The universe is dying. I know, rather cliché, don't worry, that was a lie.
From a certain point of view.
It was dying, overwhelmed by waves of entropy. That was deemed counterproductive to the Commonwealth of Galaxies, and a network of 18 stations were constructed to remove the entropy.
Another lie, did you catch which part was? Correct, entropy isn't removed, that's impossible. It is expelled, sent to other universes.
You have been scouted to maintain the premier station, Ceres. Overseen by Princess Twilight Sparkle of Equestria, Ceres is a former dwarf planet which has been hollowed to make way for the ultimate quantum computer, which allows Ceres alone to maintain our universe, which would otherwise require eight of the secondary stations.
Welcome to the Tremas Initiative, Silkstar.
I find myself reading the letter again as my shuttle slows in orbit around Ceres.
"You are cleared for transmat," announces the traffic controller through the communicator. "Please confirm all baggage is tagged, as you may not return to your shuttle."
After glancing at my few cases for the transmat tags, I press my hoof against the one on my ankle, and the shuttle washes out of view to make way for what must be a security checkpoint. Unlike a shuttle, Ceres only has natural gravity, and a very light one at that- just about one meter per square second, it used to be even less before the computer core was installed.
"Changeling detected," notes one of the security officers. "Do you consent to a temporary suppression of your magic to verify your identity?"
Yeah, I definitely want to back down on the greatest honor ever because I'm afraid of the most routine procedure this side of the scientific community.
… That was good enough sarcasm, right?
"I consent."
As one of the security officers starts to lead me to the magic suppression generator- a diamond shaped compartment with grilles lining the lower walls, and translucent panels on the upper walls- I take a proper look at the security office. The transmat I had arrived at was a much sleeker model than any public technology, the pad having 10 crystalline landing marks- in a 3, 4, 3 pattern- and the platinum cast console featuring semi-tangible holographic control. On the opposing wall is a line of desks, their stonecut designs almost notable.
I realize I haven't paid much attention to the security officers, and once I do, I realize there isn't much to look at. Both are unicorn stallions with yellow fur, one with a short orange mane, and the other with a pear green mane tied into a ponytail. The ponytail officer ushers me into the suppressor, and pushes a slider to activate it.
I'm never prepared for how silent it gets. Not a silence of sound, of course, the generator is loud and erratic. I refer to a special, passive magic perception, handed down through my hive.
As I wait for the officers to verify my documents, I suddenly hear one mutter, "Damn, she's got a bigger manhood than me."
I think I'm supposed to get embarrassed, or indignant, or the like, but I just find myself stating, "It's for when I need to be intimidating."
The other guard looks at me in confusion, but the one who shared the remark looks away flustered, not expecting me to have heard. He clears his throat, and brings his hoof to slide down the power on the generator.
Almost immediately, I change into my body of preference, a pale azure mare, with a messy mane- peacock blue in the middle, with an indigo highlight before the rest is a dark red-violet, the same colour as my eyes- adorned with a ponytail streaked with peacock blue, red-violet, and lime, and an actual tail purely red-violet.
"You're all set to go, Lord Lady Silkstar," I don't bother paying attention to which said that, and quickly collect my luggage, trotting into a docked rover. Air shields raise over the passageway I had gone through as the rover detaches from the building, heading towards the administrative building.
Tch, Lord Lady? Is that really my title? I’m not both at once- well, occasionally, but those occasions are only for very special someponies. Very special.
I'm suddenly taken from my thoughts as the rover clamps to the administrative building. Gathering my luggage, I enter, trotting to the front desk. The clerk looks up at me. "Ah, you're Miss- sorry, Lord Silkstar."
Without even realizing, I shifted into a stallion body. I don't mind, but the other part of the greeting, I can't ignore. "Please, no need for fancy titles, I stopped one moon from crashing."
"Right, I understand, sir. Princess Twilight will be arriving for your orientation shortly. We're glad you could get here so soon."
"I'm from an early Equestrian colony, the trip is only a week, though I suppose it's quite lucky the hyperspace bypasses weren't blocked." I still remember when one of them was even blocked from being made because somepony laid down in front of the demolishers.
I sit down as I wait, trying to lose myself in thought, but it is not long before a great pink flare of magic preludes the teleportation of the Princess of Equestria herself. "I apologize for the delay," she says. "You must be Silkstar."
I simply nod in response as she leads me into a barren room, save for a sitting mat and a throne.
"I thought I told them the throne was unnecessary!" Twilight mutters. "Sorry, I have so many duties back in Equestria, I haven't had much time here."
As she reluctantly sits upon the throne, I stare at the mat in uncertainty.
"You can feel free to sit down, please, the work you'll do here is important enough to put us as equals. You've been assigned to the dimensional bypass inducer, or in useful terms, a space-time hole puncher."
As I take my seat, she starts to share the details of my work here. Some quarter of an hour later, we return to the front room, Twilight telling the clerk, "There is no need for a throne here. Half the crew aren't even Equestrian subjects."
"Yes, I'll look into it." The clerk says. Twilight teleports away, and the clerk calls me over: "Silkstar, housing arrangements. You'll be in Applejack Hall, room 227."
A hall? What is this, college?
I nod, keeping silent as I'm given a key. I return to the rover, setting the destination to Applejack Hall, and look outside. The tiny sun is rising over this cold, stone world, rays split in the thin, watery atmosphere. It's always odd to view a sunrise, once the constant backdrop of home, now a fleeting event.
For a second, I see what looks like a pony, suitless in the icy rock, but I'm taken away as the door hisses open, locked to Applejack Hall. I look back, but there's nopony there. I try to shake off my worries, after all, I can finally unpack! First, I have to bring all my luggage upstairs, light work under the low gravity. I enter room 227, and am horrified to see partitioning that marks workspaces and two beds,
And on one bed is my new roommate.
"Yeeup, you ain't the only one surprised here. I know Tremas is secretive and all, but I reckon they could've shared a little more. I guess the two beds were a clear hint, but I've already been here all on my own."
I think I'm actually in shock right now.
"Hey, you alright there? You're just standing at the door. Listen, I'm Beret, can you tell me your name?"
No, I don't think I can. I stare into the purple eyes of this pale olive hippogriff, their mane the green of a Mallard drake, and I cannot speak a word. They wore a bandana displaying the non-binary flag. I slowly get an emotion as I notice that despite being named Beret, they clearly have donned a boater. With that, I drop sideways, like a toy in an earthquake.
Now that I am sufficiently humiliated, distressed, and out of order, it's the perfect time for it to dawn on me that my job involves the fate of the universe. Me, just a mechanic who crashed a ship to realign a moon- which really is not as epic as it sounds. The princess of Equestria is treating me as an equal! I don't even remember if I took notes on what she told me! I can't even hyperventilate right now!
"Heya there, breathe, fella. Breathe," Beret suggests- I didn't even notice them getting close to me.
"That's… that's no beret." Is that all I can let myself say?
"Yes, a straw hat isn't too fitting," laughs Beret, lifting their hat off and spinning it with their talons. They swap it with something from a half empty suitcase.
They turn around, donned in their namesake, the kind of beret you'd find at a secondhand store. This time, I'm able to focus on them trotting back to me, placing their talons on my shoulder, helping turn me right side up.
"I'm so sorry, I just suddenly feel like a wee lad," I manage to say. "No, more of a lass."
"There's nothing to apologize for." They say, lying down in front of me, giving me a clear view of their beak and all their many vibrant, majestic feathers.
"Silkstar."
"Pardon?"
"That's my name, Silkstar."
"It's beautiful."
"You are too."
"Ooh, somepony is forward."
We laugh, and I ask, "How long have you been on Ceres?"
"About a month, I don't work directly on the project right now, just trying to make the atmosphere livable. It's slow work."
"Then why have you not finished unpacking?"
"I- err- that's classified!"
"Sounds like you're just working slow."
"You wound me."
“Your feathers aren’t ruffled, are they? I need to rest against those.”
“We’ve just met.”
“Yes, and perfect timing too.”
“You know, I wished for something like this. Wrote it in the dust of a moon.”
“Very sweet, much more so than my old flings.”
“Good, because you aren’t getting rid of me.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
Beret stands up, fluttering their wings to free their talons to pick me up. “Speaking of dreams, no point sleeping on the floor.”
“Ooh, taking me to your bed already? Spicy. Who would’ve guessed going into shock was a speedrun strat?”
“I’m no physician, but is that what that was? What’d you do to let that happen?”
“I may have accidentally shifted my organs. Changeling problems.”
“You can do that?” Beret places me on the bed, now looking at me in disbelief.
“Well, I guess there’s a reason it’s normally a technique restricted to the elders. I stole the ancient scripts when I was a wee lad.”
Beret pulls themself closer to me. I ask, “We’re in bed together, what next?”
Beret playfully pecks at my ear, saying, “Don’t get any ideas, lass. Not until the morning.”
“Ooh, I think I’ll rest well with that.”
I close my eyes, and Beret places a wing over me. We lie there in a warm stillness, time melting away as I fall to sleep.
I awake to Beret's warmth no longer beside my chest, but now close to my rear.
"Heya, Silkstar. The view down here is nice," They call.
"You gonna touch it?"
Beret answers by lightly pressing a talon against my clit. I gasp, and Beret looks back up at me. "It isn't too sharp, is it?"
"It's perfect. Please don't stop."
Beret takes this as an invitation to stroke it, slowly getting faster as I begin to moan.
Suddenly, they stop. I can barely suppress a whimper, but finally, they touch me again, no longer with their sharp talons, but with their beak.
I feel their beak part, and their tongue slowly explores the inside of my cunt. I can't express myself to Beret with words anymore, and I instead let out soft tones of pleasure. Their tongue soon begins to stroke against more surface inside me. Beret's tongue strokes become heavier and faster, and I can feel myself on the edge.
"Wait!"
I'm surprised that I am able to speak, but Beret seems more so. They slide their tongue out of my cunt, asking,
"Is something wrong?"
I'm not even sure myself why I cried out, but I tell them, "I think I… could you play with my dick now?"
I start to shift my genitals, my cunt swelling until it's replaced with a sheath, from which comes a quickly erect cock. Just below, a heavy ballsack is formed.
Beret quickly takes hold of my shaft with their talons, softly stroking just below the medial ring. I feel my cock twitch as Beret lightly scratches.
"I think I'm close," I admit. Beret looks into my eyes with a gleam in theirs, and nearly leaps forward to grip my dick in their beak. I feel their tongue against my tip, and I let out a cry of pleasure.
They suck lower and lower, soon reaching my medial ring, which Beret has no chance of getting past. I feel their talons grip my ballsack, lightly squishing. Beret eventually lets go of my sack, and, still sucking me off, slides a talon into my ass, pushing deeper.
I can feel myself leaking with precum, not enough to escape Beret's licking and sucking. As they bob their head up and down, my cock twitches, closer and closer to the edge of orgasm. Suddenly, to my complete shock, Beret stuffs even more of my cock down their throat, their tender pace turning rough and fast, and even taking in my medial ring.
With that, I am unable to hold back, my dick spasming as cum shoots out. I lay there, breathing heavily as Beret tries their best to not waste an ounce of my cum. Finally, they pull their beak from my cock, swallowing, before bringing my cock back to their beak to lap up the last dribbles of cum to leak out of my hole.
"Mmm… you taste amazing," Beret says.
"Ahh, I try my best," I respond, basking in the afterglow.
"Speaking of taste, you want anything to drink? I think I kinda dried you out."
"Peach cider would do nice."
"Hard or sweet?"
"I don't want to be drunk on my first day of the most prestigious job imaginable."
"It's the weekend, Silky. You don't start for three more days."
"Oh, we use the Equestrian calendar, right. Hard it is."
Beret gets up, and trots to the food replicator. They tap a talon to the attached panel a couple times, then again with a touch of irritation. "Fuck! It's broken."
"Dispensing item Alpha Sierra," The machine announces, unprompted, "Dispensing item Alpha Sierra. Dispensing item Alpha Sierra, dispensing item dispensing-"
Beret tears the unit from the wall before it's given a chance to flood the room with the mystery item. They look back at me, asking, "Heh, do you think anypony is on duty to take the work order for this?"