Space Engineer over Equestria

Yang and Ying paced back and forth as Equestria's first Cosmonaught's suited up. Everything was a rushed mess. They hadn't even had a chance to launch the rocket yet. The simulator put the chance of death at 8% now, but even then it didn't have perfect scans. This wasn't including the hastily put together translation spell that could foul up first contact, or the training of the pilots themselves, also shoddy. Unfortunately, they couldn't afford to wait. Whoever that alien had called could be on their way right now, and nopony know how fast their ships were. They could be months away, or just a few seconds from exiting a massive portal.

The fourth pilot was a unicorn scientist they had grabbed at the very last second, the stallion had still been blubbering in confusion as they dragged him off to training camp. He wasn't the only pick, and he hadn't washed out, but that was almost incomprehensible to the two seasoned commanders. They hadn't even memorized his name yet, much less deconstructed his profile.

The decided flight system for the rocket was one that took pegasi's natural ability to think in 3 dimensions of movement, and their wing movements, and translated them to thruster inputs through a series of confusing programs neither Ying nor Yang fully understood. Aparently it was a system intended for a advanced long range spy craft, one that had been top secret. This project's success obviously dwarfed the importance of that development's secrecy.

Spitfire, by virtue of being the best flyer, had been selected as final pilot. Hopefully the sims related to real life flying of the rocket.

So much hope was being stretched out. Some of the weaker willed scientists had taken to drinking. They were never caught drunk on the job, but rumors persisted about their life outside of the project.

This was all a mess, the rocket would probably blow up in the atmosphere killing both their crushes. Destroying Equestria's chances of surival. Dooming everypony.

The twins looked at each other forlornly. Their purpose had ended... Equestria's fate was about to be sealed any minute now, and both of them had been waiting to try something since they first went on a date with another stallion together.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Yeah, let's find a lockable broom closet and get to it."

"woo!"

Spitfire, Soarin, and Daring Do, stared at each other agitatedly through the glass of their helmets. Training for this mission had been short, fast, and brutal, and each of them were running out of patience for the other 2. The poor fourth member was already inside the rocket trying to catch up on the sleep he had lost the last 4 days of training.

"Look, girls, I know we're all on edge, but we are probably about to die, and I was thinking of possible celebrations for if we live. How does being the first ones to buck in space sound?"

Both of the mares just facehoofed as their helmets would allow, and shoved past Soarin to get to the rocket.

The Triarchs of the Equestrian Empire sat anxiously on their viewing platform, waiting for the signal to begin the countdown. All three of them were preparing spells to prevent catastrophe, each one taking one of the 3 most likely disasters to prevent as they had agreed. this accounted for only 3 percent of the chance of failure the simulator gave, but it was the best they could do. Cadence hadn't arrived in time for the launch, and they didn't trust a non-alicorn to assist.

There was the buzzer, the signal. With a heavy heart, Celestia gently pressed the button to begin the countdown.

"5" Luna held her sister and niece close as the countdown echoed across the launch pad.

"4" Both of the other alicorns returned the hug eagerly, their hearts filled to the brim with worry and almost despair.

"3" Thought seemd to drift away as the moment dragged on, taking too long, and not long enough.

"2" Tears were shed as the sisters cried over the very possible deaths of the 3 ponies they had barely gotten a chance to know during the intense and rapid training session.

"1" All three of them braced themselves as the rocket's engines flared to life, the blast shaking them even from their safe viewing distance.

All 3 of them watched as the rocket slowly rose in a cloud of dull gray smoke that barely hid the vibrant and dangerous flames of the engines. Almost majestically it rose into the air, tilting slightly as it began it's long journey to the asteroids.

It almost managed to get fully clear of the platform before one of its engines suffered a failure.

Twlight smiled as her prepared spell fixed that almost instantly.

All they did after that was watch in awe as the first mortals to try and touch the dark of space slowly rose out and over the clouds.

Gone.

"Where's the campagne?"

The other two Princesses smiled as Luna produced the requested drink.

The chance of death had dropped a full 3% just with the rocket getting above the clouds.

The four ponies inside grunted as they were subjected to a full two G's, the spells helped, but they weren't quite powerful enough to take the full force of leaving Equiss' gravity well.

The minutes ticked by slowly, the cramped compartment moment slipped by.

Then, the G's slowly left, eventually replaced with a feeling of weightlessness.

They had made it.