Dead Space: Uprisingby TheOtherOne41ChaptersChapter 1: A Visit to the Doctor.Chapter 2: Right on TimeChapter 3: Incoming TransmissionChapter 4: ArrivalProlougeChapter 1: A Visit to the Doctor.The waiting room was barren, just as ever. Nobody really got 'sick' anymore, just injured. Those were rare. Everypony knew of the safety precautions in order. Well, almost everypony. The young pony sitting alone in the small row of metal seats made a novice mistake. Nobody told her about the safety on the rivet gun. Now she knew, because there was a rivet in her leg. Didn't hurt much, but she was sent down just in case. She examined the room. It was dull with some blue paint flaking off the walls. The walls were plastered with posters regarding medical check-ups, illness caused by space travel, and posters constantly reminding whoever read them to update their Resource Integration Gear, or more commonly known as a RIG. I small television hung on the corner of the wall. Didn't work. Nothing 'fun' did. Life on the USK Acestile was just that. Boring. "Aria Cackles, the doctor will see you now", spoke a soft, automated voice over the intercom. The young pony sighed as she got up off her seat. With an occasional hiss of pain, she limped off to the doctors. Along the way through the small corridors, she noticed other ponies, probably nurses taking care of other patients. This was why there were no ponies in the waiting room. Ponies that were injured were either ok enough to suck it up and take a health pack, or too damaged that they needed hospital treatment. Aria disliked the environment. Too busy for her liking. She made her way through the dim corridors until she reached the door of Dr. Measle Stopper. She often wondered why ponies in the health sector had weird names. She opened the door to find the good doctor sipping quietly at a cup of coffee. He was a rather old looking stallion, looking like he's seen more stomach ache patients than most. She sat attentively on the vacant seat by his desk. "Hello Miss Cackles. How are you doing this fine day?” he asked politely. Aria had to chuckle to herself. "Good, all things considering. Y'know, the rivet in the leg and all that" "Indeed", he replied. He got off his seat and trotted around the desk to examine her leg. A small trickle of blood had dried on her suit. "Shot yourself in the leg, eh? The first time in a while that someone has come to me with an injury like that, I must admit. Did they take it out?" he asked. Aria cast her mind back to when she did shoot herself. The other ponies were sneering while her superior magically removed the rivet. "Yeah, they did, but they sent me here in case of any infections or whatever", she admitted. The old pony moved his glasses up his snout. "Well I fear they wasted your time. A simple health pack should cure the injury, and stop any infections. In our day and age, a health pack seems to do everything for us. How is your RIG doing?” Aria tried to get a good look at her back. A large blue segmented line ran across her spine, representing her state of health. A small blue segment was missing from the gauge. "It's blue, but a little part is missing" she replied. The old doctor smiled and handed her a health pack. The small aqua bottle opened up to reveal a syringe. Aria prodded the needle into her leg, wincing quietly at the injection before withdrawing the needle. A nice, warm feeling tingled across her leg, removing the pain. Her RIG added the missing segment, returning her to full health. "Thank you Doctor", she replied happily. "You're welcome. It's amazing what technology does for us. My great-grandmother was a nurse on a small town on Earth called "Ponyvillie". Back then, there wasn't a cure for cancer or heart disease, and now those previously dangerous illnesses are a mere annoyance. Amazing, don't you think?" he asked. Aria wasn't totally concentrating. She was still in awe at what that injection did for her. It was months since she last had to use a health pack, and she never got used to the feeling. "What? Yeah, it is. I guess", she replied with an awkward smile. The old pony returned the smile and sat back onto his seat. "Now then, just a quick couple of questions. Is your heart ok?" he asked. Aria nodded. "How about your wings?” Aria nodded again. The doctor seems to pause for a few seconds. "...How about your horn?” Again, Aria nodded. The baby blue pony always found it slightly strange when people notice she had both a pair of wings and a horn. "I've only treated a very, very small handful of alicorns in my lifetime. It amazes me" he noted. "I know. People just stare at me all the time. Kinda weird, y'know?" "I suppose. Either way, you're all clear. You take care now Miss Cackles. You have a certain sparkle in those green eyes of yours. I'd hate to see you hurt again". Aria smiled at his compliment, and left the room in stride. She still wasn't used to the feeling of the health packs. She doubted she ever would be. As she left the room, a small blue hologram appeared from her suit. "Aria! Get your ass back to the Engine Room now! I don't even care if your leg is still damaged, just hurry!” squealed her co-worker. Aria sighed with irritation as the hologram disappeared and ran down the corridor Chapter 2: Right on TimeEvery single corridor looked about the same. Grey and metallic. Aria thought to herself about why they didn't just paint the place before remembering the state of the waiting room. It'd be pointless in the end. It's a wonder that she never got lost inside the USK Acestile. The Engine Room was a few floors below her, so a quick run to the nearest elevator would get her there in a jiffy. She just didn't want to be late. Her superior was...not the nicest of ponies. She never really liked the ship. Nothing really screamed 'exciting' for her except the occasional glace at a planet floating in the dead space. Aria reached the elevators. The bane of her existence. She looked a small holographic panel detailing the elevator's current position. "Dammit. Why is it always around 10 floors away?" she mumbled to herself. She stood patiently. Waiting for it to finally reach her. She couldn't help but notice two ponies, both of them Earth ponies walking past, talking quietly. Aria couldn't help but listen in. "Hey, did you hear back from your boyfriend yet?” one of them asked the other. The other pony seemed rather down about it. "No, not yet. I haven't heard anything from Cannon in 2 months! Maybe that cargo his chip was carrying was stolen or something. Oh I hope he's ok!" she replied. Aria didn't know what ship they were talking about and dismissed it as random gossip. She couldn't help but feel bad for the pony with the boyfriend. Must be hard going two months with no contact, especially when anything could have happened to his ship. At that moment, the elevator arrived. Aria entered and was on her way to the Engine Room. Along the way, her RIG projected another incoming audio transmission. "Aria! What the hell is taking you so long?" her superior shouted. Aria sighed. "I'm on the elevator now. I'm almost there Ma'am", she groaned. "Hmph. Just get here now” and the transmission ceased... "...Bitch" The elevator opened to reveal more dank corridors, just with more metal and piping that the last ones. Several ponies were all standing by all sorts of wire work and plating, securing parts of the engine room together. The USK Acestile was an old ship, so it needed checking up on every once and a while. This was one of those days. She made her way into the main part of the Engine Room. Large machines churned, twisted and hummed, keeping the ship going. The room was very dark, with the only lights coming from the dimmed lights above and the lights coming from the visors of several ponies and stallions. Aria was greeted by a taller grey pony with a smile clearly absent from her face. It was her superior, Steel Mills. "Aria. So you finally decided to join us. Took you long enough" she growled. Aria didn't tremble or whimper. She stared right back at the unicorn's piercing glare. "I came here as fast as I could Ma'am" Aria replied firmly. Steel scoffed at her answer. "Well, maybe you should make 'as fast as you could' even faster next time" she growled. Aria frowned as the unicorn magically handed her a rivet gun. "Now, make sure you don't shoot yourself again Aria" she again taunted, and walked off to another part of the area. Aria rolled her eyes as she returned to where she was working in the first place, at a collection of plating that had come off the fuel tanks due of a few stray meteors hitting the side of the ship. Luckily no real damage was done. The ship was too big for a few small rocks hitting it to do anything major. Carefully she magically lifted the gun and got to fixing the parts of the engine. It was a boring job, just like the rest of the ship. "Hey Aria!", called over a female voice. Aria turned to face a pony decked in bronze armour, similar to her own. The pony's face was covered by a metallic bronze helmet with 2 red slits glowing down her face. Aria recognized the pony even with the helmet on. It was Slate, a friend of hers. They had met when the USK Acestile first took off from Earth and the two bonded quickly. Slate was an excitable pony, almost always in a fair mood. Slate's helmet began to dismantle, folding into itself and into her RIG, revealing the yellow pony's face. Her red mane was messy due to the helmet being on for so long. "How's that leg of yours? All good?" she asked kindly. "Yeah, it's fine now, but seriously, I made a mistake, I don't see why Steel Mills has to go keep reminding me about it" "Ah, ignore her, she's just a bit of a bitch and you know it. It seems she's always had it in for you" Slate replied. She was right as well. Ever since Aria and Steel met, they never got on. "Honestly, I think she's a bit annoyed that you're an alicorn." she continued. "That seems a bit racist, doesn't it?" Aria asked. Slate looked over to where Steel Mills was, so she couldn't hear them talking about her. "A little. Or maybe she just wants to be one as well. I think a lot of ponies do. Hell, I'd like to be one!" she said. Aria couldn't help but smile. "Can I ask a somewhat personal question?" Aria stopped what she was doing and turned properly toward Slate. "Are the members of your family all alicorns or just you? I've always wondered about it" she asked. Aria turned away a little at the question. She wasn't the only alicorn in her family, but she didn't like to mention her ancestors. "I'm not the only one, but I don't want to talk about it", she grunted. Slate knew when to stop. "Ok, sorry I asked" "It's fine, just a little private, you know?" "Sure. Anyway, I better get back to work before Steel Mills yells at me. Talk to ya later" she said, and her helmet began to recreate itself, obscuring her face once more, the red slits showing up on the dark walls. Aria didn't like putting on her helmet that much. It was as much defiance against Steel Mills as she could do without flat out refusing to work. On the bright side, she hadn't shot herself yet. The noise of construction was interrupted by the speakers. An electronic male voice came out. "Remember ponies and stallions, safety is key. Please remember to consult your RIG for health and safety regulations to keep the precautions in mind" "...I hate this fucking ship" Aria grumbled to herself. ... ... The work day drew to a close and Aria made her way back to the elevator, hoping to spend the remainder of the 'day' in her room. If anything, her room was a sanctuary for her to be at peace. It was a generic room. A slightly ruined sofa sat at the wall of the small apartment with a picture frame hanging above it. The picture contained the image of a slightly younger Aria alongside two older ponies, her parents. Aria smiled every time she saw it. It reminded her of her childhood, and how much happier and simpler it was. She remembered all the stories she was told and just how much she loved them. She walked further into her apartment as the same electronic voice spoke. "WELCOME BACK: CEC ENGINEER: ARIA CACKLES" it boomed. Aria just ignored it until another message came across the speaker. "YOU HAVE ONE UNHEARD MESSAGE". Aria hurried over to the small answering machine next to the sofa. Despite having collapsible helmets, health packs and ships capable of space travel, the ponies never got rid of the classic answering machine. Aria magically pressed a button on the machine. "PLAYING MESSAGE ONE" it said, and a female voice spoke back. The voice of her mother. "Hi honey, how are you? Just calling to ask how things are up on that big ship. Ah, we're so proud of you! Just a little update on how things are here in Equestria. Your father is still his same old self, he even found a new job as a teacher, great right? I'm fine as well, but we obviously miss you. Seems like only yesterday you left Earth. If you can, please call back soon when you’re not busy. Also, how are the ponies up on the ship? Must be fun being the only alicorn on the ship. Surely it must be some great bragging rights, right? Anyway, call back soon. We love you" and the message was followed by a beep. "END OF MESSAGE" said the voice. A single tear flowed down Aria's face. She missed her parents just as much as they missed her, if not more. She didn't want to mention her ancestry, even if her parents encouraged it. All it brought was high expectations of her. With a sigh, Aria made her way to her bedroom, to rest after what felt like the longest day of her life. ... ... "THIS IS A SHIP-WIDE ANNOUNCEMENT. ALL ENGINEERS TO THE BRIDGE. I REPEAT. ALL ENGINEERS TO THE BRIDGE", boomed the male voice of the ship captain. Aria stirred in her bed, trying desperately to ignore the call, but it was no use. Eyes still closed, she slithered out of her bed and lay on the floor. Her RIG came up with an audio transmission. "Aria! Are you there? Wake up, you need to get to the bridge!" It was the voice of Slate. "Urgh, fine, I'll be right there" she moaned. She got up and reached for her Engineering Suit. She suited up, and made her way to the door. Several ponies and stallions were in a hurry, some even donning their helmets. What was going on? Chapter 3: Incoming TransmissionWhatever it was that was so important that every available engineer was needed at the bridge; it didn't seem to wake up Aria at all. In a way, it was like the dead had gotten up and started walking. Most ponies that Aria spotted walking through the ship seemed just as tired as she was. Those who were moving a little faster seemed to do so while putting in half the effort, all lowered down and half asleep. Aria brought up her RIG, which always kept on step ahead of her at all times. She wasn't too far from the bridge, closer than some. She got to wondering what it was; Engine failure? Centrifuge offline? Whatever it was, Aria was at least curious to find out what it was. "I should probably ask Slate what's going on" she thought to herself. Navigating the RIG's menu, she found Slate's frequency and called her back. Her RIG showed everything about her that she could want to know that wasn't private. Her location and her health included. Full blue bars, just like her. "Hey Slate, what could be so important that they need to wake us up?" "Beats me, but whatever it is, it's probably gonna suck, I'll tell you that" she was audibly tired, like Aria was. "I bet. You almost there?" "Yeah, I'll meet you there" and the transmission ceased. Aria yawned as she made her way through the corridors for what felt like the millionth time. ... The bridge room was massive for a service ship. Several ponies all sat at holographic displays, flicking through the screens like experts. It was unnaturally clean compared to the rest of the ship, all modern and 'smooth'. At the very front was a wide area in front of a majestic view of space, filled with stars, rocks and in the very far distance a small planet. Floating in that distance was a fairly sized vessel, though at a glance it would look like a generic rock. There were no lights or any evidence of movement from it. It just floated aimlessly in space, as if it was abandoned. Occupying the area in front of the window was a fairly sized group of ponies. Some, like Aria, were in their Engineering suits. There was chatter among them, all asking the same question. Why did they get woken up? Standing before them was a white pegasus pony, the captain. He looked stressed out for some odd reason. He remained quiet until all the other ponies had settled down. This was not for happening. "What's going on?!" "Why did you wake us up?" "Are we in danger?!" Aria found herself alongside Slate among the small crowd. She also noticed Steel Mills was there, looking drearier than most others. The captain finally spoke; "Ok everyone. You're all gathered here today as part of a mission. Look behind you please" he ordered. The crowd all turned around. "That ship in the distance is the USC Nalu. We lost contact with it 2 months ago and we finally found it, so we're let to believe that there are communication problems" he explained. "Well duh" muttered Slate. Aria stifled a giggle. "So that's why you're all here. We need a team of engineers to volunteer themselves to go to the ship" he explained much to the dismay of the crowd. "...Seriously? You woke us all up for this?" was all that Aria could say without letting out a barrage of curses toward him. The captain sternly looked at her. "Is that you volunteering Miss Cackles?" the captain sneered. Aria stepped forward from the crowd. She'd had enough. "You know what? Yes. Yes it is. Anything to get off of this piece of shit of a ship for a while anyway" Aria taunted the captain, who simply frowned at her. "So be it. Anyone else?" he growled. A few others stood forward from the group, included Slate who almost loyally stood next to her. Steel Mills even stood forward, offering to go. She exchanged looks towards Aria, narrowing her eyes. This was already not going to be a fun trip, not like it was exactly like a trip to a theme park to begin with. "Are you sure you want to do this?" Aria asked Slate. The yellow pony gave a sly smile. "Hey, can't let you have all the fun, now can I?" she replied, lightly shoving Aria to the side. The captain spoke quietly to one of the bridge ponies. He nodded attentively, but Aria couldn't hear what he was talking about. "We're syncing your RIGs to the ship so we can keep a close eye on you. We want you to repair the ship wherever needed and report anything unusual. The USC Nalu's lights are all out, so there might be more than one problem. Understood?" the captain explained. The volunteers all nodded in reply. "Great. You depart at in 3 hours, so go back to your dorms for now. Remember your helmets now, you're all going to need them" The captain looked directly at Aria. "Especially you Miss Cackles. You are all dismissed" he finally finished. The ponies who didn't offer to go all mumbled under their breaths in frustration for being called out of their warm beds for nothing. In the end, it was just a ground of 6 who offered to go. 4 ponies and 2 stallions. They all gathered around each other to exchange... pleasantries. "So Aria, I must say I'm somewhat impressed you volunteered. I thought you'd be too lazy to do so" Steel Mills taunted. Aria didn't say a word. "Hey lay off her Steel, aren't you a little old to be doing this?" Slate defended Aria against her. Steel seemed rather surprised she was being insulted back. "Watch it you. I don't need two smart asses on this" replied the older pony. One of the stallions rolled his eyes. "Well this is gonna be fun, isn't it? We're already making friends" he moaned. He was a green stallion with a short-cut yellow mane. Aria shook off his comments. "Can we all just go back to bed?" Aria yawned mid-sentence. "Seriously." "I have no objections to that" Steel replied. The 6 started to disband to their separate rooms. Though Aria was quickly stopped by Steel Mills. So much for no objections. "Oh, and Aria? Don't forget what the captain said. Wear your helmet on this trip" she smugly quipped. Aria narrowed her eyes at her. Metal plates at her neck opened up as parts assembled across her face in quick succession, with a distinct mechanical sound. Her helmet brightened Steel's face as the 3 blue horizontal on the helmet slits lit up, blinding her a little bit. "Better?" she moaned. Her voice slightly echoing from inside the suit. Steel rubbed her eyes. "Yeah, Yeah, go to your dorm" Aria trotted off smugly, her helmet lighting up the dark corridors on the way. That was the one benefit she saw of the helmet, it could blind Steel. "Agh, this is just too uncomfortable" she moaned to herself. She didn't take it off, it was providing a good amount of light. For some reason, the lights decided to go out before everyone made it back. Just another thing to fix. Aria walked off, anticipating the following day’s events, for all she could. ... The captain stood at the window of the bridge. A serious pony by all means. His vision fixated on the USC Nalu. One of the bridge members approached him. A slightly younger stallion. "Sir, do you really think it's on board?" he asked quietly. The captain kept his expression. He didn't even turn to him. "I have no doubts in my mind" Chapter 4: ArrivalDocked on the side of the USK Acestile were a collection of small 'Skip' ships. These ships were designed for short space travel between stations or other ships, carrying only two individuals at a time. Being a cargo ship, the USC Nalu was equipped with Skip docking stations, for supply deliveries to other ships while in space. Today the Skip was being used to transfer the 6 individuals who volunteered to visit the USC Nalu on a simple repair job. Aria sat in the front seat of her skip, staring curiously at her RIG screen. She was busy studying the whereabouts of her partner Slate, who she was impatiently waiting on. Aria had been sitting there for 10 minutes already, and getting tired. It was quiet in the Skip, very quiet. While still connected to the ship, the skip was actually in the vacuum of space; save for the skip itself and outside the entrance, which still had air. Aria kept her helmet on nonetheless, just in case there were any 'leaks' in the hull of the skip. The sound of her own breathing into her helmet was the only sound in the skip, which to her was somewhat comforting. It was very peaceful, despite the fact that her objective would be unpleasant. She'd rather be in bed. The skip door opened rather quietly as Slate crept inside the small ship in a seat behind Aria. Aria switched off her RIG display. "Where have you been for the past 10 minutes?" Aria's tone was noticeably annoyed. Slate looked forward to her friend, only getting the back of her head. "I was just collecting some stuff for the assignment. I brought some extra health kits, just in case we need them" she explained. "I bought some from the store" "The store? I didn't know that, I thought you could only get them if they were prescribed" "Nah, you can get them easily. Anyone else left yet?" Slate asked, looking out the front window. Aria shook her head. "Nope, I think we'll be the first to go. This is gonna be fun" she replied confidently. Using her magic, she began the start-up process. She brought up her RIG again, opening a communications channel to the bridge. "Skip-1 to bridge, this is CEC Engineer Aria Cackles, requesting permission to disengage, over" The Skip began to power up, humming loudly as the engines started. Behind her, Slate's helmet assembled over her head as she also brought up her RIG. "Affirmative Cackles. Remember your objective. You are to get to the USC Nalu, and fix any communication issues they have, along with any problems with the engines" "Got it" she confirmed. The skip disengaged completely from the ship. Now they were truly in space. The skip drifted away from the ship before accelerating forward, en route to the Nalu. Aria used her magic on the controls, keeping it steady. "Apart from Steel, who were the other 3?" Aria asked. Slate looked up from her RIG. "Dunno. All I know is we have a pegasus pony and two Earth stallions with us. So that makes 2 Earth, 2 pegasi, and unicorn and an alicorn. They should call us 'Team All-Star" she chuckled. The two flew quietly, until Aria broke the silence. "Hey, Slate? I never got to ask, where were you from?" "Hm? I grew up in a small town on Earth called Ponyvillie. I had a nice childhood, quite a few friends, but we all sort of went our separate ways as we grew up. I remember my mom telling me all these fantastic stories when I was little" "What kind of stories?" "She told me all about the six "Elements of Harmony" and the ponies that represented them. They kinda sounded like superheroes to me. They defeated all sorts of monsters like Spirit of Chaos and a Changeling queen! I think my mom told me a story about how one of the ponies befriended the Spirit of Chaos. I forgot either of their names...Those ponies more than 200 years ago though, but I'm sure they had families" she continued. Aria knew those stories well, perhaps better than Slate. "What about you?" she asked. It was an armour piercing question for Aria. She didn't like to discuss it. "Well, if you must know, I also grew up in Ponyvillie, but I was born in Canterlot. My life was filled with high expectations" she explained drearily. "Why was that?" "I don't want to discuss it" she replied firmly. Slate sighed and looked out the front window again. The USC Nalu was in sight. Slate quietly began singing to herself. ""Far over... the misty mountain cold. To dungeons deep... and caverns old. The pines were roaring...on the height. The winds were moaning... in the night..." she quietly sung. Aria suddenly spoke up. "What song is that?" she asked curiously. Under her helmet, Slate was smiling warmly. "I don't actually know. My granddad taught it to me. I think he said it was from a very old book he once read" she replied. Aria didn't say anything back, only giving a curious "Hm". She was more concentrating on flying the Skip. Slate resumed singing peacefully. "The fire was red, it flaming spread, the trees like torches, blazed with liiiight..." ... "WoahwoahWOAH!!" yelled Aria as the Skip jolted suddenly to the left. Another skip almost crashed right into the back of them, racing toward the Nalu. "What the hell? What maniac is flying that thing?!" she screamed. Slate shook her head. "I have no idea. Must be one of the teams. Probably the two stallions" "What makes you say that?" "Can you imagine Steel Mills driving like that? Or, even better, letting someone fly like that?" she cracked. Aria laughed quietly. "Heh, well whoever it is I'm gonna have a stern word with them once we land. Nearly killed us" she grunted. The skip was now approaching the Nalu as they got a better view of the ship. It was around half the size of the Acestile, pretty big for a cargo vessel. It was an eerie sight. No lights were on at all, and the ships engines were inactive. It was as if the ship was totally abandoned. Aria spotted the other Skip land at the side of the ship. "Well at least the docking works" Slate noted. Aria slowly brought the Skip up to the ship, connecting it to the side. Effectively, they landed. "My RIG is showing that there is life support by the way, so we know that's working". Aria brought up her RIG in order to contact the ship's bridge. "USC Nalu, this is CEC Engineer Aria Cackles from the USK Acestile. Do you read?" she asked loudly. There was no reply. No static, just silence. "I repeat, do you read?" Again, there was only silence. "Well, looks like the communication issues are short range as well" At that moment, the 3rd skip daintily flew in behind them. "All right, let's bail", and with that, Slate left the skip. Aria followed after her, entering a dark metallic room, before the main station. "How sweet home, huh?" joked Slate. Aria was less that enthralled to be on another ship, never mind one that wasn't working right. They could hear male laughter. The room opened up into a station, where the other two stallions were waiting. Their faces were clearly visible. One was the green stallion from earlier, while the other was grey with hair over one of his eyes. They turned to Slate and Aria, both spouting smug grins. Aria and Slate both lowered their helmets. "Hey, dumbasses. You know you two almost killed us mid-flight, right?" Aria growled. The grey stallion just scoffed as he walked toward her. "What? Didn't you enjoy my little display, baby?" he sneered. He got close to Aria. "Considering me and my partner almost got killed, no. I didn't." she put bluntly. "Aw, don't worry, I would never dream of hurting a pretty face like yours" he teased quietly, bringing his face uncomfortable close to Aria's, as if he was trying to steal a kiss. His 'attempt' was greeted by Slate, pushing the stallion aside. "Back off asshole" she defended. The stallion's smile disappeared as he narrowed his eyes on the two. The tension was interrupted by Steel Mills and the other pegasus entering the room. "Speedster, Welder, was you trying to murder Aria and Slate back there? Try that crap again in the Skips and you will both regret it. Understand?!" she shouted. The two stallions rolled their eyes and turned away from the older pony. "I take it you saw what happened then?" Aria asked. "Oh yeah, they almost hit me as well. I don't have time for smart asses who think they are cool because they can fly fast. Anyway you two, this is Sunflower Seeds. She is our technical pony" she introduced. Sunflower was a younger yellow pony with a long red mane. Unlike everyone else, she didn't wear armour of any kind. "She'll be the one in charge of fixing comms while the rest of us do more 'practical' work, understand?" "Yes ma'am" confirmed Aria and Slate in unison. The young pegasus stepped forward. Her voice was soft, yet comforting. "It's nice to get a real chance to meet all of you. We never got to speak back on the bridge" she spoke softly. "Nice to meet you too", replied Aria. Once the pleasantries were done, their attention turned to the ship itself. It was very quiet for a cargo ship. "Can you guys hear that?" asked Aria. "Hear what?" replied Slate. The whole group looked at Aria. "It's like...scuttling...as if something is running around the ship" "Well of course, there is obviously someone else on here" replied the green stallion, Speedster. The scuttling became louder as it travelled around them. A faint roar was heard, luckily traveling away from them. Aria felt a shiver go through her. "That did not sound like a pony" she muttered. Steel Mills took front. "Whatever it is, we'll find out soon enough. Come on, we're moving to the bridge. That was we can see if there are anyone there to tell us what's up" and with that, we pressed on. The other followed on as Aria looked around the ship curiously. Slate gently nudged her. "Hey, what's up? You aren't scared are ya?" she teased. Aria managed to crack a smirk. "Nah, just a little creeped out" she replied quietly. The six walked off into the darkness of the ships corridors. ProlougePERSONAL LOG #75 TUESDAY MAY 14TH 2267 BEGIN PLAYBACK ... "Grassland reporting. 5 days. 5 painstaking days, and we still haven't heard back about fuel. The commander has issued rationing of our food and water supplies, but god knows that won't last. What about air? That's not gonna last us forever, is she gonna ration that too? God, I hope not... ..some people have been very secretive about our cargo. All I know is that it's of 'great importance' or whatever. I couldn't give a shit otherwise. I just wanna go home. I miss Earth. Space just gets dull after a while. Look outside and what do I see? Rocks. Bah, hopefully this all clears up soon. Grassland out." END PLAYBACK ... PERSONAL LOG #76 SUNDAY MAY 19TH BEGIN PLAYBACK ... "Grassland here. People are starting to act kinda out of control. There have been reports of assault, murder, and predominantly, suicides. I honestly don't know why, I mean we got our fuel at last 2 days ago. Why do...that? Maybe they liked being stranded in space, heh. Regarding our cargo, people wanted to get into it. When I say 'wanted', I mean 'WANTED'. People were literally scraping at the doors of the cargo hold, desperately. Some were firing guns at the doors, some people held hostages to get in. Luckily there have been no successful attempts, though there have been a few...urgh, lives lost. This is just depressing. Grassland out" END PLAYBACK PERSONAL LOG #77 MONDAY MAY 20TH BEGIN PLAYBACK ... Oh God! Someone got in! Somebody GOT IN! Normally this wouldn't be so bad, but whatever was inside that cargo hold was NOT FRIENDLY. The poor bastard...he-he walked out and...his face! His face was all mangled and bloody, I have no idea what happened to him! But that's not the worse part, he had these weird blades on his hooves, he was on two legs! The crew didn't manage to get him, they kept shooting, and shooting and shooting but he wouldn't go down! ...Luckily, we took him down but he wasn't a pony at all. He was so different, like an alien. One of our crew vomited at the sight of him. I don't blame her at all. I...I need a lie down. That was too much" END PLAYBACK ... PERSONAL LOG #78 TUESDAY MAY 21ST BEGIN PLAYBACK ... "Whoever finds this, destroy this ship. Do you hear me?! DESTROY THIS SHIP. Whatever the hell happened yesterday has spread, now there are hundreds of those things! They are killing everyone! The commander..dear god, they just tore off her head! Her screams!....God no!....Look, just destroy this ship, END THIS-...Oh God, they're-they're breaking down the door. Oh man, this is it. DESTROY THE SHIP! ... No, no stay away from me, get away, no nononoNO-AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-! ... ... ... END PLAYBACK
Chapter 1: A Visit to the Doctor.The waiting room was barren, just as ever. Nobody really got 'sick' anymore, just injured. Those were rare. Everypony knew of the safety precautions in order. Well, almost everypony. The young pony sitting alone in the small row of metal seats made a novice mistake. Nobody told her about the safety on the rivet gun. Now she knew, because there was a rivet in her leg. Didn't hurt much, but she was sent down just in case. She examined the room. It was dull with some blue paint flaking off the walls. The walls were plastered with posters regarding medical check-ups, illness caused by space travel, and posters constantly reminding whoever read them to update their Resource Integration Gear, or more commonly known as a RIG. I small television hung on the corner of the wall. Didn't work. Nothing 'fun' did. Life on the USK Acestile was just that. Boring. "Aria Cackles, the doctor will see you now", spoke a soft, automated voice over the intercom. The young pony sighed as she got up off her seat. With an occasional hiss of pain, she limped off to the doctors. Along the way through the small corridors, she noticed other ponies, probably nurses taking care of other patients. This was why there were no ponies in the waiting room. Ponies that were injured were either ok enough to suck it up and take a health pack, or too damaged that they needed hospital treatment. Aria disliked the environment. Too busy for her liking. She made her way through the dim corridors until she reached the door of Dr. Measle Stopper. She often wondered why ponies in the health sector had weird names. She opened the door to find the good doctor sipping quietly at a cup of coffee. He was a rather old looking stallion, looking like he's seen more stomach ache patients than most. She sat attentively on the vacant seat by his desk. "Hello Miss Cackles. How are you doing this fine day?” he asked politely. Aria had to chuckle to herself. "Good, all things considering. Y'know, the rivet in the leg and all that" "Indeed", he replied. He got off his seat and trotted around the desk to examine her leg. A small trickle of blood had dried on her suit. "Shot yourself in the leg, eh? The first time in a while that someone has come to me with an injury like that, I must admit. Did they take it out?" he asked. Aria cast her mind back to when she did shoot herself. The other ponies were sneering while her superior magically removed the rivet. "Yeah, they did, but they sent me here in case of any infections or whatever", she admitted. The old pony moved his glasses up his snout. "Well I fear they wasted your time. A simple health pack should cure the injury, and stop any infections. In our day and age, a health pack seems to do everything for us. How is your RIG doing?” Aria tried to get a good look at her back. A large blue segmented line ran across her spine, representing her state of health. A small blue segment was missing from the gauge. "It's blue, but a little part is missing" she replied. The old doctor smiled and handed her a health pack. The small aqua bottle opened up to reveal a syringe. Aria prodded the needle into her leg, wincing quietly at the injection before withdrawing the needle. A nice, warm feeling tingled across her leg, removing the pain. Her RIG added the missing segment, returning her to full health. "Thank you Doctor", she replied happily. "You're welcome. It's amazing what technology does for us. My great-grandmother was a nurse on a small town on Earth called "Ponyvillie". Back then, there wasn't a cure for cancer or heart disease, and now those previously dangerous illnesses are a mere annoyance. Amazing, don't you think?" he asked. Aria wasn't totally concentrating. She was still in awe at what that injection did for her. It was months since she last had to use a health pack, and she never got used to the feeling. "What? Yeah, it is. I guess", she replied with an awkward smile. The old pony returned the smile and sat back onto his seat. "Now then, just a quick couple of questions. Is your heart ok?" he asked. Aria nodded. "How about your wings?” Aria nodded again. The doctor seems to pause for a few seconds. "...How about your horn?” Again, Aria nodded. The baby blue pony always found it slightly strange when people notice she had both a pair of wings and a horn. "I've only treated a very, very small handful of alicorns in my lifetime. It amazes me" he noted. "I know. People just stare at me all the time. Kinda weird, y'know?" "I suppose. Either way, you're all clear. You take care now Miss Cackles. You have a certain sparkle in those green eyes of yours. I'd hate to see you hurt again". Aria smiled at his compliment, and left the room in stride. She still wasn't used to the feeling of the health packs. She doubted she ever would be. As she left the room, a small blue hologram appeared from her suit. "Aria! Get your ass back to the Engine Room now! I don't even care if your leg is still damaged, just hurry!” squealed her co-worker. Aria sighed with irritation as the hologram disappeared and ran down the corridor
Chapter 2: Right on TimeEvery single corridor looked about the same. Grey and metallic. Aria thought to herself about why they didn't just paint the place before remembering the state of the waiting room. It'd be pointless in the end. It's a wonder that she never got lost inside the USK Acestile. The Engine Room was a few floors below her, so a quick run to the nearest elevator would get her there in a jiffy. She just didn't want to be late. Her superior was...not the nicest of ponies. She never really liked the ship. Nothing really screamed 'exciting' for her except the occasional glace at a planet floating in the dead space. Aria reached the elevators. The bane of her existence. She looked a small holographic panel detailing the elevator's current position. "Dammit. Why is it always around 10 floors away?" she mumbled to herself. She stood patiently. Waiting for it to finally reach her. She couldn't help but notice two ponies, both of them Earth ponies walking past, talking quietly. Aria couldn't help but listen in. "Hey, did you hear back from your boyfriend yet?” one of them asked the other. The other pony seemed rather down about it. "No, not yet. I haven't heard anything from Cannon in 2 months! Maybe that cargo his chip was carrying was stolen or something. Oh I hope he's ok!" she replied. Aria didn't know what ship they were talking about and dismissed it as random gossip. She couldn't help but feel bad for the pony with the boyfriend. Must be hard going two months with no contact, especially when anything could have happened to his ship. At that moment, the elevator arrived. Aria entered and was on her way to the Engine Room. Along the way, her RIG projected another incoming audio transmission. "Aria! What the hell is taking you so long?" her superior shouted. Aria sighed. "I'm on the elevator now. I'm almost there Ma'am", she groaned. "Hmph. Just get here now” and the transmission ceased... "...Bitch" The elevator opened to reveal more dank corridors, just with more metal and piping that the last ones. Several ponies were all standing by all sorts of wire work and plating, securing parts of the engine room together. The USK Acestile was an old ship, so it needed checking up on every once and a while. This was one of those days. She made her way into the main part of the Engine Room. Large machines churned, twisted and hummed, keeping the ship going. The room was very dark, with the only lights coming from the dimmed lights above and the lights coming from the visors of several ponies and stallions. Aria was greeted by a taller grey pony with a smile clearly absent from her face. It was her superior, Steel Mills. "Aria. So you finally decided to join us. Took you long enough" she growled. Aria didn't tremble or whimper. She stared right back at the unicorn's piercing glare. "I came here as fast as I could Ma'am" Aria replied firmly. Steel scoffed at her answer. "Well, maybe you should make 'as fast as you could' even faster next time" she growled. Aria frowned as the unicorn magically handed her a rivet gun. "Now, make sure you don't shoot yourself again Aria" she again taunted, and walked off to another part of the area. Aria rolled her eyes as she returned to where she was working in the first place, at a collection of plating that had come off the fuel tanks due of a few stray meteors hitting the side of the ship. Luckily no real damage was done. The ship was too big for a few small rocks hitting it to do anything major. Carefully she magically lifted the gun and got to fixing the parts of the engine. It was a boring job, just like the rest of the ship. "Hey Aria!", called over a female voice. Aria turned to face a pony decked in bronze armour, similar to her own. The pony's face was covered by a metallic bronze helmet with 2 red slits glowing down her face. Aria recognized the pony even with the helmet on. It was Slate, a friend of hers. They had met when the USK Acestile first took off from Earth and the two bonded quickly. Slate was an excitable pony, almost always in a fair mood. Slate's helmet began to dismantle, folding into itself and into her RIG, revealing the yellow pony's face. Her red mane was messy due to the helmet being on for so long. "How's that leg of yours? All good?" she asked kindly. "Yeah, it's fine now, but seriously, I made a mistake, I don't see why Steel Mills has to go keep reminding me about it" "Ah, ignore her, she's just a bit of a bitch and you know it. It seems she's always had it in for you" Slate replied. She was right as well. Ever since Aria and Steel met, they never got on. "Honestly, I think she's a bit annoyed that you're an alicorn." she continued. "That seems a bit racist, doesn't it?" Aria asked. Slate looked over to where Steel Mills was, so she couldn't hear them talking about her. "A little. Or maybe she just wants to be one as well. I think a lot of ponies do. Hell, I'd like to be one!" she said. Aria couldn't help but smile. "Can I ask a somewhat personal question?" Aria stopped what she was doing and turned properly toward Slate. "Are the members of your family all alicorns or just you? I've always wondered about it" she asked. Aria turned away a little at the question. She wasn't the only alicorn in her family, but she didn't like to mention her ancestors. "I'm not the only one, but I don't want to talk about it", she grunted. Slate knew when to stop. "Ok, sorry I asked" "It's fine, just a little private, you know?" "Sure. Anyway, I better get back to work before Steel Mills yells at me. Talk to ya later" she said, and her helmet began to recreate itself, obscuring her face once more, the red slits showing up on the dark walls. Aria didn't like putting on her helmet that much. It was as much defiance against Steel Mills as she could do without flat out refusing to work. On the bright side, she hadn't shot herself yet. The noise of construction was interrupted by the speakers. An electronic male voice came out. "Remember ponies and stallions, safety is key. Please remember to consult your RIG for health and safety regulations to keep the precautions in mind" "...I hate this fucking ship" Aria grumbled to herself. ... ... The work day drew to a close and Aria made her way back to the elevator, hoping to spend the remainder of the 'day' in her room. If anything, her room was a sanctuary for her to be at peace. It was a generic room. A slightly ruined sofa sat at the wall of the small apartment with a picture frame hanging above it. The picture contained the image of a slightly younger Aria alongside two older ponies, her parents. Aria smiled every time she saw it. It reminded her of her childhood, and how much happier and simpler it was. She remembered all the stories she was told and just how much she loved them. She walked further into her apartment as the same electronic voice spoke. "WELCOME BACK: CEC ENGINEER: ARIA CACKLES" it boomed. Aria just ignored it until another message came across the speaker. "YOU HAVE ONE UNHEARD MESSAGE". Aria hurried over to the small answering machine next to the sofa. Despite having collapsible helmets, health packs and ships capable of space travel, the ponies never got rid of the classic answering machine. Aria magically pressed a button on the machine. "PLAYING MESSAGE ONE" it said, and a female voice spoke back. The voice of her mother. "Hi honey, how are you? Just calling to ask how things are up on that big ship. Ah, we're so proud of you! Just a little update on how things are here in Equestria. Your father is still his same old self, he even found a new job as a teacher, great right? I'm fine as well, but we obviously miss you. Seems like only yesterday you left Earth. If you can, please call back soon when you’re not busy. Also, how are the ponies up on the ship? Must be fun being the only alicorn on the ship. Surely it must be some great bragging rights, right? Anyway, call back soon. We love you" and the message was followed by a beep. "END OF MESSAGE" said the voice. A single tear flowed down Aria's face. She missed her parents just as much as they missed her, if not more. She didn't want to mention her ancestry, even if her parents encouraged it. All it brought was high expectations of her. With a sigh, Aria made her way to her bedroom, to rest after what felt like the longest day of her life. ... ... "THIS IS A SHIP-WIDE ANNOUNCEMENT. ALL ENGINEERS TO THE BRIDGE. I REPEAT. ALL ENGINEERS TO THE BRIDGE", boomed the male voice of the ship captain. Aria stirred in her bed, trying desperately to ignore the call, but it was no use. Eyes still closed, she slithered out of her bed and lay on the floor. Her RIG came up with an audio transmission. "Aria! Are you there? Wake up, you need to get to the bridge!" It was the voice of Slate. "Urgh, fine, I'll be right there" she moaned. She got up and reached for her Engineering Suit. She suited up, and made her way to the door. Several ponies and stallions were in a hurry, some even donning their helmets. What was going on?
Chapter 3: Incoming TransmissionWhatever it was that was so important that every available engineer was needed at the bridge; it didn't seem to wake up Aria at all. In a way, it was like the dead had gotten up and started walking. Most ponies that Aria spotted walking through the ship seemed just as tired as she was. Those who were moving a little faster seemed to do so while putting in half the effort, all lowered down and half asleep. Aria brought up her RIG, which always kept on step ahead of her at all times. She wasn't too far from the bridge, closer than some. She got to wondering what it was; Engine failure? Centrifuge offline? Whatever it was, Aria was at least curious to find out what it was. "I should probably ask Slate what's going on" she thought to herself. Navigating the RIG's menu, she found Slate's frequency and called her back. Her RIG showed everything about her that she could want to know that wasn't private. Her location and her health included. Full blue bars, just like her. "Hey Slate, what could be so important that they need to wake us up?" "Beats me, but whatever it is, it's probably gonna suck, I'll tell you that" she was audibly tired, like Aria was. "I bet. You almost there?" "Yeah, I'll meet you there" and the transmission ceased. Aria yawned as she made her way through the corridors for what felt like the millionth time. ... The bridge room was massive for a service ship. Several ponies all sat at holographic displays, flicking through the screens like experts. It was unnaturally clean compared to the rest of the ship, all modern and 'smooth'. At the very front was a wide area in front of a majestic view of space, filled with stars, rocks and in the very far distance a small planet. Floating in that distance was a fairly sized vessel, though at a glance it would look like a generic rock. There were no lights or any evidence of movement from it. It just floated aimlessly in space, as if it was abandoned. Occupying the area in front of the window was a fairly sized group of ponies. Some, like Aria, were in their Engineering suits. There was chatter among them, all asking the same question. Why did they get woken up? Standing before them was a white pegasus pony, the captain. He looked stressed out for some odd reason. He remained quiet until all the other ponies had settled down. This was not for happening. "What's going on?!" "Why did you wake us up?" "Are we in danger?!" Aria found herself alongside Slate among the small crowd. She also noticed Steel Mills was there, looking drearier than most others. The captain finally spoke; "Ok everyone. You're all gathered here today as part of a mission. Look behind you please" he ordered. The crowd all turned around. "That ship in the distance is the USC Nalu. We lost contact with it 2 months ago and we finally found it, so we're let to believe that there are communication problems" he explained. "Well duh" muttered Slate. Aria stifled a giggle. "So that's why you're all here. We need a team of engineers to volunteer themselves to go to the ship" he explained much to the dismay of the crowd. "...Seriously? You woke us all up for this?" was all that Aria could say without letting out a barrage of curses toward him. The captain sternly looked at her. "Is that you volunteering Miss Cackles?" the captain sneered. Aria stepped forward from the crowd. She'd had enough. "You know what? Yes. Yes it is. Anything to get off of this piece of shit of a ship for a while anyway" Aria taunted the captain, who simply frowned at her. "So be it. Anyone else?" he growled. A few others stood forward from the group, included Slate who almost loyally stood next to her. Steel Mills even stood forward, offering to go. She exchanged looks towards Aria, narrowing her eyes. This was already not going to be a fun trip, not like it was exactly like a trip to a theme park to begin with. "Are you sure you want to do this?" Aria asked Slate. The yellow pony gave a sly smile. "Hey, can't let you have all the fun, now can I?" she replied, lightly shoving Aria to the side. The captain spoke quietly to one of the bridge ponies. He nodded attentively, but Aria couldn't hear what he was talking about. "We're syncing your RIGs to the ship so we can keep a close eye on you. We want you to repair the ship wherever needed and report anything unusual. The USC Nalu's lights are all out, so there might be more than one problem. Understood?" the captain explained. The volunteers all nodded in reply. "Great. You depart at in 3 hours, so go back to your dorms for now. Remember your helmets now, you're all going to need them" The captain looked directly at Aria. "Especially you Miss Cackles. You are all dismissed" he finally finished. The ponies who didn't offer to go all mumbled under their breaths in frustration for being called out of their warm beds for nothing. In the end, it was just a ground of 6 who offered to go. 4 ponies and 2 stallions. They all gathered around each other to exchange... pleasantries. "So Aria, I must say I'm somewhat impressed you volunteered. I thought you'd be too lazy to do so" Steel Mills taunted. Aria didn't say a word. "Hey lay off her Steel, aren't you a little old to be doing this?" Slate defended Aria against her. Steel seemed rather surprised she was being insulted back. "Watch it you. I don't need two smart asses on this" replied the older pony. One of the stallions rolled his eyes. "Well this is gonna be fun, isn't it? We're already making friends" he moaned. He was a green stallion with a short-cut yellow mane. Aria shook off his comments. "Can we all just go back to bed?" Aria yawned mid-sentence. "Seriously." "I have no objections to that" Steel replied. The 6 started to disband to their separate rooms. Though Aria was quickly stopped by Steel Mills. So much for no objections. "Oh, and Aria? Don't forget what the captain said. Wear your helmet on this trip" she smugly quipped. Aria narrowed her eyes at her. Metal plates at her neck opened up as parts assembled across her face in quick succession, with a distinct mechanical sound. Her helmet brightened Steel's face as the 3 blue horizontal on the helmet slits lit up, blinding her a little bit. "Better?" she moaned. Her voice slightly echoing from inside the suit. Steel rubbed her eyes. "Yeah, Yeah, go to your dorm" Aria trotted off smugly, her helmet lighting up the dark corridors on the way. That was the one benefit she saw of the helmet, it could blind Steel. "Agh, this is just too uncomfortable" she moaned to herself. She didn't take it off, it was providing a good amount of light. For some reason, the lights decided to go out before everyone made it back. Just another thing to fix. Aria walked off, anticipating the following day’s events, for all she could. ... The captain stood at the window of the bridge. A serious pony by all means. His vision fixated on the USC Nalu. One of the bridge members approached him. A slightly younger stallion. "Sir, do you really think it's on board?" he asked quietly. The captain kept his expression. He didn't even turn to him. "I have no doubts in my mind"
Chapter 4: ArrivalDocked on the side of the USK Acestile were a collection of small 'Skip' ships. These ships were designed for short space travel between stations or other ships, carrying only two individuals at a time. Being a cargo ship, the USC Nalu was equipped with Skip docking stations, for supply deliveries to other ships while in space. Today the Skip was being used to transfer the 6 individuals who volunteered to visit the USC Nalu on a simple repair job. Aria sat in the front seat of her skip, staring curiously at her RIG screen. She was busy studying the whereabouts of her partner Slate, who she was impatiently waiting on. Aria had been sitting there for 10 minutes already, and getting tired. It was quiet in the Skip, very quiet. While still connected to the ship, the skip was actually in the vacuum of space; save for the skip itself and outside the entrance, which still had air. Aria kept her helmet on nonetheless, just in case there were any 'leaks' in the hull of the skip. The sound of her own breathing into her helmet was the only sound in the skip, which to her was somewhat comforting. It was very peaceful, despite the fact that her objective would be unpleasant. She'd rather be in bed. The skip door opened rather quietly as Slate crept inside the small ship in a seat behind Aria. Aria switched off her RIG display. "Where have you been for the past 10 minutes?" Aria's tone was noticeably annoyed. Slate looked forward to her friend, only getting the back of her head. "I was just collecting some stuff for the assignment. I brought some extra health kits, just in case we need them" she explained. "I bought some from the store" "The store? I didn't know that, I thought you could only get them if they were prescribed" "Nah, you can get them easily. Anyone else left yet?" Slate asked, looking out the front window. Aria shook her head. "Nope, I think we'll be the first to go. This is gonna be fun" she replied confidently. Using her magic, she began the start-up process. She brought up her RIG again, opening a communications channel to the bridge. "Skip-1 to bridge, this is CEC Engineer Aria Cackles, requesting permission to disengage, over" The Skip began to power up, humming loudly as the engines started. Behind her, Slate's helmet assembled over her head as she also brought up her RIG. "Affirmative Cackles. Remember your objective. You are to get to the USC Nalu, and fix any communication issues they have, along with any problems with the engines" "Got it" she confirmed. The skip disengaged completely from the ship. Now they were truly in space. The skip drifted away from the ship before accelerating forward, en route to the Nalu. Aria used her magic on the controls, keeping it steady. "Apart from Steel, who were the other 3?" Aria asked. Slate looked up from her RIG. "Dunno. All I know is we have a pegasus pony and two Earth stallions with us. So that makes 2 Earth, 2 pegasi, and unicorn and an alicorn. They should call us 'Team All-Star" she chuckled. The two flew quietly, until Aria broke the silence. "Hey, Slate? I never got to ask, where were you from?" "Hm? I grew up in a small town on Earth called Ponyvillie. I had a nice childhood, quite a few friends, but we all sort of went our separate ways as we grew up. I remember my mom telling me all these fantastic stories when I was little" "What kind of stories?" "She told me all about the six "Elements of Harmony" and the ponies that represented them. They kinda sounded like superheroes to me. They defeated all sorts of monsters like Spirit of Chaos and a Changeling queen! I think my mom told me a story about how one of the ponies befriended the Spirit of Chaos. I forgot either of their names...Those ponies more than 200 years ago though, but I'm sure they had families" she continued. Aria knew those stories well, perhaps better than Slate. "What about you?" she asked. It was an armour piercing question for Aria. She didn't like to discuss it. "Well, if you must know, I also grew up in Ponyvillie, but I was born in Canterlot. My life was filled with high expectations" she explained drearily. "Why was that?" "I don't want to discuss it" she replied firmly. Slate sighed and looked out the front window again. The USC Nalu was in sight. Slate quietly began singing to herself. ""Far over... the misty mountain cold. To dungeons deep... and caverns old. The pines were roaring...on the height. The winds were moaning... in the night..." she quietly sung. Aria suddenly spoke up. "What song is that?" she asked curiously. Under her helmet, Slate was smiling warmly. "I don't actually know. My granddad taught it to me. I think he said it was from a very old book he once read" she replied. Aria didn't say anything back, only giving a curious "Hm". She was more concentrating on flying the Skip. Slate resumed singing peacefully. "The fire was red, it flaming spread, the trees like torches, blazed with liiiight..." ... "WoahwoahWOAH!!" yelled Aria as the Skip jolted suddenly to the left. Another skip almost crashed right into the back of them, racing toward the Nalu. "What the hell? What maniac is flying that thing?!" she screamed. Slate shook her head. "I have no idea. Must be one of the teams. Probably the two stallions" "What makes you say that?" "Can you imagine Steel Mills driving like that? Or, even better, letting someone fly like that?" she cracked. Aria laughed quietly. "Heh, well whoever it is I'm gonna have a stern word with them once we land. Nearly killed us" she grunted. The skip was now approaching the Nalu as they got a better view of the ship. It was around half the size of the Acestile, pretty big for a cargo vessel. It was an eerie sight. No lights were on at all, and the ships engines were inactive. It was as if the ship was totally abandoned. Aria spotted the other Skip land at the side of the ship. "Well at least the docking works" Slate noted. Aria slowly brought the Skip up to the ship, connecting it to the side. Effectively, they landed. "My RIG is showing that there is life support by the way, so we know that's working". Aria brought up her RIG in order to contact the ship's bridge. "USC Nalu, this is CEC Engineer Aria Cackles from the USK Acestile. Do you read?" she asked loudly. There was no reply. No static, just silence. "I repeat, do you read?" Again, there was only silence. "Well, looks like the communication issues are short range as well" At that moment, the 3rd skip daintily flew in behind them. "All right, let's bail", and with that, Slate left the skip. Aria followed after her, entering a dark metallic room, before the main station. "How sweet home, huh?" joked Slate. Aria was less that enthralled to be on another ship, never mind one that wasn't working right. They could hear male laughter. The room opened up into a station, where the other two stallions were waiting. Their faces were clearly visible. One was the green stallion from earlier, while the other was grey with hair over one of his eyes. They turned to Slate and Aria, both spouting smug grins. Aria and Slate both lowered their helmets. "Hey, dumbasses. You know you two almost killed us mid-flight, right?" Aria growled. The grey stallion just scoffed as he walked toward her. "What? Didn't you enjoy my little display, baby?" he sneered. He got close to Aria. "Considering me and my partner almost got killed, no. I didn't." she put bluntly. "Aw, don't worry, I would never dream of hurting a pretty face like yours" he teased quietly, bringing his face uncomfortable close to Aria's, as if he was trying to steal a kiss. His 'attempt' was greeted by Slate, pushing the stallion aside. "Back off asshole" she defended. The stallion's smile disappeared as he narrowed his eyes on the two. The tension was interrupted by Steel Mills and the other pegasus entering the room. "Speedster, Welder, was you trying to murder Aria and Slate back there? Try that crap again in the Skips and you will both regret it. Understand?!" she shouted. The two stallions rolled their eyes and turned away from the older pony. "I take it you saw what happened then?" Aria asked. "Oh yeah, they almost hit me as well. I don't have time for smart asses who think they are cool because they can fly fast. Anyway you two, this is Sunflower Seeds. She is our technical pony" she introduced. Sunflower was a younger yellow pony with a long red mane. Unlike everyone else, she didn't wear armour of any kind. "She'll be the one in charge of fixing comms while the rest of us do more 'practical' work, understand?" "Yes ma'am" confirmed Aria and Slate in unison. The young pegasus stepped forward. Her voice was soft, yet comforting. "It's nice to get a real chance to meet all of you. We never got to speak back on the bridge" she spoke softly. "Nice to meet you too", replied Aria. Once the pleasantries were done, their attention turned to the ship itself. It was very quiet for a cargo ship. "Can you guys hear that?" asked Aria. "Hear what?" replied Slate. The whole group looked at Aria. "It's like...scuttling...as if something is running around the ship" "Well of course, there is obviously someone else on here" replied the green stallion, Speedster. The scuttling became louder as it travelled around them. A faint roar was heard, luckily traveling away from them. Aria felt a shiver go through her. "That did not sound like a pony" she muttered. Steel Mills took front. "Whatever it is, we'll find out soon enough. Come on, we're moving to the bridge. That was we can see if there are anyone there to tell us what's up" and with that, we pressed on. The other followed on as Aria looked around the ship curiously. Slate gently nudged her. "Hey, what's up? You aren't scared are ya?" she teased. Aria managed to crack a smirk. "Nah, just a little creeped out" she replied quietly. The six walked off into the darkness of the ships corridors.
ProlougePERSONAL LOG #75 TUESDAY MAY 14TH 2267 BEGIN PLAYBACK ... "Grassland reporting. 5 days. 5 painstaking days, and we still haven't heard back about fuel. The commander has issued rationing of our food and water supplies, but god knows that won't last. What about air? That's not gonna last us forever, is she gonna ration that too? God, I hope not... ..some people have been very secretive about our cargo. All I know is that it's of 'great importance' or whatever. I couldn't give a shit otherwise. I just wanna go home. I miss Earth. Space just gets dull after a while. Look outside and what do I see? Rocks. Bah, hopefully this all clears up soon. Grassland out." END PLAYBACK ... PERSONAL LOG #76 SUNDAY MAY 19TH BEGIN PLAYBACK ... "Grassland here. People are starting to act kinda out of control. There have been reports of assault, murder, and predominantly, suicides. I honestly don't know why, I mean we got our fuel at last 2 days ago. Why do...that? Maybe they liked being stranded in space, heh. Regarding our cargo, people wanted to get into it. When I say 'wanted', I mean 'WANTED'. People were literally scraping at the doors of the cargo hold, desperately. Some were firing guns at the doors, some people held hostages to get in. Luckily there have been no successful attempts, though there have been a few...urgh, lives lost. This is just depressing. Grassland out" END PLAYBACK PERSONAL LOG #77 MONDAY MAY 20TH BEGIN PLAYBACK ... Oh God! Someone got in! Somebody GOT IN! Normally this wouldn't be so bad, but whatever was inside that cargo hold was NOT FRIENDLY. The poor bastard...he-he walked out and...his face! His face was all mangled and bloody, I have no idea what happened to him! But that's not the worse part, he had these weird blades on his hooves, he was on two legs! The crew didn't manage to get him, they kept shooting, and shooting and shooting but he wouldn't go down! ...Luckily, we took him down but he wasn't a pony at all. He was so different, like an alien. One of our crew vomited at the sight of him. I don't blame her at all. I...I need a lie down. That was too much" END PLAYBACK ... PERSONAL LOG #78 TUESDAY MAY 21ST BEGIN PLAYBACK ... "Whoever finds this, destroy this ship. Do you hear me?! DESTROY THIS SHIP. Whatever the hell happened yesterday has spread, now there are hundreds of those things! They are killing everyone! The commander..dear god, they just tore off her head! Her screams!....God no!....Look, just destroy this ship, END THIS-...Oh God, they're-they're breaking down the door. Oh man, this is it. DESTROY THE SHIP! ... No, no stay away from me, get away, no nononoNO-AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-! ... ... ... END PLAYBACK
