?"
"Yes." Lonely Day answered before Amy could. "Use the standard control scheme otherwise. She wants all defaults."
"Acknowledged." The base of the machine opened, even as the bench itself shrunk down, fitting itself better to her body and nothing else. Each hoof received a thick glove, which tightened just enough to be rigid. Delicate manipulators clipped sensors to the edge of each wing.
Only when this was done did the sensor portion lower itself down over Amy's face, the whole thing folding over her and sealing her inside like a metallic insect. "Don't freak out, Amy!" she called though the simulator. "If you ever want to leave, just tell your simulator to ‘disengage’ and hold still ‘til it finishes. I'll be right behind you!"
Alex took another long draw from her bottle, then hopped up onto the neighbor machine. She scanned her gauntlet, and it asked no further questions of her. After just a few seconds she was as tightly enclosed as Amy.
The whole world was gone, replaced instead with a void. The simulator masked all outside light and sound. It tried to be as neutral in temperature and as comfortable as well, so that the occupant could focus entirely on the images projected within. When it first activated though, all she saw was the void.
She gave a few vocal instructions, ordering her stimulator connected to Amy's and placing the both of them on a team. She instructed the simulator to load the tutorial, then sat back as it washed over them.
Space appeared before her, seen from a hypothetical camera inside a fictional ship. She had already seen this tutorial, but Amy hadn't, so she sat as patiently as she could. A voice explained that their civilization was aiming for the stars, and that the skills to fly both in and out of atmosphere would need to be universal. It reiterated that the simulation was as accurate to the design and behavior of real and fictional ships as possible.
She slept through the operating instructions. Each race had its own slight variation, using each available limb in order to get maximum dexterity. So far as she was concerned, earth ponies and unicorns had it the worst (magic wasn't permitted).
Still, you could learn. Nothing like the dexterity of a pair of hands, but... she managed. Alex enjoyed coming to this arcade far more than the tournaments (she couldn't ever compete anyway, so what was the point of watching?). She could pilot most HPI drones, aircraft, or hypothetical spacecraft with competence now, though nothing like the effortless multitasking of Taylor or Moriah's grace.
Eventually the tutorial was over, and their first scenario began. Alex's ship appeared "around" her, a little mining probe not unlike the ones Athena used now. She scanned the horizon and found an escort fighter not far away, it's path erratic in the void.
"Lonely Day to Surefire, come in Surefire!"
"Amy here." She sounded annoyed. "Took long enough. Are you this stupid octopus-looking thing?"
"Roger, Surefire." She giggled. "You heard the mission parameters. A transport shuttle requested our help, and we're the closest ships there are."
"I was listening!" She groaned over the radio. "You don't have to talk so silly."
"It's fun, over." Alex accelerated her little probe, folding in all its mining extensions as she did so. She had done all the starting scenarios and their every detail was ingrained in her mind, but that didn't matter. She was here so Amy could have fun.
"If the earth pony gets drunk before I do, this night is going to be even crazier than I thought," Amy replied.
Alex still had most of the bottle. She had no intention of getting herself drunk in public. She was here to enjoy the arcade! "This earth pony needs you to protect her drone. If you think this simulator is going to take it easy on us just cuz it's the first level, think again. Got the controls down?"
"Let's find out."
Amy was no Moriah, but she was a fast learner and willing to keep trying when they failed at first.
It was a good night.
* * *
"I don't understand... we have to tear out all of this?" Amy gestured at the floor. "Why? It looks just fine to me."
"Oh, it looks just fine," Edmond agreed. "But live here for more than a night, and you'll start smelling the mold. We had some flooding a few years ago, and it got into the whole floor. See the warping there? If we don't tear it all out soon, it could spread. Frankly it's a miracle it hasn't already."
Alex dropped the mallet from her mouth onto the pile of tools they had carried inside. "It's what we're here for, Amy. Or... one of the reasons."
Taylor already had a mask on her face, and she tossed the rest at their hooves. "I warned you you were coming to be slave labor. Should've said no while we were still in Alexandria."
Day glared at her, even as she took one of the masks in her mouth and turned sideways so Edmond would notice her. He did, and with a little glow of magic the elastic straps cinched tight around her ears. "If you would rather spend today hauling supplies into the storage shed, you could always do that. Taylor and I could probably start on the floor."
It was already late afternoon, and the interior of the house was transformed. Plastic had been hung on most surfaces, as well as blocking off access to uncontaminated areas. All the windows and doors were open, even if that meant they couldn't air condition the place in the sweltering heat. Better to be sweaty than cooped up with the spores they were about to be letting loose.
"Yeah, have the weakest pony do the hardest manual labor. That makes perfect sense." She pulled her mask on, then glared at them. "Just show me where to start."
Clark did not stoop to physical labor, despite his more than satisfactory grasp of levitation. He did circle around them like a helicopter, offering orders cloaked as suggestions at every stage. He was right about the mold, and they built a growing pile in the backyard of half-rotten hardwood. Alex would not allow the use of power tools, and as such they had only made a dent in the floor when they ran out of daylight.
A brief swim in the nearby pond served as a good rinse for sweat and spores both, before the three exhausted mares retired to a single upstairs bedroom to eat popcorn and watch the movies Alex had promised using an old projector. Old enough that Alex kept the movies in 35mm reels and sometimes had to make transfers in the middle of the movie.
Of course, nopony really paid much attention, Alex least of all. The joy of old movies had been stolen from her with the gift of a perfect memory. Only her first post-Equestria viewing of any given film held magic for her, so just as with books she continued to hold back films she hadn't seen to use as little rewards for herself during special occasions.
She had no such films tonight, but that didn't matter. What she had instead was friends, which were much better. "I don't see why you bother with all this effort," Amy said, over the exaggerated screams coming from whatever was on. "You want to see your family when they come back, I understand that. Couldn't you just let this house rot away, but put up a stone plaque or something telling your family what happened? You could even get Athena to leave a drone here just watching it all the time. I'm sure she could spare one camera."
Lonely Day shrugged. "I'm sure that would work."
"Not to mention," Amy continued, "you have no way of knowing how long it's going to take. If you just go with the odds then it's probably going to be at least five thousand years before they show up, maybe more. You could skip the first thousand years and not do anything and there'd only be a teeny chance you missed them."
She nodded. "That's true too. But..." It took her a few moments to find words. On the screen, a black-and-white zombie finished devouring some hapless victim, and advanced towards the frame. "It just feels like something I ought to do. I'm not some Alicorn princess, and I can't just wave my horn and make things great for everypony who comes back. I can't be all over the place at once, or even get around faster than a Hummingbird flies. I..."
It was very hard to explain. She wasn't even sure if what she did with this house was something she would've done no matter what, or if it was just what her nature as Archive demanded she do. Preserve, protect, remember. "Read the Equestrian books, and you see that ponies were a race of heroes. A few of 'em... the princesses, Elements of Harmony and so-on... solved all the big problems for the huge majority. Without those heroes, the majority were helpless in a crisis."
The older pegasus nodded. "I guess so. But what does that have to do with your house?"
"Humans were the other way around," Archive continued, as though she hadn't been interrupted. "We lived our lives on the small scale just like Equestrian ponies did. But when a real big problem came around, we didn't have any heroes. We couldn’t all hide away and let some larger-than-life Alicorn come around and turn our enemy to stone."
"Instead, every person did a little. And all those drops together could put people on the Moon, or rebuild a country, or wipe out a disease. My house is... my little drop. It's what I wish I could do for everypony. But since I can't, I'd be damned if I didn't do it for the people I love. We've got radio broadcasts and leaflets and scouts to try and find as many returning ponies as we can, but... for my family, I'm going to make sure the transition is as seamless as possible. Hope to God they all come back together, but if not... they won't be cold, they won't be hungry, and they won't be alone."
Taylor sighed. She'd been silent through their conversation, but now she looked wistful. "You're so lucky you don't have anybody to miss, Amy. This 'Preservation Spell' is the fucking pits."
They were both silent for several seconds, though it was Amy who replied first. "Who are you waiting for, Taylor?"
The earth pony sniffed, glaring down at the ground. "Mostly... Mostly my twin sister Becky. When we were growing up... we were always together."
Alex inhaled sharply, drawing away from Taylor on the couch. It made no difference. The mare spoke, and in her mind she saw a forest, a frayed tire swing over a pond, and a pair of freckled faces.
"We both went air force. I went engineering, she ends up deployed flying transport missions in the asscrack of nowhere. Now..." She made no attempt to fight back the tears. "I'll never see her again. Hell, she could have come back years ago and I wouldn't know."
"She hasn't." Archive spoke without meaning to, without even considering her words. "Your sister hasn't come back yet. I'd know it if she had."
Taylor looked up, eyes still red and swollen. She didn't look angry so much as shocked by the remark. She sniffed harshly, then shook her head. "I a-appreciate that Alex, but... you don't know that. Nobody can. I ch-checked already, her last assignment was an airbase in Afghanistan. Unless you... travel more than I think you do..."
She still didn't know where the thoughts were coming from, but she didn't fight them. Knowledge spilled into her, as much through Taylor's belief and willing friendship as anything Archive was. Taylor hadn't ever talked about her life before the Event, few in the HPI did. Unlike the rest of humanity, having their lives stolen from them, every member of the HPI had agreed to abandon everyone they knew, fully expecting them to die. That was why she had never brought up the subject before.
"Becky always swore she was taller than you were, even thought she wasn't. She used to..." Archive sniffed. Seeing these memories carried the same pain that Taylor was feeling. She understood the agony of guilt that Taylor lived with every single day. "... she used to call you Tally. When you were in high school, your boyfriend Dwyane from across town dumped you a few days before homecoming. Becky stayed up all night making-"
Archive hadn't noticed Amy getting out of the way, hadn't noticed Taylor approaching until she closed her mouth with a hoof, preventing her from going on. Tears streamed uncontrolled from her eyes. She opened her mouth, but mostly awkward squeaking noises came out. "H-How... How do..."
Archive met her eyes without fear. "You started thinking about her, and I can see her," she explained. "I feel... what you feel." The shelves of her imagined library rose around them, at least to her mind. She could see a human face, still bright with youth, red hair short and a helmet on her head. She could hear the sound of her voice. "I can't actually talk to her. But I know her, the way she knows herself. If... I think if she could see what you've done, she'd be really proud."
That was too much for Taylor. She wrapped her forelegs around Alex like she was a doll, tugging her close and squeezing her hard. She rocked back and forth, muttering incoherently.
But not for long. Soon enough she shoved Alex roughly away, looking more collected. "Th-Thank you, Archive. Sometimes I forget... you make it easy to forget. But I've never seen you..."
Archive nodded. "I'm learning. I don't... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to violate your privacy. I need to... learn to control this somehow..."
"Don't apologize." Taylor rose to her hooves, switching off the projector. "It just took me by surprise, that's all. Nopony's even said her name in... forty years. More." She sniffed. "I just wish I'd had the chance to say goodbye."
Archive rose as well. Taylor’s emotions were fading from her perception, which was just as well. It hurt enough to know the pain she had just caused without feeling all of that pain as well. "If you ever feel like leaving a message for her, I could memorize it for you. I might not find her, but... if anypony would..."
Taylor nodded. "That's... That's a great idea, Alex. I'll have to think about it. Give me a few... few years." She sniffed. "I'm going for a walk. You two... whatever." She fled down the stairs almost at a run, leaving Day and Amy alone.
The pegasus mare sat back down on the couch where she had been, though she didn't say anything for a good minute or so. "Could you help me understand what just happened?"
Day looked back, dropping onto her haunches. "I'm not completely sure," she admitted. "I didn't really understand what Celestia and Luna were doing when they made me. I thought I was gonna die, and somehow it was going to help make sure that humanity was remembered. That it would somehow stop time from coming by and erasing us in the new world. I'd seen them wield such power, I thought..." she trailed off.
"If I really try, especially if a pony is like Taylor and cares about what humanity stood for... sometimes I see things. About the person they were, the life they had. The people they loved. I feel like this should be telling me something about what 'Archive' really is, but I don't know what."
Amy nodded. "Can you do me?"
Alex opened her mouth to object with the obvious: Amy wasn't from Old Earth. But then, she had never tried on a willing pony who had been born in her world. "I guess I could. Why don't you... tell me why you decided to work in the museum. Please don't say it was for me..."
"Of course not!" Amy didn't hit her, the mood was far too solemn for that. She glared, though her expression quickly relaxed. "It's cuz I cared about what you care about, though. Ponies came into Alexandria all the time, and it seemed like none of them wanted to talk about where they came from. Some of my brothers and sisters didn't even believe what they taught us in school. Some of their foals didn't even believe humans had existed. Not me, though. I always felt like..."
Archive had it. "Like you didn't belong. Like you were supposed to do something big and important but you were born too late. You never felt like you belonged. During the construction you would sneak down and walk through the exhibits..." Her eyes widened. "You talked to the statues!"
"Okay stop!" Amy did shove her now, enough that she stumbled. "I think I understand why you haven't done more with that power. That's invasive."
She shook her head. "You told me to!" She got up again, turning her back on Amy. "It really doesn't happen that often. I've probably spent years around Sky and she never once triggered whatever instinct they buried in my head."
"There isn't anything about her old life Mom wants to remember."
"Yeah." Alex walked past her, flicking off the light. Of course she didn't need the light to navigate in the bedroom. She wondered idly what her sister would think if she came back tonight. "Well, I'm exhausted. Tomorrow's going to be even harder work than today. You ought to sleep too, while you can. Work starts at sunrise."
"Yeah." Amy grumbled, tripped over a few things, and one of the other beds creaked. "Slave labor. Just like Taylor said."
"Taylor should've said indentured servant. Just last until summer's over, and you get to go home."
"If I even want to."
Man, I feel like I would understand this more if didn't read this at 4 in the morning, but oh well.
I must say, of all the things that have changed about LD, it is this Memory of Humanity thing that is probably the most unsettling to me. Gives me the willies.
Also I kinda guessed that getting the new generations to believe in humans would be hard. I will probabbly be easier as the rate of Return increases but for now...
edit: At the risk of being downvoted into oblivion... First!
That last sentence.
Oh.
So, it looks like there's another reason Amy hasn't found the right stallion...
...Actual AI, whose directive is ensuring humanity's survival and doesn't count "quadrupedal derivatives" as human. That sounds like a problem due to happen for the former-humans as soon as they aren't needed any more.
Really great summary - I think that attitude is a lot of what I like about Alex.
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
That's going to be a weird environment for people to be returning to, if half the population or more won't even believe where you said you came from.
Just when I'm not sure what to think about the story you bring a chapter like this. That was amazing!
The house perfectly explained, Archive is beginning to emerge... and it's half wondrous, half terrifying. Bountiful sounds even more horrible to me than I thought it would. Something there rubs me entirely the wrong way.
You have a self-aware AI that Alex is even trying to convince that it/she is alive and that sees ponies as a lesser version of true humans. Living things will begin to worry about death and where personal threats might come from. What could go wrong.
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After taking a second look at that scene, you do have a point there. It does appear that Twilight turned herself into an alicorn rather then Celestia doing it. However, that raises the question of why Twilight needed to go to that floaty dreamlike demention in the first place and what the buck was Celestia doing there??? THE LACK OF ANSWERS FRUSTRATES ME!!!!!!!!
This makes a lot of sense. However, doesn't Alex/Archive/Lonely Day already embody the spirit of humanity??? What's missing from the equation here???
While I understand that the cononicalness of the comics and other books like "Twilight Sparkle and The Chrystal Heart Spell" is extremely debatable, "The Journal of The Two Sisters" is undeniably canon and you would be foolish to try and argue otherwise. Why??? Because it appeared in the actual show. That's why. In the episode "Castle-Mania" Twilight Sparkle spent most of the episode reading this very same book. Not only that, but as we found out at the end of the episode, Celestia and Luna's journal was actually what inspired the Friendship Journal that the Mane six were seen writhing in at the end of almost every episode of season four. If the Journal of The Two sisters isn't canon, then the Friendship journal shouldn't exist either. However, if the friendship journal wasn't canon, then all those scenes of the mane six writing in the friendship journal shouldn't be canon either. But, if you're going to pick and choose which scenes in show are canon and which scenes aren't, you might as well claim the entire show isn't canon to itself (which makes no sense).
Of course, you could solve this logical paradox by claiming the journal Twilight was reading isn't the same as it's real world counterpart, but that still doesn't work. There was a scene about midway through the episode in which Twilight flipped to a set of pages with pictures taken directly out of the journal's real world counterpart and she also read this passage out of it
This is a direct, word for word quote from the physical book which you could find at just about any bookstore. Taking both of these examples together, it heavily implies that the journal Twilight read and it's real world counterpart are one and the same. Therefore, either the journal is canon, or canon doesn't exist. Pick your poison.
On a side note, as for the comics, trading cards, and toys and stuff, here's my view on how canon works with those. I see the comics and other such books (except the "Journal of The Two Sisters") as second canon. That means they're canon unless something in them contradicts the show in which case everything except that one specific thing is canon. Then, the trading cards are third canon, meaning they're liable to both the comics and the show. The toys and cereal boxes and what not are fourth canon meaning their liable to all of the above. And then, finally, at the very bottom, there's head canon (for obvious reasons). If that's not how you look at it, I understand. Like you said, to each their own interpretation.
Well, at least go back home for the winter to say goodbye if you're gonna move, Amy. Don't be That Pony.
Also, the Bountiful arcades sound pretty awesome, and I love the fact in the collapse and reconstruction of human civilization, e-sports is one of the things that survived.
Does Archive come with a Rolodex?
Another new power for Archive, I wonder what the intended purpose of this power is? I guess it seems to allow Alex to feel if a loved one of a former human has returned yet, I guess that could help her in preserving humanity. I am still trying to figure out Archive, I'm not sure if she is a separate entity created by the princesses, or if she is a part of Alex that was merely amplified. Also, I wonder is Alex and Archive will grow closer together in the future so that Archive no longer seems to be something separate from Alex. Then, in the last story there was also the "Spirit of the Earth" or whatever you wan to label seeming to imply that Archive was it's daughter? (Founders Part 7: CHapter 5)
Or maybe she was just implying that humanity was her daughter and that Alex was going to be needed to save humanity. Well, I guess we will find out down the road.
Also, I am always worried in stories about a powerfully AI that is in control of all systems of anything, but I am holding out hope with the name you have given the AI. Athena, being the Greek goddess of wisdom and civilization. Seems a fitting name for an entity tasked with preserving humanity. Great job with all the names you have been using throughout these stories so far, I really like that a lot of the names seen to have embedded meaning in them from human history. Or maybe I'm reading into things to much, either way great story so far.
So it took only two generations of ponies for them to start doubting that humans ever existed. This occupied a single paragraph in the chapter yet has rather profound implications for the future of this narrative. As much as I want to see ponies and humans living in harmony together, I can't imagine that there won't be some greater conflict down the road.
On another note, the comments you made on what you consider canon were very enlightening, and it's nice to see the approach you are taking with it in your writing. I'm rather easy-going when it comes to what is considered canon, largely because I really just want to stick to the show in my own writing and not go hither and yon to track down everything that could potentially considered canon (hell, I only just got around to watching the first "Equestria Girls" movie today).
Departing from what would be considered "strict" canon is not a big deal to me as long as a story is self-consistent with the approach that it takes. And, really, this story IS marked "Alternate Universe".
This chapter is full of explanations and contradicts a lot of your story.
Why sterilize the population of a workforce you are trying desperately to educate? What guarantees fifty years to have several robotic drones on sidewalks to be more common than individuals?
How can an AI use first-person pronouns and make a decision on her own and not be terrifying? Athena should also be aware that languages shift and she is very much alive even by a pre-Event definition.
If you knew how supermarkets worked, you'd understand that most fruits and vegetables are thrown out after a few days regardless of quantity. The supermarket system is wasteful and you have them growing oranges out-of-season.
Celestia and Luna made it quite clear that this was extremely unlikely as the population of humanity(turned ponies/griffons/etc) was spread throughout thousands of years. Surprised no minotaurs/yaks/cows/goats have shown up.
Should be 'They.' Alex wasn't there, neither was Archive.
What was Sunset's solution? Turn them into ponies? Why haven't they all adopted this solution?
Why? How are they still in operation since the Event?
That's been bothering me too. Bountiful seems like a large town to have more than one supermarket/arcade/restuarant. That would mean a decent population of sterile post-Event citizens. That would mean this city is one of the largest communities if not the largest. Roughly the size of Alexandria yet unable to grow because sterilization. Your excuse for the humans to wait it out is terrible and stupid. The humans should be falling over themselves creating tools that ponies could use and instructing them and guiding them on how to use them properly. They should be encouraging procreation, not inhibiting it. The humans-turned-ponies would be excellent liaisons/instructors for this.
Bountiful should be the worst-kept secret if the humans want the ponies to ever be able to help them out. You said it yourself, the human's systems are starting to fail, even in Bountiful.
Oh man... so much here... I'm gonna need to re-read this one to catch everything, I think.
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It goes kind of unstated, but I assumed a lot of the reason they're keeping Bountiful isolated and seemingly not using earth pony magic in their hydroponic farming and so on, is that they're developing technologies meant to be able to be used in space to keep a population of humans alive.
They're not interested in most of the advantages of the different types of magics. Growing oranges out of season being inefficient doesn't matter. They need to be able to do these things without magic and in any conditions if future humans in space are going to have them. Most of the inefficiencies and oddities seem to be explained away by that. In particular, in light of that goal, having everyone in Raven transformed is just off the table altogether.
Depending on use or you could adapt it to use LEDs an old projector stored to prevent rust would survive 50 or more years readily.
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I can see this going poorly.
img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20131030150358/avp/images/c/c4/Ash-770-main_ian-holm-alien.jpg
"Ensure Humanity's survival.Priority One. All other priorities rescinded. "
Man, Taylor just hit the nail on the head RE: The HPI. All of them went into that bunker thinking that they would wake up to a dead world, only to learn that they could've been saved regardless. Sure they are helping build a better world, but I can only wonder which is worse: Knowingly leaving all you love to die, or knowing that they still live but will never see them again?
6611144 the "we" point was refering to humanity has a whole, as in "we humans..."
Day, your whole point in life now is to make sure humanity is remembered.
Your failing.
You are literally, failing at life.
Good fucking job.
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Were that really the case, then Bountiful shouldn't have any ponies at all. You know, so the humans can move around and test things without interference that they won't encounter in space. They should be prioritizing being able to sustain themselves in their new habitation before leaping to the stars and that requires help from the new 'natives.' It still doesn't explain sterilization.
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The humans from Raven are still living in Raven, and Alex specifically mentioned they hadn't improved their shields enough to cover building a town above Raven to be inhabited by humans as they had hoped to.
It was a choice between the aged of Raven being transformed and living in this city, or being transformed and becoming part of Alexandria or wherever (and not necessarily being much direct use to Raven), or just letting them die. There wasn't an option for building that city for humans - the other option was holding on to the building materials for if they eventually managed to improve their shields.
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Yeah, being up that early is so silly, nobody should ever do something like that... >.>
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At least we can hope for it to equalize over time, as the number of people returning increases high enough that their constant supply of artifacts and old language and firsthand accounts drowns out the credibility of objections to them. Fat lot of good it does for the early generations, though. Of course, these were Cloudy Skies's children. I doubt teaching them "the truth about humanity" whatever that even means, mattered much to her. She might've even encouraged them to forget. Human parents pass on their biases and personal faults, so I'm sure pony parents will too.
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As it should! The citzens of Raven City have begun to see it kindof like an afterlife, a peaceful paradise land of rest and joy (hence the name). That does not mean it truly is these things, unfortunately. How much freedom is worth sacrificing in the name of security and "happiness?"
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I can give you the answer from my own interpretation of events: Princess Celestia has been training Twilight for this moment since she was a filly and they first met. She saw the potential and she was aiming towards this goal. Celestia has been responsible indirectly for every one of Twilight's major growths, if you think about it. I said Celestia didn't turn her into an Alicorn, but in some ways she did. Sent her to Ponyville, she put her in a position where she had to make friends or Equestria would "die." She released her from her responsibilities and made her studies all about friendship, the thing she thought Twilight would one day come to embody. When the time came, she gave Twilight the unfinished spell whose completing would teach her the final truths about Friendship she did not yet understand.
If you believe Sunset Shimmer in this story, when she explains that Alicorns get their power from some higher realm of magic through which superntal truths shine down as magical energy, then Celestia has obviously been there too, since she's an Alicorn (whether born into it or discovering it later doesn't matter for this point). Celestia can travel there at will, if she wants to. She generally doesn't have a reason, but this time she did. She's been expecting Twilight to complete her spell. Maybe she sensed it when Twilight did, or maybe she just gave her the starscwirl spell and then traveled to the "supernal" world to wait for her.
Her reasons for this seem pretty clear. She's been Twilight's guide, it seems only right she would want to continue that relationship once Twilight actually succeeded. She was there purely for morale support. Possibly to help make sure that now she's becoming a princess she's going to develop in a wise and thoughtful leader.
As to the text of one particular book being the same in our world and read from an episode, you can see that in two ways. First, let me remind you that this is an AU story, so I can break from the canon if I want to. I can have Celestia have a dozen evil twins made of cake if I want to, thanks to that tag (I don't, it's mainly there because in this world all of Equestria is aware of earth, thinks highly but distantly of humans, and sent Sunset Shimmer and others to earth). Even so, it could mean that.
More importantly though, I only consider the show canon. I consider it entirely irreverent that the book just so happens to have the same text when Twilight reads it in the episode. What that means to me is that every single word Twilight Sparkle reads in the episode is 100% canon. Everything she doesn't read is 0% canon, at least so far as my universe is concerned.
If this seems like a harsh choice, know that it's a purely practical one. When I write stories, I am trying to tell a shared story that everyone can enjoy. In order to enjoy the story, one must first understand all the assumptions it makes. Imagine if we had no proper nouns in our language, and every person and thing I introduced had to be described as "collections of planes and colors". Imagine every object having two paragraphs of description before I was allowed to continue with the story.
I make the assumption that every reader has the shared context of the full English language, as well as understanding Western culture and all the nouns and concepts associated with it. Since this is MLP, I also make the assumption that the reader understands "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic: Seasons 1-4." This allows me to use things like "anypony" and "unicorn magic" and not explain them in detail. It's safe to say my readers understand these things, and if they didn't, well I can't cater to everyone.
Imagine if I made those other things canon, even the text of a book referenced by the show. This would mean that to fully appreciate the story, every reader would also have to have read those things. Many readers (and me!) have far too much in our lives to keep up with all that. Further, Hasbro is constantly producing more of that stuff and it isn't subject to the same level of creative rigor that the show is.
If I accepted that stuff as canon, I would be vulnerable to being corrected on tiny details (like what you're doing) from things I don't know and even more don't care about. If I was Athena and able to simultaneously correlate any amount of information, I would be happy to accept it as canon. I cannot do that however, so I settle for just the show's canon. It's little enough that my tiny brain can see it while I write and not get lost.
If it helps you, whether Celestia and Luna became Alicorns will probably never matter for this story, since it takes place on Earth and not in Equestria. So even if I don't consider the text of that book canon, it won't come up.
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Just remember many of those ponies in Bountiful are from our generation. Not only that, but they were the most brilliant, technically minded of our generation. Many of those people don't make physical sports their first priority. ^^
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She should!
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Oh, no name is chosen callously or without regard for history. Or Irony. There are some unanswered questions here, but I expect we'll see their answers over time. It doesn't help us that Alex herself doesn't seem to understand what Archive is. Is it her? There's a practical side to this of course: What fun would a protagonist be who had simultaneous and effortless access to all of human knowledge? I'd never be able to challenge them! If Alex had stayed the pony she briefly became in the battle with Odium, there'd be no story.
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Yep, that's the key of it! I don't want to follow all of that, and I don't want anyone else to have to do it either.
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It really doesn't, actually! Unless you didn't actually point out any contradictions. Please, if anyone notices a contradiction, please tell me! I am writing this story in real time along with you guys so I'm always vulnerable to making mistakes. It's possible something slipped past an editor and if I need to fix something, I'll be happy to! ^^ Please, if anyone notices something, please quote the new content, then say something like "this contradicts what we learned in this other chapter, where" and explain what is being contradicted. I am very serious about internal consistency, so if something like that ever shows up, I'll root it out like the cancer it is. And I expect it. With a story as long as this one's going to be.
Let's go through your... since they aren't contradictions, let's go with "objections." What we see here isn't that there are contradictions with the story, it's that I failed to make you understand what's going on. Since other people got it, I won't increase the size of the text, but I will explain here so that maybe you can appreciate what's actually happening.
First misunderstanding here is that the population isn't educated. It is, since it's made entirely of "retired" humans. Every person in Bountiful was a human who got very old in Raven City, and was no longer able to carry on their work. They were transformed into a pony and brought to Bountiful. Well, some of them were, and we'll get to that later. There are no preservation-spell humans in bountiful. Every single person is a master of their field on the edge of retirement. Of this first wave, it's probably also safe to say they were the best of the best at their field in the entire world, and probably all geniuses too. The HPI could only have 500 humans, so it was made of the very best humans that could be acquired.
It makes no logical sense to conflate educating and sterilization, so I have nothing more to respond to here. These issues are not connected in any way, but even if they were, it wouldn't matter because there is no educating to do. Bountiful has neither schools nor school system.
I'm not sure what you mean by "guarantees" in a fictional story where nothing is real and everything that happens is arbitrary author fiat based on their own opinions (like every story), but I'll treat your question as "why are there more drones than people?" The answer is of course: Bountiful has a very small population. Probably about 400 people. 400 people cannot maintain all the goods and services this city very clearly provides to its citizens.
This problem has been solved by having drones do basically anything that isn't intellectual labor. Maintenance, manufacturing, repair... anything ATHENA can do, frees up citizens for what she (and the HPI) consider the more important work: inventing the new technologies that will allow humanity to survive. Figuring out how magic works so one day they can make humans immune to it, and so forth. The 3:1 number of drones to ponies is only the ones they see on the street. I expect if you could see them all, all the ones working in factories or farms or gliding through pipes, it's probably closer to 1:10. But we won't know, because providing the manifest to the city is way out of scope for my writing.
Using first-person pronouns is proof of nothing except that a software developer wanted them used. Just pick up a newer iPhone and give Siri a try, she uses all kinds of first-person pronouns. This doesn't mean she's frightening. Making decisions also doesn't imply horror, my computer makes "decisions" all the time. Like whether a pixel needs to be blue or red. Or about how to prioritize network traffic when I'm downloading multiple things and streaming a video while browsing reddit or something.
What makes Athena frightening, and I do think she is, is that she is making decisions not covered by her programming. She was not intended to come back and help humans, and yet she did. This is the frightening thing. Also "should also be aware" operates on several false assumptions:
1. That Athena wasn't aware (and wasn't lying to them)
2. She wasn't being modest somehow, since she seems capable of other emotions perhaps she has this one too
3. That Athena's definition of "alive" is the same as the technical definition. She might be hardwired to consider "biological humans with a genetic code within a certain percentage variance" to be "alive" and everything else not.
4. That she's never "thought about" herself as alive or dead before. Perhaps everyone around her considers her a dead computer and so she has just repeated those words all this time because she couldn't care less whether she's considered alive or dead. Reflecting on her own nature might not be part of her directives.
They have in Bountiful, and other parts of the world. I cut lots of the description of other races because the chapter was getting glutted with narration. It still says so though with one sentence about how it's More diverse than other cities". What that means is that lots of other races are around. I'm not sure if goats and yaks are in the preservation spell (I don't really know), but I know Minotaurs are. We actually saw one in one of the early chapters of this story. (go back and read the scene where Alex gives her speech and mayor)
Nope, it reads exactly as it should ^^. If you haven't figured it out yet, Archive frequently uses "we" to mean "humans." In some way, her personal identity in her mind has become conflated with the identity of all humanity. You might say this is the evidence of some kind of insanity, which is a totally fair opinion. But it's no error in the story and no inconsistency, it's written exactly as intended. She's done this several times before, and others do it as well.
Go back and re-read her dreams about human history, about taming wolves and inventing agriculture, or the way the "Gaia spirit" frequently says "you did this" or "you're my favorite daughter." She doesn't mean Alex or Archive, she's saying those things to the entire human race.
Because this is not the problem they are intended to solve, and turning themselves into ponies would fail the HPI's goals as they see them. This gets to other things you don't understand, which I will explain below. The goal of the HPI is not to "preserve the legacy of human civilization." That is Archive's goal. Don't get me wrong, it does have some overlap with what the HPI wants to do, but they aren't he same and the difference is important.
The goal of the HPI is to "preserve humanity as a species and eventually produce conditions in which that species can live freely and rebuild." When they say human species, they do mean in the biological sense. 23 chromosomes, primates, not much body hair, ect. They don't mean human culture, they don't mean those people that are meaningfully human (such as humans transformed into various things. Let me repeat that:
The HPI is not concerned with the fate of transformed humans. This doesn't mean they don't "root for" the transformed people. This doesn't mean some of its people don't identify with them and sympathize with them. But the organization itself does absolutely nothing for transformed humans that does not benefit its stated goal of human preservation. Think that makes them selfish, xenophobic villains? You're not alone, several in the comments do! Think that makes them backward and confused? Sure, think that too if you want, it's a valid opinion!
But much of what you didn't understand seems to stem from the fact that you think the HPI is trying to help the world rebuild, or help its people be better off. IT IS NOT. The only thing that matters to them is whether humans as a species continue on living. As such, changing everyone into ponies would mean absolute failure of their stated goal.
The HPI can (and do) do things that help the survivor colonies, so long as they think it will help humanity survive in the long run (such as commerce, they're getting things they need in exchange, so both parties benefit). Or changing the old people who would've died if they'd stayed human anyway into ponies so they can continue their work. These people have already reproduced, have already given their full tour of service, and so the organization isn't out anything by transforming them. This retirement is the only way an HPI officer can become a pony. If one of them wanted to leave the organization early, they would not be allowed. Its likely this will cause problems for them in the future, but at present its members are still super dedicated to their goal and if there's been descent we haven't heard about it.
The same way we have them now! The older projectors are mechanical devices, and are simple enough that someone with enough skill (and a good supply of spare parts) could easily keep them working. It's actually quite fascinating, if you don't know you should check out this video here:
The ironic thing here is that you very clearly understand neither supermarkets or what's actually happening in Bountiful. For instance, the false assumption that "most" are thrown out after a few days. When of course each specific variety has its own safe storage time, which can be extended or contracted based on when in its cycle of ripeness the fruit or veggie is prepared and shipped, and in what chemicals it is preserved, and so on.
Of course, there's a much more insidious and glaring logical error in your analysis. Namely, that because something in Bountiful looks like a supernarket, it therefore must be one as we understand it. The reality, however, is not known. We don't know how the place is run, and couldn't even speculate on how efficient it is. All we know is that the place looked like a supermarket to Alex, with her pre-event bias.
For instance, we know the administration is conducted entirely by computer. It's quite likely Athena is aware of the preferences of every occupant of the city, their actual consumption, and can keep an extremely small margin to account for variations in preference (which she'll probably be able to predict over time). This of course would be impossible if it was a very large city, but it has a population of ~400. It's not even a true city at all, but more of a military outpost, which we'll talk about shortly.
Further, you're making the assumption that the food is just sitting there. Also keep in mind that the food sitting in our supermarkets had to be transported, sometimes from nations very far away. On the other hand, everything sitting in this "supermarket" was grown just a few floors up. All that transport time is eliminated, greatly extending the total time the food can remain fresh on those shelves. "a few days" , even ignoring the vastly different shelf-lives of different fruits and veggies, simply isn't accurate.
It's critical to remember the main purpose of Bountiful is to provide resources to Raven City. Actually figuring out the details is out of scope (I'm a writer not a city planner), but I can't help but imagine the "ripe" period of the various fruits and veggies is being very carefully controlled, so that they can be fresh on the shelves in a (brief) circuit before being transferred to factories and being processed, or traded away to other settlements (that can't grow luxuries).
Again, a false assumption. As a matter of fact, the city's present population is ~400, more or less. As one of the facts you correctly nailed, the population has been sterilized and cannot expand through reproduction. Bountiful only gets another citizen in very specific conditons:
Namely, that an officer of Raven city reaches the age of their retirement and decides to dedicate the rest of their lives to the goals of the HPI. When they do, they get to go to Bountiful and enjoy its luxuries and the population expands. Otherwise, they retire elsewhere and can have whatever kind of lives they want, but they won't ever know where Bountiful is.
Your chief error here, I think, is in assuming that Bountiful is a city. It isn't. It might call itself one, but it would be much easier to think of it like a large retirement community where its residents treat their previous jobs like their most important hobby. The so-called menial jobs, basically everything required to keep Bountiful running, is done by machine. As Athena explained, the "humans" are needed for thinking.
I can't speak for everyone, but I have research job at my university, and I know my ability to solve difficult problems is directly proportional to how relaxed I am, how good my life is going outside of research, ect. (I'm not strange in this regard, research universally demonstrates that humans are most productive when we're happy and relaxed. Feel free to do the research yourself if you hadn't hard this, it's so well understood I feel no need to demonstrate it)
As such, there are kinds of establishments that ponies work in within Bountiful: Luxuries/Recreation (restaurants, bars, ect) and Scientific establishments. Everything else is done by machine, or brought in from elsewhere. Thinking this is a silly way of doing things is a perfectly valid opinion, but saying its inconsistent with the technology the HPI has demonstrated is simply not factually accurate.
You've made another serious logical error here: "your excuse." The HPI is not "me", it isn't "my idea of the best way humans could rebuild." They're not an organization I am trying to glorify, support, or advocate. Nor am I trying to defame, criticize, or argue for an alternative strategy.
The HPI are a faction within the world. They have goals, which I've stated above. In case anyone forgot, it's: "To preserve the human species and create an environment for its eventual recovery." It's valid to think that their goal is misguided, shallow, or even evil. That's your right, and I won't tell you you're wrong. This is what they care about. Everything about the way the organization runs and everything they do and everything they teach emphasizes the importance of loyalty to the human species and the human way of doing things.
They are not doing the things you advocate because they do not share your goal. I'm not saying your goal is a great one (and wouldn't be better!) but that isn't what he HPI is about. There are several people in the comments who treat hem as evil villains. Perhaps you should add yourself to that list. Regardless, the HPI is not concerned with the future of the other groups.
The sterilization is part of that goal. (as the story stated, it means "Raven City" will be the family of those ponies. It means there won't be another generation rising up in Bountiful who wouldn't share their (perhaps warped) values. It means that every citizen want to ensure that Raven succeeds, and that the HPI succeeds.
Importantly, it's not mandatory. Those in Raven City who share your views towards the transformed (and not just those biologically human) can choose not to move to Bountiful. As a matter of fact, they'll be forced to, since moving to bountiful requires them make a number of promises (many of which are enforced in one way or another, like the non-reproduction covenant).
The mistake this time is to assume that Bountiful is actually trying to speed the advance of the other colonies. They hope they will, but the reality (cut from the story for length reasons) is that the number of returned humans and the total reproduction will not amount to enough people for an advanced economy for over a thousand years (check out the thread with the predictions in the group's forum if you want to see). They don't actually expect to be able to get much help from the transformed, not long-term. Those that chose to help do so of their own free will, not because it's a goal or priority of the HPI. It is not.
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Quite easily, yes.
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I'll agree with your points on population. But they could do it cheaper by trying to get ponies to come to them without imposing procreation restrictions on them. I don't think of them as evil, just extremely dumb and short-sighted; they can have their views, but Archive should be infuriated with how their own policies are hurting themselves.
How they're running Bountiful is pretty damn stupid and if that's all retirees, then humans(non-retirees) look down on the older generation at the same time they are in desperate need of them. How big is this retired population that they need that ratio? They could still have the older generation spread their knowledge unless they just don't care for much help at all from the natives ever. In time, there will be more naturally-born ponies than returnees. Granted, it will be a while, but I'd imagine that the naturally-born ponies already surpass the changed in Alexandria with the small samples given(Alex/Cloudy/those are the only ones that come to mind).
With limited resources and using robots for extreme amounts of menial labor is counter-productive and they should have figured that out.
Also, saying that all people think better when relaxed is not true. Just because it's true for you, doesn't make it true for all. Yes, there are studies that prove that for the majority, but there are also studies that prove most of the population aren't geniuses.
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That's your opinion. it's your right to think so, though Bountiful's administration disagrees. Not me, because I have no opinions. I just wrote it.
I don't know what you're talking about here. The way they're running Bountiful is absolutely not "stupid," (at least not in any way you've demonstrated). It's perfectly logical, sound, and successful. For their goals. Their goals might be stupid (that's a valid opinion), but they've had a great deal of success in carrying it out.
Again I hate to repeat myself, but they're not really concerned with the development of the rest of the world. They are sending teachers out to other parts of the world (Alex talked about it in the chapter), but we don't know much about what they're doing. Their priority, however, absolutely isn't whether they can get "stuff" from the rest of the world or not.
Your unsubstantiated opinion, obviously not one they share. As a matter of fact, reality itself shows us the opposite picture. You're welcome to try and demonstrate this is a systemic and logical way if you wish, however.
This is the key. I never said it was true for everyone, or that everyone is a genius. What I did try to explain was that it's a general principal, one that guided the structure of Raven city and Bountiful. Also, I don't know what you're talking about with everyone being a genius. Everyone in Raven was when it was founded, but that's pretty easy (since they could only choose 500 people out of the whole planet's population). However, that doesn't guarantee all their children were geniuses, so it's hard to say how they ended up. We haven't been told and it's not relevant in any case.
6611144 You know quite a few thing you have issues with are explained in previous chapters. Like minotaurs, it has been said that a few appeared. (If I was typing this on a computer instead of my phone I'don't copy the various text, but I am not going to do that on my phone.)
Also, while you may have been trying to be critical, your comment just came off as unessasarily rude to me.
Why not??? Why in God's name would Alex purposefully want to make the job more difficult and take longer then it had to be??? Wouldn't power tools have been more efficient???
There's something I've been wondering for the last few chapters. Why doesn't Sunset Shimmer use an age spell on Alex? Because of what Celestia and Luna did to her, Alex doesn't physically age anymore. However, because of that age spell Moriah accidentally cast on her a few years ago, she's stuck with the physical maturity of a sixteen year old. If Alex was physically older, like the physical maturity of of a late 20's/ early 30 year old, a lot of her problems like her inability to safely have foals would be solved and an age spell seems to be the only way that could happen. I know an age spell was something Twilight Sparkle herself wasn't able to pull off in the episode "Magic Duel" but that was towards the beginning of season 3 when she was still just a unicorn. However, as seen in "Twilight's Kingdom", the magical power of four alicorns is about Equal to the magic of literally everyone else in Equestria. Considering Sunset is an alicorn, and she successfully re-created the preservation spell, I can safely say she ought to be able to pull off an age spell.
I realize I'm posting way too late in the story and it has nothing to do with what's going on right now but still want to say it anyway. Do you remember how back in "The Last Pony On Earth", nearly every chapter centered at least somewhat on Alex just trying to learn how to get by with hooves. Well, everything didn't have to be as complicated as it was portrayed. I've come across a few head canons that would totally explain how ponies are able to manipulate the objects around them without hands. They might just be head canons, but they're head canons that make sense. First of all, Starscribe, unlike you have been portrayed earlier on in this trilogy, there are several examples you could point to throughout MLP of ponies picking up or holding objects with their hooves. Like this one.
vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/mlp/images/b/b8/Applejack...uhm..._what_S01E08.png/revision/latest?cb=20111012170758
I found a head canon that gives a pretty reasonable explanation for how this could be possible, summed up by this chart.
orig09.deviantart.net/d78b/f/2013/317/a/a/my_little_hoof_study_by_eagle1division-d6u4w0q.png
You could have easily implemented this into the story without sacrificing any logic or anything. Once again, I know it's just a head canon but how else do you explain sticky hooves???
Also, aside from their hooves and their mouths, I think each race also has their own unique ways of grabbing objects. Unicorns obviously have their levitation spell but what about Earth Ponies and Pegasi? I think Pegasi could use their wings like arms if they really wanted too. wing-ups anyone?
vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/mlp/images/8/89/Rainbow_and_the_Wonderbolts_doing_wing-ups_S4E10.png/revision/latest?cb=20140120170935
As for Earth Ponies, this is going to sound like a bit of a stretch, but I think Earth ponies have greater control of their manes and tails then the other races, even to the extent that they could use their manes or tails to grab objects like an elephant does with it's trunk. My reasoning here is that Apple Jack is often seen spinning her lasso with her tail. Now, I would expect this kind of crazy, illogical stuff from a pony like Pinkie Pie (who's also been seen to do crazy stuff with her mane and tail) but remember, Apple Jack is quite possibly the most grounded and down to earth pony in all of Equestria. The fact that she'd end up doing something as seemingly crazy as using her tail to spin a lasso must mean it's actually fairly commonplace and only seems crazy to us humans. Once again, I know these are all just head canons but they make perfect sense to me.
6613528 In LPoE the age spell is described as "always permanent, not reversible". Don't know the exact quote anymore, but this is one of the rules in this universe. I think it was Sunset who explained it.
Something I'd love to see: Some engineer ponies digging up some old steam locomotives and laying down an oil-free rail line between some of the cities. I mean, a rail line runs through Paris, IL so it's totally plausible.
6613528 Using Power Tools was already explained in a previous chapter. Alex wants them to be more self-sufficient. To be able to use the kind of tools that ponies can do.
Fascinating. The HPI is doing as much as it can. Meanwhile, we get a glimpse into the deeper nature of Archive. It's good to see some ponies like Amy are carrying on the torch, but the question of how many do so has to be asked.
Not much else to say, other than I regret not reading this more promptly.
Okay, I really like what you're showing of Archive here. Reminds me of a similar character from the Dresden Files, Ivy, who - thanks to that setting's The Archive - is in possession of a magical construct and repository of all recorded human knowledge and wisdom. Not saying you're ripping it off, though! I love this alternate take on the idea!
Sorry, I just let Alex's question to Amy re:tech-sharing roll around in my head and didn't read further for a few weeks.:
Why are they speaking in "cuz" now?
I'm finally getting a bit of a feel for the switches between Alex's names. On a related note, those ending discussions were pretty feelsy, and a marked shift from the relatively lighthearted worldbuilding just a few thousand words earlier.
Will hopefully catch up with the rest tomorrow.
Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it.
The victor will never be asked if he told the truth -Adolf hitlter
10/10 ign would read again
this chapter, wow just wow.
Archive / Alex I don't know if I code handle a gift like this.
to know every thing is this a gift or a curse?
to watch every friend grow old and die to watch your children grand children grow old and die.
to watch you mats grow old and die.
ok I will stop here.
compliment
This is a common error. "compliment" applies to nice things you say and mints on hotel pillows. "complement" could apply to the mint if it goes really well with the pillow.
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The dreamlike dimension scene was there to give the viewers Daniel Ingram’s wonderful song, “Celestia's Ballad”.
http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Celestia%27s_Ballad
The lyrics and images describe Celestia's pride in all of Twilight’s achievements and then the fulfillment of her destiny to ascend to become a princess. This was something that Star Swirl was unable to achieve.
Princess Celestia: You did something today that's never been done before. Something even a great unicorn like Star Swirl the Bearded was not able to do, because he did not understand friendship like you do. The lessons you've learned here in Ponyville have taught you well. You have proven that you're ready, Twilight.
That scene shows in an impressive way that by learning friendship, Twilight has surpassed Star Swirl and then becoming an Alicorn.
Also, see the “Rule of Cool” to understand why scenes like those are added to visual media just because they are wicked sweet or awesome.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RuleOfCool
Someone should write a side story about the 1544th Transportation Company's Paris Armory located at 1021 North Main Street. From what I see on Google Maps, with military trucks and trailers at hoof, there is little need to use civilian vehicles for moving cargo.
http://www.il.ngb.army.mil/Organizations/Army/cities/eastcentral.aspx?city=paris
And, with the ponies ability to make and repair things, keeping them in working order should not be a problem. After all, in the episode, “Pinkie Pride” Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich are able to build a huge cheese wheel, parade floats, including one that looks like a tank, and a pinata that needs a crane to lift it, all within one day.
vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/mlp/images/f/fe/Cheese_on_a_large_cheese_rolling_on_the_street_S4E12.png/revision/latest?cb=20140203113803
vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/mlp/images/5/5b/Cheese_singing_the_Smile_Song_to_Rainbow_S4E12.png/revision/latest?cb=20140203121439
vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/mlp/images/7/7b/Cheese_on_top_of_cannon_S4E12.png/revision/latest?cb=20140203121057
vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/mlp/images/a/ab/Pinkie_with_a_giant_pinata_S4E12.png/revision/latest?cb=20140203120839
wow, that makes me feel old. i did that back in junior-high school. (made transfers)