Nov 6th, 2336
"Is he safe?" Amrite questioned. She glanced around what was now a warm, curvaceous room. The walls pulsed with a gentle rose hue, reflecting her nervous excitability. Bolchevk's "On Blue Horizons" played calmly in the background of her mind. She could remember that no child had ever died in childbirth in the colonies, but logic brought her little comfort.
"His ship docked 12 minutes ago," Janice replied within her mind. "He's on his way to you, Amrite." She was just trying to distract herself, knowing she could have just as easily looked through Marn's eyes or obtained a sensory overview of his journey to her. But querying Janice at this level was more time consuming and attention diverting.
A flutter of relief briefly quelled her unease, but it was replaced almost immediately by another influx of apprehension. Janice had released chemicals into her bloodstream to delay the birth by a few days to enable Marn's presence. Janice had cut it close, almost to the minute.
She brushed a hand over her rounded stomach, sensing the small, responsive movements beneath. Her pod had gathered, each person acting as a steadying presence in their own silent way. A soft, chaotic backdrop of random thoughts bombarded her. Armite had turned the volume way down. Linda reached out, her small hand finding Amrite's in the warm light. Skodj was a strong presence on her left, his hand over hers, offering warmth and reassurance. Katja’s dignified silence from across the room was strangely comforting.
An opening grew in the wall and Marn walked in, looking fresher than anyone who had just returned from Earth had a right to. His dark eyes found hers immediately, full of anticipation and unspoken questions. Janice supplied him with the answers, and he nodded as if he hadn't been watching from Linda's eyes for most of the last day. He made his way over to join the quiet vigil around her.
The birth process was an intimate dance between Janice and Amrite's body, an unseen waltz under her skin. Amrite scoured summaries of the comforting presence of the nanites, microscopic machines in her blood, ensuring her health and the safety of the child.
She chose to forgo a full pain management process, opting instead to rely on Janice for buffering the worst of the contractions. She desired to feel, to be an active participant in the birth process. Janice could have grown the baby outside of Amrite, but earlier experiments with that had produced detached offspring.
"It's time, Amrite," Janice whispered in her mind. A wave of forcefulness pulsed through her body, pushing her fear away. With a deep breath, she nodded, leaning back against Skodj's broad chest. His arms formed a protective coil around her, bracing her body as Janice initiated the labor. Janice altered the birth canal, widening the opening. She relaxed muscles that might otherwise have fought the process.
The first wave of contractions began simply enough; there wasn’t the usual pain, but a strange contracting pressure sweeping throughout her belly. The second wave was more significant, causing her to clasp the hands of Linda and Skodj tightly. This was mostly theatrical, filtered through Janice, allowing Amrite to feel more connected to the process.
She switched her view entirely to an external satellite of the stars. In essence she closed her eyes to the room allowing a tidal wave of foreign emotion to wash over her. A mix of fear, anticipation, and an instinctual desire to protect created a powerful surge within her. She was aware of her pod around her, their deep-rooted concern alleviated by Janice's constant reassurances.
Over the next hour, the contractions came and went, swelling and fading in a rhythmic pattern. Amrite was better prepared now, navigating the waves with a particular courage and grace that silenced the room.
Then, quite suddenly, an array of sensations peaked. In her mind’s eye, she could 'see' Janice guide the child out. She felt her body instinctively respond, following Janice's quiet instructions.
"There she is," Marn 'spoke'. His thoughts were a whirlwind of emotions, echoed by their earnest gazes as they looked at the newcomer.
A moment of peaceful silence dominated the room before a small cry finally broke it. Khalla. Their child, their future. Cradled in her mother’s arms, she opened her dark eyes to the world. An earth-shattering wave of emotions swept across the room. A new tale, a new beginning had started. Their unity baby. And this was just the beginning.