The Conversion Bureau: Immunity

The car ride to....nowhere in particular had been quiet. I had the green pony sit next to me in the front passenger seat. Over the course of an hour, I had learned that her name was Lyra, and she came from a place in Equestria called “Ponyville”. We had been driving all night. I looked t the digital clock on dashboard. 2:46 AM. Damn.

I didn't consider myself a very aggressive driver, but seeing how the chances of finding any sort of fellow human were next to none, I figured the farther I went in the time I had, the better. I was tired out of my mind, and Lyra was also looking exhausted. “The poor pony must to afraid to sleep” I thought, feeling a twinge of sympathy enter my mind. Pulling over at what must have been the twentieth abandoned motel, I told Lyra what I was going to do.

Pulling an extra sleeping bag out of the backseat, I spoke to her.

“Lyra, take this cot and sleep outside.”

“Why?” she asked, seeming a little bit on the annoyed side.

I sighed. I knew this was wrong, but I didn’t want to take any chances with a seemingly innocent pony I had just met.

“I can’t trust you. At least not yet” I lied through my teeth. How could I trust the very thing I had been fighting for so long?

“So why do I have to sleep outside?” she asked.

“Because if I fall asleep with you next to me…..” I trailed off.

“I see.” she said simply.

She grabbed the cot and went outside. After wandering around the car for a bit, she settled in on a patch of grass in the motel parking lot.

I watched her for a good ten minutes, making sure she was actually asleep. After deciding that she really was sleeping, I pushed all my worries from my head, and fell into a deep slumber.

………………

I awoke with a start to the sound of Lyra’s hoof tapping gently on the glass.

She wasn’t looking good. It seemed like she had gone to sleep, but there were huge, dark circles under her eyes to indicate otherwise. Rolling down the window, we just stared at eachother for a few moments. Finally, I broke the ice.

“Ready to go?”

“Yes.” was her only reply.

Driving on the endless highway once again, I occasionally glanced over at Lyra. It wasn’t long before she took a sketchbook out of her saddlebag and began meticulously drawing me. Managing to steal a few glances at what she was drawing, I saw she was drawing me. At least she got the eyes right. I mumbled nonchalantly. “Hmm?” she responded. “Um….nothing.” I responded.

Nothing out of the ordinary happened beyond that. After she had finished drawing me, she moved on to other parts of my body, such as my hands and my head. I glanced at my wristwatch. 5:08 PM. It felt like it had been much longer. Glancing over again at Lyra, I saw that she was sleeping soundly, sketchbook still grasped in her hooves.

With nothing else to do, I flipped on the radio on the car dashboard and began flipping through the stations. Nothing but static until I came up on a particular station.

“This is the President of the United States. To whoever is left, I would like to say that we are establishing a new army in Iowa. Whether you are a civilian or member of the armed forces, it is highly recommended that you report to Iowa immediately. We have adequate shelter and basic supplies, as well as a working irrigation system.

I couldn't believe my ears. I glanced over again at Lyra. She hadn't heard any of that. Turning off the radio, which was repeating the same message in a loop, I stopped the car in the road and turned on the GPS. Right now, I knew I was somewhere close to Athens, Georgia where my base was. I was surprised to find the distance I had traveled. The GPS showed that I had made my way about 1,200 miles out of Athens. “You go far when you’re running from freakin’ ponies.” I thought with an air of anger.

“Where are we headed, anyway?” Lyra's words made me jump as my mind raced to come up with an answer.

“We’re going to….California.” I lied again.

“Really? I heard that is one of the best parts of your world.”

“Uh-Huh” I said vacantly, trying to think of a way around this.

She would eventually get suspicious. Iowa is not the warmest place, and it wouldn't take long for Lyra to figure out that something wasn't right.

About two hours after leaving the motel, I was starting to realize how hungry I was. “There I go again, forgetting to eat.”

Pulling over by a gas station, I got some oranges and apples from the trunk, and began eating hungrily. I was about halfway done with my sandwich when my eyes wandered over to Lyra, who looked like she was going to faint from hunger just seeing me eat. Realizing my mistake, I gave Lyra the rest of my orange and threw my neglected apple core out the window.

Turning my attention back to the road, I glanced out my rear view mirror, only to see about ten royal guards trying to blindside my car.

In a desperate fit of survival, I turned on the car and backed up. I didn't hit anything, which only made things worse. After failing that approach, I put my weight on the gas pedal and drove until they were out of view.

Lyra was had been screaming and crying the entire time, and was still sobbing after we had escaped, at least temporarily. It would be safe to say that I wasn't in the mood for this right now.

“SHUT THE HELL UP!” I ordered in my loudest voice.

She immediately stopped, which surprised me. After driving for another hour in silence, it started to get dark, and my eyes were starting to drop. Stopping by a mall, I fell asleep.