Chapter 38
Midnight looked at me, “An expedition?”
I nodded, “I’m putting one together to the southern jungles. The objective is to find out the origin of the thestrals,” I said and spread one wing to show it off, “I’m putting together the team right now and… well… I need an organizer.”
That much was true. No way I could handle that myself and the best organizer I knew, Grey Velvet, was busy handling the rest of Equestrias demands on Celestia. But I wasn’t about to say that to Midnight.
Midnight shifted her wings, looking out through the castle window for a long moment, “I don’t know how useful I would be, Page.”
“Well, I thought I would offer,” I told her and sighed, “To be honest, I… need somepony with your skills for it. I don’t have the skills needed to organize a hundred ponies and get the entire thing working like it should with supplies and equipment and everything. Quite frankly it’s like herding cats and I know myself well enough to know that I can’t do it. Sure, I can tell them what to do, but keeping track of it all and such…”
Midnight blinked at me, “That many ponies?”
“Actually more,” I admitted, “The airship can house about hundred and seventy ponies in relative comfort. I’m not sure we’ll need that many so a lot will likely be used as supply storage and to give ponies a bit more room to move about. I don’t know how many we need yet, but the crew alone is going to end up with almost sixty ponies in a three shift rotation. Then there are the guards that need to come, that’s at least another ten ponies, likely more. There’s me, and Amber and Tempest are coming as well. Moon Dancer is the head researcher. Then there is the rest of the team members. We’ll need archaeologists, biologists, thaumatologists, their equipment. Then there are various other support staff like pegasus air scouts and I don’t know how many more.”
I sighed and flicked my ears, looking at her, “...Help…”
Midnight put her hoof over her muzzle, looking like she was trying not to giggle.
“Oh yes, laugh at me,” I grumbled and sighed, “Seriously, I need help. And if Friendship didn’t warrant an alicorn, you would totally be the alicorn of organizing.”
Midnight gave up on hiding it and grinned at me, “You do need help.”
“...Told you.”
She shook her head, “I’m just not sure I’m the pony for it. I have a lot on my mind right now.”
“I know,” I said and shook my head, “But this could help you take your mind off things.”
Midnight shifted her wings and put her hoof on the small table, looking at her cup of tea for a long moment, “...Okay,” she finally said, “I’ll come.”
“You’re hired.”
She looked amused, “I am?”
“Yep,” I agreed with a nod, “Nopony else is doing this for free, why would you?” I asked and shrugged my wings, “you get bits, the same as everypony else.”
Midnight shook her head and then blinked, “...Wait, I have a job?”
“Yep.”
“I never had a job before…”
I blinked at her, “What, really? Even discounting the Princess thing, weren’t you a librarian?”
She shrugged her wings, “Well… yes, but… no. I got my stipend from the crown and I got to live in the Ponyville library in return for running it as nopony else wanted to, but…”
I smiled at her, “Welcome to the working class, Princess Midnight.”
Midnight shot me a look and then sipped her tea, “So, when do we leave?”
“As soon as we’re ready,” I said, “Not like ‘it’s winter’ is going to matter that far down south. I’ll make sure you’ll get everything you need when it comes to the paperwork and such. I’ll put you in contact with Moon Dancer too, she’ll likely have a list of what personnel we need on the research side ready by now.”
Midnight looked at me and then sighed, “You really do need help.”
“...What did I do wrong?”
“You can’t just put a schedule ‘as soon as we’re ready’ or you’ll never get everything done,” Midnight said and shook her head, “I’ll look over the details and set an estimated departure date. Which airship are we taking?”
“The Storm King’s Mistake. It’s the captured airship that landed in Canterlot during the invasion. It’s been refitted for pony use.”
Midnight raised her eyebrow at the name but she slowly nodded and pulled out a notebook, scribbling a note down. She nibbled at the tip of her pen for a second before she started to scribble down notes.
I let her work and sipped at my tea, looking out into the heavy snowfall outside the window. Buck you, weather! Soon I’ll be out of your reach, snow! Warm weather, here we come!
“Are you making a note of ponies we need?” I asked, looking over to Midnight.
She nodded, “Support staff,” she agreed and made another note.
“Do you think we’ll need an animal handler?” I asked, flicking one ear as I put on a thoughtful look, “Just occurred to me that it could be useful.”
Midnight frowned at her notepad, “...Maybe. The jungles are almost like the Everfree Forest, aren’t they. The best one I know of is Fluttershy, but I don’t know if she’d be willing to leave her animals for this long, it might take months to find anything.”
I nodded, “Doesn’t hurt to ask.”
Besides, I think this was one that she might have some personal interest in. But I couldn’t just say that or it would expose her.
Stats
Page generated in 0.043 seconds
Total duration
1,044 users online
1,865,333 hits today, 2,054,621 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
You know what I'm going to admit I haven't read any of the books or any chapters yet but I have something to say about that cover of the book.
Wouldn't the wings be pointed up because he's falling down and not.....up
( just some random someone looking for a book)
Going to the jungle, not for fun and games.
We go to find some homes, lost in history's blank page.
Going to the jungle, going to the jungle, watch out for the
T-t-t-t-t-trees, trees, trees!
10409152
Depends, might be on the top of the arch?
Uhh....do expeditions normally require that much staff? And that much space?
You DO need help with this apparently!
Seriously? In your universe, you never once got paid for being a librarian? Jeez. Her Equestria was a bit cheap!
get layedfinds love10409176
Yes, Expeditions work at least in two shifts. They need experts of 1-3 areas, security if they know whats good for em & local guides and translation staff. If its a long time expedition like that one also perhaps suppy running stuff if they are on a tight schedule. Medical supplys are especially tricky in a jungle. You wouldnt belive what mess your in for when moscitos and other parasites come after you.
This kind of operation need always one or more command/planning staff.
Alone for the saving Equestria gig i would expect her to drown in money
Celestia would in my eyes get to skip monetary compensation for many reasons.
10409176
Bespite what shows like Star Trek would have you believe you want one person behind the helm at all times. Unless twelve hour shifts you need three competent pilots. Two or even three navigators (one officer to plot and the rest competent enough not to get the ship lost). If the pilots have a good view a multi skilled crewman can shave off a person there.
You will want a medic per X people (at 170 the Storm King should of had 4) Page will probably want 2 and maybe a bona-fide doctor on top.
You'll need a carpenter and the ship sounds big enough it's displacement tonnage is excessive enough to warrent 3 or more. This number is repeated for any other profession needed to make serious repairs. If ship can't be fixed you have a long walk. Add an officer on top.
At 13 and that is without Page and science people...
Need captain and 2 officers (you can get away with only 1 if graveyard is unmanned). 1 of these officers can be a pilot but you ideally want them to not be glued to the steering wheel. (Which makes 5-6 pilots total, captain should be skilled in navigation and able to assist engineers or even able to make small repairs solo)
About 5 to 10 crewman per unspecalist officer with 1 in ten being "not quite an officer". This includes cooks, cleaning staff and those who can sail. Some will be future carpenters, officers, ect...
Page wants 10 guards... (ha!)
56 plus stow away changelings and guards...
Page and specialists will bring the number to 60 or higher.
Old naval vessels likely did not have all this accounted for but then you have to remember most were just a few days (if that long) away from a friendly port. And encountering a friendly vessel able to lend aid was also more likely. Here we are basicly going off the map. No help is to be found and ship crew will bloat as a result.
Cadance: This...is gonna be amazing~! A mix of mid-tier and low-tier mares on Page's potential waifu list are gonna be on one ship with him for MONTHS.
*Discord comes out of the wormhole*
Discord: I did it...I placed hidden cameras all over the ship!
Cadance: Excellent~! We'll know everything that happens on that ship and it'll be recorded for future...research...SQUEE~!
Discord: And even if zero progress is made among the potential waifus, we can make a reality show out of the footage in post-production. WE WILL BE RICH! Especially since I sneaked in the TV contract within the job's contract on every pony on that ship. They can't sue us afterward!
Cadance: Oh that's good. *petting Flurry Heart like a Bond villain cat* That's very goooooood~!
10409222
You are obviously very knowledgeable about this topic....and you also brought up a good point with the stow away changelings. How many is he gonna take with him as is and how many are gonna be stowaways? At this rate, he might just need more ships....And also considering that he is a Prince of Equestria and the only Male alicorn alive...that means that his safety will be a high priority to the expedition.
10409258
I am now considering these blurbs canonical deleted scenes.
“Maud Pie was the unavailable, but she recommended her sister.”
“So you have experience in geology?”
“Mhm.”i.pinimg.com/originals/f4/8f/f0/f48ff0cb56e51686e3f1a82dbbdce50f.png
10409222
Ya airships are basically flying naval vessels, especially in fantasy where the stubborn laws of buoyancy are given the finger
10409329
"Page.... this is something Luna and I have discussed discretely but.... We feel that before you go on this expedition...."
"....yes?"
"..........we need a sample."
"A what?"
"STALLION JUICE!"
10409159
*Notices Comment*
*Notices cover looks like it is over a jungle*
*Remembers this is a Hiver fic.*
goalietrainingpro.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Danger-Ahead-Sign-Against-Cloudy-and-Thunderous-Sky-000089361801_Medium.jpg
10409152
Well to me it looks like he is spinning to the right thus his wings would be pointed down or anti-spinward. In other words he’s spinning out of control while falling. Just my take.
Daring do?
10409222
Wait wouldn't changelings work for him for free, emotions in those roles?
10409258
Yesh but Discord sneaking that into contract is illegal beceause he is altering the contract without the knowledge of both parties
10409810
No problem. Just change everypony's names and edit the ponies into different coat colors and cutie marks~! Make some scenes of your own to add in so it is just different enough and it'll be fine!
If Iron Will can pull off his nonsense, this should work too!
10409258
Is the TV part a Star Trek reference by any chance?
10410017
The Star Trek reference is accidentally in this case...but its Discord so it works!
10409807
Oh i haven't even covered cost; only number of heads. If disguised (or prove to be able deck hands) they should have no problems getting platonic love. As the voyage drags on they might get more variety by lonely sailors.
10409851
So basically Make it a Power Rangers reality show?
10410222
Exactly!
10409222
Actually, on Star Trek TOS, the Enterprise did have multiple shifts, and Sulu was not the only helmsman. Roddenberry modeled the show off of the navy, but the realities of TV production forced the show to consistently use the same characters on most of the episodes. However, if you watch carefully, you will see there are times when the show featured moments of shift changes as well as times where Sulu, Chekhov, and/or Uhura were not on duty on the Bridge.
The implication from those scenes was that most of the stories either took place during the Alpha Shift and/or the Alpha Shift teams would take control during times of alert.
This was also explained to greater detail in the book “The Making of Star Trek” by Roddenberry.
I'm sorry, but this sounds like the animated movie where the purpose was an expedition to Atlantis. It is one of my favorite childhood memories.
Carry on.
Communism.exe has stopped working. Cannot compute logic parameters
Page:
Fluttershy I will start a expedition to the jungles.of Equestria we need you.
Fluttershy:
But I can't just leave my friends behind!
Page:
"I guess the Thestral stallions i have collected for the expedition will have to-"
Fluttershy:
"I am coming! Thestral stallions? Hm...
Just likein my Mangas..."
Page:
"What?"
Fluttershy kick away Angel Bunny about to bring one of Fluttershy 'adult managas out'
Fluttershy:
Next time you come to pick me up, I will be ready.
(Next time)