"Jack, we should have stayed with her." Sally sat across from me, poking at her food with a fork "We could have saved her."
Sally and I had found a diner just outside the Orlando Conversion Zone. At least that's what Dr. Chesterfield called them on the radio. We needed to catch our breath after they took Mom away. Been driving non stop for a couple of days anyhow. We both needed a little break.
"Sally," I said. "Mom wouldn't want us to risk our lives for her. I don't think she would have let us help her." I took a bit of omelet. "Remember, she wanted nothing more than for us to get on the ship, right?"
Sally shifted. "I guess you're right, Jack. This is what Mom wanted us to do." I paid the waitress, and we got up and went outside.
As I stepped out of the diner, I heard a loud honking noise. It was the sound of my car alarm.
"Crap!" I swore as I ran down the parking lot. Two young men, probably teenagers around 18 or 19 were trying to break into my car. I picked up a rock and hit one of the boys squarely in the back.
"Jack!" Sally shouted, in shock at my violence. The other kid turned to me. He looked very desperate and afraid."On your knees, hands up!" I shouted, the rock still clenched in my fist. They both complied. "Now why don't you tell my why you think it's okay to steal my car?"
"We were just trying to get to the spaceport!" The boy who I had hit with the rock answered me first. "Those crazy ponies have been after us for an entire day!"
"Yeah." The second one spoke up. "My dad was a scientist who was working on the colonization program. Our family was one of the first to get captured when-."
I held up my hand to stop him. "Hold up." I said. "Let's go inside and get you guys some food. You must be hungry, am I right?"
Sally pulled me aside. "Jack," she said. "Are you sure about this? These boys just tried to steal your car."
"They're humans too, Sally." I reasoned. "They deserve a chance. Besides, I think Mom would have wanted us to take them to the space ship."
I motioned to the boys to follow us back into the diner. They followed without another word. Mom would have wanted us to save as many people as we could, so, why not start now. We took them in to the diner. I paid for their food. As we waited, I decided to question them.
"So, what happened to you guys?" I inquired. "It seems like you two have been through a lot.
The first boy answered me first. "Call me Ralph Seigan. I didn't have anymore family, they volunteered for conversion. I just couldn't bring myself to go with them. I love this place. After those ponies started mandatory conversion, I laid low. Found a small HLF base that let me stay there for a bit. That's where I met Joey."
Joey was the son of the scientist. "I am called Joey Hoppner. My dad was part of the HLF and he worked with that other doctor a couple of times. Chesterfield, or something like that."
So this guy's father was involved with the space colonization program. "What happened?" I asked.
"The Equestrians raided the HLF base that we were at. He was one of the first taken. That's when we met, and we were one of the only ones who escaped. We were trying to get on the colony ship, and there was no way we could get there on foot."
"Sorry we tried to steal your car, Mister."
"It's Jack." I said, introducing myself. "My name is Jack Crest, and this is my sister Sally. We drove down here from Tallahassee. We'll take you to that ship."
"No way!" Joey exclaimed. "Tallahassee was completely converted last night"
"What?!?" I was stunned. Even though Tallahassee was pretty empty by the time we got out of there, I was surprised that it had been completely converted so quickly.
"Apparently," Ralph explained. "The ponies really cracked down on the place after they had a couple families escape, and according to Joey, that might be the case everywhere."
"Jack, we should get down to the cape as fast as we can" Sally suggested. "What if the Equestrians move beyond the Conversion Zones?"
"Good idea," I agreed. I looked at the boys. "You two coming with us?"
"Yes Mr. Crest," Joey accepted the offer. "We don't know how we can thank you."
"No need." I replied. "Let's finish up and go."
I just happened to look out the window. A small squad of Pegasi and Unicorns had landed in the parking lot. They wore bandoliers over their golden armor that held a purple liquid. Other people in the diner took notice as well. They pointed out the window and started yelling in panic. "On second thought, let's just go. Now!"
The four of us stood up. The ponies started moving toward the door. People started running for cover, hiding behind the bar, in the kitchen, and under tables. A few produced guns. "Let's leave out the back." We ran into the kitchen, grabbing weapons on our way as we headed out the back door. Joey pilfered a cleaver, Sally took a meat skewer, and Ralph snatched up a chef's knife, while I grabbed a frying pan. The terrified diners and kitchen staff were too scared to notice us.
We hid around the corner of the building. The ponies were still standing in the parking lot.
"Ready. Aim. FIRE!" There was a shout from one of them, and the squad began throwing rocks into the diner, followed by conversion potion. Shrieks and cries of pain and panic came from inside the diner. About 3/4 of the squad now entered the diner. Gunshots, magic, and the sound of breaking glass emitted from within the building. The guards that remained outside had their attention on the diner, so it was possible to sneak past them. However, this had to be done before the other guards came back out, or getting to the car would be impossible. I took point. Pan at the ready, I hurried past, making sure that I didn't make any unnecessary moves and that I kept my footstep noise to a minimum. I managed to get behind a beat up old Dodge, just a couple empty spaces down from my car. The others followed suit, and we grouped up behind the truck.
"Okay, here's the plan." I explained. "The car is unlocked. All we have to do is sneak around to the front. I'll open the front door and you two," I gestured to Ralph and Joey. "can climb in the back. Sally and I will then take up the front seats and then we can drive out of here."
"We'll need to hurry, they will probably notice us before we can all get loaded." Sally pointed out.
"Right, let's move as fast as we can and get the hell out of here." I affirmed. We walked across to the car
"I've converted at least twelve of these Celestia dammed humans. The guards were talking to one another. "Not one has fought back. This sucks."
"Hey, save it for the base, we're on a mission... as true as that is, though."
Heartless bastards. I still don't know who they think they are, pushing us around like that. No matter. I had to focus on getting our party into the car without being seen and, undoubtedly, converted. I snuck to the front of the car. The guards still had their backs to us. I opened the car door as quietly as I could. When I opened it, it made a pop. The guards voices grew louder as they turned around. "You two." I heard a voice say. "Check out that noise!" I ran back to the group, as they approached the car. We all were afraid. Ralph took out his knife. I gripped my pan tighter as they inched closer and closer. At last, after what seemed like an eternity, they had reached the vehicle.
After a few seconds they searched and did not see us. "There's nothing over here!" one of the two called back to the superior. I let out my breath, not realizing that I had been holding it. But then, a light flashed across the guard's face. Ralph's knife had reflected the sun int his eyes. He blinked for a moment, and then we made eye contact. "HUMANS!" He shouted. At that moment, we attacked. I grabbed the guard who had called out, my hand around his throat. His horn lit up to charge a spell. I lifted my pan and swung it down upon his horn with all my strength. A small explosion blew me back onto the rough asphalt as a bright light blinded me. When my vision returned, I heard cries of pain. The guard I had hit was writhing on the ground, hooves around his horn. My blow had broken off a good chunk of it. His screams were silenced by Sally, who stabbed him with her skewer. The sharp metal rod penetrated the soft golden armor with ease. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a blue beam of light fly past, and a flash as Joey brought his cleaver down onto the offending unicorn, a wet thunk and a small painful groan told me he had found his mark. I sprung up, adrenaline coursing through my body.
"Get in the car, hurry!" I shouted. The other guards ran towards us as the boys climbed in the back, while Sally and I sat up front.
"Stop them!" I heard more shouts from the other guards. I turned the key, activating the engine. Putting the car into reverse, I floored the gas. The car shot backwards, and bucked up and down as squelching noises, screams and blood filed the air, staining the rear windows. I switched to drive and the car lurched forward as we left the bloody massacre.
We got back on the freeway I thought we were in the clear at last, but I was wrong.
"Jack, they're following us!" Sally pointed into my rear view mirror. Indeed, we were followed by three Pegasi. We had no ranged weapons to dispatch them. Thuds and smashing glass were all around us. They were throwing potions at the car. Fortunately, they had no effect on the smooth painted metal.
"You got any guns in this car?" Ralph asked.
"None that I know of." I said, swerving to avoid the potions.
"What about this one?" Joey piped up, a loaded pearl handled revolver in his hand. I didn't take time to ask where he got it from.
"Yeah, okay. Can you shoot them down?"
"Sure." Ralph took the gun from Joey. He rolled down the window and leaned out of it, only to quickly duck back inside as a bottle of serum was chucked his way. He leaned back out and fired two shots. Out of the mirror, I saw one of the ponies take a dive into the concrete. "I need a clear shot!" Ralph yelled.
"Okay, brace yourselves!" I said as I hit the breaks. The car swerved and stopped facing sideways across the road. The Pegasi were lined up in Ralph's sights. He fired twice more. The other ponies hit the ground. The bottles of potion they had smashed and emptied their contents to form a pool around the bodies. Joey took out a camera and took a picture.
"To inspire other HLF members." He explained. Without another word, I turned the car back down the freeway and we left the lifeless, potion soaked corpses to the elements.
"So where did you get that gun?" I asked Joey. "From the HLF?"
"No, I found it in this bag." I turned around. Mom's old handbag sat between the boys. Even after she had been taken, Mom had still found a way to save our lives. A tear escaped my eye as I remembered how much she loved us, and was willing to make the sacrifice for us. "Something wrong?" Joey asked. Sally and I told them about Mom and what she did for us. It was really hard not to cry, and even harder to focus on the road at the same time, so Sally did most of the talking.
"That's awful." Ralph mumbled and looked down. It was clear that the HLF members didn't know what to say. After a bit of quiet, Joey handed me Mom's gun.
"You should hold on to this then." he said. I took hold of the pearled hand grip, and stowed the gun in the glove box. We would no doubt need it for the times to come.
"Attention, citizens of North America. This is Doctor Otto Chesterfield." I had turned the radio to the NAC Government channel to keep updated on news. We saw a couple of other cars, but the freeway was still quiet. "I am pleased to inform you that at last, we are making progress with the issue of the Conversion Zones. Our ambassadors are meeting with Princess Celestia in an attempt to lift the Conversion Zones, or at least to lower the distances they cover."
"I don't think that's gonna happen." Ralph said. "Just a feeling."
"No matter what happens, the NAC will provide opportunities for evacuation, so do not worry." Dr. Chesterfield continued with his announcement. "Everybody living in this country deserves a chance, and we will provide. In addition, we have established official Evacuation Zones around the spaceports. Food, water, and shelter will be provided withing these zones, until we are ready to load up the colony ships and evacuate. Do not fear, my friends, for we will improve the human condition! Together!" The broadcast looped back to the beginning.
"Sound's like they'll be sending in armies to search for humans still left in the Conversion Zones." Joey explained. "That's what my Dad told me."
"We are going to make it, guys." Sally said excitedly. "We'll be at Cape Canaveral by tomorrow at most."
This seemed to be the case for the next few miles, but it became apparent that it wasn't going to be so easy. Around the next turn of the twisted freeway, we came across a barricade. Cars were piled up to form a wall. Some still had purple stains from getting potion dumped on them. Similar blockades lined the off ramps. We were boxed in.
"Oh no." I felt my heart sank. "The Equestrians must have set up this blockade." The only way out was a small set of maintenance stairs leading down to a street below the freeway. A forest lined the other side of the street "We got to move on foot. Take everything you need." We hopped out of the car. I opened the trunk and took my suitcase out, placing the loops of Mom's handbag around the handle. Sally took her own suitcase, and Joey offered to take Mom's.
"This thing is pretty light." Joey commented on Mom's suitcase. Mom had always been a light packer, always taking only what she absolutely needed. It was a good thing too, especially now.
Ralph hiked up the backpack that he shared with Joey and reached around to the front pocket. He took out a map and unfolded it. "Now, according to this," he announced. "There's an HLF base a little way into the swamp. I overheard Dr. Hoppner on the radio at the Orlando base saying they had an air boat that they used to float people down the river to another base which was connected to the Evacuation Zone at Canaveral."
"Good." I said. "You got the map. Lead the way kid." With that, we hiked off into the woods, every step bringing us closer to safety. Or so we thought...