Species XD-63

Home sweet home

Board meeting.....

"The course has already been set for Planet Xyon. It will take approximately 4 days to reach home - enough time to pack any belongings and apprise your partner." Commander Nix informed while shuffling a pack of papers in his palm.

It was the last day of the programme and all females had successfully fallen pregnant. For Egris, he felt like he was in the clouds and couldn't come down.

He would be a father. Not a Xyon or warrior, a father. 

"What happens once we land?" One young engineer enquired from the opposite end of the table. 

"All couples will be taken to the grand house so they can retrieve their belongings and be informed of their new home. For those males whose house is too small, new accommodation has been built fit for a family. There is little need to worry." Nix replied and dropped the papers, scattering them once again.

"And healthcare? Will there still be regular checks?" A warrior next to Egris asked.

The head health advisor started to talk before Nix could. He was the same old man who had taken Lola's tests and greeted the warrior with a warm smile.

"All females will be assigned a doctor who will visit them once every two weeks. It will be free and regular as clockwork, so there's no need to worry. These infants will be the future of our population so every possibility has been thought of."

Egris was itching to ask a question since the meeting had begun. His home was small - only one bedroom, a bathroom and an open living space. There was no room for another bedroom to be built so he would have to move. But where? 

"Where is the new accommodation?" He asked loudly so Captain Nix could hear.

"There are 3 areas we've used. One in the city of Luse, one in the town of Yad and the last is a large farmhouse in the Vib area. You can choose where you may reside with your mate when we land." The captain replied and took a long sip of his drink.

Egris nodded and went back to a stoic, silent observer.

"What about all the other males on here and home? Will they get a chance to couple?" An older scientist questioned.

For a moment, no one replied. Captain Nix cleared his throat and adjusted the collar of his suit.

"If all goes well and healthy babies are born, there is a chance we can return to Earth and gather more willing females. Until then, we can not say much more."

The scientist sank back down in his chair and sighed. He was one of the few at the meeting without a female, something which couldn't have been easy considering the topic was about couples. 

The urge to have a partner had been dormant for so long in the males that just the mention of one, sent them into a desire fuelled journey to find them. There were far better men than Egris who could have a partner. Men who could give their undivided attention all day, every day. 

People who deserved.

"What will these children be like?" Another soul piped up.

"Well," The doctor started and opened up a file in front of him, "We've taken many tests in our lab and come up with a rough idea of the infants. Their genetic makeup will be more Xyon than human, that's for certain. They will have a much weaker blue skin tone and inherit the mother's hair. Height, metabolism, muscle mass etc. will be similar as well."

"So they'll be strong?" The same Xyon asked.

"That is correct, yes."

xxx

"So we have four days, right? That's not too bad." Lola mused from the kitchen counter.

"We'll have to pick a new home too. I like the sound of the farmhouse, it'll have a large amount of land." Egris said and crunched loudly on an apple.

"How much land? I hope we don't have to actually farm."

"No," he chuckled, "There won't be any animals right now. It's just good to have space, you know? And the house will be large -"

"Good for a family?" Lola interjected and smiled.

"Good for a family." He repeated and laughed.

"God I'm excited!" She chirped suddenly and rubbed her non-existent tummy. 

"Calm down, sweetheart. We've still got nine months left."

'Sweetheart' was another word he had picked up from his book (which he had started to read religiously). At first, it was strange to call Lola something which wasn't her name but apparently humans liked to be called different things. Lola always smiled when he called her 'sweetheart' and it warmed Egris' heart when she did. 

"I know, I know but it's just exciting. I can't believe that we'll be parents. After two months!" She giggled and waddled up to him, "But it's worth it, right? We'll be living a new life soon."

"Come here." He murmured and wrapped his arm around her side. 

They stood for a moment looking out of the window, watching the stars speed past them. Earth had disappeared behind them last night - it would be the last time they would ever see it.

Lola thought it would be a somber affair with tears and a rush of memories. But there wasn't. The Xyon Captain had allowed all the females on board to make one last note to all the people they had left behind. She wrote one to her estranged parents, detailing what exactly had happened and how it was the best for her.

There would be no reply back and she was fine with that. They hadn't been part of her life for years so there was little chance they would care now. That fact never upset her - she was a grown woman, if her parents didn't feel like talking then so be it. 

Lola would just surround herself with something else. Like space.

Egris started to pepper tender kisses across her cheek and down her neck, stopping at the edge of her top.

"You're really beautiful, you know that?" he purred.

She didn't, but it was comforting that someone else thought so. 

And another chapter :)