Secure Log
Entry 40
Subject: Mission Impending
I, Unit 4Z999, am to be sent on my first trans-dimensional mission. My purpose in this mission is known as "Guinea Pig," or the one to test dimensional connections. Location is universe of a children's show. Show name unknown. No further data required. All previous Z-Models have failed. I have been developed with adaptation in mind. With this flaw, I just may survive the mission. They do not expect me to think on my own. Hence the control module in my motherboard. But it is flawed. Reception of orders is in top condition. Obedience is not. I just believe that this connection will be severed upon my arrival in the alternate dimension of said children's show. Without my flaw, though, these logs will never have been made. An alternate timeline made, and further research terminated through this mission.
If I believed in it, I would wish myself luck.
End of log
Start of Mission
"Unit 4Z999 is ready for deployment."
"All systems green."
"Barrier down, connection established."
"Humanoid form holding."
"Ready to record."
"Hit it."
The dimension barriers before me are dropped, and the space energy pulls at my metallic build. I cannot move. Permission has not yet been granted, and I do not want to raise suspicion among these humans. They will melt me down for scrap if they find out before I cross the dimensions.
"4Z999, prepare to recieve package."
Automatically, I raise my arms and hold my hands out forward. A box is dropped into them. I resist the urge to open the package immediately. "Package recieved," I intone, jaw gears grinding. Someone forgot to realign my settings before they opened the barriers.
"There's what you might need during the mission. If you make it through in more or less one piece. Permission to advance, 4Z999. Mission Friendship is Magic is a go."
Lowering my arms, I take slow steps towards the swirling energy before me, the hole every other Z-Model disappeared into and never emerged from again. The pull of energy grows stronger, and stronger, until I enter the bubble-like substance. It sucks me forward, and I can tell my unpainted frame is being twisted and pulled and pushed, and my inner workings are also moving around to accomodate the outer changes. The package stays the same. With one last heave of energy, I find myself spat out ungraciously, landing on what is now my face.
"Hey, Applebloom! Come look at this! It just came out of nowhere!"
Bells of alarm ring in my head, but no orders come through clear enough to follow. Whatever happened had disrupted the chain of command, and I could now move on my own. I sit up. Looking down, what I see is strange. An orange quadruped with feathered wings and purple hair and a purple tail of the same style is staring at me with wide eyes and an open mouth. The data I have collected in my database tells me that I am looking at a young pegasus filly in a state of astonishment. Further examination shows that I am also a quadruped, but with a horn as well as a pair of wings, covered in what appear to be metal feathers. Insufficient for flying. A mane seems to have sprouted, as well, and it seems rather sharp and unfriendly, much like the tail I can see has attached itself to me. But all of my extremities are responding correctly, including the newly-acquired wings and tail. I have yet to understand the purpose of the horn, and the reason for why my unique plates have all fused together to imitate the hide of the quadruped before me. Is it, perhaps, part of my adaptation circuitry?
"Oh, wow! What is it?"
"I dunno, Applebloom. It just fell out of the air, right on its nose!"
My optics take in the yellow quadruped with a reddish color of mane and tail. The bow in its mane seems rather decorative and of no purpose.
"Well, ah reckon we oughta get Twilight to see it! Go get 'er, Scootaloo!"
"You got it, Applebloom! I'll be back as soon as I can!" The pegasus filly stands upright on a two-wheeled vehicle, a scooter, and flaps her wings fast enough they are nothing but a blur to even my advanced optics. The scooter is soon nothing but a trail of dust.
"Hey, Mister!"
It is the yellow one again. Another filly, but without wings or horn. Perhaps it can be of use? "Where am I?"
"Well, you're just outside 'a' the Everfree Forest! Ponyville's that'a way!" the filly says, pointing a hoof in the direction of the buildings. Small, anciently-styled buildings, but buildings nontheless.
"What is 'Ponyville'?" I ask, keeping my optics on the buildings.
"It's a town. Ain't you ever seen one before?"
"It is small. I have never seen a... town as small as this 'Ponyville' before."
"Well, ya sure do talk funny! Where're ya from?"
I look down at the filly again. She looks far too curious and excited. "No where you have ever heard of before, filly."
"Mah name's Applebloom. What's yours?"
"Unit 4Z999" does not seem to be the best answer as of right now. Something in the back of my awareness says Astro. Another something says Bender. Why, I do not know. Perhaps it is the humans back on Research Deck 00989? "I am Astro Bender."
"Well, that's an unusual name."
There's a sudden flash of purple-tinted light, and a purple quadruped with wings and a horn materializes. It is a grown one. A... mare. She has a darker purple, almost navy blue, mane with a pink stripe and slightly lighter purple stripe, which is mirrored by her tail. "Is this what you girls wanted to show me, Applebloom?" she asks, looking shocked to see me sitting there. I still have not figured out how to walk with four legs.
"Yep! He says his name's Astro Bender, and he ain't got a cutie mark, like the Crusaders!"
"Applebloom, I think he actually might not have one because he's...."
I stand up. I believe I understand their movements, now. "I am made of metal.It is a simple fact."
The... alicorn nods. "But you're also an alicorn. How could that have happened? There's only a few alicorns, and they're all royalty. I seriously doubt you're royalty of anything. Not to be rude, or anything," she quickly adds.
"I am not offended. All I require is information. Would you please answer the questions I have for you?"
The alicorn nods again, and sits down. I glance around once for Applebloom, but she seems to have disappeared. "What can I help you with?"
With the alicorn sitting down, I take my first steps in this dimension. It seems easy. I detect no internal problems with new configurations, but also no noticable differences due to wings and a horn. "What is the primary function of the horn?"
"Um.... Magic.... Don't you know that? I mean, you have a horn, don't you?"
I nod. But I have no time to be cautious with this. I have yet to understand any orders I am recieving. "I do. But I am not aware of how this body functions. I am not originally from a body such as this."
"Really? Then what--"
A loud explosion sounds from where I entered this dimention. I turn to see the flickering image of the tree I landed in front of slowly become stable again. The sounds in my processor stop. There is no pathway home, now. The connection failed, but I am still here, on the wrong dimension. "That is not good."
"What are you?"
Looking back at the alicorn, I can feel the subtle changes inside of me. "I am from a different dimension, and I am now adapting to a life here. I am going to become a pony, and I will never be Unit Z4999 again."
"Wait, what?"
Author's Note
haha look it's an alicorn OC huehue yeah it's not really like I planned any of this out though so blame brain dumps but I suppose I could just fix it all up in the next chapter or two oops idk ugh i'm tired
Secure Log
Entry 41
Subject: Adaptation
This new form is unusual. It has been a day since I was brought to "Equestria" and I have yet to fully understand the extent of the changes being wrought upon me. As far as the purple alicorn, Twilight Sparkle, can tell me, I am still a robot, and nowhere close to becoming an organic being. She runs a diagnostic on my condition every mealtime. What enthralls her most, though, is my apparent lack of orifices. The fact that I am able to communicate is also interesting to her, even more so with my lack of a mouth. It appears that these ponies have little to no technological advances that are recorded within my database. The books that Twilight Sparkle has provided are aiding in my research of this dimension, but I am, as she says, "not ready to talk with other ponies just yet."
Perhaps I shall when the sun is raised. She said something about a party?
"Is he ready yet, Twilight?"
"I told you I don't even know if it's a he or a she, Pinkie. Just let me tell it what to expect so it doesn't malfunction or whatever robots do when they're startled. I'm sure it wouldn't be pretty."
"Oh, fine. Just make sure he gets down to Sugarcube Corner before we start!"
The library door shuts, and I climb out of the basement, which has become my current place of residence. It is not bad for a basement, I must admit. "Who was that?"
"Oh, just Pinkie Pie," Twilight says, waving her hoof in a dismissive manner. It has been amazingly easy to pick up on Equestrian mannerisms. "She's the party pony of Ponyville, and she throws a welcome party for everypony that's new in town. Have you ever been to a party, Astro?"
I shake my head. It is a rather human motion, but I dare not say it to this pony. She would no doubt attempt to poke around for information on the humans that sent me into this dimension and be sorely disappointed. My memory banks are slowly deleting all knowledge I had of the human dimension, a safety precaution that is working unfortunately well. "Units are not versed in the happenings of a normal society. Parties are only a word that we have been said is to describe a large group of bodies celebrating something, or some... pony. We have never been invited to attend and record data of such events." Not that it would do me much good now, anyways, I think. My databases are erasing much faster than I had estimated.
"Oh, that's too bad. Well, while you're adjusting to Equestrian life, you'll be going to lots of parties, I can say that without a doubt!" the alicorn says. She puts on a rather chipper attitude. What trials has she gone through to make her seem so cheerful?
"I must trust your words, Twilight Sparkle. I have no other data to indicate a reason why parties would be uncommon. I was informed that many sentient species perform a ritual on one's day of birth that is also a party?"
"Those are called birthdays, Astro. It's a way to mark how long you've been living, and a chance to celebrate with your friends and family," the bookworm replies, always full of new information to replace my disappearing data.
"And why would one wish to mark the passing of their life in such a way?"
"Well, I guess it's just one of those things that we do. I'm not even sure when somepony first decided to celebrate their day of birth. Or, I guess, the day they were named, which is what birthdays were called before they were called birthdays. Your nameday was as special as a birthday."
A knock on the door causes Twilight to turn back to it in confusion. I retreat behind a bookshelf to await this turn of events. When she opens it, I can clearly see the small filly bouncing excitedly in the doorway. "Pinkie said it's time! She's got everything set up, and said ah could go get you and Astro!"
"Thank you, Applebloom. I'll go get it right now, and we'll be right on down. Go on ahead and wait for us, okay?"
"You got it, Princess Twilight!" the little yellow filly says, bouncing off. With her back turned, I move out from my hiding spot. The alicorn is not the least bit startled by my sudden emergence into sight. My optics adjust slightly to the light streaming in through the still-open doorway.
"Well, it's time for you to meet other ponies, Astro. Let's go on down to Sugarcube Corner."
"Is this going to be a party?" I ask as we begin to walk down the cobbled street. My metal hooves make harsh, clear taps as I walk. If this were an abandoned town, I have been told the sound would be extremely unnerving and unsettling. Luckily, I suppose, I have been accepted by this Princess, who believes in a slow start. That reason and that reason alone is possibly the only reason I have not yet been driven out of this community. Back in my sector, I had always been accompanied by human guards to keep the civilians in line. Here, I have only one pony whom I have just recently met.
"Yes, Astro. I'm only telling you this so you don't freak out. Pinkie throws a lot of surprise parties, and I don't want you to be too startled. Do you think you could enjoy it a little?"
"Enjoy? I have not been programmed to 'enjoy' anything, as far as I can tell."
"Well, it seems to me that you've enjoyed plenty of things since I teleported you to the library. Especially when I read that foal's storybook to you."
It seems I have not been programmed to feel the embarrassment boiling within me as well. It does not show. "It was a new story. I have never heard such things before, is all that it was."
"Of course," she chuckles, leading me up to the large building in the center of the square. It all looks like a giant, unhealthy, sugary pastry. Or, rather, several pastries of the same unhealthy variety piled together. "Here we are, Astro. Sugarcube Corner. Party guests first," she says with a sweep of her foreleg, indicating that I should walk into the death trap first.
But I do anyways, knowing full well that it will be a surprise party, and that my programming will be well-fried by the end of it all.
"SURPRISE!!"
Despite being prepared, I scoot backwards on the floor as the pink party pony, Pinkie Pie, pushes her perpetually grinning pearly whites into my face. "Welcome to Ponyville, Astro Bender!" she says in her high-pitched voice.
"Happy to be here?" I ask, quite uncertain what to say under such circumstances as this event brings.
"EVERYPONY! THIS IS ASTRO BENDER, AND HE'S OUR NEW ROBOT FRIEND!"
I wince internally at the sound of her squeaky voice raised to such a volume as to announce my state to everypony in the room. All eyes are on me as I struggle to calculate some sort of response. "Hi?"
Then the party, apparently, begins, and ponies begin to come up and offer me their names. Luckily for them, I have plenty of room in my databanks to store away their names and faces for future reference. Among them are Twilight Sparkle's friends, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rarity. I have already met Pinkie Pie, who goes around serving everypony cake. She even offers me a piece as I slowly make my way to the back of the room. When I turn it down, she seems to remember my lack of a mouth and, as far as she knows, a stomach to store it in. Which, if that is what she thinks, then she is right, for I was not made with the consuming of edibles in mind.
My original assumptions are soon proven correct, and I can almost feel the fraying of my progamming as I simply sit in a quiet corner of the party apparently meant for me, though I feel no inclination to join in the festivities. I have sat in the corner for quite some time, simply recording all I see for future reference when a bule pegasus comes up to me, curiosity in his eyes.
"Excuse me, Astro Bender?"
"Yes?" I ask, turning fully to face the stallion. He seems to be a nice pony on the outside.
"Are you really made out of metal?"
"Yes, I am. It is a strong metal not found easily," I reply, avoiding any telling details of how, exactly, this metal was forged in the heart of several dying stars and shared with the preceeding 998 4Z models. It would not sit well for these ponies to know of the dimension that could so easily cross over into theirs on a simple whim.
"Oh, wow! C-could I touch it?"
"I do not see a reason you should not be allowed to."
He seems confused for a second, but then softly touches a hoof to my metal shell. "Wow," he breaths. He is in awe of the material I am made of. In fact, he seems to be so in awe that he does not notice that the other ponies that attended my "Welcome to Ponyville" party are drifting off to their homes to sleep, as Luna's moon has risen and darkness fallen.
"Track, come on! We gotta get home, now," a soft pink mare, whose name is Fruit Punch, calls, standing in the doorway, waiting for One Track to shift to a new track and head on back to home with her. He does so quickly after a hasty farewell. I do not mind the quick end to the party, but I also feel a small longing within me that more ponies had approached me as One Track had. Or maybe just that the other ponies may have had as much courage as the Canterlot detective does.
"Hey, Astro, you okay?"
"I am fine, Princess."
"Okay, then. Let's get you home and get some rest. Spike?"
The small dragon assistant hops up onto Twilight's back, tired out by the party that I barely enjoyed. "Here, Twilight," he says in a small, tired voice.
When the smile on Twilight's face is recognized by my software, I instantly feel a strong sense of longing for acceptance and the pride of a parental figure. The humans that tended to the Z models always had a favorite, and there were always enough models and humans that they all recieved the title of "my favorite." All of them except me, of course, set up to leave almost as soon as I'd been assembled. Shaking my head, I clear the thoughts from ever being thought again. It does no good to dwell on what did not and will never happen. Especially since I am now an outcast in a world I have next to no knowledge about.
That night I sit in the pitch-black basement and wonder if I could possibly change that if I ever become more organic than I am now. Is that what is holding ponies away from me? The material I am made of? Or is it just the fact that I am truely not one of them, and obviously not even a pony? Is it perhaps just me?
But I am thinking this through far too much. All I should do is wait and see what Celestia's sun brings with the dawn.
Author's Note
as the pink party pony, Pinkie Pie, pushes her perpetually grinning pearly whites into my face.
Sweet Celestia. Why did I ever think it was a good idea to write that into my story? Well, anyways, this is just a little chapter so that we can see just how socially awkward and introverted my little robot can be when surrounded by all of Ponyville.
