FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

As it turns out, working with Mercury is neither as good nor as bad as I expected. Sure, from the little bit of small talk that we shared she seemed a little stuck up, but after a few days she loosens up. She kinda reminds me of Twilight.

And that brings me to the part that I dislike about her. Sweet Celestia is she picky! If I'm even slightly off on some terminology, or if my hoofwriting isn't up to her standards, I'll get a five minute lecture on the importance of exact and correct information. Okay, so she reminds me a lot of Twilight.

It's not all bad though. I feel like I'm actually doing something to help, like I'm making a difference, and like I'm working toward something awesome. Although I do feel a bit like I'm designing my own gallows, since once I finalize the plan with Mercury, I have to enact it immediately.

Most of it is already stuff that I did every day back in Ponyville; several hours of exercise every day, a healthy diet, normal stuff for an athlete like me.

But the plan then is to start training me for any kind of emergency or failure during the flight. Since by that point we should have a decent amount of systems designed and modeled, I'll also need to familiarize myself with them. That may sound simple; but I've seen the theoretical ignition startup procedure. It's anything but simple.

And while I'm being trained on every procedure we can possibly think of, I'm going to have to study up on theoretical orbital mechanics.

Somehow, the prerequisite 'theoretical' doesn't inspire confidence. The fact that I'll be testing all of this firsthoof is both disconcerting and exciting.

I cut off my train of thought to focus back on the task at hoof; electrical layout and panel placement. Oh yea, did I mention that I'm also now working on capsule design now too? Yep, and I'm supposed to have this last component completed by tonight. I can do that no problem, if I just focus and get this over with.

But if my mind isn't leading me on some random tangent, then I'm getting distracted by the thought of my next job; building the semi-working mockup of the capsule.

The sound of the lab door opening breaks me from my thoughts, forcing a glance at the offending noise from me.

"Figured I would find you here," Fairweight chuckles. "We are about to do another engine test, care to join us?"

"Absolutely!" I nearly jump out of my chair at the chance for a good break.

Once out at the test pad, I notice a few differences. The first being that all of the cement and brick have been moved back a good ten meters, the second being that there are now a set of clamps at the center of the pad. And third is that there are a set of train tracks that run right up to the clamps.

"What's with all the changes?" I inquire.

Ignition seems to materialize next to me with a toolbox on her back. "The shield's movement is for obvious safety reasons. And the clamps and tracks are for moving and holding the rocket."

"Last time I saw it, I could pick it up myself no problem. How much bigger is this thing?" I ask, dumbstruck by the implication.

"Good luck lifting it now." Ignition smirks. "It takes both Dusk and I just to wrangle the thing up onto the sled we use to move it." We all look out and see the sled slowly making its way in, with Dusk and Sequence pushing it from behind. "And speak of the devil, here they come. I better get ready." Ignition dashes off to the pad to begin working again, her toolbox bouncing along with her.

After several minutes of waiting around, and a few more minutes helping to wrestle the rocket into position , we are just about ready to launch.

Sequence connects the electrical leads to the rocket's panel, which will both provide troubleshooting data and allow for power to reach the igniters. Ignition checks the readout, a simple panel of lights that are either red or green depending on the status of the system, and give the 'all green' signal.

Sequence projects a countdown timer up into the air, informing us that we have two minutes till Ignition, well, ignites the igniters. Wow that's confusing.

According to the timer, I have about three minutes to wait. I would ask if there is something I could do to help, but know them they'll just wave me off. I don't know the checklists like them yet, so at this point I'd just slow them down.

I sigh as I sit down, once again mentally reaffirming to myself that I will memorize those lists, I just need some more time.

I continue to sit and stew in my own thoughts until roused by the forty five second marker.

I stand up and move to behind one of the cement shields, my heart beginning to beat faster as the countdown nears the ten second mark.

Ignition starts the verbal countdown at ten seconds, but by five all of us are counting down out loud.

"Three, two, one..." Ignitions taps the switch, and with a hiss that would garner any serpent's respect the clamps are released just as the engines come to life.

The rocket climbs skyward like a bat out of Tartarus. A plume of red flame and sparks shoots out the back, the brightness at an uncomfortable level.

After a solid ten seconds of ascending, I see thin and long strands of flame rolling off the nosecone; and before I even get the chance to mutter an expletive, the rocket tips over ever so slightly.

A thunderous roar is heard seconds after seeing the rocket's frame be torn into hundreds of tiny pieces, a great cloud of black smoke accompanies the explosion.

We all stare dumbstruck as the wreckage of the rocket continues upwards for a few seconds more, until its upward velocity is canceled out by air density and gravity.

A realization smacks me upside the head with the subtlety of brick through a window. There are now going to be shards of metal, likely falling at terminal velocity, raining down upon us.

"Everypony into the building!" I holler as I spin and push myself airborne with a strong flap of my wings. In a flash I'm at the nearest entrance, which I open by shouldering through. I give silent thanks to whoever decided not to put doorknobs on that particular door.

I turn around and find everypony else already hot on my hooves, sprinting or flying their way over here.

Once everypony is safely inside, we gather around the nearest observation window and watch the smoldering heap that used to be the rocket plummet out of the sky.

I'm the first to break the silence. "Alright, all in favor of pointing those things away from us raise a hoof." That gets a chuckle, or at least a roll of the eyes, from all those present.

* * * *

With the deadly rain of metal parts over, we all head outside to see if there is anything that we can recover.

"I should probably say I told you so, but I think the heap of scrap metal says it for me." Ignition quips to Fairweight.

"Hey, it not my fault you bucked up the weight equation." Fairweight responds.

"I wouldn't have got it wrong if you weren't trying to rush us!" Ignition like she's just about to blow a gasket.

"Both of you shut it!" I holler at them both. "If you want to argue, that's by me. But do it somewhere where you won't be a nuisance to those of us actually working!" I gesture for Sequence and Mercury to come with me to look over the wreckage.