Myrrion

1. Georg Puukkes was just leaving the food court when he was rammed by a group of nine-year-olds practicing sequential runs on their own. Two of them plowed into the man's legs with their momentum, while the rest of the group crashed headlong into their predecessors.

The children fell silent, stunned – firstly, when they realized the situation, and secondly, when they saw the Adult fall. Georg staggered and, losing his balance, leaned against the corridor wall, performing a half-squat. The protein he had just consumed alarmingly jumped up into his throat. "Oh well, it'll be a peacock..." an ironic thought flashed through his mind. However, the entire incident was met with a discreet hiccup. Georg pushed himself off the wall and stood up straight. He reached for one of the children lying on the floor. The plump boy was panting as if he were having a moderate asthma attack. His face was the color of a uniformly browned hothouse apple. One of those species bred on the satellites of Kyenna or Myrrion, from which he was just returning. The man glared menacingly at his "attacker." The boy stared back sternly for a moment, but then looked contrite and lowered his head, likely finding some fascinating objects to observe right beneath his feet. The second boy was still lying on the ground, impatiently looking from Georg to his friend, who had just been brought in for a report. The other boys took a few steps back and waited to see what would happen. The man shifted his gaze to the fallen boy, who, following his friend's lead, immediately noticed the fascinating corridor floor. Georg was amused by both boys' behavior.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

The boys exchanged slightly surprised glances, then both stared at the man and shook their heads in sync. They did so with such enthusiasm that for a moment Georg had the overwhelming feeling that if he asked them a few more questions, their heads would detach from their bodies and roll somewhere down the corridor. He smiled broadly and, standing up, ruffled the hair of the boy standing in front of him.

"You need to be more careful," he said. "Contrary to appearances, sequential races are serious fun. In real-world conditions, a collision like this could result in serious injuries..."

Georg felt compelled to educate the younger generation about the consequences of carelessness. The children nodded humbly. They had all gathered in a group by now. He quickly noticed in their behavior a sense of anticipation until they could return to their activities. At their age, it was exactly the same. Perhaps not entirely – as a child, instead of playing with his peers, he often preferred spending time in Grandpa Istvan's room and admiring the antique portable computers that were the pride of his grandfather's antique collection. Among the not-so-ancient photon projectors, less than a century old, and various types of information carriers – vacuum, quantum, and, most anciently, digital – the portable laptops from over two centuries ago were his favorites. He could sit with them for hours, examining them from every possible angle, except, of course, for digging into the insides of the exhibits. Georg's grandfather refused to allow his collection to be disassembled. He always said, "Why do you want to take them apart and mess with them if they still work?" And indeed – every single one of them worked! Of course, each one was incredibly slow compared to today's machines.

Georg looked at the boys with understanding.

"Okay, now, run away..." he said, stepping aside to clear the way for them.

In the blink of an eye, the boys resumed their interrupted play. The last of the passing children turned to Georg. A broad smile spread across the boy's face, revealing the transitional phase of his teeth – a tragicomic lack of lower teeth. The child raised his hand as high as he could and eagerly waved goodbye to Georg. The man returned the gesture. He smiled and thought, "Good thing I don't have such a gap-toothed smile myself yet."

After a moment, the boys disappeared around a bend in the corridor. Georg sighed. He smiled to himself and headed toward the medical offices located in the eastern sector of the platform.

2. Dr. Verna Skijald, as usual, greeted Georg with a broad smile and a warm kiss on the cheek. He enjoyed greeting his doctor. He enjoyed her kisses. He always saw something more in them than just a simple greeting. Verna Skijald had long been special to Georg. He only wondered if he was special to her, too. He hoped so.

"Mr. Puukkes. Nice to see you again!" she always called when he entered her office, and when he approached, she smiled and, usually kissing him on the right cheek, said, abandoning her well-pretended formal tone, "Hello Georg..."

Georg inhaled her scent and each time found himself too weak to return the kiss.

His doctor looked exceptionally beautiful that day. Her hair was pulled back in a neat bun. Delicate makeup accentuated the gentle lines of her slim face. A well-fitting light blue medical uniform hugged her shapely figure perfectly.

A broad smile spread across Georg's face at the sight of her. He received his long-awaited kiss, and they both sat down opposite each other.

"You look good, Georg," the doctor said.

"Me? Come on, Verna... But you look... very good!" Georg replied.

"Oh, thank you." Dr. Skijald blushed visibly. "Where are you coming from this time?

" "Myrrion. I flew there at the invitation of my old friend Professor Heinsberg; perhaps you know him? He taught mathematics at the academy just as we were finishing our senior year there.

" "I don't remember. Besides, there were several professors teaching mathematics at the academy, have you forgotten? I attended lectures with a very handsome, black professor named Derekk." "You said you were coming back from Myrrion. I've never been there... What's it like there?"

"Ooo... Very beautiful! Myrrion is one of the most beautiful planets in the T3 galaxy. Small cities, rich vegetation, the emerald sunsets of Myrrion-Segal... Now, after a dozen or so years of effort, the air exchangers have finally been installed, and you can breathe freely throughout the entire planet. You can't even imagine how wonderful the air comes out of the new generation air exchangers. There's not a speck of the plastic smell found on previously adapted planets. The cities there are built based on Earth's models, dominated by platforms, but they're definitely smaller and more... I don't know how to put it, they just seem friendlier...

" "Friendly?

" "On Earth, we have a habit of pure colors; most often everything comes down to white, which makes each city look stark. On Myrrion, each platform has its own color. It's a much better solution than here." You always know which part of the city you're in, without having to check the data logs.

"Interesting...

" "Hmm... And the day is longer there, too.

" "Longer? By how much?

" "Exactly, I don't know to the minute," Georg smiled, "but roughly speaking, it's at least seven or eight hours. Imagine, I haven't slept a wink since returning yesterday, I've become so accustomed to Myrrion's lifestyle... After all, I was there for almost three months...

" "Don't worry, Georg," Verna said, "it's a completely normal reaction. Besides, we'll be doing a thorough checkup soon, but you know that...

" "Yes, I know. Routine checkups are mandatory for everyone upon returning to Earth..."

"That's right," the doctor agreed. "Okay, let's go to the next room and take samples there."

Georg stood up and followed the doctor. They passed through white glass doors, which silently slid open as they approached the sensor. Verna motioned the man to the examination chair and sat down beside him. Georg settled into the chair.

"Are you sitting comfortably?" she asked.

"Yes. Very comfortably, actually," he joked, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Okay," she replied, and picked up a pistol-shaped tool. "I'll now take samples of your blood, skin, and saliva. It will only take a minute, just sit still for a moment..."

Georg closed his eyes and let the doctor work. After a moment, he felt a gentle prick on his arm. Verna was taking samples of his blood and skin.

"Just a little saliva...

" "Should I spit?" he asked teasingly.

"I'd prefer you not spit in my office!" the doctor smiled. "Stick out your tongue, and I'll manage on my own… without you spitting…"

Dr. Skijald transferred the collected samples to the computer, then sat down at the control panel and quickly programmed the device.

"I'll have your test results in a moment," she said.

"Great!" Georg replied. "In the meantime, maybe you could tell me how you're doing?

" "Nothing special, really…" Verna shrugged. "Work, work, and more work. I was hoping during your last visit that you'd invite me to dinner, or at least for a walk, but you just disappeared and went for that… Myrrion…" She giggled like a little girl.

Georg's eyes widened and he was speechless for a moment. He wasn't sure if he'd just misheard.

"Are you serious?" he asked.

"Absolutely serious," Verna replied, nodding.

"Would you really go to dinner with me?"

The doctor smiled and tilted her head flirtatiously to the side.

"Really. I've been waiting for you to invite me for a long time…

" "Oh my!" Listen… I just didn't want to impose on you, I didn't know if you'd want to meet with me…

"You should have just asked, silly!" Verna laughed.

Georg slapped his forehead. He looked at Dr. Skijald and smiled, grinning.

"You're right, I'm a fool… I'm sorry."

"Georg, instead of apologizing, you could finally ask me out," Verna said.

Georg opened his mouth, and at that moment, a sound echoed through the room, announcing the completion of his sample analysis. They both burst out laughing simultaneously.

"Wait a minute, I'll get the printout."

Georg nodded. The doctor, carrying a sheet of paper, walked into the office, motioning the man to follow her. They sat down in the chairs opposite each other again. Verna reviewed the results for a moment. She grew serious, sending shivers down Georg's spine.

"What's the verdict, doctor?" he tried to joke, but when the doctor looked at him, his mood for humor vanished and he asked again, this time in a serious tone, "Is something wrong, Verna?

" "Most of the results are perfectly normal. Very normal, even..." Skijald began. "However, I have two reservations..."

Georg swallowed audibly the large lump lodged in his throat.

"What?" he asked.

"The first is a disturbance in your body's electrical particles. Nearly forty percent of them have reversed charges, which is an extremely rare phenomenon, although in the case of space travel, especially over long distances, even greater deviations of up to fifty, and sometimes even sixty percent...

" "What are the consequences of this... this change?"

"I think this 'change,' as you put it, is temporary. The magnetization levels of some minerals in your blood indicate that everything is rapidly returning to normal. It's possible you were exposed to radiation or electrocution on Myrrion, or somewhere along the way. I don't know how. Perhaps some strange event occurred during your expedition?"

"I don't recall anything like that..." Georg replied. "I'll have to examine the records in the travel memory modules... Maybe I'll find something in them..."

The doctor nodded to the man. Silence fell in the office for a moment. Georg tried to recall any events from the journey, while Verna reviewed the results.

"Georg, I don't think you should worry too much about it. I don't think you're in any danger. A few minor discharges, like a charge jump when you touch something metal, nothing more. It will pass in a few days.

" "And what's your second concern?" Georg asked after a few minutes.

"Pardon me?

" "Second concern." – he repeated. – You just said you had two reservations about my results. One concerns this change with the current, or rather, the electrification. And the second?

– The thing is, I don't really know what to think about it, or how to tell you…

– Just say it, it'll probably be easiest that way… – he said calmly.

– Okay… So… – the doctor began. – In my opinion…

Georg bowed his head and waited in concentration.

– It would be easier for me if you were a woman, Georg…

– A woman? – the man replied, surprised. – What does that have to do with anything?

– Yes, it does… It looks like you're… pregnant…

3. The restaurant was slowly filling with guests. The dimmed interior lighting dimmed the snow-white glow of the walls. Androids dressed in waiter's aprons shuttled between the tables, delivering the dishes the guests had ordered.

A couple sat at one of the tables. They were both leaning over the counter, engaging in a lively conversation.

"I tell you, this is irrational!" Georg said.

An android waiter approached their table and began discreetly setting out plates of food. The man fell silent, and when they were alone, he said,

"Sorry to bother you, Verna. We didn't come here to talk about my... um... pregnancy..."

The woman smiled and touched his cheek.

"We both know why we came here, but we don't have to say so many obvious things, do we?"

Georg was happy she'd said it that way. He thought the same thing. Now he knew Verna also felt something for him, and that reassured him in the current situation.

"Considering your test results today, I think we should talk about them," Skijald said.

Georg sighed deeply and bowed his head. He picked up a fork and began to move it around the plate of cooked vegetables, arranging them in strange patterns, then mixing them back together.

"I'm not hungry... You're not eating?" he asked.

"I am, very hungry, so would you mind if I eat while we talk?"

"Sure!" Georg replied. "That's kind of why we came here."

Verna began cleaning her plate, while Georg continued arranging vegetable patterns on his. Meanwhile, the android brought the white wine he'd ordered earlier to their table. Georg had wanted to order wine from the plantation of Itrakka—Myrrion's satellite—but it turned out that Itrakka had stopped trading with Earth for several months, meaning none of the Earth's cities had a single bottle of this delicacy in their collections. He savored it almost daily on Myrrion and became accustomed to its exquisite taste and aroma. Throughout the universe, Myrrion's satellites were considered the finest fruit plantations and producers of the finest fruit preserves. Itrakka was famous for its exquisite Myrrian grape varieties and the wines pressed there. Of all the other wines available in the restaurant, Georg chose one of the Kyennen wines—the second-highest planet in the system, renowned for its quality in this regard.

"I'd like to ask you something..." Georg began.

"Uh... Speak..." Verna replied, chewing her food. "And don't look at what falls out of my mouth," she finished, winking at him.

A nervous smile flitted across Georg's face.

"Tell me, how is it possible that I... you know... is it even possible?" he asked.

Verna put down her cutlery and nodded in understanding.

"Theoretically, it is..." she began, emphasizing the word "theoretically." "It would be a very complicated undertaking indeed. It requires the full commitment of a medical team, a special room for the procedure, qualified personnel, and about two months removed from your life... I assume you weren't hospitalized for that long on Myrrion...

" "I wasn't in any hospital at all!" Georg shouted. "I wasn't seeing any doctor!"

The woman looked around the room and hissed.

"Quiet, Georg, please!"

The man began shaking his head and muttering barely audible syllables under his breath.

"Verna, maybe you made a mistake with the results. I don't know... you programmed the computer incorrectly, you misinterpreted the results of the analyses...

" "Listen: I know this situation is awkward and stressful for you." Believe me, I'll try to help you to the best of my ability. But don't accuse me of making a mistake! I've been a doctor for fifteen years, I have the highest qualifications in this complex of platforms, I have a third-degree specialization in general medicine, a third in spatial diseases, and a second in pathological medicine. I've never made a mistake in any examination, not a single one.

Georg looked at her with wide, surprised eyes. After a second, a slight smile appeared on his face.

"So I'm under good care..." he said in a satisfied tone.

"The best. Remember that!" Verna replied, pointing at him with her index finger.

"Yes, Doctor!

" "I know that's not what you want to hear, but part of me envys you...

" "Why?"

"You see... I can't have children..."

They smiled at each other, and the doctor took Georg's hand in hers. He felt how soft the skin of her hands was. Warm. He squeezed her hand lightly. They sat there for a long time, gazing deeply into each other's eyes.

"But we still don't know how you ended up in this... state..." The doctor almost blurted out "blessed state," but at the last moment she bit her tongue. "You need to carefully analyze all the events of the last two months."

"Why two? I spent three months on Myrrion, minus only a few days, two, or three...

" "The results indicate that your altered state has been going on for two months. Considering the month-long journey, the last month of your stay on the planet was already... ...with hope, and by all the rules of nature, you would need about a month to find yourself in such a state. That gives us a range of two months, although in reality, we'll be most interested in the second, middle month."

Georg sighed deeply.

"Can we please not talk about any pregnancies, hospitals, illnesses, or anything like that today?" he asked. "Please... I think all this is too much for me for one day...

" Verna stroked his cheek. "That's the second time today!" Georg thought delightedly.

"Of course... and... what would you like to talk about?" she replied seductively.

4. Georg spent the next four days analyzing the records of the travel memory modules. Everything in them was in perfect order; he found nothing that even remotely helped him determine the cause of the changes in his body. On the fifth day, he chanced to glance at the Myrrian information book. He briefly skimmed through information regarding the position of the planetary system, data characterizing the planet itself, and leisure activities. His attention, however, focused on information regarding the planet's ordinary life. He successively reviewed the physical, chemical, and geographical information logs. He reviewed data on Myrrion's population structure and was intrigued by the fact that the planet had still been using the old PMRS, a platform memory reset system adapted to Myrrion's conditions, where platforms didn't function, but rather cities built directly on the planet's surface. Admittedly, the reset system only operated in the most impoverished districts, which couldn't afford the constant expansion of their residential complexes' general memory resources for economic reasons. Systems for automatically erasing platform cache memory had operated on Earth several hundred years ago, but were phased out shortly after the invention of vacuum general memory storage. When photon modules were introduced in the last century, the problem of memory reset disappeared from the minds of platform engineers and scientists, so now no one on Earth was even considering them, and fewer and fewer people remembered them.

However, Myrrion couldn't afford to invest in enough vacuum modules to distribute them to all its cities and districts, and the planet's overpopulation was steadily increasing. It was therefore decided that the reset system would continue to be used in districts with the lowest material status and lowest economic utility, at least until the planet could acquire more vacuum modules, or at least a single photon module. Generating its own resources was out of the question on Myrrion due to insufficient engineering advancement and a lack of the necessary technology.

Georg didn't recall any mention of PMRS cities or districts of Myrrion cities in the information Professor Heinsberg had given him during his conversations with him. The city his friend lived in was by no means a low-income one, and certainly not insignificant to Myrrion's economy. It was inhabited by families of scientists specializing in many fields of science, from mathematics to advanced chemistry and cybernetics. All of them were expected to contribute to the planet's development, so their community was among the first to receive vacuum-emitting collective memory modules.

He flipped through several more registers and looked at the descriptions of the cities. In total, there were just over fifteen thousand on Myrrion, nearly nine thousand of which were so-called "tourist" cities. Tourism was one of the planet's main sources of income. Many planets, including Earth, had supported the Myrrion tourism economy by building massive, state-of-the-art air exchangers, the largest ever built on any planet. Fresh air contributed to the lush bloom. New transducers allowed for a gigantic increase in tourism. There was no shortage of people eager to visit the planet; on the contrary, every town was full of visitors.

In the planet's life records, he found a reference he had never encountered before. It concerned the life cycle of the race that inhabited Myrrion. Individuals of both sexes, at a certain point in their lives, corresponding to the Earth's thirty to thirty-eight years, went through a phase known as "blooming," during which they were under the increased influence of all external stimuli. During this period, Myrrian women most often became pregnant, and in rare cases, pregnancy could also occur in males. This discovery stunned Georg. His age matched perfectly, for he was thirty-five. He stared for a long time at the biological record where he found this message. When the record screen automatically blanked, the man buried his face in his hands.

5. Early in the morning, Georg grabbed the comm port and dialed the number for Dr. Skijald's office. After a moment's wait, Verna's face appeared on the port monitor.

"Hello Georg," she said in a pleasant voice, "what's going on…

" "I know what's happening to me!" Georg didn't want to wait with the news. He immediately began telling everyone, forgetting to even catch his breath. When he finished, he looked expectantly at his interlocutor.

"Excuse me, but I have to ask you this…" the doctor began. "During your visit to Myrrion, did you… Did you meet anyone?

" "Sure!" the man replied immediately. "I already told you I was there at the invitation of a friend. I met him, his lovely wife, their child, friends…"

"No, no, no... You misunderstood me, Georg..." Verna interrupted. "I mean, have you ever dated a woman or a man... You know...

" "Oh, that's what you mean!" Georg replied, surprised. His face flushed significantly. "No, I haven't dated anyone.

" "Okay..." Deep down, the woman was pleased with the answer. "I know the Myrrion case, and I have to tell you that pregnancy is almost identical there to ours, namely, it requires a pair of individuals. And since you claim you haven't dated anyone...

" "Because that's how it was, really..." the man began to explain.

"But Georg, I believe you!" the doctor replied. "I'm just telling it like it is. You don't meet the conditions for a Myrrion bloom; your body isn't familiar with the life cycle of this planet. Earthlings can't go through the developmental phases of Myrrion's inhabitants; it's simply impossible..."

At that moment, someone knocked on Georg's apartment door. The man glanced in their direction, then back at Verna.

"Will you let me step away from the port for a moment? There's someone at my door...

" "You know what, listen, Georg, we'll talk tonight, okay? I have some work to do now.

" "Great. Thank you very much, and see you tonight...

" "See you later..." Verna smiled and waved at him. After a moment, the port screen went blank and a message appeared about the transmission time and parameters. Georg turned off the device and headed for the door. He pressed the button to release the security lock, and the door opened with a soft hiss. Georg looked at his visitor. Before him stood Professor Heinsberg himself. Smiling from ear to ear.

"Hello Georg!" said the delighted professor.

"Nicolas? You here?" Georg asked in surprise. "You didn't say you'd be on Earth..."

Georg stood in the doorway, his mouth hanging open. He'd seen Nicolas a month ago—on Myrrion.

"Ha, ha, ha! You don't seem too pleased with my visit, do you?" – Heinsberg laughed. – Am I coming at an inconvenient time?

– Of course not! – Georg replied, embarrassed. – Sorry, I was just surprised to see you here so suddenly…

– But I'm not disturbing you, I hope…

– Not at all. Please come in, you're welcome.

The professor stepped through the threshold of Georg's apartment. The door closed behind him with the same soft hiss. He took off his long coat, put down his travel bag, and began to look around the apartment. He slowly took in every detail. His eyes landed on Georg's small living room.

– Ha! Perhaps we should sit down? – he asked cheerfully.

– I see I'm not a very good host… – Georg stated. – Of course, you're welcome in the living room! Would you like something to drink?

– What do you suggest?

"Whatever you want, I have almost everything: tea, water, light alcohol, and at least a few varieties of everything...

" "I assume you don't have coffee..." the professor asked.

"I don't. You know it's illegal, and besides, I've never really liked it.

" "Yes... So if you can, make me some nice tea."

Georg went to the kitchen and began preparing the drinks. Meanwhile, his friend became curious about Georg's travel memory modules and the Myrrian informant's records, which were standing on the table. He turned on the informant and began leafing through it. A moment later, the host returned to the living room with hot tea. The professor was reading the records concerning the planet's system and its satellites.

"Myrrion seems to have piqued your interest," he said, lifting his head from the informant.

"Yes..." the embarrassed Georg replied. "But I must admit that many things on the planet looked different from those described in the informant; I didn't see many things at all...

" "Georg, listen to me carefully..." Heinsberg began slowly, his voice calm. "I know perfectly well what's happening to you."

For a moment, Georg thought he'd simply misheard. He shook his head.

"Could you repeat that? I didn't catch what you said..." he said.

"You heard correctly, my friend..." the professor smiled kindly. "I said I knew perfectly well what was happening to you. From the look on your face, I gather you already know. You've certainly had the mandatory tests, and they must have revealed your condition."

The surprised man completely lost track of the events that had just taken place, and with them, his voice. He shook his head and stared at Heinsberg in disbelief.

"What?" he choked out after a moment.

The professor only nodded.

"How?" Georg asked again.

"Calm down, Georg," Heinsberg replied. "Calm down and listen to me, because I have to tell you everything exactly so you understand."

The professor took a cup of tea and began to warm his hands with it. He leaned over the cup and inhaled slowly. He held it in for a brief moment, then released it with a slight sigh.

"A beautiful aroma..." he said to the speechless Georg. "What kind is it?"

Georg regained consciousness. He raised his hand, but a moment later lowered it in resignation. He narrowed his eyes, searching his memory for the name of the tea.

"Nicolas, does it matter what kind of tea it is?" he asked after a moment. "I'm much more interested in what you just said..."

"Of course, I'll explain everything in a moment..." the professor replied. He took a sip from the cup and tasted it. Georg watched his friend's unconscious performance for a moment.

"It's a tea from Itrakka... It's called 'K' Dragga' if I remember correctly..."

"'K'Dragga'? That name sounds familiar to me... Never mind. But wait, the people of Itrakka haven't been trading with you for some time.

" "I still have a supply of that tea from the days when they did."

Heinsberg nodded and took another sip. He then set down his cup and sat back comfortably. Georg followed suit.

"Okay then. Let me start from the very beginning. You met my wife, Elmea, on Myrrion. You also met our son, Jared. You know we love each other very much and make a beautiful family..."

Georg nodded.

"Do you know Myrrion's law on having children?" the professor asked.

"Is there one?" Georg replied.

"Unfortunately, it is... Perhaps you know that the planet has been overpopulated for a long time. There are simply too many of us in the world." The Myrrion authorities introduced strict birth control measures in all cities on the planet, even in our own community, which, as you know, boasts many rights and privileges not available to other residents. The result of these controls is a ban on having more than one child. Furthermore, you have to apply very hard to obtain the right to have that one offspring. You have no idea how many requirements, often senseless ones, must be met before the authorities finally agree to a child in your family. Bureaucracy... Anyway, after much effort, we managed to obtain such permission. Thanks to him, we have Jared. After a while, however, we decided we wanted a brother or sister for him... Unfortunately, there was no way to obtain permission for a second child. We wanted him so badly, however, that we tried to find a solution, you understand? And after some time, we found it! Myrrion law forbids a child from being born on the planet, but nothing says it can't come and live there. However, the authorities have taken precautions against exploiting obvious loopholes in this regulation and have introduced strict medical examinations for every woman departing Myrrion. A woman expecting a child, even her first, legal child, will not be allowed off the planet. However, a woman who is not pregnant loses her reproductive capacity during her stay off the planet. We don't know how they achieve this effect, but we've verified that it works. The idea we came up with initially seemed impossible…

Georg stared at Heinsberg with wide eyes. Slowly, what the professor was explaining began to sink in.

"We thought we could try to transport the child out of Myrrion while it's still a fetus, and then bring it back as a newborn. Listen: men don't undergo clearance on Myrrion before leaving the planet, only after returning to it!" Heinsberg beamed. His face glowed with triumph, victory over a system that had been broken, deceived.

In a split second, Georg grasped everything the professor had conveyed between the lines. He laughed out loud and looked at Heinsberg with madness in his eyes.

"So you decided to smuggle your child into me! Good!" he exclaimed with irony. "Did you even think of asking me?"

"Georg, you wouldn't have agreed anyway... Besides, there wasn't time..." the professor replied. "You see, Elmea recently became pregnant... It was the only way to save our child!"

Silence fell upon the room.

"This is a nightmare..." Georg groaned after a moment.

"Look, there was no other way to save my second son..." Tears welled up in the professor's eyes. He quickly wiped them away with a tissue, but more kept appearing behind them.

"You said 'we'..." Georg hinted.

"Yes. There are more of us, a great many. Along with other Myrrians, who thought the same way, we decided to organize ourselves somehow. Together, we developed the project's assumptions, conducted research, and prepared everything necessary for this operation. It took us two full years... We can't let this go to waste... You spent a whole month in our secret hospital, of which, of course, you remember nothing. We implanted completely neutral memories in your memory... It was an incredibly difficult and expensive undertaking; until now, no one had managed to transfer a fetus from a female to a male. We achieved it with complete success. We're sure the rest of the plan is just as accurate, and the result will surely please all of us, including you, Georg…

The man pondered the words he'd just heard.

"How do you imagine all this?" he asked Nicolas.

"Don't worry, everything has been planned down to the smallest detail," the professor replied.

"How so? You think no one will notice my belly? I have my research, my job! And how am I supposed to… give birth?" Georg blurted out.

"Your job is the least of your worries. You told me yourself you need to use up your outstanding vacation days; if I remember correctly, you have about a year of them. During that time, you'll be under the constant supervision of our medical team," Heinsberg replied.

"Okay, but the birth…"

"For you, it should be absolutely painless, just like the 'fertilization' procedure. It's an advanced method. Innovative, but safe. The entire process is aided by the inversion of your body's charges, and this alone may cause some discomfort for a short time, but it's only temporary. There's no risk to your health. Doctors from Myrrion, four of our best doctors, have flown to Earth with me. They are people with extensive experience and enjoy an excellent reputation even here on Earth."

Georg groaned softly. He realized he didn't have much choice.

"Nicolas...

" "Please..." the professor interrupted. "Understand me. Wouldn't you take advantage of this one opportunity?"

Heinsberg looked at him with rounded eyes. Georg saw trust, need, and immense suffering in those eyes. Could he refuse a friend in such a situation? He wondered what he might do in Nicolas's place. Give the child up for euthanasia? He would never have resorted to such a solution. What if his case ushered in a new era in medicine? Perhaps it would allow many people to fulfill their need for children. What if, thanks to him, people who had been suffering, unable to have children, could live a life of complete happiness, enjoying the smile of their own little one? Perhaps he could help with his decision, with his dedication to the fate of all humanity. One thought, racing at the speed of light, pricked his mind… Verna couldn't have children… She'd told him that during that dinner! How could he forget? They would be together—that was certain. They would try to start a family… He remembered the children who had run him over outside the dining room, He remembered Heinsberg's adorable son, Jared, with whom he played with plasma blocks, He remembered his brother's children. At some point, Verna and he would both want to have a child. What then? His friend was offering him the solution! Too bad, if he was going to be the test animal—so be it! He would contribute more to the history of humanity with this than with his research on new synthetic materials…

Georg looked up at Heinsberg. Heinsberg continued to stare at him hopefully. The professor nervously rubbed his hands together.

"So? What's your decision?" he asked, holding his breath.

Georg scratched his head.

"Agreed..." he replied calmly.

Heinsberg jumped with joy. He began hugging his friend with all his might, thanking him profusely. At one point, Georg was completely out of breath from the hugs. He shook his finger at Nicolas.

"Be careful, in my condition...

" "You're right," the professor laughed. "You have to take care of yourself now."

For many more hours, they sat and negotiated the next steps one by one. Georg was to take a five-month leave and go to a specially prepared clinic on Saturn. There, attentive care awaited him, as Heinsberg had already prepared everything long before his conversation with Georg, even before his friend arrived on Myrrion. It turned out that everything had been meticulously planned, down to the smallest detail. The Myrrians demonstrated enormous commitment and perseverance. They had put a tremendous amount of work into the entire project. Only now did Georg understand how determined they were to circumvent the laws of their planet.

Just after midnight, the professor, still in an excellent mood, went to his hotel. Georg lay in bed for a long time, staring at the phosphorescent ceiling. He fell asleep just before sunrise, still wondering how Verna Skijald—his Verna—would react to all this.