Exum: New Earth

Chapter Ten

Toby raced as fast as his body could go at six months in to the new arrival. Atlas Orion.

What he saw when he entered Med Bay was a scared teen with wide emerald eyes and green skin and dark green hair. He was in a pilots uniform, or what looked to be so, and had a patched up air-lock helmet in his lap.

Toby pushed all the doctors and scientists aside; "Hey I'm October, we spoke on the radio. Are you alright?"

"You... you're...." he looked at Toby's bump.

"Pregnant? I'm a human experiment from the last days on a dying planet. I'm more focused on you, right now. "

"You're not the first humans I've met.....There was a family, said their ancestors watched their world turn to dust fron orbit. Every planet knows about the last race to get to space.... how you abandoned your planet....i just want to get back to mine. "

"Hasn't it been taken over by Tyrian?"

"No. I was on a different planet for treatment. I'm sick... and though it's not contagious, i will likely die from it.... the treatment my parents wanted....i don't. I'm not allowed with the love of my life but he could cure me.  He's one of your kind...human. I'm....." Atlas looked to the ground, "with child."

"What exactly do you have?"

"Quepaq. My...parents wanted to remove the infection but they don't know about the baby. Where it is...the baby likely wouldn't survive. My parents are nobles and they want to have me married off. Removal of the infection is the best chance i come out still able to bare children for my betrothed. "

October looked at one of the doctors born on planet Exum, "Do you know what Quepaq is?"

"No sir. "

"Then i guess we have to get you back home. How are along are you?"

"Three months. " Atlas said, he pulled up his shirt. Inside of green, part of his stomach was pitch black in color, "if it reaches my heart. I'll die. The baby is probably already infected. Please save him. "

They formulated a plan; they'd go to planet Viridion and get Miles and his family to cure Atlas. Then it would be up to them to stop a marriage.
_______

Toby was packing, getting ready to fly out on a big ship with Maxwell, Altas, and Pilot Sarah. It would be a months to the planet Viridion.

"This will cut it pretty close to the birth. Are you sure anyone else can't do this. What about Nova, too?"

"Nova is in the very capable hands of Adam and Nick. This is going to be our last little trip before we have our baby. Parenting a baby will be a lot harder than it is with Nova. She's already have grown. Plus its not like we'll be going much but cruising through space and that's...relatively normal nowadays. "

"One last trip."

They got ready, having already dropped Nova off with Nick, and boarded the spacecraft. Atlas was already on board in a bunk wearing a change of clothes showed off his little bump a bit more than the jumpsuit he was in before.

"Miles doesn't even know he's going to be a father."

"You can tell him when we get there."

"He came to the planet to get weapons training about of the war... from my betrothed actually. Dain in from a military family.  He also doesn't want to get married but it's in the best interests of our families."

Maxwell went over to Atlas and Toby got comfortable on a lower bunk; he started to rub at his bump as the baby inside kicked at him.

"The ship is fully equipped with medical gear to help preserve your life while we get you to Viridian. We even have a cryopod if neccessary. You're going to be alright, Atlas."

Toby got an idea and reached in his bag pulling out a handheld radio, "you think he'll be listening."

Altas perked up and got up to get the small device when he started coughing violently. He sat back down, stil coughing. He had covered his mouth with his hand and went he pulled it away, a black ooze was on his hand and teeth. He was struggling to breathe.

Maxwell picked him up and put him on the exam table build into the wall as the ship departed with Sarah in the cockpit.

"What's going in back there!?" She called out.

Toby got up, with a bit of a struggle to do so and went over to hold Atlas's hand as Maxwell put him under.

Maxwell removed what he could of the black ooze from Atlas's throat and lungs and put a breathing mask on him. 

The next month was all about making sure Atlas was alive and as they got to Viridian, he barely was.

Toby was seven months pregnant and looked like he'd shoved a big beach ball up his shirt, he thought. He'd been kicked about as much as one as well. Meanwhile Maxwell had Miles on the radio and told Susan where to land.

As soon as she did and the doors opened, a human boy ran in and went immediately to Atlas with a glass bottle in hand.

"Here, drink this. I went to Faris to get the last ingredient to make the cure. "

"That's in Tyrian's te-terr.." Atlas was feeling faint. Miles held the bottle to his lips and helped him to drink it. 

He turned to Maxwell and Toby, "thank you. I've got enough medice to cure him..." he turned back to Atlas, "you and our child.  I can't believe I'm going to be a father. And i talked with Dian too. His family agreed to back out of the marriage when Dian told them you were with child.... you're parents aren't pleased but they agreed to my asking.... will you marry me, Atlas Orion?"

"Of course." He smiled weakly. Toby cheered quietly, smiling.

_____

Toby wanted to visit Viridian but Marshall insisted the start the long journey back home. They comprimised deciding to go to town while Sarah was refueling the spacecraft.

"Hey, that's a shop i think.... would our money even work here? Bet not. " Toby laughed.

"I don't think it would either...plus the only money i ever had was on a card."

"I took shelter in a bank once. Never saw so much useless paper. The apocalypse was all about what you could salvage or trade if you were lucky enough to find another person. Though apparently I'm an Exum kid too i was raised out there. "

They continued walking, there was a loud commotion and then a man with a bag ran by, right into Toby. He feel; Maxwell wasn't quick enough to catch his head. What they assumed was guards ran by next but not one stopped for the pregnant human unconscious on the ground. 

"Oh god, no!" Maxwell picked October up and craddled him.  Running back to the spacecraft as fast as he could all while telling the blacked out Toby that everything was doing to be okay.