"What the fuck was it?" I couldn't help but ask myself over and over, the weird craft had been on my mind a lot for the last 2 days,I was beginning to become paranoid at minor things that were usual for the ship, on the first day I woouldnt flinch at a creak or random shudder, now? I was jittery and would almost always jump at the random noises, and when Selena walked around a corner and I didn't expect it? I jumped back and hit a bulkhead. I was currently about three quarters of the way to the nearest star of the starswirld cluster, it would only be a few more hours until I could stop and rest.

I looked at the instrument panel and looked at the almost unwavering readouts, then I saw something shiny in the edge of my vision, but it flashed away before I could get a good look at it, I couldn't tell if it was my imagination but it still startled me. I watched the star loom closer off of the bow, I couldn't scan it until I dropped from warp so I didn't know what to expect other than one large planet and a blue star.

3 hours later i shut off the warp engine and activated the antimatter-uranium engine, it dropped the ship into a high orbit pretty quick, unlike the Dawn the Selena was constructed by a team of primarily pegasi and earth ponies, only a fifth of the workers were unicorns, and because of the lack of unicorns the ship didn't have to rely on magic as much, the Selena was mostly electronic or analog, only a few systems used magic, hence the non magic thrusters, In my opinion it was better because I didn't have to be a wizard to fly this thing.

Once I'd confirmed a stable orbit I began a sensor sweep of the area, the computer did most of the cataloguing, since there was only one living crewmember and an android, most of the ship was at least partially automated, I got up and saw Selena right behind my chair, standing perfectly silent.

"Woah,.... Don't sneak up on me like that, ya nearly scared me to death,"

"Noted, and continued life is detected, no need for defibrillation."

"Uhh cool, aaaannnnyway were here at the star TS-11q3 how's the data collection going?"

"No issues detected, all systems nominal"

"You okay? Your personality thing doesn't seem to be working,"

"Gotcha! The calendar said that it was appropriate to play jokes,"

" Well it was convincing , especially because I'm becoming more and more paranoid after that thing on the hull, it just gives me a bad feeling when I think about why it was here."

"My medical software states that you should rest, you're showing the symptoms of exhaustion and lack of sleep, if you cannot sleep there are medications in the medical bay, I will handle the ship for now,"

"Thanks Selena, just wake me at 4 ish, Twilight wanted to check in, see ya in a few hours..." maybe she was right and this was just a matter of lost sleep, I hadn't slept much in the past few days, hopefully this BS is all in my head.
****
crew quarters 4:18 pm

"Hello Commander, how's the mission coming along?" The purple princess sat there waiting for my response,

"You've got the report, it's fine for the most part, the glitches for this mission were several instrument malfunctions after the UFO left."

"Anything else you'd like to report?"

"I've said what's needed to be said," I was wondering why she even bothered to ask, she could have gotten someone else to do it.

"I'm going to swap you over to Princess Celestia, she was curious about the mission so I decided to let you tell her. may your voyage be successful, bye now,"

"Hello Commander Swift, I trust that the mission is going well?"

"Hello Princess, I can't really show the proper respect cuz zero gee, sorry bout that,"

" No need my little pony, I simply wanted to check in, after all I helped fund your ship,"

"Anything you want to know? Other than what the report said preferably,"

"I wish to know what you are most missing about Equus, and what you're glad to leave behind,"

"Kinda odd, but alright. I guess what I miss most is normal food, out here I have to eat sticky or crumb free food to reduce the chance that crumbs will screw something up. I am happy to be off of Equus for a few reasons, it's really pretty out here, I'm making history every meter I go, and I don't have to deal with heat season....."

"All valid points, although I expected you to say ponies for your first answer, why is that?"

"Eh, always been kind of a loner, I have friends but it ain't a big deal whether I'm around ponies or not,"

"You have read the event calendar I've given you right? I'm just making double sure you'll be able to have that meeting with my school for gifted unicorns, and the scheduled calls with your family,"

"I wouldn't miss it if I could help it, I've gotta go now, 'need to start cataloging the planets in this system, see ya." it felt good to talk to Celestia that way, because she couldn't do shit to stop me.
***

"All planets cataloged, No signs of advanced life, shall we move on?"

"Sure, set sights on the next system on the list, L-23j I think, I'll take it from here,"

"Yes commander, I will be in engineering," she walked off of the bridge and closed the door.

I set the course and activated the drive, I saw space outside bend then the ship took off deeper into the starswirld cluster.

Author's Note

It should get more exiting soon enough.