Before Work
Leaving home a bit earlier I decided to invest in a flashlight, not being able to see down the hallway at night was hard enough as it was but with the flashlight I could see down it I also picked up some colored reflective tapes I could mark the floor to judge how close those animatronics were getting to my office and finally I brought a small fan the room was really hot and something to cool me down would be a blessing. I arrived early to get set up I laid the tape put spare batteries on the table and headed to the kitchen to see if they had any pizza left to eat. After filling my stomach with as much fatty pizza as I could get off the cooks before they shut off all of the ovens I headed back to my office getting settled I could see a red light on the phones messages.
00:00am
Placing my flashlight in an easy to reach place I sat down and hit the play button on the speaker “hello? Hello, um hey hope everything went well last night sorry I had to run again today I hope you stay with us long enough to actually talk sometime” I brought up the camera and flicked over to the stage all three of the animatronics were still there thankfully, turning my attention back to the phone the day guard was still talking “So tonight is a little different then most other nights if you look in the repair bay you can see we have a guest here” flicking over the camera to the repair room I could see a clearly robotic looking pony laying on one of the tables the body looked like a unicorn but there was a bit of wear and tear across the body. “The animatronic is called Stardust; she is in for a complete overhaul of her body and systems now the older models are a bit on the dangerous side but I have been told that she was shut down and the door locked so you don’t need to worry” there was a short pause I used this moment to check the cameras again luckily none of them had yet to move “look I’ll be honest the old models are very dangerous at night something about not having a night mode so if she does wander like the rest and you see her lock the door and put on the mask, but like I said the ponies who work back there shut her off so don’t worry and be safe”.
01:30am
Thunderbot was having the time of his robotic life he had moved from party room to party room only stoping to look at a vent in one room for a few minutes before moving on while on the other hoof Tooncriticbot was hanging around the main hallway I would catch him in my flashlight every few minutes, the first time was I will say was kind of funny flicking on the light to see it slowly walking forwards as if it was being sneaky but I had to say buying this flashlight was a great idea the remaining two animatronics to my amazement had yet to leave the stage or the repair room but I was more than sure that would change soon considering what last night was like.
02:15am
Flicking back up the camera for the repair room I was surprised to see that the old animatronic still on the table compared to most of the other robots this one didn't seem to want to move, flicking back though the different cameras I could see that Thunderbot had taken up hitting the vent with its head again he did that last night as well, whatever was causing it must be quite a bad glitch but it did keep it occupied and out of the office and as far as I was aware that kept me nice and safe so more power to the guy if it wanted to hit the vent
03:50am
Clicking on my flashlight I could see GoldenFoxbot standing right on the tap I had placed I quickly tapped the door controls and the metal door sealing the robot outside the office leaning back in my chair I flicked back up the cameras making sure to see if the rest were still in their places after finding each one I hit the door controls again and it raised, thankfully GoldenFoxbot had left having a yawn and a stretch I got right back to looking at the cameras.
04:30am
This time Thunderbot caused me to shut the door out of all the animatronics he was the one that acted the strangest all the time he spent hitting that vent might have put that idea into my head but it was the only one of them to actually do it on camera but right now he was outside the door and as far as I could see it was that was for the best right now with the door closed I had a chance to just relaxes for a few minutes and if nothing else I could go for a quick breather from the cameras but overall the entire night felt very simple once I figured out what to do I managed to keep them out of my office entirely and still do my job as a night guard, flicking back up the camera to the repair room the animatronic back there had not moved at all and to be honest I kind of felt cheated out of what the stallion on the phone had said was a real killer I had to laugh at that right now there was meant to be a threatening robot but I had managed to beat it back with some cheap tape and a flashlight.
05:49am
My shift was almost over to my amazement I discovered that the door only stayed shut for about five minutes before reopening itself I have to admit I threw the mask on during that time but it was clear down the hallway so I slumped back down into my seat and just looked at the mask for a bit until my shift ended the animatronics according to the cameras had all returned to the stage around 05:30 and that robot was still doing nothing in the repair room I kept flashing my light down the hall rather than look at the cameras and a thought sank into my head which I decided to scream to the high heavens “if this is all you have to do why did the old night guard just up and quit?”
Night 1: Getting settled in
before work
To say I needed the work is an understatement I was about to lose my house so taking up the job at Thunders palace was the best bet I was more than surprised when they just gave me the job then and there no real interview took place it was I guess just for five days and if I did a good job it would be full time getting to the place was a bit tricky thanks to having to go half way around town or down some back alleys and this late at night I was not going to risk it the last thing I wanted to do was loss my life trying to get there a bit earlier. Walking thought the big double doors I could see the place was closing down for the night ponies in uniforms working away resetting chairs to tables, a few mopping the floors walking around them I found the guards office it was empty to my surprise with just a note on the table ‘I always leave before closing sorry, message on the machine’.
00:00am
With the rest of the staff gone I gave a quick look around my office room two over sized vents on both sides of me, some weird pony mask beside me it was to be honest creepy but the mask reminded me I had a message with a quick tap I hit play “Hello? Hello? This thing on, oh it is well hi I’m the day guard here at Thunders palace” the guy seemed alright “so I’m sure the company gave you a full briefing on what this place is but in case they forgot I will go over some of the finer bits, so welcome to the Rifts Café’s eatery and diners chain of well places to eat, a fun time for colt and fillies alike to have fun and enjoy life…” this was the same thing I already heard but it was nice he thought of it. “So you may know that the robots or animatronics here are based off of the analysts as they call themselves who came thought the magical portal a few years ago the place you are in now is actually special compared to most, it’s not only the first but the biggest repair station in all of Equestia. So every now and again we here at Thunders palace get sent the more damaged robots from the other eleven branches to do major repair or overhaul jobs so don’t be worried if you see an extra robot walking around” wait walking around what did he mean by that the ponies I talked to didn't mention that this got me more tense to what he was saying.
00:15am
After hearing that they moved around at night I was almost glued to the speaker “so if you bring up the security camera you can see all three of the house animatronics on stage unless they have moved” I flicked up the camera as fast as it could and indeed their they were all three of them standing dead still “now I really miss the old Tooncritic model but times are changing the ones we have now are more advanced they can do a heap and can interact to some extent with foals and are all hardwired into some systems that keep this place safe during the day” there was a short pause before he continued “and at night don’t worry you are perfectly safe the company and if I do so say myself have made sure of it” flicking to another camera I could see the backroom labelled ‘repair bay’ it looked more like a dump really parts everywhere on the ground and something glowing red I flicked back to the main camera. The guy on the phone kept going “so the company hates to admit it but the robots are not that safe at night due to some bad programming they on occasion see anyone inside after hours they think it’s an animatronic without a suit and if they do you will get taken to repair for refitting” this didn't seem like such a bad thing I guess I get thrown in a costume and waist time getting if off later “now this would be not that bad if it wasn't for a glitch the system that deals with that is also the same system that deals with burglars so if the find you they are likely to apprehend you with so much force it could um” he gave another pause this was quite long this time “let’s just say don’t get caught, but to help with this we have two ways the first is the easiest just shut the door as long as the robots are not under the door frame they will be locked out and will just walk away but if they do get under the door it won’t shut so I have given you an empty pony mask I don’t know why but they don’t like this mask so if you put it on they will leave you alone, only downside is that the mask has no breathing holes so if you leave it on for too long you might pass out and well that’s another whole heap of trouble but that should get you set up for the first night be safe and I will see you tomorrow”.
01:24am
The Thunderbot had move to one of the play room after about ten minutes it would move to another room flicking back to the stage the other two were still there they had yet to move, a crash down from one of the vents flicking from one camera to the next I found the right one, the Thunderbot was hitting his head on the vent leaving it to keep hitting its head looking back at the stage camera none of the other animatronics had yet to move putting down my screen I could see something staring a bit away from the door it look like the Thunderbot but I couldn't see right down the hall I leaned on the side of caution and shut the door bringing back up the camera I looked to see if there was one for the hallway sadly I couldn't see one reopening the door whatever it was left.
02:30am
With the hours going by smoothly I had to admit it was peaceful here the Tooncriticbot had moved into another room and the Thunderbot was I could say happy to stay in one of the party rooms as long as it wanted, a quick glance at the stage camera to make sure the last animatronic was still there before checking the door peering down the blacked hallway was a real strain on my eyes but I couldn't see anything bringing back up the screen I had a look at the rest of the cameras nopony was trying to break in and with the robots in the party rooms on the other side of the building I could give a short sigh flicking back to the stage camera the screen was black looking up I hit the button that shouts the door just in time to see the GoldenFoxbot staring right at me.
03:00am
I just sat there all three of the robots were now out and about half my shift may have been over but I was now going to need to keep track of all three animatronics and look out for ponies breaking in, personally I have no clue which is worse the idea of ponies coming in here to steal or the fact that the animatronics would kill me to throw me in a suit because of a glitch in their systems, with a shake of my head I looked back at the cameras I knew robots were on Thunderbot had moved back to the vent but was not hitting it, Tooncriticbot had move towards one of the kitchens but the GoldenFoxbot was staring up at the camera from one of the playrooms flicking back to the repair room camera I could still see the strange red light thinking about it the light could just be a machine somepony left on if that was the case I had less to worry about then I thought.
04:22am
I heard before I looked up the sound of walking I slammed my hoof down on the door button and looked over Thunderbot was right there a hoof out in front of it as the door came down a beeping sounded from the button the door stopped right before its hoof and began to rise, panicking I threw on the mask I could just see though the eye holes covered in some weird glass it was indeed hard to breath in this mask but I had bigger problems the Thunderbot was in the room and I could get a good look at it, the entire animatronic looked really well built but the eyes looked older they stood out with the colorful appearance of the rest of the robot, after what felt like an hour the Thunderbot walked away pulling off the mask I took a massive gulp of air I would hate to have to do that often this door would be a lifesaver if I could see down the hall.
05:30am
I only had half an hour left in my shift and despite one close call the night was quite good nopony had broken in, all three of the animatronics were still up and working and to seal the deal nothing had happened to me, bringing back up the camera the GoldenFoxbot had climbed up on a table to look right into the camera scary but not that bad, Thunderbot had gone back to his favorite vent to hit it a few more times and the Tooncriticbot was nice and quiet in a playroom just happily standing there leaning back on my chair I had to consider that going through four more nights of this wouldn't be that bad I just need to keep an eye on the door and know where each of the robots had gotten too I think I would be pretty safe.
