The storm rages again, albeit weaker than in the early hours of the morning. The rain is whipping the deck, and the occasional lightning flashes in the distance. Clearly, the rainy but mostly peaceful day was just the storm's eye, and now that the evening is here, the course has sent the ship back under the black and heavy boiling clouds drenching the top deck of the ship with torrents of water.
With the experience now not being unique anymore, however, 10013 finds itself back on the observation platform atop the entertainment complex, curled up under a chair with its legs hooked by the chair's, and staring into the distance now with more curiosity than fear. Why is the flashing happening? How big is the storm? Why is there a scary noise afterwards? All questions that will likely never get any answers, but are still fun to ponder. And who knows? Maybe 10013 will stumble on a line of thought which might be useful to drones at large, possibly entirely unrelated to current events.
10013 isn't alone on the dark deck lit only by glow coming through the glass walls of the entertainment complex floors, or at least never for long. Occasionally, ponies whom the drone can identify due to the yellow letters on their dark clothes take a brief trip around the deck before returning inside.
Lightning flashes nearby. In 10013's recent experience, a big rumble should be coming soon. In the world of numbers, 10013 starts counting in hopes to identify the relationship between the light and the noise past its current guess that "the sound takes longer to happen when the light is further".
*RRRRUUUUUUUMBBBLLEEEEE!*
There it is.
*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!*
The entire cruise ship shakes with the second loud noise happening within several seconds of the first, and 10013's hive link receives the feelings of confusion from multiple sources closely following the sudden screeching sound of tortured metal under pressure.
Despite the nighttime darkness, 10013 narrows its eyes as it spots smoke billowing from the side of the ship.
What?
***
Falling feeling wakes 99111 up, followed by a thud as the drone hits the wooden floor.
"Whuh?" it tries to stand up but keeps falling to the side. For some unexplained reason, whatever normally makes it fall to the ground is making it fall in a slanted manner - towards the wall. Its stomach lurches as it slides to where the floor meets the wall with the window. Having too many chips to reasonably spend, 20100 gave every drone a bunch, and they all ran upstairs to some place the ponies called a... a... rest for runts? Something like that. There they got these long lists of pony foods and drinks, so they dug in. 99526 was the first one to feel the overload of bloating, so 99111 escorted it back to the fanatic cabin.
So... where is 99526?
"Uhh, guys? The floor is being weird!" it broadcasts through the faint connections instinctively kept together by 93.
"Ow ow ow ow ow..." 99380's pained groan is the first one to connect,
"Blurghhrhghgh!" incoherent sounds of retching come from 99526 next.
"I'm okay but there's a huge pile of ponies in the corner of the casino!" they hear 20100, "Everything is tilting and the SECURITY ponies are dragging everyone out."
"93, 387, YOUR MAJESTY, 10013, ANYONE?!" calls out 99111, "What's happening?!"
"THE SHIP BROKE!" 10013's sharp tone cuts through the incoherent chaos, "Something went boom and it's sinking!"
YOU ARE READING
They're... ON HOLIDAY?
Fanfiction[SEQUEL TO: They're EVERYWHERE!] Several years after the changeling invasion of Canterlot, queen Chrysalis gets an invitation to attend a cruise followed by a stay in a luxury holiday resort on an island belonging to the Griffon Empire. Supposedly...
