The Conversion Bureau: The Land Downunder
By Da Bunnana King
Chapter Fourteen: Operation Tunnel Pony
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“Cause we got us a big old convoy rockin through the night! Ain’t she a beautiful sight?” I sang, to pass the time as we approached the building.
“Alex will you please shut up. They're going to hear us.” pleaded Shadow, as he hit his head against the window.
“You’re just jealous because I have a good singing voice.”
“Please be quiet... were almost-”
“Here?” I said, as I stopped the car at the gate. I wound down the window to be met with guard wearing a grey combat helmet along with grey combat attire and was holding a MPK5.
“What brings you around here with two ponies?” he questioned hesitantly me,
“Well I heard you hate ponies... I hate ponies too, so I was wondering if you wanted to have some fun with them?” I asked, pitching my voice to be slightly lower.
“Well then, take ‘em around back to the loading bay. We’ll one someone assist you in taking them down to the dungeon.”
“Naaa mate, I carried their mangy hides here. I can get them there."
"Right, well follow this road around then take a left at the next junction and you should see the loading bay." he said, pointing down the road.
"Thanks mate." I replied, smiling before driving off.
"I thought we were dead for a second there." Shadow said, breathing a sigh of relief, as we drove down the road.
"We're not out of the woods yet." I replied, we pulled up to the loading bay being greeted by two more armed men with F88 AUSTERY. The loading bay was a small one that had a ramp leading up the side of it into the gray building.
I jumped out of the jeep while grabbing the saddlebags we brought with us.
"G'day mate, hear ya got some ponies for us?" one of the guards asked,
"Yeah mate, wanna help me take 'em down to the cells?" I asked as I opened up the doors to see Jack and Shadow cowering in the corner.
"Sure I got the one with the horn and you can get the rat with wings Daniel." said one guard to his assistant.
They removed them both from the back and slung Jack and Shadow over their shoulders as if they were a sack of potatoes. I followed them down into the darkened corridor to the basement where they kept their prisoners, the hallways smelled of blood and sweat from the prisoners and corpses that were dragged through the halls. There were also bloodstains running along the ground, some were fresh and others were old and fadded.
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We continued this path until the lights darkened more and more narrow before descending into a staircase.
"So what’s with the ponybags?" one asked me,
"I thought they were going to shove that pony goop down my mouth, so I blew one's brains out and knocked these two idiots out with the butt of my shotgun." I replied, as we continued down another flight of stairs.
"Right, so why.did you bring them here then?" he asked again,
"Heard you pay money for ponies, so two unconscious ponies alive must be worth something."
"Yeah, about 100 credits each."
"Cool." I said as we.entered the jail cell filled room. The first thing I smelt was the stench of rotting flesh, I also heard moans and some quiet sobbing as we made our way to the back.
"Look at 'em, thinkin they could turn us into one of them." he said, as i reached into the bag and pulled out two bombs, "Well they ain't ever going to get me I tell ya."
"Well looks like this isn’t your lucky day then." I said smugly as i threw the bombs at their backs as hard as I could. They both collapsed screaming before their skin turned into wax and they became quiet. Both Jack and Shadow struggled to break free of their bonds but I helped by cutting them out with my knife.
“I think its time for a change of plans.” I sated,
“What do you mean?” asked Jack, as he got back up on all four hooves and stretching his wings.
“Shadow, you help these ponies out of their cells. Jack stay here and guard the entrance because the one we came in on is the only way out. I’ll get the canisters in place and open the floodgates. Got it?” I asked,
“Who said you could give the orders?” demanded Shadow,
“Now is not a time for arguing. You know what to do, I’m out.” I said as I placed their saddlebags on the ground and wore mine like a bandolier.
“Dammit Al!” yelled Shadow, as I sprinted up the stairs.
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I ran out of the stairwell and hid behind the was and peeked around the corner down the long hallway, it was clear so I moved deeper into the building. I could hear footsteps behind me. I ran faster, but I kept quiet. I could hear voices around me saying unintelligible words, they seemed to almost be circling me.
‘Alex, slow down you’re going to get caught.’ Rose warned me, as I saw a sign pointing towards the maintenance shafts.
“Not if I take the long way.” I whispered to myself,
I ran up to the door and opened it quietly making sure that not a noise was heard. The room was clear before I entered, it was empty let alone for a vacuum cleaner and a mop and bucket and various cleaning chemicals. I walked over to a small grate that was coming off, I ripped the grate off and began to crawl through the small shaft.
‘Alex, you’re going to get lost in here.’
“No I won’t, I’ll just got to get to the fans which should be down this shaft, to the left and up through a grate which should land me in the main room for ventilation.” I stated as I clawed along the concrete floor of the shaft.
‘Well, they can probably hear you coming.’
“No they can’t,” I said, as I struggled to fit around the tight corners that were meant for robots to traverse, “this stuff is like rock and they would only hear me if I was dragging something.”
‘Well be careful because for all we know there could be tripwires, laser grids or landmines in here.’
“Who the hell in their right mind would booby trap a shaft built for robots?” I asked, as I could see the light at the end of the tunnel growing brighter.
‘The HLF is one of them.’
“Shhh, I’m trying to be sneaky here. Now let me do my work.” I said, as I put my fingers through the grate and pushed it quietly out of the way.
===
I quietly crawled out of the tunnel into the dimly lit, cold blue room that had exposed fans and airways that wound throughout the complex.
“Right now lets see how theses work?” I said, pulling out a canisters of gas and the gas mask they gave me.
‘It works on a timer mechanism or a remote detonator.’
“Thanks mum, do I also have to push the red button that say ‘Relese’ on it to?” I replied back, as I twisted the first canister which made it tick like an oven timer.
‘Alex be careful, we don’t know if this stuff can get through the filters.’
“Rose I could count all the fucks I give on one hand.” I swore, as my anger began to rise.
‘Alex... just be careful.’
“Rose, will you shut the fu-” I said, as I began to have a coughing fit. I coughed into my hand and when I looked at it my heart nearly stopped. In my hand I held a large about of blood, my blood, the blood that kept me alive and fed nutrients to the cells in my body... blood from my lungs.
‘You might want to hurry up.’
“Go... good idea.” I muttered hesitantly, as I fumbled with the last canister.
Once the timer was set I picked up the gas masked and place it on my head pulling the straps tight. It made me feel claustrophobic and the feeling I would suffocate inside of it, but it was the gas mask or risk turning into a pony before my revenge was complete. So I found the vent that went to the basement level as it smelt like raw sewage.
‘Why would anyone put an air vent to the sewers?’
“Because Australia is smart like that and it let the maintenance robots get to anyplace within the buildings in an instant.” I said, as I pulled myself through the small vent.
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Five more minutes of crawling later, I ended up over a grate that was right on top of the sewage pipes. Pushing with all my might, the grate gave way causing me to fall through it like a bear falling out of a tree.
“What the hell was that?” asked a guard that was around the corner.
“I don’t know Sam, lets check it out.” said a voice that I remember from my childhood.
I pushed myself back to my feet and drew my pistol whilst cocking it. I aimed it down the hall at my old friend Joseph, his arm was in a cast from his fingertips to his elbow.
“Well look who it is,” said Sam, who was in the standard grey drab that the HLF wear. He held an AA-12 with a standard magazine, he posed the most threat.
“Hello guys,” I said, pointing the gun at Joe’s chest, “I’m here to do one thing, and that’s to kill your leader. Behind me are about twenty odd ponies from the PER here to help me. Now you can either run away or stay here and be ponified... it’s your choice.”
“Well I think you forget that we both have bigger guns than you and you’re outnumbered” Joe said,
“Well don’t say I didn’t warn you.” I said as I shot Joe in the chest, and while Sam went to catch him I threw a pony bomb right in Sam’s face causing the change to happen instantaneously.
I strode over to Joe, who was bleeding profusely as Sam’s skin turned to wax and his clothes were absorbed into him. I pulled out another bomb and began to toss it in my hand as I holstered my sidearm.
“Well... I did warn you.” I chuckled as I threw it at his chest, he tried to catch it but the egg still shattered, making his fingers retract into his changing hand and his skin turning into wax.
“Why?” he asked, closing his eyes his eyes as his nose began to flatten and become wider.
‘Alex, what have you done?’ Rose asked in horror at what I have done.
“It was me or them. Now let’s get the rest of the ponies in so I can get this over and done with.” I said, stepping over the changing bodies towards the doorway marked with ‘Control Room.’
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I pushed through the door expecting someone to be there but it was empty. I could see on the monitors the PER waiting at the gates. Some of them were pacing around waiting for me, others were making sure that they had everything they needed. There was even one earth pony pulling a cart full of the bombs in case they ran out.
I picked up the microphone and searched for the sewer channel, I flipped the switch and talked into it.
“Alright, you guys better have your game faces on because I’m opening the gates and the canisters should go off soon so have fun... Oh and leave the leader to me, I’ve got a bullet with his name on it.” I said, as I hit the button that opened the gates and the PER rushed in with potion bombs flying everywhere.
‘So looks like this is it Alex... Are you ready?’ Rose asked, as I strode out out the room tossing a pony bomb in my hand.
“Yeah, the bastard has it coming.” I replied, no longer phased by the voice in my head talking to me. I could hear a whistling noise as the air in the room began to turn a shade of purple, and I could hear coughing coming from father in the corridor.
“You have to love it when a plan comes together.” I said, as I strode towards the upper levels of the base, I passed HLF guards and soldiers who were gasping for air but kept on inhaling the gas making the change from human to pony quicker.
===
I had made it to the main office of the base, but I had fought my way through some HLF survivors that had found gas masks in time, but they were to busy fighting ponies to notice me walking from behind them. I was down to my last bomb and last round, but I still had my knife and my two fists to fight the bastard.
I walked up to the door and drew my pistol, hoping he wasn’t hiding behind his door with a shotgun I raised my boot and kicked the door and entered it as I was taught to. I had my pistol drawn and scanned the room looking for hostiles but I saw none. He wasn't there, so I lowered my gun and walked around the room looking for him.
‘Maybe he isn’t,’ Rose began, before being cut off, ‘What was that?'
“DIE YOU PONY LOVING FAG!” screamed the leader, as he turned me around to punch me in the face.
I reacted quickly but dodging him and unsheathing my knife, I never was good with close combat but I wanted this man dead. I sank my knife into his leg, a spray of blood indication I’d struck his artery. He cried out in pain and I punched him in his jaw which sent him flying through the air to crash onto his desk. He rolled off it onto the ground injured. As I walked up to him, pistol drawn, I noticed his gas mask had a large crack in it.
“You’re coming with me.” I said, as I dragged his semi conscious body outside onto the balcony.
I pushed through the door to the smog covered Brisbane that now laid silent as the HLF was slowly dying within the region. I dragged him over the pebbled roof to the edge and sat him on he knees facing out over Brisbane. You could see everything from there, the river, the bridges and the destroyed buildings that dotted the area from when Australia was invaded.
“Look at the mess you made of the city... the city I grew up in.” I said, pacing back and forth behind him.
“It.. it was necessary... we had to get the ponies out of Australia... this is where they made landfall.” He sputtered out.
“But did you have to ruin the city, kill innocents and ruin the lives of countless many?” I said, as I tore off his gas mask. “Look with your own eyes at the once beautiful Brisbane. Look at the smog, the death, the destruction and the violence that has plagued the streets. And this all started when you came around and gave the people weapons to kill a friend who offered us help.”
“But they wanted to rip out what makes us human and turn it into something that isn’t... us.”
“That’s the biggest lie I have heard. Ponification doesn’t fully change who you are, just what we look like, but inside we are the same.”
“Lies... you’ve seen what it’s done to your mother and your friends.”
“You nearly killed my mother and she says that it’s nice being a pony. She says it’s a similar life but a better one then living in fear of the World Gov and the Australian Defence Force that set down martial law. Heck, I have to say that I wouldn’t mind living in peace,” I said, as I bent down to his ear, “Because I would go to bed every night that you would be dead and no one would hunt me.” I whispered into his ear, I backed up and pointed my pistol at the back of his head.
“Look upon Brisbane and the dying species that is humanity, because it’s the last thing you’ll see.” I said as I squeezed the trigger.
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The round didn’t go off... the gun jammed was, the round was stuck in the breach.
“Well looks like god saved me.” He chuckled.
“I think you forget where you’re standing, or sitting in the case. You are seven stories up, if I push you off you will die, but being in a good mood I’ll give you a choice. Convert or take your chances with the ground.” I offered, as I pulled out the last bomb.
“Fuck-it. If it beats death then I am in.” he said,
“Well you’re going to have to catch it.” I said as I pushed him off with my boot and also throwing a bomb at his back on the way down. I couldn’t hear him scream but I could hear the sudden stop at the end.
‘Alex... that was brutal even for your standards.’ Rose said, as I sat down on the pebbled roof. I took off my gas mask, my knife and the holster but I took out the vial of potion that I had in my pocket. The vial sparkled in the light and was warm to the touch, it felt like both magic and technology were in perfect harmony.
“Well, he had it coming... but it looks like its the end of the road for me and you Rose.” I said, as I stared over Brisbane.
‘Well Alex, it’s been nice being you.’’ Rose said, for the last time before I popped the cap on the vial and drank it all down in one massive gulp.
“Urrrggg... taste like super concentrate cordial.” I said, as the potion made its way down my throat and burning my inside, but the pain subsided as I fell back into a blissful sleep.
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Author’s Notes: Well looks like I haven’t derailed it yet and I must be doing something right because you are still reading it... I got to write this down somewhere. Oh and thanks to Cloudhammer and Little Solarflare for pointing out where I went wrong and for hitting me over the head with a rolled up newspaper... lets just say I think I may have minor brain damage.