CHANGELING
Spike, The Synthetic Artificial Intelligence of the Mareland-Yutani freighter Harmony, yawned as his core heated up, giving off the impression of him waking up.
Being the ship's only Synthetic and Science Officer, he had to fulfill the role of a "father" figure, but ultimately came up as just a helper or a maid. Which was fine, of course.. While his body was a dragon, physically younger than the other ladies on board, he had the combined intelligence of all of them, making him the perfect companion.
"First one should be waking up in.." He made a mental note. "Sergeant Major Rainbow Dash...30 seconds. A new record, too." Spike said cheerfully, eager to awake the first pony who came out of Hypersleep.
The Blue pony's Cryo tube opened slowly, revealing the half-asleep Pony lying there, eyes closed.
"Wake up, Chief." Spike announced. "And, yeah.. everyone else wake up, too."
Each of the pods hissed open slowly, revealing the rest of the Sleeping crew: Petty Offcer Fluttershy, the medical officer; Warrant Officer Rarity, Logistics officer; Captan Twilight Sparkle; Warrant Officer Applejack of Engineering; Lieutenant Pinkie Pie, Science Officer; and, of course, the already awake Master Chief Petty Officer (MCPO) Rainbow Dash, Weapons officer.
Rainbow yawned, and immediately started shivering. "Do they have to make it so cold In here?!" Rainbow Dash squeaked, her foggy breath visible in the air.
Everypony else had stepped out of their Hyper-sleep pod, all in special jumpsuits specially designed to combat the cold in the ship, and also the most extreme of temperatures room. Well, all but Rainbow.
"Dashie, ah keep 'tellin you to put on some goddarn clothes 'fore you get in the hyper sleep chamber.." AJ Grumbled, stretching her legs and getting a death stare from the Chief.
"Darlings, now's not the time to fight," Warrant Officer Rarity chirped, stretching. "Let's change the subject. Did you have any dreams? If so, may I hear?"
"Well, SOMEHOW… AppleJack broke the machine and entered MY Dream.." Rainbow muttered. "Y'all's dreams are boring.. I'm gonna go wake up the ship.." AJ Trotted out to leave, but was stopped by Spike, as he came up to the Door. "Good Morning, Applejack!" Spike said cheerfully.
"Howdy, Spike." AJ Nodded "Could ya unlock the Pod room doors? It's kinda chilly in here too, According to Dash over here.." She glared at Rainbow dash.
"Rainbow Dash, I keep reminding you, sleep with the jumpsuit on.." Spike said. "Who knows what could happen? Your blood could freeze, hypothermia, the list could go on.."
The Pod room doors slowly opened. "Thanks, Spike." AJ Nodded, the A.I nodding back as the Mares exited the room.
All but Captain Twilight. "Cap, Got something for you." Spike said, Picking up a book off of the ground and dusting the thin layer of Ice off.
Twilight rubbed her eyes with her hooves. "Oh yeah.." She yawned drowsily. "That book I was reading.. Where'd you find it?"
Spike shrugged. "Found it in the vents, Strangely. Wonder why.."
Twilight looked at the Open doors of the Pod room. "Could've been Rarity's cat, snooping around so much.."
Spike nodded. "Someday, Cap, Curiosity's gonna kill the cat." He shook his head. "Anyways, we got new orders.." He said, pulling up his mental note, and showing it holographically in front of them.
"Mareland-Yutani wants us to Investigate an Unknown Signal coming from this.." Spike looked at the briefing. "LV-629 Place.."
"Looks like just a dead rock to me." Twilight noted, staring at the holographic Planet's empty terrain.
"Yeah, Well it has Oxygen." Spike pointed out. "Could be a perfect place for a colony, despite all the wind and.. darkness.." Even Spike shuddered. "Looks spooky."
Twilight stood up, stretching her back one last time. "I'll go brief the others." She said. "Spike, it IS kinda a bit cold in here.." She pointed out.
Spike sighed, looking up at the vents.
"Pinkie Pie, darling, I think we've heard enough stories about that Cheese Sandwich pony you have a crush on." Rarity purred
"Aww come on, Rarity!" PP squeaked. "Do we have time for one more story?" Pinkie asked.
"I suppose." Rarity said.
Dash and AJ Rolled her eyes. "So..." Pinkie jumped up and down. "Did I mention he can fly Dropships? I mean, he's REALLY good at flying dropships. I mean, like, one time, he backed out of a hangar blindfolded! And Another time, he landed perfectly without even looking!"
"Sounds like a very interesting stallion." Rarity said, trying to at least show some support for the pink pony, unlike her other two friends here. She eyed Rainbow dash and Applejack, who both made "What" expressions.
"I agree. I would like to meet him in person. He seems pretty nice." Fluttershy said, barely loud enough for the other 4 to hear her.
"There it is again." Spike pressed his index finger on the Glass windshield, pointing to the tiny Green beam that shot out of the planet, before bursting into signal flare-like flames once it reached orbit.
"What do you think it is?" He asked the Captain, who was still inspecting it. "Looks to me like a distress beacon of some sort, but very primitive technology." She suggested.
"Magic?"
"No. Nopony (except Rarity And I) are capable of using magic, in addition to that the scans read that there's no indigenous life to the planet. It can't be magic.." She leaned in closer.
"If it Is magic, someone, or something, has to be very powerful to get a beam like that into orbit."
Spike and Twilight Locked eyes simultaneously, almost like they had the same Idea.
"I'll get the ship on a landing sequence." Spike said, his words fast and slurred, unusual for a Synthetic, whose words were fluent and separate.
"I'll get the crew ready." Twilight said simultaneously to Spike.
"Right.." She nodded, turning her separate way, while spike got to Tapping at the consoles.
The Doors swung open to the Living area, located at the center of the ship. Acting as a "hub", it had the most traffic and led to almost all of the other areas of the ship. The ponies that had previously left the Cryo pod area had now entered, sitting down at the large round table as instructed.
