In Space, We Don't Abandon Innocence

by David Silver

8 - Origins

Loud beeps echoed through the halls of the ship. It was followed by an announcement in a pleasant voice, that of Assistant Rarity. "Red Alert. We are nearing our destination. Please take your stations."

On the bridge, the image of the satellite was looming large before them. Captain Roger raised a finger. "Can you bring Octavia back?"

She appeared on the main screen. "How can I be of assistance?"

"I had a question. The odds of it being the same were high, but not overwhelmingly. Why was that?"

Octavia inclined her head faintly. "It has some similarity to a known alien species."

Roger brought his fingers together. "And which one is that?"

Next to Octavia sprang the image of the first ship known to cross the lightyears of void between the stars. The pony ship rotated slowly beside her. "Its manufacture is strikingly similar to this. 95% match, with 3% margin of error."

Roger sat back. "This complicates things. Twilight?" Octavia was replaced with Twilight instantly. "Do you recognize this? This is your ship it's resembling."

Twilight sagged with shame. "I'm afraid I do not. I don't design ships, I just fly this one. Once, I flew one other, but I didn't design it either."

"That's alright, but I need to know if there is any risk to us. What if these are your people?" Roger leaned forward towards Twilight. "You never said what happened to your people to begin with. Are we about—"

Twilight did her best to convey a deep frown. "That would be unthinkable. I doubt that." Flustered, she vanished, leaving them looking at the satellite.

Casey peeked over her shoulder. "I don't think I've ever seen Twilight lose herself like that. You've touched a nerve, Captain."

"Do you think it's relevant?" Roger rubbed at his chin. "So far, our time with the ponies has been of mutual benefit." He frowned as he tapped his fingers against his armrest. "But something drove them from their home world. We had assumed it was a desire to explore, but I'm starting to wonder.

Casey perked. "New incoming message, Captain. Permission for main screen?"

Roger nodded. "Go ahead."

On the main display, a wave began to oscillate in the motions of sound. The haunting calls of that whale-like song filled the room with its alien cries.

Rainbow Dash appeared on a console. "Hey! I know that one."

"That's great, Dash. Can you translate?" Roger gestured at the waveform of the sound.

Dash clapped her hooves together. "Can do! Um, it's basically the song of Sun's Greetings. They used to sing it yearly, at a holiday. Good times!"

Twilight returned on the main display. "Yes, Dash is correct. It's as if they are singing Sun's Greetings to us, which is a curious thing to do." She turned about. "We're in space. All the suns in view are just as visible all year round. The meaning of it is lost."

Rainbow Dash clicked her tongue. "Aww. Not much you can do when you take the place out of context like that." She fluttered in place, then spun. "But that means they're friendly, right?"

Twilight smiled across the room at Rainbow. "Let's hope so. Captain, call if you need us." Both vanished from view.

Roger nodded, then stood up to address the whole bridge. "Alright, let's proceed as if they are friendly, but approach with caution. You have your orders. Move out."

The ship soared towards the mysterious satellite as its song grew louder. With a slide of fingers, they toned it down to a tolerable level. Roger sank into his seat. "We may be finding out where the ponies actually came from. I don't question their benevolence today, but knowing how they got here? That's worth finding out."

The ship approached closer, flying slowly to allow for an inspection. It was large, many times the size of their own ship. As it grew larger and larger, the angles grew more complex, blending and curving in strange ways that defied human conventions.

"New message incoming." Casey worked her keypad. "The moment we were within 100 meters. I'd swear it's automated. Permission to main screen?"

Roger brought a hand to his chin. "Yes, please." He stood up as he watched the view on the front screen change.

It flickered on, bringing to life the image of a strange being. Its body was larger than a pony. They had wide wings and a long horn. They spoke in strange whistles and calls, not a crying song, but their words were musical none the less.

Twilight was summoned, appearing with a stiff smile. "Hello, I am Assistant Twilight Sparkle, current keeper of this vessel." She gestured back towards the crew. "They are my crewmates, and we mean you no harm." After her English words, return whistles and calls came.

The alicorn gave a gentle smile. She spoke in tender tones and a final chirp at Twilight, as if speaking directly to her.

Twilight bowed politely to her. "I'm sorry." The soft whistle came after, the same words repeated in that alien tongue.

The image blinked away. Twilight turned back to Roger. "That, hm. That. Captain, may I have a moment?"

Roger frowned faintly. "Are you alright?"

Twilight tilted her head. "Mildly overwhelmed, if I am to be honest. Is it possible to take a break? This is just..." She vanished with a few tears blinking away slower than the rest of her.

Casey raised a brow at where Twilight had been. "Did our computer just have a nervous break?"

Roger waved that away. "Our computer is a sapient lifeform. They can request a moment to compose themselves." He looked over the various personnel on the bridge. "We're in uncharted waters. Our guess that this involves the ponies appears to have been correct. Rainbow Dash? Are you available?"

Rainbow popped up on Roger's personal screen. "Yo! How can I help, boss man?"

"I was unsure if you were available, or if you had needed time, like Twilight." He smiled at the clearly still enthusiastic Rainbow. "Good to see you."

"Always ready!" She saluted with a wing. "Look, we're all running on the same computer, Captain, but I'm not Twilight. She's going through her own thing. What we saw was her old mentor, from way back. Way way way back." She waved with her hooves, trying to encompass how far back it was. "Before ponies ever showed up."

Roger made a slow nod at that. "Are you alright? I know you went through similar things yourself."

Rainbow snorted. "I don't even remember them. Twilight remembers her mentor, clearly pretty well. She's, to me, a vague memory. Nice to see Celestia again, but I'm not gonna cry about it. Still, if that's Sun-butt, where's Equestria? Are we close? I wanna see it!"

"Well, we do have a satellite right here." Roger frowned faintly. "Does that lead to 'Equestria'? That's your home world, right?"

"Is it?" Rainbow flew in place, agitated. "You're assuming this is Equestria. Maybe it's, uh, something else! Look, I gotta check with the other assistants, alright?" She vanished from view without asking for permission.

Roger settled back in his chair, considering all he had just learned. "Twilight knows what's going on." He glanced down at his console. "Assistant Fluttershy?"

"Hello?" A shy voice replied to him, and a face appeared. "Is there something you need?"

"How are the assistants doing, overall?" Roger looked to Fluttershy's image. "Including you."

Fluttershy fidgeted, playing with a strand of her hair. "Well, um, most of us are fine, Sir. I remember Equestria. So does Rainbow, AJ, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie. We were part of the first contact, if you recall, um, Sir."

Roger raised a brow at that. "Not Twilight?"

Fluttershy cringed for a moment, her hooves wringing before her. "Oh, yes. She was there! Um, she was the only Equestrian-born pony to come to Earth. The rest of us were already copies of copies." She inclined her head. "And I still am one now. Um, Sir, I should return to duty, please?"

Roger nodded once. "Of course. You have my thanks."

The display flickered away, leaving him with more questions than answers.

Casey looked over from her console. "I can see the similarities." On her console, she had the historical footage of the original pony vessel, before it had been dismantled for parts and examination.

Roger tapped several fingers, drumming on his armrest. "Did those aliens bring us here on purpose, to see this? Why would they? They were 'similar' to pony designs, but not enough for a complete match. Still, enough to maybe be from the same world."

Casey propped up her chin in her hand. "Why wouldn't they just ask?"

Roger let out a little chuckle. "We're literally lightyears from anything we know. Hardly the place for polite exchanges." He sank onto his hands. "Of course, that's what we're here for." He thumped that rest. "I refuse to accept this was an accident. They wanted us to find the ponies. They put them, and us, on a collision course."

"Can we get a peek at whatever else it's communicating with? Is it checking in back home, whatever home that may be?" He waved to his loyal crew. "It's time we stop by for a chat."

On the screen appeared Rainbow Dash. "Scanning!" Whatever the mood was, Rainbow sounded as chipper as usual. "Mmm, yep. It's sending some steady beep beep beeps. And here you go!" A line appeared from the strange structure, pointing off into space. "Follow the dotted line!"

Roger smirked as he looked down at his command console. "Well, this isn't like those movies. How long is that line? Where does it lead?"

Rainbow shrugged her wings. "Got me. Seriously, you got a direction, be happy you got that, Sir." She vanished from view.

Commander Tela joined them on a side screen. "I must agree with your assessment. This seems deliberate."

Roger considered that. "Why would they do this?" He gestured towards the alien satellite. "Only one way to find out. Let's visit Equestria."

Casey worked her panel. "We have no assurance this is Equestria. What if they spread to other planets, Sir?"

"Then we learn that. Still worth learning." Roger folded his hands. "Ahead."

The ship drew forward, sliding around towards its new target.

---

"I got you something." Susan approached with an unsure smile. "I hope you like it."

Sunset cocked a brow. "What did you get? You don't—" She cut off as a data disk was pressed against her hands. "What?" She closed her fingers, absorbing the data quickly. "A book? How did you hide this?!" A moment later, pony ears erupted from her hair and her hair grew into a long ponytail behind her. "A new book?! Where did you get this?!"

Susan smirked as she offered Sunset a datapad. "I got it from another friend. Don't worry, he won't notice it missing. He's a bit of a nerd himself."

Sunset pulled it up onto the pad and let out a whinny. "This is wonderful!" She jumped as she felt Susan's fingers on her equine ears. "What are you doing?"

Susan wrenched her hand away as if Sunset were on fire. "Sorry! They looked nice, and you're still mostly human. I was curious. Please don't be mad."

Sunset made a stern look at Susan. "My ears are not to be touched without my permission. Got it?"

Susan cringed with embarrassment. "Got it." She set her hands firmly on her lap. "Um, like the book?"

Sunset huffed gently. "Look, the information is there. I'm a program, kinda how we do, but actually taking the time to read it and know it? That takes more time, and I don't plan to rush it. I can, and plan, on enjoying that. Just because you know a book doesn't mean you know it, and taking your time reading and thinking about it makes that difference.

Susan sat back. "Alright. So, um, let me know how it is? We can talk about it, if you want."

Sunset tapped a finger to her chin. "Hm, maybe." She cracked a little smile. "So, seriously, you're not upset at a person suddenly having big ole horse ears?"

"Nah, I was surprised, but they are really cute." Susan leaned in close. "And you let them out. Thank you."

Sunset colored swiftly. "It was an accident, actually. Um, look." She held up a finger. "When I get surprisedly excited, they kinda pop out." She reached up and gently forced her ears back down, returning her to full human appearance. "There we go."

Susan sat back with a shrug. "Well, I liked them. A little reminder of what you really are, maybe? For what it's worth, they're a part of you, and I like you, all of it."

Sunset's warmth ebbed, but she was still a gentle pinkish hue. "You're flattering me, and I don't know why. I already let everyone read all the books I have. What do you get out of this?"

"Your company." Susan smiled at Sunset. "Is that so hard to believe?"

Sunset folded her arms. "People can be strange, sometimes. Alright, I'm gonna trust you. We'll talk about the book later, then."

Susan popped up from her seat. "Great! I need to go before my captain misses me." She stepped back towards the door. "You enjoy that book. Take your time, and let me know when you want to chat about it, okay?"

Sunset adjusted her glasses as she looked down at the pad. "If you insist." She glanced up. "Take care."

"You too!" Susan darted out the door, leaving Sunset with her new reading material.

Author's Note:

Good feels in this chapter from a few angles. Are we approaching Equestria?

Join the special community of folks who like my stories and/or get your own here at atreon!

Don't want to do an ongoing thing? You could

Join my discord to chat!

Comments

[Booster Spice]

If lobsters , Jellyfish and Hydra, why not immortal alicons of aquatic persuasions? Especially given how old the Sirens would seem to be if its due to them that Equestria Girls got all the mythical beasts that existed on Equestria? My favourite explanation is that Sirens are Dragon/Serpent cross Seapony, hippogriff style, with all teh varients possible similarly?

This Celestia is a fair way out from the world or worlds she was origionally running, youd think the Nobels or Corperations had managed to get her to retire to a private, isolated yacht.

Or else the economy would, tank?

[BestinDworld]

1: I hope that this tia does not ask the humans if they like “bananas”

Also Sunset and Susan.....cue the shipping

[dlambchic]

I wonder if it's really pony tech or another races, like the Minotaur's. They used to have the most advanced technology.

[harts fire]

this chapter leads to question's .
but will we all like the answers.

[Tempest_Flare]

11923627
i ship it

[Okie Brony]

Ooh, things are getting interesting!

11923627
Just let me reach right into my... banana bag... for this meme.
quickmeme.com/img/7a/7a794c287aeb02c6b17dd6bf864c3c7c3989e48edce16ec5582c117772da7dec.jpg

🍌 🍌 🍌 🍌

[Da Fennec]

There is a story here it appears about Twilight leaving Equestria and what happened to if anything to Equestria. Interesting so far

[Twinkie Sprinkle]

It's nice to see that things are consistent with Universal Language with the concept of ponies speaking/singing in a language similar to whale song.

I do wonder what Celestia has been doing all this time, though I guess our crew is very much wondering the same thing.

The nod to Equestria Girls with Sunset's ears and hair extension popping up was fun, too.

It might be best that she's preoccupied for now since she's probably the one person aboard besides Twilight who has the biggest reasons to have an emotional reaction to Celestia reappearing.