//------------------------------// // AD 2155 part 1 - Rise Victoria // Story: Mankind Triumphant - Relic // by Dafaddah //------------------------------// Based on The Conversion Bureau: Mankind Triumphant - Relic - Chapter six: AD 2155 part 1 - Rise Victoria by Dafaddah Author's note:  Big thanks to both Microshazm and SecondLaw for editing.  --- “Victoria Spencer, you have been found guilty of embezzlement, libel against your immediate superiors, gross incompetence in the fulfilment of your corporate duties, and insolvency.” This can’t be happening! The WorldCorp magistrate droned on, each word slower and more muffled than the last. In Victoria’s perception his bench seemed to recede into the distance. “You are are hereby sentenced to ponification, under the revised penal code of the Western Ascendancy.” It wasn’t me. I told you... I showed the court! I had the e-mails! It was Harvey and Loretta, they’re the embezzlers... Ponification? His eyes were as cold as his voice. “Your sentence is to be carried out immediately.” Ponification? But my daughter? Bang went the gavel. Who’ll take care of Chloe? Bang. This can’t be happening! Bang. Victoria rose and screamed. “NO!” Then everything went dark and she felt herself pushed down to the floor. They’ve put a bag over my head! She felt her whole body seize up, then everything went numb. The bailiff put away her taser, and rolled Victoria Spencer onto her side. It wouldn’t do to let the condemned die by drowning in their own vomit before the sentence was carried out. “Well, there Lady Blue, guess you didn’t think you had a whole new career ahead of you, didja?!” she said. She knew the upper class perp was still conscious, and she did love to give them a dose of their own medicine. *** The hood was removed by a man wearing medical scrubs. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the bright light. Behind him she saw bars and an open door also made of bars. Another cell. She had seen several in the weeks since her arrest. “Now Victoria,” he said calmly, “I know that you’re not the type of person to make this any harder on yourself than it needs to be.” On a cart next to him were laid out a syringe filled with a purple liquid, a second one with a yellow and red hazard label, and some large round tipped scissors. She tried to rise but fell back. Her right arm was handcuffed to the cot on which she lay. “This would be easier for both of us and much safer for you if you disrobe first. I don’t want you to feel embarrassed, so I’ll look away and you can cover yourself with the blanket, okay?” He turned around without waiting for her reply, humming tunelessly. Victoria knew the futility of resistance to the corporate will. If she didn’t before, well, today had been an education. Tears fell as she took off her clothes. “There, there..” said the man hearing her sniffles, “this won’t hurt. We’ve improved the serum and use the same sedatives as they did in the days of the conversion bureaus. Sometimes the old way is still the best way, no?” He turned back to Victoria, who lay naked under the sheet. Her jail shirt and bra now hung from the handcuff chain near the head of the cot. He gingerly picked up the purple syringe, checking to make sure there were no air bubbles. “Please give me your left arm,” he said and held out his own left hand, palm open. His eyes, when she looked into them, held none of the sympathy he expressed in his words. She slowly brought her arm out from under the blanket and held it before her. He suddenly grabbed her wrist in an iron grip, hard enough that she muttered in pain. “I’m sorry if this is a little rough, dear, but this is usually the point at which some people try to fight the inevitable, so...” he jabbed the syringe into her upper arm and pushed in the plunger all in one motion, “... I have to do this part expeditiously.” Before the pain even registered he was pulling out the needle. He let go of her wrist and placed the empty syringe on the cart. He looked at her with a satisfied smile. “Now we wait and hope I don’t have to use the other syringe.” Victoria fell back onto the cot and blacked out. *** In the dream Victoria had run with the horses. It had been the most exhilarating dream she’d had in years, almost as euphoric as the first moment she’d seen her Chloe’s newborn face. She had chosen to carry Chloe herself, not trusting the birthing vats that had become so popular in recent years. Somehow she felt this made her and Chloe closer than seemed the case with her more fashionable friends and their vat born children. Then she and the herd had run into the sky and somehow she ended up here, in a rundown castle, with an irresistible urge to pass through a large set of ornate doors before her. She heard dull echoes of her footsteps as she entered a huge hall, at the far end of which was a raised dais topped by two thrones, a white one bearing a stylized sun at its head, the other dark blue and sporting a crescent moon motif. The latter was obviously in need of major repairs. Upon the white throne, encircled in light, sat a young girl, with long blond hair. The child’s eyes caught her attention. They were a blue so dark it was almost violet, and they were... old... yes, ancient, wise and somehow she knew that this was someone who had known great suffering. “Welcome Victoria,” said the child. “Do you know who I am?” “No. But I feel as if I should. Why is that?” asked Victoria. “That is a better question than most ask when they arrive before me.” The girl smiled warmly. “Because I am Princess Celestia of Equestria, and because you are forcibly becoming one of my subjects. I wish it were under better circumstances, but neither of us has been given a choice in the matter.” Victoria thought for a moment, her heart sinking. “Then what that man said was true. I am being ponified.” Her shoulders shook as she began to weep silently. “I have a daughter, Chloe. I am all she has, my... my husband died two years ago... in an attack by the Eastern Alliance... Princess, what will she do? Who will take care of her? Can you help?” Victoria hid her face in her hands and sobbed. Celestia slid out of the throne, and walked down the steps to the bottom one, where she stood to almost match Victoria’s height. When the Princess enfolded her in a hug Victoria felt a presence deeper, larger and more loving than she would have thought possible. “For now there is little I can do in the land of mortals. But my power on earth grows with every person ponified. I promise you this: if I can find a way to help you and Chloe I will.” Celestia disengaged from the hug, and climbed back up to her throne. Victoria felt the urge to join her there, in the circle of light. “This is my last moment as a human being, isn’t it?” “Yes, when you join me in the circle, you will have fully become a member of my herd.” Somehow this seemed to sadden the Princess. Victoria dried her tears with the back of her hand. “Then I will count on you not to forget your promise.” She followed Celestia up the dais and stepped into the circle of light. She felt a sudden euphoria, and looking down saw... *** … yellow hooves and forelegs sticking out of the blanket under which she still lay. The nice man in the white clothing smiled at her, holding a red and yellow syringe with one hand. “You see! That didn’t hurt at all, did it?” She seemed to vaguely remember some unpleasantness before, and she didn’t like the look of that syringe for some reason that she couldn’t clearly remember. But she felt great now, and smiled up at the man. “Nope! I really feel good. It’s a good day I guess.” “I suppose so,” said the man. “Now, can you tell me your name, please?” She thought for a minute. “What is my name?” she asked, feeling a bit confused. And then she remembered: “I know! It’s Vicky-picky-toria!” She was really happy to have remembered it. That wasn’t her entire name, but then Vicky-picky-toria was the fun part, so the rest wasn’t such a big deal. The man put the syringe onto the cart. He reached over and - using a small key on a chain - removed the handcuff on Vicky’s foreleg. “Hey, Vicky. I bet you’re feeling pretty hungry now aren’t you?” She nodded enthusiastically. Vicky felt great, but her stomach rumbled loud enough to set them both laughing. Another man with a collar and leash entered the cell. She waited patiently as he put the collar on her, and attached the leash. “Mr. Jenkins here will bring you to the processing center for newfoals. Just do as he says and you can have a nice snack there. And take it slow so until you learn how to walk like a pony! Bye now, Vicky!” She rose on unsteady legs. “Goodbye Mr. Doctor! It was fun meeting you!” Jenkins rolled his eyes and led her out. *** Many of the ponies Victoria met over the next few months told her she had been quite lucky in her ponification. Not all the doctors were so nice, and as she learned through sad experience, neither were all the pony overseers. But all in all, she had to say that her life was a happy one. She grew flowers in a garden, and periodically did shifts in the hydroponic farms. She was constantly making new friends too, and that was probably the best part. Every once in while, she would remember that she had a daughter called Chloe, and that made her sad. She tried not to think about it too much, though, ‘cause when she did she grew kinda forgetful and messed up her work. Sometimes she was beaten because of it. She didn’t like that at all! Shortly after her first pony birthday she was reassigned to nursery duty for a man called Harvey Litton. That sounded familiar, but she usually didn’t pay much attention to human stuff anymore. They told her she would be responsible for taking care of his two daughters. She had had a daughter once, so she thought she could do it and so looked forward to the assignment. When she arrived, Mr. Litton met her in the office he kept at his large house. He was tall, had very black hair, a pale complexion and a long, thin face that she knew she had seen before. “Hello Victoria, do you remember me?” he asked. “My name’s Vicky, now, sir.” She had been taught to be polite with her human masters. “And you look familiar, but I can’t rightly recall. Sorry!” “That’s okay, Vicky. It was a long time ago. Would you like to meet my daughters?” “That would be swell! I really like kids,” said Vicky with heartfelt enthusiasm. “There’s only one thing, Vicky. You might also recognize one of the girls. Her name is Chloe. And a long time ago she was your daughter. But a human can’t have a pony for a parent now can they?” Vicky didn’t know what to say. She did remember having a daughter Chloe, but that was way before, and her memory of those days was really hazy. “If you say so, Mr. Litton,” she answered uncertainly in a low voice. “So when you meet Chloe, maybe you shouldn’t tell her you were her mom before. That might make her sad. You don’t want Chloe to be sad now, do you?” “Oh, no. I would never want that!” Vicky was horrified at the thought. “Good. I knew you were a smart mare.” He pressed a button on his desk. “You can bring them in, now,” he spoke into the device. A second door opened and two young girls were led in by a pink mare. Vicky could not take her eyes off of Chloe. This was her Chloe, and she felt so incredibly happy to see her. “Sasha, Chloe, this is Vicky. She will be your new governess-mare,” said Litton. “But I like Bubbles. Why does she have to go away?” complained Chloe. “I don’t like this other mare!” Vicky was very sad that Chloe didn’t like her. But she was not going to show it, or make Chloe ashamed because her mom was a pony, so she said nothing. “I’m sorry, sweetie, but it’s already been decided.” He smiled at Vicky. “Bubbles will introduce you to the upstairs staff and train you in your duties. Please stick with her for the next few days.” “Yes, Mr. Litton,” said Vicky. She looked at Chloe. How fine she looked in a pretty yellow and white print dress! Vicky was so proud! And she was also very happy to be close to Chloe again. She followed Bubbles and the girls out, never seeing the smirk on Litton’s face as they left his office. *** Harvey Litton was still smiling when an arm snaked around his chest and a voice whispered in his ear. “How long are we going to put up with having that brat and her pony mother around?” Harvey turned to face his wife Loretta. “Now, now! Living well is the best revenge, they say. But just for kicks let’s see how Vicky enjoys being rejected by her own daughter. And as long as Chloe is with us she serves as an ample demonstration of what happens to those who oppose us. I figure we’ll get a a year or so more out of the arrangement and then we can quietly dispose of them both.” Loretta still looked unhappy as she stared at the door through which the ponies and girls had left. *** Vicky watched over Chloe and Sasha as they slept. How she loved to see them having sweet dreams and listen to the sounds of their breathing. It made her especially happy to see Chloe at night like because during the day Chloe did not like Vicky to get too close. The child still resented how two months earlier Vicky had replaced Bubbles, a pony Chloe had grown to love in the year since she been put in the guardianship of the Littons. However, Sasha was very kind to her, so Vicky had already become very affectionate of both her charges. Slowly, she felt herself nod off. Vicky looked around. She was walking in the castle again, this time it seemed bigger, as did the dais, the throne, and even Princess Celestia. As Vicky climbed the steps, the human girl rose and went to her, greeting the pony with a hug. “Hello Vicky, I hope you are well.” Vicky hugged her back. “Hello miss Princess Celestia. I’m really happy, and guess what?” Celestia looked at her wearing a smile tinged with sadness. “What is it, my little pony?” “I’m taking care of Chloe and another little girl called Sasha. I get to see her everyday. I make her bed, and pick up her toys and clothes, and brush her hair. And I take her and Sasha out for walks in the garden. Oh, and I really like the way she smells. I never noticed that before.” When Celestia resumed sitting in her throne Vicky sat down on her haunches before it with a big grin on her face. It faltered when she noticed the tracks of tears running down Celestia’ pretty little-girl face. “What’s the matter, miss Princess Celestia ? Did I say something wrong?” “Vicky, do you remember what I said the last time you were here, about helping you when I could?” asked Celestia. “Uh-hunh, I remember.” She nodded, her smile restored by the happy memory of meeting the Princess for the first time. “I am happy to say that I now can keep that promise.” Vicky felt her whole body tingle for a moment, and then, it was as if a fog lifted in her mind, and she could see and think clearly for the first time in a very long time. She rose to all fours, thinking back on all she had done and witnessed since her ponification. She was no longer smiling. “I have been a puppet, a slave... and worse. Oh, Princess, I have let them do as they would with me! I have...”, she was finding it hard to say out loud, “I let them...” She hid her face in her hooves and wept with shame. Celestia knelt before her and again took her into a hug. “Hush, my little pony. You did nothing worthy of reproach. That which is done to you blots the souls of others, not your own.” “Chloe!” Victoria’s expression held fear. “The awful people who had me ponified have custody of my daughter. Why didn’t I see this before? How could I not object? How could I live with them in their house?” “My dear Victoria, the conversion process used on you not only turned you into a pony, it severely limited your intelligence, as it has for almost all new convertees. Only today have I been able to do something about and restore to you what was taken.” “But, I was happy being their dupe. I was... so happy.” Again she hid her face in shame. “Victoria, life is what you make of it. I have in the last few decades also faced defeat, fear, and shame. I have given you a piece of myself to restore you to your full intellectual capacity. It will be some time before I can help another in the same way. However, what you do with this gift is in your own hooves, and none others. I ask only one thing of you, that you let me see through your eyes, hear through your ears, and again smell and taste the world around you. Only when I better understand what is happening outside will I be able to help all my little ponies again. Do you agree to do this for me?” Celestia’s face, which so far had seemed so calm and serene showed something new, something that could only be described as a deep need, an aching hunger that burned in her eyes. “If I said no, would you... could you force this of me?” asked Victoria. “I could. But Victoria I would not. I will never do to my little ponies what others have done to them. This is my promise.” The hunger in Celestia’s eyes was still there, but so was the resolve to make good on her promise. “Then I agree to do this for you.” “Thank you, Victoria. I am in your debt,” said the little girl who climbed back up onto her throne. “You will have to exercise care to hide your restored faculties, if you continue to reside in that household. Do you think you can do this?” “I will have to. The alternative is to lose Chloe again. Besides, I have to find out why they have taken custody of my girl and if there’s any way out of this nightmare.” She smiled uncertainly at Celestia. “Auditing got me into this trouble, maybe it can get me out.” “That is a very brave attitude, Victoria. I chose you above all others to be the first pony restored to full intelligence. Something about you when we first met gave me great confidence in you, and now I know that you are up to the challenge. Please be careful, and remember that I will be with you from now on. You can always call on me for my help, such as I can provide.” Victoria descended the steps, turned and bowed. “This is the proper way to take leave of true royalty. Goodbye, your majesty.” “Goodbye, my brave little pony.” Celestia watched as Victoria exited the throne room. *** Victoria woke up in the girls’ bedroom. She noticed for the first time that her “bed” was nothing more than the type of large cushion sold in pet stores as beds for dogs.  She crept off of it as quietly as possible, and went to peer at the beautiful face of her sleeping daughter. She gently kissed her forehead, and felt the pang of not being able to hold her close to her bosom. She sighed as she left Chloe’s bedside. She wanted nothing more than to stay here all night and watch over her precious little love, but she had work to do. She had to find out why her daughter was here, and what she could do to remove her from harm’s way. As a member of the pony staff, she knew just where in her ex-boss’ house he kept all his records. And she had just been given back the mental acuity to do something about it. She paused at the door and looked back, then closed it in perfect silence. Or so she thought. The instant the door was shut Sasha pulled back the covers and sat up. She had seen Vicky kiss Chloe on the head, and then leave the room. Why just her and not me? And where did she go? wondered the little girl.