The Queen of the Two Moons

Once again, I want to record things that have happened to me while they are still fresh in my memory. I feel that I am about to embark on another life-changing journey, and I want to remember every detail of it.

After a month of training with the glove, I felt both comfortable and confident using it. To speed up the process, Marco and I temporarily sealed up247 our cottage and moved to one of the houses near the center. The technology worked and it was tweaked248 and improved with every test they took. Even though Marco enjoyed his cinematographic cultural course, he was getting a bit restless, and Albert found some work for him as well. The glove needed to be recharged after each “mission” in order not to take unnecessary energy from me, which could result in extreme fatigue249. Albert designed a portable recharger to be carried around. Its only drawback250 was its weight; it was too heavy for me. Marco was the man for the job, which he accepted gladly.

Apart from the glove testing, we spent a bit of time with Irene and Yana discussing the next step in the mission, which was the actual virus elimination. I remember one sunny October afternoon when we were all sitting outside, enjoying our short break and hot cocoa. I wondered if there were any updates from “the other camp251.”

“What have the bad boys been doing all this time?” I asked Irene and Yana.

“Working on new variants while we’ve been busy on our glove,” Irene said. “People get sick around the world and we’re picking up some disturbing tendences.”

“The good thing is,” Yana said, “with the new little toy Albert invented, theoretically, it does not matter how many variants they’ll produce. The glove’s antiviral impulse isn’t specific to one virus or protein on its surface, so it will destroy new viruses that emerge straight away and will overcome the development of any resistance. Potentially, this technology could make all vaccines obsolete.”

“Sounds lethal” Marco said, gently sipping his hot beverage.

“It is,” Irene said. “So, we want you, Lizzy, to be extra careful while using the glove because we don’t entirely understand whether there are any negative implications on the carrier. Needless to say252, we don’t want it end up in the wrong hands either.”

“It’s been all right so far,” I said. “Apart from slight headaches, I’ve been ok. Besides, Shawna and Latosha are recording every step I take – even when I go the bathroom.”

The lack of privacy was something I had to get used to, but I felt that this little sacrifice was for the right reasons. In a way, it even made me feel protected.

“It’s their job,” Yana said, smiling. “Have you been sleeping well?”

I had mentioned my insomnia to the research team to make sure they had the whole picture of my health situation. I omitted253 the fact of seeing the man in a black kimono… who stopped showing up in my dreams since I started working with the glove.

“I have. Sleeping like a baby,” I said and winked at Marco.

Then Irene showed us the plan that showed the places of virus production Marco and I were going to visit and the details of how we were going to get in. In order not to draw any attention to our mission, it had been decided that it would only be the two of us handling the viruses. We would get some assistance from the Committee’s people on the ground and Albert’s team online.

There were three centers altogether.

I felt both nervous and excited about it. The fact that the Committee trusted us meant a lot to me, but I was not really sure that I was up for the job. Marco seemed to be confident that we could do it and, gradually, his confidence sifted through my uneasiness into my mind, making me feel less worried.

Three centers to go.

According to our “traveling itinerary254” (that’s what Marco called it), our first target was a few hundred kilometers from us. In fact, the place was not too far away from the cave in the Adirondack Mountains where my father had stepped from the green, pulsating ball of light. Marco and I drove there in the minivan that was equipped with all the necessary gear and supplies that we could possibly need during the trip, including a powerful police-edition taser255 and a gun.

The hub256 was situated in a rural area and was hidden behind a green fence with a line of densely planted pine trees behind it along the perimeter. It was impossible to see what was behind the wall, but we were not too worried about that because, thanks to our contact inside, we had a detailed plan of the area, down to the combination of the lock to the room we needed to get into and while Albert and his team would hack specific cameras inside.

We arrived two hours before we were supposed to meet with our contact, Consuela, and parked a few hundred meters away from the entrance point and the security cameras. That gave us enough time to prepare the glove and go over the details of what we were going to do inside and have a light snack. It was getting dark. When we were finishing our sandwiches, a female silhouette appeared in the rear-view mirror with a flashlight. She flicked it three times. That was our contact and the signal for us to disembark257.

Consuela, a pleasant-looking woman in her thirties, was still wearing her working overalls with an embroidered258 with the words “Paws of Love,” the name of the veterinarian research center and our place of business for tonight. She led us to the back door through a patch of pine trees.

“Everyone has gone home,” she said. “I haven’t activated the alarm system yet. I’m supposed to throw away the trash in the large garbage bin outside at the end of each working day.”

“Will the security get suspicious?” Marco asked.

“Nah, I’ve been doing it for some time now for them to get used to it. I would go out for a minute and come back. With each trip, I would just make that minute longer. Speaking of which, we must hurry up.”

We quickened our pace and soon were at the back door. “What about the cameras?” I asked her.

“They won’t you see in this,” she said, led us to a large shopping cart, which looked like a large shopping cart.

We climbed in it and Consuela covered us with a canvas cloth.

“Here we go,” we heard her say as we felt the movement of the cart.

After a few minutes of rattling259 and a short elevator trip, we stopped, and she let us out. We were in the maintenance room260 in the basement of the center.

“Do you know how much time you have?” she asked us.

“Three minutes,” Marco said, remembering the instructions we had received prior to the mission, and pressed a button on the electronic watch Albert had given him, activating the stopwatch. “The cameras in the area will be showing empty corridors for a minute or so, right?”

“That’s what Albert told me, and I hope he’s right.”

Consuela opened the door of the room, peeked outside, and gave a thumbs up. It did not take us a long time – a few turns down the grey-walled corridor – to get to the door we were looking for. We made sure that our faces were not exposed to the camera above the door just in case. The door had a code lock. Marco punched the digits 19260474, and it clicked opened. We quickly entered and shut the door behind us.

We found ourselves in a dimly lit lab261 with two rows of animal cages along the walls. At the other end of the room, there was a big glass container, the size of a refrigerator, with vials in it. It looked remarkably similar to the one I was practicing with back in the center. As we were carefully walking toward the container, I noticed that the cages were not empty. There were different breeds of dogs in them. The animals kept quiet, watching us tiptoeing262 through the room. There was no time to feel anything for the poor creatures that were locked in this dark place. I only hoped that they were not treated badly.

I activated the glove and felt the familiar sensation of the nano needles inside doing their job extracting the power of my blood. I focused on what I was about to do and placed my hand on the container. Thanks to the training, I did not have to use the Mississippi count to know how much time I had. I could feel the impulses of the device and could tell when it was over. My heart was racing, but my brain stayed cool.

“You’re slaying263 the dragon, so keep it together264 until the job’s done,” Albert told me, using his strange metaphors every time I got carried away265 during the practice. Surprisingly, it worked for me when I imagined myself standing in front of a flamethrowing beast. It made me calmer and focused.

I nodded to Marco, who was surveying the place and keeping his eye on266 the door. The dragon was slain. It took a minute and a half, and it was time to leave. I bid a silent farewell to all those creatures in the cages, and we stepped out of the lab.

We returned to the maintenance room where Consuela, already changed into her civilian jeans and hoodie, was waiting for us.

“Change of plans, guys,” she said. “The next security shift came earlier than usual. I won’t be able to push that cart back without them noticing it. So, I’m going to distract them with some ‘Consuela chit- chat’ and you try to leave the place the same way we entered.”

“What about the security cameras?” Marco asked.

“They usually check the recording the next day, provided there were no incidents, but I won’t be returning to work tomorrow to find that out,” she said, smiling. “The job’s done, right?”

We both nodded that it was.

“So, let’s just get the heck out of here nice and easy, all right?”

We could not agree more. We moved out and proceeded to the elevator.

“You take the stairs,” Consuela said, showing us the fire escape door. “They haven’t installed the cameras in there yet. Once you are on Level One, after my signal, turn right and you’ll see the door with the exit sign in about ten meters. That’s your door. You know the code, right?”

We did.

“What’s the signal?” Marco asked.

“I’ll knock three times on the door. Let’s go,” she said and pressed the elevator button.

We took the stairs and waited for her signal to come out when we got to Level One. We heard muffled sounds of a brief conversation and then the three knocks. Marco slowly opened the door and saw Consuela’s back. She was blocking the view of the security guard so that he would not be able to see us behind her. As we stepped in the corridor and started to walk to the exit, the fire escape door shut with a loud squeak267 behind us.

“What was that?” we heard a male voice say. We started running.

“The wind got inside through the ventilation system,” Consuela said, still blocking the view. “Let me go and check.”

“I’ll do it,” the male said, and we heard some rattling noises of a keyring.

“Come on, Bruce.” Consuela was not giving up. “Just stay in your office and I’ll let you know if anything’s up.”

Marco punched the code, and the door opened. In a matter of a second, we were out.

Two centers to go.

The next place on the itinerary was in the center of the city, a three-hour drive from our research and training facility. The lab with viruses was on the top floor of a skyscraper that belonged to one of Dolion’s powerful allies, an extremely rich oil tycoon. It was much trickier to get in, but we also had a person inside, who was in fact one of the security officers. We had to wait for his shift to do the job, which was three days away.

Marco suggested a short vacation. Just the two of us, away from missions and the lab equipment. I thought it was a great idea. After confirming with the team that it was okay, we drove to the ocean shore to get some salt air in our lungs. It felt great to be out, not to think about “work” for a few days. The work part wasn’t hard, but not thinking about our past was much harder. Marco and I had agreed not to bring up268 the subject of our lost partners unless it was absolutely necessary.

When we were facing death in the other world, we’d made a pact to be together no matter what. We’d felt like we owed it to Beth and Mark. They’d sacrificed their lives so that we could live. Human nature, however, is a complicated thing to control. Your heart and your mind do not get along well all the time. I could not help but start comparing subconsciously269 when I looked at Marco. It was amazing how these parallel realities could create identical and yet different people. I wondered if he felt the same way but did my best not to ask him. So, it was a bit of a surprise when Marco asked me if I ever thought about the other Marco.

“I don’t mean to sound jealous or anything, but I sometimes think about Beth. I kind of feel guilty every time I do that, though.”

We were sitting on an old bench a few meters away from the ocean. A couple of seagulls were circling in the sky waiting for someone to throw a piece of bread at them. There were not too many people around on the pier because it was a weekday afternoon, and it was a bit windy. I snuggled up to Marco to keep warm but had to sit straight to look at him in the eyes.

“You shouldn’t feel guilty,” I said. “You too?”

“Yes, I also think about him… sometimes. It’s just we agreed not to…”

“Right. I didn’t want to talk about it, but this place reminded me of the time when we didn’t have to run or eliminate things, you know?”

“Totally,” I said and took his hand in mine. “We should talk about these things.” “You think so?” He looked straight in my eyes.

“I do. There should be nothing unsaid between us. We’re in constant danger as it is, and we might not have too much time, you know?”

“So, truth all the way? Cross your heart?” He stretched his pinky out for a pinky-swear. “I cross my heart.” I smiled and shook his pinky with mine.

“You know what? I just remembered what we used to say as kids when we piggy swore.” “You mean pinky swore?”

“Make friends, make friends. Never ever break friends. If you do, you’ll catch the flu, and that will be the end of you!”270

“Wow, that’s brutal.”

“Kind of scary if you think about it. I just realized it.”

“Do you, um, want to talk about Lizzy?” I asked him after a short pause.

Marco looked at his watch thoughtfully. “Maybe not now,” he said. “I just wanted to know how you’d feel about it if I did.”

“I’d be fine with that.” I snuggled up back to him.

I would love to write more about our holiday. It was wonderful, but short. We had a couple great meals (sea food, white wine, and some long-forgotten mind-blowing271 desserts) and nice walks along the shore. I loved every second of it.

We were back to “the office” on Saturday morning and we were incredibly happy to know that Consuela wasn’t in any danger. The people from Paws of Love attributed272 the virus’s death to some unforeseen natural causes. Go glove!273

“Are you guys afraid of heights?” Albert asked us during the next mission’s briefing. “I am,” Marco said and looked at me. “You?”

“I’m not really,” I said, but then remembered that Mark hadn’t been. We had some crazy trips, involving extreme hiking and roller coasters. I suddenly felt a nag274 to ask whether Beth was but thought better of it. “Why do you ask?” I asked Albert.

“Well, I’m afraid that we’ll have to drop you off on the next destination. I hope you noticed that I used ‘on’ instead of ‘at.’”

We did.

“A helicopter ride, before you ask anything,” he continued. “It’ll be fun. You’ll see the night city from above.”

So, we were slowly turning from superheroes into Mission Impossible characters. I made a mental note to ask Marco who played Tom Cruise’s role in his world.

Meanwhile, Albert was getting into details on how we were going to fly to the place and “fast-rope”275 out of the aircraft onto the roof of a skyscraper. James, the contact guy, was going to disable the security cameras on the roof and unlock the doors. We would have only one shot at this, and James was to leave with us after we were done. To make sure we would not fall off the rope, Albert showed us a few videos of the technique of using a thick rope to slide out of the helicopter. He showed us the heat- resistant gloves we would use to protect our hands from the heat of friction276 while descending.

As I was listening to what we were about to do, it occurred to me that it all sounded as natural as planning to go shopping – something I used to discuss with my girlfriends only six months ago. The thought distracted me for a minute, and it made me miss the life I had… but surprisingly not that much. Was there a way back to what I used to be? Would it be possible to return to the old ways, knowing what I knew now?

“Lizzy?” Albert’s question returned me to the parallel-universe reality. “Do you have any questions?”

“I’m good,” I said and looked at Marco. “Do you have any questions?”

“It’s pretty straightforward, isn’t it? Hop on the chopper, wait until the pilot gives the signal, jump on the roof, do the thing and leave,” he said.

“We’re both good,” I said to Albert and looked at Marco again. “Do you also say ‘chopper’ on Two Moons?”

“No, Albert just used it. We call helicopters whirligigs,” Marco said and made whirling277 gestures with his index finger accompanied by pretty realistic helicopter sounds.

“Whatever you guys call it, you should be on one in two hours, so let’s get ready,” Albert said.

The car ride to the heliport took an hour. There, we found a private small black helicopter, ready to take off. There were two people – the pilot and the assistant. When I got inside, I realized that I had never been in a helicopter before. I suddenly felt a bit nervous, took Marco’s hand and held it tightly. Marco nodded and smiled.

“I’m sure she knows what she’s doing,” he said, pointing to the pilot, who did not identify herself and was quiet during the flight.