"Stargate team deporting in ten minutes. All critical and essential personal please stand by!"
"Alright Miss Lieutenant I'd say it's time we head out." said Flash as he grabbed his knife from his locker, and walked over to a mirror and admired himself. The new black uniforms looked intimidating but not practical. "At least the shoulder patches are still here." said Flash to himself. He looked over and saw Lightning-Dust holding the knife in her hoof. She looked withdrawn but startled Flash with a question.
"Why did you do it?"
Flash turned around. "What do you mean?"
"Why did you decide to return to all of this? The Stargate program and everything."
"Well..." Flash pondered. "It's like this. When the Wonder-Bolts first approached me I thought that this would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, which was absolutely true, I saw things I knew ponies would never see ever in their life. It was a pretty fun ride. Then the snobs came along a.k.a. the board. And they gave us a lot of grief and eventually pushed a mission that ultimately lead me to quit my position at the base. But when they offered me the job again I realized that I was pretty much the only person independent from the military, so I decided I should come back so I could keep a view of what was going on and make sure nopony pulls a fast one."
Lightning-Dust interrupted. "So you don't serve under Wonder-Bolt command?"
Flash buckled his knife on. "Nope. But I will say I had to go through a lot to earn the trust and privacy of the Wonder-Bolts. But I do follow most orders when off on a mission. However when on base I tend to mind my own business. And as long as I don't stick my muzzle into places it doesn't belong I should be fine." Flash closed his locker but turned back around. "What about you?" he asked.
"I made a choice and its consequences caught up to me. My options were to essentially start my military career over, or join this project..... I'm still wondering If I made the right call."
"Wither the decision was bad or good," Flash sat down on a bench facing Lightning-Dust. "You will see and do things that will never happen in Equestria. The things you see and do here will be a part of you for the rest of your life. But I won't sugar-coat it. Not everything is gonna be fun and amazing so you will need to keep your guard up."
"Is that what happened to your wings?" Lightning asked in a low tone. "You let your guard down?"
The Flightless Pegasus sighed. "I'd rather not talk about that. It's one story I'll keep to myself."
"Stargate team deploying in five minutes! Stand by for departure!"
"Well down the rabbit hole we go." said Flash with a wide grin as he stood up and tapped his locker with his hoof. "The metro leaves in five minutes."
"What metro?"
"You know. The Stargate. It's like a metro ride."
"What?" Lightning-Dust chuckled.
"Would you like the paper and two holes explanation or my metro idea?"
"NO!...I uh...mean that...I'd like hear the metro idea." replied Lightning-Dust holding her head like she just caught a headache.
"Well," Flash began to explain. "While the paper and holes are a scientific way of thinking about the Stargate. The Metro explains it in a simpler way like this. When you're waiting for the metro train, you know where it's going, and how it gets there, but you never actually see where you're going. However once you make it through to your destination and you look back it's the same dark tunnel from before; just from a different point of view. And if you want to go back just hop on the next train that's going in your direction." Flash clapped his hooves and smiled. "Understand now?"
Lightning stood up and checked her knife. "I think I might have to figure out my own way of thinking about it. But till then the metro is leaving soon so let's go."
Stargate control room....
"Sergeant what's the status on the gate?" asked Luna as she gazed into the gate room.
"We're all ready to go. Waiting on SE-1 Ma'am."
"And solar flares?"
The Sergeant laughed. "None reported so far Ma'am. I don't think we'll have to worry about those this time around."
"I just want to make sure everything is in place. And make sure everything runs smoothly."
"Permission speak freely General?"
"Go ahead."
The Sergeant tapped the edge of the control panel. "Has anything at this base ever gone smoothly? Sometimes it like theirs moments where the end of Equestria is at the front door, and we seem to get lucky every time and keep it locked out."
The General smiled. "It's not luck. It's the effort that everypony puts forth into making sure that we keep extreme dangers away from the ponies of Equestria." A door in the gate room opened and Flash and Lightning-Dust walked in. "Well Sergeant.....dial her up."
"Yes Ma'am!"
The gate began to whine and soon started to spin. Luna approached the intercom and began talking to the newly formed team.
Chevron one encoded...
"Remember you two I want this operation to be performed as discrete as possible."
Chevron two encoded...
"This is a scout and recon mission do not engage in enemy contact."
Chevron three encoded...
"And I want to remind you that you have 24 hours to come back or make contact with the Stargate."
Chevron four encoded...
"And Lightning-Dust," The Wonder-Bolt turned her head to the control booth. "We're sending you as partners. I don't want that lone wolf stuff with you."
Chevron five encoded...
"Mr. Flyer," Flash turned back around. "Please mind yourself and be sure to be there for the Lieutenant."
Chevron six encoded...
"And finally..."
Chevron seven LOCKED!
The gate room quickly filled with blue light. And everypony in the control room tensed up.
"Please come back safely.....Both of you."
The team of two walked up the ramp to the ring. Luna noticed Flash stopping Lightning-Dust with his hoof to say something. She couldn't make out what he said but saw Lightning-Dust nod her head. Flash took a look back and waved to the control room. The General smiled and gave a salute. Flash then patted Lightning-Dust on the back and walked through the portal.
Lightning-Dust stared at the gate. The matter that filled the gate looked like a pool of water. She tried moving her hooves, but they didn't want to leave. Everything she heard and imagined came down to this. "I may not see how it works, but I know i'm gonna get there." She closed her eyes and took a step forward.