Chapter 11 - THE MAN WHO STOLE MY LIFENo one moved.
My double looked at me with the calm certainty of someone who had already won.
“You're not Daniel.”
I laughed.
It came out empty.
“I know who I am.”
He smiled.
“That's what they programmed you to believe.”
I looked at Sarah.
She was crying.
“You knew?”
She nodded.
“How long?”
“Seven years.”
My double stepped closer.
“Seven years ago, Daniel Mercer died.”
“No.”
“His neural pattern was transferred.”
“To who?”
My double touched his chest.
“Me.”
I looked at Lily.
She was staring at both of us.
Then she said:
“Daddy is Daddy.”
My double turned toward her.
“You're confused.”
Lily shook her head.
“I remember.”
“What do you remember?”
“That you were angry.”
My double's smile vanished.
“You were afraid of the fire.”
He took one step toward her.
I stepped between them.
“Don't touch my daughter.”
He looked at me.
“That reaction is exactly why I was created.”
“For what?”
“To replace you.”
He opened his jacket.
A scar ran down his chest.
Identical to one I had.
I touched my own.
“How?”
“Same body.”
I stared.
“You're saying we're genetically identical?”
“More than that.”
He smiled.
“We share your memories.”
“Then why don't I remember you?”
“Because yours were removed.”
David stepped forward.
“Enough.”
The double glanced at him.
“You always were the sentimental one.”
David raised his gun.
“Where's Anthony?”
“Dead.”
Everyone froze.
“When?”
“Tonight.”
“Who killed him?”
The double looked at Sarah.
“She did.”
Sarah shook her head.
“I had no choice.”
My double laughed.
“Everyone always says that.”
Then the baby began crying.
Lily looked toward him.
“He remembers the fire.”
I walked over.
The infant stared at me.
Then suddenly began laughing.
A cold feeling ran through me.
“What does he remember?”
Lily whispered:
“Grandpa wasn't the one who started the fire.”
I turned toward Sarah.
“Who did?”
She didn't answer.
David looked terrified.
“Daniel…”
“What?”
He looked at the basement door.
“You need to see this.”
We descended.
Under the kitchen was a massive underground chamber.
Walls covered in photographs.
My life.
Sarah's life.
Lily's life.
Noah's life.
And one more.
My double.
At the center was a timeline.
Birth.
Marriage.
Lily.
Fire.
Memory transfer.
Replacement.
Then the final entry.
MERCER PRIME: ACTIVATION
Tomorrow.
I pointed at it.
“What happens tomorrow?”
David looked at the screen.
“The system goes public.”
“What system?”
He hesitated.
“Lucent isn't just a facility.”
The screen began counting down.
23:59:47.
23:59:46.
“What is it?”
David whispered:
“It's a network.”
The screens around us switched on.
Thousands of people appeared.
Doctors.
Executives.
Politicians.
Military officers.
Celebrities.
All wearing identical silver bracelets.
My blood ran cold.
“What the hell am I looking at?”
David stared.
“The subjects.”
Then a final screen appeared.
A satellite image.
Chicago.
I remembered my canceled trip.
The acquisition.
Vespera.
All of it.
David looked at me.
“Chicago wasn't a business meeting.”
“What was it?”
“It was the activation site.”
The countdown continued.
23:58:02.
Then Lily screamed.
She had found a document on the table.
She handed it to me.
I read the title.
SUBJECT 000: DANIEL MERCER.
My name.
Below it was a photograph.
May you like
And beneath the photograph:
ORIGINAL SUBJECT STATUS: DECEASED.
