Hazy Moonlight awoke to the crackling of a fire. Her mind was as foggy as her name, as she struggled to piece together what had happened. Slowly, she came to a few conclusions. Firstly: she was in pain. A lot of it. Secondly: she was screaming. Thirdly: the ship was on fire. Fourthly: There was a rather large hole in the hull. Lastly: it was raining, which meant she wasn’t in space anymore. Had they landed back on Equestria? Were the pegasi trying to put out the fires? If so, they were doing a good job. Still, they weren’t rescuing her in any hurry.
Then again… Weren’t they supposed to be in space still? Or had they found a planet and ended up crashing on it? She couldn’t remember exactly what happened. She stopped screaming, and tried to stand. She flopped back down, too weak to move just yet. She didn’t feel like anything was broken. It was probably just bruises and burns. She counted her lucky stars that it wasn’t worse, especially since she had survived a horrific crash. Oh right! She wasn’t the only pony here! If she survived the crash, the others must have too!
...Right?
Fighting the pain, Hazy opened up her mouth and tried to shout for her friends and crewmates. “Astral! Rusty! Where are you?” She coughed, her throat burning from the shouting. “Buck… That hurt…” The mare looked over at the crack in the hull, where the rain was pouring in. The sky was grey and cloudy. What a terrible day to make history... Can’t somepony fix the weather? Oh wait, I’m a pegasus… Eh, I’ll get to it in the morning... She thought. At least, she assumed it was nighttime. It was rather dark outside. Of course, it could just be the thick cloud cover.
Hazy’s thoughts wandered to the ship. The ESS Lunar Shine, Equestria’s first interstellar exploration vessel. It was supposed to be Equestria’s first big step into the stars. Now it was a burning wreck on an uncharted planet far from home. At least the planet has an Equis-like atmosphere, she thought, things would be much worse if we crashed on a barren asteroid instead.
She lied there for another hour or so, occasionally trying to get up. No other sounds caught her ears except the slowly dying fires and the pitter patter of the rain. She didn’t even hear the sounds of her friends. Did they survive, or was she all alone on what remained of their ship? Or were they all in the same sort of situation she was, wracked with pain and unable to move? Well she wouldn’t have any of it. Trying once more to stand up, Hazy managed to get into a sitting position. Letting out a sigh, she slowly moved into a standing position, wincing at the pain in her legs. “No. I’ve sat around long enough. Time to get moving.”
Walking was a slow process. The lingering pain in her legs made each step hurt, and she could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. She didn’t let that stop her as she walked up to the door separating her from the bridge. The horizontal sliding door was stuck shut, most likely because the hydraulics were dead. “Dang… Well I’d say brute force is necessary, but I don’t think I can muster up the energy to open this door…” She turned away to keep looking when she spied the ship’s onboard computer.
The poor thing looked like it was an inch from death. The screen was cracked, faint static noises came from the speaker, and the image of TAIL’s avatar was distorted. However, despite all that, the fact that the screen was on and responsive showed that it still worked. Hazy crawled over to it and tapped the screen. TAIL’s avatar disappeared momentarily, before coming back much less distorted. Some of the lights that were still connected to the computer turned on too, bathing the interior with much needed light.
“Reboot complete. Twilight-model Arcane Intelligence Lattice online. Operating at minimal capacity. Ship integrity at 4%. Multiple hull breaches detected. Engines offline. Reactor offline. Urgent repairs needed.” TAIL said in a default monotone. Hazy never understood why they based an entire line of AIs on Equestria’s old heroines. The princesses must have had a deep connection to them. She tapped the screen again, and TAIL smiled at her, her personality finally coming back to her. “Good evening, Hazy Moonlight. How may I be of assistance?”
Hazy gave the computer her best deadpan stare. “We crashed onto a planet. Please see if you can find the others.” She instructed.
TAIL nodded. “I may be running on emergency power, but I think I can manage that much. Initiating short-range scan.” She paused for a moment, then spoke up again. “I found one other lifeform nearby. I suspect it to be Astral. Rusty… I can’t find her anywhere…”
Hazy looked crestfallen. “Oh… You think she might be elsewhere?” She wanted to believe her friend and crewmate would still be alive.
“Probably with the back half of the Lunar Shine, wherever that is.” TAIL responded.
Hazy perked up, more surprised than relieved. “Wait, what? Damage report, now.”
“Okay, okay. Initial readings show that upon entry, a miscalculation led to the front half of the ship completely separating from the rear half. The front half crashed onto this planet, while I have no idea what happened to the rear half. It could either be floating in space or found somewhere to land as well. That’s all I can tell you.” TAIL explained.
Hazy blinked, confused. “Entry? What are you…?” She tried to remember what happened before the crash, but couldn’t. “You have any data on what happened? My memory is turning up short.”
TAIL’s avatar nodded. “Much of my data is corrupted or destroyed, but I’ve salvaged three text logs as well as a video recording from just before the crash. Would you like to access them?” She asked, to which Hazy nodded. “Very well.”
Hazy sat down and began to read the logs as they displayed on the cracked screen.
Hazy Moonlight’s Log - Day 7
It’s been a week since we launched and I’m just now getting to my first trip log. I miss Equestria already. Princess Luna hosted the biggest party in 400 years to celebrate our launch. Those Pie sisters really know their stuff. Then again, partying has been in their blood for seven generations now. Well, that and rocks. They seem to know a lot about rocks. Especially Pumice. In fact, she even made artificial moon dust for my cute-ceañera. It was like I was partying on the moon itself!
But now we’re possibly light years away from Equestria. I say possibly because our FTL reactor is the first of its kind, and I’m not quite sure exactly how fast it is. Rusty Gears probably knows, considering she helped build it, but that technical jargon goes right over my head. I’ll ask her later.
Also, I was looking through our navigation plans for this expedition. Instead of going towards the star closest to us like we originally planned before the launch, we’re going right past them towards an electromagnetic hot spot discovered only a few months ago. I wonder if the others know about this. I’ll have to have a talk with the AI. Not sure why they based her off one of Equestria’s old princesses, but at least she’s friendly, unlike the last AI I had to deal with.
Something that had me worried when I signed up for this trip were my instincts. Us pegasi tend to react badly when we go into space. It was no different for me during my first run up out of the atmosphere. That feeling of losing control never really goes away. I just gotta control it, and control it I did. Anyway, I’ve made my log long enough. I should get some sleep.
It took her a while to get through it all due to the damaged screen, but she was able to make out every word. She chuckled at her own inner musings from back then, and how she still muses on those same things two weeks later, then moved onto the second log.
Astral Blade’s Log - Day 13
Ya know, when I was first approached for this mission into space, I was hesitant. “I’m a Corporal in the Royal Guard,” I said, “what use would I be up there when I can do so much more down here?” Then I remembered that my pain-in-the-flank older sister was getting married to a noble, and I signed right up. I wasn’t going to let her gloat about her success while I was on statue duty.
So I did my training, packed my bags, and almost two weeks after launch, here I am. I must admit, I didn’t know what to expect. Not about the launch. Of course that was a complete unknown. I mean about my crewmates. Rusty is a brilliant engineer, but she doesn’t know the meaning of relax. She’s always rushing back and forth making sure everything's running smoothly. Hazy and I had to actually strap her to a chair the other day so that we could play some cards together. I say “day” but it really isn’t. We just keep time like used to, but according to Rusty, time is moving at a fraction of what it is back home due to how fast we’re moving.
I talked to Hazy about her thoughts on our current course, and she’s concerned that the area we’ve been heading towards is inhabited. If this course was planned since before the launch, I can assume that’s why I was brought along. Somepony needed to know how to defend this ship in case we do run into hostile aliens. Heh. Aliens. Maybe. Hazy seems quite nervouscited about the idea of meeting aliens, and I must admit, I am too. Just a bit.
Hazy chuckled again, the pain returning as she did so. She fought back against it though, and moved on the third log.
Rusty Gears’ Log - Day 21
So it’s been approximately three weeks and we’re finally getting close to our destination. I’ve had the ship’s onboard AI run constant scans of the area, though she tells me it’s impossible without leaving FTL transit. So instead I’ve had her run diagnostic scans of the ship’s systems while I check them manually. We have to make sure everything is functioning properly when we get there. Otherwise, this trip could end very quickly. I’m only making this log because Hazy and Astral made me. So now that I did make it, I have to get back to making sure we don’t blow up.
Hazy huffed at the shortness and bluntness of Rusty’s log. Then again, she really shouldn’t have expected much else. That mare was all work, no play. “I do hope she’s alright…” She thought aloud.
“I’m sure she’s fine. She’s a tough mare.” TAIL responded. “So you want me to play back the video now?”
Hazy nodded. “Please do.” She said, as TAIL started playing back the recording.
Location: ESS Lunar Shine, FTL transit.
Day 22 of Maiden Voyage.
12:27 Canterlot Standard Time
Hazy Moonlight sat in the pilot’s chair as her crewmates finalized preparations to bring them out of FTL transit. “Come on Rusty, we’re gonna overjump if you keep dawdling like that.” She nagged.
“I know, but I have to make sure TAIL did all her calculations correctly.” Rusty retorted.
“Excuse me.” The voice of the AI in question came out of the ship’s speakers. “I ran three hundred simultaneous simulations based on the data you and the scientists back home gave me in the space it took you to speak that sentence. The only possible thing that could go wrong is if we end up in front of a black hole or an alien fleet.” There was a pause. “Or inside a star, in front of a gamma ray burst, a supernova, colliding with a planet… Okay, a lot of things could go wrong. The point is we can’t stay like this forever.”
Hazy nodded. “You’re right. How much longer until we drop out of transit?”
“Two minutes. Better hurry and finish up.” TAIL answered. “Also Rusty, your attention is needed in the engine room.”
Rusty shot up. “Oh, right! Gotta check on the reactor!” She bolted out of the bridge.
Astral looked towards the speakers. “Was she needed really, or did you want to keep her away from the controls?” She asked, a sly look on her face.
“Would you believe both?” The speakers responded. “Anyway, better get ready.”
Astral sat in the co-pilot seat and made sure her harness was fastened. “Okay, we’re ready. Take us out.”
The ship lurched slightly as it slowed to a more subluminal speed, revealing what they came all this way for. Though, instead of a planet or star, like what was expected, they found a massive blue vortex. “Um… TAIL… What am I looking at?” Hazy asked.
“That would be a wormhole, by my guess.” The AI responded. “And it seems to be pulling us in. I wasn’t aware they could do that.”
Hazy swore under her breath. “I dunno about you, but I’m not interested in getting pulled towards Celestia-knows-where. I’m getting us out of here.” Hazy tried to turn them around, but the engines weren’t responding. “Oh, come on Rusty!” She got out of her seat. “Astral, take the wheel.”
Astral nodded and got into the pilot’s seat as Hazy left the room. Moments later, the room shook. “Warning! Engine malfunfunction due to electromagnetic interference!” TAIL announced over the ship’s speakers. “Releasing automated dist-”
The recording cut out and TAIL’s avatar once again took over the screen. “Shortly after that, we were pulled into the wormhole and the ship shook itself apart in the process. I suspect Rusty may have had something to do with that. She was back in the engine room, after all.” The AI mused.
Hazy sighed. She had the information she asked for, but it wasn’t exactly to her liking. “Well that’s going to sit heavy in my mind for a while. What about Astral? Where is she?” She had to make sure at least Astral was still up and kicking.
“She’s out cold in the bridge.” Came the reply. “I can get the door open slightly, but that’s it. The hydraulics are pretty much shot.”
Hazy stood up, cringing at the pain in her legs. “Do it. I gotta make sure she’s alright,” she said. TAIL nodded and after a short pause, the door opened up a crack. It let out a screeching noise and jammed again, so Hazy tried to help get the door open by grabbing it and pulling. When it was open enough for her to fit her body inside, she moved into the doorway and pushed until it budged enough to allow comfortable passage. Of course, now her body screamed at her to stop.
Hazy flopped onto the floor of the bridge, her energy pretty much spent after opening the door, even with TAIL’s assistance. She needed to find Astral though. She slowly stood back up and made her way to the pilot’s seat, where she found Astral slumped forward over the bridge control console. The safety harness was torn and ripped in some places, but it mostly kept her In the chair, and therefore did its job proudly. Hazy pulled her friend away from the chair and set her on the floor. The first thing she noticed was that Astral’s horn had a small crack on it. The second thing was that her head was bleeding slightly.
Hazy went into a sort of calm panic mode, where her mind had shut down and she was acting on instinct. She had to clean and close the wound or else Astral risked getting an infection. She pulled an emergency first aid kit from the wall and started cleaning the blood from Astral’s head, then bandaging the wound. While she was at it, she bandaged the horn as well. If that horn broke, Astral would be without magic for a very long time.
She dragged the unconscious unicorn out of the bridge. By now, the rain had put out most of the fires, leaving the ship’s few remaining functioning lights to be the primary source of light inside the ship. The moon managed to let in some light too through some cracks in the clouds. Hazy looked towards TAIL, worry written all over her muzzle. “Do we have anywhere left that we can rest safely?” She asked.
TAIL’s avatar nodded and pointed towards a room which was wide open, its door having fallen down. “We have a few sleeping bags and a tent in there. They’re Astral’s, issued to her by the Royal Guard, though why she brought them onboard is something only she knows.” She paused for a moment. “Listen, I don’t have much power left to run on. My scanners noticed unusual structures to starboard. It’s most certainly in your best interests to scour the area for a way to either get me some sort of backup generator or repair the ship. Though admittedly, I don’t see that second option happening any time soon. Maybe there’s intelligent life on the planet. They could offer some assistance. I’m sorry, I wish I could help you, but I don’t want to waste what remaining power I have. You’re on your own. Good luck.” She explained, then the screen went black.
Hazy sighed. The AI was not going to help her anymore, and her remaining crewmate was unconscious with a cracked horn and most likely a concussion on top of it. It was up to her to ensure that they got out of this alive. “Juuuuust bucking great…”