Chapter 45
Remain in orbit to treat Applejack and interrogate Node 50%
Twilight didn’t let herself relax until the engines finally cooled again and all the screens in front of her were glowing green. She checked the orbital projection, waited a few seconds for the computer to return confirmation that their trajectory was stable, then spun her chair around.
“Guess you… had an adventure down there,” Fluttershy muttered, her eyes never leaving Node. For the first time since Twilight had met her, the doctor was wearing a handgun on her belt, as well as the usual suspects of medical tools. “Do you think it was safe to bring that thing back with you?”
“Safe?” She shrugged. “They’re the entire point of this mission, aren’t they? First contact. So far it’s been us doing what they want.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “Check on Applejack. I’m going to ask our new friend some questions. And I’m going to get answers.”
Fluttershy gulped, then hurried away.
“Pinkie,” Twilight asked, gently nudging her with one hoof. The Earth Pony was no longer catatonic—she was sitting against a wall, looking ashamed. “Hey, Pinkie.”
“I’m S-sorry,” she whimpered, tears trickling down her muzzle. “I should’ve… I know exactly how to.”
Twilight’s wings were trapped in her stupid plastic suit, but she could set one hoof on her shoulder. “Pinkie, relax. We made it out, that’s what counts. I have something I need you to do.”
“You can’t trust me to do anything,” she answered, hiding her head in her forelegs. “Just… give it to somepony else.”
“Everypony is busy,” Twilight said. “I need you to call Spike and check on the repair. Make sure he’s safe, make sure he’s sane. Have him check on the prisoner specifically. I want you to tell him that the computer isn’t good enough, he needs to visually confirm her casket is occupied. You can do that, Pinkie.”
The pony looked like she might argue—but then she snapped back to her hooves, and saluted weakly with one hoof. “Of course, captain. Right away.”
Twilight left her to her work—that job at least would be simple enough that even an unstable pony couldn’t mess it up somehow. In the meantime, Twilight headed straight to where Node was resting. It hadn’t chosen a random patch of wall-that was the largest voltage outlet on the ship, to be used for power tools if they had serious internal repairs to make, or needed an emergency air purifier.
Twilight stopped in front of Node, settling down onto her haunches. “Node,” she said, glowering. “We did what you wanted. We got you a body, and my ship was almost destroyed in the process. We almost died getting off the planet, from a danger you didn’t warn us about.”
There was no head to move, no eyes to track her. The cameras on its torso seemed to be watching, but they always did. So far as she could tell, they never moved.
“Now it’s time for the exchange. You’re going to answer my questions.” She waited a few seconds—expecting either nothing to happen, or for the machine to make some kind of excuse.
“I have… information. More than you. But not everything can be… processed. Some information is indigestible. No context is present, no parsing mechanism. Your language… insufficient.”
“I don’t need you to give me the secrets of your technology,” she said. Not right now, anyway. “Something simpler. These questions you can answer with a few words, words I know you can use because you’ve used them already. First—is this your planet? Down there?”
“Yes.”
Okay, probably could’ve worded that better. “Originally, I mean. Did you evolve here?”
“Did not… evolve. Was designed. Others evolved, deep time. Not me.”
Me. Still, Node was answering her questions again. Maybe cooperating with it had finally earned them some goodwill! But how far could she push it? “Did your creators take this planet from another species?”
“No.” It answered quickly, like it had answered all her question. No one seemed to take longer than the last. No time spent thinking—no doubt. And I’m not sure how it has time to send these messages from the surface. Maybe it has some answers prerecorded? It was easy to imagine that, given it was talking with Starlight Glimmer’s prerecorded voice right now. “Empty. Not even… basic ecology. Creators were… sensitive. Did not wish to damage… potentially sentient animals of a later epoch. Nothing lived here.”
It was the answer she wanted. But can we trust it? Does Node understand us well enough to know that we wouldn’t want to work with conquerors?
“Some of you survived the destruction of this planet,” Twilight said. “Your parents?”
“No parents,” Node answered. “Created, not evolved. My creators… did not. Persistence was not.”
“Not here,” Twilight supplied. “What about on other worlds?” But even as she asked it, her eyes were fixed on the distant outline of the ring, visible from out the window.
“I hope so,” Node said. “Do not know. No messages—this was matter of safety. Message can be followed.”
Like we followed you. But safe from what? “Did you destroy your own planet?”
“Somewhat,” Node answered. “Yes/no/maybe. Impact of fleet unclear. I was not created yet.”
Not created. No parents. “When were you created?”
“2976 hours ago, when your starship was detected. Data compression, primitive storage medium. Limited information. Directives suggested shelter might contain data dump. Did not. You near the exhaustion of my records, as me. Must… assist. Survive. Creators do… wish you survive. Would have wished. Something.” The little screen on Node’s chest flashed once, then darkened. The machine didn’t respond to any further questions or promptings on Twilight’s part.
“Spike says all quiet,” Pinkie said. “No escapes. If she did, would probably die anyway. He still says at least a month before it’s safe for us, maybe longer.”
“Yeah,” Twilight grinned. “Great work!” She made her way to the cargo bay next, leaving the suit on in case she needed it.
She found Fluttershy sitting beside a pile of medical equipment spread out on a workstation, and the sound of snoring coming from inside the tent. Twilight approached the former, tapping Fluttershy gently on the shoulder. “Anything?”
The pegasus sat up with a start, eyes widening. “Oh! Uh… yes, actually. Applejack is infected with something. Viral, or quasi-viral. I’ll know more in 72 hours.”
“Buck.”
Twilight considered her orders, then…
1. Land and start growing. Get Applejack onto her hooves and working. She’s an Earth Pony, she’ll be fine.
2. Land and farm, without applejack. She’s done more than enough. Let the engineer get a little rest.
3. Remain in Orbit until we know about Applejack, if something goes critically wrong, it’s better to be close to the cryosleep caskets than further. If this gets out of control, we could freeze her for later treatment.
(Certainty 200 required)
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Option 3. I don't think we can take any chances with whatever Applejack is infected with. Losing a crew member at this stage would be catastrophic
Oh, poor Pinks.
She needs a hug.
Finally, Twilight is starting to get information that AI is possible. Kind of wish we'd seen more of a surprised reaction to this new idea that she hadn't had before. At least we managed to communicate an intent to work together.
I'm in favor of waiting. I don't think a few more days will make a terrible difference to our supplies, and if there's nothing interesting around maybe the worm will give up and go back to sleep.
Number three. This also allows Twilight more time to chat with Node.
Option 2, need to get the rest of the crew woken up and Flutershy can sen if any ting grown on planet is emidiatly infested, but Applejack stays in bed, nailed to it if nessesary.
I'm going to go with staying within close proximity with the cryrochambers.
There's another problem here besides the Applejack with this development. It might be that whatever crops they could plant might be at risk of contamination.
It could be something benign and completely treatable. But it could be just as likely it could kill anything not from this planet and use to whatever Applejack's got.
And I have to admit I'm a bit concerned how rushed they were to get out of there. Twilight might have had a suit, but Node didn't, there's a lot of things that could have gone wrong in a rush. Maybe it won't be as bad and whatever it is isn't lethal. But I'm also concerned how this will effect the crops they were hoping for.
Stay in orbit. They could have stayed in orbit for the entirety of Spike's repairs, so 3 more days is nothing. Yes, growing food is important, but so is Applejack's health. She's infected, but we need a proper diagnosis. She could be fine (her Earth Pony resilience would have allowed her to fix the Equinox's core before succumbing to the radiation), or this could be serious. Take it slow, see what Fluttershy says, then worry about planting crops.
3, but I'm honestly conflicted with 1, for an earth pony would likely benefit from being in contact with the soil. If that part is safe, that is.
You never screw around with health, I went with 3
Option three. No need to rush, we can wait three days. Talk with Pinkie and Node.
Hope Spike is doing fine
3. Don't want to start growing crops if there's some kind of disease, or worse, leftover bio-weapon in the air.
Build this farm, build this farm. 1. 2. 3. 4.
Get off your flanks and build this farm. 1. 2. 3. 4.
Option 3:
I'm sure we will be able to wait those 72 hours without anything major happening.
1 or 3.
But considering this is AJ 1 is inviting her to work herself to death... or discover the cure.
I vote 2. We NEED a morale boost, desperately. I know there's the temptation to work people hard like they're machines, but they need something else this is going to keep lingering in the background until someone fails a morale check and kills someone.
i vote 2
Huh, good thing they didn't go farming instead last chapter. Orbit sounds best for now.
We need a morale booster!
... Thing is, the one who usually does the boosting is the one who needs the boosting...
Yes! Our caution paid off!
I mean, it’s bad that Applejack got it in the first place, but at least it’s contained, right?
Hmm, so, assuming truthfulness – which is likely – the aliens are either friendly or have an ulterior motive involving live ponies. Let’s hope for the former.
Hmm, the choices are difficult.
1 is not happening; what was the whole point of risking their chances of escape to build a shelter if they’re just going to let a biological hazard walk around, and, even worse, infect the food source?
So that leaves 2 or 3...
I’m conflicted...
Maybe I’ll just abstain.
9412661
Abstaining is not an option!
9411857
It's a clever little invention from the Minotaur Kingdom.
Hard choices abound. A few days delay on a farm is unlikely to make a difference, but the choices lean too heavily on drastic measures. The ice boxes aren't miracles after all!
Besides, perhaps the infection is benign or even beneficial? Node did say it's creators wanted stability in the ecosystem.
Node has also said many interesting things. First, we expected, the databank capacity of the Equinox was definitely inadequate, with just enough space for hopeful impressions of a data cache that might be left behind on the planet. Second, it dropped really hard hints that the totality of itself is contained right there on the shuttle, and there is no remote control funny business. Hopefully Twilight realizes this soon, it's getting annoying that she still hangs on to this idea despite the evidence. Third, its mission is definitely survival, but whether that explicitly extends to the ponies is still undetermined. Fourth, we now have confirmation that the language translation matrix is the primary bottleneck with Node's dissemination of knowledge, and it's not maliciously withholding data.
Now we ask, why did they decide to wreck the planet? Who were they fleeing that incited such a response?
9412897
It is because I say so!
9411875's comment is an under-appreciated defense of 2, but I have to give credit to 9411917 for pointing out that any food they grow will probably be infected too. What does that mean? Well, we don't know, and there's a 72-hour price tag on that information.
I say we wait.
9413016
Life says otherwise!
Gotta go with 3 on this one. As much as they need to get farming, and as much as they can't go back to the ship just yet, they still need to know if AppleJack has anything to worry about, and also if it will infect any food grown on the planet, nothing like making all the yummy food they need, then infecting it with death. Mind you, there is that interesting bubble down there, perhaps it's a clean area that's been isolated from the rest of the planet? Assuming they can get in and out without infecting that area...
Node definitely needs a better linguistics data base. Are there no dictionaries or grammar programs in the computer?
Poor Pinkie, if only the computer had a subroutine named "Cheese Sandwich"...
I have to admit, now that we're sitting here in orbit, I don't see a huge rush to get out of it again.
Any plan that includes the phrase "force Applejack to stay in bed" is a bad plan. Option 2 will either wreck her morale or just turn into Option 1, and Option 1 is too dangerous to go with until we see just what this virus actually does, not least because that's vital information for determining the viability of surface farming. Can't exactly plop the soil in an isolation pod and call it good. That stuff's already thoroughly contaminated.
Still, at least Pinkie has a bit more confidence in herself. And Twilight's going to have to face the fact that this being less than three thousand hours old is not life as she defines it. The ponies have found an old battleground. Time to see if they can refurbish the place without getting trench hoof.
9412897
Sure it is. You just don't vote.
These things can not be ignored, must take care of it asap
Option 3
I can agree with the logic.
Again, I would have preferred to set up crops for food, but I would only do so when I know for sure my crew would be safe.