//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 // Story: Doing Science // by dashie76 //------------------------------// June 7th, 2010 So...um...it's been...interesting since we last talked. Or since I last talked. To the computer. First off, we finally managed to complete that tractor beam I was telling you guys about. It took us a lot of tries, though. Who knew scientists could be so demanding? I feel like I've flown more in the past two weeks than I've flown in my entire life. And it wasn't just simple flying either - it was "can you make the storm wider," or "can you make the storm taller," or "could you please try that last one again?" I never fully appreciated how varied hurricanes could be until now. Anyways, five days ago they finally asked for too much. The storm was so powerful that even I couldn't get it under control. It got seriously out of hoof and destroyed most of the eastern wing of chambers. The noise was deafening...it was tearing panels off from the walls like nobody's business. Things haven't been so great because of that, actually. A lot of employees here can't work anymore because they were stationed in the eastern wing. As far as I know, they're going back to their families until the situation is resolved. All of the employees that were working in the eastern wing at the time of the storm have been injured, some more seriously than others, although no one...no one has died yet. All of the ponies who have broken a limb or worse are still in medical right now. They were only able to stop the thing because we called in the emergency squadron of unicorns. They used their magic to get the hurricane under control, but just as they were about to purge it, one of my co-workers ran up with a tractor beam. It wasn't working, of course - it just kind of looked like a metal circle with lights blinking around the edge. I still don't understand how he could have been thinking about something like science at a time like that...But regardless, the squadron managed to shrink the storm and stuff it into the beam. The logical science behind it completely eludes me, but somehow it worked. But if they expect me to make a storm like that every time they want a new beam, they can go screw off. Ponies could have died. Nothing is worth that. Most of the other projects have been put on hold because of the incident so that everypony can work on repairing the facility. With all of us working together, we should have it fixed in about a week. That sounds really quick, right? Well, one of the projects that are still running is the test chamber production line. They're going to be building panels for us to use for repair. They're cranking out those things as fast as we can put them in, so if all of us work really hard, we should be done soon. What really gets me is that this whole thing is my fault. I know that the others have tried to comfort me, but I know that they're just being generous. I was already fed up with all of the demands the scientists were putting on me, and I should've been a lot more careful than I was. This is my job now. It shouldn't frustrate me to such an extent so that I cause this sort of catastrophe. My friends must have caught wind of the whole thing back in Ponyville by now. I can only imagine what they must think of me now that they see how careless I was. Pinkie even stopped sending me letters. She used to send them every day, but two days ago they stopped. I don't blame her. Why would they ever even want to see me again? Well...aside from that, nothing else has happened. Nothing else could've happened. We've all been working on this hurricane situation so much that there hasn't been any time for us to do anything else. I should just be thankful that- >CRASH< MOTHER BUCKER, CAVE, I TOLD YOU THERE WAS A LOCK!!!! Did you? I don't remember. Well, I did, you idiot. HEY! You can't speak that way to your boss! I could still fire you for that whole hurricane shenanigan you pulled! Argh...I know, I know... And you would do well to remember it. But I'm not here to lecture you. You've got a visitor. Several visitors. Several? Who...wait, why? They told me not to say. You'll find 'em downstairs, hanger thirteen. Wait, why can't... Ugh... I have to go. Some ponies are here for me. Probably one of the injured's family here to sue. I'll see you guys - or talk to a computer screen alone, I guess - in a few weeks, provided I make it out of court okay.