"Can you take us to her?" asked Null, he wanted to help if he could. They viewed the dragons as valuable allies which they wished to assist in any way possible.
"No, it's not an injury that you can fix. She will recover but it will take time. You can't underestimate the power the top people in the galaxy can wield. This is now your prison and you need to get used to that"
"What do you recommend we do?" asked Chris, he was hoping to get some advice from the dragon.
"Create a life for yourself. This is now the safest place in the universe. No one can come in and no one can leave" and with that, the will-o-wisp disappeared again.
Chris had been observing the twins he didn't know how they would react. They had seemed to take the news of being trapped in their stride.
Over the next few weeks, Null and the group worked hard to recover the 8 arkships and find a suitable location to establish a colony. When anyone asked about the other arkships and their crews, Null and Infy would inform them he was still looking. Only they and Chris knew the truth that the elves had killed the crew and scrapped the ships. Chris had convinced Null to keep the secret, to help keep the peace between the elves and the humans.
Null and Infy had tried many times to breach the barrier set around the solar system but failed every time. It was as the dragons had said, they were now locked in their prison. The solar system seemed to be in a sub-universe.
Time passed as it has a habit of doing. Two years had flown by since they had rescued the humans. The human colony was thriving on the southern continent far away from the dragons and elves. The elves and humans had formed a non-aggression treaty that had been broked by Chris. The humans and elves tried their best to ignore each other. The 8 arkships had provided an abundance of resources to assist in setting up their colony and starting the process of population growth.
Of the 400 survivors, 250 of them were females that were suitable for becoming surrogate mothers to the stored embryos. The Colony set up a volunteer system for the female residents who wished to become a surrogate mothers. Since repopulation was always the goal of the Arkship program most of the crew were happy to do their duty. Many of the volunteers were suitable for carrying twins.
Under the new system, the population had ballooned to almost 700. The 300 babies were being looked after in different birthing pools. The babies in each pool were being raised by a rapid growth system similar to the one that raised Jania and Null. The Children were considered parentless and belonged to the colony not to the mother that birth them. Each child was carefully selected and planned so that the genetic diversity of the colony could be maintained once they came of age.
Today was a special day, Jania was going to be having a baby. Jania volunteered to be a surrogate mother once she turned 18. Chris was not pleased at first, and they had many disagreements until he relented and decided to support her decision. Jania wanted to give back to the human race and this colony in particular, but she wasn't ready to be a real parent and believed that this was the perfect opportunity for her to be a useful member of society.
Most of the party had quickly adapted to the colony life. Lisa was always working with the other scientist to improve their quality of living. Chris had found his calling in helping manage the logistics of the colony. Jania had become part of the security team and was enjoying life. Kikei was also at home helping the surrogate mothers with the realities of pregnancy.
Chris had decided to stay away from the delivery room, he was too young to witness that. He still wanted to be close by even if he still held reservations over the whole thing. He knew once they removed the baby from Jania she was going to be hit hard. Chris had observed over the last 8 months as Jania developed an attachment to the child even if they both knew rationally it wasn't theirs.
There was one thought dominating his mind today. 'I wish Null and Infy would return, they should be here for this.'
It had started as a little thing, the boys' would disappear for an hour at a time, and then a day sometimes it would be a week but now it had been 4 months since anyone had last seen them. They disappear right after Jania told them she was being a surrogate and she blamed herself. Chris wasn't so sure if that was the case. He believed that Kikei knew more than she would say, but he hadn't been able to crack her yet.
Back in the delivery room, the delivery was not progressing as quickly or as smoothly as planned. Childbirth was an extremely safe activity with modern medicine but due to her unique body, Jania body wasn't reacting the way it should have been. It had been hours and the birth was stalled. Kikei was starting to tire, she had been using her ability on Jania to keep her healthy as the birth experience had been harrowing.
Lisa had been there to offer physical and moral support. She had suggested that it was time for surgical intervention. The medical staff agreed it was time as well, but while they were preparing the baby and placenta just appeared in mid-air. The medical staff rushed to take action and pinched off the umbilical cord and wrapped the crying baby up.
"Oi you stubborn boys, get back here already. I'm sorry! Okay. I know you can hear me. Now show yourself!" Kikei yelled into the ether. Everyone knew that the boys' had just intervened but they didn't know why they wouldn't show themselves.
The baby was cleaned up and then removed from the room. They tried to minimise the time the baby spent with the surrogate mothers to avoid any attachments from forming. Once the baby was removed, Chris rushed into the room while Kikei rush out of the room. Chris had noticed that Kikei was crying but he was more concerned with Jania.
"Chris, hold me please" Chris didn't need to be asked twice. Jania had just struggled with a gauntlet of emotions. She was tired, stressed, happy and now sad. She hadn't realised the attachment she had formed with the baby until it was gone. All the training the surrogates undertook to get them ready for birth didn't help when the time came. She laid there in Chris's arms while she processed everything.
Lisa had left the room once Chris had arrived. She was currently on the hunt for the colony most talkative hyperactive teenager. The hunt had led her to a cave on the outskirts of the colony, a place that Kekei and Null used to sneak off to together. She found her target sitting against the wall. "Kikei, I think it time you tell us what happen between you and Null".
"I.. said something I can't take back" She wiped the tears away and looked up at Lisa.
"It's my fault they ran away"
"why don't you start from the beginning," asked Lisa as she couched down to be at eye level with the young teenager.
"We were arguing like we usually did but this time they were more worked up than normal. If I had known that Jania had informed him she was being a surrogate things might have gone differently."
"what were you arguing about?"
"Our population growth system, he wanted it halted and he wanted my help but I wouldn't give it."
Lisa was confused "why would he want it stopped and why did he need you?"
"He said that every time we took a baby from its mother we were damaging the soul field. Apparently, the sound of the universe was unbearable near the colony. They wanted me to back them up as they knew I could see the damage on the mother and baby aura"
Lisa was struggling to keep her face neutral, she should have forced this issue 4 months ago but she was too busy. "Why did he tell you this and not us?"
"You were all too busy and excited to be with other humans, he didn't think anyone would believe him without me to collaborate" Kikei started to sob between her words. "and I told him, I wouldn't help as this was important and he wouldn't understand as he isn't even human. He then looked at me and said he also wasn't an angel, and it would be better if he didn't exist. I have been waiting for him to return so I can apologise but he didn't come back "
"Kikei do you know where he is?"
"He would be on his battleship"
"What battleship?" Lisa was feeling awful, she had assumed that the twins would be able to adapt to the situation but she had never checked on them.