Chapter 27: IT LIVES!

"Well? Is it… is it finished?" White demanded, glaring at Jaqueline who was hunched over a data-terminal.

"Give it a minute, White. Analyzing the systems takes some time," the brilliant Resistance android requested, her eyes never leaving the screens.

White huffed, folding her arms, but complied, though she couldn't help but feel the tingle of nervousness in her emotional emulator systems. The commander of YoRHa was not used to being nervous. It was a strange melding of fear and suspenseful anticipation and she did not like it. She wondered briefly how humans could have dealt with this all their lives.

A beep drew White out of her revelry, and she stared at Jaqueline. The foul-mouthed researcher's expression was unreadable, and the nervousness grew stronger within White.

"It's done. No bugs or other faults detected. All system green and ready to be install." Jaqueline eventually announced after what felt like a million years, and White sighed in relief.

She wasn't the only one, the whole lab filling with the sounds of relief as numerous H-types showed how happy they were the success of the diagnosis.

For nearly a decade, the Bunker had focused all of its efforts on ensuring Project Ascension would succeed, and humanity would be brought back from extinction. And now, after all the time and effort poured desperately into countless experiments and sleepless nights, they had done it. Their work had paid off!

One of the H-types stepped forward and placed a hand onto a glass tube, within which an egg-shaped device rested. It was made primarily of metal, but it had a glass panel on the front, through which one could view the interior that sort of resembled a modified cradle, though it was festooned with wires, cables, and tubes. It was about the size of an android's head, and there were spots on the egg where it showed it could expand, if only ever so slightly.

White nodded curtly at Jaqueline, who nodded excitedly back, and pressed a button on the console, unsealing the metallic egg thingy. Reverently, the first H-type picked it up, caressing it lovingly.

"It is done," Jaqueline whispered, though the lab was so silent everyone was able to hear her. "The first Phoenix Egg-class Artificial Womb, capable of sustaining a viable human embryo to full term. With just a couple of upgrades to any model of android, this can be inserted into said android's torso to emulate the way humankind gave birth. Along with the Artificial Phallus, we can recreate humanity."

"How soon can we begin upgrading the YoRHa units? And when can the Phoenix Eggs be mass-produced?" White demanded.

"We can have a hundred more ready within two months. As we improve our industrial lines with Project Anvil, I predict we'll have a thousand made by the end of the year," Jaqueline stated after consulting some data. "The phalluses will take a bit longer to complete, but the same numbers as the eggs should be on track soon. And, in a couple more years, we'll be able to build androids with the artificial wombs and connected upgrades built in. Till then, though we can implant them in any android who wants one."

"And the genetic material?" White inquired, raising her eyebrow. This time, Jaqueline grinned widely.

"We've done it, Whitey. The genetics lab has managed to produce two thousand, six hundred and thirty-nine viable human female egg cells from the genetic data we provided, and thanks to Alexander, we can artificially inseminate them as well."

"And we don't have to worry about genetic mutations or inbreeding due to the majority of genetic matter originating from a single human?" White asked, her tone reflecting a hint of desperation.

"It took a lot of gene-editing to ensure that there'd be plenty of diversity, but yes, there's no risk of genetic failures. And there's good news in that we stumbled onto a break through with the reverse fossilization experiments and managed to acquire a lot more viable human DNA from the storage units on the Moon Base. In short, we now a lot more options to work with in the future. Though Alexander's DNA will always be more 'potent,' so to speak."

For the first time in years, a smile crossed White's face, though she quickly smothered it under her mask of indifference. That didn't stop the burning heat of joy within her chest to abate.

"Who gets the first model, then?" Everyone turned to the H-type who'd asked that, and the petite white-haired android gulped nervously. "Err, did I say that aloud?"

"It's a good question, actually," Jaqueline admitted. "We can't just give it to anybody. The egg and upgrades aren't suited for combat, either. So, it has to be a rear line operative, and one who's in a relatively safe area."

"Why not the commander?" another H-type inquired, and again, all the eyes focused in on the speaker. White opened her mouth to deny it, but Jaqueline beat her to it.

"Why, that sounds excellent!" the Resistance gynoid said cheerfully. "The Bunker is probably the safest place around, and you don't get into many fights, so there's little danger of the egg or upgrades getting damaged."

"She is the highest-ranking android," another H-type offered up with a mumble. "It does make sense for her to test it for any side-effects."

"And she'll be surrounded by other androids who can protect and help her, and monitor her status in real-time, so the data we get will be prime quality," a second H-type YoRHa commented, espousing another reason for White to be the first test subject.

"She's not the most motherly of personalities, though," the H-type holding the prototype Phoenix Egg commented. White glared at her, indignantly, but Jaqueline laughed at that.

"Can't say you're wrong, but right now, 'motherly' isn't what we care about," Jaqueline replied. "What we want right now is a test subject to make sure this new technology works properly."

White looked around, seeing how most of the androids were looking at her eagerly and hopefully. For a few quiet seconds she thought it over, before nodding.

"Very well," White finally uttered. "I shall go through the procedure. How long will it take?"

"Installing everything will only take a couple hours. You'll be on your feet barking orders at O-types in no time," Jaqueline joked.

"So be it. But before anything else, send word to the Resistance! Tell them to begin Operation Babylon!" White declared sternly. Salutes were given, and the H-types scrambled to help Jaqueline prepare the surgery.

White watched them work, and took a deep breath, unconsciously placing a hand on her stomach.

'What will it like to be a mother?' she wondered quietly. 'And what would be a proper name for the child?'

&&&&&

AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Yes, it's true. I'm back and writing again. No, this isn't an April Fool's sort of chapter.
It's been 3 years since I last uploaded a chapter, and even then I still get notifications about new readers following and favoriting my story, despite the long hiatus.
So, I'm back. The problems that made me slip off the face of the Earth are still here with me, but seeing so many people still interested in something I made got me thinking.
I want to finish this story. I want to keep writing fanfiction, because I like writing. So, that's what going to happen. There will be no rewrites or anything like that. I will do my best to try and give this story a somewhat satisfying ending. When that happens, who can say. But I will complete it.
Also, Post Script, there may be a new story of mine popping up alongside this one. Just an experiment to see if I can. This one will get plenty of love and much needed attention before the new one, so don't expect much.
Anyways, I've rambled. Have a nice day.