Note: Sentences with square brackets [ ] are native Equestrian.
"Mr President, we have no choice but to explore this option." Dr Thomas Piane's voice was calm over the phone, but the experienced lawyer in Nixon could sense the undercurrent of strain. The NASA Administrator had gotten an unenviable situation dumped in his lap, and now it was Nixon's. As one of his predecessors had said, 'The buck stops here!' Apparently, so did the pony, or rather, whether she got involved.
"You've got no better alternative than this? Going cap in hand to Luna to help out won't make anyone look good." His Oval office phone was as secure as he could make it, apart from his own personal recording, so he had no qualms taking turkey.
"We've had some of the smartest people in the country working this problem for the last four days, and no-one's come up with a solution that has a reasonable chance of success. The capsule is too heavy, and will be moving too fast for air capture, even if we could fix up the hardware in time, and the astronauts have no way to even access the parachutes, let alone fix them. The Flight Directors and Deke Slayton all agree we have to try this. I'd far rather catch criticism for going outside our own program, than lose three astronauts by ignoring a possibility out of pride."
"If the problem actually exists." Nixon was considering the politics of the situation himself, and coming up with the same answer. "You said there's a chance that the parachutes weren't affected."
"That's part of the problem, we can't tell, and won't until they get used. On the one hand, the protective cover was over the Command module at the time the lightning struck, so any lightning discharge couldn't strike the explosive bolts directly, but we also know that some charge did leak through, causing the instrument drop-outs.
"Either way, the fact that there was a potential problem will come out eventually, whether the parachutes deploy safely or not. And the same question will be asked. NASA will have to take it on the chin that we didn't anticipate the Saturn V being struck by lightning in flight, or it might cause the pyro charges on the parachute hatch covers to misfire. If Luna wasn't an option, we'd have to trust to Providence that they will work, but since she is, I'll do what needs to be done, and take the fall-out after the Apollo 12 crew are safely back on the ground."
Nixon's own political calculations had ended up with the same answer, a potential disaster divided by zero action would equal infinite trouble where it was real or imaginary. He turned his chair to look out over mid-day Washington and gave his answer.
"Very well, it seems we have no choice for the safety of our boys. I'll support you as much as possible." Which would be as long as politically convenient, and not a moment longer. If heads had to roll, Paine had already offered his for the chopping block. He ended the call, and made a mental note to revise the speech that he'd have given if Apollo 11 had crashed, just in case. He sincerely hoped it wasn't, and not just because of the political splash damage he'd suffer in the process.
&&&
Up on the moon, it was still morning, and would be for the next few days. However, with Pete Conrad and Alan Bean having retreated to the Lunar Module for their rest period, Luna had retired to her own resting place. She had taken some of the loose Kapton film from the Lunar module descent stage, and had shaped it into three large rectangles. Now she was weaving her own magic and the ambient magic field within the interior of the igloo with the moonlight reflected in through the doorway. A carefully crafted moonstone lens collected the light and fed by her careful flow of magic, turned it into droplets of mithril, which fell onto the reshaped Kapton and formed the delicate traceries of the runes for a Blanket of Restful Sleep.
She had used the last of the available Kapton from Apollo 11 to make her reflector and hat, and while Apollo 12 had provided a new supply, until now she'd had no time to work with it. So the two astronauts would have to manage for now with the temporary casting she'd placed on their Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garments via the Portable Life Support System hoses. Unlike the previous version, she'd included a verbal trigger so they could activate it once they were ready. It had only enough power to last the planned rest period.
She was looking forward to the second EVA and having another chance to speak with them. In truth, she knew Sir Pete and Sir Alan better than she did Sir Neil and Sir Edwin. While the latter two had kept in contact, they'd been assigned new tasks which kept them both very busy. Sir Pete, Sir Alan and Sir Richard too had been in frequent contact with her in the run up to Apollo 12, as she was a big part of their mission. Even then they'd seemed more fun-loving and actually meeting them had borne her initial impression out. She hoped they could maintain contact after they went back to Earth.
"Mare Cognitum actual, this is Houston. Luna, please respond." Her radio diadem relayed the message through direct vibrations, but the voice was not one she immediately recognised.
Using the doctrine she'd been taught, she replied. "Houston, Luna, I am here. How goes it? Both Sir Pete and Sir Alan are sleeping, and Sir Richard went over the horizon in the 'Yankee Clipper' but a few moments ago, if I have my calculations aright."
Ther was the usual three second delay before she received a response. "This is Deke Slayton, Director of Flight Crew Operations, and the timing is deliberate. We have an issue, and we do not want to make it known to the astronauts yet, or in general. That is why we are using a different frequency to the standard channels the LM can pick up, but which we know your headset receives.
"Can you disable the translation function of your radio for added security? I have the translator bracelet, so I should be able to understand your native language. We've limited its use to ensure we had it available for such a situation."
"I can." Luna was intrigued and not a little worried. It was the work of a moment to temporarily suppress the translation component of her radio diadem. "[Continue.]"
To the other personnel listening to the call, her words were in some liquid, almost musical tongue, though some of the emphasis or exclamation sounds had a distinct horselike component, with whinnies, snorts and nickers. Deke's replies sounded the same, though certain technical words were almost understandable, clearly just the English term reproduced with alien phonemes.
"[You were told that the Saturn V launch vehicle passed through a storm during launch? A lightning strike, two of them actually, disabled the Command Module navigation and telemetry systems. That has been fixed, but there may have been another effect.
"[The explosive charges that release the parachutes that the Command Module relies on to land safely may have been set off by the lightning. The result is, when the capsule returns through the atmosphere, the parachutes may deploy too early, too late, or not at all. You are familiar with how they normally work?]"
"[Yes, hast had it explained. But 'tis a circumstance most dire! Why wouldn't you allow them to continue as if naught has happened, without even a warning?]" Luna was shocked, and annoyed.
"[Firstly, this only a possibility, the parachutes may be fine. But whether they are or not, they are needed for landing. Aborting the mission early would either show that we had no need to losing them their one chance to travel to the moon, or kill them. Continuing the mission gave us time to try and find a solution.
"[As for not telling them, they are already under great strain, no matter how calm they seem. A thousand things, the slightest mistake could kill them, or strand them in space, long before they return to Earth. Adding to that stress, having them worry about something they can't do anything about, could distract them, cause that mistake. No-one here wants them back safely more than me, I trained as an astronaut, and when I was grounded due to medical problems, I was put in charge of them. I sent them out there and goddamit it, I want them back in one piece!]"
Luna heard the passion in his voice, and felt ashamed of her earlier reaction. "[I must assume thou hast called me because no other solution presents itself?]"
"[That's correct. We have no way to repair them, and neither do the astronauts, and we have no other way available to bring them down safely. With the repair you effected on the video camera, we were hoping that you could provide something similar for the bolts.]"
Luna shook her head, forgetting that the one she was talking to was a quarter of a million miles away. "[Neigh, the spell I used requires the caster to be there to guide it. Even so, if these 'bolts' were truly combustible, the materials will have scattered beyond the ability of the spell to reverse. Alchemy would be required, and even then I would require materials to work from, and to examine undamaged ones.]"
There was a sigh from Deke. "[And Intrepid's ascent stage doesn't have the fuel to carry you up there, since this was only a dry run for Apollo 13. Damn! Pardon me, Luna, but after what you've already done... It bites that we have to leave it to chance.]"
"'['That may not be needful.]" Luna smiled as she considered possibilities. "[The command module, it sheds the greater mass of the Service Module before it lands? How much heavier is the remainder than the ascent stage your scholars have had me heft?]"
"[Uh... the dry mass... roughly two and a half times. But you can't reach the Earth with your telekinesis.]" Deke was intrigued, what would Luna pull out of her box of tricks this time?
"[I need not, for such a light object. If the parachutes will not work, I will provide an alternative. The Falling Feather enchantment is the 'quick and dirty' version of a Levitation spell. Doth not allow one to fly, but slows one's descent greatly. I developed it during my studies of pegasus magic, but it found little favour, as few unicorns travel by flying chariot, or visit Cloudsdale or Griffinstone. Mayhap now it will find better use. What speed can the vessel land safely at?]"
"[Around twenty feet per second, possibly higher if we have to.]"
"[T'would be maybe fifty hooves per second... Faster than the spell normally allows, but that will help, as the weight is greater.]" Luna did some quick mental calculations.
"[I shall construct a talisman, and will invest it with power sufficient to provide the capsule with the Falling Feather spell for 10 minutes, triggered by a command word. As long as it is activated around half a league above the ground... cans't determine that, yes? Or less than 9000 feet by my knowledge of your measures, it will slow the fall all the way to the ground. Shall also add a sticking charm, so it may be afixed to the body of the command module.]"
"[That would be amazing!]" Deke meant it too. Though someone should have thought of something like it already, they knew about Luna's telekinetic abilities, and her ability to make magic devices. "[Does it need to be attached anywhere specific like a structural support, somewhere to bear the load?]"
"[Nay, doth not oppose gravity with an upthrust as such, any more than our horns do, or a pegasus' wings. Instead it will apply an alteration of the effect of gravity upon the craft entire, making it effectively weigh less. If telekinesis were simple force, I would have snapped my horn off the first time I raised the moon. As long as it is secured to the hull of the craft, it should suffice.]"
"[Good. Please get started. And could you add the spell to the ones in your primer? It sounds like a vey useful one.]"
"[It gladdens me that some-po...someone thinks so. I shall have it ready in but a few hours.]"
"[Okay, we'll brief the crew when their rest period is over. And Luna... thanks. NASA, heck, the whole United States owes you a debt of gratitude.]"
"[It is but a trifle set against the many things you have done for me, and it is my pleasure to use my skills to a worthy end, and to safeguard Sir Charles, Sir Alan and Sir Richard. They are my friends too. Shalt call again when it is prepared.]"
"[Understood. We also need a way to brief them without the whole world listening in, we can arrange that in your next transmission. Houston, Out.]"
&&&
The two lunar explorers had slept well, due to Luna's intervention, and gotten their full sleep period. Now they were going over the plan for the second EVA with Houston, where Edward Gibson was once again Capcom.
"...Your first point along the traverse is Head Crater, which we call out 'f'. What we would like to do, in view of the fact that you are going out towards the ALSEP, is to move that site over to the northwest rim of Head Crater; and coordinates there are R-0, 11.0. And then, you will carry out what we already have outlined for Head Crater. That's the two partial pans across Head Crater and document the slumps and ledges.
"One more thing, based on the speed you went through your surface operations yesterday, we have an addtional non-geology procedure for you. As soon as you make the traverse to Head Crater, Luna will provide you both with a translation spell. You'll be going through a brief dialogue with her in Equestrian. I have the translator amulet, so I can monitor it."
"Okay..." Al Bean was puzzled, and Pete Conrad was too. According to some estimates, every minute of surface time was worth around a million dollars, and this sounded like something that could have been done by taking the prepared spell back to Earth in an item like the translator bracelet. "Houston, this is Conrad, what's the purpose of the procedure?"
"Additional language data for one of Professor Sagan's teams. Some of the Equestrian magic terms don't translate accurately to English, and it's felt getting them demonstrated face to face will help. It involves lifting and dropping some heavy blocks of stone, so it will also allow us to provide a known signal for the PSE, since it's located so close. We were going to have you push a large crater... roll a large boulder into the crater, the former would have been a lot harder... but this will give cleaner signals."
"Good recovery." quipped Al, mentally going over the location of the Passive Seismic Experiment in his head.
"You'll take stereopairs of the impact location, for comparison purposes. Okay; that's point 1. Do you copy?
"Understood." Al noted it on the checklist. "Looks like we replace the rock and roll with a magic show!"
Making the rest of the preparations for the EVA put the odd addition out of their heads until they were actually out on the lunar surface. Luna had been unusually tight lipped as she accompanied them out to the top of Head crater.
They'd completed their other tasks and were examining a block of stone, big enough to lie down on, laid flat on the ground. It was shaded by the edge of the crater, next to a cleared area with a slot around half a foot deep that would clearly fit one end.
"Houston, we're ready to begin Luna's language procedure." Pete said.
"Roger, I've got the translation device equipped." he heard Gibson reply, three seconds later.
Al turned to Luna. "Okay, do your thing, milady!"
Luna's horn glowed and sigils appeared on both their helmets before vanishing. "[Can you both understand me?]"
Despite the fact that the lilting words they were hearing bore no resemblance to any language either of them knew, both astronauts did. Pete was the first one to reply. "[I do, though I don't see how.]"
"[Magic!]" Al quipped.
Although they were both speaking normally, the words they heard were in the same musical language.
"[Apollo 12, Houston. I can understand you too.]" Gibson's delayed voice came over their headsets, altered but understandable.
"[Good, I apologise for the subterfuge, but this was the only way we could talk privately without a suspicious silence. I have been asked to brief you on a problem that your superiors don't want to be revealed to the world, and since many people are listening to our radio talk, we needed a way that couldn't be eavesdropped.]"
"[I thought it was odd.]" Pete responded. "[Please, explain!]"
"[When you passed through the storm on your launch, you were struck by lightning. Your people believe it might have done more than disorder your navigation, they fear the parachutes on your Command Module may have been damaged, or rather the release mechanism.]"
Pete started to swear, which sounded like a very equine snort. "[Son of a... the pyro system! How did we miss that!]"
Al's voice was devoid of its normal good humour. "[They kept... no, there is nothing we can do about it. Either they work or they don't. Worrying about it would just take attention from the things we can do something about. Though I'm guessing there's something you can do about it, or you wouldn't be briefing us.]"
"[Indeed. Do not think badly of them, they sought tirelessly for a solution, e'en though it is possible there is no problem. On the chance that there is, they turned to me.]"
Luna's horn glowed, and a disk shaped object as wide as her hoof rose out of her saddle bag. "[Should your parachutes fail of their task, this shall substitute. A Talisman of Feather Fall. Cans't reduce the weight of your Command module and its contents to one fourtieth part of normal for ten minutes or more. Your artificers and planners on the ground agree that this should reduce your speed within the thicker air near the ground to a safe level to land in the sea, even without your parachutes. Activate it within 9000 feet of the ground, it should provide ample service.]"
"[That's... impressive, to say the least. You may well have saved our lives, possibly the whole program.]" Pete Conrad stated seriously, thinking of the aftermath of the Apollo 1 fire. "[You have our deepest thanks.]"
"[It boots not. Even if you were not my friends, I could not stand by when I could help, and so easily.]" Luna ducked her head, clearly embarrassed at the praise.
Al Bean put in his own two cents. "[Luna baby, I'm no expert on magic, but I'd guess it wasn't so easy. You must have poured a lot of juice into that gadget, not to mention making it in the first place. How badly did it hammer your reserves?]"
Luna blushed. "[Did consume some measure of power, but 'tis nothing I can not replenish with some additional rest now I have my shelter. But come, we must not tarry. I must needs show you how to operate it.]"
A midnight blue glow engulfed the block as she raised it on its end, the colour going darker. As she slotted it neatly into the ground, it had turned deep black, even as the sunlight struck it. Now they had a closer look at it, it was about eight inches deep by over 2 1/2 feet in width, and 6 feet high, casting a long shadow in the unfiltered sunlight.
Both astronauts got the joke at almost the same time.
"[I'm getting a sudden urge to go find a bone and hit the ground with it.]" quipped Al Bean.
"[I'm just glad there's no screeching sound on the radios!]" Pete replied with a chuckle.
"[Well, we didn't hear an eerie chorus of voices in the background, so I think we're safe.]" Al responded. "[Where'd you come up with this, Luna?]"
If there was any doubt the shape was deliberate, it vanished at her merry chuckle. "[Some of my British friends have read me the book version of '2001:A Space Odyssey'. I look forward to seeing the film when I reach Earth. I felt a small jape would ease your cares.]"
"[At least I'm less worried about your reserves, if you had enough spare to risk pulling this stunt...]"
Gibson interjected, as Pete was about to continue. "[Apollo 12, Houston. What's the situation? Though I can guess from the comments.]"
Pete replied. "[Houston, Apollo 12. Luna has raised the test mass into position. It's a black monolith, about 6 foot tall. All we need is someone playing 'Thus Spake Zarathustra'. Stand by for seismic test.]"
Luna indicated the monolith with a wingtip. "[On to the test. First without the talisman. Each of you take an edge, and lift. Stand clear though.]"
The two astronauts moved into position on each of the narrow sides. Examining it closely, they could see there were handholds cut into the wider surfaces, sized for spacesuit gloves, and allowing them to put a hand on each side as they lifted. Though whether they could move it was the question. On Earth it would weigh several tons; even under lunar gravity it probably weigh close to a thousand pounds.
They set themselves, keeping their feet to either side and back from the monolith, and heaved up together on a count. As expected, despite their best efforts, it sat there as if it was glued to the ground beneath. "[No go.]" Pete said, stepping back.
"[As expected, now with the talisman.]"
Luna's magic proffered it to him, and he took it, marvelling at the blue glow playing across his hand. It was a disk of titanium, about four inches across with a flat base, with two semi-circular cut-outs in the circumference. Circles of bright mithril or aluminium runes bounded by geometric patterns stood out against the duller titanium, and several large glowing violet cabochon gems over an inch in diameter were set in mithril bands with their own rune sets around the centre.
"[To afix it, grab the talisman by the two cut-outs and press the flat back surface firmly against the target object. It can be removed the same way, but by pulling. The adhesion spell shall only operate if you are holding it by both cut-outs.]"
"[Does it need to be in any particular place?]" Pete asked.
"[Neigh, it applies the effect to the object entire, not at the point of contact. As long as it has a solid connection to the object, it shall work. The adhesion spell also acts as a guide, if it bonds to the object, the connection is sufficient.]"
Pete moved his grip as instructed, an effort that required both hands when encased in space suit gloves. He moved the flat surface of the talisman next to the stone, half expecting a pull like a magnet. Instead, he simply placed it and it stuck as if glued, and when he moved his grip and pulled, it stayed there.
"[The Feather Fall spell may be activated by saying the words Feather Fall in English, or by tapping the symbol in the centre of the talisman twice within a heartbeat or two. Tap twice again to deactivate it before the stored quintesence runs out. Tap it now.]"
Pete tapped the central symbol, a loop with a line running lengthways that looked like a stylised feather and watched as the traceries of silvery runes lit up with a lambent golden glow, visible even in the sunlight. "[Okay, take hold and let's try lifting again. On three!]"
This time when they pulled upwards, the block lifted up as if it were an empty box made of balsa wood. However, there was a slight oddity to the sensation, which redoubled when Pete had the two of them try to move it sideways, and found it just as hard to move as if it was still made of stone, and just as hard to stop, similar to moving a large object in free fall.
"[Whoa, that's freaky.]" Al exclaimed. "[So the effect negates weight but not mass?]"
Luna nodded approvingly. "[Indeed. It is a simpler version of the levitation spell which counters weight entirely, and allows other forces to be imposed."]
"[Okay.]" Pete was still on mission. "[Houston, Apollo 12. Prepare for first impact. Lift it up higher Al, release and step back on my mark. Luna be ready to steady it after it hits.]"
A new voice responded, after more than the normal 3 second delay. "Apollo 12, Houston. Scmitt taking over as Capcom. Gibson is relaying your responses to me. We're ready when you are."
Pete recognised the voice, James Scmitt, a geologist and astronaut in traning for Apollo 17. "[Mark!]"
When they released the block, it started drifting down, slowly even for lunar gravity. "[Everyone stand still! Impacting!]"
The block landed end on about six inches to the side of the slot it was in, and they could feel the impact through the sloes of their boots. It was quickly caught by the blue glow of Luna's power and moved back into the slot.
"Apollo 12, Houston. We got some jiggles and a spike that matches your impact warning. Is everything copacetic?"
"[Affirmative Houston. Luna has us covered.]" Pete stepped forward and tapped the feather symbol twice to deactivate it before removing the talisman.
"Copy that. If it's convenient, are you able to repeat the impact? Experiments would sure like to see another one."
"[Roger Houston. Wait one. Luna, I think we can drop the translation now.]" He held up the talisman. "[This is amazing, but we'll keep it off the comm for now. Thank you again for doing this.]"
"[As I said, 'tis but a trifle, and no less than I could do for any-pony, let alone my friends.]" Luna's horn glow brightened, and the previous runes on their helmets glowed into visibility in response, then died away. "The spell is ended. Our talk should suffice for your needs."
Pete was stowing the talisman in one of the contingency sample bags and securing it to the Hand Tool Carrier they'd brought with them. "Luna, could you lift and release the monolith for a second impact? About knee height should do. Then we'll take some pictures."
&&&
With a second seismic test done, and several pictures, including one of all three of them standing in front of the upright monolith. This was courtesy of an extension handle mounted on the HTC and an automatic timer for the Hasselblad camera brought along secretly by the astronauts, originally to take a similar picture at Surveyor probe. It had gotten mixed up with the samples they'd already taken, but Luna's ability to lift all the bags up at once made it easy to locate. While Luna could have activated the camera remotely, using the timer, her horn remained unlit, adding to the mystery.
Having invented the selfie, they continued the EVA through the various other craters, continuing the selenological survey and sampling mission, aided and abetted by Luna, who didn't seem at all tired by her previous exertions. The cameras were subjected to the cleaning spell after they started to pick up the omnipresent dust.
They went down into the Surveyor crater and circled round, taking pictures of the unmanned probe, until they closed on it from the side opposite the distant lunar lander and Luna's base, the sun at their backs.
"Oh! That's interesting." Pete pointed at the area around the probe, where Luna's hoofprints were just visible. He looked back to compare the footprints they'd left as they descended down the inside of the crater.
"I think I'll take a picture of that." Al Bean had his camera, still mounted on its pole with attached timer. He set it up and took several photos, panning across and finally taking a picture of their tracks. "Luna, are those from before we arrived, or an earlier visit?"
"Many lunar days ago. I saw it pass across the sky when it first arrived, but finding it once it had gone to ground, even having seen some of its orbit..." Luna moved forward, balancing the hand tool holder on her back between her wings. "When I did find it, I knew it to be a thing of artifice, but I had no idea of the shape of its creators. I had speculated that if it followed the form of its makers, you were giant spiders."
That gave both of the astronauts a laugh as they continued to take pictures.
"I'll tell you what. Why don't you mosey on down there and get the close-ups?" Pete suggested to Al.
"Sure, got your cuff checklist?" Al replied.
"Sure." Pete raised his wrist and turned the stiff pages on the list, ready to read off the photo list for Al, only to come across another small prank from the guys on the ground who'd prepared it. While the righthand page had the checklist, the left had a Playboy pin-up, reclining on a haybale and wearing an open jacket across her shoulders and nothing else. The caption underneath said 'PREFERRED TETHER PARTNER'.
It wasn't the first one they'd seen, Al's cuff checklist had a similar cutie in the previous EVA , with the caption, 'See any interesting hills or valleys?' but before Luna had been too focussed on her own tasks to notice, or Al's comment of, "That's my kind of terrain!"
Now, before he could conceal it, she rose up on her hind hooves, placing the HTC to one side with her magic and raising a small hill to be able to look over his arm at it. "Mayhap I can help?"
It was too late to conceal the picture, but before she could say anything else, Pete quickly said, "Luna, that's okay, no need to discuss this on an open comm."
Luna looked curious, but held her next sentence. She threw up an air bubble and spoke without her radio echoing it. "I was only going to say, 'So that's what you look like without your space armour on.'"
Al couldn't help but burst out laughing, and Pete, turning down the gain on his own transceiver said ruefully. "Not exactly."
As Al Bean covered for them with Capcom and the official recording by explaining that he saw something funny in the dust patterns, Pete continued, "I'll explain after we complete the EVA. We'll need that trick you used earlier again."
"Then I shall say no more upon it for now."
After that, actually working on the Surveyor, both photographing it and removing components, was something of an anti-climax. As always, Luna's precise and powerful telekinesis worked vacuum welded connectors free and generally sped up the work, so even with their earlier stop, they were finished ahead of schedule.
When they returned to the landing site Pete called Capcom. "Houston, Apollo 12. We're going over to Equestrian for a moment, we need to confirm something about our earlier conversation."
"Understood Apollo." Edward Gibson replied. "Are there any problems?"
"No problems, just re-checking procedure." Pete replied.
"Can I have an EMU check?" Both Pete and Al checked their suit instruments as they went over to Luna's magic habitat, where she was topping up from the ambient magic it had stored.
"I'm reading 34% oxygen." Pete said, and Al quipped, "32% for me. Must be all the heavy lifting I've been doing."
As they got to Luna, she recast the translation effect, tapping the habitat for power. "[Now pray tell, why did you not want anyone to hear your explanation?]"
Pete Conrad bit the proverbial bullet. "[The picture was a prank by one of the ground crew, likely David Scott, commander of the back-up crew. Probably decided to put one over on us old Navy pilots, since he's Air Force. That's a picture of a woman not a guy. Also, we normally wear more clothes than that, except during... intimate times.]"
"[Indeed?]" Luna appeared to make the connection quickly, chuckling. "[A lewd and licentious image, is it? Placed to surprise you in your work? A merry jape indeed!]"
Pete was part relieved that he didn't have to go into more detail, and part surprised that Luna didn't need it. "[You got it.]"
His surprise must have shown in his voice because Luna said, "[I know this form is a mere filly, but remember, I have seen centuries pass. Back when we were still building Equestria, while some foes were disarmed with diplomacy and cake, others were not, and I led troops into battle on more than one occasion over both land and sea.
"[While I was never a sea mare, I have been exposed to the robust humor of both soldier and sailor. I am familiar with such harmless camraderies, and could hold my own with both shanty and story before it was decided that it was 'improper' for a princess to induge in such 'common' activities. Though that still doesn't explain the need to hide it from your own people.]"
"[Actually, that's pretty much the problem for us too. Anything we say is going to be overheard by millions of people, some of who have no sense of humour about such things, or have some issue with the Apollo program.]" Pete stated.
Al added, "[Yeah, and some of them would just love to make a big thing out of us having Playboy Playmates on our checklists. These missions are expensive, and they'd be complaining 'This is where our money's going?']"
Luna snorted, "[Faugh! Politics again! They would use it as a means to grab attention and belittle your achievements, promoting their own causes in your stead. Would'st wring an ocean of fake tears from a damp cloth, and wail in feigned outrage, I know the type well enough. Very well, I shall keep my council on this matter.]"
Al asked, "[You don't need to answer if you don't want to, but the fact that you don't have any clothing beyond a hat and some saddlebags doesn't seem to bother you. The hologram images you sent showed your people wore clothes though?]"
Luna replied. "[One of the scholars working with Dr Sagan did ask about that. Those pictures were not recent. The more modern mode is less clad in outer wear, as the pegasi and my sister ensure that the climate remains comfortable. Even my sister and mine own normal wear became little more than a tiara, peytral and hoofboots. A sign of confidence in the mastery of our land.]"
She paused in thought. "[Though he did talk of it being more of a taboo for your people, whereas even back then for our ponies it was more about comfort, as tails and fur provide us sufficient modesty. From that picture, for humans everything appears to be... out in the open.]"
Pete said, "[Pretty much. Not that I'm complaining! But I guess we should get back on mission.]"
"[Indeed.]" Luna sighed, looking distant. "[For me it will be many centuries before I see an unshorn fetlock again...]"
Then she realised what she'd said, and rather too quickly added, "[Not that I made a habit of such things! At least not lately...]"
Al chuckled. "[Sounds like there's a story there, and when you get to Earth I want to hear about it!]"
Luna sighed. "['Tis little enough to tell. Legs ungroomed speak of a certain... wildness in a stallion, and draw the eye upwards. As for mares, the new mode from Gallop, though they lately call it Prance, is to wear stockings to the same effect. It is suggestive without the crudity of flicking a tail, or other more obvious signs of salacious interest.]"
"[Okay, fascinating as it is, we definitely need to close out the spell.]" Pete stated, even as Al chuckled.
"[Very well, but I hope that when I travel to Earth, we can meet up outwith duty and pomp, and regale each other with story and song as friends and comrades do! You can tell me of your sea faring adventures, and I can tell you of mine own, and we shall sing and make merry.]"
As Luna cancelled the spell, Pete added, "As for seeing you on Earth, that should be in around four months, if everything goes to plan with Apollo 13."
"Don't jinx it!" exclaimed Al. "Now we'll have to run a black cat carrying a rabbit's foot in its mouth back and forth under the ladder of the Aquarius!"
Explaining that took a few minutes more, but finally they started the preparations for closing out the EVA and buttoning up the ascent stage for return to orbit. Luna was as good as her word, converting some used pages of the descent flight plan into additional pages of instructions for the primer on re-creating the Feather Fall and Sticking spell rune sets. She also provided the promised memory crystal of their EVAs to add to the image projector.
In return she received maps showing the proposed locations on the Fra Mauro region, less than 100 miles to the east of their current site. Unlike Apollo 12, there was no easy reference point such as the Surveyor 3 to mark the landing locations, but with Luna's ability to create radio beacons, and large sheets of reflective material, it was hoped she could be guided to the chosen site ahead of time. This was only made more important by the proof that she could prepare the site to assist with the landing.
For the next few months, she would stay here at Mare Cognitum, recovering her strength, and only move to the new site a month ahead of the launch. That would give her time to create a new shelter and landing pad, as well as having almost two weeks of sunlight to fully charge it. The trip back and forth would only be a few hours journey, so she could easily bring materials from Mare Cognitum to jump start her work.
Another reason for Luna to stay as long as possible was the TV camera, which would be left behind along with the high gain antenna. It had been set up to be powered off the descent stage batteries, and as long as those retained power, Dr Sagan and his team would have visual feedback from Luna on their discussions, including teaching her to read English. There was also the possibility that Luna could extend the battery life by reversing the chemical reaction in the Zinc Silver batteries through alchemy.
With everything loaded, there was one more thing to do. Al Bean had brought Clifton Williams's Naval Aviator wings and astonaut pin with him, to honor the man he'd replaced as Lunar Module Pilot. It was also why the mission patch had four stars. Luna raised a small cairn with a recess to store them, and an anti-dust spell to keep them forever bright.
Ingress went without a hitch, as did policing the interior of the LEM and stowing all the samples for flight. Outside, Luna was clearing away the PLSS's and other equipment they'd abandoned on the surface, placing it well away from the pad. Almost an hour went by as they prepared for ascent, getting updated information from Ground Control, but finally they were on the firing line.
Gerald Carr, their Capcom from the initial launch, was on the other end and Pete was all business. "Mark. One minute. Master Arm is On..."
"Okay." Bean checked his instruments, then glanced out of the window at where Luna stood by the U.S flag, safely placed away from the blast area, watching.
"367, Read."
Bean set verb 367 on the AGS which display the ascent rate on his side of the controls. "I've got it. First stage push at 30 seconds, Pete."
"Roger. You watch the Luna's hab, I'll fly this bird. Luna, keep watching our ascent and be ready to assist."
"I stand ready!" Luna voice rang in their earpieces.
"Sounds good." Al echoed. Watching the direction of the hab, the most obvious thing in view, would give a double check of the guidance system performance. The clock spun down.
"Okay. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5... Arm! ... 3, 2, 1!" Bean fired the explosive charges that separated the ascent stage as Pete brought up the ascent engine. The LEM ascended, the additional acceleration leaving the two standing astronauts feeling like Luna had just dropped a monolith on them. "Lift-off! Away we go!"
"Boy did it fire!" Al exclaimed.
"Indeed! Fare thee well my friends!" Luna's voice came over the comm channel.
"We have a good line of ascent..." Al commented a moment later. "Hab vector looks good..."
Pete gave him the nod, they had one last think to say, or rather sing as they monitored the instruments, something they'd come up with on the cuff as they'd prepared for ascent, now they had Luna's measure.
"🎵 Farewell to thee, oh Equestrian lady, Farewell to thee, oh Equestrian dame. For we're under orders to set sail for old Terra, But we hope in a short time to see you again! 🎵"
Before Carr could call them out, Conrad signalled a stop, "Mark. Thirty seconds. Thirty seconds; 177, 984.6, and out at 1900 feet."
But as they ascended into the sunlit lunar sky, they heard Luna's delighted laughter fading over their comms.
Al commented, "You know, you never got to use that John Carter line..."