Thorns of Stone

Expedition Record: Day 1

11:30 AM

I write this on the train heading out to [REDACTED]. Like all expeditions, this one had to start at an ungodly hour, requiring me to rise before Celestia’s sun and drag myself to the train station. Thank Celestia this expedition won’t require a massive supply chain, unlike previous visits to remote deserts or the frozen realms of the north. No, this time around all that is needed is basic supplies to sustain life, a few pieces of equipment, and some vehicles, all of which are already at our point of departure.

In accordance with our reduced material needs, I do not require a substantial staff investment on this expedition; my only companion is my assistant, Thunder Twirl. She’s a unicorn on the verge of finishing her studies at Manehattan, and I hope to see her walking across the graduation stage by this time next year. Hopefully by the time this journal is read, she will have set her place in history as an archaeologist of great renown, hopefully surpassing even my achievements. She certainly has the spunk and the drive for it: she never hesitates to throw herself into what needs to be done, and as I have grown older I’ve found myself relying on her to do exactly that. Not that I refuse to get my mane wet or my hooves dirty, but it’s refreshing to have such a vigorous assistant on hoof.

We should arrive at our destination by this evening. I shall write an update at day’s end.

8:00 PM

As I expected, we managed to reach our port of call by sundown. Our vessel was awaiting us, the crew having loaded up the supplies and equipment that we need. I must admit, my first impressions of the vessel were... not favorable. It is an old coast guard cutter with chipped paint, numerous spots of rust, and a strange smell in the hallways. It is as far away from a research ship as you can get, but if it floats and helps us accomplish our objectives, then aesthetics mean nothing. She is commanded by Sunrise Storm, a former Navy captain who purchased her old boat when it was decommissioned. Sunrise greeted me and Thunder when we arrived, showed us to our quarters, and then cast off shortly afterwords. She gives me the impression of being brief, punctual, to the point, and not one to waste words or time. Good; a well-ordered ship is an efficient ship, as my father used to say.

Thankfully, our submersible is the opposite of the boat: it’s a high-tech craft, the most advanced submarine in all of Equestria, able to dive down over 40,000 feet, far deeper than the depths of any of our oceans. It will be captained by an Earth pony by the name of Flawless Star. He’s a friendly fellow, but his unusually pale skin tells me he spends all his time either indoors or inside vehicles. At least he doesn’t run the risk of getting heavily-wrinkled, sun-soaked premature skin like my own.

We are currently heading to our destination, though the journey isn’t as calm as I had hoped: there’s a mild storm slowing us, with heavy rain and frequent waves battering us as we proceed. I’ve gulped down ample amounts of seasickness pills to try and calm the storm in my gut, and Thunder has already emptied her stomach several times over. With any luck this storm will abate by tomorrow; I would hate to arrive only to have to wait several days for favorable conditions before we can dive. I overheard some of the sailors muttering that this is a bad sign, doing nothing to dispel the myth of all sailors being a superstitious lot. This is just a storm, nothing more.

I will retire now, and update tomorrow when I have significant news to report.