She lets out a sigh when the machine finally turns off. “I didn’t think it would take that long.” She glances up. “I wonder, what were your simulations suggesting I can do again?”
“Simulations suggest gee tolerance increase on the order of two hundred thirty percent from original human stats; supersonic flight capability with the wings; retention of normal walking ability in zero gravity; strength increase on the order if six thousand percent; direct perception and control of Unknown Energy One.”
Blink, blink. “Supersonic?”
“Affirmative. Simulations have attained speeds upwards of mach three point seven.”
“Rrright then, um, how is that analysis on the transporters doing?”
“System tests completed; equipment functional as designed. Analysis indicates interference was caused by transporting an entity with a connection to Unknown Energy One; transporters are designed to strengthen energy connections. Transport interruption was unique to Unknown Energy One and has not occurred for any objects; analysis suggests interruption is unique to entities with connections to Unknown Energy One. Transporters operating in supplies-only mode.”
She blinks. “Uh, right. Do that. Um… You mentioned something about zero gravity?”
“Simulations suggest your form is capable of retaining normal walking ability in zero gravity.”
She pauses just outside the neural lab, glancing back at the door- and the wall next to it. She tilts her head. “Oh, I suppose you never know,” she mutters, and walks sedately to the wall. She places a hoof against it, and pulls- it comes away instantly.
She scowls at the wall, though- she’d felt something else in the wall, specifically while she was touching it. Come to think of it, when she thinks about it, she can feel the same in the floor.
She glances up and down the hallway. “Uh, don’t anyone judge me,” she states.
“All crew on board are asleep; all records of the following actions will be kept strictly confidential.”
She raises an eyebrow. “Even in a public space?”
“You have the authority to request data privacy anywhere aboard this vessel, including in otherwise public spaces.”
“Alright.” She looks at the wall again. “Here goes nothing.” She jumps at it, rearing up in the process- and kinda flops against the wall.
Then she straightens her legs and looks down. And back up. Then she snickers. “Next time they start driving me up the wall…” She snorts, before walking up the wall. Switching to the ceiling is easier- as long as she doesn’t actually try to pull away from it, her hooves seem to stick just fine.
Then she walks, across the ceiling, down the passage towards the lifts, giggling all the way like a naughty schoolgirl. She decends the wall next to the lift. “Alright then. Optimal location to try out my wings- so, somewhere large, maybe with a pool to land in?”
“Warning, simulations suggest you may be unfamiliar with swimming in your current form.”
She nods. “You can be certain I’ll be checking that before I start risking my life falling into it.” She glances back at her wings. “Just, with how easy it was to dry off…” She shrugs- then tries again with her wings instead, in order to produce the desired effect.
“Acknowledged. Confirm destination, Flag Pool Room?”
“The Flag one?”
“Affirmative. Flag Pool Room has fourteen percent larger pool, thirteen percent more dry warm-up zone, and eighteen percent higher ceilings than any other pool room.”
Blink. “Right then, the answer is yes. Confirm destination.”
“Orders confirmed.”
She steps into the lift.
The Flag Pool Room is huge. She spends several minutes simply exploring the cavernous space before she even considers stepping into the pool. “Wow. EarthShips really does spoil their flag officers!”
“Indeterminate. This vessel was neither designed nor constructed by EarthShips nor any subsidiary thereof.”
“Huh?”
“This vessel was privately designed, constructed, and tested, before commissioning into to military service following the original builders’ death.”
“... Oh. I’m… sorry to hear that.”
No response. She glances at the stairs into the pool, then up at the wall. “Is there a lifeguard on duty?”
“Negative. All pools aboard this vessel are equipped with Emergency Drowning Prevention Systems.”
“Uh… How do these E-D-Ps work?”
“Upon manual activation by a lifeguard, or in the absence of one, detection of a drowning or drown precursor event, an alloy mesh platform can be projected upwards from the pool floor, raising all pool occupants above water level. Mesh platform does extend over the steps as well.”
She blinks. “So, in the event that I need a lifeguard, you can push me free of the water.”
“Affirmative.”
“... Ahh. Well, here goes.” She steps into the pool… And stops, one hoof on the top step. She takes a deep breath. “Sorry, just… I guess I’m used to having my head above my… uh, rump?” She glances briefly back at the anatomy in question. “I think that’s what it’s called. Anyways.” She shudders gently and takes another step into the pool. Then another.
Before long, she’s standing sideways on one of the steps, the water just covering her shoulders. She lets out a chuckle. “Come to think of it, perhaps I should change my vocabulary a little, with this body change. Make it clear what I’m talking about- like, say, everypony instead of everyone, when talking about ponies…” She chuckles a little more, progressing to the next step- and floating effortlessly off of it, her entire head above the surface.
She paddles forwards with her hooves. “Well, that was easy.” She blinks, and looks up towards the ceiling. “Wait. Did my, uh, density change in the transformations?”
“Affirmative. Your current form is approximately eleven percent lighter than an equal volume of water; mass-reduction adaptations detected in first transformation was not reverted in the following transformation.”
“So…” She glances at her hooves, momentarily dunking her nose- er, muzzle- into the water. She blows the water out of her nose. “You mean to say I have bird bones?”
“Negative. Biological resemblance to avian races, forty-three percent.”
She squints her eyes. “What’s that same resemblance from a human to those avian races?”
“Twelve percent.”
She snorts. “So I do have bird bones. No- light and strong bones, compared to human bones.”
“Affirmative.”
“I bet it’s going to make diving difficult. Unless your Unknown Energy One can counteract that?”
“Affirmative.”
She sighs, stretching her wings out underwater. “Anyways, time for flying lessons.” She raises them free of the surface, bringing her head right down to the water, and gives them a little water-shedding shake before she makes a powerful downstroke.
Moments later, she hits the ceiling, bouncing off.
“Ow! Um…” As she falls she stretches her wings out once again. She manages to reduce her falling speed- and tumble down into the water instead. It takes her a few seconds to right herself in the water, after which a simple shake of her head gets her wet mane out of her eyes- and dries it off. Then she starts swimming towards the steps. “Alright. I’m starting from solid ground, with gentle strokes.”
An hour later, she’s glad her fur doesn’t bruise. And that she heals so quickly; she’d landed on the edge of the pool once, and bled a little. The wound had closed up by the time she clambered out- and when she asked the ship if it had a hoof in that, it had declined, saying the medical regenerator was not calibrated for ponies.
A minute ago, she had idly wished she could take off from the surface of the water, as if it were dry land- then, when she inevitably crashes, splash back in. Much less painful.
Now, the water’s surface has a gentle golden glow to it, and is glassy smooth, even with her walking on it. Strange.
She tries taking off again, splashes back down… then climbs back out onto the once again glowing surface.
A few more hours pass. It wasn’t long after she figured out how to walk on water that she also figured out how to glide. In a straight line.
By now, though, she’s prettymuch figured out how to fly. She makes a powerful stroke from one end of the room, rocketing across the room, then banks sharply to the left- to wirl around in a half-circle and go right back in the direction she came- with a triumphant exclamation. She’d always slammed into a wall when she tried that before. As she glides to the ground in a wide circle, she glances back at the point she’d spun on, then up at the ceiling. “Um, Athena? Did you see that turn?”
“Affirmative.”
She glances back again. “What was my turning radius?”
“Turning radius was approximately zero point three millimeters.”
She blinks. “So, pinpoint turning… literally. About how many gees did I pull?”
“Approximately twenty seven point four million.”
“Wow! How fast was I moving?”
“Two hundred eighty four meters per second.”
She blinks. “Uh, give me a reference?”
“Mach zero point eight three.”
More blinking. “Oh. Um, boy, am I good!” She sighs. “I’m willing to bet it was Unknown Energy One that let me survive that.”
“Affirmative. During flight, Unknown Energy One in the wings creates a localized gravity bubble, creating a near-microgravity flying environment. During flight, this gravity bubble is dynamically manipulated to allow extreme maneuvers. Additionally, during extreme maneuvers above one thousand gees, the gravity bubble doubles as mass manipulation. During that turn, you weighed approximately zero point zero one three milligrams.”
She blinks. “What about the air around me, then?”
“Atmospheric mass within the zone was modified proportionally, preventing a barrier effect.”
“... Oh. I bet that’s involved in going supersonic.”
“Affirmative. Updated simulations suggest a top speed near Mach Fourteen.”
She sighs, making contact with the tile. “I… Oddly enough, I’m not surprised. Now then, I’m getting mighty hungry- where’s the mess hall? Oh- and what kind of dietary restrictions should I be aware of?”
“Pony forms appear capable of metabolizing all human foods; dietary capability is expanded, with no restrictions on prior foods. Simulations suggest dietary requirements have reduced.”
“Oh?”
“While pony forms are capable of digesting all human foods and many non-foods, including most any plant, without issue, simulations suggest full health of the pony form can be maintained on an entirely vegetarian diet. Simulations suggest the vegetarian diet will not support an active lifestyle.”
She smiles, trotting out of the pool room. “Right then. Make me something tasty, and guide me to the mess hall while you’re at it?”
“Orders confirmed.”
She pauses in the middle of her meal. As it turns out, her food is more than willing to float into the air for her, always surrounded by a strange, gentle golden glow- but that’s not the reason for her pause. She looks up at the ceiling. “Athena?”
A tone chimes.
She snorts. “Of course you’re listening. Um, when is the next crew flight scheduled?”
“Four and a half hours.”
“... and my Exec’s awakening?”
“Four hours.”
“Alright. Um…”
“Incoming call, Space Lord Matthews, requesting your attention; personal flag set.”
She glances around. “Nopony is awake to overhear, right?”
“Affirmative.”
“Alright. I’ll take it here, then.”
“Space Lord Matthews is requesting a video connection. Confirm?”
“Uh, no. Audio-only for now, we can go video when I hit the bridge or something.” She glances down at herself. “Um, make sure it’s a secure connection, then don’t apply the comms filtering thing to the call. I might want to tell my dad.”
“Orders confirmed. Accepting call, audio only. Secure connection established.”
Then her father’s voice comes on. “Uh… Audio only? Um, okay.”
She scowls. “Sorry- there aren’t any terminals handy for a video connection. You called?”
“Ahh, yes, um, how’s the settle-in going?”
She glances down at herself. “Um, okay, I think?” She stretches her wings out, and refolds them again.
“Dubious,” he comments. “I understand they decided to screw you over up there?”
She nods. “Something like that. Only, we’ve got some impressive computer support, so I think I’ll get away with it anyways.”
He sighs. “The way I hear it, they’re trying to screw you over even more than they’re letting on. They promised your medical staff aboard almost fifteen hours ago, right?”
She blinks, tilting her head. “Uh, yes, I think so.”
“Well… I just checked in with them, and they haven’t even started selecting who to send up. Speaking of which, I agree with your decision on the engineer they assigned.”
She shudders. “You saw that?”
“You know, I am good friends with Admiral Wolf, the head of the Space Police. Before we even started assigning crew to that ship, he requested that any police reports related to it be brought to his attention, whether they needed it or not- and he took that one to me. While authorizing automated fire like that would normally be illegal, you did constrain it to when he directly disobeys an order you have the full authority to give- and he gave the death threat first, so it falls under self-defence.” He chuckles. “Lieutenant Commander Chaftan has been jailed both for threatening a superior officer and for an unprovoked threat of violence. He’s also got his court-martial coming up, for conduct unbecoming- but he might survive that, simply because of his parents’ influence.
“In any case, I have noticed your exec put a hold on the third flight, delaying them by about twenty-five minutes- do you know why?”
She blinks. “Well, I do know the entire second flight, himself included, was dog tired when they came aboard. His ten hour hold, I understand, was so that he could be rested up in time to receive the third flight.” She stuffs her last bite into her mouth.
“... Ahh. Um… Any chance I could come have a tour, once you get settled in up there?”
“Huh? Um… Right, this ship wasn’t made by EarthShips, was it?”
“That would be correct. She’s a unique vessel- and one that did not receive authorization to launch, as a matter of fact, because the builder couldn’t guarantee the safety of another vessel watching her initial testing. He had the flight path reserved, though, so when he died, the computer didn’t know or care about the absent authorization… and launched.
“A month later, here we are, with a fully tested starship that automatically gave over to our authority when it got back from its automated testing routine. With the numbers she’s given us, I’m mighty curious how different from ours she is- how different her civilian designer made her.”
She banks sharply through the open door into the bridge, winging to a swift landing next to the captain’s chair. “First off, she’s got a gravity generator. Second… Uh, before you come visit, there is something you should know.”
“Oh? What is it?”
“Well… During the testing cycle, apparently, the ship was exposed to a form of strange energy, which stuck with it for the return journey. She’s calling it ‘Unknown Energy One’.”
She can almost hear him sigh. “It’s not hurting you, is it?”
She shakes her head vigorously. “No, it’s not- but I’m pretty sure the effect is irreversible.”
“The effect?”
“Yes, the… effect. This strange energy is… transforming us. I’ve already been completely transformed, but nobody else has finished the, uh, process just yet.”
“... Okay. Transforming how?” He sounds guarded.
“Well, as I said, it’s not harmful. I can fly, after all. And walk on water, if I want.”
“Sounds almost too good to be true.”
She nods. “It does. I don’t have fingers anymore, but it doesn’t seem to matter- because I can still grab things as if I did… nevermind the lack of any body part to do the grabbing. I think it’s similar to the way I can walk on walls and ceilings.” She sighs. “I can still eat everything I could before, though I understand I can eat a few more things I couldn’t before.”
“So… Okay. I’m having a hard time imagining you with no fingers.”
She chuckles. “You don’t have to. It turned me into, well…” She touches a button on the control panel, enabling the video feed. “This.”
Her terminal flickers momentarily to show him; she knows the same is happening on his end. He blinks, then leans closer to his terminal. “You’re joking,” he states.
She shakes her head. “I kid you not,” she states. “This is me.”
He sighs, leaning back in his chair. “... Alright. So, it turned you into a unicorn. When can I try?”
She blinks. “Unicorn? Do I have a horn or something…?” She reaches a hoof up to check- and it shortly runs into something sticking out of her forehead. “... Oh, I guess I do. That’d make me, um…” She spreads her wings, looking back at them. “What? A pegacorn?”
He blinks. “Um, no. The term is ‘Alicorn’. Again, when can I try?”
“Uh… Wait. You want this?” She looks briefly down at herself, holding up a hoof.
“Well of course,” he states. “Sure, it would probably be dangerous to go out in the public afterwards, but you’re positively adorable. I can hardly imagine someone that wouldn’t want that. Tell you what- go public with the transformation thing, and I’ll make sure you get final approval of everyone- and I mean every pony- that comes aboard. Before they do. And in person, if you so desire.”
“Uh… Okay. Um… I can do that, I suppose. You wanted to come aboard?”
“Yes. That is all it takes for the transformation, right?”
She nods. “I was a pegasus at first… I guess the little hiccup I had with the transporters might have done the rest. Athena did mention a secondary transformation.”
“Huh… Whatever- I’ll still get to be one of your furry little minions, won’t I?”
“What? Wouldn’t I be yours?”
Shrug. “Why would I want to come back down here? I mean, seriously! The bureaucracy is unbearable! And, after being turned into a pony, I could use personal safety as an excuse to stay aboard. Add the fact that that ship is the fastest we’ve got by over a hundred times and we can go waltz off into space whenever we want, start a new world- and have plenty of space to fly. With you, Princess Matthews, to watch over us.”
She just stares at him.
He laughs. “Probably wouldn’t turn out quite that way, true, but a man can wish, right? Anyways, would tonight work?”
She blinks. “Uh…”
“I’ll take your mother with me,” he states, one eyebrow going up.
“Uh…”
“I’ll… uh, scratch you behind your ears?”
She blinks. “You know, I haven’t tried that yet.”
He chuckles. “Is that a yes?”
“Uh, I guess? I mean, you are the Space Lord, so do you even need to ask permission?”
He snorts. “Normally, no. But from the moment I sent the Athena her crew roster, all you have to say is ‘no’ and I physically cannot board the ship.”
“Huh?”
“Because you are the ultimate command authority aboard that ship, Skyla. I can yap orders all day long and she’ll flat-out ignore me.”
“What-! But-! ...Whatever. Sure, then. Go ahead and bring Mom along, but don’t force her- and make sure she knows what she’s getting into first, okay?”
He nods. “Will do! I’ll be up there in, oh, three hours?”
“Three hours? That fast?”
He nods. “Just got off duty down here,” he states. “Though… Here. I’ll put in the vetting order for you before I head up, so it might take an extra hour or so.”
She blinks. “That’ll put you showing at the same time as the next crew flight,” she states.
He pauses for a second. “Alright. Permission to be present during crew vetting? Oh- and for the record- I assume you’re recording this, right?”
“Uh…” She glances at the panel.
“Recording started,” Athena rather helpfully states.
He snorts. “Right. For the record, the particular crewmember in question not wanting to be turned into a pony is a perfectly valid reason to say no, and will not reflect poorly on anyone. I’ll make sure all crew headed to that ship are doing so voluntarily and in full knowledge of what to expect, so the number of those people should be pretty low- but for this flight, it’s a bit late for that. Um, end recording?”
She snickers and glances down at the panel.
“Recording stopped,” Athena states.
“So, Athena,” she states, “I know you recorded the entire call with Lieutenant Commander Chaftan- what’s the policy on recording calls?”
“All non-private calls are recorded in full, and may be stored in permanent records; private calls are not recorded but can be, upon request, for storage in private records.”
“Ahh…” She looks at the screen again. “You’re going to repeat that for-the-record part in those orders, right?”
He nods. “I’ll also be presenting it in a more professional format. So, I’ll see you in a few?”
“Sure. Um, can we have the vetting take place in space, just outside?”
“Uh, sure. I’ll have them place a microstation in orbit near the Athena, and we’ll use it for vetting.”
“Oh- and can we let the various crewmembers’ families come too? And make the refusal of a spouse or other family member a valid, no-recoil reason for the crewmember in question to say no?”
“Uh… Sure, we can do that. I probably should have thought of that, shouldn’t I?” He scribbles on a pad of paper in front of him. “Right then… Okay. Anything else?”
She racks her brain for a second. “Um, not that I can think of. Athena? We needing anything?”
“Affirmative. This vessel’s fuel supply has been exhausted.”
Both she and her father gasp. “What-! How long do we have?”
“Indefinite. This vessel is operating on live solar power. Average solar exposure since orbital insertion has exceeded peak power demand by approximately three hundred times.”
She lets out a sigh. “Alright. How much bunkerage do we have, and what kind of fuel do we need?”
“This vessel is equipped with general-purpose fission-fusion plants capable of burning all known elements for power. Available bunkerage exceeds total fuel available in Earth supply systems; this vessel is equipped with a self-refuelling system, designed for the capture and processing of asteroids or meteors into fuel. Fusion One will be activating on a reverse-generation burn in eight minutes.”
“Huh? Reverse-generation burn?”
“Onboard power reserves are at ninety nine point nine nine percent; this vessel’s fission-fusion plants are capable of a reverse-generation burn, to produce viable fuel out of excessive power. This system is used for storage of auxiliary solar production in excess of onboard power cell capacity; combined reverse-generation burn and standard burn efficiency is ninety-nine percent.”
“So… Kinda like electrolysis and hydrogen fuel cells, right?”
“Affirmative.”
“Alright…” She looks back at the screen. “I guess we can worry about which asteroid belt to consume later. In the meantime, I’ll see you in four hours- that is, I’ll meet you on that microstation, so your transformation doesn’t start until we’re ready to drag the crew in for that.” She smiles. “I’ll be dragging a few of my existing crew along- the first of them should be waking up in, what was it, three and a half hours?”
“Affirmative.”
He blinks. “Sure, will do. Have a good, um, four hours!”
She smiles, and waves. “You too!”
With a smile, he then disconnects.
Athena immediately starts talking. “Confirm- release information retention order from this morning?”
“Uh, that the one about hiding the transform effect?”
“Affirmative.”
She nods. “Confirmed, then- release it.” She glances at the blank viewscreen in front of her. “I think the first meeting on that microstation might be a good spot for the initial informational release for the public. Let’s plan on that.”