//------------------------------// // Launch // Story: Lunar 5 // by Erstwhile Tail //------------------------------// 1900 Cloudsdale time: Firefly 3 Launch pad Aileron, feeling an odd sense of familiarity, was doing her preflight checks for the umpteenth time. Her eyes moved over the dials and the newer screens that were all feeding her data, Thrusters: Green. Navigation: Green, etc.. She turned to where the co pilot would sit, but there sat Pliers, looking a bit pail. Aileron chuckled. "First time going to space?" She asked a bit sarcastically. Pliers looked to her, with more than a hint of annoyance as she fiddled with her low pressure space suit, while aileron was comfortable and familiar with hers, Pliers obviously hated it, "I hate heights, that's why I live in the city in a autobody shop. I like being on the ground." Aileron chuckled, "Don't worry this is my first time in a spacecraft in about 7 1/2 years, so I'll take it slow." She smirked as what little color left in the mare's face drained as she started muttering to herself, maybe a prayer to Celestia or Luna, though more likely knowing her, it was curses and swears. Firefly 3, this is ground control, all systems are go on our end, how's it looking on your end? over. Travis's voice came over the comms. "Ground control, this is Firefly 3, all systems are go. What's the winds look like? Over." Aileron said into the comms. "No need to worry about the winds, not there are many strong enough at the moment, the onboard stabilization system will take care of it." Router told them, "T-minus, 30 Seconds Over." The onboard System started counting down, 30, 29, 28... Pliers quickly perked up, "30 Seconds?!? I thought we'd have more time!" "This is a rescue mission. We can't afford to wait." Aileron said as she started to throttle up on the 3 powerful engines, the landing clamps holding them back as they built up the pressure. The whole ship seemed to shiver as it wanted freedom, Aileron could feel it, like a animal seeing wide open spaces for the first time in years. "Son of a bitch." muttered Pliers. 20, 19, 18, 17... Aileron pushed the throttle to 75%, the rumble turned into a roar, but she barely heard it, she felt the machine, it was alive. The massive Thunderbird it was, it needed to fly, it yearned for the stars. It wanted to be free. To overcome the oppressive force that was gravity. 12, 11, 10, 9... Pliers gripped her seat and clenched her jaw and eyes shut. Aileron set the thrusters to 80%, and angled the last of the flaps, her hooves and magic turning dials, making fine adjustments. 5 Aileron locked everything down, 4 She grabbed the Yoke with her forehoof, and the throttle with her other, 3 She rolled her neck, cracking it, settling down into the familiar sensation of becoming one with the machine, 2 She let out a breath, steadied her nerves and smiled as she shot a glance over to Pliers, who looked like she was about to have a panic attack, 1... 0 Time slowed. Aileron threw the throttle to full, and the roar would have deafened and flattened you if you were standing within half a mile of the rocket. She felt the clamps of the launch pad release and the rocket surged forward with a will. The rocket surged into the sky. Quickly gaining speed, the Rocket powered beast fought Aileron for freedom, the Yoke being jerked out of her forehooves for a second, the rocket lurched, the G's caused by this were more than triple of Equestira's gravity, and it was pulling them all sideways. Ailerons horn flared quickly grabbing the Yoke, and throttle, as her limbs were pinned to her sides. She gently eased the throttle back 15%, while moving the yoke and guiding, not leading, Firefly back into a vertical flight path, and opened the taps. The rocket now, understanding where to go, easily sprinted its way, climbing like nothing Aileron had ever felt before. She let out a whoop and a cheer as the clarity she hadn't felt for almost a decade returned for the first time. She barely registered the scream of Pliers as they climbed higher and higher out of the atmosphere. 1945 Hours Cloudsdale time: Firefly 3 in Orbit As Firefly 3 left the atmosphere, the shaking from the air resistance faded as they entered the vacuum of space. Aileron expertly piloted the craft towards an orbit path, going to sling shot around the planet in order to reach the moon sooner, and hopefully saving more lives if possible. Once she had set the flight path, and the computer had took over, she unbuckled and kicked up a little, floating above her seat, and pushed herself to the window. She saw the planet from space for the first time in years. She had forgotten how beautiful it was, and how the silence was almost music in a way. She turned to see how Pliers was doing, only to see one of the Pegasus army pony medics floating to her, and pulling her helmet and sleeves off, and put a hoof to her forehoof. Aileron, knowing that something was wrong, glided over. "Is she alright?" She asked the medic, "She's not dead is she?" The medic shook her head, "Looks like she passed out from a panic attack or the G's, can't blame her, when we had that roll or whatever that was, I nearly passed out myself." "Let's get her to the bunks, we need to make her comfortable to ease her out of it." Said another Unicorn medic, with a Sargent's shoulder patch, his nametag said Sargent Awdry. "Help me move her." After a bit, they had Pliers into one of the 15 sleeping bags in the crew's cabin, the first medic, named Milly, volunteered to watch over her and make sure she didn't have a second one in the confusion of waking up. “Firefly this is ground control do you copy? Over.” Travis’s voice crackled over the com system. Aileron held a button as she spoke into the mic, “This is Firefly 3. We have achieved targeted orbit. Preparing for slingshot. Course has been calculated. Over” "We weren't sure on what to think when you guys did that roll, looks like one of the thrusters fired a bit more earlier than we thought it would. Everypony alright up there? Over." Router's voice came over the headsets. "Only Pliers passed out, but we think that she will be fine, it was from either a panic attack, or the G's it's hard to say." Aileron reported, "Ready to fire Ion chargers, will report upon reaching Lunar 5, until then, this is Firefly 3. Over and out." The crew strapped in, Pliers was secured with rolls and rolls of duct tape to keep her from flailing around, once all systems were green, Aileron's hoof fired over the Ion button. She waited, and watched. They were picking up speed as they orbited the earth, the navi computer marking when to break out of orbit. 5000 miles. Almost... 35000 miles... Aileron's hoof hovered closer. 1000 Miles. 500 Miles 100 Miles "Firing Ion Engines!" Aileron said as she slammed her hoof on the button, then it was pushed against her, as her magic had to take over the piloting for them. The speedometer read out almost 150,000,000 meters per second. Almost half the speed of light, a wide grin spread across her face. As the thrusters hummed and vibrated the craft just enough to be noticed by the passengers. "Reverse Thrusters!" Aileron said grabbing the forward thrusters throttle and the reverse thrusters throttle throwing the first one to off, and the reverse to full. The deceleration was incredible. The speedo dropped like it was hot, slowing from almost half the speed of light, to only a few thousand meters per second in roughly 45 seconds. Aileron grabbed the yoke, as they neared the large space station, as it spun in its programed temperature regulation, Aileron at first saw nothing wrong with the craft, she looked to the Sargent. "Are we sure this is Lunar 5?" She asked him. The Sargent activated the powerful search light, illuminating the name painted on the craft: Lunar 5. "Yeah, this is it. Still not seeing any... Oh Sweet Celestia..." Aileron followed his gaze, and her jaw dropped. The hole could easily have been a docking port, sparks fell from the top and lights flickered, Aileron could have sworn that she saw something moving, but then it was gone, perhaps a trick of the light, or the deceleration, She thought to herself. Skillfully she maneuvered Firefly 3 as close as she dared. "Lunar 5, this is Firefly 3, Do you read me over?" She said into the mic, nothing. "Lunar 5, do you copy. Over?" still nothing. "I don't like this," The Sargent said examining the gashes in the space station's hull, "We sure this was a asteroid, looks like it was-" Suddenly a crackling came over the com, "This is Lu-zzz-r 5, we are sti-zzzzzz- live, repeat, we are alive, but it's hun-zzz-ng us! It's hun-zzzz-" *click* The crew was silent, the mares voice was panicked. They had only made out bits and pieces, but they sounded like most were alive. "Lunar 5, LUNAR 5 COME IN! Damn, we lost them..." The Sargent turned to the medics, "Alright, get those supplies, looks like this is it." The Army Ponies all unstrapped and made their way to the cargo bay to suit up and collect all their gear. Sargent Awdry followed them, while Aileron piloted around and found the docking clamp, using the remote security code, she docked with the space station, with a jolt. It seemed she was a bit out of practice. Locking down the ship, she noted that there wasn't any breathable air being detected. She'd just activated the Airlock protocol on the clamp when Pliers, with plenty of duct tape still on her legs and body, floated in followed by Milly trying to get the rest of it off. "I swear to the Princess herself, if you duct tape me up AGAIN, I'm going to fix you a new one." She said holding a wrench like a battle axe. "So you'd rather be thrown around?" Aileron asked, Milly nodding in agreement. "Well... I'd... shut up!" She said, then noted the lack of military, "Where'd everypony go?" "To suit up, you'd better as well, you got one hell of a hole to patch from what I saw." "Alright, just show me where to get my tools." Pliers replied cockily. "Right in there," Aileron pointed to the silver box on the side of the wall, in it was a tool belt with everything Pliers would need. "Perfect." Replied the Earth Pony. As the repair pony suited up, Aileron looked out to the crippled Space Station, and wondered if they could in fact fix the ship before it was too late. She found herself wondering what exactly the pony on the other end of the com was trying to say in such a hurry. She then saw something move in the craft in the corner of her eye. But when she looked towards it. It had vanished.