The Mech Touch

　　Ever since Joshua and Ketis bound their lives to each other, they tried to spend more time with each other.

　　It wasn't easy to make time for each other due to their heavy responsibilities, but the clan was quite accommodating towards its top figures.

　　At this stage, the Larkinson Clan was only a few years old. Its structure was still flexible and there weren't too many protocols.

　　As long as Ketis worked hard and made sure to stay on schedule, it did not matter that much if she left her shift an hour early.

　　She and her newly-wedded husband had decided to take a break in the forward observation chamber on the first deck of the Spirit of Bentheim.

　　The expansive garden and observatory compartment had not changed much since it initially came into existence. Over the years, the caretakers planted new trees and plants and also introduced a few new interesting species.

　　However, the place remained a favorite gathering spot for pets of all kinds.

　　Cat meows could be heard from every direction as hundreds of cats gathered into different cliques.

　　Whenever their human companions left their cabins in order to go to school or perform their work duties, the cats did not stay behind and stare at bulkheads all day.

　　They roamed the ship and regularly gathered in places like these.

　　The other animals weren't left behind either. Dogs ran around while chasing each other's tails and birds soared through the air before landing on various tree branches.

　　The presence of all of these pets caused the forward observation chamber to become a favored paradise for busy officers looking to enjoy a moment of peace.

　　As Ketis and Joshua cuddled against each other against a tree trunk, they quietly gazed at the animals enjoying their moments.

　　A few pets even took the initiative to approach the couple. A pair of black-furred cats who were obviously related to each other jumped on Joshua's lap and began to purr.

　　The expert pilot cracked a smile and gently stroked the felines by the ears.

　　"Mawaow…"

　　"Prr…."

　　Ketis watched on with evident mirth on her expression.

　　"I think we should get a pet." She stated.

　　Joshua frowned. "Are you sure? We talked about this. Both of us are so busy most of the time that we don't have much time to spare for any pets."

　　"I can bring my pet to work. Ves and Gloriana bring along Lucky and Clixie all the time. Why shouldn't we be able to do the same?"

　　"Hmmm…"

　　"Besides, I think it would be nice if our children can grow up alongside a pet. Just look at how Aurelia and Clixie have become so close to each other. I want our child to develop a similar bond with a pet."

　　Venerable Joshua became a lot more receptive to the idea after that. He also began to entertain unusual thoughts when his wife mentioned the issue of children.

　　He placed his hand on her athletic, muscled stomach.

　　"About our first child…"

　　"I want to have one soon." Ketis said. "I don't want to wait too long. I don't like Gloriana, but whenever I see her glowing when she is carrying her daughter, I feel like I'm missing out. If not now, then when?"

　　"Our clan is currently in a rather precarious state, dear."

　　"That hasn't stopped Ves and Gloriana from proceeding with raising their first child. I heard that they are already thinking about conceiving their second child. If we conceive ours at the same time, the two can grow up alongside each other. Doesn't that sound great?"

　　Though Joshua initially felt overrun after Ketis brought up such an important topic without warning, he quickly adjusted his mentality.

　　One of the reasons why he married Ketis was to advance their relationship to the next stage. Having children was definitely in his plans.

　　He just had to accept that Ketis would be bearing and raising their first child when the expeditionary fleet was heading into dangerous territory.

　　Though Joshua wasn't privy to all of the detailed plans of the patriarch, he knew that the Larkinson Clan would be spending a lot of time in true frontier space.

　　They could come across any possible threat while exploring the Red Ocean. The thought of their son or daughter becoming a victim of an incident made Joshua incredibly concerned about this course of action.

　　However, Joshua also became more determined than ever to do his best to defend the clan!

　　Out of every Larkinson, he was one of the expert pilots of the clan. That meant something here. With the support of the Everchanger, he possessed an unprecedented degree of agency on the battlefield.

　　If any hostile human or alien fleet threatened to harm even a single hair of his child with Ketis, he would definitely squeeze the limits of his potential to prevent that from happening!

　　His protective impulse caused his force of will to quicken. His desire to protect his wife and children had grown so strong that it had honed his willpower to a new height!

　　Joshua wasn't the only protector of their family, though.

　　A sharp burst of will pressed against his own. Ketis' attitude grew sharp as she grasped her sheathed greatsword.

　　She pulled out Bloodsinger from its scabbard just enough to expose its hungry blade.

　　"My sword hasn't tasted for many months. I don't mind staining it with alien blood if any get past your guard. This future mother isn't a harmless little damsel!"

　　Since that day, the two held a few more talks before they settled on their choice.

　　Natural conception was out of the question since Ketis underwent way too many gene treatments. She was in a similar state to Ves in that regard.

　　The couple made an appointment with Director Ranya Wodin and shuttled over the Dragon's Den at the first possible opportunity.

　　The head of the Larkinson Biotech Institute received the golden couple of the Larkinson Clan with a smile.

　　"I was wondering when the two of you would visit my ship. We've welcomed many couples as of late. It was only a matter of time before you got your turn. Please, take a seat."

　　Once the guests made themselves comfortable, the green-haired woman activated a projection and called up a few files.

　　"Let me begin by stating that it will take a lot of effort to design a baby that can safely grow inside your body, Ketis." The biotech expert and director stated. "The augmentations that you have received in the past are not only extensive, but also extreme. What's worse is that they're mostly geared towards increasing your physical strength and combat capabilities. Your blood and tissue has substances that can seriously threaten the health of a fetus."

　　Both Joshua and Ketis grew concerned.

　　"Does that mean we have to resort to an artificial womb?"

　　"It's the most convenient choice." Ranya admitted. "Artificial womb technology is highly mature. The chances of complications are minimal because the gestation environment is completely controlled. The Lifer geneticists and other specialists under our command are highly proficient in operating them, and we recently purchased a batch of modern heartland-grade models. If you want to bring a child into this reality in the safest possible circumstances, an artificial womb is the best choice."

　　Neither Joshua nor Ketis were enthused about the idea.

　　Joshua found the idea of raising their child in a glorified test tube was too clinical and impersonal. It did not conform to his own values and he felt he would do his child a disservice if he agreed with this plan.

　　His wife also wasn't enthused about the idea.

　　"That's not an option unless we truly have no other choice. There is something special about bearing a child yourself. I've seen it from Gloriana." She stated. "Ranya, is there a viable way I can still undergo pregnancy?"

　　The doctor responded with a reassuring smile. "There is always a solution. It's just going to cost you. We have an existing relationship with Witshaw & Yeneca on account of being one of the famed genetics company's customers. When I transferred your genetic and other physiological data to its biotech experts, they told me that it is possible for them to solve your problems as long as they put effort into developing a new designer baby. You will have to pay a hefty amount of money to get that level of service from this company, though."

　　Joshua had never cared about money since he entered the clan. Everyone else made arrangements on his behalf.

　　Ketis handled money more often due to her work, but she too did not pay too much attention to it despite receiving a share of revenue of the LMC.

　　"How much money do we have to spend at minimum to get Witshaw & Yeneca's help?" She asked.

　　"At least 1000 MTA credits if you want a guaranteed outcome." Ranya directly replied. "You can spend less, but then the company won't try as hard. I cannot recommend going cheaper because the loss you will experience if anything goes wrong is not worth the potential savings."

　　The couple winced. Though it was not unaffordable to the Larkinson Clan, the problem was that Joshua and Ketis were only two individual clansmen. They did not have the right to arbitrarily pull out so much money from the clan's treasury.

　　"How much did it cost to develop Aurelia?"

　　"4000 MTA credits. It's a lot of money for a single child. If Ves isn't the leader of our clan and the source of most of our revenue, there is no way to justify this expenditure."

　　Designer babies were expensive! While there were even more expensive and extravagant options, they were mostly subject to diminishing returns. Joshua and Ketis saw no need to spend more money than the Miracle Couple.

　　"What do you think, Ketis?" Joshua asked.

　　As the mech designer and someone who performed a lot of calculations at work, Ketis was pretty much in charge of all of their finances when they came together.

　　"I can get us 4000 MTA credits." She claimed.

　　"Whoa! Are you sure?" Joshua questioned. "I'm not accustomed to thinking in MTA credits yet, but even I know that 4000 MTA credits is a great sum."

　　Ketis still looked confident, though. "I've almost completed my Monster Slayer Project. Once I hand over my design to the Wild Fighters, they will soon produce and sell my new mech throughout the zones where they are active. As long as my new landbound swordsman mech gains popularity, the Wild Fighter Association will definitely funnel a lot of money to our clan. Once that happens, I can go up to Ves and ask him to earn my share of the earnings for the next few years in advance. He won't make life difficult for us, especially if he hears what it is for. Allowing us to raise a strong and healthy designer baby will benefit him as well."

　　"Does that matter?"

　　Both Ketis and Ranya snorted.

　　"Of course it does, Joshua. Ves is always more amenable to ideas if there are profits or benefits attached to them. If he sees the 4000 MTA credits as an investment instead of a money sink, he'll pass on the money in an instant."

　　Though the expert pilot wasn't sure whether this would happen, he was willing to give his wife the benefit of the doubt. She interacted and worked alongside Ves much more often than him. She knew the patriarch a lot better.

　　After making a tentative decision to commission Withsaw & Yeneca to develop a fairly high-quality designer baby, Ranya soon guided the couple through the basic decisions that they needed to make at the start in order to determine the overall direction of their possible child.

　　"Designer babies are configured with specialized genes, substances and follow-up treatments that define what they will be good at in the future. The two of you need to make a choice on what your baby should excel at. Do you want to raise your child as a mech pilot, a leader, a swordsman or a mech designer? It's your choice. Just keep in mind that genetics will never determine everything about someone's life. At best, they can nudge the specialty of your designer baby in specific directions."