The Similars

by Rebecca Hanover

  I watch from a distance, unable to get close enough to hear what Madison, Tessa, and Jake are saying. From the look of it, the conversation is ending. They smile at Ransom. He walks off, and then the three of them start to leave, still conversing in their tight pack. I follow them outside, still brushing away the tears that fill my eyes. I am so upset at what I witnessed at that rally. But more than that, I feel disappointed on a cellular level. Most of those students have no reason to join in a chant like that except to fit in. It must make them feel momentarily good about picking on another group, one they don’t or can’t understand. But that feeling won’t last. And kids at Darkwood are supposed to be above all that. Enlightened, even…

  I feel even more motivated to follow my targets as they head toward the lake, walking in a close little formation, talking quietly among themselves. Tessa looks bored as always; Jake looks jovial enough. I notice that he brushes his fingers against Madison’s as they walk, but she doesn’t reciprocate the gesture. So, he’s still trying to win her over…

  The three keep walking, and so do I. I’m not too worried about being discovered. It’s eight thirty and dark. If I’m quiet, I won’t be noticed. We approach the brambly path that leads down to the boathouse. But instead of turning left, Madison, Tessa, and Jake turn right, heading farther into the brush. Now I’m perplexed—and on guard. Where are they going?

  I follow them, but it’s becoming difficult to keep my footsteps quiet on the rougher ground. I pause for a minute or two, letting them get farther ahead of me before I continue. Up in the distance is the research facility of cement-block construction. Is that where they’re headed? That building hasn’t been a working science facility in years, and it’s definitely off-limits to students.

  My curiosity is piqued. I follow them toward the stark building. I tense, every nerve ending in my body alert as they pause at the front door. Madison pulls out her key and flashes it in front of the door. Then she grabs the handle, turning it. It opens, and Tessa and Jake follow her inside. I have mere seconds to react. Without thinking, I run and shove the toe of my sneaker to catch the door. I’ve done it. I’ve kept the door open, and now I can get inside. I make sure not to let the door bang shut behind me, closing it softly.

  How do they have access to this building? Did they get it from Ransom?

  I stand alone in what looks like a lobby. Madison, Tessa, and Jake have already headed off, leaving me by myself. There’s a desk and a couple of old couches. A lamp stands lonely in the corner, a stash of equipment next to it. On the desk are a couple of outdated computer monitors.

  Directly in front of me is an elevator bank with two elevators. Did they go up? I’m about to start for them when I hear voices coming from around the corner. Cautious, I walk down the hall toward the voices.

  “I’m not supposed to tell anyone yet. It could trigger a catastrophic ripple effect among the student body,” Madison is saying.

  “Harvard and every other Ivy League school, plus Stanford and Oxford?” Jake asks, sounding dazed.

  “All of them. I got my acceptance letters over Christmas break—plus running scholarships at every single one. They all want me for their track teams.”

  “But I didn’t think you could even get early admission to more than one school at a time,” says Tessa.

  “You can’t, unless you’re me. It’s going to be a tough decision…”

  I stealthily peer into the classroom where they are sitting.

  “We feel incredibly sorry for you,” Jake says dryly. Tessa laughs. Madison scowls.

  I scan the room. There’s nothing too interesting in there, just old desks and blackboards stripped of any materials.

  “Where’s Fleischer?” asks Madison. “She said eight forty-five.”

  Fleischer? I wonder. They’re meeting Principal Fleischer here? Does this have to do with that mysterious blood work they were talking about that day in the library after Pru’s attack?

  “She’ll be here,” Tessa says. “Ransom said she would be.”

  Prickles go up my back at the mention of his name. Ransom. Headmaster Ransom knows about these meetings too? Of course he does. He’s the head of the school. He must know everything that’s going on at Darkwood…good and bad. I have a feeling this might fall into the latter category.

  “He seemed happy, don’t you think?” Jake says. “After the rally?”

  “Happy to keep up his charade as long as possible,” Madison replies.

  Charade? What charade?

  I hear footsteps coming down the hall and realize it can only be one person—Fleischer. I turn to leave. As much as I want to know what these three are up to, and what Fleischer and Ransom have to do with it, she can’t find me here. I don’t have access to this building, and I’m certain Fleischer will punish me for it. The last thing I need right now is more duty. Or worse.

  I bolt to the end of the hall, away from the sound of the clacking shoes, where I’m met by another elevator bank. I jump inside and press the button for the top floor. I have no idea where I’m going or what I’m doing, but some inner drive propels me upward.

  Ding. With a lurch, the elevator stops on the fourth floor, and the doors open. I walk out into a corridor lined with maybe ten labs. The doors to each are metal with plexiglass. The rooms are locked, but I peek inside. Everything looks hospital-grade white and sterile, with all the requisite equipment: hoods, test tubes, beakers, and elaborate computer systems.

  At the very end of the hall is a massive room, a loftlike space with exposed beams and steel panels on the walls. I try scanning my key over the doorknob. It remains locked. Absentmindedly, I finger my key and run it through my hands, rubbing it like a talisman of sorts. Hoping it will offer some kind of answer. Something, anything.

  I nearly gasp when a figure appears on the other side of the glass.

  I am looking at myself.

  I’m flummoxed as I stare at my mirror image. The figure has the same harsh bangs that need trimming, the same small frame and gray hoodie. For half a second, I think this girl must be my clone—my DNA twin, my other—but after a second, I realize she’s not real.

  She’s a hologram.

  I can tell by her feathery appearance, by the way she stands, eerily still, yet waves a little back and forth, like a reed in the breeze. Her eyes don’t focus on anything. She smiles vaguely, but her expression stays constant. I’m certain that if I were standing in front of this virtual Emma, I’d be able to swipe my hand right through her.

  I pull on the doorknob. Where did this Emma hologram come from? I grab my key. That’s what made the hologram appear; I’m sure of it. And now I wonder if there’s a hologram for every single student at Darkwood. I don’t have access to this room, and I don’t know how to get it either. From what I can tell, Madison is the only one with clearance to this building, because she’s working directly with Ransom and Fleischer…

  That’s when it hits me. Madison’s key is my best shot at getting into this room. If she has access to the front door, she likely has access to this room too. I need to steal her key. And then I need Maude and her identical DNA…

  Then I remember: the new keys have been fixed to solve that loophole. Maude won’t be able to make Madison’s key work. I’ll have to think of another solution.

  I race down the hall, toward the stairs next to the elevator bank, down the few flights to the first floor, and out the back door of the building. I don’t spot Madison or the others on my way out. I hustle to the main campus, back through the brush, and up to Cypress. It’s late now, ten o’clock. But an idea is forming.

  The next morning at breakfast, I walk straight to the Similars’ table.

  “Hi,” I say. I meet all their eyes—Maude’s, Ansel’s, Jago’s, Theodora’s, Pippa’s, and Levi’s—feigning a confidence I don’t really feel.

  “Can we help you?” Theodora smiles at me diplo
matically. I push thoughts of her and Levi out of my head.

  “I need to talk to Maude,” I blurt.

  Maude looks surprised but shrugs and scoots her chair back. She follows me to a quiet corner where I begin my pitch. I start from the beginning—overhearing Madison, Tessa, and Jake that day at the library and Madison’s missed “blood work” appointment. I tell her my suspicions about Madison. I tell her about Oliver’s note and how he left me his key. I conclude with my latest stunt—sneaking into the research building and confronting my own hologram.

  “I’m not sure why you’re telling me all this,” Maude says finally. “The only logical conclusion I can draw is that you need my help.”

  “I don’t know what it’s all about,” I admit. “But I think if we can get into that room, it could help Levi. Maybe even prove Madison attacked Pru, not him.”

  “Then I’m in,” she says simply, before walking back to join her friends.

  * * *

  The next week flies by as we set our plan in motion. What Maude and I are about to do is extreme, but we don’t have any other options. I have to know what’s going on in that research building and what that hologram of me is for. Maude’s programming skills are sure to be useful. I don’t know what other expertise might be necessary when we get into that room, but I want Maude with me when I face it. The truth is, I don’t even know how much I trust her or the other Similars, not since Pippa and I stopped hanging out together, and Levi and I…well, kissed. But I’m willing to take that gamble.

  I fake a migraine and visit the Darkwood infirmary. When the nurse leaves the exam room to tend to another patient, I open the cabinet behind me and grab three syringes. They’re labeled First Class E, which means they’re stronger than an over-the-counter pain reliever but not strong enough to warrant being properly locked up. I’ve heard my dad talk about these before, and I’m pretty sure these are the same injectives Madison and the other senior Ten members used on us. I’ve done my research with Dash’s help. I know they make the user especially forthcoming, as well as lethargic and compliant. I sneak the needles into my pocket, and the nurse is none the wiser. Then I lie back on the cot and pretend to rest.

  * * *

  Maude and I wait for Madison by the track at dawn. There’s a reason she was offered all those running scholarships. She’s dedicated. When Madison approaches the bleachers in her running gear and bends down to stretch her legs, I slide from the shadows and inject her. She screams, wheeling on me, but Maude grabs her arms before she can hurt me.

  Within moments, the injective starts to take effect. Maude gingerly lets go of Madison’s arms, and she doesn’t make a move to run or fight us. She stands perfectly still, looking confused.

  “What are you guys doing here?” she asks. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen Madison like this—not in control.

  We tell her to come with us, and she shrugs, doing exactly as we say. It’s a quiet walk to the abandoned science building. Madison’s sufficiently dazed and doesn’t question us when we ask her to flash her key in front of the door. It opens.

  A few minutes later, we’re on the fourth floor, standing at the end of the long white corridor. I take in a breath as Madison holds up her key at the entrance to the hologram room. The lock clicks. We’re in.

  “Keep your key in your hand,” I tell Madison. “Roll your palms over it.” Madison does as I say, and within seconds, a hologram appears—Madison’s hologram. She stares at it like it’s a daydream.

  “You’ll have one too,” I tell Maude. “If you get out your own key.”

  Maude’s one step ahead of me. Her hologram pops up next to Madison’s. I pull out my own key and make mine appear as well.

  Maude mutters as she walks around them, surveying the three holograms. “Flicker hologram technology.”

  I remember reading about that once. “The latest advancements in lasers?”

  “Exactly,” says Maude.

  It’s fascinating stuff, but I don’t dwell on it. Time is of the essence. If anyone finds out that we aren’t in our dorm rooms or that Madison is missing, they’ll be able to track us by our keys—and not only have we gained access to a restricted room in a closed facility, we’ve stolen injectives and kidnapped Madison. We have to hustle.

  “What’s stored in these?” I ask Maude, indicating the holograms. “We know the new keys track our GPS. But is there more?”

  Maude doesn’t respond, but I know she’s heard me. She’s focused, pacing the room, murmuring something I can’t hear. Before I know what’s happening, she’s pulled a virtual control panel out of thin air. I stare as she keys commands into it. I have no clue how she did that, but then again, that’s exactly why I asked her to come with me.

  I circle my hologram, studying this uncanny “Emma” in front of me. I clutch my key again, squeezing it—and that’s when Emma the hologram starts to flicker and glow bright red.

  “Maude,” I say quietly. “Come look at this.”

  She’s instantly by my side, and we both watch as Emma the hologram rises into the air, ghostly and ethereal. With her tight-lipped smile and her half-awake, half-asleep demeanor, the hologram is a strange, unsettling sight. Hovering a few feet in the air, she morphs from red to a deep, bruiselike purple.

  Next to her, words and numbers begin to flash in the air.

  NAME: EMMALINE KATHARINE CHANCE

  STATUS: JUNIOR

  BIRTH DATE: MAY 26

  On and on, statistics scroll about me. About my parents, Colin and Katharine Chance. About my record at Darkwood: my attendance, my test scores, my grades, even the results of my stratum test. They are all here, stored in my hologram. And it was my key that triggered it, unlocking this digital file. Then a map of the Darkwood campus flashes in the air, and on it, a dot. My location, labeled “Research Lab.”

  Within moments, Maude is activating the data on both the Madison and Maude holograms, so that they, too, are rising in the air, flashing statistics about each girl. I read the data as it speeds past. Maude was born on Castor Island. The parent listed on her birth certificate is A. Gravelle.

  “Why’s it called Castor Island, anyway?” I ask Maude.

  “Our guardian named it when he first designed and built the place, some twenty years ago. Have you heard of the Gemini twins? Castor and Pollux?”

  “Like the constellation,” I say.

  “That’s right. Castor and Pollux were immortalized by Zeus in the stars, where they are together, for eternity.”

  “Twins,” I say, thinking how strange and yet fitting it is that Gravelle raised the Similars on an island named for the world’s most famous twin brothers. I’m distracted from the thought when more of my own stats cycle past—all of my report cards, before Darkwood, and my birth certificate. It lists my parents as my parents, naturally, and is stamped by the State of California. I start to wonder if my driving record is in here too, when Maude and I are surrounded.

  I gasp, startled, as the bodies of several hundred Darkwood students fill the room. They are scattered throughout the space like players on a massive chess board. These aren’t my flesh-and-blood classmates, of course. From where I stand, they look entirely real, but as soon as I move left or right, forward or back, I see that they have no substance. Like the other holograms, these figures are made of light.

  “How did you do that? You called them all up without their keys!” I say, amazed.

  “T2X command,” Maude answers.

  I’m too awed to question this. Instead, I walk from hologram to hologram, peering at the faces of students I know, and some I don’t. It’s eerie, the way they stare at me as I walk past. Some have permanent smiles on their faces. Others frown. Still others look zoned out.

  “Is there one here for every Darkwood student?” I ask.

  “Yes—every current student. My hunch is that every student who’s ever had a
key is logged in the system somewhere, but I haven’t figured out how to call up past students yet.”

  I turn to her. “So even my dad would have a hologram? Pru’s father? Jane and Booker Ward? My father said that when he was in school, they had primitive versions of the keys we have now. They must have improved them significantly in the last two decades…” Then I ask quietly, “Can we pull up Oliver’s hologram? I think this might have been what he wanted me to see when he left me his key.”

  Maude nods as she operates the control panel, and I brace myself when Oliver’s hologram steps forward.

  But I’m not gutted. I’ve been sitting in class with Levi for months, so the sight of Ollie’s face isn’t jarring. Still, the hint of a smile on his lips makes me ache for him.

  “Okay,” Maude says, all business. “What information do you want to see first?”

  “Is that a serious question?” I scowl. “If I knew, we wouldn’t be doing this!”

  Maude laughs. “Point taken. Let’s scroll through Oliver’s data and see what we find. Maybe something will jump out at you.”

  “Thanks,” I say. “And sorry. I’m a little on edge.”

  Maude starts reading as data pops up. “Oliver Elliott Ward. Born September twenty-third. Parents Jane and Booker Ward. Oliver attended the Nueva School in Hillsborough, California, until eighth grade. He came to Darkwood as a first year, two and a half years ago. Here are all of Oliver’s exam papers and test scores. His class schedule for his ninth- and tenth-grade years. And his junior year…”

  “The schedule he would have had if he’d lived,” I finish.