The Carnival.
The carnival has rolled into town and after setting up for a few days it’s finally open. The circus has bosted a wide array of unusual and exotic cretures for all to see.
The crowd has gathered around and tickets are being sold to enter.
::\]>ELECTROMAGNETIC KEY DETECTED. BOOT UP SEQUENCE INITIALIZED.
On the hill overlooking the carnival, a large previously untouched rock began to seemingly melt, forming into swarms of tiny robot drones. In the center, a black object no bigger than a shopping cart was uncovered. It was mainly a spherical black ball, with four mechanical stilts it kept itself upright on. Through the center of the ball was a circular hole with a peculiar softly glowing light right in the center.
::\]>BOOT UP SUCCESSFUL. DIRECTIVE: SECURE ELECTROMAGNETIC KEY.
The swarms of metal nanites began to pile together and changeling color, forming a remarkably convincing representation of an indigenous intelligent lifeform, being an equine starkly resembling a male. Their representation had a rusty-gray colored coat that was quite soft. It’s mane and tail were a smooth shade of turquoise with streaks of navy blue, namely near the fringes. It’s eyes were bright baby blue. It blinked, and began inhaling and exhaling. It looked itself over to check its functions and that it’s joints were moving correctly. It trot over to the edge of the hill, looking down at the carnival, where the electromagnetic key had been located. Namely, a single slightly off-tone speaker that had just so happened to emit a feedback signal identical in pitch and form to the Ping the electromagnetic key emitted. The actual key had been melted and destroyed due to volcanic activity many millennia ago, but the swarm was unaware of this.
The representation began to make its way directly towards the “key”, at a brisk pace, in no time reaching populated areas. Due to the ingenious design of the nanites, it was able to learn by deciphering memories from other ponies. As it entered the lot in front of the carnival where the entrance was, and approached the line of ponies waiting to enter, it targeted a group of ponies, probably a gaggle of close friends, and launched atom-thick strands at their necks simply by blinking. They would feel nothing as their entire memory was copied and downloaded, being transferred in an instant through to the representation. Using the memories, it knew of such things as speech, social norms, foods, emotions, well known places and things, and generally everything six young adult ponies would know. Using this knowledge, it feel in line at the end of the actual line. It repeated the download process with the ponies in front of it, amassing more knowledge and logging it away until it had need of it, all still without detection.
As the line moved forward, the representation would be next to buy a ticket. It approached the vendor, and greeted them as any normal pony would. It’s voice was a simple male voice. Light-hearted, but gentle. “Hello, ticket for one, if you please.” It said, and reached out of sight under it, as if withdrawing bits from a wallet. The bits and wallet all formed of nanites that adopted the characteristics of each. The representation counted out the exact total required, while it awaited a response from the vendor.
