บท 15: Chapter 15: Decisions and Consequences, Part 2
"Did you just return from Earth, Bilal?" First Mother asked.
Bilal resisted turning yellow. "Yes."
His First Mother followed as he headed for his living quarters. "You have been going there quite a lot."
"I like Earth," he said. "And there is much to discover."
"Bilal, your fathers and mother and I have become worried. You seem preoccupied. And also …" A tentacle appeared, and she held dandelion caps in them.
Bilal's body turned black. "You've been in my quarters?"
"I was worried. Bilal, you promised that you wouldn't use this again. Is that what you do on Earth?"
"No! I mean, yes, but I don't do it all the time. Mother-Mina, you had no right to invade my personal space."
"Yes, I did. I had every right."
Bilal relaxed his body. "Throw that away, Mother. I haven't consumed any of it in months."
His First Mother sighed.
"Do you want to check me? You can. I'm not lying." It had been three months since he had last indulged on the night he had created the embryo. Now it was a fetus; he was a fetus. Bilal had created a boy. He felt pleased and resisted turning red with pleasure. He didn't need to have his First Mother suspicious. As much as he wanted to share his news, he couldn't. His family would shun what he had done. Maybe it was wrong, but when he was doing it, it had seemed right. Even now when he was again thinking straight, it still didn't seem completely wrong.
"You're forbidden to return to Earth," his First Mother said.
Bilal tensed. "What?"
She formed several tentacles that waved in the air like snakes. "Your fathers have decided and I agree. You return hurt, you are indulging in this poison, and you have been moody and difficult to communicate with. You have let your commitments at home fall by the wayside!"
"Mother, no! You don't understand. I have to go back to Earth!"
"Even now you only care about that planet, when I am telling you that your behavior has been poor. You should be focusing on your attitude and behavior, Bilal!"
"I will. But give me another chance."
"Bilal! You speak like a human! It is done. You, above all should know that decisions like this are not arbitrary. I cannot take it back. It has been decided. You will focus on your position as a dignitary within our own kind."
Bilal knew her words were true.
He had fucked up.
II
"What is the problem Bilal?" Lawrence asked. "Man, I gotta tell you that you've been stranger than normal lately."
Bilal, Raj, Lawrence, and Lawrence's girlfriend-of-the-week were in Lawrence's house.
Bilal shuddered and gave Treya a long look until the human female made an excuse to leave. She didn't like him anyways. Bilal wished that Lawrence would date Lydia again. She was friendly, touched him without fear, and allowed him to touch her. Treya once threw up when he'd wrapped a tentacle of greeting around her wrist. He didn't like her.
"I have a problem and it's huge."
"Uh oh," Raj said.
"I'm banned from returning to Earth."
"Dude, I'm not surprised," Lawrence said. "You've been going there every two weeks. I have no idea how much alien pod-ships cost to refuel, but I'm imagining that it's not cheap."
"Why did you get banned?" Raj asked. "You didn't get caught with those dandelions, did you? Bilal, you really have to watch that shit. You could turn into a Centaurian junkie, and I'm not doing the whole intervention thing with you."
"Um …" Bilal's skin turned black. "I did something …"
Raj stood, his face pale. "Did you do something to that woman on Earth? Fuck, Bilal."
"No!" Bilal shouted. "I mean, yes, but …"
Lawrence looked horrified. "You didn't rape her did you?"
"No! I mean, maybe. I don't know."
"Oh my God," Raj said. "What did you do, Bilal?"
"You don't even have a dick," Lawrence said.
Raj gave Lawrence a withering look. "He can form a penis the way he forms tentacles."
"No!" Bilal shuddered. "I didn't do that! But I did make her pregnant."
"You did what?" Raj roared, his bronze skin red with anger.
"I didn't want her to be alone so I made her a baby. I know, yes, it was not well thought out. I was stoned."
Lawrence smiled.
Raj was less than amused. "How did she react?"
Bilal remained quiet.
"Bilal, please don't tell me that she doesn't know."
"It's not like I could tell her! She carries a gun and she would just shoot me."
"Oh wow," Lawrence said. "Even I know that's fucked up."
Raj closed his eyes as if he was meditating. When he opened his eyes, he looked at Bilal. "How far along is she?"
"Eleven weeks, but she is much further along in Centaurian terms. In human terms she is more like fourteen weeks."
Lawrence frowned. "Human, Centaurian … What the hell are you talking about? Ugh, um, Bilal … No. You didn't."
Raj stared at his friend. "You impregnated her with your … sperm, DNA—whatever?"
"Not exactly," Bilal said. "I don't have sperm. I needed a vehicle to host my DNA."
"Dear God," Raj said, turning a brighter shade of pale.
Bilal felt horrible, but he had to confess what he had done. "I used yours, Raj."
Raj staggered. He bent and placed his hands on his knees while he tried to catch his breath.
"I'm sorry Raj. I was wasted when I did it, and I'm not sure what I was thinking. Somehow it seemed right, but I know it's wrong."
Raj spun around and punched Bilal—not that it did any harm. It was like punching a bucket of Jell-O. Raj then stormed out of the house.
Bilal's body formed a small ball.
Lawrence stared at him, shaking his head. He reached out and rubbed his friend's mottled black flesh. "Bilal, man, you gotta know that you just did something horrible. You hijacked your friend's sperm. Although I'm not quite sure why you chose his over mine. But regardless, you mixed two species together. It's like mixing a dog and a cat. You can't do that kind of thing just because you know how. What's worse is that you didn't even ask her, and she doesn't know she's carrying a monster inside her!"
Bilal's form lengthened. "He's not a monster! He's my son."
Lawrence grimaced. "You are nuts, and you have to tell your parents."
"What? Why?"
"Because you need to get back on Earth, and you need to tell that woman what you did. You need to take it out of her."
"I can't, it's too far along."
"Bilal, yes you can! And you will." Lawrence's blue eyes narrowed. "You created a genetic mutation that will think and speak, and that is a horrible thing to do. You will un-create it."
After a moment, Bilal nodded. Lawrence was right. And he would have to tell his parents why he had to return to Earth.
And after I tell them, Bilal thought, they might want to un-create me.
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