Pairing: Dylan/Rommie
Summery: Sequel to Face the Music and Intolerance; Rommie has unexpected news for Dylan...
Unexpected News
Part 1: What’s up with Rommie?
Dylan walked into the mass, and found Harper, Trance, Beka and Tyr sitting at a table, eating lunch. He stood before them, scratching his head, "Has anyone seen Rommie? She left our quarters this morning saying she had something important to do, and I’ve not seen her since."
Harper raised an eyebrow; "She came by the machine shop earlier, and asked for the planes I used to build her. She looked at them for a few minuets and walked off."
Trance put her hand up shyly, "She did come into medical."
Dylan looked confused, "Why?"
"She didn’t say, just took something from one of the cabinets and walked off." Trance shrugged.
Tyr rubbed his chin, "She asked me about Nietzschean nano-bots."
Bake was confused, "What did you tell her?"
Tyr shrugged, "I just gave her a book about them. I asked her why she didn’t ask the main AI, and she said it was personal."
Dylan sat down at the end of the table, "That makes no sense what so ever."
Beka turned to him, "Didn’t they set out some rules concerning her relationship with you?"
"Yes, but they still share information." Dylan nodded, "Andromeda."
"Yes?" The ship’s hologram appeared as if she was seated across the table from him.
"What’s going on with Rommie?" Dylan looked her in the eyes.
"I don’t know." The hologram looked at him blankly, "She hasn’t spoken to me all day."
Dylan was getting worried, "Where is she?"
"I’m right here." Came a voice from the door.
Every one turned to face her, and Beka’s mouth fell open when she saw what in Rommie’s hand, "Is that what I think it is?"
Rommie nodded, "And it’s positive."
Dylan looked at what she was holding: a small piece of plastic, "What is it?"
Rommie smiled, "A pregnancy test: we’re going to have a baby."
Dylan passed-out.
Part 2: How?
Dylan came to in medical.
He looked up to see Beka standing over him, "You back with us then?"
Dylan nodded, "I had the weirdest dream."
Beka smiled, "If it’s one where Rommie told you she was pregnant, it’s no dream."
Dylan got up and saw Rommie sitting on another bed, Trance and Harper running all sorts of scans on her. Her face showed a mixed look of fear and happiness. "How do you feel?" Dylan walked over to her.
Rommie smiled, "Nervous."
Dylan kissed her, then turned to Trance and Harper, "So what happened?"
"Well, when two people like each other a lot they…" Trance looked at Dylan seriously.
"I know that part." Dylan stopped her, "What I mean is: how did Rommie get pregnant? Did you build this into her Harper?"
The engineer took a step back, "Wow their Dylan! I’m good, but not that good!"
Dylan shrugged, "But then what happened?"
Harper took a deep breath, "What I think happened, and Trance here agrees with me, is this: Rommie’s exterior, her skin, hair, nails, teeth, all of that, is organic, right. Well, to keep all of that in condition I used some nano-bots. The ones I happened to use where Nietzschean in design." He handed Dylan a flexi, "Now, Nietzschean nano’s are designed to keep their owner physically intact. Rommie’s organic cells contain artificial human DNA: I used a full human DNA strand from the gene bank as a template. What we think the nano’s did was take this extra DNA, and use it as a template as to how Rommie should be. Being Nietzschean nano’s, they decided that her reproductive system was most important thing, so went to work on that first."
Trance showed Dylan a scan, "Over the last two years they’ve slowly built her a full human-female reproductive system. We’ve stopped them before they do anything else, but Rommie now has the ability to reproduce."
Dylan shook his head, "It’s amazing! Who would believe it? What do we do now?"
Rommie squeezed his hand and smiled, "Start thinking of names?"
Dylan looked at her, "What?"
Rommie pulled herself back, "It’s my body and my baby: I’m keeping it!"
Dylan rested his hands on her shoulders, "That’s not what I meant Rommie, I’m just a little shock up over this: we never even considered the possibility of having a family. But I want this more than I’ve ever wanted anything before!"
"Good." Rommie smiled.
Part 3: The Big Question
Tyr was surprisingly amused by Dylan’s reactions to his impending fatherhood: for a man who normally seemed to know exactly what he was doing, he was freaking out big time. He put his book down and walked over to Dylan, "Is there anything you wish to talk about?"
Dylan looked at the big Nietzschean, "I’m just a little shocked: I always wanted to have a family, but when I got together with Rommie, I just assumed that it was not to be."
Sighing, Tyr sat-down next to Dylan, "You want to have a family, right?"
Dylan nodded. "You love Rommie, right?" Tyr continued. Again Dylan nodded. Tyr slapped him round the side of the head, "Then what’s the problem? Call it love, call it the need to propagate your DNA, call it what you will, but the universe has seen fit to give you this child. Be happy."
Dylan looked at Tyr; "You sounded just like Rev Bem for a moment there."
Tyr shrugged, "I’ve been reading some of his books: I finished all my own."
*************************************************
Dylan smiled as he walked back to medical, Tyr was right, this was what he wanted, and he should, and would, be happy about it. Rommie was involved in an animated discussion with her main AI and it’s hologram. He leaned against the doorway and waited for them to notice him. After five minuets, he gave up, "Can’t the three of you agree on anything?"
It was strange to have the three of them look at him at once: he felt like he was seeing double, only triple. Rommie looked upset, "They think I should get rid of the baby."
The hologram took a step back, "Wow there! SHE thinks you should get rid of the baby, not me!"
The main AI blinked on the screen, "I was mealy playing devils advocate: how can she continue to act as my Avatar if she is pregnant?"
Dylan rubbed his eyes, "Can an AI develop multiple personality syndrome? Look, we’ll use regular High Guard regulations about maternity leave: Rommie will continue to fulfill her duties on ship until her doctor, or in this case, Harper and Trance, say otherwise. Ok?"
The other three exchanged glances, and then nodded. "That will be acceptable." Announced the main AI.
Dylan smiled, "Now I want the two of you here to witness this, as it concerns you too." He took Rommie’s hand and got down on one knee, "Rommie, I love you more than life itself: will you marry me?"
Part 4: Reactions
Rommie’s eyes filled with tears, and she smiled, "Yes!"
Dylan lifted her up and whirled her around, "Thank you! You have no idea how happy that makes me."
Rommie leaned down so she could kiss him, "And you have no idea how happy it makes me."
Trance walked trough the door, "Hay, what’s going on?"
Rommie smiled, "We’re getting married!"
Trance was shaken, "Wow, that’s different!"
Dylan put Rommie down and looked at Trance, "What do you mean, ‘different’?"
Trance suddenly became all defensive, "Nothing."
Rommie glared at her, "Trance, tell us what you meant!"
Sighing, Trance relented, "In the future I come from, the two of you never even got together, let alone got married and started a family. I no-longer know how things may turn out."
Dylan was confused, "Well, isn’t that a good thing?"
Trance shrugged, "It might be, it might not be, I don’t know. I depends how it all works out."
Dylan gave up, unable to comprehend what Trance had just said. He turned to Andromeda, "Can you ask the others to assemble in the mess please." The hologram nodded and blinked out. Dylan turned to Rommie, "We have to tell them, may as well do it now."
Rommie nodded, "You’ll get no argument from me."
*************************************************
Beka, Tyr and Harper assembled in the mess, wondering why Dylan had called the meeting. Trance walked in, a confused look on her face, and shrugged-off all questions. Dylan and Rommie walked in, hand in hand, and stood before the others, grinning. Dylan cleared his throat, "Ere, we have an announcement to make: We’re getting married." The others looked at them dumbfounded.
Beka blinked a few times, then found her voice, "What took you so long? You’ve been all but inseparable since New Salem."
Tyr shrugged, "It’s only right that you should be married if you are to reproduce."
Harper put his hand up, "Can the two of you even get married? Don’t you have to be organic for that?"
Dylan smiled, "If Rommie was still an android, then no: we couldn’t get married. But, now she has organic organs, she’s technically a cyborg, and different rules apply."
Rommie giggled, "That’s a very romantic way to put it Dylan. Thank you."
Dylan hugged her tightly, "All this from someone who’s set to marry a High Guard captain? Not very polite."
Rommie giggled again, "And I suppose that High Guard captains always wait until they’ve gotten their partner pregnant before they propose marriage?"
Dylan had to laugh at that, "No, not normal. But then, we don’t exactly have a normal relationship, do we?"
Andromeda’s holographic for appeared, smiling, "How do you think I feel: I’m going to be a grandmother!"
Part 5: Last night of freedom
Harper shook his head, "Look, the girls are having a Hen night for Rommie, so we HAVE to have a Stag night for Dylan!"
Tyr sighed, "You just want an excuse to get drunk and act stupid."
Harper shrugged, "Who need’s an excuse? Look, it’s traditional, ok."
Tyr had one last card to play, "We’ll see what Dylan says."
The moment Dylan walked into command, Harper pounced, "Hay Dylan, all ready for your Stag night?"
"I suppose so." Dylan shrugged.
"YES!" Harper punched the air, "Stag night on El Dorado Drift! Life dose NOT get better: this place is party central for the Orion Arm!"
A confused Dylan turned to Tyr, "Did I miss something?"
Tyr nodded, "The little professor here just maneuvered us into a night of drunken excuse to celebrate your forthcoming marriage."
Dylan raised his eyebrows "Ah! Did I explain that your job as best man is to keep me from doing anything that would upset Rommie?"
Tyr nodded, a slight grin on his face, "I understand the duties: I have to marry the bride if you should fail to turn up for the ceremony."
Harpers hand shot up excitedly, "I’ll take that job!"
Dylan raised a finger in objection, "That is NOT going to happen!"
Andromeda’s hologram appeared before them, "It had better not: If any of you allow anything to happen to Dylan tonight that upsets Rommie, I will make life difficult for you as only I can!"
Dylan smiled, "That last thing I’d ever want to do is upset Rommie."
"You had better not!" The hologram shot him a deadly glance.
*************************************************
Rommie was also unsure about the night Beka and Trance had planed, "Is this a good idea for someone in my condition?"
Beka looked at her, "Rommie, you’re a near indestructible cyborg with reflexes that make Tyr jealous. I doubt there is anything on the drift that you have to worry about."
Trance smiled, "Anyway, It’ll be fun: your last night of freedom before you get married."
Rommie arched an eyebrow, "I’m a pregnant cyborg who’s about to marry her captain, a man I’ve has been shearing quarters with for over a year: how much freedom do I have?"
Beka took Rommie by the arm, "Look, it will be fine. I’ve worked it all out with Harper: we take one level, the boys will take another, so we won’t run into them."
Rommie looked Beka in the eye, "You tell me it’ll be fine, then you say you worked it all out with Harper! How’s that meant to reassure me?"
Trance took Rommie’s other arm, "Just relax and have fun, ok. We’ll be fine."
Part 6: Drink, Drank, Drunk…
Dylan looked at the drink Harper had placed before him, "What exactly is this called again?"
"You telling me you’ve never drunk Guinness before?" Harper looked at him.
"I’ve never even heard of it before!" Dylan looked at the thick black liquid.
"Why dose it come in such strange amounts?" Tyr examined his own glass.
"It’s called a pint: a pint of Guinness." Harper sighed, "Look, El Dorado Drift is the only place other than Earth where you can get this stuff at a price we can afford: this may be your only chance to try it."
Dylan and Tyr exchanged glances, and started on their drinks.
*************************************************
In another bar in another part of the Drift, Rommie was equally worried about the drinks Beka had ordered, "Is Tequila such a good idea?"
Beka poured out three shots, "Look, just try it once, then make up your mind."
Trance put her glass down, "I’m not that big of a drinker."
Beka handed her the drink back, "Look, its easy: on three, we tip our heads back and swallow the drink in one go, ok?" Rommie and Trance nodded nervously. Beka smiled, "Ok: one, two, three, GO!"
Four hours, and many drinks, later...
"I can’t feel my legs." Dylan sat staring into space, "Are they still there?"
"I think so, but you seem to have four of them." Harper pulled himself up off of the floor, "Are you sure you’re not Vedran?"
"I can’t remember!" Dylan laughed.
"Your a very lucky man you are!" Tyr put an arm around Dylan’s shoulder, "You know why? Because you get to be with the woman you love, that’s why!"
"And why can’t you?" Harper managed to sit back own chair without falling off again.
Tyr looked at him, pint in hand, "I’ll tell you why Mr Harper: because she’s not Nietzschean, that’s why!"
"Well who is she then?" Dylan tried to pull himself together.
Tyr raised his glass, "Beka Valentine."
Harper fell of his chair laughing.
*************************************************
Rommie sat looking at the worm in the bottom of the Tequila bottle, "Why’s there a bug in my bottle?"
Beka looked at it, "I can’t quite remember: I think it’s something to do with how strong it is."
Rommie shrugged, and shot-gunned the bottle, catching the worm in her teeth.
Beka clapped, "That was good that was! How’s Trance?" The two of them looked at the third member of their party: Trance lay with her head on the bar, snoring quietly. Beka giggled, "I guess she was right when she said she wasn’t a big drinker."
Rommie laughed, "I think two bottles was a bit much for her."
"Your lucky you are: the man you love admits he loves you too." Beka started crying, "Why can’t Tyr do the same?"
"You love Tyr? Since when?" Rommie spat-out a mouthful of Tequila in shock.
Beka put her head on Rommie’s shoulder and sobbed, "For a long, long time. But he says he can only love a Nietzschean. What a load of crap!"
"Don’t worry, he’ll come round." Rommie patted Beka on the back, "They all do."
Part 7: The mourning after the night before
Dylan woke up, and after a while, realized he was in his own bed: He couldn’t remember how he got there, but he was there. A rolled onto his side, and realized that he was alone. He slowly sat up, holding his aching head, "Andromeda, where’s Rommie?"
The ship’s hologram appeared, "I do not know: Beka, Trance and Rommie have yet to return from the Drift."
Dylan nodded and staggered off to the shower.
*************************************************
Some time later, Dylan made his way to the mess hall. He was surprised to see Tyr sitting eating breakfast, seemingly un-affected by the nigh before, "How come your ok, and I feel like my skull is two sizes too small?"
"Nietzschean nano’s: we don’t get hangovers." Tyr smiled.
"Good for you." Dylan nodded, poring himself a strong coffee.
Andromeda’s hologram appeared again, "Dylan, I’ve located Beka, Trance and Rommie."
Dylan smiled, "And where are they?"
Andromeda lowered her head, "On the Drift: They’ve been arrested for starting a bar-brawl."
*************************************************
The cell opened, and Dylan leaned against the door frame, "It’s been a while since I’ve had to collect crew-members who had gotten drunk on leave."
"Don’t start Dylan, I’m not up to it right now." Beka looked at him wearily.
Trance opened her eyes; "I can’t remember anything after the second bottle of Tequila."
"Your lucky: I can remember every moment." Rommie winced.
Subdued, the three of them walked out of the cell and back to the Andromeda.
Dylan turned to the Drift’s chief of security, "I’m sorry about this: they’re normally better behaved."
*************************************************
Back on Andromeda, Dylan was surprised to find the Harper had also suffused, and seemed to be suffering even worse then he was. Dylan turned to the three former prisoners, "Starting a bar-brawl? What came over you?"
Beka looked up from her coffee, "About six bottles of extra-strength Tequila. Anyway, they started it!"
Tyr raised an eyebrow, "And who where ‘They’ exactly?"
Rommie blushed, "Two FTA enforcers who tried to chat us up: I tried telling them that we weren’t interested, and that I was getting married, but that didn’t stop them."
"So you put the pair of them in the hospital, then got up on the bar and stared to challenge all-comers to a fight." Dylan smiled, "It was shortly after that that station security arrived, and as they carted you off to the drunk-tank, you threatened to blow the Drift up if they didn’t let you have another drink."
"They told you did they?" Rommie blushed.
Dylan shook his head, "No: they showed me the security camera footage."
Andromeda’s holographic image appeared, "This is from someone who staggered back last night, singing some very rude drinking songs, and passed-out in the airlock: I had to send maintenance-bots to take the three of you to your own quarters!"
Part 8: Man and Wife
In the end, the wedding its self was a bit of an anti-climax: Beka had been able to track down a Wayist friend of Rev Bem’s who was willing to conduct the service, and it was held on Andromeda’s observation deck. Dylan and Rommie both wore High Guard Dress-uniforms: Dylan a captains, Rommie a lieutenants. Tyr was dressed in his best suit, as was Harper. Beka and Trance, as bridesmaids, wore simple dresses. At Rommie’s insistence, Andromeda’s hologram gave her away, thou Harper had claimed that that honor should be his.
After the ceremony ended, Trance found Harper leaning against the wall, deep in thought, "Hay Harper, what’s up?"
The engineer sighed, "It’s over: Any chance of Rommie deciding she loves me, over."
Trance put an arm on her friends shoulder, "Be happy for them Harper."
Harper nodded, "I am happy for them, but it still hurts." He turned to Trance, "And whose idea was it to give a pregnant woman Tequila?"
"We both know that Rommie could drink rocket fuel and it wouldn’t hurt the baby: She may be classed as a Cyborg now, but she still has the digestive system you built her." She looked him in the eye.
"Sorry, just trying to get a rise out of you." Harper laughed.
"Well you didn’t." Trance smiled.
Across the room, Tyr was trying to convince Beka to dance with him, "Look, it’s a wedding, and it customary to dance."
Beka shook her head, "Read my lip’s Tyr: I don’t dance!"
"Then explain the FTA amateur dancing championship trophy you keep hidden on your ship, huh?"
"How did you find that?"
"Trance, the old Trance, showed it to me once."
"Why that little purple minx!"
"One dance, and I’ll forget I ever saw it."
"Deal!"
Dylan and Rommie where already dancing when Tyr and Beka joined them. Grinning, Dylan lent down to whisper in his wife’s ear, "I don’t think he remember telling me, but back on the Drift, Tyr told he loves Beka."
"Well, Beka told me she loves Tyr." Rommie giggled.
Dylan laughed, "Well then, what are we supposed to do about it, Mrs Hunt?"
Rommie smiled, "You’re the first person to call me that: it sounds, right."
Dylan kissed her, "Have you decided what you’re going to use as your first name?"
Rommie blinked, "Well, if I call myself Andromeda, people will confuse me with the main AI, so it will have to be Rommie."
Dylan smiled, "Well then, Rommie Hunt, here’s to us."
Rommie smiled, "To us."
Part 9: Alone at last…
The Eureka Maru drifted silently through space, its engines on idle. If not for the beacon flashing out a continuous signal, it may have been mistaken for a derelict, but then, most people don’t venture this far out into inter-stellar space.
Add to that, someone had stenciled 'Just Married' on the back of the cargo-pod.
It’s two occupants where lying quietly in a hammock they had strung-up in the crew quarters. Dylan turned his head to the side, "How do you think the others are doing?"
Rommie smiled, "Well I know you left Beka in charge, but I doubt that she has them running cargo while we’re away. We did leave them with a baby-sitter."
"I doubt Andromeda would like to hear you call her that."
"True, but we have to draw a line between the two of us now. What’s my new position on ship going to be?"
"Well, we have a first officer, a tactical officer, a chief engineer and a life-support officer, so I can’t think what job you can have."
"Can you be series for a moment?"
"Well, the only job you really suited for is AI-system’s officer."
"Is that your polite way of telling me to keep doing what I’ve been doing since Harper built me?"
"In a way, yes."
Rommie’s elbow caught him just below the ribs, driving the air from his lungs, "Thanks a lot!"
"It’s the logical choice: you know more about quantum-commuters then anyone else in the known universe." Dylan gasped, trying to get his breath back, "And I don’t mean you should continue as Andromeda’s Avatar. You’ve moved beyond that: you’re your own person now. You just happened to have a built-in real-time link to the ship’s AI."
"I’m sorry; I just want people to stop treating me as part of the ship. I’ll talk to Andromeda when we get back and see what she says about it."
"I’m sure she’ll be fine with it."
"Dylan, how tightly did you tie the hammock up?"
"As tight I could. Why?"
"I’m just wondering how much strain it can take..."
Part 10: Revelations
Tyr stalked Andromeda’s corridors, deep in thought: could he truly be in love with Beka? She was a regular human, and he was Nietzschean. It was meant to be impossible for him to have feelings for her. He needed someone to talk to, but whom?
Even he knew that Rev Bem would be the person to talk to, but the Magog Wayist had disappeared months ago. Dylan, who always seemed to know what to do, was away on his honeymoon, and was not due back for five days. He still didn’t trust Trance enough to ask her. Talking to Beka about it was out of the question, and it would be a cold day in hell before he asked Harper for relationship advice.
That left only one option open to him.
He walked back to his quarters and sat on the bed, "Ship."
"How can I help you?" Andromeda’s holographic form appeared before him.
"Andromeda, I, I need some advice, and you’re the only one I can turn to right now."
"Nice to know I can be of help! What do you want to talk about?"
"It’s Beka: I’ve developed certain feelings for her, and I don’t know how to act on them. I told her once that I never could have feelings for a regular human, but I do."
"Would this be anything to do with your drunken confession to Dylan during his Stag night?"
"How did you find out about that?"
"Dylan told Rommie when he saw you dancing with Beka at their wedding. If it makes you feel any better, Beka told Rommie that she loves you too."
"Where is Beka now?"
"She’s just leaving command and heading for her quarters."
Tyr bolted from his room and raced along the corridors. He managed to catch Beka, as she was just about to enter her room. She looked at him as he stood there, out of breath, "Tyr, what’s up?"
He took a deep breath, "Beka, there is something I need to say to you."
"What?"
Tyr looked like he was about to say something, but he gave-up and just kissed her.
Beka was shocked: she had dreamed about this so many times, but had never believed it would happen. She broke away from Tyr and looked at him for a second, slapped him hard across the face, and then kissed him back.
Andromeda smiled, and automatically activated privacy mode as the pair of them disappeared into Beka’s room.
Part 11: Parting Gift
Dylan landed the Maru expertly, and he and Rommie walked along the corridors towards their quarters. They where almost there when they came across Tyr and Beka, standing together in the corner, kissing. They slowly tiptoed back around the corner.
Dylan smiled when he was sure they where out of ear-shot, "It’s about time the two of them realized that they had feelings for each other."
Rommie punched him in the arm, "Like you where when it came to admitting your feelings for me?"
Dylan laughed and took her in his arm, "Rommie my love, I have no idea why I couldn’t see how I felt for you from the start, and the thought that I missed all that time I could have been with you pains me. I want to apologise if anything I ever said to you or did before then hurt you in any way."
Rommie reached up and kissed him, "Apology accepted."
The finally made their way to their quarters by going up a level to by-pass Tyr and Beka. Dylan held Rommie back as she went to walk through the hatch, "I know this is a really old tradition, but I’d like to give it a go." He gently lifted Rommie off her feet and carried her through the doorway.
"What was that all about?" She giggled.
Dylan leaned down and rubbed his nose against hers, "Just a silly little Earth custom I read about one: carrying the bride over the threshold."
Rommie jumped down the deck, "As much as I’d like to stay and see what other ‘customs’ you want to give a try, I need to have that talk with Andromeda."
Dylan kissed her forehead, "It’ll be fine."
Rommie made her way to the AI control room, deep within the bowls of the ship. She gently sat down at the main programming station, and Andromeda’s image filled the screen before her, "I hope the to of you had a nice time." She said with a grin and a wink.
Rommie blushed slightly, "There is something we need to talk about."
"I know: you can’t be my Avatar any longer. Don’t look so shocked. I knew it was only a matter of time before you and Dylan came to the same conclusion. The only question is: what will you do now?"
"Dylan suggested I could be the AI-systems officer. What do you think?"
"I’d like that: I knew you’re your own person and all now, but I still feel close to you. I’d like it if we were to work together."
"Your never be alone." Rommie smiled, a tear forming in her eye. She gently laid her hand on the screen, "I have something for you: consider it a going away present of sorts." closing her eyes, Rommie retrieved a memory from deep within her mind, and then sent it to the main AI.
"But that’s you and Dylan together!"
"I know: You where never truly happy with that arrangement, so consider this a consolation prize. Dylan can never know that I showed it to you."
"I promise I will never tell him. Thank you."
Part 12: Home Improvements
Dylan stood at the pilot’s station, waiting for Beka to relieve him.
"Sorry I’m late!" The first officer came bounding through the hatch.
Dylan grinned, "I can’t think what could have kept you."
"I take it you know then?"
"Rommie and I ran into the two of you in the corridor yesterday."
"I don’t remember that."
"You where kind of busy."
*************************************************
Harper was in the machine shop, working on his X-1 replica when Dylan found him, "Harper, I need your help with something."
"Sure thing. What you want?" The engineer put his welder down.
"Walk this way." Dylan smiled.
*************************************************
"You want me to cut a hole in the wall and connect your quarters to the room next-door." Harper looked at the bulkhead and shock his head, "Why?"
"Because I’m going to build a nursery in there." Dylan handed him a flexi, "The Commonwealth didn’t expect its senior officers to settle down and start family’s on-ship. We already have the biggest quarters on ship, but its barely enough room for Rommie and me as it is."
"It’s one heck of a job you’ve got planed." Looking at the flexi, then the wall, Harper whistled, "You sure Andromeda doesn’t mind us cutting holes through her like this?
"It’s the best solution to the problem." Andromeda’s holographic form appeared.
Dylan nodded, "And I want it done before Rommie gets off-shift this evening, so we better get started. Andromeda, can you please keep my wife busy until we’re done?" The hologram nodded and blinked out.
Harper carefully chalked the new door’s outline on the bulkhead, and then pulled on his goggles, "Stand back!" Dylan shielded his eyes as Harper, using his laser-cutter, slowly followed the chalk line. There was a loud thud as the section of wall left standing fell into the room beyond. Harper surveyed his handwork, "There you go: instant extension."
"Outstanding work Harper. Thank you." Dylan slapped the engineer on the back.
*************************************************
Rommie sat at her station in the AI control room, "Look, I’ve tried six times: we can’t adjust the setting without replacing the boards, and that’s a job for Harper."
On the screen, Andromeda nodded, "I agree: I will ask him to look into it tomorrow."
Rommie stood, "I have an appointment to see Trance in medical, and I want to get changed first. I’ll be back tomorrow." She turned and left, not seeing Andromeda’s image smile on the screen.
*************************************************
Rommie thumped the door controls, and when the door opened, was surprised to see the lights where out. She hit the switch, and gasped: Dylan stood in the new doorway, a huge grin in his face, "Surprise! I hope you don’t mind, but I had Andromeda distract you while Harper helped me with a few things." Rommie was speechless as Dylan showed her the new nursery, "I ordered the stuff from the Drift just before we left on honeymoon, and Andromeda hid it for me when we got back."
Rommie smiled, "It’s perfect. Thank you."
Part 13: Time
Dylan was woken by a kick to the ribs that sent him tumbling from bed. He was about to ask Rommie why when he saw the look on her face: She was in pain. For a moment he couldn't think why, then he remember: the baby, she was in labour!
He blinked a few times: Trance had said it wasn’t due for at least another week. Well, something can’t be predicted, even with modern technology. He grabbed his shirt and pulled it over his nightclothes, then helped Rommie from the bed. She leaned on him, panting like Trance had told her to, her vice-like grip almost crushing his hand.
Andromeda had, at Rommie’s request, been monitoring the baby for the last mouth, and automatically called Trance to medical. The gold-skinned alien walked through the hatch yawning, "Ok, how far apart are the contractions?"
Andromeda’s holographic form appeared, "The last two where 98-seconds apart." Rommie screamed with pain. Andromeda shrugged, "Make that 67-seconds apart."
Trance activated the ultra-sound, "Ok, look’s good. Rommie, do you want painkillers or do you want to do this naturally?"
Rommie grabbed Trances collar, her teeth clenched, "Give. Me. The. Drugs!"
"Ok, I think we’ll use the painkillers." Backing away, Trance nodded, "Dylan, can you pass me the tray over there please." Dylan did as he was asked, and Trance gave Rommie a shot.
She seemed to relax almost instantly, "It’s times like this that only having so many nerve-cells is a real advantage."
Dylan rubbed her brow, "You’re doing well."
Rommie grinned, "Why don’t we change places, then you can experience it for yourself!"
"I don’t think that’s medical possible." Dylan laughed, "But if it hurts again, just squeeze my hand."
Another contraction hit, and Rommie did as she had been told: there was a loud crack and Dylan’s face went white. Trance looked at him, "Um, Rommie, I think you just broke Dylan’s hand."
Rommie looked at Dylan: he was kneeling on the deck, his mouth opening and closing slowly, tears forming in his eyes, "Opps! Sorry about that."
"It’s ok." Dylan slowly nodded, "Trance, can you pass
me those painkillers please." Trance handed him a couple of pills and went
back to delivering the baby.
*************************************************
Word travel quickly in such a small group of people, and the others stood in the corridor outside medical.
"So, Andromeda, how’s it going?" Harper asked the nearest screen.
"Well, Rommie just broke Dylan’s hand." Andromeda smiled.
"How?" Beka gasped.
"He told her to squeeze it if the pain got too much." Andromeda grinned, "I guess he forget just how strong she is."
*************************************************
In time, Trance opened the door, "Ok, you can come in now." Tyr Beka and Harper all but pushed past her to get a look at the newest member of the crew: the baby lay in Rommie’s arms, apparently asleep.
Harper pulled out his camera, "Say cheese!"
Dylan and Rommie smiled, "Cheese!"
Tyr took a step forward, "So, is it a boy or a girl?"
Rommie smiled, "A boy: we’re naming him Paul after Dylan’s farther."
Tyr held out his hand, and Beka placed a credit chip in it, "Would it have killed you to have a daughter?"
Rommie laughed, "Maybe next time."
Part 14: You, me, and baby makes three.
Dylan was, for the first time since being pulled from the Black Hole, truly happy.
He stood in the doorway to the nursery and just watched Rommie sleep, Paul held safely in her arms. The real-wood rocking chair had cost him a small fortune, but it was worth it: Rommie loved it, and the smooth motion never failed to ease Paul off to sleep, even when he was crying. He was kind of surprised as to how well Rommie had taken to motherhood: despite her being mainly artificial, she seemed to find it perfectly natural.
Slowly, so not to wake ether of them, he backed up into the main part of their quarters, "Andromeda."
The hologram appeared, a finger pressed to her lips, "Keep it down, you’ll wake the baby!"
Dylan smiled and lowered his voice, "When are we due to make the next slipstream jump?"
Andromeda smiled, "Not until he’s woken up again. We don’t want a repeat of the last time we went into slipstream when he was asleep!"
Dylan smiled, memories of his son’s reaction, and of having to clean it up afterwords, still fresh in his mind, "Ok, thank you. Keep an eye on them will you, I need to get some sleep myself." Andromeda nodded and blinked out.
*************************************************
Dylan woke the next morning to find Rommie had joined him in bad during the night. He put his arms around her and kissed her hair, "Morning."
She rolled over to face him, "Good morning to you to."
Dylan kissed her, "Now, was I right in hearing you back in medical when you said that next time we’d try for a daughter?"
"Easy tiger: I’m still getting over this one. But yes, I want to have more children."
"Me too. I just hope they take after their mother more than their farther."
"I don’t know: there are at lest a few admirable traits they could stand to inherit from you."
"And having them grow up with your temper would be interesting to say the lest."
"What do you expect: I was a warship." She suddenly looked serious, "Are you as scared about this as I am?"
"I don’t think anyone is ever truly ready for parenthood: you just have to cope with it in your own way. I think we’ll do ok."
"What do you think about Tyr and Beka?"
"Well, they seem to be happy together, and knowing Tyr, they’ll probably end up having kids of their own."
"It’ll be nice to have children around: it can be far to quite around here sometimes." As if by command, Paul started crying.
"You and your big mouth!" Dylan laughed, "I’ll get this one, you rest."
Rommie smiled and drifted back to sleep.
The End