> The Conversion Bureau - Sudden Changes
>  by TheCanadian
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter One - Preparations
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

My name is Dean.

I’m nineteen years old and I am technically homeless. I’ve left the safety of my parents’ house in Los Angelos and I don’t regret it for a moment. I’m on a flight from Los Angeles to Calgary, Alberta, in Canada, where I will take another, hopefully shorter flight, to another, smaller city. There I plan to meet my best friend Keegan, and together we will go to his local Conversion Bureau and get out of this world before things get worse.

I guess that’s jumping ahead a bit. I should really explain a few things.

First, the world is tearing itself apart, bit by bit. Technology continues to advance extremely quickly and it’s almost a struggle to keep up with it if you stay out of the loop for too long. Technological advances led to the development of easier jobs and more efficient ways of doing things, so unemployment skyrocketed. The need to continue to produce tech put an even higher strain of resources. Fewer resources meant that the countries that could produce them increased prices, putting an economical strain on everything. This led to increased tensions, and… oh, do I really have to go on? Basically, the human greed for more money, more food, and more materials drove the world to its knees with wars and the constant drain on materials. I don’t want to sound too New Age-y but it’s a fact that the economic, ecological, and political strains are all interconnected. Five years ago, it would take a miracle to solve the problems of overpopulation and unemployment issues.

Five years ago, that miracle came.

It started as something small, an anomaly, off the coast of the Eastern Seaboard. It seemed like a bubble, at first, and no one could get a very clear look at what was inside. It acted like a force field, at first. Nothing could get in, and nothing appeared to get out, but as the bubble grew so big that its edges reached the shore, it became very obvious what was on the other side.

It was another world. Or at least, it looked like it. I remember the day vividly, when the vids came out that there seemed to be some sort of bubble that contained another land beyond it. Scientists agreed from observations that it had to be some sort of pre-industrial world, one untouched by our technology and would therefore (theoretically) be free of pollution, overpopulation, famine, and many of the problems that our world had. Everyone was very eager to travel to the other side. The only issue was that the closer anyone got to the bubble’s wall, the sicker they got. Eventually they had to be taken away to the hospital where they slowly recovered.

Some sort of strange radiation was coming from the bubble, it hadn’t effected everyone right away when it reached the shore, probably due to some sort of dampening effect from the bubble itself. The longer it stayed, however, the stronger it got. Soon entire cities were evacuated so the radiation wouldn’t affect them. Politicians thought the bubble was some sort of attack – it was when Princess Celestia arrived that everything calmed down momentarily and explained what had happened from her end.

Celestia ruled the world on the other side, she explained, and it was indeed another world. The laws of reality were different there than they were in our world – weather did not move on its own and she was personally responsible for moving the sun and the day sky, and her sister for moving the moon and the night sky. It seemed hard to believe, but everyone could see that some of their story was true; Celestia was a walking, talking, winged unicorn, or “alicorn”. The world had no choice but to believe that this was possible on some level. More beings (ponies, they called them) came out of the bubble and established diplomatic relations with the rest of Earth.

Nothing really happened for a while, or at least I don’t remember much. I remember thinking how cool it was to finally have some outside help, beings from another world reaching their hands… er, hooves, out to give assistance. It was breathtaking, really, but soon it became another way of life. It was only a few months later that the idea of the Conversion Bureaus was mentioned by Celestia to diplomats, and another few months later before the first one was built and the first successful conversion was made. That was the day I decided that, one day, I would go to a Bureau, and go to this other world.

Life got in the way for the next four years.

Just yesterday, I had the talk with my parents. This is where things get complicated.

After the Bureaus were made, two opposing factions appeared. The first was the HLF, the Human Liberation Front. At first they were anti-conversion, and made protests outside of Bureaus and resorted to propaganda and public shaming in the efforts to stop people from converting and moving to Equestria. Many said that it didn’t quite matter about the public shaming – they had no intentions of coming back to Earth except to visit family members who hadn’t converted yet, and even that was a rare case, since most families began to convert together. Once those efforts failed, many extremists decided it would be better to simply get rid of the Bureaus themselves.

Two years ago, I had been minding my own business when the HLF blew up the Bureau I was walking past with nitro-glycerin. 200 were dead and 300-odd were injured. My injuries were critical – my entire right side had been burned by fire and explosions, and the debris from buildings had completely shattered my skeleton. The blast launched me into a building across the street, making my left arm about as useful as a limp noodle in a sword fight. My right eye was boiled in its socket. I was lucky to keep the left eye. The hospital managed to integrate cybernetic components into my body, giving me my arms and legs back and vision in both of my eyes. I could move again, and walk, and I was still alive. The only “catch” was that I had to drink anti-rejection fluids to keep my body from rejecting my new arms and leg. 

So yes, I’m pretty bias against the HLF.

That event also led me to two very important changes in my life. The first was the realization that if I wanted any semblance of a normal life, one without terrorist attacks or drinking foul-tasting liquids, I would have to be converted. When I figured that out, I didn’t mind at all. I felt ready for it. The only thing that stopped me was the next important change: My best friend, Keegan.

He was visiting relatives in the area when he heard of the terrorist attack. He was one of the volunteers who helped dig survivors out of the rubble and put away fires. He risked damaging his lungs from the smoke and ashes to rescue other’s lives. He was also the one to find me and help stabilize me long enough for me to get to the hospital where I was given my cybernetic limbs. He is my best friend, and currently my only friend, as most of them had either moved away or converted to Equestria.  He was there for me when I adjusted to my limbs, and he was there when my parents came by and declared it was practically my fault for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and what was I doing near a Bureau anyways?

It was a very hard time.

The second faction was the PER, the Ponification for Earth’s Rebirth, and they lied on the opposite end of the spectrum, and were just as dangerous as the HLR. The PER would often use the compound used in converting humans to ponies to create grenades or a variation of Molotov cocktails, and would throw them into crowds to cause instant conversion, or into HLF centers and protests as a form of battle. Granted, being converted does change your mentality slightly – I’ve heard you become less greedy, more friendly, and more forgiving and open-minded, so former HLF members usually seemed to apologize, and victims of the PER usually seem to be grateful or at least adjust well to their new lives. It doesn’t help that tensions rise every day as the bubble’s walls expand at a constant rate, more people go to the Bureaus, and risk being attacked or harassed by the HLF.

It’s not pretty.

So why am I on a plane going to another country? As I said, yesterday my parents and I had a talk, the talk I’ve been dreading for years.

“We’re thinking about joining the HLF,” My mom said as she entered my room unannounced, my father shortly behind her. “we think it’ll be safer if we do, all of the PER freaks and pony lovers are making us worry for our safety.”

I froze for about three minutes before I turned to them. I couldn't believe it. Had they learned nothing? Didn’t they know that the HLF were the ones that robbed me of my limbs? They had to have known, it was all over the news! I couldn't believe it, and I wouldn't join them even if my life depended on it. I told them that.

“If you’re not coming with us, then you’ll just attract the PER’s attention and you’ll tear this family apart,” My father said. “It’s too dangerous to show any sympathies, we have to take sides. Either you’re with the HLF or you’re against them.”

‘Well then I’m against them. Have fun with your terrorists.” I spat. They gave me a couple of hours to pack. I left in such a rush and in such a haze of anger I barely remember what happened.

That’s how I’m here. I’m going to the one person who I trust in this world, and the one person I know who will want to convert with me: Keegan. Out of all the struggles, the two of us have always kept in contact through our vidlinks and he’s always been there to help me out or listen to me talk about my problems. Which reminds me…

I activated my vidlink and waited, hearing a shrill ringing sound as I pinged Keegan. It was late, so he was probably sleeping. A few moments later that guess was confirmed as a sleepy-looking face slowly came into view.

“Hey Keegan,” I said cheerfully.

“Dean,” Keegan smiled, his face brightening up. “It’s really early… what are you doing?” He said, confused, as if registering how early it was.

“Well, I was thinking of surprising you, but then I figured it wouldn’t be the best surprise. Listen, my parents and I had a falling out, and…” I wasn’t sure how to continue, so I just pushed forward. “And I’m sort of homeless. So, I was thinking of coming to see you for a bit, and then in a few days, we can both go to that new Bureau that opened up! I remember you were talking about it earlier and this could be the perfect chance to do it!” I ignored a few groans and insults thrown at me from other passengers in the plane, instead focusing on Keegan. I was expecting him to be overjoyed, but I should have known that wasn’t going to happen. Instead he was awake in an instant and he looked a little panicked.

“My parents have no idea that I plan on converting,” he said in a whisper so as to not wake them up. “And I can’t just say a friend of mine is showing up at four in the morning! What time is your flight coming in, anyways?”

“In an hour,” I replied. “I’ll probably be at your house in two.”

Keegan facepalmed and sighed, rubbing his eyes. “Alright… alright, I’ll think of something, okay? I take it you’re traveling light?” He asked me and I nodded.

“I don’t carry a lot,” I said. “I didn’t have that much to take with me. Just a photo album, some books, clothes, etcetera.” 

Keegan nodded, looking pensive.

“Alright, I’ll say that you’re a friend from college who got evicted this morning and needs somewhere to stay for a few days,” Keegan said. “But when you get here, don’t say anything about planning to convert. I don’t know how to tell them… or even if I should tell them.” 

I nodded.

“I’ll see you in a couple of hours, bro” I grinned and Keegan nodded back, disconnecting. I leaned back in my seat and relaxed, pleased with myself.

Everything was going to be fine.