//------------------------------// // Ch 1: Arrival // Story: Equestrian Space: The Academy // by SymphonicSync //------------------------------// The shuttle was cramped, dark and quiet. Her form was squeezed tight against her seat by the safety harness. Over the course of the last few hours, she'd tried to adjust her posture and smooth out her feathers under the belt and against the wall of the transport, but the effort was fruitless.  The frame of the ship quaked and a few moments later, her vision seemed to spread wide. They had ended and began another jump. As her weight shifted, the harness again ruffled her feathers and reset her discomfort. Once again, she pressed a talon under the belts and tried to smooth out her feathers. “Why couldn’t we just jump straight there? Does the academy want us to arrive today or next week?!” she griped, vocalizing her displeasure. The Kirin in the seat next to her closed his book and set it in his lap. He turned to face her and responded with “You know as well as I that the location is a guarded secret. Everyone is someone and they don’t want anycreature being targeted.”  “So jam the sensors and turn on the autopilot, we’ll get there whether there's a pony behind the wheel or not.” “They're not ponies, G-” The craft stilled. She clamped her beak shut. This was far quicker than any of the other jumps had been.  The door to the pilot’s cabin opened and the uniformed figure stepped through. With a voice full of distortion, he announced “We've arrived.”  Their restraints unbuckled as they were allowed to stand. With a huff, she set paw over claw as she made her way to the boarding ramp. A hissing sound filled the air as the clamps loosed and the outside was slowly revealed to them.  Her tight feeling around her chest seemed to retreat as her world expanded. She'd been cooped up on the shuttle for far too long.  “It'll be fine. We're safe here, G-” “I didn’t ask for your advice, Char.” she snapped at the Kirin. He closed his mouth and looked forward. She hadn't asked for any of this. As the ramp came level about level with the floor of the ship, she stepped out onto it.  Before her she could see a table covered in papers, uniforms, and what seemed like large fishing hooks. Behind it sat more ponies, dressed similar to the pilot.  A haze of static and black tendrils hid their faces as well. One of the figures waved her towards them. In front of them sat a gray jacket. As she walked closer, she could see the nameplate pinned to the chest and sleeve.  “Welcome to the academy, N1C3. Please refrain from personal names, effects, and relationships during your stay.” a wall of static, monotone and crackling, informed her. They reached out a hoof, atop it sat one of the hook devices. “For griffins, it should sit well clamped on a few feathers to the side.” Their other hood pointed to a spot on their temple. Near the edge of the static, she could see the back end of one of the devices.  She took it in a claw and pressed the mask on. Her vision faded before coming back, but off. The world was duller. Closer to her. Her sides felt tight as a breath caught for a moment. “We do hope your arrival is a pleasant one. You'll find an orientation guide with your designation on it further down the line. It's been my pleasure to welcome you to the academy.” The haze curled halfway down. Was the pony smiling? “Never feel afraid to ask a friendly face for help.” She stood for a second or two before picking the jacket up off the table. Throwing it on, she adjusted the fit as she fed her wings through the back slits. With a stretch it came snug as if it were made for griffins.  For her.  She stood there for a second, maybe two, and then took a cautious step towards the papers. Atop one booklet was a tag labeled N1C3.  She pressed it under a wing and continued her walk through the landing bay. The shuttle she came in on was the only one currently in the otherwise vacant hanger. Beside a doorway, one of the ponies waved to her. As she walked near them, the doors opened to a small room with another set of doors on the opposite side.  The half-sphere of static about their head moved lower as they bowed and motioned for her to enter the room. Stepping over the threshold, the doors slammed shut behind her. She waited for the next set to open. Moments passed. Her heartbeat quickened.  She stomped across the room and knocked a claw against the door, calling out “Hey, is this thing stuck?!” A click sounded from the corners of the room before a spray fell from the ceiling. As her vision was obscured, she fell to the ground and pressed her claws over her ears. It was surrounding her, closing in on her, her heart pressed back against the sides of her chest quicker and quicker as they tightened to meet it.  With a click, the spray stopped and the doors in front of her opened. The mist fell out and crept along the floor of the hallway.  “They never expect it!” she heard, seeing a group of creatures with the same jacket as her but the static faces of the ponies in the hanger. She could hear a warbling sound as she saw their heads shake and backs arch and dip.  They were laughing at her in a sickening tone brought out by the masks they shared.  The sound of her breath rose to meet their jeers. It remained there even as the crackle slipped away. The creature still stood there, though they moved less now. One of them, she could see the horn sticking out over their blob so a unicorn, stepped closer to where she lay. Distortion marked his question. “Hey, it's just a decon, are you alright?” “I'm fine!” she yelled, a scraping sound accompanying her claws as she thrust them into the floor and stood to look the pony in the face. She pushed past him and hurried down the hall. Behind her, the pony shrugged as they turned towards the other creatures. “Arrivals, ammirite?” She lost sight of them as she turned a corner. A few moments she caught herself heaving, a claw pressed to the wall. She looked around her to see no windows in the wall. She hadn't see in the hangar or on the shuttle.  She hadn't seen the outside since she boarded the shuttle. A slap broke her concentration. The booklet had fell to the ground. She could see the phrase Dormitory B63 on the line under N1C3. She was supposed to go there. Her heart stilled as her focus shifted. She reached down and grabbed the guide, returning it to her wing. She dusted herself off and looked around for a map. Her breath was softer as she saw one at the end of the hall. It was tangible proof that the academy was more than the four walls about her. The symbol F2 in a corner told her that there was more above and below her feet than just the ceiling and floor.  With a huff, she set claw before paw and walked down the hall.