"Our world is ending, as you all very well know" A gruff minute voice reminded the other people that occupied the room.
They all watched him tentatively, their watchful faces hoping for anything interesting to abound.

"And with program Cast-out's rogue and hostile behavior, our sources have been greatly limited." this earned anxious whispers and glances from the crowd of about a dozen scientists.
"We've managed to detour their scouts- they think our station is currently being held in a secluded section of Utah. Even though that's quit the ways away from New York, I highly doubt that it'll take more than a few months for them to sniff us out. Although, by then it may be too late..."
More anxious, louder whispers encompassed the room.

The scientist held up his hand for silence. The attention quickly settled back on him, as he continued. He scratched his dusty chocolate hair before continuing.
"Scientists in our other department have been working on project Terramorph. We've gathered you all here because it's in it's final stages, and... It needs test subjects." he awaited the complaints, which rose and fell with every second. After they settled, he cleared his throat and turned on a tablet that projected a few images onto the screen behind him.
It showed what looked like blue prints, small diagrams and chemical names, along with phases of a certain change in bone, a larger and more focused diagram being the femur.

"This is what we've been working on. We have the chemical compositions laid out, the skeleton planned and phased, and even the change in radiation planned." he explained, trying to highten the interest and compel them to volunteer.

A hand rose into the air.

"Yes?" the scientist perked up.

"Doctor Adam, if I may ask, what are you working on exactly?" the man asked, his hand lowering immediately.

"Oh! Great question indeed! I'll explain that in a second!" Adam replied enthusiastically.
Flipping to another image, which represented a few bar graphs and a pony skeleton, he pointed to the skull of the diagram.

"We've been working on this project for ten years now, and, finally, we've come to the final stage. It's quite complex, and may seem rather... Childish, but we've figured out how to survive the incoming apocalypse. We in our current weak forms cannot survive the harsh and increased rays of radiation, it's just too hazardous. But, if we could change our forms, we could change our amount of radiation that we could intake. Just like most animals, you know?
We'd gotten used to technology, and with all of this and our polluting the earth, we just didn't have enough time to evolve. But through natural selection, the animals we live around have evolved. They've had the time to do so, since they hadn't gotten so used to using other items for their own survival. Any questions?" he asked.
Most of the faces in the room were alert, although a few were just plain lost. No one raised their hand.

"Uh... Then, as I was saying, we could, change, our anatomy to fit the current state of Earth. Those who went through this process would survive humanity's extinction, but the ones who don't...
Ah, as I was saying, the anatomy we'd come up with is more or less that of a pony.. I know it sounds odd, but..." Doctor Adam flipped to another image, which had a full in depth image of a pony's skeleton, although the features were quite deformed.

"This, is what we've made" he highlighted a few major bones and deformities.
The anxious and cautious whispers filled the room, although Adam didn't interfere, allowing it to eventually settle down.

"Most of you probably think this is insane, and, in truth, it probably is. But with an anatomy of this shape, and the right components and chemicals wired into the pony, they would have an average 86% chance of survival. That's much more than our current two percent chance, mind you. Now, with the anatomy-" he began to explain the figure on the screen.
Towards the back of the room, Star watched attentively as he pointed to a enlarge skull, which had a squared off snout and large ears. It had a horn coming out of it, and lots of labels surrounding the horn.

A unicorn?

No, there were wings, too. So... A Pegasus?
No, it couldn't be a Pegasus.
How about... Unisis? She shook her head, straining to focus on Doctor Adam again. Strands of dirty blonde hair dropped into her face- which she blew away. They fell back onto her face.

The femur, or back hind leg bone had a curve at the end of the thigh, which then slowly curved and widened until it got to the hooves. The same was with the front of hooves, although just without the extra bone in the thigh and leg bones. The back had a dip in it, probably suitable for carrying items.
The eye sockets though...
They were enlarged and covered almost what seemed to be half of the entirety of the skull.

"Now, the tail would come out at about here, and the main would have a central line that it always grew out of at about here," Adam pointed down the back of the sideways diagram of the pony.

"Are there any questions before I continue?" Adam asked.

Star thought for a moment, before deciding against raising her hand. A female beside her raised her's.

"Yes?".

"Why, of all creatures, a pony? Why not a dog, they've apparently adapted" she asked.

"Well, because even though they DO have a high chance of survival, these pony creatures have a much greater advantage, with the new advantages. And it happens to be much easier to create something with your required components than to edit something and be forced to deal with too many cons concerning it's current disadvantages and... Oh, I'm rambling, any more questions?".
After none were raised, we flipped to another image. It was, of course, another diagram, although it explained the three classes of ponies this time.

Star perked up. Now, even though this seemed to be a childish and impossible design for humanity's salvation, an explanation on how magical unicorns could go frolicking around seemed rather interesting.

"Now, we've classified three different kinds of ponies so far. There are... Other creatures, too, but that's saved for other members of the facility. The three classes are as follows- Earth Pony, Unicorn, and Pegasus, which are adapt to different advantages. Why would we want this, you ask? For variation, of course! Through Natural selection, we may be able to, in the future of these creatures, create better, stronger ponies if we have three different breeds throughout the world."

Exited whispers filled the room in an instant, although Star remained silent.
Variation? Would these 'ponies' really even be focused on something like that, rather than survival?

"Now, the Earth pony, as you can see, has no odd parts to it, besides the mutated skeleton. They do, although, have stronger muscles, can reach higher speeds, and are very well adapt to the weather changes, although we've had some trouble with storm adaptions...
The unicorns, in all, should be built in with a magnetic field that allows them to alter the earth through waves, basically telepathy. The Pegasus, on the other hand, can't... Well, they can't fly yet. Actually, the same goes for Unicorns. Through a few generations, added the right chemicals work to keep the horn on the pony, and the ability to fly for the Pegasi. Saying that, however, we don't know how this world will end. Being the population is about a record 175 now, and at least one dies each day, I'd have no idea how we humans are going to go extinct. But we do know there's radiation and other hazardous chemicals building up in the stratosphere, and oddly, the mesosphere."

Star faltered a moment, before flipping her hand into the air.

"what is it?" Adam asked.

"Seeing that Unicorns would be built in with these magnetic fields, for one, why wouldn't we be able to use them immediately, or more of, after we've been transformed?" she asked, confused.

"Well, you see, we can only strengthen these magnetic fields so much, and, with the added chemicals that would work to keep the horn from leaving due to natural selection, it just wouldn't yet be possible to makeshift a working magical unicorn at our level of technology."

Star lowered her hand afterwards. Our level of technology? Heck, we could create a solar panel out of paper! We had figured out teleportation, too. How could they NOT already have found out a way for the magnetic field to work?!
She shook her head.
The whole thing seemed off anyways. Ponies? Transformation? She highly doubted anyone would volunteer such a thing.

"Now, with that said, we still need test subjects. People that volunteer to live, pretty much. Who's in?" Adam asked enthusiastically. After no one raised their hand, he let out an annoyed grunt.

"Alright then. Allow me to explain how this would work. If you don't volunteer, you die in about, say, three months. If you volunteer, you might live."

"Might?" came the voice of the girl beside Star.

"Oh, uh, yes... Might. But you'd have a better chance of survival if you went through this, and all..."

"So what you're saying is, we could die just going through the transformation process?"

"... Well... yes" Adam admitted uncomfortably. He fiddled around with his hands. "But still, here's how the process works!" he flipped through a few images, some showing other skeletons, although they seemed to be different and of other animals. Were they planning on turning animals into ponies too? That'd be weird.

"First, you'll be put into a 'cell'. A cell is a circular jar, which, in it's current state, holds the capacity of one human. In there, you would go through the transformation process, which would take about ten to twenty minut-"

"How though?!" A male voice came from the room, "Wouldn't that be... Extremely painful?"

Adam sighed.
"Ah, yes, it would. But considering that, well, we don't have much time to prepare we-"

"So let me get this straight," another women growled, "our bodies would undergo extreme shifts and chemical changes! That could kill us in an instant!".

Doctor Adam cleared his throat, getting annoyed by the interruptions, and held up his hand to silence the room.

"I very well know that. And I was just about to get into the precautions, mind you. As I was saying...." Adam awaited for any interruptions, and when getting none, continued on with his explanation.
Star watched studiously as he pointed out the flaws of their program, and how they'd added in the best numbing spray they could to the machine.
Once he had finished explaining the hazards, she raised her hand.

"In this experiment, we wouldn't have to... Remove our clothing, would we?" she asked shyly, as the room began to look towards her.

"Oh Cel- heavens, no! And we'd advise you do no such thing! See, by the time you'd transform, the clothing would be toppling off of you anyways... Never mind that, now. This is getting awkward. Are there any questions? No? Good" he continued before someone could contradict his words.

"We need volunteers, is anyone up to the challenge? You'll be saving the world as we know it, and prevailing to prevent our culture's extinction! And you'll live."

Star, along with about a dozen other people raised their hands- including the girl beside Star.
I want to help.
"Hmm... That's... Seventeen! Ah, wonderful. We thank you for risking your life and blood for-"
A hand went down.

"... For, your people. Your kind. Uh, as I was saying, we'll get into the transformations tomorrow, and I have quite the discussion to have with you all! See, we'll need to get a few chemicals infused into your body and- oh."

Two hands left their place in the air.

"..." Adam sighed. "As I was saying, I need the rest of the room, those who do not want to LIVE, to leave please."
Most of the room shuffled out the door. Star shuddered. Were they gonna die? Were WE gonna die?

Adam smiled warmly at the fourteen people in front of him.

"Wonderful! I was beginning to think I'd been telling them too much information" he began to pace down the rows of chairs, passing out a tablet to each person.

"These will give you all the information you need, so please, study profusely tonight. Also, if by tomorrow you want to step down from this privilege, then, you are free to do so. Also, there are marks that you can choose from, which will go on the each side of your flank. It may sound weird, but the tablet explains it all. Consider it a little free gift of choice." Adam smiled.

"Now, if you please, we must get ready for tomorrow, and it just so happens to be quite past noon."
The remaining scientists walked out of the room.

Star rushed herself out of the room, sliding past the others as she shuffled to her way to her dorm. There was food in the cafeteria, but her stomach felt empty. She had just agreed to this- like it was nothing.
She could still back out.
And she knew it.
But something grabbed at her to continue, as if she was in shock, but still had the intention of surviving.
True, if it meant even a slight chance of surviving, then she would take it.

As Star made her way to her room, she passed two of the scientists who had volunteered.
She ignored them as they spoke in low voices, trying not to catch anyone's attention.
Star turned the corner of the corridor, right outside her room. She stopped, struggling to hear what they were saying.

"We're not really gonna let them do freaking surgery to our whole freaking body, are we?!" one of them whispered in a loud growl.

"Sadly, yes" the other one replied. Star recognized the voice of the girl who had sat beside her. She turned to see Doctor Adam making his way to the two. He smiled at them as he approached.

"Ah, miss Abeline. So nice to see you" he shook hands with the girl. So her name was Abeline?
She returned the gesture with a big smile. He glanced around the corridor, in which Star ducked behind the wall beside her, before pulling her off to the side.
Star couldn't hear what he mumbled to her, but it appeared to be something of an urgency, as she nodded briskly, and asked her friend to leave.
They continued to talk for a while.

Star was about to give up trying to listen, but they both walked off and turned down one of the hallways.
Annoyed with the itch to know what they were talking about, Star left her hiding place and turned towards her dorm. It was a bland room, large and open and white, only containing a single bed, a desk, a small white couch, and a wide screen TV. Star had brought her old Xbox-one, (since that had been the last one they'd made before this whole epidemic) and a few other gaming systems.
She cluttered the room with books, particularly every warriors series book she could get her hands on, and plenty of drawing papers she'd thrown around after ruining.
Star entered her room and flopped down on her couch.

She sighed.
Tomorrow would be a big day. She pulled out the slim, jet-black tablet she'd been handed out earlier. Reaching around the sides until she found the power button, it's screen blinked on in a bright flash.
It loaded for maybe a minute, before showing her a menu screen.

And about a million folders to read.
Star tapped a random folder. The screen zoomed in and took up the whole screen.
The folder opened, and revealed the skeleton of the pony. It showed the three types from earlier, and the bone matter, along with other chemicals and components she didn't realize.
She scammed the contents, returning to the menu. Tapping on the 'marks' folder, it brought up a screen full of little tattoos.
She assumed it was the tattoo's Doctor Adam had mentioned earlier.

They were all lined up in order of type, ranging from weather to magic. There was a lighting bolt, a magic wand, even a bird to choose from.
She found a few that caught her attention, like a blue crescent moon, and a cat head.
Star sighed as she returned to the menu screen.

She had a lot of studying to do. And so little time. What was going to happen tomorrow?
Would it hurt? Would everything go well? What would happen afterwards?

But, one question rang in her head harder than the rest...

Would she live to see another day?

Author's Note

I hate this story

I hope you guys like it, but I know I didn't give NEARLY enough emotion or suspension and stuff when Star decided to volunteer. :I

I hope the next chapter is better, though. I got more creative at the end, having my normal computer back and all, but... Meh.
I LOVE transformation, so things should get real juicy next chapter

Cracker?