In Space, We Don't Abandon Innocence

by David Silver

14 - Target Practice

Smolder leaned forward towards the camera. "You got it, that fast? Huh. We really didn't expect you to manage."

Roger leaned back in his chair, casually throwing his arms over the armrests. "We work hard to serve our clients' needs." He rested one hand on the ship's intercom panel. "Twilight, if you'd be so kind?"

Twilight appeared both before Roger and on the transmission. "We have a ship prepared with ten cartons of the specified dimensions. Are we permitted to approach?"

Smolder gave Twilight a funny look. "Okay, yeah. That is going to take some getting used to. But sure. You'll need to deliver those personally though. No remote delivery or drone ships."

Twilight spread her wings. "As you wish, please provide the coordinates." With a few beeps, the information was shared. "Received." She turned to Roger entirely. "An interesting planet is at the coordinates. Atmospheric temperature and composition are within tolerances."

Roger read between the lines. "We'll be there shortly. Thank you, Second Claw Smolder."

She did a strange salute, her claws close together. "Good luck."

With the transmission ended, Roger's attention was entirely on Twilight. "Can you confirm it's Equestria?"

Twilight shrugged once. "No. But I am certain that we will find my world in this direction." She shifted in place. "I hope."

Roger gave Twilight a curious look at that. "You mentioned an 'interesting' planet. What's interesting about it?"

Twilight rolled one forehoof as she thought. "As best as I can tell, it's a remnant of the time of war." She swept a wing towards the front of the ship. "I detect, the ship detects—" She fumbled over herself, Twilight effectively being the ship. "We detect signs of pony civilization."

Roger flicked his hand to show he understood. "Excellent. Let's get going then. Full burn, if you please." He leaned forward and grabbed the ship's intercom panel. "Look alive crew! We may be making history in more ways."

The crew on the command deck cheered at the idea as the ship propelled forward, slipping between spaces in the hyperjump towards their destination.

---

"Susan?" Sunset knocked on the door. "Why did you call me over and lock your door? That's a bit daft, don't you think?"

A moment later, the door slid open to reveal Susan. "Sorry, I just, um, wanted to see how this was going to go." She offered a hand up. "If it's okay, I want to pet you as a pony, if that's okay?"

Sunset entered the room, allowing the door to slide shut behind her. "As a pony? I already told you." She pointed at herself. "Human."

Susan colored a little. "What if I let you pet me first?"

Sunset froze as she considered that offer. "Would that be fair?" She rolled her eyes as Susan just gazed back at her. "Sure, of course. You are so silly." She came closer to Susan, but paused before touching her. "You are so odd." She huffed but put a hand on Susan's shoulder to start, as if it took increasing courage to get to her hair. "What's so special about petting anyway?"

Susan stiffened up with a squeak as Sunset reached her head, then sighed and relaxed. "I dunno. It's nice. There are some that really like it. A bunch of our crew have soft parts, or something like fur, so, yeah."

"Yeah?" Sunset gently stroked through Susan's hair. "Um, it's nice, your hair that is." She wrinkled her nose. "Part of me wonders why they gave holograms senses of touch, but then I remember some of us do some stuff that really need that, like Fluttershy in the medical department."

Susan rolled her eyes at that. "We already went over this. The answer hasn't changed. We can help you experience more if you want." She glanced aside. "Look, how about we stop talking about work and just be people?"

Sunset drew her hand away as if Susan was hot. "I wasn't trying. Look, ugh." She paced in a loose circle, throwing her hands wide. "I don't get me! I'm alive, but not. It's a strange thing, and I'm it. I'm the strange thing!" She switched her processing over to the ship and fell to all fours instantly. "According to Twilight, the entire ship, I should be here, a pony, smiling, and getting things done."

Susan moved closer to Sunset, reaching out a hand before she stopped herself. "Don't freak out. What did she say?"

Sunset twisted her head to look at Susan. "That I am basically this ship's version of her. Of the first Sunset." She cringed, backing half a step. "There's probably other mes out there. Think they're having the same meltdown? Man." She kicked the floor impotently. "Sorry."

Susan took the risk and knelt to stroke Sunset's mane. "It's fine. We don't have to do anything. You want to sit down and read a book? Catch a movie?"

Sunset cracked a smile. "You still want to hang out after I gushed all my emotions at you?"

Susan drew Sunset closer. "One, you're an adorable pony. Points for you. Two, you have emotions to gush. So, yeah. We're friends." She pet Sunset's far side gently. "So I want you to be happy."

Sunset butted her head into Susan's side, pressing her up against the girl's body. "I am happy! It's just... I don't know." She stamped a hoof. "Being a hologram sucks sometimes."

Susan tickled gently along Sunset. "Being a human isn't so great sometimes. Life is complicated, and there are feelings." She turned Sunset gently to face her. "That's when friends are kinda handy, to talk to, share it all with. You know?"

Sunset bobbed her head, lifting her front hooves off the floor in the process. "You have good points." She snuffled at Susan. "Yeah, life is complicated." She lifted her front legs up to hug Susan's neck with them. "At least we have friends to cry with."

The two were quiet, just embracing and supporting one another for a quiet moment. "Oh." Susan drew back. "I'll be going on my first away mission soon. I'll have to drive the shuttle down to trade with the dragons. Want to come along?"

Sunset gasped, flaring her wings wide as she became human again. "Yeah!" She jumped into Susan's arms, wrapping her legs around the girl's hips. "That would be so cool!" She laughed, forgetting her troubles for a moment. "I've never been off this ship since I was a hologram. This'll be neat."

Susan rolled her eyes with a grin. "You really want to get off this ship, don't you?"

Sunset squirmed happily. "I mean, yeah. Not forever, just, like, you know, let me do something." She slid down to her own feet. Her wings folded and vanished, returning her to an entirely human form. "I want to see more than the ship. A dragon city? Sounds neat. I bet there'll be fire involved."

Susan lifted a hand to Sunset's shoulder. "It'll be simple stuff. Just trade a bunch of goods for more dragon stuff."

Sunset grasped the hand with her own. "That's fine. But while we're there, we get to see things." She squeezed the hand. "Together."

Susan laughed at that. "That is the plan. But you know how plans are."

"Sure." Sunset gently stroked Susan's cheek. "They fly out the window when something better comes along."

Susan snorted at that. "One way of putting it, but yeah. I'll be acting as security. For you to be there, you have to be helping, so, do you know how to use any weapons, just in case?"

Sunset gave Susan a funny look. "You want to teach me how to shoot? Seriously?" She laughed and released Susan's hand. "I could use some actual lessons. Like, I get the idea of it but I haven't actually held a gun before."

Susan moved for her door. "Time for some practice. I bet you're better than you give yourself credit for."

"We shall see!" Sunset grinned as she followed Susan out the door.

It wasn't hard to find an open target range. There were no other humans in sight, leaving them to play freely with their little project. Small pistols and heavier rifles were available. They were all energy weapons, ready to shoot beams of concentrated energy at whatever target their user deemed required.

Susan looked down at one small weapon that could fit in a purse or pocket. "This should do." She passed it over to Sunset. "Take it easy, let it do the work."

"Right." Sunset passed it from one hand to the other and back as she slid up to one of the firing positions. "Just have to hit that target; all the way over there." She huffed, raising the pistol firmly. She gave it a sidelong glance, unsure how to use it. "Wait, am I aiming at the center?"

Susan turned to look at the target. "That'd be right. Try to shoot the middle circle. Just squeeze the trigger."

Sunset tilted her head. "Alright, simple enough." With a sharp report, the pistol disgorged its energy wrath, leaving a hole in the target. "Oh, wow." She let the gun go slack in her hands. "Actually doing it is different."

Susan leaned in for a peek across the field. "Not bad, but you could do better, and will, with practice. Raise that pistol and keep on firing until you hit that center. Not like that thing can meaningfully run out of ammo while we're on the ship."

Sunset repositioned herself and fired again, winging the edge of the circle. "Okay, there we go." She took a breath before aiming more carefully and firing again. This time, she hit dead center. "Wow. It's almost too easy."

"Remember that in a firefight." Susan patted Sunset's side. "Which I hope we're never in, but if we are, they'll be aiming for your center too."

Sunset nervously nudged her emitter off to the side with a strained laugh. "Right for the center, that'd get me." She turned her pistol on another target, taking shots with a brief pause between each. After a few misses, she started to improve. "This is easier than it looks."

Susan reached over and gently squeezed Sunset's wrist, pulling it aside. "Relax. I had a feeling you had it in you, just like me. Part of you, the quiet you, is already doing the math. Don't get in their way. Trust that they got it right."

Sunset turned her hand to capture Susan's, interlacing their fingers as she stared into Susan's eyes. "Trust yourself? Or trust the computer?"

Susan chuckled and nodded towards the range. "Both? Let the computer do its thing. It's only going to make things better, not worse. Besides, Sunset, you are the computer. Trust yourself." She tapped at her own head. "Just like I have to trust mine. Second guessing it is how you miss."

Sunset gave Susan a soft kiss on the cheek before letting go of her hand. "Right. Shut up and let the computers do the work. Makes sense, because I am one." She laughed at that, returning her attention to the range. Her next shot, taken almost without thought, went right through the target's inner circle. "Huh!"

"See?" Susan bumped against Sunset with a smile. "Knew it. Go on. The world is your oyster, so shoot it a lot."

Sunset worked over every target in her line of sight. She still missed occasionally, but she improved rapidly. "I could do this all day." She leaned against Susan's side. "We can't though, I think."

"No." Susan huffed gently. "I should get to work, and you should too. Poor people trying to find their books without their librarian? Go on."

Sunset laughed as she flicked her pistol back into the weapon locker. "We were going to do that anyway, dummy. Alright. Let's go put on a show." She swung one arm to bump into Susan's own, walking at her side until they had to part.

Author's Note:

Those two are getting awfully chummy...

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Comments

[BestinDworld]

I’ll go down with this ship and nopony can tell me otherwise

[Booster Spice]

I wonder if Twilight remembers Maud rocks?

[harts fire]

spell check on isle 3 please.

It wasn't hard to find an open target range. There were no other humans in sight, leaving them to play freely with their little project. Small pistols and heavier rifles were available. They were all energy weapons, ready to shoot beams of concentrated enemy at whatever target their user deemed required.

It wasn't hard to find an open target range. There were no other humans in sight, leaving them to play freely with their little project. Small pistols and heavier rifles were available. They were all energy weapons, ready to shoot beams of concentrated (energy) at whatever target their user deemed required.

a amazing chapter i love it.

[Okie Brony]

Nice chapter is nice. I'm starting to get B'Elanna Torres vibes from Susan, although that may just be my inner Trekker looking for references.

11928586

I’ll go down with this ship and nopony can tell me otherwise

Ditto! Sunsan fivever! (That's one more than "forever.")

[Twinkie Sprinkle]

11928278

Pleasure can definitely be surprisingly important.

[Twinkie Sprinkle]

Pew pew.

Kinda reminds me of a moment from Futurama, "You shouldn't have been aiming for where I was, but where I was going to be."

[geomease]

Susan likes getting pets? I can definitely relate, head scratchies and brushies are the best.