Eve Equestria
05
Space Unicorn
Sister Alitura was a downright pleasant host.
After quickly escorting Rarity and Jafrak off to her private office, she sat them down on a pair of very cozy chairs. Rarity curled up and accepted some tea that the blond lady offered.
Jafrak also accepted. He'd had dealings with her in the past, and they were on decent terms.
There was also a tray of REAL fresh fruit and berries. Rarity had to magically slap Jafrak's hands as he looked like he was about to grab a handful of the most delicious food he'd ever seen. Synthetic or mass grown crops just didn't have the same appearance or taste as fresh grown goodies.
Alitura sat down across from the pair and watched in fascination as Rarity plucked a single strawberry from the bowl and popped it into her mouth, and smiled as the unicorn sighed with delight.
"I can assume you like those?" She asked with a gentle tone.
Rarity sipped her tea before answering. "It was most wonderful. At Jafrak's citadel, the most I can ask for is... well, nurishing mush." She gave Jafrak the stink eye for but a moment.
Jafrak shuddered slightly as he literally felt the glare, then plucked an apple and took a bite.
"I would enjoy a leisurely conversation," Alitura started, "but I get the distinct feeling you are here for other reasons."
Rarity nodded. "Yes indeed Sister Alitura. You see, I was pony... eh-hem. Kidnapped from my home world, which apparently resides in its own pocket of wormhole space. The rapscallion who took me mistook me for some lesser animal and just sold me off to Jafrak here."
"Yea, I quickly realized she wasn't an animal, so, well, I did what I could to ensure her survival." Jafrak shrugged. "As well as other stuff in the name of science."
Alitura nodded. "I see. Well then. I am confident in my guess you wish to find a way home, correct?"
Rarity nodded, maybe just a little too quickly. Alitura smiled at that. "Well, I can understand your concerns and wish to return to your home. As to that end, I do have some good news."
"Really?" Rarity's eyes lit up. "I do so adore good news."
"We know the designation of your home wormhole. It would take some time to track it's exact location, seeing as wormholes tend to naturally be unstable."
"Understandable." Jafrak cut in. "So, may you let us know what designation is?"
Alitura frowned slightly. "It has been classified as a C10 Wormhole."
Jafrak looked frozen, like a statue, a look of shock on his face. After a moment, he recovered. "That's impossible. The highest classification of wormhole is a C6."
"Yes, till now." The woman sipped her tea.
Rarity set down her own tea cup. "Beg my pardon, but why would my home space be classified as a C10?"
Alitura turned her eyes toward the window. "Because all but a single ship that has entered there thus far... has not returned. Not even the capsuleers have returned. When killed, even in a C6, their consciousness is sent back to a fresh clone body for them to take over. This C10, it seems such a thing is impossible."
"Or maybe they met Pinkie Pie." Jafrak joked, then shuddered. "Actually, sorry Rarity, I think that would actually be worse than permanent death of a capsuleer."
Rarity huffed a little. "Pinkie is not that bad. She's just very... energetic."
"Says you. You've told me some horror stories about what that cute, pink, fluffy pony can do. Physics be damned, she's likely the most dangerous entity in existence."
"Wait, what?" Alitura was confused. "With a name like Pinkie Pie? Pink? Cute? Fluffy? Dangerous?"
Jafrak nodded. "You should see how well Rarity is taking to piloting ships. She's never even seen one in her life and with just the basic skills injected, she's done fairly well for herself."
"I've gotten killed twice now." Rarity grumbles. "Three if you count the first time."
"The first one was my fault. I sent you out in a corvette with minimal skills, just to see if you could handle the ship. Yea, and to see if you could transfer into a new clone. You did both reasonably well. That second time, well, not really your fault. I forgot to warn you about aggression on the stargates."
Alitura smiled. "Well then, considering you are a capable young pilot, that would mean your kind is a potential ally to New Eden."
"Basically an all new faction entirely." Jafrak pointed out. "To be honest, isn't calling it a C10 without any further explanation unrealistic?"
Alitura shook her head. "Probes launched into the wormhole didn't last long enough to send images back. It was like something was physically blocking the other end." She leaned back and frowned. "A ship can make it past that barrier, that much we know, but then communications are completely lost, and no ships have returned, not since the first explorer went in there."
"Dear me." Rarity frowned. "So, it is too dangerous to just try to enter my home space?"
"We've lost seven ships to date, and nobody else is wanting to try to enter the wormhole. There's been a general warning sent out to not try to enter it should anyone scan it down."
Jafrak stood up and walked over to the window, watching as ships came and went from the station. "So what you are saying is, there's no real way we can get there safely?"
"Actually, the wormhole tends to have a rather strange and unique signature. It's not terribly hard to scan it down due to that factor." Alitura rose to her feet as well, and fetched herself some more tea. "In fact, it's a rather large wormhole capable of fitting freighters. The real issue is that the wormhole seems to destabilize at random. One of our Nestors was cut in half as it entered the thing, and it collapsed. No lives were lost, thankfully."
Rarity felt better knowing that, at least.
"Which is an oddity. Wormholes have never been known to just close like that. I have seen the data. It was very stable at one moment, and then it just... closed. It's almost like it's alive."
Rarity gasped. "That's it. They're looking for me." Rarity beamed. "I have to go find the wormhole right now. It's my only hope of ever getting home. I'll do whatever it takes."
Alitura smiled. "I'm glad to hear you say that. So, how are your piloting skills?"
"Well, mediocre at best, to be honest." Rarity watched as Alitura nodded. "I do so have a love of the Amarrian design."
"Well, that's half the problem solved right there. You see, we hope to form an alliance with your people, with shared interest in learning and exploring. With that in mind, I do believe we can help you. Normally we would most certainly never do what I am offering, but this is a very special reason."
Rarity was confused, at least till another woman entered the room. She was tall, muscular, with an oddly familiar looking hairstyle and eyes.
"May I introduce Tempest. She's actually been looking for you."
"Oh my.” Rarity beamed. “You remind me of a friend of mine. She too called herself Tempest, though her real name is Fizzlepop Berrytwist.”
Tempest remained calm, and looked at the pony. “Space... Unicorn... is real...”
“Say what?” Rarity blinked.
Jafrak spat out his tea and burst out laughing.
Everyone tried to ignore the man who looked like he might honestly die laughing.
“Well, I am a Unicorn, that much is obvious.” Rarity smiled. “And yes, I guess I am in space, though still, it is not a proper description.”
“Says you Space Unicorn.”
Alitura stepped between the pair. “Her name is Rarity, and she is, in all sense of the term, an envoy of her home world. So Tempest, please do try to show her at least a modicum of respect.”
“Yes Sister Aitura.” Tempest stepped back. “Oh, and I brought the manifest. The remains I gathered have also been transfered to the lab for...” She glanced at Rarity. “Reasons.”
Rarity rolled her eyes. “Let me guess, you found a previous corpse of mine, most likely the one stuck to the side of a stargate?”
“Yes.”
“Very well then, you may keep it. I have no need of it, after all.”
Tempest glanced at Alitura. “Seriously?”
The Sister turned around to face Rarity. “A generous offer, though I do need you to know that a corpse of a dead capsuleer is often regarded as a trophy by many of the more... unscrupulous out there. At least yours was brought in for scientific reasons.”
“Understandable” Rarity levitated her tea and took a sip, glancing at Jafrak as he was now gasping for air.
Tempest’s eyes went wide at the display. “How are you doing that?”
“This?” Rarity gestured a hoof at the flaoting cup. “It’s just simple magic.”
“Magic doesn't exist. You’re using some form for gravity manipulation device.”
Alitura shook her head and placed a hand on Tempest’s shoulder. “The sensors in this room are detecting the unique energy signature of the wormhole, coming from the Lady Rarity’s horn and brain, as well as throughout her body. It is not mental energy, nor physical, and certainly not magnetic. Magic may very well be the only explanation for what we are seeing here.”
“Fine.” She handed a tablet over to Alitura. “Anyways, here’s what you asked for. Also...” She turned to Rarity, knelt down, and did her best to smile without her face cracking. “Pleasure to finally meet you. You’ve been very elusive back in that C1.”
“Whatever do you mean... wait. You’ve been the ones scanning for me this past few days?”
“Yes. We were hired by the SoE to find out exactly what you were, seeing as you proved to be a highly mobile, perfect match for the C10 wormhole.”
“Then that must mean the wormhole is magic in nature.” Jafrak said, sitting up and looking like he was well on his way to a full recovery.
“If it is magic...” Rarity’s eyes lit up. “Perhaps the Princesses are looking for me, using the wormhole to do so.”
All three humans stared at Rarity, and it took Jafrak to recover first to ask what they all had on their minds.
“Are you telling us that the force responsible for that wormhole... is a living being?”
Rarity nodded. “Very likely, yes.”
The ramifications were staggering. If there existed an entity that could rend spacetime at will... what else were these unicorns capable of.
To Be Continued...