survivors

Bit Chaser quickly and efficiently searched through pile after pile of junk in an attempt to properly arm himself. The other ponies around him seemed more interested in finding a meal or their own belongings than anything else. He knew that Riddick was awake by now and plotting to find a way out of his cryo chamber-turned-cage.

“Celestia dammit, I can’t find anything!”

“I for once agree with you, as surprising as that may sound.” Stately Fuss was trying to open the door to the next compartment. He had searched high and low for the lever to crack open the heavy metal door, but hadn’t found it anywhere yet. The fact that the ship was on its side and that the door was half-dozen hoof lengths above him did not help.

Bit Chaser flew over to the rich would-be noble and suppressed his urge to knock him out. “What’s wrong Fussy? Too warm for ya?”

“My name is Stately Fuss, not ‘Fussy’, and I am attempting to open this doorway.”

Chaser facehoofed in mid air and gently tapped the rusting panel at the side of the entrance. The door opened with a hiss and let in a blinding light that made everypony in the room cringe back.

“Whats up with the light? Shut it off!”  Carnival Fare placed himself between the light and his wife who was taking care of the four fillies and colts present.

Hyper used the opportunity to escape the motherly figure and scavenge the ship for fun things to do.

“It’s the sun?” Bit Chaser’s eye slowly got used to the increase in light as he stuck his head out of the doorway that was supposed to lead to the next compartment of the ship.

In front of him was a desert filled with small hills and dunes. “Huh. That would explain the heat.”

“Hey Fussy, I found the other room you were looking for. Hope nothing important was in it.” Chaser smiled at the rich pony who tried and eventually succeeded at putting his head through the doorway.

“Oh my, that may be a problem.” The rest of the ship, another three cargo holds, was a few hundred hoof-lengths away, half buried in the shallow sand and still up side up.

Amber Care told the children to behave and flew towards the hole in the wall. “Looks like the air brakes kept them close to the ship until we crashed.” Amber observed. “Might be a few things left intact in there. Main engine is in the fifth hold on this kind of ship, right?” She pointed at the compartment helpfully labeled with a giant green ‘five’. “If we can drag that to the secondary control room...” Amber was distracted when one of the fillies yelped. She flew away to the rescue.

Bit Chaser and Stately Fuss looked at each other slightly impressed by the mares knowledge. “Regardless. My things are in that section. I must retrieve them at once.”

Bit Chaser was going to rap the earth pony behind the head but was interrupted by a piercing scream. He rushed out of the section and into the one holding the cyro-chambers.

Hyper Drive was sitting on his rump looking dazed. Amber rushed to him and hugged the colt.

“Whats wrong twerp! I was busy.” Instead of answering the hyperactive foal pointed behind Chaser.

The brown pegasi looked at the cyro-chamber that was supposed to hold Riddick. The heavy padlock had been opened and was now draped across the ships wall turned floor. The door was wide open and dangling. Riddick was nowhere to be seen.

“Dammit kid what happened!” Bit Chaser burst out at the foal.

“I wanted to see him.” Hyper stared at the bully defiantly.

Just as Chaser was going to mare-slap him across the snout Dusk trotted into the room via the hole at the front of the compartment. “You’d better all come and see this.”

In the other room Fry was kneeling over the body of Lance Wing

Fry held back her tears as Lance’s breathing slowly came to a halt. Before dieing he had given her his access codes to the ships entire mechanisms. “I am so sorry.” She whispered to him before closing his eyes.