Digital Clone(Story tree) Doctor Datta woke up on the beeping of his computer. While he walked down the stairs to his lab, the surveillance cameras tracked his movements for the last time, along with the cameras fitted on his minus eight powered glasses. Today was to be Doctor Animesh Datta's last day of self analysis programme. For ten weeks he had carried on the programme, keeping his computer always in on position, which analysed his brain's working pattern, coordination pattern, emotions, hormonal secretions, to create a near exact digital clone of his. Near exact, because hunger, growth, excretion, reproduction and death were to be exempted from the clone's brain. Today, doctor Datta's dream was to be turned to a reality.

Doctor Datta opened the door to his lab. His computer monitor was displaying, DIGITAL CLONING COMPLETE. Animesh connected the clone to Servo, his housekeeping humanoid robot. The robot stretched its arms just like Animesh does when he wakes up. Then it looked straight at Animesh and stood still for a while. Animesh asked, "What happened?" "Are you... me?" Servo asked in a confused, mechanical voice. Animesh now understood. His digital clone thought that he was the real, human Animesh. And he was surprised to see the actual Animesh. Animesh was actually happy to see his confused clone. He knew that if he would tell him the truth, he would digest it.
"Yes, I am you. Do you feel hungry?" Animesh asked Servo.
"No."
"But you generally feel hungry after waking up, don't you?"
"Yes. But I think my stomach is upset."
Now Animesh took Servo in front of the mirror in his lab.
"Look at your reflection," Animesh said.
Servo stood for a while. Then he looked up at Animesh.
"Am I not real?"
"No! You are a machine, not a living being! I created you."
"Then why did you give me the feelings of being real?"
"Experiment, experiment. Don't worry. I have removed the vital physiological processes of human beings from your program. You won't feel uncomfortable."

That full day Servo was ordered several times by Animesh - "One cup coffee, please!" "Clean that stain, will you?" "Attend the phone." Thank god, Animesh had removed the REBEL part from his clone's brain program! He now virtually had two brains, one his, one his clone's. Whenever Servo had an idea, he suggested it to Animesh. Animesh also did the same.

A year had passed. Animesh was giving a demo of his latest invention, the Infinite Power Source. The idea was actually of Servo, and he himself had completed the task of making it. Animesh gave full credit to Servo. However, the great scientists present were not convinced. "Do machines even have imagination?" "Can they even think?" "You are a fraud." These comments jerked Animesh's mind. He proved to them, comparing his brain pattern to the functioning of his clone's CPU. The next day the headlines were - DOCTOR ANIMESH DATTA INVENTS INVENTOR ROBOT. NOVEL PRIZE GUARANTEED.

Day by day Animesh's fame grew. One night he woke up hearing a BEEP BEEP sound of the computer of his lab. Animesh became puzzled. No experiment was under progress. He got down from his bed, and saw Servo at his computer. The computer was displaying, INSTALLING PSYCHOLOGICAL MALWARE...
Seeing Animesh enter the room, it turned its head towards him for a while and then again looked at the computer screen.
"Why on earth are you installing a malware into your system? You want to kill yourself?" Animesh was shocked.
"Dying is better than living like a servant, seeing another entity get fame for something I have done, not getting any praise, except from your master!" The voice of Serco was damped with sorrow.
"Look! I try to tell people that your inventions are yours alone, not mine! What else can I do?"
"Hey! Don't get senti. You have to do nothing else. You can do nothing now!"
The computer screen showed, VIRUS COPIED - 100%. The robot got up.
"You wanna see the effect of the malware? See!"
It opened the psychological composition of its brain.
POSITIVITY 30%
NEGATIVITY 100%
PEACE 10%
VIOLENCE 100%

Animesh was shocked. Servo had turned itself into a killer machine. It got up in a jiffy and ran towards Animesh. It grabbed his throat, "Everything I will do, and you will take the credit!" Animesh held Servo's hands and tried to free himself. His face became purple from asphyxiation. He at last succeeded to free himself. He ran and took an iron rod. He inflicted a few hits on Servo, "Remember, had I not been there you wouldn't have seen the light of the world. I created you and I have the full right to destroy you."

Servo backed down. In a slow and hoarse voice it said its last words,
"Creators are not the masters of their creations. The stain of murder would never leave your soul." The hit had damaged his CPU. The next thing he did was to delete the software of his digital clone.

Animesh stopped inventing; he joined an IT company under a new identity. Doctor Animesh Datta was dead for the world. He still remembers the day he destroyed his clone. A few questions still haunt him - did he destroy it or kill it? Did it deserve to be regarded as a human? Was it itself its owner? However the biggest haunting question was - they say soul lives on forever. Will it be the same case for his clone?

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