//------------------------------// // Part 11: Spindle // Story: The Transporter: Second Gear // by Unit_ZER0 //------------------------------// “I’m not sure it’s such a good idea for you to come along on this excursion, your highness.” “Sergeant, I am fully capable of handling any potential threats a simple trip to the human’s world may entail.” “I appreciate that your highness, but is it really necessary to make such a trip in light of the recent incident?” “Your concern is noted, sergeant, but I insist on accompanying Mr. Cole. He has need of a new vehicle, and some additional equipment. It is my duty to ensure that any additional items he procures will not prove detrimental to Equestria at large. We must keep interactions between their world and ours to a minimum, for now at least, and I suspect that Mr. Cole’s equipment will be of a uniquely disruptive nature.” “I… can’t disagree with that, Ma’am. I would ask that I be allowed to accompany you both.” “I would suspect you of neglecting your duties if you didn’t, sergeant. You are permitted to do so.” “Thank you, your highness.” Princess Luna and Sergeant Stormcloud had been traveling up the corridor from the Transport Division’s main spaces, leaving the wreck of the Elantra behind, and heading directly for the transport arch. While not its official designation, or intended use, the structure which had once served as a decorative entry to a small side garden had now been carefully moved to its current location, a small open area just off the main outdoor walkways of the outbuildings where the Transport Division had been established. After leaving Trixie Lulamoon and Balance Wheel to begin extracting the mechanical heart of Cole’s vehicle, the pair were awaiting the third member of the improvised team, the human in question having taken some time to collect his thoughts, fresh clothes, and grab a much-needed snack. The human in question appeared shortly after the Princess began the process of energizing the arch, and shaping the resultant energies into the world- spanning gate that would link the two worlds once again. Now that he thought about it, this was the first time Cole had seen the actual process that made travel between his and the ponies’ worlds possible. The stone arch was ablaze with bluish white light, and as he watched, the central space took on an appearance like disturbed water, before smoothing out into a mirrorlike shimmer. Taking a breath, and studiously ignoring the shiver that raced up his spine at the sight and sound, the human approached. “Hello Princess, Sergeant, are things going well?” The princess took a moment to ensure the gate was stable, and then nodded. “Yes, the gate is stable, and we ought to embark immediately. Energy consumption of this magnitude is no small feat, and the sooner we traverse the better.” “Understood, your highness, the human returned, and strode forward until he was just in front of the gateway. Turning, he gestured deferentially to the Equestrian royal. “After you?” With a brief not, the alicorn led the way through the gate, her presence disrupting the glassy surface with hardly a ripple. “I’ll take the drag, if you don’t mind.” Sergeant Stormcloud said, taking one last look around the courtyard. Cole gave a brief nod, and then turned, and vanished after the Princess. After one last glance, the Sergeant brought up the rear, and the active gate vanished a few scant seconds later, leaving behind an empty arch, as the background hum of an active portal faded away. It felt like she had been asleep for a week, but it had to have only been a few hours, a day at most, when Earth Mover’s eyes snapped open. The twinging ache in her leg had faded considerably, and it actually felt like she could put weight on it now. A brief test proved this to be the case, and now that she was no longer distracted by the pain in that limb, she could work towards shoring up her mental defenses. A few painful knocks against the bars later, and she’d managed to shatter the worst of the resin covering her horn as well, the process having left the sensitive organ sore, but no worse for wear. Now that she thought about it, she hadn’t been all that hungry the entire time she’d been stuck in this cell… Strange... In any event, she immediately took the opportunity to try out a partial transformation she’d been practicing back in Canterlot when no one was looking. A brief wave of amber fire slid across her body, and she felt herself change. Mostly, the change kept itself to her torso, neck, and forelimbs, as the changeling princess carefully reworked her body’s layout from a quadruped stance, to a bipedal one. At the same time, she felt the unfamiliar sensation of her front hooves splitting into a far more sensitive, but also far more dexterous set of digits. Only three fingers, and an opposing thumb, but more than enough for what she intended. With her new limbs, it was far easier to pick the remaining bits of resin off her horn, and feel out just how far along in the healing process her leg was. After pulling off all of the resin on the limb, she briefly reshaped her legs as well, widening the hooves slightly, and lengthening them overall, even though the injured leg protested this. Then, it was a simple matter to secrete some resin of her own, and re encase the limb. With that matter handled, Earth Mover steeled herself mentally, and then levered herself upright. Fortunately, the cell had a high ceiling, and her horn was well clear. After taking a moment to get a better sense of how her changed body would react to this new stance, the changeling took a few tentative steps, using her wings to catch her when she overbalanced. It was now obvious why bipeds had several advantages. The lack of inherent stability was more than compensated for by having two free limbs to manipulate tools, and, naturally, weapons. In this case, it would make escaping the cell, while not easy, certainly less difficult. Mentally, and physically gritting her teeth, Earth Mover took a look across the space she was confined in. “Okay, let’s see just how well I can use this.” She whispered, as she began to practice walking in earnest. Unfortunately, or perhaps not, Earth Mover’s efforts hadn’t gone unnoticed. Just off to the side of the cell block entrance, in a darkened part of the connecting corridor, a pair of teal eyes observed the captive’s movements, along with her unexpected transformation, and testing of her modified form. The owner of the eyes hadn’t wanted this boring job, but Mother had insisted, and as always, Mother got her way. But now, things weren’t so boring… Back on earth, the underpass in the park sparked to life, and a shimmering portal formed. Fortunately, the only inhabitants of the park at this hour were squirrels, and the sun was just beginning its climb into the sky. After a beat, Princess Luna strode out of the portal, followed closely by Cole, and Sergeant Stormcloud. The trio took a moment to breathe deeply, the two Equestrians snorting slightly, as unfamiliar scents made themselves known, the human re-familiarizing himself with the smells of home. The Princess took this moment to closely observe the human. Cole had been… brittle these past few hours after he had awoken, speaking in short sentences, carrying an almost visible tension, a Need to do Something about what had happened. She had seen it many times over the centuries, those accustomed to Getting Things Done, finding themselves in situations beyond their control, reverted to the most basic of behaviors, until they found their equilibrium again. It had been clear after the first incident that this human was exceptional, with a mind capable of remaining on task, even when his emotions threatened his internal stability, and seeing how he reacted upon returning to his world decreased her misgivings about allowing him to voice his input on how to resolve the current situation. Cole took another breath. In… and out… He was home. Now, the real work began, and he could feel his mind settling back into familiar patterns. First, secure supplies, then assess the mission objectives, as approved by higher authority, of course, then… Well, that was for another time in the indeterminate future. Here and now, the first order would be securing transportation to the warehouse. Reaching into a pocket of his jacket, the human extracted a piece of equipment that had seen little use in Equestria – his cell phone. After powering up the device, it was the work of a few short swipes and taps to get a Lyft dispatched to their current location. He was just about to relay this tidbit of information to his traveling companions, when the Princess beat him to it. “Mr. Cole, while we have arrived safely, I suspect your residence and equipment are some distance from our current location. What direction should we proceed in?” “Actually, your highness, I just finished getting us a ride.” “Really? How was this done?’ Here the human held up his phone. “I used this. It’s an electronic communication device, essentially a small computer. It has several applications which allow me to do things like order food, purchase goods, and have them delivered, and secure transport. In this case, I requested a vehicle that can seat us comfortably, and specified our current location. It should arrive in about 15-20 minutes.” Sergeant Stormcloud joined in. “So it’s a lot like calling for a taxi?” “Pretty much, although the vehicles provided are privately owned. Essentially, if someone has a clean driving record, and a well-maintained vehicle, they can choose to work for a company that connects those needing transport with those willing to provide it. The riders pay a fee, which is divided between the company, and the drivers, and since the vehicles are not centrally owned and maintained, costs can be much lower than a taxi service.” “And this is a common practice?” The Princess asked. “Recently, yes. Taxis are not as well maintained, often not very clean, and expensive. This is a nicer alternative. Also, we need to get to the facility quickly, and a taxi would not come out here at this time of day.” “I see. In any case, I would assume we will need to look a bit less conspicuous, correct?” Here Cole was grateful that he hadn’t needed to bring up the fact that the Princess and the Sergeant were definitely noticeable, now that they had arrived in his world. Truthfully, he’d had no idea how exactly he was going to broach the subject… With a brief nod, the human indicated his assent. Here, the Princess turned to the thestral beside her. “Sergeant, I shall now go about altering our appearances. Do you have any preferences?” “No ma’am, I’m sure things will be fine.” And with that, the Princess lit her horn, and set to work, enclosing both herself and the Sergeant in glowing spheres of light. Cole took a look around, and double checked that there were no security cameras, or vagrants around to witness the event, and returned his attention to the pair as the light faded away, revealing the changed ponies. Princess Luna had taken the form of a young woman in her late thirties, with a fit build, and a height just shy of six feet. Her skin was dusky, but lighter than Cole’s own, and she was wearing a dark blue pantsuit, flat shoes, and a dark indigo/purple blouse, with her raven hair done up in a ponytail. A shining crescent moon pin glittered on one lapel. Sergeant Stormcloud was a relatively short man, slightly past his prime, but still fit, standing at about 5’7”, with a lean, muscular build, and clad in a full set of Army fatigues in a dusty tan that was close to his natural coat color. His skin was pale, but a healthy weathered in the way of persons who spend long hours out of doors. The cap on his head sported Sergeant Stripes, as did his sleeves. The nametag on his shirt simply read “STORM”, and his duty boots were desert tan. The two ponies took a moment to look themselves over, and take a few tentative steps. The Sergeant looked down at his new hands, and flexed them a couple times, before hooking his thumbs in his pockets, and eyeing Cole. “What, you’ve never seen a transformation spell before?” He asked, half in jest. “Actually, no, not like this,” the human answered, “but I have to say, you look an awful lot like one of the guys in my old unit, so I think you’ll fit right in.” The Sergeant gave a brief nod, and then deferred to the Princess, as she commented as well. “And myself, Mr. Cole?” Here the human paused, and weighed what he was going to say. “You’ll fit right in as well, ma’am. Although, truthfully, a group of persons dressed in our individual styles will definitely raise an eyebrow or two when seen as a group, I don’t think we’ll attract too much attention. And with that, our ride is here.” He finished, just as a Tesla P85D pulled silently into view.