The Conversion Bureau: Second Chances
By Silvertie
Prologue
"Alright, we've got a special guest here with us today. I'm sure it's a face we'll all be familiar with, she's a magical prodigy and the world's first MaD, let's hear it for Equestria's youngest Princess, Twilight Sparkle!"
"It's a pleasure to be here, Dane."
"Oh, no, I assure you, the pleasure is mine. How are you finding Earth?"
"Oh, we didn't find it, we, uh, tripped over it, in a meta-cosmic sense. It's hard to explain in just four dimensions, you know?"
"Ha ha, Twilight, you are a gem, you know that?"
"Ah ha, yes, I... I have been told I have a rather unusual taste in jokes, in the past."
"But seriously, how are you finding Earth?"
"Honestly? Very diverse. Kind of sooty in places. Beautiful in others, I don't think I'd be able to put it into words in the time we have right now."
"Ah, yes, time. Fickle thing. Let's see, you're a Princess of Equestria and the Element of Magic, is that right?"
"That's right, Dane."
"But I think everyone here -- the humans, at least -- know you better as the pony behind that hot-button topic these days, Ponification Serum."
"Well, it wasn't just me, there were other people who helped develop that. And at cost, I might add. Their sacrifices allow us to stand where we stand today, and we should never forget that."
"Ah, but you're not just the genius who helped develop the purple solution, but I believe you are also in charge of administrating the Conversion Bureau Initiative as a whole?"
"That's correct, Princesses Celestia and Luna have entrusted me with the management of the CBI across the United States, United Kingdom and the Oceania region."
"That's quite a lot of territory for someone -- somepony -- so young, is it not?"
"It is a lot of territory, I'll admit, but the key to success is in planning out the logistics, and the rest of it tends to... fall into place."
"Fall into place! I like how you casually refer to the establishment and day-to-day operations of approximately twenty five thousand conversion bureaus so... casually."
"I don't mean to brag, but it kind of does. I've even found time to roll out a new program for the Conversion Bureau Initiative. And of course, tour Earth."
"Ah, yes, we've been hearing about that through the grapevine, I believe. Some of the news agencies just won't stop talking about something... new?"
"New. Good word for it. We're calling it... the Fresh Start Initiative. It's similar to what our Bureaus offer by default, but with a... twist, if you will."
"Do tell!"
"You see, Equestria was founded on the tenets of Love and Tolerance. That means accepting everyone willing to give peace a chance, and even second chances, to overlook past mistakes. The Fresh Start Initiative is aimed at those who have made mistakes in the past, to give them a chance to clear their slate, and, well, have a fresh start at life in Equestria."
"You mean, convicts?"
"Yes, I mean convicts. These men and women have done wrong by society in the past, but if they are contrite and serious about wanting a second chance, they have the option of going pony through our Fresh Start Initiative. Those who go pony through this program will be reintegrated into society amidst the streams of regular converts, their sentences will be commuted and after a period of time, their crimes legally pardoned."
"Whoa, whoa, you're talking about just... wiping the slate of criminals clean, just like that?"
"More or less. There are conditions, of course, but the point of the Fresh Start Initiative is to give these convicted individuals a second chance to redeem themselves without the social stigma of being an ex-convict. The old, human convict and the new pony are separate entities, and we take care to make sure there are no paper trails that will ever link the two, save for one or two documents held in storage at Canterlot."
"Still, you're talking just giving people in prisons all over the world a free pass to get out of jail. What's the catch, are there any crimes you won't forgive?"
"There is no catch. The only requirements for the Fresh Start Initiative is that the applicant be serious about making a better person of themselves with their second chance, and that they be willing to go pony. We've even had non-convicted individuals use the Fresh Start Initiative to completely sever ties with their previous life."
"I can't help but feel you've missed something. What's to stop, say, a convicted rapist or murderer just lying to you and your bureauponies to get the free pass? Are you okay with setting these individuals free in Equestria like that?"
"We're forgiving, not stupid. All FSI converts are monitored very closely by handlers for a length of time which, for obvious reasons, I can't state. In the event a FSI convert decides to reoffend, we will reopen their case and their previous criminal record will be reapplied to them -- this usually leads to a return to jail, only this time, there will be no second chances, no parole, no reprieves. All FSI applicants are made aware of this rule, and while Equestria can be loving and tolerant, we make no bones about how seriously we take the abuse of our collective trust."
"Ah, so there's some cold iron under that gold-plated horseshoe of Princess Celestia's, eh?"
"Indeed. I'm pleased to report that out of sixteen thousand, eight hundred, and ninety seven people who applied for the Fresh Start Initiative, sixteen thousand, eight hundred and ninety five ponies have used this second chance wisely and found fulfilling lives throughout Equestria with nopony any the wiser as to their past. Only two proved to be less than sincere, and were re-incarcerated in Blackstone Penitentiary before they were able to reoffend."
"You put them in jail before they actually committed the crime? I imagine their lawyers didn't let that one go easily."
"They didn't. But the court found significant evidence to prove that not only was the intent most definitely there, but that our operatives made the arrest with scant minutes to spare."
"Impressive. Well, the Fresh Start Initiative has only just started, right? What's next?"
"What's next? We've opened the doors, metaphorically speaking, to every country and state that will allow their prisoners access to the Fresh Start Initiative. In particular, one very special prison..."
"Ah, would that be a certain supermax facility...?"
"You guess right. Lima Papa Alpha may be the strictest prison facility on... well, off earth, but it is still filled with human beings, and after discussion of the matter with the UN and the Princesses, we've decided that they deserve the option of a second chance as well."
"There you have it, folks. Twilight Sparkle plans to travel to the moon, and bring Conversion to the most secure prison available to mankind, Lima Papa Alpha. We're going to take a quick break, then when we come back, we'll be taking questions from the audience at home over the phone, so if you've got a question, don't go anywhere. We'll be right back!"
