Meteroite (Patreon)

Note: This is a story-prompt for Absolus.

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Though he was eight months pregnant, Eric could not bring himself to take time off from work. His job at the lab was his greatest passion and recent scientific discoveries were truly holding his attention. He knew he couldn’t step back from this. The possibilities were endless.

Eric was studying a meteorite that had crash landed on earth a couple of weeks ago. Originally, it had seemed quite typical, but his ongoing deconstruction and scans of the rock had revealed an unknown fluid that was like nothing Eric had ever seen. At times it appeared to function like a vapor, at others, a metal. To Eric, it seemed organic, or even supernatural. The lab had been trying to keep this discovery under wraps, but Eric knew this it could leak to the press any day now. He needed a better understanding of this before other organizations tried to get involved. For all he knew, it could be alien entity.

Eric found himself alone at the lab for another late night of study, disregarding the fact that he had not slept in at least two days. And the exhaustion was getting to him. He blinked several times as he started seeing doubles. Eric gripped the lab table, breathing hard. He suddenly felt overheated in the coveralls and lab coat he had draped over him.

“Maybe I should sit down,” Eric muttered to himself. As he tried to step back, he became unbalanced. He reached again for the table, but his hand connected with some vials, knocking them over. Something spilled. Before Eric could properly react, his vision blurred. Everything went dark.

-

Eric gasped awake. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but he found himself on the floor. He quickly struggled to his feet, aware of a tingling sensation against his belly. He looked down to see a large damp spot on his coveralls where some of the sample had spilled against his abdomen. His clothing was supposed to be spill-proof, but he could feel the sensation of the substance on his skin. Cursing quietly, Eric hurried to the decontamination chamber, where he showered himself in cleansing fluids, washing his belly thoroughly. He then disinfected himself two more times, still cursing himself for his blunder. He was just grateful that not all of the sample had been wasted.

-

Over the next few weeks, Eric tried to take things easier. He didn’t allow himself to go without sleep anymore, or to work late nights anymore.

Despite the increased rest, his elt body was off. Eric would wake up in the middle of the night, groaning and clutching his belly as he experienced weird lurching sensations. It felt like his baby was wriggling inside of him. He would take long, deep breaths, trying to breathe through it. He was certain it was just anxiety. He just needed to learn to relax.

And after those evenings, when Eric would get out of bed in the morning, his body would feel different and his balance would be off somehow. He’d reflect that he felt heavier as well. When he would try to get dressed for work, he would find that he had outgrown his latest maternity shirts.

This continued for weeks and Eric knew he was getting huge, even for someone at his late stage of pregnancy. Colleagues at work were starting to give him odd looks. Soon the episodes began occurring in the day time as well.

Eric was just arriving for a meeting at the lab, when one of the episodes of strong movement hit. He found himself breathing heavily, leaning on the wall. This was all probably normal, he told himself. He was due any day now.

“Eric, you okay?” Some of his colleagues hurried over.

Eric tried to wave them off even as he stood there, struggling to catch his breath. Maybe he was going into labor. “I think…I think I’m having a—ohhh…” His whole belly was pulsating. pressure surging, blooming out till he could actually feel his belly pushing forward; swelling. His clothing strained as he groaned and arched. His abdomen advanced several inches, before stopping with a slight quaver. It looked massive.

Eric gasped for breath as his colleagues stood around him, staring in astonishment. He hugged his abdomen. Nothing felt right. He could feel small limbs lurching, twisting, and prodding at him from all directions, as though he carrying a wriggling octopus rather than a full-term baby.

“I think I’m in labor,” Derek managed, as his abdomen started to tense up again. He leaned more heavily on the wall. He knew he was enormous. He felt as though he was balancing a beach ball on his torso.

“Eric, this isn’t normal. There’s something wrong,” another scientist said, looking concerned. “Let’s get you to an exam room.”

Eric rubbed circles on his huge belly, groaning as the mound tightened more. He panted heavily, flushed and sweaty. “I just…” he gasped. “I just need a min…nnghhh…errgghhhhh!” he groaned as belly surged out with another several inches of growth. His button-down shirt burst open, his huge abdomen puffing free. Eric screamed.

“Get a gurney in here, fast!”

“We need to get him to surgery!”

“What the hell is going on in there!?”

As another forceful contraction barreled through him, Eric passed out.