Capacity to Feel - III

"Tell me, what do you see me as?"

"You're my clone."

"No. I'm Bill Squirrel."

Bill recoiled from this admission. It made it jarring to hear those words come from a replica of himself.

"Impossible. You're not even an exact copy of me."

"Why? Because of your own flawed engineering?" sneered the clone. "I am exactly who you are in every way, despite what you may think. If you were to disappear, and I were to take your place, then there would be no void to fill, as I am just that. I am you."

Bill shook his head. "Why did you become this way? What caused you to do this?"

The clone narrowed his eyes at Bill through the sliding plate.

"I should've known that I wouldn't understand it. Not unless it was completely spelled out for me."

"Try me."

"Okay, consider this. If you were in my place, what would you be thinking?"

Bill took some time to consider this.