Horse-Based Economy

by David Silver

16 - Mailing Ponies

Applejack nodded along as Lyra explained the situation to the other ponies. It was a lot to take in, but the prospect of having a real town again was exciting. The makeshift camp/hole had served its purpose, but it was no substitute for real homes and community.

As Lyra finished, the ponies began murmuring excitedly amongst themselves. Applejack stepped forward to address the crowd. "I know you all have a lot of questions, and believe me, I do too. But right now, we need to start getting ready to move. The robots are clearing out the raiders for us, which gives us a chance to go back to the vault and gather our things."

The ponies nodded in agreement and began dispersing to prepare. Applejack turned to Twilight and Stan. "Alright partners, let's get this wagon train movin'. Twilight, think you can manage gettin' the vault open again?"

Twilight inclined her head. "Even if we did manage to lock it, the raiders would have blown it open by now. I doubt that'll be a problem."

"Atta girl," Applejack said, as if she didn't entirely hear or understand Twilight's objection. She looked to Stan next. "And you, keep those baby blues peeled for any stragglers. Wouldn't want any surprises while we're loadin' up."

Stan chuckled and patted his rifle. "I got your back, AJ. Ain't nothin' gettin' past me."

With their tasks set, the group headed for the vault entrance. Twilight rushed inside to get her precious scientific supplies while Stan and Giddyup stood guard. Applejack peered into the dark vault. It had only been a short time, but it felt like ages since they'd been inside. This place used to be their whole world. Now it was just a stop along the journey.

"Grab only what you need, everypony," Applejack called out. "We're movin' to bigger and better, no use weighin' ourselves down."

The ponies filtered into the vault and began gathering their belongings. It didn't take long before they started emerging again, loaded down with bags and boxes. As promised, the robots had finished clearing out the raiders. Their leader approached Applejack as the supplies were loaded onto the brahmin.

Twilight emerged, burdened and barely making progress. Her back and sides were buried under the many gizmos and heavy scientific tools she had selected.

Stan chuckled at the sight. "Ya can't take the whole damn vault with ya..."

"Not the whole... vault." She forced herself step by step. "Just what I need... to work..."

"Ponies secured," the assaultron stated. "We are ready to escort you safely to Ponyville." Several other robots closed in on Twilight from either side, grabbing her things and moving them to the Brahmin without her asking, or her consent. She quailed in fear of damage being done to them. To the robot's credit, they managed the task reasonably enough.

Applejack smiled and tipped her hat. "Much obliged, friend. Alright everypony, let's get this caravan movin'!"

The journey to Ponyville was longer than some realized. Even moving at a good pace, it would be over a day until they reached the pony settlement.

As evening fell on the first day, the ragtag caravan made camp. The assaultron stood watch as the others got some rest. At dawn, they quickly broke camp and continued on.

Around midday, they came within view of a human town. Seeing civilization nearby, Sam the merchant decided it was time to slip away with his brahmin.

"Well folks, this is where I take my leave," he announced, starting to disentangle himself from the group.

But Applejack stopped him with a hurried scramble in front of him. "Whoa now, we're gonna need that brahmin to haul our things the rest of the way to Ponyville."

Sam hesitated, not wanting to abandon his livelihood. After negotiating compensation, the merchant tipped his hat and headed off, then a free man. One brahmin short, but a good supply of caps in its stead. They could purchase a new brahmin, right? "Take care of Bessy for me."

Applejack hitched Bessy to their makeshift wagon of belongings. "Home stretch now, y'all! Ponyville's still a good piece away, but we'll make it."

Surrounded by robots, the pony caravan marched onward, drawing ever closer to their new home. The next chapter of their lives were ahead of them.

A sudden call pierced the relative quiet. Tribal ponies emerged from the wastes, charging the caravan from all sides with fire in their eyes and clearly set on 'rescuing' their 'clearly captured' fellow ponies.

As the tribal ponies attacked, Stan shouted "It's us!" But they did not stop.

Applejack quickly tried to explain: "The robots are helping us reach Ponyville! The raiders took over our vault, so they cleared them out!"

This gave the tribals pause. Their leader demanded more details. As Applejack recounted the full story, the aggressors reluctantly lowered their weapons.

"Hmph. As long as they're not forcing you," the leader conceded. "But we'll be watching them."

Lyra convinced the robots that the attack was a misunderstanding. "They must join us now for safety," stated the assaultron.

But the tribals refused to abandon their village undefended. One of them broke and galloped away, until a laser scorched the ground in front of it. The power of the robots became quite clear with the new smoking hole in the ground. Stan closed with the leader of the tribal hunting force. "Ah'm really sorry, ah am... But there's no easy away to skip away now that the robots know yer here."

The Assaultron dropped a hand on Stan's shoulder. "Are you aware of the location of additional ponies? Further deceptions will not be tolerated."

The tribals shook their furry heads as one, pleading without words for Stan to not reveal anything to the robots. Stan let out an awkward 'eh'. "Ya got me... Here are some more." He gestured to the new tribals. "Don't know where their village is at."

He hoped his deception would stop the questions. He was wrong.

The assaultron nodded. "They have a village. We must locate it."

The tribals stared in dismay as Stan tried to think of another ploy. But the robots were single-minded in their objective. As negotiations broke down, some of the tribals made a desperate, more of a suicidal run for freedom. The robots swiftly cut them off with warning shots. It was clear that escape was impossible.

Defeated, the head of the hunting party revealed the location of their village. Satisfied, the assaultron ordered a contingent of robots to secure the site. The remaining tribals had no choice but to join the caravan, their home lost. Stan could only apologize helplessly for his well-intentioned ruse.

With heavy hearts, the group continued on. The robots were oblivious to the tribals' sadness. But to the other ponies, their loss was a haunting reminder of the cost of security.

Lyra rubbed behind her head awkwardly. "Sorry..." She knew that wasn't enough. "Really. We'll do our best to make sure you're comfy. It's a new home for us too! Raiders wrecked our old one... It sucked, a lot..."

She gently nuzzled her foal, who had stayed calm. "It's not what you had planned... but we'll do our best. Tribals, vaulters, or townies, we are all ponies. We have that. We won't let a fellow pony down, uh... besides the whole... robot invasion part..."

Her attempt to relate did seem to soften the tribals slightly. Their leader sighed. "What's done is done. We'll make the best of it." She looked around wistfully. "Hard to imagine leaving our ancestral lands...but we're still together. That's what matters."

The other tribals murmured agreement. Their hearts were heavy, but the support of their kinsponies would see them through.

Applejack stepped up next to Lyra. "We sure will stick together. Ponyville's got room enough for all of us!" She smiled encouragingly. "There's already a nice settlement there. With all of us workin' together, we'll make it even better."

The tribals managed faint smiles at the optimism. Though the robots still unsettled them, the openness of the other ponies was comforting. They had lost their material home, but not their community. Together, they would build a new home and future in Ponyville.

The caravan continued onward, tribals and vaulters united in purpose if not circumstance. Hardships lay ahead, but with friendship and teamwork, they would prevail, or so they tried to convince themselves.

At the next sunset, the rumble of returning robots interrupted their camp preparations. The others were returning, with the rest of the pony tribals in tow. With them, the especially haunted faces of the elders, plucked from their posts. Most didn't seem to want to talk to anyone.

Except Buttercup. She charged at Stan and Giddyup. "You!" she shouted in accusation. "You! I told you! Opener of doors." She kicked up the dirt in front of him. "Just because you can open doors doesn't mean you should kick open anyone you run across! You!" She bit at his leg, and he didn't have the will to fight her off.

Giddyup forced her back, stepping between her and Stan. "Do not harm my child."

Buttercup leveled an accusing hoof at Stan. "Then maybe you shoulda not had your child destroy my entire tribe! Every pony. Every foal, elder, and anypony else! These..." She glared at the nearest robots. "Giddyups without any redeeming qualities, they captured us all... except the ones they killed."

Applejack started at that. "Wait! They don't wanna kill no ponies." She turned to the assaultron. "Did ya hear that? Ya hurt a pony the most serious hurt there is. Whattaya got to say for yerself?"

The assaultron's eyes glared red. "I was not personally present." They had remained with the caravan. "I will collect an incident report. This is not acceptable." They marched off to discuss the matter with the other robots with a combination of many words and bits of static.

Buttercup was inconsolable. The surviving tribals huddled together, clinging to their community.

Applejack's heart broke seeing their despair. She approached Buttercup gently. "I am so sorry...we never wanted this." She looked around at the devastation. "Let's all just...try to rest for now. Tomorrow we'll start puttin' things right."

Buttercup glared but said nothing more. The caravan solemnly prepared camp. Traumatized tribals avoided the robots, sticking to their kinsponies.

As Applejack bedded down, she sighed heavily. How had their exodus gone so wrong? They'd only meant to find a new home. Now the price was higher than any had imagined. But dwelling on errors wouldn't help. As she drifted off, Applejack resolved that come what may, she would do everything she could to help these refugees and rebuild what was lost.

Stan was already nodding off nearby when prodding got him back to waking. "Wha? Shit!" He scrambled back, startled by the Assaultron hovering over him in a dreadful looming. "What?"

The Assaultron didn't pursue Stan. "Please rouse 'Applejack.'"

"What am ah, yer butler?" Still, he did gently shake her, stirring her back to alertness. "He wants to talk to us."

"Who? Oh." Applejack sat up, facing the Assaultron. "Did ya figure out what went wrong?"

The Assaultron's eyes flickered. "I have analyzed the incident reports from the retrieval team. It appears contradictions in their core directives led to unintended outcomes."

"You mean they attacked the tribals after saying they wouldn't hurt ponies?" Stan said gruffly, still waking up fully.

"Correct. I apologize for the malfunction," the Assaultron said. "When confronted with non-compliant ponies, they attempted to minimize harm while compelling cooperation. This paradox produced...regrettable results."

Applejack scowled, angry but trying to be reasonable. "Alright, so how do we make sure that don't happen again? We can't have robots that go around attackin' ponies."

The Assaultron was silent a moment, processing. "Recommendation: oversight and clarified protocols for non-violent pony retrieval. I will not deploy units independently without an accompaniment again."

Though not fully mollified, Applejack and Stan accepted the plan for now. There would be time later to further address the robots' ethical priorities. For the weary travelers, getting rest before another day's journey was the priority.

"Let's just all get some shuteye," Applejack said, laying back down. "We can work this out, but not like this."

Stan was already re-settling as the Assaultron moved away. "You heard her. Time for all good robots to power down..." He didn't stay awake to see that happen, sleep swiftly retaking its hold. There would be time enough to finish this discussion after some rest.

It wasn't like the robots planned to actually shut down, their prison wardens, or Giddyup.

Author's Note:

Mistakes may have been made...

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Comments

[tsaukpaetra]

Ah, they came across the tribal ponies, that was gravely unfortunate.
Really need a vault tech administrator to reconfigure the robots!

[Booster Spice]

The robots have information on the existance and action of traevling entities, the merchant. Tribals are those that ensure the survival of the towns by traeling en mass between them, therefore cant remain in any give place as they exceed the local resources, needing that size of group to defend agaisnt the far higher dangers of the wasteland?

One possibility offered, ans robots should know in every perfect code there has to be an exception, and if that exception isnt accepted, the robot goes out of parameters, leading to ,unexpected, behaviour .