The Doctor chased after me.

"You never told me your name," I said to him while in the lift. "I've just been referring to you mentally as 'the Doctor' for quite some time now."

"That's because Doctor is my name. Doctor Whooves. What was your name?"

"I used to be called Potato Mash, but I don't know what my name is now."

"It's ROBoCORN."

"What?"

"ROBoCORN. Robotic Organism Built of Cybernetic/Organic-Related Networks."

"That's my name?"

"Technically, yes, but you can always take a nickname."

"Hmmm..."

"You are the first pony to ever emerge from robotization alive. Just thought I'd throw that out there."

“Then that's what I'll be called. Cyberpony 001.”

"Sort of a long one. Do you mind if I just call you Number One?"

"Not at all."

I wondered about the life I now had ahead of me. Overseeing more robotization procedures didn't sound good for my mind’s fragile state. It would be a while before I would be able to even step into the medical wing without becoming uneasy.

Whooves continued to talk. “So, Number One, how do you feel?”

“Having a computer in my nose is strange,” I said.

“I would imagine so. What about your eye?”

“It works. It’s weird, though. The Equestria Science logo is constantly in the corner of my vision.”

“A small side effect.”

“But now, I notice everything about what I see.”

“Please, do elaborate.”

I looked at him. “Your laboratory coat is soaked with blood – my blood – and is irredeemable. Unlike all the other medical staff, you cover your cutie mark with your coat, which leads me to believe that you're not part of the medical profession. Finally, judging by the bags under your eyes, the robotization procedure takes several days to complete.”

“All very true. I'm not the doctor of medicine you took me to be during the operation. I am a researcher and programmer working on the most advanced AI systems in this facility. And yes, the operation took about four days.”

“If you're a programmer, then why were you leading the experiment?”

“Equestria Science hired me as a programmer. I studied biology as well as computer engineering some time ago. When Cranky decided to have us create living robots, he put me in charge of the initiative. Before I could build anything, I had to know how ponies responded in certain situations. Testing was already going on, so at first I observed live ponies going through the chambers. After a few days of watching them test, I realized that the pony brain was far too complex to artificially recreate with accuracy. That's when I got the idea of implanting an existing natural brain into the robotics.

“At first, I tried completely removing the brain and spine from a pony and putting them into a robotic body. The brain died during the transfer, and the experiment was ruined. I tried again a few more times, but every single time, somehow the living tissue became unfit for the transplant.

“That's when I took a different approach. Instead of bringing the brain to the robotics, why not bring the robotics to the brain? My first attempt was a complete failure. The unfortunate patient died after the first treatment. So, I brought in more test subjects. Everypony I tried to completely roboticize either died during the process or shortly after. I turned to partial robotization to use as a stepping stone to eventually reach my goal. Several failed attempts later, Cranky gave you to me.”

“And that's how I was made,” I said. “The product of other ponies' misery and pain.”

“No...” Whooves started to say.

“Don't lie to me. You know what I said is true.”

“All right, I admit that you are. But that doesn't change how I look at you.”

“Does it? Can you look me in the eye – my real eye – and say that?”

He faced me and stared into my eye. “Just because you came into being at a great cost of pony life doesn't mean that I look upon you with disdain.”

The elevator reached our destination and slid open. Doctor Whooves and I stepped out into Cranky Doodle donkey's office.

“Ah, Doctor! I want to speak with you. But first, let me congratulate you for your success! This certainly is a momentous occasion. I take it that this is the product of your hoofwork,” Cranky said, pointing at me.

“Yes sir, Mr. Doodle. This is ROBoCORN,” the Doctor said.

“Would you mind telling me what that means?” the old donkey asked.

“Robotic Organism Built of Cybernetic/Organic-Related Networks. Basically, he's half pony, half robot.”

I stared straight ahead. I didn't let any emotions show on my face as both the Doctor, who had done everything he could to keep me alive, and Cranky, the donkey Princess Celestia sent me to watch, referred to me as they would a newly built robot. It was painful, but the pain was emotional this time.

“Have you programmed him yet?”

“Not yet,” said the Doctor. “I have decided to test his systems before putting him to work.”

“And?”

“All tests so far are all positive. His flight and portal capabilities have yet to be used.”

“Portal capabilities?”

“Between the second and third phases of his robotization, the other scientists installed portal technology into his horn. I connected it to his CPU when I reconstructed his face. If it works, he will be able to shoot portals from his horn without the use of a hoof-held portal device.”

“I see. Well, take him down to the tech bay to finish testing him. If all goes well, give him his programming.”

The Doctor turned to leave. “Come on, ROBoCORN. Let's get you fully operational,” he said. I turned around. The two of us left Cranky and got into the lift.

When the door closed and we began moving, I spoke. “And you said you didn't look at me like I was just your creation. Lies!”

Whooves flinched. “Please, let me explain!”

I ignored his words. “From what you told Cranky in there, I could tell that you cared almost nothing for me! You're worse than everypony else! I trusted you, and what do you do? Exactly the opposite of what you say!”

“Just calm down...”

“Calm down? CALM DOWN?”

“OS! Suspend all motor functions!” he shouted at me. I instantly froze. I tried to move, but no matter how hard I pushed myself, it was impossible.

“Listen. Just listen. I had to act like that in front of Cranky. If he thought that I wasn't in control of you, he would have thrown you into chamber 75 and told me to start all over again.”

I would have shuddered if I could have. Test chamber 75 was the death trap. Eight turrets aimed at the entrance of the chamber slaughtered anypony who entered.

“I also preprogrammed you to stand there expressionless. I'm sorry, but it was for your safety.”

I tried to speak, but all that came out was muffled noise. My mouth was closed.

“OS, resume motor functions,” he said. I finally could move again.

“Okay. I forgive you. Just tell me next time you're going to do something like that,” I said.

“Now that that's cleared up, let's go through the list of system tests, shall we?”

“I see no reason not to.”

“One, motor control. Check. Two, vision. Check. Three, emotions. Check.”

“Wait, emotions?”

“It's so we know that your brain is in control of your body instead of the computer alone. Four, programming. Check. Five, flight. We'll test your wings in the tech bay. Six, other. Your portal horn. Also going to be tested in the tech bay.”

We waited in silence for a few minutes. The Doctor rechecked the list while I discovered the command console for my computer. It was a mental image that I could interact with. I spent the next twenty seconds figuring out how to paralyze myself and another two minutes trying to undo it.

“I see that you've found out how to use your computer, but I don't think being able to force yourself to stop moving will be helpful in many situations. Here, think 'set eye infrared'.”

I did, and Doctor Whooves became a glowing mass of red, yellow, and green bands. I looked down at my hooves. They were cold blues and purples that sharply contrasted with the green and yellow of my skin.

“Now try 'set eye standard'.” The world returned to normal.

“How does that work? I thought my eyes were directly connected to my brain.”

“They were, until phase three. I reconnected your optic nerves so that the images go to the computer first. Usually, both images are transmitted to the brain, but if the artificial eye's setting is not 'standard', then only its image is sent to the brain. This prevents you from seeing in two different electromagnetic categories at once.”

“I didn't know you did that much to me.”

“It was a necessary part of the procedure.” The elevator doors slid open. “Well, Number One, time to see what you can do.”

Author's Note

Sorry about the long wait! I'm a notoriously slow writer. On the plus side, I do have a draft done for chapter 3!