Daring Do and the Prison of Portals

Chapters

Chapter 1: The Dark Descent
Chapter 2: The Mistake
Chapter 3: Halls of Science

Chapter 1: The Dark Descent

Wind whipped at the beige mare, her gray-toned mane flapping wildly into her face. The chilling air stung at her body like thousands of tiny needles, piercing deep into her skin. Smoke billowed from below and suffocated her senses. The harness dug into her body until red streaks formed across her body. Above, the large parachute gaped, catching full force of the gale. Below her the smoking wreckage of a biplane spiraled violently towards the mountainside, Its high pitched whine overpowering the wind.

With a blood-curdling scream, the plane struck head first into the mountainside and erupted in a magnificent display of flame and shrapnel. Brilliant light lit the afternoon sky a grand orange and dyed the dark clouds above with deep reds and yellows. Comets of fire spat out at every angle like confetti. Clouds of fiery smoke billowed from the wreckage and up into the dull cloud cover above. For a moment, Daring was distracted by its beauty.

The blast sent another gust of wind towards Daring as the chute filled and tugged the restraints taut. The airborne adventurer gritted her teeth against the pain. Air was momentarily restricted to her lungs, the world below becoming a blurry mess of browns and grays in her altered state. Reality come in and out of focus. Nausea clawed it's way into her stomach.

Before she could collect herself, the ruinous researcher found herself in the trajectory of what used to be her plane's left wing. It spun through the air like a blade, and cut through her parachute just as one would expect a blade to do. Within moments she began plummeting to the Earth.

The falling mare let out a terrified scream as she quickly closed the distance between herself and the ground. The heavy winds pressed against her so that her wings were secured firmly to her sides, denying any freedom. The parachute, a large hole torn through its center, was still able to catch the wind, but not enough to save Daring. It only served as a chaperone as it guided her towards danger.

She flailed hopelessly in the air, hooves kicking in all directions. Screams of terror were silence by wind. Even when she came into contact with the mountainside, her descent did not stop. She tumbled down the steep slope at an incredible speed, the cords of the harness tangling around her limbs. It wasn't until she reached a brief, rocky terrace that her momentum began to slow.

Pain exploded through her body with each skip across the jagged shelf. Hooves scrambled at the ground and tried to find purchase in the terrain despite not being able to hold one on account of her ensnarement. Regardless, doing so only resulted in scattering the rocks around. Only when the high speed horse reached the drop, did she skid to a stop.

Her reflexes fast, she spun and landed her hooves on the rocky ledge.The tangled ropes began to dig deep into her legs as her body stretched out across the chasm. Looking down, she saw a thick fog that hid instant death.

Terror started pumping poisonous adrenaline through the frightful filly. Letting out a pitiful squeal, Daring tried desperately to pull herself up. Her back legs dug at the cliff side with little result. Her fore hooves tried grasping anything solid, but found that the terrain only offered loose rocks. Every effort was denied by the vicious geography.

Eyes growing wide with terror, she slipped farther off the edge. She could feel the wind pick up momentum, making it clear that the perilous pony could not save herself. More and more she struggled, trying to dig her hooves into the cliff. Her determination was admirable, but futile. When another rush of wind pulled what was left of her torn parachute, the mired mare was whisked away with it.

As cold sweat dripped across her face, Daring could barely make out the obstacle ahead: dangerous spikes extending from the mountainside like the fingers of Death. With dreadful realization, the pony noticed that she and her parachute were dropping altitude onto the field of (presumed) death. With a defiant shout, she tried to unfurl her wings. Pain ripped through her sides as the tattered wings, having been damaged during her tumble and nearly frozen by the abhorrent weather, creaked and popped opened. They were brittle, and moving them at a pace fast enough for flight was painful. But through perseverance, she was able to lift herself over the death trap and suffer only a minor wound on her back, right leg. That is, if you were to count out the pain of her wings, which was like being a paper that had been torn in half.

Thinking she was free of danger, Daring let herself slack in the harness. Her exhausted wings lay limp at her sides like the ears of a dog. The wind had died down to a gentle breeze. The chill of adrenaline was ebbing away. Fate had given her time to rest.

The juxtaposition of the safety made her feel relief like no other. Slowly, her breath returned to her, the gentle rising and falling of her chest bringing great comfort. Daring began to untangle herself from the cluster of cords that had secured themselves around her. The mare could feel herself dropping again, but it was not enough to be worried about. Or at least so she thought.

Her senses came rushing back to her when she slammed into the side of another mountain just after freeing herself from the tangled ropes. After a flash of shock, the right side of her body started grinding against the stone wall. The wounded warrior tried to push herself away from the mountain, but the wind (as it seemed intent on destroying Daring today) kept her firmly pressed against the torture. She would have to endure it. Daring let out several cries of pain as larger rocks cut across her, leaving white marks on her body. Sharper rocks left thin, white lines that made their home below her coat, and on the skin itself. These did not leave as quickly.

The smaller rocks were even worse. En masse they generated a constant stream of pin-prick pains across her flank. It felt like her cutie mark was being scratched off with a fork. Before long the rocks caught her saddlebags too, tearing open a hole and snatching away one of the canteens and a hoof-full of supplies. Daring watched in despair as the bottle of precious water disappeared into the fog below, but soon found her thoughts returning to the pain as her body was pressed even harder against the uneven surface of the mountain.

Then, in an instant, the pain vanished. She let out a breath she did not realize she was holding, and opened a pair of eyes she did not remember closing. The wind had managed to shift direction, pulling her away from the mountain and instead into the dense fog.

When the wind finally released Daring from its icy claws, it deposited her into a large quarry at the base of several large mountains. She was flung to the ground, a deep thump silenced by the wind. What little air she had managed to store away was forced from her lungs. It was quickly followed by a bright flash of white. Both lasted only a moment, but left a lasting impression. Fearful that she might be swept up again, the frantic fortune finder freed herself from the harness and allowed another gust to steal the perforated parachute once more. Her gaze followed it until it disappeared into the fog.

Her traumatizing experience in the air, the impact in the quarry, and the tightness of the harness had made it very hard to breath. Eyes wide with passing fear, and her body shaking from the sickening adrenaline, the breathless broad lay on the ground. She felt sick. She wanted to vomit, but had nothing to give up. Her heart felt like it was about to go out after all the pounding it had done. Her flanks felt numb after having been brutally assaulted. Her ears burned with frost and was another reminder of why Daring preferred the more tropical regions. The pony was filled with unbearable pain.

For a long time she just lay there, soaked in sweat and agony. Slowly, her breathing found its tempo, and her heart returned to a normal pace. Energy that had been used to keep her alive now returned to her sore muscles. Her vision was restored as air began to flow through her body once more. Slowly but surely, the exhausted expedition-er was regaining herself.

When the life returned to the filly, she rose cautiously and studied her surrounding. A chill began gnawing at Daring Do's face until her cheeks turned raw. Her nostrils filled with the lingering scent of rain, a warning as to the coming storm. Around her was the bleak, grey landscape of mountains, their tops piercing the sky. Following them upward, she could see that the sky above was barricaded by a battalion of dark clouds. They filtered the midday light into a pale, depressing blue and made the land seem even more bleak.

Her body still ached as a painful memory of her recent crash, but the pain was greatly outweighed by her frustration. She was just happy to have both wings working, but the heavy winds and cold prevented her from using them at full capacity.

Daring lifted her scarf higher as a gust of wind whistled past her ears and into the ominous cave before her, dragging her closer towards its gaping maw. The gale wailed pitifully as it sank into the dark depths and was lost forever. The bundled mare took a step back from the sound. Her mind conjured up the image of dying ponies struggling to climb out of a pit, only to be pushed down by another hoof. She shivered in an unpleasant combination of fear and frost.

The venturer looked about her. Her quick and crude survey of the environment made several things clear. One: that she had been funneled here by the geography. Climbing the surrounding cliff walls would be a feat all on its own. Her recent fright had made it clear the these walls were not very traverse-able. Two: there was no evidence of any recent Pony presence. She was on her own. That also meant she would have to find he own source of food and water. With the previous issue being as prominent as it was, this would prove challenging. Lastly: The land offered no other protection from the elements than the cave ahead of her. The vibe it sent was not a pleasant one. Even the rotting ruins of Hayrabia seemed more inviting than the dungeon before her.

Determination flooded Daring, her posture straightening and a new fire burning in her eyes. She had braved the burning depths below, the frosted tops of mountains high, the trap riddled ruins of long past, and everything in between. She wouldn't let herself be dissuaded so easily. Besides, with her only mode of transport out of commission her best hope was to find a nice, safe, dry place to rest before taking any other course of action.

Daring didn't have to wait long before the clouds opened up above her, the soft pitter patter of rain against her hat queuing her to enter the cave. With a sigh of dismay the wet and winded wanderer stepped inside, happy to at least be out of the freezing rain.

After shaking herself dry, she reached into the adventure pack she had managed to salvage before evacuating the plane. It contained the typical assortment of survival goods: rations, water bottles, torches, flint and tinder, and various other tools. Had she not had the run in with the mountain, she would still have the compass, parchment, and quills. Fate decided to mock her by leaving the ink. The hole in her right saddlebag was to blame for this, a result of the abuse she had suffered during her fall. The pony pulled out what she needed to light her way and struck the tinder in frustration. It took several times, bringing her anger to a boil.

The meager flame illuminated little of the cave, the darkness suffocating the lone pony. The treasure trover reasoned whether it would be wise to explore the cave further, or to wait near the entrance for rescue. She wasn't expected to return home for quite some time. The young adventurer wanted to surprise her colleagues by returning early, but now she was stranded in the middle of nowhere with a frighteningly low chance of survival. They wouldn't even realize she was in danger. On top of that, her unquenchable thirst for adventure pushed her further towards exploration.

But what awaited her further in? Treasure? Civilization? Danger? For all she knew, this was a cave owned by some big grisly bear who would rend her part upon seeing her.

Daring bit down firmly on the handle of her torch. A dull light came from the dying embers that trailed behind her, stretching towards the entrance. Her steps were cautious, like a filly tiptoeing into the kitchen late in the night for a snack. Too many times had she entered a seemingly innocuous locale only to be nearly impaled by an over-sized spear, or for a flurry of arrows to erupt from the walls.

The ceiling was too high to be illuminated by her light, and that made her even more anxious. The ancient Mareyans loved to hide their traps high above, as very few ponies looked upwards, and many Pegasus flew in thinking they could avoid the traps below. Although this dungeon showed none of the typical Mareyan and Aztrot flair (or any for that matter) she couldn't be sure she was safe.

Soon the walls began to narrow the farther she delved. Before long the ceiling was low enough to catch the light of her torch, allowing Daring to breath more easily. But that relief soon turned to disappointment as the cave narrowed even further. The adventurer feared that the cave would hold no secrets, and be just another hole in the ground.

But as Daring reached what she assumed to be the end of her adventure, something in the darkness ahead of her caught her torchlight. It flickered across it only a moment, revealing its position to the demotivated mare. Her mood swung violently into one of jubilee.

Daring trotted up to the metal door, its rusted and dilapidated appearance only feeding the curiosity of danger-destined mare. It stood two ponies wide and three ponies high, a behemoth compared to the small mare. It had clearly not seen use in well over a hundred years, and was still dutifully sealing the entrance to... Something. The dead light fixture protruding from the cave wall above had lost both it's luminescence, and it's bulb. Even the wires (she could only assume that they were once wires) were suffocated by the flora sprouting out of the tubes they occupied. Obviously, this had been here a long, LONG, time. Who knew what ancient secrets this door protected. Perhaps a stronghold full of relics from the past, left here for hundreds of years to be one day discovered by an adventurer like herself!

Her interest now completely stolen by the ancient portal, the curious crusader contemplated how to open it. A wheel stuck out from the center, but most of it had turned to rust and what little was left spun freely in its spot. This became evident when she tried to pull at it with her mouth, inhaling thousand year old rust. She felt like vomiting. After hacking up the last of it, she tried her luck with her hooves. The metal barricade only gave off plumes of dust with each buck she delivered and they, once again, intruded her lungs.

Too stubborn to walk away, she tried with all her might to push the lip of the door outwards. She braced herself against the stone wall and pushed back with all of her might. For a painstakingly long time, the door did not budge. Just as she was about to give up, the locks that had sealed the door crumbled into dust. The rust binding the hinges broke, allowing the door to move further. It did not, however, make it easier for her.

Daring's strength came in waves, new determination pushing her. Farther it swung, the painful cry clawing through the equine's ears and pain surging through her flank. She trembled with weakness as the energy spilled out of her. It was almost unbearable, but Daring could sense a great treasure awaited her on the other side. If none existed, then why was this here?

She gritted her teeth, sweat rolled down her face,and her body trembled even more with exertion. Inch by inch the metal barrier distanced itself from the wall. Each passing second bled into the next, muddying any sense of time Daring had formed. Her mind blurred and allowed no thoughts to the mare.

With a deafening cry of agony, the metal door finally broke free of its restraints and crashed to the floor. Large plumes of rust and dust filled the air, forcing its way into the treasure seeker's eyes. Daring had promptly fallen with the door, her body aching for new reasons. Tears welled up in her eyes as the cloud spread. Her lungs refused the tainted air and forced it back out. Her loud, coarse coughing echoed eerily into the chamber recently opened. When the dust had finally settled, Daring allowed fresh air to clean away both taste and smell.

The adventurer could feel a large smile break across her face as she neared the open room. Darkness still reigned inside the cave and had her perception not been so fine tuned she would have tumbled headfirst into the bottomless pit. As it was, her hoof only slipped off the edge. A surge of adrenaline swept through her body, yanking her back onto the threshold. When her heart began to beat again, the dazed dare-devil started forwards again, this time with torch in tow.

The room she entered was small and square; its metal frames exposed and a layer of thick concrete lying just beyond them. The hole itself had a diameter of one and a half ponies, large enough for a Pegasus like Daring to maneuver through effectively. Looking down into the pit, however, she began to think otherwise.

The shaft was completely overrun with twisting vines, covering nearly every inch of the metal walls. Tendrils threaded in and out of air ducts, Vines suffocated the pipes that reached out from the walls, and flowers bloomed along the plant wall, bright whites and yellows freckling the darkness. All of this created the illusion that she was diving into the depths of an alien planet. On top of that, it would make maneuvering difficult for the feathered filly.

It was a tight squeeze, but Daring found that she had just enough room for her to glide down. Occasionally, her wings would clip a hanging vine, or get tangled in hanging moss, but she managed to push forwards (or rather, downwards). The claustrophobic cave crawler could feel the passage getting narrower. The cave she had braved only minutes early had done the same, but instead of ending her journey, it had extended it. Daring knew she couldn't give up hope so quickly.

Her efforts were rewarded. In the darkness below a light flickered, revealing another door. It was a sickly yellow glow, the glass it was held in stained by years of mold. Time had abused it. What surprised her was that the light worked at all. The rusted door above and the floral maze she was battling made it clear that this place had not been touched for centuries. How was it, then, that this light was still operational?

Curiosity drew the pony closer. When she reached the platform, Daring set the torch on the floor and turned her attention to the still operational light. She touched the flickering ball of glass gingerly, seeing that time had not been kind to it. To her surprise, the bulb fell. The sound that exploded from it was loud in comparison to the near-silence of the tunnel, and the awkward, lingering sound of skidding glass set Daring on edge.

She stood there, frozen in shock, for quite some time.

Standing there wasn't going to accomplish anything. The only other option was to push forwards with her search of the dungeon. When the sound had finally faded off, Daring continued. Another door blocked her path, yet this one was nowhere near as hefty a challenge. This one had, at some point, a metal bar attached affixed to it to allow somepony to push it open. That metal bar lay on the floor. The door itself fell backwards when Daring pushed against it.

What it revealed wasn't that spectacular; a narrow hallway with thick, concrete walls stretching into the yawning darkness. They were interrupted at several intervals by doors similar to the one Daring had just recently overcome. The lower quarter of the walls had been painted cyan, but most of it had peeled away and left rotting spots of blue on the walls that looked like mold.

As she stepped further in, the ancient lights flicked on. Again, Daring was amazed by the conditions of these lights. With them on, the mare could see hundreds upon thousands of dust motes floating about. The air here was thick. It must have sat here for centuries, brewing in its filth for a millennium. A cough tore up trough her throat.

Daring set immediately to work on a nearby door. She didn't have to work long before realizing that these doors had been fused to their frames. Not one to give up easily, she bucked against the steel door, dust raining down from above with each kick. Again she tried, leaving a solid dent in the metal barrier. Still it did not break. Even when she focused her strikes against the already weakened section it gave no more.

Her flanks falling to the ground, Daring admitted defeat. She was too drained to continue the fight and it was too difficult to find her breath. Anger was sweeping through her, but could not completely manifest on account of her weakened state. Sending a prayer up to Celestia, Daring drank from the canteen she had managed to save during her fall.

The exhausted and exasperated equine explorer drug herself out of the hallway, and back out onto the relatively more comfortable platform. At least the air seemed to be circulating here. That meant there was something even farther below. More of the tunnel could be seen, now, with the light from the hallway spilling out the open door. It still could not reach the bottom, and the giant plant stretched downwards, still. Why the hallway had not been overrun, she did not know, but she assumed it was more concerned about reaching the surface for light instead of spreading itself through the...

Come to think of it, the ponderous pony still didn't know what this place was. It had a heavy industrial vibe to it, but even then she had not seen enough of the place to make a formulated hypothesis. For now, she would label it a warehouse.

The young mare allowed herself a few more moments of rest before moving on. The only door that was not fused shut was a bulky pair of double doors leading into a concrete stairwell. The filly was met with a blast of cool air as she opened them, the fresh air cleansing her lungs. New energy filled Daring. Her lungs felt renewed and a pleasant smile broke onto the pony's face. Feeling much more confident, the young pony traveled down the stone stairs and plunged deeper into the facility. The farther down she traveled, the colder it got. The energy in the air was fierce, moving quickly up the steps towards Daring, and amazingly icy. Before too long the mare found her teeth chattering from the chill. The icy wind seemed to be ignoring her clothing all together, striking against her skin with malice.

Before long, Daring had reached the source of the wind. She had to fight her way past the current of freezing air to reach an open vent, the fan beyond spinning at incredible speeds. Another set of double doors blocked entry to another room. Swimming against the current, Daring edged her way to the doors. Her hooves clung to the metal railing in fear of being lifted. Her body shook from the cold. Her eyes were shut in painful concentration. Her efforts were rewarded, and she cleared the challenge.

Only to run into another one. What our dear Daring did not discern was that the chilling current was not a one directional hazard. Clearing the first stream, she quickly fell into another one. Granted, they could have been the same flow, but that wasn't what the young Pegasus was concerned about.

Daring Do was swept off her hooves and rushed away from the doors. In a state of shock, the made throw out her hooves for an anchor. She only managed to slam her hip against the railing before being pushed down several flights of stairs. Luckily, she was airborne for most of this, but the occasional impacts with the wall chipped at her will.

A few flights down was a rusted door like the previous. Daring's weight was the brick that broke the camel's back. Her body flew into the room, skidding across the concrete flooring until she hit a desk. Papers exploded into the air. Hundred year old pencils shot across the air like bullets. An ancient computer toppled onto the floor near the treasure hunter with a loud crash.

Daring rose to her hooves and balanced herself against the desk. The chilling air stung her eyes, making it impossible to see. Wanting nothing more than to escape the blistering gale, the blind and bewildered mare crept along the maze of desks and smashed terminals. With her back now to the current of air, Daring tested her vision. Squinting, she could see another door at the other end of the room. The only thing that lay in her path was a spiraling mass of papers caught in a whirlwind.

Besides a few paper cuts, Daring managed to overcome the obstacle with ease. She bounded trough the raging paper-storm with her wings open and let the wind push her towards the other end of the room. She reached it in no time at all. Perhaps a little too quickly, though, as she almost cracked her head against the stone wall. Fortunately, she was able to exit the room before further damage was done to her.

What she saw on the other side took her breath away.

For a moment, she thought she was outside again. A vast nothingness fell below into the fog, flickering lights and metallic screeches coming from its depths. The canyon walls were covered in what looked like robotic hands. Some were limp, while others tugged at pieces of wall pitifully. Catwalks spanned across the void, most of them damaged and the rest dangerously close to letting out. Wires and tubes hung limply from the central structure like averse limbs. The bewildered Pegasus pony looked up and saw a similar fog obscure the ceiling.

Vertigo hit her like a train, and Daring felt vomit crawl up her throat. Every ounce of her will was focused on not puking. When her sick was persuaded to stay down, Daring turned her eyes back to the void, seeing a new feature appear.

A large building was suspended over the drop, the catwalks and tubes leading to the central hub. The mare immediately thought of a hive. A dead hive at that. The light in the... room was not bright enough to illuminate it. Only the faint glow from within provided a viewpoint.

Swallowing the last of her sick, Daring unfurled her wings and glided across the abyss, aiming for a door on the mid level already busted in.

The interior was a wreck. A jungle had grown into it, the ancient machinery scattered about the large room. Wires hung limply from the ceiling, attached to the now dead equipment lying quietly on the floor. It looked like it was asleep. Curiously, Daring approached what she assumed to be the "head". It rested on a pillow of wrecked catwalk. It's "eye" seemed to be dead. The filly tried to imagine this thing when it was operational. She had seen nothing like it. This was no simple computer, that was for sure. It was so... Big.

"Psst!"

The flinchy filly spun around. At first she did not see the the metallic ball staring at her from the walls, but as her eyes grew accustomed to the darkness she could see it quite clearly. It was a sphere of metal, a dull pink emanating from its centre.

"Hey! Come here!"

Daring obeyed, walking towards it in a dazed state.

"Oh, you wouldn't believe how long it's been since we've had visitors! Sorry about the mess. It's a lot of work for just one robot." the metallic ball whirred and clicked as she spoke, a fake eyelid enhancing her... its expressions.

The Pegasus blinked. "Uh... Wha-... Who are you?"

The robot replied with a jubilant voice, like that of a young filly. "I'm Cutesy! I run the place"

The Pegasus blinked.

"You alright?"

"Yea.. It's just... I've..."

"Never seen a talking robot before? That's okay! It's been a LOOOONG time since anyone's been down here."

The Pegasus blinked.

"Well don't just stand there, silly! I need your help with some stuff!" the yellow glow intensified as she bounced.

The sphere moved back on its maintenance rail, the wall next to her opening to reveal a disheveled catwalk. Fog enveloped most of it, denying any sense of safety to the treasure trover and made the fully question the trustworthiness of her strange acquaintance.

Light flooded down from above. Looking up, Daring saw Cutesy literally beaming down at her. Now the path ahead was more visible, and gave the Pegasus enough courage to take a testing step out onto the platform.

"You never told me your name!" the metal ball chimed as they reached the halfway point of the bridge.

Familiar pride taking over the mare, she recited: "Daring Do, adventurer extraordinaire!" she said, striking a pose.

"Oh wow! That must be exciting! You must explore places like this all the time, yeah?!"

"Well... Not really. Usually just ruins and temples. Nothing this..." she looked out across the abyss. "... Elaborate. What is this place, anyway?"

Now it was time for Cutesy's recital. "Aperture Science, a leading name is science. 'We do what we must... because we can!' " she said with infectious cheer.

"Well, mi amigo, what is it you need from me?"

"It's time to restore this place to its former beauty! We need to wake up everyone so we can get back to science! You see, I'm restricted to the maintenance rail-line. Only you can access the employee areas and reboot the facility"

Daring nodded, smiling brightly. She didn't know what this place was, or whether or not helping this bot out was a good thing, but any excuse to explore was a good one.

Chapter 2: The Mistake

"So... What is it that this... Aperture Science does?"

"Pardon? Oh! Watch your step!" Cutesy illuminated a large pile of decomposing metal nearly as tall as Daring herself. She had come close to impaling herself on it.

"Well... This is place is very big. What are you doing to fill all this space?"

"Oh! Well of course! We test... Well... Tested a large array of new and exciting sciences from artificial intelligence, to robotics, to portals, baking, and beyond!"

"Baking is a science?" Daring couldn’t imagine that to be true, but who was she to question such an advanced piece of machinery. How incredible! A machine that acted like an actual pony! It was mind-boggling! The mere fact she was speaking to it now was hard for her brain to properly grasp.

The two of them continued walking through the rubble of the facility, the scenery shifting every corner they turned. One minute they were traveling through an abandoned office with desks and chairs turned on their sides, and the next they were in graveyard of robots, their metallic limbs scattered across the floor in an almost gruesome manner. The latter of these areas was explored thoroughly by the brave treasure hunter.

Daring tried to process all the information in her mind. There was just so much to digest. She had never seen ruins quite like these before. Despite having aged for so long, everything look so advanced, so futuristic. It was almost ironic. The most advanced technology may rest inside this facility, but it had probably rusted for so long that it didn't work.

The room labeled "Robot Assembly" was where Daring could finally collect her thoughts. The gears in her head managed to spin properly now, granting the filly proper meditation. "So... what are these things?" She asked, pointing towards the unfinished construction of an egg shaped device.

"A turret!"

"Right. Okay... So... What?"

"You know... A turret! Pew, pew! Turret!"

Daring tilted her head, but asked no further. Obviously, she wasn't going to get the answers she wanted from the robot. A talking robot. Oh dear Celestia why did it feel like a pound of bricks was dropped onto her head?

Cutesy permitted the ecstatic explorer to rummage through what was left of the room. It was like a young filly playing with her new toys. She played, first, with the arms of the robot assembler as if it were an action figure. Years of abuse had made it rigid, but Daring found it fascinating regardless.

"This is incredible..." she mumbled, testing the limits of her new toy.

"What's that?" asked the cheery, pink robot eye-thing.

The beige pony trotted to one of the more complete "turrets" and studied its body. "This is all so... Strange. I feel like I'm in another world. This technology surpasses our own by 50 years, if not more! How long has this facility been here?"

"Hmmm... I'd say approximately 996 years, 231 days, 6 hours, 10 minutes, and 56 seconds!"

That was far more specific than she had wanted, but she got her answer. A thousand years. And still, she was surrounded by... This.

"I know, right? Aperture Science was ahead of the game when it came to science. Even Black Mesa was minute when placed next to us!"

Daring was tempted to ask, but she assumed that the robot spoke of the past. The information would be useless to her now. "I wish I could have seen this place in its heyday..." she said sadly, hoofing around inside one of the gutted turrets.

"Oh, but you can!"

Her head shot up. "What? Really?!"

"Well of course, silly filly! That's why we're going to turn this place back on. It'd be a crime against science NOT to do it! A mistake of the highest caliber!"

"You seem awfully motivated for science." Daring noticed with great amusement.

"Tee hee! Well, I WAS programmed to like my job."

Daring smiled at this. For a ball of metal, she sure showed a lot of emotion. Granted, she had only shown cheer, but the archaeologist adventurer felt comfortable around her because of this.

The two began walking through more of the facility. Daring tried her best not to linger, as she knew that she'd be able to explore the laboratory at its peak when she got it up and running. Instead, she admired the inner workings of the building: the vast openness between areas, the intricate tube system that snaked across the ceiling, and the old ruins of test areas that once held ponies.

The last of these brought up an interesting question. Would the robots do all the experiments? She had not seen anypony else here, and she doubted that anypony could have lived that long anyways. Would they rehire ponies when they started back up? Instead, she asked a different question.

"What happened?"

The metal ball just blinked at her.

"I mean, to this place?"

"Oh! Well... It's kind of a long story..." she sounded almost sad.

“I’ve got time” The two of them stopped.

"A long, looooong time ago, when we were breaking the laws of relativity in our sleep, our focus lay on portal technology. The ability to create two, linked, inter-dimensional wormholes with the simple press of a button was unheard of at the time. Science bounded forward after we had perfected it. Funding was no longer an issue now that we had the support of Celestia herself."

"Wait... Celestia... You mean the Celestia?"

"Yup! She supported it from the very start! She had her doubts about whether our endeavors would be beneficial to her, but once the portal project was announced she was all in!" the robotic eye bounced on its rail.

Daring Do giggled, an unusual thing for her to do. It was times like these that she wished she had a traveling companion. A sort of comedic relief. Yeah, she would like that.

"But our tale takes a turn for the worst. You see... Right after perfecting the technology, somepony used it against us. A mare. Her data no longer exists within our banks. Someone erased it a long time ago." The robot stopped, her metallic body hanging solemnly from the railway. There was a heart-wrenching sadness on her emulated face.

"Are you alright?" She wanted nothing more than to comfort the robot, to tell her it was alright... But the damage was already done.

"Yes, yes. It's just... It doesn't make sense why she would do that! I-I'm sorry... Anyways."

"It's alright. Go on."

"Well... She was one of the test subjects assigned to testing the Aperture Science Hand-Held Portal Device. We wanted to see the uses and implications of such technology now that we had the means to produce it. But she used our own technology against us! Destroyed the work we had spent generations on. The brainchild of the greatest scientist ponykind had ever produced. And she destroyed it! She was a lunatic! A raving lunatic! Had the security measures not kicked in when they did, she would have destroyed the entire facility. So many robots died that day... including my mother..." the pink glow of Cutesy's eye went dim, the grief in her voice plucking viciously at Daring's heart strings.

"I... I'm so sorry for your loss."

"It's not your fault. You don't need to be sorry."

The two of them were silent for a long time. Cutesy's story sank deep into the young mare. Such a story... And from a robot no less!

The metal mare broke the silence with an enthusiastic voice. "But now that you're here we can bring them all back! Repair the damage done!"

Daring was already sold on the idea of restoring the facility, and now she had reason to be quick about it. "Let's go!"

"Yeah!"

Daring dashed to her hooves. Unfortunately, this caused the floor to give way underneath her and she fell several yards before landing on her back in the muddy water below.

"Oh my goodness!" the robotic pony cried out as her new companion disappeared into the floor. After a short time with no movement from the fallen fortune finder, she asked: "Are you still alive?"

"Yeah!" she called back, trying to lift herself from the mud. While it had cushioned her fall, she didn't like being covered in century old dirt and water. Who knew what kind of mutated diseases rested here. "Diosa mio..." she muttered under her breath, rolling back onto her hooves. After a quick inspection she was confident that no serious damage had been done to her body.

It was only a minor set-back. She could just use her wings to fly back up.

"Actually, that hallway cuts straight through maintenance and all the way to security. It'd be much quicker to go that way instead!"

"But what about you?" How could she hope to find her way through this maze of a laboratory without Cutesy’s guidance?

"Well, I'm kinda stuck to this rail, so I'll meet you at the entrance to security. It’s not too far, just follow the signs!” with that the pink ball raced off.

And then Daring was alone. She welcomed that.

It was reminiscent of her solo journeys. On very rare occasions she was accompanied by a local native, or racing against a rival archaeologist. This was the kind of adventuring she knew. The kind where it was just you vs the past, mono e mono.

With a strong sense of nostalgia riding her, she set off through the murky ruins.

While Daring’s adventure had been a very exciting one, her enthusiasm began to drain from her as she navigated the dilapidated hallways below. While the upper levels had boasted large, complex chambers devoted to machinery, the ruined halls had nothing. It was just a long stretch of wreckage.

She trotted through the muddy swamp that was once the home of dozens of scientists, the sterile feel of the rooms completely destroyed by the overgrowth. Massive vines substituted doors, denying access to the mare. Large plants clung to the rotting walls and snaked across the hallways to make navigation incredibly difficult. The young treasure hunter had to crawl her way through thorny vines and slimy ichor to advance.

Her already torn body was ripped further. Sharp thorns teased at her skin and outrighted ripped her clothing. Her saddlebags snagged onto a group of spike just as Daring was trying to slip through a particularly close knit pack of pointy piercers. She could not move back, as she could not see behind her, and moving forward would mean ripping her saddlebags. with them already in a state of disrepair, she would lose all of her precious supplies. She didn’t have a choice.

RRRRRRRIP.

There went her rations. She tried desperately to reach back for her supplies, but they were now out of reach. She would not re-enter the danger in fear of being trapped again. She would have to push on without them. With great despair, she watched as the green slime encased her pack with little prejudice.

Turning around, she found that she did not have to go much further.

“What... am I looking at?” She asked, to nopony in particular.

She stood in a small chamber surrounded from all sides by what appeared to be paintings. They hung off the walls by dead, robotic arms. However, these were not like the crude drawings she had encountered on her way here. Those had been scratchings at the wall, insignificant markings that had little to no bearing. But these... these were magnificent! Their bright colors stood out against the ruined backdrop. The style was pleasant, and powerful. She didn’t know what to make of it.

It was a while before her focus shifted from the painting’s makings, to the actual painting itself. Her mind slowly processed the information, taking in every piece with intense curiosity.

The first painting depicted several ponies in white lab coats gathered around what appeared to be the same machine she had found in the large chamber. The same chamber she met Cutesy.. There was a kind of haste about it, suggesting that the artist was very rushed, and made it stand out from the rest.

The next painting was not so much haste, but anger and chaos. Green scribbles obscured most

of the image, but Daring could only assume that it was the faces of dying ponies that met her. They writhed in agony, their throats red and swelling. What was even more gruesome was that the painting seemed to come to life. All the faces were turned towards the viewer, begging for mercy. Begging for death.

She tore herself away to look at the next drawing. This one was another of the robot. This time she was painted in dark hues, an evil aura surrounding its body. The shape of the machine almost looked like a chained pony hanging from the ceiling. Facing her was a sheep. Her orange jumpsuit was bold and bright. In her hooves was a strange device, one not identifiable by the pegasus.

The last image struck her as the oddest. It was of the sheep, her fore legs outstretched and an angelic glow behind her. She looked heavenly, and the orange jumpsuit, again, stood out like a beacon.

But... what did it mean? Who was she? Was she the ewe from the tale? Who had done this? And why was the paint still fresh? Why-

“Daaaaaaaaring!” called a voice from one of the branching hallways. “Are you there?”

It was Cutesy! “I’m down here!” She raced up the stairs labeled “SECURITY” and met the pink ball outside the entrance.

“Wow, that was fast! C’mon, let’s go!” she raced towards the control panel with incredible speed.

“Wait, Cutsey!”

The robot came to a screeching halt. “What? What is it?” she asked with alarm.

The feathered filly was about to ask about the paintings she had just recently found, when she remembered that she could not have possibly known. She was restricted to rails. “I, uh... Just forgot it.” She lied.

“Oh. Well then what are you waiting for? Think fast!”

Daring watched in horror as the robot detached herself from the rails and plummeted towards her. Acting fast, she thrust out her hooves and was just barely able to save her new friend from doom.

“Whee! Nice catch! Alright, now lets go!”

She raised an eyebrow. What a strange little robot. Resting her precariously on her back, the beige pony stepped inside the ruined security office and was immediately greeted by tainted air. She began hacking loudly. This was not like the dirty air she had encountered in the rooms prior. This was heavy. It was... painful.

The thick dust stung her eyes like bees and made it near impossible to see. The lack of air made her body feel weak, walking now becoming a difficult task. Thousands of imaginary pins dug deep into her skin, repeatedly.

“Just keep going forwards! They’re be a socket in the wall. Just plug me in and I’ll take care of the rest!“

The deeper she delved, the harder it was to breath. Darkness began overtaking her, her senses went dull, and the whole world seemed to melt around her. It felt like she was inhaling shards of glass. What was happening? All she wanted to do now was lay down and die. She felt so much pain inside her body. Was this some sort of sick joke?

“You’re almost there!”

Everything began to disappear. Reality gave way to fantasy. Figures appeared where they didn’t belong. The tables and chairs turned upside down. Words didn’t make sense anymore

Just a little longer. Just a little father. C’mon. Almost. Almost...

Daring Do passed out.

"Daddy!" the filly Daring launched herself towards the brown-coated and gray-haired Pegasus.

"Hey kiddo!" the father embraced his daughter in a mid-air hug, squeezing the child's backpack into her. "How was school?" his South Amareican accent was much thicker than Daring's own.

"Fue impresionante! Today, in geography, we learned about Madagascolt! Did you know that it's the 4th largest island in the world?"

"Really?" the father let his foal rest on his back as they began flying home. "Do you know the biggest?" He asked, not really expecting an accurate answer.

"Greenland! Or Austrotlia... uhm... probably Greenland. Austrotlia is a continent, so that doesn't count."

The brown pony shook his head with humor. "I don't know where you get your smarts from, because they're certainly not from me!" he gave a hearty laugh that shook the tiny pegasus passenger

"Dad..." The miniature Daring Do half-giggled.

"I'm serious! You're getting more like your mother every day. You better put those brains to good use, pequeño."

"Well of course! I'm going to be a great explorer like you!" The beige filly pressed herself close to her father, drinking in his warmth. His almost leathery smell had grown on Daring, and was a source of comfort for her. The lingering scent of cigarette smoke also hung on him, but she was too young to know the implication.

"It's good to dream big, Daring."

The world below them became a blend of trees, houses, and cars. On the horizon rose grand mountains that stretched high into the air. The sun sat patiently above the high rises of the earth, beaming down onto the two pegasi with little remorse.

In the distance, along the coast, was the grinning of a pony with a scraggly beard and a metal hat of Spanish origin. "Conquistador's Cove" Was written above his head in an old font. Two sets of rails, one blue and the other red, lifted high into the air from within the park and plummeted back at a frightening angle. Drawing closer, the young fully could see the many carnival rides and game stall scattered across the amusement park, many of them in poor condition. The entire place had an "old" feel to it, from the water damaged huts, to the rusty equipment, this place was on the verge of breaking apart.

This was what Daring called home. And she wouldn't have it any other way. Living in the ruins of an old watermark was exciting for her. There was new stuff to discover nearly every day, and her father made sure she was never bored.

"So, Captain Do, what say you to a quest to find some treasure?"

"What kind of treasure?" she squeaked.

"Cuuuursed pirate treasure!" his poor pirate mimicry now came into play. "They say that if ye take one bite of Black-Wing's chocolate doubloons, you'll have the strength of one hundred stallions, and the wit of a million scientists!"

"Then what are we waiting for! Let's get us some booty! Arr!"

"Ugh... Uhhhhhhnnn?" Daring struggled to keep her hold on consciousness. Her head felt weightless, her body like a wet noodle. Everything shifted in and out of focus. She was cold. So cold.

"Oh thank goodness you're alright!"

The dazed Daring whipped her head up to face he voice. That was a bad idea. Blood rushed to her head and made the thumping of her brain feel like a hammer.

"You should probably lie down. You're lucky to even be alive right now!" Cutesy warned.

"Qué pasó? Dónde estamos?" she asked. Just talking seemed to drain the energy from her. She did not have the mental strength right now to translate.

"Neurotoxin." she replied, bluntly.

"... ... ... Que?"

"It's a nasty gas that can kill any organic creature in under a minute. I was only able to activate the vents moments away from your death.”

The half-awake adventurer lay still for a while. It felt like the ground was moving beneath her. What did fate have against her today? Could she not go ten minutes without being hit, snared, or gassed?

As her senses returned, she realized that the ground actually was moving. Looking up through the windows of the tram she could see the endlessness that was the facility. White fog obscured the ceiling and walls, and made the poor pegasus's head spin like a washing machine.

"In case you're wondering, we're headed to my mother's chamber. If we want any hope of rebuilding this place, we need to wake her up. We're nearly there!"

Daring looked up towards Cutesy as she dangled from the ceiling of the train, trying her best not to turn her gaze to the vast emptiness they now rode across. A pit opened up in her stomach. She prayed that this thing would stay aloft.

"I'm going to honest here. You look awful! What happened to your clothes?!"

"Thorns" she muttered. These were her favorite pair, too.

"Well, it's a good thing you plugged me in when you did. I would have been stuck there forever if you died."

How flippant. Daring was too tired to be mad.

"Here we are! Here we are!" the metal ball bounced happily.

The tram came to a screeching halt, piercing deep into Daring's ears and ripping at her eardrums. Inertia rolled her over and made old wounds cry out in agony. It felt like something inside her had broken.

"C'mon, c'mon, let's go!" once the cart had reached the station, Cutesy raced onto another set of rails.

Daring could hardly lift herself off the floor. The pain was beginning to ebb away, but the weakness in her body still reigned. She stumbled off the transport like a drunkard and did her best not to look down. When she did, though, bile erupted from her mouth. Thankfully Cutesy was too far ahead to see her. She'd rather not embarrass herself in front of a non-organic being.

The wobbly warrior could not discern between the ceiling and the floor, and any noteworthy characteristics of the room were just blobs of color in her vision. She was able to witness the pink ball plug herself into the elevator controls.

Everything moved so quickly. She felt so slow. As the platform ascended the gravity nearly pinned her to the ground. Only the sharp clicks of switches were able to keep her awake.

"Oh I'm so excited! She's gonna be so proud of me"

Daring's ears popped and sent a pang of pain through her cranium. All she could do was whinny.

Up and up they went. The clicks were more frequent now, and she wished she could find their origin. Her vision was slowly coming back, but it was so dark inside the elevator that it didn't really matter. Even when they reached the top, her sight was limited. That changed when the flood lights switched on.

The corpse of the large robot she had seen earlier still lay on the floor. What was different was that sparks now began shooting out from the wires leading to its head. They became more frequent, an orchestra of electricity filling the chamber. Daring watch on in stunned silence.

The thing came to life. It twisted and turned in the ancient debris. The cords pulled taut against its many limbs. Chunks of the ceiling gave way to the rumblings of the machine. This was madness. Pure madness. The robot spun around erratically as the few remaining wires tried to connect. Synthetic cries of pain emitted from its oversized head.

And the it was face to face with Daring

"Oh. Hello"

Daring Do stated back at the behemoth robot with a deadly mixture of fear and shock. The voice she was greeted by was feminine and robotic, the tone never straying from a sultry tenor. It was like a mother speaking to their child and trying their best to suppress their anger.

The yellow light of her eye moved up and down, taking in every aspect of the pony. Whirs and clicks sounded from within (what Daring assumed was) her head.

"You aren't who I was expecting at all" she cooed.

A large, mechanical claw plucked the filly off of the platform and drew her closer to the monstrous machine. She let out a squeal as her tiny body came nearly a tail length away from its glowing pupil.

"Mommy!"

"Mommy?" Daring echoed with confusion. She watched in disbelief as Cutesy rode in on the maintenance circuit near the base of the giant robot.

"Mommy! Don't hurt her! She helped me!"

"Mommy" turned to face the pink sphere, a sudden happiness in her tone. "E.M.M.A! How good it is to see you, my child." She released her grip on the Pegasus.

Daring tumbled to the ground. It took her a good while before she was back up on her hooves.

"Hmmm... I was expecting someone a little less... Pegasus."

The Pegasus felt a little hurt by that comment, but it quickly passed. She'd be pretty pissed, too, if someone had killed her.

"No matter. It's always good to know that there are SOME people dedicated to the advancement of science. Tell me, little pony, what is your name?"

"Daring. Daring Do" she replied pitifully.

The head reeled back, surprised. "Oh REALLY? Interesting."

"What... What about it is interesting?"

"It’s not important." She shrugged it off.

An awkward silence fell upon the room. Daring wanted to say something, but could not find the confidence to do so. In the presence of such a massive machine she felt small and weak.

“My goodness, just look at this place. I’ve really let it go.” the robot said in a dangerously low tone. “Well, on the bright side, I can see that the current generation is very well nourished.”

The pegasus detected an underlying cruelty to that remark.

The mother's voice took on a more robotic tone, the poison in her voice still present. "As much as I'd love to stand here and stare at your non-unicorn head until we both become dust, there are very pressing matters to attend to." As she spoke, the room came to life. Sections of the wall were guided by mechanical arms, either put into its proper place or replaced by less damaged panels. Beeps, boops, whirrs, and whizzes filled the large chamber to an almost deafening degree.

Cutesy rode along the rails to the bewildered bastion of exploration and took joy from her surprise. "It's amazing, isn't it? The entire facility is built like this! Interchangeable parts of rooms can be combined to create brand new areas! It's extremely useful for testing, since it means we don’t have to build new ones from scratch!”

The young mare fell to her haunches as the room, almost literally, spun around her. With the neurotoxin still lingering in her veins - which still frightened her - she could not find the strength to comprehend what was going on.

“As for you...”

The robotic voice broke Daring out of her stupor.

“Perhaps I have a few tests laying around for a pony like you.”

Tests? The heroic heroine had imagined prancing through the renewed facility like a filly in a toy store, but not actually taking part in any experiments. Guess that answered her question, though. “Okay... sure, I guess” she answered in a drowsy voice. She didn’t have anywhere to be, and she wasn’t expected home. Why not burn some time with science?

“Excellent.” She almost whispered.

A large tube broke through one of the walls and slithered towards Daring at an incredible speed. Her reflex were not enough to avoid its suction, and the mare was inhaled into the pipe along with several pieces of the floor.

“Have fun”

Chapter 3: Halls of Science

The world around Daring became a blur. A warm wind whistled past her ears and wrapped her body in warmth. The strong current kept her aloft, gravity unable to assert itself. Up and down no longer existed.

She was too exhausted to fight against it. Besides, she had no reason to escape. She was curious to see where this led. She had nothing to fear. Well, except deadly gasses but even then she hoped that was a one time event.

The glass distorted the world outside the tubes, the dim lights illuminating little of the dark hall she sped through. Ahead of her she could see a crude concrete box, faded, pink symbols in the center of each side. There was now the danger of smacking into the cube, but it seemed that some strange force kept their distance constant.

With the lighting as bad as it was, Daring did not see the branching tubes ahead and was suddenly yanked from the main path like a coin into a vacuum cleaner. Her flanks smacked against the frame as her inertia carried her forwards and sent a flash of pain through her already bruised body. It passed quickly, but now the young hunter questioned the safety of her journey.

The suction became less powerful as Daring delved deeper. As she moved slower through the tubes, it was now possible to see outside her ride. Through the image-warping glass she could see that she was in the Robot Assembly room. The robotic limbs that had been dead and limp when she first encountered them now dutifully constructed the egg-like objects she had seen earlier.

When they weren't dead and rusted, the "turrets" looked almost cute. The filly toyed with the idea of having one as a pet. From her perspective, and the aforementioned distortion, Daring could not see the details of the construction but could see the main components being put in place. She had figured out that the robots had extendable sides. What they revealed was not clear to Daring, but she guessed she would find out soon enough.

She slammed against the glass one more time as she turned a corner downwards, gravity now assisting in her descent. The world outside was dark again, but only for a second.

The tattered traveler landed on an oversized cushion that covered the floor of a 15ft by 15ft by 15ft room. Almost immediately the walls opened up and revealed an array of tiny, robotic hands that took hold of Daring, pulling her up into a spread-eagle position. Daring's Danger Detector set off. She did NOT like being in this vulnerable of a position.

Another machine descended from the ceiling with a red light flashing from its centre. The lens zoomed in and out in an attempt to focus on Daring's face. With a satisfied beep, the machine ran a red beam across her entire body several times, the light bending around her. "Searching database. No entry found. Creating new entry. Subject name: Daring Do.” When it was done it retreated back into the ceiling.

Still dazed and confused, Daring did not react as fast as she wanted to as the robot arms began taking off her torn clothing.

"Wha- hey! No! What are yo- Ah! Ouch!"

The ragged clothes were tossed into another opening in the wall. from deep within she could hear the sounds of a crackling fire. She knew she would not be seeing them again.

Some of the hands broke free of the group and brought out a bright orange jumpsuit with the company's logo proudly pasted on its chest. Soon it was being fitted onto her body, the sleeves being conveyer-belted across the hands. Being dressed by the machine was... Really really weird, and Daring felt a little violated by the thing.

A male voice, robotic, began to speak to her. "You have been equipped with an Aperture Science Magic-Based Health and Sanity Restoration Jumpsuit! This mandatory testing uniform will provide you with medical salves, pain relievers, and adrenaline should the need arise. The Aperture Science Magic-Based Health and Sanity Restoration Jumpsuit is also designed to protect its wearer from: impact of up to 20580 Newtons, temperatures up to 200 Fahrenheit, flesh wounds, excessive blood loss, dehydration, and bullet impact. If you have any questions concerning the Aperture Science Magic-Based Health and Sanity Restoration Jumpsuit, please contact your official testing overseer." the speech came to a close with a sharp snap.

What?

Daring went through the list in her head. Why... Did she need protection from blood loss? And for that matter, why was she going to need protection from bullets? Warning lights were already going off in her head.

Not wanting to jump to conclusions, the young mare reasoned that perhaps they just wanted their test subjects to be safe. Maybe soldiers practiced here. Maybe they made them to follow whatever legislation was around at the time. She wouldn't let her guard down, but she wouldn't label this place a danger quite yet.

To distract herself she began studying her new fashion statement.

Orange. It didn't really... work for Daring. She was used to the forest green of her vest. Not this obnoxious orange.

Daring looked at herself in a nearby mirror. For a brief moment she thought she was looking at the ewe again, until she saw that it was a pony that stared back at her. Then she noticed something else. Her hat. Or rather, her lack of hat. "H-What? Hey! Where's my hat?!"

"Any attire that does not meet Aperture Science's standard regulations is strictly prohibited from the testing area."

"But..."

"Test subjects who fail to comply with regulations will be terminated. And then removed from payroll."

Daring shut up.

Although her hat had a tremendous amount of sentimental value she was not going to risk her life for it.

Before she could fully "admire" her reflection another panel in the wall opened up, another series of tubes awaiting her. Unable to protest, she was sucked away.

The glass this time was more transparent than the last, providing the mare with a clear view of nothingness. She was still trying to adjust the outfit into a comfortable position and found that doing so in midair was... Difficult.

Looking down the tube she could see a bright light, growing larger as she sped towards it. In an eye-blink she was past the light and now in an endless room. The only wall she could see was the one she had emerged from, but it sank deep into the fog like a rock into a pond. She felt like vomiting again.

Below her was organized chaos.

Huge rooms moved along metal rails, the high pitch squeal of metal on metal piercing through the glass. Panels and tubes rode similar rails, zipping across like busy bees. Although a lot less erratic in their behavior. Steel rods rose from the fog below, linking together to form the frame of another room. Panels were brought in on flying robots: spherical, jetpack wearing robots with several hands grasping several pieces of wall.

Another turn sent her headfirst into the glass.

This time she was greeted by a familiar female voice. "Hello, and welcome to the Aperture Science Aptitude Course. As required by equestrian law, all test subjects... oh wait... I forgot..." the voice turned almost sultry. "You're not TECHNICALLY a registered test subject. That means I'm not required to read you your rights. Besides, I'm sure my records are out of date anyways. Well... I guess I'll at least tell you about these next tests out of the kindness of my simulated heart. After doing a quick brain scan I've chosen the best set of chambers to test your intelligence, agility, and adaptation. Your performance on these tests will help us determine your strengths and weakness, an assign you to an appropriate testing hall. My advice? Don't die. Good luck!" she disappeared with a loud click.

And then she was alone again. All that lay ahead of her was a circular door with an almost alien design. What challenges awaited her on the other side? The robot lady had said these tests would test her intelligence. What mind-bending puzzles would she have to outwit? What dangerous obstacles would she have to avoid?

Daring felt her heart race as she trotted towards the door. The center rotated 180, skewing the image of the silhouette pony before the doors slid away to reveal...

A small room with a cube, a button, and another door. The only noteworthy thing about the room was that it was crumbling apart, pieces of the ceiling hanging open and several walls discolored with age.

Daring tilted her head and stood there a moment. This was her great challenge? Was this some sort of joke? She stood there, stunned, for quite some time. When she was sure that this was NOT a joke, she continued.

While the box was heavier than Daring imagined, there was no significant challenge. Upon pushing the box onto the button a satisfied chime rang out and the door opened. "Congratulations." the female voice returned. "Not on the test. In fact, you took longer than any other test subject on record. I was talking about your suit. It's a miracle you managed to fit into that thing. I suppose the designers never thought to make them in extra large. Oh well. Please continue to the next testing chamber."

Daring narrowed her eyes at the ceiling, unable to find anything to direct her anger at. It became apparent to the young adventurer that she was going to be a victim to this revenge-seeking robot. Seeing as how the original instigator was no longer around (or alive for that matter), all her anger would be directed at Daring. But now she was beginning to see why she was overthrown in the first place.

No. She shouldn't think like that. She didn't even know this "mother". More time would have to pass before she could solidify an opinion.

The hall she entered led to an elevator shaft, a flickering barrier standing between them. "Please take note of the... Oh... Looks like it's malfunctioning again. -sigh- I guess I'LL have to fix it."

She watched as the two oval-shaped contraptions shifted in and out of the walls, trying desperately to keep a magical barrier active. It flickered on and off pitifully, the thin layer of magic fizzing out before it could fully manifest. Before long, the machines locked into place and casted a bright blue wall of magic.

"Ahead of you is a Material Emancipation Grid. This magical barrier will prevent any unauthorized Aperture Science equipment from passing through. It has, on semi-rare occasion, emancipated vital organs including, but not limited to, the liver, heart, and skin. Take care when passing through."

Daring got the sinking feeling that this place was going to kill her. She had tried to ignore the signs warning her of the facility's danger, but now it seemed unavoidable. However, this place was far less dangerous than the trap-riddled tombs of Pharaohs, or the vicious, predator filled jungles. She wouldn't give up on this place quite yet.

Our heroine quickly jumped through the field will all her organs still inside her. A small, personal elevator awaited her at the end of the hall. Surrounding it was the remains of a curved screen, the glass broken after years of disuse. It was a tight squeeze, the space obviously made for a smaller pony, but the doors managed to close and the lift descended. For a moment, Daring considered the robot's opinion of her size to be true. No, that was impossible. With all that running around, crawling through dungeons, climbing pyramids? Of course she wasn't fat!

While the the lift had been made to see through, there really wasn't much to see. The darkness hid most of her view, but occasionally a spot of light would escape between metal pipes. What it revealed wasn't too spectacular. Most of the time it just showed an empty maintenance shaft while other times it showed nothing. Despite being a short ride, it was painfully boring.

The lift stopped short of the floor and had to rely on the hydraulics, the power of the elevator having shut off. When the lift had leveled with the floor the doors slid open and deposited the feathered mare onto the ground. She let out a huff as her body tumbled onto the cold concrete. "Built by tiny ponies... " she muttered under her breath. The new space was entirely like the previous one, the only difference being that small sections of the screen were functional. From what she could tell, the video depicted a 2D silhouette of a pony being dressed in the Aperture jump-suit. The video was supposed to be stretched across the many monitors, but with so many of them in disrepair, this could not be achieved.

Daring was disappointed with the next room. In no time she was able to lift the box over the pit and onto the button. Granted, the pit would have been a problem for an Earth Pony or Unicorn, but with wings the puzzle was painfully easy.

"Well done." the voice praised her. Daring was hesitant to receive it as such. "I'm serious this time. You finished this test faster than any test subject on record. Congratulations. Please continue to the next test chamber."

Hunh. Alright. She did as she was told, squeezing into lift once more. Again, a boring ride down. It was very strange. So much of the facility seemed incredibly dangerous, while some parts felt incredibly dull. How were these tests supposed to test her skills? So far it only proved 2 things: she could pick up boxes and fly. Surely there must be harder tests further on. Otherwise it wasn't worth risking her life in such a place.

She reached the next floor, the elevator actually making it to the ground. The screens here were more functional, and statistics about the suit could be seen.

"• Built-In Heater/AC

• Lightweight Material

• One size fits all "

The rest was static. It sounded nice, though.

Test Chamber 3, said the white panel. She had seen them in the previous two chambers, but they were non functional. This one was, and showed little icons with the same pony silhouette. There was one drowning, one being hit with a Cheerio, one drinking from a fountain (apparently marking it as a bad thing), one being electrocuted, one being crushed, one falling into a pit, one having a box dropped on their head, one with lines going through their body, one being gassed, and a slice of cake. The lined one was lit. She could make out a "turret" in the image as well, and that got her excited. Now she'd finally figure out what they were.

She cantered over to the door. It happily opened for her, and led her into a room exactly like the previous one. A pit, a box, and a button. Daring sighed.

She was about to grab hold of the cube when a very peculiar thing happened. A panel in the ceiling gave way to a pair of metal claws. They each held an egg-like turret. Tilting her head, she watched them descend on the other side of the room.

The mechanical whirr of the machine provided the only ambience in the room. Slowly it lowered, the robots inactive until reaching the ground.

They both pointed their red eyes towards Daring.

"Hello?"

"Who are you?"

Daring was quick to reply.

"Hi! I'm Da-"

The room was filled with light and noise. Pain ripped through the treasure hunter's torso, white streaks of light piercing her body. It was like touching the embers of a fire. For the first few seconds she could feel nothing. Then came a balefire of pain. She let out a cry that could have reached the Goddess herself. Excruciating pain tore apart her limbs, surging up and down her body in a merciless assault. Her legs gave way as tiny holes began to appear on them, her body resembling swiss cheese. Blood was everywhere.

Turrets. Pew pew. Wonderful.

With a burst of adrenaline Daring rolled behind the box, the white streams bouncing off the metallic surface. A sharp ringing sound filled her ears and made her head throb. She wanted to vomit.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" the young mare screamed as the blood literally flooded out of her body. She was going to die. She was going to die down here. Nobody would know. She'd rot here. All alone. They would look for her and find nothing.

The firing ceased, their red eyes searching.

"Warning! Blood levels have dropped to unhealthy levels! Administering healing spell: Closure." the voice cheerfully said.

A yellow glow surrounded her body. Slowly, and gruesomely, the many holes in her body closed and slowed the flow of blood. She tried to distract herself as she waited for the magic to fix her broken body. The pain tearing through her was unlike anything she had ever felt. It was as if pieces of her had been ripped out, a part of her missing. It was awful.

Her screams faded into whispered moans as her body healed. Tears were streaming down her face. Feeling returned to the rest of her body.

Soon, her breathing evened out. The pain ebbed away, the mental damage still there. She now had enough energy to pick herself off the cold concrete. A risky peek over the box proved the danger of the situations as they fired at where her head had been.

Now THIS was a challenge. The only thing keeping the adventurer from becoming Swiss cheese was the small box. Getting the box to the other side wouldn't be a problem if she held it between her and the machines. The hard part was getting to the exit without being detected. She was sure the suit could heal her if she ran, but if she were to get hit in the head or heart... Well... You can't heal dead people.

"Are you still there?" the homicidal robot asked.

Daring said nothing. She was too busy contemplating her next move.

Slowly, so as not to get the attention of the turrets, she dragged the cube to one of the walls and as close to the bottomless abyss as possible. She didn't want to risk too much time in the air: her wings made her a bigger target.

Deep breaths. In. And out. She looked across the gap. Just one big hop. That's all she needed. Right? In. And out. Just have to be speedy. In. And out.

Swallowing hard, she leapt off the platform and clumsily held the box as a shield. The additional weight suddenly became too much, and Daring dropped in altitude. She was forced to lean downwards to keep her hold on the box, making her an easy target.

"I see you!"

"Sentry mode activated!"

It was happening all over again! Bullets ripped through her wings and sent her plummeting. Fate had smiled on her, though, for she was able to release the cube onto the other side while she was able to latch onto the edge. The dangling Daring was out of range of the turrets and now risked falling into the darkness. Ignoring the pain only managed to make room for fears of falling. So now she came to a fork in the road. She could risk getting shot to death or falling into the pit.

"Extreme exhaustion detected. Administering adrenaline!"

Wait, what? Wasn't tha- OKAY WOW IT'S TIME TO GO, ALRIGHT.

Daring felt a gigantic wave of energy ripple across her limbs. With equal parts insanity and bravery the young hunter flipped herself into the air. The turrets below opened their compartment, readying the light and noise. Instead, Daring punched her forelegs through the face of the machine and effectively disabled it.

The other turret tried to target the hyped-up heroine. Unfortunately, he could not pivot far enough to get her in his line of fire. It soon became scrap metal. With a mighty kick, the metallic monster fell into the void.

Still riding the high of adrenaline Daring felt her emotions intensify. Rage managed to fight its way to the top.

"The hell was that all about?! You could have told me you were going to try and kill me!"

The female voice spoke with false innocence. "I wasn't in charge of building these chambers. They were made by the scientists before me. Take it up with them."

They both knew that wouldn't happen because they were dead.

"Anyways, I suppose you've deserved your mandatory congratulations. Congratulations."

Daring just continued to glare at the ceiling.

"Well, based on these results, the best position for you would be testing the Aperture Science Aerodynamically Enhanced Speed-Suit. It was originally designed for Unicorns so that they would be granted the same ability Pegasi have. Except better. I managed to make a few adjustments to it while you were wasting time in the Practice Courses, so now it will be SUITable for you."

The young adventurer tilted her head with a disgusted look on her face. She didn't get the strange emphasis.

"Hmm... seems my humor processor is out of date. I think I'll have enough time to update them at the rate you've been navigating these tests."

What was with her? First, Daring had been called fat, then filled with bullets, and now she's being insulted again. Who in their right mind would have THIS thing run their facility.

"I think I'm going to pass. As much as I love having near-death experiences, I think I've had enough of them today."

There was a unsettling silence.

"So... Yeah. If you could just point me towards the nearest settlement..." Honestly, anywhere but there sounded pleasing.

The voice was low. Dangerously low. "I'm afraid you can't do that."

"Uh... Why not?"

"Because I won't let you. I'm not sure you get what's going on here. I know how small Pegasus brains are, so I'll put this as simply as I can. You are not leaving."

"B... But" She had been caught off guard by the sudden turn of events. "I have to go home. There's somepony waiting for me. I can't just..."

"But Daring. This IS your home now."

So... She was trapped? Is that what was happening?

"You can't keep me here!" she said with a wave of fury washing over her.

"Oh, but I can" a pair of spheres, identical in shape to Cutesy, emerged from the walls with bright green lasers trained on her head. A tube-like device sprouted out from its side and loaded a rocket.

Daring gulped. The wave of fury broke against the rocks of fear.

"I think we understand each other now. Please proceed to the next test chamber."

She took very slow steps towards the elevator, staring up at the missile-toting robots like a convict to a judge. The hideously yellow eyes watched her every move. Waiting. Just... Waiting.

This was bad. This was really bad. She had made a mistake. A big mistake. A gigantic, life-threatening mistake. Now she was trapped in this death trap of a laboratory with a possibly... No... Positively psychotic robot. Oh Daring, why must you always waltz into danger?

The "Aperture Science Aerodynamically enhanced Speed-Suit" was... Trendy. It looked very similar to the Wonderbolt's suits in a solid white. There were two flaps on either side that mimicked wings. At least, wings with razor sharp feathers. There was an obvious spot on the head where there had been a pocket for the horn, now a black patch.

It was posed on a pony manikin, the faceless creature staring back at her.

She didn't want to do this. She really didn't. She wanted to go home. Why did she trust that pink thing? Never trust robots. That was her new rule. Never.

"Alright look. Since you're going to be here the rest of your short, miserable life, you might as well TRY and enjoy it. We can get better results if you're much more willing."

Daring scowled at the ceiling.

"Fine. Be that way. It doesn't matter either way."

The young hunter studied the room around her. It was big. And empty, save for her and the suit. Well lit, and extremely sterile. The plants that had overgrown the previous chambers were not to be seen here.

"To demonstrate the suits abilities, we must first recognize a typical pegasi's."

At both ends of the room the walls parted, revealing at one end a giant fan, and at the other a wall of spikes. It wasn't difficult to put 2 and 2 together. Already knowing how close to death her last encounter was, she dashed towards the nearest exit. The way she had come in was now sealed and the only other exit was at the base of the large fan.

But she had not made it halfway when the fan screamed to life. The huge blades spun slowly, gathering momentum with each rotation. Daring picked up her pace. Faster and faster the fan spun until a light current made its way through the room. Adrenaline spilled into her veins, and gave her a boost of speed. The exit was just ahead. Her hooves slammed against the ground with each step. Breathing came in short, panicked bursts. The fan was getting faster, and faster, until it reached the strength of a small tornado.

Still persistent, Daring tried to fight against the wind. Each hoof came down with the weight of her body. Her mane and tail were lifted into the air, flapping wildly in the heavy wind. She bared her teeth as her struggle continued. She was so close. So close. But the blades spun faster, pushing her back towards the wall of spikes. The time in between her steps grew wider.

Before long, she was moving backwards more than she was forward.

Her hooves left the ground. Her body was lifted high into the air. The gale threw her at the wall of jagged metal. Instinct taking control of her body, her wings folded open and tried to break the flow of air. It would have worked, too, if the force were not so strong. For a while she was able to keep herself from going back any further. But every minor move she made became increased 10-fold. Each time she tried to realign herself she was sent further back. Even worse: it felt as if her wings were being pulled off her with the wind as strong as it was.

She looked back. She ended up regretting this.

The wings caught the wind and sent her flying backwards. Closer and closer the wall came, the long, sharp spikes reaching out to greet her. She closed her eyes and waited for Death's touch.

The next thing she felt was hard metal.

Opening her eyes, she saw that there was now an ordinary wall replacing the previous death trap.

"Wha-?"

The fan stopped, and she fell to the ground with a mighty THUD.

“As you can no doubt see, a pegasus is not suited for such extreme weather conditions.”

No shit. Daring glared up at the voice.

“Please approach the suit.”

Daring didn’t move. She just let herself lie on the floor.

“I should remind you that I have the means to make you comply.”

“Yeah? So what if you kill me? What will you do then, with no test subject?” she spat.

“Oh, I’d probably just throw your brain inside a robot. I’m sure no-one would be able to tell the difference. Well, they may notice you were a lot lighter.”

The beige pony grit her teeth. Despite the overwhelming threat of death, she was more than willing to escape if she got the chance. She wanted to punch whatever SHE was in the face. If it even had one. She had been tricked. Deceived. Fooled. What she had once thought a place of wonder and excitement was now a prison. How fate loved to tempt her so.

“Please approach the suit.”

Daring did as she was told, stomping down each hoof as she went.

She had expected to be treated similarly as when she was first equipped with the Aperture Science Whatchamajig Suit. Instead she experienced something beyond bizarre. When she got within reaching distance of the suit it broke apart into millions of tiny lights. Shocked, and still on edge, she leapt back as they swarmed her. She was prepared to outrun them. Unfortunately they were a lot faster than she was and she was soon covered in the multi-colored lights.

They spun around her body as if trying to make a tornado. Her eyes started to water as the intensity of the colors increased with their speed. The rosy red iris spun around and around as they tried to follow the light. They failed, and only managed to make her dizzy. Yet they continued to spin faster and faster until they became an impenetrable barrier of color.

Then she blinked.

When she opened her eyes, the lights were gone. So was the suit.

Her head whipped around frantically to find where both had gone, realizing - as she looked down- that the suit was now on her.

“Buh, wah, hunh?”

“As you can no doubt see, the Aperture Science Health and Sanity Restoration Suit has coupled with the Aperture Science Aerodynamically Enhanced Speed Suit. This feature, credited to the brilliant mind of Motion Reflux, allows quick and easy installation of most Aperture Science equipment.”

The young hunter lifted a hoof and examined the new suit. It felt no different than wearing the original outfit. All that seemed to change was that she now wore a bright white instead of the annoying orange. That and she had razor-sharp wings.

Stretching out her wings, the daring pony admired the suit’s addition. The feathers were sharp and thin, snugly fit over her originals. The design seemed altogether more flight-worthy than any other pair of wings she had ever seen. They were, in a word, amazing. All thoughts of distrust and anger faded from her mind. All her attention shifted to her new pair of wings.

At least, until the robotic voice returned.

“Let us continue with the demonstration.”

The walls opened again. This time, Daring was ready. She ran as fast as she could towards the exit, knowing that she could at least get a head start before the fan started up.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case. The fan seemed to be even FASTER than before, and before she could even make it 1/4th of the room, she was airborne. Again, her pegasi instincts kicked in and unfurled her wings for her. And then something amazing happened.

Using gravity as a kickstart, Daring shot across the room in the blink of an eye. She was a streak of white and brown, a comet. So fast, in fact, that she ran face first into the ground just past the fan. She didn’t even see the turret guarding the entrance-way.

SHING! WHAP!

Her head stuck to the ground like silly putty thrown against a window. It took several forceful tugs before she successfully peeled herself from the floor, a long line of blood dripping out her nose. Her eyes spun like clothes in a dryer. Little turrets with wings spun around her head, tweeting and chiming as they taunted her.

“Well done. As you can see, the suit’s combat capabilities are far beyond that of any other pegasus.”

Confused, Daring looked around for what she was referring to.

Just behind her was another turret. This time, it was inactive. The reason for that being that a horizontal cut had been made through it, and now lay in two pieces. Tiny sparks flickered from the corpse of the robot like last breaths. Did... Daring do that?

She unfolded her wings and looked at the edges again, once more noting their sharpness. That was …amazing. Maybe... maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all. At least now she had a way to defend herself.

“Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s continue on with the tests. I guess I should warn you now that failing these next tests will result in more than just a bad mark on your papers. Regardless, it’s time to test. For Science.”