A Pony Among Humans and Robots

by DILLYbOd

Chapter 5

“No! How?! How I’m I this far?!”

John and Beta-012 watch Pinkie skim over a globe of the Earth. The ball bearings squeak as she spins the globe. Her large blue eyes stare frantically at the landmasses drawn on its hardened cardboard shell.

“I believe you may have been too blunt.” Beta-012 comments as it watches her play with her tail.

“You told me too,” John mutters to the droid.

“Clearly, that wasn’t the best thing to do.” Beta-012 looks at John. “She seems to be very unstable.”

“Wouldn’t you if you found yourself in an alien world?”

Beta-012 goes silent for a few short seconds. “No.”

John places a hand over his face and lets out a drawn-out sigh. “Of course,” He watches Wadsworth comfort her. “I think it is for the best we were blunt.” He grabs the droid and holds it close to his side. “Leading her on a fib would’ve not helped matters.”

“How is this helping matters?” Beta-012 points his optics towards Pinkie, who is biting her nails.

John sighs as he lets go of the droid. “What she described sounds like a wormhole. If she knows where she is, then maybe we can focus on the how and maybe make some new discoveries along the way.” He jabs his elbow against Beta-012. “Knowing you, you’d like that.”

Beta-012 grumbles. “Fine… But I suggest you console her before she has a mental breakdown.”

Seeing Pinkie staring at the North American landmass with tearful eyes, John places his hands in his pockets and wanders up to the mare and her Mr. Handy bot. “Are you feeling okay?”

“I can’t find it…” Pinkie runs her fingers against the globe’s bumpy texture. “I can’t find my home…” She stares at the state of California. “I can’t find Equestria…”

John stares at her three fingers. He takes out his right hand from his pant’s pocket and wiggles his four fingers, imagining what it would be like with only three. “I… I’m sorry.” It was strange to have felt her fingers back on the boat – furry fingers… strange. “Whatever brought you here sent you across the galaxy.” He sits opposite her, the globe covering part of his face.

Pinkie stares at the black dot representing San Francisco’s position in the world. “I guess, um, you could say I’m a space traveler…” She gives a small smile. “I’m the first of my kind to travel through space.” She lets out a laugh. “Without a ship.”

John smiles. “That’s one way to look at it.” He leans back and studies her some more. “Your mood seems to have improved rather quickly?”

Pinkie runs her fingers through her mane. “No sense in moping.” She sits down in her chair. “Mother taught my sisters and I not to let our worries get the best of us.”

John crosses his arms. “I know we didn’t speak much on the boat after I metaphorically dropped a brick on your head.”

“It was a dozy of a brick, my good sir.” Wadsworth hums a ditty.

Pinkie blushes. “Yeah… It was a shocker…”

John gives her a sheepish smirk. “But I’m sure you have a lot of questions about myself and my kind, and vice versa.”

“I have a lot of questions!” Beta-012 floats up to Pinkie and glares down at her.

“Let’s not overwhelm her now.” John glares back at the droid.

“It’s okay…” Pinkie holds up her hands. “It’s just curious about me…” The temperature around her cheeks increases. “Like I am about you?”

John feels his cheeks get hot and looks down at his feet, eyeing the sowed patterns on his shoes. ‘Why am I blushing?’ He fights his embarrassment and turns his attention back to her.

“Glad to hear.” Beta-012’s body lets off an audible hum. “What are you?”

Pinkie stares at the floating ball-shaped droid. “I told you I’m an earth pony.”

Beta-012’s body twitches. “Is your species the only intelligent one?”

Pinkie crosses her arms and tilts her chair back, resting her hooves on the table. “Nope, there is a butt load of different ‘intelligent’ creatures.”

Beta-012’s body twitches again. “How many?”

“Well…” Pinkie smirks. “There are Earth ponies, Unicorns, Pegasi, and Bat Ponies. Then there are Dragons, Griffins, Kirin, and Minitours.” She scratches her chin. “I could be missing some. My friend Twilight would know more about that particular subject.” She gives the droid a smile.

Beta-012 stays silent. Its eye dims and brightens in rapid succession before acknowledging her reply. “I… What is your government like…” Beta-012 hears Pinkie’s stomach growl.

“You hungry?” John raises his brow, “Forgive me for not asking you earlier?”

“No, it’s alright…” Pinkie’s cheeks flush even more when her stomach grumbles again. “What do you have to eat?”

John gives her a smile, which causes her to blush some more. “Let’s see what I have.” He walks up to a fridge in the far corner of the spacious office. “What do you like?”

-Two Hours Later-

John sits at his desk, his eyes glaring at the computer screen before him. He mulls through the report he’s written, the wall of text beams back at him. The harsh blue light of the monitor strains his eyes. He rubs them and glares right back at the screen with rejuvenated dullness.

“Oh…”

Hearing Beta-012 moaning, he rubs his eyes again and looks over at the distraught droid. “You okay?”

Beta-012’s gravity manipulators spin slowly, its optic flickers. “No…” Its base of its gravity manipulators spark. “Logic dictates that what she told us makes no sense!” Its body kisses the ground before rising again and mindlessly floats around in a circle. “It’s all fantasy!”

John watches his droid companion sob its complaints. He had to admit, what Pinkie told them of her homeworld, of her life back in Equestria seemed all so strange. Her world’s technologies, culture, and social hopes and woes were very similar to 1920’s Earth with many European and American undertones. Still, the odds of an alien civilization having similar cultural tones were astronomical, to say the least.

He glosses at his computer’s screen and glares at the report he’s written. He stares at the paragraph about Pinkie’s friends and family. The way she described them had saddened him for the hurt she felt. Not being able to see or talk to them. To let them know that you’re alright…

“Magic!” Beta-012 growls. “Magic is an illusion!”

Hearing metal against concrete, John looks down as sees Beta-012 sorrowfully grinding along the floor, its processes lost in logic-defying agony. ‘Don’t you worry Miss. Pinkie. Logic droids are normally temperamental…’ John smirks as he remembers Wadsworth’s comment.

He looks out his window and sees the duo standing by Alcatraz staff's old apartments during its operation. He watches Pinkie sip her hot chocolate as those large blue eyes of hers stare at the buildings with childlike wonder. He smiles as he turns his gaze back to his report. “I have to say, Beta, things are finally going to liven up here for the foreseeable future.” Beta-012 moans, making John’s smile grow.

---

Pinkie smacks her lips as she pulls the cup away from her lips. The hot chocolate’s taste is different from the one she had back on the train. Its notes were darker. She even tastes a hint of spice. Her tongue feels tingly, kind of like what cayenne pepper would do.

Placing the cup close to her chest, she looks up at one of the three apartment complexes that call Alcatraz Island home. John had told her that this place was once a maximin security prison at one point in its history. Once informed of the place, Wadsworth made it his mission to tell her everything he knew. Give her the old fashion tour he told her.

Giving her drink another sip, she catches up with Wadsworth, who’s hovering up to a section of the prison overlooking the Oakland side of the bay. “Where are we going?” She asks as she walks alongside him.

“Heading to the part of the island that was once a military fort,” Wadsworth explains. “The national park recreated one of the sections of the island to look like it did back in the late eighteen-hundreds, with the cannons and all trinkets to sell the display.”

Pinkie gives the droid a smile. Clearly, he’s enjoying giving her the tour of the place. She looks up at the towering prison complex on her left, casting its shadow over the part of the island she walks. So much history packed onto a small mound of dirt. A military fort, then a military prison, to maximum security prison, then a national landmark, Twilight would go nuts…

The thought of her friend saddens her.

She wonders what her friends are up to. If they noticed that she’s gone. If they’re looking for her. She wonders what her family is going through. She knows her mother would be crazy worried about her. Her father would be working overtime to keep her mother’s mind at ease. Her sisters, well. Maud would still be Maud. Calm and collected. Limestone, she wouldn’t show it, but she would be worried, and her twin, Marble, well, she might be even shyer and quieter if she could believe it.

She mindlessly follows Wadsworth as her mind begins to wander some more.

What was it that brought her here? She thinks back to her first night when she arrived on Earth. She remembers a flash of light in the center of town. The day was calm. She finished having a conversation with Derpy before heading back to the bakery when… A strong gust of wind blew through the town. The air got cold. Her fur stood on end…

She groans as she rubs her head.

“Is everything alright Miss, Pinkie?”

She sees his three optics looking at her with a worried expression. “I’m fine, Wadsworth, just thinking of my friends and family.”

Wadsworth’s eyes bob a little. “I understand. I do miss the Mister and Misses. And the little ones.” He places a clawed hand on her shoulder. “But I know I’ll see them again.” He pats her on the head. “And get you home safe and sound.”

Pinkie smiles. “Thanks.” She looks at the old cannons pointing towards the Oakland coastline. “Very impressive… Did the island see any fighting?” She walks up to one of the batteries and runs her hands along its bumpy surface.

“No, the main battles of the civil war were too far from California’s shores.”

Hearing the words ‘civil war’, Pinkie’s ears go flat. “Civil War?”

“Yes, The United States went through a civil war. The reasons for the war were many, but the main two were over federal government versus state government, and slavery.” Wadsworth states as he continues up the hill

Pinkie frowns as she follows after him. ‘Sounds like the story of Hearts Warming…’ She tells herself.

“What was that?” Wadsworth asks.

Not realizing she spoke out loud, she scratches the back of her head. “Heart Warming, it’s a little similar to this civil war.”

“Really?”

“Yes, a long time ago before Celestia and Luna started their rule over Equestria. The different races of ponies were divided into large tribes. Some of the tribes were united under racial lines, while others were more political or cultural.” She places her hands in her jacket's pockets. “From what I studied in school and from the play I put on with my friends, Ponies back then fought regularly over land and food. And it wasn’t uncommon for some tribes to take slaves.”

“So, this Hearts Warming is a celebration of that?” Wadsworth looks at her with a bewildered look.

She rolls her eyes. “No, you silly! Hearts Warming celebrates the unifying of the pony tribes and creating the nation of Equestria!”

“Did all the tribes unite?” Wadsworth keeps one eye on her as he guides them towards the northern part of the island.

“No, but they’re a lot different from the tribes of the past. They go by different names now…” Pinkie laughs. “I'm starting to sound like Twilight!” She giggles.

“How so?”

“Because she’s a walking encyclopedia!”

---

Sparks fly past John’s face. The bright arching jets from the welder cast his shadow on the wall behind him as the plasma’s light illuminates his workshop. Stopping, he lifts his welding mask and looks around the east wing of the cellblock. He always admired this spot. Proud of the work he did, knocking out some of the cell walls to open up space.

Popping his bubblegum, John looks down at the contraption he’s working on and looks at his welding job. “Not too bad.” Turning off the welder, he jumps down and walks around the five-foot-long and ten-foot-wide machine. Eyeing its display panel, he flips several switches. A low hum reverberates off the walls.

“Looks like I finally got you working again.” He watches several base supports rise up from its base and lock into place, leveling out the machine. Two large crane-looking appendages pop out from its frame and extend forward in front of a large LCD-screen on the machine’s face.

John eyes his weld lines on its arms. “Looks like they’re holding…” He flips a couple more switches, “There we go…”

Two white square-shaped eyes flash on the LCD-screen. They blink several times before looking at John. “Hello user, I’m a Tanikawan Data Compiler, here to serve your needs in logistical data sorting. Also, making certain operational functions of your facility are up to code given out by the ‘North American Board of Robotic Algorithmics.’” Its states in a deep robotic drawl.

“I know that DC…” John places a stick of red licorice in his mouth. “Operation code Delta-19-F5DRC2365.”

The machine’s screen goes black for a few seconds and comes to life with the same square eyes. “Hello, John. It seems I may have been out for a while.”

“You have DC… Had to make some repairs.” He sits down and opens a small boxy laptop. “How are your systems?”

“Yes, now I recall…” DC's internals let off several high-pitched beeps and chunky thuds. “Yes, everything seems to be normal.”

“Still connected to the island’s monitoring systems?” John skims over DC’s data being recalled onto his laptop’s screen.

“Yes, but…” Its square eyes squint. “I’m picking two unidentified lifeforms on the northern side of the island?”

John smirks. “Oh, they’re our new guests.” He edits a few lines of code. “They’re names are Pinkie and Wadsworth.”

“I take it Wadsworth is a Mr. Handy Bot.” DC states as it eyes the two through the cameras on the island. John only nods. DC focuses on Pinkie. Its processors hiss as it scans and categorizes her. “Strange, her facial features do not match normal human facial structure.”

John smirks. “Yeah… Don’t be shocked.” He looks at DC’s LCD-screen. “She’s an alien from another world.”

DC lets off auditable beeps. “Why aren’t you in a state of shock?”

John stares off into space. It was strange… Why wasn’t he more shocked. “To be honest, I have no clue?”

DC stares at him for a few seconds. “You might be suffering a mental breakdown?”

John rolls his eyes. “Beta would be the one suffering a mental breakdown.”

DC’s eyes move from side to side. “I see Beta-012 is repeatedly bumping into a wall in a depressed manner.”

“Yeah…” John adds a few more lines of code. “He’ll be fine.” Closing the laptop, he walks up to DC’s control panel on his left side. Sticking in a USB drive, he stares at the screen as several windows pop up. “What are Pinkie and Wadsworth up to?”

DC looks side to side once again. “They are near the Model Industries Building.”

John looks out the large iron-barred windows to his left and bites his inner cheek. “Is ADAM online?”

DC looks over at John. “Yes.”

John sees that the data stream is finished. Taking out the USB-drive, he walks out of Cellblock C towards the exit on the prison's eastern wing. “I’ll be back!”

---

Pinkie eyes the dilapidated structure of the Model Industries Building. The clouded glass that still remains in some of its windows adds an eerie atmosphere to the place. Timidly she follows Wadsworth to the entrance. “It’s sad seeing these buildings is such decay.” She mumbles as she looks at the rusty, crumbling concrete walls.

“Yes, it is…” Wadsworth hovers over to a wide glassless window overlooking the mouth of the bay. “But it's beautiful nonetheless.”

Pinkie watches the water crash up onto the rocks. The scent of seawater sends a chill down her back. She always liked the ocean. Even though she grew up nowhere near the sea. She would always head to the beaches of Manehattan and Baltimare. Looking at the building once again, she smiles. “I guess you’re right…”

Hearing a noise, Pinkie looks around; the fur on the back of her neck stands erect. “Did you hear that?”

Wadsworth turns around and looks at the dimly lit space. The hanging rebar and chunks of concrete scattered across the floor are unsettling. The faint dripping of water echoing off the walls is not helping matters. “I did…”

Pinkie stares to her immediate left. She strains her eyes. Her body goes stiff as she sees the pale-yellow glow of a single optical eye through the darkness. The light moves closer with the sounds of hydraulic hissing until what it's attached to comes into view.

Pinkie shivers as she lays eyes on a very dilapidated droid. “No…” She moans with a whisper. She recognizes its make and model. It’s the same as the Conductor back on the train.

The droid tilts its head and moves closer to them.

In a panic, Pinkie runs out of the building. “John! HELP US!” She yells. Looking back, she sees the droid is still making its way to her, its single optic never leaving her sight. “Help! OOF!” She bumps up against something soft. Instinctively she grabs onto whatever she ran into and closes her eyes.

“Um, are you okay?”

Hearing John’s voice, Pinkie’s eyes shoot open, and her cheeks flush with red. Letting go, she jumps away from John and stares up at him with flustered eyes. “Uh…” She looks back at the droid. She’s unnerved by its motionless but yet stern gaze. “No… It’s the…”

John lays a hand on her shoulder. “He’s not the Conductor.” He smiles. “He may look like him because they are the same model of droid.” He gently turns her around. “ADAM here is an ‘All-Purpose Utility and Service Droid.’”

Pinkie stares at ADAM, watching the apertures and lenses of his optical unit twist and turn. “Is he friendly?”

John shrugs his shoulders. “Eh? Sort of?”

Pinkie swallows a lump in her throat and walks up to ADAM. “Um, hello. Sorry for running away from you like that.” She holds out a hand. “I know that’s not a nice thing to do…”

John watches her with a smirk and raised brow. ‘She wasn’t kidding that her kind is easy to forgive.’ His smile leaves every so slightly. 'To easy...'

ADAM looks at her hand and focuses on its three fingers. His body makes a groan as he turns his attention to the rest of her. “What are you?” He asks, his robotic voice raspy and harsh, sounding like a chain-smoker.

“I’m an earth pony,” Pinkie states, her nervousness leaving.

ADAM looks her over before glaring at John. “Are my optical systems failing?”

“No, they’re not.” John crosses his arms as he walks up to him. “But if you would just let me fix you, maybe you can be back to your normal self.”

Pinkie’s ears go flat. “He’s hurt?” Of course, he is, it's evident from his rusted limbs, worn wires, and hoses, and the crack on the bottom edge of his eye. “Why won’t he let you fix him?”

John shrugs his shoulders again. “He won’t tell me?” He looks over the frail-looking droid. “Very stubborn.”

ADAM stares at John before looking back at Pinkie. Giving them a low growl, he wanders back into the dark.

Pinkie stares at the area where he disappeared. ‘I think he needs a friend?’ She tilts her head.

“So,” John looks at Pinkie. “How’s your tour of the place going so far?”

Pinkie breaks her thoughts on ADAM and looks up at John. “Going great!” She smiles. “Wadsworth’s been a great tour guide!”

“Thank you, Miss. Pinkie!” Wadsworth hums as he floats up to them. “If you’re ready, let's do the interior of the prison!”

John watches Wadsworth float up to the door he came out of. “Sounds like fun. Can I join?” He looks at Pinkie.

Pinkie giggles at his question. “Of course.” She feels her cheeks get hot.

“And after, I’ll cook us dinner…” John places his hands in his pockets. “Well, try at least.” Pinkie giggles at his expression. He laughs a little with her. “I guess we can make dinner go by smoother if we watch a movie with it.”

Pinkie raises her brow. “You have a movie theater?”

John shrugs his shoulders. “Sort of?” He walks up to the prison.

Pinkie follows after. “Well, I guess it's possible to get a large screen in here.” She scratches her head. “But don’t tell me you have a band living here? I mean, you’ll need them every time you watched a movie?!”

John raises his brow. “Band? Your movies are silent?”

“Well, yeah! What else would they be?” She gives him a weird look.

He laughs, which makes her confused. “Oh, wait till you see what our movies are like!”

Comments

[Time Reaper]

Ok then, so this was the calm after the storm, to give our characters time to know each other. Nice.

[DILLYbOd]

10709356
Yes, need to build it up before I drop the hammer so to speak... well more like a nuke... maybe...