Biosynth 15 Hatching

Schroeder never, ever claimed to be a miracle-worker, but he certainly tried his best.

Synthing children was an easy thing, even if he'd been indecisive about what form to put them in, and in the end had gone with two. And practiced as he was with bonding siblings together (despite, by omission, never admitting he could do such a thing even though the triplets of Biosynth 09 seemed to prove otherwise) it was only a slight challenge to come up with twins who would adore each other, even if they both bonded someone else.

But coming up with something to try and make Esix and Inasnath, two of the Synth's three donors, be happy and get along...now that took some creative thinking.

He of course hadn't attempted it with the firstborn pair, though Vision and Tasx had of course been introduced to their parent-set despite their inclination (as most firstborn tended to have) to remain upon the Destiny. But there was one egg out there on the moss of Bravo Bay, with two minds within, that Schroeder had his fingers crossed about. He'd been in mental conference with the presentient egg several times before it had been moved down to the Bay, and the little souls were certainly eager and willing to try their best, but that didn't mean they would be miracle-workers, either.

They'd all just have to wait and see.

There were a dozen eggs upon the moss which meant, as Schroeder had made clear, there were in fact twenty-four young hybrids ready to escape their eggs and find their bonds or sponsors. And hybrids they were, dubbed with the lengthy "Li'Multigenus" surname Schroeder attached to clutches the parents had no surname for--so the younglings could at least trace their line back to their birthplace, if not their parentages!

Unlike many hatchings, including most of those that took place on the Destiny itself, there was a definite process to be seen as the eggs began to hatch. There was no chaotic rocking to be had among the shells, at least not at first. A single, small hole was made in each egg by the larger of the two hybrids within, usually made by what seemed to be a cloven hoof, while a few instead were made by jabs of a stumpy horn or spike. The egg then lay still until Schroeder himself came to it and lowered a hand.

From the newly-made hole, a tiny spiderling would then wiggle and squirm, flopping into Schroeder's hand in a jumble of tiny legs and awkwardly-placed wings. Only after the tiny creature had skittered to safety onto the doctor's shoulders did the remaining twin attack their confinement vigorously, free of the risk of accidentally squashing their tiny sibling.

Schroeder looked all too happy to have a dozen chittering spiderlings climbing across his shoulders, talking to him in unheard but surely excited little mindvoices. Soon enough, however, the other halves of the pairs at last escaped their shells and tottered to their feet upon long, spindly legs, and spread tiny wings for balance. Looking like foals across their legs, but draconic across their reptilian muzzles and long, barb-tipped tails, it seemed likely they would grow to far less equine proportions as they aged. Nevertheless, they were tiny creatures, none of them more than a foot and a half tall at the shoulder. Each foal surveyed his or her surroundings with no less than eight eyes: two set where they were expected to be, and six more arrayed behind and across the top of their skulls.

There was an astounding variety of color in the hatchlings, as well. Though many bore shades of the black, off-white, and pearly-white of their parents, several bore true colors like purple, green, and the oddly-mottled shades some might recognize as being colors from the distant place called Arx Atra Mons: colors from the grandparents and even the great-grandparents of the clutch, brought out courtesy of one curious geneticist.

As each foal-twin at last figured out the ways of battling gravity and standing up straight, they approached Dr. Schroeder and received their fraternal twin from the man. Then the pairs moved to the candidates who awaited them and made their selections, silent but for animalistic chirps and chitters. Unlike many clutches the Destiny produced, these could only speak in telepathy, so there was little for the gathered audience to overhear.

Only one set seemed to need specific guidance, as Schroeder crouched by the pair like the coach at a children's baseball game, encouraging a couple of nervously excited players. There was no rallying cheer to muster their spirits as they at last stepped away, though, the spiderling riding high upon her twin's head as the foal's legs carried them both over their trio of parents.

::We want to stick with our parents,:: announced the foal shyly, a pearly male with black hair and wingsails. He didn't speak to the Bay at large, but more at an area sending, as if in mimicry of a true voice so that no one was purposefully excluded or included from what he had to say.

::We like a big family!:: added the female spiderling with more enthusiasm.

Though Inasnath fixed on the draconic twin and Esix dropped down on a silken thread to get a better look at the oversized spiderling, the hatchling pair didn't let their gazes settle for long on any parent in specific. Instead they looked to all three of their parents for acknowledgement, afraid of showing too much favor to either Esix or Inasnath in specific--the spider and the dragon already clashed enough over "owning" Muse as it was!

Tiax and Eukith, as the twins were named, hoped the same as Schroeder did: that they'd eventually be able to mediate a peace between the parents they most resembled, and enjoy a family that was united rather than divided.

As his assistant, Devika, made the rounds over at the feeding tables to confirm each twin-set's chosen bond or sponsor, Schroeder reached a telepathic thread over to Muse himself. Very carefully he touched the wordless flow of the unicorn's thoughts, gently drawing Muse's attention.

The doctor gave the tiny equine a nod when Muse turned his head in apparent surprise, blinking over at where Schroeder stood.

::I tried my best, and so will they,:: the man sent, indicating the pearly twins. ::Good luck.::

Muse shuffled his hooves, nodding shyly before he turned his attention back to his friends and new children.

Could Tiax and Eukith be miracle-workers? Only time would tell.