Chapter 51: Second Subject
Kyle was in a daze. For a moment, she'd almost had what she had wanted since this nightmare began. It was so close, close enough to force her up against thoughts she'd rather keep buried.
Then came the screams to snatch away her victory. There was a second experiment? She'd fallen for the same stupid trick twice. Almost as though briefly restoring her humanity had been an inconvenience to get her away from Fay.
You better not have hurt them...
Of course, it wasn't the child she heard screaming. This voice was a stranger. He wasn't calming down, even as the seconds passed. Though he was getting further away.
Kyle struggled to her hooves, and this time managed a few steps before she nearly tripped. Her brain expected joints to bend in ways they didn't. But she'd been doing this for months. A little persistence, and she was moving again. As long as she took her steps slowly, she could do it without falling over.
She stumbled out into the hall, just in time to see what had happened in her absence.
Another creature—another pony, was being dragged from the hall. This one was male, with a white coat and blue mane. Scraps of torn cloth clung to his chest and legs. A dozen of Grandfather's men shepherded him out, dragging him along a heavy stretcher with grunts and shoving. He was only a little bigger than Kyle, but that translated to far too heavy for a single human to move. He probably weighed half a ton.
He seemed to notice her watching, and his head swiveled towards her, eyes wild and half-glazed. Sedatives, maybe? He didn't have wings, though there was a horn poking from his head.
"Not what she said..." he mumbled. "Pounding in my head. Why so small..." Then he was gone, dragged out through the still-open office door. The base beyond looked barely large enough to accommodate a creature like him. They were going to have a hard time with that stretcher.
Akiko came hurrying from the same direction, along with several more assistants. These all wore white, carrying an apparatus of metal and crystal between them. More magic, though this one was visibly glowing with heat near the tip of the spider-like contraption.
"Sorry about him," she said, as though she'd spilled Kyle's drink. "That was far more dramatic than anticipated. We didn't think he would be conscious."
"You were..." Kyle's nostrils flared, and she found herself pawing at the crystal floor. She didn't do anything, but she wanted to. "You agreed to test me. You shouldn't have anything happening in there. Kara and Fay aren't part of it."
The crew didn't stop, barely even looked at her. But Akiko hesitated there, expression more confused than abashed. She didn't even have the decency to seem ashamed. "They were unconscious for most of it," Akiko said. "I told you we were expediting the process. That means direct intervention. We need a subject who isn't the grandchild of our employer. Now we have one."
She turned to go, striding back the way she came. Kyle considered her little attacking spell for a few more seconds—but ultimately something else was more pressing. She turned, and half galloped, half tripped her way back to where Kara and Fay should've been.
She found them both there, splayed out on the fake grass. Well, Kara was. Fay was restrained in a heavy padded basket, almost like a crib. Except that it was way too big to hold a human child. From the faint melted patches in the plastic grass, it looked like the apparatus had been positioned around her, so that its focus would be aimed squarely at the child below.
Kara moaned from the floor, rolling onto her side to look up at Kyle. "Tried, sis," she whispered. "There were so many. I didn't know what to do." She struggled to her hooves, but her limbs weren't responding well. They twitched and spasmed under her, but she managed to stay standing.
Fay was obviously hit harder. Her eyes remained half open, and her wings twitched a little. Kyle levitated her out of her restraints, resting her up against her chest. She felt cold, drained. She might not be drugged at all. Every time she changed anyone, it took magic.
"What happened, Kara?" she asked. Not angry—this wasn't her sister's fault. Akiko had done this. But at Edgar's request, or in spite of it? She could already guess at the answer, but it would be better to hear Kara out for herself.
"After you went into the bedroom with Akiko, this whole crew showed up. Sprayed us with this... gas. Don't know what it was. Hit the baby harder than me. Then they dragged over this guy, wrapped in a blanket. I couldn't get a good view, but I think they had a gun to him. Not sure. He wasn't happy about it."
Kyle nodded. There was no need to guess about who that was.
"He did something, and the machine... zapped her?" She nodded towards Fay. "She didn't seem to like it, but it didn't last for long. Just a second. Did you see what happened to the guy?"
Kyle nodded. "Guess there are guys of whatever we are. I know I shouldn't be surprised."
She stroked the baby with a wing, then turned her over to search for injuries. The zap Kara described must've been a magical phenomenon, because she wasn't burned.
Kara leaned in close, having to stretch to reach Kyle's ears. "I don't feel safe here anymore, Kyle. The cameras were creepy, but this is too far. We have to get out."
She was silent for a long time, thinking over her response carefully. She rested the baby up against her chest one last time, then settled her on her back. Clearly she couldn't leave the infant unattended again. Grandpa's employees couldn't be trusted to keep his word.
"Akiko has a cure," she blurted. "It's still in the early stages, but it works. That's what she came here to test. The reason I was distracted." She leaned forward, hugging her sister in the pony way. It helped, but also served to remind her of what she wasn't. Human hugs were just better.
"She... what?" Kara tilted her head to the side, pulling away to stare. She wasn't whispering anymore either. "You don't look human to me. Early or otherwise."
"It's not that kind of cure. It's how she said—a magical prosthetic. While you're wearing it, you're human. First it was just about seeing if it worked at all. Now that she knows it does, she'll make it small enough to wear comfortably. After that, we can decide how we'll look. Then we're... cured. At least enough that we can have normal lives again."
"Seems like she could skip that last step. She has our old pictures. That's how we'll look, obviously."
"Obviously," Kyle repeated, without enthusiasm. She shifted her shoulders, settling the resting infant more comfortably across her back. At this rate, the poor child was going to end up traumatized.
"I feel like nobody's being honest with us," Kara muttered, slumping onto her haunches in the grass. "Grandpa says no more messing with Fay, then they use her to power a machine. Monday gives you all that magic, but doesn't bother mentioning that there might be a treatment that's easy enough to build that Akiko threw it together in a week."
Kyle nodded. "I was ready to trust her, except for this." She flicked her tail towards the baby. "I can't let them do this to her. She's a baby, she didn't do anything!"
"Except ruin our lives," Kara whispered. "Not her fault, I know. Don't look at me like that. I'm not mad at her exactly. I want to be mad at you for taking her in... but if you hadn't, she might've been eaten by coyotes. Or worse, exploded the whole town. Anyway, it wasn't either of you who ruined my life. It was his people." She glared up at the stony ceiling, probably searching out one of the hidden cameras.
It wasn't a conversation they should be having out in the open. "What do we do?" Kyle asked. "If we could leave, we'd be giving up... a cure, maybe. Or at least a treatment. But that guy's face..."
She shuddered, imagining what might be waiting for that stranger. There was now a third person suffering the same fate as they were, though like Kara he'd been changed less by the experience. It was hard not to feel a sense of kinship for him, though she doubted he'd share it.
He might know that he was changed to help us. When Grandpa was being nice, it was easy to forget the kind of person he really was. There's a reason Dad didn't want him to be part of our lives. There's a reason we ran.
How hard had it been for her parents to turn down a comfortable life in exchange for ignoring the source of that comfort? Now her and Kara had to answer the same question. Stay and take the cure, or run away from the one who might make them human again.
They didn't talk about it again, not until they were back in the bedroom, ostensibly so Kyle could lay the baby down to rest. There, far from the cameras and behind a locked door, she felt a little better finally having that conversation.
"I think we should start planning to escape," Kara said. "I don't know if we'll need to. But if we just try to break out without thinking, we'll get caught and stopped right away. It's time to pay attention to the security, start saving supplies... Pretty sure I remember Dad saying that Edmonton is close enough."
Kyle lifted a thin blanket over the baby, then turned. "If we run and people find us, either the ones Monday was talking about will catch us, or the government will. The only way to stay free is to hide. But we can't hide anywhere near here without someone finding us. We're huge, they could probably fly a helicopter with a thermal camera and see us from miles away."
Her sister grunted in dissatisfaction, pawing at the floor. "Don't try to tell me it's hopeless, Kyle. You're not going down that route again. I know I couldn't help you through high school very well, but we're getting through this together. You don't have to curl up and accept it when the world shits all over you. Stop with the reasons why we can't."
Kyle glared in response. Partially because she was getting louder, though that wasn't the only reason. "That doesn't make any of it less true. I'm not saying we give up and stay here. Just that we need to know what we're doing. We might have help coming. Monday..."
Her mysterious teacher had seemed infallible before today. But not even mentioning a prosthetic, that damaged her credibility a little. She did say people would be looking for me, that I couldn't trust them. I was a resource they would want for themselves, just like Fay. Maybe she was just talking about herself.
She was trusting someone she'd met on a shady internet forum to save her family.
Someone who taught me to fight, who gave me the tools to fend for myself and encouraged me to figure them out as quick as I could. Wouldn't someone trying to catch us want me weak and clueless?
"I think we can try to talk to Grandpa, one last time," Kara said. "We set our boundaries and see if he can keep his people in line. If we can hold out long enough to get your cure, then we can run the old way. If we get one for Fay, I could pretend she's mine. I don't know... where we could hide. Maybe tell the Canadians we were trafficked. I dunno."
It wasn't a plan, exactly. But it was the start of something. That would have to be enough.
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now it is either run or risk her sister and fay
It is already too late.
10493961
If the communication was occurring over a secure protocol that is, unless they're listening in at the ISP level or have the server/client's private key
Oh boy. Everything's coming to a very uncomfortable head. The question isn't whether this is going to be a mess once Twilight and company arrive at that compound, but how much of one.
Things will continue getting worse for them until they leave. But... perhaps Twilight and Co will show up sooner.
10502219
I am beginning to wonder if this will be one of those rare stories with a genuine bad ending. The other story going on at the same time, hour of twilight has similar concerns.
Not that there is anything wrong with the occasional story having everyone lose, or the villian winning. Some of the plot armor in today's stories has eroded away with the end of MLP fim on TV.
The plan to get another test subject seems like an incredibly naive and stupid idea, even from a criminal organization being downright unscrupulous. They know how potentially powerful Kyle is, and they just threatened this man at gunpoint. If he ended up being magically powerful, that could backfire mightily for them.
I mean, the only real way to return you to your normal human form would be to funnel all that Alicorn magic out of you, possibly into an artifact of some sort, like the Alicorn Amulet, so that it won’t revert you back to pony princess within a few hours/days after becoming regular human Kyle again.
Kara’s should be simpler, but it would still be difficult for Twilight to make a permanent Transformation spell for them both. Discord does sound like the only chance they have at normality.
Knew the old man was sketchy as hell. Man the best thing they could do is just escape to Equestria, abd live the rest of their lives there instead of a cage on earth.
Yep, evil. But why are none of them drawing the conclusion about the “prosthetic?” Equivalent exchange—they just put the magic onto someone else. Obviously that’s why Monday wouldn’t suggest it with the cost.
Seems Kyle hasn't quite finished putting one and three together. If she knew the full facts she probably wouldn't be harping on Monday about not telling her about this potential "solution".
You know, for some reason we thought Monday was a guy. Now to wait for the R expected response "most guys do". 😇
Keep going! ;)
its just like the canon human twilight, she wants that powerfull magic no matter how and what.
the only thing stopping her from useing the kids is the scarry granpa
i so want candance to find out just what all has happened.
Even at the beginning of the story, Kyle was vibing trans. Last chapter, she was clearly hoping to be more like her sister. I think she's an egg, guys.
Also surprise the shady magical mafia their grandfather runs is shitty! Who saw this coming?! :D
Where they really, and inexcusably fouled up, especially knowing that there has been another pony sighting from the news, was in letting Kyle know they turned someone into a pony. That information should have been kept from him/her at all costs.
In every case from if Kyle decides he/she wants to intervene to Kyle encountering Equestrians and letting them know there is another pony here, to even letting Monday or the Watchers know. I mean Kyle could be captured by watchers and would now be able to tell them Grandpa is harboring another pony. This will make them react in a stronger manner.
10502371
some could argue that Equestria girls mirror has the keys to Kyle problems (it is cannon it can change an alicorn into a human), of course assuming that "key" doesn´t eat as many resources as the mirror itself or some other problem like that
I trust Monday. Clearly the grandfather doesn't care about the means to the end.
Glad to see the man not turned into a horse-man monstrosity. Our Earth Equestrian Empire now has a native population of 3.
Don't know if it's worth trying to talk to Edgar one more time. He didn't respect your wishes the first time. Every action taken so far clearly has his blessing.
Honestly wouldn't mind Cadance bringing the hurt to these A-holes. Edgar and Akiko especially.
Everything seemed to point at you and the rest of the family being angry at Kyle. Such is the fate of the less favored child.
Hopefully, you'll run into Twilight. Best not to let Cadance hear about the evil experiments.
10502487
Equivalent Exchange, good point.
Called it. That's all I have to say.
Edgar is an inconsiderate prick and his employees are insane. Great job!
I knew we were going to get more accidental ponies before everything was over.
Holy shit it wasn't accidental.
Hold that thought.
Did Flurry create a Shining Armor analogue?
10513683
Well! Actually, I would, under certain circumstances. After all, theologically speaking, a golem is a created form of life in Jewish kabbalah, in essence a rabbi mimicking God's creation. Golems, while they were kind of obedient, were also self-willed and very capable of making their own decisions, usually in service to their community. In a sense, you might view them more as a precursor to Frankenstein rather than robots.
Soul jar feels less apt by comparison.
10513708
Yet you still have to make the distinction between an AI and an Upload, or Golem and a Soul Jar as the case may be here. The two are different things. While convergent in existence, they arise from different sources.
Honestly, I think this is a case of not having the language to describe things yet.
Though, yes, Soul Jar is a bit of a... bleh name, the term Golem however, especially given the original source, is simply incorrect. If there was a myth where a human was turned into a statue or something yet remained 'alive', whatever term they used for that would be more accurate, though I don't know any myself.
I'd think Soul Jar would be one of those catch-all terms that, while not exactly correct to use in this specific situation, isn't incorrect either and probably used due to an ignorance of the actual term. Monday sounds more like a casual dabbler than a true magical scientist like Akiko after all.
Personally, Soul Jar sounds more like a prison than anything.
"Maybe tell the Canadians we were trafficked. I dunno."
Oh, I'd pay cash money to see that conversation with a Canadian Mounty and two talking horses.
10528520
She did say "If we can hold out long enough to get your cure, then we can run the old way.", so they'd look human and not ponies.