Chapter 59
Have a crew meeting 65%
“So that’s where we stand,” Twilight said, as soon as she had finished summarizing all of the relevant facts. They were all gathered together in the workshop, the largest enclosed space in the camp. Well, everypony except Node. The construct hadn’t ever really acted like a member of her crew, and less so lately. It had its own workshop, and refused to leave for days at a time.
But the others were all here, gathered around the table. Rainbow Dash with her weather jumpsuit and sidearm. Applejack, seeming perpetually angry at everything but healthy otherwise. Pinkie, with a binder of notes about the excavations she’d been making. Rarity, seeming a tad worn down from her research, but collected otherwise. And Fluttershy, who seemed far more cooperative after all this time to care for everypony and her growing collection of insects and small animals.
Spike sat beside her, and she couldn’t help but feel like he’d really grown into that ‘second in command’ role. He’d managed to clear up the Equinox all on his own, even outside the scope of his own training. Creating Node might not have been the most significant contribution long-term, but that wasn’t his fault.
“We’ve given this as long as we can. It’s time to pick one of our options and run with it.”
“What we’ve learned isn’t… great.” Fluttershy said. Her voice was flat, and she seemed on the edge of tears every second. “All those years. Everypony we knew… gone. Already. No calling home to say goodbye before the return trip.”
“And no telling what’s waiting for us back there,” Applejack said. “Another ship out here… the Equinox was a mighty big investment. Every creature in system was part of this flight. I thought they didn’t think they’d get another ship out for decades.”
“They had decades,” Rainbow snapped. “And it probably took half as long to build another ship. If they used the same design, they probably learned a lot too. Sunset’s ship should’ve been better than ours.”
“We could ask her,” Pinkie said. “Wake her up, see what she has to say.”
“Or we could wake my little sis,” Applejack countered. “Sunset might’ve been the captain, but that ain’t everything. She was in an escape pod, buried underground. No tellin’ how she got there, how long it was when she went to sleep. But my sis… Apple Bloom was in the ruin. She might know about the Signalers too. Might help us… confirm what Cozy Glow said.”
“Eh, I dunno Applejack,” Rainbow said. “She’s got that funky thing going on with her leg. What if you have to amputate or something? You think she’d appreciate that?”
“I think,” Applejack rose from her chair, glaring across the table at Rainbow Dash. “That she wouldn’t be anythin’ if we leave her in some alien taxidermy lab for all eternity. I’ve been waiting long enough, cap. I’ve been cooperative, I’ve been patient. Having the Equinox’s medical bay to treat her made sense. But it’s past time I stop waiting. I ain’t askin’ no more to get my sister back, I’m tellin.’ That’s first priority. And… maybe Sunset at the same time. Might as well treat ‘em both at the same time. You can do that, can’t ya Fluttershy?”
“I, um…”
“Course ‘ya can,” Applejack spoke over her, raising her voice a little. “I know a whole lot more about the machine. I’m basically positive I can get her out no trouble.”
“It’s… after she’s out that’s the trouble,” Fluttershy muttered, her voice so small Twilight could barely hear her. “I don’t know what that growth on her foreleg is, Applejack. It might be fatal. She was put into stasis for a reason.”
“Nah, I got a theory for that,” Applejack said. “I think my sis just wasn’t with anypony else at the time. She locked herself up in that thing because she needed some way to save herself, last until help could arrive. You can get it out. You’ve already done miracles.” She glanced sidelong at Pinkie Pie, but didn’t actually say anything.
“I think…” Pinkie said, noticing the attention on her. “There’s just too much for us to move from one thing to another, all in a big group. We should split up. Equestria might really really really need our help. So if it does, we should really really really get back as quick as we can. Or maybe it doesn’t, and we’re worried about nothing. Who knows? Sunset and Apple Bloom know.
“So here’s my plan: Applejack, Fluttershy, you wake up both of the sleeping ponies. Talk to ‘em, find out what they know. Throw a few parties for me. Meanwhile, Rainbow, Twilight, and robot can go south into the city. You had to run away last time, but… imagine what we could find out? Big stuff.”
“What about you, darling?” Rarity asked. “That plan sounds involved. Will you just be… farming some more?”
“Oh, no,” Pinkie grinned at her. “Spike and I will be on the Prospector, flying through space!”
“We will?” Spike’s eyebrow went up. “Why us? And… where?”
“Sunset had a… device with her,” Twilight supplied. Coordinates around Proximus C. There’s something in orbit there.”
“I respect your tenacity, Pinkie… but I don’t think we should be spreading our resources so thin. I think… we should stay local. Wake up the two sleeping ponies, meanwhile everypony who isn’t needed for that could… investigate the building some more. Maybe… use the machines we left alone? Or… at the very least, bring them back. Since I’m sure we’ll be moving away soon.”
“Or…” Fluttershy said, her voice small again. “We could just bring them all with us, get back onto the Prospector, and go back to Equestria. I mean… it looks like we already know it’s dangerous. I think we saw as much as we needed to.”
“No,” Rainbow Dash cut her off. “We haven’t, Fluttershy. There’s one thing nopony mentioned yet… the ring.” She pointed up with a wing. “That thing is still running. Power flowing through it bigger than the biggest thunderstorm. I bet it’s just full of awesome stuff. I say half the crew wakes up ponies down here, other half goes up there and kicks some flank. Or… learns some powerful weapon designs. Or… you know, whatever’s there. It’ll be awesome is the point.
1. Investigate the ring while waking up the sleeping ponies. [dangerous]
2. Use the Perseverance while waking up the sleeping ponies. [dangerous]
3. Wake the sleepers, investigate the planet, and check what’s in orbit. (the orbital investigation will require a several-month round trip and consume many food supplies) [dangerous]
4. Go home to Equestria with the sleeping ponies aboard.
(Certainty 220 required)
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To be honest I think they should wake Sunset and if she survives ask her about Applebloom before waking Applebloom.
But since the choice is essentially Explore the ring, Use Perseverance, or Check the Coordinates while exploring the planet, or leave the system.
I'd probably have to pick Perseverance.
Perseverance
Could bring essential info but could also trigger a run away scenario that would be catastrophic to the waking ponies up situation.
Ring
Is new territory that needs to be explored but will leave the crew without transport to the ship (I think?) If they need it to wake up the two ponies
Coordinates
Definitely should be done after waking up Sunset or at least with the whole crew there, unless by some chance the coordinates lead to something that would wake her up safely.
Leave
There's evidence something bad went down back home. Pinkie nearly died protecting the ship from something mid flight from Equestria and probably now has a weakness to whatever that was. If more ponies were sent after the lost Elements of Harmony they probably are needed back home but I don't know if they need something from here first to help them.
Ug. not liking the options here, especially since AJ is behaving if not crossing in to insubordination. No matter how correct she is that is not acceptable in a command hierarchy.
Number 3 seems to accomplish the most but thins resources significantly and removes having the ship in orbit as a fallback point if things go bad.
Number 4 is the safest option on the surface...but as a famous starship captain said "Risk is our business."
I'm going to go with number 1, while it is uncharted territory altogether it keeps the ship as a fallback point and thins the crew the least.
What to choose, what to choose... risky, risky, risky or the coward's way out. This mission ain't for cowards, so, I choose... risky 1.
You know, it's funny. I'd never even thought to wonder what Node had been doing this whole time.
In any case, I'm tempted to say do all the things, but that leaves every team without backup when disaster will inevitably strike. I do wish there was an option to awaken the sleepers one at a time. (Seriously, could someone step in and address Applejack's obviously biased perspective and utterly unqualified assumptions?) All things considered, sleepers and ring are probably the best of the interesting options. No risk of brain frying, and less of horrible space accidents.
Given that Apple Bloom's face appears locked in an expression of terror, I doubt that she intended to go into stasis. She was probably compelled. Maybe even by her fellow crew members. Applejack's theory doesn't hold water. If they have no means to cure what's going on with AB's leg, AB could die, or the rest of the crew could be infected. They also have no way to know if AB's infection occurred in this system, or if it happened on Equestria and she unwittingly took it with her through quarantine. If they return to Equestria now, the whole place could be grey-gooed or something awful like that, and they'd have nothing to respond to that with.
Their best bet is to go with Option 3. They need to investigate those coordinates.
OH MY GOD PEOPLE ARE VOTING TO USE THE PERSEVERANCE.
Oh my god. You don't even know what the thing does. This could set off a whole new thread that could lead straight to disaster.
Well, this is where the rubber meets the road, isn't it?
Whatever else, do not, repeat, D O N O T split the party any more than you have to. Applejack's nerves are clearly fraying. Now, maybe whatever's on Applebloom's leg is an apocalyptic, world-eating gray goo. Maybe it's not. But if it is, just quickly amputate the leg and space it.
So wake the sleepers and, I say, investigate the ring. We don't want to be using the Perserverence until we have more answers. Maybe those things will just turn them into robot-ponies. Maybe it's what hit Applebloom with the gray goo in the first place. We don't know so we need answers, and answers will be in the Ring that's been hanging over their heads for literal months now.
Wake, and ring is my vote.
I have been waiting for that ring and I'm not backing out of it.
Coordinates: Could be an irradiated debris field. Perseverance: Don't know; I wouldn't touch it. Ring: It's still running...something must be doing regular maintenance, and something must be defending against scavengers. Applebloom: Grey goo. Leave: Magika War III; the sequel they were all waiting for.
Going home may not have the dangerous tag, but I don't know if they can actually make it back. Too many unknowns. The alien machines don't really inspire confidence in me either. Let's...explore the ring I guess and hope Sunset and Apple Bloom can wake up
1) Split the party before finding out what the sleepers know
2) Split the party before finding out what the sleepers know
3) Split the party before finding out what the sleepers know
4) Wimp out
… alrighty then.
Well, it's bad decision time!
If we have to pick a dumb idea, I'm going with the dumb idea proposed by insight pony. Because insight pony.
Yay, three dangerous decisions, and the fourth one is worse!
From the go, not 4. Not yet.
1 and 2 are clear that the two things will happen at the same time, but 3 is in order. First: Wake the ponies.
So yeah, option three for me dear voices in the void.
Gonna have to go with 3. They need info. Wake the sleepers, hopefully they do Sunset first so they can ask about Apple Bloom. Given how the story has been going they probably won't, oh well. Investigate planet and check out the co-ordinates. Which planet? The one they are on now, or the one with the co-ordinates? I'm taking it to mean the one with the co-ordinates. Find out what's there, they can come back to this one later. Heck, they can plant a long term crop and leave it to grow before they leave, intending to come back. Of course they will use all those fun, crazy devices in the temple, it's a matter of when, not if. Now that everyone is awake is the time, but before committing to what may be irreversible effects on a pony, have everyone ready and gain as much info first. So wake Sunset and AB, then start by everyone going to investigate the co-ordinates, see what's there, then on the way back decide if the ring or the temple is the next investigation.
I'm a bit torn here.
Here's the deal: That Probe thing Twilight and Node found in that one room in the ruins reminds me a lot about the silver growth on Applebloom. So did Applebloom fool with it and the room built another one?
The Ring hasn't done anything yet. But it is powered and I would assume it is armed if it survived what happened to this planet. Probably shouldn't fool with it unless you have a way to convince whatever security this place has, that they are friendlies.
We have no idea what condition the ship is in that Applebloom and Sunset Shimmer road in on. It could that that underground cave is a keen indicator what could be waiting for them there, or worse. Not something you want to tangle with without proper intel from the two ponies their going to wake up.
Going home provides us with no answers and obvious in an outdated ship possibly to a problem they won't be able to deal with.
Gamble. Gamble. Gamble... Well... Okay, what Node says about the chair is a bit alarming and could be taken a lot of ways. But it also makes me think about how Picard lived an entire lifetime in a different persons life in an aliens memories in Star Trek Generation. Twilight is an Alicorn, if she uses the chair, will she spontaneously change like how Luna become Nightmare moon? Or will the chairs memory dump cause her to change several times past Celestia and Luna? I'm curious, and we're being given a practical no win choice here. Let's see what you have instore for us Starscribe.
My idea would be to wake Sunset at first and figure out what she knows.
If it is safe, wake AB afterwards.
While doing this continue to investigate the nearby buildings and machines, but not use them (especially the Perseverance).
You can explore the ring, but use an remote-controlled probe or something like this.
But well, this option doesn't exist.
The next-closest thing is option one, so I voted for that one.
When all is equally dangerous, trust Pinkie. Proxima C, City, and waksies.
Go home and get out alive. Sometimes a tactical retreat is the better part of valor. Theyve already gone too long without knowing what's going on back on Equis.
Why are people voting to use an alien machine that we know nothing about? At the very least we should find out about it before using it.
Honestly, I would want to go home, but... something sabotaged the ship at the start. I’m afraid if we left, we could all die on the return trip. We have to know at least what happened before we go home.
Also consider that Applebloom could be infected with an unknown robo-living-thing. If we brought that back to Equus, there’s no telling what it could do to the planet.
Applejack needs to be smacked down, she is not in command of this mission.
Three [dangerous] options or go home? What the hell. I'm less than convinced that the crew meeting was a good idea. 1, I suppose.
9477125
Yeah, I was getting those vibes too. I felt as if Applejack was acting as if she was the captain, not Twilight.
I really hope that insubordination get's nipped in the bud before it gets worse. Applejack needs to fall back in line and stay calm rather than letting her anger drive her actions.
It seems rare that I agree with Pinkie, but I like her plan. It takes care of the biggest issues with an ideal team composition for each.
Meanwhile AJ is not far from turning to mutiny.
One of the biggest rules is don't break up the party... but a bigger one is "trust The Pink One". Option 3.
Gods damnit Applejack, you're not leader! When will you learn this?!
Aside from that, I don't think its a good idea to use an alien deivce we still have very little idea about, and we cannot keep relying on Pinkie forever. Sooner or later she is going to lead the party to its death if we follow every one of her decisions blindly.
Option one it is.
I was gonna make a joke about the last choice missing a "dangerous" tag, but I looked at the poll first. If I'm reading it right, that last choice, if chosen, is literally the last choice - as in "story over".
That said, there may come a time when we're choosing between "screw this I'm out of here" and "surely one more page of the Necronomicon won't hurt". I just don't think we're there yet.
All equally good ideas. Knowledge is power, let's get it in the safest manner possible.
9477069
Notice how most people in the comments are going with the ring, despite the alien machine we know nothing about being in the lead. The people voting for the chair are those who aren’t thinking any of this through and just going “ooh shiny chair!” And it’s kind of annoying that they are casting their votes without even saying a word in the discussion
If we could wake the other ponies and THEN send a team to check out the space coordinates then I may have gone with Pinkie. But without sending Sunset to check out the thing or maybe have some info on it I wouldn't be sending off my crew for it.
I say trust that the machine is meant to help you. This whole building seems dedicated to trying to help whoever comes deal with... what's out there. That usually means no dying. Might be some rough adjustment, but I don't anticipate death or anything too drastic. Might get some light brain scrambling requiring bed rest at worst.
RE: Applejack's attitude... well... she's waited 6 months to get her sister out. Given how she was 6 months ago that's pretty darn patient for a stubborn gal like her. I'm inclined to let her have this one... just as long as it's THIS ONE. Keep it up too much and some hierarchy reestablishing might have to be done.
Here we go, risk time
9477704
To be perfectly honest.
We don't know much about many of the things mentioned in the choices.
The chair we have some insight to what it might do. But we aren't sure exactly what Node's translation entails or even if an alien mind can handle it or survive it intact. An alicorns nature might make the body and mind flexible enough to adapt or survive. But no guarantees when we don't even know exactly what Node meant when he explained it to Twilight. And Node didn't even sound sure.
The ship that Applebloom and Sunlight came in on is a bit disconcerting because we don't know exactly why they were left on the planet to begin with. All we know is Sunset was left in a pod with a message "It hungers!"Applebloom is slowly being consumed by some metallic substance. And in a cave down below is some plant like monster with the crystal heart that had an option that said "Hunger!" All things consider, the ship sounds like something you really wouldn't want to split up the team for.
Then there is the ring. It hasn't done anything yet. It's still fully powered. But it sounds like it fully survive hat killed this planet. We don't know how it will react. But we know it fared far more better from the planet it surrounds. That's a bit alarming, and I think we really wouldn't want to full around with it unless we had some identification that would stop whatever self-defensive measure reducing the crew and whoever is left on the planet to subatomic particles to protect itself.
There doesn't seem to me that there are any good choices to be had. Just a gamble to hope that whatever gets picked doesn't explode in the crews face.
D is out - it ends the story.
I vote for checking out whatever’s in orbit.
Well, since people are asking why some of us vote for perseverance, I'll try to explain my reasons.
1. The seat has been mentioned enough times to make it clear that it's relevant to the story, important even.
2. We could finally learn something about the Signalers or anything about the past really, which would give us the context we need to make the subsequent decisions since right now we're going around blindly.
3. If the cretors of that place wanted to harm the crew, there would've done it already.
4. At worst, I'd wager it'd be knowledge at the cost of a traumatic experience. Like a harsh, shove-it-in-your-face, against-your-most-profound-beliefs, higher-existence knowledge, but knowledge none the less.
9477069
It's not possible to know it's true purpose. Since we found it in a shrine with the CRYSTAL FUCKING HEART of life powering the shrine, a "fail safe" apparently designed to either destroy all stars except one class. Or stop the destruction of said stars( Jesus I'd rather suffocate a baby then make that 50 50 role) a trophy den filled with genetic experimentation over millions of years . All of these things were found, repurposed or Designed by a race so advanced that we can barely communicate to an AI specifically designed to communicate with A. Primitive species or B. The primitive by comparison ponies specifically and if it is B then the ponies should assume there planet has been incinerated. At least with choice B the joke sqaud is still together providing the highest probability for if not success then at least a good shot and saving there life.
9476914
As you pointed out, the discussion about whether to wake the sleepers first, or which sleeper to wake up first, is pointless since none of the choices differ on that point. I'm going with "maximum investigation", which rules out Perseverance. The ring is tempting but messing with that kind of active power flow is not a great plan when it's not apparently in a crisis. So I'm voting Pinkie's investigation.
[edit: dang it, my option is still in third and I can't change my vote. Sorry. Should have strategically voted again I guess. My second-least-favorite option is currently winning by six.]
I am going with ring and sleeping ponies. I don't like splitting the party up as much as Pinkie's plan calls for, nor do I trust the chair. Hopefully they wake Sunset first to see if she knows anything about Apple Bloom before unleashing a gray goo.
And really, shouldn't AJ, as an engineer, understand the danger.
9477893
I don’t know why you’re being downvoted for explaining. That’s rude.
I disagree with #4. I think there’s a lot more potential downside. For example, maybe AB getting eaten by nanomachines is a consequence of her sitting in the chair, or it does the destructive brain scanning mentioned in previous chapters’ comments as part of a digitization/upload process. There are plenty of ways to kill a crew member with good intentions.
But honestly, I’m not even convinced right now that it’s the worst of our options. At least it’s likely to only risk one person.
9478481
Maybe you're right and it does something worse, but it's still the only option I see where the crew stays (mostly) together. I think investigating the ring is a stretch. I don't see why we would want to investigate something new (first time it's mentioned) when we already have enough on our plate (the coordinates, perseverance, the city). And the other option (besides returning to Equestria) splits the party too much. I'm not saying using the chair is safe, but if it isn't at least they would be together (the building is near the camp) to take care of each other.
9478568
I'm remind of what Double H keeps reminding Jade of in the game, Beyond Good and Evil.
"Don't Break up the team Miss Jade. Carlson & Peeters page 8-2-3."
Or who can forget, "W.W.T.A.O. We work together as one, Miss Jade."
Well, it looks like the YOLO crowd will finally get to see a dangerous option win this time.
I'm not touching mystery brain scrambler chair, and I'm not comfortable splitting the party for several months. Voting for the ring.
9477704
My view of the chair is basically the neural interface chair on board the Destiny in Stargate Universe.
The first person who used it went into a coma, but was later able to use the chair a second time to save the crew from aliens, and his mind was uploaded into the ship. Later the scientists were able to modify the chair to use safely, and even used it to partially cure Chloe of the Nakai pathogen; her body continued to transform over time, but the mind control effects ceased.
9481556
I just mean that, thinking of this in terms of dice rolls, the chair seems like the most likely to have a single roll that can to the death of a character rather than needing several bad rolls in a row.
9481779
Well... think of it this way. It's also the least likely to result in MORE than one death. Nanite plague from AB? There goes 2 or more crew. Go explore the ring? Maybe a dead away team. Go to the city and space for months? Ehhh... who knows what's left? I know, I know, More rolls. But potentially a lot more risk if the wrong one is a crit fail.
cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/704636150417064006/812019843615817728/1f8.png
I'm sorry