Cyberpony Y2K

"Sooo," Pinkie said, eye spinning. "What is this thing?"

"It's supposed to be a CyWear reflex booster chip, grade four," Fluttershy said. "But this tech isn't normal. And I've never heard of anypony crazy enough to put a sapphire in there."

"Was there any damage?" Maude asked.

"That's...the strange part," Fluttershy said, pulling up the map of Fleur's brain. "Look. Almost no damage whatsoever."

"We need to get into contact with our informants in Canterlot," Limestone said.

"Mm-hmm," Marble agreed.

"Marble's curious about why they made it," Pinkie translated. "So am I! It doesn't work any better, and it's more expensive, but it does less damage? That's not how Canterlot usually does things."

"If we leave this thing in her brain, what might happen?" Limestone asked.

"Well...best case scenario, nothing worse than a regular reflex booster," Fluttershy replied. "Worst case? If she uses too much magic and excites that sapphire, her head explodes."

"Gory-worry," Pinkie said, eye spinning fast. She reached out a cable, pushing a button to zoom in on the damaged tissue near the chip. "It shouldn't be any different from removing a normal one."

"We still need to make sure first," Maude said. "I'd rather not explode anypony's head if I don't have to."

"Mm-hmm," Marble said emphatically.

Fluttershy nodded. "I'll get her in later to explain the situation, and get another look at that chip." She frowned, then looked back at it. "Do you...think Canterlot's trying to make less aggressive cybernetics?"

"If so, then it's a minority," Limestone said.

"And this is still a horrible way to go about it," Maude added. "Fleur would have said something if she knew this was different. And this is untested technology."

"Yeah. Ponies should know they're participating in an experiment." Fluttershy sat back, worriedly running a hand through her mane before it got caught in a snarl. She frowned at the tangled patch, then pulled out her brush and began pulling at her mane aggressively.

"But who did this?" Pinkie said, eye rotating slowly. "Somepony would have to have given the order to change out the cybernetic before the surgery. But CyWear would never have done that on a noble mare. If the Inquisitors found out—and it really wouldn't be that hard—then they'd mount all the executives' heads on pikes! Or feed them to alligators! Or feed them to alligators, then mount the alligators on pikes! That's how mad they would be!"

"Actually, she has a point," Limestone admitted. "There's not a pony alive with the balls to make a play like this because everypony is scared of the authority the Inquisitors have. Maybe it was a mistake?"

"No," Fluttershy said, "because Princess Trixie wouldn't be scared of the Inquisitors." Fluttershy opened up a 3D model of the chip, taken from the scans of Fleur's brain. "This is very advanced tech. And as Princess of Research, she'd know how bad the regular chips are. So they didn't want a member of the high nobility on Canterlot to die to one of their chips, because that would shake the boat. So Trixie had the chip swapped out."

"Can we be certain?" Maude asked, a hint of anger seeping into her tone.

"Not until we hear back from our informants," Fluttershy replied.

Princess Trixie was waiting for Indigo at the train station. Indigo stopped to bow. "Princess. What's up? Aren't you busy?"

"Trrrixe is always busy," she agreed with an exaggerated wave of her hands. "How are the hands working, by the way?"

"I made sure they got charged before I went out," Indigo said, looking down at the thickly built hands. "Can't...feel through them, but the itching has stopped."

Trixie nodded. "And no problems yet?"

"None. Aside from the left pinkie occasionally twitching."

"That's probably fine, but when you can, stop by my office so I can get a look, make sure everything's working properly," she said. "I'm on the verge of the greatest advancement in cybernetics in several hundred years. It just needs a little more data, and a little more fine tuning."

"That's great news, Princess, but it's a little outside my scope," Indigo said. "I'm in a bit of a rush. With your leave?"

"Oh, right. Here, I brought you something that might help." She nodded to the android following her. A thickly built pegasus android in a fine suit.

With Wonderbolt goggles.

"You disguised a Wonderbolt?" Indigo asked slowly.

"Plus a few updates to the AI, speech tones, and personality—namely, letting her use it—means she should function pretty much as a standard servant but with the firepower of a Wonderbolt," Trixie said. "The changes aren't structurally major, so she'll work fine. And if you get into any scraps, she'll be a help."

"Well, that's great Princess," Indigo said. "Why give it to me, though? Shouldn't you give it to Minuette?"

Trixie hesitated. "It would be best, Trixie thinks, if Fleur could be brought back," she said. "I'm sure her family are worried. Barring...barring that, it would be best if we could have the body back."

"As in, to her family?"

"Not...immediately," Trixie said slowly. "Not immediately."

"Er...got it, Princess. I understand." Indigo hesitated. "I understand the orders. Not why the hell you need Fleur de Liss's lifeless body."

"Great!" Trixie clapped her hands. "I knew I could count on you, Miss Zap! Take care of Fleetfoot!" With that, she disappeared in a burst of pink sparkles.

Indigo sighed, running a hand through her mane, and looked to the android. "Uh, alright then. Let's go."

The android immediately began moving, ironically having to stop and wait a second for Indigo to get onto the train. She'd worked with Wonderbolts before. 'Fleetfoot' shouldn't be too different, right?

As they stepped onto the Inquisitor exclusive car, Indigo sat down, and Fleetfoot sat down opposite her. "Uh," the android said.

Indigo blinked, looking into her goggles...eyes. To further the illusion, Trixie had put imitation eyes inside the goggles. Fleetfoot had even been repainted to a shade of light green.

"I have no idea what the actual...mission is," Fleetfoot said apologetically.

Indigo chuckled. "Right. You and me both."

Fleetfoot blinked twice. "Would you like tea? Sorry, I should have asked...I am your servant..."

"Uh, go ahead while I get my thoughts in order," Indigo said, waving her on. Fleetfoot rose, stepping to the side and prepping a pot of tea. An electric kettle boiled the water, and Indigo said, "If there's coffee, I want coffee instead."

Fleetfoot gave a nod, then searched through a cabinet besides the electric kettle. Perks of getting our own traincar, Indigo thought.

After a few minutes, Fleetfoot returned, setting a cup of coffee in front of her.

"We're looking for a missing noblemare," Indigo explained. "Fleur de Liss."

Fleetfoot cocked her head to the side, face changing to a loading symbol. Then a picture of one of Fleur's photo shoots came up.

"Yeah, that's her," Indigo said. "Her last known location was Ponyville. She was apparently out when somepony shot up her house. Nopony has heard from her since."

"So...this is a recovery mission?" Fleetfoot asked, visor returning to normal. "Our priority is to save her?"

Indigo considered that. "Yes. If there's anything left to save, that's the priority, even if...it's just her body, apparently."

Fleetfoot's shoulders relaxed somewhat, wings falling slightly. "I...I'm glad to hear that," she said quietly.

Princess...what changes did you make, exactly? Indigo sipped her coffee, then gagged, and choked it down instead of spitting it out.

"Hm? What's wrong?"

"Did you add sweetener?" Indigo croaked.

"Uh...was I supposed to?" Fleetfoot asked.

"Yes!"

"Oops. I guess Princess Trixie forgot to add that step..."

Indigo rubbed her forehead as Fleetfoot took the coffee back to the kitchen area. "I suppose you are a Wonderbolt, first," she muttered.

"Hell, I dunno if you could call me that, anymore," Fleetfoot replied. "I...Wonderbolts are only really turned on when there's something to kill or we need to patrol or something. It's just...get up, go kill, and then return. Now I...this is the longest time I've been awake at one stretch since I finished my training. My memories of all those missions...the recordings are mostly empty. I guess I didn't want to remember them, hehe..." She set the coffee back in front of Indigo. "Can I...ask a question?"

"Uh...shoot."

"Do you think I'm alive?"

Indigo picked up the cup, then drained the entire cup of scalding coffee in one burst. Fleetfoot had added too much sugar...probably she'd been adding it the entire time she'd been talking. Indigo looked back to Fleetfoot.

"Any other android, and I'd say no," she said slowly. "That's what I've always thought in the past. But Princess Trixie is crazy like only a scientist can be, and she did something to you, and I've never heard an android go on like that. Or...swear. Do you think you're alive?"

"Ehhh?" Fleetfoot shrugged. "Maybe? I don't know. If this is being alive, then I don't think I was alive back then. If you're talking biologically, I can't reproduce, so I'm not alive. Then you get down into the nitty-gritty 'does it have a soul' problem that gets thrown all over the place when androids are involved. Do I have a soul? I have...access to magic. Does that mean I have a soul? Some ponies say yes. But wouldn't that mean that gemstones are alive? Nopony says that. But are they alive? Is loading a chamber with ruby bullets really just mass murder? Or could it be more like plants? Plants are alive, but they don't really have a soul. Ah, Tartarus, am I a plant?" Fleetfoot held up her hands, staring at them, then looked back to Indigo.

Indigo just stared.

"I never was able to think before," Fleetfoot said. "I guess I'm making up for lost time."

"Right," Indigo said slowly. "Here's another thing. Say a lie."

"Huh?"

"Androids can't lie. So, if you are fully alive, tell me something that is not true."

"I...I am..." Fleetfoot hesitated, thinking. "Purple. I am purple."

Indigo put her face in her hands. "Great, Princess. Make a one-of-a-kind android, throw it at the rookie, hope she can take care of it. Good plan."

"Did I pass?" Fleetfoot asked.

"It's another thing I need to ask Princess Trixie when I get the chance," Indigo said slowly. "Did she say anything? About...what she was doing to you?"

"Eh...Once she fixed the power cores, I came online," she said, "and then she started...talking. A lot. It went over my head, so if it meant anything, I couldn't say."

"I guess we just take this one thing at a time," Indigo said. "You don't make it far in this business getting distracted by random thoughts. We're out to save Fleur, and, failing that, to avenge her."

"I like...not having to kill ponies," Fleetfoot said. "That's what I prefer. But you're the boss."

Sweet Celestia, please don't say that, Indigo thought. I'm still just the rookie.

She leaned back, folding her arms over her chest. "Well, it is better when we don't have to kill any pony. I think that should always be the ideal. But eh. I kill scum all the time. Don't worry about it."

"I...I'll try not to," Fleetfoot relented.

She gave a killing machine a conscience, Indigo thought. What's her game? She's a princess, so...there has to be a reason.

Whatever. I'll take care of her for you, Princess Trixie.

Trixie Lulamoon didn't look up from the schematics as the door to her office opened. "Ah, here with my crackers?" she asked. "Leave them on table there. I'm busy, so let the scientists know not to bother me."

The sound of plastic and cardboard being unceremoniously tossed onto the table raised her ire, and garnered her attention.

Trixie turned halfway around, eyed her visitor, then looked back to her computer. "I assume you're too good for schedules, then?"

"And you're too good to let me know you were stealing one of my Wonderbolts?" Spitfire growled.

"It's not like I dismantled her, I just tested some new programming," Trixie said, waving it off. "And I thought Miss Zap might need a little extra synthetic muscle to make sure Fleur is rescued."

"Okay, sure. Why not let me know?"

"Why do you care? It's just one Wonderbolt."

"Just one—do you have the faintest idea how much those things cost?"

Trixie sighed, turning around to look at Spitfire. Spitfire was wearing her 'on duty' clothes; blue Wonderbolt fatigues. A look of supreme astonishment was on her face. "Probably a lot compared to what peasants have," Trixie said, "but nothing you need to complain about."

"Fifteen thousand bits, in materials alone," Spitfire snapped. "Plus another three thousand to the workers who put it together. And not to mention the two years they spend in their infancy stages where they bumble too much to think about sending into battle, and another two thousand bits training them up."

"Twenty thousand? That's nothing," Trixie scoffed. "I could hand it to you right now, if you wanted."

"I don't care about the money!" Spitfire said. "It's that you didn't even bother to mention it to me. When you were already sending me a missive to get me to send another flight up into the Frozen Wastes!" She paused. "What are you even doing up there?"

"Uncovering a research project," Trixie said.

"What project? There's nothing out there but primitives with spears!"

"Trixie does not question your job!" Trixie said haughtily. "And she desires you to know that she never asked about it, either, yet you insist on telling her about it at length. And marehandling her peanut butter crackers." With little conscious effort on her part, the package opened, and a slightly broken cracker floated over to her.

Spitfire sighed, running a hand through her mane. "For fuck's sake, Trix. Sometimes, I wish you'd stayed in the show mare business, y'know?"

Trixie shrugged. "Celestia had other plans," was all she said.

"Alright, I'll send another flight up there, with a Captain," Spitfire said. "Get to the bottom of why the hell this keeps happening."

"And, uh...make an example of the Crystal Ponies?"

"If need be. Why? Isn't justice my job, O Princess of Research?'

Trixie didn't laugh. "If you execute all our citizens, there will be no one to praise Trixie," she said seriously.

"How did the upgrades work out, anyways?" Spitfire asked, her eye turning to the monitor. She frowned, peaking around Trixie to stare at the solitaire game on the computer.

Trixie spread her wings to prevent Spitfire from seeing that. "W-well, it's not exactly Wonderbolt programming," she said. "I'm essentially just expanding the AI so they can handle other situations, such as working with Inquisitors on missions and still being somewhat sneaky."

"Huh. Interesting," Spitfire said, resting her chin in one hand. "That could be handy. And not just for the Inquisitors. Some of the flesh-and-blood Wonderbolts complain sometimes. And there's a lot of Wonderbolts that just sit in storage most of the time, without doing anything. It could be great to get some benefit out of them instead of blowing taxpayer bits on the power company."

"Yes, well, it was working fine, which is why I sent her out with Indigo," Trixie said.

"Good, good," Spitfire said, nodding. "By the way?"

"Yes?"

"That game is unwinnable," Spitfire said, pointing around Trixie's wingspan. "You don't have a spot you can move the six of hearts to."

Trixie turned, frowning, as she examined the board.

"Well, it was good chatting," Spitfire said casually, turning to leave.

"Hey...a favor, if you would?"

Spitfire raised the eyebrow of her mechanical eye.

"A little...leniancy, towards the Crystal Ponies," Trixie said. "Trixie...understands that she offended them by repeatedly sending soldiers up there and wishes to let it slide. If...you would."

Spitfire sighed. "We'll see."