My First Duplicate Mission

It was overwhelming at first, being in two places at once. Suddenly the senses were
overcome; my sight held two images, battling to overlap. The doctor asked me a question, the
words garbled by the difference in distance and tones. With every breath I felt overinflated, my
mind unable to differentiate between the two bodies. My ears buzzed, while my other pair
muffled sound. I felt two IV drips in my arms, wiggled twenty toes instead of ten, the smell of
soap and disinfectant engulfed my two noses.
After months of duplication therapy, I managed to filter my senses, keep my
consciousness in both bodies yet still able to perform vastly different tasks simultaneously.
Yesterday I was assigned my first dual mission, put into effect today.
Around me were lights, sparking chandeliers and tinkling wine glasses. The lull of the
conversation made the party have an electric charge. I sipped my champagne delicately, its fiery
taste filling my mouth and trickling down my throat as I surveyed the crowd.
Meanwhile, my other body was kilometers away, coursing through the jungles of
Elderron. I could feel a different charge here, one of nature; rolling rivers, fluttering of wings, the
clamor of birds in the canopy high overhead, and shrieking of faraway beasts resonating through
the towering trees. The air was heavy with humidity. Recurrently I had to swipe away beads of
sweat gathering on my temples. I followed no path, only the small rivulet volubly sweeping
around rocks and between grassy banks.
The world was encased in a shade of blue that was ineffable; perhaps the shade of
mystique, if I had to describe it. Strange flowers bloomed around my feet, luminescent in the
midnight moonlight. Vines draped from the branches above, very different from those of the city.

From the balcony, I inspected a dragon made of ivy emerging from a marble structure,
murky in the dimmer part of the city. Its jaws were wide in a silent roar. The breeze ruffled its
leaves, making its scales appear to shift, wings bristling with latent flight. The ivy that grew in
the city was an art form, much like a sculpture or a mural, a sign of the middle class. Upper class
tried to one-up this; on the decadent building I stood was adorned with serpentine statues carved
into the domes and columns. The skyscraper extended above the clouds, lighted so elegantly, the
citys fallen star.
As I had been leaning over the railing, adoring the view, my other self had discovered a
peaceful grove in the rainforest. Here as I rested under the arch of a fallen tree, the noises
became fainter, the tang of saturated moss and cool dirt enveloping me. Now seemed as good as
any time to rest; I drew up my legs under me and took refuge beside the rotten trunk of the fallen
kapok.
A soft hand on my exposed shoulder devoured the peaceful sense that had settled upon
me as my gaze swept over the city. A woman in a black dress, embedded with veins of gold and
silver, grinned at me with narrow, crimson lips. She introduced herself, I introduced myself, she
complimented my scarlet qipao dress, and suddenly she asks me, Do you have an escort with
you tonight?
I shake my head, explaining my invitation was very last-minute having been recently
introduced to Lord Houre, the host. Oh, you must come meet mine; I happen to have two of
them tonight, and one Id very much like to dissuade his sardonic humor with the distraction of a
pretty girl like yourself, she gushed to me.
I chuckled as she led me to the other side of the party. I had known who she was long
before she introduced herself; she was Cornelia Swath, daughter of an influential and most

favorable Parliament member. Her escort was Sir James Gallahan, and my escort, who was
obvious by the disdainful expression upon his face, was Anthony Roscoe. Son of the owner and
founder of the most successful aircraft manufacturing company, recently disowned and cast out
to make his own way, it was a rare sight to see him at such a refined event, having always shown
contempt for the aristocratic and decadent ways of the wealthy.
I found you someone interesting to talk to, Cornelia spurted as we approached. Shes
super sweet, maybe shell cancel out your acrimony. She released my arm, practically shoving
me toward him. James and I are just going to find a couple more glasses of champagne, maybe
dance a little bityou two have fun.
The gloom on his face darkened.
Was I just used for them to ditch you? I queried.
He pursed his lips and nodded curtly.
At the same time, I happened to look up from where I sat on a bed of moss, refreshing
myself with water and crackers, when my eyes locked with those of a creature lurking in the
underbrush. A low growl reverberated from its throat, its whiskers twitching. The sounds of the
jungle disappeared completely, suffocated by the aura of power that emanated from this beast.
It emerged from the shelter of the low-lying branches and shrubs. One wide paw, making
not even the slightest sound, placed itself on the rocks beside the stream, and finally, its broad
orange and black head came into the light.
Are you alright? Anthony questioned, giving me a strange look.
I must have hesitated, all focus cast to my other self. I shook my head, smiling at him,
Sorry, I guess I just lost myself there. Would you like to go for a walk? I motioned toward the
grand doors that led away from the party.

In the jungle, my hands were unnaturally still as I steadily reached into my knapsack, all
sounds drowned out by the frantic pulsations of my heart.
I surveyed Anthony from my peripheral vision as we proceeded down the long walkway
leading from the penthouse back to the cobblestone streets. The party grew quiet behind us, only
the shrill sirens of the string orchestra echoing through the listless night sky.
Ever since he was kicked out and left to fend for himself, hed been appearing less and
less at social gatherings, and spotted more and more often in dark alleyways with the wrong
crowd. One of which was a man by the name of Alken, We had been searching for the evidence
to convict him of larceny, smuggling, and illegal arms dealings, but there was never a scrap of
solid proof. Now an astray young man finds himself in the presence of a man of shady business
who happens to be investing his time in the jungles of Elderron
My vision flickered. Both heartbeats had reached an unstoppable rate. I retained strict
control of my breathing, but no matter how deep the breath, there was not enough oxygen to
fight away my distress.
You, besides Cornelia and James, are the only one who will look me in the eyes. No one
seems to want to acknowledge me now that Ive been cut off, Anthony was saying.
How has that been? It must be a difficult adjustment, I inquired pleasantly.
I had pulled the knife from my knapsack, a lump forming in the back of my throat, as if I
swallowed a rock. My palms began to sweat; I had to take a moment to relax, taking laborious
breaths to calm my heaving chest.
I swallowed, but my throat was dry.

It was hard at first, I guess, but I found my own ways to deal with it, make a little
money, make some friends and business partners of my own. I think Ive been doing well
enough, he responded.
The lights were growing softer, the air quieter as we descended down the serpentine
pathway. As we reached the cloud level, the air became chillier and damp, each breath was a
shock of ice directly into my lungs.
In the grove, the tiger and I faced each other defiantly. I shifted my weight from one foot
to the other, stretching the wrist that held the knife. Another growl rumbled from the depths of its
bosom, its muscles tensing as it prepared to pounce.
What do you do for a living then? I continued to interrogate nonchalantly.
He shrugged. Nothing too interesting, just some research on ancient cultures in the
southern jungles.
I thought the temples out there were just a myth, I replied.
In Elderron, I had nestled the knapsack into the rotten trunk. Inside lay a relic, made of a
marble-like stone of a brilliantly pallid color, crafted into a circular disk encrusted with red and
blue gems. I cast a sidelong glance at it; if I were to be compromised in this mission, at least my
other self would know its location.
Thats why Im interested. If its real, Id get a good majority of the profits from
museums and tourismits an investment, really, Anthony explained to me. Lowering his
voice, he added, And, dont tell anyone about this. Me and my associates really want to keep
this a secret, less people to split the profits between, you know?
I nodded. Your secret is safe with me, I lied.

Meanwhile, the moment I had been dreading was upon me; in a fluent leap, the tiger
cleared the space between us. I deflected its claws, and the paw pads landed squarely on my
shoulders, sending me crashing into the rocky ground. The wind was knocked from me. Its hot
breath blew in my face; was that a glimmer of triumph in its hesitation to kill?
I halted in my footsteps, breathing in the cooler night air under the dark glow of the
lights. Leaning over the railing, I disguised my distress by surveying the cityscape. Skyscrapers
reached to the sky, like the arms of the devout extending towards their Pope. The difficulty was
greater, multitasking between two bodies, when all I wanted to do was invest all strength and
focus into only one.
Enough about me, Anthony continued, standing beside me. What brings you here?
With a slickening sound, I managed to thrust the knife between the ribs of the tiger. There
was a snarl, a struggle, my vision unable to process in either body, each wanting to overlap
I, uh, Im visiting my-my great aunt I managed to choke a few words before I
fainted, unconscious before I even hit the ground.