A Mirrors Beginning Read online

  “Red one-two, this is Red Leader. Do you read?” A voice called in his ear.

  “Loud and clear,” John replied.

  “Keep tight on the right flank. I don’t want any of the Pulltans to break through our line.”

  Pulltans. John thought for a moment, wishing Seth had told him what mission he was simulating.

  “Understood,” he replied.

  He looked around to see other ships surrounding his. The console in the center showed ten blue arrows flying in a formation. Everything looked peaceful as he observed the vast openness of space. The yellow planet below had two celestial blue bodies orbiting above. In the distance, he could see another planet which looked identical to the one beneath him only larger. Everything appeared serene but John knew it wouldn’t last. There wouldn’t be a point to this simulator if that was the case.

  A massive ship emerged from the other planet. The sides opened up and dozens of fighters flew out. Red arrows filled the display. John gripped the flight stick, lining up his shots. A voice yelled in his ear to watch his tail. He managed to shoot down two fighters that targeted him.

  “Red one-two, pull back and protect the Ceemons.”

  “Ceemons?”

  “Get your head out of your ass and guard!”

  Suddenly it clicked what mission he was simulating. The Ceemons and the Pulltans were at war for many years. The Ceemons had approached the ISC to help them relocate. They were attempting to move the first ship, loaded with Ceemons offspring. The Pulltans decreed any ship leaving the other yellow planet would be destroyed.

  John fumbled with the controls to try to turn the ship around. He managed, barely avoiding colliding with another.

  “Red one-two, what the hell is going on?”

  “Sorry.”

  “Report your position.”

  “Uh …”

  “Come on, Brooks. Don’t lose your nerve on me now.”

  Brooks? Wow, the computer was more thorough than he thought.

  “On my way, Red Leader.”

  “What’s your position?”

  “Coming up on the Ceemons vessel on mark…” John paused, trying to understand the console. “On mark 328.”

  “Stay on the right side. We don’t want to lose any of those eggs.”

  Eggs? Oh, right. He remembered. The Ceemons aren’t born. They are hatched.

  He would never admit to Seth that he was right. All the studying was beginning to pay off.

  John managed to shoot down any Pulltans that approached, but not without taking heavy shots himself. He quickly became accustomed to the controls in the ship, learning as he was going on the system. He looked over to the side and noticed an ISC plane had become separated from the formation and was surrounded by Pulltan fighters. Feeling bold, John left his position and attempted to engage.

  “Brooks, what the hell are you doing?”

  “Red three-seven needed my help.”

  “The Ceemons need your help! Forget about the other.”

  John was getting ready to protest, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw a bright explosion. Several Pulltan ships had targeted the right side of the Ceemons transport and had blasted a hole. Red three-seven was gone.

  His surroundings shuttered and came to a stop. The console went black. The lights came on slowly.

  “What happened?” John questioned.

  “You failed,” Seth’s voice rang out in the dome.

  John grumbled as he climbed out of the simulator. Seth sat on a stool next to the computer, motioning for John to join him.

  “I hardly think that was fair,” he protested, sitting down in a chair next to his brother.

  “You didn’t follow direct orders. Had that actually happened, the Ceemons would be without their young and half of the squad would’ve been dead in the explosions that followed.”

  “You can’t always follow orders. Sometimes you have to think outside the box.”

  “And you got yourself killed.”

  Seth sighed and shook his head. He ran a hand through his dark hair, muttering under his breath. “Look, I get it, all right? You want to prove yourself. We all do. But you got to learn to walk before you can run, little bro. Learn the ropes, understand what’s going on, then try to challenge things. Don’t push it or you’re going to get yourself, and possibly others, killed.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” John grumbled.

  “Hey.” Seth placed a hand firm on John’s shoulder. “I just got you back. I don’t relish the thought of burying you.”

  John considered his brother’s words. Slowly, he nodded.

  “All right.”

  “Ready to go again?”

  “Fire it up.”

  Chapter Nine

  John worked with his brothers on the different systems, becoming proficient in flying several different kinds of ships. It didn’t come as naturally to him as it did Seth, but he found comfort in knowing Logan wasn’t an expert either. Once his hand healed, Logan taught him weapons and fighting. Before he knew it, he was going on missions.

  Melissa Bunting was his squad leader. She was short in stature with auburn hair she wore in a bun, brown eyes, and she hardly ever smiled. Rounding out the team with him and his brothers was Jackson Gray. He liked Jackson the moment he met the man. Jackson was his height. He had an athletic build, drastically short brown hair and brown eyes. He was quick in the field. Logan said he was in the Air Force before joining the ISC. Whenever John would ask Jackson his story, he would shake his head.

  “For another time, perhaps.” Jackson shrugged. “It’s not a happy story to tell.”

  The five of them trained together. Trust and respect was built. The years passed quickly. Time didn’t seem to matter much outside the confines of the ISC. Still, it was difficult for John. He wasn’t used to so many rules and regulations. John was itching to do something … but he wasn’t quite sure what that was. Even if he could just take the uniform off for one night … but there were no off nights. There were just the times in between missions.

  He became irritated. Often he argued with Melissa or challenged Jackson to a fight. Seth and Logan helped keep him in line, but even their patience was running thin with him.

  Finally, Charlie called him into his office.

  “John, take a seat,” he ordered.

  John sat down in the chair opposite of the office desk, watching Charlie intently. The commander folded his hands on top of the desk. Disappointment filled Charlie’s eyes and for the first time in a long time, John felt ashamed.

  “When I brought you in here, I knew it would take some time adjusting,” Charlie began. “Time which I gladly gave.”

  “I am grateful for all you’ve done for me.”

  “I know you are. For the most part, you are prospering. You’ve come a long way, John.”

  “Thank you.”

  “But these reports I’ve gotten recently disturb me.”

  John kept his eyes on Charlie and didn’t speak.

  “Picking fights among your team, refusing to fall in line with your leader, often disobeying orders -”

  “Sir, sometimes Melissa’s orders are ridiculous.”

  “She told me you’d say that. She says you are uncooperative.”

  “I speak my mind. She doesn’t like it.”

  “No, she certainly doesn’t.” Charlie leaned back in his chair, stroking his chin. “What do you fight for?”

  John blinked a few times, confused at the question. “Huh?”

  “It’s a simple question. What do you fight for?”

  Charlie stood up, walking around and sitting down on the edge of the desk.

  “Do you fight for Earth? For your brothers? Yourself? What drives you, John? What makes you get out of bed in the morning?”

  John thought about it. “Duty.”

  “Duty,” Charlie repeated.

  “I want to work here. I want to be a part of something.”

  “That’s not going to do it.” Charlie shook his head.


  A hard lump formed in John’s throat. “Are you dismissing me?”

  “Goodness boy, no. I’m saying you need something more.”

  He stood up and John did the same. Charlie walked back around to his desk and sat down in his chair.

  “Effective immediately, Mackenzie Rhodes will be your squad leader.”

  Shock rippled through his body. “Why?” The question carelessly slipped from his lips without thought.

  “We’re restructuring. She has been a squad leader for two years now. Melissa is being reassigned.”

  “Who else is on the team?” He hesitated before asking.

  “You, Logan, Seth, and Jackson. Nothing else is changing.”

  “Charlie, why isn’t Jackson the leader? He’s more than capable.”

  “He was offered, but declined. I think he liked the idea of working with his wife too much to pass up.”

  Another shock hit him. “Wait, Jackson and Mackenzie are married?”

  “She goes by Mack now.” Charlie grinned. “Seems she took a liking to the nickname you gave her.”

  John looked at him confused. He hadn’t spoken with her other than a nod and a hello in passing in years. Field agents and scientists normally didn’t interact.

  Charlie chuckled. “Some people have an impact on our lives, even in ways we don’t expect.”

  “I guess so.”

  “I like you, John. Always have. You could do great things here, but only if you pull yourself together. Find something worth fighting for. Give yourself a real reason.”

  “I’ll try.”

  “She’s requesting to speak with you before formally making the announcement. Go report to your leader,” Charlie said, dismissing him.

  ~#~

  Mackenzie was in her lab when John found her. She had changed since last time he saw her. Her long hair was now cut to her ears. It was spiky and pixie-like. Her back was to the door and she was looking at a monitor when he came in. He knocked on the doorframe but she didn’t turn around. John walked toward her, ready to speak, when something stopped him.

  She must’ve been tuning in on home. He peered over her shoulder, looking at her clone. His heart skipped a beat before slamming into his chest as he watched.

  Mackenzie had tapped into a security camera from what looked like a beauty salon. The clone was standing at the cash register. She wore a black and white flower print dress and black boots that stopped at her ankle. Her blonde hair was curly and pulled back slightly from her face.

  She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

  It didn’t make sense. She was Mackenzie’s clone. He had known Mackenzie for years. He never felt like this looking at Mackenzie before. His breath caught in his throat and his hands shook. He stuffed them in his pockets, trying to calm down. The woman laughed and it sounded like music to his ears.

  “Thank you so much!” She cheerfully said. “Have a great day.”

  She left the salon and wind blew against her. The sides of her dress fanned out and she looked like a butterfly in the breeze.

  “Oh, sorry,” Mackenzie said as she noticed him. “Been here long?”

  “Not long,” he managed to get the words out.

  Mackenzie shut down the feed and the screen went black. John’s heart plummeted as the woman disappeared.

  “I take it Charlie spoke with you?”

  John nodded. “Just a few minutes ago.”

  “Good. Look, I understand. I had a terrible time transitioning here myself. You feel like you’re giving up a part of yourself you don’t even know about.”

  “Sometimes, yeah.”

  Her dark blue eyes searched his for a moment before nodding.

  “You’ll be okay. You wouldn’t have lasted this long otherwise. This is going to be different, but I think we’re going to make a great team. I promise I won’t cut you off at the knees like Melissa did. I will always listen to what you have to say and encourage free thinking.”

  “Thank you.”

  “That doesn’t mean I have to do what you say. I’m the leader for a reason.”

  “I understand, Mackenzie.”

  “Call me Mack,” she corrected.

  “Mack.”

  “I kinda liked it. It’s different.”

  He nodded, his eyes darting over to the monitor.

  “Checking in on home?”

  “Huh?” She blinked before realizing what he meant. “Oh! Yeah. I do it a lot. My clone is going to a fundraiser with my brother.”

  “Why?”

  “Sister-in-law is out of town.” She sighed. “I know way more than I should.”

  “Your clone -”

  “Maddie,” she said.

  “Huh?”

  “Her name is Maddie.“

  “Oh, sorry.”

  Mack cocked her head to the side. “You don’t check in on yours?”

  “My clone? No. He’s set up in some boring job in a call center.”

  “Yeah, I know. Our clones work for the same company, just in different departments.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Yeah. Actually, their desks aren’t far from each other. Even share the same schedule.” Mack closed her eyes. “Anyway, I’m getting sidetracked. We’re going to be a team now, John. Are you okay with this?”

  John nodded, probably too eagerly. “Yeah.”

  “All right. Go on, get some rest or something.”

  He felt like skipping out of her lab.

  If Charlie ever questioned what he fought for, he now had an answer.

  Chapter 10

  The new team came together quickly, as if they had always been one. Mack wasn’t just his squad leader. She was someone he knew he could count on. She was his friend. But nothing made him feel like it did when he saw Maddie.

  He made a point to check in on his clone. He had a routine down. They went to lunch at four every weekday. His clone always sat near her. A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. His clone had a crush on her, too.

  Everything had a new meaning. He stopped acting aggressively toward Jackson. He kept his head down and worked hard. When he had an opinion, he voiced it, but didn’t argue with Mack when she chose to do something different. Typically she was right anyway.

  Most of his life, he was told he would never amount to anything. For a long time, he believed it and acted accordingly. But there was something in those light blue eyes that made him change his mind.

  None of it made any sense, yet it felt right.

  “This is ridiculous,” Mack fumed as she sat down at the mess table.

  “What is?” Seth asked with a mouth full of food.

  “Apparently my clone is being targeted,” she replied.

  John dropped his fork. Food splattered on the table. He quickly cleaned up the mess, his ears turning pink.

  “Why?” Logan asked.

  “Charlie seems to think it’s because she’s easier to kill than I am.”

  Seth chuckled. “Making a name for yourself in the galaxy.”

  “Enough to spark ire evidently.”

  “Who?” John asked.

  “The Gorum,” she replied.

  “The Gorum? Those ogres?” Seth’s face twisted as if he smelled something disgusting.

  “That was my reaction, too.” Mack stabbed at her food on her plate.

  “What’s the plan?” John anxiously asked. Mack raised an eyebrow. He cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck. “You know, because if anything were to happen to her, you would be killed too.”

  “Right.” She looked at him hard for a moment. “Jackson is already detailing her, watching her movements. I’m keeping tabs on her through the networks.”

  “And what are we going to do?”

  “Be on standby if Jackson needs you.”

  It didn’t sit too well with him. Seth wrinkled up his nose and kicked his brother under the table. “Ow, you prick! What was that for?” John snapped.

  “What’s gotten into y
ou?”

  “Nothing,” he quickly said.

  “You’re not acting like nothing.”

  “I don’t want Mack to get hurt, all right?”

  Mack fluttered her eyes, pressing her hand to her chest. “Aww, John. I didn’t know you cared.”

  “Shut up,” he mumbled, looking down at his plate.

  She laughed. “Just be at the ready in case Jackson needs you, okay?”

  He didn’t need her to repeat the orders. Mentally, he was already there.

  ~#~

  Days passed, soon becoming a week, without any incident. John watched as much as he could from the monitor in his apartment, praying Maddie would be okay.

  Then word came. Gunshots rang out at the call center, but Jackson had grabbed Maddie before she was hurt. Thankfully no one was harmed in the attack. She was brought to the ISC under Charlie’s orders.

  He felt silly. There was no reason for him to feel nervous about the idea of meeting her, but the mere thought made his palms sweat and his knees weak. He barely got any sleep, knowing she was somewhere under the same roof.

  The next day, he was joining Seth in the mess hall for breakfast when he spotted her. Maddie was sitting at a table with Mack and Jackson, looking down at her plate. Seth nudged him as they got their food.

  “Wow, this is surreal! No offense, Mack,” Seth said as they joined them.

  “Trust me, I know what you mean,” she replied.

  John swallowed hard before speaking. “Hi.”

  “Hi,” Maddie said, not looking up at him.

  “I’m John. This is my brother, Seth,” he introduced.

  “I know.”

  “You do?” Seth asked.

  “How?” John inquired.

  “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 down at her plate again. Her hair fell a little in her face, but John could see her cheeks turn pink.