Chapter 9
Caleb woke to a pressing need to empty his bladder. As the events of the previous evening slowly trickled back into his brain, the sheer amount of coffee he had consumed was obviously the culprit. However, he wondered why he hadn’t used the toilet before going to bed. Then he realized that he couldn’t recall going up to his room, let alone preparing to sleep. Solving that puzzle would have to wait though. He began to extricate himself from the covers when he felt something pull him back.
“No-o-o… don’t go-o-o,” murmured a sleepy but familiar voice.
Suddenly, Caleb was wide awake and he glanced over his shoulder to see Willow beside him, one foreleg draped over his torso and a relaxed smile on her face. The mare had been asleep until his movement prompted her to pull him back into the comfortable snuggle. And when an earth pony wanted to hold you in place, you knew it!
“What the hell? What are you doing in bed with me, Willow?”
The earth pony’s eyes opened and focused on the human. “Hmmm? Oh. Good morning, Caleb.”
“Don’t ‘good morning’ me – why are you here in bed again?”
“Dunno. Last I remember was Princess Twilight droning on about… something. Nice place to wake up though.”
The events of the previous night came back and Caleb figured he’d passed out there too. “That doesn’t explain why we’re both here in bed together now.” He sat up and realized something else. “And I’m naked again! What’s with you ponies wanting to strip me nude all the time?!” He grabbed a pillow to cover himself as he stood up and headed for the bathroom. The answers could wait – his bladder could not.
“Why would you want to wear clothes to bed?” Willow retorted before he closed the door behind him.
As Caleb relieved himself, he considered her question. Frankly, he didn’t have a good answer. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t slept nude on hot nights, but that was by himself. And that did not even include the times he’d had sex with girlfriends. But it was a whole different scenario waking up to a pony whom he’d known for just a couple of days. The strange thing was that she seemed to think that there was nothing unusual about it. She had smiled when she greeted him this morning. Were all ponies like her or was she some weirdo with a kink for sleeping with other species?
Caleb decided that he needed to have a shower. Upon exiting to dry off, he saw his clothes piled neatly on the vanity. Willow must have brought them in without him noticing. That left him more confused. She considered clothes to be unnecessary but she had been thoughtful enough of his preferences to bring them to him. He sighed. He was never going to figure out females, even if they were another species.
When he emerged from the bathroom, He found Willow brushing her mane in front of the mirror. “The bathroom’s yours now,” he told her.
“Thanks,” she replied with a bright smile before heading there.
Caleb chose to put aside the incident. Willow seemed happier and more cheerful than ever and he was being the grouch about it. She had told him that ponies were very social creatures, so it wasn’t as if he hadn’t been warned. Besides, if they had both fallen asleep on the sofa last night, then it was fairly obvious who was responsible for bedding them both. He wondered how Twilight had taken off his clothes without waking him though. Then he groaned. Another mare had seen him fully naked. Who was next? Prince Mark’s wives? Maybe he should start selling tickets – Come see the amazing human! Watch as he puts on clothes for your titillation! Gaze in amazement as no mare allows him to undress himself!
The return of Willow dragged his thoughts away from that silliness. “Not taking a shower?” he asked.
“Nah, I’m okay. I’m hungry though. Let’s get us some breakfast.”
The man had to agree and they were soon on their way to the dining room.
To Caleb’s surprise, he found Vectrix there. The changeling grinned and said, “Good morning. I was wondering when you two would show up.”
“No alarm clock, so I slept until nature called,” the man replied as he seated himself at the table.
“Fair enough. You’re not on any schedule yet, although that might change once you sign that contract.”
“Where’s Twilight and Spike?”
“Princess Twilight has Day Court duties this morning, and Spike left to open the library.”
As Willow sat beside the human, she said, “I suppose that you’re here to bring Caleb to Prince Mark?”
“Yep, although I’ll still be helping both of you for the foreseeable future.”
The conversation paused while a maid came over to get the breakfast orders from the two. When that was done, Willow resumed her chat.
“What I want to know is why you in particular? You told me a lot about your task yesterday but why couldn’t that have been done by a pony, for example?”
“Changelings have resources that other species don’t. Besides, he already has you. As for why me in particular, you saw some of it yesterday, but it’s mainly because I’m not bonded.”
“What do you mean by that?” Caleb asked with a frown.
“Many of my generation of changelings of the Canterlot Hive form bonds with other species – ponies in particular. You will find quite a few of them paired with Royal Guards, for example, and several of the palace staff members have changeling partners. However, those drones are focused on the wellbeing of the one with whom they’ve bonded, whereas I’m open to the needs of others – in this case, you.”
“You want to bond with him,” Willow accused.
“A bond can’t be forced,” Vectrix retorted. “Queen Chrysalis chose me for the job because she determined that I was the best fit for the task, and that means that Caleb and I have the potential to form a bond. I can’t say that I am averse to that, but don’t make it sound like a conspiracy. We changelings have been doing this kind of thing for years with the approval of the Triarchy. Shards! Even one of Prince Mark’s daughters has a bonded partner. They’re inseparable. If it happens to us, I’d be delighted because it has benefits for both parties.”
Caleb said, “Yeah, I’ve seen what Lacewing and Allura can do. You and I are going to have a long talk about those supposed benefits later. Right now, the food’s here and I’m hungry.”
The man took his time because he didn’t have an appointment to keep and Vectrix didn’t try to hurry him. So it was about half an hour later before the three headed to Canterlot.
Chrysalis was not in the outer office this time, but the yellow earth pony secretary stationed there told Caleb to knock on the Prince’s door and go right in as he was expected. Mark looked up from the paperwork he was working on and put it aside upon recognizing Caleb. The alicorn got up from his chair to meet the human with a raised hoof which the man shook.
“I’m guessing that you’re happy with the contract?” Mark asked as he resumed his seat.
“Pretty much,” Caleb replied as he sat in a chair that suited his proportions that had been thoughtfully provided. He pulled the contract out of his bag and set it on the table. “Just a couple of questions before I sign on the dotted line.”
“Let’s get those out of the way then. Shoot.”
“When do you expect me to start?”
“Immediately, if you’re up to it. I’ll understand if you want to take a few more days to adjust though.”
“I’d rather stay busy to keep from losing my mind. However, I’d like to review my responsibilities and hours after I’ve had the opportunity to assess the job.”
Mark nodded. “I’m not going to quibble over little details, Caleb. It’s not as if we’ve got several other welding experts waiting in the wings. You represent quite a windfall for us, so while we do have backup plans, you’re easily our best option.”
“Nice to be appreciated,” Caleb said with a grin. He shuffled to a page about halfway through the contract and pointed with his finger. “Anyway, what does the section about assisting me to find suitable accommodation entail?”
“While the Crown has been happy to house and feed you these past few days, that won’t be a permanent situation. As you will be earning a substantial salary, you will be expected to find a place to live in Ponyville where the trade school will be built. I suggest that you ask Willow and Vectrix about your options, but if you require a deposit for that purpose, we will give you an interest-free loan to cover you.”
The man nodded thoughtfully. “Yeah, I get it – Twilight Sparkle doesn't run a hotel. I’ll look into changing my accommodations soon.”
“That’s not to say that you won’t be welcome to visit regularly. Phil and I wouldn’t mind another player for poker night,” Mark said with a chuckle.
Caleb grinned. “As long as you don’t mind losing. At least I’ll be able to pay off that loan quickly.”
“Don’t count your bits too soon,” Mark retorted. “Anyway, anything else?”
“I’m not clear on what my responsibilities extend to.”
“Because you’ll be running a school, albeit for teaching a trade, you will come under the authority of the Equestrian Board of Education. You will be supplied with an extract of the regulations pertaining to your school. As long as you comply with those rules, you are pretty much in control of every aspect of the job, including the staff that you will need to help run it. I will point out though that, as the school is sponsored by the Crown, the Triarchy is the ultimate boss. However, we’re very hooves-off, so unless you screw up badly, you won’t see us sticking our muzzles into your business.”
“I can live with that. Looks like I have a bit of studying to do. Anyway, next item…”
The human and the alicorn discussed the fine details of a few more points. Once those were sorted out, Mark had his secretary type up the amended pages of the contract and Caleb signed it.
Mark got out from behind his desk. “Seeing as you want to get straight into work, let’s go down to the workshop that you will be using until the new facility is completed.”
“Whoa!” Caleb said. “I need my protective gear first, and while I don’t mind walking around in bare feet most of the time, I certainly won’t do so in a workshop!”
The alicorn grinned and opened a cupboard, revealing a few boxes stacked within. He levitated the one on top and passed it to the man. “Firstly, the anthro-world’s Rarity completed the work clothes. They may not look as durable as leather, but she imbued them with toughness and heat resistance enchantments. There are two sets in there for starters and we can order more as necessary now that she has your measurements.”
Caleb opened the box to reveal neatly folded garments made from some sort of sturdy material… in fashionable pink with baby blue trim. ‘Oh well, I suppose that counts as hi-vis. At least I bet it’s comfortable.’ He looked back to the prince. “Rarity doesn’t make work boots though.”
“What’s your size?”
“Nine and a half.”
Mark peered at the remaining boxes and then pulled one of them out. “Here you go. I hope you find them satisfactory.”
Caleb opened the box to find a high-quality pair of steel-capped lace-up boots with zip sides. “How…?”
“Easy. I told you that I’m in business with Phil over on Earth. His company supplies PPE to the employees. I asked him to give me one each of several sizes which I was sure would fall in your range.” He levitated over another small package. “And those are a dozen pairs of work socks to go with them.”
The man chuckled. “You’re keen to get me started, aren’t you?”
Mark shrugged. “We’ve been putting everything together that we would need for a while now. Finding a suitable teacher was our only stumbling block. We’ve been trying to decide on a safe way to recruit humans without giving away the secret of the portal to Equus.”
“Fair enough. Give me a moment to change and we can head off to the workshop.”
“You can change right here. We’ll wait for you outside.”
Willow said, “I’m curious to see how you put on those clothes.”
Mark’s horn lit up and he started chivying her out the door. “Nope. Let the man dress in private.”
“Thanks, Mark.”
The alicorn gave him a knowing wink. “No problem. And call me ‘Boss’ now that you’re on the clock.”
Caleb chuckled. “Yes, boss.”
The man emerged from the office a couple of minutes later, his normal clothes bundled under his arm. As he had expected, the workwear was ridiculously comfortable. If he didn’t know better, Caleb would have sworn the pants, shirt, and long-sleeved jacket were made of silk. Time would tell if it was as durable as it needed to be. No gloves, eye protection, or face shields were included. Caleb made a note to himself to check for these at the workshop. He was also glad that Mark’s office did not have a mirror. Caleb was pretty sure that pink just wasn’t his color.
“Okay, let’s go.”
Willow looked him over as they walked and she smiled in satisfaction. “You’re certainly dressed to impress. Your students will know that they have a real professional teaching them.”
Caleb wondered what pony workwear looked like if this impressed the construction worker mare.
Mark took them through a different portal to Ponyville this time, and they emerged inside a medium-size workshop. While various types of equipment were set up there, Caleb could see that it was mostly old-fashioned. Some of it was hand-operated, or hoof-operated more accurately. Some were belt-driven, perhaps from a steam engine. However, there were also some very modern electrically powered devices. They looked incongruous beside the older equipment. Several other items were still in crates or on pallets.
The alicorn said, “We’re in the process of modernizing this workshop. It’s the second one we’ve done – the first is currently in full production mode manufacturing goods bound for Earth. I think you’ll find these facilities adequate for your needs though. While some of this equipment is very basic, the welding equipment is all up-to-date. For example,” he moved over to an open crate, “in here we have a Tweco brand 400 Amp MIG welder. The actual torch has been removed to modify the handle for operation by hooves. As you may imagine, that’s a little tricky if you’re not a unicorn.”
“I had been wondering about that,” Caleb admitted. “Another thing that I’d like to know is how you get all this stuff through the mirror in your friend’s house. Do you have another portal to Earth?”
“Yep. Aside from needing a backup in case something goes wrong with the house portal, we needed something big enough to fit a small forklift and standard-size pallet. We have that set up in the other workshop and it leads to a secure warehouse on Earth. Finished goods are taken there while no humans are present, and a shutter closes access to the portal before the other door can open for the goods to be taken away. Of course, we bring in equipment and supplies the same way.”
“It’s a top-secret operation, I guess. Ever had anyone try to smuggle themselves in to discover your special techniques?”
Mark smirked. “As a matter of fact, yes. One enterprising employee of a rival company packed himself in a crate that was put with some others bound for Equus. He didn’t count on one thing though. Remember that adaptation spell on Phil’s mirror?”
Caleb nodded. “Yeah. You have one on the big portal too?”
“Only in the Equus direction unless we turn on the Earth direction deliberately. Anyway, he ended up as a batpony and freaked out. His fight-or-flight response instinctively activated his flight magic. After smashing into the ceiling and all four walls, our security guards finally got him pinned to the ground, fortunately before he hurt himself too badly. He’s currently working off his sentence laboring in a factory. Twilight enchanted a band around his neck that prevents him from approaching any dimensional portal.”
“I suppose you couldn’t just extradite him home. How long is he stuck here?”
“Six years altogether.” At Caleb’s surprised expression, Mark explained, “He got five for illegal immigration, criminal trespass, and espionage. He got an extra year for insulting the Triarchy.”
Caleb gave him a flat look. “I didn’t take you for being that thin-skinned.”
Mark shook his head. “It wasn’t me; he called Trixie a horse.”
The man heard Willow gasp without understanding why. “Well, that’s not far off from a pony, is it?”
“Put a ‘W’ in front of the way you normally spell the word.”
Caleb did so and it clicked. “Ooh, I see. And your wife didn’t make allowances for his ignorance, did she?”
“Not when a convicted criminal uses one of the worst insults, no. He actually got off easy. I had to talk Trixie down from ten years.”
“I’m surprised that he didn’t demand to be sent back to Earth.”
“He did. There’s no extradition treaty between our worlds and no laws compelling us to accede to his demands,” Mark replied with a smile.
“What happens when his sentence is up?”
Mark’s smile grew into a wide grin. “There’s also nothing to compel us to change him back to a human. We’ll see whether he’ll want to go back to Earth while stuck permanently as a thestral. There’s also the matter of his pegasus marefriend.”
The man pursed his lips. “Let me guess. Flight instructor?”
“Nope. Combination minder and hoof-to-hoof combat teacher. They both have very… ah… passionate personalities and hit it off immediately.”
Caleb smirked. “You mean literally?”
“Among other ways. As long as both are willing to pay for their own medical care from their shenanigans, I’m not going to stop them from spraining each other’s limbs.” Mark frowned. “So far, the collateral damage hasn’t involved anypony else, and that arrangement saved me from having to take more drastic measures.”
Caleb realized then that, despite the alicorn’s easygoing nature, he wasn’t to be trifled with. He decided to change the subject. “So, can I start setting up everything?”
“This facility is yours to do with as you see fit. You’re the manager as well as the teacher. You’re only answerable to the Triarchy, thus me as this is my special project. Tomorrow, I’ll introduce you to your workshop assistants. While they will be under your command, I hope you will respect their opinions and local experience.”
“Don’t worry about that, boss. I’m still feeling my way around here. I sure won’t mind listening to anyone who would stop me making any stupid blunders like calling someone a horse.”
“Great! Well, I’ll let you get to it. You’re invited to have dinner with us this evening, by the way.”
“I’ll see you then. Have a great day, sir.” Caleb turned to Willow. “Want to help me uncrate all this stuff?”
Willow grinned. “I was feeling the need to get a bit of exercise. What do you want first?”
Caleb had to admit that they had not stinted on either the equipment or the requisite ancillary tools and gear. The electrical wall plugs were new – an American brand that he recognized. The switchboard and circuit breakers were also new and well-labeled. The pallets included a comprehensive supply of welding consumables such as arc welding rods of various grades, welding wire for mild steel, stainless steel, and aluminum, plus the various gases used for each type. Heavy aprons designed for protecting ponies and other species from weld spatter were not made from leather, but some kind of special material that escaped his ability to identify. Vectrix informed him that it was a magically enhanced cloth imbued with changeling resin. Caleb promised himself to test it before trusting his or anyone else’s safety to it. There were gauntlets designed to cover hooves, talons, and what he guessed had to be huge hands. Willow reckoned that they suited minotaurs or diamond dogs. Lastly, protective eyewear including modern welding helmets with self-darkening lenses.
The man set about placing and assembling every welding unit. He was a little cramped for room but that would only be an issue until the new dedicated school was completed. Willow helped him move the heavy equipment. She continued to amaze him by how much she could lift with ease. The one time he tried to warn her to not overstrain herself, she merely rolled her eyes and said, “Save it for the really heavy stuff. I can lift this crap all day!” Unable to contradict her, he let the mare do her thing uninterrupted.
Vectrix helped with the fiddly details. After Caleb taught him how to follow the assembly instructions, the changeling acted as another set of hands for the man. Vectrix faithfully helped Caleb construct every unit, picking up on everything that the man taught him immediately, even comprehending some things that Caleb hadn’t felt the need to teach him yet. Their teamwork progressed to the point that they didn’t need to speak to work their way through any task. Vectrix also fetched drinks and snacks when the man showed no sign of slowing down for lunch despite some hunger pangs.
Once everything was set up to Caleb’s satisfaction, he then started doing test runs at each station. Where a MIG unit was missing its torch, he moved one from a previously tested machine. Willow donned protective gear and followed Caleb’s every move, occasionally asking him questions.
Vectrix looked at the clock and frowned. “Caleb – we’re going to be late for dinner with Prince Mark.”
“Just a few more machines to test yet,” the man responded.
“They can wait until tomorrow!”
“No point in leaving it until then if we’re going to get anything productive done with the new assistants tomorrow. Willow, bring me two pieces of stainless, please.”
The mare lifted her welding helmet. “A couple bars of two-inch 316 good?”
“Yep, that will be fine.”
The changeling sighed and shook his head. It was obvious even to a non-empath that Caleb was obsessing over his work. He knew the man was trying to keep his mind off being stranded in this world, but he was going too far. He could taste the single-mindedness that was driving him, and Willow’s willingness to go along with everything the human wanted was only reinforcing it. While the mare’s influence was usually a moderating factor in Caleb’s emotional state, right now, it seemed to be backfiring.
“Please, Caleb – we are all expected for dinner at the castle.”
“Nobody’s stopping you, Vectrix,” the man replied, slightly muffled by the welding shield he lowered just then before beginning yet another test weld.
The changeling felt helpless. He couldn’t persuade Caleb to stop, nor could he abuse his abilities to force the man. With nothing left for him to do, Vectrix could only sit and wait. It was about an hour later when he heard the hum of approaching wings, a sound with which he was very familiar. Moments later, Iron Mare appeared and landed in front of him. There was a flare of magical green flame and the new arrival had split into the unicorn and changeling partners, Allura and Lacewing.
“What’s going on, Vex?” Allura asked. “Caleb and Willow were supposed to be back in Canterlot ages ago. Dad held up dinner for a while until he decided you weren’t coming.”
As usual, Lacewing finished the thought. “He sent us to find out if there was a problem.”
Vectrix gestured helplessly in the human’s direction. “He won’t stop. He has focused on his work to the point of mania. I recognized it too late to ameliorate it. If I tried now, he might collapse from the sudden withdrawal… or lose his temper.”
“Dad would be pissed off with you if you tried that,” agreed Lacewing.
“Aren’t they hungry by now?” the unicorn asked.
Lacewing said, “I can tell that Willow is at least.”
“Caleb is too, but he’s blocked the sensation,” Vectrix added.
“I know what we can do,” Allura said with a smirk.
Vectrix caught the whiff of deviousness. “What’s that?”
“If he won’t come to dinner, it’ll have to come to him.”
“I brought him snacks earlier and they barely slowed him down.”
“That’s because you didn’t do it right. Wait here – Lacy and I need to fetch our secret weapon.”
A moment later, the two were united as one again and they flew away, leaving their brother sorely puzzled.
It was about half an hour later when they returned with a large soup tureen. The duo placed it on the bench in front of Caleb and lifted the lid. The room almost instantly filled with the delicious aroma of its contents. The man stopped what he was doing and took off his welding helmet.
“What’s that smell?” he asked.
“Only the best vegetable stew in the world made by the Royal Chef. Want to try some?”
“Yeah, I’m feeling quite peckish.”
“Great!” The pair separated again, revealing that they had been carrying bowls, spoons, plus a ladle. Allura started doling out the contents into the bowls and Caleb sat down and hungrily tore into his, soon followed by an equally ravenous Willow. Vectrix hadn’t worked as hard as the other two, and he had gotten emotional sustenance from both, so his need for solid food was much less than theirs. Nevertheless, he gratefully savored his share. The other two started on their second helping before he finished his first. The earth pony followed the man’s lead and tore off pieces of a baguette before dipping it in the thick stew. Willow and Caleb happily chatted about their cultures’ dining customs while scarcely slowing down their food intake.
Vectrix drew his sisters away and asked, “How did you know that would work?”
Allura grinned. “The sense of smell is a very powerful thing, at least for non-changelings. It can evoke memories or feelings, and it can remind someone that they are very hungry. I asked the chef for something hearty with a strong mouthwatering aroma. That’s the result.”
“Can’t argue with success,” her brother agreed.
The changeling put aside his bowl and watched his charges. He waited patiently while they got stuck into a third bowl. Eventually, Caleb leaned back in his chair with a contented sigh.
“That was delicious. My compliments to the chef.”
“Would you like some tea to wash that down?” Allura asked.
“Got any coffee?”
“Sorry, just green tea. It’s very nice.”
“Okay, that’ll do.”
“What about you, Willow?”
“Yes, please,” she replied wearily.
“You sound tired,” Allura said as she poured the tea into mugs.
“Comes from trying to stop Caleb from doing too much of what should be a mare’s job.”
The man frowned at her. “You and I are going to have a chat about what constitutes whose job.”
Vectrix said, “I think you’re both going to have to come to terms with the other species’ concepts of who should do which work. Right now, just drink your tea, please.”
“Yeah, okay,” Caleb agreed. “I still want to get those last two machines tested.”
The scalding hot tea slowed his consumption though. By the time he finished it, his eyelids were drooping. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. Willow blinked and smiled. “A nap would be good.” And then she lay her head down.
Allura giggled. “Right on cue!”
Vectrix looked at her curiously. “Did you put a sleeping potion in that stew? I’m not feeling it if you did.”
“Nah, it’s just food torpor. After Lacy and I have had a hard day, dinner tends to do the same to us, or at least mostly to me.”
“But our bond makes it affect me anyway,” Lacewing said.
Allura nodded. “Anyway, I figured it would do the same for Caleb. So now he’s fed and no longer obsessing.”
“Great. Now what?” asked Vectrix.
The unicorn blinked. “Umm… normally Lacy and I would go to bed before we got too sleepy.”
“I don’t want to wake Caleb up to do that in case he gets his second wind.”
Lacewing asked, “What did they do last night?”
Her brother frowned. “Spike told me that Princess Twilight put them to bed after they fell asleep during her lecture.”
“She did that without waking them? Sounds like a plan to me,” Allura said.
Vectrix nodded. “I’ll go see the Princess. You watch Caleb and Willow until we get back.” He hurriedly took off to Friendship Castle.
Twilight pouted at the sleeping human. “I was going to run tests on him this evening. Now I suppose I’m going to have to put them off again.” She sighed. “Oh well, an early night means more time for experiments tomorrow. Let’s get them to bed.” Her horn lit up.
A strong beam of sunlight came through the window whose curtains had not been drawn. It hit Caleb in the eyes, waking him up. He grumbled and turned over, away from the offending glare, only to behold the silver-grey face of Willow. She gave him a dreamy smile and said, "Good morning!"
"Oh, for fuck's sake, not again!"
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Waking up naked for the second time... But all good things are three...
Accept it human... Pony want to enjoy the view ~♡
I feel that the last part of the chapter is going to be a gag for the rest of the story every time he wakes up.
Lacewing seems to be a really common changling name.
Poor Caleb and Willow the coming of the culture clash. Caleb is tossing himself into his work to forget what's happened to him.
I probably haven't found it but kind of want to see a HIE story where the human is a female and experiences that culture clash
11010136
I almost made a female protagonist but I couldn't make the story I wanted to write work. When the Muse strikes, I'll have another go at using a woman.
11010138 If its not right or works its not right. You can't force the muse to work when it doesn't want to.
I can see alot of 'modern' things being shipped to Equestria wonders what they make in Equestria to ship to Earth. Anything hand-made or hoof made is popular among some groups
They might have issues if that stowaway told anyone what he was doing, even if he didn't say how, just which business he was looking into.
"There's something going on with this business and I'm going to find out!" and then disappearing shortly after? Would sound like he was "dealt with" by a shady business. The eyes of the FBI might already be taking a close look at them
11010177 That's a case where unless he worked for the FBI or such he couldn't tell anyone or anyone he told couldn't go to the police. Admit they were doing something illegal and dangerous not to mention the shipping company would want their pond of flesh for not declaring what they were shipping. This has been done multiple times in real life with a let of them ending badly for the 'package' more than enough times beyond making sure Phil didn't put the body into the crate the police probably wouldn't think twice
11010106
I never liked going commando in bed, too much of a chance to move and painfully lay on something that was designed to be way way too sensitive.
Whatever gives you that idea, he should know better than to fall asleep around ponies without going to bed first.
I give it three more before it hits him ...
Well, it would be the fastest way to pay off your loan--yes!?
c.tenor.com/A_GB7c1M9ZUAAAAd/londo-mollari-b5.gif
On earth they strip off clothing to get hot and bothered.
On Equis they wear stuff in the first place. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
11010106
O,o yes that is a shew in.
amazing chapter.
this is going to be good to see how Caleb teaches all the different kinds of species.
the art work is awesome.
11010185
Like I said, even if he never told details, you can tell someone you're going somewhere without telling them if you're doing something illegal. Could have told someone they were going to watch the business from outside to see what trucks go in and go out. Might have said they were going in to ask questions.
Longer the chapter the better
11010231
Ok
11010322
Oh?
Phrasing!
11010526
Better?
That guy who snuck through in a shipping crate could pose a problem if he's reported missing. I sure hope at least someone on Earth was informed of the non-sensitive parts of the situation.
11010136
Now that you mention it yeah, those HiE with female protagonist seem to be quite rare.
'Through the well of Pyrene' (I probably butched the spelling) comes to mind, so does 'Forbidden places, though not much room or focus for the requested Equine to Earthling kind of culture clash in those.
(Though if we ask nicely, the Epilogue or sequel to Forbidden Places might get some)
Imma have to be on the lookout for those now.
Get used to it, cause it's starting to look like a running gag
A color combination that only true men can pull off
Caleb, buddy, it doesn't matter if it is your color, if you wear it with enough confidence and pride it will become your color
Well that must have made the trip quite interesting for him
Well now I just want to meet these two, they sound like a two pony riot
Oh yeah, I've been there, it's a... somewhat interesting experience when you realize it
Haha, running gag, knew it
11010668 As I commented this has went wrong so many times in real life to be stupid and very dangerous. Sure he could tell them he was going to such and such a location but he can't say how. Unless someone says how he supposedly got there, there is no proof he ever arrived no video no nothing of him arriving he is literally hidden in a crate. At best its a he said she said situation for anyone wanting to investigate.
A crate that might of been put into another pallet and shipped somewhere else it is a warehouse. Unless there is a reason (mainly refrigerated items) cargo handlers don't overly care how hot or cold it gets or tossing it into an unpressurized cargo compartment on a plane. Damaged or lost cargo is what insurance is for and speed is the name of the game. Worked for a shipping company back when I was in collage and industry average was around 20% of all packages were damaged during transport, It might of been re-stacked in such a way that he can't get out anymore
Waiting for Cadence to come.in furious.
"Who is doing the shipping? THAT'S MY SCHTICK!"
11010489
waking up with Willow beside him in bed.
11011102
i can so see that happening.
11011153
Ok.
So, Mark and Trixie cooked up a bunch of legal nonsense in order to permanently disappear a guy from his life, friends, and family (I sure hope he didn't have any dependents) in order to protect their own illegal immigration, illegal export trade, and technological espionage project into the middle of an unaware sovereign nation. The "joke" about throwing him back untransformed--so his own people would likely do unspeakable things to him--if he dares get uppity during his enslavement to pay off his trumped-up debt was a nice touch. "It's okay when the protagonists do it," I guess?
11011494
Hey, it worked out for Mark in the end, right? Except for that little part where he wanted to go back home and was unable to do so and no one knew how to help him in that regard. He made the best of a bad situation, certainly not one manufactured by a third party that could resolve it at any moment. That wouldn't have made him bitter at all if he had that hanging over his head the entire time.
11011506
I mean, they certainly don't have mind magic that could erase memories or anything.
11011494 11011506
Trumped up? Don't forget to include Twilight while throwing around accusations. They are the Triarchy after all. You know – the ultimate lawful authority. All the charges are legitimate. But let's look at at some of the aspects shall we? Are you a citizen of the USA? Let me tell you about some of their fun laws.
A couple of years ago, an Australian journalist working in the States on a visa had to leave the country to comply with that visa's requirements. You fly out, renew the visa, fly back in, and Immigration & Border Security is happy. This journalist had a flight out the evening of the day her visa expired. Then her flight was cancelled. She could not book another flight out of the country with a departure before midnight. Midnight passed and she was arrested for overstaying her visa. She was then held in jail for several months until her case came up before the court. She was convicted and deported. She could not return to her job in the States because of the criminal conviction. What were her rights upon being arrested? NONE WHATSOEVER! Non-citizens have no legal rights - period. They aren't entitled to a lawyer. They are not even entitled to a phone call. Anything that they are granted is out of the "goodness" of the authority.
Now let's talk about length of sentences. Actually, I don't have all day giving examples, so I will just have to say that the length of sentences for the most minor of crimes can be bloody ludicrous in America, and bizarre in other countries. A court in Thailand sentenced a former civil servant to a record prison term of 43 years and six months for breaching the country's strict law on insulting or defaming the monarchy in January 2021. While our guy's insult was unintentional, because it was made in front of the Canterlot Court and all the witnesses including the nobles, it could not be ignored.
As for this guy just "disappearing" – there is going to be more about the guy in the upcoming chapter. And the bit about sending him back to Earth as a batpony was indeed a joke. Don't like the joke? Tough. As to what does happen when his sentence is up – remember that the Triarchy is working on a way to safely open up relations with Earth. Given our history, I don't blame them one bit for taking their time.
11011587
I'm not going to argue against these examples of the law being rather unfair in their application, I indeed brought up several other examples in a conversation with Cross elsewhere of the laws being unkind to non-citizens, or actual citizens in certain countries. But there are also examples of, say, the King of Thailand pardoning people for running afoul of that law in the first place, and he also isn't the one who sentences people, that is something the civilian government does. I'm just surprised that moral people like Twilight Sparkle and Mark wouldn't have tried to resolve the issue in a different way, even if I suspect the Earth's various governments would give these actions a pass later on.
I hope Mark gets kicked in the balls for what he did to the poor guy, metaphorically or literally. It was evil and hypocritical.
11011587
Um, they absolutely are entitled to rights. Anyone subject to US law is entitled to the various rights (with a few obvious cut-outs like voting), and if charged with a crime are entitled to legal representation and their time in court. Otherwise, you'd have roving bands of people legally hunting tourists for sport, because tourists wouldn't be legal persons. Although, endangered species laws might come into play, because there wouldn't be that many tourists in the environment.
Regarding that case, I suspect she was deported and given a ban from returning for some period, which is actually pretty standard for visa overstays... since overstaying your visa isn't a crime in the US, it's an administrative violation (kind of like a speeding ticket). You don't get criminal charges, you don't go to court (unless you sue, I suppose), you get shown the door and booted. And there's a very good reason why it's a not a crime: if it were, every single person the US tried to deport would require their day in court, and the US court system would instantly collapse into a black hole from the mountain of cases.
That said, the various border control agencies in particular can be colossal cockbags and toss said person into a holding facility for truly unfair lengths of time just because, or plenty of other abuses for which they should be brutally slapped down. And yes, there's a lot of grotesque horror in the US "justice" system; these are failures of the system and aren't something Mark and crew should be seeking to emulate. "Someone else did worse" is not an excuse for one's own bad behaviour.
Anyway, almost all the crimes this guy did actually commit were under US jurisdiction, so I'm not sure where they get off charging him with most of it. Most legal jurisdictions that have any respect in the Western world also don't vanish people; they have contact with legal representations, they have contact with the media, they have contact with their families who aren't left wondering without closure where their loved one went. Not happening here, because Mark and crew desperately need to cover up their own ongoing criminal smuggling enterprise; and they're heavily implying that his stay is permanent, six-year sentence or no. The fact that literally nobody sees any problem here I find particularly troubling. Caleb at least seemed slightly uncomfortable, to his credit.
Also, allowing a probation officer to engage in a sexual relationship with their parolee is enormous moral hazard. Consent cannot exist under these conditions.
Don't get me wrong, here. I've been really enjoying this continuity of stories; if I weren't, I wouldn't be commenting here at all. I like these characters, which is why their behaviour, and their general demeanor towards it here in this chapter, however, I find so unsettling, particularly from Mark who literally comes from a cultural background of democratic norms. In particular his rather smug "lol I can do whatever I want to him, he's got no legal protection and that's funny!" attitude. A political leader with effectively absolute authority "joking" about effectively having someone murdered in a horrific fashion isn't particularly funny or even a joke, really; remember Reagan joking about the missiles flying (god I'm old
)? Remember the last four years of US politics?
I'm pretty sure it isn't your intent, but this actually would make an interesting lead into an exploration of that creeping loss of empathy that studies show people elevated to positions of privilege and authority begin to suffer. "What am I becoming" is a good source of personal drama. Regardless, I'm looking forward to the next chapter!
11012192
You are confusing legal rights with all the laws pertaining to them. So, no, tourist hunting would still be illegal.
No, the crimes were not just committed in U.S. jurisdiction since he was discovered in the Equestrian side.
Using the term "probation officer" was a mistake though. That mare is supposed to be a minder whose task was to help him fit in and keep him out of trouble. After the trial, the guy was only jailed for a short time to appease the nobles (and Trixie) for the insult. Then he was released and given a job. The real punishment is that he cannot return to Earth until his sentence is up. By that time, the Triarchy hopes that they have something more formal in place with the U.S. Yeah, it's a far from perfect solution but they're making the most of a complicated situation.
There's a lot more I'd like to dispute, but this is turning into a dreary legal debate.
11012192
--which I'm surprised that Mark hasn't thought of that yet!!! 
I'm afraid you're assuming the "Teddy Roosevelt Doctrine of Imperialist Gunboat Diplomacy for the International Standard of Ugly Americans" is still in effect which stated that everywhere an American steps in the world, his foot print is the equivalent of the American Embassy and therefore American soil. Sorry, that doctrine has long been retired, although many Americans traveling the world are only just figuring it out that it no longer protects them from the consequences of violating host nation laws. Just ask Otto Warmbier how his example turned out.
Unlike North Korea, that did what they did to Warmbier just for their shits & giggles, from Equestria's viewpoint, the intruder is a true, legitimate, immediate national security threat. Even permanently deporting him won't do, unless they have a means to wipe his memory.....
OMG, MARK!? WTFO??? I'm not even in Equestria, but I thought of that solution in like--ten seconds flat!! Get with the program, already!!!
11012368
Fair enough! It isn't even necessarily the actions that really bother me, but more the characters' own views toward the actions, I guess? The "probation officer" thing was alarming (I'm kind of hypersensitive to consent issues), so I'm glad to be wrong about that.
Anyhoo, cheers.
11014211
Oh, I'm not trying to suggest every land he touches becomes a US embassy or anything. Rather, the bulk of his crimes (which he certainly committed) were done on American territory, so it would fall on the US to punish him for them. I have no idea how Equestrian justice handles things like unlawful entry (like I said, it's an administrative violation in the US), and he did apparently insult Princess Thin Skin.
11014440
It's not to say that some crimes weren't committed in US soil--criminal trespass and industrial espionage being the least, but most obvious of them. But once he crossed the mirror threshold, he's now got criminal trespass and foreign espionage, just for starters in a different country/world.
As Mark Wells put it, "the US justice system can have him after we get done with him."
Just remember: in Soviet Equestria, Pony Rides You! And Rides You HARD!!
11015160
Ouch!
And here, we're lately hearing how tough the UCMJ can be at the drop of a hat, but yeah, it looks like our military can't touch Equestria for brutal punishments. This guy gets busted from being an officer to enlisted when he was properly following orders!
11015670
I have never tried my hand at welding, the closest thing I can say I've tried was soldering. I had a friend who was (is, unless he has retired) a welder, and from what I gathered, there is a lot of skill separating a good weld from a bad one.
While you're certainly right about the hand-eye coordination, I would assume, that some teachings would translate well
1) How does the equipment work?
2) How do you operate it? (or fix it if broken?)
3) How do you avoid hurting yourself (or your co-workers)?
4) What technique is used to make a good weld, and what can make it a bad one? How do you identify a good vs a bad weld?
All that could be taught on Earth, and then they could go back and train the coordination in Equestria. Yes, it would be more cumbersome, but only for the first batch, as these are supposed to train the following workponies.
Any book study education, such as the mechanical engineers designing the new trains the welders are to make, can take 100% of their training on Earth.
All that said, Caleb is still worth his weight in golden Bits, as they can of course skip the re-learning of coordination. But I'm assuming, that they will need more human craft skills than that. In some cases, they will also need to learn to make the tools to make the tools etc. While they might skip a few steps with imports, understanding the production chain is a good thing. And being able to make new tools in case they need to seal off the portal is a very good thing.
Finally, I want to add, that this is by no means intended as criticism of the story, which I've enjoyed a lot so far.
Caleb: "Why am i naked again?!"
Someone in the distance: "Take a hint!"
11010797
A Voice Among the Strangers has a female protagonist. Kinda wish A Stranger Among the Voices would complete…
11103449
A thousand times, THIS!
11017192
and now... how to run a puddle, get penetration, not leave undercut or make it look like swiss cheese when you chip the slag! aaand then there's mig/tig which is basically cheating.
Maybe atext T-Shirt is in order.
"Please don't strip me in my sleep"
"we've got to stop waking up like this!"
What stage are we in still? Denial?
Looks like someling is passively trying to bond....
oh, the last line made me imagine Willow saying "what does fuck mean?"
and THAT reminded me of a REALLY silly story called "Pinkie Pie learns a new word!"
11010136
https://www.fimfiction.net/story/343328/strange-gifts