“I spoke with the new supervisor earlier,” Lily said. “His name’s Krial. He’s reasonable. He wants to make sure you and the child are fit and healthy. He asked me to come in here and see if there was anything you wanted to share about your health with the scientists.”
“My health?” I said. “What about my health?”
“They went through your records and you seem fit and healthy. They want to make sure the baby won’t suffer from any… difficulties.”
“Difficulties?” I said, my hand going unconsciously to my stomach. “Why would there be any difficulties?”
“It’s just a precaution,” Lily said. “Oh, and hey. I brought you something.”
She pulled a small box of alien chocolates out from behind her back. She handed them to me. They reminded me of the ones Trayem gave me that night during the riot.
Great. Another reminder of him.
Even if I didn’t see him, I would always carry the memories we shared. Now, thanks to his unerring sperm, I would take a living memory of him with me wherever I went.
“Thanks,” I said.
“You know, they’re my favorite too,” Lily said. “I could use one… unless you’re intending on keeping them all to yourself?”
I couldn’t help smiling. I opened the box and let her choose one.
“Mm,” she said, biting into her chocolate’s hard outer shell. “I never could deny myself a delicious treat like this. Have one. It will cheer you up no end.”
I did as she suggested and chose one at random. My tastebuds exploded with their delicious and alien flavors. And she was right. It did help me relax a little.
It was unusual enough for Lily to be kind to me—to be kind to anyone—so I had to be in a seriously difficult situation if she was being this nice to me.
“How are you holding up?” Lily said.
“Okay,” I said. “How are the other girls?”
“Fine so far. None have become pregnant yet, though I suppose it won’t be long before they are.”
I shook my head.
“I can’t believe I’m the first. I thought… I had plans to make sure this didn’t happen. I just… lost control of myself and look what happened.”
“Hey, it’s not all that bad. You’re going to be a mom. That doesn’t happen every day.”
“It does, only to someone else,” I said wryly. “You never had kids?”
“No. The right guy never seemed to come along.”
The tears were in my eyes before I realized.
“I’m really scared, Lily,” I said. “Having a kid is one thing. But to have one in this place? I can’t imagine a kid growing up here.”
“I know,” Lily said. “But things aren’t usually as bad as we think they are.”
“What are they going to do with the baby?”
Lily looked at me questioningly.
“They’re going to let you keep it, of course.”
“They are? In this place?”
“No, not in here. They’re going to let you go home.”
I sat bolt upright.
“They are? Why would they do that?”
“Because it takes an empire to raise a child, and there aren’t any in this part of the galaxy.”
“Village.”
“What?”
“It takes a village to raise a child. Not an empire.”
Lily’s eyes narrowed. Her irritation lasted only a fraction of a second and was gone.
“So, you see,” she said, “there’s really nothing you need to worry about. For you or your kid. The baby is your ticket out of here. You just need to make sure it’s strong and healthy.”
I rested my chin on my hands.
“I’m not even sure I can have kids,” I said.
“Not have kids? Why not?”
It was a dark part of my past that I never wanted to think about, never mind share with another human being. But then, I never expected I would be in this situation either.
“I… had a child… a long time ago,” I said. “I was very young. It was an accident. It never should have happened. And when the adoption people came around, they asked if I wanted to let him go to a loving family, and I agreed. It was the biggest mistake of my life. I always wondered where he is, what he’s doing. As I got abducted, I guess it’s probably a good thing I didn’t have to raise him. But I always think about him.”
“Oh, Harper,” Lily said, reaching out and taking my hand. “I’m sorry. But how does that affect how you’re able to have kids?”
“There were… complications. The doctors said I might be able to have them… or I might not. I always thought it best to play it safe and ensure I never had them. Not until I was ready, anyway. But now… Isn’t there anything you can do? Some way you can help me?”
“I can speak with the supervisor but I’m not sure he’ll agree to anything I suggest,” Lily said. “Are there any other health concerns I should inform the supervisor about?”
I shook my head.
“No.”
“Okay,” Lily said, dusting off her hands and getting to her feet. “I think I’m done here.”
It was the way she said it more than the words she used that caught my attention.
“I hate wearing the identity of lower lifeforms,” Lily said.
“What?”
Lily pressed her back to the invisible wall.
“Lower lifeforms?” I said. “What does that mean?”
Then she smiled. It curled only one corner of her mouth and twisted upward. Now, Lily might be capable of such a smile but I couldn’t bring myself to believe she could muster the same amount of sinisterness the way she did right now.
A shiver shook my body and brought me out in hives.
“You’re not Lily?” I said.
“Of course not.”
“If you’re not Lily, then who are you?”
“Lily” stepped back and turned her head toward the front wall but kept her eyes firmly on me.
“Let me out.”
The wall shimmered and faded. She stepped through it.
I bolted forward at my chance to escape. The wall shimmered at the last moment and I crashed into it. I beat on it with my fists, feet, knees, and elbows, hammering it with everything I
