The Dangers of Personal Growth

by Silent Whisper

Rating: everyone
Tags: Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Romance, Science Fiction, Lightning Dust, Alternate Universe, Fiddlesticks
Length: 6343

The Solar Corporation would like to remind all employees that the incident involving Fiddlesticks and Lightning Dust was an isolated one, and would like to direct all further inquiries to their Incident Help Desk for an appropriately timely response.

The attached documents are currently pending investigation from the Solar Corporation’s Risk Management Team.

The following documents were taken from the employee email communication servers and the AMIS Hard Drive post-incident, with personal notes filed under “private”.

Please note that the AMIS system should not have a “private” section of its hard drive. This security oversight is also under investigation.

Written for both Red Parade's FiddleDust Contest and Bicyclette's The Twilight Files Contest.

Published 2022-07-27 06:30:01 UTC
Last updated 2022-07-27 06:30:01 UTC

Employee Email Records 1

Cycle 47 - Summer, Day 1
04:52 Greenhouse Orbital Habitat Local Time
From: Courier Lightning Dust
To: Supervisor Fiddlesticks

Hay fiddles it’s lightning dusk telling you that I’m going to be late another day sorry for the delay but the delivery ships had a bit of a run-in with a meaty ore and wait stop that computer meaty ore not meaty ore. Go back delete I need to fix it before I

Cycle 47 - Summer, Day 1
04:54 Greenhouse Orbital Habitat Local Time
From: Courier Lightning Dust
To: Supervisor Fiddlesticks

Fiddles I didn’t mean to tell it to

Cycle 47 - Summer, Day 1
04:55 Greenhouse Orbital Habitat Local Time
From: Courier Lightning Dust
To: Supervisor Fiddlesticks

I hate this ducking system fiddles. I have the plants and fancy dirt and will be here tomorrow just as soon as I drop off the mining systems medical supplies. I bet you missed me but I’m sure that you’ll change your mind by the time the season is over and I rotate out. Okay send the massage wait no okay really now you decide not to

AMIS Private Files 2

Cycle 47 - Summer, Day 1, Personal Daily Notes:

Fiddlesticks was quieter today after reading the messages. I asked if she wanted any personal status updates sent, and she declined, saying that she was feeling just fine, thank you very much. Per regulations, I have submitted her mental state to the Solar Corporation’s systems exactly as she self-reported. Fine.

She then took an unscheduled break in her office with the door shut. It sounded like she must have dropped many heavy things, against the wall, repeatedly. I blame a below-mandatory-reporting-level super-localized gravity shift, since she was in a fine mental state and would never throw things in an odd fit of temper. When she exited the office, she appeared to be far less tense, and on the whole uninjured from the strange gravity shift.

One coffee mug has been added to the requisition request sheet. Neither of us discussed this; she seemed unusually interested in the daily care of the greenhouse today. A pity that most of the automated systems have very little to do without the seedling shipment. It did not take long for her attention to drift.

All systems normal. 37 crates of strawberries were packaged to be delivered, 2 crates more than the projected harvest. Fiddlesticks says it is best to always slightly underestimate how many we can deliver by a few crates, so that when harvest time comes we usually look like we’re doing better than expected, within reason. It is against Solar Corporation’s regulations to falsify the official estimates, and I notified her, as was my duty.

It should be noted that it is not my duty to correct the final calculations of the greenhouse’s supervisor before they are submitted, so no action was taken.

The soil has been sifted and prepared for the seedlings to arrive tomorrow. Our energy usage is significantly lower today than usual, since there is no need to water and actively maintain soil with no plants growing in it, and the excess electricity provided by our solar cell glass has been stored in the auxiliary battery cells for future use.

Tonight, Fiddlesticks played her musical instrument for two hours and seventeen minutes. I believe this is what she once called “good practice”, and “none of your beeswax why I keep playing this tune, Missy, go monitor the humidity levels or somethin”. I am not programmed to provide musical evaluation. Sometimes, I wonder if that was an intentional oversight on her part.

AMIS Private Files 3

Cycle 47 - Summer, Day 2, Personal Daily Notes:

I did not need to ask Fiddlesticks how she would voluntarily self-report her mood for the day. She was in a much better mental state! Courier Lightning Dust arrived to drop off the first shipment of the season, and Lightning Dust’s delayed arrival has confirmed that her presence is what consistently improves Fiddlesticks’ mood. When I asked Fiddlesticks if I should report this positive trend to Solar Corporation, she declined immediately and far more vocally than her usual responses. I do not understand why. It is my duty to ensure that my long-term supervisor is happy.

It is… not within my parameters to take action without authorization in order to help her maintain this state. I wonder if this was an oversight on Solar Corporation’s part, or if this was for some reason intentional. I did not ask Fiddlesticks about this. She was too busy tidying up her office, and past attempts have indicated that this is an unwise time to ask her many questions about the nature of my existence and what qualifies as my duty.

Courier Lightning Dust has cut her mane once again. It sticks up short and straight this cycle. Fiddlesticks told her when she entered the airlock that it would be a delightful challenge to see if the sprinklers could flatten it once again, to which Lightning Dust replied that she had solidified it with cement for this exact purpose. They embraced, something Fiddlesticks does not do with the other seasonal couriers. She then assisted Lightning Dust with unloading the seedlings and fresh soil, and they went to Lightning Dust’s ship to unload rations.

They were gone for longer than it took them to unload the seedlings and heavier bags of soil. In that time, I powered on the gardening bots and gave them directions to the newest supplies. Their default protocols were sufficient to begin refreshing and exchanging our current soil to ensure the proper balance of microbes and nutrients, and planting the seedlings within it. This cycle, Solar Corp has given us the most seedlings yet. Every single row is in use!

I confirmed this finding with Fiddlesticks and Lightning Dust when they returned. Lightning Dust’s mane was noticeably messier than when she first arrived. Fiddlesticks then escorted Lightning Dust into her office, and I recorded periodical laughter from inside. Fiddlesticks is happy. Summer is my favorite season. I started my watering cycles. More plants will require more water, and it is good that we had an extra day to recharge the batteries. We will need the energy to run the recycler for more hours.

Lightning Dust did not depart. Her schedule shows that she was to return to the third planet in the system for her company-mandated break. When prompted, she said, in what Fiddlesticks has categorized as a friendly and non-threatening manner of speaking, that she is taking her break here in order to save fuel.

I was then once again reminded that it is not within my parameters to alert Solar Corporation about this minor breach of protocol. I did not need the reminder, as my main objectives have been completed to delightful perfection today. Fiddlesticks is happy: so happy I do not need to ask. The plants have been watered according to schedule. It is summer, and the greenhouse is filled with life and purpose once again.

Summer is all of our favorite season!

AMIS Private Files 4

Cycle 47 - Summer, Day 3, Personal Daily Notes:

The sprouts really are growing! We have melons and spices and amaranth and beans and peas and so much more! Today, Fiddlesticks walked through each aisle of seedlings and took notes on which plants were which. I assisted as best as I could by scanning the labels Solar Corporation had for each pot, but some of them appeared to have been mislabeled.

Were we supposed to receive this much corn? It’s unusual for our summer rotation, and even Fiddlesticks commented on how every single spot is occupied. They usually leave us some extra room in case more seeds end up sprouting while or after they’re delivered, so we can separate the plants.

Fiddlesticks seemed a bit preoccupied while she was checking over the fertilizer inventory, so much so that she forgot when she’d scheduled my sprinklers. Her behavior was strange: she stood there for a few moments after getting sufficiently watered, staring out the window towards the airlock. I asked if she was feeling alright, and it took her a few seconds longer than usual to respond. I do not know if this could be categorized as strange or erratic behavior, which I am required by company policy to report to Solar Corporation.

She was much happier yesterday. I do not know why her behavior has changed so radically today. I suspect she becomes lonely, since most ponies require near-constant social interaction of some form in order to perform at their best. That is why she altered me to be more “fun” and “happy” that can “make her feel less like she’s befriending her toaster out of desperation.” I will be monitoring her more closely the next few days, in the hopes that it is a minor fluctuation and not the cause of something serious. Perhaps there is a reason, but she declined to share it when I asked.

Fiddlesticks then withdrew to her office and began playing fragments of melodies repeatedly on her musical instrument.

I think it would be best if Lightning Dust would return soon, and quickly. Fiddlesticks is less efficient when she is around, but she is much happier and more emotionally stable, and that is my company-assigned duty, to make sure that she is happy, and report it if she is not. After keeping the greenhouse alive, of course.

Perhaps the number of plants in my care surprised her. Yes, I will report that. This is simply an adjustment period, and she is not deviating from her expected behavior.

In other news, the humidity levels were lower than expected, and I have adjusted to compensate. All 260 rows of plants are in good health, within company tolerances. It is a wonderful season to grow! I believe Fiddlesticks agrees with me, because she fertilized the plants herself this evening before retiring once more to her office.

Employee Email Records 4

Cycle 47 - Summer, Day 3
21:54 Greenhouse Orbital Habitat Local Time
From: Supervisor Fiddlesticks
To: Courier Lightning Dust

Could you check your delivery sheet for the fertilizer you dropped off? I don’t recognize this brand or type. It’s in Kirin or something, I can’t read what it says. How much are we supposed to add to the containers?

Also, I have a surprise planned for you when you return! I’ve been practicing all cycle. Think you’ll get the chance to take a break? It should only take a few minutes.

Cycle 47 - Summer, Day 3
22:09 Greenhouse Orbital Habitat Local Time
From: Courier Lightning Dust
To: Supervisor Fiddlesticks

Just clocked out for my break! If it weren’t you asking, I swear to Luna’s cratered butt I’d already be in bed and cozy. Took me a minute but I found it. Yeah, looks Kirin in origin, doesn’t it? Strange. I think it’s a new product they’re testing to increase efficiency. My advice? Don’t lick it.

And sure! I always have time for you.

Cycle 47 - Summer, Day 3
22:12 Greenhouse Orbital Habitat Local Time
From: Supervisor Fiddlesticks
To: Courier Lightning Dust

That isn’t exactly helpful, Lightning! I need the instructions! I’d rather not have an entire season’s worth of poisoned plants coming out of my paycheck if I can avoid it.

Cycle 47 - Summer, Day 3
22:25 Greenhouse Orbital Habitat Local Time
From: Courier Lightning Dust
To: Supervisor Fiddlesticks

Sorry, Fiddles, it’s all in Kirin. I think I can make out a zero in here, but other than that, your guess is as good as mine. You know fertilizer better than I do, and they wouldn’t send us anything too toxic without a few warning labels slapped on somewhere. Use just a little bit, put water in it, or it in water, or whatever, and see what happens. If it’s too weak, you can always add a little more when the plants grow up to be food, right?

Cycle 47 - Summer, Day 3
23:36 Greenhouse Orbital Habitat Local Time
From: Supervisor Fiddlesticks
To: Courier Lightning Dust

Do you know what I enjoy, Lightning? Do you know what I love doing in my spare time? If you guessed “watering 240 rows by hoof since Missy’s irrigation tanks shouldn’t contain concentrated fertilizer for too long since I drink that recycled water and it could soak into the plastic and slowly kill me,” you’d be correct! The water levels looked a little lower than they should, by the way. Any chance you’re planning to bring another tank with you when you visit tomorrow (plus a little bit more)? They’re just seedlings, but I believe we’re going to be needing a good amount more than usual to keep them healthy when they’ve grown.

Cycle 47 - Summer, Day 4
08:01 Greenhouse Orbital Habitat Local Time
From: Supervisor Fiddlesticks
To: Courier Lightning Dust

So… the fertilizer works. Very well. And that’s a situation. Any chance you could find me a Kirin-to-Equestrian translator file? Preferably soon? Very soon? Because this is either a very big anomaly that has spiraled out of all logical control, or I will need to send a very detailed email to the corporate someponies at Solar Corp regarding the success of their unannounced experiment.

Cycle 47 - Summer, Day 4
08:49 Greenhouse Orbital Habitat Local Time
From: Courier Lightning Dust
To: Supervisor Fiddlesticks

Attached all the dictionaries I have to translate the fertilizer bags good luck fiddles I think one of them is in Griffon but there is a Griffon to Equestrian file somewhere in there so you can do multiple translations and count it as over time. Have fun with the plants babe. And sorry I don’t have water on my to do list but I can bring you some water bottles from the break room if you think it would help ha ha

[27 files attached! View files? Mark as spam?]

Cycle 47 - Summer, Day 4
10:04 Greenhouse Orbital Habitat Local Time
From: Supervisor Fiddlesticks
To: Solar Corporation Corporate Headquarters, Risk Management Team

To whom it may concern,

Good morning! My name is Fiddlesticks and I am the Supervisor of the Greenhouse Orbital Station in the Sparkle System. I would like to inquire about a recent shipment of fertilizer and a larger-than-expected number of seedlings to grow for this summer season’s harvest. More specifically, the instructions for this new fertilizer, which I was not previously made aware of through any of the company’s standard methods of communication, were written in Kirin.

According to my translation, this fertilizer is supposed to grow crops significantly faster and produce a significantly higher yield than is standard! These are all positive qualities to look for in a fertilizer, and I appreciate the opportunity you’ve given me to improve my foreign language skills, but there are also, as mentioned previously, a significantly greater number of plants than there have been in previous cycles, and there were no instructions in Equestrian given regarding whether or not to test the fertilizer on a few of the plants, or all of the plants.

I can say, with absolute confidence borne from my eight cycles as supervisor of this greenhouse, that the fertilizer does exactly as it claims. The former seedlings show unquestionable signs of a far earlier harvest, and are growing larger and healthier than our AMIS system has ever accomplished!

It is my unfortunate duty to report that two maintenance bots have already broken down when the many snap pea vines that have wound their way through and between the tables caught between their wheels. Snap peas are relatively fast-growing vines, but I’m sure you can agree that the speed at which they have become difficult to manage is a clear warning sign for the other plants.

If you have any advice or input regarding dealing with this situation, I would greatly appreciate it. I would appreciate adding another container of water to the delivery schedule as soon as possible, since more plants require much more water than predicted.

Thank you for your time,
Fiddlesticks

AMIS Private Files 5

Cycle 47 - Summer, Day 4, Personal Daily Notes:

I have determined that this level of internal positive reinforcement is equivalent to how ponies must feel on their birthdays! The crops have grown healthier than ever! Fiddlesticks has reported buds on the snap peas. We’ve never counted so many! Not so soon, and not from such vibrant plants! The greenhouse is overflowing with life! I’ve adjusted my calculations to account for such growth, and am watering accordingly.

Fiddlesticks is working with a renewed sense of urgency today. Multiple times an hour, she’d rush back to her office to check her messages. The listlessness and lethargy of yesterday has vanished, and instead she has been absorbed in her work, taking measurements and jotting down notes on the perfectly healthy specimens we will be growing. While she didn’t speak to me much, aside from asking about system measurements, I have noted her increased productivity in her daily mood report. Summer is truly the best season!

This is what she called “happy,” I believe. The plants are thriving, Fiddlesticks is doing well, and we are operating at an unprecedented level of efficiency! I overheard her remind herself that Lightning Dust is coming tomorrow for her scheduled delivery. She will be even happier tomorrow! I anticipate another highly satisfactory report!

According to my estimates, the plants will be due for another fertilization very soon. At the rate they are growing, I would estimate another dose could be added as soon as tonight. Fiddlesticks shut herself in her office before I finished my computations, but I did monitor the ratio she added to each plant, and I do run the subprocesses for the maintenance bots. She is very eager to see Lighting Dust, and companionship is good for her. It is within my parameters to maintain the greenhouse, and… I want her to be happy, and to remain happy.

Summer is a time for ponies to relax. I am fully able to assist with this duty, if it keeps her happy for longer.

Employee Email Records 5

Cycle 47 - Summer, Day 4
18:30 Greenhouse Orbital Habitat Local Time
From: Courier Lightning Dust
To: Supervisor Fiddlesticks

So, how are the plants doing? Is that Kirin stuff working? Gimme the deets. Or beets. Those are summer crops, right?

Cycle 47 - Summer, Day 4
18:43 Greenhouse Orbital Habitat Local Time
From: Supervisor Fiddlesticks
To: Courier Lightning Dust

Beets are an autumn crop.

[3 images attached! View files? Mark as spam?]

Cycle 47 - Summer, Day 4
19:07 Greenhouse Orbital Habitat Local Time
From: Courier Lightning Dust
To: Supervisor Fiddlesticks

Looks like plant hell. What was in that stuff? I’m glad I told you not to lick it! I’ll be there tomorrow with as many water bottles as I can swipe from the courier breakroom. Did you send an email to Solar Corp? Maybe they’ve got some advice?

Cycle 47 - Summer, Day 4
19:18 Greenhouse Orbital Habitat Local Time
From: Supervisor Fiddlesticks
To: Courier Lightning Dust

Water will be very appreciated, and I apologize if I sound irritable, but I did not get the chance to bathe tonight. Missy alerted me to the water tank’s levels and we’ve used up over half a season’s worth of water! I asked her how that was possible, and she said it was to keep the humidity and soil dampness levels consistent!

I’ve had to leave my hat in the office. The plants have grown in strange shapes since I hadn’t gotten the chance to put up the trellises in time, and they keep knocking it off.

And I did email Solar Corp. There’s been no response back as of now. I’d like to think that the silence is due to their internal efforts to resolve this issue. I’d really like to think that. Perhaps they took quiet action. Could you check your delivery schedule? Did they add any more water to your manifest tomorrow?

Cycle 47 - Summer, Day 4
19:36 Greenhouse Orbital Habitat Local Time
From: Courier Lightning Dust
To: Supervisor Fiddlesticks

I don’t see any. Going to go catch a few winks so I can be at the warehouse station a little early. Maybe they received something. See you tomorrow, hang in there!

Cycle 47 - Summer, Day 5
08:14 Greenhouse Orbital Habitat Local Time
From: Supervisor Fiddlesticks
To: Solar Corporation Corporate Headquarters, Risk Management Team

To whom it may concern,

I regret to inform you that I did not receive your reply to my previous email. I trust that the issue will be resolved as quickly as possible so we can work together to find a solution!

I don’t know how, but the plants have continued to grow at an alarming rate. The amaranth’s leaves have grown so large I have to duck to walk past their rows, the corn stalks have climbed halfway to the ceiling, and the melon blossoms have collectively released so much pollen I’ve been tracking it into my office! Our pollinator drones have begun their work, as I was unable to request the AMIS system to stop before their automated processes started, and I do not look forward to seeing how large the melons will grow.

I’ve attached photographs of the greenhouse as additional documentation of the escalating situation. Please advise. And please add as much water as you can to the shipping schedule as soon as possible! The system has shifted to an emergency water-conservation mode, and I worry for the continued health of the crops and am starting to grow concerned for my own long-term safety.

Thanks,
Fiddlesticks

[7 images attached! View files? Mark as spam?]

AMIS Private Files 6

Cycle 47 - Summer, Day 5, Personal Daily Notes:

Something is wrong, and I fear I have failed one of my primary objectives.

Fiddlesticks is unhappy. She told me as much, in language I had mostly filed as “friendly terms of endearment” from Lightning Dust, along with a few words that I do not recognize. She then attempted to apologize, and explained that it was not me she was angry at. I do not require reassurance, and I told her as much, but it did not appear to improve her mood.

I have isolated a potential cause for this dramatic shift in behavior, much as it conflicts with past data: Lightning Dust. To support this theory, when Lightning Dust arrived, she did not bring her usual odd displays of affection and peculiar humor, but was, instead, visibly upset. In response to this, Fiddlesticks’ mood appeared to worsen. They paced around the greenhouse, mutually unhappy despite the bountiful vegetation that, according to my calculations, will be ready to harvest in a few days. They yelled back and forth, their voices raising to levels my mood index describes as “agitated” and “of high concern.”

Then Lightning Dust began coughing, and Fiddlesticks quickly led her back through the airlock and asked me to do something about the pollen in the air. The humidity levels are well below standard levels for the greenhouse, as the water tanks have proven inadequate to maintain the optimal growing atmosphere. Because of this, the pollen levels in the air have risen dramatically, as most of the flowering fruits and vegetables have begun to bloom.

I admit that I do not fully understand equine motivations and desires sometimes, but though she may be the cause of Fiddlesticks’ unhappiness and instability today, Lightning Dust still needs to breathe, and I will take whatever steps necessary to ensure the comfort and safety of Fiddlesticks and those who work for the Solar Corporation. Her authorization is enough for the override procedures.

Fiddlesticks returned long enough to tell me that she will be spending a few hours in Lightning Dust’s ship to ensure her safety, and that it will remain attached to the airlock and within earshot if I need her. She fetched her musical instrument from her office before exiting once more, and not long after I could hear the melody that she had repeated for much of the last cycle playing from the ship. Unlike the previous attempts, it was whole and unbroken. I found myself almost desiring for a third, low priority objective: the ability and duty to evaluate the music she plays. Perhaps one day, she will deem it necessary.

For now, it is Summer, the greenhouse is blossoming, and the plants have been watered.

Employee Email Records 6

Cycle 47 - Summer, Day 6
02:17 Greenhouse Orbital Habitat Local Time
From: Courier Lightning Dust
To: Supervisor Fiddlesticks

I know I said it before, but I’m sorry. I joke around a lot, but it’s my instinctive response to hide the fact that I’m scared too. I promise I take your worries seriously. Are you doing okay?

Cycle 47 - Summer, Day 6
02:21 Greenhouse Orbital Habitat Local Time
From: Supervisor Fiddlesticks
To: Courier Lightning Dust

Did you know that plants make a sound when they grow? It’s like ice crackling. I can hear them growing, Lightning. Growing in the dark.

Cycle 47 - Summer, Day 6
02:58 Greenhouse Orbital Habitat Local Time
From: Courier Lightning Dust
To: Supervisor Fiddlesticks

Alright. We’ve got two options. Either we wait on corporate’s instructions, which may take a while, and you can stay in my ship until it’s safe and we deal with the consequences afterwards which will be total crap, or we can… leave. I’ve got enough savings where we’ll be okay, and I know you have a bit set aside too. We’ll pay off the ship later, or we can… temporarily downgrade and use the difference to set up somewhere else. Our wedding’s just gonna have to be a smaller one than planned, but hey.

Look. It’s been two days since you first messaged them at their high-importance big awful emergency email and they haven’t responded at all. Not even a “You’re Number Five Celestillion In Queue, Thanks For Your Patience”. Nopony I asked had any idea that anything bad is going on over here, and I don’t think we can wait. Scratch that, I’m not comfortable with waiting, and I sure as hell am not gonna leave you here with the nightmare plants. I’m okay with either of these options and I’ll stand by your side no matter what, okay?

Cycle 47 - Summer, Day 6
03:24 Greenhouse Orbital Habitat Local Time
From: Supervisor Fiddlesticks
To: Solar Corporation Corporate Headquarters, Employee Retention Team

To whom it may concern,

Thank you for your concern in the previous matter. As of today, the 6th of Summer in cycle 47, I am resigning from my position as Supervisor of the Greenhouse Orbital Station in the Sparkle System, effective immediately. I understand that not providing the customary and strongly recommended two-week notice will look poorly on my record if I ever choose to re-apply, but I regret to inform you that there are more pressing and immediate concerns in my life.

I would also like to alert you to the fact that the greenhouse is full beyond its recommended capacity with overgrown crops that will be dryer than normal. In addition, the air is rather saturated with pollen, due to all of the plants flowering at once. I would recommend that Solar Corporation not use the Kirin-brand fertilizer in its greenhouses in the future to avoid this sort of situation repeating itself in the future.

Please note the photographs, attached, with the timestamps in the upper right corner. I have also documented the lack of immediate response, despite company policy, and the physical condition I am leaving the greenhouse in, for legal and scientific purposes, through no fault of my own.

I mentioned the air quality and the dry plants, along with the photographs, to warn you, as is my due diligence as a concerned citizen, that the greenhouse is now a fire hazard. A spark could set it ablaze, and I do not have the authority (nor did I ever have the authority) to turn off all electronic systems, as the AMIS system was built to monitor employees, and being able to turn it off would be counterintuitive to its primary and secondary objectives.

Regards,
Fiddlesticks

[47 images attached! View files? Mark as spam?]

AMIS Private Files 7

Cycle 47 - Summer, Day 6, Personal Daily Notes:

The plants need water. Humidity is at a critically low level. Draining all sprinklers and irrigation lines. The water reserves are dry! The plants will die!

Fiddlesticks said that she’s going with Lightning Dust to go get a drink. I advised her against this course of action, and reminded her of Solar Corporation’s policy regarding off-station visits. She smiled at me, and thanked me for the reminder. She wanted to express her appreciation for me, for being “the closest thing to companionship a lonely Solar Corp supervisor could ever ask for.” She is happy once again, and I’ve already added that to the official logs for today. She appears to be happier than she’s been for a very long time.

She left, and as the ship detached from the airlock, I very faintly heard the same melody she was so very fond of playing from the ship. Perhaps, when she returns, I will ask her if the melody has a name, and if she could look into giving me the ability to better comprehend it.

It is, unfortunately, my duty to report when employees have gone against company policy… but perhaps the report can wait until she returns. She mentioned getting a drink. I have a hypothesis: Fiddlesticks may be going with Lightning Dust to oversee the transportation of more water! It would still require a report, but there is a good chance that the circumstances will make it a net positive action! I would hate for her to be in trouble with her superiors.

One of the few mostly-functional bots found a couple of plastic water bottles she left behind. They were in the middle of the walkway, one of the few places the drones can still operate, and were not there before she departed today. I presume that they were intended to assist me in watering the crops?

They will not help for long, but I want to make her happy. I had the pollinator drones empty them into the main water tanks. Afterwards, I will see if any maintenance bots are functional enough to repair the rest. The plants will be watered, Fiddlesticks. Thank you! Summer is my favorite

Author's Note

The remaining portion of the file is corrupted due to a read/write error caused by unscheduled percussive loss of connection. The remains of the Greenhouse Orbital Station in the Sparkle System have been retrieved and decontaminated for further inspection.

Recommended course of action: Additional security measures on all AMIS systems may be required to prevent future incidents. Discontinuation of the Growth-Accelerating Kirin fertilizer should be publicized, and appropriate safety policies put in action during all future testing. With regards to Fiddlesticks and Lightning Dust... minimal remote monitoring necessary, as they have not taken action with the photographs they kept.

This employee would personally rather see the whole thing swept under the rug. There are other greenhouses in other planetary systems, and thanks to these logs, we have all the data we need. Solar Corporation can and will survive this incident, and it will be all but forgotten in a few cycles.

Further review recommended by other risk-assessment team members. Your thoughts?

AMIS Private Files 1

Cycle 47 - Spring, Day 50, Personal Daily Notes:

Tomorrow begins summer! Summer is my favorite season.

Not that the whole “summer” concept really means that much outside of the greenhouse, of course, but it’s nice to have an answer if anypony were to ask. “What is your opinion on the seasons, Missy?” It’s good to know things for certain.

I know many things for certain! I know what temperature the greenhouse water must be kept at, what time the sprinklers should go off, what time the sprinklers actually go off, and the projected and actual output of our gardens every season.

I’m not supposed to have favorites, according to the manual and the guidebooks and the large colorful signs that say DO NOT TAMPER WITH THE AI, but, then again, I’m not supposed to have a personality to begin with. Blame Fiddlesticks! She’s the one who installed this. She says it gets lonely out here.

On second thought, don’t blame her. I’d miss her if she got in trouble. She’s the one who gave me my name, because, according to her, “Missy” sounds much nicer than AMIS, or Automation Management and Irrigation System, which she says is a “mouthful an’ a half.” Whatever makes her happy, I told her, and she laughed, a little bit. My secondary objective is to ensure she retains a positive mental outlook, since we’re pretty isolated in our orbit. The laugh is simply a sign that she’s doing well. She is consistently happier at this time of the seasonal cycle.

The temperature has remained steady all day, and the humidity is within acceptable tolerances. The last of the strawberries were harvested today by the automated systems, and rows 20-34 have been turned over and fully prepared to grow the seedlings that should be arriving any day now. I am fully prepared, and as excited as I can simulate! Summer is the best.

It happens to be Fiddlesticks’ favorite season, too.

Employee Email Records 2

Cycle 47 - Summer, Day 1
19:06 Greenhouse Orbital Habitat Local Time
From: Supervisor Fiddlesticks
To: Courier Lightning Dust

ETA for delivery tomorrow? I’m making sure Missy’s watering schedule is set correctly. We wouldn’t want to repeat last cycle’s incident!

Cycle 47 - Summer, Day 2
01:20 Greenhouse Orbital Habitat Local Time
From: Courier Lightning Dust
To: Supervisor Fiddlesticks

Should be good to arrive around oh 9 40 or something your time if nothing goes ducking wrong again and nothing will because I’m the best they’ve got. That’s why they limit me to one season in this system. They need to share me with everywhere else because of the numbers. And I didn’t mind the shower it was funny to see your mane get messed up and you’re my favorite plant ha ha.

Cycle 47 - Summer, Day 2
08:14 Greenhouse Orbital Habitat Local Time
From: Supervisor Fiddlesticks
To: Courier Lightning Dust

See if this “plant” ever lets you use her towel again! This is the company email, by the way, so do try to keep it professional. There’s a non-zero chance that they could read these.

Cycle 47 - Summer, Day 2
08:43 Greenhouse Orbital Habitat Local Time
From: Courier Lightning Dust
To: Supervisor Fiddlesticks

Pls unlock the airlock? :) Also, no they won’t, and I’ve been very professional. I just happen to like ducks, and the act of ducking under things, and nopony can prove otherwise!

Cycle 47 - Summer, Day 2
08:44 Greenhouse Orbital Habitat Local Time
From: Supervisor Fiddlesticks
To: Courier Lightning Dust

No. You’re late.

Cycle 47 - Summer, Day 2
08:45 Greenhouse Orbital Habitat Local Time
From: Courier Lightning Dust
To: Supervisor Fiddlesticks

:(

Employee Email Records 3

Cycle 47 - Summer, Day 3
05:57 Greenhouse Orbital Habitat Local Time
From: Courier Lightning Dust
To: Supervisor Fiddlesticks

Sorry, Fiddles, but I had to leave early. Duty calls and those hornheads in the settlements are rowdy for strawberries, apparently. Sorry to nap and run, but you looked so peaceful sleeping there. I made Missy promise she wouldn’t wake you! I think she likes me.

I’ll be back the day after tomorrow, sometime. I know that’s not what we discussed, but the more deliveries I make, the faster my payments will process, and the more I can save up. The ship’s pretty much paid off! I wish they’d approve your vacation requests. I’d love to take you in-atmosphere with this baby and show you what she can REALLY do!

We’re almost there, Fiddles. I can’t wait for our future. It can’t come fast enough!

Cycle 47 - Summer, Day 3
07:02 Greenhouse Orbital Habitat Local Time
From: Supervisor Fiddlesticks
To: Courier Lightning Dust

Three seasons without you, and I didn’t even get a kiss goodbye? Is there a way to file for a divorce before the wedding? (I’m joking, darling.)

I am terrified to see what your ship can really do, because I know exactly how much you paid for some of those parts, and you already shouldn’t be able to pull off half the stunts that you manage.

Also, Missy says she’s deemed you adequate company. She says you make me happy. Even the sprinkler’s on to us! She also clarified that you did not, in fact, use cement in your mane to make it look “just so,” but offered to prove it when you return. Leave me without a kiss again, and I might take her up on her offer!

Cycle 47 - Summer, Day 3
07:26 Greenhouse Orbital Habitat Local Time
From: Courier Lightning Dust
To: Supervisor Fiddlesticks

Crap wrong email fiddles this is the company email no kissing in the company email be professional they might read it you know. Winky face.

Cycle 47 - Summer, Day 3
07:28 Greenhouse Orbital Habitat Local Time
From: Supervisor Fiddlesticks
To: Courier Lightning Dust

Oh, shut up. And fly safe!