Uilai and the Ponies at the center of the Galaxy
Chapter 1: Crash
“Yipperoony Pinkamena Diane Pie,” mused the cotton-candy-pink pony to herself, “this time the sky really is falling.” Tapping a hoof to her chin in thought for a time she merely shrugged and continued on her way to Sugar Cube Corner. The blindingly bright ‘hole’ in the clear night sky was forgotten for a much more important task.
According to her Pinkie Senses she needed to go prepare another invite to the party. There is after all nothing quite as important as making sure everyone has an invite to a Pinkie Party!
---00---
“I am afraid that my efforts to ensure our survival have not been adequate Designer Uilai.” The soft mechanical voice of the scout craft Seeing Is Believing conveyed the finality of that statement, her voice modulated to help focus the mind of her pilot.
“Adequate,” the small gray creature in the pilot seat scoffed and looked up at nowhere in particular, “Sibby, would you say that the navigation calculations we made are ‘adequate’?”
“Yes, Designer Uilai.”
“And would you say that the capabilities of your systems are ‘adequate’?”
“Before the majority of my systems failed, yes I believe so Designer Uilai.” There was a slight undertone of pride in the mechanical voice filling the spacious compartment. She may not have been the latest scout craft to come off the Fhaash production lines but she was still one of the best.
“I believe so too Sibby.”
With a sigh Uilai stared out the front view screen tapping one of its long fingers against the armrest of the pilot's chair. "You managed to get the warning beacon out though Sibby?"
"Yes, Designer Uilai."
There was a moment of silence, the timer showing they had a mere six point four edi left before catastrophic impact with the barren and sun blasted rock near the center of the galaxy. The super durable, but not quite indestructible ship would in a few moments be turned into nothing more than a smear of heavy metals and trace organic material in a very, very large crater.
“I-, I am sorry Designer Uilai-” the soft voice, a sorrowful tone to it now and colored with regret was quickly cut off by a wave from a long grey hand, its third digit held to the palm while the other two pointing straight out.
“Don’t Sibby. We are a choir, a scout pair. It is destined that one or both of us would face our end out here in the endless expanse of the unknown. I am glad that we face it together,” a pause as Uilai glanced once more at the chronometer, showing three point six edi left, “it has been an honor being your pilot.”
Uilai sat in its pilot chair, the harness secured tightly around its shoulders as it visualized the ship that has been its home for many cycles. A typical Fhaash design, the sleek ship ship was almost a mile long, organic blister like protrusions lined along its hull where sensor clusters and defense armament were located. It housed every single piece of equipment needed to effortlessly and speedily survey an entire solar system with hundreds of survey probes, ground drones and possibly the biggest warp drive for a ship its size. Becoming a scout pilot in the Armada has been the greatest honor for both Trilii and non-Trilii alike since the Reformation. So much knowledge was lost and the thirst for recovering that lost knowledge was a driving force for all. For scout pilots in particular it was their sole duty, their only reason for living.
No that any of that mattered now. As impressive as she was Sibby could do naught but hurtle towards the planet like some nameless meteor after being ripped out of FTL and having all her systems inexplicably shut down.
Another glance at the countdown.
point five edi
The gray creature looked toward the front view port as the scorched and desolate surface came rushing towards them and a bit of sadness crept into its voice.
point four edi
“Good bye Sibby.”
point three edi
Closing its large oval black eyes it braced, instinct overriding its rational mind yet deep down it knew it would make no difference.
point two edi
A bubble of material, made from the same impenetrable alloys as the hull itself, encapsulated Uilai in a last futile effort to keep the little gray creature alive.
point one edi
“Goodbye, Designer Uilai” The harness in the bubble squeezed it one last time.
*Thud*
'Thud!?' Uilai opened its eyes and blinked, then blinked again. As much as Designers are conditioned to accept their fate once certain, if there is even a chance at survival they will do all they can to make the most of that chance. The emergency navigation and propulsion systems of SIB, still marginally alive kicked in as the scout craft unexpected hit atmosphere. The powerful vibrations coursing through the scout craft activated the honed in conditioning in the Designer and with a wave of its three digit hand the bubble retracted and the harness tightened. No words were spoken as digits flew over the reignited hard light console in front of the focused pilot.
As the craft plummeted towards a new and surprisingly green surface the atmospheric flight wings and air breaks moved into place, desperately trying to slow her descent. Designer Uilai was not sure it would be enough but a Designer does not give up, and nor does its ship.
Yet, amongst all the action and focus, the thirst for knowledge was a hard thing to just shake off. Glancing at the readouts, as clear as they are, confused what little of its mind it could spare for the task. “Atmosphere; composition green two,” intoned the surprised voice of the ship.
'That means habitable for most carbon based life forms' Uilai’s mind automatically translated as the rest of it was busy reducing the speed of the craft. The external hull was already glowing as a second sun as the friction with the air heated up the outside hull to a blinding white.
"Sibby, do you have any idea why were weren't reduced to a smouldering crater? Where did all," Uilai waved in the general direction of the planet, "that come from?"
A slight pause as the ship turned its sensors upward and the display lit up with what looked like a giant hole in the night sky. "I believe we crashed through a World Shell."
Designer Uilai blinked, "It can't be! unless..."
“Settlements detected on our trajectory path Designer! I advise we change our heading twenty-one degrees to port."
Uilai gritted its teeth, beads of sweat forming on its darkly flushed gray skin making it seem oily and clammy. With supreme focus the ship slowly adjusted its flight path, still hurtling towards a small settlement but slowly and surely the projected impact point moved to the east and into a densely forested area.
No longer headed to the settlement, Designer Uilai’s fingers continued to dance across the projections in front of it changing the shape of the hull, to increase drag to the maximum possible without disintegrating the thin protective barrier from the friction. Slowly the ship decelerated as the Seeing Is Believing and its Designer worked in tandem.
But it was not enough, not for Uilai to survive at least. The impact would not be enough to critically damage Sibby's systems, she would survive easily enough but there was only so much punishment a Triili body could take. Mere moments before impact for a second time the personal capsule snapped close around the Designer, the harness tightening once more in preparation for the oncoming impact in defiance.
But yet again the Designer’s expectations, usually quite accurate mind you, were shattered with the craft not smashing into the densely forested area but rather coming to a very sudden halt, in mid air.
Slowly opening one of its large eyes, Uilai peered around. Feeling the events –and associated chemicals- of the last few edi quickly catching up and overwhelming the ability of its body to flush the chemicals from its small gray form the bubble quickly retracted once more with a wave and Designer Uilai, one of the best Scout class pilots in the Triili fleet, promptly threw up.
---00---
“Really Designer Uilai,” the disappointment clear in the voice just outside the Hygiene Unit the pilot was busily using to clean itself, “throwing up is hardly becoming a scout pilot of your caliber.”
With a near silent whoosh as the door slid open Uilai stepped out of the Hygiene Unit and adjusted one of the straps on its Survival and Exploration Suit. Leveling a stare at one of the SIB’s mobile units, a four legged fully synthetic robot in the shape of a Fhaash, Sibby decided not to push the point. About a head taller than Uilai’s own impressive 4’3” Sibby’s mobile unit had four evenly spaced legs that ended in round suction cup like appendages. With a large silvery round body it had at its center a torso with two arms attached ending in the Fhaash’s typical short and stubby four digit hands. Resting atop its torso was the pleasantly oval face of a Fhaash female. The Triili, despite -or perhaps because of- having only one sex themselves found other races fascinating in their multiplicity of sexes and genders.
Not noticing the grin at first, Uilai continued to adjust straps and making sure the S.E.S. was secured. The older models such as this one tended to require a bit more work to get just right but their reliability was superior to the newer models. “Protocol calls that we follow procedure Epsilon. We haven’t experienced any hostile actions yet but if they are able to stop an Odyssey class scout craft traveling as fast as we did, and keep it suspended we-“ looking up and noticing the huge grin on SIB’s face Uilai paused, “what exactly are you grinning at like a Felixian cornering its prey?”
“I took the liberty of examining the surrounding area Designer, and I do not think we need to worry overly much. My sensors have picked up only two beings in close proximity and they seem to be dressed rather, archaically,” pausing for a moment Sibby’s face changed to mild concern, “I do however I still advise caution as I have picked up an anomaly on one of the bands.”
Narrowing its eye Uilai nodded, “I see, well we do not want to make the same mistake as Designer Tailuus and the Hyperion Reached. Uilai Shuddered, they never did find Tail's... well anything really. "Show me a feed from outside”
A hardlight frame projected from the suit and a live feed from one of the many outside cameras projected within. It was dark outside but that proved no impediment to the high tech imaging available to the scout ship. Quickly switching between thermal, magnetic and about half a dozen other imaging spectrum Designer Uilai’s eyes grew large in shock as Sibby stopped at the anomalous one. Normally this one showed various harmless background gravimetric radiations and apart from two known races who projected minute amounts was normally clear. Looking at the projection is was hard to make out anything as the sensors were nearly blinded from the amount of radiation coming from the two beings still standing in front of the large scout ship.
“Sibby, what exactly am I looking at? Is that level of radiation dangerous?”
The uncertainty in the Fhaash robot’s voice was clear, “I am unable to say Designer Uilai, nothing of this magnitude has ever been recorded. It is not a danger, theoretically, but it might explain why we are suspended as we are.”
“You are talking about the Yuiri right? I have heard they are able of extremely limited telekinesis and the same kind of radiation have been observed around them.” Uilai was now absentmindedly stroking its chin in contemplation.
“Well no reason to keep them waiting.” Taking one last look at the normal visual light spectrum feed the little grey creature, now a full five feet in hight as the S.E.S. deployed it switched the display off with a nod and started towards one of the exits. “Right so from what I can see; quadrupedal, what seems like vestigial wings, hooded cloaks and some noble metal jewelry. Seems simple enough. Sibby, have you been able to get a handle on their language?”
A nervous cough from the robot behind it caused Uilai to pause as the airlock opened to the outside and a ramp extended to the ground, right in front of the two cloaked beings waiting for them on the ground.
“Ah yes, about that.” SIB motioned for the confused Pilot down the ramp. The two beings, one of pure white and another from a deep navy blue threw back their hoods, their faces grim and bodies tense as the Pilot and the Ship moved down the ramp. Their hair billowing out behind them in an invisible wind added to the surrealism of the situation. It was however about to get even weirder.
“Halt Triilirian,” spat the dark maned one, not only in old basic but with a voice impossibly loud for an un-augmented voice just as Uilai was about to step foot on the soil. “Know that if you choose to take that last step you will break the sacred oath your people made with us over three thousand cycles ago.”
"Luna," whispered the white coated one, golden regalia glinting off the moons light, "please."
"No sister! Have you forgotten so easily?" Her voice was wavering now, losing some of its volume as she continued to speak, “We have kept our side of the bargain." Turning to Uilai and Sibby, "why have you returned?” The dark maned one’s voice was cracking now and all power from it gone as sorrow filled it and tears welled up. Still as the power left her voice desperation entered it “Why have you come back to torment us? Have you not taken enough from us?” Her legs gave out beneath her she fell and with her the scout ship sagged as what power she contributed to keeping it in the air fell away.
“Oh Luna,” the white coated being with multicolored flowing mane groaned as she put more energy into keeping the ship airborne. Looking at the still shocked Designer Uilai, leg suspended in that last step she pleaded “Please, I can not hold your vessel airborne for long. If- if you have a shred compassion-” Uilai could hear the strain in her voice.
“Sibby, I don't know what is going on but can you get us airborne on our own power?” Uilai did not break eye contact with the being in front of it.
“We burned most of our fuel slowing our decent I can’t-,”
“Sibby, please!”
The Seeing Is Believing paused making a few quick calculations, “unless I can get the main power plant online the best I can do is a day Designer Uilai.”
“Do it.” The small gray alien slowly retracted its foot, still suspended in the air a few moments ago and gave a small nod. Breaking eye contact it turned around, following Sibby back into the vessel as the emergency power was shunted towards propulsions and the Seeing Is Believing slowly rose back into the air under its own power. Glancing back before the airlock finally closed Uilai saw the white coated being collapse next to this Luna, both white wings embracing her.
Author's Note
A lot of the ideas, words and descriptions will be familiar to those that have read a lot of sci-fi. There aren't any purposeful references but inspiration was taken from my collective experiences reading sci-fi.
I'd love to hear if you notice any of the inspirations.
Also I have no idea what I'm doing. Yey!
