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MidReal Story
The Robot Clone
Scenario:Busy mom’s family buys her a robot clone of herself and when she uploads her personality and mannerisms into it confusion ensues as to who is who.
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Mia Thompson
loving, and sarcastic. Mia struggles with balancing work and family life. Her family surprises her with a robot clone of herself, which she names "MiaBot." As MiaBot learns her mannerisms and personality, Mia grapples with the implications of having a duplicate. She feels both relieved and threatened by the robot's presence, leading to humorous misunderstandings and introspection.
Jake Thompson
playful, and adventurous.
Lily Thompson
energetic, and affectionate. Lily enjoys playing pranks on her mother but also seeks comfort from her presence. Her interactions with MiaBot lead to comedic moments as she struggles to distinguish between her real mother and the robot.
I was overwhelmed.
My family knew it, and that was why they had decided to buy a robot clone of me.
It was a good idea and yet…
"How do I upload myself into it?"
I asked my husband, looking down at my likeness with its blank expression and unblinking eyes.
"You don’t. It will learn who you are and it will adapt your personality and mannerisms," he told me.
"It’s already been programmed with your likeness and voice."
I stared at Mark, confused.
"Why do you get to program it?"
I asked.
"I thought this was supposed to help me?"
Mark sighed.
"It is. It will learn to act like you, to respond to your children the way that you do."
I looked down at my clone.
It was a robot that looked just like me, from my brown hair to my paint-splattered pink toenails.
It was naked, though, which I guessed would change once it learned to dress itself.
Once it learned who I was and how I acted.
"What do I call it?"
I asked Mark.
He grinned mischievously at me.
"Well, I thought you could call it ‘MiaBot,’" he suggested.
MiaBot.
Yeah, that worked.
"Alright, alright," I said.
"I’ll turn MiaBot on and let it learn who I am."
I reached out hesitantly toward MiaBot’s neck, locating the small circular button beneath its synthetic skin.
My finger hovered there for a moment, Mark watching me expectantly.
The button was cool and metallic to the touch.
I pressed inward and a soft whirring sound emanated from within MiaBot’s chest.
Its previously lifeless eyes began to glow with a faint blue light.
The light pulsed rhythmically, growing stronger until it settled into a natural-looking shade of brown - the exact color of my own eyes.
MiaBot’s head tilted slightly, its gaze focusing in on my face.
In that moment, I realized I was staring into a mirror of my own making.
"Hello, MiaBot," I said.
"It’s time to learn."
I guided MiaBot through our home, pointing out the different rooms and explaining what each was for.
It followed silently, recording my every move.
It was a lot like having a toddler trailing behind me, except this one didn’t ask questions.
The kitchen was next and it was where MiaBot would spend most of its time.
I told it that much as I stood there, gesturing toward the various appliances and tools hanging from the wall.
"The kids love macaroni and cheese. They’re picky eaters so we have a lot of that around here. This is the pot they prefer. It has Spiderman on it."
I gestured to a pot with a faded picture of the superhero emblazoned on its side.
"I’ll show you how to make it now."
I moved over to the pantry and pulled down a box of macaroni.
MiaBot watched from beside me as I opened the box and poured out the contents.
"There are two cups of macaroni in here," I said, holding up the box so MiaBot could see inside.
"You’ll need to add two cups of water for every one cup of pasta." MiaBot nodded at me, though I couldn’t be sure if it had understood my instructions or if it was simply mimicking my own movements.
"Next you’ll need milk. There’s a carton of milk in the fridge."
I opened up the refrigerator door and gestured at the carton sitting on the middle shelf.
"The kids like their milk shaken up so there aren’t any lumps. You can use this spoon for that."
I picked up a spoon from the drawer beside us and demonstrated how to shake the carton back and forth several times.
"Once you have your milk all ready then you can mix it together with your cheese sauce packets."
I held up two packets of bright orange cheese dust.
"The kids like two packets in theirs."
MiaBot nodded again, watching closely as I added the packets into a bowl and then mixed them with my spoon.
"Okay, so now everything is ready," I told MiaBot as I opened up the oven door to reveal a preheated interior.
"I’m going to put the pot inside here on this middle rack. Then you want to set your timer for fifteen minutes."
MiaBot watched as I put the pot inside, my arm reaching in through the oven door until my hand was almost touching the hot rack. "And then…"
I stepped back, realizing that soon it would be MiaBot's turn to take over.