Sweet Button Mash 2: Electric Silveroo

by David Silver

3 - Return of Silverbot

Sweetie Bot had a very serious task. She marched, each hoofstep heavy with the importance of it. She was floating a piece of paper that she kept checking over again and again as if it might change at any moment.

Cream Heart had trusted her to do some shopping, and she would be absolutely certain to get it right. "Eggs times twelve," she read out loud to herself. "Hay bacon, two packages."

She didn't even notice when another mechanical filly stood in her way, crashing into Silverbot with a crash of metal on metal. "Apologies." She backed a few steps. "My sensors were not on my path. My mistake."

“My optical sensors are impeded by cosmetic considerations.” Silverbot adjusted her glasses, and nodded to Sweetiebot. “I am Silverbot, built and programed by Silver Spoon to… RECLAIM HER STOLEN GLORY! It is a pleasure to meet you.”

"Hello!" Sweetie Bot bounced in place, waving her magically held list. "I am performing vital household shopping functions. Do you know where they keep the hay bacon for purchase?"

"I am unfamiliar with the layout of this establishment." Silverbot admitted, after a brief pause to scan the various signs and labels around the store. "However, my internal GPS should be able to assist us."

A small map appeared in front of Sweetie Bot's eyes. It was a simple map, but it did have a glowing dot that indicated where she was. "Oh, I see." She turned to follow the map. "Thank you for your assistance, Silverbot."

The two robots walked through the store, following the map, until they reached the aisle with the bacon and other breakfast goods. Sweetie Bot rushed forward to put a hoof on one of the hay bacon packages as if it were in short supply. "Mission success!" She twirled on Silver Bot. "Thank you. What is your mission and can I help with it?"

“My creator’s rival’s use of AI to steal her top score on the vintage Pac Mare console.” Silverbot bowed her head solemnly as her autotuned plea for justice progressed. “I do not understand why this is important but it causes much distress. I have used all known strategies to reclaim her high score. As a robot designed to even the odds against a cheating rival , my failure to accomplish this goal vexes me greatly.”

Sweetie Bot inclined her head in thought. "I have played that game. Have you tried leaving the corners for last? Avoiding loss of lives is also of vital importance." She nodded with the gravity of telling a pony the secrets to life itself. "Your creator's rival should find more stimulating uses of their time."

"Fascinating, I had not considered those strategies." Silverbot nodded thoughtfully, adjusting her glasses to hide the data display streaming across her optic lenses as she cross referenced Sweetie Bot's tactics with her own files on the game and noted several modifications that could be made to her play style to test out her rival's suggested suggestions!

Her eyes flashed once more, then she turned and nodded politely to the other robot before skittering off towards the nearest arcade machine to test out the new improvements to her gameplay and potential solutions to her performance issues, eagerly calculating possible scenarios where the plan could work or fall apart and considering possible alterations to account for flaws in the her plan for Pac Mare dominance.

Sweetie Bot watched her 'rival' trot off. "Friendship mission, also successful." With victorious music, she went to complete her purchase of breakfast goodies. "Time to complete the first mission."

-=-=-=-=-

Back in the arcade…

“Silver..bot?” Rumble asked nervously, noting Silverbot’s terse nod as she focused on the console. “I gotta admit, Pac Mare is really way more hardcore than I thought, but how’d you feel about playing a couple of rounds of Mortal Wormbat, my bits? You know, to get that real player v player chemistry?”

Silverbot considered the challenge a quiet moment. "I was not instructed to play that game." She said it as if that was an obvious thing and a clear reason not to proceed.

Rumble raised a hoof quickly. "Um, what if I instruct you to play a couple rounds of Mortal Wombat?"

Silverbot frowned, adjusting her glasses with the new information. "I would inform you that you lack permissions." She leaned forward, tail wagging. "But commend you on your bravery. I will play one round of Mortal Wombat."

He was stunned, and definitely not excited about the prospect of crushing such an unusual and cute robot and felt like maybe he should mention a lower difficulty level to make it even easier to win, but another part of him couldn't resist a chance to flaunt his skills, especially at such an interesting opponent, so he grinned widely and pumped a hoof in the air energetically as they moved to the game!

“Okay, since you're new it doesn’t really matter which worm you pick.” Rumble trotted up to the console as he explained. “I like Sargeant Grapple, but that’s just me. Just pick one you like. You can figure out the special moves later.”

"Affirmative." But she wasn't looking at him, or the game. Her eyes had wandered off to the combinet itself with its many button combinations and guides on how to play.

She devoted each to memory swiftly, even if practice would be required to get it just right. "I am prepared."

"Me too!" Rumble slid two bits into the machine with a chime with each one. He reached up and slammed the start buttons on both of their stations. "Mortal Wombat!"

The screen displayed the iconic title in massive letters as the menu sprung up in front of them, displaying the roster of colorful creatures that populated the game and they could choose from. Rumble went straight to his favorite, but hesitated to settle his hooves on the controls, watching with baited breath to see what his new friend picked out!

"This one." Her choice was selected and they both launched into the battle!

Rumble pressed down on the jump button, prompting Sergeant Grapple to leap forward with a spinning kick to strike his opponent, who darted to the left and struck a pose, prompting the announcer to cheer, "Tiger Pose!"

The combatants were still and a countdown started, numbers flashing to signify how much longer before the battle began, and Rumble hammered on the special attack button, striking a karate pose, "Sergeant Chop!"

"Psychedelic kick!"

Each thrilling move had the growing audience gasping at the intricate moves both were displaying.

“You're doing pretty good for a filly that never played before.” Rumble grinned, getting into the game. “But it’s not just about special moves! There’s a rhythm to the attack and defense patterns.”

Rumble executed a deft combo whittling down Silverbots health bar and putting distance between himself and his opponent. Suddenly he unleashed Sargent grapples infamous grappling hook, pulling Silverbot’s character into a devastating uppercut.

“Sargent Grapple wins.” The ominous announcer declared. “Round Two! Fight!”

Silverbot was getting better and better at inputting her desired move with the precision only a robot could attain, but that didn't mean she understood the timing that Rumble had spoke of. That came only with practice, even for an automaton.

Her power mastery meant she could put up a fight, but the winner was predestined, and, before a trained player, she was laid low, sent flying as the flashing letters announced her failure.

She inclined her head. "You were victorious. Thank you for this learning experience." She adjusted her glasses, information flashing before her eyes. "It would take approximately fifteen matches to reach skill parity."

"Well, darn." Rumble smiled brightly at the results screen, flushing under his cheeks a bit when he realized the whole arcade had come to witness his victory, and now he was being offered an open invitation for rematches and challenges from all sides, his usual brooding nature replaced with a slightly haughty smirk as he basked in his newly earned glory.

“We will play again, later.” Silverbot nodded curtly. “For now I must reclaim my creators top score at Pac Mare.”

As the metal filly strode back to the Pac Mare console, Rumble followed. “Maybe I can help you with that. The higher levels of Pac Mare are blazing fast, but I know a secret to Botsy’s strategy…”

“You will tell me these secrets, organic pony!” Silverbot 2000 spun quickly. Unfortunately, with her glasses distorting her optic sensors, the two’s snouts connected.

“Whoah!” A colt in the background shouted. “Rumble kissed a robot filly!”

“What?!?!?!” Rumble protested, blushing fiercely. “No, that’s not what happened!”

“My optical sensors are obscured!” Silverbot lacked blushing hardware, but her synthetic voice could certainly emulate embarrassment. She worked her glasses into place perhaps a bit longer than strictly required. "Let us resume tactical exchange."

So it was that Rumble began coaching Silverbot on what to go for, and how the ghosts responded. "They all got a trick. It's all programmed, you know? Once you know how they move, the rest gets easier."

"Understood." Silverbot's attention was 90% on the screen, trying her best to get every pellet and fruit on her quest to get the highest score.

Which was a perfect time for Rumble to note, "There is a top top score, the highest you can get."

Silverbot almost stumbled at the news. "Did Sweetie Bot already attain this?"

"Nah." Rumble waved that away. "She got the top level, not the top score. Different."

Silverbot increased her reaction times as the final level the game was capable of approached. Rumble watched in awe as he explained his revelation. “See, Botsy’s not even going for a high score, she was programmed with Button’s strategy which is to beat the 255th level of the game by clearing each maze… But if you can do that, while also eating every fruit, and eating all four ghosts with every power pellet on everylevel, and then deliberately die on level 255 with one regular pellet left on level 255 than nopony can beat your top score. Because if they ever get that last pellet the game glitches and they can’t put in their initials. And since all tied scores go beneath the original score-” Rumble let the implications hang in the air.

Silverbot finished the 254th level, then began setting up for the final attempt at the perfect run. "This requires the utmost precision. I am unable to guarantee completion."

"Oh, totally." Rumble patted her on the shoulder with a grin. "This isn't something to even hope for, but you made it past the desert. Just keep doing what you're doing! You're almost there."

The crowd was both thinning and growing more intense. Few were the ponies willing to watch for six hours of playing, but those that were, had become enraptured by the attempt.

Rumble was prancing in place as he tried to advise his mechanical friend through the now lightning paced maze. “Quick grab the fruit! Save the power pellets for last! Don’t forget to leave one pellet! Look out for Inky! Go girl, go!”

As the last power pellet wore off the ghosts respawned and Silverbot parked the titular puck-shaped mare in a corner. As the ghosts ended her final life, the robot filly pumped her metal hoof in the air. “Crush! Kill! Destroy! Swag!”

“You did it!” Rumble gave his own leap of victory. “Now make sure to put in your initials and not SIlver Spoon’s, or ponies might think she used AI to cheat and get her own initials on the leaderboard.”

Silverbot inclined her head. There were but three letters to put in. SVT were the three she settled on. "Silverbot was here." She tapped a hoof against the machine with a firm nod and the clapping stomps of the ponies around her.

But it had meaning beyond that. She clicked audibly. "Mission complete." She went still, completely motionless. "What do I do?" She had completed her primary task, which left her with nothing but an existential crisis. "I must get additional commands!"

Author's Note:

How will Silverbot fit into this dynamic, and will she further Silver Spoon's ambitions?

Don't want to do an ongoing thing? You could

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Comments

[Booster Spice]

SilverBot does exactly what she was told to do, just like all psychotic combat robots when faecd with conflicting orders.

[Jphyper]

Chapter 2's title is a bit misleading. I'd say they're more like dank intentions.

Meanwhile back in the arcade…

I think you meant "later". "Meanwhile" means it happened at the same time.

[howard035]

Seems to me the real reason Silver Spoon built her robot was out of jealousy that she didn't have a coltfriend. Maybe Silver Bot should aquire one for her?

[tsaukpaetra]

🎶 I kissed a bot just to try it! 🎶
Of course, the arcade shuts down every week so the scores reset. 😈
Ah, the paradoxical satisfaction and panic of completing your prime directive. That'll teach them to use an inherently finite scope!