210th Entry

June 4^th, 2037

1425

Dear Earth Diary

Once Mary stopped teasing me (I hope), she went to check out some of the boxes, on the grounds that I could no longer be trusted.

I’m feeling slightly hard done by.

“Better than other reasons to be feeling hard.”

Ok so she’s not done teasing me yet.

“It’ll take a while.”

…I’m going to check on the guards.

1430

The guards are fine. Somebody had packed leftover bacon and they were currently fighting each other for it in a fairly ineffectual way. Which, while it doesn’t reassure me on their ability to actually protect me or guard anything, is at least a harmless way of keeping them busy.

“I’m back.”

Well?

“You’re right. They’re not dead. They’re in a stasis of some kind, brought on by something they put in the nutritional paste. Keeps them healthy but completely inanimate until they switch them on.”

So they’re in a food coma?

“This is kind of serious.”

Sorry.

“They’re stable, but we need to make a decision.”

What’s that?

“How are we going to kill them?”

Well, we could – Wait, what? Kill them? We can’t kill them!

“Well in some ways they’re not technically alive, so I guess you’re right –“

That’s not what I mean. How could you suggest that? They’re you!

“They’re clones of me. They’re not me, I’m me.”

You saved the Marys on Splat!

“That’s different. They were alive. They had learnt and become their own people. These are just… things in a box.”

What’s to say these aren’t the same?

“That’s why we have to kill them now.”

I can’t believe you’re saying this.

“Saying it is the only way I can convince myself that this is ok. And we have to. Did you see what they did to 3.0? She’s just… she’s not 3.0 anymore. We have to stop them, and if that means killing 360 of me then so be it.”

…No. There has to be another way.

“I don’t like this. Believe me. Please, I’m not a monster. But we can’t allow them to get away with this. Not again. I’ve been used for 20 years and I’ve had enough. We have to end this.”

And I get that. I don’t want you to suffer, or be cloned again. And we will stop them. But we can’t become killers.

“…I’m listening. Go on. If you have a brilliant plan that doesn’t kill them, then I’m all ears.”

Um… ok, hang on, well…

“I’m waiting.”

Shut up and let me think! We could…

“Er, excuse me sir, madam.”

Aaarrgh!

“Aaaargh!”

“…Hi?”

Who are you?

“Delivery guy. The guards let me in. Are these the crates?”

What?

“Ugh. Listen, I’ve got an invoice here to pick up 360 crates. If you’re not who I talk to, then who do I talk to?”

“Delivery?”

“I’m just here to do my job, ma’am.”

“I’m sorry, there’s been –“

…Yes! Yes the delivery. I’m afraid there’s been a change of address…