//------------------------------//
// The Waiting Game 
// Story: Purple Point: His Life in Space 
// by Alden MacManx 
//------------------------------//

Cosmic Lotus, shortly after the events of the previous chapter:

Radiance Point stared open-mouthed at both his commanding officer and his immediate superior. “They can WHAT?” he said in a voice somewhere between a shriek and a scream.

“The Federation Admiral has agreed to tow the Lotus into orbit around one of the more remote planets of the Chakastra system. Apparently, he is under some orders to detain us, and this is one way for him to creatively interpret them,” Wandering Path told his Engineer’s Mate.

“Tow the Lotus? How in Tartarus is such a thing possible?”

“I don’t know, but they say it can be done, so, I’m going to let them do it,” Captain Path answered.

“What do you want me to do with the decel teams?”

“Here’s what we want you to consider.” Captain Path said before he and Commander Bluequill laid out their desires. Point could only smile after they were done talking.

“Captain, I know we can do it. I may even be able to throw something else in as well. Let me do some studying and conversing with Sunrise. She may see something I don’t.”

“You know what we want, Point. How you do it is up to you.” Commander Bluequill told his friend.

Over the next few days, the Pegasus towed the Cosmic Lotus to a stable orbit around Harpagornis, a gas giant planet orbiting Chakastra. Point, as well as Techbird and the science staff, went over all the readings they took while the move was in place. He could conceivably see how to do such a thing magically, but to do it, in his opinion, requires an alicorn to do the job right. Techbird had other ideas, so she pursued one line of thought while Radiance pursued his given task. He brought Sunrise Flight into his confidence early on, and the two spent several hours a day in Decel, working out possible ideas.

Sunrise made sure Radiance took breaks and down time while pursuing the request. The first time he balked, she flung a coffee mug in his direction. The second time, she didn’t miss. After that, Radiance listened to his sister regarding time off. After an hour in Medical getting the lump treated and ceramic removed, he headed aft for a good, thorough massage and soak before getting some rest.

After waking, Radiance called upon a member of his decel team, Danorax. Since the Halfway Happening, Radiance found he got along well with Danorax, as well as another changeling in Engineering, Fornax. Radiance outlined his ideas, and Danorax supplied some suggestions. Testing showed the ideas viable, so Radiance added the changes into his idea, bringing Sunrise up to speed later. “Hey, any improvement is good, right?” she said.

“Got that right, sister dearest. Is the mail in?” Radiance asked, knowing Playbitz had installed the comm crystals Prince Destined Path had brought.

“Already in. I looked them over. The Foundation is doing better than expected, what with your Virtual Repair and Imaginary Vacation spells sending plenty of bits into the Foundation coffers.”

Radiance grinned. “Sister, you always know what I am thinking,” he said in admiration.

“Not always, but close enough. Details are stored in CONN, in our mail folder. You handle the replies.”

A day or so later, the Princesses arrived to begin talks with the Federation, Celestia, Luna, Twilight, as well as Prince Destined. Radiance had nothing to do with the negotiations, which was fine as far as he was concerned, but he did want a few minutes with Princess Luna. His request was granted, while he was working away in Engineering.

“You asked to see me?” Princess Luna asked.

Radiance put down his tablet and stylus. “Yes, I did, Your Highness,” he said humbly. “I want to ask your forgiveness.”

“Whatever for, Radiance Point?”

“For the longest time, I hated you. My dreams were never calm, my sleep needing drugs to aid it. All that time, you never once entered my dreams to ease my sleep. Now that Flix has excised my other half, and Mother changed him into what she should be, my sleep is now much more tranquil,” he explained.

“Due to thine condition, it was difficult for me to enter your dreams. Your mind was closed to my influences, all attention drawn inside. When you were asleep, the drugs also blocked me. Now that you have no more need of them, once you return home, we can visit in your dreams.

“I forgive you, Radiance Point. You had reason to not like me, but now, you no longer do. I look forward to learning more about you, my little pony,” Princess Luna said, drawing close to Radiance and giving him a gentle hug.

“Thou hast my blessing, Radiance Point. May your mind find even more peace, and the unthinkable become possible for you.” she said quietly. “I must go now. Fare thee well, Radiance Point.”

As the Princess of the Night teleported away, Radiance looked at where she was. “I can only do my best, Your Highness,” he said quietly before turning back to his plans and equations. “And so, I shall.”

When Captain Path and Lieutenant Commander Path left on the Pegasus, leaving Commander Bluequill in charge, that left Radiance Point as Acting Chief Engineer. Seeing as they were stuck in orbit around Harpagornis until the alicorns returned, Radiance had his staff focus on planned maintenance that can be done, including OP-62, which had become due. With the ship in station-keeping mode, the OP went smoothly and swiftly, and they started work on removing the broken stump of Mast Four as well as the rest of the solar sail assemblies, seeing as they did not have any more solar sails.

Radiance, when not involved in Chief Engineer duties, kept pace with his sister and Danorax on the other project they were given. Two days after the Pegasus’s departure, they were ready for trials.

Having secured permission to do some, Radiance gathered his cohorts in Decel. “Are we ready?” Point asked from his station.

“Ready here,” said Sunrise Flight from her station at the main control console.

“Set here,” said Danorax from his position.

“Then, let’s go. Target bearing zero-one-six degrees to port, zero-zero-five degrees ascent, range one hundred thousand. Fire One!” Radiance called out.

Sunrise launched the mana ball, Radiance provided the directional forces, and Danorax provided the detonator. The little sparkle of light raced away from the ship, aimed precisely at the three-meter chunk of ice and rock drifting in its own orbit. Two seconds after launch, the projectile impacted with a flash of light. “Did we hit?” Point asked.

Sunrise looked at her instruments. “Target destroyed as expected. Getting force readings now.”

Radiance let out a cheer, pounding a hoof against the flooring. “All right!” he shouted before calling the bridge. “Torpedo Room to Bridge, we have positive confirmation of weapons ability! You now have an armed ship!”

“Very well, Torpedo Room. Stand down from testing. Well done, Point. Well done, all of you.” Commander Bluequill said.

“Happy to help, Galen!” Point shouted into the intercom as he hugged Sunrise and Danorax.

“Let them try to mess with us now!” Sunrise shouted from the hug.

“’Them’ being the Federation’s opponents, whatever they are.” Danorax added.

“Got that right, Dano!”


Later that day, Radiance and Sunrise went to the Park, where Radiance relaxed in the pool, listening to the water trickle down the falls, while Sunrise lounged on the shore, eyes closed, wings spread. “Now that we’re here, I can’t wait to do our real jobs,” Sunrise said.

“That’s the problem with the waiting game, waiting for others to do their jobs so we can do ours.” Radiance said from the pool. “Once the Captain and Starry get back, we’ll find out what to do next. Until then, we make sure the Captain and the crew has the tools to do their jobs.”

“You ought to know by now, I hate to wait, Point.”

“So do I, but I can get things done while waiting. Like, remember when you soaked me at the one party here, and I swore vengeance?” Point asked in a sweet manner that sent shivers up Sunrise’s mane.

“That was four years ago. I’m still waiting for the venge-ACK!” Sunrise squeaked as Point levitated a glob of pond water over Sunrise and let it go.

“One act of vengeance done, sixteen more to go.” Point said smugly as Sunrise shook herself somewhat dry.

“You are SO in for it, big brother!” Sunrise shouted.

“Promises, promises, little sister,” Point said as he got out of the pond, tossing Sunrise a towel.

Sunrise let fly with a string of invective as she caught the towel. Point said something in reply in Yakyakistani which could be roughly translated as ‘all that, and proud of it’ as he dried himself off.

“I’m going to take foal-sitting duty tonight, Point. You’re not safe for me to be around today!” Sunrise said as she dried herself off.

“Foal-sitting! Thanks for reminding me!” Point said as he galloped off, heading forward.

“Where is he going? I’m doing foal-sitting, not him!” she muttered as the doors to the Park closed.

Point, back in his quarters forward, sent a directive to his foundation, authorizing a one hundred-thousand-bit account to be set up in the name of Skyborn, with Xanth and Cold Fire as guardians of the account, as well as himself. Interest can be drawn off, but the principal would be held by the Bank of Canterlot until Skyborn achieved his cutie mark. “That should set up the colt for his life.” Point said to himself as he touched ‘send’. After that, he sent a copy of the order to Xanth and Cold Fire, to be delivered when he got confirmation of the account being set up. He did like foals, but did not feel comfortable around them... yet.