Prologue: The Wright Flyer
The gentle hum of the prototype FTL craft suffused the atmosphere with subtle vibrations. The pilot of the vessel slowly moved his hands over the console, measuring his pace with his breathing. The instructions had been quite clear, and a single misstep could cost him his life, and the Earth much more. The small countdown timer that had been put atop the main screen clicked down closer and closer to zero. He’d been aboard for nearly two hours, now, and there were just three minutes left until he made history.
A quick hiss of static preluded the voice of the nervous comms officer back on Earth. “Wright Flyer, this is UEA CentCom, do you copy?”
With a quick flick of his finger, the pilot opened the channel, allowing a moment for the connection to be verified. “Copy, CentCom, Wright Flyer reads loud and clear. Still waiting for things to get interesting, though.” A faint chuckle came over the com. “Not that it’s boring sitting on top of the single most expensive device ever crafted by human hands.”
“Abderus.” The voice that came over the com was a deeper voice than the last one, and the pilot sat up a bit straighter at hearing it. “I trust you know who I am?”
“Yes, sir. You’re Admiral Hayes, current ranking officer in the UEA Navy.”
“Good. Now, in a minute and a half you’ll be hitting the big green button that is the sole purpose of that massive ship you’re in. While we’re not in the business of pessimism, I trust that you know the possible outcomes of what you’ve signed up for, correct?”
The pilot was silent for several long moments before he answered. “Yes, sir. I am aware.”
“Good. Now, I’ve downloaded a small file to the computers aboard the ship. I hope to God, or whatever deity you fancy, that you don’t have to know what it is.” The com went silent for several moments, and then the admiral came back on. “Last thirty, Abderus. Anything you want to say to the people of Earth?”
“Oh man, talk about pressure. Um, always match your leathers?” The pilot frowned for a moment before a smile came to his face. “Oh, I know. A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step? Better! Never underestimate the power of one.”
A low chuckle came over the coms, and then the pilot glanced at the counter. “Stick with piloting, philosophy isn’t your strong suit. Now, godspeed, Wright Flyer.”
The big green button that was the sole purpose of the ship glowed with a sickening internal light, and the pilot’s finger came down on it with all the finality of a man condemning another to death. The first rumble that passed through the ship was expected. The second rumble that passed through the ship, was not.
The sickening lurch that followed the second rumble made all the lights on the ship fail, and with an inaudible screech of agony, the material universe was rent asunder as Mankind sent their first piloted object into the realm of Faster Than Light travel.
“Computer, run the numbers again.”
“Processing...” There was a minute long pause before the computer spoke again. “Processing...” This pause was just as long as the first, but, somehow, twice as annoying to the living passenger. “Processing...”
“Just run the numbers, don’t tell me that you’re doing it.”
Several more tense minutes of silence passed before an answer came.
“Calculations complete. Current velocity, based on thirteen variable calculations, is 8.01 times ten to the forty fourth light years per day. Answer is certain within .07311 light years per day.”
“And I’m telling you that’s still not possible! This ship should be pulling two light years per year! Not... what is it?”
“Current velocity is 1.463 times ten to the forty seventh times the best estimated velocity. Our velocity, in terms of the accepted speed of light, is 2.926 times ten to the forty seventh times the speed of light. The answer has not changed an appreciable amount in the past seven calculations.”
“And how long have we been traveling?”
“Thirty three hours, nineteen minutes, forty seconds and counting.”
The pilot closed his eyes for a moment, desperate to put the magnitudes in perspective. “So, logically, we’ve passed the bounds of the universe, right?”
“Correct.”
“So what are we traveling in now?”
“... Insufficient data for answer.”
“Helpful. How much air do I have? And food? How much of that do I have?”
“Enough for eight months. Ten months under strict rationing rules. It was originally speculated that the ship would reach somewhere just past the asteroid belt before fuel reserves would be depleted. Clearly a mistake was made. The return trip to Earth from the estimated terminal point was calculated to take about seven months.”
“Glad they decided to let me know all the details of this trip.”
“The full terms were in the contract you signed.”
“Of course...” Abderus glared at the consoles for a moment. “Can we stop traveling at FTL speeds?”
“Unknown.”
“What would be required to find out?”
“Unknown.”
“How can you not know? How was this test supposed to go?”
“Under conceived test notions a simple counter pulse of tachyonic particles would cause the stable FTL envelope to collapse, forcing us into a relativistic speed matching our departure velocity.”
“And what’s the problem with that method now?”
“The ship is unable to accelerate tachyonic particles to a high enough velocity.”
“What if we tried anyway?”
“Unknown.”
“Warm up the pulse emitters. In the meantime, call up the files the admiral sent. I’m interested, since I don’t think I’ll be getting home anytime soon.”
“Emitters will be prepared within the hour. File is on screen, waiting on your action.”
With a shaky hand, Abderus opened the folder, revealing three files within. The first to be opened was one from the admiral.
The admiral’s face appeared on the screen, his eyes seeming to stare right at the pilot. “Well, it looks like Dr. Hatke was right. The system couldn’t be scaled up quite like we thought it could. I don’t know how fast you’re going, now, if you’re even going anywhere at all. The hypotheses for a failed test are more numerous than there are grains of sand on a beach. All I know is that you’re not coming home. I won’t mince words with you, Abderus. You’re lost to humanity by this point. Short of a bloody miracle, you’re gone.
“However, this doesn’t mean that your trip is at an end. If you can manage to get the ship out of FTL drive, or whatever it happens to be doing, you might be able to do something. The odds are, as with everything in space, astronomically bad. But, as I was told, so were the chances of the test going wrong.
“The other messages in this file will be more personal than I can be, but I still want to say that I’m damn proud to have had you in my Navy, even if it was only for a few months. I’ve got to get this whole file saved, now, and sent off to you, so I’ll leave you with a simple gesture.” The admiral snapped to attention as he looked at Abderus, his gaze unflinching. “Under statute thirteen, section twelve, addendum nine, you are now relieved from all active duty. Honorable discharge, full commendation.” The elderly admiral’s gaze softened. “If you ever make it home, I’ll treat you to a beer.”
The screen quickly faded to black, and then back to the folder with the remaining two files. The second one was from Abderus’ father, and it jumped right in, portraying the old man sitting in a large chair.
“If you’re watching this, it means that you either got bored on the trip home, or something went wrong. They told me that this could happen, but... It just doesn’t seem real. No matter how it happened, you’re famous, but that doesn’t ease the ache I’ll feel when I get the news. Or, better yet, when the world finds out. They didn’t tell you, but you’ll be on every news network on Earth. Even the ChiKor Republic is interested in what’s going on up in the black.
“But none of that really matters to me. I just want to wish you well, and ask you to act responsibly, and rationally, in whatever situation you might be in now. Whether you’re courting the ‘fine honeys’ of some alien planet, or you’re sparking a revolution in some parallel universe, know that I support you.” His eyes narrowed for a moment, and then he continued. “Just remember that at the end of the day you’ll have to live with whatever you get yourself involved in.
“I’d end this by saying that I love you, but you already know that. I could also tell you that I’ll miss you, but we both know that I won’t. Not really, anyway. Not out of spite, but because I know that you’d think it’s stupid. Missing you is a selfish act, since I simply want you to be here with me, rather than you being out there, doing what you want to do. So, go out there, wherever there is, and live your life. And tell those pessimistic statisticians to eat a shoe. You’ll wind up on a planet, and you’ll make a ruckus there just like you did here at home.”
The screen cut to black abruptly, and then the home screen came up at last. The final file opened, revealing the clean shaven face of Dr. Johnson, the president of Neutrino, the company that created the ship, and was leading the way in space technology.
“Well, it happened. The first ‘real’ disaster in space since Apollo 13. And it happened during my time as acting president.” He shook his head, looking off at something out of view for a moment. “Can’t say that I’m totally surprised that it happened. Wish that it had happened on someone else’s watch, but I can’t do much about the hand I get dealt. I trust that the others who sent you messages dealt with your emotional side. I’m here to lay down a single fact.
“We all know that my company has enormous influence on the politics of the UEA. I used this influence to... coerce the adoption of a policy. A very specific policy. One that entails you, and only you. Full, irrevocable, immunity. Should you happen upon an alien species, all your earthly ties are effectively severed. You have no enforced national loyalty. You are loyal only to what you feel is right, and anything you say or do is at your discretion. If you want to lay out everything you know about our military to some alien overlord, be my guest.
“I don’t think you’ll do that, but if you do, it won’t be held against you. That being said, I wish you the best of luck in whatever fate awaits you.”
Abderus stared at the computer for quite some time before he let out a sigh.
“Computer... What’s the status on the pulse emitters?”
“Fully charged, and awaiting your order.”
“What are the possible outcomes?”
“Full stop on FTL drives, decrease in velocity, or no effect.”
“Well, what have I got to lose?”
“Unclear question. Please restate query.”
Abderus sighed as he slowly squeezed the bridge of his nose. “It’s a saying. A... A colloquialism.”
“Understood.”
“Engage the pulse emitters. Time waits for no man, and at our velocity... Well, better sooner rather than later.”
A single spot in space rippled for a moment. A random atom of helium that happened to be at that exact point in space wavered for a moment as its mass was forced into a singularity. The resulting release of energy creating a small detonation of energy that heralded the arrival of the Wright Flyer. The kilometer long craft exited the blast of energy unscathed, as the residual effects of the FTL shielding dissipated, leaving behind a massive aurora of energy as the magnetic fields interacted with each other. Had Abderus been able to see it, he’d have been left speechless by the beauty of the event. As it was, he had his hands full coping with the controls of the unresponsive vessel.
Exactly five beings were aware of the arrival of the Wright Flyer. One of them was aboard the ship. The other four were on the remarkably Earth like planet far below the ship. Two of these beings were amateur astronomers, their telescopes barely noting the flash of light. Still, for these two creatures the event was out of the ordinary. The third was in a state of deep rest, her mind recovering from the ardors of her day to day duties. The sudden arrival of the massive object roused her from her rest, and with nary a moment wasted, she vanished from her chambers. The final creature to note the arrival did so with a measure of distaste.
“Sister, it ruined my night sky.”
“I don’t think it was intentional, sister. I daresay he is probably no more pleased than you are with what’s happening.”
“How can you... wait, he?”
“A glimmer of a thought. His mind is surprisingly difficult to grasp. It flitters from thought to thought with a speed that is quite admirable. And more than that, he has no natural magics, other than the magic of life.”
“No natural magic? How can it soar through my night sky without any magic?”
“That remains to be seen. Still, he won’t be landing anytime soon. A few months, if my mathematics aren’t wrong.”
“So we have time to prepare?”
“Yes, but I think it would be best if we let nature take its course. Life around here has grown a bit dull since Twilight’s coronation. And I do think that Twilight and her friends will handle this well.”
“You’re going to trust a bunch of... Fillies to handle this?”
“Of course not. I will be sending several of my best to watch over things. And they aren’t fillies, Luna. They’re all of age, and they’ve all proven themselves to be fully responsible, in their own way.”
“What if you’re wrong?”
“Then we’ll have to intervene.” The white alicorn fell silent for a moment, her ears twitching, and a smile flashing across her face. “But I do think that this will be quite a nice change of pace for Twilight and her friends. Especially considering this creature’s mind.”
“How do you mean?”
“Patience, sister. Although I’ll tell you the biggest factor right now, if you like.”
“Do tell.”
“Sarcasm does not become you, Luna. The second largest factor is going to be the language barrier. He does not speak our language, and no translation spell will work, for he cannot be made to pull in latent knowledge from those around him.”
“Immersion is the fastest way to learn a language.”
“True, but cultural similarities, and cultural differences, will make that process go faster or slower. And given his personality, and what little I could glean from my glimpse, he’ll find adapting to our way of life to be quite a challenge.”
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More epic stories! YAY!
This actually seems pretty interesting.
Also, typing with an apple core attached to your thumb is harder than you may think.
Interesting...
Liked the files part the best, and even though we know Abderus survives, the danger he is faced with seems very real.
Overall, everything seems to be set up for a good HiE, and I look forward to seeing how the language barrier and cultural difference is handled.
Side Note: Really liking the use of Greek mythology in your stories.
............Whoops!! That went a bit wrong!!
images.cheezburger.com/completestore/2011/7/11/b084c4a4-2274-48f3-b2c0-9a61d2ad402e.jpg
I am very interested!
You've got my attention.
An interesting setting, indeed. I suppose it's too soon to either cheer or jeer, but I really am looking forward to this!
Saw the title and thought it was a crossover. Was extremely disappointed. I'll read this eventually.
2512143 If you know me as an author you'll know that I don't do crossovers. I make all my own shit up.
2512169 I know. It was a first glance click. I just was voicing my thoughts.
Cool story. Is it related to / inspired by the Arrow 18 Mission logs?
I've always wondered how language barriers would fuck with everything if I got stuck in a 3rd world country, which this is probably going to be like that. Isn't Rising Sun technically a HIE? He becomes a pony, but he was still human before
I haven't had a chance to read this yet, but from the description I'd say its worth a read.
To be honest. The description makes it sound like a distant future, "Planet of the Apes" type story.
"Get your hooves off of me, ya damn sexy pony!"
Edit: Read it...Liked it!
I may only have read the prologue, but already have a feeling that this will engulf my mind in terms of fan-girl-impatience like Memory Pending - Sensing some alike story elements! And based on your previous stories, I got a feeling this will be quite the ride for Abderus
24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m9hbk3vEJ41r3k1m8o1_500.png
I don't like it
...I LOVE it
do more please
What?! An HiE, Howitzer?!
Egads!
Looks good so far. Even though it may be explained soon, I would like to know if they are quadrupeds or bipeds (normal or anthro).
i.qkme.me/3smm2m.jpg
2512194
I was thinking the same thing at first. I'll give it a fav and see where it goes from here
Good story, well written and I like it. Add on! Its very interesting!
looks good so far
Talking with the computer was just hilarious! MOAR!
2512169 this is amazing keep it up.
Looks very interesting, following.
I think you made Celestia to god like. When she can read minds it just takes ways from the language barrier even if she can only get a sense for what he is thinking. But those are just my personal opinions and they can be overlooked depending on what happens next.
I'm looking forward to the next chapter.
2531559 Celestia can't make out any individual thoughts, just feelings and vague emotions. Nothing that she could work with in a real sense. Also, save for some brief interactions, Celestia's role in this story will be minimal at best. It's not a story about her, and I aim to make that clear.
Damn that's going fast.
Every second, he crosses 10 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 times the diameter of the observable universe. Even if time-wise he could come back, how do you aim to such distances ? 
Those engineers really messed up their game.
are you going to be updating the story soon?
2536420 When I have something worth uploading, yes.
Interesting approach to having things go wrong without a guarantee of being able to stop.
Feel-wise, it sort of reminds me of how Poul Anderson's Tau Zero forced a ramscoop ship to outlive the universe via relativistic effects because space debris smashed the deceleration system and they had to accelerate further and navigate into the intergalactic void to be able to safely do a spacewalk at relativistic speeds.
2534303 im pretty sure that would be going fast enough to qualify as teleportation, i mean think of the distance you would be traveling per plynk (slash how ever the smallest unit of space is spelled)
Interesting..... I hope you won't draw out the cultural differences like a certain "other" story that was completely derailed....
This is an awesome opening. Partly because I glimpse some excellent, understated world-building on the human end, partly because the tone is great and the canon characters seem pretty good and lastly because it is just awesome to see some good people on the human end, even the top guy of a huge company. Though humans are undeniably less pleasant than ponies going by canon vs real world, it's nice to see that there is some unity and good people in charge of some things on Earth in this fic. Nice.
And the father moment was heartbreaking.
Now, to the next chapter!
I like it so far I can't wait to see what happens next
Backdrop for your novel? Hmmm....... I take it in the novel this will be a lost mission for a larger program then?
This story definitely earned this from me.
derpicdn.net/img/view/2013/10/11/446425__safe_twilight+sparkle_rainbow+dash_pinkie+pie_fluttershy_rarity_applejack_princess+celestia_text_image+macro_lyra_screencap_mane+six_bon+bon_reaction+image_love+heart_berry+punch_l.png
I had a smile when reading this fic. It faltered a bit when I got to the immunity part but that thing was understandable.
My smile faded when Celestia appeared.
I am okay with her using magic to read feelings. Using magic, not just doing it passively. And her learning enough about him to know he will find learning the language a challenge seemed... Wrong, since people think in language they use, at least me, so language barrier should hinder her efforts.
She also immediately known he didn't have any other magic AND felt him in the spaceship.
I would be okay if she had to use magic and touch him with her horn to learn all that... But she did it PASSIVELY, as in without actively using magic, AND from so far away. This, in my opinion, is OP
3664243
I'm willing to give this the benefit of doubts on the following grounds:
1. I'm going to assume that this was not in fact passive, but that she noticed an enormous distortion in the nearby cosmos (I wanted to say 'atmosphere', but at the distances we're talking about this would be incorrect) and decided to check it out in the most expedient, and safest manner she could think of.
2. She is actively using magic, just not a form of it that your average Unicorn would recognize.
3. Celestial distances have been shown to be no barrier to her power; if she knows that you're there and can pinpoint your location relative to her, then it's likely that she can affect you.
4. She's not 'reading' his mind so much as 'skimming', no actual thoughts (that she could understand at least), but she can still get emotions, images, impressions, etc.
5. Sometimes Author's skip the details they themselves consider inconsequential in order to move the story along faster, it's not always the best of ideas, but at least it keeps the narrative from getting bogged down in details, or forcing it's reader to preform the dreaded 'Archive Binge' in order to keep track of everything.
Ironically enough, it was the immunity thing that got me. Expecting him to encounter alien life was both oddly optimistic, and incredibly unrealistic. It is far more likely for him to simply die one way or another. I'm not saying it shouldn't be there, just that it should be a throwaway line about him receiving full 'DIPLOMATIC' immunity in case he meets intelligent life, and good luck with all that. Really, the whole 'video from home' -thing just came off as jarring to me.
... seriously? Luna consider the mane six to be but just fillies? After facing her at her worst? Defeating discord? Saving the Crystal Empire? Just a bunch of bare responsible foals?... Okay, I'm going to keep reading but this just doesn't seem to be a good beginning, just like with Celestia who managed to know so, so much about a creature that's it so magical nule at who knows what velocity, distance and factor of passive contact.
If I could make a single critic, it would be that you just don't try to fast forward such instance of contact scenario with one of the rulers in a very dry exposition. Yes, it has been done a million times the part were Celestia meet the alien and there are shenanigans, but it's an important part, like a party meeting for the first time in the adventure. Compare the video messages with the dialogue between the princess. The fact that she managed to make so many spot one clarifications about the relationship, the reaction, his natural abilities and limits feel less about wisdom/foreshadowing and more about a form of very weak magicbabble. I say this because you are affirming you are using this fic as a form of testing ground for your original novel.
Let's hope it goes well.
“The ship is unable to accelerate tachyonic particles to a high enough velocity.”
Ahem, tachyons gain speed with energy loss!
I'm not going to like Luna in this fic am I?
not a bad start
NICE
That’s always fun, when you are aiming to make it to the closest star in two years, but you end up overshooting by an entire universe...
On second thought, not so fun.
9832132
Hmm dam straight