Story

### Prologue

The story takes place 2,100 years after the postmodern era on a decaying Earth, its once-sustaining landscape drastically changed by centuries of warfare and exploitation.

A bizarre disease has spread across the Earth's human women, which causes babies to leave the womb severely malformed or dead.

Detecting the critical status of the human race, an ancient, semi-robotic race of man-made people known only as the I-folk are awakened from the depths of the Earth. They round up all surviving humans and create isolated habitats for them to live in, using the habitats as research areas to find ways to save humanity.

Through science, the I-folk find a way to prevent the babies from being affected by the disease. The I-folk also discover that the disease seems to naturally implant itself as a dormant entity into the wombs of the women, meaning that it is inescapable for all pregnancies.

Regulating a certain amount of gas into the artificial atmosphere of the habitats, the babies are no longer affected by the disease; but the I-folk quickly realize that these children will never be able to leave the habitats without suffering.

After a heavy debate, the I-folk attempt an experiment to see if it would be possible to create a baby that does not suffer from the disease.

They have found that human males have no traces of the disease inside of their bodies due to having no uterus, and have opted to test if it was possible for a male to create a disease-free child.

The subject used is Mikasi, a then-30 year-old male who had donated himself to the I-folk's research due to his suicidal and depressive tendencies.

### Mikasi's World

The I-folk create a sophisticated scientific building for Mikasi to dwell in during the experiment. The building consisted of everything Mikasi would need to nurture his future children, both during pregnancy and after, along with four I-folk servants to assist him. These I-folk were Opef, Ital, Aka, and Etyo.

The building was also equipped with the technology needed to impregnate Mikasi. The fetuses would reside in his perineal cavity, and multiple hormones would be injected into his stomach to assist with the process. Two artificial zygotes which were produced through traces of ancient human DNA (along with Mikasi's DNA) are then implanted into the cavity, and the experiment begins.

Over the course of his pregnancy, Mikasi grows increasingly depressed due to the pain and discomfort of the pregnancy, worsened by the hormones. At the same time, he develops a strong emotional bond with the two fetuses inside of his body, naming the twins Amaryllis and Melyonen, or Amar and Mely for short.

Feeling an overwhelming sense of excitement as the twins' estimated date of delivery gets closer and closer, Mikasi writes detailed letters to their future selves, filled with heartfelt letters of his pride and love for them, along with his dreams for what he wants them to be like when they grow up.

He would frequently leave his chamber to look at where Amaryllis and Melyonen would reside when they would be born, filling their cribs with hand-sown pillows and blankets and stuffed animals.

His woes being overwritten by sheer joy for what was to come, Mikasi began to re-develop physical strength, filled with an unbearable feeling of euphoria and love. His emotions and physical health were all recorded by Ital and sent back to the primary base.

Two weeks before the estimated date of delivery, Mikasi is held in bedrest in order for the I-folk to better check on the twins' progress. Noticing a minor defect in the heartbeat of Melyonen, Opef puts the two on life support through tubes fed through Mikasi's mouth. Little would the I-folk know, this small act would cause the twins to become dependent on the life support for the rest of their lives.

On the day of the delivery, a planned c-section is conducted on Mikasi's stomach, and the twins are taken out. However, neither of the twins have a heartbeat. Mikasi begs to hold them, but Opef rushes the twins to the preservation chambers before Mikasi can even look at their faces.

Feeling confused and terrified for his children, Mikasi attempts to chase after Opef, but is quickly restrained by Aka and Ital. Ital injects him with an amnesiac