He had expected a gathering of Ponyville's best. Putting out the word for the professionals he knew, Laud could see them there, wandering through the constructed stands of the market. But they were far from alone. Ponies of all ages and social standing were just as eagerly gawping at the human goods.
Perhaps they were just there to look? He could dare to hope...
"Laud." Twilight landed just beside him, her wings folding. "The children got it in their heads that they were 'human experts' after their visit to the other ship and they came running as soon as school was out." She pointed at Yona, who was having her measurements taken with a big happy smile. "And I see they're already here."
Laud let out a slow sigh at the sight. "If she's here to get a new bit of clothing, that's harmless. Speaking of that, where is Rarity?"
"Right here, Darling." She trotted up out of the crowd, approaching Laud with a smile. "How could I turn down such an invitation? Where are these 'exotic new fashions' and 'revolutionary threads?'"
Laud looked faintly relieved, nodding at Rarity. "Your student beat you to it." He pointed the way past Rarity, to where Yona was beside the clothing rack, a merchant busilly taking her measure. "It looks like she wants to update her wardrobe."
Rarity huffed at that, turning up her nose. "And she didn't come to me? Well, I suppose it can't be helped. I can't literally offer options that are 'out of this world' after all." She tittered as she began trotting over to have a look at the clothing Yona was already inspecting. "Time to see what this is all about."
Twilight nudged Laud with a barely extended wing. "You've made at least one pony's day. By the look of it, a lot of people are happy to be here." Her eyes wandered over the crowd and the goods being sold. "I'd actually like to have a look myself. I presume that's alright?"
Laud would have loved a reason to deny her, but not many came to mind that didn't ring hollow. His wife was both nobility and educated. She was exactly the kind of pony he could not deny. "Let's look together," he suggested with a soft sweep of a hand, inviting her to go first.
"How thoughtful!" She pranced ahead with a big smile. "Yes, let's. By the way, have you seen Spike?"
"He is here." He followed after her, eyes wandering in search of trouble. "He agreed to help me watch over things. As a squire he has thus far proven capable and trustworthy."
"That is g--what is this?" She veered quite sharply, eyes locked on a glowing energy blade. "I thought you said you had no magic. What do you call this?!"
Elsewhere in the crowd, Spike meandered, watching the people of Ponyville browsing the human goods. "How do they change colors?" came the haughty voice of a young Diamond Tiara.
A human merchant plucked up the small webbing of lights, attached by something thin and clear. "A bit of human magic. Now, watch this." His voice echoed, human tongue and pony tongue. It seemed they were all equipped with translators. He reached for Diamond and worked the webbing into her tiara. Soon her tiara was doing the glowing, changing colors and sparkling visibly.
Diamond grinned up at her enhanced headwear. "I like it! But will it glow all the time now?"
"Oh, no. With this--" He held up a small remote control. "--you can change the rate of the color change, select a specific color, make it brighter or dimmer, or just turn it off entirely. You can be exactly as glamorous as you want to be."
Diamond sat on her haunches and reached, snatching away the remote to peer at it a moment before she brought down a hoof to press on the big knob and slowly turn it, making her tiara's glowing change wildly as she played with it. "What do you think?"
"I think it's, like, pretty nice." Silver Spoon nodded quickly, eyes sparkling almost as much as the tiara on her friend's head. "Are you gonna get it?"
Spike emerged from the crowd. "That's interesting. How long will it glow?"
"Years," assured the human. "And when its power fades, or you get tired of it, it can be removed as easily as I put it in." Fortunately, the crowd wore collars as well, which also limited the number of ponies that could visit at once. There were only so many collars to go around, and not being understood would have put a damper on things. "What do you think, m'lady? Fine enough for a discerning eye?"
"Well..." Diamond Tiara tilted her head left and right slowly, her eyes upwards to examine her tiara. "Let's see it... off." She turned it all the way to the left and with a soft click, the glowing faded. "Mmm, I can still see it, but it's not... too bad..." She pointed at the merchant. "Randolph, see to this human's needs."
The old earth pony stepped forward with a bowed head before reaching back and producing a jingling bag of bits.
Spike left them to their haggling, spotting something more worrisome. He scampered over to find Button Mash gawping at a laser pistol.
"It's just like in Return of the Farnanojuns!" he gasped, reaching out his hooves for the technological device. "Does it fire death rays, or is it fiery destruction?"
The merchant smiled down at the colt. "More of the second. A thin beam of scorching hot light."
"Sweet! Can I try it?" He hefted it up lightly, turning it around in his hooves with an awed look.
"Button, you have no need for that," sternly dissuaded Spike, crossing his arms as he closed in. "Hey, do you have any games?"
The merchant scowled at the interruption, but that faded at the new request. "What manner of game?"
"Videogames!" blurted Button, setting the pistol down as if it had lost all interest. "You must! Show me!"
He looked disarmed a moment, putting up a hand before it fell. "Wait, could you define 'videogame' to me? The translator is not doing a good job with that word."
Button reared up, his forehooves on the counter as he leaned in with a big grin. "It's a flat screen with action and adventure! You play it with a joystick." He made vague motions with his right hoof, trying to impress the idea. "You go for a high score, or just to beat the game. C'mon. You're space people. You have to have awesome videogames!"
The man looked thoughtful a moment before it clicked. "One moment." He whistled sharply and another human approached rapidly. They exchanged quiet words, their hands over their collar to prevent them from hearing and repeating their words loudly.
The second nodded and strode away purposefully. The first turned back to Button. "I'm sending for what I think will interest you. Now... what do you have to trade?"
Button's ears fell a moment before they perked right back up. "I can trade you my videogames. They're new to you, but old to me. That's fair, right? Hold on a moment. I'll be right back!" He dashed off in a wild gallop towards the entrance of the landing pad, his propeller beanie spinning wildly in the motion.
Spike shook his head slowly. "He'll be back with his wagon I bet, so, what are you going to show him?"
"A computer." He tapped the counter lightly. "A small one we could trade away at the right price."
Spike squinted a bit, that word, Computer, did not have a clean translation to Ponish. "A what now?"
"You will see shortly." His eyes fell to Spike's training sword at his hip. "Are you a local guard, or another child come to gawk?"
"I'm a squire." He puffed out his chest. "I am Spike, of the Sparkle family, squire of Laud Mountbatten, of the Hawkwoods."
The merchant stood up straight, clearly affected by the announcement. "Nice to meet you, Sir. As you can see, we've kept everything on the level."
Spike inclined his head faintly. "Don't sell him that laser. He could literally do nothing with it but hurt himself or others. Let's see that 'computer' of yours."
"Did you say computer?" Twilight appeared as if from nowhere, emerging from the crowd. Her command of the word was clearly superior, using a Ponish word Spike had heard of only once or twice, and the collar did not know how to translate.
"Oh that computer!" he blurted, getting it. "Like the ones past the mirror? You have those?!"
Laud came into view, just moments after Twilight. "Ah, Spike. I trust things have been going well?"
"Huh? Hey Laud!" He snapped a sharp salute. "All clear! I was just inspecting a computer before Button Mash could buy it, to make sure it was safe for the little colt."
The merchant shrugged softly at that. "Unless he has it in mind to bludgeon someone with it, a computer can cause little harm on its own. Since you understand the word, I assume you are not superstitious of it?"
Twilight's wings went wide. "What? No. I want to see it! Tell me you have at least two. I'd feel bad taking the only one if Button really had his heart set on it."
Spike pointed towards the exit. "He ran off to get his videogames to trade for it."
The merchant smiled at Twilight. "Since you understand the word, perhaps you could confirm that I've arrived at the correct assumption of what a 'videogame' is?"
"It's an entertainment device," helpfully replied Twilight. "Local models are not run on computers, however. But they can be." She had seen at least one, being played by the human six. "Do you have such things?"
"I'm getting that right now." The one that had been sent off was just returning, putting a small rectangular object in his hands. "Thank you." He set it on the counter and unfolded it, revealing a keyboard of things to press, all in the human language. "A portable computer."
Laud let out a low whistle. "That cannot be cheap."
"Nothing we sell is 'cheap', but if you mean it commands a premium price, you would be correct." He ran his fingers along the upper edge of it gently. "As you are well aware, only a select few guilds have the means to even repair these works of art, let alone make new ones."
"And here you are, willing to sell one to aliens you've just met?"
"And why wouldn't I?" He rolled a hand towards Twilight. "The lady here looks like she would treat it with the greatest of care."
"I would!" she blurted without delay, eyes locked on the device. "What... programs--" the translation was confused, the term for a computer program not known and coming through more as 'plans'. "--does this have?"
Fortunately, the merchant seemed to piece the meaning together. "It can hold your words, do your math..." He reached around and soon was showing off its basic utilities, a word processing application, a spreadsheet app. "And of more interest to the young one, a few games." They were not grand adventures, nothing more involved than minesweeper. "With an available network, it can communicate with others of its kind."
Twilight suddenly looked towards Spike. "Letters without sending them through dragons. Can you imagine it?"
Spike snorted softly, eyes rolling dramatically. "Sign me up. But what do you mean 'network'?"
A sudden explosion brought them all to their knees. Surprised shouts and yelps echoed from the marketplace, smoke rising from one of the stands where countless eyes rested, wondering what had just happened.
Laud abandoned the haggling entirely, charging towards the danger without pause. Spike looked around as he stood up. "W-wait!" He dashed after Laud, lifting into the air on his still new wings. "What happened?!"
Many others had the same question.
Minesweeper? They're a space-faring civilization and all they have to offer is minesweeper? What the zog?
9803286
Their cultural advancement, especially in regards to high tech things, is anemic. The vast majority of their population thinks a computer is a strange and dangerous thing. This does not open up video game industries.
Can you guess what will happen?
9803300
Either Button makes a fortune with his innovative and revolutionary new advances, or he's accused of tech-heresy.
Edit: Or both.
9803286
Don't you know? Any game where you take control of an avatar is but a temptation of the foulest of demons. They tempt you with this virtual control, and plant a desire in you to take for yourself the mantle of God. Because the one true God... yeah he loves you and all, but obviously he commands your absolute respect, doesn't trust you to think for yourself, and sentences you to eternal torment if you step out of line. Never forget that he loves you, though.
...okay, that was a tangent. Yeah I wouldn't be surprised if the bit about avatar video games was accurate, and the church erased them all as 'the devil's work'. It was a joke, but I honestly wouldn't be surprised.
9803306
Aw c'mon man, don't start that mess up again, it only just calmed down.
Crusaders happened obviously. Either them or Trixie.
If all the merchant can offer is something capable of ofice work and minesweeper, at a premium price, then Sunset Shimmer coming over with saddlebags of Smartphones, Wifi Routers and laptops would cause the Church to declare Immediate Exterminatus? or at the very least, Excommunicadus?
You guys only seem to be used to PCs in the limited sense of IBM, Apple, ARM/Pi etc.
To me the entire show consists of in jokes and shoutouts to the computer that pretty much started the buisness, and has been effectively erased from history.
Then again, the UK games industry was only a fraction of total global sales, so any single platform that had more games than all other platforms combined could easily be lost to time.
Button wants games, but not too advanced?
Team 17, Psygnosis, Bitmap Brothers... Wish I had my big list easily to hand.
As for the explosion?
The CMC tried a Sodastream?
The Crusaders pulled the funny-looking tag off the pineapple shaped egg, known as a grenade
9803286
The Fading Suns universe fell HARD and almost lost all of it's tech. The Church of the Pancreator claims any technology more advanced than a pully is an act of the devil. The Nobles and certain guilds claim the right to use and repair that technology, but they are often curtailed both by the loss of knowledge and the outright destruction of tech by the church.
9803430
It's an actual, literal miracle they can travel the stars in that case.
9803480
Not really if you consider that it is partly enforced by the guilds. They control all the monopolies and for example the pilots of the ships ALL belong to the Charioteer guild. Some people know how to build something and they keep it all separated.
9803554
Except that large, long-duration vessels require the integration of multiple, highly complex systems. Keeping everything separate is a recipe for everything falling apart, or requiring so much manpower that the thing is unmanageably huge. Which is why I called it a miracle.
9803377
I wonder actually how the humans would respond to the mirror world's technology.
9803377
Which should remind me of imporeting the classics -Mostly Nintendo Stuff, I wiouldn't want to corrupt my ponies with Sonic Garbage or the Bullshit Sony let's the devs publish if possible...
9803430
The public launch of this particular system, was done on the human hand built prototype.
Its pure concidence that it looked like three standing monoliths surrounding a tabular sarcophagus.
The system is now available as interpreted script, online. And its more than capable of flying the Shuttle.
9803377
I don't think they *can* bring tech through the portal? It seems to have a heavy filter on it that even changes peoples' species.
9803377
With the most of modern videogame for PC entertainment requiring an online network to even download those games to function, I wouldn't be surprised if their state of the art computers would feel really basic in what they can do. A trial run of word processor, spreadsheets, a few basic games, ability to network is a perfect description of everyday computer today.
There is another thing: you better hope that alien OS system is compatible with your local Apple OS or something like that.
9803729
It was built by the insane, guided by the paw of Dog, and was powered by CAOS.
The Apple Mac Emulator for it, ran Mac software faster than the identical Mac.
Ive heard rumors that even now, 30 years later, certain Linux software runs faster on the Windows Emulator of this system than it does natively on the Linux system.
It doesnt make any sense.
What point is there in making sense.
"LEt's see it... off."
"Let's see it... off."?
"the fading glowed."
"the glowing faded."?
"just moments before Twilight"
"just moments after Twilight"?
9803804
I blame the translators, adding typos to my perfectly spoken words.
9803587
Hey hey, Sonic was great back in the day! Just a more spotty road since then. Unleashed, Colors, and Mania are all considered pretty great too you know (minus Werehog of course).
Sony has some greats too: Crash, Spyro, Sly Cooper, Ratchet and Clank (on second thought, they might not be ready for games centered around guns), Ape Escape, Kingdom Hearts, and many more!
What they really need to stay away from are the Xbox offerings, only one game I consider "great" hasn't been found elsewhere, and most disagree with my opinion of Nuts and Bolts...
9803877
To me, sanic will FUREVUR!!!!! (Note the 5 ! For extra hump) be the enemy... Project X Zone has shown me that I do enjoy the non Sanic Sega catalog.
Regarding SONY... Well, they are the cause of the cancer plaguing the industry since they bumped into it in a Flim Flam worthy effort of most profit. To "avoid becoming Nintendo" they let that any garbage could be published on their only 4 gaming devices, which ended up making the esrb job harder...
But that's just me...
As for B. M. Mash, just get him a copy of Age of empires and he'll be forever lost... Same with T. S. Sparkel
9803286
I could've offer them game cartridges from an Atari 2600. Once upon a time that is.
they sound like they got old laptops that were refurbished.
Trixie shopping for fireworks, but it was translated as explosives, and she decided to test a C4 sparkler?
9803831
Heh. :)
Merchant, control your merchandise!
9803729
Belatedly, but there is no local OS for it to be compatible with, this side of S.M.I.L.E. agents.
You know, considering they could duplicate the translators, they could probably making a killing with the merchants by duplicating the stuff and giving them more back.
While of course that would carry the risk of the merchants trying shading things to get their hands on them, it would also encourage them to at least openly have good relations with them.
Reminds me of a phone than a computer, either that what it is and the name and purpose changed overtime, or something else entirely.
Wow, Minesweeper! What's next, Chip's Challenge? Solitaire? How about Super Mario Bros 2?
camo.fimfiction.net/kQWBCMe5GQqkkGeVg3HkTBdcbLQYy9tby21-o4t5qeI?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.wikia.nocookie.net%2Fmlpfanart%2Fimages%2Fa%2Fad%2FTrollestia_trolls_Luna.gif%2Frevision%2Flatest%3Fcb%3D20120424165303
I love finding places to post that gif!!