Chapter 8: The Original
The words followed Harris all the way to the abandoned train depot.
You are holding her.
He couldn't make sense of them.
Vale had refused to explain in the garage.
He had simply handed Harris a location and disappeared before the tactical team arrived.
Now Harris stood inside the ruined depot with Reed and Ruby beside him.
Old tracks disappeared into darkness.
Rain hammered the broken roof.
“Why would Vale say Amelia is being held by me?”” Reed asked.
“I don't know.””
Ruby tugged Harris's sleeve.
“There's someone there.””
Harris followed her gaze.
A figure stood at the far end of the platform.
A woman.
“Amelia?””
She turned.
Harris's heart stopped.
“Dad.””
He ran.
Amelia stumbled toward him.
He caught her before she fell.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then she buried her face against his chest.
“You came.””
Harris closed his eyes.
“I've been looking for you for nine years.””
“I know.””
“I thought you hated me.””
“I never hated you.””
“Then why did you disappear?””
Amelia pulled away.
“Because the man who came home wasn't you.””
Harris stared at her.
“Tell me.””
Amelia looked toward Ruby.
“Is she safe?””
“Yes.””
She hugged Ruby tightly.
“My baby.””
Ruby began crying.
“I'm sorry, Mom.””
Amelia kissed her hair.
“You did nothing wrong.””
Harris watched them.
Then Amelia looked at him.
“Dad, I need you to remember.””
“I’m trying.””
“No.””
She shook her head.
“You need to remember what happened before Black River.””
Harris frowned.
“I don't remember.””
“You will.””
She reached into her coat and pulled out a small cassette recorder.
“Listen.””
She pressed play.
Static.
Then Harris's own voice.
“If I forget, tell me about the cabin.””
Harris stiffened.
The recording continued.
“If they make me believe I abandoned Amelia, don't trust my memories.””
He stepped backward.
“That's me.””
“Yes.””
“When was this?””
“The night before Black River.””
Amelia stopped the recording.
“There were two plans.””
“What plans?””
“One to stop Crowe.””
“And the other?””
“To protect you.””
Harris stared.
“From whom?””
“From yourself.””
He shook his head.
“That doesn't make sense.””
Amelia took his hand.
“You volunteered for an experimental procedure.””
Reed stepped forward.
“What procedure?””
“Memory duplication.””
Harris looked at him.
“That's impossible.””
“No.””
Amelia shook her head.
“It was a classified military program.””
Harris remembered fragments.
White lights.
A cold metal table.
A voice counting backward.
A headache that lasted for weeks.
“Why?”” he whispered.
“Because you discovered Crowe was planning to steal millions from a covert defense fund.””
Harris closed his eyes.
“And you tried to stop him.””
“Yes.””
“You said someone would take my place.””
Amelia nodded.
“They did.””
Ruby looked confused.
“Who?””
Amelia's eyes filled with tears.
“A genetic duplicate.””
Reed stared.
“You're saying they cloned General Harris?””
“Not exactly.””
Amelia handed him a folder.
Inside were medical records.
*PROJECT MIRROR.*
The objective was to create biological duplicates capable of assuming the identities of high-ranking officers.
Harris turned page after page.
His own DNA.
His own memories.
His own voice.
Someone had built another Daniel Harris.
“And they put him in my life.””
Amelia nodded.
“He was conditioned with your memories.””
Harris's face hardened.
“So everyone thought he was me.””
“Almost everyone.””
“Who knew?””
“Crowe. Vale. Me.””
“And you?””
“I discovered the truth.””
Harris stared at his daughter.
“You were seventeen.””
“I saw you before the operation.””
“And after?””
“You came home.””
She swallowed.
“But you weren't the same.””
Harris felt sick.
“I confronted you.””
Amelia nodded.
“You told me I was lying.””
“I would never—”
“You did.””
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
“You told me to stay away from you.””
Harris looked down.
“I don't remember.””
“I know.””
She touched his face.
“Because you weren't the one who said it.””
Silence.
Ruby suddenly opened her backpack.
“Mom.””
“What?””
Ruby pulled out the metal key.
“I found this.””
Amelia's expression changed.
“Where did you get that?””
“Grandpa gave it to me.””
Amelia looked at Harris.
“You opened Archive 17?””
“Yes.””
“Then they know.””
“Who?””
She didn't answer.
A gunshot cracked through the depot.
The window beside them exploded.
“Down!”” Harris shouted.
He pulled Ruby behind a concrete pillar.
Reed returned fire.
“Sniper!””
Amelia crawled toward Harris.
“Dad!””
“Stay down!””
Another shot.
Then silence.
Reed looked outside.
“No movement.””
Harris checked Ruby.
She was unharmed.
Then he noticed Amelia staring at the ground.
“What?””
She pointed.
A tiny red dot moved across Harris's chest.
“Dad…”
Harris looked down.
The laser sight vanished.
He shoved Ruby aside.
A bullet tore through his shoulder.
He fell.
“Dad!””
Amelia screamed.
Reed fired toward the rooftop.
A shadow disappeared.
Harris pressed his hand against the wound.
“I’m okay.””
Amelia stared at the blood.
“No, you're not.””
Then footsteps echoed through the depot.
Slow.
Measured.
A man stepped out of the darkness.
Daniel Harris.
The other Daniel.
He wore the same uniform.
Same face.
Same scar.
But unlike Harris, he wasn't bleeding.
He smiled.
“Amelia.””
She stepped backward.
“Don't.””
The duplicate looked at Harris.
“You finally found out.””
Harris struggled to stand.
“Who are you?””
The man smiled.
“You.””
“No.””
“Yes.””
“You're a copy.””
The man's expression hardened.
“I'm the one who carried your memories.””
He looked at Amelia.
“I remembered loving you.””
Then his gaze returned to Harris.
“And I remembered something you don't.””
Harris raised his weapon.
“What?””
The duplicate's smile disappeared.
“You were the one who ordered Black River.””
Harris froze.
“That’s a lie.””
The duplicate stepped closer.
“Ask your daughter.””
Harris looked at Amelia.
She was crying.
“Amelia?””
She couldn't meet his eyes.
“Tell me.””
May you like
She whispered:
“He's telling the truth.””
