//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: Discovery // Story: Interstellar // by Distant Horizons //------------------------------// Dawn came all too early, however the only indication of it was the loud beep that echoed through the shuttle. Rose Ribbon groaned in annoyance, she had never been fond of mornings. She lazily floated through the halls, only to be stopped by Commander Iron Hoof's outstretched hoof. "I need your help with something." He didn't seem to be asking as he just grabbed Rose by the hoof and dragged her into the Communications Room. "The Princess sent a list of instructions to get everything set up but I'm not very wire-smart, think you can do it?" The Commander asked. Rose Ribbon nodded, ready for work. It was going to be a long day. "Ms. Lulamoon! Ms. Lulamoon!" Called out a scientist who rushed after Stella. "What!" She snapped back, causing the white coated pony to flinch. "We've picked up a object on a massive object on our radar! It looks like a meteorite but it seems to change course at will." Bringing it up on the large screen on the wall of the room, it appeared that the object seemed to be intentionally heading towards Earth. "Get Sparkle on the phone immediat- Mpmhhh!" Stella had silenced the scientist. "We don't need to tell her any of this," She stubbornly replied, glancing back up at the object depicted on the screen. "This may just be our golden goose." BEEP! Rose Ribbon was good at wiring, as indicated by her wire cutie mark, a red wire tied into a bow. This however, was work she could only imagine in her wildest dreams. Wires everywhere, her hooves and mouth were sore from the constant sting of electricity whenever she moved a wire, the slightest mistake could send the whole machine into chaos if it wasn't corrected immediately. Blue wire there, left wire here, oh where did you come from, yellow wire? Finally, she moved the last wire into place. BEEEEP! . ... "I think I did something wron-" THUD! Rose Ribbon and Iron Hoof fell to the floor as gravity finally switched on. Rose groaned in annoyance as her limbs ached while Iron had seemingly fallen on his hooves despite having been upside down only moments earlier. She stumbled to her hooves, finally she could go back to bed! "Can't go yet, we still have more work to do." He said with a smirk. She wanted to stomp Iron Hoof into oblivion, but she knew she couldn't. "There's a module at the end of the hall, supposed to alert us of any meteors nearby. Pretty important module and we need it up as soon as possible, I'll have communications fully up within 2 hours." Rose Ribbon suppressed a groan as she dragged her hooves all the way down the hall. With the last of the systems online, the astronauts scrambled to send messages home. Each one eager to inform their loved ones of their arrival. Iron Hoof smiled slightly from the doorway, watching each and everyone of their faces light up at the sight of their loved ones. Some had children, some were children, and some had friends instead of family, but it seemed everypony but Iron Hoof had someone who they were just itching to contact. Sighing, he went to leave to check in on Rose Ribbon, however he was stopped in his tracks when he caught somepony out of the corner of his eye. "Aura?" He asked, receiving only a nod from the shy pony. The unicorn hung his head low, his orange, red and yellow-splotched mane hanging over his eyes. "What is it?" He questioned. Aura went to leave but Iron Hoof stopped him. He glanced at the communications room than back at Aura. "Oh... you don't have anyone back home..?" Seeing the unicorn nod, the Commander sighed. "It's alright bud..." He replied gently, lifting Aura's head up to eye-level with his hoof. "Imagine all the fans you'll have when you get home. Every filly and colt dying to even be in your presence. I doubt that you'll ever be alone again with that kind of popularity." He joked, seeing Aura's eyes light up slightly. BEEP! "Ugh!" Rose groaned in annoyance. "Stupid, stupid wires!" She yelled in frustration. While wiring was her talent, this was just absurd! Her hoof slammed into the side of the machine, causing another; BEEP! The screen flared to life suddenly, displaying a radar. While they were the dot in the middle, it displayed several other dots slowly moving past them. The other screens slowly ignited and displayed vital status' like oxygen level and thrust fuel. "Yes!" Rose Ribbon beamed with pride, doing a slight victory dance. However, her victory dance was cut short when giggling filled the room. A green pegasus-stallion with a bright orange mane sat in the doorway, laughing. "Lucky Day!" She groaned in annoyance, eyeing him angerly. He simply continued to laugh at her. Lucky Day's expression all too quickly turned to confusion and surprise as he suddenly glanced at the radar. "W-what's that...?" He asked her. Rose Ribbon quickly whipped her head around to see and her jaw fell quick. Something was approaching them, and it was approaching fast. Rose leapt up. "Get Iron Hoof here immediately!" She barked, racing over to the radar. "Tell him to get Princess Twilight on the line!" Lucky nodded and darted from the room. Whatever the foreign object was, it was on a collision course straight for them. BEEP! BEEEEP! BEEP! Alarms were quick to cue as the object was getting far to close. It was massive, or maybe they were tiny? Hooves came thundering down the hall as Iron Hoof, Lucky Day and Night Dance raced into the room, almost getting stuck in the doorway. "What is that?!" Night Dance cried as he was the first to spot the object. "It can't be a meteorite, too big." Iron Hoof replied. "What if it's not something... but somepony..?" Lucky Day cautiously suggested. "Whatever it is, if we don't move out of the way or if it doesn't slow, we will collide with it." Iron Hoof replied. Rose Ribbon gulped at the thought of the possibility of them dying. "Everypony, stations, now!" Iron Hoof commanded. Rose prayed that this wouldn't be how she'd end.