Aponyture Science (Open, basic knowledge of Portal recommended)

[Monochrome]

It was a marvel of science for ponykind. Crowds flocked into the spacious lab to catch a glimpse of this colossal thing. It took up a lot of power, so it incorporated magic, electricity, and steam power to operate. You stood in the lab among the countless other ponies to gaze through a window into a circular chamber in the center of the lab- in which was something incredible. It had the form of a pony, an alicorn, to be exact, but was made completely of metal. It had a streamlined, shiny white figure, with a tangled mane and tail of long black wires (with the occasional yellow or red wire among them). One glowing yellow eye screen peered out from the mane of wires, and through the gaps between the wires you could see that the other eye was cracked and projecting static rather than the other eye's piercing yellow gaze. It swung about, hanging upside down from its wires occasionally, as it (in a very bored, sarcastic, and condescending tone) answered the scientists and visitors who spoke to it. The scientists referred to the astounding creation as if it was a real mare- they insisted that it was a "she", and her name was Data Stream. The magic power she partially ran on gave the machine a bit of sentience, it seemed, as she spoke on her own and had a distinct personality if you listened. Suddenly, something appears to be going wrong. The lights in the lab black out for a moment, then flicker back on. Data Stream emits a puff of steam and a few showers of sparks, then gazes around at the visitors in a manner that was somewhat unsettling. "Uh... G-greet our guests, Data Stream." one of the scientists said nervously, seeming more worried for this metal giant than anything else. Data Stream looked around the crowd, the spoke, in a glitchy, strange voice. "H-hello, and welcome to the *glitch* Aponyture Science Enrichment Center. Your testing begins now." Suddenly, the floor's panels lifted, transporting each pony into a different test chamber. A screen on the wall lights up, projecting Data Stream and her cold yellow stare. "The test is simple. Make it through... Alive." she said, then the screen went black. Before you there was a raised platform across a stagnant pool of some foul-smelling green liquid, a huge red button on the floor, and in the center of the room there was a podium displaying a strange device, a white unicorn horn of sorts with one blue stripe and one orange stripe on its middle. Data Stream's voice crackled over an intercom. "I will not tolerate cheating. The test chamber walls are made of a material that prevents any magic or flight. Please place the Aponyture Science Artificial Magic Portal Device on your head. Like a party hat. Not that you'd ever be invited to a party." she said bluntly.

[OfficialBronyTime]

He whipped his head around. "What the...?" He mumbled to himself, then fixed his gaze on the device. He cautiously trotted over to it then his right hoof pressed down on the button, depressing it.

[Monochrome]

Another platform rose out of the foul pool, creating a sort of stairway to the raised platform that had a door and another button. However, as soon as the pony stepped off of the button to get to the door, the second platform plunged back into the pool, nearly splattering the stallion with the brownish-green concoction. A loud clank echoed through the chamber as a device on the ceiling released a large metal cube with the lab's logo on each of its sides. Data Stream's voice droned mechanically over the intercom again.

"Once you have secured the portal device on your head, place the weighted storage cube on the Aponyture Science 1500 Megawatt Heavy-Duty Supercolliding Super-Button. Please do so quickly, as the effects of prolonged exposure to the button are not part of this test."

[OfficialBronyTime]

He instinctively jumped back to dodge the foul smelling liquid, resulting in him almost falling off the side. He righted himself, and went towards the device. He then secured it on his head, and tapped it. "The heck does this do?" He asked aloud before trotting to the cube and attempting to pick it up with his wings.

[Monochrome]

Data Stream's cold laughter crackled over the intercom, a camera on the wall focusing on the stallion.

"Our scanners indicate low intellect. Around that of, say, a potato. The portal device is like a unicorn horn, except that it only offers two functions: to levitate objects and produce portals. Simply focus on what you want it to do." she said. "And if you wish to opt out of this voluntary testing initiative, just remember, science rhymes with compliance. And you know what doesn't rhyme with compliance? Neurotoxin."

[OfficialBronyTime]

"Hey!" He snapped. "Your scanners are wrong." He growled softly, and used the horn to pick up the box before placing it on the button.

[Monochrome]

Data Stream appeared on the screen again, only her tone indicating how amused she was that the test subject seemed so easily agitated.

"You have obviously never visited Aponyture Science Laboratory before, [insert subject name here]. Well done." she said, rolling her functioning eye. "Do mind the toxic pool as you exit the chamber."

[OfficialBronyTime]

Charged rolled his eyes, and went up the stairs to the door. He pressed the button, and waited for the door to open.

[Monochrome]

The door slid open, but, of course, as the stallion stepped off of the button it slammed closed again. Another cube clattered to the floor across the chamber. He retrieved it and placed it on the other large button, then moved on through the door. Inside the door was a strange blue thing that looked like a sort of force field, followed by an elevator.

"Don't mind that, it's just the Aponyture Science Material Emancipation Grid. It disintegrates all unauthorized Aponyture Science equipment that goes through it. If, upon walking through, you feel liquid running down your neck, do not be alarmed. Lay down, and apply immediate pressure to your temples. This is an extremely rare possible side effect, where the emancipation grid may erase the tubes inside your ears." Data Stream said.

[OfficialBronyTime]

He cautiously stepped through the grid, and looked down. "Phew... No liquid." He then went into the elevator.

[Monochrome]

The elevator doors slid closed once the stallion was inside.

"Aponyture Science requires me to warn you that the next chamber is under construction, so you are being sent to another chamber designed for testing military androids. Good luck." Data Stream said just before the doors opened. Inside the next chamber, the first thing the stallion saw was a glass wall. On the other side, there appeared to be another pony, standing rigid in one place.

[OfficialBronyTime]

He stepped out of the elevator. "Hey!" He smiled. "Another pony!"

[Monochrome]

It appeared to be a white pegasus mare, with black hooves and a long straight white mane that covered one of her red eyes.

"Hello-o?" she said in a strange, high-pitched voice.

[OfficialBronyTime]

"Hey." He said again, and walked closer to her. "Who are you?"

[Monochrome]

The mare turned her head and stared through the glass at the stallion for a moment.

"There you are." she said in an unsettling manner.

The stallion was lucky that the glass was some sort of very tough bulletproof glass, or else what the mare did next may have proved deadly. She lifted her wings, revealing guns beneath them, and opened fire. The stallion backed away, startled, and once he was far enough towards the elevator the mare stopped and said "Target lost."

[OfficialBronyTime]

He looked at the glass, and silently thanked it. Then, he thought to himself. //Wait... Portals? So... Let's try this out.// He shoots a portal at the wall to the left, then one at the right. He went through the right, only to arrive at the left and gasp. "Oh my..."

[Monochrome]

The mechanical gun-mare stared straight ahead of it, waiting for any living thing to cross it's path. The stallion, experimenting with the portal device, soon found that only the white panels allowed for portals, not the shinier black panels lining the walls nearer to the elevator. He also noticed something odd- crude sketches scrawled on some of the white wall panels. As well as that, one wall panel had been wedged open and propped there with two cubes. Another room seemed to be inside.

[OfficialBronyTime]

He squeezed through the gap between the panels as quickly as he good, and looked around. "What the heck is this place?"

[Monochrome]

It was a dim back room, with an old, rusty metal walkway leading to a locked lab door overhead, random objects scattered on the floor and more ominous scribblings on the walls. A few empty cans labelled "Beans", an empty milk carton, a few tools, and a radio were among these objects, as well as a variety of faded old papers. The stallion, looking around, accidentally kicked the radio, and he jumped in surprise as it blared to life with a catchy tune.

[OfficialBronyTime]

He listened to the music intently. "What is this tune?" He thought to himself.

[Monochrome]

Before he could contemplate the tune further, Data Stream's voice boomed over the intercom again.

"Where are you? Come back here!" she called angrily. "I've already lost two test subjects today who wandered off in unauthorized areas. Do you want to be number three, [insert subject name here]?"

The stallion simply kept investigating the odd little room. The pictures scrawled on the walls were a jumble of somewhat unsettling, seemingly random images. These images included a mechanical gun-mare like the one the stallion had seen in the chamber attached to this room, a slice of cake, what seemed to be some sort of instructions, scribblings of cubes, most with pink hearts replacing the Aponyture logo, and a huge sketch of Data Stream that took up a whole wall panel. Photos of what appeared to be Aponyture employees were taped up alongside the drawings, but each had a picture of the cube with pink hearts taped over their face, and some assorted old Aponyture posters were hung as well.

[OfficialBronyTime]

He looked over the wall. "That cube... I wonder what it is..."

[Monochrome]

Data Stream was growing angrier and angrier as she called to the stallion to come back and complete the test.

"You know, you're not even going where you think you're going! I don't know what you think you're doing... Out there... Where I can't see you..." she growled, her voice growing slower and more atonal towards the end, before the facility's lights flickered again and she emitted an odd mechanical sound.

[OfficialBronyTime]

He smirked softly. "Stupid AI... Doesn't even know where I am." He said to himself.

[Monochrome]

There didn't seem to be a way out through the strange room, not even with portals, so the stallion figured that he had to go back out sometime. However, he was increasingly wary of the misleading robotic shooting mares that stood about the chamber outside, luring anypony they could nearer with their endearing calls. The stallion gazed over the drawings again as he thought. He paused on the mural of Data Stream. While still appearing as the angry, imposing figure he had seen her as, this picture held other, underlying emotions as well- sorrow, loneliness... Things he never expected to feel while looking at the tyrannical being who had trapped him. The mural made her resemble a mare chained to her place, and silently swearing revenge on those who put her in that position. The stallion pondered it for a moment. Could this mechanical giantess have something such as these feelings hidden within?... He shook off such strange ideas and looked over the other drawings. One proved particularly useful- a picture that depicted a portal above one of the mechanical mares, and a cube falling through the portal and onto her. Perhaps this was how to deactivate the sentries?