Double Saalms

Posted on 18 Feb 2015 @ 11:46pm by Rear Admiral Lirha Saalm & Lieutenant Olsam Mott & Petty Officer 1st Class Siren Hex Saalm

4,001 words; about a 20 minute read

Mission: Episode 07 - Sojourn
Location: Rigel VII - Vajripam, Fertility Clinic
Timeline: MD 26 - 1400 local

[ON]

The small door to Vajripam's most prominent fertility clinic swished open and in stepped Lirha. The commodore paused and took in the subdued lighting and decorations, and also noticed the scented incense which was burning on nearby tabled. It all looked very homely and casual, and had she not known exactly what type of place this was, she could have easily mistaken it for a sauna or spa.

Looking across to her now wife, Siren let out a gentle breath. There were butterflies in her stomach as her nerves jangled. She smiled though, to reassure Lirha, in case the feeling was mutual. She reached out to take her hand, giving it a silent squeeze for support.

Lirha entwined her fingers in between Siren's and reciprocated the squeeze. She, too, felt a bit apprehensive, but she was also excited at the prospect of having a child. And from what she had seen so far in the clinic's main lobby, it seemed to be a welcoming and low-stress procedure. At least, she hoped.

Slowly walking forward and leading her wife to the counter, the commodore stopped and addressed the administrative aide at the front desk. "Hello. My wife and I would like a consultation, please," she requested in Federation Standard so Siren could fully understand every word.

"Good afternoon, mistresses," came the young Orion man's polite and heavily accented reply. He looked down through some of the belongings on his desk and shuffled through various data pads before finding the correct ones and handing one to both Lirha and Siren. "If you can fill out this form and the basic questionnaire, I can arrange an appointment in the next 30 minutes."

With an affirmative nod, Lirha took her assigned pad then took a seat at a nearby chair where she began to fill out the appropriate fields and personal information.

Siren sat close, letting her do it but watching over her shoulder, as much out of curiosity as to what went into such a task as anything else. It still seemed so...fantastical to her. That it was possible to make a child from two female parents. Where she came from, everything was done the old fashioned way. She'd heard of it, of course, during her time in the Federation, but never encountered it. So it was more like an urban myth than real. But here they were.

"Oh..." Lirha mused out loud about halfway through the form. "There is a section here for desired child traits. Skin tone, height, hair color, gender..." She wasn't too keen on having a designer baby, however, but wondered what Siren thought of such a concept.

Siren couldn't quite stop the frown that came with the idea of it. "Can you really pick stuff like that? It seems so...wrong. Playing 'god'..." but then, they were half way there already, weren't they? "Well I don't know about you, but I like surprises. Never liked peeking at presents much...." she looked to Lirha though.

"Me neither," the Orion Saalm agreed. All-natural was the way she wanted to go as well, and she was happy Siren was also on the same page.

A few more minutes passed until both of them had completed their forms, and Lirha then helped Siren up from her seat and led her back to the front desk to submit their paperwork. "We are ready," she said to the Orion man behind the counter who promptly accepted their data pads and began to synch the information into the clinic's computer database.

"Excellent! And here comes your doctor right now," he graciously added when he saw his superior walk out from one of the back patient rooms almost right on cue.

Dr. Jyyla Vaatur gave a smile and nod to her administrative aide as he showed the couple into her office. It seemed polite enough on the surface but there was some underlying tone of disdain to it, as if she was dismissing a servant from her presence. But when she turned her attention to Lirha and Siren, there was a genuine warmth as she outstretched her hands to each of them.

The office was almost as richly appointed as Dr. Vaatur herself. Although she wore a fairly short lab coat - perhaps to signify that she was in fact a doctor - the rest of her ensemble looked like something pulled from a boutique in Vajripam's High Garden District: flashy bracelets and a matching necklace made of large gemstones; a tight-fitting knee-length skirt that showed off long, toned legs; and a blouse obviously chosen to accent her shockingly blueish, platinum hair. The office decor was the high-end equivalent of her outfit with dark, rich woods, subdued lighting and fine upholstery.

"Please, come in, have a seat. I'm so pleased we could see you this afternoon," Dr. Vaatur said, rounding her desk. She eased herself down into the chair with practiced grace and smoothed out her skirt while speaking. "Tell me what we can do to help."

"Hello, doctor," began Lirha after she took the offered seat and started to fidget nervously with her hands in her lap. "I...well, we," she motioned to Siren in the hopes of not excluding her, "would like to conceive a child. We are newlyweds," she explained with a proud smile.

"Congratulations," Dr. Vaatur said with a perfect, broad smile. She sat back in her chair and crossed her legs. "There are a number of different ways we can go about approaching this, from the most traditional to the most contemporary. Will one of you be acting as the surrogate?"

Lirha hadn't really given the idea too much thought, to be honest. She'd always assumed she would be the one to carry the child if she were to ever have children, and she didn't know if it would be appropriate to put such a burden on her wife. "I will," she answered after a long moment of thought and a quick glance at Siren to try and read her thoughts.

Siren gave a gentle nod, more to the doctor than to Lirha. In truth, it had never crossed her mind that she would carry the child. This was all still new to her and she was pushing forward with it knowing how much Lirha wanted it. It seemed natural that she would carry and give birth to the child.

"Excellent, very good," the doctor replied, snagging a PADD off her desk to pull up the data from Lirha's initial medical scans. She nodded her head slowly, thoughtfully chewing on the inside of one cheek. Finally, she looked up and smiled. "Everything looks good so far here; we'll have to do some more in-depth testing, but I don't see anything that's going to be a problem. Now, were you looking to bring in a male donor, or would you like to look through our donor database? We have a number of very fine specimens to choose from, catalogued and indexed according to any number of different genetic factors."

Lirha scratched the side of her neck with her pointed nails and mumbled out loud. "..Hmm...well... We want it to be our child. Our DNA and genes. From the both of us," she answered. "Siren is quite beautiful and I cannot think of another person who could provide better 'genetics'."

Dr. Vaatur's eyes slowly moved to Siren and gave her a very quick appraising look. "Of course. You're human, correct, Miss..." She referred back to the PADD quickly and then looked back up. "...Hex?"

Siren nodded to her, a faint blush on her skin from Lirha's description of her as she let out a soft breath. "Yes. Human. Fit, healthy, no known medical problems."

"Hmm," the Orion physician said, pursing her lips in thought. She tapped the edge of the PADD and then looked up at them. "Fortunately, the procedure is fairly straight forward." Jyyla leaned forward to the command console on her desk and activated a holographic projection, using the console to control the display as she walked them through the procedure. "We'll begin by taking a stem cell from Ms. Hex and encouraging it to develop into a sperm, as we need a biological means for fertilization. That sperm cell will then fertilize your egg, Ms. Saalm, we'll run through some standard gene manipulation to insure the offspring's viability, and you'll have a happy, trouble-free gestation period. The only down side, I'm afraid, is that without a true-male donor the sex of the offspring will be female."

Siren nodded, licking her dry lips before clearing her throat gently. It felt so...real, hearing it all like that. Technical but real. It was a lot to take in and digest, but she gave a gentle smile all the same. "That's not a downside. I don't think so anyway."

"I would quite like a daughter," Lirha chimed in while feeling somewhat excited by the idea. Originally she'd wanted the surprise of not knowing what gender the baby would be, but since circumstances happened to dictate only one possibility, she wasn't too upset with the early reveal.

"Excellent," Dr. Vaatur said, beaming. She deactivated the holoprojector, picked up a PADD and slid it across the desk to the couple. "Of course we undertake all the standard genetic screening to eliminate basic diseases and minimize the complications of interspecies breeding, but deregulation of Federation law has opened up new opportunities for parents seeking a more customized offspring. Naturally, genetic enhancements are strictly forbidden, but we do offer packages that address a number of aesthetic characteristics. I understand it's not for everyone, but we like to offer our clients the widest variety of options possible."

Lirha reached out and took the offered data pad, then showed it to Siren. There were indeed a multitude of options for custom physical traits, which included hair color, eye color, skin tone, height, facial hair, and even a predicted physique section. Specific breast and butt size could even be altered for female children.

"...Well," Lirha thought out loud with a hesitant shrug, "this all looks very fascinating, doctor, but I think we would like to go the natural route. We will love our child however she looks, and it will be a fun surprise to not know ahead of time." Not to mention the possible self-esteem or ego issues the young girl might have when she grew up and inevitably found out that she'd been genetically engineered to look a certain type of way. No, that was certainly something Lirha didn't want for her daughter.

Siren let out a soft breath of relief at the words, nodding to the Doctor in silent support of the statement. It just seemed...a step too far.

"Very egalitarian of you," Dr. Vaatur remarked, an odd bit of commentary that might have in some way been slightly off-putting had she not rushed through it. The quick tap of a button on her desk summoned the young man from before almost instantaneously, and he hovered near the door while the physician continued to speak. "If you're both prepared, we can begin the procedure today. It's really quite straight forward and shouldn't take more than an hour or two of your time. The staff will need to collect a few samples from you both, induce ovulation in Ms. Saalm, and we'll move from there. By the time you leave this afternoon, you'll be a very happy and very pregnant couple." She stood up with a smile and made a motion to her assistant. "I'll begin working now on forwarding all the information in your file to your ship's physician and release you to his or her care."

Only an hour or two? thought Lirha with a bit of amazement. That was certainly rather speedy for what she had assumed would be a bit of a complicated process, and it was a pleasant surprise that she now knew she didn't have to spend the entire rest of the day and evening in the clinic. "Thank you very much, doctor. We are ready when you are."


Exactly One Hour and 23 Minutes Later...

"What the hell do you mean it mutated?" Dr. Vaatur demanded, taking a dangerous step toward her diminutive male assistant. The man shrank back and referred again to the PADD in his trembling hands.

"Uh, well, that's just what it says-"

"Give me that," she snapped, ripping the PADD out of his hands. She fixed him with a long, withering gaze before finally turning her attention to the data in the device. "'Unexpected genetic abnormality'? There's no such thing as an unexpected genetic abnormality in this process. Do the people in the lab think I'm just a pretty face up here? That I've forgotten everything from medical school? This is just bullshit for 'we really screwed something up.'" She growled her displeasure and then tossed the PADD back in the assistant's direction. "You'd think they could pick someone other than a Starfleet admiral if they were going to screw up this week. Just tell the lab to terminate the zygote; they don't need to know."

"Er, well..."


Five Minutes Later in the Recovery Room...

"And how are we feeling, Ms. Saalm?" Dr. Vaatur asked, sweeping into the plush recovery room with a PADD in her hand. Ordinarily her staff handled everything exclusively from this point on, but these were extenuating circumstances.

Lirha felt great, actually. The medical procedure had been much less invasive that she'd originally thought thanks to the use of special medical transporters that were able to retrieve and deposit the necessary eggs and cells to and from her body, and now her feelings of excitement primarily dominated her though process. "I am well, thank you," smiling up at the doctor.

"Good, good," the physician replied, breaking out a plastic smile. "Well, ladies, I'm not entirely sure how else to put this except to say congratulations! During the procedure, we encountered an unexpected genetic abnormality in Ms. Hex's DNA that's resulted in...well, an unexpected genetic abnormality. Your pregnancy shows every indication of resulting in twins. You're going to be having two beautiful girls."

Lirha continued to smile for a short moment, not realizing exactly what the doctor had just said to her. Then her eyes shifted from side to side as her brain attempted to make sense of the word 'twins' and 'girls'. Then she frowned...and then her eyes went wide. "Wait. ...What?"

To her credit, Dr. Vaatur remained not only completely calm but somehow managed to speak in a tone of voice that put people at ease. Of course, that was why she worked directly with the clients and the rest of the clinic was relegated to the labs, although apparently they couldn't even manage that properly. She had some serious damage control ahead of her if they were going to remain Vajripam's premier fertility clinic.

"I know, it's quite an unexpected surprise, isn't it? Even in the late 24th-century, there's room for a little mystery in science. Of course," she began, lowering her voice as if the very mention of it was taboo, "I would be happy to put you in touch with our sister clinic if you'd like to reset the pregnancy. Unfortunately, we're not authorized by the state to perform those sorts of procedures here in our clinic, but I understand it's quick and painless. We can have you back here within half an hour or so."

Siren stared at her in utter disbelief, shaking her head. She was almost numb with it. When she was honest with herself, she was terrified of this step...of a child...and it was way sooner in her life than she had ever imagined, if she had planned for children at all. But she'd smiled and nodded calmly when Lirha had talked to her about doing this now, because she knew how much she'd wanted it. She could keep the doubt and fear inside until bloody well went away.

But this? Twins? *Two* children?

Then followed by such a casual offer to then end the new life...lives...that were just created by them?

Siren shook her head slowly from side to side. " 'Reset' the pregnancy?" she repeated. The numbness was kicked out for anger as she pushed herself up to stand, pointing at the woman. "This isn't a malfunctioning computer, this is a living breathing person and new life you're talking about! What am I saying, sorry...you messed up your *one* and only job...I mean *lives*!"

Dr. Vaatur blinked, like an interpersonal hologram searching its databanks for the correct response. Eventually, she smiled and clasped her hands together in her lap, pressing a subdermal implant in her wrist that alerted security to a potential problem in the recovery room.

"I apologize if I've offended your sensibilities, Ms. Hex, but we would be doing our clients a disservice by making cultural assumptions and refusing to make available the full range of services provided by the Orion healthcare system. Please, trust that we take every case very seriously here and have the utmost respect for our clients and their beliefs." The Orion doctor tucked an errant piece of hair behind her ear and looked fairly satisfied both with her answer and herself. "There are any number of vagaries and uncontrollable circumstances when it comes to conceiving life even in this day and age. I understand it must be very shocking to you, so I would be more than happy to step out and give you and Ms. Saalm a few moments to digest the news..."

"Full range of services?" Siren shook her head with disbelief. "What you mean is, clearing up *your* mess quickly and quietly!" she motioned to her with a sharp flick of her hand. She licked her lips and took a step back, forcing herself to take a deep breath to try and get herself back under control. "Yeah, yeah, I think you better step out for a while, sweetheart..." ...or she'd be picking her fake eyelashes and nails off the floor...Siren shook her head and physically turned away from her to calm down.

Lirha nodded emphatically at the suggestion. They would definitely need a few moments. "Yes, please doctor. We will be out shortly," she said, then turned to Siren when Vaatur had departed from the room. Rising from her seat and wrapping her wife in a tight hug, she tried her best to calm her down. "I am sorry," she whispered. "I did not think something like this would happen..."

"You don't need to be sorry," Siren said quickly, wrapping her arms almost protectively around her, as if she'd been physically hurt. "Sorry, I didn't mean to....freak out. You can't just 'reset' something like this."

"I know, I feel the same. I am pregnant now, and with two beautiful little girls. And we will love them and raise them as best as we can," Lirha said with affirmation. "Do you think this clinic will refund our latinum?" she went on to ask in a somewhat joking yet serious manner. "Or will they argue that we got two for the price of one?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if they try and charge us double," Hex chuckled weakly, trying a gentle attempt of humour to calm down and break the atmosphere. She stroked her arm and shoulder, kissing her cheek softly. "It's alright. We'll...make it work, right? Always do."

Lirha took Siren's hand and placed it flat against her now-pregnant belly then smiled warmly at her before giving her a deep kiss. "We will make it work," she agreed. "They are now our children and we must care for them."

Siren swallowed, but smiled softly, nodding. It was a huge responsibility. One she couldn't mess up. She leant close to kiss her softly, stroking her cheek reassuringly. "And you too," she said softly, with meaning.

With a heavy sigh to straighten herself out, Lirha now felt a little more calm now that the initial shock of the surprise had worn off. "I suppose we should make sure everything is in order with the doctor before we depart?"

"Yeah, and that there's no more 'surprises'," Siren arched and eyebrow, shaking her head softly with bemusement at the whole thing. She put a call through for the doctor to return. When the door opened, Siren was physically calmer, watching with steady eyes and keeping to Lirha's side, the previous signs of aggression gone.

Dr. Jyyla Vaatur swept back into the room with her plastic smile, though there was some small hesitation in her gait now. She cut her eyes to look at Siren for the briefest of moments before turning her full attention to Lirha. "I trust everything has been worked out? I took the liberty of checking over your files while I stepped out, and everything seems to be in perfect order." The irony of that statement wasn't lost on her, of course, but it seemed best to gloss over the pregnancy mix-up. They'd made their decision, and she wasn't about to remind them of it. "Your files have been sent to Starfleet Medical, and I was assured they would pass them to the appropriate personnel on the Galileo. So, if there's nothing else we can do for you..."

Lirha shook her head and forced a polite smile across her features. "Thank you, doctor. No, I think that is all. You have been very helpful," she diplomatically said. "Now, before we check out...I assume you will offer us a discount, of sorts? For the...'genetic abnormality' you discovered?" she attempted to persuade. Lirha wasn't the most medically-inclined person but she knew enough that if such a thing really had existed, it should have been identified prior to beginning the pregnancy.

"A discount?" Dr. Vaatur repeated, raising both of her eyebrows as if the idea was both shocking and absurd. "Why, we wouldn't dream of even charging you, Ms. Saalm. Being able to assist you and Ms. Hex in fulfilling a dream for yourselves is more than sufficient payment, I assure you."

"I'm sure," Siren said softly, watching her with a knowing gaze. She rubbed Lirha's arm warmly, letting out a soft breath. "Any more 'unexpected genetic abnormalities' we should be aware of?"

Dr. Vaatur's gaze flicked to Siren, but to her credit the friendly veneer remained intact. "No, of course not. We've complete all the projections, which are extraordinarily accurate, and they indicate across the board a healthy pregnancy, smooth delivery, and perfect development of each of your lovely two girls." She cleared her throat and pressed on before Siren could manage to call into question those projections, which Dr. Vaatur was certain she would do given the opportunity. "I've sent copies of all the relevant information to your personal accounts with Starfleet, so you can review everything we've covered here in greater detail from the privacy of your own homes. If there's nothing else we can do for you, I understand there's a fresh pot of premium Tarkalian tea in reception if you'd like to avail yourselves before stepping out..."

Some tea would be nice, thought Lirha. Maybe a heavy shot of brandy as well, but that might be a bit problematic now that she had tiny babies inside of her. "We will. Thank you again for your assistance, doctor," said Lirha one final time before taking Siren by the hand and leading her back out into the lobby.

Despite everything, Siren managed a reassuring smile to Lirha, squeezing her hand warmly and holding it close. "Come on, let's get you home. Some rest and a fuss will do you good," she chuckled, stroking her back comfortingly as they left...their lives changed.

[OFF]

--

CDRE Lirha Saalm
Mission Advisor
USS Galileo

Director Jyyla Vaatur, M.D.
Vajripam Fertility Clinic
[ NPC - Mott ]

PO1 Siren Hex
Intelligence
USS Galileo
[PNPC Blake]

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