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"Doppelgänger" by A. Rhea King
Rating: PG CHAPTER 3 Hoshi and Elizabeth followed Orela through the back door of a house into a cozy kitchen. “Orela? Is that you?” a voice asked. “My roommate,” Orela explained to the two. A blonde woman whisked into the kitchen in a pink robe with purple flowers. She stopped at the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of milk. She retrieved a glass, poured herself a glass and turned. Hoshi and Elizabeth stared at her. “She’s..” Elizabeth stared at the woman. “What?” Orela asked the two. “Hey, she looks like you Orela!” the woman walked up to Hoshi and with a smile peered into Hoshi’s face. “I know. I found them at the parade today.” “You look like T’Pol,” Elizabeth said, “If she were hu--” “Elizabeth!” Hoshi jabbed Elizabeth in the side with her elbow to shut Elizabeth up. The woman laughed. “Jacque.” She held out a hand to Hoshi. “Jacque Grace.” Hoshi shook her hand. Elizabeth shook the hand when it was offered to her. “Who’s T’Pol?” “A friend,” Hoshi said. Jacque fluffed her hair with her hand. “She as gorgeous as me?” She batted her eyelashes. “Commander Grace, I’m sure she’s as gorgeous as you if she looks like you,” Orela chided as she walked to the refrigerator and started pulling things out to make supper. “This is insane,” Hoshi said. “Are you alright, dear?” Jacque asked Hoshi. Hoshi nodded. “No.” Jacque sat her glass down on the counter, taking Hoshi’s arm. “Here. Sit down. You look about ready to pass out.” “It’s been a really, really..long day.” “So, your boss’s name is Jonathan Archer,” Orela said. She looked over her shoulder at Jacque when Jacque turned to pick up her glass. “This boss of theirs looks just like Haeri Two Scars, Jack.” Jacque hopped up on the counter and sat down with her legs dangling over the edge. She crossed one leg over the others and wrapped her finger around the edge of the counter. She tilted her head to the side a little before asking, “You two petite things were hanging with Two Scars? What he have on you two little bunnies?” “His name is Jonathan Archer. He’s our Ca..boss,” Hoshi said more forcefully. Jacque crossed her legs, leaning back on one arm. “Sure. Okay. He’s not your boss but he is your boss. Why are you two messed up with the mafia? You two look smarter than that.” “We aren’t in the mafia,” Elizabeth let out a long sigh, falling into a chair beside Hoshi. “We aren’t in the mafia. The guy Orela saw is not this Haeri Two Scars. Orela looks like Hoshi’s twin and you look like a friend of ours. Okay. There. That’s it.” “You’re hiding something.” Jacque sat up and hopped off the counter. “Call me when supper’s ready, Orela.” “Yeah, okay,” Orela answered. Hoshi had her eyes closed when Elizabeth looked at her. Elizabeth put her face in her hands, closing her eyes. This fun trip had turned into a horrible nightmare fast. # “I’m..he’s..an Admiral?” Malcolm stared at his twin’s face on the view screen. The man on the screen delivering a speech, telling his people that they would crush the Tribunal enemy and that his government was the most powerful on Xaritex. It was very reminiscent of Adolf Hitler speeches during Earth’s World War II. “He doesn’t sound British,” Travis said. “They don’t have British here,” Malcolm shot. Trip glanced at Malcolm without comment. “There has to be a way to find them,” Malcolm said, turning to the situation room console. Trip looked at Malcolm. “How?” Malcolm frowned. “I wish I knew.” Trip looked at T’Pol. “Please, please tell me you have an idea, T’Pol.” “I have not devised a plan yet on how to locate our captain and missing crewmen.” Trip let out a long sigh. He put his face in his hands, feeling tired. He wanted something to go right. “I’m picking up a transmission,” the ensign at Hoshi’s station said, “It’s audio only.” “Put it through,” Trip sat up. “This is Trip.” “TRIP!” Hoshi cried out. Trip smiled. “Hey. Where are you?” “I have no idea.” “Is anyone else with you?” “Ensign Cutler, sir,” Elizabeth said over the communicator. “We don’t know where we’re at,” Hoshi said, “But we ran into a couple twins down here.” “Seems to be an epidemic, Ensign. Malcolm and the Cap’n have twins down there too,” Trip glanced at the view monitor. “What’s your situation?” “Did you know that the captain’s twin is a mob boss?” “Yeah. We found that out from a couple television broadcasts. And Malcolm’s is a Hitler type General.” “Oh God. Sir, get us out of here. Please! Hurry!” Hoshi begged. “T’Pol’s trying to lock onto your signal as we speak, ladies. Sit tight.” “And there’s more,” Elizabeth said. “What?” Trip asked. “It’s not important,” Hoshi said. “Yes it is!” Elizabeth argued, “T’Pol has a human twin down here.” Everyone looked at T’Pol. “Interesting,” T’Pol commented without stopping her work. “Look, I--” Hoshi’s sentence cut off. “Hoshi?” Trip said. “We’ve lost the signal,” T’Pol told Trip, “I was only able to narrow the triangulation down to twenty-two kilometers.” “Hail them,” Trip ordered the ensign at the communications console. “Commander, that would be ill advised,” T’Pol said. Trip looked at her. “Why? We need to get them back.” “There may be a reason they were cut off. Hailing them may give their position away if they are hiding.” “Belay that, Ensign,” Trip said. Trip sank back into a chair to wait. # Hoshi and Elizabeth stared at Orela and Jacque. Jacque held the communicator closed in one hand and a handgun in her other hand aimed at Elizabeth. Orela’s handgun was aimed at Hoshi. “Everyone has secrets,” Jacque stated with a cold smile, “And yours may just have cost you to ladies your lives.” Hoshi and Elizabeth said nothing. “Inside,” Jacque motioned toward the house. Hoshi and Elizabeth walked back toward the house, both women pressing down their fear. # Archer watched the door open in the mirror’s reflection and Jisyca swish into the room. She had her hands held behind her back and was watching him watch her in the mirror. Archer reached for the tie hanging on the side of the floor mirror, slowly pulled it around his neck and trying to tie it. “You didn’t come to bed last night,” Jisyca said. She looked back at the unmade bed behind her and then back at Archer. Archer didn’t reply, but he didn’t take his eyes off of her. All his instincts were screaming at him to get as far from her as fast as he could, but his logic kept him from acting on instinct. “The boys are waiting downstairs. So obedient those boys of yours.” “They’re good kids,” Archer said, hoping it sounded like a good lie. “I meant the boys of Haeri Two Scars, honey. Not my sons.” Archer tensed when he saw her bringing her hands around in front of her and relaxed a little when he saw they were empty. He watched her move around in front of him. “You never could tie a tie correctly.” Jisyca smiled, but it was cold and fake. Archer watched her face and eyes. “Maybe I should learn,” Archer commented. It felt stupid to make that comment, but Archer was tired, nervous and anxious and right now the comment appeared true because he couldn’t get the length of fabric to cooperate. Jisyca looked up into his eyes. “You need me, you know that, honey? To fix your ties, fix your books, make sure your hits go through..you need me.” Jisyca reached up and her fingers skillfully made the loop and neat knot of the tie. “Maybe so.” Jisyca tightened the tie a bit too tight around Archer’s throat and gripped the knot just under his Adam’s apple. “That arms shipment coming in is a big deal, Haeri. Lots of scratch is riding on it. Let me handle it. The seller and buyer may not be comfortable with how you’re behaving right now.” Archer grabbed her hand, prying it off the tie but keeping a hold of her wrist so she couldn’t slip away. “You just don’t strike me as the kind of person Har..I..want to let handle a deal so big. Is there something you’re not telling me, Jisyca?” “Jisyca is it?” she asked, bowing her head so she was looking up at him through her bangs. “Is there?” Archer asked. “I don’t know. Is there?” “Did you order Har--me dead, Jisyca?” “Why would I do that, baby? I love you.” Archer resisted raising his voice and demanding the truth. He didn’t feel safe in this house as it was and the last thing he wanted was to attract the attention of the gun-toting gangsters downstairs. “I have to go have breakfast and get to work,” Archer lied. He had no idea where the dining room was or even if he had work he was expected to get to. “Go. Have breakfast. Talk shop with the boys and get business taken care of. This afternoon maybe we could go to a picture show, huh? Just you and me. Like in the old days, ya know?” Archer stepped back from Jisyca, letting her wrist go. Someone knocked on the bedroom door and both looked at it. Nathan timidly stepped into the room. “Ca..sir..uhm..the..uh..boys are waiting downstairs. They say they’ll have to kill another pig if we don’t come down now because Cevin’s eating all the bacon.” Archer looked at Jisyca as he turned away from her to follow Nathan. Archer waited until they were away from the door to speak to Nathan. “Please tell me you have that communicator working,” Archer whispered. “No. I’m still working on it, Captain. I only have outdated tools to work with, sir. I’m doing the best I can as fast as I can. Maybe you can get away today and get back to the landing location.” Archer looked at Nathan. “I don’t even know where the landing location is, Nathan.” “I’ll keep working on it. What was going on in there?” “I think I was being threatened. Or rather, Haeri was. You have got to fix that communicator, Nathan. I want out of this house and to put a solar system between that woman and me. I have never in my life met a woman so cold and detached and ruthless as that thing is.” “Thing, sir?” Nathan smiled. “You must really hate her to call her a thing.” Archer smiled. “She doesn’t have a heart or a soul, Nathan. She’s a thing.” Nathan smiled. “Glad to see you haven’t lost that keen sense of humor, sir.” “Makes two of us.” Archer stopped in the hall, looking both directions. “Where is the dining room anyway?” “This way.” Nathan motioned down the hall to the stairs. “Follow me, sir.” Archer fell in behind him, glancing back down the hall. Jisyca was leaning on the doorframe of the bedroom, watching him and smoking a cigarette. The very sight of her made his anger twinge, so he was glad that the turn onto the stairs blocked her from sight. # Trip pulled a picture out of his pocket and started stopping people to ask them if they had seen the people circled in it. Across the street two policemen watched him, casually finishing their lunch. “What ya think he’s doin’?” “Dunno,” the other answered. Malcolm came running around the block corner and up to Trip. He stopped by Trip, pointing as he spoke. Trip turned and the two ran back around the corner. “Guess we’d better check it out.” The two policemen threw their sandwich wrappers in a trashcan and followed the two. The policemen walked around the corner, seeing Trip and Malcolm talking with a person. Malcolm glanced up, seeing them coming. He forced a smile, nudging Trip in the side with his elbow. Trip turned, watching the policemen approach. “Gentlemen,” one said. “Officers,” Trip replied. “Looking for someone?” Trip smiled. “My brother. He ditched me for some broad, can you believe that? I’m looking for him so we can leave for home.” “You don’t live in New Delta?” “No.” “Where do you live?” Trip swallowed. “Outside of the city. In the country. East.” “You live east of the city?” “Yeah.” “In the ocean?” “Yeah. No. I mean..I get all mixed up when I’m in the city.” “Your brother have a name?” “I don’t know.” “You don’t know if your brother has a name?” “Yeah. Of course he has a name. I don’t know if he’s using it.” “Why wouldn’t he be using it? Unless she’s a prostitute, there’s no reason for him to not be using it. And if he’s with a prostitute, all three of you are going to jail.” Trip and Malcolm looked at each other. “Like a rabbit, Trip?” Malcolm asked. “More like a cheetah. NOW!” Trip and Malcolm took off running. They heard the policemen yell ‘stop’ but disobeyed the command. “Something tells me laws here are a bit strict,” Malcolm yelled. “What gave you that idea?” “All three of us in trouble for your brother buying a prostitute?” Trip ran into an alley and slipped through a hole in the fence that divided it. Malcolm slipped through after him, catching his shirt on the fence. He yanked his shirt free, tearing off a piece, and kept running The two policemen stopped at the fence. One pulled out a clear tube with metal ends. He unstopped one end and pointed it at the material. It was sucked in the tube and he capped it. He pulled out his video pad and slid it into the space on the side of the video pad. The screen momentarily changed to bits and bytes before an image of Malcolm came up. “Holy Saint Tarlik!” The other policeman moved around to look at the screen. He stared at the face on the screen and the information on the person slowly began scrolling through a box to the left of it. “Admiral Vignand,” he whispered. “Shoulda just shot the son of a bitch! Solve a lot of problems right there.” “Send it back to HQ. Get an APB put out on him.” # Trip and Malcolm slipped behind a stack of wooden pallets just as two police cars zoomed past. Malcolm laid his head back against the wall. “Maybe we should try another course of action, Trip?” “Such as?” “Anything. This isn’t working. There are constables all over the city and you saw the television back there. After watching all those Hitler type speeches my double has been making, I have a feeling the next order of police business will be shoot on sight.” Trip looked down the alley. The sun was sinking low on the horizon, lighting the ocean beyond the alley. Trip turned and walked toward the end of the alley. Malcolm followed him, keeping an eye behind them as they walked. Trip came out on a sidewalk across from a marina and for a moment he was caught up in memories of time he spent deep sea diving in the Florida Keys on an ocean reclamation project when he was younger. Boats of all types bobbed on the sunset colored water, but his attention was drawn to the long sail boats fitted with outboard motors used for fishing or exploration. “Damn if this place doesn’t have a weird mix of technology,” Trip commented out loud. “I wouldn’t mind putting this planet and all it’s weirdness behind us quickly,” Malcolm said. Trip smiled at him. “Ah come on, Malcolm. You’re not a little surprised?” “KOLIN!” Trip looked around as two arms enveloped him and drew him into a passionate kiss. Trip tried to pull away but the woman holding him had a death grip on him. She pulled her head back, smiling at him. “Kolin,” she said with a softer smile. “I’m not Kolin,” Trip protested. She laughed, letting him go. “Of course you are! I think I would know my own husband. Why’d you shave your beard and change your clothes, Kolin?” “I didn’t. I’m not Kolin, lady,” Trip repeated with more insistence. “He’s probably your evil twin, Trip,” Malcolm muttered, “everyone else here seems to be.” The woman looked at Malcolm and her eyes grew large. She looked at Trip. “What are you doing with him? Are you crazy!?” she cried. Trip looked at Malcolm and then the woman. “What about me?” Malcolm asked. “This bastard!” she hit Malcolm with her hat a couple times to emphasize her dislike of him. Malcolm fended off the hat beating, trying to grab the woman’s hat away from her to make her stop. “This bohunk started this whole war!” she cried, “Kolin, what did you do? What did you do!?” She looked back at Trip. “What on Xaritex have you done? You promised me you wouldn’t pull any more government jobs after the last one! You promised me.” The woman started crying with a genuine hurt look that made the tears even more heart wrenching. “Listen, lady, I’m sorry you don’t like my friend here, but I am not Kolin! I’m not your husband. Hell! I’m no one’s husband, lady!” Trip told her. “But I am.” Trip spun around and froze, staring at his mirror image. The man looked Trip up and down, but said nothing. “K-Kolin?” the woman asked them both. “Amaly, I haven’t taken any other government jobs. That was my last run. Just like I promised,” the man, Kolin, told the woman. He reached out and affectionately rubbed her cheek. She threw her arms around him, hugging him viciously. He smiled, hugging her back. She let go suddenly. “Admiral Vignand is--” “Shhh, Amaly.” Kolin looked at Malcolm. “Tell me, Admiral, what’s the low down on the Vargtique province?” Malcolm looked at Trip and then Kolin. “The what?” “The Vargtique province.” “I’ve not a clue,” Malcolm said. “What’s today?” “Here or--” “Malcolm,” Trip cut Malcolm off. “Or?” Kolin asked. Malcolm looked away. “Never mind. I know nothing about this place.” “This planet, you mean. Neither you fellas know nothing about this planet because you ain’t from it.” Malcolm and Trip exchanged concerned looks. Kolin reached up and smoothed Amaly’s hair back. He placed a tender kiss her forehead, telling her, “Get supper started, angel. I’ll be right there. Make enough for two more.” “Kolin, they--” “Shhh.” Kolin put his finger on her lips. He kissed her lips and then smiled. “Go, Amaly. We’ll be in shortly, angel.” She hugged him one last time, shot a hateful glare at Malcolm and walked across the street toward the marina. Kolin watched her until she disappeared. He looked at Trip. “Dames! They can make a man crazy, can’t they?” Kolin joked,” But life wouldn’t be much fun without them, ya know?” Trip smiled, nodding. “You two don’t look like aliens. You look like Parishal.” “What are Parishal?” “Like me.” “We are like you.” “Yet you’re alien cuz you’re not from Xaritex.” Neither man replied. “See,” Kolin slid his hands into his pants pockets, “I have this device I traded with some aliens about a year ago. It can scan past the last planet in our system.” Kolin looked up at the sky. “Certainly kept me out of some rough waters, what with being able to see ships and storms coming. Made me a nice little profit. A couple days ago it detected something big up there and started giving me readings. Once I figured out what they were, I was able to locate you two appearing out of the air. Watched you fellas go on the lam and end up here.” Kolin looked at Trip. “Never saw your face though. Have to say that this is different.” “Very,” Trip agreed. “Other aliens have visited this planet? Xaritex you called it?” “Yeah. We call it Xaritex. And yeah, other’s have. Didn’t exactly run around telling people I’ve met aliens--not even Amaly knows I have--but I’ve met several. Right place, right time sort of thing.” “Does your government know about them?” Kolin laughed. “If they did, us lowly workers would be the last to know. Our governments don’t care about the people. They only care about themselves. A bunch of monarchs and nobles running the countries and they’re only interested in scratch, more scratch, and the occasional whore.” Kolin looked around. “Come on. Better get out of the street before the fuzz comes back around or someone spots you two and calls the fuzz.” “Fuzz?” “Police.” Kolin turned and crossed the street. “This could be bad. You don’t know if you can trust him, Trip,” Malcolm said. “You’re right. I don’t. But while your standing out here waiting for the police to come pick you up, I’m going to be hiding on a boat until I can come up with a better plan, Malcolm.” Trip trotted across the street. “Oh bugger!” Malcolm growled, following. |
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