Chapter 4: The Gathering
The War Machine
Chapter 4: The Gathering
One Month Later
Twilight, Celestia, and the pony scientists have repaired me back to full working order. My damaged plates have been replaced and my magazine pouches have been mended. During the time of my repairs, I played classical music from my world through the Trailer's speakers for Twilight and the scientists to listen to which they appreciated.
I haven't left the lab since my visit to Dr. Madison's grave. Apparently, rumours of a tall metal creature walking through the Castle has started spreading. Though Twilight made the excuse she was practising with her illusion magic.
It still confuses my processors that magic is a real phenomenon here. I'll have to research it myself at a later date.
I was introduced to the Captain of the Guard named Shining Armour, who is Twilight's brother. He was suspicious of me at first, but has gradually relaxed around me over time.
Twilight has been teaching me all about Equestria and its customs. The unicorns can cast spells while the pegasi can fly and control the weather. The earth ponies are physically stronger and have some kind of connection with the earth that allows them to grow plants better than the other two subspecies.
Celestia is an alicorn who can live for no one knows how long, even herself. They have the traits of all three subspecies but multiplied by a factor of ten. So far, only Celestia has managed to actually lift me up and it wasn't for long either, the longest she did was twenty-three seconds. She also has the power to guide the sun and moon around the planet. She explained that she's not moving them but keeping them in a safe orbit around Equus with her magic.
I have also met another alicorn a few times named Cadence; Twilight's old babysitter, or foalsitter as the ponies call it. She just helps Celestia with the nation's taxes and other documents so Celestia can deal with the more important stuff like international interactions and such.
I've told Twilight of my other functions: the taser pads on my palms, the radio signal interception module to hijack and listen in to encrypted channels, the jet skates under my feet and on my back which allow me to move faster across flat terrain, though this drains power from my core faster. My ability to track multiple targets and react nearly instantaneously.
She was absolutely stunned when she gave me books to read. I just flipped through the pages at a rapid pace taking pictures of the pages and processing them into my hard drive. I read what took her nearly a year to read in just under a week. I've learnt a lot about magic from the books she brought.
I've told her of some of the more beneficial technology humanity has created, such as telephones and cellphones, television, movies and videogames, the latter I showed her via the Ovion Dr. Madison gave me with some puzzle games that she's now addicted to. Power stations that provide an entire city with electricity, cars, planes, and self powered boats. She was hanging on every word and writing down the concepts, she even said she wanted to try and make some of these things later.
I was introduced to Twilight's number one assistant named Spike who's a baby dragon. I found it amusing he said I was the coolest thing he's ever seen.
I gave them a demonstration of my rifle, shotgun, and pistol. Twilight was terrified at what the rifle and shotgun can do as they shredded through a suit of their guards’ enchanted armour, she even tried to catch a bullet mid-flight but she said it was so small and moving so fast she couldn't even see it, even Celestia couldn't catch one. They even had me shoot at some of their magical barriers and shields. Celestia's were able to stop them but Twilight's just shattered under the force, I was told to keep them locked in the Trailer unless I had need of them to protect the people.
Celestia has told me of the other races I'll be seeing at this meeting today:
The gryphons are the ones who are the most advanced in technology in this world. Just like humans, they have no magic so have focused on the technological side of science with the added bonus that they are also rather arrogant and prideful. She tells me they are the ones I need to be careful of.
The minotaurs are a peaceful people who live in tribal like buildings and have a strong connection to nature, they really don't like technology and will most likely not care much at the meeting as long as it doesn't effect them.
The zebras are a shamanistic people. Celestia tells me they can communicate with the spirits of the deceased and speak with the elements, they also have a strange fondness for speaking in rhymes. They use very little technology, but do have some for comfort and convenience.
The diamond dogs are a bipedal canine race that live mostly underground, digging up gems with hand drills and pickaxes when they’re not using their claws. They trade some of the gems they mine with other races for tools, goods, and food.
The dragon's keep mostly to themselves and only intervene with other races should they feel threatened. Celestia told me that the fact I'm so much more technologically advanced than the gryphons has them worried. They should be, from what I've seen from them in books, an AH-92 Apache could take them out easily.
The changelings are an isolated race and are considered parasites by most as they capture and feed off the victim's love. I will have to capture one of these changelings myself to find out how this is possible as my processors cannot see any possible way this can be done. How would one extract an emotion? Celestia tells me that not once has a changeling attended a meeting.
The last race are a species called simians. Ape-like people who look remarkably like gorillas, orangutans, and chimpanzees. Just standing more upright like a human and wears clothing. They and Equestria tie for second in the technology area.
But my arrival throws everything off. With the schematics Dr. Madison left on the mainframe... I could advance the technology here decades, perhaps centuries ahead, or I could build war machines I could control wirelessly if I wanted to. I think it would be best not to mention that. I think they got enough of a scare knowing I could reduce a mile around me to rubble just from my core alone. I just hope they don't figure out the Trailer's battery could blow away a three mile radius. Fortunately, it's self destruct is also locked with mine.
It's now time to head out to the meeting location. I have armed myself with two Tac-90 pistols and an Isis assault rifle. Both of my micro-missile launchers are fully loaded and so is the automated turret.
We decided to take my Trailer there as a pegasi carriage would never be able to take off with me on board, therefore Celestia and three of her guards are in the back while Twilight and I are in the front, all six of us driving down a road heading north from Canterlot to a location that's in neutral territory.
"This Trailer is fascinating! How fast can it go?" Twilight asks me.
"It can go at a maximum speed of eighty miles per hour. We are currently moving at forty miles per hour as the road is uneven," I reply. I keep an eye out for anything that could be hostile along the way with the camera on the turret while my optics watch the road.
This could technically be considered a VIP escort mission and the ponies have shown me more hospitality than humans, besides Dr. Madison, have treated me with. I'll protect them; like I was supposed to with humanity.
The trip took about four hours as an old looking stone table out in the open with ten seats around it comes into view. Some other races are already here: gryphons, minotaurs, and a dragoness from what I can see.
"Well, this is it. Good luck... oh by the way. Do not answer any questions from any of them or us until everypony is present, okay?" Twilight tells me.
"Understood," I reply and we get out.
I unlock the Trailer's rear doors to let out the others as well. Once we're all out, I lock the doors but stay connected to the turret. Better prepared than not. Celestia, Twilight, and their guards make their way over to the table and sit down with their guards standing behind them.
I make my way over as well. My weight cracking the old stone beneath me with each step.
I stand behind a stone chair as I don't trust it to hold my weight and stay in once piece.
The gryphons are staring at me with wide eyes and mumbling to each other. The minotaurs just raise an eyebrow at me, silently examining me. The dragoness glares at me with her arms crossed. She's a foot taller than me, meaning she's not a fully-grown dragon yet.
We wait for nearly an hour as the others arrive. Three zebras, four simians, four diamond dogs, and to everyone's surprise, a single changeling.
All the representatives take a seat while their guards stand behind them.
Celestia then speaks up. "Now that we have all gathered, I'd like to introduce you to Adam. The first sentient and sapient mechanical life form on Equus," she says and I give a small nod.
"Sentient? It's a machine. Wires, fuel, circuits, and motors. How could it be sentient? The only things sentient are flesh and blood! This is just something you've been hiding all this time isn't it? A new weapon to threaten us with!" the gryphon hisses to Celestia while eyeing me.
"I may be made of metal and wires, but I am self aware. I can think for myself, I can feel emotions, I am more than just a machine," I reply.
They all stare at me wide eyed. "It can respond!?" the gryphon asks shocked.
"Yes he can, ambassador Jackaal. We found him extremely damaged in the Canterlot Gardens with the body of his creator. A species called humans, It took us two years just to repair him enough to wake him up," she tells him.
The gryphon then glares at her. "You've been hiding it for two years? What about the treaty of sharing technology when it is discovered!?" he shouts at her.
Celestia just remains calm and unfazed. "He is alive and not a piece of technology to claim. All the technology that was with him belongs to him, we have only repaired his body, nothing more," she tells him.
I look to the gryphon's guards and notice one of them is facing away and mumbling into something on his wrist. I activate my radio interceptor module and actually pick up a radio signal.
'...ve in now and try to find a way into the metal carriage. Find anything of value we can take back with us,' he orders.
'Yes sir,' someone replies.
So. They talk about sharing technology yet haven't told the Equestrians about radios? Twilight was fascinated when I told her about it, meaning they didn't know about it at all.
My sensors pick up movement approaching my Trailer slowly. I look through the turret's camera and see a gryphon sneaking up to the back. It hasn't notice my turret aiming at it yet.
"Speaking of sharing technology, why haven't you told the others about the radio signals and transmitters you've invented yet?" I ask the gryphons.
The one speaking into his wrist instantly looks at me with wide eyes. I decide to make a point.
The turret opens fire with the sound of repeated shots, but I intentionally miss the gryphon sneaking around. It squawks in panic and flies off as everyone else watches and then glares at the gryphons.
"I picked up your guard's radio signal and listened in, trying to steal my tech while we're distracted. Clever, but unwise," I tell them. I take some pictures and voice recordings of the ambassador and save them to my hard drive.
The ambassador starts sweating and looks around. Twilight looks furious. "You have the nerve to try and steal from him? And you've had the technology for radios all this time and you never told any of us? This could have been beneficial to all of us! What else have you invented that you're hiding!?" she questions them.
"How is this any different from you hiding that machine for two years!" he replies while pointing at me. I guess he's trying to place the blame on them now.
"Hiding!? I spent the last two years of my life trying to save him! We would have shared anything he would be willing to teach us to everypony here! Stars forbid if he ended up in Gryphonia, you would have butchered him just to find out how he works!" she yells back.
The gryphon then snarls at her. "That's enough," the dragoness demanded calmly. "It would seem that our guest here is more than he seems. We dragons tend to live and let live as long as we're not involved... so tell us, what are your intentions in Equus?" she asks me.
"I've only been online here for about a month so far. The Equestrians have treated me with hospitality and given me a place to call home. I will do what I can to protect them in return for their kindness," I reply.
"So you're siding with the Equestrians? What about your technology? Will you share that?" the gryphon asks, getting an angrily shocked expression from Twilight. I can see why, asking me to share technology while they've been hiding it themselves.
"Yes and no. Some of the technology I can make is extremely dangerous and I will not let it out, but things like appliances and such I can do," I reply. There is no way I'll let them get their hands on even a pistol blueprint. So far, I can't trust these gryphons. The mainframe in my Trailer has schematics and blueprints on a many number of things I've found on the internet during the nights I was left online, learning what I could of the things humanity has accomplished.
"So you wouldn't use your technology on other nations," the dragoness asks with raised eyebrow.
"I was designed to be a soldier to protect the nation who built me, I have the weapons and training to take on a large force by myself if I have to. As long as you don't attack or harm my new home, you'll have nothing to fear from me," I reply.
The minotaur then speaks up. "If we called out for aid, would you aid us?" he asks.
"It would depend on the situation. Should another nation attack you without reason then yes, I would," I reply.
"Then you have our support, Adam, creature of metal," he tells me.
"Ours as well," the dragoness says.
The simians have been quiet the whole time. "What about you?" I ask them. The female orangutan sitting in the chair hums in thought.
"We will just leave you be and see where life takes us. Should you wish to share your technology with us, then so be it. If not, we shan't complain. Our lives are already comfortable and peaceful. If you wish to give something to make it better, then wonderful, we will not force you to. As far as we're concerned, you have our support," she says.
I then look to the zebras as the male in the chair looks back at me. "No harm to us is what we see. So shall we too leave you be," he replies.
The changeling gets up and walks around towards me. I look down at it as it looks up at me. That's strange, my radio interceptor is picking up a strange signal coming from the changeling even though I can't make out what's in it and I don't see any tech on the changeling.
Without warning, the changeling fires a green energy bolt at my head which makes me stumble back a bit, it then tackles me with its horn in the abdomen but my armour plating easily stops it. It stumbles back in a daze and I quickly place both of my hands on the sides of its head and activate my tasers.
Its eyes go wide as its muscles tense up. It shakes for a few seconds before going limp... well, it looks like I got the changeling I wanted to examine after all.
"You see? We can't allow this weapon to go free! It's a machine built to kill! We should destroy it before it destroys us!" the gryphon demands furiously.
"He was just defending himself! And the only one dangerous here is you!" Twilight replies just as cross.
"I will not sit here and be insulted like this! You either hand that machine over or the treaty for sharing technology with Gryphonia is over!" he insists, thrusting his clawed finger into the stone surface of the table.
Twilight actually laughs at him. "If you haven't already figured it out, ambassador. Adam here makes whatever you could invent instantly outdated. You've already withheld technology that could have revolutionised the world, let's not forget you just tried to steal from Adam's Trailer as well," she tells him.
Celestia then decides to speak up. "She is correct, ambassador Jackaal. Your actions here have made you untrustworthy. Adam could have easily killed your little thief, but he didn't. We have seen only a few of his basic weapons in action and not even our guards would be a match for him. I suggest you leave now before you embarrass yourself and your nation anymore than you already have," she tells him, getting votes of agreement from the others.
He growls and stands up. "You would side with a machine than your fellow beings?" he asks and then glares at me. "This isn't over," he says and they all fly off. I keep my turret locked onto them as the gryphon that tried to enter my Trailer joins up with them.
"This was certainly an interesting event, despite the way that it went," the Zebra says and gets up.
"Indeed. Apart from the gryphons and no surprise the changeling, we all give you our support and recognise you as a living being. Welcome to Equus, Adam," the orangutan says and gets up as well.
"Likewise. As long as he keeps to Equestria, Drakan has no problem with him," the dragoness announces.
"We see no problems as well," the diamond dog ambassador says.
Celestia and Twilight also stand up. "Thank you all for attending. Should Adam share any technology he deems safe with us, we shall also send you all copies as well," Celestia says.
"The simians thank you for you hospitality, Princess Celestia. We look forward to what new wonders lie in wait for the world," the orangutan replies.
The others say their goodbyes as well, leaving the ponies and I here.
"That went better than I expected..." I say.
"Ambassador Jackaal had some nerve demanding you just surrender yourself to them. Bunch of tech greedy featherheads..." Twilight says.
Celestia just shakes her head with a slight smile. "His attitude was very shameful, but it would also seem trade with Gryphonia has ended as well," Celestia says.
"But they never really traded much with us to begin with and they've proven they've been keeping new discoveries to themselves," Twilight replies.
I turn towards them and walk over to them. "If it would make you feel any better. When we get back, we can get started on equipping Equestria with its own radio network," I tell them.
Twilight's mood instantly turns around with a gasp. "What are we waiting for! Let’s go!" she says and tries to pull me along with her magic but I don't move an inch. She grunts as she tries to pull me harder. "Come oooooon! *huff* Don't just stand there! The sooner we leave the sooner we start!" she tells me.
I'd smile if I could at the display. I turn back around and pick up the changeling.
"What do you plan to do with her?" Celestia asks me.
So it's a female? "I'm going to examine her and find out how they extract an emotion to feed off from. It has been irritating me ever since you told me about them," I reply.
"I see. I do hope you don't plan to harm her in the process," she says and places a silver ring on the changeling's horn.
"I won't harm her. I'll just use the Trailer's scanners and sensors to see if their emotion gathering ability is energy or biological based. Also, what does that ring do?" I ask with curiosity.
"It blocks the flow of magic in the horn. It prevents changelings and unicorns from casting spells," she replies.
Processing information... Data saved on hard drive.
"I see. Let us head back, it would seem Twilight is about to pass out as she is still attempting to pull me," I say making Celestia giggle at the blue faced Twilight.
I start moving towards the Trailer with the others behind me. I unlock the back and let them in passing along the still out-cold changeling as well.
After the doors close, I enter the front with Twilight who looks like she's about to pass out from holding her breath for too long.
"I think I'll just take a nap... wake me up when we get back..." she says and leans against the window.
I start up the Trailer and begin the trip back to Canterlot.
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I like it! So far, you've got an interesting topic and a fairly solid Lead character. It would be better with a little bit more meat, ie exposition, descriptors, explanations, ect. I've noticed some small errors, but nothing huge and jarring. Biggest one I've seen so far is using 'then' when you should be using 'than'. An editor wouldn't be too terrible of a thing, but as of right now I don't think it's terribly necessary. Overall, I feel as though your pacing is a touch too fast.
The moment you introduced the Griffon ambassador, you painted him as a BoS paladin, squawkin and squealin about 'muh techniligies!' and just generally being a jackass. While that's an easy character to use in minor roles, I get the feeling that the Ambassador is going to possibly serve a larger role within the story. Giving him such a flat, 2D personality may have been easy, but it's going to grow old fast for both you and your readers, and it's going to make any deeper works involving him suffer.
One last little nitpick. From what I've understood, Adam was created for the US military, on US soil. Wouldn't the Americans use one of their own tanks, like the M1 Abrams? Or a future variant of it, as the story is taking place over two hundred years in the future? Using a T-90 MBT seems... weird. And still using conventional 120mm shells. You're deep in Sci-fi territory, go hog-wild! Slap a pair of 60mm spent matter cannons on Adam's shoulders, and give the tanks tungsten rod plasma caster cannons! :D While conventional and current arms are safe bets, they get boring fast when compared to other things.
Also, Dark Moonbutt's gonna have a bad time. Hopefully Light Moonbutt survives the micro-rocket enema.
Welp, that happened! The Gryphons try and steal some of the tech in Adam's trailer, and a bug got zapped. All in all, just a regular day in politics
PIFFF HAHAHAHA! XD
First seemingly legit answer I've ever read about the controlling the sun thing.
Lol good work
6735668 the whole character seems based off of iron man.
Heavily based.
Rocket pods on the shoulders? Iron man. Power core/reactor in chest? Iron man. Energy pads on the palms of the hands? Iron man.
This is nothing against the fic or the author, but the similarities seem like more than a coincidence when there's this many.....
Perhaps some cannons would have been wise, instead of the pissy micro-rockets. Or a minigun. Or both. Or miniguns, cannons, and full-sized rockets. Yeah. That sounds better. It's hardly a war machine if it has to pick up its weapons, right? Bolt the fuckers on!
6741042 Iron-Man + Johnny 5 (Short Circuit) = This. I mean come on between what you said plus "Self aware combat robot that doesn't want to be used/destroyed by the military? The speed reading bit... yeah...
6741042
It's called War Machine, so yes, I'd imagine that there's some Iron Man inspiration going on here.
That being said, the tech is based off of Iron Man, not the character. If you were to put Captain America in an Iron Man suit, he'd still be the character of Captain America. As Obsidian Shard has already said, the character is more like Johnny 5; that is, he's a robot with sapience that doesn't want to kill.
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I like Rune Soldier Dan's explanation. Check out his story, To Try For the Sun.
I have to be honest. While I enjoyed the first chapter, the rest since have put me off. While I do like the premise, the execution is lacking. Adam is shaping up to be just too much of a Gary Stu, and the ponies too much of the helpless bystanders, even Celestia.
First, Celestia can't lift something that only weighs a ton, when Twilight lifted not just an ursa minor, which weighs at least 5, but a water tower full o milk that weighed upwards of 10, all while maintaining a breeze precise enough to play a musical tune through reeds. While I don't prescribe to the "Celestia, Goddess of the Sun" school of fanon, she is still the most powerful pony.
Second, Shining Armor's shield held off an army of thousands of changelings slamming into a shield spread out across an entire city while weakened by whatever Chrysalis was doing to him, yet a few rounds from a gun shatters Celestia's full power, concentrated shield.
I'm sorry. I can already see where this is going, and it's a shame. You had such a strong opening. It's not bad enough for a down vote, but I won't be reading anymore.
6769450 you seem to not get the idea around energy shields. a shield made of energy is quite good at mitigating energy based attacks as it can spread and absorb that energy along it's entire projected face but the instant you start throwing ballistic weaponry AKA bullets the shield has to concentrate nearly all of its power at the bullets point of impact to stop it. so a stream of bullets to a shield like that will always cause it to fail really fast as the energy needed to both keep it up and stop bullets at the same time grows exponentially.
I quite like the idea of the simian race for some reason. Not like there's anything special about them in the story yet, but the idea of a chilled-out race of intelligent monkeys living, I assume, in the jungles somewhere, just resonates with me. In the context of this fantasy world at least. Really cool.
The The twins attacked again!
Cool chapter. And I could bet that there's an unneccessary war coming up, started by the gryphons, which will team up with the changelings. And the "War Machine" will end that war.
7034268 Fixed, thanks for pointing that out.
7034268 Hell yeah, defeating them faster than Isreal defeated Egypt, Syria, and Jordan in the six day war!
7077005 because they tend to be pompous pricks to every other mythical species....
I would say the smart thing to do is delete all the weapon and armor schematics buuut givin the turkeycats have radios (small ones at that) then its reasonable to assume they have firearms as those were invented long before the radio. Soo if war breaks out the ponies may need it.
7227691 Adam just comes in with a nuke and destroys the griffon species...lol
Wow... a new living being that is fully blown out amazing war machine with a somewhat similar nuclear core, I think? It's looks more dangerous than Mr. X, William Birkin, and Nemesis combine. That would be a good action scene if there is one. Though, too bad that Adam's creator died to protecting his life. At least his creator can find peace with his family and maybe one day, Adam would be joining him.
Peacefully primative protean primates? And here I hoped they'd be a bit more ceaselessly ambitious like humans. Ah well, I like their mentality regardless, even if I want to project a more human nature on them. She at least makes them sound adaptable.
Well this was a start. I'd be much more happier if I see Griffons get beaten the hell out.
You are the best ever person to create a story crossover with mlp and a self aware machine keep up the good work
😎
I have armed myself with two Tac-90 pistols and an Isis assault rifle.
Tac-90 pistols and an Isis assault rifle.
Isis assault rifle.
Isis
Isis
nationofchange.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/DTM_Donald-Trump-is-Dark-Triad-Man_2.jpg
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Image file: onjacksonstreet.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/911neverforget.jpg
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Calm your tits, Isis is a name of diety, goddess from Egypt.
I think of Samuel Hayden from Doom 2016 and Eternal when I imagine what Adam sounds and looks like.
10173493
Now that you said that I agree. I can hear that as well.
10173493
I was thinking pre-gangster chappie and the voice of that robot character from apex legends.
10968035
I've been imagining his voice like BT from Titanfall 2.
...I miss BT...
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