Sol 507
AMICITAS FLIGHT THREE – MISSION DAY 517
ARES III SOL 507
The Whinnybago rolled on.
Although not perfectly smooth, the surface of Schiaparelli Basin, with its small ridges and sand dunes and widely scattered rocks, came close enough to allow the tandem rover to maintain its top rated speed of twenty-five kilometers per hour.
Through the low dunes scalloped into curls by the wan Martian wind, it rolled.
Over the rippling ridges left by water currents in the ancient days when the crater was a lake, it rolled.
Across the occasional small cracks in the crust left by thermal expansion and contraction of the topsoil, it rolled.
And despite the occasional bout with motion sickness by the passengers who had to endure the bumping, bouncing, jostling and rocking, it rolled on and on.
For the first time since leaving the cave, Cherry Berry was one of those passengers. When the space suits had been last checked and repaired, Dragonfly had put an extra thick layer inside and out of her suit’s boot soles, because they knew she’d put the most kilometers on them. She’d walked every inch of the thirty-six hundred kilometers up to the start of this day’s drive and then some. It was a testament to the otherworldly properties of changeling gunk and the design of the pony spacesuits that pieces of that rubberized coating hadn’t begun falling off until the day before.
Dragonfly had requisitioned a partially-charged magic battery and some potatoes to repair the suit- and her own as well, since it had seen almost as much travel while shared by three different ponies. As a result both suits were out of commission for the day, the goo still curing, and Cherry Berry had nothing to do but sit in a second-row flight couch and watch the desert go by through a porthole.
Today there were no scouting parties. The ground was too wide open, too rock-light, too flat to bother with scouts, especially since the rover would reach the MAV by the next sol. Three ponies, a changeling and a dragon sat in silence in Amicitas’s former bridge, watching the flat scenery and enduring the occasional bump or wobble.
Cherry didn’t care for the ride, but a day of rest suited her fine. Her forehooves held Groot’s improvised planter, and she occasionally put a hoof in the soil to make sure the transplanted sapling was doing well. Since the little plant was half again as tall as it had been when they’d left the cave farm, safe to say the trip hadn’t hurt it much.
But mostly Cherry’s mind remained on the upcoming flight. Training in the storm-damaged MDV was one thing, and a fun thing while it had lasted. Training in the MAV was another thing- the real thing. She had to get started as soon as possible, and she had to get it down cold. It wasn’t a matter of, “if you fail the computer flies the ship.” If the MAV missed its rendezvous with Hermes, the backup plan required a live pilot on board- and the MDV training showed she was far and away the best pilot of the group.
Failure was unacceptable. Succeed, or watch your crew die in the depths of space because you couldn’t do the job when needed.
Fireball’s voice interrupted her anxiety. “Roger, Mark,” he said. “Stand by.” He nodded at Spitfire, who sat in the copilot seat, to switch the radio on. This done, he said, “Hermes, Friendship. We receive MAV broadcast Hab beacon signal. Rover radio receiving message from Earth. From now on all comms to go through MAV except in emergency. This station shutting down. Friendship out.”
“What was that all about?” Cherry asked. Spitfire and Fireball had on their flight radio headsets; Cherry didn’t, and hadn’t heard Mark’s message.
“Rover has steady signal from MAV,” Fireball said. “NASA wants all comms to go through that now. Mark sending them logs and reports.”
“Agh!” Starlight sat up from her own flight couch. “My report on Spitfire’s flight isn’t done yet!” She ran as quickly as she could into the hab deck to get her computer, bumping into the frame of the pressure door as the rover took an unexpected wobble.
“Anyway,” Fireball continued, “with MAV, no need to listen for our radio now. So I close out comms.”
“Oh,” Cherry said. She understood the logic, but she still felt bad about it. She’d only used the ship comms a hoofful of times… well, ever- but the idea that the ship radio had just been shut off for most likely the final time…
Cut it out! she told herself. Amicitas is dead. We turned it into this trailer to get us here. And that job is almost over. It isn’t your ship anymore and hasn’t been for a year and a half.
But part of Cherry replied, It’ll always be my ship. And I didn’t bring it home.
The others began to talk, but Cherry slumped in her seat, hugging her plant and wishing she could hug a spaceship.
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Dragonfly the head of the Mars Hive... She earned and would be the ultimate "FUCK YOU!" to the planet that nearly killed them all
I'd do it for the cute bug ponies. The only thing better, is thestrals. Thestrals need more love!
Hopefully Groot hasn't grown too big to survive the move from the Rover into the MAV. He had to get from the Cave to the Rover while crammed into a spare suit, no?
I can see Cherry Berry climbing out of the ship for the last time and looking at the MAV then putting her hoof on the Amicitas's side with a tear in her eye and saying "Goodbye good and faithful friend. You kept us safe. You got us (mostly!) home."
Aw, poor Cherry. I wish I could give her a hug right now.
And adorable pony is absolutely adorable.
If they Sparkle Drive to Earth, would Dragonfly get enough magic and love to go back into a cocoon and come out a queen, and are changelings parthenogenetic? Earth, of course would be the best place for Starlight to do the stupidly powerful spells to beacon back to home..?
9173891
"Goodbye good and faithful friend. You kept us safe. You gave us a chance to go home, like Crystal Cave gave us a chance to live."
"Thank You"
9173891
I would not be at all surprised if Cherry kept something from Amacitas like an info placard or the handle of the pilot's control stick. At the very least, they're taking the crash couches with them.
For how high quality your chapters are and how often you put them out there, honestly you deserve a year, not just a day, off lmao.
9173975
"She sure was a good ship. Farewell, Amicitas, and we thank you."
9173992
All the crew have small medalions made from discs of Amicitas hull metal. See Sol 450.
9173832
At this point, MLP has probaly written them out of the show. Probably why you never see them anymore and instead they use normal pony guards for her.
Or they just forgot all about them. I'll go with this one.
Though because of Rainbow Dash, I'm doubting they were even a thing and it's just a spell cast by Luna to give them that look. And after Luna Eclipsed and Luna became accepted, she stopped...
9173102
Cool.
9174075
Frankly, we only saw them once during a lunar eclipse. That’s the only time I can really imagine they’ve ever been in the show and those could’ve been costumes for all we know. Sure I think there are the few times he were in the comics but that’s it I never really understood why people like to bet me so much but
9174088
My theory is that it was a Luna spell that made normal ponies look like that, so she could be different from her sister. But that after Luna Eclipsed and Luna became accepted, she stopped using the spell so she wouldn't be quite so scary. It would explain Rainbow Dash in the time travel episode. Nightmare Moon would want her guards to look scary.
The way she was able to take on the look of Nightmare Moon despite being good again, kind of supports the idea that she could do the same to her normal Pegasus guards......
9174088
Twice. The second time was in the Nightmare Moon timeline, when Rainbow Dash was one.
Which kind of suggests that it's either a costume or a transformation spell which Princess Luna is capable of casting.
9174129
Well it definitely was a costume as seen clearly by the helmets. Because the helmets had the bad years in the wings were busy things a step over the wings. I mean it being an allusion spell is it out of the realm of them possibility, it is magic after all. But the fandom really has jumped on board with the whole back ponies things but only seen them twice. Then again I have no idea how they were treated in the comics if any
Same here. I've had to abandon gear that my life depended on, and I've always felt like I've abandoned a loyal steed. Someone much wiser than I did better than put it into words, they put it into a picture.
Thank you, Bill.
hugi.is/media/contentimages/121640.jpg
9174143
I never trust the comics because a lot of the time they veer away from canon, which is what the show is.
Though there are some stories from them that I wish was canon..
Soon it all comes down...
Looking forward to Earth's reaction to all those videos taken over all this time.
9173832
They were costumes - pegasus guards in Nightmare Night costumes. Fluttershy wears a batpony costume at one point (not counting the time she was a vampire).
9174272 It seems unfortunately true. That was the only time we've ever seen them, and plenty of races have been introduced since.
Another race which no longer gets any love is Buffalo. Why weren't there any buffalo students at the School of Friendship? I mean Diamond Dogs are a stretch, though no much more than dragons, and the other anthro races of the Far South don't get a look in either. Is friendship only for quadrupeds? If so where are the zebras?
Kirin I'll excuse, since they weren't contacted until recently, but what about cows and sheep? They're both sapient.
Too bad there isn't a light weight Vessel placard for Cherry to collect from the Amicus. ...
On the Upside she gets to fly a new (for her) rocket.
Considering the launch drive about to be installed ...
I dub thee "The Cherry Bomb Express." May this Crazy thing get us home in one piece. ...
Cherry: Did a part just fall off this ship?
9174350
https://youtu.be/uuGoDlG-qeA?t=33s
9173963
The launch itself will most likely serve as a magic beacon.
It isn't dead yet. It will still be there as a house, and a workplace. For a month and change still, while they install starlight's anti-kite, sparkle drive and put the MAV on a diet.
501 sols since Mars got its first dose of mana.
My friend whos a structural engineer would sell his soul for changeling goop
9174516
My brother who's an architect would do the same.
9174501
Well, no, mana was being generated ever since there was any lifeform on Mars.
What would be the alternative, Cherry? Land the ship back on Equus, knackered with metal fatigue? Even if she survived this trip, she can't go on forever. Sooner or later, the Amicitas would have made her final flight, and then, if she was really lucky, she'd end up gathering dust in a museum, as has-been for centuries. More likely, she'd have been carted off to be broken up for scrap by the lowest bidder. Even the largest self-propelled object mankind has ever built died a miserable death beached in India.
Ships don't have happy endings. Much better the Amicitas goes out with a purpose, saving her crew, and leaving behind a 50-ton monument on Mars, declaring, 'We came here, we lived, and despite this planet's best efforts, we made it home again.'
9174216
I wonder how many will say, it's all fake! So was the moon landing! Tinfoil hats for everyone!
I also wonder if the crew realizes that when they get on Earth it will be the biggest thing since Jesus with all the pomp and bluster modern advertisers can create. Heck, the crew might hop back in the ship and take off for orbit until the CSP rescue ship arrives.
9174338
Yeah u found it odd how their was no buffalo or zebras. be fair the only student hat is a hippogif is one of rhe student six. Despite what twi says majority of her students are ponies.
Oh and let’s not forget the Minotaurs
9174695
9174338
Considering how much trouble she had of getting the guardians of those five to agree to keep them in the school, I think they are the only races that agreed to try. The rest refused.
9174338
Considering the changing times animal versions of Native Americans and keeping sophont beings in cages is probably something Hasbro no longer wants.
Earth hives for Cuddlebugs!
Don't feel bad Cherry. Your ship is still in better shape than many of 007's cars.
9173828
I can just imagine the sales pitch: "Mars wants to kill you. Earth doesn't. I'd say she doesn't care if you live or die, except she sort of wants to watch it happen either way."
Now I'm sort of interested to see if Dragonfly can get a read on Equestria after having this experience.
I have a feeling dragonfly is gonna start the earths first
infestationhive of cuddle bugs.But she made sure that yougot home, and that's what would matter most to her.
10170207
People before equipment, and as stated, Amicitas has kept them alive and helped them get home. It's more than served its purpose, and probably did so gladly.
This ship did good. It served and get all the extra mile noone expected it to hold. Respect for this ship become mobil home 👏
So once?
She’d walked every inch of the thirty-six hundred kilometers up to the start of this day’s drive and then some.
"It's th' first thousand miles'r so. After that, yer feet get limber." - Sergeant Kilrain, 20th Maine Infantry Regiment
Friendship bring them a long looong way. And it was reliable from the very first day.
Magnificent Performance
11295901
No it's not.
The first flight nearly killed RD in re-enrty
Second flight it stranded RD on lifeless rock
Third flight is this flight
It's by all definition of over ambitious piece of garbage.
Cornor cutting in every flights. First flight doesn't have proper comm protocol. Second flight doesn't have magic engines. The third have untrained crew chosen mainly from geopolitical standpoint.
ESA's sole purpose is to kept CSP in check and nothing more. Unlimited funding with biggest manpower pools from the most powerful nation on the planet and that's all it can do.
Overall a good journey in a nearly impossible situation.
If alien ever find this improvised escape vehicle, what will they think about it?