Cirro Stratus let out a quiet breath as she landed next to Fillydelphia's "Help Wanted" board. The wind from her wings barely even moved the litter that was scattered around it.
The light blue mare might have been called "Cirra" by her friends. It's what she called herself, at least. She didn't have much opportunity to settle down in one place.
She was no good at weather work, and small towns like Hoofington really didn't have many jobs for pegasi other than what was needed to keep their crops stable. She wasn't good enough with her hooves to be an artist, either. So to stay off the streets, she was forced to travel constantly, looking for odd jobs. It kept her eating, at least.
It didn't help her isolation that the light blue of her coat was a literal sky blue. Even her mane was white, easily mistaken as a cloud. And it wasn't as if she could exactly fly fast enough for a casual observer to doubt that assumption.
To be fair, it wasn't that bad. The ponies she helped remembered her quite well, and would sometimes even invite her over. Unfortunately, even in the big cities, not that many ponies actually needed her help. Before long, she'd just have to leave again.
Getting a more permanent job, even in some place like Seaddle, was out of the question. She was terrible at all the jobs pegasi excelled at, and practically everything else could be done better by somepony else. Even her cutie mark was no help. Just a faint rainbow, barely noticeable, that often formed in the clouds she was named after.
Clouds, that is, that were never dealt with by any weather handlers. They were useless.
She had initially thought of seeking her luck in Cloudsdale, since only pegasi really gave competition there, but her childhood friends in Hoofington, the ones that got into the weather business, convinced her otherwise. Everypony went to Cloudsdale, and it was easier to get one in Manehattan. Either you made it big, or you didn't make it at all. Even just working at the weather factory as a clerk required a degree of some sort.
So she ended up here. In Fillydelphia. Big enough to have enough little jobs to feed her for a while, but small enough where the ponies still wanted her help. But leafing through twenty "Lost Dog" posters, and fifteen advertisements for yard sales that were long ended, it was already seeming like the market was dry.
A note caught her eye, asking for somepony willing to mow their lawn, but Cirra sighed as she recognized the address.
I already did that one. She tore the paper away, tossing it into the bin.
A small amount of panic wormed into her mind as it disappeared into the chaotic mess. I only have three bits left Barely enough for tonight's dinner. Do I really have to leave, again?
She started again in earnest, flipping up the papers stapled to the corkboard, desperate to find something underneath that she might have missed.
Finally, under three layers of junk, she found something she didn't remember seeing before. It was just a notecard with barely-legible hoofwriting, but it was something.
"Lab assistant needed"
Cirra blew air out of her snout in irritation. I don't exactly have a degree. Why would they even put this on a public help board?
"No prior experience required."
"Huh."
She scanned the rest of the card as quickly as she could. Which was actually pretty slow, due to the atrocious penmareship. The address given on the card wasn't actually Fillydelphia, but instead a small village in the forest to the northeast, called Hollow Shades. The pay--
"Wow, that's a lot of bits."
One thousand bits just for help with the one experiment. Plus the chance of a stable job, if I read that right. And it's all apparently unskilled labor.
A thought crossed her mind, that this may have been some sort of trap, but she dismissed it just as quickly. This "advertisement" was a small hoof-written note hidden beneath layers of lost puppy posters. If somepony wanted to lure ponies into a trap, they'd at least make it more noticeable.
...Plus she really needed the bits.
Cirra took the note in her teeth, dropping it in her saddlebags, then spit awkwardly in an attempt to get the bits of old tape out of her mouth.
She looked to the sky. "Well... there's nothing keeping me here, I guess. I just hope nopony got that position already."
That really was all too common of an occurrence. While she always at least tried to remember to take the advertisement down after she finished a job, most ponies either weren't as considerate, or simply just didn't realize why that would be so important for ponies in Cirra's position. At least the ponies who put out the ads were usually nice enough to give her a warm meal for her trouble.
She flapped her wings gently, soaring out of the city.
City flying was always more difficult for any pegasus, as the air currents near those tall buildings was always unpredictable, but the air had stilled, so she simply had to tilt her wingtips slightly to maintain level flight.
Cirra smiled as she rose higher and higher. It wasn't particularly useful to her, but she could climb much higher than most pegasi she knew. Fun, definitely, but the reason she could do this wasn't skill or effort. She almost wished that was the case. In reality, it was simply a side-effect of the genetic disorder that left her with hollow bones, just like the birds that their wings seemed to emulate. The same disorder that made it almost impossible to do any sort of weather work, and left her homeless. But it also made her lift-weight ratio absolutely ridiculous. Like she had wings four times bigger than normal.
She didn't really need the extra height for this trip. Hollow Shades wasn't that far away. But it was nice not to have to pay attention to the skies. At this height, it was pretty much impossible for her to run into other pegasi with her daydreaming.
Though the main reason was even more lazy. She knew the high-altitude currents well, and they were quite consistent, like ocean currents. And quite conveniently, this one went right over Hollow Shades. And into Canterlot, but that was less important right now. If she managed the current correctly, she could practically glide all the way to the small town.
Of course, they could be quite dangerous, like any high-speed wind. Especially since the transition wasn't that gradual between the slow and fast-moving air. But it was way too useful to ignore. Perfect for traveling. Perfect with her situation.
Yet still useless when it comes to weather work.
Maybe I could be a courier. That would be an interesting position, and it wouldn't matter that I can't build any sort of speed that's worth a darn.
...But I'd have to convince them before they dismiss my lackluster ability.... and manage to convince them to let me decide my own routes.
Cirra breathed deeply. All right. Never mind then. That would only work if I made my own company. And even had the bits to start one.
She suddenly remembered the job she was currently flying to. Specifically, the pay.
That... that actually might work, to be honest. This sounds... promising. She shook her head. But I shouldn't get my hopes up. It might not even be open still. The note looked kinda old.
Looking down, Cirra saw the trees suddenly cut out, replaced by the clearing that contained the town.
Oops, almost went right past it.
She angled her wings sharply downwards, exiting the airstream. She almost panicked as the pressure difference caused her to tumble, but she recovered quickly, gliding in circles down to the village below.
Reaching back into her saddlebags, she pulled the note out again, confirming the address.
Thank Celestia this town uses the current Cloudsdale standard for naming streets. So much easier than landing and reading street signs.
She replaced the note into her bag, then stretched out her legs, landing gently in front of a house.
Though "house" was a rather poor description. It was big enough to almost be considered a mansion, but it had clearly seen better days. The pony who owned it certainly wasn't great at maintaining it. Or it had been abandoned for quite some time. But the very fact that the note directed her here made that unlikely. And the light that was on in the second story window made it quite impossible. There was a wagon under the overhang on the east side as well, and it seemed new enough.
Still, the disrepair could have just been the sheer age. Never before had she seen dust on the outside of a house before.
Cirra sighed. She was stalling. Raising her hoof to the solid oak door, she steeled herself, knocking firmly three times.
A vague shuffling sound followed, followed by a voice muffled by distance. "Be right there!"
She heard a few hurried hoofsteps and latches being unlocked before the door was opened, revealing a pony that Cirra immediately could identify as the professor.
He looked like one, at least. An elderly-looking earth pony with an unkempt white mane and tail, and fur that might have been brown at some point, but was so streaked with grey that it was already the main color.
He blinked, a bit surprised, but smiled anyway. "Who might you be? I haven't seen you around town before." He held out a hoof, which she shook.
He suddenly paused, then smacked his own head with the hoof he used to shake hers. "So sorry. My name is Professor Calmany. Well, technically, it's Doctor now, but I don't really care about titles, and it tends to get townsponies confused, more often than not."
"Oh, um... thanks. My name is Cirro Stratus, but just Cirra is fine. I came here because I heard you need help with something. An experiment? Hold on a second."
She dug back into her saddlebag once more, producing the slip of paper.
The stallion's eyes widened comically. "Oh, that! I forgot I put that out. You must be from Fillydelphia?"
Cirra's ears drooped. "So you don't need my help anymore..."
He shook his head rapidly, chuckling a little. "No, no. Nothing like that. I forget I do things all the time. Doesn't mean they didn't need to be done. This experiment is something I've been working on for years. Of course, I've been pretty sure everything's been all good and safe for six months already, but as I always say, you can't have too much testing." He grinned. "But come in, come in."
She walked through the now-vacant doorframe, remembering to wipe her hooves on the mat. They weren't that dirty, but it was polite, and it didn't look like his house needed any more dust. Plus, the Professor seemed like a nice stallion, even if he was a bit excitable.
"So... what is this experiment about, exactly?" The door swung shut with a soft thud.
Calmany started slightly. "Oh, I forgot to write that down on that paper, didn't I?" He smiled. "Well, I think you're going to be in for a treat." His ears fell. "Or reconsider your involvement in the whole thing. Don't worry, if at any point, you want to back out, that is completely fine with me." He paused. "If disappointing."
He brightened again. "Anyway, you know the concept of teleportation, right?"
Cirra nodded. "Unicorn spell, rather advanced, if I remember right. Really cool, but kinda short-ranged, so most ponies don't bother."
The professor grinned. "Exactly. You see the shortcomings, too! And among those unicorns that can teleport, even fewer can teleport somepony else with them."
"I see. But I don't really see where this is going in general. I don't want to point out the obvious, but you're an earth pony."
"Yes, see, that's the problem."
Cirra furrowed her brows.
Seeming to catch on, Calmany raised his hooves in front of him. "Not that I'm complaining about being an earth pony, of course! Given the option to be a unicorn, I really don't think I would take it. But the problem I was talking about is that none of it is practical. But I think I've found a way to open it up to everypony, even to pegasi like you and earth ponies like me. And since we're using machines, they don't have a limit of how much energy they can channel, so in theory, they could even be used to transport between cities! There are just so many applications!" He rubbed his hooves together in anticipation, a beaming grin on his face.
Cirra smiled at his enthusiasm. "I'm genuinely impressed. How did you get the machine to manipulate unicorn magic?"
His face fell slightly. "If only I had been able to, this whole project would have been much, much simpler, and I'd have been done by now. Only a year or two instead of... twenty." His eyes lit up again. "But still! That setup would have required a unicorn, or a team of unicorns, to operate the machine at all times! This one requires only a steady stream of electricity!"
She sat down at a nearby armchair, leaning closer. "Oh? This is far more interesting than I expected."
He sighed. "It was reverse-engineering that spell that took me so Celestia-damned long. In the end, I had to make up most of it myself anyway. Electricity and magic aren't as similar as I once thought."
"So... what do you need me for, then? I'm not exactly a unicorn, and I don't really know all that much about electricity."
Calmany grinned brightly. "I succeeded, that's what! The machine functions perfectly! I've been teleporting various items for the past six months, and everything, from the taste of a teleported apple to in-depth molecular scans of pure aluminum seem to all point to the objects exiting at the destination exactly as they entered! I've even taken to eating my meals after they've been sent through, just to make sure the data is consistent. I just...." He looked at Cirra, a slight amount of worry crossing his face. "I just need a brave volunteer for the first... live test."
Cirra's eyes widened. "Oh!"
He looked at the ground, embarrassed. "That's why I offered so much in pay. It was getting to the point where I was just going to go myself, but if it... fails, there'd be nopony to continue my work." He made an attempt to look back at her face, but quickly turned to the side. "I know that sounds selfish, but-"
Softly, she put a hoof on his shoulder. "I'll do it."
He rubbed a foreleg across his eyes. "W-what?"
"I'll do it," she said with conviction. "I've seen how important this is to you. Twenty years? That's longer than I've spent on anything. This is your life's work. It's important. It will help a lot of ponies. There's no way I'm going to stand in the way of that."
"But... but it's dangerous!"
She smiled at him. "Now you're trying to convince me to stop?"
"N-no, I just..." He shuffled his hooves.
Cirra looked down. "And... I just really need the money."
He stood straighter. "All right, fine."
"And even if... even if it fails, and something happens to me, I'll at least have done something useful."
The professor grinned nervously. "L-lets hope it doesn't come to that."
She nodded, looking around. "Right. So... what should I do first? Are there any preparations that need to be made, or is it just a straight test of... wherever you have it?"
He jolted upright, taking a notepad out from behind himself. "Right, right. Since this will be a full, formal scientific report, I'd better write down as many specifics as I can about you. Height, weight, coat color, that sort of thing. In theory, it shouldn't matter, but it's always better to be thorough."
She nodded again. "That's the kind of attitude that makes it a lot easier to accept the whole 'test subject' role. If there's something to think of, you've probably already done it."
Calmany blinked. "Oh. Well, thanks." He shook his head. "Anyway, height?"
"One hundred and fifty centimeters," she said promptly.
He blinked. "I... um... was going to just grab a stick, but..."
She waved a hoof at him. "It's kinda a pegasus thing, don't worry. Mass, weight, height... those sorts of things are pretty important to anypony really serious about flight. Speaking of weight, 37.1 kilos."
That stopped his staring. "Wait, really? You don't look that thin..."
He suddenly shoved a hoof in his mouth while Cirra giggled, holding up one of her own. "Don't worry, I know what you meant. I hope this doesn't mess up anything, but I do have Pneumatic Bone Syndrome."
Calmany stared a little, a clear look of confusion on his face. "I've studied quite a lot of biology for my research, but I don't know that one."
"It's... not that common. It's a fairly rare genetic disorder. It means my bones are actually hollow, just like-"
"-Just like ordinary birds!" he said excitedly.
He shook his head. "Sorry for interrupting. Still, if it wasn't for this current project, that seems like something that would be very interesting to study."
Cirra smiled, rolling her eyes. "Well, if you doubt me about the weight thing, you could just pick me up or something."
His face reddened. "N-no, that's fine. I believe you."
"All right, so... coat color?"
He quickly picked the notebook and quill back off the floor. "Right, right..." Calmany looked between her and the notebook, jotting down her features
"Cutie mark?"
She smirked. "You know, you can just look."
His blush deepened.
She chuckled. "I'm just messing with you. Most ponies don't see it on first glance. It's a very faint circular rainbow." She softened. "Thank you for your modesty, though. And sorry for the teasing."
Calmany let out the breath he was holding in. "All right... so... age?"
"Forty-five."
He dropped his quill, quickly bending down to pick it up. "Wow... You certainly don't look it."
It was Cirra's turn to blush. "Um... thanks?"
"I certainly shouldn't be the one making assumptions about age, though. All this stress has certainly not done wonders for my coat. Would you believe that I'm actually three years younger than you?"
Cirra's eyes widened as she looked at him more closely. Other than his coat, and odd fondness of facial hair, his skin and muscles didn't really show the degradation she would expect in an elderly stallion. Even his white hair wasn't really that uncommon of a natural color.
"Odd aging aside, though, I believe we are ready. Just follow me. The lab is in the basement."
Calmany tore out the page of his notepad, attaching it to a clipboard. Setting that down, he put on the lab coat that hung on a coat rack.
The coat rack that had kinda confused Cirra since she had come in, but now made much more sense, as it stood next to a little door underneath the stairs, presumably the entrance to the basement he was talking about.
The fact that his other coats were also hung there was probably more to do with laziness than anything else.
As Cirra descended the new set of stairs, she was immediately struck with how different everything was compared to the rest of the house. There was no doubt this was built after Calmany moved in. Gone was the dark wood paneling, the soft yellow lighting, and the smell of cherry wood. Instead, sterile metal and smooth stone was lit by bright florescent lamps, and the slight smell of antiseptics reminded her strongly of hospitals.
He led her past banks of switches and lights whose purpose she could not determine. Cirra considered herself to be rather well-educated despite her lack of formal degree, but most of the labels were so obscure and technical that the only real controls she recognized were the big switch that read "Power" and the turnkey that seemed to turn the device on.
But it was the professor's job to worry about that, and she was led into a second, bigger room that housed two larger, seemingly identical machines. She could guess quite easily that this was the "business end" of the setup - the place she would stand to teleport. The machines didn't look anything like she would have expected reading comics. There were no flashy lights, no smooth lights or dark paneling. In fact, the only solid panel in each little, rectangular room was a dull, steel floor - the part she would stand on. The rest of it was a mess of colored wires kept upright by the metal frame. Clearly, this was not a demonstration model.
But that wasn't what Cirra was focusing on in that moment. Now that she saw the machine, her thoughts went from a theoretical understanding of what she was doing to a real, physical one. Her heart started beating faster in an odd combination of excitement and fear. Looking over at Calmany, though, she realized he was going through much the same.
"Ready?"
He sighed. "Not really. but I won't feel any more ready just standing here. Let's do this."
She walked carefully over to the pad, making sure not to disturb any of the wires running back into the other room. For a simple metal plate, though, it seemed almost... snug.
Cirra forced her eyes away from the multitude of wires. She grew up around enough weather ponies to know that the more complicated a system was, the more things could go wrong.
Don't think like that! You saw how much he's put into this. This isn't just some runaway storm. This is Calmany's life work.
A completely new way to travel... and I'm the first one to use it, ever. Is this how Clover felt under Starswirl?
...Maybe that's how she disappeared. She shook her head. No! Bad thought! He already said that it works. He ate food from it and everything. And that's at least sorta living.
She turned to face Calmany through the reinforced glass... next to the solid steel door.
Her heart skipped a beat.
His hooves flipped a few switches, and with a crackle, his voice came through some speakers hidden beneath the wires at her back. "Are you okay? Ready for this?"
Cirra took a deep breath, then nodded, a smile on her face.
"All right. Everything is within nominal... I mean, everything is okay in here. Commencing teleport in t-minus five...
four...
three...
two...
one...
Her world turned white.