AMICITAS FLIGHT THREE – MISSION DAY 63
ARES III SOL 65
Cherry Berry smirked as Mark spent half the time in the cave staring at and examining the alfalfa shoots that rose from the cultivated soil like shaggy fur. She wasn’t a farmer by talent, but apparently she’d done well enough to make a plant scientist like Mark speechless.
She liked being in the cave. It was still chilly, but no more so than an early spring or late fall morning. The crystals lit up the inside of the cave as bright as the barren world outside, if not more so, thanks to Starlight’s ingenious enchantment. And with the alfalfa sprouting, Cherry felt a little more… alive… than she did in the Hab. And definitely more so than when she poked around Amicitas.
Poor Amicitas. Most of the pretty outer hull had been ripped away in the salvage operation. The hole in the engine bay had stopped growing, but mainly because the weight of the cargo air lock had lightened the load on the airframe there. Two of the three main engines were permanently out of commission. And yet… and yet…
Cherry Berry still spent a fair bit of time sitting on the commander’s crash couch, bent as it was from the crash, thinking and wishing. If only there were some way…
“If bad thing happens to Hab,” Mark was saying, “don’t try to fix it. Come here. Bring food. I can fix Hab when I come back.”
“Yes,” Cherry said, followed by a relatively new phrase, “I understand.”
“Dragonfly asked that I leave the TV… television… with her,” Mark continued. “I’ll set up a computer for that. Keep up on language lessons!”
“Electric Company. Ah, ah, ah, hand, an, apple,” Cherry chanted.
“Right,” Mark said, chuckling. “What else… right, keep Dragonfly away from don’t-touch places. Trim back potato plants so they don’t overlap.” He made a gesture with his hands. “Don’t handle potato plants with mouth. Poison.”
“I know potato plants,” Cherry Berry insisted. “We have potatoes home.”
“Make sure the tents get water. And… er…” Mark threw his hands in the air. “I guess that’s it.”
“Okay, I understand,” Cherry nodded.
“I won’t be back before twenty sols,” Mark said. “Should be back by twenty-four sols.”
“I understand.” Cherry tapped the neck of her space suit; her helmet was set neatly beside the others near the airlock. “I talk Starlight any time. Be good to her.”
“I will.” Mark raised an eyebrow. “What’s the range… um… how far can you talk on your suits?”
Cherry shrugged. “Suits only, three kilometers. But can use ship. With ship, anywhere… well… anywhere back home,” she said. “Here, not know. Never been… er… here everyone same place usually.”
“Never been apart,” Mark said, holding his hands parallel to each other and moving them away from each other.
“A part of… oh, I understand. Apart.” Cherry nodded her comprehension. “We use ship all sundown.”
“Every sundown.”
“Every sundown,” Cherry repeated. “Short message, save power.”
“Good. I understand.” Mark knelt down and ran a hand across a couple of short stalks of alfalfa. “On Earth this would be right,” he said. “If warmer and brighter. How you do it?”
Cherry couldn’t help giggling. “Magic!”
Mark mumbled some nonsense that sounded like, “Tasket sealeak western, gitta seal lianser.”
“Sorry?” Cherry asked.
“Nothing,” Mark replied.
“You’re out of your mind,” Fireball said.
“No, hear me out,” Dragonfly said. “It’s only until Mark gets back. Then we’ll have the radio from that old probe, and it won’t be important anymore.”
“I’m not going to lie to her,” Spitfire insisted. “And she’s our commander, not some cadet I can assign busy-work to.”
“Look, it’s not lying,” Dragonfly said. “It won’t hurt us to at least go through Mark’s lander and the fuel plant and see what can be salvaged. We already know his lander controls were wrecked when the storm sent it tumbling, but we could salvage the rockets, right? Buck, we could salvage the bolts and rivets!”
“Anything we tried to build, if it got off the ground, would shake itself to pieces before we made orbit,” Fireball insisted flatly. “And if you haven’t noticed, none of us are minotaurs or alicorn princesses.”
“Though Mark does look a bit like a skinny albino minotaur,” Spitfire reflected.
“Guys,” Dragonfly said, “would it hurt you any to try? It’d cheer Cherry up. And besides, what else are we doing with our time? Two hours of watering plants each day, alternating between Hab and cave? This gives us something to do. We need something to do, especially Cherry. I thought Starlight was nuts when she suggested it, but the more I think about it the more I think she’s right. We can at least try it.”
The dragon and the pegasus took a long look at Dragonfly, then a long look at Cherry Berry, who stood at the other end of the cave field talking to Mark.
“All right,” Fireball said at last. “We can begin by double-checking the seats in the lander. Ours are in bad shape, and Mark needs one shaped for him anyway.”
“What kind of fuel does the lander use?” Spitfire asked. “Is there any left?”
“You should probably be the one to ask,” Dragonfly said. “I… er… I may have played the ‘cute but crazy alien’ card one too many times with him.”
Fireball and Spitfire looked at each other, then at Dragonfly. “I know exactly how to break this to you, bug,” the dragon said.
“Cute is a matter of opinion,” Spitfire finished. “But crazy is a cold hard fact.”
“Written in stone by Faust Herself,” Fireball agreed.
Dragonfly’s ear-fins drooped. “Really feeling the love, guys,” she mumbled.
TRANSCRIPT – WATER TELEGRAPH EXCHANGE, ESA BALTIMARE and ESA SHIP AMICITAS
AMICITAS: Amicitas calling Baltimare, use suit SG for responses, over.
ESA: Baltimare calling Amicitas, who is this, over?
AMICITAS: SG – Upgraded telepresence array ready for repeat of Comms Alpha. ….. Over.
ESA: Confirm Comms Alpha test? Signal not clear, over.
AMICITAS: Affirm Comms Alpha. Still learning code. Over.
ESA: Stand by. Recommend postponing test until tomorrow, over.
AMICITAS: SG – will not be here tomorrow, over.
ESA: Good. Test postponed for twenty hours mission time, over.
AMICITAS: SG – negative. SG will NOT BE HERE. Over.
ESA: QC – your hoof is terrible. Also, Princess Smart isn’t here today. Friendship or princess things. Over.
AMICITAS: SG – Tell her am going with alien on trip to salvage radio. Estimated duration 23 to 24 mission days, over.
ESA: QC – Please confirm trip with alien, confirm number of passengers, method of travel, over.
AMICITAS: SG – Confirm trip, alien plus SG, alien autocart, over.
ESA: QC – No DF? Over.
AMICITAS: SG – DF remaining at base, reason low love reserves. Urgent perform Comms Alpha today while SG is here to boost power, over.
ESA: QC: Stand by, over.
AMICITAS: SG – Standing by, over.
AMICITAS: SG – Standing by, over.
AMICITAS: SG – Standing by, over.
ESA: QC – Moondancer is here and will operate test on this end. Stand by, over.
AMICITAS: SG – Standing by, over.
ESA: MD – Begin Comms Alpha when ready, over.
AMICITAS: Comms Alpha in progress. No connection. Boosting signal using backup battery, over.
ESA: Confirm no signal. No result on boost, over.
AMICITAS: Boost discontinued, over.
ESA: Discontinue Comms Alpha. Our best assessment further attempts Comms Alpha futile. Dimensional interface either absorbs or blocks connection of telepresence. Over.
AMICITAS: Understood.
ESA: QC – Tell DF scheme harder, over.
AMICITAS: Repeat, please? Over.
ESA: QC says DF needs to scheme harder, over.
AMICITAS: SG – DF is already scheming as hard as she can, over.
ESA: QC – That’s not hard enough. Out.
AMICITAS: SG – back in 24 days, out.
If the rescue mission does not involve the entire population of equestria overfeeding Chrysalis love so she has magic reserves to go to mars and back I will be disappointed.
God I love this series.
NOTE: I accidentally skipped a chapter posting this one.
Go read Sol 64.
Oh great they're fucking with the hydrazine filled wreck now. And apparently keeping it from Cherry berry. This can only end well.
8723746 I think most of the rest of the readers would be disappointed if I had Chryssy pull a Spirit Ball (of Love) to solve the main problem of the series.
I'm giving her all I've got captain!
Scheme HARDER scotty HARDER!
8723770
It would be a bit too simple, in my opinion.
If you somehow worked Chrysalis into ascending as a chaos god by devouring Slaanesh...maybe.
The thing about using the lander to make a rocket is a nice idea. Not only does it give them something to do, but if they somehow make it work it could be used to launch some stuff far away if there ever was a need.
I don't really get why people knowing would make Dragonfly's scheming not work. People aren't prevented from being cheered up by knowing you're trying to cheer them up, or even really knowing that they're doing it for their own benefit. Comedy clubs would be a good G-rated example of this. You're paying to be entertained, and you know the comedian is trying to entertain you for money, but that doesn't prevent it working.
Also surprised it reached -15 C outside, that's quite warm for Mars, I was assuming average temperature of -50 C, though admittedly with no atmosphere at night the temperature swing would be way more than on Earth.
Sounds like the cave is probably already around 50 F, so we're probably looking at one of the higher end illumination scenarios, especially since it reached that temperature in only a week despite the huge heat sink capacity. It will get pretty warm as time goes on. I'm betting at this point the heat bloom is very noticeable at night, and Earth has probably realized the piece of the ship that was carried to site epsilon was an airlock just by guessing at this point.
The cave growing 400 meters square of Equestrian alfalfa seems to be increasing the magic level noticeably enough for an earth pony to feel it. They might be better off relocating there in general just so the equestrians feel better. The magic battery would probably charge faster too. The living space is so much bigger than the Hab that it would probably be more comfortable on that basis anyway, though the lack of electronics would make it more boring.
Originally Mark was thinking they could only grow 600 square meters because of the piping capacity from the pony ship limiting the area they could heat. However as the cave as a whole has now reached temperatures above freezing, they might be able to expand their farmland significantly. Going from 600 meters to 1200 meters for instance would increase their rate of accumulating food, while still giving them an area of 600 square meters for living space.
Given Mark's original estimate that just to survive at all each of the ponies that eat needed 55 square meters, and assuming that was at 75% rations, they would need 220 square meters for full rations. So the 400 square meter area is growing food nearly twice the rate they eat it at. Though Mark hadn't expected it to grow as if it was in perfect conditions. Growing more would still be better though because something else could go wrong. Though thinking about it the ponies actually have more leeway on their food sufficiency than Mark does I think because potatoes aren't feeding him as cheaply in area terms as alfalfa feeds the ponies. So maybe he should go up in potato farming area first.
8723685 Logically the shield must have been air permeable, or the city would have suffocated, but we also saw it was solid, as the changlings smashing it caused it to shatter like glass. Personally, I think it would be far easier and less power intensive to create the opposite, a shield that stops air and gasses, but allows solids to pass through, like magnetic containment (magcon) fields in Star Wars.
8723799
Actually, MLP Loops has done that. Only it was Pinkie who did that. She out-chaosed a chaos god. Made Slaneesh think it was a good idea to turn herself into a cupcake.
In next weeks episode - how do you tie down a dragon drunk on hydrazine.
8723799 Heresy! Everyone knows Pinkie Pie is the Party God of Chaos!
This quiet offends Pinkie! Things will get loud now!
8723841
Pinkie would eat that cupcake out, just eat it out so freaking hard.
...
Trust me, the pun hurts me more than it does you. I have a problem.
Ask a silly question, get a silly answer.
Mark knows that magic is a thing, so I'm guessing he's disappointed with how sparse the answer was.
8723770
Probably for the same reason you don't just have Discord snap his fingers and end the conflict. One way or another. I also don't recall when CSP diverges from the canon timeline (did the Tree Hugger episode happen?).
8723852
She did eat it. She ascended. And could after that ascend at any point she is awake in the loops. I don't know about you but Alicorn Pinkie Pie is just terrifying.
Whether intentional or not, I was really excited to get a chance to read two new chapters in one day. I only hope it doesn't cause too much of a problem with the buffer.
I'm really starting to warm to Dragonfly more. It makes so much sense that she would assume the role of an unofficial morale officer. It makes me wonder if her job will get easier or harder as communication improves.
And holy cow, this story has now reached 40 consecutive daily updates.
8723836 If you know you're being manipulated, no matter what the reason or motive, you resist, and you become suspicious of the person involved.
It's currently summertime on Acidalia Planitia. -10 C is about as hot as it can ever get at that latitude.
And Mark has a large cushion of food packs if something goes wrong. The ponies need to rebuild a buffer, so they need more food production sooner.
8723855 He asked a question in such a way that no really useful answer was possible.
Cant take the magic battery with them or it oly has enough charge to hop the rover over one gully going out, but not enough left to handle it on the way back?
Now thinking of how large a printed foil sheet would have to be to get a signal up and down to a satelite, given GPS works with a square inch antenna and less than a watt of power, recieving, but the satelite is 60 watts at such an orbit?
With any luck, they won't break anything too important. Who knows? They might have something useful when the salvage party gets back. And that's assuming Dragonfly can't scheme something up.
"Scheme harder" is possibly the most changeling thing I have ever read. XD
You know, I'm betting Dragonfly would actually see a buff to her emotion reserves with Mark if she came clean with him. He'd not only understand exactly why she did what she did, he'd appreciate the honesty over the oddness, and couple that with "Holy freaking moons of Saturn, you're a shapeshifter? That's so cool! Terrifying, but awesome!"
You can just feel the love from Chrysalis there, can't you? I SAID CAN'T YOU!! There, that's better, only grovel a little more.... a little more... that's the spirit.
8723899
It's only manipulation because the person is trying to keep it secret. If it's out in the open it's therapy. Or paid entertainment.
I mean really this is functionally equivalent to paying someone in affection in exchange for a valuable service. An empath really makes the best therapist/entertainer.
Alicorn Pinkie Pie. They did that in the comics. 😈
8723969 Cherry Berry would still feel useful because she is using her magic to grow plants to keep everyone alive. When your primary enemy is starvation, there's no such thing as a useless earth pony. Fireball seems to respect Cherry because she is leader more than anything else, so it seems like he would transfer that to Spitfire.
That said, you make a good point that Starlight would probably react quite poorly to Spitfire's style of leadership.
8723836 If you learned that somebody was being nice to you for the single purpose of getting something in return, wouldn't you be at least a little bit ticked?
A chapter everyday huh? Kinda cool that it's following the days go by when producing a chapter! That's awesome.
As someone whose experience with chemistry is limited to "don't mix household chemicals or you'll fucking gas yourself" i'm curious. Which is the more dangerous rocket fuel. Perchlorates or hydrazine?
The continuing personal friction among this crew after two months is a bit disappointing to me, actually. I would have imagined by this time, if they hadn't killed each other, they'd have reached more understanding and done some bonding.
8724156 Joss Whedon's rule of drama - happy characters are boring characters
Also, they're stuck on an alien world where the environment wants to kill them, containing four different races, three space programs, two languages and no magic. There was a Spitfire chapter a week or so ago which really hammered home how miserable it was for the ponies living without the ambient background magic of Equestria. Were they all in the pub together, they'd probably be getting on by now. But in such a hostile location, where survival is hard fought, they snap from time to time, and that sets everything back.
As an observation, I really like how every character has their little hangups
"weight of the cargo air lock had lightened"
"weight of the cargo airlock had lightened"?
"We use ship all sundown."
"We use ship all sundown."?
8724121
Of the two, I'd pick hydrazine as the nastier customer. Mostly because it's not only reactive, it's volatile, and its vapors are delightfully* toxic. It's loaded in as a pure liquid, and the procedure looks like something out of a hazmat cleanup.
* bad word choice? Bad word choice.
Ammonium Perchlorate may hate all things combustible with the fury of a thousand Tireks, but it's still just a salt: easily dissolved in safe, non-explodey solvents, won't evaporate to murder your lungs, etc. It's also loaded into the rocket with the fuel and a solvent as a very stable kinda-liquid-kinda-paste. The shuttle's boosters used this stuff, and those folks didn't need any special gear to work around it.
8724063
That's a very distorting way of putting it. I'd look at it as "Someone is being nice to me because they want me to be nice back", and isn't that just the Golden Rule taught to children? Treat others the way you would like to be treated.
It's not like they want something that costs me anything. They just want affection back in exchange for the affection they're giving me. A romantic relationship is the same way. (Except in a romance you're supposed to give them even more.)
8724260 Mm. I can see that. But Mark thinks Dragonfly is being the "silly, crazy bug" because that's who Dragonfly is. But once Mark realizes it was an act put on (well, at least the silly part's an act) in order to get food, don't you think Mark's going to be a little bit put off? Sure, he won't shun Dragonfly, and Dragonfly wouldn't shun him, but it'd be a bit of a shock.
8724251
So they're not only messing with rocket fuel (again) they're messing with even nastier rocket fuel. anyone wanna bet how long it takes them to fuck up the hab while Mark is gone? I give them until Mark is exactly half way to pathfinder.
8724121 Hydrazine by a mile. Lightweight perchlorates will behave themselves in the absence of heat or fuel, and can be made to behave themselves even when mixed with fuel if done properly. But hydrazine is looking for any possible excuse to break down into more stable compounds, and when it does it things get very hot.
8724212 Cherry doesn't know how to say "ship's communications system." The suit comms are short-range without the ship's main spell running, but with it running... well, we don't know yet.
8724270
yeah hydrazine is REAL nasty stuff it can suck the paint off your car going through a cloud of it and "give your family a permanent orange afro" (if you understand the reference that is awesome so name the movie)
8724386
If it's a reference to something I've seen I can't think of it off the top of my head. What's it from?
8724398
its from that old film "spies like us" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FMEPSD9w0Y this is the clip i referenced
8723836
Mars can get up to 21 C at the equator.
8724432
Ah. Never seen that one. It's one of the (too damn many) things on my "watch later" list.
One thing I really like about this story is that often when you add one or more characters to a premade storyline, things usually get easier on the protagonist(s). This situation however added even more survival issues, and even extra psycological ones. I havent read the book, but i watched the movie a long time ago. Its a great choice as far as crossovera go. Keep up the good work.
You going to find out what murderous rage taste like in 24 days.
8724260
Well you have to keep in mind also the changeling mentality.
EVERYTHING taught to a changeling is "DON'T GET DISCOVERED". The problem is that they can think that way and everything stay fine, or they can think that you are taking advantage of them and then you starve... Do you take the risk?
8724445
Read the book. You can even get the first version for free as it was distributed on an open license.
8724475
I think Cherry berry showed the whole changeling hive plenty of that in CSP early on. "IT'S A CARDBOARD BOX!!!"
8724156
Follow this link:
https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_86.htm
Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing.
Although probably not written to match deliberately, the team does seem to be following these phases and they settle in. However, one of the things that keeps friction is that they reset when the situation changes. Going from 'very alien' to 'alien but compatible' and then moving from that to 'can communicate' to 'communicates well' acts as a way to reshuffle their skills and how to use them. Thus, the team then has to re-storm, and re-norm before they perform.
Oh you silly ponies, you think that seeing the first level of deception means the plot is seen as a whole. Now you are doing what the scheme demands.