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A female Maltaffian figure appeared, floating in the air above the disc.
“Welcome to the Midsummer Center for Fertility,” the lady in the holo-film said with a huge smile. “I’m here to tell you a little about the center and the work we’ll be doing here. Let me start by saying that you are the most important part of that work.”
Olivia dared to inhale again, but somehow Stark’s scent was even more delicious than before, as if being prepared for it had only made things worse.
The woman in the holo-film began to move, walking along the same beach where Olivia had arrived, and heading toward the hut where they were sitting now.
“A first of its kind, the entire center was uniquely designed, planned and implemented by a single AI,” the woman said. “And that AI, nicknamed Oberon, will also host you throughout your stay, attending to all of your needs and ensuring the best possible environment to meet our goals.”
Oberon.
Olivia willed herself not to show her excitement.
He will be hosting us and taking care of our needs?
She was going to have round the clock access to the Cosmax-9 AI. This was a dream come true.
She felt her heart racing even faster than before, andhad to ball her hands into tight fists to force herself to pay attention to the rest of the film.
“We’re proud to tell you that the Midsummer Center for Fertility was denoted by the Intergalactic Physicians Association as the most conception-friendly place in the galaxy,” the woman went on, taking a turn just before she reached the hut.
That turn landed her in the middle of a meadow of wildflowers with birds singing all around her.
“Each day will begin with relaxing, shared activities for surrogate and intended parent,” the woman said. “Oberon has crafted a plethora of pleasant locations to help you feel at ease and get to know each other better.”
That was weird, but maybe understandable. The parents might want to know something about the person providing half their child’s genetic material.
“Here at the Midsummer Center for Fertility, everyone has responsibilities,” the woman said, her voice dropping to a serious tone.
The camera zoomed in on her face dramatically.
“It’s the responsibility of this clinic to ensure your safety at all times,” she said. “Say the wordsescape me nowat any time, and Oberon will cancel programming immediately.”
Good grief, were they expecting things to go that wrong?
“In addition, for security and training purposes, everything that happens at the Midsummer Center for Fertility will be recorded,” the woman went on. “However, if you say the wordsconfirm privacy mode,Oberon will not record or display the proceedings to our staff.”
That made sense, there were certain bathroom tasks best kept off-camera.
“It is the responsibility of the surrogate to submit to the necessary procedures to accomplish a pregnancy,” the woman said brightly. “As a side note, according to our exit polls, 95% of participants find the procedure to be highly to extremely enjoyable.”
Olivia barely swallowed a bitter laugh.
Anyone who had undergone a fertility procedure knew it wasn’t enjoyable. This was laying it on too thick.
Stark had tensed beside her. She could feel his already firm muscles hardening further.
Hehad nothing to worry about. If Maltaffian equipment was anything like the Terran kind, his participation wouldactuallybe enjoyable, and over in about two minutes.
“Upon successful conception, the surrogate will protect herself and the developing fetus by any means necessary to ensure a healthy birth,” the woman said. “We will do all we can to ensure that the surrogate’s experience is a pleasant one, however, the surrogate understands that her experience here is unique to the program. At the end of the gestational period, she will return to her home planet and there will be no further contact with the father or the offspring.”
Wasn’t that kind of the point of surrogacy?
For the first time, Olivia allowed herself to imagine the tiny, pale-green baby with horn nubs that she might give birth to here, and her heart shattered at the thought of handing that precious bundle over and leaving with her arms and heart still achingly empty.
But it would all be worth it if it meant she could have a child of her own one day.
And even if that never happened, she was going to interact with the Cosmax-9 AI. She took a deep breath and let it out again slowly, centering herself again.
