The Ark Diary of Dylan De Rovia Book One of De Rovia Diaries

This Family Is Growing

Saturday January 16th, 2150

Today I went to the exchange alone again, not looking for me but for my new brother or sister. Mom isn’t pregnant yet she just had her implant taken out. She now has three months to conceive a child the normal way. If she can’t or has a miscarriage then she’s have to have in vitro fertilization treatments. If she conceives then miscarrie’s her eggs will be taken out and fertilized with Dad’s sperm. The embryo will then be place in an artificial womb.

I took a trip to the surrogacy Center with my class when I was ten. The center is medical building adjacent to the hospital where a subgroup of geneticist fertilizes the eggs with donor sperm from Earth. The scientist worked behind glass while we watched. The private rooms where what we most wanted to see.

They are about the size of my bedroom with the articatal wombs in red light. Lori and I found couple reading to a story in one room. The two man spotted us they invited us in telling us how excited they were to be parents. They were having a baby girl I remember that. I want a little brother myself.

Saturday the busiest time at the exchange even after the holiday there are still deals to be made stuff to buy. What I want is simple not easy to find not with so many people. Moving along the rows it’s toy’s dolls with painted faces, stuffed animals with button eyes. As I go deeper the toys become more pastial in color and softer in texture.  

There are couples here some have bellies proudly pointed other are just glowing with joy. What I want is in stall with soft one pieces suites there are the traditional pink and blue, nothing about my family is traditional so I overlook them. They all have cute saying Daddy's Little Girl or Love Bug. My favorite is a tuxedo pattern with the words Professional Snuggler on it.

“Aww,” I look at the guy running the stall. “How much?”

“Seven points, how far along are you.”

I look down my face red, “Oh I’m not pregnant I’m only fourteen.” I hand over my card. “My parents are having their second finally.”

He whistles looking me over he  hands back my card. “You must’ve been a handful for them to wait this long.”

“You have no idea.” I tell him taking the tiny outfit. My heart flutters at the thought of someone small enough to fit this.

Taking the train home I smile as the city passes me by this year is going to be full of changes like last year but these are good changes. My mind goes over all things I want to teach my new brother. How to swim and write code, I’ll be married by the time he’s old enough to spend the night with me. I can give him all the sugar he wants then send him home to his parents. Giving me the title of Best sister ever.

I reaching the door I look at the color scheme after walking in on them once I have desire to do it again so I reprogram the door. When the snowflakes are falling white its safe, with red snow  they’re having us time. White flakes greet me so I go in.

“John?” My Mom calls from the living room.

“Little Bit.” I sitting on the couch digging  in my bag. “I went to exchange and found something.”

She looks at the outfit. “This is adorable.”

I smile happily, “Well I have to spoil my brother since his grandparents are gone.”

“Brother.” There is flash of sorrow in her eyes. “ Dill I’m not even pregnant yet.”

“I know but I want brother.”

She laughs holding the little suit over her stomach. “You know it doesn’t work like that.”

Not meeting her eyes I just pull my assignments up, “I know but I also know that if I could choose I would have a little brother named Samuel.”

“Samuel?”

“Yeah little Sammy De Rovia.”

Mom sinckers, "And he won't be spoiled at all."

"I prefer to think of it as well loved."

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Kye was surprised like I was but he acted happy wheres I am actually happy. I am over the event horizon happy about my parents staying together. Even more excited that they’ll have a baby. Kye is happy that I’m happy but he seemed so blah about it.

We’d just finished a movie and he brought me a glass of wine. “A baby?”

I sip my wine it’s peaches sweet and wonderful to match my mood. “Yeah a baby.”

He said it like the whole idea was some foreign concept like he’d never seen one before. “Your parents are going to have a baby?”

It was a radical idea to both of us my parents hide their relationship well. Now they’re being more open about it still seeing them hold hands or kissing that will take some time to get use to.

“Yes,” I say slowly. “In nine months there is going to be a tiny little human being that I can rock and read to and the coolest big sister ever.”

“It's a big age difference.” He says impiling that I’ll probably be babysitting more than often any other big sibling. Not that I will mind it and I’ll have Lori that who is wonderful with newborns.

“Sorry we can all be four minutes apart.”

He frowns, “But, most aren’t fifteen years apart.”

“I’m the child they had to have this is the child they wanted to have. Proof that pairing can work it might take fifteen years but it does happen.”

He shrugs not wanting to darken my happiness. “I guess so, lots of people wait till their older to have kids.”

“Yeah uppers who want to party their twenties away.”

“There is nothing wrong with waiting my parents did.” Kye counters in a superior tone.

“Your parents didn’t party they played the political game get and holding power before they had you and Kas.” I can’t see Marcy Sinclar partying or even getting drunk. She always has a plan that gets her some kind of power.

As a member of the gentic’s committee his mother has influence over almost every other upper family. His father is more of politician being a Astro-crop pilot he spends his day training in VR simulators or outside in the ship. Astro-crop have a dangerous job because unlike us they spend most of their time outside.

Even now there is small branch of Astro-Cruisers outside the ship. We have a thick shielding at the front of the ship laser cannon that vaporizes space rocks and icy bodies. The corps works clean-up using sonic-pluses to capture or move the debris out of the way. Smaller piece of debris are fused to the outer haul of the ship. It gets super heated by the nuclear power plant that powers the ship.

Since Kas followed his mother into a more manipulative branch of science. I think the plan was to have one son in each field, kas was the smarter one became as geneticist low level now but he’s being primed to take Marcys position. Kye is naturel leader he cares about people and can play the political game. He choose not to rebbling he saw his chance to get out the political web his parents made.

I’m glad he did, if he was an agrogent fly-boy I wouldn’t love him or even like him. My marriage would be a trap not the warm partnership that we have now. Uppers uphold the principles of pairing staying together their whole lives even they hate each other. Middles like Lori will get to choose if her pairing doesn’t work the two can separate. As soon as its announced I’ll be a Upper.