Liftoff [Part 4]
Floyd laid on the ground, sprawled out and gasping for air as he stared blankly at the sky. Nearly a week had passed and the training exercises were still testing his limits. It didn't help that he had his magic lessons with Sunburst to compound his exhaustion. He didn't even want to get started on how early the training was. It made him feel better that Lyra was having nearly as tough a time as he was. The two had made a sort of unspoken connection due to their shared misery.
Rolling over, Floyd pushed himself into a sitting position. Bulletproof vests were much heavier than he imagined. Hotter too. Glancing to the left, he spotted Bon Bon, running through the final stretch of the obstacle course with ease.
"Ugh, does she have to make all of this look so easy?" he grumbled to himself, tilting his SGC cap up to wipe sweat off his brow.
He pulled himself to his feet, the vest affecting his balance and causing him to wobble for a moment. He stretched before heading back to the course in order to attempt another run.
Lyra was only slightly ahead of him, trying to scale a climbing wall without the use of her magic. He quickly made it through the first two obstacles, which wasn't saying much considering they felt like something he used to do during gym class. After a short jog, he made it to where Lyra was scrambling against the climbing wall. He squatted down, preparing to jump.
"Having fun?" he asked, not looking away from the wooden structure.
"The time of my life," Lyra huffed, placing her hoof onto a handhold. "I feel like Daring Do."
Floyd pushed himself upward, struggling for a moment to find places to put his hands and feet. "And I feel like Indiana Jones," he retorted, grunting as he slowly inched his way up the wall.
He managed to find a new handhold and moved his right foot up. He bumped his foot against the wall, feeling for a good place to put it. Getting his groove going, he made it up the wall in a reasonable amount of time.
"This... sucks..." Muttering under his breath, he grabbed a rope, making his way down the other side of the wall. "God, this vest is fucking heavy..."
His right foot barely touched the ground and he took that as a sign to let go of the rope. With a less than graceful landing, he stopped for a moment to adjust his cumbersome vest. He then looked at the next obstacle and grumbled. It was like something out of a cliche war movie. There was a long mud puddle with a wooden structure covered in barbed wire that would force him to crawl on his stomach. He almost chuckled when he saw a minotaur with his horns tangled up in the wire.
Working his way through the rest of the course, Floyd's energy quickly burned out. He collapsed close to the finishing line, sprawling out on the grass. Lyra joined him not long after, laying down next to him.
"Ugh, I really hate that course," Floyd panted out, noting the lack of feeling in his limbs. "How is this still so hard after a week of running it?"
Lyra didn't say anything, instead she just grunted as she tried to regain the feeling in her legs.
"Yeah, I agree. It sucks." Floyd raised a hand up, letting some magic flow through it. "Jeez, I can barely even feel the magic."
Lyra panted for a few moments before turning her head to look at Floyd. "Hasn't Sunburst taught you about the connection between physical stamina and using magic?"
"No?" Floyd frowned, turning to look at her. "The lessons are kinda blurring together at this point." It wasn't his fault. Higgs and the other drill sergeants put him through a wringer everyday. Even with his boosted physique, it still left him worn out.
"He should've, considering the workouts you go through before his lessons," Lyra pointed out. "Anyway, being physically exhausted can impact your ability to use magic. That's why most unicorns whose talents are related to magic don't do a lot of exercise, considering using magic also drains stamina. Finding a balance in working out magical abilities and physical development can be hard, though it isn't impossible. Prince Shining Armor is proof enough of that."
"Okay, so, more Gandalf than Eragon. Right." Pulling himself to his feet, Floyd wiped at his forehead. "When the hell do we move onto the exciting stuff?"
"I don't know," Lyra followed his example and rolled over to get to her hooves, "Higgs would be the one to ask about that. What do you mean by exciting stuff? Like target practice with the guns?"
Floyd nodded. "Yeah. I've used rifles before, but never a submachine gun." He glanced to the left, seeing Bon Bon trotting over to them. "Hey Bon, feel right at home huh?"
"I've run similar courses when I was a cadet in S.M.I.L.E.," Bon Bon replied, coming to a stop in front of them. "You two are getting a bit better, but you're gonna have to build up your stamina so you don't need such long breaks after finishing the course."
Floyd frowned. "You're one to talk. You're a damn earth pony. You're built for this sorta thing. I'm just a stick man."
Bon Bon chuckled and patted him on the side. "Earth ponies might be naturally more sturdy, but we still have to work hard to get to the point of doing things like being an agent or soldier." She grinned and poked him in the stomach. "Plus, you keep this training up and you won't be a stick man for long."
Rolling his eyes, Floyd pushed her hoof away. "Yeah, yeah. Practice makes perfect and whatever." Placing his hands in his pants, he retrieved a protein bar. "The extra food makes it worth it." Ripping the package open, he took a bite, making a show of chewing on it.
Lyra lit up her horn, opened a pocket on her vest and pulled out a granola bar. "I swear, you've got the appetite of a minotaur thanks to the changes your body's gone through." She tore open the package with her teeth and took a bite. "Must be nice to be able to eat a mountain of food and not gain any weight."
Floyd grinned and waved his protein bar toward her. "Is that a bit of jealousy I hear~?"
Lyra removed the wrapper from her bar, tossing it at his head. "You don't have to be mean about it."
Floyd bent down and picked up the wrapper. He put it in his pocket and tsked. "And you don't have to become a litterbug. For shame, Lyra."
Lyra stuck her tongue out, holding her nose up in the air.
Bon Bon sighed and shook her head. "The two of you are impossible." She turned from them and took a step away. "Come on, we've taken long enough of a break. Time to get back to training."
Floyd sighed, placing the now empty wrapper in his pocket. "If you say so, Bon Bon." He turned, making his way back to the front of the course.
The rest of the day went by in a blur of exercises. By the time it was over, Floyd's muscles were screaming at him to lie down and take a break. Lyra looked to be in the same condition as him, and Devon seemed winded, but not all that bothered. Bon Bon and Higgs, however, barely looked fazed. Floyd muttered under his breath as he watched the two of them as he headed to rinse off the sweat and dirt he knew he was covered in.
Each unit had their own building, Floyd wasn't sure if each building was a 'barracks' or if the group of them were. He walked into his unit's building, already shrugging off his vest. Tossing it onto his bed, he continued to disrobe, making his way into the bathroom, set into the opposite end. He turned the water on and waited a few moments for it to warm up. He then stepped into the stream and sighed in content as the warm water seeped into his tired body.
"Ah, now that feels better," he said to himself. He relaxed there for a few minutes before grabbing his soap and shampoo. He lathered up quickly and rinsed himself off. Once he felt like he had removed all the grime from the day, he stayed under the water for a few minutes before turning it off and stepping out to grab his towel. He dried off quickly and walked back to his bunk to get dressed. He pulled on a grey t-shirt and shorts before laying down and sighing happily.
Floyd nearly drifted off when he heard a set of hooves approaching. His eyes fluttered open and saw Sunburst standing at the edge of the bed.
"I hope you're not too tired from training today," Sunburst said, a large grin on his face. "I have something exciting in store for you."
Floyd gave him his best 'not tired look', and sat up. "What would that be, goatee?"
Sunburst's smile twitched for a moment before settling back into place. He had grown used to Floyd's teasing. "I ran into Miss Heartstrings just a moment ago and she mentioned that you're disappointed that the training hasn't involved anything past the basics. So I thought we could try some elemental manipulation and combat magic today."
Floyd smiled a little, leaning forward. "I think I'd be willing to give that a shot. What do you want me to start with?"
Sunburst pushed his glasses up. "I dunno, are you sure you aren't too tired?"
Floyd waved him off, "I'm fine, Sunburst. Learning some cool spells is exactly what I need right now." Rising to his feet, Floyd stretched out his numb limbs. "I take it we're going to the normal spot?"
Sunburst chuckled, "Unless you'd rather face disciplinary action for burning down the bunk house?"
"The bunkhouse is made of crystal," Floyd pointed out.
"Fair enough, but the mattresses and sheets are made of very flammable cloth," Sunburst countered. "Plus, I doubt the others that sleep here would appreciate inhaling noxious smoke. Now come on, let's focus on getting our lesson started rather than nitpicking my comments." Sunburst turned to the door and motioned for Floyd to follow him.
Floyd pulled his boots on, quickly following Sunburst out of the bunkhouse and onto the trail out of the training grounds. After a few minutes they were in a field with some recent scorch marks in the grass.
Sunburst sat on his haunches and pulled a spellbook out of his saddlebags. "Okay, I think a defensive spell will be our first spell of the evening." He opened the book with his magic and pointed a hoof at the page. "Try to create a small barrier in front of you. Let's start with the size of your hand at first."
"Right." Floyd nodded, flexing his hands and calling forth his magic. Glancing over at the page, he focused his efforts on a small twig about five feet away. Commanding the magic to shield it, he poured as much magic he could into the spell. The air around the twig shimmered for a few moments as the magic tried to solidify.
"Very good," Sunburst said, watching him with a smile. "Remember all those visualization techniques to help with your magic flow."
"Yeah, yeah. I got it." Picture what you want to happen, and make it happen. It was simple, but hard to put into practice. He took a deep breath, collecting his thoughts on picturing a solid wall around the twig. Silence reigned for what felt like hours as his magic continued to spark around the twig. Just when he was about to quit, a thin barrier solidified around the twig.
"Very good!" Sunburst praised him with a smile. "You're getting better at controlling your magic flow."
Floyd let the barrier drop, putting his hands on his knees. "Stamina's still shit though." Floyd shook the feeling back into his hands, pulling out another protein bar.
"That will improve with time," Sunburst assured him. "Remember, the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."
Floyd chuckled, "Way to bring out the fortune cookie advice, Sunny." He finished off the last of the protein bar and shoved the wrapper back into his pocket. "You learn that from Celestia?"
Sunburst rubbed the back of his head with a hoof. "As a matter of fact, yes. On my first day of school in Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, she stood in front of all of us new students and put us through orientation. That was the line she ended on."
Floyd snickered, cracking his knuckles. "You ponies are such dorks, you know that?"
Sunburst chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm fully aware that I fit the stereotype of a nerd. But it's because of that that I got to travel to this planet and be your teacher." He smiled up at Floyd, "I think that balances things out."
Floyd reached over, flicking Sunburst's ear. "I said 'dork', not 'nerd'. Two separate things."
"They're synonyms," Sunburst huffed, the flicked ear pinning to his head. "Now, do you feel ready to move on to the next spell?"
Floyd rubbed his hand on his shorts. "I think I'm ready." He gave a thumbs up and a grin. "Hit me with your best shot, goatee."
Sunburst nodded, stroking his beard. He brought the spellbook up to his face using his magic, glancing over the pages. "Ah, I think I have a good spell for you." He floated the book over to Floyd. "I want you to take the breeze here, and turn it into a gust. This'll be good practice for other spells that call for enhancing things."
Floyd scanned over the page, taking in more the illustrations than the words. It was still mostly incomprehensible scribbles to him. Like Russian. Or Finnish. "Okay, this doesn't look so bad," Floyd said, closing his eyes and feeling the breeze waft against him.
'Gust of wind, gust of wind. Can't be that hard. Just picture something like Monroe getting her dress blown away.' Having picked his visual aid, Floyd sent the magic back into his hands. He let the image fully take shape in his mind, a grey glow surrounding his hands.
"Uh Floyd..." Sunburst spoke up, an odd tone to his voice. "That is most definitely not the spell you were trying."
Floyd opened his eyes, and Marilyn Monroe herself stood in front of Sunburst with her dress blowing up around her, and Sunburst just happened to be the perfect height to see under the dress. The scene was so surreal, Floyd couldn't help but burst into deep, loud laughter.
"H-how's it feel to be seeing the same sight a U.S. president did on a regular basis?" he asked, trying and failing to catch his breath. Falling onto his back, Floyd held his sides, his laughter echoing through the clearing.
"C-can you please just cancel the spell?" Sunburst asked, turning his head away from the illusion. "The look she’s giving me is making me uncomfortable.”
Floyd cut the magic, still laughing his ass off.
Sunburst rolled his eyes, adjusting his glasses. "I'm glad you're enjoying yourself. While not the correct spell, you did display a new one. I'm sure you'll find some use for making life-like illusions during your missions."
Floyd gave a thumbs up, his laughter slowly dying down. "Oh come on, I really needed that. Thanks, Sunburst."
Sunburst smiled, a quick chuckle escaping his lips. "I suppose it was rather amusing. Let's try not to use that mental image for wind spells from now on though."
Floyd chuckled. "Are you sure? Because I could show you all sorts of Earth's sex symbols."
An exasperated sigh escaped Sunburst's lips. "Yes, Floyd. I'm sure I don't want to see any more of those."
Floyd shrugged. "Whatever you say, Sunny. Alright, guess I'll give the gust thing another shot." Eyes locked on a tree, he summoned up his magic, trying to power up the breeze. He closed his eyes and thought for a moment for a new mental image. He ended up settling on picturing a tree swaying under a slightly strong wind. Once he had it, he extended his magic to the breeze.
"Very good!" Sunburst praised. "I think that earns you a gold star."
Floyd cut his magic off, his breathing slightly labored. "Th-that was a little easier than some of the other spells," he noted. He reached his hand up and wiped his forehead to clear up sweat that had formed there.
Sunburst frowned. "Floyd, I think you should go take a nap. You look like you're about to keel over."
Floyd looked like he was about to argue, but clamped his mouth shut when he felt himself sway on his feet. "Y-yeah, guess I could use some sleep. I'll count today as a successful lesson. I didn't blow anything up."
Sunburst smiled, adjusting his glasses. "Come on, we can walk back to camp."
Floyd nodded, stretching his arms over his head before starting to walk back to the path.
Floyd yawned, poking at his breakfast with a fork. He had the classic staple of bacon and eggs, but he also had some fruit salad, a bowl of cereal and a couple slices of toast. A few sent him odd looks, but he was too hungry to care. He took his fork to his eggs, brushing them onto his toast.
"Think you've got enough food over there?" Higgs asked, taking a seat across from Floyd and setting his own tray down.
"It's gonna be fat time for me," Floyd joked humorlessly. Suppressing another yawn, he shoved the egged bacon into his mouth.
"Did I just hear a Cool Cat reference?" Devon asked, taking a seat of his own next to Floyd.
Floyd shrugged, mumbling a reply.
"Have you been getting enough sleep, Floyd?" Higgs asked, giving him a concerned look.
"I'm fine," Floyd assured his teammates, downing the rest of his drink.
Higgs nodded, starting to tuck into his own meal. "Alright, if you say so. Just talk to me if anything comes up." He kept an eye on Floyd, noting how haggard the younger man appeared.
"So, when are we doing things other than running the obstacle courses?" Devon asked, turning to Higgs and taking a bite of the bagel on his tray. "I've got some small weapons training but I've never fired the P90s or the confiscated alien tech."
Higgs set his coffee down. "Getting trigger happy are we? Grunt courses aren't giving you your kicks anymore?"
Devon chuckled. "Not when there are actual lasers to be fired. How am I not supposed to be eager?"
Higgs took a bit out of his toast. "I didn't peg you as an action type. I figured that was more Hendrix's alley."
"Tech is my wheelhouse," Devon replied, picking up a sugar packet and putting it in his coffee. "That includes weapons. Especially the ones we've found through gate exploration." He gestured to Floyd. "Besides, he's got magic anyway."
"It's not like I can just zap away with my hands nonstop," Floyd retorted, dipping his toast in the bit of yolk that ran onto his plate. "A gun is a lot better for me to use in a hectic situation like a firefight."
"Speaking from experience?" Bon Bon questioned, taking a seat next to Higgs. "You've never even been in combat before."
"Don't have to have been in combat to know that my magic skills are still unreliable at best right now," Floyd told her, turning to look at her. "It still takes me a while to tap into my flow and my magic stamina is low."
"At least you're self-aware," Bon Bon agreed, taking a bite out of her salad, which consisted of hay and flowers.
"Considering I'm putting my ass on the line by taking this job, delusions of grandeur wouldn't do me any favors," Floyd said, popping the last bit of bacon in his mouth. "My self-preservation is stronger than my ego."
"You didn't answer my question," Devon spoke, looking at Higgs.
Higgs put his coffee down. "We'll start with things other than the courses pretty soon."
"How soon?" Devon pressed.
"Within the next couple days," Higgs relented. "That a good enough answer?"
Devon nodded, "Thanks, Higgs." He tucked into his meal again and paused for a moment. "You know what's odd, I've read the notes on the Atlantis expedition and Shangri-La looks exactly like what's described there. Right down to the color scheme of everything."
"They were probably constructed at the same time," Bon Bon offered. "I mean, I've only seen Shangri-La, but it also doubles as a spaceship, so they probably have a set design for them."
"I guess that's a fair point," Devon agreed. "Though it's kinda hard to picture Shangri-La and Atlantis in the same shipyard." He closed his eyes and picked up his bagel. "I can only imagine what went into building them."
"Think they even used money at that point?" Floyd asked. "Or, did they simply do what they wanted like Star Trek?"
Devon scratched his cheek. "I don't remember ever reading any findings on the Ancients' monetary system. And I don't think we've ever found anything resembling currency in Shangri-La. You might be onto something there, Floyd."
"Keep that up and Lyra will lose her spot on the team," Bon Bon teased.
"What's this about me?" Lyra asked, yawning as she took a seat at the table with a large bowl of cereal and a cup of coffee levitating in her magic. She greeted everyone as she took a seat next to Bon Bon.
"Just a joke Ly," Bon Bon dismissed. "We were discussing if the Teachers used money or not."
Lyra brightened up instantly, setting her breakfast down on the table. "That's an interesting topic! I've never actually found any information about currency in all my research. Whenever trade was mentioned, the Teachers would exchange information for whatever it was they wanted from ponykind."
Floyd checked out of the conversation, finishing the last of his meal. Pausing a moment, he glanced over at Higgs. "You know what? Honestly? I'm tired as hell."
"I kinda figured, Floyd," Higgs said, turning to Floyd while Lyra and Devon continued to talk about the Ancients. "Training can be hard on you at first. Especially since you've got your magic and language lessons on top of it."
Floyd leaned forward, rubbing at his eyes. "I've never wanted to sleep this badly in my life."
Higgs nodded. "How about this, take your time with the courses today. You're putting in extra work that no one else is anyway. The last thing I need is one of my teammates collapsing from exhaustion."
Floyd gave him a smile, rising to his feet. "Thanks, Higgs. I'mma go pass out." He grabbed his tray, placing it in the used pile before walking outside. Steering himself towards their bunkhouse, he let out a long yawn. He opened the door, flopped onto his bed, and took his boots off. He yawned again before laying down. Just as he was about to drift off to sleep, the sound of the door to the bunkhouse slamming shut caused him to jump up in his bunk.
"Bon Bon, I swear, I was just about to fall asleep!" Floyd hissed, glaring in the direction of the door.
"I'm not one of the ponies on your team," a blue dragoness snorted, crossing her arms over her chest. Floyd recognized her as Ember, though he had never talked to her before.
"Then... why are you here?" Floyd asked. "People normally don't just burst into other people's homes."
"I needed to get some gripes off my chest and I saw you leave for your bunkhouse from the mess hall," Ember replied, walking further into the room and taking a seat on the bunk across from him.
Floyd stared at her. "That doesn't mean to just walk in." Rolling his eyes, he sat up. "Well? Rant already so I can go back to sleep."
"Apparently once we start going through the gate we'll have to do reports on our missions," Ember snorted. "And written ones are the preferred way of doing it."
Floyd didn't miss a beat. "Lemme guess, writing is for the weak right?"
"Something like that," Ember grumbled. "The more important issue is that I can't read or write." A puff of smoke rose from her nostrils. "And it seems someone named Ronon made it so that recording mission reports isn't allowed."
Sighing heavily, Floyd fell back on the bed. "And now, you're gonna want someone to teach you right? That's how this goes." 'God, everythings a damn movie trope now'
Ember nodded, adjusting her wings. "Yeah, I just don't know who to ask. The leader of my squad, Colonel McDowell, seems too busy for that sort of thing, and I can barely understand anything our tech expert says. She always insists on these confusing words that end up meaning the same thing as a shorter one." She groaned as she laid out her problems for Floyd.
A pregnant pause filled the air, as the two of them sat in relative silence. A silence only broken when Floyd snored.
Ember's eye twitched, watching his head slump over. She shot up from her seat, grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him. "How could you fall asleep while we're talking?!" she roared.
Floyd swore, pushing her away. "You wanna know how? I'm doing more work here than anyone else. I got the day off to sleep, and now I got a warrior princess in here, complaining that she has to do something as banal as writing a damn report."
Ember gritted her teeth for a moment, looking like she wanted to say something else. She blew a puff of smoke from her nostrils and composed herself. "Sorry for being rude, I suppose. The cultural expert on my team has told me I should think before I act."
Glaring at her, Floyd resumed his relaxed spot on his bed. "Look, if you're really in that bad of a spot, you can study with me."
Ember took her seat again, her expression softening. "Are you sure? I'm sure I can find someone that's not as busy."
"I'm already learning Equish, it wouldn't be all that difficult to teach you English at the same time."
Ember nodded, a pleased look on her muzzle. "Thank you. By the way, what's your name?"
Floyd yawned, holding his hand out. "Floyd, Floyd Hendrix."
Ember arched her brow, "Wasn't that human from that IOA thing named Hendrix too?"
Frowning, Floyd grabbed her offered claw, shaking it. "Yeah, that's my old man."
Ember gave him a knowing look as she shook his hand. "Sounds like you've got some resentment for him. Trust me, I know that feeling way too well."
Pulling his arm back, Floyd rolled so his back was to her. "Door's over there, Ember. I'll look for you for study time."
"Okay, and thank you again." Ember turned and strode out of the bunkhouse, giving him a quick farewell as the door closed behind her.
Floyd sighed, shaking his head. He knew he wasn't special. Even before Ember's little comment, the general had told him she had problems with her father. 'Just let me have this goddamnit.' Closing his eyes, it didn't take him long to get back to sleep.
Floyd adjusted the shoulder strap of the P90 he had been assigned. None of the trainees had real weapons. They looked like them, but instead of bullets, they fired off low bursts of energy. Higgs had told him they were non-lethal, something called an Intar. He stared down at his target, hefting the gun to get a feel for it. He brought it up, closing one of his eyes as he looked through the sight. Once he had his aim on the center of the target, he put his finger on the trigger and fired a single round.
He cringed a bit as the rifle went off, but he kept his grip on it. Another shot. Another. Floyd released a total of five more shots before he lowered his weapon, gazing at the target. He cursed under his breath, noting that none of his shots hit the bullseye. One or two of his shots missed entirely and the others were spread out among the outer and second ring.
"Doing better than me," Lyra offered. She held a pistol in her magic, standing in the booth next to him. "I only got one hit in."
Floyd scratched his chin. "Let me see how you aim for a sec." Lyra did as he asked, holding the gun out in front of her. "I think I see what's wrong, you've gotta line the sights up with your dominant eye."
"Oh, right." Lyra leveled the pistol with her left eye, firing off another shot. Floyd noted that her magic seemed to dampen the recoil.
He looked down the range, seeing that her shot found its mark in the third ring. "Good job, Ly." He held a fist out to her.
Lyra angled the gun downwards, tapping her hoof to his fist. "How do you think Devon is doing?"
"Probably a little better than us," Floyd said, turning back to his target. "He said he already had some weapons training before this. All I've ever used is a hunting rifle."
"I've never held a weapon before," Lyra admitted, taking aim again and firing. "I never really saw the need for it before all this."
"That doesn't surprise me. When was the last time you guys had a war?" Floyd took aim again, releasing another volley of shots. Two hits and three misses. He tsked, rather displeased with his aim.
Lyra's muzzle scrunched up in thought as she tried to split her focus. "The closest thing we've had to war in the last century is a skirmish with the griffons eighty years ago. There was the changeling invasion recently but that was dealt with with no casualties from ponies." She fired another round, frowning as she hit the target stand instead of the target. "For an actual war, that'd have to be the Caribou War two hundred years ago."
"What was that like?" Another volley of shots, half hit. Floyd paused to examine his magazine, noting he had enough rounds left for another few shots.
"It was pretty bloody," Lyra answered. "Though most of the death toll from the caribou attacks came from when they struck at civilian centers. When they came up against our actual forces the maneuvering and weather manipulation of our pegasus soldiers coupled with the magic from our mages tore through their lines. Guerilla tactics were their preferred method against us."
"Sounds like a piece of history that you're glad to have behind you." He fired his last few rounds, a slight sense of satisfaction going through him. He still wasn't close to the bullseye, but his grouping improved a little.
Lyra looked over at his target and gave him a smile. "Yeah, I'm glad to live in peaceful times." She checked her own magazine, finding one left. She took careful aim and fired. "Hey! I hit the bullseye!”
Floyd grinned, holding out his fist again. "Amazing what you can accomplish when you actually look down the sights."
"Hahaha." Lyra smiled back, meeting his fist again.
"Bet you can't wait to show Bon Bon your target," Floyd said. He grabbed another magazine from his vest while ejecting the old one. He fumbled for a few moments but he managed to get the new magazine in place. He then pulled the gun back up into firing position and took careful aim. He pulled the trigger and lowered his gun. He smiled to himself, his last shot touching the edge of the bullseye.
Floyd's eyebrows knitted together in thought. "Say, why do you call it a 'bullseye?' Aren't male minotaurs called bulls?"
"Once upon a time, the minotaurs were well-known for being the best archers in the world," Lyra explained. "Their reputation has degraded over time, but the 'bullseye' has remained." Noticing a commotion, Lyra poked Floyd's leg and said, "Hey, what do you think they're arguing about?" She pointed to the side of the firing range, where Higgs was arguing with a pair of armed soldiers.
"No idea," Floyd said, adjusting his gun so it pointed down without him having to hold it. "But I'm getting a bad feeling from the guys he's arguing with."
"Should we go see what's up?"
Floyd nodded and stepped away from the range. "Yeah, I don't like this feeling I'm getting." He started to walk over to Higgs, trying to look inconspicuous. He stopped some feet away, making a show of looking his weapon over.
"...it won't work," Higgs growled, trying and failing to keep his composure.
"It will if you keep a handle on your team," one of the other men pressed. "That earth pony is starting to get nosy."
"Yeah, espionage experts tend to do that," Higgs shot back. "She's gonna figure your stunt out in an instant."
"Well then, do something about it," the man insisted. "We can't have her sticking her nose where it doesn't belong."
Higgs rolled his eyes, muttering something Floyd couldn't make out. "Fine, I'll see what I can do, but you two better know what you're doing. It'll be your asses if this goes tits up."
"As long as you keep her under control, everything will go without a hitch," the third man spoke. "Send her off to do drills out with Hendrix or something."
Higgs nodded again and the three split apart. Floyd saw Higgs coming his way and he tensed up while he pretended to check the safety.
Floyd looked up, throwing on a smile. "Hey, I was wondering when you'd come down. Lyra and I were starting to get hungry."
"Floyd, you're always hungry," Higgs said with a chuckle. "I'm surprised there isn't a pile of protein bar wrappers by your lane at the range."
Rubbing his neck, Floyd, looked back towards Lyra. "And get an earful for littering? No way."
Higgs chuckled, gave Floyd a pat on the shoulder and headed towards Lyra. "So you can learn." He motioned with his hand. "Come on, let's grab the squad and get lunch. I heard they've got salisbury steak today."
"Lyra!" Floyd called, waving her over. "We're getting food!"
"Nice!" Lyra galloped over with a smile on her face. "I heard from one of the deer that the kitchen is serving some local flora today."
Floyd shook his head. "I think only you and Bon Bon are going to be excited about that sorta thing."
The last few weeks had been a blur of meetings and ceremonies; it made Carter miss the simpler days of her time with SG-1. Daniel had returned to the holoroom when the activity died down. They were going to shut it down in a few days – the ZPMs were almost empty and she wasn't about to hook one of the Mark VII's up to it, no matter how much Daniel prodded her about it.
With her newly acquired break, Carter decided to head to her room and take a nice long shower, until her headset crackled to life.
"Hey Sam, could you drop by the holoroom?" Daniel's voice filled her ear.
She tapped her walkie talkie's button a couple times before responding. "If it's about using a naquadah generator, then it'll have to wait, Daniel."
"This is something the princesses are going to want to see."
She closed her eyes and tensed up for a moment, kissing her long shower goodbye. "I'll be right down."
"Great."
Carter turned on her heel and headed for the holoroom, silently hoping that what Daniel had found wouldn't lead to some sort of crisis. She found Daniel with his face in a book, muttering to himself.
"I know that look," Carter said, getting his attention. "You've found something that changes things and you want to translate as fast as possible."
"Hm?" Daniel looked up. "Oh uh, no. Well, not in the book anyway." Gesturing for her to come closer, he passed the book to her. "This is Discord, the spirit of chaos and disharmony." He indicated the strange creature depicted on the page. "Apparently, he's a statue in Canterlot's royal gardens."
Carter blinked, trying to make heads or tails of the creature she was looking at. "Is this an accurate depiction?"
"From what I saw of the statue, yes." Daniel walked over to the control console, tapping in a command. "That book isn't why I called you down here though."
"I figured as much," Carter said, watching the console light up. "That information could've waited until lunch."
Daniel didn't reply, executing the command. The lights dimmed, and a slightly luminescent man appeared in the center of the room. He wore similar robes to other recorded Shangrians, and shared their Indian skin tone.
"Greetings my friends," he spoke, his voice full of warmth despite his projected nature. "My name is Zaeed, one of the more scientifically minded here in Shangri-La. Recently, a very unique creature has joined us in our humble city. A child, lost in the world. The amaquinae were terrified of the child, and in hopes of keeping him safe, we have brought him here."
The man stumbled a little, a small creature having appeared on his head. "Ah, here he is now." Reaching up, he lifted it off his head, cradling it in his arms. "Why don't you tell our watchers your name?"
"Discord!" the creature cheered, throwing up his arms and causing a projection of his name to appear above him in Ancient.
"As you can see, Discord isn't like most creatures we've encountered." Zaeed shifted, letting Discord climb onto his shoulders. Discord curled around his shoulders, becoming a living scarf. "From what we have been able to glean, Discord can make anything he wishes happen, almost like he was ascended. It is our hope to nurture these abilities and show him the path to harmony."
"But not too much," Discord chirped, poking Zaeed in the temple. "Remember what happened during our last harmony lesson?"
Zaeed smiled, taking Discord into his arms again. "I promise you Discord, nothing like that will ever happen again."
Discord nodded, matching the man's smile and settling in his arms. The scene faded out, and the lights brightened up.
Carter turned to Daniel, a stunned look on her face. "You're right, the princesses need to see this."
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So close!
Yeah, yeah, time zones, whatever.
8326149
Hey, it's the 27nth where I am
Is it bad I want this to be a legit SG series. It is just written well enough to feel like an episode of the show.
Plus Baby discord this can only end badly
The caribou wars, huh? Interesting choice there ...
8326321
Believe it or not, Faust originally planned for Viking Caribou to show up at some point.
Weapons training
giggity
*SHOT*
The Caribou got Yakkeyty Saxed instead?
I hope someone realises that due to sympathetic magic, that they are looking at a recording of aincient Discord now, means he knows about them.
look up Quantum entanglement.
Oh, someone has made a 4D program for playing around with polyhedrea toy blocks. hopefully it will have some every intresting effects when GR and QM are applied to it. solving the problems that Kaluza and Klien had when doing Gravity=EM equation back in 1926.
Wouldnt it be daft if the reason Gravity cant be bound with the Standard Model, is because we are only useing 4D space time.
I think we need something:
Yeah, that's it. Happy 20th Anniversary Stargate SG-1
8326350
One of the most bad ass scenes in the show. In my top 5
8326304
No, it can only end hilariously
you know, ZPM's are in a way, advanced crystals that can store large amounts of energy... I wonder what would happen if the ponies were given a depleted ZPM to tinker with. a magic-powered ZPM?
8327035
Once a ZPM is depleted, it's useless. They can't be recharged
8327047
I know that. by tech means anyways. I know that's it's a device that taps it's power from a pocket of subspace-time or around those lines. didn't an earlier chapter say that 'magic' that ponies and other races in their galaxy use is small amounts of energy drawn from subspace?
8326350
Humanity: We might be throwing rocks at you, but we're doing it at subsonic speeds at a rate of 9000 times a minute.
Caribou wars weh? Interesting... very interesting, indeed.
Good work on this chaoter! Hahaha. Lyra's done good with her training, as had Floyd. Hmm...
Good work.
8327047
Outside of this story, was that ever established in canon or did the SGC just not know how? As far as I'm aware they never discovered anything on the actual manufacturing of ZPMs.
8327616
ZPMs can't be recharged. Their built with a finite power level. Once their drained, their basically just pretty rocks.
8327231 "What were the caribou after?" Floyd asked.
"Eh, the usual," shrugged Lyra. "Murder all the stallions gruesomely, rape all the mares. Typical primitive barbarian stuff. I'm glad we implemented the Final Solution."
Floyd backed away slowly....
Discord huh? That introduces a whole new stuff to the game. Xd
8327885
Hehehehehe
8327616
SGA s2e6; Zelenka says that ZPMs tap into an artificial pocket of subspace-time until that pocket reaches maximum entropy. Essentially, ZPMs steal energy from a small artificial universe until that universe reaches heat death. Reversing that would require a violation of the second law of thermodynamics.
You might potentially be able to attach a ZPM to a new artificial pocket, but the effort to do so would be almost identical to creating a brand new ZPM.
Glad to see Ember isn't going to just get pushed to the side. Ever since she showed an interest in gate travel and the program overall, I've been hoping she'd get a more active role in things, if only out of curiosity to see how she'll fit into it.
8326350
Always loved that scene. It summed up succinctly the very real difference between the flashy staff weapons and the more efficient P90s, as well as demonstrating why they're so effective in fighting the Goa'uld. And the Replicators. And the Wraith. Sometimes the Ori...depended on whether or not a Prior was around...
And man...twenty years. I can hardly believe it's been that long now...actually kind of makes me nostalgic. Maybe I should find the time to binge-watch the series a little so to celebrate.
I spy with my little eye, and reference to a Season 7 episode.
And for the record, I suspect that this medical issue was due less to an abundance of Harmony, so much as an abundance of Order/absence of Chaos.
And in other news, anyone else hoping that when Discord gets thawed out, he will start to say his opening lines from "Keep Calm and Flutter On", only to do a double take and say something about this not being "in the script"?
What just happened with the chapter?
8328644
What do you mean?
8328644
The title changed, I think.
a young Discord this is a huge game changer.
Oh dear...I think this 'verse just got its impetus to release Discord from stone.
8329790
I'm referring to when daniel was trying to explain to some villagers that there was no such thing as magic...RIGHT as he got transported away. "Boy my timing's off today!"
Hm...Is this a new plothook, or is it referencing something mentioned but which I've forgotten about? (it has been a while since the last chapter).
Oh, yes, the princesses DEFINITELY need to see this. I wonder if they'll let discord out early after they see it...
8330908
Bon Bon is a member of SMILE. Other than that, nothing in the quoted text has been previously referenced.
Happy 20th, SG-1!
8329495
And so cute, too
8326163
Great chapter--can't wait to see how Discord works into this...and the interesting meeting between him and Daniel.
8339635
Celestia: "General Carter, Doctor Jackson. Allow me to introduce you to Discord."
"
"
"
"
Discord: "Well, HELLO Humans! What brings you to our quaint little world?"
Carter: "That's odd... He sounds just like that jerk, Frank Simmons
Jackson: "Yeah, he really does, doesn't he?
Celestia: "
Discord: "♪♫
8353171
Yeah, I'd buy that.
8328436
Sort of sad too, that SG-1 was pretty much the last high-water mark for sci-fi. After a good decade and-a-half with various Star Treks, Babylon 5[1] and Stargate (among others, like Farscape and Andromeda), it sort of petered out a bit.
Sure, now we've got the superheroes (which is sorta sci-fi ish), but we are distinctly lacking in spaceships and such.
(I find the irony that now, with better technology, the sci-fi could be a bazillion times better, especially the starships, it's gone out of flavour; well, as far as the people wanting to make sci-fi. It's a standing travesty that a twenty-odd year old CGI show for children still hold pretty much the record for mass starfighter engagements.)
(There's always Doctor Who, of course, but that's alwasy occupied a sort of unique sort of niche.)
[1]The best, though only after a much later re-watch on DVD when as an adult, not a teenager, I could appreciate the subtlies more. SG-1 had otherwise usurped that goal and that had very few actual starship battles (my usual criterion for greatness).
8365412
And then They killed it with battlegate Galactia ( SGU) Sci fi too costly to produce and just ran out of ideas
Curses, i'm caught up now. Just gotta wait and see if Floyd will become another Tighten.
Correction:
lay
8393823
Something like that, but once they get their. That city ship will really be the only thing that we would have to worry about, probably because it's powered by ZPMs and the only thing that's a match for a ZPM powered City Ship is a ZPM powered Wraith Super Hive Ship.
8393836
http://bronies.wikia.com/wiki/Grogar
I am looking forward to learning about the history between these "Shadow Ponies" and the Alterans.
Interesting how the plague from the Shadow Ponies was intended to target only the Alterans in their galaxy, not the Milky Way or Pegasus galaxy, and here they are, assuming that Daniel was a Lantean. I can't wait to find out their reaction when they realize that the Tau'ri are just the descendants.
8433726
I think it should be obvious that, The Shangrians cut off all contact with the Lanteans after the split.
8433974
Yes, that part is obvious, but I'm curious as to how the plague spread to the Lanteans :P
*no spoilers if you still need to write a plot for that :) *
8438107
The Plague never spread to the Lanteans.
8438205
I may need to either rewatch the show or reread your fanfic. Can you remind me what happened to the Lanteans?
8438723
Their empire crumbled under the Wraith, and they either ascended or lived out the rest of their days on Earth
Random line breaks 🤔
Zaeed?
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"Scientifically minded"?
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