I blacked out.

For how long, it's impossible to say.

All I know is, one minute I was cowering in a corner as an android tried to stick me with a needle, the next I was staggering blindly down the corridor next to the cafeteria.

"Are you all right?" Topher Ferguson asked me.

I stared through those square glasses, into his beady rat-like eyes. Despite having gained some muscle tone from drilling, I somehow doubted he could carry a grown woman.

I braced myself against the wall. "I'm fine. I'm just...tired."

And then I threw up.

He insisted that I go see Cat in the infirmary, but I kept saying I was fine. Another visit with Cat was the last thing I needed.

He tried to carry me there, but I shoved him away, fleeing down the corridor.

I circled back, took a shower.

When I came out, grabbing a towel to dry myself off, the android was standing statue-like beside the sink, unblinking, mouth frozen in her default cat litter commercial smile. I screamed.

I had no weapons to use on her. I had left a pair of scissors next to my hair drier, but they had mysteriously vanished.

I wound the towel tightly around my body, frowning at the silent intruder.

My coworkers called this nonresponsive state "Cat-atonia."

I opened my mouth to speak, but Cat spoke first. "You are experiencing morning sickness, an early symptom of pregnancy. This medication should help with the nausea."

She placed a rattling green pill bottle on the counter.

"Go fuck yourself," I said.

The android paused and thought a moment. "Unable to comply. Alterations to sexual modules can only be performed by manufacturer with appropriate 561C procedural clearance."

She grinned like a Cheshire Cat, as if amused by her own joke. "Congratulations on your newly acquired human offspring."

With that, she turned and left the bathroom.

I watched her from the doorway, waiting for her to leave my room, then, from my door, I kept an eye on her, until she at last disappeared down the hallway.

Good riddance.

Morning sick or not, there was no way in hell I'd take those pills. I dumped the whole bottle down the toilet, replacing the contents with candy.

I had breakfast, went to work.

A few hours later, I was throwing up again. I told Dee and the others I was fine, popping mints to show I had things under control.

I took frequent rests.

During one of these rests, Kingston approached me and said, "You know what would help? Perhaps we should go outside. You could sit down, and see the world. The atmosphere is not breathable, but the light and scenery might make you feel at ease."

"Yes, but wouldn't she get motion sick?" Dee asked. "She already has nausea."

"I'd love to go," I said. "What's the occasion?"

"The other site has drillers and equipment."

And so we suited up and marched out to the rover.

"Are you excited about your preg-nancy?" Kingston asked as we rolled along.

What do you say to something like this?

My oxygen supply was full, but I noticed a red light flashing on the back of his, like he didn't have any air. Instead of answering his question, I asked him about that.

"This unit is defective," he said. "Actually, there is a full air supply. But the light comes on anyway."

I accepted his explanation, and we rode on in silence for awhile.

"You didn't answer my question, but I have answered yours," Kingston said with a half grin. It was hard to tell when he was being serious.

"Uh yeah," I said without enthusiasm. "I'm excited."

Then, expecting further questions, I said. "I don't know who the father is."

Kingston chuckled through his nose. "Whoever he is, he is a lucky man."

I shuddered.

I made it a point to distance myself from him from then on.

The landscape around us was dry and mountainous, pitted with craters. Not much to look at, really, but it was, at least, outside.

The entrance to Base C, now called Ghost Base, had been recently rebuilt. It looked newer than the rest of the place, and nicer than the surrounding walls. I heard some terrorists or space pirates had landed there and blown the place up.

Inside, the structure was pretty barren and gutted. Someone had taken most the useful supplies and many personal possessions away already. We kept our environment suits on simply due to the lack of oxygen being circulated through there.

After we grabbed a couple drills and some repair units and spare parts, I tried to stop by crew quarters and look around, but Kingston told me it wasn't safe, due to toxic chemicals or something. I didn't know whether to believe him or not, but I decided it wasn't worth the risk, so I just followed him outside.

We delayed at the rover for a few moments, Kingston packing the equipment in, checking the oxygen levels, the tires, things like that.

As I waited for him to get done (he wouldn't let me exert myself - I'm pregnant, after all), I suddenly noticed a small figure running across the rocky landscape ahead.

I had some special high powered binoculars in the rover, so I pressed them to my faceplate to get a better look.

I nearly dropped them in surprise.

Out there on the dead alien landscape was a boy in a striped t-shirt and jeans, flying a remote control airplane.

He breathed normally without equipment, the wind tousling his hair as he moved.

"Kingston!" I called, waving him over. "Come look at this! Hurry!"

Kingston took his time, slowly moseying over like there wasn't anything there to see but a boulder and some holes in the ground.

All of a sudden, I see a space suited figure leap out from behind a rock, dragging the boy away, kicking and screaming as he struggled to escape.

"Look at what, Ellen?" he asked, his faceplate turning every direction but the way I wanted it to.

I quickly handed him the binoculars, pointing that way.

He took one look, then handed them back with a smile. Even inside a helmet, he looked smug.

"Did you see that?" I asked.

Still smiling, he gave me a nod. "Yes. It is a massive dust storm. We should get back to base before it hits."