In Mindclone, scientists successfully scan the brain of science writer Marc Gregorio, and upload the contents to a special storage unit. The result: Marc gets to meet his digital twin. Not only does this twin, who names himself Adam, have all Marc's memories and worldly knowledge, he also feels very strong attraction to Marc's new girlfriend. It’s a harmless attraction though. After all, what can a digital entity do when he doesn’t even have a body? But when the girlfriend meets Adam, she uses his feelings for her to drive Marc crazy with jealousy.
That’s not all Adam does. Since he has all of Marc’s memories, including his deepest childhood wounds, he’s in a position to help Marc face up to some of his inner darkness and guide him towards healing.
How does the world learn about Adam? First, anonymously as he exposes a variety of cybercrimes to the authorities, and then in the “flesh” when he appears on the TV news program Sixty Minutes, where both he and Marc are interviewed by a famous reporter.
The television appearance is part of an effort to stave off a hostile takeover bid by a powerful military contractor, who sees huge profit potential in the technology. If he is able to control it, he would have access to all the important levers of power in Washington. But he also has a personal reason for wanting to own the technology. His wife is dying. He wants to upload her brain so her spirit can remain alive.
Because one of the most important consequences of the technology is the defeat of death.