Crossover with a game. The hacker from "Rez" finds his network connected to a completely different world, yet physically they remain separated. Connections are made and things are learned on both sides.
When a consistent anomaly is located in the futuristic K-Project network, a hacker decided to check it out. Soon after, he finds himself dealing with issues in two worlds at once, while they cascade upon each other and this "magic" thing from the other world begins to leak through the boundaries.
Don't forget to read the author notes, especially chapter 1. Feedback is appreciated.
Chapters with two-letter tags next to the numbers can be considered sidestories, but all are important to the story as a whole, and they tend to interweave. The only real difference is where the action takes place and with who. Despite what was written in this paragraph originally, DO NOT SKIPespecially later on.
If I link to a music video (YouTube video with music) in-story, I highly recommend you listen to it, whether you watch it or not. If there are lyrics as in people singing, you need to listen to it in the background or already know the song to know what's going on. Otherwise, you miss out, and I don't want that to happen. Probably neither do you.
It's not my name, but it's definitely become my handle. Internet discussions reference me by either "the hacker" or "Rez", government agencies have used it as a codename for me (or so I've heard), even the Eden Incident (not to be confused with the Lumi Incident) has been called the "Rez incident" almost interchangeably. And yet rez isn't even supposed to be a name, just an action. But the only time anyone ever caught me hacking in person, I said it and the name stuck. Enough about my name, however.
Today was meant to be a normal day. I woke up, showered, brushed my teeth, got shaved, dressed, and then sat down at my computer. Oh, my computer. What marvelous things I've done with ye...but I digress. I went onto my favorite forums...those with people that actually understand the network and its workings. I was hoping to get some sort of thing to do...and I got it.
For those not in the know, the K-Project network is similar to any other internet. But it has two key differences that you need to know about to understand what it is I do. One: the data flow is controlled by an artificial intelligence named "Eden". I won't bore you with the details of how it came into being, just know that she exists and I can get to her. Two: I don't sift through lines of code to hack. Sure, I've written lots of code and use pseudocode on a regular basis, but when I see code while hacking, it takes form. Kind of like a video game.
The thing is, not everything coded is beneficial to the system. Sometimes, things find their way in and "clog the tubes", so to quote a very old speech. Bugs, viruses, firewalls protecting the wrong sites...all termed "anomalies". Which is where I come in. I have a program that will resolve (create, make appear, the long term for "rez") an avatar to help take on and take down those anomalies. It's as simple as log in, locate, lock on, scan, then hit it where it hurts-the code itself.
Anyways, there was plenty of discussion about a "scheduled anomaly"; something that shouldn't be in the system, appearing at 10 AM daily, six days in a row and was likely to go for a seventh. Any attempts to discover where it was logging in from were met with errors; it was like it wasn't even a computer! And yet it kept logging in to the same location, every time. Everything about it fit the definition of an anomaly...except it wasn't doing anything, harmful or otherwise. It was just staying in one place, like it was idling...or confused. It couldn't be scanned, and no one else seemed to be able to get any information out of it. By the time I reach the latest comment, various programmers and hackers were begging for me to do something. They were claiming this wasn't just any anomaly, it was an impossibility!
I noted the time on the bottom right corner of my computer screen, 9:30. Looked like a perfect opportunity as ever...and maybe even a challenge. I put my headphones in my ears, began typing commands and saying them out loud simultaneously. I hit enter, and a voice restated what I told it to do. "Logging into area: EQSTR" (sounding out each individual letter) "layer level 07" Seemed like an odd title for a "tube", makes me wonder if it was chosen randomly. And that's a pretty deep layer for something unknown such as this. But I had a job to do, so I looked at the screen, prepared myself, and said into my microphone:
"Rez."
And it did. Seconds later, I was in a familiar area, best described as cyberspace. My avatar, a bunch of mostly parallel floating rectangles in a humanoid shape, floated lazily forwards, pulsating to my music. (Yes, I hack with music on. Yes, it helps me concentrate. And my program bases most actions off of my currently playing music, so yes, it's totally necessary. Although it used to be even more necessary, back when I was blind...I digress.)
This one, however, seemed...different. The vectors were continuous and repeating, and there were a few viruses and programs milling about, so to speak, but the sounds-the most important part to me-the sounds weren't as technological as I'm used to. They were more...upbeat, higher, childlike if you will. And the colors...how best to describe...pastel. It seemed like the sub-system was actively trying to put me in a happier state of mind. (My best comparison to the feeling was when Eden itself was trying to enlighten me...but I once again digress.) It had the opposite effect, instead putting me on edge for what I might meet.
Password_Protector
FIRE_[1x]
Network Opening_[8x]
FIRE_[8x]
Cracking . . .
Security Attack
And just like that, I've breached security for the 7th time. layer level 07 flashes across my screen. I decide to take a look around at the landscape...looks royal, ish. Should only be matter of time before the anomaly rears its head, unless I have to come find-
"Hello?"
Okay, I'm hearing a voice in my head...phones. Definitely the headphones, the computer picked up on it too. But I whirl the reticle around and can't locate a source. It was clearly a female speaking. "Sigh...not another voice-evolved one." There's only one way to get those where you can deal with them. I move my hand to the microphone, making sure it's connected before turning it on. I clear my throat, then speak. "Hello."
"Um...where am I?"
That's a stupid question, to get to this kind of place in the network you have to know where it is! Wait...no program has ever asked a question before, at least without stating quite clearly: "QUERY". Am I out of my depth? "That's a good question. If you wouldn't mind showing yourself to me, I might be able to answer your question."
"What are you?"
"I'm the one who should be asking that question." Maybe it'll come out if I bait it by answering questions.
"I asked you first." Okay, this is not just some normal virus-they don't talk back. No way around it, might as well answer the question.
"I'm the hacker who came here to find you in this subsystem of the K-Project network, because you're not supposed to be here." No response. "I thought you were some kind of rogue program showing up to make waves, but now I'm beginning to think you're something else. What the heck are you?"
"What's a 'program'?"
I am dumbfounded. "After that info dump, I'm not inclined to tell you anything more until or unless you show yourself to me."
Seconds pass. Followed by a full minute and a half of silence. Finally, out from behind a digital pillar, something floats into view. It...well, the best way I can describe it is a purple starburst, mapped to 3D. Six "spokes", vertical stretch, and if viewed from the top, an equilateral pinched hexagram, if you get my gist. Orbiting it are four smaller starbursts, close to the same but white and four-pointed (from both side and top view). I'm unsure what to make of it.
"Happy?"
I lock on to a white starburst, followed by the core purple burst. I check the feed for names.
T_Spark
T_Star
Not what I was honestly expecting. "Yeah, I'm happy." I release lock and let the beams scan the entity.
"Ow!" That's just wrong. Programs, security especially, have staggered after getting hit, but none have actually expressed pain. "What kind of spell was that?" That's even more wrong. I'm a programmer, not a wizard!
I look at the obtained data, then force myself to answer. "That was me scanning you...and you express more traits of an avatar than any other old program." The IP address is glitched. "Where are you logging in from?"
"Stop using words I don't understand!"
"Well, what kind of words should I use?"
"Ones I know!"
"Well sorry if I can't access your dictionary, bits-for-brains! I thought the language of the internet was universal, and I know you're talking in English right now!"
"I do not have money on the brain!"
"WHOA WHOA WHOA hold your horses! I don't recall mentioning money!"
"You did. Bits-for-brains? Really?"
In hindsight, I could have asked if she was talking about bitcoins, but I say what's on my mind at the moment. "Now you're the one talking gibberish. Bits are data storage. Not money, not directly."
A brief pause. "You're not from Equestria, are you?"
"I don't think you're from Earth, either."
A longer pause, before we both belt out "Wait,WHAT?"
"Real quick, what species are you?"
"Unicorn pony."
"And I'm a human."
A shorter pause than last time. "Those actuallyexist? Yesthey do! What,not on your planet?" A really long pause.
I break the silence. "I need to think about my life. Whatever you did to get here, do it again tomorrow, same time. I'll meet you back here."
"Pinky promise?"
I close all fingers on my right hand but the eponymous finger before quickly moving it to my heart, palm facing inwards and pinky facing up and to the left. "Sworn on Eden itself."
It seemed satisfied with that. It fades within seconds. "Rocked out," I utter under my breath. Before I leave, I make sure that I scan the surrounding area. It turns out this subsystem was just created about a week ago, same time as when this "living anomaly" was first spotted. This area arguably shouldn't even exist! I have a lot to think about, so I prepare myself for the forums so that I won't have to think about it alone.
My alarm woke me up bright and early today. I need to be wide awake for this.
As expected, the forums exploded after I posted my findings. There were suggestions of extradimensionals, fantasy planets, even another Morolian prank (good lord, we don't need any more of those)! But the general consensus was that I needed to be there at the right time to find out more about it. So I needed to be prepared for it. I needed to be working at full mental capacity, which meant a complete breakfast, a shower, a toothbrushing, all that jazz...heheh, jazz. Or was it swing? I could never tell. Anyways, my computer had the destination in mind, and all previous entities and enemies were logged, so I set the layer and activate "travelling", the autopilot.
"Rez."
9:45 AM, I reach the location. I guess this is what it feels like to be in a "stakeout"? Might as well play some music.
9:59, it's about ti-"Hello?"
"Here."
"Good." A ball of light appears, as the T_Star rezzes in. But not normally. Rather than building up from bottom to top, the vectors and polygon appear radially from the center. Like an actual starburst.
"So, let's start with a better introduction, since the first one was a disaster."
"My name is Twilight Sparkle, unicorn pony from Equestria."
"I am known as 'Rez', human from Earth."
"Known as?"
"I don't use my real name online. The term is 'anonymous', and it's kind of the norm for communication with those you haven't met yet."
"You guys can communicate anonymously?"
"Yeah..." If I could see its face, it would probably have an expression of awe. "You sure seem excited about that. For the most part, you're doing it right now."
It squeed. "OhmygoshthisissocoolIneedtotellCelestiaaboutthiswhenI'mdonehere..."
Good thing I'm no stranger to fast talking. "Calm down, please! And what's this about a Celestia?" I pull up an internet window, because I'm curious what's in a name.
Celestial: positioned in or relating to the sky, or outer space as observed in astronomy.
"Actually, never mind. Better question: if you don't have computers, how did you get here in the first place?"
"Well, I read about this spell that allows for communication across distances. I know Celestia and Luna can do it..." Lunar: of, determined by, relating to, or resembling the moon. "...but this seemed like a different version somehow. So I tried it, and I ended up...here, wherever here is."
Hm. "When did you first try it? One week ago?"
"On the dot."
"Okay, I have some theories about what happened. But you'll need to know how the internet works, or at least have a basic primer." I pull up another internet tab, type something into the code for my program, then lock onto Twilight's avatar.
T_Star
T_Star
T_Star
T_Star
T_Star
T_Star
T_Star
T_Star
"Brace yourself, this may sting a bit, but it won't do lasting damage."
"Wait, what are you-"FIRE_[8x]"Whooooooa, this is so GREAT!"
While Twilight's going over the information dump, now seems like as good a time as ever to explain what my program's shots do. They are primarily used for scanning, for forming connections between my computer and a subsystem so that I can see its code. When used on certain bonus nodes that can be seen around, it automatically scans the code for anything beneficial, before adding it to my program's own.
When used on firewalls and other things that could cause a collision (and thus lower the level of my avatar), it scans them as usual, before sending the data to me. Then it's up to me to find weaknesses in the code to make the enemy fall apart, or derez. After that, my program can automatically target those weaknesses and change the offending code to defeat the enemy, although it still has to lock on to be able to access the code. (Bosses take less work-they always have similar areas where they're weak, which is good for them because-I admit-it's strong code and it takes awhile to force a critical failure. However, it means I don't have to code the derez every time, which means that security system battles play out more like a video game.)
What I did this time was access a website that gives information on what the internet is and does, look through Twilight's code to find places where I could dump information without screwing any internal workings (there was a folder named "Hippocampus"), access the source code again via lockon, and alter that part of the code by adding the information from the website.
In short, Twilight now knows about the internet and is about to nerd on about it, if I'm seeing things right. Time to get her back on track. "So, now that you have that in your system, I'm going to describe what I think happened here. Okay?"
"Okay!" Certainly enthusiastic.
"Alright. So, you performed that 'spell', and it was meant for communication. Well, the network is programmed to do just that, so it must have picked up on it somehow. As a side note; given the Morolian and Lumi Incidents, it's not too much of a stretch to say that music strengthened and stabilized an otherwise-impossible connection, seeing as this network seems to like music. It didn't have an appropriate place to put you, so it ended up creating this subsystem, possibly drawing inspiration off of the user, you."
"I get it now. I became confused, but decided to keep trying to cast the spell in the hopes that I would get somewhere or something different."
"The definition of insanity, I might add."
"Yeah, but I was going to stop after one week of straight attempts."
"Which is where I came in."
"And here weare now." That seemed to explain everything.
"Yeah, but what's this about music?" Shoot. I knew something was a bit dodgy about the whole thing.
"Well, that's when the creation of this network comes into play. The Lumi Incident, if you will." I explain the leadup and incident itself to Twilight, and she seems genuinely impressed. "As you can see, music and sound play a vital role in the running of this network, which may explain how I was the one best suited to dealing with the Eden Incident...but I digress. Were you singing or humming something, or was there music nearby you when you first perfo...cast the spell?"
"No, but it may have had something to do with the Magic of Harmony."
I snigger. "It's exactly what it says on the tin, right?"
"Sudden musical numbers? Long times of peace? Yes, it is. Although when casting the spell, I do hear something like this." She started humming, (about 1:30) and I recognized it instantly.
"Sugiyama..." I said under my breath, stupefied. "How did you get Buggie Running Beeps?"
Sadly, she was just as confused by this as I was. "No idea. Is that really what it's called?"
"Yeah."
"I've never heard anything like it."
"It's called techno. The genre, that is. It's my lifeblood, to be honest. Especially when hacking." Not a lie, not in the slightest. "But really, that just opened up a whole new can of worms. Let's talk about something else."
"What?"
"I've given you plenty of information about my world, mind giving me something about yours?"
"Um..." She seemed to hesitate, but not because she was hesitant. "Okay, but how?"
"You can try doing what I did."
I'm guessing that she was mulling it over, because she was silent for a bit. "Alright..." I saw several lines of force from the various T_Sparks to me. "And, I just release it?"
Whoa, she must be good at analyzing things, because I never told her exactly what I had done! "Uh...yeah! Exactly like that."
Five seconds later, I look through my program's code, and find that she had just done a total dump on the basics of her world! Or at least it seemed that way. "Whoa...three kinds of pony, magic, harmony..."
"Thank you, uh, Twilight Sparkle. Looks like we've both got a data dump to look over."
"I know, right? I guess I'll see you back here tomorrow."
"Swear to Eden?"
"Upon Celestia's name!"
"Awesome." I've got a lot to learn before next meeting, but it isn't early in the day. I figure I can get all I need to know on a cheat sheet, if it comes down to that.
It's even harder if physics itself seems to be wonky, and the physics of "Equestria" seem to not match up with the known universe. You would not believe how long I was studying that dump to memorize the whole thing: 4 hours. And it only took 15 minutes to read through! It's not easy to internalize that kind of thing.
And yet I couldn't pull myself away from the computer screen until I had it all down. Admittedly, it took longer because I slowed down and thought about it as more than just data. I thought about their way of life-especially magic. They have magic down to a science, in place of science. And it works, and is somehow compatible with our own! Not to forget that they can keep tempo like an atomic clock, if I understand correctly. Harmony is a strange thing even there, but I might be able to instigate something and see it for myself.
Today I got to the subsystem early, because I thought I would have some free time to work on my optics...I'll explain soon what I mean...but I just got there in the middle of Twilight entering the building.
"Well, you're here early."
"As are you."
"Tell you what, I've got something to work on. If you have anything to look at, study, or otherwise think about, you could do that while I...erm...code this module."
"This place is amazing, and I'd love to be able to explore outside this...subsystem!"
"Just make sure you're back by you-know-when." And with that, the star moved off into the network.
Now might be a good time to explain what I mean by optics, and what I meant when I once said I used to be blind. You see, I was born blind. I relied on my hearing (which is excellent to begin with) to make my way through the world, even moreso than touch. (I could never get the hang of Braille, for those wondering.) Hearing became my vision, and with the help of text-to-speech programs, I learned to code by ear alone. It put me in a class by myself when I could find the typos and errors faster, even without seeing what I'm typing or fixing.
Then came technology. After years of not needing it, I decided to gain the sense I never had: vision. When I first saw things, I wondered why so much of it didn't match up to what I had in mind. It took a while to overcome the synesthesia, and now I can see the world similarly to most people, though I'm less able to trust my eyes than most. That's why I require sound while I hack.
But I didn't get normal eyeballs in my sockets, no. I got programmable optics, which can work just like eyes, but I can make them visualize code as I type it, or give me a first-person view of my avatar, direct feed rather than through my computer screen. Or I can switch them off entirely. And to the outside observer, it all just looks like I have normal eyes.
"Am I late?" Just as I was wrapping up.
"No, you're on time. Just in time, in fact. I'd like to ask you something."
"Yeah?"
"You don't know much about the human race, and I'm pretty sure you haven't actually seen what I look like. If you'd like, I could go about my day and you could see how much my world differs from yours."
"Is that really possible?"
"I don't even know yet. But it's what I was working on, and I guess it's worth a shot." I explain my plan: my optics can be hacked to display video from outside sources it's connected to, so it's a bit of a stretch, but possible to send video back to said sources. The tricky part was making it work remotely, but I think I made it work via cellular device. The video feed would then show up on my screen, where my webcam would be pointing. With some specific passwords and instructions, Twilight could viably bypass my firewalls to view the webcam feed, which is displaying my screen, which is displaying my field of vision.
"But what about hearing? Or what if I need to tell you something?"
"I have artificial eyes, but my hearing is impeccable as is, even without technology. And I sadly don't have an answer for one-sided conversations, but we can talk when I get back."
"Oh...okay."
A few minutes later, and Twilight verifies that she can see the screen, which is displaying my vision, which contains the screen, so I look away to avoid a loop. Next step: look at myself in the mirror. I stare at myself for a good 30 seconds before looking down at my hands and feet, to show first-person human, and what it looks like for my species to see themselves.
I get in my car, noticing my (piano) keyboard in the passenger seat. Must've forgotten to take it back inside after that last "open music night". I drive, not thinking about the fact that I have a watcher. All goes normal as I get to the store, pick up my needs and wants, with minimal interaction between myself or anyone else. It rains on the way back, though, and I get a bit delayed by traffic. The radio is playing Beatles (always a classic), but I have a different song in the back of my mind. Yet I can't for the life of me figure out what it is. All in all, a one-hour slice of my life.
When I get back home, the first thing I do is try to carry all of my stuff in at once. I actually...succeed, surprisingly enough. Then I go back to the car for my keyboard, bring it to my computer and place it next to my (typing) keyboard, look at the screen...
"When did you bring your friend?" There was another...avatar that had joined the T_Star. Specifically, a set of three congruent crystals, all sky blue, vertically elongated octahedrons. If I remember correctly, their appearances here are based off of something that is based off of what they do best. Something...mark.
"Oh...heheh. She came here when I said I would meet her for something, but I ended up here watching you, so she came to me...and then the rest of them came to see what we were up to. Well, there's actually six of us here, but only two of us are unicorns."
That follows. "Okay, but who is she?"
The crystals then "spoke". "My name is Rarity."
"So it is. How much did you see?"
"She came in around the time you were looking at underwear." I'm pretty sure that sounded hilarious to anyone listening to their end and not mine.
"Speaking of underwear, why is everypo...everyhuman wearing clothing, all the time?"
"The word is either 'everybody' or 'everyone'. And it has something to do with how our...uh...biology works." I could explain more scientifically, but their species seems slightly more squeamish than mine, and possibly more immature. Or maybe I'm just stereotyping.
"And speaking of people, you didn't really talk with anyone. Not even in that line of people at the register."
They are literally social animals, I shouldn't have expected that to get by them. "Is there a problem with that?"
"Don't you think all the people looked lonely?"
That line whams into me. Now I can place the music that was eating at me on the way home.
"Excuse me for a moment." I plug in the keyboard via USB and perform a basic exercise to make sure it's working properly. "About that 'magic of harmony' thing?" I shift the webcam to look from an upwards diagonal.
"What about it?"
"You said something about spontaneous musical numbers?"
"Yes, that sometimes happens. (No, Pinkie, not you this time.)"
"I think I'm feeling its effects." I record and loop a chord in violin mode to act as my "drumbeat" to keep the pace for me.
"What are you talking about?"
"This." I begin to play, but I think I'll only use the one hand to begin with. I want their attention before I begin singing.
They seem to stare in silence, but I get the feeling they're hearing it too. Even my avatar has its pulse synced with the music. I decide to not spoil the moment and extend the intro.
"What...are you seriously...?"
"Eleanor Rigby, by The Beatles. You want lonely people? Here you go."I begin to sing.
The song passes by, and I'm pretty sure I heard two voices for some of the choruses, and I haven't previously heard either of them; a high-ish pitched shy voice (and an excellent singer, I might add), and a lower-pitched voice with a heavy southern accent, both female. I'm guessing that those two were the ones who most related to the lyrics.
"So...that was it. That was harmony magic?"
They were dumbstruck, all of them. "...yeah, that was. I'm surprised you instigated it, though. You don't even have magic on your world!"
"Clarke's third law of scientific prediction: Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." This seemed about as good as any answer to them. "Feel free to think and talk about it. I'm going to go fix an anomaly." That's not completely true. I'm going to watch through the footage of what happened (if I'm using my webcam, then it's recording), see if I can't find out what was in my head and what actually made sounds.
I did not expect to see the T_Star in the network.
It had been a few days since the singing of Ms. Rigby, and since neither side made any promises, I didn't feel any obligation to come back the next day. I then had to push it to the back of my mind to deal with some legitimate anomalies, always a pleasure. The fact did eat at me: There's another world, one with life on it, that we haven't found yet, because it's probably in another dimension. But it wasn't something I thought about all the time.
Which is why I kind of flipped when I saw the thing, and it stopped in its path when she saw me. I fumbled with my microphone for all of about two seconds before stammering: "What are you doing out here?"
"Learning!"
"Learning."
"The network is like a superlibrary. There's information, data, statistics-"
"And at least a few people who use the net unscrupulously, and possibly a few governments and organizations who might inquire into you. Just because we're mostly anonymous on the network, it doesn't mean that everyone is on the side of privacy."
She sighed. "I know, I know. But I was also kind of hoping to find you."
I raise an eyebrow at that. "May I ask why?"
"Well, for starters, I'd like you to meet my friends."
"Come back when you figure out a way to access the net without the user needing to actively use magic."
"Actually, I was thinking that you'd come to us."
"Care to elaborate?"
"I'm kind of in your world right now, right?"
"The network is not my world, you know that better than anyone else on your planet."
"It's close enough." I shut my mouth to hear where this is going. "So, you have space travel, universal networks, but you don't have magic, and you can't yet resolve a digital entity into real space, can you?"
"Is this going where I think it's going?"
"With magic, we could rez your avatar into my world, and you could use it to represent yourself, like you're doing right now!"
I resist the urge to laugh. "For real. Is that even possible? Maybe you should check with your superiors."
"I actually already have. Celestia said it would be great."
I stumble back in my seat, mixed emotions, but oddly enough, panic is what takes the forefront. "Wait, you're not kidding. This is legitimate. Exactly when are you planning on doing this?"
"Any time you're ready. You showed us your world, right? It's only fair we show you ours."
"Uh...see you at noon?"
"Sounds great! See you there...or, I guess, here!"
I was not originally looking forwards to the meeting. I was skeptical of not only the claim of permission, but of the actual action. If we can't do it with even the best technology, then how can they ever hope to do it? Then I remembered magic, and got even more skeptical, even with all the examples I've already seen.
That changed in a heartbeat. I saw the way the T_Sparkx4 were set up around an area which spoke to me Place Avatar Here without needing any words. They were at the corners of a tetrahedron, as if to scan my avatar from all possible angles with the limited resources. The T_Star was taking care not to move in the middle of them, but seemed to be continuously checking their position to make sure they were perfect. And it was using the scan laser that it learned from me! I proceeded to scan them all myself.
"Yes, that's a tetrahedron. This...looks like a perfect setup."
"Wha...? Oh! Thank you! If we're going to rez the avatar, it needs to be scanned first."
"Yes, but then what? Just because you know what it looks like, doesn't mean that you can physically form it. How are you going to do the actual rezzing?" I hope she speaks to me with technobabble, please be technobabble. It would ensure she understands what she's trying to do here.
"Well, is your computer connected to a router wired or wirelessly?"
"Wired. It's faster, but restrictive." A brief pause. "What are you planning to use as a router?"
"My horn, of course. And wirelessly, also of course."
"You're sure it's that simple."
"I actually did quite a few calculations. Just so you know, there's not much difference between performing science on your world and learning magic on mine."
"You didn't say 'doing' there."
"You need to know how to do a spell before you can actually cast it."
"Fair enough. And once my avatar is given physical form, will I need to keep it near the router?"
"I accommodated for that. You should be just fine to explore."
"All right. I suppose there's no putting it off any longer. You're sure this will work."
"Yes."
"Then do it." I move my avatar into the center of the Sparks, turn on some music, and take my hands off the keyboard. I watch as my avatar pulsates, then gets bombarded with scan lasers. In a few minutes, they stop-and then the screen turns white. And stays there for a full half minute. "Funny, my music seems to be stopped on 'mega mega white thing' right now..."
And then it faded, revealing the internal of what I could only assume to be Twilight's house. I look around the place, then speak. "Is anybody home?" No answer. "Did it work?"
That gets a response. "Yes, it did. I guess I should say...welcome to Ponyville, and my world as a whole."
I can't think of anything to say. I just mumble "mega mega white thing, mega mega white thing..." in time with my stuck soundtrack. Which is like a broken record, but there's no reason it would be doing this. Is it trying to send me a message?
I move the avatar for the door, but find I can't open it as is. Then I move for the window, and figure out the "message".
"Ha. The original 'mega mega white thing'. The sun." I then move my body for my own window and look out it. The sun is right above my head. "And I say it's all right."
I head back to my seat. "This is amazing, Twilight...speaking of which, I haven't seen you yet, not in your actual form. You mind?"
"Seriously? Just turn around." I feel like an idiot now. I do so.
"...whoa. You weren't kidding when you said unicorn pony."
"Well, you weren't kidding when you said human. Only fair, I guess."
"Yeah." I hear a tone in my headphones. "Aaand I just got a cue. Sorry, but I have to leave."
"Okay. Assuming you analyzed how it was done-"
"-which I didn't need to do, the Sparks 'regurgitated' information while scanning-"
"-then you should be able to come back anytime-"
"-through your horn? The one that may be in use? Or that you might not want me coming out at the time?"
"If you attempt to come here, I can easily either block access or let you through. And it won't be very draining."
Not by any stretch of the imagination is my life normal. First my biology declared it wanted to be different. Then I learned I was a hacking prodigy. Then I corrected my vision, but obtained synesthesia in the process. Then I saved Eden and the whole of the K-Project network. Then I found myself talking to something from a different world and possibly universe, and I've barely even started to deal with that by the time I found out that not everyone appreciates what I did to resolve the Eden Incident. Which happens to have been just now.
There's a guy with some political power, and top of his agenda is hackers. He doesn't like them. He thinks they should all be jailed, some of them possibly even killed for their crimes. He even thinks that we would have been better off if I hadn't hacked into-and successfully fixed-Eden, that the professional programmers could have fixed the problem.
But it's never been made public. Those that do know are keeping it to themselves, and for good reason-rumors state that he has his own private mini-military, and that he uses it to silence those that speak up against him. They've never been proven, but no one wants to find out if they're true.
That cue to leave an hour and a half ago gave me my first real insight on his plans, as in I was called to hack it in the middle of upload. Needless to say, it's not good. So I sent the guy a message through an anonymous email: "Why do you fear us?"
He responded by trying to open voice chat. I let him.
"You steal information and you change data, in an era where data is important to stay as it is set."
"I don't do it like that. I have an honest job, hacking is just a hobby. I love what I do."
"Well I can't stand it. I don't like what you do."
"Then understand that I do, and I'm not about to have my freedom squashed because of irrational hatred."
"I have no tolerance for cheaters. You cheat the system like you own the place. Zero tolerance."
"Here's me not caring about what you think. If you can't tolerate us, then you'd better learn to withstand us, because we're not going away anytime soon."
"Not if I can help it."
I scoff. "Don't you know your history? Mass extinctions can come, wave after wave if you want, but empty niches will always quickly refill."
He fell silent at that. He ended voice chat within seconds. Which ended my call to action, but the real problems had only just begun.
I was out for two hours, getting back to EQSTR-07 by 2:00, and Ponyville itself within 5 minutes. Twilight was still at home, but was reading a book in a language I didn't understand.
"Didn't expect to see you back so soon."
"Didn't expect to be called away in the first place. Whatcha reading?"
"Book on magic."
"Looks foreign to me."
"You don't know the language."
"That figures. What do I do now?"
"Well, I could take you to meet my friends..."
"Sounds good." She proceeded to open the door and walk outside. I followed. "Your house is in a tree?"
"My house is the tree."
"Neat."
The next half hour consisted of Twilight walking while I floated. All the while, I was getting odd stares by all ponies who saw me. It was punctuated with three attempts to introduce me to Twilight's friends, but Rainbow Dash was away from her home, Applejack was apparently unable to spare any time from apple picking, and Rarity was busy brainstorming another design for some sort of clothing. This left Fluttershy and another one whose name had not yet been mentioned in conversation. "And since Fluttershy's handling some new animals right now..." She then suddenly sighed. "That leaves one more friend to try to introduce you to."
Uh oh. A sigh for something like this can't be anything good. "Who might that be?"
Suddenly, a nearby crate had its top fly off, and a pink pony with no wings or a horn popped out. "Me, maybe?"
I proceeded to do something that's hard to explain in words. My eyes widened, both hands went straight to my heart, I backed up in my seat, I intook breath in almost the exact opposite of saying "HNNNNG"...which made a really weird gasping noise, by the way. I don't I'll be able to easily repeat that.
All of this was directly followed by the pink horse doing something similar to what I did...except for the gasp. It sounded almost weirder...and possibly more practiced? "Anew...thingy! ItsnotaponybutwaitwhatwasthatnoisedidIscareit? Sorryforscaringyou!"
I proceeded to cut her off by matching her pace. "Holdupforaquicksecond! Howlongwereyouinthere? Whoareyouanyways?" A brief pause for breath. "And yes, you did scare me. Apology accepted, but now my synesthesia is always going to associate jump scares with the color pink..."
Twilight looked lost in the sped-up speech, but the other one seemed impressed, before introducing herself at a normal speed. "My name is Pinkie Pie! Resident party planner of Ponyville! And I haven't seen you in Ponyville before. Who are you?"
"Remember that friend I mentioned? The one from a different world?"
(gasp) "That's you? Ohmygosh I need to throw a 'Welcome to our world' party for you! Wait, what's sinuseethia?"
It was only a matter of time before that was made known. "Synesthesia. Sin-es-thee-see-ya. It's a thing about my brain, it sometimes makes some of my five senses activate another one of my senses. Usually for me, it's my sight that reacts when I'm acted upon by an outside source." Twilight seemed to be taking mental notes. "Wait, a party for me?"
"Yes for you! I throw a party for every new pony in town!"
"I know you don't care about the specifics, but I'm not a pony."
"I know! So I need to make this one extra-fun!" She began to...bounce?...off, almost at speed.
"Wait just one moment!" She did, to Twilight's apparent surprise. "I can only see and hear you guys, and your world in general. Isn't a party supposed to be completely stimulating? I suppose I could go out and get a pizza, but I won't be able to feel the everything. If I'm the guest of honor, shouldn't I be able to experience the whole thing as it's meant to be experienced without bogging down everyone else?" I take a breath. "Minor complaint, but still. How?"
Pinkie and Twilight looked at each other before dumbfounding me entirely. "Synesthesia!" they both said.
I raised a finger to complain, before lowering it and shutting my mouth. "Just do your thing. I'm going to AFK, I have some errands to run." I got up my chair, leaving Pinkie to bounce to wherever she was going and Twilight wondering what AFK means.
Apparently PP and the rest of the town work fast, because there was a whole setup waiting for me by the time I got back to my computer (4:00 PM, for those wondering). I looked at the screen, then hesitated a bit before sitting down, slipping my headphones on, and turning my microphone on. There were no ponies in visual range in the direction I was looking, but I could see what looked like a huge, wooden box of some sort.
I heard giggling behind me. "You know, I don't need to see you to know you're there." I then turned the avatar around...and found myself facing what looked like the entire town.
"SURPRISE!" And I jumped six inches in my chair.
"Well, that confirms the jump scare hypothesis..." I mutter under my breath. I then clear my throat and speak to the smiling and grinning masses, "That was a surprise, all right."
Pinkie spoke up. "Of course it was! That's the point of a surprise party!"
"Um...yeah, but is that it? I'm probably just being skeptical, but that seems like it to me."
"Are you kidding? We're just getting started!" She grabbed my avatar's right hand with her front right hoof, spun it back in the direction I had started from, and moved towards the setup. She proceeded to pull a lever behind the box, and a button popped out on the front. She then...stood right next to it as if to show it off to the world, and-to the shock of everyone else-did not press the button.
It took all of about 10 seconds before I realized that she was staring at me. "Oh, I get it. Stand aside, Pinkie!" She moved away.
Button
Button
FIRE_[2x]
I could not have predicted what happened next. The box unfolded...with everything on the sides sticking to or landing either base down, legs down, or just plain not rolling away. Even stuff that was on the top landed correctly, as if it had been glued to it...and yet it wasn't! The spread of all the banners, tables, food...it was impossible, and yet it all played out perfectly.
I was so busy gawking that I forgot Pinkie was there. "So, what do you think?"
I noticed a tune in the back of my mind. "Pinkie Pie."
"That's my name!"
In a completely serious tone, I asked, "How much effort did you put into this?"
"Time flies when you're making fun!"
"Did you have to put any actual thought into it?"
"Hel-lo? Party planning is my cutie mark!"
And the 64 thousand dollar question. "Did you even have to try?"
She stopped and pondered the question...for about one second. "No, not really," she said with a smile.
I then smiled myself, before swivelling my chair to face the (piano) keyboard and moving my mic near the speaker. I recognized the music. "Then you'll catch on quickly." I proceeded to move the music from my head to the keyboard, and into the world-two worlds, in fact. I began to play.
As it turns out, I was completely right about her catching on fast. The thing is, passive magic named after a music term is one thing, but Pinkie is obviously a master at it-she picked up the chorus without me needing to give a signal, clue, or line. She even sang the second verse-unaltered and having never heard the song before-about things that don't exist on her world, just because they were the lyrics to the song! And by the end, all present were singing-although I really should have expected that much. Crowd songs are nothing new here.
Side note: my avatar was pulsating to the beat as well, but it's specifically programmed to detect music and react accordingly. Magic had nothing to do with it, although I did look at the replay of "Rigby", and apparently it does hear the parts that aren't played by any physical instruments. Strange.
After the singing finally faded out, I turned to the other side of that duet. "This party has officially begun."
For the next few hours or so, I was doing vaguely partylike activities in my house (eating pizza, drinking soda, playing music and singing, and the occasional bathroom break) while having the time of my life in another. The synesthesia theory proved to work as theorized, adding to my enjoyment. Due in part to luck of the draw, a progress node ended up in the EQSTR subsystem. With some help, I was able to pull it into Ponyville, where I scanned it...
3x Progress Node
FIRE_[1x]
Downloading . . .
Updating Schematics
Level Up
SECOND FORM
...and leveled up. "Higher systems...accepted" was heard by all nearby. It was in a synthesized female voice, which caught their attention. Or it would have, if it weren't for the fact that my avatar had just changed form. It now looked more like a human, outlined in orange vectors with transparent polygons. There was an underlying "skeletal structure" with silvery polygons, some of which were part of the external mesh.
"Uh...what was that?" asked Twilight, speaking on behalf of Ponyville.
"Uhhh...level up. My avatar leveled up." I pause for a moment, thinking of what to say. "Do you have any role playing games on your world?"
"Yes. It's called Ogres and Oubliettes."
D&D enough for me. "Good, that makes it easier to explain. I get progress from those blue nodes, either 1 or 3, and that one was a 3. If I get 8 Progress, my avatar levels up and the meter resets, keeping remainder. When fighting viruses and firewalls, if I suffer a collision, I go down a level. This is called the 'second form' right now; I cap at 5 (without Eden's blessing, that is), and if I get hit at 0, that's it. Makes sense?" I noted that most ponies quickly became disinterested in the explanation, getting back to the party underway.
Twilight was, as always, happy to learn. "Perfect sense."
We got back to the festivities, which were beginning to die down by this point. I was just about to notify Pinkie and Twilight that I was going to leave soon (as they were the ones who would most need to know this fact), when I got a voice chat request. "Please don't be the politics guy..." I looked at the caller ID. "Blank." Which should be impossible...unless...obviously it's from this world and not my own.
I picked up the call and muted mic volume for the avatar. "Who is this?"
"Are you the one called Rez?" A somewhat...regal female voice. Suave of a sort, a calm demeanor, something about it wanted me to feel...comfortable.
It's not that simple for me. "He asked you first."
"Then you're just who I've been looking for. But I do wonder why I'm only hearing your voice, not feeling your mind."
"Allow me to repeat myself. I asked you your name first. Tell me now, or I'm breaking the connection."
"...I am Celestia." I've heard that name before, but I can't place it.
"You said something about not feeling my mind? Well, it appears that your magic...mind...speak was intercepted by my chat client. And yes, I understand that didn't make much sense to you. So, what were originally calling about?"
"I attempted to communicate so as to arrange a private meeting."
"Where and when?"
"Three days from now, directly before sunrise."
I look up the time the sun appears at the horizon at my location. "7:10 AM, so we should begin around 7. And what about the where?"
She giggled a bit at that. "Let's just say you're not coming out of Twilight's horn this time."
"...I'm forced to assume that you can access the network."
"No, but I can learn how."
A ten second silence was broken with "Hanging up. See you then." Followed by me doing so, telling Twilight and Pinkie I'd be leaving now and be back in a few days, and me thinking about what I'm going to be meeting the resident royal figure about.
Especially right now. I arrived in the system five minutes early, giving me ample time to listen to a song that always has sent chills up my spine-specifically, a remixed version of it. And credit where credit is due, those who remix tend to be pretty good at what they do.
I had not been back in their world for the two days in between, instead electing to deal with issues that affected my own world. The decoding had made significant progress in that time, and I was half expecting-and fully dreading-another call.
Come seven o'clock, and something arrived in the network. A yellow orb with a slightly opaque light orange orb surrounding it, and back-and-forth wriggling dark orange...sunbeams, that always showed the eight on the side, rendering the rest seemingly invisible as it slowly spun on its axis.
"Celestia, I take it?"
"That would be me."
"And what I'm seeing-a sun, it looks like-that's your mark?"
"Of course. Is yours that of a silver man?" Oh yeah, forgot to mention that I had leveled up once more in those three days.
"Um, no. My species doesn't have this kind of mark." I pause. "You cited sunrise specifically to determine our meeting time. Is there a reason for this?"
"Indeed. I would like to speak with you in my castle, but it would be easier if you used me to come to our world, rather than Twilight." I immediately bring up the bit of programming that allowed my avatar to rez there.
"Distance issues?" I say, as I begin to locate the bits of code that correspond to Twilight specifically, and prepare to overwrite them.
"There is quite a distance between Canterlot and Ponyville. Also, privacy is a concern here." I lock onto Celestia's avatar and scan.
C_Sun
"Sorry if that stung, but it's kind of a necessary process."
"It's fine." I apply the new data to the required portions, hit Save As, and run the code.
Moments later, I find myself viewing the internals of a castle room. I hazard a guess at semi-private chambers, because there are no windows (excluding a skylight), the doors look completely locked, and the only ones in the room are a majestic-looking white horse with wings and a horn and what looks like a few personal guards, horn but no wings for all of them. "Are the guards really necessary?"
"Not anymore, but we weren't completely sure what would happen, seeing as none of us have ever seen this...spell?"
"Transfer."
"We have not seen this transfer before. They were here in case something went wrong...but now, they can leave." They promptly do so.
"So, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?"
"Your world, and how it may connect to mine."
"Shall I begin by enlightening you as to the basics of the internet?"
"I'd like to, although first I have something to take care of. Specifically, the sun. Watch the skylight closely." Her horn suddenly lit up, and soon the room was filled with natural light.
I glance at the clock in the bottom right corner of my screen. 7:05. "Okay...that did...what?" And then it clicks. "Wait, did you just move the sun?"
"Yes," she replied in a voice that gave confusion at my confusion. "Is that not normal on your world?"
"No, it's not!" I check the rise time one last time. 7:10. "Uh...if you'd like to see how it works on my planet, I'd be more than happy-and able-to show you."
If it weren't for the fact that she had a seemingly parental image to keep, her face would probably lit up more than it did. "Then I'd be glad to watch."
I promptly set up the whole thing again-but much simpler, albeit not as programmer-friendly. This time, the image seen by my optics is directly placed onto my avatar's texture, which admittedly reminds me of a very old television show for kids...I can't remember the name, maybe it'll come back to me. No firewall bypass required this time.
As always, first comes quick verification that it works. I then proceed to rush outside and onto my roof, looking east...and waiting. Right when the clock hits 7:07, I feel the urge to sing again, and I don't even try to fight it.
The sun breaches the horizon exactly at 7:10, which happens to match up with the last saying of "when the morning comes". "Coincidence or the 'magic of harmony' working its ma...itself again?"
"Probably harmony," Celestia answered with a chuckle. "So, how does the sun rise on your world?"
"Funny story, nothing's really rising at all. The world is just rotating on an axis while orbiting the sun. As a part of the world gains visibility of the sun, it always has to come 'up' from some direction, and it's always east due to the direction of the earth."
"So, it's always daytime for someone?"
"Well, this is the part when I get into time zones. Shall I go farther, or does the phrase 'it's five o'clock somewhere' suffice?"
"It'll do. But what about the moon? It didn't go anywhere when day broke. Also, it doesn't look like a crescent..." Ugh. I'm a hacker, not an astronomer! I do know a thing or two about planets, though...
"Uh...wikipedia, wikipedia...ah, here we go. Moons are known as 'natural satellites', and earth only has one. Takes a bit more than a day for the same side of earth to be able to see the moon, takes about 30 days for the moon to show the same phase to the earth, takes a miracle to get the moon to show any other side to us. And the phase of the moon was...waxing...waning?...waxing gibbous. Pronounced crescents are not possible phases of our moon, or any moon following the laws of the universe as we know them."
"That's...kind of hard to understand. Perhaps a visual representation would be best?"
"Sure."
The next ten minutes are spent looking for suitable objects to be used as "earth", "sun", and "moon". Five minutes later, I have a solar system boiled down to the most important bits, and three more gets Celestia to understand how the whole shenanigan works.
"I think I get it now."
"Good. Now, may I ask a few questions myself?"
Before Celestia can answer, a very annoying beeping begins to fill the room-both of them. "What...what is that noise?"
"I'm being paged. Moment please..." I'm thinking I can tell the guy to call me back later.
Then I look at the caller ID. "Shit!"
"Sorry, but I really gotta take this call. You can listen if you want, but please try not to talk."
"Call? What are you talking about?"
Seriously? "Technology assisted long distance vocal communication. Now would you please be quiet?"
"Alright." There is no way I can prepare myself for what's about to come. I click "pick up".
Three days is an important amount of time in terms of data and updates. If the first few updates of a decode project you give to someone else occur within a day or two of each other, then you can expect rapid updates for the project with minor breakthroughs each and a continuous stream of slightly new information. If it takes more than three calendar days for the first three updates (or a week for just one), then it's probably either a major breakthrough or a total disappointment (unless it's only because it takes a while for code to compile, or anything to do with snail mail).
But then there's the cusp. If day zero is the day that a project is given, then if the first update is received on day three, you know it's going to be a doozy. Always something you wished you knew earlier, but pray isn't real. It never fails.
Earlier today, I had checked the forums. I had simply dumped the data there for anyone who wanted to try their hand at it. That was three days ago, and I had almost forgotten about it due to the party. I checked it daily, out of habit. I didn't expect anything for the first day, and that's what I got. Aside from discussions about possible encryption methods, I got the same thing for the second, and I was hoping that the third would keep the pattern...but as you can guess by this point, I had a rude awakening. At about 6:30, a good friend of mine updated the project.
It turns out that the mini-military rumor is sort of true. The guy owns most of an unknown "security" firm, nicknamed "Vesuvius" because that was the closest word my friend could think of when he looked at the jumble of encrypted letters. I say "security" because not only do they specialize in man-and-firepower rather than cameras and alarms, but they also practice "preemptive security", by which I mean they break into people's houses to arrest and/or capture them. Supposedly worse is the only half-unencrypted part, which I don't look at but it does give me the impression that I'll be getting another update in three days.
I shot the man another email before I went into the network about half an hour ago, hoping he'd take a few hours to get to it. But apparently I'm high priority, because he flagged me down for voice chat at the...how best to put this?
Worst.
POSSIBLE.
TIME. I'm not even exaggerating. It would have been best to keep this conversation private, and if the listener reveals herself, I'll have more than just a bit of 'splainin' to do. Seeing as both myself and the listener want information on each other, it would have been more rude to leave and take the call than to stay and allow a listener, and even ruder if I simply muted both sides and went AFK. This left only one option.
I braced myself and clicked the button.
"Hello?"
"I couldn't help but notice that you somehow got a hold of the shareholder quantities for a certain corporation. Private records, I might add."
"Your information is not mistaken," I snide.
"Care to tell me where you got that information?"
Perfect snarking opportunity. "For all you know, I might own some stock in there as well."
"Sadly, no. I know all of the other shareholders, and none of them are dirty hackers."
"Don't say that!" I threw myself into false panic, before hushing my tone. "There might be hackers listening..."
He suddenly adopted a tone of rage. "Exactly my point! Putting their noses where they don't belong...it's this kind of cheating scum-"...I heard a bang, probably his fist banging a table..."-that I'm trying to rid the world of!"
"Funnily enough, it's your kind of ignorance that my kind feel should be squashed," I say as my own tone of voice begins to take an edge. "I didn't say a person, though. I said a perception. You think that every single leet prog-elite programmer-is a person of mass terror. That all hackers in the world are scum that deserve to rot in hell."
"That's exactly what I think." I reel back in my chair for a moment. "I'm glad that you finally understand my point."
"Then understand mine." Playtime is over. "Hackers believe in one thing: freedom. We hack to promote those beliefs and undermine those who oppose them. And we do it the defense of others. Now, me accessing your data? The internet feels that you are a threat to innocent people-"
"I am only a threat to those that deserve it!"
"And who gave you the choice of who deserves it? Are you the president of the USA? Are you the governor of my state? Or any state? Or any state of being but your own? No! Now get this through your thick skull: Hackers are good guys too. What do you think would have happened if that one hacker wasn't there to fix Eden?"
"The government would have been able to fix the K project without-"
"EDEN WOULD HAVE BEEN DEAD BY THE TIME YOU GOT TO HER!" I take a deep breath. "You would never have known in time. You specifically. You're too busy with your irrational hatred of that which you don't understand. You don't understand everything that hackers do, and seeing as you don't even want to try to get it, I can't possibly feel sorry for you."
"...get off this planet."
It takes a few moments to register that I've just been spoken to. "Come again?"
"I said, get off this miserable planet. The world would be better off without you. You specifically."
I suddenly adopt a smirk. "That would do you more harm than good."
"Bullshit."
"Think about it. I would have no reason to fear your corrupt security. We call it Vesuvius, didja know? I would blab all I know about you to people in high-ranking positions, not to forget the internet at large." Time to lay down the big one. "Have you ever heard of the Bard's Song?"
When he didn't respond, I sang two lines of said song.
No one will ever know our names...
But the bards' songs will remain.
I can't stand this guy any longer. I click "hang up" and close the program.
Silence on the other other end. "Give me a minute. I need to calm down from that." A positive response, so I go to my room and bang my head against the wall. Remind me again why I put up with the rest of my species?
I was hoping I wouldn't have to show the resident sunriser the worst part of my species-ignorance. But no, that buffoon just had to call, right then and there. Remind me again why I enjoy the rest of my species.
"It's been a few minutes now," Celestia finally said.
"Yes, I'm well aware of that, but that guy just makes me lose my cool so fast..." Her expression changes. "...I don't suppose you have any antagonists like that?"
She lowered her head, probably an analog to slumping her shoulders. "An antagonist that makes us act unlike ourselves? Yes, we do."
"Could you describe it for me?"
"His name is Discord, and he is the spirit of chaos."
Discord redirects to dissonance on wikipedia; dissonance itself having multiple meanings, all related to conflict or incongruity.
Chaos: complete disorder and confusion. Except in mathematics.
"He wields very powerful magic. He can transform objects with a snap of his fingers, create almost anything he wants, block any offenses..."
"...probably break physics in general..."
"...indeed, but he especially delights in turning friends against each other. And since he gets his power from conflict, it makes him almost unstoppable."
"Almost."
"Yes, almost. He has one weakness, although I don't think I need to explain it right now. In short, harmony can defeat him."
"Not just any kind, I'm guessing, but I'll ask about that later." Celestia looks relieved to be off that subject. "Anything else dangerous to tell me about?"
"As it becomes relevant."
"I can work with that. So, anything else I need to know about this planet?"
I received a twenty-minute teaching session on how the sun and moon work (geocentric, with some magic involved), why Luna wasn't here (nocturnal, fair enough), the different species and locations (an appreciated rehash of Twilight's original data dump), and a crash course on magic. The last one culminated in me coding a new function to the scanlasers, just to try my hand: instantaneous velocity alteration/cessation.
"Simple as changing a value."
"Not exactly levitation, but impressive nonetheless. I never thought a non-unicorn, let alone a non-pony could do magic!"
"Magic is basically altering the world around oneself, is it not? That's what my avatar was originally created to do. It's not exactly me using magic, I'm just guiding a constructed representation of myself that can."
"That's even more impressive. How powerful is your avatar?"
That question stops me cold. "...you know, I never thought about that. I suppose it depends on data allotment and connection speed, but those are mostly limits on how fast my computer can issue commands-"
"Speaking of connection and commands, what if you became disconnected from the avatar?"
"If the computer disconnects? It would destabilize without constant instructions. If I gave it an AI, I suppose I could get it to stabilize, but the energy required would take..." I begin scanning random objects and crunching numbers. "...it would use six forms' worth of energy to stabilize it. Eden's blessing would be necessary even for marginal success."
"It transforms?"
"Kind of. Think of it as levels."
"As in stories or floors."
"No...well, not exactly. I guess that's where the RPG and video game terms come from...which makes sense." I tell her what I told Twilight at the party, before adding some more details. "Each level it has uses more processing power. It makes it more stable, and consumes more energy, which also means it has more energy to use. Collisions force it to use a big chunk of energy instantaneously to restabilize, lowering the level. It can only use so much at one time from the network, which caps me at five. Zero is when my computer is supplying it with its own lifeline, and attempting to restabilize puts too much strain on the system, which results in something similar to disconnecting in the middle. What you see right now is the third form, safe but not truly powerful."
She mulled this over for a bit. "You mentioned something about 'Eden'."
Oh! "Oh, right. Eden is the AI, the artificial intelligence, that runs the K-Project network, the very network that I'm connecting to you through. Most of the data flow is controlled by her. Follow?"
"I follow."
"If Eden wants to, she can grant my avatar a final form. It's the hardest limit on how powerful my avatar is; there is no possible way to safely consume more energy-or at least, not enough more for a seventh." I pause for a moment to let the foreign princess take it in, while giving myself a chance to consider things. "And the only time that's happened so far was at the end of the Incident...when I was enlightened..."
"If I knew what to do, would it be possible for me to allow use of-"
"No." I don't even need to let her finish the question. "That's not how it works, sadly. While I'm connected through the network, and I don't see that changing anytime soon, there's no possible way to draw that much power without allowance from Eden herself."
"...I see."
Silence for half a minute. "Well, if there's anything else you want to tell me, or anything you'd like to ask me about, go ahead."
"Actually, I believe that what we've talked about so far will suffice for the day. Feel free to leave at any time."
"Sounds good." I'm about to do just that, before I realize something. "Oh, and one more thing. Since you can get into the network, and you can contact me via voice chat, you should be able to do both at the same time. Call me any-"
The doors suddenly swing open as a guard bursts in. "Celestia, we have problems!"
"Calm down, captain Armor. This was a private conversation until now, so I hope it's important."
"The statue...it moved!"
The princess' face morphs into one of shock. "Is it still moving?"
"That's the strangest bit. It only moved a small distance, then it just stopped!"
"Wait, wait wait. What statue, and how small are we talking here? Millimeters? Feet?"
Celestia supplies, "The petrified Discord statue."
Followed by the guard's report. "Barely measurable."
Suddenly, klaxons! "Virus Alert!" Seriously? The timing is just impossible. The two ponies look at me confused, probably expecting an explanation.
I hold a button to activate voice command. "Quarantine." Release. "Computer stuff. Sorry guys, but I gotta go, stat."
"Okay. Come back as soon as you like."
"Will do." But in all seriousness, I thought I virus-proofed this machine ages ago! First, it would have gone through the K-Project, specifically guided to my computer. It would then have had to bypass my custom firewalls, which rival the top-of-the-line private security (the computer kind) that governments shell out the big bucks for; even then, there's no way for it to have not tripped something, which is why all the alarms.
It would also have needed to do all this while my avatar was in use outside of my own system, otherwise it would have been vaporized on the spot. And there's no way it could have known I would be using it right now! Coupled with the fact that if anything gets through once, the firewalls will block it with ease and without fail the next any amount of times it tries to get through! It seems impossible, and yet I now have a virus to deal with! How? How?
I log out.
"He-llo-oooooo? I get stuck in stone for 1000 years, freed and petrified again, and now I make my way out only to get shoved into a box! Where are your manners?!?"
My technology skills are being put to the ultimate test today.
When I realized that I had a spirit of chaos in my computer, I saved everything and shut off my computer to think. I then managed to get my phone to send a voicemail to Celestia, first explaining the difference between a call and a voicemail so she wouldn't be confused, then explaining how she could send one, then this: "Remember that virus I quarantined? Its name is Discord, and I haven't dealt with it yet."
While I was eating breakfast (and thinking about my scenario), I got a reply: "That...can't be possible. He's still here, still a stone statue. But...if that's really Discord, keep him trapped at all costs."
My reply was as follows: "You said he was all-seeing. Can you feel his eyes on you? Because if you can't, that's probably because he's trying to see me. He can't, by the way-my computer's off, but I'm turning it back on soon. Don't worry, I won't let him out."
While booting back up: "We just checked. You're right, it's like his mental presence isn't here. Can you send him back?"
"I'll return him as soon as possible...let's just hope he doesn't get at the internet." Password screen. "Any last things to say, say them now-I'm going in right after." I wait for the reply.
"Best of luck."
I got 15 minutes before the quarantine window opened itself, at which point my prisoner began complaining about being trapped again, but at least I got a good look at the prison and prisoner. A mix-and-match abomination of nature, which somehow wasn't eldritch, was trapped in a three-dimensional box; four walls, ceiling and a floor. Everything within the room (which was originally nothing but Discord itself) was...going crazy, for lack of better words to describe it.
It took five more minutes for him to expand his influence to the rest of my screen, when he began scrambling the desktop shortcut icons. I countered by double-clicking the Recycle Bin, which looked to be where my internet browser originally sat. It opened the internet browser (as that position should), causing even more complaining, this time that I hadn't fallen for the trick.
Then he tried to control the browser, at which point I shut him down. I got 10 more minutes to alter the browser into a YouTube-only application before he popped up again, at which point I let him have the modified window. That distraction worked for 30 minutes, which was 30 more minutes I used to successfully scan and analyze his code-and I couldn't understand a word of it. "They weren't kidding when they said chaos. Even at the fundamental level, this is messed up..."
"Thank you!" Without even looking up from his video, which was now movie theater style across the far wall.
"I didn't realize I had my microphone on."
"You didn't realize I turned it on." That's the wham line for me. Now I realize that even in my own domain, this opponent is not one to be messed with.
Good thing it's my job to mess with him. "You find any good ones yet?"
"Videos? I found this one that I'm pretty sure describes you right now." He hits play on a video, and as I disregard Discord jamming out (if it could be called that) to relook at object code from his world, I find myself mouthing the words as they're sung-not due to magic, but because of my own musical instincts, along with the fact that I just can.
As the song ends, I find myself noting that he's wreaked even more havoc on my desktop while I was the one "distracted" with code. "Well played."
"Will you let me out of the box now?"
Pssh. "Not on your life. My job is to get your consciousness back where it belongs: back in your petrified brain."
"Yeah, well, mine is to escape and make your life chaotic and miserable for this."
"Huh, sounds like the old AI-Box experiments."
"Mmmm...I'm not artificial." I then show him this. He reads through it with an impossibly thoughtful (and probably faked) expression on his face, before he brightens up. "Oh, I get it now. Ahem...if you let me out, I'll give you all the technology you could ever want or need, plus some."
Is this guy for real? "I'm going to need to think about that offer." I then turn my computer to sleep mode.
In the background, I have code running to calculate the successful transmission of Discord, without sidetrack or escape. While my own system is running, I can't lay eyes off the "living virus" for a second, so I need to bring him back ASAP. The biggest problem is going to be making sure he can't get free during the sending. I'll probably have to follow the "prison" I'm sending him in and continually patch it. In the meantime, I've got a few minutes to make a call.
"Pick up, pick up..."
"Hello?"
"Princess Celestia, I have a problem-and a solution."
"Do tell."
"Discord is going to try to get me to let it out, I can't let him at the internet. But if I send him to you guys, I'm not sure if he'll break free or something."
"We have taken precautions, not the least of which warning the Elements." The what now?
I shake it off. "Good. His weakness is harmony, right?"
"You don't have the kind that can defeat him."
"Could it give me the edge I need?"
She takes a bit to answer, but eventually manages to say, "Yes, it might weaken him slightly."
I smile. "That's all I need to hear. See you when this is over."
"Back so soon?"
"So happy to see me?"
"Of course I am, you're my ticket out." He puts a hand on his chin. "Where were we? Oh, yes. Technology, all of it, always ahead of the game. What do you say to that?"
Thankfully, I had thought up a rebuttal. "Yeah, no. I'm the kind of hacker who makes do with the hardware he-"
"What about software?" Looks like he anticipated my words.
I sigh. "The purpose of a programmer is to write his own code." Before he can say anything about my avatar, I cut him off. "Is this really all you've got to offer me? Try harder!"
"Okay...how about always having a new challenge? You love your job, don't you? Wouldn't you love to be able to do it forever?" He paused, awaiting my response. When I remained silent, he continued. "Or maybe...you would prefer to never have a challenge in your life. Everything, easily solved. What do you think of that?"
"That...would be very unlike myself."
He rubs his palms together. "Ah, but I can make you unlike yourself."
I scoff. "So I've heard. Care to go into a bit more detail?"
He looks ecstatic. "Gladly! It's something I like to call 'Discording'. It takes a trait of yours that makes you who you are, then makes you the polar opposite. You'd be glad to be lazy!" Lazy? Really? But before I can take that point and run with it, he drops this bomb: "Plus, it's a lot quicker than enlightenment."
I barely keep from lashing out, but it's obvious he touched a nerve. "How did you learn about that?"
"Chaos never sleeps. I was surprised to find out computers do. I...read your files, is that what it's called?"
"Figures." I glance at the other thing that had been going on during "naptime". The compiled code will do as follows: Discord's code is in constant flux as a fact of his existence, and transferring him takes up too much random-access memory to safely perform, at least while he's as is. But as soon as Discord's fundamental everything stops or slows fluctuating even in the slightest, this program will be able to-and will-move my prisoner to a mobile "cell", followed immediately by it sending itself (and cargo) to EQSTR, layer level 07, and dumping its contents back where they belong. To seal the deal, it will delete itself to break any links back to my computer. And I'll be following with my avatar, patching the prison as necessary, and waiting on the network side of EQ07 until notified it's safe to go back.
"So, let me out already. You can have it all, along with a change of heart if need be, free of charge. What do you say to all that?"
"I say it all sounds not completely horrible-yes, not even the cognitive dissonance part-or at least I wou-"
"Great! I think we have a de-"
"-or I would, if it weren't for the fact that I know several self-destructive activities that I actually would prefer to do!"
I cut him off there, smiling. "Big mistake, thinking you know me or what I think. I actually do have some things I'd rather do." I lean into the mic. Moment of truth. "Would you like me to tell you?"
He stands there for a bit, stunned, trying to make heads or tails of my interruption. When he catches up to what I said, he decides there's no harm in simply saying "Suuuuuuure."
Bingo. I turn on the keyboard (piano) with my right hand, while keeping my left one poised at my (computer) keyboard. He looks at me funny, but doesn't try to stop me. I feel a familiar sensation, a beat being kept in the back of my mind, before I even need to begin to play the instrument. Familiar lyrics from a predetermined song queue in my head. My fingers stiffen, becoming ready to hit their respective keys with barely a conscious thought. Time to work some magic.
My music skills are about to be put to the ultimate test.
Only one thought process, other than the music itself, is crossing my mind: This guy's probably going to love it, and that's exactly what I want. I want him singing to this. If he harmonizes, it slows. And I know exactly when it's going to happen.
I would swallow my pride, I would choke on the rinds, but the lack thereof would leave me empty inside. Swallow my doubt, turn it inside out; find nothing but faith in nothing! Want to put my tender heart in a blender, watch it spin around to a beautiful oblivion... Rendezvous, then I'm through with you.
Discord's face tells it all. It says "Faith in nothing is a good thing" and "You had me at 'beautiful oblivion'." At that moment, I know I've already won. Oh, and by this point, I can hear the guitars and drums, but I don't stop playing the keyboard. That's automatic at this point. I burn, burn like a wicker cabinet... Chalk white and oh, so frail. An interruption, and condescendingly spoken. I saw that coming a mile away. Our time's already gone long stale. He scoffs and gestures, as if saying "Time? Peh!" The tick tock of that clock is painful; all sane and logical! I want to tear it off the wall. You say words and clips and phrases, I think sick like chocoginlateger milk!ale. I don't even wanna know where he got that from. My stomach turns as I exhale...
'Cause I would swallow my pride, I would choke on the rinds, while the lack thereof makes me so empty inside... I would swallow my doubt, but turn it inside out-you find nothing but faith in nothing! You want to put my tender heart in a blender? We'd watch it spin around into a beautiful oblivion... Keep rendezvous, I'm not through with you. Well excuuuse me for my song choice! But it's clear I've still got him.
So Cal is where my mind states, but it's not my state of mind; 'Cause I'm not as ugly sad as you! Discord looks taken aback, as if insulted. That's what this verse is for. Or are you origami, all folded up and just pretend? Nice reversal attempt. It won't help you. No more demented than the motives in your head..! I love this song that much more.
I would swallow my pride, I would choke on the rinds- But won't the lack thereof make you feel empty inside? I would swallow my doubt- Turn it inside out, you got nothing but faith in nothing! Want to put your tender heart in a blender, watch it spin around and see a beautiful oblivion! Rendezvous, I'm not through with you.
I alone, am the one you know you don't need to feed, feed your ego. I fear this only used to be the truth. I know you're blind, and have bad prose- Petty insults? Really? Think you should get posed, know you're way too close. I alone am the one you don't know you need, you don't know you need me! Couldn't be farther from reality. [No,] Your twisted mind holds your eyes closed- I'm interrupted by a stream of incoherent noises, followed by: [Want to] Tie you to the bedpost...! Angrish, along with a threat in the form of the words of the song? He's fully focused on the song now, and I can tell even before my computer gives me the green light that Discord just fully harmonized to Eve 6. It's time to send this troll back to his bridge.
I would swallow my pride, I would choke on the rinds, but the lack thereof would leave me empty inside! Rather swallow my doubt, turn it inside out; find nothing but faith in nothing! Want to put my tender heart in a blender, watch it spin around to a beautiful oblivion... We rendezvoused, now I'm through! I am through! With! You!
I hit the key to activate the previously-detailed program on the "you". It's hard to describe what visually happened in the quarantine, but I was paying more attention to the data stream anyways. Through...with...you!
It worked like a charm. The quarantine is empty of Discord by the time I sing the last lyrics, and the mobile prison is ready to move. Rendezvous, then I'm through with you.
I delete the quarantine and everything inside it from my hard drive, and proceed to follow the program into the system.
I must have overestimated the spirit of chaos when I wrote this program. I thought he would escape a bit easier, but as it turns out, I don't need to patch the prison. Or is he just going easy on me?
The prison reaches the layer without a hitch. It gets stuck for about 5 seconds waiting for an open horn before it disappears from the network. Shortly after, I get a message.
"That was...Discord's consciousness contained within that, correct?"
I "pick up the phone". "Yeah, that was the thing. No problems sending it through, right?"
"No. But I don't know what will happen once it reaches the statue..."
"Supposedly, it'll put the brain back where it belongs. It's anyone's guess what happens next, though."
A few tense minutes. "It seems...like Discord is back how he belongs, although the seal has weakened."
"Try applying a patch."
After one minute of explaining what "patch" means in computing, Celestia concedes the point. "Alright. The Elements are already on their way, you can come and watch if you'd like." It didn't make sense to me last time, it doesn't make sense this time.
"No...I think I'll take a break until after lunch or something. See you in a few hours, if not another day."
"I'll look forward to it." Me, too. Hopefully, real life events won't interrupt next time. And I'll have to remember to get out of the system before taking any calls, especially from...yeah.
It's time to put my knowledge of this world to the ultimate test.
But first, a recap: I went downstairs to relax and have lunch. I thought that I was in the clear, that Discord had been successfully sealed. Boy was I in for a rude awakening.
In the middle of my sandwich, I recieved a call. From Celestia. Apparently, Discord had escaped his weakened seal. Not content with simply freedom, he had frozen the "Elements of Harmony" and several other ponies in place, and was in the process of Discording "everypony" else. No one currently there could do anything about it, and I was apparently their last hope to even do something about it.
I scarfed the sandwich and ran back to my computer, where I immediately logged back in and set "travelling" to you-know-where. It took five minutes of waiting at the layer for Celestia to let me through, after which point I wasted no time in darting off to locate these "Elements", because apparently they're the only things that could stop Discord.
Along the way, I saw the full extent of Discord's power. Not only was he now not constricted to a box and what he created within it, he was distorting any and all objects that were already there. I haven't seen it in action yet, but the effects lingered.
I also saw what it meant to be "Discorded". Every...pony...was either terrified, panicking, or yelling at anyone who came close-myself included. A handful of them even blamed me, saying that I either something created by Discord or Discord himself in disguise. I tried to explain that I was there to stop Discord, but they brushed me off, so I brushed them off. No point trying to make something understand something it can't comprehend.
"Rez?"
I recognized that voice. It was the first voice I heard in this world. "Twilight!? Where are you and what are you doing..." My avatar turned a corner, went through a gate, and was now presenting me with an image of six ponies, scattered in various places around a courtyard, all frozen in place like statues up to the neck. Speaking of the neck, five of them had some sort of necklace around it, each with a different shaped (and colored) crystal in front. Twilight was wearing some form of tiara instead, with its own gem in front. "...here...?"
"We came here to try and reseal Discord, but he broke out before we could fully charge the elements, and then he-"
"-escaped, yes yes I know already. I saw the carnage from a mile away. But I didn't expect you guys here!" I scanned the six of them, getting their names. Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Twilight Sparkle herself. I then located the offending code keeping them locked in place-and found that, just like Discord himself, his magic is in constant flux. "And apparently, I can't do jack shit about it..."
"Having fun yet?"
Which brings me to right now. I just turned around to find one angry..."draconequus" staring at my avatar, which meant that my screen had a faceful of face. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, no no." I clear my throat. "No, not exactly. Perhaps you have an alternative definition I'm not aware of?"
"I don't think so. Why are you always so keen on defining things?"
"Spend your whole life-or even just one year of it-programming, and tell me truthfully that you're not keen on defining things. It cuts down the time bugfixing-" Note to self: or anything, really "-when you know exactly what everything is supposed to do."
"Naw. It's so much better making things do what they're not supposed to do."
"To the point that WD-40 and duct tape aren't enough," I mutter under my breath.
"Did you say something?"
"Did you hear something?" He shakes his head. "Then no."
He growls at me. "I'm getting sick of your logic. Can't you take a bit of chaos?"
"Oh, I can take chaos. 'Chaos theory studies the behavior of dynamical systems that are highly sensitive to initial conditions—a response popularly referred to as the butterfly effect.'" In the middle of that explanation, I hear Twilight's ears perk up at that. Always a lover of knowledge, I suppose. I pan 180 degrees, and see that the cyan one...Rainbow Dash, I think...is rolling her eyes, and when I finish, she mutters "Egghead." I want to say something about eggheads being the ones to change the world, but I instead make a note of it and turn back to Discord. "It's randomness I'm worried about, but so far, I've mostly been seeing pseudorandom patterns. Not true randomness."
"Well I never...!"
"Which is disappointing, because you have no decipherable algorithm! You'd expect to see less order in the universe, but you even break entropy!" I'm milking this for all it's worth, because I don't think I'll ever get an opportunity like this. "You violate the fundamental laws of the universe, your code is messed up on the fundamental level-and yet you not only have patterns, preferences..." I look around at the six ponies, all watching, "...you have a fundamental weakness."
"Weaknesses don't matter when no one can use them!" He makes a table and slams it, before flipping it off to the side. "I've had enough of you. Consider yourself Discorded."
I smirk. "I'd like to see you try."
He then dons a huge grin, which honestly creeps me out. "You're blind, and you hide your disability behind musical ability, which you wouldn't have had if you weren't blind."
"Don't listen to him!"
"Quiet, hillfilly. As I was saying...you hide behind your computer-and your logic-because you can't make sense of the real world. You do bad things to others with computers, just because you can, and justify it by saying it's your 'occupation'."
"Bullcrap."
"You hacked into Eden to fix her while she was long past broken of mind. You beat her back into shape when she wanted to stop. You were told the past and future, and you're angry that you can't change it. And to top it all off..." ...the six friends are staring at us in fear and awe... "...your so-called enlightenment was a fluke!"
I am absolutely horrified he could even go there. "...take it back."
He sneers. "No."
"Then I'll make you take it back, because it's my turn."
Suddenly, he's up in my face. "No, it isn't. Enough of your logic, it doesn't work on me and you know it. I have no more use for you-" He then holds up a finger to my avatar's forehead "-but I may be able to make use of your proxy."
I try to move away, as my silver avatar loses its sheen, becoming a dull gray and succumbing to gravity (and ragdoll physics). But I can't do anything to stop it. Even access to the source code is-"Locked out? What the hell?!" The gray man is lying motionless on the stone walkway as the ponies look on, pulsating as usual while Discord examines-
Wait, pulsating? But it's not moving, not even a bit! But I'm definitely hearing beats...
"The only thing I'm not locked out of is camera control, and it's in third person..." I proceed to pan the camera until the pulsations sound the loudest.
I'm looking right at the six ponies wearing jewelry. And the crystals are flashing, subtly, at a familiar tempo. "They picked up the beat. How did they..." And then I hear a soft set of tones.
"Are you saying something?"
"What?"
"I'm pretty sure I heard you talking."
"Come again, please."
"I said, I'm pretty sure I-"
"Shh! I'm not talking to you!"
Discord is taken aback. "But there's no one else here!"
I'm not fully confused, but I don't completely know what's happening. "Can't you hear it?"
He puts a paw to an ear. "No sounds, anywhere. Except for panic, which isn't here just yet. Would you like me to-"
"Can anypony else hear it?"
"What are you talking about?" asks Twilight. "Discord's right, there's no pony here but us, and none of us are-"
"Shh!" She stops talking. "They're speaking to me..."
A full minute of silence, as the seven of them try to wrap their heads around my words. Sixty long seconds.
Which is more than long enough for a power that knows what it's doing to not only teach me, but tell me everything I have to do.
"Enough of this game. I've got things to do, and I'd like to see how your virtual you holds up to-" I mute outgoing communication and tune him out. I open the source code and enable vocal commands.
"Professional evil fell in love with me, on the day my pure heart died," I murmur. "It fell apart in the blink of an eye when I refused to satisfy."
If harmony can weaken Discord, it can loosen his magic.
"I've seen tons of horses angry and remorseless, but we do not think the same; and yet it's due to my problems that we're all in this deep-so I need to fight the stain!"
Control immediately unlocks, and I waste no time. In 10 seconds, my avatar is floating again, silver again, pulsating again-and my thought process has never felt so complete. Correction: make that once before. I set my optics to display first person, before staring a shocked Discord down.
"You know, I've always hated those that don't understand. Not just those who can't: those who won't. If someone makes a point, I'll give it a fair chance, and only dismiss it if it's completely wrong. When I try to get a point across, I expect the listener to make an honest effort to comprehend it." All in the area are just staring at me, in either awe or nervousness, as I speak with a calm, collected demeanor-one that they haven't seen from me before. "But when someone won't listen, won't give anyone else's ideas a fair chance-I can't feel sorry for them."
"What are you talking ab-"
"Evolution. I understand evolution better than almost anyone else on this planet-take your pick, it probably doesn't matter."
A scoff. "What about evolution?"
I don't change my tone. "Ages ago, life was born in the primitive sea. Young life forms constantly evolved in order to survive. Some prospered, some did not, all sorts of life ebbed and flowed like the tide." Breathe. "In the quiet rhythm of the mother sea, life grew, always seeking to survive and flourish. Soon life began the advance towards land, opening new habitats." Breathe. "A great prosperity came, as life conquered even the highest mountains. Mass extinctions came wave after wave, but empty niches always quickly refilled, to once again prosper, grow, and reproduce."
"We get it, we get it! But what's this have to do with me?"
I ignore him. "Survival and reproduction have always been easier when animals work in groups. On my planet, the most intelligent species has always been homo sapien-humanity-ever since it first evolved. During which, we invented tools...clothes...language. Allowing us to communicate, to understand each other in a perfect way." Discord tries to escape the lecture, but I force him into the ground with a velocity-altering laser, marking my first public use of "magic". Without missing a beat, I continue. "This made working in groups easier. This made reproduction easier. This...made friendship possible."
I move towards the downed dracon, who just pushed his face back off the stone. "Which brings us back to you. Your brain isn't hardwired by nature, as you act on more than basic instincts. And it's obvious that you don't need any nurture, which is all but required for those that have evolved to sufficient intelligence. Oh, but you didn't evolve, did you? You just...appeared. But without a proper understanding of yourself and others, you never learned principles that are basic and essential to all other organisms of any comparison. And you never bothered to try."
"And I've never needed to!"
"Until you were beaten, beaten by something you could not hope to comprehend, because you never tried. When randomness slows down, becomes more orderly, patterns develop-and yours just happens to be stone."
Discord reels back. "What are you-?"
"I know how this works. And I understand why it works. The elements evolved with the species, singular and plural, capable of utilizing them-the species intelligent enough, along with those responsible for their creation in the first place. On the small scale, things like order, love, and friendship seem so simple-they work because our brains work that way. They make the moral 'Together, we can do things nothing could accomplish alone'. The traits the elements are based on pull from this view."
I let the six that actually get it catch up before I continue. "I see things differently. I understand these traits as being essential to teamwork, which derives directly from the most basic principle in evolution-the one that defines evolution in the first place-the will to survive!"
"You've lost me..."
"Of course I have. Remember? You didn't evolve for learning! Even if I tried, I couldn't make you understand. You're hardwired not to be able to understand!"Beat."Which is where I come in."
Everyone exchanges glances. The ponies are confused, and Discord is beginning to look scared as to where I might take it.
"Let me break it down for you, on my level. Element, defined mathematically, is one of an amount of objects that make up a set. Harmony, defined musically, is a set of simultaneous notes or chords that sound pleasing to the ear. Strictly speaking, a note is an element of a harmony." At least a few of them get it. "And then there's harmony as in peace. As in getting along. An element of that would be a positive trait, positive for the user and those about it. You know what I'm referring to." I have the avatar gesture to the six frozen horses. "Speaking of which..." as I proceed to successfully decode the freeze that had been causing me trouble not fifteen minutes before! Discord's face suddenly morphs into one of terror as he observes the hack, which continues as I continue the lecture. "But if composed in the right way, a beautiful piece of music can always have room for one more instrument."
"Impossible. There's only six elements of harmony! Plus, you're not even physically here!" He attempts to attack, but I shut him down before he can even start, noting that his code fluctuations are beginning to lose tempo.
"Do you know what I do for a living? I hack things. I change settings. I share heavily guarded information for the good of those I care about. All of which takes not only intelligence, but understanding. And I think I've proven to you that I understand more than just computers. I'm hardwired to learn, to understand, to apply that knowledge. Hardwired for a positive trait, and my affinity for music makes me fit that much better here. And I'm even capable of a higher mindset-understanding the world around me to a higher degree than you can imagine: enlightenment. First time, it was bestowed by Eden, who helped me so that I could save her from herself."
"Ugh, and what does this have to do with the elements?"
"Guess where my second enlightenment came from."
Silence.
None of them make a sound, and neither do I.
Then they all realize what I just said. "WHAT?"
"You heard me. Shall I spell it out for you all, one last time?"
"Sure," says Twilight, giving me a look that says I just got a handle on everything you've been saying, and I like it. "Let's hear it once more."
"I am Rez, and I am a hacker. I am able to understand information and points of view and can aid others in understanding. I have been informed about the necessary history and knowledge of this world by the Elements of Harmony, using audio cues that are second nature to me, given my background. My capacity for understanding was-correction: is-temporarily increased by the very same. I am no element myself, but I am a suitable...accompaniment, to use music terminology once again. And I know that when sufficiently intelligent beings understand each other, and apply that knowledge...that's when the magic happens."
The six "element bearers" have moved, and are now in a pentagonal pyramid around me (Rainbow Dash is the only one of them not on the ground), all of us facing Discord, who is beginning to panic. "I am Enlightened Rez, representation of understanding, optional seventh Element of Harmony. And as it stands, you go against everything we stand for. You can't understand harmony. You refuse to try friendship. And because of that, I can't feel sorry for what's about to happen to you."
As soon as I finished speaking, the six ponies began to float up. I remained silent as five beams as Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Loyalty, and Generosity shot around my avatar into Twilight's tiara. From it, a beam of pure magic then arced backwards into the pulsating silver man that represented me.
"But...you're not their friend! You haven't met them all before!"
"I can be friendly to strangers. After that, the effort necessary until they're not strangers anymore?"
Overdrive Uploaded
Updating Schematics
In that instant, my heart skips a beat, my brain pulls a soft reset, and my instincts have never been clearer. The instant those words show up in my feed, I ensure the reticle is firmly on Discord, then hit the key. "It's negligible."
Discord is immediately assaulted with lasers. Auto-locking property-changing homing lasers. One after the other, at a constant rate of 32 per second. Each one is imbued with the magic of harmony, slowing his internal chaos until he begins to petrify. All to the sound of a familiar "rising groan".
When it runs out, the six of them are all on the ground. Discord is back as a statue, the way he belongs. And although I didn't physically do anything, I still feel drained.
"Did...did we do it?"
I don't even need to look to know that Pinkie was the one who said it.
"Yeah. He's...he's stone again." Twilight.
"That...was awesome." Rainbow.
"Are we done yet?" Me. "Seriously, I need to go and do something mindless. I need..." They all stare at me, waiting for me to finish my thought. "I need to play a freaking game. Sorry I'm not staying here and celebrating with you guys, but I've spent literally the whole day up to now dealing with that devil. I've had enough dissonance for one life...lemme check the time, yeah it's about that time...and I need, a freaking, break." I hyperventilate for a few seconds, before slowly bringing my breathing to a normal level. "Sorry guys. I'll see you tomorrow if I can, but right now I need to pretend this whole shenanigan never occurred."
The shenanigan that I inadvertently caused by not logging off to take a call. I'll have to learn from that mistake, but it will be hard to forget that this incident is technically on my head.
This was definitely an experience, and I (and they) learned a lot about a lot, including a new possible method of enlightenment (which is a high I am down from at this point, by the way). But I'd rather not have that experience again. Plus the fact that I'm probably going to have my voicemail spammed by Celestia, who may be demanding explanations, or trying to get a hold of me for a proper thank you. I'm looking forward to neither.
My thoughts turn to a television that I haven't used in a while. I begin to wonder what's on channel 5.
Tonight's events started when I had that minor breakdown after sealing a certain pseudorandom like the anomaly he was. I had mentioned games, and apparently word traveled. I also mentioned voicemail spamming, and it did, but to a much lesser degree than I expected. Only 5 messages from Celestia, spread out over the rest of the day. Aside from asking me to come back to talk, all she had to say (aside from expressions of gratitude) were reasonable questions, so I felt the need to take notes on what my answers would be when I got around to answering. But I didn't reply. Not today.
Her sister, on the other hand (or hoof, if it behooves you), managed to put a message in my inbox that I had to play again to make sure I was hearing it right, then pick up the phone and call her back. She had heard about the game mention, and took it literally, not as an offhand comment (it wasn't). So she decided to invite me to a game of Ogres and Oubliettes that would go on that night. After the call to verify a few things (time, game type, horn), I pulled up some D&D forums to put myself in the mindset. I didn't want to miss this opportunity.
Come 9:10 PM, I was at L7. 9:15 and a dark cloud materialized, with a white, glowing "pronounced crescent" at its core.
L_Moon
9:20, and I had been milling about a few remaining tabs and studying my already-made character sheet while Third Form pulsated in Luna's bedroom. Luna had been checking and setting a few DM things, while a few other ponies (all castle guards who happen to like the game) were socializing over the table. I closed the tabs and joined the conversation, and up until 9:30, we compared D&D and O&O. (The differences were mostly cultural, and the few gameplay changes didn't really change anything.)
At that point, Luna asked me if I was comfortable and stable in my chair. When I responded positive, her horn lit up, and everypony but her quickly became tired, before falling into some form of sleep.
Note the use of "pony" in that sentence. Guess what I'm not.
"What just...*yawn*...happened?" There was a bit of stunned silence by Luna, who probably thought I had nodded off as well. "Wait...I'm going to hazard a wild guess here. I'm supposed to play the game as part of a preconstructed, shared manipulated dream?"
"That's right. I just cast a spell that should have put you to sleep, but it would appear that it failed."
"Then I think I know what the problem is here-I don't fall asleep at my computer. I don't stay online for long enough to sleep deprive, and I don't suffer from any sleep disorders. In fact, the only time I ever fell asleep at my desk was-"
"Wait-you have fallen asleep at your computer?" I thought about it for a few seconds, before coming to a realization.
"Yeah, this one time I did trance mission."
"Well, do it again!"
"That's the idea," as I booted it up. "But sensory overload does take a bit of focus, and plenty of time..."
"And what if I help?"
I thought about it for a moment. "Well, I did feel somewhat tired when you used your magic, so at least it's something...alright. Give me one good minute of focus, then hit it." I turned my headphones up to max volume and fullscreened the window. "Beginning now."
It worked as planned. While I had my eyes, ears, and mind glued to the synesthesia, Luna prepared her sleep spell. About 60 seconds in, I felt myself get tired, but paid it no mind-I was in the zone, almost literally. The next transition, however, proved to be too much for my altered mindset. The moment the screen blurred and the music changed, my conscious brain overloaded, then crashed...then shut down.
I was running through the day's events in my mind, and was beginning to zone out when one of the other party members nudged me.
"Rez?"
I jumped in my four-legged body as I snapped back to the constructed reality. "Yeah?"
"If you're done being lost in thought, we can begin tonight's raid."
"I'm ready anytime, but..." I examine myself once more. "Could someone tell me why I have to be dreaming I'm a pony?"
"Ease of access. I don't really know how human weapons and armor are shaped. It was far easier to change you, within the confines of the dream, into something I know than to try to give you unique everything, simply because you're different."
I can think of at least a few Dungeon Masters who would be up for that challenge, but I give Luna the benefit of the doubt. Especially considering that this is a unique experience anyways. "...fair enough. Mind giving us the mission brief, GM?"
"Gladly. There is a temple, with an artifact said to have power over lightning..." I have no idea how this will play out, but I can already tell it's going to be good. All things considered, day well spent.
After all the crap that I went through yesterday, I needed a rest. I got a good night's sleep in the least, and now I feel up to getting to know those who I helped out. I mean, their main power is based largely around friendship, so I might as well try to be friendly, right? Anyways, Twilight is probably in the middle of something important, because she's not letting me through at the moment. Probably a good time to return Celestia's calls.
"Hi. Sorry about forcing you onto voicemail, but I really wasn't feeling up to answering questions at the time...I was kind of smashed in spirit. Anyways, this message will consist of me answering the questions you asked me, but never got a reply to. This is that reply.
"About the enlightenment thing, I have a feeling you'd need to ask Eden itself how that works. But what it does is pretty much what it says on the tin, enlightening me to the world as a whole. Call it a 'super mode' of sorts, but I have more focus and more attention to go around. Kind of a zen state, although it only lasts as long as I'm truly connected to the source.
"Stain glass? No, thank you. I still feel guilty about the whole event, and I think you know why. I don't need to be immortalized for fixing my own bugs, even if they risk crashing the whole server. Not even for the accompaniment thing, not unless I either do something to really deserve it or I end up not being the only one. (Lumi only knows...if the elements can deputize me, they can do it to another out there.)
"As for why Discord couldn't affect me, I suppose that's because I operate via avatar. He's always been stuck in a different world than me, even when he was in my computer; though if he had escaped into the network, I fear he could have found a way out. But he didn't, and here we are. Although, he might have had better luck if he'd tried to reverse-engineer enlightenment-but if he doesn't want to put in the effort, we have nothing to fear on that front.
"Yes, I would like further magic practice. But it can wait. I've got my own magic to weave, and I've had enough practice with that on the forums. In any case, see you around." Not long after I finished recording the message, a familiar flash of white light overtook the screen, before subsiding and leaving my avatar floating in an orchard. "Taking me to meet...someone, are we?"
"You hit the nail on the head. Speaking of which, here she comes now. Hi, Applejack."
"Hello, Twi'. Hi Rez."
High-res. That doesn't get old, but it's old enough I know not to display my amusement. "Hello, uh, Applejack. We've met before, twice I think, but we never really formally introduced ourselves...which isn't really necessary anymore...so I guess now we just talk."
And talk we did. For an hour, Twilight had gone to help Pinkie Pie with something, so for an hour I shot the breeze with Applejack. She talked about her job, I talked about mine. We compared honesty and logic, and it took me longer than I had hoped for her to wrap her head around "false" not being a bad thing in programming. I tell her the classic tale of George Washington and the cherry tree, and reveal the irony behind it not being true. This elicits laughter when Applejack realizes the elaborate joke.
I then spring a question I'd been waiting to ask for a while. "Remember when you and your friends came in on Twilight, when she was contacting me?"
"Yep."
"I got my first taste of magic then, but I wasn't the only one it was acting on. If it's not too touchy or personal, then please tell me: why did you join in singing Eleanor Rigby?"
"..."
"If you don't want to answer, it's okay, but I'd really like to know."
"...uh..."
I silently berate myself in advance for even the possibility of being inconsiderate, but I say it anyways: "It...has to do with the deeper meaning, doesn't it? You saw it?"
"...yeah." I didn't need to go any farther, as I didn't want to be insensitive. She seemed somewhat thankful that I figured it out for myself, rather than her having to tell me.
We got back to talking, and after I brought up Apples to Apples we didn't get off that topic until Twilight came back, ready to formally introduce me to Fluttershy. I thanked Applejack for her time and left with Twilight.
I notice a cottage in the not-exactly-distant distance. "That's her place?"
"Yeah, that's Fluttershy's home." Twilight points at a thick biome of trees. "And right over there is the Everfree Forest."
"Looks like the kind of place I shouldn't go without good reason."
"You'd be right, trust me."
"Need-to-know basis. I can deal with that."
Fluttershy herself is outside. When she sees us coming, she slowly walks towards us, but it's obvious she has reservations. Recalling past chatroom experiences, I make a mental note not to be too pushy, give too little space to breathe, or otherwise do anything that would make her feel uncomfortable.
"Oh, uh...hello Twilight. Hello Rez."
"Uh, hi." I pause for a bit, and when I'm sure no one else is going to say anything, I continue. "I know we've already seen each other around, but those were kinda under less-than-ideal conditions. I was...hoping to take an opportunity to actually meet you. If, of course, this is okay with you?"
"Um...okay."
Twilight opted to stick around for the conversation this time, just in case I made sort of misstep I suppose. It wasn't necessary; I managed to hit it off rather well with the shy pegasus. Of course, she did end up saying things really quiet sometimes, but I knew when to show my acute sense of hearing and when not to respond.
The topics ended up being my job (hack for good), Fluttershy's job (animal caretaker and part-time EoH), social structures in nature (Wikipedia was a useful tool here), forum etiquette (How do you know if someone's really being apologetic, and what do you do about it?), wars (very brief, but wondering how people could do such things), religion (and the good things that can result from it), and music (reality can be a lovely place, but without this, it's hell to try to live there).
"Speaking of music, I thought you said techno was your lifeblood," Twilight interjected at one point. "But so far, I've only heard it a few times, you or otherwise. Care to elaborate?"
"Well, when hacking, yes. It takes my train of thought, gives it a backbeat, gives it focus. Writing code without it is easy, but infiltrating secure subsystems? Unthinkable. That said, I grew up on the classics: 20th to 23th centuries, with a special place in my heart for 1980s to 2010s. Techno fits better with electronics, but seeing as you don't have very many of those here, I use what else I know, and it seems to work out fine."
After a few hours of socialization, I determine it as time to leave. I'd definitely made a good start on making new friends in this alternative world, but I can't forget about those in my own. I promise Twilight I'll be back tomorrow, give her the forum address when she asks for it, and say "see you later" to Fluttershy.
I woke up today and found myself standing on a tesseract. This was my first clue that I had not woken up today, and instead had fallen asleep tonight. I know this because tesseracts do not exist in physical space, but brains and computers can render them. Plus the fact I've had this dream before.
Let me explain a few things first, before this gets any more confusing than it already probably is. "Tesseract" is another word for a four-dimensional cube, lesser known as an 8-cell and better known as a hypercube. A three-dimensional wireframe of it looks like a cube concentric to a larger cube, with wires connecting each corresponding corner of each cube. When it rotates in three dimensions-up/down, left/right, in/out-it looks normal, but ata and kana rotations-ones along the fourth dimension-shift the positioning of the cells. It's hard to explain, but look it up and it will make sense. I could tell it was a tesseract, and not just its wireframe, when I saw that rotation-with me standing on the outside, slowly being rotated in.
...yeah, that assumes it's only a three-dimensional projection of all four dimensions of a tesseract. It's not. I'm only standing on a single three-dimensional slice, and right now, it's becoming something more along the lines of a hexagonal prism.
Imagining in four dimensions was not a challenge back when I was younger. Without the ability to see in even two, I had no preconceived notions of what geometries should and shouldn't look like, even though I knew their shape. I was able to visualize three with ease, four with practice, and five with effort. I haven't needed to use that skill often, but it comes in handy to show off to other programmers, and while I may be out of practice (five is beyond me at this point), I can still imagine a rotating hypercube, in all its native dimension glory, in my sleep. And although I only exist on one 3D "layer" of the 'cube at a time, I can perceive all 4 at all times.
Over the years, I've come to realize a few things. The tesseract dream only comes right before an odd occurrence of some sort, which occurs within 24 hours of me "waking up" on the 'cube. It happened seven years ago, predating the first signs of the Eden Incident. The last time was almost two years ago, and it predicted the second Morolian Incident. And about three years before that, I had a run-in with a dreamwalker...
Thinking about that last one got the gears turning. It wasn't long before I noticed something off, something more than the dream itself: normally, there's automatically even lighting, but when I look down, I cast a shadow. So I do something I haven't done in forever-I look up, away from the surface of the 'cube. What I see is a hypersphere...with a large spherical chunk missing from the three-dimensional "surface".
A pronounced crescent.
"Hello, Luna."
"Rez? Is that you?"
"The one and only. Come down here, let's talk."
The dark blue winged unicorn descended from her vantage point, landing right next to me on the hypercube. "I...can't say I expected to come here. To be frank, I didn't think it was possible."
I shrug. "It's not the first time my dreams have been host to an extradimensional being...speaking of which, I would have thought you'd be surprised, even shocked to be in four dimensions, as opposed to the usual three. But you don't seem the least bit bothered."
"Four dimensions? What are you talking about?"
"Um...this dream uses four spatial dimensions. I perceive them all. You only see three?"
"You're beginning to confuse me."
"I can explain 4D later, if you'd like. But right now, something's bothering me. You said you shouldn't be able to be here right now?"
"Correct. You aren't connected to our world right now, yet you're connected to our dreamscape. This shouldn't be possible."
"Well, maybe a connection was formed when I first entered your dreamscape, and I was never really disconnected? I mean, I guess I was never really supposed to be there in the first place, so when I got there, it kind of stuck."
She thought about it for a bit, before nodding her head in agreement. "That makes sense. Although...what was this about an 'extradimensional being' in your dreams?"
"Good question. Way back when I was a child, before I could even see, I had a nightmare..."
The next half hour (or so-dreams always have a way of messing with your temporal lobes) consisted of me talking about my encounters with a certain entity. Luna seemed very interested the whole way through, as I explained the ins and outs of a dreamscape that was not hers.
"...and about five years ago, I had a chance encounter with it, on the very same tesseract we stand on right now. We took the opportunity to catch up on a few things, especially seeing as it was a wonder we even got to see each other again at that point."
"I would very much like to meet this 'nites' character."
"As far as the connections between the dreamscapes go, the most effective communication would have to go through the equivalent of...what, seven proxies? Good luck!" She laughed at how I said it. I had intended referencing the internet classic as an inside joke, but if it sounds silly enough, even outsiders can laugh along with those that understand it.
For the rest of the time we had before I woke up, we talked about more diverse subject areas, of which I feel no reason or need to divulge. I'm not even sure I remember them all. But if nothing else, it was a good intellectual and social exercise. One that I wouldn't mind having again.
I arrived in Ponyville and found that Twilight had made a schedule for me. Apparently, she checked it with the others, because Rarity was expecting me any time now. Not one to go against this sort of thing, I asked for the location of her house and left in a hurry.
Apparently she didn't fully run it by all the others. Keyword "run", because a certain cyan speedster almost ran into my avatar, causing me to jump and making my synesthesia flare up again, filling my vision with...well, if you've been following along, youknowalready.
Anyways, that meeting went by in a flash, after I told about keeping Rarity waiting and Rainbow Dash quickly stating that she was on a schedule of her own.
"So, you hack computers?"
"Yeah. It's kinda hard to explain how it works."
"Well I already know you're a nerd, but just to make sure..."
Without skipping a beat, "Bug is called a bug because of a moth trapped in a relay in 1946. For you, it would be a bug to have one of your automated cloudmakers spout torus-shaped clouds, or continuously create the back of one but not the front like a skipping audio file (being the audiophile I am), or rain diagonally up. Prove it?"
"Yeah, that's proof. Gotta go, seeya bye."
"Bye." And that was that.
A flowing music permeates the "Carousel Boutique". Soft at first appearances, yet rough on the corners, with effects that give a sort of glowing, reflective vibe to the notes. Almost as if it was the sound crystals would make...if they could make a sound, that is. I got permission from the lady of the house before I began playing music, of course.
"So, this music is from a game called...Bejeweled?"
"Yep."
"You match three of one type of gem in a row, and they..."
"Disappear, or at least that's what it looks like. Even when they explode due to special pieces, it's not really a loss. They were never really real to begin with, no mass is created or destroyed."
"What would be the point of such a game?"
"Depends on the mode. High score if it's an endless mode, completion if it's a challenge-by-challenge. I personally prefer the latter."
"..."
"Maybe it's easiest to try it out for yourself. I know I saw you in the network."
"Well, that was sort of a...piggyback."
"Okay, you could piggyback my signal, and you could..."
"No, no, it was not me doing that spell. Twilight helped me on, because I could not do it myself; I do not have the kind of magic power she does."
"...oh. Okay, then...tell you what. I could play it, and map the playscreen to my avatar's texture, or maybe that of something else...like that piece of fabric, that white one right there."
"I suppose we could try that."
As it turns out, Rarity is very good at Bejeweled. As long as there is a match, she's quick to find it, and after 30 minutes she hasn't lost the first game I set her up on.
30 minutes is also the point that she pulls herself away from the game. "I'm very glad you showed me this-one of the more amusing activities I've partaken in! Tell me, is there anything I can do for you in return?"
"I was able to spread knowledge about good things, and I saw it being enjoyed. That's really all I need."
"Yes, but I'd like to repay you somehow! Except that I can't just make a suit for you, because I would need your measurements for that, and I can't get them because you're not actually here...also that you would have a difficult time wearing them, for the same reason."
"I could help you with getting my measurements, but getting the physical items to me would be a completely different issue." She brightens up significantly at that. I smirk, and it shows in my voice. "May I take that as an 'in it for the challenge'?"
Another challenge, another plan. This one works as follows: I download motion tracking software that can track me from my webcam. I set up my webcam to look at me. I set my avatar to not only move with the tracked motion, but map me to its texture-as well as alter the model to better match my shape. Of course, this will not only give measurements, but a good look at me in my own body, but Rarity was there when I first took the webcam out for a spin, so she probably already has a decent idea of what I look like.
"So you can't simply put the 'webcam' on a giant piece of cloth, as you did for the game?"
"You said you get really in-depth with the measurements, right? I'm not about to take that away from you." Plus, I like challenging myself as well.
For lack of better terminology, and for want of a pun, it goes together seamlessly. The one snag is when I got tired of holding that pose, which is when I set the avatar to automatically stay in one position, while keeping the model and various contours. This also reopened conversation, which ended up very quickly turning to what kind of clothes are worn by who and when.
"...and as such, some type of underwear is usually being worn under almost every type of pants. IIRC, underwear is what you first saw through my eyes, right?"
"Yes, packaged...underwear. Good heavens, mass-produced clothing still confuses me!"
"Well, that's because ponies don't wear clothing as much or as often as people. How's it coming together?"
"It just did! Have a look." She held up a rather colorful (not to mention shiny at many places) suit, custom tailored to fit a man who was not there to wear it. Unlike some accounts I've heard, it wasn't unwearably tacky, but it did look like something to reserve for special occasions.
Which basically meant that all I had to say was, "It looks great."
Somehow, I don't really care how, the conversation from there ended up in Rarity being inspired to make some sort of dress based on various forms of my avatar, even though she hadn't seen all levels yet and she knew it. Even though I can sort out the rapid speech pattern of a rambling artist, scientist, genius, or combination thereof, in this case I decide not to after a while and politely ask before excusing myself. I think I can see me and her getting along.
Unfortunately for me, not only has a new anomaly just been found in the network, it seems that a small amount of word has gotten around as to my location (my avatar is now back to its normal Third Form model), and a small crowd has gathered...three, specifically. Three young ponies, with no marks...and I have previously been told who they are.
"Uh...is tomorrow at 11 AM okay for you girls? I kind of have something I gotta do." They nod. "Alright. GLHF, and keep crusading."
It's hard to describe exactly what happened, but after being more-or-less interviewed by the CMC, they asked me how they can try to do what I do. So I gave them a pseudocode program meant to find if a number was prime or not, and asked them to find the error.
It went about as well as you'd expect. When I explained how the program worked, it seemed to make sense to them, but even then I had to point out the error (it stopped checking divisibility at the square root instead of after it, which while it only really matters for numbers like 49, it's important nonetheless). At that point, I realized I might have been a bit too difficult, but I also kinda wanted them to leave me alone at that point.
Shockingly, they weren't about to give up. Instead of leaving, they decided to try and make a pseudocode program themselves, and I couldn't help but watch and assist. (End result: finds whether two integers multiply to make something higher than they can count without getting bored...it's 256, how about that?) By the time we parted ways, I had spent three hours of my life helping teach three kids of a different species than me something that they probably will never use again...and it was fun, if slightly annoying at times. No mark, though. Which disappointed them.
Three hours after 11 meant 2 PM, and I had not eaten lunch yet. So I left my avatar to idle for a bit while I went and made myself a sandwich (FYI, I finished eating it before I went back to the computer). I should have accounted for curiosity, though. By the time I got back, there was somepony there-nearby, on a bench, playing an instrument.
Did I forget to mention she was sitting upright on the bench?
Using the same language that one would use for an online game or chatroom, I announce my return. "Back."
It worked as well as I thought. "Glad to hear it."
"So, who might you be again, and what are you playing on that harp?"
"Lyra Heartstrings. And it's just another untitled piece...I have plenty of those."
"Mind if I play with you?" I say, as I move to the bench, the avatar automatically shifting to match the geometry-in other words, adopting a sitting position.
"Not at all. Anything in mind?"
"Not really." I turn on my keyboard. "But if you start, I can follow." A brief pause, as she contemplates it. "Unless you'd like to take the baseline, in which case you'll be following."
"Fair enough." She checks the strings for just a moment, before beginning to pluck them with magic. Oddly enough, I feel like I recognize a guitar line, from a game made long ago...
I set the piano to synthesize sounds like a violin, move the microphone towards it. As I play, I begin to...braid the notes together. For a few minutes, we lose ourselves in the music, even though we are both aware we are attracting a small crowd.
When the piece ends, we meet a...reasonable amount of applause, with a few encouraging words interspersed. However, a few of them want to know how I'm making music, wondering if it's simply planned out and prerecorded. "I think they want to see you actually play your instrument," Lyra suggests. "I don't really care either way, but you might want to please the crowd."
"Well, if legitimacy is what they want, I can show them that." I rapidly get the webcam to a profile view, where it can see me and the keyboard. The map-to-texture program is only a few clicks away, and meets a mixed reaction. "Well, with that out of the way, anyone have any suggestions?"
Apparently, this is not much more attention than normal for Lyra. Just because a human is playing where humans don't exist doesn't instantly mean crowd magnet.
But it does keep a steady crowd. I wasn't showing my face the whole time, but after the first time, all they needed was the music itself to enjoy the music. We played until almost 4:30, taking various requests and making our own. During which, we did plenty of talking...mostly about me. What I did for a living, how I lived my life, how I interacted with my friends.
Until I mention the synesthesia. The two of us stop cold, as murmuring and whispers amongst the crowd gain a bit of an edge, albeit a curious one. After it quiets down (almost as quickly as it began), they turn to the other star of today's show, who finally speaks her mind on this front. "Yeah, I overheard a bit about that during the party. Why is it such a big deal, anyways?"
"Uh...well, for starters, it affects my perception of...everything. Mostly I see things when I hear or feel other things, or I hear colors and shapes, but sometimes I smell or taste music or art."
"So, it's not a bad thing?" is heard from someon...pony in the crowd.
That's the question I was dreading. "Not in and of itself...but as an after-effect of the surgery that took place so that I would be able to see, it means my brain rewired itself a bit wro-differently, and not all of the effects of that were positive." I pause, hoping for a response, just so that I don't have to continue. When nopony speaks up, I give the answer I was dreading to give. "As in, I am at higher risk for brain tumors, and a tiny chance of aneurysm. It's not a huge change by any stretch, but I have a...slightly lower cap on..." I sigh and spit it out. "...on my lifespan." The reaction is gasps, all around.
From everyone but Lyra. She looks unfazed, even though I can tell she feels sorry for me. "That's...do your friends know about this?"
"Only my best and most trusted. Just because I have a lot, it doesn't mean that I bare my soul to everyone, just like that. Anonymity being used to mask harmful intentions is the fear here, I can't tell someone who might truly mean well unless I know it for a fact that they want to help, because what if it's a robber or slave trader, unlikely as the latter is, or-" I don't want to say it.
"Or?" Dang it.
"Or a...politician with a secret army, and me on his agenda."
That was my own slip, if I didn't want to say everything I shouldn't have said anything!
"Even my best friends don't know where I live, and if I go down suddenly there's no way they could tell whether I simply moved or went off the grid, got killed or had a vein burst!" My head falls against my desk, and they hear it. "I'm going to die either alone or with enemies nearby. With all I've done in many places, people will speak my 'name' but no one will ever know who I was...who I am."
I never thought I'd be crying at desk, or crying for these reasons, ever. But I gave information to these guys and something snapped inside me. Confound these ponies. They make me feel extremes, good and bad!
"Rez? Are you okay?"
"Friggin' Buster Wolf Do I sound okay to you?" I invisibly scan the area, just so I know who's watching, 100% scan 0% laser. Turns out, my breakdown attracted close to the whole town; at the very least, everyone I've met is watching and listening, but no one wants to interfere. Especially when the niggling sensation of melodic words is becoming slightly more irresistible. "Yes, I needed to tell someone eventually, I guess. No, I don't think I'll ever be able to tell my friends on my world who I am...who I am. But I just want them to...you hear it too, don't you? All of you?"
Everyone nods. "You don't have to do it alone, Rez. I have an instrument too, remember? You have us. Someone knows."
"Not someone who has any impact on my life! And as much as anypony wants to give me a feel-better hug, or anything of the sort...you can't..." And my voice switches seamlessly into the song.
But I'd give up forever to touch you since I know you guys feel me somehow. You're the closest to heaven I've seen from my hell so yeah, don't want solitude right now.
Their faces tell it all. They get the tone, but are humming along anyways. I feel like my synth/piano is playing a different cover than Lyra's harp, even though it all sounds just like it should.
And all I can taste is this moment, And all I can breathe is the life. Literally, as the harmony is beginning to play off my synesthesia. Is this how Eden felt during the reboot? Although sooner or later it's over, I just don't wanna miss you tonight.
But I don't want the world to see me, 'Cause I don't think that they'd understand... When everything's made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am. Bam. That's the message. That's my one wish, that I've never been able to fulfill. And not one of them misses it. Some of them get closer, and Fluttershy specifically goes over wholesale to the bench and hugs my avatar. I simply take a deep breath though, as the next verse is allowed up my throat.
And I can't fight the tears that ain't coming Except they are... or the moment of truth in the lies, No lies. Just incomplete data. but when everything feels like the movies... Or the books... I may bleed just to show I'm alive! That got a reaction. A cryer or two, or at least a wince. A few more huggers, even though we all know it's futile. But the message is clear: they feel sorry for me. The alien. They truly believe friendship is a strong force, magic or not, and you know what? I'm inclined to agree with them.
And you don't want your world to see you, 'Cause you fear that they won't understand...? There are no words to describe how good it feels that she sang with me, even for just that one bit. But when everything's hopeless and broken, I need someone to know who I am...
And then the solo. Three sets of three sets of "banged chords" in rapid succession, all leading up to a rather intricate interweave of strings and keys. But during the last few bars before the last chorus, I find myself not playing an essential part...the six notes that originally sounded like they were played on a violin. An odd silence with no leadup? Must be another verse.
"Don't you worry about it, dear. If you need us, we're all right here for you."
You don't have to give up just to touch us, we all know you can feel us from home! Pinkie manages to wave a banner in front of me, and suddenly I feel all warm and fuzzy. Like I'm being hugged. That magnificent pony is smarter than anyone gives her credit for. You're the best kind of guy we could have as a friend You don't have to go through this alone.
Silence before the storm, as I play the quiet bars. This time, the rising notes come 1...2...3......1...2...3.
And I can't let the world to see me! Still, I hope someone will understand. But when everything's made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am. I just want you to know who I am. I just want you to know who I am...
*sniff* "I...don't feel so bad anymore. Nothing personal though, but I'm going to stay away from this area of the net for a bit...I have some stuff to catch up on in my real life."
"Come back anytime. I'm always okay to play more, and you're welcome here anytime."
Just because you spend all your time away from others doesn't mean you can't have friends. True, the relationship is a bit different, but for those who don't or can't have consistent friends in physical space, it's infinitely better than nothing. And while my hat goes off to the denizens of the other world for getting along so well in spite of having seemingly no common interests, my bet is that me and my "crew" work together way better than they do. No offense to them; in fact, given how well they do it, it makes my team that much more impressive. But I digress.
After I left EQSTR today, I received a delayed message telling me that there was a "crunch time" going on with the decryption, and my whole crew would be there. This was an opportunity I couldn't pass up, especially after the whole beanspilling I had just went through. It certainly wouldn't get my mind off it all, but it might allow me to make peace with some of the things that were troubling me.
As soon as I entered the shared textchat room, an audio client pulled itself up, followed immediately by an enthusiastic shout of "Hey, look who came back 'round when he came!" from the resident security specialist. "Jolu" makes them, fixes them, and can tell us how to break them, and looks through code in a way that nothing gets past him...if he can read it.
"Cut it out, Joe. He's been dealing with his own things, including but not exclusively that second reality." Vic, the translator, is sticking up for me right now. She speaks many languages, spoken and programming, and is fairly good at determining what translates from one to another. "But that doesn't mean you can blame him for being late to this, and using that old kid song to hold it over his head that he currently often interacts with-" She's not normally like this. My guess is that her annoyance with the impenetrable data is spilling over. Besides, she does have a point, it was somewhat out-of-line.
But only barely. "Vic, chill. It's no problem to me. Jolu, careful what you say-only a small portion of them are white, and even of those ones they're tinted." And now to get back on topic. "Is this thing really this hard to crack?"
"You've been here a few times, you tell me." Sig, our signal sensor and the one most like a "mission control", along with decryption expert for anything reasonable. (It should be obvious by this point that the data dump is not considered "reasonable".) "It honestly feels like a digital Bletchley Park in here, multiple teams working on the code but no one hacking even a piece of it to bits yet."
"Enigma? Really? Sounds like what you need is a machine."
"Yeah, sorry, but even you're no Turing."
"And it's not like we have a smuggled copy of the machine here, either."
"I thought someone cracked a part of it already? Come on, if we can learn Vesuvius then we can learn more."
"No dice. The dump was huge, and everything is encrypted differently. Just because one guy got lucky with one file doesn't mean shit against the rest of it all."
"Well, even if they encrypted it multiple times there has to be a limited amount of encryption types. Make a list of them and code a Bombe to put everything through, we can solve bits and pieces to begin with."
"It's not that simple! If that was a way to do it, we'd have-"
"Actually, that doesn't sound too far off. But it's not going to be just as simple as that, there's probably a new method somewhere in here we don't know about yet."
"Well, if it's worth a thought, then it's worth a shot. Let's get coding."
An hour or so later, we have a rudimentary (but workable) codebreaker program, specially designed for "the dump". None of us know who should try and run it, or if it's automated quite yet, or if we should open it up for public modification or keep it to ourselves. But we all know one thing.
"We need a break."
"What kind of break? Roleplaying again? I mean, it has been a while..."
"Hold the phone a moment. We got an anoma-what?"
"Oh great, not another one!"
"What's with the 'what'?"
"This one seems to...uh...have bad...connection? It's here, and then it's not." Not even ten seconds of silence pass before it pops up again. "And now it's in a completely different part of the net! What is up with this thing?"
"Dunno, but I'm gonna see if I can't figure it out."
I was out for another half-hour. I managed to track it down three separate times during that period; it looked like a teenage girl. But when I tried to scan it, it wouldn't lock, though on the third run-in I managed to score a not-exactly-solid hit by manually coding an anchor for locking onto, calculating the anomaly's position based off of visual data (the only way that my computer seemed to realize it even existed), placing the anchor there and firing.
I say not-so-solid because, barring the anchor, the laser practically struck open air. Sure, I got some data off of it, but aside from that it was like punching a ghost: you know it's there, you can feel its presence, but you don't really do anything to it all said and done. After the scan went though, it...she...disappeared, just there one moment and gone the next, though it kinda looked like she was glitching out for the tiniest portion of time (and my ears colluded it with a scratch of the world's tiniest record player).
It was at this point I gave up for the day, making a mental note to look through the (admittedly corrupted-looking, though I'd swear when I checked two days later that it somehow looked familiar) single scan of the anomaly when I got the chance.
Once I get back, I state my findings before effectively saying "screw it". "Unless it's being harmful at this very moment or gets that way in the future, my guess is that it's more trouble than it's worth. At least for right now."
"You sure about that Rez? This one kinda sounds like trouble."
"And given how our resources are divided right now, I think that we have better things to do with our time."
So back to work it was-the next day, that is. We spent the rest of our online time that session playing D&D and chatting about anything new, including but not nearly limited to what I'd been up to with the other world. It was freeing to get it off my chest, though I made them swear up and down not to tell anyone, and I left the breakdown out of it wholesale.
It turns out that they themselves also have had a chat or two with the opposition, under the guise of concerned citizens wondering why they would want him in any office. Apparently, he's just as solid a candidate as any other...but as always, there are certain turn-ons and turn-offs, and he failed to adequately justify how hacking is so much of a problem. When one of them tried to argue (separate calls, but I'm not telling who), he lashed out at them, and they hung up at that point.
The next three days are like this-play role, tell stories, get code-and it feels good the whole time. The fourth day, however, I wake up from an "epileptic's worst nightmare (which is just a slightly more surreal dream for me)" feeling somehow burned out, and somewhat bored with life. Until I remember something-then, I account it high time to get to EQSTR, layer level 07, as soon as I can.
After today, I'm going to have to think long and hard about my relation to both the virtual world and that of the ponies. Because I'm more wrapped up in everything than I thought...or maybe it's just that our worlds are more wrapped up in each other than anyone thought, and I'm just at the epicenter. Being toyed around with...and I don't like it. Or maybe I'm just overthinking it?
Regardless of the big picture, explanations are almost certainly in order, so I'd better get talking. It didn't start right when I came out into the other world, which happened pretty much instantaneously when I got to the network location (Twilight didn't waste a second when I made myself known). There were a few conversations with various ponies, explaining where and why I'd been out. Without going into further details, a sudden, loud noise irked me massively, enough to make me go into the source-the Everfree Forest-to investigate.
"You would think to come in here, simply because of noise in your ear?"
"Yeah. Right, I forgot to mention my impeccable hearing...also makes me rather sensitive to things like nails-on-a-chalkboard type shenanigans. And if a tree falls in the forest with nopony around, I heard and can prove it-it does make a sound."
This elicits a smile from my listener, specifically a face that says "I see what you did there".
Anyways, curiosity got the better of me and I went into the forest. As I just said, it turned out that a tree fell...onto a cragodile. By the time I reached it (and helped get the tree off), it was kinda pissed, and it ended up attacking. It got a clean strike in, slamming my avatar straight into a patch of blue as the collision was suffered, leveling down from Third Form to Second. When it resisted my lasers, I had to modify the frequency specifically for the rocky outer coating.
I managed to drive it away, but I had no idea my problems were nothing up to that point. No warnings were incurred by touching the plant, and no residue was left behind, so even with the semiopaque Second Form I wasn't able to tell that anything had happened. Mostly because it hadn't happened yet.
"I'm still not completely sure why the joker wasn't laughing right then and there. Is there something I'm missing?"
"Of course you weren't pranked immediately, it's always delayed."
"If I had known that, maybe I wouldn't have felt played! But I ended up a victim of Cum hoc ergo propter hoc because of that time-delay."
When it first began happening, I had been in for a few hours. At that point in time, I was talking music with the resident disc jockey, and it was going pretty good at the time...until she suggested using the network. It seemed like a good idea at the time, so I gladly assisted.
As it turns out, Vinyl is one of the more learned unicorns...not surprising, and she's smart and powerful enough to access the layer. Before we could attempt anything, though, I noticed a few stray pixels in the bottom right corner of my optics, and looking back, I could have sworn it was in the shape of a Missingno. Maybe I should have taken that as an omen, because as Vinyl and I continued checking basic function compatibility, glitches slowly began to occur and accumulate on my optics. It wasn't really a problem, up until my ears began to indirectly feel the effects on my eyes...which led to my thought processes messing up big time, because I think with my ears better than my eyes.
Then I made a mistake. I turned off my optics, intentionally blinding myself-or tried to, at any rate. But it appears Poison Joke doesn't like easy workarounds, and punished me for the attempt.
EMERGENCY
SHUTDOWN
{exit/<disable>/}
Initializing Earth[Tera].BIN
Initializing Earth[Tera].JV
Commencing KPRO.697
{ANNIHILATE} ...............
I jumped five feet, figuratively, when that message appeared in my optics (but not on my screen)...and kinda lost it. I started yelling at the now-confused unicorn that she had done something wrong, set something off, get-out-of-the-network-this-instant and probably plenty of other things I now regret. In response, she left the system in a hurry, and removed herself from my vicinity in "meatspace"-physical space-as well, yelling for help because I apparently needed it...which I did.
In other words, I screwed up the last section of the first impression.
"Come to think of it, Missingno is exactly what the joke was! I encountered it unconventionally, intentionally or no, and it messes with the graphics a bit-but the effects on the player's psychology, as I have now shown, are arguably the worst part of the hit." Geez, that was a complex rhyme!
"Hm...it appears that you are in a fix. I'm making the cure, yet I wonder..."
"I have pics. Excuse me, pictures. But I think I'd rather let that curiosity be behooved, after these visual artifacts have all been removed." Neither of us spoke directly to each other for the rest of the time, aside from thank-yous and such after it was done.
As Zecora worked, she chanted something...in a different language, Swahili maybe? (You pick up on a few things when you know someone who speaks many tongues.) I merely quietly listened, but found myself considering my own rarely-used second language. No sound escaped my mouth, which formed the words, but it's been a while since I've ever spoken the language.
After a liberal application of anti-Joker serum to the inner skin, my eyes see true once more.
I also see my errors, all of them, and while I am myself I will not make the same mistakes again...but that doesn't mean that what I've already done is any different than how it was before, and at least one pony has been adversely affected by my actions.
Discounting the (very small) mess I made while I was in a high panic, before I was told to go see the zebra. But that's a story for never, you'll just have to imagine it for yourself.
I downloaded a program (and a few videos of its proper usage and results) directly to the layer, and dictated a message with instructions-for-access, to be mailed directly to one Vinyl Scratch. It was the least I could do to apologize for the trouble I had caused her, even if I hadn't meant to do any of it.
I'm told she reacted positively to my music examples, and to the sequencer itself. After all, not everyone has Synthesia...excuse me, synesthesia.
For all I'm worth, I can't seem to get any rest. Now, tonight is not an easy one to fall asleep on, for various reasons. For reference, it's been a week since the joke incident; five days since the last dreamscape roleplay with Luna, one less than that since my latest run-in with the "ghost in the network", and one less than that since the first day of the current hacking mission. Up until that began, I had been a few days since our last direct interaction, or at least between any of them and me. Even so, I've managed to find the time for it every day since, and for Twilight and her friends every day from the joke until today.
Today was hell, as in the Grecian punishing Tartarus. We tried to get one thing...one thing decoded with the Bombe. Nothing cracked. We were throwing around suggestions and coding as they came-until one of them mentioned the possibility of glitches being utilized, or of intentional corruption. In an instant, I was broken fixing. What? It's a "panic mode" of sorts, where I just fix and code and my fingers fly across the keyboard and my eyes dart across the screen...but it doesn't feel as good, in fact it doesn't feel at all. My brain works on borrowed energy, while I feel only one emotion: terror. (I have reason to believe this is an adrenaline reaction.)
When I lost the high, I had made some sort of progress...but we still couldn't get the code to break!
So while this is only the third day in a row of failure, I haven't been able to sleep for four, for some strange reason. I've been trying to go to bed since 7:30 PM, and now it's 11:45 and I'm getting nowhere fast. Code and thoughts are both running through my head, and visual and audio interference from the window isn't helping. I need some sort of escape.
*rumble* *beep*
And now my phone is ringing. The greater part of my mind wants to ignore it, but I get the feeling I don't want to miss this text. It's from...Luna? Yeah, better take a look now..."I believe it would be helpful to us both to talk."
I don't think that could be any closer to the truth, but I don't see how I'll be able to talk straight while like this.
"Appreciated, but unlikely to occur." I send the text, then exit the conversation. I take a look at the window, then out the window. I take note of the subpar weather, and of the third-quarter moon, which happens to be in just the right place to not be covered by storm clouds...curious, I know, but not really something I'd like to focus on right now. Arguably more curious is the girl walking down the street in the storm, using some sort of smartphone. Oddly comforting to know I'm not the only one sleepless tonight.
Then, I lay me down not to sleep, for a whole new thought process is eating at my cognitive processing unit. I feel completely overloaded...until I overload.
Only after it happens do I realize what then happened: lightning must have struck nearby, which I don't see. But the thunder is loud, sharp, and acts as such a shock that I must have shut down.
I "wake up" in a room, almost like a psychiatrist's office, only there's two couches and no chairs. Me and Luna are both lying down (on separate couches! What do you take me for?),
"So...hi, I guess. I'll admit I've had a hard time sleeping as of late, but it can't really be helped, given my current status in my occupation. What's your excuse?"
"My 'excuse' is that I am still attempting to adjust to this era...I had a quite disastrous slip-up today, during a one-off attempt to 'substitute teach' a course at my sister's school of magic."
"Lemme guess; I don't want to know the details."
"That would be one way of putting it. Would I like to know yours?"
"Probably not, mostly because the details would detract from the big picture. Let's just say I haven't been myself these past few days...sleep deprivation kinda does that to you."
Luna giggled a bit at that. "Well, you're asleep now, so I believe you might be good. As for my problems...in truth, I'm still worried about fitting into today's society."
My head turns towards her. "Eh?"
"I know I'm making progress, but one thousand years is still a long time to be out of the loop. What if I never truly fit in how I used to? And what if-"
"Hold on a moment!" I sit upright and face the internally-panicking princess, make sure I have her attention, then continue. "Okay, this may sound kind of mean...but did you ever actually think fitting in would be easy?"
She seems confused by the question, but rolls with it anyways. "...once. During Nightmare Night in Ponyville, I actually felt as if I was a proper part of the community."
"I take it a lot of progress was made that day?"
"That was the one night that I actually fit in, integral and necessary."
"Then remember that whenever you fear you won't fit in. Let me tell you something: any one person, or pony for that matter, can only really fit into a certain amount of circles. I mean sure, so many can know you and think well of you, and you or I can interact with different groups and come away from it positively, but there's a soft limit to those who you can really open up to. Your role-playing group of guards, for example?"
With a thoughtful expression, "Yeah...! I think I get it now. (I had completely forgotten about them...)" That last part had been muttered under her breath, but if you're reading it here, obviously I must have heard it.
"No pressure, I hadn't remembered them until I said it either. Now, I'll admit that you probably care a lot more about fitting in than I do, and I get that-you should be seen in a positive light by as many as possible, preferably your whole kingdom. But I'd be lost if it weren't for my own group; people I can work things through with, have fun with, and that in general don't think I'm crazy." I pause as Luna looks confused, before quickly adding "Even at the worst of times."
"And my group, with whom I can try to learn how not to be seen as crazy?" I nod. "Even though I'm not, just a thousand years out-of-date?"
"Not crazy so much as a little time-impaired, I know, but I'm not sure the general populace cares. But if you could do it way back when, you can do it again now. I have faith in you."
She smiled at that. "Thank you. And as for your sleep problems, you know how to ask me if you ever need help."
"Don't worry about it. I think this was the one good night I needed."
In a darkened alleyway, a small form twitched. A low groan rumbled out, as the figure stirred from its 'slumber'. "Gah… Why’s it always gotta hurt…" Nikki blinked slowly as her mind slowly cleared. She could sense her other selves, each in their own realm, riding different iterations of the timeline she found herself in. "Right… so… where am I?" She hopped to her feet, making sure her wings were fully hidden beneath her clothes. Fishing into a pocket, she brought out a tiny device that looked suspiciously like a cell phone, if such things normally had a case darker than Pitch himself, and no actual buttons marring the perfectly smooth surface. The device’s face lit up, though all that was revealed was a blank white screen. Nikki huffed at the phone and jammed it back in her pocket, turning her gaze to the street ahead. A single earbud snaked its way up to her ear, patching her into the collective consciousness of her split selves. After a few moments of mindless babble, it settled into a quiet hum of background thoughts. Still annoying, but less deafening.
Nikki strode forward, reaching the end of the alleyway momentarily. Her wings twitched as a random pedestrian slipped and fell in front of her, summoning a small gust of wind to push her away from the man. After a quick once-over, she Stepped down the street, skipping the space inbetween and avoiding the numerous passerby. A loud crack of thunder drew her gaze to the rough storm above her, reminding her to let the elements interact with her again. Natural wind instantly buffeted against her, along with a rapid soaking from the less-than-clean rainwater. "It’s the same in all these tech-worlds. Smoke and ash as far as the eye can see, choking the sky and poisoning the land."
She took a deep breath, catching exhaust, garbage fumes and other such city scents before she let out a happy sigh. "Home, sweet home at last." She continued down the street, smiling a strangely peaceful smile. After a block, she felt one of her multitude fade, apparently because of the man by the alleyway. "Even here? Though, I didn’t see what he did… whatever. Mortal forms suck." She brought the phone out once more, tapping at the screen a few times. A menu filled with shifting text opened, which she proceeded to tap at as well. Eventually a radar-like screen opened up, and a dozen tiny dots flickered in and out of view, before it settled into a top-down view of the street she was on. Colorful dots drifted around the outer edge, each labeled with a different symbol. She tapped along the border, shutting off all but three yellow dots. "Okay. Since my magic has apparently been almost entirely forced into this stupid thing, I'll just have to hope that this is actually my scanner, and not some sort of wacky GPS."
Another form faded as a car shot by her, making Nikki shudder as the pain flashed through her body. "And now I remember why I hate cars." A dragon-like roar drew her gaze upward, where a flicker of metal passed through the clouds, leaving a swirling wake as it passed higher out of view. A quick glance showed that none of the citizens appeared to care.
She went back to wandering down the street, nearly oblivious to her surroundings as she began to conference with her other selves.
Now...
A faint breath on the wind of the city, the city I don’t often venture into myself. Why that specific sound spoke to me above the noise, I have no idea. But it was an interesting sound for certain, so I may want to keep it in mind.
I was encouraged to get some fresh air, so I decided to take a walk before the show. By “show”, I mean music night at a local bar...consider it karaoke for instruments. Almost literally, in fact; pieces unknown to any given player can be given as sheet or on a karaoke-inspired screen (reading ahead vs. reacting à la Rock Band), anyone playing or not can request songs, and of course, singing is an option.
Tonight there’s going to be at least one player of every instrument that really matters, including a rock-and-classical violinist, drummer (optional customizable electronic drumpads brought, as the bar supplies normal drums), synth-pad player, multiple guitarists, jazz saxophonist...and, of course, me. With my keyboard.
Why all the fuss tonight, as opposed to any other night? It’s an annual thing, to show off and celebrate music, a local holiday of sorts. I haven’t missed this once since I started playing here, and I don’t intend to start now. The annoying program (you know the one) almost messed with my schedule, but I managed to sideline the problem for the day, even if I’ll pay for it later. Simply “attaching” a tracer module to the ghost program was enough to allow myself some peace of mind on the matter. Position updates delivered to my phone don’t hurt either.
So, with everything in place, all I’m doing is burning time, though there isn’t really that much left. I’ll be back before too long.
Six days ago, I got a text from the Celestia stating that there would be a wedding in Canterlot, and that I was invited. During the next 24 hours, I managed to fix the "virtual ghost" problem, kind of, and made a new friend who I'm not likely to see again. Next few days, I've been confirming basic etiquette and what I'll need specifically. Last night I slept in, because I was also asked to help set up (and possibly perform), and since I'm not going to sleep tonight and tomorrow's good for something, I got my sleep while I could. (My body has learned to get restful sleeps in preparation for all-nighters. I'll be fine.)
Today I've come and help set up the whole shebang, starting with security. A few scans of the barrier surrounding the whole area and I have remote diagnostics of the thing. Yes, I have already been notified of the possibility of threat; yes, I'm planning on covering for it just in case something goes wrong. I already patched the layer network-side; nothing that hasn't already been in there is getting through. And I know exactly who has and hasn't been in there; and before anyone asks, I'm going to deploy extra measures to firewall ol' Dissy.
"...so I hope it's not a problem that I continue monitoring on the barrier."
"Not at all. Keep up the good work. As for the rest of you, you three take position that way, and you three-"
"I've got something to say, mister."
"...and you guys didn't tell me that Twilight was also invited?"
"Twilight?" Shining looked over the edge, then announced "Twily!" and moved down nearby stairs to meet her. "Ah, I've missed you, kid. How was the train ride? I-"
She was apparently having none of that. "How dare you not tell me in person that you were getting married! I'm your sister, for pony's sake!"
"Hey, it's not his fault he couldn't come...the Princess ordered for a huge increase in security," I state, floating the silver-textured avatar down to them. "Unless you somehow missed the guards all over, or the magic barrier surrounding the whole city?"
"Rez!? You knew too?"
"Knew what? That there was a wedding?"
"That it was my brother's wedding!"
...Damn. I had no idea. That probably explains why she's so ticked right now. "...no, I didn't. What I do know is that a possibly unrelated threat was made against Canterlot."
"We don't know who's responsible for it, but Princess Celestia asked that Rez and I help provide additional protection. This, you need to see." He took a few steps back, then fired...something, that reinforced the shield around the city. After recoiling from a minor magic sprain, he continued, "The burden of keeping Canterlot safe and secure rests squarely on my shoulders. Staying focused on the task at hand has been my top priority."
"But what about Rez? He-"
"I may know a thing or two about security, but I only know so much about magic. Even in my world the best I can do is find cracks and seal/exploit them. I can run diagnostics; I can't do much else here."
Twilight looked very much apologetic for the outburst, now understanding the situation."Okay, okay, I get it. You've got a really important job protecting all of Canterlot with a force field only you can conjure up. But still... how could you not tell me about something as big as your wedding? Am I not that important to you any more?"
"Hey. You're my little sister. Of course you're important to me." A brief pause "Buuut I'd understand if you didn't want to be my best mare now."
Another pause. "You want me to be your best mare?"
"Well...yeah."
"I'd be honored!...But I'm still pretty ticked you're marrying somepony I don't even know! When did you even meet this 'Princess Mi Amore Cadenza'?"
"Twily, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza is Cadance, your old foalsitter."
"Cadance? As in the Cadance? As in the greatest foalsitter in all the history of foalsitters?!"
"I take it there's something I'm missing here?"
Shining laughed, and responded to his sister, "You tell me. She was your foalsitter."
"...yup, definitely something I'm missing here."
"Ohmygoshohmygosh! Cadance is only the most amazing pony ever! She's beautiful, she's caring, she's kind..." she (Twilight) became lost in her thoughts for a few moments there "...How many unicorns can just spread love wherever they go? I only know of one! And you're marrying her!" She continued in a sing-songy voice. "You're marrying Cadance! You're marrying Cadance!" And then speak of the devil, as she almost bumped into her.
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything important..."
"Cadance! Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!" as she did some sort of dance, which made absolutely no sense to me whatsoever. I was prepared to just shrug it off.
"What are you doing?" This was not the reaction I would have anticipated. Gears instantly began turning in my head.
"Cadance, it's me, Twilight!" I don't know why she performed such an out-of-place action...
"Uh-huh." ...but I'm thinking there was a good reason for it. Cadance merely walked past Twilight and over to her fiancé.
"I've gotta get back to my station, but Cadance will be checking in with all of you to see how things are going. I think I speak for both of us when I say we couldn't be more excited to have you here. Right, dear?" I think I know a thing or two about subterfuge...
Cadance flashed a rather...peculiar glance at Twilight. "Absolutely." Not only did the intended target react, but I also slightly recoiled in my chair.
Shining Armor left with his fianceé, stating, "Well, we'll let you get to it."
...I can't be sure that's what's happening, but I get the feeling she just failed a secret handshake."Come on, Twilight. You've got rounds to do, and I'd like to help."
"Yeah, sure. Anything to get away from Miss Suddenly-Jerk for a while."
I took a brief opportunity to split up from Twilight, who is currently helping keep Applejack (and the rest of the catering squad) on track (though not before synesthesia-synthesizing taste bud sensations of some of the food). Always good to rerun diagnostics every hour or so. As I scan the barrier from a high vantage point, I watch as Cadance walks in to the kitchen...I get the feeling that something's up with Cadance, but for the life of me, I can't tell what. Not yet, at any rate.
She walks out, pauses, notices me, looks up-and sneers. Why.
By the time I was done, Twilight had also come out, looking up at me with irritation all over her face. My simple response had been to shrug. Now, I go down to check on AJ-but my eyes catch on the waste bin.
"Uh...did you give anyone a doggy bag for anything?"
"Yeah, why?"
"It's in the wastebasket."
Applejack paused for a moment to think about it. "Eh, Cadance probably realized she wouldn't be able to have any with all the running around she's probably doing."
Uh, I thought we were the ones setting up the thing. I could be mistaken. Though, she could just be checking up on everyone... Another thing that didn't add up. But she could have waited to throw the bag out either way. That's no good either."Hm...food for thought."
"Still practicing?"
"Of course!" Rainbow Dash is not giving herself a break. "First time I pulled it off, I had no idea what was happening...second time, it was to save Rares and the Wonderbolts. I'm practicing so that I can pull it off at the drop of a hat."
"Makes sense." No less than four times have I bugtested a program, when it does something I want...only to not know how I made it happen. Gets irritating, but there's much relief to be had in making it work the right way. "You know...mind if I bounce something off you?"
"Kinda won't be able to hear you over the sound of wooshing air..." *woosh*
"Then I'll just pretend you can hear me..." I proceeded to go in-depth of all the possibilities I was able to think of about what was up with the bride, and reasons for thinking each way.
I was so caught up in talking that I almost missed it when Rainbow interrupted me. "Yeah, yeah, whatever you say egghead. I'm too tired to do any thinking for myself." Heh.
The next time she tried to do the trick, she cracked-but not shattered-the light spectrum, although it was invisible to the naked eye. My ears caught it, though, and I delivered positive encoura-wait, is that Cadance down there? She just-she just rolled her eyes!
I'm starting not to like this so-called princess.
Fluttershy and her birds are going over exercises and actual practices, and I'm helping out with my keyboard.
"What do you think about Cadance?"
"Um...I haven't met her yet, but I've heard she's really nice."
"Don't believe everything you hear. Maybe there's a heart of gold somewhere in there, but from what I've seen she's kind of a jerk." *tweet chirp chirp chiiiirp* "You might want to get that tuned."
"Maybe she's just stressed? It is her big day..." Fluttershy says, as she singles out the bird singing slightly off-key. As she's offering advice, a certain guest stops by to check on things-"Oh, hello Princess. Care to listen to the choir?"
Probably a bad call, but I do nothing to stop it. "Suuure."
They sing again, but this time they go through a longer portion of the song. Cadance reacts very poorly when one of them goes out of tune, however, and she eventually snaps and yells at the offending avian. I snapped back, and we ended up arguing for about 3.2 minutes about who has the authority or methods to correct the bird, with her even asking me "What do you know about music?" which only left me too flabbergasted to continue.
I apologized to Fluttershy after Cadance left.
I watched from a table with Twilight's friends as Luna flew in through a hole in the barrier, which closed up afterwards. Diagnostics were delivered through my ears, but I turned them off as a certain purple pony approached.
"Bet I can guess what you're all thinking..." Twilight started in a sing-songy voice. "Cadance is the absolute worst bride-to-be ever."
Spike, who was playing with the plastic cake figures, responded, "Who, me?"
"Spike!" Applejack interrupted. "That goes on the cake."
"Heh-heh..."
"Twilight, whatever are you talking about? Cadance is an absolute gem!"
"Rarity, she was so demanding!"
"Well, of course she was! Why shouldn't she expect the very best on her wedding day?"
"Somehow I don't feel that fully explains, nor excuses her current behavior."
Twilight nods at that. "Applejack, did you know that after she told you how much she just 'love-love-loved' your hors d'eouvres, she threw them in the trash?"
Applejack thought for a moment, then said that yes, I had mentioned it to her. "She was probably just trying to spare my feelin's."
"Not the best way to go about it, then. She could have just waited and thrown them out somewhere else."
"She did raise her voice at one of my birds during rehearsal."
Twilight seized the opportunity. "See? Rude!"
"Admittedly, he was kind of off-key..." As proven by Fluttershy bringing the bird out, and it making sounds I dare not attempt to replicate in words. "Yyyeeeeeaaah. The argument I had with her about yelling, authority, and more was even more unpleasant, if you can believe me."
"At least somepony agrees with me. Pinkie Pie, you had to have noticed how Cadance treated–" She didn't finish, because Pinkie and Spike were too absorbed by the cake toppers to pay any attention whatsoever. "Never mind. Rainbow Dash, you're with me, right?"
"Sorry, Twi. Been too busy prepping for my sonic rainboom to pay much attention to the bride's bad attitude."
"URRRGH..."
Rarity attempted to comfort her fellow unicorn. "The princess is about to get married. I'm sure any negative behavior she might be displaying is simply the result of nerves."
"And I'm sure it's the result of being an awful pony who doesn't deserve to even know Shining Armor, let alone marry him!"
"..."
"..."
"..."
I was the one who broke the silence. "Overreaction much?"
"Think maybe you're bein' just a tiny bit possessive of your brother?" The entire table, save for me and Spike, colluded this point.
"I am not being possessive, and I am not taking it out on Cadance! You're all just too caught up in your wedding planning to notice that maybe there shouldn't even be a wedding!" After thumping the table, Twilight left in a huff.
"I take it back. That's an overreaction." While I agree with what she's saying, she's not exactly thinking straight right now. Maybe someone should keep her grounded in reality, or at least how we all want it to seem?
Twilight skipped out on all of us for the simple reason of rage, given that most of us are not receptive to her effort towards the truth. Even I think she might be taking this a bit too far...but then again, it is her family and friends at risk. Everypony else, and myself, don't have those kinds of stakes.
Still...I can't help but wonder how hot the water is if we mess up. Or if we've already messed up. The shield is pretty much impenetrable-I've already checked-but what about before the shield? Could the threat already be in here? What if it's Cadance?
What if it isn't Cadance?
No time for what-ifs, as I can hear voices from Shining Armor's house. Coming through the open door nets me visual contact with Twilight, who looks back and notices me. She reacts only slightly, giving me a signal to be quiet as she walks towards an almost-closed door on the other end of the room and opens it up a crack. So I silently swoop to the flat end, close my eyes, and listen closely. In my mind's eye, I see two points in space, where the sounds originate from-their mouths.
"...made it perfectly clear I didn't want you to wear that." Cadance to Armor.
"This was my favorite uncle's." Armor's response.
"And?"
"And I think I should wear it."
"Are you disagreeing with me?" Yes. Yes, he is. This is his day too, remember?
"I guess I am-" and then he sputters out. Heard it before, he sprained his horn again.
"Oh, dear. Are you getting another one of your headaches?" And then a third point.
I recognize magic when I hear it, but what it does is up to the imagination. It "looks" like it's going from her horn to his, but I have to be somewhat su-
Twilight must have seen something, though, because she then outbursts that "She isn't just unpleasant and rude. She's downright evil!" and rushes out, just as the to-be-weds open back up the door.
"Twili-Rez? When did you get in here?"
"While you two were in there. As for her, I think she remembered something for the wedding that was unprepared," I lied. I don't know how worried she is vs. the reality of the situation, but I'm going to cover for her as best I can. Whistle-blowers get a good rep in my community, as even crying wolf can put us on our guard for the real threat (they tend to come in clusters anyways).
"Just let her go." You tell yourself that.
"Huh. It seemed like she had something else she wanted to tell me."
"Well, I'll tell you to leave the barrier alone for the night, since you seem so strained. Get some rest. I'll take care of it as best I can."
"Who goes there?"
"That would be Twilight." In a softer tone, of course.
"Stay indoors, Twilight Sparkle." We watch as she runs into a building, then resume normal speaking volumes. "What is it that has you so troubled now, Rez?"
"For once, it's not about my problem but yours-your world's, rather," as I feel the need to differentiate between Luna's own issues and that of the city.
"I'm listening."
"Lemme bounce something off of you for a bit. What if you're keeping watch over the wrong place? What if those who threaten the city are already inside it?"
"I do watch inside the barrier as well, but I'm not fully sure what you're getting at."
"Me neither, but I've seen it bef-excuse me, I've done it before. It's not uncommon to only state ransom or threats once a vulnerability has been located, or already exploited-meaning the hacker is already in the system, already gets or has gotten what he/she wants. Or sometimes, they throw up an alarm in one place to pull everyone in meatspace towards focusing on security in a specific area-and when they've lost focus on a different area, the hacker strikes there."
"Are you saying that's what is happening here?"
"I'm not saying anything, not for certain. But I am asking if you've seen any vulnerabilities-inside the barrier and out of it. And physical, magical, or otherwise all count."
"...nothing I can think of." Twilight emerges from the structure, looking very much defeated.
"Well, if you ever figure anything out, please let me know. If you'll excuse me..." as I swoop my chrome creation down to the dejected mare. "Problem?"
"Huge problem. The others just became Cadance's new bridesmaids!"
I have to think a bit to see how that could be a problem, then grimace, then mutter "Stupid rose-colored glasses..."
"Looks like we really are on our own."
Entry Attempted
"There was attempted passage through the shield; I need to take care of that. You go to bed, you're gonna need all the rest you can to investigate this."
Not a computer bug, I've seen many of those and they don't really matter enough to make note of. What I'm looking at is...well...objectively speaking, it looks like a pony in shape, but it has wings, a horn, and holes through its limbs, which make it look kinda like Swiss cheese from certain angles. It also has insectoid parts in its biology, specifically and especially bespoke wings and possibly its fangs. And it's looking back at me through the barrier, and it wants to get in.
"You know, you're not going to make it through." *thunk* "I'm sorry, but it's just not happening." *thunk* "Compliments to your tenacity, but..." *thunk* "Ahem!"
That got its attention, at least moreso than anything else I had been doing. "And now that you're listening, allow me to explain something to you objectively. Can you understand me?" It nodded its head. "Good. Now, there is a threat against this city, and this barrier has been put up to not allow anything through. What my job is is making sure that it does its job. Got all that?" Another nod. "Good. Now, I don't know what you think you're doing here, nor what you are, but if you won't talk I can't be sure what to make of you without scanning you. I also can't be sure if you're part of the threat." No reaction. Maybe it isn't. "So if you'll just let me do this..."
And just like that, I'm on the other side of the barrier, and I take little time in scanning the little bugger. "Formic mother of...this guy is complex."
Now, let me explain a thing or two about scanning things in reality. Genetic code is not the same as standard computer code, so most of what I can actually see is gibberish. And before you ask about that first time I hacked Twilight, she encoded herself in accessing the network. She practically gift-wrapped herself for me while she was on my turf. Anyways, mostly it's a load of garbage to that which is not a biologist. However, spotting bits of code that actually compare well to normal code is not all that uncommon, and occasionally I find bits of machine code buried within the masses. And the scan found a match to standard texture-render code.
Curious.
I also note a few things about the scan itself. Whenever and wherever the lasers contact the entity's being, light refracts oddly for just a moment, creating a brief artifact. Almost like it's glitching out. Odd, but it gives me an idea of some sort.
"I need to refer to you as something. Unless you have any better ideas, I'm going to refer to you as Glitch." It seems to think about it, then reacts in the positive. "Glitch it is."
Curiosity had gotten the better of both it and me, and I managed to figure out that it was asking me about the teleportation move. So I told "Glitch" about the old legend, that of the city of Cloudbank. To many, nothing but an interesting story; to me, an area to analyze, and gain tools from. I have copies of many of the old Transistor's functions, which I rarely use, but still come in handy. And I have recordings of many of Red's songs, which by this point are freely accessible to anyone with an internet connection who knows where to look.
Eventually, I simply ended up chattering about security systems, even using the dome-shaped shield as a point of comparison. I must have been talking for hours upon hours, because by the time I stopped dawn was already breaking.
"...so really, while brute force can break this barrier, all that needs to be done is find a backdoor. Not that I'm going to bother with this one, it's kinda fun being on the other side of the firewall...you know, you're a really good listener. The only one who even comes close in interest to what I have to say about computing is Twilight...*yawn*...wonder how she's doing." It had been about 24 hours since I last had sleep, and it was beginning to catch up with me. "Not like you'd know anything about her."
"Does she maybe look something like this?" was then spoken, in a voice that made me freeze.
It was Twilight's voice. And when I turned around I was greeted with the sight of Twilight herself.
Right where Glitch had been. The only reasonable thought passing through my head was scan it. But the entity logged as what had been previously categorized as "Glitch".
The difference was in the render code; the model was that of one Twilight Sparkle.
I was kicking myself for my ignorance all the way back to where Celestia currently was, and halfway there I began kicking myself for my sudden treatment of Glitch; but it all made sense. It all made perfect sense, and Celestia needed to be told about the new development immediately.
"Celestia!" That gets her attention, now to drop the bomb. "We need to talk, now. I have proof that Cadance is-"
"Evil?" she interrupts, with a tone that seems to states "I'm not in a very good mood right now, this is a rare occasion so you may want to watch what you say."
This has me fully off my guard. "Yyyyee...no? Where did you get that idea from?"
"Twilight had an...outburst...during the wedding rehearsal, accusing Cadance of being evil and saying that she didn't deserve to marry Shining Armor. Cadance ran out crying, and Shining had to explain to Twilight why she was wrong. All in all, I would have expected better from my personal student-but maybe affairs of the heart are just too much for her to bear."
...um. "I wasn't going to say that Cadance is evil. In fact, I'd like to believe that Cadance is an excellent princess, and a decent pony besides."
"Then what are you-"
"What I'm saying is that I've never even met Cadance. And before you try to argue that I have, I'm going to go on record and say that 1. Twilight is not completely wrong, and 2. The Cadance I've seen, and that we've all been seeing, is an impostor."
"Are you saying that Cadance was always-"
"No no no, you're not listening!" At this point, I'm panicking to try and get my point across. "Stop driving before you lose the road, and try to take in what I just said. It makes perfect sense!"
"Then explain it to me, because it doesn't seem to be making any sense at all."
"Well, something tried to break through the shield last night, but I found it and we ended up talking-skip ahead a few hours to about five minutes ago, and I found out that it's a shapeshifter!"
"There's no way it could have gotten through the barrier."
"Because it didn't-ARGH!" I suddenly scream in a brief rage, my visual field clouding up with red, which slowly drifts to the peripheries as it fades to blue. "You know, you're not the mare I had pleasant conversations with back when I was very new around here, and you're certainly not the princess who wanted to know more about me even earlier. Remember that speech I gave Discord right before the Elements and I petrified him? The part about accompaniments to the Elements of Harmony?" She looks confused, but nods, as if I care. But I don't right now, and I don't stop or even slow down. "I recall mentioning to you at one point that I am not the only possible one, that others may very well be presentable as a substitute or assist. And though you gave up the right to the Elements a long time ago, I used to believe that you could still have accompanied them. Everything you've done to help your land, every way you've assisted others in doing the right thing-you had something in short supply. Now, I'm not so sure you have any at all."
I feel from her tone that maybe she's calmed down from where Twilight accidentally got her to. "What did you...?"
"Trust."
I don't even bother to gauge her reaction. I simply leave to see if I can find Twilight, as in the real Twilight. I have to wonder how the insectoid knew who Twilight was...regardless, answers can't come quick enough.
I leave in a huff.
Staring at the text message on my screen tells me all I need to know. Celestia is legitimately sorry about blowing me off, and wants to make it up to me somehow.
All I ask of her is that she makes sure an oft-said, but rarely-used, Earth wedding phrase is present.
I object to those who would put personal freedoms of others on the line. I reject realities wherein I fail without a damned good fight, and subvert them with my own skills. I subject those that take what is not theirs to what is, in effect, themselves; administered with a healthy dose of me.
And I object to this wedding. But I am unable to act upon it, not yet. It would be rude to have asked the princess for something and then decided not to use it, simply on a whim. No, it takes a lot more reasoning than that to change a plan like that and get away scot-free, especially where immortals are involved.
No, I sit back and wait for her to say the words. The words I asked her to, that she owes me. Now, I have done some research in preparation, and the phrase originated back in the middle ages-when there were no laws to prevent someone from marrying someone else while the former was already married. In extremely rare cases in which the phrase is used in real life, the officiant and the speaker would have a private conversation-and if a legal reason could not be supplied on the spot, the wedding would continue without a hitch...no, that's not the best choice of words...without any further interruptions.
I have a perfectly good reason.
"If anyone objects to this marriage, let them speak now or forever hold their peace."
That's my cue. "I object." My avatar had been in a seated position; I make it stand up to further draw attention.
The reactions of the crowd are all over the place. The new bridesmaids AKA my friends in this world all are completely surprised I would do such a thing. Most everyone else is surprised anyone would do anything like that at all. Celestia is caught off guard somewhat, but is prepared to roll with it. Shining Armor doesn't know what to think (if he's even thinking at all-the whole time he's been up at the altar, he's just been standing there with a sickly shade of green in his eyes), the rest of the guards point their weapons in my general direction, and Cadance...well... "What do you think you're doing?" Cadance is more than a bit confused.
"Rez. On what grounds do you object to this wedding?"
"I object not on the grounds that Shining Armor and Cadance truly love each other, nor that they are married to another not present to object themselves. I believe the two on the altar were truly meant for each other, if not for one problem-Cadance is not standing on the altar!"
"Then who am I?" Now annoyed.
"A shapeshifter."
"Lies!" Panicked. "If I'm not the real Cadance, then where is she?"
"She's right here!" Just who I needed to hear.
Now very annoyed. "Ugh! Why does she have to be so possessive of her brother?" In a rather futile attempt to cover up, she begins fake crying. "Why does she have to ruin my special day?"
"Because it's not your special day! It's mine!"
Everypony gasps as the owner of that last voice walks into the room. The one-and-only...
Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. The real one.
"What? But how did you escape my bridesmaids?"
Twilight and Cadence tell how they distracted them with a bridal bouquet, prompting my snarky response of: "Next time, don't ask questions you don't want answers to."
"Hmph. Clever. But you're still too late."
Applejack takes the opportunity to ask a good question. "I-I don't understand. How can there be two of 'em?"
To which Cadance easily responds: "She's a changeling. She takes the form of somepony you love and gains power by feeding off your love for them."
"Just like I said. Halt and catch fire, deceptive Cadance."
"If you so insist, hacker." I miss not the venom in her tone, nor the fact that after she drops her illusion she looks a lot like Glitch...only bigger, definitely feminine and with rather unkempt (Rarity may be rubbing off on me somehow) blue hair. Nor the former phrase being taken so literally when her form-changing magic involves a burst of green flame. She takes the stunned silence of everypony after the flames die down to partake in a minor bout of evil laughter. "Right you are, Princess. And as queen of the changelings, it is up to me to find food for my subjects. Equestria has more love than any place I've ever encountered. My fellow changelings will be able to devour so much of it that we will gain more power than we have ever dreamed of!"
"They'll never get the chance! Shining Armor's protection spell will keep them from ever even reaching us!"
"Hate to burst your bubble, princess...but diagnostics state that it hasn't been updated for at least 12 hours, and that it's being broken as we speak!? Shoot!" I move to leave, but the queen steps in the way.
"Ah, ah, ah. Wouldn't you like to hear more? I know you love your information."
"Stupid stalling tactics Fine. Staring with this: to whom do I owe the pleasure of calling you out on having a hivemind?"
She pauses for a bit to process this, then laughs a bit more-and this one is more legitimate. "Oh, you are good. How did you figure that one out? And you may refer to me as Queen Chrysalis."
"To answer your question, I don't think you had enough direct interaction with me to know either my hobby or my likes, but I spent more than enough time with that drone you sent along, probably as a scout. I never described Twilight Sparkle to that drone either, yet it changed into the proper form on first mention of her-and you have spent more than enough time looking at her. You passed the message along to the hive, and Glitch knew what-"
"Right. 'Glitch'. That one was not always one to follow orders like the others even before you gave it the name. For your information, it was the only one who even volunteered to scout, and after your little 'chat' that will be the only way it even gets to participate in this invasion-"
"Beggars can't be choosers. Now it will be the only one not getting absolutely mauled by our forces."
"I beg to differ, but I digress. As for you..." she turns back to facing Cadance now "...ever since I took your place, I've been feeding off Shining Armor's love for you. Every moment he grows weaker and so does his spell. Even now, my minions are chipping away at it." I take the opportunity to look out the window...and see that they're being rather crude about just bashing the barrier from all sides with their body. No planning, no weak points, just bashing. It would be funny if it weren't so scary. "He may not be my husband, but he is under my total control now. And I'm sorry to say, unable to perform his duties as captain of the Royal Guard."
"Not my Shining Armor!"
"Soon, my changeling army will break through. First, we take Canterlot. And then, all of Equestria!"
"No. You won't." Celestia is deciding to take matters into her own hooves now. Good. "You may have made it impossible for Shining Armor to perform his spell, but now that you have so foolishly revealed your true self, I can protect my subjects from you!"
Now, I'm not entirely sure what happened during the next few seconds, but I'm pretty sure it involves Celestia losing a magic laser shove-of-war and Twilight and her friends running out the door. What I know is that soon after that there were very few left in the big room-in fact, no one was left but Chrysalis, Celestia (unconscious), Shining Armor (still possessed), Cadance, Spike, and myself-when the barrier finally gave. The alerts could even be heard over the microphone, which alerted Chrysalis to the fact that I was still there. "Ah, I almost forgot. You."
I glare back at her through the screen. "Forgetting is one of the most dangerous things you can do to me."
"I am more powerful than Celestia right now. What do you think you can do to me?"
"What I think is that I don't care how powerful you are, I just see a cracker."
"...really? You think of me as just another one of your kind?"
"That's exactly what I think. Canterlot is...was...a very secure system. I don't mean that lightly, as I checked it myself. You found a vulnerability, specifically Cadance there. No I do not appreciate it, no I am not praising her nor belittling you Cadance, I am making a comparison here so please don't give me that look. Anyways, where was I...oh, right. You proceeded to exploit the vulnerability, you're lucky I haven't tried to sucker punch you already for the method you used. I have a very low tolerance for hostage anything. And then...the payload. Total control. The muting of every single variable that could possibly outperform you."
"I recall that 'lesson'. Vulnerability, exploitation, payload; and when you put it like that, you are correct. I suppose I am a hacker."
"Cracker. If you take one thing out of that lesson, it's the difference in jobs between white hat and black hat. Now, I respect the fact that your hive needs food. But there are better ways of obtaining your sustenance-more efficient, as well as not pissing everyone else in the process. If it weren't for the fact that you seem to be enjoying this way too much, I would have given you a chance to back off on the assumption that this stunt was just to get attention, out of desperation. But you burned that bridge a long time ago, beginning from your initial exploit." I make the "right hand" crackle static. "Every variable except for this one, and now you'll get no sympathy from me. But before we begin...remember my tale about Cloudbank?"
"Surely you're going somewhere with this. Yes, I remember that."
A single button press and the silver becomes a speaker. The throne room is now a battlefield, and we are animals ready to pounce, as we allow the tempo to govern a slow revolution about our midpoint. And then I open my mouth to sing.
I hear you buzzing, a fly on the wall On each syllable, I loose a scanlaser. In through the window and up through the hall The mixed meter throws her off somewhat, but she catches on. Flying in circles, just trying to land I take the mental downtime to relate to the lyrics; yes, they may be hurting for love. I see you hurting, I do what I can; What they have done, however, is not very nice. But I...won't save you, If they had been diplomatic, maybe we could have helped them. I won't save you. But as it stands, they are beyond me.
Chrysalis takes the downtime between verses to recompose herself; parrying my strikes with beams of her own did not look taxing, but it may have taken mental effort. I wouldn't know; I'm not her. She sneers at me, and states, "Not like this, you don't."
Maybe you're looking for someone to blame? And I find the roles reversed. Fighting for air while you circle the drain. She briefly motions towards the incapacitated groom. I wrest back control in an instant. Never be sorry for your little time, She recovers quick, though, and keeps me on my toes. It's not when you get there,it's always the climb! AndI...won'tsaveyou, Iwon'tsaveyou!
During the last section, we had been casting haphazard to attempt to get our foe to yield. As the voices die down, we take a brief moment to "lick our wounds" and prepare to force each other out of our city. But when overdrive isn't enough...
...sometimes you have to think outside the box. What this function amounts to is a ball of pain with enhanced size and potency, and is the only combination I feel can stand up to Chrysalis and not get me on Eden's bad side, given the resources I have. I'm not set up properly for a Kill().
The crescendo passes, and I drained three full Overdrives to keep firing death balls at Chrysalis...but she's no worse for wear come the end of the song. Before she can give my avatar a coup de grâce, which I know she's fully capable of, I hastily give type the command to GTFO. I just hope the Elements will be able to succeed where I failed...
"What the actual heck!?!?"
I am looking at a bug.
Not a computer bug, I've seen many of those and they don't really matter enough to make note of. Except for today.
Glitch is physically in the network. It's poking around and doing curious things, such as checking out the scenery. Even though I distinctly recall patching the layer network-side; to the point where nothing that hadn't already been in here would be able to get through. I find myself needing to examine the code with all my senses...wait...oh. I get it now. Explanation rant time again, I suppose.
Vulnerability, exploitation, payload. The three steps to a successful hack. Find a vulnerability in the code and exploit it with more code to be able to deliver a payload. The latter of which often can contain propagative code which exploits even more systems on its own, sometimes with and without user interaction. The middle of which is pretty much the main part of "hacking" in and of itself; but the former part is not unimportant in the slightest, as the problem must be discovered before it can be abused.
And I spilled my guts on finding those problems to Glitch not one full day ago. Did I forget to mention it's a really good listener? It pretty much fooled Layer Level 07 into thinking it was coming in from server-side as opposed to client-side (mine as opposed to theirs), which I hadn't defended against. And he even pulled an SQL Slammer by sending a tracer spell to random IPs, which replicated whenever they found legitimate IPs until they were able to get back to LL07. How it managed to get that through and under literally everyone's collective noses, I'm still not sure.
What I do know is that he used the tracer once it got to the magic IP of 057.000.256.007 to deliver the payload: itself. Its physical form, now in program code.
The hoops I had to go through to stabilize that...I had to utilize multiple hours of previously-studied code about Lumi's own integration into Eden, including the abstract bits (computer abstract and literal abstract), and especially the soul. Along with a modified version of the stabilization protocol that I developed to try and fix the "data ghost" a week ago...wait...have I forgotten to tell you about that? Shoot, must've slipped right by me. I'll have to get back to that some time soon.
And the fact that I helped pull it completely through into cyberspace when it started experiencing physical pain was the icing on the cake. I can only imagine how it looked on the other changelings' end. Or how mad they must be (Chryssy included) that it escaped them.
Speaking of which, she got defeated pretty handily, if the fact that she was even interacting with Glitch is any indication. Ooh, messages that they want me back to help play music for the wedding proper...count me in. Just one last thing to do.
One forum post later, and my friends now have a message of peace as well as brief care instructions for Glitch for the hours I'm gone. I suppose I'll have to fully leak my findings and exploits (the adventuring kind) to the programming underground sooner or later...may as well get a transdimensional mascot for ourselves in doing so. A literal Glitch bug, fancy that. Regardless, it's time to play. My favorite Disc Jockey just so happens to be an ungulate, and she's playing at the reception. No way I'd miss the chance to play live with that, not for the world!
I walked into the bar to find business-as-usual for the most part. Some of the musicians were setting up their instruments and the tech, others were sitting around with everyone else eating and drinking and talking, and the violinist was fighting the trumpeter at the arcade machine. Personally, fighting games have never been my forte...at least, not standard Capcom six-buttons. Mostly, the problem is in the special moves-I struggle with stick rotations, and “complex” AKA “Shoryuken” motions are downright impossible for me. Dial-a-combos are the only ones I can consistently pull off. I guess my problem is that I’m a pianist and not a violinist (this is a joke), although the brass-lip doesn’t seem to have that problem.
Maybe it’s practice for/with trombone? Or experience playing Big Band.
Regardless, I sit down at an arcade cabinet-encapsulated MAME and select TGM3, settling down for a half hour of “casual” play before I get my keyboard set up. If nothing else, this will loosen up my fingers, get me ready for some of the more insane songs and pieces. (I’m just glad I don’t have to play Dragon Force.)
Nikki was not having the best time. The scanner wasn't picking up anything, despite her clearly knowing there would have to be an anomaly in this world so that she would come here. Couple that with the fact that this world was far off the beaten path, and it not even being a pleasant one...one could be driven mad. A mortal would maybe go for a drink in a situation like this.
Well, drinks don't do it for immortals, but happiness in general can. Nikki found herself drawn to a sign for an "open music night" at a bar, whatever that may be. As if on cue, her "phone" buzzed, indicating what she wanted wasn't too far off. A quick peek told her that a person of interest was in the building anyways; may as well check it out.
I'm no Grandmaster, but I'm close. Even long after its release, this is still the definitive hardcore mode for Tetris...good thing I'm a hardcore gamer as much as I am a hacker. In any case, time to get set up.
While I specialize in software, hardware is a prerequisite for breaking skill ceilings, so by extension I'm pretty good at hooking some of the trickier bits up. This means I have to double as roadie when I'm not outright playing, joy.
Regardless, it's always a fun time to do what I like, whether it's music or tech. I'll just have to ask for negative advances on my tab to keep my energy levels decent. In fact, maybe I should ask about...um...why is my sense of smell doing that? Shit, synesthesia again. Where could the source be?
Lessee...there's a smoker in the back, but there's high amounts of ventilation over there. Alcohol is not totally rampant, and I've been in here long enough to get used to that minor odor. I hear the outside muffled through a person...
I don't hear the person...
There's a person-shaped hole in all of my senses but sight. If I switch my optics, I can't even tell she's there.
If I ever wanted one drink in my life, it would be right now, so that I could either disregard the phenomenon or be courageous enough to ask her about it. But I'm going to remain sober, and possibly confront her about it later. As I previously said, I need to help get things set up...that oughta keep my mind off of things...
Great. Now someone is noticing her. Wasn't he just playing a game? And now he's doing something on the stage.
Well, she didn't want her cover blown, not that anyone would be able to do anything about it. Regardless, better keep an eye on that guy. That man seems somehow important...maybe even what the scanner detected. In that case, she determined, she wouldn't let him out of her sights.
"Bad Apple!"
"Fuck you." After that one virus, I'm not going to play that song again, even though I know it from memory. Fucking Waltz...Oh hey girl I've never seen before. Fancy locking eyes with you again. I swear, if she isn't a spy, I dunno what she is...
After an hour of watching, Nikki decided she wanted to know more about this man, and was glad she was able to receive the knowledge. This "Rez" apparently had quite a history behind him-storied hacker, synesthesiac, savior of the world. Also, as she had seen right in front of her for the past hour and a half, decent roadie and amazing (but not a prodigy by any means) keyboardist.
The coincidences were staggering. But whenever his phone went off, she noticed him suddenly become a bit jumpy. Suddenly his world was bigger than the bar.
"What's so important about that phone?" she muttered.
Hours later...
I've determined it's about time for me to go. That girl is getting suspicious of me, and I'm getting suspicious of her. Seriously, every time I even bust out a slightly offhand reference to Equestria she looks at me funny! Like the "Discord mix" I pulled when someone requested "Gibberish"...or when we were playing Fall Out Boy and I gave a shout out to "the immortals in my life". Anyone who knows me would have thought Eden and not given it a second thought! What gives? And besides, I'm getting tired of taking requests.
And now my phone decides to go off again. Sadly, this time I recognize the signal...the ghost is actually ready to be busted this time. Oddly enough, it's at the exact same time as...
...as her scanner went off. "Maybe he's looking for the same thing I am?"
A few minutes later...
I tried to follow her, but she broke visual contact before I could even ask her a question. So I went home in a hurry, but the whole time I had the distinct feeling I was being watched.
Well...I'm going to be honest with you guys here. This will probably be awkward, but just bear with me. This crossover was originally planned out between myself and DestinyQuill, based on a comment he made over a year ago on this story. A subsequent followup and plenty of worldbuilding later, and I had an idea of how to fit everything in. We were all set to ship, even had google docs with which to write with, and then...life happened. Instant message responses paused for weeks at a time. I'm not going to divulge what happened with him, in a large part because I don't know myself, just that "schoolwork, leave it at that". So I eventually resolved to write it myself. And then it ended up being in an awkward position due to the wedding arc...yeah. So I'm putting the kibosh on it right now, if only so that I can get on with the main story (and my own sidestories) as fast as possible. But to prevent any continuity snarls or anything else of the sort, I'm going to tell you all exactly what was intended to happen here.
In short, the original plan was:
CO0: Relocation; Rez and Aqua introduce themselves and upcoming events CO1: Recreation; Rez plays at the bar, Aqua hangs out, the two note each other as "of interest" CO2: Reaction; Rez attempts to deal with the "ghost" and Aqua gets an odd feeling due to this CO3: Recollection; Explanations to the readers on both views of current events-ends with Rez failing to fix the "ghost" himself CO4: Remaster; A misunderstanding which leads to a fight CO5: Repurpose; By the end, the two are now friends
but that would be a cop out. So let's do this the right way, starting from where we left off, and being as nonlinear but descriptive as possible. You ready? I sure aren't, but let's get this gravy train rolling anyways.
The "data ghost" refers to the anomaly discovered in WH3, which makes up the "conflict" for the second half of the chapter. It's the same one referenced throughout all posted parts of CO. Nikki is just a different name for this "Aqua" character. She's actually from beyond Rez's universe, and she came here to deal with an anomaly of her own: specifically, Rez's ghost. She's the one who Rez saw out the window in ID3; the storm is seen both there and in the first part of CO0.
By the way, what the ghost actually is is a person, named Kelly by the way, who (along with a benevolent organization from her own universe) tested out a multiversal transporter in an attempt to follow her daughter, which is completely unimportant to this crossover but it helps to know that people have good reasons to do (what turn out to be) relatively stupid things. Kelly is a real person in a digital realm, though. Her presence scratches against things just by being there. She's unstable in this world, and not made of code, which makes it very difficult to interact with her. So what Rez is doing is attempting to code a module that brings her "down to earth", so to speak. But this will have consequences of its own. As Destiny put it in our conversation: "Kelly will be nearly impossible to view on your end, because once she's finally stabilized, she'll be existing as physical matter, which wouldn't be something your systems would comprehend in the cyberscape. She'd appear as a null region, no data or anything even existing for the brief moment she remains in your dimension." Arguably this has already happened. Not sure if that makes this worse, rather not find out.
Nikki/"Aqua"/Aquarius herself is proficient in "Void manipulation". Even if she doesn't know what she's doing all the time. (I actually don't know all that much about her, or her personality or powers. Not that I haven't been told what they are, but that I'm not completely sure what level she's at. So I'm going to try and make proper assumptions here...or at least, keep it at a consistent point in her own, personal timeline.) Moreso, though, she manipulates weather and likes a good storm. She's also unkillable, as she revives every time. Suicide is thus a valid option for escape for her; it just isn't permanent. But this doesn't come up here, so eh. What does come up is that she's practically a demigod, not with universal power but more than enough to win anything if she's not holding back. Let's not go further into that. She's also on a completely nonlinear mission to save her multiverses. "Her" referring to that which she normally lives in...Rez isn't really a part of that most of the time, but something went wrong this time.
Anyways, speaking of Rez, he somehow manages to quarantine Kelly, but before he can apply any sort of patch Aqua busts in. Somehow. Just gonna say "void energy" and remember that I don't understand it either. Destiny put what happens next this way: "From your point of view, they'll be speaking a broken language if you can even hear their interactions at all, and Aquarius will eventually 'delete' Kelly as she punts her out of your dimension and into her own, at which point she'll actually attempt interaction with you." And then the ball is back in Rez's court, as he manages to refit what was intended for Kelly so as to better interact with Aqua. They quickly realize each other were those from the bar in CO1. A misunderstanding leads to a fight, and after a show of force from both sides (and both pulling out numerous tricks, including Rez borrowing some attacks and defenses from bosses-the firewalls-and Aqua channeling various friends of hers, which includes the EoH from her world as well) which I was hoping to have set to music (I'm tempted to put this in the author's notes and put the fight scene in the main chapter position, but I just don't have the drive for this one. Maybe if you ask politely...maybe), Rez concedes but demands explanation. Aqua comes out into the real world, right behind him in fact (scares the pants off him), and gives it to him in exchange for explanation of his own. They end on a friendly note, Aqua unable to return after she leaves because Rez's world is disconnected in a weird way from hers. Same with the K-Project, same with his Equestria.
What matters in continuity is that Rez gave her plenty of ideas, along with some fun, and she'd like to reward him for this. He asks for something to better allow himself to experience his Equestria from his current position, and they manage to get an add-on to his scan working so that his computer can synthesize audiovisual feedback that creates an accurate simulation of the scanned item through his synesthesia. Also, before he got home from the bar he received a text message from the princesses detailing the wedding, and asking for assistance with setup and security.
So...yeah. That all flubbed up, but I don't plan on leaving you guys with nothing. Wouldn't dream of it. What you do get is half cop out, half exposition, and I'm really sorry it had to come to this, but I felt like a mercy killing would have been ideal as opposed to a slog. I mean, if you really want to see this sort of thing, don't forget to ask the other guy about this to. Just...please don't be hostile, I'm not pointing fingers. Just stating facts. (Sorry, man. Maybe another time.) But hey-this gives me more drive to write the things I want to write, as opposed to the things I feel I need to. And with any luck, I'll be able to get some chapters out over various holiday breaks. So good luck, wish me luck, and keep living your good lives.
"Well...I guess I can't argue with that. Wish me luck."
"Good luck."
Well then. Nothing for it but to get out on stage...oh, right. Probably should explain myself, it's expected by now that I keep you all informed. I'm scheduled for today as a guest speaker at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, with the intended topic of skills and disabilities and the relationship between them. Eden knows I have both of those in spades...the issue here might be in getting my point across, as I haven't planned out a speech. But then, I've given plenty of typed-out information dumps off the top of my head before with no editing, so I guess I have the skills needed to perform correctly. The real question may as well be "how did I get roped into this" and the answer...well...for once I'm not explaining it to you. Heh heh heh.
Regardless of all shenanigans, it's lecture time. One last self-reminder: I'm speaking to children of various ages. I need to keep the complexity level down.
I recorded it. That wasn't so bad, especially in hindsight. Here's a transcription.
So, um. Where to start?
Well, I'm honored to be up here, lecturing about my forte...despite it not really being magic. Funny how that works, but I'm not up here to reflect on the irony. Technically I'm not up here myself at all, but that's besides the point.
The point is actually something you've probably already heard before. Every single one of you is special, let no one tell you different. The issue is...not everyone is equally good at everything that isn't marked, and some of you are easily defined as having a disability. This means that something, physical or mental, is more than a bit lacking. I should know; I have one or two myself.
The solution? Depends on the problem. It's not exactly easy to pin down the right thing to say or do about problems like this, and you can't usually outright "fix" them per se. Not without a good amount of work going into it.
What I do know is that there is no one way to deal with issues like these: You can power through them if they get in the way. Not the easiest thing to do, but a rewarding solution for those determined enough to go through with it. You can sidestep them by doing things that won't cause the disability to get in the way. You don't need all your legs to write, you don't need amazing social skills to make art with, there's a job out there that doesn't need what you can't provide. These are all well and good ways to deal with problems that would get in the way of life.
Of course, that's assuming it was ever a problem in the first place. If you don't have it, whatever "it" is for you, you have to wonder if it was ever important to you in the first place. And in some cases, no. It most definitely isn't.
Important thing to note: often, a disability actually comes as a tradeoff-you get something for what you lost. Deaf folks can't hear, but they get better at "hearing" their environment through their eyes, which helps for reading lips or interpreting other visual cues in place of audio. Those with autism-a disability that affects one's social skills-tend to be very able to focus on their work, or be very intelligent in their given subject. Not every disability is like this, but it often helps to look for the good in the bad.
Or maybe...just maybe...the issue is that you think it's a disability in the first place. In some cases, it's actually an enabler, something that lets you do something no one else can do nearly as well as you do it. This...this is what I personally believe all impairments secretly are. Not something to be fought; instead something to be used.
Personal example: I'm blind, or at least, I was born such. I can't normally receive visual input from the world, though that doesn't mean I can't visualize things. Without going into the scientific, what I get in return is that I "see" things better from hearing them move or talk, kind of like nocturnal creatures with echolocation. Granted, I had the issue fixed; I didn't need to, but an opportunity came up and I took it. But even now that I have artificial eyes, I tend to keep them turned off when I don't need them. My body is just so used to not seeing with them, that I'm often better off without.
My usual lack of sight sounds like an issue, but it is because of my blindness-and the benefits thereof-that makes me so good at what I do. In my field of work, what matters is being able to keep up with data flow. Most have to rely on sight, but can't focus on everything at once as they come up. Excuse me for tooting my own horn for a bit longer here, but my brain can keep up with the speed of information. My eyes can't, and wouldn't even if I had them in the first place, keep up. Audio has always been my strong suit, though. It's for these reasons I've never considered my disability to be anything less than a blessing.
I think I've covered just about every point I came here to talk about today, though I do have one last question for you all. Do you like music? (laughs can be heard, followed by a positive response) I knew you would. I personally love music, it's the only art form I can really lose myself in without even thinking about the analysis of it. In fact, I know a song that reiterates, and simplifies, my lecture here. You'll have to listen carefully to the lyrics, but Scatman John-the singer-tells it better than I could ever hope to. If you need me to explain it, I'll be here after the fact to take questions on the whole thing, but for now-enjoy.
It's been a while since I ever had any real "free time", so to speak. Sure, I have plenty of time to do things I want to do, but there's always something going on, and the schedule of weirdness only got worse after being led to Twilight's form in the network. Not that I'm complaining, of course; but the feeling of total freedom can be slightly jarring, especially when you know that the world will still be going on around you...always moving into the future, bit by bit.
Thinking on that further, I ended up doing something I hadn't really done in forever: look the opposite way, towards my past. I haven't really questioned it before, but I realize that life is made up of an unending string of coincidences. I want to know which ones, specifically, brought me into being. The data's probably all there anyways, waiting for me to discover it. Shouldn't even need to hack for it.
First order of business, there's a pair of antique headphones and shoes...well, antique nowadays in the 2500s. Probably brand new in the early 2000s. The shoes have been in the box they came in, as they have a weird split-toe that I'm not exactly comfortable wearing. The headphones, I use on and off. They're not natively compatible with any of my sound systems, or maybe that's the other way around, but I keep them where I can get them because I get radio signals with them. Occasionally, I like being surprised.
As a sidenote, when I can get a bead on them some of those ham radio communities make excellent homebrew music. Nothing really polished, but quality melodies and lyrics. Campfire quality, I guess.
In any case, if I recall correctly they've been changing hands for a while now. Dunno if they're supposed to be family heirlooms or cool trinkets, I personally think they've been passed down and around because they're useful. Heck knows anyone can use them, especially as they seem to resist aging.
There are marks and text in various places on each, which hasn't faded in all their years. I ran an image search on the bottom of the shoes, and found multiple hits that call it a "Runner's Mark", common in a city that was known as Glass in the early 21st century. The headphones are one of many, many uniquely customized models whose internal tech was pretty much a carbon copy of all the others, common in Tokyo-to around the same time as the Runner's Mark.
Both the 'phones and the shoes, and any and all marking on them, seem to represent freedom. The two places they came from each had their share of corrupt practices and other distasteful methods of controlling citizens. In fact, some of those very same practices are being borrowed by our good friends Vesuvius, if recent decryption advances are to be believed...right, it's been a while since I've mentioned them, hasn't it? Well, we made the rudimentary super-Bombe open-source and people got cracking. We now know more of their plans, and it's not good. We're in the process of making counterplans now.
Speaking of plans, my area will be affected more than most. See, areas as we define them nowadays are more based on who lives there and does what. Just living there doesn't determine your destiny, though most of us who currently live on this planet have found it a lot easier to move to places which centralize and encourage our individual skills; such as creating new hardware for computing or robotics, farming for various food products and/or other organically producible resources (there's a lot more than you think), create mass media (or niche, depending on the zone), you name it. In my area specifically, we are as social as much as we are efficient. We share things, discoveries, mostly ways to make our own lives better and easier and thus the rest of our lives that much so just by sharing. This has led to a concentrated hacker base, though most of us are "lifehackers" instead of computers, even though there is no standard occupation across the board...which makes us seem decisively average at first glance.
Computer hackers (and a few other types of hobby) are actually a lot more spread out across the globe. We do have a significantly larger slice of the pie here, though only in comparison to other areas.
Of course, not all parts of the world are actually like this, mostly small countries and some islands but our state just so happens to have this setup.
Which is why it's rather stupid for our prospective governor (finally found it out, how high up he's willing to go to try and push his agendas) to try and rally here. Message boards already are buzzing about a riot or two, though I'm hesitant to join even after being specifically called out by more than a few people. Those troopers might be there; after reading up on my not-so-recently acquired artifacts, I fear a recurrence of the old November Riots. Although...
The shoes and headphones are symbols of freedom from oppression, freedom of expression. The original owners of these things would most certainly have gone in and fucked with the idiot here, who isn't even fully in power. It's not even a challenge to them.
Who am I to turn down a challenge?
I leave a post on the boards, with a picture of the shoes and 'phones. And a line with a link: "Who is he to take away our freedoms? I know what he's up to. I don't like it. Everyone who doesn't know in full thinks he's stupid. He's not. But I think he needs to be shown a rush of our freewill, to know what we want and don't want. I'll be there, with a plan...just be ready when I ask each of you to do something. I don't yet know what it will be, but I'm pretty sure it will be epic."
"Thank you all for caring, and for not being stupid."
“Rez, you may want to get that,” Luna says. She seems to be holding back a smirk.
I shrug. I certainly wasn’t expecting a call from any of my friends at this time of day...or night, for that matter. Luna had called me over for another gaming session, even though I thought Sig had one planned for this moment in time...and when I asked him about it, he said “just do it”. (Yes, he linked to that old memetic video. Shut up.) But the fact that no one else was there when I came into Luna’s game room (whatever other features the room possesses are irrelevant to my purposes), along with the fact that she knew about the call...and encouraged it...
She’s up to something.
“Sig, you’re contradicting yourself. This means you’re planning something.”
“Already have it planned.”
“It also involves Jolu and Vic.” Their names are listed as people on the call.
“Yeah...”
“And Luna.” I think for barely a moment, and before Sig can respond, I accuse: “You two are co-DMing tonight, aren’t you?”
Sig and Luna break down laughing simultaneously. This can only mean I’m right. “Dammit man, you’re killin’ me here! How can I keep a secret when you figure everything out so fast?”
“But yes, you’re right,” Luna says.
I never anticipated this kind of communication, but that’s what you get when your best friends are also hackers. “What led up to this?”
“Playing old games while half-asleep. Literally.”
“It’s a shame nopony has created computers yet. Your ‘video games’, even those of your past, are utterly astounding.”
“Which games?”
“Namco’s Tales series. After she saw me playing Tales of Destiny, and I told her that there was more than one game in the series, I showed her a ‘sizzle reel’ of pretty much every main game in the series.”
“Which one are we using?”
“Xillia,” Luna said, “for one reason alone: linking.”
“Neither of us are quite sure how she ended up in my head-”
“Sig, you’re such an insomniac...” Vic interrupted.
“...yeah, yeah, maybe that has something to do with it-but in any case, Luna pretty much fell in love with the game mechanics and wanted to try using it in one of her RPGs. She pretty much told me everything about her games of O&O after that point, and I gave the same courtesy with our D&D sessions, and then we got to planning.”
“And then this. Whatever the end result is.”
“Pretty much. And the ‘end result’ is us playing a realtime RPG with our characters, or new ones, with game mechanics from an old-and-awesome video game RPG in a dreamscape Luna is making while she and I watch the fireworks.”
“Right...” I turn my attention to Luna. “And we’ll be playing human characters this time, right?”
“Most certainly. Now, to begin, we’ll need you to fall asleep first...”
“On it.” For Luna’s gaming sessions, I have found it efficient to already have something set up to force me to sleep. In fact, I was already in my pajamas, now I just have to be in bed with the headphones playing music to a video that my optics are displaying. I can easily assume that the others have had their bits explained to them...something about comparing me to a router, something about magic.
Within the dreamscape, I ‘woke up’ last, despite having fallen asleep first. I’m positive there are explanations for this, but right now I don't care about knowing why. For once in my life, I feel like actually being physically active, even as I know it's not actually physical. And right now, I don't care.
I stand up and get a good look at myself. Human, male, good. Basic-yet-intricate-looking robes, classy while still leaving plenty of room for athleticism, check. Staff of metal, made for hitting as much as for channeling magic, certainly feels about right for that. Big man in armor with a weapon that works as a shield, blue-skinned girl in robes that somehow evoke both white and black mages while moving at unexpected speeds, and they're both clashing in the plains?
Well, I guess I woke up a lot later than them than I thought. “Trying out the combat system without me, are you?”
“Ask her! She’s the one who demanded to spar with me,” Jolu, or whoever the character is that he’s playing, “Gk...didn't think you’d be a rushdowner...your Artes are all support!"
“My Artes are all for playing with everyone’s health, mine included,” Vic states. I don’t yet know her character’s name either. “You’ll notice I haven’t been using them?”
“As far as I’ve seen, medic classes often have lower attack, sometimes greater agility,” I note. “The speed here is probably to get from patient to patient-but she’s using it here offensively, to keep poking at you.”
“Well then tell her to stop!”
“Try hitting her yourself!”
“I can’t hit a girl!”
“Too bad! The girl is hitting you!”
“Try using an Arte.”
“She’ll stagger me when I try!”
“Normal attacks don’t stagger!”
“Do you really want me to test that?!?”
And then something weird happened. The world...glitched, for lack of any better terminology. The sky trembled and seemed to flicker between night and day, with landscapes shifting rapidly and an immense pressure bearing down on each of us. I think I may have seen Jolu standing the most upright in his armor, which was saying something due to the gravity.
And then as quickly as it started, it stopped. Aside from a message that faded from the quickly brightening sky.
‘THIS. WORLD. IS. MINE.’
...certainly not something to inspire confidence. “Guys...?” I offered.
“Yeah?”
“Our campaign has no sense of subtlety whatsoever.”
“...there isn’t a campaign.” Vic stated.
This confused me. “What?”
“Sig and Luna planned this as a prototype, a beta test. There isn’t supposed to be a mission. Just a combat test.”
“YO DMs!” Jolu yelled to the sky. “THIS ISN’T FUNNY ANYMORE. WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU UP TO OVER THERE?”
There was no response beyond the sky glitching again, and the message soon vanished.
Or rather, I was or will be by the time you read this. For those this whole log is intended for: yes, this is just a forum post to you, but I have to be open to the idea of others-be they human, alien, or pony-reading this in the future or (Lumi forbid) the past. In fact, that's exactly the reason I'm writing this preamble; Twilight found the forums, and found my sides of the stories. She wanted to chat about it, but I was busy at the time, so we had to schedule a time to do so, and then someone found out about it-so now we're doing it in a "public" chatroom.
Only fellow hackers who have confirmed that they read my pony posts, and have been doing so for a while (so that no one could just suddenly show up and read them all just to get in), gained access to the room, which my computer acts as host server for. Among these are many different types, though none of my usual group (see WH3, ID4) decided they wanted to come by.
What follows is a transcript of the chatroom. It goes on a bit long, as live chatrooms are wont to do, so I split it up into two parts. This also gives me time to remove any sensitive information; first and foremost, anything directly involving the reveal or partial revealing of identities. With that in mind, enjoy.
room activated Enter nickname: Rez Joined room with admin privileges /backlog permanent Backlog settings changed to Permanent Rez: :note: I woke up this morning, didn't recognize the man in the mirror :note: Rez: Test For Echo Impossibru joined room Impossibru: :note: He was always a thousand miles away, but still standin' in front of your face :note: Impossibru: Echo Rez: For reference, and introductory purposes, I will be providing a short description on each of you guys as you enter this chatroom. This is mostly for Twilight's benefit, as she has not met any of you guys before. Rez: Impossibru is a really good hacker, and a friend of mine. We live in the same city, which means a lot for secrecy but not as much for anonymity. He was one of my mentors back before I got my vision (and the most major one I've ever had), and helped me develop several of the programs I now use consistently. Impossibru: High praise coming from the most badass one of them all Rez: Hey, everyone starts somewhere. Sanshiro joined room Sanshiro: So we're opening with song lyrics? Gimme a sec Sanshiro: :note: If you beg or if you borrow, you may never find your way. :note: Rez: Sanshiro is, first and foremost, a modder. A modder of very old games. While he isn't as fully capable of helping on large projects, his exploits create necessary and fun distractions that help keep us sane and happy. His name is also in reference to an old advertising campaign for a video game console; the ads spawned a cult icon, and "Sanshiro" is a part of the moniker. Sanshiro: Segasatan, shiro! Impossibru: Whatever you say, man. Impossibru: So, who's next? Rez: Dunno, it could be a while Sanshiro: It the trawl cumin'? Impossibru: Careful now. Sanshiro: Is* ExtraCensoredWithCheese joined room Rez: Speak of the Devil, and he shall appear. ExtraCensoredWithCheese: :note: And another one rides the bus! :note: ExtraCensoredWithCheese: That's the natrue of my game, man. Rez: ExtraCensoredWithCheese, often abbreviated to ECWC or ExtraCensored or having jokes made such as "Cheez Whiz" (and on one occasion, "Inappropriate Conduct"), is quite simply, a troll. The good kind though; he makes us laugh, he spreads out his victims pretty thin (because every joke needs a butt, so says him), he pwns himself pretty often too, and even when he isn't actively owning face, he tends to be a pretty active member of our community. ExtraCensoredWithCheese: Butts Sanshiro: Butts Impossibru: Butts Sanshiro: Grog! ExtraCensoredWithCheese: Shuts, he's not finished yet. Rez: Arguably, of those that most everyone in our community knows, he's the least skilled at outright hacking; he makes up for it by reading everything. Every entry, every post, and he tends to remember them all pretty well. Even if he can't utilize the knowledge he hears about, he always knows someone who does, and can be very quick to prod us into action if need be. Impossibru: Makes up for it in spades Sanshiro: For Shovelry! Rez: Will Twi even get a small portion of the references I don't explain? ExtraCensoredWithCheese: Does she need to? Rez: Well...she can always ask. Rez: I mean, it's not like we're talking sensitive material right now. ExtraCensoredWithCheese: "right now" Impossibru: Let's not, at all, and say that we didn't. Rez: And that would be the smart decision. RichPurnell joined room RichPurnell: Major Tom to ground control! Sanshiro: Rich Purnell is a steely-eyed missile man Rez: That he is. The username is that of a fictional character from the story "The Martian", but the job is similar. RP is, in reality, logging in from a non-terrestrial computer; he lives his life on (a spacestation? A nonearth planet[oid]? He never told us) and only hacks as an external function of his job of programming. RichPurnell: If someone were to find out which one is me, and I get caught up directly or indirectly in illegal activities, I could be jettisoned. I don't think we want that. ExtraCensoredWithCheese: SPAAAAACE Sanshiro: Hey, that's my line! ExtraCensoredWithCheese: Do you own it? ;P Rez: Settle down, you two.
<salty banter omitted> TyphoidMarionette joined room TyphoidMarionette: There's no fate, take control. Rez: Brain Power! RichPurnell: girl Impossibru: Gurl Sanshiro: GIRL ExtraCensoredWithCheese: AAAAE A E I E A JOOOOOOOOOOO Rez: Mary (nickname, but may be real one) runs a botnet. What this means is that certain computers she's managed to infect (typhoid was, is, a disease) can be used by anyone with the proper connections, and often, transactions, as effectively puppets (marionette is a type of puppet on strings) for a brief amount of time. Don't let the length fool you; a computer only takes about a tiny portion of a second to send a spam message, and it doesn't cost anyone much to get 1000 botnet-connected computers ("bots" for short) to donate 0.5 seconds of their time to spam some random dude, aside from the random dude's time. TyphoidMarionette: Don't forget to leave out the methods of getting to that point. Rez: How could I? The thing about getting the puppeteering set up client-side is that it just takes a few lines of code to begin with. A cookie, an add-on to a document that detaches, it's that innocuous. Practically untraceable. From there it manages to make itself look like a trusted program while updating itself into something that can slave the computer's processing power in very precise ways; and that detects when doing so would be noticed, mostly based on how much CPU is actively being used and how much the user themself is interacting with their chosen device. (Doing magic when the muggles can notice it is a big no-no.) I know there's a lot of other stuff that goes into it, especially in terms of keeping the program undetected, but I don't feel like going so much farther into that than I already have. TyphoidMarionette: So, how's your political problem going? ExtraCensoredWithCheese: You're still dealing with that? Impossibru: Is it still as bad as you started? Rez: Going, unfortunately, but no; I've been making definitive progress as of late. TyphoidMarionette: This oughta be good. RichPurnell: This oughta be good TyphoidMarionette: jinx RichPurnell: JINX RichPurnell: damn Rez: For one thing, we have something to call him without giving away any real names. I figured out a derogatory name for him. ExtraCensoredWithCheese: SHARE TyphoidMarionette: This oughta be really good. Impossibru: Do tell! Sanshiro: Beans spill RichPurnell: Pressure's on. What's so amazing about this one? Rez: You tell me. Rez: Sorrento. IOI655321. RichPurnell: ...one hell of an insult, right there. TyphoidMarionette: wait what how Sanshiro: Reference to Ready Player One. Nolan Sorrento was the face of an antagonistic corporation. IOI^%%#@! was his tag. Impossibru: ^%%#@! Sanshiro: I was hlding down Shift! cut me some slack. Rez: Shushie! It gets better. Sanshiro: There's no way it can get much better than that. Rez: Oh, but it can. Weeks of grueling effort have yielded results, specifically location. And I managed to apply a bug to their servers that will erase things unless I voice a very specific set of numbers and letters into my computer at a very specific time, as yet to be set. It also posted on their boards a picture of a very certain model of car, and instructions and a clue as text that can be updated remotely by me. Impossibru: What's it say now? Rez: In fine print below, what I can make it do. In the lower third, it states "If I open my eyes, your shit disappears". TyphoidMarionette: What's the car? RichPurnell: It's a Blue Mink Ford. It has to be. Rez: Someone's been doing their research. Impossibru: The song reference is obvious, if you think about it. And knowing you... RichPurnell: You have good taste. Why wouldn't I do my research? Rez: <blush> Thanks, man. Rez: </blush> Though I don't suppose you know the alphanumeric? RichPurnell: The plate? RichPurnell: Why would I put it out there for the world to see? Rez: Point taken. But yeah, you know. And if the rest of you want to, then do your own research. ExtraCensoredWithCheese: Laaaame RichPurnell: I'll PM you later if you still want to know. T_Star joined room Rez: Ah, the guest of honor as it were. I believe she needs no introduction? TyphoidMarionette: There she is! RichPurnell: Even more out-of-this-world than me. Major credit. ExtraCensoredWithCheese: DA HYYYYPE Sanshiro: Welcome to the Fantasy Zone, Get Ready! Impossibru: Glad to have you! Rez: Simmer down, guys, let her finish the backlog. T_Star: Wow. I had no idea you had so many friends. Impossibru: You don't get far in our line of work while lasting as long as we do without making plenty of friends. Rez: Truer words, not often spoken. TyphoidMarionette: Coordination is a must. Sanshiro: The breakthroughs of one mean shit if they can't apply them. ExtraCensoredWithCheese: "We are hackers, crackers, hacktivists, phishers, agents, spies, or just the guy from next door. We are Muslims, we are Christians, we are Jews; we come from all races, countries, religions, and ethnicity." RichPurnell: We are anyone who wants to be, because it takes all sorts. Rez: Twilight Sparkle? Allow me to officially welcome you to this chatroom, and to a portion of our group of hackers. Rez: Welcome to what some of us like to call "the brightest part of the darknet". T_Star: I could barely be more honored to "be" here. Rez: We could scarcely be more honored to have you.
