Sunlight shone through Som's messy bedroom. Piles of clothes litter his bed, loveseat, and floor. Som stood in the middle of the room, looking at himself in the full-length mirror. Som’s handsome features—a mix of a baby-faced K-pop idol with a dash of playful boy-next-door—twist in irritation and confusion. He knows he shouldn’t move his face in such a way lest it mess with his handsome features (his manager’s words), but he just didn’t get it. No matter what Ban said, he still can't fathom the thought of an AI version of himself; just the thought of it makes him break out in goosebumps.

Som's thoughts drifted to that one evening over dinner that Ban had suggested and practically begged Som to get the AI Doppelganger.

"The purpose of an AI doppelgänger," Ban explained, "is to help you manage your busy schedule and reduce your workload." Ban took a sip of his drink. "You have been overworking yourself too much."

"Come on, Ban, you know it's not that big of a deal-"

Ban raised a hand, cutting him off, "What do you mean it's not a big deal?"

"I can just take a week or two off."

"Som," Ban said, putting down his silverware, "I gave you two weeks off the last time, and do you know what you did?"

"Worked on my other business," Som mumbled.

"Exactly. You didn't rest at all. Just last week, you passed out during the filming of the new series. Do you know how worried I was? Your mother cried for almost twenty minutes when I told her."

"I don't know Ban, this all seems really weird," Som lets out a small laugh, "what if we end up with some 'Terminator-esque' situation, or like it wants to take over my life like an evil twin?"

"Som," Ban says, grabbing Som's hand in reassurance, "that's not going to happen. I know that you're worried about all the negatives, but this company is the best of the best. I have no doubt in my mind that you'll be in good hands."

His phone rings, pulling Som out of his thoughts; the cheery face of his manager pops up on his phone's screen.

“Som, are you ready? Do you have an outfit picked out for the occasion?” Som can practically hear his manager beaming through the phone.

He would be oozing saccharine from his core right now, Som thought. This robot ordeal was his manager's idea.

No matter how much he tried to resist the idea—even telling Ban that he’d rather nap than have some robot come and mess up what he’d already established; Ban’s puppy dog eyes, which said, Please just give it a try, ended up causing Som to fold like a deck of cards. Was he going to regret this decision for the rest of his life? Maybe.

But it helped his manager sleep better at night, and that is all that mattered.

“Yes, I currently have it on. It took me forever to find something that I wouldn’t mind seeing on a modeled robot me,” Som said, reaching for his black leather wallet from the dresser. “Are you outside?” Som asked as he looked around the room, searching for the pair of shoes he’d picked for the outfit.

“I’m pulling up right as we speak,” Ban said, his chipper attitude never leaving.

Som took one last look in the mirror. His outfit consists of a light-gray blazer, a white shirt, black jeans, and white tennis shoes. He looked as though he was ready to land a business deal at a major corporation, which was great because he had a Zoom meeting with a potential client after this. With one last deep breath, he grabs his keys and leaves his condo.

The young, dark-red-haired robotic engineer walked in circles, hands moving in excitement as he spoke passionately about the newest technological advancement: AI doppelgangers. Som sat in a slightly uncomfortable computer chair, with a practiced smile, bored out of his mind. He watched as the young red-haired man managed to move around dozens of cords without tripping. It was impressive. It was almost as if he were performing a practiced waltz.

It was also eerily cold.

I should have worn my hair down so I could hide an earbud.

Som thought.

“Okay, Mr. Som, let’s begin the process.”

Finally, Som thought as he rose from the computer chair. He was feeling a mix of nervousness and curiosity. 'So, what do I need to do?' Som asked, holding his hands in front of him, his fingers crossed in a way that formed a circle with his hands.

“Yes, well, you will step into the MOIB, Model In a Box, copy machine, and it will copy you from head to toe." The engineer gestured over to a tall, wide metal chamber with the letters 'MOIB' in large black letters at the top. It looked like something you would see in an early 2000s movie about the future. A faint lime-green light emits just between the opening of the shiny metal doors. As Som looked at the machine, he had a nagging feeling—am I going to regret this? Som thought, just as the engineer spoke again. "Of course,” the engineer paused, running a hand through his dark-red hair, "you will need to be completely naked for the first copy.”

“What do you mean I need to be naked? Can’t you make a copy of me without me being completely naked in public?” Som asked, shocked.

“Mr. Som, we take pride in our AI model’s being a replica of our clients, so when we say that it will be an exact copy of you from head to toe, we do mean that from each strand of hair on your head down to your toes, we make a copy of everything. No imaginative body parts, sir,” the engineer finished with a smile.

Som looked over to Ban, who only encouraged him with a smile and two thumbs up. With an exhausted sigh, he asked, “Fine, where do I put my clothes?” Irritation slowly crept up.

“There is a changing room over to your left, sir. Please come out with the provided towel around your waist when you exit the room.”

Som nodded his head as he headed towards the changing room.