The Iron Horse (Everything's Better With Robots)
Part 2
"The Future Soon"
The very next afternoon, Twilight was at the train station waiting on the platform with Fluttershy and Rarity. The others were occupied elsewhere, but Fluttershy was curious as to what sort of creature was coming if they were indeed not a pony and Rarity was keen on meeting anyone of interest.
"Twilight, I beg your pardon, but could you refresh me again on this fellow?" Rarity asked. "What's his name again, Mr… Vanderbull?"
"That's right. Cornelius Vanderbull," Twilight said. "I really don't know that much about him personally, but professionally he's actually well known as one of the greatest engineers living today! He designs trains and actually owns two thirds of all the railroad companies in Equestria. He's pretty wealthy too. He commissioned the Grand Central Depot in Manehatten and donated the money for the new science wing at Canterlot University!"
"Oh my, he sounds like quite the celebrity! And Grand Central Depot is such a wonderful place in Manehatten. I simply marvel at the design!"
"I wonder why nopony knows what he looks like," Fluttershy said. "I mean, if he's so important, you'd think he would be in newspapers. Or magazines. Or maybe have a statue of himself at all the train stations."
Twilight considered this. "Maybe he's just shy," she offered slyly.
"Oh! You think?" she asked, already taking a shine to the as-of-yet unseen Mr. Vanderbull. However, they wouldn't have to wait long, as a train whistle was heard and they all saw the oncoming train as it rolled down the tracks from the hills and approached them.
"My, my, that's quite a train!" Rarity exclaimed.
Indeed it was. The image of a bull's head was emblazoned on the front of the engine, which itself was colored black with gold accents on the smokestack and wheels. The train was only a few cars long, but each car was a deep red with the same gold accents on the windows and rooftops in stark contrast to the usual pastel-colored cars they were used to. Also on each of the cars was the same word, boldly painted in official-looking capital letters: COMMODORE.
"I didn't realize Mr. Vanderbull was coming on his private train," Twilight whispered. "He must have wanted to avoid any delays coming from Manehatten."
The train gave one last hiss of steam and a minor screech as the wheels came to a stop right in front of them. After a few moments, a figure emerged from the lead car, his silhouette momentarily enshrouded in steam, but then he stepped into full view.
"Oh my," Fluttershy breathed. "Mr. Vanderbull is… a minotaur?"
Indeed he was, though Fluttershy's response was out of surprise more than fear, as she'd already had her own encounter with a minotaur and was none the worse for it. Still, minotaurs weren't a common site in Equestria, so for such a well-known name to be attached to one, well, would have been a surprise to anyone.
"Ah, your majesty!" Mr. Vanderbull shouted jovially when he spotted Twilight. "It is an honor. So kind of you to come greet me personally!"
Vanderbull was quite tall and muscular, but he wore a sophisticated black suit and tie over a white shirt along with a pair of gray breeches which covered his legs almost down to his cloven hooves. His fur was the same dull blue Fluttershy remembered seeing on Iron Will, but this creature appeared to be a bit older and had a tuft of a gray beard and an equally gray mane running from his head down the back of his neck. He also wore a pair of gold spectacles on a chain which was, curiously, tied and connected neatly around one of his horns. There were age lines in his face and a rasp to his voice.
"Thank you for coming, Mr. Vanderbull," Twilight said brightly. "We appreciate your help solving this mystery."
"It is my honor," he said, bowing graciously.
"He certainly seems far better versed in social graces than that Iron Will fellow, don't you think, Fluttershy?" Rarity whispered.
"Oh, yes, much," she said, seemingly relieved.
"And you brought your friends," Vanderbull went on. "Miss Fluttershy and Miss Rarity, correct?"
"Why, yes, that's right!" Rarity replied, pleased to be recognized. Fluttershy merely blushed and nodded.
"I hope you don't mind, but I brought a guest as well," he said to Twilight. "Now where is that girl? Gadget, come out here!" he called.
"C-coming, sir!" The speaker hurried out of the train, stumbling over her hooves and nearly falling onto the platform as she ran over to Vanderbull's side. "Sorry, Commodore, I was just separating my personal bags from my tools. Mr. Alfredo and the others are getting the supplies and… and… eep!" This last outburst was upon seeing Twilight.
"Hello!" Twilight said, smiling in greeting. "I'm Twilight Sparkle. It's nice to meet you!"
The newcomer's eyes went wide. "P-p-p-Princess Twilight! Y-your majesty, I didn't know you were coming yourself!" She immediately bowed as low as she could, her head practically to the ground, her knees wobbling and her expression one of pure nerves. Twilight didn't think she'd ever seen a pony so flustered since meeting Fluttershy, and this pony gave her a run for her money. "My name… er, I am called G-gadget. Well, actually it's Gadgette F. Giroux, from Vanhoover. But uh… just… you know, Gadget's fine."
Mr. Vanderbull smiled at her patiently. "No need to be so distressed, my dear," he said reassuringly. "Princess Twilight doesn't seem like one to stand on ceremony."
This seemed to cheer up the young mare slightly as she raised her head. She was an earth pony with a cream-colored coat of fur. In contrast to her Vanderbull's impeccable, dignified clothes, her style had a haphazard, chaotic look to it. She had a long, dark brown mane that drooped unstylishly over her brown eyes, which were themselves hidden behind a pair of cheap red plastic glasses. She was also wearing a slightly oversized black coat with pockets that were bulging with something metallic (if the jangling sound she made when she walked was any indication, that is). She was small, too, and judging from her voice, probably a few years younger than Twilight and her friends at least, and Rarity guessed only a few years older than Sweetie Belle and the other Crusaders.
"Well, we should get going," Twilight said. "Do you both have your luggage?"
"My staff will be bringing my tools, actually," Vanderbull said. Almost on cue, a group of butlers and maids filed out of the train pulling carts loaded up with official-looking crates and boxes as well as more conventional suitcases. "Alfredo, we'll be taking these to the castle… er, with your permission, Princess?"
"Yes, by all means," Twilight agreed.
"Very good, sir, Your Highness," the head butler, Alfredo, uttered, motioning to the other servants to follow.
"We can send the others to our hotel to drop off the personal luggage and secure our rooms," Vanderbull said.
"Hotel? Don't be silly!" Twilight laughed. "You're helping me out so much, so I can put you both up in my house."
"In y-your…" Gadget stammered. "You mean your castle? Staying there?!"
"Um… yes, unless you'd rather not?"
"C-castle? With royalty?! To fix a working automaton?!" Gadget looked on the verge of having a heart attack, but her eyes were practically sparkling with elation.
"I think she'll be fine with that," Vanderbull said chuckling. "Please, ladies, lead the way!"
The strange procession attracted some attention from the townsfolk in their short trip from the station to the castle. Twilight and Vanderbull walked side-by-side in front, followed by Gadget who was flanked on either side by Fluttershy and Rarity. Alfredo and the servants hauling the supplies took up the rear in single file.
"A wonderful town here to be sure," Vanderbull said. "It reminds me a bit of the hamlet I grew up in."
"Oh?" Twilight asked. "And where was that?"
"A little minotaur settlement outside of Equestria. It was lovely and peaceful but there was little there for me, and so I came here to seek my fortune. Despite the surplus of labor and magic, there was still plenty of work to be had by one with a strong back and these handy little digits," he said, wiggling his fingers for emphasis, chuckling to himself. "I became fascinated with the early engine designs going around at the time and fell in with a ship-building company that specialized in steam boats. That was when I got my nickname, "Commodore," for the record. Anyway, I managed to improve upon some steam engine designs and developed a knack for them. Eventually I became one of the heads of the business and we went from boats to other small-time machines and finally to designing trains. We managed to overcome the odds and expenses and became the first train company to connect Manehatten and Canterlot with daily trips the year I became president. Ah, but that was almost 40 years ago. Listen to me, I must be boring you, Your Highness!"
"Not at all!" Twilight said. "You must have studied hard to get where you are!"
"There wasn't anything to study," Vanderbull replied with a shrug. "We were all making it up in those days. You learned by doing, not by reading. Not so for you, though, Gadget?" he asked, turning to look back at his quiet young assistant.
"Hm? O-oh, yes," she said, blushing slightly.
"I really must say, he seems to think quite highly of your skills," Rarity said. "But how did a young mare like you get to be the personal assistant of such an important pony- er, minotaur? You must be extremely talented to earn such a position."
"W-well, Miss Rarity," she began, "I come from a family of mechanics as it is. We fix small things like record players, clocks, steamboats, and a few of us even repair trains and printing presses and such. But ever since I saw my first train, I knew there was more to do. So I started reading every book I could on every kind of mechanical device out there. Clocks and trains, sure, but also magical spectrographs and light displays and all kinds of new and old machines. That includes automatons. I even built a miniature one out of watch parts, a battery, and some paperclips and bottlecaps. That's how I got my cutie mark."
She looked back at her flank, which showed a red gear with an electric bolt curving down the center.
"Wow!" Fluttershy said. "I don't think I could ever have made anything like that. Machines always seem strange to me. I'm better with animals."
"Oh, not me," Gadget said. "Animals and unfamiliar creatures give me problems. I nearly had a heart attack the first time I saw a griffon. Heck, the first time I even met Mr. Vanderbull, I actually got so scared that I ran away and jumped headfirst into a wooden crate to try and hide!" she laughed, earning an unseen eyeroll from Vanderbull and a concealed snicker from Twilight. "Anyway, I've been designing all kinds of new machines and one day Mr. Vanderbull spotted me at a convention for freelance inventors. He liked my work and hired me that day!"
"Fantastic! But there's something else that I'd like to ask… though in truth it might be a little insensitive," Rarity said, trying to ease into the topic.
"What is it?" Gadget asked warmly, feeling more comfortable with her two new companions (partly because she could avoid being directly scrutinized by the curious citizens of Ponyville by hiding between them).
"It's just that most of the pony engineers and watchmakers and such I know of are unicorns, since they can easily manipulate the small moving parts in machines. But you're an earth pony, darling. How ever do you manage to move all those gears and such into position using just your hooves and mouth?"
And for the first time, Gadget actually looked smug. "Oh, you'll see."
"And then," Vanderbull added, "you'll see why I knew I had to hire her."
"Well, here it is!" Twilight said, letting Vanderbull and Gadget into the room, Rarity and Fluttershy right behind them. She led them over to the table where the mechanical pony, stripped and slightly disassembled, was laid there for them all to see.
"My word," Vanderbull breathed. "Just look at this! These parts, the composition…"
Gadget only stood in awed silence… for about five seconds. Then she seemingly came to life. "Ohhhhhh OH OH OH OH!" she squealed, rushing forward like a crazed fangirl upon seeing her favorite pop diva. "These gears! They're made of gold! And the hull here must be titanium alloy." To their surprise (and partial disgust), she actually licked it. "It is titanium! And… oh, Sweet Celestia, that rechargeable battery must be custom made!" She stuck her nose right next to one of the devices they'd removed and actually rubbed her cheek on it. "A magic-electrical conversion Luna's Ladder. Ohhh, they don't make them like this anymore."
"Quite right, Gadget!" Vanderbull agreed, his enthusiasm only slightly more restrained than hers. "And look at the wiring that runs throughout it. Whoever did this wasn't just an engineer; this was the work of an artist!"
"They certainly seem happy, darling," Rarity said to Twilight. "I hope our efforts yesterday didn't go to waste."
"Oh, that reminds me!" Twilight said. "If you'll look on the floor next to the table, we've managed to label some of the parts for you. My friends and I tried to do some research on classic Equestrian automata."
Vanderbull turned and smiled when he saw the labelled parts. "Yes, actually, this will make it much easier, Princess! Some of these are quite rare nowadays. I'll want to double-check them, of course-"
"Augh!"
The high-pitched screech that interrupted him came from Gadget, who was holding up one of the removed plates that had been take from the leg.
"Who removed this?! These rivets have been totally bent out of shape! They should have been cut evenly if you weren't going to remove them properly! This will take hours to remove them and replace them properly!" She rolled her eyes in exasperation.
"She acts a little differently around machines," Fluttershy remarked timidly.
"Er, sorry, that was my fault," Twilight said, blushing slightly. "Spike and I were just trying to get the machine open. We didn't know we were making things more difficult."
Gadget seemed to remember herself even as Vanderbull folded his arms and looked down at her disapprovingly. "O-oh, no, I'm sorry, Princess Twilight," she said. "It was an honest mistake. It's really not such a big deal at all!"
"Well, if there's something I can do to make up for it, please let me know," Twilight said.
Gadget nodded, smiling with some relief that Twilight wasn't more offended.
"And now, my dear," Vanderbull said, "we should probably get to work. We have our supplies, so let's start by categorizing the rest and identifying the broken parts. Then perhaps we can replace or repair whatever is out of place."
"Yes, Commodore," Gadget said, raising a hoof in salute. Here she turned to Rarity. "You wanted to know how I can work on machinery so precisely as an earth pony, Miss Rarity?"
Rarity stepped forward. "Yes, I'd love to find out!" she said eagerly.
"Then allow me to show you. But just so you know, this is probably going to seem a little weird." At this point, she shook her jacket off her shoulders and pulled the sleeves from her forelegs, letting the bulky coat slide to the ground. And then they all saw what was clanking beneath it.
"Oh… my…" Fluttershy breathed.
Around Gadget's torso was a strange metallic harness. Thin metal bands wrapped tightly around her chest and there was a flat metallic square on her back. It looked a bit like an iron backpack or an unopened parachute and it had four open holes, two on each side. Gadget used her mouth to pull something from her discarded coat, although Vanderbull came over to assist her. Then they saw what they were.
It was a series of four mechanical, segmented limbs, each one with a skeletal metallic hand on the end, the fingertips padded in rubber. One by one, Gadget and Vanderbull attached them to the metallic pack she wore. When all four were in place, Gadget pressed a button and the subtle hum of electricity was heard. Then she winced as the harness seemed to tighten and a few metallic prongs bit into her flesh.
"Gadget!" Fluttershy cried. "Are you okay?"
"Yes, it's fine," Gadget said, gritting her teeth for a moment. "It stings for a second, but it's necessary." And then she got a sudden wild gleam in her eyes. "But now you get to see my greatest invention, the thing that Mr. Vanderbull said was the most amazing piece of machinery he'd ever seen at the inventor's convention! As you know, earth ponies have above average strength and endurance as well as heightened sensitivity to natural energies. This device drains some of that magic from my body and redirects it, allowing me to control these."
And they all watched as the four limbs came to life and rose into the air, stretching and flexing impressively for all to see. "Behold: the Point-Dexter! A series of moveable limbs and opposable digits for the modern working earth pony! With these, I can manipulate my environment with the merest thought! Mwa ha ha ha ha!"
The raised mechanical limbs all began to clap, applauding their "master" as Gadget bowed and blew kisses to some imaginary audience. The others looked on nervously, half expecting a bolt of lightning to appear behind this young mare who had seemingly gone from a painfully shy girl to a cackling mad scientist in the span of only a few minutes.
"Gadget. You're scaring everypony again," Vanderbull hissed.
"Huh? O-oh," she said, returning to her normal, timid demeanor. Humorously, the front two hands came forward actually covered her face as she blushed while the back two hands twiddled their thumbs nervously. "Sorry, sir."
"It's okay," Fluttershy assured her. "Though, um, are you sure these things are safe?"
"Yes, of course they're safe. I can use them like they're a part of my body. Since I'm extending my own energy, they might as well be."
"That's really amazing!" Twilight said. "I didn't even know earth pony magic could be utilized that way!"
"Neither did I, at first," Vanderbull said. "In fact, I think this device is one of the first of its kind. Innovation like that is just what we need in my line of work. With this one device, Gadget has been able to create a great deal more with the freedom to use all four limbs together."
"It does leave me a little tired and sometimes I get headaches," Gadget said, "but it's worth it."
"Well, enough showing off," Vanderbull said, removing his coat and tie and rolling up his sleeves. "Let's see if we can safely remove the leg. There's something I'd like to look at in closer detail. Gadget, the #12 flathead screwdriver and a pair of needlenose pliers, if you please?"
"Yes sir, Commodore!"
As Twilight joined in, the three began their work on the mechanical pony. Fluttershy and Rarity both looked at each other as the trio got back to work. "Well, I think that's enough fun for me today," Rarity commented.
"Maybe we should just see ourselves out," Fluttershy replied. "They seem awfully busy now." So the two of them left while Twilight, Gadget, and Mr. Vanderbull began the long and arduous task of fixing the broken automaton. They slowly backed out of the room even as they heard metal on metal and the whirring of Gadget's strange invention as they began to break the mechanical pony down into its base parts.
That night, after a hard day and a lot of progress with the strange machine, Twilight and Spike walked Vanderbull to his room.
"I hope you find this room to your liking, Mr. Vanderbull," Twilight said, stopping in front of the door. Gadget had already retired to her room (after temporarily freaking out again that she was going to be spending the night in a princess's castle) and the rest of Vanderbull's staff had taken his train back to Manehatten once the supplies had been delivered.
"I did my best to get it fixed up for you," Spike said. "I tried to make it a little less 'girly' too. I saw that awesome train of yours from the castle balcony. I like your style, Mr. Vanderbull."
Vanderbull chuckled. "I save the pastel colors for the public lines. Pony folk seem to like it, but I prefer the earthier tones." He turned to Twilight. "Your little friend really is a good assistant. Seems we are both blessed with good help."
Twilight smiled as Spike flushed with pride, happy to be appreciated by their guest.
"And now, if you'll excuse me…"
Twilight watched as he opened the door, but then a thought occurred to her.
"Wait!" she cried suddenly, surprising both Vanderbull and Spike. "I… there's something I wanted to ask you."
"Yes, of course, Princess, how can I help you?"
"It's… well, you know Princess Celestia too, it seems," she began.
Vanderbull nodded. "Yes. We go back a long time. Without her, I'd never have become the minotaur I am today!"
"Yes, well, it's just that when we asked her for help at first with fixing the automaton, she didn't seem very, uh, receptive."
Vanderbull seemed to understand and nodded his head slowly. "Ah. That."
"It really was strange," Spike added. "Princess Celestia has always been so supportive of Twilight. I couldn't believe how she just blew the whole thing off at first!"
Vanderbull cleared his throat, for the first time in his visit looking uncomfortable. "Yes, I can explain, but, um… please, if we could keep this to ourselves? I'd hate for Her Majesty to think I was gossiping after she sent me this wonderful opportunity."
Twilight smiled. "You have my word. I know how you feel, in all honesty."
"Well, it's like this: Her Majesty… that is, Princess Celestia is… old."
Twilight cocked her head to the side. "Old?"
"I know that's no sort of secret, but ponies often take it for granted. Because of her eternally youthful looks and magnanimous demeanor, she is seen as never aging. But that is only her body. Her mind is the product of countless moons. Decades upon decades and centuries upon centuries. Now, I am no spring chicken myself," he said, stroking the tuft of his gray beard for emphasis, "and my wife and I are both old enough to be parents or even grandparents, if we had any children, that is."
"I didn't know you were married!" Twilight exclaimed. "You met another minotaur here in Equestria?"
He smiled. "No, actually. She's a pony, and the very love of my life."
"Oh!" she said, somewhat surprised. She decided not to ask if the lack of children was the result of choice or biology.
"I suppose it seems odd to you," Vanderbull mused, "a minotaur and a pony. About as likely as seeing a dragon attracted to a pony, am I right, Spike my boy?"
Spike managed to keep his cool despite Vanderbull's oblivious guffaws, though that was partly because of Twilight putting a comforting hoof on his shoulder.
"The point is, even in my age, I feel like it is difficult at times to understand change and progress. My expertise in technology is among the greatest in the land, yet I find so many others with newfangled ideas that fascinate and confuse me at the same time. That is partly why I have hired Gadget; I needed somepony with fresh ideas and no prejudice and the boldness to try something completely different. Still, as I age, I feel as though the modern world is encroaching on the world I once knew. Quite common for us older folks, really. Always complaining about newfangled things. You understand what I am saying?"
Twilight nodded. "I do. But what does that have to do with Celestia?"
Vanderbull laughed out loud. "Don't you see? It is difficult for me to adjust to the times, and I am merely in my fifties. Celestia is so very much older. And before we had things like trains and the telegraph, change came slowly. But nowadays, technology is changing so rapidly, and this rather disturbs Her Majesty."
"Wow," Spike commented. "But then, how come she gets along with you so well?"
"Because I had the foresight to make the technology personal for her. Back when locomotives were first being developed, Her Highness referred to them as… what was it… ah, yes: 'Loud, smoke-belching monstrosities and will never replace the cart and chariot.'"
Twilight almost laughed out loud. "Celestia said that? I can't believe that."
"Oh? Have you ever heard of her travelling by train?"
She froze. Of course Celestia had travelled all across the country… but no, she couldn't think of a single instance of her travelling by train in the years she'd known her. It was always by royal chariot, even when it would have been just as convenient and certainly more luxurious to take a private train.
"Nopony could get any funding or allowances for something the Princess herself dismissed," Vanderbull went on. "Nor would the public ride such a thing. So I came up with an idea.
"At great personal expense to me and my company, we bought up tracts of land and laid down railroad tracks between my hometown of Manehatten and Fillydelphia. I was in debt and about to lose it all, but I went ahead with a gambit. Her Highness was attending a function in Fillydelphia one day, so I arranged for the famous Manehatten Barndoor and Brumby Brothers' Circus to load their troupe, complete with animals, clowns, magicians, and acrobats, onto a train of custom-made cars and pay a surprise visit to the town. It was well-known that Celestia was quite a fan of the circus for some reason, and when the whole town of Fillydelphia went abuzz at the sight, Her Highness was right there to see them arrive and set up for a one-day only show."
"That's amazing!" Spike exclaimed.
"And I take it that worked?" Twilight asked knowingly.
"It did. She gave her approval and reversed her opinion regarding the technology, especially with regard to me… the 'Minotaur who Joined Two Cities' the newspapers called me." He puffed his chest out with pride. "With the Princess now backing trains, the railroad industry took off and investors were practically fighting each other to buy a share in my company. And now the railroad joins every metropolis and one-horse town across Equestria. Though she still personally eschews trains, she warmed up to me and welcomed me into the Canterlot elite. And that's how we became, well, friends, I suppose."
Twilight smiled. "Thank you for the wonderful story, Mr. Vanderbull," Twilight said. "Well, good night. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Ah, just a moment please," Vanderbull said, stopping her. "I hate to keep you any further, but since we're discussing it, this might be a good time to mention that Celestia still mistrusts any new technology and I happen to know that she finds the very idea of a mechanical pony offensive. She is largely the reason the technology never went beyond a novelty a century ago. The thought of replacing a flesh-and-blood pony with a machine is something she fears more than almost anything else. Her Highness is a truly caring ruler and bless her heart, she cares greatly for the common pony. Thus, she is interested in us fixing this automaton only to see if there's some threat against you or the kingdom. If there isn't, she might pull rank and demand we destroy the machine the instant we learn where it came from."
"Sh-she wouldn't do that!" Twilight gasped. "There's so much potential for something like this!"
"It's merely a possibility. I could be wrong, but in case I'm not," Vanderbull said, pushing his spectacles up his long snout to look at her intently, "you might want to come up with some reason to keep studying it once we get it working that will satisfy her. If it were anything else, I wouldn't bother, but technology is her one sore spot. I for one believe that technology like the machine downstairs will build this nation's future, and it is up to us to see that the future comes soon, or it may not come at all."
Twilight nodded. "I see. Well, I'd like to think you're wrong, but I'll think about it anyway. Good night, Mr. Vanderbull."
Vanderbull smiled, almost yawning as he entered his quarters. "Good night, Princess Twilight."
Spike and Twilight were quiet as they made their way down the hallway. It was a full minute and back in Twilight's bedroom before Spike broke the silence.
"So, what are you gonna do, Twilight?" he asked uneasily.
"I… I don't know yet, Spike," she replied. "But I'll come up with something." Her face grew stern and resolute at the thought of taking a stand against her mentor. "I hate to upset Princess Celestia, but no matter what, I'm not going to let the scientific discovery of the century slip out of my hooves."
To be continued...