Panacea (7 page)

Leko snorted.

Dr. Jimkol looked confused. “I don’t know what that means.”

“My Familiar does and that is all that matters. Okay, Leko. Let’s get me back to work.”

He lifted her in his arms, and she waved farewell. “See ya’ll in twenty-eight days or so.”

Leko shuddered as he walked. “I don’t know how you can be so cheerful after that. You were in agony.”

“Yup. But pain passes. Don’t get me wrong, I am not going to be skipping in there next month with a grin on my face, but there is a reason that the contract stipulates a maximum of sixty eggs per year. I can do this for six months as long as I get six months off.”

“What if you want to donate more?”

“I can, for a bonus. If they come up with a way of changing the harvesting methodology, things will be better. I know that Alveck is working on it, and hopefully, he is nearly there.”

She rubbed her abdomen. “Yeah, if I have to do that regularly, I am not going to be carrying a child to term, though it would give me some time off.”

“Give it some thought. You can always have your heir and bear another child later.”

“Fair enough. I know that Lrrko is depending on us for the new DNA injection, but why does it have to involve actual injections?”

He chuckled and flew her back to the council building while she bitched and whined the entire way.

To her amusement, the men looked at her with concern when she returned.

Hrakin frowned. “Are you all right? Do you need to rest?”

“No, I need to do something. The number was eleven by the way, six and five.”

The men grinned as if they were proud grandfathers.

Leko set her in her chair, and it was back to business as usual.

Tyanni poured tea for both of them. “Well, at least you had a good first harvest. When mine was done, there was some internal bleeding involved. It was not a pleasant day. Good thing that Brex caught it.”

“Definitely. So, when are you going to have your heir? And are you going to have Brex’s at the same time?”

Ty blinked and picked up her cup. “Next harvest, I guess. It will get started, and I can visit it while it is growing.”

“They are so cute.”

Ty was surprised. “You have been to the gestation lab?”

“Yes. Haven’t you?”

“No. I think Brex is worried about how I will take it. It is a little different from human gestation after all.”

“I think he might be worried that you will see him as a clone. It’s nice. They grow them in small batches to keep the possibility of errors low. If there is a problem, they can spot it in the small batch and engage in gene therapy right away. Easier for five than fifty.”

“Definitely. Wow. Cool.” Ty grinned. “So, how are you doing otherwise, Elder Lynni?”

“Funny. You will eventually pay for that.” Lynni smiled. “I am actually enjoying being on the council. I am learning a lot about the Lrrko and the aliens that they have living among them.”

“The women?”

“The very same. I am working at getting Leko to bring me into the city to meet and greet some of them, but he says we have to wait until the other three are here. Just to make sure that I am not endangering the gene pool.” She rolled her eyes to express what she thought of that. She sipped at her tea and sighed.

“What was that sigh?”

“I miss chocolate. It wasn’t until I was near ovulating that I realized how much I miss chocolate.”

“Maybe they can come up with something to substitute.” Ty sounded hopeful.

Lynni grinned. “Perhaps. I will have the elders look into it. With five Terran women each having four working ovaries, chocolate is going to be a necessity.”

“So, sis, when are you going to have your heir?”

“Next harvest. I plan on breastfeeding in the elder council if I can get my body to cooperate.”

Ty nearly sprayed her tea over the table. “I will pay money to see that.”

“I will call you on the day. So, what are you hoping for, a little boy or a girl?”

“I think I want a little boy that looks like Brex.” Ty’s features softened as she thought of her Familiar.

“I love Leko’s hair and eyes, but I think a little girl would be adorable with that colouration.” Ly sipped her tea. “I will have to give it some thought, make a decision tree. That kind of thing.”

“Well, I know that whatever we have, there will be no shortage of aunties bringing up the rear. I can’t believe they are going to run all the clones at once.”

“I think they are going for a bit of natural population. They are going to keep meticulous records, of course, but I think they want to try to grow their own from scratch.” Lynni wrinkled her nose. “Of course, they don’t have to grow them. Having babies is dangerous.”

“I know. Remember the stories that Gran used to tell about her sisters and how they died having kids?”

Lynni shuddered. “Remember? When I realized I didn’t have to actually bear the kids, I was so happy I nearly passed out.”

Ty smirked. “Me too. As I told the council, I just got control of my body again. I want to keep it.”

“Well, I got this lovely colouration and I would hate to see what stretchmarks do to it.”

“Is there any word on the other Terrans?”

Lynni nodded. “Yes, but it is classified.”

Ty blinked. “What?”

“You heard me. There are things that I can’t discuss as an elder. Blame yourself. You nominated me and seconded the nomination.”

Ty frowned and tried to figure out a way out of the trap she had made for herself.

* * * *

Leko looked over at the ladies from across the common area. “So, what are you hoping that she chooses? Boy or a girl?”

Brex smiled. “A boy for her, a girl for me. Ty has told me over and over that there will be plenty of girls around. I want to know what a little boy with her genes will be capable of.”

Leko shuddered. “That sounds like a prescription for endless sleepless nights.”

“I know. Staying up with Ty is an excellent way to spend an evening. How about you? Boy or girl?”

Leko looked over at his bi-coloured Bride. “A girl for her and for me. She has all the traits that we were told the ancient Lrrko women have, and there can’t be too many of them out there for me. She is strength, grace, intelligence, all combined with a streak of aggression that is kept in check. I think our world would be richer for her contribution.”

Brex looked at him and scowled. “I want to change my answer.”

They laughed together and continued to plan the future of their genetic heirs.

* * * *

Lynni looked at the men and shook her head. “I am not going to figure them out in a hurry.”

Ty nodded. “I am not even going to try. So, how do you want to go about finding a chocolate substitute?”

Lynni shrugged. “I dunno. Go into the market and start licking things?”

Ty paused for a moment, and then, she broke into a cackle that brought Brex’s head around, pointed toward her.

Lynni grinned and winked at Leko. She might be of two minds about a lot of things, but her Familiar wasn’t one of them. They had a future together, and she was looking forward to every moment.

Well, I have done it. I am going to end the Terran Times Second Wave series in eight more books. I have been writing this series in one version or another for ten years, and I am done. Look for
Quit
next summer.

I am working to create a new universe to take the place of the Terrans and I hope that it will meet with your approval.

Thanks for reading,

Viola Grace

http://www.violagrace.com

[email protected]

Viola Grace (aka Zenina Masters) is a Canadian sci-fi/paranormal romance writer with ambitions to keep writing for the rest of her life. She specialises in short stories because the thrill of discovery, of all those firsts, is what keeps her writing.

An artist who enjoys a story that catches you up, whirls you around and sets you down with a smile on your face is all she endeavours to be. She prefers to leave the drama to those who are better suited to it, she always goes for the cheap laugh.