Crosscurrent [part 4]
"I'm sorry to bother you, General, but they insisted," Lt. Kim apologized, standing in the general's door.
"It's fine, Lieutenant," Carter assured her. "What did they want at this time of day? The sun's not even up yet."
"They uh..." Kim scratched her cheek. "They claim they need to lower the moon and raise the sun."
"...I need to see this," Carter said, walking out of her room. "It's impossible for them to be able to do such a thing," she muttered to herself. "Even with magic they can't just override a star's superior gravity."
"Might just be superstition," Kim suggested as they moved through the empty hallways.
"It doesn't make sense though," Carter said. "They don't seem like they want to play gods like the Goa'uld. Did they sound earnest when they made their request?"
"They were very insistent, General," Kim explained, "Princess Celestia claims she hasn't been late once in the last thousand years."
"Okay, so they obviously believe they're really doing something," Carter nodded. She concentrated, running through all the possibilities of what the two could actually be doing. "I do have a hypothesis," she said slowly, a satisfied smile on her face. "Perhaps this planet is tidally locked!"
"Ma'am?"
"Tidal lock is something that occurs with our moon back home," Carter explained. "The rotation speed matches the orbit speed so that one hemisphere always faces the celestial body it orbits. The princesses aren't literally raising the sun and moon, they're affecting the rotation of this planet."
"That's a quick answer," Kim commented, looking back at her.
"I'm not just a General, Lieutenant," Carter told her with a chuckle. "I earned my doctorate in astrophysics."
"Right." Kim nodded, "They're in the jumper bay, waiting for us."
"Alright, and I may not bring up this little revelation to them," Carter admitted. "We've only just met the princesses and I'd hate to offend them." Kim nodded, leading her up into the jump bay. Celestia and Luna looked wide awake, chatting with their escorts. "Hello, princesses," Carter greeted. "Lieutenant Kim tells me that you wanted to lower the moon and raise the sun this morning."
"It is a duty that has been entrusted to us for a thousand years," Luna spoke, nodding her head.
"Well, that does sound important," Carter replied. "Do you mind if I watch you two do it?"
"Of course not," Celestia assured with a smile, "Though, we will need to be on the other side of the shield."
"Then we'll need to get you in a jumper," Carter explained, motioning toward the nearest ship. "That's the only thing that can pass through the shield."
"I do wish the Teachers had made their carriages larger," Luna grumbled, shooting one of the jumpers a look of disdain.
"They have to be this size," Carter said. "Otherwise they wouldn't fit through the gate." She opened the door to one of the jumpers, ushering the princesses inside. Luna sighed as she moved inside, laying down on one of the benches. Carter nodded to their designated pilot, moving up to the front compartment, Celestia laying down on the floor. The pilot took the controls and the jumper hovered in the air. The pilot took the jumper past the shield and landed it on a nearby flat part of the tundra outside.
Celestia and Luna teleported outside, bracing themselves against the blizzard.
"Not the most pleasant place we've ever performed our sacred duty," Luna grumbled, her body shivering even after the brief exposure to the cold.
"Would you rather the world panic?" Celestia asked, raising her eyebrow.
"You know that I do not wish for such a thing," Luna sighed. Luna lit up her horn, then Celestia lit her own horn up, closing her eyes. In a matter of moments, the moon started to dip below the horizon. The sun then started peaking up, taking the moon's former place in the sky.
"There." Celestia smiled, opening her eyes. "Not even the Frozen North can stop us."
"If Discord couldn't do it, then I doubt a little cold weather could," Luna replied with a chuckle as she walked back to the jumper.
"Keep that up and you'll jinx us," Celestia joked, letting Luna get in first.
"Well, you've already been stopped once before," Luna teased, a smirk on her face. "Cadance told me all about what happened at her wedding."
"At least I didn't sleep through it," Celestia shot back, laying down on the floor.
"You're right, I would've liked to have seen it in person," Luna replied, laying down next to her.
"Did you enjoy the show?" Celestia asked, turning her attention to the humans.
"It was certainly something to behold," Carter replied. "Seeing that really reminds me how far away from home I am." The jumper picked up again, taking them back into the hangar.
"I know that feeling, I spent a very long time away from home," Luna spoke, looking away.
"Spending a long time from home is part of my job," Carter told her. "It took some getting used to that, but going out into space was a dream of mine since I was just a little girl."
"If only I had been so lucky..."
"So, now that it's officially morning, how about we have some breakfast?" Carter asked, wanting to change the topic and hopefully lift the mood. "We've got plenty of food here."
"I think that sounds lovely," Celestia responded with a smile.
"Sounds good then," Carter replied. "Let's get back in the city and get something to eat. I think I should introduce you to some human breakfast foods. Namely, cereal."
"I assure you General, we have cereal."
"Then I guess we'll just have to show you ours, and next time you can show us yours," Carter said with a chuckle. The princesses teleported out of the jumper, letting the others walk out.
"Can humans eat oats?" Luna asked, gazing at Carter's stomach for a moment.
"Humans are omnivorous," Carter explained. "We've got a pretty varied diet that includes grains of various kinds, fruits and vegetables, and a need for protein that some of us use meat to fill but others of us just eat certain plant matter like tofu in order to get it."
"Sounds very handy," Luna commented.
"It is for the most part," Carter replied,. "It's certainly made human cuisine quite varied. Not just on our own planet, either."
"I cannot wait to try my hoof." Celestia grinned, fluffing her wings.
"Glad to hear it," Carter replied, beginning to lead them out of the bay. "We might as well exchange cuisine on top of everything else."
"I can think of a few ponies that would be eager to try different human food," Celestia said, chuckling at the thought of a certain pink pony.
"I pray that the food here is nothing like Canterlot's." Luna shuddered, her stomach groaning at the idea of ingesting the wretched substances that passed as food in the capital.
"I keep telling you to avoid the places that have been reviewed by that tasteless pony Zesty Gourmand, but you refuse to listen to me," Celestia told her with a roll of the eyes. "Every time I offer to disguise the two of us so we can have a quiet meal at my favorite places you always pass."
"I am this close to arresting her for crimes against good taste," Luna huffed, "she obviously has none."
"Luna, we're not creating food based laws just to get rid of a talentless hack of a critic," Celestia scolded. "Even if she is awful..."
"Bah!" Luna pouted, looking away from her.
"Don't worry, I'm sure the ponies of Canterlot will come to the conclusion that Zesty wouldn't know good food from her own plot at some point," Celestia assured with a chuckle. "They can only stomach so much of that drivel she forces her approved restaurants to make."
"We shall see, sister."
"Well, it certainly seems like you two have strong feelings about food," Carter commented, chuckling a little at their back and forth.
"Most food is better than moon rocks," Luna replied.
"And better than Jack's melted arctic ice," Carter added.
"You didn't actually eat moon rocks," Celestia spoke, a look of horror dawning on her face. "Did you...?"
"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't," Luna replied cryptically. "It's not like there was any hay or flowers on the moon."
"Oh, Luna..." Celestia turned her head away, unable to look at her sister.
"None of that, sister." Luna sighed. "What's done is done. We cannot change the past, even when it hurts." Luna gazed at Carter, who wore a confused expression. "Though I do believe we have lost the General."
"Yes." Carter nodded. "I'm sorry but… you've been on your planet's moon before?" she asked carefully.
"Aye." Luna nodded solemnly. "We were banished there for the last thousand years."
"And you were able to survive there?" Carter asked, unable to comprehend what she was hearing. "Does your moon have an atmosphere?"
"It was more... I was trapped inside of it than on it."
"And you were conscious the entire time?" Carter inquired. "Or were you put into some form of stasis or hibernation?"
"Technically, Nightmare Moon spent most of that time stewing in her hatred, squirreling her power away until she could free us."
"This is all very interesting, but I think it's best if we change the subject," Carter said, starting to feel uncomfortable.
"I agree." Celestia nodded. "I'd rather not dwell on past mistakes."
"I am interested in learning more about your world," Carter suggested, walking into the mess hall, "It must be hard with so many races all on one planet."
"In the past, things were rather tense at times," Celestia admitted. "Even the three different pony tribes were at each other's throats at one time. But things have greatly improved. Our little ponies have learned to work together in harmony and we even have good relations with most of the other races of this world." Celestia frowned. "Of course, there are a few that we are not friends with."
"That sounds rather impressive," Carter said. "Things back home have greatly improved between our different cultures as well. I guess finding out we're not alone in the universe had a way of bringing us together."
"We could give you the 'crash course' as it were," Celestia offered.
"I'd like that a lot," Carter agreed. "If we're going to be working on this planet for an extended time, then we'll need to learn about all of its various inhabitants." The princesses nodded, allowing Carter to fill their trays. "I decided to give you various types of our breakfast foods to see what you think," Carter told them, holding their trays out for them before moving to fill her own up.
"Thank you." Celestia smiled as she and Luna took their trays from her. Carter quickly grabbed her own food, purposely avoiding the meat in an attempt to not make the princesses uncomfortable. She took a seat at the closest table and motioned for them to join her. They trotted over, sitting down. "Who would you like to know about first?"
"I've heard the word griffon mentioned before, let's start with them," Carter said, taking a bite out of her food.
"The griffons are a..." Celestia frowned, trying to find the right words. "A very difficult people."
"And very greedy," Luna added.
"But they are not without their positive traits," Celestia assured. "It usually just takes getting past a quite rough exterior to find them."
"Until you ask a question of them. Then they start demanding bits."
"Guess we'll have to get some of this planet's money before we try dealing with them," Carter lamented. "What about another race?"
"You should also know, the griffons no longer have any form of government," Celestia warned.
"No wonder less than ideal traits have shown up," Carter commented. "They're living in an anarchy."
"As far as I am aware, they were always like that," Celestia corrected, "It was only once they found a mystical artifact that they united previously."
"Huh, we'll have to look into that," Carter admitted. "I'm sure Daniel will get a kick out of learning their history."
"Just make sure he has loads of bits."
"We'll work on that," Carter replied. "Though he does still have chocolate on him. Would they take that instead?"
"Not that we know of."
"That's a shame," Carter lamented. "Guess it can't be helped though. So, what about the other races?"
"The deer live in the Everfree," Celestia started, beginning to eat.
"Deer?" Carter repeated, caught off guard by that. "I wasn't expecting to hear those being here."
"Doctor Jackson didn't tell you?"
"It must've slipped his mind between everything else that we had learned yesterday," Carter said. "Still, I guess it makes sense that there'd be deer here. We have ponies back home too. Well, at least what you'd call earth ponies anyway."
"You have Earth Ponies?" Luna asked, looking genuinely surprised.
"Well, we have an animal that has a passing resemblance to Earth Ponies," Carter clarified. "Their intelligence isn't nearly as high as any of yours and their coloration isn't quite as varied."
"And you have deer as well?" Celestia asked curiously.
"Yes, they're pretty common in my country too." Carter nodded. "They live in a lot of our wooded and rural areas. I'm guessing your deer are smarter than ours too."
"They hold a small kingdom in the Everfree forest." Celestia took a bit of toast. "Besides a rather brave zebra, they are the only ones daring enough to make the forest their home."
"...Did you just say zebra?" Carter asked, blinking. "There are zebras here too?"
"They aren't native to the Equestrian continent, but yes there is a sizable population in our country."
"This day is getting stranger and stranger and breakfast isn't even over yet," Carter muttered. "There are zebras on our planet as well. They live on a continent we call Africa."
"Zebras are mostly tribal in nature, and by tradition, speak in rhyme."
"Sounds like they'd be good friends with Dr. Seuss," Carter commented, chuckling slightly.
"Who?" Luna asked, tilting her head.
"He's a famous children's book author from our world. He used a lot of rhyming in his books," Carter explained.
"I would be rather interested in reading some of his work." Celestia smiled. "I must ask General Carter, do you have any legends about... changelings?"
"I believe we do." Carter nodded. "Though I couldn't give you the specifics on any legends. That's Daniel's area of expertise, not mine. I'm guessing changelings are a thing here too?"
"They are an insect-like race of ponies," Celestia spoke, a torn look spreading across her face, "They live in hives, led by queens. One such queen, Chrysalis, nearly toppled our nation."
"Then there are other hives that might not be hostile?" Carter inquired.
"A few, one in Trottingham. I have tea with the queen every so often." Celestia nodded with a smile.
"Well, if this Chrysalis shows up and tries to topple Equestria again, our technology might be able to help you."
"That would be very kind of you." Celestia bowed her head slightly. "But, if it were a mere war of arms, we wouldn't have come so close to defeat. Changelings are shapeshifters, able to fully change into their target, replacing them and feeding on the love directed toward the one they replaced."
"Sounds like a useful ability," Carter said. "Would the queen you have tea with mind giving us a DNA sample? I'm sure our biology team would have a field day studying this."
"You could ask her yourself," Celestia offered, "I'm sure she'd love to meet you."
"I'll take you up on that offer," Carter answered. "Just make sure to coach me on proper etiquette around her. I'd hate to offend her in some way."
"We still have a few other races to go over," Celestia stated, sipping at her drink.
"Then what about minotaurs?" Carter inquired. "I remember them being mentioned yesterday."
"Loud, brutish creatures." Luna snorted.
"What she means to say is that the minotaurs can be a bit boisterous," Celestia said, shooting her sister a quick look. "They can also be a bit stubborn, which is where the term 'bullheaded' comes from."
"Are you on good terms?" Carter asked, looking between them.
"The minotaurs are a race that we have a healthy trade relationship with," Celestia answered. "Most of our metalworks come from them. In fact, our guards' armor is all made by a minotaur blacksmith by the name of Steel Will."
"We have not always seen eye to eye with them," Luna admitted, fluffing her wings.
"It's amazing to be learning about all these different races," Carter said. "You'd think I'd have learned that there's some truth in some of the old human myths, but it's never been like this."
"All myths should be taken with a grain of salt, General." Celestia chuckled, looking at her.
"You make a good point, princess," Carter admitted. "I just needed to be reminded of that I guess." Celestia chuckled.
"My compliments to your chef."
"I'll be sure to pass that along," Carter replied with a smile. "The food here is much better than what I had back in basic training."
"Are we interrupting?" Cadance asked, walking over with Lyra and Bon Bon in tow.
"Not at all," Celestia assured her. "We were just teaching the General here about the other races we share this world with. We just covered the minotaurs."
"Have you gotten to the buffalo?" Lyra asked, sitting next to Carter.
"No, we hadn't mentioned them yet," Luna replied. "We were just about to, though."
"The buffalo are very nice people," Lyra smiled, looking at Carter.
"That's good to hear. What can you tell me about their culture?" Carter asked.
"Nomadic, tribal. They live down south, near Appleloosa," Lyra explained, "Peaceful."
"Is that all the sapient races?" Carter asked. "Or are there more I should know about?"
"There are the dragons, the centaurs, the gargoyles, and a few others," Lyra explained, examining Carter's plate.
"Do you want some food?" Carter asked, noticing Lyra staring.
"Sorry..." Lyra chuckled sheepishly, looking away.
"You've got nothing to apologize for." Carter waved off. "Still, this might be the most interesting planet I've visited so far. It's certainly got the most varied intelligent species in one place."
"I'm glad you think so highly of us," Luna laughed, "Hopefully your stay will be a pleasant one."
"I hope the same thing," Carter said. "We've had good luck so far, minus the parasprite incident. Getting the shield to full power went much quicker than I thought it would."
"Do you know if there are any more in the city?"
"There shouldn't be," Carter answered. "Our systems indicated that we rounded them all up and they all should be under Cadance's crystal spell. We've been keeping our eyes peeled, though."
"That's a relief." Cadance smiled.
"We owe it all to you girls," Carter told them, getting up to grab three more trays of food. "If you hadn't known how to corral them and had a non-lethal way of dealing with them, things would've ended very differently."
"What are friends for?" Cadance beamed.
"You got me there, Cadance," Carter admitted with a chuckle, putting the three trays down in front of Lyra, Bon Bon, and Cadance before sitting down and resuming her own meal.
"Thanks!" Lyra chirped before munching away.
"Don't mention it," Carter waved off. "I hope you like it all."
"Cadance, we should discuss our plans for the day," Celestia spoke, finishing her drink.
"You're right," Cadance agreed, taking a bite out of her cereal. "I've got to get back to the empire at some point today. I'm sure Shiny's worried sick by now."
"I was thinking, you return to the Empire with our guests, while Luna and I return to Canterlot with Lyra and Bon Bon," Celestia explained, "Word is going to spread fast and I want to quash any untoward rumors."
"That sounds like a good plan to me, Auntie," Cadance agreed with a smile. "I'm sure they'll love seeing the empire."
"I am curious, what was that young stallion's name?" Luna asked, looking at Carter, "The one with the camera."
"That would be Floyd Hendrix," Carter answered. "He's got the ATA gene, and a very responsive one based on what I've seen. That's the primary reason he was selected to come along with us. I could get his file if you'd like a more detailed description."
"ATA gene?" Celestia asked, raising her eyebrow.
"It's short for Ancient Technology Activation gene," Carter clarified. "The Ancients put a genetic lock on a lot of their technology so that only one of their species, or at least one who bears the particular gene, can use their tech. Some of it only requires the gene for initial activation, after which anyone can operate it, but some actually requires it for all operation. It's the reason why I can't pilot a jumper."
"I see." Celestia nodded.
"Why the sudden interest in Floyd?" Carter asked, turning to Luna.
"He has our mentor's amulet, that is cause enough," Luna replied, sipping at her drink.
"I, see," Carter replied with a nod. "If he seems to do anything that concerns you, let me know. I'd hate for you to think we're disrespecting your mentor."
"He appears to be a fine stallion," Celestia assured her with a smile.
"True," Carter agreed. "The only blemishes on his records are ones we chalked up to childhood ignorance and naivete."
"We all do," Celestia giggled, "I could spend days telling you how much mischief my sister and I caused when we were fillies."
"I was a military brat, so I didn't cause much mischief myself," Carter said. "I was more of the quiet, bookish type. Always studying to prepare for my dream of joining NASA and exploring other worlds. As you can see, half that dream came true," she concluded with a chuckle.
"NASA?" Cadance asked curiously.
"It means National Aeronautics and Space Administration," Carter elaborated. "Before the Stargate project was public, most people thought that we'd explore the stars through shuttlecraft built by them."
"Your people are most fascinating, General Carter." Luna's eyes seemed to shine. "No pony has left our world save me since the Teachers' time."
"Well, a lot of our technology at this point is thanks to collaboration with other planets, or things we've piggybacked off of the Ancients," Carter replied. "But I could always bring you a model of the Apollo 11 rocket. That was the first manned mission to the moon."
"I would be most grateful." Luna inclined her head in gratitude.
"Then I'll be sure to do so," Carter told her with a smile.
"Hey, um, General?" Lyra asked, poking at her food.
"What is it, Lyra?" Carter asked, turning to the mint colored unicorn mare.
"Well, the old legends say that Teachers came down in their city..." she looked up at her. "Can Shangri-La... fly?"
"It should be able to," Carter replied. "All the diagnostic reports indicate that there's no major damage to any of the vital systems."
"This place can fly?" Bon Bon asked, looking around. "Like Cloudsdale?"
"That depends, can Cloudsdale breach this planet's atmosphere and move faster than light?" Carter asked with a chuckle.
"No..." Bon Bon conceded, "But it is made of clouds."
"Sounds like an interesting place," Carter replied.
"It's the center of our weather production," Celestia explained, "Cloudsdale's weather factory is the biggest in the country. It handles all of our seasonal changes."
"Then we'll have to study it thoroughly," Carter replied. "We could learn a lot from the factory."
"On a related note," Celestia continued, "I assume you'll be moving the city?"
"Yes, we need to avoid another ice buildup occurring. But we can wait until you inform the public about us," Carter conceded.
"Of course." Celestia nodded. "I want to thank you for your hospitality, General, most situations like this go very poorly."
"I have a lot of experience when it comes to first contact with another people," Carter replied.
Celestia dabbed at her mouth with her napkin, pushing her plate away. "Luna, are you finished?"
"Yes, I am full," Luna replied with a nod.
"Than I ask for your leave, General." Celestia stood up, pushing her chair in. "We should not tarry longer."
"You don't have to ask me for that," Carter said with a smile. "You're a guest, not a subordinate."
"It would be very rude for us to just leave," Luna countered, rising to her hooves. The two alicorns bowed their heads, reciting a phrase in what Carter recognized as Ancient. From what she knew, she picked out the words 'fire’, 'friendship’ and 'heart.’
"I assume your mentor taught you that?" Carter asked.
"It's an old..." Celestia gestured with a hoof, trying to find the right term.
"The phrase is given in thanks," Luna explained, coming to her sister's aid, "I believe the correct translation is 'May the fire of friendship forever warm your heart.'"
"I'll have to learn that phrase," Carter said with a smile.
Celestia smiled back. "Ms. Heartstrings, Ms. Bon, are you finished?"
"Oh, actually..." Lyra bit her lip. "I was hoping I could stay, if the General allows it. There's so much to learn here!"
"Lyra!" Bon Bon frowned. "You can't just-"
"I have no qualms with Lyra remaining here if the General allows it," Celestia said, causing Bon Bon to quiet down.
"I'm more than happy to answer Lyra's questions," Carter replied. "Though some answers might end up being, 'That's classified.' And you can't interfere with my work."
"Of course not!" Lyra nodded, wagging her tail happily.
"Good, then stick close to me," Carter said as she turned to leave.
"Be good for the Princess, Bon Bon!" Lyra pulled her into a loving kiss before trotting after Carter.
"Try not to bug the general too much!" Bon Bon called out.
"Come along Ms. Bon," Celestia instructed, walking toward the exit, "We have much to discuss." Bon Bon nodded and followed after the princesses.
"Have a safe trip!" Cadance called after them.
"So, what did you want to discuss with me?" Bon Bon asked once they were out of earshot.
"You can drop the act, Agent Sweetie Drops," Celestia spoke curtly.
"Alright," the earth pony mare said, her demeanor shifting. "There's gotta be something up if you're calling me that here."
"From your observations, can we trust these humans?"
"They've given me no reason not to," Sweetie Drops reported. "They're a little ignorant about magic and creatures of this world, but since they're from another planet that makes sense."
Celestia nodded, looking deep in thought.
"Something on your mind about these humans?" Sweetie Drops asked.
"They look exactly like the Teachers... almost like they never left..."
"They did say that they're descended from the Teachers," the agent reminded her.
Celestia nodded, almost instinctively leading them to the Jumper Bay.
A guard came up to them and asked, "Is there something you needed, Princess?"
"A ride home, if you please." She smiled. "We could always fly ourselves, but it is rather cold outside."
"I can have that arranged," the guard said with a nod. "I'll just have to notify the general about your departure and get clearance to take a Jumper out for you." The guard pressed the button on his walkie talkie and contacted Carter.
"Yes?" Carter replied.
"Princess Celestia wishes to leave. Requesting permission to take a Jumper out of the hangar."
"Granted. Prep a second Jumper for Princess Cadance and Doctor Jackson as well."
"Consider it done," the guard replied as he let go of the button. "Alright, we need two Jumpers prepared for launch!" he called out.
"And now we wait." Celestia sat on her haunches, watching the humans dash back and forth.
"You won't be waiting long," the guard assured her. "We could do this in our sleep."
"I can tell, you appear to be quite efficient."
"That's because only the best of the best from all branches get picked to be in the Stargate program. We're the most elite force the Earth military's got," the guard said with pride.
"Hopefully, you won't have to test your mettle on Halla."
"You got a point," the guard replied with a chuckle. "I told the missus that this mission would be a cakewalk. I'd rather bare knuckle brawl with a Wraith than lie to her."
"Wraith?" Sweetie Drops asked, raising her eyebrow.
"Oh, they're nasty SOB's. They can suck the life outta ya through their hands," the guard explained. "And supposedly they evolved from some bug."
"Sounds..." Celestia and Luna exchanged glances. "Most unpleasant."
"I believe we should increase Tartarus's security," Luna suggested, to which Celestia agreed.
"We've finished prep on the Jumpers," another soldier said, snapping a quick salute.
"Must we squeeze ourselves into that metal contraption again?" Luna pouted, rising to her hooves.
"I dunno, Lulu, do you wish to brave the Frozen North again?" Celestia asked, fluffing her wings.
"...Inside the contraption it is," Luna replied with a sigh, trotting into one of the Jumpers.
"As I recall, you loved riding in them when we were foals."
"We're a lot larger now than we were then," Luna pointed out. "You, particularly, have filled out in the flanks."
"Keep that up and you'll have to walk home." Celestia lay down on the floor next to her, with Sweetie Drops lying on a bench.
"Fine, though one would think you could take a joke," Luna replied, nudging her sister's side. Celestia pouted, nudging her back.
"If it's jokes you want, then perhaps I should regale everypony with the tale of the first Grand Galloping Gala?" Celestia said, her pout becoming a smirk directed at Luna. Sweetie Drops looked between them, trying to keep from laughing. Luna grumbled under her breath, turning away from Celestia with a pout.
"This is going to be an interesting flight," their pilot chuckled, moving the Jumper up and out of the bay.
"Are we expecting a warm welcome, Cadance?" Daniel asked, watching as Floyd taught the pink alicorn to play Texas hold 'em.
"We should, since I'm returning to my home after having been missing. And the Crystal Empire will be sure to repay your hospitality," Cadance replied.
"Sounds fun," Floyd commented, doing his best to get a read on Cadance. The princess just smiled, not letting him get anything.
"Just don't do anything to rile up the locals," Daniel warned.
"Don't worry, I read the orientation packet like three times," Floyd said. "Plus, I know to let you do most of the talking. A good cameraman isn't heard, after all."
"Fair warning, the Crystal Ponies are still rather jumpy." Cadance flipped the last few of the river cards down, keeping a serene face. Floyd groaned, his head falling over as he revealed his own cards. "Looks like I win." She laid her cards down, revealing a three of a kind.
"You've got one hell of a poker face, Princess," complimented Floyd.
"Years of practice." She smiled, collecting and shuffling the cards. "Another round?"
"Sure, not like I got anything better to do," Floyd replied. Cadance dealt the cards again, placing the river cards down. Floyd threw in his makeshift chips, making the first bet. Cadance did the same, studying her cards closely. "Got anything good there?" he asked with a chuckle.
"Do you?"
"I might," he replied, tossing in a couple more chips.
"You sure you don't want to join us, doctor?" Cadance asked, glancing over at Daniel.
"I'm very sure," Daniel replied. "I'm terrible at card games. Jack won nearly all of one of my paychecks the last time he convinced me to play. And Teal'c won even more off me."
"Friends of yours?"
"Well, Jack and I went through the Stargate together in what we thought was the first ever trip through it. And Teal'c along with Jack and Carter were in the team known as SG 1 with me," Daniel explained.
"Sounds like Twilight and her friends." Cadance tossed in a few more chips, flipping the next river card over.
"I'm assuming this Twilight is a friend of yours as well?" Daniel asked.
"She's actually my sister-in-law, I married her older brother, Shining Armor."
"Ah," Daniel said with a nod. "Do the two of you get along?"
"Like sisters." Cadance beamed. "I actually used to be her foalsitter."
"Glad to hear it," Daniel said. "Marriages run much smoother if the in-laws like you."
"Speaking from experience?"
"I am," he replied, though Cadance noted the hint of sadness in his voice.
"You're married?" Floyd asked with a quirked brow. "I've never seen a ring on you, Doc."
"Floyd," Cadance got his attention, shaking her head slightly.
"Uh… ya know what, forget I said anything," Floyd said.
"Hey, Doctor Jackson?" their pilot called back.
"What is it?" Daniel asked, turning his attention to the cockpit.
"You're gonna wanna see this." Daniel got out of his seat and headed up to the cockpit to look at what the pilot was talking about. Daniel almost did a double take, leaning in closer for a better look.
"Well, I can see why it's called the Crystal Empire now," was all Daniel could say.
The Empire was aptly named, all of its structures were made of shimmering crystal of every hue. The city formed a perfect circle, with a massive white spire in the middle. It was untouched by the tundra, being green and rather pleasant, this effect reaching out in all directions for a few miles.
"This almost reminds me of the Tok'ra tunnel systems," Daniel noted.
"Gentlestallions," Cadance cleared her throat, putting on an air of authority, "allow me the honor of officially welcoming you to the Crystal Empire."
"It's certainly an impressive looking place," Daniel said. "And I'm sure it has a history to match."
"The Empire's scars run deep. I have to ask that you refrain from asking the Crystal Ponies about the Empire's history."
"Don't worry, Princess, I know how to keep my enthusiasm from getting the better of me," Daniel assured her. "Years of getting a weapon pointed at me for asking the wrong question have taught me that skill."
"Oh no Daniel, the Crystal Ponies are a friendly people," Cadance assured him. "This is for their protection."
"Alright, I can still learn what I want from the local library, correct?" Daniel asked.
"Sombra hid a lot of the Empire's history." Cadance frowned. "We still don't even know all of what he did during his reign. When my aunts defeated him, he cursed the city, and while we've managed to free it..." she paused a moment, trying to gather her thoughts. "The Crystal Ponies can't quite recall anything that happened before their reappearance and when they try, Sombra's curse will send them into a mental breakdown."
"That's awful," Daniel said with a grimace. "Princess, part of my job is to uncover lost history. With your permission, I'd like to lead a team and see if we can uncover the history of your Empire."
"Granted, as long as you honor my request." Cadance nodded.
"I would never betray the trust of a friend," Daniel replied. "The others on the team will respect that wish as well."
"Thank you." She smiled up at him.
"I should be thanking you for this opportunity," he replied.
"Where should we set down, Princess?" their pilot asked.
"Land outside the city," Cadance said. "We don't want to scare the citizens." He nodded, engaging the Jumper's cloak.
"Is there anything else we need to know besides not asking about history?" Floyd questioned.
"Not that I can think of."
"That's good," Floyd said. "Then I'll just stick to the usual set of manners."
The Jumper set down quietly, the ramp lowering for them. Cadance stepped out first, followed by Daniel, and then Floyd.
"Aren't you coming?" Cadance asked the pilot.
"Nah, someone's gotta keep an eye on the Jumper," the pilot said.
"Well, alright, but I'm sending a guard to check on you."
"Thanks, Princess, that's a sweet gesture. Try to send one that can hold a decent conversation," the pilot said with a chuckle. Cadance nodded before turning around, leading her guests into the city.
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7545066 Not really. Luna's just peeved Celestia keeps running into possible danger without a legitimate plan.
Yay update! Ahhh man I'm loving this, good work on this dude!
Is it weird I want to have a part of the next chapter or so to be about said guard and the pilot?
I feel like there could be a friendship there~
Perhaps a ship even~
Good show!
7545096 Adorable av pic
Should be interesting one way or the other
Here we are, riding in a tin can, eating food from the stars.
Still no suprise cupcakes.
Then again, if Shining leaves the throne room for even a moment, that gives Pinkie time to set up without having to use a scene shift.
Does Daniel retain enough Ascension to notice Pinkie?
Another good chapter. Now I'm excited for the next!
'of' to 'but'
Ooohhhhh new chapter!
I see some foreshadowing there author, some of it is rather subtle, other bits not so much. Can't wait for the big conflict to occur!
Wait, they went public?! My last knowledge of the series was that it was still Top Secret. Man I have missed a lot then.
Unless the speed is constant (Earth=465'11 m/s) , the dwellers of the planet would notice if someone is suddenly rotating it.
Nice new update I can't wait to see them in the Crystal Empire next up as I'm sure that will be interesting to see. I also have to wonder what else Lyra will find/get into while looking around the city. Given all the trouble Atlantis had with left over and forgotten stuff lying around I'm sure there is bound to be some things they'll stumble over.
I can already see local scientist/engineers/historians wanting to get a research team there after Celestia makes is known. Wonder how they'll take it that Lyra someone who is a laughing stock in their field discovered it and most likely Celestia will make an important figure in any research as she has the most experience with the city and humans. That might actually be an interesting little conflict I can see happen with some that might have ego issues with it.
7545136
Thank you very much, yours is pretty cool as well~
And yes it should be, hehe I can't wait to read it.
7545233 "Heads" of MOST fields have egos, mainly because they find or do not find as they are expected.
Take the US "heads" of the "medical" profession, while they WOULD have doctorates in other countries of the world and able to practice they would only by process of "accidents" of their betters would they get to be where they are in the US.
In other fields? They'd most likely be the pawns that would be allowed to "defect" with "classified" information
7545184 As far as I know, the general public is still unaware. However, the Stargate Program did, in season 6, formally reveal its existence to the governments of China, Great Britain and France - the U.S. and Russian governments were already in the know. They also made Canada aware of the program at some point. Following the destruction of Anubis' fleet at the end of season 7, the governments of the nations involved in the Antarctic Treaty, and indirectly to those of the United Nations, were also told about what had happened.
Until next time...
Anon e Mouse Jr.
7545208 back off man, I'm a scientist.
Hm... Well, sorry about this. Nothing in particular you did (I've not read the latest chapter), but I think I'm going to unfavourite this story. It was an interesting thing to try, but I find that I'm not enjoying it as I might be. Still, the quality seems good, even if it ended up not being well-matched to my tastes, so I do hope that many others continue to find the story enjoyable.
Did i miss something/can't remember that the changelings were mentioned in earlier chapters? If not then how could Carter deduct their abilety to change with such certainty? Until that point in the conversation she only got the name, them being bug ponies and the Hive/queen structure.
7545387 If I recall, Cadance told Daniel how Chrysalis impersonated her.
7545176
No, 'of' is right there.
7545359 Ya it was fine until now, I'm not sure what it was. Seems a little...sterile? Their moving the sun and moon was like two sentences and no one cared after, it was a lot of telling not showing.
Yay an update! Now just gotta wait on my name is Floyd to get updated
7545429 No I meant change that 'of' to 'but'. Needs to read 'all but one of my paychecks'
7545283 How could the public not miss seeing at some point, the SGC ships takeoff and venture out the atmosphere, would have been seen for miles!
7545434 Like I said, it's growing pains. My original co-author left the project, so the new guy and I are still trying to find a rhythm.
The problem with this solution would be, the moment they would change the rotation of planet there would be earthquakes on the whole planet and we mustn't forget about momentum.
7545538 It'll be explained man.
7545482
No it doesn't. One of his paychecks is X money. Jack won almost all of it.
7545434
This. Carter just watched the sort of thing that takes most of what she thought she knew, shatters it, eats the pieces, craps them out, then flips them all off for good measure. I mean she's not so OCD that she couldn't roll with it in the moment, but it's probably not the sort of thing she'd blow off in two sentences without comment or at least a really high Teal'c quality eyebrow.
It seemed like this chapter was trying to dump a whole lot of first contact talking that could've been more smoothly handled in pieces later on as they dig into the details of each one. I see the setup of a lot of future plot threads, but it was kind of a big expository splat of lots of disconnected pieces and future plot hooks.
7545560 What ARE you talking about? I was just originally advising of a one word typo that needed swapping?
7545544
I only think, that Carter wouldn't say something that is even bigger nonsense than moving a sun.
7545572 While the rotation thing hasn't been fully explained yet, the other explanations for what Luna and Celestia are doing in context of the SG universe just didn't work.
7545560 This is a legitimate point, I'll try and address this in the next chapter.
7545567
Because it's not a typo. Jack won almost all of one of Daniel's paychecks. That is a slightly awkward but completely correct sentence. A paycheck is both a singular item and a quantity of money that may be further divided.
" Jack won almost all but one of Daniel's paychecks" would imply that Jack took nearly all of Daniel's paychecks ever.
7545434
7545510
Well, as I said, I've not read this latest chapter; it was more noticing that my reaction when I saw that there was a new chapter had a lot more annoyance than joy at having 7+ kilowords more of this to read. I think a fair bit of it is just that, as I've been exposed more to Stargate (pretty much just through this and videos on SF Debris), I've discovered that I'm not sure I care for it much. Some points that fit my tastes, yes, as this story also has, but too high a proportion of things I don't like or don't particularly care about.
Hm. Though I suppose, since I've more time than I expected earlier due to my class today being moved to an online lecture, I could try the latest chapter and see if it changes my mind; perhaps my memory of how the story's been is in error.
7545577
Be careful with that then. Granted we as readers assume at some point magic does SOMETHING to stop horrible death by astrophysics when big things start moving around. But you can't simultaneously tidal lock the planet to both its sun and moon without requiring even more implausible circumstances -- i.e., permanent diametric opposition where the moon basically doesn't orbit the planet at all, but the combined mass of the planet and sun, and to balance out the forces the planet itself must have formed closer to the sun than that orbital velocity would normally would have allowed. Also, Luna's caused an eclipse before so they can't be diametrically opposed.
There's ponies here, is all. It's okay to just let magic be magic, even if it would give poor Carter an aneurysm
7545589 Ahh that makes sense, fair enough, I read it wrong.
7545614 Not gonna lie, I have no idea what you just said.
7545501 That, I have no idea. I just know what I've read about the series, and from what I've read, in official canon, normal citizens have never been made officially aware of things. (It did happen in a few alternate timelines, where the reveal led to disastrous consequences.) From what I've seen online, the official reveal was slated to happen in the third direct-to-DVD film, Stargate: Revolution... which has been, unfortunately, shelved indefinitely.
Until next time...
Anon e Mouse Jr.
Hm... Yes, sorry, I don't think I'll refavourite it. I might check in again with the story at some future time, but for now, I have other things to do. Good luck, though.
7545632
Tidally locking one body to another is easy -- and in fact it happens over time anyway because tidal forces bleed rotational speed over time. Earth's rotational day used to be about 6 hours, and the moon slowed us down as it locked to us. We currently gain a few microseconds per day every year. We would eventually become tidally locked to the moon in turn, but it'll take so long that the sun would die first. Tidally locking a planet to its sun is possible, but the distance means either the tidal forces are too small to happen in the lifespan of just about anything around, or you're so close you can't support life anyway (Mercury is tidally locked to the sun...sorta. It's weird.).
Specifically locking the planet to both at once is...physically possible to maintain, but the added gravitational forces have to hit a balance that would make it exceedingly implausible to form in the first place without taking longer than all bodies involved will exist. The easiest scenarios to consider:
Diametric opposition: Sun ----------------- Earth --- Moon
Permanent eclipse: Sun ----------------- Moon --- Earth
The scenarios are functionally equivalent, so I'll only talk about the first and anything said can be applied to the other without loss of generality.
In diametric opposition, the earth and moon form a kind of boom arm that swings around as one connected unit as if you ran a pole through both of them. The moon is essentially orbiting the combined gravitational force from the sun and earth. Both are tidally locked to each other and to the sun.
The problem is that the moon pulls back on the earth. It's about 1/175 the force of the sun, but it's noticeable. Normally, the moon orbits the planet and its gravitational contributions cancel out over time (the earth and moon wobble a bit around a common centroid), and the effect is negligible. Here, it's always pulling the planet away from the sun. The problem is, planets' orbital speed depends on the force pulling it toward the sun -- usually only determined by the distance at which it formed. If you have a permanent diametric moon, the planet would actually have to be slightly closer to the sun to get the same orbital equilibrium as a normal planet. That's a system that can be sustained once running, but forming in the first place would take absolutely picture-perfect circumstances.
1) Both the planet and moon would have had to have formed simultaneously under the same constant balancing act. Moons don't really do that; they're usually backwash once the planet is already going.
2) A moon would've had to form opposed to a planet that was already in a more eccentric orbit, and end up with an even more implausible slowdown that ended in just the right place.
It would also make important plot events we've already seen impossible, like Luna causing an eclipse as Nightmare Moon.
7545632
He said that your explanation breaks the laws of physics more than simply letting the "Sun" and "Moon" be artificial satellites in a Geocentric planetary system. I don't know if that is true, but that is what I'm picking up from his explanation.
New chapter wohoo!!
And a nice one at that. I really enjoyed all the conversations and learning about each other, however I have to admit it felt a bit hurried simply because conversation alone doesn't convey the same sense of time passing and events happening than actual events do.
On the other hand though it might just be the 'want-more-need-more'-syndrome that makes me feel as if the chapter was to short, which actually would be proof for it being pretty good :D
Anyway I have to agree with the other commenters about the Sun and Moon thing and am looking forward to your solution to it.
Same as I'm looking forward to Daniel uncovering the secrets of Magic und the connections to the Ancients.
It always makes me happy seeing how devoted and dilligently authors like you keep on working on their stories over such long periods of time. I do know of quite a few that have been running for years now and still do. That discipline and devotion can only be admired. Thank you for continuing it. This is one of my favourite cross-overs
7545482
Nah, he wouldn't have been that excessive in betting.
7545577 I wouldn't say that is strictly true. There are a number of ways that could explain their ability to move the sun and moon within the Stargate universe, if you want I could detail them (here or through PM). However, it is your story so ultimately it is your call.
7545184
In the Stargate timeline, this story is taking place after Stargate Resistance (the FPS game), which is set something like 10 years after the end of SG-1. This is why Carter is a General in this story (an easter egg in Stargate Resistance reveals her promotion).
7545614
Carter's line is not an attempt to explain moving the moon. Moons can be quite small (and Carter still hasn't seen outside on this planet), and they are many orders of magnitude smaller than a star. A geosynchronous lunar orbit wouldn't be a stable equilibrium, anyway.
She's not nearly as concerned with Luna's claim of moving the moon as she is with Celestia's claim of moving the sun.
enjoyable as always, can't wait till Daniel meets Twi...
3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xjh1C_6ApdE/TzG79c8rOiI/AAAAAAAAeCQ/k02MbkSSvWk/s1600/260130_ButtercupSaiyan_stargate1.png
*SQUEELS LIKE A MAD MARE* ITS BACK!
Time to read it!
Ehhh.... lots of talking in this chapter, very little gets accomplished, apart from destroying the promise the parasprite plot thread had. :(
Definitely lots of talking. Rambling about things the reader will already know and about stuff not even relevant to the story (Zesty? Who cares about him? He's not relevant to this story!).
Bunch of other little problems too. Why not use the cloak on the jumper at the end? Why not drop the shield to let the Princesses do their sun/moon thing? Why does Carter spout a lot of stuff the ponies won't understand, she's a veteran at first contact!
I think you need to stop right here and make an outline of the story to guide you. Where it should end, where it began, and the steps you want to make along the way to get there. It's pretty clear to me from the last couple of chapters if the last writer had an outline he never left it to you, or you aren't using it. Don't be afraid to scrap the last couple of chapters too if needed to make it a better story. You might have a new outline or at least a general idea of where the story will go, it's a little early for me to tell from this admittedly. But if the old guy left an outline that would have saved a bunch of those plot threads that got tied up mercilessly, such as the offworld team with the Mantis (I'm still sore about that), the ice threatening the city, the stuck jumper bay door, and so forth.
7545070 Another great chapter. Hope to read more soon!
7546685 Actually, to be completely honest with you, Greycait and I just wrote whatever came to our minds.