Magic Inc. Part 1
Richard Nixon glared at the thick folder open on the desk in front of him hard enough that ink on the papers within was likely to run, possibly for the state line. His private office and stateroom on Air Force One was as quiet and noise free as any place on the modified VC-137C Stratoliner. However that just meant a lack of distractions as he worked through a review of the budget proposal for the next fiscal year, of which this folder was only a small part.
That meant the knock on the door came as something of a relief. There were very few people who were allowed to knock on that door, and at the moment, an equally limited number of reasons for doing so. "Come in!"
His Chief of Staff entered the cabin, and closed the door quietly behind him. He held some sheets of teletype paper.
"A message from Kissenger." Haldeman stated. "A full update is on it's way, but he reports good progress with the Chinese."
Nixon held out his hand, and took the message sheet. "Good, we may actually be able to pull this off after all."
He scanned the paper quickly, and nodded, then placed it in a 'dispose of' tray. Then he looked back down at the budget folder with a disapproving expression. "One of the things they don't tell you about when you take the oath. Everybody comes to the Government with their hands out, looking for a hand out. You end up having to find out who wants what, what you want them to have, and figure out how to get what you want them to have through Congress. I'm a lawyer, not an accountant."
He shook his head, "Still, at least drawing down the war will free up some funding, and get a goddamned albatross off the administration's neck, now that we're finally in a position to do it. And I have America's favourite alien partly to thank for it."
"Luna does seem to have affected politics as much as science." Haldeman opined.
"I know. The issue was never whether to get out of that goddamned mess in Vietnam. A war of containment with no visible end or victory condition, even before the revelations about that screw-up in My Lai. Trying to keep the lid on that did us no favours. It soaks up endless amounts of money and manpower, alienates the very people we're supposed to be winning 'the hearts and minds' of, while tanking our reputation internationally, not to mention the push-back domestically. On top of that, it produces a stream of dead and wounded U.S. soldiers and a black mark on the character of the ones that are still alive.
"The problem was how to do it without making the U.S. look weak, both abroad and domestically. Nobody likes a quitter, and if the RVN doesn't hold together on it's own, the DRV can sweep in and make all the money and lives we've spent worthless. While they haven't recovered from their losses during the Tet Offensive, and the morale blow from the death of Ho Chi Minh, as long as they have the USSR and China backing them with materiel, they can rebuild, or start new brush fires elsewhere.
"It's what would most likely have happened if those Paris talks had gone ahead, Johnson was so eager to end the war at any cost, he'd have sold the farm to get it, and left the RVN threadbare. I would've been left holding the bag when I took over, blamed for the RVN's inevitable collapse, or there was an outside chance that it might have swayed enough moderate voters to give that liberal Humphrey the win. We need to withdraw on our own terms, and we need to make sure that South Vietnam remains independent for long enough that when it finally does disintegrate, we don't suffer from splash damage.
"Between walking the tightrope politically here at home, and trying to get Russia and China to play ball, it looked like it was going to be a multi-year slog to deal with things, if we could make any progress at all. But with Luna on the board, and in play on our side, the game has changed. The U.S. is now the noble rescuer of stranded aliens, and ending the war is no longer weakness, it's dong the adult thing and showing restraint and mercy, acting quickly and decisively.
"The elements of Congress who'd normally pull together to stall any reduction in war funding, either through egotism or because it would mean less money for their backers, are split over Luna. Some of them terrified over how the new powers she's bringing to the table will change the status quo, while others are drooling over the potential military applications."
"Unsurprising, considering the words you had me place in certain ears." Haldeman interjected.
Nixon gave a grin that should have had a fin on top, "Old lawyer trick. When your opponents are showing a united front, don't just pound the table, pound the weak spots in their unity. And Luna makes one heck of a hammer.
"At least we don't need to do it for the press, they've done a great job of that on their own. And since much of the American public can only think of one thing at a time, thanks to that same press, we're not getting the the push back we would if my recent announcement on Vietnam was the main topic of interest. The people who would normally be screaming that any kind of withdrawl is tantamount to treason are instead arguing about whether a winged unicorn should be recognised as person. And while it might cause some problems come election time, I'm betting more people will be glad the war's over than mad it's not still going.
"And then, of course there's the Russians and Chinese. Without their agreement to reign in their North Vietnamese friends, and stop supplying them with arms and support, the whole thing is doomed to failure. I've been waving multiple sticks as hard as possible, trying to convince them that I'm ready to stop at nothing to end the mess, but now I have the carrot to go with it.
"Russia we can deal with. Their papers may demand loudly that they get everything Luna gives us, but Brezhnev is a realist. He knows that if he wants a seat at the table, he's going to have to build up some good will, and too many people remember the Cuban missile crisis, not to mention that crap they pulled in Czechoslovakia. Helping to stop an open conflict gains him that, and loses him very little; we're not asking him to abandon them, after all, just convince them to stay in their own back yard. For that matter, they will probably be more interested in controlling the release than getting it for themselves; autocracies don't handle change well.
"The Chinese are a tougher proposition. They're far more insular, which means we have a lot less leverage. But it looks like we may have an in, once again thanks to Luna." He glanced at the discarded paper. "Mao Tse-tung and the rest of the Central Committee are old men, and grew up in an older tradition, despite their slash and burn ideology about a lot of that same tradition. We should be able use that."
"That is one of the goals of this visit." Haldeman agreed. "Though I am slightly surprised how much of this plan hinges on Luna delivering."
Unspoken was the fact that Nixon rarely committed heavily to a plan that was dependent on variables he couldn't control.
"When you get dealt a royal flush, you don't bet house minimum." Nixon quipped. "Though Luna is more of an ace in the hole. Besides I'm confident our people will deliver enough, based on the reports so far."
There was a buzz from the telephone on the desk. Nixon activated the speaker.
"Mr President, we're starting our approach to Ellington Airport. Current ETA 17 minutes. Please secure for landing."
"If you'll excuse me, sir." Haldeman made his way to the door.
"They had better deliver." Nixon muttered after the door closed behind Haldeman.
&&&
Building 1 of Johnson Space Centre was the main administration and head office. This made it the first place Nixon's motorcade went to. The main conference room had been set aside for a briefing for the President on what some wags were calling Project Luna.
Nixon took one end of the table, Secret Service men standing back against the wall. The other end of the table had the heads of the Project seated around it. Opposite was Doctor Paine, NASA Administrator. Doctor Sagan, who had remained the defacto head of the project even as it expanded, was to one side, while Professor Dyson was on the other. Several other scientists and engineers were there to provide specific information as needed. Most of them had been present at Nixon's initial briefing after Apollo 11.
"Thank you for coming today, Mr President." Doctor Paine said.
"I figured it was time to see what you folks were up to, especially considering I just signed for $10 million to pay for it."
"That is going to help put this project's operations on a more stable basis." Paine responded, "Up until now, it's been operating on what discretionary funds I could provide, and what equipment and resources we could divert from other, less pressing projects or repurpose. Thankfully, we have excellent co-operation with the various universities involved; they have been supplying the researchers and some of the more specialised equipment."
"That doesn't seem very secure." Nixon opined.
Paine looked to Director Gilruth, Director of the Lunar Receiving Laboratory to answer. "Everyone involved in the project has been approved for at least Secret clearance, and we've been working with both the FBI and the Secret Service to maintain security. Due to the value of the returned lunar samples, the Lunar Receiving Laboratory was already designed as a secure facility, and on site security is supplemented by hand picked Air Force personnel to ensure physical containment.
"We've had to move some non-critical functions to Building 31 next door, and some of administration to Building 226 so a part of the administrative section could be repurposed as additional laboratories, but everything directly relating to the project is within the security umbrella at Building 37, that is, the LRL. Nothing has been taken off-site."
"Very well," Nixon acknowledged. "So let's get to it."
Paine said, "As I'm sure you've read in the itinerary, Dr Sagan will brief you on the current procedures and the results they've gotten so far. We'll break for lunch, then move over to the LRL to demonstrate some of the applications, and finally return here where there will be a briefing on future plans and possible goals they've highlighted as most promising."
Seeing Nixon's acknowledgement, he prompted, "Dr Sagan?"
"Since the return of Apollo 12, we've been working a 8-9 hour contact period each day, cycling once every 28 days, as we're limiting ourselves to when the moon is in the sky from our communication link. It makes for some odd working hours, but people have adapted. We're using the Apollo Deep Space Array at Goldstone, the 29 foot secondary antenna for voice communications, and the primary 85 foot antenna for video."
"Why not longer, don't we have tracking stations around the world?" Nixon asked.
"The connection isn't the limit, it's a mix of economics and practicality. We don't have the manpower or resources to run a 24 hour link, and we need downtime to process the information we're getting. Plus, while Luna may be able to function for weeks without sleep, our people can't. Though we have her sleep for the first few days after full and new moon, the hottest and coldest parts of the lunar day. Today's an example, a full moon, one of the rest days.
"Since we're limiting the communications window anyway, it was only sensible to match it to when Goldstone can see the moon. We have a secure landline, and the 29 foot antenna is normally a back up, so we have minimal conflict with other users. While JPL has been helpful finding us time on the main antenna, it's in demand, and the arrays at Madrid and Canberra even more so. As Administrator Paine said, we're operating on borrowed resources."
"Okay. Well now that's changed." Nixon replied.
"It will help, but we only need it until we can get Luna down here in April. In the mean time, we've been splitting contact time between four areas.
"The first is language lessons, teaching Luna English, especially written English. In that area she's already literate to at least the level of a high school graduate, and speaking at a college level. The literacy limit is in part due to our underestimating exactly how fast she would pick it up, the books we sent were limited to teaching the basics of English. Of course we've taught her modern American English, so now when she's not using the translator, while she's still quite formal, she no longer sounds like a refugee from a Shakespeare play.
"More recently, we've been progressing to physics and chemistry, especially relating to space flight, as that's one area where she has physical examples to examine. Though in part it's bringing her knowledge up to modern levels, she already has an excellent knowledge of the Equestrian physical sciences, which vary from mid 19th century in places to pre-renaissance in others. For example Equestia has had a germ theory of disease for hundreds of years, but almost no understanding of thermodynamics or electricity, despite pegasi being able to generate lightning to order."
"I thought she's supposed to be teaching you magic, not you teaching her science." Nixon questioned, a slight frown on his brow.
"We tend to use the term thaumics, since there are a number of groups who would explode at the very idea of using magic, but by teaching her about physics, we can improve her ability to invent new concepts and designs to suit our needs. For example, look how quickly she developed a thaumically based radio based on just a few simple insights about light from Commander Armstrong. She is also teaching us some Equestrian, as some of the base concepts of thaumics don't really have a referent in English.
"Speaking of which, the second area is thaumic theory and arithmancy. Professor Dyson is leading that effort, working with Professor Wheeler." Sagan nodded to Dyson, who took up the conversation.
"Equestrian mathematics is one field where they've outstripped Earth, as arithmancy, that is mathematics applied to understanding and designing thaumic effects, requires sophisticated mathematical tools. We're still learning to understand it well enough to apply it, but we've made solid progress, enough that we can begin to work through basic alterations to some of the variables of the rune sets Luna gave us, effectively class excercises set by Luna.
"Qualitatively, Luna has given us a basic understanding of thaumics so far, and parts of it are more suited to a philosopher or a theologian than a physicist. However, there are two basic concepts. The first is the source of thaumic energy. It apparently exists as a potential field of unknown but great depth, co-existent with normal reality, a sub-stratum that is apparently common to both her and our dimensions. It can be brought forth into existence as quintessence, stored and used to manipulate physical reality, after which it returns to the potential field.
"One of the reasons I asked Professor Wheeler to join our team is that his recent ideas about a quantum foam may give us a way to tie the thaumic potential field to existing physical science. Quantum theory suggests that at the smallest scale of reality, where sizes are to an atom as an atom is to a planet, pairs of particles are continually being created and destroyed. Our tentative hypothesis is that the thaumic field may underlay even that, and may give rise to the particle creation effects.
"The second concept is the means by which it is realised and manipulated, a concept the translator effect doesn't properly translate, but comes across as 'purpose', or 'directed will'. Ponies, and some other sapient species on Equis seem to be especially capable or possibly specifically engineered to use it to produce quintessence and apply it to alter reality, both intuitively, natural talents, and in some cases through consciously structured patterns, spells.
"Humans, although we also can apparently generate purpose, we can't use it to directly manipulate reality the way they do, though it's possible that legends of wizards and miracle workers may have come from exceptions to that rule. The fact that Luna's repair spell worked shows that we do at least generate it to some extent, as it is the means by which the video camera 'knew' what it's original shape was. Not to mention that the moon's 'fossil' thaumic field may be from generations of humans seeing it as a deity, and unconsciously investing it with quintessence drawn from the potential field.
"Which brings us to rune sets. They seem to be similar in function to a combination of electronic circuit and pre-set computer program, partly defined by the arithmancy and partly by a symbology that defines a semantic set and syntax, derived from the arithmancy. One of the enginers described it as 'telling reality what to do in words it can't ignore'. They replace the natural talent of Equisian life forms as a way to control mana flows, and direct it into producing effects.
"Whether the symbology somehow directly defines reality or simply has that effect from long usage by Equisian mages investing them with 'purpose' at a deep level is something we still don't know. What we do know is that we can use them, and should in theory be able to create effects for almost any purpose, given a deep enough understanding of the mathematics and the syntax to define the effect."
Nixon was clearly considering this, and as Dyson finished asked, "If this stuff is as powerful as you said, what security precations are you taking over it? How easy is it for other people to see these lessons?"
Professor Dyson, to his credit, didn't hesitate. "We have taken precautions, suggested by various security experts. The radio signals can be intercepted, it's inevitable, the signals spread wider than the Earth by the time they reach us. You would need a dish a mile wide on the moon to focus the beam down to the width of a county, so instead we secure the content. A lot of the theory talk has been performed in Equestrian using the translator device, and where Luna has sent us additional rune sets or modifications via the video link, they were sent in pieces. Without context, they are just random symbols.
"However duplicating the existing rune set designs we are experimenting with would be fairly easy. The ones we were given were specifically chosen to be easy to reproduce, after all. Fortunately, modifying them to do anything more than their existing function, let alone creating new ones, is another matter. Even we're not anywhere near that stage. And of course, without a thaumic power source, they are nothing more than pretty patterns. And one of the things Luna is currently working with us on is a thaumic detector. A long range version could monitor for unauthorised thaumic power sources.
"To summarise, we're taking every precaution practical against losing control of this technology in the short term. It helps that Luna is fully co-operating, and at this stage, without her aid, expanding on what we have would be the work of decades at a minimum, possibly centuries. Long term, how to best release it, apply it to benefit the real world? That's an unsolved question, and not a scientific one."
Dr Sagan interjected. "As you can tell, Professor Dyson has also been working with the engineering teams who are actually building the prototype thaumic devices. The video link was invaluable for trouble shooting early design issues, the third area of interest."
Dyson continued, "Initial testing was done with the thaumic accumulators and panels brough back by Apollo 12, first on the illusion projector and the translator bracelet, then on the most basic test bed, the base lighting effect inscribed on card stock with metallic ink. It glowed with a white, isotropic light, and a spectroscope showed it was producing a uniform white light composed of all visible frequencies and nothing else. The card is safely stored, as I suspect it will be a historic artifact one day. We've since tested versions that employ addtional touch runes to control brightness and shift the colour.
"Since then the engineering team has been testing different material combinations and manufacturing techniques, though they have been hampered by the lack of space and resources. One of the first priorities was duplicating the panels and accumulators. Without Luna's 'alchemy' skill, which should more properly be called molecular scale manipulation, we can't produce crystal sheets or large flawless prisms as easily as she could, but for the photothaumic panels we have substituted a thin layer of lead glass on an aluminium titanium alloy substrate with silver filled engraved runes, and used natural quartz prisms sourced from the suppliers for new age shops.
"Lead glass is a poor storage medium for quintessence, crystaline structures seem to be best, but it holds enough to moderate the mana flow, and has a relatively low melting point, making it easier to work. It can be etched very finely, and it turns out that the higher the density of repeating rune sets, the more efficient it is. One area we are well ahead of Equestria is in reprographic techniques; they are still using wood cut printing presses, and even hand... horn or hoof... copying, hence Luna's surprise at the quality of the books she received during Apollo 12. As a result we've improved considerably on the efficiency of the original panels."
"Of course, the lack of in-built storage and a desire to buld arrays meant we required something that Equestria has never invented, thaumic cabling, to connect the panels each other and to the accumulators. While aluminium stranded cabling is easily capable of conducting the mana flow, it has to be deliberately pumped, so to speak. Thaumic devices in Equestria generally either draw quintessence directly from the ambient field as part of their design, or are invested with power directly by a unicorn, using their directed will to create the mana flow.
"The solution was simple enough, aluminium collars at each end of the cable, engraved with a rune set derived from the ones on the accumulators that allow them to charge devices. They also have a metastable adhesion effect built in, so the aluminium plate at each end can be directly attached to the panels and accumulators. Cables are unidirectional, but they function effectively, as do the accumulator arrays they connect to.
"Based on our current, rather ad hoc measurement system, the natural quartz accumulators are less efficient then Luna's, probably due to natural inclusions and faults within the crystal, but they do hold a thaumic charge sufficient for our current purposes. When Luna gets to earth, we're hoping she can help duplicate her alchemy technique, or failing that, with our new funding we can work on growing large, flawless synthetic crystals via one of several current methods. We're also investigating different, smaller semi-precious stones as storage units for individual devices.
"I won't go into detail on the devices we're currently working with, because you'll get to see them in operation after lunch. What I can say is that we've been working with Luna via the video link and added several new designs beyond the ones she originally sent us, as well as expanding on those. It's opened up some fascinating new avenues of development, with applications for the environmental and medical fields as well as engineering."
"Hmm..." Nixon nodded. "Well, I certainly want to see what you've come up with. You're going to need to show results fairly quickly to continue to convince the public that this was the right idea." 'And give me leverage to keep the Russians in line.' he added mentally. "Dr Sagan, there was one project Luna discussed with me when we spoke directly. Has there been any progress on that since your initial memo?"
Dr Sagan answered.
"Ways to restrain Luna's magic? All the people here are familiar with the project, though we've kept it as confidential as possible beyond that. As my memo stated, the base information was in the original documents she gave the Apollo 12 crew, even if she didn't mention them. She's explained them since, rune sets that can be used to absorb and suppress mana flows. We don't yet have powerful enough sources of quintessence to fully test them to the level we'd need to restrain Luna, but our tests and the theory we understand as backing them show so far that she is on the level with this. Though we've used around fifty percent of our current mithril supply in tests, it is the only material capable of handling the power required for the rune sets needed."
"Unfortunately, while she supplied some vials of moonsilver, the liquid phase of mithril, and the process to convert it into solid mithril, we still can't produce it ourselves. The process is relatively complex, energy intensive, and requires high concentrations of moonlight. If we want to produce it on any kind of industrial scale, and considering it's unique properties as a total insulator against heat and electricity not to mention radiation, we do, we either need to import regolith from the moon by the ton to create artifical moonlight, or set up refineries on the moon. Though, if some of our other projects bear fruit, it may not only be possible, but practical to do so. The economic benefits would be... significant."
"Now, that's something I want to hear more about later." Nixon stated, then turned to Sagan. "And what's the other topic you're using the link for?"
"Learning about Equestrian culture and society, not to mention the other races of Equis and their societies." Sagan replied. "Up until Apollo 12 it was the primary focus of our studies. Of course, that has taken a back seat to thaumic research. At least the memory crystals Luna provided for Apollo 12 has given us some further insight into the society. It's from her memories, and a lot of it is from before her isolation. So while it isn't contemporary from when she was banished, their society appears to change slowly, so it's not completely out of date.
"To go into any detail would take a lot longer than we have, However, we have a number of executive summaries that I can provide if you want to know more. Our other research area, Luna's biology, is mostly shut down until we can get more samples to work with. Dr Schopf's team is working mostly with captured imagery at the moment. Once Luna is on Earth and we have a dedicated research facility, we should be able to learn more."
"Do you have any of the original samples left?" Nixon asked. Dr Schopf spoke up for the first time.
"One of the feathers, some strands of hair... mane and some hoof clippings. We'e been using them to compare the fine structure of the keratin, as according to Luna, they act as foci for different aspects of innate pony magic. Hooves for earth-ponies and their biomanipulation or geomanipulation abilities, feathers for pegasus gravity and inertia manipulation and weather control, and of course horns for unicorn spellcasting. If we had horn filings, we could make a better comparison."
"They file their horns?" Nixon mused. "That would be very useful... Well we can go with what we have."
He addressed the table. "I'm going to have to requisition the feather and whatever else you can spare."
That got exclamations of shock and surprise from around the table, and not a few queries as to why.
"I see I'm going to have level with you all." Nixon stated, engaging his full force of personality. "You are familiar with the diplomatic efforts we're making to end the Vietnam situation? One of the key elements is getting the Chinese to apply pressure to the North, stop them from taking advantage of any reduction in our forces. The difficulty is that China is insular, as well as being ideologically opposed to us, and as such we have a limited number of ways to persuade them.
"Fortunately we have a unique opportunity to gain favour and hopefully some ongoing influence with Mao Tse-tung and some other members of their Central Committee, using those samples. They are all old men, and whatever their political stance, they were brought up in a traditional society. That includes traditional Chinese medicine."
That brought a few looks of realisation and understanding. "It's clear some of you understand. It uses a vast number of natural ingredients such as animal parts, including some so bizarre I thought they were some kind of joke when I was first briefed. If they believe mundane animal parts can somehow heal them by putting their chi in balance or whatever, you can imagine how interested they would be in parts from a being that seems to be functionally immortal and can demonstrably manipulate mystical energies.
"Secretary of State Kissinger is currently over there arranging a package that will see them putting a leash on their DRV friends, and hopefully ensure that nothing disrupts the change over. While offering them 'lunar samples' is only a part of it, it is a key part. While we may have been able to hold them to an agreement till May on the promise of some samples, being able to offer something right away will strengthen our position. After Luna is here on Earth, we should be able to continue to get concessions by offering more hoof clippings, shed fur, horn shavings or whatever Luna can freely provide."
Doctor Sagan was the first to speak. "I'd say hoof clippings would actually be the most appropriate, simply because they are a focus for earth-pony type magic. Apart from their other abilities, their innate magic tends towards strength, health and toughness. They tend to be the longest lived of the three pony races, reaching some impressive ages. Luna's own regeneration and vitality may potentially come from the earth-pony component of her nature."
Doctor Schopf added, "Physically they appear to be close to standard keratin, albeit with some odd trace elements, certainly nothing harmful, though they are contaminated with ingrained moon dust. Whether that is a plus or minus for Chinese medicine I dont know, but the amounts are too small to pose any health risk. It is chemically just rock, after all."
Nixon took back control of the conversation. "Dr Sagan if you can write up your ideas, I can pass them on to the Secretary, he may be able to use them. Understand, this is a matter of the highest secrecy. The Chinese want to keep it a secret as there will only be a very limited amount of material to go around, and the last thing we need is an outcry about giving away valuable research materials to a communist country."
"I should have a report for you by this time tomorrow," Dr Sagan responded. "Though it's a strange world where few grams of keratin can stop a war."
"We left strange behind in the dust about the time Luna made her T.V. debut during my interview with the Apollo 11 crew." Nixon quipped. "Moondust at that. Seriously though, this should definitely clinch the concessions we want."
His comment got at least a few smiles, and a general positve reaction. There was a short pause as everyone collected their thoughts.
Doctor Paine broke the silence. "I believe that is everything we wanted to cover in this initial briefing. We can detail the proposed expansion plans after you've seen the practical results of the team's work so far. But before that, we have lunch ready for you in the executive dining lounge."
With that the meeting adjourned.
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It's a good day when this story updates
Do whatever you want, buddy! Im interested to the end!!
i.redd.it/qtjzsuxc5nx61.png
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Also, just imagine the consequences if that trick with the Chinese proves that snorting Alicorn hoof actually makes humans live longer.
Wow... that was some impressive world building and I really like how it all panned out. Seems like Nixon is using Luna as a means for his own political gains. Not surprising honestly. Interested to see when Luna finally makes earthfall. Will be a real treat.
You had me at "thaumo-babble." I love, love, LOVE overthinking magical cartoon ponies!
Ah, I love me some politics. Nice to see all the big changes with Vietnam and whatnot.
insert funny elements of harmony joke here
Of course a few grams of material can stop a war. Especially if its either from a magical alien alicorn princess.
Or just the right amount of lead applied in exactly the right manner to the right person at the right time.
The next closest equivalent was using a couple kilos of metal.
My first reaction was, "Why is Nixon telling Haldeman all this stuff, when he HAS to have discussed all of it with him before?"
But the thing is, as the Watergate tapes demonstrated, Nixon habitually repeated himself. He was a babbler, and he was one of those people who always had to feel like he was the smartest man in the room. Explaining things to someone who knew all of it already was a thing he did, habitually.
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Ahhhhh yes, the mane 535, the beloved heroes of America!
Hopefully Luna’s sheddings don’t turn into a fountain of youth which leads to her being abused.
Otherwise great update.
Can’t help but wonder what earth will look like by todays time.
Don't ever let the story about Luna with us on earth end! I do hope you plan on continuing the storyline from there once she makes landfall. 😏 WILL YOU?
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Sadly in real life people use animal body parts for "medicine" even if exist comprobated scientific research that prove otherwise.... so maybe not
Wait is this still going? Damn... I need to catch up
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Hmm... convenient... almost too convenient.
What about mechanically? I'm guessing they haven't discovered the issues with inhaling extremely sharp shards of minerals yet? E.g. asbestos, moon dust, fiberglass dust
Edit: now that I think about it, this could be foreshadowing
Ah, there it is, politics has caught up and Luna is at the center of it. I hope she doesn't get abused.
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It would be, hilarious? if it was discovered that such regeneration abilities of the materials Only covered the healing of the damage that the use of the mateiral mechanically and chemically implied, and any attempt of preventing the damage and retain the healing failed because the magic relied on the damaging shape, which Equestrian life had evolved and adapted not only to nut also used or even required?
A non magical lifeform trying to eat a non super magical Equestrian life form, would find the magical regeneration capacity to be,
Lacking?
Some impressive world-building, so it's all good!
Politics meh
Were close....so close...
I love the world building. Hopefully Luna can go down to Earth soon
I do so love it when magic and science collide.
Lovely chapter.
11660263
The tragedy of the commons. Quite a few species were severely depleted or worse due to folk remedy superstition. It's despicably wasteful to just chop off a shark's fin and discard the rest of it, when you can hang it up to ferment and dry in it's own urine.
edit. Despite my joking, it seems Greenland Shark populations are classified as vulnerable. I guess meme status gave hákarl a boost in popularity.
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Oh man, knowing Earth's luck, hoof clippings from Luna will successfully heal wounds like a Potion of Health from D&D.
The Chinese old guard hoarding such a valuable resource may spark a mass-purge or civil uprising.
Can’t wait to see what clever things humans will do with magic in their grasp… I’m sure there are a few people who will look into genetic experiments to make the Keratin from Luna’s horn replace fingernail or hair growth.
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I mean, politics were what drove the whole Space Race IRL, and Luna is herself the currently exiled co-ruler of an entire alien nation who in this story needs help from Earth (which at this point in time can only come from the US government) in order to get there. There’s pretty much no plausible way to spin such a yarn without dipping into the political aspects; to avoid that and have her interact more privately with just select human beings, she’d either have to have appeared on Earth directly or else need the ability to travel from the Moon to Earth under her own power.
I can so easily see the rhapsodic way this little bit of notecard paper will be described in its museum unveiling, given the sheer magnitude of what thaumics means for a civilization.
'For the first real time, Man said "Let there be light", and by Her grace, so it was'
Always glad to see another update hit this one and very excited for the potential future of it.
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Certainly not when applying to Congress!
Not hugely important, but you've used this joke in an earlier chapter, I'm sorry to report.
"closed"
"Government"
"Qualitatively", "theologian"
Unnecessary "a"
Double "a"
"within"
Ngl I glossed over most of the science and thaumic stuff but I'm still excited for Luna's eventual arrival on Earth.
MagInc :^)
11663978 Fixed, though I don't consider the 'a' before 'quantum foam' superfluous. Thank you for the proof reading!
An 'u' up and left.
The 'v' veered away!
Your writing tends to be so good that we don't even entertain the thought, but this is now a case of 'you mentioned it so now we're thinking about it' so... time to bring the Lazarus Lynch mob to you :^)
I see how complicated politics can be after all, while I still belive politicians to be overpayed, they probably work after all.
Fuck... The dreaded 'to be continued' is reached...
Until next time!
I like = 1623 ♡
YOU FOOL!!! You've explained how magic works! NOW WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE WHEN SOME OLD IDIOTS FIND LILITH AND ADAM AND TRY TO INITIATE INSTRUMENTALITY!!
Only now it will be done with ponies...
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But really, good to finally see a story that really things about how events in history would RADICALLY change by the introduction of something like this. Finding a magical creature would not simply be a stone making ripples in causality, it'd be more like an asteroid impact, utterly wiping the slate clean and rewriting history entirely from that point on.
Though, there is one moment in the past that a tiny act would also have changed everything: trip the guy who shot Archduke Ferdinand before he can reach the car. Or punch him in the face. Either way, the final trigger for WWI is never pulled, and the ripples of stopping that assassination would cause almost immediate international shifts. ESPECIALLY if it's done by a rough and tumble American who just happened to be vacationing in the area... (Alondro steps into his time machine) Sorry about erasing all your existences and all... but it's FOR THE GREATER GOOD!
themarysue.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/greater-good-short.gif
I'm old enough to have watched some of Sagan's TV shows on PBS. I read his lines in his voice.
Oh yes...I'm sure encouraging the trade of body parts for traditional Chinese medicine won't encounter any problems at all when it starts involving sapient persons.
Very good world building here, and I enjoyed the discussion.
Honestly, if someone manages to integrate thaumics into the UFT in this universe, they're getting a Nobel Prize. Possibly all of them for the year. Not to mention the boosts even centuries outdated Equestrian insights into mathematics bring, given it's one of the big ways we describe parts of the universe we don't even fully see.
11666462 Considering one of the first mathematical problems she discussed was a generalised solution to the n-body problem, very useful for calculating orbits, you might well be right.
With the presence of NASA slowly dwindling down in exchange for world’s politic at large, it’s clear as day this story is heavily biased.
Well, it’s always biased from start, but come everyone’s civilized creatures of rational, and that’s what made this first contact story so fun to read.
Well, as long we got Luna interact with Scientists/Astronauts, then it’s all alright.
Luna's magic isn't the threat. It's her immortality.
Even without magic, even if she's benevolent and well intentioned, she's going to outlive everyone not only in Nixon's administration, but everyone alive on the entire planet. The people of today will remember the day she arrived, but their children will grow up already knowing her. Their grandchildren will grow up knowing Luna. Their great grandchildren will grow up knowing Luna, grow up watching televisions shows about her, reading books about her, falling asleep cuddled up to plushies of her. In only a few generations, none shall remain who have ever known a world without Luna.
In time, even nations rise, and fall.
Imperial Japan ceased to exist after world war 2, and its child, modern Japan has only existed since 1952. North and South Korea, since 1948. India earned its independence from Great Britain in 1947. The Republic of China was formed in 1912. Even the United States where this story takes place, a mere child at not even 250 years of age.
Not Luna.
Though generations die and nations wither to dust, from amidst the seas of change and uncertainty, ever will there be Luna, jutting forth, shining into the night like a stable and dependable lighthouse, ever present and always to be relied on.
What culture may stand against that? What force? What power? What mortal can stand firm against the sun? What mortal can stand against the moon?
Just as humans set their pace and clocks and days by the rhythms of the sun, just as they navigate the seas by the light of the moon, in time so too will humans, all humans...set their paces and navigate through their lives by the rhythm and light...of Luna.
That is the threat she poses. Not her magic. Not her power.
Her permanence.
For once there is a world of humans...with Luna, never again will there be a world of humans without her.
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Even if the U.S. government were to imprison her, or she were to get kidnapped and held indefinitely by another country, governments collapse every decade or so, regimes change every few years, every few decades a society completely implodes, and even the most well built prisons eventually crumble. Then you have to take into account how much it's going to take to feed, hold and guard such a powerful prisoner, especially if it decides to not be cooperative.
The sheer amount of detail you put into your world-building is truly staggering. I find it to be the hardest part of writing a story and yet you make it look easy.
Can't stand the thought of that nasty evil commie Mao getting his filthy murderous hands on any part of Luna.
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Dude, this is a pretty epic comment.
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They are also right on the money. As the initial developer of thaumic technology, which she can ensure is put to good uses as she understands it better than anyone, including how to disrupt it, ultimately the wealthiest being in history (since she will start out with a nice nest egg and has many other ways to get insanely rich) and various other factors which haven't come in to play yet, not least of which is I'm going with powerful!Luna when she gets her full strength back, as in 'I accidentally oopsed a mountain.' levels of power, she is going to be in a unique position to affect humankind's future.
While I suspect she will step heavily on any actual worship, humans have a tendency to venerate powerful, wise (or percieved to be wise), wealthy people. Look at celebrities, who despite frequently demonstrating their feet of clay go all the way up to their necks are celebrated and often treated as if their opinions on things they have no clue about are gospel. Likewise actual deities, who's primary impact on society comes from what their priests say about them. Wars fought, horrors and wonders enacted 'in their name'.
Based on past experince, what will happen when you have a being with god-like power, centuries of experience and all the money, who sees it as her duty to do good and help improve people's lives, based on the Equestrian elemental virtues. Yeah, she's going to end up as God Empress of mankind within two centuries at the outside by acclamation, whether she gets the actual title or not, and many people are going to adopt her ethical worldview.
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Well.. until she goes back to Equestria after 1000 years.
Just Dyson.
He’s not a vacuum.
11681475 Though Doctor Wheeler is an expert on quantum vacuum fluctuations, so it sort of counts.
Seriously though, thanks for the catch.