Chapter 46. Being Shown the Door
Chapter 46. Being Shown the Door
"Yes, and no," Princess Lunar Eclipse said. "We are exactly where we used to be. The planet, the Earth, however, isn't."
I guess one could call that a shocking revelation, except, it wasn't that shocking to me. Something I didn't know about wasn't there anymore. It did rule out any idea of returning to the place from whence we had come, many generations ago. Unless you were Princess Lunar Eclipse, of course. She'd lived on the thing in her earlier days.
What I found interesting was that Habitat Eleven had remained intact and undisturbed while the planet on which it sat went missing. No shakes, no quakes. Nothing. Those gravity generators down in the lower levels must have activated during the transition. They would have compensated for any changes in gravity. The suspension system for the life support chamber would have smoothed out the vibrations. The systems had worked exactly as intended, and no pony in the life support chamber had noticed.
Not even the Hellites, down in the lower levels, had any memories of the event. Either time had eroded their memories, or no pony who had experienced it was alive to tell about it now.
"Well, something's got to be below us," I said. With some effort, I averted my eyes from the magnificent spectacle visible through the bridge windows. "The Habitat is currently subject to gravity."
"Gravity generators are in the lower levels of the habitat," Eclipse said curtly.
"And they don't work, or at the least, are currently off line," I said. "I've been down there and looked. I can walk down below the inversion point. I assure you, the source of gravity is outside the habitat."
"Centrifugal force, then. We are sitting on the star-ring," Eclipse said. Okay, we were into wild guess territory... or it was an eon since Eclipse had sat through a physics lesson.
"Centripetal, not centrifugal," I corrected her. "And no. Even this far from the star, we would have been able to detect anomalies during our engineering-class practical lessons. There is a significant mass, or other source of gravitational wave, for the lack of a better term, below us."
"I would agree with that," one of the strange-winged ponies said. She didn't have much of an accent, suggesting she was familiar with modern media. "We've been looking at the same stars for years. If we are moving relative to the sun, it is undetectable."
"How did this turn into a discussion on physics?" the other of the strange-winged ponies asked. "What I want to know is who these visitors are, and where they come from." All things considered, his line of thought was more relevant, in immediate terms.
Having abandoned their game, the two violet youngsters approached. I guessed introductions were in order. That, and I wanted to know more about them, too. I turned to face them, Cacha turning with me, of course. Allie and Kakuun abandoned their star gazing and joined us. Within moments we were all clustered together, sizing each other up.
"Hi," said the male, trying to look cool, but failing. But then, what was I expecting? Adolescent males tended to lose their brains around good looking females.
"Hello," said the female. She was being friendly, but making no attempt to impress. Her name wasn't forthcoming, either.
"These ponies tell me they are the rulers of Habitat Eleven," Princess Lunar Eclipse said. She hadn't given us the chance to introduce ourselves. Her voice had a vaguely unhappy edge to it. I guessed she didn't like us muscling in on her royal territory.
"For real?" the male asked. "I thought..."
"Yeah, for real," I said. "Queen Aneki at your service."
"You aren't going to demand we bow or something?"
"No," I said. "I don't particularly need to see the top of your head, and I'm pretty sure you don't want a close look at my hooves. Of course, if you wish to grovel at my feet in a failure destined attempt to please me, I won't stop you."
The youth snorted. "You're pretty cool. Mum, see, that's how a queen should behave!" he said. "All this bowing and scraping and correct speech is best left in the archives, where it belongs."
I could see I was going to get along with these strange-winged ponies just fine.
"You may as well give up on that royal air you are trying to portray, Mum," the female youngster said.
"Arrgh! Children!" Princess Lunar Eclipse said, visibly deflating. The result was a much more relaxed alicorn.
"Mine may only be one year old, but, all things considered, I do understand," I said.
The princess looked me directly in the eyes, then laughed. "Perhaps we should forget that we are conflicting royalty, and speak to each other as fellow mothers," she said. "This is Ceres, my daughter. She is twenty, thus only a few years younger than you. This is Nebula, my son, who is seventeen, and currently looking for a marefriend."
"Oh, Mum, you didn't need to say that," Nebula complained.
"You are right, Neb. She didn't need to. It was blatantly obvious," Ceres said with a giggle.
Nebula face-hoofed. That was when I noticed he didn't have any fingers hidden within his hooves. The required modifiers must not have been available on the bridge. I chose not to comment on it.
We exchanged more general greetings, and introduced my companions. There were a few hoof-bumps with accompanying chuckles.
"Presumably there is, or at least was, a father somewhere about," Cacha said. I hoped she hadn't just blundered onto sensitive subject!
"My husband, the latest one, is taking a nap at the moment," Eclipse said. "Orion is his name. My previous husbands all died of old age. This one still had a few good decades in him. You have access to HELaTS modifiers, do you not? Perhaps you could share some, allowing me to extend the age of my beloved."
"The only known source of Hellite modifiers is down in the lower levels. I can arrange for you to take him down there. An alicorn will need to override the hoof scanners to the lower levels. That's why you need to go with him," I said. "How long would you expect him to live? We believe our oldest to be at least a thousand years old. Unfortunately, she is completely mad. The theory is that the modifiers have eroded her brain. Our oldest sane Hellite is somewhere around six hundred years old."
Of course, that didn't take into account Brainstorm and Stormie. They were twelve hundred years old, but hadn't been Hellites for long. One could argue they weren't exactly sane either! Nonetheless, since they crawled out of their tank, they had been quite reasonable.
"I am nearly two and a half millennia old. I have been a HELaTS for over two of them, yet I am sane, despite any claims by my children to the contrary!" Eclipse said. "The HELaTS modifiers do not damage the brain. Perhaps your old pony is insane for a different reason."
"Perhaps. It isn't like we can ask her, is it?"
"We could, but her answers don't make sense!" Cacha said.
"Wait a moment," Eclipse said, tapping a hoof to her face. "Something about this sounds familiar. Describe her, please. Her colors."
"She's the palest purple, with the palest pink mane and tail, and pink eyes," Cacha said.
"Ah. That takes me way back. I'd almost completely forgotten about her. It was only because she played such an important role in our history that I remember at all. While she may look like one, she isn't a pony."
"What? Not a pony? She sure looks like one. Is she is a changeling or something?"
"No, Albino isn't a changeling, and in the strictest sense, she isn't a pony either. She is an artificial being that shares our genetic makeup."
"Albino? That's her name? So where did she come from? Who made her?"
"The Warners created her in an alien laboratory. She was the prototype for the HELaTS system. I am surprised that she is still around. The Warners needed a subject on which to develop the HELaTS modifiers. They did not wish to use any living ponies for their experimentation. That was their gift to us, or at least part of it – a way for ponies to survive the harshness of space travel. Their own bodies were much the same."
"But she is a living being, isn't she? So, when they no longer needed her, they just let her go?"
"Quite so. She was harmless, so they released her to us. At first, we assigned handlers to attend to her well being. I would have it no other way. As you say, she was a living being, despite her artificial creation," Eclipse said. "Who looks after her now?"
"No one," Cacha said. "She can wander off for weeks or even years, hiding somewhere out in the lower levels. Sometimes she will stay with us for a while, and when she does, we check her over. She's always in good health, even if a little unkempt. It's always... fun for those that check her, too, with her prattling on for all she's worth. It's as if she has adventures to tell and comes in to share them. She seems to enjoy herself, whatever she is doing."
"I am glad to hear she is doing well. We owe her so much. I am somewhat concerned about the shortened life span the other HELaTS are experiencing. You thought a thousand years was old? I have my alicorn genes working in my favor, so I am not a good example. As you just heard, Albino has been a hellite for longer that me. According to the Warners, HELaTS should be able to live for millennia. Do you know why your companions are dying so young?"
"Murder. Falling from high places while attempting repairs. Being killed by the equipment we are trying to service," I said. "That sort of thing. What we appear to be lacking is the opportunity."
"Oh. That is not good. Why do you not assign pegasi to doing the work in high places? That should cut down the falls," Eclipse said.
"When was the last time you saw a pegasus? Pegasi are extinct," I said, "assuming Ceres and Nebula are not what you call pegasi. I was under the impression pegasi had feathered wings. Oh, and obviously, we don't have any ponies with wings like them down there, either. Allie is the sole winged pony in the rest of Habitat Eleven."
"Oh dear. It is that bad down there, is it? I had noticed the media concentrated on common ponies." Eclipse said. "As for pegasi, they do still exist. I saw one earlier today. We usually have one or two on the bridge per generation. I have also given birth to some myself, over the years. Most of us on the bridge have wings of one sort or the other."
"The other wings?" I asked. "Exactly what sort of ponies are your children? I have never seen ponies with slit pupils before, either."
"My children here, as well as most of my companions on the bridge, are bat-ponies. The bat part refers to their similarity to a species of winged creatures. Bats, like most other forms of life, were not included on this habitat's manifest. I believe they left in Habitat Four, along with most of the bat-winged ponies," Eclipse said. "The bat-ponies on Habitat Eleven were here as personal guards to both my mother and myself. Some of them were also part of the flight crew. As such, the majority of them in this habitat were also trapped on the bridge at the same time as me."
"On that subject, you don't expect me to believe that the only access to the bridge was through your private chamber," I said. "A single entrance to the bridge would be a major bottleneck. Having regular staff going through the royal ready-room each time would be ridiculous."
"No, I don't expect you to believe that. Primary access to the bridge was through other arches. They were accessible through the outer hub ring on sublevel one, conveniently situated near the command center of the habitat. I presume the command center is still there."
"It is. The throne room is another matter, though. I blew it up. Are the other arches still disabled?"
"They have come back to life, but are still impassible. Something is blocking the other side." Eclipse said, looking at me curiously. "You blew up the throne room?"
"I will have the other ends of the arches investigated. How big is this bridge, and how many of you are trapped here?"
"The throne room?" Eclipse prompted again.
"I shot the changeling queen, and she exploded," I said.
"As did everything between you and the sky dome," Kakuun added.
"Really? Of this, I will have to hear more. I had wondered where the dark spot had come from. Your news service was not forthcoming on the matter."
"The size of the bridge?" I countered Eclipse's change of topic.
"Fortunately, the quarters for the bridge crew are part of the bridge complex so that, in an emergency, they would not lose access. We have sufficient amenities for the couple hundred ponies trapped here. We also have enough genetic diversity to be able to breed, although I do have to limit my personal involvement. In a way, the bridge complex is its own micro-city. Perhaps it is time for me to show you around."
"Please do."
"You can tell me about the throne room as we go."
I was sitting, staring at the arches used for general access to the bridge. Unlike the one in the throne room, these ones were ethereal when active. Instead of a glowing outline on a solid wall, a visible mist-like surface indicated their presence. The obstruction could clearly be seen through it. It was as if a wall had been built over the arch at the other end of the link. More than likely, that was exactly what had happened.
I had tried to analyze it with my horn, to no avail. Attempting to cut through was also pointless. The magical field used for the teleportation interfered with my magic. The only logical solution was to approach the problem from the other end.
"Maisie, are you there?" I subvocalized into my communicator.
"Aneki? Where are you? No pony has seen you for hours. Or Cacha."
"We are outside of the main shell of the habitat."
"You are outside? For real? How in H'ven's name did you manage that?"
"I found a teleporter."
"So, you are outside, in the great nothing? What's it like?"
"Actually, no. I'm on the bridge of the Habitat, and that is built onto the outside of the main shell. Even nothing is something, Maisie. As for the appearance, I would not want to deprive you of the delight of seeing it for yourself the first time."
"Aww. Spoil sport!" Her voice expressed slight disappointment, rather than annoyance.
"That would be your royal spoil sport," I said. "But trust me, it is best you see it for yourself. I'm afraid we don't have words awesome enough to describe it."
"Oh, okay. So, how do I get out there? You have piqued my curiosity!"
"We need to find a door you can use. The one I used to come up here is genetically coded to a certain species, and the only examples of that species are up here with me. Besides, it involves traveling through the royal bedroom. There are other doors. They appear to be working from this side, but an obstruction at your end prevents us from using them. And that is where you come in."
"So you are about to tell me where to go?" Maisie chuckled.
"I could also give you instructions on how to get there..."
"Touché."
I passed on the details of where I required Maisie to investigate. From what I could establish, the door was on the wall of the inner hub at the end of a corridor that ran to outer hub wall. There were actually two doors here, side by side. I presumed the second door to be a failsafe measure, and that its exit was beside that of the first.
"I'm about ten minutes away from there," she said.
If her enthusiasm was anything to go by, she would get there in two.
The bridge of Habitat Eleven was at the center of the micro-city that surrounded it. The design wasn't inspiring, but it was functional, and followed the pattern used down in the hub.
There were three levels. The top level included the primary bridge, the auxiliary bridge, observation lounge and the captain's ready-room. The primary bridge, the room from which I had first seen the stars, was now used as part of the private residence of Princes Lunar Eclipse.
The auxiliary bridge, for all practical intents and purposes, was a clone of the main bridge, albeit a functional one. Even so, there was no chance of it being used to pilot the habitat due to the sad state of the habitat itself.
On the opposite side of the main bridge to the auxiliary bridge was the observation lounge. The grand style in which it had been decorated had once been intended to impress dignitaries. Now its crimson carpets had been worn thread-bare. The gilding that trimmed the wooden wall panels was either missing, or in an advanced state of peeling. It exuded an old, lived-in atmosphere, the results of its use as a general lounge for a couple of millennia. Needless to say, a number of bat-ponies had been using it when I was in there.
Whatever the other top level rooms had been used for was lost to history. Anything technical had been ripped out and recycled. Resources were limited, as was living space, and these rooms were now the homes of ponies.
The official living quarters were on the middle level. This level was of a larger diameter than the one above, and the level below was larger again. Central to this floor was the room that contained the teleport arches to the central hub, down in the life support chamber. Surrounding it were the dorms and private rooms for the bridge crew, the eatery with its rows of food converters, the ablutions block and some more common areas. This was where most of the bridge ponies lived, and it was impossible to go anywhere without meeting more of them.
I had even seen a pegasus!
The lowest level of the bridge complex was where the life support systems were. Miniature versions of the systems down in the sublevels and lower levels were all there, including power generation, recycling and emergency air supplies. Right in the center was a miniature version of the power-to-magic converter. Unlike the converter Allie had locked us out of, this one was small enough for us to stand in and enjoy the magical radiation without adverse effects. There were also connections to the main systems of the habitat through a narrow cable gland that ran through the thick outer shell. Celestia help any pony that had to repair them!
"Okay," Maisie said, interrupting my thoughts. "I've searched all around the area, and there is nothing to indicate where these magic doorways could be. Where are you now? Are you still getting a guided tour?"
When it had become obvious that the other end of the teleporters were not... well... obvious, Maisie had told us she would do some searching and get back to us when she discovered something. Cacha and I had taken advantage of the time to do some exploring of our own. Allie and Kakuun were elsewhere, enjoying the company of the few up here that were closer to their own ages.
"Cacha and I are back at the other end of the teleporters," I subvocalized into my communicator.
"And I'm in what I think is the correct area. Thump the obstruction, or something."
I did. It felt like I was punching a mattress. Cacha flinched, and looked at me, puzzled.
"Did you hear that, Maisie?" I asked, this time aloud, wondering if the muffled thud had made it to Maisie's ears.
"Yes, but I have no idea where it came from."
"At least you are close. I'll give it a harder whack this time."
With that, I pivoted, and let loose with both rear hooves. It still felt like I was kicking a mattress. I figured the spell had to be damping my actions, because I could not see any reason or logic to trying to block a door with something soft.
"Keep hitting it," Maisie said.
I did, and understanding what was happening, Cacha joined in. Two-and-a-half way conversations could be confusing.
"Feels like sponge," Cacha muttered. "And yet it can't be cut?"
"Field compression, I think. Possibly a safety measure built into the spell."
"I still can't pinpoint it," Maisie's voice broke into my mind, "despite the general rumbling that I could hear."
"Let me think," I said, sitting.
"That's dangerous," Maisie stirred.
"And that just gave me an idea! Move out of the area. Stay low. Don't let anyone else go there either. Tell me when it is clear. Oh, and if you can, add Cacha to the conversation."
"Will do," Maisie said, "on both accounts."
"Cacha, do you have a metal load in your boot pistol?" I asked.
"I do. Why?"
"When I tell you, I want you to fire a shot through the archway. Aim high, so that if something goes wrong, no one will get hit."
"Um... okay," Cacha said, raising her forehoof. Her boot pistol unfolded into the required configuration.
"Ready," Maisie said into my mind. "The area is clear."
"Fire," I told Cacha.
She did, and a muffled ping was the result, the bullet dropping down and landing at our hooves. So much for that idea.
"Was that full power?" I asked. "Try again."
Cacha raised her gun again, squinted, turned away, then stopped.
"Am I an idiot or something?" she asked. "We need to deploy our facial armor."
"Good idea!"
As soon as we had, she fired. The ping was louder, and this time the returning bullet bounced over our heads before falling to the floor.
"Any joy?" I asked Maisie.
"I heard a couple noises, but I'm not in the immediate area anymore. I'll go look."
"Don't bother," Cacha said. "I can see the mark it left on this side. It didn't dent it."
I retrieved the two slugs from where they had landed. One was slightly deformed from its impact. The other was unblemished. If we fired the slug at the obstructing wall hard enough, it would hit. Even so, the compression field of the spell slowed it to the point it was unable to damage the wall. This spell was as effective as Brainstorm's protective shield in his shooting gallery. Unlike that spell, this one seemed to be geared to interfere with magic too, as my failed attempt at cutting had shown.
"Aneki, why don't you blast it with your gun?" Maisie asked.
"Do you really need to ask?" I asked. "I think the field would stop any spell I try to fire through it. And if it doesn't, what will? The wall behind that? Or the one behind that?"
"You are being silly, Aneki," Cacha chided me. "Fire a metal slug. Your gun is more powerful than mine."
"I guess I could do that," I said.
"And if that doesn't work, hide a spell inside the slug."
"Cacha, you are brilliant! If the spell doesn't activate until it hits the obstruction, the field shouldn't be able to dampen it."
I lifted the undamaged slug to my horn, where a simple spell held it while I did some mental code sorting. It didn't take me long to create a spell that hid itself within the slug. That spell I armed with a warhead – a spell that would vaporize a small section of whatever the shell hit.
That done, I extended my forehoof and formed a general purpose weapon that was equipped with a magazine for physical ammunition. I levitated my slug into it, watching, amused, as the magazine of the weapon became plastic, reforming itself until it was indistinguishable with the remainder of the gun. Taking aim at a spot near the mark left by the previous bullet, I prepared to fire.
"Maisie, is the area clear? I'm about to fire an explosive round," I asked.
"Um. Hang on a tick." The signal form communicator dropped out.
Moments later it reestablished contact.
"All clear. I figured you didn't need to hear me yelling my lungs out," Maisie said.
"My virtual ears thank you," I said. After all, these communicators connected directly with our minds, bypassing our ears.
"Fire when ready," Maisie prompted.
I did. This time the slug didn't bounce back. The field rippled, much as a pool of water would, turning milky-white in the process. The damped sound of the explosion was not loud enough to damage any ears. Before the ripples and milkiness could subside, two ponies exclaimed somewhat loudly, one behind me and one in my head.
"What in, Celestia's name, are you?" the voice behind me said.
"Sweet Luna, that didn't come from where I expected!" Maisie's voice said in my mind. I could feel the level to which she had been startled.
"What happened, Maisie?" I asked, ignoring the princess behind me.
"The wall behind me exploded!"
"Are you okay? Any injuries?" I asked, concerned.
"Oh, no. I was some distance from it. I was sitting mid way along the corridor, facing the hub, and the wall which I thought was going to blow. Apparently I was facing the wrong way. The doorway is on the inner wall of the outer hub ring, not the other way around."
"Ah. Contrary to what we believed. What can you see?"
"The explosion opened a hole about the size of my hoof. There is some subdued light coming through. It's opaque, but seems to be getting clearer."
"Yes, I kind of upset the damping field. It's like that on this side too."
Princess Lunar Eclipse cleared her throat, tapping her hoof on the floor impatiently.
"Hang on, Maisie, I appear to have an aggravated princess here, and she doesn't seem to remember who is the queen."
"Okay." Again, Maisie's signal went dead.
Turning, I faced the alicorn. Damn, she was tall. She gazed down her nose at me, with the expression of an exasperated school teacher. I lowered my hoof to the floor, discovering that as it was still configured as a weapon, it was of no use for standing on. Behind her stood her two children, looking somewhat shocked.
"I repeat," Lunar Eclipse said, "what exactly are you?"
"No, you paraphrase," I corrected her, just because I was a contrary rotter at times like this.
"Are you deliberately antagonizing me?"
"Um... yes?" I said.
Eclipse bent forward, bringing her head down to my height. "At least you speak the truth. Now, tell me what are you, and what the... thing that grew out of your leg is."
"I guess you could say I am the prototype of the HELaTS Mark-Two. More precisely, I am the prototype integrated weapons unit by Advanced Weapons Development Laboratories. The two reprobates that converted me are experts in modifier design. You will meet them soon enough." I looked down at my gun leg, then lifted it so the princess could see it. "This thing is but one manifestation of my weapons system. It's the same weapon I was using when I vaporized the former changeling queen."
"And everything else between the gun and the sky dome," Cacha added. "Seriously, Eclipse, Aneki is the most dangerous pony in this habitat. She's a real sweetie, but you don't want to push your luck."
"My apologies, Your Majesty," Eclipse said to me, taking a careful step back, her expression a combination of respect and fear.
That was a fast back-down. I reabsorbed the weapon, placing my hoof firmly on the floor. So, the princess was finally acknowledging me as the ruler of the habitat. That my ability to be extremely violent was what changed her attitude concerned me.
"Eclipse, may I suggest we keep it casual. You may call me Aneki. Despite what you may be thinking, I do not go around indiscriminately killing any who oppose me. Ask Kakuun to tell you the details of the demise of the changeling queen. I was only along for the ride. My actions were certainly not to gain the throne. Haven't we already covered this?"
"Building trust takes time," Eclipse said. "And I will call you Aneki, if that is what you wish. Likewise, you may call me Eclipse, although it seems you have already granted yourself permission to do so."
"Meh. One of the perks of being the queen," I said.
Eclipse snickered.
Hearing noises behind me, I turned, to see three slender black worms reach though the hole left by the exploding bullet. Maisie's fingers, I presumed. They felt about, checking for sharp edges, before clutching together to grip the edge. The material around the hole bowed as Maisie pulled at it. The milkiness left in the field by the explosion had mostly dissipated, now doing little more than blurring the image.
"What are those black, worm-things?" Nebula asked, taking a step forward for a better look.
"They look like the tentacles of the Tatzlwurm from the old story books," Ceres said, moving alongside her brother.
"You're kidding me?" Cacha asked. "You've never seen fingers before?"
"Oh! Silly me. We've seen them on the media, but they've always been attached to a pony. Like this, they are out of context!"
"Cacha," I said, "the ponies trapped on the bridge have not had access to any modifiers, including the ones that create our fingers."
"What about Eclipse?" Cacha asked, puzzled. "She had access before she was trapped."
Eclipse shook her head. "I have no need of fingers. I have magic. The finger modifiers were only offered to pegasi and earth ponies."
"Oh, you're like Allie," Cacha said. "She doesn't have fingers because she uses magic, too."
Three more fingers appeared through the hole. Now, Maisie appeared to have better a purchase on the material. On the third tug, a strip tore from it, running from the hole all the way down to the floor. Indications were Maisie had been hanging on the wall, because I heard the thump, and successive cuss words, when she hit the floor.
Maisie was promptly back up, and tearing at the material again. Within moments, she had opened a triangular hole large enough for a pony to pass through. A pony her size, anyway, because she pushed herself through, and into the room with us. As soon as she was clear of the hole, she peeled back her head armor, revealing her white coat, lemon mane and powder-blue eyes. She blinked coquettishly, and smiled.
"Now you can show me what's outside, can't you?" she said.
"Me too," said Briggs, crawling through the hole behind her. He promptly climbed onto his traditional place on her back.
"What... is that?" Ceres asked, pointing a hoof at Briggs's boxy form.
"Wow, you're pretty!" Nebula enthused. "How old are you?"
Ceres had been right. No pony needed to mention that Nebula was after a marefriend. It was blatantly obvious. If Ceres wanted to know about Briggs, she was going to have to ask some other time.
"I'm twenty-three..." Maisie said. Ah, yes, she had mentioned she took liberties with her age.
"Six years older," Nebula said. "Workable."
"Twenty-three decades, that is," Maisie said, smirking.
Nebula's jaw hit the floor. So did Cacha, laughing uncontrollably. Even I sniggered.
Well, at least reintegrating these ponies into society was going to be interesting!
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Oh hey, nice new cover art!
IT'S ALIVE!!!!
I'm not one to be particularly verbose, but I wanted to drop a line saying how much this chapter, and this story as a whole keeps making me laugh! Good Job.
Sounds like the movie "The Giver" in a nut shell plus mlp
6370660 Haven't heard of it. Certainly haven't seen it!.
6370696 hmm... Well the giver is about a Society with humans protected from love, pain Weather. Snow Rain. They cannot choose their Own love partners and cannot show affection to their love out side of their house. Their jobs are based on what they go to more in their Free time when their below the age of 12. They put baby's down if they are not strong enough. They do not know of the past or war. The book/Movie is based around a boy who is selected to be the Collector of memory's (probably got that part wrong) in which he gets those memory's from the giver of memory's. In which he gets memory's of snow. Pain. Love. Happiness. Then he soon wants the hole society to feel these memory's but he as to pass the pillar in which all memory's would be returned to society but when he goes out of the society it is nothing like the society.
Ok. This took me 8? Minutes to write and it's probably not all right.
6370707 Ah, so you comment refers to this chapter, rather than to the whole of H'ven Sent?
6370724 yep c:
When is a door, not a door?
When its a Portole??
If this is the fun they have working out to get a door open, then trying to work out how to save the Ring is really going to be mind twisting.
Welllllp now. Looks like someone is trying to find the easy way out of that "conflicting royalty" thing
Ohey. Aneki continues her accidental coup d'état
And too bad for Nebula, she's in, um, some kind of bond, with the box brain
6370707
That sounds a lot like Logan's Run, actually.
It's been a long time since I commented last, isn't it?
You know... it's funny. The story after the defeat of Central (and the Changeling Queen) all sound like an extended epilogue... and I don't mind. Though the actual conflict & danger of the story is done with, the mystery behind the setting remains and it is refreshing to see a protagonist who goes the extra mile to actually, properly finish it up and give the story a true conclusion rather than just go back to the status quo once the bad guy is defeated.
There's so many unexplored parts to the starship/ark, so many mysteries yet to be solved, questions that still need anwsers...
6371783 never heard of it... Should check it out...
YES! New chapter! Reading now!!!
I misread Warners as Warners Bros.
Wonderful chapter, i can't wait until they go outside with space suits!
Or maybe there are hidden porthole windows? Or cameras?
Each mystery discovered paints the picture of a much bigger antagonist than could possibly be anticipated!
6373525
I would only see a reason if gravity failed. The energy conservation would be very nice if this is a closed system. Be prepared for comments on just about every chapter. I like commenting.
6373978
I guess they have no want for energy either.
Twilight is best princess, so is Luna and Cadance. Celestia is second best princess and Chrysalis best queen.
And I don't care how rating works, as well as counting. They have magic, I don't need to explain shit.
6374021
Must have a small work force then. Though it really depends on that Crimson told his bosses.
Awfully quick to read code and know how it functions. I can read Java and C and get what they are doing but I can't recreate it from there.
And yet the name of the Dyson sphere isn't written obviously in it. Hmmmm, someone did a lot of scrubbing to cover up just a name. (And yes I know it isn't a true Dyson sphere but I am not sure exactly what to call it.)
Now I must wonder what this modifier "key" must be and how else it can be used to further augment Aneki. Could she theoretically be remade into an alicorn?
6374162
Thank you for that. Looks like I found some videos I can watch on how to use the base model to create an SFM pony. I had already assumed Aneki kinda looked like this Dues Ex inspired version of Twilight Sparkle.
orig01.deviantart.net/24fd/f/2014/300/b/f/_download__deus_ex_twilight_1_0_by_doritos_pope-d84dwlc.png
6374303
I would think Aneki would have gotten bigger to account for the space taken up by this new "firearm". The body is already pretty compact as is, there is very little the device could have infiltrated to store itself till needed. Though that is assuming the Hellite body still has similar functions as a normal pony body. It does still have a circulatory system as evidenced by the drugs still working.
6375860
I could see it being one of a few, but not the only way up. There are a lot of structural columns running throughout this place and the open space in the shock absorption section would make getting around very easy to address issues. Probably have easy ways to the upper sublevels though which would explain Aneki running into Cacha and gassing her face off.
6376199
The sexless are free of the effects of the male hormone, so yes, they do look a little more feminine.
There are many, but this one is the nearest to the Hellite's camp, thus used the most often.
6376434
Alright, wasn't familiar with that definition of gland. Never really come up in mechanical engineering classes.
6376911
If they were so far from civilization, they could have easily left their "prison" with not a pony being the wiser. Just live in the lab for a couple months to give the impression that they died then move about. They are something like 50 levels down in an abandoned mall type complex.
Safety factor of one...
...
point zero one. I bullshitted some answer on a test on the ASME equations for journal bearings by making Kf smaller than 1 cause there was an axial load as well as a radial load. I don't know why they allowed me to do that. Meant I got more points than my friend though. Least I think it was Kf, there are just too many "K"s in the ASME equations.
6377283
Then why not the subvocalization when the Hellites need to be quiet? It seems that the communications can be targeted in some way, or just no pony responded to the computer thanking Aneki.
6377294
I am hoping they are not admitting to what is going on behind closed doors.
derpicdn.net/img/view/2013/7/21/380814__safe_twilight+sparkle_rainbow+dash_rarity_applejack_shipping_princess+celestia_princess+twilight_upvotes+galore_lesbian.jpg
EDIT: I was so tired and used to typing the quote BBCode I wrote it for the image.
6377324
https://youtu.be/SYCB0qtwIxE
6377332
Good 'ol Schultzie, keeping his own ass out of trouble and letting Hogan get away with far too much.
And now I am the sleeps since it is almost 5 AM.
6377506
Those are ants, are you saying your changelings function in this way?
Wouldn't it be the centrifugal force if they are in the moving reference frame?
I take it they moved the manufacturing device. Also... is Eclipse's husband also her son? Cause I am not seeing a large population at the moment.
So she is over 1000 years old?
Thank goodness, though probably all of them are related to Eclipse in some manner.
I assume they were patched back into the normal facilities relays for comms.
Alright, this explains the gutted equipment.
Hab Four left (I made it!), so what stopped Habitat Eleven?
This explains why they were not contaminated by the malicious modifiers.
Haven't heard about Celestia in a long time. I wonder if Moon Glow was Luna's daughter or something.
Well... the Brainstorms are of the same design. So they are the three most dangerous ponies. Though only Aneki has actual combat experience with her augments.
Hmmm, has Aneki met any unicorns here. There was no mention of them.
Um... I seem to have run into a problem... the "Next" bottom is gone? What happened to all the chapters?!
I can't be caught up!
THERE IS MUCH MORE I NEED TO READ!
img04.deviantart.net/1442/i/2013/200/3/b/mlp_and_what_the_fuck_by_ex0artefact-d6e62w1.png
6379380
So you would have us believe, but I am having a hard time swallowing that pill.
The hull is 100 meters thick... shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit. How long did this thing take to build. It would be a shame just to abandon it. There must be a backup bridge in the ship, if the ship hit anything head on, it would survive but I doubt the bridge and auxiliary bridge would. It would be pancaked against the hull.
I really wonder where the other habitats went to, cause they don't seem to have comeback or they might have cut into Habitat Eleven to check for survivors.
6378327
"It may come as a surprise, then, to learn that there is no such thing, strictly speaking, as centrifugal (outward) force."
I was always taught that it doesn't exist/was a misnomer, etc.
Yup. They want it in their home.
The mad mare? Yes, she's probably about 2300 -2400 years old.
Many would be, but as she says, she tries to keep her involvement in breeding to a minimum.
Either the relays have come back on line at the same time as the archways, or the comms signals are actually passing through the archways.
They forgot to release the parking brake.
Aneki has destructive ammunition spells that she hasn't shared with anypony, as well as being more imaginative with weapon form. e,g, turrets.
Probably. There are at least one or two living on the bridge.
6380645
I was taught that is was dependent on the frame of reference. Though it is an archaic term since most everything is done using an inertial frame of reference.
Aaah, so one of those test power ups of the engines actually wasn't a test. Some doofus either had the parking brake on, forgot to release the clutch, or didn't put 'er in gear.
What are the chances of the Brainstorms copying Allie's DNA into themselves? ...or some unsuspecting subject. I am sure they have samples of her.
As i have just read through the whole thing on and off for the last few days, i'm just gonna chuck in my few bits
This story feels to me like a cross between the Movie: City of Ember, The video game: Fallout 3 and the TV series Stargate, All of which i find most interesting to play/watch. I commend you for the great story so far and eagerly await the next chapter.
6403901
I didn't hear about City of Ember until another reader pointed it out. It wasn't a bad movie, and certainly has similarities. Fallout 3? Not deliberately referenced, but considering that my other story here is set in Fallout Equestria, and I have probably well over 3000 hours play time invested in the various Fallout games (1704 hours in NV alone), it isn't surprising there is that sort of feel to it. Stargate? Watched them. Own the DVDs. Brilliant series. Again I can see similarities, but that wasn't where my inspiration came from either.
Yes, there is somewhere my inspiration came from.
I really love the sheer scale and impact of this complex, full of its mini-societies ekeing their way out as possible after that changeling instigated disaster a thousand* years ago. I really wish I had more of an idea of the... geometry of it though. It has three levels. There's a micro-city around it somehow. And its design isn't inspiring, but is functional. And it's somehow attached to the outside of the shell containing the entire space ark. I guess like a... bubble? That's all I can tell about what she's walking around in. No idea what towers above her, or yawns far below her, no idea what kind of sights she's seeing, if she's on some sort of street, if the paths between the gates that used to lead back into the habitat area have buildings alongside them, or rooms, or hallways, or... what. It must be maddeningly hard to describe this place sufficiently, I just wish there were a little more than the description that this one lounge was a fancy reception and now it's all faded and tattered.
So now that ponies are not being murdered by changeling stooges for coming to this realization, I wonder who's going to make the connection between the relentless campaign to cripple the unicorns, by using modifiers to render their horns as useless little stubs, and the fact that there are "no" pegasi anymore, despite a few being born every generation from alicorns and earth ponies alike.
Oh, also...
Good night, everyone!
6380645
As I understand it, there is no centrifugal force in any given reference frame. Acceleration changes your reference frame, of course, but in a given reference frame there is no centrifugal force, only centripetal. But that's just a fancy way of saying when you aren't being spun around, then you won't feel any centrifugal force. Boy I wonder how many PhD theses it took to come to that stunning conclusion.
It's kind of like saying that the force that pushes you back into your seat when you accelerate doesn't exist, because nothing counts as existing unless it's moving at a constant velocity. If you look at the rider in the vehicle while standing still, it looks like the vehicle is pushing them forward (because it is) but the rider will feel like they're falling backward into the seat cushions. Now just change linear acceleration for rotation. The spinner feels a very real centrifugal force, but physicists don't count that as genuinely officially really real, because it's an accelerating reference frame.
6439750 No pegasi are born in the main habitat. The required genes have been eliminated.
The bridge IS the micro city. Think of it as a small naval vessel (Destroyer or maybe a frigate), where they have food, sleeping, medical help,spare parts, etc. all contained within the vessel. Physically, it's like a blister on the outside of the habitat. There is nothing towering above, and below is 100M (or whatever the thickness of the habitat shell is) of solid hull.
6446865
well, that's worse!
They'd have to murder ponies, and not just pegasi, to do that. Or at least sterilize them, but that seems overly optimistic given this regime.
6449058 They would do it over generations - with the modifiers terminating the embryos, or directly attacking the genes within the reproductive cells. The second method was how they tried to eliminate the Hellites. Every Hellite had their gonads attacked, and the appropriate gene was flipped, preventing males from maturing properly (Yes there is a real gene that does this).
I always thought that the finger modifiers would be used by everyone, even unicorns, it would be especially handy for multitasking or working with something that's resistant to magic. Also, who doesn't want to be able to hold something in your hand and actually feel it?
6449291 I always had the idea that the sexless hellites would still be depressingly common; a one out of three chance of being born with that problem. As such. The hellites would still have to share or convert males. But not as much as they used to.
6446865 the pegasus genes would probably still be there, but recessive to the point of being extremely difficult to find. Kinda like how people recently discovered a gene in birds that, when activated, will have the birds hatch with a reptilian tail instead of tail feathers.
7439549 I'm sure unicorns can feel things through their magic, as as if they were holding them. Perhaps unicorns would like fingers, but as there are practically none of them in the habitat to ask, the point is moot. Allie seems happy enough without them, so Aneki didn't force them on her. The ponies on the bridge were never given the option.
7439560 Brainstorm and Stormie have been mounting an aggressive campaign against the bad genetics, practically stamping them out. Anypony who is born with the bad set can be corrected in their conversion tank (by being converted into a mare). They also have access to the life support chamber, so there are plenty of stallions to go around up there. The problem would be that there would not be many stallions willing to convert to HELaTS, and live down in the cold, so any mares that stayed down below would still need to share the few stallions down there.