It would seem I was wrong about the storms today. Approximately two hours after I had sent out a new radio beacon and spent some time wandering the deserted streets and parks of Ponyville, a massive system, almost as large as the one that had been over Canterlot, struck Ponyville from the South.
The storm was likely a 'gift' from the Everfree Forest, I'd wager. Ponykind and that creepy forest always have been the best of friends, haven't we?
So there I was, stuck in Town Hall for the duration of the downpour. I had definitely not been looking forward to being in here near the Engine under such conditions, they mirrored the storm from last year almost to the letter. I had no other choice though, Town Hall contained the only such things where I could productively wait for the storm to pass.
Fortunately for my nerves however, the Tesla coils were their normal blue and not an angry red when they roared to life from the lightning channeling into them. The blue crackling light of the electricity mixed with that of my desk lamp and computer screen to cast the room into a crazy show of shadows and rainbows from all the reflective metal surfaces.
Eight months ago, I had conceived of the idea to place a few ponyquins with labcoats in here to 'keep watch' in my absence during the morning and evening. Imagining how the scene would look now with the silhouettes of pony-shaped figures looming in the dark corners of the room with the crazy lighting reminded me just how idiotic the idea truly had been.
For a supposed inventor and intellectual, not necessarily all my ideas have been fool proof. With nothing else to do as the thunderstorm raged outside, I decided it was the perfect time to continue pouring through my colleagues' records.
Within moments of passing over the most recent two of Twilight Sparkle's audio logs, I discovered much to my extreme frustration, that the vast majority following them–some two hundred or so audio logs–had been either corrupted or sealed with a magical encryption spell only Twilight herself could possibly break. With that in mind, I also recalled how in the days leading up to the Disappearances, the unicorn had been making more logs in a single average day than in all previous weeks combined. Most of us had simply chalked it all up to the stress of our work, a perfectly reasonable theory I too, had subscribed to, until recently.
But after hearing and reading what I have, and given Luna's sudden apparent re-emergence, I have since concluded that something far more cloak-and-dagger had been going on with Sparkle and the Diarchs than we had been allowed to know publicly.
"Just what was it the Princesses were up to? And how does bloody Tesla play into all of this?" I half-muttered, half grumbled to myself, still scouring for one of Twilight's logs I could actually investigate.
Only one more audio log remained that I could access by normal means. I'm not sure why, but I decided to save it for tomorrow and find some other way to keep occupied instead while I wait out the storm.
Peering around in the dim room, I figured now was a decent time to snoop through the personal effects my other fellow scientists had left behind. Believe it or not, when I had set about cleaning this place out right after the Disappearances, much like the other places I keep under careful management, food and other perishables were really the only things I had bothered to mess with. Best to clean them up before things got 'fragrant'.
All other miscellaneous items have more or less remained untouched for a year, much like a museum exhibit. Dusting off and analyzing work tables, desks, and break areas yielded dozens of diverse, if rather mundane findings. Stray labcoats some had not been wearing when the anomaly occurred, some dropped PDA's full of private daily information, a gold watch, two bottles of wine, a couple of dusty saddlebags, hats, and bonnets left on their racks. All in all, fairly unremarkable.
That was, except for one specific thing I had managed to overlook all this time: Rainbow Dash's own Personal Data Assistant. As far as we all knew, Rainbow had been arguably as close with the Princesses as Twilight and the other Elements of Harmony had been. If anyone would have had something to hide from the common eggheads such as myself, it would have been that mare.
I picked up the device gently with my mouth, tossing it dexterously into one of my hooves. It was one of the less common 'limited edition' models of the company that made them. By design, it was a large touch-screen interface on a flat onyx surface, a 'tablet' if you will.
The device was quick to react, the battery inside it fully charged from the Tesla coil's power broadcasts. The dull white and blue of its lit screen added to the already chaotic lights show of the room. Town Hall was starting to look as if some pony were throwing a rave party...or two. In normal times, the lights probably would have attracted Vinyl Scratch and those darn turntables of hers.
Accessing the files on Dash's device, I found mostly video recordings of some of her stunts, both successful, and some rather less so. While entertaining, they definitely were not the type of thing I was looking for.
I was nearly about to give up my search, when I finally stumbled across something noteworthy, a video file labeled, 'Edison/Tesla Dispute'. The video was dated to Autumn of year nine of the Diarchy, the rule of Celestia and Luna, which makes this file almost two years old. Intrigued that its title contained the name of our scientific benefactor for the entire Prometheus project, I quickly opened the video.
First thing I saw was the surface of a cloud I think, the entire viewing angle was shaky, Dash must have been recording this while in flight perhaps. Quickly the angle flipped around, and I could make out the face of Rainbow Dash herself with a silly grin on her face.
It was raining slightly in the video, but not nearly as much as it was now, outside. This was merely a gentle drizzle, not the fierce meteorological monstrosities of today. A few raindrops hit the camera lens, but were quickly brushed off by a cyan wing. Rainbow held a hoof to her mouth, as if telling someone to quiet down or be silent.
I could have sworn I heard another feminine voice just off screen, accompanied by a flash of something pink. "Do they see us?" I heard the other say in a hushed but highly enthusiastic voice. Rainbow Dash shook her head, then pointed the camera down, and I could see that they were actually sitting on top of a rather large cloud. A new thing, something gold or buttery-colored flashed on the opposite side of where the pink had for just a brief second.
"Umm, girls? I'm not sure this is exactly the most polite thing to do..." I heard a third voice, far softer than the others say. The camera was now inching along the surface of the cloud, Rainbow Dash must have been crawling towards the edge.
"C'mon Fluttershy, this is just too rich not to get recorded."
Finally, the camera was raised again, and I could make out the scene almost in its entirety. Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy apparently, and someone else were looking down at two stallions, who were in the middle of a heated debate in front of the Equestrian Electric Headquarters, which would mean this was filmed in the suburbs of Manehattan.
I recognized the earth pony instantly, his fine black moustache, mane style, lightning rod cutie mark, and handsome suit positively screamed 'Tesla'. The older one, the unicorn with the black mane just starting to gray, lightbulb cutie mark, and elaborate bow tie must have been Edison then.
The unknown pink mare stifled a giggle and Fluttershy squeaked nervously as Rainbow Dash held the camera steady and zoomed in on the bickering pair.
"How many times must I say it, Alternating Current and wireless transmission are the way of the future! Why must you insist on staying in the past?" Tesla said in his rich accent, almost on the verge of shouting. I took note that his mane and coat appeared rather disheveled in addition to being rain-soaked, and his ears were pressed flat against his head.
Trotmas Edison raised an eyebrow at Tesla, and nonchalantly messed with his bow tie, as the rain fell harmlessly away from his levitating black umbrella. He replied in a suave, confident tone that made me both want to hate, and admire him at the same time. "Because young sir, the 'past' as you call it, is where the money is. What you propose would make a lot of good industrialist ponies, dear patrons of mine, go bankrupt! Bits make the world go around, Mister Tesla."
Not unlike a steamed vegetable, Tesla's face fumed red beneath his grey coat. "Bits? Bits! Look around you, it's not about wealth anymore, it's energy! We've been tapping into the Earth to extract oil for nigh ten years, and even longer for coal. But now we're running out!"
Edison was unrelenting. The older unicorn merely shook his head, unconvinced. "Ah yes, the 'Energy Crisis' as they call it. Tesla, that's nothing more than an old mare's tale spun up by those Luddite lunatics in order to convince Her Majesty Celestia to force us back into the damn Middle Ages."
He then telekinetically shook his walking cane at Tesla. "Either you get with the status quo, or Equestrian Electric will no longer have need of your services, sir."
At that, Tesla's face darkened considerably, and based on his tensing body language, I would say it looked as if he were about go physical with the older stallion.
"Dashie, I think this is getting a bit too serious, they're not playing around. Maybe we should go find something else to do..." The third enthusiastic voice said, although I was starting to notice that the playful enthusiasm had quickly left her voice.
Off screen, I heard Rainbow Dash groan irritably. "Pinkie Pie, not you too! Listen, funny or not, this could be journalism gold, we could sell this to the Ponyville Confidential and make a wagon-load of bits! Maybe then I can afford one of those new cool-looking sky chariots!"
Pinkie Pie laughed quietly. "Ooh! I've always wanted to fly one of those things!" I rolled my eyes; nothing was special about those funny flying contraptions. Wings and automobiles were perfectly fine separate from one another, and I barely survived the trip down here on one in the first place.
Looking back to the tablet in my hooves, I noticed the angle had changed again. "Hey look, somepony else is coming towards them." Fluttershy said in a whisper, which I guessed was probably her normal speaking voice.
Dash muttered something under her breath, and moved the camera away from both Tesla and Edison, who were glaring daggers at each other, and towards the newcomer. I could tell it was a mare, based on they elegant way that they walked. She had a silvery-gray coat similar to Tesla's, but I couldn't make out her facial features on account of the tall-necked raincoat and over sized hat that she wore.
"Ah man, she better not be breaking this up or something, I was looking forward to Edison getting a good whooping." Dash said. The viewing angle, much to my frustration, got shaky again."What the hay? He would be asking for it!"
Too my absolute shock, Fluttershy replied off screen in a very firm and stern tone. "Never glorify violence, it only creates more problems!" The admonishment ended almost in what sounded like a hiss.
"Look, Fluttershy, I know what happened between Angel and that giant dragon was tragic, but it was just..."
"Were in not for you antagonizing Angel, everyone could have walked away unhurt. But no! Now my sweet little bunny will forever be remembered as a mean dragonslayer!"
"But Flutters, I didn't mean to..."
Rainbow and Flutteshy's exchange was cut off by Pinkie Pie's urgent whisper. "Dashie, Fluttershy, the mystery mare just approached the guys...do you think she's gonna prank them or something? That would certainly make this funny again!"
After the camera stabilized again in Dash' grip, the view returned to the scene below. The 'Mystery Mare' as Pinkie Pie had referred to her as had finally partially caught Tesla and Edison's attention.
"...then I'll just have to take things into my own hands, Mister Edison. If Equestrian Electric is unwilling to see the worthiness of my vision, then I will petition the Princesses myself of making it a reality. My corporation will actually work to better ponykind and the world, rather than grow fat and lazy off the piles of bits from its monopolies like your 'good industrialists' do on a daily basis!"
His face as dark as Tesla's, and his muzzle pulled back in a sneer, Edison replied. "Neighkola Tesla, I must warn you those are some very, very dangerous words. Your naivete will only..."
"Gentlestallions, please! Bickering will only get you nowhere." The newcomer interjected in a beautiful, strangely...familiar voice.
"That...can't be. Impossible!" I said, gawking at the screen in my hooves. When the mare turned her head from Edison to Tesla, I could finally make out her appearance in detail. A pair of mulberry-magenta eyes peered at the still fuming inventors through a few wet strands of black mane. I paused the video, uncomprehending who it was I was seeing on the screen.
"Oct...Octavia?" I murmured in disbelief. For a moment I looked up from the tablet and stared off into space. Shaking my head clear again, I hit play.
"Miss Melody?! What brings a virtuoso such as yourself around here under such nasty weather?" Edison inquired, seeming to me genuinely surprised by her sudden appearance.
Octavia only partially looked at him as she replied back. "I am here to deliver a summons for Mister Neighkola Tesla, from Celestia herself." She turned her gaze to Tesla, who to me appeared positively befuddled, the poor chap. Gracefully, Octavia produced a wrapped parcel from her rain-proof saddlebag and placed it in Tesla's hesitant hooves.
"A summons for me, Octavia? Is Her Majesty a mind-reading telepath?" Tesla stammered out in shock.
Narrowing her eyes in her own distinctive way she did when in a professionally-oriented mood, Octavia shook her head. "No, Neighkola. Princess Celestia has been aware of your work for quite some time now. Her Majesty...has ways, if you will, of finding out important things Parliament and the others can't. I shan't divulge any further than that."
Edison's sneer deepened, and his suave voice broke and stammered as his rage left him almost too flustered to speak. "Wha...why, this is an outrage Miss Melody! Since when did you become a courier or agent of the Crown? And what use would one of the Diarchs have for a young upstart such as this, he's accomplished nothing more than creating a few simple lightning rods. Their just foalish parlor tricks, NOTHING MORE!" He ended his tirade with stomps of his hoof on the slick pavement, all of which the camera had caught at a dramatic angle.
To my extreme pride for her, Octavia's sharp gaze was unwavering as Edison uncivilly voiced his dissent. While she listened to Edison rant like a young colt in the midst of a temper tantrum, Tesla had rushed underneath the nearest dry awning of the building.
Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie murmured something to each other that I couldn't make out. It was then that Dash made it her point to zoom in on Neighkola's face as he read the royal summons aloud. His face switched from astonishment, to apprehension at Edison's tirade, then finally to extreme joy as he reached the document's end.
"Look at that smile, its magnificent!" Pinkie Pie remarked.
"I thank you most sincerely, Miss Melody for bringing this to me at such short notice. I shall report to Her Majesty as soon as I can!" Tesla proclaimed, folding the letter in his hoof quickly and putting it in his breast pocket, where it was safe from the rain. Octavia nodded to him, and Tesla galloped away from her and the still fuming Edison, disappearing from the sight of Dash's camera.
"Ah, dammit!" Rainbow Dash groaned. She must have been irritated that no hooves were thrown, knowing her like I do.
Edison glared at Octavia, who was moving to leave. "This is nonsense, that stallion's ideas are going to run Equestria into the ground Miss Melody. I will be sure to make this fact vocal in Parliament, and to Princess Luna, very soon!"
From the camera angle, I could tell Octavia was not looking at him as she trotted off around the street corner. "Your grievances will fall on deaf ears, Mister Edison." She replied, leaving him standing in front of his own building with a priceless expression of sheer outrage.
After getting a good shot of Edison's face, Rainbow Dash followed Octavia. "Fluttershy, move this darn cloud for me!" The seemingly soft-spoken mare, despite her previous anger, must have obeyed, as the position of the camera seemed to have moved instead of just changing angles.
I saw Octavia approach the familiar sight of the automobile she usually drove around in back in the day. Before she got in, she paused abruptly and gazed up almost directly at the camera. Almost directly at me, I also thought.
"Uh oh, I think we better scram, Rainbow!" Pinkie Pie said urgently. "I'm pretty sure she knows we're up here, we may be in some deeeeepy deep trouble!"
"Oh no, I...I don't want to go to prison for spying!" I heard Fluttershy squeak.
Rainbow Dash let out a chuckle of exasperation. "Guys, there's no way we could be in trouble for this, I work for the Princesses. We can report this to Princess Celestia as Edison questioning her judgement or something!"
"Well...I...I suppose that's not too far from the truth." Fluttershy agreed.
"I told ya guys we should have brought Applejack with us!" Pinkie Pie said in a sing-song voice that slightly creeped me out, leaving the back of my mane standing on end.
"Oh c'mon Pinkie, there's no way she would have went along with this! Let's beat it, your wing spell is about to wear off Pinkie Pie, and Twilight will be dead furious if she finds out that we used it for spying." Rainbow replied, before the video feed abruptly cut out.
I just sat there on my haunches, completely flabbergasted from the whole thing. I had opened it, hoping to find some more answers that could help me in my tasks, but instead it just left more questions than it had even answered.
"What the hay did Tesla have to do with all of this besides providing equipment for the project, what is his relationships with the Princesses? What is Octavia's involvement in the government? She never said anything about being an agent, er courier, or whatever!" I paced back and forth near the Prometheus Engine, rambling off questions to myself like a maniac.
"Argh, bloody hell! This whole situation is a cumbersome, complicated mess!" I absentmindedly hit a side of the engine, and it coughed up steam from a vent high above me.
I chuckled. "He, he. Sorry about that old chap, just a tugging of the nerves is all."
With a sigh, I dropped down onto my desk chair, setting Dash's PDA tablet next to my terminal. The storm had started to die down. I didn't hear any thunder, but the rain was still hammering the place; I could have sworn I heard hale as well.
Running the scenes of the video through my mind, I kept thinking of what Edison had said, the warning he had given to Octavia. I had no proof, but I was beginning to have suspicions that Trotmas Edison had just as much of a role in the Disappearances as Neighkola Tesla and Twilight did. With that bitter possibility through my mind, my thoughts shifted focus now to Octavia.
Oh Celestia, do I miss her. Call me whatever colorful name in the book you so well please, but if it were to turn out tragically that only one Equestrian could be brought back to this world, it would be her. Not my colleagues, or even Celestia, if she is indeed missing too.
But on second thought, perhaps either her or Twilight I would consider. Octavia is brilliant true, but only Twilight would have the technical know-how like me to modify the engine and reverse its effects on Equestria. That has to amount to something. Huh, look at me, deciding which of my own people I get to theoretically save, isn't that a hoot? For some odd twist of fate, I was the only one, besides Luna apparently, to not vanish.
But, thinking about such deep esoteric things, that made my mind become scrambled. And given the circumstances, a clear mind is needed twenty-four seven.
I chuckled again as I leaned back in my chair, laying my hind legs on the desk and putting my forelegs behind my head like a pillow. It was a posture I had learned about from a mare by the name of Lyra Heartstrings. A strange girl, that one, always rambling about fingers.
"Well, Doctor Hooves, you said you need to keep a clear mind. So I suppose that's why those two bottles of wine are still sitting over unattended, eh?" I said aloud to myself. "Why of course, those aren't mine. Er...I mean to say, I am saving them for a special occasion." I replied back with a snicker.
The little version of me in the back of my mind chuckled far more cheerfully then I had. Why don't you just drink one now? Today is a special occasion, you learned somepony else actually still exists in our world! Hurray for Luna! Luna, Luna, hurray for Woona!
"Alright, alright! If it'll just shut you up. Luna have mercy!" Looking at the wine on the table nearby, I snatched the bottle by the curve of my foreleg and cracked it open with my teeth, downing a quarter of it in under a minute.
So, there I was, sitting with my legs propped up casually on my desk, sipping fine Canterlot wine. I got on my terminal and played another one of Octavia's symphonies, a perfect way to stave off the boredom of storm-waiting. Her exquisite melodies mixed very well with the pitter-patter of the rain outside, and the gentle din of Prometheus. Not being much of a true drinker myself, the wine was exceedingly powerful, and before I knew it, I was beginning to doze off into dreamland, said to be one of Luna's own realms.
"Prinshess Woona, oh where art thou?" My voice slurred. "Ansher all ma questiunns, ivv you'd be sho kind yer majestii..."
Now passed out at my desk, I had failed to notice that it had since turned to late evening, and the bright sky was quickly dimming with the retreating storm system.
What I also was unable to register in my fermented grape-induced inebriation, were the strange looking pony-shaped forms of energy that had been peering in through the large windows and watching me the entire time. Having sized me up, the strange creatures then galloped silently away to parts unknown.
