by T. Anderson
“Am I allowed to ask questions?” Dane asked meekly. He didn’t want to further agitate the already agitated professor.
“Sure. Go ahead.”
“What’s so special about Stella?” Dane asked. “Why is MONAD so interested in her?”
“She is the living evidence of life after death. Of past lives. Of reincarnation. A whole multitude of spiritual beliefs, proven in flesh and blood. She’s a miracle.” Vern’s voice changed from anger to passion and then to wonderment as he explained. He had Dane’s attention. “Stella is my dead wife.”
Dane could not believe what he just heard. His eyebrows furrowed. “She what? How is that possible?” He couldn’t even begin to guess how it was.
“The twins know the history of MONAD and what we called the Aeon Project. They’ll be able to tell you that part. The two most important things you need to know from me are: One, Stella cannot be compromised at any cost or she will be the subject of so many experiments that she will be killed. And two, if she isn’t killed and they’re successful at reproducing the correct variables, that knowledge will be in the hands of extremely dangerous and powerful people who will use it to destroy mankind.” In a hushed voice, Vern was very grave when he delivered that last statement.
“And how will they be able to do that?” Dane was still not getting it.
Professor Hanson looked around the quiet, empty diner to ensure no one was close enough to hear their discussion. “Imagine if certain people were able to control their own rebirth when their bodies were damaged, diseased or aged…and they could carry with them everything they already knew and had experienced into their new bodies, their new lives. They would be virtually immortal. Now imagine those people are very, VERY bad.”
“Oh. Right. I get it,” Dane finally understood. But did he believe what the professor was saying? It was pretty far-fetched. It was like a science fiction story.
“Immortality and evil are a toxic combination, Dane,” Vern said. He took another sip of his coffee.
“What do you want me to do?” Dane asked again. Now he was even more serious about his decision.
“Continue your work for Doctor Hadrian. But you’ll have to be much more careful. That could’ve been a nasty situation this morning,” Vern said.
“Okay.” Dane didn’t like the idea of having to deal with her again, but he was willing to make the sacrifice for redemption.
“And you will, in fact, be pledging your service to the Circle. I’ll talk with the Ericksons and warn them of this news. But when we meet the next time, you’ll be there. Expect a firing squad. Parents will go to great lengths to protect their children. It will be your responsibility to convince them of your allegiance. Understood?”
“Understood.”
“Good. Now we won’t talk more of this in public right now. It’s too risky. Are you hungry, Dane?”
“Yes, sir,” he answered like an obedient recruit.
“Well, then. Let’s eat.” He grabbed a menu and slipped on his reading glasses to scan the breakfast selection.
“Uh, sir?” Dane asked. The professor looked up over his glasses at Dane. “You wouldn’t happen to have any aspirin, would you?” Dane was desperate. Silently, Vern stood and walked over to the counter to speak to the waitress. He returned a moment later with two pills for Dane.
Vern sat down and said frankly, “No more keg parties for you, Dane. You’ve got enough on your plate. I need you to be 110% from now on. Got it?” Dane nodded yes. He got it. The waitress came to take their order.
************
When Professor Hanson returned him to the campus, he told Dane he would be in touch. The Ericksons were planning a group meeting the following weekend. “You’re on your own for the week, Dane. It should be quiet for a few days. Keep an eye on Stella,” Vern finished before he drove away.
Thankfully, Dane was feeling some relief from the aspirin by the time he reached the dorm. The Professor had supplied him with breakfast to deliver to the twins. After knocking softly on their door, he heard stirring inside. Aron appeared with swollen eyes and a hoarse voice. “That’s so sweet, Dane,” she whispered. She was obviously tired and hung over, but he still thought she was beautiful.
“I got you an organic green tea, too. I know you like it.” He wanted to make up for snapping at her last night. She was flattered that he remembered and graciously accepted the stuff.
“Thanks, Dane. See ya later?” she hoped.
“Yeah, I’ll be around. You know where to find me,” he said. With a warm grin and a goofy wave, Dane self-consciously shoved his hands in his pockets, aware he did stupid things with them when he was nervous. He hadn’t had time to shave for a couple of days and Aron thought the stubble suited him. She also thought he was adorable as he shuffled forlornly down the hallway.
The twins nursed the carnage of their hangovers for the rest of the day. Dane checked in on them a few times. They hardly left their room. Dane brought them food that they picked at with nauseated stomachs. They kept the curtains closed and alternated reading, talking and sleeping. Stella used the time to surf the net and flip through a few of her books. She researched every metaphysical and spiritual topic that she could think of. There was so much to learn. Then she would drift off to sleep and dream. The other Stella was clearing a path in her mind. Lifting the veil. They were making peace with each other—sharing the space.
Aron puttered around the room, sorting through her books and stuff. She sent her mom a text, “Miss you. Kiss Gram for me. XO.” She practiced a few yoga postures in their cramped quarters.
When it was dark and they realized they’d spent the entire day inside, they decided to take a walk and get some fresh air. They threw on comfortable clothes and shoes. Hair in ponytails and no make-up, they stopped by Dane’s room. He was there, waiting patiently. The three strolled around the campus yawning and stretching. They found a spot to sit on a couple of benches and sipped from water bottles. Stella popped a few more pills.
“That bad still?” Aron asked. She didn’t believe in medicating her body like Stella did. She was concerned with the amount of painkillers Stella seemed to take.
“I get a lot of headaches, but today is pretty bad. Believe me, I’ve learned my lesson!” Stella didn’t seem to think this was a big deal, so they all dismissed it and moved on.
Dane skipped telling them about his encounter with Dr. Hadrian, but he did mention seeing Vern for breakfast. He assured them that it was okay now to talk about Stella and MONAD. “Professor Hanson said you two could spill the beans. He mentioned something about the Aeon Project?” He was eager to hear the story.
The twins looked at each other and then gave in. Stella declared, “Does it really matter? He’s going to find out eventually anyway. Go for it.” She wanted Aron to tell the story. Her head was in pain and she still felt like she was in some kind of science fiction novel. Aron did her best at re-creating what they’d been told back in the secret room. It seemed like weeks ago. Dane listened intently. He had questions, but then again, they all had questions.
Dane knew it was time he made a confession. “Look. There’s something I need to tell you. You’re gonna find out anyway, and I’d rather be the one to say it.”
Aron looked a little worried. So did Stella, but she actually wasn’t as surprised. She knew there was something about him that wasn’t right! The little snake. “Out with it!” Stella demanded.
“It’s okay, Dane. Just say it,” Aron was much more understanding.
“I was hired by MONAD to follow you—well, to follow Stella. This was all a set-up. Me being here. Getting into the Fifth Circle. Everything.” His voice was dejected.
“I knew it!” exclaimed Stella.
Deep down, Aron knew it too, but she just didn’t want to admit it to herself. She shook her head in disappointment. “Then why are you telling us this now? Have you changed your mind?” she asked hopefully.
“I changed my mind yesterday. Well, I probably changed m
y mind the minute I met you. But I was trying to deny that I couldn’t do my job. I didn’t want to be a failure. I realized I was wrong,” Dane tried to explain. What a disaster.
“And does Vern know about this?” Stella asked. “He’s going to lose it on your ass!”
“He knows. We talked about it this morning. He saw me with my ‘boss’ from MONAD who paid me an unexpected visit. Actually, I’m surprised she didn’t come knocking on your door too. She said she wanted to check on Stella.”
“She? Who? Who’s your boss?” Stella demanded, feeling violated and betrayed. Aron looked around, a little paranoid. She wondered if they were being watched.
“Her name is Myra Hadrian. She’s a shrink or something at MONAD. She’s the one who hired me,” said Dane.
Stella wasn’t surprised to hear her name, but she was angry. How dare Dr. Hadrian come here and spy on her! Adrenaline began to build in her system and her previously tired body immediately felt like she could punch Dr. Hadrian in the face. “She’s lucky she didn’t knock on my door. If I see her again…” Stella trailed off as she pounded her fist into her other hand. Then, as quickly as she fired up, she began to calm down. Something inside of her told her to take a deep breath. Violence was not the answer. Normally she would wonder where such an atypical thought generated from, but she knew it was the other Stella. This time she listened. Aron and Dane were staring at her, watching the transformation as if they were watching Jekyll and Hyde. “Sorry,” she offered when she realized they were gawking at her odd behavior.
“You know her?” Dane asked.
“She was my psychiatrist. I’ve known her since I was a little girl. A few years ago, when I started to realize that my life wasn’t normal, I began withholding information from her. I hid my visions. I knew something wasn’t right about her. My instinct was obviously right,” said Stella.
Aron asked, “I wonder why she didn’t come to talk to you?”
“She believes Dane,” Stella assured them. “If she didn’t trust him, she would’ve definitely come to see me herself.” She looked up at Dane. “Whatever you said to her was enough to convince her to go back to where she came from. She has nothing to report. You managed to buy us some more time, Dane.” Stella was grateful, regardless of Dane’s low-life, double-crossing ways.
“Thank God!” Dane said, relieved. “Because you do not want to mess with her. She. Is. Scary.” He paused for a few seconds. “You two are gonna have to be very careful from now on. We don’t know who’s watching and we don’t know when something’s gonna happen. Professor Hanson thinks that if we can get through a couple of weeks, they’ll lose interest and give up on Stella. You’ve got to lay low and not attract attention. And I’ve got to play along to keep them satisfied. So no more funny business like last night, okay?”
Aron liked how he took charge of the situation. She was still a little disappointed in him, but she admired his honesty. “Okay Dane,” she said.
“So you really are on Team Twins, Dane?” Stella asked. “You’re not going to sell us out? Hand us over to the enemy for a big bounty or something?” She wanted to be sure.
“All for one and one for all,” he said as he mimed drawing a sword and raising it in the air. Then he dramatically kneeled in front of them and bowed his head. “At your service, my ladies.”
The girls both chuckled and Stella said, “Don’t be a moron. Get up, we believe you.” Aron didn’t think he was a moron. She thought he was cute. He could be her knight in shining armor any day. Stella led the way as they walked back to the dorms, discreetly giving Aron and Dane a private moment. They lingered in the cool dark night and walked slowly. Dane reached for Aron’s hand. She didn’t pull away. She welcomed the warm protection of his strong fingers wrapping around her own. Her hand felt tiny in comparison and she noticed how perfectly their hands fit together. It was like his hand was made to hold hers. She never wanted him to let her go. They reluctantly untangled themselves when they reached the dorms.
Stella disappeared inside and left them to talk. Dane admitted, “I have to tell your parents, you know.” Aron was confused for a second. At first she thought he meant he had to tell them about this—the two of them together. Thank God she hadn’t said it out loud. She felt embarrassed when Dane explained, “you know…about MONAD and everything. Professor Hanson wants me to come clean the next time we meet. Do you think they’ll believe me?”
“Wow. I hadn’t thought of that. But I think you’ll be fine. And I’m going to back you up, okay? We’ll do it together,” said Aron. She didn’t want to assume his feelings for her, so she stopped there before she put her foot in her mouth. Then Dane did the unexpected. Before she knew what hit her, he leaned in and kissed her. With a desperate tremble, she melted into him. It was the perfect first kiss. Not a short, quick peck. Not too long and messy. Instead, it was gentle and steamy. His lips felt soft against hers while he had just one hand around her waist, gently pressing on the small of her back. Her heart pounded in her chest. Someone passed them in the hallway, but they barely noticed, locked on each other’s eyes.
“Good night, Aron,” he said softly.
“’Night,” she whispered back. He watched her open the door and step inside.
“Bye Dane,” Stella taunted from the room. He didn’t answer her. He just smiled, speechless. Their eyes remained fixed as the door slowly closed the gap between them. That was the moment Aron fell in love.
************
Their first week of college classes was uneventful. A typical milestone for any freshman, it should have been more exciting, but paled in comparison to what had already happened. Dane’s schedule alternated between the twins’ classes, so they saw each other a few times throughout each day. On Tuesday, Aron had genetics with Professor Hanson. After his lecture, he motioned for her to come to speak with him. She waited while a few other students took their turns asking him questions and introducing themselves. He seemed quite popular. Vern asked her how Stella was doing, but Aron had nothing to report.
“Fine,” was all she said as she shrugged and smiled.
“Good, good,” Verner answered discreetly. It was a brief and cryptic conversation.
On Wednesday, Aron managed to convince Stella to accompany her to a yoga class. Surprisingly, Stella embraced it with open arms. Mentally, she focused and centered easily. Her balance needed work, but the postures came naturally. She was discovering new things about herself she didn’t know existed. Experiencing a rapid internal change toward mindfulness, it was like being fast-forwarded on a spiritual journey. Aron perceptively noticed the changes—less abrasiveness, less skepticism, and noticeably less foul language.
On Thursday evening, the twins decided to attend the lecture they’d all seen the posters for—the Mayan calendar, December 21st, 2012. Of course they’d all heard rumors and predictions about the date, so they were curious to hear what would be discussed. Dane came along and they sat together in the back of the lecture hall. The room was packed. It was standing room only. Apparently they weren’t the only ones who wanted to know if the world was going to end in a few short months.
There were three guest speakers. One proposed the horrific idea of a world war, which would lead to anarchy. Another encouraged leaving the California coast while there was still time to avoid the big inevitable earthquake and other natural disasters that were coming. The last speaker was more positive, suggesting it was merely the beginning of a new era. It was the theory that the date marked a spiritual awakening for mankind. This particular speaker believed that December 21st was an estimation made by some cultures that would mark a catalyst for change, moving toward world peace. It was quite different from the typical “doom and gloom” scenarios. Stella felt a stirring inside as she contemplated this idea. She needed to spend some time researching it, editing through all this information.
They chatted about the lecture on their walk back to the dorms. It was definitely a hot topic of discussion. The next day, Friday afterno
on, they would be going to the Ericksons. Preparing himself for the confrontation, Dane was nervous. He was growing more attached to Aron and couldn’t bare the thought of losing her already. He would soon find out if he was truly accepted into the Fifth Circle.
8
Standard Operating Procedure
Myra Hadrian arrived back in Minnesota late in the evening. She hadn’t planned on returning to the MONAD facility until the next morning, but she received a call just after the jet landed. Her assistance was requested in the laboratory.
Erling Steinar had prepared for another attempt with the Aeon Project. The procedures were completely off the record, of course. They only performed the experiments in the middle of the night. The secret laboratory was located deep underneath the MONAD facilities, several stories underground.
The subjects had been hunted and delivered that afternoon by the well-paid agents who were personally employed by Erling. He went to great lengths to cover his tracks. If any government officials ever caught wind of this work, he might never see the light of day again. Tonight’s pair of subjects was a teenage prostitute that had been found outside of an abortion clinic and a homeless, middle-aged heroin addict who had been laid off from his factory job back in 2009.
The subjects had been processed through the paperwork, which was standard operating procedure. It was part of the charade to gain their trust, making them willing participants in the experiment. They signed letters of consent and waivers of their rights. They even filled out a false insurance document directing their promised sums of cash to a beneficiary. Everyone had a beneficiary, someone they always wished they could give money to—a repayment of debt, a child they felt guilty for leaving years earlier, a parent they wanted to look after in their old age. It was like dangling candy in front of a baby.
