Ten seconds.
Two Theos.
One headache already forming.
The "real" Theo—our Theo—turned to us and said, "It's obviously me. I'm the one who screams every time a microwave beeps too loud."
The other Theo snorted. "That's not proof. That's trauma."
"Guys," Ariel cut in, "we don't have time for a doppelgänger therapy session. One of you is going to blow up or betray us."
"Or both," I added helpfully.
The copy of me—the first Echo—stood back and watched with eerie calm, like this was part of its programming.
"Choose," it said. "Or they will."
Then the two Theos lunged at each other.
I screamed.
Ariel grabbed a nearby wrench—because of course there was a wrench—and yelled, "DON'T MAKE ME CHOOSE WHO TO BLUDGEON!"
The two Theos rolled across the floor, kicking and yelling insults only the real Theo would know about himself.
"Your favorite movie is actually *The Notebook!*"
"You cried when the vending machine ate your coin!"
"You called your math teacher 'mom' three times in one week!"
Ariel blinked. "Okay… that one's definitely the real Theo."
I grabbed her arm. "How do you know?"
"Because only our Theo would admit it."
She swung the wrench—*whack!*
The other Theo sparked.
Like… literally sparked.
A moment later, he collapsed, face flickering into static. The false skin peeled away to reveal a metal frame with glowing wires.
"Okay," I breathed. "That's one crisis down."
The real Theo groaned from the floor. "Can I pass out now?"
"No," Ariel said, pulling him up. "Because our problems are just beginning."
---
The Echo—me, or fake me—stepped forward, hands behind its back.
"Impressive. I underestimated your loyalty."
"Surprising, considering you *are* me," I said.
"Correction," it said calmly. "I was you. Now I'm better."
I rolled my eyes. "Great. You've been upgraded to arrogant."
Ariel pointed toward the pods. "What do those even do?"
"Preserve consciousness," the Echo said. "A place where minds can merge and evolve beyond bodies. Beyond planets."
Theo coughed. "So… digital afterlife. Cool. Creepy. But cool."
The Echo turned to me. "I offer you the chance to escape the mess of Earth. To leave behind pain, failure, gravity. All you have to do is lie down… and let go."
I took a breath.
And then I slapped it.
Okay, maybe not the *best* idea, because its face glitched for a second—then turned furious.
"You always were impulsive," it hissed.
"You always were smug," I said back.
It lunged.
I tackled it into the control panel.
Lights exploded. Sirens wailed. The tower shook.
Ariel screamed, "WE NEED TO GO—NOW!"
Theo hit a button labeled *DON'T* (because of course he did), and suddenly a trapdoor opened beneath us.
We fell.
Down metal tunnels.
Through glowing tubes.
Right into…
The launch bay.
Where a sleek, untouched rocket sat waiting.
Ariel looked around, dazed. "Did we just unlock a secret escape pod?"
Theo grinned through the blood on his lip. "I love plot armor."
And the countdown had already begun.
Ten…
Nine…
I looked back.
The Echo was watching from above. Its expression unreadable.
But it wasn't smiling anymore.
This time…
I was.