Chapter 2
Spite and Malice:
At the beginning of each game a deck (or in this case, two decks) of cards is divided equally between all the players. The cards are then stacked face-down in front of you, with only the top one turned up. Then another deck (or two) is used to play the game. The goal is to be the first to play all the cards you were dealt with in the beginning. But because everyone knows what you needed to play your card, they can easily play their cards so you can't. Therefore: Spite and Malice.
Though it seems easy enough, the game is great fun and just the teensiest bit addictive. Especially after a few shots of Radek's moonshine. By now everybody around the conference table were a bit worse for wear. But the game continued.
At one end of the table Carson and Duncan Beckett were singing 'Danny Boy.' Gravity had proven a worthy adversary, therefore the two of them were leaning – as far as they know – against each other while trying to sing, play and drink at the same time. At the best of times men weren't designed to do three things at once, so by this time about the only thing they were doing well was the drinking. Neither one had touched their cards in four rounds; and had the rest of the men been in any condition to notice, they would have heard the two Becketts singing the song badly at the top of their lungs. They made the same mistakes at the same time, causing a cacophony unlike anything Atlantis has ever been subjected to.
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Two Becketts. That was the crux of their existence. Carson was aware Sitnalta had probably saved his life two years ago when she had warned him about the explosive tumours in Houston and Watson. No wonder he had much to smile about. Of course another part of it was that he and Laura Cadman were now officially a couple. He had known she liked him, but he had wanted to take it slow – not to get involved with people he worked with. Unfortunately that was all there was: people he worked with. Besides, he had learned how fragile life was; especially out here in the Pegasus galaxy.
And then they had found the other Carson Beckett.
It was unsettling to look at another person and to see yourself. Some people thought it was like seeing a reflection, but it wasn't. No person's face is symmetrical, so the face you saw in the mirror was not the face everybody else saw. They saw your face; you saw a reflection of your face. Most people can go through life blissfully unaware of the difference. Perhaps models and actors know the difference – they usually knew quite a lot about their appearance – but the rest of the populace usually didn't even realise therewasa difference.
But the other Beckett wasn't a reflection: it washe. He was not a twin that had slight differences, nor a reflection. The other Beckett wasexactlythe same and it was this distinction of sameness that was unsettling.
Also: they shared the same memories. Well, the year between the other Beckett's creation and the day they found him differed, but the rest were the same. And once more the memories were exactly the same.
No wonder it was unsettling. It would be, wouldn't it? And from the start the two of them were faced with the one important existential dilemma: did the clone have any right to the life of Carson Beckett? They were essentially the same person, only Carson got to be it first.
No wonder the other Beckett had gone to work on different planets as soon as he could.
Strange, it had been Laura that had pointed out to him that he was being unfair to the other Beckett. She had set him down one evening and talked to him at great length. It had not been a very pleasant evening, for sure. But she had said a number of things that he had needed to hear.
First, she had pointed out to him – as others had, but she wasvery convincing – that it was nobody's fault. It was not like the other Beckett had chosen to exist. Second, from the start the other had insisted he was not going to live Carson's life. He had wanted to be himself, no matter what that cost.
Last she had told him he was wasting a wonderful opportunity. Most people would love to find a long lost twin out there, and in many ways he had. He ought to give the other Beckett a chance.
By that time people had started to call the other Beckett 'Duncan.' Duncan Beckett. Carson wasn't really sure why, but the other one seemed to like the idea of it.
And so a tentative friendship had started between the two Becketts – as they were soon being called. But now, nearly a year later, that friendship had bloomed to a point where they were as close as any two brothers. Perhaps even closer: brothers often didn't understand one another, but the two Becketts understood perfectly why the other made certain choices.
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The song finally came to an end. Duncan hiccupped on the last note, but it seemed as if Carson hardly noticed. By now he had started on another round of 'Danny Boy.' Duncan joined him, but because of the hiccup was now a second behind Carson. It didn't matter. In two voices – the same voice – they continued their duet, sounding more like one man standing on a cliff; singing with his echo. It was a good thing no one else paid them any attention.