Forgotten (2018 Open Novella Contest/LoT Fanfic)

Chapter 12: The Final Countdown

18 hours left. That's how much time Jasmine and the rest of the team had to save the world. Jax suggested going back in time but apparently that would create a paradox, which would only worsen the situation.

17 hours and 59 minutes.

17 hours and 58 minutes.

17 hours and—

Jasmine finally stopped her internal doomsday countdown when she felt something hit her. She glanced up and realized that Sara was the culprit, and she had thrown Jasmine's suit at her. A hero was currently the last thing the girl felt like, but she knew she needed the protection and the nerd inside of her was dying to wear it. 

After receiving an encouraging grin from Sara, Jasmine headed down to the fabrication room to change. Once she had shrugged off her jeans and flannel combo, she gingerly pulled on the red leather bodysuit, the jacket, and the combat boots. Although she knew she probably wouldn't need them, she decided it would be best to stick a few knives in her belt. When she walked back into the bridge everyone was staring at her. Everyone.

After awkwardly standing in the Bridge for far too long, Alex and Sara broke the silence by fist-bumping her. Eventually the rest of the team commented on her suit, and Jasmine was about to respond when she was interrupted by Rip.

"Before we make the jump, I'd like to speak to you Jasmine," he said, trying to sound a little lighthearted but failing miserably. "In private." Her heart pounding in her chest and her hands shaking, Jasmine nodded and followed him into his office for what seemed like the thousandth time.

"If this is going to be some speech about how the world is going to end if I don't kill her, please spare me," Jasmine remarked as soon as they were alone. "I've had too many of those." Rip shook his head slightly and almost laughed.

"This isn't even close to that," he admitted, leaning against his desk. "It's about Nitocris." He paused for a second, as if wondering whether or not he should continue. "I should've told you about this a long time ago, and I'm sorry I didn't. But Nitocris is your great times about 20 aunt," he said, and Jasmine gasped.

"How is that possible? We're not even from the same earth!" She thought about what Jax had said earlier about her meeting her ancestors in Egypt, and she wondered how he could've possibly known.

"Not exactly," he said evenly, looking nervous.
"I'm going to warn you that what I'm about to say might be something that you don't want to hear. Alright?" Jasmine nodded, just wanting to know what he was rambling on about.

"Jasmine, you're a twin," he admitted at last. "You were born on this Earth but were moved to a different Earth almost immediately because a couple of rogue Time Masters and followers of your twin kidnapped you and sent you to Earth-33 to try to prevent the prophecy from happening."

"Hold on a second," Jasmine said, her eyes narrowing. "So this whole time my 'doppelgänger' has been my identical twin sister and you didn't think I had the right to know about it?" she practically screamed, a tide of fury rising from within her chest. "And the Time Masters knew that I was moved to another Earth but didn't bring me back? And what about the Jasmine who was actually born on Earth-33?"

"I thought if you knew, you would be less likely to do the mission," he said. If Jasmine was mad before, now she was enraged.

"Less likely to do the mission? Maybe I would, maybe I wouldn't, but I should've had that decision instead of you not telling me that my entire life was a lie!" At this point she had given up on keeping her voice low, and although she knew everyone on the ship was watching them, she didn't care.