//------------------------------// // 7 - Contact Lost // Story: Harmony Among The Stars // by tom117z //------------------------------// Princess Twilight’s Personal Log, July 8th, 3382 AD. I’ve decided to keep a personal log as we continue our journey home, as suggested by various members of the crew. At least I will have somewhere to vent my thoughts. We’ve been traveling at sub-light speeds for the past four days, and we are no closer to fixing the FTL drive. However, that has been moved down on the priorities list until some of other systems are fixed. This includes getting us more power to work with, upping the hull integrity and making our living conditions a little bit more bearable. Some of the crew are struggling to come to terms with our predicament, but I myself have no such trouble. This is the hoof we’ve been dealt, and it is my job to lead my subjects through it. My thoughts, however, have recently turned to home. When we lost contact with Starbase Alpha some red flags would have been raised in command, but nothing too serious. For all they knew we could have had a malfunction with communications or something of the likes. But after six days of no contact, not even the slightest blip, Celestia knows what is going on back there. Speaking of Celestia, I hope she doesn’t blame herself when she is informed of our disappearance. She has an unfortunate habit of that… She worries, like any mother would I suppose, biological or not. I just hope I can get home to her. Starbase Alpha, July 9th To say the starbase was in chaos… would be a tragic understatement. The starbase crew ran about like maniacs as they tried every desperate measure possible to either open communications with the ES Harmony or at least establish its position. They had been trying constantly for seven whole days, and yet there was nothing, not even an echo. It was like the ship had just vanished. It had started with the mention of a distress call the Harmony had picked up and moved to intercept, communications being lost hours later. Imaginations were running rampant with possibilities as to what happened, and as time went on those possibilities were becoming bleaker and bleaker indeed. However, the truth was that nopony had any idea what had befallen the ship, and that was what frustrated and scared them the most. “Admiral?” a lowly ensign approached Admiral Mythic Wing, a grey Pegasus with a slivery mane, though his wings had a slight shade of blue running down them. “Yes, Ensign?” Mythic Wing responded, looking intently up at the large view screen within the command centre. “Any progress?” “No sir,” the Ensign reported regretfully. “The ES Harmony is still missing.” “What of the comm buoys I ordered set up at all our colonies to boost the signal?” “The ES Defender deployed the buoys along the edge of our own system as ordered, and the colonies reported they have done the same. Despite it all, all efforts to locate Princess Twilight Sparkle and the ES Harmony have failed.” The Admiral tore his eyes away from the screen, and he couldn’t supress a sigh. “It’s been a week, has word gotten out?” The Ensign shook his head. “Negative, not even the princesses are aware yet, as you commanded.” Admiral Mythic Wing looked wearily at the young unicorn he spoke with, before speaking loud enough for the whole command centre to hear. “I didn’t want to cause an unnecessary panic if this turned out just to be a technical glitch but… it’s been a week. From this point forwards, the ES Harmony is officially declared as missing in action, and I want the princesses informed immediately. Canterlot Luna’s moon hung high in the late night’s sky, city lights clearly visible on its surface from Equus. Princess Celestia herself was slumbering peacefully within her own bed, things were quiet and she was at ease. That is until her little sister all but knocked the bedroom doors off their hinges. “Sister, awaken immediately!” Luna shouted out in her Royal Canterlot Voice. Celestia cringed as Luna’s shout penetrated deep into her skull and rattled around within. With her ears still ringing slightly, she opened her eyes and took in her sister’s slightly frazzled form. “Lulu? Why are you breaking through doors and shouting the castle down?” “If you were awake you would be aware of what was happening!” Luna fumed. “First there was that announcement from the ESP that’s all over the news and radio and everything; and then there was that priority communication from Starbase Alpha insisting we both head up there immediately!” “What?” Celestia sat up. “What announcement?” Luna lit up her horn and a panel opposite Celestia’s bed slid away and a screen moved forwards into view. The screen contrasted with the design and sun motifs of the rest of the bedroom, hence why it was hidden away until put in use. It was a large television screen, and though Celestia herself seldom used it, all three other princesses had insisted she have one when they first came about nearly two thousand years prior give or take a hundred years. Now Luna switched it onto Equestria’s Central News’ channel, ECN, where a presenter was sat in front of a backdrop displaying an image of the ES Harmony on its launch. The presenter kept a steady posture as he spoke in a sombre voice. “-and we tonight have received confirmed reports from the high ups of the Equus Space Program that the ES Harmony and all aboard her, including Princess Twilight Sparkle, have been officially declared missing in action.” Celestia’s eyes widened in horror as she continued to listen, a picture of Twilight joining the ES Harmony on the backdrop. “As you all know, ten days ago the ES Harmony launched to the awe and excitement of us all as it demonstrated the first usage of the new FTL drive, which was a complete success. However, according to officials three days into the voyage contact with the vessel was lost, details are still scarce though they promise to release more information in due time…” The presenter continued on, but Celestia stopped listening. She got up off of her bed and levitated her regalia to herself, placing it on swiftly and regally. “Luna, Starbase Alpha, now.” Starbase Alpha, the early morning of July 10th Admiral Mythic Wing stood in the command centre of Starbase Alpha, and he was in the company of three of Equestria’s rulers, Celestia, Luna and Mi Amore Cadenza. This time however, they were joined by Cadenza’s daughter, Princess Flurry Heart. Though Flurry Heart’s title was, much like the Blueblood line, just a title and little more she still held the same regal aura that the other alicorns gave off in spades; and like the other alicorns her ethereal mane flowed through the artificial air gracefully. All four had only just arrived, and the moment they did they had all demanded to see the Admiral immediately. “Admiral Mythic Wing,” Flurry Heart was the first to speak as they approached. “Would you mind explaining why my aunt is missing?!” “Flurry, please calm down,” Cadance asked. “No,” Celestia spoke with narrowed eyes. “Because I also would very much like to know.” “Your highnesses,” The Admiral greeted. “I thank you for coming on such short notice. How much do you already know?” “Little,” Celestia responded. The Admiral hummed. “I thought as much, we’ve been careful not to release too much information to the public until it’s been by you all first. “What of the other world leaders?” Luna asked. “The Harmony was an international effort, as is the ESP itself. And they have citizens aboard that ship.” “Yes,” Mythic nodded. “But they didn’t have one of their co-rulers aboard now, did they? They will be informed of the details too, but you all were our priority.” “We can discuss politics later,” Celestia interrupted. “I’m more concerned about Twilight and those serving aboard that ship. Where are they, Admiral?” Admiral Mythic Wing faltered slightly. “We don’t know. We haven’t just lost communications, we’ve lost ship. We can’t find any trace of it anywhere no matter what we’ve tried.” “What do you mean you can’t find it?!” Celestia shouted in rage. “You had one job for this mission, and state of the art equipment to do it! How did you lose them?!” Mythic Wing flinched as the Princess of the Sun stood angrily over him, the other princesses sharing glances of concern. “Sister?” Luna called out. “What?” Celestia still stared daggers at the Admiral. “This isn’t like you, please be calm.” “Calm?!” Celestia whipped around. “My daughter is lost because they couldn’t do their jobs! Anything could have happened to her!” “I know you’re worried about Twilight,” Cadance said gently. “But it may not be their fault, let’s hear them out, OK?” After a few moments of heavy breathing, Celestia gave out a stressed sigh. “My apologies,” Celestia nearly whispered, using her magic to wipe away the smouldering hoof marks on the floor. “I understand, your highness,” Mythic Wing stated. “I will tell you everything I can.” “What of your last contact with the ship?” Luna asked. “When was that? And what was included?” “Ah,” Mythic Wing said slowly. “Yes, I’m glad you asked that because… that is where things get interesting.” “Interesting?” Flurry Heart said questioningly. “What do you mean by that?” Hearing this, the crew on station at the command centre had already begun to load up the recordings before their superior had even given the order. “Bring up the communication logs, the last file on July 2nd,” Admiral Mythic Wing barked out to the crewmembers as they got hard at work. The view screen shifted as two audio waves appeared, one above the other. One was marked ‘ES Harmony’ and the other ‘Starbase Alpha’. The date and time were displayed as the recording started from the beginning. A voice echoed throughout the command centre. “Starbase Alpha, this is the ES Harmony, do you read?” “Loud and clear ES Harmony, what do you need?” “Erm, Starbase Alpha something strange has occurred up here and we may be deviating from our original course,” ES Harmony’s communications officer reported on the recording. Celestia’s eyes widened. “They deviated from their course? Why?” The answers came when the recording continued. “Deviating from your course? Explain. And what do you mean by something strange?” “We just received a distress call from origins unknown, but it is obviously not from any of our vessels or facilities.” There was a moment of silent on both the recording and throughout the command centre as they listened in. “Did I hear you correctly?” the operator at Starbase Alpha asked on the recording. “Are you saying you received communications from extra-terrestrial origins?” “That is correct,” was the answer. “Princess Twilight has authorised our response and the captain has ordered an intercept course. We will be arriving on scene in about three to four hours. We will contact you again once the situation is resolved and we know more about what we are facing.” “Understood Harmony, safe journeys.” With that, the recording halted and silence dominated the command centre as the princesses took in what they had just heard. “Extra-terrestrial?” Celestia finally stated. “Are you saying they encountered an alien species?” “You heard for yourself,” Admiral Mythic Wing responded. The image on the view screen shifted to a diagram of the space between Equus and Alpha Centaur, a green line showing the ES Harmony’s intended course connected the two as a miniature ES Harmony travelled it. At one point in the sped up trip the ship and the spot on the green line it occupied flashed, before the ES Harmony moved off from the green line to the right, creating a red line in its wake to show their new course. A little way from their original course the ship stopped entirely, before disappearing moments later. “Where the red line ends, is where the ship went missing,” Admiral Mythic Wing explained. “That is obviously where the distress call originated, as they were in that location for over an hour before they vanished. After a total of five hours after our last communications with the ES Harmony ended they disappeared from sensors completely, their beacon either lost connection with our own systems or stopped transmitting entirely and all attempts to contact them failed.” “What did they encounter out there?” Flurry Heart asked rhetorically. “Something must have happened with that distress signal.” “Agreed,” Mythic stated with a nod. “But unless we find the ES Harmony, we can’t know for sure.” “Keep trying,” Celestia ordered. “And inform me of the slightest whisper from them, understood?” “Yes, your highness,” The Admiral agreed. “What do we tell the public?” Celestia looked down on the Admiral. “The truth.” “Understood,” he bowed his head. “Good, now if you’ll excuse me…” Celestia trailed off, swiftly leaving the room and heading off down the corridor. She was followed out however, and Celestia didn’t notice her pursuer until she had already travelled multiple decks and found a secluded observation deck looking down on the planet below. The station was currently directly above Equestria’s eastern ocean, the bright blue and swirl of clouds danced in her line of sight as her thoughts wandered erratically. “Sister?” Luna asked, having followed Celestia all the way to the observation deck. “Talk to me, please.” Laboured breathing came from Celestia, as in the presence of just her sister she allowed the regal mask she wore to fall away from her face along with the tears. “She’s out there, Lulu. Lost, and perhaps dead.” “Do not give up hope so easily,” Luna scolded. “We both know what Twilight is capable of.” “My daughter is out there,” Celestia said. “And it may be my fault.” “Don’t say that,” Luna said, draping a wing over her sister. “How could it be your fault?” “She offered me the chance to come along, if I had accepted I could have-“ “What? Been lost too?” Luna sighed. “Out of all your students you have always held Twilight Sparkle the closest, I understand. Calling her ‘daughter’ is proof of this.” “I raised her Luna,” Celestia said. “She lived much of her young life in the castle, I read to her stories when she went to sleep and sang to her when nightmares plagued her mind. I watched her grow and was proud of the mare she became. I love her, Luna.” Celestia leaned into Luna’s embrace. “And I’m scared.”