Chapter 21: Meeting With a Changeling Queen Part 1
The War Machine
Chapter 21: Meeting With a Changeling Queen Part 1
Once I've gathered the materials needed for the Minigun I plug myself into my Trailer to recharge my core whilst I wait for Luna to return.
I pick up my Ovion and play a puzzle game for forty-seven minutes before Luna returned. "Adam! I'm back. Shall we begin work on this Minigun of yours?" she calls out.
I power off my handheld and disconnect from my station. "Yes, I would like to head out as soon as possible," I reply and step off the Trailer.
"Very well, I see you got the materials and tools ready," she comments and heads over to her workbench.
Over the next two hours we worked on building and forging the parts for the weapon. It's mostly complete now with only the trigger and grip remaining to do.
"This weapon looks more intimidating than just a picture could show," she says as she levitates the completed grip over and I weld it into place.
"Wait until you see it in action. There are variants to this one like the Vulcan M98 which can hold two-thousand rounds has six barrels and can fire up to five-thousand rounds a minute, but is a lot less accurate than this one and burns through its ammunition too quickly for my liking," I reply.
"I see, so you've gone for accuracy and conservation?" she asks.
"Correct... and done. We just need to make the ammunition for it now," I reply and stand up from my hunched over posture.
Luna begins making the gunpowder, bullet tips, and casings while I use the ballistics table to pour the gunpowder into the casings and then place the lead tips into them. The process takes four hours to make one-thousand five-hundred rounds in which during Twilight and Trixie returned to make some final adjustments to their newest rifle design.
It's now late in the evening and the two unicorns have left to go home for the day. Luna and I have finished the ammunition with some spare for testing and have loaded it into the Minigun which I am now holding outside.
I aim my new weapon down the shooting range Twilight used when she made her first rifle. I press down the top button on the back grip and the barrels quickly start to spin.
"Luna, you may want to cover your ears," I warn her and wait a few seconds for her to put on a pair of modified ear protectors.
Once she's ready I squeeze the main trigger and fire off round after round into the raised hill at the back of the range, the gun sounds like it's buzzing as a constant stream of hot lead tears into the dirt and leaves a small hole behind as the muzzle flash lights up the area around me.
After about two-hundred rounds I release both triggers and lower the weapon which is steaming at the barrel tips. I then turn back to Luna and see her slack jawed with her wings spread out.
"Can I have one?" she asks drooling while staring at the Minigun.
"Perhaps later, but right now I have a changeling Queen to visit," I reply and head back into the workshop to refill my ammo and also equip my two Tac-90 pistols with five magazines each as well as topping up my shoulders micro missile pods.
Once ready, I stand outside and look towards the Everfree Forest. "Do you need to go now? It's too dark and they might be waiting for you..." Luna asks me.
"I have night vision so I can see just fine and I doubt a changeling can do any damage to me," I reply as it took alicorn level magic just to damage me.
She frowns for a few seconds and then sighs. "Alright, just let me know once you found them through the radio," she tells me and I nodded.
"Of course, I'll be back within twenty-four hours," I reply and activate my jet skates.
I lean forward and take off into the tree line while knocking aside bushes and small trees, creating a pathway straight to the changeling Hive.
I notice a pair of glowing eyes to my left and slide to a stop, the magic signature of a changeling right where the eyes are. I raise my weapon and spin up the barrels.
"Changeling, I can see you there. Come out slowly or I will open fire," I warn it,
The eyes narrow and the changeling hisses at me but complies and slowly steps out from behind a tree.
"Why are you here metal beast?" it asks me, sounds like a male.
"I wish to speak to your Queen," I reply.
His glare intensifies and he hisses again. "And what makes you think I would take you to her?" he asks me with a raised brow.
"I already know where the Hive is located, I just need to talk to your Queen about the recent attempts to get into my workshop and Ponyville... even offer to be allies and a means to feed her people," I reply emotionlessly.
"What do you mean?" he asks actually curious.
"Celestia and I have discovered a means to feed your people without needing to feed off the ponies anymore," I inform him.
He frowns as he looks down and is silent for a few seconds. He then looks back up at me. "The Queen has agreed to meet you, but any attempt to harm her and you will face the might of the swarm," he warns me.
I show no signs of intimidation and just nodded. "Very well," I reply and follow behind him. After a few minutes of walking he stops and quickly looks to the right.
A manticore walks out from behind some trees and stalks us. I slowly aim my weapon at the beast and press the top trigger spinning up the barrels. The beast growls at us and gets into a pouncing position.
After a few tense seconds the manticore leaps at the changeling and I pull the main trigger, sending seven shots into its centre mass punching holes right through it and into the trees behind it. Birds and other animals flee from the loud noise as the beast whimpers for a few seconds before going still.
I release the top trigger and the barrels slow down to a stop. The changeling just stares at the manticore's remains and then at me.
"That threat you made earlier?" I ask the changeling who just nodded at me. "I can handle that just fine," I tell him and he just gulps. "Now shall we continue?" I ask him.
He nodded again and with one last look and the manticore, we continue through the forest.
We were attacked a few more times by another manticore, a pack of ten timberwolves and a cockatrice, each of them now filled with holes leaving me with nine-hundred and fifty-six rounds left.
"What is your name?" I ask the changeling as we walk.
He remains silent for a few seconds before answering. "Thraxx," he replies.
"My name is Adam," I tell him and he glances at me.
"Why do you even want to help us... to the ponies, we're just monsters that prey on their love," he asks me.
"I've heard stories of your kind saying you kidnap ponies and place them into pods to feed off them, is that true?" I ask back.
He frowns at me and hisses. "No we don't, we just take the form of a loved one and feed on the love the other has for them before leaving back to the hive. We don't take ponies or stuff them into pods... whoever thought that up is an idiot," he replies and looks forward again.
"I see, what if I told you it wasn't love you were feeding off, but instead it is magic?" I ask him.
He looks at me as if I grew a second head. "Magic? We've fed on love for centuries, what makes you think it's magic?" he asks in reply.
"We ran tests on a changeling I caught at the world gathering months back and I've learnt a great deal about your kind and how it functions, including the telepathic network you all seem to share," I reply. "Tell me, have you ever been able to feed off of any non-magical races such as the simians, diamond dogs, and gryphons?" I ask him.
He goes to answer but then frowns again. "No... we couldn't..." he replies.
"It's because they have no magic in them. The zebras have magic that allows them to perform their shaman rituals and the minotaurs have magic due to their connection with nature," I tell him.
I pick up that signal again coming from him, seems he's communicating with his Hive. "That makes sense now..." he says and sighs. "The Queen really wants to meet you now if you truly have a means to allow us to feed in a better way," he tells me and picks up his pace.
I jog along side him for a good ten minutes until a roar echoes throughout the forest. The trees to our right are pushed aside as a Hydra with four heads glares down at us.
"W-What's a hydra doing this far out of the bog..." Thraxx mumbles with wide eyes, his posture suggesting he's ready to flee any moment.
I've read that hydra's have the ability to regenerate lost heads if they're cut off, but their organs are another matter. I spin up my Minigun and aim for the centre mass of its chest where I think its heart or lungs would be, and with a pull of the trigger I fire a hundred rounds into its body as the area around us is lit up due to the muzzle flashes. Blood and scales fly off along with chunks of muscle as a hole is bored through its chest cavity from the armour piercing rounds. Casings littering the forest floor making soft tinkling sounds as they hit stones, dead wood or other casings.
It roars in pain and staggers back before wobbling and collapsing, I then aim to each of its heads and fire three shots into each brain as an added measure.
"Y-You killed the hydra!?" Thraxx yells shocked.
"It was simple, destroy the organs and ignore the heads," I simply reply and stop spinning the barrels. "Let us continue before something else shows up," I suggest and he snaps out of his shock.
"R-Right," he replies and I detect that signal again.
After another fifteen minutes of jogging, we reach the entrance to the Hive. A pair of large changelings nearly the size of Celestia are guarding the entrance wearing some kind of organic looking armour, or maybe it is part of their chitin?
‘Luna, I’ve arrived at the Hive and have permission to see the Queen. I may lose radio contact once I enter the Hive, over,’ I contact Luna and inform her.
‘Very well, please be careful, erm, over,’ she replies.
‘Roger that,’ I say and cut the transmission.
Without word both the guards nodded to Thraxx and eyed me as we walked past, this telepathic network of theirs seems very efficient and useful. I can already imagine changelings among the Equestrian guards helping to relay orders faster than their radios could.
My feet crack the black surface of the Hive's floor with my weight as we pass by stunned or surprised changelings. I stay on alert in case there's the off chance they would ambush me if given the chance, but it seems they've been told to let me pass and stay away from me.
After a few minutes of navigating this labyrinth of a Hive, which I map out along the way so I know the way back out if I have to retreat, we reach a large set of green doors with another two of the large changelings guarding the doors.
They both then push the doors open and gesture me inside. I walk in as Thraxx remains behind and leaves to go elsewhere into the Hive.
I turn to face the throne at the back of the room with a large and slender changeling female sitting upon it.
"So you are the metal monster I've heard about, I've been keeping a close eye on you since that meeting of the world leaders... You've shown impressive military might," she tells me with a smirk on her face.
"The gryphons gave me no choice in the matter when they attacked, but you still have a choice. I've come here on behalf of Equestria in an attempt to negotiate a peace between us," I reply neutrally.
She hums in thought and grins at me. "And what is stopping me from just claiming you and your toys here?" she asks with a raised brow.
I raise my Minigun and spin up the barrels, I then fire forty rounds perfectly around her just missing by an inch, leaving an outline in the wall behind her with large holes where the bullets hit. The large guards in the room look ready to charge at me at a moment's notice.
"I can easily take on you and your changelings if I have to, you're in no condition to fight back if the malnourished condition of your body is any indication," I tell her coldly, her body looks thin and her ribs are showing.
She's staring wide eyed at the wall behind her for a few seconds before looking back at me, her expression is one of fear as she starts looking for a possible means to escape.
I lower my weapon from her. "I'm not here to start a war with you though, and your remarks, intentional or playful are not welcome at this time," I warn her.
"V-Very well... What is it you wish to discuss?" she asks me in a more friendlier tone instead of her previous condescending one.
"First I need to ask you if you think you feed on love," I ask her.
"I believed we did until your discussion with Thraxx," she replies
"We discovered it isn't love you feed on, but magic, it seems that the magical races just radiate more magic when they show affection for those they care for," I tell her.
"And you have proof of this?" she asks.
"We've performed tests with the changeling that attacked me at the nations meeting. Which by the way she's being treated fairly and is well fed," I reply and inform her.
She hums for a few seconds and narrows her eyes at me. "I've been unable to properly connect with her since you took her to Canterlot... I can still feel her there, I just can't hear her," she tells me and gets up off her throne as she begins to circle around me, she then notices my shoulder pods tracking her as she does so.
"Celestia and her team of researchers have come up with a way to allow a changeling to feed on magic from a crystal that gathers it from the atmosphere and then releases it like a pony would," I explain to her.
"And this works?" she asks intrigued.
"Yes, but they are having problems with the rate in which it absorbs the magic at the moment. They're trying to solve that issue as we speak," I reply.
She stops in front of me and looks at my visor. "And what would we have to give in return for such a gift?" she asks sceptical about it.
"That you join Equestria as allies, perhaps even trade," I reply.
She glares at me for a few seconds before sighing. "Very well then, if these crystals work and it is true that it is magic we feed on... then we shall join Equestria, but if you are lying, we will do everything we can to bring Equestria to its knees," she threatens me.
"Noted," I reply.
She holds a hoof out and I grip it in my hand lightly as I shake it. The doors burst open and one of those large guards runs up to us.
"My Queen! The Scarlet Hive has launched another attack on us! They've brought a larger force this time!" he tells the Queen. The Hive then shakes slightly. “They even have a behemoth!” he then says.
"What!? Gather our forces to repel them while you secure the elderly and the nurseries!" she orders the guard who nodded and runs off to carry out his orders. She then looks to me. "It would appear we have a problem to take care of first, if you'll excuse me, I have a Hive to protect," she tells me and walks past me.
"Would allowing me to help show my sincerity for us to be allies?" I offer her my aid.
She turns to me with a raised brow. "You would help defend my Hive?" she asks in surprise.
"Yes," I reply and open up my chest plating exposing my core to her. "I'll even allow you to feed on the magic in my core to help you fight off the attackers," I tell her.
Her eyes go wider as she looks at the prismatic light circling inside my core. She gingerly steps forward and places the tip of her horn to my core as the colourful light slowly comes out and seeps into her horn. She gasps as a few holes on her legs close and she pulls away.
I then close my chest plating and my magic levels read thirty-three percent remaining which is already starting to recharge.
The Queen's eyes seem to shine a brighter green as she sounds like she's purring.
"It seems I have misjudged you. I thought of you as a cold heartless killing machine, it seems you are just as capable of kindness and compassion as any of the ponies as well," she says and smiles at me. "My name is Chrysalis, Queen of the Jade Hive," she says to me holding out her hoof again.
I grasp it and shake lightly again as well. "And I am Adam, an A.I. allied with Equestria," I reply. The Hive then shakes slightly again and bits of the ceiling fall down. "I recommend we deal with the current threat before we continue with negotiations," I suggest.
"Agreed, please follow me and turn that impressive weapon of yours on any changeling with a red coloured chitin, they are the invaders who attack my Hive," she explains to me and runs out the door looking much better than when I first walked in.
I heft up my weapon and jog after her.
Stats
Page generated in 0.04 seconds
Total duration
1,069 users online
1,890,080 hits today, 2,561,572 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Good chapter
"She stopsz in front of me and looks at my visor."
First thing I noticed, but this is a good chapter anyway
7339509 Well spotted and now fixed :)
This is an interesting Chapter.
So... your posting new chapters but the story is still On Hiatus??
i can count with one hand the good stories with a good/neutral chrysalis, and im glad that this one is among them
the first manticore seems superfluous when Adam does the same to the hydra
still overall fun chapter
7339552
Was explained in a comment in the previous chapter; he posts when he has the time. It's his choice to use "hiatus" rather than "incomplete", although I do agree it's confusing since many (MANY) stories are incomplete for months and years at a time without an update.
Adam didn't bring enough ammo for this timely attack. Might want to save it for the big tanks and just use physical force to squash some bugs.
And he's not invincible. I could think of a few ways to slow, stop, and neutralize him. Adam needs to be more aware of his surroundings like false or weak changeling tunnel floors leading to a deep mud pit.
7339552 I was itching to write a chapter with Minigun usage in it xD
I rather like the name of the hive.
7339560 have a look at Urimas's Warframe project, It's pretty good if you overlook the repeated change in POV and I think it's somehow got better writing... also deals with the changelings and I can see them becoming allied/neutral parties rather than enemies of state.
Time to kick some enemy chitin!
7339728
Time to shatter some shells!
Ok, so no Fuckin up jade hive, BUT DO FUCK UP SCARLET HIVE!!!!
aw hell yeah!
7340088 As I said, hiatus stories I update when in the mood to, Terracana is still my main focus.
7339707
i have it on my list
I just released that luna got a wing boner because of the minigun lol
Minigun wingboner. Now I've read everything.
7340422 I guess you could say Luna now has a tech fetish after helping to make highly advanced technology.
Why why is it a multi part chapter. You evil evil demon.
7340633 MWAHAHAHAHAAA! The world shall suffer cliff hangers for all of eternity! MWAHAHAHA *cough cough* Erm, no idea where that came from erm... yeah moving along.
7340704 get that demon in u under control brah. It aint healthy!
7340951 What if I told you he was the one writing the stories through me?
7340968
SACRE BLU!!!
Yay, Chrysi is here
7333046 now strap that to a chassis he can add onto his suit;
i.makeagif.com/media/2-12-2016/6BcJdE.gif
sort of like the ACs but smaller and little bit more tamed
yeesh, anything he shoots gets lead poisoning. Awfully cruel
Interesting. Little bit surprised though that he's still using such an inefficient method to craft his bullets though. Automation is going to be his best friend in the future, particularly with parts that need machined many times, bullets in particular. He's gonna need a factory line in/near his work shop eventually for some stuff.
7341029 I think you mean "sacré bleu"
That went far better than expected. So a different hive causing trouble? Well, not really surprised... but nice to have it confirmed.
Also, it's always amusing to see everyone's reaction to Adam's incredible firepower anywhere he goes
Still, Chrysalis will be quite a valuable ally now. Onwards to a battle scene!
I shall awat for more.
7341585 eyup. Idk french so i doubted I'd have spelt that right.
Good chapter can't wait for more
luna with minigun? I can picture this
Adam needs the following:
A heavy armor suit to house much bigger weapons and give more fuel for flight, mainly to fight much more numerous opponents and bigger targets.
However, Adam had mainly fought crude technology and beasts from Equestria.
What he really needs, is an equal to fight.
Another robot, with its own personality that would fit its motivation to kill Adam, such as viewing him and his creator to be a traitor, and he is there to kill just that traitor.
Luna's reaction to the death machine was. Beautiful
Keep up the great work
The last few words of this chapter made me think of Adam as the Heavy from TF2. I dunno why though.
I like the story, only thing is Twilight seems to be turning in to Howard Stark only with out the alcoholism. Guess that will come later when she realizes an element of harmony revolutionized warfare.
7345647 Salt is the pony equivalent of alcohol.
I can see two political and tactical issues with adam actions:
First: him allying with chrysalis on her hive defense can be seen as chrysalis hive being an equestrian ally, which would any hive that is hostile to chrysalis become hostile to equestrian and in the worst case scenario either declare war against equestrian on their own or ally the griffins. this is because he is already allied with equestrian against the griffins
Second is that if all the hives manage to get a way to basically remove the middle guy (any race able to use magic) and feed directly from the world magical field, it would only be a matter of time before their numbers grow big enough to decide they have to remove the other species in order to get more room for their own to live, believe it or not there is always someone in power that thinks like that
7346063 Shhh! *Urimas waves an index finger in front of his lips like a spastic* You'll ruin everything!
7346063
One word: Adam
He is immortal, being a bit that be repaired, copy of his program (hopefully) in the trailer, and a powerful ass machine military. His supplies only run out when the world has no more metal, and even then space trval at his state isn't that impossible. But good theory, and one that I do want to see.
I still don't see the 20 mm full auto, 30 mm semi auto, or 6 round bolt action rocket launcher, why is that? Package alpha designation "Anal Sex" needs to be deployed NOW, IF WE ARE GONNA WIN THIS WAR. sorry inner commander got to me, but really, it's a cool idea to go full warbot.
7348372 he cant be anywhere at the same time and the longer he is around the more of his tech will get to be know and more ways to be countered will be found. even with their low tech the griphons have been able to do minor damage to adam, pretty sure that the moment the humans decide to give more access to their tech to the griphons adam advantage would be null and void, after all the trailer tech is at least a decade old, and pretty sure they are also researching way to use that world magic to create their own version of magic weapons
also he cant copy his program since his main core has been affected by the elements of harmony wich makes him mortal due to the fact that if it is destroyed he dies, he is just long lived, at best he can create other versions based on his program but cant create a copy of himself
7348556
Fair point, but he does have Eve, maybe he will make more, and yes his tech will get out there, but he is not just sitting in his metal butt, there will be more advancements in his own tech, heck he still has Hydrogen bomb blueprints, which are very effective at taking out enemy soldiers with little radiation, and he (plus other warbots) can take more dangerous than a organic soldier, and think faster, and still have the magical benefits of human and gryphon and changling alike, heck a cloaking system isn't too far away
7348613 The cloaking system is very possible since Twilight made them for pegasi bombers already.
Luna can help him make a magical version along with weapons as well.
7348694 so Adam gets the full auto 20mm canon, 30 mm semi auto cannon, and 6 round rocket launcher? Bolt action too!?
7348613 i dont think he will go nuclear, he values innocents lives too much for it to use it only as a desperate final option, second he doesnt have the mats to mass produce anything it took him months with luna helping him process the mats and most likely celestia providing the raws materials to build 2 tanks 1 apache and most of the ammo and spare parts he has been using so far.
as for eve he can create more but he will not make it for war since that would be doing the same the military that created him did, plus there is the issue of having to "Raise" said AI's the same way he did with eve before considering them viable and build their bodies, then he will have to stop working on making vehicles or going to combat, unless he decides to get more help from equestria wich would force him to share it with the other nations in order to keep the status quo
all the tech and blueprints he has are at least a decade old and lacks most of the advanced tools needed to produce them, pretty sure on that time the military that sponsored his father project has created far more deadly and effective systems to replace him the very same humans that are backing the griphons
Lol. Hey Urimas, I think you should change the story's status from "On Hiatus" back to "Incomplete" now that it's being worked on again.
Just saying.