Daniel sat in the passenger seat as the Jeep carrying him made its way into the jungles of the Congo. Across from him, sat the slightly chubby man who had picked him up from the airport, Hakim Alexander, who was also the reason he was out here in the first place.
Raindrops impacted against the windshield, the onboard wipers working to clear the water away. "I cannot thank you enough for your agreeing to be here," Hakim spoke in his accent, undeterred by the storm outside.
A bolt of lightning tore through the sky miles away, a crack of thunder following moments later.
Daniel nodded, the car bouncing about from the bumpy and uneven road below. "It's no problem, I'm happy to lend my expertise.
"I'm very glad to hear that," Hakim said, a relieved smile crossing his face. "Lord above knows we need it."
"So, just what exactly is it that you need my help with anyway?"
Hakim didn't answer right away, rather shifting uncomfortably in his seat. The sounds of the engine and windshield wipers became more prevalent with the lack of words, making things worse as time went on.
"Hakim, what is it?" Daniel asked, no longer able to bear the silence.
The driver sighed. "I am... sorry, my friend. It is just hard to explain."
Daniel raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What do you mean?"
Hakim shrugged his shoulders, his eyes remaining firmly on the road. "It is strange," he spoke finally. "This thing is unlike anything I have ever seen before, I have no idea what to make of it. We will be at the site soon, and then you will be able to see for yourself just what we are dealing with," he finished, refusing to say anything more about it.
With those last words, Daniel sat back in his seat, getting comfortable for the ride ahead as they pushed deeper into the jungle.
It was around an hour before they reached their destination, the rain outside still poring as they came to a stop. Looking out the windshield, Daniel found himself transfixed with what lay before him. Stepping out of the car, he took in a sight that left him completely baffled. Built into the side of a small mountain was a metal structure, seemingly having been there for thousands of years. A small camp had been set up around it, in the hopes to unravel the mystery sounding it.
"See what I mean?" Hakim said as he exited the vehicle. "It is strange, no?"
"That's an understatement," he said in response, unable to take his eyes off the monolithic thing in front of him. "Can we get a closer look?" He gestured towards the structure as he began walking towards it.
"Oh, of course," replied Hakim, moving to keep pace with Daniel.
The area was alive with activity, researchers moving to and fro as they went about doing their current tasks.
"How did you find this place?" Daniel asked as they moved towards the structure.
"It was a research team, they came out to study a type of flower in the region when they stumbled on it by accident. It was almost completely buried, having been there for likely thousands of years."
Making his way across the clearing, Daniel held his breath as he stepped up to the imposing building. It was half-buried in the Earth, with only a small portion exposed. Strange images were also carved into it, the most notable of which, was what seemed to be a six-pointed star.
He was just about to put his hand on the surface when a new voice caught his attention
"Incredible isn't it?" Said a woman as she sauntered over to his position. She reached to shake Daniel's hand with a friendly smile.
"Maggie Newman, from the BBC."
Daniel found himself entranced as she stepped up, unable to think clearly. Her hair fluttered softly in the breeze, seeming to capture all the little rain droplets like a magnet. After a moment he broke out of his stupor, quickly accepting her offered hand. "Oh, um, Daniel. Daniel Prescot," he replied.
"Nice to meet you, Daniel," she said. "I was brought in to document everything we find out here, what about you?"
Daniel put his hands in his pockets, rocking on the balls of his feet. "They called me in due to my expertise on early indigenous life in the area, but this..." he trailed off as he looked towards the strange structure that defied all explanation. "...I have no idea what to make of this..."
"Do you think it is possible that the ancient tribes that lived in this region would have been able to build something like this?" Hakim asked.
But Daniel shook his head, dismissing the notion. "No, there's no way. The people that lived in this area were far too primitive to have been able to make this; they didn't have access to the tools, or knowledge to do something like this."
"Then who did?" Maggie asked.
"I know how this sounds, but, there's no way this could have been built by humans, not with how old this is."
Maggie raised an eyebrow. "So, what, are you suggesting aliens, then?"
"It's the only possible explanation."
He stepped up closer to the structure, getting a better look at the symbols carved on its face. There were six of them in total. The star was larger and situated in the center, while the rest were placed around it, with each of the star's points pointing to one of them.
Each Image depicted seemingly random objects, whose purpose for being included was utterly lost on Daniel. The first one showed an image of three apples, the next was a grouping of diamonds, the third was a trio of butterflies, the fourth was a bunch of balloons, and the final one was of a lightning bolt.
Aside from all the carvings, there was also another feature that drew Daniel's attention. Directly below the six-pointed star, was a strange indentation set into the metal. This one was different from all the other images, instead of depicting an item of some sort, this new one was a perfectly round opening in the structure's face.
Curious, Daniel leaned in closer. He scratched the thin layer of stubble on his chin, examining the scene in front of him. Bringing his hand up, he experimentally brushed his fingers across the opening.
What happened next, no one could have predicted.
Daniel and the others jumped back in surprise as the opening suddenly lit up a bright blue. The glow spread from there to each of the five images, before the big star became illuminated as well. Soon, there was a metallic groan, and onlookers watched in amazement as a massive door appeared where the carvings had been, allowing entry to the mysterious structure.
"What...what did you do?" Hakim asked in bewilderment, gawking at the new opening.
Daniel struggled to compose himself after what he just witnessed; his jaw hanging wide open after that display. "I... have no idea," he said at last, breaking out of his stupor.
"Can we get a flashlight over here," Hakim called out to one of the workers under his command. It wasn't long until a young man hurried over, holding a small tubular object in his palm.
Hakim thanked the boy, and took the flashlight, turning it towards the entrance to reveal an ancient corridor.
"What do you suppose is down there?" Maggie wondered aloud, her hands on her hips as she leaned forward slightly.
Daniel shrugged. "Only one way to find out."
Maggie turned around and called out to one of her coworkers. "Hey Brian, bring the camera will you?" Brian, soon jogged over, hefting the large requested device in his arms.
"Lead the way, Hakim," Daniel gestured for the man to go first.
Stepping into the passageway, the site overseer led the charge as they entered the structure. Daniel kept close to Hakim, followed, by Maggie and Brian as they left the outside world behind.
As they moved deeper into the tunnel, the daylight began to recede, to the point where they began to rely solely on Hakim's flashlight to see.
The tunnel was long and barren as they made their way through, nothing except the cold hard metal that they had been seeing the whole time. The tension was thick in the air, none of them daring to speak a word; the only sounds that could be heard were their breathing, and their steps whenever their feet connected to the floor.
Soon, the passage ended, and they came upon a stairwell that descended deeper into the earth. The temperature started to drop a bit as they pushed deeper, a slight chill permeating the air.
Reaching the bottom of the stairs, the group of four found themselves in a large open space.
Hakim waved the flashlight around as the group entered the premises, trying to take stock of the new area. They had only taken a few steps when all of a sudden the entire place lit up, overhead lights turning on and filling the room with artificial sun.
"It...must be motion activated," Daniel postulated, once the initial shock had worn off.
Now that they had more light, they were able to see the room more clearly. It seemed to be set up like a lobby, with chairs for people to sit, and a receptionist counter on the other side. It had a high vaulted ceiling, and the walls and floors had a chromatic sheen to them despite being likely thousands of years old.
There were also holographic pictures on the walls, each one showing unique images. In lots of them, strange creatures were depicted, with a body structure similar to that of a horse.
The group fanned out a bit, exploring the space. Brian was wandering toward the center of the room when suddenly he was caught off guard by the appearance of a holographic image. He shrieked and stumbled backward as it sparked to life right where he had been standing, causing the others to look in his direction.
"Hello, I'm Twilight Sparkle." The hologram began, taking on the guise of a lavender horse with wings and a horn.
Daniel and the others gathered around the image, gawking at the scene in front of them.
"It is my pleasure to welcome you to the Equestrian Creation Lab. In this facility and others like it, bright minds like yours are working to change the face of the galaxy. Here, we will push the boundaries of science and work together to create things never before seen. In the Creation Labs, we strive to provide a welcoming environment for everycreature, where you can excel amongst your peers and forge lasting bonds of friendship. I look forward to working with you, and I can't wait to see all the things you can come up with."
With those last words, the hologram cut off, leaving the four in stunned silence after witnessing that event.
Daniel was the first to speak, managing to put his warbled thoughts into words. "Well, that was... interesting."
"She called this place a laboratory," Hakim noted, casting his gaze around the room. "I wonder what kind of things they made here."
Maggie was the next one to draw their attention, offering her own takeaway from the new information. "Do you all remember that big star that was on the door for this place?" she asked.
Daniel nodded. "Yeah, what about it?"
"Well, did any of you notice how this Twilight Sparkle had that very same image on her flank?"
Daniel paused, thinking back to try and remember if he'd spotted that. "I'm not sure," he admitted after a moment. "I wonder what it means?"
"Well, from where I'm standing, the only way we'll find out is by pressing on," Hakim said. "Shall we?"
Maggie gave a toothy smile. "That we shall, Hakim. Brian, keep that camera rolling, I don't want to miss anything," she said turning towards her partner.
With that, the group moved on deeper into the facility, seeing what else this place had to offer.
[System initializing]...
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[Procesers booting up]...
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[Servo motors activating]...
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[Optics and audio sensors coming online]...
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Twi-lite opened her artificial eyes, blinking away the last traces of sleep. Looking around, she found herself in a small pod, perfectly designed to fit her body.
Pushing the door open, she stepped out of the pod and found herself using her legs for what felt like the first time. She thought back, trying to remember the last time she'd been active, but she found her mind to be a bit foggy; she had a hard time recalling any memories she hadn't been programmed with. She looked down at her metallic legs, maybe this was the first time she'd used them?
Looking around, she found the room she had woken up in to be filled with all kinds of tech and machinery. She looked back at the pod she had awoken in, finding it to be hooked up to everything around her.
She noticed how all the lights and equipment seemed to be active; something must have happened to result in the facility coming back online - and as a result, her as well.
Taking a tentative step forward, she let her hooves carry her out of the room, and into the larger area beyond. She made her way through the empty hallways, her every step creating a ghostly echo as she moved along.
Was she alone, she wondered, casting her gaze across the barren halls. While she couldn't recall the kinds of projects that were undertaken here, she did know that in its heyday it would have been filled with ponies and all kinds of other creatures; it would have been a hub for science, attracting all kinds of individuals.
But now, it was more akin to a ghost town; there weren't any souls in sight.
This fact unnerved Twi-lite, causing a chill to run down her titanium spine. She continued to press on, hopeful to find somepony else in the place.
"Hi." A voice called out through the building, overpowering the silence.
Upon hearing that, Twi-light felt a surge of hope well up within her core. Unable to contain her excitement, she broke out in a gallop toward where she heard the voice. She wasn't alone, she thought as she tore down the hallway in search of the speaker.
"Hi."The voice spoke again.
Twi-lite moved as fast as her hooves would carry her, excited to meet this new friend and no longer be alone.
"I'm here! I'm here!" she cried as she bolted through a door in the hallway, finding herself in a small room that was once someones living quarters. "I'm here! I'm sorry I took so....long?..." she trailed off as she got a good look at the speaker.
It wasn't a pony, but rather a malfunctioning hologram that she had mistaken for one. It showed the image of a stallion, stuck on repeat as the message he made tried to play itself. Staring at the translucent pony, Twi-lite couldn't help but feel a wave of embarrassment wash over her; if androids could blush, she would have turned as red as an apple from Sweet Apple Acres.
At the discovery that what she had heard was only a hologram, Twi-lite felt her spirits begin to falter. She had been convinced that she had found someone else here, but she was still as alone since first waking up.
She felt the growing feeling of despair starting to creep up on her, and in her state, it would be all too easy to let it take control. So, in an effort to chase that dark feeling away, she decided to do something to take her mind off her being alone. Walking over to a control panel, she started working on trying to get the full recording of the hologram to play; it took a bit of tinkering, but eventually, she was able to get it to work.
Moving away from the panel, she took a step back as she let the recording play.
"Hi mom. Hi, dad." The hologram of the stallion said. "I know that you've been worrying about me since I came out here for my research. But I just wanted to let you know that I've been doing all right; I've been settling in really well these past few days. The other ponies and creatures here have been really welcoming, and I've even started becoming friends with some of them.
I've only been here a few days, but I really feel like I'm making big contributions to what we're doing here. Unfortunately, the stuff we're working on is classified so I can't really tell you about it. Oh, but I wish I could," he said, looking off into the distance. Finally, he looked back towards Twi-lite. "I can't tell you the specifics of what we're working on, but it's really cool. We're doing things here, that nopony has ever before attempted; I can't wait until they reveal what we're up to," he winked. "We're gonna change the galaxy forever.
And listen, it's still going to be a few months before I have some free time, but maybe we could set a date for all of us to go to the waterpark on Targus 5; they have a new ride called the typhoon nebula that I've been dying to try out.
Well, anyway, that's all the time I have for now. I love you guys, take care okay." The stallion said, right before the hologram cut out.
That was sweet, Twi-lite thought, a smile appearing on her face at how the stallion had sent a message to let his parents know how he was doing.
As nice as the hologram had been, however, she couldn't afford to just stand around. Turning on her hooves, she retreated back through the door and continued down the hallway.
She once again found herself wandering completely alone, not a clue where she was going. She was desperate for social interaction and was preying that she found somebody else soon. She tried to keep herself occupied so that she didn't get overwhelmed by the lack of other ponies, such as repeating old nursy rhymes and lullabies.
It was as Twi-lite was reciting one of these to herself, that she soon heard another sound within the facility.
"This place is incredible," she heard a female voice say.
Unlike last time, Twi-lite kept a cautious air about her; she wasn't going to get all excited again just for it to be another hologram. Tentevly, she moved towards the voice again, expecting it to be nothing, but hoping that wasn't the case. As she got closer, she could begin hearing more voices as they all seemed to talk with each other.
Turning a corner, she found herself in the presence of four lanky creatures; They walked on two legs, and had a build similar to that of a minotaur. Only they had no hooves or horns, and instead of a muzzle, their faces were flatter. Lastly, they had no fur or a mane, except for a small patch on the tops of their heads.
She watched them as they walked. They weren't ponies, or any kind of creature she knew for that matter. But whatever they were they seemed to be intelligent, and that was good enough for her.
She stepped out of the hall to announce herself.
"Hello?"
After leaving the lobby area behind, Daniel and the others made their way through the facility. They found themselves fascinated by everything they saw, a treasure trove of knowledge and discoveries around every corner. They passed through halls and rooms filled with all kinds of equipment and technology.
Through it all, Brian made sure to capture everything they saw.
"This place is incredible," Maggie said in awe, gazing around at the hall they were in, wondrously ogling its high ceilings and monochrome aesthetic.
Hakim nodded. "Agreed. Who could have imagined that something of this magnitude has been here all this time?"
"It's truly something else," Daniel said. "I wonder how big it is?"
"Hello?"
The group suddenly found themselves frozen in place, caught off guard by a new voice that definitely wasn't one of theirs. Daniel gave warry looks to the others, and they returned those looks in kind.
Slowly, he turned around, finding himself present to a peculiar sight. Emerging from one of the hallways adjacent to theirs, was what could only be described as a purple, robotic unicorn.
Daniel could only stare at the unicorn in shock, struggling to process what he was seeing. He could hardly believe his eyes, not sure if what he was seeing was real.
The two parties stood in stark silence, each staring at the other, unsure what to do.
Finally, it was the unicorn who made the first move.
"Who are you?" she asked. "What... are you?" she added, seemingly as an afterthought.
Daniel found his tongue becoming like lead as he struggled with how to respond. He looked toward the others with an uncertain look, trying to discern what to do. When it became clear they didn't have the answer he was looking for, he turned back toward the unicorn.
"I think... we should be asking you that?" he said at last, finally managing to form words.
"Oh, uh, okay," she replied uneasily, most likely at being put on the spot the way she had been. "Well, my name is Twi-lite, and I'm an android. I was modeled after Twilight Sparkle and was given her memories as well."
"Incredible," Maggie said as she got closer to Twi-lite and kneeled down in front of her. "An artificial lifeform, this is just amazing!" she said with fascination.
The android seemed to get uncomfortable as Maggie got so close, and a look of realization crossed her face. "Oh, where are my manners," she facepalmed. "My name is Maggie, it's nice to meet you," she said, holding out a hand.
Twi-lite looked at the outstretched hand with a look of apprehension, before smiling as she offered her hoof in return. "It's nice to meet you, Maggie."
"And they're Daniel, Hakim, and Brian," said Maggie, pointing to each of the three men. "And we're all members of the human species."
"It's nice to meet all of you, too," Twi-lite greeted them with a smile. Daniel met her gaze, giving the robotic unicorn a sheepish chuckle as he meekly waved back.
As Maggie fawned over the android, one of the things it said stood out to Daniel. "Hey, you said you had memories of Twilight Sparkle. right?" he asked her, doing his best to ignore how surreal this was.
Twi-lite nodded. "I do."
"Then... do you know what they did here?" Daniel asked, gesturing around the area with a hand.
The unicorn frowned. "I'm sorry, my memory of this place is a bit hazy, I don't think I can answer your question," she trailed off, only for a glint to appear in her eyes a moment later. "But... I do know where we can go to find out."
"What do you mean?" Daniel asked.
"I'll explain on the way," she turned to leave, motioning with a hoof for them to follow.
Daniel cast the others a look, before they all wordlessly followed along, it being clear they had no choice in the matter.
"So," Twi-lite began as the five of them made their way down the hall. "While I can't remember what the exact purpose of this facility was, I do recall its layout. If you want to find answers about why this place was built, I think our best bet would be checking out the main lab where they did all their experiments and research, and luckily for us, it's not far," Twi-lite said as she led the way.
As they walked along, Daniel saw Maggie staring at Twi-lite with a quizzical look on her face. He raised a brow and adopted a puzzled expression of his own as he followed her gaze. When he discovered what she was looking at, his eyes widened as he finally understood.
"Hey, Twi-lite?" Maggie began, grabbing the unicorn's attention.
"Yes?" she replied, turning her head.
"I couldn't help but notice that little... symbol, on your flank," she paused, likely trying to find the appropriate word. "It was also on the entrance to this place, along with a few others. What are they for?"
"Oh, that's my cutie mark!" she replied. "Well, Twilights cutie mark, really."
"A what-ie mark?" Brian asked incredulously, speaking up for the first time.
"A cutie mark!" Twi-lite reiterated firmly. "It's a mark that everypony gets when they discover their special talent or calling; Twilight's was a six-pointed star, and it represented her affinity for magic."
Maggie nodded along. "Okay. And what about those other... 'cutie marks?' Whose were they?"
"Those were the marks of Twilight's best friends." The android responded. "The apples were for Applejack, the butterflies were for Fluttershy, the diamonds were for Rarity, the balloons were for Pinkie Pie, and the lightning bolt was for Rainbow Dash..." Twi-lite paused, looking back at them with a sheepish expression on her face. "Yeah, you have no clue who I'm talking about, do you?"
"Not one," Daniel said.
"Sorry," she replied. "But basically, what you need to know, is that Twilight and her friends were important ponies, who did a lot of great things together; if it hadn't been for them, Equestria and the surrounding lands would not have been the same."
Daniel nodded along. "Well, that would certainly explain why their marks were engraved upon the door, those symbols must have been ingrained within their culture."
"I have a question," Hakim spoke up, keeping pace with the others. He looked down at Twi-lite. "You said you were molded after Twilight Sparkle, yes? So, why is it that you do not have any wings, the Twilight in the hologram had them, bet yet you do not, why is that?" he asked curiously.
"Oh, well it's quite simple, really. I was designed to resemble Twilight back when she was just a unicorn, which was before she ascended to being an alicorn, so I wouldn't have any wings," she explained.
Hakim nodded, probably not fully understanding what she just said.
They continued walking down the hallway for a little while, before soon coming upon a pair of double doors.
"Here we are," Twi-lite said, pushing the doors aside to allow them access to the room beyond.
Stepping through, Daniel and the others found themselves in what could only be described as a viewing room, with a large lab on the other side of the glass windows. And the lab in question was absolutely breathtaking. It was a large space, filled with all kinds of tools and equipment, no doubt used to make groundbreaking discoveries.
Once they had all gotten past the door, their eyes were drawn to the center of the room as another hologram began to play.
The form of Twilight Sparkle appeared once again, her mane billowing in a non-existent breeze. "Welcome to the main facility of the Equestrian Creation Lab. While we have a few smaller labs scattered throughout the premises, this is where our biggest breakthroughs are being made.
Now, you're no doubt wondering what it is you're going to be working on here, and if you'll just be patient, I'll explain. As I'm sure you're aware, when ponykind and the other races of Eques first spread to the stars, we scoured the universe hoping to find others like us. And while we were able to find other worlds that housed life, none of it was intelligent; we searched and searched, but we couldn't find any other civilizations among the stars aside from our own.
And it was at that point that I came forward with a proposition, if we couldn'tfind any sapient life, then maybe we should be the ones to create it."
The four humans gave each other a look, gaging their reactions to see if they heard that right.
"So that's what our objective here is," Twilight continued. "Across our many facilities throughout the galaxy, we seek to do something never before seen, and birth new races into existence."
"That's what they were doing here?" Daniel spoke aloud in shock. "They were trying to create a new species!"
"Fascinating," Hakim said in awe. "Attempting to create a new race... I wonder if they were successful?"
"You don't think..." Maggie began, her voice trailing off as her eyes swept over the three other humans with her. Daniel met her gaze, and even though she didn't voice her thoughts, the look on her face told him exactly what was going through her head.
Daniel found it hard to not entertain the same idea. He looked down at his hands, feeling as if he maybe didn't know them at all. A dark, traitorous part of him wondered if it could be true; could everything he'd ever known have been a lie?
Daniel quickly shook his head, dispelling those thoughts.
"That's enough," Daniel said, getting everyone's minds off what they were thinking. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. We have no evidence to support this train of thought; we shouldn't make any assumptions.
Hakim nodded, regaining his composure. "Daniel is right. Let us at least search more and find out for sure."
With that, they moved on from the viewing room, pushing through a door into the lab beyond.
Daniel stepped up to the large counters within the lab, imagining the work that was once performed on them. In his mind's eye, he could see these pony creatures dressed in lab coats, looking into microscopes, working out solutions, and taking notes.
All in all, he could see a lot of similarities between this alien lab and the ones made by humans; The layouts were almost identical to the ones you would see utilized on Earth. There were counters for work to be done, cabinets to hold whatever supplies might be needed, and a sink should one need to wash their hands... or maybe, hooves for these guys? Honestly, if it weren't for the fact that they were in an alien facility, Daniel would probably think this was just a normal lab.
"This place is really something," Maggie said from across the way, inspecting an empty test tube.
As they continued to explore the lab, Daniel spotted a workstation in a corner of the room. Atop was a computer terminal, from which a steadily blinking light could be seen being emitted. He didn't know why, but he had a hunch it meant something important.
"I think I found something," Daniel called out to the others, stepping up closer to the workstation.
"What did you find?" Twi-lite asked, converging on his position with the other three.
He gestured towards the computer. "I saw this terminal blinking and figured it was important."
"It's another recording," Twi-lite said, approaching the terminal. She pressed a button, and yet another hologram sprang to life before them.
"This is Twilight Sparkle." The image of the alicorn spoke. "And I'm making this log to document all my findings. For posterity reasons, it is 9:07 AM galactic time, on Saturday, June 17th, Year of Harmony 2361.
We've been given the go-ahead to undertake the project I suggested, it had to go through a bunch of legal hoops, but in the end, it was approved.
Now the ultimate goal of this operation is to create a new species, and to this end, several research stations will be set up on various worlds that support life. Once done, they'll get to the process of studying the local fauna and will determine which subject is the most ideal for the experiment.
I chose this planet for its vast catalog of species diversity, and I'm hopeful that the choice I made was a good one. Once we have the lab up and running, the team and I will get to examine the creatures of this world, and see which one is most suitable to our needs."
The hologram cut out for a moment as the recording ended, before starting back up again.
"This is Twilight Sparkle. It's 1:25 PM galactic time, Tuesday, the 20th of June, Year of Harmony 2361.
We finally got the lab up and running, which means we've gotten time to look at the creatures of this world. So far, I've found a few potential candidates for the project, such as a playful species of aquatic mammals, an analog of a raccoon, and a large pachyderm creature.
However, the creatures I'm leaning toward most, are a type of primate, more specifically, the ones of the hominid family."
Daniel felt his stomach drop when he heard those words... hominids?... But they were the precursors to...
"Even more specifically, the subject I've taken an interest in is known as Homo erectus; the specimens observed thus far have been seen starting fires and working with crude stone tools. But while they've displayed basic levels of intelligence, they're still nowhere near the cognitive capabilities as seen in ponies and the other races from our home world. And it is my hope that with further study, we may be able to grace these primitive creatures with the light of civilization."
The hologram cut out again after that.
Daniel stood there, a look on his face as if he'd just seen a ghost. "She said they were trying to uplift Homo erectus, but that would mean..." he trailed off, not being able to finish the thought.
"What is it?" Twi-lite asked with concern, looking between the four humans as she tried to understand what was going on. "Why's it a problem that they were studying Homo erectus?"
"Because." Replied Daniel at last. "Homo erectus was one of the ancestors of Homo sapiens."
"What're Homo sapiens?" Asked Twi-lite.
Maggie cast her a look. "Us!"
Twi-lite's eyes grew impossibly wide as the implications finally dawned on her.
The next recording began to play.
"This is Twilight Sparkle. It's 11:00 AM galactic time, Wednesday, June 28th, Year of Harmony 2361.
We've gone underway with our research, we've been harvesting DNA samples from Homo erectus and have begun studying it. Once we have a firm grasp of their biological makeup, we can begin working out how to genetically alter these creatures and bring them up to our level.
And I know it's a bit early, but I've already worked out a name for what these creatures will be called. There was a bit of brain-racking on what to refer to them by, but eventually, I decided upon a name I was happy with. " Twilight paused.
"Humans."
End recording.
Daniel felt the world slow down, everything becoming distant and disconnected after what Twilight said. At this point, he had all but known this was coming, but it didn't make the revelation any less jarring. He looked to the other three, and it was clear it struck them just as hard.
Daniel and the others watched as yet another log began to play, however, Twilight's demeanor seemed to take a substantial decline. Where before, she had been upbeat and excited, she now seemed distraught.
"This is Twilight Sparkle. It's 6:57 PM galactic time, Monday, October 6th, Year of Harmony 2361.
Recently, I've received word that the other branches of our work across the galaxy have been shut down. Apparently, their work had hit a dead end and they found themselves unsuccessful in their endeavors, so the plug was pulled. And that doesn't bode too well for us, as we've made some headway since we first started, but it's been slow going.
Honestly, I don't think this fact is lost on all the benefactors supporting this, as they're starting to push for us to abandon our work here. They haven't yet told us to pack up, but if I don't give any results, or find a way to buy more time... I have a feeling it's not too far off."
Twilight huffed in anger as she shook her head.
"I'm not going to let them stop me!" she declared. "I have a chance to be known for something extraordinary, to do something never before seen; I'm not going to let a bunch of stuck-up ponies keep me away from it. That acomplishment will be mine!" Twilight said, a look of furious determination in her eyes.
"I don't have any more time to talk right now, I have some serious work to do," Twilight said, as she ended the recording.
No new hologram came to take its place.
The group of five stood there in silence, slowly digesting everything they'd just heard.
Daniel felt sick to his stomach, a feeling of disgust creeping over him. "Is... is that it?" he exclaimed in outrage. "We came all this way, to learn that we were just a science experiment?"
Twi-lite stepped in, clearly quick to defend her namesake. "Okay, now I know that last part sounded bad, but if we can just calm down-" she began, but was swiftly cut off by an irate Daniel.
"Calm down? Calm Down!" Daniel screeched. "I'd like to see you calm down after learning a truth bomb like that; we just had the very veil of our existence ripped apart, I think we're allowed a moment to air our feelings."
Maggie folded her arms, looking at Twi-lite with a frown as she took a turn to speak. "Did you hear the way she talked about us, she saw us as a means to an end. We just found out the only reason we exist, was to satiate the ego of some magical space pony; she didn't care about us, she only created our species so she could get an award!"
Twi-lite shook her head. "I know it might seem like that, but Twilight wasn't that kind of pony. Sure she could be a bit single-minded sometimes but-"
Daniel cut her off again. "You know what, no," he put his hands up, shaking his head. "I'm not going to sit and listen to this anymore, I'm leaving. Are you three coming with me?" he questioned, looking at the other humans in the room.
They all nodded.
"Yes." Said, Hakim. "I am not in the best state of mind at the moment. I would like to get some air and try to clear my head."
"Let's get out of here then," Daniel said as he led the others away. Leaving a flustered and dismissed Twi-lite behind.
After learning all that they had, it wasn't a stretch to think that the four humans would want to leave. Exiting the room where they'd made that shocking discovery, they made their way back the way they came. There was a bitter air about them as they retraced their steps.
"What do we do now?" Daniel asked as he stalked along, his hands in his pockets. "Are we supposed to tell people what we found here?"
"I'm good with letting all this stay buried if you all are." Replied Maggie as they passed back through the lobby.
"Hello, I'm Twilight-"
"Oh can it, Sparkle!" Daniel snapped as the hologram they saw earlier started playing again. "...It'd probably be for the best," He said after a moment, responding to Maggie's suggestion.
Hakim nodded. "I agree also, I do not think people would take this discovery well. Best to not let them know."
"Yeah, I don't think people should catch wind of this." Added Brian, speaking for only the second time that day.
"So we're all agreed then?" Daniel paused in his walking, taking a moment to scan the faces of those with him. "Not one word of what happened down here?"
"My lips are sealed." Said, Hakim.
"Good." Said, Daniel. He turned to continue on toward the exit but stopped when Maggie spoke up again.
"Wait, what about Twi-lite?"
"What about her?" Daniel replied, not bothering to look back.
"Well, we aren't going to just leave her here, are we?"
Daniel didn't reply. A part of him wanted to do just that, to let that machine remain buried down after what happened. But as he thought about that, he began to feel shame creeping up on him. Twi-lite didn't do anything wrong to them, in fact, she helped them when they were still exploring. Yeah, maybe she looked and sounded like Twilight, and even shared some of her memories, but she wasn't the one responsible for this place.
Twi-lite hadn't done anything to deserve their wrath.
Daniel sighed. "I don't know, maybe we can try and sneak her out when no one's around?" he suggested.
He was about to take a step when yet another voice brought him to a pause.
"WAIT!" he heard a voice shout. Turning around, he could see Twi-lite galloping after them, a look of desperation on her face.
"Wait!" The volume of her voice dropped as she got closer.
"What is it Twi-lite?" Daniel asked.
"Don't go," she pleaded.
"I already told you, I don't want to stick around here any longer."
Twi-lite jumped in front of Daniel's path. "I know, but please at least listen to what I have to say!" she pleaded.
Daniel sighed again, giving her the go-ahead with a wave of his hand.
Twi-lite gave a relieved sigh, before opening her mouth to speak. "After you four left, I kept looking around for more information on what happened here, and what I uncovered was pretty substantial. Look, I know that you don't think very highly of Twilight, but at least come see what I found, it just might get you to see her in a new light."
Daniel folded his arms, an even look on his face. "And if it doesn't?"
"Then you're free to leave," she said. "I won't try to stop you."
Daniel nodded. "Alright then, lead the way."
With that, the group began following Twi-lite once again, making their way back through the facility. They soon arrived back at the entrance to the main lab, but instead of going through, they continued on down the hall. Eventually, they came upon another set of double doors.
Pushing past them, they found themselves in a massive area filled with countless tubes about the size of a person. If Daniel had to guess, he would say this was where they grew the first humans.
"Over here," Twi-lite said, leading them over to another terminal. She pushed a button, and a hologram started to play.
The image before them showed Twilight Sparkle as usual, however, this time she was accompanied by several other ponies - and a couple of other creatures - in what looked to be a conference room.
"...All we're saying, your highness, is that this project is going nowhere; it's been months since you started working and we haven't seen any results." Said a gray pony.
"This kind of thing doesn't happen overnight!" Twilight retorted with an incredulous tone. "A project like this has never been attempted before, it's going to take time!"
"We understand that miss Sparkle, but-" A bug-like creature attempted to say before Twilight cut them off.
"No! You obviously don't understand!" she snapped. "We are on the verge of something extraordinary, something that will change our universe forever, and you're all too blinded by your pocketbooks to see that."
"I can't understand it?" Said a pompous pony with a mustache. "Why are you so obsessed with making sure these animals come to exist?"
The room grew silent, a tense air forming as no one dared to speak.
Twilight slowly turned to face the pony who had spoken."What did you call them...?" she asked, a terrifying calmness in her voice.
The pony straightened his posture."I said-" he began, but was cut off when Twilight suddenly rushed at him.
"Don't you dare call them animals!" Twilight bellowed, getting directly in his face.
The pony visibly shrank in upon himself, cowering under her gaze.
"They are not going to be beasts!" she said. "They will be creatures just like us, with just as much intelligence as we possess. They deserve a chance to exist, and you're trying to take it away from them."
So I'll let you know now," she said, looking at the group before her. "I will not let you stop me from bringing them to life, as long as I draw breath, I will fight to make sure they have a place in this universe; I just know that they'll go on to do amazing things, and I'd give my life to make sure they get the opportunity. Do I make myself clear?"
They all nodded.
"Good," she said as she turned to leave, but was stopped when the gray pony spoke up.
"But, princes," he started. "Why are you so determined to bring them to life; why do you care about them so much?"
Twilight simply cast a look back at him. "Well, how else is one supposed to feel about their children?" she replied, before leaving.
The hologram ended, leaving the four humans in stunned silence. After a few moments had passed, it was Daniel who finally mustered the courage to speak. "She... she fought for us," he managed at last. All at once, he felt the hate he'd been harboring for her begin to ebb away. "She cared about us."
"Like we were her own kids." Added Maggie.
"Come on," Twi-lite said. "There are some more over here." Said the unicorn as she led them over to a separate terminal. Just like last time, she interacted with a button and a hologram started playing, this one with a much different tone than the previous.
As the recording began, Twilight appeared to be sobbing, but on closer inspection, one could notice the smile on her face. "Well, it took a while, at long last, our labors here have borne fruit." The camera panned away from Twilight, to a nearby bassinet, in which slept two human infants. "I would like to introduce, Adam, and Eve, the first of their kind."
Twilight wiped a tear from her eye, looking down lovingly at the babies. "I can't even begin to describe how happy I am, they're beautiful, aren't they?" Said Twilight, lost in thought as she gazed upon her creations. "They're just so precious."
After that, the hologram seemed to skip a bit, jumping forward in time.
"Mommy! Mommy! Look!" Yelled out an excited boy in glee, running up to Twilight with a piece of paper in his hand.
Ohh, what do have there, Adam?" Twilight asked, gazing down at him with a smile.
Adam hoisted up the paper for her to see, showcasing the image of a crudely drawn purple horse. "Look, it's you, mommy!" Exclaimed Adam with glee, pointing at the picture.
"It is?" Twilight said, putting on a shocked expression. She took the picture and looked over it, a smile appearing on her face. "Oh, I love it, sweetie, thank you."
"I have a picture too, mommy!" Another voice called out, as who could only be Eve rushed over.
"You do?" Twilight asked, as Eve offered her own piece of paper. This one showed a house, with a rainbow and a sun above it. "These are wonderful, thank you," Twilight said to them. "How about we go hang them on the fridge?" she suggested.
"Yeah!" Both of the kids cheered.
End recording.
"Give it to me!" Adam yelled as he tried to take a toy train from Eve. "It's mine!"
"No it's mine!" Screamed Eve, as she tried to wrest it away from him. "Let go!"
"You let go!" he retorted.
"What's going on over here?" Twilight shouted as she entered the room, trying to discern the source of the noise.
"Adam has my toy!"
"No, it's my toy!"
"Okay, okay! Stop!" Twilight said, rushing over to separate them. "Why can't you two just share the toy?" she asked as she suspended the train with her magic, temporarily confiscating it.
"Because she's bossy!" Said, Adam.
"Because he smells!" Said, Eve.
They started getting at it again, but Twilight was quick to put an end to it. "Okay, hold on. How about we sit down and take a moment to talk things out?" Said Twilight as she lowered to her haunches. She guided her kids to do the same, wrapping a wing around each of them as they did so.
"Look," she began. "I know it can be hard to get along with siblings sometimes, believe me, I should know. But fighting isn't going to help anything."
She looked at Adam. "She's your sister."
Next, she looked at Eve. "And he's your brother."
"You each have a built-in best friend, you should be working together, not arguing. I won't always be around to help should something happen and I need to know that you two will look out for each other. Can I trust you to do that?" Twilight asked hopefully.
They both nodded, having cooled down. "Yes, mommy," they said.
Twilight smiled. "I'm glad to hear that."
After that, the recording changed to show a bedroom, in which Adam and Eve were preparing to go to sleep.
"How's that, is it snug enough?" Twilight asked Adam as she tucked him into his bed.
"Yes, mommy," he replied.
She smiled as she leaned in and kissed his forehead. "I'm glad to hear it."
"Do me! Do me!" Eve called from her bed, bouncing up and down under the covers with excitement.
Twilight chuckled as she made her way over. "Alright settle down, I'm coming."
She proceeded to tuck in Eve just as she had Adam. "Is that snug enough?" Twilight asked, repeating the words she'd spoken to Eve's brother.
Eve giggled. "Yes, mommy."
Twilight smiled again, giving Eve a kiss as well.
"Goodnight," she said to the both of them. She was just about to exit the door when suddenly Eve stopped her.
"Mommy?"
"Yes?"Twilight asked, pausing in the doorway.
"Can you tell us a lullaby?"
Twilight smiled. "Of course."
The scene changed yet again.
Just like in the first recording, Twilight was crying again, but this time it wasn't because she was happy. Her eyes were puffy and red from tears, and snot leaked from her nose. "I knew this day would come eventually, I know that they're no longer children, it's just... I didn't think this day would get here so fast.
From the begging, it was decided that any new race we created had to be in charge of its own future; we couldn't interfere with their development as a culture. And so as a result, once they were old enough, Adam, Eve, and the other humans would have to leave and learn to survive on their own.
Still, it doesn't make their absence hurt any less. I keep expecting them to walk through a door, but each time I'm quickly reminded that they've left. But... as much as it hurts, I know that they'll be okay out there... because they have each other.
And I know that they'll think of me often, just as I'll think of them."
"Wow," Daniel said once the hologram cut to black. "I... didn't expect to see that."
"Agreed," Hakim said. "It appears this Twilight Sparkle didn't view us the way we thought she did; not only did she fight for our right to exist, but she raised the very first humans as her own."
"Are you glad I brought you down here so you could see this?" Twi-lite looked up at Daniel and the others, a hopeful look in her eyes.
Daniel smiled. "Yes, Twi-lite. Thank you for showing us the full picture."
Twi-lite smiled right back. "It was no problem, I didn't want you to have a wrong idea of who Twilight was."
"Well, from what I know now, I would have loved to meet her," said Daniel.
"I'm sure she would have felt the same about you," Twi-lite replied.
Twi-lite stood in the large room with the tubes. After she had shown the humans the holograms, they started talking amongst themselves about how they were going to reveal what they had learned to people. They had begun making their way back to the surface, and Twi-lite was about to join them, but she stopped when something caught her eye.
It was another blinking light, indicating the presence of a recording she hadn't seen. Telling the others she would catch up soon, she went to investigate.
Stepping up to the new terminal, she pressed the button and stood back, expecting a hologram to play. However, what happened instead was something completely different.
An image of Twilight Sparkle appeared in her mind's eye, standing in her vision. "Hello, Twi-lite." The apparition began. "I'm sure you've noticed that some of your memories are missing, now this isn't a glitch or anything, this was intentional. Before you get mad, please give me a chance to explain.
I removed your memories pertaining to this facility, because, in the event that humans ever come upon it, I want them to be able to discover the truth on their own; I wanted them to gradually discover the truth. So I erased your memories and left the information about it here. And yes, I know I'm running the risk of you not finding this terminal, but versus you accidentally dropping a bombshell on them before they're ready, I think it's worth it.
Now, with that out of the way, there's one other thing I want to address. As you may know, while alicorns are long-lived, we are not immortal; this means I will one day pass on, and thus, I will not live long enough to see everything the humans - my children - can become. So to combat this, I decided to shed my mortal body and upload my mind into an artificial construct - You!"
At those words, Twi-lite felt her entire world change, the veil of reality shattering before her eyes.
Twi-lite, you are not an android modeled after me, you are me. You are Twilight Sparkle! And now, you have had a job to do... no, not a job a privilege. Go out into the world, Twilight, go out into the world and witness for both of us what the humans are capable of."
The recording of Twilight gave an encouraging smile.
"Go on, Twilight... and see what our children have become."
With that, the vision of Twilight vanished, leaving behind a shocked android in its wake. Shakily, Twi-lite looked down at her hoof, her entire being, struggling to process what she had just learned.
She was the real Twilight? Not a copy or a replica, she was the real thing?
As she got caught up in her own head over this new revelation, she was broken out of her stupor when a voice called her name.
"Hey, Twi-lite, you coming?" she turned to find Daniel standing at the doorway, a hand outstretched to usher her toward him.
She looked back at the terminal behind her and felt a warm feeling blossoming in her chest. She looked back towards Daniel.
"Yeah, I'm coming." Said Twilight with a smile.
Author's Note
Man, it was not easy getting this out. I did a lot of procrastinating in the lead-up to the deadline for this competition. So much so, that I had to do some major crunching to get this out in time. Over the course of the past week or so, I've probably spent half my time doing nothing but writing. Man, I'm glad it's finally over... I can finally get back to playing video games.
Now, onto why I decided to make this story. I've seen a few fics where it has it to where the humans created the ponies, but I've always wondered what it would look like if someone played with that idea in reverse - where we didn't create them, but rather, they created us. I actually had this idea brewing in my head for a while, and this competition just served as the perfect method to get it out there.
Well, that's all I had to say. I really hope you all enjoyed this story, and if you did, be sure to show it in the comments, it would really mean a lot.
