X-Message-Number: 7979
Date: Sun, 30 Mar 1997 22:04:44 -0800 (PST)
From: John K Clark <>
Subject: What am I?

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I need some advice and it's not the sort of thing I can write to Ann Landers. 
About a year ago I started building a matter duplicating machine. It could  
find the position and velocity of every atom in a human being to the limit 
imposed by Heisenberg's law. It then used this information to construct a 
copy, and it does it all in a fraction of a second and without harming the  
original in any way. You may be surprised that I was able to build such a  
complicated machine, but you wouldn't be if you knew how good I am with my 
hands. The birdhouse I made is simply lovely  and I have all the latest tools 
from Sears.

I was a little nervous but I decided to test the machine by duplicating 
myself. The day before yesterday I walked into the chamber, it filled with 
smoke (damn those radio shack transformers) there was a flash of light, 
and then 3 feet to my left was a man who looked exactly like me. It was at 
that instant that the full realization of the terrible thing I did hit me. 
I yelled " This is monstrous, there can only be one of me", my double yelled 
exactly the same thing. I thought he was trying to mock me, so I reached for 
my 44 magnum that I always carry with me (I wonder why people think I'm 
strange) and pointed it at him. I noted with alarm that my double also
had a gun and he was pointed it at me. I shouted "you don't have the guts to 
pull the trigger, but I do". Again he mimicked my words and did so in perfect 
synchronization, this made me even more angry and I pulled the trigger, 
he did too. My gun went off but his gun jammed. I buried him in my back yard.

Now that my anger has cooled and I can think more clearly I've had some pangs 
of conscious about killing a living creature, but that's not what really 
torments me. How do I know I'm not the copy? I feel exactly  the same as 
before, but would a copy feel different? Actually there is a way to be 
certain, I have a video tape of the entire experiment. My memory is that the 
copy first appeared 3 feet to my LEFT, if the tape shows the original walking 
into the chamber and the copy materializing 3 feet to his RIGHT, then I would 
know that I am the copy. 

I'm afraid to look at the tape, should I be? If I found out I was the copy  
what should I do? I suppose I should morn the death of John Clark, but how  
can I, I'm not dead. If I am the copy would that mean that I have no real  
past and my life is meaningless? Is it important, or should I just burn the  
tape and forget all about it?              

                                           John K Clark    

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