Fallout Equestria: Tarts and Tribulations

[Forum Explorer]

Well before we got you transferred to a new body, I've got a few requests, assuming you've got control of the robots in the factory now. Moonshadow said.

[Dalinale]

"That's a fair question," Doc said, thinking a moment about it himself. "Well, correct me if I'm wrong, but you do a service here in the factory, right? In exchange you have a place for maintenance and recharging. I reckon it would be a similar experience elsewhere. You have a valuable skillset in construction. Rather than simply pay you in coin, you could have a reasonable contract with someone and exchange your services at work for a place to stay and maintenance."

"THIS UNIT DOES NOT REQUIRE RECHARGING FOR ANOTHER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIVE YEARS." Vaughn replied, "AND IT IS DESIGNED FOR USE IN HOSTILE ENVIRONMENTS IN WHICH PONIES ARE NOT EXPECTED TO SURVIVE IN. HOWEVER, THIS UNIT IS WILLING TO VOLUNTEER ITS SERVICES."

Bertly, as Vaughn talked, was silent, although it looked like the robot was examining it's much larger cousin's injuries, especially the marks where semimolten concrete were dripping from earlier.

Well before we got you transferred to a new body, I've got a few requests, assuming you've got control of the robots in the factory now. Moonshadow said.

"Ah," Madeleine replied, before a soft content sigh came out of every small speaker around the room. "of course."

[DigoDragon]

"THIS UNIT DOES NOT REQUIRE RECHARGING FOR ANOTHER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIVE YEARS." Vaughn replied, "AND IT IS DESIGNED FOR USE IN HOSTILE ENVIRONMENTS IN WHICH PONIES ARE NOT EXPECTED TO SURVIVE IN. HOWEVER, THIS UNIT IS WILLING TO VOLUNTEER ITS SERVICES."

"Well, pirate attacks count as hostile environments, right?" Doc asks, though not expecting a logical answer. "We can work something out, I'm sure; Expand your horizons. Also, get those battle wounds of yours patched up so you'll be back in top condition."

He continues to sit and wait to arrive at the lab destination.

[Inspector Valin]

Choro eventually pipes up, looking at Vaughn with a hesitant smile. It's hard to read the mighty bot's feelings, but this is a train of thought she perhaps understands, "With time, perhaps you'll find something that interests you. Something to build, or be. Your resilience might allow you to explore places ponies fear to venture, though perhaps you should make sure your weapons systems are at peak before becoming an adventurer. There are many scary monsters out there these days"

Seems a bit strange to say to the metal hauler who'd just stood by their side against a giant meta monster. The little mage chuckles for a second at the realization, but doesn't retract her words. Instead she sighs, turning the advice she gave back upon herself. "I'm still kinda trying to decide what I'm going to do too. I have a short term goal, that will take me a while to see through, but I left my home to try and... help. To do things for everypony. And I'm not really sure what needs doing, or how best to go about it."

Choro coughs, this is getting... more personal than she'd intended. The little pony looks a touch red, as she brings her words to a slightly awkward conclusion. "I thought things would be so much simpler than they are. And it's starting to feel like they never will be. But that won't stop me with my quest to go north, and it won't stop me trying to find a place in the world once I'm done." She gives the side of Vaughn's chassis a friendly tap. "And from what I can tell, it won't stop you either."

[Dalinale]

He continues to sit and wait to arrive at the lab destination.

Vaughn gracefully continued to not budge.

"THIS UNIT HAS PROTOCOLS TO DEFEND AGAINST THE THEFT OF ROBRONCOS IP. PLEASE INFORM THIS UNIT ABOUT THE PIRATES."

Bertly, by contrast, seemed to be fiddling with a stray loose part of the larger robot's armor, apparently not interested in the conversation.

Choro eventually pipes up, looking at Vaughn with a hesitant smile. It's hard to read the mighty bot's feelings, but this is a train of thought she perhaps understands, "With time, perhaps you'll find something that interests you. Something to build, or be. Your resilience might allow you to explore places ponies fear to venture, though perhaps you should make sure your weapons systems are at peak before becoming an adventurer. There are many scary monsters out there these days"

Seems a bit strange to say to the metal hauler who'd just stood by their side against a giant meta monster. The little mage chuckles for a second at the realization, but doesn't retract her words. Instead she sighs, turning the advice she gave back upon herself. "I'm still kinda trying to decide what I'm going to do too. I have a short term goal, that will take me a while to see through, but I left my home to try and... help. To do things for everypony. And I'm not really sure what needs doing, or how best to go about it."

Choro coughs, this is getting... more personal than she'd intended. The little pony looks a touch red, as she brings her words to a slightly awkward conclusion. "I thought things would be so much simpler than they are. And it's starting to feel like they never will be. But that won't stop me with my quest to go north, and it won't stop me trying to find a place in the world once I'm done." She gives the side of Vaughn's chassis a friendly tap. "And from what I can tell, it won't stop you either."

"THANK YOU, PONY." the giant robot replied, "IF THIS UNIT COULD, IT WOULD PAT YOUR HEAD."

[DigoDragon]

Vaughn gracefully continued to not budge.

"THIS UNIT HAS PROTOCOLS TO DEFEND AGAINST THE THEFT OF ROBRONCOS IP. PLEASE INFORM THIS UNIT ABOUT THE PIRATES."

"Could you please move us to the lab, Vaughn? We need to check the place before someone else steals some important documentation. I can tell you everything you'd like to know about pirates on the way. Bertly too has protocols to defend Robronco's IP. Should of seen him earlier in the fights. Was pretty admirable."

"I'm still kinda trying to decide what I'm going to do too. I have a short term goal, that will take me a while to see through, but I left my home to try and... help. To do things for everypony. And I'm not really sure what needs doing, or how best to go about it."

Choro coughs, this is getting... more personal than she'd intended. The little pony looks a touch red, as she brings her words to a slightly awkward conclusion. "I thought things would be so much simpler than they are. And it's starting to feel like they never will be. But that won't stop me with my quest to go north, and it won't stop me trying to find a place in the world once I'm done."

"Nope, nothing in the world of this age is easy," Doc says. "It's an uphill climb in every direction, but not insurmountable."

[Forum Explorer]

"Ah," Madeleine replied, before a soft content sigh came out of every small speaker around the room. "of course."

Great. Well first off can you get a couple robots to go pick up that corpse you want to hijack? Save us a trip. Oh, and the stuff I left in that room too, there was some pretty nice gear. Oh, but before I forget, can you get some robots to finish off that slime monster? The boneless things might not be a threat, but it certainly was. Moonshadow said.

Once that's done, you just need to burn the addictive feed, and turn control of the robots over to myself. I think that would be everything.

[Dalinale]

"Could you please move us to the lab, Vaughn? We need to check the place before someone else steals some important documentation. I can tell you everything you'd like to know about pirates on the way. Bertly too has protocols to defend Robronco's IP. Should of seen him earlier in the fights. Was pretty admirable."

"THIS UNIT WOULD PREFER NOT TO MAKE MULTIPLE TRIPS." Vaughn replied, it's round camera-eye looking up at Doc.

"Nope, nothing in the world of this age is easy," Doc says. "It's an uphill climb in every direction, but not insurmountable."

"Why, that's the nature of the world!" Bertly spoke up, turning slightly towards Choro, "Luckily, ponies are well equipped for all sorts of challenges, great or small, as they have magic and guns."

Great. Well first off can you get a couple robots to go pick up that corpse you want to hijack? Save us a trip. Oh, and the stuff I left in that room too, there was some pretty nice gear. Oh, but before I forget, can you get some robots to finish off that slime monster? The boneless things might not be a threat, but it certainly was. Moonshadow said.

"I can certainly trap the bioconstruct and dispose of it, but the process of transporting the vessel here is more complex; I do not actually have any control of any units that could transport it to this area safely, as you have seen yourself. In exchange for your troubles, I will ensure the way towards it is entirely safe." Madeleine replied, "I apologize."

Once that's done, you just need to burn the addictive feed, and turn control of the robots over to myself. I think that would be everything.

Moonshadow would have easily noticed that Thanatos was suddenly staring directly at her, brows furrowed.

"Well, first things first." the AI continued, voice pleasant.

[Forum Explorer]

"I can certainly trap the bioconstruct and dispose of it, but the process of transporting the vessel here is more complex; I do not actually have any control of any units that could transport it to this area safely, as you have seen yourself. In exchange for your troubles, I will ensure the way towards it is entirely safe." Madeleine replied, "I apologize."



Moonshadow would have easily have noticed that Thanatos was suddenly staring directly at her, brows furrowed, after she finished speaking.

"Well, first things first." the AI continued, voice pleasant.

Moonshadow noticed the glance, Dibs she said, grinning cockily.

Anyways, who wants to help me go pick up a cyborg corpse? Thanatos?

[Dalinale]

Moonshadow noticed the glance, Dibs she said, grinning cockily.

One of Thanatos's eyebrows lowered, leaving one raised.

Anyways, who wants to help me go pick up a cyborg corpse? Thanatos?

Strata took one look at the pegasus, smiled, and quickly walked towards Vaughn; neither robots, in addition, seemed like they were moving from their spots, either.

Thanatos, currently leaning near the doorway on his haunches, shook his head.

"I would prefer that you do not call it a corpse." Madeleine replied, sounding very slightly annoyed, "It is a vessel for me to inhabit, now. There will be no talk of me inhabiting a corpse, nor of me co-opting it to any degree. It is not as if this is a pony brain; it is a nearly entirely robotized equine with a robotic brain. It is a cyborg, and a scrapped one at that."

Madeleine, after stopping for a moment, let out a dainty giggle.

"I apologize for that, my moral core has some strong feelings towards the use of corpses as a means of transporting myself. Referring to androids as what they are avoids those sorts of issues. Later, I will be happy to explain, in person, over cookies and tea."

[DigoDragon]

"THIS UNIT WOULD PREFER NOT TO MAKE MULTIPLE TRIPS." Vaughn replied, it's round camera-eye looking up at Doc.

Doc tilted his head to one side. "Interesting. Are you only capable of speaking of yourself in the third person? Could you say 'I' instead of 'This unit'?" he asked Vaughn. "Not to chide you or anything. I'm just genuinely curious if you can form new speech patterns. Pick up on changes in lexicon. Learn slang."

"Why, that's the nature of the world!" Bertly spoke up, turning slightly towards Choro, "Luckily, ponies are well equipped for all sorts of challenges, great or small, as they have magic and guns."

"And helpful Robronco robots," he adds with a wink.

[Forum Explorer]

One of Thanatos's eyebrows lowered, leaving one raised.



Strata took one look at the pegasus, smiled, and quickly walked towards Vaughn; neither robots, in addition, seemed like they were moving from their spots, either.

Thanatos, currently leaning near the doorway on his haunches, shook his head.

"I would prefer that you do not call it a corpse." Madeleine replied, sounding very slightly annoyed, "It is a vessel for me to inhabit, now. There will be no talk of me inhabiting a corpse, nor of me co-opting it to any degree. It is not as if this is a pony brain; it is a nearly entirely robotized equine with a robotic brain. It is a cyborg, and a scrapped one at that."

Madeleine, after stopping for a moment, let out a dainty giggle.

"I apologize for that, my moral core has some strong feelings towards the use of corpses as a means of transporting myself. Referring to androids as what they are avoids those sorts of issues. Later, I will be happy to explain, in person, over cookies and tea."

No one really? Alright, looks like I'll have to do it myself. Moonshadow sighed. She glanced around the room, one last time, before turning back to the AI.


You're surprisingly squeamish for a robot that ran a meat factory. But sure, we can talk about it later.

Spoiler: Rolls

Show

Perception (1d10)[8] vs 9/10 plus Empathy. I want to make sure somepony isn't just waiting for us to split up before backstabbing us.

[Dalinale]

Doc tilted his head to one side. "Interesting. Are you only capable of speaking of yourself in the third person? Could you say 'I' instead of 'This unit'?" he asked Vaughn. "Not to chide you or anything. I'm just genuinely curious if you can form new speech patterns. Pick up on changes in lexicon. Learn slang."

As Doc spoke, Vaughn raised itself in the air slightly, before making a sudden decent. Strata let out a yelp and started to try and get a grip on the nearest rough surface, which happened to be one of the robot's protrusions on it's back.

"THIS UNIT IS NOT MEANT TO ENGAGE IN CASUAL CONVERSATION." Vaughn replied, before turning around in the air until it was facing the darkness ahead. "TO DO SO WOULD REQUIRE REPROGRAMMING THIS UNITS SYSTEMS."

"And helpful Robronco robots," he adds with a wink.

"Indeed." Bertly replied, before lowering himself near Choro.

Thanatos, quite suddenly, jumped down on the robot and landed on all fours, somehow managing to avoid stepping on anyone and causing Vaughn to rock around in the air slightly, and quickly sat down on his haunches in a position between Choro and Strata, who let out another yelp as a response.

You're surprisingly squeamish for a robot that ran a meat factory. But sure, we can talk about it later.

Madeleine let out a high-pitched giggly noise.

Spoiler: Rolls

Show

Perception [roll0] vs 9/10 plus Empathy. I want to make sure somepony isn't just waiting for us to split up before backstabbing us.

Thanatos, before he jumped, appeared more likely to stab Madeleine in the back then anyone else in the room, frankly, and neither Strata or Bertly seemed like they had any intentions on doing anything rash. Madeleine seemed more of a issue then not, but she's happy at the moment and probably would've tried to direct something to kill them off already if she really wanted to.

[Forum Explorer]

Well, I'm off then. Moonshadow said, before beginning to retrace her steps to where she found the dead adventurers. Mindful of the possibility of a repeat ambush from the assassin, she still kept to the shadows to remain hidden whenever possible.

Spoiler

Show

Sneak (1d100)[99] vs 91

[DigoDragon]

"THIS UNIT IS NOT MEANT TO ENGAGE IN CASUAL CONVERSATION." Vaughn replied, before turning around in the air until it was facing the darkness ahead. "TO DO SO WOULD REQUIRE REPROGRAMMING THIS UNITS SYSTEMS."

"I see." Doc didn't press further, but considered finding a way to reprogram Vaughn to be able to make small talk while he worked. He watched to make sure Strata didn't fall off.

Thanatos, quite suddenly, jumped down on the robot and landed on all fours, somehow managing to avoid stepping on anyone and causing Vaughn to rock around in the air slightly, and quickly sat down on his haunches in a position between Choro and Strata, who let out another yelp as a response.

Doc glanced up from his position. "Welcome aboard, Kolt Shewfelt."

[Inspector Valin]

Choro glances to either side at Vaughn's sudden decent, ready to assist anypony at risk of falling off with her horn. Barring that though, the little wizard smiles at the pony and robot sitting beside her, happy for the second trip. It's not quite getting a pegasus ride through the Aerie of Awesome back home, but something about moving through the air is still fun for Choro.

Once the group are on their way to the lab, the little mage hums, looking off into the blackness. "I wonder how many robots in this factory could do with a simple maintenance upgrade." A little time to clear her head has seemingly helped calm Choro down. The little mare continues talking, as much to herself as any of the group. "There's you, Vaughn. There's the robot Ms. Viridia... meddled with. There's that Securitron you persuaded to help. It seems CrunchyMunch, or Hippocratic Holdings, sourced their staff from a variety of places." There's a gleam starting to emerge in the little wizard's eyes, as she continues down this line of thought. "Some looked pretty simple, but others were more complex. Sophisticated. With a little help, you could have a population of free robots here, working together to build a settlement. You could turn this place into something amazing, given time."

[DigoDragon]

"What, a settlement of robots, by robots, for the robots?" Doc asks, a little skeptical of the idea.

[Inspector Valin]

Doc's tone is enough to snap Choro out of her reverie a little. The young mage takes a second before replying, "Possibly?"

Way to sell your plan, Great Dichoro. Hoof-facing (well, hoof-visoring), the little wizard takes a deep breath of the twisted air before beginning to elaborate on her idea, "It's just a thought, but if enough robots here are capable and willing, why not? Instead of command, give the server a co-ordination and planning role, and have individual bots operate independently. That way, they have the capability for self development and self advancement, while retaining a purpose to work towards. And if something goes wrong, they can act to correct it, rather than being locked into prior programming or an exterior authority."

She looks down at Vaughn for a second, frowning. She shouldn't be using the big bot to make a point. And the more she thinks about it, the more Choro likes the plan. The little mare continues to muse aloud, getting more excited and happy as she goes, "They've got the ability to manufacture and repair robots, a generator somewhere and a lot of parts. If they were able to get a precision manufacturing line up and running, that could be a major boon for Tauronto as a whole. Imagine what other ponies could do with a reliable source for electronics! It's a long shot, but..."

[DigoDragon]

"But what if the robots decide to use their manufacturing prowess to dominate neighboring pony settlements? Most of these robots do have weapons already built in. What if the server decides that ponies are too unpredictable and the most efficient way to expand and develop the settlement is to eliminate them?"

[Inspector Valin]

"Heh. I had the opposite worry. What if local ponies are too restless and come in here shooting?"

Choro is silent for a while. She honestly hadn't considered Doc's worry, and while a part of her wants to dismiss the idea as pessimistic, it's clear the Stallion isn't speaking flippantly. Thus Choro turns the thought over in her head. She gives her response slowly, trying to sound logical, "I don't think they have the firepower to do that. Wastelanders tend to be a combat ready lot, and we've done significant damage to the factory's population. If they replicate more bots, they'll likely be basic Handy units. Larger bots like Vaughn were bought from other companies, not made here. They don't have the resources to build any kind of army."

Plus, the idea of removing the server's direct authority made 'ordering an attack' a much harder prospect. It could co-ordinate defences and share information and tactics, but if it lacked the authority to directly control the other robots, core values in their programming should trump any improper orders from the server. Choro considers trying to explain this, but after a pregnant pause looks away, frowning to herself. It's too esoteric for practical minded ponies to put much faith in. The little mare hums to herself, trying to focus on the better angle here. "They also wouldn't have much to gain from raiding or domination. Ponies are a less efficient labour force on the whole. The main exterior need of the factory would be hard to find materials or components. Taking over settlements wouldn't provide those. Striking up a relationship with some of the local merchant caravans would be the stronger path."

[DigoDragon]

"They also wouldn't have much to gain from raiding or domination. Ponies are a less efficient labour force on the whole. The main exterior need of the factory would be hard to find materials or components. Taking over settlements wouldn't provide those. Striking up a relationship with some of the local merchant caravans would be the stronger path."

"If that is the case, would it not be most efficient then to integrate robots and ponies together in the same community? Rather than segregate robots into their own clique, the combination of robot logic and pony ingenuity would create a sum greater than the parts, would it not? Mutual assured prosperity?" Doc is not trying to shoot down Choro's idea, but rather offer a better one that plays to her sense of harmony and community. At least, as he's understanding it.

[Inspector Valin]

"Ah, but the facility was designed for robot usage. It has maintenance bays, construction facilities, charging terminals; all the infrastructure to support a mechanical population. While individual bots could travel, and we could theoretically transport any part of the factory to another location, everything's already in place here to let free robots build a settlement for themselves. I wouldn't be positive that we could transport the server at all, and its ability to aid in communication and coordination, even without full control..."

Choro coughs, she's straying into excessive focus on the technical side. Her point was made, and it doesn't preclude pony integration at some point. Just that this site is ideal for robots to settle in. Nonetheless, the little mare looks away for a few seconds, before raising a hoof in protest against unsaid accusations. "It's not something that should be imposted. Just... an idea. A possibility for how things could go. Freedom to improve yourself should include the freedom to travel and find your own purpose. Perhaps all the robots here want to leave, and we should let them. It just seemed... well..."

The little mare trails off, looking rueful. She's unsure how to express her remaining thoughts. While she's impressed by the capability synthetics have shown to adapt and improve themselves, she's not blind to the fact that this is an evolution of their basic nature. Simple robots were made as tools. Even if you believe they had the capability to be more than that... did the robots feel the same way? Operating this factory was all they were designed for. All they knew. The Overseer, a complex intelligent bot, had still been limited by that. Did they want to be thrown out into a strange, confusing world, with lots of danger and little safety? No certian way to secure power for themselves, no order, no routine, no clarity....

Or would they rather stay here, just as they always had? With a goal to work towards, a safe place to recharge, and no need to risk the dangers of the wider world? It seems dismissive to suggest somerobots might want that, but... isn't that the right first step? A safe environment to start with, to let them develop some independence and self-advancement, rather than thrusting the world upon bots like Vaughn, who barely know how to deal with a concept that large?

Dichoro sits there, looking pensive as they continue. This is something she feels the need to reflect on.

[DigoDragon]

"Seems what? Seems well and good to keep them in their own little box? Wouldn't it be like keeping stable ponies in their boxes?" Doc asks. "I don't think it's a tenable idea. This factory wasn't simply designed for robot use. It was built for the specific purpose of grinding cattle into meat patties. The robots here would need to completely retool it to do anything else, not to mention replace everything we broke like the power. I think few, if any, of the robots have the creativity to be flexible on how to build a society out of this place. They'd have to be taught how to build more of themselves and repair themselves... or maybe programmed for that, I'm not sure. Oh and what to do when neighbors show up. I dunno, C. Sounds like way too many problems and logistical issues to make it work out."

"Now if you think about it, wouldn't freeing these robots to help other settlements be kind of like the purpose of stables to open up so the residents can go out and rebuild Equestria with the wastelanders?"

[Dalinale]

Well, I'm off then. Moonshadow said, before beginning to retrace her steps to where she found the dead adventurers. Mindful of the possibility of a repeat ambush from the assassin, she still kept to the shadows to remain hidden whenever possible.

Spoiler

Show

Sneak [roll0] vs 91

Moonshadow went past the long walkway that was missing a side wall; nothing happened.

Moonshadow went through the square chamber lined with pipes and sodden with water and moss; nothing happened either.

When she went back through the door to the 'kitchen', however, she heard a loud 'BEEAP', and the lights inside kicked on.

Moonshadow saw that one of the small tables in the room was loaded down with food; a large green ceramic bowl contained what appeared to be a hearty tomato soup, another green bowl appeared to have a rather fresh-looking salad prepared and drizzled with some opaque dressing, and a fresh pie with white icecream was slowly fusing together in a separate tin. In addition, there was what appeared to be a sparkly flan covered with liquid mercury and a tall sundae glass containing layers of sparkly blue and red crushed gemstones, topped with a few fat rubies connected with thin wires of spun silver.

"You're meal has been completed!" said the hologram, which sounded quite happy at the turn of events, "That will be one hundred and seventy seven bits, please. We accept checks, cash, and bullets."

"I see." Doc didn't press further, but considered finding a way to reprogram Vaughn to be able to make small talk while he worked. He watched to make sure Strata didn't fall off.

Strata was probably fine, but the pegasus seemed more wierded out at the whole 'flying in the pitch blackness' part of things as apposed to the 'flying on the robot' part.

Doc glanced up from his position. "Welcome aboard, Kolt Shewfelt."

"You learn you watch your legs when you are the eldest in a crowded household." Thanatos replied, before going back to looking out, into the dark.

C
Once the group are on their way to the lab, the little mage hums, looking off into the blackness. "I wonder how many robots in this factory could do with a simple maintenance upgrade." A little time to clear her head has seemingly helped calm Choro down. The little mare continues talking, as much to herself as any of the group. "There's you, Vaughn. There's the robot Ms. Viridia... meddled with. There's that Securitron you persuaded to help. It seems CrunchyMunch, or Hippocratic Holdings, sourced their staff from a variety of places." There's a gleam starting to emerge in the little wizard's eyes, as she continues down this line of thought. "Some looked pretty simple, but others were more complex. Sophisticated. With a little help, you could have a population of free robots here, working together to build a settlement. You could turn this place into something amazing, given time."

Thanatos visibly frowned. Strata just gave the filly a odd look. Bertly said nothing. Vaughn continued to fly lower every few moments, although never to the point where any of the group's sources of light could see anything connected to the floor.

[Inspector Valin]

"Now if you think about it, wouldn't freeing these robots to help other settlements be kind of like the purpose of stables to open up so the residents can go out and rebuild Equestria with the wastelanders?"

Doc's analogy gets a raised eyebrow, and a strange look from Choro. That's... an understandable reaction, but she should probably provide context. "You know there's a reason we haven't done that yet, though. The Tauronto Stables might have opened up, but some are likely still sealed. I know mine is." It takes Choro a few seconds to continue, and she speaks slowly. This is personal ground. "I chose to leave. And I don't regret that. But I teleported past the Stable Door. A lot of other ponies are still down there, and that makes sense for them. The Wasteland is still dangerous. It's not something I'd force on anypony."

And compelling the robots to do something she wouldn't ask of her Stablekin seems... off to the little wizard. This is getting off topic though. Coughing, she waves a hoof "It wouldn't be easy, I agree. But I don't think it's as hard as you're envisioning. The factory already has the ability to build more robots, and repair those already here. That's the basic requirement for a self sustained facility, and that's all a settlement truly needs to begin with. While not all of the robots possess a high level of creativity, they're a varied bunch, and the server absolutely does. So even the less creative ones can have directives to follow, if they're still lacking the power to take the initiative like that."

It really does seem like a good idea. An environment where the robots could develop and advance at their own pace. Choro hums to herself, happily pondering the prospect. "They'd have to rebuild almost the entire work area. That would be tough. But if they have a construction bay, they have an example to draw from. With the amount of processing power here, they'd be able to design blueprints for a reworked construction line. Dealing with ponies would be something to work on, but I'm confident they could manage it."

Thanatos visibly frowned. Strata just gave the filly a odd look. Bertly said nothing. Vaughn continued to fly lower every few moments, although never to the point where any of the group's sources of light could see anything connected to the floor.

Then again, the others don't seem too keen on it. Doc'd been unsure, but everypony? Choro frowns, glancing around the group, "Am I missing something here?"

[DigoDragon]

Strata was probably fine, but the pegasus seemed more wierded out

(pegasus? Did you mean unicorn?)

"Am I missing something here?"

"The bigger picture, I reckon," Doc answered. "You seem real keen on letting the server remain intact and run this place again for your robot city fantasy. Meanwhile, ponies out there suffer daily without clean water and warm beds. They lack technical skills to fix pumps, or the tools to build better housing. These robots would be a boon to every local settlement around the Tauronto area. Hundreds could get a quality of life improvement with one of these fellas working in their town. I guess I can't expect you to understand though--you've grown up sheltered in a warm, safe stable that has everything you need. You've never experienced what it's like to live out here. To really suffer in the elements of the outside world and experience the danger. Not like, the danger of a giant slime monster, but the daily dangers of disease, famine, cold... that sort of thing. Here, we could mitigate those dangers if these robots were purposed to work with ponies in the settlements. It could be Win-Win for everyone. But rather than do such, you want a robot city that only benefits the robots? Am I understanding your idea?"

[Dalinale]

Then again, the others don't seem too keen on it. Doc'd been unsure, but everypony? Choro frowns, glancing around the group, "Am I missing something here?"

"The bigger picture, I reckon," Doc answered. "You seem real keen on letting the server remain intact and run this place again for your robot city fantasy. Meanwhile, ponies out there suffer daily without clean water and warm beds. They lack technical skills to fix pumps, or the tools to build better housing. These robots would be a boon to every local settlement around the Tauronto area. Hundreds could get a quality of life improvement with one of these fellas working in their town. I guess I can't expect you to understand though--you've grown up sheltered in a warm, safe stable that has everything you need. You've never experienced what it's like to live out here. To really suffer in the elements of the outside world and experience the danger. Not like, the danger of a giant slime monster, but the daily dangers of disease, famine, cold... that sort of thing. Here, we could mitigate those dangers if these robots were purposed to work with ponies in the settlements. It could be Win-Win for everyone. But rather than do such, you want a robot city that only benefits the robots? Am I understanding your idea?"

Thanatos took a moment and looked down at Choro; the stallion's face looked stern.

"The idea of a robot city that could interact peacefully with ponies is, to put it simply, odd. Why do you believe such a thing could be done? They are machines that were made in a factory; they are not people, and there is no positives to allowing them the independence to act on their own accords. Even if the robots here achieved the ability to monitor their own, filly, the individuals here would require so much reprogramming that whatever personalities they have developed over since the war would have to be wiped clean. These are robots that were made to turn cows into products; this is a city where brahmin vote in town meetings. What good could a independent group of them be for the world?"

(pegasus? Did you mean unicorn?)

Spoiler

Show

(yes)

[Hazuki]

Viridia figuratively kicked open the two nearest doors. Literally, she opened them, but figuratively, she was kicking them open.

Spoiler: Loot

Show

One for each room or something.

Survival: (1d100)[64] vs like 24 or something
Luck: (1d10)[7] vs 8

Survival: (1d100)[52] vs like 24 or something
Luck: (1d10)[5] vs 8

[Dalinale]

Viridia figuratively kicked open the two nearest doors. Literally, she opened them, but figuratively, she was kicking them open.

Spoiler: Loot

Show

One for each room or something.

Survival: [roll0] vs like 24 or something
Luck: [roll1] vs 8

Survival: [roll2] vs like 24 or something
Luck: [roll3] vs 8

Door number one, to the immediate left of the giant computer stack thingy that was talking to everyone, appeared to just be a mid-sized storage/workspace area; dimly lit, there was a small desk, a lamp, and a small notebook, along with a filing cabinet that was mostly empty. In addition, there was a odd statuette on the desk that depicted a paunchy grey mare with a brown mane sitting on her haunches that held a overly large hey-burger in both hooves, lovingly crafted to disgusting detail. The mare in question had a puzzled look on her face, mouth wide and eyes looking away from the burger in question as if it itself was questioning why someone made a detailed statue of someone eating some novelty fast food item.

[Room contains a notebook, a Crunchmunch Bobblehead (WG 1), and three units of Office Supplies.]

Door number two, on the other hand, contained something more immediately important; peace and quiet! To be exact, a small pantry, a few dingy pale green plastic tables, a few magazines, and a broken television. There was also a skeleton, but it didn't have anything on it except for the clothes it was wearing when it died, which wasn't much.

[Viridia finds two units of YumYum Devil's Eggs (pre-war snack food), three pre-war magazines, two bottles of Dirty Water, a unit of Painkillers, and a pair of Sexy Sleepware.]

[Hazuki]

[Room contains a notebook, a Crunchmunch Bobblehead (WG 1), and three units of Office Supplies.]

[Viridia finds two units of YumYum Devil's Eggs (pre-war snack food), three pre-war magazines, two bottles of Dirty Water, a unit of Painkillers, and a pair of Sexy Sleepware.]

"I hate this place." Viridia said, as she looked between each room and then picked up the Crunchmunch bobblehead. "I bet that an unusually large number of people could grow to have an obsession with this cheap crap and want to fill up entire rooms and shelves with it." She mused to herself."YO! IS ANYPONY HERE?!"