36. The Counselor
The dove leads them to an elevator and disappears again. The elevator takes the two women to the third level inside the dome. From the balustrade, they look at the animation on the esplanade below.
The dove reappears and takes them along partitions made of frosted glass that form an opaque wall on their left.
At their approach, one of the partitions opens up, and a voice inside says:
THE COUNSELOR
Come in, please.
The dove disappears again as the two women enter the room.
THE COUNSELOR
Sit down, please.
The woman behind the round screen-table gets up to shake the hand of the two visitors. They all sit.
THE COUNSELOR
My name is Caro Nika, and I would like to give you some guidance about the possibilities of a simultaneous pregnancy, if that is what you came here for.
CHRISTINE
Yes, it is. This is Saïda, and I am Christine. We want to become pregnant at the same moment from the same semen.
THE COUNSELOR, smiling
That is clearly put. And what sex do you want the two children to be?
CHRISTINE
We would like a girl and a boy.
THE COUNSELOR
Very well. Do you already have children?
CHRISTINE, a bit irritated
No. That’s why we are here.
THE COUNSELOR
How old are you?
CHRISTINE
I am 32 and Saïda is 31.
THE COUNSELOR
Very well. And do you work?
CHRISTINE
Yes, we both work, and we both have a good salary if you want to know.
THE COUNSELOR
How long have you been together?
Feeling that Christine is getting more and more irritated by these questions, Saïda puts her hand on her companion’s arm to calm her.
SAÏDA
We’ve known each other for eight years now, and we’ve been living together for five years.
THE COUNSELOR, still smiling
I ask these questions to get an idea of who you are. You understand, all sorts of people ask me to advise them, and to do my job properly, I have to know who I am dealing with.
Only this morning, there was a couple, he was sixty-five, and she was more than eighty years old. Their situation required a very different approach than yours.Today, I will try to sketch the possibilities that are available to you, and the things you will need to address to take the most appropriate decision.
First of all, the fact that you want to get pregnant at the same time from the same spermatic batch prohibits pregnancy by sexual contact. It has to be done by insemination. Do you follow me?
CHRISTINE
Of course, it’s logical.
THE COUNSELOR
Yes, it’s logical. However, we advise our clients to have intercourse before insemination as it enhances the chances of successful implantation. I hope it’s not a problem.
CHRISTINE, surprised
Er… No!
THE COUNSELOR
Good! A second point concerns the ova. To get both of you inseminated by the same spermatic batch does not represent a problem, but if this sperm fertilizes your eggs individually, your children will share the genes of their father, but not those of their mothers. Do you see what I mean?
SAÏDA
Yes… It’s not what we want. Is there another possibility?
THE COUNSELOR
Yes. The other possibility is to combine your pronuclei. You will thus give birth to a little girl whose genetic material comes from her two mothers.
SAÏDA
And for the boy?
THE COUNSELOR
I’m coming to that. Your little girl will have an X chromosome from Saïda and one from Christine. But boys possess only one X chromosome, the second chromosome having to be a Y that only the male sperm can provide. For the boy, you’ll have to choose which one of you will give the ovum that will be fertilized.
Christine and Saïda look at each other, puzzled. The counselor gives them a moment to digest the news.
THE COUNSELOR
There are other factors that you must take into consideration if you want a boy. As you know, the sex of the child can be determined with high precision, although there is always a margin of error of about five percent.
What’s more, being the mother of a boy brings additional difficulties. You not only have to determine his chromosomal group, but you also have to think about the treatment every male child has to undergo.
The costs of these treatments, if they are made on the fetus, are insignificant. But the longer you wait, the higher the price. In all cases, they must be completed before the boy reaches puberty. That’s why it is essential to know before conception the chromosomal group you want your boy to belong to. You also have to specify the timing of the treatment.
Do you already know which one of you will bear the boy?
CHRISTINE
No, we haven’t talked about it.
THE COUNSELOR
If you wish, I will give you a file containing comprehensive information about the points I just mentioned. It also includes material on spermatic batches, on the positive and negative aspects of each male chromosomal group, and on the treatments to which boys are subjected. Study it at your leisure, and we can meet again in a few days to talk about the different strategies and the procedure you will have to follow. What do you think?
CHRISTINE to Saïda
We could do that. Do you agree?
SAÏDA
Yes, I believe we could use a few days of reflection.
Christine and Saïda thank the woman and leave.
