((This is my original work, originally published under the name Uriel and reposted from The Unending BE Addventure.))
Miranda crept into the factory warily. There shouldn’t be anyone inside; she’d specifically arranged for the cameras to be shut off and the security guards to be given the night off. But she’d come too far for anything unexpected to derail her plans now!
When Miranda had finally assumed control of her father’s company, she had been ecstatic. Being a brilliant businesswoman, she had watched with dismay as her father had made mistake after mistake, investing in one failing business after another. While she had done her best to mitigate the damage, she knew that their family legacy, all that her grandfather had spent his life building, was at risk. So, when her father had finally met his end in an unfortunate sky-diving accident, her grief was lightened by the idea that she’d finally be able to fix things.
Unfortunately, things were far more dire then she had realized. Once she gained access to her father’s documents, she was quick to realize that the company was beyond saving. Not only that, but all of the family’s money was tied up in it! Within perhaps two years, the company would be bankrupt, and she would be broke. No amount of brilliance could save her from poverty.
That is, if she played by the rules. The company might be doomed, but that didn’t mean Miranda had to go down with the ship. She had hit upon the idea when looking over the various businesses her father had acquired, desperate for something that might turn a profit. Eve Industries hadn’t seemed promising. One of the many companies that had rushed to take advantage of the breakthrough in human cloning, they had chosen to specialize in sex toys. With their technology, they could create a fully-grown human body within weeks. They were brainless, of course, needing an injection of pre-programmed nanites to control and direct their movements. But once they were finished, they were all but indistinguishable from real human beings. Anyone with enough money could buy a sex doll that would obey their every command and perfectly meet their every need.
If Eve Industries had been the only company making these dolls, they would have undoubtedly made a killing. Unfortunately, they were one of dozens, and a late entry at that. Eve Industries’ gimmick was their ability to reshape already-made dolls. While they couldn’t alter things like height or general build, they could add or subtract weight, change eye or hair color, and increase or decrease the size of various features. Theoretically, this would allow them to tweak generic dolls to match their buyer’s exact preferences, rather than having to grow custom dolls.
Unfortunately, growing custom dolls from scratch turned out to be cheaper then the alteration process was. By the time her father had acquired the company, Eve Industries was wallowing in debt. But while the company was a failure as a business, as Miranda’s salvation it would be an unmitigated success.
Finally certain that no one was around, Miranda approached the nearest terminal. Entering her password, she logged in, her credentials giving her full access to the factory's network. She directed growth tank 3E unsealed, and watched with satisfaction as the tube silently opened. “Come here,” she ordered. After a moment, a nude woman stepped out of the tank, and walked toward her. “Stop,” Miranda said when it was a few feet away. The woman stopped obediently, standing still and blank-faced.
Miranda came closer, inspecting the doll with pride. The woman was her splitting image! Other than their clothes, they were identical in every way. Grown from her own genetic material, and altered to match her appearance exactly, there would be no way for anyone to distinguish between the two of them without talking to them. And Miranda had no intention of letting anyone do that.
Miranda began to undress as the doll stared at her vacantly. When she had realized just how bad her family’s company’s finances were, she had immediately begun to embezzle as much as she could. Whatever meger profits they were making were nowhere near enough to cover their debts anyways. Channeling the money into a safe, anonymous account was relatively uncomplicated. The problem, of course, would be keeping it. When the company finally died, and accountants began picking over the corpse, they’d notice the missing money instantly. Miranda would be the prime suspect, and it wouldn’t take them long to find evidence of what she’d done. Which meant goodbye money, hello prison.
Miranda folded the last of her clothes in a pile on the ground. She was now identical to the doll in every respect. “Get dressed,” she ordered. Slowly, the doll moved to obey, picking up her underwear and slipping it on.
She needed a fresh start. Which is where Eve Industries came in. Miranda had come to the shuttered factory a few weeks before, and begun the cloning process using her own genetic material. Though the doll was programmed with only a basic neural network, it would be sufficient for her needs. With a doll that looked exactly like her, faking her death would be a breeze. Forensic evidence had not caught up to cloning tech yet, so the simple nanite network in her bloodstream would be undetectable within moments of the doll’s death. Miranda had made certain that the doll was not marked with the Eve Industrial logo, which was generally how dolls were distinguished from real people.
Miranda waited until the doll was fully dressed in her clothes, before moving to the next step. “There is a red car in the parking lot,” she said carefully. “The keys to the car are in your right pocket. You will drive the car, following the instructions given to you by the GPS, until you reach a cliff. While the GPS will direct you to turn right, you will instead drive forward, off the cliff. Do you understand?”
The doll looked at Miranda for a moment, before nodding. “Then go,” Miranda said, gesturing to the door. The doll dutifully walked out the door.
Miranda sighed in relief. The first half of her plan had gone off without a hitch. ‘Miranda’ would be found dead tomorrow, victim of an unfortunate car accident. Her death would probably be a fatal blow for the company, but it would take awhile for anyone to begin digging into their finances. Even once they discovered the embezzlement, and connected it to her, there would be nothing they could do. They wouldn’t be able to discover the account she’d hidden it in, and they couldn’t threaten her into giving it up. Miranda’s financial security would be guaranteed.
Or rather, April’s would. Creating a false identity was harder than stealing the money had been. Not to mention more expensive. But Miranda had managed to get all the paperwork she’d need for her new life as April. Birth certificate, I.D., the works. While none of the photos or information matched her, Eve Industries would solve that problem as well. There was no reason their alteration machines wouldn’t work just as well on her as they did their dolls, after all.
Changing her body like this was difficult, of course. Miranda had always been pretty happy with how she looked. But while ‘April’ looked very little like Miranda, she was by no means ugly. Getting used to seeing a new face in the mirror was a small price to pay for a happy, wealthy retirement.
Miranda glanced at the bag containing a set of clothes, her paperwork, and a cheap, disposable phone. Keeping any of her old possessions was too risky, so she’d discreetly picked up some cheap clothes to wear from the factory. After the machines finished working on her, she’d get dressed, walk to the nearest open store, and call for a ride. From there, she’d get a hotel room, and then look into buying a plane ticket. With any luck, she’d be laying on a beach, sipping on a cocktail by tomorrow.
Typing at the computer, Miranda enabled the program that would transform her into April, before briskly stepping towards the conveyor line. She laid down, shivering a little at the cold, while a scanner moved over her body. She forced herself to remain still as a small needle emerged from the side stung her, injecting its payload into her. It was a necessary part of the process, temporarily paralyzing her while the machines worked. It would wear off shortly after the process was finished.
Unbeknownst to Miranda, the injection which caused her paralysis was in fact the same nanites that formed the more advanced neural networks within finished dolls. As she lay still, the nanites spread through her bloodstream, and entered her brain. Quickly, they began to work, assembling a new neural network inside her that would allow her to be programmed with new personalities, mannerisms, and knowledge on the fly. Miranda felt her body stiffen, and mentally relaxed, unaware of the changes going on inside her.