“Carla and I want a baby,” Soph said.

  “Is that each? Or are you going to share?” I replied.

  “Bastard,” Carla said. “I don’t want to be pregnant. Soph does.”

  “That is weird. I was sure it was you I was fucking, not her. You know it is the end of the world, right? Why would you bring a baby into this?”

  “A lot of reasons. Ata is due in four months, and the babies are healthy as far as they can tell.” Soph said. “I want a kid, and it growing up with Ata’s kids would be good.”

  “Don’t you push Ata away, either, you bastard,” Carla said. “ She is nice, and she could be your nice if you let her.”

  “She hits me!”

  “Only when you need it,” Carla said.

  “I also think it is important to keep the same Flouescent Blue Essence for us all,” Soph said.

  “You know Commander Lewis is Florescent Blue, so is dog-boy and rat-man,” I countered

  “I hit you too,” warned Carla.

  “Wait a minute!” I turned to Soph, “Have you seen something in the baby's essence pattern?”

  “I am getting better at that, but they are still too small and overshadowed by Ata. I have had glimpses, and they appear to be various combinations of you and Ata, which makes sense,” Soph replied.

  “I knew I should have got that vasectomy. This is turning into a commune.”

  “Bob, settle down,” Carla said, “This will be our baby, not yours. We will look after it.”

  “Yes, but you and I hang around a lot. I have sensitive hearing and smell.”

  “Yes, you are an antisocial, selfish Bastard, but you are also one of the smartest people I know,” Carla said.

  “I thought you wanted me for my cock, not my brain.”

  “That is when you were the fucktoy. Now, you are being promoted to a sperm donor, and we want your brain and essence.” Carla explained.

  “That seems very one-sided,” I said. “What about what I want?”

  “You get to make love to me,” Soph said.

  I looked at her. She was softer than Carla, with generous curves and larger breasts. The fact that she was covered in dog fur made her look very comfortable and cuddly.

  “That is very enticing, but I am not sure it is worth twenty years of child-rearing.”

  “You won’t have to do the child-rearing,” Soph said. “I have a legal agreement here that ensures you will have no responsibility for the child.” She handed over several pages of legal documents. Her family is the rich one, with fancy lawyers. That is why we are standing in her mum's mansion on the edge of Auckland Central, overlooking one of many Auckland marinas and the Auckland Harbour Bridge.

  I took the papers to read later. “You know the kid might be a jellyfish, shark, dog combo?”

  “I know. Ata’s scans and DNA samples indicate that her children are mostly human, so I assume the same with me,” Soph said. “If not, that is fine too.”

  “Ata is having twins, which is unusual, but you are a dog mutation. You might have a litter,” I said.

  “Ata is not laying eggs from her Gannet mutation, so I don’t think that is likely,” Soph said.

  “And you really want to take the risk?” I asked.

  “I really do,” Soph said

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  “We really do,” Carla said.

  I stepped close to Soph and inhaled deeply. “You know you are ovulating now?”

  “That looked really creepy,” Carla said.

  “I have become very sensitive to the smell of ovulating women after Ata got pregnant,” I said. With my boosted smell, I didn’t need to step closer to smell it, but I wanted to look creepy. The smell of Carla on her period did overshadow Soph, but it was still for show.

  “I am ready if you are,” Soph said with a smile.

  “Is she?” I said, nodding toward Carla.

  “Go on,” Carla said. “Show her why you are my favourite fucktoy.”

  Soph grabbed my hand and dragged me towards her suite. She wanted to get pregnant on her bed. In my view, beds were optional but quite comfortable. She was very different from Carla. Carla was energetic and active. Soph was soft and more laid back, and soft. Did I mention soft? She was lovely, with fewer hard muscles than Carla, more curves and soft fur.

  It is a good thing I am not allergic to fur. I wonder if she gets a winter coat and then sheds it? I guess we will find out.

  Soph wanted to make love frequently over the next few days as this was the opportune time for her. I got her riding me one time when Carla came into their bedroom to get a jacket. I tore my eyes away from Soph’s large, soft, furry breasts bouncing in front of me to glance at Carla. She just gave us a thumbs up and exited, saying, “Save some for me later.”

  “It will have to be a while later,” I said.

  She just laughed.

  Soph seemed enthusiastic even though she was A-sexual and not that interested in sex. I guess she is interested in pregnancies and babies. She is a primary school teacher, so I guess she likes kids.

  They could have done this through a fertility clinic, but I am not going to complain.

  Later that week, Ata drove up in her silver SUV. She had been visiting her folks up north and spending time on her local Marae near the Bay of Islands. She looked very pregnant, but twins will show more than a single baby.

  “How did it go?” Soph asked.

  “Mixed,” Ata replied. “My folks were alright with the feathers, but not everyone was. The pregnancy was a different story, particularly when I said the father was a basic white pakeha, and you didn’t come with me to front up.”

  “Oh shit,” I said, “I have just got over the Samoan hit squad, and now there is a Maori tribe on the warpath. I can’t catch a break.”

  “Don’t be such a baby,” Ata said. “My folks wanted me to come back and raise the kids with them on our family land. I said I needed to be near you with the essence and Dr Mohan. You guys got an invite to come as well.” She looked at Soph, “Are you pregnant yet?”

  “I hope so,” Soph replied.

  “What is this a bloody conspiracy?” I said.

  “Shut up, basic white fella,” Carla said.

  “It would be a good place to raise the kids,” Ata said. “The Marae would get used to us and rally around quick enough. We have the Navy to consider first, but when the world goes to shit, it would be a good place to settle.”

  “Maybe we should all go for a visit after the kids are born,” Soph said.

  I am feeling Anawhata calling me.

  Ata smiled, “Auntie Wai would love that. You would love Auntie Wai as well. She is everybody's Auntie. Even I am too skinny for Auntie Wai. Her parāoa parai is to die for.”

  “Parāoa parai?” Soph asked.

  “Fried bread,” Ata said.

  I definitely feel Anawhata calling me, although parāoa parai has its own call.

  We get Ata settled. She has taken over my room upstairs with a view over the harbour. I have been moved downstairs to the wing opposite Carla and Soph’s. My room opens directly onto the pool, which is an advantage for me. I am the one who uses it the most.

  The next day, Ata and Soph go to the hospital for Ata’s check-up. Amanda Mohan is overseeing the pregnancy, but obstetrics is not her field of speciality, so another obstetrician is working with her. The world's first mutant babies have turned Ata into a lab experiment, but it means she is getting the best of care.

  My apologies. They are not mutant babies. They are ‘Enhanced’ babies. We are Enhanced whether it is positive or not.

  Soph goes to all these things with Ata. Sometimes Carla goes as well. I don’t. She invited me, but I don’t think she expected me to go. It is a funny relationship if you can call it that. She gets on better with Carla and Soph than me. I really don’t know how to do relationships. I am not sure I even want to. Ata getting pregnant was not intentional. I don’t know what the fuck I am doing here.

  Anawhata is looking better all the time.

  It was late that night, and Ata had just left my room. Sex around a pregnant belly is a new experience. If Ata was trying to communicate something, I totally missed it. She needed to be like Carla and tell me bluntly. Ata was still outside in the hall when her phone went off. My hearing could pick up Soph and Carla’s phones ringing at the same time. I think my phone is around here somewhere, but it must be off or flat.

  Ata came back in, still reading her message. She was only wearing an oversized t-shirt, and her breasts were already enlarged because of the pregnancy. I shouldn’t be so easily distracted.

  “An anomaly has appeared in the Hawkes Bay. They want us down there.”

  “I will get up. Want to join me for a quick shower?”

  She gave me a distrustful look but joined me anyway. We weren’t too late.