This story is based on characters created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson for the TV series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons.

Some events and characters Copyright © of all trademarks materials (Captain Scarlet & the Mysterons, all characters, vehicles, crafts, etc.), owned by ITC/Polygram/Carlton. Information of the series are all been taken from copyright © materials (books, magazines, videos, T.V. media, comics, etc) owned by ITC/Polygram/Carlton.

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PARALLAX VIEW

A Captain Scarlet & the Mysterons story

By Chris Bishop

PART 2 – EVIL TWIN

Chapter 1:

Awakening

When Captain Scarlet opened his eyes again, he found himself staring at the ceiling of sickbay, with the familiar sounds of beeping monitors set over the head of his bed. This time, he was lying on a comfortable mattress – not the padded leather surface of the examination table on which he had awakened earlier. He was free of restraints, and his mind was clear.

“How are you feeling, this morning?”

That was the equally familiar voice of Doctor Fawn, coming from his right –his tone now very friendly, if somewhat tainted with concern. Scarlet turned to face him; the Cloudbase medical officer was standing next to the bed, staring earnestly at him. None of the mistrust and wariness Scarlet had previously seen in his eyes was present now. He even managed to address him a welcoming smile. To which Scarlet answered with a smile of his own, if a little faint.

The first thought that came to Scarlet’s mind was to wonder if he had not dreamt everything. The arrest in R and D, the detention in sickbay, the drugs, the interrogation session – right through his showdown with Lavender and the subsequent gunfight where he had been shot.

Lavender’s crazy theory about him being stuck in a parallel world… Could all of this be an awful nightmare, then?

He was nearly starting to really believe it, and it was some kind of a relief for him, until he tried to move. It was a simple movement, just to make himself a little more comfortable. His aching muscles refused to work, and compelled him to stay put. He felt stiff everywhere and was unable to move more than a inch from where he was lying. With a groan, he let his head fall heavily onto the pillow, and closed his eyes to fight the growing dizziness he was feeling. The voice of Doctor Fawn then addressed him anew, sounding very ill-at-ease. “Er… I have to say, I’m not really accustomed to this…Would – er – saying ‘welcome back to the land of the living’ sound awkward in a situation like this?”

Scarlet’s eyes flew open and he turned swiftly to stare at the physician. He could see that Fawn seemed to be keeping a little distance from him, and the wariness – ever so slight – in his eyes. It wasn’t as if Scarlet was looking at an old friend who had helped him countless times during his recoveries. He was staring into the face of a complete stranger who didn’t quite know how to approach him – or deal with his unique situation. The realisation sank instantly into his mind, and he let out a deep, disheartened sigh – which he regretted instantly, feeling the twinge in his belly muscles.

“It wasn’t a dream, after all,” he muttered under his breath.

“No,” Doctor Fawn confirmed with a sympathetic shake of his head, “I’m afraid it wasn’t.”

“Would have been too good to be true.”

Scarlet pushed himself up from his lying position, forcing his body to sit up. His tormented muscles protested; they were all knots and making a move was nothing short of torture. A terrible pain shot through his abdomen the second he found himself in a sitting position; he found himself leaning forward, almost bending double, gritting his teeth and stifling the cry coming from his throat. Instinctively, he reached for his stomach with his hand. And noticed the heavy bandage encircling his torso.

“Hey, take it easy!” Fawn protested. The doctor had witnessed Scarlet’s all-too-sudden attempt to sit, but had been too late to stop him. Now, he was coming to his rescue, concerned that he might fall off the bed and hurt himself. He reached for the pillows and expertly positioned them behind his patient, before gently lowering him to lean against them, in a half-seated position. Grunting, Scarlet let him do as he pleased. It wasn’t often that he would permit Fawn to fuss that much over him.

No. I have to remind myself… This is not the Fawn I know. This is another one.

“Thank you,” Scarlet told him, as Fawn drew back a step. He looked down in concern at the way his torso was bandaged, and frowned. “How long has it been?”

“Seven hours,” Fawn announced.

“Seven hours,” Scarlet repeated, with some puzzlement in his tone, shaking his head. “Was I… er…”

“Dead?” Fawn nodded. “Yes, you were. For about an hour or so. I was near to thinking we had lost you when we suddenly noticed… signs, that you were coming back to life.” He addressed Scarlet with a new smile, all the while staring at him in a way that betrayed his customary scientific curiosity. “It’s quite amazing, the rate at which you heal…”

“You’d find it even more amazing if I was healing at my normal rate,” Scarlet answered, looking down at the bandage.

“Because it’s usually faster?” Fawn asked with mystification.

“It always depends on the seriousness of the wound. Normally, about six hours, when I… die.” Scarlet shuffled to make himself more comfortable. Again, he felt a tenderness in his abdominal muscles and grunted. “And normally,” he added with a sore note to his voice, “I don’t wake up before I’m totally healed. And I feel absolutely fine and refreshed when I revive. No stiffness, no sore muscles…” he gestured toward the bandage. “That should be healed completely by now.”

“You’ve been through a lot,” Fawn stated quietly, shrugging. “Two… ‘healings’ in such a short time… Those electric shocks Lavender subjected you to…”

“Electricity.” Scarlet nodded pensively. “That might be the answer,” he admitted. “Maybe that disrupted my healing capacities.” He addressed Fawn a curious, somewhat suspicious stare, narrowing his eyes. “Tell me… Why are you so good to me, all of a sudden?”

“Because now we know the truth.” Scarlet raised his head in the direction of the door from where that voice had come. He had not noticed until now that it was open. He saw Colonel White standing tall in the doorway, his hands folded in front of him, holding his cap. In an automatic gesture, Scarlet tried to straighten up, gritting his teeth in the process. White walked fully into the room, gesturing to him to stay put. “As you were, Captain. It’s obvious you’re still in a fair amount of pain. Don’t exert yourself.”

“Thank you, Colonel.” Scarlet never felt so happy in all his life to obey such an order. He watched as White came closer, spotting at the same time the guard standing just the other side of the door. As he was drawing a chair near the bed, White noted the direction of the young man’s gaze. He nodded quietly.

“You won’t object to me taking some precautions, I hope,” the older man remarked in a quiet tone, while settling himself down.

“Not at all,” Scarlet answered, trying to match his voice with that of the colonel. “We can never be too careful.” He pointed to the guard. “In fact, if one had been in front of that room where Lavender was torturing me…”

“There were two. Lavender had dismissed them earlier, so he could… ‘interrogate’ you, without running the risk of being discovered.” He shook his head, to show his disapproval. “I assure you, Captain, if I’d had even the SLIGHTEST suspicion of what he was planning to do…”

“I know you would have stopped him.” Scarlet lowered his head. “I’ll have to thank Rhapsody Angel, for her intervention. I was lucky she arrived when she did. How is she? And… how’s Captain Indigo?” He felt awkward asking that question concerning Indigo. White probably noticed this, as a light seemed to appear in his eyes as he stared intently at the younger man. He didn’t say anything about it for now, and simply changed position on his chair, making himself more comfortable. “They’re both fine. Rhapsody only has a slight concussion, while Indigo… If the scalpel had sliced any deeper into his throat he would be lying in the morgue at the moment. As it is, he’ll be off duty for a couple of weeks, until he recovers.” He paused a short instant. “And you? I see you’re definitely better than last time I saw you.”

“Not as good as I ought to be,” Scarlet replied.

“The electricity may have hindered his healing abilities,” Fawn declared at that moment.

“Is that so?” White murmured, still staring at Scarlet. “Fascinating.”

“But I should be completely recovered soon,” Scarlet added quickly.

White nodded slowly. “Good, then.” He turned to Fawn, who was still standing next to the bed, busying himself with taking notes from the monitor above Scarlet’s head. By the way he was scribbling quickly, and the brightness in his eyes, it was easy to see that the doctor was fascinated by what he was reading on the screen at the moment. “Doctor, would you leave me with your patient for a few minutes? We have important things to talk about.”

“Only if you assure me you won’t distress him.” There was a warning note in Fawn’s voice; that made Scarlet smile, almost despite himself. This Fawn had a lot in common with the Fawn he knew. White addressed the doctor what looked like an annoyed look, before producing his answer.

“I’ll do my best not to upset his fragile physical condition, Doctor.”

That too sounded like the kind of dry, deadpan humour that the Colonel White Scarlet knew so very well was capable of. Fawn shrugged with quiet indifference, before directing his pace toward the door. “I’ll see you later, Captain.”

“See you later, Doctor,” Scarlet responded with a smile, watching as Fawn disappeared through the door. He turned his attention back to White, whom he found still staring at him, with some sort of calm fascination. That made Scarlet feel ill at ease. He tried to change his position again, only to find out he still wasn’t up to it, and finally decided against it. He cleared his throat, before addressing White, “How… How’s Captain Ochre, Colonel?”

White raised a brow. “I imagine you’re referring… to your Captain Ochre, aren’t you, Captain Scarlet?” Seeing that Scarlet wasn’t about to answer his question, he nodded slowly. “Your Captain Ochre is resting in another room in sickbay. He’s suffering from a severe concussion, but woke up a few hours ago. He was even able to say a few words. Since then, he’s been sleeping. Doctor Fawn says he’s now out of danger.”

“Thank God for that,” murmured Scarlet.

“Strange words, coming from the mouth of a Mysteron,” White reflected matter-of-factly.

“I am not a Mysteron,” was the rather fierce reply.

White nodded. “I see that is a sore subject for you. I apologise for that.”

“You wanted to see my reaction,” Scarlet said, eyeing the colonel. He hesitated only a short instant, before pursuing, “You said you now knew the truth. How much of the truth do you know, exactly?”

White leaned against the back of the chair and crossed his legs, not taking his eyes off the younger man. “I know you are not the Captain Scarlet I know. I know that you and Captain Ochre – that second Captain Ochre who was found with you in R and D – are not from this world. That you came from a parallel dimension where you, very obviously, experienced a fate quite different from the Captain Scarlet of this world.”

Scarlet narrowed his eyes, a little suspicious of all the detailed information that White seemed to have in his hands at the moment. “How do you know about this ‘parallel world’?”

“There’s a camera and a microphone in the room where you were held. Those devices are not constantly monitored, but they recorded everything that was said in there. After Lavender was killed and you were brought here, we checked the recording. We saw everything that Lavender did to you and heard everything that was said. By both of you.”

Scarlet permitted himself a wry smile. “Aren’t you afraid that it might have been some kind of trick?”

“Frankly, no. Lavender couldn’t know about that camera and mic. Plus, we have Rhapsody’s testimony as an actual eyewitness of the events. She swore that what happened in there couldn’t possibly be a carefully planned scenario. It was too real. And the recording confirms that statement.” Scarlet didn’t answer, and went pensive, as White was still staring at him, closely scrutinising him. The colonel cleared his throat. “I have to thank you for saving her life,” he said less formally. “Hers, and Captain Blue’s. As I see it, you threw yourself in front of Lavender’s bullet, when he tried to get a shot at Blue.”

“It was only normal, Colonel,” Scarlet answered. “Furthermore, in my world, Captain Blue is my field partner. We look out for each other.” He noticed the faint flicker passing in the older man’s eyes, but didn’t mention it. Later on, he reflected, he’d have time to question him further. “So you do believe Lavender’s theory about parallel worlds,” he observed.

“It’s not as if it’s a completely new theory, Captain… I’m sure even in your world, it’s been talked about.”

Scarlet nodded. “As a hare-brained notion,” he admitted. “Yes.”

“Hare-brained or not, it seems to be confirmed now.”

“You accept it, then? Without a single doubt?”

“Don’t you?”

Scarlet sighed. “At first… I had my doubts, Colonel. But… For me, it’s the only possible explanation for what is happening at the moment. Even if it does seem completely crazy and quite illogical.”

“On the contrary,” White replied. “As strange as it may seem, it is perfectly logical. Everything is adding up. It explains the presence of the two Captain Ochres, and how different you act from your… counterpart. It even explains why you were found on Cloudbase, wearing your old Spectrum uniform…” White smiled dryly. “Some of us were starting to think you had used it to get onboard unnoticed, which undoubtedly was an aberration, since it would have made you easier to identify! Everyone onboard Cloudbase knows about Captain Scarlet, and would have alerted security the second they saw you.”

“And do you regard that as enough evidence, Colonel?”

“It might not have been – if something else had not come up that was brought to my attention recently.”

“What…” Scarlet murmured, frowning with perplexity upon hearing the colonel’s mysterious statement.

“Don’t concern yourself with that for the moment,” White cut in swiftly. “Suffice it to say at the moment that I do believe this apparently wild theory about co-existing parallel worlds, as stated by Doctor Lavender. I suppose that, if anyone should know about such things, a Mysteron would.”

“I suppose they would,” Scarlet admitted. “Since they possess powers and knowledge far greater than our own. Or so they say.” He looked down, growing quiet for a moment. White stared at him with some concern, wondering what could be going through his mind.

“Are you all right? You look tired. Perhaps you need more rest…”

“No,” Scarlet said, raising his head again. “Physically, I’m fine, Colonel. Or at least, I will be in a short while. No, it’s just…” He sighed deeply. “It’s strange thinking that, in this world, I – that is he – that other person who should be me – is still a Mysteron agent, and a wanted… criminal.” He shook his head pensively, obviously troubled by the thought. “I’d always wondered… how different things might have been for me, if I had not been freed from the Mysterons’ influence. I always thought I would have died – like the other Mysteron agents I meet on assignments, who simply drop dead once their mission is finished, either killed by us or by sacrificing themselves to ensure the success of their mission. But to imagine that I might have lived on, and continued to be the slave of those alien monsters…” He shuddered. “I would rather be dead,” he said under his breath.

“Not a comforting thought, is it?” White remarked in a kind enough tone.

“Not really, no.” Scarlet sighed deeply. “Now I find myself trapped in a ‘parallel world’, with a murdering counterpart of myself, and with apparently no possible way to return home.”

“We might be able to find a way,” White remarked.

“How?” Scarlet asked with annoyance. “The only person who would have been able to help me has been killed by the Mysterons and…” he stopped in mid-sentence, as a thought suddenly crossed his mind. “The red stone…” he murmured.

White fished in his pocket, and produced a small egg-like stone that Scarlet recognised instantly. “We found it on Lavender’s person,” the Spectrum commander explained. “Is this thing responsible for your presence here?”

“I… Yes, Sir, I believe so. But I have no idea how it happened. Doctor Lavender – the one in my world – thought it was inert. And probably never imagined what it would do when he put it on the Kurnitz console – which wasn’t even powered up at the time, I might add.”

“I think we can call on two experts to try to understand what happened,” White remarked. “Doctor Kurnitz himself – and Doctor Giadello, from the R and D Center in Valley Forge.”

“That would be a long shot, if they can find anything, Sir,” Scarlet said, in a rather discouraged tone.

“We won’t know if we don’t try.”

Scarlet stared suspiciously at Colonel White. He could see there was something on the older man’s mind. Something he wasn’t telling him, but which he could sense quite easily. “You’re not doing all this out of the goodness of your heart, are you?” the captain asked carefully.

“No.” White stood up from his chair. “I’ll be straight with you. I was hoping that we would be able to proceed to… an exchange of services.”

“What do you mean by that?” Scarlet asked with a furrowed brow.

“With Captain Indigo in sickbay, I’m presently short one man. At the moment, Spectrum is involved in a project that might help even the score with the Mysterons. Your arrival presents me with an opportunity that I could never have hoped for. If you’re willing to help us, in exchange, our scientists will do what they can to return you – yourself and Captain Ochre, that is – to where you both belong.”

“Back to Kansas,” Scarlet said with a faint smile. He stared up at White. “Are you as good to your word as the Colonel White I know?”

White raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know, you tell me.”

“I suppose I’ll have to take the risk,” Scarlet murmured, thoughtfully. “And anyway – it’ll be another chance for me to try to thwart the Mysterons’ plans… And that’s something I always look forward to.” He raised his head, his mind already made up. “You have a deal, Colonel.”

Colonel White’s face seemed to light up. “How soon before you think you’ll be up on your feet and ready for briefing?”

“Give me an hour,” Scarlet evaluated unreservedly. “But I’d like to see Captain Ochre before I see you.”

“Of course, Captain. I’ll have time to make some arrangements, in the meantime. You just have to present yourself in the Conference Room.” With a formal expression on his face and a rigid posture, White presented his right hand to Scarlet, who shook it emphatically. “Welcome to Spectrum, Captain Scarlet.”

* * *

Chapter 2:

Settling in

A little later, Captain Scarlet, now completely healed and feeling like his old self, was sitting on the side of the bed, and putting on a fresh Spectrum uniform. The cap was absent, probably having been left behind or destroyed in the incident, and his sidearm too – that last detail not really being a surprise for Scarlet, as he had the feeling that an armed Captain Scarlet onboard Cloudbase could be an unnerving thought for some people of this world. Colonel White wasn’t taking any risks with security; Scarlet couldn’t blame him for that, as he understood perfectly the dilemma the Spectrum commander was presently facing.

He stopped short when he reached for his bright red tunic that was carefully laid next to him; he put it on his lap to stare at it pensively. Although the rest of the uniform was brand new, replacing the one that had been so ill-treated during the explosion in R and D and his subsequent trip through the inter-dimensional gateway, the tunic and boots were his own. The boots had been polished and still looked good, but the tunic, even though it had been thoroughly cleaned, and there was not a trace of blood left on it, was looking a little beaten up. There were two bullet holes quite visible in it, and that reminded Scarlet of who had actually been behind those shots.

Although the other people he had encountered so far reminded him very much of those he had left behind in his own world – notwithstanding the fact that they thought he was a Mysteron agent and were acting accordingly – he could see there was something decidedly different in Captain Blue. The vision of his hard features and cold blue eyes, filled with loathing, haunted Scarlet, who was wondering what terrible hardships this Blue may have experienced in his life for him to be transformed that way. He was obviously filled with bitterness, and hatred – both of which seemed directed straight at Scarlet himself.

He obviously hates me, Scarlet reflected gloomily.

No. Not me. That other Captain Scarlet. The one who’s still a Mysteron.

Engrossed in his reflections, he didn’t notice that someone was standing in the open doorway, studying him in silence. A faint knock against the frame drew Scarlet out of his reverie; blinking, he looked up at his visitor. Rhapsody Angel addressed him with a genuine, if awkward smile.

“May I come in?” she asked in a tentative tone.

“Of course you may!” he invited her with a grin of his own, standing up. “I was just checking out my wardrobe.” He showed her his tunic, and poked his finger through one of the holes. “Look. Do you think your colonel would allow me to go around the base with a uniform in such a state?”

“Would yours?” she asked raising an eyebrow. “Unless it’s a new fashion in the world you come from…”

He chuckled. “Well, yes, my dear. Didn’t you know those holes are for ventilation?”

She made a face. “Obviously, making jokes isn’t your strongest point.”

He looked at her, in an almost scrutinising way. “Strange,” he noted, “That’s exactly what the Rhapsody from my world would say. But then again… I usually reply that she doesn’t have a sense of humour herself.”

She seemed outraged by the insinuation. “I would feel like decking you!”

Scarlet nodded thoughtfully. “I believe she already did at that,” he replied with a straight face. He saw her smile and returned it. It was easy being his casual self with her. She was so very much like his Rhapsody. However, it wasn’t that easy for him to keep in mind that this woman wasn’t really the same as the one he knew, as he could feel himself drawn to her. As he imagined, by the way she was looking at him, by her whole attitude, that she was also drawn to him. But she wasn’t his Rhapsody. His beloved Angel was waiting for him in his own world, probably wondering what had happened to him, if he was dead – this time for real, when – IF – he would return. He had to keep sight of the fact that THIS Rhapsody in front of him was only a twin of the woman he loved. And he had to keep the undying hope that he would return home, to her, to his friends and duty, as soon as possible.

Realising that he was rudely staring at her, he lowered his gaze, to look at the tip of his boots, and cleared his throat. “I’d like to thank you,” he said, now with a very serious expression on his face, “for saving my life. If not for you, I would be dead by now.”

“Would you really be?” she asked, a bit awkwardly. He raised his eyes to meet her gaze again. She was the one to look away this time, uncomfortably. “I’m sorry. But I did see you dead yesterday evening, and it feels a little awkward now to see you standing there, in front of me – with apparently no ill effects from your recent ordeal – as good as new…”

“Nearly,” he replied. “I’m still feeling a little fuzzy after Lavender’s treatment. Electricity… doesn’t agree with me.”

“So I imagine.” Rhapsody nodded. “And I would like to thank you too. For saving MY life.”

He shrugged. “I couldn’t do any less. You did free me from that table, hoping I would help you, didn’t you?”

“I was playing a hunch. If Lavender was telling the truth about you – I thought I stood a much better chance of surviving if I had you free and on my side, don’t you think?”

“You played your hunch well. But that was a very risky thing to do. You didn’t know if I might have turned against you.”

“I was told that, yes. But frankly, considering how desperately you tried to warn me to get out – I doubted that you would have hurt me yourself. And I was very desperate,” she added, with quirky smile and scowl.

Scarlet chuckled. “I imagine you were, yes. Tell me,” he said with a frown, “what possessed you to go into that room last night?”

She hesitated before answering. A little red came to her cheeks, but it was very brief; she didn’t even look up when she spoke. “I was just fresh off the SPJ that brought me back to Cloudbase from furlough, and heard that… Captain Ochre had been hurt and taken to sickbay,” she said quietly. “So I wanted to visit him. But a guard refused to let me into his room. I didn’t know at the time that it was another Ochre, and that he was suspected of being a Mysteron. Just like our Captain Ochre – I found out later that he was in the brig, while they tried to find out which was which.”

“If that Ochre is anything like the one I know,” Scarlet reflected, “he wouldn’t have liked that at all.”

“No, he didn’t. But he’s quite fine, now. Since we found out the truth about you and that other Ochre, he’s been released.”

Scarlet nodded slowly. “Are you… close to Captain Ochre?” Why in Heaven was he experiencing that twinge in the pit of his stomach – like some feeling of jealousy over the idea that this Rhapsody might be involved with Ochre – or any other man? He felt like an idiot, to have asked that question. This wasn’t his Rhapsody, why would he care? Surely she would be wondering why he was asking her that. He felt relieved when she chuckled softly, and didn’t seem to take offence at his remark.

“Captain Ochre is a very dear friend, Captain Scarlet,” she told him with a large grin. “I was just very concerned about his health. As I would be for any of my friends.”

“Of course,” Scarlet replied quickly. He tilted his head to one side, staring at her. “You didn’t answer my question,” he noted. “Why did you come into that room where Lavender was… interrogating me?”

“Oh, that… I…” Now Rhapsody reddened even more violently. “You’ll think I’m stupid,” she said waving the thought away.

“Absolutely not. Not after you saved my life.”

“This is quite embarrassing, Captain,” she said looking down. “And, I feel a little awkward admitting it to you. Since I was in sickbay, I… Well, I was curious. I wanted to see the big, bad, dangerous Mysteron agent that had finally been captured and was being held in sickbay.” She didn’t dare look up to see Scarlet’s reaction. He had none, except for the fact that he continued to stare down at her with curiosity. She could feel his intense gaze. And somehow, she could feel that he didn’t believe her.

A sigh coming from him made her look up; he was turning around to put down his tunic on the bed. “You must have been very disappointed, then.” That was a surprising statement. Even more surprising was the gentle smile he gave her, when he faced her again. “I’m sure Colonel White wasn’t very happy with that initiative of yours.”

“Certainly wasn’t,” Rhapsody admitted, rolling her eyes. “He reprimanded me this morning – hauled me over the coals would be a more fitting term. He said something about what the curiosity did to the cat…” she said with a glimmer in her eyes.

“I’m certainly glad this particular cat came along when she did,” Scarlet added kindly. He nodded. “I’m on my way to visit Captain Ochre – my Captain Ochre – before leaving sickbay. Then I have to go to the conference room for a briefing with Colonel White. I… would feel more comfortable if you would accompany me. I don’t think it would be a good idea for me to walk the corridors of Cloudbase without an escort. Might get some people a trifle nervous.”

“I think that’s very wise, Captain,” she said in agreement. She gestured toward the door. “Shall we go, then?” He nodded and took the lead. Rhapsody couldn’t help but frown when she noticed he had intentionally left his tunic on the bed. That was a significant gesture, she thought, as he was probably also aware that that too would make people feel nervous. She nodded approvingly.

If nothing else, this Captain Scarlet was demonstrating a tact that she felt for sure would be absent in any Mysteron agent…

* * *

“How is he doing, Doctor?”

Doctor Fawn, who was checking on a sleeping Captain Ochre, nearly jumped when he heard the voice coming from the open door leading into the room. He turned around to look as Captain Scarlet entered briskly, to stand near the bed, next to him.

“You gave me a start, Captain,” Fawn said, putting a hand on his chest. “You should be more careful how you approach people on this base. We’re not at all accustomed to your presence here.”

“Sorry,” Scarlet answered apologetically. “I didn’t mean to startle you.” He looked down to Ochre, who was resting on the bed, his eyes closed, the monitor above him registering his condition. “Will he be all right?”

Fawn noted the genuine concern in his voice, not really surprised to hear it, but observing on a professional level that no Mysteron would be able to show that much sincere feeling – even though they were typically programmed to copy the reactions their originals should display. That man standing there was really worried for his friend – he wasn’t playing the part.

“He’ll be all right,” Fawn reassured him. “He’s sleeping right now. He wakes up sporadically, so that tells us he’s out of danger. The concussion he’s suffering from is a pretty severe one, and he should have plenty of rest, to recover fully. Otherwise, he’s quite fine.”

“Glad to hear that, Doctor,” Scarlet said with a sigh of relief.

He was looking down at the sleeping Ochre when he saw the latter agitating himself a little and then giving a low grunt. Realising his friend was about to wake up, he crouched down near the bed so he would be able to look at him on the same level. Ochre drew a deep breath, then opened his eyes tiredly. He found himself staring straight into Scarlet’s bright blue eyes, and reassuring smile. “Hi. How are you? Finally decided to join us in the land of the living?”

Ochre offered a wary smile. “Hey, Scarlet… that’s usually my line,” he said in a thick voice.

“…Was mine,” Doctor Fawn deadpanned behind Scarlet’s back. The latter feigned not to hear it.

“How are you doing?” Ochre asked, his voice slurring. “You got to play hero again, I bet…” He was obviously fighting to stay awake. “You should be more careful, Paul… We don’t really know how far you’re indestructible…”

“Right now, I’m far more concerned about you, mate,” Scarlet replied quietly.

“I’ll be all right…” Ochre slurred, his eyes closing. “If only I didn’t feel so sleepy…”

Scarlet looked up over his shoulder to Fawn. The latter shrugged. “Normal, considering his condition,” he explain. “With the concussion, combined with the effects of the painkillers…”

“Damned medication,” Ochre muttered under his breath.

“Yeah, I know how it is,” Scarlet said sympathetically.

“No, you don’t,” Ochre grumbled, remembering through his haze that in general, medication didn’t have much effect on his English colleague.

Scarlet chuckled and got to his feet. “Believe me, I do,” he said good-naturedly. “You’d better get some rest, Rick. You look like you need it.”

“What are you up to?” Ochre said, looking up to his colleague with a furrowed brow.

“What do you mean?”

“You’re up to something, I can smell it…” Ochre’s frown deepened as he stared straight at Scarlet’s presently set face. It was so obvious that the American captain was drowsy, but that he trying very hard not to sleep – not until he heard Scarlet’s explanation. “Something came up?” he asked in a sluggish tone. “Was there a new threat from the Mysterons?”

“Would you stop worrying?” Scarlet cut him off suddenly, addressing his friend with a new, comforting smile. “Get some sleep, now. I’ll come back to see you later.”

Ochre nodded, very slowly, unable anymore to keep his eyes open. “S’the best I can do…” he slurred. “Since I’m stuck here, being useless…”

“We’ll try to make do without you,” Scarlet chuckled. “Don’t you worry, Rick.” He reached to pat his friend’s shoulder comfortingly, and noticed that Ochre had closed his eyes to finally give in to his sleepiness. He was already breathing deeply, almost snoring. Scarlet permitted himself a faint smile before turning around to face Doctor Fawn.

“He doesn’t know yet what happened to you two,” the physician stated meaningfully.

“I know. And I can’t see myself explaining that to him right now.” Scarlet shook his head. “I don’t think he’s presently fit to understand it all. To be frank, I’m not sure I understand it myself!”

Fawn rolled his eyes. “You and all of us. I see your point. He’s better to sleep it off and gather his strength for now. We’ll worry about the explanation later on.”

“Thank you, Doctor. Take good care of him.”

“S.I.G., Captain. Don’t worry, it’s just what I intend to do.”

Scarlet left the room, pensively, thinking of what Ochre’s reaction would be when he found out exactly what had occurred. Of course, he didn’t have any doubt that he couldn’t say anything to Ochre just yet – poor Rick was so out of it that he wouldn’t even begin to grasp the concept – parallel worlds, inter-dimensional gateways, twins that were not exactly the people they knew, all that was admittedly hard to swallow. Ochre was a sceptical kind of person – even considering that he had dedicated his life to fight aliens from Mars, who recreated copies of dead people to carry out their evil plans. Scarlet wasn’t sure he would believe. And if he believed, he wasn’t sure how he would react.

Upon stepping out of the room, he nearly bumped into someone – a black woman, nearly as tall as himself, dressed in an Angel pilot’s uniform, who gasped in surprise when he stopped himself from colliding with her and automatically reached to grab her by the shoulders to keep her at bay.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t see you,” Scarlet apologised, staring the woman right in the eyes. He could see she seemed somewhat tense to find herself in front of him – or maybe it was because he was touching her. He removed his hands quickly. “I was distracted…”

“No apologies necessary. I am as much to blame as you.” She studied him from head to feet and back again, and stared him in the face again. Her preceding nervousness had disappeared to be replaced by a cool curiosity. Scarlet, on the other hand, felt awkward, under her scrutinising gaze.

“So you are the infamous Captain Scarlet,” she stated in a quiet enough voice.

“Uh…” Scarlet could only stammer. What to answer? He wasn’t sure if he deserved the epithet ‘infamous’, as he was pretty certain she was referring to his Mysteron twin from this world. He didn’t feel that he should even answer the remark.

“No, he’s not.” To Scarlet’s relief, Rhapsody’s voice made itself heard behind him. While he was visiting Ochre, as she didn’t want to impose her presence, she had gone to see the wounded Indigo who, Scarlet knew, was resting in the neighbouring room. She must have come out just recently, and had seen his encounter with her fellow Angel pilot. Now she was standing next to him, facing the other woman. “This isn’t the same man, Djamila, you know that.” Her voice was calm, but the statement direct. As if to emphasise it, she had taken Scarlet by the arm. He couldn’t help feeling himself tense, as a chill ran up his arm at her touch.

“So we were told,” the tall Angel answered in her cool voice, a faint smile appearing on her lips. “Nice to meet you, Captain ‘not-so-infamous’ Scarlet.”

“I prefer that, thank you,” Scarlet answered with a grin of his own. “And you are…?”

“Oh, sorry,” Rhapsody said, stepping forward. “May I introduce Concerto Angel, Captain?”

“Charmed. Concerto?” Scarlet repeated a little puzzled.

“I take it there isn’t a ‘Concerto Angel’ where you come from, Captain?” Concerto noted, lifting an eyebrow.

“Er… Not right now, no. Sorry.”

“Which would make you the ‘not-so-famous Concerto Angel’, Djami,” Rhapsody remarked mockingly.

“Oh, har-har, Rhapsody,” Concerto scoffed. “You’re very droll.” She wasn’t taking her eyes off Scarlet. There wasn’t the same expression in them now, he noticed. Instead of wariness there was curiosity and… some kind of appreciation. He felt himself warming behind the ears. “Right. Maybe it isn’t so surprising, since I’m relatively new amongst the old guard…”

“Old guard? Watch it, Djami,” Rhapsody warned her.

“Well, I did get into the team after he… er… departed from Spectrum – sorry, not you, I know,” Concerto added quickly, seeing Scarlet ready to correct her. “Maybe my counterpart from your world is still stuck in the WAAF,” she reflected thoughtfully.

“You were in the WAAF?”

“I was a pilot in the same squadron as Destiny Angel. Juliette was my commander. My name is Djamila Marembo.”

“Oh.” Scarlet frowned deeply, obviously trying to make an effort of memory. “I… knew Juliette during that period....”

“You mean you were going out with her,” Concerto said with a large grin. She seemed to take some pleasure of seeing him a little embarrassed.

“I don’t recall any pilot named Marembo,” he added, obviously making a genuine effort to remember. “I don’t think I met your counterpart, Concerto.”

“Well, not surprising,” Concerto remarked. “We knew Juliette was going out with you, but few of us met you – I mean him. Personally, I only saw you from a distance – I mean…” Concerto stopped, seeing the amused smile on Scarlet’s lips. He had a lot of trouble trying to conceal it. “This is getting confusing, isn’t it?” Concerto asked with a flustered expression.

“Don’t worry,” Scarlet chuckled. “I get it. I think,” he added with a falsely puzzled expression. He turned to Rhapsody. “Did you?”

“With a lot of concentration…” Rhapsody replied innocently.

“Right,” Concerto said, making a face. “You two would make Burns and Allen jealous if they were still alive.”

“Burns and Allen?”

“George Burns and Gracie Allen,” Rhapsody explained. “A couple of stand-up comedians and TV performers from the last Century.”

“They were also husband and wife,” Concerto added, moving past them. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I want to visit Captain Indigo before starting my duty shift in the Amber Room again. I only have a half hour free for myself.”

“Of course, Djami. I’m on my way to the Amber Room myself. See you there.”

“Captain Scarlet, it was very nice to have met you.”

“Same here, Concerto.”

Scarlet looked on as Concerto disappeared through the door leading to Captain Indigo’s room. Pensively, he returned his attention to Rhapsody, who was waiting near him until he made up his mind to go.

“The Angels are still on a tight schedule, I see,” he noted in a factual tone.

“Isn’t it always the case with only five of us?” she replied. She shrugged, apparently not aware of the quizzical glint in his eyes. “Shall we go? The colonel must be waiting for you.”

“Lead the way. Straight man’s always first.”

“Excuse me?”

“On comic duos? When they’re on stage or their names appear on posters? The straight man’s name always comes first.”

Rhapsody rolled her eyes upward. “Right. So I suppose you do think you’re funny.” She shrugged her annoyance and took the lead, directing her pace toward the exit door from sickbay. Scarlet followed close behind, pensively. He couldn’t get his mind off what he had just heard.

Five Angels. In this world and on his own. He knew all of them back home. Rhapsody, Destiny, Harmony, Symphony and Melody. If things were the same here as in his world, they would be ‘the old guard’, as Concerto had named them. There wasn’t a Concerto.

One of the others was missing. Obviously, not Rhapsody.

Who could that be and where was she?

* * *

Chapter 3:

Briefing

“This isn’t a good idea.”

Captain Grey almost rolled his eyes upward, asking the Saints to give him the strength and patience to continue to put up with Blue’s incessant complaints. It was growing very boring at the moment, as the two of them were waiting with Colonel White, in the conference room. The Spectrum commander, seated in the centre of the big circular table, was keeping very quiet, following with his eyes the blond officer’s tireless and annoying pacing in the middle of the room. Up until now, White had been patient with Blue. Too patient, Grey reflected inwardly, as he gave a sideways glance at his commanding officer. He could see that he was becoming increasingly tense over Blue’s remarks.

“I don’t feel that I have any choice, Captain,” White commented, trying to keep his voice calm.

Blue stopped his pacing. “But, sir… You can’t be serious? You’re asking us to work with a… Mysteron?”

“I doubt he is a Mysteron,” Grey replied curtly.

“He tested positive with the Mysteron Detector,” Blue said, turning tersely toward him.

“We all know that, Captain,” White noted, keeping himself from sighing with irritation. “But you now know as well as we do that in his case, that doesn’t prove anything.”

“You believe that crap about him being from ‘another, parallel dimension’? That’s what Lavender said. How can we believe that and be sure it’s not a lie? The word of a Mysteron?”

White’s eyes glowed dangerously, hearing the disgust in Blue’s spat words. Blue’d better watch his language, Grey thought. The old man won’t take much more of this…

“After having seen all the evidence, Captain, are you able to present me with an explanation OTHER than this one?”

“It’s a Mysteron trap. That’s what it is. They staged everything from the beginning.”

“Why?” Grey quietly asked.

“It’s far too elaborate for that,” White added, his patience growing thin. “No, Captain. It seems very unlikely. So I suppose we will have to take the ‘word of a Mysteron’ for what had happened. This man – this Captain Scarlet – is not of this world. As far as we know, his presence here is accidental – but it could provide us with a rare opportunity that might not present itself again. We have to grab that opportunity and make the best of it.”

“I say it’s too great a risk,” Blue mumbled. “I don’t see why we have to work with that Mysteron.”

“And I don’t remember ever asking YOU your opinion on the matter, Captain!” White said in a warning tone. “Captain Scarlet’s presence is necessary for this mission to succeed. And you’d better accommodate yourself to that situation. Because I’m assigning him as your partner.”

“WHAT?” Blue froze, staring at the Spectrum commander in disbelief. “P-partner? HIM?” he sputtered, opening wide eyes.

“According to him, he and the Captain Blue of his world work as field partners. If their Colonel White has paired them as a team, I don’t see why I wouldn’t do the same.” He raised a brow. “After all, I suppose I can trust the better judgement of a man who is – well – myself, come to think of it.”

Blue shook his head. “I don’t need a partner, Colonel,” he said harshly. “And I certainly don’t need HIM as a partner!”

“I know you’ve taken a liking to working alone, Blue,” White replied, his tone picking up in intensity. “But at the moment, I don’t need you to work as the Lone Ranger. This assignment is far too important.”

“I don’t TRUST him!”

“You don’t trust anybody, what else is new?” Grey asked with a shrug.

“Watch it, Grey, or…”

“And YOU’D better watch yourself, Captain Blue!” White suddenly exploded, the spark in his eyes suddenly burning hotter. The tone of his voice had risen, in accordance with his anger. Blue automatically snapped to attention in front of him, as White jumped to his feet, and leaned over the desk to stare straight at him. “I’m growing tired of your disrespectful attitude toward me, Captain Blue, and your obvious contempt for Spectrum regulations! Last time I looked, I was still commander of Spectrum! I still take the decisions around here! YOU are still to follow my orders! And you will do so WITHOUT ANY DISCUSSION! Is that CLEAR?”

“Sir,” Blue replied. His tone was dry, and the expression of his eyes bleak. It was obvious he had heard the words, but whether he would take them to heart, that was another question. White was well aware of that. He shook his head with irritation.

“I’m warning you, Captain,” he growled. “If you are unable to accept those conditions, I’ll have you transferred to a non-essential station on the ground. I don’t want that, and I’m sure you don’t either!”

“No, sir,” Blue answered. “I wouldn’t like that in the least.”

“Then change your attitude, man! I nee