“Still awake?”

The internal ships clock read 04:11. Ever since sending the information back to command on their return Vector hadn’t been able to do anything but wait for a response. It seemed far too wondrous to be true. A dead spaceship that made the Starflier look minuscule, a message from a long dead captain and technology contained within that seemed so advanced it put anything that came out of the Equestrian shipyards to shame. He knew what the decision would be, but it had to be official. There might even be a slight chance they did the sensible thing for once.

“Yes, still awake. Pull up to a spot if you like.” Vector replied. It was one of the navigators. “I’m sorry, the crew is so large. Your name?”

“Night Dust.” the pony replied taking a place next to him, she could see he was staring at the communications inbox that had a (0) next to the unread section. “You know staring at it won’t make it come any quicker.”

“I know, staring at it won’t change the decision either.”

“What decision?”

“Oh of course. You don’t know. Need to know basis only.” Vector replied, looking at Night Dust for a moment then turning his attention back to the screen. “Sorry, I don’t want the rumour mill spreading out of control.”

“What about the gigantic supposedly dormant spaceship Titan you went to investigate?” she asked. Immediately Vector turned his head around to face her, eyes wide.

“Who told you?”

“About three different ponies. Rumour mill already is running Captain. Out here in deep space ponies blab any little bit of gossip. It didn’t take long to hear once you all returned.”

“Right...well yes. I know what they’re going to tell us to do, despite the warning. It’s too good an opportunity to pass up. They’ll make us recover whatever we can from it. Heck, they may even have us finish the mission here and then tow the damn thing back along with us to Equestria. I don’t know yet. I’m just pretty certain I’m going to be told to meet my doom.”

“Yeah, the message was a warning right? Some sort of issue on board?” Night Dust asked.

“Mmm. Whoever was piloting that ship just referred to it as foreign body. That could be anything from a giant monster to a virus I suppose. I mean it’s probably long dead, that ship has been floating there for aeons. I just don’t want to take the risk.” Vector said with a sigh.

“Well, try to stop worrying about it and get some sleep okay? A tired Captain is no good to any pony.” Night Dust said as she left Vector to continue to stare at the monitor. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight. I suppose I should…”

His words trailed off noticing the (0) change to a (1!). The use of an exclamation point meant it was a priority message.

RE: GLASHTYN MISSION REPORT

ORDERS: BOARD AND RECOVER TITAN WITH UTMOST URGENCY. IF NOT POSSIBLE, BOARD AND RECOVER ANY AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGY FROM TITAN. THIS TAKES PRIORITY OVER TERRAFORMING MISSION. NEEDED CREW FOR MISSION TO BE INFORMED BUT SWORN TO SECRECY. SUCCESSFUL RECOVERY WILL BE REWARDED.

And that was it. He knew it was coming. It was good he had already made plans. He had a staff meeting scheduled with a small detachment of his crew at 08:00. Hopefully just over three hours of sleep should be enough to make Vector alert enough to inform them of the next steps. Before he hit the hay though, he had one visit to make. Down to the core…

When he arrived he could see her, despite the late hour she was awake. It was as if she knew he was coming. It unnerved the Captain.

“I need your advice.”

There was a grunt from within the hefty mass of fat. It was, if he could guess a ‘and why should I help you?’ response. He decided to follow up appropriately.

“Because it goes beyond all of this, what we’ve done to you. What we’re out here to do. We’ve detected an object, a ship…”

He repeated the story to Starflier. The entire thing, the message, what they had found and what they had been ordered to do.

“I know what I have to do, but you’re probably the smartest pony aboard the ship. I wondered if...if you could tell me anything. I’m sure you’d love to see me smeared across a wall by some sort of alien monster but if things go south you’re stuck here forever. Is that what you want?”

There was another grunt, a more agreeable one this time. He could only assume she had conceded that he had a point.

The laboured words, always few now she was so massive and lardy came from her lips. “If...you...board...you...will...die…”

“What makes you so sure?”

“Not...the...wheeze...first...time…”

His head now spinning even more, Vector Thrust returned to his quarters and tried to process what he had been told. He knew he had to do it. But what did she mean this wasn’t the first time? They’d found things like this before? Ponies had boarded another vessel like it and been wiped out? Perhaps....perhaps they had made some sort of fatal error. He couldn’t sleep. He had to find out more. He needed to know more. Starflier couldn’t say much, but he had to press her for further information. He returned to the core, she was still awake. It was bizarre. She should be sleeping like the rest of the crew. What was keeping her up?

“Look I can’t disobey a direct order but you seem to know about this. Can we do anything to prepare ourselves? Or are we doomed?”

“Look...Captain…” she started to speak, he could tell this time she was trying to put her anger to the side for probably the only time he had spoken to her. Despite everything they had done, Starflier was still a scientist. She could only tell him what she knew. “This...technology...is...not...new.”

“What do you mean not new?”

Another laboured grunt which was followed by more laboured words. “Equestria...tried...it...once. Failed. Something....lives...in...hyperspace.”

“What do you mean something lives in hyperspace? We’ve been flying ships like the very one we’re on now for hundreds of years without issues.”

“Yes...slower...ships. They...don’t...touch...their...existence...plane.” she managed to force the words out. For Vector, it was starting to come together.

“Slower? Look forgive me. Are you telling me we could build immensely faster ships that can cross greater distances faster, but we don’t because of monsters?”

“Exactly.” was all she said.

“So why haven’t we tried to do something about it? Surely we could stop whatever it is with the right magic, technology? Something?”

He swore he saw an eye roll from within the bulky mounds of Starflier. “Idiots. They...all...thought...that. They...all...DIED.”

The final word was a yell not of anger, but it came from experience. The tone of her voice told him that was her final word on the subject. He had been warned, but he had no choice. To disobey orders was well...it meant punishment that may as well mean he’d be dead, he’d heard the stories of other captain’s locked away with no access to food. There was no changing the outcome of what he had to do. He’d rally the staff in the morning and prepare them and himself as much as he could.

Tomorrow, they were going to board the Titan.