“You made the right choice, Twilight. I ain’t never went and did nothin’ as unprepared as we were and found it went right.”
Twilight stood on the bridge of the Equinox, where a transparent aluminum window looked out on the vast expanse of space in all directions. There was no denying that the Equestrian engineers had gone for vanity here, with all the structural reinforcement required to install a window this large. She could see its many transparent facets, each one banded with thin metallic struts. Yet if they weren’t decelerating, that window would’ve been just another wall. There was much to respect in the work that had gotten her here.
“Maybe I did,” Twilight said, though from her tone there would be no hiding just how likely she thought that was. “I know it’s the smart move, making sure we’re prepared. We don’t have to risk Proximus B not having everything we would need to make it home.”
She walked over to one of the drive consoles, sighing as she read its flickering display. “Data not available,” said the green on green, the lines of the Equinox’s projected flight referenced with basic visual sensors only.
“Seems like a shame we’re not… sending something back from here.” She pointed out the window with her horn. “We did it. Forty years of deep space, and we did it. Sent a pony to another star. When word gets back… this will only be the first of many. There might be thousands of Equestrias one day, maybe more. All those little stars could have ponies living around them.”
“We’ll tell ‘em,” Applejack said. Her friend had to use mechanical crutches to get around now, wobbling whenever she walked and occasionally hacking up lungfuls of pus-filled phlegm. “My instinct was right about the engines too, by the way. We already vented… maybe a third of our remain’ reaction mass. We’d be dryer than an Appleloosa summer by the time we got anywhere.”
“I hope you didn’t give Spike a hard time about it,” Twilight said, finally turning from the console. “He did tremendous work getting us this far. No pony could’ve gone this long alone without losing their minds completely. I’ve already included a write-up for our report.”
“I didn’t.” Applejack hurried over, or as close as she could. She wobbled and rocked on her crutches, and nearly fell over at one point. Twilight watched her with confusion, and couldn’t have said what she was intending—until she started whispering. “Sugarcu—Captain, I don’t mean to be the one to give you bad news, but I ain’t fully sure he’s as sane as you think. All that time alone… it don’t do a body good.”
“What makes you say that?” She didn’t bother whispering. Spike was asleep now, after days straight helping Applejack with the engines. There was no chance of him overhearing their conversation. “Applejack, we’re still flying. I don’t know that an insane pony could keep us together.”
“Not insane,” Applejack replied, stubbornly whispering even when Twilight didn’t. “That’s not… look, you ain’t seen the ship like I can see it. You should…” She got even quieter. “There’s something you should see. I didn’t really get a good look, seeing as I’d need to force the door, and then he’d know. But your captain’s key should get you in and out without him ever knowin’.”
Twilight’s eyebrows went up. “That’s… strange advice coming from you, Applejack. Are you saying… Spike is keeping something secret, and I should find it without telling him?”
“Yeah,” Applejack said. “Listen, maybe it’s nothin,’ I dunno. That’s why Equestria fixes to give us a captain like you, instead a’ one who knows her tail from a ram scoop. Er… no offence by that, Captain.” She looked away, backing up a few steps and wobbling on her crutches again. “I don’t mean…”
“I know,” Twilight said. It still stung her pride a little—she’d gotten the mission this far, hadn’t she? It wasn’t right of Applejack to hold old grudges. Just because she was spaceborn, and Twilight was Equestrian Navy. “What did you see, exactly. Something he was doing? Because… I tested Spike quite thoroughly. Same psychological evaluation I performed on you, actually. It’s very hard to fool those spells. Only a master unicorn should be able to. He’s sane, Applejack. As difficult as that is for us to understand. Dragon minds just don’t work the same way.”
Applejack waved a hoof dismissively. “Whatever you say, Captain.” She turned away, a rigid formality returning to her voice. “I got my work cut out for me anyway. If I don’t get the eye up before we get near the asteroid belt, we’ll be takin’ the chance of accidents much too high.”
“Applejack—”
She stopped in the doorway. “If you change yer mind about trustin’ me, make your way down to deep storage. Deck E, I think.”
“By the colonial supplies?” Twilight’s eyebrows went up. “That’s not supposed to be unsealed unless we—” But Applejack was already gone. A few seconds later, she could hear the lift rattling down its track.
Twilight had to wait for it, several whole minutes to herself to think. But considering the trip to Proximus C would take months, she had a few moments.
Twilight rode down to deep storage. She could feel the engines pushing on her, as she reached those parts of the ship that weren’t meant for frequent pony habitation. But dragons do just fine in higher gravity.
There was a tiny window on the storage room, and Twilight could see through it what Applejack had meant. Their colonial supplies—tents, water purifiers, dried food—it looked as though the entire room had been torn apart. Crates were opened, their contents dissected and recombined in strange ways. Was some of that machinery pointed at the door?
She was the captain, there wasn’t anypony else to help with discipline. She had to act.
- Confront Spike. He should’ve known every supply stored on the Equinox might be life and death. What he did in there better have a good explanation.
- Go in and investigate first. Could Spike have done all that on his own?
- Help Applejack with repairs instead. What Spike did to get through the long journey doesn’t matter to me now, surviving to complete our mission does. We can worry about our camping supplies when we need to go camping.
(Certainty 150 required)
I vote we figure out everything first and THEN go pointing fingers/hooves. I vote B, Investigate.
Edit: Also, why does the required Certainty keep going up?
Maybe I've just been playing too much Fallout, but that sounds disturbingly like a shotgun rigged to a tripwire or something of that ilk. I'd say confront him about it, but gently - explain that you didn't want to pry without his knowledge and that you know there's probably a good explanation, but that this still needs one.
Of course, a strawpoll has difficulty conveying that sort of nuance, so I'll just trust to Twi's judgement about how she approaches him.
We're so screwed!
9236005
I've been advancing towards a sustainably high number--so that a large number of readers get input, but not so high that the chapters have to wait too long. Probably going to stick with 150 for now, I'm currently aiming for 2-ish days between chapters.
With it just being the three of you, best to let Applejack do her thing for now, and figure out the interpersonal and supply issues first. But investigating and drawing conclusions. Hopefully in a none offensive way.
Well defiantly not c , cannot be ignored, if spike is insane or sonething else did this it is between to find out what happened now than later. I choose A confront spike now with applejack if spike is insane to two can take him down and if something else did it or he had a good reason for it they can agalogize.
Ooooo... I smell a subplot!
"Confront" ... such a harsh word. There are many ways this could be done. She's after information, and the information she can gain in the storage room is only part of the puzzle. She's been wondering how Spike's changed for a while now, and it seems the story is going in that direction anyways. Maybe it's time she touched base with her Number One Assistant.
Aw hell no, this is how horror movies start. I say confront Spike, if it wasn’t him they can go confront whatever xenomorph they picked up together.
I'd go with confront, spike is very close to twilight and she would probably tell if something's off, plus theirs tha fact if he takes offense to it the chances of him being hurt or lashing out are low.
A, the fallout door shotgun theiry has merrit
If some of the reassembled and rigged machinery is pointing at the door, I wouldn't go into that storage room. It's clearly targetting the door. Even if it isn't an improvised weapon or trap, I can't think of something that would be GOOD to go blindly poking your head into.
At the same time, I don't think it should be ignored. If Spike's actually gone loopy, then even if we ignore this, he'll probably get us killed later through something else. Best to figure out what's going on now, in that case. I would go with Option A.
Worst case, he lashes out. Lethally. If he's loopy, we can't trust that he won't do that anyway, so I think it's an acceptable risk.
Better case, he's loopy, but we can figure out why, and hopefully contain him in some way.
Best case, there's a benign or altruistic reason the storage room is like that, and we don't have to panic. There's also the possibility this isn't Spike's doing. In which case, we confirm either a stowaway presence or something else really fucky going on.
Investigate. If only so you have a better understanding when confronting Spike.
I really do not want to confront (as in angry tone, yelling, asking harsh questions) Spike. My choice is A, but please have some delicacy. TWILIGHT HAVE SOME DELICACY!!! Do a computer inventory, then a physical one. Note discrepancies, ask how this came to be. Politely.
It may be the lack of contact was a bit harder on Spike that expected. Taking up a hobby of tinkering isn't the best way to cope, but it's better than macrame. Or crafting deathtraps.
I'd say confront...just in case
Confront, but gently. Whatever's going on might be some dragon thing, and it'd probably be better to talk it over than force the issue with action.
9236027
You and me both. Either a gun or a camera, either way say goodbye to either Twilight or Spike's trust.
I'm going to vote B for now. A- Spike's asleep, and you DON'T wake a sleeping dragon. C- ignoring something won't make it go away. I just wish there was a D option- scope out the storage hold thoroughly and remotely. After all, it may not be Spike's doing...
I misvoted. I meant to vote for Confront Spike, but instead I clicked Investigate. One vote almost certainly won't make a difference, but in the miniscule chance that there's a tie I'd like my vote counted correctly.
I have a feeling things arent going to turn out well regardless of which one we pick here...
No, *Spike* got them to where they were. Check it Sparkle, you were a popsicle.
I voted to speak with Spike.
Hopefully Twi does it gently, not too confrontational. And after his well-deserved rest.
Other thing:
I'm wondering why you didn't announce the results of the last voting at the top of the chapter like you did in the other chapters.
Did you just consider it unnecessary or is there an deeper meaning?
Best to investigate. Plus... we don’t know what hit the ship.....
I think asking Spike what the heck is going on down there is probably the best idea. "Confront" sounds too ... confrontational ... but I'm just hoping Starscribe is going thematic with these choices, because it sounds VERY much like a classic Choose Your Own Adventure option.
I said she should confront Spike. But 'Confront' doesn't mean come at hostel or aggressively question. Spike has earned their trust, because if it wasn't for him they wouldn't even be there right now. Honestly it feels like AJ just keep finding things wrong with Spike, and what Spike has done. Really it is all the prep team and overall mission planning that let the shit get this shitty. Spike was suppose to be the one awake just incase things went wrong or something. But it is clear they never trained him to do major repairs if needed, why wouldn't he been taught to do that? He had to learn all he did on the fly while in a critical situation with the life of his crew on the line and all alone at that. Also Spike now could be well over 100 years old. By this point some dragon instincts could have triggered, he could have HAD to start hoarding something or find something cave like to retreat to as a resting place by now. It doesn't mean he is a danger or is messed up as AJ is suggesting. Like I thought before AJ seem to keep talking and treating Spike like he is a child or now a person with a few screws loose. He is now older than her and had to hold a huge responsibility for almost 100 years. He has earned her trust and respect. But Twilight as his good friend and captain should just go to him and talk to him first. Spike I am sure would be open about whatever it is since I can't see him EVER doing something that could cause him or the girls to be hurt.
vote Confront Spike. so many pony problems are solvable via direct communication.
After a discussion about how ponies would likely go crazy after forty years alone, we see decent evidence that a stowaway has been living off their supplies for forty years.
Oh, hey, I think that's probably also a more likely reason why they ran out of feedstock for the biofab machine than Spike eating some sweets! Wow, their estimates of how much food they have left must be off by a ridiculous amount.
Our decision to scrap the weapons after chapter 2 may be related to this. Weapons being stored together with the colonial supplies might explain the crates being opened and emptied, and strange-looking machinery may be a result of the scrapping process.
People want to investigate a booby-trapped room?! Surely it makes more sense to ask Spike what's going on there first rather than risk setting off the trap?
I'm in the "Talk with Spike" camp. I'm also in the "Don't be aggressive" camp.
Worst case scenario is that when Spike has been listening to voices that told him to build a device that will summon the elder gods. Best case scenario it's a creepy Rarity shrine. I like the idea Doppler Effect commented that it could be evidence of a stowaway.
Whatever it is, I think asking Spike to be the best option. Even if there wasn't a strange device waiting to potentially skewer anyone that entered the door.
Honestly, I'm in favor of getting the ship less crippled before coming down on Spike for something he might have done decades ago. I appear to be in the extreme minority there, but this doesn't seem terribly urgent.
Yeah I'm going with option A as well, just cause, this is weird and would be nice to ask. But, as with others, adding the caveat of 'Ask' rather then 'confront' as Spike has done nothing to be accused of or yelled at, just, polity ask if he knows what's going on. As has been brought up, this might not even BE Spike who did it, and he's done so much to make this all work and to keep the ship flying. He's earned a lot of trust.
The people saying 'investigate' are..... wow.. that's a lot and....... seriously, we need Admiral Ackbar in here.
Option A, ask Spike what went on in there.
Investigate. We need to know ourselves what happened in there first of all, and what better way to do that than getting in close and personal?
I vote "Confront" Spike. By which I mean, ask him nicely about what happened down in the storage area, as it is very possible that there's a reasonable explanation for it.
Incidentally, this is one of those cases where you kind-of don't know what to pick, because you don't know how the story is going to interpret your answer. I am not in favor of coming down on Spike in a hostile way, and would prefer one of the other options to that.
Confronting spike can wait. Seriously. Work on getting the ship put back together first.
Investigate. Then ask Spike if we can’t figure it out.
Investigate. That stuff is needed.
While you can trust someone you can't really confront until you think you have the facts and even if you do...
Well confronting someone who did something that indicates they may have gone off the rails, especially if they don't realize they went off the rails seems to be a bad idea until damage can be further minimized.
Even more so when they are capable of destruction in a precarious situation.
Trust but verify. Heck. Maybe there was somehow a saboteur/stowaway (changeling in a pod maybe? Or renegade Noble?) on board and the damage was not from a collision at all.
Huh. Looks like this is the first time the voting hasn't resulted in an absolute majority.
It's peaceful, Twilight! Go in and check it out!
9236573
Yeah, I'm with you. Drama distracts from repairs, and any potential fallout from a confrontation just reduces the crew's ability to deal with the problems they're currently focused on. Exploring the room with machinery pointed at the door is just a giant danger sundae.
Unfortunately, "ignore this" is so far behind in the polls that it becomes a question of trying to make the least worst option win. :( If it is a stowaway, then talking to Spike uncovers the truth more safely than walking into a jerry-rigged shotgun. If it isn't, then at least he gets a chance to tell his side of the story, rather than finding out Twilight took AJ's word over his without even listening to him first.
...Where did all of this hostility and suspicion come from? That AU tag never really registered before now.
I’ll have to sleep on it a bit more before seeing how much worse things have gotten, and where to go from there....
Heh, did anypony else notice the transparent aluminum reference? Perhaps they were preparing to encounter whales? 😉
9313413
XD Would be funny... nice little bit of Star Trek to go with this 'lost in space' theme
This paragraph seems to imply that the force of acceleration is stronger in that part of the ship?
Hmmm, this is a tough one.
My first instinctive thought was, and still is, to confront Spike about this.
While I also agree with Twilight's idea that whatever Spike did to make it here doesn't matter that much, if he went through the supplies he needs to inform her of it as it could easily lead to some dark endings. But then there was also the the thought that maybe Spike was NOT the one who did it, then you have a whole different situation.
I would not, however, open the door. "Machinery pointed at the door", we don't know if the room has been trapped. Too little information and a lot of speculation running around. Now is the time to talk.
9499755
You are right; the acceleration should be uniform throughout the ship.