//------------------------------// // Appendix: Who's What in CSP // Story: Changeling Space Program // by Kris Overstreet //------------------------------// NOTES ON DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CARTOON CANON AND THIS STORY: The story begins near the end of winter after the Season 6 episode "A Hearth's Warming Tale." As a general rule, any episodes which don't directly conflict with the story have happened in Changeling Space Program. This does not, sadly, include the Season 6 finale "To Where and Back Again," for a number of reasons. None of the comics are canon, ESPECIALLY not the one where the Mane Six walks up a rope to the moon. For purposes of Changeling Space Program, the following things are established information about changelings. The items listed here are listed because they probably conflict with cartoon canon. * Queen Chrysalis is not the only queen the changelings have ever known. She definitely has not been locked for centuries inside a volcano. She was raised by the previous queen and, as per changeling tradition, betrayed and overthrew her own mother (after a couple of failed attempts). * Chrysalis is the mother of some, but by no means all, of the members of her hive. * Changelings are mildly empathic, being able to taste emotions almost exactly the same way they taste food. They do not have a hive mind of any kind. * Changelings can derive nourishment of sorts from most positive emotions, but not negative ones. Love is by far their favorite food. Changelings can eat and drink in small amounts, but they only need to do this to generate various kinds of goo for building nests, cocoons, venom, etc. Most changelings can only hold a very small amount of food or drink inside their bodies- just enough to maintain their cover. * Changeling drones specialize in their duties according to their talents. The best actors and liars become infiltrators, who hide among ponies, harvest love, and return it to the hive. The stronger and more active changelings become warriors and guards. Those changelings not particularly gifted in either battle or deception become support staff- hive builders, youngling teachers, bureaucrats, etc. (Intelligence is not a trait Chrysalis has in the past encouraged in her drones.) * Changelings can absorb emotional energy both passively (just by being around strong emotion) or actively (magically draining their victims). Their favorite method is to kidnap ponies, take them to a safe place, put them in a cocoon, and inject an intoxicating venom which causes happy, love-filled dreams, which the changelings can then harvest. Ponies can be kept in pods for a considerable time, but not indefinitely; the usual benchmark used for release is, "When is somepony likely to start searching for this pony?" * Changeling infiltrators bring collected love back to the hive and either give it to the queen or store it in a sort of magic-honey form in cocoons. The queen then redistributes this love to the rest of the hive. Changelings can go quite a long time without feeding, but not forever; a year without feeding can kill a changeling. * The changeling hive is hidden in a cave with a very nondescript, smallish entrance at the foot of a mesa deep in the Badlands. The interior is vast and not a little bit creepy, but parts of it are beautiful. * Changelings can fly with abilities comparable to pegasi. They can fire magic blasts or use telekinesis like unicorns do. It's possible they can perform more complex magic with training, but Chrysalis hasn't ordered such teaching. They can't teleport, and they don't get special talent spells comparable to cutie mark abilities (unless you count their racial ability to transform into anything). * Changelings run the full gamut of possible personalities, but they default towards being good-natured, loyal to queen and hive, predatory on ponies in a nothing-personal-just-business sort of way, and apparently dim-witted due to relative lack of exposure to new ideas. THE VARIOUS SPACE FLIGHT PROJECTS OF EQUUS: (not complete, subject to editing) Equestria- Equestrian Space Agency Changeling Hive - Changeling Space Program Minotaurs - Minotaur Rocket Project (consolidates with CSP) Crystal Empire - Crystal Empire Spaceflight Project (consolidates with ESA) Griffons - Griffonstone Space Exploration (consolidates with CSP) Dragons - Dragon Space Initiative (consolidates with CSP) Prance and Germaney - Prancy-Germane Joint Space Initiative (eventually consolidates with ESA) Stalliongrad - HossCosmos (consolidates with ESA) Neighpon / Kirin - Moon Flying Lightly (translated) Yakyakistan - Yak Moon Shot (consolidates with CSP) Diamond Dogs - Project Stardust PEOPLE, PLACES AND THINGS OF NOTE (alphabetical) Not included: the Mane 6, the ruling princesses of Equestria, Spike, Shining Armor, Starlight Glimmer AD ASTRA - Unicorn. Observer designated by the Canterlot Royal Astronomical Society to witness space launches and flights and to confirm achievement of milestones for the purpose of awarding prizes. Is particularly fond of speculative fiction. AD INEXPLORATA - Pegasus. Professor of Astronomy, Celestia University, Manehattan. Member of the Canterlot Royal Astronomical Society. ALEXANDER POPOFF - Yak, electronics scientist associated with the Yakyakistan space program. BEANCOUNTER - Changeling drone, support. Chrysalis's chief clerk. He can alphabetize files and perform basic mathematical functions without even thinking, and usually does. BEN FETLOCK - Earth pony. Attorney at law serving Horseton and the greater Hayseed Swamps area. BRIEF ABSTRACT - Unicorn, born in Canterlot. Associate science editor for the Manehattan Times. CALENDAR WHEEL - Chief of the tribal ponies of Tenochitlan. CANTERLOT ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY - The longest-standing organization of astronomical study on Equus. Through donations from an anonymous source they fund prizes for achieving notable firsts in space flight and offer exclusive short-term contracts for specific milestones. Twilight Sparkle is a junior associate member from her school days. CAPE FRIENDSHIP - Rocket launch site for the Equestrian Space Agency. Sited on the northern peninsula of Horseshoe Bay, not far from Baltimare. CARAPACE - See Heavy Frosting. CARRIED INTEREST - Earth pony, native of Manehattan. A young accountant with tons of ambition. CHERRY BERRY - Earth pony. Cutie mark talent: eating cherries. Not particularly good at growing them. Chief pilot and overall commander of the Changeling Space Program. CEO of Cherry's Rocket Parts and Odd Jobs, Inc. CHRYSALIS - Queen of the changelings. Seeks global conquest, but doesn't want to risk being wiped out by potentially much more numerous and powerful ponies. Has delegated authority over the space program to "the pony" but still expects her own orders to be obeyed. #2 on CSP's flight roster. CLEVERLY CLEARLY - Earth pony. One of the most influential (and prolific) children's book authors of the previous fifty years. CLICKBUG - Occupant's replacement and subordinate at the changeling hive. Renowned for her lack of hygiene. COOL DRINK - A cover identity used by Queen Chrysalis when she wishes to infiltrate high pony society. The cover identity lives near Appleoosa or Dodge Junction, depending on who's asking. CRAWLEY - Changeling drone, warrior. Chief weather officer at Horseton Space Center and liaison with the Equestrian weather service. DERPY HOOVES - The only pony willing to deliver mail to the only postbox in the Badlands. DOUBLE FACE - Unicorn, former guard pony interested in nothing more than his own comfort. While he was prisoner of the changelings, his form was used as a frequent disguise by changeling infiltrators traveling to and from the hive. Unimportant to the story, but he refuses to leave. DRAGONFLY - Changeling drone warrior with unusually large wings; fastest member of Chrysalis's hive. Enjoys making things and extremely dangerous situations. Chief of manufacturing at Cherry's Rocket Parts. #3 on CSP's flight roster. EGGPLANT - The name given Neighing Mantis, changeling drone guard, after she overfed on a certain pony's happy dreams. Even after many months of dieting, still noticeably fat. ELYTRON - Changeling drone, chief of Chrysalis's royal guards. Acts as regent when Chrysalis is away from the hive. EYE WALL - Pegasus; weather supervisor for the Hayseed Swamps area, including Horseton Space Center. FAUNTLEROY - Prince of Yakyakistan; pilot in the Yakyakistan space program. FIDDLEWING - Changeling drone, scout. Can generate a wide range of sounds from rubbing his wings together in flight, including a piercing shriek that carries for miles. FIREBALL - Chief pilot of the dragon rocket program. Also only pilot of the dragon rocket program. One of two known people from Equus who have gone to space when they really didn't want to go. FISH EYE - Pegasus. Cutie mark talent: cameras. Ran away from a fishing village to pursue his passion. Employed by Flim and Flam for their television enterprise. FLIM and FLAM FLIMFLAM - Unicorns. Confidence artists with a high technical skill surpassed only by their gifts of gab and their inerrant ability to recognize the precise moment to flee town. GANDY DANCER - Earth pony construction worker. In reality a changeling infiltrator, who replaced the original after the pony fell off a skyscraper under construction. Legendary among Manehattan construction workers for his lack of fear of heights. GENEVA the GRIFFON - Attorney of record for GWYNETH the GRIFFON and Queen CHRYSALIS. Not aware that the two are in fact the same person. GEORGE BULL - Former member of the Minotaur Rocket Project, specializing in mathematics and logic. GEORGE COWLEY - Former member of the Minotaur Rocket Project, specializing in aerodynamics. GERRY GOODMANE - Earth pony. Cutie mark talent: maintaining his own mane. Anchorpony for the Voice of Equestria television channel. Dr. GINGERBREAD HOUSE - Earth pony. Canterlot's most talented, and most resented, diagnostician. Is, for reasons unknown except to Chrysalis, susceptible to blackmail. GIRDLER - Changeling drone, infiltrator. Their crippling shyness and uncontrollable stutter made them totally unsuitable as a warrior, but acted as a boon in pretending to be a pony. GODDARD the GRIFFON - Elderly griffon scientist mocked for his work on liquid-powered rocket engines until the space race began. Chief financial officer at Cherry's Rocket Parts. GORDON the GRIFFON - Sole pilot of the Griffonstone rocket program. His buddies call him Gordo. GUTS and STENOCARO - Changeling drones, guards. No one has stolen a building from them yet. GWYNETH the GRIFFON - An alias of Queen Chrysalis. HEAVY FROSTING - Pony alias of changeling infiltrator Carapace. Passionate about cooking, baking, etc. Operates Horseton Space Center's gift shop and maintains the astromare quarters. HOBBLE JIMENEZ - Earth pony of the Nickeraguan tribe of Tenochitlan. Forcibly "volunteered" to fly in space to verify its safety for the tribal ponies' mysterious master. HONEY LOCUST - See Skip Town. HORSETON - A village at the extreme southeastern edge the Hayseed Swamps, near the coast of the Celestial Ocean, mostly inhabited by hillbilly earth ponies. HORSETON SPACE CENTER - The new complex built by the changelings for space launches after the desert proved too potentially dangerous. Sited on the coast of the Celestial Ocean on a tidal inlet called Muck Lake, which marks the separation point between the Hayseed Swamps (part of Equestria) and the Forbidden Jungles (not part of Equestria). JEBEDIAH - See Cherry Berry. JET SET - Unicorn, of the Canterlot nouveau-riche. Majority owner of Equestria's largest airship line and airship construction yards. Vain and arrogant. Constantly seeking the next "in" thing. KERATIN - See Sawbones McColt. LAIKA - Diamond dog astronaut, being trained by the Great Designer for Project Stardust. LEAFCUTTER - Changeling drone, guard, of no great importance. LEONID - Lead pilot of the Yakyakistan rocket program. LEPID - Changeling drone, infiltrator. Employed at CSP as a gofer. LUCKY CRICKET - Changeling drone infiltrator. Lives a generally charmed life. Vehicle assembly supervisor and recovery team leader. #4 on CSP's flight roster. MARKED KNEE - Former member of the Minotaur Rocket Project, specializing in electronics. NEIGHING MANTIS - See Eggplant. OCCUPANT - Changeling drone (birthname: Pedipalp) with pronounced buck teeth and an addiction to mail-order. Formerly a door guard and mail-pony, he is now flight director and chief administrator for Horseton Space Center. #5 on CSP's flight roster. PARASOL - Changeling drone, infiltrator. Suffers from involuntary kleptomania. PEDIPALP - See Occupant. PINK MARE - Possibly the most popular (after Saltlick) of Equestria's infant technomancy-driven video game industry. The game involves navigating a maze, eating candy, and either avoiding or shooing off monsters called "party poopers." PLASTRON - Changeling drone, support. CSP Health and Safety Officer, a job he was given specifically so he could be safely ignored. PLECTRUM - Changeling drone, support. Hive quartermaster. Spends his days polishing armor and weapons while devising new and innovative means to ensure they are never actually issued to warriors that might damage them. PROBODOBODYNE - A joint holding company owned by CSP and ESA 50-50, formed to oversee the development of automated space probes. SAWBONES McCOLT - Earth pony cover identity of Keratin, a changeling drone who voluntarily exiled himself following Chrysalis's rise to the throne. Has spent a pony generation as a doctor in various places, most recently Appleoosa. His loyalty to the hive is considered doubtful. He hasn't disobeyed any orders, but Chrysalis has been careful not to give him orders likely to be disobeyed. SILVER STAR - Sheriff, and effectively the town government, of Appleoosa. Less prone to panic or xenophobia than most ponies. SKIP TOWN - Common alias for Honey Locust, changeling drone, infiltrator. Less than diligent about paying debts, even by changeling infiltrator standards. STINGER CHARLIE - Changeling drone, warrior. Recovery and rocket assembly crew. TROPHALLAXIS - Changeling drone, support. Chief negotiator and fixer for Chrysalis's hive. Generally despised for being two-faced beyond even changeling standards. Also known as "Pukey"... except when his services are needed. TYMBAL - Changeling drone, worker. Not smart even by changeling standards, but he can read text off the page in a deep, authoritative voice. UNCLE POINTY - Changeling drone, scout. (Actual name: Fossorius.) His passion for reading makes him really bad at his job. UPPER CRUST - Unicorn, of the Canterlot old aristocracy. Vain and arrogant wife of JET SET who has never yet seen a need for a personal verbal filter. WARNER von BRAWN - Former head of the Minotaur Rocket Project. Chief rocket designer, Changeling Space Center. WIDOWER - Changeling drone, infiltrator. WIGGLE T. PLUG - Earth pony. Technical pony working for the Voice of Equestria television network.