“I pointed that out to Captain Miller. He said in that case, sexual crimes couldn’t be disproven, so the matter would be treated as if she’d been ‘polluted’ by alien rapists,” Odak spat.
Kels’s fists clenched. “We haven’t touched her. There’d be physical evidence if we did; won’t the absence of that be enough for these maniacs?”
“Apparently not. When they catch up to us, there’ll be a fight we almost certainly can’t win.”
“No patrols or allies to help us.” Dergan’s body thrummed with tension.
“Worse still, more Earther ships are en route to join the attack. We’ll engage with the Chosen and two more assault fighters in thirty minutes.”
Kels’s stomach twisted. “You’re saying there’s no hope.”
“Almost. Most assuredly. However, I have one more trick up my sleeve. You’re welcome to join me on the bridge.”
Kels hesitated. If they were to die, his place was with Briel and Pana. However, he and Dergan had expertise in space battles. Maybe they could lessen the odds against the destroyer.
“We’ll do whatever we can, Captain.”
Chapter Eight
The ship-wide alert and a quick com from Kels to Pana had warned them battle was coming, but Maryam found she wasn’t ready for it within seconds of the booms and quakes resuming. She cried out when Medical lost power, sending her into darkness.
The lights returned quickly, but the machines in the room blinked and squalled alarms as the power continued to fluctuate. Briel’s medi-bed blared the loudest.
“Switch the bed to backup!” Dr. Ihas bellowed as medics converged on the stricken woman.
Pandemonium reigned. Ihas shouted orders too quickly for Maryam’s translator to decipher. The lights blinked on and off, resulting in everyone moving in a nauseating strobing effect. She reached out to Pana, grabbing the front of his formsuit in her fist. He wrapped his arms around her. They clung to each other as they watched the crowd of green-clad medics fight for the unborn’s survival.
“Backups are failing too.”
“I’m losing her. Get me a stasis pod.”
“The fetus can’t survive stasis!” Pana screamed. Maryam strained to block him from stampeding toward Briel’s bed.
“He won’t survive these fluxes either. Stasis should give me a couple of hours of breathing space before I have to come up with a miracle,” Ihas shouted.
A portable stasis pod was rushed to Briel’s bedside. The medics transferred her into the silver coffin-shaped unit as carefully as haste would allow. The lid closed, encasing the young woman from sight. As soon as it clicked shut, Ihas punched commands into its computer, his fingers a blur as he worked.
Lights on the readout glowed one by one. All were green, and Ihas sagged when the final light blazed. “She’s in stasis and everything looks stable. Orderly, monitor for signs of degradation of the baby’s vital signs. Don’t wait until they’re near critical to tell me. Report every fluctuation, no matter how slight.”
Still holding Maryam tightly, Pana asked, “If full power is restored soon, will the baby be all right?”
Ihas was either too exhausted or too upset to sugarcoat the truth. “No amount of life support can stop your Matara’s body from failing now and taking the child with her. We’ll do what we can when I have to take her out of stasis, but it won’t make any difference.”
“Then that’s it? There’s nothing more you can do?” Maryam couldn’t keep from sobbing.
Ihas stared at her hard for several seconds before answering. “I have a last-resort option. It’s unlikely to work, and I don’t think you’ll like it.”
* * * *
When the fighting ended and the destroyer had found temporary shelter from its enemies, Kels and Dergan returned to Medical. Kels saw the stasis pod next to Briel’s empty medi-bed immediately and knew the situation for his Matara and the unborn had taken a turn for the worst. He postponed the bad news by catching Pana, Maryam, and Ihas up on the latest.
“Captain Odak ordered us into an ion storm to escape the Earther ships attacking us. Their sensors can’t penetrate the magnetic upheaval to find us, so we’re safe for the moment,” he reported. “Shielding and supplementing the power grid with nonessential systems should halt any further fluctuations until we leave.”
His gaze wandered to the stasis pod. Whether he was ready to face the music or not, he knew what its presence and Briel’s disappearance meant.
Ihas followed the direction of his gaze and nodded. “Her time is up, Dramok. I’m sorry.”
“The unborn’s as well.” Numbness filled Kels, and he welcomed it.
“Maybe not. It’s a longshot, but there’s one final chance to save him.”
“Then do it.” Kels would take any chance, no matter how slim.
“Before you say that, you need to understand what it means. We have to transfer the fetus to another woman.”
Kels realized what he was proposing, and his heart pounded. Dergan wasn’t as quick to figure it out. “We’re nowhere near Kalquor, and we’re stuck in the ion storm until help can arrive. We’ll never reach a surrogate in time.”
From Pana’s side, Maryam spoke up. “Dr. Ihas isn’t talking about a Kalquorian woman.”
Dergan’s jaw snapped shut with such force, Kels heard his teeth clack together. For his part, the Dramok stared at Maryam. She stared back, her expression set with determination.
With effort, Kels dragged his gaze from her to Ihas. “It’s not – is this possible?”
“Theoretically, yes. I’m already in communication with a fertility specialist on Kalquor, who’ll assist me with the process.”
“Fetal implantation from a Kalquorian to an Earther has never been attempted.”
“Correct. We’ve only just begun to sort out the biological differences.”
Pana interrupted, stepping close to grip Kels’s arm. “We don’t have a minute to second-guess this. It’s now or never, my Dramok.”
Ihas added, “With the specialist’s guidance, I’ve started the process of preparing Matara Maryam’s body for pregnancy and am monitoring the progress. So far, it looks good for the procedure…the only problem is whether her body will do what’s required before the fetus fails.”
A muscle in Maryam’s jaw twitched, but her countenance remained resolved. Kels took her in; her frame was far shorter and smaller than Briel’s, but sturdy for its size. Sturdy enough?
“That’s the only problem?” he pressed, unconvinced.
Ihas barked a humorless laugh. “To start with, it’s the most important. Along with the fact I’m not well versed in female biology. The fertility specialist will advise me via live-vid during the procedure, if your child survives long enough for the transfer.”
“How likely is this to work?”
“I’ll be honest, Dramok. The odds of success aren’t on our side.”
“I’m determined to try.” Maryam’s voice held no tremble. She was firm about taking on the challenge.
Kels glanced from her to Ihas, then Pana. His Imdiko nodded. “When the doctor suggested it, she didn’t hesitate. Matara Maryam wants to do this for Briel.”
“On one condition.” Maryam’s gaze narrowed.
Kels could well imagine her stipulation. “You wish to be freed once the child is born. Or if the procedure fails.”
Maryam’s gaze shifted
from his for a mere instant; the first real waver in her resolve. It disappeared quickly. “Those are my terms. No release, no transfer.”
You’d like me to believe that. However, the momentary break he’d discerned told Kels Maryam bluffed. Though Briel’s clan had kidnapped her, she continued to care for their Matara. Kels knew Maryam would go through with the procedure even if he refused to let her go.
The last hour had brought the destroyer to the brink of annihilation. They’d made it to their only possibility of survival, the shelter of the ion storm, by the skin of their teeth. In that hour, after Dergan had confronted him about the injustice of their abduction of Maryam, Kels’s conscience had barreled forth. Though it had meant admitting to himself he’d acted without honor, that he’d brought about his Matara’s and unborn’s deaths, Kels had woken to the truth of it.
He’d failed as a Dramok, a leader of those who counted on him. He’d failed as a man, a clanmate, a would-be father. It would take a long while to come to grips with that, if he managed it at all. The only route left to Kels was salvaging the life of the woman he’d so terribly wronged.
The woman offering to save his child.
He bowed to Maryam. “You have my deepest gratitude for the offer, Matara. As well as my vow that whether the child lives or dies, you’ll be allowed to go wherever you wish, to live as you deserve.”
It was too late to fix the damage he’d done, but her relieved smile gave Kels something to cling to.
He signaled Ihas aside for a private chat. When they were out of Maryam’s hearing, he asked the question that would determine whether or not he’d call the procedure off, even if it meant losing the unborn. “What’s the danger to her?”
Ihas blew out a harsh breath. “I wish I could say. Again, female medicine is not in my purview—and I have no experience with Earthers, though they are remarkably similar to us.”
Kels started to speak. When his voice failed, he swallowed and tried again. “At the first sign of trouble, halt the procedure. In the event implantation goes well, but the pregnancy puts Matara Maryam in peril, end it. She’s not to suffer for the events I set in motion. Not for any reason.”
Ihas gave him a look that managed to be both sympathetic and respectful. “I’ll make Matara Maryam the priority.”
Chapter Nine
Maryam woke all at once, which surprised her. She’d had surgical procedures in the past, and regaining consciousness had involved an hour or so of grogginess and confusion. This time, when she opened her eyes, she was as alert as if she’d drunk a couple cups of coffee.
The room was unfamiliar. It was clear it belonged to Medical, the lighting brighter than elsewhere she’d been on the ship and the smells antiseptic. She lay in a medi-bed, its diagnostic arms roofing her torso. Another machine hummed contentedly to itself on her right. Dr. Ihas stood over her on her left, his smile comforting.
“Good morning, Matara.”
Fear spiked in her chest. Beneath the diagnostic and medicine-giving arms of the bed, Maryam’s hands stretched toward her abdomen—and froze before she could touch herself. Forcing the words out, Maryam asked, “Did it work?”
His widening smile answered before he did. “Better than I dared to dream. Your body has accepted the fetus. And he has accepted you.”
Air woofed from Maryam’s lungs. She traced her stomach with her fingertips, feeling the rise that hadn’t been there before. A baby. In her hastily hormone-enhanced womb.
“No problems at all?” Her voice came out choked.
“All vital signs are strong. Thus far, the prognosis is optimistic.” Ihas’s smile trembled, and he burst out, “The first transfer of an unborn Kalquorian to an Earther—I didn’t expect that when I went to school to become a doctor.” His laugh sounded almost hysterical.
Maryam couldn’t blame him. Still rubbing her stomach and marveling over the bump there, she said, “Congratulations.”
Ihas struggled to compose himself. “That belongs to Dr. Relt, the specialist who talked me through it.”
“You deserve it as well. If you hadn’t stepped in, this child would be dead.” That reminded her of the third person in the equation. Again, she had to force herself to speak. “Did—is Briel—?”
His exultation dimmed. “As we expected. I’m certain she would express great gratitude for what you’ve done.”
Maryam knuckled away the flow of tears. “What we’ve done, you mean. However, I’ll hold off on celebrating until he’s born healthy and strong. Will I be stuck in bed for long?”
“If you both remain free of complications, I might let you get up and move around as soon as this evening.”
“Not bad for a woman who couldn’t have a child.” Maryam sniffled and wiped her eyes on the short sleeve of the thin shift she wore.
“Dr. Relt saw nothing to indicate there should be any problems for you to carry the baby to near term. Our sole concern is the size difference between a Kalquorian and an Earther child. For now, however—it looks fantastic. In a couple of days or so, you should be able to carry on normally.” Ihas shook his head, awed all over again.
Maryam kept rubbing her hands over her stomach. She carried a child with no sign she couldn’t continue to do so. She carried a baby in her body, and if Ihas was correct, she wouldn’t lose it.
Until you give birth and have to give him to his fathers. The reminder of whose baby it was—not hers—stole some of the joy.
* * * *
I am a Nobek. I am strong. I am in control.
Though Dr. Ihas stood before Dergan’s clan, giving them the details of the procedure, the mantra continued to play in Dergan’s head. After three hours of waiting in the main Medical section, with only an orderly’s quick report of “The transfer appears to be a success so far”, the Nobek’s nerves were on the verge of fraying.
Pana interrupted Ihas, cutting to the chase. “The fetus is alive? Matara Maryam shows no ill effects?”
“Thus far, I find no reason why they shouldn’t remain healthy and strong. The prognosis looks excellent.” Ihas gave them an encouraging smile, ruined somewhat by the dark circles bruising the skin under his eyes.
Dergan should have been relieved at the news. He wasn’t. The strain on his clanmates’ faces showed they weren’t either.
The bad news came immediately, Ihas turning sympathetic. “As expected, your Matara didn’t survive the procedure. I’m sorry for your loss.”
Ignoring the lurch in his guts, Dergan reached for Pana. Kels did too, but it was too late. A flash of the Imdiko’s shattered look on was all Dergan saw before his clanmate ran out of Medical. He started to follow him, but Kels grabbed his arm.
“He’ll want to be alone for a while.”
Dergan swallowed a rush of nausea. “Of course he will. Why would he want us around when we failed Briel?”
He turned from Kels’s pained expression and plodded to a corner. He stood there, his back to the room, and let a violent mixture of pain and self-anger wash over him.
* * * *
Hours after she’d woken and hours after a visit from grateful but uncomfortable Kels and Dergan, Maryam called for the door to open to allow Pana into her room.
Startled confusion chased off the Imdiko’s grieved demeanor as he discovered Maryam was sitting in a chair instead of the medi-bed. His eyes widened with panic, reminding Maryam of his constant fussing over Briel.
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“Come in, Pana. Dr. Ihas said it would do me good to move around a bit. He wanted readings on how the baby and I react to activity.” She indicated the monitoring vest she wore over the hospital gown.
His shoulders sagged—whether because he was relieved or ready to collapse, Maryam wasn’t sure. His handsome face was strained, and he looked as if he’d lost ten pounds in the past day. Briel’s death had hit him hard.
There was an extra chair, and he brought it close to sit next to her. “Do you feel all right?”
“Excellent. A little unreal. I’ve never been this pregnant before. Knowing it should go all the way…I’m overwhelmed.” She rubbed her rounded abdomen, a motion she couldn’t stop repeating.
“You can’t imagine how grateful we are to you—on second thought, maybe you can. Sorry. Dumb thing to mention to a woman who’s lost—” He reddened. “I’m sorry. I can’t say anything that doesn’t sound awful.”
She found his awkward attempts endearing. “You’re fine. A lot has happened. I won’t take whatever you say personally for the next five minutes.” Maryam pretended to scowl. “After that, I expect perfect behavior and no verbal blunders.”
Pana managed to laugh, though it sounded as strained as he looked. “Prepare to be mightily disappointed. Can I get you anything? As you’ve heard, I’m brilliant at overdoing care and caution.”
“I’m fine.” She restrained the urge to take his hand. He appeared to need the comfort, and Maryam wanted contact at this emotional time more than was probably wise.
Pana stared at the floor. “I wish I could have been a better clanmate to her. I could never find that middle ground between respecting her space and smothering her.”
“She saw the care behind your, um, enthusiasm.”
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