New Frontier

Author's note:

I tried my best to be accurate (scientifically, biologically, and otherwise) when writing this story, but there might be some mistakes.

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"Hey, Grant!"

I hadn't seen him in months, but I would have recognized his face anywhere. It had been a while and he reached out, asking if we could catch up over lunch.

He jumped a little like he was startled but smiled when he looked my way.

"Hey Shannon. It's great to see you again."

I sat down and the two of us talked about our lives, which had gone in totally different directions after we graduated high school. I opted against going to college and began my work as a hair stylist, but he went to MIT and continued on to conducting fancy biology research for the government. He told me that he had been working on one specific project for months and how it was finally ready to begin.

"So what is this big project? Is it top-secret government research?"

He gave me a look I couldn't really identify.

"Well...that's part of why I wanted to talk to you. There's a possibility that you may be helping me with it."

Now I was intrigued. Grant really was a genius, valedictorian of our high school and top of his class even at MIT. It still amazes me sometimes how he and I ever became friends. I'm a tiny gay guy with totally average intelligence who couldn't understand the things Grant was doing if I tried, but he and I have always worked off each other well.

He drummed his fingers on the table.

"You're still going steady with Val, right?"

"Of course. I moved in with him last year."

I knew Val Thompson would be my soulmate before our first date was even over. He was so earnest, so kind, and being a big buff chocolatey dream of a man certainly didn't hurt matters. We had been together for over a year at that point.

"Have...have you two ever talked about having kids?"

"Sometimes. We both agree that we want kids, but we also think we need to wait for the right time."

"So...if an opportunity came, what would you do?"

I laughed, a little confused.

"We're gay, remember? We don't have any sudden opportunities coming our way."

He leaned forward.

"That's the thing. My team has been doing stem cell research for years now. We were actually looking for a cure to cervical cancer when we discovered something by pure accident. It's strange, even crazy, but we think it could make history."

He took a deep breath like he was questioning everything before he spoke again.

"We believe we found a way to impregnate a male."

There was a solid ten seconds of dead silence. It was like the background chatter dampened and all attention was drawn to what he had just said.

"You're serious?"

He nodded. "I wouldn't joke about this."

I sat back a bit in my chair.

"That's...incredible, but...really?"

"Absolutely. When the right stem cells are attached to a male, he can develop a sort of makeshift uterus in his body. If we're right, and I'm pretty sure we are, this could allow male couples to have their own children. But this isn't something you can test on lab rats. We need a human subject."

My jaw dropped.

"You don't mean..."

"You were the first person I thought of, Shannon. It's bizarre, and it would be hard every step of the way, but if you or Val want to be the first biological male to give birth...the opportunity is there."

I rubbed my temples. This was too much.

I had always wanted kids of my own, but I knew that being a parent as a gay man was different in a way. I know that DNA doesn't dictate love and connection, but the feeling of having a child of my own flesh and blood, creating it and bringing it into the world, that was something I never thought I would experience.

Until now.

Yes, Val and I could just adopt. It was 2023 after all, the homophobia that used to come at gay couples from adoption centers was all but gone. We'd love and cherish that child and it would be our very own. That would be the most important part, and it wouldn't be less than if it were a biological child.

But this would still be different. Different in a way that has never happened. Trans men have given birth, but this would be going where no man like me had ever gone before.

I took a deep breath, trying to get my bearings.

"I need to talk to Val about this. I can't promise you a yes, but we'll definitely consider it. I probably wouldn't if it was anyone else but you asking, though."

He smiled finally. "I was hoping you'd say something like that. No hard feelings if you turn this down, I promise."

I nodded.

We tried to have normal conversation and catch up during the meal, but I had the issue on my mind the entire time, and it stayed like that the rest of the workday. I knew I wanted children, but was it really worth becoming a science experiment? I thought about it some more. Every woman with kids I had ever met had told me that pregnancy was hell, and raising kids wasn't much easier, but their children were a blessing they wouldn't trade for anything. Val and I could be like that.

By the time I had gotten home I knew that I wanted to do it. Something in my heart was telling me that this was a new purpose for me. I could have a child, making history. This really was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and my gut was telling me to take it.

But parenting is a job for two people, and what Val wanted was just as important, even if I was the one who'd get the uterus. We needed to discuss this.

As if on cue, I heard the front door open and close. Val was home from work.

As always, we kissed, me having to stand on my tiptoes.

"Hey babe," he said, smiling. Then he noticed my serious expression.

"What's that look for?"

I took a step back.

"The two of us have a lot to talk about."

*****

I never really believed in love at first sight, but when I first looked at Shannon Brooker I felt something I never had before. When we had our first conversation that feeling got stronger. By the first date I has right on the edge and the first fuck sent me toppling.

Sometimes two people just click like that.

As a big buff black guy who was also gay, there were certain expectations others have, but Shannon was the first guy where there we both were glad to take each other at face value. Yeah, he loved my dick. A lot. But he wasn't some sissy bitch. One of the things that I loved most about him, especially at first, was how he really was his own person. He was an effeminate gay guy, but had this toughness to him. He loved being taken care of but could still take care of himself. I could always trust him to be sincere with me.

That's why I knew something serious was happening when I came home.

Then he told me what was going on and...holy shit.

I put my hand on my forehead.

"And...you want this?" He had never even hinted at that, he just informed me of the situation, but I knew him well enough to guess that.

He nodded.

"I really do. But you need to want this, too."

I sighed. This was a lot.

"Having children is something I want to do, and I want it to be with you, Shannon, but...I'm not sure about this. This seems almost too good to be real. What if something goes wrong?"

"Val, if it was anybody else in the world, I'd agree with you, but we can trust Grant. If anyone can do this, it's him. We could make history with this."

"I'm going to assume that you want to be the mother?"

He nodded.

I thought about it a bit.

"Look, if you're just doing this to help out your friend, I'm not letting you. If you want this just to be the first in the world, not a chance in hell. If you just really want a kid we can walk over to an orphanage right now. You have to be absolutely sure."

Shannon looked me in the eye.

"I am sure. This'll be tough, but it's something people do every day. Besides," he reached out and took my hand. "I know I can do it with you at my side."

I looked at my boyfriend. I saw no hesitation in his gaze. One thing I knew about him was that he kept his promises. He was never one to just tell people what they wanted to hear.

It was enough to make up my mind.

"Fine, but one thing first."

I got down on one knee.

"This is really sudden, I don't have anything prepared, but one thing I'll never do is have children out of wedlock."

I had a single mother who was abandoned by the man she loved. She was able to make it work, and I like to think I turned out okay, but from a young age I swore on my life to never put anyone through what my mother had endured. In fact, one of the things that made me feel like it was the wrong time for us to adopt was that we weren't married yet. I'd been planning on asking for weeks by then. But I knew that now was the time.

I could see his eyes mist up.

"If we're gonna have kids, I want us to be married."

He nodded and started crying. I stood up so we could hug, tears falling from both of us.

"Shit, a wedding and a kid? This is a lot to prepare for." I could tell he was trying to lighten the mood.

"We can have a small wedding." Neither of us were one for big parties. "Does that sound nice?"

He nodded again. "That sounds great. But I have a call to make."

Shannon made the call to Grant. Then we kissed and had dinner.

Grant wasn't able to meet up with us for a few days, which in my opinion was a good thing. It gave us time to discuss things more and decide that this was something we not only wanted, but also wanted for the right reasons.

This wasn't a heat-of-the-moment decision made out of passion. This was something we had talked over and gave a lot of consideration to. That thought was enough to make the whole thing less scary, even if only slightly.

Grant came over to our place a few days later. I had met him a couple times, but didn't really know him that well. Still, Shannon trusted in him completely and that was enough for me.

He was grinning ear to ear when he saw us.

"I know I said there wouldn't be any hard feelings, but I won't lie and say it wasn't a relief to hear you say yes. I know I can trust you two."

We sat in our living room and I got us some drinks.

"Before we even get into the specifics, we have some logistical manners to discuss. I couldn't see you yesterday or the day before because I was dealing with the matter of funding."

Shannon cocked an eyebrow.

"I didn't know that was going to be an issue."

"Well, that's the thing. From a purely scientific standpoint, this is completely groundbreaking, but that doesn't mean we're going to get all the money we need. The higher-ups were actually encouraging us to drop it and continue with our cervical cancer research. I had to find another team to take over that."

"Wait," I cut in. "I think we can all agree that curing cancer is more urgent than male impregnation. Don't end that on our account."

Grant laughed.

"You're pragmatic. I like that. But there's no need to worry. I have absolute faith in the team continuing the cancer project. The doctor heading it was the other leader of our original team, and she'll do as good a job as I could, maybe even better. And I've already decided to head this project myself. Nothing is ending."

I nodded.

"Anyway," he continued. "we were able to cover all medical costs, but couldn't get a new facility. You two will have to move to do this. Is that okay?"

Shannon and I looked at each other. Neither of us had deep ties to where we were currently living. He nodded and I turned back to Grant.

"That's fine."

"Alright then. That was the biggest hurdle."

He sat down.

"Let's start making history, shall we?"

*****

Grant had that grin on his face that I always thought made him look like a mad scientist. The situation made the look both exciting and unnerving.

"So, who wants to be the mother?"

"I do," I said. There was no hesitation.

"I thought as much. One thing I need to warn you two about is that this process is going to be unpredictable from start to finish. This isn't just uncharted territory, this is a whole new frontier. It might as well be a different planet. But just know that your safety will always be top priority, Shannon."

I nodded.

He sat back a bit in his chair.

"There won't be any problems with your body rejecting the stem cells. As long as they're implanted properly, your body should assimilate them and grow a sort of womb. We've decided that the ideal location for it would be the colon, where there's room for it to grow a bit. Even so, this birth may have to be premature. The male body isn't built to house a fetus the way a female's is. At around seven months, it could start blocking off your digestive passage and do some other serious damage. But we'll cross that bridge if we get to it."

"How would you implant the stem cells?" Val asked.

"We're going to have to use surgery. No serious cutting or stitching, but definitely some anesthesia and a recovery period of no sexual activity."

"How long?" I hoped I wouldn't have to be abstinent for too long.

Grant shrugged. "My estimate is about two weeks. Nothing extreme."

I sighed in relief. I could go two weeks. Val seemed happy as well, but kept up the questions.

"Then what would happen?"

"You try for fertilization, of course. The entry is pretty deep and tight, though, enough so that you're going to need some muscle relaxants to aid the process."

"You mean like poppers?" I had experimented with poppers once, and it was years ago, before I even met Val. I didn't like them very much.

Grant tilted his head a bit. "I'm not really sure what you're referring to. But we'll formulate a mix of aphrodisiacs and muscle relaxants to help things along."

I laughed a little in spite of myself. Sometimes I forgot that Grant knew next to nothing about what being gay was actually like. I didn't even know if he had any partners before, male or female. It just never seemed important to him.

We went back and forth a bit more for about half an hour before Grant looked at the clock.

"I have to go soon. I'm more than happy to answer your questions on the phone, but we've put together some legal contracts that should explain things just as well as I could. I just have one last question for the two of you before we can finalize them. It's about your living situation."

Grant looked back and forth between us.

"We have two options. Option one is that both of you will live at the facility. We have enough money to cover your food and other necessities. But you probably won't leave it very often during the process."

Val turned to me, looking concerned. I didn't like that idea, either.

"The other option is that you get an apartment about a block away from us. The problem is that we'll not be able to cover expenses beyond rent and utilities. That means we'll have to ask for more funds, look for donors, or even have Val work to pay for the rest."

I was astounded.

"Are you guys really that tight on money?"

He chuckled bitterly.

"This isn't exactly a project the government wants to throw taxpayer money at. I'm sorry we can't be more accommodating."

I was about to concede to living at the facility when Val spoke up.

"That isn't a problem. I'll work to cover the rest."

I grabbed his hand. "Are you sure, Val?"

"Of course. You can't be trapped at the facility like a lab rat. Besides, as the one who's not pregnant it'll be my job to take care of you and the baby. I'll work, gladly."

I felt my eyes sting a little and pushed down the tears.

"I...I guess we'll get an apartment, then."

Grant nodded. "Alright. I hate to leave you so quickly, but I need to get going. I'm sure you both have a lot on your plate as well."

He sure got that right. We had a lot to do.

The next couple months were a flurry of activity. We both had to quit our jobs, pack up, and move to Ohio, where the facility was. We also got married, in a small ceremony with only a handful of people. Grant was our best man, and it might have been the first time I saw him wear something fancier than a t-shirt and jeans.

We met the rest of the team as well. The other two members were Marlena, a scientist colleague of Grant's who also had kids of her own, and Carter, the head surgeon. Aside from heading the project, Grant was also able to learn enough about gastroenterology during that time that he would be the one doing the more intimate work on me.

Val and I made sure we knew the legal contracts inside and out. Grant was right; they were legit. There were a lot of rules, some obvious and a few less expected. I'd more or less spend all my time at our apartment. I'd have to do check-ins, one over email every day and one at the facility each week. There was a list of foods that I either couldn't eat or limit my consumption of, and naturally I wouldn't be allowed to drink a drop. Almost every base was covered, and we were able to clear up any remaining ambiguity fairly easily. Eventually all was in order.

We had settled into our new apartment. Val had a new job as an electrician. I had taken my last drink. Everything was ready.

I was nervous the day of the surgery. I knew exactly what the procedure would be, and I knew that Carter had quite the pedigree as a surgeon. But it was still scary, not to mention kind of embarrassing.

Before he had to leave, Val gave me a kiss.

"This is the last time we're separating, Shannon. Until our baby is born, I'll always be here for you. That's a promise."

I had that in mind when we began. As I went under, I thought of Val. It didn't have to be scary. He'll be with me.

Every step of the way.

*****

The three hours I had to wait were without question the worst three hours of my life.

I trusted Carter. I trusted Grant. But that didn't make the wait any less horrible.

Marlena helped a little. She stayed with me and did my best to comfort me while I sat and tried my best to not think about what was happening to my husband.

"How did you two meet?" she asked me.

"We met when I was still in college. He was recommended as a hairdresser by a friend of mine." Most people find it hard to believe that he was three years older than me, considering how I was a big buff man that was 6'4" and he was a boyish skinny guy who was 5'5" at best. "He gave me the best fade I've ever seen on anyone. He's the only one I trust to do my hair now."

"That's some high praise. Maybe he can do my hair when this is all over."

I smiled weakly. At the moment I couldn't possibly fathom a time beyond me sitting in that waiting room, let alone after the entire pregnancy.

She put her hand on mine.

"I've been pregnant before, hon. It's no cake walk, but like everything else you just adapt. And believe me, when you see your child it will all be worth it."

I chuckled. "I appreciate that, but this is a little different."

"In practice, yes, but he'll have lots of support. You three are going to be just fine."

For a moment I was confused, until it clicked what she meant by "you three."

An eternity passed in that room. I tried playing on my phone, I tried talking to Marlena some more, I tried everything I could to pass the time, but nothing I did was helping. It occurred to me that this would most likely be the only part of the process that was harder for me than it was for Shannon. Sure, he was the one being operated on, but he wasn't actually conscious for it. For him it would be done in a few minutes. I had to wait, and the wait was killing me.

At long last, the red light over the operating room door turned green and I went inside, trying not to run.

"The operation was a success!" Carter was grinning ear to ear.

I exhaled a sigh of relief I'd been holding in all day. "That's great to hear, doc."