//------------------------------// // Chapter 11 // Story: The Parliament of Dreams // by Wheller //------------------------------// Chapter 11 Sparky looked over nervously at DC Hopely as the car entered the motorway. She discovered that the earth pony mare was piloting the car manually, rather than using the car’s autopilot VI. ‘Going a little fast... aren’t you?’ Sparky asked, trying to hide her terror. ‘Can do so, and need to’, DC Hopely said as she moved the holographic sliders forward. ‘Besides, this thing can handle it; this is a Police Pursuit Special. High speed chases are what they're made for’. ‘Don’t you think that using the autopilot would be safer?’ Sparky asked. ‘In the short term, yes, but after we ditch this car? Absolutely not, I would prefer not to have DCI Auditore come back and be able to track our exact movements... which is why...’ DC Hopely's voice beginning to trail off as she veered into the left lane, taking the exit and coming to a complete stop outside of an office building in the down town area. ‘What are you doing?’ Sparky asked. ‘Running interference!’ Hopely said simply. ‘SatNAV still tracks our movements, so when this thing gets back to the station, DCI Auditore is going to know everywhere it went, and how long we were at each place, I’m going to it seem like we might be hiding out here, it should distract them long enough for us to get you two, and everyone that you care about to a safe place, speaking off...’ 'My family is in New Maneaan', Dizzy said. 'And most missionaries don't come out this far'. 'All I really need to worry about is Grandma V and Shortfuse, I don't have any other family or friends... well that's not true, there's Dula Heartstrings, but she'll be fine, she can handle herself', Sparky said as a notification on her MIP began to flash. She was getting an incoming call. 'You sure about that? DCI Auditore can be pretty thorough', DC Hopely asked. 'Dula's a Commodore in the Republican Navy, she is in command of the dreadnought ERS Twilight Sparkle', Sparky said, she looked down at her MIP to see who was calling her, it was Grandma V. She pulled open the holographic display, and watched as a small orange image of Grandma V appeared above her leg. 'Sparky! There you are! Where have you been? I've been trying to call you for hours! You are in big trouble young lady for running off like that! I probably would have had a heart attack if it hadn't already been replaced!' Grandma V shouted at her. 'Grandma V, listen, this is important. Is Shortfuse there?' Sparky asked. 'Yes, I've been reaming her for letting you run off. Where are you?' Grandma V said in annoyance. 'Grandma, listen, this is very important. We need to go into hiding and... listen to me!' Sparky cried out as Grandma V opened her mouth to protest. The holographic representation of her grandmother shut her mouth tightly and allowed Sparky to continue. 'I can't explain over the phone, pack a few days clothes for yourself, me, and Shortfuse, tell Shortfuse to send her car to drive around aimlessly for a few hours, and then go home. We'll be there in a few minutes to get you'. 'Who's we?' Grandma V asked. 'Friends', Sparky said, looking over to DC Hopely, and then to Dizzy in the back seat. 'Grandma, please, this is important, and I'll explain when we get there'. 'Are you in trouble...?' Grandma V asked. 'Yeah, yeah we are. We all are, I'll explain when we get there', Sparky said. Grandma V nodded and closed out of the call, DC Hopely looked over towards her, and then hit the accelerator. The police pursuit special accelerated back onto the motorway, headed towards Freetown. Sparky looked over to DC Hopely as she drove, as time passed, Sparky noticed that DC Hopely began to look more and more nervous, she was thinking about something, and she wasn't liking whatever conclusion she had come to. 'You haven't said exactly where we're going to go hide', Sparky said. 'It has to be somewhere that DCI Auditore doesn't have reach... I can think of one place that might work...' DC Hopely said. 'Where? Manehattan? Fillydelphia?' Sparky asked. 'New Maneaan?' Dizzy asked, speaking up from the back seat. 'No... somewhere further than that', DC Hopely said nervously. Sparky looked at her companion with suspicion, and then it hit her at exactly what she was getting at. 'Tell me you're not...' Sparky said worriedly. 'It's the one place that DCI Auditore could never get us', DC Hopely concluded. 'What? Where are you talking about?' Dizzy asked. 'New Maneaan?' 'No, not New Maneaan', Sparky said with a frown. 'DC Hopely wants us to go to the Præsidium'. Dizzy's jaw dropped open at the thought. DC Hopely was right about one thing, the Præsidium was completely alien to Equestrians, and the communists weren't subject to anyone but their own whims. If they went there, they could not be followed. DCI Auditore couldn't sic La Police Internationale on them to bring them back to Equestria. The Præsidium had no extradition treaties with the Republic; it was the perfect place for them to hide... even if it was a horrible plan. 'Grandma V isn't going to like this...' Sparky said with a frown. 'We don't have any better choices! It's hide in the Præsidium or take a bullet to the head. That's exactly what will happen if DCI Auditore or one of Kirsk Zazz's thugs find us', DC Hopely said. 'Yeah, I get that', Sparky said with a frown. 'But how are we even going to get in there? We're Republican Citizens...' Sparky's voice trailed off and she looked back towards Dizzy. 'Are you a Citizen of the Republic?' she asked. 'I... I don't know', Dizzy said with a shrug. 'It's never come up before'. Sparky frowned and turned back to DC Hopely. 'Most of us are Republic Citizens! How are we supposed to get into the Præsidium?' she asked. 'Getting into the Præsidium isn't the hard part... it's getting out', DC Hopely said as she pulled the car into the left lane, exiting the motorway again and pulling off to the side. They were in Freetown, a couple blocks from Sparky's house. Sparky watched as DC Hopely pulled into a deuterium and helium-3 refuelling station for nuclear micro fusion reactors that power every car on the road. DC Hopely closed the holographic controls and looked over to her passengers. 'Everybody out!' She said as she opened the driver side door. Sparky followed her out and let Dizzy out of the back. Sparky watched as the police car put itself into gear and drove off down the road, the autopilot likely taking it to its last location on the path to a dumping ground. 'You know where you are?' DC Hopely asked. 'Can you lead us back to your house from here?' 'I think so... yeah', Sparky said as she looked over her MIP at the map function. This was Fluttershy Street; her home wasn't far, a couple of kilometres to the south west. 'That way!' she said, pointing down towards the south west. The trio took a brisk pace as they trotted down Fluttershy Street, turning onto Angel lane and made their way down towards Sparky's house. The familiar sight of her home soon came into view. Sparky couldn't help but feel that it had been so long since she had been here, like she'd been gone for days, while it had only been one. Sparky flashed her MIP over the security panel, unlocking the door and stepping inside. 'Grandma?' Sparky called out. 'Grandma V?' 'In the kitchen Sparky!' Grandma V's voice called out. Sparky stepped inside, and waved her friends to enter. Something was wrong, Sparky didn't know what, but the air inside her home just felt... off, she looked to her friends in worry; they were already drawing their guns. This was one of the few times that Sparky was glad that she had a very readable face. Sparky stepped around the corner into the kitchen, and froze. The sight before her was not what she had been preparing for. Likewise, Dizzy and DC Hopely stepped in as well, guns drawn, but their jaws fell wide open alongside their friend. Grandma V and Shortfuse were sitting at the kitchen table, but they were not the only ones there. Grandma V looked up at her and gave her a small smile. 'I see you've brought some new friends, and an old one too, it looks like'. Sparky blinked, not believing what she was seeing. Hovering slightly above the table was a small glowing orange ball with a smiling face. 'Oh! Hi again! It's really good of you to have come! I was just catching up on old times with Miss Vinyl Scratch here! It's been such a long time, has it not Vinyl Scratch?' 'Heh', Grandma V said with a grin. 'It sure has Mister Happy, it sure has'. Sparky's jaw dropped even wider open. 'Sit down Sparky, Mister Happy here has just been explaining what you did', Grandma V said.