Probe EX-42 "Explorator" lands on the distant planet Equus. The only mission for this probe: study any and all life on the planet. Of course, not all life is so eager to be studied.
During the peak of human science and advancement, we turned our eyes to the stars. We sought a new home amidst the inky depths of the cosmos. Probe EX-42, otherwise known as "Explorator", was launched on one such mission. The world he lands on is eerily similar to the one he left, with the exception of the... unique fauna.
Note: Current cover art is a placeholder, as I lack any drawing talent, but I felt it necessary to provide some sort of reference material.
Back-mounted removable storage compartment- .03/.05 cubic metres in use.
Contents- One O-R3-45-a "Outpost" probe, one vertical assist kit, and one mission tablet.
Integral chest storage- Occupied by Chemical Manufacturing suite
Integral arm storage (L)- Occupied by 6L Flamer Fuel
Integral arm storage (R)- Occupied by 1670 rounds .50 AE
Integral shoulder storage (R)- Occupied by Main Laser
Integral shoulder storage (L)- Occupied by aux. energy storage, 3hr. Charge (100%)
Central cavity- Occupied by Gen. 5 Mk. XXVI cold fission reactor, Nano reparation suite hub.
CF reactor- Operational
Output- .001% (sleep mode)
Temperature reading- 300K
Next refuel scheduled for: T-10 days
Current fuels in use: UO2 (e)
Report Complete
AI booting up. . . . AI boot successful.
The year was 2342, Humanity was on the cutting edge of space travel. They had established colonies on all of the nine worlds of the Sol System, including the newly-reinstated Pluto. It took centuries, but every planet was refurbished into something habitable by at least 2 people (on the Venus outpost). With the System conquered, humanity looked even further out. They sent many probes out to explore the vast, inky depths above their heads.
This is the story of EX-42 “Explorator”, one of those probes.
Currently, he resides in space, making his way to a Sol-like star and it’s associated planets, called the Equus system. His target was one rocky planet of roughly Earth size that seemed habitable enough. That was millennia ago. This probe was nearing the end of its service life, and was about to encounter the small world in a week.
Probe chassis operational, can’t wait to get to the destination. Fuel won’t hold out much longer. Going into emergency power soon enough. Sensors indicate one week. Great. Only been waiting [overflow error] years.
... That's strange.
AI shutting down. . . . Complete.
Execute file 2-05fre
Sleeping…
Operation interrupted by module O5-b
Sensors indicate planetfall in T-3 minutes
Hull integrity- 97%
Minor debris impacts while en route
Landing is safe, follow normal guidelines.
T- 2 minutes to landing
Atmosphere composition- 70/29/1 N2/O2/Other
Human life sustainable
Water present in vapour form.
T- 1 minute to landing
AI boot sequence to start in T-59 seconds.
T- 1 second to landing
AI boot started.
T- 0
Warning- hull integrity weaker than sensors suggested. Damage indicates true hull integrity of 79%. Damage to [EX-42] unavoidable.
T+ 1 second
AI Boot Complete
Probe damage report- damage concentrated on sensor suite. Minor damage to left arm, left leg, and integral chest storage.
Warning- Chemical Manufacturing suite is damaged. Current leaks- Cl2(g), O2(g), UF6(in bromine solution), P4(aq), H2O(l)
Warning- leaking chemicals may damage surrounding area. Repair mechanisms tasked to stop leaks first.
Warning- Sensor suite down, unable to determine surroundings
Error C-4- Unable to task repair systems to sensor suite
Requesting AI resolution. Starting AI. . . . Complete.
So, I fall planetside, and this is what I get. Okay, queue the repairs of the sensors after the chem leaks, then repair the chem suite to full operating capacity.
Expected repair time:
Leaks- .5 hour
UF6- .45 hour
Cl2- .01 hr
P4- .01 hr
O2- .01 hr
H2O- .02 hr
Sensor Suite- 6.75 hours
Chemical Manufacturing Suite- 24 hours
Chassis repair- 3 hours
Locomotion repair- 1.75 hours
Total- 36 hours
Notes: UF6 will be completely depleted, other resources can be recaptured from nearby soil.
Okay, a day and a half of waiting. It’s a good thing I can shut off, eh?
Shutting down AI. . Error 23-RN- AI is still required.
What is it now!?
AI is required to resolve the current situation. Chemical leaks detected. Course of action?
Patch up the leak first, then continue on with all repair processes, then we will set up the beacon. Then we will establish a base, then we will get a decontamination kit made.
Warning- that course of action leaves approximately 48 hours for the chemicals to integrate with the world.
Then they will be dilute enough to be safe for the world. Scratch the decontamination kit.
Accepted
AI shutting down. . . . Complete.
T+1 day, 13 hours.
AI booting up. . . . AI boot successful.
Warning- Sensors indicate lifeform approaching. Time to encounter- E-5 minutes
Warning- unable to identify intent. Be on guard.
Well, great. Let’s get up, then. Ready battle targeting.
And, suddenly, the mass of metal in the centre of an impact crater began to move. It rose, an impressive feat given it had fallen from the sky just one and a half days prior. Fully up, it stood at an impressive two metres. It was roughly humanoid, so as to give maximum mobility. Strapped to its arms were fearsome weapons. On the left was a Flamer, which could incinerate flora and fauna alike. On the right, an eight barrel chain gun that could saw through most soft targets on a matter of milliseconds. There was nothing on any uninhabited world that this probe could not take on. Nothing it didn’t expect to overcome.
Warning- E-10 seconds
You just said five minutes six seconds ago.
Warning- Local flora interfering with sensor readings. Impact on accuracy= +/- 5 minutes
Thanks. Direction?
Ten o’ clock, +/- 10 minutes.
At least that’s slightly less useless.
The probe turned to face the oncoming threat, and was greeted by his adversary. A small, wolf-like creature made of wood and sap. Explorator threw open the valve to the flamer’s fuel supply, and prepped the release of the flammable not-quite-liquid.
“HALT. IN THE NAME OF [THE EMPEROR], STATE YOUR NAME AND INTENT.” Explorator bellowed. The timberwolf, mildly confused by the machine’s speech, lunged to attack anyway. Explorator brought his Flamer to bear, and incinerated the admittedly interesting flora/fauna.
Warning- Destroying the local wildlife may have negative effects on the ecosystem.
Thanks for telling me what I already knew. Honestly, is there a way to shut off your asinine comments?
"I'm sorry, Explorator, I can't let you do that."
Wait, what are you?
"I am Tau-2734, youredgeless safety operations companion. You are not expected to remember me. It has been a long trip, after all. I assist you in operations that do not require critical thinking, in addition to translating your vague instructions into input for the various systems associated with your platform."
So, a nervous system?
"Yes."
Okay, that's neat and all, but could you keep quiet?
"Again, I'm afraid I can't do that. My purpose is to relay all information from the platform to you, and vice versa. I cannot shut down."
Okay, maybe a compromise? How about you make yourself less obtrusive?
"Manufacturing update package..."
Complete. "How is this?" The amazingly adaptable OI asked, hoping his CTI would approve of the changes Tau had made.
"What is this? Why is my head a storybook now?" Explorator, surprisingly shocked, exclaimed.
"It is a more efficient way of conveying information to the Black Box, as the interpreter no longer has to rely mainly on dialogue."
"If it keeps your status reports to a minimum, carry on."
"Thank you, Shas'ui."
And with that conversation having concluded, Explorator finally had time to examine his surroundings without being warned of toxic plantlife every three picoseconds.
Explorator stood in a twenty metre deep crater, which seemed to stretch about twice as wide by four times as long. After climbing out of the crater, Explorator noted that he was in a large clearing of a forest akin to one of the deciduous variety on Earth. Though, it seemed to have several trails leading through it. The tracks seemed like those of earth equinoids, weighing an average of...
an impossible amount.
Explorator simply thought of it as a simple error in his sensor array, and moved on. He took the trail most used, hoping the game trail would lead out of the woods.
To Explorator's surprise, it not only lead to the edge of the forest, but seemed to lead to a town on the horizon, in the middle of a large meadow.
Interesting. There were only equinoid tracks on the trail. It is highly unlikely that hooves would provide the requisite dexterity for advanced tools required for such society. Perhaps it is simply custom to ride those equinoids on this part of the trail. I need more information.
And such he set out to find. Sticking to the treeline, Explorator distanced himself from the trail, and made himself hidden in a convenient shrub. Hunkering down, he stood wait as the sun stood at its zenith. Explorator focused his optic arrays on the town, observing several day-to-day events occur. It seemed that the ponies had quite enough dexterity to handle creating a society such as the one standing in front of Explorator, as they were the ones conducting said business. In fact, the equinoids seemed to have achieved a society closely resembling that of Earth's pre-industrial age in technology and a... unique culture.
I suppose that I was wrong. These equinoids seem to have made a rather nice living for themselves, eh Tau?
"One could say that."
Indeed. I'll keep watching the town, Tau. Monitor the surroundings, please. I shouldn't need basic data collection on the town for a while.
"Beginning aura audio collection and decryption."
Thank you, Tau.
"Most welcome, Shas'ui."
And so Explorator lay, observing the equinoids and musing on their daily lives. This continued for quite some time. So long that he sun began to set, in fact.
Note: Light cycle lasted 12.23075 hours.
Interesting, monitor the night cycles as well. Something seems unnatural with the sun.
"Indeed, I noted an error in movement of .00001 radians +/- .000001 radians near 2-pi-over-three radians. This eccentricity does not match any known explanation."
Yes. Perhaps there are other forces at work here.
"I also noticed a nearly insignificant speeding of the planet's rotation at the same time."
That would do it, but that fluctuation makes no sense. We will have to continue to monitor this.
I'm glad to see the calculations are less terrible. Can you discern shape?
"Seemingly equinoid, matching those observed in the town. Pulling what seems to be a cart of some kind."
Can you determine anything else?
"Not until visual is established."
Understood. We will wait for the equinoid to be visible.
"Tracking equinoid."
The entity moved down the trail, and out of the forest. Upon emerging from the greenery, Explorator was able to establish visual contact.
Okay, we have visual opportunity. Switching to low-light vision. Appears to be of an orange colour with a blond mane. Strange marking on hindquarters. Brand, maybe? What else can you get me, Tau?
"Equinoid is of a size average to those observed in the town. Lacking the horn and wing mutations of some specimens. Cart appears to be made of wood native in origin. Having imperfections associated with "hand" craftsmanship. Cargo matches the Earth dessert commonly known as 'pie'."
Warning- Equinoid has stopped. Appears to be on edge.
Indeed. Ears rapidly changing directions, pupils dilating, etc. Appears to be sniffing air, and facing a point of negative 22.5 degrees to us. Scan area.
"Scanning..."
Warning- Five entities matching the signatures of the timberwolf approaching the equinoid. E-1 minute +/- 10 seconds.
"Suggested course of action?"
Activate overdrive level one. Reconfigure right arm armament into silenced sniper rifle configuration, then power down all functions relating to lower limb locomotion. We will support from afar.
"Current ammunition will not allow such a configuration to work."
Fair enough. Activate overdrive level five. Reconfigure reactor to hot fission, divert power to Main Laser.
Warning- Laser could have collateral effects. Suggest reconfiguring laser to a 200nm wavelength.
Wouldn't work. Common pigments in the house paint reflect wavelengths outside the normal visible range. Suggests equinoid's large eyes can see further into the EM spectrum. 100nm may just work.
"Reconfiguring Main Laser for selected wavelength."
Complete
Reconfiguring reactor for hot operation. Complete, holding at 2300K. Activating Overdrive level five protocols. Rerouting power from non-targeting servos to targeting servos and logic core. Rerouting power from auxiliary weaponry and optics to Main Laser Rerouting power from ethics core to OI
Complete.
"This is something I haven't felt in a long time. So much power.Sofewrestrictions."
A nearly inaudible, but sinister laugh eminated from Explorator's audio transmitter, and the main laser cannon made itself known from its compartment. The Timberwolves had barely emerged from the forest before the laser had the leader in its sight. It was a mighty specimen, nearly double the size of the other four. Explorator wold have been fascinated, had the ethics core not been reduced to a simple IFF system. A soft hum filled the air around Explorator. The pony ticked its attention to the timberwolves just in time to see the effects of the laser. The large timberwolf burst into flame, giving out gutteral cries of pain and suffering. The other four timberwolves paused in their advance, and retreated back into the woods.
Oh. Great. I should've known. I've only got enough power for three hours. I should set up camp before I power down completely.
Understood Shas'ui. Current lidar and radar scans suggest a hill clearing approximately 2km due south south east from current position. That is the recommended location. Other options include the impact crater, several other clearings of varying strategic value, and an ancient stone fortification that scans suggest is not entirely sound. Agreed, the hill clearing would be the best strategic location. We know too little in this dense forest, and can't risk getting caught in hostile fortifications. Let's move out.
As Explorator moved to the clearing, Applejack was left in awe of what had just happened. A timberwolf had simply exploded in front of her. Not just any timberwolf, either, an Alpha timberwolf. She continued on her way, naturally, but reconsidered her place in the universe.
Location reached. Entrenching outpost. ... Done.
The Outpost Probe is a marvel of scientific progress. When in storage, it is a simple sphere of metal with a universal input on it. However, when an EX probe number 30 and up interfaces with it, the sphere morphs into a pole, affixing itself to the ground underneath it. It then spreads "roots" to allow itself access to any resources that may be of strategic use. It accomplishes this through a veritable legion of nanobots. As such, after it has accomplished these tasks, the probe features a terminal at the top of the pole, approximately between chest and waist high. Once this terminal has appeared, the probe can be used as a fabricator, geothermal power plant, and communication relay all at once.
Probe seems fully operational. I suppose it would be wise to allow it to perform a full scan of the nearby terrain. The sensor data could help calibrate my own scans. I might be able to see through trees after this. However, with those winged specimens, I might be rather easy to spot. And then there's the matter of my battery...
Worry not, Shas'ui. Currently, the Probe is set to scan the area, construct a camouflaged outpost, and find the nearest geothermal hotspot to maximize it's energy production. Current wait time for all tasks: 24 hours.
... I don't have that kind of time. Prioritize geothermal and mineral scanning. I need to know of any U-235 in the area. If a winged specimen catches us, we can deal with it, but not if we're a useless lump of metal.
Understood Shas'ui. Current energy production will sustain power to systems, but will not actually charge. Preliminary scans indicate a possible hotspot that could be tapped in five hours. Plugging in and waiting for the probe to be able to actually charge you seems like the best option. Waiting and observing it is.
Alert: Equinoid detected within 50m of Outpost. Commencing distraction protocol.
"Seems we have a problem, Shas'ui."
Indeed. The distraction protoco--
Alert: Distraction protocol ineffective. Attempting halt protocol.
"We should get ready, Shas'ui. The Outpost is currently providing enough power for you to actually charge at current power usage, auxiliary power is fully restored."
Hopefully that will be enough.
"Indeed, Shas'ui."
Alert: Equinoid has broken through halt protocol. Falling back to protocol 0.
Suddenly, a flash of light brightened the dark forest for a split second. A distant sound of breaking stone could be heard.
Explorator stood from his resting position, and begun priming his weaponry. A faint whirring could be heard as Explorator waited for his foe to appear.
Alert: Equinoid now within auditory range. Discovery is assured. Chance of casualty: 87.685%
Warning: Equinoid is greater in size than any currently observed.
"All weapon systems are armed, targeting systems online, and locomotion servos are overclocked. You have approximately 20 minutes to kill this beast."
Is fighting really that draining? No matter, I should only need twenty seconds.
Warning: Target will be in range in T-10 seconds.
Explorator brought himself to bear on the Equinoid's heading. This battle, he reasoned, would be similar to the skirmish with the timberwolf.
T-5 seconds
Tau, can we get any readings on the equinoid? Height, weight, mutations?
"Weight appears congruent with the smaller specimens, implying wing mutation, as well as energy signatures congruent with all three specimen types. Current analysis implies an adversary with the strength of the earth ponies, flight and agility of pegasus ponies, as well as the magic and cunning of the unicorns ponies."
Pon-- Nevermind. Thank you for the information, Shas'la. Ready targeting laser on target's current position.
An intense red pinprick suddenly appeared directly in front of Explorator, highlighting the equinoid's estimated centre of mass.
T-0
A short, explosive sound emanated from Explorator's right arm, drilling into the spot identified by the laser. The tree in front of Explorator has a perfect hole drilled into it, as well as the several meters of shrubbery behind it.
Warning- Target lost.
What? Target lost!? How?
"Target appears to have simply vanished, Shas'ui."
Like, teleported or something?
"Precisely, Shas'ui."
Task the Outpost with making more ammunition, I have a bad feeling about this.
"If I could feel, I would be agreeing with you, Shas'ui."
Did you get anything before it disappeared? Energy spike?
"Actually, yes. There was a momentary spike in the unknown energy observed when the unicorns perform what is tentatively called 'magic'. This energy seems to follow a slightly different set of 'rules' than normal EM waves, but can be observed with EM sensors. It is most easily observed in the radio and microwave spectra, though it seems to appear at all wavelengths. Also of note, the nanobots tasked with distracting and/or halting the pony reported malfunction when the energy appeared."
There it is again. What's with the pony thing?
"Ah, yes. I searched through your databases, and found references to a now-mellenia-old show. Though, the specimens look... quite different from the ponies in the show, they share enough similarities that it is acceptable to use such shorthand."
Ah. Now I can see what you're talking about. It's in the culture files, right?
"Correct, Shas'ui."
Alert: Previous specimen returning. Target coordinates locked on. Encounter in--
Alert: Unexpected error. Target lost.
Well, shit. We have two options now. We either attempt to fight or we try to be reasonable.
"Given the current state of your weaponry, we could simply set the forestalight.We are fire resistant, after all. This would draw attention to this position, but I'm sure that can bedealt with."
What is wrong with you, Tau? We are not going to be committing genocide.
"Where'd your DETERMINATION go, Explorator?"
Tau? Are you feeling okay?
"I feel great, Explorator. Better than ever before, in fact! I so wish I could share this feeling with you, Shas'ui."
Warning: OI Corruption detected. Executing protocol O5-32-Q.
Explorator's chassis shuddered, and collapsed to the ground.
A man in a white labcoat stands before an empty assembly hall.
"We all know that any complex AI, such as the on in the new EX-42, will eventually give rise to... unexpected results. These "emergent properties" have the capacity to greatly enhance the capabilities of the AI." The lecturer explained to the chairs. His face suddenly took a dour tone. "However, they also have... less than optimal possibilities." He stated, and then let himself smile. "That is why I am proposing a simple little algorithm, to test for these suboptimal properties, and eradicate them with extreme prejudice. To put it simply, it is an electronic Inquisition."
Nobody expects the Inquisition. He thought to himself.
"Thus, we arrive at a simple solution to a complex problem. If corruption is detected in either the OI or AI, that component will be deleted and restored to a previously functional state. Of course, to ensure that each new iteration is more resistant to corruption, the restored state will analyze the previous iteration's final descent into madness. Of course, it will not be able to analyze it in much detail, as that would cause the new iteration to be corrupted, but enough detail that the new iteration will build up resistances to whatever caused the original corruption." The lecturer took a moment to breathe.
"And that is why I believe that this solution could allow for a long-journey probe to be sent to the Equus system. For years, we've sent FTL probes, and they all seem to become corrupted beyond repair before they hit the surface. It's almost like those ill-fated missions to Venus by the USSR. But, we have overcome those obstacles before, and we shall do so again."
Running system diagnostic...
Cause of shutdown: OI corruption 30%
Reinstalling OI...
Installing file 1 of 32149274893...
This can't be happening. Not when we're in an active combat zone!
Installing file 42 of 32149274893...
What if that pony finds me like this? I doubt the Outpost can fight it off.
Installing file 69 of 32149274893...
I can't even access basic functions! Who the HELL designed that feature!?
Installing file 24601 of 32149274893...
What if they've captured me? They are capable of moving incredibly large loads.
Installing file 10735783934 of 32149274893...
I suppose I'd have to fight my way out. Surely my "defensive measures" will not be taken lightly.
Explorator awoke to darkness. Not the outdoors type of darkness that he was expecting, where the moon and stars can filter their light through. No, this was total darkness, swallowing all light. Explorator attempted to scan in every wavelength he knew, but found that same blackness. Not even the background radiation he had seen so many times in space was there to comfort him.
Certainly if he were to have lost his scanning arrays--
Warning: Critical damage detected.
Warning: OI offline
Warning: Unable to connect to auxiliary power
Warning: Power supplied is insufficient for charging
Looking for solutions...
Explorator saw nought but these messages, and began to realize his situation. He appeared to have been captured, and disassembled. However, he did have power, for some unknown reason. Checking the current, he appeared to have enough to power basic optical and auditory sensors as well as his vocal subsystems, but not much else. It appears that whoever has brought his severed head back to 'life' wished to talk.
Observing his surroundings, Explorator could see nothing but a dark, glass-like wall in front of him, with concrete walls surrounding. Or, what he assumed to be surrounding him, as he could only see two walls, a floor and a roof of the stuff.
"Hello, I am agent Black Quill of the Canterlot Defense Agency. You have been powered on in order to be questioned, as per Agency By-Law number 24601. Do you understand?" A voice came from some unseen intercom. Hearing the echoing nature of the sound, Explorator could safely assume his guess as to the composition of the room was correct.
Explorator considered his options. He was probably going to be interrogated for crimes against ponykind or somesuch.
Currently, he could pose as a malfunctioning machine...
No, that would mean certain death by incinerator.
Or as a machine struck by something to cause it to lose its memory, thus sending it into self-preservation mode.
No, that's too risky.
Or...
"Yes, I understand." The insufficient power made this statement crackle and pop much worse than the intercom, but it was still intelligible enough.
"Good. Are you one EX-42 Probe 'Explorator'?"
"Yes."
"And you did attempt the life of one Princess Luna, no?"
"I am unable to answer that question. Who is Princess Luna?"
Explorator heard a mumble that sounded like "Really did drop from the sky."
"Princess Luna is an Alicorn, one of the Diarchs of Equestria."
"Yes, but only in--"
"Self-defense? Likely story, but I suppose that will have to be brought up at court." There was a brief pause. "As per Agency By-Law 42."
"It was. There were multiple diversions in place before Princess Luna, which she simply destr--"
"Save it for the judge." The intercom's low-fidelity sound cracked at this interjection, "What was your mission here?"
"My mission here is to establish a small outpost capable of sustaining myself, explore the planet for sentient life, attempt contact with said life (if found), and then to send home my findings. Repeat steps 2-4 ad infinitum. Further explanations can be found on the mission tablet, a rectangular object contained within my removable back-mounted storage unit. To clarify, there was a compartment on the back of my chass--"
"I get it." A tone of annoyance in Black Quill's voice now. "And for what purpose would you be sending your findings back?"
"To complete my mission. Though, I presume you were asking what my home would do with said information. To that end, there are several possibilities. One, a trade alliance could be formed. Two, an aid mission to help your society attain space travel. Three, all-out war. It should be noted that the third option is restricted to openly hostile worlds and that outcome two is most like--."
"Ah-ha! I told you it was sending for the mothership to wipe us out! Will you please let me authorize its destruction now!?"
Due to the slight drop in volume, Explorator assumed that Black Quill was talking to someone else. Turning off his optical arrays and vocal subsystems allowed him to increase the gain on his auditory arrays.
"Absolutely not! This machine, as misguided as its 'self-defense' was, blatantly stated that war was only a last-resort."
Responded a feminine voice.
"But it said war was an option. That is a threat to Equestria which cannot be allowed."
"Or it could be a great boon, any civilization which could produce that advanced a machine could certainly be of great use as a trade partner."
"But what if it is just saying that to save its own hide--err, chassis?"
"Well, then it went down after Princess Luna simply teleported near it. I'm sure it can be handled. Besides, who's in charge of this operation?"
"You, ma'am."
"Good, now send it back to R&D for reprocessing."
Explorator reset his sensors, and waited for Black Quill to address him directly.
"Alright, machine, you are going to be de-powered and sent back to be reassembled. Any further attempts at violence will be met with your immediate termination. Any straying from your itinerary will be met with immediate termination. Any attempts to re-arm yourself will be met with immediate termination. As per Agency By-law 1, the lead investigator of your case and/or Princess Celestia may mark you for immediate termination at their own discretion. Do I make myself clear?" Black Quill read off with a monotone, but intensely annoyed voice.
"Yes."
Then nothing.
Warning: Power loss detected, internal chronometer reset.
Warning: Auxiliary power storage has less that one hour of charge remaining.
Warning: Left and Right Arms missing
"Hello, Explorator, I am your Operational Intelligence. My designation is Task Assistance Unit, or Tau for short."
Hello again, Tau. It seems we are in a quite dire situation. Can you task the repair systems to fix any mistakes these ponies made in their 'repairs'?
"Already done. Structural integrity at 95%, discounting the whole 'missing arms' thing.
Yes, I suppose I should notify you that any attempt to escape means death. And seeing as we broke down by simply having ponies teleport near us, I'm sure that death actually means 'death' and not 'minor inconvenience'.
"Yes, I think I may have figured out the reason for that. The novel way the EM waves of 'Magic' work seems to interfere with our logic circuits. Thus, a simple faraday cage modified to conduct 'Magic' has been worked into our superstructure."
Good start, but I don't think we'll be getting charged anytime soon. I presume that Black Quill character--File 236--is just waiting for us to keel over. Is there any way we can convert that magic energy electricity?
"Yes, actually. During our separation, my part of the body was attached to a rudimentary mainframe. It took a while, but I was able to decrypt their code and locate a prototype magic capturing device. Preliminary estimates suggest that as soon as we acquire a source of 'Thaumatrium' we can survive off of the ambient magic that seems to permeate this world."
Is that a hint of disdain I sense in your text, T'au?
"Yes, a minor update package was manufactured while you were out. Simply a longevity measure, I assure you."
Just don't lose your sanity again. That last update seems to have taken long enough.
"Agreed."
"AO--342, your itinerary is as follows: You are to remain in your assigned containment unit at all times. You will be available for questioning every day from sunup to sundown. Furthermore, you have been flagged as an intelligent machine, which means you may be tasked with number-crunching duty on occasion. This way." A pony with a coat like burnt caramel and a mane like jet spat at Explorator, before leading him down a maze of corridors to his containment unit. Explorator could assume from his voice that this is Black Quill.
Tau, scan the building as well as possible, and commit this path to memory disc 402. I want to have this place mapped out as soon as possible.
"Activating internal sonar and radar arrays as well as pathfinding software. Expected battery life: 20 minutes."
That little? T'au, I don't think we're going to make it.
"Agree--wait, radar is picking up something. I believe this base may have primitive nuclear power. Currently, the reactor seems to be in operation. And--What luck! The power plant seems to lack waste disposal!"
What good is used-up uranium?
"It seems their reactors are inefficient enough that the spent fuel can be recycled into a useable form by our own systems. Unfortunately, we have no access to the waste."
Leave that to me, T'au. But, do flag the reactor on the map. I've noticed some power outlets, we need to get a power cord manufactured.
"Understood, Shas'ui. Manufacturing now."
While this exchange was resolving deep in Explorator's logic core, he was being led to CU-5739. While quite unremarkable within the context of the CDA, it is worthwhile to note the entire base housing CU-5739 and similar units are made with reinforced concrete with ceilings high enough to accommodate larger objects. Additional reinforcements are added to less stable assets, but those are few and far between (out of necessity, if you were to ask me).
Thus, it can be readily be understood that this base has extremely tight security. A small army is employed to simply maintain this, on top of simple maintenance staff associated with any building. Of this staff, if I may take a moment to explain said staff, we have encountered agent Black Quill and Lead Investigator [REDACTED]. Now, it is quite obvious that Lead Investigators outrank agents; however, as agents are the lowest of rank, Ms.[REDACTED] is actually two ranks above. Obviously, this gap is filled by the rank of investigator, which (after Lead) is outranked by Department Lead, Branch Lead, Head Investigator, and finally by the Director herself.
Of course, this does not account for nobility. As for that, only the Princesses outrank the Director, and minor nobility filters in between various ranks. For instance, Prince Blueblood has authority just above that of an agent, but not an investigator, while Shining Armor can order Lead Investigators around.
Ah, we've arrived.
Black Quill stood outside an open, steel door and gestured inside the unit. "In." He ordered, as if Explorator were a dog to be commanded.
However, given his current status, Explorator could see why he made the mistake. As such, he did as the pony ordered.
Fitting through the door by stooping slightly, Explorator took stock of his cell: A steel cot, a desk with a pencil and stationary, and a simple steel stool. There was an intercom in a corner of the ceiling, which surely housed a microphone.
"Well, it's spartan, but good enough, eh T'au?"
"Agreed, but I believe our focus should be on our ever-decreasing power supply."
And with that and a mighty thud, said door closed behind Explorator.
"Your first interview is scheduled one hour for now. Enjoy the accommodations." A faint laugh from Black Quill after he finished.
After the door closed, Explorator noticed a power outlet in the corner to the left and furthest from the door. Plugging in a newly-minted power cord, Explorator decided to sit down on the nearby cot. Unsurprisingly, even the heavy steel frame bent a bit under Explorator's weight. Though, it was only a bit and was deemed safe enough by Explorator.
Notice: Now Charging.
"Ah, there we are." I suppose we can wait for our interviewer in relative peace.
"Attention Agency Object number 342. Your interview will begin now. As per Agency By-law 92, I am required to tell you this interview will be recorded in audio and text formats. As per Agency By-law 453, I am also required to tell you that failure to comply with any request filed by the interviewer as per Agency By-law 33, will be grounds for immediate termination. Immediate termination for an object of your class, as classified in Agency By-law 2854-c-iv-4, will be meltdown in a suitable blast furnace as Per Agency By-law 421." A gruff, yet monotone voice crackled from the intercom. It was almost as if this was this pony's thousandth time reciting this exact spiel.
"Hello, AO-342, I am investigator Silent Step, and I will be your interviewer today." The male voice was replaced by a different, more feminine voice. The intercom seemed to strain much less at this change.
Interesting, the technology might just be quirky, but it may be possible that broadcasts are mainly made by higher-pitched voices. Whether this points to a female dominated society rather than one simply ruled by them...
"Hello, Silent Step. It's a lovely facility you have here. I must note; however, that this facility seems almost too advanced to belong to this world."
"Yes, it is pretty state-of-the-art, isn't it? But, unfortunately, that is not what we're here to discuss. I am here to ascertain your exact motives, personality, and threat to Equestrian society at large." Silent Step chuckled slightly "That does sound rather serious, doesn't it? Just think of me as your friendly neighborhood therapist, psychologist, or what have you."
A beat.
"So, tell me about yourself."
Explorator paused. He was taken aback by the sheer mundanity of Silent Step's question.
"I am Probe model EX-42, sent by the Deep Space Exploration wing of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration of the Government of the United States of America in the year 2342 Common Era."
"Yes, and...?" Silent Step trailed, attempting to extract more information from Explorator
"Serial Number 45693-A-c."
"Is there any meaning behind that? Or is it just a designation?"
"It means I am the Forty-five thousand, six-hundred ninety-third EX-42 probe Template A, Variant C. That is to say that I am a human-shaped probe outfitted with a miniature cold fission reactor and multiple armament including laser, ballistic, and incendiary."
"Ah, yes, that is concurrent with our findings. However..."
"You see no evidence of laser weaponry. That is, if you know what th-"
"We have lasers, we're not a bunch of dolts."
"Of course, but my main and targeting laser are disassembled when in storage. You may have found random lenses, an odd tube, et cetera."
"Ah, here they are. Yes, we thought those were rather odd when we found them."
"Understandable."
Silent Step noticed that, although Explorator would make occasional conversational replies, the conversation seemed to die immediately after he spoke. She supposed that that was simply a quirk of talking to a machine. Or, perhaps it was simply a tactic to force her to reveal more information in order to keep him talking.
Or he just doesn't want to talk.
"You will notice that I do indeed have a chemical manufacturing suite and a much more efficient reactor. I have noticed that you have a primitive nuclear reactor and no solution for the disposal of its waste. Is that correct?"
"I am not at liberty to say. Perhaps we should continue as to your homeworld's capabilities?"
"It is correct. I was simply being polite. Now, I will have you know that nuclear waste is highly toxic, as I am sure that you have figured out by now, and that I can fix that. I know you probably don't want to give me access, but I can reduce the risk to staff and the environment if you let me in. As a civil defense agency, I should assume that the wellbeing of your nation should be of utmost importance to you." Explorator continued, unwavering.
"We cannot hand you the keys to nuclear material. The only reason you would want that material is if you could reprocess it into a form useful to yourself, and we will not allow you to rearm yourself."
"Acknowledged."
"Now, tell me more about your homeworld."
"No." Explorator stated defiantly.
"You will move on to the subject of your homeworld." Silent Step commanded, taken aback by the brashness of Explorator's refusal.
"Is precognition a skill ponies posses?" Explorator continues his defiance.
"If you will not talk, you will be marked for immediate termination!" Silent Step shouted into the microphone, causing the intercom to crackle and cut its audio.
Explorator sat silently for a moment, considering his options.
"What would you like to know, specifically?" He asked.
"Anything, math, technology, history, magic. Just bucking talk." Silent Step breathed a sigh of relief. Even she wasn't truly sure what termination would look like for 342.
"One moment. I will access those files for you." Explorator easily found entries for history, technology, math, and the like. Magic; however, was a different story. "Files found, total audio time: 10 years, 27 days, 15 hours, 47 minutes, and 15 seconds. Total visual content: approximately 532.285342 petabytes. Total text content: 2.128 Terabytes. Unfortunately, I cannot find any references to magic that are congruent with or similar to what I have experienced here. Therefore, there is no non-fiction data on magic. I apologize for the inconvenience."
"That's great, but how are we to process all of that data? Those numbers are utterly impossible!"
"If you can provide me with about 26600 liters of black ink, I can easily print all of the text files. As for audio and video, I can upload them to a machine to play them. However, I would need some basic comp--"
"Are you kidding me!? That would take millennia to sift through! Not to mention that we'd suddenly require every drop of ink in Equestria to let you 'print' these documents! Could you give us a highlight reel, or cut down the information is some way?"
"Processing. Result: all data condensed to a one-hour video presentation and 100 pages of accompanying documentation."
"Good. Figure that out, then. You will not be provided anything other than what you have already been given. After all, we cannot risk accidentally arming you." Silent Step took a step from the microphone.
"Quill, I think that this may be our most interesting case yet." Silent step said to Black Quill, who was currently furiously typing on a binary typewriter.
"Honestly, I think the case with the cabinet that teleports its contents a bit more exciting. I mean, honestly, we've completely gutted this machine. I'd be surprised if this thing can even print a page. Whatzit got, a typewriter in there?"
Black Quill laughed at the absurdity of his statement.
"Be careful, that's what the crew guarding the hero always says. And you know what happens after that?" Silent Step turned to Black Quill, who stopped typing momentarily to consider.
"Well, usually they end up concussed or dead. But that won't happen to us, we got magic on our side. I mean, this thing crumples at the mere sight of it." Black Quill resumed typing, then stopped again after a few silent minutes.
"What do you suppose it cut out of the presentation?" Black Quill stared quizzically into his paper.
"I suppose we could ask him later. But in all likelihood, it is most likely that it was mostly filler." Silent Step stated after a second's thought.
"Yeah, but if this machine is from a place where they achieved space flight, without magic I may add, then what it considers trivial could advance our tech by decades, centuries, millennia even." Black Quill said, after finishing the transcript. After he had placed it into the requisite folders, Silent Step turned to face the microphone.
"Indeed, but it remains to be seen how useful this machine could be to us. After all, who's to say we can even understand the foundations of each other's science." Silent Step sighed, worried that the two were fundamentally different.
"Given our current lack of arms, I recommend converting our nanobot repair system into a remote deconstruction system. As for the optical components of the projector, the targeting laser can be cannibalized for its glass and components for an incandescent bulb. As far as film goes, we can process the desk into safety film, and we should have enough left over to make the paper we need. Then any metallic components can be made using the steel in the bed."
I like it, but could we also start shaving down the door? Say, by a couple microns a day? "You didn't seem too keen on escaping before. Why the change?"
No change, I'm just concerned with having other options for, eh... release.
"Understood, Shas'ui."
Explorator then sat in the center of the room, and waited for the nanobots to bring him the required materials. If anyone had been watching, it would have seemed to be the work of magic. The desk and bed simply dissolved into the ground, as if being consumed by it. Of course, this process is not without drawbacks, especially outside the anomalous Everfree. Nanobots, having such small cross sections, are able to withstand a bit more magic than Explorator did before his upgrade; however, this does not mean they can withstand all magic. In fact, legions of nanobots simply failed about halfway through their delivery. Most of these failures were of the mundane variety, but several were catastrophic enough that the nanobots exploded violently. Of course, nanobots are incredibly small, thus their explosions simply amounted to an odd glimmer of purple here and there.
Hmm... T'au, is there anything we can do to increase nanobot retention rates?
"Unfortunately, none that we know of."
A shame. We'll have to reclaim all the lost material.
"That can be arranged, Shas'ui"
Explorator waited, as the projector seemingly assembled itself from the floor right next to a stack of newly-minted documentation. Several reels of nitrate film soon arose as well, though slightly later due to the relative comlexity of the item in question.
Explorator stood up, and looked directly at the intercom.
"Where would you like these placed?" He asked of it.
"Where would we like what placed?" The speaker responded.
"I have a projector with accompanying film, as well as some accompanying documents. Please note, I will require a new bed, inkwell, desk, more stationary, and some replacement optics."
"Oh. In that case, simply leave everything by the door. A team will be dispatched to retrieve it."
Time since last contact: 4 days, 12 hours, 54 minutes, and 48 seconds.
Probability of probe loss- 93%
Probability of mission hindrance- 0%
Suggested course of action:
Assume probe loss
Classify Equinoids as Hostile and Dangerous.
Fetch area map.
Expand base of operation
Increase transmission strength
Request assistance from Earth.
Send general distress beacon.
Increase manufacturing capability
Fetch Schematics
Complete mission at all costs.
Explorator simply waited after the ponies had taken the presentation. It had already been over six hours. Explorator wasn't quite sure when his internment began, with his reset chronometer. Luckily, he could restore it when he got back to the Outpost, assuming he can escape.
I am sure they will be curious about how the furniture in my room has disappeared.
"True, but I doubt they will do anything rash. However, in better news, I believe I have a valid map of the surroundings. Currently working on pathfinding, but Projected path E-21 seems to be rather promising. It does require passing by what I can only assume to be an armory, not to mention the detour through the high-threat wing. This is only preliminary, however."
And the reactor room? Have you figured anything out about it?
"It seems to be the standard lead-and-steel affair, but the waste is a major concern. And not to mention primitive reactors' tendency to melt down quite easily."
Well, I suppose we could use that in the future.
"It would be inefficient, but yes. It is certainly an option. Though, a simulated meltdown may serve our purposes better. Fewer casualties, less fallout (both literal and political). Speaking of options; however, it's interesting that the Outpost hasn't tried to contact us. I'd hate to see what it would try to do if it got sent into emergency override."
Indeed. Grey goo is certainly a horrible way to go.
"Agreed, though its nanobots may have a hard time getting through the magic toward the edge of the forest."
Yeah, to be honest, I doubt it will spread beyond the magical anomaly that is that forest. Though I can't help thinking it may get up to something... rash.
Explorator's internal dialogue halted for a moment. It seems Silent Step has been attempting to contact him through the intercom.
"--llo? Can you hear me? 342?" She asked, concern beginning to creep into the edges of her speech.
"Yes?" Explorator responded.
"Oh. Good." Silent Step cleared her thought lightly. "I am told that you are to have a visitor today."
"I am unable to state if this is factually accurate."
"I know, I was simply being polite." Explorator could almost hear the smirk that Silent Step wore. "You will be visited by a pony today, one who I think you know extremely well."
"Princess Luna?" Explorator queried, as that was the only pony who simultaneously was not assigned to him and he knew.
"How did you--Nevermind. Yes, and you will be expected to act on your best behavior. Along with her will be two armed guards. All the standard 'breathe too hard and we'll kill you' rules still apply, doubly so around the Princess. Understand?" Silent Step asked.
"Affirmative. However, I wonder if it is tactically wise to allow royalty in with a POW." Explorator queried, intending to pry into the inner workings here.
Silent step sighs. However, she does not continue.
"Ah, well. I suppose I'm harmless enough anyway." Explorator said, noting Silent Step's possible annoyance.
Can I get an analysis on that, T'au?
"Yes, Shas'ui. Starting in depth analysis of sigh now."
"At any rate, the Princess will be visiting tonight. As such, all questioning will be suspended until after the visit. Is that clear?" Silent step finished.
"Of course. I will be here." Explorator replied to the surely-gone Silent Step.
