Chapter 10: In The Wild (Day 121)
Two days later, Samus awoke early that morning in the hopes of being able to catch the sunrise. She addressed her child softly. "Care to join me? It's quite the sight to behold." She felt herself grin afterwards, feeling a bit embarrassed about having almost expected to feel or hear some sort of acknowledgment. It would be some time before that, however; all the books said it was normal to start feeling movement around twenty weeks, but that every woman was different. Boy, if only they knew, she said to herself as she stood to stretch the kinks from her muscles. Ninety-nine percent of her DNA was human, but there was no telling how that minuscule one percent of Chozo DNA would affect her baby. She felt a sudden pang of dread at this thought and quickly moved her focus away from it to the coming beauty outside.
As Samus stepped out onto the terrace, feeling the breeze run its fingers through her loose blond hair and send an ever so slight chill up her spine, she stood at the balcony and just surveyed the already bustling metropolis around her. A gentle orange light was peeking over the distant crags while below her, the sounds of the early morning commute could be heard. She briefly recalled her time as a bounty hunter, thankful that "nine-to-five" had not once been apart of its vocabulary. She was free to move at her own pace, and the only performance marker that mattered was whether or not she'd managed to complete the mission...most of the time. Not whether or not she kissed her boss' ass a certain number of times a month. Though she did have a penchant for collateral damage and this did not sit well with the Federation. Everything involving her job had been done on her own terms. As she continued to stare down at the bumper to bumper traffic below, hearing the blaring of transport beeps and swear words, her hands found her belly and began to stroke it pensively.
"Whatever you decide to do in life," she said softly, hoping her son or daughter could hear her, "may it always be on your terms. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
Some thirty minutes later, Samus went back inside to find Adam sitting at the table, dressed in nothing but a pair of solid gray pajama bottoms, his head deep in the electronic pages of the daily news. His other signature, a steaming cup of coffee, was in front of him half empty. Samus approached him from his blind side and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Mornin', sleepyhead." she smiled, his hair still damp and fragrant from the shower he'd taken. "I didn't keep you up last night with all that thrashing, did I?"
Adam kissed her cheek. "Morning, Lady. Were you not able to sleep last night?" he asked, placing the tablet on the table. The daily news could wait.
Samus squeezed him tighter, a soft chuckle escaping her. "Relax, Adam. Relax. I'm just trying to still find a comfortable position to sleep in, that's all. Not used to all the space after being in the cooped up quarters on my ship, plus sleeping on my back makes me feel weird."
Adam sighed in relief. Truth be told, he hadn't moved all night and was only now hearing about his partner's lack of sleep. He was just grateful that's all it was. In his ever-willingness to make sure both mom and baby were taken care of, he offered a simple suggestion, "Have you thought of putting a pillow or two between your legs?"
Samus looked at him with bewilderment as she sat down at the table and poured herself a glass of juice. "Well...no. I never thought of that. Where did you find that?"
"A little bird told me." he grinned.
Samus jolted him in his seat, "Don't be a smartass, Adam!"
He chuckled somewhere deep in his throat. "Of course I'm kidding, Lady. I actually read that it helps the woman to sleep if she uses the pillows in conjunction with a side-sleeping position." He gave her the once over, paying special attention to her precious cargo. "But isn't it a little early to be having sleeping problems? It's not even that noticeable. Yet."
Samus was suddenly taken aback. Even after she'd left him for her own selfish reasons, Adam had continued to read everything he could about pregnancy and its various subjects, all because he wanted to make sure, absolutely, positively sure, that Samus would be taken care of should anything suddenly happen. In his own way, he'd kept up the hope that she would come back to him.
She suddenly realized, with crystal-clear certainty, that he hadn't proposed to her because of the circumstances. He truly wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.
And she with him. So maybe I should be grateful to Jonas for making me realize what I was throwing away. Glad to know at least one good thing came from that disaster...
"Y-yeah, I suppose it is a little early." she finally replied.
Adam noticed the dreamy look in her eyes. "Are you OK? You look a bit out of it."
She looked at him, a soft smile slowly curving her mouth. "I'm wonderful," she replied. "Just wonderful."
Adam smiled and stood. "Glad to hear it, Lady." he remarked before eyeing the chronometer on the wall closest to the door of their apartment. "I have to get ready for work. Will you be all right by yourself?"
"Yeah. Just don't be surprised if I'm still in bed when you get home. I'm still exhausted."
Adam wouldn't have it any other way. "By all means, Lady. Besides, it's important that you get plenty of rest."
Samus smiled warmly. "Fair enough. Now get outta here."
Ten minutes later, Adam was off to work, leaving Samus to herself and the daily news Adam hadn't finished reading. She lay on the sectional, one hand resting on her belly while the other held the tablet-sized data pad that came every morning. With Chairman Keaton's term set to expire a few months from now, it was all over the electronic pages of the news. Her eyes were growing heavy reading through the various stories and headlines, when one sidebar in particular jolted her awake.
The Federation had renewed its contract with the Titan Corporation, a research and space development company, for the foreseeable future and was already in the planning stages for its next research and development colony code named "Eos" with completion tentatively planned for sometime within the next five cycles.
The Titan Corporation, often simply referred to as "Titan" was an interplanetary conglomerate specializing in everything from pharmaceuticals and nano technology, to terraforming, space colonization and deep space transport. Far more ominous, however, was their interest in the research, acquisition and experimentation on creatures far and wide in the hopes of turning them into applications for military use or pure profit. And their relationship with the Federation went as far back as the history of the Federation itself, with many speculating just who was controlling who, Titan's influence having permeated the very government itself.
The article went on to state that the Bottle Ship had been manufactured by Titan and originally used as a residential colony, but was later decommissioned after deca-cycles of service. The ship had later been acquired by the Federation and rebuilt into what would eventually become the doomed research vessel.
Samus felt her jaw clench tight as she remembered the horrors she and Adam's men had discovered aboard the illegal research vessel. Creatures turned against their will into the the Federation's next big bioweapon and hiding behind the ruse that such measures were needed if the Galactic Federation were to remain safe and the beacon of hope to the universe. It was a crock if she'd ever heard one. Just how long was this going to go on before something catastrophic – something not even Samus could stop – happened, and the Federation realized the error of their ways?
Operation: Baby Recon was in full swing later that afternoon after Adam's return home from work. Samus tried her best to be casual and relaxed as they walked through the populated downtown, but her hunter senses were constantly on the lookout for potential threats and security breaches. A rogue vessel would have no issue landing in the downtown square, and it would be no trouble for a swarthy group of criminals or terrorists to infiltrate the malls before they could be secured. Civilians wouldn't stand a chance.
She had to consciously work to clear her mind of these thoughts. "How do you do it?" she whispered to Adam while they walked. "You're highly trained military, and you're just… walking around. Like a normal person."
She expected Adam to chuckle at this, but his expression was pensive. "Honestly? It never truly turns off," he admitted. "I try to separate it from the rest of me. There's a time and a place to be military, and a time and a place to be civilian. Though, lately, I'm happy to say that the human part of me is gaining the upper hand."
"Can't those ever coexist?" Samus asked. "Why do I have to be one or the other?"
He smiled knowingly. "I think both sides of you could coexist, but for you, it will take practice. For now, just smile, try to relax. Look at all the cute little clothes and toys our son will love..." His eyes twinkled with mischief.
"It could still be a daughter," Samus pointed out, falling right into his trap.
"It could also be twins." he grinned.
And that was how Adam learned the hard way that, even four and a half months pregnant, Samus could still hit harder than any of the aspiring soldiers in his command.
They'd both dressed casually and according to the mild weather; Dark gray cargo shorts and polo shirt for Adam, denim capris (complete with an elastic waist band) and lavender blouse for Samus, who wore her hair down long and loose despite the warmth, hoping it might provide her with some shade or disguise. They entered the first department store on their list and headed for the baby section. As they neared the bright section, with its racks of tiny clothes and displayed nursery furniture, her heart beat faster and she thought she might be nauseous.
Adam took her hand and squeezed it as if detecting his fiancee's unease. "We're in this together, Lady," he murmured. "It will get easier. Remember, we're only looking. Think of this as a dry run."
"Right. This is just a recon mission," Samus said with a nervous smile. She took a deep breath to clear her head.
They were soon immersed in a world of pale blues and pinks, sunny light yellows and gentle spring greens. Cribs, dressers, strollers and other furniture. Tiny clothes and soft cuddly toys. Samus couldn't help but feel as if she'd stepped onto another world. Everything around her was bright and joyous, a far cry from the bleak, often hostile worlds she was far more accustomed to. Samus had no recollection of her past life on K2-L, before the Space Pirates razed her colony and the Chozo saved her. After that, it was the harsh training of a Chozo warrior. She didn't recall puffy comforters or musical mobiles. Cushy stuffed animals and brightly colored toys had had no place in her childhood.
They paused before a row of shelves filled with stacks of folded blankets. "Where do we start?" Adam asked, breaking the silence between them.
Samus sighed and leaned against one of the shelves. "I'm glad you're as overwhelmed as I am," she said. They were both smiling, but the fact that they'd both admitted their apprehension relaxed the atmosphere. "Well… we're going to need something for the baby to sleep in, right?" she asked, prodding a pile of pink fleece that she supposed was a blanket.
"Cribs?"
Samus nodded her agreement. "Cribs."
They weren't even sure what to be looking for. While the books stressed safety above all else, they mentioned very little when it came to style and comfort. Every crib they saw looked good; it had a mattress and it was certified secure. They all looked just fine, so their hope of narrowing down this recon mission to something simpler wasn't working out very well at the moment.
Suddenly, "Can I help you?"
The voice came from out of thin air and Samus whirled around, instantly on the defensive. The surprised sales floor worker took a couple steps back and held her hands up in a show of peace. Her smile kept faltering, and she seemed genuinely afraid for a moment. "I'm sorry," Samus finally said. "I'm not used to being sneaked up on." The young lady blinked a couple of times as if trying to register the sight of the rather tall and imposing muscular woman towering over her. "But yes, you can help me," Samus added after another uncomfortable moment of silence.
"We're trying to decide which crib we'd like," Adam said, coming up behind Samus and placing his hands on her shoulders. "We're not entirely sure where to start, just that it needs to be as safe as possible."
"Of course," The sales woman replied, some of the color having come back into her face. "Do you know what you're having?"
"An alien?" Samus replied, more sharply than she'd intended, and she felt Adam's fingers dig into her shoulders a little. It should be obvious it's a human baby, she thought, and tried not to show her irritation on her face. Unfortunately it came through in her voice. "I'm sorry," she said.
The woman laughed, a high pitched giggle that sounded forced and nervous. "That's the first time I've heard that one," she said. "Boy or girl?"
"We're not sure yet," Adam replied. "We're just checking things out right now. It's a lot to consider."
"Absolutely. Well, do you know what style you like?" she asked.
That was how the next hour or so went. Heather, the sales woman, grew progressively more bubbly and insistent, and Samus and Adam knew less and less how to answer the questions she asked. And she and Adam finally agreed to start a registry, whatever that was, at the store just to get Heather to back off.
"That was more exhausting than anything I've ever done involving Space Pirates, Metroids, or hardened criminals," she told Adam once they were out of the store and walking down the street. "I almost think I'd rather do Zebes over again than do another registry. What the hell did we just do anyway?"
"She was awfully pushy," Adam agreed with a nod of his head. "But wasn't it nice to be treated like normal people, rather than celebrities? I don't think she recognized us. And, I think what we just did is make a list of things we'd like to purchase for the baby."
"Not after I scared the crap out of her, no," Samus said with a chuckle. "I have a feeling she'd run and hide if we ever stepped foot in there again. Or, if I stepped foot in there again, at least. We might as well check this place off our list."
Back inside the store, Heather brought up her communications display while on break in the lunch room. She wasn't sure she was contacting the right person, but she figured what she had was too good to turn down, and she'd get put through to the right person. "Hello," she said, keeping her voice from trembling. "My name is Heather Coriander. I work at a department store, and- no, no, please don't hang up," she said breathlessly. "Today two people who looked a lot like Samus Aran and Adam Malkovich made a baby registry under the names of Samantha and Adam Bailey. I'm pretty sure it was them though. I thought it was a bit strange." She smiled as the voices on the other line grew faint, but more excited as someone was probably stepping away to get another person.
"This is Diana Dumar, Ms. Coriander," someone finally said. "Why don't we talk about how much this information may be worth."