Bellesmith stared off into space, remaining still as a statue as two unicorns in white uniforms fitted a metal cap to the blunt end of her horn. They murmured numbers and figures to each other, fastening arcane cables to the cap and affixing it to a mechanical contraption hanging from the ceiling of the small laboratory.
After a deep breath, Bellesmith glanced up. She eyed the sheet of glass, but saw no shadows beyond it. Her eyes wandered towards the far end of the room, spotting the porous metal box that stood on a pedestal straight across her seat. At the wall beyond it, a pair of metal tracks stuck out of the ground, empty and bare.
"You appear calmer than yesterday, darling," Dalton said, his gently smiling face coming into view. "Did you get enough rest?"
Bellesmith swallowed hard and said, "Professor Garnet gave me some good advice."
Dalton nodded, brushing an aged hoof over his mustached. He remarked, "He gave you advice? Or a steady dose of fear?"
Her chestnut eyes fell to the floor as the unicorns finished hooking her up to the arcane contraptions.
Dalton sighed. With a hopeful smirk, he patted her forelimbs and eased her back into the seat. "We will go about it easily this time. I promise that the session won't end with such a jarring disconnect."
"I don't know if we can afford 'easily,' Dalton," Bellesmith murmured. Her soft eyes pleaded with him. "Shell is getting impatient. My beloved—"
"Will be safe, I promise you," Dalton said. His wrinkled coat glinted in the pale mana light. "It's like I keep telling Mildred: Shell is simply a lot of hot air and an appetite for medals. He's all talk and no Spark. He couldn't even pretend to interfere with this project, for there's not a magical bone in his body that understands the sequencing."
"At this rate, he'll understand it well enough." She squinted and asked, "Why are the Enforcers so desperate to grasp the power of this subject?"
"I try not to let the military affairs of Ledomare affect my concentration," Dalton said, "And neither should you. We have tasks to do, and if we wish to see our beloveds again, it's best that we did or jobs dutifully. Remember, Belle..." He squeezed her shoulder and let go. "The Spark is pure and immaculate. If nothing else, trust in it."
"I'll try," she said, nodding.
The unicorns beside her exclaimed, "Sequencer is ready!"
"Prepare the first sphere!"
"Aligning with the subject!"
Dalton and the other technicians trotted away. The arcane coils connected to Bellesmith's horn started to glow with crimson light. She took a deep breath and tried to close her eyes, but the billowing light from ahead of her caught her attention, as it always did.
The box on the pedestal was emanating a ruby aura. With a mechanical hiss, the floor at the far wall slid open. A familiar cylinder rose into view. An aperture opened in the silver heart of the pillar, and a beam of light passed from it through the box and towards Bellesmith's seat.
"And lock!" a unicorn exclaimed.
Bellesmith hissed through her teeth as a deep dizziness overtook her.
"Sequencing with sphere in t-minus five... four..."
The young mare whimpered, her eyes twitching from brown to red to brown again. "Beloved..."
"...three... two..."
She jerked as her whole body was electrified. She had four limbs, then eight, then four again.
"...one."
100 bucks says that this story ends with some godlike character mysteriously saying "Eljunbryo...."
...of course, that would suggest that this story was predictable.
1469688
Heheh, let's just hope that doesn't happen...
I dont get it..?
1470414 That is how Austreoh ended, with the Matriarch whispering, "Austreoh..." after she nearly kills RD then leaves her to die.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=SAe3sCIakXo&vq=large#t=320]
This fits so well with this and Austreoh.
1470414 I reassure you, nobody did and does. Except (maybe) the author
Still feeling Tartarus Zero here.
What's wrong with Belle's horn?
1480526
Maybe damage from getting fried repeatedly.
1469688
If it does I'm going to throw myself off a cliff. Unless IC starts another story.
Yes! I'm the first one in weeks! Day 1 of Eljunbyro!
I really do want to know the purpose of these experiments. Much like the book from last time, though, I don't expect to know for another 150 chapters.
IIIIIt's Dashie's evaluation time!
So in this chapter, we start up the machine again. However, upon connecting with it, Belle momentarily gets Discord's eyes. This heightens my suspicions that this machine does more than just showcase a pony's memories - it mentally connects them. Which spells trouble for Belle. Also, what are these experiments for? These are my thoughts so far.
-MASH
Yep, they (enforcers) know RD knows something. I wonder if they some chunk of RD in that cylinder frozen or something.
That red glare seems to suggest the Element of Loyalty is in the chamber.
what does dash have to do with a military state? and why is bell a labrat in such a, well call it communistic, nation?
Looks like part of the chaos inside Rainbow was transferred to Belle.
We know why Rainbow Dash is awesome and maybe we can work out why they are exploring her memories, but why Bellesmith? What did she do to get involve in all of this? How are these....sequencers gets chosen?
"all talk and no Spark."
The spark is magical power. They worship magic.
Neat.
2029681
The Spark is what runs the Machine, IIRC. So these ponies know they're sitting on one, huge, steampunk-ish gizmo?
Is there connection between Bellesmith's 'dizzy spells' and Dash's? As in every time Bellesmith goes into the machine (animus) Rainbow gets (or should I say got?) dizzy? Like um, it happens at the same time... and Bellesmith partly caused/causes it?
3387885 huh. Interesting idea.
1936229 we have no clue the economics of this world. I believe the word you are looking for is Totalitarian. Economic system =/= political system.
Eight limbs? The sequencing process must really mess one's brain up, and since Belle sequences a lot....the long term effetcs won't be all that pretty. Especially with her horn being worn down every time. This Ledo place seems a lot like Darkstine, with all the devotion to knowledge from sequencing.
>it's best that we did or jobs dutifully
So apparently Ledo trusts in The Spark, Austraeoh. We know that Rainbow Dash is The Spark. Rainbow Dash is most certainly not pure or immaculate Odd.
Keeping Dash in a box is kind of rude and they're not even heading east. Not cool.
Might as well throw in a prediction or two while I'm here.
Rainbow quite clearly seems to be the subject in question, suggesting that she's still very much alive and kicking.The Spark perhaps isn't Rainbow herself, but she simply serves as a vessel which is, well... expendable.
Knowledge of the Spark also suggests knowledge of the machines and perhaps of the end of the world, which could mean that these ponies are trying to prevent it, even if their methods are questionable at best.
I won't comment on the re-appearance of Discord except that it perhaps also suggests that RD is still alive.
3682822
Shush, you.
Yep, it is confirmed that they are digging through . . . something. Dash's memories? Hmm . . .
4734705 u reed slow && dubbel-post
Hahahahaha...
No.
Spark? Chaos infection? Sequencing? From what I can gather, they digging through memories to try and align ponies with the Elements of Harmony to stop the Chaos thingy, the Spark being the Element of Magic, or at least the spark that can bring the Elements together.
Methinks so anyway. Only seven chapters in after all.
I think 'the subject' is in the porous metal box. Whether the subject is RD or her Element, remains to be revealed
Okay, so this sequencing happens to invilve copious amounts of ruby-colored light, much like the light the Element of Loyalty emits. That, combined with the horns, poem, and eyes, practically screams that RD's the 'subject', not to mention the 'Four hooves, then eight, then four again' line. I mean, if that isn't the
Animussequencing putting her into RD's body, I'm Queen Ledo....Seriously, Ed! Get on this!
Definitely digging through memories, but what for. The only thing that Rainbow has of value in there is the knowledge of the machine world, and even she has no clue how any of it works, or even how to make it work beyond instinct.
04/07/2017 23:13 UTC
I'm not one to comment before the end of a story, but I'm sensing Assassin's Creed style memory searching here. You know, the Animus and all that.
Hold the fuck on.
Her Beloved
...EHAT YEAR WAS THIS! I SWEAR TO FAUST THIS HAS BACKGROUND PONY WRITTEN ALL OVER IR!