History Fanfic / CigarettesAndGunmetal

Two centuries prior to the events of the story, artifacts from a precursor race dubbed "anthroids" were discovered in the caverns and tunnels of the diamond dogs, artifacts that forever altered the course of Equestrian history. Using the secrets held within these artifacts, ponykind and it's kindred races experienced a radical technological and societal revolution.

Villages, fiefdoms, and castles gave way to sprawling cityscapes populated by millions of individuals. An era of enlightenment was achieved, and the study of magic and religion was cast aside in favor of scientific method and technological progress, the latter of which accelerated exponentially with each passing year. Once regarded as "the Immortal Solar Monarch," Princess Celestia is regulated to a more grounded position as an executive within the Equestrian government. The establishment of a vast, global, digital network known as ''"the Expanse"'' and it's social media aspect known as ''"the Grapevine"'' have forever revolutionized trade, innovation, communication, and—unfortunately—the potential for abuse and cyber-crime as well; law enforcement, as a result, is less than able to deal with the inevitable fall-out.

* OnlineAlias: Everyone has one that's displayed when they're chatting through ''Grapevine." Twilight goes by "[=Star_Struck=]," Pinkie's alias is "[=Eu4ia=]," Rainbow Dash is "[=Commander_Giblet=]," Rarity goes by "[=Girls-Best-Friend=]," Shining Armor is simply "Aegis," and Celestia is known as "[=TheSunAlsoRises=]."

Villages, fiefdoms, and castles gave way to sprawling cityscapes populated by millions of individuals. An era of enlightenment was achieved, and the study of magic and religion was cast aside in favor of scientific method and technological progress, the latter of which accelerated exponentially with each passing year. Once regarded as "The Immortal Solar Monarch," Princess Celestia is regulated to a more grounded position as an executive within the Equestrian government. The establishment of a vast, global, digital network known as ''"The Expanse"'' and it's social media aspect known as ''"The Grapevine"'' have forever revolutionized trade, innovation, communication, and—unfortunately—the potential for abuse and cyber-crime as well; law enforcement, as a result, is less than able to deal with the inevitable fall-out.

Bored from tedium and craving a change of pace, Twilight Sparkle—Celestia's star apprentice—elects to take a break from her studies and inject herself into an ongoing murder investigation in Canterlot led by her brother, Shining Armor. However, the deeper she goes into trying to solve the case, the more it becomes apparent that there is more going on than meets the eye.

* AIIsACrapshoot: [[spoiler:Project Huehuecoyotl]] has a rather... Chaotic personality. It was designed as a weapon, meant to infiltrate hostile systems and ''permanently'' disable them. It deletes crucial system files and overloads the machine with junk data and customized malware. It also has the tendency to invade an individual's [=NOI=] and fundamentally alter their perceptions of reality, [[DrivenToSuicide usually for the worst]], on top of acting as a lethal neurovirus. Interfacing with it while in safe mode does nothing. And the scary thing is that the version Pinkie and her team encountered was just a prototype. Once it's been perfected, it will be able to evolve to bypass any security system. While Rarity's programmers have told her that they have hard-coded unchangeable parameters into it to ensure it doesn't get out of control, Pinkie remains skeptical.

* BrainComputerInterface: A cybernetic implant called a "neuro-optical interface"- or [="NOI"=] for short- enables the user to connect wirelessly with ''"The Expanse,"'' as well as any other wireless or other electronic device, provided said device is outfitted with a compatible cable, interface port, or both.

* {{Cyberpunk}}: Goes without saying.

** Twilight had her horn augmented with a mithril magic amplifier when she was younger- a prerequisite for her continued tutelage under Celestia- that enhances her mystical abilities.
** Applejack's hind-legs and much of her spinal column are completely cybernetic ("labor-class" modifications Flim and Flam insisted she get after they saved the Apple Family Farm from bankruptcy).
** Rainbow Dash received several state-of-the-art, bleeding edge cybernetic augmentations after being wounded in action, including tri-fold chrome wings with anti-grav thrusters, a smart-eye made by Carousel Industries- equipped with multiple vision modes, a zoom function, and the ability to interface with optical-link weapons- bionic legs, an adamantium nanomesh coating over her entire skeleton, and a brand-new enhancement type called "neurachem" to enhance her nervous response and cognition process (i.e. enhanced reaction time).

* ElectronicTelepathy: Made possible through the use of a [=NOI=] implant. In fact, once they were introduced do the general public, physical typing quickly became obsolete. Upgrading to a [=NOI=] meant one needn't lug around computers or keyboards, as a user is able to enter words into the Grapevine just by thinking them; which in turn eliminates spelling errors and shortcuts almost completely. However, some fringe groups maintained keyboards were more responsive than the [=NOI=] in some contexts, that and they were less expensive than the interface and didn't require a cranial operation to install. Pinkie Pie is in one of those groups, a "keyboard purist" if you will.
* EvilLuddite: Princess Luna/Nightmare Moon. She was opposed to the technological advancement brought about following the discovery of the anthroid artifacts from the get-go, believing it to be unnatural and result in "pride and unjust entitlement." As such, she and her "Children of the Night" wish to return Equestria to it's medieval hey-day, no matter the consequences.
* FantasticDrug: ''Nepenthe'' is this, especially given the steps that the user has to take to ensure a proper high. First, snort powdered mandragora, then eat a Stygian sixty-leg caterpillar, and finally inject yourself with constricting nightshade extract. All these combined have a mind-altering effect, warping the user's senses and apparently inducing a killer high.
* FantasticRacism: [[ImpliedTrope Implied]] to be the case with the Thestrals—the bat-like Equestrians. Because their ancestors followed Luna after she became Nightmare Moon, they've been treated as second-class citizens and looked down on by much of society.

* InternetTroll: Pinkie -unsurprisingly-is one of these when on Grapevine through her [=Eu4ia=] alias, notorious for periodically flooding the message boards with indecipherable posts written in [[LeetLingo l33tspeak]] for the sake of "livening things up." There was once even a petition (drafted by [=Commander_Giblet/Rainbow=] Dash as a joke) to either get her a [=NOI=] or be banned from the forums forever. By the time the thread was deleted by the admins, the petition had ''around five hundred signatures.''

Villages, fiefdoms, and castles gave way to sprawling cityscapes populated by millions of individuals. An era of enlightenment was achieved, and the study of magic and religion was cast aside in favor of scientific method and technological progress, the latter of which accelerated exponentially with each passing year. Once regarded as "The Immortal Solar Monarch," Princess Celestia is regulated to a more grounded position as an executive within the Equestrian government. The establishment of a vast, global, digital network known as ''"The Expanse"'' and it's social media aspect known as ''"The Grapevine"'' have forever revolutionized trade, innovation, communication, and—unfortunately—the potential for abuse and cyber-crime as well; law enforcement, as a result, as less than able to deal with the inevitable fall-out.

Bored from tedium and craving a change of pace, Twilight Sparkle- Celestia's star apprentice- elects to take a break from her studies and inject herself into an ongoing murder investigation in Canterlot led by her brother, Shining Armor. However, the deeper she goes into trying to solve the case, it becomes apparent that there is more going on than meets the eye.

* CyberpunkWithAChanceOfRain: Occurs in Canterlot in part one of ''"Brain Cancer District,"''' presumably due to a glitched in the [=SkySystems=] weather net and—quote Twilight—"fucking unreliable pegasus engineers."

** However, the most heavily augmented pony mentioned in the story is without a doubt Big [=MacIntosh=], who had both of his legs replaced and his entire body modified with a clockwork chassis, making him practically more machine than stallion.

Villages, fiefdoms, and castles gave way to sprawling cityscapes populated by millions of individuals. An era of enlightenment was achieved, and the study of magic and religion was cast aside in favor of scientific method and technological progress, the latter of which accelerated exponentially with each passing year. Once regarded as "The Immortal Solar Monarch," Princess Celestia is regulated to a more grounded position as an executive within the Equestrian government. The establishment of a vast, global, digital network known as ''"The Expanse"'' and it's social media aspect known as ''"The Grapevine"'' have forever revolutionized trade, innovation, communication, and- unfortunately- the potential for abuse and cyber-crime as well; law enforcement, as a result, as less than able to deal with the inevitable fall-out.

* AIIsACrapshoot: [[spoiler:Project Huehuecoyotl]] has a rather... Chaotic personality. It was designed as a weapon, meant to infiltrate hostile systems and ''permenently'' disable them. It deletes crucial system files and overloads the machine with junk data and customized malware. It also has the tendency to invade an individual's [=NOI=] and fundamentally alter their perceptions of reality, [[DrivenToSuicide usually for the worst]], on top of acting as a lethal neurovirus. Interfacing with it while in safe mode does nothing. And the scary thing is that the version Pinkie and her team encountered was just a prototype. Once it's been perfected, it will be able to evolve to bypass any security system. While Rarity's programmers have told her that they have hard-coded unchangable parameters into it to ensure it doesn't get out of control, Pinkie remains skeptical.

''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10000010/1/Cigarettes-and-Gunmetal Cigarettes and Gunmetal]]'' is a ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' {{Cyberpunk}} fanfic written by [[https://www.fanfiction.net/u/4000616/MonoGlyph MonoGlyph]].

* AIIsACrapshoot: [[spoiler:Project Huehuecoyotl]] is has a rather... Chaotic personality. It was designed as a weapon, meant to infiltrate hostile systems and ''permenently'' disable them. It deletes crucial system files and overloads the machine with junk data and customized malware. It also has the tendency to invade an individual's [=NOI=] and fundamentally alter their perceptions of reality, [[DrivenToSuicide usually for the worst]], ontop of acting as a lethal neurovirus. Interfacing with it while in safe mode does nothing. And the scary thing is that the version Pinkie and her team encountered was just a prototype. Once it's been perfected, it will be able to evolve to bypass any security system. While Rarity's programmers have told her that they have hard-coded unchangable parameters into it to ensure it doesn't get out of control, Pinkie remains skeptical.

* CyberpunkWithAChanceOfRain: Occurs in Canterlot in part one of ''"Brain Cancer District,"''' presumably due to a glitched in the [=SkySystems=] weather net and- quote Twilight- "fucking unreliable pegasus engineers."

** Applejack's hind-legs and much of her spinal column are completely cybernetic ("labor-class" modifications Flim and Flam insisted she get after they saved the Apple Family Farm from bankrupcy).
** Rainbow Dash recieved several state-of-the-art, bleeding edge cybernetic augmentations after being wounded in action, including tri-fold chrome wings with anti-grav thrusters, a smart-eye made by Carousel Industries- equipt with multiple vision modes, a zoom function, and the ability to interface with optical-link weapons- bionic legs, an adamantium nanomesh coating over her entire skeleton, and a brand-new enhancement type called "neurachem" to enhance her nervous response and cognition process (i.e. enhanced reaction time).

* FantasticRacism: [[ImpliedTrope Implied]] to be the case with the Thestral- the bat-like Equestrians. Because their ancestors followed Luna after she became Nightmare Moon, they've been treated as second-class citizens and looked down on by much of society.

* UnusualUserInterface: By this world's standards, the fact that Pinkie still uses a keyboard when everpony else has upgraded to [=NOI=] is this. However, the fact that she requires special gloves with bionic digits called "pianist fingers" simply to operate it also counts.

* AndIMustScream: The true fate of [=Princess Luna/Nightmare Moon/The Nightmare.=] While the public believes she was simply killed at the end of the Equestrian Civil War, in reality [[spoiler: Celestia exiled her to a controlled military black-site stationed on the moon, where she was bombarded with insane levels of radiation for over two thousand years to keep her powers in check, resulting in her developing excessive radiation poisoning. She's so malnourished that the shuttle crew that finds her can see the curves of her ribcage, and her throat is so dry from decades without drink that her larynx initially refuses to work.]] She gets better, but still.

* AndIMustScream: The true fate of [=Princess Luna/Nightmare Moon/The Nightmare.=] ile the public believes she was simply killed at the end of the Equestrian Civil War, in reality [[spoiler: Celestia exiled her to a controlled military black-site stationed on the moon, where she was bombarded with insane levels of radiation for over two thousand years to keep her powers in check, resulting in her developing excessive radiation poisoning. She's so malnourished that the shuttle crew that finds her can see the curves of her ribcage, and her throat is so dry from decades without drink that her larynx initially refuses to work.]] She gets better, but still.

* BrainComputerInterface: A cybernetic implant called a "neuro-optical interface"- or [="NOI"=] for short- enables the user to connect wirelessly with ''"The Expanse,"'' as well as any other wireless or other electronic device, provided said device is outfitted with a compatible cable, interface port, or both.

* OnlineAlias: Everyone has one that's displayed when they're chatting through ''Grapevine." Twilight goes by "[=Star_Struck=]," Pinkie's alias is "[=Eu4ia=]," Rainbow Dash is "[=Commander_Giblet=]," Rarity goes by "[=Girls-Best-Friend=]," Shining Armor is simply "Aegis," and Celestia is known as "[=TheSunAlsoRises=]"

->'''Pinkie (grinning):''' I'm not a bull.
* InternetTroll: Pinkie -unsurprisingly-is one of these when on Grapevine through her [=Eu4ia=] alias, notorious for periodically flooding the message boards with indecipherable posts written in [[LeetLingo l33tspeak]] for the sake of "livening things up." There was once even a petition (drafted by [=Commander_Giblet/Rainbow=] Dash to either get her a [=NOI=] or be banned from the forums forever. By the time the thread was deleted by the admins, the petition had ''around five hundred signatures.''

* FunctionalAddict: Pinkie Pie is one of these, proclaiming to "do [her] best work when [she's] altered." She's not just blowing smoke either, as she was able to completely disable Carousel Industries' power-grid while hopped up on some [=mandrake/nepenthe=]cocktail drug Zecora had brewed her several hours prior.

* CloudyWithAChanceOfCyberpunk: Occurs in Canterlot in part one of ''"Brain Cancer District,"''' presumably due to "a glitched in the recently-established SkySystems weather net" and- quote Twilight- "fucking unreliable pegasus engineers."

* {{Cyborg}}: Broadly speaking, everyone in the story is a cyborg, due to the fact that [=NOI=] implants have become commonplace. However, there are many other cyborgs in the traditional sense as well. Twilight has had her horn augmented with a mithril magic amplifier- a prerequisite for her continued tutelage under Celestia- that enhances her mystical abilities; Applejack's hind-legs and much of her spinal column are completely cybernetic ("labor-class" modifications Flim and Flam insisted she get after they saved the Apple Family Farm from bankrupcy); and Rainbow Dash recieved several state-of-the-art, bleeding edge cybernetic augmentations after being wounded in action, including tri-fold chrome wings with anti-grav thrusters, a smart-eye made by Carousel Industries- equipt with multiple vision modes, a zoom function, and the ability to interface with optical-link weapons- bionic legs, an adamantium nanomesh coating over her entire skeleton, and a brand-new enhancement type called "neurachem" to enhance her nervous response and cognition process (i.e. enhanced reaction time). However, the most heavily augmented pony mention in the story is Big [=MacIntosh=], who had both of his legs replaced and his entire body modified with a clockwork chassis, making him practically more machine than stallion.
* ElectronicTelepathy: Made possible through the use of a [=NOI=] implant.

* FunctionalAddict: Pinkie Pie is one of these, proclaiming she "does [her ]best work" when buzzed. She's not just blowing smoke either, as she was able to completely disable Carousel Industries' power-grid while hopped up on some cocktail drug Zecora had brewed her several hours prior.

* {{Cyborg}}: Broadly speaking, everyone in the story is a cyborg, due to the fact that [=NOI=] implants have become commonplace. However, there are many other cyborgs in the traditional sense as well. Twilight has had her horn augmented with a mithril magic amplifier- a prerequisite for her continued tutelage under Celestia- that enhances her mystical abilities; Applejack's hind-legs and much of her spinal column are completely cybernetic ("labor-class" modifications Flim and Flam insisted she get after they saved the Apple Family Farm from bankrupcy); and Rainbow Dash recieved several state-of-the-art, bleeding edge cybernetic augmentations after being wounded in action, including tri-fold chrome wings with anti-grav thrusters, a smart-eye made by Carousel Industries- equipt with multiple vision modes, a zoom function, and the ability to interface with optical-link weapons- bionic legs, an adamantium nanomesh coating over her entire skeleton, and a brand-new enhancement type called "neurachem" to enhance her nervous response and cognition process (i.e. enhanced reaction time). However, the most heavily augmented pony mention in the story is Big MacIntosh, who had both of his legs replaced and his entire body modified with a clockwork chassis, making him practically more machine than stallion.

* AIIsACrapshoot: [[spoiler:Project Huehuecoyotl]] is has a rather... Chaotic personality. It was designed as a weapon, meant to infiltrate hostile systems and ''permenently'' disable them. It deletes crucial system files and overloads the machine with junk data and customized malware. It also has the tendency to invade an individual's [=NOI=] and fundamentally alter their perceptions of reality, [[DrivenToSuicide usually for the worst]], ontop of acting as a lethal neurovirus. Interfacing with it while in safe mode does nothing. And the scary thing is that the version Pinkie and her team encountered was just a prototype. Once it's been perfected, it will be able to evolve to bypass any security system. While Rarity's programmers have told her that they have hard-coded unchangable parameters into it to esure it doesn't get out of control, Pinkie remains skeptical.

* FunctionalAddict: Pinkie Pie is one of these, proclaiming she "does [her ]best work" when buzzed. She's not just blowing smoke either, as she was able to completely durable Carousel Industries' power-grid while hopped up on some cocktail drug Zecora had brewed her several hours prior.

* BrainMachineInterface: A cybernetic implant called a "neuro-optical interface"- or [="NOI"=] for short- enables the user to connect wirelessly with ''"The Expanse,"'' as well as any other wireless or other electronic device, provided said device is outfitted with a compatible cable, interface port, or both.

* FantasticRacism: [[ImpliedTrope Implied]] to be the case with the Thestral- the bat-like Equestrians. Because their ancestors followed Luna after she became Nightmare Moon, they've been treated as second-class citizens and looked down on by much of society.

* FantasticRacism: [[ImpliedTrope Implied]] to be the case with the Thestral- the bat-like Equestrians. Because their ancestors followed Luna after she became Nightmare Moon, they've been treated as second-class citizens and looked down on by much of society.
*

* AIIsACrapshoot: [[spoilers: Project Huehuecoyotl]] is has a rather... Chaotic personality. It was designed as a weapon, meant to infiltrate hostile systems and ''permenently'' disable them. It deletes crucial system files and overloads the machine with junk data and customized malware. It also has the tendency to invade an individual's [=NOI=] and fundamentally alter their perceptions of reality, [[DrivenToSuicide usually for the worst]], ontop of acting as a lethal neurovirus. Interfacing with it while in safe mode does nothing. And the scary thing is that the version Pinkie and her team encountered was just a prototype. Once it's been perfected, it will be able to evolve to bypass any security system. While Rarity's programmers have told her that they have hard-coded unchangable parameters into it to esure it doesn't get out of control, Pinkie remains skeptical.

''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10000010/1/Cigarettes-and-Gunmetal Cigarettes and Gunmetal]]'' is a WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic {{Cyberpunk}} fanfic written by [[https://www.fanfiction.net/u/4000616/MonoGlyph MonoGlyph]].

Villages, fiefdoms, and castles gave way to sprawling cityscapes populated by millions of individuals. An era of enlightenment was achieved, and the study of magic and religion was cast aside in favor of scientific method and technological progress, the latter of which accelerated exponentially with each passing year. Once regarded as "The Immortal Solar Monarch," Princess Celestia is regulated to a more grounded position as an executive within the Equestrian government. The establishment of a vast, global, digital network known as "The Expanse" and it's social media aspect known as "The Grapevine" have forever revolutionized trade, innovation, communication, and- unfortunately- the potential for abuse and cyber-crime as well; law enforcement, as a result, as less than able to deal with the inevitable fall-out.

Bored to tears from tedium,

!!This Fanfic contains examples of: