The old building across the way from the police station stood as a relic of another era. It's tenements had been abandoned years prior and it's structure had fallen into disrepair. On one of the upper floors, one of the many indistinguishable windows amongst the multitude served as a look out post for someone watching the police station intently. The man was average build and dressed as any ordinary citizen would be. He wore a ragged baseball cap and dusty pants. Around his neck hung a heavy pair of binoculars and in his hand a sophisticated walky talky. He paced back and forth, never taking his eyes off the front entrance of the station.
"Eagle eyes, do you copy?" crackled a voice over the walky talky.
"Yea this is Eagle Eyes…" answered the man.
"What's the news?" asked the raspy voice.
"Our two boys hit a misfire the first time. I got em' waitin down below for my signal. We tailed the cops back to the station and saw em' bring in the package. But just a few minutes ago I saw another two guys walk in and one of em' fit the description of the target as well. I couldn't get a definite fix because he was wearing sunglasses, dressed in civies." answered the man with a patient voice.
"So now your telling me we've got two guys in the police station that fit the description of our target. Ok this is what you do, this is an opportunity we can't pass up, one of them has got to be our target. The first one you see coming out of the station, you ignite him…do you copy."
"What if it's the wrong one?" asks Eagle Eyes.
"Let me deal with that." says the walky talky in a sinister tone.
Eagle Eyes just smiles evilly "Roger that."
Meanwhile down below the two men who had fired upon the crowd earlier in the brown car, sit hidden in a parking garage across the way. The driver holds an identical walky talky and listens as Eagle Eye's voice comes over the device.
"Ok boys, we've got our orders. When I give you the signal you do a drive by and light em' up. This is your last chance, you screw up on this one and it's both your asses. We owe it to Mother Canada to get this one right." says Eagle Eyes over the radio.
The driver of the brown car just nods and looks at his passenger who holds an M-16 Full Automatic at the ready "We copy that Eagle Eyes."
Colonel Chavez sits quietly behind the table, still handcuffed. It had been about thirty minutes since the two cops who had interrogated him had left the room mockingly laughing at him. He was getting anxious as was evident by his constant tapping of his foot on the floor. A million different thoughts were running through his mind as he tried to process the day's events. Not more than a few hours ago he was leading a normal life that somehow felt empty to him. He longed for something more, he longed for purpose and meaning. What Jason Chavez yearned for most, was greater truth. Now he sat in a police station, accused of impersonating the leader of the free world in another dimension.
"Well one thing is for sure Professor, you sure delivered on your promises." he said in a low tone, a chuckle escaping his throat.
At that moment the door slowly opened and in walked one of the officers that had interviewed him, a young black man and someone that made his senses freeze up. In walked President Chavez, his older alter ego on this universe. Jason swallowed hard and blinked in disbelief.
President Chavez has a similar reaction and just stares blankly for a few moments, quite unable to come to grips with what he's seeing. Sitting at the table, in handcuffs is himself, twenty years younger "My God, it's like looking back in time. I must say I am impressed."
Jason looks up to his double and nods in agreement "Ditto."
The President gains more composure and narrows his eyes a bit. He than retrieves a chair and places it a few feet in front of the table. With ease he sits down and leans over, looking into the eyes of his younger self "So I'll bite, just who or what the hell are you?'
Jason himself gains more self composure and intakes a sharp breath "I think we've established that…I'm you."
The President now becomes angered as his fists tighten up " The Maples sent you didn't they. I know what you are, your some kind of genetic clone, or a robot or something. Your nothing but a damn abomination."
Jason remains stone serious "None of the above."
The President rises up from his chair as his agitation continues to escalate and address the policeman "I want you to tell me what in living hell this thing is!" he shouts pointing directly at Jason.
"Sir the only info that we've gotten from him so far is some wacko sci-fi story about alternate twins and dimensions or what not." says the officer, his voice exasperated.
"Look I'm from an alternate dimen…" Jason starts to say.
"Shut up, I don't want to hear one damn word from you!" shouts the President as he cuts Jason off. He looks back over to the officer and in a more malevolent tone "Everything from the top officer and slowly this time."
The officer takes a deep breath "Ok, the suspect claims Sir that he is from some parallel universe and that you two are exact copies of each other. That he is your double or you're his double or something like that."
Jason slams his arms on the table and stands up, which gets everyone's attention "What if I said I could prove it! What if I could prove that I'm you and your me?"
The room becomes silent for a few seconds before Peterson speaks up "How?'
"What's the one thing that no one can fake when their trying to impersonate someone else, huh?" says Jason as he holds up his open palms.
The officer looks back at the President "He's right Mr. President, that is the only rock solid way to prove or disprove this. Sir would you consent to give your fingerprints to test against this man's?"
With fury on his face, the President throws off his jacket and angrily rolls up his sleeve as a clear indication of his consent.
Peterson looks back to the officer "Hurry up!" He looks to the younger Jason and points "Don't you even think about moving."
The officer literally runs out of the room and within seconds returns with a ink pad and document paper. He urgently takes the President's index finger and thumb print and does the same with Jason "I'll only be a few minutes." he says as he again runs out of the room.
The next few minutes are spent in thorny silence as the President and Jason just stare each other down, both refusing to break their gaze on the other. The President just gives his younger self an angered look as Jason returns a more concerned and reserved gaze. President Jason Chavez was a proud man and he saw this as a direct violation of his very identity. One thing he saw as almost sacred to himself was the fact that there was no one else like him. As he saw it there was only one Jason Chavez and no one could take that away. Something this other man now threatened to do.
After the few minutes of nothing but stares and silence the officer runs back into the room and delivers the verdict "Sir the computer results came back as an identical match. It's unbelievable but this man is indeed you."
The President just winces slightly as an almost disgusted look crosses his face. He turns to look back as Jason who has an unmistakable look of relief.
Peterson just looks blankly into space "Holy Mary and Joseph, how is this possible?"
The President walks up to within inches of Jason, the two looking at each other at perfect eye level. The look of anger and fury now gone from his face, replaced with confusion "Do you know what your asking me to believe?"
"Yes I do, it's the same thing I asked myself to believe when I jumped
into that vortex and saw your face for the first time. Look my two companions can vouch for me." says Jason.
The President looks back at the officer "What's this about companions?'
"Yes Sir, this man was brought in with two others who apparently share his story."
The older Jason than looks back at his younger doppleganger "I think I wanna go talk to them, bring him."
At that the President leads the way in walking out of the room followed by Peterson and the officer who grabs Jason by the arm and leads him out of the room.
Gabrielle Chavez looked out the window with a wide view of the whole of San Francisco . The city was a truly magnificent sight as it was this world's national capitol. The sunny day had given way to clouds and the brightness of the afternoon had transformed into a gray and gloomy landscape. The First Lady smiled a bit as she recognized the appropriate analogy of the day as it seemed to mirror her own life. Bright and sunny one moment, gloomy and sad the next. Than as if on que, the rain began to fall as it pelted against the glass of the large window. Gabrielle sighed and went to sit in a large armchair overlooking a fire place. Staring blankly into the empty furnace she closed her eyes and was about to drift off to sleep when there was a knock at the door.
Gabrielle turns around in the chair "Come in."
The door opens and a young Caucasian man in a black suit pops his head in "I'm sorry to disturb you Mrs. Chavez but you have somebody here, who would like to see you."
Gabrielle wrinkles her forehead in a quizzical gesture when a young beautiful woman enters the room. Instantly the First Lady's eyes light up as she bolts out of her chair.
"Guess who!" shouts the young woman.
Gabrielle embraces the young lady as the two laugh. This is Cassandra Chavez, twenty year old daughter of Jason and Gabrielle Chavez. The young woman is every bit as beautiful as her mother, radiant, vibrant and full of life.
"Oh my goodness baby, what are you doing here? I thought you still had another semester of school?" says Gabrielle with uncontainable enthusiasm.
"Well it's good to see you to mom. I thought I'd take this spring break and spend it with my favorite parents." laughs Cassandra.
"Oh darling that's wonderful, I'm so glad to see you! How's the modeling going?" asks Gabby as she puts her arm around her daughter and leads her to take a seat on the sofa.
"It's going great mom, I have a full time contract with Vogue and next year I'm going on a tour of France, I'm so excited! Say where's daddy, I wanna see the look on his face?" Cassandra asks as she looks around the room half expecting her father to pop out.
Gabrielle just looks away slightly almost afraid to tell her daughter where her father has gone off to, but restrains herself "Oh you know your father, always running around. We'll surprise him when he gets back. So tell me any boy situations." she asks with a sly grin.
Cassandra gives her mother a sheepish look "Wellll…" she says as both erupt into feminine giggling…
The entourage of four containing the President, Peterson, the interrogation officer and Jason walks down the wide halls of the police station to a nearby interrogation room. President Chavez stops in front of the door and looks back to the officer.
The officer nods "Yes sir, this is it."
The President gives a nod back and looks back to his younger double. He than gestures for him to proceed through the door first. Jason complies and walks in to confront both his cousin and Professor Arturo.
"Hey guys, miss me?" he asks rather humorously.
Both the Professor and Maria walk over to Jason with smiles of relief adorning their faces. Maria puts her hands on Jason's shoulder.
"Oh my God Jason we were so worried! Are you ok, how did you get here?" asks Maria in rapid succession.
"How are you bearing up my boy?" asks Arturo.
Jason just looks down "Guys there's somebody here I think you should meet."
At this moment in walks the other three with the President coming in last. The older Jason fixes his eyes on Maria and is dumbstruck, even more than what he was by seeing his younger self. In sheer disbelief he strides right up to Maria and opens his mouth wide "My God in heaven, Maria could that really be you?"
Maria looks up to the President and draws back in slight disbelief herself "This is truly amazing, an exact dimensional duplicate."
The President puts his hands on Maria's shoulder and bends down slightly to meet her stare, tears welling up in his eyes "Dear God, I saw you die ten years ago, I don't understand…tell me is it really you?' he says as the tears now begin falling freely from his eyes.
Maria shoots a quick gaze to the younger Jason and he gives her a telling nod. She than looks back to the President and reluctantly nods her head "Yes Jason, it's really me."
Without another word President Chavez embraces his other dimensional cousin as he weeps almost uncontrollably "Oh praise the Lord, oh God I've missed you!" he says as he releases her.
Arturo extends his hand "I am Professor Maximillian Arturo my dear Mr. President. Needless to say I know all this must be quite a shock to you."
The President shakes the Professor's hand "Yea you could say that."
Arturo smiles "Yes indeed, but I believe all this can be explained in due course Sir, if you would simply allow us the opportunity.
"Need more proof?" asks Jason as the President looks back at him.
The President than turns to look at Arturo "Let's talk at the House, huh."