Richard B. Johnson

Archetype: Clone

The confused executive who remains powerful despite his disorientation

Richard Johnson embodies the clone archetype - a person who discovers they're a copy of someone else - but subverts it by maintaining his power and agency despite his confusion. Unlike the typical clone character who struggles with identity, Johnson navigates his new reality with surprising effectiveness, using his corporate position and connections to investigate his own murder.

Basic Information

• Full Name: Richard B. Johnson / Richard Johnson
• Aliases: Richard Johnson (original identity)
• Occupation: Director of Operations at Vatgrown International, Horizon City board member
• Status: Clone (original murdered)

Physical Description

• Middle-aged man
• Corporate executive appearance
• Well-dressed in expensive suits
• Described as having a commanding presence

Story Appearances

• Clone: Wakes up as a clone after his original self (Richard Johnson) was murdered; investigates his own murder with Preston's help
• Corpie: As Richard Johnson before his murder; involved with Emi Tanaka and Constant Cloning technology
• Culture Vulture: Target of Rigby's scheme to frame for corporate espionage; murdered during the events of the story
• Deck Jockey: Target of Kenji's hack to frame for corporate espionage
• Street Sam: Blackmailed by Akiko regarding compromising information; involved in scheme to acquire Constant Cloning technology; murdered alongside his wife

Connections

• Judge Preston: Investigates Johnson's murder; works with the clone Richard
• Emi Tanaka: Professional connection through Constant Cloning technology; she is murdered as part of the plot involving Johnson
• Akiko Takahashi: Discovers his murder; blackmails him regarding compromising information
• Hammer: Claims Johnson spoke at his parole hearing and offered him work
• Rigby Barclay: Targets Johnson in his scheme to frame for corporate espionage
• Kenji Fujita: Hacks Johnson's systems as part of a scheme to frame him

Subversion of Archetype

Johnson subverts the clone archetype in several key ways:

1. The Confused Executive Who Remains Effective: Despite waking up as a clone with gaps in his memory, Johnson maintains his corporate savvy and connections, using them to investigate his own murder.

2. The Victim Who Drives the Plot: Rather than being a passive subject of cloning, Johnson actively seeks answers about his original self's death, becoming a driving force in the narrative.

3. The Copy Who Creates New Identity: Instead of being consumed by existential questions about being a clone, Johnson focuses on practical matters and forges a new path forward.

4. The Corporate Tool Who Seeks Truth: Though he's a product of corporate technology and serves corporate interests, Johnson genuinely wants to uncover the truth about his murder.

Role in the Corporate Game

Johnson functions as both a pawn and a disruption in the corporate game. As Director of Operations at Vatgrown International, he's positioned at the intersection of corporate interests, making him valuable but also expendable. His murder serves multiple corporate agendas, but his clone's investigation threatens to expose those same agendas. He represents how even those embedded in the system can become threats to it when they seek truth.

Notable Quotes

• "I was murdered?" - Upon learning he's a clone in Clone
• "I need to know who killed me." - Showing his determination to uncover the truth in Clone
• "There's a gap between my last memory backup and my death. What happened in that time?" - Highlighting the existential uncertainty of cloning in Clone
• "When do we leave?" - Agreeing to Akiko's blackmail scheme in Street Sam
• "I can't just give that away. It's one thing to leave. If they know that's been accessed by me, they're going to wipe me before I even leave the building." - Discussing the risks of stealing Constant Cloning technology in Street Sam