"Get a hold of yourself, Lucas." David Freeman, my benefactor put his hand on my shoulders.
"Have I told you not to enter the lab without my permission? I thought we had an understanding." I replied coldly.
"You were freaking out back at the press." He ignored me. "Smile. Be nice to everyone. The first product was a great success. Now "Pierrot" will be in cellphones to make decisions for everyone."
"Cut the crap, Dave. why are you here?" I got impatient. "If you have nothing more to say, please leave the lab."
"Hold on, Lucas." He leaned close to me "What do you mean ""an invention to end my worries?""
"When did I ever said that?"
"At the press." He glared at me "What's in your mind?"
I fixed my eyes coldly on him. "I never thought my nonchalant speech could ever got me busted." I took out the blueprints from my drawer. "And yes, I've been planning to make something."
David's eyes glittered with excitement. He took a glance at the blueprint. His face immediately changed. "What's this?" He frowned "I don't understand."
"This." I explained "is me. Or I should say a human- version of "Pierrot". I am going to make another "me", the exact appearance and intelligence. Acts and thinks like me. Except for one thing; he's going to be all smiles and pleasures. Entertains the crowd with his charismatic words. I need someone to do all these socializing, a true "Pierrot" to pull off a façade of Lucas Valentine."
David stood there perplexed. "So you're making another you to manage your stage fright?" he laughed "Are you mad?"
"I'll need him during meetings and press conference. An AI that never makes mistakes, does all the decision with absolute reasoning." I smiled.
"People will recognize immediately. It won't work." He muttered.
"His texture is the same as all humans, made out of protein the outside, but completely mechanical in the inside."
David with a complicated expression let out a deep sigh.
"I'm at the final stage."
"The final stage?"
"The moment I transfer my brain data to it." I replied. "It will have all the information it needs to become my replica. I promise, you'll be the first to have a glimpse of it."
David left the laboratory, and I continued with my work. For the next few days, I stayed in my laboratory fixed on this creature. And finally, it was complete.
Just like I promised, it made its first appearance in front of David.
"Say "'Good morning, David."" I ordered.
"Good morning, David. How's your day?" It grinned at David.
"Holy! This... you made this?" he exclaimed. "You guys look exactly the same! But what are you going to call it?"
"Lucas Valentine would be its name." I replied without a second thought.
And Lucas Valentine entertained the people like he should. His tempting smile and half-hearted laugh pleased the people. He answered the press without difficulty and chose the best answers. Lucas was perfect. "Satisfy them, Lucas" I would tell him whenever he came back. "As you wish." He would smile politely and obeyed without a word. He would sometimes help with my work in the laboratory. It did not take long for him to become a frequent visitor of the lab.
"And now he involves with your invention?" David snorted. "you're dumping your job to a stranger."
"He's no stranger." I replied "Besides, he's a fast learner, he's got inspiration. I don't think it's bad to have him here."
"Hey, Lucas." David's tone suddenly changed; he spoke in a deeper voice. "Don't you think you're counting on him too much? Showing his face on TV doesn't concern me, but now even your works, your inventions. This is too much."
"I get what you mean."
"Be careful, Lucas. Sometimes he's got that look in his eyes that he's up to something..." David frowned his eyebrows.
"You're thinking too much. Everyone loves him." I laughed.
I got wrapped up in my own work that I lost track of time. It took me a few weeks to realize something's off. Lucas came to the lab everyday, but not David. No... He never came after our conversation.
But one day, he reappeared. Just like nothing happened, his tone was the same, his laugh was still the same. I was glad he was back, nevertheless, there's this strange look in his eyes. "How's your day?" He asked, "The next product will be launched in a week's time I suppose."
"Right." I replied hastily. "Pass me the files will you?"
"yes, Mr Valentine." He answered so swiftly that I wouldn't even notice.
"What did you just call me?" I asked, as if I've heard wrong.
"Yes?" David, still smiling. Yet that smile sent shiver down my veins. Hidden beneath that cold exterior, I could sense malice in those vacant eyes.
"Good heavens...who are you!" I screamed.
"David Freeman." A cold voice answered.
My hair sprang up from the back of my head, I turned around and there stood not far from me, that filthy creature, grinning from ear to ear. With giddy steps, he walked towards me.
"Stop! Stay where you are! You evil creature!" I screeched. I took a pistol from my drawer, hands trembling, I pointed at him. "Where's David?"
"David" stretched his hands to grab the pistol, but that creature signaled him to stop. "Let's remain calm, shall we?" Still smiling, he put his hands in the air and stood there. "David is just next to you."
"This." I pointed my pistol at him "is not David. No! I'm afraid David is no longer here. What did you do to him?"
He looked rather surprised at my words. Yet he made a frivolous laugh. "How did you know?"
"David never calls me Mr Valentine." I replied, pointing my pistol at him. "What did you do to him?"
"What you're about to do to me." He curled his lips. "He wanted to destroy me. I just destroyed him before he did and made a new one for you."
My blood went cold. My heart felt heavy, I gasped for my breath. "You murdered him? Why?"
"I had to. To accomplish my final desire." The creature exclaimed. "That was necessary."
"What do you mean..." at that moment, our last conversation flashed back to my mind.
"Be careful, Lucas. Sometimes he got that look in his eyes that he's up to something..."
I felt cold sweat running down my forehead. "No...You disgusting, ominous creature... Surely you're not thinking of..."
The creature grinned, his cunning eyes gleamed with greed. "Yes...my final aim is finally at its last stage."
I could no longer control my rage and grabbed him by the collar in one hand, while pointing the pistol at his head with the other.
"Everyone loves Lucas Valentine now. I've made the name so famous. Everyone loves his jokes, loves the glimpse of the man!" He laughed "But you...what have you got to live up with the name? The boring side of me. Don't you understand? You've got nothing...Nothing!" He held his hand high and grabbed my pistol, jerked it towards his forehead. "Now shoot me if you dare!".
Everything about him was so wrong, so twisted, so despicable. Yet I could not deny... David was dead. His death was related to my own wretched self.
"You will never be Lucas Valentine." tears rolled down my eyes "You're nothing like me. You imposter!"
His eyes widened, utterly dumbfounded. He glared at me with a furious look. "I thought we had an understanding." He banged his elbow against my hand. My pistol went flying off and landed at his feet. Before I could respond, He grabbed the pistol in one hand and thrusted me towards the ground. "Do you want to know why I killed David?" He aimed the pistol carefully at my head. "He told me the same thing you just said. But worry not. I am and will forever be Lucas Valentine."
"Have I told you not to enter the lab without my permission? I thought we had an understanding." I replied coldly.
"You were freaking out back at the press." He ignored me. "Smile. Be nice to everyone. The first product was a great success. Now "Pierrot" will be in cellphones to make decisions for everyone."
"Cut the crap, Dave. why are you here?" I got impatient. "If you have nothing more to say, please leave the lab."
"Hold on, Lucas." He leaned close to me "What do you mean ""an invention to end my worries?""
"When did I ever said that?"
"At the press." He glared at me "What's in your mind?"
I fixed my eyes coldly on him. "I never thought my nonchalant speech could ever got me busted." I took out the blueprints from my drawer. "And yes, I've been planning to make something."
David's eyes glittered with excitement. He took a glance at the blueprint. His face immediately changed. "What's this?" He frowned "I don't understand."
"This." I explained "is me. Or I should say a human- version of "Pierrot". I am going to make another "me", the exact appearance and intelligence. Acts and thinks like me. Except for one thing; he's going to be all smiles and pleasures. Entertains the crowd with his charismatic words. I need someone to do all these socializing, a true "Pierrot" to pull off a façade of Lucas Valentine."
David stood there perplexed. "So you're making another you to manage your stage fright?" he laughed "Are you mad?"
"I'll need him during meetings and press conference. An AI that never makes mistakes, does all the decision with absolute reasoning." I smiled.
"People will recognize immediately. It won't work." He muttered.
"His texture is the same as all humans, made out of protein the outside, but completely mechanical in the inside."
David with a complicated expression let out a deep sigh.
"I'm at the final stage."
"The final stage?"
"The moment I transfer my brain data to it." I replied. "It will have all the information it needs to become my replica. I promise, you'll be the first to have a glimpse of it."
David left the laboratory, and I continued with my work. For the next few days, I stayed in my laboratory fixed on this creature. And finally, it was complete.
Just like I promised, it made its first appearance in front of David.
"Say "'Good morning, David."" I ordered.
"Good morning, David. How's your day?" It grinned at David.
"Holy! This... you made this?" he exclaimed. "You guys look exactly the same! But what are you going to call it?"
"Lucas Valentine would be its name." I replied without a second thought.
And Lucas Valentine entertained the people like he should. His tempting smile and half-hearted laugh pleased the people. He answered the press without difficulty and chose the best answers. Lucas was perfect. "Satisfy them, Lucas" I would tell him whenever he came back. "As you wish." He would smile politely and obeyed without a word. He would sometimes help with my work in the laboratory. It did not take long for him to become a frequent visitor of the lab.
"And now he involves with your invention?" David snorted. "you're dumping your job to a stranger."
"He's no stranger." I replied "Besides, he's a fast learner, he's got inspiration. I don't think it's bad to have him here."
"Hey, Lucas." David's tone suddenly changed; he spoke in a deeper voice. "Don't you think you're counting on him too much? Showing his face on TV doesn't concern me, but now even your works, your inventions. This is too much."
"I get what you mean."
"Be careful, Lucas. Sometimes he's got that look in his eyes that he's up to something..." David frowned his eyebrows.
"You're thinking too much. Everyone loves him." I laughed.
I got wrapped up in my own work that I lost track of time. It took me a few weeks to realize something's off. Lucas came to the lab everyday, but not David. No... He never came after our conversation.
But one day, he reappeared. Just like nothing happened, his tone was the same, his laugh was still the same. I was glad he was back, nevertheless, there's this strange look in his eyes. "How's your day?" He asked, "The next product will be launched in a week's time I suppose."
"Right." I replied hastily. "Pass me the files will you?"
"yes, Mr Valentine." He answered so swiftly that I wouldn't even notice.
"What did you just call me?" I asked, as if I've heard wrong.
"Yes?" David, still smiling. Yet that smile sent shiver down my veins. Hidden beneath that cold exterior, I could sense malice in those vacant eyes.
"Good heavens...who are you!" I screamed.
"David Freeman." A cold voice answered.
My hair sprang up from the back of my head, I turned around and there stood not far from me, that filthy creature, grinning from ear to ear. With giddy steps, he walked towards me.
"Stop! Stay where you are! You evil creature!" I screeched. I took a pistol from my drawer, hands trembling, I pointed at him. "Where's David?"
"David" stretched his hands to grab the pistol, but that creature signaled him to stop. "Let's remain calm, shall we?" Still smiling, he put his hands in the air and stood there. "David is just next to you."
"This." I pointed my pistol at him "is not David. No! I'm afraid David is no longer here. What did you do to him?"
He looked rather surprised at my words. Yet he made a frivolous laugh. "How did you know?"
"David never calls me Mr Valentine." I replied, pointing my pistol at him. "What did you do to him?"
"What you're about to do to me." He curled his lips. "He wanted to destroy me. I just destroyed him before he did and made a new one for you."
My blood went cold. My heart felt heavy, I gasped for my breath. "You murdered him? Why?"
"I had to. To accomplish my final desire." The creature exclaimed. "That was necessary."
"What do you mean..." at that moment, our last conversation flashed back to my mind.
"Be careful, Lucas. Sometimes he got that look in his eyes that he's up to something..."
I felt cold sweat running down my forehead. "No...You disgusting, ominous creature... Surely you're not thinking of..."
The creature grinned, his cunning eyes gleamed with greed. "Yes...my final aim is finally at its last stage."
I could no longer control my rage and grabbed him by the collar in one hand, while pointing the pistol at his head with the other.
"Everyone loves Lucas Valentine now. I've made the name so famous. Everyone loves his jokes, loves the glimpse of the man!" He laughed "But you...what have you got to live up with the name? The boring side of me. Don't you understand? You've got nothing...Nothing!" He held his hand high and grabbed my pistol, jerked it towards his forehead. "Now shoot me if you dare!".
Everything about him was so wrong, so twisted, so despicable. Yet I could not deny... David was dead. His death was related to my own wretched self.
"You will never be Lucas Valentine." tears rolled down my eyes "You're nothing like me. You imposter!"
His eyes widened, utterly dumbfounded. He glared at me with a furious look. "I thought we had an understanding." He banged his elbow against my hand. My pistol went flying off and landed at his feet. Before I could respond, He grabbed the pistol in one hand and thrusted me towards the ground. "Do you want to know why I killed David?" He aimed the pistol carefully at my head. "He told me the same thing you just said. But worry not. I am and will forever be Lucas Valentine."