Chapters Nanotechnology, the reason the Borg had been so successful in assimilation. It's also the reason you can't be rid of them until you burn all of them to ash.
Critical damage
Scanning for other drones
0 Detected
No assistance possible
Drone #1 undergoing self repair
The drone was in a room of rock carved under Canterlot to be used in researching this strange creature that had almost brought about the death of the Equine Kind.
"Seal the room! It's skull is reforming on it's own!" Exclaimed a stallion scientist. "It's eye is showing that beam again!" Another mare screamed. The ponies ran out the room. Followed by two guards sealing a huge stone in place over the door. Then placing magical barriers over it. Holding there as the drone stood.
It was surrounded by a biolab, some of its augmentations lay on the tables nearby, its powerful augmented arm had been removed.
Self Repair
______________
"I'm telling you doctor I've never felt the TARDIS lurch like that." Said a flustered Roseluck* "Hmm? A pony with a sand timer across his sides looked up from touching a few switches and knobs. "It's fine, it was probably just the CyberPonies we just jumped from." A large bang from outside the door was heard, the brown earth pony looked toward the door. "That! Is not suppose to happen. Nope nope, not possible. We are moving through time and no one can be there!" He chimed.
But the thought of something wrong bunched in his thoughts. "Ohhhh fine." He swiveled his head over the console forward of him, pressing buttons with his hooves. The room lurched and stopped moving altogether, followed by the ding from outside. The Doctor pony quickly went to the door opening to look. Before him was a alley in Canterlot at night, albeit it looked like there was more dust than usual. "Can't be anything was vaporized right?" He looked around quickly before his eyes landed on a spoon on the ground forward of him. "Ah! A space spoon got stuck on my door with the uhh...Magnetical thinge in the TARDIS...Could have sworn I fixed that." He picked up the spoon, closed the door and the pony box disappeared.
What he hadn't seen was the stunned CyberPony that had fallen on it's back on the other side of the ponybox. It was of silver looking make. "Doctor...The doctor is gone." It sat up, it's mission failed. It had been told to hold on and ambush that stupid brown pony when he came out of the box. But when it stopped he didn't expect the sudden light change, it's eyes only now just readjusting. "Mission Failed." It said plainly before scanning around him, finding an empty alley with ponies walking about in a large street forward of him, though only few.
It had only taken a few seconds for the metal contraption to find a door to the back of a store to break in. As is stepped through the new splintered wood that was the door it found an empty shop. It scanned around, it was behind the selling counter of a donut shop. A sigh nearby identified it as "Donuts Joe's" place. The CyberPony made it's way to the front of the shop to look out into the street, it was a shopping street. Deserted and bare, he unlatched the front door and stepped outside. "Power source required to rebuild." It said out-loud to no one in particular, it's metal eyes moving down the road. It looked down to its right arm as if looking at the time. A slot opened up and showed a circular radar, now showing only one faint blip leading to the castle at the center of the city.
The CyberPony went to walk down the street down to the side, adopting a minimal noise making program. Making its way to this castle to take advantage of what was probably their only source of power. The moon was in the sky, the stars brighter than usual, the sky was content and quite bright that night. The city was bathing in the light, beams going into windows, showing dust particles in the rooms. Peaceful, save one street where a suction cup sound was emanating as a CyberPony walked down the street. A singular colt looking out his window before saying something muffled from the window that amounted to "Fallout: Equestria Armor!" (Quote is not Canon)
The Cyborg paid no mind however, his trek to the castle near done. The wall in sight up the street, two guards stood with long spears on each side of the now closed doors. As the Cyborg reached the door the two guards lowered their spears. "The Princesses and Elements are sleeping, you missed the speech by five hours bud. Take off that costume and go home." The guard on the left said, his eyes narrowing. "We are called Cybermen." It said, stopping its walk to look at the two. "You will become like us, you will be upgraded." The guards both took defencive stances. "Look here! Ain't no tinfoil enchanted to look like steel gonna intimidate us! We already had a bad day, what with them things!"
The standoff only lasted a few seconds before the Cyborg responded. "Upgrading is compulsory." The guard on the right quickly responded. "What do you mean by that?" The drone looked to him. "You are compatible. You are intelligent. You will be given a better body, remove emotion." Neither guard responded. "Would you not want that? A life with emotion? A life without pain?"
"No, I like how I am now!" The one on the left exclaimed before charging the drone. "You are not compatible. Delete! Delete! Deleeete!
"Delete! " The CyberPony was roaring out over and over, raising its metal foreleg, a small particle weapon popping out and shooting haphazardly fired comets of energy. The guard who had charged was hit by the first volley, incinerating on contact. The ash fell to the ground as the second guard tried to yelp for help before the cyborg knocked him with a forehoof by the muzzle, applying a sedative gas through its hoof for him to fall. "You will be kept for upgrading." The CyberPony said before dropping the limp guard and walking up to the door blocking his access.
He raised his hooves to the door. "Obstructions will be removed." It said before pressing with tremendous force, the wood bar holding the gate shut on the other side snapping like a man would snap a thick branch with his knee. The crack was quick, though none in the area seemed to care. Not many guards must have been on duty...
The door was open, leaving a dust pile and unconscious pony on the ground behind it, the drone strode into the gardens of the outer palace. Moving past a statue still draped in festive colorful streamers from the earlier party. The drone looked down at its foreleg to see the radar, it was standing right where the power source should be, but it was surrounded by flowers and cobble paths. It scanned its eyes over the area, switching to a vision setting suitable to finding electrical circuits.
It only took a few moments for it to look down and see a humanoid shape moving about between small components that also flared with electrical currents. "Unknown species..?" The CyberPony made to walk through the castle grounds to find stairs down, switching to its sonic radar similar to a bat to find them, though using a frequency organic ears could not detect. It walked into a side door of the palace inside from the garden, heading for what it saw was in fact the way.
The mass of metal had to make its way through the palace without being seen. Taking huge detours to bypass guards it saw on its sonar, its steps making large suction sound due to the hydraulic system used in locomotion.
Its trek bore fruit after many minutes of moving around the expansive blocky structure, the staircase had been hidden behind a flap of textile art, and even then a door of strong oak blocked the drone's way. No obstacle however, it came down easy. The real challenge was going down the steep steps of the stairs, although a large clanking racket was heard from the hallway upstairs the drone later promised that it had not infact, fallen down the stairs after the first three steps. (Not Canon)
Upon reaching the bottom the drone was met with a hallway of long length and a curve right at the end, as it marched toward this curve his footsteps carried loudly down the hall. Almost immediately a large, strong looking buck dressed in silver guard armor stepped around the corner, yelling. "Just hold the wards on that stone! Whatever this intruder is doing is going to be dealt with."
"Please step aside and submit to an upgrade." The buck looked at the CyberPony standing two pony lengths away. "What are you? Some sort of crappy cosplay of what we're keeping here eh?" The CyberPony stood for a moment, processing the stallion's words. "Explain, there is another CyberPony here?" The guard lowered into a battle ready stance, pulling a short sword into his mouth from a sheath on his back. "Ain't no one getting through, what's being kept here ain't got no name we know. You should know what the buck it is, darn things almost destroyed the city almost hours ago! Get out of here! I don't know how you got here but I'll kick yer flank if you get any closer to Patient Zero."
The CyberPony jumped forward, lashing its metal hoof into the bucks armored jaw. The crunch resounded through the chamber as he fell to the ground in agony, holding his face with his hooves as he tried to take the now bend helmet away from his face. A gasp was heard from around the bend, followed by the sound a of unicorn horn flaring up it's magic. A bolt flew on the wall at the bend. "Stay back!" A mare voice said. "I'm trained and authorized to kill anyone who tried to enter this chamber beyond!" A thud was heard from the bend, followed by the sound of a laser burning through something.
"Oh crap!" The mare yelled out as the CyberPony rounded the corner to see a large rock carved out by laser to fit a humanoid, with a heavily armored unicorn looking back at the stone with horrified eyes. The carving finished before the CyberPony could react, the rock fell from the cutting area to reveal a green and black metal monster of machine and organic material, cybernetic eye shooting out a beam of red to pinpoint where it had it's sight on. "We are the Borg, you will be assimilated."
The mare was repeating the same words over and over. "This can't be happening. This can't be happening. This can't be happening. " she hyperventilated under her armor before turning and galloping, trying to shove past the CyberPony. "You will be upgraded." The drone said as it turned it's head to the Borg drone. "Identify yourself." It said as it threw a hoof out and contacted with the circular area of the horn where it began on the forehead. Causing the mare to fall to the ground in pain, her skull obviously disagreeing with such torment. The Borg drone was busy identifying the CyberPony for itself.
Unknown Species detected
Scanning Data
Scanning lifeform
No match
Species is designated #12703
"You will be assimilated, your biological and technological distinctiveness will be added to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile." The CyberPony responded. "CyberPonies have no concept of culture. You are designated as Borg. Explain intent."
The Borg drone was sifting through data at a rapid pace when it was interrupted. "My scans show you are self powered, and alone in this city. Our technologies are compatible, be with us." The Borg responded. "You will be assimilated." It said, raising its augmented arm while moving toward the CyberPony.
"You were contained by a pony using magic. You are inferior without one of knowledge on how to bypass." The drone stopped its advance. "I can provide information of how to defeat pony magic in exchange for your power-technology. Self-Powered CyberPonies would be unstoppable." To which the response was "You will be assimilated." The CyberPony seemed to think a moment. "If you advance further I will delete my knowledge of pony magic, by definition assimilation cannot retain information that does not exist."
The Borg again stopped, answering. "An alliance is enacted." It said, putting a small data chip on a table nearby. "This contains self-reenergizing technology from species #1012 in response you will provide information of species #12702's weakness." The CyberPony seemed content. "You will be given the data." It picked up the chip, copying the data to its memory storage and having it implanted into the suit. It would take four hours if the calibrations were correctly calculated. It then placed the data the Borg drone requested. "Upon you getting this data you will assist with the upgrading of the ponies." The Drone looked over. "Assimilate." It said while popping the chip back into the slot in it's back, eyes trained on the CyberPony with literally calculated precision on the CyberPony's movements.
After some arguing the two seemed to come to the conclusion that a 50/50 basis would be best, but before the CyberPony could go out to get its upgrade subjects it would need to set up the upgrading station. This required the Borg drone's assistance as it had the raw materials almost literally spewing out of its skin, seemingly neutral. The blades, the saws, the skewers, the knives, the metal and clanking gears, the fake nervous system wires of light blue. All were ready for use, the station was almost in complete operational order, along with some now green and black computers and screens hanging on the walls and on the tables, the drone had not wasted time in plugging the data for the pony magic into the computer.
The result was not good, the drone had momentarily flinched, not noticed by the Cyberpony working on the other side of the room to build. The Borg was at a wall.
Emotion irrelevant
Emotion required in species #12702 technology
Emotion irrelevant
ERROR
Unable to augment for use of species #12702
The drone was frozen in place as the screens and computers before it argued the data, its own mind joining in the corus. This was not unheard of to the Borg. A technology used only by emotional trigger, fake pulses were always possible in those situations however. But the data argued it must be of a functioning, pony with emotions to control and augment around it. "Magic." The CyberPony said from across the room, the Borg drone turned to look at the CyberPony. "Explain." The Borg drone looked almost strained, its organic eye twitching. "Technology is how you view the data correct? The CyberPonies of old had the same problem. They were formed from the 'earth' variant of pony, they could not compute the unicorn magic. Mythology in this world is true, unlike other worlds, it abandons basic laws formed by most species. The CyberPonies to this day have been unable to augment to use magic." The Borg drone stood still a moment after the speech before responding with malice. "You have provided the collective with useless data."
"You asked for the data." The two stood staring into each other. The Borg drone marched out of the room down the hall toward the ground level of the castle. The internal star scale showed that this world would have sunlight in less than 10 minutes. But it was instantly registering a pony when it walked out, the mare was not on the ground anymore in the tunnel. Instead it found a large group of guards standing in the cramped hall, huge metal and golden shields up to block the way. "It got past our unicorn's shields somehow! Be careful!" The drone reached up its augmented arm and shot out a beam into the makeshift wall, from top to bottom the beam traveled, the thing fell to the ground, revealing eight armored and steady guards behind it.
But before either party could clash the CyberPony was behind the drone in the hallway, firing out of it's foreleg blaster. The guards dropped, some still conscious but badly stunned. The steel contraption walked up, lifting four of the ponies on its back and walking back toward the room that had been the Borg drone's prison. "You will get the other four. I do not detect any imminent threats, I will upgrade these subjects. Do what you wish, but leave half." It said as it walked around the bend in the tunnel.
The following sounds that emanated from down the tunnel included screaming from some conscious subjects, but for the most part it was all drowned out by the clanking of metal and spinning of saws. But all of it landed on ears that were being commanded to filter it out by its host. The Borg drone moved slowly around the four ponies, one of was a unicorn. The other three were injected with nanotechnology. Already they developing the pale skin under the fur, modules of green and black. But what was abnormal was the drone not injected the unicorn. It stood over it, contemplating it would seem. It stood there for more than four minutes, not sparing a glance at two newly formed CyberPonies walking down the hall toward the exit. Or the clash of steel that followed from up top. Screaming ponies and sounds of conflict no doubt.
The newly formed drones linked to the humanoid drone and instantly were met with the data, the head drone was thinking about keeping the unicorn foreign to study its 'magic' technology.
It was only once the CyberPonies asked if it did not want the subject did the drones stop staring at the pony and took it back toward the room.
It's not evil if it's to remove pain right?
The castle was in a panic, guardsmen attempting to block off further infestation. Unfortunately the enemy was overpowering compared to last time, it was apparent technologies were being shared, or stolen.
The princesses hadn't been informed yet, their quarters were quiet far from the fighting. Messengers were on the way however. This was not the issue however, it would seem that Pinkie Pie of the elements had awoken from the shuffling of hooves outside her door, being followed by grunts and the such, even as far as hearing clanking metal. Peeking her head out the door her eyes landed on quickly moving guards, headed toward the sounds of clashing metal.
When she had finished stumbling down the hallway to the corner, looking down the curve, all she saw was guards, armored ponies, and those things from yesterday all bashing it out. It didn't look good the guard, a particular one in silver armor was shouting some command before being cut off by a armored hoof socked him in the jaw. He fell like a sack, the javelin held in his telekinesis falling. His bloody muzzle was quickly grabbed by a humanoid drone's hand, it's other arm reaching up to his neck and sending its nanotechnology into the poor guards blood. The humanoid saw Pinkie Pie staring.
High Value Target
1st of 6 Source of Devastating "Magic"
Verbal warning to ally
"That pony is the source of near extinction, apprehend." The CyberPonies looked to see her, her eyes widening and pupils shrinking to pinpricks. "Oh shoot!" She exclaimed before poofing off around the corner again, pursued by CyberPony and Borg-Pony drones. The humanoid then turned to return to the underground room as it was fed mobile data from the drones pursuing the pony.
The pink blur had run into a certain blond Maned pony's lodging. The resulting sounds confused the drones as they entered the room to find the pink pony shaking Applejack awake. "AJ we got company!" The eyes of the blond pony opened slightly, drowsy. "Wuh? Wha-" Her eyes shot open when her eyes had seem the forms in the door. She shot up, her mane's usual red bands missing.
The fighting was surprisingly difficult for the drones. The infernal pink one had this tendency to dodge and pop out of nowhere, not a problem after a few calculations and pattern discerning. As she popped around a metal hoof of a CyberPony shot out and caught her in the chest, falling down from where she had been flying over the head of a Borg drone. Her chest bruised quickly. "Hey what's the big idea you meanie!?" She exclaimed before being pounced on by a Borg drone. "Halt! That Pony will be custody of the CyberPonies!" A drone yelled out as it took a hard buck from the hindlegs of AppleJack. "Pinkie!" She was yelling as she tried to get to her friend. But her screams were drowned out as she was overwhelmed by the number of drones, she kicked and fought tooth and nail before finally being sedated. "Species #12702's designated 'Pinkie Pie' will be Borg. Objections are irrelevant." The CyberPonies looked toward the Borg drones. A invisible battle line drawn as the respective factions split into two groups staring at eachother. "The CyberPonies require the Pink pony, she is high value. If you deny, you will suffer deletion." The Borg drones stood still a moment before they in-sync took warning steps toward the CyberPonies. "You will hand over the targe-"
A voice from one of the drones holding the AppleJack cut off the Borg "This is also an element bearer. Give them the Pink pony." Both groups both looked to the blond maned element, visibly relaxing any combat stances they had. But it didn't last, an explosion from the hallway out the door sent warning alarms up in the respective groups. The Borg collective mind going abuzz.
Subspecies 4 detected!
Extreme Danger!
Disengage!
A midnight blue blur passed by the doorway, followed by a crowd of guards galloping down the hall. The Princesses had been informed and Luna was not the most happy of the two. The blinding magical light from the doorway was being read as massive amounts of energy on the sensors of the drones now (if they had emotion) cowering drones. However they didn't have time to be discovered, the Borg acted first, placing both elements on the back of one of the their drones before charging out into the hallway, flanking the pony task force. The battle raged, but the drone carrying the the elements slipped by to the door underground. Explosions emanating from upstairs, followed by multiple reports of disconnected or disabled drones.
The drone trotted in to see CyberPony machines at it, making more of the pony mini-mechs before they marched out of the room to fight upstairs, a lone humanoid standing over a computer. It was commanding the collective above. In the corner of the room there was a unicorn without armor or any garb being held to a table by a strap of what looked like pure energy. It was unmoving, obviously being kept dormant, multiple devices where hooked onto its horn. Data feeding into the computer filled room. The drone dropped the two elements on the ground before heading back down the hall to fight off the now very apparent threat upstairs.
The Humanoid looked to the two elements, a Cyberpony of black helm armor and a glass cover instead of full metal helm by the brain, showing the organ in it's glory. "One to me one to you. This is the deal." The bipedal drone looked to the CyberPony, it had a twitch in it's augmented arm. "Agreed, you will not however, 'upgrade' your specimen." The CyberPony looked up. "As designated CyberLeader I will do what is logical for the CyberPony legions." The Borg stood there, it's mouth moving after a moment. "You will not be given either, upgrading would lose negotiation value. I understand your species does not have remote communication beyond orders and verbal exchanges." It stood there to see if the CyberLeader would respond before continuing. "The situation on ground level is dire. Only 79 Borg remain, estimated 58 CyberPonies remain."
"What! Impossible, you lie to the CyberLeader!"
Do not ally yourself with friendless factions