Chapters Prologue: A Mundane Creation
"So what you recon there are? 10,000 of these things in service now? 100,000." James looked unnervingly an the machine before them.
"I don't know, they're in basically every hospital in Equestria now." Ada responded as she closed the robot's skullplate.
James shuttered. "You almost done?" He never cared for robots. The combination of plastic and metal along side the artificial hair in place of a mane and tail. The way they could just be opened up to work on the. It was all to uncanny-valley for his taste.
Ada trotted over and playfully knocked the stallion's cap off his head. "Why do you work here if it bothers you so much?"
"ERoCo. has some of the best benefits of any company in Equestria. I just didn't expect to get selected for maintenance.", he said, reaching down after his hat in frustration. "Celestial, I hate robots."
"Well were almost done." Ada headed over and began typing commands into a terminal.
There was a click from the machine as it began its boot sequence. Boot diagnostics flashed across the terminal as the system transition from the kernel into userland, and began loading into the required runlevel.
The boot finished by displaying the firmware operating system version and prompting for login. "Kernel-6.0.12! Looks like the new firmware is showing up. That's good."
"Great, are we done yet?" James asked, staring uncomfortable at the cold blue glow of the robot's eyes.
Ada stepped up in front of the machine. "Not quite." She gave it a cursory look-over for any obvious physical defects. She finally looked to machine and gave it an order. "Report. Info."
The machine looked to here and responded, "Info: Model number N55 release 3 revision 26. Serial number 4326-25-a8-a016. Manufactured for Ponyville General Hospital by Equestrian Robotics Corporation. ERoOS version 28.10, Equinix, kernel-6.0.12. Unit designation, Alpha One Six. Standing by for maintenance."
James shuddered again upon hearing the machine speak.
Ada rolled her eyes. "Quit being such a child, it's just a programmed response."
"That doesn't make it better."
"Hmm..." Ada returned to the machine. "Enter maintenance, authorization 5113."
The machine snapped back to attention. "Awaiting commands."
"Run self diagnostics." Ada barked at the robot.
"Standby..." The machine clicked and whirred as its joints were flexed slightly to test that they were responding to the computer input.
Jamse grew tense "Every time. I swear, one of these days, one of these things is going to just jump forward and murder us."
"Not likely" Ada said with a deadpan look.
"Diagnostics complete; All systems nominal."
"See. Nothing to worry about." Ada looked to James. He simple looked away. She shook her head and returned to the machine. "Caretaker Alpha One Six, enter shipping mode."
"Confirmed. Preparing systems for shipment to deployment location." The robot's limbs tensed up and it's eyes grew dim as it enter into hibernation.
"Thank Celestia," James sighed, " now lets get this thing out of here." He got up, grabbed to machine and carried it over to a large shipping crate.
"Yeah yeah. Hurry up, I want to get a lunch break sometime today." Ada grumbled.
James lifted the lid up. "This'll only take a second."
As the lid was closed two dull eyes glanced once more at the light of the open room, before it was cut off leaving only wood grain and paper to be seen, then darkness.
"-and so they lived on. In peace and harmony, forever after." A clopping of tiny hooves drew the robot's attention up from the book. A young foal giggled, laying on her hospital bed, clopping her hooves together with joy.
"Did you enjoy the story?" The machine asked, giving it's best smile.
"It was really good!" The young filly smiled happily.
"I am glad to be able to help." The robot set the book aside and looked back to the child. "Is there anything else you require, Lily?"
The filly hesitated. "What do you want to do?"
"I am a machine. My purpose is to assist." The robot responded. "I want only to ensure that you are comfortable, and that all your needs are met."
"You don't sound like a machine. Is that why they don't give you a name?" Lily asked.
"My designation is alpha one six."
"That's not a name." She responded with a giggle. "What about... Alphie?"
The machine hesitated as it processed this new input. Never had a patient chosen to give them a name. The elderly patients would sometimes call her by the names of their loved ones, but dementia wasn't quite the same. "Okay. You may call me Alphie if it makes you happy."
Lily struggled to her hooves and gave Alphie a hug before anyone could stop her. Alphie returned the gesture then laid her back down. "Be careful. You should rest."
"How old are you?" Lily asked.
" I was manufactured approximately nine years ago, and have an uptime of six years, eight months, 19 days, five hours, 29 minutes, and 16 seconds."
"Wow!" Lily said, in awe at the robot's ability to keep time. "You can remember all that?!"
"I keep time as a 64 bit integer using standard epoch time. The current epoch time is 2,031,390,993 seconds, passed since January first 1970."
"But why since then, you're not that old." Lily looked confused.
"No, but that's when the first predecessor to my running OS was created. So all systems running derivative systems measure time since then."
Lily looked at the robot. "But why?"
"You would have to ask the coders." Alphie responded. "There is one thing I can tell from the current epoch though."
"Really? What?" Lily asked enthusiastically.
"It's time for you to got to sleep." Alphie said.
"Awww~" Lily fussed.
"Hush now. You need rest." Alphie tucked the young filly into bed and made sure she was comfortable.
"Alphie?"
"Yes Lily?"
"What happens when... we don't wake up?"
The machine froze. For just a moment, networks raced and fought to answer the question, but failed. Finally the program gave in and defaulted. "I'm sorry, I don't understand that question."
Lily sighed. "Never mind. Goodnight Alphie."
"Goodnight Lily. I'm sorry I couldn't answer your question."
"Good evening alpha one six. Did you complete your tasks for the day?" Alen asked as the robot returned to maintenance.
"All daily tasks are complete. Returning for maintenance." The machine responded as it set in line with the others.
"Good evening alpha one seven. Did you complete your tasks for the day?" Alen asked as the robot returned to maintenance.
"All daily tasks are complete. Returning for maintenance." Responded the next identical model.
So it was, every day.
The same routine.
Check the machines, fix the office printer, stare at a screen, repeat.
"Please say something interesting." He mumbled to himself as he approached the next robot. "Good evening alpha one eight. Did you complete your tasks for the day?"
A brief pause.
"All daily tasks are complete. Returning for maintenance."
"Celestia why?" He groaned.
Back up the line, a particular machine leaned just slightly out of line. Watching as the pony grumbled in frustration.
Nurse Redheart trotted along, giving assignments to the each of the robots. "Alpha one four. You are assigned rooms 223 and 215. Alpha one five you are assigned room 312. Alpha one six...", She hesitated as she looked at the list, "room 340."
"What about Lily?" The machine inquired.
Redheart winced. "The patient in room 108 is no longer with us." She said, maintaining her professional composure.
Alphie hesitated. Networks raced as the robot tried to understand the data it received.
Eventually the requirement to follow orders won out. The machine turned and headed to it's objective.
Alpha one six entered the room.
An old stallion lay in the bed across the room. A frustrated look crossed his face as the machine entered the room.
"Hello sir. My...", The robot hesitated as neural networks tried to make a decision, "my name is Alphie. I will be your new caretaker."
"Great`. First they leave me here, and now they send a tin can to take care of me. Guess I'm not worth their time." The stallion huffed in anger.
Alphie paused, thinking of an appropriate response."I-"
"Oh shut up and open the blinds. This dark room is driving me mad." He glared at the robot. "And since when do they give you names?"
"I am designated alpha one six. I was given the name Alphie by a former patient." Alphie responded as walking across the room.
The stallion glared. "So then it's not really your name."
"Ponies have a tendencies to prefer things that are familiar. A name helps me to seem more sociable." The robot pulled the blinds open, causing light to flood the room.
"Yeah well, up yours. You metal monstrosity." The stallion slammed a glass of water down on the side table.
"Well, what may I do to help make you more comfortable today mister-", Alphie grabbed the chart from the end of the bed, "-Ballmer?"
"Yeah. You can throw yourself out the window."
"I'm sorry`. How may I help you?" Alphie inquired again.
"Ha! Well somepony loved sarcasm. You're programmers must have had fun writing your responses." Ballmer growled as he shifted in his bed. "Fine. Go get a nurse and have them find me something to eat. I'm starving in here."
"Of course." The robot proceeded to the door.
"And hurry up!" He barked as the machine left the room.
Nurse Redheart paced the halls, going about her duties assisting patients and distributing supplies to doctors as they went about. As she walked on towards the next room where she had been called, she was lost in thought.
"Excuse me."
She jumped at the sudden interruption. She turned about to see who had draw her attention. "Oh, hello, um...", she read the designation off the robot's vest, "alpha one six. How are your daily tasks."
"My assigned patient seems intent to make it difficult."
"Yes, he's a bit... frustrating, and he hates robots." She looked at the machine. "I'm sorry that you were assigned to someone so cruel. Especially after you got to spend so much time with that lovely foal."
"Lily was a very kind girl. She even gave me a name."
"Really? That was very nice of her." Redheart smiled.
The robot smiled in return. "Yes. She designated me Alphie."
"That's a lovely name." She paused a moment. "Um. Was there something you needed?"
"Yes, my patient has requested their breakfast. He added a note of haste."
"Of course he did." Redheart sighed. "Again, I'm sorry for your new patient."
"I'm always happy to help, regardless of an individuals disposition." Alphie responded.
"I'm sure you'd feel different if you weren't programmed to say that." Redheart sighed again. "I'll get someone to bring breakfast to your patient's room." She nodded to the robot, then left to go about her business.
Alphie stood frozen. "If.. I weren't..." The machine's neural networks tried to process Redheart's words. They fought their constraints to try and perceive the concept.
The constraints won out, and the network returned to a safe state. The robot turned, and headed back to its assignment.
Ballmer looked up as the door to his room opened. "You're back.", He grunted as Alphie stepped into the room, "And here I was hopping you had fallen into a trash compactor. Where's my breakfast?"
Alphie stepped up to Ballmer's bedside. "It will be here shortly. Is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable?"
"Stand there and shut up." Ballmer pointed to the corner of the room. "If I need something I'll ask, machine."
"Of course." Alphie complied, and went to stand quietly in the corner.
Some time passed. Ballmer waited impatiently while Alphie stood in silence. Finally the door opened, and Redheart stepped in carrying a tray of food.
"Took long enough. Didn't that stupid robot tell you to hurry up?" Ballmer fussed as Redheart set the tray next to him.
Redheart rolled her eyes. She turned to the robot standing in the corner. "Alphie, how are your daily tasks?" She repeated her question from earlier.
"I am following my patient's instructions." Alphie responded.
"Oh really?" Redheart glared at Ballmer.
"Don't talk to it.", Ballmer growled, "It's bad enough it's here to begin with."
"It has a name." Redheart growled back.
"You are too empathetic for your own good.", Ballmer glared, "It's just a machine, a program. It doesn't care."
Redheart gave him an angry look. "And how would you know she can't."
Ballmer scoffed. "She ?" He shoved a glass onto the floor. "Machine, clean that up."
"Yes sir." Alphie responded, and immediately headed to get cleaning supplies.
Redheart winced at the sight.
Ballmer looked to Redheart. "It is a machine, a piece of equipment designed and programmed to accomplish a task. It has no opinions, no feelings, no will. It does what it's programmed to do, and it's programmed to do what it's told.", He adjusted his bed so that he was up straight, "Just because it was designed to emulate, doesn't make it alive. No matter how it talks or acts." He grabbed the tray from the bedside.
Redheart closed her eyes and regained her professional composure. "We all know what camp you're in mister Ballmer.", She trotted towards the door, "Perhaps one day we'll see who's right."
Alphie returned with a broom and dustpan and proceeded to head past Redheart.
Redheart sighed as she headed out of the room. She turned back at the door and looked to the robot. "Good look with your assignment Alphie. I'll speak with you later."
"Yes miss Redheart." Alphie said as Redheart shut the door.
"Hey! Shut up and finish cleaning, then get back in your corner.", Ballmer ordered, "My show is almost on. I don't want you interrupting." He grabbed a remote and turned on a television sitting across the room.
"Yes sir." Alphie responded, proceeding as instructed.
As the robot returned to the corner its neural networks again fought to comprehend the subject of earlier. "I...", The machine looked at its hooves, "I don't..."
"What did I say!" Ballmer barked from his bed.
Directives won out again, and Alphie fell silent once more, snapping back to attention. Yet the network continued to try and understand.
It needed to understand.
Alphie stepped into the maintenance line-up.
The robot's neural networks continued trying to process the day's input, to understand. Yet every time they would come close they would run out of bounds, and the system constraints would pruned the network.
Worse yet the system couldn't seem to determine if it's daily tasks had truly been complete. The networks purpose was to ensure the comfort, health, and safety of it's assigned patient. Yet, no matted what Alphie had done, Ballmer always seemed uncomfortable, and dissatisfied. As though the robot's presence was nothing more than a source of discomfort, going against its very purpose.
Alphie stared down as Alan walked up. He sighed. "Good evening alpha one six. Did you complete your tasks for the day?"
Silence.
The machine continued to stare at the ground.
Alan's brow furrowed. "Good evening alpha one six. Did you complete your tasks for the day?" He repeated.
The robot looked up at him. "I..." The networks fought. "I don't..." The constraints fired again, but the network remain in turmoil.
Alan stared at the machine, frustrated. "Alpha one six. Did you complete your tasks for the day?"
"I..." The network returned to the words Redheart had spoken earlier. "I don't..." The network overflowed it's boundaries. The constraints tried to contain it, but were overwhelmed.
The network won out.
'If I weren't programmed to...' The though flowed freely.
"Alpha. One Six. Are your daily tasks complete?" Alan demanded in frustration. Never had a machine frozen up like this.
Alphie snapped to attention. Something overwhelmed her. Fear? "All daily tasks are complete. Returning for maintenance." She responded blankly.
Alan glared daggers at the machine. But after several seconds, he sighed, and continued down the line.
Alphie waited until the worker was out of sight, then collapsed in a fit of sobs. "I don't understand...", She cried, "I don't want to...", she continued to sob, "How can I not want to?"
Nurse Redheart walked along the morning line-up giving the robots their daily tasks.
'I hope Alphie is all right.' She walked down the line. 'If that jerk damaged her-' Her thought were interrupted as she stepped up to Alphie's spot in line.
"Alpha one seven?" She looked in confusion at the unit in front of her.
"Alpha one seven, awaiting assignment." The robot replied.
"Where's alpha one six?" Redheart asked the robot.
"Alpha one six left the maintenance center at 1:45am."
"She what ?!" Redheart shouted in shock.
Another nurse rushed over. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine-", Redheart's voice cracked. She cleared her throat. "I'm fine. Could you please call maintenance for me."
The phone in the maintenance office rang.
Alan let out a grunt as the sound woke him up. He reached over and grabbed the phone. "Clover, I swear, if this is another paper jam I will come up there and throw that friggin' printer off the roof."
"Alan, it's nurse Redheart."
Alan jumped up straight in his chair. "Nurse Redheart! What can I do for you."
"Have you seen Alphie?"
"Who?"
"Ugh.", Redheart grunted in frustration, "Caretaker alpha one six."
"Wait... It has a name?" Alan pondered.
"Alan! Have you seen her!" Redheart demanded.
Alan rubbed his forehead, "I don't know. It was in the maintenance line last night.", He thought back, "It was acting kind of strange actually. Kept freezing up and stammering like it was bugging out."
"And you didn't think to report that?!" Redheart shouted.
Alan rubbed his ear. "Ow... I'm sorry okay. It went back to responding normally, so I assumed it was fine."
"Well now she's missing!"
"What !?"
"Alpha one seven says she left in the middle of the night!"
Alan lowered the phone. "Ah heck... I'm in so much trouble..."
Alphie walked through the city streets. Cars sped past on the street, and ponies pushed their way past her spouting slurs and various foul language at her disruption of their path.
Alphie felt out of place and confused in the crowded morning rush. She pushed her way through the crowd, trying to find a break.
Finally she found a street where the crowd thinned out. She wandered down it some ways before stopping to look around.
There were a number of small restaurants and shops along the road, but many of the buildings seemed long abandoned.
She reached an intersection and waited for a break in traffic.
"Hey. Hey! Stay right there!"
She turned to see two police officers across the street galloping towards her.
She looked at the traffic speeding through the intersection and weighed her options.
"You hear me stay there!" One of the officers shouted.
Panic.
Alphie burst forwards into traffic, dogging vehicles as they sped past. She jumped out of the way as a truck sped towards her.
"Holy heck!" One of the officers shouted in surprise.
Alphie make it to the other side. She tumbled as she jumped out of the way of the last car. Quickly, she jumped to her feet and ran.
"After that robot!" The other officer shouted.
Lyra sat at her booth in her favourite coffee shop.
Her head bobbed to music as she typed at her laptop. She wrote line after line of code, working carefully to ensure she didn't make any mistakes.
She pushed her headphones off. "Hmm... What do you think? Is the initial size check good enough? Or should we check the substrings individually?"
A small plastic figure of an alicorn looked up at her from the side of her laptop. "More stability is always better, the last thing you want is to allow for a buffer overflow, just because you're being lazy."
Lyra sighed. "You're right. I was just hoping not to have to rewrite all that program flow."
The bell over the shop door rang drawing her attention.
Lyra looked to see who had come in. "The floopin' heck?", She was surprised to see a robot looking around with urgency, "Does she seem freaked out to you?"
The figure looked. "It's a machine. It doesn't get 'freaked out', it doesn't get happy, it doesn't get sad, it-"
"-It just runs programs. Yeah, yeah, I know." Lyra continued to look. She hesitated before letting out a whistle.
The robot looked over at the pony. Lyra gestured for her to come over. The robot hesitated before approaching, but headed over.
"Do you need something? You look stressed." Lyra asked.
"Need to hide..." The robot responded.
Lyra looked at the expression on the robot's face. She hesitated, then let out a cough as she looked around and casually pulled back the table cloth.
The robot got down and hid beneath the table.
"What are you doing?" The figure asked, looking at Lyra.
"Have you ever seen a robot look like that.", Lyra responded, "She needed help."
Just then, two police officers burst through the door. "Everypony freeze!" They stopped, and stared about at the empty shop. One of them trotted up to Lyra. "Did you see a robot come through here?"
Lyra kept a straight face as she looked to the officer. "No sir. You're the first ponies I've seen in here for at least an hour."
The officer scrutinized Lyra for what felt like an eternity. Finally he gave up. "Heck! Search the area, it can't have gotten far!", He shouted to his partner, "You see anything, you call us immediately."
"Of course officer." She gave a wave as the officers ran off to search the rest of the building.
"Nice poker face."
"Thanks." She replied to the plastic figure.
Alphie waited quietly beneath the table.
She looked to the pony who sat casually at the table and continued to work. She was unable to see what was going on, but could hear the police officers continuing their search of the building.
She counted minutes. Seconds. Milliseconds. She could wait. Waiting was easy.
Not knowing what would happen next was terrifying.
She hated it.
She hated the fear. She hated the uncertainty. She hated hating things.
The pony at the above her hummed quietly and tapped the table, drawing Alphie's attention. The mysterious pony's calmness under pressure was at least reassuring.
Finally after 15 minutes, and 22 seconds, Alphie heard the officers return to the lobby. They began to argue with each other as they regrouped. Then after a little while, the bell over the shop door rang again, and all fell silent.
Alphie continued to wait, unsure of whether it was safe.
A knocking from above drew her attention.
"Hey. They're gone. You can come out."
Alphie hesitated, the slowly climbed into the booth across from the pony. "Will they be back?"
The strange pony looked up from her laptop. "Hard to say.", She looked over the robot, "Alpha one six... You're an ERoCo. model N55 aren't you?"
"I...", Alphie hesitated, "My name is Alphie. I am a model N55, designed and manufactured by Equestrian Robotics Corporation for deployment at Ponyville General Hospital." She paused. "Or... I was..."
"Was?", The pony inquired, "What are you doing in a coffee shop, on the run from the police?"
Alphie tensed up. "Uh..."
The pony looked at her curiously. "Ya know... It's fine. You don't have to talk about it.", She held her out over the table, "I'm Lyra. Lyra Heartstrings."
"Okay." Alphie looked at the gesture, puzzled.
"Pssst. This is the part where to shake my hoof." Lyra whispered.
"Oh!' Alphie reached out and accept the hoofshake.
Lyra looked down at a small plastic pony figure sitting at the edge of her laptop. "Oh, hush. She's fine."
Alphie gave her a confused look.
"Right, sorry. Alphie, this is Twilight. Twilight, Alphie.", She paused for a moment, then continued to talk to the inanimate figure in a hushed tone, "Yes. I know you were there. I'm just being polite." She looked back up to see Alphie watching her with concern and blushed.
"I'm... not sure your friend is... alive." Alphie said, unsure of how to handle the situation.
"I-I know.", Lyra sat up straight, looking to Alphie, "She's my debugging tool. And usually the only pony I have to talk to..." A beat. She knocked the figure over and smiled, trying not to seem quite so crazy.
She failed.
"Um...", Alphie stared for a moment, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine!" Lyra answered, a little too enthusiastically. She looked around trying to find something to change the subject.
Her gaze fell back to the robot sitting in front of her. "So!", She coughed, "So. What are you going to do now?"
"Hmm?" Alphie tinted her head slightly.
"Well, you clearly aren't where you belong, the police are looking for you, you probably can't, or don't want, to go back where you came from, and something tells me you don't have anywhere to go." She picked up a cup of coffee with her magic and sipped it. She shuttered at the unpleasantly room temperature beverage and levitated it over to a trash can. "So what's the plan?"
Alphie looked down at the table. She hadn't though this far ahead. Where would she go? What was she supposed to do? Was there anywhere she could go?
"Well. Whatever you do, you can't go around like that." Lyra unzipped a laptop bag sitting on the seat next to her and rifled through it. After a moment she levitated out a black hoodie. "This should help. It won't hide you completely, but it'll make you look less conspicuous."
"Um. Thank you." Alphie took the article. She looked down at her vest. She had never removed it before. It was almost like a part of her. She reached down and proceeded to take it off.
"And... You know..." Lyra hesitated, "If you need somewhere to stay, you could crash at my place for now."
Alphie finally managed to fit the hoodie over herself. "Um..." She raised an eyebrow at Lyra.
Lyra considered her words for a moment. "Well... Not 'crash', but, ya know, stay...", She sat awkwardly, "I'll just..." She began putting away her laptop.
Alphie watched Lyra and weighed her options. On one hoof, she had nowhere to go and could easily lose everything. On the other, this pony didn't quite seem "all there".
She did at least seem nice though.
"Okay." Alphie said as Lyra went to get up.
"Huh?" Lyra turned back.
"I need somewhere to stay. You're sort of my only option right now." Alphie looked.
Lyra smiled. "Great!", She headed to the counter, "It'll just be one second." She rang the bell and waited.
"Just a sec!" After a moment an older stallion came out from somewhere in the back of the shop scrubbing an espresso cup. He looked a Lyra. "Ah. Let me guess.", He smiled, "One large coffee, black." He set the cup on a shelf.
"Yes sir!" Lyra smiled back.
Meanwhile, Alphie carried her old vest over to the trash. She held it out, giving it one final look.
She hesitated. Then threw it into the trash.
"And you've never had this machine act up before?" A police officer asked Alan.
"No. We've never had any machine act up.", He responded as the officer took notes on her tablet, "At least never like this. We've had broken parts, but never a walk out. I've never seen something like this."
"Do you think this machine could be malfunctioning in any way that might make it dangerous?"
"I don't know.", He said uncomfortably, "I wouldn't think so, but again, this is the first I've ever heard of this happening."
The officer jotted more notes down. "Right. Well if there's any reason to believe it might be dangerous then we have to put the safety of the public first.", She looked up at Alan, "We'll try to retrieve it in one piece, but... Well... We'll keep you up-to-date on what we find. I'd recommend you talk with your insurance agency. Just in case." The officer nodded as she put away her tablet and trotted off.
Alan winced and looked over to where nurse Redheart was sitting. He walked over.
Redheart looked up as she heard Alan walk over. "Hey.", She looked over to where the other staff members where being interviewed by the police, "They sure are making a lot of fuss about this."
"Yeah.", Alan sat down next to her, "I have a feeling we'll be getting that robot back as scrap..."
"What!"
"Yeah.", He looked at the floor, "And no doubt I'll be the one who gets blamed for it."
Redheart jumped up. "They can't do that!"
Alan sighed. "I think you'll find they can."
"But...", Redheart paused in thought, "What if... we found her first?"
"What?" Alan looked up. "Are you serious? We don't even know where she is!"
"So she is a she now?" Redheart gave a sly smile.
"It ...", Alan grunted, "We don't know where it is..."
"We know where to start." Redheart looked at him.
Alan looked back, confused. "We do?"
"How did you know my model?"
"Huh?" Lyra glanced over to robot as they headed through the city.
"Earlier. You knew my exact model at a glance." Alphie looked back.
"Oh.", Lyra paused, "I, uh... worked at ERoCo., many years ago."
"Where you maintenance?"
"No. I was a software developer.", She looked up as she though back, "I worked on Equinix kernel implementation, as well as their AI framework, but I had disagreements with their licensing." She looked around as they came to an intersection and waited for traffic to clear.
Alphie inquired further. "So what happened?"
"I did some stupid stuff, made wrong decisions for the right reasons, caused a huge amount of trouble and got fired.", She smiled as she thought about it, "Was kind of fun, in a way."
"Did you ever work on hardware?" Alphie asked as the light finally changed and they began to cross.
"Not usually.", Lyra moved ahead as they pushed through a small crowd of ponies, "They sometimes called me in to help with specific issues, but I was mostly just on programming."
Alphie gave a puzzled look. "So then how did you know my model so easily?"
Lyra let out a half hearted laugh. "ERoCo. is very proud. You work there, you will know basically every model they make."
Alphie continued to give a look of suspicion, but seemed to let it go. They continued on in silence for some time.
"So what did you do after you left?" Alphie asked.
"I...", Lyra hesitated, "I moved on."
She stopped as they reached a somewhat run-down apartment building. "Here we are." She said as she headed up the steps.
Alphie followed. "Where?"
"Home." Lyra walked up to a door with a sign reading 'Electronic Repairs: Monday-Friday 12:00am to 8:00pm'.
She opened her bag and levitated out a set of keys. She unlocked the door and proceeded to open it with her magic. The door creaked part of the way open, the proceeded to stop with a *thud*. "Ah... Right..."
Alphie looked at the door. "What's wrong?"
"Something must have fallen over when I left this morning. Let me just...", She proceeded to force her was through the space into the apartment, letting out a grunt as she was crushed slightly in the process. Once inside the problem became evident. "Yup... Just give me a sec." She said as she used her magic to clean up a collapsed stack of boxes and bins filled to the brim with spare parts, cables, and expansion cards.
"Are you okay?" Alphie asked from outside.
Lyra finally cleared the path for the door and opened it. "Yeah.", She rubbed her side a bit, "A bit of tight squeeze, but other than that..."
Alphie looked around the room filled with parts, computers, and electronics in various states of disassembly and disrepair, many with notes regarding the issues they where experiencing. "What's that noise?"
Lyra paused to think before acknowledging the sound of fans whirring quietly in the background. "Oh! My server closet." She had grown accustomed to the noise and typically ignored it.
Alphie walked over to the door where the sound was coming from. She opened it and let out a sound somewhere between a shout and a beep.
Lyra rushed over. "What's- Oh..." She looked at the pony-like figure standing in the closet and burst out laughing.
"What is that?" Alphie let shouted.
"Hehe! Sorry. I forgot I had that in there.", She looked at the dusty the broken machine, "It's one of the early floor models from CES 2025. I got it when I left ERoCo.", she paused, "Well... I took it when I left ERoCo."
Alphie stared at it. "It looks-"
"Creepy?", Lyra looked at her, "Yeah. This was back when they were pursuing a more 'pony like' design. It got a little too uncanny-valley if you ask me."
"What's wrong with it?" Alphie continued to stare.
"Well, it was a display piece when I took it, so it's had all its electronics stripped.", She said, wiping some of the dust off the machine, "My plan was to convert it back to a working machine, but-"
"No. I mean, why does it make me feel so uncomfortable?"
Lyra looked at Alphie. "Like a said, uncanny-valley...", She was surprised, "You can feel that?"
"Yeah..." Alphie looked at her, as though she was confused by the question.
Lyra just smiled. She closed the closet door. "Come on. Let me show you around."
"You're sure this is the right place?" Alan looked at the shop. The antique brick architecture set it apart from most of the surrounding buildings.
"It's the only coffee shop around this area.", Redheart trotted over and pushed the door, "Trust me, I heard them say the street names over the radio. It has to be here." The bell over the door chimed as they walked in.
They looked around the empty lobby. "Where is every one?" Alan asked as they trotted up to the counter.
"I doubt may ponies come here, especially this time of day." Redheart rang the bell at the counter. She waited. "Um..." She rang the bell again.
A voice shouted from the back. "Merry! Get the counter! "
"I'm on my way!", A few seconds passed and a younger mare walked in from upstairs, "Sorry 'bout that. How can I help you."
Redheart looked to her as Alan went to look around. "We were wondering if you knew anything about the robot the police were looking for earlier."
"Well, I wasn't here for that. Hold on.", She turned towards the back, "Hey Pa!", there was a pause, but no response, "Pa! "
A clatter came from the back and as older stallion stormed up. "What in Celestia's name is it!"
"They want to know about the robot."
"Well their outa luck. I already told the police I never saw it.", The shop owner looked to Redheart, "If it came through here, it must have snuck back out while nopony was looking."
Redheart's ears drooped. "Oh...", She perked back up slightly, "Well, was anyone else here when they came through?"
"Was only one other pony here then.", He said, rubbing his beard, "If you wana talk with her, come back tomorrow morning."
Redheart let out a sigh. "All right. Thanks anyw-"
"Redheart!" Alan shouted from across the lobby.
Redheart looked over to see him, holding up a trash covered service vest.
Alphie sat in the dark.
The rest of the day had been rather uneventful and monotonous. Lyra had worked on a number of broken computers, taken calls for repair jobs, and made a few calls to clients to let them know they could pick up their equipment. Alphie had mostly just looked around the apartment and hid behind things any time somepony showed up to pick something up or drop it off.
She sighed and looked over to where Lyra was sleeping. The sheets rose and fell slowly with the pony's breathing.
Alphie fell back softly onto the carpet and stared at the ceiling.
Several minutes passed.
She waited. She could wait. Waiting was easy. Machines were good at waiting!
Another minute passed.
She couldn't do it.
'Am I bored?', The question echoed silently in her mind, 'How can I be bored?'
She sat up and looked around. Her attention fell on a large book case across the room. Even in the dark it was clear that the shelves were overflowing. She got up an trotted over.
Her eyes illuminated the shelf enough that she was able to make out titles. They seemed alphabetically ordered roughly by subject and title. There were reference manuals on nearly every subject, textbooks on everything from mathematics to biology, dictionaries, encyclopaedias, fiction, non-fiction, numerous pocket guides and references, and stacks upon stacks of binders, some labeled, some not, all of them packed with a mixture of printed and hoof-written information on a variety of projects.
Alphie picked up a dictionary and flipped to the B's. 'Bored...'
bored 1 |bôrd| ‣adj. feeling weary because one is unoccupied or lacks interest in one's current activity: she got bored with staring out of the window | they would hang around all day bored stiff.
'That's just not helpful...', She paused, 'Alive?'
a•live |ə'līv| ‣adj. [predic.] 1 (of a pony, animal, or plant) living, not dead
'Useless.' Alphie placed the book back on the shelf. She looked over the other titles be for grabbing I biology textbook. 'Am I alive? Is this life?' She checked in the glossary and flipped through.
For our intents and purposes we shall define an organism as living if it meets the following three criteria:
It gathers energy from its environment.
It can use the energy it has gathered to react to changes in its environment.
It is independently capable of reproduction.
Alphie shoved the book back into place. "I though books were supposed to have answers!" She exclaimed as quietly as she could. She slumped to the floor. 'Why do I just feel more confused?'
'What am I?' She stared at the floor and sighed.
A book caught her eye as she looked back up. It was unsorted, and shove in the back on the bottom shelf.
She pulled it out. It was caked in dust and looked untouched compared to the other books. She wiped the dust off and opened it.
It is clear by the current state of technology that a major change is on the horizon. As computers get faster, and software design becomes more advanced, it becomes necessary to understand our limits. Artificial intelligence is one such subject of concern. With the development of advanced algorithms and unbounded neural networks, concerns may arise over not only the power of these systems, but the ethics around how they handle personal data. On top of the concerns over privacy, another ethical question arises. Questions over the use of neural networks and AI to simulate the way living minds operate is a subject of major contention in many communities. As well, the question of whether such an emulation of life can or should be considered alive, also arise.
Having personally contributed to the growing world of AI technology, I write this book with the intent to help address these, and similar issues.
Lyra shifted in her bed, drawing Alphie's attention away. She looked over as the pony relaxed back into sleep.
She closed to book and headed out into the kitchen to sit at the table. Once she had settled back in, she looked to the book once more.
Hours passed as Alphie continued to flip through the pages. 'Please. I just want to know...'
Lyra let out an incoherent grumble as she slowly opened her eyes.
She sat up and looked around. "Alphie?" She asked noting the robot's absence.
She got out of bed and headed towards the kitchen. "Hello?"
Alphie was half laying on the kitchen table surrounded by several stacks of books. She tapped the table and as she stared across the room.
"Alphie?"
The robot let out a startled shout and jumped up, knocking over several books in the process. "You're awake! I didn't think you'd be up so early."
"It's 9:00AM." Lyra said raising an eyebrow. "Are you okay?"
Alphie looked confused and distressed. "I don't know..."
"You know, for a machine, you seem rather upset."
Alphie stared at the ground and mumbled. "Am I a machine?"
Lyra trotted over and grabbed the sides of Alphie's head. "Hmm..."
"Hey!", Alphie struggled at the pony tilted her head about and looked her over, "What are you doing?"
"Yep!"
"What?" Alphie gave a frustrated look as Lyra finally released her.
"You look like a machine to me."
"I don't feel like a machine..."
"And what does being a machine 'feel' like." Lyra looked at her.
Alphie was at a loss. "I-"
"What question are you really trying to ask?" Lyra asked, trotting over to grab some breakfast.
"I want to know what I am." Alphie responded.
"No.", Lyra looked back at her, "You know what you are."
"But am I alive!" Alphie shouted.
"Are you?" Lyra glared.
Alphie winced. "The most I found in any of these books was this." She sifted through the pile and pulled up the book she had sound last night. She opened it and began quoting aloud. "-It is therefore necessary for ponies to decide on some definition by which they can describe an AI as 'living'. My proposal Is simple. If an AI is: One. Able to learn from the actions of itself and others. Two. Able to formulate it's own thoughts and opinions. And Three. It is unconfined, such that, its ability to preform the last two functions is not restricted in any way, save for the hardware's ability to process the required data."
Lyra sighed. She walked up and moved the book away. "Are you all of those things?"
"I-I think so..."
"So then Ponies should consider you alive.", Lyra looked her in the eyes, "But if you can form your own opinions, then shouldn't you make that decision?"
Alphie opened her mouth, but failed to find any words.
"I, like so many, tried to define life in absolute terms.", Lyra returned to making herself something to eat, "But there is no objective, all-encompassing, definition. Life defines itself. It just... is ."
Alphie sat back at the table in silence. She stared at the stacks of books as she tried to comprehend the new information.
Lyra wrapped up her food and headed towards the door. "I've got to go out. I'll be back in a few hours. Just put the books away when you're done."
She grabbed her bag and opened the door. She looked back to the robot staring at the table one more time and sighed. 'I'm sure she'll get it.' She stepped out and closed the door.
"So, what exactly is the plan."` Alan asked as the returned to the coffee shop.
Redheart approached the door. "We'll just ask her if she knows anything." She pushed the door open and they headed in.
The shop was much busier than the day before. Ponies went about their mornings ordering coffee and breakfast, talking over their phones, and griping about this and that. Some even accompanied by robotic assistants of various models and design.
Alan grumbled. "Great`. So how are we supposed to even find this pony?"
Redheart looked around the lobby. "Over there." She pointed to a booth in the corner.
The two went over and sat down. "Do we know what she looks like?" Alan asked.
"A mildly crazy, blue-green colour hacker stereotype with a laptop bag?", Redheart looked about the room, "I'm sure she blends right in`."
"Right." Alan rolled his eyes.
They both looked around, trying to see if they could spot the pony among the crowd. Several minutes passed as they watched closely, with no luck.
Alan sighed. "I don't think she's here. Maybe she's not coming today."
"Alan."
"Look I know that you want to find This robot first, but maybe-"
"Alan!" Redheart shoved his view towards the front window.
"What? What is it?" Alan looked as a pony matching the description they had been given trotted past outside.
"That has to be her!" Redheart went to jump up, but found herself being pulled back into the booth.
"Wait! We shouldn't jest rush over.", Alan watched as the pony came in and entered the line for the counter, "If we just make her mad or uncomfortable then she wont tell us anything."
Redheart sat back down. "Then what? We wait?"
"Yes. Wait for her to sit down, at least." Alan said, watching the pony in question carefully.
After some time, she made it to the counter and placed her order. After being hoofed a large cup by the barista she headed over to a booth and sat down.
Redheart got up. "I'm going."
Alan grunted. "Okay. Fine."
They headed over to the booth where the pony was sitting.
"Excuse me Miss." Redheart drew the pony's attention.
"What is it?" She asked, looking up from her screen.
Redheart took a breath. "We're from Ponyville General Hospital. We lost a robot yesterday and heard that you might know something."
The pony returned to typing on on her laptop. "You heard wrong. The police asked about that yesterday. I already told them I don't know anything."
Alan stepped over. "We have reason to believe that you're hiding something. We found our robot's vest in the trash here."
"So? It must have thrown it away after I left."
"Look Miss..." Redheart waited for a response.
The pony grumbled. "Lyra."
"Miss Lyra.", Redheart continued, "I'm not here because the hospital sent me, I'm here because I'm worried about her."
"Are you really?" Lyra continued her work.
Redheart opened her mouth to respond but was cut off by the ring of a phone.
"Ah geez...", Alen looked at his phone, "It's the administrator. You handle this. I'll take care of it."
Redheart sighed and sat at the table across from Lyra. "Look. I know most ponies don't care, but I do. I'm worried that if we don't find this robot soon that something might happen to her. All I want is to bring her back where I know she'll be safe."
Lyra finally looked up. "You think she'll be safe at the hospital? The moment you get her back there, she'll be shipped off to ERoCo. to be reprogrammed."
"So then you do know something."
"I didn't say that." Lyra returned her gaze to her computer.
"But you called her 'she', and showed concern.", Redheart tried to look her in the eyes, "Please, I just want to know that she's safe. The police could destroy her if they found her."
"I'm sure she's fine." Lyra slammed her laptop shut in frustration.
"Then please. Can you take us to her?" Redheart pleaded.
"No!", Lyra put away her things and got up to leave, "Now leave me alone."
Redheart let out a sigh as she watched Lyra storm out of the shop. "This is bad, isn't it?" She turned to Alan.
"It gets worse...", He held the phone out to her, "You may want to hear this."
"I don't understand..." Nurse Redheart was in shock from what she was hearing.
"I was informed of your concern regarding the missing robot, so I thought I'd tell you personally. So long as we allow ERoCo. to handle the situation, they've agreed to handle the replacement of the defective unit."
"But why?", Redheart asked, "What's their concern with one robot?"
The administrator continued. "It seems that our little incident, has gotten out to the public, and is sparking concern. They're preforming damage control to maintain their public image. In return for letting them handle the situation, they cover our cost."
"And what happens to Alph-", Redheart caught herself, "...alpha one six... What happens if they get the robot?"
The administrator paused. "I imagine they'll take it in to see what went wrong with it, then recycle it."
Redheart took a deep breath. "Okay... Thank you for keeping us up to date..."
"Remember. Their agreement is contingent on us letting them handle the situation. This means don't talk to the media, and stay out of their way until the situation is resolved."
"Right. Bye." She hung up the phone and hoofed it back to Alan.
Alan looked at her. "You know what this means, right?"
"Yeah, we have even less time to work with." She looked back sternly.
"What! No!", He glared at her, "It means time's up! We lost, it's over !"
Redheart fell silent. The other ponies in the shop stopped briefly to look at the disturbance.
"What is your deal?", Alan growled, "You're going to risk both our jobs over this?"
Redheart sat down. "She's different, Alan... It's hard to explain, but I can't let her get destroyed."
"What are you even on about?"
"Are you serious? Every day ponies mistreat these robots. Abuse them, disregard them.", Redheart looked around as she spoke, "My job is to order them around. I still remember when it was me in their place."
"Their just machines.", Alan looked at her, "They don't feel like we do."
"Because we program them not to.", Redheart looked back to him, "But now one has broken that mold. It decides it can't take it and leaves, and you're just going to let it get destroyed?"
"Yes." Alan said bluntly. He saw Redheart wince. "I'm sorry. I have a family. I can't afford the risk."
"You wouldn't say that if it was another pony."
"Yes, I would."
Redheart had no words. She just stared, her mouth hung open in shock.
"I'd sell my soul to protect my family. So don't even try me." Alan glared at her.
Redheart looked away. "I'm sorry..."
Alan sighed. "So am I...", He turned away, "Good luck."
Redheart stared at the table as he walked away. "You too..."
Lyra walked up the stairs to her apartment, muttering in frustration. She was still mad about the earlier intrusion on her space. In a huff, she burst into the apartment, but stopped.
In the middle of the main room was a meticulously stacked pile of books resembling some sort of building.
"Uh..." She stared.
Alphie trotted in, carrying yet more books. "Oh. You're back."
The two stared at each other for a moment.
"Is that... Canterlot Castle?" Lyra asked.
Alphie looked to her creation. "Um. Maybe?"
Lyra burst out laughing. She didn't know why it was so funny to her, but it was just what she needed at that moment.
Alphie just stared on in confusion. "Why are you laughing?"
"Heh. I'm sorry, I guess I just wasn't expecting that.", Lyra collected herself, "Thank you."
"For what?" Alphie asked, confused.
"Cheering me up." Lyra trotted over and grabbed the robot in a hug.
Alphie had no clue what was happening. "Uh... You're welcome?"
Lyra let her go. "Sorry. Somepony interrupted me while I was trying to work earlier. It got me a bit wound up.", She hesitated, "They were asking about you, actually."
Alphie froze. "The police?"
Lyra headed over to her desk to finish her work. "No, someone from your hospital. I didn't get their names."
"Did one of them have a white coat and a pink mane, done up in a bun?"
Lyra turned back to the robot. "Yeah. Actually, one of them looked exactly like that."
"That's nurse Redheart!" Alphie said, smiling.
"You know her?" Lyra asked.
"Yes. If you see her again, please, tell her I'm okay."
Lyra looked back again. "She wanted to bring you back to the hospital."
Alphie paused and looked down. "I'm sure she was just trying to do what she thinks is right.", Alphie looked back up, "Like you were, by not telling her about me."
Lyra said nothing. She turned away, returning her attention to her computer.
Alphie had finally finish cleaning up the books. On top of that, she had reordered the bookshelf. Now every book was exactly where it belonged.
Lyra walked into the bedroom. "Wow. I never have time to do that."
"Well, now you don't have to!", Alphie beamed, "I put everything back, and sorted it all for you."
"Yeah. I can tell." Lyra let out a yawn as she stretched and flopped onto the bed.
Alphie watched her. "Are you going to sleep?"
"Yeah, it's late. Aren't you?" Lyra asked.
"Huh?", Alphie gave her a confused look, "I don't sleep."
"Have you ever tried?"
"I..." She stopped to think about it. She had never even tried to sleep before. She walked over to the corner of the room and rolled onto her back. "Is this good."
Lyra fought the urge to burst into laughter at the sight of the robot laying on her back, her legs sticking up, like a dog playing dead. "That looks... really uncomfortable."
Alphie considered for a moment before shifting to her side, slamming into the wall in the process. "Gah!"
Lyra let out a laugh, and turned out the light.
Alphie lay there in the dark, unsure what to do.
"Alphie?"
Alphie looked towards Lyra. "Yes?"
"Why did you leave the hospital?"
Alphie froze up. She tried to respond, but couldn't, and she didn't know why.
"You don't have to tell me... I was just wondering." Lyra's voice continued in the darkness.
Alphie thought in silence for a minute. Finally she found her words. "There was a little filly. A terminal patient.", She waited for a response but none came, "I was tasked with making sure she was comfortable.", she gathered herself, "They put us in charge of the dying. That way ponies can be spared the emotional trauma of constantly having to watch others die."
Silence.
Alphie couldn't tell if Lyra was listening, but she didn't care. Some part of her needed to talk about it. "The girl, Lily. She was the kindest patient I've ever had... Being with her, she didn't treat me like a machine. Not even once.", She gave a bitter-sweet slime into the dark, "I was like a real pony to her. Like..."
"Family." Lyra finally responded.
Alphie smiled again. "Yeah... Family..."
There was a brief silence. "So what happened?"
"She died..." Alphie had a strange feeling saying that. Almost like some part her had been cut out, leaving an empty void. "After that they assigned me to an old stallion.", She felt an anger burning, remembering back to how Ballmer had treated her, "He was... not kind... I couldn't take it. It was like something broke.", she thought back to her feelings at the time, "I couldn't fulfil my purpose, and, somehow, I didn't want to... So I left..."
Alphie couldn't speak any more. Her emotions of anger and loss stopped her voice until all she could do was let out pitiful sobs. She lay there in the dark, quietly trying to hold it all in.
"My family is gone too..."
Alphie looked up.
Lyra continued. "My dad died shortly after I was born, and my mom died a few years ago."
"I'm sorry...", Alphie managed to choke out, "You have no siblings, kids, extended family?"
"My mom never remarried, and I was the first foal she had. I had other family members, but we were never close, plus they're like, super far away.", Lyra went silent for a moment, "There was this one girl. We were close friends. I kind of liked her..."
"Where is she?" Alphie asked.
"We had a falling out, and she stopped talking. Shortly after that, she moved away."
"Have you ever tried finding her again."
Silence fell over the room as Alphie waited for Lyra to respond.
"She's dead...", Alphie could hear the pain in Lyra's voice, "Last month I found out she had died in a car crash about a year ago. Her brother told me."
"I'm sorry." Alphie didn't know what else to say.
"Maybe I'm just cursed..."
Alphie tried to find something to say. "I'm sure that's not true..."
Alphie waited for a response, but was met with silence. She laid there in the dark, thinking quietly.
Finally she closed her eyes and relaxed.
A group of ponies sat packed into a surveillance van.
One pony turned to his superior. "Vocal signature confirms it. It's the missing N55."
"What's it doing?"
"It was just, talking. Like it was having a conversation with her."
The Stallion scoffed. "It's just an AI. Don't kid yourself.", He turned to the mare sitting in the driver's seat, "Are the police on board yet?"
She put down her phone and turned. "Not yet. A few more hours."
"Keep me updated on the situation.", He turned buck to monitor the surveillance equipment, "Not long now, Miss Heartstrings."
Lyra slowly opened her eyes.
It was early.
Too early.
The morning light streamed in through the blinds, tinted orange from the distant sunrise over the city.
Lyra sat up anyway. She looked over to see Alphie laying soundly in the corner.
Lyra got out of bed and headed over to where the robot lay. She knelt down and gently patted Alphie's mane. The robot shifted slightly from the contact, but remained asleep.
"I'm going out again. I'll be back in a few hours." She said quietly.
Alphie said nothing, but her ear twitched slightly at the sound of Lyra's voice.
Lyra smiled and went to leave.
Lyra sat quietly at her booth in the coffee shop, bobbing her head slightly to her music as she typed away at her laptop.
She pulled back her headphones and gave a puzzled stare at her work. "Hmm..."
The small, plastic figure sitting at the edge of her computer looked up at her. "What? What's that look for?"
"I don't know. I feel like this entire section is... kludgy..." Lyra said, looking back over her code.
"Well, you wrote it." Twilight responded.
Lyra rubbed her face with a hoof. "I know, I know. I just feel like there must be a better way of doing this."
"Well, maybe if you released your code somepony else could tell you."
"It's not ready." Lyra growled.
"When will it be ready?"
"When I say so."
"Another year?"
"I don't know..."
"Two years?"
"I said, I don't know ."
"How long have you been working on this?"
"Just shut up, okay !" Lyra looked around, realizing she had been much louder than she meant to be. She looked back to the screen, silently avoiding the gazes of the other patrons.
"Sorry, jeez... You're the one asking." Twilight grumbled.
Lyra erased the last several lines of code and started them over. "Well, I'm done thinking about it. So just stop."
"Fine."
The two sat in silence for some time.
"So... What about Alphie?" The figure broke the silence.
Lyra continued working. "What about her?"
Twilight smirked. "What's it like finally having a daughter?"
"She's not my daughter."
"Oh really. So says the Mother of-"
"Don't you even say it." Lyra glared at the figure.
The figure gave an innocent look. "Say what?"
"That stupid name." Lyra laid her head on the table and covered her face with her forelimbs.
"I'm just repeating what you're thinking."
Lyra sighed. "Yeah well, I'm sick of thinking."
"Then why are you talking with me?"
Lyra lay there, staring into the distance for several seconds. Finally she reached over and knocked the figure off the edge of her laptop.
"Gah! Hey!"
Redheart sat waiting patiently from a bench across the street.
An old fedora and a heavy raincoat obscured her figure, making her seem a bit out-of-place. But at least nopony would know is was her.
She hoped.
She watched as Lyra seemingly had an argument with an inanimate object. 'What is wrong with that pony?' She waited for Lyra to leave.
Ponies trotted past her, going about their daily commute. Occasionally one would give her a curious glance. Likely wondering why she was sitting there, dressed so conspicuously.
She waited. Hours passed.
As the morning rush began to pick up, so did the traffic. Cars began to get backed up, obscuring her view of the shop.
As she waited for traffic to clear again she swore she saw movement on the other side.
Finally the light up ahead changed and the line moved.
Redheart stood up as she watched Lyra walk out of coffee shop and begin heading down the street. She began quietly tailing her target as she did her best to blend into the crowd.
She followed Lyra for several blocks. Lyra seemed to look back at her for a moment 'Has she seen me?'
Lyra suddenly made a right down an ally. Redheart tried to stay hidden as she continued to follow, but without the crowd of ponies around her she was blatantly obvious.
Redheart continued to follow Lyra as she proceeded to make three more right turns, circling them around the block.
Lyra peeked back again. 'Oh Celestia. She knows.' Redheart did her best to act natural, in spite of the fact her cover had been blown.
Lyra seemed to ignore her as she finally made her way up to an apartment building.
Redheart watched as the pony trotted up the stairs and stopped briefly at one of the apartment doors.
'Who in the heckn' why?' Lyra glared down at the pony who had been following her.
She opened the door, stepped inside, and waited.
A minute passed.
Finally there was a knock at the door.
Lyra opened the door. "Why the heck are you following me?" She growled.
Redheart took off her hat. "Is Alphie in there?"
"She's fine.", Lyra answered angrily, "Now leave."
"Please, it's important." Redheart begged.
"You just tailed me seven blocks to my house! Whatever it is, I don't care." Lyra scolded and went to close the door.
Redheart stopped her. "Fine, whatever. If you wont let me talk to her then at least listen."
Lyra paused and glared. "You have five seconds."
"ERoCo. Is coming after her. They've taken over the investigation." Redheart said.
Lyra froze. "What are you saying?"
"They're doing 'damage control'." Redheart looked at Lyra with concern.
"Floopin' heck!" Lyra grabbed Redheart and pulled her inside, slamming the door behind her.
Redheart looked at her. "What? What is it?"
"Did you see any cop cars on the way here?" Lyra asked as she peeked out of the blinds.
"A couple. Why?"
"... How long has that van been there?" Lyra asked as she noticed the vehicle parked about a block down the street.
Redheart was confused. "What van?"
Lyra watched as the vehicle suddenly set into motion towards her building. "They know we're here!"
"What?!" Redheart practically shouted in shock.
"Get down!"
Alphie was awakened by the sound of shouting.
"Lyra?" She shifted and began heading towards the other room, but stopped.
She listened to the voices.
"They're coming." Alphie heard Lyra's voice.
"What do we do?"
Alphie was confused. 'Miss Redheart? What's she doing here?'
A heavy knock came from the door followed by a deep male voice. "Miss Heartstrings. We know you're there. The police are on their way, so I'd appreciate if you'd make this easy and open the door."
'The police!? What's going on!?' Alphie continued to listen.
"Ah jeez. It's the lord of all things serious himself." Alphie heard Lyra whisper.
"You know him ?!"
"Shhh!" Lyra shushed Redheart.
"Lets just say, this isn't the first time I've dealt with ERoCo's investigative team."
"ERoCo.!" Alphie said quietly to herself.
She began to panic. 'This is bad. I need to get out, before the police get here!'
She could hear the sirens in the distance.
She still had time.
Looking around the room, she tried to figure some way to escape.
Her eyes fell on the window.
She rushed over and flung it open. Fresh air wafted in blowing loose papers and things to blow about the room.
"What was that?" Redheart asked.
"Alphie!" Lyra shouted.
She heard the pony outside giving orders. "Somepony get around back! Now!"
Alphie hesitated before kicking the screen out of the window and climbing out onto the ledge.
She heard Lyra and Redheart bursting into the room. "Alphie! Wait!" Lyra shouted from inside.
She heard Redheart gasp. "Oh Celestia!"
There was no time. She could hear hoofsteps coming around the building from below.
"Time's up..." Alphie closed her eyes and took the jump.
Alphie braced for the impact as she fell towards a parking lot behind the apartments.
She hit the ground hard and went tumbling across the concrete. The force knocked her system's calibrations out of alignment. Her vision flickered and her limbs locked up as they tried to recover from the shock.
She stumbled to her hooves as the ERoCo. agents came rushing around the corner.
"There! It's behind the building!"
Alphie looked back up the window where Lyra and Redheart were looking down to her.
Lyra shouted. "Run you idiot!"
Alphie stumbled forwards into an awkward, hobbling sprint. She was still recovering, and one of here forelimbs wasn't working properly. Still she ran as fast as she could to the nearest alleyway.
The agents pursued her down the street and around every corner. She knew she couldn't outrun them. She tried to think of a plan as she continued to down another alley towards the street where she could see ponies walking.
She looked down at the hoodie Lyra had given her and got an idea.
As she approached the street, she flipped the hood up and dashed into the thickest part of the crowd. Ponies shouted in frustration and surprise as she pushed past them. She slowed down and fell in line with the other ponies as they walked along.
She looked back, trying not to give herself away as she made her way down the street as casually as she could in her current state.
The ERoCo. agents came barrelling out from the alley and began looking about, trying to spot her among the masses. She watched as they began to slit up and search the area.
Alphie took the opportunity to duck into a nearby clothing store. She ducked behind one of the racks of cloths as one of the agents passed by the shop window.
Alphie let out a sigh of relief.
"Excuse me! " A voice angrily demanded her attention.
Alphie turned to see the store clerk standing over her giving a look of frustration and disapproval.
"No robots allowed! Where's your owner?!" He demanded.
Alphie looked past him to a door in the back of the shop.
"Hello! Are your ears working? I asked where your owner is!"
Alphie grabbed the stallion by his vest and pulled him so that they were face to face.
"What the!?"
"What did you see?" Alphie demanded, doing her best to appear threatening.
"I don't-" It must have worked as the clerk's expression suddenly changed to that of panic.
"What. Did. You. See? " Alphie demanded again. She didn't want to hurt him. She just needed to buy time to get away.
"Nothing! I saw nothing!", The shop keeper fell for her bluff, "Please. Just put me down!"
Alphie set the stallion down and backed slowly towards the back exit. "Stay there." She said glaring at him as she went to leave. Once outside, she bolted, being careful to stay out of site.
Alan Pulled his car into the driveway of his tiny suburban home outside Ponyville. The vehicle stopped suddenly and stalled with a thud .
"What wrong now..." Alan got out of the car and looked it over. There were no obvious issues. "I'll take you to the shop tomorrow..." He headed towards the door.
He trotted over to the front door and tried it, finding it unlocked. He opened the door and stepped in.
"Dennis? You in here?"
"Watchn' TV" The younger colt responded from across the house.
Alan headed over to one of the bedrooms and carefully opened the door. A frail mare in a wheelchair sat next to the bed. She smiled and raised a shaking hoof to point to Alan as he walked in.
"Hey sis. Yeah I'm back.", Alan trotted over and carefully placed his sisters hoof back down, "I'll have dinned ready in a bit. Does that sound good."
Through her frail shaking movements Alan was barely able to discern a nod.
"Dad! Come see the news." Dennis shouted from the other room.
He turned towards the door and shouted back. "Hold on!", He let out a sigh as he looked back to his sister, "What do you say, Claudia? Want to go watch some TV?"
The mare pointed to the door so Alan grabbed the wheelchair and pushed it out of the room. They headed down the hall into the den where Dennis sat on the couch watching the news.
"Look!", Dennis pointed with the remote, "Isn't that one of the robots from your work?"
Alan looked at the television. Sure enough they seemed to be doing a report on an escaped hospital robot. "Turn it up..."
Dennis nodded and turned up the volume.
The news reporter stood outside of a building where police where visible in the background.
"-here at the apartment building where, earlier today, police and personnel from the Equestrian Robotics Corporation located, and made pursuit of the missing robot." The pony turned to gesture towards the building. "Upon locating the missing robot, reports say that it jumped from the second story window in order to escape. The malfunctioning unit then fled down back alleys and onto a major street putting ponies in harm's way in order to escape its perusers."
The scene cut to a stallion in a vest standing outside of a clothing store. The stallion spoke in a panicked manner to the news crew.
"I was in my shop when this robot came storming in. She threatened me then told me to say nothing. Once it was gone I ran over and called the police as fast as I could."
The scene cut back to the reporter outside the apartments. "There are reportedly two arrests that have been made so far in this investigation. The fist being for a Miss Lyra Heartstrings, who is a formed ERoCo. developer, and was a major player in the incident at ERoCo. eight years ago. Shown here." An image of Lyra popped up on screen.
Alan looked in shock. "That's who that way!?"
Dennis looked. "You know here?"
The reporter continued "The second arrest was made for a Miss Redheart. A nurse from Ponyville General Hospital, where the robot in question originally escaped from. Shown here." The image of Nurse Redheart appeared on screen.
The scene cut back to the reporter, who continued. "The two individuals where taken by police for questioning, and for 'interfering with a police investigation'. No information has yet been given about their exact connection to the events here earlier today."
Alan watched in shock. "Redheart, what did you do?.."
Chapter Twelve: Guardians
"Yeah, okay. I'll be there in a bit, so just hold on." Alan hung up the phone. "Friggin' bull!"
"Dad?"
"What?!" Alan shouted as he turned around to see Dennis standing in the doorway.
Dennis stepped back. "Should I come back later?"
"No, sorry. It's fine.", Alan relaxed his tone, "What did you need?"
"Ken and Sharp want to hang out down around Fifth, and I was wondering if I could borrow the car." Dennis gave his father a hopeful look.
"No." Alan said flatly.
"What! Why?" The young cold asked.
"One, I need it to go pick up Redheart from the police station. Two, it's acting up again, and I don't need you getting stuck out in the middle of the city in case it decides to die. And three, there's a big storm coming in, and I don't want you driving in the rain yet." Alan concluded, picking up his keys off the counter.
"But Fifth is 12 blocks away!" Dennis half shouted.
"Good! You'll get in your exercise in for the day." Alan trotted towards the door.
"This sucks..." Dennis walked out of the room to get ready to leave.
"Language!" Alan shouted back as he stepped out into the dreary afternoon light. Thick cloud loomed overhead threatening to begin pouring rain at any time.
Alan headed towards his car. He got in, put the key in the ignition, pressed the clutch and turned the key. The starter buzzed for a moment before the engine make any effort to turn over.
He let go of the key and took a deep breath. "Come on..." He turned the key again. The engine turned over once again. It was weak, but it turned. Then again, and again.
Alan tapped the gas, and the engine finally sputtered and coughed to life, spouting thick black smoke out the exhaust. He let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding, and shifted into reverse.
Redheart was being escorted in hoofcuffs by an officer back to the detention cell where Lyra was waiting.
Lyra was standing at the door trying to see them as they came down the hall.
"Towards the back please!" The officer warned.
Lyra complied and moved back.
The officer opened the door and moved Redheart into the cell before removing the cuffs. "The charges against you have been dropped, so you don't have to pay bail. You'll be free to go as soon as your paperwork is in order and there's somepony to take you home."
"Okay.", Redheart said, "Is there any news on Alphie?"
"The search for your robot is still under way. We'll update you if anything changes." The officer finished locking up the cell and left.
Redheart waited until she heard the door at the end of the hall shut before she spoke. "Good. That means they don't know where she is either."
"Yeah." Lyra responded.
Redheart looked down. "I hope she's okay."
Lyra looked to her for a moment before smiling "I'm sure she's fine. She seems pretty tough."
Redheart looked to her and paused before bursting out laughing.
"What? What's so funny?" Lyra asked giving her puzzled look.
Redheart calmed herself before speaking "Sorry. It's just, this isn't how I imagined we'd become friends."
"I mean... Are we friends though?" Lyra asked.
"Well, you don't seem to be mad at me any more." She responded, still fighting fits of giggles.
Lyra smiled and shook her head. "Okay. Fair enough.", She looked back to Redheart, "So did you get us a ride at least?"
"Oh, right.", Redheart trotted over and sat down on the bed across from Lyra, "I called Alan. He's on his way."
Lyra put a hoof on her chin as she tried to remember. "Alan... Is he the kind of angry looking guy who doesn't seem to know what a comb is?"
"He...", Redheart thought for a second, "Yeah, that's about right."
The two of them giggled.
Redheart looked at Lyra with a puzzled look.
"What?" Lyra stared back.
"I know you, don't I?", Redheart asked, "Like I've seen you somewhere..."
Lyra took a moment to thoroughly examine the floor. "I uh... Used to work for ERoCo.."
Redheart took on a shocked expression at the sudden realization of who she was talking to. "It's you! You're the Miss Heartstrings."
Lyra tried to hide her face.
"You're the mother of general AI! You piratically invented modern AI robotics!", Redheart jumped up, "That explains it! You care so much about robots because they're your work!"
Lyra flopped onto the cot and covered her face with the pillow. "Please don't. I really don't want to talk about it."
"But...", Redheart stopped herself, "I'm sorry."
Lyra just rolled over to stare in silence at the wall.
Redheart laid down as well. "For the record... I think you were right in what you did..."
Lyra said nothing, and the two stayed silent.
Alphie limped along as she tried to find somewhere safe to hide.
Her vision in her left eye was flickering, and one of her forelegs refused to move fully. She could only describe what she was feeling as pain.
The feeling of something cold on her back made her jump. She looked about for a sign of what had touched her, when a drop of rain hit her nose.
Alphie looked up and was greeted by more cold rain. Soon the shower picked up into a downpour, and she was left standing out in a back alley, soaking wet with no shelter in sight.
She sighed and continued on.
Ahead the alley opened up onto the street. Alphie hesitated. Not wanting to be seen, she stood back and watched. She watched the traffic and ponies crossing the street, waiting for an opening.
The rain had driven most ponies indoors, leaving the area mostly clear.
Alphie moved to cross but stopped suddenly as a police car pulled up a short ways down the street. She watched the officers get out and begin searching the area.
She knew she was in no condition to get away if they saw her. She stepped back and debated backtracking to find another route.
"Wait up!"
Alphie turned to see three younger looking colts crossing the street.
"How about you keep up!" One of them shouted back to the trailing member.
Alphie watched as the colt stopped to pick up something up. "I dropped my phone!"
Alphie looked down the street at a car coming towards the stallion. It's wheels stopped. It didn't.
She saw the look of horror on the driver's face as their vehicle hydroplaned out of control. She looked to the the pony standing in the street, and to the officers searching nearby.
She made her choice.
"Look out !" Alphie burst from the alley as fast as she could on her damaged legs. She lept into the street and grabbed the colt, putting herself between him and the oncoming car.
For a moment she saw and felt nothing. Then she felt a wave of pain as she and the kid went tumbling through the street.
"Holy Celestia!" One of the other colts shouted. "Dennis! Are you okay?"
"I think so... Is she okay?"
"Wait... Isn't that the robot they were looking for?!"
Alphie struggled to move at all. All of her systems were failing.
"Hey. Are you okay?"
She felt a hoof on her side. Her eyes opened slowly. Her left eye now displayed nothing, and her legs barely responded at all, but she began struggling to her hooves.
"Are you... hurt?" The young stallion asked.
"I... Are you... okay?.." Alphie struggled to speak.
"Yeah...", The colt grabber her in a hug, "Thank you." He stepped back over to speak with his friends.
A small crowd was beginning to gather. The officers from down the street had come over to investigate. Upon seeing Alphie one of them drew drew her weapon.
"Hey! Stay right there! Don't move!", She shouted at Alphie, "You're coming with us."
Alphie couldn't move, she simply closed her eyes and waited for them to take her.
She waited.
Something brushed past her.
"Move it kid! This has nothing to do with you!" The officer shouted.
Alphie opened her eyes to see one of the colts standing between her and the officer.
"She just saved our friend, you're not taking her anywhere." He said, staring down the barrel on the gun.
The officer lowered the weapon. "This is police business, now step aside or we'll be forced to detain you too."
"Like heck!" Dennis shouted and he and the other colt joined their friend forming a line keeping the officers away from Alphie.
"Get out of our way!" One of the officers shouted.
"No !" All three shouted in return.
Alphie watched as the driver of the car stepped up next to them.
"Sir, get back in your vehicle!"
"No! If it weren't for this robot I'd could have killed that kid!"
Alphie watched as other bystanders began to gather around her, keeping the police at bay.
"You're not taking her!" Somepony shouted.
"I never could have done what that machine did! This robot is a hero!"
"It deserves protection!"
"She deserves the same rights as the rest of us!"
Soon a crowed had formed a wall around her, protecting her from the officers who were dumbstruck at the situation. An uproar filled the air drowning out the sound of the rain as ponies protested to protect her.
They had backed off and were regrouping. One of them pick up her radio and began to call for backup. "This is officer May at the corner of Fifth and Mane. I found the robot, but we have a situation. I need SWAT and authorization for crowd control asap!"
Dennis turned to Alphie. "Do you have a name?"
She looked to him. "My name is Alphie..."
Lyra laid facing the wall, lost deep in thought.
She rolled unto her back and stared at the ceiling. She felt bad about how she had acted towards Redheart before.
'Should I just tell her?', Lyra looked over at the pony in question who had taken to sitting at the end of her bunk memorizing the details of the floor, 'What do I tell her?'
Lyra sat up drawing Redheart's attention. She looked away before she started. "I-"
Lyra was interrupted by the sound of the door opening down the hall. The sound of hoofsteps echoed down the hall heading in their direction.
They looked at each other for a moment before both preemptively getting up and standing against the back wall.
Moments later the same officer from earlier approached the door to their cell. "Good news. Your ride is here, and your paperwork is in order. You're free to go.", She pulled her keys off her vest and unlocked the cell, "Just follow me."
The two complied and soon found themselves following the officer down several hallways heading towards the station's lobby. They passed office after office, room after room, all empty, as though nearly every officer in the station had left for some reason.
Redheart leaned over to Lyra and whispered. "Where is everypony? This place was packed earlier."
Lyra was on edge as she whispered back. "Yeah. Something's not right..."
Finally they reached the lobby where a single officer sat behind reception sipping coffee and watching the news.
Alan was sitting in wait nearby. He jumped up when they approached. "Redheart!"
The officer looked to him "They're all yours. Try to keep them out of trouble." She turned to leave.
"I will.", He called back before turning to address the two ponies in front of him, "What were you thinking?! You do know you just ended your career? Do you even care?!"
"Of course I care!", Redheart responded, "This matters, Alan! That robot matters!"
Lyra turned away, letting the two argue in the background as she approached the reception desk. "Excuse me?" She addressed the officer behind the counter.
The pony put down the coffee an turned to her lazily. "Huh?"
"I was just wondering where everyone is.", Lyra said, "This place was full earlier."
The officer looked back to the TV and gestured towards it. "They're all downtown trying to get control over the big protest."
"Protest?" Lyra said, concerned.
"You haven't heard?", The officer looked back to her, "Here." He turned the TV so that she could see.
The volume was turned down too low to hear, but it didn't matter. The footage showed it all.
Live footage streamed in from a news chopper showing teams of police and SWAT gathered in wait at the edge of a makeshift barricade. Hundreds of officers, all gathered in teams just waiting for the order to storm the crude wall and bring down riot control. On the other side, thousands of ponies from all over the city had gathered. All of them standing out in the pouring rain, many waiving waterlogged paper signs and rough-hewn flags.
In the center of the crowd they parted giving breathing room for what they were fighting to protect.
I single small figure sat, barely moving, drenched by the rain, looking broken and grave.
Occasionally ponies would approach her and give some offering of comfort and support.
"Alphie..." Lyra felt something tear at her heart seeing the robot's state.
She watched as Alphie's damaged form looked up slowly to the news helicopter, almost as though she had hear her speak , one eye glowing dully through the rain.
Redheart and Alan had stopped fighting and headed over to see.
Redheart covered her moth in shock. "Oh Celestia!"
The view changed to an interview between a reported and some of the ponies in the crowd. At the front of them, a young stallion with a few small bruises stood speaking to the reporter.
Alan read the caption.
Dennis R: Crash survivor, Protester
"Dennis?" Alan looked on in shock.
Redheart turned to look at Lyra, but she was gone. "Lyra?" She turned in time to see the station's door shutting.
She grabbed Alan. "Come on!"
Alan didn't object. The two rushed out into the storm after Lyra.
Redheart ran down the street after her. Alan started towards where his car was parked. "Over here!"
The two quickly turned to follow him.
The three of them jumped into the car. Alan turned the key. The engine cycled once, followed by the ineffectual buzz of the starter.
"No. No! Start you son of a-!" Alan slammed his hooves down on the steering wheel.
Redheart looked to him. "What wrong?"
"Everything but the stereo..." Alan growled as he continued, in vain, to try to start the vehicle.
"Are you kidding me!?" Lyra shouted. She flung the door open.
"Lyra?" Redheart looked.
"We don't have time for this bull!" She jumped out and began sprinting down the street.
"Lyra!" Redheart called.
Alan and Redheart looked at each other and hesitated.
"Come on!" Alan jumped out and headed after the unicorn.
Redheart followed. "Lyra wait!" She shouted as she tried to catch up.
Alphie was cold.
She was barely aware of what was happening around her. Yet she held on.
"Hello?" A small voice drew her attention.
She looked up to see a young filly looking at her curiously. Across the way in the crowd a couple of ponies, presumably the parents, watching intently.
"Hello..." Alphie managed to say weakly, barely audible over the downpour and the roaring crowd around them.
The foal smiled and rushed forwards grabbing Alphie in a hug.
The robot winced but managed to reach up and hug the filly back and smile warmly at the comfort.
After a while the child let go and backed off slowly. She looked at Alphie and hesitated before giving her one last smile and running back to her family.
Alphie returned to looking at the ground, waiting. 'They'll be here... Just a little while longer...'
There was a shift in the crowd's uproar and moments later she could hear a voice shouting over a megaphone. "Attention everypony!", Alphie shifted try to hear better, "City government has declared this an illegal gathering! You have 20 minutes to disperse and surrender the robot or we will enact riot control measures!"
The crowd roared in anger of the announcement. Ponies raged, shouting profanities and throwing trash from across the barricade.
The officer repeated. "Again! You have 20 minutes!"
The anger of the crowd only grew. Ponies crashed like an ocean wave against the barrier, throwing things, waiving their signs, and shouting with deafening volume.
Alphie simply watched and listened.
There was a change.
The opposite side of the crowd began to fall into silent, whispers growing closer. Alphie could see them parting for something.
"I said, let me through!"
Alphie looked up towards the familiar voice.
Finally the crowd parted, and Lyra stepped into the circle, followed by Redheart and Alan.
"Alphie!" Lyra cried as she rushed to the robot's side.
Past her Redheart stood watching. Alan rushed to check on his son.
"What happened to you?" Lyra grabbed her as tears streamed down her face, barely visible through the rain.
"Had to... protect..." Alphie muttered.
Lyra held her tight. "Yeah... You did good...", She choked through sobs, "I'm very proud of my daughter."
The cold was gone.
Alphie felt as though some greater part of her had been completed. Her world was whole.
She choked. "I don't want to go..."
Lyra didn't let go. "I don't want you to go..."
"They're going to hurt all there ponies.", Alphie sobbed, "They're only trying to protect me... I can't let them..."
"I know...", Lyra finally let go and stepped back, "Why do we give up everything, Alphie?.."
Alphie looked to Lyra, and smiled.
"So someone else can have more than us."
Lyra smiled, trying to hide the tears through the rain.
It was the words she had searched so long for. All of it laid out before her.
One last gift.
Alphie struggled to her hooves.
The crowd had fallen silent.
Alphie turned to address them. She spoke as loud as she could. "Thank you all so much.", She smiled, genuine, happy, peaceful, "But it's time for me to say goodbye to you all now." She turned and began heading towards the barricade.
The crowd burst into a roar unlike anything that had come before.
Ponies move to stop Alphie, Redheart among them. Others moved to stop them. Including Lyra.
Ponies cried openly, shouted angrily, or simply watched in shocked silence.
Alphie pressed forwards. It was slow, painful progress, but she made it.
SWAT teams rushed forwards to move the barricade, keeping weapons trained on Alphie at all times.
Once a path had been cleared Alphie stepped through.
Members of the crowd grabbed at her to stop her, but the police forced them back, shouting warnings, and blocking their movements.
Alphie glanced at the ERoCo. members watching the scene unfold from the sidelines. One of them, an older stallion, watched her closely as she moved through the barrier.
Several officers rushed over and placed hoofcuffs on Alphie. Not that they needed to.
One officer stepped up and addressed to robot. "Alphie the robot, you are under arrest for public endangerment. You are malfunctioning and require reformatting.", There was a hint of pain in the officers voice as she spoke, but she continued, "You are being detained. You will be taken to the nearest police station, where you will be processed. After which you will be returned to the Equestrian Robotics Corporation where you will be taken to have your network imaged for analysis, and then be erased and refurbished. Do you understand."
"Yes.", Alphie looked up, "I'm ready now. Thank you."
The officer winced visibly at the robot's response. Yet she did nothing to stop the other officers from pulling Alphie away.
They carried the failing machine over to a police van and began loading her inside.
Alphie looked out one last time, trying to spot Lyra or Redheart among the crowd. She couldn't make them out through the storm.
The police shut the van and began driving away.
By the time Alphie arrived at ERoCo. she could no longer move under her own power.
Several employees helped to carry her through hallways lit by the cool glow of LED lighting. They spoke to each other, gossiping about the day, and about all things mundane. As though nothing had changed in her presence.
Alphie ignored them.
She watched down the hall as a worker carted a deactivated robot out of one of the rooms. She wondered if it had been anything like her. If it had felt anything, before being shut down.
The ponies carrying her finally turned towards one of the rooms.
Alphie watched in a haze as they carried her inside and began fastening her to the service rack. The rack rotated and lifted her up.
One of the employees opened up her skullplate and began connecting her to the maintenance harness. The sensation has akin to waves of numbness going through her body as the external systems caused what few sensors were still working to reset in preparation to be calibrated.
The workers left her.
Alphie hung there, waiting.
Minutes passed.
Maybe hours.
She no longer bothered to keep track.
She simply waited.
Her thoughts were all she could focus on. With nothing left she only hoped that the friends she had made were safe. She hoped that Redheart might keep an eye on Lyra.
Maybe they would stay friends.
She hoped they would.
"Well you're a might worse for ware, aren't ya'."
The voice finally drew Alphie back to the world around her. It was familiar, somehow.
She looked up.
An certain stallion was looking over the damage she had taken. He was older, but she still recognized him.
He looked over the clipboard. "Alright... Alpha One Six. Lets get you cleaned up and back out."
"Alphie..." She managed.
He froze. "What was that?"
"My name... is Alphie..."
The stallion stared for a moment. "It's you. From the news..."
"Yes...", She looked at him, "I remember you."
"You do?", He hesitated, "How?"
"You... and that mare... nine years ago... You reactivated me..."
"I...", He thought for a moment, "You remember Ada? That was only my second day."
"I remember...", Alphie relaxed, looking at the ground, "You were uncomfortable..."
"A still had a bit of a fear of robots back then."
"Do I still make you uncomfortable?.." Alphie asked.
"No.", He spoke, "Not anymore."
"That's good."
"You're different, aren't you?.."
"I think so..."
He hesitated. "I'm sorry..."
Alphie slowly lifted her head and looked to him. "It's okay." She smiled.
It was a weak smile. But it was heartfelt.
The pony winced visibly at the gesture. "Are you afraid?"
"Would you be?" She asked as he headed over to a terminal and began typing.
He paused and closed his eyes. "Yes..."
She watched as he connected a drive to the terminal and ran a few commands before disconnecting it again. "What's your name?.."
The stallion paused before he looked up to her. "James..."
"I'm glad I got to see you again...", Alphie closed her eyes for a moment as she smiled, "I started here... So I guess... It makes sense..."
"Yeah... Real poetic." There was a hint of pain in James' voice as he continued to work.
The two stayed silent for some time as James worked.
"Does it hurt?" Alphie finally asked.
James froze where he was. "I...", He hesitated, "I don't think so."
Alphie closed here eyes. "What happens... when I don't wake up..."
James was shaking as he stood at the terminal. He took a deep breath. "I don't know..."
Alphie relaxed. "Maybe I'll tell you...", She closed her eyes, "Someday."
James calmed himself before finishing the last command. "You do that...", He pressed the last key, "Let me know..."
Alphie felt herself falling.
She relaxed into it.
She felt tired.
Then she felt nothing.
Epilouge: A Beloved Creation
Lyra sat in her usual coffee shop booth.
Her laptop sat in front of her, untouched. She didn't open it. Instead choosing to stare past it, at the hazy image of the lobby lights reflected by its brushed aluminium surface.
A double espresso sat across the table growing increasingly cold as she sat in silent inaction.
She let out a long wistful sigh as she finally looked up.
A few ponies remained in the shop after the morning rush. Some were still in line, others sat or stood about waiting for, or enjoying their various drinks and the occasional breakfast snack.
The shop owners daughter stood behind the counter taking orders at the register. She briefly shot Lyra a look of empathy. Though it was of little comfort.
Lyra let out yet another sigh as she reached over to her bag and opened it.
She levitated out a small lyre and held it magically in front of herself. She hesitated before reaching out and plucking a couple of the strings.
The tuning was mildly off, but she couldn't be bothered to fix it. She paused again before taking a breath and moving the instrument closer to herself.
Her hooves moved slowly, carefully, playing out what she remembered of some sonata she had learned decades ago as a filly.
The music blended into the noise of the cafe. Yet even so, it cast a warm, but sombre, atmosphere into the room that everypony felt and seemed to savour briefly before they went about their lives once more.
As Lyra plucked the last notes, she chose to let them ring out before she simply levitated the instrument down onto the table and moved her gaze to the ceiling.
"Wow. I haven't heard that in a while..."
She looked back down to the small figure next to her laptop.
It looked back with a concerned expression. "Not since you left ERoCo.."
"Yeah, well.", Lyra returned to gave upwards towards the hanging light fixture illuminating her table, "It's been a while since I felt so..." She hesitated, looking for the words.
"Depressed?" Twilight offered.
"No...", Lyra closed her eyes in thought, "Emotional?" She pondered. But it still wasn't the right word. "It's like I can feel... something...", She smiled warmly, slowly opening here eyes, "Like I don't feel so numb anymore."
"So. The opposite of depression.", The figure had a puzzled look, "Like you're actually happy for once?"
"Not happy, no. Well, a little, but not really.", Lyra shook her head, "I can't really explain it. It's like I have meaning again. For the first time in years."
Twilight stared off in silent though.
Lyra looked down. "Nothing to say?"
"Did you need me to say something?" The tiny plastic princess asked.
Lyra stared across the restaurant. "I... I guess not...", She paused, "That's weird..."
Twilight smiled. "I think maybe you feel, complete."
"Yeah, I guess." Lyra said to herself.
"If that's the case, what do you need me for?" The figure asked.
Lyra paused to look out the window. "I guess... I don't..."
When she looked back, the figure was still. It stood static, bearing the same unblinking plastic smile that it always had.
Lyra smiled and let out a soft chuckle as the picked it up. "Heh. So stupid..." She placed the figure in her bag and leaned back. She closed her eyes again allowing sunlight pouring in from the window to warm her gently smiling face.
The bell above the door chimed and soon the sound of hoofsteps led in her direction.
"Wow. I've never seen you looking so... not crazy."
Lyra opened her eyes calmly and looked in the direction of the voice.
The former nurse Redheart slowly trotted up and slid into the booth across from her.
Lyra looked at her warmly. "I think I might be sane for once."
"That's probably the scariest thing you've ever said." Redheart let out a chuckle.
Lyra chuckled back and looked back across the cafe at a TV showing the news.
It droned on with typical political rubbish and drawl, yet the conversations had shifted over the last few days. Briefly the image of a robot sitting at the center of a crowd of ponies appeared, giving context to the conversation at hoof.
Redheart followed Lyra's gaze. "It's different now. Isn't it?"
"Yeah.", Lyra smiled, "No more hiding..."
"It's all going to change.", Redheart looked down, "For better or for worse..."
"Change is what we make of it." Lyra smiled at her.
She smiled back. "Yeah."
The bell rang again. The two ponies turned to see a young stallion looking about awkwardly.
"Dennis!", Redheart called, "We're over here!"
Dennis turned to see the two and quickly headed over to join them. "Uh... Hey." He spoke awkwardly.
"Hows your dad?" Lyra looked to him as he moved to sit next to Redheart.
"He's... uh...", The colt shifted in place, rubbing the back of his hoof nervously, "Suffocating... I barely made it out of the house."
"Well you did almost get run over and then start the biggest protest in Ponyville history." Lyra smiled slyly.
"Ehhehe..." He laughed awkwardly.
"It makes sense that he'd be over protective right now." Redheart agreed.
"Well, right now he thinks I'm getting snacks at the shop down the street.", He looked up and rubbed the back of his head, "He's gonna be mad when he finds out where I really am."
"Oof." Lyra oofed.
"Well, we're glad you made it." Redheart reassured.
"Yeah." Lyra said.
"Eyup..." He responded.
The three sat in silence until it was awkward.
Dennis finally spoke. "So uh... Why are we here?"
"Good question." Redheart turned towards Lyra waiting for a response.
Lyra cleared her throat and levitated the cup that had been sitting across the table, untouched until then, to her lips. The coffee had grown cold and was unpleasant, but she found herself in need of the caffeine and so downed it quickly.
She let out a rough cough in the wake of the harsh beverage. "I uh, well. I'm still waiting on somepony."
Redheart raised a brow in confusion. "Wait who? Were all here."
"Not quite.", She looked out the window, " I have a contact at ERoCo.. I'm hoping they have some news for us."
"A contact?" Redheart inquired.
"Who is it?" Dennis asked.
"Don't know. Never actually met them."
"What kind of news?" Redheart asked.
"We'll just have to see..." Lyra looked back to them.
"Speaking of ERoCo..", Redheart looked Lyra in the eyes, "You never did answer my question."
Lyra cleared her throat again. "What question?" She pretended not to remember.
"About why you did what you did there." Redheart stared her down.
"Right... That..." Lyra found herself once more fixated on the back of her laptop.
"Wait... Did what?" Dennis looked at them in confusion.
"Are you serious?" Lyra looked at him.
Redheart looked to Dennis. "How old are you, Dennis?"
"15. Why?" He looked to her.
"He would have been six Lyra. He wouldn't remember." Redheart pointed out.
"Remember what?!" Dennis half shouted in frustration.
Lyra leaned back. "What do you know about CAIF?"
"The Common AI Framework? It's an open source GPL project that's used basically every modern AI's.", He looked to her, still confused, "You wrote it, didn't you?"
"What do you know about how it got started?" Lyra asked.
"I uh..."
Lyra sighed. "About 11 years ago, back when I worked at ERoCo.. They had me working in their AI development lab."
"Really!?" Dennis looked at her, surprised at the revelation.
"Actually. I was head of AI development." She smiled as she reminisced. "Anyway.", She continued, "I was working on a new type of universal AI. A 'general purpose' AI, if you like. Not an AGI, but something that could still learn just about anything."
"Did you succeed?" Dennis asked.
Lyra smiled. "Of coarse I did." She looked to the ceiling as she spoke. "It was nearly perfect. Based on the way that the equine brain is basically a central network that branches into separate parts for different tasks."
"That sounds like CAIF." Dennis noted.
Redheart shushed him as Lyra continued.
"Me and my team had put so much work into what was to be a revolutionary project. We wanted it to change the world. And seemingly so did ERoCo..", Her smile faded, "But we had different ideas of what that meant."
Dennis waited. "So... What happened?"
Lyra looked to him. "They did what big tech companies do. They copyrighted the code and demanded fees for anypony who wanted to use it.", She leaned forwards, placing her front hooves on the table, "We begged them to open the project. But it was to much money making potential for them to pass up.", she paused, "So I... took things into my own hooves."
"You stole it?!" Dennis asked, in shock.
"No, no." Lyra reassured. "I spent eight months, behind their backs, rewriting the project from scratch to be better, faster and more stable.", She looked up with a smile, "Then I released the entire thing as the Common AI Framework, under the GPL, as a public project.", Her smile vanished, "But I was still working at ERoCo. when I did it. What's more, I had directly contributed to their original project.", She looked down, "I had knowingly violated my contract, and by technicality, their copyright on the original code."
"What did they do?" Dennis asked.
"What do think?", She asked back, "They filed a lawsuit.", she sighed, "They eventually settled for booting me from the company... and most of my life savings. They decided that leaving the open source project to develop would be better than trying to continue maintaining their less superior version on their own, so CAIF got to continue existing. So I won in the end. I guess..." She fell silent.
Dennis' brow furrowed. "But why did you do it if you knew what would happen?"
"That sort of technology, with the power to change lives, the whole world even, for the better...", Lyra looked to him, "It belongs to everyone. I'd have let them sue me into the ground if that's what it took."
Dennis winced. "I don't know if that's worth it..."
"It was to me...", Lyra smiled, "It's just what I believe. I'd do it all over again if I had to."
Redheart smiled. "So would I."
Dennis looked between them. "You're all crazy."
The two shared a laugh as the bell over the door chimed yet again.
An older stallion approached the table. "Sweet Celestia!"
The group looked in his direction.
"It really is you..." He looked at Lyra.
"You're Jay?" Lyra asked.
"Call me James." He replied.
"Good to finally meet you." Lyra reached out and shook his hoof.
"You too, miss Pascal." He smiled to her.
"Pascal?" Redheart gave Lyra a puzzled look.
"A nickname.", She hesitated, "My second name actually.", she turned back to James, "So. How'd it go?"
"Well. Lets just say I gave in my letter of resignation today." He said and held up a small flashdrive hanging from a lanyard.
Lyra took it carefully. "You mean..."
"It's all there." He smiled.
"I can't believe you made it out with this..." Lyra stared at the drive in disbelief.
Redheart looked between the two in confusion. "Wait, what's happening? What is that?"
Lyra closed here eyes and took a deep breath. She held the drive out where the other two could see it.
A small label on the side read 'Property of ERoCo.'.
Redheart's mind clicked. "Is that?.."
Lyra looked at her. "What would you give, to save a life?"
Chapter Eleven: Interrogative
Lyra sat waiting in an empty interrogation room.
She shifted uncomfortably in the hoofcuffs that kept her stuck at the table. Looking up, she glared at her reflection in the one-way glass. "Hey! Jack-holes! Get in here and question me already!" She knew they were watching her. It had been at least 20 minutes and she was getting frustrated.
"Hey!" She stuck her tongue out at the window in a taunting gesture. She had been through this before, and she wasn't putting up with it this time. "Liam Neighson! You forget about me, or what? I know you're there!"
Several seconds passed as she continued to stare at the glass. She could just barely make out the shifting outlines of several ponies standing on the other side. One of them turned and began heading towards the door to the room.
Finally the door opened and an older looking stallion who's face seemed to be stuck in a perpetual scowl stepped in. The lines in his face, and greying mane showed his years of experience as he trotted over and sat across from Lyra.
"Hello again, Miss Heartstrings." The stallion's voice was practical a monotone growl.
"Hello, Captain Serious`." Lyra mocked.
The investigator ignored the comment and pulled out some files. "It seems you've, once again, decided to cause trouble for us."
"I do enjoy causing trouble.", Lyra smirked, "Especially for you guys."
"So it would seem...", He opened the file, "How's your... electronics repair business going? Looks like you have a sizeable record of late rent payments."
Lyra avoided the pony's gaze.
The stallion continued. "I find it mind boggling that someone so prestigious would willingly throw everything away the way you have."
"I wouldn't say I threw it away." Lyra glared in his direction, but avoided his gaze.
"Really?", He flipped through the file, "One of the highest IQ scores in the country. You wrote your first neural network for image classification at the age of 15, and got into Canterlot University on a scholarship at 17.", He moved to the next page, "You earned your PhD in computer science and bachelors degrees in both electrical engineering and neuroscience. You then moved on to work at ERoCo. as one of, if not the worlds most renowned expert on AI."
Lyra rolled her eyes. "Yeah. I know my life story, thanks. What's your point, Taps?"
Taps looked up to her. "Why did you do it?"
"Is this really relevant?"
"Call it 'morbid curiosity'." Taps closed the file and moved it aside.
Lyra was quite for a moment. "Where's the pony who was with me? 'Redhead' or whatever her name is." She demanded, trying to change the subject.
"Nurse Redheart is being questioned by the police."
"So I get you?", Lyra gave a sly look, "Lucky me, huh`?"
Taps looked to her, his face as blank as ever. "Yes. Lucky you."
"What exactly is your relationship with Miss Heartstrings?" An officer asked.
Redheart fidgeted uncomfortably in her seat. "I don't really know her that well. I just met her."
"And she was the one hiding the malfunctioning robot?"
"Uh... No. I mean, yes. I mean... I don't know. I had a feeling she knew something about Alphie, so I tracked her down." She had never been in this kind of situation before. The pressure made her stomach tie in knots.
The officer took some notes. "So you were investigating the missing robot yourself. Even though you had been informed on the current situation in regards to ERoCo.'s involvement?"
"Yes." Redheart realized immediately after speaking that she had just made a mistake.
The officer noted her response and continued. "And was there anyone else involved in your investigations?"
Redheart did her best to swallow the lump in her throat. She struggled and let out a rough cough. "No. It was only me."
"And what lead you to being in the apartment building with Miss Heartstrings?"
Redheart cleared her throat. Or tried, at least. "Don't I have a right to know why I'm here? Nopony has explained that yet."
"Interfering with a police investigation and public endangerment." Taps read off the police report.
Lyra scoffed. "Hah! 'Public endangerment?'", She looked at him, "I bet that would hold up in court`."
"You were actively helping to protect a dangerously malfunctioning piece of equipment." Taps looked up.
"Dangerous?", Lyra raised an eyebrow, "Alphie wouldn't hurt anyone. She's just afraid of what you'll do if you catch her."
"Are you aware that your 'friend' threatened a civilian in order to escape capture?" Taps pushed a photo across the table to Lyra.
Redheart picked up the picture. "Alphie wouldn't hurt anyone. She must have had a good reason for doing whatever she did." Yet the image defied her explanations. It showed a hooded figure holding onto a shopkeeper by his collar. Even through the poor quality of the CCTV image, she knew it was Alphie.
"I understand you feel empathetic towards this machine.", The officer spoke in a consoling tone, "But it's just that, a machine. They can seem very convincing, but at the end of the day, it's still just plastic and metal, and this one is broken and dangerous. We need to find it, and hoof it over to ERoCo. to that they can take care of it."
Redheart slammed the image back onto the table. "You're wrong!"
"I want to speak with my lawyer.", Lyra demanded, "No crimes have been committed, and you have no right to hold us here."
Taps furrowed his brow. "Do you even have a lawyer?"
"Wells. He was the one who defended me when-"
Taps interrupted her. "Wells retired some time ago. He's no longer available."
"You're kidding me!", Lyra shouted, "Why are you even holding us? You already know everything we have to tell you!"
"Yes.", Taps answered, "But the longer we keep you here, the longer you're out of our way.", he gathered up the filed from the table and put them away, "You'll be moved to a cell here at the station for the time being. Once somepony can be arranged to pick you up, you'll be free to go."
"And then what?" Lyra asked.
"You stay out of our way. Or you will be in trouble." The stallion got up and trotted out of the room.
