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No rights infringement intended.
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Smoke and Mirrors
It was midnight, not that anyone could tell in the building. The only indication of life in the facility was the security guards patrolling the darkened floors and the light on in the office far above the ground floor.
In the lighted office, a man known simply as Dr. Merrick sat, searching through some files. Stats for three or four people were displayed, but he brushed them aside when a knock came at the door. Dr. Merrick looked at his watch and sighed, as he was getting tired.
"Come in," he said. The door opened to reveal a curly haired brunette woman, his secretary. "What is it?"
"Dr. Merrick, there is a man here to see you," she said.
"At this ungodly hour?"
"Yes, sir," she said. "He says it's important." Merrick adjusted his glasses.
"Well then, see him in," he said impatiently. What person in their right mind would come see him now? Surely not a client
His question was answered as a man in black: black shirt, black pants, black shoes. A silver watch with a black face was on his right wrist. He stared at Merrick with ice blue eyes. A scar ran down the right side of his face. Merrick shook his head, as if he could not believe what he was seeing.
"Alec?" he asked. The man nodded
. "So my esteemed brother has not forgotten about me," he said, approaching the desk and laying a hand on the glassy surface.
"Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be in Cuba?" he asked.
"Things went bad in Cuba," Alec said, suppressing a shudder. He did not offer any explanation other than that. He looked at Merrick.
"I need your help," he said after a moment. Merrick shook his head, getting up to leave the office.
"I can't Alec," he said, walking all the way to the window on the other side of his office before turning around and running a hand through his hair. Alec straightened and turned to watch him.
"Why not?" he asked.
"Alec, I'm risking my neck to run this corporation as it is," he growled, turning around to look at him. "And I know exactly what kind of business you are into." Alec stood up, a few inches taller than his twin.
"Merrick," he said, approaching him and laying a hand on his shoulder. Merrick's eyes darted to the hand and back to his twin's face nervously. He knew exactly what his brother was trained to do, having had him teach his private force for the facility. "I know just as much about this facility as you do." Merrick opened his mouth to object but found that he could not protest. He had given his twin a full tour of the facility when he had first gotten it up and running to his standards. This being the case, he closed his mouth and remained silent. Alec smiled wickedly. "I can easily locate this facility as well as bring along a few friends of mine. The government would love to know what's going on down here," he said.
"Damn you, Alec," Merrick said, shrugging off his hand and taking to walking the length of the room once more. "Do you realize how many problems your appearance would cause here? The appearance of a twin? They'd immediately be suspicious."
"Then let me be your clone," Alec said simply. Where was the harm in letting him live among them? The story would be easy to explain. Merrick flew into an outrage at this suggestion.
"My clone?! Great, tell them exactly what they are! There'd be a riot after you appeared in the colony," he said, motioning angrily to the window into the facility. Alec put his hands up pacifistically.
"Easy, Merrick," he said. "Just a suggestion." Merrick held a hand up for silence. Alec, being used to following orders from his superiors, stood silently.
"Let me think," he said. Alec stood at something akin to a relaxed attention. Merrick took to pacing his office. The minutes seemed to drag by like hours. Merrick pondered why his brother hadn't shot him on the spot when he had come in. What had Merrick to offer him? The clones were of no use to him. They knew nothing of real hand to hand combat. Perhaps his brother was in deeper trouble than he could handle.
He cast a sidelong glance at Alec, who seemed deep in thought as well. Perhaps he was wondering what he would do if he was refused his request. Come to think of it, Merrick was thinking the same thing. Though his refusal was not an option. He had an immense feeling of familial loyalty. He had taken over his father's work when he had died, he had kept his mother supported in a house by herself, he put his sister through college. He wasn't about to turn his back on his brother.
But what could he do? He couldn't introduce him into the clone population. It would raise too many questions. Perhaps he could put him to work keeping the security team in shape, but that seemed weird. He would have to explain his sudden appearance there as well. He sighed. There was only one option left that he could think of. He turned to Alec and adjusted his glasses.
"You could be me."