In Space

The ISS, or International Space Station, was usually a quiet place most of the time, only getting a few visitors a year. But today, right now, it was more still then ever. Its usual number of inhabitants had dropped to only one remaining, and she was sleeping at the moment. Unfortunately for her, all good things come to an end and she started to wake up.

I opened my eyes after my allowed 8 hour sleep, and went to un-Velcro myself from my vertical bed but found my hands replaced by hooves. I've been trained to react calmly and rationally in the worst of scenarios but this takes the cake as far as stress inducing. They never mentioned that you might wake up as a pretty little pony one day in basic training! I took several deep breaths to calm my nerves and forced the panic into the back of my mind so that I could focus on the problem at hand. I reopened my new, neon green eyes and used my hoof as best I could to pry off the clingy Velcro that held me prisoner in my own bed. After I was free I started floating away from the wall as I started to examine my new body. I had a slim build, and well toned muscles, that much was the same at least. My coat color was a bright orange. Not a blinding orange like my normal Astronaut jump suit that seemed to be missing now, but kind of an orange orange....you know what I'm talking about. Anyway, my mane was a tan color and seemed longer then my human hair was, the color of my hair was really similar to the Marine's combat boots if I had to find something to compare to.

This situation could be a lot worse you know, I could be completely alone while dealing with this. "Guys?! Where are you!?" I called out to my crew mates. I got no answers and my voice echoed throughout the lonely vessel. I started to move forward through the station, pushing off the walls carefully. I found that this body moves very similarly to a human body, except with out hands, I ran face first into a wall and became the first pony-person to get a bloody nose in space. I placed a foreleg over my nose so that the bloody blood did not get into every thing and went to the bath-room to clean up. I looked in the mirror for a moment before grabbing a tissue and stuffing it into my nose until the bleeding stopped. Good thing I'm focusing on other things right now or I might have started to freak out that there was no one else on this station with me...Damn....I started to hyperventilate a little and desperately tried to calm my nerves so that I could do something productive. "It's fine! It's fine~ I'm fine." It took several seconds to achieve this goal, but I managed to calm down again and reached the control and radio center a few moments later to call for help. I press the intercom button, "Hello? If there is anyone else on this station please respond ASAP." I then picked up the radio, "Houston this is the ISS, we have an emergency please respond." I waited for a few moments, fiddling with the paper in my nose before trying again, "This is Captain Joanna Free, this is an emergency, please respond." No one answered though. I started to get extremely worried. Aliens are something you have on your mind a lot out here even when there are other people with you.

I left the radio center and went to the window and looked down at the earth, the little blue jewel that we call home. I was over China at the moment but something was wrong, huge swaths of the massive country were in total darkness, well, more then usual. Like if nukes had gone off and fried the electrical system there, "What's going on down there?!" I yelled rapping my hoof against the window frame and returned to the radio. I needed to get a hold of someone right now. I started to send out transmissions on all government and emergency channels and just waited.

I waited for 5 agonizingly long hours. I received no signals from anywhere in the world and I observed that the US and many other counties around the world also had big blackouts everywhere. At this point I had no choice but to assume there was a war going on down there. Maybe even full on nuclear war. I was really scared now. In the case that the US was plunged into a world war, I had the responsibility to put into action the Atlas Drop emergency protocol. This protocol states that in case of a US national emergency the Americans on board the ISS or any other international space vehicle would size control of said vehicles and use them as American assets. Also, once the ISS was secured, me or my partners would activate the S.M.I.T.E. satellites and target the main threats to the US: The big cities and bases of China, Russia and North Korea. S.M.I.T.E. units drop a heavy led rod that is encased in ceramic to make sure it does not melt upon reentry of the atmosphere. The rod would touch down on target with the force and kinetic energy of an atomic bomb and would level any city for 25 miles in all directions from inpact. Even bunkers would be trashed by the kinetic force of the weapon.

And I'm the lucky person who gets to activate these weapons and fire them.

My heart was beating in my ears very quickly and loudly as I made my way to the US space shuttle docked at the moment with the ISS. Wait a second...there were no space suits that would fit me in there! Usually we would just space walk to the satellites but now it looked as if I would have to pilot the shuttle over to the unit and waste precious fuel to do so. But I have my orders. The US can not fall into enemy hands!

She closed the airlock to the ISS and got into the cockpit of the shuttle. With a small flick of her hoof on a switch, the shuttle pushed away from the ISS with a small burst of air. And for the last time, someone left the International Space Station.

"This shuttle was not made for ponies to use." I thought grimly to myself as I piloted toward the smite unit. I approached the massive death machine and after about 30 minutes of lining up (yeah, it takes that long) I docked with the satellite. I was soon in the unit and started to prime the rods for drop. Each SMITE unit held 15 rods for a total of 45 in all three active units. I put in the launch codes for the three satellites and let my hoof hover over that little glowing red button. I was about to destroy the 45 biggest and most important cities and or military bases of these three countries...I would be the one to kill millions. I pushed away from the button and started breathing really hard as I floated aimlessly around the small cabin of the unit. I couldn't do this could I? One person to decide the fate of millions? I steeled myself and re-approached the button. Whatever happened down there, whoever started it, I was loyal to the people of the United States of America and my duty was to push this button to protect the people.

I clench my jaw and press the button. I watch as one after another, the huge multi ton rods drop down and fall into the atmosphere of my planet and toward those cities and bases unfortunate enough to be targeted by the Pentagon. I choked back a sob and observed from orbit the first rod hit Moscow. Even from here you could see the flash of energy produced by the rod impacting. I had just been following orders...right? Was I a murderer? My face was blank as I floated back to the shuttle as the SMITE units continued dropping their rods. Once I was back in the shuttle I separated from the satellite and started programing my reentry to the planet. Some of those cities are really huge, you know? 25 miles really isn't that big maybe most of the people survived in those cities because they were far enough away from the impact, right? I could hope that right? Was I going to be in the history books for this? Would my name live in infamy forever?

I blocked out all my emotions as best I could so I could focus on flying and started to guide the space shuttle down into the atmosphere, but right in the most critical stage of reentry, I ran out of fuel. The shuttle started to drop and I struggled to hold onto the controls with my stupid hooves as I passed over the east-coast of the US. I was probably waking everything up for miles with the sonic-boom I was making and hopefully I should see some fighters soon. Where to land though?! I was to far along for landing in Florida, California was too far...I guess I was going for the salt flats of New Mexico. I adjusted the flight plan and but soon found out I was going to have to land in Texas due to a lack of altitude. I couldn't make it to New Mexico and Texas was flat enough. I hope I can find an airport....And where are those damn fighters already?! They are supposed to lead me to an air-field so I can land.

I grind my teeth as I approach central Texas, I would be touching down soon. I was heading in a west by northwest direction and would hopefully be able to use the flat desert there to land on. I really hope that there are emergency units on stand by still. Not likely though if we've been nuked.

I lower the landing gear as I rush past the desert sand at 200 mph, I put the flaps down and feel the shuttle slow down to about 150 mph, then I hit the ground. The chutes did me no good because the sand was too soft and the nose dug in far too quickly and I started to tumble through the desert, finally coming to a stop in the mangled wreck that was...used to be, the Space Shuttle Night's Eyes. I just hung there in the pilot seat's straps and blood dripped out of my nose and mouth. I'm pretty sure I have a concussion and my wings were broken. Did I even mention I had wings? I have wings. Sweet. But I have to survive first before I can use them. I don't think that my legs are supposed to turn that way either...I'm a mess. I close my eyes and sigh in despair, what was even the date? Could someone save me before I die hanging upside down here? Was there even anyone else alive? Why was I a pony? Where did the rest of the ISS crew go anyway? There was no way to even get out of the ISS. I have so many questions and there's no one to answer them. Maybe a quick nap would help?

I silently start to cry, there's a lot of physical pain right now, but nothing compared to the pain my heart felt at all the lives that I must have snuffed out with those SMITE units....I hope I die here. It would be fitting. It would be justice. I may have been following orders, but I'm still a human...pony, and I have to live with the decision for the rest of my hopefully short life. I resign myself and relax into the straps that are gently holding me by my chest and shoulders. Maybe someone would find me. Maybe....

Author's Note

Boom! Haha~! Spaaaaace! I decided to try finishing a chapter with a more vague ending this time. What do ya think? So what happened to her? Does she get found and saved or does she die in there? Let me know what you guys think happened.

Oh, here's a picture: http://www.united-states-map.com/us402112.gif
See that tan area near central Texas? She is at the far west part of that area in case you were wondering.