Chapter 11
When Caleb, Willow, and Vectrix arrived at the workshop, they found a male minotaur and earth pony mare lounging around a rough wooden table, drinking coffee. Upon noticing their arrival, the pair stood up and waited for the newcomers to approach. The human felt their intense regard of him, assessing the unusual being that was going to be their boss.
When Caleb stopped in front of the two, he was more than a little impressed by the size of Nikos who stood a head taller than the human. On the other hand, the mare was only a little bigger than Willow. However, the corded muscles that defined Coiled Steel were the opposite of his friend’s lithe form. Both certainly looked the part of heavy-industry workers. It was time to formally introduce himself.
“Hello. I am Caleb Awad and I will be teaching the skills of modern arc welding. I’m told that you will be my assistants. It’s a pleasure to meet you both.” He held out his hand to the minotaur, hoping that it was a gesture that they used here.
Apparently it was because the minotaur took Caleb’s hand in his huge one and practically crushed it in an extremely firm handshake. “I am Nikos, master smith. Well met.”
The earth pony mare held out her hoof in anticipation of the same gesture. After giving his hand a subtle stretch to relieve the ache of Nikos’ grip, Caleb took her hoof and shook it.
“Coiled Steel, boilermaker 'n sheet metal worker. I was foremare of this here facility until they ope'd up the new-fangled one.”
Caleb thought he could detect some sourness in her voice. Perhaps the old school mare didn’t fit in so well in the modern factory. He decided to put a positive spin on things. “That’s great! That means that you have a thorough familiarity with all the equipment here bar the new welders. That will make teaching a lot easier with you to show the students the non-welding aspects of manufacturing.” He turned back to the minotaur. “I hear that you are also interested in welding.”
“A true master never stops learning,” the bull rumbled in reply.
“Well, then, I have two welding units left to finish setting up and testing. Let’s start off by doing that. You both can get familiar with the equipment and how it is configured. We’ll be starting with the most basic methods and materials.”
Caleb led the way to one of the incomplete units and turned on the power. He opened the valve to the cylinder of argon/carbon dioxide mixture and explained its use as a shielding gas. He then triggered the welding torch away from any materials to show how the wire fed out of the contact tip, pointing out the speed control on the wire feeder. He explained the different thicknesses and grades of wire for various applications. Then he ensured everyone donned Personal Protective Equipment from the stock available in the workshop: welding shields, hand/hoof protection, and a fireproof jacket or apron. After some awkwardness in getting them to fit properly, Caleb demonstrated a welding run. After using side-cutters to remove the unused wire from the torch, he laid down a bead on two pieces of scrap steel. Satisfied with the result, Caleb gave the demo sample to the minotaur who inspected it closely before passing it to his compatriot.
“Hmmph! Not bad,” Coiled Steel said grumpily. “What makes this better 'n brazin' though?”
Caleb replied, “Actually if you want to join dissimilar metals, brazing soundly beats welding. As long as the filler material is metallurgically compatible with both base metals and melts at a lower temperature, brazing can create strong joints with barely any alteration of the base metals’ properties. However, there are disadvantages to brazing which include producing lower strength joints compared to welding, producing joints that are not as well suited to high-temperature applications as welds, and the fluxes that are used in conjunction may contain toxic components. So, while there remain many applications where brazing is more desirable, as a boilermaker, you can appreciate the greater strength and safety of a weld.”
The mare reluctantly conceded the point with a grunt and a wave of one hoof.
Caleb turned to point out the other types of welders. “Besides MIG welding, I will also be teaching the students to use stick electrodes and TIG welding. Let me demonstrate each of those to you.”
After that was done, he went over all the safety procedures that both students and staff would be required to adhere to. He informed them that they would also be setting the standards which the Equestrian Board of Education would be codifying for all future trade schools teaching these skills. Then he had his assistants set up and test the final MIG welder. Nikos was allowed to try a welding run and he produced a rough weld. The minotaur frowned at the result but Caleb assured him that perfection took practice – lots of practice. Coiled also tried but the unmodified torch was too awkward for her to operate. The human promised that she would get the opportunity to try one of the customized versions when they were delivered.
“Could I give it a go?” Vectrix asked.
Caleb blinked in surprise. “Why didn’t you ask yesterday?”
“You were too focused on setting up the equipment and, well, I was too much in tune with you to do otherwise.”
The man realized that this had much to do with the growing bond the changeling was experiencing. “Okay, but you have hooves too, so you have the same problem as Coiled.”
There was a flare of magic green flames and then there were two Calebs. The new one held up a hand and wiggled his fingers. “Got that covered,” he said with a grin.
“That’s damned weird,” Willow commented, her eyes shifting back and forth between the two.
Vectrix shrugged. “Once I get the opportunity to scan other humans, I can take on different forms like that woman I mentioned earlier today,” he said with a wink in Caleb’s direction.
The man blushed and then hastily said, “Right. Well… get on with trying the welder.”
Vectrix nodded and picked up the torch. Lowering his face shield, he then proceeded to do a very good weld. He finished with a smile of satisfaction and then reverted to his normal form. “How’s that, teacher?”
Caleb inspected it and, to his experienced eye, it looked near-perfect. “How did you do so well on your first try?”
“I cheated,” the changeling admitted. “By copying your form, I also copied your muscle memory. I let that guide me. Right now, even if I could utilize the torch, I wouldn’t be able to replicate that weld.”
“I see. If you want to learn how to weld properly, there won’t be any shortcuts in the future.”
“Understood,” the changeling acknowledged without rancor just as a bell rang from one side of the workshop.
“What’s that?” Caleb asked.
“Loadin' dock,” replied Coiled. “ 'Scuse me a moment while I take care of it.”
The earth pony wasn’t gone long, but when she returned, she was carrying a crate so huge that it made the man’s back ache just thinking of how heavy it had to be. Nevertheless, Coiled treated it as if it was an empty cardboard box, putting it down in front of the others without the slightest sign of strain.
“What’s in there?” Willow asked curiously.
Coiled handed a sheet of paper to Caleb and a glance through what it said made his smile. “Ladies and gents, we have ourselves a batch of modified welding torches. I should have realized there would be lots more than just the ones supplied with the machines. There are too many different species to cater to.”
Nikos grabbed a crowbar and started prying off the lid. Moments later, the crate was open, revealing not only a couple of dozen welding guns but also protective gear for a large variety of students of different sizes and shapes. The human took out one of the modified torches, admiring the modifications.
“Hey, Coiled – want to give this a try?”
The mare grunted and nodded. Caleb fitted the torch to one of the MIG machines missing that essential piece of equipment. Then Coiled Steel put her upper pastern into a bracket on the handle which firmly held the gun in place while her hoof extended into a shroud containing the modified switch. The mare could activate the trigger with an easy flex of her hoof. When she felt comfortable, the mare then did a few test welds. While the results were amateurish, they weren’t terrible. Caleb figured that she would get a lot better with practice.
“Not bad,” Coiled conceded as she opened the bracket to put the welding torch aside. “I could learn to like this.”
“Damned with faint praise,” Caleb said with a chuckle as he turned to face the others. “And now, time for a break.”
They all opted for coffee. Fortunately, the two old hands had brought their own mugs as there would not have been enough to go around otherwise. Sipping on his scalding hot brew, Caleb decided to try to start up a conversation.
“So, this is where they started manufacturing goods bound for Earth before they constructed a new purpose-built facility. Where’s that?”
“Right next door,” Nikos answered. “The rail line is here, so the factory needed to be here also for convenient access to rail freight.”
“Oh? Can I have a look?” Caleb asked.
“Sure. Follow me.”
“What about us?” Willow asked.
Nikos shrugged. “Fine by me.”
The minotaur led them toward a large doorway through which the man presumed they brought in carts, but they exited through a small side door. To his right was a spur line of the railway. A ramp led up to a loading platform and a crane used for heavy goods. However, it was the new-looking building straight ahead that was their goal. The minotaur led them to a door marked – “Strictly Authorized Personnel Only. Trespassers Prosecuted. All Inquiries At The Front Office.” Nikos opened the door without hesitation and strode through. With a little trepidation, Caleb followed.
They were barely inside when the minotaur bellowed, “Hey, Sharp Bends!”
An annoyed-looking blue unicorn mare with a yellow mane emerged from an office door marked ‘Foremare’ moments later, glaring at Nikos.
“I’ve told you not to do that! And what’s the idea of bringing unauthorized people here?”
“This is Caleb Awad, the head of the new welding school.”
Sharp Bends looked Caleb over. “So, you’re the human that I’ve been hearing about from the Prince. I’m curious to see how that works out. Pleased to meet you. I don’t suppose that there’s a problem letting you in here.” Her eyes shifted to Vectrix and Willow. “On the other hoof, why did you bring these two?”
Caleb said, “They’re my minders and assistants.”
“Doesn’t mean they’re allowed here.”
Vectrix brought out something from his satchel and held it up for the unicorn.
Sharp Bends’ eyes widened, then she nodded. “Okay, if that’s the case, you’re all welcome. I suppose you want to meet our interdimensional guest?”
Caleb was startled. “You mean he’s here? Yeah, I’d like to see him.”
“Follow me.” The unicorn trotted down the short corridor next to the foremare’s office and out onto the factory floor.
The facility was very modern by Equestria’s standards, and not too far behind Earth’s. Various automated machinery that the man did not recognize manufactured parts that went onto a production line where pony, changeling, and griffon workers were assembling and testing the goods. Beyond that was another set of machines and workers producing a different item. Caleb wondered what the products were that required such a degree of security.
They reached an area fenced off from the rest. Rather than bothering to enter, Sharp Bends called out to the workers inside. “Yo! Chipped Hoof! You’ve got a visitor!”
Willow rolled her eyes. “I thought she didn’t like ponies shouting at the top of their lungs?”
Caleb chuckled but the yell had the desired effect. A deep blue batpony stallion with a black mane was coming their way from the direction of one of the assembly lines. A white pegasus mare with a yellow and blue mane tagged along.
The thestral called out, “You bellowed, boss?” Then his eyes widened as he spotted Caleb. “Whoa! A human in Equestria? What the hell? Why didn’t they change you into a pony, too?”
Sharp Bends said, “Ask him yourself. I’m betting because unlike you, he lacks ugliness.”
That earned a tight-lipped frown from the stallion which turned into a smirk. He raised his wings and threw his chest out. “Aha! So you admit I’m incredibly handsome.”
His boss didn’t miss a beat. “Just like how a frozen horse-apple is shinier than one you step in.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Sharp Bends rolled her eyes and muttered. “It’s true. All stallions are the same, no matter where they’re from.” She raised her voice. “Chipped, what you can take is your break early. You've got fifteen minutes.” She then turned to the human. “Please keep out of the way of the workers. Delta Vee can show you around. I'll be in my office, sir.” She then trotted off.
Caleb wondered what Vectrix had shown her that had made the mare so accommodating. That was something he would need to check later. Right now, he had a batpony to meet. He raised an eyebrow. “Chipped Hoof? I was expecting a human name. Are you or are you not the would-be industrial spy?”
The thestral grinned. “Yeah, yeah. My reputation proceeds me. My name is Charles Hoff, but I’ve been called Chip since I was a kid, so that’s what I told these guys. Believe me when I say it’s not my fault that they changed it.”
The human thought about it for a moment. Changing Chip Hoff to Chipped Hoof sounded exactly what these ponies would do. He bent over and held out his hand to shake Chip’s hoof. “You still have it better than me. If it was up to Willow here, I’d be called Faithful Kindness.”
The batpony blinked. “Tell me you didn’t let them do that to you.”
“I made the mistake of explaining what my actual name meant from its Lebanese origins. I’m Caleb Awad, and this is Willow Branch, my friend and minder, and Vectrix, my social worker.”
The changeling gave Caleb a flat look but refrained from saying anything.
Chip indicated the pegasus with him. “As Sharp said, this is Delta Vee, my minder, flying instructor, and hoof-to-hoof combat trainer, and more than occasional – Ow!” He rubbed a spot just beneath where his left wing met his barrel. He glared at the mare by his side. “Maybe I wasn’t going to actually say anything! Maybe you owe me an apology!”
“You were thinking it, which is more than enough. There are ways of introducing a mare that have consequences. Congratulations, you just found one.” Delta Vee finished stepping forward and lifted a hoof to shake Caleb’s offered hand.
Caleb gripped the outstretched limb Cautiously. He hadn’t seen the blow or even noticed the mare breaking stride. “Pleased to meet you. So… uh... combat trainer?”
Delta smiled. “Martial arts are a hobby of mine. When I found out that Chipped enjoyed it too, we started sparring regularly.”
‘Well, that jibes with what Prince Mark told me,’ Caleb thought. “Fair enough. Anyway, Chip, I was surprised to find you working here. I thought that you would be confined to some sort of work gang because of your six-year sentence.”
The batpony grinned and shrugged. “Where am I going to run off to? This whole world is my prison. I’m free to go anywhere I want to. If I hadn’t dissed the princess, I probably wouldn’t have even spent a few weeks in the dungeon.” He frowned. “Lemme tell you, that mare is scary when she's ticked off.”
“Isn’t there a portal to Earth here? Prince Mark mentioned it. Couldn’t you slip through it and go home?”
Chip pointed at a jeweled collar around his neck. “See this bling? It ain’t just for show. It prevents me from using the portal. The prince had me try just so I was convinced. Besides, I’d still be a pony. Not having myself be captured by the Men In Black, thank you. I have other plans.”
Caleb frowned. “What about when your sentence is up in six years? Prince Mark told me that he’s under no obligation to turn you back to a human.”
“Ha! He tried pulling that joke on me but I wasn’t buying it. Nah, his sense of humor might be a bit twisted but he won’t do that to me. Besides, I have other plans. Wait… did the Lions get to the Super Bowl either this year or last year? I have twenty bucks at five-hundred-to-one odds that they won the NFC. I could probably bribe Prince Mark to get that bet cashed in.”
The man laughed. “Great odds but bad bet. Sorry, bottom of their division again. They won’t get there in our lifetimes.” Caleb didn’t feel it was necessary to say that he was from a different Earth. There were some constants that he was confident held true across multiple universes. The Lions were just that bad.
The thestral pointed a hoof. “You let me know when you’re ready to put your money where your mouth is. Don’t let me down by backing out.” The stallion gave the man a piercing stare.
Caleb let the thinly veiled insult slide. “You said you had other plans...twice.”
Chip’s wings spread wide. “Oh, yeah! Some weekends, Spike and his little filly Sweetie Belle go out hunting for gems and I tag along. After six years, I figure I’ll have a hoard that any dragon would envy.”
Delta smiled. “If Spike doesn’t get hungry and gobble them all down as a snack.”
The thestral narrowed his eyes. “Don’t interrupt me. Naw, he ain’t gonna do that.” He looked back at Caleb. “Anyway, I’ll have some employees take the stuff through the portal and sell it in NYC in the Diamond District. Then they can bring luxury goods back through the portal which I’ll sell here. I’ll make a mint on both ends and I’ll be the richest batpony in Equestria.”
Caleb was stunned. He couldn’t imagine not wanting to go back home. If every possibility of returning had not already been tried, he wouldn’t be here right now with a contract to honor. “Why wouldn’t you want to go back to being human? Don’t you miss your family and friends?”
Chip flared his leathery wings. “See these beauties? Do you know how fucking awesome it is to be able to fly? Delta and I go on flights every day after work. We also do a bit of strength and combat training if we’re not too tired. We do a lot more on the weekend. I’ve lost count of the minor injuries I’ve brought to work on Monday.”
Delta spoke up. “Chipped fails to mention that he’s not the only one to end up on the wrong end of a hoof.”
The batpony grinned and gave her a wink. For the first time, his smile reached to the corners of his eyes. “Or the right end of somepony else.”
The pegasus blushed and looked at the floor.
Chip turned his attention back to Caleb. “As for my family, I come from a small town interstate and I moved to the city to get work. So, visiting my folks in person isn’t something I could do very often. However, I chat on the phone with them regularly. When the portal is open, I can get a strong signal. My parents only have a flip phone, so I don’t have to worry about video calls. They’re happy that I have a steady job and a girlfriend. Delta has had a couple of brief careful chats with Mom too. No one can tell that we’re both ponies. As for friends, I hadn’t been at my old company long enough to make any. I’d barely made it past the ‘my boss actually remembered my name’ stage before I ended up here.”
Caleb realized that the man had pretty much gone native. That’s why the Prince hadn’t been particularly worried about the end of Chip’s sentence. Nevertheless, there were still some other problems. “Won’t your folks expect you to at least see them on Thanksgiving or Christmas sometime? I can’t imagine them letting you dodge them for six years. And then there’s the job that you’re supposed to be working on Earth. What if they call your workplace and they say that you don’t work there and haven’t for… how many months?”
“Seventeen by now, and yeah, we get along great,” the batpony answered. He gestured toward Vectrix with his right wing. “There’s your answer. Those bugponies copied me and took my place for long enough for ‘me’ to resign and take up employment with Prince Mark’s company on Earth instead. Since someone there knows exactly what’s going on, I’m legitimately employed for all intents and purposes. They tell me I’m still paying taxes to the IRS too!” Then his face fell a little. “As for my parents – that’s a little trickier. I don’t trust the changelings to pull off fooling my Mom and Dad.”
“You’d be surprised,” Vectrix commented.
“I don’t want to be surprised,” Chip retorted. “I want you to leave them the hell alone.”
Caleb didn’t want this talk to degenerate into an argument with the changeling, so he hastily changed the subject. “How did you end up trying to smuggle yourself in here in a crate? Don’t you know how dangerous that is?”
Chip shrugged. “I had food and water, and even a bottle to pee in.”
The human frowned. “I’m talking about shipping accidents. Goods are damaged in transit all the time. Stuff gets unloaded at depots and forgotten or lost for days. You might have gotten surrounded by heavy crates on all sides and suffocated. And that’s just getting to the destination! What did you think they were going to do with a mysterious shipment?”
The batpony waved a hoof lazily to brush off Caleb’s listing of the dangers to focus on the last bit “Nah, my old company had that covered. They had a man on the inside who would see to it that my crate would be put in the secure area. As soon as they locked up and I was alone, I was supposed use my halligan bar to get out of the crate and start snooping around. Just my luck that I didn’t get that chance. I was carted through the portal and things got weird.”
Caleb rolled his eyes. “You got lucky. If this had been an Earth facility, you’d be in jail right now. Whose idea was it to try breaking into the secure facility anyway?”
Chip grinned. “Mine. I was ambitious and wanted to climb the totem pole fast, so when I heard that my employers were concerned about how their competitor was beating the pants off them with their revolutionary new devices, I figured I could earn a lot of points by finding out how they did it. So, I went to my boss and he was all aboard with it. I was on my way two days later.”
Willow snorted. “You’ve been watching too many Flame Pond movies.”
“What would you know?” the batpony sneered. “If it wasn’t for this whole magic thing, I’d be enjoying the high life right now.”
Caleb decided that he had heard enough from Chip. “Delta Vee, Sharp Bends said you could show us around. Care to give us a quick tour?”
“Sure! Follow me,” the mare replied, turning around and trotting toward the nearest production line.
Everyone trailed after the pegasus and the human noted that the batpony looked irked to have had his soapbox pulled from under him.
Aside from the nature of the products and how they were manufactured, Caleb reckoned that this facility wasn’t too much different from several others that he had worked in. There wasn’t the same degree of automation, but the usage of magic eliminated a lot of complex machinery. Between unicorns and enchanted equipment, the output rivaled that of much larger set-ups. He was particularly impressed by the batteries and power cells that they made. The rated power, if accurate, put to shame the best that Tesla had to offer. Delta Vee explained that Mark's company was the world leader in the creation of metal ceramic alloys, two of which were used in the anodes and cathodes.
The pegasus mare led them to a second production line. By using unicorn magic to carefully control heat and pressure, the alloy’s grain size and composition could be controlled throughout the piece. This determined the ductility and strength of every portion of the forged part. After that, standard machining produced the finished product, in this case, high-performance auto parts. Looking to the future, the company was beginning the regulatory process to expand into the manufacture of spacecraft struts and panels.
A bellow from across the factory floor reminded their guide that their break was over. Caleb thanked Delta Vee and they headed back to the exit. Chip stopped Caleb with a hoof. “It’s been cool getting to know ya, Caleb. I can help you blend in with the natives. Don’t be afraid to reach out for help.”
The human looked down at the batpony’s extended hoof before deciding to give it a firm shake. Just like Chip, Caleb’s smile didn’t reach all the way to the corners of his eyes. “See you around, Chipped Hoof.” After the batpony and pegasus parted ways, the group rejoined Nikos and they went back to their workshop.
As they walked across the yard, Caleb asked, “What were your impressions of Chip?”
“He’s full of horseapples,” Willow said contemptuously. “I’m glad not all stallions from Earth are that obnoxious.”
Vectrix said, “I could taste his deceptiveness. He was also very selective with some of the information he shared. For example, Chip ignored many of your comments but answered that he got along great with his parents even though you never asked. Honestly, it felt more like a sparring match than a conversation. Is this kind of thing common for when human stallions meet each other?”
Caleb shook his head. “No, not really.”
The changeling frowned. “Why would Chip do so then?”
“Well, no one wants to look like a fool, so he could have been acting defensively. Or he could have been testing me, seeing how I would respond to his aggressiveness, hoping I’d try to placate him.”
Vectrix smiled. “Aha! So humans are like timberwolves – always trying to take over the alpha spot.”
The man shook his head. “No, not always, and he seemed to give up on it after I didn’t react. He’s also very defensive about his parents.”
“That would be because he’s a mama’s colt,” the changeling explained. “When Prince Mark’s investigators checked him out, they found that Chip had gone to the big city to prove himself. And he certainly didn’t come up with the idea of sneaking into our secure facility. He was the only lowly employee dumb enough to take on some middle-level manager’s brilliantly stupid plan to discover our secrets.”
“Let me guess,” Willow said. “Chip was a pawn whom they could blame for ‘unauthorized’ espionage. The manager figured that his ego wouldn’t allow him to admit that he’d been set up – which is exactly what we saw today.”
“Pretty much,” Vectrix conceded.
“How do you know so much about him if you only got involved with me a couple of days ago?” Caleb asked.
“Queen Chrysalis filled me in on everything. She knew that you would inevitably run into Chip sooner or later and would be asking questions.”
“Fair enough. Then maybe you would know what Prince Mark intends to do when his parents insist on visiting him?”
“He’s considering giving Chip a day pass. Between the batpony’s ego, his genuine love of flying, his marefriend, and scheme to become wealthy, the Prince figures that there’s little chance of Chip blabbing or not wanting to come back. In fact, there’s more of a risk of unwanted snooping if he apparently refuses to visit his parents.”
Caleb snorted. “Yeah, some mothers are like that. So, what do you think his chances are of Prince Mark allowing him to carry out his get-rich-quick scheme?”
Vectrix tapped his chin thoughtfully. “Oh, assuming there is free trade between our worlds and ponies are a regular and welcome sight there… it’s a thousand times more likely that the Lions will reach the Stupor Bowl next season.”
Caleb roared with laughter.
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Sounds like Mark has everything pretty secured with Charles in regards to him being an industrial spy. Most such are usually in it for the money anyhow, so pay them better and they'll immediately turn on their old employers. More so, that it turned out it wasn't even Charles's idea to start with.
But this has me rather concerned:
Mark apparently has someone else in the Earth-side operation who needs to be shut down!
Chapter 11, a little slice of heaven.
11024260
They figured that out in the interrogation.
Man, I can't remember the last time I saw Delta Vee in a <ahem> legitimate story.
Species change there... sure Sharp Bends isn't an alicorn in disguise?
Like the chapter, story, whatnot... but you know that...
11024318
Oops. She started as a pegasus before I changed her to a unicorn, and then forgot to change another mention.
Fixed, thanks.
Flame Pond Golder?
awesome chapter.
i like Chipped Hoof he sure has big plans but he just has know idea of how much his life has changed.
i swear i've seen an old videogame with a spy FROG named James Pond...
Chipped Hoof has a chipped brain. His middle manager who came up with the scheme needs fired yesterday.
11024751
Maybe it is better, to just see the entire Business Crush and Burn?
Though this Adventures is more than Entertaining enough..
Oh we get to meet both of them, wonderful
Has this "man on the inside" been dealt with yet, or is it a future problem?
I bet it did
Most likely yes
11024467
Not frog. Walking (amphibious) fish.
Caleb doesn't know the Hoof Bump in way of Greetings?
What does a change in velocity have to do with metal work?
Delta-V... Fan service?
Nice world building and giving the world a bit more flavor with one use characters
Heh, well that's one fishy that got hooked. No need for a cage here folks!
So Vectrix already has bond certification? Sneaky...