Chapter 7: Zygote

Jamie awoke to the sound of someone buzzing at the door. He kicked off the sheets groggily, sliding out of bed, turning to glance at Liz. Despite her superior hearing, she remained stubbornly asleep, one of her furry ears twitching as the buzzer rang again.

Jamie pulled on a pair of shorts, making his way through the prefab, opening the door just a crack. Harry was standing on the steps, the morning light just starting to bleed through the trees at the edge of the forest behind him.

“I was startin’ to think you guys were too hungover to come to the door,” he chuckled. “You ready to go down to the hive?”

“Oh, yeah,” Jamie said as he ran his fingers through his bed hair. “Fuck, I didn’t realize you’d be here so early. Can you give us an hour to get ready?”

“Sure,” he replied. “I’ll go hang out at the bar ‘till then.”

Jamie returned to the bed, putting his hand on Liz’s shoulder, giving her a shake.

“Hey, Liz,” he whispered. “Time to get up.”

She batted him away, grumbling to herself.

“Come on,” he added, giving her another shake. “Harry is waiting for us. We’re supposed to go down to the hive to meet the Ambassador, remember?”

She slowly sat up, Jamie trying to keep his eyes off her swaying breasts. She reached up to touch a finger to her face, pulling it away as though she expected to see something there.

“Why the hell is ... Jamie, did you come on my face last night?”

“Don’t you remember?” he chuckled. “I didn’t think you were ‘that’ wasted.”

“I’m getting flashes of ... oh lord,” she muttered, her cheeks starting to warm. “Never let me drink that much again.”

“I dunno, you looked like you were enjoying yourself to me.”

She smirked, giving him a gentle push.

“Dork. I’m showering first, and make sure you clean up properly when it’s your turn. Bugs have a great sense of smell, and right now, you’re wearing me like a perfume.”

“That’s kind of hot,” he replied, Liz further messing up his hair as she made her way past him.

They collected Harry from the bar, the plucky Marine leading them to one of the flatbed trucks that they had seen delivering crates. It wasn’t too different in appearance from an off-road SUV one might see back on Earth, but it was overbuilt, with a sturdy roll-cage and a bullbar that looked like it could probably run down a bear. It had high suspension, lifting it a good distance off the ground, the thick tires made from a kind of honeycomb that made flats impossible.

“Sorry, Lizka, you’re gonna have to ride in the back,” Harry said as he opened the driver’s side door. “We don’t have any madcat-sized seating for you.”

She hopped up into the bed of the truck and gripped one of the metal bars for purchase, the rear suspension sagging under her weight. Jamie made his way around to the passenger door, climbing up into the truck. It was nothing like the comfortable self-driving cars that he was used to. It was much more rugged, the seats more akin to the crash-couches that he’d seen in the Magellan.

“Will Liz be safe in the back?” he asked, strapping himself in.

“She’ll be fine,” Harry replied, hitting the ignition button. “Blackjack rides back there all the time.”

They pulled away from the settlement, following the track through the woods, Jamie bouncing in his seat as the vehicle’s impressive suspension tackled the uneven terrain. It was a little unnerving riding alongside a human driver with no nav system to take the wheel, no road, no civic network for the truck’s computer to sync with. One errant flick of Harry’s wrist, and they could plow straight into a tree.

“I told Holly about you guys last night,” Harry said, the left side of the truck rising for a moment as they drove over a root. “She’s real excited to meet you.”

“Holly?” Jamie asked. “Is that the Ambassador?”

“Yeah,” he replied, the spinning wheels skidding in the wet mud as they rounded a bend. “She says it’s gonna be a huge opportunity for repairin’ the hive’s image. Somethin’ about makin’ life, rather than takin’ it.”

“I’m not sure we want our faces plastered all over the newscasts,” Jamie continued, reaching up to grip a handhold on the roof above. “It’s not really a private affair, considering that there are hundreds of UAS scientists working on the project, but these are still going to be our kids. We don’t really want to make a circus out of it, you know?”

“Oh, I get that,” Harry replied. “Holly’s a real soft touch, she’ll come up with somethin’ that works for you. That’s her job, after all.”

Naturally, driving to the hive was a much faster journey than walking, the resin door in the mound of soil soon coming into view. They drove past it, however, Jamie giving Harry a quizzical look.

“We live near the hive,” he explained, “just not inside it. Those dank tunnels ain’t really my bag, even if the critters can build you basically anythin’ you want out of their resin.”

They came upon another clearing in the trees, this one occupied by a single prefab that was surrounded by a patch of cultivated land. It was a garden, Jamie realized, full of colorful flowers rather than crops. If it wasn’t for the angular, metallic walls of the building, it might have looked like a picturesque cottage. Flowering vines were even being cultivated on wooden trellises, encouraged to grow up the sides of the structure.

They pulled up a short distance away, the truck rolling to a stop. Jamie felt the rear suspension bounce as Liz hopped out, landing on the ground beside the vehicle. He unstrapped and stepped down into the mud, glad to be safe from Harry’s unnerving driving.

“You alright, Liz?” Jamie asked as he walked around to the other side of the truck.

“Bit of a bumpier ride than I’m used to,” she replied, “but I’ll live.”

Harry led them down a curving, paved path that was flanked by flower beds, the blooming plants like nothing Jamie had ever seen. They didn’t even really have petals, more like fleshy prongs that were arranged in star shapes around a central bulb, their reds and blues somewhat more muted than what one would find on Earth.

“What are these?” Liz asked, pausing to kneel beside one of the bushes. She lifted a flower to her nose, sniffing it. “Are they species from Earth?”

“They’re pretty strict about what kind of plants we can bring dirtside,” Harry replied. “Someone tracks in a grass seed on their boot, whole fuckin’ ecosystem goes belly-up. The crops we use are genetically modified so that they can’t reproduce without a special enzyme they can only get from us, so there’s no danger of the wheat going AWOL and killin’ all of the local plant life. Roses ain’t exactly a staple food, so this is mostly stuff that Walker has collected on his sabbaticals.”

“They’re so primitive,” Liz marveled. “They look like something straight out of the Cretaceous period. I wonder what kinds of insects they’re trying to attract with these fleshy stamens?”

They continued towards the prefab, but they didn’t go inside the building, Harry taking another quaint path that led around the side of the structure. They passed beneath the arch of a wooden trellis that was covered in flowering vines, a larger garden coming into view. It was maybe eight hundred square feet, overflowing with plant life, a veritable botanical menagerie of what must be native species from all over the continent. There were more carefully tended flowerbeds, patches of ferns, cycads that looked like pineapples. There were more trellises and planters everywhere he looked, cultivating strange plant life that Jamie couldn’t even name. There was no fence around the property, it just kind of petered out into bare dirt, but they didn’t have any neighbors competing for space. The idea of unclaimed land for the taking was almost inconceivable to Jamie. Back home, people had to fight for every square foot.

He heard a gurgling sound and was surprised to see a water feature off in one corner. It was an artificial pond that was surrounded by carefully stacked rocks, a small waterfall trickling down from its apex.

Jamie turned to glance back at the prefab, seeing that it had been modified with a pair of large French doors that led out onto a wooden deck with a view of the garden.

“Looks like someone has been busy,” Liz muttered.

“Hey, Holly!” Harry yelled. “You around?”

A figure rose up from behind a bush at the far end of the garden, setting down a trowel, a pair of eyes with pink sclera turning to peer at them. Jamie recognized her immediately. It was the ambassador that they had seen on the newscast.

She was just as regal in person as she was on video, her white carapace patterned with an odd iridescence, shifting hue under the sunlight like mother of pearl. Around her neck was a ruff of thick, white fur that made her look like an Elizabethan noblewoman, the tiara-like horn that rose from her forehead only furthering the comparisons to royalty. She had four moth-like antennae, two of which rose up from her head, the others hanging down her back like a pair of long braids.

What Jamie hadn’t seen on the newscast was her figure. She was far more voluptuous than even the female Drones that he had encountered, her waist pinched into an hourglass, the wideness of her hips exaggerated by a kind of skirt made from gossamer wings. Two larger wings trailed behind her, giving the appearance of an ethereal gown. Her torso was covered up by a structure that almost resembled a corset, a pair of what could only be described as breasts peeking out above it, giving her a kind of cleavage. The flesh was a deeper pink, oddly shiny, like it had been waxed. The same exposed flesh was visible between her joints and on her inner thighs, only their outer surfaces armored. It was hard to know where her body ended and her armor began.

It was all very deliberate, very calculated, but Jamie couldn’t deny the effect her appearance had on him. He felt as though she could have persuaded a man to do pretty much anything.

She strode down the path towards them on a pair of long, digitigrade legs that ended in dainty, two-toed feet, her gait just as exaggeratedly feminine as her appearance. Jamie glanced up at Liz, seeing that she almost seemed annoyed by the sight. Perhaps she thought that the Queen had overplayed her hand in this case...

As she neared them, the plates that made up her face shifted into a smile. It was a little uncanny, like a china doll that had been shattered, then glued back together again.

“Welcome to Jarilo,” she said, her British accent identical to Walker’s. “You must be the couple that Harry was telling me about. My name is Hollyhock,” she continued with a demure curtsy. “I’m so pleased to make your acquaintance. There’s so much that I’ve been wanting to discuss with you.”

Jamie and Liz introduced themselves, but it seemed that the Ambassador already knew their names.

“Come,” she said, gesturing to the prefab with one of her four hands. “We should retire to the veranda. It must have been an uncomfortable drive over here from the settlement. Might I offer you some refreshments?”

“Sure,” Jamie said, sharing a glance with Liz. “That would be nice.”

The party made their way back to the deck, Jamie sitting down on a chair made from the orange resin that the Bugs seemed to favor, finding it remarkably comfortable. It was somehow rigid where the structure required it, but far softer where his body was in contact with it, providing a similar sensation to a gel pack.

Liz was surprised to find a chair that was perfectly suited to her stature, pausing before sitting down on it as though she couldn’t believe her eyes. Living on Earth, there was almost never seating that was comfortable for her, and she spent so much of her time sitting on the floor.

“Did ... did you make this for me?” Liz asked, glancing down at Holly.

“It was really no trouble,” she replied, visibly pleased by the Borealan’s reaction. “The Workers in the hive can make simple objects like this far more quickly than you might imagine. After Harry told me that you’d be visiting, I put in a request.”

Liz sat down tentatively, her hesitation evaporating as she sank into the soft padding. Jamie had to stifle a chuckle as he watched her frown melt away. She looked about ready to shed a tear of gratitude.

“Harry, would you fetch a pot of tea while I entertain our guests?” Holly asked. She turned back to them as Harry entered the prefab, clasping her lower pair of hands together as she gestured with the upper. “Now then, tell me more about this project of yours...”

They began to explain what had happened so far and their plans for what was to come next, the Ambassador listening quietly. Save for a few nods of her head, she didn’t interrupt their story, waiting patiently for them to finish.

Harry soon returned with a tray of drinks, setting a pot and four cups down on a low coffee table that was made from the same organic resin. Holly began to pour steaming liquid into each one, holding a cup and saucer with her lower pair of hands while clasping the pot in the upper. It was quite mesmerizing, Jamie finding himself transfixed by her dexterity. She passed the first cup to him, and he gave it a sniff. It had an amber hue and a sweet aroma that reminded him of honey, the scent bringing back flashes of what he and Liz had done the night before. He tried to bury those thoughts, taking a cautious sip.

“It’s good!” he said, Holly nodding her approval as she passed another cup to Liz. It looked like a toy in her giant hands, but she lifted it to her lips, blowing on it before taking a drink.

“What’s in this tea?” Liz asked. “It smells a little like honey, but there’s something ... headier about it.”

“It’s a kind of honey that we produce in the hive,” she replied. “Don’t worry, it’s quite nutritious.”

Harry joined them in one of the chairs, the four of them watching the breeze blow the fronds and flowers in the garden as they drank. The tranquility was disturbed when Jamie noticed how Holly was drinking, the segments that made up her face splitting open to form a kind of jaw, a tube of azure flesh snaking its way out. The muscular organ dipped into the tea, Jamie realizing that it was a proboscis, the Ambassador drinking through it like a straw. She was able to speak at the same time, confirming his suspicion that her painted lips were just for show.

“Nothing like this has ever been attempted before,” she began, leaning forward to set her cup down on the table. “The Jarilans have done extensive gene-editing involving human and Betelgeusian DNA, as you know, but creating a hybrid of two other species opens a whole new realm of science and medicine. This is something that Jarilo can offer the Galaxy, the gift of life, the miracle of conception where none was possible before.”

“It’s really good PR,” Harry explained.

“Building ships and weapons for the Coalition is one thing,” Holly continued. “Providing troops and labor is helpful, yes, but it’s not tangible to the average citizen in the same way that helping start families or cure diseases is. So many know us only as killers, but through you, we can show the Galaxy that we can give back.”

“We want to help, of course,” Liz replied. “We owe you our gratitude. None of this would be possible without the Jarilans.”

“We were just a little concerned about, uh ... privacy,” Jamie added, trying to find a polite way to phrase it.

“Of course, a valid concern,” Holly said as she folded her lower arms neatly in her lap. “I don’t mean to make you the poster children of an advertising campaign, not if you don’t want that. I understand that family life is a private affair, that your children being able to lead a life free of unnecessary prying is a priority. I have a little mammal in me too, you know,” she added with a chuckle. “I do want to support you in your endeavor, however. Know that the full backing of the hive is behind you.”

“Thank you,” Jamie said, not really knowing what that entailed.

“The UAS will be publishing their work in scientific journals,” Holly continued, “but those are unlikely to reach the general public. I want to spread word of what we’ve accomplished here all the way from Franklin to Valbara. I want discussion of the hybrid children to be on everyone’s lips, including those who have none. I want them to know that this miracle was made possible, in part, by the Jarilans.”

“You want credit?” Liz asked.

“Only that which we deserve,” Holly replied. “The UAS scientists have played an important role, as have you two. This isn’t about who is responsible for what. I merely want to take full advantage of the opportunity to spread ‘good PR’, as Harry so eloquently put it.”

“What would we have to do?” Jamie asked. Holly leaned forward, picking up her cup and saucer again, her proboscis snaking forth to suck up another mouthful of tea.

“As I said, the UAS reports won’t mean much to the general population. They’re not easily digestible. What will spread across the Galaxy like a virus, however, is more tangible evidence. Pictures of the children, videos, testimonies from their parents and doctors. People need to see that they’re happy, healthy, thriving.”

“We don’t want to broadcast our lives to the whole Galaxy,” Liz protested.

“I understand that,” Holly continued, the chitinous plates that made up her face closing back up again into a facsimile of a smile. “We would take whatever measures to protect your privacy that you require. Some simple video footage of the kittens sleeping or playing would certainly be adequate. I imagine the sight would melt the hearts of most viewers, and in doing so, make them more sympathetic towards my people.”

“I guess that would be okay,” Jamie said, turning to Liz for approval. “Maybe it would help spread the word, let other couples in our situation know that the treatment is available, wherever they might be. I used to think that we were practically alone, but the more I learn, the less that seems to be the case.”

“As long as we get the final say in what information gets shared, I approve,” Liz replied. “It’s not for us, you understand,” she added. “There aren’t many aliens living on Earth, we’re used to getting stares, but I want to spare the children as much of that as possible.”

“You are planning on returning to Earth, then?” Holly asked. Her antennae waved in the air, the ambassador glancing between the two of them. “I had wondered if you would prefer to raise them on Borealis, as I’m told they’ll most resemble that species.”

“Borealis is a harsh place to raise a kid,” Liz replied.

“Understandable,” Holly continued, taking another sip from her mug. “Still, they will be somewhat out of place on Earth, would you not agree? You said it yourself, there are few aliens living there.”

“I was raised on Earth,” Liz said, crossing her arms confidently. “I got by alright. Besides, the children will have each other. There is safety in the pack.”

“You are correct, undoubtedly,” the Bug added. “There is another option, however. You could remain here, if you wished it.”

“Remain here?” Jamie repeated, cocking his head at her. “What do you mean?”

“Consider the situation on Jarilo,” Holly said, steepling her fingers as she relaxed back into her seat. She lifted one of her long legs, crossing them. “You have seen the children playing in the settlement, have you not? A new generation is growing up in a society where coexistence is the rule rather than the exception. They will never know a world inhabited only by their own kind. We are all interconnected here, both by bonds of cooperation and of blood. We are one hive, one family, one colony.”

She leaned forward in her resin chair, more animated now, gesturing with her four arms as she elaborated.

“The next generation of settlers will be raised in an environment where aliens are a fact of life, where the sight of a Drone or a Worker will be unremarkable, and where sharing a classroom with a Borealan kitten would be the status quo. Your children could grow up in a society where they will not suffer prejudice, where they will never face the possibility of being outcasts.”

“Wait, you’re proposing that we move to Jarilo permanently?” Liz asked.

“You would have all of the space that you require to raise such a large family, naturally,” Holly continued. “We have acres of empty land, you need only pick the location, and our Workers could build you any kind of home that you desired. There’s a large human settlement here, a UAS research base, everything you might need.”

“But ... what about our jobs?” Jamie asked. “How would we make a living?”

“The hive would support you for as long as you wished it,” Holly replied, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. “We aren’t short on resources. Not to mention the fact that the UN gives rather generous grants to people who decide to relocate to developing colonies. Having you closer means that we could also monitor the health and development of the children more closely,” she added. “We could intervene if anything unexpected happened.”

Jamie and Liz looked at each other, neither one of them really knowing how to respond. It was quite the offer, more than generous, but it had been sprung on them so suddenly.

“You will no doubt need time to think it over,” Holly said in a reassuring tone, sensing their hesitation. “Do not feel as though you must give your reply now, or even today. Take your time, it is an important decision.”

“Yeah, I think we’ll have to get back to you on that,” Jamie said.

“Well then,” she continued, shifting the topic of conversation. “Tell me, how are things on Earth? News can be slow to reach us out here.”

“You want to know about Earth?” Liz asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise.

“I confess to being rather fascinated,” Holly replied, settling back into her chair. “My aspiration is to visit one day, perhaps when Jarilans are more accepted among the people of the Coalition. We don’t know where the Betelgeusian species originated, and since I have my father’s DNA, that makes Earth the furthest back that I can trace my lineage.”

“You’re talking about Walker,” Jamie added, Holly’s antennae bobbing as she nodded her head.

“If the Queen is my mother, then he is my father. He provided the genome from which all modern Jarilans are derived. What’s more, he raised me, taught me how to interact with humans so that I could fulfill my purpose as an ambassador.”

“He does seem to care a great deal about the hive,” Jamie said. “We met him a couple of days ago while out in the forest, it was practically all he talked about.”

“Yes, he’s always off exploring,” she chuckled. “He set down his rifle for good after the war and decided to pursue his passion. He’s an explorer, a scholar, a dedicated naturalist. Needless to say, he is a source of endless inspiration for me. I strive to emulate him, to find common ground between humans and Jarilans, whatever the odds.”