Proxima Adventure

Chapter 33. Attrition.

Chapter 44. Attrition.

Marion, who was now looking very pregnant, entered Vicky's quarters while holding a hand to her bloated baby bump. "I think it's time," she announced in a squeaky voice.

Vicky stared at her with an expression that suggested both concern and disbelief. "You've only been pregnant for three months. There's no way you're ready to deliver."

"I can feel the contractions," Marion revealed, her face twisted with reaction to pain.

"Shit!" Vicky hissed. "Let's get you to the med lab."

Of course, everyone else realized something was happening. Charles, Alice, Ted and Hillary rushed to the medical station to see Marion propped up on a birthing chair. Their attentions were switching from Marion to Vicky at an ever-increasing rate.

"Is she ready to deliver?" Alice asked, squinting. "It's too early."

"It should be, but the babies are fully formed and ready." Vicky told her.

Only Charles noted that two cats entered the medical station. He assumed that they knew what was happening, and what they viewed was both frightening and awesome at the same time. Marion grimaced and uttered some screeching yells, but she didn't appear to be all that affected by her birthing experience.

The riveted audience viewed the spectacle with rapt attention as Marion's babies came out with little difficultly and appeared to be perfectly heathy. The animated little infants vocally expressed their dissatisfaction with being so roughly handled but soon settled down to suckle at Marion's breasts after being cleaned up.

I can't believe how easily this went," Alice commented. "I didn't expect that."

Charles gestured to the two cats. "I think they knew it would be easy."

"How could they know what's going on?" Vicky asked, glancing at the two cats that seemed to be satisfied with the situation.

"I think they are more aware than we realized," Charles said. "Maybe it's the result of some sort of biometrics we're not aware of. It's possible that the computer system has achieved artificial intelligence separation by means of the cats."

"Are you suggesting that the system has assumed their brains?"

"It's a possibility that might have been designed from the beginning. We just didn't know about it until recently."

Alice's worried expression softened. "Oh well, at least Marion's babies made it."

"Yes, and it will be interesting to see how they adapt to life on this ship. Something like this has never occurred." He realized that his comment was not technically correct. Birthing had occurred in space, but not in this situation where biogenetics had radically altered their physiology.

Marion would have plenty of help in caring for her babies, but she was not sure what would happen to them as they matured. Would they just become crew members after they were properly educated and trained? That would be the best scenario, but there were no guarantees.

The women gathered in Alice's quarters to discuss the situation and marvel at how Marion looked as if she had never been pregnant.

Hilary pointed to Marion while looking at the other women. "If we could bottle whatever made her look so good after a delivery, we would be millionaires."

"All of this is for naught," Alice said. "We can't get pregnant, and even if we did, money is of no use now."

"I hate this!" Vicky complained. "We're in perfect health living with men that are incredibly sexy, and we can't seduce them."

"Maybe we're being too obvious," Beverly said. "It's possible that being too adamant about it is making them uncomfortable. They have admitted that they don't want to cause us to fight over them. It would make more sense for us to casually entertain them."

They all stared at Alice, realizing that she was in control of the men and them.

"I believe that their reluctance is a direct result of our aggressive attempts to dominate them. We are effectively in charge, and they will serve us if we use our charms to assuage their male egos."

They all agreed with her assessment with giggles.

The men gathered in Charles' quarters to discuss their situation, although they were not as concerned about Marion's children. They assumed that the women would deal with their upbringing.

"So, what are we going to do now that Marion delivered her babies?" Robert asked with a hint of amusement on his young face.

"It's not what we're going to do," Dave replied, his face hinting of disgust. "It's what the women are going to do."

"It all comes down to who's in charge," Carl proclaimed. He pointed to Charles. "Is it our illustrious leader here, or is it Alice?"

"Why should we even be discussing this," Dave said. "We seem to have some control because we know how this ship functions. Without us it would fall into disrepair."

"The women are not acting as if they care," James said. "They just take us for granted."

All their attentions were aimed at Charles, who waited to organize his thoughts. "I think that Alice assumes she is controlling us, but it's actually the cats who are directing our course."

The cat that he was holding meowed.

"And I don't think that the women realize it."

"In other words, you have control since the cats seem to have taken to you," Carl said.

"Sort of. It's probably more complicated."

"This really is a ship of fools," Carl said with a smirk. "However, we probably should be happy with the fact that we're still alive."

Charles nodded. "Exactly."

The actual truth came to volition during the communal supper, which was a practice that had become more like a joining of the minds.

What made this an accepted truth is when Charles and Alice stood up and joined hands to proclaim their eternal union with a prolonged kiss that the crew unanimously celebrated.

The cats had won, and they would preserve the feline blessed union forever.

The End. Thanks for reading.