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“Tell me about her,” he said, doing his best to keep emotion out of his voice.
“We’re sending her details to you now, just tap to confirm once you’ve reviewed them,” Oppyx said. “We think she’s an ideal choice. She’s in excellent health, has her secondary education completion certificate, and she’s highly motivated. She has already failed one treatment at a public clinic and three more at a high-end private facility on Terra-58. I’m including a photo in the transmission as well.”
He felt his bracelet buzz and it took all he had not to immediately sever the comms with Oppyx and take a look.
“Thank you,” he said gruffly.
“It’s our pleasure,” she told him. “We’ll await your confirmation on the match, and of course the new plans. But keep in mind that if we can’t come to terms on the security contract, you’ll need to get on our waitlist and reapply for a new match, like everyone else.”
That was low.
“Fine,” he growled, signing off without a formal farewell.
He moved to his desk and lowered himself into his seat before tapping his bracelet to the full glass surface of his work area.
Instantly, a hologram popped up with a thumbprint requirement in front of a blurred document.
More of the center’s infuriating priority on privacy.
He touched it and the blurred document behind became clear.
Stark studied it for a few minutes. The info floating in front of him matched with what Oppyx had already shared. The girl’s health records were all in good order, and she had a standard education on Terra-58, which put her light years ahead of most Terrans. The system on 58 was solid.
Though Terrans were physically weak, they had the advantage of intelligence on par with a Maltaffian, and were physiologically similar enough to allow for mating compatibility. And yet Terrans were not recognized as higher beings on Maltaffia, and therefore could not try to lay claim to a child if they changed their mind after performing a surrogacy. Any baby that was the result of this treatment would be the legal child of Stark alone. And anything that child inherited would be in no danger of being claimed by any Terran relations.
He swiped the readout, and an image of his potential match sprang forward.
She was a typical Terran with delicate features and a small, soft-looking body. Her hair was… interesting - a bright pink hue that he hadn’t been aware was on the Terran biological color spectrum.
She looked fine though, healthy enough, and if she passed on that strange hair to his child he could live with it. She wasn’t beautiful, at least not by Mataffian standards. But good health was his only concern.
As the image swirled back around to face him, hiseyes caught on hers and he felt as if his breath had been sucked out of his chest.
There was something…
Again, he couldn’t say she was beautiful, but her expression was so fierce, so filled withdetermination. He felt an instant affinity with her, though he knew it was ridiculous.
I want an heir. That’s all this is.
He tapped the screen to confirm and was almost relieved when the girl’s image disappeared.
Instantly, the world around him swam back into focus, along with the model of the Midsummer Center.
Sighing, he got to work trying to concoct an effective plan that allowed for drones on the inside, biological guards on the outside, and no communication between the two.
4
OLIVIA
Olivia took one last look around the most luxurious vehicle she was ever likely to travel in.
Maybe they’ll send me home in it too,she thought to herself wistfully.
The ship was in the shape of an egg, and the passenger portion was rounded with a plush curved sofa built into the walls.
The captain had shown her how her magnetic safety harness would connect automatically with her seating without additional straps, allowing her to move comfortably around the cabin throughout all portions of the flight.
A large glass table filled with living sea-vydows was the focal point. Though there were also cabinets of holo-readers and even some real paper books, Olivia found that all she really wanted to do was watch the little sea-vydows swim gracefully around their home, fins swirlingbehind them as their antennae sparked and flashed wild colors in the water.
