(PM to Join)PONIES! IN! SPAAAAAAAAACE! (see OOC)

[Ashton]

Space. What it holds is mystery beyond mystery. Some say it is an Majestic ocean upon which Starships sail alongside Space Whales, other say it is a void of death and desolate. The truth is usually somewhere in between. Of course, Where any given story falls on this scales is up for question.... This story starts with a flashing red light marked "EMERGENCY OVERRIDE" flashing outside a series of glass windows on the wall... The room was dark except for faint flow of monitoring devices and a single countdown timer next to the light. When it had started was anypony's guess, but when it ended was exactly... Now.

 

As the timer struck 0:00 a row of lights flickered to life... well a row minus one, which fizzled and went black again. The room was grey and black metal with a metal grill floor that showed various pipes, circuits and wires down below. Above the ceiling was also of the same black and grey metal. The room was lined with a dozen long and narrow 'windows' at the sides of the hallway, which was roughly 8' wide by a currently undetermined length, in the center of each group of windows lay a computer terminal, and next to each window was a small screen and below it a keypad.

 

a new series of timers on the same wall activated and began counting down, the first window began to glow with an internal light and a purple unicorn was shown inside wearing a medium blue bodysuit with darker blue collar/cuffs and chest-fastener, upon her upper-right chest was the half-sun-half-moon mark of Equestria, surrounded by stars underneath it was written "PROGRAM E.S.P." on the pony's collar was an ID badge, which also now flashed on a small screen next to the window, Identifying her momentarily as "QUEEN TWILIGHT SPARKLE" though a large red "UPDATING" appeared on the screen and when it faded, her name on screen and on her badge now read "CAPTAIN TWILIGHT SPARKLE"

 

The chamber began to fill with a slightly blue tinted gas and the window began frosting as the temperature inside was equalized with that on the outside the nearby monitors showed erratic vital signs but quickly stabilized, though they were no longer rythmatic, as Twilight began to awaken from the Cryosleep . After a moment the window flipped down and the small 'bed' slid out, Twilight would slowly find herself awakening from the cold slumber...

 

Nearby  another chamber began hissing as its occupant was awoken as well...

 

But ominously, on the other side of the hallway were several flashing red warning lights next to the capsules..., one of which was next to a capsule who's occupant was listed as "Armorer and Weapons Specialist Lt. Rainbow Dash"

 

((Official OOC thread: https://www.canterlot.com/topic/25124-open-ponies-in-spaaaaaaaaaaace-spacesurvivalmystery/ ))

[Sunblossom]

Twilight was cold. Incredibly cold. Even though this temperature was not normally relaxing, for some reason, she felt comfortable, like she was a foal again and had just given her mother a hug. But as she moved one hoof and felt a hard surface that did not feel anything like her bed at the palace, her mind awoke, and she panicked. 

 

"Spike?" Twilight called out. When she received no answer, she leaped out of her... bed? This wasn't her bed. This was some strange machine. Looking down at her clothes, Twilight began to realize that she was far from home.

 

[Ashton]

The mist cleared as a little green and purple dragon yahned, stretching "best sleep I've had in years" he said "...wait... twilight? where are we?" he asked stupidly "Oh great, what spell did you fail _this_ time?" he asked as he slid off the cryobed, which retracted into the tube "hey, wow, when did we get uniforms?" he asked

 

 

[Sunblossom]

((Sorry it took me so long, I've been having a crazy week taking care of someone in my family who just had surgery))

 

"I- I don't know!" Twilight said. "The last thing I remember was attending some kind of meeting, but the details are too fuzzy for me to remember what it was about." Looking around the room for an exit, she noticed a stack of papers and walked over to read it. 

 

OPERATION NEW HOME

Mission details: Equestria is dying. A new world is needed in order for all life to survive. A new planet has been found about 0.25 light years away. 

Objective: Assess planet for life compatability. 

Dangers: Watch out for t

 

The page was torn. "Watch out for what?" Twilight muttered as she searched the other pages, but all she found were the contracts of the space crew saying that they would go on this trip. The words "Agree that I may die in a very painful way" did not bring Twilight any comfort. What made her even more nervous is that Sunburst and Starlight had not joined the crew. At least the rest of the Mane 6 would be there!

 

Twilight wordlessly handed the pages to Spike, putting her head in her hooves. How was she supposed to complete this mission if she couldn't even remember anything about it? Then, an idea struck her. Searching through the compartments below the place where the contracts had been, she shouted "Aha!" Her journal that she used to communicate with Sunset Shimmer was there! She opened up the book, prepared to write a message asking what in the name of Celestia was going on, when she saw the messages written most recently, and her heart sank.

 

Dear Twilight

I'm so sorry to hear about Equestria's ecosystem failing. That's awful! I think your plan of sending citizens to my world is a great idea. I'll sneak them in at night and the girls and I can teach them how to act. Unfortunately, we can't bring in everyone, since that would cause suspicion from the government. I can arrange for many of them to stay at Camp Everfree. Just send in 200 ponies for now. We don't know what the other species would turn into if they went through the portal. 

Your faithful student,

- Sunset

 

1 year later

 

Dear Twilight,

I didn't hear from you for a couple weeks, until some fancy pony in a suit came through the portal to let me know you'd gone on a space mission. He said there was some kind of malfunctioning with the timer, and instead of being in cryo-sleep for 1 year, you could be in it anywhere from 1 day to 100 years! It's already the one year anniversary since you left, and there's still no word from you. We've been able to evacuate about half of Greater Equestria, and shuttle them off to different schools. I hope to see you again someday.

Your faithful student,

- Sunset

 

1 year later

 

Dear Twilight,

We've successfully evacuated all of Greater Equestria and are currently trying to convince those in the Outlying Realms to come through the portal. Please, if you're awake, send me word.

Your worried student,

- Sunset

 

5 years later

 

Dear Twilight,

I'm sorry I haven't written in a long time. We're trying to conserve the pages of the journal in hopes that one day you will wake up and be able to write back. Sunburst has estimated that we have 50 years before Equestria is completely uninhabitable. Only 1/4 of the population of the Outlying Realms have agreed to leave. The others are refusing to leave their ancestral home. Sunburst also cast a memory spell to find what the countdown timer was set to. You aren't going to wake up for about 3 more years. By that time, the spaceship will have completed its scans of the atmosphere, taken photos of the land while in orbit, and scanned for lifeforms. If the planet is inhabitable, you can then land, look for any geological data, learn more about what dangers there are here, and make peace with any native creatures (If there are any) and return to Equestria. Only take 1 year on the planet, or else the spaceship will run out of fuel and you won't be able to make it home. By the time you return, it will have been 21 years. I wish you luck, Twilight.

Your faithful student,

- Sunset

 

((That's all I'm going to do for today, sorry. I'm worn out.))

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ashton]

((So sorry to hear that, you have my sympathies, I hope they get better))

((Also just so you know, the first half or so of this is pre-planned, until you get the ship back under your control, its planned, so no worries about filling the story out --- this is a mystery, so there's a LOT of plot to uncover!))

 

Spike cocked his head "what exactly are you looking at?" asked spike, indicating the fact twilight was furiously looking over something that didn't exist "We should probably find the others and get something to eat, I feel like I've not eaten in weeks" commented the little dragon, not realizing just how true his statement was.

 

Nearby was that other cryopod with its flashing warning lights and emergency over-ride waiting tentatively for anyone who dared read the error and/or release the occupant from inside...