The Timepony’s Journal

by Penny_Shavins109

Chapter 33 - Desolation

The surface of the planet was dusty and desolate, sparse brush and flowers dusting the surface. The rusty orange mountains rose high against the sandy red background, three suns hanging high in the sky. The world was uncharted on most star maps and didn’t even have a name. For the TARDIS crew it was a rest stop, another chance to avoid the need to save worlds and instead explore them. Free was doing her best to give Cosmic a haircut, somehow still scraggly from his time being imprisoned by the Mechanoids. They’d been travelling for some time since they left Rockhoof’s village behind, quickly becoming friends during their travels.

The time rotor finally signalled their landing with one final descent. The Doctor turned on the scanner, displaying the planet’s surface. It was definitely dry and arid, a miracle that even the sparse vegetation could grow amongst all the sand and rock. He was a little concerned about the lack of information he could even find in this sector of space. This sector of space had plenty of uncharted worlds, planets that nopony had ever even set a hoof on in all their eons of existence. The perfect place to stop for a rest.

“Hey, now that doesn’t look too bad. Maybe we could have a nice holiday if we find a lake out there.” Cosmic said with a smile.

“Perhaps, perhaps. I could test the chemical compounds of the soil, analyse it to see what allows such sparse life to exist. So much peculiar fauna to discover.”

“Oh, come on Doctor, not everything can be some scientific expedition. Relax, put your hooves up, everypony needs a rest every once in a while.”

“Yes…yes, I think you’re quite right. I believe we’ve finally earned some undeserved, ehm long deserved peace and rest.”

Looking back up at the monitor they saw something approaching. It was a short but wide robot, looking like three white bowls stacked upside down on one another. It moved across the rocky terrain on wheels and a thin antenna with a small bulb stuck out of its top. It bumped up against the TARDIS several times, two mechanical arms extending from its base and wrapping around the ship. It spun around and beeped, likely comprehending the new object in front of it.

“So much for our quiet vacation,” Free sighed.

“Oh there’s no need to be so down, hmm. They could be friendly, we mustn't discredit any possibility.”

“I think they look rather cute, they look rather…oh I don’t know, chumbley.”

“Chumbley, what’s that supposed to mean?” Cosmic asked.

“You know, chumbley. Like a chubby pony wobbling back and forth.”

Both Cosmic and the Doctor chuckled as Free mimicked the robot’s wobbling motions with her hooves stretched out. The little bulb on top of the robot, the chumbley Free liked to call it, blinked on and off several times. It was likely sending out some sort of call for backup before quickly wobbling away, kicking up a trail of dust behind it. The Doctor poked his head outside of the door before gesturing for the others to follow. Cosmic was still a bit hesitant to go too far from the TARDIS while Free was already willing to explore. She took in a deep breath and sighed, observing the warm red and orange sky.

“The air smells like roses, and these bushes over here look like them too. Good to know that beautiful flowers like these can exist on any world.”

Cosmic froze as he saw another Chumbley approaching. He backed away to the others as several more approached. Chumbley after Chumbley approached them in a circle, nopony moving a muscle. The second they stopped moving the Chumbleys seemed to stop moving too. They blindly rotated in a circle and their antennas blinked, clearly confused. One of them approached a bush, its mechanical arm outstretched. What could only be described as a mix of purple fire and electricity shot from its arm and disintegrated the pseudo-rose bushes.

“That’s a good enough threat for me.” said Cosmic as the circle started to move.

They began to be guided along the red plains, no knowledge of where they were going or who they were being taken to. Either way there was no ignoring that sinking feeling. It almost felt as if they were being watched, something vanishing out of the corner of their eyes. Somepony peaked their head slightly from above the rusted crags, eying them down. One of the Chumbleys sparked and blew a large puff of smoke out from its ridges, the group coming to a halt. A web of magnetic clamps latched themselves around several of the portly robots, two mares sliding down the side of the mountainous terrain.

They were completely identical, both light blue with yellow manes and tails in a bun. Aside from four darker bumps underneath both eyes and pointier ears they were essentially the same as them. They appeared like Equestrian ponies but the way they stood and moved felt off, like they weren’t completely alive. As they recharged their weapons, several more Chumbleys began to surround them, charging their own in preparation for an all out war.

“Quickly, this way! Our ship is just over that hill.” one of the strangers called out to the others.

The five of them bolted over the rusted plains, the Chumbleys quickly recovering from the attack. It wasn’t long before they could see the other ship on the horizon. Their ship was a wide cylinder, the exterior made of a rigid metal. Its four legs were heavily crumpled, the missing chunks of metal piercing the soil. The door hissed as its cabin depressurized automatically. Several Chumbleys were outside as it finally sealed, just standing there and sending out more signals. The Doctor, Free and Cosmic all sighed in relief.

“Marga will be seeing you now.”

The inside of the ship wasn’t much better than the exterior. Most of it was still in a state of disarray, every monitor cracked and loose wires scattering the floor. The main drive had been nearly gutted just as a desperate attempt to get them off the ground. Rudimentary phosphorescence kept the alight, the table that served as a navigational computer was scattered with diagrams of the planet’s surface, reminiscent of a war room. Five other mares sat in seats attached to the wall, their eyes closed and clearly in some kind of trance. The mare who sat at the table was the same as the others, though taller and wore a white triangular collar signifying her status.

“Ah, Marga I presume? We offer our utmost gratitude for our er…recovery. I’m the Doctor, this is Free, and Cosmic is the one looking confused.”

Cosmic rolled his eyes as usual.

“Yes, we found you forcefully guarded by the SMV6 Mark 4 Servo-androids.”

“The Chumbleys, you mean?” Free chimed in.

Marga paused, readjusting herself in her seat.

“Yes, the Chumbleys. We assumed you were their prisoners, any new allies in this ongoing battle is a necessity.”

“Yes, yes, and what of this planet, hmm? A rather dreary place, though suitable for life. What do you call this world, eh?”

“This planet has yet to be given any official designation. We, the Draavins, and our enemies the Rhills are the first sentient lifeforms to tread this world, There is no need for a designation given the current circumstances.”

“My apologies, we assumed you knew of this planet’s fate. This world’s orbit has been deteriorating with each orbit of any of its stars. In fourteen of this planet’s dawn the gravitational forces will be too great and this planet will be pulled apart.”

The Doctor took a moment to process this information. He didn’t doubt that she was telling the truth, but he had a knacking suspicion that he wasn’t being given the entire picture. Something just felt off to him, the way Marga moved and spoke so factual and logically. He had a hunch, but he still wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt.

“Tell me more about your current situation, are the Rhills in a similar situation such as yourselves? If so I can assure you that the both of you will be able to leave this planet if you wish.”

“The Rhills crashed with us, though their ship is in a lesser state of disrepair.”

“Then why don’t you both just pile up in one ship and go? Clearly you both want to save your skins, even if you are at war with one another.” Cosmic asked.

Marga looked up at him, it was hard to tell whether she was surprised or offended. She stood up from the table and pushed in her seat, starting to walk around the room.

“We Draavins are a race of soldiers. We are efficient, logical, and do not accept any form of defeat lightly.”

Most of the soldiers in their seats had awoken from their trance except for one. stomped her hoof on the ground and the soldier immediately awoke from their trance, quickly standing at attention. The motion was fluid, little soul in the soldier’s eyes.

“Even though my soldiers are merely clones, I do wish for them and myself to leave this world safely. Given our options, a tactical retreat may be necessary. Your own ship, do you have the necessary faculties to facilitate any repairs? At the very least enough to transport ourselves to a more hospitable world.”

“Perhaps, though the damage is quite severe. However Cosmic does make a valid point, why ask for our assistance when you can accomplish the same alliance with the Rhills?”

Marga sat back down again, moving aside some of the holographic diagrams on the table.

“We were attempting to find a new world suitable for colonisation. Given how this sector is generally uninhabited, we figured it’d be ideal. However while passing by this planet the Rhills shot us down, though we were able to retaliate. Their ship is larger, more advanced, and we’re but a mere scout ship. Forgive us if we are not open for negotiations.”

“Then we’ll need to return to our ship, it’s not far from where you found us. We can retrieve the proper equipment and potentially perform the necessary repairs.”

As the Doctor stepped towards the door the clone soldiers moved around him, blocking his path.

“Not quite, Doctor. As much as we’d like to have our own ship repaired, we’d rather not have you leaving quite so soon. As such, one of your companions shall be staying behind. You are strangers to us, after all.”

Free was about to protest when the Doctor stopped her. He held out a hoof before reassuringly patting her on the back.

“She has a valid point. Cosmic will assist me to the Tardis. I’m sure you can handle things sufficiently yourself, Free?”

Free looked up at him and nodded knowingly. This wasn’t her first rodeo, she could easily collect intel while they planned in the private confinement of the TARDIS. She often knew what she had to do.

“B6, B7, protect the Doctor as he retrieves the necessary equipment from his ship.”

Two of the soldiers stood at attention, automatically moving to Cosmic’s and the Doctor’s side. Cosmic was clearly quite uncomfortable, the soldier's eyes staring onwards endlessly without question.

“Good, then perhaps you can debrief me on this feud with the Rhills then, hmm? Come along Cosmic, time to stretch your legs.”

B6 and B7 depressurized the airlock, the metal door creaking open. It wasn’t long before they were back on the endless plains, everypony vigilant and on edge. The two Draavins stood guard outside of the TARDIS doors once they’d arrived, the Doctor letting Cosmic in. Rather than going to the small parts storage for the repair kits he wheeled out a machine that was shaped like a hexagonal prism. Each face of the prism’s partial pyramid had a round window embedded into it, displaying a standard view of their current sector of space and time in various formats.

“Do you have any prior experience with an oscilloscope?” the Doctor asked.

“Something similar, yeah. This is quite a bit more complicated, but I know the basics. Why, what are we looking for?”

“The truth on this planet. I don’t doubt some of the Draavin’s claims on certain matters, but I’d prefer to observe the results myself.”

Cosmic adjusted the dials while the Doctor punched the complex equations on the keypad. The planet was heading for total collapse, for certain, but in only two of the planet’s dawns. Due to the multiple suns and orbital pattern each day and night cycle lasted an hour each. Two dawns, four hours before both they, the Draavins and the Rhills, were doomed to die.

“As much as I trust my own work, do you think we can get a third opinion?”

“No…even if my calculations were off by a wide margin the rate of decay is exponential, not linear. Conditions would only get worse at a rapidly increasing rate, until the surface is nearly inhospitable.”

“So…what do we do?”

The Doctor grabbed the repair kit from the small side lab, handing some of the plastic containers to Cosmic.

“We see what Free has learned, and regroup. We need to address the Rhills, no matter their intention. They deserve to survive too.”

They both quickly looked up at the scanner as they heard Chumbleys firing their weapons. Cosmic tried to open the doors but the Doctor stopped him, holding out a hoof. It was too late, they’d only get caught in the crossfire. Looking up again, the fighting had stopped. There was no sight of the Draavin guards as the Chumbleys laid chains of several silver cylinders. They backed away, the bulbs on their antennae starting to blink at an accelerating rate. The Doctor quickly forced Cosmic to the ground as the cylinders detonated.

The explosives weren’t too powerful though they still shook the console room. An unsuccessful attempt to breach the doors, the TARDIS thankfully much stronger than that. Cosmic helped the Doctor up, the first one to recover from the commotion. They both coughed as the Chumbleys left. They seemed to be blind, the Chumbleys, not even acknowledging that the ship was more than a container.

“What now, then?” Cosmic asked.

“We return to the Draavins post haste…As destructive as these Chumbleys may be, I don’t think they’re quite the malicious force the Draavins may believe.”

“And we’re just sticking with the name Chumbley?”

“Why not, Free seemed content with it.”

With the flick of a switch the doors opened, letting them outside again. They paid no mind to where B6 and B7 were, continuing on their long stroll back. They weren’t greeted as welcome as before, the suspicion of the clone’s absence no doubt creating falsifications as they breathed. The Doctor sat back in the seat across from where Marga originally sat, watching as she sat back down herself. Free nervously rejoined the two of them, the Draavin’s veil of intention lifted.

“I hope you had no troubles on your return journey.” Marga asked with a smile as cold as ice.

“We ran into some trouble, B6 and B7 could not assist us. We were no match for the Chumbley’s explosives. However, we were able to secure the necessary components.”

The Doctor pushed the plastic container forwards. Even without expressing it, he could tell that Marga was pleased. She opened it precautiously, nodding to her soldiers before closing it again.

“You’ve done well, Doctor. However, we are still without the necessary power for our ion drives.”

“My Tardis should have the necessary power to do so. I just need my companions to assist me.”

“Now you know that I still can’t let all of you go just yet. While your claims do have some merit, forgive me for being somewhat sceptical. The stallion stays, I’m assuming you don’t need anymore ‘heavy lifting’.”

Cosmic quickly turned to leave on instinct, bumping into one of the soldiers. He tried to resist but the soldier immediately lifted him above her head by the throat. Both Free and the Doctor could only stare in shock, guns pointing at their heads. All it took was one look from Marga to dispel the tension, Cosmic taking in deep breaths as he was dropped to the floor. In the split second the soldiers had already lowered the guns.

“My apologies for the overreaction, such simple minds some clones have. But as I said, the stallion stays. Go on, that cable link to our fusion cells should suffice.”

The Doctor got up quietly and picked up the cable alongside Free. He silently nodded to Cosmic. Though he seemed a little confused, he still understood what it meant. The door opened and they were on their way to the TARDIS again. It felt like they were a ball in a tennis match, constantly being forced from one location to the next. Once back inside the console room the Doctor began to fixate the cable to receive power from the ship. Free sighed as she sat down in a chair, wiping the sweat off of her brow.

“So…what do we do now? They didn’t send us with any guards.” asked Free.

“They have no need, they have Cosmic. If they suspect that they won’t receive their power then he’s in grave danger.”

“I see…How long will it take for their ship to recharge?”

“I estimate about an hour or less, well within the time frame.”

“On full power?”

The Doctor paused and smiled, already moving back to the console to make his adjustments. Free smiled back at him before looking over his shoulder.

“A splendid idea, my foal! Running at reduced output should buy us much more time.”

“All the while they hardly suspect a thing.”

“Splendid. Now, to address the Rhills. Their Chumbleys appear to be completely blind, but can detect sound up to a presumably given range. We must be careful, no doubt they will be swarming around the area in no time. ”

He certainly wasn’t wrong, it wasn’t long after they exited the TARDIS that they came across a cliff face. Or rather, the Doctor nearly fell off of it. Free quickly grabbed his foreleg and pulled him to safety, a small cluster of Chumbleys below in the shallow ravine. He silently thanked Free before looking back down at the wobbling robots.

“We must be absolutely silent,” the Doctor whispered, “remember to assess the situation, observe your surroundings, and act on your conclusion. No rash or hasty manoeuvres, hmm?”

Much to the Doctor’s horror, Free paused for a moment before throwing a rock at the Chumbleys. It landed just short of the closest one, causing them to swarm around the rock and swivel their metal arms.

“Goodness, gracious me, whatever was that for? The, the risk, the potential to get us killed.”

“But there was no risk, I did as you told me to. I assessed, I observed, and I concluded, and then I threw the rock. You said it yourself, the Chumbleys are blind to a limited range aren’t they? If we stay out of range of hearing then we can follow them to their base.”

“Yes, yes, but it was just a theory. Just don’t do such a thing again, not without notifying me first.”

He swore that Free might be the death of him one day. They continued to follow the Chumbleys down the ravine, their ship appearing on the horizon. It was a sleek black pyramid made of millions of miniscule glossy panels that made it hard to look at in the light. It was swarming with Chumbleys, the ship practically pristine compared to the Draavin’s. Thankfully a few entrances were left unguarded, the droids rotating positions with one another to conserve their forces. Cautiously they approached the large triangular door outlined by its faint red glow. He struggled to pull off a side panel, Free nearly falling with him as she assisted with pulling it off.

He began to fiddle with the wiring, the access panel sparking before the door stuttered while opening. The Doctor then offered his hoof to Free, letting her hold it until they were inside. The halls were equally as angular and geometric as the exterior. Steel beams spanned for miles, connected by similar panels that acted as one way mirrors. Eventually the hall opened up to a large control room, most of the consoles centred around a large triangular chamber. Several Chumbleys laid dormant at their stations, unaware of their surroundings. They were all hooked into the ship’s mainframe itself, their bulbs flashing in perfect sync. As they crossed the threshold into the room the door suddenly slammed behind them. The Chumbleys came back to life, making several strange clicking noises.

“What do you want with us?” Free asked, backing away from the domed droids.

Her words were repeated back to her several times, the pitch and speed altering several times through the Chumbleys. The pitch lowered until it resembled an average stallion’s voice.

“My apologies if the servo-drones have caused you any trouble.”

“Ah, the captain of this ship, I presume.”

“Where are you, we can’t see you anywhere.”

“If I were to show you my true form you would be mortified. Our visage disgusts even the war hardened Draavins. We wish you no harm and again apologise for the actions of my servo-drones, they have merely sound and heat detection. Only within close proximity can I speak through them to you.”

The chamber in the center of the room steamed and bubbled, a slimy tendril brushing against one of the glass windows. The Doctor and Free jumped back slightly, taken by surprise.

“Your vessel appears to be in quite the pristine condition for a crashed vessel, hmm?

“Yes, we’ve fully completed all repairs on board. You’ve encountered the Draavins I presume?”

“Yeah, they said you shot them down first. If your ship can leave then why not just go? We tried to help the Draavins but they’re holding our friend hostage.”

“Ah, such creatures of compassion. Our power cells are somewhat depleted, not sufficient enough to reach even the nearest world in the star system. We attempted to make amends, to create a truce with the Draavins, but they were still cruel and prideful. They chose to fight us rather than save themselves.”

“But they’re still living beings, nobody deserves to die on a planet like this.”

“You’re right, Free. While there’s a fleeting chance, we still need to offer it. Perhaps my own ship, my Tardis, can provide you with enough power before it’s too late.”

The ground shook and rumbled, several of the panels transitioning from opaque to transparent. The mountains were starting to sink and rise while one of the suns burned brighter. The air was becoming thinner as the planet began to break apart. There would be no final dawn, it was now or never. The atmosphere was still breathable but it wouldn’t be for much longer.

“Go, two of my servo-droids will carry the power connection to your ship.”

The door that was previously locked shut opened before them as they rushed down the hallway. Different panels opened, revealing a shortcut to the crumbling outdoors. The Chumbleys did their best to follow behind, but the constantly rumbling and shifting terrain only made the journey more difficult. Rushing into the TARDIS the Doctor hooked the cable up as fast as he could, outputting at full power. The entire console room shook again as the ground outside vented its pressure. Free looked up at the Doctor, brushing her mane out of her face.

“Get Cosmic, I’ll stay here.”

Free immediately flicked the door switch and the Doctor looked back at her. For some reason, something just felt wrong in the pit of his stomach. He didn’t hesitate any longer, following the cable directly to the Draavin ship. Marga was already there waiting for him, dragging Cosmic behind her. She tossed him to the ground and pointed her stazer rifle at him. The two of them just stopped, standing still as the planet continued to tear itself apart..

“You have the power you need, just let him go and leave.”

Mountains fell to red hot magma, explosions ringing around them as it became harder to breathe.

“You’ve purposefully delayed the powering of our ship, haven’t you? You’ve sabotaged us, that makes you an enemy! Why shouldn’t I just deal with you here and now, do what my soldiers hadn’t the brains to do sooner?”

“You don’t have to do any of this. Let go of this petty grudge and just leave.”

“Never! A Draavin warrior never surrenders!”

A ravine opened up between them, Cosmic just barely made it as a plume of scolding hot mud lightly singed his tail. He knew that Cosmic was dragging him, begging him to run. His ears were still ringing from the blast. He struggled to breath, the air getting thinner. He looked back with great sorrow at Marga. She’d chosen this path and if he didn’t leave he’d also suffer the same fate. With a heavy heart he bolted for the TARDIS, Cosmic helping him along. He made it just in time as always but struggled to make a hasty dematerialization.

On the scanner he could see the unnamed planet breaking apart. The Rhills flew off in the distance, surviving the world’s end. The Draavins weren’t so lucky. They didn’t want to be helped. Cosmic and Free silently hugged him, though it all felt bittersweet. The universe was a lot more complicated than he’d realised.