Space… the final frontier
These are the voyages of the star ship enterprise
Its on-going mission… to explore strange new worlds… to seek out new life and new civilisations
To boldly go were no-pony has gone before!
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The bald, light-brown pony stood at the window of his ready-room, staring out at the stars as they zipped past at phenomenal speeds. He called out to no-pony in particular and a beep answered him.
“Captains log, star date 41130.7. Our destination is Denid 4, beyond which lies the great unexplored mass called space”, he turned around to face his mahogany desk with a plush chair situated at the back. “My orders are to examine Far point, a star base built by the inhabitants of that world”, he paused and sighed. “Meanwhile, I am becoming more equated with this ‘Galaxy class, U.S.S Enterprise”. This was Captain Picard’s newest command of a star ship, second to that of the U.S.S Stargazer.
“I am still in awe at its size and complexity… as for my crew, we’re still short in a few different key positions and most notably our 1st officer. But I am informed of him being an experienced man, Commander William Riker. He will be waiting to join the ship at Denid 4”, He finished and trotted to the door on the right of the room, past a lush felt couch.
He moved a hoof up to the collar of his uniform and straitened out all the crinkles, making sure he looked presentable to his bridge crew. The doors slid open with a soft hiss and he walked out onto the bridge. The room was a reasonable size, with a large screen at the front and a raised floor at the back. Every computer screen showed scans of the ship and the surrounding space, all equipped with a different beeping sound. Each station was maned and everypony there was either pressing buttons, staring at the screen or running around doing different task.
He moved towards a yellow pony seated at a control panel at the front of the room and rested a hoof on the back of his chair. If it weren’t for this pony’s awkward movements, somepony would probably take him for the real thing.
“If you’ll agree Data, Star Fleets orders are difficult” The captain said with a firm voice.
“Difficult?” the pony said. “ Simply solve the mystery of Far point station”.
“Ha”, Picard scoffed and started trotting to his chair in the middle of the room. “As easy as that?”
Sitting to the left of his chair was a light blue Betazed mare with dark brown hair, tied back with a gold ribbon and wearing a blue Star Fleet uniform. The horn protruding from her head was most noticable. “Far point station… even the name sounds mysterious”, Councillor Troi said with excitement.
“It’s hardly simple Data to negotiate a friendly agreement with Star Fleet to use the base while at the same time snoop around trying to find out how and why the life form there built it”
“Inquiry”, Data looked puzzled for a second. “The word ‘snoop’?”
Picard grinned. “Data, how can you be programmed with the virtual encyclopaedia of pony information and not know the word ‘snoop’?”
Data pushed the control panel out of the way and stood up to face the captain.
“The possibility… a kind of pony behaviour I was not programmed to emulate”
“It means ummm… to ah… to spy… to sneak”
Data’s face lit up with recognition and his mouth moved at impossible speeds.
“Ah, to sneak covertly, to go stealthily, to slither”
“Yes Data…”
“Glide, creep, stalk, pussy foot”
“Yes Data we get it”, Picard said with an air of annoyance.
“Captain” The councillor called out. “I’m sensing… a powerful mind”.
Picard looked at her with worry and intrigue. But a few seconds later, the red alert klaxons blared and the bridge became a crowd of confusion.
“Nothing strange on sensors sir”, an ensign called.
On the screen though, a weird mesh-like barrier was forming around the ship and blocking their path.
Commander Data scanned and looked back up to the impending force ahead of them. “It registers as a solid captain”
“Shut that damm thing off and go to yellow alert!” He called angrily to no-pony in particular and the klaxons shut off.
“Deflector shield up sir”, said the klingon lieutenant.
“Computer registers full stop sir”
“Good, I want a full scan of the area and…” before he could finish, a flash appeared to the left of the room and there stood a creature of some sort. It had what looked like the head of a pony but it had antlers and its limbs were made up of different animal parts, one Picard recognised as a lion paw. It wore what looked like a chest plate covered in a robe and an old style pony cap, fitted with goose feathers.
The bridge crew stared at it in awe and suspicion. The captain even looked like he wanted to buck him in the head so hard he would hit warp 10. But then it spoke.
“Thou art notified thy kind have infiltrated the galaxy to far already. Thou art directed to return to thy known solar system immediately”, what authority does this creature have on my ship! Picard thought angrily.
“That’s quite a directive… would you mind identifying what you are?”
The creature puffed out its chest and started to walk on its hind legs towards the back of the bridge. “We call ourselves the DisQord, But thou mates call me that”, he stopped walking at the opposite end of the bridge. “It’s all much the same thing”.
A turbo lift door opened up to admit two ponies in yellow uniforms, wielding hoof-held phasers. But DisQord erected a force field, much like the one outside the ship, at its entrance.
“I present thee as a fellow ship captain. But thou makes better understanding… Go back to were thy came from!” his large yellow and red eyes stared daggers into Picard’s. He was at least twice a pony’s size and even if he were as big, he would still be menacing.
To Discords right, the ensign stood up and pointed a phaser at him. “Stay where thou art”, and with those words, the ensign froze and a pink fluffy substance uncased him. Everyone watched the ensign fall to the floor with a resounding ‘thud’. Commander Data, Captain Picard and Troi moved to their fallen comrade’s side and looked at his shocked face (all covered in the pink stuff).
“Data call for a medical team”, Picard ordered and Data called for a medic on his com. Badge.
“Troi scooped some of the pink substance onto her hoof and sniffed it, then a look of confusion went over her face. “Sir I believe this is what pony’s call ‘cotton candy’. What sick joke is this?”
Picard removed the phaser from the ensign’s hoof and looked over to the smug looking DisQord. “This would not have hurt you. Do you recognise this? It’s a hoof-held phaser set on stun!”
DisQord grinned. “Ha, and to think that thing would be able to capture a creature of such power… Now go back or thou will most certainly die!”
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“Captains log supplemental. The cotton candy covered form of ensign Torres has been rushed to sickbay… the question now is the incredible power of the DisQord being, do we dare oppose it?”
“Captain”, DisQord moved around the Captain with ease. “Thy little centuries go by so rapidly. Perhaps thou will now understand this…” with a flash, the robes and hat had been replaced with that of a World War 2 army uniform. In his lion paw sat a lit cigarette. The bridge crew stared in awe at these turn of events.
“Actually the issue at stake is patriotism. You must return to your world and put an end to the communism. All it takes are a few good men”
“What?” Picard said softly as he tried to contemplate what DisQord had just said. “That nonsense is behind us”.
“But you can’t deny you’re still a dangerous savage race”
“Most certainly I deny it”, Picard said with authority in his voice. “I agree we still were when ponies wore uniforms like that, four hundred years ago”
DisQord almost spat his next sentence. “Which time you killed millions in silly arguments over land and the resources of your little world. And four hundred years before that you were murdering each other in quarrels over tribal god images. Since then there is no indication that ponies will ever change”
“But even when we wore those costumes we were making rapid progress”
“You call this rapid progress?”
Again there was a flash of light and he was now wearing grey body armour, equipped with a hoof mounted machine gun and grenade launcher. The hood covered most of his head, but left his face and antlers to poke through the top.
“Rapid progress”, he said smugly, “Were you learnt to control your military with chocolate milk laced with drugs”, he moved an empty glass, with his free claw, up to a box on his chest and it began to fill with a brown liquid. He quickly downed the drink and sighed.
“Captain permission to clean up the bridge”, said lt. Worf with a growl.
“Oooh, I’m so scarred”, said Discord sarcastically.
The chief of security, a light pink mare with golden hair, stamped her hooves hard on the ground and looked towards the captain. “Sir as security chief I can’t just let him…”
“Yes you can Lt. Yar”, Picard butted in.
“Ha ha ha, even now there’s violence between your own allies. How cute”, DisQord laughed.
“Well it’s just like now. Self righteous life forms who are eager, not to learn, but to prosecute or judge something they don’t understand or tolerate”
“What an interesting idea. Prosecute and judge. Suppose it turns out we understand ponies to well”
“We’ve no fear of the true facts about us will reveal”, Picard said in an almost whispering voice.
“Oh facts… what fun. Captain you’re a veritable fountain of good ideas”, he stood up straight and addressed the whole bridge crew. “There are preparations to make. Until our next meeting captain, we’ll proceed exactly as you suggest”, with a flash, he disappeared.
Lt. Worf looked determinedly at Picard, as did Lt. Yar.
“Sir our only option is to fight”, Worf said.
“I agree”, Said Lt. Yar.
Picard looked to the councillor for guidance and she simply nodded.
“Tell the crew that no subspace messages are to be sent at any time unless I authorise it. I want to try to take it by surprise. Lets see what this Galaxy class star ship can do”, he turned to face Lt. Worf. “Tell the ponies in engineering to prepare for maximum acceleration”
“Aye sir”
“Commander Data, Risks involved with detaching saucer section at high warp?”
The commander’s head twitched slightly as he compiled information at a trillion calculations per minute. “Highly inadvisable Captain, it is possible, but there must be no margin for error”
“Ok then. Notify all decks that we will be separating the saucer section. Now hear this… We will be putting a massive strain on our warp engines, but if it all goes to plan, we will be able to outrun it”
---_<=>
Lt. Worf trotted onto the bridge and nodded in the captain’s direction. He took notice of this and nodded back and sat down in his chair. All stations were manned and ready to go.
“Engage”, and with those words, the eight hundred metre long spaceship turned and flew parallel to the force field. Once they had cleared it, the engine nacelles flashed and the ship shot away at hundreds of times the speed of light. But the energy field shrunk into a ball and chased after them at the exact speed.
Picard stared at the viewing screen with intent as a bead of sweat rolled down his forehead.
“Velocity at warp 9.2”, Lt. Worf called.
“Heading 351 mark 11” Commander Data said after him.
“Steady on then”
“Sir the energy field is in pursuit and it’s gaining on us”
“Warp 9.3 sir. That takes us beyond the red line”
“Continue accelerating”, Picard wiped a hoof across is forehead to clear the sweat.
Picard turned to Councillor Troi and spoke in a whisper. “Do you have any idea what that thing was back there?”
Troi thought for a moment and spoke in the same tone. “It is a very powerful being. Something beyond the physical universe”
“Beyond?”
“It’s hard to explain, but he seems to have the power to do anything he wants”
“We’re at warp 9.4 sir”
“Hostile is beginning to overtake us sir”, Lt. Yar said urgently.
“Reverse viewer angle to aft”, the screen turned from the space in front of them, to the view of the energy ball in pursuit.
“Hostiles velocity is at warp 9.7 sir”
“Tell engine room we need more power”, Picard thought of what that energy ball would do if it touched the ship, maybe it would turn the hull into cotton candy.
“Engine room is trying to comply sir”
Picard stood up and practically yelled the orders. “Go to yellow alert and arm aft photon torpedoes”
Lt. Yar clicked her hooves over the control panel and it gave a resounding beep.
“Sir the Hostile is at warp 9.9! It’s right on top of us!”
“Now hear this, tell all decks to prepare for emergency saucer separation”, the bridge crew looked at him with shock for a few seconds, but complied with his orders.
“Mr Worf, you will command the saucer section”, Worf stood up and looked at the captain.
“I’m a Klingon sir… to let my captain go into battl…”
“Your compliant is noted Lieutenant, now get to your post”
“Aye captain”
“The rest of us will command the battle bridge”
With that, the bridge crew walked to the turbo lifts and new crewmembers came to fill the gaps. Picard, Troi, Data and Yar all crammed into a turbo lift of their own.
---_<=>
“Captains log star date 41153.7… we are preparing to detach the saucer section so that families (Fillies and civilians) can escape, whilst the battle bridge and star drive will turn back and confront the mystery that is threatening us”
“All decks report ready for separation sir”, said Miles O’Brian.
“Lt. I want the photon torpedoes to detonate just in front of the creature so as to blind it just enough for us to turn back”, Picard spoke with an air of authority.
“Aye sir”, there was more button pushing and even more beeps.
From behind the ship, eight glowing orbs fired away from the ship at the energy ball.
“Start countdown Mr Data”
“Starting countdown… 6… 5… 4… 3… 2…1…”
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wp_wznCVHHs
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A loud thudding sound could be heard throughout the ship as the magnetic locks pulled away from the saucer section. The impulse engines came to life on the saucer and they slowly drifted apart from the drive section. The battle bridge crew watched in awe as the large disk floated faster and faster away from them.
“Separation successful sir”, Commander Data said in a non-shallot tone of voice.
When they were far enough apart, the drive section did a 180 and went back towards the hostile force. A few moments later, the explosions of the photon torpedoes showed on the screen.
“All stop Mr Data”
“Coming to a stop now sir”
The screen just showed the black of space and the little dots of stars. Nothing evil about that.
“Now we wait”
“Captain we can’t just sit here, maybe we can damage their ship or…” Lt. Yar spoke up, but was interrupted by the captain again.
“Are you suggesting we attack a being that can do all that?”
“Sorry sir I spoke before I thought… we could at least try to distract them from going after the saucer”
“Very well. Arm four more pho…”
“Captain, look”, Data said.
On the screen was the orb they had seen before and it was getting closer by the second. When it was a kilometre from the ship, it turned into the force field it had been when they first saw it, but now it trapped the ship. Captain Picard stood up and gave an order no captain should ever have to give.
“Transmit on all frequencies, all languages… we surrender”
There was a collective gasp from the crew, but they followed his orders and then the ship started to shake violently. There was a blinding flash and the room went black.
---_<=>
Picard rubbed his temple with a hoof and stared around the room. His crew was strewn around the battle bridge and he knew something had gone terribly wrong. The red alert klaxons hurt his ears slightly, but it was bearable. He lifted himself onto his hooves and straightened out his uniform. He could see the unconscious forms of Lt. Yar, Troi, O’Brian, but not Data. He was still sitting at his post and pressing buttons.
“Data? What”, he coughed slightly. “What happened?”
The Commander turned his head and stared at him.
“Ships sensors indicate we are not in the same system anymore and the surrounding space is unfamiliar to me. I would believe that DisQord is the one that has sent us here. For that reason… I do not know”
“What can you tell me about the surrounding space?”
“We are orbiting a gas giant. I have made scans of this system and I have found a class M planet, orbited by a single moon. Its air composition consists of oxygen, nitrogen and carbon. Much like Earth’s atmosphere. My assumptions would be correct in saying that this is an alternant earth”
“Is the planet inhabited?”
“Oh yes it is Picard”, the form of DisQord again appeared, but this time, he was wearing a red Star Fleet uniform, equipped with four gold pips on the collar showing he had captains rank.
“DisQord, what is the meaning of this?”
“Oh, just a little fun. This is a test. A test to prove that you are not a savage race”, DisQord grinned and pulled out a glass of chocolate milk from no were.
“What kind of test? Or is this another sick joke”, Picard flustered.
“I bet its on that little planet over there”; he motioned with a claw in the supposed direction of the planet.
“What?” was all Picard could say before the being disappeared in a flash.
“And to think this was going to be an easy job”