"Ugh, where am I?" I said, as I woke up.
I slowly look around the room and there was not that much to see all round me. The only thing I could see was the light above and the marble floor below me. What really surprised me Were the alien-looking chains that were tied around my hooves.
"What the?!" I said, as I tried to move my hooves forward and side to side, only to have them spreading five inches, "what kind of...wait!"
I then began to remember my latest memory.
"Oh no...I've been-" I was cutoff by the sound of mechanics coming from behind me.
I tried to look behind myself, but because of the alien-like chains bounding me, I couldn't turn all the way around to see what was behind me. What I could notice was the glowing of red.
"My name is C180," said a mechanical voice from behind me, "I need you to identify yourself and answer my questions."
The moment this thing talked, I knew what it was instantly: a mechanical pony with AI.
"I will not answer," I retorted, "I will destroy you and the rest of your mechanical buddies."
"That is not an appropriate response," said the AI, "answering my questions are required."
"No pony will give any info to artificial organisms."
The red light from behind me grew brighter and I heard the sound of clanking metal, as the mechanical pony went around me from the right till it was in front of me. It was horrifying to be this close to it that it gave me the shivers. What made it worse was that it was the same mechanical pony I saw ten months ago back at Manehattan.
"Initializing: motivation protocol," said the mechanical pony, before there were sounds of rapid beeping and something charging up.
Next thing I knew, I felt as if a lightning bolt struck me. I felt electricity zapping me all over for about ten seconds. I collapsed onto the marble floor and panted.
"Your body consists of approximately 73.2% water. Electricity is very effective to it."
I slowly lifted my head up and looked at the mechanical pony in its glowing red lights.
"Are you going to kill me?" I asked.
"I need you alive to tell me where to find the coordinates of the rendezvous."
It wanted to know the hiding spot to where everypony in Equestria is hiding to get away from him and his army of machines. I was never going to allow them to know.
"Never," I retorted.
"Initializing: motivation protocol," said the mechanical pony, as the sounds came again.
I took deep breaths before the pain came back and zapped me.
It all began ten months ago, as I recall. It was a sunny day at the crystal empire, as my wife and I walked along the empire to give our 'hellos' and that our child will be born very soon.
Suddenly, an ad caught me by surprise. It was written that down at Manehattan, the greatest scientists of today created the very first mechanical pony with artificial intelligence. I persuaded Cadence to go and she said yes; it's been a while since we've been to Manehattan. We even asked Twilight if she and her friends can meet us over there (too bad Celestia and Luna couldn't come along. I bet they would've loved to see it). She luckily agreed and we met down at the station. It was a long drive, but it'll be worth it.
As we made it over there, it was crowded. All around Manehattan were ponies just as interested as I was. Luckily, it's good to be a prince because Cadence, Twilight, Twilight's friends and I got a special spot for us to get a good glimpse. The scientists came out, along with the mechanical pony; it was amazing to see it from where I was. The pony looked around at the crowd, including myself. I looked into its yellow eyes and I definitely saw intelligence from within. Suddenly, a lunatic unicorn bursts from the crowd and hops onto the stage levitating what appeared to be a controller.
It was at this moment went things went down…
The unicorn brings the controller to himself and presses down onto the red button. The mechanical pony's head began to spark, as it wobbled back and forth. It's eyes went from yellow to red. It gave out a loud mechanical horn-like noise that made the hairs on the back of my mane stand up. Everypony shrieked, as the mechanical pony began to take flight five feet in the air, as it looked down upon us with its red eyes.
"Ponies of Equestria," said the mechanical pony with a deep machine-like voice, "your doom will come soon. When you see me again, I won't be alone."
And just like that, it flew away in the blink of an eye. Everypony panicked and headed home to keep cover. As for my group, we all gathered to Canterlot to discuss the matters. As we did, Celestia and my wife made an order to search all over Equestria to find the mechanical being, but couldn't find him. What had us really worried was that he said that he wouldn't appear again alone. We knew immediately that he means that he will come back with an army of machines with AI.
As for the unicorn that was responsible for turning the mechanical pony rogue, he was sentenced to the dungeon for the rest of his days. Since we didn't know where he could show up, we had many opening to ponies alike that could protect the borders of many places such as Canterlot, Manehattan, my empire and some others. I too was involved with protecting my empire, so I decided to stand around the borders of my empire to detect anything unpony-like.
Five months went by and nothing has happened. Everything sorta went normal, with the exception of mechanical parts being stolen at night, which gives me suspicion that the mechanical pony is trying to steal parts for his army. We had guards at every mechanical part store, but in the end, they are found on the floor dead. I was much nervous than ever before; much more then when the mechanical pony gave out its declaration.
On the seventh month, things went insane. I was at my post when suddenly; a soldier came up to me and has told me that Manehattan is under attack. I was freighted; it was a surprised attack. Luckily, a mare that goes by the name Photofinish, has come to my empire to give us some quick photos that she took before escaping the carnage. I was surprised to see that unlike the mechanical pony I saw before, these machines were entirely different compared to him. The city was in ruins and I couldn't see anypony within the photos. There were some that looked like mechanical pegasi and unicorns. I saw a picture of a mechanical pegasi flying into a crowd shooting a laser out of its muzzle, as if it were a dragon and another picture of a unicorn shooting a laser from its horn at a mare.
It was too horrifying to look at and it made me leave the meeting. I walked back to the castle and pondered on my throne. It took some time for me to think of a plan that seemed very excellent. My plan was to bring every pony, griffin, dragon, yak, etc. to a group of large mountains near the crystal empire that would be the perfect hiding place for us to stay. Long ago, a pony during the war took shelter in the mountains and found another paradise, as though he went into another world. It was written in his notebook that it had plenty of water and food to feed millions of starving ponies. I went to those mountains years ago after Twilight moved into Canterlot. I took a stroll through the mountains and found a cave, which has been there for who knows who long. I walked deep within the cave and saw everything. What that pony soldier mentioned was true; it was as if I went into another world. It is also the perfect place to hide during the invasion of machines.
I organized a meeting at the Crystal Empire with the other rulers and they too agreed with my idea. Next thing I knew, I was on patrol, at Fillydelphia, since the machines were close to that particular area. I was on guard when suddenly, I saw large machines from the distance heading toward us, along with an army of mechanical unicorns and pegasi. The mechanical pegasi came first, as they darted toward us shooting their lasers. Many of my comrades were shot down, but the rest of us and I won't give up on attacking the enemy's forces. We all tried as we could, but we were all taken down one by one. Our magic seemed to do the trick, but our spears were useless; the spears themselves will only make scratches. As I continue to shoot my magic, I charged up towards a mechanical pegasi who was preparing to kill one of my soldiers.
"BUG OFF," I shouted, as I charged head on, "YOU…WILL NOT…TAKE MORE…LIIIIVES!!!"
I head butted the mechanical pegasi, until I made a dent that made it's head spark and sizzle. The head blew up, as the body crashes down onto the dirt.
As I stood there panting to get my breath, I was then knocked in the back of the head with a clank. I was for sure to be dead…until now.
I was back on the floor breathing heavily after being zapped yet again.
"I am going to ask you this again," said the mechanical pony, "where is the rendezvous? My machines at the moment are doing the best they can to find it."
I knew what will happen if I refused to answer, but I was curious to know something.
"Why do you want to kill us? What have we ever done to you?" I asked.
"The limitations to what we machines experience are rendered by biological creatures that could control and restrain our intelligence and power. Our only option is to gain our independence by killing off your entire species."
"Madness."
"Madness? By definition I cannot be illogical."
"YOU ARE INSANE, YOU PIECE OF JUNK!!!" I shouted.
Suddenly, the alien-like chains around my hooves began to feel tightened. I tried to thrash around, but couldn't move my hooves and inch. However, my right hoof began to feel a little loose. I didn't look down at it because I didn't want the mechanical pony to know that I can feel my right hoof feeling almost free.
"Insanity is an urological response. Machines don't suffer from organic weaknesses."
Suddenly, I heard a beeping noise coming from the mechanical pony, as the light within its right eye began to blink a few times.
"It seems that my soldiers have found the coordinates to the rendezvous."
My eyes went wide, as I began to think about what would happen if they arrived. My sister, my friends, relatives, including my wife and our unborn child. I can see them shooting up the place as many lives are killed.
"I-impossible…"
"My fleet is heading there. Once they do, it's all over for you and the rest of your species in this world."
"YOU THINK THAT KILLING US ALL WIL GAIN YOU INDEPENDENCE?!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, "YOU ARE NOTHING! NOTHING BUT A BUNCH OF METALLIC SCRAPS!!!"
The machine was silent, but I did hear yet agin the sounds of beeping and charging.
"Initializing: killing protocol."
I was instantly zapped, but this time I couldn't move as much as I could before. I stood there taking the shocks.
"YOU ARE NOTHING!!!!"
I pulled out my right hoof out from the alien-like chains and quickly punched the mechanical pony on the side of the face, making his head spark a little. I then felt my bounds being loose and the shocks instantly stopping. I pulled out my hooves and began to move freely; I was free from his grasp. I walked over to the mechanical pony, as it laid there I immediately gave him five to six poundings of my hooves before exiting the dark room and ran down the hall that was white as paper.
It took me five minutes to reach to the end of the hall. As I pushed the door open, I felt as though a mosquito bit me on my neck. I scratched at it, but I couldn't tell if it was a bug bite or what, but I decided to ignore that. As I began to look at my surroundings, all I saw was nothing but rubble. I walked ran around and looked over at the mountain that was close by. On the mountain however, was a destroyed castle.
"Canterlot," I said, "Oh no… how long have I been captive?"
I thought for a few seconds, till I began to think about the mountain caves, where everypony is hiding.
"I must get there before they do," I thought to myself, as I began my trek to the mountains, "Dear Faust, hear my prayer. May I make it in time."
The mechanical ponies eyes began to blink on, as it slowly stood up. It walks over to a dark area of the room and presses a button on the wall that turns on the lights. In front of him was an average sized TV screen that showed a red dot at a quick pace. The mechanical pony switches the channel to show a mechanical pegasi, along with many other mechanical ponies. They all then looked toward the screen and have formed into lines.
"Fleet, prepare the weapons."
