Epilogue
Rebuild civilization on the way 58%
Much could be said for the Equestria that Twilight and her friends built as the Canterlot soared off towards the promise of a distant Flotilla.
At first they had regular communication with their robotic comrades. Twilight used that opportunity to interview Node on every subject relevant to their integration with the Flotilla, if and when they ever reached them. As the days turned to weeks and then to months, messages passed less and less frequently, until all they exchanged were letters. Those with loved ones changed to steel and silicon had to say their goodbyes.
That was only the first of many difficulties to overcome, however. The first leg of their journey was one of abundance, where they could always find the raw materials and spare parts for any project or desire, no matter how silly it would later seem. The structure of the Canterlot could not get any wider than the sail, but it could stretch forward as long as they wanted, so long as it remained structurally sound.
Over the next decades, more modules grew out of the station, spindly flowers grown from the rocky medium of the mountain Canterlot had once been. With so many to wake, the space and life-support needs of the station had to expand by an order of magnitude.
That meant many sacrifices, and fundamental changes to the structure of pony society. Most foods were a waste of nitrogen and water, and their seeds were confined to the freezer. Protein-enriched algae crackers became the staple of civilization wheat had once been, and showers were replaced with a light spray of sonically agitated mist.
But for every problem they encountered, ponies found solutions. Sometimes that meant sacrificing luxuries for the greater good, and other times it meant new opportunities for invention. While searching for new material, ponies hollowed Canterlot all the way to its structural supports, spinning a weave of restructured rock and changeling slime that would’ve been inconceivable only decades before.
Creatures lived—forming new relationships with the survivors and eventually having children of their own. By the time they were having their own foals, things that had once been the staples of space travel were now seen as unimaginably selfish waste.
Lifetimes came and went. Some of those original explorers and refugees elected to remain as mechanical creatures, an option Twilight made available to all. Most creatures of Canterlot were far too invested in the religion of their dead planet, and refused. Fluttershy was the first to go, insisting that she would “blow herself up” if Twilight tried to go behind her back and convert her anyway.
“Discord said he would be waiting for me,” she croaked, one of the last things she ever said. “Don’t take that away from me, Twi. You have… plenty of doctors.”
Pinkie didn’t last a year longer, Hunger’s long torment finally ended. Applejack and Rarity didn’t last much longer. Instead of committing herself to the void, Twilight gave Applejack her wish of permanent residence in the Contingency. If nothing else, it meant Twilight could always visit and converse about what was gone.
Half a lifetime around the phenomenal magic of the shield stretched Rarity’s life beyond most unicorns. The contingency inspired her too, though like most fashion it failed to live up to her view of what the construct should be.
“I believe I’ve done all I can for Canterlot,” she announced, the day she died. “There are so few who remember Equestria anymore. It was so much more than this dreadful place—I believe I finally have the solution.”
“You do?” Twilight asked. She looked across Celestia’s desk, worn smooth now by so much use. Her friend had changed so much in the last century—though she was withered and feeble, she’d aged with elegance, and parts of her had changed to the same teal crystal as most of the shield matrix. “We can’t start living the way we used to, Rarity. I know you hate algae—”
“Not that,” she waved a dismissive hoof. “I mean, partly that. You realize how many different schools of art just don’t exist? I realize scarcity makes that difficult, and I don’t propose we change it. But I think Applejack found the solution before we did. There is only one problem: The contingency wasn’t built for ponies. Its simulations are enjoyable enough, but they are heaven to the Signalers, not us. Spike has been instructing me… I believe I’m ready to travel there and begin the work of rebuilding Equestria.”
Twilight’s eyebrows went up. “You mean… permanently?”
Rarity stopped on the edge of the desk, resting a withered hoof there. “Darling, I appreciate your kindness, but look at me. Even if we still had moisturizer, there’s no helping this. But worry not, I will make no attempt to poach your crew. I merely think the Contingency should serve as a… kinder alternative, to what you offer with the mechanical virus.”
It was. In the next few years, it proved the more resource-sensible alternative as well. Mechanical bodies were great from crew that Twilight simply couldn’t do without, but having thousands of ponies who could barely contribute just used up valuable metal and components their starship needed. As the generations passed and creatures grew more comfortable with their own robotic friends, those willing to convert began to vastly outstrip the ones who elected for pointless death.
So she had to phase it back, offering the Contingency to most creatures and robotic conversion only for those Canterlot needed most. In time she found a tactful way to recycle those who couldn’t contribute, allowing them to join their many friends and still-living family building greater and greater civilization within the virtual fields of the Contingency. Node was incredibly smug about it in her letters, whenever Twilight mentioned it.
There were a few creatures who crossed from the virtual Equestria growing in the dataspace, and the real Canterlot growing within their thaumic highway. One of those was Rainbow, the only one of Twilight’s friends to convert. Twilight could always count on her when the Canterlot needed her security chief, but somehow always found Rainbow on the farm with her wife when she wasn’t needed.
Only Spike remained with her every moment of their voyage, her stalwart companion through every threat the Canterlot faced. When an unknown plague swept the ship, when systems failed or food was scarce, he was always there. Sometimes he gave helpful advice, but just as often he served as Twilight’s single point of continuity with the world that had been.
It was with him she found herself, many centuries later, standing on the damaged bridge of an ancient starship still nestled in their hull.
“I keep expecting to find her on a salvage list,” Spike said from behind her, switching something on the wall. “Bridge emergency illumination online,” Starlight Glimmer’s ghost said, and faint red light shone all around them.
Twilight looked up from the captain’s chair, one hoof still propped on the old plastic joystick. It barely moved anymore, and wasn’t connected to anything. It still felt comfortable in her grip, like hugging an old friend. “Didn’t have the heart,” she whispered. “I gave up the engines, the crew quarters, the life support. Can’t I keep something sentimental?”
Spike shrugged, his mechanical body settling into the sensor chair. After so many years of travel, he’d abandoned the Signaler design Node had given him, and instead chose something that resembled the dragon he’d been. It had purple scales and only one set of arms, along with vestigial wings. It probably wasn’t half as big as Spike would’ve been if he were still alive, but… there weren’t any dragons alive on the Canterlot. Only unhatched eggs kept chilled in storage even now, for a hatching they might never receive. “Don’t let me tell you no. That’s not why I’m here?”
“What is it?” Twilight looked up from the controls, ears flattening with dread. “We’re out of indium too, and we have to find another new substrate for—”
He cut her off with a claw. “Not that. We just got a transmission. I thought you might want to see it.”
“I didn’t think we were due for another message from Node,” she said, fumbling in her satchel for a tablet. They were far lighter and slimmer than they’d once been, with screens that rolled for storage and unfurled as they opened.
“We aren’t,” Spike said. “It’s not from behind.”
Twilight nearly dropped the tablet. She managed to hold it steady long enough for the transmission to display.
There were images first—so many starships that in places Twilight could barely see the backdrop of space behind them. Then there were more images—a complex orbital relationship of tiny red stars, contained in mirrors that expelled their energy outward to drive the Flotilla along. Some even had planets, all brought to the Flotilla instead of fleeing in a single ship.
Then came the message. A little annotation warned that she was reading a translation, though at least Node had given them enough that she didn’t have to guess.
We see you coming, survivors. To you from all who live, welcome home.
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What a great journey we all been on. It’s sad it’s over, but the ending was worth it.
Amazing story, and I'm grateful for having followed it from beginning to end. The only other detail I'd like to have seen was Sunset and the others meeting with the Canterlot, but we can't have it all.
Thanks for the story Star, I'm curious on just what do you have in wait for us next
Yes but was it a fun challenge to write what you had so little control over?
Welp, that's a wrap.
Roll credits.
Oh! Well then. I know you said the end was coming, but it still feels like a shock.
I always do love the image of Rarity's cutie mark becoming actual gems.
I only realized that the title forms the acronym "VotE" after reading that last author's note. You sly son of a...
As I said, an abrupt shift to an epilogue, but an ultimately satisfactory one. Thank you for one heck of an adventure, Starscribe.
The journey was great , even if the destination is a sad one.
The random gut punches the bot delivered really made this fun , in that we never really knew what was round the corner and that our choices were never guaranteed to succeed.
Thanks Starscribe , you did a great job.
So when's the next one start ?
That teard me up. All the little things, good and bad desitions all wothe it for that messeage.
This was certainly one of the most unique story experiences I've been (read?) through.
All I have to say is, thank you for the journey you took us on! After all, that was the whole point, wasn't it?
Thus the journey ends, and what a journey it has been. Amazing work Starscribe.
it was bery enjoyable. im sonsad to see it conclude. im curious as to what will happen when the meet face to face.
It’s been a great ride.
Now a question you’ve hinted at before. Where did you /expect/ this to go? I think you’ve mentioned before that it radically departed from your plans. What were they?
I for one am still #TeamCozy. I do wonder what the stowaway was really attempting.
Oh, what a voyage, indeed...
Thanks for another great story!
applauds gently
Oh, bravo, Star, bravo! You pulled it off masterfully! Time to go back and reread from chapter 1.
Yeah...I figured last chapter's vote would be the last. So broad and long term....I'm sad to see this go. This was a really interesting experience and I was happy to be a part of it.
I want to quote this song, but I don't know which part to quote! It's all so fitting!
The end.
What a weird, janky story. Using the bot may have been an interesting test case, but the end result was pretty poor.
Fantastic story, and a very fitting ending. I even cried a little with that final message.
Maybe one last epilogue, kind of similar to this one about node's ship, and if it made it.
A great ending, and it leaves room for other stories to be told in this setting. I have but one request, and that is to see Nodes' ship arrive and Sunset slug Twilight as promised.
Another, long story, finished at last. I remember reading between classes, placing my votes, it’s always been an interesting journey. I certainly don’t believe the best choices where always made, but it still turned out alright. Congratz on finishing such a huge project. Do you have any plans to start another vote? Perhaps “ChoOSE” instead xD
Tbh I would've preferred to see them defeat the space monster once and for all, instead of having to spend the rest of eternity running away. Bit of a downer ending, no one can run forever...
10258999
Yeah. Starscribe made the best of a bad plan, but it was Starscribe's bad plan to start with. And setting it in a "crapsack world" made it worse.
please continue this with a sequel, because we've invested so much into this journey with all the death and sacrifice with each on these charatures.
I thought the Contingency is on the artificial ring around Proximus C? (It was C, right? The habitable one.)
How did she get there?
It seems a new chapter of their story is about to start.
Great story!
I was a long ride, and I'm happy about the way it played out.
You
canshould be very proud of yourself.Not many would have the imagination or dedication to pull of a story like this and to keep it up to the very end.
Excellent work!
Edit:
Some are saying the story should get another epilogue explaining what is going to happen next. For instance, will they reach the flotilla, or will they reunite with Node.
In my humble opinion you made an good ending which doesn't require another addition by you. (Of course, if you want to it's great, but don't fell pressed into making one.)
10259252
The “crapsack world” setting is fine, but the bot really has no idea what to do with it.
Don’t forget, the first “villain” of the story was Cozy Glow and her conspirators trying to sabotage the space program.
In hindsight : What. The. Fuck. How did we go from “some ponies think aliens are bad” to “there’s a darkness eating the galaxy, aliens left behind a cyber virus and we need to evacuate the entire planet by shooting Canterlot Castle to Twilight”?
Oh a bot wrote this. Yeah that makes sense.
All I can say is thank you, thank you so much for this adventure.
What a ride! I overjoyed that the were able to make it in the end.
10258862
I also just saw the acronym then.
It's been fun!
So Pinkie and Fluttershy dead, Applejack and Rarity I believe living in a virtual reality and Rainbow Dash converted into a robotic lifeform. And Flurry Heart and the rest are still in cold sleep. And they finally caught up with the Flotilla fleeing into the stars.
Good ending.
Woah, now that was a ride and a half!
What an amazing story. Thank you for this Starscribe!
Our last choice was a good one. It was a rough ride at times, but good job everyone.
Rarity has good ideas too.
Really, it's an amazing loss that they let anyone die instead of going into the contingency.
Another good choice.
Neat.
We managed it, we got the good ending.
It's been an awesome journey!
I really enjoyed this rollercoaster ride.
Thank you
That was sweet. A fine way to wrap this story up
I picked up this story some time ago then dropped it only for it to nag at the back of my mind and have me pick it up again and I'm glad I did what ever fults this story had (all personal taste on my part) that message made me choke up a bit and made all of their struggles seem worth it.
Just powered through this whole thing in one sitting of like... 12 hours. I had always seen it in the featured box but never gave it a chance, then i noticed it completed after years and had to give it a look, and boy was it worth it.
You know, I voted on every chapter as this story progressed, and now, at the end of it all, I feel satisfied in a bittersweet way. This story was a ride that I'm glad I took, even if I'm sad to see it end.
You did iiiiiit! Wow, that was a ride! Thank you for keeping it going so long. I certainly can't blame you for taking a break now, although I will always wonder how they eventually defeat the hunger. But thank you for giving us a conclusion for many of the characters, and a happy ending for at least this part of the story. It was obviously a great challenge, and I think you handled it well, certainly as well as anyone could hope to. Congratulations on finishing such a big work and I hope you enjoyed it yourself!
This is one of my favorite stories, not only here in fimfiction, and I hoped that it never ends, but the end is part of the journey.
My heart break a litte more when Starligh died to give the Spikequino'x crew a chance to reach the frotilla, but I can see it like a thing that she would do.
I'm happy that Equestria (or New Equestria) could slowly grow in a new civilization and reach the frotilla, meaning that all the sacrifices that was made wasn't in vain.
I'm a bit sad that we never will see Sunset punching Twiligth's face, but i think i can live with this.
You did a great work , was really a pleasure read this story.
This has been a great ride - thank you for writing this : )
Fisnish
10259251
I.. think I disagree not in a negative way but... all the same. For me life is merely a road of time that I often forget to enjoy the scenery on to busy as i ae I am looking at my feet trying not to fall to early.
A master piece in simplicity a work isnt perfect because its flawless a work is perfect when everyone agrees the flaws have become its strengths. In the words of mr.ramsey "finally some good fucking food"
10259279
The ring was an orbital docking ring. The contingency was a small computer device, probably no larger than a car, that they dragged on-board.
----
Well that was an interesting test! I can't say it was wholly coherent, and I got burned out from time to time with all the bad rolls, but overall? Damn this was a fun read. I wish I could say more for such a grand adventure!
It makes me want to play Mass Effect again *nostalgic sigh* well, no point in playing M.E. a forth time, I'm off to give Outer Worlds a second shot.
"VotE" why you sneaky little
I enjoyed this alot, good idea and we'll written
This epilogue was... hard to read, but in a good way. Thank you, Starscribe and Applebot.
And the adventure continues....
This wasn’t always the most pleasant time, but that only makes that last line that much more fulfilling.
Thanks for the voyage.
I will not say a lot.
I thank you for your time, energy and creativity. This quarantine is hard on the best of us, and having good reads to look forward to is... calming.