What's a clone to do?

Larz · Post by **Larz** » 2005-04-02 04:14am

I'm not to sure if this should go here, but I'll put it here anyway and if its wrong I would greatly appreciate it if one of the mods would move it for me.

Anyway, I've been mulling this idea in my head for a while and have been asking some of my friends their opinion and thoughts on this, and so now I present it to you folk and would like your input on this. (Note: This is a hypothetical situation based on future tech)

Say that there is a man who is enhanced to be a form of super soldier, with increased neural transmission, increased speed, so on and so forth. Essentially, all these enhancements allow him to survive and do things impossible for a mere human to do.

Anyway, he lives a long life where he kills many people, has an epiphany, and changes to using his superhuman abilities to help people. During his life he makes several close friends, finds some to love and sires a child with this woman. However, right after this he is killed in some dual and his body is buried.

Now, 3 years later, the people who first created him dig up his body and remove a data vault that essentially mapped out his brain during his life, allowing for an exact copy of his consciousness to be made into a clone body; however, this clone body is not augmented like his original body but is simply human.

Now if this clone is rescued by the originals friends, what do you think their reaction would be to him? How about the originals love interest or child (3 years old)? How about the clone’s thoughts? Keep in mind that he has all the memories and thought patterns of the original, but he can never be like the original because his body is simply human, not superhuman. How do you think this clone would deal with living in the original mans shadow...?

Any thoughts would be appreciated... and before one asks this is the premise for a story that I am currently writing... so please do not steal it. Thank you.

wolveraptor · Post by **wolveraptor** » 2005-04-02 11:08am

well, surely the couple fell in love for...love, not super-arnoldian-muscles. It'd certainly be a shock for friends and family to see him alive though. What if the gov pretended he wasn't a clone, but was rather resurrected through advanced technology, but the process made him lose his powers? that'd be a convienient cover-story.

comment on story plot: don't you think having a sort've epiphany and suddenly becoming superman-goodguy is kind of generic?

Shroom Man 777 · Post by **Shroom Man 777** » 2005-04-02 12:33pm

Cliches exist for a reason. Have him murder an entire family and a shitload of children.

Anyway, it'd take some getting use to, living in a less capable body. He'd think of himself as a man does when he's crippled, but he will learn to deal with it. Cripples do, and though he may feel like a cripple, he's not.

Larz · Post by **Larz** » 2005-04-02 05:17pm

comment on story plot: don't you think having a sort've epiphany and suddenly becoming superman-goodguy is kind of generic?

A bit cliche perhaps, but I think I do a bang up job of making it a bit more realistic. I try not to make any character really 'good' or 'bad'... before and after his epiphany.

And I don't think this really has gotten the thought it really deserves (IMO). It is a known fact that this person is a clone who simply has the memories and the thoughts of the original, but thats all they are. He didn't do these great things, he didn't do the bad things, so essentially he is not the same person.

As well, yes she did fall in love with the man, not his feats... but can you really expect someone to love some clone of a man you love who you saw dead, buried, and have done your mourning over for 3 years?

Lone_Prodigy · Post by **Lone_Prodigy** » 2005-04-02 06:43pm

Hmmmmm.... He'll probably go half-crazy and start doing insane numbers of push-ups all day long to get "back in shape".

wolveraptor · Post by **wolveraptor** » 2005-04-02 11:40pm

A bit cliche perhaps, but I think I do a bang up job of making it a bit more realistic. I try not to make any character really 'good' or 'bad'... before and after his epiphany.

It isn't really a big deal. Presentation is more important. Take Spiderman. What a nonsensical origin for the superhero. A spider bite changing one's genetics? Even a lay-person could see through that. But the way it was shown on the screen, it allowed you to ignore the impossibilities. Scripting can make or break a movie; similarly, good writing can make up for some cliches. It should be noted that due to its medium, writing has to work a little harder to cover-up cliches. People absorb books more thoroughly than movies, IMHO.

As well, yes she did fall in love with the man, not his feats... but can you really expect someone to love some clone of a man you love who you saw dead, buried, and have done your mourning over for 3 years?

My idea was that the gov would tell the woman that her husband had been miraculously resurrected due to his amazing abilities, but the process made him lose his powers. This would be much more acceptable to the spouse, and it would be interesting to see the conflict that would occurr if she finds out, or something.

Or are you asking this under a scenario that the gov does not intervene whatsoever?

Queeb Salaron · Post by **Queeb Salaron** » 2005-04-03 01:28am

The only part I don't get is the significance of the life he led before the epiphany. Why make him a super-soldier at all? Why make him a killer? Wouldn't it be enough for him to be an experiment in, say, hyper-intelligence? That way you could get rid of the "I was bad, but now I'm good. Love me!" bit that helps make it so cliche.

And if you're REALLY dying for a physical/mental contrast, you can implant his hyper-intelligent consciousness into someone with hyper-Arnoldian muscles ex post facto. But that's delving back into the world of cliche, and I don't recommend it.

Larz · Post by **Larz** » 2005-04-03 04:01am

My idea was that the gov would tell the woman that her husband had been miraculously resurrected due to his amazing abilities, but the process made him lose his powers.

NOTE: If I ever post this story in the fanfic section, then these are major spoilers...

Maybe I should have gone a tad more indept... he's sort of a 'black operations' project. No one was supposed to know they (he has a brother, FYI) existed and they where supposed to be very submissive to the departments wishes. Reason they where created... because the technology had finally gotten to the point where they could try to make such an 'improved' operative for their dirty work.

However... them living like that wouldn't make for good readomg, so after some thoughts on what they where doing (slaying anyone between them and their objective) , with some aid and skill they escaped the compound and started life anew... though their ideaology then was that they should use their skill and abilities to kill bad men to protect good people. So for several decades they work as hired gunmen and assasines for organized crime, though they play by their own rules. This leads up the mans epiphany that maybe even killing bad men isn't so good either. So he ops not to kill bad men either... though he still has made a lot of enemies so fighting is still involved in his life. Well, thats the entire backstory in a rather crude nutshell.

Alas though, you people are drifting off topic. I want to know the reaction to the clone from friends, family, and even himself. Its a question of how or even whether there can be acceptance in such circumstance.

Prozac the Robert · Post by **Prozac the Robert** » 2005-04-03 12:15pm

It's possible some people would be more comfortable around him, now that he's no longer ten times stronger than them or whatever. Probably applies more to casual aquantences than close friends and family though, and it doesn't sound like he'll have that many of them.

It'd be interesting to see how he'd get on with his brother (the brother is also gen-enged, yes?), if the brother is still 'super'. The brother would probably feel obligated to help protect him, while he might feel like he's moved into his brothers shadow. He might end up resenting his brother to some degree, or the brother might resent having to help him, or perhaps feel pity or even contempt.