Chapter 2 And to think I thought I had principles #2
“That’s—” Fucking insane! “You said options. Are we in one of these…working prisons or something? Work I could do to reduce my sentence?”
“It’s one of the two other possibilities, yes.
” The man nodded, seemingly happy that I was bringing it up.
“You can join the program as a worker. Do some cleaning, cooking, and supply us with some…blood or other samples for our experiments.” My eyes widened.
“Nothing too invasive, we’re a research center and inter-galactic base after all,” he said in a placating way.
“You see, this whole system was artificially populated. Well, no—it was inhabited with primitive species before we intervened a few thousands years ago, mixing their genes with human ones to create humanoid species. They’ve been fully evolved for a long time, but they’re all facing some…
genetic issues now. An issue we’re actively working to fix. ”
I didn’t like the sound of that. This option would make me a lab rat for them to fix whatever issue they created in the first place.
I knew there were aliens existing in our galaxy and even beyond.
Even if I’ve never met one myself, the colony on the Moon was known to host at least two other species—both never bothered to visit Earth.
And why would they? They had functioning lungs, it would be a shame to damage them.
“So you want to use your prisoners to make tests on them and the humanoid alien species of this system. Isn’t it unethical?” I seethed.
“It’s only unethical if they don’t consent to it.”
“Oh, right, sure. Because coaxing them into it is.”
His smile faltered. “We’re giving you options. You’re free to refuse them and go to your cell for the next couple hundred years.”
My eyes bulged. “Couple hundred years?”
“Time doesn’t work the same in outer space, especially surrounded by an artificial atmosphere. You have a good one hundred or one fifty years left, give or take.”
Nope. Not gonna happen. What the hell would I do locked up for so long? “This second option, would it reduce my sentence?”
The man’s gaze glinted with satisfaction. I was playing right into his game. “You’d be free to go back to the dumpster that is Earth in twenty years.”
It was a nightmare. I was asleep in my shitty bed and when I’d open my eyes, I’d see the yellow smog outside my cracked window and jump in the bus to search for jobs while Granny safely stayed at home. I hid a wince when pinching my own arm only hurt and didn’t pull me out of this hell.
“Twenty years,” I repeated.
“It’s a generous offer.”
“It’s a scam.”
His sigh echoed in the silent room. Why were the other men here if they weren’t going to talk or do anything?
“And then, there’s the third option. If time is what concerns you, this one might pique your interest.”
I swear if he’ll suggest any of their old cocks ends up in contact with any part of me, I’ll—
“We reached a stage in our research that shows that the issue the alien population of this system has can be fixed easily. Their line has grown too…pure. Which caused their infertility.”
“Infertili—” What?
He gave me a stern nod. “Their birth rate has decreased by ninety-two percent over the last fifty years, and one hundred for the last thirty. At first, the rate of stillborn increased and only half of the offspring were born alive and healthy. Then, pregnancies simply stopped happening for each of the twelve species. The last ones were born a little over thirty years ago. Nothing ever since.”
“I-I don’t get what you expect me to do,” I stammered. “Aliens and humans can’t—I’ve seen the documentaries! Inter-species couples formed on the Moon colony and—no, it doesn’t work like this, they’re—”
“Not here,” he interrupted. “They share human genetic material. It constitutes between forty and sixty percent of their DNA, depending on the species. We made tests over the last decades, and every female human egg fertilized in vitro with each species’ seed resulted in a viable embryo.”
It didn’t make any sense. But then, they didn’t teach us about alien reproduction in school, and even if they did, I’ve never heard of half human half alien species before.
“So what, you expect me to carry one of said embryos?”
They all exchanged a strange look. “No. We know embryos are viable and human eggs work. We’re moving on to the next stage, and that’s why we’re offering you this option.”
“What option? You’re still beating around the damn bushes!”
“We need you to become one of the twelve first human brides of the Zodiac System,” he finally admitted. “Not to carry an already fertilized embryo, but to offer a chance to one of the species to renew their genetic material and be able to procreate naturally again.”
That was it. Turns out I was partially right; I was being whored out. But not for a wrinkly old human cock, no. For an alien one.
“No,” I said.
“No?”
“No! I’m not selling my uterus for a reduced sentence! Are you insane?”
“You’ll be free to leave in either a full year if it doesn’t take, or after the child is born if it does.”
My body froze, the protest dying in my throat.
A year? And that was if it didn’t take?
Nothing forced me to actually open my leg to the damn alien. I could be out in a year. Back to Earth, not confined in a cell anymore.
“Will my debt be erased?” I asked. “When I go back, whether in a year or more. I want my debts to be paid off.”
He studied me in silence for a moment, sliding his tongue over his teeth in contemplation. “Deal.”
“And I want money,” I added. “You expect me to fuck an alien enough times to try and get pregnant. Surrogates are paid for their services and you’re asking more than just carry some premade embryo, I want—”
“Fifty thousands dollos, only if you birth a child.”
I bit my tongue. Fuck. The old man saw right through me.
“Fine,” I gritted out. “But the debt is erased whether it works or not.”
He gave one single nod. “Do we have an agreement?”
And to think I thought I had principles… “We do.”