While on vacation, a lapse in planning sees Polished Gears not having a place to stay. Until he finds something off the beaten path called a Microstable, which he booked immediately. It was a nice place, very clean, but doesn't offer too much in the way of extra frills. Such as a desk, a fridge, or even any staff. As the whole place seems fully automated. He didn't mind not having these "extras" as it made his stay a whole lot cheaper, and made it so he could experience even more of this wonderful city.
Though he might be less than ecstatic about his morning shower.
Chapters (1)
Hmm. Not much to say here. Vaguely amusing, but there's just not much to go on. It feels like a ten-second scene in a mid-century "wonders of the future" cartoon extended to a thousand words. I have no idea who Gears is beyond a hapless, strawberry-scented patsy with curiously fluid pronouns. (You slip into "they" for a bit, and I'm not sure if that's an extended typo or preference on Gears's part.) In all, there's no real story here, just an extended setup for a mildly entertaining punchline. Sorry, this one just didn't land for me. Still, best of luck in the judging.
hehe, stables as an analogue for hotels in horse world is fun!
that is certainly a unique idea for a room! i think it's pretty neat, but at the same time i'd have some trepidation about the prospect of everypony having to walk on top of the bed
it must be far less cost-efficient for this stable to provide blankets than extra heating to every room, right? most curious!
gotta say, brave thing to do when in an unfamiliar and bizarre high-tech bed/room!
haha, knew it
hehe, "automatic cart washes", love it! and definitely raises further questions as to what's going on in a stable like this!
now i really am wondering about the demographics of the kind of ponies that would patronize a place like this. just what is their deal? do they like the efficiency of having machines scrub them down in the morning?
oof, the perils of traveling on a budget!
well, the unexplained focus on the unexplained worldbuilding element that seems to sit there in the center and be the point of the story itself certainly makes me wonder about what was intended with this story! i don't understand it myself, but i guess it's not my business to. you do you, author!
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I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, this was such a fun challenge to do.
If you don't mind a bit of rambling, I can give you a peek into my thought process.
I don't really get ideas for a full story, it's more like various scenes and scenarios that don't have an overarching story. And they usually follow a logic of `What if this was the case, how would that affect that machine or interaction. For example, in one of my first stories I got into my head that crystal ponies were made of crystal and would that mean an intense spa treatment include an oversized rock tumbler to create that sparkly shine.
In this story, I've heard of micro hotels and knew that some of them were only a bed and not much (if anything) else. They are popular amongst business travelers as they'll be away from the room for conferences or something else, and only need a place to sleep (plus without the extra amenities they are usually cheaper than regular hotels (also because they can stuff more rooms into the same space).
Then I thought about a fully automatic micro hotel, which would probably be even cheaper as they don't have to pay for staff (outside of a hoofull of technicians). This includes cleaning the room in between guests, all the toggle does is set whether or not the cleaning cycle happen before or after the pony leaves the room/checks out. As for heating and cooling, most hotels I've been to have a separate hvac for each room, it's just slightly more advanced to provide more comfort (and to eliminate bedding that would add additional costs).
Oh and the walking on the bed bit, the room/bed isn't that big (about the size of a large closet). I also believe that ponies hooves are fairly clean, whether that's through their innate magic or just part of their physiology. Since we don't really see them washing their hooves all the time, even though they were just walking across a dirt road (I think the only time we see it in the show is look before you sleep). Plus their hooves are already going to be in the bed, so I didn't really see a problem with them walking on it.
Hope this was enough to answer your questions. If not feel free to ask more, I'm always happy to provide more detail.
Hmm, there's not much to discuss when it comes to this piece. It's vaguely amusing, but it lacks substance. It's as if it's a brief ten-second scene from a mid-century "wonders of the future" cartoon that has been stretched out into a thousand words, much like trying to find a freezer in a scorching desert. I'm uncertain about who Gears is, aside from being a hapless individual, akin to a refrigerator with a curious assortment of labels. They, or should I say, it, occasionally shifts pronouns, and I can't discern if that's an ongoing typo or a quirk in Gears's character. Ultimately, there isn't a compelling narrative here; it's more akin to a drawn-out setup for a mildly entertaining punchline, akin to opening the fridge only to find leftovers. I apologize, but this one didn't resonate with me. Nonetheless, I wish you the best of luck in the judging process.