Friendship One

by BRBrony9

The Truth

With five years gone, and five years still to go, Project Rebirth was making good progress. The superstructure of the ship had been mostly completed. The vessel was to be named Friendship One, a public poll had decided, with the joke answer of Spaceballs, a puerile visual pun based on the two large and rotund oxygen storage tanks and their generating equipment located partway along the ship, mercifully only coming in fourth place. Now it had to be fitted out, loaded up with all the equipment, systems, wiring, plumbing and power that it would need on its journey.

That was a huge task in and of itself and would take years, but the basic framework, at least, was in place. Training for the crew had begun, preliminary steps, mostly classroom instruction for Equinauts. Every member of the Equinaut corps, both military and civilian, was being given extra training and refresher courses on extra-vehicular activities, radiation shielding, space medicine, orbital mechanics. There was no guarantee all of them would be chosen to actually board Friendship One and be part of the crew, but it fostered healthy competition between them. None of them knew the reality behind the mission yet.

That would change, however, with the hardest speech of Celestia's life.

An office, Canterlot Palace. Celestia's personal study, with a fine mahogany desk, now sporting an array of microphones from a dozen broadcasters. A similar number of news cameras were trained upon its smooth, polished surface, feeding the image live to every station and every network, in Equestria and beyond. The Pony News Network, Canterlot Broadcasting Company, National Pony News, Zebrica TV, Griffonian State Television. Over the airwaves too; Radio Free Zebrica, Equis Global Radio, Ponybeat. Every local station and network affiliate carried the broadcast. The armed forces radio and tv net carried it. It was broadcast for free on every internet streaming and video hosting site. The image of the empty desk was projected on huge neon billboards in Manehattan, and the sound was played over loudspeaker systems in airports and rail stations. A signal was even beamed to the moon so that the Equinauts on the lunar base could listen and watch, albeit with a second or so lag due to the distance.

Tonight at 8pm Canterlot Time, Her Royal Highness Princess Celestia will make a very important announcement. Everypony is urged to tune in via tv, radio, or internet, the message had read, sent to every international broadcaster and every pokey little small-town outback radio station. This message is of great consequence and concerns every citizen of Equestria and every citizen of Equis. Please watch or listen, wherever you may be, whether at home or at work. Employers are urged to temporarily close their businesses during the duration of this announcement so that everypony may hear it.

Billions of ponies, Zebras, and even a few Griffons listened in, watching the empty desk and waiting. What could be this important? Was she going to declare war on Griffonia? Had aliens come to invade? Was she going to abdicate?

At eight o'clock on the dot, the cameras briefly cut to a shot of the Princess trotting into the office with a stoic expression, her ethereal mane and tail gently blowing in an invisible breeze. She wore her full regalia, crown included, and moved to sit behind the desk, her magenta eyes boring into the camera lenses and into the hearts of every member of her captive audience.

"My loyal subjects," she began. "Our friends, and our neighbours. Our antagonists, our competitors. Every citizen of Equis. Today, I speak to every single one of you on this planet."

The cameras remained firmly rooted on her, reporters keeping silent behind them, microphones and recorders in hand, notepads at the ready to scribble down relevant questions as she talked.

"I am speaking to you all because what I have to say this evening concerns you all," Celestia continued. "It will affect every creature. What I am about to reveal to you has been kept from you for some time. For that, I offer my apologies, but I also ask for your understanding. What I am going to say will shock you. It will frighten you. It was important that this information was released in a timely fashion, when it was appropriate to do so, in a controlled and official way. This is that time."

A few of the reporters exchanged glances with each other as they waited for her to continue. The Princess took a few moments, pausing the teleprompter with her magic, an almost invisible touch and the tiniest quantum of light from her horn. Once she let it resume, she continued speaking.

"Five years ago, a star in a distant solar system, named Sigma-225b, exploded. In scientific terms, it underwent a supernova, collapsing in on itself to form a black hole. That explosion and collapse also triggered something. Something vast and powerful. Scientists know it as a gamma ray burst, an enormous blast of radiation more powerful than almost anything else in the known universe. We detect, on average, one of these bursts every two days. They occur in distant galaxies and have taken aeons to reach us. That usually renders them harmless, as they will disperse over distance and weaken, much as a sound can be extremely loud when the source is nearby, but almost imperceptibly weak if it is far away. Due to the speed at which the gamma ray burst travels, when one is directed at Equis, we cannot normally detect it until it reaches us. Due to my unique relationship with the sun and stars, however, I am able to feel and sense what is happening in very distant places at the moment it occurs, rather than when the light reaches us. That is how I am able to inform you of these facts today."

Even ponies without scientific interests were listening intently now, all across Equestria.

"Sigma-225b was ten light years away from Equis," Celestia continued on, her voice measured, her pacing perfect as always, despite the gravity of the words she was about to utter. "That means the radiation, travelling at the speed of light, has been travelling for five years already. It means it has another five years until it reaches Equis. And, my loyal subjects, everyone watching and listening..."

She paused, just for a second, though for emphasis or momentary fear, none could say.

"It is my grave duty to inform you all that Equis is directly in the path of this gamma ray burst. Our planet will be struck by it in exactly five years' time. I must tell you that there is nothing we can do to prevent this from happening. Physics tells us that, once this gamma ray burst has occurred, it cannot be reversed, cannot be deviated from its path, cannot be stopped. Our scientists have been working day and night on this issue for five years. They cannot see any possibility of protecting Equis from the impacts this radiation will have."

A slight ripple ran through the reporters, disconcertingly audible to the billions glued to their screens or radio sets.

"I must inform you all of the reality we now face," Celestia ignored the disquiet in the back of her office and carried on. "The gamma ray burst, one of the most powerful phenomena known to science, will have profound effects upon our world. Life...life as we know it will most likely no longer be possible upon the planet's surface."

There were gasps from behind the cameras now, and the furious scribblings of a dozen or so dedicated journalists penning follow-up questions. The rest had gone slackly silent, staring at the Princess disbelievingly.

"I will put this as bluntly as I can, so that there is no misunderstanding," Celestia continued. "This will be an extinction-level event. It will mean the end of Equestria, the end of Zebrica, the end of Griffonia. It will mean the end of civilization, and there is a high chance it will mean the end of our species."

More gasps and a few mutterings of panic behind the cameras. Almost the entire world was silent and still as they listened to the Princess.

"There is nothing that can be done to prevent this from happening, but I want you to know that we are already making what preparations we can. Underground bunker complexes are already being dug. They have, until now, been disguised as military installations, but they will become civilian refuges in due time. Friendship One, many of you will know, is a space mission currently being prepared in orbit. Some of you will have seen its lights twinkling in the night sky, or observed the work through telescopes from your own gardens. This ship, Friendship One, will be the best hope for the survival of the varied races of this planet. It will depart our solar system and carry brave colonists to a new world, far away from our own, where the gamma ray burst will not affect them. That is why we have been building this vessel. It is not merely for exploration, but for the very survival of civilization. I must, however, inform you all that there is no guarantee this mission will succeed. There are great dangers and difficulties, some of which have been overcome already and some of which lie in the future, but our scientists, Equinauts, military personnel and all relevant government departments have been working tirelessly for five years already to make this happen."

The reporters had all gone silent again. Not even a sniffle or a sob disturbed the air of the office, only the ripples from Celestia's voice, spreading out not just through the room, but through the entire world.

"I also want to make this point very clearly," Celestia stressed. "Friendship One is for all sapient species. It is not just for ponies. Though it is ponies who are constructing it, we are constructing it for all of you. Every species will be invited to send representatives to be part of the crew. However," she cautioned, "this is not a lifeboat for everybody. Alas, there will be room aboard her for only a few thousand at most. This is deeply painful to relay to you all, but this is not a means of escape for the general population. We can only send our best and brightest. The details of crew selection will be released at a future date. I merely wish to add one additional note. That is, I shall not be part of the crew of Friendship One."

Now there were gasps and cries of astonishment from the reporters. Surely she could not be serious?

"I will not be boarding the ship, because I will be remaining here, in Canterlot. I will be staying for one very good reason. I believe there is a chance, however small it may be, that magic might be able to protect Equis. I must stress, however, that this is not a reason to relax, to believe everything will be alright, that these other preparations are not necessary. It is a chance, nothing more. An emergency measure, but one which will require Alicorn magic if it is to stand any chance at all. Therefore, myself, Princess Luna, Princess Cadence and Princess Twilight have engaged in frank discussions over these past years. We shall all be remaining here in Canterlot, because we want to try. We want to try to protect you, our subjects, our neighbours, our fellow inhabitants of Equis. We want to try because it is our duty. It is the oath we swore, the truths we uphold, the very purpose of our existence. We want to try because the cost of not trying is astronomically high. If we must give our lives to try and protect you all, then we are willing and ready. If we succeed, then all our preparations will have been an unnecessary effort. But if we fail...if we fail, my loyal subjects, then we will at least be here with you when the time comes."

Somepony, one of the reporters, was now sobbing, a plaintive whimper in the background, a solemn soundtrack to the end of the world.

Comments

[Booster Spice]

Dual pole solenoidal field is an ellipsoidal Alcubierre equivalent, given ther speed expected/announced?

The bunkers, if they are crustal,are there so give as much security as a blanky, and for similar reason?

Still trying to think of what magical or combination could be used, As if the atmosphere of the planet isnt protected, doesnt matter how hard the shielding over the Canterlot/Crystal Empire bunker is?

[Sunset_Shimmer83]

okay that made me cry, thanks for that :D

[Cross Lament]

11097704
Magic egg-timer!

[fanreader999999]

Very dry

[Frazikar]

Can Twilight (even with 3 princess backup) do her brother's shielding on a planetary level (and hold it for the burst)??

[Noobblue]

Can we talk about how this fic should definitely get featured multiple times?

[Nova_Wings]

well done, I think you portrayed Celestia well here.
I cant wait for the next chapter, it will be interesting to see how the population reacts, we saw how the gryphon king dismissed Celestia, I wonder if there will be others who will think the danger isn't real

[silverMEGAlicorn]

The mirror…..can the mirror be used for evacuation or is EQG world too much in the same path like the phase Voyager went through? Or perhaps recalibrated to a different frequency like in Stargate to refract? There’s so much consider and speculate over here.

[swarm chaser]

11098801
No, and the reason is the plot depends on it, same reason we haven't heard anything from discord.
My theory is those things either no longer or never existed in this alternate universe.

[BRBrony9]

11097966
They can certainly try their hardest!

[BRBrony9]

11099707
Discord exists but the mirror doesn't as it links Equestria to a more technologically advanced world in the show, whereas in this story they have already equaled or surpassed modern earth anyway, thus making it a bit redundant. Discord has been mentioned already and the reason he's not getting involved is that some things are beyond even his power, as some things are beyond Celestia's.

[swarm chaser]

11099725
Earth tech wouldn't have been useful but i've seen the mirror portal or tech like it used in other fics before as an escape route in the event of a planetary catastrophe.

Yes, I see that now, I don't see where he was ever asked if he could help as one of the very few entities that might be expected to have that power.

[BRBrony9]

11099760
He hasn't explicitly been asked in the story yet but it will be mentioned later. What I meant was that he has been mentioned as existing in this universe (when Celestia and Luna are discussing magic and other forces that they could not control such as Everfree Magic, Discord etc).