Day 8 - Smiley's hole: 3/7
Smiley, 10013, 20100, 36658 descend in a single file through the dark tunnel.
Occasionally, they pass a working light embedded inside the wall in the form of a short, narrow, glass tube that buzzes in a way similar yet different to griffon light bulbs. The overwhelming majority of the tubes equidistant from each other and lining the entire tunnel, however, are either not working or downright visibly broken with glass shards littered around.
Overall, the drones’ trip down the dark staircase takes the better part of fifteen minutes, with the voice being silent despite them asking for it out loud several times, and eventually leaves them in front of a metallic barrier which they guess serves as a door. Next to it, comfortably within reach, sits a dark, glassy panel roughly three hooves tall and a hoof wide with a tiny red dot glowing in a bottom corner. On top of it, however, is something that 10013 finds actually familiar - a circle of tight, black mesh of some kind.
“This looks like the talky piece of 99380’s radio,” it comments, examining it up close, “Maybe this will let the voice speak to us again?” it calls out loud, “Hello! Mysterious voice?”
In response, the mesh circle buzzes, hisses, and crackles before a voice different from the previous one says:
“Excellent. You made it all the way here.”
“Hello, new voice,” 10013 gathers all its leadership and takes charge, “We talked to your buddy upstairs and it sent us here.”
“It is still me,” replies the voice, “The intercom I’m talking through right now offers a much higher vocal quality than the device outside.”
“Ummm,” 10013 rubs its head, “I’m sorry, voice. I kinda don’t know a bunch of words you’ve just used. We can go to the resort and ask the Queen or someone smart-”
“That won’t be necessary. I’ll adjust my speech pattern to match yours. You are using a version of common language similar to what the griffons on this island use. Besides, the fewer times anyone uses the emergency hatch, the better.”
“How come?”
“I will explain once we meet,” the voice pauses, “The camera above the door isn’t working. Is the door open?”
“There’s no door, just this smooth metal blocking our way,” says 20100 who has been poking and prodding the material while 36658 remains staring back into the tunnel they’ve descended through with pure paranoia.
“There must be a wiring problem,” says the voice.
“We can dig through,” says 10013, “But the Queen told us we’re not supposed to unless someone asks us and only if it’s super important.”
“That shouldn’t be necessary, and in the long run it could cause more harm than good,” replies the voice, “There should be a square plate in the wall to the right, near the ceiling. It will be difficult to find even with night vision-”
“Got it!” reports 20100 with a smile, face pretty much pressed against the wall.
“If you are certain, press up against the ceiling right above where you found it and the plate should slide aside-”
20100 does so and everything happens as the voice said, revealing some kind of a triangular handle.
“-to reveal an emergency unlocking mechanism. It’s a lever which can be pulled downwards.”
As 20100 keeps following the instructions, the metal sheet reveals to be a perfectly tightly fitting door made of three pieces, two sliding to left and right respectively and one behind them sliding upwards.
“It opened!” says 10013, “What now?”
“The speaker system of the facility itself seems mostly functional, so I will be able to talk to you all the way. Follow the lights.”
20100 peeks into the much wider but still pitch black tunnel into which they’ve just opened the door.
“No shinies to be seen, voice!” it calls out, its voice echoing through the darkness.
“Strange. The diagnostics system must be damaged in a way its redundancy modules can’t identify.”
“Well, if you can hear us and talk to us, then you can guide us, right?” asks 10013, “We can see a bit ahead just fine and we know left and right… unless changeling left and right are different from your left and right.”
“That will be sufficient,” agrees the voice, “However, move slowly and only where I guide you. Do not explore on your own. There are security devices on separate control loops which could take too long to override or cause damage to both you or the facility.”
“The words I understood were not good words,” comments 36658, gritting its teeth.
“As long as you follow my directions you will be safe,” says the voice.
Everyone looks at 10013. Oh, the joys of responsible leadership!
“Alright, guys. I go first,” decides the great leader, “36658, watch out back. 20100, keep an eye on Smiley so that it doesn’t run off-”
*Apologetic face.*
“-Sorry, Smiley. I know you mean well but sometimes you can get carried away. Try to focus.”
*Determined face!*
“Good job,” 10013 pats Smiley’s head and leans towards the ‘intercom’ thingy, “Voice, we’re ready.”
“Excellent. Enter through the door and head right.”
Taking a deep breath, 10013 leads the way.
They pass numerous branching corridors and walk along large glass panes set in the walls in a short span of time.
This place is packed. Not like home that’s full of splitting tunnels and dead ends, but room after room. Or cavern after cavern?
“Voice, are these rooms or caverns?” 10013 taps on the glass section of the left wall of the corridor.
“Rooms. Caverns are natural underground formations. Everything here was built ages ago,” replies the voice.
“Thank you,” answers 10013 politely. It never hurts to be polite.
A while later, their hoofsteps stop being the only noise in the otherwise silent hallways, as they’re joined by weird… humming?
Humming mixed with buzzing, swishing, and… slurping.
“...those are bad noises…” whispers 36658, “...very bad…”
It’s coming from the direction the voice is sending them in.
Smiley quickly scribbles a sharp, edged line on its tablet accompanied by a mental *worried face*.
“Have you stopped or are the microphones in this section damaged?” asks the voice, “I’m not hearing any hoofsteps nor detecting any obstruction in your way.”
The noises grow nearer, but even the drones’ perfect night vision can only reveal so much with their only light source being their bioluminescent eyes.
“...voice, something is coming our way…” whispers 10013, which doesn’t seem to be loud enough for the voice to hear.
“Ooookay, do we run now?” asks 36658 mentally.
“No, you three back off,” replies 10013.
“Are you crazy?” asks 36658 while Smiley and 20100 obey and start shuffling back.
“36658, for all of our existence we’ve been running away to live- no, to survive. We are here, on this island, to show the drones back home what more is out there. YOU know better than anyone how critical it is to show everyone that there’s more to life than digging and carrying. How do we become more if we flee the second something feels off? Yes, this might be dangerous but that’s why you back off right now and if anything bad happens, you run like all holes.”
“I’m not leaving you,” 36658 frowns and instead walks past 10013 directly towards the noise, “You back off. I’m the one who beat a sticky biter to death.”
And you are more valuable.
10013 has already been left behind, so it doesn’t argue with 36658 and shuffles back to join 20100 and Smiley. Their plan remains the same, after all, no matter who the scout is.
“Changelings? Talk to me! Is there a barrier I can’t detect?” asks the voice from multiple speakers around them as well as some from further down the hall and the corridor they came from.
Taking a deep breath, 36658 knows the whipping and sucking noise must be almost in its cone of vision, and it quickly swallows two agonyslayers it has saved in its leg hole. Not Miss Gem’s remaining stuff, but something basic that should help it shrug off the pain of a small wound while still being able to flee.
It can now identify that the mix of noises is coming from near the smooth floor, and only the tunnel echo is what’s making it seem as if even the walls and the ceiling were crawling with these humming, swishing, and slurping monsters..
36658 braces for what it’s about to see, ready to bolt at the first sign of teeth.
Oh, that’s what Smiley drew.
It comes.
36658 lowers its body, legs bent and primed.
Three discs, roughly two hooves high and small enough to fit between a drone’s four legs when standing each, slowly slide towards the drone. They’re spread out to cover the entire width of the tunnel, betraying that they possess some level of intelligence. The whipping noise seems to be coming from under them, specifically from some kind of a tentacle the tip of which 36658 can see in the front.
36658 shuffles closer to the wall, testing if they’re targeting it or if they’ll just move past. Two discs do so but 36658 has to step over the third one, misjudges its speed, and it softly bumps into its hind leg. 36658 jumps forward, rolls, and quickly gets back up.
“Did you all see that?” it asks, receiving two mental pings through its hive link as a response that 20100 and 10013 have been watching through its eyes.
“Those don’t seem like gribblers,” comments 10013, splitting from Smiley and 20100 and approaching, “But stay in the back just in case, you two.”
The drone leader lowers itself to the ground to examine the three discs now circling around where 36658’s leg got bumped into.
“Voice?” 10013 decides that they’re likely not in serious danger.
“Yes? Why did you stop communicating? Did anything happen?” replies the voice immediately.
“We got spooked by three moving discs that make noises we know from back home. Very bad noises. ‘A drone is about to get eaten’ kind of noises.”
“Discs? Let me run through staff and equipment specifications. The only result I’m finding is a cleaning unit. They are entirely automated, and have no offensive capabilities. They just sweep and wipe the floors.”
“Are you sure? They seemed kinda… angry when they bumped into 36658,” 10013 comments with hesitation, “They started swarming around the area.”
“They were readjusting their location,” explains the voice, “They detected a barrier which shouldn’t be in their path. They’ll just recalculate and continue.”
“Phew,” 10013 breathes out, “Alright, guys. I think we’re okay.”
After 10013’s confirmation, 20100 rushes over with Smiley in tow, and pokes the nearest slowly approaching disc. It briefly pauses before resuming its rolling along on two small wheels near its edge and some wide spinning thingy in the front.
“Other than the noise, they’re kinda neat,” 20100 beams, putting a hoof in front of the cleaning unit. It bumps into the leg once, twice, three times, before turning around and starting to circle around it, “Just like you used to be, Smiley,” it gets out of the way and boops Smiley.
Smiley puffs its cheeks before bumping into 20100 with its forehead, backing off, repeating it two more times, and finally sticking its tongue out at the other drone.
“Alright, guys, let’s keep going,” 10013 catches up with 36658 standing ahead and listening for anything else coming their way, “We can play with the cleaners once we listen to what the voice wants.”
“You are almost there,” replies the voice, “You will soon reach a loading corridor to the right which will be wider and sloping down. At its end will be a heavily reinforced door. Once you are there, touch the control panel next to it.”
The drones soon see exactly what the voice mentioned, and find themselves standing in a roughly three times wider tunnel, in front of the mentioned door set in a hefty frame which sends a clear message that either no one gets in or nothing gets out. 10013 puts its hoof on the panel next to it as instructed, and the door opens. It reveals a large, square room with somewhat functional lighting filled with mechanical debris, most of which seemingly originates from heavy, metal racks collapsed on the floor, on which there seem to be hanging… metal… ponies?
“Come in,” says the voice, “Feel free to look around but don’t touch anything that would seem to be buzzing or sparking without asking. The diagnostic systems say that there shouldn’t be any live areas but we’ve already established that there’s something wrong with those.”
The drones enter, relieved that the door doesn’t close behind them. They could dig themselves out and they wouldn’t get lost running back in case this has all been a ruse, but the veterans know full well that in case of trouble seconds are everything.
“What is this place, who are you, what are these ponies, and why did you want us to get here?” asks 36658 sharply, “It’s about time we got answers and if we don’t we’re leaving immediately.”
“I’ve gathered all the information I can share and I’ve run it through security protocols,” says the voice, “Question number one - this is a dwarf weapons research facility. During the great war and before the REDACTED project, this site was the base of experimentation with controlled volcanic flows and using the pressures and heat for material research. Core research of refining the void-spawned material we call istrium originated here, but in the final years this site was fully dedicated to forging the REDACT- bzzt- security protocols overridden under the Emergency Restoration Act and user authority A2,” the voice pauses.
“Are you okay, voice?” asks 10013, poking the nearest pony made of white-ish metal.
“My apologies. System warning seems to have bled into speech subroutines. As I said, in its final days, this site was dedicated to the construction of the Universal Wavelength Reforger, a device which could detect and alter any wavelength or-” the voice pauses, “You have no idea what I’m talking about, right?”
“Like… sea wobbling?” 20100 takes a guess.
“Ah…” the voice takes a moment to gather itself, “Extremely simplified, it could detect and transform any energy, from simple heat to the wavelengths in the ‘magical’ spectrum.”
“Waaaaaaait, does that mean love too?” asks 10013.
“Yes. Love, as in biological emanations in the magical spectrum caused by chemical reactions in the brain. The enemy in the great war were biological creatures whose unnatural evolution was caused by an extremely specific set of primal energies, and the Reforger was supposed to help overcome some of their abilities granted by said energies. With the war over, the Reforger must be… secured.”
“So these… dwarves won?”
“It is the only logical conclusion,” answers the voice after a brief pause, “Ponies, griffons, and changelings still exist in biological forms. Had we lost, that wouldn’t be the case.”
“Alright, so you made weapons here. Like stabbies, slashies, armors, all that stuff,” 20100 nods, now prodding a collapsed mechanical pony.
“We used different weapons, but your broad idea is correct. The robot you are currently engaged with is one of such weapons.”
Caught in the act of waving the robot’s leg in the air, 20100 lets go and innocently shuffles away.
“You said you couldn’t see us!” it objects.
“Two of the ceiling cameras are functional. I can see you just fine.”
“Then we would really like to see who we’re talking to!” 36658 has no clue what a camera is, but immediately starts scanning the ceiling for anything different.
“Question number two then - I am the Assistant Intelligence of this facility. My duty is to assist in day-to-day operations, orchestrate data mining and transfers, and- I’m the caretaker of this place now that there’s no ongoing research or staff. Your analog would be a partitioned off section of your hive mind dedicated to one specific use. That’s why I don’t have a physical body in a sense which you understand.”
“You seem to know a lot about changelings,” comments 10013.
“Changelings were the only species the dwarves mingled with on occasion. Your minds and certain genetic predispositions appearing in some individuals made them excellent scientists. Three such individuals worked in this facility during its lifetime, which is why the biometric recognition of the emergency access hatch responded to you. They lent us their talents for the assurance of safety from the rest of your kind and for the promise of not being research subjects.”
“387 sometimes said that he helped drones and any willing changelings escape the hive under the old rules. So three super smart drones made it here?” 10013 beams in excitement.
“I have no background on how they got here or their biological caste designations, but otherwise correct. Their specific talents were beyond explanation without deep research, but at the time we had much more pressing problems.”
“You called these pony things weapons,” says 20100, once again messing with the robotic pony’s chassis on the floor, “Are they dangerous?”
“Yes, but there are only several of the fifty stored here which are still functional, and they can’t be activated by manual handling… so feel free to keep doing what you’re doing,” a hint of force creeps into the voice, “Changeling, please stop poking the working ceiling camera. It’s delicate and I already told you I had no physical form for me to show you.”
36658 stops fiddling with a small, black dome set in the ceiling and floats back on the floor while asking:
“Let’s get to the final question then - why did you want us to come here? I understand you were walking about drones before, but the special talent of none of us is being super smart. Smart for a drone, maybe, but that’s more from our longer life, nothing special.”
“Gotta admit that,” 20100 shrugs, “I got my talents figured out and my smarts is around the decidedly average.”
Smiley smacks a collapsed robot with a slate covered in smiling faces in an attempt to make it feel better. When that fails, it gives the robot a hug.
“I’ve got my cooling foam goop,” 10013 nods, “Doesn’t seem like much, but it’s pretty helpful sometimes.”
“No, I’m not attempting to enlist you for research purposes. I need help and you were the first in ages I believe I can rely on with any kind of success rate,” replies the Assistant Intelligence, “The Universal Wavelength Reforger must be destr- destr- secured.”
“Aaaand this neatly brings me to questions five through, uhh, more,” 36658 looks directly into the camera, “Why can’t you do it yourself? Why are we specifically the ones you can rely on? And- and- and I’ll think of something else in a moment!”
“You don’t trust me, which is acceptable,” says the AI, reading 36658’s agitation, “I can’t do it myself for two reasons - number one is the extensive damage caused to this facility by the eruption of the Ataraki volcano 638 years ago. Normally, dwarf facilities were built to withstand a surface eruption of such scale, but the necessity of using magma flows directly for the previously mentioned material research required a more open construction of the facility, which allowed the damage to aggregate into levels which I can’t manage without trained staff. Reason number two is… the fact that I have nowhere to move the Reforger, and the destruction of such advanced technology which took centuries of research goes against every scrap of programming in me. However, even if I could still use the robotic bodies at this point, I wouldn’t be able to get to the Reforger anyway. One of the eruptions caused a collapse which split the facility into sections inaccessible to me via standard means.”
“It makes me think,” 10013 rubs its head, “If this place is collapsing on itself, why not just wait for the wobbly leg- wave frog- thingy to be buried underground?”
“The Wavelength Reforger,” the AI corrects it, “This neatly brings us to the main problem. Your idea would be absolutely correct were it not for the fact that for the past six years there have been griffon military units attempting to access the site from several angles. I sectioned off and locked up every place that I could but the damage to the facility is preventing me from activating a full self-destruct protocol. Thankfully, the rougher of their initial methods collapsed some entry points without my interference as well. However, the griffons will eventually dig through the istrium shell and access the Reforger site even if I thoroughly destroy this section of the facility.”
“We can dig through pretty much anything,” offers 10013, “If you tell us where to start, we can just tunnel into the other part of this place.”
“That would be extremely unwise. In case of an unauthorized breach and movement in the facility, the closed loop security systems will engage. The diagnostic system reports that there are enough defense options still working for this approach to be the last resort at best.”
“We’re not really good at fighting anyway,” 10013 shrugs.
“Since you triggered the outside scanner, I’ve had time to devise a plan,” says the AI, “A staff member with the correct identification will be able to enter the facility through the main entrance, thus not activating its defenses. I believe I can repurpose one of the robots in this room for such a mission and your task would only be to escort it in secret to the main entrance of this facility which is on the surface. I just need you to find a chassis that’s in one piece and wire it up according to my instructions. These robots are for menial labor and maintenance so some should still be in working order.”
“Worky bots! That’s like us!” beams 20100.
“Find an unbroken metal pony, got it!” 10013 nods, finally happy to have something to actually do.
The drones start examining the various robots scattered around the room.
“Why is it so important that griffons don’t find the refrogger anyway?” asks 20100, busy near the racks which seem to have hosted the bodies before collapsing, “You know, since us finding it is okay.”
“The Reforger prototype is incomplete. Several of the project milestones are marked as finished, but the device isn’t fully operational. According to my historical records, griffons are a naturally warlike species second only to the minotaurs. However, unlike minotaurs, the development path of their civilization diverged from tribalism into heavily scientific industrialism most similar to dwarves of ancient times. Since the Reforger’s use lies in manipulating… energy of all sorts,” the voice clearly decided against trying to use more detailed language there, “it’s possession by the griffons would inevitably result in their domination of the globe and subjugation or genocide of other species. Whether they would take centuries or millennia to reverse engineer its current state and finish it or build something else based on the technology, the end result would be the same. By doing this you are inevitably saving the world.”
“That’s bound to be a lot of points. At least a hundred,” 36658 punches the air victoriously, “Choke on that, 99111!”
“I guess now’s the time then,” 10013 looks at the other drones, “Thoughts?”
“I gots some bouncing around my head,” 20100 nods.
“And those are?”
“That we should help with the wobbly leg frog. We might save the world AND 36658 can get its points!” 20100 pulls 36658 into a hug.
“36658?” 10013 nods to it.
“I said my piece. I’ll do anything to make sure High Score isn’t forgotten,” says 36658 with absolute conviction.
“Alright, voice! We heard all we wanted to and we’re in!” 10013 looks towards the ceiling camera with a nod.
“I’m glad to hear it, but you lost me for a moment,” says the AI, “You were talking about points?”
“It’s a hive thing,” says 10013, “We’ll explain when we’re not in a hurry.”
“Speaking of which, how much time do we have?” asks 20100, “We’ll be leaving the island in four or five days. I’m not sure how long the boat trip takes without sinking.”
“Judging by how careful the griffons have been in their digging and ingress since their first failures, they should be entering at some point within the next decade…” the AI pauses, “That means over ten years.”
“Woooow, that’s so long!” 20100 breathes out and Smiley waves its slate now showing multiple zeroes, “We’re all only six years old!”
“Oh…” is all the voice says.
“Well, you still haven’t answered why the Retarder thingy is okay to be with us or… you know… ponies who might take it away,” says 36658, “By the way, this machine pony looks in one piece,” it pushes a chassis away from the unsorted pile on the floor.
“Simply put, my knowledge projects that zebras would be the second to understand the Reforger, but much slower than the griffons. However, even if they did partially reverse engineer it and built protective devices on its basis, the balance of the world wouldn’t swing so far because griffon technology doesn’t rely on magic. Yes, it would disrupt electronic devices and many more things, but gunpowder-based projectile weaponry, the core of military technology the griffons seem to be headed to, would still be effective. My projection also shows that even if united pony tribes were to fall, the griffons would become the counterbalance to zebra power. And if ponies came to the possession of the Reforger, the same applies. Besides, neither pony species with the exception of the pegasi is particularly warlike, so the end of the world scenario is unlikely.”
“And us? I don’t want to say mean things about the Queen because she’s gotten a lot nicer since the new rules, but if she got the super magic thingy things might not be as good,” 10013 says nervously, looking around just in case of sudden Chrysalis coming to bite its head off.
“The device is entirely incompatible with changeling bioengineering. By the time you successfully reverse engineer the Reforger, other species should be beyond our own level of technology.”
“HAH! Suck it, ponies and catbirds!” 20100 laughs, “You’re too smart to save the world!”
“That’s an unexpected reaction…” comments the AI, “Wait, 36658. Before we continue, let’s begin testing the robots for suitability. Now, listen carefully-”
It takes three untouched robots but the drones’ ability to grow claws on their legs for careful manipulation as well as the new carapaces designed by Shining Armor for agility eventually lead to one of the robots successfully reconnected to the collapsed rack to suddenly buzz with electricity. Segmented red circle appears inside its eyeball, projecting on its surface, and the short horn made of red crystal on its forehead shimmers.
“Calibrating,” its mouth moves and speaks with a voice similar to the AI’s.
“Eep!” 10013, who has been circling around the robot, jolts and backs away. 36658 jumps between it and the robot, hooves shimmering green in preparation to dig. 20100 just stares, and Smiley approaches the robot which is of its own size, presenting its tablet with [:)].
“Is this some sort of hieroglyphics?” asks the robot.
“It’s just Smiley’s scribbles. It’s the only way it can talk and we’re still getting used to it too,” says 10013, now approaching the robot as well, “So, who are you?”
The ceiling answers:
“I copied a small fraction of my programming into the maintenance unit. This will allow it to move beyond this complex and access the separated part of the facility through the main entrance. Let me test the projector-” the robot’s horn glows brighter and a picture made of light which is portraying some sort of a long stick made of pink crystal with a black handle appears hanging in the air, “This is what the Universal Wavelength Reforger looks like- Smiley, please stop that!”
Smiley stops waving its foreleg through the projection with an expression of pure amazement.
“Sure, great, but what do we call you?” 20100 taps on the robot's chassis and flinches when it looks at it, “We gotta be all sneaky, so we can’t just say ‘Hey, robot thingy!’ around all the griffons on the surface.”
“I can provide several hundred dwarf names, if you want to pick one that suits you.”
“Guysguysguysguys!” 20100 beams with excitement, “We should choose a changeling name! That way we can say this guy is a drone transformed into… uhh… walking statue! Because reasons!”
“I did see some zeroes and ones in its eyes when it was waking up,” comments 36658, “Maybe 10101? That way it doesn’t outrank 10013, but it’s smart and it could be that high.”
“You sure there wasn’t a two somewhere?” 10013 rubs its head.
“Two doesn’t exist in a binary code. I accept the designation 10101 for this unit. Overriding its serial code,” says the newly named 10101, “What is Smiley doing now?” it turns its head to Smiley vigorously rubbing its goop stick on the robot’s white-ish metal chassis to no avail.
“GASP! Being a genius. That’s even better than my idea!” exclaims 20100, “10101, do you have any paints or crayons or anything that would stick to that weird metal carapace?”
As 10101 points its horn and projects a narrow cone of light towards a tubular section in the corner of the room, 10013 sits down, pondering the situation.
I’m not sure what’s happening, but what we gotta do is clear. Get the weird glow stick thingy and either break it or hide it somewhere deep back home. Everything is deep back home so that part should be easy!
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Al aint given any idea of scale yet, so it could be anywhere from the size of a lipstick or a lightsabre to an fuel tanker?
And this is why one has to love Changelings.
Also in fairness, the AI isn't saying that the Changelings are too stupid to mess with the thing. Just that their brand of engineering doesn't play nicely with the technology.
A shiny stick!? What a find!
And now they have a droid. This can only end well.
i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/044/032/heart-attack.jpg
Ah, classic SCP-███ - "REDACTED"
Well... kinda. And of course it took some bugs to clean the mess
Even Big Friendsip Gun?
Red no good! Everyone knows!
*satisfied turian noises*
11473296
It's simple. Changelings into biology and evolution, Griphones into hightech and armor, ponies into magic powers and shields!
So basically Roombas, right?
Yeah, that scans. All changelings shown in the story have exhibited some form of high level of curiosity and/or the ability to absorb, process, and deduce information relatively quickly--all good skills to have in the field of science. And that's just for starters, as I'm sure the voice is thinking of other traits still.
11473222
While we don't know, we can assume the AI does and would warn Ds if they needed fifty of them to carry it.
11473296
To the Ds, intelligence is just like height or any other attribute. There's too little and there's too much. Too tall? Can't fit into all tunnels. Too heavy? Can't flee well. Too smart? Overthink stuff and get eaten instead of just running immediately.
11473345
You could even trade it for a wobbly bush! (Callback to the complete beginning of TE, hmm?)
11473350
Pff, it ended just fine for Three, and that wasn't even an AI but an actual transferred dwarf if I recall correctly.
11473415
Everyone knows Smiley is a genius.
11473725
- All references to the Lovebugs trilogy.
- No, actually, because Halls of the Changeling king is chronologically happening right now. The AI just assumes.
- Obviously even the Big Friendship Gun.
- Cancel this filthy colorist!
- Heh, I wasn't even aiming for that.
11473728
I swear I'm not doing Stacraft or 40k. It just crystallized from earlier stories. I originally intended zebras to eventually become the most futuristic but then nuclear annihilation happened.
11473748
- Yes, they got spooked by three roombas. That's the joke attempt.
- The idea was more that dwarves somehow came into contact with 3 changelings whose genetic predisposition was either physics, math, or something else useful.
- Yes, that was the joke attempt number 2.
If you already mentioned the Great War in one of the previous stories then I forgot who fought in it.
I wonder if this was the dwarves vs the changelings and the defecting scientists are like the Albert Einsteins leaving for the US and helping with the bomb. Or maybe the changeling scientists were just refugees who wanted to get away from the mad queens for a better life.
Also, wasn't Beard's hive supposed to be relocating southwards? Is this where they were trying to get to? Wait, did that whole migration thing happen in the story that you unpublished?11474346
This story is happening at the time of Halls of the Mountain King. The destruction of the universe is still some 300 years in the future, give or take, and happens in Legacy of Light.
Gosh darn changelings, always saving the world
11476010
Gosh darn world, always needs saving!
I like dwarf stuff... But a drone cake party sounds better
11476287
Hmmm, I wonder what a drone hatch day would look like? There's a ton of them, most hatched on different dates and not too old. The hive's cake budget would rival Celestia.
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I vote on employing the element of laughter for the job. They would get unlimited cake and food! Though I'm imagining a poorly disguised Celestia moving into the hive.. >.>
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I don't think Chrysalis would like that very much, not that she'd try to stop it, I think. Celestia's love of cake would power the hive for eons.
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It would be the exact scene as in "To Where And Back Again" where Discord finds himself surrounded by a horde of changelings pretending to be Fluttershys, only with Celestia and walking cakes. Although that might backfire when Sunbutt bites the first transformed drone.
"-and at that moment they discovered the deadliest tunnel gribbler, the dreaded cake muncher!"