Nebula Nights: Love Among The Stars

by Melisse Aires

  Maddie swallowed hard and nodded. She remembered what Jackson had said earlier, about her life changing. The moment this woman walked into the room, it did. She was afraid of what this woman had to tell her but knew there was no stopping it.

  "My name is Madison Mackenzie Rhodes. People around here call me Mack, though," she began.

  "That's impossible. I'm Madison." Maddie stood up, pressing her hand into her chest.

  "Please, sit," Jackson encouraged gently.

  Slowly, Maddie did as she was told.

  "One thing I have learned in the last five years is that nothing is impossible," the woman stated.

  "Good for you," Maddie grumpily said.

  "Wow, this is more difficult than I thought. I had practiced this in the mirror many times but..." The woman ran her fingers through her short hair, her words trailing off.

  "How about you start with how you look like me," Maddie instructed.

  "It's because I am you. Or rather, you are me," she said.

  "You aren't making sense," Maddie told her.

  "I know," she sighed.

  The woman looked over at Jackson for assistance and elbowed him.

  "Oh, right. Yeah. Uh..." he stammered.

  Maddie frowned at both of them.

  "I'm sorry. It's just coming face-to-face with yourself is unnerving," the woman said.

  "Tell me about it." Maddie's tone was flat.

  "Okay, here goes nothing." The woman leaned forward in her chair, her eyes suddenly intense. "You are a clone, Maddie. Created from me five years ago."

  "You're fucking lying," Maddie blurted out.

  Jackson and the other woman started chuckling, which only infuriated Maddie. She jumped up from the table, backing away from the two of them.

  "I told you before that your life would be turned upside down," Jackson apologetically said.

  "You weren't kidding," Maddie dryly said.

  "I'm sorry." Jackson shook his head.

  "Can you stop apologizing and start explaining?" Maddie asked.

  "Mack is a government agent. She's part of a team that defends the Earth from other worlds," Jackson explained.

  "Government agent? Other worlds? I think you are crazy if you think I'm going to believe this for one minute. This is a prank. Did Noah put you up to this?" Maddie challenged.

  "Noah didn't have anything to do with this," Mack said.

  "Oh I get it. Mallory set this up. The game is over. I'm not amused." Maddie started tapping her foot.

  "I told you we should have handled this my way," Jackson told Mack.

  "Quiet." Mack commanded before turning her attention back to Maddie. "I know this is hard for you to understand. Your memories of going to hockey games with Dad and Noah, family vacations at Disney World, baking with Mom, are not your memories. They are mine."

  Maddie looked over at Mack with contempt.

  "Oh yeah. Sure. I believe you." Maddie rolled her eyes.

  "Look, I know this is hard to take in-" Jackson began.

  "No, actually, it's not. This is ridiculous. Mallory, come on out of your hiding place, and let's go home. You are making me late for my date," Maddie called out.

  "Mallory isn't here. I'm telling you the truth," Mack said sharply, becoming increasingly irritated.

  Mack walked over to Maddie, but stayed out of arm's reach.

  "I can tell you everything about you. I can tell you how you got the scar on your right heel. I can tell you about the summer you and Mom went to Minnesota on a Greyhound bus. You can't watch zombie movies without having nightmares. You still have the purple blanket Mom knitted for you on your bed. When you were nine, a firecracker went off in your hand. You love cherries," Mack said.

  "Fine. Want me to believe this craziness? Tell me something no one else would know about me," Maddie challenged.

  Mack thought about it for a few moments before she responded.

  "At midnight on your twenty-first birthday, you went skinny dipping by yourself at the hotel pool at Myrtle Beach."

  Maddie had to lean against the wall for support from the shock.

  "Wow, are you serious? I never knew that," Jackson sounded slightly amused.

  "I have never told anyone that," both women said in unison.

  Maddie's heart was pounding into her chest as the news started to sink in.

  "What you are telling me is I'm not real," Maddie slowly said.

  "No, you're one hundred percent real. You are flesh and blood. You are just made from me, created in a lab," Mack told her.

  "Created in a lab," Maddie repeated.

  The three of them fell silent as Maddie tried to make sense of it in her head.

  "Say this is true," Maddie began. "What is my purpose?"

  "This is a government agency, known as the Intergalactic Security Commission. Created in 1965, we are part of a coalition of worlds from other galaxies and systems, designed to share information, technology and overall look out for each other. There are other races, however, we are battling. Some would use this planet for its resources, enslave us, or just plain destroy us. I am one of many team leaders that protect our planet. I'm a specialty defense agent. Our world would not be able to handle the news that not only are we not alone in this galaxy, but we are often in danger as well. So, naturally, everything we do is secret. Clones are created for each agent who joins in the fight to help protect the secret," Mack explained.

  "With you having taken Mack's place, her family would never need to know about this or her involvement. Life could go on seamlessly uninterrupted," Jackson said.

  "Why tell me this then?" Maddie asked.

  "We have received intelligence that a race known as the Gorium found out about you and, well, you would be much easier to kill than Mack. That's why I've been watching you. The shooting outside of the call center was aimed at you," Jackson continued.

  "Me? What do I have to do with any of this?"

  "Maddie, you were created from me. You were created from my blood, my cells, even a little of my bone marrow. We are the same, biologically. Because of that, our lives are linked. If one of us were to die, so would the other." Mack told her.

  "You are here to be protected from the Gorium," Jackson said.

  Maddie didn't know anything about biology but that seemed to make sense.

  "I'm never going to see home again, am I?" Maddie solemnly asked.

  Mack and Jackson exchanged a glance. Jackson looked like he was getting ready to apologize again.

  "I hope so. I can't say for sure though," Mack replied, her voice soft.

  Maddie could no longer contain herself. She hung her head and began to cry. Mack kept her distance while Jackson went to the crying woman's side. Reflexively, Maddie pulled away from him, but Jackson pulled her to his chest.

  Admittedly, the discussion had gone better than Mack had anticipated. She thought they would have to sedate her clone by now. Still, watching the other woman cry was more than Mack could take.

  "We're done for the day," Jackson told Mack as Maddie buried her face in his chest.

  Mack nodded in agreement.

  #

  Maddie woke up the next morning in a strange room, not immediately remembering how she got there. She sat up from the queen-sized bed and pushed back the cream colored sheets and looked around.

  The room looked very nondescript, almost like a hotel room. There was a long, brown dresser against one wall. On the dresser sat a cream colored lamp and an old TV. A large mirror hung on the wall.

  She walked over to the brown curtains, surprised to see a large computer monitor instead of a window when she pulled it back. Maddie looked around but didn't see a keyboard or anything with it. She walked into the bathroom and washed her face.

  What the hell happened last night? Images slowly started to come to mind. Jackson in the break room. Finally getting a date with John. The gunfire outside of work. Getting pulled into the black car. Being ushered in that room...

  Her whole life wasn't e
ven hers. Something twisted in her gut. She was created as a diversion so no one would ask questions. Were these thoughts and feelings actually hers or had she been somehow programmed? A part of her wanted to stay and get answers but the bigger part of her desperately wanted to flee. Maddie tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge. She started to slam her fits into the door, screaming to let her out when she heard a voice from behind her.

  "Maddie! Hey! Maddie, calm down."

  Maddie turned around to see Mack looking at her from the computer monitor in the wall. Cautiously, she walked over to the monitor.

  "It's okay. I told you that your life is tied to mine. I'm not going to let anything happen to you," Mack said.

  "You locked me in here!" Maddie exclaimed.

  "I'm sorry about that, but I couldn't have you walking around here on your own or attempt to leave. Hungry?"

  "No." Maddie felt like pouting like a child.

  "Come on, yes, you are. We're having chocolate chip pancakes," Mack's voice was encouraging.

  Maddie didn't say anything but continued to glare at Mack.

  "I know it's your favorite. And we have bacon and grapefruit juice," Mack enticed.

  Maddie couldn't help but grin a little. That was her favorite breakfast.

  "Great! Now run a comb through your hair, and I'll be at your door in a few minutes." And with that, the monitor shut off.

  Maddie decided Mack was likable, but she was still pretty angry with the entire situation. She brushed her hair quickly, then unplugged the lamp from the wall. It didn't make a lot of sense to her, but the only thing she could think about in that moment was bashing Mack in the head with the lamp and getting the hell out of there.

  She waited behind the door with the lamp in hand for what felt like hours. Slowly, the doorknob turned and Mack entered the room. Maddie swung the lamp at Mack's head only for the agent to catch the lamp and shove against it, sending Maddie flying back on the bed.

  "Are you nuts? What were you planning to do if you knocked me out? How were you planning to get out of here?" Mack demanded to know.

  Maddie was stunned and could only shake her head.

  “You're lucky you didn't touch me," Mack said, not getting near her.

  "Why is that?" Maddie asked.

  "Simple matter of physics. The same matter can't occupy the same space. I told you, you are me. Don't make this more difficult than it has to be."

  That seemed to take the anger out of Maddie. It hadn't occurred to her that Mack may have been affected by this situation as well. Maddie gave her a quick apology and got up from the bed.

  Both women walked in silence to the mess hall. Maddie began to wonder why, while she was filled with questions, Mack didn't seem to have any. Before she could bring it up, Mack turned and walked into a huge, brightly lit room.

  The mess hall was one huge cafeteria that reminded Maddie of high school. There were food islands that lined up the walls and a drink fountain in the center of the room. Rows and rows of long, wooden tables filled the spaces. Mack handed Maddie a plate and nodded to one station as she got her breakfast. The agent had gotten her food first and had already gotten a table when Maddie finished down the line.

  "Why do you not have any questions for me?" Maddie asked as soon as she set her tray down, sitting across from Mack.

  "What?" Mack's head snapped up from eating.

  "I have all these questions for you, yet you don't seem like you have any for me," Maddie pointed out.

  "You mean from your life?" Mack looked slightly cross.

  "Yes, from my life. Since I was created."

  "Ah. You mean about Mom, Dad, and Noah."

  Maddie nodded as she began eating her breakfast.

  "I'll show you why in a little bit."

  Before Maddie could ask more questions, Jackson sat down beside her.

  "Morning, ladies," Jackson cheerfully greeted.

  Maddie smiled over at Jackson. Mack rolled her eyes.

  "Are you feeling okay?" Jackson asked Maddie.

  "I guess so?"

  "She tried to hit me with a lamp." Mack rolled her eyes again.

  "A lamp?" Jackson asked.

  "I'm sorry, but it's a lot to take in. But I can't exactly say it isn't true anymore," Maddie told him.

  "That's the spirit!" Jackson playfully slapped Maddie on her left shoulder.

  Maddie winced from the contact which made Mack chuckle. Mack watched Maddie with great curiosity. She was beginning to see what Commander Westlake meant when he said the clone was special. She has certainly behaved differently than Mack had expected. The clone had a date lined up, and she seemed to be adapting to the news of her origin well. Plus, she acted offensively. All these things were highly unusual of a clone.

  "What?" Maddie asked, looking at Mack.

  Mack blinked at her.

  "Why are you staring at me?" Maddie asked, rubbing her shoulder.

  "Just thinking about some things. Nothing to worry about." Mack brushed her off. "I do have a question, though.”

  "Go ahead." Maddie leaned in eagerly.

  "You said you had a date yesterday. Can I ask with whom?" Mack asked.

  "Oh." Maddie blushed. "Um, with one of my co-workers I've been crushing on for a while. His name is John."

  Mack raised an eyebrow at the news. "John...Brooks?"

  "Yes." Maddie looked at her in surprise.

  "Interesting," Mack grinned.

  "Why is that interesting?" Maddie inquired.

  "You'll see," Mack said.

  "Okay then, what is the plan?" Maddie asked, dismissing Mack's smirk.

  "Plan?" Jackson asked.

  "Yes. You brought me here. Now what?" Maddie asked.

  "The plan is to keep you here and safe until this blows over," Mack said.

  "And then what? I just go home?"

  "I hope so," Mack said, frowning.

  Maddie didn't have time to contemplate Mack's frown. To Maddie's surprise, Seth and John Brooks joined them at their breakfast table. Maddie stared down at her breakfast plate, knowing her face would turn red if she looked up. How were Seth and John here? Does that mean that Logan is here, too? Were they a part of this organization?

  This must’ve been what Mack meant by the news of her date being interesting, Maddie thought.

  "Wow, this is surreal! No offense, Mack," Maddie heard Seth say.

  "Trust me, I know what you mean," Mack said.

  "Hi," Maddie heard John's rough, yet gentle voice say.

  "Hi," she responded, still not looking up.

  "I'm John. This is my brother, Seth," he introduced.

  "I know."

  "You do?" Seth asked.

  "How?" John asked.

  "Um, from work?" Maddie's voice shook as she looked up, meeting Seth's gaze.

  "Oh! That's right. For a moment there, I forgot you work with our clones," Seth warmly said.

  Maddie chewed on her bottom lip then looked back down at her plate. Somehow this did not seem the time to admit she was close to dating one of them.

  "Seth, John, and their brother Logan, are on my team. Seth here is one of the best pilots we have," Mack informed her.

  "It's a pleasure to meet you, Madison," John said.

  "Maddie,” she corrected, finally looking up at him.

  She had not anticipated how she would feel once she actually met his blue eyes. Maddie froze for a moment, her heart skipping a beat. It felt like she was seeing him for the first time. The hair on her arms stood on end as she felt like she had been struck by lightning. A brief moment of surprise reflected in both of their eyes before they recovered.

  John flashed her a crooked smile, showing a little teeth. "Maddie."

  Maddie couldn't help but smile back.

  Mack looked over at Maddie, then at John. She raised her eyebrow then nudged Jackson.

  Jackson nodded, seemingly in agreement.

  Maddie shrugged, not sure what their silent communication seemed to be about. She looke
d around the cafeteria, noticing many people greet Mack warmly as they passed by the table. Then she noticed that those who greeted Mack looked at her warily.

  "You are the first clone to be here. It's not you. It's the prospect of coming face-to-face with yourself that's a little daunting," Mack explained, noticing the look on Maddie's face.

  Maddie looked around the cafeteria with renewed interest and realized there must have been a clone for every worker in the room. She shuddered at the thought.

  "Exactly," Jackson said at her reaction.

  "So you've never met your clone?" Maddie asked.

  "Of course not. The clones are created so our lives, or some resemblance of our lives, could continue. We're not supposed to interact."

  "I guess that's true. How did all of this come to pass?" Maddie asked.

  "Are you done with your breakfast?" Mack asked.

  Maddie nodded, pushing the tray away.

  "Then let's go."

  Seth and John stood up as well.

  "We've got to get going," Seth said.

  "Right. You both have a training schedule to keep," Mack said.

  "I hope to see you again, Maddie," John said.

  Maddie nodded, this time resisting the urge to chew on her bottom lip.

  #

  Maddie followed Mack and Jackson into a large room with rows and rows of computers filling the tables. A large computer was at the center.

  Mack walked up to the large machine and started typing on the keyboard.

  "This is the status of all the clones currently created," she explained, bringing up a large, global map on the screen.

  "Only the individual person and Commander Westlake can pull up specific information on clones. Here, allow me," Jackson said, nudging Mack to the side.

  He typed in a pass-code, and the map seemed to come alive. He pressed a few buttons on the keyboard, highlighting the state of Texas. As he continued to type, the map zoomed in on Austin. A few more button clicks and the image of Jackson sitting at a computer desk came in full view.

  "That's my clone, working at a job we set up for him," Jackson stated.

  Maddie marveled at the computer screen as she watched Jackson's clone working diligently at a computer. He looked like he was creating a website.