Captains’ personal log: Two Weeks till Summer Solstice.
I am very excited to finally be fulfilling this mission on board the Ferrier, Equestria’s best and fastest starship. I cannot believe it’s been two years already and we are almost to the alleged source of the alien probe which found its way to our world one hundred and eighty years ago. When Luna announced to us all those years ago that a strange object was fast approaching our world, I was asked to help her guide it down safely to the ground so as not to damage it- and what an object it was! I remember distinctly the off white dish on top of the machine, along with a variety of arms and apparatus projecting from its body. Along with these was- of all things- a golden vinyl record with pictograms etched into it. In those days Equestria didn’t have a space program, let alone any real data about the universe outside of our solar system. The arrival of that alien probe brought with it many questions that needed answering, and I was the perfect pony for the job. After years of trial and error, we finally figured out how to build simple machines which when powered by magic, would bend the fabric of space itself, allowing us to travel many times the speed of light without the danger of ever-increasing mass to ourselves and our ships.
While it is true that the Ferrier is currently the only real spacecraft we have been able to develop, many small probes were built to test the designs of our magica engines. In all honesty I was surprised at just how quickly we were able to develop, thanks to the brilliant minds and technical know-how of the earth ponies, and of course the Crystal Empire. Faced with the possibility of intelligent life in existence on another world, Celestia tasked me and Princess Starlight Glimmer- the best diplomats on Equus, to find these beings and make friends with them. The descriptions those beings gave of themselves on the golden disk was of being bipedal, very curious and friendly, so I am excited to get the chance to finally meet them.
One thing continues to puzzle me however, which is the fact that based on the traveling velocity of the alien probe- it must have taken hundreds of thousands of years to reach us. If the probe is so old, I highly doubt that its creators would still be around- assuming that they have normal lifespans like we ponies do. Our two worlds are not actually that far from each other, since they are on the other side of the arm of the galaxy in which we rotate, yet my chemical tests show that the aliens’ probe is much younger than previously thought. Perhaps it encountered some sort of anomaly while in deep space which either increased its velocity, or teleported it much closer to us than if it were traveling at the same speed. I will have to look into the matter further.
~End Recording.
Princess Twilight Sparkle leaned back at her desk in her private quarters onboard the Ferrier with a look of anticipation on her face. Her quarters were elegant, by pony standards, befitting a being of her rank and authority. Much like her old palace in Equestria, her room and most of the Ferrier itself, was made from Imperial crystal; shatterproof and resistant to corrosion and decay. While noble ponies and a select few onboard the ship were used to the stark ambiance of Imperial architecture, it left much to be desired within the realm of comfort. Much of the ship lacked the earthiness and the natural tones that ponies were used to, and such dramatic angles and cold walls were harmful to the psyche.
After its first test run around the Equestrian solar system, a number of the passengers and crew reported feeling sick while living on board for any extended period of time. An investigation into the matter revealed that while the crystal the Ferrier was grown from was not harmful, the total lack of natural earth, grass, and breezes was discomforting and sometimes nauseating to most ponies on board. Several changes to the design of the ship were made after that, which included a very large open chamber in the center of the ship which acted as a natural park or garden.
This open chamber, nicknamed ‘the barrel’, contained large open fields, forests, lakes, and even a small replica of Ponyville- all designed to be a home away from home for the passengers and crew. The barrel ended up being the size of three hoofball fields in length, two in width, and two in height, making it the largest indoor space ever built by pony kind. A literal army of weather ponies and gardeners was hired on to manage the barrel and its occupants, which included several thousand different species of plants and animals from Equestria to create a natural ecosystem. The only artificial aspects of the barrel were the sun and moon, made from small-but-dense balls of magic which provided light and heat to the ponies, plants, and animals below. Such changes were rather expensive to be sure, but the cost was considered minimal compared to the wealth of knowledge to be gained from meeting an alien race- according to Twilight Sparkle, anyway.
Captain Twilight rose from her velvet cushion and walked slowly to the window through which hung the inky blackness of the universe. Despite their speed, the stars without did not move, like sentinels of light forever guiding wary travelers across the cosmos. If only her friends could be here today to see what she had accomplished in the centuries since their deaths. Pony kind had advanced so much since those early days, as did Twilight herself. The young princess they once knew had become something so much more since those bright and happy days. It was ironic, Twilight considered as she gazed at her reflection in the crystal lunette; her celestial beauty and grace, ever present in her ethereal flowing mane and tail, did not come without a great cost.
At a young age, Twilight remembered, she had been crowned the Princess of Friendship- an aspect of herself in which she once took great pride; but the immortality of alicorns has a way of humbling even the most proud beings. It was only through the deaths of her dearest friends, all those centuries ago, that Twilight Sparkle came to understand the true- cyclical nature of friendship, in all its bliss and torment. On that day- Twilight would always remember, she came into a universal understanding of love and loss; and it was only then that she became a true alicorn, capable of bearing the onus of a true leader. In time, the elements of harmony passed on to other ponies who took up the mantle of defending Equestria, and Twilight considered all of them her friends; however, her heart would always bear the scars and the pain of losing those whom she called her very first friends.
Twilight Sparkle was eternally youthful: from her sleek, long legs and neck, to her stellar cutie mark and her soft face. In all outward ways Twilight shone with an inner light that ebbed poise, grace, and elegance. Her dark blue mane and tail flowed softly from her body, and billowed constantly, as though suspended in the currents of a calm sea. The streaks of pink and purple that adorned her hair were hazy, as if submerged in the depths of a deep pool, and they swayed back and forth in a constant auroral dance. Yet despite all this, her eyes were the only true sign of her age. Those deep amaranthine pools of light held many memories: joy and sorrow- peace and wrath.
Twilight bore no insignia or uniform befitting her office of captain, for every pony on board knew what her position was, and respected her for it. Instead of a captains’ uniform, Twilight wore the regalia of all Equestrian princesses: a silver crown, a jewel studded silver collar, and two pairs of silver horseshoes; all of which were inset with semiprecious amethysts and bands of ground carnelian dust.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door to her quarters. With practiced speed Twilight changed her facial expression to one of serenity and authority- a mask she was expected to wear as one of the supreme authorities of Equestria.
“Enter.” Her voice carried authority, and sounded like tinkling bells.
The door to Twilights' chambers opened inwards, and the visitor stepped into view. She wore a tight fitting white uniform reminiscent of the old wonder-bolts’ uniforms, with solid blue bands around the pastern, down the length of the back, and around the mandarin collar. The six-pointed star insignia pinned to her collar displayed her rank as commander, and she stood at attention while Twilight still stood facing the window. The commanders' purple hair hung over one wither, and the mint colored stripe running through it added a nice highlight. Her coat was a pale pink, as was her horn- and wings.
As Twilight turned to look at her visitor, her mask momentarily fell off, and she smiled the deep smile one gives when greeting a dear friend. As the two usually did, they greeted each other in a very formal manner, yet the crinkling of their eyes suggested that it was all done in jest.
“Commander Glimmer,” Twilight said with a straight face, “you are looking well.”
“Thank you, Captain.” Starlight returned the greeting. “I have those data sheets you requested this morning. Engineering was the only department to actually have their inspection logs completed on time- again.”
“We will need to look into why the other divisions are tardy; this is starting to become a habit.”
“Yes Ma’am.”
They both giggled. Twilight walked over to embrace her old friend, and she smiled. Starlight returned the smile and handed Twilight the data tablet after they broke the embrace. Twilight perused the information listed on the screen of her small tablet as she held it in the purple clutches of her magic. She mumbled to herself as her agile mind contemplated every detail that was brought before her, and organized it into a usable list.
“It looks like one of the gravitational generator plates in Section C8 has a cracked collet- plate number 6214.” Twilight looked up at Starlight. “This sort of damage is to be expected. Section C8 bears more mass than many of the others considering its central location.” She laid the data tablet on her desk nearby. “When is engineering planning on addressing the problem?”
“The damaged collet will be replaced at the start of the next shift- but all decks above that section will need to be made aware that the gravity will be disabled for at least an hour, maybe two tops.” Commander Glimmer smirked. “I don’t see why you don’t just fix it- you designed almost every aspect of this ship anyway. You probably know more about its systems than anypony.”
“That may be true,” Twilight retorted, “but how much use would I actually be if I had to run around fixing things all the time? I have enough on my plate as it is.”
“Of course, Captain.” Starlight winked.
“Is there anything else you need, Starlight?”
“Well, if you have some free time, would you care to accompany me to the café? Perhaps we could even take a spa day!”
“I don’t know, Starlight.” Twilight looked apologetic. “I still have a lot of things to work on this afternoon. There is a lot of responsibility to being both Princess and Captain.”
“There is of course a lot of responsibility, Twilight- and you do your job very well. Still, how long has it been since you have even set hoof in the barrel for some fresh air? You need a little time to unwind before we reach this alien planet. As citizens of Equestria, we are counting on you to be well prepared for diplomatic relations with these beings- and if I may add, you will need to be well fed and relaxed so that you are in optimum condition for this historic event.”
Twilight smiled warmly. “Oh, alright Starlight; let’s go enjoy ourselves for the afternoon. After that though, I will need to get back to work- as should you.”
“Perfect.”
***
The two princesses walked side by side as they passed the threshold into the barrel, entering from the aft section of the Ferrier. What greeted the two was the sudden warmth of the artificial sun, and for a moment they smelled the strong scent of ozone near the doorway. Twilight blinked to let her eyes adjust to the bright light above. The sun was high in the sky, indicating the approximate time of day, which was synchronized to the ship’s time down to the millisecond. On a whim, Twilight stepped off of the path into town and approached the wall of the barrel; habitually checking for imperfections or weaknesses. She designed the innermost layer of the barrel -the one which everypony saw, to be a single fused sheet of aquamarine to add a blue tint to the ‘sky’. Behind this was a layer of small gravitational generator plates which attracted a thick layer of oxygen to act as a buffer against impacts and as an optical illusion; one which made it appear as though they really were back in Ponyville. The upper plates in the higher zones of the barrel could work in tandem to push and pull the atmosphere above, creating anything from cool summer breezes to howling winter winds. There was even a small weather factory which produced whatever weather was needed according to the ships’ schedule, produced by a mare named Rainbow Skies.
“Twilight, I know you feel the need to obsess over details, but there are other ponies here whose jobs it is to check up on the condition of the ship.”
Twilight jerked upright, “Oops! Sorry, it’s a well-rooted habit.” She soon joined her friend back on the path. A few yards in from the doorway, the crystal pathway gave way to a simple dirt road, and in the distance was the small town of New Ponyville. Twilight could have chosen any town or village for the barrel, but decided on Ponyville because of its calm rural setting and quaint earthiness. She decided to construct the town as it was when she first visited it in her youth, before she became a princess and before the destruction of the town library by Tirek.
It was always odd, seeing the town as it was back then; it made her feel young again- well, younger than she already was. She half expected to see all of the ponies that she remembered there from her youth, and would catch herself talking or thinking about them as if they were still there with her. When a blue pegasus streaked through the sky above her head, she once caught herself calling out to Rainbow Dash, only to realize it was not her. Perhaps that was why Twilight always found an excuse to not go to the barrel- it was hard to accept the new reality of things. She could deal with change; she had to deal with it her whole life- but being in an environment where things were supposed to be one way, only to realize that they were not quite right, was much harder to accept.
Starlight noticed her friend frowning and nudged her. When Twilight looked up, she saw the smiling face of her friend, and smiled back. Twilight lifted her head high, and decided that she was not going to let melancholy take hold in her heart. After all, what was the point of dwelling on the past if it only hindered the here and now?
“Thank you, Starlight. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“You’re welcome, Twilight.”
As the two got closer to town, they could smell freshly cut grass, hay, and the scent of earth in the wind. Starlight tried to get out here as much as possible, schedule permitting, yet every time she got here she was still put in awe by the beauty of her mentors’ creation. It took her breath away every time she saw a sunrise here, or a gentle rain, or even watched the clouds drift by overhead- that this, all of this, was conceived in the brilliant mind of the being who called her friend. It was true that they were nearly equals in magical potential, but having power is nothing compared to having a mind that can not only uncover the workings of the universe, but also be artistic enough to create stunning beauty based only on a memory.
Other ponies had started noticing them by now, and while the Commander was a common sight in New Ponyville, the Captain herself, no -the Princess Twilight Sparkle herself- was not. Word spread quickly as gossips and eager fillies ran around town telling everypony they could. Before long a throng of awestruck ponies, young and old, filled the streets to get a sight of the elusive Princess of Friendship.
“She’s just like I imagined!”
“She’s so pretty!”
“Why is she here?”
“Eh- I’ve seen better.”
That last comment almost made Twilight laugh. A lesser pony might have been insulted, but beauty was in the eye of the beholder, after all. If there was one thing Twilight had learned in her life, it was that one could never please everypony, no matter how hard one tried.
As she approached the crowd, they parted for the princesses, and knelt in respect for their monarchs. Many of the guards and ranking ponies on board suddenly stood at attention, ever wary of Twilights' attention to detail. While Twilight was in no way considered harsh or cruel, she expected 110 percent from everypony under her influence. If one speck of dirt was out of place, she would surely know about it. One security guard in particular remembered the time he forgot to bathe before an inspection. His commanding officer was forgiving about it, but Twilight heard about it, and gave him a stern talking to. “Cleanliness is an important aspect of any ships’ crew, and you are looked up to by many,” she told him that evening, “so do not let this happen again, understand?” He had never been more embarrassed in his entire life, although he was grateful that the reproach had not been in front of his peers- that would have shamed him.
Twilight smiled and waved politely at her subjects and crew, and the two turned down Stirrup Street towards the café. Before they had traveled ten yards, a light blue flash landed nearby and approached the two. Rainbow Skies was the division manager of the barrel, and was in charge of overseeing everything that went on during the day.
“Captain, it is an honor to have you here, Ma’am.” She stood at attention as Twilight turned to her.
“Why thank you, Rainbow D- Skies.” Twilight caught herself again. “Don’t worry, this is not an inspection; I’m just here to relax for the afternoon.”
Rainbow Skies visibly relaxed a bit. In truth, she had been caught unprepared, like usual. She could only imagine what would happen to her if the Captain found out about that crack in the aft wall.