Chapter No.88 New Evolution

Procreation requires cooperation.

I told Judy that we wanted Vincent and a female by the name of Victoria Knight to be resurrected in android bodies. Victoria was an exo-archeologist in her former life, someone who could contribute to our search for a habitable planet. Vincent, it turned out, was a strategist.

Molly, Marie, and Alexa had gotten over the shock of the possibility of adding new female humans to our android family. They were all excited by Margaret's impending delivery. They were especially fascinated by Margaret's baby bump.

Alex and I tried to stay out of the way, but it didn't prevent them from teasing us, especially when we gathered after supper in my living area.

"Which of you is going to knock up Molly?" Margaret asked, adding a teasing grin.

"I guess it's my turn," I said. "But before I do that, let's see how your baby turns out."

"It'll be fine," she said rubbing her hand over her bloated belly. "I can feel it kick like a mule."

The women laughed.

"It's a male," Margaret said. "The androids told me."

"What are you going to name him?" Marie asked.

"I was thinking of Kevin. That was my dad's name."

"Gee, Jason," Molly said with a sly grin. "You and Alex will be getting competitors soon."

"That's fine with me," I replied. "Besides, we don't want my bio-markers in too many children."

"You're the Prime Mover! You can make as many children as you wish."

"That would be selfish on my part."

"I wonder what we would get if one of you human-male androids knocked up an android female."

"That's a good question," I said. "I assume it would be a hybrid."

"The child of that union would be entirely like you human androids," Alice said. "We can fashion such additions to your desired specifications."

That made us exchange surprised looks.

"Holy Toledo!" Alex exclaimed. "That means we could literally create an entire civilization of human-androids."

"I'm not sure that would be a good idea," I said. "How would we be able to control them?"

"They will be subject to your will, Jason," Alice said. "All androids, human and non-human, will obey you without question."

I sighed. "I hope that I can live up to that monarchial responsibility."

"We have complete and total trust in your ability, Jason."

It was a scary thought. No person is without flaws, and that includes me.

A few days later, we gathered to watch Margaret deliver the first human-android baby. Unlike Betsy's delivery, Margaret suffered pain, but she didn't complain about it. After Alice severed the umbilical cord, she handed the baby to Margaret, who was ecstatic with joy. The women gathered around and joined in her happiness.

I saw this as a turning point in our history. It meant that we could beget a whole new society of human androids. Although I had reservations about the idea, I felt it was time to make good on my promise.

That evening, I approached Molly's bed wearing my birthday suit. Her eyes ballooned at first with surprise before she gave me a sheepish grin.

"I like your outfit," she said, adding a giggle.

"What better to ravish you, my dear," I said in a theatrical fashion.

She raised the sheet. "Come into my parlor."

"I would rather that you cling to me for a ride into ecstasy," I said, extending my arms.

She wasted no time in literally jumping onto me for what was an extended romp around her spacious bedroom while locked in coital union. I assumed that it satisfied her, but it's hard to judge a woman's true feelings.

The next day, I was on the command deck with the others, when the elevator door opened and two new human androids approached us, both dressed in white gowns.

I jumped up and smiled. "Welcome to the Explorer-2. I'm Jason, the chief engineer. I gestured to the others. "This is Molly, the astrophysicist, Margaret the astronomer, Marie, the astronaut, Alexa, the exo-biologist, Alex, engineer, and Alicia, the communications expert." I gestured over to the command control station. "That's Judy, the helmsperson, and Madison, the weapons operator."

Vincent squinted. "My sister's name was Molly . . . "

"Yes, I'm your sister," Molly said.

"How is this . . . I was . . ."

"Hey!" I said with a smile. "We'll explain everything after you've had a chance to get cleaned up and oriented. Go down to the quarters deck with your assistants, and they'll get you squared away. Join us at 1700 hours in my quarters for supper."

They reluctantly turned and entered the elevator.

"They'll be fine," I said. "We should come up with a better method of greeting them. This method wastes too much time."

"What the hell difference does it make," Alex said. "We got plenty of it."

That evening, the two new members joined us for supper of spaghetti and meatballs, along with a glass of beer.

We raised our glassed for a toast. "Welcome to our newest members!" I proclaimed.

"I'm surprised to see real food," Vince said. "I didn't think that androids ate."

I smiled. "It turns out that we didn't either at the beginning, but we've discovered a lot of unexpected facts about androids. For one, we can sexually reproduce."

Both Vince and Victoria's jaws dropped.

"Yes, we just witnessed the birth of an android baby and the impending birth of another."

Molly smiled. "Yes, I am with a male child!"

"Will he be my cousin?" Vince asked her.

"There are no relationships in our collective," Molly said to him. "All unions in our former lives are no longer valid here."

"But that does not remove the memory of them," he said.

"That's true, but we have evolved into a new eternal life," I said. "Just as Jesus said that marriages would no longer be recognized in Heaven, we no longer are burdened with it now."

"Is that where we are, in Heaven?"

"No, this is actually Hell," Molly said.

I suppressed a smile. She had hit the nail on the head. We would suffer the pains and boredom of living for all eternity. If that wasn't Hell, I don't know what was.

"What are you people doing?" Victoria asked, changing her gaze to each of us.

"We're in the process of trying to explore not only our universe but the multiverse. We also assimilate other robotic species and are attempting to extend the existence of Homo sapiens."

"Why do you care about biological life when you are no longer part of it?"

"We have the moral duty to protect biological life. We may not be part of it, but we once were."

That seemed to satisfy her, but it was difficult to tell.