Talk
"Well I don't know about you red but I can see practically everything from here" I said as I clung for dear life to the mountain peak. "Well Captain just hold me up and I can take a full 3D picture" said Red. I rummaged inside my bag with one hoof while I wondered something "Red you're a little black box I have never seen a camera on you so how can you determine things" I asked. "Well Captain my other sensors help me but my entire chassis is covered in tiny microscopic cameras so I can see easily about twenty times better than you can". "Quit talking and take the damn picture" I said. "I took the picture about seven thousand times about three seconds ago now how are you going to get down"? "Red you forget that my backpack has a built in glider".
"Yes but considering the force in which you'd plummet towards the ground and the thrust of the Captaaaain". I cut her off as I leaped off the mountain and immediately went into a dive. "Captain Asimov you are breaking regulation 2467, 2900, 21..." "Quit your yapping and enjoy the freedom of free fall" I yelled as I plummeted towards the ground. "Captain I don't see this as any fun what if your glider cannot take the strain"? "Well we die, simple" I said as the forest came up really close now. "Asimov we passed a thousand feet"! She didn't have to say anymore as I activated my jet pack and slowly began to slow my descent. The little engines strained and began to splutter as they pushed against my momentum but eventually they slowed me down until I was naught but a metre from the ground. I dropped down and immediately collapsed exhausted.
"That was absolutely awesome" I said as I say up. "Awesome, you've never used that word before Captain so why use it now?" Red asked. "Well its how these ponies speak so I don't see the problem in adopting some local tongue". I began to walk back to my camp which was really just a place to put my gear when I was going somewhere. I stopped by a nearby stream and took a long drink, throwing some water onto my face as well. I looked at the face that I barley recognised as mine. It was now white with a short navy blur mane (that of a guard) it looked so alien to the brown face I'd known for so many years. "Yet at the same time not really known" I said to myself. "What?" asked Red. "N...nothing let's keep moving" I said as I shook off sad memories.
I walked back to the camp in silence and upon arriving put Red on her pedestal (tree stump) then went to check on my gear. "Have you made any progress on our little friend" I asked as I checked my pulse rifle. "Yes and no Captain, I have scanned the entire infrastructure and have hacked the main AI system to work for any user but the time stream has meddled with the files and now they are fragmented all over the place so I need to sort them out but there are more pressing things at hand" Red said now with a tone of seriousness in her voice. "Yes and that is" I asked coming over to her. "My power supply is under ten percent and unless we find some way of charging or replacing it then I won't be around to help you anymore". I actually think my mouth dropped open as I looked as the holographic image of Red. "You're kidding, the U.E.R can make a gun that will shoot for infinite but they cannot make a computer that'll last a week"! "Captain you must understand they believed that my uses would be minimal, background information and some scanning not constant use and long distance scans I'm amazed I'm still online"! "Well how do we get you more power?" I asked.
"Well it's fairly simple really I can run on any form of crystal that is up to 5X5 long but for a longer use than that I would suggest finding a Royal Blue crystal". "Hey Red crystals aren't easy to find I mean in outlet time we were barely able to scrape enough together for ammunition". "It is actually a lot easier to get your hands on crystals in this time Captain and I have already simulated a plan that will kill two birds in one stone" she said. "You see the upper class of ponies keep these jewels as signs of fashion and wear them on dresses their necks and their heads but the castle must have many royal gems that are great in value so, we go into the castle so I can scan the layout and you look for a gem that is really shiny and blue" she explained. "Red you know that I need you but I am not ready for any social interactions so soon I mean I barley spent ten minutes in Canterlot before I blew something up"! "Correction Captain those unicorns blew something up". "Well anyway I'm not going" I said as strode over to a tree with loads of cross marks".
"Captain May I remind you that you need me and that there is less than a week and a half until Luna dies, so doing this now will make it easier for step four of the plan".
I sighed and looked at her "you're right, but I don't like it". I got changed into my guard's uniform and left the small encampment with Red strapped to my belt. "Okay so to get to the castle you just go straight through the main gate and follow the main road that will wind up to the castle, take it coolly and just act natural" said Red as Canterlot came into view.
I followed Red's plan and continued in down the mane road, thankfully all the other citizens gave me a wide space either due to my guard status or my concentrated expression. I passed a quiet walk up to the castle but upon arriving I noticed that there were two guards with swords and nobody was going in.
"Hopefully it's because they don't get too many visitors" I murmured. Unfortunately I was wrong as when I walked up to the door I was denied entrance as the two ponies took a step back putting their hands on their swords and stating "who are you"? Normally I was accustomed to answering with my rank and serial number but since things were more relaxed it was easier "I'm the err... new guy" I said trying my best to sound like those guards. They seemed to accept this and opened the double doors too which I hurried inside all too quickly.
"Geez I thought that was going to be difficult" I said as I walked along the halls passing stone pillars and lush decorations as I went. "So are you scanning the rooms Red" I whispered, even though there were no ponies around.
"Yes Asimov but my power source is waning, I'm down to less than five percent power now". "Just try to hang on I'm looking for a room that looks fancy". "Captain they all look fancy" said Red. "Well I'll just try this one" I said as I opened the door closest to me.
As I did it seemed that time stood still as I stared up the corridor at a rather large pony with wings and a horn and a flowing dull rainbow mane that seemed to float a waver in the air. The princess was sitting atop a throne of gold with two guards standing in front of her, I was about to close the door but before I could I heard a large booming voice that resembled by old drill instructors back in my time. "Hold there guard" said this voice as another pony came up behind me and slid through the open doorway. If Celestia had caused me to gasp then this new pony near on gave me a heart attack. Princess Luna was dark as night blue with wavy hair of the same colour and a black cutie mark was on her flank, however what really struck me were her eyes, they were a beautiful cyan and in the few milliseconds that I looked at them I saw she was not like the ponies from this time. However she passed me without the slightest notice and strode over to her sister in very jerky movements.
I closed the door and stepped in taking point in front of the doors and trying to look important whilst I gazed with my dull eyes at the only Alicorns in existence.
"Sister thou hast to cease this this instant" she seemed to yell in that really loud voice as if ordering her. "What do you mean dear sister" asked Celestia in a much lower but still firm voice which gave her a very commanding presence. "Thou hast denied us access to our city and now you deny me access to our own castle"! "First of all Luna you can stop using the Canterlot voice on me and secondly this is for your own protection, the recent activities in the square have had us all on edge and with you barley returned I do not wish to put you in more danger so limiting places which might be hazardous will improve chances of safety"! "Locking me up will make me safe" said Luna in a much lower voice but still plenty angry. "Think Luna there hasn't been a murder in Equestria in a thousand years then you turn up and we find two dead unicorns and a whole square of unconscious ponies around, this is connected to you and I just don't want you going out and getting killed ok" said Celestia in a very sisterly tone. Luna looked crushed as she said the next words "I see where this is going, you don't want me going out into town as ponies may fear me and somepony like all of Equestria might try to kill me". "Luna that's not what I..." but Celestia couldn't finish as Luna had already began to walk away, before I could open the doors she barged them open as tears streamed down her face. I kept my emotionless expression as Celestia looked at me and then began talking to her other guards.
I took this as an excellent time to slip out quietly without being noticed. "Well Asimov" said Red as I began to walk away "you sure know how to pick the right doors". "Shush Red, this information could prove valuable, if Luna stays in only certain parts of the castle then this makes out lives a lot easier". "Captain I don't wish to alarm you but certain systems all over my system are shutting down, I think that you should hurry up and find a crystal of some sort.
So I put Luna out of my mind even though it was hard for me to do and began searching in lots of rooms. Even though I found libraries, living rooms, guest rooms and all sorts which helped me paint a mental picture of the castle I didn't find any jewel rooms. "Power supply failing" gasped Red as if she was dying (which in a way I guess she was). "Don't worry Red this room will have it for sure" and when I opened the door it was truly the luckiest jackpot in the world. Gold, Silver and seemed to fill the room from top to bottom bit I didn't stop to admire the room as I searched until finding a nicely sized Royal Blue crystal.
"Red I got it now where do I put it" I said as I held Red's box up into the light. The little holographic filly came up and waved all over the place, however a little hatch seemed to pop open and a very clear crystal popped out and before I could catch it fell to the floor with a smash. I looked at the small slot and inserted the crystal just as Red's image began to fade. Suddenly the image shone bright and suddenly in perfect synchronisation Red announced "Red Terminal Project Restart AI 300 activated, Power Levels at 7000 percent".
I looked at the image of Red and asked "Red are you ok"? "Never better Captain I feel Alice, literally every fibre in my circuitry I'd burning, this crystal certainly isn't a total blue but it's teaming with enough power to last me years, literally you want a scan of the castle done" she said rather fast and positively.
"Ok then let's get out of here then, this uniform makes me itch".
But it seemed that coincidence wasn't finished with me as I stepped out of that Jewel room who do I run into, Princess Luna. She stopped startled as did I with a wide eyed expression "oh go on and run away, all the other guess do it so you may as well leave as well" she said in a sad tone. I briefly considered leaving but deemed that if I was to be keeping a close eye on Luna for the following two weeks then I might as well start off on a good foot. "No ma'am I was simply surprised that's all" I said adding the guard voice into my regular one. She looked at me and seeming to compose herself spoke with the Canterlot voice "thou is not like the other ponies of Canterlot" she said. "Too true your majesty" I said before I could stop myself. I cursed inside my head but she seemed to take no notice now putting a hoof on my shoulder for support as she sagged against me. "Are you ok your majesty"? "Nay my fine guard my sister is I have returned after a thousand year relapse to discover that every pony hates me with a passion or fears me worse than the chaos days of Discord, I just wish things could have been different" she said as a tear streaked down her face. I felt something inside me, empathy maybe something I could relate to Luna I mean we were both centuries out of our original time and were troubled to abusing to life. "Your sister loves you your majesty, although it is troublesome just give it two weeks and everything should be ok" I said now with my guards voice dropped.
She looked at me with those stunning eyes and asked "I suppose you may be right, but I will hold you to your promise guard, what is your name"? I wondered if I should tell her a fake name but decided against it "Asimov, Asimov Foundation your highness". "Well dear Asimov I hope I will see you around sometime" she said as she strode away from me and left me alone in the corridor.
"Captain are you I'm" asked Red after a few moments. "Err yes why" I asked as I snapped out of the daydreaming I was in. "It's just your heart rate has accelerated to above average and you are sweating profusely" she said.
"Oh just amazement from meeting our mission orders for the first real time". "She was something and a half" said Red.
"Yeah, she was something" I said as I began to walk back to the exit.
I did it before I leave forever... Or for a couple of days, hope you guys like it, spelling once again might be crap but hey I do this in free time. By the way may I just say next chapters gonna have plenty of action...!XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD DX DX DX DX DX DX