Replication

by Kevin Hardman

  I turned back towards my fellow teens, hoping now I could make my presence known without being attacked. However, they were still so keyed up emotionally that they were likely to shoot first, so to speak, and ask questions later. Fortunately, someone came to my rescue.

  “Stand down!” said a booming, yet feminine voice. It was my girlfriend, Electra. I hadn’t even noticed that she was in the room (as was Smokey).

  “That was Jim,” she went on. “The real Jim.”

  Sensing a loosening of the group’s collective tension, I decided to take a chance. Making myself visible, I immediately dropped to my knees and placed my hands behind my head.

  “I surrender,” I announced to no one in particular.

  Chapter 69

  “Well, the teen lounge is a war zone,” Mouse said, “but the damage is pretty much cosmetic. We’ll have it back to normal in a few days.”

  “Thanks,” I murmured, as did Electra and Smokey.

  “Now,” my mentor went on, “does someone want to explain what happened?”

  We were in one of the League conference rooms. In addition to myself, Mouse, Smokey, and Electra, others present included BT and Myshtal. We had congregated here after my “surrender” in the teen lounge in order to get debriefed.

  “It’s pretty straightforward,” Smokey began. “I was in the teen lounge with Electra and Atalanta, waiting for Jim and Myshtal to join us. But instead of Jim, his evil twin showed.”

  “I knew it wasn’t the real Jim the second he appeared,” Electra said. “His bioelectric field was different. But I decided to play dumb to see if he’d say something we could use.”

  “Did he?” BT asked.

  “Things never got that far,” Electra said. “First thing he did was try to kiss me, and I kind of lost it.”

  “She blasted him,” Smokey clarified. “And then, while he was a little stunned, Atalanta tagged in. She grabbed him and flung him across the room, where he smashed into a table.”

  “Nice of her to step in like that,” Mouse noted, “sizing up the situation solely based on Electra’s actions.”

  I didn’t say anything, but it was a sure bet that Atalanta had known that Jack was a fake independent of anything Electra did. She would have seen his aura and realized that it didn’t match mine. However, I wasn’t sure how much the rest of the League knew about her abilities, and it wasn’t my place to out her like that.

  “Anyway,” Smokey chimed in, “Jack jumped up and started telekinetically flinging stuff around – chairs, tables, supers – and at that point, the fight was on.”

  “But it didn’t last long,” Electra interjected. “Next thing we knew, he was gone. And then Jim popped up, and the rest you know.”

  Mouse’s brow creased as he seemed to consider something. “Was anyone hurt?”

  Both Electra and Smokey shook their heads but it was the latter who answered, saying, “Just some bumps and bruises – nothing requiring more than a light bandage or an aspirin.”

  My mentor suddenly leaned forward, looking at each of us in turn.

  “This has gotten far more serious,” he said. “Before, he was incidentally causing people to think he was Jim because they look alike. Now he’s actively trying to mislead others. It was bad enough when he was breaking into secure facilities to torture those he presumed were guilty. Now he’s infiltrating our headquarters, fighting us in our own house.”

  “So what do we do to keep him out?” asked Electra. “Set up additional checkpoints? Establish passwords?”

  BT shook her head. “No, that’s not necessary. Jack’s biometrics have been fed into the security parameters here. When he pops up, an alarm goes off – like it did today.”

  Curious, I asked, “How’d you get his biometrics?”

  “The security system at AP’s mansion,” Mouse replied. “It recorded them when Jack showed up there – before he got drilled with a laser.”

  “Well, you might want to tweak whatever we’re using to monitor his presence here,” I advised. “The alarms went off in Mouse’s lab when Jack showed up, but – now that I think about it – they weren’t going off anywhere else.”

  “That was by design,” BT stated.

  My eyes went wide. “What?”

  “Think of it as a silent alarm,” Mouse explained. “If klaxons start going off all over the place when he shows up, Jack’s going to know we’re on to him. But if it only goes off in one place…”

  “We can get the drop on him,” Smokey said, finishing my mentor’s thought.

  “Could have gotten the drop on him,” BT corrected. “Prior to today, he knew that technology could distinguish him from Jim. Now he knows that some of us can, too – assuming he didn’t before. Regardless, he’s not likely to try waltzing in here again.”

  Chapter 70

  With little more to be said at the moment, our discussion group disbanded, with Mouse and BT going back to the former’s lab, while the rest of us retreated to Smokey’s quarters. Atalanta was already inside waiting for us when we arrived, and I sent her a quick telepathic thanks for her help with Dynamo. (Knowing it was the real me, she had tackled him under the impression that I might have needed help with the situation.) She mentally replied that no thanks was necessary.

  We congregated in the living room area, with Smokey and Atalanta sitting on a loveseat, while Myshtal, Electra and I sat on a couch (with Electra in the middle, of course).

  Opening a telepathic link with Electra, I said,

  Electra replied.

 

 

 

  Mentally, my girlfriend narrowed her eyes.

  Mentally, I groaned and was about to apologize, but Electra was already engaging Atalanta in a conversation, thanking her for jumping into the fray with Jack in the lounge. I took the opportunity to telepathically reach out to Smokey (which was the reason I wanted Atalanta distracted in the first place).

  I said to him.

 

 

  There was a slight hesitation on Smokey’s part, and I sensed a mild degree of worry coming from him.

  he said a moment later.

  I murmured.

 

  I assured him.

 

  We then turned our attention back to the conversation between Electra and Atalanta, which was just winding down.

  “Anyway, this wasn’t how I anticipated the day going,” Smokey said when the girls ended their chat. “So much for hanging out and having fun.”

  Electra sighed. “I don’t know that having fun is going to be an option until we get this Jack situation resolved.”

  “She’s right,” I said. “His antics are hitting closer and closer to home. And now he’s attacking people.”

  “I suppose there’s an argument that we attacked first,” Smokey noted.

  “Oh, so I was just supposed to let him kiss me?” Electra said derisively.

  Smokey shook his head. “No, I’m not saying that at all. My point is that – from Jack’s perspective – we may have been the aggressor.”

  “In that case, he has a very twisted view of reality,” At
alanta suggested.

  “Exactly,” Smokey said. “He went after Incendia and others who had never actually done anything to him. Today, he actually engaged in fisticuffs with people. What’s he likely to do to them?”

  Suddenly, the room was full of creased brows and frowns.

  “Are we in danger?” Atalanta asked pointedly, looking at me.

  Responding in kind, I said, “Frankly, I don’t know.”

  Chapter 71

  Unsurprisingly, my last comment put a damper on things, so we decided to call it a day shortly thereafter. Smokey and Atalanta indicated that they were going to stay in and watch a movie, while I offered to teleport Electra home. However, my girlfriend had driven her car to HQ and didn’t want to leave it there.

  “Just get Myshtal home,” she said after we exited Smokey’s quarters. “You can come by and see me later, if you have time.”

  I promised that I would, and then teleported myself and Myshtal to the embassy.

  *****

  My family was still out when we popped up in the kitchen, and I relayed that fact to Myshtal.

  “No problem,” she insisted. “Thanks for taking me along with you today.”

  “My pleasure,” I replied with a smile. “Sorry things ended on such a sour note.”

  “It’s not your fault, and it’s pretty clear that you’re grappling with a lot of issues.”

  “Thanks for understanding,” I said. “And I suppose I should have asked this earlier, but is everything okay with you?”

  She raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Yes. I’m fine. Why do you ask?”

  “Because you’ve pretty much gone mute since we were in Mouse’s lab. You didn’t say anything when we were in the conference room with Mouse and BT. I’m not sure I heard you speak in Smokey’s room, either. It just seems a little out of character for you.”

  She simply stared at me for a moment, and then sighed.

  “My speaking around Electra always seems to create problems for you,” she contended. “Regardless of the subject matter. I just decided to see if being silent would be beneficial.”

  “Well, that’s kind of you,” I noted, “but I don’t think it’s necessary for you to hold your tongue because of how speaking might affect me. Just say what you’d normally say, and whatever happens is what happens.”

  “Thanks,” she said with a slight grin. “But you may end up regretting giving me free rein to say what I feel.”

  “I don’t control what anyone else says. Why should it be any different with you?”

  “Because I came back from Caeles with you and I’m staying with your family. To a certain extent, my actions are a reflection on you, and I realize that. Thus, I wouldn’t want to say anything that embarrasses you or makes you feel awkward.”

  “Great, because I never did anything embarrassing or awkward on Caeles, right?” I droned sarcastically.

  She laughed at that, obviously recalling the fact that I’d managed to make numerous missteps, in both word and deed, back on her homeworld.

  “Fine,” she said after regaining her composure. “I’ll simply say what I feel, and you’ll just have to deal with it.”

  “Sounds awesome,” I replied.

  “Famous last words…” she shot back, at which point we both started chuckling.

  Chapter 72

  I hung out with Myshtal until my grandparents came home. She hadn’t been present during the altercation with Jack in the teen lounge, but who knew what was going through my evil twin’s head? There was no telling who he might decide to go after or why. That being the case, I was wary of leaving her alone at the moment. Thus, I made my grandparents aware of the day’s events and that they should probably keep an eye out.

  “We’ll keep her safe,” my grandfather assured me, after pulling me aside while Indigo and Myshtal chatted.

  “Thanks,” I said. “By the way, where’s Mom? We need to let her know what’s happened as well.”

  “She’s still with the lawyers,” Gramps replied.

  I raised an eyebrow. “Lawyers?”

  “Yes. All of your designated guardians are leaving the planet. There’s a ton of legal stuff that has to be done so that you – a minor – won’t have any issues when it comes to all the things you’ll have responsibility for: money, property, living on your own, etc.”

  “Wow,” I muttered. “I guess I never thought about all that stuff.”

  “So what do you think we’ve been doing when we’re out all day?”

  “I don’t know,” I admitted, shrugging. “Saying goodbye to people. Picking up some DVDs to watch on the trip. Stocking up on chocolate and other goodies you can’t get outside the Milky Way.”

  Gramps laughed. “Yes, there has been some of that, but mostly we’re making sure you’re taken care of – and can take care of yourself – in our absence.”

  “Well, uh, thanks,” I mumbled. “I honestly hadn’t thought about all the ways your being gone will affect me.”

  It probably wasn’t clear, but I wasn’t just talking about the legalities Gramps had mentioned. He was the man who raised me, the only father figure I’d ever truly known. For most of my life, he’d also been my best friend. Last but not least, he’d always been my sounding board – someone I could always turn to for sage advice. I loved him, and I reached out telepathically to let him know that (and a million other things I’d probably have trouble voicing). Needless to say, the feeling was mutual.

  “Anyway, it’s not going to be forever,” Gramps reminded me as he broke the telepathic connection. “We’ll be back. But while we’re gone, you’re basically running the show.”

  “So wait – does that mean I’m being emancipated?”

  “Hardly,” my grandfather declared, chuckling. “Emancipation would mean that you would legally be considered an adult, despite not reaching the age of majority. However, there’s a lot of gray area between that and still being a minor, and what we’re setting up for you falls somewhere in that region.”

  “So semi-emancipated,” I concluded. “I’m only shackled to my status as a minor by one ankle instead of both.”

  Gramps laughed again. “Something like that.”

  *****

  Shortly after my talk with my grandfather, I left, teleporting to Electra’s house. I popped up outside her front door and rang the bell. About ten seconds later, Electra opened the door.

  “Hey,” she said, greeting me with a kiss as I stepped inside.

  “I didn’t call first,” I remarked as she closed the door. “Is this a bad time?”

  She shook her head. “No, it’s fine. Plus, I did tell you to come over, so it’s not like you were unexpected.”

  “So you just took it for granted that I’d show up,” I remarked. “What if I’d had something else to do?”

  She giggled. “Yeah, right. I can count on one hand the number of times you’ve turned down an invitation to come over.”

  She then stepped in close and slipped her arms around my waist. Giving me a flirtatious look, she said, “Of course, if you’ve got something more pressing, I totally understand.”

  “Uh, no,” I responded, putting my arms around her. “I’m good.”

  Laughing, she stepped back, then took my hand, saying, “Come on,” as she dragged me to the kitchen.

  Once there, she guided me to a nearby breakfast table. On it was a half-full bowl of chips she’d presumably been eating when I showed up. Taking a seat, she popped a chip into her mouth as I sat down next to her. Delicately picking up another one, she then extended her hand towards my lips with the chip held between her thumb and forefinger. Taking the hint, I opened my mouth and took it.

  “Mmmm,” I mumbled as I chewed and then swallowed. “That’s good.”

  “You think so?” she uttered with a hint of excitement. “They’re homemade.”

  “Well, tell Esper she did a great job.”

  Laughing, she kicked me lightly under the table. “You jerk!”

  I ch
uckled, enjoying the moment. I completely relished spending time with my girlfriend. Whether we were by ourselves or with friends, we always seemed to have fun. Seeing this side of her, it was almost hard to believe that just a few hours before she was trying to send a billion jigawatts of energy through somebody. And with that, my thoughts turned to Jack and I sobered immediately.

  “Do you think we’re taking this too lightly?” I asked.

  She frowned. “What – the situation with your doppelganger?”

  “Yeah,” I answered. “It just seems like I should be out doing something instead of hanging out with you.”

  “Doing something like what?” she practically demanded. “You’ve still got to live. You’ve still got to eat, still got to sleep. No one’s suggesting you stop doing those things just because a bad guy is out there. And there are always bad guys out there.”

  “I know, but…being here with you, like this… To someone on the outside looking in, it probably doesn’t look like I’m taking it seriously.”

  She leaned over and took both of my hands in hers, then looked me in the eye. “Look, if all goes according to plan, you and I are going to have very dangerous jobs in a few years – as will a lot of our friends. That being the case, we’re bound to lose people at some point. People close to us. People we care about. Knowing that, and having been around the League my entire life, I’ve learned that you have to take the little joys where and when you can.”

  “You really believe that?”

  “Absolutely,” she said with conviction, then kissed the back of my hand. “Remember our last little adventure, when we needed Vestibule’s help to save the planet?”

  “Yeah,” I said with an uncertain nod, not sure where this was going.

  “Just before she left for her part of the mission, she kissed you,” Electra stated, now looking a bit stern. “I didn’t like it, but she had the right idea. There was no guarantee that any of us were coming back or that the planet would survive, so – even though I wish she hadn’t focused on my boyfriend – I don’t fault her for trying to snatch what little joy the situation offered.”