The White Singularity: A Choose Your Own Adventure

Chapter 20: An Impossible Choice

Your heart seems to stop beating.  

"You told me there would be no risk!" you say loudly.  It comes down hard that your wife and child are in the cocoon before you.  They're your entire world, now you've chosen to forsake the one above.

Eco shakes her head apologetically.  "The chances are one in a million that anything would happen, but it seems like your family is very unlucky."

You struggle to maintain your composure.  "What exactly is happening?"

Eco glances at the doctors, and Mira steps forward.

"The DNA recombination process necessary to initiate a genetic and body-wide change has inadvertently triggered an enormous acceleration of your child's growth," she explains.  "Instead of the eight months it should take for her to reach term, it will now take her no more than two weeks."

You nearly fall to your knees in shock.  "Two weeks?"   You calculate quickly in your head. That means your child is growing at 16 times the normal rate!

"The problem," the female doctor continues, "is that the human body--even the Atlantean one--is not designed to accommodate such a rapid change.  It's very dangerous for both your child and your wife. I'm not sure if we'll be able to sustain them both. And there's the other consideration, of course..."

You rub your temples. "There's more?"

The doctors exchange sympathetic looks.  "Well, your child's growth won't stop once she's born.  So unless we find a way to stop her aging..."

You gawk at Mira in horror.  "You mean, she'll continue aging rapidly until she dies?"

You make another rapid calculation.  Instead of the 300 years that have been promised to you, your daughter would only live for 19 short years.  This is a nightmare!

You clench your fists.  This is no time to lose it.  You can rail at fate later, but now every second counts.  You may not be a true Atlantean, but you can bet you're just as smart as anyone in this room.  "What are our options?"

Cal steps forward. "We can separate your baby from your wife before she gets any bigger and put her in an artificial womb.  That way, your wife won't be in any more danger, and we can work on your daughter's problem separately. "

You can see the doubt in his eyes.  "But?"

He exhales.  "There's a big risk to your daughter if we attempt to separate her this early in her development.  We've never actually done it before.  Usually, we separate a fetus when it's at least 5 months old so it's already viable even without the womb.  That way, we'd only need to nurture it minimally to term."

"And if we wait until she's the equivalent of 5 months?"

Eco puts a hand on your arm.  "We're not sure if your wife's body can take it for that long."

You look at her blankly.  "Let me get this straight.  If we leave my daughter where she is until she's five months old, we'll be risking the life of my wife.  But if we take her out now, we'll be risking my daughter? So you're basically making me choose between the two of them?"

Eco's grip tightens on your arm.  "Unfortunately, yes."

You shake your head in denial.  "This is impossible. What are the odds for either choice?"

The three doctors shrug helplessly.  Shein offers a comment. "They're about the same. 70/30 in favor of your daughter for the first, and 70/30 in favor of your wife for the second."

Oh, God.  You have no idea what to do.  You come closer to the cocoon and put your hands against the cool glass.  Eco silently inputs a command and it turns transparent so you can see Zell's peaceful face, her hands folded over her abdomen.  There's no bulge there yet, but you know there will be, soon.  

"How long do I have to make this decision without compromising their chances?" you ask quietly.  

Mira queries the panel.  "You have an hour.  Two, at most."

You rest your forehead on the cocoon and close your eyes.  "I wish I could ask Zell herself."

"Unfortunately, she has to stay unconscious for this."  Eco stands beside you.  "But you know her better than anyone.  Ask yourself, what would she want you to do?  We'll give you your privacy.  But we'll come back in an hour for your decision."

She makes some sort of gesture, and a chair materializes behind you.  She gently pushes you down on it, then herds everyone out of the room.

You have an hour to decide.  Who will you save: your daughter, or your wife?