private Home amongst the Stars

[Raven Rawne 1,381]

OOC

@Scare Effect

"Get on this starship, they said...

It'll be fun! They said..."

 

A mare was laying on her bed, staring into the ceiling of her tiny private quarters. She had a deep, rusty red coat, and ice blue mane, tied meticulously into a ponytail with a lock of hair hanging like a curtain by her right eye. She rolled her cold, blue eyes and sighed, then raised her left arm to look at the bracelet on it. She fired up the touch screen and fidded with it for a bit, then finally started a recording. She took a deep breath, and said:

"Personal log, of Crystal Clear, assignment Pathfinder unit number 2, entry one. After over a year in stasis, we've arrived to our destination. The orbit of an alien world, Caligula. I remeber seeing it, just a little dot on the sky... Well it sure looks better from up close, for once. Anyways... it appears that the mission is going as planned. Our ship, "Final Frintier", the finest we ever made they say, left Equestrian orbit a year ago, never to return. And we, crazy ponies on board.  Yours truly included. Our mission: to establish a first pony colony outside Equestria, and it's Moon. A bold plan, one that will make it to history books for sure. Even if we fail."

The humming of the ship seemed louder and she looked at the doors, but nothing happened. The light on the door console kept beeping, informing that they are locked from the inside. Crystal sighed and resumed her little speech.

"It's been five days since I was brought back from stasis. Not the best feeling, mind you, but I live. And today is the last day of my, ahem, vacation. the command says the tech ponies finally pulled out my ship from storage and will have her ready before dinner. Which is good, idleness makes my head hurt."

A notification flashed on the screen of her forearm computer, halting the recording. She muteres domething and reviewed it, then resumed the recording.

"Well Heart take me, they made it three hours earlier than expected. Maybe these techies aren't as bad as usual! *Akhem* I'll go and take a look at my new ride then. Heart knows I need all the time in it I can get... Crystal Clear out.

.

..

...

....

I know you'll be listening to it, snoops!"

She killed the screen and stretched her back. In one swift move, the mare was on her hooves and starting to get ready. Soon enough she stepped out of the doors of her little hideout and, using the device on her arm, closed the doors with her pass key. She took the left turn, along a long row of doors, identical to her own. Most vacant so far, only the essential crew was awake, and now it was time for the Pathfinders to start working too. Crystal smiled as her hof boots made a clatter on the metal floor, like a dozen troopers were marching on parade. She straightened her jacket, the Crystal Heart patch on her right shoulder, the mission logo and pathfinder decal on her left, the name tag on her chest. One more pat on her breeches and she was mentally ready to meet her chariot, looking her best.

The Pathfinder units hangar seemed busy like never. well, because it was technically true. Crystal walked out of the hallway into the clatter of tools, curses and shouts as the technicians busted their flanks to keep as many units mission ready as possible, before the deadline,. Everypony wanted to do their best, and for good reason. The crystal mare consulted her little computer and went straight ahead to one of the nooks, where ships were parked. Only from up close did she notice a "II" on the floor right before it. A casual glance confirmed that the unit was indeed, prepped and set aside, so she walked around it, carefully exemining every detail of the hull. Only once satisfied did she open the ramp at the back and climb inside.

"Well hello there! seems like we'll be working together for a bit. Yeah, I know, you expected somepony else but, you know."

The mare casually talked to the ship as she woke up her power core, and the interior lit with clinical, blueish light. Crystal took a galnce over the cargo hold, checked the rifle stands, and sat on the lower bunk bed that was crammed just behing the cockpit. "Hmm, not bad... Let's check your systems and get aquainted, shall we?"

She took her seat - the pilot seat - engaged service mode and started runing checks on every system of the ship, one after another. She sat there, silent aside from the beeps and whirrs of her machine companion as it moved it's flaps and lit all kinds of info on the HUD, testing itself out.

[Scare Effect 312]

@Raven Rawne

on the other side of the hanger was a dark purple unicorn mare who was rereading a guidebook for the millionth time. She looked up from the book and looked at the device at her arm with her mismatched purple and red eyes. Seems the ship she been assigned to has been activated, so her partner must've arrived. She closed the book and set it aside hopping up she straightened her uniform and made her way to her ship and partner. After nearly running into several ponies, she finally made it. "here goes nothing," she took a deep breath and knocked on the side of the ship.

[Raven Rawne 1,381]

@Scare Effect

Crystal Clear was consulting the readings between the ship display and her forearm data slate, as she was remotely controlling the turret on the roof. The gun mount whirred as she took a few sharp turns, then clicked after a dry shot. The satisfied pilot nodded to herself and stretched her back, having successfully completed the entire check without one issue.

"And I thought I would have to spend my days fixing this ship myself, ha!"

Suddenly she froze, hearing a noise at the side of the ship. Quickly consulting the display, she looked for a malfunction, but nothing showed up.

"What the Hay..." 

Crystal Clear left the cockpit, tapping her chin thoughtfully as she walked out side to see what was going on. Only after jumping off the side of the ramp that led to the ship interior did she notice that there was somepony near the Pathfinder unit. Or more specifically, she nearly bumped into her. Taking a step back and looking intently at the newcomer, she said, a bit uncertainty:

"Oh, excuse me! But um, have you heard a noise coming from starboard just now, at the front? I was worried something broke but the ship doesn't seem to register any malfunctions."

[Scare Effect 312]

@Raven Rawne

The mare looked down at the ground. "Um the noise was me knocking on the ship to get your attention, I'm sorry," She answered. "I am Magicka Dust your navigator," She introduced herself nervously.

[Raven Rawne 1,381]

@Scare Effect

The crystal mare cocked her head slightly and her eyebrow slowly rose as she took in the information. She then smiled and shook her head.

"Duh, that was so obvious! And I got so worried this thing was already breaking down on me, haha!"

She leaned against the hull and tapped it, almost affectionately, as she got a good look at the other pony.

"So... a navigator eh? Seems like we'll be spending quite some time together in upcoming weeks." She extended her hand for a handshake. "My name is Crystal Clear, I'm your pilot, the other half of Pathfinder 2. Feel free to take a peek inside, make yourself at home. We still have some time before we are sent out on our first assignment, by my best guess it will be after dinner. Since the ship was supposed to be ready around that time."

After the brief introduction, the cherry mare lingered a bit by the ramp, as if giving her new partner some space to get aquainted with the ship on her own terms.

[Scare Effect 312]

@Raven Rawne

Magicka stepped inside the ship and looked around noting it was relatively roomy for a small ship. She noted the size and space. Looking around in the storage lockers noting the medical supplies, flashlights, rations, and guns. Putting all this data in the data pad on her wrist before stepping out of the Pathfinder ll and looks at Crystal Clear. "Everything seems to be accounted for on board," she informed the pilot.

[Raven Rawne 1,381]

@Scare Effect

Crystal Clear was busy shining her name tag with her sleeve. Her ears moved a little, taking in the sounds of her navigator walking and checking out the inside of their new ship. She raised her head to meet the other mare as she walked out, and nodded.

"Yeah, everything looks ready for our first deployment! I'm curious what we'll find though. Pathfinder I already ran two sorties and the word is, the place looks great, if a little weird by our standards."

With a little push, she propped herself upright and patted her hand on the hull of their ship.

"So, do you have any plans until dinner? I mean there's much to do around here anyway so far. I was about to go to the observation deck, take a look at what just might be our new home planet. Unless you have a better idea, perhaps?"

[Scare Effect 312]

@Raven Rawne

"No I don't have any plans," Magicka answered Crystal. "and I would like to see our future home from orbit before we get a closer look later, and besides if we're gonna be spending a lot of time together we might as well get to know each other."

[Raven Rawne 1,381]

@Scare Effect

She nodded silently and typed the commands into her tablet to close the ramp into their scout ship ad remotely put the systems back into sleep mode. Her ears perked up but the humming from inside Pathfinder 2 soon died and they were good to go.

"Alright then, let's go together. I hope there won't be too many ponies off duty like us, not much sitting space there.."

Crystal Clear led the two out of the hangar. She stole a glance at her ship before leaving though. The mare walked silently at first, but, before they reached the elevator she finally spoke up.

"So... Magika Dust, where are you from? Canterlot perhaps?"

[Scare Effect 312]

@Raven Rawne

"No I'm from Manehatten, the upper crust actually," Magicka answered quietly following Crystal Clear, she looked at her hooves nervously before asking. "Where are you from? I don't want to assume because you're a crystal pony your from the Crystal Empire."

 

[Raven Rawne 1,381]

@Scare Effect

The cherry mare smirked, as if enjoying a private joke.

"Didn't I just assume you're from Canterlot simply because of your horn? Relax, in my case it would be a pretty good guess actually. Not many of us settle outside of the Barrier. You could say we're... Tied to that place."

Crystal Clear tapped her crystal heart badge on her right shoulder. As they waited for the elevator.

"We feel that need to be close to it, you know. Hard to explain but, yeah, that's how we crystal ponies are. Makes sense why there only little communities of us outside the Empire and even they come visit every now and then."

The elevator doors finally opened and she stepped inside, before choosing the observation deck as their destination. Suddenly remembering that she didn't answer her companion's query, Crystal looked at Magicka and nodded.

"So, yes, I used to live in the Empire proper."

Edited August 31, 2018 by Raven Rawne

[Scare Effect 312]

@Raven Rawne

"I hear the Crystal Empire is beautiful especially at night," Magicka smiled lost in her imagination, she quickly realized this and look at the pilot. "Um how long have u been a pilot?"

[Raven Rawne 1,381]

@Scare Effect

The crystal mare leaned against the back wall of their lift and sighed, apparently recalling the right of her home city.

"Beautiful doesn't even begin to describe it..."

She ran her fingers along her neck and stopped for a moment between the collarbones, also in thought. The elevator gently hummed as it hurled them upwards. Hearing another question brought her back to the present, however. Crystal frowned a little, then started slowly.

"It... Wasn't my first career. I had a few jobs before I settled in this field but, it's been around 2 years of earning a living by driving and piloting around. I also do ground cars, bikes, whatever isn't too big for me to get the feel of. My last job was to haul stuff all across the Frozen North, between the Empire and small research stations, outposts, and whoever was looney enough to live outside the Barrier. You might say that my plane was a bit similar to what we have been assigned to."

The elevator slowed down and stopped completely, then the doors opened. Some stallion was waiting for a lift down and he smiled to the mares as they went past each other. For some reason Crystal smiled back, but once he was in the elevator, she groaned and theatrically rolled her eyes.

The observation deck was quite spacious. There were on the very top level of the Final Frontier and, even though one could see the metal shutters just waiting to cover the tall glass panes, one could feel almost like they were on a terrace outdoors. There were couches in the middle, facing out so the visitors could enjoy the view, and even a horseshoe of them with a table in the middle, right under a glass dome. That spot was, however, occupied by some couple a d Crystal seemed irritated by just how loud that mare giggled every now and then.

"Ugh... The planet is on starboard side, come on."

She walked to the wall of glass and stood up, arms behind back, like a general looking on his next conquest. Her eyes slowly scanned the planet below, and the glass reflected her stone expression. It seemed that only her chest and those cold blue eyes moved, as she stood like a statue, taking in the view and apparently, pondering over something.

[Scare Effect 312]

@Raven Rawne

Magicka stood next to Crystal and looked out the glass dome and was filled with awe as she looked down at the planet. It was mostly barren save for several rainforests dotting its surface. 

"The planet seems to be a great planet to colonize," she commented before she started thinking out loud. "There is a possibility that there are two different biomes on this planet the barren area could have a predator living on the outskirts of the forest, so we should avoid the edge for now." 

 

She then realized she was thinking out loud, so she stopped and looked at the ground in embarrassment. "sorry for rambling."

[Raven Rawne 1,381]

@Scare Effect

The crystal mare didn't even flinch. Her ear shifted towards her companion's and she idly flickered her tail but, remained motionless otherwise. Only after a moment of silence, did she pick up the conversation.

"According to mission data there is no surface water on the Badlands. That's the large area where seemingly nothing is going on. Just rocks and sand everywhere you look. Although, it would be foolish to assume there is no life out there, yes..."

Her eyes narrowed a little, and she smoothed her hair curtain with her right hand, habitually it seemed.

"You know what? I hope it won't be too hot down there. I'll worry about things trying to eat me when they do show up. But, I guess the planet does look nice from this perspective."

Her hand went back to her neck, but this time she fished out a pendant on a chain. It looked like a little replica of the real Crystal Heart, and maybe it was because of the lights around, but it seemed to... glow a little? Crystal Clear just held it idly in her fingers for a moment, before hiding it back and finally looking away from the glass panes.

"And I laughed when they said they woke up the mission counselor, heh. Anyway, aren't you going to, you know, miss Equestria? This thing looks nothing like home, especially mine..."

Her blue eyes took a side glance on her own reflection in the glass, and the alien world on the other side of it.

[Scare Effect 312]

@Raven Rawne

Magicka looked at her and back at the planet thinking about what Crystal asked. "I will miss Equestria, but unlike most of the other colonists I have no ties there no family and no friends," She answered sadly. "I volunteered for the colonization to have a fresh start."

 

As she finished an announcement came across the the ship that said dinner is in twenty minutes.

[Raven Rawne 1,381]

@Scare Effect

The mare winced a little, and breathed a little more deeply. She placed her hand on Magicka's shoulder and looked her straight in the eyes.

"Hey. You have me now, ok? Like you've said, new place, new opportunities."

She glanced over Magicka's shoulder at the happy couple who decided to vacate the premises, probably in favor of the mess hall. Crystal patted her navigator and turned to the elevator.

"Seems like it's our cue as well. I expected we might get called for our first mission soon so, better get the good stuff while we can, right? Only dry rations once we get Planetside."

[Scare Effect 312]

@Raven Rawne

"thanks," she said smiling before following the crystal pony to the elevator. Inside the elevator were three other ponies.

Stepping in next to the pilot. She looked at the device on her arm and decided to type a quick description on the planet's surface, before turning it off.

 

[Raven Rawne 1,381]

@Scare Effect

Crystal Clear stood in the corner of the elevator as it began it's descent. The assembled ponies were quiet, a common thing amongst strangers, after all. She took the time to smooth her clothes, even though there was no apparent need for it.

Everypony was headed to the same place. The mess hall - the only one opened do far at least - looked pretty empty. Just a few dozen ponies scattered into smaller groups, and more coming in. Crystal used to eat on her own, taking the free space and her death gkare to her advantage, but, this time it seemed prudent to act differently. She and Magicka took a plate and Crystal nodded to one of the long, empty tables made of stainless steel.

"Seems like plenty of seats to choose from. Gives you a hint of the amount of ponies still in cryostasis, I guess. Want to take a seat with me, or maybe you have somepony you dine with?"

[Scare Effect 312]

@Raven Rawne

"If you don't mind Crystal, I would like to sit with you," Magicka answered the pilot, nervously looking at the ground. She heard the sound of laughter and talking and she was reminded of how alone on the ship she is. hopefully, when I start the mission I can distract myself.

[Raven Rawne 1,381]

@Scare Effect

"Nah, I don't mind at all."

The crystal pony led the way to the empty table and sat in the corner. Once she put her tray down, she patted the spot next to her for Magicka to take. Apparently, she liked to choose places from where she could see all the action.

She took a glance over the now familiar space. Metal floor, walls and ceiling, the latter two painted white and decorated with some inspirational posters. Though some could also double as satire. The light fixtures placed neatly above the tables, shining their clinical, blueish light.

"You know, I actually look forward to getting out of this can. Magnificent feat of equestrian engineering I mean..."

Crystal smirked at her companion, probing if her little sarcastic remark was well received. She looked at her plate then. The usual super diet, straight out of the deep freeze: a cup of enritched juice tasting like no fruit she knew of, and a large plate filled with rice hot steamed, complete with some sauce, probably just as packed with extras as the juice. There were also some dry banana cuts in a bag for later. The mare shrugged and began eating.

"I like spots like this. You can see the entrance, the kitchen window and most of the tables. Which means I know what's going on, plus I can check out who's awake already."

Her eyes caught a mare, very young by the look of her, wearing the doctor uniform. A unicorn, with navy blue coat and charcoal mane flowing somewhat freely. The newcomer took her plate and was immediately greeted by some other ponies who offered her a seat. Crystal Clear patted her chin thoughtfully.

"Either I'm getting old, or she looks like somepony on her first grade of medical school. Well, better not get injured then, if we have students in med bay..."

[Scare Effect 312]

@Raven Rawne

Magicka smiled at Crystal's remark and nodded her head in agreement to her last comment. She looked down at the tray of food and grabbed the banana's and the juice and pushed the rice away. 

"I'm not all that hungry," She said opening the bag of bananas and popping one into her mouth.

[Raven Rawne 1,381]

@Scare Effect

The cherry mare stoppedwith her fork in the air and gave her companion a weird look. She observed magicks for a moment, enjoying her meal, then finally spoke up:

"Her, are you... okay? Because I don't expect you're anxiously awaiting the chance to finally get your hands on the dry rations in our scout ship, and fast so you can get more of that..."

She picked her snack bag between her fingers and put on Magicka's tray. "Hmm, guess you'll need these more than I do. But if you keep this up, I'llstart charging you with crackers from the dry ration pack. These are actually quite decent, I daresay." Crystal bumped her shoulder against Magicka's and smiled. That last part was a joke, by the way. I just don't want you to get sick down there, or keel over from not eating."

She was halfway through her plate, and apparently, got more talkative on full stomach. She looked around the mess hall, now 1/3 full with ponies. "I can't wait to get my hooves on proper ground, you know? Even if it's some alien planet and all. I  want sto see the horizon, sit on a rock, and stop feeling that humming this damn ship keeps doing. Flying in that scout ship is a nice bonus too, come to think of it. You think they will send us someplace pretty looking?"

 

[Scare Effect 312]

@Raven Rawne

Magicka laughed a little at Crystal's joke and grabbed the bag Crystal gave her.

"I hope so," She answered with a smile. "Hopefully we can see some exotic flora or even some fauna," She excitedly said with a smile before eating another piece of banana.

[Raven Rawne 1,381]

@Scare Effect

The crystal mare nodded, chewing on her rice. She ate insilence for a minute or so, before checking her wrist tablet and typing in something. "I don't know about you, but I'm headed to my room for some rest, and maybe finally visit that fancy gym they made for us around late afternood. that is, unless we get called on our first mission. So I figured, if you want to talk or just call me over, here's my network ID. Just ype a message if you need anything OK?"

Crystal Clear held her hand for Magicka to read and type in her ID, so she could contact her through text messages when both are connected to Final Frontier's network.

"Alright, care to send me a test text? I'll have yours too then, and besides, we'll know it works in the first place."