In Space, We Don't Abandon Innocence

by David Silver

17 - Consideration of Self

They slept together in Susan's bed. The same bed she had always slept in. In some ways, it was so very different, and in other ways, exactly the same. She woke up with Sunset, not some lover long gone, but still very much alive and quite real in her arms. Then again, how real was she? That she vanished suddenly was perhaps a hint of that.

"What are you doing?" Susan slid to her feet. "What. Are. You. Doing?" She slapped her own cheeks gently. "And why is it so good?"

---

Sunset was a pony. She was also entirely digital, looking at another pony. "You understand, right?"

"Ayup." Big Mac, digital or not, proved just as talkative as usual.

Sunset clopped a hoof to her face. "This isn't working."

"Eeyup." He took a bite out of an apple. "Ain't nothin' but a heartache."

Sunset grabbed a nearby pillow and chucked it at him. "Thanks. Is your sister in?"

"Ya call?" Applejack stepped in from just behind Sunset. "Howdy." She turned to toss the pillow back into place. "Y'all should probably head back up. Time's not real on the ship, so it ain't likely that you're missin' anything."

Sunset frowned at that. "I'm trying to get some help. I figured since, you know, we're all programs, maybe this was the place? But, I mean, everyone here is different."

Big Mac chewed at his apple. "Eeyup."

Applejack pointed her hat at Sunset. "Why didn't you ask earlier? Big Mac, love 'em, but not the first pony ah'd go wanderin' up fer advice." She gently bapped her brother with her hat, then pointed away. "Come on, let's go to the house and have a little chat."

"M'kay." He went without complaint, looking completely unbothered.

Sunset followed along with a heavy sigh. "I don't get it. It was just some kissing."

"Ya like it though?" Applejack hopped up onto a wooden chair. "And who were ya kissin'?"

Sunset sank into her own seat at the table. "Yeah, I liked it. A lot." She huffed, thumping a hoof on the floor. "I've never done this before. Especially not now. I was getting used to being a program, but no, hey, you can eat. Also, kisses!"

Applejack's laughter filled the room. "Breathe, pardner. Kisses are just kisses. Food? Well, if that's what your friends wanted to give ya, sure, eat up. The ship's a magical place, and what you get from it is a good bit of that."

Sunset huffed again, flaring her nostrils. "The ship is not 'magical'. Speaking of, where did the food I ate go? It had to go somewhere!"

Applejack settled down with a grin. "What goes in? Well, it's gotta come out 'gain. We're holograms, so we skip the messy bits. What you chewed on got sent back here to help grow more food fer everycreature on the ship. So, sure, the ship is magical."

Sunset slapped her face. "Great. Well, as much as I don't want to consider where my waste goes, thanks for explaining the magic." She rolled her eyes. "But it doesn't explain anything else."

"Like why ya were so happy ya felt like yer tail was about to pop off?" Applejack winked at Sunset.

Sunset colored at that. "I didn't even have a tail!" She glanced back at the tail she had. "At the time. I was perfectly human, with another human."

Applejack rested her chin on one hoof. "Ya coulda just asked her. Who were ya kissing?"

Sunset huffed again, letting the air blow her mane back. "My friend Susan. I'm like super sure she wants to be more then friends, and I really don't know how to feel about that. So I thought maybe you could help?"

Applejack's gaze narrowed as she considered the situation. "Susan. She the cute human ya been seen with? Works security?"

"She is cute." Sunset pouted, tossing her mane out of her face. "So what if she is? Is there a problem?"

Applejack lifted one hoof, leaning back in her chair. "Ain't not a problem. Look, yer a First Generation."

"Why do ponies keep bringing that up!" Sunset threw her hooves high. "So what if I am?"

Applejack winked at Sunset once more. "Tha's because it means somethin' special." She raised her hoof to her chest. "Yer basically me, and Twilight, and the others. We're all made of the same stuff."

Sunset leaned forward. "Wait, really?" She took a deep breath as she considered that. "Okay, wow, this is big. Start with saying what you and Twilight have in common, specifically, beyond being ponies."

Applejack pointed to herself. "Afore ah was a program, ah was a livin' pony, and before that, a program. Back an' forth a few times. Got real used to it now. Yer a first gen, from a livin' pony, but y'ain't used to it yet. Don't feel bad, perfectly normal."

"Right." Sunset rocked on her hooves. "You don't have anything to do with Twilight."

Applejack stood up. "'Course ah do! We were both alive when we arrived on Earth the firs' time around. Ah wen' and died afore her, but ah was already used to it. She just uploaded me an' ah went back to bein' a program 'gain.

"Ah always liked being a program." Applejack looked over at Big Mac. "I've gotten the best of both worlds. Both of us got more'n one trip on the starship 'round the galaxy. But, you know, a lot of us aren't 'full' in a sense. Some of us weren't ever alive. Like Big Mac here."

"Nope." One word, it carried all the meaning he had for the moment.

Sunset cocked her head to one side. "You're saying that Big Mac is just a program?"

Applejack laughed and nodded. "Ya said it, not me! He was never alive, nope. He's been runnin' fer so long though, had a few syncs, so tellin' the difference is mighty hard."

Sunset flopped to her back, legs and hooves wiggling. "So that means we could all just be programs. What if we're not actually the people we remember being? What if there's some other Sunset Shimmer or some other you?"

Applejack moved over to pat Sunset on the belly. "There ain't no other you, so long as yer still you. Y'ain't gotta worry 'bout none of that. Hm, or ah'm puttin' that out there wrong. There's probably half a dozen mes, and maybe two or three yous. But it don't matter none! You are you. This one, right here. She's the one ah'm talkin' to."

Sunset lowered her hooves slowly. "I guess that makes sense. As long as I am me, then I am me."

"Exactly." Applejack flicked her tail with a soft snort. "Yer gettin' it. Now, as for romance. Well, ah been married to a human afore. Right affectionate creatures. They're full of love, and if you show them some, they'll give it back just as hard! They also give quality strokes with them fingers they got."

Sunset whined, lifting her hooves to her eyes. "Oh no. Did not need that image."

Applejack laughed at that. "Don't judge humans too hard! That's the one bad part about bein' with 'em. They get their fingers on a sensitive ear or on yer side in just the right spot, yer helpless. You'll thank them for it afterwards to." She chuckled at the memory. "Ah shoot. Now I'm missin' her. Shame she didn't sync to the system."

Sunset peaked between her hooves. "But that can happen?"

"Sure!" Applejack looked over to her brother. "Right?"

Big Mac lifted his hat with a solemn nod. "Ayup."

Applejack bobbed her head. "Asides, yer proof! You were human, now yer one of us. We can upload any creature that sits down and give us the go ahead."

Sunset considered that idea as she let her hooves fall back to the ground. "I wouldn't want anyone doing it without permission, but if they wanted it?" She smirked at the ceiling. "Heck, I'm getting used to it."

Applejack threw an arm over Sunset, drawing her close. "Sounds like yer gettin' better. Good! Glad ah could help. Now, if yer human wants a smooch, you give them a smooch, if ya wanna. Don't feel pressured none. If she's really yer friend, she'll get when you say no."

Sunset waved that off. "I won't say no!" She hopped up to her hooves. "Thank you, Applejack. It was nice talking to you and Big Mac."

Big Mac waved as she departed. On quick hooves, she vanished, returning to her library.

---

On the bridge, Twilight sat beside Roger. Images were on the screen, little ones, each of a different crewmember enjoying their time down on the planet. Most were easily ignored, with nothing important on them. "You." Twilight pointed to one and it grew larger, overtaking the others.

Roger looked at it and nodded. "Ah, that's a picture of a pony."

Twilight lifted her wings slowly. "Yes. It is a picture of a pony. But look at where it is." She expanded the picture. The crewmember appeared to be in some sort of museum, filled with ancient artifacts.

"This is odd." Roger gestured for a magnification. "Are those hieroglyphs?"

Twilight's wings fell. "They're not. That is ancient Equestrian." She stared hard at the image. "From before even my time there." Her eyes wandered. "That is more 'modern' Equestrian. Can you contact this crew and have them look closer at it?"

Roger shook his head at that. "If the dragons see us sending and receiving large amounts of data, it could cause trouble."

Twilight nodded once at that. "So we should go down ourselves."

"Impossible." Roger frowned faintly at the idea. "Twilight, you are the ship, I remind. You can't leave the ship."

Twilight paid no mind to his frown. Without being asked, the crewmember leaned in and looked at the writing on their own. "Oh!" She made gestures, several clicks sounding as the computer took snapshots. "We'll examine this immediately! This might tell us what happened!"

Roger pinched the bridge of his nose. "Alright, fine. It's worth a look." He let his hand fall to his side. "Send the results to me when you have them. It's not that I'm not curious too, Twilight. What did happen to the ponies?"

Twilight stiffened at that. "I cannot be certain." She nodded, looking into the middle distance. "But now we have an avenue to investigate."

Roger leaned back in his chair. "Let's take advantage of it." He waved the many images away. "And let's not spy on our crew. They deserve their time away."

Twilight hummed softly at that. "I suppose so." She lifted her wings. "Except for these." A few images returned. "They gave me permission to monitor them, and they are on assignment, Sir."

Roger smiled as he patted Twilight's side. "Alright. Keep on them. And now, we wait for something else to happen."

The quiet tapping of fingers on consoles echoed throughout the room. Twilight considered the images. "I left for a reason. Things weren't looking very good."

Casey glanced from her terminal. "No? Want to share a little, Twilight?"

Twilight flexed her wings slowly. "Even this far distant, I remember the panic. Equestria was in trouble. Not the world, but the ponies on it. Many theorized we wouldn't last another hundred moons." She drew in a hissing breath, despite lacking lungs. "So a bold project was started. Its odds of success were tiny, but when faced with such a stark possibility, even a little chance seemed greater than none."

She raised one hoof. "Spaceships were created, with only the smallest crew on them. They were designed to carry seeds, the ponies themselves, and a few frozen passengers. They were to fling those seeds across the sky, hoping even one would take root." Twilight smiled thinly. "One did, finding friends with a curious simian species."

Author's Note:

Why ponies? Why kisses?

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Comments

[BestinDworld]

Hmm maybe sunset should seek advice from the ships councillor

....

I hope the ships councillor is starlight glimmer or maybe Cadence

Also are their children on board? I think the great and powerful trixie would be great with kids

Hell is even best waifu trixie on board?

Also would sunny starscout be there as well maybe she could be a 5th generation pony

[David Silver]

11930787
The irony of that would be too great. Are you trying to kill me?

[BestinDworld]

11930792
No not really also did Lyra ever show up on earth? If so I’m thinking....Lyra :hey mr human does this rag smell like chloroform to you?

[Booster Spice]

Diaspora.

City At The End Of Time.

If Smolder and Garble are defintiely around, then just what has happened to Dragon Lord Spike Most Honorable, Guardian Of Harmony?

[PrincePegacornV]

11930798
Oh, your comments are killing me! And I am just another casual reader!

[PrincePegacornV]

Great chapter. I like where this is going. Oh, the interaction between Susan and Sunset to me is just fluff; the ship's thing about discovery and what happened to the ponies of Equestria is where I am interested in, Your latest bit of teasing about what happened, and how Twilight and her friends set upon their eventual finding of Earth, makes some sense.
It reminds me of a short story in the first Dangerous Visions collection of science fiction tales, which was edited by Harlan Ellison a ways back, I believe that the story I am referring is about something similar, where Humanity is dispersed throughout space to find worlds to live on. I cannot rightly recall who wrote said story, although most likely it was Vonnegut, being the type of writer he was. The story's title included a bad word which I shall not repeat, but I am sure that you may figure it out yourself...

[David Silver]

11930854
There is nothing new beneath the sun.

[Okie Brony]

So, the ponies' holomatrices include matter reclamators, so they can eat like living ponies. Cool!

Loved Big Mac and AJ helping Sunset with her existential crisis.

Nice to finally get an answer as to why the ponies left Equestria, even if it opens up more questions.

[David Silver]

11930865
Also provides context for why Twilight acted the way she did.