Isaac sat on a chair, studying the doppelganger dog for a few minutes through the visor of his helmet, scrutinizing every movement for any unnatural qualities. It appeared normal as it paced inside the Med Hut cage, giving no indication that it was anything other than an ordinary dog. It occasionally sniffed the corners of the space and stared back at its audience, which consisted of Isaac, Charles, Mitchell and Kay, all wearing protective gear. Lacy, Lance and Audrey had been told to wait outside until their discussion was over.

“Who’s it had contact with?” asked Isaac to no one in particular.

“Lacy and Charles,” blurted Mitchell, smirking.

“It was near me,” corrected Charles, “but it didn’t actually touch me.”

“Close enough. I say we quarantine him anyway,” Mitchell countered. “Lacy too – she was petting the thing.”

Isaac ignored Mitchell’s bluster and glanced at Kay. She nodded. “Lacy spent the most time with it…and she did have contact.”

Turning back toward Other Gus, Isaac leaned forward, elbows on his knees, caressing his trimmed white beard. The dog yawned and then sat. Isaac rose from the chair and turned to the others. “Show me where the dog was found.”

They drove an old Nissan minivan along the unkempt runway until they reached the hangar where Lacy had discovered Other Gus. Armed, they cautiously entered, flashlight beams slicing at the darkness. A thorough search revealed that except for a small, deteriorated private jet, the hanger was empty.

“Charles, open the plane door,” said Isaac, raising his weapon. Kay followed his lead, aiming her firearm as the jet was accessed. Mitchell’s weapon had already been at the ready, as usual. Charles stepped aside as they entered, Mitchell leading the way. Shafts of light poked through the cabin windows as they swept the interior. Suddenly feeling isolated and vulnerable, Charles checked behind him, but was reassured when he discovered no strange beings lurking in the suffocating darkness.

After a few minutes, they exited the plane. “Nothing unusual,” said Isaac. “But I think we should observe this hangar for a couple of days to see if any other anomalies occur.”

“Anomalies?” Charles shrugged. “I mean, Jesus Christ – what is the dog? Where’d it come from? Some kind of lifeform duplicating us one by one?”

Mitchell stepped away from Charles, subtly directing the barrel of his rifle toward him. “Maybe you’re a duplicate.” To Isaac and Kay, he said, “How do we know? Could be that both him and Lacy are duplicates.”

“Don’t aim that gun at me,” warned Charles. “I’m armed, too.”

“Try it,” taunted Mitchell.

Isaac, aiming at Mitchell with his rifle and Charles with his sidearm, scolded the two men. “That’s enough. Control yourselves. If you cannot, then neither of you are worth keeping in Community.” The two men walked away from one another and Isaac continued his scrutiny of the hanger, directing his flashlight to the ceiling and the far corners of the hangar. “As for your concern, Charles, I don’t have an answer for you. Not yet. But we will uncover an explanation.”

Kay spoke. “I’m no scientist, but I think we need to conduct an experiment.”

Isaac turned to her. “What kind of experiment?”

“We release the dog and see where it goes. Maybe it’ll lead us back to wherever it came from.”

Charles nodded. “Good idea. I like it.”

Isaac pondered Kay’s theory. “I concur.”

“Who follows it?” asked Charles. “Do we draw straws? Rocks, paper, scissors…?”

“I’ll do it,” offered Mitchell.

Ignoring the suggestion, Isaac thought for a moment, then said, “The silos are not my area to govern. I’m needed at the farms. Kay, when Grant returns from the supply run you and he will decide who will trail the dog.”

As if on cue, the roar of an approaching engine arose, and they all turned toward the sound. “Speak of the devil,” said Kay.

They left the hangar and closed the exterior door. Near Community’s distant front gate came the glare of the tractor trailer’s twin headlights. As they entered the minivan, Isaac instructed, “Not that anyone frequents the hangar, but until further notice, it’s off limits.”

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Lacy had been trying to anticipate what Isaac might decide regarding Other Gus. She expected the worst – that the dog would be destroyed. Then she wondered if they’d also decide Gus’ fate and her pulse spiked.

She turned and glanced at her chocolate lab, who’d been chained to a post. Gus had been lying down, but when he noticed Lacy’s gaze, he raised his head and his tail thumped wildly against the ground. She wanted desperately to go to him, pat his broad head and tell him that everything would be fine. But since she’d come into contact with Other Gus, as a precaution, she’d been prohibited from contact with anyone.

Lacy decided this measure was a necessary one and understood the concern. She too, had to admit that she was deeply disturbed by the reality of two Gusses. In an effort to debunk the theory of a duplicate, she had thoroughly examined Other Gus and discovered he possessed identical markings with her Gus; even a mole on his rear leg and a scar from a surgery when he had been a puppy. Impossibly, Other Gus was an exact copy.

The Walker children sat huddled thirty feet away, occasionally casting suspicious glances her way. They’d been tasked with watching Lacy to be sure she didn’t do anything unusual. Lance had been armed with a pistol, Audrey with pepper spray.

When the others returned from their trip to the airplane hangar, which could be at any moment, Lacy and the two dogs might very well be disposed of. Lacy shook off the notion. Surely, they’d at least consider shooting the dogs, but would they really euthanize a fellow human? Were they capable of such a thing? Mitchell was, without question. Lacy knew little of Isaac, but didn’t believe either Charles or Kay would partake in violence unless their lives were in danger.

Lacy’s heart thumped as her body, preparing for an emergency, released adrenaline into her bloodstream. She rose and walked over to Gus.

“Hey!” shouted Lance.

Lacy ignored him and with trembling hands, worked at the latch on the chain.

“Hey! Get away from the dog!” protested the boy. The Walker children approached.

For months, during her walks with Gus, Lacy had entertained the idea of letting her lab go, to run free in the wilderness and each time had failed to follow through. Now, she wondered if she’d have the strength to do what she must. She couldn’t leave Gus’ destiny in the hands of the others.

Lance and Audrey neared, each holding their weapon out at arm’s length. When they reached halfway to Lacy, their pace slowed. “Stop! Don’t make us do this!” yelled Audrey.

Lacy maneuvered the latch out of the loop on Gus’ collar and let the chain fall to the ground. She walked toward the Walker kids, who retreated a step.

“Don’t come any closer!” shouted Lance. “I’ll do it, I swear to God!”

Not slowing, Lacy came within fifteen feet of them.

Audrey jutted the can of mace forward, attempting to intimidate. “Stop, Lacy!”

Ten feet.

Five.

Lance raised the pistol with both hands and took a deep breath, but the expression on his face told Lacy all she needed to know. She stepped directly in front of the boy and snatched the gun from him. His eyes brimmed with tears. Audrey’s had spilled over.

Ducking inside her silo, Lacy grabbed a bugout bag, which was always stocked with supplies. When she stepped back outside, she noted the Walker children running off toward the hangar.

In the Med Hut, Lacy released Other Gus, disregarding caution and trusting her gut. She grabbed her Gus’ leash, attached it to his collar and the two passed through Community’s gate. When they were in the dark coverage of the trees lining the approach road, she stopped and listened to the engine of the rig and caught the glare of the headlights as it passed.

“C’mon, boys,” she said to the dogs, patting her leg. They turned from the road and walked into the wilderness.