CHAPTER 200: HEAVY EXPECTATIONS

Over the course of the next week it was going to be busy getting the Z1 and the Hawthorne Ranch both ready for the Coming Home Ceremonies and preview of the new Cultural Arts Museum, Library and Education Center. Homer’s fever had broken and he was on the mend, nothing had been mentioned to him about Joe. He thought he caught some kind of virus and it had made them delirious.

The other residents of the circle had done a great job at repairing the house, replanting the roses, installing the new front door and starting to paint and repair their own homes. This was all due to Coming Home, there would be a three-day event at the Z1 and every place was full including the recently vacated dormitories.

The travel Lodge was fully booked, Sonja had supplied and restocked her store, the marketplace to the Max with all kinds of Genmen specialty goods and foods, the travel Plaza was ready for visitors who needed to take a break after their long drive before they reached their final destination of the Z1 Hawthorne ranches. Constantine’s freezers coolers and storerooms were overstocked ready for the influx of hungry travelers. It was going to be the best Coming Home Ceremonies there ever were.

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Benjamin stopped by the clinic to see Lex; he had been having a few cramping spells plus he almost doubled in size. He felt that something wasn’t quite right with the baby. Earl was at the clinic for Christian’s checkup when he saw Benjamin and was immediately concerned at how much the weight the young man had put on in the last week.

Lex called Benjamin in for a scanning checkup and told Earl to come on and they might need a little bit of a support. Less than two weeks ago when Lex took the scan the baby was approximately 9 ½ pounds and was going to be probably 11 pounds by the time was delivered. Lex was shocked as he did the scan and estimated the weight of the baby it was topping out at almost 18 pounds.

"Benjamin what have you been eating, are there any other problems that you’re not telling me or anything." Lex examined the readings carefully. "Your blood sugars doing fine your blood pressure is doing fine. Is everything going alright between you and young Madison no roughness is there."

Benjamin blushed. "No Sir he’s very gentle when we make love that we do lock the bedroom door so the boys don’t catch us again."

Earl’s mouth fell open. "You and Madison or having sex, are you using a condom."

"I’m 8+ months along why would we use a condom to have sex it’s not like he can get me pregnant again plus I’m past the 6 ½ month mark for genetic changes." Benjamin looked at Earl surprised.

"Madison is old earth human and Goran crossed, he was born in orbit as was I, we haven’t changed like people here have." Earl shook his head. "An old earth human can cross out a Goran/Genman pregnancy and it does DNA and genetic changes up until your almost 8 ½ months along young man. So, if you and my son have been having unprotected sex that child that you’re carrying is now his genetically and DNA. And that’s a very good reason that baby is growing like it is, he was a monster when he came out. Mason was almost 18 pounds and he was my first, but Madison broke me open and almost ruined me at 31.2 pounds, in fact after him the rest of just slid out."

"Well that explains the differences I’m seeing in the scans, that is something else that we must contend with when dealing with the Hollis family and their descendants along with crew members from the orbiter." Lex took a deep breath. "Benjamin you need to come in here on Mondays and on Thursdays for scans until this baby is born."

Earl hugged Benjamin and thanked him for making him a grandfather.

Madison and Mr. Zack came into the clinic exam room. Madison inquired if everything was okay with Benjamin and why was he at the clinic. As Lex and Earl explained to Madison all about the genetics and how they worked he took a seat, he couldn’t believe that he was going to be a father. Zach was quite pleased, the child that Benjamin was carrying would have a father around to help raise him, and a very good father at that. All that was left was to tell Ben.

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Emma was about ready to lose her mind, going over every aspect of the operations to make sure nothing broke, there were no glitches but she figured there would be anyhow. Leo and Max were doing great, the kids were doing great.

It was Thursday morning and Willie really needed to talk to Vincent, he wanted to make sure that Jeremiah and him showed up Friday morning. He went to grandfather Zack’s office to see if maybe he could catch a ride in to the Township before Vincent got off work and see them at the office at the end of day so he went to go see Zack.

Willy knocked on the door and as usual Zack, hollered out. "Come on in whoever is knocking."

Zach was pleasantly surprised to see young Willie standing there with his little pudgy belly already showing. He kinda waddled over toward the desk he still hadn’t mastered the pregnancy walk yet.

"Grandfather I don’t want to be a burden but is there any way that if you’re going in toward town that I could catch a ride you or anyone else I really need to see Vincent to make sure he’s going to come tomorrow I don’t want to have to send uncle Tim after him." Willie paused to catch his breath. "He still in shock I know but he is doing better, we spoken several times on the communicator he’s always asking me how I’m feeling, if I’m sick, is the baby okay."

Madison who was standing by in the office for Mr. Zack couldn’t help but over hear young Willie and he spoke up. "Mr. Zack not meaning to eavesdrop but I was going to ask you when it got closer to quitting time if I could take the speeder into the Township and make an appointment was Sonja as a surprise for Benjamin in the morning. I can take Willie into town to make sure he gets back safely Sir."

Zack thought about it for a minute. "Seems like a win-win situation get to do something good for me but taken my grandson into town can make Benjamin’s appointment for tomorrow and make it an early one and you take the speeder to the Township so that Benjamin does not have to ride the public transit."

Madison and Willie both thanked Zack for his more than generous offer.

"Grandfather there’s another thing I’ve been thinking about I don’t know how much a rebuilt or used transit unit cost but if we had one here the Genman could pay to ride it into the Township and back, we’ve got a couple shifts of workers now and they’re always going into town to pick up supplies or go to the office report for were or even going to Constantine’s and back it could have a limited schedule on certain days and it would be a win-win for the Ranches here." Willie cleared his throat. "Plus, after this place opens up here you can run a shuttle service back and forth from the Travelodge and the guests could pay a small charge to use the service also."

"I’ll tell you something young Willie I’m gonna leave it all up to you to do all the research, that means cost analysis, profit and loss statements the whole 9 yards and bring it to me, Jake and the Hawthorns for a proposal and will see what you can come up with to see if it’s profitable and feasible." Zack thought about it for a minute.

"I can guarantee you sir will not be disappointed whether it’s good or bad I will bring you the entire proposal to be considered." Willie was very excited and thanked his grandfather for assigning him the task. Willie left the office in a fantastic mood.

Madison was keeping himself busy going over the maintenance schedules for all of the speeders on the Z1 when Zach asked him what he thought about young Willie’s proposal of a larger transit system for the ranches.

"Well sir; I believe he’s hit on a very good idea, we have people here including workers that are human that struggle every day to arrive here on time there’s also more people that would travel to the Township and spend money which would help out the human population there because let’s face it that place is poor and so are its people." Madison considered the implications carefully. "Jake could add on to the shopping center and new businesses could be opened ran by Genmen and local area residents plus with the people coming out from the city they could see the merchandise that’s available here the Z1 and Hawthorne ranch then you got the houses that are being built through us I honestly believe he would be a win-win, and when you get your hotel here you’re going to have to have transit from the Township 12 miles away to here, because you know that bus line will only run Monday, Friday and Sunday."

"Well let’s hope young Willie can get his paperwork all together for a presentation looking at our future plans we may have to have more than one transit bus. And I need for him to figure it with rebuilt units and new units to see which one is most cost-efficient, why don’t you go catch up with him and make sure he realizes that."

"Yes, on the way Sir I’ll be back in a few minutes." Madison stood up and left the room.

It didn’t take Zack just a couple minutes to catch up with Jake and the hawthorns to tell them about Willie’s idea and that he would have a proposal for them soon. Ed and Carter were all for it as was Jake and Zack still wanted Willie to prove himself by working on the proposal because if it was his idea his proposal, he would have to be in charge of it and that meant a lot of responsibility for him.