There’d be the usual rounds: get up, prepare for the day, monitor the species you were surveying for the past century, sleep, then start the cycle all over again. Usually, such a task would drive anyone mad from the constant repetition, let alone having to do it for so long. For Captain Greggarome of the Wardens Eye survey ship, the task was quite literally a learning experience like any other, as him and his crew studied the equine species that populated the planet designated MK14-54.
“Kara’Me,” Greggarome swore softly in his native dialect, the feeling in his paws going numb as he sat in his command chair aboard his bridge, “they actually did it.”
Greggarome didn’t need to see what was happening on the surface, the radiation detectors would’ve given enough information. Perhaps it was an attempt at denial, that somehow if he pulled up the main video feed, it would disprove the fact that the species they were monitoring had in fact resorted to their nuclear capabilities. Of course, he was wrong.
All he could do, all anyonecould do was watch as the two native superpowers on the planet wiped each other out. It was utter madness.
“By the maker. Perhaps there will be survivors?” asked his navigation officer. “We have the means to—”
“You know the protocol Jorum,” Greggarome interjected, looking back at the young dark-skinned human. “Our job is to survey and report.”
Greggamore couldn’t blame him. He too wanted to swoop down and save the day, to save the species from themselves. Of course, he knew that was foolish. He may have been an Imperial Elder, but even he lacked the proper authority to command such an action. Not to mention there was no telling how such a primitive species—primitive by galactic standards in any case—would react to a more superior civilization with technology that could literally knock them back to their herd-like state.
Turning back to the main feed, he ejected a data-chip from his arm-rest and held it out to the side. “Take this to communications, make sure they produce as many copies of the recording as they can. The Council is going to want to see this.”
“As you command,” said Jorum, taking it from his superior and exiting the bridge.
Unlike some other species Greggarome knew, the Empire had no need for things like bowing or groveling or the naming of ‘sirs’ to their superiors. If he was being honest it would’ve annoyed him to keep hearing ‘Yes Elder’, or anything to that effect. Everyone knew their place, and so long as they recognized who was in charge there wouldn’t be any problems.
There was also no need to send Jorum to the communications station, Greggarome could’ve easily sent the data-chip himself via the teleportation hub, but he wanted to spare the young human the suicidal genocide that plagued the screen.
The view was sickening to look at but at the same time, the Captain couldn’t look away. Not because he enjoyed it, but because he was too awestruck at the insanity these, “ponies” and “zebras” were willing to do to each other. The sight was starting to make his stomach turn.
“Are you alright, Captain?” Came a new voice and a sphere with glowing green markings descended next to him. It was Son of Sails, the ship's artificial intelligence and also its pilot.
“I am fine,” Greggamore said as he waved a paw. “Just feeling a little under the weather that’s all. Nothing too serious.” The Captain sighed and a few soft yelps and gutters left his snout as he muttered to himself.
“Do you need anything to ease your tension?” asked Son of Sails.
“Something to drink would be nice. I could use a drink after what I just witnessed.” Greggamore lifted his head and took one last look at the view-screen. Several balls of yellow and red emerged and disappeared along with the planet's surface, then he shut off the display.
A glass cup full of light blue liquid floated next to him and he floated it to himself with a psychic grip, rested it in his paw, and sipped its contents in one gulp. The rush of cold down his throat was all he needed to take some of the stress off. “They did have survival measures yes?”
“That is correct,” said Son of Sails as it floated the now empty glass away from his captain and disintegrated it in mid-air. “However, the radiation on the surface of the planet is blocking my scanners, so detecting any activity will be impossible until it dies down. It will take a couple of planetary rotations before a ground incursion can be implemented”
“What of their moon colony?”
“Only two out of the five that were built by the Ponies were able to escape successfully and it would seem the Zebras lacked even that capability. Chances of their own survival are less than twenty percent.”
Greggamore leaned forward in his chair, contemplating on what he was about to say. “Get our people in contact with that colony.”
“Protocol states that contact with an underdeveloped civilization is prohibited,” Son of Sails admonished in a robotic monotone as it floated in front of the Captain.
“It states that we can’t be on the surface of their home planet. I’m not suggesting we reveal ourselves, just send in a probe to the moon to tread the waters and see how they’ll react.”
There were a few moments of silence as Son of Sails’ glow dimmed then returned to its bright color. “Very well. As you command.”
*****
The grey surface of the moon receded like water on the shores of a beach, replaced with lush flora, while the sky turned a recognizable blue, with an object of massive proportions breaking its surface. Everything was beautiful until Dawn was awoken by his companion Dusk.
“Wake up, buttercup. Our stop is almost here,” Dusk said, staring at his reflection in the train’s window, combing his chocolate brown mane.
Reality began to set in as Dawn took notice of the empty black void of space. The ball of light that was the sun was red, instead of the usual white one would see on the planet's surface. As for their former homeworld, it looked as though a large part of it were covered in clouds. Dawn knew better, it was a nuclear winter, masquerading as the perfectly normal weather.
“You seem rather upbeat today,” said Dawn as he rubbed the sleep out of his baggy eyes.
“How can I not be, my best friend has been chosen for an important task. And he may or may not make history!”
Dawn chuckled at that. Making history was the last thing on his mind right now. “So, what are your thoughts on all this?”
Dusk took time to gather his words. “Well, if I’m being honest, I’m kind of scared for you. We’ve already lost so many to that damn war. The last thing I want to do is lose you.”
“I doubt our new friend has come to do us harm. We can’t exactly defend ourselves with just batons and shock gauntlets. If harming us was its motive, it would’ve done so already.”
Dawn caught a glimpse of the construction site as the mag-train passed by it. Apparently, even without him on the scene to manage the area, the ponies were doing their job flawlessly. “I wanted to go to work today, instead I have to deal with aliens.”
“Maybe it won’t be so bad. What if...what if it’s here to help us?” The hope in Dusk’s voice didn’t go unnoticed as Dawn looked to him skeptically, but he couldn’t help but think the same thing.
“How can it? For all, we know it’s just a floating ball of metal. We’ve formed this colony in the hopes of preserving ponykind. We’ve achieved what nopony else could do and this thing shows up on our doorstep offering help.” Dawn slumped in his seat. “If this thing wanted to help, where was it when the world ended? Why didn’t it help us then.”
Only silence came from Dusk, too hesitant to speak. Dawn knew his words had gotten through, they must’ve made sense on some level. It’s madness to say you want to help somepony when you could’ve stopped their world from dying.
Dawn pointed to his head with a hoof. “Do you think it isn’t tied to these visions in some way? They didn’t start happening until after we settled on this rock, and they’ve been increasing in the number of ponies ever since it made itself known to us. I don’t like what’s going on and I don’t particularly trust our new guest, but if it’s able to put an end to these annoying visions so I can get back to my normal life, I’ll take it ”
Author's Note
If you're wondering, yes the aliens are dog people