MESON BLASTER DEPLOYED!

I feel my left side open up as the weapon positions itself…

I’m not taking any chances on this strange world. I need to be careful! I think to myself as I watch the land passing by on the screen, now with a targeting reticle…

TWO CONTACTS DETECTED!

I raise my gaze to see two figures walking towards me, from the top of the hillside…

“Halt! Identify yourselves!” I shout up at them from 30 feet away, with my weapon pointed right at them…

<*****>

Oh, gosh! I hope Opaline is okay without me there! I think to myself, and blink, before staring at the aliens, “So wait! You two just took me up here? Um, who’s going to take care of all my morning chores?”

The lighter one on the right smiles, “No worries, Misty! We uploaded all the brain data from you, into an android that looks like you! We’ve been watching you, and planning this for awhile, now!”

I frown, “Oh, okay! So there’s a robot in my place now? And it should know everything I know?”

The darker one without a mane on the left nods, and smiles, “That’s right Misty! She knows everything you do!”

Oh, gosh! I hope Opaline isn’t too mean to the other me! “Uh, so what then? She’ll just act exactly like me because her mind was formed from mine?”

Gary nods, “Correct! She’s exactly like you!”

<*****>

I see a yellow stallion with a green mane on the right, and there appears to be a small reptilian creature riding on his back, but I also notice an orange pony, with a reddish-purple mane on the left…

The orange one widens her eyes, “Misty! What are you doing here? And what is that sticking out of your left flank?”

I coolly respond, “That’s my weapon! I don’t know if you’re friendly, so keep your distance!”

The yellow one widens his eyes and begins trotting towards me, “Misty, you need to calm down!”

I turn towards him, and fire a green energy blast to the right of him, and say, “The next one won’t miss! You were told to keep your distance!”

The tree right next to him smolders with the sudden heat of the blast…

SHIELDS ACTIVATED!

PARTICLE CAPACITOR NOW CHARGING!

<*****>

I just hope Opaline doesn’t abuse the android too bad! I think to myself, as I stare at the aliens and think that maybe I need to talk to them, to keep my mind off the robot’s plight?

I speak up, “So uh, this robot that looks like me! Uh, what all can it, um, you know, do?”

Tim speaks up in his baritone voice, “Well, the Unicorn-01 is designed with many tactical options, in a combat scenario. We didn’t know what the machine would be encountering out there, so I assure you, that it is very well equipped to deal with threats!”

I frown, “But Equestria isn’t a combat scenario Tim! I mean, what if she hurts somepony?”

<*****>

I fire my weapon against the forcefield!

I see green energy from the meson blaster splashing against the blue energy wall, 2 feet from me, to dissipate immediately after…

This isn’t right! What is this? I wonder in my mechanical mind…

The orange one frowns, as she flaps the wings that suddenly appeared earlier, and I see the blazing horn on her head, as she stares at me, with severity in her eyes, and grimness in her voice, “Now Misty, we’re not threats to you! I don’t know what that thing is, or why it can shoot weird energy like that, but I know that I’m an alicorn, and I will not let you hurt my friends!”

“I don’t know that!”

I might need to employ a strategic concession to appease this strange creature?

I don’t know what sort of technology can do this?

The orange one sighs, “Look, Misty! What’s wrong! You know who we are!”

The yellow one frowns, “Yeah, Misty! Why would you ever shoot at us?”

“I don’t know who you are!” I shout down at them…

The orange one looks horrified, “Misty! We’re your friends! I’m Sunny, remember?”

The yellow one says, “Yeah, Misty! And I’m Hitch! You seriously don’t remember us?”

I blink at this new revelation…

I’m supposed to know these ponies.

I smile, “Uh, y-yeah! Sunny and Hitch! Of course! Uh, I just didn’t have a very good look at you!”

The orange one analytically states, “Something else is OBVIOUSLY going on here, Misty! You shouldn’t have energy weapons!”

The yellow one asks, “Where did you get that, anyway? How does it work?”

I quote the Tactical Field Manual, “The meson blaster rifle, is designed as a small capacitor particle beam weapon and is optimal for engagements requiring rapid bursts, since it can fire relatively quickly, compared to most other energy weapons. Since this weapon fires quickly, it seemed the logical choice for defense, at this stage… ”

“That still doesn’t answer my questions!”

The orange one says, “Misty, what happened? Why don’t you remember us, and where did you get that magic?”

“Magic? This is advanced energy weapons technology, developed at the facility on LS-1421… “ I think they know I’m not the real Misty now? Should I tell them what I am?

“Misty, what in Equestria are you talking about?”

Hitch says, “Misty, what’s wrong with you?”

“I… “ Do I let them know I’m an android? What if they try to disassemble me, to figure out how I work? The idea of being offline doesn’t particularly appeal to me…

… Wait… Why do I think like this?

Sunny says, “Misty, why are you acting like this? What’s wrong?”

Self-preservation appears to be a priority for me?

<*****>

I keep imagining Opaline yelling at and abusing a metal me in my head, before saying to Gary, “So uh, this android you were talking about! What else is it capable of?”

He smiles, “Well, it’s a sophisticated artificial intelligence, that adjusts and modifies it’s own code, in order to learn and adapt to new and different scenarios! You really don’t have anything to worry about Misty! The android will adjust and be just fine!”

“So wait! The robot has a kind of meta awareness that enables it to learn?”

Tim says, “Well, right! We needed an android capable of not only collecting pertinent information, but of actually using it in the field! Much like an actual person would!”

“So wait! This android isn’t a person?”

Gary says, “Well, technically no! I mean, sure it learns and adapts the way a real human er, intelligent being would, but it’s not really alive! I mean, it shouldn’t feel pain or remorse!” *

<*****>

I don’t know if I should tell them what I am?

The orange one says, “Misty, what’s wrong?”

The yellow one with the lizard on his back adds, “We’re your friends, remember?”

I stare down at them, and mechanically say, “I am an android, and not really Misty… My designation is Unicorn-01, and the actual Misty Brightdawn is currently on a starship, heading for a planet known as LS-1421, formerly called Mars… “

Sunny frowns, “So wait! You’re a robot?”

I nod, “Technically… I am equipped with a self-analytical artificially intelligent mind, truly the first of it’s kind, and I think and adapt to new situations… I’m not really alive, but I am the closest thing ever artificially produced in a lab… “

Am I telling them too much now?

Sunny stares at me curiously, “But wait! You say you think and adapt to new situations, right?”

I nod, “That is correct!”

She eyes me carefully, while the other one only frowns, “Could you uh, put your meson blaster rifle away, and talk to us, normally please? I mean, we don’t have to have weapons, and be ready to fight all the time, you know?”

“This is not a hostile environment?”

“Uh, n-no Unicorn-01… This uh, we won’t hurt you… “ And Sunny smiles at me, “Now please, put the weapon away?”

LOGIC CIRCUITS ENGAGED!

She said to put away the weapon. We can still keep our shields up.

This compromise shall suffice for now…

“Agreed! I will comply!” I say before I feel more movement on my left flank…

MESON BLASTER DISENGAGED!

RETRACTING WEAPON…

My targeting reticle disappears, with the weapon now in my body, “And you’ll release me from this strange forcefield you appear to have?”

Sunny smiles and nods, while the forcefield lowers towards the ground to pop, and release me a foot off the ground…

THUD! My hooves hit the ground!

Sunny widens her eyes, “Wow! You sure are heavy!”

I stare at her, “Well, I’m made of a titanium alloy exoskeleton, underneath a pony frame… “

Hitch says, “You really are equipped for combat, aren’t you?”

Sunny makes her golden horn and wings disappear in a flash and smiles, “See? You put away your weapons, and I put away mine! We’re all friendly here, and we’re just going to talk, okay?”

My mouth flinches, while my processors handle this new information… “Very well then! I will comply!”

Sunny frowns, “Wait! So if you’re a robot, where’s the real Misty?”

“She’s on a spaceship, heading towards the leap point, near LS-1421… “

“Leap point?” Sunny says.

Hitch asks, “What’s a leap point?”

I stare at the two horses, “It’s a place where they can go back to the past, and study her… I assure you, she will not be harmed… “

Hitch angrily snorts, “Just how long are they going to keep Misty?”

“Well, just for the trip to and from the leap point! Remember, since she will be traveling time, she will come back, the very moment she left! The problem is, Misty cannot exist in more than one place, within the same timeline. So I was built to replace her… “

Suddenly, I see the humanoid lizard creature get off his back and start walking towards me, while making curious gurgling noises!

I widen my eyes to shout, “STAY BACK!” before lowering myself, for battle!

Sunny gallops up to the creature, and puts her forehoof in it’s way, and stares at it, “Now, Sparky! We don’t know this pony!”

Pony… She called me a pony…

<*****>

“I’m really worried about the android!” I flatly state, while staring at the green hardbound book on the table…

Tim sighs, “Relax, okay? The android can take care of itself, and I’m sure the data it’s gathering will be very useful!”

I sigh, “I know! You keep reminding me!”

Tim smiles, “I know! You’re one of those people who needs constant reassurance, right? No problem! I got you!”

I widen my eyes at this weird alien, “What?”

He nods, “You heard me! I mean, you’re aware, and so am I, and so that means we can still be friends, right?”

I smile at the creature timidly, “Thanks Tim!”

He nods, “Right! Now Misty, let’s see what you can do! Lift the book with your magic!”

<*****>

Sunny smiles at me, “I don’t know you Unicorn-01, but I’d like to.” and her eyes widen, “Hey, why don’t I call you Starbeam, instead of Unicorn-01, since you came from the sky? What do you think of that name?”

PROCESSING…

I don’t know how to feel about that?

Then again, what’s in a designation? It’s certainly as good as any other?

I will accept…

… Wait, feelings?

I stare at her, “Very well then! I will answer to Starbeam, instead of Unicorn-01, from this point forward!”

Sunny and Hitch both keep their eyes peeled on me, when Sunny says, “Um, Starbeam? Is it okay if I hug you?”

I stare at this pony, “Hug?”

“Yeah! It’s a physical display of affection, and it will promote the bond that we now have!”

“If it is for the good of the bond and will not damage either of us, I see no reason not to?”

Sunny frowns and timidly trots towards me…

This seems to be taking longer than I thought it would?

She eventually reaches me, and embraces me within her hooves, to whisper to me, “It’s okay, Starbeam… We’re here for you, and won’t hurt you… “

I feel her body and her warmth near me…

Should I return the hug?

PROCESSING…

(To be continued… )

Author's Note

*Fun fact: if you believe I’m alluding to the android’s questions, after it blew Opaline away here, you would be correct!