Chapter I: Ante Bellum
Space, the final frontier. The proving grounds of science and technology. The last unexplored section of our known universe. The only place were one could feel as if they were discovering something new each and every day. It is a place of opportunity, of discovery, of mystery. Many had trekked the galaxy and left their mark in the shape of glassed planets and decaying beats of iron. However, today the universe stopped to examine one small and somewhat meaningless species. It seemed almost as if the universe had stopped in its place simply to watch the events unfold. For today, on this day in the 39th century it was the day of judgement. Dies Irae.
The year is 3846. The ponies of Equestria have begun their exploration of the stars and heavens that sat so menacingly above their head for eons. The Equestrian Space Administration has been tasked by Princess Celestia and her administration with the construction of a space fleet that will help the Equestrians discover more about the vast universe they lived in. Various space stations float in orbit of Equestria, serving as the launch pad for satellites, shuttles, and probes that will scan the universe for new species, planets, and civilizations. Under the guidance of Celestia and Luna, the scientists of Equestria are certain that they will be able to accomplish their mission with ease and efficiency.
E.S.A. Headquarters, Canterlot, Equestria
11:00 AM
A brown stallion dawning a bright white lab coat trotted down the sleek corridor. On either side of the corridor were long flowing banners depicting scenes from Equestria's history, probably a reminder to the scientists to stay in their place. Regardless, the stallion did not notice and continued down the hallway. At the end of the hallway sat a large door with a camera sitting atop of it. The stallion looked up into the camera above and the door whooshed up revealing the commander center of the E.S.A.
Inside the Commander Center, commonly abbreviated as the C.C. by most, sat rows upon rows of consoles containing some of the most high tech computers and scanners known to ponies. At the front of the room sat a massive monitor, displaying some form of space charts showing current missions across the galaxy. The dots on the screen were mostly centered around the Equestrian solar system doing routine scans of the solar system or launching into the deeper depths of space. The monitor began to focus into a certain starship just not leaving the solar system. A small timer appeared on the left hand corner of the screen displaying the count down until when the E.S.S. Eureka would officially leave the solar system. The mares and stallions in the control room leaned in ward waiting for it to hit zero. This was a massive moment for the ponies of Equestria as the E.S.S. Eureka was the first ever long range research vessel to leave the solar system. The brown stallion approached the center of the room slowly looking towards the monitor as the other ponies did. Then, in that moment, the room exploded in celebration and revelry.
The clock hit zero and the ship pushed forward into the depths of space. The brown stallion smiled at the monitor and turned to the ponies behind him and cheered along with them. "This the E.S.S. Eureka, we have just left the Equestrian solar system and have a course plotted toward the Celes V solar system." A voice said over the intercom of the commander center. The celebrations eventually calmed down and the ponies returned to their consoles, monitoring a series of manned and unmanned missions.
A mare stopped the brown stallion as he walked away from the center of the room. "Professor Kingsley!" She yelled. The brown stallion turned to the mare, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes?" He responded, the name of the mare escaped him but she seemed familiar. The mare ran toward him and approached his ear, as if she wanted to say something secret though a yell from the back row of consoles interrupted her.
"I've lost signal of the E.S.S. Eureka!" Yelled a stallion toward the back.
"They're not coming up on the omnisenors!" Exclaimed a mare from the middle row.
The room turned to the monitor were the E.S.S. Eureka was no longer present on the monitor, only a black space where it used to be. They looked at each other curiously, checking over their omnisensors and making sure this was not a malfunction in the sensors. Some simply assumed the E.S.S. had warped without confirming it with the C.C. settling some of the disarray in the room.
A final yell broke the silence. "We're getting a message from the E.S.S. Eureka."
"Play it on screen. Now!" Yelled Professor Kingsley.
Suddenly, the monitor in the center of the room changed from the map to a camera depicting the bridge of the Eureka. Suddenly the voice of the Captain Jade, the mare put in charge of the long range research vessel, roared over the loudspeakers.
"This is the E.S.S. Eureka we have encountered some kind of anomaly en route to the Celes system. It seems to be blocking our sensors an-" The mare was cut off as a stallion whispered something in her ear. Her face turned pale as she realized what was occurring. Soon she was yelling orders.
"Reverse thrusters! Now! Full power to the engines! Get us out of here!" It was too late. The ship began to rock and shake, sending ponies flying in every direction. Sirens and warning signals flashed on the bridge as Jade tried to remain in control of the ship.
"By Celestia..." She said as a large noise roared over the comm and the video cut out.
The C.C. stood still in awe. Nobody said a word, they just stared into the now dark screen as if they were hypnotized. Slowly they began to look around the room, now realizing the gravity of what had just happened. Kingsley turned to the command room.
"Get the comm signal back up! Try and locate their position!" He yelled orders, but nobody was able to comply with them. The E.S.S. Eureka was gone and they all knew it, but by what. Was it a technical malfunction? Many began to ask questions and soon enough rumors would begin to fly.
Canterlot Castle, Canterlot, Equestria
"Gone? How does one lose an entire space ship?" Celestia inquired, looking at Kingsley and two other ponies who were responsible for telling Celestia about the incident.
"We're not sure, the link was cut short before we could see anything. We can present the video and audio to you if you wish, though not much can be taken away from it." replied Kingsley.
"I've already seen it. There's no doubt in my mind that the E.S.S. Eureka is gone." She said, now displaying a face of sadness. "If only we had reacted quicker or prepared better, those ponies would be safe." She looked up and began to clear her throat. "Unfortunately, there is little we can do for them. Now we must correct ourselves, find out were we went wrong and fix it. We must find out what happened to the E.S.S. Eureka before we continue any more missions. Who knows what could be out there waiting for us?"
"Well, interestingly enough we did detect something on the ominsensors after the incident. An anomaly was detected on the outer reaches of the solar system. When we left the C.C. it was still there."
"What do you propose professor." She asked.
"Recon and preparation. A manned team should be sent to examine the anomaly, presuming it has something to do with the E.S.S. Eureka. My team and I have designed and manufactured a star ship capable of this mission, once that has the shielding able to withstand whatever that anomaly did to the E.S.S Eureka."
"You have the full support of the Royal government. Let us pray that this anomaly does not approach Equestria. Between all these incidents one could say this was the end times." She said, staring out the stained glass windows into the green gardens that surrounded the castle. Kingsley looked down at his hooves.
"We won't fail you Princess. I promise." He said. His words were hollow, he himself doubted the abilities of him and his team to make things right. They'd lost an entire crew and the most advanced ship in the space fleet. It seemed as if the planets were aligned, but in the favor of some other race. Some other race far from Equestria. The once joyous ponies of Equestria now felt as if they were fighting against the tide of the river of fate, and they were losing.
