Faster Than Light: Intelligent Lifeforms

by sev62fmj

1a. Try to communicate peacefully

After the crew exited the shuttle, they were immediately surrounded by the indigenous. However, the brightly color horses kept their distance. The Engi noted his comrades that the horses seemed to be clamoring over their arrived, but could not understand precisely what was being said.

The human quickly approached the closest horse and began to communicate via charades. However, his attempts at communication were in vain as the indigenous seems to have mistook his attempts at communication with dancing. The crowd oohed and aahed at the dancing hairless monkey/minotaur. Dejected, the human crew looked to his fellow crew for help.

The Rockman stepped forward and attempted to communicate. His deep voice and lumbering movements were only met with blank and expressionless stares. The Rockman silently stepped back with his crew and let the Mantis take over. Unfortunately, his bladed appendages seemed to have frighten the brightly colored horse. The Engi noted that several in the crowd had faint or fled into a nearby settlement. The Mantis hissed at the horses, who stepped back in reaction, before returning to his comrades.

In a last ditch effort, the Engi and Zoltan made their own attempts to communicate with the horses. The Engi race were not able to express emotions, however it did not stop the Engi from seeing that his robotic movements, due to being made mostly out of nanobots, garnered amusement from the indigenous crowd. The Engi continued his act, but it did not achieve much more than entertainment for the horses. The Zoltan on the other hand had no success whatsoever. The horses paid no attention to his motions and flailing and instead were mesmerized by the soft green aura around his form.

The human spoke up, "We're accomplishing nothing here. Let's go."

The other crew muttered agreement before climbing back into the shuttle. Within a few minutes, the Kestrel sparkled brightly from the sky before jumping back into the unknown of space.

1. Continue

+ ============================================================================== +

Aliens!

That's what the citizens of Ponyville thought when they first saw the metal flying object land in a nearby field. The daily tasks were immediately forgotten and the ponies clamored and rushed to meet the extraterrestrials. Unfortunately for Twilight Sparkle, she hadn't known of the aliens' arrival until a crowd of ponies had almost trampled her on the way out of the Golden Oaks Library. Twilight had tried to beat the rush, but ultimately found herself stuck in the back of the crowd. She let out a huff of disappointment before returning to the library, content with watching the events unfold from her telescope.

Bon Bon was slightly squished near the front of the crowd and could catch fair glimpses of the aliens. However, her biggest worry was her friend, Lyra, who was almost ready to explode and charge one of the aliens in excitement. Bon Bon felt more sweat drop from her face as Lyra's quiet utterance of "humans" became quicker and louder. Lyra almost broke into outright chanting before Bon Bon shoved her hoof in Lyra's mouth before unceremoniously hauling her away from the scene. Lyra flailed about, trying to break free from Bon Bon's grip, but to no avail.

"No Lyra, they may be aliens, but I'm telling you that humans don't exist." Lyra whined dejectedly.

Fluttershy was in the market with saddlebags full of fruits, vegetables, and assorted medical appliances when the aliens had arrived. Unfortunately for her, instead of trampling her, the horde of ponies rushing to see the aliens dragged Fluttershy along and gave her front seat tickets. The monkey-minotaur and the rock didn't move much at all. One look at the giant preying mantis with the bladed arms, though, had sent Fluttershy's world spinning and into darkness.

Rainbow rolled over on her cloud. "Urgh. . . Shut up you guys. . . I'm trying to nap here. . ."

The aliens made some weird noise, but no pony minded. Wide eyes of wonder were glued onto the extraterrestrials as they danced around and made the funny noises. Eventually the aliens had left in their metal flying machine and a glint far into the sky sparkled ever so quickly. The citizens of Ponyville spent the rest of the afternoon waiting in the fields and wondering if the aliens would return.

Author's Note:

Rockman:
Mantis:
Engi:
Zoltan:

Comments

[ArtichokeLust]

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[After the crew had exited the shuttle,]
"Had" is not necessary.

[The Engi noted his comrades that the horses seemed to be clamoring over their arrived,]
Informed should replace noted, and arrival should replace arrived.

[Dejected, the human crew looked to his fellow crew for help. ]
Since a crew includes multiple members, it should be their instead of his.

[The Rockman stepped forward and attempted to communicate. ]
Rockmen, since they're a crew.

But it seems you mean crew-member, not crew... I'm confused.

[The Engi noted that several in the crowd had faint or fled into a nearby settlement.]
fainted should replace faint. Also, if the ponies were brave enough to watch the invaders initially, and not blind, their fleeing seems unlikely.

[Engi from seeing that his robotic movements, due to being made mostly out of nanobots, garnered amusement from the indigenous crowd.]
Anything made out of nanobots does not have robotic movements. Nanobots work much more easily with fluid movements, because, as a group, they could act as a fluid. Then again, it may be part of the game...

[The Engi continued his act, but it did not achieve much more than entertaining the horses.]
replace "entertaining the horses" with "entertainment for the horses".

:Please split up your massive second paragraph into multiple paragraphs, and decide whether there is one of each species, or an entire crew.

[Lyra, who was almost ready to exploded and charge one of the aliens in excitement.]

should be explode, not exploded.

["No Lyra, they may be aliens, but I'm telling you that humans don't exist." Lyra whined dejectedly.]

She's looking directly at a human, and has probably heard descriptions of humans from Lyra. And she's dragging her friend away from her fantasy, which is just cold. Third, I don't think she'd be able to stop Lyra.

[Fluttershy was in the market with saddlebags full of fruits, vegetables, assorted medical appliances when the aliens had arrived.]
You forgot an and before the last item in your list.

[he horde of ponies rushing to see the aliens had drag Fluttershy along and given her front seat tickets.]
Had drag -> dragged
given -> gave

[One look at the giant preying mantis with the bladed arms, though, had sent Fluttershy's world spinning and into darkness.]
Fluttershy deals with animals all the time, and has seen insects before. She's fed dead fish to otters. I see no reason why she would faint at the sight of an oversized preying mantis. In fact, in the comics, Fluttershy is amazed at two animals fighting to eat the main six, while everyone else is gagging.

[The aliens made some weird noise, but no pony minded. ]
Really? No Pinkie Pie? no Lyra? no Twilight Sparkle? no Applebloom? Nopony is going to kindly great the new visitors? Instead they just stare rudely in silence?

Jerks...

[sev62fmj]

2999364
Thanks for the input! I made some changes to the mechanical errors, but even though I agree with them, I feel that the more structural changes you've suggested won't fit the direction I'm taking this story, i.e. "novelizing" this: http://ftl.wikia.com/wiki/Intelligent_Lifeform_on_Planet

I haven't read the comics yet. Interesting to know that. Perhaps I'll slide that into another story.

[FattBoy94]

It's Zoltan, not Voltan.