Two weeks Sunset Shimmer thought. We’ve been up here two weeks trying to keep this place running and find why it keeps having glitches and no one is any closer to figuring it out. I mean, you would think we would have found at least one clue by now.
“Fuck.”
“What’s the matter, sunshine?”
Sunset looked up from the tangle of wires she was currently checking for shorts or broken insulation that may cause an arc. She had known the other engineers were around, but had forgotten how well voices can carry when there is little to no insulation to absorb the sound.
And I have a Master's in Sound Engineering too. Way to go, dumbass. Sunset shook her head and causally replied, “Nothing, just thinking about all this and how things keep popping on and off for no damn reason. Oh, and the name is Sunbeam, not Sunshine. Unless you were being facetious. In which case, fuck you… sir.”
“You really like that word, don’t you?”
Sunset smiled and nodded. “It is one of my favorites, yes.”
"You kiss your mother with that mouth?"
Sunset smirked. "I know for a fact that my mother knows more curse words than any creature alive and can recite them in multiple languages just to show off."
Harp barked out a laugh and nodded, check his watch and then whistled. “Let’s pause here, people. If we get to lunch early for once maybe we will get our potions while they are still hot. I’m tired of those computer nerds getting all the good cuts.”
Sunset nodded, gladly untangling herself and storing her tools. She was happy to stop, but in truth, she had other plans today for lunch. Something she had been planning for days. She was quick to wash up and slipped away casually so as to not be hassled, making her way towards the server room where Twilight was likely still holed up with Drago and maybe one or two others. Sunset ran that thought back through her head again and had to clamp down on her snicker fit. My hottie hunny all holed up. Hehehehe! I really need to do something about my gutter mind.
As she expected, Sunset spotted Twilight with a stylus dangling from her lips while she switched between tablet in hand and the large monitor to her left. Sunset watched quietly as Drago would call out a system and Twilight would quickly glance between the two screens and reply, “check.” The process was repeated seven times before Twilight caught sight of the red head standing near the door with a smirk on her face.
“Oh!”
Drago glanced up at the gasp. “Everything okay, Miss Sunbeam?”
“It’s time for lunch. I wanted to collect my friend before she forgets to eat… again.”
Twilight blushed sheepishly. “I… have been guilty of that in the past.”
“I lost count.”
Twilight nodded and stood and stretched. Sunset arched a brow when she spied Drago eyeing up her wife rather blatantly. When he noticed Sunset observing him his eyes widened and smiled disarmingly. He then found an interesting spot on the ceiling to stare at. Sunset had to admit, it was a cute smile. Not at all like his pilot friend who was likely roaming the halls. Sunset briefly wondered what Drago’s counterpart in Equestria was like. There was something about his features and manner that made her consider that he might be something other than a pony on the other side of the mirror. A curious pondering for another day.
“Let’s grab something and eat while walking. I got a surprise lined up for you that I’ve been planning for more than a week.”
Twilight arched a brow and adjusted her glasses. “What are you up to?”
“It’s a suuuurpriiiiise,” Sunset sing-songed even going so far as to add a sway to her hips once Twilight was in the hall to notice. And notice she did. Sunset smirked mischievously. The weeks without intimate contact had been excruciating for Sunset, but it was endearing to see that her wife was feeling just as starved for contact as she was. That hunger would have to wait to be sated though. Sunset had a special gift to present.
----------
“I… I don’t think I can do this!”
Sunset sighed, but continued to snap the EVA space suit components into place just like she had read about. The directions had been easy to follow even if there were numerous steps that involved checking and double-checking seals. No one wanted to die from decompression because you forgot a snap or did not fully twist-to-lock. That would be embarrassing.
“You’ll be fine.”
“My logic brain knows that, my heart knows that, but tell that to my basal ganglia that is screaming at me this is a bad idea!”
Sunset paused and had to dig deep to understand what her wife was referring to. “That’s a brain thing, isn’t it?”
“The reptilian brain. The part that controls our most basic motor functions and instincts. Survival, reproduction, FEAR.”
“Babe, breathe.”
“I AM BREATHING!”
Sunset sighed, but continued to smile. She knew they were on a time limit, but if she did not calm Twilight down there was no way her plan to show her the stars would work. They were already taking a huge protocol risk by going outside, technically without permission, though Sunset had discussed with her supervisor the possibility of checking some outside panels and wiring junctions just to be thorough. She just had not yet received permission from management and it worked into her gift scheme. Regardless, this was their only chance and opportunity. The reward was worth the risk.
Sunset did a quick check on her own equipment and risked skipping the double-check of her suit seals in order to shove Twilight into the airlock. The moment the door sealed and the station air was pumped into storage tanks Twilight realized they were, in fact, doing this. Her purple eyes were about to pop out of their sockets they were so wide. Sunset tapped on Twilight visor and pointed at the closed circuit frequency on her short range radio.
“Can you hear me?”
Twilight fumbled a bit and then nodded, remembering that the radio on/off switch was in her glove. “Was that all the air?! WE… WE ARE IN VACUUM!”
“Babe, the radio? Yes or no?”
Twilight deadpanned. Her anxiety momentarily evaporated as it was replaced by her blatant annoyance at Sunset's question. “Yes. Obviously. We are talking back and forth. Speaking of which, won’t others hear our conversation as well?”
“Not on this frequency unless they are looking for it. Suit to suit short range bursts. We can switch to the station band if someone pings us though. The controls are on your HUD menu, bottom left. You scroll with your left finger and thumb. It’s actually pretty user friendly, so kudos to whoever designed it. I was playing with them yesterday in my down time to prepare for this.”
Twilight arched an eyebrow and flashed a playful smirk. “Sunset Shimmer planned ahead instead of just ‘wingin’ it?’ Should I be worried?”
Sunset giggled. Immensely pleased that her wife was beginning to adjust to the situation. “It was necessary and honestly kind of fun. This is some really cool tech they came up with, your company or otherwise. Anyhow, from the folks I talked to about going outside it’s important to stay relaxed. So, I need you to stay calm like this and control your breathing, okay?”
Without further delay, Sunset pulled the outer lever and the second hatch opened. She grabbed one of the tether lines and hooked it to her suit by the D-ring that was already in place. After a second, she glanced up to find that Twilight was still by the station hatch. It was difficult to make out her face, but she imagined it was similar to a deer in headlights. Sunset raised her gloved hand, waved it around a few times to get her wife's attention, and then asked, “Do you trust me?”
Twilight nodded though the movement was barely noticeable inside the helmet.
“Then take my hand, Twilight. Let me show you something few have ever seen with their own eyes.” With one last deep breath, Twilight took the offered hand and was pulled from the hatch. Sunset was quick to secure her wife’s safety tether before finally stepping out onto the thin metal walkway platform.
Twilight had tried SCUBA diving a few decades ago. She never qualified for her diver’s certification, but that was mostly due to lack of interest in pursuit than incapability. The water felt strange. It sounded strange, otherworldly. It was nothing compared to what she was feeling now. Diving left her with a sense of claustrophobia. Listening to her own breathing and movements without any surrounding noises was, in fact, deafening. The EVA space suits was all that and more. Twilight felt as if she were on edge of a panic attack and if not for the hand that continued squeezed her own she may have completely lost it. However, despite it all, she did not scream or just screw her eyes closed.
“Twilight.” The scientist looked up at the calling of her true name. They were helmet to helmet. The face masks were intentionally hard to see through and would completely polarize against the solar radiation, but they were currently in the station's shadow. Internal helmet lights allowed Twilight to make out the loveliness of her wife's face. She was smiling, ginning in fact. Amethyst eyes locked with teal. “Look.”
Sunset stepped aside and gestured.
To Twilight’s right were stars. To her left, more stars. There were stars and more stars in every direction. If she could see the other side of the station behind where they were standing, she would see what most only could see in pictures. “The Little Blue Marble” floating in the vastness of the near infinite black abyss. Though in truth, with so many stars, was it really so abyssal?
“Pretty amazing, huh?”
Twilight fumbled again, but finally found her voice after a few seconds. “Yes. And... sorry if I was being a scaredy cat about it. I just... wow...”
Sunset chuckled as she often did when Twilight apologized for something that needed no apology. Instead, Sunset just moved down the maintenance catwalk to where the schematics had said there was a gap. She wanted to see the world. That would make this all worth it.
“Where are you going?!”
Sunset waved Twilight to follow. “To see Earth. I mean, we only got a little glimpse out the window when we docked. I want to see it with my own eyes. Maybe do a perspective pose where it looks like I'm holding the world in my hand and you take a picture of it.”
Twilight was hesitant, but swallowed her fear yet again and followed. All her suit stats were good and she had plenty of air. Though they would need to wrap things up soon or else others will begin to wonder where they ran off to outside the cafeteria. With that sense of urgency and a desire to see the world as well, Twilight moved her safety tether to the new rail and followed.
As Sunset Shimmer had hoped, the gap was enough so they would not have to climb over or cross the station. Eventually, the gap would be filled in as the station expanded and such exposed sections became internalized, but for now it offered a shortcut. She just smiled as the world hung there and slowly spun. Twilight must have still had her radio button depressed because Sunset clearly heard her gasp when she came to a stop next to her wife. Sunset just reached down and took her hand as best she could, waiting silently for Twilight to take it all in.
The L2 Lagrange point was always on the far side of the Earth, away from the Sun. At the angle the station was geo-synchronized at, the world was backlit in a magnificent halo that was nearly impossible to capture with a standard camera due to lighting. And equally as difficult to look away from. The two women standing side by side, far older than any human had any right be, just took it all in quietly, their heavy gloved hands interlocked clumsily if albeit lovingly.
“My God. It's... absolutely… breathtaking,” Twilight finally said with a hitch to her voice.
“Yeah,” Sunset nodded, forgetting again that the fixed helmet did not translate the movement more than a little bit. “Even Mom would have a hard time topping that sort of sunrise.”
“Thank you for this, Sunny. I... I love you.”
“You are very welcome, Twi. And of course, I love you too.” The silence lingered, but it was a comfortable one. Twilight sighed one last time and started to turn back when a glint caught her eye and she looked down and to her left. “You know, I’m going to have a hard time topping this for our wedding anniversary in a few months. We might have to do something really wild or pervers- uh, babe? Where are you going?”
Twilight pointed. “I don’t think that panel is supposed to be open.”
Sunset followed the line of sight and sure enough, there was a small, square hinged junction panel identical to many of the ones inside hanging partly open. “Huh. The last person who did maintenance on it must have forgot to latch it. Good thing the hull has extra layers and is not airtight all over.”
“True, but the outer shell protects many sensitive electronics and wiring and if it has been exposed to extreme cold or solar radiation that could explain some of the issues we have been having. It would be wonderful and so reckless that all these problems could be fixed because of a simple latch!”
“Stranger things have happened. You want me to get it? Electrical is my thing.”
“Twilight had already started to move. “Just hold my line.”
“Uh, sure, but the tether is hooked on so it’s not really ne-”
“Just hold the damn line and make me feel better, Iknowitisnotlogical!”
Sunset chuckled and took a grip on the tether and let it slide through her gloves. “Sure thing, babe.”
Twilight followed the catwalk to the ladder and waited for Sunset to switch the tether anchor point, but never let go of the line, before descending to the open panel. It was an odd place for a junction, Twilight thought. She had to stretch to reach the hinged door. It was almost as if it was not meant to be regularly accessed. Or, maybe my arms are just short. Twilight stretched and felt the strain of the tether.
“Hey! Be careful! If you rip the suit this could get ugly, fast!”
“Is there any way to give me more line? This panel is in a difficult spot and I can't reach.”
Sunset glanced around. It looked like she could attached the clamp to the top rung of the ladder, but if Twilight slipped it could snag and possibly rip a seam. I guess I really am going to have to hold on to her. Mother Celestia, I do not like this idea.
“Yeah. Hold tight, I’m going to move your safety line again and then… shit!”
“W-What?!”
“Someone must have seen us or been listening for radio signals because there's a ping on the open channel. Just let me handle that. I don’t want to get both of us in trouble.” Sunset’s radio clicked over, but she still moved the D-ring clamp to the ladder and then climbed down part way to hold the line as backup.
Twilight let out a breath and a silent thank you that her wife was incredibly capable of multi-tasking. Her attention returned to the panel that she could now stretch for without feeling the unnerving tug of her safety line against the space suit. With a forceful pushed the door swung in to close… only for it bounce back open. The latch did not take. Twilight rolled her eyes. If it had been that easy it would not have been open to begin with. Twilight risked taking one foot off the ladder an put her entire hand on the back of the door and guided it all the way closed. This time, she felt it strike something, but could see that the push lock was just a few centimeters from closed. Something was preventing it from latching all the way.
With a curious tilt of her head, Twilight reached and pulled the panel door all the way open instead. Letting the light from the other side of the station shine upon this mystery.
“Twi! What the hell?! Get back on the ladder!”
“There is something keeping the door from closing.”
“Then let’s go report it so people with the right tools can come do this. We don’t even have a screwdriver with us!”
Twilight ignored the request and inspected the junction closer. She spotted an irregularity immediately. There was something sticking up from the top circuit board. The object reminded Twilight of a small, U-shaped magnet, but not did not make sense. She grasped the object with two fingers and gave it a small tug. It felt as if it moved, but did not come free. Twilight glared at the object, growled under her breath, and then pulled again harder. Adding a little extra back and forth wiggle to her movements. Suddenly, it popped free. However, the extra force and no inertial friction caused Twilight to stumble back losing her footing on the ladder. She flailed with her left hand and missed the ladder rung while still gripping the object tight with her right. Twilight was about to scream when a gloved hand caught hers whipping about and the tether pulled taunt.
“I’ve got you! I’ve got you! Just take it easy.”
Twilight shuddered and nodded, getting her breathing under control. Twilight quickly put the found object in one of the utility pouches and then began to reach out for the panel again.
“Seriously?!”
“I have to close the hatch. We can’t leave it fully open like that. And… I know you have me.”
“Yeah, alright. Just hurry up, please. From what It sounds like we are going to have company at the air lock.”
“Then it’s a good thing we did more than just go sightseeing. Even if it was one heck of a view. Thank you again for this.”
Sunset Shimmer's nerves began to settle as Twilight reached and quickly sealed the panel in question. They both ascended the ladder with Sunset waiting for her wife at the top. They shared one last comfortable moment staring at the world beyond and then Sunset smiled, gently clinked her helmet glass against Twilight’s.
“Anything for you, babe.”
“Except world domination.”
“Except world domination,” Sunset repeated with a knowing smirk.
The pair slowly and carefully made their way back to the airlock and cycled the system to repressurize the chamber. There was movement on the other side of the door, visible through the small view window. A minute later the light turned green and the inner hatch was ready to be unlocked. Unsurprising, someone from the station side pulled the lever first. Equally unsurprising, it was Eagle Eye. However, he was at least not alone. Whether that was a good thing or not would soon be revealed.
The moment Sunset unlatched her helmet the pilot shouted, “What the hell do you think you were doing out there, newbie?!”
“One sec,” Sunset held up a finger to his face and then proceeded to pull her hair free from the tie she had used to secure it back in a ponytail. She happily fluffed it out, the red and yellow locks spilling over the broad suit shoulders. Sunset next turned to Twilight to make sure she was able to successfully remove her own helmet before spinning back around to the irate pilot. “Now, you may ask your question again, but politely this time.”
Eagle Eye’s jaw hung open. He glanced back at the other station supervisors who managed to maintain their equal mixes of curiosity and disapprovals. “Are… are you fucking kidding me with this? Do you know how many safety rules and regulations you just broke?! If we had a brig I would be dragging both your asses to it right about now!”
Sunset shrugged and continued to strip from her space suit, more thankful than ever to have her coverall suit on underneath. The sweat gathering design was more practical than she could have imagined, keeping her cool and dry. “You know, your attitude is really not winning you any points as far me liking you. And let us not forget your many attempts to find your way into my pants. Just saying.”
Drago snickered a bit while Twilight just groaned. Eagle Eye looked like his brain got stuck between gears and Sunset continued before giving him a chance to retort. “Whatever. While I am not sure on the exact number of rules and regulations, sorry about that, I did NOT read the entire book on the flight over, I think it would be more fair to say we BENT rather than BROKE said rules since I DID have a discussion with my supervisor, yeah, that guy, about going outside to check some panels. Mr. Harp, would you be so kind as to vouch for me on that one?”
“It was still under consideration, Ms. Glow.” Harp grumbled.
“But it was the right decision in the end.” All the supervisors and Eagle Eye turned back to Twilight, who had spoken. It was, in a way, as if they were seeing her for the first time. She reached into her storage pouch and retrieved the object she had pulled from the junction panel. “One of the exterior junction panel doors was open. When I went to close it, I found that it would not latch because this piece was keeping it open.”
The supervisors all crowded in and scrutinized the device. Drago gestured to the item and Twilight placed it in his hand. After a quick once over Drago made a face. “Huh. It looks kind of like a micro storage drive, you know. Given the data port connector here, but… way more advanced. I would need to crack it open and see what the guts look like to be sure. And which junction did you find this in?”
“The one down and two the left of the airlock walkway, over to the right of the ladder. A terrible place for, honestly,” Twilight said while pointing.
Drago scrunched up his face again. When annoyed his face reminded Sunset of an angry little hawk. It was kind of adorable and she had to fight to keep the smirk from her face. “There is a backup junction box over there that connects into the entire server network. The door definitely should NOT have been hanging open. That’s some pretty sensitive stuff that could have been exposed to who knows what. Radiation, micrometeors, all kinds of shit like that.”
Twilight elbowed Sunset, who smirked despite the situation. “I told you.”
“So how did it get there?” asked Skymark Blue, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
“Drago shrugged. “Could have been during construction, or someone went EVA and installed it. Only two ways it really could have been done.”
“It’s not part of the original design,” Twilight injected. “That I am absolutely positive of. I know this station’s original schematic backwards and forwards. No way I, or anyone else would have missed such a glaring oversight.”
Skymark, Eagle Eye, and Drago all exchanged glances of varying degrees of suspicion and speculation. Such expressions were quick to set off alarms in Sunset’s mind. She in turn glanced to Twilight who winced when she played back her words in her head. When she turned to Sunset, the redhead understood the silent words her eyes were conveying. Twilight was not a good liar, never had been, and was having increasing difficulty keeping all their cover story straight. Sunset smiled warmly and nodded her agreement. It was time to come clean... At least part way. Half-truths always made the best lies because they were, in fact, spiced with the real truth.
It was Eagle Eye who finally asked the big question yet again. “You never answered from before. Why were you out there?”
“Sunny…”
Sunset held up her hand. She would take the lead on the storytelling. “Truthfully, I wanted to see the stars and show them to her. I mean, hello? We're in space! Who would NOT want to want to see it! Finding the junction was just a random coincidence.”
“But if that thing was installed after systems were already online, as I suspect,” Twilight quickly added, “I think that may have been the root of all the system malfunctions we have been experiencing. Like Drago said, we need to have it analyzed to be certain.”
“I’m not sure I want either of you touching any more of our systems. This whole story is starting to smell criminally of fish to me,” said Skymark.
Twilight scowled at the administrator, hard. “Excuse you! I designed or approved over half these system! Do NOT try to pull proprietary or classification rank over me.”
Sunset gently placed a hand on Twilight’s shoulder to reel her wife in. “Look, we have some truths we need to tell you, but not here in the hall. Voices carry.”
Skymark grunted. “Fair enough. My office. NOW.”
Nothing else was said until the administrator’s door was clicked shut and the tumbler lock in place. Skymark gestured to the chairs in front of his desk and Sunset and Twilight took them. Drago found wall space to lean against while Eagle Eye took on a parade rest pose directly behind the two chairs. Once Skymark sat he gestured for the women to continue their story.
Sunset sat forward, having had the last few minutes to get their story in order. She knew Twilight would be able to fill in the gaps to play along if and when necessary. “Okay, first and foremost, we are actually here to help, we are actually qualified to do the jobs we have been doing, and we are not here to make trouble or put anyone in danger.”
“Well, that’s as comforting as a porcupine and what I would expect to hear from anyone caught with their hand in the cookie jar so to say. So do better, Miss Glow. If that is your real name.”
Sunset understood where Skymark was coming from. He was responsible for the lives of everyone aboard the station and with all the issues and system problems they had been experiencing he was likely paranoid as hell, desperate even, to find a cause or culprit. She had to break out more honesty. Applejack would have approved.
Sunset took a deep, calming breath, sat up straight, and locked eyes with the director. “We were added to the roster for this mission at the last minute by Aurora Shimmer. We were personally asked by her to come here and save this station. You can contact the former senator and matriarch of the Sparkle Tech family holdings herself if you like. She will confirm that.”
“I will, once this meeting is over. However, there is still the sticking point that Ms. Shimmer is not in charge of company operations. Why would she ask the two of you directly and bypass standard procedures?”
“She wanted this off the normal books. You’re not the only ones that think this entire issue is some sort of sabotage. You may or may not realize this, but the family sunk vast quantities of their own personal fortune into this project as collateral to get it off the ground.” Sunset gestured to Twilight and herself. “OUR family.”
“OH SHIT!” Drago exclaimed. “I TOTALLY SEE IT NOW!”
“What?”
“Dude! Look at her! She looks almost identical to Sparkle Tech founder, Twilight Sparkle! I think the safety goggles and different hair style were throwing me off, but I see the resemblance!”
Twilight nodded while wondering how much different she actually looked compared to so many years ago. Was she finally showing signs of aging? That curious thought was dismissed for another time. “Yes. We are both related to the family matriarch, Aurora Shimmer.”
“Soooo, you two are what, cousins then? Sisters-in-law?” said Eagle Eye with an arched brow and a scrutinizing gaze that last just to the edge of discomforting. “That would explain the matching wedding rings and the way Sunny there mother hens you. You two had a double wedding, am I right? Rich families love those things.”
Sunset narrowed her eyes momentarily after Eagle Eye had dared to call her 'Sunny', but then cackled internally, especially as Twilight scrunched her face up in the most horrible and hilarious way like she had just bitten into a bad quesadilla. It took several seconds for them both to recompose and Sunset wanted to kiss her wife so badly to make it all better. However, the show must go on.
“Yeeeeeah, something like that,” Sunset finally said. “We were warned to leave our rings at home because they might be noticed, but no way that was happening. Anyhow, it was a secret mission so as to save both public face and the family from potential financial ruin. Both incredibly important things. The plan was once we knew the station was safe were going to ride the next supply shuttle back home and you would never see us again.”
“But we need to confirm the station is actually safe and that whoever installed that device is no longer here to cause additional trouble. And, if possible, find out what it was for to begin with,” added Twilight.
Skymark Blue chewed on the words for a minute before finally throwing his hand into the air. “Alright, what the hell. Let’s check this all out. Drago, you and the heir apparent here find out what that thing is and if our systems are stable. Eagle Eye, take Sunbeam whatever her name is and go comb our records for all the EVA trips since the station came online and see if there is any suspicious activity. Details matter so be thorough. I’ll stay here and keep things running smoothly with the crew. Keep the others off your backs in case there is a traitor and, of course, confirm your stories because you are right, this reeks of corporate or government espionage. Sound like a plan? Can we all get along? Peacefully? Friendship, yay?”
Sunset wanted to roll her eyes having been paired with Eagle Eye, but they were already on thin ice with management. They were well within their rights to have just as easily called security and detained her and Twilight until the end of the mission and handed them over to the authorities once back on Earth. Best to just swallow it and smile, Shimmer.
With nothing else to add, everyone stood and got to work.