Chapter 9: The Woman Who Called Herself Emma
Emma lowered the phone slowly.
No one spoke.
The hidden room seemed to shrink around them.
The tiny green light beneath the desk continued blinking.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Sophie noticed it.
"So they heard her.""
Emma looked at the light.
"Who?""
Sophie didn't answer.
Daniel stepped toward the desk.
He reached beneath it and pulled out a small black device.
A recorder.
He crushed it against the floor.
The green light went dark.
Ethan stared at him.
"That won't stop the transmission.""
"Then what will?""
"Leaving.""
Daniel looked toward the tunnel entrance.
The pounding above had stopped.
That was worse.
"They're waiting.""
Sophie nodded.
"They know the exits.""
Emma looked at her.
"Who was that woman on the phone?""
Sophie looked away.
"You heard her.""
"I heard my voice.""
"You heard someone using your voice.""
Emma's eyes narrowed.
"No. She sounded exactly like me.""
Sophie nodded.
"That's what they wanted.""
Daniel stepped closer.
"Where did you get that phone?""
"From them.""
"When?""
"Before you arrived.""
"What did they tell you?""
Sophie hesitated.
"They said if I couldn't bring you to them, they would bring her to you.""
Emma felt a chill.
"Who is 'her'?""
Sophie looked directly at her.
"Your replacement.""
The room went silent.
Emma swallowed.
"My replacement?""
Sophie nodded.
"The woman you've been remembering.""
Daniel's face hardened.
"That's impossible.""
"You know it isn't.""
"No.""
"You've seen her.""
"That's a manipulated memory.""
Sophie stepped closer.
"Not all of them.""
Emma stared at her.
"Explain.""
Sophie took a photograph from the desk and placed it in Emma's hands.
It showed a hospital hallway.
Emma recognized herself immediately.
But beside her was another woman with the same face.
They were standing only a few feet apart.
One of them was holding a newborn.
The other was holding a clipboard.
Emma looked closer.
There was a scar beneath the other woman's chin.
A small crescent-shaped mark.
Emma touched her own chin.
No scar.
"What is this?""
Sophie said, "You were separated.""
"From whom?""
"From yourself.""
Emma felt her knees weaken.
Daniel caught her.
"Don't listen.""
She pulled away.
"I need the truth.""
Sophie pointed to the photograph.
"They created a copy.""
Ethan shook his head.
"Not a copy.""
Sophie looked at him.
"You know what she was called.""
Ethan's expression darkened.
"Subject Zero.""
Emma stared.
"Who?""
"The first successful memory replica.""
Daniel whispered,
"They said it wasn't possible.""
Ethan looked at him.
"They were wrong.""
Emma couldn't take her eyes off the photograph.
"Are you saying that woman is me?""
Sophie shook her head.
"She's made from you.""
Emma's breathing became shallow.
"Why?""
"Because your memories survived the procedure.""
Ethan continued quietly.
"They couldn't erase what you knew. So they took the memories out another way.""
Emma looked at Daniel.
"And you knew?""
Daniel shook his head.
"Not everything.""
"You knew enough.""
"I knew they were trying to recreate you.""
"Why?""
"To keep the memories alive.""
Emma looked sick.
"What memories?""
Ethan answered.
"The location of the original program.""
Emma looked around the underground room.
"This?""
"No.""
He pointed deeper into the tunnel.
"The first facility.""
Sophie nodded.
"The place where Sophie disappeared.""
Emma stared at her.
"You were there?""
"I was born there.""
Emma's eyes widened.
"So was Lily?""
"No.""
Sophie looked toward Lily.
"Lily was born at the hospital.""
"But you said we were twins.""
"We were.""
Emma felt the contradiction slam into her.
"Then how can you say you were born there?""
Sophie looked at Daniel.
"Because one of us was born there.""
Daniel whispered,
"Stop.""
Sophie didn't.
"Lily was the child they returned to Emma.""
Emma froze.
"What?""
Sophie continued.
"I wasn't.""
Emma's eyes filled with tears.
"You said Lily was my daughter.""
"She is.""
"Then what are you?""
Sophie looked at her.
"Your daughter.""
Emma couldn't understand.
"There can only be two.""
Sophie nodded.
"That's what you were supposed to believe.""
Ethan suddenly moved to the door.
"Someone's coming.""
Everyone went silent.
Footsteps entered the tunnel.
Slow.
Measured.
A woman's voice followed.
"Emma?""
Emma froze.
The voice was hers.
Not through a speaker.
Not through a phone.
Right outside.
"Emma, sweetheart.""
Daniel lifted his gun.
Sophie whispered,
"That's her.""
The footsteps stopped.
Then the door opened.
A woman stepped inside.
Emma stared at her.
Same face.
Same hair.
Same eyes.
But the other Emma wore a pale gray coat and had a thin scar beneath her chin.
She smiled gently.
"Hello.""
Lily screamed.
"That's not Mom!""
The other woman looked at her.
"Of course I am.""
Emma stepped backward.
"No.""
The woman looked at Daniel.
"You took so long.""
Daniel raised his gun.
"Stay back.""
She smiled.
"You still don't recognize me?""
"I know what you are.""
"You know what they told you.""
Ethan aimed his weapon.
"Don't move.""
The woman sighed.
"You always were predictable, Ethan.""
He stiffened.
"You know me.""
"I remember everything you forgot.""
Emma looked at her.
"What is your name?""
The woman smiled.
"Emma.""
"No.""
"You don't own the name.""
"Who named you?""
"Elena.""
Emma's stomach turned.
"The woman from the hospital.""
"Yes.""
"Where is she?""
The woman looked toward the tunnel.
"Closer than you think.""
A sudden explosion shook the room.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
The lights went out.
Lily screamed.
Daniel grabbed Emma.
"Ethan!""
"I'm here.""
"Get Lily.""
"I'm on it.""
In the darkness, the second Emma spoke.
"Do you know why they built me?""
Emma heard her own breathing.
"To replace me.""
"No.""
The woman's voice came from somewhere very close.
"To remember for you.""
Emma felt fingers close around her wrist.
She jerked away.
The emergency light flashed on.
The second Emma stood inches away.
Her expression was no longer gentle.
"Everything they removed from you went into me.""
Emma stared.
"Then why don't I remember?""
"Because you were never supposed to.""
Sophie stepped between them.
"Don't touch her.""
The other Emma looked at Sophie.
"You really don't know who you are.""
Sophie flinched.
"You know exactly who I am.""
"No.""
The woman smiled.
"You were never Sophie.""
Emma looked at the girl.
"What?""
The woman continued.
"Sophie died nine years ago.""
Daniel's face went rigid.
"Don't.""
"She died in the original facility.""
Sophie shook her head.
"You're lying.""
The woman pointed at her.
"Ask her about the scar.""
Emma stared at Sophie's neck.
There was a faint mark beneath her hair.
A small crescent.
Exactly like the scar on the other Emma.
Emma's heart stopped.
Sophie touched it.
"It's nothing.""
The other Emma laughed.
"That's what they told you.""
Emma whispered,
"What did they do to you?""
Sophie backed away.
"I don't know.""
"You do.""
"I don't.""
"You were reconstructed.""
Sophie stared at her.
"What?""
The woman stepped closer.
"They took Sophie's surviving memories after her body died.""
Emma felt sick.
"No.""
"They put them into a new body.""
Daniel shook his head.
"That's impossible.""
The other Emma looked at him.
"You've seen the proof.""
Daniel's eyes dropped.
Emma noticed.
"You knew.""
"I suspected.""
"You knew.""
"I couldn't be certain.""
Emma turned toward Sophie.
"Are you really Sophie?""
Sophie looked at her.
Tears filled her eyes.
"I don't know.""
The answer broke something inside Emma.
She rushed toward her and pulled her into a hug.
Sophie stiffened.
Then collapsed against her.
"I remember your hands," she whispered.
Emma held her tighter.
"I remember your voice.""
Daniel watched them.
The other Emma stared silently.
Then the alarms began.
Ethan looked toward the tunnel.
"We have maybe thirty seconds.""
"Until what?""
"The facility seals.""
Emma looked at the second woman.
"Come with us.""
Daniel stared at her.
"What?""
"She knows where Elena is.""
The woman smiled.
"You really haven't changed.""
Emma turned.
"What do you mean?""
"You always choose to save everyone.""
A blast sounded above them.
The tunnel ceiling cracked.
Concrete began collapsing.
Ethan shouted,
"Move!""
They ran.
Emma dragged Lily by the hand.
Daniel carried a terrified Sophie.
Ethan followed.
The second Emma stayed behind.
Emma looked back.
"Come!""
The woman didn't move.
"Why?""
"Because you're going to die.""
She smiled.
"Not me.""
Another section of ceiling collapsed between them.
Emma screamed.
"We'll come back!""
The woman's face remained calm.
"Don't.""
Dust swallowed her.
They reached the end of the tunnel and burst into an abandoned maintenance building behind the Mercer property.
Rain hammered the roof.
Emma bent over, gasping.
Lily clung to her.
Daniel lowered Sophie carefully.
Ethan looked toward the house.
"Something's wrong.""
Emma followed his gaze.
Every light in the Mercer home was on.
Every window.
Even the attic.
A figure stood behind the upstairs glass.
A woman.
Watching them.
Emma's face went cold.
"Elena.""
Ethan nodded.
Then every light in the house shut off at once.
The front door opened.
A silhouette stepped onto the porch.
A woman's voice carried through the rain.
"Emma.""
She paused.
"Bring me the girl.""
Lily grabbed Emma's hand.
Daniel raised his weapon.
Sophie stared at the house.
And then she whispered the one thing that made everyone freeze.
"That's not Elena.""
Emma looked at her.
"Who is it?""
Sophie swallowed.
"I don't know.""
The woman on the porch lifted her face toward the rain.
For one brief flash of lightning, Emma saw her clearly.
She had Emma's face.
But beneath her chin was a crescent-shaped scar.
Then the woman smiled.
May you like
And Emma realized there wasn't one replacement.
There were two.
