Lab Horse

by TheMajorTechie

Subject Log 4017 - Eleven Years Later

Author's Note:

Just to be clear, the term "Subject Log" from this chapter onward will refer to a personal account of Gadget, and each log is equal to one day in this story. That's why it skipped from one to 4017, because I kicked in an eleven year time skip.

Also, I'm enjoying the process of writing first person with the mental process of an eleven year old.

They say that I was found in a gritty ol' pasture, even when I remember being tazed by that crazy scientist. They don't know that I can talk, or really even understand English. To them, I'm just another pet; some sort of weirdly intelligent horselike animal that happens to be cute and cuddly. They already know that I have feelings, however, after quite a few tests that they had brought upon me. I still shudder at the thought of some of them.

I'm feeling bored of this life. I know that there's more out there, past those all too familiar whitewashed walls and security cameras. There's a whole world out there to explore, and I'm pretty eager to see it for myself. I don't remember very much from my days before I was holed up here, but I do remember the smell of the outside. It was... fresh, as I've heard the people here say. I've smelled my fair share of air fresheners that've claimed to "bring the outdoors inside", but honestly, if you ask me, those things are just ripoffs.

What I want is, as this one particular internet meme has stated before, is out.

I want the out.

---

I awoke with the usual blinding lights of my room. Bright, fluorescent, y'know, the typical lab-lights. Being that I was more of a 'feel-good' pet that they kept around than an actual lab animal. Due to my tinkering nature, I was named "Gadget" soon after I arrived, mostly because my levitation skills were still a bit haywire at the time. I obviously have much better control of it now, and I mostly just help around.

Though I'm content with my current life, I've said many times before; it gets boring. Day after day, I wake up, follow some random guy around to tote a cup of coffee for him, then return to my little corner of the lab complex. I occasionally get some nice ear scratches in return for my work, but I typically just get semi-friendly grunts in return. Some of the guys around me stare sometimes, which just sends shivers up my spine.

Today was to continue as usual, no different from any other day... That is, aside from a little surprise pancake for my birthday. It's still nice to know that these guys treat me fairly. After finishing the pancake and licking up all that delicious whipped cream, I went off to take a shower. The people running this place used to send someone with me to keep an eye on me in case if I got chaotic, but they trust me now with the handheld shower heads in the medical research wing.

A quick run of shampoo later, and I was back to smelling like strawberries. If you ask me though, I'd have to say that I like to smell like mechanical grease and singed fur. I really don't know why though... I think it might've been from the looks of the scientists' faces after I short circuited a backup generator when I was seven.

Either way, I smell like strawberries now, so yeah. Not gonna be smelling like that anytime soon.

I trotted out of the medical wing with my saddlebag, concealing a copy of a textbook I had *ahem* borrowed from their engineering department. They gave me the saddlebag years ago to make it easier for me to carry things around, before I was good at levitation. But now that I don't really carry anything else in it anymore, they kinda forgot that I even have it. Sooooooo... I pretty much have a way to sneak things around for myself.

As for the rest of the morning, I split the time up into reading the textbook in my "secret corner", and lazing around in the break room watching Spongebob with the kids of some of the people here.

Seriously though, I still wonder why these guys are even allowed to let kids into a place where something regularly goes haywire. At least the break room and kids' room are both located on the far end of the software department. That way, anyone inside is far away from any potential disasters.

Oh yeah, and my secret corner's over there, too. It's not really a corner though. I just crawl under one of the big fluffy sofas there, since noone ever bothers to look under it.

Soon, lunch came around. Though at first it drew quite a few questioning glances, I'm perfectly fine with the notion of eating meat. In fact, just today, I had a nice cheese melt with rosemary-roasted chicken. Yum.

Once again though, after lunch, it got boring again. I sat around randomly in the lab, just kinda... staring at anyone who passed by. I don't really know what else happened after that, 'cause I fell asleep on the armrest of the couch.

Dinner came around, and I woke up to the smell of... hay.

Being a horse, (or at least, I think I'm a horse), I paid little mind on the fact that I was casually munching on hay while everyone else either ate take out, or left. Hay tastes pretty bland, if you ask me. It's kinda like chewing a stick mixed with grass.

---

A few hours later, once everyone left, I was once again completely alone in the lab. My lab.

I'm the lead scientist. I'm the assistants. I'm the Lab Horse, Gadget.

I take charge of my own life.

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

Does Gadget sound similar to Connie from Steven Universe?

[TheMajorTechie]

7748504 Idunno. I've never even watched that show before.

[Boulder]

How does a pony get 'under' a sofa? Or is it behind?

[TheMajorTechie]

7751178 Pony physics are quite similar to cat physics. Under the correct conditions, the bodies of both cats and ponies may have the ability to drastically shift shape, thereby acting almost as if it were a liquid.

[Boulder]

7751222 Like this then?
i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/998/050/ff6.gif

[TheMajorTechie]

7751260 yup.

[N4rwh41]

Wait, Gadget can wash herself and they still think she is of animal level intelligence? Even chimps aren't that smart. Other than that plothole, this is really good. Thanks for writing it!

[mastermenthe]

finally mustering the gut to read this

[Warrior Kitten]

Wait, so, this unicorn comes out of nowhere. Everyone ignores it. It gets tazed and taken away, somehow, and people still ignore it. Now it's in a lab and is allowed to roam freely, and people ignore it, and they let kids in, who ignore it!?

Everyone in this version of earth is blind and insane.

[Lancerlot]

Being a horse, (or at least, I think I'm a horse), I paid little mind on the fact that I was casually munching on hay while everyone else either ate take out, or left. Hay tastes pretty bland, if you ask me. It's kinda like chewing a stick mixed with grass.

Ponies need their fiber! Otherwise, they might get irregular.

And Gadget is trying very hard to be a perfectly regular little pony.

[TheMajorTechie]

8347928
Ye.

[SunflowerSwirl]

Seriously though, I still wonder why these guys are even allowed to let kids into a place where something regularly goes haywire. At least the break room and kids' room are both located on the far end of the software department. That way, anyone inside is far away from any potential disasters.

Was it safer 11 years ago? Just troubleshooting here.

[StarzGecko]

I haven’t read this in years so I wonder… is she at the SCP?