“Essence transfer is the secret of eternal life. The physical body will always weaken and fail, yet it is nothing but a shell or vessel. When it is time, it is possible to transfer your consciousness—your spirit—into a new vessel…“
Darth Andeddu
“The dying is painful. The transition is not an enjoyable experience. But it is all a small price to pay…for eternal life.“
Darth Sidious
What would I do if I had a limitless supply of clone bodies? What if I could transfer my consciousness in a clone body every time I died? What if death does not have to be forever? I have seen this concept at least three times in science fiction.
In the Netflix show called Altered Carbon, there is an entire society that performs this version of immortality. In Star Wars, both in Legends and in Canon, Darth Sidious was able to cheat death by transferring his essence into clone bodies to guarantee the continuation of his reign. In the film The 6th Day, a corrupt corporation actively engaged in this form of immortality despite it being illegal.
I would absolutely love to engage in this version of biological immortality. Every time I die, I hit the reset button and get a fresh body. I bet it will have that new body smell similar to a new car smell. In fact, I bet each clone body would cost the same as a new car.
Each death becomes a learning experience and I won’t make the same mistakes twice. The more times I die and the more times I am reborn, the less afraid I would be of death. If I were to choose, I would like my clone bodies to be grown to their physical prime. That way those bodies would last longer, which could save me some money and give me the chance to feel like an athlete.
By prolonging my life indefinitely through clone bodies, I would be able to see a lot of history and watch the world change as many times I want. If I ever grow tired of living, I can pull the plug whenever I want and stay dead. This way, I will be able to permanently die on my terms and no one else’s.
In addition to prolonging my own life, I would also want to use clone bodies to prolong the lives of my pit bulls. Out of all the dogs my family had, my pit bulls are the only ones I truly bonded with. When their time comes, it will destroy me. However, if they could be reborn through clone bodies like me, I could enjoy life with them a lot longer. I would want their clone bodies to be puppies so I can enjoy their puppy phase all over again. They would have all my pit bulls’ thoughts, memories, and emotions in new bodies. Also, like me, every time they die they are reborn so we would always be together.
I have other loved ones I would want to share immortality with, but I don’t know if they would be as willing as I am. Therefore, I will leave the choice entirely in their hands. If they decide to become immortal, we can share eternity together. If not, then we will enjoy what precious time we have as much as we can.
Overall, biological immortality with clone bodies is a very appealing idea. If the day should ever come where it is available, I would gladly take part in it. Also, imagine how many books I would write if I had a limitless lifespan.