Proxima Adventure

Chapter 27. Surprise.

Chapter 27. Surprise.

The next crisis didn't involve the robotic conflict. It came as a surprising health problem from Marion. She complained that she was suffering hot flashes and that her abdomen was more taunt than it should be.

"I'm not sure what's going on," Vickey told her. "You passed the health scans with flying colors."

"These changes make me think that I'm ovulating, but I would have experienced a period if that were the case."

Vicky smiled. "Ah, you haven't had sex with our handsome male crew members, have you?"

Marion frowned, "No, I haven't."

"Let's take you to the medical station," Vickey said. "Maybe we can find out what's happening."

When they arrived at the medical station, Marion undressed and laid down on the medical scanning bed. Vicky ran a complete scan of her body, and what she found astonished her.

"Ah, you're pregnant. I would say about three weeks, maybe four."

Marion's face exhibited total shock. "What? How is that possible?"

"Good question," Vicky replied. "Maybe what this could indicate is that we're able to reproduce without sex."

Marion laughed. "You realize how crazy that sounds."

"Yes, but maybe our physical transformations have something to do with it."

Vicky just shook her head and sighed.

Vicky tapped a finger to her lips for a moment before she looked at Marion. "I think I'll take a blood sample and see if that could indicate what's happening here."

Marion gave her a subtle grin, but she was not happy at all with what was happening to her. She realized that the first thing that the crew would assume is that she had gotten banged.

When Charles found out about it, he didn't think that was the reason Judy was pregnant. He imagined a possible nefarious plot that the commanders had inserted into the system to create a new more advanced human species. Despite the ridiculously frivolous theory that the women were added to amuse the male commanders, Charles wasn't convinced that it was the main reason that so many young women had been sent on a potentially dangerous mission to a possibly habitable planet.

Of course, the male crew members swore up and down on an imaginary bible that they had nothing to do with Marion's unexpected maternal situation, which wasn't necessary because there was no recorded visual evidence that any male had violated a female crew member.

During the usual evening communal meal, the subject was on everyone's agenda.

"So, we're sure that this is not a result of intercourse," Hilary said. "That would suggest that something has changed in our physiologies that could cause conception."

"That's true," Vicky replied. "But we have no idea how that's possible."

"How about the commander's records," Hilary asked. "Is there anything in them?"

Alice reacted to that. "There's a cryptic reference to a possible new energy inflected conception idea, but it's with a series of crude references to female genital functions, suggesting that it's a joke."

"Yeah, and the joke is on me!" Marion complained.

"Are we to assume that we'll all get pregnant?" Mary asked.

Charles decided to reply even though he felt nervous about it. "We have no idea if this is just a singular accident or the effect of a global process that we have no knowledge about. If all of you become pregnant at the same time, we'll have to deal with a major crisis. I don't think this ship was fitted with the proper equipment and means to deal with multiple births."

"Let's assume that this is part of the commander's original plan to form a new more advanced biogenetically race of humans," Dave said. "Where could it be installed. There are no habitable planets near Earth."

"What if it wasn't meant to be established on a new planet," Carl argued. "Maybe it was destined to be installed on a new cleansed Earth."

"That would require using the food seeds from our vessel and the creation of cities using the metals and materials that were left from the cleansing," Dave proposed.

Charles smiled and pointed at him. "Yes, that is consistent with the robotic units that were installed on this ship." His expression became more despondent. "But there's one major problem with that idea."

Carl frowned. "What?"

"The robotic aliens that have been hounding us might have planned for that. Unless they're eliminated, we would be vulnerable."

"There's another problem with that plan," Vicky said. "What we're faced with is a human society without love. Love is the main reason that humans propagated a society that filled the planet. Without the need for sex to continue the species, love would be a useless emotion."

Charles didn't think that was a valid theory for a number of reasons, but he decided to remain quiet to prevent a possible ugly conflict.

"We've already attained that status," Hilary said. "We've avoided sex to prevent conflict. Now, with this auto genesis trick, there's no need for family. We would be separated emotionless beings in a loveless universe."

Charles held his hand up. "Let's find out what's going on here before we get bent out of shape. We have no idea how this autogenesis works."

The truth eventually came out during a get together in Marion's quarters. Hilary, Alice and Vicky wanted to provide Marion with some maternity clothing by using the sowing machine that they had found to make Alice's baby doll nighty.

"So far, none of us have shown any signs of pregnancy," Hilary said while cutting a section of a cotton sheet. "Maybe it's an anomaly."

Vicky turned to Marion. "You're not a virgin. Were you having sex with anyone before being put into hibernation?"

Marion's face exhibited a slight blush. "I was . . . having an affair with one of the male cadets."

Hilary, Vicky and Alice's eyebrows shot up simultaneously.

"I think we found why you're pregnant," Vicky blurted.

"Is there any way we could confirm that?" Alice asked.

"We would have to take a blood sample from the fetus," Vicky said. "But that would be a dangerous procedure."

"I don't think it's necessary," Alice said. "It's been a week since she was found pregnant and none of us have shown signs."

"Yes, I think we're safe," Vicky replied.

Everyone was relieved when this somewhat erotic news came out during the communal supper. Everyone exhaled a relieved breath when they realized that it was only a confined event not a nefarious plot.

"Actually," Charles said. "This is an interesting opportunity to see how the robots adjust to this."

"Why would they be involved?" Hilary asked. "We gals know how to take care of children."

"I realize that. However, if there were a plan to create a new advanced human species, we might be able to find the programming that they included to handle that."

"I don't get it," Hilary argued. "How did Space Command think that we were going to create this advanced human species if we were rendered sterile by the blackout incident?"

"I think this was just a joke," Alice said. "They didn't care about the human race one twit. They would have been satisfied to live out their lives on this vessel."

"It doesn't matter now," Charles said. "Their plan was conveniently aborted."

"No pun intended," Carl added.

Charles chuckled. "Yes!"