MONAD 12.21.12

by T. Anderson

  “I’m with you, I’m with you. Wait. Which one are you?” He was about to start laughing at her, but she was obviously not amused.

  “Get with the program, Dane. This is serious. In a few minutes Aron is going to walk through those doors and we’ve got to make a big deal about it. All of these people are going to witness it. My life depends on it. Come on, let’s get some pizza. If I’m going out, I’m going out with a full stomach.” She dragged him over to the table full of pizza boxes, paper plates and plastic cups. “You want some soda?”

  He was too stunned to object as she shoved a cup into his hand. A kid next to him leaned in with a flask and asked him if he wanted a shot of fun. “No thanks,” he managed to say, but was thinking to himself that he might change his mind later. He tried to look cool. He said, “Hi,” to some kids standing around him and awkwardly introduced Stella because she couldn’t talk with her mouth full of pizza. They pretended they were interested in making friends and meeting people, and they acted as if they already knew each other. It was comical. “Hey, Stella…this is Kevan. He’s from Toronto. Hey Stella, this is Lynn, she’s on the same floor as you are.” He was doing his best to improvise. Thank God for Dane. He was her savior. Only five minutes passed, but it seemed like an eternity waiting for Aron. Stella wanted to get it over with. But she knew it had to look natural, so she took Dane’s lead and followed the script. Then, as quickly as it began, the comedy turned dramatic.

  Dane, being the taller one, spotted Aron entering the room. Shyly meeting a few people, she was forcing some small talk just inside the entrance. She wasn’t entirely comfortable on her own and it was difficult for her to move from the doorway. This clearly wasn’t easy for her. She obviously wasn’t a social butterfly, but this was business. Basically she was acting. Nervous and terrified that someone would call her out and their cover would be blown, she reminded herself that these people had no idea what she was doing. She was in control. It felt good to be in control. Aron was completely out of her comfort zone and this experience was forcing her to come out of that shell. She surprised herself.

  Aron scanned the room, looking for Stella. The party was crowded and loud. She decided to wait a few more minutes and, if she didn’t see her, she would head upstairs. Then she heard Dane, “Aron, over here!” Whipping her head around, she spotted his caramel blond hair through the crowd. He was waving her over and she saw Stella standing beside him. Here it goes. Now or never. She was as ready as she would ever be.

  “Om Namah Shivaya, Om Namah Shivaya,” Aron chanted to herself.

  Dane winked at her and then blurted loudly, “See, Stella, I told you! She’s right there!” A few people turned to see what was happening. Aron slowly made her way through the crowd toward them. Stella swiveled around to face her. Their eyes met. Whispers were already beginning to spread through the crowd. What now? Aron found strength in Stella’s presence.

  “What the hell? Is this for real? Who are you?” she demanded. More heads turned to check out the drama.

  “I’m Stella. Who are you?” she shot back.

  “Aron Erickson,” Aron replied as she crossed her arms to hide her shaking hands.

  “I would love to know what’s going on here,” Stella blurted in her best bitchy voice, followed with a slight head wobble and quick hand gesture. She was giving an award winning performance.

  Someone in the crowd stated the obvious, “No shit! They’re twins!” Gasps and murmurs filled the room. The karaoke came to a stop. The ping-pong halted. They had everyone’s attention.

  Dane was right on cue. He shattered the silence, “Yeah, and they’re roommates!” They both pierced him with their best glares, which, he noticed, looked freakishly the same. Silence enveloped them again while everyone waited for their reactions.

  Stella wrapped up the scene with, “Maybe we should go upstairs and figure this thing out. Looks like we’ve got a lot to talk about. In private,” she said as she dramatically eyeballed the room. Actually, she was checking expressions to see how convincing their performance was, and the faces looking back confirmed it for her—mouths were gaping or covered by hands, eyes were popping, and heads were shaking. Convincing indeed!

  “Okay. Let’s go,” Aron said, turning first to lead the way out of the room.

  “Exit stage left,” Stella thought to herself.

  The gossiping started before they reached the door. “Oh my God, can you believe that?” and, “Holy shit, dude.” They even heard, “Twins—hot!” from a guy as they walked by. Stella followed Aron and Dane trailed behind. He didn’t want to be left out and he felt he deserved to know what was going on. He’d earned it. They marched silently up the stairs. A few curious and concerned girls followed, even as far as their room. They didn’t need to give any explanations to them when they went inside and closed the door.

  “Oh my God, I’m so glad that’s over,” Aron whispered. Stella gave her a high-five. “Me too,” she said with an eye roll, and then, “I’m gonna need some more pizza.”

  Aron sat on her bed and Stella sat down across from her on her own bed. They were both relieved. Dane stood in between them with his back leaning on the closed door. He held his hands up at his sides and, gesturing to each of them, said, “Is someone going to tell me what’s going on?” He was about to explode with frustration. He didn’t like not knowing what to expect. Good looking? Yes. But kind of a control freak! The girls were tired and really didn’t want to get into the whole story all over again right now. Just then, Dane’s phone rang. He looked at the display. Professor Hanson. He answered it.

  “Yes, yes, everyone’s okay. We’re in their room.” A pause. “All right, Doctor Hanson. I’ll meet you out in the parking lot.” He hung up. “Okay, ladies. You’re off the hook. Hanson is gonna fill me in. He says you need your rest. And he said to tell you ‘good job’…I am so lost right now. Guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Bye Dane,” Aron said as she flung herself back on the bed.

  “Thanks, Dane!” said Stella, and then added with a wink, “Partner.” He shook his head with defeat as he turned to leave. “Close the door on your way out,” she said. The second he was gone she said to Aron in an exaggerated whisper, “Cute, but not so smart, that boy.” They both burst out laughing. They knew that wasn’t true—Dane wasn’t as Pickwickian as he appeared to be—but they needed something to laugh about and he was the unfortunate target.

  Two nosey girls in the hallway heard them laughing and shrugged in disbelief at each other. One whispered to the other, “That is so weird…guess they’re working it out. I cannot wait to hear this story later.”

  With the laughing fit over, Aron asked Stella, “How was that so easy for you? I thought I was gonna pass out I was shaking so bad.”

  Stella became serious for a second. “I have spent my entire life pretending to be someone that I’m not—a regular thespian. Nothing new for me, I’m used to it.” Her voice was stoic. She stared at the ceiling as if in deep thought, then added in a more playful tone, “and I’m sure you were shaking because you haven’t eaten all day and you need pizza! My head is still pounding, which means I’m still hungry. You wanna order some delivery?”

  “Okay. Sounds like a plan. I’m starving!” Aron paused, preparing for a serious question. “Stella?” She waited for Stella to look up from her phone and then asked, “Are you happy?”

  “Are you kidding me? I’ve never been happier. This is the best day of my life!” It was an easy answer. She really was happy. She didn’t care about the impending danger. She didn’t care about the Aeon Project. She didn’t care about anything else right now. True, they had a lot of catching up to do. But they had each other and that was all she needed. She knew that now. “What kind of pizza do you like?”

  “Pepperoni. Extra cheese,” Aron replied as she grinned.

  “Oh my God, me too!” squealed Stella.

  “Twins!” they harmonized as they both fell into a pile of giggles again.

  Meanw
hile, out in the parking lot, Dane found Professor Hanson leaning against his car. He had taken off his suit jacket and tie, rolled up his sleeves, and removed his glasses in attempts to draw less attention and blend in. Vern worried that it might look suspicious for a prof to be hanging out with a student. “Let’s take a walk,” he said when Dane approached.

  Strolling casually around the campus, they talked quietly, keeping an eye out for strangers following them. When they came near anyone, Vern became suspicious and quiet. It was clear to Dane that this was an important secret. Professor Hanson didn’t tell him everything, leaving out the personal details. Basically he told Dane this condensed version:

  “There are people who want to hurt Stella—and possibly Aron, by association. These girls are very important to the Fifth Circle. We want them to have a normal college experience, but we also want to protect them. Your job, Dane, is to keep your eye on them. We have arranged your schedules so you’ll see them throughout every day on a regular basis. If anything seems suspicious or out-of-the ordinary, you must alert me immediately. For your own protection, you’ll be given information only on a need-to-know basis. The three of you will be spending a lot of time together, Dane. For your own safety, please try not to get too personally involved. If you’re approached by anyone unknown to you, again, let me know so I can take care of it. Be aware and be ready at all times. This immediate threat should pass in the next few weeks. I’ll be checking-in with you regularly. Give me your phone and I’ll program all of the numbers you’ll need.”

  “You can count on me, Professor,” was all he said as he shook his hand. Dane was ready for responsibility and eagerly accepted the challenge. Of course he had questions, but he wouldn’t ask anything—not yet. He couldn’t jeopardize the faith being put in him. He would need to trust Dr. Hanson. Dane’s plan was to stick to the twins like glue. He would go above and beyond their expectations. He would earn his way into the inner Circle and be granted more of the sacred information he craved.

  Verner felt comfortable with the level and amount of information he gave Dane, who seemed motivated and eager to please. He was young, smart and strong—the perfect candidate for this job. Dane would be able to monitor from the inside, where Vern would not be able to reach. He needed Dane. He really had no other choice. There was no reason to suspect Dane’s motives. He was just a kid.

  Vern and Dane parted company far from the dorms and both made their way in separate directions. Vern went home and prayed for Stella’s protection.

  When Dane was safely alone, he stopped in a sheltered, dark doorway and made a phone call. “It’s me.” He paused for a moment, scanning into the darkness. “Contact has been made.” Another pause. “I need time to gather more information. I’ll be in touch.” The call lasted only seconds. He shoved his phone into his pocket and continued toward the dorms. It was pretty late, but there were still a few people hanging around outside when he got there so he turned for one last careful look behind him before going inside. But not careful enough. Call it an insurance policy—Gunnar Erickson was watching his every move.

  5

  Duplicity Theory

  The twins couldn’t sleep. They tried, and they knew they needed rest but they couldn’t stop thinking. There were so many unanswered questions. After their third unsuccessful attempt, Aron whispered, “Stella? Are you asleep yet?”

  “Nope. Wide awake. You wanna turn the lights on?” she asked. Aron fumbled to find the switch and then crawled back into bed. Stella started, “I can’t stop thinking about the phone call I have to make in the morning. It’s one thing to fool a bunch of people we don’t know at a party, but my parents are a totally different story. Well, my mother, anyway. She might know something’s up,” worried Stella. Then she added, “and now I just feel weird about calling them ‘Mom and Dad’. I mean, I always knew I was adopted, so that was weird to begin with. And I think all adopted kids go through that at some point, questioning the role of their parents. But now that I know all this, I don’t know what to call them. And, that’s just the beginning. I need to know more about the other Stella. I know she’s in me. I can’t explain it—I mean I know I’m her…sort of. Oh! I don’t know what I mean. I’m so confused.” Her hands flew up in the air as if asking for mercy, and then landed on her head in exasperation.

  “Stella, it’s okay. I’m confused too. I just found out that I have a twin sister who my parents have been hiding my whole life. I know I can’t be mad at them for protecting you, but I’m still a little pissed—I think. And I just discovered that my mom and dad founded MONAD—the MONAD—the largest scientific research firm in the world! I can’t believe they never told me—and if they’ve kept these things hidden for so long, how do I know they don’t have other secrets? I feel like I don’t even know them anymore. So much has happened in the last 24 hours. We need time to process everything. And on top of it all, classes are starting in three days. Like seriously, how are we supposed to concentrate on school? It’s gonna be impossible!” Aron protested.

  “I know. It’s like school is the last thing we should be worrying about right now, but just add it to the list!” Stella released a frustrated sigh. “What are we gonna do?” she asked forlornly.

  “Well, first things first,” answered Aron in an attempt to stay positive. “We need to figure out the phone call. After that, we’ll just take one thing at a time. I don’t know about you, but I feel a lot better knowing we’re together in this.”

  “Yeah. It does help. I’ve got your back if you’ve got mine,” Stella said, then rolled over onto her side and adjusted her pillow so she could look at Aron. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Of course,” Aron answered curiously. She propped her head up on her hand to meet her twin’s eyes.

  “What do you know about reincarnation? I’m sure you know a lot more than I do—and I need a tutor. I have the general idea that when somebody dies, their soul can come back later as somebody else. Right? But then, why don’t we remember anything about our past lives? I’d never really thought too much about it until now. And really, it doesn’t make any sense. Why would we not remember anything?” Stella asked, with a frustrated look on her face.

  “Huh. I’m not sure why,” Aron resigned, then paused for a few moments in thought before speaking again. Her mind was off on a tangent and she saw no harm in vocalizing these thoughts. “Well, as you’ve probably figured out by now, we’re Scandinavian—our family is from Norway, actually.” Stella nodded with an acknowledging smile. This was, in fact, one of the only things she knew about herself growing up—one of the only things her parents had told her. She was wondering where this was going. Aron continued, “When I was little, Mom and Dad used to tell me old Norse stories about rebirth and all that stuff. Basically, the Scandinavians believed that souls are all intimately connected through their family bloodline. Every ancestor makes a journey after death and where they end up depends on a few things. The really evil people end up in a place called Nifelhel—a pretty bad place to be. Some are chosen by the Gods and go to a place called Asgard—a much nicer place to be. They believe that a soul cannot be reborn while the parents and other ancestors are still alive. When a soul is ready to be presented for rebirth, they go to Midgard. Then, when a baby is born, it’s believed that the baby is an ancestor of that family. It’s even bad luck to name a child after a living ancestor.”

  “Hmmm…so, you mean the other Stella wasn’t supposed to be reborn before her sister, Petra, died?” Stella was even more confused. Aron could tell.

  “Uh—I’m not sure, but I was thinking about it. And it reminded me about an old Scandinavian legend that Dad used to tell me—“The Legend of the Alchemist’s Assistant.” Something about this guy’s sick wife who skipped the journey through the afterlife and went straight to a new life without waiting. I don’t remember the details. You’d have to ask my dad. Okay, I know that didn’t help much. Sorry. Just thought you’d be interested in some stories of where you’re from,” A
ron offered.

  “Oh, no…it’s really interesting. Anything else?”

  “Well, there are a lot of different religions around the world that support some form of reincarnation. Buddhism is one of the most popular that you hear about all the time. Basically they believe you should try to be a good person. If you get it wrong, when you die, you move down the ladder. But if you get it right—or at least some important parts right—you move up the ladder. The Bardo Thodol, or the Tibetan Book of the Dead, is actually a text that describes what you’ll experience after death and before rebirth. I don’t understand all of it, but it’s pretty interesting.”

  “So,” Stella hesitated here, but made a brave step forward by asking, “you and…Mom and Dad—are you Buddhist?” After calling them “Mom and Dad” she wondered if Aron would mind. She was also surprised by how easy it was to say out loud. It felt right. She relaxed a little.

  “Good question.” Aron understood it was a big step for Stella to make and didn’t want to make a big deal about it, so she just kept talking. “I would say we adopt some of the Buddhist values and beliefs, along with things from other religions…Christianity, Hinduism…” She paused for another moment, thinking before speaking. “I think it’s possible to be spiritual without following one particular religion. I think if you’re a good person and have morals and values, you’ve got a pretty good shot at getting into heaven or being reincarnated, or whatever you want to believe in. Does that make sense?”

  Stella agreed, “Yes. It does make sense. I’ve never been to church or anything like that. But I know the difference between right and wrong.” She wanted to say something else, and was a little afraid Aron might think she was weird or something. Then she just spit it out. “I think the other Stella has been helping me make decisions all my life. Okay, I said it. That sounds stupid, doesn’t it?” She hid her face in her pillow, waiting for Aron to answer.