Chapter Sixteen
Twilight and Rainbow Dash stood outside the Castle of Friendship, both of their heads tilted up and their eyes scanning the sky. A black suitcase floated next to Twilight, but beyond that, there was nothing or no one about.“Is he here, yet?” Rainbow Dash asked.
A groan escaped Twilight. “No, Commander Sulu isn't here yet. Ask me that again, and you're flying up there yourself!” She held up a hoof in front of Rainbow Dash's muzzle. “And I mean it!”
Rainbow Dash's wings bristled, but she remained silent.
Movement from the castle caught their attention. They both turned as Cadance emerged from the front door. She trotted over to the pair, smiling. “Hi, you two. Think there's enough room on the shuttle for one more?”
Twilight met her halfway, wrapping her forelegs around Cadance's neck in a hug. “Of course!”
Rainbow Dash walked over. “Hey, the more the merrier! The Enterprise can only get cooler with us three aboard.” She glanced to the door. “What about Shining Armor?”
Cadance broke the hug and looked to Dash. “Oh, he decided to stay behind. Something else came up that he wanted to attend.”
Rainbow Dash's mouth dropped open in shock. “What the feathering hay would he want to 'attend' to more than going to tour a starship in orbit?”
“Okay, Shiny. Roll for initiative!”
“Sure thing, Spike. And thanks for inviting me to your game. You too, Big Mac.”
“Eyup!”
“Oh, you know stallions,” Cadance finally said, eyes not quite meeting Rainbow Dash's.
Twilight's head shot up towards the sky. She hopped into the air, wings fluttering. “It's coming!” she shouted, grinning.
A small dot in the sky appeared, rapidly growing into a boxy, gray-hulled shuttle with two nacelles attached to the bottom. It slowed down as it approached, stopping a few meters above the ground. It dropped down, landing without disturbing a single blade of grass below its hull. The side hatch slid open and Commander Sulu emerged. He stepped down onto the ground and sketched a bow. “Your chariot awaits.”
Twilight grinned. “Thank you, Commander.” She waved a wing at Cadance. “Oh, is it all right if Cadance comes?”
Sulu looked to Cadance, “Of course, Princess. The more the merrier!” He motioned to the hatch. “Anyone else joining, or just you three?”
Twilight looked about. With the exception of the four there, no one else was about. “Looks like it's just us.” She floated her suitcase up and let it trail behind as she, Rainbow Dash, and Cadance boarded the shuttle.
Inside were several chairs fastened to the deck. The pilot and copilot seats were right in front of a large viewport, along with several control consoles and panels. Twilight walked up to one and climbed into it, the suitcase sliding under the chair itself. She looked around, spotted the safety harness hanging from the chair's frame, and grabbed it with her magic. She looked around for some sort of latch or tab to secure it to, but nothing stood out to her. She looked up as Sulu entered the shuttle and sealed the door behind him. “Commander?” She motioned to the harness. “This seems to be broken. Could–”
Sulu stepped around, grabbed the harness' buckles, adjusted them for Twilight’s body, and fastened them to several discrete hardpoints on the chair. He stood back up and looked it over. “It takes some practice,” he said, smiling. “Anything else?”
Twilight shrank down slightly, even as Rainbow Dash's snickering could be heard. “I... think I'm all set. Thank you.”
Rainbow Dash hopped up and landed in a chair next to Twilight's. She grabbed at the harness with her wingtips, bringing it about and attempting to fasten herself in. The buckles, however, slipped out of her grasp. She growled as she reached for the harness again, only for it to once more slip out of her grasp. “Bucking, feathering horse apples,” she muttered, twisting around in her seat. The buckles suddenly floated up and around, blue magic enveloping them. They clicked into place and fastened her in. “Thanks, Cadance,” she mumbled.
Cadance looked over from her own chair. “You're welcome, Rainbow Dash. Just watch your language, please. We are representing Equestria, after all.”
Sulu chuckled as he powered up the shuttle's engines. “I've heard a lot worse from actual ambassadors and diplomats, your highness.” He flipped several switches, then leaned forward and looked down at a viewscreen. “Liftoff in T-minus ten seconds... five seconds... and liftoff!”
The shuttle lifted off the ground and pirouetted in midair before shooting off into the sky. It dwindled to a point, then vanished.
Rainbow Dash gasped. “Holy feather, we are moving!”
The sky outside the viewport quickly darkened, changing from bright-blue to dark, then to the deepest black. The stars appeared, shining steadily in the sky. Sulu pulled down on a slider and checked the astrogator. “And we have left the atmosphere.” He turned and looked to his passengers. “Go ahead and unstrap yourself, but please take care not to do anything rash. We are in space, now. And it can be very dangerous.”
Twilight's horn glowed. She slowly unclipped the harness that held her in the chair, then slid down onto the deck plating. “Artificial gravity,” she said, her eyes narrowing. “Impressive. I know some gravity-manipulation spells, but this is much more stable.”
Rainbow Dash cleared her throat. “Ah, Twilight? Little help, please?” She motioned to her own harness.
A smirk crossed Twilight's muzzle, but she used her magic to undo Rainbow Dash's harness. “Just remember what Commander Sulu said.” She flew up and jabbed a hoof at Dash. “No foaling around! I've done research on what vacuum exposure can do to living tissue. It is not pretty.”
Rainbow Dash's head bobbed up and down. “In this case, Twi, no worries.” She waved a wing in front of her. “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!”
Sulu glanced back over his shoulder from from the pilot's seat. “That sounds like it could get messy.”
Rainbow Dash barked a laugh. “Don't tell that to Pinkie Pie!” Her smile faded as her gaze fell upon the main viewport. Her eyes widened. “Is that...”
Sulu motioned to the copilot's chair, currently unoccupied. “Go right ahead. I've locked down the controls on that side.”
Rainbow Dash barely paid Sulu any mind as she floated up to the viewport, Twilight and Cadance joining her. All three shared similar expressions of wonder as they gazed down at the planet Equus. Large sections of the planet itself were obscured by clouds, but there were still large swaths of the central continent visible. Jagged mountains cut through the land, slicing through patches of brown, of green, and of yellow. Oceans ringed the land mass, disappearing around the horizon.
Rainbow Dash looked around. “The stars... they're not twinkling.”
Twilight slowly nodded. “The atmosphere distorts their light, producing that. What we're seeing now is pure starlight. It's so beautiful.”
Cadance's eyes narrowed. “I... I can't believe how beautiful this is.” She looked to Sulu. “Commander, is this how it is for you?” She blinked and shook her head. “I mean, is it...”
Sulu looked out the viewport. He settled back in his chair. “I understand, your highness. No, the wonder never really goes way for me. Sometimes it lurks below the surface, but it's always there.”
Rainbow Dash squinted. “Hey, where's Ponyville? Where's Cloudsdale or... or Canterlot?” She looked to Twilight. “Are we really that far up?”
A small smile crossed Sulu's lips. “We are indeed, Rainbow Dash. Kind of puts things into a bit of perspective, doesn't it.” He turned a dial on his console. “Now, this shuttle has warp capability. Short-range, but it can hit warp two.” He looked to the three, grinning. “Would you like to take a short trip before going to the Enterprise?”
Rainbow Dash gasped. “Oh my gosh oh my gosh, really?” She turned to Twilight and Cadance, hooves pressed together in front of her chest. “Please, can we go? It would be so cool to fly faster than light!”
Twilight's head bobbed up and down. “Oh, yes!” She leaned to her left and looked directly at Sulu. “Please, Commander, make it so!”
Sulu pressed a button on the console and leaned in close to a microphone. “Shuttle Copernicus to Enterprise. Slight change of plans. I'll be taking the shuttle on a short trip outside the solar system to demonstrate warp flight to my passengers."
M'ress' voice came out of a speaker grille, somewhat tinny and distorted. “Understood, Copernicus. Safe flight.”
Sulu's glanced at the others. “Watch this,” he said, his hands dancing over the controls. The planet fell away to starboard as the shuttle turned to deep space. The stars suddenly stretched out to impossibly long lengths, briefly changing color from white to multi-colored streaks. There was a flash of bright-white light, and the streaks changed to white, streaking by.
All three ponies gasped. Rainbow Dash suddenly looked herself over. “Wait, I'm not feeling it!”
Cadance glanced at her, a confused expression on her face. “Not feeling what?”
Rainbow Dash tapped the deck plating. “I mean, the effects of how insanely fast we're going. You know, acceleration?”
Twilight gasped. “She's right!” She looked to Cadance. “You know, when you fly fast, you feel G-forces pressing against you. Faster you go, the more extreme they are.” She glanced to the ceiling. “Let me see, warp two, that's eight times the speed of light. So we're going...” Her ears shot straight up and her eyes widened. “One million, four hundred-eight thousand miles per second.”
Sulu nodded. “That's right, Twilight. Our artificial gravity-control allows us to counteract almost all the extreme G-forces. Sometimes there's a bit of a lag, but by and large it works.”
Cadance slowly shook her head. “There's so much we can learn from you.”
Sulu nodded. “Yes. And there's a lot the Federation can learn from you, too.”
After about twenty minutes, Sulu cut the power to the warp drive. The streaks outside snapped back into steady, shining stars. “And there we are. Deep space.”
A bark of laughter suddenly escaped Rainbow Dash. She brought her front hooves up to her muzzle as the laughter continued. “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh! I am officially the fastest pegasus ever!”
Cadance nickered. “Well, technically you're only riding in the shuttle, Rainbow Dash. You're not even piloting it.”
Rainbow Dash waved a wing at her. “Still counts!” She slowly turned to Sulu. “Although, Commander? Would–”
Sulu rolled his eyes and shook his head. “No, Rainbow Dash. You can't fly the shuttle.”
Rainbow Dash's entire body slumped. Her head drooped. Her ears folded against her head, and her wings retracted tight against her body. “Aww,” she said, kicking slightly at the deck plating.
Sulu swiveled his chair around and fully faced Rainbow Dash. “Well, when we get to the Enterprise, would you like to try a simulator run? It won't be quite the same as the actual shuttle, but it's the next best thing.”
Rainbow Dash's ears twitched. “Can you program a meteor shower for me to fly through?”
Sulu snorted. “I think we can manage.” He turned back to the control console. “Now, then. Let's turn this ship around and see where we came from.”
He slid a dial on the astrogator. The star field outside the viewport slid to the left, slowing and stopping. Sulu checked several displays, then stood up and pointed to a star near the center of the viewport. “And... that is the Equus System.”
Rainbow Dash leaned forward, eyes narrowing as she looked at the small pinprick of light. “It's so, so small,” she finally said.
Twilight looked around at the various stars. “If you hadn't told me which one was ours, I wouldn't have been able to tell which it was.” She slowly held up a hoof. “All I know is there. Everyone, everything is there.”
Cadance draped a wing over Twilight. “You okay?”
Twilight leaned into Cadance. “Yeah, thanks.”
Sulu leaned back in his chair. He drummed his fingers on the console for a second before speaking. “'Every saint and sinner, in the history of our species, lived there on a mote of dust, suspended on a sunbeam.'”
Twilight's head shot around. “What?”
Sulu straightened up slightly. “Sorry, Princess. It's...” He trailed off for a moment before continuing. “In February of 1990, two hundred seventy-nine years ago, an ancient Earth probe known as Voyager I was instructed to take a picture of Earth as it hurtled out of the Sol System. Voyager I was about six billion miles away at the time, so Earth was a small dot barely distinguishable from the rest of the image. It became known as the 'Pale Blue Dot' image. I quoted part of a speech delivered in 1994 about that photograph. Those words were written by a man named Carl Sagan.” He slowly smiled as he stared out the viewport, at the stars, at some distant point. “You could say he was the torchbearer, showing us our place in the stars.” He let out a sigh and slumped a bit. “God, what I wouldn't give to have met him.”
Twilight's brow furrowed. “Well...”
Sulu glanced down at her. “Yes, Princess?”
Twilight shook her head. “Nothing, nothing! Sorry, just thinking out loud.” She nickered and pointed at the dot of light representing her home. “Time to go back?”
Sulu nodded. “All right, back to the Equus System.” He set the controls. “And... engage.”
The stars outside once more stretched as the shuttle hit warp two. And once more, the three ponies stared in rapt fascination. “I have so got to take a look at main engineering during the tour,” Twilight said, mouth open.
Sulu chuckled. “Ask Scotty nicely and he might let you look over his technical manuals.”
Twilight's head shot over, wings extending slightly. “Really, Commander? Technical manuals?”
Rainbow Dash slapped her face with a hoof. “Ho, boy. We've lost Twilight, now.”
Cadance cleared her throat, getting Twilight's attention. “Remember he said 'nicely', Twilight. Be polite, and understanding if he says no.”
Twilight's head bobbed up and down. “Right, right! No pressing, needling or begging. Even though those manuals would teach me all I'd need to know about building my own warp drive.” Twilight's right eye began twitching, and parts of her mane started springing up.
Cadance placed a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. “Twilight... breathe. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Remember?”
Sulu looked over at Twilight and Cadance. “Are you all right, Princess?”
Twilight's nostrils flared as she breathed in, her mouth pursing slightly as she breathed out. She reached up and smoothed her mane back down. “I'm all right, Commander. Thank you for asking. Won't happen again!”
Sulu's gaze lingered on her for a moment before he turned back to his console. “Good to hear, Princess.” He glanced down at the astrogator. “Because we're coming out of warp... now.”
The star field outside reverted to normal, the planet Equus centered in the viewport. It gradually drifted to the right. A small, silver shape, somewhat indistinct, appeared. It rapidly grew in size as the Copernicus flew towards it, a disc-like primary hull dominating. A cylinder-shaped engineering hull trailed back, a neck connecting the two. Twin nacelles jutted out from the engineering hull's aft, red hemispheres at the fore that crackled with energy. It flew above Equus, its bright-white hull, red-and-green running lights, and gold deflector dish all shining brightly, proudly, proclaiming to all that saw her that this was a starship.
Rainbow Dash let out a small gasp. Is that the Enterprise?”
Sulu grinned, his own enthusiasm shining almost as brightly. “Indeed it is. NCC-1701, Constitution-class heavy cruiser. There's not a finer ship in the Milky Way Galaxy.”
Twilight's own eyes shone. “It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen,” she whispered.
The Enterprise kept growing as the shuttle flew on towards it, sliding up and to the right as Sulu maneuvered the Copernicus around to fly by the engineering hull. Even as they flew, clamshell doors at the aft of the Enterprise opened up, revealing a shuttle bay.
Sulu glanced up. “All right, you three. Time to return to your seats and strap in. Safety and regulations first.”
No one grumbled as they returned to their seats, Twilight using her magic to strap them all in. The shuttle slowed down as it approached the shuttle bay, passing through the magnetic containment field keeping the atmosphere in. Inside, several more shuttles and vehicles could be seen, along with cargo containers, tool racks, and various other devices.
The shuttle hovered over a circular plate in the deck before dropping and touching down. Sulu unbuckled himself from his chair, stood up, and turned to the ponies. “Ladies, welcome to the Enterprise. Sorry for the lack of a welcoming committee in the shuttle bay itself. Captain Kirk, Mister Scott, and Doctor McCoy are right outside.”
Twilight nodded. “Safety first, right?”
Sulu unsealed the shuttle's hatch, leading the three out and onto the deck itself.
Twilight hesitated for a moment before finally stepping out. She touched the deck plating and sucked in a breath. “I can almost feel the warp engines.” She looked to Cadance and Rainbow Dash as they stepped down. “Can you feel it? The power?”
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Do you need a moment alone with your coltfriend,” she said, snickering.
Twilight paid her no mind as she followed Sulu to a door near the aft end of the shuttle bay. They walked through, finding Captain Kirk, Bones, and Scotty on the other side. All three men wore their dress uniforms. Kirk snapped to attention. “Princess Sparkle, Princess... Cadance, Rainbow Dash, welcome to the Enterprise.”
Twilight looked up at him, grinning. “Thank you Captain! I am so excited to be here. I mean, I never thought in my wildest dreams I'd ever do anything like this!” She tapped the deck with her hooves. “Can you feel it? Can you feel the warp core?”
Scotty rubbed his chin. “Lassie, I think you and I are going to get along just fine.” He glanced over. “Miss Dash, good to see you again. Especially when I'm not seeing two of you!”
Rainbow Dash chuckled and patted her chest. “Well, come on, Scotty! Two of me? That's twice the awesome!”
Twilight floated her suitcase up and over to Kirk. “Captain, here's what you requested. It took a bit of doing, especially avoiding Sunset and Trixie. But I managed to get two copies.”
Kirk undid the latches and opened the suitcase. He glanced in, nodded, and snapped it shut. “Thank you, Princess. I will return... these to you before you leave the Enterprise.” Kirk then glanced over at Sulu. “Mister Sulu, excellent piloting job.” he reached up and patted him on the arm. “You have a... message from Starbase Yorktown. Afterwards, please go see Mister Spock and resume assistance on his report.”
Sulu nodded, his smile falling away. “Thank you, sir.” He looked down. “Princesses, Miss Dash.” And with that, he walked off, disappearing into a turbolift.
Twilight watched as he walked off. “Hope he's all right.” She looked up at Kirk. “What's Mister Spock working on, Captain?”
Kirk started walking down the corridor, the rest following either by his side, or close behind. “Mister Spock and a select group of crew members are going through the episodes and movies Sunset and Trixie gave us to... formulate a report and appropriate responses to the information. We probably can't act on everything, but there are things under our control, that we can change for the better.” He held his right hand up as he spoke, gesturing.
Cadance spoke up. “So, what's the first stop on the tour, Captain?”
Kirk glanced at her as they turned a corner. “First stop is right ahead, Princess.” He walked up to a set of double-doors at the end of the corridor. “Welcome to Main Engineering. Mister Scott?”
Scotty walked forward, grinning. “Thank you, Captain.” The doors slid open as he approached them. Inside was a cavernous, two-story room. Consoles and banks lined the bulkheads, with ladders and stairwells at regularly-spaced intervals. In the center was a gray, domed pedestal. And near the back, a large, grated barrier dominated the bulkhead. Large yellow pipes big enough for a pony to fly through ran from floor to ceiling, each one pulsing slightly. Engineers were scattered about, doing various tasks or going from one workstation to another.
Twilight slowly walked forward. Her head darted about. “Oh, wow.” She stopped in front of the pedestal, her wings slowly extending. “Is that what I think it is?”
Scotty walked over to the pedestal and tapped the dome. “Aye, lassie. This is the top of the matter/antimatter reaction chamber. Below, streams of matter and antimatter hit a specially-shaped dilithium crystal, producing energized plasma.” He turned and pointed to the barrier. “Those conduits send the plasma to the nacelles, enabling us to bend or 'warp' space.”
Rainbow Dash's eyes lost focus slightly. “Yeah, okay...”
Twilight trotted up to the chamber. Her horn glowed slightly. “There's so much power here, Mister Scott. I can feel it. Oh, to have build something like this!”
Scotty knelt down. “I have technical manuals, if you'd like to look them over. They're a bit dry, but–”
The light around Twilight's horn increased. Her head shot up. “Really? Really!” She started hopping up and down, going around in a circle. “Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes!”
Awkward silence descended upon those standing around her. Rainbow Dash and Cadance exchanged a glance. “Okay, you were her foalsitter.” Rainbow Dash swept a wing at the still-hopping Twilight. “How'd you calm her down?”
Cadance groaned. She walked over and placed herself in Twilight's path. Her horn glowed and Twilight floated up off the ground. “Okay, calm down!” she announced. “Calm down right now or straight to bed when we get back home, young lady. I mean it!”
Twilight kicked at the air for a few seconds before she ceased, realization setting in. Her cheeks burned crimson, and she hung her head low. “I am... I am sorry, everyone. I have no excuse for my behavior, there.”
Kirk shook his head and waved her off. “It's... no problem, your highness. I'm rather... glad to see you so enthusiastic about learning.” He looked to Bones. “Isn't that right, Doctor?”
Bones nodded. “Indeed, Captain. Sound mind in a sound body. I don't see anything wrong with it.”
Scotty showed the three around, pointing out various consoles, devices, and what they did. The three ponies listened and watched with rapt attention. Near the end, Rainbow Dash finally spoke. “Okay, I'm not exactly the smartest pegasus in Equestria. The coolest, but not the smartest. But even I get just how complex and dangerous this can be if you don't know what you're doing.”
Scotty nodded to her, his expression serious. “Aye, Rainbow Dash. Thank you for noticing that.” He waved his hand around, motioning to the entirety of Main Engineering. “Every person here is highly-trained in their duties. They have to be. Otherwise... boom!” He threw his hands up into the air, cheeks puffing out at the last word.
Kirk spoke up. “Indeed, Mister Scott.” He stepped back and lifted his head, even as his voice rose. “Indeed, I'd be willing to call the engineering team of the Enterprise the... finest crew in Starfleet.”
Scotty beamed. “Thank you, Captain. That means a lot.”
Kirk motioned to the door leading out. “Well, ladies. Next on the tour, we have our science labs, as well as... sick bay, photon-torpedo control...”
As they left, Cadance hung back, sidling up to Bones. “Doctor,” she said, keeping her voice low, “would it be possible for you to give me an examination before I leave, please?” She held up a wing. “I'm not sick or carrying any contagious disease. At least... not any I know of.”
Bones' brow furrowed. “Well... I don't see why not, Princess. Truth be told I do want to do some more research on your anatomy. Although I am wondering what your specific reason for this, is.”
Cadance blinked. “Well... promise you won't tell anyone?”
Bones nodded. “Doctor-patient confidentiality, Princess. Unless it's something that threatens the Enterprise, my lips are sealed.”
Cadance let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Doctor McCoy. That means a lot to me.”
Bones waved her off. “Please, Princess, just call me 'Bones'.”
Cadance nickered. “Only if you call me 'Cadance', Bones. At least when we're not at a formal function.”
Bones chuckled. “I think you and I will get along just fine.”
The bridge's turbolift doors slid open. Kirk walked out, followed by Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Cadance. “And here we have the bridge,” Kirk said. He waved his hand around, encompassing the entire area. “This is the... command center of the Enterprise. Orders are given, implemented, and carried out from here. You could consider this to be the 'brain' of the Enterprise.”
Twilight walked along the outer perimeter of the bridge. She stopped in front of the main viewscreen, currently showing Equus from orbit. She stared up at it, mouth hanging open slightly and eyes wide.
Kirk walked over and stood by Twilight's side. “Puts things in perspective, doesn't it.”
Twilight nodded. “Commander Sulu was reciting something from a speech called the 'Pale Blue Dot'. I don't think I'll ever get used to seeing my home from this angle or distance.”
Rainbow Dash trotted over to the stations just forward of the captain's chair. “Pavel, looking a bit more sober than the last time,” she said, winking.
Chekov glanced up from the helm console. “Yes, but not quite having as good a time as before.” He looked to his left, and the person occupying the navigator's chair. “Ah, Rainbow Dash, I'd like you to meet my friend, Arex.”
Arex looked over, his bulbous, orange-skinned head turning. He raised the arm extending from his chest and waved it at Rainbow Dash. “Pleasure to meet you, Miss Dash. How do you like the tour so far?”
Rainbow Dash returned the wave. “It's pretty cool. Say, if you don't mind me asking, what planet are you from?”
Arex smiled, his yellow eyes shining. “I don't mind at all. I'm from Edos, located in the Triangulum Constellation.” He motioned to the console in front of him with his right hand. “Care to take a look?”
Rainbow Dash's wings shot straight out. “Do I ever!”
Cadance, meanwhile, walked up to a seat in the center of the bridge. “I presume this is your chair, Captain?”
Kirk nodded and walked over to Cadance's side. “Correct, Princess.” He waved his arm around, pointing at each station. “From here, I can receive any and... all pertinent information from the outer duty stations. Engineering, gravity control, communications, weapons, helm and navigation, and science, among others.” He patted the backrest. “It's quite comfortable.”
Cadance nickered. “It'd have to be.”
After a few minutes of asking questions and wandering about, the three ponies gathered together at the captain's chair. “Well, what would you like to see next?” Kirk asked.
Rainbow Dash held a foreleg up and waved it. “Ooh, ooh! I wanna go try one of those shuttle simulators Commander Sulu mentioned!”
Twilight cleared her throat. “Well, I'd like to go to one of those science labs you mentioned. Imagine what I could learn there!”
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Bo-ring!”
Twilight rolled her eyes. “Well, you don't have to go. Didn't you wanna go play in a shuttle simulator or something?”
Even as Rainbow Dash opened her mouth, Cadance trotted over and slid into the space between. Her wings spread out, pushing them both back slightly. “Whoa, whoa! Not here, you two!” She looked up at Kirk, grinning nervously. “My apologies, Captain.”
Kirk chuckled and waved her off. “Thank you, but no need, Princess.” He scratched the back of his neck. “Remind me to tell you about the... Dohlman of Elas sometime.”
Twilight cleared her throat. “I do still wish to apologize for my outburst there, Captain. It was still unseemly of me.” She leaned forward and looked to Rainbow Dash. “I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash.”
Rainbow Dash nodded. “Same here, Twilight. Sorry.”
Kirk spoke up. “Well, while Rainbow Dash is using the shuttle simulators, Twilight, you can visit one of the science labs. I'm sure both of you will find them to be quite... enjoyable.”
Twilight rubbed her chin. “So... wanna join me in the science lab, Cadance?” She clapped her front hooves together. “I bet we'd have a lot of fun!”
Rainbow Dash snorted. “Come on, Twilight. We both know she's rather be hanging out with me, dodging meteor showers.”
Cadance's eyes shifted back and forth between them. “Actually... I've got my own request,” she finally said, her muzzle puckering slightly.
Bones sat in his office in sickbay, recorder in one hand and PADD in the other. He swiveled about in his chair. “Medical log; supplemental. I've been going over the scans I've taken of Celestia, Luna, and Twilight Sparkle in anticipation of Princess Cadance showing up.” He held the PADD up, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the screen. “I'm not entirely sure what to expect from her. My gut says it's nothing dangerous. Still, can't be too careful.”
Just then, Nurse Christine Chapel walked in, Princess Cadance trailing slightly behind. “Doctor, your appointment is here,” Chapel said. She stepped aside. “Now don't worry, dear. His bark is much worse than his bite.”
Bones rolled his eyes. “Very funny, Christine.” he stood up and motioned to the door. “I believe you have the reports for the upcoming crew physicals to get started on?”
Chapel nodded to him. “Yes, Doctor. I'll get started on that.” She said her goodbye to Cadance before turning and walking out, leaving the two alone.
Bones grabbed a medical tricorder from his desk, as well as the PADD, before walking to the door. “Now, if you'll follow me, I have a biobed all set up for us.” He led her out of his office, into the main area of sickbay and over to a bed protruding from the bulkhead. He patted the black cushion. “Now, could you please describe any symptoms you may or may not have? Any problems or things you've noticed?”
Cadance floated up and onto the biobed. As she did, the body function panel above it activated. “Well, my stomach's been pretty queasy. I've had these odd cravings.” She let out a sigh. “I have a feeling I know what's going on, admittedly. I could have waited until my husband Shining Armor and I got back to the Crystal Empire–more privacy that way–but with the Enterprise, I figured word won't get out.”
Bones chuckled. “Can't blame you on that.” He paused. “Wait, 'Crystal Empire'?”
Cadance nodded. “Yes, it's the nation I'm princess of.” She cocked her head to the side. “You didn't know?”
Bones let out a sigh. “I'm a doctor, Cadance, not an ambassador. Unless necessary, I leave that stuff to Jim and Spock.” He held his tricorder's sensor wand up and waved it over Cadance. He kept his eyes on the tricorder's screen, brow furrowing. “Well, well, well.” He looked up, grinning. “Cadance, I have good news. You are not sick.”
Cadance let out a breath, her head drooping slightly. “Oh, thank goodness!” Her head then rose. “Wait, I'm not sick. So that means...”
Bones grinned. “You are pregnant.” He looked up and pointed at the body function panel. “Six weeks, if my readings are accurate, and using the information your government’s already provided us about your basic biology.” He looked back at Cadance and the grin fell away. “Cadance, are you all right?”
Cadance flapped her wings as she hopped off the bad and back to the deck. Her face paled slightly. “I'm... I'm fine, Bones. Thank you.” Sher cantered from side to side. “Oh...”
Bones dropped to one knee. “Steady, steady. I can call Twilight and Rainbow Dash here if you'd like.”
Cadance stopped, turned, and held a hoof up. “No, Doctor. Please don't call them unless necessary. I don't want either of them getting too excited. Especially not Twilight. I'd prefer to tell them when we're back in Equestria and not in a starship in deep space. Twilight can get a little... excitable.”
Bones grimaced. “Her powers can get out of control?”
Cadance waved her head back and forth. “She's... she's a lot better than she used to be, Doctor. A lot better. But to be honest? Yes. Sometimes.”
Bones drew his fingers across his mouth. “My lips are sealed.” He stood up. “I'll be honest, Cadance. I haven't had much time to specifically study alicorn anatomy. I can give you general readings, but overall it'd be better for your own doctors to give you a physical. If you'd like, I can give you a printout of the readings I've taken of you already for them to use.”
Cadance smiled. “Thank you, Bones.” She looked to the biobed. “Would you like to do a full physical on me? To add to your knowledge of alicorn anatomy?”
There was a pause before Bones laughed. “Well, there's a first!” At Cadance's expression of confusion, he shrugged. “Most of the time I have to drag people into sickbay for their physical, Cadance.” He patted the biobed once more. “Your throne awaits.”
Twilight, Cadance, and Rainbow Dash walked back to the shuttle bay, Kirk and Sulu leading them. Rainbow Dash's wings were extended and waved about as she walked and talked. “So, it turns out flying a shuttle is a lot harder than it looks. Especially when you're trying to dodge rocks flying at you from all directions.”
Cadance and Twilight exchanged a look. “We figured,” Cadance said, smiling.
Twilight nodded. “Trying to predict and dodge everything coming from every direction would almost be impossible to calculate.” Her brow furrowed and her horn lit up. “Unless...”
Cadance placed a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. “Maybe when we get back to Equestria you can figure it out?”
Twilight's horn dimmed. “I guess.” She glanced at Cadance out of the corner of her eye. “So... how was sickbay? Are you all right?”
Cadance's head bobbed back and forth. “I am perfectly all right, and I promise to tell you both. But only when we get back to Equestria.” She crossed herself. “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!” she chanted, ending the ritual by placing a hoof over her closed right eye.
The group stopped in front of the shuttle bay's main entrance. Kirk turned and stepped over to the ponies. “And this concludes the tour. I hope you three found it... enlightening and educational.” he held up the suitcase Twilight had brought aboard. “Twilight, everything is... all set.”
Twilight's horn glowed and she gently floated it away from Kirk and to her flank. “Thank you, Captain. You have no idea how much this is gonna mean to Sunset and Trixie.”
Kirk half-grinned. “I have a bit of an... idea.” He spun about. “Mister Sulu, Copernicus is all set for the flight back home. Safe journey, Commander.”
Sulu nodded. “Thank you, sir.” He looked to his passengers. “Ready?” he asked, grinning.
Twilight looked over her shoulder, down the corridor. “As much as I'd love to spend the next decade or so inside that science lab, and explore every nook and cranny of this ship... it's time to go back, Mister Sulu.” She looked to Kirk, smiling slightly. “Until next time, Captain?”
Kirk nodded. “Until next time, Princess.”
“You're what?”
1. Thanks to FoalsHalf, sun tzu, Fizzy Orange, and Talon and Thorn for general proofreading.
2. Thanks to FoalsHalf for specific help with Carl Sagan.
4.
5. I figure since a shuttle was definitely traveling interstellar distances in Metamorphosis, then yes. It would have a warp drive.
6. Having main engineering be in the secondary hull comes from this cutaway poster I have hanging in my room. It makes the most sense to me. I'm keeping it there.
7. I won't lie. My favorite starship in all of science-fiction is definitely the Constitution-class starship, either original, or refit.
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Main engineering has always been in the secondary hull. Heck, it's usually called the 'engineering' or 'star drive' hull for just that reason.
The only Starfleet vessels where that is not the case lack a secondary hull, such as the Miranda class.
It's always a delight to see this story update.
I thought Cadance’s magic aura was a pale blue, not pink?
I liked The Pale Blue Dot.
Warp-capable shuttles were in their infancy in the late 23rd century, while becoming more common issue and capable of higher speeds in the mid 24th century. It would only around the later years of the 24th that shuttles would get a top speed of Warp 6. this is mainly due to the amount of power a shuttle can handle and output, in general.
but don't mistake me; the Flagship of the Federation would've had a few warp-capable shuttles onboard. and, it was usually a ship out on the frontier and beyond.
Let's see a Prince consort gets to choose between visiting a Star ship or getting into a D&D equivalent, yeah I can see why Shining chose the way he did. It's hard to get a party together.
That was excellent as usual, and I particularly liked Cadence going full babysitter on Twilight when she was embarrassing herself in engineering.
To further reinforce what everyone else has said, the shuttles clearly have proper warp nacelles and there's obviously a lot of utility in them having at least limited warp capability on a long range mission like this, so I think your assumption is perfectly fair.
You mixed up your species there.
Voyager 1 is currently 4 times further away than that Shuttle flight?
Constitution Class huh? Me, I was always a fan of the Intrepid Class myself. Designed for deep space exploration, and more than adequately armed. A genuine all-rounder that took my breath away from the first moment I laid eyes on it. I appreciate this return to the original series, but the crew of Voyager still hold a special place in my mind. Still, I intend to follow this story till it's conclusion.
Good luck.
so all Sulu has to do is go through a portal, possibly become a talking magical horse and he can meet Carl Sagan, right?
8767168
Well, ah, no, given that Carl Sagan died more than twenty years ago.
Assuming it's Flurry Heart that Cadance is pregnant with, they just took an unborn alicorn foal through warp. Normally I'd assume warp travel wouldn't have any particular effect on a fetus, but with magical talking ponies I feel like all bets are off.
8767196
but Twilight might not know that. it sounded like she was thinking of some way for them to meet.
8767214
Given Twilight’s proclivities i imagine she was thinking time travel.
Of course if he simply asks Kang, Sulu could meet renowned Klingon Science Officer Sarl Kagan.
8766357
It is.
If Mara would start to research Pinkie, she at least would save Enterprise crew of what may happen to Spock if he'll try to use logic on chaotic pony.
Rapidash-Twilight would look cute in comparison.
8767040
more of a fan of the defiant class myself shes tiny but shes got teeth
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After a knock on the bedroon door and a few seconds of waiting, Shining leaned his head in. "Honey, are you... feeling alright?"
Cadance seemed perfectly normal if one ignored the charred bits of crystal flooring. She shrugged her wings. "Sure, aside from the occassional mood swing."
Shining glanced outside their chambers, where frantic crystal ponies were assembling a new staircase in the hopes of appeasing their glorious and terrible empress. "Yeah, I noticed." He took a deep breath. "Just... wanted to be sure."
"Thank you, dear." Cadence smiled, then brought a cloudy, white chunk of crystal to her mouth and started nibbling on it.
"Is... is that dilithium?"
Cadence nodded. "Took me a week to figure out what I was craving, and another two to get the dragon-tooth spell working."
Shining did the math. "So... you've had this craving since that tour of the Enterprise?"
"I guess so. Why do you ask?"
With great difficulty, Shining managed to dismiss the mental image of an infant performing matter-antimatter reactions. "No reason. Love you. A lot."
Ya know, I was just thinking... in Sunset Shimmer's world, is it William Shatner who played Kirk or Grand-Pear? :p
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Sorry, but it's already been mentioned to be Shatner. :p
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Shoot... but you know it would have made sense right?
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yes, I know. I loved that episode. :)
Huh, wonder why this didn't pop up in my feed until now.
And finally hitting the tour of the Enterprise stage.
Love that you subtly included some references to Discovery and Beyond.
How dare you? The Enterprise has been clearly established by Scott and Kirk to be a beautiful, sexy woman.
Everyone loves the Constitution-class. Ideal for war and exploration. Not as frivolous as the Galaxy-class but not as spartan as the Defiant-class. In that sweet spot to keep you relaxed but on your toes.
8768619
Everyone assumes that Twilight is referring to the ship herself. I think Twilight is more in love with the Matter-Antimatter intermix chamber. Enormous pulsing power only barely controlled by the strictest application of SCIENCE!
> My favorite starship in all of science-fiction is definitely the Constitution-class starship
Mine's the Arcadia [Captain Harlock's ship], with the third ship "Skull Nose" beating out the original "blue nose". Although blue nose has a goddamn retractable ramming blade, which is know doubt cool as shit, the skull nose is the one I have the most memories of and I think overall the sickest looking. Don't have an opinion on the second ship though.
http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2014/02/06/space-pirate-battleship-arcadia-plastic-model-from-captain-harlock-1978-tv-series
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Tiny with teeth eh? On that we agree. The Defiant is a warship first and foremost however, and that was what brought me to Voyager. Years alone, defending itself and it's crew against all odds, but never forgetting the mandate of Starfleet...to explore and discover. Not as massive as the Glaxy and Sovereign classes, but still larger than the Nova, Miranda, and Defiant classes. An all-rounder, plain and simple.
8769025
hmmm the nova was a science ship right? the new orleans galaxy varient was pretty cool though i didnt know that certain starships had varients not just refits but yet we dont see other star trek ships having varients....that i know of
Fun fact: according to theoretical versions of warp speed, one would not feel any acceleration at all because a passenger within the ship is in fact stationary within a bubble of normal space contained within the warp field, which itself is travelling. And since there is no violation of physics for space moving faster than light (we know space had to have expanded many times faster than light during the 'Big Bang' if the inflationary model of the universe is correct), one can in fact achieve a relative velocity of a hundred times of more beyond light speed.
Coming to a stop... now there's a lil problem with that... in that no one can figure how you'd do it.
Dat's a beautiful speech
Now if Twilight can tap a matter-antimatter starship warp core...
I find myself partial to the Saber class above all other models, primarily thanks to the SCE books.
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Almost all the classes had variants, based on what they were loaded with. Example: Miranda with extra weapons is Avenger.
Playing catchup again.
So this isn't in continuity with the comics, then. Ah well.
The arc where Twilight and company went to the moon wasn't the best, but I have to admit I rather like the basic idea of the moon being something you can lasso and then walk up to on said lasso.
Ooh! Is it the executive shuttle from TAS, a sort of proto-runabout (The shuttle used in "The Slaver Weapon" never has its class identified, but I've taken to tallking it an executive shuttle)? Or is it just the standard Class-F?
One of the things I like about the executive shuttle is that it has a deflector dish. As should all things that travel at warp.
Discord: "Actually I'm right here. Hello!"
Two years into the Eugenics Wars? Although thanks to TMP I suppose we know for a fact that Star Trek had a Voyager probe program - actually a more expansive one than ours. Plus I suppose that most of the Eugenics Wars were fought in Africa and Asia, not America.
Cue TMP's Enterprise theme.
8800675
It's a standard shuttle. It must have Warp capability in order for any use of it in Metamorphosis or The Galileo Seven makes no sense at all But it's not high warp like the craft used in Slaver Weapon or the courier Spock used in TMP
No mention to them being the first ponies in space? And also to reach interstellar space, too. As of Rainbow needed more to feed her ego...
Twily will certainly share her findings with Sunset and Trixie. Science centuries ahead. Those two are about to become the most relevant scientific minds in the history of equestria girls humankind by bringing forth prosperity and progress never seen before. All because they are big huge nerds with pony contacts
8838822
That was a novel that deserved some love.
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M'Ress and Arex are definitely TAS. I wonder what happens when SciTwi gets her little hooves on some life support belts?
Ah, wingboners. They can happen at anytime to anyone.
I wonder if Pinkie Pie considered attempting to use a BIG megaphone to remind them that they cannot break a Pinkie Promise
8766678
Especially as Discord leads the games. And he is a God Tier GM.
8768135
The staircase bit really cracked me up. xD
Moar Please
8891565
I can see it now. “Captain we are getting a hail from Ponyville”. “Put it through”
Pinkie pie face appears on the main viewer. “FOREVER” end message.
8950117
That poor ensign, cornered so she could use his communicator without explaining how she knew how to work it
I loved the Carl Sagan speech. But I wonder where the video originally came from?
It had some errors. In particular it looked like a new continent or two and a large landmass off of the Saudi Arabia peninsula.
I wonder who made it? Did they recycle some prior data for it?
Meh. Random musings. Still something to see the planet so small and realize what he said was correct. Humbling.
I think astronauts have a saying for it. But I can't remember it as I type this.
Altogether I still think people would take something from the simple thought that we are so small in the cosmos.
8844033
Wait, Star Trek has Flickinger fields? How has that never shown up in the rest of the franchise?