Of Dual Mind

By E. A. Rappaport

Veteran cop Pierce wants to retire to a peaceful family life on the neighboring planet.
Jade lives on the fringe of society, branded a terrorist after clashing with the local government over necessities.
With damaging ion storms increasing in frequency and intensity, the two adversaries become involved in a dangerous plot to destroy the largest triuranium mine on the moon, before the deadly radiation wipes out the colonists.

• Language: English
• Publisher: E. A. Rappaport
• Release date: Nov 6, 2023
• ISBN: 9781941042267

E. A. Rappaport

E. A. Rappaport graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology with degrees in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering. He works as a software engineer for a financial services consulting firm in New York City. Rappaport co-founded StatCard Entertainment, the first company to combine smart card technology with trading cards and internet games. He is a lifelong resident of Orange, CT.

Book preview

Chapter I

Pierce wondered if death was supposed to be like this. Nothing to see, nothing to feel, nothing to hear… except for an incessant ringing in his ears.

Struggling to think, he recalled traveling by train when an explosion had engulfed him in a blinding light, followed by utter darkness. Nobody could have survived such an enormous blast, yet he wasn’t dead.

A mound of debris must have buried him because he couldn’t move, and he wasn’t alone. Someone he knew had been on the train with him.

Jade? Jade! Can you hear me? he called out as pale images formed above him.

Who was he kidding, shouting for her? A second survivor was impossible. One miracle was enough. He shivered, longing to be in bed, covered by a warm blanket. High above, the planet’s rings filtered out the weak sunlight. The falling temperature meant night was approaching. Tomorrow would be warmer after the planet had set, but that wouldn’t help him tonight. He grumbled at the idea of succumbing to the elements after surviving the blast.

Pierce? Is that you? Jade’s voice was clear but deeper than he remembered.

His heart almost thumped through his chest. A medibot must have patched them up if they’d both cheated death, but he didn’t recall seeing one on the train.

Yes, it’s me, he replied. Blurry shapes appeared as partial vision returned to one eye. You sound close. Where are you?

I’m not sure. Jade’s voice wavered. I can’t see anything, and I can’t move. Why can’t I move? What’s happening?

I promise we’ll get out of here.

He squirmed to free one hand, but something didn’t seem right. If the explosion had buried him, it should have been difficult to breathe, yet nothing pressed against his chest. The medibot must have dug him out before patching him up.

His right hand tingled as he curled his fingers into a fist, but his left arm must have been broken, or worse. He had zero sensation in it, as if it didn’t exist. The explosion had probably blown it off, making him wonder what other parts of his body were gone. It wouldn’t matter in a few hours if he couldn’t reach safety. Between the cold and a potential ion storm, he and Jade wouldn’t survive prolonged exposure to the elements.

I can only move my right arm, he said. Can you scoot closer?

I’ll crawl toward your voice.

A shuffling noise came from nearby but quickly died down.

My right arm won’t respond, said Jade. Like it’s pinned down, but nothing’s on top of it. If that blast buried us, why didn’t we die? Now we’ll suffer here for hours until we freeze.

No, we’re going to survive. Reach for me with your free hand. From the sound of your voice, you must be close.

It’s just the echo down here.

We’re not underground. Pierce still couldn’t open both eyes, but he wasn’t in total darkness. Those are stars sparkling through the planet’s rings.

I see them. Keep talking. I’ll find you.

So you can move now? One of them had to break free of whatever held them down. I’m stuck, but I can’t tell what’s pressing down on me.

My left arm’s free, said Jade, and I can move my left leg.

Pierce wiggled the toes on his right foot, but his left side still wouldn’t respond. It couldn’t have been a coincidence that they controlled opposite sides of their bodies.

Are you able to crawl yet? he asked, trying to free his right arm. One of us has to move before it gets too cold.

He brushed his fingers across his face.

Only half my body works. You sound like you’re on top of me. Jade grunted. What’s going on? Where are you?

Jade, my mouth was moving when you spoke. Like you were talking through my lips.

How could that be?

I feel something on my face, she said. His mouth formed each word she spoke. Is it your hand?

A disturbing thought crossed Pierce’s mind, causing him to shudder.

We’re sharing a single body.

You must be mistaken. Jade moaned. It’s impossible. Just horrible.

Pierce understood her distress. If they inhabited a single body, their lives would be difficult, if not impossible. As distinct people, they had their own emotions and goals, but existing in one body would remove their identities. He’d had enough issues being himself, forget about adding another person’s troubles. Perhaps they should lie still and allow death to solve their problem. It would be easier, but he’d never give up when others depended upon him.How else can we both speak through my mouth? he asked.

There has to be another explanation.

Either way, we need shelter. Try to sit up.

As his head rose from the ground, a dim light appeared–the dying flames from the wreckage. The train’s remnants dotted the mountainside beside a gigantic chasm that had replaced Alpha Mine.

With his head moving on its own, Pierce’s theory seemed correct. Jade controlled their core and left side, while he could move their right arm and right leg. To reach civilization, they’d have to learn how to walk, but this time, the prize wasn’t a parent’s hug. They’d merely avoid a cold, lonely death.

Should we try standing? he asked, still wobbling from their brief attempt at sitting.

I was thinking the same thing. Not too fast, or we’ll—

They collapsed onto already sore limbs, but they had to succeed. If standing was too difficult, they’d never make it to safety.

Let’s kneel first, said Jade. Then we’ll find something to pull ourselves up.

There’s nothing here. Keep us steady while I push from the right side. We have to succeed.

Following his suggestion, they reached their knees after a tremendous effort, but with no sensation in half of his body, Pierce expected to tumble at any moment. He grumbled at the thought of being so helpless.

Are you ready to stand? asked Jade.

It doesn’t matter if I’m ready, he said. We won’t survive another hour out here.

Although sitting up felt strange, standing was far worse. Every second on his feet, Pierce teetered to the side until an invisible force propped him up. If that force ever faltered, the ground would happily slap him in the face. Fortunately, Jade kept her side steady, and they stood in the dark, adjusting to their bizarre new condition.

Those flashing lights are from the train. Pierce held his arm up for balance. I can’t believe we’re so far from the wreckage. The medibot must have moved us. Where is that thing?

We can find it later. Let’s start walking before we collapse again.

Crawling might get us there faster.

I’m not an infant, said Jade. Move your leg.

Their first step sent them back into the dirt, forcing them to cover the remaining distance on hands and knees. The jagged ground tore Pierce’s skin and clothing, but he persisted. After a brutal twenty meters, his bloody palm was grateful to reach the train car. The short crawl across the rocky terrain gave Pierce a newfound appreciation for his thick-soled boots, issued by the police force.

A few meters away, the train was a mangled steel knot, but the damage would be irrelevant once they were safely inside. They’d cover any openings with debris and wait out the chilly night in relative safety. The solid metal over their head would protect them from both ion storms and freezing temperatures.

Here’s the entrance. Pierce stretched his arm to open the door but fell forward when it wasn’t within reach. It’s farther than I thought. Only a few steps more.

Jade wiped her palm on their shirt. Let’s crawl. I need some rest before trying to stand again.

No rest before calling for help. This shelter is temporary.

The communications equipment was with us in the front car. I’m sure the blast destroyed it.

It might have escaped the explosion, said Pierce. We made it through in one piece.

Did we, though?

He inched toward the car, dragging Jade along. The rising planet cast just enough light to display a weak reflection off the train’s smooth side. A repulsive creature stared back at him with patches of stringy hair dotting its head, a thin upper lip overshadowing a swollen lower one, a nose tilted sideways. Thankfully, bandages covered most of its face.

Pierce turned his head aside, only to find his gaze drawn back to the hideous image. Jade couldn’t resist looking. He brought his arm up to cover her eye but stopped when the reflection’s hand matched the movement of his own. The abomination, mimicking his motions, was him.

The creature’s other arm moved up to its face and stroked its cheek, flirting with the bandages. Pierce pulled the hand away, dreading what was hidden beneath the stained cloth.

That can’t be me, Jade said as a tear rolled down from her bruised eye.

It’s us for now. We’ll figure how to separate ourselves later, but first we have to close any openings and search for supplies.

He stepped toward the door, but Jade remained focused on the reflection. His other foot refused to move, no matter how much he wanted it to.

Don’t look at that thing. He tried to pull her away, but she wouldn’t yield.

It’s not a thing, she murmured. It’s us.

Either way, we need protection–fast. We’ll survive this night.

One more tug convinced her to abandon their reflection. They crawled to the train and pried the door open with a metal bar. Inside, they sealed three cracked windows with scrap metal from the wreck and bandages from their body. Their makeshift patches didn’t fit perfectly but would hold for a few hours.

What now? asked Jade.

Help should arrive soon.

Such an enormous explosion would bring a quick response, especially when the supply of triuranium was affected.

But we can’t just sit here. We’ll be thrown in prison for our involvement, if the cops don’t shoot us on sight.

They wouldn’t fire at unarmed targets, Pierce said, wondering if that were true. The police considered Jade and him terrorists and would treat them as dangerous criminals. We’ll walk to the nearest settlement.

It’s a day’s journey to the nearest outsiders, she said, assuming we were experienced hikers with proper equipment. We’d never survive, especially if an ion storm hits.

Do you have a better suggestion?

As soon as it’s light, she said, we’ll find communications equipment and radio my people. If nothing’s salvageable in the front car, we can gather what’s left from the mine, and I’ll cobble something together to get a signal out. Then we hide until they get here.

A wave of pain shot through his half of their body. He clenched his teeth until it passed, hoping it wasn’t as intense for her.

The medibot’s anesthesia is losing its effectiveness, he said. I can’t think anymore.

Jade must have felt the same, because they fell and hit their head against the wall. Maybe this had been a terrible dream. After a peaceful nap, he’d wake up in control of his own body again. As he drifted off, he recalled the events leading up to this disaster.

Chapter II

The pale wisps of Sybin’s rings obscured most of the dark sky. Hidden behind the rising planet was its second moon, Sybin Two, barely more than a floating speck of dust. Pierce had lived on Sybin One his entire life, and although humans had colonized dozens of fascinating planets over the past two hundred years, he was stuck on this desolate rock.

Bright numbers replaced the night scene on his ceiling, causing Pierce to jump up in his bunk and bump his head. He rubbed the sore spot, struggling to believe morning had already arrived. It felt as if he’d just gotten into bed. The large numbers on the ceiling grew brighter every second, the walls shifting from black to light gray. Another day had arrived.

Hurry up. Nick’s voice was louder than it should have been. You won’t be ruining my on-time record for a few more minutes dreaming of the future.

Pierce glanced at the wall, wondering if he should convert a small section into a window. He left it alone, knowing he’d see enough of the city on the job today. A swipe of his arm pushed the numbers onto the wall as a dim glow lit the room. As he swung his legs over the bed, a quick peek at the bottom bunk confirmed that Nick had already straightened the covers. Another swipe of Pierce’s hand replaced the clock with a local news broadcast.

Can you believe that ion storm yesterday? asked one anchor.

I know, said the other. They’re more frequent nowadays.

A man and a woman always delivered the same information. Each shift must have featured different people, but Pierce couldn’t tell them apart. Dressed in neutral tones, with no variation from one broadcast to the next, they blended into a generic news team.

Luckily, there were no casualties.

That’s what the energy shield is for.

The producers could have replaced them with cheap robots. Even the banter seemed scripted, but watching the Planetary News wouldn’t have been any better. Pierce had heard enough stories about government corruption and greed. Nobody was ever happy.

With another gesture, he replaced the news with a cheery picture of trees and flowers in a green field, a welcome but unrealistic image. Sybin One was barren, apart from the occasional small bush hiding under a rocky overhang. If Pierce stared at the idyllic scene long enough, however, he could imagine being there. He sighed.

I’m gonna leave without you, Nick called out.

All right. All right. I’m up.

Pierce hopped into the bathroom and started the hot water with a flick of his wrist. Another flick turned the wall above the sink into a mirror. A shoulder-length patch of hair draped over his left eye, while the right side was shaved as short as Nick’s. The long strands weren’t within regulations, but until his boss, Ruby, forced him to comply, he’d leave them hanging as a reminder of his individuality. He grabbed a razor from a drawer across the room. After one pass across his stubble and a splash of water, he was ready to don his uniform.

As part of the city’s law enforcement team, Pierce owned a limited selection of outfits. He could pull a gray shirt and black pants from his dresser blindfolded. Although many fellow officers augmented their uniforms with custom tech, from tiny cameras to powerful exoskeletons, Pierce didn’t bother. Every day was like the previous one, every assignment monotonous. He threw on some clothes and stepped into the compact kitchen.

Nick was finishing a bowl of nondescript mush at a table barely large enough for one person. Meal’s on the counter.

Pierce could have added flavor or color to his protein suspension, but bland and colorless was just as healthy and cost far less. The more he saved, the sooner he’d get off this moon. He squeezed past Nick and dug into his breakfast, trying to convince himself it tasted good.

You’re just in time. Nick licked his spoon. I was about to leave.

Have I ever let you down? Pierce asked between bites.

There’s always a first.

The same newscast was playing on the kitchen wall, and the anchors had gotten into their daily argument about corruption in the government. Pierce couldn’t keep track of who backed the conspiracy theories and who defended the politicians. They probably changed sides every few days, anyway.

Nick cleaned his spot at the table and shuffled to the door. Finish that bite. We’re going.

Pierce swallowed the last gummy spoonful, returned his bowl to the sanitizing drawer, and left the apartment.

Outside, people streamed between glass and metal buildings to the nearest maglev platform. Most of them were citizens, but some might have been outsiders, an unruly group that lived beyond the city limits. Although the maglev was a short walk away, Nick kept a quick pace to avoid missing his ride. The train ran on a tight schedule, and the cold wasn’t helping. Pierce pulled his jacket tighter as he gazed up at Sybin’s rings.

It’ll still be there tomorrow, said Nick, but my spotless record won’t be.

So walk faster. I’ll keep up.

He increased his pace to match Nick’s, but his eyes remained on the planet above. One day, he’d retire to a home in the woods. It would be more expensive than living