WOMB - A SHORT STORY BY THE BROTHERS SPENCER

                   Naveen pressed her ear against the glass, but the high-pitched cries of newborns didn’t include hers. Tears streaked down the window as robotic hands descended and snatched the lifeless shell she gave birth to from the bassinet and out of sight. The nameplate was replaced with another. The robotic hands returned with another baby whose proud parents disregarded the hysterical mother as they celebrated beside her. Naveen’s heart sunk to her stomach and she collapsed. Sebastian, who until that point sat with his face planted in his palms, lifted his tormented wife from the cold floor and carried her away.

               

                  Sebastian entered the darkness of their bedroom with a tray of hot tea and biscuits. He spoke the words “enhance lighting” and the room instantly brightened. And there she was, a despondent Naveen fetal positioned beneath the sheets.

“Naveen, baby, come on,” he pleaded with the back of her head. “It’s been days now. You need to eat something.”

                “It could’ve been the trip to Munzi,” she said sluggish and raspy before facing him.

“Stop it, Naveen!” he snapped. “Visiting my parent’s wasn’t the issue and you know it!”

“You can’t even breathe without a mask the air is so toxic! And we were there for three days! Three friggin’ days! I knew you should’ve gone alone…”

                “What do you mean? It wasn’t your fault so stop blaming yourself.”

                Naveen shot up, “Me… I’m not to blame! They’re your parents, Sebastian! You’re the one who wanted to see them, not me!”

In a fury, Sebastian slammed the tray down on the nightstand so hard everything on it spilled onto the bed, “So I’m the reason Sophie died?”

                “Get out!” screamed a teary Naveen. “Get out, Sebastian! Just get out!”

                “Fine! I need a drink anyway.”

               

                After an hour or so of flying around the backseat of a shuttle-taxi, Sebastian finally ended up at the Hotwired Octopus. It was the type of joint you wouldn’t want anyone to know you went to, but on Thursdays nights you were sure to have the time of your life. No sooner did he enter, Candy, a stripper-bot stuck her breasts in his face.

                “Ah, Mr. Atell; you’re earlier than usual. Finally taking advantage of the early-bird special?”

                “Not now, Candy,” Sebastian scanned the place as if he was looking for someone. “Is Deacon here?”

                “But it’s only forty credits and includes five minutes of one on one fun time!”

                “I said no! Now, is Deacon here or not?”

                Candy sighed disappointingly, “Of course he’s here! He practically lives here. Now, you know the rules; if you’re not dancing, then you must drink.”

Sebastian finally saw Deacon at the bar with ten shots waiting for him, “Trust me, I’ll be doing a lot of that.”

“But I don’t make money off drinks!”

Sebastian sidestepped the stripper-bot and flopped on the empty bar stool next to Deacon.

“My lil’ bro finally arrives!” he slurred.

                “Hey, bro, I see you started without me,” sassed Sebastian.

“You took too long.” He slid the entire row of shots over, “Here, suck down those lady troubles!”

“Lord knows I have enough of them right now.”

“No, stupid, I meant the drinks. They’re called lady troubles. Candy hopped behind the bar and whipped ‘em up just for you, but of course I had to try one or two first to make sure you’d like it.”

                Sebastian just shook his head then gulped a shot.

                “So talk to me, bro,” said Deacon as he took a pull from his vapor pen.

“I feel terrible about Naveen,” he sighed. “Every time this happens…  I just hate seeing her so – screwed up. You know, she actually thinks our trip to Munzi was the reason she lost the baby?”

“You’re serious?”

“Yeah, well, a part of me felt like an ass when she said it, but I don’t know.”

                “Listen, the whole toxic fume shit goin’ on ain’t nothin’ new. Mom and dad refuse to leave and ain’t nothin’ ever happen to ‘em. Ain’t nothin’ happen to me or you neither. Hell, we’d still be there if the Commission and the Union didn’t force us out and into good ol’ Ashuria.”

                “If we didn’t come here, then Naveen and I wouldn’t have met.”

                “That’s true; but over the eight years you guys been married, how many times have you gone back to visit? Twenty or so, some shit like that?”

                “Maybe so; we visit our parents at least twice a year.”
                “If she’d never blamed Munzi before, then why now? I’m telling you, bro, that broad’s full of crap!”

                “Whoa, Deacon, what the hell, man?” asked a riled Sebastian.

                “Sorry, bro. It’s just that it’s sumthin’ different every time. I know she’s upset; she has every right to be, but she can’t put this on you and you can’t let her. If you do, you won’t be able to live with yourself and that’s the truth.”

                “Then what else could’ve happened then? What caused her radiation levels to skyrocket like that?”

                “It could’ve been anything, man!” said Deacon taking another pull. “It could’ve been those shitty security scanners at the shuttleport, for God’s sake, but it wasn’t you or Munzi; that much I know.”

                “This is tearing us a part, Deacon!” said a somber Sebastian. “If I can’t give her the family she always wanted then she’ll walk out on me. I know it…”

                “Are you listenin’ to yourself? Naveen ain’t goin’ nowhere. I dunno why, but she loves you too much. You guys will get through this, trust me. As a matter of fact, lemme see your phone.”

                Sebastian dug out his phone from the inner pocket of his beaten leather jacket. Deacon tossed his onto the bar top then waved his hand over the screen and a hologram of his contact list projected. He spoke the words, “Open contacts to Fertility Inc.” Once the information displayed, Deacon said, “Copy and transfer to my lil’ bro over here.” The projection duplicated itself and retracted into Sebastian’s phone.

                “There, that should settle it,” said Deacon. “Don’t say I ain’t never gave you nothin’.”

                Sebastian was totally confused, “Fertility Inc.?”

                “Remember when Jeanie fell and broke her hip at the fuel cell mill?”

                “Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?”

                “When we tried to have lil’ Deacon, we had some issues. Come to find out, a bone fragment was stuck in a fallopian tube. Our doctor-bot thought it was impossible to fix, but then he told us to give Fertility Inc. a try. They actually replaced her tube with a fake one, man! And then boom! Nine months later my little badass son was here and he’s been tearin’ my damn house up ever since.”

“You never told me that.”

“Yeah well, the whole thing had Jeanie pretty wound up. Just figured we’d keep it to ourselves, you know?”

“If this Fertility Inc. place is so great, then why haven’t I heard of it before?”

“Maybe ‘cause you been livin’ under a rock or sumthin’! I dunno, man, but they’re like – leadin’ the organic robotics movement and shit. You should pay attention to the news every now and then, bro.”

                “I don’t know. Naveen can’t go through that again, being pregnant and all. It was our fourth try, Deacon. This time she carried full term and the radiation killed the baby. The last thing I want is to put her through the misery of losing another one.”

                “Trust me, they can help.” Deacon got up from the bar stool, “I gotta take a piss. Look after my drinks, will ya?”

                “Sure…”

“Seriously, man, really! Last time I asked somebody to watch my drink, Candy, who you love so much, slipped me one of them brainwave inhibitors. Next thing I knew, I woke up in the champagne room with my pants half way off my ass and my wallet cleaned out.”

                “What the hell, man! Did you report her to the manager?”

                “Damn right! But that prick-bot said I got a hundred lap dances! Who in the hell gets a hundred lap dances from Candy with her pointy ass? It didn’t matter no way, he had the receipt and surveillance video to prove it, so, I just took it as a loss and kept the party goin’.”

                “That’s nuts, bro,” he laughed. “I thought you had to piss?”

                “Oh, yeah. Be right back.”

                While waiting for his brother to return, the television screen across the bar caught Sebastian’s attention.

                “Good evening. This is Wynter McCain of the Ashuria Primetime News reporting live from the Commission of Planetary Energy Headquarters where just a few moments ago, the Ashurian Military Bomb Squad diffused a nuclear claymore. A janitorial-bot discovered the high tech explosive in a storage closet on a clandestine level. He then contacted the local authorities. Military officials say that the credit for diffusing the bomb is due to Rasher & Thorpe Industries’ new countermand detonation technology devices. Investigators suspect this botched attack was carried out by the Munzi-based terrorist organization, The Faceless Rebels, whose attacks have grown more violent since the Planet Fuel Conservation Act of 2130 was enacted almost decade ago…”

Sebastian slammed a shot and saluted the news cast just as his drinking partner returned.

                “What’s going on?” asked Deacon, stuffing his shirttail into his pants.

                “Oh, the usual,” he said plainly. “Stupid politicians almost got their asses blown to kingdom come – again!”

                “Ha! Serves ‘em right for lettin’ the fuel cells empty; now the toxic fumes are poison people! The Interstellar Union builds all these fake-ass planets, chock ‘em full of mofos, and then decide which ones get the goods to thrive. Access to planet fuel is a basic human right!”

“Yeah well, just like Earth-One and E-Two, Munzi’s going to shit no matter how you slice it.”

“I’ll drink to that.”

The brothers exchanged glass clanks then downed the last two shots.

                “Wait, you said almost,” realized Deacon. “What happened?”

                “R.T.I. happened. They gave the military countermand devices.”

                “Holy shit! You mean the ones you designed?”

                “Yup…” said Sebastian with no enthusiasm.

                “Shit, bro. Why the long face? You just like, saved a bunch of lives! Well, kinda; I mean, you’re every bit a hero as those soldiers.”

                “If you say so…”

                “Damn right I say so! Ooh, here comes Candy and right on time. We need to celebrate.”

                “Deacon, I really gotta get back to home to Naveen.”

                “I understand, Sebastian, I do, really, but don’t leave until you have one more drink with me.”

                “Fine, just one more,” he agreed reluctantly.

                “Awesome! Hey, Candy, fetch us another round of lady troubles, will ya?”

               

Sebastian made a huge ruckus when he stumbled into the pitch black apartment and knocked over a vase. With a baseball bat in hand, Naveen turned on all the lights.

                “What the hell are you doing out here?”               she asked ready to swing for the fences.

                “Ah, I’m sorry!” he blurted shielding his blinded eyes. “I broke your mother’s crystal vase. I’ll replace it in the morning.”

                Naveen fumed, “Oh God, you smell like you were with Deacon! Ugh! I’m going back to bed. You can sleep on the couch!”

                Sebastian grabbed her by the hand, “Wait, Naveen, just wait a second!”

                “What?”

                “Listen… Deacon told me about this place.” Frustrated, she tried to pull away. “Naveen, listen! They can help us – to become the family we always dreamed of.”

                “You’re drunk, Sebastian. I don’t have time for this nonsense.”

                He pulled his wife into the living room, “Computer, display search results of Fertility Inc.”

                A hologram projected the company’s profile and articles about its promising advancements in organic robotics.

                “Deacon told you about this?” asked Naveen while scrolling through the pages in awe.

                “Believe it or not, yeah. Look, I’m so sorry about all of this, baby. The last thing I want to do is cause you more pain. Let me make it up to you. I can make us an appointment!”

                “Whoa, Sebastian, it’s way too soon to even be thinking about this.”

“You’re right. We don’t have to make any decisions right now, but we could at least find out what our options are and then go from there.”

“I’m so scared...”

“Me too, but I love you so much. I just want you, us, to be happy again.”

                Naveen leaned in and kissed her husband, “I love you, Sebastian.”

                The couple gushed with anticipation as the appointment day arrived. As soon as they entered the lobby, they were greeted by a blonde bombshell of a woman who was dressed to the nine.

                “Good morning, I’m Ms. Rosethorn, the operations director of Fertility Inc.,” she shook their hands. “You must be Mr. and Mrs. Atell.”

                Naveen was a deer in headlights. Everything from the modern museum-like complex’s architecture to its interactive kiosks was absolutely breathtaking. Sebastian was overwhelmed too, but he tried not to let his wife notice.

“Oh yes, I recognize you from the articles,” he said with a smile. “We’re pleased to meet you.”

“Likewise; shall we begin the tour?” asked Ms. Rosethorn.

“Sure thing!” exclaimed Naveen.

“When it comes to making our clients happy, we spare no expense. Everything we manufacture is second to none and we truly believe that our organic robotics program is the future. Take a look.”

 Sebastian and Naveen saw the state of the art technology up close as a live ovary replacement wowed its crowd.

                “Our procedure specific doctor-bots follow protocols to the letter, and they’re without incident. As you can see, the organ is activated by an infusion of planet fuel which also helps to counteract radiation poisoning. Once the transplant is complete the organ assumes the DNA of its host and becomes a natural part of the body. ”

                Sebastian was confused, “I don’t understand. Of all things, why do your organs contain planet fuel?”

                “Simply put; when the Earth was created, it gave us life and everything we needed to sustain life. Then in death, we returned to the Earth and the process repeated itself. Planet fuel contains organic and inorganic nutrients for synthetic planets to fructify. It’s the natural evolution of life that allows our organic robotics program to flourish.”

                “Sounds flaky to me,” said Sebastian. “I mean, people are fighting and dying over planet fuel! I’d like to think the great minds of Fertility Inc. would’ve simply found an alternative.”

                “Is our program without controversy; of course not. However, Mr. Atell, we are giving people, second chances. Isn’t that what you and your lovely wife came here for?”

                Before Sebastian could retort, Naveen chimed in, “Please forgive my husband. He’s just a bit astounded by all that you do here. Since hearing about you he hasn’t stopped talking about it.”

                “There’s no need to apologize, Mrs. Atell. It’s a lot to take in.”

                “I do have a question, though. How long does it take, the procedure I mean?”

“All procedures are completed within three minutes,” explained Ms. Rosethorn as the crowd applauded at the conclusion of the procedure. “See, all done. Now the patient will be transferred to a restorative chamber where she’ll remain for twenty-four hours, after which, she’ll be all healed up and ready for sexual activity.”

Naveen blushed, “Oh my!”

Sebastian couldn’t help but to smile at her, “Okay, I think you sold us! So what’s the next step?”

“While your wife undergoes a physical assessment with our doctor-bots, I’ll have her medical history sent over. And while you wait, Mr. Atell, why don’t you have your biochip scanned at our finance department.”

“Um, okay,” he said nervously as gave Naveen a reassuring kiss. “I’ll see you in a bit, babe.”

                Once the formalities were done, the wishful couple waited in Ms. Rosethorn’s office. Its ambience and soft music was supposed to calm their nerves. However, the more time that went by, the more restless they became. Their anticipation was at an all-time high when the operations director returned and sat at her desk.

                “Mr. and Mrs. Atell, I have good news and bad news,” said Ms. Rosethorn, plainly. “Which would you like to hear first?”

                Worriedly, they looked to each other at first, but then Naveen answered for them both, “The good news…”

                “Mrs. Atell, after going over your medical history, it’s been confirmed that the radiation spike you suffered was indeed caused by an overexposure to Munzi’s toxic fumes.”

Naveen lost it, and just started balling her eyes out.

Sebastian exclaimed, “But that doesn’t make any sense! Muzians have babies all the time!”

                “True, but the death rate of fetuses who are exposed to the toxic fumes is rising at an alarming rate. At one time people, who grew up there, like you, developed a higher tolerance. That’s why the radiation doesn’t affect you as much as your wife. Over the years the toxicity has worsened and as you two have visited the planet, her levels steadily rose, making conception and childbirth rather difficult for her. Your last trip was the proverbial nail in the coffin. The radiation has literally fried your wife’s entire reproductive system. So for childbirth to be possible, we’ll have to replace it– all of it.”

                “Okay, that’s enough, lady!” cried Sebastian. “We’re outta here!”

                “How is any of this good news?” asked an utterly confused Naveen who demanded answers.

                Ms. Rosethorn smiled, “Because, Mrs. Atell, we here at Fertility Inc. can fix you. It’s an extensive procedure requiring more than three minutes of course, but if you give us the opportunity, we can make your dreams come true.”

                “So, what’s the bad news then?”

“After thorough review of your financial profile, Fertility Inc. will be unable to grant a line of credit. Your only option is to pay the fee of which is ten million out of pocket.”

“What! Our credit rating is damn near perfect!”

“Your credit rating isn’t the issue; it’s your income or lack thereof.”

Naveen exploded, “But that’s impossible! My husband makes damn good money and besides, we have we have health insurance!”

                “Actually, no you don’t,” blurted Ms. Rosethorn with a smirk. “According to the information here, your coverage has lapsed. I’m sorry, but unless you can figure it out, there’s nothing I can do for you.”

                “Your information is wrong!” yelled Naveen. “Tell her, Sebastian! Go on! Tell her!”  

Sebastian was speechless, for him at that moment was less than a man. He couldn’t even look his wife in the eye, “She’s right, Naveen…”

                “I can’t believe you!” flushed with embarrassment, Naveen stormed out of the office.

                “I’ll call you a cab; it’s the least I can do,” offered a heartless Ms. Rosethorn.      

“I’m sorry to have wasted your time.”

Sebastian chased after Naveen until he finally caught up with her as she got in a shuttle-taxi. She wasn’t at all pleased with him sitting next to her.

“Where to?” asked the pilot-bot.

“Ashuria Towers, lower block thirty-seven b,” replied Sebastian.

The shuttle-taxi took off into the chaotic air traffic.

“I’m not going anywhere with you!” cried a livid Naveen as she went to open the door. “Pilot, let me out!”

“I’m sorry, ma’am,” he said politely. “But we’re in traffic and I can’t pull over.”

Sebastian pleaded, “Naveen, just calm down! I can explain.”

“What the hell happened back there, huh? Tell me what’s going on!”

It was like a heavy burden was lifted off him in the form of a ton of bricks that hit his wife, “I lost my job...”

“What! But I thought R.T.I. extended your contract for two more years?”

“Yeah, well, apparently they didn’t like it too much when I showed up late – and drunk...”

“Oh my God, Sebastian, what has gotten into you?”

“It’s just that, everything’s eating away at us. Maybe, I’m selfish, but I thought a drink or two here or there would help more than it hurt. I was wrong. They bought me out of my deal and terminated our health insurance the same day. The last bit of buyout money was spent on your medical needs. That’s why I insisted that we visit my parents last time. We were finally having a baby. I thought if my dad could get me back in at the fuel cell mill, then that’ll hold us over for a while, but, with no planet fuel, there’s no need for fuel cells. So…”

“So, you got me excited for this Fertility Inc. shit and for what?”

“I thought I could work something out. I just wanted to make you happy.”

“I just want us to have a baby! But I guess I’m asking for too much…”

The pilot-bot interjected, “I’m sorry to pry, but I’ve picked up many couples in your predicament. I just tell them where I took my wife. We have six children now. We just can’t stop I suppose!”

With her curiosity peeked, Naveen interrogated, “Well, where did you take her?”

“I won’t lie; it’s a black market operation that’s supplied with Fertility Inc.’s defective organs. These days it’s called Wraith Clinic. They refurbish the organs and sell them to the highest bidders.”

“But you heard us back here,” she said still a bit wound up. “We have no money!”

                “The highest bidders don’t always pay with money,” explained the pilot-bot as they arrived at their residence.

                “Where is this, Wraith Clinic?”

                He said it like it was no big deal, “Rebellion City…”

Sebastian gasped, “Are you crazy? That’s the Faceless Rebel’s base camp for God’s sake! We can’t go there! They’ll kill us!”

                “Not if I escort you,” revealed the pilot-bot. “Come with me and you won’t be harmed.”

                “Thanks, but no thanks!” he went to get out. “Let’s go, baby.”

                “Wait,” cried Naveen. “I wanna do it.”

                “What! Have you lost your ever-loving mind? Not only would we be asking terrorists for help, but it means we’ll have to go back to Munzi! If the terrorists don’t kill you then the toxic fumes will! Your body can’t take the radiation!”

                “Ms. Rosethorn said the organs are immune to radiation and they’ll become a part of me. Maybe I’ll develop a resistance. Either way, it’s our only chance for a family. I want this so bad I’d go alone if I have to, but please, Sebastian, don’t make me…”

                The conviction in her watery eyes was impossible to deny.

                “How do I know I can trust you?” he asked the pilot-bot.

                “You don’t, but as your wife said; this is your only chance.”

                “Okay then. So, how does this work?”

                “It’ll take me a few days to set it up. I’ll contact you then.”

                He hesitated, “Alright…”

                “I can detect your apprehension, sir. I assure you, there’s nothing to worry about.”

                 

After a few weeks, Naveen’s patience wore thin and Sebastian was ready to wash his hands of the whole thing, but then his phone rang. It was a rainy Tuesday when they got the call from the pilot-bot who was already waiting outside. Just as promised, he safely guided the couple to Munzi and through the vile streets of Rebellion City.

Once they arrived at Wraith Clinic, a team of armed guards, who didn’t take kindly to the pilot-bot’s tagalongs, blocked their entry. The guards’ faces hidden behind tinted anti-radiation masks suggested that they may have been Faceless Rebels, but there was no way to know for sure. The pilot-bot got into a heated exchange with the guards that ended with them demanding to see Sebastian’s interstellar passport. Sebastian never had a gun in his face before then, but he was more afraid for his wife than anything so he complied. Without taking the guns off of them, the guards passed Sebastian’s passport around until they each had a chance to study it. Finally, the head guard threw it back at him and they were allowed to enter.

The place was such a dump it ought to have been condemned. Nobody greeted them nor was there a lavish tour of the facility. They wandered the hallway until another team of masked guards stuck their guns in the couple’s back and ushered them to a room more like an old meat freezer than an office. They waited forty-five minutes before they witnessed two men, one in a dingy white lab coat and another one in a King Tut anti-radiation death mask, arguing through the glass of the door. Neither Sebastian nor Naveen could hear them, but it appeared the presumed doctor was begging the masked man for something. The doctor’s head hung in defeat and the two of them entered. The masked man sat at the desk while the anxious doctor stood at his side.

“Good evening, I’m Dr. Wraith,” said the doctor whose hand twitched as he reached to shake theirs.

“Pleased to meet you,” said the apprehensive couple in unison.

“Perfect.  Let’s get to it shall we? Due to our lack of funding, we don’t have doctor-bots here like Fertility Inc. The entire procedure will be done by me, but don’t worry. You’re in great hands.”

Sebastian couldn’t ignore the doctor’s twitch, the dirt under his fingernails, nor the bloodstains on his lab coat, “Are you sure about that?”

“Yes. Here at Wraith Clinic, we take good care of all of our charity cases.”

“Charity cases?” wondered Sebastian. “I don’t get it.”

“After speaking to my benefactor here,” he looked to the masked man before continuing, “it’s been decided to not charge you for the procedure or the organs.”

Mixed emotions fell over him, “Really? Well, I heard not everyone pays with money. You gotta want something in return, right?”

“You’re right, bro,” said the masked man plainly. “We do want something…”

Both Sebastian and Naveen were flabbergasted. The voice seemed familiar, but King Tut’s face muffled it.

“What the – why did you call me that?” asked Sebastian.

The man removed his mask and the couple’s jaw dropped.

“Deacon!” cried Sebastian in disbelief as he rushed his brother. “What the hell are you doing here, man?”

Suddenly, the pilot-bot grabbed Sebastian, slammed up against the wall, and then with a gun in his face primed it to fire, “Don’t speak or even spit unless I tell you it’s okay! Mess around in here and you won’t return home with your lady, your call!”

“Sure, damn – I’m sorry!”

“It’s okay,” Deacon told the pilot-bot. “Let him go.”

“You’re with the Faceless Rebels?” asked Naveen.

“I am the Faceless Rebels,” said Deacon proudly.

“What the hell, man!” exclaimed Sebastian.

“Allow me to explain. When you and I left for Ashuria, you went for a job while I was sent by our leader on a mission.”

“What mission?”

“You, bro. It was more like my initiation really.”

“Bullshit!”

“It’s true. Your expertise of weapons; it was invaluable information for us. And since you were my brother, I needed to figure out a way to get that info from you without your knowledge and of course, keep you alive in the process.”

“You’re lying! There are thousands of more qualified experts out there. Why me, huh?”

“Because, we lived under the same roof and you trusted me. And you’re wrong; no one was more qualified than you. You just chose the wrong career path. You could’ve been a lord of war, but instead you became a peace keeper. There’s no money in keeping peace.”

“Are you drunk, Deacon, because, you’re not making any goddamn sense right now!”

“I’ll admit, I overindulge from time to time; get a little wild, but I’m smarter than you think.”

“If you’re telling the truth, you’re a murderer!”

“Again, that’s where you’re wrong. We’re, shall I say, non-violent. Of course we’ve gotten into a skirmish or two, but we don’t kill. Killing doesn’t resolve anything. Remember when I told you to pay attention to the news? Well, screw that. The media only shows you what they want you to believe. We have a voice, the Interstellar Union is trying to silence us, but they can’t. I’ve got Faceless Rebels everywhere. Under my leadership, we’ve managed to infiltrate nearly every major corporation on Ashuria. Soon, we’ll be able to turn the tide; get those bastards to repeal the Planet Fuel Conservation Act altogether.”

“And what if they don’t?”

“Then we’ll have no choice but to force their hand. Without the Commission of Planetary Energy in the way, all legislation regarding planet fuel distribution would be suspended; until a new commission is formed at least. Then all planets, including Munzi, would receive equal access to the life blood of synthetic planet operation.”

“I thought killing doesn’t resolve anything?”

“It doesn’t, but it’s like I said, there’s no money in keeping peace.”

“Couldn’t people just leave? When they passed the act and depleted Munzi, the Interstellar Union offered relocation stipends, remember? That’s what paid our way to Ashuria.”

“Depleted? More like they let it go to oblivion with zero regard for the people! Those stipends aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on! Ashuria, Germon, and New Mars are ninety-five percent populated. Most citizenship applications were denied despite our stipends! The Commission and their Union puppet masters know damn well what they’re doing! They did the same thing to E Two. You and I were the lucky ones, but luck isn’t on our side anymore.”

“Why?”

“Because, one day, the resources needed to refine planet fuel will be exhausted. So in preparation for the inevitable apocalypse of the entire Union, they got the bright idea to buy time by creating smaller, more fuel efficient planets.”

“Population control…”

“Bingo! However, the real reason why the act was voted into existence in the first place was because we began to develop alternative fuel sources abundant enough to power all planets for millennia and beyond. However, instead of turning the technology over to the Commission and them making it a cash cow for the elitist Union, we want to keep it for Munzian prosperity whereas each citizen would have an ownership stake for generations, but of course, the planet fuel shareholders, i.e. the Interstellar Union, don’t like it when someone’s taking food out of their fat mouths.”

“So they cut Munzi off,” realized Sebastian.

“Planet fuel powers every piece of construction equipment, every tool; hell, even robots gotta shoot some up to stay functional and without it, we can’t finish the development of this technology and we’re left to rot. They’re hoping one of us cracks under pressure; gives up the tech.”

“If that happens, they’ll have the money and the power.”

“And we’ll have nothing but a giant graveyard, but that’s not going to happen.”

“All of this may justify your cause, but why bring us here?”

                “Because, shit is about to get real and I can’t shadow you anymore, lil bro. I need you, we need you. There was just no other way.”

“All that shit about Fertility Inc.; you could’ve just told me to come here in the first place?”

“You know as well as I that if I said to go to the terrorists for help there’s no way you would’ve listened to my drunken ass! Yet, I felt your pain, and when you told me what you and Naveen were going through, I honestly wanted to help. You’re my brother; I couldn’t stand to see you like that. So, I sent you to Fertility Inc. True, I counted on your pride to go through with it despite your financial situation and you didn’t let me down. As a result, I was able to get all the info needed to determine whether or not I could help you. Fortunately, I can.”

“Even so, what in the hell makes you think that I’m going to allow you people to so much as lay a finger on my wife?”

“Well, Naveen doesn’t have to go through with the procedure, but I sure as hell can’t let you leave now, can I? You know who I am; we’re faceless for a reason. Look, Sebastian, this is bigger than us; our home, where we grew up, where our parents live; it’s dying. Sure our affiliation with Fertility Inc. gives us access to planet fuel, but it’s not enough. We need to get that act repealed, Sebastian.”

“So, I guess that’s why it’s free, huh, bro?”

“Freedom isn’t free, neither is happiness. You want Naveen to be happy, don’t you? After all, isn’t that why you risked your lives to come here in the first place? Look at you, you’re so desperate. Well, I’m about as desperate as you are right now. We all are.”

His mind was all over the place, “What do we have to do?”

“Give me your new countermand detonation device technology, and I promise to make your dreams come true, and then some.”

Sebastian looked to Naveen.

“I’m not afraid,” she said with her body language suggesting the contrary.

“I know, baby. That’s why I love you.”

Eleven grueling hours later, Dr. Wraith finally allowed Sebastian to see his wife as she hovered weightlessly in a restorative chamber.

“Your wife will need to remain here until she regains consciousness and her vitals stabilize well enough for travel. When the alarm sounds, she’ll be ready.”

“How long will that take?”

“Not much longer; just think of it as having buns in the oven.”

An emotionally rattled Sebastian was unamused, “Was that supposed to be funny?”

“Um… I’ll just leave you alone now…”

 Another day passed before the alarm went off.  Sebastian stood by as the restorative chamber automatically opened, revealing a fully healed Naveen. Dr. Wraith gave her one last exam and then cleared her to go home.

                The next time Naveen woke up, she was surprised to be in her own bed and to see her husband waiting beside her. However, she must’ve felt really gross, because she jumped right into the shower. Sebastian went over to check on her, but Naveen pulled him into the burning hot water and they made the most passionate love since their wedding day.

                Over the next nine months, they often joked about their shower episode being the time they conceived. Jeanie threw Naveen the baby shower of a lifetime. Their parents and friends came with gifts out the wazoo. Even the pilot-bot’s wife partied with them. Sebastian got his old job back with Rasher & Thorpe Industries under a new contract that tripled the worth of his previous deal. Life was beautiful and they couldn’t have been happier until one day, while at the supermarket, Naveen’s water broke. As soon as he heard the news, Sebastian ended his demonstration of the new countermand device with his colleagues, tossed it in his briefcase, and dashed to Ashuria General Hospital.

After laboring well into the next afternoon, they finally welcomed their new healthy baby boy. The doctor-bot lifted their little miracle up so the new parents could see him.

Naveen cried, “I can’t believe we did this… We did this!”

“Look how perfect he is!”

“Would you care to do the honors?” the doctor-bot asked handing Sebastian the scissors.

“You bet!”

No sooner did he cut the umbilical cord did all of the electronics in the room, including the doctor-bot, go absolutely berserk.

“What’s happening?” yelled Naveen in terror.

“I, I’m not sure!” shouted a confused Sebastian over the relentless beeping of the heart monitor.

He quickly retrieved his son before the doctor-bot repeatedly smashed it’s head against the floor.

Naveen’s stomach lit up like a Christmas tree as she screamed in agony, “It hurts! It hurts! Get it out of me!”

“Get what out?” panicked Sebastian over whatever in God’s name was blaring on the television.

“Everything; everything they put inside of me! I can feel it digging into me! Ah!”

Suddenly, Naveen’s tears were black and smeared like tar when Sebastian wiped them. “What is this?” The all-too-familiar fumes were a dead giveaway, but still it made no sense to him, “Planet fuel? Oh no… Jeanie!”

As soon as he opened the door, the soundproof privacy barrier was compromised and everyone on the maternity level witnessed the clamor taking place. 

Jeanie ran over, “Jesus, what the…”

Sebastian dumped his son in his sister-in-law’s arms, “Get him outta here now! And call the authorities! Tell ‘em to send up a bomb squad a.s.a.p.!”

“A bomb squad?”

“Just do it!” he demanded furiously.

She went to run, but Naveen stopped her, “Wait! Let me look at him! Please?”

There was no way she could still see with all that planet fuel in her eyes let alone speak as her mouth salivated with it. With their baby in tow, Jeanie ran for dear life. Naveen’s screams flooded with so much planet fuel she nearly drowned. The lit Christmas tree her stomach was flickered stroboscopic-like. Human hospital staff finally made their way to the room, but as soon the first person crossed the threshold the mechanical door slammed shut, severing his arm in the process, and locked thus leaving the once wishful couple trapped inside. And then the lights blew out.

Naveen practically vomited black between words, “Get – it – out! Stop – it, Sebas – tian!

“I don’t know how!” he exclaimed. “That bastard Dr. Wraith is the only one who could! Unless…”

With his wife’s flickering stomach combating the dark, he rummaged through his briefcase until he found the thimble-shaped contraption. Sebastian activated the countermand detonation device.  It hovered above where it sensed the electronic disturbing frequency, right over Naveen.

“Holy shit!” he spewed as the holographic display revealed the unexplainable.

“What – is – wrong?”

“It detected a frequency typical of a nuclear claymore, but…”

“But – what?”

“There are multiple frequencies, as if more than one nuclear claymore is present, but I can’t pinpoint the wavelengths to block them ‘cause they keep changing!”

“What – the – hell – does that – mean?”

“It means I can’t diffuse it!”

“God –damn it! You better – try!”

Sebastian pressed the holographic keys like a man possessed. The room quaked as it fell apart around them. The now headless doctor-bot continued to smash his body into the crater he created underneath him. Naveen couldn’t keep up with the unending mouthfuls of planet fuel anymore. The countermand device failed to block the frequencies time and time again, but Sebastian wouldn’t give up until his fingers literally bled, and then all of a sudden everything just – stopped.

Naveen spat the last bit of planet fuel, “Are we dead?”

“No, baby,” said Sebastian as he embraced her.

“Why not?” she asked as normal tears fought past the caked up oily blackness.

“Because I stopped it.”

She tried to wipe her eyes, but she freaked, “I can’t see! Sebastian, I can’t see!”

“Calm down and try to relax, baby. We’ll get your eyes checked out once we get out of here. You’ll be fine, don’t worry.”

“Where’s our son?”

“He’s with Jeanie; he’s perfectly safe.” Sebastian couldn’t fight back tears of his own, “Don’t worry. Everything’s fine. Everything’s going to be just fine, I promise.”

“Sebastian…”

“Yes, Naveen…”

“I love you.”

“I love you too, baby.”

All at once, what was left of the electronics went evermore intensely berserk and then the lit Christmas tree her stomach was flickered stroboscopic-like once more, one last time; until it escaped her and swallowed everything in its path, then spit it all out again, and brought with it a fire breathed from hell that then rained from the torched skyline.

“Good evening. This is Wynter McCain of the Ashuria Primetime News reporting live from the downtown metro district where just behind me, the Commission of Planetary Energy Headquarters used to stand amongst dozens of businesses and residences including Ashuria General Hospital. As you can see, there’s nothing left but remnants of the blast cloud and debris. I’m told by military officials that the destruction spans an estimated fourteen city blocks. Such an abundant loss of life is catastrophic to say the least and I’ve been informed that we could see a body count escalating well beyond the ten thousand mark. The investigation is ongoing, but military officials say they know who’s responsible for this despicable attack. For that, we’ll switch over our broadcast to a live feed at Flagship Hall where Grand President Leeds Hawkland is giving his address.”

“First and for most, our thoughts and prayers are with the families’ of the victims of this terrible act of war. Never has there been an attack of this magnitude on Ashurian land, but I vow as your grand president it will be the last! Your heard me correctly, this is an act of war! We have enough intelligence to confidently implicate the Munzi -based terrorist group, Faceless Rebels, as suspects. Listen to me people; Munzi is obsolete! It consumes more planet fuel than Ashuria, Germon, and New Mars combined! The Planet Fuel Conservation Act was enacted specifically to protect our reserves. Munzi’s citizens were given the opportunity to relocate before the fuel cells emptied. They had their chance, yet they choose to remain on a dying planet and fight a lost cause! That’s not our fault, people. So, as of this moment, the Faceless Rebels and the citizens of Munzi are considered war criminals and as the laws of our Interplanetary Union stipulate, they’re to be brought to justice! On behalf of the people of Ashuria, I declare war on the Faceless Rebels and their entire planet! We will rid ourselves of the true cancer in our midst! So hear me and hear me good; to any Munzian or sympathizer who still stands on that fake-ass soil when the Ashurian Military nukes the living shit out of it, let God have mercy on your souls!”

                Jeanie commanded the television to mute the news broadcast. She poured two glasses of merlot and handed one to her husband as she joined him on the couch.

“Well nephew, it looks like we gotta lotta work to do,” said Deacon to the newborn baby boy he held.