Chapter 43:
Some things are meant to be torn apart
Ferenc:
It hasn’t even been two days, and we are already getting distressed calls from Tine and Dany. I mean, I get it. You can’t leave the safety of coworkers to the police. No matter how widespread the team is. Frederik and I sign the documents with a flourish, without any delays. We practice our in sync writing every evening, before bedtime.
One thing, though. We had to write our names on the top. So, once we pick the papers to hand them over, we drop them as one, and then mix them up, until we have each other’s document in our hands. The police officer frowns at us, but doesn’t even look at the names on the top, to guess who is who.
“The teleport is waiting,” he says. I and Frederik share a look. I note with satisfaction that our heads move at the same time. That seems to unnerve the man, but he doesn’t comment.
“Well, brother, we must be off,” we say at once, and then get up from our chairs, and give two theatrical bows to the rest of our team.
“You will be provided with additional security, of course,” the police officer tells Agafia, and we finally figure out why there are two Naga behind him. “Gregor and Alfred usually work in homicide, but they have done their fair share of protection duty.”
“We will leave ourselves in their care, then,” Agafia says, and then addresses the Naga. “You may take Frederik and Ferenc’s desks, when you are not doing perimeter checks.”
“Apart from us, there are two more employees in the piece building,” Nahndor says, all business like. “Our guide, Alberta. She is the raven-haired elf lady who took you to here. And our electrician, Hugo. He is still new, so, we haven’t gotten a chance to make him a badge.”
“We understand. I take it, Hugo will be staying in the control center?” The taller Naga of the two says.
“Yes. Apart from the times, when he would need to do his own perimeter checks,” Agafia says.
“Then we will be off. We need to meet him, and check the alarm systems,” I roll my eyes at that. As if there is anything wrong with our alarm systems. After all, Frederik and I had the latest models installed.
“Gentlemen, your presence is needed on Ursula 589,” the Naga that took our papers reminds us, and we walk off. When we are out of the room, I rest a hand on Frederik’s shoulder. Now that we are out of sight, we can be two separate people again.
“Do you think we will have time for a fly ride?” I ask him.
“Well, if we are escorting Tine and Dany there, then, maybe?” My brother more asks, then agrees. I mock glare at him.
He responds by swatting me on the back. We hear voices, and then make it to the teleport. As one, we fall into step. Heck, I dare say that even our heartbeats go in sync with each other. There are more police officers there. We both smile, showing off the tips of our fangs, and wave.
“Officers, what of the nanobots in the emotion potions?” I ask.
One of the officers shiver, and my smile widens just a bit. Ah, that was a mistake. What if he tells us apart — now? It doesn’t seem like I needed to worry because the police officer just opens the teleport.
“They malfunctioned after a while,” he says, and I can see that this little slip-up is something he is embarrassed about. Finally, he straightens up and points at the teleports.
“Enjoy your ride,” he says. I resist the urge to chuckle. Frederik is never amused when our twin act unnerves people. Still, he knows that for me, it is a great fun, so he lets me have the time of my life. He is a good brother like that.
We each get in our capsules. I close my eyes, and focus on the surrounding vibrations. Ursula 589 is more mana rich than Ursula 590. Back then, when the humans laid claim to this stretch of the Cosmos, they took one look at the five moons around this planet, and didn’t show any further interest.
I mean, I get it. The moons are just huge rocks. They don’t have any diamonds on them, or even air or water. Before the shields were placed on them, they were constantly pelted by asteroids. When the teleport beeps, I blink, and the lid is open. For a second, I feel panic. What if Frederik arrives after me?
Then, I feel it. Our telepathic connection. Just as he reaches out to get himself out of the capsule, I do the same. We rise from our capsules in one sweeping motion. Much to the amazement of our... wait, I know these two!
“You!” I yell, breaking from my twin act.
“We go by Robin and Ray, these days,” my ex-boyfriend has the gall to say to me.
“I told you, that I didn’t want to see you ever again,” I yell at him. I take a glass of water from a nearby stand, and hurl it at him. He bends, so it can sail over him. The glass shatters on the ground.
“Now, wait here,” he says, moving closer to me. “Whose fault was it that you keep on insisting on being identical with your brother? Besides, I was drunk!”
“You should have been able to tell us apart!” I yell at him. Then, I turn to Frederik. “Right?”
I might have been talking to the wall because my brother stands there, in his capsule, gaping like a fish.
“Hi, Fred,” my brother’s ex-boyfriend, the reason behind us being reprogrammed, as far as I am concerned, says. He does it with a smile so fond, it makes my insides lurch. In the next moment, Frederik is out of the capsule, and hugging the little traitor.
“I thought I would never see you again,” my brother says through tears. I know he is crying, even though I can’t see him from this angle. There are certain things that a twin knows about his twin instinctively.
“Well, I... I need your help, Fred,” the wretch says, ready to wrap my brother around his finger again. To make him stop being so in sync with me.
“Come on, they need time to catch up. For the duration of the mission, call me Robin,” my ex tells me, as he pulls me out of the capsule. I am just about to bite him, when the chip in my brain activates, and I get a fluffy feeling in my stomach. Darn, this is so unfair.
Chapter 43:
Some things are meant to be torn apart
Ferenc:
It hasn’t even been two days, and we are already getting distressed calls from Tine and Dany. I mean, I get it. You can’t leave the safety of coworkers to the police. No matter how widespread the team is. Frederik and I sign the documents with a flourish, without any delays. We practice our in sync writing every evening, before bedtime.
One thing, though. We had to write our names on the top. So, once we pick the papers to hand them over, we drop them as one, and then mix them up, until we have each other’s document in our hands. The police officer frowns at us, but doesn’t even look at the names on the top, to guess who is who.
“The teleport is waiting,” he says. I and Frederik share a look. I note with satisfaction that our heads move at the same time. That seems to unnerve the man, but he doesn’t comment.
“Well, brother, we must be off,” we say at once, and then get up from our chairs, and give two theatrical bows to the rest of our team.
“You will be provided with additional security, of course,” the police officer tells Agafia, and we finally figure out why there are two Naga behind him. “Gregor and Alfred usually work in homicide, but they have done their fair share of protection duty.”
“We will leave ourselves in their care, then,” Agafia says, and then addresses the Naga. “You may take Frederik and Ferenc’s desks, when you are not doing perimeter checks.”
“Apart from us, there are two more employees in the piece building,” Nahndor says, all business like. “Our guide, Alberta. She is the raven-haired elf lady who took you to here. And our electrician, Hugo. He is still new, so, we haven’t gotten a chance to make him a badge.”
“We understand. I take it, Hugo will be staying in the control center?” The taller Naga of the two says.
“Yes. Apart from the times, when he would need to do his own perimeter checks,” Agafia says.
“Then we will be off. We need to meet him, and check the alarm systems,” I roll my eyes at that. As if there is anything wrong with our alarm systems. After all, Frederik and I had the latest models installed.
“Gentlemen, your presence is needed on Ursula 589,” the Naga that took our papers reminds us, and we walk off. When we are out of the room, I rest a hand on Frederik’s shoulder. Now that we are out of sight, we can be two separate people again.
“Do you think we will have time for a fly ride?” I ask him.
“Well, if we are escorting Tine and Dany there, then, maybe?” My brother more asks, then agrees. I mock glare at him.
He responds by swatting me on the back. We hear voices, and then make it to the teleport. As one, we fall into step. Heck, I dare say that even our heartbeats go in sync with each other. There are more police officers there. We both smile, showing off the tips of our fangs, and wave.
“Officers, what of the nanobots in the emotion potions?” I ask.
One of the officers shiver, and my smile widens just a bit. Ah, that was a mistake. What if he tells us apart — now? It doesn’t seem like I needed to worry because the police officer just opens the teleport.
“They malfunctioned after a while,” he says, and I can see that this little slip-up is something he is embarrassed about. Finally, he straightens up and points at the teleports.
“Enjoy your ride,” he says. I resist the urge to chuckle. Frederik is never amused when our twin act unnerves people. Still, he knows that for me, it is a great fun, so he lets me have the time of my life. He is a good brother like that.
We each get in our capsules. I close my eyes, and focus on the surrounding vibrations. Ursula 589 is more mana rich than Ursula 590. Back then, when the humans laid claim to this stretch of the Cosmos, they took one look at the five moons around this planet, and didn’t show any further interest.
I mean, I get it. The moons are just huge rocks. They don’t have any diamonds on them, or even air or water. Before the shields were placed on them, they were constantly pelted by asteroids. When the teleport beeps, I blink, and the lid is open. For a second, I feel panic. What if Frederik arrives after me?
Then, I feel it. Our telepathic connection. Just as he reaches out to get himself out of the capsule, I do the same. We rise from our capsules in one sweeping motion. Much to the amazement of our... wait, I know these two!
“You!” I yell, breaking from my twin act.
“We go by Robin and Ray, these days,” my ex-boyfriend has the gall to say to me.
“I told you, that I didn’t want to see you ever again,” I yell at him. I take a glass of water from a nearby stand, and hurl it at him. He bends, so it can sail over him. The glass shatters on the ground.
“Now, wait here,” he says, moving closer to me. “Whose fault was it that you keep on insisting on being identical with your brother? Besides, I was drunk!”
“You should have been able to tell us apart!” I yell at him. Then, I turn to Frederik. “Right?”
I might have been talking to the wall because my brother stands there, in his capsule, gaping like a fish.
“Hi, Fred,” my brother’s ex-boyfriend, the reason behind us being reprogrammed, as far as I am concerned, says. He does it with a smile so fond, it makes my insides lurch. In the next moment, Frederik is out of the capsule, and hugging the little traitor.
“I thought I would never see you again,” my brother says through tears. I know he is crying, even though I can’t see him from this angle. There are certain things that a twin knows about his twin instinctively.
“Well, I... I need your help, Fred,” the wretch says, ready to wrap my brother around his finger again. To make him stop being so in sync with me.
“Come on, they need time to catch up. For the duration of the mission, call me Robin,” my ex tells me, as he pulls me out of the capsule. I am just about to bite him, when the chip in my brain activates, and I get a fluffy feeling in my stomach. Darn, this is so unfair.
