3-Working and Dreaming

Daedalus entered the inn and looked around. The lobby was as he expected for tavern. A bar stood on one side of the room with a door leading to what was likely a kitchen. The rest of the room was filled with tables and chairs, likely for the provided meals or bar goers who didn't want to sit on the stools. A orange mare with a silver mane stood behind the bar, serving the patrons, of which there were four.

Of course, everything was shorter than what the Evolved was used to. The ponies would come up to his stomach, yet the alicorns would come up to his chest with their horns extending past him.

Remembering the alicorns made Daedalus feel a spark of guilt, the first he had felt in a long time. He regretted cutting off the tip of the white one's horn, the one he now knew to be Celestia. His guilt was lessened by the fact that alicorn and unicorn horns would regrow as long as the base is left.

Daedalus approached the bar and was quickly greeted. "Welcome to The Green Dragon. I'm Fire Brand, the barkeep."

"Gene Splice, and I'd like to rent a room. How much is it per night?" Daedalus asked, introducing himself with his fake name.

"Fifteen bits a night." She answered simply.

He assumed that bits were what the currency was called. He, having already memorized the details and makeup of the coins, formed a coin pouch hanging from his leg underneath the bar and filled it with three gold coins. He pulled out the three ten-bit coins and paid for two nights.

Fire took them and placed them somewhere under the counter and levitated a key over. "Room 8, yours for two nights. Breakfast is at six, lunch you're on your own, and dinner at eight."

"Thank you." He said simply.

He went up the stairs to the second floor and found Room 8. He placed the key in, turned it, and opened the door. One thing different between Earth and this world was the fact that most of the native species couldn't actually turn knobs. Due to this, the doors were simple two-way push doors, with locks to prevent them from opening.

He entered the room, letting the door shut behind him. A quick glance was all it took to memorize the room. Light blue walls with a white ceiling prevented monotony. The floor was covered in carpet, clean thankfully. The room held a bed, desk, and small dresser with a door leading to, presumably, the bathroom.

Daedalus took a quick moment to adjust the coin pouch from his leg, which didn't look natural, to around his neck. He formed sixty bits inside it and turned around, leaving. He passed the bar, nodding to the barkeep, and left the building. After stepping out into the sunlight, he thought for a moment. Should I check the town hall or just walk around?

I think walking would be better. It would allow me to learn the layout as well as possibly meet more people.

Daedalus picked a random direction and started walking, keeping an eye out for any hiring signs. If it wasn't for the need to keep up appearances, as well as the need for something to do, I probably wouldn't even get a job. I can form money from nothing and I don't need to eat. I could quite literally spend the next eternity in the forest growing stronger.

The Evolved entertained the idea of doing just that for a moment before dismissing it. No. Not only would it get boring quickly, it would also be an incredibly lonely existence. These ponies may not know the truth about me, but its still contact.

As he was walking, a building caught his eye. It was a medieval blacksmith's forge. It was actually separated into two areas, connected through a door on one side. The main building was obviously the store where tools were requested, displayed, and sold. The other area was a open-air forge, complete with all necessary amenities. What caught his eye was the fact he could see a unicorn mare hammering at something, yet no sound could be heard.

Interested in the possibility of magic being the cause of silence, Daedalus approached the open-air forge, catching the attention of the mare as he neared. She gestured toward the tool, then gestured to wait. He nodded silently, stopped outside, and she continued her work. While it could have come off as rude in another situation, the Evolved knew she couldn't let the metal cool without being finished, otherwise it would need to be reheated and she would have to start over.

He stood in silence and looked around the forge. Up close, he could see the implements better. There were iconic symbols such as the bellows and anvil, as well as the trough, but there were a few devices he didn't recognize. One such device was a large blue crystal pulsing with a gray energy. Daedalus examined it, yet couldn't gleam anything useful. It was a rough, uncut crystal, possibly a precious gem, and was a diamond-blue, but not clear. The gray energy pulsed and swirled within, no discernible pattern to be seen.

The disguised Evolved turned back when he heard someone clear their throat. Beside him was the unicorn mare. Her coat was a dark gray, the same as the energy, with an orange mane. Her mark was a set of hammer and tongs. "May I help you?"

Her voice was a little dry, likely from the heat, but she spoke politely. In reply, Daedalus grinned sheepishly. "Well, I'm new in town and was searching for a job. I noticed that there was no sound coming from your forge and couldn't help but be curious. I may be an earth pony, but I've always been fascinated with magic."

She nodded understandingly. "A lot of ponies have been curious about it. This is a small town, clearly, and nopony wanted to be disturbed by banging metal. To fix that, I enchanted the forge to be soundproof, letting no sound out."

"That's actually a pretty smart way to solve the problem. Is the store the same?"

"Nah, its not needed. Nothing loud ever happens there."

Daedalus nodded. "That makes sense. Its less of a work area and more of a display and business area."

The mare nodded and looked him over. "You said you were looking for a job?"

The shapeshifting virus nodded and she continued. "Do you know anything about working metal?"

Daedalus was aware that he was disguised as Gene Splice, a pony who lived alone for years and someone who shouldn't know metalworking. Telling the truth that he did may raise unwanted questions so he went with the safer route. "No, I don't. Its not something I ever learned."

She looked at is flank, something he chose not to comment on, and spoke again. "Your talent isn't related to it. Why don't you follow that?"

He chuckled. "My talent, learning about the more dangerous forms of life, can't be turned into much of a job, unfortunately. Fortunately, though, I have had good luck in learning new things."

She smirked at him. "We'll see about that. Follow me."

She turned and walked into the forge proper, undoubtedly within the boundary of the silencing spell. She led him to the forge where she gave him a pair of tongs, a large block of metal, and then a hammer. She pointed at a forge and spoke. "I want you to make a knife. Not a weapon, but a simple kitchen knife. I will coach you through it and help you, but ultimately it will be your skill that shows me if you should be hired or not. Fair enough?"

Daedalus nodded. "Fair enough."

She lead him over to the forge that was still going, although no metal was in it. She gestured to the coals, then the bellows. "The oldest and simplest way to heat metal to the proper temperature is with exposed coals and introduced air. Place the steel in and work the bellows. The steel should be heated to 2,100 degrees, which is a straw-yellow color. After that, remove it with tongs and I'll explain the next step."

He nodded and grabbed a steel bar she gestured at. It was clearly thicker, yet shorter, than a knife, but was yet to be made. He dropped the steel onto the coals, unconcerned for the sparks and embers. Then, he reared up and pushed the bellows down, introducing air into the forge and causing the coals to heat. The virus pumped the bellows for nearly a half hour before the mare spoke up. "That's good. It'll be another hour before the metal is fully heated. You'll need to work the bellows once more, about halfway though, to heat it properly."

After he nodded, she continued. "While we wait, I suppose we should trade introductions. My name is Coal Dust, obviously due to my coat and profession."

When she extended her hoof, he reciprocated and they shook, he introducing himself. "Gene Splice."

She barked out a short laugh before commenting, "Not even your name involves metalworking. You sure you can do this?"

Daedalus nodded. "I'm sure. If I can learn other things not related to my talent, I'm sure I can learn this."

She smiled and shook her head. "You sure are a strange one. No offense meant."

He grinned back. "None taken."

She gathered her thoughts for a moment before speaking. "Now, after the metal's heated, you'll need to work fast. The steel can't cool too early or you'll have to start again."

"What about cooling too fast?" Daedalus asked.

"If you want the blade to be strong, it needs to cool fast, but not too fast. Too fast, the blade will crack; too slow and it'll be soft. Since we want this to be soft, it'll be left to cool overnight."

"So whoever buys it can sharpen it easily."

She nodded approvingly. "Anyway, because the blade needs to be done fast, I'm going to explain the next few steps so listen closely. First is you'll need to hammer it into the blade shape - you know what it looks like, right?"

When he nodded, she continued. "You'll have to leave about two inches unshaped. That'll be the part put into the handle and encased in plastic. Then, you'll want to hammer it to taper the bladed portion- leave the spine thick. You'll need to hit it just right. If you worry about doing it too hard, start soft and increase your force until it works."

Daedalus nodded, showing he was following what she said as she seemed to slip into a little rant. It was clear that Dust enjoyed teaching another her trade. "While you hammer, try to keep the blade even. That'll make filing it later easier. Also, don't let the blade bend over itself. That will just weaken it."

"The last step tonight will be to anneal the blade. You'll need to heat it to a red hot state, 1,200 degrees, then let it air cool until the red is gone. Repeat it twice more, then let it cool overnight."

"So its easy to file and sharpen tomorrow." Daedalus commented.

She smiled brightly at him. "Good, you were paying attention."

He smiled back. "If I want to learn, I need to."

She nodded, then continued. "Go ahead and start the bellows again. I won't give you any more tips today. I want to see what you can do with a step-by-step."

He nodded and went back to the bellows, beginning to repeat an earlier pattern.

Alpha

Daedalus exited the forge, hearing the voice of Coal Dust call out to him. "Remember to come back tomorrow to finish the knife!"

He looked back and waved. "Don't worry, I will. See you then!"

She nodded and returned to the shop and he continued into the town. He glanced at the sky and saw the sun was near setting and decided to head back to the Inn. As Daedalus walked through town, he caught the eye of an incredibly pink pony, another of the six that used the artifacts against him. The moment their eyes met, she seemed to gasp and run off quickly, leaving behind a rather comical dust trail.

The virus chuckled and mumbled to himself. "I feel like something will come of that."

"You're right about that." A voice laughed from behind and above him. He turned to look and saw the third of the six ponies. She was the cyan pegasus with a rainbow mane. She was flying just above and behind him when she spoke, yet came to hover beside him as they continued walking.

"The name's Rainbow Dash, fastest flier in Equestria, only pony to do a Sonic Rainboom, and future Wonderbolt." The mare said, introducing herself.

"Gene Splice. I just got here today." Daedalus said.

I need to pay better attention. I may have heard her behind me, but I didn't realize how close she was. She may not be a threat with how cocky she is, but that doesn't mean others will be the same.

"What made you move to Ponyville?" She asked him.

"I lived alone before this and when I decided to move, I chose here because of the quiet, small-town atmosphere. Its something I enjoy." He said, not entirely lying. Before he moved to the north and got infected, he had lived in a small town in Louisiana.

"Well, it won't be quiet tomorrow. Pinkie is probably setting up a 'Welcome to Ponyville' party for you. Expect to be invited to Sugarcube Corner sometime tomorrow." Rainbow said.

"I assume that was the pink pony I saw?" Daedalus asked.

She nodded. "Yep. She's a little strange, but a good pony. She only wants to make others laugh."

"Certainly seems nice if she throws parties to welcome ponies."

"Yep! I gotta get home, but I'll see you at the party, right?" The mare questioned.

"Yep. Once I know when, I'll be there as long as it doesn't interfere with my possible work." Daedalus said, promising.

The pegasus flew off and Daedalus continued in silence, soon arriving at the Inn. He entered and saw several ponies eating. Fire Brand looked over to him and spoke up. "Dinner's ready if you're hungry."

Inwardly smirking at how much of a mother she sounded like, he shook his head as he replied. "I've already eaten. I'm going to head up to my room now."

She nodded and returned to working the counter as the virus ascended the stairs. He entered his room and lied down on the bed, glad he left behind the greater portion of his weight. Otherwise, the bed would have shattered and he would have fallen through the floor.

As the virus lay in bed, an idea struck him. I haven't slept in years. With all the work Mercer put us to just to stay ahead of Blackwatch, I haven't had the chance. Its been battle after battle for three years now as the northeastern United States was infected. Maybe I can finally sleep.

"To sleep, perchance to dream." Daedalus mumble, quoting Shakespeare's Hamlet, even if the context was wrong.

Daedalus gave off a long, unnecessary exhale as he relaxed, quickly drifting off to sleep.

Beta

Screaming. That was the first thing Daedalus became aware of. It was the sound of hundreds of voices blending together into a perfect cacophony of pain. Next to be noticed was sight.

Daedalus stood in the center of a dying park, in a city he recognized as New York. The screaming came from a circle of people surrounding a single man. Daedalus remembered this day clearly.

Looking around, he saw well over three hundred people on their knees in pain with the man standing and laughing. In fact, he and Daedalus were the only ones not in pain. The virus knew this was the case because it was his dream. His mind had felt the pain once and didn't want to do so again. Daedalus looked closer at the man, even if he didn't need to. He had already memorized the traits and features of Mercer.

This dream was, after all, the memory of the entire Evolved species being given the Hive Mind by Mercer. As the race lay screaming, Mercer laughed as Blackwatch looked on. In fact...

Looking to the remains of nearby buildings, he saw several Blackwatch soldiers, all recording this unprecedented event. Never before had is many Evolved been in one place. Naturally, the private organization wanted to take the chance to kill them all in one go.

Never before had Blackwatch seen the unbridled power of a horde of unrepentant Evolved.

The screaming died down as one by one, the men and women in Mercer's employment stood up, their eyes glazed. Vaguely, Daedalus noticed his own form in the group, making him aware this really was a memory, not a dream. He knew what happened next.

Mercer snapped his fingers and every man in the park shifted weapons and charged out, an ever-expanding circle of death. Nothing would slip through the cracks. Mercer wouldn't allow it.

Right before the Evolved met the Blackwatch, the scene froze. Bullets stopped mid flight, Evolved hung in the air, and Mercer was paused mid laugh. Daedalus, however, was unaffected. Looking around, his eyes locked on to his past self holding a soldier in the air, blade poised to pierce the man's chest

"What is this?" A soft voice called out. "What are you?"

Daedalus turned around to see a larger than average pony behind him. She was a dark blue mare with both a horn and wings. Her mane was ethereal, flowing in a faux wind and sparkling with the night sky. He knew from the memories that Disarray gave him that this was Princess Luna, Maiden of the Night, Diarch of Equestria.

She looked at him with a kind of curiosity and concern he expected from a pony seeing this scene. He turned to fully face her and spoke. "Which would you like answered first?"

She hummed slightly, them replied. "In this order, who are you, what are you, and what is this?"

Daedalus thought for a moment, then replied. "I am Daedalus, I am an Evolved, and this is a turning point in my life."

His eyes drifted back to himself and she followed his gaze to himself, taking note of the blade, the man, and the glazed eyes. "For the better or the worse?"

She watched the Evolved sigh. "Worse. A whole lot worse."

He gestured to another being standing and laughing. "That is Mercer. This was the day he took over our minds and we couldn't fight against him anymore."

She frowned, sadness adorning her features at his hint. "There is a story here, isn't there?"

He nodded. "There is. One that isn't for now."

She opened her mouth to speak, but he stopped her. "How about this, I will come to Canterlot in a week's time. There, I will explain myself to you and your sister."

Princess Luna thought for a moment before she nodded, and he continued. "Expect the name Gene Splice."

Her head tilted in confusion. "I assumed you would come yourself."

He smiled and as he did, she was forced from his mind as he woke up.