Mirrored Man: The Rob Tyler Chronicles Book 1 (25 page)

June made a distasteful face. “Ugh! I forgot
it takes six hours.”

“And if something does go wrong tomorrow,
how long will it take you to find out?” Rob asked with a menacing
smile.

“Oh, we'll know immediately. SIS will tell
us.”

“Sis?”

“Remember, I told you that Jimmy integrated
all of the computer systems together? SIS is the acronym for the
command program. Short for Software Integrating System.”

Rob digested the new information. “You’ll
know immediately?”

“Immediately, even before the scan is
complete,” Don said reassuringly.

Rob begrudgingly accepted the explanation
and turned to the refrigerator. He opened the door and quickly
slammed it shut again.

“What's the matter?” June asked. “Are you
alright?”

Rob gave her a mournful look. “There's
cheesecake in there. Strawberry cheesecake. No wonder I've been
craving it.” He raised his voice. “One of you guys must've eaten
some and then you came around me and it oozed out of your pores or
something.”

June couldn't help laughing. Reaching past
him, she said with a curt smile, “If you're very, very good
tomorrow, you can have some. Excuse me.”

Rob took a couple of steps away. “Now, June
we don't know each other very well, but if you take that
you-know-what out of there,
we
are gonna have a problem.”
Rob emphasized his point by pulling a paring knife from the wooden
knife block.

June frowned. “Relax. I just want some
grapes.”

Rob selected a honeydew melon from the
basket on the counter and then grabbed a cutting board and started
slicing through the fruit to begin preparing himself a fruit salad
for dinner.

June plucked a cluster of grapes from the
crisper as she chomped on the one lone grape from the bottom of the
drawer. She hadn't noticed that two of the grapes had fallen on the
floor and rolled in Rob's direction. She turned on her heel and
started back to the living area.

Rob shifted his stance, crushing one of the
grapes under his heel, which caused him to lose his footing enough
to plunge the tip of the knife into the base of his left thumb.
Reflexively, he pulled it out, causing it to bleed profusely.

Ignoring the pain, he looked at the floor.
“Um, Doctor Phillips. I think part of your snack escaped.”

June stopped half way to her seat, turned
and saw Rob reaching for a towel.

“Oh, I'll do that,” June said, thinking that
he intended to clean up whatever mess she made. She trotted back to
the kitchen and looked at the floor where Rob was standing. She saw
the grapes and a few drops of blood, and then watched as Rob
wrapped his left hand with the towel. “Oh, Rob! Oh, sweetie, I'm
sorry! Did you cut yourself?”

“Just my thumb.”

“Oh,” she groaned. “Is it bad?”

“It's okay, I've got another one,” he
smiled.

June was so filled with concern and guilt
that she got her hands tangled with his trying to help, so Rob gave
up and let her do the work. Looking at the substantial cut, she
stated flatly, “You're gonna see Doctor Mathers.” It wasn't a
request. She wrapped his hand back up, took his other hand and
dragged him all the way from the parlor to the major's sickbay,
apologizing every few steps along the way.

Don, intent on his channel surfing, was
completely unaware that the incident had even happened.

Just over an hour and twenty minutes later,
after an x-ray of the injured appendage and satisfied that there
was no nerve or tendon damage, Greg stitched up the wound as June
squirmed uncomfortably at the sight. Rob had refused any kind of
medication other than topical ointment, fearing that it might cause
a delay in tomorrow's scan.

“I’m so sorry, Rob,” June repeated, yet
again.

“It’s fine. I’ve suffered far worse, believe
me. Besides, it was half my fault. I should have checked the floor
for grapes,” he replied, still smiling. Then he turned to the
doctor. “What about the sutures, Doc? Will they have any effect on
the scan?”

Greg checked his work again and thought for
a moment, “From all that I have studied about the process in the
short time that I've been here, none at all. I used polyglycolide
thread.”

“Polyglyco-who?”

“Its absorbs into the body and the materiel
is disposed of naturally. I'm sure that when it gets scanned, it'll
just dissipate and get absorbed into the clone.”

“Should you tell the professor what
happened?” June asked.

Greg smiled wide. “No. That won’t be
necessary. I’d rather not upset the professor’s apple cart.
Especially now that I’m on his good side.”

“If I had wheels, I’d
be
an apple
cart,” Rob joked. “And I'd rather not risk having to stay here any
longer than is absolutely necessary. I have a family that I'd very
much like to get home to.

June pretended to draw a zipper across her
lips as an acknowledgment.

Greg gave a few brief instructions, telling
Rob to stop by in the morning so he could check on the wound. Rob
and June then started back toward the parlor.

“I'll fix you some fruit salad. It's the
least I can do,” June said.

“What time is it?”

June stopped. “I don't have a watch, but
it's about six I think.”

“The professor said I couldn’t have anything
to eat after six. Only water.”

“We can sneak somethin' in. I won't tell,”
June guiltily suggested, batting her eyes.

“Oh no. I am not gonna do anything to
violate his orders and give him an excuse to delay the scan.”

June's face turned gloomy again. “You're
just trying to make me feel worse, aren't you?”

Rob laughed, “Believe me, Doctor, if I
wanted you to feel bad, I have thirteen years of marriage faux pas
that I could draw from to do it.”

She smiled.

“I'd just tell you that those scrubs make
you look fat or something.”

June snapped her fingers. “We can go and see
the babies!” she suggested excitedly.

Rob fixed his gaze on a point on the wall
above June's head. “Great.” His lack of enthusiasm was evident.

June rolled her eyes. “C'mon. You're gonna
love them.”

“Do they take well to strangers?”

“You'll be fine.”

“Do they bite?”

“Don't be silly,” she said, and then she
remembered. “Well, only Doctor Tiong.”

“Why did they bite him?” Rob's concern was
growing.

“
They
didn't. Angelina did.”

“Angelina did?” Rob repeated, wide eyed.

“You have had a recent tetanus shot, haven't
you?” she asked as she continued dragging him down the hall.

Three hours later, they were still sitting
cross-legged in the manufactured jungle of Paris and Charlie's
paddock. The foliage was real, and all of the sights, sounds, and
smells of a rainforest surrounded them. It wasn’t raining, but even
that could be simulated. The light had faded, and had mimicked an
actual sunset. They played with the chimps in the artificial
outdoor evening.

“They're just like kids, aren't they?” Rob
said as he tugged the Tickle Me Elmo doll Paris was pretending to
groom. She grunted and pulled it away. Rob laughed. He pretended to
reach for Elmo again and had his hand batted away.

“They
are
kids,” June replied. “Paris
and Charlie are only five.”

“So, they were the donors for Brad and
Angelina?”

“Yes. If I didn't tell you, could you tell
them apart?”

They had spent the first part of their visit
with the other pair. He glanced from Paris to Charlie, who was
dangling from the large central tree while clutching the blue and
white beach ball with his feet. Remembering his earlier visit with
the cloned chimps, he answered, “Well, I'm no expert, but no. I
can't.”

“Well, I am an expert and I can't
either.”

“Really? Are they
that
similar?”

“Identical.” June held her arms out and
Paris happily hopped over and sat in her lap, “In fact, the only
way I can tell them apart is by this.”

Rob watched as the doctor parted the hair on
the left side of the female’s neck. He leaned in close and could
make out the serial number that was tattooed there:
AT-300687923.

“Their tattoos are different?”

“No. Paris and Charlie have the tattoos.
That happened before I got here. Angelina and Brad were cloned
after I got here. They don't have tattoos. I wouldn't allow
it.”

Rob had wondered what business June, an
ethologist, had here in the most unnatural of places for two pairs
of chimpanzees. But now that he had a chance to spend some time
with her, he was beginning to understand.

“It's funny, though,” June said as she
hugged the chimp.

“What is?”

“Even though they're like augmented super
twins, Angelina is a bit more affectionate toward me than Paris
ever has been, even though I've been with her and Charlie for a
year and a half.”

“How long ago were they cloned?”

“December. They were our Christmas presents.
Brad was born on the tenth.” A tear formed in the corner of June’s
eye. “Angelina came two weeks later, on the twenty-forth, Christmas
Eve.”

“Were you there when the professor woke
them?”

“Yes. Well, with Angelina, I was.”

“But not with Brad?”

“No, I was sick. Yeoum wouldn't let me near
him.”

“Maybe it's like an animal in the wild
seeing its mama for the first time. Maybe she imprinted on you in
some way.”

June sniffed and turned away.

Fearing he had touched on a sensitive
subject, he changed it to one more pleasant.

“Cook told me you and the chimps would be
leaving soon.” He couldn't have known it, but that was another sore
area.

June was still not satisfied with the living
arrangements for the chimps, but choosing to ignore her own
misgivings, she simply said, “Yup. The first of September.” She
placed her hand on Angelina's chin, gently turned her head and
kissed the chimp. Angelina promptly stuck out her tongue, licking
June on the mouth. June scrunched up her face. “I told you, no
Frenchies,” she said, wiping her mouth with her sleeve. Angelina
turned to Rob and displayed a toothy grin while nodding her
head.

Rob nearly fell over laughing.

June set the chimp down and stood up. “It's
getting late.”

Rob stood and looked around. “The night is
still young, Doctor.” He really didn't have anything else to do
that night, and he suspected that he wouldn’t sleep well. “I'm
gonna go see what's on the tube. Wanna come?”

June looked at him doubtfully before she
answered. “I've enjoyed our time together
Commander
, but, uh
…”

At first confused, Rob caught on quickly. He
held up his hand, showing June the only item that he refused to
take off until the actual work had to be done. His wedding ring.
“Happily,” he said with a smile.

June blushed for just a moment and then it
was gone. “Well, the babies need their rest and I have an early
morning.”

“Yeah,” Rob said. “Well, I don't have to be
at work until noon tomorrow.”

“Can you find your way back to the parlor,
then?”

“I think so.” He walked toward the door. Out
of the corner of his eye, Rob glimpsed something. By the
fluorescent light coming from the exam room, he saw a spot in the
corner of the paddock that was disturbed. Curious, he squatted
down, moving some of the brush that was piled up.

“What is it?” June asked.

Rob offered a half smile. “There must be
twenty pens under here.”

IT WAS 4:00 A.M. WHEN
Rob went to
bed. He tossed and turned for hours, unable to settle his mind as
the moment of truth approached. As a last resort, he prayed that
God would allow him some rest to prepare for the taxing day ahead,
and finally, he drifted into a deep sleep. He woke up at
ten-thirty to the sound of knocking at his door. For a moment he
forgot where he was. Pulling off the covers, he swung his legs over
the side of the bed and rubbed his face. Slowly, he recognized his
assigned quarters, which resembled little more than a hospital
room. He was surprised that not only had he gotten some sleep, but
also that it was his most restful sleep since he had arrived. He
could even recall some remnants of a pleasant dream that was
rapidly dissipating from his memory like mist in the sun after a
summer rain.

Knock, knock, knock.

“Commander Tyler. Rise and shine. Today's
the big day.” It was Greg.

Dressed only in his boxer shorts, he hopped
off of the bed and staggered over to the door, yawning as he opened
it. “Mornin’.” He covered his mouth with the back of his hand.

Greg was holding a stack of white washcloths
in one hand and a gallon of clear liquid in an unlabeled plastic
bottle in the other. “Oh, good. We were hoping you hadn't showered
yet.”

Rob gave him quizzical look.

“None of us thought about it yesterday,” he
said, handing the items to Rob. “They've never had to tell a
subject not to bathe before a scan.”

Rob held up the bottle. “What is this?”

“Alcohol.”

Rob looked at him dubiously.

“For washing. No soap, toothpaste,
deodorant, cologne. No chemicals.”

“Great.”

“I'll need you in my office in an hour,”
Greg said cheerfully.

Without comment, Rob nodded and closed the
door. Annoyingly, his stomach began to rumble, as it had already
been empty for nearly twenty-four hours.
Why did I skip dinner
last night?
he thought scornfully. And then a brief but sharp
pain reminded him as he tossed the washcloths onto the bed. He
looked disdainfully at the cut on his left hand, which had a slight
red halo around it. Opening the door again, he shouted, “Hey,
Doc!”

Greg popped his head around the corner.
“What's up?”