Chapter 8 - Rising smoke
The first shuttle enter the atmosphere at staggering 30000km/h speed light up the sky high above the ground. It's quickly began burn of it's excess speed and the special nanotech composite held with no issue. As the speed and attitude drop more the atmospheric engines been deployed on the sides of the craft. Unlike the drone caring unmanned shuttles the new manned shuttles used a small Thorium base nuclear reactor, just slightly less efficient then the Uranium based, but far more secure and the reactor powered not just a anti gravity field generator, but also the deployed engines were electric, with no need of conventional fuel to remain airborne inside an atmosphere, but to achieve orbit, space flight, it used it's plasma thrusters. It cruse at a steady speed toward the landing site, spiralling downwards.
The second shuttle hit the atmosphere, but in mere seconds, an routine re-entry ended in a disaster. As it hit the atmosphere, the crack expanded and the superheated plasma punch through the hull breach, burn the inside structure in a blink of an eye, the weakened integrity result the crack extend more, the plasma containers got damaged and gave in, the magnetic field that hold the 300000 C Degree mater exploded with a force of a smaller nuke, obliterate the rare section of the ship, and the rest was shredded to pieces, not just by the explosion, but the brute friction as cut through the upper atmosphere, despite the massive forces at play some larger parts of the shuttle survived all this as some of it's cargo container that was as durable as were the outer shell, but more reinforced. The blazing debris pummel through the sky, slowing down as the air got ticker but still at supersonic speed.
The moments have passed, as every one realise what just happen or tried to comprehend it, both on the first craft and back on the Hermes. The pilots though couldn't think for long as the deadly hail, remnants of the second ship flew in there direction, immediately began elusive manoeuvres to avoid mid air collision. Bellow the the pony delegation was horrified once they realised what have just happened, and more, what was crashing down toward the ground, not directly at them, but in a general direction of a smaller village.
Celestia reacted the quickest, she focus and teleported instantly into the small town, just in nick of a time to stop the largest piece of white hot metal hit a the towns center, the strain was immense to stop the incredible heavy, and fast object incinerate a sizeable building where it was heading moments earlier, seemingly unstoppable. She composed her self quickly as she levitated the blazing wreck to the large square of the town where it set it down to the ground. She look back to the large house, and that’s when she truly become horrified as small foals run out the building, in awe and shock, not realising what happened, blissfully as how close they been to there demise. The blaze light up the night of the town, she turn and took a better look of what was left from the alien craft, she began grasp which part it was and indeed was an bitter realisation, it was the 'head' of the fling construct, where the aliens ride. She hung her head for a minute, zoned out, shred a tear. Not even notice that Cadance came beside her.
“They didn't even have a chance.” “At least.. I hope they died before they could realise what happened, and with out pain.” Said Celestia long last. Cadence rest a hoof on the older Diarch shoulder. “I will look after the ponies here.. you'll be needed when the other craft lands..” Celestia nod, share a reinforced look to the goddess of love before teleport back to the group.
With a flash of bright golden light she reappeared and sat down, debris still rain down from the sky here and there but afar from the village and other settlement as far they could see.
Deep silence, that what could describe the atmosphere on board the Hermes. All who been present on the bridge of the space ship stare at the screens and stomach what they witnessed, an truly hard tasks. Not that they not been used to fatigue of loss of a life, as it did happen, death easily clams it's harvest as it please. Non the less it's never easy. The captain spoke up. “Lets hope there soul is in a better place now.” He composed him self, steel it, as there things to do, an ever growing mountain of tasks, problems and mysteries to put to a rest. “Alex, I want you to form a group right now and figure out what happened with the shuttle, be the cause anything, I want to know it ASAP.” He turn to the lieutenant. “James you in charge of the first shuttle team on the surface.” He gave a pause to make it sink in for every one what he was about to say. “We do not know what happened, from accident to sabotage through the natives attack could be anything, and we must find it out. This does not mean we began run like a hybrid of a headless chicken and a blood thirsty psychopath. We must proceed with the meeting, and swallow it up for the time being the pain in the chest we all feel at the loss of our friends.” He gave a last look “Now I want everyone do there best, in the possible most clear and objective fashion possible.
The three remaining Alicorn watch as the shuttle took several turns in the air around the crash site then finally began it's final approach to the land site, hover in the air, release some short of legs and touch down before them gracefully. The difference was sickeningly striking, of how the two ship ended on the ground. Was clear how delicate the technology be, and the risk more apparent, if something go wrong that’s spells disaster at this scale, allow no margin for error as they witnessed it. The tension was high. They all knew that the events just go down could be condemn to be there wrong doing, or even an attack. They decided best is to cooperate with them at best they could and to show absolutely no sign of hostility toward them, and such they all agreed silently not to use there magic. They remain silent, await to things took there course.
The shuttle main ram began lower at the belly of the craft. Once settle down on the ground firmly the occupant began walk down. They wore some short of special cloth that covered them entirely, with helmet and a backpack. They had towering figures, but mainly because they been biped, Celestia, Luna or even Cadance could tower above them if they stood on there hind legs but that was an uncomfortable, unnatural pose for there species. 4 of the aliens left the craft, two in white and two in a dirty, sturdier version of the suit, carry what they could presume be weapons. The white coloured ones carried packs in there arms, they stood there in a formation, two guard or soldier and two representative of short. The face of the representatives was visible, but the soldiers face was hidden, and looked more fearsome, there eyes of the helmet glow green, by the tiny movement they all shared, they been talking among them selves, clearly visible on the civilians as they could see there mouth move but couldn't hear there voice. The two group watch each other in this fashion in a certain distance, then finally Celestia step forward a bit, earn the immediate attention of the visitors, with alarm as well, she made sure her movements are slow and not threatening. She nod slowly to them, with care not point her horn at them directly as an gesture of greeting. The being follow suit shortly the two at the center give a nod, return the gesture to Celestia. Then one of the aliens step forward and point towards the town in the distance where the the front section of the destroyed craft have rest on the ground, then mimic walking with one of it's hand over on it's other arm, indicating what they intend to do now. Clear they want to see the wreck. Celestia nod and rise her hoof in similar fusion to let them know they can walk there. She step forward and motion with her head to the other princesses to follow. Luna and Twilight nod to Celestia and they slowly lead the way towards the town. The humans began follow.
As they walk down to town they could see all the ponies now gathered around the wreck, Cadance near it with some guards In a fan out formation. The pink equine was doing calming moves with her hoof and talk to the local populous. But soon the ponies set there eyes on the slowly approaching group of alicorns and the biped creatures. The fear was intense as they cleared away from the path of the group, and either stop at the sides in a fair distance or outright take cover at a corner of a building or other objects and peek from there as things run there course. When they got close, with Celestia lead the princesses and the royal guard cleared away too, to the side, give way to the newly arrival creatures to get a closer look of the wreck. Only tale tale of sure grief, when one of the white suited one shook it's head side ways a lil. Little bit latter they unfold one of the pack, which turned out to be a machine, very thin, and soon what the ponies could see, like a strange, book came to live, the Princesses were more familiar with this, through the illusions they saw before, this was mere 2D, but soon it revealed, it can also generate those illusions, not as big, but clear, sharp, vivid images. It was magic with out magic.
“Sir we're receiving transmission from the group. They been led to the cockpit of the destroyed shuttle, the primary and secondary black box units bot survived and they been able to access it wirelessly.” Said one of the technician “Data being transferred as we speak.” “Good, lets see can we reconstruct the situation from this information. Alex. I want you dissect every and all information that is available to reconstruct the events.” “Understood captain.” Kim haven't taken off his eyes from the main Terminal. One shuttle lost but the other one landed safely, all the signs shown this tragedy must been an accident and not an intended event, as every one else began see this way, regardless a full investigation to be made, and they been higher on there alert as well. No mater how far, how more advanced they been, this shown perfectly how mortal they are to the elements of the cosmos, morbid wits of fate. Yet they fight the odds, even before they had to leave there own world, and they would keep do so, never lay down and go out quiet.
“Sir we also receiving additional stratospheric data, the microbiological presence is bare minimum and we could possibly walk about with out H.E.P.S” Kim nod to this “That is a good thing, non less protocol is there for a very good reason and we don't want an epidermic caught on us because we got careless, yes it is inevitable, as we have to become part of this new biosphere, but we have to do it slowly, immunise our selves to the local microbiological environment as much as possible.” “Indeed captain.” He directed his attention to Charles Maxwell, biologist and ecologist of the expedition team, as he continue short after. “And I believe so, for us best would be make our first base camps, settlements near the cold arctics, and slowly work our self souther. The microbiological factor much easier to be controlled in a cold environment, even though we most likely love to have a warm tropical paradise and enjoy the sun all day.” “Those are good toughs, non less most council members will wine, why we ended on this rock and voluntary deep froze our butts.” “So it's not end in hard vacuum nor a rotten biomass, eaten alive by all kind of micro organisms.” Replied plane and flatly the scientist. Captain gave a small chuckle to this comment, it's going to be difficult but not impossible to restrain the urge to 'pull the zipper' and just dive into one of the warm oceans or lay on a meadow full of soft grass. “Well lets face that once we cross that bridge, but I like the approach you propose Maxwell. And besides, the Spero will be the home for us for a couple more decades for sure. I trust as much the council to play safe and land every one on the ground at day 1.... Alright lets continue on, we have lot to do and the list morbidly grows by every tick of the clock.”
The tall biped being finished what they been doing next to the wreck, the two solider broad there stance around the wreck while the civilians packed up, and turned to the group of alicorns. The device the brought, was swiftly turned into an magic like drawing board and the holder began draw quickly, with mere touch the glowing smooth surface. Soon show the drawing, it had panels couple panels, first was showing one a pony and a human hand shake, the next shown the humans exam different objects, trees. Under this two a third show the pony guards and human guards stand next to the wreck to indicate it to be guarded.
Celestia nod to the drawing and turned her attention to her royal guard. “Captain, I'd like you remain here and guard the wreckage with the two aliens along the side, do not try disturb them for the time being, communication is still very limited at best between us.” The pony salute and they returned to there stoic guard work. Twilight came closer, she took out a sheets of paper and ink from her saddle bag with ink and a quill, then began levitate them up into the air. The humans watched, they did saw videos where they shown these strange abilities of the ponies, but it was a thing to watch in a video, and witness it up-close. “Twilight could you please draw the message to them, show we would like to lead them to the castle, either on foot or by teleportation, if that’s good for them, also if can add to the draw Trixie, so she could do more 'translating' between our people.” “Of course Celestia, should take a minute.” Twilight smile and quickly muster a drawing. Once done shown it to Celestia to approve it, she nod with a smile, and she walked slowly closer to the humans within arms reach, levitate the paper in-front of the being who took it with care and observe it. Pointing at it with it's strange limb and they been talking among them selves. After a little while they nod and point on the teleportation. To this like on clue one of the solder waved it's hand in motion for them to stop, the civvies turn around and reassured the armed figure that things should be alight. Visibly uncomfortable about the decision, but stood back to it's place. Celestia look at Cadance then and spoke. “Could you please stay here and look after everyone.” “Of course Celestia, I make sure everything should remain quiet and safe.” She gave a reassuring smile to the Diarch. Soon the two aliens been shown to follow them to the smaller clearing where Celestia stood in the middle, Luna and Twilight on her side. Celestia light up her horn and concentrate, then a very bright flash and they disappeared, teleport back to Canterlot.
In the meantime, only a few kilometres away, smoke was rising high into the night sky from the forest. The source was a newly created crater, the impact of one of the cargo containers. The unbelievably sturdy object survived the explosion and the hard landing with minor dent and burn marks on the exterior, still have an crimson glow from the re-entry and impact. After awhile a door have been opened of the container, and something crawl out from it. It's shape been blocked by the smoke and darkness of the night. It quickly leap into the even darker shadows of the forest.
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and agen, if any one w
agen?
AGEN?
Anyway good story, as always want more.
Yay another chapter!
good story but u may want to get a proof reader for grammar reasons needless to say it wont be me
2656364>>2656487>>2659716>>2676960>>2712380>>2802888
Don't fear everyone! I'll get to editing this story as soon as I finish with his story of Through Crimson Eyes. In the meantime, I recommend reading that story! You can find the link to the edited version in the stories comments... Somewhere... Once I start editing this story I'll post a link to the edited version in the comments here. However, the links will be taken down eventually as Ice4smaster will eventually import the edited versions into the fimfiction versions.
Don't give up on Ice4smaster. He's just having trouble. Don't blame him for his bad grammar, please.
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Here's something from the comments on the edited version of Through Crimson Eyes; It's from Ice4smaster:
Whyou would they have brought any live creatures on the shuttle? Mayhaps, stowaway?
Awesome story bro!
Too bad there won't be a sequel.