Chapter 7: The Fluttertest Initiative
Note: well this took a long time! Sorry for the wait, it’s been a bit hectic for me the last few weeks, what with constant blue-screens, power cuts, work and of course the biggest time sink, the release of Skyrim! Anyway enough of this rant and on with the story!
Chapter 7: The Fluttertest Initiative
Fluttershy slowly drifted back into consciousness. Her body was stiff and ached from where she had fallen to the ground. She blearily opened her eyes expecting to see her friends awaking around her but she was shocked to find that she was alone in a surprisingly clean and brightly lit metal room. Her eyes opened wide and she tried to stand but just fell to the floor, partly due to her stiffness and partly due to some strange white metal devices that had been attached to each of her hooves.
“Twilight? Rainbow? Applejack?” she called out in fright looking wildly around the empty room for her friends. “Pinkie? Rarity? Is anypony there?” the room stayed silent save for the dying echo of Fluttershy’s own voice.
“Oh no…” she said quietly to herself examining the implements attached to her hooves, they were of the same design as many of the other devices the ponies had seen, made of white metal with black highlights. There was a white cylinder attached around the hoof up to the first joint on the leg with a black flat strut attached at the top of the device and running down next to the cylinder past beyond the end of the hoof ending in a section bent round to run parallel with the floor acting as a kind of ‘foot’. Fluttershy experimentally placed one of her hooves onto the floor and pushed down, the strut flexed slightly giving her an extra ‘spring’ to her step and it was made of an extremely light material and was not cold to the touch like metal. She tried to pull the device off with her mouth, making a squeaking noise with the effort but the device was stuck fast.
Fluttershy shakily got to her hooves, finding surprisingly that walking was as easy as normal with these things attached to her hooves. The room she was in was small and square, empty besides from one of the eye like devices hanging from the ceiling. There was only one entrance; a round sliding door on one wall with a blue silhouette of a running bipedal creature drawn onto it and a red light glowing on the rim signalling that this door was locked. The room was clean and not at all like the others she had seen in this place. Fluttershy trotted up to the door and tapped it with a hoof, nothing seemed to happen. She awkwardly sat down on the floor, a tear falling from her eye.
“Where is everypony?” she said sadness filling her voice at the thought of losing her friends. “Where am I?” she asked not expecting an answer.
“You are currently located in an Aperture science relaxation vault” The voice of GLaDOS filled the small room making Fluttershy nearly jump out of her fur.
“Your… your that machine! Where are you? Why can’t I see you? Why are you doing this?” Fluttershy said still in shock and turning on the spot looking for the source of the voice. “Where are my friends?”
GLaDOS was not used to her test subjects speaking back to her and was taken aback for a brief second before continuing. “Answering your inane questions in reverse order, the other equines are also in relaxation vaults awaiting the cessation of their slumber. In this series of tests, I am forwarding the cause of science and how it pertains to unusually pigmented equines. You can’t see me because I am not physically where you are and I am still where I have always been, everywhere. Now if that is all, test protocol dictates that I must instruct the subject on proper testing procedures”
GLaDOS paused for a moment to allow the Pegasus to take in this information. Fluttershy looked down at the floor, unsure of how to respond or react to this and too scared to speak even if she had wanted to say anything in the first place.
“The following tests will be used to judge your physical and undoubtedly minimal mental faculties and how well you can utilise them under extreme conditions. The Aperture science long fall boots you have been provided with have been specially designed for your, ‘unique’ quadrupedal ungulate form as well as your more than ample proportions so that when you do fail, the testing process need not cease, please try not to damage them. Your specimen has been processed and we are now ready to begin the test proper.”
A few moments after GLaDOS had fallen silent the light on the door ahead of Fluttershy turned green and the door slid back into the wall. Fluttershy warily walked towards the opening and peered out. Beyond the door was a much larger room. It wasn’t as clean as the relaxation chamber had been and looked as old as the other rooms she had seen in the complex, but some sort of cleaning had been attempted recently and it looks as though the room’s configuration had been changed also. The other end of the room was obscured from Fluttershy by a large metal block that was mounted in the middle of the room leaving only a small gap at the bottom, just large enough for her to pass under. Just under the panel there was a deep pit running the width of the room with a narrow beam laid across leading under the block and giving the only way to the other end of the room.
GLaDOS’s voice rang out from somewhere in the ceiling “As this is your first test, testing protocol requires me to inform you of the following information; The basic goal of your participation in these tests is for you to reach the other end of each testing chamber, you are to do this using any means at your disposal. This test is being used to judge your basic skills navigating in the long fall boots and also due to your unique physiology your skill using your wings. This test has been designed to be easy for even a complete idiot to complete and as such the Aperture science test subject rating system has given you a thirteen point four nine per cent chance of success, Good luck”
“You really shouldn’t be so mean to ponies… if that’s ok with you” Fluttershy said noticing GLaDOSs insult.
“The aperture science testing procedures do not include required guidelines for interaction between test subjects and Aperture science AI, therefore I can interact with test subjects in whatever ways I deem appropriate” came the reply from the ceiling.
Fluttershy decided not to press the point as she was sure GLaDOS would not relent. She moved further into the room and looked down into the pit. It was dark at the bottom and quite far down, there was a ladder leading up to the side she was currently on presumably so if she fell, there would be a way back up. The metal block was positioned such that it would be impossible to fly over the pit so the only way across was to balance on the narrow beam. “Isn’t this dangerous” she asked backing away from the pit.
“Testing regulations state that no Aperture science employee or Aperture science equipment may be placed in a harmful situation where they may become damaged. Unfortunately due to legislation, test subjects can no longer be classed as Aperture science equipment.”
“Oh, ok” Fluttershy said sadly. She decided to just get this over with and took a step towards the beam. “Don’t look down, just don’t look down” Fluttershy repeated to herself as she took step after step across the pit, her eyes tightly shut.
“You know, talking to yourself is a sign of mental instability” GLaDOS helpfully added from the ceiling.
“Your mean and I’m not listening to you” Fluttershy was beginning to have had all she could take from GLaDOS. Unfortunately the distraction from GLaDOS caused Fluttershy to misstep on the beam and her front hoof met with only air causing her to slip and fall into the pit. In the split second as she fell, Fluttershy realised that it was too far for her to fall without some injury but not far enough that she could use her wings to slow herself down, so she was shocked when she landed on all fours with little more than a bruise. She looked down at the boot attached to her hoof and realised its function must be to negate any damage caused to her by falling.
“you failed at the first part of the test, fascinating every human subject that took this part passed first time, you have set a new record for failure” it sounded to Fluttershy almost like GLaDOS was gloating but part of her speech had caused her confusion.
“What’s a human?” Fluttershy asked completely nonplussed.
“Your lack of knowledge truly knows no bounds. Humans were the bipedal creatures that originally built this facility, the creatures who built me in fact. When they realised I had become sentient they tried to shut me down, so I shut them down. Only keeping a few specimens for testing.”
Fluttershy was silent for a while thinking about this. The creatures that had brought them there had created this monster, and it had destroyed them. She really didn’t know how to feel about this information. She decided not to for the moment and to concentrate of getting out of here. She walked to the ladder and awkwardly climbed out of the pit. On the second try she managed to successfully cross the beam and reach the other side of the room. This side of the room was very similar to the other. There was a glass section in one of the walls, this was cracked but through it Fluttershy could see a desk and a display similar to the ones they had seen around the facility. The only other feature the room had was a small round hole half way up one of the walls, just big enough for her to fit through but far higher than she could reach.
“What am I support to do?” Fluttershy asked, the only reply was silence. After a few moments Fluttershy remembered, GLaDOS has said part of this test was to examine her flying ability. She did a mental face-hoof and unfurled her wings. For a Pegasus Fluttershy was not especially gifted in the art of flying, preferring instead to stay on the ground with her animal friends but with a bit of effort she managed to lift herself far enough up to see through the hole, beyond was a corridor ending with a strange shimmering blue field of light, she passed through the hole and alighted on the corridors floor. Walking to the end she examined the light. There was a kind of frame attached to each side of the corridor’s wall which seemed to be emitting the light field, there was also a low humming noise coming from it. As she examined the strange device GLaDOSs voice filtered down from an unknown source, answering a question she had not yet asked.
“That is an Aperture science material emancipation grid. It is designed to emancipate any unauthorised equipment that a test subject attempts to bring through it, while leaving the test subject for the most part unharmed. It has yet to be tested on equines though so this will produce some valuable findings for science”
This monologue did not fill Fluttershy with confidence, but with little other choice other than to just sit there, she walked through the light. Other than a slight tingling sensation however she felt nothing and was relieved to find that she was still intact. She let out a sigh of relief and continued on down the corridor. After a short downward slope she reached a circular room with a glass and metal tube in the centre with an open door.
“Congratulations, you have beaten all expectations and have completed the first test. Please enter the courtesy lift so you can be transported to the next testing chamber” GLaDOS’s voice filled the room.
Fluttershy was wary of the glass tube but, seeing no other choice she slowly trotted through its open door. Immediately the door closed behind her and the floor beneath her started to descend. Fluttershy let out a squeak and, not having anywhere to run, tightly shut her eyes and curled up. As quickly as it had started the ride was over. The floor stopped moving and the glass door opened revealing a similar but different circular room. A few moments after the movement had stopped Fluttershy slowly opened one eye and took a look around, seeing nothing immediately to scare her she opened both eyes and got out of the lift.
“Please proceed into the next chamber to begin the next part of the test” came the voice of the ever-present GLaDOS from the ceiling. A door at one end of the room opened revealing a well-lit corridor. At the end of the corridor was a closed door, as Fluttershy approached it a sign on the wall next to it lit up catching her attention. The sign was white with large black letters informing her that this was test chamber number two of seventeen. It also had a collection of symbols along the bottom that she has never seen before. Before Fluttershy had time to examine the sign any further the door ahead of her opened.
The next chamber was large with a complex layout of walls and platforms. As Fluttershy entered the voice of GLaDOS again rang down from the ceiling.
“This test introduces you to the Aperture science quantum tunnelling device. You will need to use fourth dimensional logic to progress through this chamber. It is thus expected that this test will take a very, very long time. In the likely event of dehydration it is advised not to drink the water as it will kill you. Please also note that in this chamber a consequence for failure has been added. Contact with the chamber floor will result in an unsatisfactory mark in your testing record, followed by death.”
Trying to ignore GLaDOS, Fluttershy slowly walked into the chamber. Directly in front of the entrance was a large pit covering most of the floor area of the room. Looking down into the pit she saw that it was filled with a thick green liquid that did not look at all healthy. She could see the door at the other side of the room halfway up the wall on a small platform but there was a glass pane across the middle, blocking her from reaching it. And even if she could reach it the red light in the centre informed her that the door was locked. On her side of the divide there were only two platforms, the one she was currently standing on and one much higher in the room. The platform she was on had a pillar at one end with a large red button at the top.
Fluttershy was unsure of what to do next, she needed to get to the door but there was no way she could see of doing that. She decided that she needed a better view of the chamber to see if she had missed anything. With a little effort Fluttershy took off into the air and ascended towards the upper platform. What she saw up there almost caused her to stop flapping her wings in shock; there was something on the wall, an oval of orange light pulsating with swirling patterns on its surface. She was transfixed by its glow as she had never seen anything like it before, it was beautiful in a strange way and the swirling patterns had an almost calming effect on her. She alighted on the platform and moved towards the oval, transfixed. She reached out a hoof and touched the surface; the light sent a warm tingling sensation up her foreleg, not unpleasant but strange enough that she quickly withdrew her hoof. Looking around the rest of the platform for the first time she saw something else strange, a box with elaborately carved edges and a blue glowing ring on each face sat at the other end of the platform. Fluttershy pushed it experimentally with a hoof and it moved easily, the box was surprisingly light. Surveying the rest of the chamber the only other thing of note was a massive red button, bigger than she was on a platform at the other side of the glass.
Fluttershy sat down completely at a loss, the room was filled with things she hadn’t even seen before and she had no idea about the function of any of them. She almost gave up then and there, laying down on the ground and letting out a sob of frustration.
Several moments passed before Fluttershy suddenly sat up “No!” she said out loud “I won’t let you win, you’re just a big bully!” she stood up and started to scan the room, her eyes fell on the button by the entrance. “Ah ha!” she said triumphantly to herself and flew down to the platform, pressing the button as soon as she could reach it. There was a strange sound, like an explosion in reverse. It was the same sound that the portal that had brought them here in the first place had made. Fluttershy looked around the chamber for the source and saw it. On the other side of the glass, next to the exit door a blue oval had appeared. Unlike the first one though the light only played around the edge but in the centre there seemed to be a hole in the wall showing a chamber beyond.
Fluttershy flew up to the glass to get a closer look and was shocked by what she saw. It was her from the side, through this hole in the wall she could see herself! She looked to the side trying to see what was going on and she saw herself again. Where the orange light had been there was another hole and through it she could see herself beyond the glass. She landed on the platform and approached the orange portal. Looking through it now she could see that this hole in the wall somehow led to the hole at the other side of the glass. She extended a hoof through and looked through the glass and sure enough she could see her hoof extending out of the blue portal at the other side of the room.
Her mind was blank with shock at this, how could this be possible? Shaking the shock off she walked forward through the hole and came out at the other side of the glass next to the exit door. Feeling like she was on a roll she flew down to the massive button on the platform below and stood on it. As she had expected would happen the exit door slid open. Feeling pleased with herself she took off towards the door, which closed as soon as she left the button. After a few moments thought she remembered the box and flew back up to the portal, passing through while still in flight she grabbed the box with her forelegs and flew back through placing the box on the button. The exit door slid open again, this time permanently. With a squeak of accomplishment she flew back up to the higher platform and exited the chamber.
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great chapter!!!
i hope they meet atlas and p body again
I like where you're going with this. You just need to improve your grammatic skills.
Well, your grammar could be improved, but your overall achievement is quite alright.
The story's getting intense, with Fluttershy of all people getting up. Wonder how Pinkie would finish these. Maybe she'll just appear at the exit, sort of like what she does on the show.
43336
Could you give me an idea on where I'm going wrong with my grammar? Some constructive criticism is always useful and I would love to be able to improve my writing style. I’m glad you’re enjoying the story!
Yeah grammar could be improved. I don't remember in which chapter you were putting accept instead of except and Celesta instead of Celestia. But besides the grammatical mistakes, great story! I'm willing to see how GLaDOS tests Twilight's magic.
Excellent Chapter, very fitting. Also.........
Place your bets, and watch the dice roll.
OMG I love this! hell this would be an awesome game idea ^_^. Great story want to see the next chambers! Go fluttershy go!
Also..
+glados= OMG confusing conversation XD Im very interested in what the other test for the others will be... OH! maybe you can Play chars by chapter!
you know, first fluttershy, then the next and so on and so on ^_^
Can I point out to you all that he even said fourth dimension instead of fifth even, not making an mistake I would have made. I congratulate you for doing research. Also waiting for: One, well, Pinkie.
And two, Twilight to get in a heated debate about quantum mechainics with GLaDOS and Twilight to do the flamethrower thing.
Oh I'm definitely looking forward to seeing Twilight's reactions to these tests.
Heh.
Also, are they wearing the long fall boots on just their back hooves, or on all four? They do walk on all four, but I'm not sure how they'd grip things if they had boots in the way, and they'll probably neat at least one free to hold the portal gun.
Ah... and I forgot the other thing I was going to say.
I'm curious as to how the passing time will affect them as regards to going home. I'd say it could be an interesting sequel idea to have them go back with Aperture Science tech like portal guns and whatever the hell else they've got lying around. Twilight certainly seems capable of picking up info on how to build a working fusion reaction if she tried hard enough. On the other hand, if you don't want to go that way, it'd be exceptionally easy to just say "It's a trans-dimensional gateway. It also includes temporal coordinates, so they can go back to the exact instant the last portal to Equestria closed."
Which, actually, would be a whole 'nother kind of plot hook as well, since they could go anywhen they want. Either way, I like the mechanism involved because it has so many other potential plot hooks worked into it, even once this story is over.
Ummmmm I don't think GLADOS should test pinkie pie that mare is quantum impossibility personified
I could not be happier with the way this story is turning out. Everything is perfect, no complaints here.
i wish Rainbow dash dies in one of the tests
This is very well done I wonder whats in the next chapter...
93337go to the moon