Tyson woke up early the next morning to the sound of the doorbell. Jumping out of bed, he quickly slipped on a pair of sweatpants and a muscle shirt and hurried towards the front door. Kyle was still asleep, as was to be expected; Kyle worked from home in the software industry and usually didn’t start his day until around 10.
Tyson unlocked the apartment door and pulled it open to find there was no one in the hallway. He leaned out and did a quick look both ways, but there was no sign of movement. Glancing downwards, Tyson noticed a small nondescript cardboard box sitting in front of the apartment doorway; he picked it up before closing and relocking the door.
After returning to his bedroom, Tyson tore open the box to find what looked like a smartwatch inside. It took him a moment to remember that he had clicked on the ad for the Clone Machine late last night; this must have been related to that.
“That was fast delivery,” He muttered to himself, slipping the device around his wrist and hitting the power button on the side. When he had read the advertisement for a Clone Machine, this had certainly not been what he’d been expecting. The screen lit up with text: ‘Scanning, please wait…’
A 3D model of Tyson’s body was projected from the device, showing him naked and erect. Tyson was surprised at the high quality; when he had ordered the device, he had been more or less confident that it was some kind of scam. Looking at the device’s detailed model of his body, Tyson started to feel like it might actually be legitimate.
‘Please confirm subject: Tyson Rogers. Yes/No’ Tyson selected yes on the screen, and the 3D model of himself vanished. ‘Please select target’.
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After football practice, Coach called Tyson and Travis to his office. Tyson still had the device wrapped around his wrist; it had seemed like a great idea when he’d make the order last night, but now that he actually had the machine in his hands he was having second thoughts. Could he really overwrite somebody else’s life with his own? Making someone into his unwilling clone didn’t seem right, no matter how much easier his own life would be with the ability to split his burdens. He’d been lost in his thoughts all morning, struggling with the dilemma, and knew he hadn’t performed well during practice.
“So here’s the situation, boys,” Coach explained, gesturing for Tyson and Travis to take a seat across his desk from him, “You’re both good. Really good. And I know that it’s common for rivalries to form, but I don’t want that for you two; we’re all on the same team, with the same goal.”
“I couldn’t agree more, Coach,” Travis nodded, a sly smirk on his lips, “Which is why I think it’s so important for the team to show up to every practice. How are we supposed to work effectively if our starting quarterback only shows up half of the time?”
Tyson opened his mouth to object, but Coach but his hands up to silence both of them. “Tyson has already discussed his circumstances with me, Travis, and I don’t want to hear anymore on the matter. That’s not why I called you in here.”
“Why did you call us in here?” Tyson asked, a sense of dread rising in him.
“I have given it a lot of thought, and I have decided that you both should share the roll of leading the team. That means that both of you will be our starting quarterback, alternating games.”
Tyson felt the ground drop out from under him; it was just as Travis had predicted. Coach was punishing him with a demotion because he wasn’t able to commit 100% to practice.
“I think that’s a great idea, Coach,” Travis said, looking at Tyson with a smug sneer of triumph.
“Coach, I…” Tyson started.
“I realize this may seem unfair, Tyson, but it’s my job to do what’s best for the team. This is not up for discussion; Travis will be starting quarterback for the game on Friday, and then you will for the game next week,” Coach stood up from his desk, indicating that the conversation was over. “Now hit the showers.”
Still feeling shell-shocked, Tyson followed Travis into the locker room. Most of the team had already showered and headed out while they’d been in the meeting with Coach, leaving the changeroom practically empty.
“I tried to warn you,” Travis laughed, starting to slip off his football uniform, “It was only a matter of time before Coach realized I’m the better player.”
“Fuck off, Travis,” Tyson responded angrily, pulling his jersey and shoulder pads up over his head.
“Good comeback,” Travis chuckled. He slammed his fist into the locker, leaning in menacingly. “Enjoy the games you have left, because I’m coming for you.”
Travis pulled down his underwear and headed for the shower room, a towel slung over his shoulder. Without stopping to think about it, Tyson raised his wrist and pointed the device towards Travis, pressing the screen to select him as a target. ‘Scanning, please wait…’
A 3D model of Travis was projected from the device. ‘Please confirm target: Travis Smith. Yes/No.’ Tyson didn’t give himself the chance to hesitate, selecting yes as soon as the option was displayed.
‘Cloning in progress…0%’