“So how are you feeling, any morning sickness, you feeling tired, anything I can help with?”
“No, Scarlette. I am fine and it has only been a month. Myc’s connection with the fetus is far enough along that it will not cause any major changes to my systems. While any symptoms that are unavoidable can be handled by Myc. This will probably be easier than any human pregnancy that has ever occurred.” Niki was so nonchalant about the baby that it was kind of disappointing.
She didn’t want a baby shower, she didn’t want to talk about the baby, she didn’t even let me feel her belly. I mean I know it is too early for most of the common things that you would do with a pregnancy, some women may not even know they are pregnant by now. We only knew because of Myc telling us.
“Come on, are you going to make me beg. Please. I mean it is a baby, it is the first of our species to be born. We should mark the occasion with a celebration, or at the very least you should let me help.”
“Seriously, Scarlette, chill out. She is going to be pregnant for a while, there is plenty of time to berate her about having a shower. Although I do have a question, how is the whole taking care of the kid going to work?”
“Well as a collective we wish for the child to be raised by the whole community. It will be a new experience, there has never been anything like this before. However, as our community grows and children become more common we do not wish for the common nuclear family to become commonplace.”
Yes, the human saying ‘It takes a village’ seems like a fairly correct method. I would hope that the child will grow up not thinking that John and Niki are its only ‘parents’. I would hope that the child is as connected to all of you as it is to its biological parents.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“Of course. I always wanted a baby brother or sister. So what is it gonna be, a boy, a girl, do you have any names picked out? Ooo, can we do a photoshoot when you finally get a little baby bump? Oh my gosh I can’t wait.”
“Relax, Scarlette. It is a child, if Myc’s plans for expansion work out. There will be many babies for you to fawn over for years to come. Perhaps even one of your own, then you can do all the little fun activities you wish.”
“Niki is right, I mean we can do something little if you want but really she should just relax and let Myc make sure both of them are healthy and happy. So did you happen to pick out any names yet? I mean, I don’t know if you already know if it is a boy or girl.”
“Well, Myc believes that gender is an unnecessary addition to the development of the fetus.”
“What does that mean?”
“Well as Myc can take care of most bodily functions it seems unnecessary to have genitalia for the child. As a species we will not need bathrooms, and when the child is grown it may wish to choose a partner. So if the time comes, Myc can add any features that the child wishes. There will be no need until that point in time, so the child will be born genderless. Although we have not thought of a name, there is still plenty of time to think of one though.”
“I mean I know that Myc can do a lot but I was still thinking that it was just gonna be a human baby. I mean I know even humans can be born with non-specific gender but still this thing is gonna be an alien huh.”
“Wow, Cat. That was kinda mean. This is gonna be a totally different species, it is gonna be a whole new experience for everyone.”
Yes, the time will come when I hope that all of you will finally truly accept my presence as John and Niki have. You are all scared of losing your humanity, but it is just a weight holding you all down. This child will accept my presence and be more evolved than any other creature on the planet.
“Yeah, but is it going to be its own person or is it just a body for you to personally occupy?”
I find that comment to be distasteful. You cannot accept my presence because you are afraid of losing yourself in the collective. But as a collective we are the collection of every member, if they could not keep their minds we would be lesser for it. I could possibly create a million bodies to occupy. However, I would not be a hive mind, I would just be a being with many bodies. The thought of being alone fills me with dread and fear. This child will have a mind of its own and it will be greater than every other species on this planet. I hope that when you meet the child you will see what you have been missing by rejecting my presence.
“Until you are truly connected to the bond, I do not need your opinion on the child or what will become of it. So if you are still not bound when the child is born, then I don’t see a need for you even having to be near it.”