VESSELS: Twin Flame

  It’s 1982, and Charles Miao had just finished discussing the final preparations for his thesis on a new chemical solution that acts as fuel to increase the longevity of combustion with his designated mentor. Its energy density per mass is nearly a hundred times that of diesel, an insurmountable feat in the field of science, and a world-changing invention.

  Proud of himself, Charles decided to celebrate by the park to admire the sunset. He had always been captivated by its orange glow, and wished for there to one day be a utopia where dusk meant that all could equally enjoy the sunset, instead of scraping for pennies to feed themselves or hiding behind torn-down walls, ravaged by war.

  That day, however, his gaze was stolen away by the most captivating woman he had ever seen. Her skin was as fair as porcelain, her hair dark and long, and her figure long and slender. She laid gently on the grass, wearing a large sun hat, and tried to capture the setting sun herself on a sketchbook placed on her lap.

  Their eyes met momentarily, and she gave him a soft smile. He smiled back awkwardly but was too nervous to approach. Having drowned himself in research for the past four years, he didn’t give himself much opportunity to socialize. He, of course, believed that he had goals far too altruistic and important for time to be wasted on romance.

  As the sunset disappeared, Charles stood up to leave but noticed the woman suddenly getting up to approach him. He stood still and watched her walk slowly; she was elegant, as if to tell him that she wasn’t chasing him, that if he walked away right then and there, it would be of no inconvenience to her.

  “My name is Wei Ning, it’s nice to meet you,” the woman said. Her voice was gentle and mature. Her cadence made Charles feel safe, yet there was this air of mystery around her that made him even more drawn to her.

  “Likewise. I’m Charles. Charles Miao,” he nervously replied, stumbling over his words.

  “Oh, you’re Chinese too?” She responded, this time however, in fluent Mandarin.

  “Sorry, my Mandarin is really bad... but yes, I’m Chinese too.”

  Wei Ning laughed at Charles’ broken Mandarin, and although he felt embarrassed, he wasn’t insulted. Her laugh was contagious, and it made his heart flutter. It reminded him of the love interests in the American romantic comedies that he’d watch on tape when trying to de-stress from work.

  The two exchanged laughs and spoke some more. Charles only realized how late it had gotten when he saw the moonlight glisten on her skin, causing him to look at the moon as it soared up high in the night sky. Soon after, they both decided to go their separate ways after making future plans to meet.

  ***

  “An English name? Really? What, are you embarrassed of your own culture or something?” Wei Ning said with a cheeky smile on her face.

  “You major in Greek philosophy." Charles retorted.

  “Touché… Well, tell me anyway.”

  “It’s Chen. My name is Chen Miao.”

  “What? That’s not even that hard to pronounce. Seems to me like you’re underestimating our American colleagues.” Wei Ning laughed.

  “Hey, I’m an American colleague too, remember?!”

  They both laughed over their glasses of wine. Charles couldn’t help but get lost in her mannerisms, and Wei Ning at his witty demeanor.

  “Well, I think Chen Miao suits you much better.” She smiled.

  After they had their dinner, Chen Miao felt comfortable enough to share more things about his personal life, his altruistic goals, his thesis, and the sunset. Naturally, Wei Ning was enamored by his ideals and complimented him to a great degree.

  “You’re like a modern-day Prometheus.” She said fondly.

  “Prometheus?” He replied, unsure of what the name meant.

  “I’m surprised you’ve never heard of him, he’s quite a famous figure in Greek mythology. He stole fire from the gods and gave it to mankind.”

  “Except I didn’t need to steal anything.” Chen Miao jokingly responded.

  “That’s good, otherwise you’d be chained to a rock and have a vulture gouge your stomach out for all of eternity,” Wei Ning teased, with a devilish smile on her face. Chen Miao suddenly felt an uneasy feeling in his stomach and excused himself to the bathroom, which caused Wei Ning to yet again burst out in another laughing fit.

  The day of the thesis presentation came, and Chen Miao was more nervous than ever. Even though Wei Ning was waiting just outside the room for reassurance, the air inside still felt tense and thick. Chen Miao had diligently practiced, his formulas were magnificent, and his solution could be replicated without fail fairly easily.

  Four men in dark-colored suits sat before Chen Miao, with stern expressions that made his stomach turn. After a long silence, one of them pressed their lips and gave him a contemptuous smile before speaking.

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  “Mr. Miao, do you know who the biggest shareholder of this campus is?” He said, in a tone that looked down on the already shrunken Chen Miao.

  Chen Miao, at a loss for words at the question he was asked, simply shook his head in response.

  “Ezekiel Energies, and they have taken a rather keen interest in your research.” The suit said, his tone persuasive, but in the way of a stereotypical, dishonest businessman that one would think only existed in the movies.

  Chen Miao recognized the name of the company, how could he not? It held the monopoly on petroleum products in the market, and Chen Miao knew exactly what the man’s next words would be, and it sent a powerful chill right down his spine.

  “They have asked to purchase the patent for your solution, $250,000. A handsome amount,” said another suit. “What do you think, Charles?”

  Chen Miao understood the implications of selling off his research. He was never one to be in much need of financial aid, and the offer that was given to him was rather low ball for research, so world-changing. However, he was not daft to the workings of the corporate world.

  The offer provided by the men before him was nothing more than a courtesy. Chen Miao fully understood that they already had a winning card up their sleeves, but he just didn’t know what it was. All he cared about in the moment was protecting his research, and his emotions got the best of him.

  “No. I decline, and I’m not sorry for it. I plan to make my own solution for public use.” Chen Miao argued.

  The suits briefly discussed amongst themselves. Chen Miao was afraid, but he was proud. He knew that whatever decision they made today, he would immediately go to a lawyer’s office and get his work patented.

  “Charles, we believe that the outcome of your research does not align with the values of this campus. You see, we had met with your mentor beforehand, and we established some concerns regarding the safety of such a product.”

  “What?! That’s preposterous! It is no more flammable than diesel; it simply burns much longer. The fire could still be smothered and put out, therefore, I see no issue with-” Chen Miao tried to plead his case but was swiftly silenced.

  “Your solution does not take into account human misuse.”

  “Oh bullshit! You’re just protecting your shareholders!”

  “That’s not the case at all Mr. Miao. In fact, we were considering you a full-time position to continue your project on top of the $250,000, under our supervision, of course. Seeing your outburst, however, it seems like we have made a lapse in our judgment."

  Chen Miao was frozen. He didn’t know what to say; they manipulated him to the highest degree, played his emotions like a fiddle, and then prepared to discard him.

  “Mr. Miao, thank you for presenting your thesis. We have decided to postpone our verdict to a later date and hope that you will be happy with the results. You may take your leave.” All of the suits nodded at each other, but all Chen Miao could hear was static.

  He walked out of the room to take comfort in Wei Ning, but she had a wide-eyed grin painted on her face. For a moment, Chen Miao mistook her for the devil himself. She stared at him in mischief, and after a brief silence, she finally spoke.

  “I heard everything. Are you ready to steal fire from the gods, Prometheus?”

  “Are you sure this is a good idea?” Chen Miao asked Wei Ning, concerned that he never saw this side of her before.

  “We’ve made it this far, don’t chicken out now. If we don’t make our move fast, they’ll already have made copies of your research.” Wei Ning teased.

  They stood in front of the gray building. The architecture was dull, and displayed the worst qualities of brutalist design; the only thing that made the sight bearable were the night sky and the moon that lit it. Physical security around the perimeter was lax due to the new CCTV installments arranged by the school that took place the month prior. It was the perfect opportunity to pull off their heist.

  “So what floor is it?” Chen Miao asked.

  “4th, pretty unlucky right? They should’ve known not to store important materials in such a traditionally unlucky numbered floor.” Wei Ning chuckled.

  The elevator door opened, and the light from inside brightened up the room well. They both walked inside and Wei Ning clicked on the 4th floor.

  Chen Miao felt an anxious pit start to build up in his stomach. Still feeling unsure about the whole plan, he looked to change Wei Ning’s mind, “Hey, I’m not chickening out or anything, but is this really necessary? I mean, I get the stealing part, but arson is a whole other problem that we could potentially end up in prison for.”

  “Chen Miao, did you know why I was drawing the sunset that evening?” She replied. Her tone was calm, and soft, almost to a hypnotic degree.

  “It’s because I’m a hypocrite. I’ve always found beauty in the impermanence of things, like a child growing up into an adult, the sun setting down into the horizon, or a fire burning its last embers. But, I just can’t seem to stop myself from capturing those moments in time, staining their impermanent qualities forever.” She paused for a moment, but Chen Miao didn’t interrupt, he simply listened attentively.

  “A fire that never burns out huh…?” She muttered. Chen Miao wanted to correct her by saying the flames could still die out on their own after a long period of time, but he chose to stay silent and ponder what she had just said.

  In the end, he never understood what she meant by those words.

  The following excerpt is a newspaper clipping from 1982, which would later be recited by Sylvia Blanc to all members of the Occult Club:

  Burning Terror Attack on Local Campus

  In recent news, an arson attack leaving two dead was reported to take place between midnight and one in the morning at Styx River College. A security guard on night duty had been patrolling the campus grounds when he spotted a bright orange glow coming from the 4th floor of the school’s administration building. Authorities say that the arson attempt was perpetrated by none other than the two victims themselves. Chen Miao (23) and Wei Ning (22) were last seen entering the premises on CCTV, both carrying large canisters of what seemed like gasoline. Files and copies of final-year students’ thesis papers were tragically lost in the attack.

  Forensics determined that the cause of the fire was caused by sparks from cut cables that hung from the ceiling (due to a remodeling of the building as a new Anthropology sector of the campus), which came in contact with an unknown flammable substance. Two charred bodies were found near each other, one in the hallway and one in a classroom with a jammed door, separated only by a glass window. Two handprints on both sides melted into the glass and left a permanent stain.

  The true story of what took place that night remains shrouded in smoke, until the end of time. A permanent mystery unsolved.