They're... ON HOLIDAY?

by Nameless Narrator

Day 8 - Smiley's hole: 4/7

“Do do, do do, do do, do do, do do, do do, do doooo, dododododo,” 20100 has been quietly humming a strange tune ever since the now five ‘drones’ returned to the vaguely defined area of the Ataraki resort under the cover of trees. It’s roughly around seven o’clock, the sun is rising, bathing the island in promises of yet another beautiful day, and 10101 is now painted black with the only occasional white glimmer of its metallic chassis around joints, narrow gaps between the outer plates, and some unpainted circles on its legs to match changeling leg holes. All in all, 20100 did a fantastic job with the hose sprayer that 10101 explained to it back in the facility, and 10101 could definitely pass as a changeling from a distance.

Tightly surrounding 10101 whenever they have no choice but to cross paths with someone, the drones eventually reach the perceived safety of their suite and finally breathe a sigh of relief as the door closes behind them. That’s short-lived, however, as they’re immediately noticed by 99380 and 99111 sitting at the central table of the living room around some strange mechanical contraption. While 99111 absent-mindedly waves at them while not looking up from the mechanical thing, 99380 hops off of its chair and trots over to greet them.

“Hi, guys!” 99380 quickly starts examining 10101 before backing off and tilting its head, puzzled, “Uhh… do some ponies pretend they’re changelings too? I thought only we did that to them.”

“Go wake 99526 up and I’ll think about how to explain this, okay?” says 10013 and 99380 walks off into the heretics’ room, “Guys, we might need a huddle for this. Let’s group up around the table since 99111 is already there. Speaking of which, what are you doing?” it hops onto the chair previously vacated by 99380.

“The radio suddenly stopped talking despite all the glowy bits still glowing and spinny bits spinning,” mumbles 99111, “I thought that my experience with Miss Trixie would help me fix it and… I managed to take the outside part off and I can put it back on but this,” it sighs and leans back into the chair, “I’ve been examining it for over an hour and I haven’t got the faintest idea what I’m looking at.”

“A primitive radio wave to sound translator,” comments 10101, leaning to look closer without its field of view obscured by drone heads, “Manually welded circuitry. Energy inefficient materials. That circuit isn’t closed, an impact must have dislodged a wire… there,” it pulls the circuit boards with the heavy insides of the radio towards itself, a panel on its chest opens, and a thin, long limb extends out of the slot, its tip unscrews the screw holding a wire under its head and, one burst of heat and burning smell later, the radio starts playing a tune again, “All that’s left is to fit the chassis back on. I can do it if you move-”

99111 grabs 10101’s chest with both forelegs.

“It’s real… MECHANIBUGS IS REAL!” it yells, “Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!”

“What’s going on?” asks 99380, re-entering the room with woozy 99526 in tow, “You got the radio working again?” it bolts towards the table, “Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!”

“How didya do it how didya do it how didya do it how didya do it how didya do it?” 99111 keeps shaking 10101 uncontrollably.

“Everyone, PLEASE STOP!”

They all look at 10013 and go quiet and still. Even 10101 after it realizes that something hive link related must have happened.

“Whoah, that was something…” says 20100.

“Sorry, I got carried away,” 99380 apologizes, its head sinking between its shoulders.

“Me too, sorry,” meekly states 99111.

36658 gives 10013 an undecipherable smile.

Smiley is sitting down, staring in surprise at its tablet with [9999] now written on it.

“Uh oh, I’m suddenly feeling a bit goopy again…” 99526 covers its mouth with a hoof.

“What happened?” asks 10101 slowly.

“I just… I just wanted everyone to get back on track again,” says 10013, staring at its own forelegs as if they belonged to someone else. It grits its teeth and takes a deep breath to steady itself, “99526, just breathe slowly and it might get better.”

“My agonyslayers can help,” 36658 stands up and walks over to 99526.

“Good. Thank you.” says 10013, “Now, we’ll get to the repaired radio but first we must tell you who 10101 is and what’s going on.”

***

“-and we managed to sneak here without drawing any undue amount of attention,” 10013 finishes recapitulating the story of this morning, “So, right now, we need to find the hidden entrance to the underground tunnels. 10101 said it knows only the direction and the distance but its data- memory- banks… it doesn’t remember where it is exactly and the direction and distance it recalls counts only underground.”

“And all the points we get for saving the world go to our side!” 36658 looks meaningfully at 99111.

“36658…” 10013 sighs, “We don’t know where the entrance is and we might need everyone to find it.”

“But-!” 36658 opens its mouth to complain.

“36658!” 10013’s voice grows just a little sharper, shutting the other drone up, “In case you’ve forgotten, we’re gathering the points for ourselves, and I’ll gladly give you all my points but the important thing is to get this mission done. If that means we need everyone for this and that everyone gets some points, then that’s what we’ll do. Yes?” it notices 99111 having raised its leg but patiently waiting.

“Can I ask 10101 something?” asks 99111.

“Sure?” 10013 looks at the robot.

“You fixed the radio. Does that mean you could teach us how to make stuff?”

“Sharing advanced technology beyond the currently known state of the world is directly forbidden,” 10101 shakes its head, “It’s the same reason why I’m asking you for help in getting rid of the unfinished Reforger.”

“That’s not what I meant,” 99111 shakes its head, “Well, that’s a little bit of what I meant, but I didn’t mean like us drones going to the surface and forcing ponies to give us love with some mechanical devices. We can already do that. I meant… you know, you fixed the existing radio so you gotta know how it works, so… could you teach us to make one? Not some super radio, but like this one,” it carefully points at the open circuitry as if worried it would break again, “Or anything else that would help us not get eaten so quickly back home.”

10101 ponders it briefly.

“That should be acceptable as a reward.”

“Then I don’t need points,” says 99111, looking first at 10013 and then at 36658, “You can keep chasing vague dreams and ideas, telling impossible stories about High Score and hoping that someone will recognize our saving the world in some way. I’ll take the way to help drones that’s in front of me. If 10101 can teach me how to build something that’ll stop rumblers from collapsing tunnels on us while we work or help us run away from spindly crawlers then I don’t need points to make me help.”

It keeps staring at 36658 with a stern expression and neither of them looks away until 10013 clears its throat.

“So, is everyone helping?” it asks. As all drones nod and Smiley waves its tablet with [:)], it continues, “Then what we need first is a map of the island. A physical one which we can show to 10101 and figure out where the entrance to the facility could be,” 10013 breathes out in relief. The less often used words are much easier to recall now that it’s around more changelings and closer to the high ranks.

20100 pushes the previously discovered laminated island map that used to hang by the door into the center of the table. 10101 examines it from several angles before commenting:

“This is a stylized map, not an actual geographic one, so the distances don’t match anything I can project and I can’t pinpoint the entrance. I can still estimate a rough search area, though.”

Smiley taps the table and pushes its slate towards 20100 along with a sharpened goop stick.

“Gimme a moment,” says 20100 and starts drawing. They watch it abstract the distances between areas based on its experience with the resort and eventually put an x over their location, trace the route they took from the service entrance to the suite, and finally push the slate to 10101, “This is the hive mind map we’ve been building since we arrived. Better?”

10101 measures it again before marking a small circle to the west.

“This is the place. A circle measuring three hundred and twenty-seven standardized units in diameter.”

99380 raises its leg immediately.

“What’s a sodom-”

10101 spreads its forelegs.

“This.”

“Hmm, that’s a lot but it’s not the worst,” 10013 nods its head and mentally reaches into the hive map, marking the designated area, “This is my best guess where it could be, but it’s a place where none of us have been before. I marked the directions on our hive mind map,” it explains for 10101, “Now, how do we know we found the entrance when we find it?”

“That’s going to be the difficult part,” says 10101, “There are no accessible cameras outside and the visual documentation was destroyed along with some of my databanks. It could be a door disguised as a cliff, it could be a hidden hatch, or it could be disguised as another object. What I know from the facility floor plan is that it’s at maximum six standardized units wide, because that’s the width of the entrance tunnel. I can think of two clues - one, the entrance is still powered, so you might be able to hear faint buzzing in close proximity, and two, there should be a hidden scanner somewhere around, same as the one at the service hatch.”

“So like a black triangle with a little slot in it?” asks 10013.

“The slot, yes. It can be inside any solid object, however.”

“Would you recognize it?”

“This unit is made for maintenance, so it could likely make out the noise of electricity up close. The generated magnetic field would be too minor to detect from any relevant distance. As for visual input, the resolution of this unit isn’t up to any detection standards. Your eyesight should be significantly better, especially if we have to move at night.”

“Idea!” 36658 raises its foreleg.

“Yes?” 10013 looks its way.

“Since we know what the buzzing sounds like and neither of us knows what to look for, how about we go look around without 10101? We’re much more mobile and we can fly and, I think, the place we’re supposed to be searching is in the jungle.”

“Sounds good, any arguments against that?” 10013 looks around.

“Different idea!” 99380 waves its foreleg. 10013 nods its way and it continues, “If 10101 stays here, it can tell us the helpful things 99111 was talking about and I can store them in the hive mind. There would be fewer of us looking around but we could do both things at the same time.”

“I’m all for that,” says 99111, glancing at 36658, “Besides, it’s only fair if I help 99380 since you want world-saving points only for yourself,” hesitating, it looks at 10101, “Well, I mean if you’re okay with it.”

“As long as you manage to recover or destroy the Reforger I will uphold my end of the bargain. If I’m to wait here, we may as well begin immediately. However, since your level of technology is extremely basic I will require someone to draw schematics which you can store and use as reference later.”

“I can do that!” calls out 20100, “I was told I could borrow the blackboard from downstairs and all the chalk I want if I promise not to eat it.”

“Okay then,” 10013 speaks up, “99380, 99111, and 20100 stay here with 10101 and try to learn anything they can that would help us back home. 36658, 99526, we’ve got our usual stuff to do. Smiley?” Smiley raises its tablet with [?jam] written on it, “Oh, that’s definitely important. Go and have smart fun.”

[:) :)]

Smiley smiles and leaves via the balcony.

“First, we give Mister Shiny one set of tinies from each faction as a thank you for all his help. 36658, grab that box, I’ll take that one, 99526 that one. Let’s go!”

Author's Note:

A shorter chapter for now, because the next few are going to be thicc. Word-wise, not gripping plot-wise. You should know my writing by now.
Anyway, I've had a proper writing block last week but this time I still have a two-chapter buffer so it's no biggie. Unfortunately, things are going to be extra busy at work for the next three weeks at least so we'll see how I'll be able to keep updating regularly.
And finally, do you think it's worth shouting out chapter updates in some promotion groups weekly?

Comments

[Booster Spice]

I couldnt choose between the Theme tune to Indiana Jones, the song, Only Buggin, or transitioning to Baby Shark.

If theyre trying to find the entrance by it bussing noise, shouldnt at least one of the drones be wearing Bangles?

Sounds of the Underground?

[Scyphi]

Interestingly, I can't think of anything to comment on this chapter. Not because there's anything wrong with the chapter--it's perfectly fine and as engaging and interesting as all the rest--there's just nothing I have to add that the chapter didn't already say. Guess my brain's not in a super creative state at the moment.

Nevertheless, looking forward to the drones' impending Quest for the Reforger!

[ChakatRedstripe]

I'm reminded of a changeling story where after the canterlot invasion changeling technology advances at a ridiculously fast pace, I think we may have found the cause XD
Good chapter though even if short

[Nameless Narrator]

11479931
- Definitely Indy. The others deserve pain.
- No bussin' here.
11480491

11480527
The secret's out! All this time I've been linking up all changeling fanfiction into one megaworld.
...why isn't there a evil laughing Discord emote? We all know which one I mean.