Take to the Skies
Chapter 3: First Contact
Written and Edited by RobertBel98
I elegantly raised both arms to the sides of my helmet. My fingers pressed down firmly gripping the fiberglass shell. Slowly, I removed the weighted helmet from my skull emitting a sigh of relief as the head gear relinquished its grasp of me.
I rotated my neck in a circular motion emitting a series of popping sounds from my tense vertebrae. Taking a deep breath I directed my sight to the bottom right corner of the cockpit. There sat a small holster strapped to the wall of the canopy. In the holster rested my M9 Beretta pistol.
I grabbed the holster stripping it from the several Velcro restraints, and relocated the object over to my lap. Unbuckling the small weapon I motioned my thumb over to the clip release button pressing down as the 15 round mag fell from the pistol. Swiftly, I re-positioned my hand under the falling magazine catching it. After seeing for myself that the clip was filled to capacity, I pushed the magazine back up into the M9. Once the mag was locked in the weapon I placed my hand over the slide gripping it then pulling it back, cocking the hammer as a result.
Satisfied with the load out I strapped the M9 back into the holster. ‘You can’t be too careful.’ I thought to myself as I wrapped the gun around my left thigh.
I grabbed both sides of the canopy to provide some support as I lifted myself out of the seat. I found my balance as I stood erect in the open capsule. I then hopped out of the jet momentarily forgetting the height at witch I was elevated.
I slid down the side of the aircraft’s main body before impacting the barren farmland with a slight tumbling motion. After regaining my composure I stood back up finally catching a proper view of the world around me. Covering the entire immediate land mass I could see row after row of apple trees all dressed with seemingly symmetrical bright red apples. Even further down the hillside I could see an elegant barn house covered with intricate wood banisters and painted almost an identical color to the fruits which hung from the trees. I was even able to detect a small glimpse of the town I flew over earlier.
“God, I probably got some attention from that little display.” I mumbled to myself.
“I need to move, secure a perimeter. The last thing I want is for some alien or whatever messing with my equipment, and more importantly me.”
After saying this I placed my hand over the holster on my thigh. Opening the holster, I grasped and brought the weapon up from the waist band. I advanced heading for the tree line entering the dense forest of apple trees. Surrounding me were hundreds of the red vibrant fruits. Seeing them caused me to realize how long it had been since my last meal. The thought was instantly followed by a light grumbling from my stomach. ‘Doubt it will do much harm if I just ‘borrow’ a few’ I grinned moving for the nearest plant.
Looking up I was once again greeted by a small bushel of apples. My arm reached up grasping the lowest one. With a quick and decisive motion I twisted and plucked the fruit from the tree. My mouth opened as I brought the long awaited sustenance to my face. With a swift chomping motion I bit into the apple emitting an audible crunch. My consumption was quickly interrupted.
THUMP!
A loud sound echoed through the fields. I turn my head trying to locate the source.
THUMP!
The sound was closer this time. “What the hell is that?”
THUMP!
“Whatever it is it is getting way too close for comfort. I better find some form of vantage point; see what I’m dealing with.” I proceeded to retreat into the forest searching for some form of cover. A large rock jutting out of the surface catches my eye.
I advance to it moving around to the backside hiding myself away.
THUMP! It sounded almost as if it was right on top of me. Against my better judgment, curiosity overwhelms me as I slightly peek out from the rock. Seeing nothing I continue to move out of cover until…
THUMP! The nearby sound causes me to dash back behind cover. A mix of nervous breaths and skipping heartbeats flows over me. I finally regain the courage to try to look once again. Once more my head slowly bobs out from the rock only this time I did not stop myself.
My head is almost completely out of cover; my eyes turn in all directions still trying to find the source of the mysterious sound. I take one last look and finally I see it. A small creature was roaming through the forest in front of me. It was dressed with an orange coat and a tied back blonde mane. On its back were several baskets, all filled to the rim with apples. I remain in my position analyzing it. It was almost reminiscent of a small horse or pony, but different. It was shaped oddly and seemed less like an ‘animal’. The way it moved gave of some sense of intelligence. I couldn't quite understand it.
Suddenly I hear a large amount of commotion coming from the north. I felt it get closer and closer. It seemed to also grab the attention of the orange pony. Then a gust of wind pushed me back with great force. I felt like a jet engine had just been blown right in my face. I struggle to sit back up still dazed by the sudden impact. Refocusing my sight on the orange pony I see it suffered a similar reaction, and then I look up. I freeze. For what was hovering just above was the cyan Pegasus I had seen only mere minutes prior.
“Applejack I need to talk to you now!”
‘Did it just speak?!’
I stare in bewilderment as the flying Pegasus continues to converse in the all too familiar dialect.
“Oh Rainbow, yah made me drop all my apples. Yah know how much buckin it took to gather all those.”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, but I really need to talk to you!”
“Well alright Rainbow what’s got yah so riled up?” The blue Pegasus takes a deep breath before responding.
“I was practicing some stunts to use during my freestyle period next season at the Wonder Bolt academy when something surprised me. There was a huge flash in the sky then I felt something just zoom past me. It caught me off guard so at the time I didn't see it so I went after it!”
“Well what was it?”
“I don’t know, I was able to catch up with it and I had never seen anything like it before. It was like a flying metal bird with fire coming out of it.”
“Are yah sure you didn’t just hit your head or somethin.” The orange pony snickered.
“Applejack I’m being serious!”
“Alright sugar cube. Just doesn’t really sound all that likely.”
“I know but am sure of what I saw and get this there’s more!” The orange pony leans in as the blue Pegasus repeats the action lowering her voice to a whisper.
“When I was flying after it I managed to get alongside it and I… saw something.”
“Well what did you see?”
“When I passed by the front of it there was some kind of window. Well I could kind of see through it and there was something inside. Something that was moving.”
“Well what was it.”
“That’s the thing I still don’t know what it was. I was only able to get a brief glimpse of it before it…”
“It did what.”
“Well, it might have kind of sort of got away.” The orange pony went into a slight chuckle.
“Hey what’s so funny?!” The blue Pegasus says forming a serious expression as the other pony continues to laugh.
“Oh nothin, just seems like you finally found somepony that can give you a run for your bits.”
“Hey look here I was just distracted!”
“Whatever yah say Rainbow Dash.” The Pegasus begins to calm down.
“Alright and… Applejack. I don’t think it was a some ‘pony’ inside that thing.”
Shit just got real.
this chapter was awesome!
MOAR!
Ahh You ended the chapter at a wrong time, you should have made it longer to see what happens next.
1983638 Well that is just one way to keep you waiting for the next chapter :)
1983646
Not really. Your ending isnt that great of a cliff hanger
1983700 Sorry then I guess. Just thought it was ok.
RD failed to mention that the thing was faster then her sonic rainboom
1983715 She is a little too prideful to give that up just yet.
I hate to quote math again...but no plane currently unclassified can top mach 3, let alone the Mach 5 of a sonic rainboom...
Awesome chapter!
MOTHER OF GOD this is good. pleas make more soon peassssssssssssss.
PS: awsome chapter
1984750
My pride in human technology does not allow a horse to go faster than a fighter jet.
Also, the X-43A scramjet made by NASA goes nearly MACH 10.
Very nice chapter, I enjoy the fact that rainbow isn't too particularly fond of something going faster than her sonic rainboom. As always, keep up the good work!
1984750 ah i love being from a US Navy family. i can tell you that the F/A22 Raptor can top mach 2.5 before afterburner with the SuperCruise tech it carries, reaching nearly Mach 3.2 in afterburner. the Scramjet that NASA tested can reach Mach 10 in high altitude.
Great Chapter, i like this a whole helluva lot! My only complaint is that the chapters are really short, i wish they would be longer, but oh well *whinewhinewhineb**chwhine*
1985336 HOLY FUDGEDROPS
1985827
What? The MACH 10 scramjet?
1985336 Now correct me if I'm wrong, but the Scramjet is not A. Carrier-based, B. A fighter jet, or C. Used outside of NASA.
1985558 Pardon me for being off in my facts, though it was stated in the first chapter that this aircraft was based of an Amphibious Assault Craft (the USS Wasp) meaning if it WAS an F/22, it would have taken off using its directed thrust mode due to the fact the runway on said craft would be too short for a takeoff without a catapult, which is not what happened. Also, Mach 3.2 at what altitude? Speed of sound is lower the closer to the ground you are, and from the reference material I have seen, the F/22 Raptor tops out at just under 3 at combat altitudes (15,000 feet and up). It has been a few years since I checked though, so I may not be remembering correctly on that one.
Honestly, I can't get into this story at all because every few minutes, something hits me that kills the immersion. The concept is great, the writing is good. The factual inaccuracy of the human tech vs the canon accuracy of the universe is what irks me..I can't give this a thumbs up or down based on that.
1986242 nooooo the fact your pride wouldn't let a fucking flying horse beat technology OF COURSE THE SCRAMJET
1986251
The MiG-25R Foxbat-B has a speed of MACH 3.2, and I don't know if this counts, but the SR71 Blackbird can fly faster than 3.2.
1986529 The Foxbat is one plane I don't count, at all, since I'm fairly certain that 3.2 figure is embellished quite a bit. The blackbird is a bomber that requires an extremely long runway to take off, though yes I have heard tales of Mach 4+ on it, though the official stance (last I checked) does not list a top speed for it. In theory, it is possible that it MAY beat out the Mach 5 speed Dash achieves to enter the Rainboom, though rechecking canon mathematics, Rainbow, when entering rainboom, actually goes instantly from Mach 5 to Mach 10, with a top speed of around 7000 mph.
Personally, I don't trust half the stats on planes I hear from official sources, it's usually either exaggerated (to scare off competition) or understated (to make them underestimate it).
And everyone else who thinks it's not possible for a pony to beat tech, go watch Starscream vs RD DETHBATTLE...
1986601 Yea but Star Scream isn't exactly level headed. And they were not fighting. It was a contest of speed.
1986611 And Rainbow Dash is?
1986618 SO AWESOME
1986619 Yes, she is. I don't doubt she can beat any modern plane that does not make heavy use of afterburners and/or rockets in a contest of speed, and utterly obliterate them in a contest of aerobatics and style. I would like to see that in this story (sortie? not sure which this counts as now tbh :p) and in the numbers and facts used. If I'm not mistaken, your cover art is an F-15? Top speed nearly mach 1.8 at cruise altitude (sans afterburners), fixed wing, carrier based, short runway specialist, still used widely today for naval support and by many armies. Dash doesn't even need a Sonic Rainboom to beat out a plane that is so far past its prime. Now, I'd love to see Dash vs Raptor Prototype. The specs on the program claim airframe stability at and above mach 5, stealth from radar, heat dissipating paintjob that makes heatseekers have a tough time locking on, impressive first strike/first kill ability with its extremely versatile loadout options, and it outperforms the latest Mig by almost 2 to 1 (all theory at this moment, since the program is on the chopping block with only a handful of planes even produced, none of which are actively being used as far as public knowledge is concerned).
That's the only thing that irks me about the story. I get into it, then I see something and I cringe because DASH IS SO MUCH BETTER THAN THIS PLANE XD
1986689 About the plane beating Dash, sorry. I am just a bit prideful of my nation to have us lose in a contest of air superiority.
1986700
I find it astonishing that any person would let humans be beaten out by flying horses. My human pride just isn't compatible with that.
1987087 Eh, its just me.
1986700 We never lose in the air. Trust me, I know a man who has served with Colonel Tibbets himself.
That doesn't mean we wouldn't lose to something we don't understand, be it in the air, on or under the sea, or on land, as we have seen in the past 11 years and some month...
1987599 I understand that but I thought it would be an interesting addition to the story for Dash to have competition.
Just watched keep calm and flutter on. OH DEAR GOD THE SHIPPING.
1986251 I do like that you are being academic, but the speed of sound does not matter at differing altitudes, it relies of temperatures to change the barriers threshold, it is also illegal by the UN to break the sound barrier below 10000 feet. and the F22 is an Airforce exclusive bird, having no directional thrusters. that is the Marine Corps varriant of the F35, and it does max at mach 1.9. this variant cannot take off via Vertical thrusters, because its thrusters only allow landing or stall maneuvering then forward movement. the marines launch from ground bases. the navy has its own variant as well, that has a strong enough undercarriage to be launched via catapult and can land with a hook.
This has been a scheduled PSA by Commander Ryche.
1988147 I will defer to your knowledge of the specifics of the planes, however I will tell you that the higher you get, the lower the temperature, so yes, altitude has a HUGE impact on the sound barrier/speed of sound. At 30,000 feet the ambient temperature is lucky to break -35 degrees Fahrenheit, while the external air pressure drops off rapidly above 25,000 feet before becoming negligible above 100,000 feet. A human being broke mach 1 in freefall at that altitude, you may have heard about that (he was going over 1,000 miles per hour at that point, if that gives you the means to calculate what I mean, as speed of sound at sea level is about 900 feet per second).
I also did know about the UN resolution regarding the sound barrier, 10,000 feet is the benchmark used to measure flight speed but you can calculate what it would be both higher and lower (to within a reasonable margin of error) using simple algebra.
As for being "academic", I was not the guy who took a measurement of Rainbow Dash's mach cone to figure her top speed outside of rainboom was Mach 5, and further calculated that when she entered Rainboom, that speed doubled.
Not to mention the elephant in the room of "It's a flying horse from an admittedly awesome cartoon being compared to some of the most advanced airplanes currently in existence"
1988147 Man I am aware of the physics examination of Rainbow but it is a cartoon. The observations made were of laws applying to this world. Our physics do not apply there so I still believe that she can only pass Mach 1. Not to mention almost every other fan fiction I have read including the sonic rainboom has claimed that it is not beyond Mach 1.
Writer! Why yoU NO MAKE LONGER CHAPTER
1993619 Sorry I have been really busy and this was all I was able to get done. If I tried to put as much as I originally wanted it would have taken another week.
1986689 The cover art is a F-16, the F-15 is an "updated" fixed-wing version of the "swing-wing" F-14 fighter/intercepter.
1991363 I would suggest changing the cover art F-16 to the F-35
P.S. F-16s are to fragile to be carrier-based.
1993891 It was the best I could do at the time. I am actually working on the new cover art right now. The current one was always meant to be temporary.
1993968 Cool
1993891 I noticed that when I came back later, actually. Thought I had edited that comment, because 95% of what is true of the 15 is true of the 16 as well, save the "widely used" part, 15 is still more widespread in countries we support.
1993968 In response to both those points, might I suggest the F/18-E Super Hornet? One of the true multirole fighters that still can perform on the world stage, albeit not as well as some more modern fighter/bombers. The stats actually match up fairly well with what you have in the story too, save for the (still hard to fix) issue of the Wasp not being a carrier with a catapult.
1991321 you sir, i like i fully admit that this argument is pointless and idle, thus why i am doing it. I am writing and have no ideas, so im procrastinating. also do know temperture changes due to height. but at certain heights the soundbarrier begins to lessen. the Blackbird High Altitude odservation craft (AkA Spyplan) has to be that high to keep its skin from melting. also it has reached Mach 5 at those altitudes. im just saying, thisg get weird when Math and Sience have babies (AKA Algebra)
i conclude this argument with stating that you are awesome. the end
1991363did i ever say that she passed Mach one? I was arguing that the tech capabilities of the UNITED FREAKING STATES OF AMERICA!!! was better than a pony, and it shouldnt be able to be almost out run by a flying pony XD
1994535 I swear one of the reasons I love writing these stories is just to read all the awesome discussions that goes on in the comments section.
1994565 Oh sorry man I replied to the wrong person, lol.
1994572 I hear ya. i dont continue stories unless i get feedback. (not because im a like shore, because i need the feedback to keep them going) Im really digging this story thought man. like i said, the only complaint is that the chapters are short lol
1994580 my comment still applies
1994604 Eeuup
1994535 I only get touchy on a few points. One of those few points is Rainbow Dash's level of awesome being outdone by some human device that is decidedly less awesome.
Also, as a writer I know this feel, and it is exactly why I am doing this instead of writing the pony fic I made this account in anticipation of, not that I am skilled at the fine art of story telling :p
1994705 i would agree that RD is more Awesome than a supersonic fighter jet with the radar deflection of a sparrow, but like i said. im from a family so deeply entrenched in the US Navy that my genetic pride will not allow. i will say however, the the F 35 is almost a s cool as RD. While the F22 is deffinitely as cool as RD