Valerius
The delivery room was a sterile nightmare of medical equipment and monitoring devices. Rachel Martinez—Subject Seven—lay strapped to the table, her face contorted with pain and exhaustion. Dr. Reyes moved around her with clinical efficiency, but Valerius could see the tension in his movements.
“Progress report,” Valerius commanded from his position behind the observation window.
“Full dilation achieved, but the presentation is concerning,” Dr. Reyes replied through the intercom. “The fetus appears to be breech, and the labor is progressing faster than expected for a twenty-four week pregnancy.”
“Twenty-four weeks?” Dr. Kellner’s voice was sharp with alarm. “That’s barely viable. The lungs won’t be developed at all—”
“The hybrid physiology accelerates certain developmental pro
