Vault 69, the Cradle of the New Louisiana.
Ep 2: Children or not Children? What a question!
Five weeks passed since the agreement and the atmosphere changed in a quite strange way, everyone women knows that every evening, one of them goes toward the bed of Frédéric. In hopes that they will get pregnant.
Despite that, the Overseer the rest of time was still the honest and righteous man that he always is.
The man himself was going toward the medical lab of the Vault. Waving at the woman passing by.
He finally entered inside of the medical lab in its specified wing.
"Hello, Debbie." The man called.
The aforementioned Chief Doctor, recognizable by her black-hair and green eyes turned to him.
"Oh, hello… Frédéric. You want something? Have you any disease?" The Chief doctor said.
"Not especially. I just want to know if the pregnant women are doing fine." Frédéric asked.
"Hm… I see… You know, Octavie, Nina, Clara and Mia are present. There are some interesting developments that we have saw." The Chief doctor said.
"Really? Okay, I am following you." The Overseer responded.
The medical lab was very advanced, equipped with various technological inventions like the auto-docs disposed in the rooms, reserves of stimpaks in other spaces. All kinds of machines of measurements and meds in rooms.
The nurses and female doctors waved at Frédéric that he replied back respectfully like he does.
Then, he entered inside of the echography room. The room in itself was quite big, with six beds with each linked to a terminal console.
Here, he could see Octavie, along with the dark-skinned Nina, the black-haired Clara and the red-headed Mia.
They were each lying down on a bed, each monitored by a nurse who were watching their echography.
"Hello, girls…" Frédéric asked.
"Ho, hello!" Octavie said.
"Hi!" Nina said next.
"Hm…" Clara simply hummed.
Mia stayed silent.
"So, how it is going?" Frédéric asked.
"Very good." Nina said.
"I am feeling fine…" Octavie said.
"It's still the beginning!" Clara said.
"If I knew that I will give birth in this kind of place…" Mia responded.
"Good… so, how it's going?" Frédéric asked before approaching one of the terminals.
The nurse tapped on the computer and directed the radar on a part of the belly of Octavie. Among the small places of this 3d echography, a white dot appeared in one of the places.
"There… this white dot is an egg." The nurse said.
"Uhuh… I see…" Frédéric responded.
He goes to the other nurses and observed in each terminal. A white dot is displayed in each place. But when he arrived to Mia, he was surprised to see there is two dots on each corner.
"Wait, if there are two dots. It means…" Frédéric began to ask.
"Yep… We will have twins." Mia said.
"I see…" Frédéric responded, a bit taken aback.
He turned to the four women.
"I hope that everything will go alright for you all." Frédéric said.
Nina chuckled before smirking.
"Don't worry. With all the technology inside of this place. We'll survive!" Nina responded.
"Yes, you don't have to stress yourself out." Octavie said.
"Of course… I am not angsty. I just want you to be fine." Frédéric said.
He turned to the doctor.
"So, Debbie. What where we are now? How the others are felling?" Frédéric asked.
"Well… if I count well. From the 137 women you impregnated these last five weeks. From what I recounted and after verification. 84 of them has been confirmed to be impregnated. 15 is still uncertain since this is too recent. The rest have not been impregnated." Debbie said.
"Well, it's not their window, so it's normal. Pfff… I am tired these days. This frivolous activity is sucking my energy up to no end." Frédéric said.
"I understand. This is why it would be better for your health to take some rest between sex interaction. We are not in hurry to populate this place." Debbie said.
"I know… Now I have to go, take care of yourself." Frédéric responded.
The Overseer goes out from the medical lab, a bit shaken up by all of this.
He goes toward the computer part of the Vault, where the mainframe of ZAX is located. After walking in the hallways, waving at the women doing at their usual occupation.
After a few minutes, he reached back to his office and goes inside of an adjacent room after using his Overseer credential with his Pip-boy because he is the only one to be authorised inside of where ZAX is placed. The room was big to welcome the big cylindric server linked with cables who goes to the walls. The mainframe has a terminal right in the middle of the computer.
He began to write on it.
"Are you being in contact with Vault 68?" Frédéric wrote.
ZAX processed a little.
"Information unconclusive. Contact has been cut with Vault 68." ZAX written back.
Frédéric sighed, since the incident with Vault 68, he can't contact them for obvious reasons.
"Clothilde. What happened to you?" Frédéric asked himself.
After a moment of reflexion, he wrote to ZAX.
"Did contact is possible with other Vaults in Louisiana?" Frédéric wrote.
ZAX processed for a moment.
"Control Vault 67 contact error." ZAX responded.
"Come on… just a single contact with one Vault." Frédéric said.
ZAX processed next, with lines of trying to contact other Vaults, only followed by errors.
"Vault 66 contact error. Contacting Vault 62. Vault 62 contact error. Contacting Vault 61. Vault 61 contact error. Contacting Vault 70. Vault 70 contact error." ZAX continued.
"Are we truly alone, isn't it? Weeks of trying to contact with other Vault in the vicinity for God's sake." Frédéric asked himself.
"Contacting Vault 64. Contact established." ZAX wrote.
Frédéric widened.
"Oh shoot…! Finally good news!" Frédéric said.
He took the radio linked to the ZAX and began to contact.
"Hello? Hello?! Someone is there?" Frédéric asked.
"Visual contact available. Contact responded." ZAX wrote.
On the screen, some parasites appeared, the visuals were in its lowest quality and was blurry. A blonde man in his mid-twenties was in front of the screen. Under his white mantle, he is dressed in a jumpsuit.
"Hello? Who is here?" a man voice responded.
"Ho! Hello! Oh, my god. I believed that I was alone! It's so good to see another human outside of my Vault!" Frédéric said.
"And who is asking?" the man asked.
"Frédéric Durand. Overseer of Vault 69!" Frédéric eagerly responded.
"Ah yes… The Harem Vault! Like I want to call." The man said.
Frédéric is taken aback.
"Wait, you know about our Vault? You knew about the social experiment?!" Frédéric exclaimed.
"Yes, you can say that. I see that they didn't affect an employee from our enterprise. Well, I will explain everything to you." The man said.
"You are an employee of Vault-Tech?!" Frédéric asked.
"Hey, less loud. I am not like these greedy whales of higher-ups. If you listen calmly, you will understand." The man said.
"O… okay… But you have to be truthful! Because we have already a lot of problem with these sick experiments!" Frédéric replied.
"Of course, my friend. Ahem… my name is Gary Terran. A scientist outcast only accepted by the Government for my ambitions. While Vault-Tech has given all the things I need for my project. But here, in this now wasteland. I can carry out my project without anyone bossing me around." The man explained.
"I see… you were installed in your Vault by the government?" Frédéric asked.
"Yes, I was a young prodigy who has been remarked for new ideas in robotics but with the war with China. They deemed safe for me to settle me down in the Vault 64. With all the necessary equipment but also distraction I need to pass the time. They have given me a favourable treatment for all the loyal service that I have given to them." Gary Terran explained.
"You know a lot about the Vaults, right? Can you tell me more about them?" Frédéric asked.
"I know only the Vaults only for their general function and experiments. Despite my perfect work and since I had my own project, they were a bit wary about me. So, the only thing I know about is the fact that there is Vault 70, a social experiment where they will run out of jumpsuits and finish naked. The Vault 66 has a project named 'the Broodmothers' which didn't reassured me a lot. Vault 62, a Vault entirely build by robots. Vault 61, entirely with the last generation of sports material and machines, for sports lovers. Vault 67, the Control Vault where the scientists of the Enclave AKA the government is watching. And finally, the twin Vaults. The Harem Vault of yours and the Anti-Harem one, Vault 68." Gary Terran explained.
"Twin Vaults?" Frédéric asked.
"Because they are virtually the same Vault, they exactly the same appliances and other means." Gary Terran said.
Frédéric stayed silent, letting the info sink in his mind. If that so, the Power Armours and other weapons he has in his Vault. It means that the other men have the same thing in Vault 68. Which is not the best news to hear. Also, there are these other Vaults who were each of them where another shade of weirdness.
"I see…" Frédéric finally responded.
"If you are embarrassed. So, I am. The Broodmothers and the naked ones of both 66 and 70 weird me a lot. Without forgetting the robots of Vault 62." Gary Terran said.
"Which brings me to the question: what about you?" Frédéric asked.
"Ooooh… curious I see. Well, since you are the first one to contact me who is not the governement. I will reveal my project. I will change my cameras, wait a moment." Gary Terran said.
He clicks on the keyboard after executing the program. Parasites come in the screen and then after a seemingly loss of contact, it comes back to another camera, another room.
The room was quite huge and Frédéric was surprised to see what composed of it.
He could see many plans attached on the wall, but also many spare parts disposed on the tables. But on the main table, he could see a half-constructed iron skeleton.
The adjacent door automatically opened, with Gary entering inside with a pip-boy on his hand.
"So, are you seeing me? Can you hear me?" Gary asked.
"Yes?" Frédéric hesitantly responded.
"Ah! Good! You're asking yourself: 'What is all of that junk and drawings?' So, I will respond. This is my project! This is: the Cybergirl!" Gary said.
"Cybergirl…" Frédéric said thoughtfully.
He pointed his plans.
"My project is very simple: I will make the very first, fully cybernetic girl of the whole world!" Gary said.
"Wait, really?" Frédéric asked, surprised.
"Because let me show you: Futura, come here! Come on! Don't be shy with the mister." Gary said, with a gentle voice of a father.
A sound of a heavy roll is heard and Frédéric sees a frightening sight:
It was sort of a humanoid tank, with a glass on its head containing a brain with a cyclopic eye inside of a green mixture. It has two arms with hand grippers serving as hand.
"Wha… What… What the hell is that?!" Frédéric asked, shocked.
"Wow, don't criticise my daughter appearance. She won't like it." Gary replied with annoyance.
"Wait, your daughter?! It's your… daughter?!" Frédéric said, even more shocked.
"Let me explain! I know what are you thinking but let me elaborate!" Gary said.
Frédéric calm down and listen.
"You better explain yourself… because I begin to have a really bad opinion of you." Frédéric said, with irritation.
"So, the government have invented a project named the Robobrains. Some kind of robots who contain the brains of people inside of a metallic body. They experimented with brains of criminals and other things society didn't want. Outside the fact to see if a brain could be safely contained in a safe space of metal. They wanted obedient soldiers without any free will. But me, I wanted a cybernetic girl who will live her life in her fullest in the wasteland, with the strongest body she will ever have. So, I requested one female brain, completely wiped from memory. And I am her dad." Gary explained.
Frédéric lifted his eyebrow, a mix of scepticism and disgust.
"Your dream is very… very weird. And you still used the suffering of other people for your own agenda." Frédéric said.
"I won't deny it. But science always used suffering of some to stop the suffering of the rest of the population. You know that is truth, one way or another." Gary said.
"Yes, but I still disapprove that." Frédéric responded.
"Think what you want. But the thing is, I will offer to my daughter the most powerful and beautiful body that no robot would ever have. And Vault-Tech has given me the best equipment and machines without forgetting the plans. But don't worry, she will not be a mindless soldier, she will be a free soul and resist the dangers of the Wasteland." Frédéric said.
"You promise?" Frédéric asked.
"Of course! Who do you think I am?! I am a creator, someone with a great dream of grandeur. Not the empty dream of control of the Enclave with their low creations. Futura, will be the greatest and most beautiful creation of all humanity!" Gary declared with his all-out conviction.
Frédéric was impressed and could see the conviction in the eyes of the man. He doesn't seem to lie or he was an expert to hide his game.
"I see… But I want to follow the development of your project. Because I am still wary." Frédéric said.
"Of course… I would even say that my daughter is feeling a bit lonely these days. So, if you can keep company to Futura. That would be good for her to communicate with you. Also, when she will exit the world, your Vault will be a safe place for her." Gary explained.
"Hm… I think I know enough for now. I hope to recontact you next time." Frédéric said.
"Wait a moment, before that. Let me go back to my room." Gary said.
"Dad…?" the Robobrain asked, in a robotic voice who was a gentle voice of adult woman.
"Stay here, Futura. I won't be long. Don't worry." Gary said.
"Okay…" the Robobrain said.
He exits the room while the Robobrain turned back to the camera. The micro was in the hands of the scientist but Frédéric could see the Robobrain seemingly talking because of the gesture of her mechanical arms. Frédéric is wondering what she is monologing about.
Until, parasites appear on his screen and when it came back, Gary is back in front of his screen.
"You see me and heard me?" Gary asked.
"Yes." Frédéric said.
"Good. As I was saying: Before you leave. Let me send you this to your ZAX." Gary said.
He taps on the keyboard of his terminal and an update comes from ZAX terminal.
"Coordinates received. New canal of communication received." ZAX wrote.
"You, have it?" Gary asked.
"If you talk about the coordinates and the new canal. Yes, I have these." Frédéric responded.
"Good… Good… What do you have on your screen?" Gary asked.
Frédéric verifies these coordinates and sees that are located on Marsh Island, at the Vermilion Bay, south to Lafayette, itself in the south of Louisiana.
"Marsh Island? It's in the other side of Louisiana! After the bombs dropped, who knows what kind of dangers lurks around!" Frédéric said.
"No worries. Since I have helped the government to their devices with failure-less work in robotics. They have given me the best weapons." Gary said.
He lifted himself up and took from the side, a little small gatling gun who was made with a green tube with four cannons.
"What is this?" Frédéric asked.
"This… this is the Gatling Laser. It vaporises everything with everything it has. And there are two of them that I will install on Futura's body. I have never been too cautious to my daughter's own protection." Gary said before posing the gatling on the ground.
Frédéric sighed.
"So, you want me to give our coordinates?" Gary asked.
"I am not sure." Frédéric said.
"Listen to me. I know that when the time will come. The Enclave will clearly come for me and my daughter. If she falls in their hands, they will have a powerful weapon that they will use to rule the wasteland. I know that because I worked for them in my young years. Me, I want to give freedom to her, like a true American should be." Gary said.
"So, if the worst happen. She will come to our coordinates?" Frédéric asked.
"Yes, you have power armours after all and the numbers. They won't attack you. Since you will surely form a really united family in this Vault. This will discourage them even more." Gary said.
Frédéric plunged in a deep reflection, seeing the implications of this uneasy alliance. Then, the man gives the coordinates and send them.
"Ah, good! I have your coordinates! And from these, furnished by your ZAX. You are in the middle of the Kisatchie Forest. In the end of Melton Cemetary Road. Yes, it's very far…" Gary said.
"I hope I won't regret this alliance." Frédéric said.
"You won't regret it all. Well, it's time for farewell. I am sure that Futura is wondering what I am doing." Gary responded.
"Hm…" Frédéric responded.
The communication cut itself, leaving Frédéric wondering about all he has communicated. Then, he lifted himself up from his chair.
"I have to tell the others." Frédéric said.
And so, when the evening finally arrived in the Vault. The whole Vault population has been reunited in the Great Courtyard. He explained everything that has transpired.
"… I have made a risky alliance but it's that or being alone in front of the manipulation of the government installed in the Vault 67. So, what do you think?" Frédéric asked.
The women stayed silent, with hesitation.
"Are you sure that all he has revealed could be just a lie?" a black-skinned woman said.
"I don't exclude this. Of course, we have to take this info with a grain of salt. But if it's true, we could have a valuable ally in the long run. Since he doesn't seem to partake the same ideology than those in service of the old government. I decided to reveal this to you, to prepare ourselves at all eventuality." Frédéric said.
The women looked at each other and whispered among themselves.
"All of these Vaults with their weird experiments. Why this Gary want to ally with us so quickly?" other dark-haired woman asked.
"As if our situation is difficult enough. We didn't sign for that!" A latino woman said.
The tense discussion makes Frédéric wonder. Octavie approached him.
"You took a huge risk. And I am surprised that in barely a few months, we passed from being buried in a giant harem place to make an ally against tyrants hidden in another Vault." Octavie said.
"I know but more cards in our hands, better is. We live in hard times." Frédéric responded.
Octavie sighed deeply.
"I hope everything will be alright!" Octavie exclaimed.
But as the women discussed each other, a voice shouted.
"HEY!" a female voice said.
Everyone turned silent and turned to the source of the voice. The woman exited the crowd, it was a woman with brown hair and blue eyes. Despite her quite appealing figure, her look reflected disgust.
"How can you be so foolish about all of this?! It's manipulation from this man! He is scaring us to better submit us to his will and perversion!" the woman shouted.
"What?! That's a gross affirmation!" Octavie said.
The woman approached Octavie.
"Look at you, you are the little dog of your master! You are manipulated by this guy with his lies!" the woman accused her.
Octavie was livid before becoming red with anger, but as she was about to respond. It was Mia who came in front of her.
"How can you say that when Frédéric has been honest to us for so long! He is giving us all the information we need to survive! We can agree or not if his alliance with this Gary is good or bad for us! The fact is that he didn't hide this proves that he is on our side!" Mia said.
Other women shouted at the accuser; it was so much sound.
"SILENCE!" Frédéric shouted.
Everyone turned back.
"Come here and explain yourself. Why you don't trust me?" Frédéric asked.
The accusatory woman came to him.
"Don't hide yourself behind this self-righteous attitude. You want to make us your bitches, right?! I won't let you manipulate us!" the woman said.
"I know you don't trust me but I genuinely want to help you. If you don't want to have a baby, I won't force you. These women came to my room willingly and we all agreed to five weeks earlier." Frédéric said.
"Me not." The accusatory woman said before turning back.
"My sisters! We are away from the world of men and their idiocy! We can live our life fulfilled without being bitches or housewives! We have only to remove him and make a true sisterhood!" the woman declared.
But she finishes, at least the great majority of them were looking at her with an expression close to: "Who you are, weirdo? What are you talking about?"
"What? Don't you agree?" the woman said.
"It doesn't seem that everyone agrees with you." Nina said.
"Not in the slightest." Clara responded.
The accusatory woman coughed in disgust.
"You are all manipulated by this pervert who want to enslave us! By fear! Don't you realise?!" the accusatory woman said.
"Enough of that! Get out!" Octavie said.
A lot of women nodded and shouted at her to go out. Full of disgust and anger, the accusatory woman gets out of the Great Courtyard by one of the corridors. Accompanied by a few others.
When it finally goes down.
"Well… If they don't trust me. I can't do anything else." Frédéric said.
"I don't think so." One of the women said before coming out from the crowd.
It was a brown-haired young woman with dark eyes, she has the physique of a cleaner of buildings.
"Why? I didn't forbid them to speak out their minds." Frédéric said.
"I heard a lot about them since they inhabit the same room next to my collocation. They name themselves as the 'Feminine Liberation Front'. This woman, named Grace Calliverne was a hardcore feminist in her life before the bombs dropped. And 'Hardcore' is an understatement. She sees all men as scums who deserves to die alone and sees all women who doesn't agree with her extreme beliefs as 'mindless slaves to perverted and hedonist masters' as her catchphrase. And the fact that her collocation became a sectarian hub with such extremist discussion worry us a lot who inhabits around." The cleaner woman said.
Frédéric sighed.
"As long you don't believe a thing what they say. Leave them alone. After all, you are intelligent enough to ignore their nonsense, right?" Frédéric said.
"Yes… but you should be on guard." The cleaner woman responded.
"You should be… I inhabit another collocation and their discussion worries me a lot. You are a nice man, we know. But just, pay more attention around." Another woman said.
Others nodded, as they know what was transpiring. Frédéric was a bit taken aback by this.
"Hm… I see. Well, if something serious is brewing in this room. Make me know, then we can resolve this problem peacefully." Frédéric said.
"I don't think that you will reason them but well. We'll do it." The cleaner woman said.
"Good, now all be done. Let's have a nice dinner and then, we go to sleep." Frédéric announced.
The crowd of women accepted by nodding.
A few evenings later…
Frédéric was sleeping with a woman in his bed in his apartments, after they done their intimate act, a good rest was not so much.
But then, the automatic door of the apartment who was not locked, opened up, with five figures who entered in the living room.
Then, they opened the bedroom door, where Frédéric was sleeping with the woman.
"There he is… with his bitch." One of the women said.
"Let's do it." The second woman said.
They took out knives and slowly approached the Overseer who was sleeping profoundly.
"Let's make our sisterhood real… And then, we will the bastards' boys who will came out next!" Grace said.
"STOP!" another voice shouted.
This shouting wakes up Frédéric and the sleeping woman with him. The group turned to the source of the voice. It was the cleaner woman, armed with a gun.
"I knew it! I knew that you were up for something!" the cleaner woman said.
"What the…?! What is happening?!" Frédéric shouted in shock.
"What do you want from us?! What these knives?!" the dark-skinned woman in the bed said in fear.
"RUN!" the cleaner said.
Frédéric goes out from his bed.
"You won't go anywhere!" Grace said.
She pointed her knife to Frédéric.
"What the… Why are you doing this? Why do you hate me so much?" Frédéric said in disbelief.
"Men are scum. Out of question that like in Vault 68: our lives will be dictated by men! You'll die and us will live!" the accusatory woman shouted before he launched her knife.
But Frédéric reacted quickly and grabbed the woman, clutches to the max, forcing her to release her knife.
"What the?!" Grace asked.
"I wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt but now… I consider you to be just a sick person." Frédéric said.
Frédéric turned to the four, who were frightened.
"Do you still adhere to her?" Frédéric asked.
The four women moved out from the bedroom and runs out from the bedroom.
"They made the good choice. But you, you will suffer the consequences of your actions." Frédéric said.
"Tch… you will regret this." Grace said.
"Bring her out." The Overseer said to the cleaner woman.
"Okay!" the cleaner woman said before grabbing the arm of killer and bring her out.
"Release me! What about our sisterhood?!" Grace shouted.
"It will work better without you." The cleaner woman responded.
Now that Frédéric was alone with the dark-skinned woman.
"Why it is happening to us?" the dark-skinned woman said.
"I don't know…" Frédéric responded.
The next day, the whole population is reunited in the Great Courtyard. The women were looking at the criminal who almost killed their Overseer with hatred. Frédéric was leading the judgement along with Octavie.
"So, Grace Calliverne. To have tried to kill me and my bachelor, Dina Kordia. We'll decide to your condemnation." Frédéric said.
"You will pay for that… you patriarchal fuck!" Grace said.
"Me, patriarchal? Because this is the fellow inhabitants of our Vault that will decide of your condemnation. So, what do you decide?" Frédéric said.
Grace turned to the crowd, now nervous.
"Why…? Why you side with the patriarch? Why?!" Grace said.
But the crowd stayed silent for a moment.
"We decided in majority…" Nina said.
"… to condemn you to exclusion!" Clara finished.
"Exclusion?" Grace said.
"It means you will be kicked out from the Vault." Octavie said.
"You are joking right?" Grace said.
"No." Mia said.
"No one of us laugh." One of the women said.
"No criminals are allowed." Another woman told.
"You little…! Fine! I'll go out, profit of your slavery! I will make a sisterhood in these damned wasteland…" Grace said.
Frédéric sighed while Octavie facepalmed, this madwoman was a lost cause.
"It is time to go. Pack your things." Frédéric said.
And so, a bit later, Frédéric accompanied by the policewomen and Octavie was in front of the interior cog door of the Vault, in the surface part.
Grace was dressed in her pre-war clothes. With a white shirt, black pants and black shoes. She has bag with basic survival needs.
"Now go." Frédéric said.
He touched his pip-boy and the first cog door opened, revealing the exterior cog door.
"Tch… scum." Grace said.
She takes her things and goes to the airlock part of the cogs and then the interior cog door is closed and Frédéric opened the exterior cog door, which muffled sound could be heard. Then, he goes to the exterior camera. And after a few minutes of waiting, he could see Grace walking out. He pushed to his pip-boy to close the exterior cog door and it closed. Grace was now out in the wild, he closed the camera option of his pip-boy.
"Now, we can resume our activities safely." Octavie said.
"I hope so…" Frédéric responded.
"Will she survive? This is winter outside…" Octavie said.
"I don't know but expelling her was for the greater good. One life for 999 others and much more in the future. It's a sacrifice that has to be made." Frédéric responded.
"Okay…" Octavie said.
August 2078.
The whole Vault was in effervescence, since the first children of Frédéric and the first women who slept with him. Also, 190 women have been successfully impregnated in the meantime.
And so, Frédéric was inside of the medical lab. With Octavie and Nina, who were the very first to be impregnated. They were assisted by the nurses.
"Come on… you can do it!" Frédéric said.
"AAAAAH! My baby is coming!" Octavie shouted in pain.
"Me too!" Nina said.
Frédéric was between the two women and hold their hands with each hand.
"Shhhht…" Frédéric said.
He kissed Octavie.
"You can do it." Frédéric said.
"Okay…" Octavie responded.
Finally, after pushing, the baby's head popped out.
"Here he is!" the nurse said.
She takes out the baby, who was covered in amniotic liquid and blood. The baby began to cry a lot and Octavie took him in her arms.
"Good job…" Frédéric said.
"Thanks… it's our baby, I am a mom now…" Octavie responded in wonder.
The nurses took the baby away.
"Now, excuse us. We will clean this little boy." The nurse said.
"Okay…" Frédéric said.
"I am patient." Octavie said.
Frédéric turned to Nina who was struggling to push.
"Come on! Come out! Come out!" Nina said.
"Push! Breath in and out! You can do it!" Frédéric told.
"AAAAAARGGH!" Nina pushed to the max.
And so, her own little baby came out too. The nurses took the baby and Frédéric sees that it was a girl.
"Oh… look at this little girl." Nina said.
The baby is embraced for the first time with her own mom.
"Look at my little princess…" Nina said.
"Yes, she is beautiful." Frédéric responded.
He cuts the umbilical cord and then the nurses took the baby away in turn.
And so, a few minutes later. The babies were back, now cleaned in sheets, but still crying. The two mothers began to rock them to calm them down.
"What is the name that we will give to these?" Nina asked.
"Hm… for the boy. Louis. For the little girl, Frédégonde." Frédéric said.
"Louis? Hm… It looks good. Go to this!" Octavie responded.
"Frédégonde? What is this name?" Nina asked.
"This is the name of the fearsome queen of the Franks." Frédéric said.
"Hm… the name of a queen? That's really good!" Nina responded.
Frédéric shed a few tears facing these two babies.
"Are you okay?" Nina asked.
"It's just… I just realised that a new chapter of my life has opened and… I hope that my babies will be happy…" Frédéric said.
The two women chuckled.
"Of course, they will." Nina said.
"You can count on us." Octavie responded.
To be continued… A very big family.
With now a majority of women who has become a mother of at least one baby, the Vault has a new agitation inside of this place. With so many babies to nourish and furnish, a new challenge has posed itself for the Overseer with this new perspective.