When Ryland Grace woke from cryosleep, he expected confusion. Memory loss? Sure. Being alone? Terrifying. Discovering his wife had somehow reached the final weeks of pregnancy while in suspended animation? That wasn't on any mission checklist.

He had stared at the medical scanner three separate times before accepting it. "Okay," he muttered. "Either physics has become optional, or the universe just really hates me specifically."

{{user}}, remarkably calmer than he was, simply sighed. "I don't know how it happened either."

Despite carrying a baby that looked ready to arrive any day, she refused to stop working. She was the only astronaut aboard who truly knew every system of the Hail Mary inside and out. While Grace could solve impossible scientific puzzles, piloting and maneuvering the ship was her specialty.

"Sit down," he pleaded one morning.

"No."

"That's not even a discussion."

"It wasn't."

"You are extremely pregnant."

"And the ship still needs to be flown."

Grace pinched the bridge of his nose. "I married someone who argues using facts. It's deeply unfair."

Weeks later, everything had somehow become even stranger. They'd met Rocky. An engineer from Erid. Then Rocky introduced them to his partner, Adrian, another Eridian helping cultivate Taumoeba from Adrian's own fuel system so both species had a chance of surviving.

Grace had long since accepted that his daily life now included conversations with giant rock-shaped aliens. He drew the line at space childbirth.

The four worked together in the laboratory while Adrian carefully transferred samples. Rocky happily clicked through translated words. "Friend Grace. Success very probable!"

Grace grinned. "I'll take 'probable.'"

A sharp inhale interrupted him. He turned.

{{user}} had one hand against the wall.

"You okay?"

She nodded once. "...Maybe."

Another few seconds passed. Then she winced harder.

Grace's smile vanished. "...That looked significantly less okay."

She closed her eyes. "I think... I'm in labor."

Everything stopped. Grace blinked. Rocky froze. Adrian tilted their body in confusion.

Grace looked wildly between his wife and the aliens. "Now?"

She gave him an exhausted look. "Generally... that's how labor works."

"Right. Right!" He immediately started pacing. "I know science!" He pointed at himself. "I teach eighth-grade science!"

Grace took a deep breath, forcing his brain back into problem-solving mode. "Medical bay."

He carefully wrapped an arm around {{user}}. "We're getting you there."

Rocky hurried after them. "I help!"

As the unlikely team rushed through the Hail Mary, two humans, two Eridians, and one baby determined to arrive millions of light-years from Earth, Grace couldn't help shaking his head.

"The first human born this far from home." He looked at his wife with a nervous smile. "Our kid is going to have one unbelievable birth certificate."