History of the Future: A Science Fiction Anthology

Greater Good?

Machis sat patiently in the doctor's waiting room. It had been four hours since his wife, Gema, had gone into labor, and he had been escorted out. The suspense was killing him. He hoped the delivery would go smoothly, and they would have a beautiful, healthy baby.

A nurse headed toward Machis.

"Your may see your wife now," she smiled. Machis leaped to his feet.

"Thank you so much!" he exclaimed before racing off to the delivery room. Machis went straight to room 229. He had made a special point of memorizing the room number when he and his wife had arrived. He cracked the door open. The doctor beckoned him to enter. Machis crept over to where his wife lay, sound asleep. Light shone in through a large window nearby, illuminating Gema's violet skin. Her lashes fluttered open, revealing two beautiful, yellow eyes.

"How are you feeling, sweetie?" Machis asked tenderly. Gema glanced around the sterile room.

"Alright," she said, still a little weak. "How long have I been asleep?"

"About two hours," the doctor replied. "You desperately needed the rest. It was a tough delivery."

Gemma suddenly sat up in bed, grinning from ear to ear. "Oh, Machis, I just can't believe it. We finally have a baby!" Gemma exclaimed. She threw her arms around her husband.

"Yes, sweetie. I feel like the luckiest martian in the world," Machis said, returning the embrace.

"I can't wait to hold her, and pick out a name for her, and buy her clothes," Gemma continued. She turned eagerly to the doctor. "When can we take her home?"

The doctor cleared his throat and shifted a little bit in his seat. He looked down at his clipboard, deep in thought. Worry bubbled in Machis's chest.

"Where is the baby, doctor?" Machis asked, tentatively.

"Oh, yes! Could you bring her out? I just want to hold my baby!" Gemma clapped with glee, clearly unaware of the tension in the room. The doctor paused for a moment, then nodded somberly. As he left the room, Machis's suspicions grew.

"So what should we name her?" Gemma chirped. "I was thinking Uylia or Petrede. How about you?" The door opened, and the doctor reentered the room, holding a baby wrapped up in a blanket.

"I have some rather.... unfortunate news," the doctor announced. Gemma's eyes narrowed, her excitement suddenly gone.

"What do you mean?" Gemma asked indignantly. "Where's my baby?"

"Your baby has suffered from an extremely rare mutation known as H. Sapiens. There are only two other documented cases of this mutation," the doctor informed.

"Just let me see my baby," Gemma cried, desperation rising.

"I'm just trying to prepare you for what you are going to see," the doctor explained kindly. Then, the doctor unwrapped the blanket, and Gemma shrieked in horror. Even Machis was taken aback. For in the arms of the doctor lay a disfigured, discolored, tiny baby. It was probably only 9 oz, ten inches. Its skin had a sickly, pale peach hue. And worst of all were its eyes, which were an eerie, pure blue color.

"What.... why.... how...." Gemma stammered. In spite of her reaction, she stretched out her arms to receive the baby. She weeped as she held the tiny martian. The little baby gurgled happily.

"Is there anyway that she will grow out of this?" Machis asked.

The doctor shook his head. "I'm sorry. And that's why I have a proposition for you."

Gemma and Machis stared quizzically at the doctor.

"A spaceship passed by yesterday. This is not the first time that we have seen spacecrafts pass by. In fact, this very incident is what sparked the Red-Purple war fifteen years ago. Scientists spotted a spacecraft, and soon we were taken over by the Jupiturians. We had to scramble to try and defend ourselves. We were lucky that time, there's no way to know if we will be lucky again. And thus, we have decided to start conducting experiments to create a virus specifically designed to target that form of DNA." The doctor took a breathe before continuing. "After our scientists used new x-ray technology to bio analyze the craft, we have determined that the DNA of the inhabitants on that ship matched that of your baby. We could use that baby to help us design this new virus, just in case these visitors decide to do more than visit."

Gemma and Machis were silent. Yes, the child looked abhorrent, but donating it to scientific research seemed inmartian.

"Would.... would we ever get her back?" Gemma inquired, cautiously.

"Possibly," the doctor told her. "She will most likely survive through the research. But there's a chance that her DNA is so different than ours that she is unable to survive on this planet."

"What should we do Machis?" Gemma asked, turning to her husband. Machis was just as clueless as she was.

"I'll leave you two alone for a while so that you can make your decision," the doctor said, leaving the room.

About an hour the later, the doctor returned. The young couple had made their decision. Their child would be given to the scientists until they created the virus, then the child would be promptly returned to them. It was the only honorable thing to do.