Chapters
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Send an Unmanned Probe 61% Twilight watched the little probe’s faint exhaust trail as it shot away from the Equinox, building speed for its descent into the atmosphere of Proximus C. She wasn’t the only one on the bridge—Rainbow was there with her hooves on the weapons. Sunset sat at the coms console, with Rarity on the science station and Node just sort of orbiting around.Node’s new body demanded to be seen in a way that no synthetic pony could’ve. She’d made almost no compromises for the…-
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Stop to mine 53% It wasn’t exactly a call Twilight wanted to make. Listening to that pony distress call playing over and over filled her with dread she could barely suppress. But however much she wanted to help, some rational part won out. They lasted this long, it doesn’t seem like two months will make a significant difference. They diverted a few degrees, slowing well short of Proximus C to orbit a metal-rich asteroid that would give them everything they needed in the shortest possible time horizon.…-
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Sacrifice Applejack’s project. 47% Twilight didn’t want to tell any of her friends they had to stop working. Each one of the crew had some critical mission to accomplish, or at least they thought they did. But ultimately there was only one pony on the crew she trusted to protect the ship from gravity and wind.“I get ‘ya, captain,” Applejack said, raising her welding mask with the back of a hoof. There was a strange metal claw-apparatus on her foreleg now, one that folded flat when she walked but…-
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Probe penetrates the atmosphere. 72%Twilight gave her order, but it wasn’t as though that meant for an instant delivery of all the answer they wanted. They sent off their command, and then began another long period of silence while they all waited to know what would become of the probe.No one got anything done, not even Spike. To the extent that Spike could get anything done anymore. Twilight knew better than to ask him. Twilight took the time she had to make a brief tour around the Equinox, catching up…-
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Work on their personal projects Twilight had her own ideas about what the crew of the Equinox ought to be doing. But ultimately, the decision not to micromanage her ponies was a simple one. It wasn’t just that she couldn’t possibly know as much about their own disciplines as they did—though that was certainly part of it. Far more than that, she just didn’t have the energy to ride them all. It was a long trip, enough time for much to be accomplished. Much more than last time, given they no longer…-
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Refuse to give the order. “You know I wouldn’t do that,” Twilight said. “If you’re willing to go through the process, or maybe to use the contingency device, then that’s your choice to make. I won’t force you to… subject yourself to that. I would suggest that you should spend more of your time near medical, if you want to be alive when we arrive at… wherever we’re going.” She raised a wing, interrupting whatever Sunset was about to say. “I’m calling a general meeting of the crew.…-
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Send the Probe. 68% There was much Twilight could’ve suggested they do about the strange new information, but in the end she was left with one decision that rose above the others. “We’ll send a probe. A month from now, we’ll use what we learn to decide if we want to try and send another message. Talking to them now won’t let us get there any sooner, assuming there’s anypony to talk to.”Some members of the crew grumbled, but none was quite brave enough to argue with her. Twilight helped with…-
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Reinforce the Reactor 59% Repairs took about a day, a day Twilight spent helping members of her crew where she could. She spent most of her time with Pinkie in Hydroponics, replanting trays they had left sealed against their long time on the surface. They had at least five months of real food left in storage, certainly no reason to worry about abruptly running out. But the best way in Twilight’s mind to stay ahead of all that was to never fall behind.Finally—though some part of her still ached slightly…-
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Gather camp first. 77% After everything that had happened, Twilight couldn’t imagine leaving Proximus B with every one of their turrets and other automatic weapons behind. She sent Rainbow, Apple Bloom, and Pinkie back down to get everything packed, while she set her engineers loose on the remaining damage Cozy Glow had done to the Equinox.Or is it even the Equinox anymore? Did they damage Spike instead? But those thoughts hurt her brain, so she banished them quickly enough. Just like she banished all…-
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Take the chance to get them out intact. 48% “I don’t understand why I shouldn’t just let them decide,” Spike said, meeting Node’s eyes with a flat stare. “Why would I bet the one to make this decision?”“Because some of them don’t want to leave,” Node said. “I am one of those. But I am as unreal as you are, so I do not have the luxury of an excuse.” She tugged towards Spike, forcing him to listen. “Just imagine for a second what your farmer would say. The perfect excuse for her to…-
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