Feb 3rd, 2280
May 16th, 2279, had begun with Janice informing Richard and Orla that their escapades the night before had resulted in conception. Orla was elated, and even Richard found himself pleasantly surprised.
Janice, analyzing their DNA structures, offered them numerous options to modify the child’s genetics. Orla’s bioluminescence and prehensile hair, a result of genetic engineering, were recessive traits. But as Janice started to mention the possibility of altering their child's skin color, the couple decided to leave things to nature. They wanted their child to be who he or she was meant to be - genetically unaltered.
Richard could’ve sworn he heard mirth in Janice's voice, but he dismissed it as his imagination. Interpreting human-like traits onto an AI was a side effect of living under constant surveillance. Still, the lines blurred more day by day.
And as much as Richard regretted the fact that integration with JCells would begin as rapidly as the fetus developed, the only other option would be to leave him as a human, prone to all the problems of humanity and none of the comforts of the colony. It would be simply inhumane.
When Orla suggested the name "Skodj" for their child, Richard was initially confused. The name, Orla explained, was thought-slang for 'the act of hiding in plain sight through determination of causing no notice.' Despite her explanation, Richard was skeptical of the name and felt that it sounded like an insult. Then he realized the name, when spoken aloud, sounded very close to 'Scotch'. With his Scottish roots, Richard found it amusing, as if their child were going to be named after his favorite whisky! Orla, not being born to vocalization, could not really hear the difference. Richard found this endlessly entertaining and gave him at least one private bond with his son.
On February 13th, 2280, Orla gave birth to their son, Skodj, with Janice skillfully opening a slit in her belly that was no different from the opening of an entrance in a wall. Skodj was then gently floated into the room. His skin was exceptionally pale, almost translucent - an observation Richard made with a touch of exaggeration. This made Richard breathe a sigh of relief as, despite his deep love for Orla's exotic nature, her augmentations often made her appear somewhat alien to him. Contrasting this, Scotch's hair was a fascinating mix of their genetics. Depending on how the light hit it, Richard found the color of Scotch's hair changing, ranging from chestnut to dark red to mahogany, and even black.
All of Orla's friends and relatives witnessed the birth through her eyes, a possibility that Richard had never fondly embraced, especially during their intimate moments. Though, at such times, he mostly managed to push these thoughts aside, they never fully left his mind. It annoyed him, and it was another cultural difference that Orla could not comprehend the reason behind.
Richard waited for that tug of familial love to overtake him. However, he quickly realized that he was not cut out for fatherhood. He felt overwhelmed by his responsibilities, and his immortality made it difficult for him to relate to the fleeting nature of Skodj's life. He respected the fact that Skodj was a unique individual with his own thoughts and feelings but found it difficult to connect with him on a deep level.
Sensing his detachment, Skodj, or Scotch, clung to Richard all the more, trying to earn his love, affection, and attention. Richard felt a twinge of guilt as he realized that he was not capable of meeting the expectations of implicit fatherhood, but he hoped that he could make it up to Scotch in other ways.
Richard took his duties seriously, trying his best to provide emotional stability and supply the necessities to Orla and Scotch as he affectionately referred to him occasionally. The nickname had stuck around, often used in lighter moments and with a fond chuckle, reflecting their unique family dynamic.
As Scotch grew older, Richard began to worry that Orla would use her child allotment to extend her labor deferment, trapping him in the pod for another 30 or so years. As he watched his wife and their son in their close connection of biology and technology, Richard couldn't help but feel a growing sense of resentment. He knew that the unbreakable bond they shared was something he could never truly be a part of. The feeling created a wedge between him and Orla, pushing them further apart, and the resentment weighed heavy on his heart. Despite his love for her, it was difficult for Richard to overcome these emotions, and he feared the distance between them would only continue to widen.
As Richard watched his family through the lens of the pod, a dull ache throbbed in his chest. It was a stark contrast to the giddy excitement he had felt when he and Orla were first getting to know each other. His spartan bedroom, which had always given him such pleasure in the past, now felt synthetic and antiseptic, making him feel captive instead of supported. The temperature was regulated to a comfortable level, but Richard still found himself rubbing his arms against the chill creeping up his skin. Knowing that Skodj, now almost 15, would soon enter the Labor stage, Richard found himself resisting the idea. In a flash, the boy would be 35 and starting a pod of his own - and I'll be free he added with a sense of quiet guilt. He knew he would miss his son terribly, even though Skodj's presence was a constant reminder of the resentful, detached feelings that plagued Richard.
Richard remembered the way Orla's magic hair felt beneath his fingertips, the way it would curl around and grab his fingers, emitting lights that he had learned to read - keys to unlocking her emotional state. Sifting through all the memories he had of her, Richard realized that he had grown used to Orla being a constant presence in his life. Her absence, when he was away on missions, weighed heavily on him. He missed the way she could read him like a book and yet be utterly clueless at his limitations most times. The way she could touch his arm and ease his tension or her hair would massage his neck when he was fretting. Richard had always admired Orla's ability to live with untethered joy and passion, so unlike his own restrained approach to life. He longed to break free from his own constraints, to live more in the moment like she did.
Growing old together was not the purpose of pods. Life was simply too long to make that feasible, and a pod was not necessary for that kind of relationship. Many couples even managed to stay together even after the dissolution of the pod. The true function of the pod was to maintain and support the emotional well-being of the child. Richard understood his obligation to ensure that Scotch received everything he needed to thrive, including a more relatable father figure.
He decided to attempt to bring another man into the pod to be a lover for Orla and hopefully father her next child, should she choose to have one - leaving Richard free to leave once Scotch was podded.
Despite not knowing much about her social circle, which tended to be virtual and decentralized, it dawned on Richard one morning, during his shower, that there was an entity that knew Orla better than she knew herself.
Once he had some privacy at work, Richard chuckled at the thought of privacy. He was looking for someone to shoulder the emotional and physical needs of Scotch and Orla. He tasked Janice with crunching the numbers, and to his surprise, the results indicated Tontaulkin, a muscular mountain of a man, known affectionately as Tilt. With a visage that resembled a medieval blacksmith, Tilt was not someone Richard would have imagined being a good fit. However, despite his intimidating appearance, Tilt was a patient and kind man with a decent sense of humor. In addition to being an excellent candidate for the role, Richard couldn't help but like him personally. He seemed like a great fit.
Richard hoped that by introducing a new lover for Orla, he would be able to maintain the balance of companionship in the pod while avoiding any emotional or romantic entanglements that could keep him bound to the pod for longer than he desired. Unsurprisingly, given that Janice had selected Tilt, Orla accepted him into the pod, and they eventually formed a unique, romantic bond.
Even with the arrival of another man in the pod, Richard did not entirely abandon the concept of family and companionship. He hoped that Scotch would find love of his own and raise a family upon being podded. Though he distanced himself from fatherhood, Richard found these values associated with the colony and the concept of pod-living laced with their own kind of beauty and practicality.
Despite his initial reservations, Richard found that having another man in the pod made life much more comfortable for him. He knew he had done his job with Janice, although he felt that it had been restrained as much as he was able to get approved - far less than he would have liked - as he fought against Brenda's pushes for more invasive abilities. Nevertheless, Richard found that the restrictions of the colony, combined with his forced separation from it, began to take a toll on him. The allure of the craters was looking sweeter by the day, but for now, he was happy to have found a solution that made sense for everyone involved, at least for the time being.