Mutationem
Page 32
Now Sophi didn’t have to be involved anymore in flying the drone. She could just monitor Hope and adjust the cameras to video each mission.
It was on one of her flights that Hope first saw the plant. She knew Sophi was watching and stayed quiet, not wanting to be observed. But, that night, back at the colony, while she lay in her bunk in the dark, she couldn’t stop thinking about it. She knew what it was because her mother had described it to her, and she was frightened. What if she got pregnant and bore a girl? She knew how miserable her birth had been for her mother. But, just like Libby, Hope was curious, and as she drifted off to sleep, she wondered how she could get a closer look at the plant without Sophi finding out.
Chapter Ninety
The images kept flashing through her mind. It was like someone was upstream with an axe cutting away at her memories, and as they floated by, the woman sat and watched in fascination. Some images brought a smile to her face, and she instinctively reached out to hold them. But, as soon as she touched them, they melted. Unlike real ice, she felt no cold; instead, she felt sadness. It was like a flowing jigsaw puzzle of her life: no two pieces fit together to form a perfect memory. What is happening? she wondered. What does this mean?
The woman felt panicked, and as she breathed, her chest felt heavy. It was all she could do to breathe in and out, and with each labored breath, she felt her heart weaken.
The cat had seen Libby act like this before. Jumping down from the chair, he almost fell as his paws hit the floor. His body jerked as the neurons fired uncontrollably in his brain, sending spasmodic signals down his spinal cord. He had learned that it was best to just stand still and let the episode pass.
Carefully he walked towards the bed. Unlike a healthy cat who walked softly in a straight line, Dozer walked with a sideways list. Jumping up onto the bed, he landed heavily, but the tremor didn’t wake Libby. The cat’s feet running over her legs did, however, and even though it was unexpected, the surprise awakening was a relief.
The cat was purring, and soon Libby forgot her reoccurring dream and fell asleep with Dozer pressed against her side. This time she began to dream again, and unlike before, she was happy. She was with someone, someone whom she had never met. He had no face, but a warm glow like the suns of the planet. He was gentle, and touched her as she imagined a male lover would. Unlike before, Libby breathed freely and felt light. She knew an orgasm was coming, but she didn’t want it just yet; the place she was in was ecstasy. Please last a little longer, she begged.
But dreams can’t be controlled, and soon she felt the contractions and knew that it was over. Instead of feeling disappointment, she felt something else, and she innately knew what it was: a seed had been planted and was starting to grow.
“Momma, Momma, are you awake?” asked Hope.
Turning over on her side, Libby said, “I am now, honey.”
“Let’s get up and go for a walk before breakfast,” said Hope.
Libby quickly got dressed and made her bed, failing to notice the red stain on the sheet. Following her daughter outside, they began to walk towards the other clearing. The sprinklers were on in the garden, and it was peaceful. No one else was up yet, so the two had complete privacy.
As they walked down the trail hand in hand, Libby said, “I want you to know there is nothing you can’t tell or ask me. You may not always like what I have to say, but I want you to feel safe with me. You are a child of my womb, conceived by one part Felix and the other part Alpha-64. At one time I thought the salvation of this colony rested with me, and it was an awful burden to carry. But now I realize I was wrong. That burden is yours, Hope.”
With a startled cry, the young woman asked, “What do you mean, Mother?”
“You already know, my darling. Let’s turn around and have some breakfast.”
Without waiting for a reply, Libby started back to camp. Hope stood still. How could she know? There was no way she had been seen. It had happened so fast it didn’t even seem real.
In a confused state, the young woman followed her mother. By the time the duo got back to the colony, the camp was awake. To Hope’s surprise, Libby suddenly began to sing.
At first no one noticed except Hope. But slowly, the clamor of the crew died down. Libby’s soprano voice was like a bow, and as she played it, the sound, laced deeply in emotion, traveled down everyone’s spine. No one had ever heard or felt a voice like this. It wasn’t hypnotic like Leea’s; instead, it was pure, like the voice of an angel. All of the crew could feel the music dance along the pores of their skin like a needle. Everyone was connected; Libby’s voice had sewn them all into one.
Libby stopped singing, and like a popped soap bubble, the moment was broken.
Then Libby spoke.
“Hope is pregnant, and I am dying.”
Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked out. The room remained silent for a long time.
*
The next few weeks turned into a month, and before the crew knew it, the time was near. Libby’s long, beautiful hair turned gray, and she started to look old and feeble. But her spirit remained strong, and she cared for and guided Hope during her pregnancy.
As with Libby’s own pregnancy, the crew’s enthusiasm grew the closer the delivery date approached. Everyone began to hope; the name of her daughter came alive in the crew.
Dozer mirrored Libby’s positive attitude, but he seemed to be ailing as well. He was thin, and no matter what Spuds fed him, he still lost weight. His whiskers turned gray, and his body seemed to be withering away. Hiccup, sensing something was wrong, stayed by his side always.
It was early in the morning at the end of the third month that the day finally arrived. Libby was lying on a bed surrounded by pillows that elevated her body. Engineering had built an outdoor veranda attached to Med Bay, and it was large enough that the entire crew could assemble comfortably there. The one sun was just starting to break dawn as the other receded from view. It was a beautiful time to be born.
In a medical gurney, Hope lay on her back with her legs held open in stirrups. As the alien suns moved, so did Hope’s contractions. She was dilated, and the baby’s head was beginning to crown. The colony’s survival once again hung in the balance: Would they survive or die?
With one final thrust, Hope exhaled loudly, forcing all of the air out of her lungs. Her face turned red from the strain. It seemed like an eternity, but finally, the baby moved, only a little at first. Then it seemed like unseen hands in her womb pulled the baby back inside.
The med tech yelled, “Push!”
Inhaling raggedly, Libby screamed out in pain as she exhaled, and the baby unceremoniously slid out into the hands of the med tech, who had been patiently waiting.
The woman held the baby up for all to see. The rays of the rising sun at that very moment hit the naked flesh of the newborn infant. As it wriggled and cried, it was obvious that the baby was a boy. With his infant penis on full display, he started to cry louder, which was music to the crew. Everyone began to cheer. The colony finally had a male to carry on the genetics for a new human race, and all those frozen eggs would have a father.
Handing a pair of surgical scissors to Hope, the med tech stretched the umbilical cord so the mother could sever herself from her son.
“Bring me my grandson,” Libby said softly.
Wrapping the wet infant in a blue blanket, the med tech handed him to Libby. Reaching out with both hands, she pulled him to her and kissed his forehead.
“You have brought us hope, my grandson, and like your mother, you shall have the same name.” Kissing him again, Libby said, “Your name will be Spiro, Latin for hope.”
As Libby held the baby, Dozer rose up from beside her. The large head and unblinking eyes stared back at the baby just like they had when he had first seen baby Libby.
“Our family is now complete,” said Libby. Lo
oking down at her lifelong friend, Libby said, “We can go now, honey.”
As these last words came out of her mouth, Libby’s eyes softly dimmed. Reaching forward, Dozer touched Libby’s nose with his, then, seeing no response, he rested his head on her chest and was gone.
Spiro started to cry, but no one touched him. Everyone just stared. As the crew wept, they held each other’s hands and formed a circle around the beds. Softly, they began to sing:
The birds sing so softly
The gentle breath of the mourning
Both our suns chase the shadows
Lighting and adorning
Dust to dust or so they say
It makes no sense, it’s just the way
Standing ringed in all our tears
The lost carry all our fears
Seeds of life growing strong
Carried by the wind and blown along
Coming to rest this final day
Growing again in another way
The birds sing so softly
The gentle breath of the mourning