The Diamond in the Gear

We've been flying over the lands and the ocean for hours now, just had something to drink, and no food. I finally took a nap, and hours later, got woke up again as the plane finally landed. Greeted by the nozzle of an assault rifle and the blabberings of a soldier in charge, yelling at me to get up, as the doors slowly opens. Out there, a few black vans with more ponies. Nyx is yelling at them, trying to look for me as they're taking her away.

“Diamond! What is this place? What do they want?”

“Nyx!” I'm feeling something in my heart telling me I won't see her again for a while...

They're checking some papers as they take her into a black van, and leaves what seems to be an airport, in the middle of some kind of desert. It's still a bit cold but not as much as the previous stop.

The other ponies still are keeping me attached like a dog. One of them comes to me with a pile of papers, checking

“Form 60S934 number 43205... Hmm..”

“Alright, this subject is a special request for the integration program, not like the other one.”

“We'll need two copies. It's quite unusual but here you go, All's clear you can bring that pony”

After some paperwork, and looks like they are really used to fill this kind of things here, they're taking me into a different van, I have no clear idea what they're talking about

“Hey! where are we exactly? What is this place?”

The cop pony next to me doesn't look friendly at all. Another one is accepting to respond to my question, finally...

“ We're heading towards Metropolis One. this is the Socialist Republic of Industria. Welcome and cause no trouble. You have been rescued from a conflict area.”

“Ah? What am I doing here? I never heard of this country before. Where did you take Nyx?”

“I don't know, I'm doing my job. I'm not purposed to respond any question.”

I'm tired and barely understand what it means or even know what is this place. Are those ponies going to question me about Nyx? Or Twilight?

“Are you gonna send us back to Equestria?”

“Negative” the cop replied, and we're now on a road for quite a while, heading to a city.

That truck really had minuscule windows, from there I could barely see a large, but empty road and some buildings, it's ...a really strange place. It's also very uncanny.

After almost one hour and half, they're taking me outside, just to move into a building.

I'm being examined, photographed, and then taken into a cell. Finally liberated from these cuffs, but as soon I try to escape, there's a few ponies preventing me to go away.

I'm still knocked but they brought a nurse to check on my wounds and bruises from last night. Later, they're asking me to move into a darker cell, with fluorescent lights, a camera on the ceiling, a bed, and ...a TV screen integrated to the wall, apparently it's impossible to turn off this thing.

The whole room has walls out of raw concrete.

“Hey! What have I done to end in a prison?” I had to ask them.

“This isn't a prison.” he replied.

“So, do I get to see a lawyer or have the right for a phone call?”

The pony who took me there never answered a single of my questions, just ignored me.

Hours later, there's a buzzing noise, and a pony's entering. Another nurse.

“Hello doctor!” I shouted.

She's not even looking at me.

“Officers, hold the subject, I'm preparing a wide spectrum antibiotics injection and full prevax procedure.”

She's unpacking a needle and other stuff, they're all wearing gloves...

“Wait, who are you? Will somepony gonna tell me what's going on? And I don't want whatever is in this syringe... I said NO!”

It kind of hurts, but I guess it did not kill me.

“Come on, stop crying, we expect you to cooperate fully. This is for your own good.”

“Next time, bring a unicorn nurse. I don't trust ponies who use a mask and their mouth with something like this. You maniacs! Oh hey, for how long am I going to stay there? Hey! Come back! What's going on ?”

My vision got blurred and everything disappeared around me.

I wake up on the same cell, like a nightmare that's still going on. There's that TV broadcasting the same shit everyday! Maybe soon or late they will send the cops or the royal guards to get me out of here, someone should have noticed I and Nyx have disappeared. what happened to her? I don't know.

Everyday is the same, in fact I'm not sure how long I spent in there, it's strange.

I'm in that cell, with that screen, repeating things, maybe there's a message and I should decipher it.

I tried, but it's only ponies being happy, in a factory or in the army, things like that.

Food is absolutely disgusting but there's that mare that keeps telling me I need it to get stronger.

As usual, the door opens, they're taking me to an interrogation room of some kind. Ponies in coat are observing me, standing there.

One of them is reading a pile of documents and listings

“File 9324-3111934B...”

maybe he means me.

“Huh?”

“We hope you're doing alright” he said, on a neutral tone, like all other ponies here speak, without any intensity, just like they repeated these words over and over again.

“I'm tired, what do you want to hear? Why did I lie about being Nyx's sister? Your guys kidnapped us, I panicked. ”

“We have no idea what you're talking about, don't ask this question again. What were your social status back in Equestria?”

“I don't get the question.”

“Alright next. You know you're lucky to be here, right?” A mare asked.

“Hah, like it could be worse? I like your sense of irony.”

“You still have some negative thoughts in mind, so far your tests revealed a potentially problematic antisocial behavior, the expressions we monitored in your room while being exposed to video sequences reveals a lack of sociability and potential risks of schizoid personality. But rest assured we're working on it.”

“ ..That's a great new! So I'm the only pony here who's crazy!”

“Let's not use this term or language anymore. ” said the male pony in white coat, observing a pile of documents in front of him.

That was one attempt among others trying to obtain a different reaction from this pony, but nothing much. The ponies are reading papers, taking notes, picking their things and leaving the room.

I'm standing there, no idea what to do in such an awkward moment, looking around me, the details of this room, the desk, etc.

Other ponies comes back with new questions. Again.

“Greetings, filly. Could you tell us about your family and close social environment?”

“ You want like, their phone number or something?”

“ We came to the conclusion that your social environment had a very deep and negative impact on you,and for the time being it's a chance you're here. From what we have found so far, by questioning you earlier, your parents are never present, your father works all day and your mother does not really care about you, she hates you and you hate her. You're even trying to find the equivalent of a mother in your friend, Silver Spoon unconsciously...”

“Wait !“ - Who is this mare and how did she knows that. I'm looking at her.... How do they know all that ? Did someone drill a hole in my brain ?

“You drugged me, right?”

Another pony admits it

“Your behavior was chaotic, Tiara, hence we had to administrate sedatives for your own safety. That's the procedure. Now, Please continue.”

And the other pony keeps on playing the armchair psycho-sociologist.

“You see, Diamond, here, the concept of family has caused more problems for the development of ponies. If you want, we could be your family and your friends! All of us, all of the society!”

“That's not how it works. What do you want to know? And most important, what can I do to get out of here?”

“We already know everything we need to know from you. We just hope to know if you can, according to our program of integration for class-E refugees, cooperate and adapt to our society.”

Sweet Celestia I swear, I'm about to really become crazy.

“Refugee? That's new. I never asked for anything, I never wanted to be here !”

“You have been rescued during a military operation, on a conflict zone. According to the international laws, it is the duty of the government supervising the troops to ensure your safety. Do you understand ?”

I'm saying nothing, letting the information sink in, I'm slow because the sleep deprivation, shots and being in this gloomy place has a terrible impact on my poor brain.

“Fine! We have noted that the subject refuses to answer any question, advising a potential need for a therapy and post traumatic treatment, further examination and a complete report to the concerned sanitary and medical services in charge of this dossier.”

Once again, hunchpones are escorting me back in my cell, and oh now I recall, better not try to fuck with them. Their electrified sticks can really hurt, a lot. I wonder when they did knock me out for the last time.

And it becomes a daily routine back in this cell. No view, only cold tubes for a light source, and TV screens.

Ponies comes sometimes ask me if I understand what I see there, and check on me. I often am taken out of here for further examinations, observations, more questions and other evaluations like they say.

Ponies in this prison claims they take care of me, observing me, saying things like “You're making efforts, you seem less aggressive today, keep it up!“

It's strange, but the more it goes I'm going insane. I know I'm going insane, the shit they inject to me, put in my food or make me drink.

All of this is an execution but they need my body to install their pony on it.
They probably are doing the same thing with Nyx right now, or testing their thing on me.

The lights shuts down. The screen turns off. I can sleep and try to dream.

Because I want to dream. About anything. Even a nightmare, I want a nightmare. I want something scary. Trying to imagine faces, creepy things in the night but even my brain is now too numb to even generate its own pictures. Oh boy I'd love some creepy nightmare... Let's think of worse stuff, since dreams won't happen.

I only think about the dance music and other promotional videoclips that plays in loop all day long on this fucking screen.

Focusing on a nightmare. Yeah that should work. For that, I need a story. I'm alone in the Everfree Forest. There's ruins. Darkness.

There's noises, sounds, shadows, ghosts, daemons, all kind of ghouls haunting these woods, from the previous wars. The trees getting fed and watered by the blood of hundreds of ponies. Centuries of wars and things we never knew about lies under my hooves as I go deeper in there. I feel a presence all around me, the air is cold.

I'm standing in front of a ghost, with an amorphous face, and one eye, looking at me.

I go on anyways, it's been always here.

I hear something, somepony breathing behind me.

So I keep walking. There's a temple, an ancient fort in ruins. There have been tortures and executions in here for a long long time. I can hear the souls moaning, and screaming.

All the trees around me are dead. All the soil is filled with bones and death. The moon gives an eerie illumination to the scene... it's not mud, it's coagulated blood and flesh.

“I'm coming here for a nightmare. I'm falling asleep, please take my soul away !“

And I enter the ruins, this place is uncanny, nothing grows. Only spiders, creatures unable to dream or think due to the lack of a brain populates this place.

Fillies have been tortured to death here. There's a table, standing there in the middle of the room, with chains, in the middle of an pentagram engraved on the floor's rock. That table has been polished by the amount of ponies who died here.

Thousands, hanging, with the guts out. There's electric lines that once I suppose could have been implemented in the prisoner's brain, or in their genitals to extract unmeasurable pains. This was the definition of hell on earth.

I'm being laid on this table, waiting... Fall asleep.

...I'm waking up. I haven't dreamed or had a nightmare. Even this I can't have it!

That buzz again, the electric buzz of the cold lighting tubes starting up. The noise from the screen's speaker and a permanent whistle I keep hearing from the TV's tube, even when I sleep or cover my ears.

It's A fucking show again, about the goals of corporate socialism, ideological stuff about well being and pony rights, maps of the world with graphs about resources and development and a continuous flow of words.

I'm trying to cover my ears and hide in my bed. Even when I take a shit or take a piss it's there. Along with a camera in the corner, with probably a perv clopping at a filly locked in a box, drowning in insanity.

“But I have the luck to work here in Industria, here I work for a better world“ “I'm glad I can study gender which is forbidden in so many places “ “I'm not a zebra, I'm a pony, it's important to know there's no race, racial mixing is the solution against racism “ “It's my body, not my foal ! “ “We are changing the world. You can change the world. Positive think. “ “Negative thoughts can be diagnosed earlier with the progress of big data and analysis. “ “You can't be safe if you're not monitored “ “Aryanne's regime is a tyranny. A tyranny supported by Equestria and the international community need to push sanctions “ “Globalization must reach the darkest and more recoiled places of this world, carrying moral and social, progressive values “ “I'm beautiful ! You're beautiful ! “ “You're not different ! “ “This new medicine is the future“

After hours, I'm getting up and try to buck this thing again. The screen's behind some kind of armored glass.

But I'm trying. It sounds stupid but I'm trying. I'm yelling too.

“Fuck you. I can't stand your face ! I CAN'T STAND THIS SHIT ANYMORE ! “

I'm bucking the door again, do it for 5, 10 minutes, then get back up. Trying again with this TV.

It's another thing about self confidence, a shitty 'educartoon' like they call it. This is what they brainwash their fillies with. A silly song, another one about ponies and other kind of horses being all different and doing things together.

“Come on ! Try again ! “ “But I can't I need help ! “ “We can do it together ! “ “Oh alone I couldn't succeed ! “ “This is awesome!“

So I'm training to punch this thing over and over again. My hooves hurts but if I keep doing this this will soon or late break that window.

“You know you can always count on your friends! We're your friends!”

I'm yelling at these abominations
“SHUT UP! Please! Shut the fuck up! YOU AREN'T REAL!”

All followed by the same shitty, repetitive music, same commercials. I think it's the end of the day. I stopped counting for how long I've been here. I'm crying in my corner again like a shit. I feel my mind is leaving.

I've been doing it all day. Punching this stupid screen. Or was that yesterday? I've slept for a moment.

No, it was last week, I'm dumb hitting something like that already. My hoof used to bleed. I don't remember.
Nah yesterday I got an injection, and another medical exam. So two days ago?

Shit, yes I broke this thing and got glass shattered all over me.
No it was somewhere else... not in this cell. There's the same scratches on it.

That's not glass, it's plastic. Or something very solid. Same for the window that opens on my cell, unable to break it, I recall I've tried too. Or did I? How did I got that?

I got bandages all over my hooves, but there's some marks on the window that says otherwise.

I'm biting these off, trying to see how it looks like. There's blood stains. It's rather clean. These wounds are rather old, how long does it takes for these?

WHEN am I? Did I dream, and how do I look like? How can I count the days I spend in here, as anypony can turn the light on and off when they want.

The TV turns off and so the lights, only a flickering, dim light still goes in these two light in the ceiling and from the observation room outside my cell. In addition of the red dot on the camera on the angle of this room.

I'm standing up in the middle of the cell. Facing the TV. I can barely see myself in the reflection. The longer I stare, the creepier it gets, but my eyes adapts to this darkness...

A near complete obscurity but only see a ghostly figure in there, with two, big black eyes. Anything alive.

That's what I am. A cadaver. A zombie. I no longer exist so what do I see?

The next day I'm standing in the middle of my room. Cell. It's a cell. Not a room. The same thing playing over and over again. The same food. No it's not food, it has no taste..

Did I spent the night standing up? Did I even sleep?

Moment later, two ponies in white dress stands behind the window over my room. Observing me. It happens, sometimes.

One picks a microphone, and looks at a pile of documents, like every time, standing behind that secured glass.

She's adjusting her glasses and speaks with a monotone and boring voice, as usual.

“Hem... Hello! Good morning, Diamond, I'm your social assistant, and I've been reviewing your progress in detail from the last days since you showed a few examples of revulsion and aggressiveness previously. And like I told you a few days ago, President Kernav herself and the department of education and integration have approved, and would like, for you to introduce you to an experimental program in order to integrate you, if you accept, in the environment of social context prior to a societal escalation and confirming your ability to be integrated into an educational center, since you are a filly...”

I'm not even really listening this shit but he kept talking for two minutes long. Wait, am I looking at a TV ? Is the TV off ? It keeps talking.

“...all according to the protocol, and we hope it will work as intended. We believe you will make progress by practice more than this method by integrating you immediately as the day of today...”

Who even are those ponies? What are they on? Is all of this just real?

Anyways the nerdy, machine-pony continues his speech...

“And they will ask you a lot of questions, for your safety, agents of law enforcement will escort you on the educational center you will integrate this morning. do you understand?”

Nope. I understand absolutely fucking nothing but I want this to end so,

“Yes I understand completely. Just one question, when will I get out of here?”

The pony in a grey suit is re-reading his papers

“Er, well as we explained to you, this morning after your initial nutritional support. Do you remember?”

“What... normal ponies usually call a breakfast. Hay?”

Another pony immediately replies.

“No! Nono No, you should not break anything, also in order to protect you against yourself you will be required to conform and integrate in the society and will be under narrow surveillance there. ”

They don't speak proper Equestrian or what?

“So what happens then, will I be free?”

“You are free already. But as a new citizen enlisted in our integration program you are required to-”

“Okay I get it, I agree, where do I sign?”

Some mare is smiling at me

“adequate forms are being completed right now. Any questions, Diamond Tiara?”

I'm having a moment of lucidity again and enjoy this window of brain activity to ask some questions.

“Yes. What happened to my friend, Nyx?”

The mare's staring at me “We have no idea who or what is Nyx.” and another one takes notes.

“A pony who was brought there with me, hello?”

“No. You have been found captured in the event of a military operation in Kolechia, you've been transferred to the Socialist Federation of Industria, but you told us you're from Equestria, is that correct? Are you sure?”

So far I'm stopping asking questions. It's pointless, and they are fucking with me. All the time more than all the time I've spent in this shithole.

Why all of these ponies are blank flanks to begin with? also no unicorn, no pegasus either...

They keep that forced smile everytime they look at me. Why ?

The door opens and that mare's standing there.. always with a smile. There's a lot of faces I kind of recognize, dressed in white coats. They're making sure I can't escape. Buzzing sounds, locks and more sounds now kind of familiar.
As I walk outside this center.. Prison... Mental house whatever it is, I realize how large it is and I just came outside of ONE of these cells.

“Diamond? follow me, I'm your auxiliary and psychosocial development counselor, Eliza Turveyshaw, we expect a lot from you.”

“Oh ! Hi, and you know what I expect from you?” I don't even know what I am supposed to tell to this pony.

Wait, I should not appear to be aggressive, this place is full of thug ponies with electric stun guns, so, I better play along their game, gain their trust and lots of patience. Let's play their game.

Play along and as soon their attention is at their lowest, escape.

Eliza's asking “I'm listening, you have the right to express yourself, are you alright?”

I must stop thinking about dad and mom, don't cry. smile like this fucking dumb horse

“...nevermind. Heh. Yes! ”

“Good! Also do you have a preferred name or pronouns? Your psychological tests indicates you are cisgendered but Diamond and Tiara are common names... We should work on this together”

“I like my name, thanks, why should I change it?”

“Haha you're cute. You have a temporary social ID, UT6S-F3TW-0412 please keep it in mind. You might want to go socialize this afternoon after class in order to integrate in our society and its environment"

Please how do we make her stop talking, is there a snooze button on that biodroid?

“Okay. Anything you want, er, miss.. Eliza...Turkeyshow?”

I'm still having the shit I've heard on TV for days playing in the head.. but I'm kind of feeling strange not hearing the same noises anymore.

We're heading out of the building after trotting in several corridors. There's not a single room in there without a camera on the ceiling, however, ''color'' posters with the portrait of the Founder of Industria, or the president with catchphrases in a political language I can't even read.

Outside, finally. I'm looking back, steel doors, and a huge building, no inscription besides 'T0493' engraved in concrete. And some 'social integration and evaluation center' subtitle.

Some horse is coming with a car that bears a logo 'Department of fillyhood development - Industria Corporation" and all the things I've been bombarded with on the TV kind of start looking real, or maybe this isn't the real world ?

"Just not to be confused, is Industria a corporation or a country?"

Eliza's staring at me and she's looking even more confused

“Industria is the name of this place, it's like the hardware of a computer, and to use a computer, you need software which are services. The police, organizations, and many things are all managed by the government for optimal results. you know, we are a state in the Central Economic Union, and the General Administration of Services, it's a bit complicated for a filly but soon you'll understand everything, and you will learn all that in class”

Am I confused? What was my initial question?

“So do you mean I'm going to school? Today? I'm supposed to be in holidays!”

Eliza's staring at me, searching her words. She don't understand the word... "school" it's not a part of her vocabulary.

“I meant to say... Integrate educational center thing?”

“Affirmative! You will learn to socialize better and more efficiently there, now follow me, there's a van waiting for you”

We're leaving the governmental building

“Eliza, tell me, again, what's the point of all this? I mean, why did you brought me here?”

Eliza's repeating again the same thing since the past three days in examination room.

“Diamond, we found you without an identification or anything, and it's my country's ideal to help fillies in need anywhere across the world, offering them a healthy life, this should be an example for many others and I'm confident we're going to make an excellent work, for you!”

“Oh this is... nice.”

I'm looking left and right, the stallions are standing behind. She's an adult but a bit fat, her legs aren't muscular, the stallions are carrying too many stuff.

We're now on the street, which are surprisingly empty besides some black police and that van parked in front of the building.

I'm galloping far away from here, as fast as I can. Not looking back.

“Diamond where are you going? Don't run! Diamond? Diamond come back!”

I was right, she can't make it, and the two cops in charge of escorting us just fell off the stairs.

Galloping on concrete isn't as pleasant as if it was grass, but whatever, I can't stay here. That's gonna make it.

The City. Everything here is out of proportions compared to anything I ever imagined.

There's large streets everywhere, all like going in straight lines crossing, everything seamless like never ending, with just a few vehicles patrolling, some billboards with ads for the police, banks, and tear-jerking material picturing a poor, sad filly. "Help them. Support the O.N.I worldwide development campaigns" or other propagandesque slogans.

What kind of world did I end up into? I'm crossing a few ponies in a different uniform, all on a line heading inside a building. They're all staring at me.

“Out of my way!”

I'm hearing some siren behind, telling me I need a place to hide. Guess I'm better following those ponies, and get inside one of these buildings.

Okay it's a factory. The entry hall is heavily controlled by guards and other staff, as ponies are passing through some kind of gate. The place itself is impressively large but I'm getting inside, passing the barriers and confusing some ponies.

There's a mare yelling at me.

“You! Stop. Are you really a part of the workers?” she asked

I must put my cool face on.

“...Yes and no, not yet, it's my first day...”

She frowned, and I knew that wouldn't make it. I'm too strange with my pink colors and cutie mark in a world of blank flanks...

“Aren't you a bit young to work here?”

“It's "bring your fillies at work" today, my father works here, he's the head manager of this enterprise, perhaps you want me to go and meet him together or perhaps you still care about your salary ?”

They're looking at me, they know I'm bullshitting judging by the smile on her face.

“Your ...Father? [she's laughing] what is this filly talking about. You should be in the educational center before. There's no manager here in this building.”

I tried.

“Alright, well, I don't have my CV on me right now. Okay can we discuss what exactly you're doing in here?”

“Security? Eh, looks like someone's looking for you, filly.”

There's two cops standing outside. I'll need to think about a better way to get out of this city.

Next time should be good. I'm exhausted.