Date: 02/06/2406 08:04
Setting the New Moon into a gentle hover near to the Castle drew much excitement from the ponies below, given that the shadow it cast covered approximately twenty percent of the city itself from our height. Of course, the ship had to remain as high as it was above the city in order to keep the engines from creating damage more than a downdraft that ruffled the furs of civilians below.
“So, what’ll the next dungeon be in your dream?” Twilight asked as she took wing with everyone else, Sunset floating along in a magical sheath of teal as she self-levitated. I kept pace via jetpack alongside Luna who’d offered to fly me down herself but I’d opted to fly down myself just for the feeling.
“By the story’s timeline, that’ll be Cale Sevadus. We’ll probably want more players for that one though.” I replied as we landed in the center of the Gardens and joined Luna at her side to walk into the Castle in full suit. “I’m quite surprised that you of all ponies enjoyed that as much as you did.”
“It was very entertaining and a great way to relieve stress, dungeon running so many times with everypony else.” Twilight explained, directing the comment up to me with a look of gratitude. “There wouldn’t happen to be a human technology that could replicate that dreamworld of your in reality, would there?”
“Not that I know of, no.” I said, casting a look of disappointment on the faces of the ponies around me. “Well hold on, just because I don’t know of a technology, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Remember, I’m two hundred years behind human technology standards.”
“So how could you find out if there is a technology?” Luna glanced up at me as we stepped from the gardens and into the castle itself, now being escorted by a squadron of guard.
“We get back into Registered Space and I’ll upload all the new technology and updates to the welder. I’ll probably take… thirty years to learn it all but ehh, I’ve got the rest of my life ahead of me to figure it out.” I shrugged back casually and turned the first left towards the Courtroom. “I can probably do it while you’re all in cryo.”
“Why would you want to spend the trip out of cryo-stasis? As I understand it, you’d still age while we don’t…” Sunset inquired in concern.
“Sunset, you have to understand that i’ve already spent almost three hundred years in cryo-stasis. If I went back under for our flight to the new world, who knows how much more technology I’d have to learn to catch back up. Call me selfish but I actually want to live my adult life.” I explained once I’d stopped to kneel at the mare, placing a hand on her shoulder.
“The Pilot’s right, it’s borderline lazy to spend centuries in cryo-stasis if he doesn’t have to.” Luna added to my point, then looked to me. “But by no means does that give you an excuse to age to death without me. I will not be waking up on the new world without my partner.”
Standing and giving Luna an affectionate rub on the neck, “I don’t plan to. I’ll only remain awake long enough to reintegrate into the Galactic Community then I'll be joining you all in cryo for the rest of the trip.”
“You better.” Luna smirked with entertainment and took the lead into the Courtroom as the great doors gradually swung open on their hinges, a heavy creaking alerting our presence.
“Something must be done about the rebels! They endanger our entire operation, we must destroy them before they can further compromise our future!” A noble demanded, stamping their hoof forcefully to the stone tile beneath them. I had encountered this particular one before, never face to face but only ever in passing. Swept back blonde mane, snow white fur and an extremely practised smile now torn away and replaced with a large scowl on his muzzle. Even his voice dripped with cocky nobility and it took everything in my power to announce that none of the nobility would be on my ship.
“Blueblood, I understand how you feel, but we are simply not equipped to deal with a force so large!” Celestia sighed back, making me feel like this wasn’t the first time she’d told the prince this little tidbit of information.
Celestia had returned to her pony form, like Luna, and was almost dramatically draped across her throne in what appeared to be complete boredom. After a quick survey of the room, I could understand Celestia’s lack of propriety and casual nature given that absolutely no common pony, not even staff, was in the room.
“But with that large airship outside, we could tear through them like paper! You just need give the order and that thing will be forced to do what you demand!” Blueblood declared, his voice covering my otherwise silent approach till I was standing just behind him. Luna, Twilight and Sunset all rounded past the prince, giving him reason to catch sight of me in the corner of his eye and whirled around to find me almost completely on his ass.
With a very womanly yelp and hopping away from me, the prince quickly composed himself and reapproached me. “You! I, Prince Blueblood, hereby order you to take your flying vessel and exterminate the enemies at our borders!” he commanded as princely as he could, despite that I still stood head and shoulders above him even when hunched down.
“Denied.” I announced firmly yet simply before stepping away from the noble to approach Celestia while the prince fumed. “Morning, Tia. How’d you sleep?”
“How dare you call her something so informal! You will address the Princess with appropriate title and respect!” Blueblood commanded, stomping after me as I stepped up to Luna who’d taken to her throne.
“And you will show respect to the man who’s getting your sorry ass off this dying planet!” I roared back, wheeling around on the startled white stallion before calming myself to readdress Celestia.
“It’s quite alright, Blueblood. The Pilot is more than close enough to myself and my sister to use such familiar recognitions.” Celestia remarked calmly before turning to me. “Thank you for the warm wishes, I slept quite well and enjoyed our shared dream last night. I even found that I’d awoken having sweated quite profusely, you’ve provided me with quite a workout and sore backside.”
“You and I both, Princess.” Twilight sighed and scratched at her back and flanks. Blueblood's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates and his mouth hung open. “After that last round we had, I don’t know if I’ll be able to properly sit for a few more hours.”
Stifling laughter between Sunset, Luna and I, I ascended towards Luna’s throne and took a stance next to her, resting a hand on the armrest over Luna’s hoof.
“I simply cannot- no, I will not accept what I am hearing!” Blueblood announced, feathers clearly ruffled. “Are you meaning to tell me that you,” the prince paused to point at my direction, staring me down with a killer glare. “Shared such a… filthy dream with Princesses Celestia and Twilight Sparkle?”
“Not at all.” I shook my head once and kept it high while Luna and Sunset snickered. “I shared a dream with Celestia, Luna, Twilight, Sunset Shimmer, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie.”
Luna and Sunset nearly but a gut trying to contain themselves as Blueblood’s jaw likely unhinged and nearly dropped to the floor.
“Six? You shared such a dream with six mares? Three of the Princesses, no less! How vulgar, I expected nothing less from such a lowly beast like yourself!” Blueblood accused, stopping Luna’s attempts at holding laughter completely as she suddenly exploded from where she sat.
“You have no right to call our beloved such wild accusations!” she declared, resorting to her Royal Voice which nearly shattered the nearby windows and shook many of the guards to their knees. “You, who married into the royal line have no say in what we do in our dreams!”
“Married into? So he’s not even Noble by birth?” I smirked with my whisper to Twilight next to me.
“Well, he technically is. He’s noble by blood but his family was forty ninth in line so he married into a family closer to the throne.” Twilight whispered back, making me smirk even more with this new bit of knowledge.
“But to think that he debauched six of you! Three out of four Princesses, no less! Have you no shame?” Blueblood called back in attempts to match Luna’s sheer volume.
“Debauched,” I broke into the argument. “Just what in hell do you think we were all doing in my dream?” I grinned as Blueblood’ death glare broke away from my marefriend’s equalizing gaze and was cast down upon me. “At no point in time did we ever say anything about any kind of debauchery! The seven of us merely spent a couple hours in a fantasy dungeon that I had written about before I shipped out for my exploratory mission.”
“What? So you brought the princesses into situations that was physically dangerous to them? Have you no regard for their safety?” Blueblood somehow turned the table back on me, twisting my words and seemingly forgetting that this was a dream we were talking about.
“By no means were any of us ever in harm’s way.” Celestia replied, standing from her throne to take the floor and calm everyone with soothing words and a mother’s voice. “Not only was this in a dream, but all seven of us were heavily armoured to protect our minds. We were also equipped with extraordinary weapons and magics.”
“I…” Blueblood stuttered about uselessly, having had his argument extinguished so easily. With nothing else left to say, “Yes, Princess Celestia.”
“Now, with that matter finished, we shall return to the matter of what to do with the Enemy Headquarters that were found.” Celestia declared, turning from the Prince to us to ensure that we’d settled the previous matter. “Pilot, since it’s your ship and your crew who found the signal, what do you recommend?”
“Under normal circumstances, planet not dying and a population not threatening extermination, I’d suggest a casual slaughter of their ranks.” I replied calmly and with a simple shrug. “Under these circumstances, I recommend we do not attack them and maintain defensive formations.”
“But they’ll just send larger forces to try to kill us!” Blueblood retorted furiously, looking to be almost seething.
“Their army is limited to however many supporters they have. While ammunition stockpiles are limited by the magnesium and uranium we mine, my mining lasers are not. They will fall before me when they attack. Either they’ll run out of time and we’ll all leave before they can do any damage, or they’ll realize that they’re only expediting their species endangerment.” I explained with arms crossed over my chest and took a heavy breath of oxygen to calm myself after the last topic. I hadn’t realized it but I’d used about 5% more air in that event than I’d expected too so I was now busy working to calm myself and return my breathing to normal in order to get the most out of the remaining 87% in my tanks.
“Can’t we just modify the ship to take more? Try and settle things with the rebels peacefully?” Twilight inquired hopefully but dropped the enthusiasm once I shook my head enough to turn my helmet.
“No. We don’t have the time or resources to expand the ship any more than I already have.” I answered with calm resignation in the numbers of each species I could effectively store away.
“Then the only answer is clear! You must protect our species and exterminate the rebels! The longer we wait, the longer the Ambassador has to recruit larger forces!” Blueblood exploded again.
“One more outburst from you, Prince, and I’ll be forced to swap your seat out for someone else better suited for the colony!” I shot back, making the Prince jolt at the thought of being left behind like that. “I said we will not attack them, and that’s it!”
“You will not leave me behind!” Blueblood roared and nearly charged me if it wasn’t for not only the guard approaching to stop him with their weapons, but also the Elite Rifle I’d just equipped in my hands. Apparently he’d heard about what it could do to flesh and halted, allowing the guard to surround him.
“Calm down, both of you. I’m sure there’s enough room to fit my Nephew on the ship if we just reorganize who’s coming.” Celestia held a hoof up to tell her guard, and me, to lower their weapons.
“No, there isn’t. I managed to fit exactly one-thousand, four hundred sixty four seats on the ship for the seventy-two species of this planet.” I announced, making the eyes of everyone in the room explode at the absolutely small number in comparison to the population of the planet. “For the twelve representing species, I have exactly fifty seats reserved for each, twenty-five male and twenty-five female. The others all get exactly twelve.” I announced, silencing the room completely, save for the sound of my suit placing my weapon back into my backpack.
“They only get twelve?” Twilight whispered to herself. “Why twelve?”
“Because twelve is the exact minimum it will take for the genepool to not stale and support a colony. Those species with only twelve will have their females give three children to three different males over the course of their lives. They will do that for several generations.” I announced, turning to Twilight for the explanation.
“I hardly believe that polygamy will be the saviour of their races.” Blueblood rolled his eyes at me and scoffed.
“If they don’t, they’ll die out. The same is said for the the Equestrians.” I announced, turning back to Celestia and Luna. “Everyone on that ship, when they land, will have multiple children with multiple partners.”
“Well, don’t expect me to sire any bastard children.” the Prince announced and turned his nose up and away from me.
“Then you’ll be replaced on the ship with somepony who will. The only ponies on that ship who I'm allowing not to have so many children are the Princesses and Twilight’s six friends.”
“Really?” Sunset raised an eyebrow at me, rounding past Twilight to get into my view to do so. “Why?”
“Because all of you will be busy governing your race and very likely a portion of the smaller races. You won’t be able to afford time for mothering nine children.” I explained before being interrupted by Celestia.
“That, and we alicorns are not capable of fostering more than one child every thousand years or so.” she explained with a sigh. “I’ve still got a couple more centuries to go before I can try for a twelfth.”
“I’ve only got four more months.” Luna smirked and winked at me, suggesting things which I set aside for the time being.
“And with the birth of Flurry Heart, Cadence will not be an option for another thousand years or so.” Celestia sighed and rubbed at her forehead with a wing.
“Well, for Luna and Twilight, I suggest not getting too worked up about your kids until after you’re all on the planet.” I remarked and turned back to the Prince. “If you have nothing left to say, you may leave.”
“I will not be left behind!” The Prince announced as he was escorted from the room by the guard. Soon, the doors swung shut and the room was blissfully quiet.
“Pilot, I can’t help but notice that you’ve only ever been talking about us being on the planet. Like you’re not coming with us to establish the colony.” Sunset narrowed her eyes in worry as Luna glared at me. I remained silent and slightly downcast.
“Why are you speaking like you’ll not be staying with me after the Colony is established?” Luna rose from her seat to get nose to nose with me, looking quite angry.
“You must understand, it’s not that I don’t want to stay with you all on the new planet, it’s that I may not be able too.” I began slowly, quietly as I formulated my words as carefully as I could.
“Why not?” Luna demanded simply, still staring me down.
“Because of a couple reasons.” I looked up at the princess and into her eyes. “One: If the planet we colonize you on is the same as this planet, then that means there’ll still be excessive Xenon in the air. Living in a suit my entire life is no way to live, living safezone to safezone is no way to live. I’m already beginning to suffer from a Vitamin D deficiency and I'm only keeping it up through modifying my meals to contain that vitamin. I can’t keep that up, I’m afraid.”
“What’s the second reason?” Celestia looked around her sister at me, looking just as worried as Luna was now.
“Two: I have a duty to report your colonized planet to the Galactic Community. I intend to register you as a pre-spacefaring race so you shouldn’t be bothered beyond whatever Anthropologists try to show up and remain hidden, but that’s it. It will take me at least a year to get all the paperwork filed, and then whatever awards they try to give me for discovering a new intelligent race; which brings me to my last and most important point.” I dropped my head to stare at the floor again, all the mares around me setting up from their positions to stand in front of me in worry.
“What is it?” Luna whispered in fear.
“Once I register you and your planet, you’ll be placed under protective custody of the Galactic Community and all outside access and interference will be denied beyond the scientists who’ll come to study you and your progress in secret. I won’t be allowed to come back.” my words were intended to be an announcement, but instead sort of dribbled out in a muttering that was only just loud enough to be understood.
“Then just don’t register us! Or register us as a space-faring race! There has to be something you can do to let you stay with me!” Luna demanded, taking my hands in her magic to raise them to her hooves and wrapped them in blue fur.
“If I register you as a space-faring race, then you’ll start to get involved in Galactic practices and you’ll be forced to obey Galactic law practices and get involved in wars and involve yourselves in our diplomacy. That’s all if you’re not targeted by the larger of the community and enslaved… It’ll be better if you’re registered as pre-space and left alone to your own devices.”
“Well, what if we register as space-faring and ally ourselves with Humanity or whatever other empires you suggest? Couldn’t they protect us?” Celestia offered and instantly gained support from everyone in the room, Guards included as they whispered among themselves.
“You’d submit to vassalization by another empire? Because that’s what will happen with not even a planetary population of fifteen-hundred. You’d give up most of your freedoms for protection?” I announced, dropping the hopefulness in even Celestia. “No, I don’t want you all to give up your freedoms just to survive in the Galactic Community. It will be better for you all if you’re registered as pre-space and left alone till you achieve space-flight on your own and can stand firmly in the Community.”
“Would you let us make that decision for ourselves? Let us consider the options and tell you before we leave for the new world?” Celestia requested, apparently not content with being left alone in the galaxy. I nodded and started off towards the doors out of the room.
“Sure, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get the New Moon mining that mountain for everything it’s got. Twilight,” I turned to face the youngest one. “I need that print for the station rather soon.”
“You’ll have it in a couple days.” Twilight nodded back before turning back to the older princesses with concern.