A bond between a mother and her child is made by a primitive instinct. She feels the need to nurse and protect the baby as her baby senses comfort and peace at his mother's bosom. This blood bond is unbreakable, dictated by nature since the beginning of times and it starts long before the baby is born.
Serena spent the nights since the start of her pregnancy looking at the ceiling of her room. She fixated with her gaze the same rusty corner she looked at when the baby was conceived too. 'The planting', as Simon named it, was an uncomfortable and deeply unwanted process. A sacrifice for the sake of survival. The rusty corner Serena took comfort in as she gave up on her body in the hope of saving her friends and crewmates became the only confidant she had. She cried looking at it, she thought about her fears, about the disgust and resentment she felt for what was growing inside her, she spent the nights with it. Only her and her rusty corner of the ceiling. The corner didn't need anything for her, it didn't have an opinion, it didn't make her sacrifice. Just like her, it was just existing, destroying itself slowly, still doing its best to support the heaviness of the structure.
She felt more attached to the corner than she felt to whatever creature was growing inside her. She saw Alice craving motherhood to the point of insanity and as she saw her, she felt guilty that she didn't feel anything. Was that making her a bad person? She asked herself this more and more every day, an incriminating answer growing inside her as quickly as the "harvest" was.
As she now laid on the surgery table in the infirmary with the object of her depression purring on her chest, she still did feel the natural instinct to protect it. What she felt was a twisted form of relief and comfort as her whole being could tell that, whatever the baby was, he would be her new rusty corner. A sense of protection, of safety and a promise of a better future came overwhelming Serena's feelings with confusion and happiness.
-Serena? What is wrong with Lancey's eye? asked Teddy.
-You need to pour water on it. Quickly. I don't know what that thing is, but it surely doesn't look good.
-Got it. Hold it, Henry!
-Sure, let me use my totally not broken wrists to pin in place a 200-kilogram grown man.
-Right. I'll hold him, you pour.
Henry poured slowly water into Lancey's eye. Pieces of the maggot watered down Lancey's cheek, cleaning slowly the blackness of his eye.
-Is he going to be ok?
-I just woke up… Once you are done, put him on the bed and make sure you raise his head on some pillows.
-How are you feeling? said Teddy coming closer.
Ajal started to fuss uncomfortable as the man came closer. His once gentle gaze shifted to a more intense expression as he moved his attention from Serena to Teddy, revealing the weight of his distrust. Serena rested her hand unsure on the baby's back. He started purring happy, but didn't avert his threatening gaze from Teddy.
-Huh, guess you got a new bodyguard.
-Guess so. I… Can we find anything else to eat for dinner… I…
-Oh… the… the harvest from Alice is still enough for a couple of days so…
-Thank you.
-He won't win you any pageant baby contest tho.
-Really? And I had such high hopes.
Serena and Teddy giggled together. Hearing his mother laugh, Ajal started making a sound close to a cheerful bird and rubbed his head against Serena's chest. She caressed him softly on his head. He looked at her tenderly.
-Alice's baby… harvest wasn't like that at all.
-He seems rather human, don't you think?
-I do. One other thing about him is that he's protective of you. He went crazy when he heard you screaming.
-Yeah… Maybe we could do something and save him… I didn't think I would feel anything for it… I-… Am I going crazy, Teddy?
-No. We'll find a way. We can vote for Simon to give up a hand or a leg as punishment for crushing the ship, you know?
-That's a great idea actually.
The conversation was abruptly interrupted by a piercing alarm that shattered the air, causing Ajal to leap in fright. His skin bristled, and he let out a mournful howl, a sound filled with fear and confusion. Lancey started shaking in his chair. The lights went red.
-ANOTHER CRUSH?!
-Motherfucker! He released the poison!
-What?
-Simon! I told him about the maggots. He said it's a button on the board that lets out poison against them. Alice must have let out Simon from the closet!
-The infirmary door has a lockdown system, but the door is stuck to the wall by a lock only Simon has the key too… it's pure metal. We can't break it off…
-I CAN'T BELIEVE I'LL DIE FOR THE SECOND TIME TODAY, yelled Henry.
-Wait! I know exactly what melts the metal! Scream, Serena!
-What?
-Scream!
-Attention, valuable crew members! announced a robotic voice. The poison against all alien forms will be released in the next 30 seconds. Please seek cover in one of the confinements! Aurora Company is not responsible legally for any and all incidents that might occur during this time. Thank you for your attention!