Killing Time
15.
In the silence of space, a battle was about to begin, and it would be a critical one.
Only two cycles ago the already fragile ties between the Psilon and the Darlock empires broke down as it became apparent that Darlock spies were operating to steal the advanced technology from the peaceful researcher race. Now, a trio of battleships orbited the blue-grey orb that was Mentar III. They were the defensive fleet that would have to stand against the approaching invasion armada and they must hold the line here. Below them was the heart of their nation, with countless souls that would be lost if they failed.
“Captain. The enemy is dropping out of warp,” the tactical officer stated in the dry, emotionless drone that psilon's had. Even with the lack of inflection in his voice, one could see the young officer was terrified of the upcoming storm that was heralded by the dozens of ships that were appearing on the short range scanners. They were outnumbered four to one, and the dozens of transport ships were a reminder of the cost.
The captain stood resolute and stared at the screen. He could not afford to panic, but fear gripped his heart. The first scan reports of the enemy ship's capabilities started to pour in on his monitor. The enemy had numbers, but it was the defenders that had the advantage in tech. “Target the lead carrier. Let's show them the strength of Psilon ingenuity,” he commanded as the officers scrambled to respond. The heavy mounted graviton cannons charged and let loose the defiance of an entire race.
I was rewarded with the little ship on my laptop's screen vanishing into a pixilated explosion. I admit it. I was bored and the hack narrative that I was forming in my mind was not enough to fix that. I was even desperate enough to learn how to use a touch-pad without fingers. It wasn't that dignified and I had to wipe the little square down occasionally but a tongue will work. Besides, I did some of my best thinking when I was goofing off. Earlier in the day, I was too pre-occupied with work, then two mares and a disturbingly attentive waiter. I decided after the lunch was done to make my way back to my truck. After all, I was expecting company and, with it, a few more bits to my name.
I suppose I was just killing time with the laptop and it worked to a degree. It was getting to the evening now, with the sun hanging on the edge of the sky before dipping entirely below the horizon. From my truck, it looked rather beautiful with how all the reds mixed with the soft pastel palette of the land. It was a shame that I really wasn't in the proper head-space to appreciate it. There was such a celestial display right there to enjoy and my mind was on too many other things to do it. I rather be reading up more on this place if I had gotten those books out of the library. There was so much I didn't know or understand about this place, and that didn't include the list of things I don't know that I don't know. I didn't think I could figure out my way home when I was so ignorant of the workings of this place.
My ears perked up at the sound of hooves approaching about then and I closed up my laptop and gave it a shove out of sight. There was no sense in having more evidence of my alien nature out and about to be seen. At least ponies dismissed the truck as nothing more than an odd-looking wagon.
“Scriber? Are you there?” The mare's voice was familiar, but it lacked that twang that I was expecting. I stuck my head out the door and looked back at the source and there was a grape-coloured mare walking towards my truck. Punch Berry was definitely not the mare I was expecting, but I did give her an open invitation. “Oh! You are home.”
I waved to the mare and greeted her after pulling on my hat once more. “Good evening. I really didn't expect you to take me up on the offer.” It wasn't bad that she showed up because she was somepony that was 'in' on the whole story.
“This is where you're staying?” she asked as she examined my truck carefully. She even leaned over and sniffed at a tire before resuming the back and forth wandering of her eyes. It did make me think about how much keener my sense of smell was since arriving here. Maybe with time, I would lean to use it more. Of course, even with a good sense of smell, it was clear she didn't know what she was looking at just from how her brow furrowed in confusion.
I climbed out from the truck and nodded. “Yup. This is where my stuff is, so I might as well be here too, eh?” I gave the side of it a light kick. “Too bad it doesn't move right now.”
Her examination concluded and she turned to face me once more. “You know,” she commented dryly, “I was expecting alien stuff to look more alienish. I mean, it is pretty alienish, but I was expecting blinking lights and an unnatural hum.” That was about the last thing I was expecting to hear from her, but once it was said, I chuckled into a hoof. The truck was one of the few things that didn't seem alien to me here. It was more familiar to me than my former and current body.
“Won't have many of those for a while, I don't think,” I answered as I moved closer to a comfortable conversational range. “At least, not until I do a bunch of repair work. What brings you this way?”
Her hooves suddenly got a lot more interesting for her, as her eyes wandered down to them. “Well, it turns out, going to a bar is not the best thing to do when you're trying to dry out,” she admitted in a near whisper. “Funny thing is, though, I didn't have anywhere better to go.”
It was the sort of thing that everypony could feel pity for, and I was no exception. “Come on. Most ponies here seem really friendly. And, if nothing else, you're welcome here.”
Her head lifted and she smiled thankfully back to me. I would say she looked relieved even. “So, you don't mind that I came here to talk?”
“Well, I am good for it if you want it. I wasn't doing anything important.” I wasn't about to turn any mare that looked as forlorn as she did. “Come on. Hop in.” I motioned to the cab the truck, and she looked up. Now a Ranger is not a large truck, but it did seem a lot bigger now that I was on all fours. I was maybe half as tall as I was, so we both needed to literally jump to get in and onto the seat. I had set both seats right back so I could lay on them rather than try and sit up. She took the driver's side and I took the passenger's, and then there was silence while she began inspecting everything that the dash had to offer.
“Now this is more what I thought it would look like. Buttons and levers everywhere!” she declared as she took a long stare at the radio. She then gingerly tapped one of the buttons on it.
“Not that one!” I screamed as if something absolutely awful was about to happen to us. I even curled up to shield my face to sell it. She joined my feigned panic with very legitimate terror and instantly curled up to prepare for the worst. I started laughing hard at that point. I am a terrible pony.
She peered out from her hoof-covered face at the sound of laughter. One eye rolled towards me and the expression on her face that went from total terror to realization, followed by outrage. “Wha- Y-you sneak!” she gasped as she gave me a shove. Hooves might hurt, but I was laughing too hard to care about the crescent bruise I was going to have on my side. I was still beyond words as she just stared at me in disbelief.
Eventually, I did catch my breath and I held out a hoof. “You should’ve seen your face!” I gasped out finally as I tried to wipe tears from my eyes. Hooves weren't entirely up to the task, but it did let me get a good look at her stern expression. It was enough to renew the laughing and I was off again.
“That was really mean!” she scolded but as she did so, her facade was cracking. She started to giggle off and on, and even that fell into outright laughter too. In moments, we both fell back on our respective seats to share a good joke. Eventually though, it tapered off.
“Don't worry,” I sighed as I tried to calm myself. “That's just a stereo. It plays music. I'll show you.” I turned the key in the ignition, and the dash lit up. I had been pretty careful about using the battery since the crash, so it should be alright for a small show. She watched me as I went through the cryptic motions of setting up an iPod. I thought about what she'd be seeing in my practised motions; it must of looked totally random. Once again, I used my tongue to use the touch pad. Ick. I picked something lighter and happier sounding than my usual fare. Sam Roberts started to play through the speakers. At that point I looked over to the mare, expecting her to be amazed.
“Oh! It's like a gramophone!” she exclaimed as her ears perked to listen to the tunes. “I guess this is your human music, then? It sounds weird.” I knew most of the words, but when I listened to the song, I realized that most of the words just didn't sound right. I guess it was like hearing a language that you hadn't heard in years. It was par for the course, considering how I felt lately about my past.
“Yeah. It is.” I was trying to follow along with the words.
“It's nice. What's he singing about?”
“Rich colt's crying 'cause his money's time. Poor colt smiling 'cause because he ain't blind,” I hummed along, giving the translation. The cadence was about right, but the sounds were really wrong. I wasn't even sure I could make those sounds that was my old language now. There is nothing I could do so I just dismissed it. “It's a song about really looking for what is important in life.”
She nodded as she listened a moment longer. She even tapped a hoof along and bobbed her head in time with the rhythm while she pointed out, “This space isn't made for ponies. You must of looked really different before you got here.”
I smiled. She already knew the story and being able to go through my old life with a pony is nice. “Yeah. A lot different. Do you want to see?” I was already digging out my wallet from the glove box for that picture in it. I didn't like it anymore but it was a solid reminder of what I was. She already was leaning over the armrest to look at familiar picture with my old self and my girlfriend.
“Oh my gosh! That is you!” She pointed with her hoof at the picture then glanced between me and the image as if to check “It's like. You, but not you, Scriber! Is that your marefriend you're with? What's her name?”
I glanced to the picture. “Oh. Yeah, that is. Her name is Dusty Pages,” I replied and offered the picture and wallet to Berry and she took it.
“Oh! That's a nice name. Is she a librarian or a bookkeeper?” she asked, then something just seemed wrong about what I just said. I couldn't pin to down though and it was just something nagging in my head. I turned my gaze down and thought hard on it.
“No, she isn't a bookkeeper or anything. She just likes books,” I answered in a near mutter, then it clicked. That wasn't her name. That was a pony name, not a human name! My mind started to race to think everyone I knew back home. My brothers were Shuttersnap and Yahoo. No. Not human names. My father was Wheeler N. Dealer. Wrong. My mother's name was Tender Care. Nope. Every name I thought of was a pony's name and they were all wrong! By now, the purple mare looked very concerned for me.
“Scriber? Are you alright?” she asked as she put the picture away and leaned in so she might catch my eyes with hers.
I barely noticed her because my mind was running a mile a minute without getting any ground. The harder I fought to find them in my mind, the more elusive the truth became. “I forgot their names,” I barely mumbled. It wasn't to answer her but to give my frustrating conclusion a voice. I still scoured my mind for the correct names and they were simply not there. All I had were pony names for them. They fit the people, but they weren't right. I repeated the statement with more force as frustration morphed into anger. “I forgot their names!”
“You forgot whose names?” she asked, looking very worried now as she laid a hoof on my shoulder. I suppose it was to comfort me.
“All of them! My family! My friends! I don't remember their real names! Just pony names!” I yelled and she shrank back. I didn't mean to yell at her, and she really didn't deserve it, so I kicked my door open and jumped from my truck to the ground. I feel sorry for the first tree I saw because I proceeded to kick it as if it was solely to blame for this whole thing. “I am forgetting everything! I hate this place!” I didn't notice that I was screaming until after the words came out of my mouth.
The mare followed me out of the truck and waited patiently as I pummelled the wood until it was splintered and cracked under my hooves, and I was gasping from exhaustion. I sank right down to the ground and looked to the mare. “How could I do that to them? I miss them all, and I forgot,” I choked out to her.
She didn't have anything to offer to answer me but instead, she reached out to help me back to my hooves. “I don't know. If your shoes were nailed to me, I would probably be in a bottle right now,” she admitted as I accepted the lift up, “It doesn't help. But, this isn't your fault. With what you told me, I think you're holding on better than most ponies would.”
She was right, but her words seemed like a hollow reassurance to me right now. I was slipping and only thing I could really blame right now was myself. After all, I forgot them. Even with the circumstances, I should of done something to hold onto them.
“Kerry?” The name got my attention instantly. In all that happened, I forgot that there were others that knew my name besides myself and hearing it used by the mare reminded me of that fact. I wasn't losing everything. She noted I looked up and to her, and she nodded, “I know you feel scared, but we can get you past this.”
I really didn't know how to react to the mare's steadfast statement. “I don't think you can help,” I said with a sad shake of my head. “I think this is my problem.”
“You believed in me. You look like you need somepony to believe in you,” she replied in a tone that left very little room for debate. She had decided to help me, but I really didn't have anything to say. Instead, I moved to the back of the truck and pulled myself up onto the tailgate to lay down. I needed to think and to process this all, and she joined me in silence. It didn't last too long before I had to speak up.
“You don't have to stay. I don't think I will be good company right now,” I stated dryly to her with my head turned to the horizon where the sun was making it's last showing of the day. By excusing her, I hoped she'd leave. I didn't want anypony to see me like this.
“Yes, I do. You're running from your problems. I do it often enough to know it when I see it,” she retorted quickly. I glanced to her in a brief spike of anger, but there was enough truth in her words to douse it. Instead, I just looked out to the distance again and willed myself to calm down. While I put that effort forward, she continued, “We should help each other out.” Her voice wasn’t very strong at that point, but the idea carried much more weight. I nodded. She accepted that as answer enough.
After that, we didn’t have much to say.
We both laid there mutely, with the forgotten music filling the void. She joined me in looking at the changing hues of a drawn out twilight. The darkening of the sky came quicker than I was used to, but when it was under manual control, I suspected there was much more of a direct schedule. It was something else that was entirely different than the world I came from, but what I never considered or even noticed was the beauty of this moment. This was the effort of two divine artists using a few moments of shared time to create something they could never accomplish on their own. I wouldn’t usually say a sunset back home was majestic or stunning, but the Sisters truly did know their arts. Light played perfectly with the dark, mixing to make the reds, purples and yellows that would never be above otherwise. Then, it was done. The day finished its succession to the night and the stars began peeking out.
“I wouldn't mind if you came by tomorrow,” I said without taking my eyes off the sky. Back home, I had spent my share of time away from cities, and saw what the sky could offer, but it paled in comparison to this. I could try a hundred times and never get the words to really conjure what I saw in the mind of anypony that hadn’t seen it. But I would say, imagine something that was truly worth looking up and watching and you would be on the right track.
“Howdy!”
We both jumped at the cheery and loud voice that broke the shared moment entirely.
“Sorry, ‘bout that, but work went long down at the farm. But I promised ya yer bits and here they are with a little extra fer tellin’ me about Mac,” Applejack said as she approached the truck with a basket of apples balanced remarkably well on her back. “Don’t worry none though. I’ gonna leave y’all to yer evenin’.” She then winked at me. It suddenly occurred to me what she was thinking was happening.
I wish I had a better response. Instead, I stammered out, “Thanks!” I hopped down to the ground and met the tan mare half way. “Thank you. Hope to do business with you again.”
“Yer welcome. Now, enjoy yer evenin’.” She grinned at me like she was a fellow conspirator, set the basket down for me and turned to leave. We watched her down that path until she was out of earshot.
“Well, that was awkward,” Berry mused aloud. I had to agree but leaving it like that seemed woefully inadequate.
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Interesting turn of events. Do continue.
(Copied shamelessly from the blog!)
I know it's taking longer for updates, but in my defence, I am a lazy, lazy man.
Also, I think I am getting better at this!
In other news, the one that is doing my editting is promising to go through, but if you wanna try your hand, send me message for my email.
Finally! I think I wrangled someone for a proper cover in exchange for services rendered.
Anyways guys! Thank you for your time!
Me gusta.
I was re-reading the previous chapter; when I finished, I clicked my favorites only to find this chapter recently posted!
Whoa, neat timing, don't you think?
Also, tension! Seems like there's a letter (or several) to the princesses in the near future!
Story where MC makes himself hated by the Mane 6? I'MA READ THIS BOY, THAT'S HOW OUR FIRST MEETING WOULD PROBABLY GO!
I would dish out JUSTICE upon each of them!
Wow. that's depressing. I hope he is able to be magic'd back into being a human. Being transformed, mind, body, AND soul to where you can't even remember your own family's true names...
Oh! Forgot to add!
Bonus points for those that get the reference at the start of the chapter!
Punch Berry? Really?
OH GOD
HE'S GONE NATIVE
VHAT A TWEEST
Spotted a couple things:
Probably be in?
Is the ignition within reach the passenger? Might be nothing, 'cause I live in Australia, and here we drive on the left side of the road, meaning the driver's seat is on the right, and the ignition is usually between the steering wheel and the door.
I was messing with some stuff as a cover for you a while back, just after I saw your blog post. Would you be interested is seeing what I came up with?
1295317
I actually kinda like the idea. BP has barely gotten an audience in the fandom, and frankly I'm surprised the author brought her back. Even if the relationship is only friendship, I applaud the author for developing a severely overlooked character.
1295298
Cylons from Battlestar Galactica, and Daleks from Doctor Who? Overall Star Trek-y feel? Am I close?
shippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshippingshipping
(I hope)
1295748
Dang! You figgured it out! Scriber fixes his truck and ends up opening a shipping company. How did you see it coming?
Now that I have caught up,
)
Pre-occupied with work, not per-occupied (touch screen)
Learn to use it (Berry Punch) not lean to use it.
Won't have many of those for a while, I think. I don't think is bad. (Alien Technology!)
I would probably BE in a bottle now. (Poor tree
Is there a reason you keep calling her Punch Berry?
1295687
Ees nothing.
Author's canadian, iirc. Canada & US are LHD, unlike you ozzies. Generally speaking, the steering column parts are identical on LHD and RHD versions of a car....
Et voila: keyswitch on right side of column + column on left side of vehicle = passenger accessible keyswitch. On an automatic, this means the shift lever's also passenger accessible.(note: if you are trying to stop the driver by taking control of the vehicle in an automatic, turn off the key, don't try to shift into neutral. Overshooting into Reverse isn't good for the transmission. stopping the engine while in Drive is harmless. Voice of Experience, here)
1295885
Ah, thanks for the clarification.
About to head to bed....
nope.jpg
Must read update! = v=
1295792 a world wide shipping company called the championship..... Ah that was bad and I feel bad for saying that.
favorited.
1295520
Correction: They are (VERY)^9001 close.
VERY to the 9001st power... that's a lot of VERY's....
1295739 Er... no. Because...
1295298 Our protagonist is playing Master of Orion. Probably I or II, since nobody actually played III more than once. Also, I'm not sure that the Darloks made it into III. The Psilons were the smart, but generally good natured, race, while the Darloks were the generally jerk-ass shape-shifting spy race.
And the game didn't have a robot race, so nothing like the Cylons. Although the one robot-looking race which was actually kind of Dalek-ish, the Meklar, were industrialists who had a tendency towards xenophobia.
1295792
BAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAAHAHAHAHAHAA!!!!
This fic is a prime example of what an HiE should be, not to put you under pressure or anything. I really like your portrayal of Punch Berry (or Berry Punch, whatever), and how she's a good pal to Scriber. I also enjoy your pacing. You take the time to hash out chapters that build up the characters, even if not much else happens. That's more than I can say for other writers. Keep up the good work.
P.S. Nice use of German in whatever chapter that was. I love it when an author adds a little something extra.
P.P.S. Is it just me, or did Scriber forget about the job with Bon-Bon?
1295298
Ha!
My first thought after reading the first paragraph was 'WTF!? MO in Equestria ? Is it a joke ? Today is not April 1. Possibly misposted chapter ? Or joke nevertheless ? Anyway, let's enjoy good old MO :)'
I totally forgot that he had laptop...
I spent a lot of time playing MO2 multiplayer with friends in the past - it was nice reminder :)
Thanks
png-4.findicons.com/files/icons/2515/muffin/256/muffin6.png
1295792
I HAVE MY WAYS
I LOVE THIS STORY!
farm8.staticflickr.com/7037/6960748331_f3713dc999_o.png
1295716
Her name is Berry Punch not Punch Berry. BTW I don't know if it's fixed yet but the person had it as Punch Berry.
1299237
I said BP...I don't recall ever reading anything that said Punch Berry...
1299500
Because your talking as if I don't like Berry Punch being used which doesn't matter to me. And his editor probably fixed how he had it. (He got the name mixed up.)
Just cuz
Yes! I messed up on the name. Punch Berry flows better in my head better than Berry punch though... And "Miss Berry" sounds better than "Miss Punch".
Poor Jude. (More bonus points for that reference!)
Now that BL2 has been released and I have gotten a fix of it, I am going to approach some corrections/clarifications and editting like a mature adult.
Sorry, but there is one spelling error that is bugging me.
The word is spelled "aloud", not "allowed" like "I allowed him permission". It just stood out to me and I feel bad for having to correct you.
1329141
Don't feel bad! I want correction! I really do want to be good at this sort of thing, and that means corrections should be made!
Hm, I just noticed something. He left the job half done, right? meaning, he left his tools behind.
Then, the CMC entered the shop of Bon-Bon.....Yep...were all doomed, aren't we?
Something tell's me it's going to go something like this when they find the tools.
i.ytimg.com/vi/7Yr-UH0tHTg/0.jpg
i.chzbgr.com/completestore/2011/9/19/2310bd6b-d386-485e-b39b-01a4d229c83b.jpg
Master of Orion! Awesome! I only played the second, but it was a fantastic game which deserved a better sequal. Heck, I still play it.
So your fucking with the guys mind? That's harsh Why would you do that!
Pass me the popcorn will ya!
Now as i was saying, that's mean
(about deleted comment. I have serious problems with computer
)
Nothing says "get the hell away from my planet!" like a volley of Heavy Mount Plasma Canons backed up by an Achilles Targeting Unit, High Energy Focus, and a Structural Analyzer. Well, except for a volley of Heavy Mount Disrupter fire with the same kit... Though it's kind of 6 with one, half a dozen with the other.
Oh, and can't forget the Sub Space Teleporter and Time Warp Facilitator.
Only need like 8 ships to defend any planet against anything the computer can throw at you.
Master of Orion 3 would never have happened if my games of MOO2 had allowed me to actually take on the Antarans.
That's right Applejack. Ship it like Pony Express!
2571305
Yeah. The only real complaint my brothers have about it is that there's so little you can do while you're waiting for other players to make their moves in a multiplayer game.
As for MOO3, GOG.com's user reviews claim that the fandom rescued it with fix-up mods which take it from from a 2/5 to a 5/5 rating. (My huge games backlog has kept me from confirming those statements.)
It'll also be interesting to see how the reboot turns out... but the screenshots worry me. They make me suspect it's another case of tablet-first design.
i'd be fine with the shipping here if i didn't knew he was married on earth. now it just feels like cheating.
Quick bro, you gotta write things down before you forget even more!