Winding Roads {A Creative Writing Journal}

Almost Mirror Image (Write to Rank Round 2)

       Yellow Belt

The commandeered police station remained uncharacteristically silent. All of Drake's new friends and even his father scattered when he offered to speak with the stranger lounging in one of the old interrogation rooms. They knew something if Max's clumsiness was anything to go by. But why? They hadn't even seen the stranger yet!

      Drake opened the door and almost shuddered as he stared at the stranger sitting at the table. He didn't know this teenager, but it was like looking in a warped mirror.

Body structure remained the same but with many cosmetic differences—white hair instead of black, gray eyes instead of blue, and pale skin instead of tan.

"Who are you?" Drake demanded.

The stranger leaned back in his seat, eyes narrowed yet somehow refusing to show emotion.

"I'm you," he confessed then amended, "Well, a different version of you. I'm Ace. You father created me to find you after Project Dreamworld became operational."

Drake's mind reeled, but he pinched the bridge of his nose to pull himself back. Why his dad decided to hole himself up in his makeshift lab today of all days was beyond him, but his thoughts stuttered at one word in the newcomer's sentence.

"Created?"

   Ace's eyes flickered blue. "AI. The professor needed something that could survive the harsh terrain created by the virtual reality you help set up, something from Dreamworld's own code."

    "But why do you look exactly like me?"

   Drake frowned as Ace simply shrugged. The motion was so fluid and human, he had to remember that the white haired teen was a machine and not a long lost albino twin.

    "Finding you was the only thing driving him," Ace replied, gaze tilted down as if sifting through his memories. "He knew your measurements better than anyone else's. The easiest course would be following a familiar set up."

     Drake sighed and turned away, refusing to lock his gaze with the empty eyes staring back. An AI—his dad replaced him with an android. The idea alone made him want to either curl up in a ball or throw something expensive, but he couldn't do either of those with his bionic replacement sitting across from him.

   Panicking still felt like a natural course of action though. He just wished he knew what to do with this bombshell.

     "You okay? Your heart rate's getting kinda erratic."

     "Cho told me that whoever found me died inside Dreamworld."

    "Well, I never really was alive so—"

   "She didn't tell me you were an android designed to replace me!"

   "Oh," Ace replied intelligently, "I thought the professor told you."

    "Dad didn't tell me anything. Too 'overjoyed' that I was alive after being in stasis so long."

    "You're his son. It's natural for him to be happy."

    Drake didn't reply, and Ace realized why.

   "He didn't replace you with me," he explained, "He built me to find you. I can explain everything if you let me."

    Drake nodded mutely. "I have some  questions."

    Ace smirked. "Fire away."
........
A/N: (Not part of word count). Characters are from my entry for Wattpad's Open Novella Contest. To read Ace's story check out Sleepwalker on my profile.