Set up a shelter in the cargo bay and deal with the problem later 81%
“That’s exactly right,” Twilight agreed. “I know what to do. Order you to keep running. Fluttershy, get that shelter ready! We’re all going!”
“Ain’t a good idea,” Applejack argued, though not in the tone she might use if she were intending to disobey. “You need every second. We’re bein’ followed, don’t forget it.”
They arrived after a few minutes later. The ground hadn’t stopped shaking, and in fact Twilight had heard the distant roar of some of the smaller buildings out of sight toppling over as their supporting struts were compromised. Whatever was after them obviously hadn’t given up, as convenient as that would’ve been.
The replacement suit was already waiting outside, and the cargo bay was open. Somehow Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie had managed to set up the shelter in just a few moments, so that neither of them were at work when they arrived.
“Alright. Node, with me into the cockpit. Applejack…” she levitated the replacement suit down at her hooves. I’m not leaving until I hear you’re aboard. Don’t argue.”
“Aye, cap.” She started stripping off the damaged suit right there, tearing through its compromised plastic with earth pony strength. “I’ll keep in touch.”
Twilight hurried up the ramp into the Prospector’s airlock, and spent a full minute standing there beside node as it cycled. The ground under the prospector shifted slightly, and she didn’t have to wonder about what might be causing that. “Node, can you shut that thing off?”
“No,” it didn’t hesitate to answer this time. It wasn’t looking out the external window, but standing directly in front of the internal airlock, holding still as they were sprayed with disinfectant and waiting for the cycle to complete. “I cannot… command it.”
“What is it?” Twilight asked. “It seemed like it was waiting for us. Like… going to that facility made it angry.”
Does node cooperate with Twilight? No.
The mobile probe had no head to shake, nor was it watching her. “This discussion is improperly timed. Disabling the CREATURE is beyond your technical ability, so knowing its nature is a waste of our time. We need only realize that it will not follow your spacecraft once you enter orbit. You should be free to land elsewhere without fear of it following you.”
Great.
Twilight might’ve threatened to leave Node behind if it didn’t answer, but then the internal door hissed open, and they stumbled in. She wasted no time, just hurried for the cockpit and began the pre-launch procedures. She couldn’t be that upset with Fluttershy for not taking care of it—she’d been setting up the shelter.
“I like your friend,” Pinkie Pie said, following them over to the chair and watching Node with unblinking eyes. “Very tall.”
Node didn’t respond, just sat itself down against one wall near the controls. It seemed to have switched into hibernation mode, because a few seconds later all the lights went out.
“Well now it’s not as tall.”
“But twice as annoying,” Twilight muttered, as the engines began to cycle in the rear of the ship. “Report, Applejack!”
“Just got aboard, cap. Didn’t put on the new suit—Fluttershy opened the darn cargo-bay anyway, so the whole thing is dirty. I just took it into the shelter with me in case. I need to move around the ship later. Honestly, I’m not as worried as I was about the whole thing. I’m not feelin’ sick er’ nothin’.”
“That’s just what I—”
Something burst through the ground in front of them, tearing up concrete and metal and lifting at least fifty meters into the sky. It roared like an animal, if an animal had interlocking rows of serrated metal teeth, and glowing orange flames from within.
“Hey, Fluttershy…” Twilight was awkward while still in her suit, but she was mostly using her horn anyway. “Don’t suppose you could calm that thing down?”
Fluttershy walked up beside her, stooping a little to peek around her and out the cockpit window. “Horsefeathers that’s big.” She frowned, brow furrowed in concentration. “It doesn’t look alive, umm…”
“Cap, I don’t mean to be a bother,” Applejack’s voice came from over the radio. “But that thing looks like it’s gonna…”
“I know!” Twilight smashed her hoof down on the close button for the cargo bay doors, then checked on the launch sequence. The engines had nearly cycled on, but that thing was so huge. Whoever built the ring must’ve built this. It looks like a similar design. Her scientific brain was not what she needed right now. But the prospector wasn’t a warship, and they’d have needed some serious hardware to stop something so large.
“I think maybe it’s after our heat,” Fluttershy said. “Maybe we could make something else warm? Distract it?”
“How about a mining explosive?” Came Applejack’s voice over the radio. “We got probes for that. Launch one… somewhere else. Maybe into the biggest building in range.”
Twilight didn’t take a second longer to think. “Pinkie Pie! You’re our miner—do it!”
Pinkie hesitated, eyes widening with panic. She glanced once at the mining console, and her legs twitched. Then she fell over sideways.
Can Pinkie Pie do it? Failure
“Buck me,” Twilight swore, nodding to Fluttershy. “Do it!”
Overhead, the creature had lifted another fifty meters or so, its jaws wide enough the it could bring them down on the whole prospector at once. It curved down towards them, bits of molten metal dribbling out of its mouth like spittle.
Twilight smashed her hoof into the navigation thrusters. Metal screeched and the Prospector’s docking stands tore off with a crack, as the craft slid along the highway, smashing through the central divider and trailing sparks the whole way.
A second later and the ship rocked slightly to port, as a trail of exhaust shot away from them.
Does the distraction work? Success
The worm hesitated, its mechanical attention turned towards a neighboring skyscraper as the flash of an explosive briefly washed out the heat of their engines.
The lights in front of Twilight finally went green, and she slammed on the throttle as far as it would go. They slid for a few seconds, with more painful metallic screeching, before they started to rise. The worm dove down on the skyscraper beside them, and they began to accelerate towards orbit.
Twilight had to choose her trajectory.
1. Stable Orbit, no destination. We need to figure out the Applejack situation and finally get some answers from Node before we move. We can hold the drone hostage until it talks.
2. Clear Ground. We need to get the crops into the ground. In a way, Applejack’s contamination can be a gift—she won’t need to wear any protection while she farms.
3. The Equinox. Node is going to help repair our ship whether it wants to or not.
(Certainty 200 required)
in case I need
A little time in orbit to observe Applejack's exposure doesn't seem like a bad idea. No telling if Node will be cooperative (or hack the Prospecter to force the issue,) but at least they'll know how their crew member is doing. Plus, the data will indicate how rigorous decontamination will need to be for those crops, without running the risk of AJ collapsing dead in the fields.
As opposed to her collapsing from exhaustion, which is nonzero because it's Applejack.
9405272
Yea, an orbital jump to that green area and start growing what they need to get Rainbow up and runing, they are in serius need of militery know-how, on the dubble.
Tough choice this chapter!
Heading for open ground is NOT a good idea, though, despite how nice it would be to get more ponies active. Node neglected to mention the GIANT DEATH WORM in the first place, so the "should" not follow you really doesn't inspire confidence. Not without a lot more intelligence on the potential hazards of the surface.
Besides, it was established earlier that there's only the one patch of greenery on the entire planet. The rest is city. If they're going to grow, it's going to have to be in the exact same spot they just abandoned.(edit: see downthread)Stable orbit might provide better leverage for interrogation — although Node doesn't seem particularly to care about leverage one way or the other. It would, regardless, focus the story more on information-gathering. Going back to the Equinox would split the focus between intelligence and repair — although I suppose it does offer more options if SPACE DEATH WORMS show up, and the repair needs to be done sooner rather than later anyhow.
… Still, I think I'm leaning toward "Stable Orbit" on the grounds that I'm still not certain yet that I trust Node not to singlemindedly pursue its own agenda. Worst case, going to the Equinox while Spike and Node are the only ones able to safely enter it might result in another stolen ship. Now that Node has an operational body, I think it's time to establish a solid basis for cooperation and get some answers.
Clear Ground. We NEED a morale boost of some kind!
While there is a risk of contamination, setting up a farm is (probably) worth it. Fresh food after how long without? That alone sounds good. Besides which, setting up a base/home will allow greater flexibility to explore, salvage, and discover.
To sum up: fresh food, finding out what you came here for, and bringing the crew back to functional. Clear ground or bust! (don't blow the ship up!!!)
I don't think we can trust Node fully with the Equinox's systems right now, not until much later. And going back to the ground with that worm thing there seems like a very bad idea, so I'm gonna go with a stable orbit for this one.
Stable orbit. Answers first, crops later.
Is that thing a mechanical sand worm from Dune?
There is so much confusion right now that stable orbit and take stock of the situation seems the most productive option. But what's the fuel situation on the lander?
It's the Remnant Shai-Hulud
vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/masseffect/images/4/4c/Elaaden_Abyssal.png/revision/latest?cb=20180910084633
"Ryder! Worm!"
Well, that's a small relief at least.
9405299
It was mentioned that the place they took node was on a different side of the planet than the grassy area. That being said the whole planet is a big question mark. It might be a moot point for AJ about contaminants but that's ignoring the possibility of other unknowns like the mechanical Eater of Worlds was. That one might be far away but there could be other dangers.
It's too big of a risk to Applejack and I've had a feeling for awhile now that they're going to need all of the Element bearers alive for whatever is going on back home.
Man, one out of three on rolls this chapter, but at least the one that likely mattered most won.
Clear ground. Unless Node completely lied about the worm then going to orbit to regroup versus elsewhere on the planet to do the same probably doesn't make a difference, and might as well not use the fuel.
I'd like the clear ground option more if we didn't just encounter a giant, deadly monster that we could only escape by going into orbit. Makes me wonder what else this planet has that can trash a small farm.
I have no real idea what the best option is. I'm breaking out the dice. ... Clear ground it is.
You know, it's beginning to seem like Applejack has a bit of a death wish. It may just be me misremembering, but it seems like every time a major problem comes up, she suggests sacrificing herself to stop it. Which, granted, may often solve the immediate problem, but she doesn't seem to comprehend how important she is the mission as a whole. She's not just a farmer or grunt, she's the Chief Engineer of a Starship. And sacrificing the Chief Engineer may solve the short-term problem, but will only cause bigger ones in the long term.
Not that I'm saying that it should be completely out of the question, just that it should be the absolute last resort. As in a "either she dies or everyone dies" situation. Most of the times she's suggested it just seem kind of short-sighted.
9405632
I stand corrected — but yeah, still with you on the logic of staying away from the ground until there's better intel.
Personally I say screw it, fix the ship pronto and get the Hell out of there immediately. If anyone objects then leave them behind as a casualty of war. Cruel? Yes but you're mad if you think I'm staying anywhere near a planet with GIANT ALIEN DEATH WORMS. There is nothing left for them there, frankly the should have high tailed it home immediately after catching cozy
6d4be195623157e28848-7697ece4918e0a73861de0eb37d08968.ssl.cf1.rackcdn.com/36251_200w.jpg
Come on, farming! I want a full cast!
It’s not the safest choice, but we’ve played it safe a lot. If we can get the full compliment awake, our chances of having the right skill for each decision tree is greatly increased.
Yeah, at this point it's time to get some answers and make sure Applejack is alright..
I'm not suggesting we hold his body over the hot coals. But we've been dealing with a lot of unknowns to get him a body and any future endeavor could only benefit with intel about the environment they'll be dealing with.
With full intel, they could all go back down and grow some crops and gather other supplies from the ruins without anymore lethal surprises. Time to cash in that good karma getting Node a new body.
Three valid options, hmmm...
I wonder how's Spike doing.
I honestly don't know wich one is better. The morale is probably very, very low right now, so trying to grow real food is probably more urgent than the Equinox.
Also, there's Node. Should we try to interrogate it? It's been a pain in the flank so long, and it conveniently forgot to mention the Wurmcoil Engine down in Proximus-B. I'm not sure we can force it to do anything, and even then, I doubt it's very trustworthy.
It's dirt patch time for me, option B!
9406113
I do sympathize with your argument, but it also seems to me that the problems only really started because they went messing with the local technology. If they kept to their own stuff I think they have good odds of passing unnoticed.
We are then presented with these questions:
Can we trust Node not to mess with stuff? Hell no.
Will Node have any opportunity to mess with stuff at the landing zone? Giant question mark
If yes, will the crew be able to stop Node from messing with stuff? Giant question mark
So I agree that the "clear ground" option isn't entirely safe, but I don't think it's quite as risky as you appear to think it is. I'm undecided at present.
[edit: Okay, I've thought about it, and while I'm undecided between "ground" and "Equinox", I'm against "orbit", because there isn't really any "treating" Applejack when she's asymptomatic. There's just quarantine, and I don't think it's a good idea to put the whole mission on hold—neither returning to the ship nor landing again—for long enough to do a decent quarantine. Therefore I'm strategically voting against that option, which means voting for landing again, because "return to the ship" is a very distant third place and there have been a lot of votes already.]
Stable orbit. Because this fandom can't go five gosh darn minutes without making a frickin horse pun. Also because we need to lose the SPACE DEATH WORM (TM by 9405299) and according to the best intel we've got, going into orbit is the way to do it.
I'll go with one. While I don't like holding things hostage, I like rushing into a situation without intelligence even less.
Well, Node isn't wrong. They don't have the know-how to defeat it. And, trying to explain in broken Equish would have been very suboptimal. In other words: ain't got time fo that!
Stable orbit.
Planting food in the ground is choice, but I would rather wait until knowing for sure Applejack is okay.