Dean ate the last bite of his dessert and drink the water of glass Eunice have handed him.
Their eyes are on the television news, listening attentively to the news anchor. He closed the windows and locked the door, turned up the volume and picked up his notes.
“So, you are working for this Space Administration now?” he confirmed.
The woman nodded. It took her half of the day to tell him about it, and, of course, with so much cautiousness. After doing so, they ended up streaming the news online.
“Look, Eunice, you don’t have to go to that mission. Don’t insist on helping them out. I have a bad feeling about it.” He glanced at her.
“I am not helping them in any way. I am just giving them a daily nightmare.”
He looked at her seriously, and there she has felt again the same fear she feels whenever Captain Eulysis would throw her a warning look.
“Cross my heart. I am not even one of the selected ones that will be sent for that mission,” she defended her claim.
“Make sure. Wait for me here.” The man stood up and went to a room.
She was fascinated to know that he still continued working on science, that he even made a portion of the house his laboratory office.
His forehead is creased when he comes back, flipping the pages of the file he is holding, about two-inch thick compilation of whatever data it contains.
“Here.” He put it down on the table.
“That is mine and Euno’s and—I don’t know these people.” She picked it up and looked at the findings written on it.
“They are from different teams I have worked with. Now, evaluate the results and look for the similarities between your cases.”
She interchangeably glanced at the papers, but she just finds it normal. How can she evaluate something that she is not an expert in? She thought.
“Now look at others’ results,” the doctor persuaded and crossed his arms. “Go ahead.”
That is when she got puzzled, and thus, she turned to him and gave him a questioning look.
“What are you trying to tell me? I am not good at guessing.”
The doctor glanced at the time and closed the curtains, until the house became entirely quiet, except for the faint noise coming outside. He motioned her to follow him and lead the way to where he has just been.
Her chest drummed as they get inside the laboratory room. Different from the rest of the house’s ambiance, it is painted clean white and there is no other can be heard aside from their silent footsteps.
“Wow! How can you keep this room here without anyone seeing this?!” she spoke and knocked on the wall.
“You don’t have to whisper. No one can hear us here.” The man put on his white gown. “Come here.”
Her eyes landed on the vials and test tubes well-kept in the enclosed huge box—probably a sterilizer or a freezer, she guessed.
“The results you have just saw are what proved that you are not the real you,” he started discussing.
She stopped walking and stared at his back, for a second, she was frozen on her spot while wondering why he has never told them that he knows about it.
“Pardon?”
“You are a clone, same case as those who have results as yours.”
“How did you know? When did you find out that we are clones?”
He sat down on his seat and take out a syringe. She knew it right then, he has just set aside his sake again. The very thing he does whenever he has to work on something big.
“I will just need a sample of your blood for this. So, I have something to compared to with the results I have gathered from your last check up.”
“Can I ask you something?” she inquired as he injects her the needle.
“Anything, of course.”
“Have you ever tried to check on your health, too?”
Dean became silent and seems to be heard nothing after hearing her out. He turned to his side and faced his microscope, a cue that she can no longer meddle with his time anymore.
“I did. But I never got the courage to know the results.”
She nodded understandingly and waited patiently in her seat, roaming her eyes around and looking at everything she sees.
“Don’t touch anything,” he instructed when she stood up.
She nodded, though he is not looking back. Knowing that he is no less than Captain Eulysis and Head Eulejius, he surely had a sense as sharp as theirs.
“Can I peeked outside?”
“That is tinted.”
She leaned on the thick-glassed window and looked outside, wanted to know if it is possible for her to attain such peace as well.
Sighed, realized that that too is impossible. She chuckled quietly and shifted her gaze at the kids playing by the river. Their laughter can’t be heard, but she knows they are genuinely happy. Their faces say it all.
She gulped as she composed herself. As time passes by, she can no longer figure out which past does she want to change, which one she would like to go back to.
“Eunice.” She heard the doctor called, made her stopped thinking, and her inner peace be in turmoil.
“Is something wrong with the result?”
“I wouldn’t say that it is normal, as you know, our case is new to science—unless it has already been conducted secretly by the government. Here.”
“Do you always work this fast?”
“Why wouldn’t I? This is the soul of my job. How can I not master my field after years of working on this matter?” He laughed.
From him, her eyes moved to the paper he gave her. Still, she doesn’t fully understand the written test results. She glanced at the man, who is cleaning the things he used.
“What is the meaning of this?”
“Why not figure it out yourself?” He smiled and opened the door. “It is already eleven. You will not make it home at five if you would stay an hour longer here. Not that I am asking you to leave now. It’s just that you are no longer alone in life. Once you have a family, it is no longer the same story. If possible, you have to be home early and be with them in times that you are not busy.”
“Can I have these then?” She took her files.
“That is already yours. Anyway, I always have a copy of those with me.”
The wind is oddly strong when she stepped outside, that she can barely hear the man talking behind her.
“You know, it is always like this here during these months of the year. I often stay inside whenever the weather is like this.”
She refrained herself from grinning when noticed that he changed his way of walking, even his gestures; justifying his pretensions.
“It is really nice to see you again, Doctor Dean. I promise, I will visit you again.” She slipped her calling card in his pocket. “In case you change your mind, call me and I will fetch you as soon as I received your notice.”
“I am looking forward to that, but not yet sooner. Come back anytime you want. I will be waiting.”
A hundred and seventy-two steps, measuring zero-point-seven meter each, that is how far the man’s house is from the road where she has parked her car.
She looked back and see him standing by the gate, waiting for her to leave. He nodded and waved his hand. For a moment, she just wants to go back and force him to come with her instead. But as soon as he entered his house and closed everything, she knows that it will never happen.
—
She gasped as she felt Marco’s hands wrapped around her waist. She leaned her back on his chest as they stared at the clear sky. There is no moon, but there are lots of visible stars.
“Sofia missed you the whole day,” he whispered to her ears, which made her senses be alarmed. “How was your self-time? Did you enjoy it?” he then asked gently.
Eunice held her breath for a moment. That was her alibi—she wants her me-time.
“It was fine. You should have it too sometimes.”
“Why would I? I prefer spending my time with the two of you than wasting it on myself alone.”
She bit her lower lip when she felt his fingers slid inside her nightdress, doing warm wonders on her skin. A soft sigh escaped from her throat, to which was silenced when he covered her lips with his palm.
“Shh.” He laughed quietly. “Not here, love. Not here.” He turned her around and smiled impatiently.