Babs opened one eye. The pain in her stomach was almost unbearable. She hadn’t had a cigarette in what it seemed like ages and withdrawal was almost killing her. She shivered and pulled a blanket over her head. During the day, it was hard to believe that it was already winter. At night, however, the cold wind was chilling everyone to the bone. The barracks’ thin walls weren’t any protection against it.
Babs clenched her eyes shut. The fact that her mane had been cut didn’t help her in keeping warmth. She turned in her bed, knowing well that she’d be woken up soon. Then she’d have to run around the barracks before she’d be allowed to eat breakfast. Then she’d work, listening to the sergeant’s yelling. She didn’t know his name. He was a sergeant and he liked to shout at them; that was all she had to know about him.
She could hear the snoring of her roommates. A former junkie, an underaged prostitute, a mule with a long scar on her face who didn’t want to say anything about herself, and a rich, spoiled filly who’d been put there because her parents couldn’t control her anymore. Noisy and annoying at first, she’d shut up after they’d beaten her for the first time. Babs had spent two days in a solitary confinement for that, but it was worth it – it was the only place where she could have some privacy.
At least now it was relatively silent. There were nights when the former junkie was screaming in pain caused by withdrawal. The rich one was crying almost constantly. Just when Babs thought that she hadn’t heard her, she started to cry again.
“Shut the fuck up!” the mule shouted. “I’m gettin’ tired of ya!”
Babs heard the loud slap. Crying grew louder. Another slap and it was reduced to silent whimpering.
The mule probably heard something more in it. “Ya think ya’re the Sleepless Killer or what?” she asked, going back to her bed. “She was crazy; ya’re just pathetic…”
Babs sighed with relief when everything silenced. She could beat the mule black and blue easily, but she preferred to stay out of trouble. The mule didn’t pick up on her yet. Maybe she was afraid that Babs, being the only earth pony in the room, would be able to fight back. Or maybe she just wanted to stay out of trouble too.
Somepony shook her. She got out of her bed quickly and stretched her hooves. She didn’t remember much from what happened later. It was just like any other day in the camp. Repetitive, monotonous tasks aimed at depriving her of energy and breaking her. She only gritted her teeth.
She was just running next to the guards’ hut. An old radio was playing there. Babs slowed down, letting her rich roommate catch up with her. She was listening to the blues song, sung in a raspy voice. The piano sounds were reminding her of Manehattan; she sighed, thinking of home. What was her family doing? How was Raz, Hedgehog, Nightcap, and other ponies she knew? Did Lightning Dust get caught? It was hard to say – the camp was far away from any civilised place in Equestria, so the news were rarely coming there.
“Seed!” The voice knocked her out of trance. She started to run faster. The song got quieter and it finally died down when Babs ran behind the corner of the building. She finished the lap quickly – the key of surviving there was to do everything as fast as she could when the guards watched and ceasing to do that as soon as they stopped – and again found herself next to the guards’ hut and the old radio. She closed her eyes, listening to the bass and saxophone. Her fur was drenched in sweat; her hooves started to ache, but she didn’t care. She was still running, listening to the song reminding her of home.
Manehattan Blues… Babs barely heard the sergeant’s voice commanding to stop. She stood in a row with other ponies, mules, donkeys, even a couple of griffons and zebras. She wiped sweat from her forehead. The sun was shining in her eyes, blinding her.
“Have any of you heard how cancer develops?” the voice of the sergeant pierced her ears. She automatically stood in attention. “Do you know something about cancer, Seed?”
“No, sir!” she replied. “Except that I’m afraid I’ll die of it one day…”
Some ponies in the crowd chuckled, but quickly silenced.
“Of course you don’t know…” the sergeant shook his head. “Let me educate you… Maybe it’ll be the only thing that ever gets into your thick heads… So, cancer develops when a single cell in the organism gets crazy and starts to think that it can tell the other cells to fuck off and get all the food for itself. It loses all its functions; it can only divide endlessly.” He paused and looked at the crowd in front of him. “Such things happen a few times a day. But usually such cell is quickly spotted by the organism and evaporated as soon as it starts to think about rebelling… Do you know why am I telling you that?”
Babs straightened out. She had a feeling that she knew. She, however, preferred not to stick her neck out.
“You’re such cells,” the sergeant said, looking at them with disdain. “You’re the cancer that, if not treated early, will spread all around Equestria and strangle it. You should be happy that we’re not like the organism. We don’t dissolve you with enzymes and eat the remains. Equestria needs every cell… Even those whose brains changed into cheese. Instead, we take you here and teach you to cooperate with the others. And we’ll teach that to you till we think you understood...”
Babs sighed. The song was still playing in her head. Soon, however, it was replaced by another song. Another scene played in her mind. It was just a few months before, but it seemed that centuries passed since then.
And when they will finally release us,
We’ll be nothing like we used to be,
We’ll be singing while lying in the grass,
‘Oh, Celestia, I’m so glad to be me!’
“Really? Cells and shells?” Cracker asked, rolling his eyes, after Hedgehog finished the song.
“Oh, shut up,” Hedgehog replied. “It’s about the message.”
“Message, right…” Cracker spat into the bonfire. “Muggin’ morons, paintin’ dicks on the walls, and when someone catches ya, ya’ll sing ‘em how much they violate yer freedom? Message...”
Babs shuddered, remembering the faces of her companions sitting around the bonfire inside of an abandoned warehouse. Hedgehog, with a guitar on his lap. Cracker, a pegasus with a nasty smirk permanently plastered on his face. White Dove, sleeping, rested against Raz’s side. Raz, a large, silent donkey, staring into the fire.
Now the warehouse was nothing but a pile of scorched ruins. Cracker was in prison, White Dove was dead, and Babs was in the middle of the desert. She had no news from Hedgehog and Raz.
The briefing was over. The memory faded in Babs’ head. She trotted slowly to get the tools. The blues song started to play again. Babs looked at the guards’ hut and lowered her head, taking small steps. The sun was already high on the sky and the sand started to burn her hooves.
Manehattan Blues. Babs took another step. The memories of the town she had to leave were assaulting her. A tear fell on the sand, evaporating immediately.
Manehattan Blues. The song was playing over and over in her head.
Just a few more steps. A few more years and she’d be home.
Few more steps. Few more years.
Babs stopped and looked to the North – towards Manehattan. One day I’ll be back, she thought. Cancer… Ya’ll see…
She took another step.