//------------------------------// // Chapter 6: Calibrations // Story: The Unknown Daughter's Reunion:Part 1 // by Disembodied_Pony //------------------------------// In an unexplored part of space, dozens of light years from Earth, a flash a light was emitted from a tiny object floating in the void. Hours later, another flash of light, this time dimmer than the last. Hours later still, a third, dimmer still. So the pattern repeated throughout the next day. Tracing the flashes of light to their source, a perfectly circular ring, nearly a kilometer in diameter could be seen. At a considerable distance from it, were a number of ships keeping at a safe distance. After a period of dormancy, the area inside the ring started to become opaque. A grey hue overcoming the light of stars visible through it's aperture. Then in a fantastic display of light, bolts of white light arced across its surface in a jagged formation, then faded back into the blackness of space. The grey hue fading back to clarity. "Horseapples! I was sure we had it that time!" Lightning Bolt cursed "Hah! Ah, Sometimes I welcome failure, just so I can witness your reaction Bolt" Quick Spark teased. "Oh, Cram it, Spark. I can't wait to get this thing going, just so I don't have to put up with your nagging! I swear you'd sabotage this thing just to get an extra couple days at driving me Crazy!" Bolt fired back. "Oh you'd know it." She said sauntering past him. "How about I re-adjust the inhibitors to form a lovely little cascade, give us plenty of quality time together?" She suggested, batting her eyes. "Don't. you. even. Joke, about that. We'd not only be stuck out here for another three months, but after that, cast out of the engineering core!" "Worth it!" She loved pushing his buttons and getting him riled up. "That's IT!" Bolt shouted, throwing his pad against the deck plate so hard it shattered. "I've had it with you!" Stomping over to her radiating an much fury as a pony could, steam puffing from his flaring nostrils. Spark just stood her ground with a stance that practically screamed 'bring it!, and sported a devious grin. Once he reached her, he picked her up by the shoulders... and kissed her as hard as he could. Pulling back, he whispered something into her ear that made her giggle conspiratorially. Turning off the monitor feed, Light Splitter, the engineering project manager, rolled his eyes. "I don't need to be seeing where This goes." he said aloud. Having been working with them for a number of years now, he knew when to give the married couple their privacy. 'I'm not going to be getting any work out of them for -at least- the next two hours' he thought. He swore that those two had the most unusual relationship he'd ever seen. They were both brilliant individually, but together? They practically made miracles happen. That's why they were placed on this project specifically, time was of the essence, and they could get the jump gate going faster than anypony else. But at the cost of having to give them some hooves-off time here and there. This, right now, was one of those hooves-off times. Who'd have thought that they were as madly infatuated with each other now, as when they first met fourteen years ago? Especially when they worked and sounded like they all but absolutely despised each others presence? The few ponies that tried to break up the 'hostilities' found themselves walking into 'something else' entirely. "Bwahaahaa" He laughed aloud. 'Likely learned a few things from those two, that weren't engineering related!' "Speaking of," He said, opening up a comm channel. An earth pony mare appearing on the screen, smiling happily at seeing him again. "Hi Honey!" "Hi sweetheart..." He greeted, giving her the 'bedroom eyes' and a seductive grin. "Uh oh! Let me guess, inspiration struck again?" she laughed "Maaaybe.." He lead her on "You know, it's been three months... How about I ask the infamous couple for a few 'tips', and when I get back, we test them out?" Her eyes glazing over some, and beginning to blush, she cooed "you work with the best ponies, darling." "c'mon, it's just practice. Don't be so nervous!" Whistle Wind pushed the empress into the edge of the frame. A note pad jostling next to her held in her magic. "I feel ridiculous. You promise this is just a practice run?" Moon asked her "Your the empress, Moon. I'm sure you could intervene in anything I could conspire" Whistle laughed "Oh you would be surprised what my little ponies could accomplish despite my best efforts. Remember what I told you about the kingdom's three hundredth anniversary?" Moon reminded her "Hah, yes. They bugged your study! and surprised you with a live performance of the songs you listened to most in there. I wish I was there for that one." She laughed Closing her eyes "The resulting cultural contamination persists to this day as a result. I blame myself." She shook her head with resignation. "At least they were good songs, imagine how mortified you'd have been if they performed 'whatever' they found?" "Still, I wish I could have left them in the past, where they came from." Moon acquiesced "Well... They were songs from your foalhood, of sorts. I know how it goes. I still have a soft spot for some that are objectively terrible" Whistle laughed "Now, I want you sit there on the divan, and read what we've put together to the recorder. Treat it like an audience of strangers at first. Then an audience of your ponies, and so fourth. We'll work up the it being your family, okay?" Whistle directed Sitting on the divan, taking a deep breath, and letting it back out, she nodded. From off frame Whistle pointed to her, prompting her to begin. "Your Royal Highness's. I hope this message finds you well, and your ponies and rule prosperous." "I approach you now, a very different creature than the one in your memories. Having been forced to become more than what I was through circumstances, the journey...." Whistle smiled as her 'big sis' continued. What she was unaware of, was that Whistle was going to be giving the envoys all of the recordings that they were making. To use the one they thought would be the best. This was for her sis's family, so a rehearsed and stiff presentation just wouldn't cut it, it needed to be more. Candid, personal, and heart felt. At the shipyard and construction complex just outside the SOL system, Steady Wing was walking the decks of the most impressive thing they've ever made. His staff joining him to enjoy the fruits of their labors. In it's construction, they spared no expense in resources bringing it to fruition. Coming to the arboretum, they looked at all the trees planted, and grass growing on the ground over the sealed deck plating. Enough synthetic soil to fill a couple regular sized houses was used to give the roots a natural and healthy hold. Earth pony ingenuity and talent, already having them established and thriving in their new home. Turning his attention upward, he pointed out to his staff; the overhead irrigation system. Designed to provide even occasional heavy rains for the trees and plants there. Walking to the Captains cabin, and the Royal Chambers, he gave them a sneak peak of something few others would get the chance to see over the years to come. Heading up to, and entering the bridge, they looked over the various consoles and command stations. Testing out the captains chair, one of his designers tried his best to be commanding. Earning a number of snickers from the rest. Over the past couple weeks, they came to a consensus on what to name the flagship. Defined by its design purpose, and first mission, they named it: the Homecoming. There, in the newest and largest to date, dry dock; the final touches were being completed: Data uploading to the memory storage, and speech recognition for this ships unique features were being fined tuned.