//------------------------------// // 4: Inspection // Story: Homeworld: Equestria - The Silent Hunters // by hiigaran //------------------------------// “Well, that was interesting,” Quasar commented, finding the pegasus attached to the front of his chariot completely covered in flies. “Bit of an odd pair, mind you. Then again, we are in Murrumbatemare, assuming I pronounced that correctly. Small towns always have the strangest folk.” Eclipse continually swatted at the relentless flies refusing to leave the chariot. “You think they will accept?” “I hope so, Eclipse. You and I know just how bad things are getting in the galaxy.” Eclipse hummed, unsure what to say. After the carriage took off, he spoke up again, “Now then, anypony else you think we need to visit?” “Nopony else, though I have a certain zebra in mind. Goes by Shadow.” Quasar produced a file with the zebra’s photo in the corner and passed it over. While Eclipse skimmed through the contents, Quasar busied himself with another file. Eclipse studied the hardened expression of Shadow. “That’s an uncommon name for a zebra.” “I think it’s more of a code name, than anything else. Her birth certificate says her name is Mokèlé Mbèmbé. Classified information, by the way. Means ‘the one who stops the flow of rivers’, or something like that. From what I’ve heard, both her names are equally fitting.” “Interesting. So you two know each other, then?” “Not exactly. I witnessed eight ponies attempting to mug her in Manehattan a few years back. By the time I crossed the street to intervene, all of her assailants were motionless on the ground. They were admitted to hospital with skull fractures, broken ribs and serious internal bleeding. One never walked again. Another now speaks with a high-pitched voice and by some definitions, is no longer considered a male.” “I—uhh, wow.” “Just thinking back to that day makes my jewels want to retract as far as—” “I do not need that mental image, sir!” Eclipse shouted. Ignoring his superior’s cackle, he looked down at the file still in his hooves, noticing a detail he had missed on the first page. “Wait, Lieutenant Commander Shadow? She’s with the Navy already?” “Originally, no. I later found out she was an LC in the Nightcasters, before applying for transfer.” “I’m sorry, Nightcasters? I am unfamiliar with that, uhh … branch?” “Not surprised. They’re rather secretive. Nopony knows what they do, what conflicts they’re involved in, or who they even report to. Honestly, I’m surprised a zebra is—or rather, was part of the Nightcasters. I heard they were exclusively unicorns. Shows what rumours are worth, eh?” Eclipse hummed, returning to the file. “Speaking of unicorns, what about our final Infiltrator? You have your eye on anypony in particular?” “Not sure yet. Supposed to be some FNG, so I’ve had a few suggestions from instructors observing several batches of promising recruits. Some have impressive capabilities, apparently. Assuming I don’t find another better suited to the role”—Quasar shrugged—“I’ll just pick the top performer.” “That’s a rather broad term. What’s your criteria? Spell versatility?” Quasar shook his head. “Spells can be learned. I’m looking for somepony with spell endurance first, and potency second. Given the assumption that any unicorn in the Navy would know a standard set of spells, versatility will come last.” “Rapid-fire spells do tend to find more use than single, powerful blasts,” Eclipse commented. “Makes sense to me.” “I should have the decision made in a few days. Now then, I don’t suppose you’re free after our final errand?” “Depends. Anything you need?” “Oh no, I don’t need anything. You still haven’t been aboard our new ship yet, have you?” “I’m afraid not.” “Better get a good feel for her before she does the real thing,” Quasar advised. “Some techs from Aurora plan on reviewing Amarok’s hardware data later tonight. I’d be happy to get you a seat on their crew transport if you want.” “Hmm, I had a couple of things to take care of, but they can wait. Sure, I’ll take it. Been meaning to have a look around for a while now, but it seems like other pressing matters just get in the way. Hay, I still have some personal effects to remove from our old ship.” “You still have things on Swarm? Sounds like your schedule is more backed-up than mine. Right, I’ll send a message to the crew station and let them know to expect you.” The crew transport came to a halt beside Amarok, as the pilot fine-tuned the tiny vessel’s position. While its occupants gathered their gear, a bright blue ray of light seemed to melt into the cabin and expand. As it stabilised, Eclipse watched as the rest of the technicians and engineers disappeared into the light. Following suit, he paused when he realised he still felt his own weight. “Pilot, where are we?” he called back towards the forward section of the transport. “I’m not sure I understand, sir,” a hesitant voice replied. “We’re underneath Amarok.” “No, that I’m aware of. Why do I still feel partial weight, though? Amarok has no artificial gravity, so are we accelerating?” “Negative. Amarok is positioned radially and essentially hovering at altitude to simulate point five G. RADALT reports our position to be a little over two-five-hundred klicks from the surface.” “I see. Thank you for the clarification. As you were.” Gathering his side-bags, Eclipse proceeded to step through the light, his eyes briefly dazzled by bright blue. As his vision cleared, he found himself in a short tunnel, wide enough to comfortably fit three ponies. Ahead, a ramp allowed the newcomers to descend the meter or two to the floor, landing just short of a hexagonal pressure door to one of the ship’s standard wedge-shaped compartments. Watching the crew disperse, Eclipse remained at the tunnel, eyeing a technician who hovered her VMUI against a reader built into the compartment’s external double doors. A green light above turned red, and several clicks sounded internally, before the doors swung out, pivoting on thick hinges, and revealing an identical pair of inner pressure doors that swung into the compartment as they parted. Descending the ramp, the Lieutenant Commander could see into a room lined with wood-finished shelves along its walls. At the far end where the walls converged, were three tables in a U-shaped layout, and nine harnessed seats bordering them. Eclipse was familiar with the reinforced seats; the standard design across the fleet seated crew upright, with an adjustable recline from hoofrest-integrated touchscreens. During high G manoeuvres, the built-in five-point harnesses would automatically adjust for the correct species. Recalling his schematic diagrams, Eclipse figured the compartment was the library, that doubled up as a briefing room when required. He did not have time to analyse the rest of the compartment’s interior, as the inner and outer pressure doors started to close. As the four doors moved, he spied large yellow text on the inner surface of the outer doors, which read ‘BPS MUST BE WORN BEYOND THIS POINT ABOVE SITUATION DELTA’. As the slate-grey doors sealed, and the red light returned to green, Eclipse looked down, only just realising the uniqueness of the flooring. Instead of standard metal plating found on most ships, the deck had misshapen, yet perfectly tessellating polygonal patterns, ranging in colour from night-blue to teal, and covered in a clear, glossy layer. Pawing the smooth floor, he could still feel his mag boots adhering to the surface he could almost see his reflection in, though the sound of contact had been comparable to hooves on stone. Looking up at the ceiling, the pattern was similar, though there were distinct patterns resembling access panels. Another detail missed were the two seats flanking the tunnel’s ramp. While the core design of the seats resembled those in the library, these sat on vertical rings, with five monitors mounted horizontally. The entire assembly attached to a rotating base, allowing a more dynamic adaptation to G forces during critical operations. Continuing with his inspection of the vessel, Eclipse followed the outer edge of the deck, finding a cylindrical column between the library and the next compartment. A small corridor extended radially toward the centre of the deck between the compartments, where another technician busied himself by an exposed panel at the end of the corridor. Though Eclipse was too far to see anything in detail, he knew the centre of the deck merely contained electrical distribution systems, and pipes for water, sewerage, fire suppression, air, and pure oxygen, that would extend through most decks. The next compartment was the medical bay. Though the officer was not well versed in medical armamentaria, he could tell the facility could cope with anything a ground-based medical centre might deal with. A full-body scanner, operating theatre, and lab could be seen at the far end. Life-support, infusion pumps, IV stands and medical monitors stood within the eight individual patient rooms that bordered the walls. Four ringed seats occupied the rest of the medical bay at the centre, and to no surprise, Eclipse spied harnesses on all beds and gurneys. Impressed with the sheer density of equipment and technology, he moved on, passing another elevator between the medical bay, and the galley compartment. Two long tables, each seating thirteen, took up most of the galley’s floor space. Between the tables’ furthest edges stood a buffet station, divided into many sections for various dishes. Further still was a cooking station, with six stoves, four ovens, two fridges and two freezers. Eclipse was stumped when he entered the armoury and supply compartment. A tiny room around the inner pressure doors offered little in the way of manoeuvrability, as a large metal and glass barrier prevented further entry. Sighting a fluorescent green unicorn at one of four ringed seats on the other side of the barrier, Eclipse knocked. Peeking under the monitors, the unicorn teleported beside Eclipse and offered her salutations. “Commander. Apologies, I had no idea you were coming today.” “At ease. I was just taking a tour of the vessel. How do I—” “—Get inside?” the unicorn finished. “You don’t. Unless you can figure out a way to teleport without the luxury of a horn, the only way you’re getting in here is if a unicorn takes you. Sir.” “Security measure?” “Affirm. Short of a unicorn mutiny, anything that tries to take over this ship will have a hard time getting our weapons and gear. Did you want me to show you around?” “That won’t be necessary. Shelving and large storage spaces all the way, isn’t it? As you were.” Nodding, the unicorn teleported back to the other side and returned to her seat, while Eclipse continued circumnavigating the deck. The next compartment over was the brig, housing three cells at the end. Two standard seats and three ringed seats spread across the room, allowing guards to maintain distance and watch any prisoners from multiple angles. Finding nothing remarkable, Eclipse finished off the deck inspection with the gym. A pair of wind tunnels hidden behind a barrier at the end each provided just enough space for a pegasus to spread their wings. Four treadmills lined the left wall, while four barbell stations were found by the right. Five standard seats faced the compartment entrance, lining the back of the wind tunnel barrier, and a sparring ring took up the remaining space between them and the entrance. As Eclipse exited once more, he made his way to the nearest elevator. Swiping his VMUI against the reader next to the door, he waited, passing the time by inspecting the hull itself. Taking a closer look, he put his hoof up against the solid, curved armour, feeling the subtle woven texture. The dense weave consisted of black material in one direction, dark green in another, and dark grey in between. With the pattern making him cross-eyed, Eclipsed backed away, in time for the elevator doors to open. Entering, the officer paused, remembering the numbering system for the decks started from top to bottom. The elevator indicated ‘DECK 04: MESS, MEDICAL, SUPPLY, BRIG’ as its current position. Running a hoof down the fifteen decks, he selected the lowest deck. A message appeared on the screen beside the doors as they closed: >DESTINATION: DECK 12: ENGINEERING >CHANGE AT DECK 12 FOR INNER ELEVATORS TO DECKS 13 TO 15 Shortly after, Eclipse felt himself being pulled down, with his mag boots keeping him rooted to the floor during the rapid descent. His white peaked cap however, started to float away, and Eclipse had to quickly retrieve it before it flew out of reach. As he approached his destination, he felt heavier as the elevator came to a stop. Straightening out his mane and adjusting his cap, the screen read the destination as the doors opened. Stepping out, he looked up at the distant ceiling, guessing it was about thirty metres away. Taking up most of the deck were the port and starboard fusion reactor clusters, as well as the dorsal and ventral hyperdrives, all of which spanned the entire height of the deck. Without compartments with which to conceal them, the central pipes and conduits emerging from the ceiling continued throughout the vessel exposed, either splitting near the tops of the drives, or continuing through to the deck below. It was evident the reactors extended below the deck, as Eclipse knew each cluster appeared as a stack of five toroidal sections, despite merely three and a half being visible. The hyperdrives fit perfectly along the height of the deck, protected inside transparent cylindrical columns, though the current lighting was insufficient to make out more than simple silhouettes of the drives. Sighting one of the four inner elevators that led to the last few decks, Eclipse passed a trio of ringed seats. An officer hidden beneath a shaggy blue mane occupied the closest one. Her uniform mirrored Eclipse’s, though only a single stripe adorned her sleeves. The officer glanced up at Eclipse and returned her focus back to the screens in front of her, before performing a double-take. “Eclipse? Is—is that—HA”—the lilac earth pony practically leapt out of her seat and crushed Eclipse in a hug, sending his cap flying once more—“I can’t believe you’re here!” “Sierra?” Eclipse wheezed. “No way, you’re an Ensign now?” “Wha—oh this?” Sierra backed off and looked at her uniform. “Yeah, turns out somepony thought I had ‘wasted potential’ and suggested I’d be more useful as a deck officer, so I made a deal. I’d agree to the extra work and pay, but I’d want to retain my role as the chief engineer.” “I would have agreed about the wasted potential as well, actually. I take it you had a good graduation then? All I got on mine was a novelty mug with a horrible space-related pun. ‘Escape velocity: You can’t leave home without it!’” Eclipse waved his hoof dramatically in an arc. “I did, yes,” Sierra giggled. “And hey, the pun could have been worse. So I see you’re wandering around aimlessly. Soaking in this work of technological and mechanical art, I assume? What do you think so far?” “It’s … impressive.” Eclipse looked around again at the nearby clusters of fusion reactors. “Not what I’d have expected from a warship. Everything is so … clean. Pristine. Not at all like the Hiigaran designs we’ve been using, where you can see every little rivet and—I mean look at the hull. Look at this floor! Look at it! It’s all seamless! How?” “One of the first things I noticed as well.” Sierra returned to her seat, quickly tapping on one of the touch-screens built into the hoofrests. “All that blue and green stuff is just a bunch of specially grown crystals from the Crystal Empire. They’re shattered for easier transport, and bonded to one another with some good old-fashioned magic. For the particular structural application it’s designed for, this construction method is more effective, as not even PDAs can replicate the intricate crystalline structure. So, after a quick polish and a coat of epoxy, you’ve got … well, this.” “What about the hull?” “That weave is just a thermal and electromagnetic absorption coating. It’s on the exterior as well. You know, for better stealth capabilities. Between the two coatings though, you have your usual mix of ablative, power, crystal-polymer and ceramic-composite armour. At least six metres thick in the centre and aft sections, and at least four metres thick in the fore.” Eclipse grinned. “Sounds like somepony’s been studying.” “Oh I know every detail there is to know about this ship. Total uncompressed volume of fire suppression agents, minimum duration of oxygen if reclamation systems fail, total volume of the swimming pool, minimum yield of torped—” “We have a pool?” Eclipse shouted, his eyebrows disappearing under his mane as he became dangerously wide-eyed. “Are those the two giant tub structures between the engine ducts I saw on deck fourteen’s schematics?” “Yup, they’re the ones! Hey, tell you what, let me just finish saving this data I’m working on for those Aurora grease monkeys, and I’ll give you the grand tour. Be a good chance to catch up as well.”