//------------------------------// // Two - Contact // Story: Alien vs. Pony // by Scriber //------------------------------// Chapter Two - Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity and Pinkie Pie stood, gathered around the hole in the hull. “Goll-y,” Applejack said, followed by a whistle. “That there’s quite the hole, Twilight.” “What do you think happened, huh?” Pinkie asked. “It looks like...it almost looks like some sort of space junk, or wreckage of some kind.” “But where could it have come from?” Rainbow asked. “Didn’t Princess Luna say that nopony been into space for the past four hundred years?” “That’s right, Rainbow.” Twilight affirmed. “The last mission into space was to monitor a natural satellite that only passes our planet’s orbit once every few thousand years. To my knowledge, it should be only us out here.” “But Twilight...” Fluttershy nearly whispered. “Yeah. I feel it too, Fluttershy. Something is definitely not right. According to Mother, the space junk - or whatever it is - is from an unknown origin, which can mean one of two things - either it was from a craft hailing from another country, or it’s so old that Mother’s database can’t identify it.” “How likely does that option seem, darling?” Rarity had to ask. “I thought Equestria was the only nation to travel to space?” “Not entirely, no. In the midst of the great global Renaissance, the Kingdom of Gryphonia actually bolstered a pretty advanced space program. It’s long since been abandoned, of course...but still! Where could have any of this possibly come from?” “Well, can’t we just send a message to Princess Luna and find out?” Rainbow interjected. “I mean, isn’t that kind of what she told us to do, should anything happen?” “Well...that’s going to be a problem. Apparently, when we were impacted, the communications array was taken down as well.” The group started. “D’ya mean-” Applejack began. “-that’s right, Applejack. For the moment, anyhow - we’re cut off.” The gravity of the situation began to sink in. “Well, uh...” Applejack started. “Do we have a plan?” “Well, of course we have a plan!” Twilight reassured. “You’re talking to the pony who wrote the emergency protocol, remember?” “Whew. That there’s a relief, Twi’.” “First things first - we need to activate the ship’s maintenance subroutines. That should repair the damage to the hull, as well as magically quarantine the foreign object that impacted the Neighstromo. Somepony is going to need to perform a spacetrot in order to repair the communications array.” “Ooh! Ooh!!” Rainbow Dash spoke up, flailing a cyan foreleg back and forth. “Pick me! Pick me! I still haven’t gotten to try a spacetrot in zero gravity!” “Rainbow, are you sure that you’re up to it? You did just come out of a magical hibernation...” “Yeah, I’m fine, Twilight. Really, I’m fine! I’m not dumb, ya know - I wouldn’t be volunteering if I weren’t feeling up to it.” “Hm...I suppose you’re right, Rainbow. Ok, then. I’ll boot up the maintenance subroutines from the bridge - Rainbow Dash, you suit up. Rarity, could you go with her and make sure the suit is airtight?” “I’ll get right on it, darling. Come along, now, Rainbow Dash - don’t want to be late for the suit’s maiden voyage, do we?” “Heck, no! Let’s go!” With that, the two started toward the habitation bay, where the series of suits were stored. The remaining four departed similarly - Pinkie Pie and Applejack headed off to habitation, while Twilight and Fluttershy started toward the bridge. Having had a significant amount of input poured into the final designs of the Neighstromo, Twilight allowed herself a moment to grieve the ship’s former mint condition. With any luck, the subroutines that activated the automated magical repair spells would not put too much of a drain on the reserve energy crystals. Though she was almost certain that the flashing yellow lights would cease once Twilight was on the control board on the bridge, Fluttershy allowed herself a moment to become annoyed with them, as they were indeed becoming quite the nuisance. A rather large hunk of the strange, metal material that had apparently impacted the Neighstromo lay still amongst the wreckage, the eerie yellow light flashing and cascading over it in rolling, lambent waves. She thought that for the briefest moment, she spied movement amongst the carnage - as she fixed her eyes upon what she thought she had seen, though, it turned out to be a trick of the light. Or had it been? She walked in upon Twilight talking out loud to herself. “Initiating secondary and tertiary sub-processes...terminated. Re-routing power to auxillary drives...done. Launching repair subroutine...done. Estimated time for repair completion...six hours, forty-six minutes. Okay. We’re in good shape, for the moment.” A purple hoof flicked a switch on the console in front of her. “Rainbow Dash? Rarity? Can you girls hear me?” “We hear you, Twilight. Rainbow is just about finished dressing.” “Ok, good. Rainbow Dash, do you remember the procedures?” “You got it, Sparkle. Over and out.” Twilight stifled a snicker, reaching over to kill the intercom. She took a few deep breaths in an attempt to relax herself, not letting the seriousness of the incident overcome her. She breathed in through her nostrils, holding her breath for the slightest of moments, before releasing the breath through her pursed lips. She massaged her forehead with one of her hooves. Hopefully, the repair subroutine will do the trick. If it goes off without a hitch, and Rainbow is able to repair the communications array, I’ll send an urgent message back to the Princesses in Equestria. If she’s not able to get comms up and running, I’ll just...well, I’ll just have to improvise. I just need to relax, keep my head, and handle the situation as it develops. Twilight Sparkle felt Fluttershy enter the room behind her, the soft flutter of her pale yellow wings accompanying her. “Where’d you get to, Fluttershy?” “Oh! Um, it’s just...well, it’s nothing.” “Oh?” “Um...yes. It’s just that...it’s just that I thought that I might have heard something, is all.” “Ah. Did you find anything?” “No...nothing, really.” “Hm...ok.” The two stood in silence for a beat. The console in front of them beeped ever so often. Then, the words that would change the course of their lives: “I don’t know what you are, and I don’t know how you have a ship, but don’t make any sudden moves. My name is Ripley, and you are all in terrible danger.”