"I'm back," Tom said as he plopped down in the recliner with a ham sandwich. "All good here?"<br/><br/>"Yeah, just like you said. She's clutching at her stomach right now, and I can clearly see something moving around. The sonic sensors are registering movement also."<br/><br/>"Sounds good." Tom took a bite and put his feet up on an unused control panel. "How much time has gone by? Oh, only fifteen minutes? The zygotes should be growing to full size pretty soon.<br/><br/>"Geez, I wonder what that must feel like."<br/><br/>"Well, I'm sure you can imagine it's not fun! You can kind of judge her discomfort level by the cortisol and adrenaline levels. She has very high blood pressure right now... hmm, I'd expect her to start retching, actually." Tom took another bite. "Of course, she HAS been selected for high tolerance and excellent physical condition. You or I would probably be dead by now. Just look at her belly and how she's groaning. And this is just the beginning."<br/><br/>"Why doesn't she try to get rid of the sap?"<br/><br/>"Well, who can blame her for not thinking clearly right now? On the other hand, even if she tried she wouldn't be able to do it."