The Conversion Bureau: Preservation

by Westphalian_Musketeer

Made of Stories

“We're all made of stories. When they finally put us underground, the stories are what will go on. Not forever, perhaps, but for a time. It's a kind of immortality, I suppose, bounded by limits, it's true, but then so's everything.”
― Charles de Lint

“We owe it to each other to tell stories.”
― Neil Gaiman

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Dear Twilight Sparkle,
As you are no doubt aware, the past two years since you and your friends saved the Crystal Empire have been tumultuous. Things have happened that both Luna and I have strained to keep up with in light of Equestria's contact with the new world of Earth. While we continue to look for alternatives to conversion in order to save humanity from this event, there are issues that I feel have been neglected in that time, and wish to redress them. I formally request that you travel here to Canterlot, that we may discuss your role in the uncertain times ahead.

Your mentor, Princess Celestia

I folded up the two day old letter like it would shatter into a million pieces if I didn't treat it with the utmost respect. Tumultuous times was an understatement. Equestria had brushed up against other universes before, that was how diamond dogs came to Equestria first, but this was something completely different. My home, the world I'd grown up in and come to understand, if only by a small degree, was colliding with a world almost completely unlike our own. A world so devoid of magic that no life form—or any complex matter—from that place could crossover to Equestria intact, without first being converted of course.

There I had been, tucked away in Ponyville from it all as it happened. Conversion? Handled by one of Celestia's leading magical scholars in transformation magic, Fluxing Form. Helping to stop the barrier from expanding? I'd looked over, calculated, and recalculated the results from the tests, made my observations, but we were still years from coming up with a viable method of slowing the expansion, if ever.

I'd felt useless in the intervening years, but now that conversion was already starting, what could I do to help Princess Celestia? I mean, I'd studied the notes and transcripts that had been taken down, then copied with Equestrian paper and ink in order to cross the barrier, but how was that going to help her?

I stopped mid-stride as a terrifying thought clawed at the back of my mind, halting me inches from a door that led into the Grand Hall of Canterlot Castle.

What if I had become useless? What if with all that had happened, with all that had changed, I was no longer needed as a student of the princess? I caught my rapidly expelled breaths as I realized what was happening. I reached up a hoof to my chest. Breath in. Once. Deeply. I extended my hoof outwards as though I was pulling the breath out of my lungs in one continuous motion.

It worked. Cadence was right, that tip was helpful! And so was I. I'd help the princess, no matter how small it was, no matter if it involved being sent to magi— No. Breath in, breath out. I was going to be important, I already was. The slight touch of hubris reminded me of Trixie. I shook my head. The Element of Magic, personal student to the princess, significant player in the restoration of Luna, petrification of Discord, the defeat of the Changelings, and saving of the Crystal Empire.

I pushed open the door and entered into the Grand Hall. Empty, aside from the guards.

I looked to the red carpet that flowed out over the floor like a deep river of wine. I stepped onto it and felt the fibers rub against my hooves like an old friend. It had been a while since the last Grand Galloping Gala, and there had been even less time to speak with Celestia then as in prior years. The floor beneath me was alien.

My mind turned to conversion as my body turned to the right. Simple absence from Canterlot for the last year had made this place an unwelcoming contrivance of marble and gold. Moving to Equestria would be like my moving to Ponyville magnified one hundred fold, with plenty of room for more stress.

Those humans on Earth had grown accustomed to their way of life. Just like I had. A force that demanded their attention was forcing them to move far out of their zone of comfort. Just like what happened to me. And I had come out of it with new friends, greater strength, and more understanding of who I was because of it. Maybe that would happen for the humans that converted.

Did I sympathize with humans? Empathize with them in the abstract? I supposed I did. Though what they were going through was orders of magnitude greater than what I had. It was easy to think of their concerns. What if such a change was too much? What if they weren't ready? What if it was best for them to stay as they were?

Delving into counterfactuals was of no use, that was why conversion was, and always would be voluntary. Everyone has to decide what's best for themselves. All we could do was present the choice. Maybe a bit of a push, as Celestia had done for me all those years ago, but these were big questions.

The throne room door reached to the ceiling above, swung open in a grand greeting to uncertainty. I took a deep breath. Handling whatever task Princess Celestia would have for me was something I could do. As I succeeded before, so to would I succeed today.

Stepping inside, the tinted light of the stained glass windows washed over my fur to give it a mottled appearance as I moved down the carpet.

The window depicting Spike saving the Crystal Empire brought the thoughts of my adoptive brother to the forefront of my mind. That was something else that was changing in my life, his wings had started to come in. Little stubby things that he complained about hanging loosely. Fluttershy was kind enough to keep him under a steady supply of ice packs while I was in Canterlot.

Stopping the moment I saw the dais out of the corner of my eye, I turned my attention to the throne at long last. There she was, my teacher, Princess Celestia. Still smiling, still beautiful... still looking like she had a grand design to complete. My heart sunk into the anxious pit that formed in my stomach as I wondered what it was she wanted me to do.

Expelling the thought from my mind, I bent my front legs and bowed. My barrel scraped against the strange threads of the carpet as a bent my horn to the ground.

"Twilight." Her voice rang like a triangle struck in the total silence of the hall. "There is no need to bow for this occasion."

It was an old dance, and we knew the steps well. A tradition of sorts that brought me comfort that there were still solid rocks on which I could stand.

I lifted up my head. "Of course, Princess Celestia."

"Now now, there's no need for formal titles now either."

"Twilight."

I snapped out of my fantasy to see I was still standing. Oh dear.

Looking up to Princess Celestia, I felt a hot flush move through my cheeks as I smiled. It was returned with equal warmness and care. I'd already gone through the process in my mind, maybe I could actually just go straight to calling her by her name? Just her name.

The silence between us grew thick like yogurt. In the confusion of what do, I blurted out, "Celestia, it's good to see you."

Her smile... widened? There were still no teeth exposed, but I got the feeling like she was restraining herself from such. I offered my own smile, stretching the corners of my mouth, but keeping my lips together.

"It is wonderful to see you again, Twilight." Celestia rose from her throne, the ceremonial hoof guards sliding over her hooves, making the faint sound of rustling as it brushed against her fur.

I inclined my head in a show of respect. "It is for me as well." My head shot up and took her into my sight. "But what is it you called me here for?"

She proceeded down the steps, her legs moving in a seamless, fluid motion. She stopped beside me, facing the great doors, and she inclined her head towards my ear. "Walk with me."

I did so, first trailing behind her, but soon picking my pace in order to be beside her.

"You are no doubt aware of what the barrier does to matter from earth?" she asked.

Nodding, I answered, "The barrier is the place where Earth's reality is being... overwritten by Equestria's. When matter crosses the barrier into Equestria, it's physical state, down to its very..." What was the word those transcribed scientific reports had used? "Quantum state?" I completed, looking up hopefully at Celestia. Her smile continued as she looked at me out of the corner of her eye. "Right, the quantum state of the matter is adjusted to exist in a stable form given Equestria's exponentially higher level of magic. The transformation is relatively easy for basic elements and compounds like iron, oxygen, or water, but more complex matter, like a life form, can't make the transition, as it's so much to change in the short time frame of barrier traversal."

"Indeed, but conversion allows the transition to be stretched over a long enough time period into a race capable of surviving our world to be done while preserving the sapient identity of a human." Celestia stopped to turn right. "We're still working on other methods, stopping the barrier, helping the humans with resources to evacuate the planet for the unexplored component of their universe, space." We stopped in front of a gate I recognized as leading into one of Canterlot Library's restricted wings. "But if we cannot do this, we must ensure their legacy can live on. Their world and race has created hundreds of cultures, thousands of inventions and advancements, and hold a collective experience from which we can learn much."

Celestia took a breath. "That is why I am tasking you to organize and coordinate the creation of an archive, a collection dedicated to preserving as much of human cultural, historical and technological knowledge, so that it can be preserved and used to make the world a greater place."

I snapped my mouth closed, my teeth tapping together lightly as my tongue clicked from the sudden motion. A swallowing motion preceded my response. "Preserve the written works of humanity? The sum total of..." I swallowed again, the task was... daunting. I took in a deep breath. I blinked. In that moment, my eyes transitioned from one of doubt to determination. "I'll do everything in my power to see it done."

"Wonderful," Celestia responded. "I will be sure to provide the resources you need for this task, but first, we must decide on a location."

Celestia's words caused in me a stream of thoughts. In the chaotic giddiness of getting to work with the books of an entirely new species, I was granted one iota of lucid thought. Someplace safe, someplace close, somewhere... underground? I looked up at Celestia without falter. "I know what we can do to get a place for the archives."

Comments

[EnderHooves]

The thing that comes to mind when you say record the works of the human species is the library of Babel. I wonder what twilight would do if she got to visit a physical library of Babel.