Starbound Ascension: The Next Generation

Chapter Eight: Stupid Shippy Chapter

Bored out of his mind and stuck inside the medical bay of the EMS Sky Buster Jump Jet mirrored his mothers stay at the hospital many years ago by bouncing a high tech space ball off one of the walls taking advantage of its antigravity properties. However as fate would have it instead of the ball coming to a rest on the floor refusing to bounce it decided to bounce repeatedly in place and was now stuck out of his reach and gaining momentum as it bounced in the same spot over and over again all the while squeaking with a rapid pace that annoyed him very much so. He sighed and crossed his arms staring at the ball as it bounced from floor to ceiling.

“I swear to Celestia. UGH!” Jet cringed and looked to the lamp on his right, “Lamp on!”

The lamp flashed on.

“Lamp off!”

The lamp turned off.

“Lamp on! Lamp off! Lamp on! Lamp off! Lamp on! Lamp off! Lamp on! Lamp off!” Jet picked up his commands to the lamp, “Lamponlampofflamponlampofflamponlampofflamponlampoff”

SYSTEM OVERLOAD

The lamp caught fire and was briefly extinguished by a drone that flew in with a fire extinguisher. Some of the foam got on Jet and coated his face with a beard.

I SUGGEST YOU DO NOT DO THAT CAPTAIN JET

“Ugh! If I'm gonna be stuck here it might as well be a few months, or a few years!” Jet fell back onto the bed as he looked at his many wounds and lacerations. He groaned with displeasure as the clock ticked by. The door opened with a soft hiss of compressed air and Nelly walked in.

“Hey there sweetheart! Brought you a present,” she rummaged through her saddlebags and pulled a cookie out to stuff into Jet's mouth, “Good job Jet! You get a cookie!”

“Buft I-” Jet chewed and hesitated in his train of thought, “Mmmm! Macadamiaf nuts!”

“And white chocolate. Your favorite,” She scooted in closer on his bed and stroked her left hoof to his chest. Jet's wings started to stir and his face melted with a blush. Nelly couldn't help but squeak a giggle, “Great job out there dude.”

Jet gave a contented sigh as Nelly laid down next to him. With one arm Jet wrapped her in a loving embrace and pulled her in closer with his wings. Nelly lifted up the blanket and settled in with Jet as he engulfed her in the loving warmth of his wings. Jet gently stroked her fluffy cream mane and Nelly leaned in for a kiss. A warm fuzzy feeling washed over them as they coupled lips. Muzzle to muzzle they started to nuzzle as their hearts melded together.

“Happy Hearts and Hooves Day Jet,” Nelly whispered lovingly as she buried herself in her lovers chest. Jet smiled and savored her love as they fell together in slumber.

-----

As the ship drifted on in space next to the planet of Earth a brilliant starscape was cast right outside the window of Ship and Tough Heart's quarters. With inspiration lacking Ship was disappointed to the many drawings she had scrapped. She restlessly threw another failed drawing into the trash bin now filled in excess with paper. A soft hiss of her door and in came Tough Heart with a can of soda. He drank all of his beverage and placed the can into the trash bin before sneaking up on Ship to give her a soft hug.

“Hey! I'm drawing!” Ship rolled her eyes and smiled.

Tough giggled, “Yeah so? Don't you have time for cuddles?”

Ship continued to draw as she tapped her lover's arms gently, “Oh you.”

Tough leaned in closer and rested his head onto her shoulder careful not to disturb her fine strokes of her pencil, “Hey, remember when we were kids? And how I'd said I'd protect you no matter what?”

Ship turned away from her drawing and to her sweetheart, “Of course honey.”

Tough turned his head to a picture on the wall next to their bed and sighed nostalgically, “With everything going on right now, I mean it more than ever. I know you're my commanding officer, but don't forget that I'm your husband too and I never want anything bad to ever happen to you.”

Tough gently pulled her away from her frustration and took her in his embrace. Ship started to melt. Her face was flushed with a fuzzy red and she laughed as Tough laid her down onto the bed. She whispered gently and lovingly, “You still haven't changed a bit...”

“I never will. I'll be right here,” Tough leaned in right up to her face and kissed her. Ship pulled the blanket over them and turned off the lights.

-----

With one wing over her own lover Night Petal herself was enjoying spending time with Prelude around the ship. In her room Prelude was helping her tend to her large collection of plants that livened up the otherwise colorless room.

“Honey can you water that fig right there? I've got my hooves full trimming this rosemary bush,” Petal clipped away at her plant to shape it into a lovely bird perched atop its nest. Prelude trotted over to a mini fig tree that bore pieces of fruit from its branches. With a watering can held up by his magic he poured it out to water it as Petal came up behind him with a hug, “I love you.”

Prelude smiled as he pulled something from his pocket to give to her, “Got you a present.”

“Oh you shouldn't have!” Petal smiled as she opened the tiny box filled with seeds, “Hmm? Seeds?”

“Not just any seeds. Those are berries only found in the Federation. I know how you love to grow and harvest new fruits so I figured I'd get some as a souvenir from our vacation. I've saved them for just this day. Happy Hearts and Hooves Day Petal,” Prelude hugged her and she returned the embrace.

“Oh thank you! These will go great in my greenhouse back home.”

“Oh by the way. Just now thinking about it have you ever considered using your botany to genetically engineer something?” Prelude looked around and noticed something in the air vent. It was Squiggly, Brain Storm's pet alien centipede, “Oh hello there Squiggly. Nice of you to drop in.”

“Food? Where is food?” the alien pet clasped his mandibles trying to be cute. Normally the chitinous and ferocious look of the creature would scare away most anyone who'd first lay eyes on it but Petal and Prelude knew all to well he was basically a puppy dog in alien arthropod form.

“I got food for you here Squiggies,” Petal plucked a fig from her tree and gave it to Squiggly being careful not to get bitten by his dangerously venomous quadruple fangs. With a gentle grasp Squiggly darted up the wall and back into the air vent to Brain Storm's room with the delectable fruit in his jaws, “Cute little thing. First time I saw it I freaked out.”

“Well like Brain Storm said: the Harobed One Eyed Centipede is one of the most docile creatures on that planet despite their rather aggressive look. Evolved as an apex predator it has evolved sentience and reasoning. Because of this it is easily domesticated,” Prelude couldn't help but explain, “Sorry, I read too many books.”

“Well don't stop, come come! I have something to show you!” Petal walked with Prelude to the laboratory of the ship. In her corner of the research room she had specimens she had been working on for quite some time, “I do dabble in the genetics side of things but not too far as to mutate undesirable traits. Take a look at this rose.”

“Wow! Those match your eyes perfectly!” Prelude looked at the bicolored swirling petals of the modified flower. The brown and blue swirling colors of the flower mirrored Petal's beautiful eyes.

“You like it? That was suppose to be your present. I... Hope you like it,” Petal blushed.

“It's beautiful! Is there anything else you've done to it to make it special?”

“Well, It's suppose to never wilt as it draws moisture from the air. But that I haven't really tested so I guess only time will tell,” Petal put one wing over Prelude, “It's all yours sweetheart.”

“Thanks honey,” Prelude kissed her on the forehead as they continued to walk and browse her experiments.

-----

Simon looked at the ceiling as he reclined on the couch. He was in the lounge with Morning Shine, Brain Storm, and Mac Book.

“Anypony else having a shitty Hearts and Hooves Day?” Simon asked throughout the room.

With a unanimous raise of hooves the whole room shot up. Flip and Hornet came in as the doors slid open.

“Hey guys! Whoa, why you guys so depressed in here?” Flip looked about.

“Hearts and Hooves Day and we got no pussy,” Simon grunted bluntly.

“Tell me about it,” Morning pouted.

“Amigos! Who cares? Live life! Being single isn't all that bad! Live a little and let's have a fiesta!” Hornet tried to get the others to smile but with no avail.

“Can it Net,” Mac typed away at his computer.

“Why are you so grumpy?” Hornet glanced over to Mac.

“I'm not depressed because I don't have a date. Look at this, the UPF STILL refused our alliance even after we proved to them that we are tough as nails! Fuck this foreign policy.”

“Are you shitting me?!” Flip flipped out, “All that hard work for squat!”

“I know right! Ugh! These Federation guys suck ass,” Mac displayed his displeasure with a raspberry.

Suddenly they could hear a loud banging coming from the medical bay. Brain Storm was the first to speak up.

“What in the world is that?”

A pile of books was knocked loose off the wall as something could be heard from the other end of the wall. Simon knew all to well what it was.

“Oh Celestia dammit. They're at it again...” Simon facepalmed.

“At what again?” Brain raised an eyebrow.

“You know! The thing! They do this every night to piss me the fuck off!” Simon and the others now listened closely and could hear the moaning, “Oh for fucks sake!”

“For fucks sake indeed Simon,” Flip raised his own eyebrow and nodded, “Well, I'll leave you to that then. Hornet and I got some dune buggies to ride with Blue Circuit.”

Hornet and Flip walked away and to the hangar to launch out. Ship and Tough Heart looked out into the hallway with a puzzled look.

“What the hell is that noise?” Ship asked to Simon as he poked his head out of the door.

“What do you think!” Simon pointed a hoof to the med bay.

“RIDE ME TARACKMATOE LIKE I'M THE LAST PALLALAX ON PANDORA!” a muffled yell pierced through the hull of the ship. Simon vented fury from his ears.

“SWEET FILLY LUNA BIRTHED IN A MANGER ON THE MOON! I'M FUCKIN DONE! If you need me I'll be curled in my room with a bag of cheese flavored dried Fourthorn petals wallowing in my own loneliness! Fuck!” Simon trotted away to get away from everypony.

“What's wrong with him?” Tough asked.

“You know Simon. That poor kid has never had a lover to call his own,” Morning sighed, “Been there done that.”

“How you holding up?” Ship asked Morning.

“Okay I guess. I still got the hots for Petal but she made her choice. I'm just glad she's happy,” Morning sighed again, “I'll find someone, eventually.”

“Hey there!” Mr. CEO of the EUF Troy himself squeezed through the tiny pony door from the hangar bay, “Damn you guys have small doors. Well done on the mission! The Coalition cut all funding for the Combine in response for Mira's murder and now their most valuable employees work for us. Listen, what you did for the EUF was something I am really grateful for and I'd like to repay you in kind. Dock your ship at our facility, I want to add a special workshop for you guys if you don't mind.”

“Um, what kind of workshop are you installing?” Mac Book glanced over to Troy.

“We decided that we are going to give you blueprints and the engineering tools for a fully fleshed out Mech Lab. This will allow you to make your own UPF grade exosuits and our special Armored Shock Trooper armor. Think of it like the robots you pilot only a little smaller for indoor use,” Troy smiled to them. Their eyes all widened with the offer. And with agreement they nodded to each other.

“We accept your offer!” Ship grinned from ear to ear, “Find one of my crew named Sugar Rush. He'll be the guy you want to see about the Mech Lab! Mac, Brainy you go along too!”

“Sweet!” Mac hopped off his computer and lead the way to Sugar Rush with Brain Storm. The ship fired up its engines and proceeded into the atmosphere.

-----

Blue Circuit was smoking an vaporizer with a bubblegum flavored cartridge as he walked up and down the armory of the ship. His thoughts wandered as he went up to his locker and gazed at the photo he had pinned up on the door. He smiled as sweet memories floated by.

“Hey,” a meek voice was heard behind him, “Um, hi.”

“Oh hey there Wings,” Circuit turned to the pegasus mare stroking one hoof at the ground in discomfort, “You okay?”

“It's Passion. I prefer to be called Passion or Pass as a nickname. Rolls of the tongue easier,” she sheepishly grinned with a soft squeak, “So-I um... Hehe! Squee!”

“Um, Pass what are you doing?” Circuit looked at her as she became a flustered mess too embarrassed what to say. He figured it out, “Ooooh! I think I catch on. Shit, sorry to disappoint you Pass but I already got a girl.”

Passion pouted and sighed, “Oh! Darn it. Is she at least cute?”

“Wanna see her? Here,” Circuit showed her the picture in his locker, “Yeah, she's a little nerdy but she really kicks ass online. I do a lot of gaming videos with her on the web.”

The picture was of a dark blue unicorn mare with straight, flowing black mane and brown eyes behind her square framed eyeglasses. She was posed on a bed seductively licking a game controller and blushing.

“I miss her everyday. It's not easy leaving your loved one behind while you're in the military,” Circuit sighed again as he took a whiff from his vaporizer.

“I guess I don't really have that feeling. All I got back home are my parents and siblings so it's like no different from living alone I guess. I'm just a little down today caz I got no boyfriend to cuddle with,” Passion sighed.

“Hey, don't be so down. I was single for a really long time during high school and college. You need to look on the bright side of things,” Blue smiled and tried to console her.

“How so?”

“Think about it this way. You're single so you don't have to get tied down to anyone. Things have slowed down for me and that's why I've settled down. I got this kickass job in the military, I got time for both myself and spending time with my bae but you have all the time in the world single. Don't forget how much freedom you got going when you're single and it's not like you're never gonna find love. Come on! We can still hang out as friends. You play any video games?”

“Oh! Minceraft! Minceraft!” Passion bounced with joy, “I love Minceraft!”

“Well there you go! Come on, I can make you internet famous. Let's make a video together,” Circuit lead them out of the armory and back to their rooms to play some games, “See? Don't have anyone dragging you down doing some other crap today huh?”

“Thank you so much Circuit!” Passion grinned and trotted on.

-----

Hornet and Flip were prepping to launch out to the planet when Ship came over the intercom.

“Attention all crew! We are beginning descend into the atmosphere. Brace for reentry!”

“Well, guess we don't have to launch out huh?” Flip turned to Hornet.

“Hey guys!” Scratch walked into the hangar to check in on what they were doing, “What you up to?”

“We wer-” Hornet paused as his eyes were caught off guard by Scratch's punky and form fitting outfit she bought during their vacation to the UPF. He staggered a bit, “W-We were-”

“We were just about to head down and go for some dune buggy rides. You wanna come?” Flip shut Hornet's trap and asked Scratch.

“Sure, let me get out of this outfit though, wouldn't wanna mess it up,” She trotted away only to stop to dance to a song on the radio.

“Whooa,” Hornet continued to gawk, “Mama-sita's got looks.”

Flip looked with slight concern to Hornet, “Are you honestly thinking about dating that?”

Flip pointed to Scratch as she continued to dance to the song and sing the lyrics as she whipped her tail in a circle repeatedly.

“When my fat ass! Big bitches in the club! Fuck those skinny bitches! Fuck those skinny bitches in da club! I wanna see all the big fat ass bitches in the mothafuckin club fuck you skinny bitches what!” Scratch twirled her ass to the ungodly vulgar song on the radio further proving Flip's point.

“See what I mean?” Flip stated silently, “You deserve better bro.”

“Nah man I like the loco mares,” Hornet grinned as he approached Scratch, “Excuse me senorita, I've been admiring you from a distance for a while. Shall we give love a chance tonight, oh on this beautiful stary night as we dance among the stars?”

Scratch starred off into the distance confused, “Meep.”

Hornet grinned sheepishly as Flip facepalmed.

“So, you're hitting on me?” Scratch finally realized it at first unable to connect the dots, “That's... Awfully nice of you to do that. No stallion has ever asked me that. I guess I'll give you a shot but you better be crazy to like me.”

“Me gusta,” Hornet smiled as Scratch scooted him closer with her wing, “Shall we?”

“Let's,” Scratch and Hornet walked away to get ready for the trip to the surface. Flip shook his head and rolled his eyes.

“Hornet what did you get yourself into?”