“So tell me about yourself, Mrs. Eclipse.”
“Scarlet, please,” the dark red mare replied. “And what would you like to know?”
The green mare adjusted her glasses and cleared her throat. “The purpose of this interview is to answer some questions so I can better assign you in the program. From what I understand you’re just a private astronomer without any formal educational or professional experience, and by all accounts that makes you ineligible for even the lowest levels of this program.”
“And is there an issue with that?” Scarlet raised an eyebrow.
“Not particularly,” the mare tersely replied. “But for the program director to endorse a relative amateur’s application along with a royal astronomer and the princess herself… is quite unusual to say the least.”
“Why don’t you look into my file instead of discounting me just because I don’t have a fancy doctorate. If you look again you’ll see that I took part in an educational exchange and helped write some of the reworked procedures.”
“I’m aware of that, though you only assisted on a low level technical basis.”
“And?” Scarlet replied. “I don’t want to be abrasive with you, but you said it best. The endorsements I got are unusual, and surely that helps paint a picture of what I’m capable of.”
The auditor rolled her eyes. “What are you capable of? Your cutie mark is clearly astronomy related, so does that aid in your talent or skills in any noticeable or distinctive way?”
“Of course,” Scarlet grinned. “I believe that Starry Skies called it Luna’s Sight. He said it was an uncommon ability that helps ponies navigate by using the night sky. I don’t want to brag, but I can do that very well.”
“As can many of our other technicians. What puts your skill above theirs?”
Scarlet looked off to the side and started to think back to her first days after transforming, specifically the day she earned her mark. “I have an unusually strong understanding of where I’m at from just a glance up at the stars. You could throw me into a forest in an unknown area blindfolded and I could probably find my way back home just based on the position of the stars and the way they’re moving. I can point out every major star in the night sky and which constellation it’s a part of at a quick glance, and based on what Starry seems to think, that’s not a usual skill just any old pony has…”
“If that’s true then it may indeed be a little more fine tuned than most of our technicians’. Nonetheless, what makes your particular skill set an advantage for us? We have dozens of ponies that already work together to do what you can.”
“With all due respect,” Scarlet started. “I can do quick and on the fly calibrations for the advanced telescopes you built with advice from Earth astronomers. I’m not going to say I’m better than anyone else, but I know the tech and can see things faster than they might be able to.”
“I see,” the mare replied. If she was impressed with anything that Scarlet had said then she sure wasn’t showing it, but perhaps that’s why she was working here instead of elsewhere in the program. “I’m aware of your referrals but if you’ll allow me to be blunt; I don’t know if you really have what it takes to contribute to this program. You’re an outsider and will probably be seen as one by the long term staffers, and your supposed talents might rub of the others the wrong way.”
“Tell me something I don’t know,” Scarlet muttered out.
“What was that?” The mare asked.
Scarlet sighed. “Look. I know you’re taking a risk on me, but I promise you I’ll work as hard as I possibly can on this. I can’t tell you how important the education exchange was for me, and without that I wouldn’t have gone into teaching. If it makes you feel any better you’ll only be dealing with me for three months at a time right now, then you can spend the rest of your year not having to even think about me.”
“It’s not a matter of taking risks, Scarlet. You’re already hired on, so there’s no going back unless you violate the terms of your probationary period. But I expect to see your best, because you jumped the line to get in here and none of this would even be in consideration unless the Princess saw something in you that I don’t. So don’t fall behind, because the ponies that do don’t last long around here.”
Scarlet wanted to roll her eyes and say some choice words, but instead she simply took a deep breath and forced the most polite smile that she possibly could. For as abrasive as this mare was, she wasn’t any worse than some of the older professors at her college, and if her tenure status was anything to go by then she was more than capable of handling their shenanigans. She had gone through the gauntlet at almost every job she had ever worked, and weathered the storm time and time again. This job would be no different if she had anything to say about it.
“Thank you miss…”
“Sunshine,” the mare replied. “Sunshine Smile.”
That’s an ironic name if I’ve ever seen one, Scarlet almost couldn’t help but snicker to herself. “Thanks Miss Sunshine.”
Sunshine rolled her eyes and gestured towards the door. “Doctor Selene’s office is down that hall, last door on the right. She’ll give you your assignments and update you on the Outpost’s projects. There have been many advancements since you were last here that are no doubt far beyond the scope of what you worked with before.”