//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: Planets Collide // Story: Earth Vs. Equestria // by Vero Moonlight //------------------------------// One day in Equestria... It was the day of the Summer Sun Celebration. Just as Princess Celestia appeared on the stage and prepared to raise the sun, something unexplainable happened. The stars went dark and the sun didn't rise with the Princess. Then, the ground started to shake. As all the ponies began to scream, the sky filled with clouds all on its own. Suddenly, everything went quiet and no pony said a word in fear the shaking would return. When Rainbow Dash flew up into the sky, she pulled back a single cloud. Showing through the hole was sunlight from high in the sky, yet the Princess had done nothing. "What's going on?" Twilight Sparkle asked her teacher. "I don't know, Twilight. I don't know." *** Meanwhile, in a parallel universe... The phone's been ringing off the hook, and every time Devon Linux answers with the same annoyed "We'll tell you when we know" To some new reporter. Finally, he turns to Lyra Paker, the girl sitting next to him at the desk, and says, "You think they'd wait a few minutes." The sun had only been eclipsed for 15 minutes, but that's longer than a regular solar eclipse. Of course, this isn't the moon blocking out the sun because that's on the other side of the planet, and the shadow is too big. Lyra sighs, "Someone should figure something out then." With that said, Linux rises from his seat. "Let's see what they're saying at the International Space Station, then!" "But somebody has to keep an eye on the phones," Lyra replies, a look of fear hidden deep in her eyes. "And I didn't go to college for six years to answer phones on a day like this. I mean, this could be the scientific break-through of the century! If nothing else, we can go get something to feed to those vultures who call themselves journalists." Without waiting for an answer, Linux races off. Lyra stays for a moment, deciding whether she should go with him or not. The phone starts to ring again and again and again. The caller ID says it's another reporter, but Lyra just starts eying the door Linux disappeared behind. She gets up and leaves. --- Stretched across the screen is the snapshot of an alien planet. "My God, Lyra. Can you believe this?" Linux asks, unable to move more than a few feet from the door, clearly in a state of shock. "Maybe. I don't know yet," She responds. "What are we going to tell the reporters?" "Reporters?" Linux asks. "They'll report what they see when it comes out of the glare. I'm more concerned about what we'll tell the president." "This image was just taken by one of our satellites as it passed by." NASA's director announces. "As you can see, it is another planet and..." He hesitates for a moment. "And it appears to be inhabited." A low murmur erupts from the people in the computer-laced room. "Where did it come from?" Someone yells. "Do you know? 'Cause nobody else seems to," The director replies sounding angry and afraid. After the room calms down a bit, he continues. "It appeared twice the distance of the moon approximately 15 minutes ago. When the ISS gets into view of the new planet, we'll be able to know more." Suddenly, LinuX leaves Lyra's side and walks up to the director. "Maybe we should try to make contact," He suggests. "We're not even sure if there's sentient life there," The director begins to dismiss Linux. But Linux presists, "And we're not sure if there isn't either. There are only a few ways to be sure; satellites, contact, or touchdown, so unless you'd like to skip to the last, maybe we should send a message." "And what do you suppose we do if it turns out there is sentient life there, and it's hostile?" Someone else yells. An experienced astronaut speaks out from the crowd and replies, "And how will we find that out? Ask them or wait to be invaded?" January Li has been up in the ISS twice, and even ran a recent mission to the moon. Everyone listens to her, and the room goes dead quiet for an moment. Slowly, people start to argue about what to do. No one wants to send a message out of fear, and some want to send it so they can know whether or not they should be afraid. January, out of contempt, grabs Lyra's hand on their way out. Before anyone realizes, the astronaut and the trainee are racing out the doors towards the observatory. The air feels cool and dewy like twilight as the pounding of their boots becomes of fast-paced song. Only one guy stands guard in the building they come to. He's old and been on the verge of lunacy for half a decade. He kept coming every day after he'd been fired, but every time someone reminded him, he'd start repeating a nursery rhyme until it became a chorus of mumbles. People generally just try to ignore him now, except January who's become quite found of the old-timer's company. "Hey, Chester! We need to use a computer," January tells him. "Shouldn't you be home sleeping?" He replies, succeeding ground anyways. "Maybe later," She answers simply, sits down and turns on the web cam. "What are you doing?" Lyra asks. "Doing," January tells her. "And you're helping me contact the aliens if there are any." "Shouldn't we..." "I don't think there's any protocol with what's going on, and if we wait for them to resolve their own conflicts, we'll be invaded by the time we're ready to say 'hi.'" The camera starts to record. "My name is January Li and I am contacting you on the behalf of Planet Earth. Your planet is now visible in the skies to every creature with eyes on our planet. We wish to know who you are and how you got here, and continue on in peace." Lyra standing next to the woman who was about to go down in history as the first to contact an alien civilization felt like she had to say something. "And my name is Lyra Parker, I am also, clearly, a human, and I... personally, if possible, know how your planet appeared in our sky and why. Thank you. And again, peace." The camera clicked off. "You sounded a bit nervous, Lyra," The astronaut noted. "Well, I've never talked to aliens before!" Lyra retorted. "Relax, neither have I. Now, let's send this."