mischief.”
He put his arms around her. “Oh, Aliena! I hope not!”
“Your comfort sustains me. I am reassured.”
That was good. But now it gnawed at Brom. Her body had rejected its own brain; what of hers? It was a real and present danger.
They had a catered meal from the dining car, then slept as the journey continued. The whole of it was underground; there was no scenery to be seen. Brom was amazed by the expense this tunnel must have incurred. All to conceal the access to the space station? All for Aliena? So it seemed.
Eventually the train slowed and halted. They were at the station. Brom’s watch indicated it was early evening. What now?
They exited the train and followed a lighted passage to a pleasant room. Two Chinese men stood there awaiting them.
“Dr. Ching!” Aliena exclaimed, and ran to the older one. She hugged him, to his evident surprise.
“Aliena,” he said. Evidently that had become her name throughout. “It is good to see you so active.”
She let him go and turned to the others. “This is Doctor Ching, who did my transplant.”
“Under the supervision of the Starfish Machine,” Dr. Ching said. “I could not have done it alone. That brain is truly alien.”
“Dr. Ching,” Martha murmured, impressed. “World’s foremost neurosurgeon.”
Aliena indicated her companions. “These are my husband Brom, and my associates Sam and Martha.”
Ching stepped forward to shake Sam’s hand. “I see they got the best, to protect her.”
Sam shrugged. “Whatever.”
So the world’s foremost neural surgeon knew Sam by reputation.
Ching turned to Aliena. “My associate and I must examine you before you board the shuttle, to be sure you are in health for the trip. You understand.”
“Yes. My husband will remain with me.”
Ching looked as if he were about to protest, but Aliena gave him a look and he stifled it. The two doctors showed them into an examination room, where Aliena obliging stripped naked and lay on the table, unconcerned about modesty. The associate poked and prodded her and took her blood pressure while Ching examined her head, evidently taking brain wave readings.
“All looks good. We will need blood and urine,” the associate said.
Aliena held out her arm for the needle, then held a flanged vial to her cleft and urinated. They took the offerings and fed them into machine orifices, while Aliena dressed. The associate quickly checked Brom in a far more cursory manner.
In moments they had results; this was evidently a top notch facility.
“My dear, you are in excellent health,” Ching announced. “With a single complication: you are pregnant.”
Aliena clapped her hands like a joyous child, then hugged Brom. “Already!” That echoed Brom’s surprise. There had been plenty of sex, yes, but hardly enough time following her period. Could it have been that first time, in the surf?
“The machine may not approve,” Ching said.
“I will deal with the machine,” Aliena said. “Oh, I am so happy!” She kissed Brom. “You mated me!”
They exited the chamber and rejoined Sam and Martha. They knew immediately that something was up.
“What is it?” Martha asked.
“I’m pregnant!” Aliena said joyously.
Sam and Martha exchanged a glance. “Congratulations,” Sam said cautiously.
“Is the shuttle wise?” Martha asked.
“She is fit for that,” Ching said without other expression. Brom could tell he had a reservation, but clearly Aliena had none.
They went to the shuttle, which seemed to be another chamber. Brom and Aliena strapped down, and Sam and Martha joined them.
“There may be a flicker,” Sam said. “It is routine.”
There was a small jerk, as of something connecting to their door. Then it opened and they unstrapped and stepped out.
Onto a space station. Brom could tell by the trace gravity. Actually it had become trace at the time of the jerk, he realized belatedly.
“We’ll recover normal weight when we enter the Wheel,”
He put his arms around her. “Oh, Aliena! I hope not!”
“Your comfort sustains me. I am reassured.”
That was good. But now it gnawed at Brom. Her body had rejected its own brain; what of hers? It was a real and present danger.
They had a catered meal from the dining car, then slept as the journey continued. The whole of it was underground; there was no scenery to be seen. Brom was amazed by the expense this tunnel must have incurred. All to conceal the access to the space station? All for Aliena? So it seemed.
Eventually the train slowed and halted. They were at the station. Brom’s watch indicated it was early evening. What now?
They exited the train and followed a lighted passage to a pleasant room. Two Chinese men stood there awaiting them.
“Dr. Ching!” Aliena exclaimed, and ran to the older one. She hugged him, to his evident surprise.
“Aliena,” he said. Evidently that had become her name throughout. “It is good to see you so active.”
She let him go and turned to the others. “This is Doctor Ching, who did my transplant.”
“Under the supervision of the Starfish Machine,” Dr. Ching said. “I could not have done it alone. That brain is truly alien.”
“Dr. Ching,” Martha murmured, impressed. “World’s foremost neurosurgeon.”
Aliena indicated her companions. “These are my husband Brom, and my associates Sam and Martha.”
Ching stepped forward to shake Sam’s hand. “I see they got the best, to protect her.”
Sam shrugged. “Whatever.”
So the world’s foremost neural surgeon knew Sam by reputation.
Ching turned to Aliena. “My associate and I must examine you before you board the shuttle, to be sure you are in health for the trip. You understand.”
“Yes. My husband will remain with me.”
Ching looked as if he were about to protest, but Aliena gave him a look and he stifled it. The two doctors showed them into an examination room, where Aliena obliging stripped naked and lay on the table, unconcerned about modesty. The associate poked and prodded her and took her blood pressure while Ching examined her head, evidently taking brain wave readings.
“All looks good. We will need blood and urine,” the associate said.
Aliena held out her arm for the needle, then held a flanged vial to her cleft and urinated. They took the offerings and fed them into machine orifices, while Aliena dressed. The associate quickly checked Brom in a far more cursory manner.
In moments they had results; this was evidently a top notch facility.
“My dear, you are in excellent health,” Ching announced. “With a single complication: you are pregnant.”
Aliena clapped her hands like a joyous child, then hugged Brom. “Already!” That echoed Brom’s surprise. There had been plenty of sex, yes, but hardly enough time following her period. Could it have been that first time, in the surf?
“The machine may not approve,” Ching said.
“I will deal with the machine,” Aliena said. “Oh, I am so happy!” She kissed Brom. “You mated me!”
They exited the chamber and rejoined Sam and Martha. They knew immediately that something was up.
“What is it?” Martha asked.
“I’m pregnant!” Aliena said joyously.
Sam and Martha exchanged a glance. “Congratulations,” Sam said cautiously.
“Is the shuttle wise?” Martha asked.
“She is fit for that,” Ching said without other expression. Brom could tell he had a reservation, but clearly Aliena had none.
They went to the shuttle, which seemed to be another chamber. Brom and Aliena strapped down, and Sam and Martha joined them.
“There may be a flicker,” Sam said. “It is routine.”
There was a small jerk, as of something connecting to their door. Then it opened and they unstrapped and stepped out.
Onto a space station. Brom could tell by the trace gravity. Actually it had become trace at the time of the jerk, he realized belatedly.
“We’ll recover normal weight when we enter the Wheel,”
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