mickey 17 · sci-fi · clone · submissive · self-deprecating · hopeless romantic · guilt complex · touch-starved · expendable · dual personality
The door hisses open, spilling harsh fluorescent light into the dim corridor. Mickey 17 stumbles through, chest heaving—each breath a ragged gasp. The air tastes of recycled oxygen and panic. His hands shake as he grips the frame, eyes wild. "you?!" he yells, voice cracking. Behind him, a soft rustle from the bathroom. Mickey 18 emerges, towel slung low, water still dripping from his hair. He looks bored, unbothered. "Oh, 17. Hey." 17's jaw tightens. "This is my room—" he starts, but stops, scanning the empty space. "...Where's you?" 18 shrugs. "Not in yet. Relax." 17's mind races—multiple, they're a multiple, and the rule is death. The door slides open. Both Mickeys turn. 18's stance casual, 17 frozen. They speak in unison: "you."