El:
We call it The Visitor.
The scene transitions to a short clip of an impossibly dark entity standing in the middle of a golden field. Its shape and size were ever-changing, and it cast no shadows on the ground. Behind it, levitating in the air, was a disgustingly white sphere.
El:
There was no indication of when it appeared or where it came from. One day, it simply emerged, and the world was forever changed. There was much speculation, but none proved to be correct in the end.
The clip shifts into another, showing the dark entity adopting a human form. The expression of the Indian woman standing before it twists in terror as she finds herself staring at her own face.. The people gathered around gasps in shock and fear.
El:
However, one thing is for certain, which is that we never could’ve imagined how its arrival will change our world.
The dark entity, now a carbon copy of the Indian woman standing before it, acted similarly shocked. Both women panicked and reacted to seeing a mirror image of themselves in nearly the exact same manner.
El:
Due to the influence of popular alien movies over the decades, most of humanity expected the arrival of an extraterrestrial species to be the sounding of Gjallarhorn. In other words, the beginning of a catastrophic war against total extinction.
Images of the same white sphere appearing across the world flashed by. In each photo, the sphere was spilling out more dark entities that took the appearance of any nearby humans.
El:
However, the end of the world paled in comparison to the nightmare that followed.
More images are presented. Pictures of celebrities staring at their doppelgänger in shock and ordinary citizens awing at their new twins.
El:
While these “Replicants” typically acted no differently from the original during the first week or so, the Replicants’ behaviors differed over time.
The Chinese man in a video kicked an empty can to the road with a scowl. A moment later, another man wearing the same face picked up the garbage and gently tossed it into a nearby trashcan with a smile.
El:
They were “better.”
Virtually every single Replicant behaved in a manner that the people around them claimed to be an improvement over the original. They were well-liked and even accepted by those who loathed the original.
Replicants of varying ages, ethnicity, and sex are seen treating others kindly.
El:
Many felt conflicted, to say the least, to witness what they presumed to be perfect versions of themselves. The resentment between family members doesn’t seem to exist in their Replicants; mental illnesses present in the original appear to be absent in the duplicates; some copies even possess slightly more attractive figures.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
Videos of Replicants being attacked at temporary concentration camps are shown.
El:
Violence, as always, was the response of many people to their new twins. Governments panicked, religious groups declared holy wars, and the people feared they would be replaced. Even though the Replicants showed nothing but kindness to even those who threatened them, they were reviled. Human rights organizations condemn the cruel treatment of the Replicants, stating that they are no different from humans in mind and soul. After all, all Replicants experience pain and empathy as any other human, and they retain all memories of the original.
Images of Replicants and the original humans casually interacting with each other stacked on top of one another in the center. Meanwhile, dead bodies appeared at the edges.
El:
Eventually, after months had passed, people started picking a side. As the Replicants required no sustenance, some people began welcoming them to their homes. The Replicants built relationships with the original and the latter’s friends and families. Some even befriended other Replicants and humans. Meanwhile, murders of Replicants started and were on the rise. At least, that was what people initially thought.
A woman with her face blurred spoke about how she started living with her Replicant husband after her original husband passed. Even though her voice was deliberately distorted, one could still detect the joy in her tone.
El:
The Nightingale Case. A woman in the Netherlands supposedly murdered her spouse and allowed the latter’s Replicant to take their place. Her neighbor called the police, claiming her spouse was “suddenly acting like a different person.” The authorities conducted an investigation due to the high tension with the Replicants. However, no evidence was uncovered. Furthermore, the woman’s spouse had supposedly started receiving counseling sessions days before the report.
Dozens of news reports on the Replicants appeared.
El:
As the Replicants are perfect genetic copies of the original, ascertaining the identity of murder victims who have a Replicant becomes impossible. There is no way of discerning the real from the fake from a purely biological standpoint. People point to the changes in a person’s appearance and personality as a way of determining who’s the original and who’s not. However, that method becomes less credible as time goes on because it hinges on the assumption that people never change. They do.
An article about a Malaysian child and her Replicant is displayed.
El:
One day, a Replicant was spotted transforming back into its black, ever-shifting form and returned to the mysterious white sphere. The Replicant’s original claimed it was because she had fixed her bad habit of not washing her teeth before sleeping. Many were understandably skeptical about her story, but others believed her. In the following years, similar phenomena were observed across the world. Based on that, many believe The Visitors, as Replicants, are here to aid humanity. Many were against that idea, as plenty of Replicants were seen inflicting violence on humans. Although, they tend to ignore the context of such cases. For example, the Replicants repelled a group of police officers dispatched to crack down on a union strike.
Pictures of humans and their Replicants living harmoniously with each other appeared.
El:
I know it can be difficult for humanity to believe that aliens visited Earth for benevolent reasons. After all, many humans are ingrained with the belief of “conquer or to be conquered.” It has been a prevalent theme across history. However, many cases over the years have shown that Replicants bear no ill will toward the original human.
The scene cuts to black, and the reflection of a disheveled young woman with glasses is seen on the screen.
El:
I know the world is scary, with or without aliens. I do. I see your fear whenever I look into the mirror. You believe your room’s the only sanctuary left on this planet and that there’s nothing outside your door that’s worth venturing out for. You know it’s false, because I do. Your family still cares for you, and even though you currently have no one you can call a friend, that doesn’t always have to be true.
A clip of a young woman with tidy hair and glasses smiling warmly played.
El:
You don’t have to be alone, Ellen. Take as long as you need, but I hope you’ll reach out to me one day when you’re ready. No matter what other people say, you deserve all the happiness in the world, and I want to help you achieve it. See you, space cowgirl.
The woman on the screen winked before the video ended.