//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: Prelude to Celebration *Rewrite* // Story: Out of the Old, Into the New // by SentientHydra //------------------------------// Chapter 1 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crew Member #1049 - Audio Log 82 Mark CXIV Exploration vessel 'New Dawn' July 15th, 2159 -log begins- Hello log! This is Chief Medical Officer Susan McConnell aboard the New Dawn, though of course you already know that... In any case, by the end of this log we will have fifty nine short minutes to go, until the bubble bursts and this crew will become the first living things in history to see a stable wormhole with the naked eye. The Captain called all non-essential personnel up to the observation deck on the Command Bridge to watch the show, but being a chief of staff means I'm designated essential; so I'm stuck back here watching over the last few patients from the reactor accident. I don't mind, really... Madeleine promised to record the whole thing for me, and I suppose I can always go up when everyone else is back to work. -log ends- *30 light-minutes from the anomaly* Susan let go of the record button with a resigned sigh, she truly didn't mind having to stay down in the depths of the ship with the sleeping patients, this was what her contract demanded of her and this was where the truest passion in any doctor's life should shine through... still, It would have been nice to see such a sight. Standing up from her desk with a quick glance at her wall of qualifications, Susan breathed in and out slowly to calm her nerves as the seconds ticked by into minutes that drew the moment of triumph closer with every step the officer took towards the door of her office. A surprised expression crossed her face briefly as footsteps came from just outside, the surprise was quickly subsumed under matronly annoyance as her clear voice rang out “If that's you out of bed again Private Mekong I swear to all the gods that I will have the restraints brought out. You are in no condition to...” Susan's fire and authority died alongside her voice when she flung open the door to reveal Captain Morgan, standing there with an eyebrow raised and a 'gotcha' smile on his weathered face. There was a small beat of furious thought before The medical officer Jumped to attention, her hand leaping off the door-knob as if burnt to slap against her face in a hasty salute “C-c-captain, I wasn't expecting you down here” She managed to stammer out, a guilty teenager under Morgan's steady gaze. The old man held her there for only a moment before returning the salute and putting her at ease, speaking calmly with only the tiniest hint of amusement in his tone “I am designated as 'essential personnel' CMO McConnell, so even on momentous occasions such as today it is still within my duties to inspect the ship and crew for faults." Morgan's tone was the weathered iron of well earned command, slipping past a disarmingly gentle smile. Susan didn't know whether to sigh in relief or shake in terror, she was only promoted months before being selected for the Dawn, what if she had made errors? This could just be a blanket inspection, but what if it wasn't? She glanced back quickly at her desk, brandy bottle still out? No. Everything in order? Good. Morgan began “Being that all the other personnel are up in the bridge getting ready to celebrate, I thought it prudent...” For Susan, time may have slowed down a little as Captain Morgan reached into his jacket to bring something out, her eyes were waiting for him to pull out a demotion notice, or a disciplinary form. “...that we join them. I've already sent Henry to go and gather Li from the engine room, while Conroy sets up a snack table on the bridge with Pamela” he finished, pulling out a small bottle of champagne Susan was so confused she couldn't think straight “Captain? I thought that all the Chiefs are supposed to remain at their stations. I still have patients down here” But Morgan just smiled, guiding her out to walk alongside him with a few hand motions, he explained “They'll be fine for an hour or two. Regulations only state that the Chiefs must remain 'on alert' and 'capable of duty' during events like this, the whole thing about remaining on station is just an official guideline, for the sake of appearances. That's why I came to gather you in person, rather than use the intercom.” Susan nodded, she kept a muted smile on her face to hide the joyous fireworks beneath. “Permission to speak freely Captain” “Granted, as always” Morgan smirked The fireworks shone through like, well, Fireworks “Thank you Sir!” She looked about ready to hug the veteran Morgan laughed genuinely “Nobody should miss this event McConnell. Each and every member of this crew has worked tirelessly for one & a half years to make this possible" he smiled proudly, declaring "An hour or two away from the constant work to watch the greatest scientific wonder within a hundred light-years is the very least I can do to thank them, and all of my chiefs” Susan nodded again, her smile less muted and more open while she walked in the Captain's wake towards the elevators. A thought occurred to her just as the door closed "What about the researchers from the science centre?" Morgan smirked again, just a teeny-weeny bit " Scientists are people too CMO, they're all at the staff party on observation deck. Dr. Bent However, is on sensor deck calibrating the equipment for the umpty-millionth time." He rolled his eyes. 50 minutes to go... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *A universe and a bit away* The weeks since Twilight's little discovery had passed practically without incident; aside from a Pinkie-Pie Party and a small identity crisis for Spike, -who spent all of 3 days in constant angst over the fact that he didn't have wings- Plus Applejack's barn being painted bright green overnight, but that wasn't an incident so far as it was inexplicably weird. In all the boredom and relative monotony of Ponyville that morning it was hardly surprising that Twilight was excited to receive a letter during breakfast, addressed to one 'Ms T. Sparkle – Ponyville Library'. It was mildly annoying that the cross-eyed mail-mare decided the best place to drop this piece of post was directly through a window and into Spike's bowl of gems, with only a quick horn and a well practised shield spell saved the piece of paper from being torched by the baby dragon's surprised flames; but Mail-Mare Doo had already long since vanished by the time Twilight turned her baleful glare towards the window, so the purple unicorn simply sighed in resignation before turning to the letter at hand. The envelope flipped open and let out a short, official looking sheet of paper, Twilight's eyes flickered from left to right while she silently absorbed the information, but she read it out loud for the benefit of Spike (Who wasn't actually listening, too engrossed in eating his gems undisturbed). “Dear Ms Sparkle, Holder of the Element of magic, Student of celestia, yadda-yadda-yadda... It has come to our attention that you have discovered a large wormhole, -The largest thus far on record- that has for some reason eluded our own optics. In light of this fine discovery, we have decided to accept your application to our society, on grounds of 'Serious contribution to Astronomical Science'! Hoping to hear back from you soon, Kind regards – Starry Skies, Head of the Royal Astronomy & Telescopic Society!” The letter ended with a high pitched 'Squee' from Twilight, and Spike's meal was once again interrupted when a purple magical aura seized him and started spinning him around the room in tandem with his skipping sister. Who began singing happily “I'm a Royal Astronomer, I'm a Royal Astronomer!” Over and over again, until her captured reptile made his on the fourth pass of the room, whereon he reached out his claw to flick her horn and disrupt her magic, dropping to the floor with a thump, and shakily stumbling over to the bin “I think I'm gonna hurl!" he managed to blurt, before shoving his head into the bin and making some ghastly wretching noises. Twilight smiled a little sheepishly at that, still rubbing her horn where it was sore from his flick “Sorry Spike. I'm just excited, I've been applying to the Royal Astronomy Society for weeks now, the wormhole we spotted for Princess Luna must have tipped them in my favour!” Spike raised a scaly eyebrow and tilted his head to look at her “Applying, you? Couldn't you just ask one of the Princesses to let you in.." His sister just shook her head with a determined smile “Nuh-uh, this time I wanted to do it the hard way, earn it on my own merits. So I didn't mention anything about knowing either princess in my application.” She looked at the long list of titles on her letter "Though they found out anyway, it seems." Spike nodded thoughtfully, standing up fully and heading back to the table, plopping himself back down he returned to his gems, asking around a mouthful “So are you going to tell the others now, or make it a surprise?” Twilight went to answer as she trotted to the sink with her plate, but leapt back and dropped the crockery with a shriek of shock as a pink mass erupted from the sink in a fountain of soapy water “Did somepony say SURPRISE!!!” 30 minutes to go...