//------------------------------// // Introductions // Story: The Whooves Collection Episode Four: A Starlit Wreck // by Perceptive Key //------------------------------// Chapter 1 Introductions Sterret System; Planet of Castron; Southern Desert; One Mile from Rescue Station 2; 10,384 C.E. VVRROOMMP! VVRROOMMP! VVRROOMMP! The TARDIS slowly materialized on the planet's surface and it solidified. The blue form adding a twinge of color to the stark contrast of the desert sands. Inside of the vessel, Twilight was slumped over the railing on the central platform, Farsight was picking himself up off the floor, his wings splayed, and the Doctor was lying on the central platform and laughing. "That was exciting!" he exclaimed. "Easy for you to say," Twilight groaned, slowly easing herself off of the rail. "Is it always that rough," Farsight asked with his own groan. "Yes," Twilight replied. "Well!" the Doctor exclaimed, ending the conversation between the unicorn and pegasus, "How was that for exciting?" The grey pegasus groaned, "Where are we, Doctor?" "When are we?" the lavender unicorn elaborated. The Doctor squinted at the control monitor. "We are in the year 10,384 Celestian Era," he read. "As for where we are, we're on the planet of... Castron, within the... Sterret solar system. Well, Twilight, it seems that you're a long way from home. Over half of this universe, actually." Twilight's ears perked up and she turned around. "Did you say 'planet?'" she asked inquisitively. The Doctor thought for a moment, "I believe I did, yes." "A d-d-... different pl-planet?!" Farsight stammered. Twilight beamed and pointed to the doors, "You mean to say that behind those doors... there's a completely new world?!" "Indeed," the Doctor mused, "I see that you're excited." Twilight was excitedly jogging in place, "Can we go see?! Can we, can we, can we?!" she asked as excited as a school filly waiting for recess. The Doctor slowly broke into a wide smile, "Why not!" "Do I even have any say in this?" Farsight questioned them both. =Location Unknown= A middle-aged stallion sat in front of a large display screen, watching it with undying interest. The illumination from the monitor made his maroon coat look bright red, while his silver mane scattered little clusters of light throughout the room. Other than the screen, a large, broken lamp sat on a metal table. The porcelain covering had shattered ages ago and the wires were plainly visible, but the bulb still worked, casting an eerie glow around the room. The pony stared at the object on the screen. "They're fast," he chuckled to himself. "Then again, I expected no less from the Lord of Time, himself." Suddenly, his chuckles shifted to a racking cough, making him double over in pain. The coughing slowly subsided, turning into small fits of wheezes as he steadied himself. The stallion returned his gaze to the display and watched as the doors to the blue box opened, revealing a smiling, lavender unicorn. Moments later, a brown earth pony stood beside her, his face holding the same expression of giddiness. "That's right, Doctor..." he said quietly, "... you're almost there." Sterret System; Planet of Castron; Southern Desert; One Mile from Rescue Station 2; 10,384 C.E. "This wasn't exactly what I had in mind when you mentioned 'different planet,'" Twilight complained, her smile vanishing while instantly being replaced by a frown. "Actually, Farsight said 'different planet,'" the Doctor corrected, "I just said 'planet.' But how does it feel...?" he asked her, "... Being on a new world?" Twilight beamed and lifted her head to the clear sky and exclaimed, "It's exhilarating! But still," Twilight continued, turning back to face the Doctor "A desert isn't exactly interesting. It looks more like Saddle Arabia then a completely new section of the universe." "'Saddle Arabia?'" the Doctor chortled, "I really should go on a worldwide endeavor if we ever return to your planet." "Can I say something?" Farsight came up behind the two, "Why are we even on this... planet?" "The distress call was being sent from this planet," the Doctor explained, "and, judging from the TARDIS readings that I checked just moments ago, I presume that we're quite close to the source." "How close?" Twilight asked. "I'd say that it could be at least a mile or two." Farsight and Twilight both gave huffs of annoyance. "What?" the Doctor said defensively, "I'm not always perfect." "Like when you said that I had been gone a few minutes and it turned into a few days?" Twilight pointed out. "Shush," the Doctor retorted. "Not that this isn't interesting..." Farsight said sarcastically, "... but I'm going back inside if that's okay with y-" "HALT!" Twilight, Farsight, and the Doctor instantly did so. "Who's there?" the Doctor called out into the waste, seeing no one. "Station two, this is Browning," a male voice said from nowhere, surprising the trio again. A second of silence passed. Suddenly, there was a bit of static before a newer, female voice sounded, it's pitch tinny and electronic. "We read you, Browning. State your info." "Yeah, I've just found the source of the disruption," the stallion's voice replied, "there's three ponies here, but I'm not sure where they came from." More static, "Do they have a ship with them?" "I don't know," the stallion said. "They came out of a small blue box that appeared out of nowhere." "Um, hello?" the Doctor waved out toward the desert, hoping to find the source of the voice. "Where are you exactly?" "Should we?" a different voice asked, this one female. "Alright," the male voice allowed, "but don't take your sights off them." A haze briefly shrouded two small portions of the desert and, as it cleared, revealed two ponies, one stallion and one mare, clad in black, special operations suits. They both wore matching black helmets that were a cross between gas masks and visored helmets. The glass was night black and prevented anyone from seeing inside. What was more shocking was the sets of tube-like devices mounted on their backs like saddlebags, and they were pointed right at Twilight, Farsight, and the Doctor. "State your names, ranks, and intents," the stallion asked, nodding his head while he spoke. "Uh, the Doctor," the Doctor responded, "a doctor, and, well... answering a distress call." "Twilight Sparkle," she said, "personal protégé of Princess Celestia, and... what the Doctor said." Farsight smiled sheepishly, "I'm Farsight, and, um, I'm... with them..." The stallion inclined his head slightly. "Captain, this is Browning," he spoke. There was more static, "Reading you, Browning. What's the situation?" "The ponies here have revealed their names..." he explained, "... and one of them is calling himself 'The Doctor.'" There were several moments of silence. The static returned, "Bring them in. Both of you. And you can lay down arms." "Yes, Captain," the mare said. Immediately, the two pairs of tubing whizzed and retracted into small pockets in both of the ponies' suits. "Firearms deactivated," the mare confirmed. "Now," she pointed a hoof at the trio, "you shall come with us to our station." The Doctor gave an enthusiastic smile. "In that case," he looked to Twilight and Farsight before turning back to the suited strangers, "take us to your leader." Sterret System; Planet of Castron; Southern Desert; Rescue Station 2; 10,384 C.E. The large, steel doors slid open with a hiss, revealing a cluttered control room, with ponies of several hues and colors training their eyes upon them. The suited stallion, Browning, stepped through the doors first, followed by the Doctor, Twilight, Farsight, and lastly, the mare, who had given her name to be Light Heart. The other ponies numbered nearly twenty-five, with a little over half of them wearing special gear that was similar to Browning's and Light Heart's. The Doctor and Twilight followed Browning through the room, passing all of the ponies on their way. One pony even gave a small salute as they passed him. The small procession reached a second set of doors which opened, showing a trio of ponies: one mare and two stallions. The mare was sitting at a brightly polished, wooden desk and had a dark blue coat with a red and yellow mane and tail, but her cutie mark was hidden under her operations suit. The first stallion stood at her right and had a light blue coat with a black mane, while the one on her left had a black coat with a flat, white mane. "So, you're the Doctor?" the mare asked. "I would hope so," the Doctor replied. She nodded, "I'm Leiutenant Colonel Bright Streak." The mare pointed to the stallion on her right, "This is Major Richter, my second in command..." she pointed to the stallion on her left, "... and this is Sir Held Fast. He is the chief architect for Celestial Star-Liners, Universal." "Pleasure to meet you all," the Doctor smiled. "The same," Twilight said. Farsight kept behind the duo and remained silent. "I understand that you're following a distress call," Streak spoke up. "Indeed, we were," the Doctor stated. "Have you seen anyone in distress?" he asked, looking around the room. Twilight rolled her eyes. "This distress call..." Streak started, "... did it happen to mention the emergency code 4-1-8-3-0?" At the mention of this, the travelers immediately gave Streak their full attention. "How do you know?" Twilight asked, dumbfounded. "Yesterday evening," Richter explained, "a foreign signal used our communications to beam a message out into space. We weren't sure who or what the sender was trying to notify, but" he gestured to the Doctor, "I suppose we know now." "Wait," the Doctor held up a hoof, "you mean to say that a distress call was relayed off of your equipment and beamed out into space? Towards me?" "We would assume so," Held Fast commented, "considering the fact that it was addressed to you." Twilight nodded. "It did ask you to come, Doctor," she said to the time traveler. "Very true, Miss Sparkle," he acknowledged. "Now," Streak cut into the exchange, "who would be calling y-" A loud whine suddenly began to emit from the intercom system within the base. The pitch was so loud that everypony covered their ears to dampen the noise. "Celestia-dammit," Richter swore. "Not again." "Sorry, sorry," a voice made itself known through the squeal, I just have to... adjust the feed..." Gradually, the whine decreased in frequency until there was a low buzz of static, permitting everyone to remove their hooves from their ears. The sound of somepony clearing their throat was heard through the speakers. "My apologies for the noise, as well as the interruption. Your communication mainframe was a tough nut to crack, if I do say so." "Who is that?" Twilight inquired. "I, Miss Twilight Sparkle," the voice proclaimed, "am the last breathing survivor of the S.S. Starlight." Twilight froze. "How do you know my name?" she asked fearfully. "The same way I know everyponys' names. I ask them," he said nonchalantly. "May we ask your name?" the Doctor asked the mysterious speaker. "Somepony told me never to speak my name," the voice said. "And who told you that?" "You did, Doctor." He laughed happily for a couple moments, "It has been far too long old friends."