Adventures in the TARDIS

by Scroll

Part 8: First Camp

Having finished with today's journal entry, I skim over it before shutting it.

In summary, today's events mostly centered around scaling the massive cliff beside the open ceiling sea cave. It took the majority of the day just to cover that. During that time, I lingered around for about half of that time trying to vigilantly watch as the others climbed just in case any of them needed me to save them from a lethal fall, but the way they were tethered to each other as well as several security pitons along the way eased the threat of the journey. It became abundantly clear, as they climbed, that this party is decent to great professionals and I didn't need to worry.

So, instead of all of that, for the latter half of their journey, I just sat on a cloud and started to get to work drawing this terrain on a preliminary map. I also scouted a wider range of the territory around us just to get wider scope for my new maps I am drawing.

Towards the end of the day, the others finally scaled up the mountain then ventured further inland. I joined them on the ground level and it is there we made a few discoveries. First off, it is a jungle with frequent rain showers. Secondly, just about everything in this new world made us feel like tiny bugs. The trees are significantly bigger than back in Equestria. Local fauna appears to be so as well. Even the insects and terrain (such as that sea cliff we scaled) are substantially bigger.

As we continued, Doctor John Smith made the observation and hypothesis that the air is thicker in this new land. There is a lot more oxygen and carbon dioxide on this continent. Larger trees produce more oxygen which in turn produces larger animals and insects who breathe out more carbon dioxide. The soil is likely much thicker with nutrients too. This environment can sustain larger everything because there is more to feed, drink, and breathe here.

Speaking of Doctor Smith, I keep getting privately surprised how far he has followed me on this journey. Encountering him back in the train might have been a coincidence other than the fact he had to go to the same place at the same time. Beyond that, he seemed like he was primarily here to watch after the marine clock, so why did he follow onto the land?

I think I'm not the only one to wonder that but, unlike me, some of the others actually asked. I don't know what Doctor Smith said in return, but he showed the one who asked some kind of credentials on a folding piece of paper that has a backside of a leather case. Doctor Smith also seemed so skilled with his words that pretty soon he had the whole party, with the exception of me, convinced that he belonged here and nopony ever questioned him again.

Based on personal observation, Doctor Smith seems like he might be the most educated and experienced among us which is really unexpected to me. If Doctor Smith really was that good and he always was, how come I never read or heard of him before? And yet, despite his education and experience, he still explores this world with almost childlike wonder that's more indicative of a younger adventurer.

Speaking of younger adventurers, I learned there are three more hired for this party for that role other than Doctor Cabbelleron, Tanon Burrows, and maybe also Doctor Smith. Those three are Leg It, Toolshed, and to my great delight, the last professional adventurer is finally another mare named Doctor Grazey Venture.

Those three, Leg It, Toolshed, and Doctor Grazey Venture do appear to know each other and have worked with each other before. Their attitude about this adventure is also noticeably quite different from the other veteran adventurers like Tanon Burrows. That unicorn acts a lot more tough, rough around the edges, ultra serious, cautious, and seems to want social distance from the others as if afraid to cherish yet another individual that he may later lose. At his age, he has much more experience to look back upon which, in turn, taught him why such caution is generally necessary while out on an adventure like this.

The three younger adventurers are at the opposite end of the spectrum. Instead of having many triumphs under their belt, they keep excitingly talking about the discoveries they will make and what they will do precisely when they get famous. Leg It and Doctor Venture is especially chatty about this with each other and I even think they might have a romantic interest for one another as well. Their language style is just a little too familiar with each other and yet also too intimate to suggest a family bond.

Toolshed, on the other hoof, I'm beginning to wonder if he can talk at all. He has never said a word as far as I can tell. Instead of that, he likes to clean and calibrate his many tools that he is carrying for this adventure whenever he gets a chance to do so. He's really organized with those tools and seems to go over them, inspect them, and do upkeep with them in an almost ritualistic way.

There is a total of eighteen ponies who are venturing into this new continent. They include myself, Doctor Cabbelleron and his three henchponies who I since learned their names to be Biff, Withers (who was the sea sick pony), and the largest one Rouge. There is also Doctor John Smith, Tanon Burrows, the three former royal Canterlot Guards Straight Arrow, Terminus and Trump card, the three adult adventurers Leg It, Toolshed, and Doctor Grazey Venture.

The final five ponies don't seem as educated as the rest. They are moderately skilled laborers who seem to have a background in railroad construction and mining. Somepony like Doctor Cabbelleron prefers not to get his hooves too dirty and instead directs others where to dig and how to dig, plus he can more easily identify a found archaeological object once it is discovered thanks to his hefty education. It is these remaining five earth ponies who are more likely to be the ones doing the direct digging as soon as they are told where and how to do it. They are not the thinkers, they are the doers. They are the ones who make progress tangible as soon as somepony else comes up with the ideas. They are the ones carrying the most supplies of this party like a bunch of pack mules, and they are proud to do it. I can easily imagine any one of them lugging a taxi carriage in Manehatten by themselves with great speed and distance covered without breaking a sweat. If we actually find any ancient ruins which needs digging on this new continent, then we are going to need these five ponies. Until then, they serve us by carrying the majority of our stuff.

I grow alert due to nearby movement within the tent. I look about in the light of the lantern full of glowbugs and see what looks to be a giant caterpillar the length of my legs and twice as thick. As soon as I see it, I scream, startled, then crawl backwards away from the bug within this fairly big and shared space pavilion tent.

“What? What is 'appening?” Doctor Cabbelleron asks as he races up to me to check on me. I frantically point at the giant caterpillar with a shaky hoof. Doctor Cabbelleron follows the direction of my point and soon spots what I am pointing at. Upon seeing it, he grins at it gently then passes me the same expression as he asks, “What? It is just a harmless caterpillar.”

“How can you be so sure?” I ask with worry. “We've never been to this continent before. For all we know, it shoots acidic webs from its mouth or tail.”

Doctor Cabbelleron shrugs as he eyes the giant caterpillar casually as he says, “Eh, I suppose you have a point. One can't be too careful when we venture into new territory.” He reaches back into his belt then bites into a machete that he has been using all evening ever since we arrived on top of this land.

Upon seeing his new tool, I reach a hoof to touch his right foreleg. Once I have his attention, I look at him pleadingly as I quietly cry out, “No! Don't kill it.”

Doctor Cabbelleron sighs as he rolls his eyes then approaches the bug with the machete still in his mouth. I almost object again until I notice Cabbelleron approaching the little bug with a gentler tactic. Instead of whacking and cleaving the bug in two, he gently thrusts the tool forward until the bug crawls upon his machete on its own. Once it is on, Doctor Cabbelleron races to the exit of the tent then whirls his head to fling off the bug from his machete. The caterpillar presumably lands somewhere outside in the heavy rainstorm safely.

Doctor Cabbelleron then sheaths his machete back into a belt on his waist before turning back to me and asks with a shrug, “Better, Mademoiselle?”

I relax as I express gratefully, “Thank you for getting rid of it without killing it.”

A few others in the tent then applaud Doctor Cabbelleron as well, including two of his own henchponies. Some of those in the tent are applauding him sarcastically, others are doing it seriously, and still others just roll their eyes then resume whatever activity they were doing before. In any case, Doctor Cabbelleron bows to those applauding him and apparently enjoys the attention.

“It is true that we must be cautious,” Doctor Cabbelleron agrees as he approaches me again. “We are practically in a whole new world, you see.”

“Trust me, I am very much aware of that,” I assure him. “And I'm so grateful to be doing this with all of you professionals to accompony me. I'd feel so lost here without you guys.” I glance at Doctor Venture. “And gal.”

Doctor Cabbelleron nods as he lays down in a compartmentalized tent cove beside me. Once he fully settles on the pillows there, he tells me, “It is most impor'dant that we all stick together and listen to my direction. It is I that shall be the one to see you all through this. Of that, I can assure you.” He pulls out a carrot from his nearby saddlebag, brings it to his mouth, then takes a bite out of it with an audible crunch. As he chews on his bite, he waves the rest to indicate to me then says after he swallows, “You have chosen your role models very wisely, Mademoiselle.”

“You didn't give me much of a choice,” I argue back to him. “After all the fantastic discoveries you made, I'd be a fool not to look up to you.”

“Mademoiselle, please! Flattery will get you everywhere,” he assures me humorously before taking another bite of his carrot.

“Humble you are certainly not, good Sir, but you have the skills to back up your boasts so I guess I can't call it too annoying,” I claim. “Besides, in this situation, I rather find it comforting instead. Your confidence helps to give me confidence.”

“Well, experience can only carry one so far,” says Doctor Cabbelleron as he looks at the remaining fifty percent of his carrot. “After all, none of us has ever been to this continent directly.” He looks back at me. “Though I read some texts of ancient societies who made the claim they once came from a place like this, or knew others who did. That's something but not too much to rely upon. When it comes to venturing into new territory, there is a system that the wise exercise as they pursue a goal like this. It may not work all the time, but a tried and true system is better to rely upon rather than none.”

“And I don't have a system yet,” I mention. “That's why I prefer to stick close to others who do.”

“I must say, Miss Keystone, you hoofle yourself rather well in this situation,” Doctor Cabbelleron tells me with a proud grin.

I narrow my eyes at him as I ask him, “Are you kidding me? Did you see the way I reacted to that giant caterpillar?”

“Yes. I did,” Doctor Cabbelleron replies with an unexpected serious expression, then half shrugs. “We could have done with less screaming, but a foolish pony would have let curiosity override good judgment and said,” he swings both of his forelegs together to the side of his face as he says in a cutesy way, “'Oh look at the cute little buggie! Let's keep it!'” He looks back at me seriously as he drops his forehooves from his face again as he goes on to say, “Then they'd try to hug it and it ejects poisonous spikes into them and down they go.” He shakes his head. “Out here we have no antidote for a poison we have never encountered before. The wise try to err on the side of caution.” He nods to me proudly. “And you did that without any direct training. You have good instincts, Miss Keystone. I must say, you might have a knack for this if you did get some good training.”

I blush at him shyly but I also feel flattered. I then look above us as I hear loud thunder roll across the sky.

“New territory indeed,” Doctor Cabbelleron says as he also looks up. “With weather doing whatever the Celestia it wants, it could be quite a challenge to predict it.”

“But we can gather some logical assumptions based on our surrounding environment,” I say as I look back at Doctor Cabbelleron. “This is a huge jungle. There are some trees here that can match the height of a fifty story building. They would have been skyscrapers back in Manehatten. Trees and plants like that would require a lot of water, not to mention the big fauna around here as well.”

“At least this means we'll not likely die of thirst,” Doctor Cabbelleron figures. “The water seems pretty clear as well. I took a few samples and preliminary tests indicate that it is drinkable. I'd like to run it through a few more tests before we can be certain. After all, we can't be sure if there isn't some diseases within the water that we have no immunity to. That's another thing to watch out for in brand new territory.”

“Wow!” I marvel. “It makes a pony think how much we take for granted back in Equestria, right? Back there I would have been resting in a constructed home, but here we're resting in a durable tent instead. This portable shelter is certainly better than nothing and we can set it up anywhere where there is enough flat space. Still, sometimes I can't hear my own breathing through all this rainstorm and the flapping of the tents due to the wind makes me a little nervous.”

“Aye, but it should hold baring any major external interference,” Doctor Cabbelleron assures while he gives the tent an appraising eye. “And until we get back to the ship and/or Equestria, this is probably all we can count on for the time being.”

I shiver with fright as I hear another loud thunder roll across the sky. I then shake my head as I say, “I'm so glad all you guys are here to help me through this.”

Doctor Cabbelleron flashes me a sexy and cocky grin as he arrogantly assures, “Do not worry, Mademoiselle. We shall keep you safe from harm.”

“It might not be wise to make promises you can't keep, but I still appreciate the sentiment,” I express back to him.

“Well,” he half shrugs, “you can at least be certain of my good intentions.”

I cock my head at him as I ask him, “Why? Why are you so kind to me?”

“A proper gentlepony always treats a lady with the utmost respect,” Doctor Cabbelleron replies with a dignified pose. “Besides, you're one of my many adoring fans and I'd find it most distressful to let one of those down. It is most damaging on my self esteem, you see.”

I flash him a coy and cunning smile as I say, “Oh! I get it. This is simply one of your ways of protecting yourself and your own ego.”

“I shall not deny that,” Doctor Cabbelleron agrees as he shakes the remainder of his carrot at me. “But you can benefit from my selfish intentions nonetheless. It is wise to hide within my shadow which I will do my best to keep clear from too many obstacles. I'm not afraid of a challenge, mind you, else I wouldn't be here. That said, I don't need to invite more danger unnecessarily.”

“Famous last words of those who said the opposite of that,” I figure. “Especially those who meant that. It's one thing to be brave. Quite another to think one is invincible.”

“What if you could be, though?” Doctor Cabbelleron reflects. “What do you think it does to a pony's mindset if they actually could achieve immortality in some way?”

“Maybe there's less to reach for?” I theorize. “The hallmark of an adventurer is to seek risks in order to challenge one's self. There's something to lose. There's something to gain. There is reason to be excited about finding what's out there. If one became immortal and knows it, maybe that pony would plow through any challenge in their way with reckless abandon. So much so that that pony actually becomes a danger to his or her own allies unintentionally. I'd even wonder if such a pony would really care about others anymore. That pony might feel like they don't have anything to risk that really matters, so their actions carry through with that mentality. I think that situation is very dangerous even for that ponies would-be allies.”

“Do you ever wish it could be so?” Doctor Cabbelleron checks with me.

“I suppose I'd be lying if I don't think about it, but I think it has more cons than pros.” I tilt my head at him curiously. “What about you, Sir? What do you think?”

“Me?” he reflects then scarfs down the rest of his carrot before going on to say, “I completely agree with what you said.”