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as the medical professional

placed a strap across her forehead, securing it loosely to the backrest buckles. Cata

searched her memories for a similar experience. Something she could embrace. A simple

comparison to comfort her through this ordeal.

"Once, they shot me in battle. I was fighting beside Nado, two planets ago. The

pain, is it like that?"

The midwife smirked while fidgeting with the head strap. "No, it's more…

complicated." She jerked it, pressing Cata tight against the metal chair back. The midwife's sadistic smile visible, she leaned close. "For a brief time, not even a heartbeat, you will pray the Agan brings death. Then it will end. It will be glorious for you."

Cata's eyes teared up as she wriggled against the restraints. Right arm pulling,

left leg pushing, tail flailing as fear engulfed her. The midwife snatched the tail of the expectant mother. She fought with it as a writhing beast until she finally locked it to a vacuum hose glowing red along its length. With the tail secured, she began explaining

the next steps through labored breaths.

"This hose. It will supply transport energy. It will harmonize with your

biologicals. And power the birth."

The midwife bent over, inhaling deep breaths before resuming. "When primed,

your belly will turn from yellow to red as we discussed." She grabbed a nearby helmet fitted with hoses and a compressed gas cylinder on the back. She stepped inside the

birthing tank and closed the door behind her. "Then I will press a button. The birth will occur, and I will release you. Afterwards you and the baby will bond as it feeds from

your chest distention. Following the first feeding, we all get out and go home."

Cata cried out, screaming in protest. "I don't want this! Stop this! Stop it now!"

Her restraints taut, she hyperventilated as her tail pulled against the vacuum hose and security lock. It could not curl. Cata hissed.

***

Nado had been observing his wife's struggle through the control room glass

window. Leaning forward, he scanned the screen readouts. Her biologicals had moved

into the dangerous red zone.

"Doctor, stop this now."

The two security guards more attentive, their hands landed on the percussion

weapons at their side. Dr. Bena eyeballed them before addressing Nado in a soothing

voice.

"This is normal, sir, the midwife will manage it."

Nado scrutinized the birthing chamber once again through the window.

"Patience, your son will be here soon," Bena said, redirecting his thoughts to the future with a pleasant smile.

"Trust me, we never leave a baby inside. Have you picked a name?"

Nado proudly said, "His name shall be Rojan."

***

The midwife tapped Cata's forehead. As she removed her hand, Cata saw a

reflection on a metal surface of a glowing light disk pulsating on her forehead. Her

breathing slowed. Her heart rate dropped. The screens near the birthing chamber

displayed readouts shifting from red to yellow to green.

"Better?" the midwife asked.

"Yes, better," Cata assured her.

The midwife turned a large blue handle on a nearby valve. The birthing tank

began filling with a transparent silicone substrate. Cata inhaled the fragrance of the warm goo.

"It smells like warm lavender fields from Earth, or berries from the Destobush on that planet. What was that name of the planet you took Nado?"

She heard Nado's reply over the intercom.

"That's Delnara, Cata. Our current planet, not one before."

"Yes, Delnara. I thought it was an earlier one. Shame about the Destobushes."

The midwife interrupted their reminiscing.

"When I'm submerged, I can still hear everyone, just speak normally, okay?"

Cata nodded as the silicone substrate began covering her legs. The midwife

secured her helmet and connected hoses to the compressed gas cylinder. She turned the

knob. A valve opened, offering the vital sound of flowing air. As the silicone continued to rise, it covered Cata's torso, triggering the desired response. Her belly transformed from yellow to orange to red. The midwife flipped a switch on the helmet as she looked to the General's wife.

"Check, check? Are you there?"

"Yes, I can hear you," Cata tried to nod, but the restraints held.

"Your belly is red. The dawning is complete."

The midwife turned to the control room and raised five bony fingers spread in

salute. From the corner of her eye, Cata saw Bena echoing the movement. When the

birthing tank had filled, she submerged herself. Bubbles and gurgles of liquid silicone goo riddled her obscured broadcast, breathing like the diver she had become.

"Perfect timing, you're doing great," she said.

Bubble. Gurgle. Breath.

"I think we're ready. Control, mark the time."

Button clicks were coming through as Bena replied over the intercom.

"Time marked, you're a go."

Cata struggled to turn her head toward the control room as her husband placed

his hand to the glass and blurted out, "I love you."

"Not now, Nado!" Cata screamed.

The submerged midwife called out.

"Pressing now!"

Cata focused forward, bracing herself against her bonds, preparing for the worst

agony of her life.

Nothing.

It did not come.

She called out, "There's no pain!"

Still secured, her eyes darted around the chamber.

"Is it over? Hello? Is that all?"

***

In the birthing control room, Bena inspected the screens. Then she moved to each

control one by one. "Everything is green, report."

No answer.

General Nado glared at her.

"Midwife, report!" Bena yelled.

Nado pressed closer to the control room glass. His squinted eyes growing wider

as Cata shrieked in the birthing chamber. The angle obscured his vision, but as the

silicone goo covering her mingled with a new liquid, the shift from clear to purple was unmistakable. The wetsuit covered body of the midwife bobbed to the surface. A shiny

little child with a scorpion tail and the head of a snake, baby Rojan slinked from the substrate to rest on the slain midwife. A purple, bloody finger serving as his first meal while mom screamed over and over, "Get me out! Get me out!"

Dr. Bena transfixed on her screen as she spoke out loud, "No, it's not possible.

The child blocked her pain receptors from the womb." As Bena sat slowly, her face filled with shock. Her body motionless.

Nado screamed, "What does that mean?"

Bena's reptilian eyes began tearing up.

"Do something!" Nado yelled again over Cata's cries.

Bena reached for the abort button. Nado grabbed her arm.

"Not that!" He hissed.

Her voice trembled as she spoke, "Your son.