• Published 6th Oct 2017
  • 2,864 Views, 692 Comments

Never the Final Word (Vol. 2) - FanOfMostEverything



The continuation of an open anthology of continuations of other authors' stories.

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Georg's Better Something Through Chemistry (Kris Overstreet's "First on the Moon, or How Important 0.5 Seconds Can Be")

Author's Note:

[Sci-Fi][Slice of Life]

This is a riff on Kris Overstreet's blog "First on the Moon, or How Important 0.5 Seconds Can Be" (1,326 words, #Changeling Space Program, #real world, #Apollo, #history, #Kerbal Space Program)

BLOG SUMMARY: While most of the blog focuses on a training accident that put Neil Armstrong half a second from death and who might have replaced him in the Apollo 11 crew, the first part mentions a procedure that even the Changeling Space Program shot down as too risky. For context, consider the following.

Chrysalis came around the corner of the hallway to see Cherry Berry, or at least a pony who looked like Cherry Berry, reaching around a doorway with a long stick. The stick was easy to identify, because it was a stick, but the pony less so. Normally, the colorful creatures would be easy to pick out by the color code and the convenient label on their rump, but this one was totally wrapped in padding, wearing a helmet, and had some sort of plexiglass plate propped up in front of her as a shield.

The queen did not want to ask the question, but she had to, even though all she wanted to do was turn around and pretend she didn't see anything.

"What are you doing?"

"Reading a fuel mixture chemical breakdown of lithium-borohydride in hydrazine sent to us from the Cabinet Secretary in Canterlot," hissed the pony in a voice that sounded a lot like Cherry. "It's the only way we'd get Stack 17 off the pad and to the moon, but it's very dang—"

Whatever she was going to say next was blotted out by a titanic explosion that filled the hallway with smoke and knocked Chrysalis backwards, not really from the blast but from the blastee, as Cherry still had substantial V upon impact, though the padding prevented any serious damage to either of them.

Once all the coughing and counting of limbs was complete, Chrysalis fixed the now unpadded pilot with a fierce glower. "Cabinet Secretary?"

Cherry nodded.

"Ye gads." Chrysalis shook her head. "I'd hate to see what your munitions experts are up to."

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