Doppelganger

  Exhausted, regaining consciousness from his chemically induced slumber, he's sunk into his mattress like a boot in mud. Emmy is draped over his chest, her warm body comforting. He doesn't want to disturb her, he hopes she wakes so he can pretend he hasn't woken yet. It's weird—but not. The similarities are too much, everything about here screams Angela.

  She stirs, sliding off him out from under the covers to her feet. He's never seen her not in the dress she always wears; her back a pale almost translucent cool ivory that reminds him of the marble statue of a woman in the Common Room of the Royal Palace, only with a cotton half slip hanging haphazardly low on her hips, her long golden hair flowing down her back instead of tied up in a bun. When she stretches it's as if she's striking a pose. It all reminds him of Angela in the pool.

  Holy shit, it's Angela. This time we can both...

  “Stop!” He says in a curt tone. She covers her chest with her arms and turns to him, startled by his harsh whispered tone.

  “You were shivering, I just wanted you to stay warm.” She says with her chin up she nods curtly, “You suffered enough last night, you didn't deserve that. You're a hero.” She says, looking down at him with a pensive look. He just looks up, unsure what to say, his head has a dull ache and he can't figure this all out. It doesn't feel like an awkward moment, he's just not sure how to respond.

  “You saved my life Emmy.” He says in a gravely voice, his throat raw from the meds. “Thank you.” Stating a truth seems like the best thing to say.

  “You saved us all.”

  She wants you, we can both have Angela this time.

  “Shut the... Emmy, I'm very hungry. Can you get some food please?” He says. The dull ache in his head is turning into the pounding of a drum in rhythm with his heart.

  “Of course, your usual?”

  “Yes please.”

  He attempts to roll over, giving her some privacy to get dressed, the pain causes him to settle on just closing his eye and turning his head.

  Who are you kidding? You had a good long look at her, we both want Angela like before. We could both be happy. Besides, look at your state, she wants you even though you're all fucked up, one hand and one eye. Are you so sure Jodi will accept you as you are now? She's a few years older than you, but a sharp, attractive woman. She could do better. You have someone that accepts you right here, there is no doubt.

  Bucket is biting his lip, unable to reply to Ryan's voice is tormenting him. The last thing he needs is for a shrink to be digging in his head because they tell one he's talking to himself again. They don't understand Ryan, no one does. He has him under control, Ryan helps him when needed, he's no one else's business.

  “Is there anything else you need?” She asks, her usual dress done up to just under her chin, her hair in a loose bun.

  “No thank you Emmy.” He breathes out a deep sigh of relief as she closes his front door behind her. “OK, listen the fuck up Ryan. I have Jodi, I'm not father, I'm not going to string along another woman. You need to keep that shit out of my head, neither of us knows what Jodi will think.”

  Are you denying we're attracted to her? That you don't see Angela in her?

  “Of course I'm not denying that, she's gorgeous. She's a dead ringer for Angela, they're probably cousins or something. But I have someone.”

  Pft, OK, we're both your head but make me the villain if that makes you feel better for thinking the thoughts I know you're thinking. But we could have someone. You act all righteous laying there naked... have you looked under the covers yet?

  “Wait, really? No, shit, we didn't...” He looks under the covers, he's wearing his boxers.

  Hahahaha

  “Asshole...”

  Oh come on, I made you look. She put you to bed then spent the night curled up with you half naked to 'keep you warm'. Yeah, OK buddy, it was just to 'keep you warm.' She wants you.

  “You need to stop. You're pushing your own feelings of things way too much. I am in control. I like you here, but things have to change. You need to learn to listen to me in my own head, I will not walk around speaking out loud having people think I'm crazy. I'm not crazy.”

  Buddy, you're speaking to yourself outloud. You're crazy. So, we can both have Angela again, not like before, right?

  Bucket lays back, staring at the nicotine stained ceiling that looks like an old farmer's liver marks. He thinks only one thing: no.

  This isn't the way we do this, you have to speak out loud to me.

  Bucket thinks the rules have to change or Ryan has to go away. He lays there in silence, his eyes drawn to the lock crack between the drywall seams over his bed, Ryan and him seeing who will break first.

  The cafeteria smells of the same perfume all the girls use and the same spray deodorant the boys all use, the two odours compete at any given time, both scents smell of nervousness. The walls and ceiling are painted an earthy orange, the grey/black checker tiles well worn from previous generations lay below.

  Bucket, Ryan and Angela are sitting at a table, Ryan smacking his lips on an apple, Bucket barely looking at his food, Angela poking through her powdered potatoes and pork. It's the first week for Ryan and Bucket going to the big school. Angela had just moved to the area, Ryan has been looking for excuses to spend time with her for over a month and she's been agreeable to spending time with the two boys.

  “Do you play rugby Blake?” Angela asks with a wide-eyed smile.

  “No, I don't really do team sports. Do you play any sports?”

  “I swam at the last school. They let me in a year early at the local High School because they were really short. Of course that was before we moved, again.” She says with a sigh, stabbing at a bit of pork on her plate.

  “Like a fish?” He says with a smile.

  She grins,”Yup, like a real fast one.”

  “Wow, yeah I swim too.” Ryan adds enthusiastically. Bucket rolls his eyes; in the two years he's known Ryan he's never seen him in water.

  “Oh? What distance do you swim? I swim 200 meters.” She says.

  “Um, yeah me too!” Bucket can't help but grin, but he's not going to leave his buddy hanging by calling him out in front of her. Even though he is keen on her himself.

  There are some rowdy older boys at the table beside them. A bread roll flies over and hits Bucket in the head before landing on the table. The boys laugh.

  “Hey kid, give me my roll back.” One of them calls. Bucket looks at Ryan and Angela, Ryan gently shakes his head; he knows his buddy too well. Bucket picks up the roll and walks over to the other table, placing it down on the table. “Hey, I know you. You're Alice's brother.”

  “Yes.”

  “Yeah, she's a real stuck-up bitch, she always avoids us. How about you send her by the locker room for us after practice?” They laugh again.

  “How about you shut the fuck up and don't talk about my sister like that?” He firmly states, glaring at the tallest boy. There is a momentary silence, the boys look at each other, shocked at the reply before all six jump to their feet and crowd around him.

  “What did you say?” The tallest boy says. The boys stare at him, he doesn't budge nor break eye contact. They nudge him around some but his gaze doesn’t break from the tallest boy. With a chuckle they sit. “Yeah, no wonder his dad beats the shit out of him.”

  Bucket turns back to his table, methodically removes his two plates and cup from his cafeteria tray, picks up the tray and slams it over the head on the first boy with a loud clang. He hits a second boy with the bent tray before the other four boys are even on their feet. The boys overwhelm him, wrestle him to the ground, punching and kicking him before the teachers can step in. He lays there with a grimace, with two black eyes and blood running down his nose. He's decided complacency is not how he'll deal with them.

  “Oh Blake, I didn't realize they beat you that bad.” Angela says with a sad look of concern on her face. It's been a week since the fight, since he was suspended. And they didn't beat them to his current state; father added to what was already there. Father didn't like the school contacting him about the fight he started. They're standing around the school swimming pool.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  He looks at her then shrugs, “It looks worse than it feels.”

  Ryan has been yammering nonstop about wanting to ask her out, Bucket is keeping his distance. He himself wants to ask her out though; but he can't do that to Ryan. None of the other girls go near Bucket. He's heard the whispers, their parents don't want the possibility their daughters may go near his father.

  “Hey. Blake, right?” The boy says. Bucket turns, it's the tall boy from last week. Bucket just looks at him, his fists balled up. “I'm Ty. Mind if we have a chat?” The boy says with a friendly smile. Bucket nods. The two boys walk off to the side. “Damn, we beat you that bad? You took it though. Anyways, I ah... well, we respect how you stood up for your sister. We ah, were kind of dicks.” He holds his hand out. Bucket holds out his and they shake. “We're short for the rugby team, the guys all want you to join. Are you interested?”

  “I'll think it over.” He says. Walking back to his friends Angela has her eyes on him as Ryan yammers away about his swimming accomplishments.

  “What was that all about?” She asks, interrupting Ryan mid sentence.

  “Oh, they want me on the rugby team.”

  “You should do it, all the cute boys are on the rugby team.” Her very light complexion instantly turns a bright shade of red on her face. But then she holds up her chin and nods to Bucket, “Anyway, I need to get my laps in.” She turns and dives in and she starts swimming laps.

  Ryan taps Bucket's arm with a backhand, “Did you hear that? She likes rugby players, looks like I'm trying out for rugby.” Ryan says.

  “I thought you were a swim star?”

  “Ha. Can I borrow your data pad? I need to look up swimming terminology.”

  He chuckles, “Sure,” Ryan digs the pad out from his friend's bag, “Well I'm not going to let you get the shit kicked out of you in rugby alone, I'm in as well.”

  Emmy is taking forever, he wonders if she was embarrassed about last night and isn't coming back. Nah, that doesn't seem like her. He goes to reach for the stims on the sidetable, he can barely move. He manages to drag himself out, reaching over the side table on his left arm he reaches with his right hand.

  His right hand...

  “Fucking hell!” He cries, stretched out trying to reach the stims with the arm with no hand.

  Shit buddy...

  Stretched out he can't move back on the bed. He's going to fall, he may as well try for the stims. His attempt to push out and hit the stim patch fails miserably, he hits his face on the sidetable as he falls.

  Still not talking to me.

  I am, in this way. He thinks.

  This isn't how we, wait, no, I mean I didn't hear that.

  Yes you did. New rules. Bucket thinks.

  You've been quiet, why aren't you talking to me?

  You're a child. You need to agree or I'll have to show you the file. Bucket thinks.

  No!

  Silence.

  Ryan?

  “Ryan? I'm sorry I didn't mean...” He says with regret.

  There is a knock at the door. “Come in.” He calls.

  Tales walks in carrying a box full of electronics, she pauses, looking down at him. He glances up at her, his vision messed up looking he can feel she looks at him with pity more then see her reaction. “Oh Bucket, frick you look sorry. Why are you on the ground?”

  “Stim over use, can barely move until another patch kicks in. I didn't want to piss on the bed. I gotta go bad.”

  She paces, muttering, “Frick, frick, frick. OK, well, let's get you up and into the bathroom, I would rather not deal with you pissing yourself. Where the frick is Emmy? I was told she was looking out for you.” She helps him up and moves him to the bathroom, “You know I saw your charts, you can't stim patch a fractured skull.” He gets settled in front of the toilet, the front door opens.

  “Bucket? I got food, I...” she walks into the bathroom, Tales holding him steady by the toilet.

  “Dammit, how about we get a third person to help me piss?” Bucket stands there facing the toilet, wobbling, he can't stand without leaning against the wall.

  “Ok, frick, turn around.” Tales says.

  “Are you sure?” Emmy says.

  “Turn. Around.” Bucket does as instructed. Tales yanks his boxers down then awkwardly shoves him on the toilet. “This is going to be one of those things we don't talk about.” Tales and Emmy stand there awkwardly looking at the wall.

  “Hello? Anyone here?” Glitch yells out from the front door.

  “We're here.” Tales calls, Glitch comes over.

  “What the fuck is going on in here?”

  “Can you all get out so I can piss?” The three of them leave the washroom. Buckets regretting not asking for a smoke before they left; but he's not calling them back. “How the hell did you two get back?”

  “Well I'm a Royal, I can kind of do as I please.”

  “Oh, and I officially took early retirement, Tales woke the Royal doctor and he signed off on saying I got PTSD from beating Wizbangs ass.” He says with a chuckle.

  “Hey, can someone pass me a stim patch. Oh and bring some of the food, I'm going to be sitting here a bit until the stimpatch kicks in and I can stand on my own, I'm starving.”

  “That's not very sanitary Bucket, why don't I feed you?” Emmy says.

  “What the frick Emmy, did you just offer to feed him sitting on the can?” Tales says.

  “What did I walk into again?” Glitch asks.

  “Fucking hell...” Bucket mumbles, “Actually I feel a bit nauseous, I need the stim patch, I want to at least stand on my own.”

  “Sure thing.” Emmy says, bringing in a stim patch, she tears the paper backing off and gently presses it on his arm. “I wonder what it would take to get a job at Medbay?”

  “I have no idea, say, can you give me a bit of privacy? I can hear you all speaking from the other room.”

  “Oh, right.” She turns and leaves. He can hear one or both of them moving stuff around, Bucket wonders what the hell are they doing to his room. They finally give him a moment's peace.

  “Way to kick ass guys!” Ryan yells, walking into the dressing room, his right arm in a cast.

  “Ryan!” The team yells out. Ryan had scored the deciding point in their previous weeks rugby match, one of their opponents hit him with a cheapshot and broke his arm. Bucket has a bandage and is trying to reach the middle of his back.

  “Buddy, you need stitches, can't just leave that cut.” Ryan says, inspecting his back he sees a two inch long cut in the middle of it. Ryan takes a first aid kit out of his bag, “I can't thread the needle with one hand, thread this and I'll stitch it.”

  “It's just a scratch, some guy must have had long nails.” Ryan taps Bucket on the shoulder.

  “Blake buddy, don't bullshit me. We've done this before, thread the needle.” Bucket threads the needle, they sit on the ancient wooden bench as Ryan disinfects the cut with a swab and starts to stitch it. “Today is the day. I'm nervous.”

  “Just ask her. It's been a couple of months, I saw you guys watching the game together. She likes you.”

  “Do you think so?”

  “Of course she does, we hang out all the time. Just ask her.”

  Ryan patches him up and he gets dressed.

  Heading into the hallway he immediately sees Angela. Her cheeks have more colour, around her eyes seem darker, her lips seem more red. She looks Bucket straight in the eye and marches over.

  “There is a new tea shop in town, we should go there.” She says, not taking her eyes off him, nervously she bites her lower lip.

  “Sounds great Angela, when we get a minute I wanted to ask you something...” Ryan says.

  “I mean, just Blake. And me.” She nervously stammers.

  Blake looks at Ryan, he can see the pain in his eyes. There is no way he'll do this to him with all he's done for him over the years. He turns back to Angela wondering how he'll decline her request when he doesn't want to say no.

  “I've been after him for weeks to ask you out,” Ryan says with a huge grin, “I swear he's been talking nonstop about you. You guys will have fun.”

  OK Ryan, have you settled down? Are we past this whole thing where I have to talk out loud?

  Fine. I don't like it though.

  Bucket moves his knees around some and stands. Emmy pokes her head in as he's trying to get dressed, he looks at her and shrugs as she helps him get dressed and gets them both a smoke. They head into the main room; there are a half dozen monitors and what looks like a small server setup. Tales and Glitch both stop what they're doing.

  “Ok Bucket, first off, Emmy, you need to step out a minute.” Tales says.

  “No, Bucket might need a hand.” She firmly states.

  “I would have died last night if she didn't find me. If she wanted to work against us she would have done it then.”

  “Ok, fine.” She looks at Glitch nervously, “I want you to help me kill the three Net Lords that killed my parents, for good, in the Hive.”

  Bucket takes a long drag of his cigarette. “Look, I get it Tales. But are you sure?”

  “I've known for a couple of years who they are. We have a small window of maybe two weeks before the Royals send troops back, before the law is back.”

  Bucket scoffs, “Ah, so you want to keep this from Jodi as well. You expect me to lie about it to her?” His head is still fuzzy, he doesn't like this. He already has a building feeling he may be lying to Jodi. He glances at Emmy, she's already looking at him. He needs to put an end to whatever it is she's thinking.

  Ok Buddy, you aren't thinking of things either.

  Can you just let me think Ryan? Bucket thinks.

  “Yes. Bucket, we talked about this. They need to be brought to justice. The clock is ticking.”

  He thinks back on what the Colonel told him of her parent's, how it was a memory implant. Will this give her peace? How did she figure out who the imaginary Net Lords were that were implanted in her mind. Whatever the case she believes it to be so. Worst case three scumbag Net Lords get taken out. Dammit, this leads back to all the other crap Jodi told him as well. Will it affect the balance?

  “What would my part in this be?”

  “I need you in the field.”

  “I'm kind of pretty fucked up, Tales.”

  “I know it's asking a lot. There should be no combat, it's infiltrate and sabotage. And we have to do it right now, before more police get hired, before we have eyes on us. Glitch is freelance now, using his own gear so it'll be a private OP.”

  He can see she's been waiting a long time for this. She'll do it with or without him, she's got Glitch roped in. His room is noticeably warmer, there is ticking of machines, some beeps. But it's no longer his room; it's a command center. “Jodi will want to speak to me soon.”

  “Not for another 11 hours. When I got here she was adamant about only speaking to you on a secure radio. She doesn't know we're here, we were supposed to catch the next boat.”

  “I really don't like this. Dammit Tales, I...” His head is killing him, “Ok, I can't do prep for this, I need to lay down and rest until it's time. What's the plan?”

  “Sneak in undetected, plant charges on the Net Lords chambers and scram. Glitch walks the unconscious wetware-hosts out in their echo-suits. The goal is no combat, we'll be screwed if we engage in the Hive anyways.”

  “Don't forget the fourth target.” Glitch says.

  The throbbing pain in his head gets worse, it smells like more bull shit, “Who?”

  “A Net Lord that has a synth clone in the Cavern.”

  “Wait what? Who?” He already knows though.

  “Nadine.”