Page 71 of Human Reform
I grabbed the bag we’d prepared weeks ago—Olivia had insisted we have it ready a full month before the due date—and looped it over my shoulder.Then I helped Alora to her feet, supporting her with an arm around her waist.
“Remember when you had Aeon kidnap me and bring me here to help you with your glitch problem?”She winced as another contraction hit, leaning heavily against me.“Never imagined I’d be having your baby nine months later.”
“Remember when you tried to escape and slammed yourself into that door?”I countered, guiding her carefully through our home.“Never imagined I’d be so terrified of losing you.”
As we stepped outside, Planet Alpha’s nocturnal symphony greeted us—the whirring of insects, the distant calls of jungle creatures, and the gentle rustle of leaves in the night breeze.The twin moons were high in the sky, casting enough silvery light to illuminate our path.The air was thick with humidity, carrying the sweet scent of night-blooming flowers.
Our colony slumbered around us, structures of metal and salvaged materials nestled among the jungle foliage.Lights still glowed in some windows—night shift workers, other expectant parents, perhaps even Commander Helix reviewing security protocols.No matter the hour, our little civilization pulsed with life.
“Almost there,” I assured Alora as we made our way along the stone path toward the medical bay.I’d walked this route countless times but never with such urgency and purpose.
Alora’s grip on my arm suddenly tightened.She stopped, a small gasp escaping her.“That one was stronger.”
I fought back panic.“Do I need to carry you?”
“No, just… give me a moment.”She breathed slowly and deliberately, the technique Olivia had taught her.“Okay.We can keep going.”
The medical bay came into view, its white exterior gleaming in the moonlight.Unlike most structures in our colony, it was purpose-built rather than cobbled together from salvage.The large doors slid open as we approached, the lighting in the corridor brightening in response to our presence.
Olivia was already waiting, her brown hair pulled back in a practical bun and her green eyes alert despite the late hour.“The expectant parents arrived,” she said with a warm smile.“Come on back.Aeon’s setting up the delivery room.”
“How far apart are your contractions, Alora?”Olivia asked as she led us down the curved corridor.
“About seven minutes now.Getting stronger.”
Olivia nodded.“Perfect timing.Not rushing but definitely on the way.”
The delivery room was warm and inviting, nothing like the sterile, clinical spaces on Earth.Aeon stood adjusting equipment, his tall frame dwarfing the birthing bed.When he saw us, a rare smile crossed his face.
“The big night finally arrived,” he said, his voice carrying the same steady calm he’d maintained through countless medical emergencies during the war.
“She needs to change into a gown,” Olivia told me, taking the bag from my shoulder.
Aeon placed a hand on my shoulder.“You look more terrified than when we faced that Nescot battalion outside sector seven.”
“I was originally programmed for combat,” I muttered.“Not fatherhood.”
His eyes met mine with understanding.“Some things can’t be programmed, Daxon.They have to be learned through experience.”
Another contraction hit Alora, and I was instantly at her side, my arm supporting her back as she breathed through it.The sight of her pain made something primal surge within me—a desperate need to protect, to fix, and to make everything better.
“I’ve got you,” I whispered against her temple.“I’ve got you both.”
When the contraction passed, she looked at me with a fierce determination I’d come to cherish.“We’re ready for this,” she said.“Our little family.”
Our family.The concept still stunned me daily.Before Alora, I’d been a collection of protocols and duties, emotion buried beneath logic and purpose.Now I stood on the precipice of becoming a father, feeling everything with an intensity that would have once terrified me.
As Olivia helped Alora change and get settled on the birthing bed, I watched in awe.This brilliant, beautiful woman who had once lived isolated in Earth’s mountains now carried our child—a perfect synthesis of human and cyborg, of logic and emotion, and of past and future.
At that moment, standing in the warm light of the delivery room, I knew with absolute certainty that whatever challenges came next, we would face them together.Just like we had for the past nine months.
Another hour passed like a tactical assault—swift, intense, and overwhelming.Alora’s contractions grew closer, and her pain became more acute.Every muscle in my body tensed as she cried out, her fingers digging into my forearm.Sweat beaded on her forehead, dampening strands of dark hair that had escaped from her braid.
“God, this hurts,” she gasped, between contractions.“Remind me why we thought this was a good idea?”
I brushed the hair from her face, feeling utterly helpless.“Because we’re creating something perfect.”
Her scream tore through me like a physical wound.The sound scraped against every protective instinct I possessed, igniting an ancient rage with nowhere to direct it.I had faced down enemy fire without flinching, but the sight of Alora in pain made me want to tear the world apart with my bare hands.
