Diaries of the Smooze Research Crew

I stepped backwards into the capsule and put my legs into the safety straps. The pneumatic bed around me began to pump up with a hiss. Now I wouldn't be able to move the tiniest bit. I briefly wondered how Pinkie would deal with this if she had to follow me later.

"Ready, Twilight?"

"Ready, Luna!"

"Don't worry about a thing! The station is fully automated and ready to welcome you." she said and the hatch began to close. As it shut close darkness surrounded me and the capsule trembled slightly.

"I wish you luck!" the speakers squawked.

"When am I going to take off?" I asked.

"You are already flying. Be well!"

The viewing panel switched itself on. It wasn't strictly necessary, as the course was precalculated and even in the event the course had to be readjusted by hand one would be ill advised to do it by what one could see on the viewing panel. Other measuring instruments were more fitting for that job.

It was just there so the passenger could admire Luna's night. So, in a way, it was necessary, as admiring the night sky had been the point of space exploration in the first place. A thousand years ago the popular ignorance had grown too much to bear for Luna, so the royal sisters decided to educate ponies on its beauty. So the Lunar Appreciation Program had been born. I had been successful and had accomplished much beyond its original purpose.

I tried to see Equestria once again before it was out of sight, but when I looked it was too late. A light sadness settled in my chest as I realized that I wouldn't be seeing my home for a few months now - at least.

Then again my destination was worth it: Smooze was a planet that was circling around a star which wasn't even visible from Equestria. When it had been found nearly a century ago it didn't seem interesting, so - because it was almost wholly covered in some strange liquid - it was named after an old horror tale, a research satellite had been deployed and basically Smooze had been forgotten after a few months.

But then a student had discovered that Smooze wasn't on a stable orbit. According to him the planet shouldn't exist. I can only imagine how excited and uncertain he must have been - I know my first reaction would have been to assume that my calculations were incorrect and there would have been no way for me to show them to anypony else. It is a great fortune that this student back then had been braver then me. Who knows how many wonders go unnoticed because the people discovering them are to feared of the ridicule they might be facing?

Well, that student faced ridicule, and there was no lack of it. Of course, most of his critics were civil, but it must have been hard either way. Only little by little scientists anywhere had checked his work and couldn't find any errors which would make his conclusion invalid. After a few years it had been hard to deny anymore: Smooze's orbit, according to the laws of physics we know, is not natural.

As always, when something unexpected is discovered, quacks and charlatans everywhere had claimed that this was the final proof that science couldn't explain the universe. Kooks and crackpots had come up with all kinds of explanations that defied anything we knew - of course; anything more rational wouldn't do for them.

In this atmosphere it had taken a decade before a respected member of the scientific community had dared to speculate that there might be sentient life on Smooze. It makes sense - the similarity between Equestria's and Smooze's unstable orbit had been obvious in hindsight.

Excitement about Smooze had peaked and a provisional expedition had been sent. It did not have a planetary base. They were not able to find any signs of life but they had observed strange activity in the ocean. I have seen grainy videos of it. Gigantic morphing formations rise out of the ocean, partly liquid, partly solid, with mist and drops swirling about, colors shifting...

This had been almost two decades ago. The expedition returned after seven years and due to the carrot crisis research had been abandoned.

Smooze again was forgotten, as more pressing matters took over all parts of society - there was social unrest following the carrot crisis, ethical concepts taken for granted had to be reevaluated, new subcultures sprung up and came into the universities, with entirely different ideas of what was important to research and what was better left alone. Only after the slurry of new ideas started resembling something of a coherent whole, astronomers turned their gaze back towards Smooze, as it promised something new in a scientific world that, in itself, felt new.

An automated construction ship was sent and after two years construction was finally finished. I was to be its first inhabitant.

Through the viewing panel I saw the stars jump as the capsule teleported across a distance not any unicorn could teleport on it's own. Although interstellar journeys didn't take that much time on their own, still months of preparation were necessary, as alone this spell needed to be charged up for weeks.

I looked forward to my mission. If I could have moved I would have been scuttling by now.