Author's Note

Working on fleshing out the backstory. I had a decent (I thought) idea for it to put out before this but it didn't sit well with me as it was. I think I might part out the history in the telling of the next few chapters if there's any interest in the story. I'll make sure to edit the tags per chapter, depending on where the story goes. I'll try to put cliff notes version of the Cyberware described in the stories in the notes here, to give an idea of what it is / does.

This is in part inspired by an old character sheet I ran across cleaning up some old things in old boxes. Corrie is based roughly on an old Shadowrun character I had. Nostalgia and tinted glasses. That was a horrible (and by horrible I mean wonderful) campaign. Our GM was one of the best. A true sadistic tale spinner. We all went through hell. And that got me thinking what would happen if I displaced a being from that dystopian future. If any of you have read the renraku arcology shutdown sourcebook, it will give you an idea of what he had to work with. Not exactly original, true. But what is anymore?

The Speech

"Mares and Gentlecolts. Men, woman, and other assorted beings I have not had the pleasure of meeting yet, I greet you all." The young lady said. Standing behind a modified dark stained podium, the dais she was on faced out to all the tables and the various races seated therein. Her alabaster skin, dusted with a fair share of freckles faced them all undaunted.

Turning her head, feeling her long red ponytail slide over her shoulder she looked over to her patron and friend Princess Cadence. Large purple eyes meeting her much smaller brown ones. "I and those now displaced thank you, and all the sponsors from all the races here, who have allowed these people to settle among them. Bringing them in their own communities and making them feel at home. More than that. You made them a home in your lands, and your hearts. Your Many-Kind have showed this humankind a level of compassion and friendship not thought possible. At least on my own world, and many of theirs'". Quite a few nods from the humans and polite hoof stompings from the crowd. At least they agreed on that.

Frowning and looking down at all the pages of her notes she sighs. "Look, you've all heard me talk so much this last year, do you really need me to keep going on?" A resounding "NO!" comes from the Yak delegation table. No surprise there. With an evil grin Corrie raised her left hand, two of the three metal fingers folding, giving the Yak's the diplomatic's salute. They returned the salute with one clearly all there own. Followed by a dissonant braying laughter. She bites back a chuckle into the mic mid laugh.

Clapping and hoof stomping could be heard from most of the tables. A few of the tables of human delegates frowned and looked quite displeased at her actions. 'No fuckin' surprise there, so ka?' she thinks to herself smiling widely at them in return. Some though, mostly the primitives, banged on the tables and laughed along. They will do good in the Yak lands indeed, she believes. There was already talk of setting up cross camp habitations. 'Sometimes fate is good' she thinks to herself. 'Sometimes'.

"Okay, so anyway let's just get through this quickly so we can eat". She continues. Rolling her eyes and smiling at the "Too late!" bellow from the Dragon delegation table and more laughter from the crowd. Clearing her throat into the microphone for a moment brought the room back to silence.

"Seriously though." Tossing her notes aside onto the table next to Cadence. "Proud of you all. Can't wait to see what develops in a year, and all the years to come. Let's get this banquet going!" Bowing her head a moment she turns to her attention to Cadence. An odd shine in her eyes catches Corrie's while she stands up on her hind hooves to hug the human woman. Surprised but returning the embrace the room erupts in cheers. No more worries for the refugees and their families. Almost every single person placed. 'Almost' Corrie frowns thinking to herself. The hug still felt well deserved to the red haired woman. Almost.

The dinner was loud, Dionysus blessed with the happiness of beings in good spirits and generous natures. Happiness flowed as free as the cider, and the new wine presses were coming up with some rather decent, if not magically rushed vintages for the occasion. There still were the cliques, races staying in their own areas at the tables set up for the dinner. Cadence however, made sure to keep the tables of delegates as diverse as possible so there were chances to intermix as much as desired. It worked to great effect, it seemed to Corrie. A lot of beings talking to one another.

It was all too short lived however, as they delegations slowly made their way out of the dining room towards the ballrooms. Walking into the hall sharing small talk with one of the human industrial delegates, Corrie could feel the loud thumping of some kind of techno music bouncing off the walls and the beings walking past. Apparently one of the dance halls was set up for the younger party crowd of delegates to get their cider and dance on. If she concentrated she could hear strings and some larger arrangement of more classical tone could be heard when one of the doors on the opposite side of the hall opened up to allow some beings entry.

She excused herself from her present company and moved towards one of the benches in the center of the hallway. Remembering to sit cross-legged in this little black dress, she sat smiling to herself proudly. It was so different from the Doc Wagon jumper she usually wore. The fabric, whatever it was, is gloriously soft on her skin. The seamstress nearly had a heart attack when Corrie asked her to sew the fast draw sheath on it's lower back however. After an hour of arguing that would have given the most convincing carnival barker a run for their money, she reluctantly consented after an agreement to hide it under a silken black waist wrap. It wasn't going to hide her pistol much, or hinder the draw, so Corrie agreed. but she always carried the Ares Predator with her whenever she went. Life in the Barrens taught her that.

In the end though, the dress was great, and Corrie had nothing but admiration for the hard working marshmallow seamstress. A shame Rarity had to miss the party. She would have shown in the company of beings such as this. 'I bet she dances like a demon' crosses her mind and Corrie smiles at the thought.

A floating martini glass filled with some purple liquid floats into her view. "Drink?" Says her friend Candence as she slowly walks over, another glass by her head filled with a dark brown liquid. A quick nod from Corrie and the magic releases it's grip when she grabs the glass.

"Neat trick, you should take that on the road". She grins at her pink friend, giving her a little elbow to the barrel while Cadence tries to get comfortable on the bench.

"Princess of Love and Martini's? Has a nice ring to it " Cadence puts a gold shod hoof to her chin and pretends to ponder. "I wonder what Celestia would think". Finishing her sentence and taking a long drink from the amber liquid she turns and smiles at the human next to her.

They share a quiet moment together. Watching beings pass by. A nod to some, a smile to others. All the while just enjoying each others company. Once the crowd dies down and only the two were left in the hall by themselves did Cadence look again at her friend. Corrie looked back at her questioningly.

"You have a question" Corrie intones accusingly at Cadence.

"Well yes, in fact I do" Cadence replies, an odd twinkle in her eyes.

Taking a deep drink of the wine she was given, Corrie steels herself for what's to come. She did promise this, after it was all said and done.

"Okay. Spill it. What's your question". She gruffly intoned to the Princess of Love.

"Your in heat, aren't you?" Cadence whispers conspiratorially to her.

The curse of the pale skin strikes Corrie full force as she tries in vein not to blush. "I'm sorry, what?" she manages to stammer out to Cadence.

"It's your scent." Candence continues to whisper. "I know you humans are really sensitive talking about this sort of thing. But I noticed your scent changed earlier. You smell like sandlewood you know, most of the time. But this is like a scent under the scent if you know what I mean?"

If it wasn't for the sheer honesty of her expression and in her voice, Corrie would have thrown the drink in Cadencen's face regardless of what world she was on, in what ever bar she was in. Still it was a bit unusual of her to make any such comment that she could tell so far. "Candence..." She begain

"Wait, please" She held up both hooves in a placating gesture. "Princess of Love. I know these things". Giving Corrie a warm smile she whispers again "Your attitude has changed in the last little while too. More grumpy and short tempered with the delegates." Nodding to herself "Yep, it's for certain, your in heat". She puts an arm over her shoulder and leans into her human friend comfortingly.

"Cadence. Listen" Corrie tells her, eyeing her warily "I know we haven't talked much about the differences between human and ponies. But I can tell you I'm not in heat." And leaning to whisper in Cadences ear "And I've told you about some of the modifications I've had. I can't have children".

Pulling her head back Cadence looks you over with a grin "Who said anything about children?" She goes back to her pondering face and looks at you. "Maybe you humans have a different way to say it. A scratch to itch, perhaps?" She gives the stunned human woman a smile wiggling her eyebrows for emphasis.

"Well. I sure didn't expect this today" Corrie manages to stutter out. "What else you got for me, so ka?" She says deadpanning CitySlang to Cadence.

"I also know you like mares. Well woman. Or both?" She eyes Corrie quizzically running a hoof through her red hair.

"Cadence. Are you hitting on me?" whispers Corrie to her now feeling really, really close friend. For all the tech stuffed in her head, the meat part of her brain failed to process any other thoughts. Static from both sides. Rebooting in 30.....

The laughter that sprang forth from her friends muzzle was perhaps the happiest sound she heard in quite a while. She wasn't sure that she ever heard something so pure and unadulterated in her life. On either world. "Oh no. You and I are destined to be friends, forever." Pulling her in close she whispered to the human "If I didn't have a destiny already I think, perhaps, I would give it try. I think your the kind of girl that could make her partner a very, very happy mare. You just have a lot of processing to do." Frowning at her human friend. "There's a lot of sorrow. And not a small amount of anger. You just need the right mare to help you work through it."

And then it clicked. That click sounded just like the 'on' switch sound set up with her smartlink and pistol. She knew it. It was a trap. "You've set me up on a date, haven't you?" she manages to squeak out.

"Guilty as charged. She's waiting for you through those doors." A worried smile plays on her lips for a moment. "Look Corrie, I don't want to overstep my bounds, but again, Princess of Love. I see the signs. You've worked so hard this last year. It's time for you to mingle. No grand schemes, no large groups. Just you, and somepony else. Maybe a little drinking, a little dancing. Who know's where it will lead?" The sparkle returns to her eyes. "Give yourself the chance to let go and have fun. You've earned it."

Removing her arm and standing up she stretches. "Okay fine. But I don't have to enjoy myself with this 'fun' you speak of." And I have the right to bail if it goes bad. I do have some more treaties to translate and copy before the weeks end...." Corries rant was stilled by the gold shod hoof covering her mouth.

"Shhh..." Cadence leans in and kisses her cheek. "Go have fun". With that she returns to all fours and saunters back into the dining room.

Smiling at her friend disappearing behind the double doors, she realizes she never asked. Which door does she go through to meet the mysterious mare?