A Vivid Shadow[PhilTheTimeWizard + Chapien]

[Chapien]

Sparks pulled his goggles down onto his face, concealing his eyes behind their inky blackness, before leaning forward, his horn beginning to spark as he used his magic to weld two small, delicate pieces of equipment together, sparks showering all around the equipment, his delicate eyes protected from the bright light of the welding by his goggles. He continued for several minutes, sparks flying out of his horn towards the object, the welding operation continuing smoothly, before he pulled away, gasping for breath, quickly pulling his goggles off. Sparks never had a knack for magic in anything other than engineering, and even then it was often extremely strenuous to him. His foalhood friends had often joked that he was an Earth Pony with a horn glued on.

Pushing those thoughts out of his mind, he picked up the delicate piece using his magic and headed over to his larger workstation, where a fairly large device of indeterminate function lay. Officially, he was working on one of NSI's many projects related to the Trans-Equestrian Railroad. Unofficially... well, he was having a bit of "fun". Using his magic, he attached the piece to the larger device, a smug grin on his face. His new boss, Vivid Flair, had specifically instructed Sparks to not use the lab for any purposes beyond the railroad. Sparks had tried to obey that rule- he really had. Unfortunately, Sparks had a bit of a problem.

Sparks absolutely loved creating things. And when an idea got into his little head, he simply could not banish it until he had tried it. And, unfortunately for him and NSI, most of these projects simply could not be completed without a professional workshop - and Sparks did not have a professional workshop in his apartment. It was simply impossible to work in his current living conditions! And yet, Vivid Flair had given Sparks access to the NSI workshops, filled with the latest and greatest technologies, and had simply asked him to please not touch anything without permission? It simply would not do! Sparks HAD to create - he would not rest until he did!

Besides, what Vivid Flair didn't know wouldn't hurt her, Sparks reassured himself with a small smile, before heading back over to the welding station, pulling his goggles back on and immediately getting to work on yet another delicate part, determined to get this device created as soon as possible.

[RarityDash]

Vivid Flair gave a resounding yawn as she trotted slowly through the NSI Manehattan Branch Engineering Laboratory. Her "second career" was becoming even more demanding of late. It was exhausting and even frequently dangerous. She found herself so often strolling into the day job with her mind numb from exhaustion and her body sore and bruised from vigilante action to an extent where the prospect of trying to head her little engineering team felt almost impossible. The work was really piling up too on account of her being chosen up to head of the Railroad project by the CEO herself. She found herself frequently cursing the names of Snowfall and her other corporate bosses.

That said, the idealistic hippogriff wasn't about to give up anything. The Noble Flare was too important to her; it was the kind of thing she had envisioned for herself for so long now. That it was a reality at all still amazed her some times. More over, she truly felt she was actually making a difference with it. Manehattan was a big city, and one where money could catapult you far ahead, so it was perhaps no surprise that it had a greater criminal element than a lot of Equestrian cities. Between that and helping out with other accidents and hazards, Vivid really was beginning to actually get the kind of results she wanted.

And of course, her job at NSI made it all possible. All of her gear, her suit, her flash flares, her goggles, all of it, she had made it here in the lab while pretending to be working on other things. NSI's labs simply had resources that a poor hippogriff from a dingy town like Beakbreak city could never dream of getting her talons on. Now she was a team leader with responsibilities, something she still wasn't sure how to feel about. She was busier and under closer scrutiny, but it meant she had more freedom to as she pleased. Even still, she did kind of miss the relative anonymity she had just starting at the job.

Speaking of which, as she entered the work area of the lab, her eyes immediately went to a pony who was doing just that, just starting out. Vivid still didn't quite know what to make of the unicorn Sparks, supposedly scouted by the CEO herself up in Stalliongrad. He was young, but he trained pretty easy and was clearly quite bright and good at what he did; he would undoubtedly be a good use to NSI in the future. That said, he also seemed to lack a certain focus. Maybe it was just youth, but the colt spent a fair share of time on personal side projects; puzzles and things. Vivid had pretended not to notice at first, figuring he'd get it out of his system once he'd been around the new toys long enough. However, at that moment, the component he was welding did not look like anything that belonged in a train.

[colour=#333300]"Ahem,"[/colour] Vivid said coughing, as she walked up toward the colt. [colour=#333300]"Excuse me, but what exactly are you doing, Mr. Clockwise? I expressly instructed you to stay on task! If you ever wish to be anything more than an intern, you must learn and follow NSI protocol!"[/colour] she scolded the colt at loud but not excessive volume, irritation visible.

Sure, she was admonishing her young subordinate for what she had long been doing here herself, but it was different. Whatever Sparks was making, she highly doubted it was something that would be of use for spreading justice as Manehattan's proud guardian. Though, now she was at least kinda curious. She looked back toward the component, eyes narrowing.

[colour=#333300]"What exactly is this anyway?" [/colour]she asked, trying to mask her curiosity in it.

[Chapien]

Vivid's sudden entrance took Sparks off guard, to say the least. Not only did her entrance startle him, but it caused him to actually jump a little, the delicate piece he was working on shattering into two. "Prokljatie!" he exclaimed, obviously a rather angry statement in his native tongue, before turning around to face Vivid, his face displaying a mixture of surprise, embarrassment, and even a hint of fear. "M-miss Flair!" he began, nervously, "It's, ah, not what it looks like! I'm working on a... a..."

He turned to face his own contraption, obviously trying to think of a 'clever' lie. "An engine!" he said desperately, a painfully obvious lie, and Sparks knew it, judging my Flair's obviously dubious reaction. "For a um... poezd! Er- sorry, train! For a train!" Obviously flustered, Sparks positioned himself between Vivid and his 'engine', hoping Vivid would accept his ruse (if it could even be called that).

Hastily trying to change the subject, he smiled and laughed nervously, "S-so, miss Flair, what brings you out to the lab at this very late hour?"

[RarityDash]

"M-miss Flair! It's, ah, not what it looks like! I'm working on a... a... An engine! For a um... poezd! Er- sorry, train! For a train!"

Vivid just stared at the colt, unamused. Seriously, an engine? Well, if he could make an engine as small as whatever it was he was working on, it would mean he possessed a sort of rare, unrivaled genius--well, maybe not if it was so fragile as to break clean in two so quickly. No, it was clearly not an engine or anything else that belonged in a train for that matter. This was clear both from the unfamiliar shape and from the painfully obvious nervousness in the young colt's voice.

"S-so, miss Flair, what brings you out to the lab at this very late hour?"

Sparks trying to change the subject didn't help his case either. She gave a sigh and shook her head. [colour=#333300]"I'm here merely to make sure everything checked out in the lab before it's closed for the night and..." [/colour]Vivid trailed off. She was also looking to make some repairs to her flash flare generator which had been giving her trouble since it was bucked hard by a desperate thief a few nights ago. She couldn't tell Sparks any of that though. For one thing it would make her look like the biggest hypocrite; more importantly though, she had a secret identity to protect.

[colour=#333300]"Either way, it doesn't matter," [/colour]she said with a nod. [colour=#333300]"Regardless, that looks like no engine I've ever seen."[/colour]

[Chapien]

Sparks gulped slightly, and nervously chuckled. "R-right. Of course it doesn't matter." He took a step back, away from Vivid, nervously glancing back at his "engine". The device was somewhat spherical in shape, and appeared to be a mess of metal, chords, wires, and clockwork - clearly NOT an engine, as Sparks grimly realized. His mind raced, quickly trying to think of excuses to come up with.

"Well..." he began, nervously, "Of course it doesn't look like an engine! It isn't an engine - it's a component of an engine!" He began talking with more confidence - he was gradually getting away from his lie and closer to the truth! It was true that his device was a component - and that it was a component of a device that helped cause objects motion - much like an engine. He smiled at Vivid. "It isn't necessarily what NSI asked of me - nor is it strictly part of the Trans-Equestrian Railroad Project - but I assure you, it can prove to be an extremely valuable asset!"

Just as he said that, a rather large piece of the component simply fell off. His smile quickly disappeared. "...It's a work in progress."

[RarityDash]

"Well... Of course it doesn't look like an engine! It isn't an engine - it's a component of an engine! It isn't necessarily what NSI asked of me - nor is it strictly part of the Trans-Equestrian Railroad Project - but I assure you, it can prove to be an extremely valuable asset! ...It's a work in progress."

As she listened to the colt fumble out his excuse, Vivid's ire quickly subsided and was replaced with curiosity. Sparks was young, but for it he had quite the active mind; that coupled with his innate talent for what he did certainly made him a pony to watch. Gears Clockwise wasn't some interchangeable gear to be swapped in and out of a clockwork at will. No, from the short time she had known him Vivid could tell this boy had that well of ingenuity in his mind that ensured they could almost inevitably expect more from him. That's why the name he had chosen for himself really suited him better, Vivid started. He had the "spark". Hearing his words and looking down at his words, she started to wonder if he might not be displaying it sooner than she might have thought.

[colour=#333300]"Most intriguing, Mr. Clockwise,"[/colour] she said with a nod. [colour=#333300]"Well it can't be denied that you are woefully off task and currently using NSI resources in ways which they are not intended, I do believe that creativity is not something that should be snubbed out."[/colour]

[colour=#333300]"So, tell me more,"[/colour] she said with a nod. [colour=#333300]"I am most curious in this new, valuable component you are developing. What's the theory? What are the specs?"[/colour]

Vivid smirked as she continued to peer downward. [colour=#333300]"Impress me and I just may refrain from telling anyone over at corporate about this little infringement on NSI policy."[/colour]

[Chapien]

Sparks quickly smiled, always happy when someone asked about his work. All of his previous nervousness quickly disappearing, he headed over to the workstation. "Gladly, Miss Flair! If you'll be so kind as to step over here..."

On the workstation was a massive mess of papers, notes, and blueprints for Sparks's complex design, which portrayed a much larger engine of which the sphere was only a small part. Sparks began, "Well, the idea came to me while I was pondering movement and propulsion in general. I began to wonder - why can Pegasi fly, but not Unicorns or Earth Ponies? After a few basic calculations, I realized that, no matter what technology or magic may be applied, Unicorns and Earth Ponies will never attain true flight - Pegasi actually have lighter bones that enables flight," he took a breath, and continued, "Despite this fact, there are methods to propel objects at a greater velocity, as we now know, through use of mechanisms such as engines."

Sparks put a hoof over the component he had been building, smiling proudly, "However, I have devised a way to create an even faster engine! When I was younger, I did some experiments involving black powder and explosives. The results were... well, explosive, and led to a rather unpleasant situation," he chuckled, "but, I've realized that the volatile materials I was experimenting with could easily be used to build a faster propulsion engine - one that could cause trains to move and perhaps twice their speed, and if it was strapped to the back of a somewhat lightweight pony, it could cause the pony to lift off of the ground very slightly."

He grinned, "Though I wouldn't recommend using it on ponies, despite the fact that this was my original intent - it would be rather dangerous!"

[RarityDash]

Vivid listened closely as the colt proceeded to give his explanation. She couldn't help but smile. This was a bright kid with just the right energy. He was bold. He was fearless. He was just the right sort of inventive, the sort Vivid admired. She could feel her respect grow as she listened. He was young, but Sparks was the sort of pony who was destined to create something game changing. Furthermore, this idea of self propulsion intrigued her. Of course, having wings of her own she had little use for a personal flight device herself, but for a unicorn or earth pony, this sort of thing could be a great boon. At the very least, she now had not intentions to stomp this inventive spirit out.

[colour=#333300]"Well, what is life without a little danger?"[/colour] Vivid said, smirking. [colour=#333300]"If you can get earth ponies to efficiently fly, you'll change the world. I think that's worth any risk."[/colour]

Glancing down at the colt's designs, she gave a nod. [colour=#333300]"This sounds quite promising. While I lack the authority to redirect funds into the development of untested, experimental technologies, for the sake of science, I'd be more than willing to look the other way during the off hours."[/colour]

[Chapien]

Sparks grinned at Vivid, obviously a little surprised that the hippogriff was agreeing to let him break at least five corporate rules by allowing him to experiment on corporate property, using corporate equipment, and using valuable corporate "time". "Thank so much, Miss Flair!" he said, beaming, "I'm still not sure on the practical purposes- it would likely be best suited to enable creatures or devices that can already fly to fly faster, or to allow trains to move faster along the tracks, as the amount of lift it actually provides is fairly small... more of a hover, really."

"I still haven't gotten it to work, regrettably," Sparks sighed, "And I'm using fairly volatile materials - namely the black powder often used in fireworks and other explosives. I'm trying to figure out a way to burn it to cause thrust rather than an explosion - I'm still not sure if it is possible. I may have to resort to another material, or even magic, to power the device."

"These last few weeks have honestly been slow. Outside of my NSI work and this, I haven't really had many unique ideas... it's been rather frustrating, honestly. I'm usually never short on things to build!"

[RarityDash]

"Thank so much, Miss Flair! I'm still not sure on the practical purposes- it would likely be best suited to enable creatures or devices that can already fly to fly faster, or to allow trains to move faster along the tracks, as the amount of lift it actually provides is fairly small... more of a hover, really."

The colt's cheerfulness caught Vivid somewhat off guard. Giving a mild nod, she shook her head and smiled just slightly. [colour=#336600]"You needn't thank me; it is only natural that I am drawn to science first, and this engine you're working on sounds like it could be of use to many."[/colour] The hippogriff ended with a proud nod and then turned her head as she considered the idea here. Increased flight speed did certainly sound like an attractive thought if it could be done in a way that was safe, practical and controlled. It was a curious thought, but worth encouraging.

"I still haven't gotten it to work, regrettably. And I'm using fairly volatile materials - namely the black powder often used in fireworks and other explosives. I'm trying to figure out a way to burn it to cause thrust rather than an explosion - I'm still not sure if it is possible. I may have to resort to another material, or even magic, to power the device."

[colour=#336600]"Heh, as for that," [/colour]Vivid spoke, giving another nod. [colour=#336600]"Just try not to blow up the lab. Do not expect me to come to you aid if things go awry,"[/colour] she added sternly, meaning every word. She would look the other way with Sparks off-hours activity, but the consequences were all his to face. On the record, she knew nothing.

"These last few weeks have honestly been slow. Outside of my NSI work and this, I haven't really had many unique ideas... it's been rather frustrating, honestly. I'm usually never short on things to build!"

[colour=#336600]"You need a vision and a focus. You'll rarely get anywhere simply saying you want to create something. You have to have something you want to create. Find something, no matter how foolish it may seem, and work toward making it real. I've found that often times you'll be surprised with the sorts of results you might get in doing so,"[/colour] Vivid spoke encouragingly, giving another firm nod. The colt kind of reminded her of herself back when she was still making the Noble Flare. He had the same creative energy. Who knows? Maybe he'd even end up making something that would be useful to her.

[Chapien]

Sparks nodded and smiled, absorbing everything Vivid said with a youthful eagerness. He was basically being given permission to do what he wanted with the lab (so long as he didn't leave any damages), and he was more then happy to oblige. "Of course, Miss Flair. My creativity is often a bit... chaotic, meandering almost. Almost like I have no direction of my own, though when I'm given something to make, I can find ways to make it happen, even make it better than requested!"

Sparks glanced back at the engine core, half of it having fallen off by now. He would have to reweld it; no matter, fixing it should be a relatively straightforward; a few screws here, a welding spell there, and it would be good as new again! But he couldn't help but feel as if it didn't have much of a purpose. As Vivid had pointed out, he had basically been creating without purpose. He turned back to Vivid, an idea forming in his head, and once again he opened his mouth and emptied his mind (and as usual, without much forethought).

"Perhaps you could give me something to make? Anything at all, and I'll create it for you!"

[RarityDash]

"Of course, Miss Flair. My creativity is often a bit... chaotic, meandering almost. Almost like I have no direction of my own, though when I'm given something to make, I can find ways to make it happen, even make it better than requested! Perhaps you could give me something to make? Anything at all, and I'll create it for you!"

Vivid was kind of taken aback by the colt's words. He wanted her to give him an assignment? How bizarre. He wanted desperately to create, but he didn't have ideas. Vivid could easily see the opportunities. Sparks had time, he had talent and he was just an intern; he wasn't under the scrutiny she was. Being the Noble Flare was exhausting and having to design and repair all of her own tools for the job on the top of the rest of her work only exacerbated things. Could she make use of this colt? Could she have him help her?

It was difficult. Her second identity was a closely guarded secret. She could let no one in on the operation. That's what she had decided when she started, that's how she intended to keep it. The opportunity here could not be denied however, and if Sparks could remain in the dark about what exactly he was designing... maybe, just maybe it could work. it was worth trying but Vivid had to pick something meaningful to start with. She looked down as she thought.

[colour=#333300]"Hmm... well, let me see..." [/colour]she started, nodding along. [colour=#333300]"I may have mentioned this at times, but my father was a knight errant of the Destrier order. I have a lot of pride remembering him with his sword worn on his back, telling me stories of his exploits roaming Equestria. That sword, even when I was young struck me as a rather unwieldy, impractical and far too violent tool though... and the spears horns and shoes the REA employs for weaponry are likewise rather crude, especially for an Equestria that favors peaceful solutions."[/colour]

[colour=#333300]"I've always had a particular interest in seeing developed a new sort of weapon. Something sophisticated. Some manner of device that can be deployed to successfully and readily disarm or deter a threat without doing lasting harm..."[/colour] Vivid explained steadily.

Currently she had her flash flare generator, with which she could temporarily blind enemy's so as to get the drop on them and an assortment of quick deploying restraining devices to catch her enemies in. She was finding there was often a lot in between that first drop and the catch in some cased though. Even if blinded, a large, rampaging stallion posed a thread to her if she wasn't careful. A means to subdue threats like that would serve her well.

[colour=#333300]"I really do think there might be a market for such a thing,"[/colour] she said with finality. [colour=#333300]"It's what I would be working to develop if I had the needed extra time to do so."[/colour]

​

[Chapien]

Sparks's mind immediately began to race as Vivid described the device she had in mind for creation. He quickly began to brainstorm at a rapid fire rate as she spoke. How would the design look? Would it be projectile or more personal? Would it restrain the target or render them unconscious? And why would Vivid want such a device made anyway, considering NSI's current goal of creating a railroad? No, never mind that last question! It clearly wasn't important - he had creating to do!

He nodded at Vivid. "Right! I can do that! I'll get something made within a week!"

[RarityDash]

((ooc: sorry for the hold up on this one; really wasn't sure how I wanted to proceed with it... feel free to skip ahead if you like...))

"Right! I can do that! I'll get something made within a week!"

[colour=#000000]Vivid nodded. He'd have some to present in just a week? How confident. Wasn't it youth's foolishness? Ambition unchecked? Perhaps instead she had truly found a visionary mind in this colt? She hoped as much. She wasn't prepared to invest too much in his success, but if he did pull this off for her it would certainly be a great boon to her and her exploits as the Flare. All the same it was something to look forward to.

Sparks' lack of questions was also a rare relief. This was an unusual request. It was nowhere near the task at hand. Most ponies would have countless annoying followups. Was he indifferent? Did he just want to create? Or was he curious but just not one to pry needlessly? Either way, Vivid was curious. This colt was proving to be amusing to her. She wanted to see more of what he had to offer.[/colour]

[colour=#333300]"Excellent! I look forward to seeing just what you're able to come up with,"[/colour] [colour=#000000]Vivid said with a rigid now. She smirked a little as she then moved toward a work bench. Luckily, the component of her flash flare generator she needed to repair was nondescript. She'd be able to tinker with it without catching Sparks' attention. She would work on it quickly. There was crime out there and she had to see to it that none of it would go unpunished[/colour]!

​