Mandatory Motherhood: Short Stories

Underground

“So how deep do these tunnels go Aaron?” Chris asked as she rode the passenger trolley that Aaron drove down the winding tunnels. The tunnels had little variation other than the walls getting a different colored stripe the lower the level the tunnels went.

Aaron kept one eye on the navigation screen as he skillfully drove down the tunnels. “If you mean how many basement levels this facility has, I think 34 maybe half a mile or more? The HPI has the levels under 25 sealed off for some reason, I know the generator, water treatment and purification are down there.”

Chris watched while pointing out odd symbols in certain areas every so often. “You don’t know what is on those levels?”

Aaron shook his head. “Other than what I listed, no. There were rumors among the other troops that they have super soldier experiments labs down there, others theorized that there is a VIP nuclear bunker down there.” He slowed down and smirked at Chris. “Supposedly there is a second Stargate down there.”

Chris laughed and wiped a tear from her eye. “Shall we ask if we can borrow a bucket and op from Star gate command then?”

Aaron stopped the vehicle and looked at Chris with a serious expression for several seconds before he started laughing. The two cackled for a long while, Aaron’s size caused the vehicle to rock around.

Eventually, they calmed down and Aaron continued driving. He decided to break the ice since everything had become quiet again. “Why did you want to come down here with me Chris? I only came down to get some supplies to repair my hazmat suit until the HPI bring me a new one on their next visit, and I need to check up on a water pressure value that the system is reading an error on”

Chris rubbed her chin for a bit before replying. “Well, it’s cooler down here. I haven’t gotten to speak with you one-on-one… and honestly, Mia has gotten to be a bit much lately…

Aaron chuckled and scratched behind Chris’s ears. “Oh, I know that all too well. Thank goodness she can easily find something to do during the day and we only hang out at night.”

There was silence for a bit, Chris’s tail swishing left and right as they traveled deeper into the facility. Suddenly she asked the billion-dollar question. “Just out of curiosity… have you and Mia done… yah know?”

Aaron slammed on the brakes and stared forward with a pregnant pause. Eventually, he snapped to reality and answered Chris. “Not that it really matters… but no… or atleast… Let's just say she was even weirder for a week or so. That event ended about a week and a half before your little group showed up.”

Chris chuckled. “So I take it that is a no, but there was an attempt?”

Aaron snorted. “Not my choice in the matter; neither was dating her… But she was the only person I could physically talk to for a while. She grew on me.”

Chris raised an eyebrow at this comment causing Aaron to wonder what Chris was thinking for a bit before groaning in realization. “No! Just no!”