Prologue: Into the Unknown.
Venus. Year 2335. Population: 25 million. Twenty years after the Intelligence Wars, in which humanity fought tooth and nail against it's own technology, strides have been made for the stars. Using calculations and recent experimentation notes created by the brain of the artificial intelligence, known as Sentient Artificial Intelligence (or SAI), humankind created the first two interstellar bases that have existed since 2079, and the first Lunar exo-settlement, known as "Apollo Eleven", in memory of the first lunar landing. From there, humanity hopped to Mars to take back the long lost base, "Spear-head-5", which had been taken by it's robotic slaves, and re-established their grip on the solar system. From there, humankind made a break for the neighboring planet: Venus. There, despite the extreme circumstances, and the hostility of the planet, the bio-dome base known as "Cupid-1" was established. Each planet served a different purpose: Earth was recognized as humanities birthplace, and served as the home base for all other bio-domes. Mars was humanities military facility, designed to train soldiers and develop new robotics and laser technology, and was recognized as such to honor the ancient Roman God of War. Venus was a scientific installation, being that it was the farthest from Earth, and was the forefront of exploration. On Venus, a very ambitious goal was set: explore a planet outside the solar system that was inhabitable. In pre-war times, humanity had seen and documented a total of 564 exoplanets, which were the most earth-like planets. However, one planet in particular, that was almost 30, 581 light years away, is easily the most earth-like, and most possible for life thus far. However, there was a very extreme problem: it would take over 1 billion years to reach it. However, scientists have been studying wormholes and comparing their studies with the expunged data from SAI, and are now very confident that they can create a wormhole device. The device took over twenty years to develop, and it is now ready to be tested. A ship had been created especially for this voyage, known as the V.S.S (Venus Ship Shape) Newfoundhome. The Newfoundhome had been created for extensive study, stay, and data storage, and was created with comfort in mind. The ship was constructed with a 100 feet long by 20 feet wide hallway in the middle, four 50 foot by 50 foot out-cropping spheres, a cockpit, and a massive engine in the back. The rooms were designed for specific purposes, one being a field laboratory, one being the crews barracks, one being a kitchen/farming module, and one being storage for heavy-duty tools and gear. The engines were only designed for ten hours of flight, but that much time was all that is needed. All that is needed now is for the final preparations to be set in place, and the crew to say goodbye to Venus, and any other human, for the next few years, if not the rest of their lives.
A man, African in race, leaned on the safety railing of biodome G-8, looking out onto the rocky landscape of Venus. He was tall and thin, almost skin and bones, and stood at six feet and seven inches. His face was gaunt, almost like he had seen a ghost, but his blue-green eyes are deep, calm, and thoughtful. His hair was crew cut, and a deep brown. His bright blue jumpsuit fitted him very well, never sagging in any fashion. On his chest, he wore a patch, which was sewn into his shirt, and read the name "Peter Crowney". His name was Peter, and he was the Newfoundhome's main engineer, who was trained to handle any sort of mechanical or computerized programming problem. He had graduated top of his class, and was one of the best engineers on Venus. He was, however, a very existential man, who often thought about existence, faith, and was very afraid of what he does not know. Space was also a deep fear of his, as his father fell casualty to a football-sized meteorite, which struck his air hose and dislodged the hose from both his helmet and his pack, sending it hurtling into the inky darkness. His father suffered asphyxiation, and died in the depths of space. Peter sighed as he thought about the mission. Today was the day, and there was no turning back. The door leading to the observation deck behind Peter opened, and revealed a short, red haired man. He sported a finely combed goatee, his eyes were blue, wide and curious, like a child's. He had a large gut, which hung over his belt, despite his energetic and athletic lifestyle. He was, in general, large. His jumpsuit was incredibly baggy for the dwarf-like man. His name was Franklin MacTandeller, but everyone just calls him Frank.
"Hey, Peter! How ya doin'?" Frank said in his booming voice. He spoke in an American accent, and tended to use short-hand words. Peter warmly chuckled.
"Oh, I'm fine, Frank, and you?" Peter responded. Peter had a deep and mellow voice. You could easily think he's a jazz player, just by his voice, and not an astronaut. Frank walked over beside Peter.
"I'm real excited! Aren't you?" Frank said, smiling wide. Frank, while he wasn't really a dwarf, looked like a toddler compared to Peter, Frank only being 5 feet and 4 inches. Peter sighed and looked back out at the horizon. "Ah, now, don't be scared, this ship is designed for this. We're as safe as can be!" Frank said.
"Yeah, I know... it's just that the wormhole device... it's so unstable..." Peter said, thinking of the device. It was serving as the ships centrifuge as well as being the wormhole creator, and it wrapped around the ship like a large ring. It was stated that it may potentially rip the crew members apart on a molecular level, but that's only a 2.75% chance. That is to say, Peter was terrified of the device.
"Just don't worry about it! We could be squashed down into bloody stamps and explode into a human fire heap, if this artificial atmosphere gives out, and you don't worry about it. Just think: we'll be the first humans to set foot on that exo-planet! Isn't that exciting?" Frank said.
'Well, great.' Peter thought. 'Another senseless thing to worry about. But... Frank does have a point. This exo-planet is of highest priority at the moment. It is confirmed to have water and an atmosphere, thanks to the ice caps and the clouds that migrate. I've already seen photo's of the planet, and I could easily confuse it with Earth. This expedition could provide some substantial evidence to the intelligent life study, which has been hitting a few dead ends, and this planet is calculated to have a 94.8% chance of life.' Peter smiled, but only a little. No matter what happens to them on this day, they would make history. Frank saw Peter's little smile, and he grinned.
"There he is! See? Thing's are gonna be okay." Frank said, placing a hand on Peter's shoulder and gazing out on the horizon. They had a little bit more small talk, hypothesizing what they might find on the planets surface, when the intercom buzzed to life.
"*Members of the V.S.S Newfoundhome, please report to General Delvont Cummings office.*" The loud speaker boomed.
"Ooo! That's our call! C'mon, let's go!" Frank said, racing down the hall of biodome G-8 to Delvont's office, which was adjacent to both the hangar and the final preparations area. Peter sighed, and raced after him. This was a habit of Frank's, where he'd attempt to create silly games out of mundane tasks. It was an odd part of his childish demeanor, and his childish demeanor kept the crew sane and hopeful. They raced through the sterile halls of G-8, and Frank had beaten Peter to Delvont's door. Frank jogged in place, placing a finger to his jugular to check his heart rate, while Peter placed his hands on his knees and panted, tired. "Tsk tsk tsk, Peter, how will you fix our computers if you can't outrun a Scottish dwarf-man?" Frank said, sarcastically.
"Well... to be fair, our computers... won't have legs..." Peter said, straightening his stature. Frank opened the door, smiling.
"Fair enough. Ladies first." Frank said, jokingly. Peter waved him off and walked into the room. Delvont's office was dark, the only source of light being the projection hologram in his desk. On the left side of the desk, closest to Peter, sat a tall, tan woman. Her hair was blonde and long, her eyes a deep shade of brown. She carried herself with a noticeable air of confidence, which alerted everyone that she was the boss. She was a tough, hearty individual, and would have been able to fool anybody with her softer looks. Her name was Stacy Hoffman, and she was the captain of the Newfoundhome. Beside her, sat a small, fair skinned girl, with emerald green eyes that contrasted her body like green marbles in almost white snow. She looked to be about sixteen, but was the same age as Peter, at 22. Her name was Sean Harvey, and she was the assistant engineer, who assisted in technological support and repair. Across from them were two chairs, one for Frank, and beside that chair was a chair that held a beast of a man. Almost six feet, eight inches, with bushy hair and a bushy beard that were the same colors of Frank's hair, was Hughe Mactendeller, the brother of Frank and the lead botanist, as well as the head of communications. As Frank sat beside Hughe, Hughe gave him a quick little shoulder nudge, which was met with a shoulder nudge fight. As Peter sat down and looked down the table, he noticed a very intimidating figure at the end of the table. The man was six foot five, had a square jaw, cold eyes that were the color of toxic green sludge, and very broad shoulders. His chest was puffed in pride, and displayed decorations of all sorts on his military uniform. His name was General Delvont Cummings, and he was the curator of this project.
"Gentlemen." He said, sternly, halting the shoulder fight. His gaze, but not his disposition, shifted from cold and hard to warm and joyful, as a little half grin formed on his lips. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is your debriefing. As you know, this mission is of highest importance, as we are not only attempting to colonize an exoplanet, but we are also testing our wormhole device. You have read the files, you know what to expect from this mission. Whatever happens to you on your journey, you are going to make it into the history books. This will be a full fledged chapter in the history books. Are there any questions?" Delvont said. Frank raised his hand. "Yes, Franklin?" Delvont asked.
"What should we do if we encounter alien life on the planet?" He asked. Delvont blinked in confusion, hie eyebrow raised. He chuckled.
"Why, that's why you are along, of course. You are the team's biologist, and you are an excelling zoologist. Your reason for being on this mission is to study the potential life on the planet." Delvont informed.
"No, I mean life like us. Intelligent life. Extraterrestrials." Frank said. Delvont shook his head, chuckling a little louder. Stacy stared at Frank with a questioning look, while Peter sighed.
"Mr. Delvont, this is no laughing matter. I feel that my brother has a very good question. The planet has a 94-point-something chance of life, and are we not to expect that there is a high potential for-"
"Stop spouting such childish nonsense. You won't find any intelligent life." Delvont said. Frank stood up and leaned on the desk.
"Mind if I ask how you know that?" He said. Delvont's upper lip curled in a snarl.
"Fine... if you are to... somehow find intelligent life, communicate. Attempt integration."
"Are you telling me the Earth Government has no real plan for extraterrest-"
"Of course we have a plan!" Delvont shouted. The room grew silent, and Delvont took in a deep breath. "Now... if there are no further questions..."
"*Members of the V.S.S Newfoundhome, prepare for takeoff. Head to final preparations to suit up.*' The intercom said.
"Ah! That's your call. Good luck, my friends. God speed." Delvont hissed. The crew stood up, saluting the general, and marched out to final preparations, where they began suiting up.
"What a load of crap! We don't even have a plan if we find aliens!" Frank yelled, pulling his atmosphere suit up. The atmosphere suit was painted a deep blue, and the helmet was a kind of fishbowl. The atmosphere suits were solely designed for comfort and to maintain atmosphere once they exited the craft and moved about on the potentially hostile planet's surface. Frank pulled his boots up to his shins.
"Frank, you can't expect us to actually have a plan for aliens, do you?" Peter asked, pulling his gloves to his forearms. Frank stopped on his left glove, and stared at Peter, angrily.
"I do. We need a plan for something like aliens, or the visiting of an interstellar species. Without it, we'd be flying blind." Frank said, angrily. Sean pulled her whole suit back on, clicking her fishbowl helmet on. Stacy, fully outfitted, walked in.
"Until that happens, we need to get ready. Now, hurry up, we gotta go." Stacy said. Frank stopped his bickering, and the crew pulled their suits together, and walked out to the bay doors, just outside of the final preparations room. Inside, engineers scrambled to finish up the final details with the wormhole device, pumping in the last drops of fuel, and calculating trajectories. The crew walked up the cockpit ramp, at the front of the ship, and took their seats inside. They fastened the belts that went around their waist, over their shoulders, even around their chest.
"*NFH, this is Houston, come in, please.*" Home base said, the voice crackling through their helmet intercoms. Stacy closed the cockpit ramp, and watched as the engineers outside scattered back into the biodome, leaving the hangar completely empty, save for their ship.
"This is NFH, Houston, reading you loud and clear. We are prepared for takeoff when we are given the all clear." Stacy said. She looked to Sean, whom she was most worried for. Sean was... timid, to say the least. Sean gave Stacy a half-hearten smile and a thumbs up, although her brow was wet with sweat. The hangar outside depressurized as the far hanger door opened.
"*Warning: No breathable atmosphere detected. Hazard suits are required.*" The ship's internal sensors proclaimed.
"*Alrighty, NFH, we are ready to launch you. Just give us the all clear signal, and you'll be sky high.*" Houston said. Stacy looked to her crew to make sure everyone was strapped in.
"Ready." She said. No turning back now. The track under the ship grabbed the launching legs, which were fitted for this ship alone.
"*Launching in five...*" The tension inside the cockpit was a tension that could break even the strongest willed people. Peter made a quick, hasty sign of the cross, tracing the Cross over his upper torso, in hopes that the God which he had believed in would grant him safety. "*...Four...*" The countdown felt like it was ticking by in minutes, rather than seconds. Sean held back tears as she tried her best to keep her composure, which often resulted in tiny, quiet sobs. "*...Three...*" They bit their lips and closed their eyes, prepared to face the Infinite of space, and the possible grip of Death. "*...Two...*" The author has run out of things to say about the suspense of this current situation. "*...One... launch.*" Houston said. Suddenly, the entire ship was pushed forward at almost breakneck speeds, as the ship was launched out of the biodome hangar into the hostile outside, through the atmosphere. The crew had clenched their eyes closed by now, almost certain they were going to die. Sean openly sobbed now. Stacy reacted with cat-like reflexes, grabbing hold of the controls and applying force to the thrusters. The ship was pushed up through the atmosphere, into the recesses of space. The crew, save for Stacy, hadn't even noticed that they had reached space. "*Alright, come in NFH.*" Houston said, giving a sense of peace to the crew.
"This is NFH, we have pushed past, awaiting wormhole." Stacy said. Slowly, the crew looked out onto the great expanse of space. Frank and Hughe stared out with big grins, as they saw a big, inky blackness, dotted with lights that represented hundreds of new places to explore. Peter, however, stared out, and felt tiny, insignificant. He wanted to curl up in a ball and cry as he stared out, into what seemed like a dotted nothingness. As Sean stared out, she felt both a great, immense feeling of adventure and hope, but also felt as Peter did, and simply sank into her chair, staring out with hope and fear. Stacy stared out, defiantly, as a hero would stare at their oncoming challenge.
"*Alright, give us a few minutes. First, we have to boot up the system. The ship's gonna shake around a bit, so prepare for a bit of turbulence.*" Houston informed them. The crew looked to each other with grins going from ear to ear, except for Sean, who simply stared out at Space.
"Hey Peter, you doin' alright?" Frank called.
"Think I peed myself a bit, but I'm okay. How's everybody else?" Peter called out.
"Fantastic! Woo!" Hughe said, throwing his hands in the air, excitedly.
"I've been better, but I'm okay now." Stacy said, leaning back in her chair.
"... I want to go home..." Sean said, gripping her armrests as she felt the void of Space seem to seep into her soul, the vastness, the darkness, finally getting to her.
"Don't worry, we're gonna be okay." Stacy said. She felt, as she said those words, that she had lied to Sean. She couldn't really explain why, but she felt that the future held something dreadful for them that would prove her wrong.
"*Okay, crew, folding space in three...*" The ring around the ship began to slowly rotate and hum. "*...Two...*" The ship began to shake with a violent rumbling. "*...One... Wormhole opened.*" Suddenly, what could only be described as a huge orb, with hundreds of nebulae, galaxies, and stars hung before them. The crew stared at it, astonished. They had just survived the ship's wormhole device either by luck, or because the device was fully functioning (Or maybe by Peter's silent prayer). The wormhole felt... inviting, in a strange way. Like it was beckoning them, begging them to walk in. If they could see the future, they would have done it in a heartbeat. Or, maybe not. "*Alright, NFH, this is where we part ways. Best of luck in your future endeavors. Gods speed.*" Houston said. The crew took a collective breath, and the ship slowly drifted in. Suddenly, as the wormhole enveloped them, the ship was cast into a tunnel, streaks of light all around them, and the ship began shaking violently. The ship was flying through the tunnel, and it was flying fast.
"AH! HOLD ON!" Stacy shouted, grabbing onto her shoulder straps and squeezing her eyes shut. The flying lights were spectacular, a beautiful flying splatter painting. The ship, however, interrupted the moment. The ship was designed to survive the wormhole, be it's immense heat or it's immense gravitational tearing. Alarms began to blare, stating that the ship was going to be ripped apart, and that the ship was being baked.
"AH! NO GOD! I'M GONNA TO DIE! WE'RE GONNA DIE!" Sean screamed, kicking her legs about in an attempt to free herself.
"THEN IT'S AN AWESOME WAY TO GO!" Frank shouted. Peter looked up, placed his palms together, closed his eyes, and silently prayed. Prayed for them to survive. Tears streaked down his face, as his life flashed before his eyes: His parents, his home on Venus, his pet dog, Rex, his first crush, everything he had experienced in his life, had paraded past his eyes. The rest of the crew's heart's sunk with realization, and closed their eyes, prepared to die. Suddenly, the ship stopped rumbling, the alarms died, and a high pitched *ding* noise emanated from the console, like a tiny bell, alerting them to the end. Peter slowly opened his eyes, and gasped at the view. The planet before them was akin to Earth, looking like a majestic blue marble in the darkness of space. Not very far away, at optimal distance, a grand, orange sun burned brightly. Not too far off in the distance, a grand nebula of swarming purple dust glowed. The planet after the exoplanet was a deep shade of red, akin to red clay.
"Oh my god..." Sean exclaimed, staring at the magnificent planet. It was an almost perfect replica of Earth, save for the massive super-continent on the face of the planet. Masses of clouds drifted across the planet, indicating an atmosphere. The top and bottom of the planet were frozen white, indicating ice caps. The super-continent was a lush, vibrant green, the northern top was a bright white and the west was an arid brown. The crew looked around, making sure they were still alive.
"WE'RE ALIVE!" Frank shouted, clapping in joy. The crew, their spirits once again lifted, responded with whoops and cheers. Even Sean was shouting and clapping. They couldn't believe it! They were the first people to have crossed a wormhole and survive! Stacy's eyes poured tears of relief, but she quickly regained her composure, and cleared her throat.
"Alright, crew! We're halfway there! Let's not lose sight of the goal! Now comes the tough part. Release the ring." Stacy said. Frank typed into his console, commanding the device to break off from the ship. The ship was ridden of the device, and the ship propelled forward without a sound.
"Ring released." Frank updated.
"Alright. Everybody ready? We'll be taking things slow, since re-entry may tear the craft apart. Ready the landing engines." Stacy said. Hughe nodded, and began typing in the codes. On the bottom of the ship, the landing engine hatches opened, revealing the engines which were to keep the ship from breaking apart in re-entry. The ship began drifting to the planet, the main engines firing to propel the ship faster. "Peter, Hughe, you two control the front engines, Sean and Frank control the rear engines. When I call out what side, I want both of you to fire those engines, and to stop when I tell you, okay?" Stacy said, giving everyone a stern look. Everyone nodded in response. "Alright..." Stacy mumbled as they began to enter the atmosphere. Stacy's eyes narrowed on the environmental speedometer, to ensure they never entered the red, and the ship's status holograph, to ensure no damage has been done. The needle drifted up to the red, and the rear end of the ship's status holograph flashed red. "Rear engines!" Stacy shouted. Suddenly, the ship's radar flashed with a signature.
"*Warning: outside forces detected. Avoid collision.*" The ship's intercom warned.
"What the Hell was that!?" Frank shouted, astonished.
"We'll find out, just hit those engines!" Stacy commanded. The ship's rear engines fired up, and the holograph returned to normal, as the speedometer's needle drifted back into normal range. "Release!" Stacy shouted. They continued their decent, slowly, unstably. As they continued, they peered out the the main window to the world they have now become a part of. The sky was a vibrant blue, like on Earth. As they continued to drift, however, more and more startling finds became prevalent: Snow-capped mountains began popping, as did tall, grassy mountains in the far off distance. The crew was safe from potential oxygen deprivation, and the gravity levels appeared normal, as well. Everything was going absolutely perfect. Then, as they drifted just thirty feet above the surface, another radar blip fired up. This time, it was bellow them.
"There's something down there!" Hughe exclaimed.
"Listen, we gotta land this thing, fuel's running low!" Stacy commanded. The blip ran away, out of the radar's range, and into what appeared to be a dense forest. "Alright, landing gear!" Stacy shouted. Sean typed in her codes, and the landing gear slowly extended. The ship slowly settled on the alien planet, and the whole world grew silent as the planet itself appeared to marvel at the craft. That very second, the exact instant the engines died and the ship lay motionless in the field, history for both mankind and any unidentified species that lived on the planet had changed forever. This was only the beginning.
Chapter one: First Contact
Ponyville, 5 minutes before touch-down.
It was the end of the Lunch Rush. Everypony who came to eat had left, and the streets were less than bustling. A few ponies milled around in the town square, a few dozed on their porches, a few worked in their gardens or tended to their shop stalls, and a few talked with friends. It was a particularly normal day, nothing out of the ordinary really seemed to happen. Although, one pony could sense... something. Something big.
A bright pink pony, with bright blue eyes, curious and staring, like a child, and a ridiculous smile that could brighten a room, was hopping down the street. Not walking, not trotting, but hoping. Her name was Pinkie Pie. She wasn't in search of much, at the moment, just saying hello to anything that would pass her by, although a few villagers deliberately stayed away. Pinkie was the town nut, a kind and happy mare, but... different. Some villagers even made up all sorts of rumors about her. The most popular and well-known rumor about Pinkie is that she's a psychopath that drags ponies down into Sugarcube Corner's basement, slaughters them, and uses their innards to create cupcakes. The theory was debunked easily, thanks to some of Twilight's test's on Pinkies cupcakes, and the distinct lack of disappearing ponies. Another was her use of powdery white substances to give her the speed and vigor, but that, too, was disproved. Some say she can bend space and time, and see's another world, and that may very well be true. However, there is one myth that everypony knows is true, but nopony understands: her "Pinkie Sense". Her "Pinkie Sense" was her peculiar ability to sense a catastrophe or accident before it happens. It has saved life and limb for quite a few ponies in the past. Well, it did help break every bone in one pony's body, forcing him to stay in the hospital for over three months (at least he had Rainbow Dash as a roommate... er...) , and there was one time Twilight was studying her sense, when she was crushed by an anvil, a piano, and a cart full of hay, but it has served as a warning sign in the past for others.
Pinkie was hopping along down Mane street, leading to the crystal castle in the middle of town, Twilight's castle. She figured she'd stop by, say hello, talk a little, and leave. It was better than hopping about without a purpose. She, then, saw a light tan mare, with a deep red mane the color of a rose. Her eyes were leafy green, soft, but slightly distant, as though she was always thinking about something else. She was Rose Luck, and she was hefting a sack of soil down the road. Rose Luck spotted Pinkie, and silently cursed. Rose Luck was a tad anti-social, and Pinkie was far too social. Rose Luck could carry a conversation, but she had learned to be used to being alone, and had come to enjoy her solitude. She faked a smile.
"Hiya, Rosy! Watcha doin'?" Pinkie said, still jumping in place. Rose Luck elbowed the bag back in place on her back.
"Just bringing home some more soil, thinking of expanding my garden a bit more." Rose Luck said. She was indeed thinking of expanding her garden, but the problem was that, since the Tirek attack or whoever, her garden was demolished, along with all of her personal belongings. She had moved into a new place, and had ignored furnishing her house for the time being, since gardening was both her only real source of income and it helped her feel much better.
"Oh coolieo! Sorry, but I gotta-" Pinkie, suddenly, stopped and stood rigid, eyes wide.
'Oh great, she's having another episode. I better go before she starts ranting about the Illuminati, or whatever happened last time,' Rose Luck thought to herself. Then, Pinkies eyes began to twitch. Rose slightly recoiled, uncertain of how to react. Then, Pinkie began looking around, panicked. Her mane and tail (somehow) began violently twitching and wiggling, and Pinkie sat down and began scratching her neck like a dog. She was having a fit, more specifically, her Pinkie Sense was kicking in. Rose's eyes widened, and panic set in. "Uh... hey, Pinkie, I gotta go... Seeyabye," Rose Luck said, galloping down the road, trying to get as far away from Pinkie Pie as she could. Her soil fell off her back, and she picked up speed.
"Hey! Lady! You dropped your soil!" A stallion behind her shouted, but she didn't stop, and neither did Pinkie Pie. Pinkie continued to itch, twitch, and jitter everywhere. Pinkie had finally decided to head straight for Twilight. Pinkie had full access to the castle, so the sentries simply stepped aside as Pinkie busted through the doors.
"TWILIGHT!" Pinkie screamed. In the castles library, Twilight Sparkle, the newly appointed princess of Friendship and Harmony, was startled out of her concentration. Even for being a new member of royalty, she had quite little to do, and was busy color coding her entire library of over 100,000 books when Pinkie Pie came in. Twilight dropped her color coding book, and sighed.
"Yes, Pinkie? I'm in the library." Twilight responded, annoyed. Pinkie sprinted into the crystal library, full speed, and skidded to a halt.
"Ohhh! Twilight! It's happening! It's happening!" Pinkie said, looking around as though she were expecting somepony. Twilight rolled her eyes. Pinkie was like this a lot: vague. Somehow, an overly active mare who couldn't STOP talking for the life of her, could dance around the simplest description.
"Pinkie Pie, please be just a tad more specific?" Twilight asked. Suddenly, almost like her request was answered, Pinkie Pie's eye began to twitch, her body began to itch, and every muscle in her body began to jitter. Twilight's eyes widened in horror as the situation became prevalent. "Oh my Celestia..." Twilight whispered. This was the worst Pinkie Sense fit she has ever seen, her limbs shaking at every angle. Then, just as suddenly as it arrived, it stopped. Pinkie shook her head, and hid under a desk.
"Oh my gosh! What do we do!?" Pinkie Pie pleaded, covering her eyes. Twilight crouched down, peeking under the desk.
"Look, for now, let's just try to keep things under wraps. I mean, hey, how bad could it be?" Twilight asked, foolishly. Pinkies' Sense hadn't really kicked in since a while back, not even for the Tirek incident, so Twilight figured that, maybe, this was a false alarm. Maybe nothing would happen. Maybe...
"Well... I'll try." Pinkie Pie said, glumly, as she crawled out from under the desk. Twilight smiled, warmly.
"Don't worry about it too much, Pinkie. We can tackle anything that comes our way, I promise." Twilight said, wrapping a hoof around her friends shoulder in a comforting hug. Pinkie smiled, as she always did. "Now, why don't you go off and see what Dash is up to? I'm sure she's done with her weather patrol. Besides, it should help you take your mind off things." Twilight offered. Pinkie Pie grinned, and threw her arms around Twilight's neck in a much more chocking embrace.
"Oh, thank you, Twilight! You always know what to do!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, and began hopping back out of the library, as though nothing happened. Twilight watched her friend go, and simply lingered on the experience. Would this potentially mean something in the coming future? Was this more than just a "twitch", and maybe a real prophecy? Twilight shook her head.
'No matter,' She thought. 'Come Tartarus or high water, we can and will overcome.' Twilight thought, defiantly. She bit her bottom lip, and looked to the scroll desk. She chewed her lip, and finally agreed with herself to keep a scroll and ink close by for any possible emergencies. She took a scroll into her magic telekinetic field, and flew back up to her perch, where she continued to color code her upper library.
Meanwhile, in the southern fields, high above the grassy hills and flower beds, resting on a cloud was Rainbow Dash. She rested her head on the pillowy clouds and slept, quietly. She worked weather patrol from time to time, trying to tame her life a bit. Even for her, times had recently gotten absolutely crazy, and a bit of serenity, as well as predictability, would be highly appreciated. She snuggled into the cloud as songbirds chirped their melody, trying to block out the noise. She growled under her breath as the birds not only continued their song, but flew about her cloud, chirping at her. Her eyes opened slowly, and she turned to one of the birds, and stared at it, hoping it would get the message. It didn't and chirped even louder. She growled at it, like a dog, not wanting to directly address it. It didn't leave. Dash, rolled her eyes, got up, and attempted towering over the bird.
"BUZZ OFF, YOU JERK!" She shouted, getting in the bird's face. It backed off, and pointed with its wing, for at least a moment, above Rainbow Dash's head. She cocked an eyebrow. "What?" She turned to look. "What are you pointing ah..." Dash's voice slowly trailed off as she saw... it. It was a massive... thing. It was long and slender, like a tube, but with six orbs, two on it's left and right, one in the back, and one in the front. It was as black as volcanic rock, and appeared to be shooting fire out from under it. Dash's eyes widened, and fear gripped her for a moment. Her mind buzzed with questions, uncertain just what to do. She, then, realized it was directly above her. It was, also, then that her ears were alerted to a deep rumbling, like a volcano. Was this a flying volcano or something? Stranger things have happened. Dash yiped, and jumped off the cloud, unfurling her wings. She beat her wings against the wind as she attempted to fly past the thing. However, the closer it got, the hotter the air became. Dash began to pant and sweat from the heat, and rather than attempting to fly to a nearby cloud, she glided down to the Everfree's edge, and shook the hot sweat from her coat. She backed away from the area, and watched as the flying volcano slowly touched down. She hopped into a dense bush, and assessed the situation. 'Okay,' She thought. 'A... flying volcano, I think, just fell out of the sky, nearly burnt me to a crisp, and is now...' she watched as legs slowly emerged from the craft, and touched down. The ship gave out a loud hiss, and it settled down. Dash's eyes widened, as she realized- 'IT'S A FRIGGIN' SPACESHIP!'... yeah. She stared, unable to move from both excitement and terror. 'Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmyGOSH! Aliens! Here! I can't believe it! What should I do? Maybe I should go and talk to them... no... I have to tell Twilight! She'll know what to do!' Dash thought. She gathered up her courage, and galloped off, deeper into the forest, for Twilight's castle.
5 minutes after touch down.
Sean and Peter clicked away at their keyboards, entering in the data that the scanners brought back. Their eyes were wide as the info rolled in, and told them about the atmosphere, the soil, the surrounding area, everything. It did a two meter scan underground, and unveiled tiny rabbit tunnels. The world was alive. Frank, Hughe and Stacy stared out the windows of the craft at the massive trees of the jungle. They smiled wide as they saw all assortments of birds and butterflies fly and flutter about outside. The world appeared almost fresh, new. The outside had blue skies, dense grasses, flowers, a jungle, and a...
"What the Hell is that?" Frank asked, pointing out the window to what appeared to be a giant crystal star atop a finely carved crystal spire. It was so finely pointed and flawless, it appeared artificial. The crew stared out the window, uncertain what to say. Hughe, then gasped in a mixture of awe and horror.
"Holy crap! Look over there!" He shouted, pointing up at the clouds. The crew craned their necks to peek under what little cloud cover there was, and squinted. Then, it came into view: a city, with a massive central building, a factory, a small town and even a colosseum, all made of clouds. Every tiny detail seemed to be perfectly molded out of clouds, and the cloud never drifted. It either was a real city, or a crazy optical illusion. Stacy's jaw fell open, and she simply stared, uncertain what to say. She stepped away from the window, and leaned back on her terminal, thinking. She was the team leader. Fearless, or so she thought. Hughe and Frank looked to each other, stupefied. Was this proof of extraterrestrials? While they, at the time, overwhelmingly hoped so, there was a kernel of doubt in their minds, and a hope that it was false. Peter and Sean had came to the window, too, and Peter was just as uncertain as Frank and Hughe. In all honesty, he was scared. Scared of the idea of extraterrestrials, and simply meeting one. But Sean... she was overwhelmingly excited. Not just of the extraterrestrials, but of how fresh the world appeared. The crew looked away from the windows of the craft, and attempted to formulate a plan.
"Alright... we don't know that there are aliens... It's probably an optical illusion... let's just stick to the plan. Peter, you should do a perimeter scan in the hazard suit, in case there's more than just birds and butterflies out there." Stacy said, regaining her composure. The thought of intelligence, however, lingered. Peter sighed, and proceeded to the storage wing, on the far left side of the ship. Peter hated the hazard suit, as it was bulky and hot. The suit, composed of an alloy of magnesium and lined on the inside with graphene, is incredibly strong, able to withstand the blast of a grenade, a focused laser, or even a train, and keep the wearer alive. Peter entered the storage wing. On the left wall, laser cutters, spare parts, and a few pieces of scanning equipment awaited use. In a cryogenic locker on the left wall was the height of non-combative laser technology: a mining laser, able to cut through bedrock, and be worn on the users back, rather than crated around in a rover or car. On the right wall was an essential part of the operation: a 3D printer, able to create any item the crew desired, using it's "Dummy A.I." and a database of over 500,000 words. And, ahead of the door, was the wall of suits. Each was colored a deep midnight blue, but each was designated for a different crew member, their suit's wearing their name on the suit's chest. Peter walked over to his, and removed the helmet, activating the entry sequence, where the shoulder pads pull away, giving Peter clearance to lower himself into the suit. He settled into the suit, feeling the rubber gloves of the suit, and placed the helmet on his head. The helmet was spherical, and his face plate exposed his entire face. He slid down the three primary visors. Each visor provided different levels of protection, the first being a radiation screen, the second being a solar screen, and the third prevented blunt force trauma to the face, being able to protect against the force of a 50 caliber bullet. Peter adjusted to his new suit, swinging his arms and taking a few steps, and walked out to the bay door. The heavy suit made it sound as though Peter gained 300 pounds, even though the suit was about 80 pounds. The hiss of his internal communications system came to life in his quiet helmet.
"*Hiss...* Testing one, two, three. You hear me?" Frank's voice rang out in the new, quiet realm that was Peter's suit.
"Oh no, YOU'RE the one Stacy decided I would be on the line with?" Peter said with sarcasm.
"I couldn't miss the opportunity to get a look outside without going outside." Frank said. Peter rolled his eyes as the bay door to the exterior lift opened. The elevator itself seemed to be hiding something much more insidious than a new, alien world, like it was darker than usual. Peter stepped inside.
"Alright Frank, let's get this over with." Peter said, his heart now beginning to race, and his palms sweating profusely. He clenched his fists, not letting fear overcome him.
"Scared, Peter?" Frank taunted. Peter then remembered the scanning devices on the suit itself, with interfaces that hooked up to tools, computers, and even his own heart rate.
"Very." Peter replied, his voice unwavering. The elevator began clicking as electrical components buzzed to life.
"Alright, lowered in three, two, one. Going down." Frank said. The elevator lowered, and the sound of the outside world flooded into the elevator: tree's blowing in the breeze, birds chirping, and a quiet nearby stream. None of these sounds even made it into Peter's helmet.
"Frank, would you kindly enable the outside feedback?" Peter asked.
"Oh, right. Here we go." Frank said. Suddenly, Peter heard the grainy sounds of the outside as the feedback became enabled. Peter marveled at the green of the outside world, as he slowly stepped out of the elevator, and into the outside world.
"Frank, you seein' this?" Peter asked, looking around the world with child-like curiosity. The elevator closed behind him, leaving him isolated outside the ship with only the remote communications system and video feed to keep him in touch with the crew.
"Clear feed. Head for the crystal spire, see what that's all about." Frank said. Peter nodded, and walked for the spire. But, before he could even get ten steps in, Frank stopped him. "Wait, somethings... somethings... Peter, run." Frank said, as fear tainted his voice. Peter began to panic.
"What? What, why? Why should I-" Peter was cut off, as what alerted Frank inside of the ship landed beside him.
Rainbow Dash landed deftly on the balcony of Twilight's library, not even stopping to catch her breath. Adrenaline forced her forward, propelled on the wings of fear and excitement. Aliens, one's that came in a ship, and she could prove it!
'Here's to hoping they're not like the ones from Daring Do's book about those Crystal Pony Skulls.' Dash thought to herself. "TWI!" She shouted. Twilight groaned, annoyed, and flew up to the upper balcony.
"Yes, Rainbow Dash?" Twilight asked.
"Twilight, you gotta come with me! Right now!" Dash said, panicked. Twilight cocked an eyebrow.
"Why?" Twilight asked, confused.
"There's a thing! Aliens! Twilight, you gotta come with me!" Dash said, pointing out to the Eastern fields. Twilight chuckled.
"Aliens? Please, Dash, don't be so silly. There are no aliens." Twilight said, shaking her head. Dash furrowed her eyebrows angrily.
"Twilight, I'm serious. There are aliens, and I can prove it." Dash said, angrily. Twilight did this quite a bit, insulting Dash. She didn't hate nor despise Dash, but Dash was quite the knuckle-head, and it was always kinda fun to see just how puffed-up she could get, but it could go overboard, and Dash could hold a grudge better than most. Twilight sighed, and flew up to Dash's side.
"Alright, Dash, if you are so insistent on the idea that this is a ship..." Twilight said, walking out to the balcony. Dash huffed, and sprinted past Twilight, leaping off the balcony and unfurling her wings. Twilight joined Dash, and the duo flew for the Eastern fields.
"So, Dash... aliens?" Twilight asked. The Eastern fields, speckled with wild flowers, came into view. Twilight was certain that Dash was wrong, as she couldn't see the Everfree's ridge.
"Yes, aliens. They landed just outside of the Everfree. Must be hidden by the tree's, I guess." Dash said, peering down at the Eastern fields. Twilight's lips curved into a smirk, certain she had proven Dash wrong, but her confidence was replaced by uncertainty and confusion when she saw the ship herself. Instead of "I told you so", she gasped, hanging in the air for a moment. The rear end of the ship, as well as the left pod, were visible from their perch in the sky, but not the front. "I TOLD YOU, TWILIGHT!" Dash mocked. Twilight simply stared, trying to find words, though her mind was frying, just from looking at it. Her head began to ache, and she had to land.
"D-Dash... I... oh my Celestia... I need to land... I think I'm going to pass out." Twilight said, quietly, drifting down to the ship.
"Twilight!" Dash shouted, reluctantly following her. "Ergh, for an egghead, you can do some dumb things." Dash Said, under her breath. Twlight landed, softly, and got a much better look at the craft. It calmed her a little, knowing it was a size she could comprehend. It was the size of a two story house, towering over her. It was a deep, dark black, like the night sky, or the darkest pools of tar. It hummed, quietly, with an internal power. The front facing capsule of the ship was buzzing the loudest, tiny components sticking from it and scanning with tiny beams of light that darted every which way, searching. The craft was held up by six foot legs, two on each capsule, and six along the large, central tube. Twilight felt oddly safer, knowing it was much smaller than what she anticipated. Then, she made the horrid mistake of looking to the left. There, a good six feet away, stood a monster. It towered at six feet, maybe bigger, and it had long, claw-like arms. It's legs ended in weird boxes, like bricks, and it was a deep, midnight blue. It was bulky, its chest large and heavy, its shoulders large and broad. But, most horrifying, was its head, and utter lack of a face. Its head was spherical, almost perfectly round, but its face was grey. Grey as ash, and cold as ice. It lacked a gaze, yet Twilight could feel eyes beyond the grey. However, the monster reacted... differently than expected.
Peter stared, uncertain just how to react. It looked like a horse, but much smaller, and it had a persons face. At least, that's what his terrified mind could immediately identify. They stared in silence, uncertain what to do. Then, Peter did the only logical thing: throw his hands in the air, and run to the ship, screaming.
"OH NO! OH, GOODNESS! LET ME IN!" He screamed, jumping up and down, waving his hands around. Meanwhile, the rest of the crew inside stared at the frozen screen, staring at the extraterrestrial. It was, indeed, equestrian, in one form or another, but much different. In physiology, it appeared much more plump and small than a horse, with less obvious muscle mass. It's legs were shaped oddly, as well, its hooves being much larger than a terrestrial horse. However, one of the most extreme differentiating features was its face . Its eyes were similar looking to a human eye, save for the distinct size difference. Its iris was a bright, colorful purple. The face was contorted in an identifiable emotion of fear, and its lips looked and acted human. Its muzzle was short and boxy, ending in a sharp point rather than a blunt, round nose. Its nostrils were small slits above the mouth rather than large gaping holes. It had wings, on its sides, that were large and long, appearing almost five feet per wing. It also had a long, strait horn, measuring an educate guess of one foot. The crew had gathered around the terminal, and gawked. "HELP ME, YOU IDIOTS!" Peter screamed, shaking the crew from their awe-inspired encounterSean and hughe rushed to the window, to get their own look at the aliens, while Stacy stayed with Frank, ready to command him to open the door.
"Peter! Listen to me, you're gonna be okay, don't worry. We'll open the elevator right-"
"Whoa! Something's coming! Another one!" Hughe shouted from his position. Sure enough, another equine landed. This one was a baby blue, its mane and tail bright, vivid representations of the rainbow, and its eyes were a bright magenta. She was much more muscular, but still far from horse-level muscular.
"Twilight, you dope, what are you-" The new equine shouted from behind Peter, which stopped abruptly. Peter felt a pure sense of dread, and knew exactly what Frank wanted him to do.
"Peter... turn around..." Frank said, quietly, unsure just what to say. Peter, fearfully, obliged.
Rainbow Dash stared, feeling as every fiber in her being screamed at her to grab Twilight and run. Her stomach churned with a fear that made her heart pound, and made her feel like she would puke. Her legs felt stiff, numb, and refused to move. Her eyes stayed glued to the abominable creature, waiting for any real reason to run. Twilight, the cool headed, intelligent leader, had finally cracked, and felt as a sort of dark fear crept into her. The creature turned slowly, and simply stared. The whole world felt as though it froze, holding it's breath, like time itself stood still. Not even the birds dared to chirp. Finally, static, panicked breathing echoed from the creature, sending chills up their spines. Though, Twilight thought she could hear an undertone in the creatures voice, an undertone of fear. Finally...
"H... Hello?" The creature asked. Its voice, strained by fear, was oddly soothing, deep. It calmed them, yet it also terrified them. Twilight could feel the fear in its voice and decide to take advantage. She took a step forward, and took in a deep breath.
"Hello. My name is Twilight Sparkle, and you are in the country of Equestria." She said, confidently.
Peter stared, mystified. This thing SPOKE. Spoke fluent English, and it stated its name and country. COUNTRY! Peter chuckled. It was all his feverish, confused mind could think to do. Twilight gave him an odd look.
"Twu... Twilight Sparkle...?" He repeated. She looked even more confused.
"I... yes... my name is Twilight Sparkle, and I am the Princess of Friendship... though I am not the ruler of this kingdom." She replied. Peter cleared his throat.
"You... you have a ruler?" He asked, pointing to Twilight. The little rainbow one began to walk over, a little cautious, but much less so than before.
"Yeah, her name's Celestia-"
"And Luna, don't forget Luna." Twilight butted in. The rainbow one rolled her eyes.
"And Luna, silly me." The rainbow one hissed, giving Twilight an angry look. "And if you cross either of us, they'll send your big, freaky butt sailing back home!" She shouted, trying to puff up her chest. Her failed intimidation vanquished the fear Peter previously felt, and caused chuckles to escape the crew mates inside.
"Alright, alright, no need to be hostile, Ms...?" Peter asked.
"Dash. Rainbow Dash." She replied, giving him a stink eye. Peter nodded.
"Ms. Dash, Ms. Sparkle, I would like to make a request, may we speak with your leader? We are new here, and are looking to study the environment a bit, nothing too serious." Peter asked. Twilight looked to Rainbow Dash, and nodded.
"Uh... yeah... yeah, we'll be... right back." Twilight said, wrapping a hoof around Dash's neck in an embrace, before dissapearing in a poof of purple smoke. Peter stared, shocked.
"Hey... could you let me in, now?" Peter asked, surprised and a little freaked out.
"Yeah... yeah, I'll open the elevator, and lower the ramp." Frank replied. As promised, the elevator opened, and the ramp for easier access lowered to the outside. Peter climbed the ramp to the door, and entered through the airlock. His head spun with questions, and he wondered if he was an effective diplomat. The airlock opened, and Peter was greeted with cheering and clapping. Frank walked forward, and placed a hand on Peter's shoulder. Peter pulled his visors up.
"Way to speak for us, big guy. You made First Contact."Frank said, a huge grin across his face. Peter smiled back, and felt his heart beat warmly.
"You've paved the way to a better future, hopefully. Get out of your hazard suit and rest. We can take it from here." Stacy said, pulling off the rest of her atmosphere suit.
"Wait, it's safe outside?" Peter asked, removing his helmet.
"Perfectly. We can begin studying soon."
"And what if their leader arrives?" Peter asked.
"Frank'll wake you up." Stacy said, nodding to him. "By the way, Frank, would you kindly take my suit to the storage?" Stacy asked, wearing her jumpsuit, and handing Frank her atmosphere suit. Frank groaned, and took the suit. Peter wandered into the storage room, followed by Frank.
"So, this is it... what do you think we've got planned?" Peter asked, plugging his suit into the console and climbing out.
"Lots of public speakings, abduct some cows, crush weird runes 'n stuff into their grain fields. You know, alien things." Frank said, a big grin on his face as he stuffed the suit into one of the storage crates beside the 3D printer. Peter chuckled, and walked to the barracks to lay down. As he lay, he felt... uneasy. Excited, but with an undertone of fear. Peter closed his eyes, and drifted to sleep.
On Mars.
Delvont stared at his papers, glaring at the draft papers of the new ship he was funding. The ship could carry eight million soldiers and a crew of one million engineers to keep it working. The project was one of the most ambitious since the wormhole device, but it was top priority. Delvont felt his head pound with the force like a jackhammer, his skull feeling like it was threatening to split. He closed his eyes, and placed a hand to his head. He listened, closely, through the static in his mind.
"All hands must work on the ship, Delvont. The ship will be completed faster. Do it." The deep, evil voice commanded. Delvont smiled.
"Yes, my lord." Delvont replied. The ache left, and he stalked over to the intercom. "Attention all available engineers, the Dreadnaught is of top priority. All hands are to work on the Dreadnaught. That is all." Delvont commanded into the speaker. He felt immensely pleased, and turned the intercom off. He returned to his desk, sat, and stared at the plans. 'Yes, my lord...'
