Life Extension LLC began selling android clones to wealthy business people shortly before the second mission to Mars was announced. The mechanical duplicates were designed to carry a rich person's affairs to their logical conclusion in the event the upper crust socialite passed away unexpectedly. The units were physically identical to their purchaser and their internal memory core was loaded with every detail of the person's life. Transfer of those memories, thought patterns, and reactions were done upon delivery and updated by the user as they saw fit. Equipped with the owner's vocal patterns, a Life Extension Unit spoke exactly the same, even when switching to another language.

The LEU's purpose was to finalize contracts, pay any outstanding debts, and see to the dispersal of funds to the heirs. For those who could afford the seven-figure price and thousands of dollars of monthly maintenance, it was the perfect way to guarantee their empire would be dealt with in a manner consistent with their desires and lifestyle. Lawyers could interpret a person's Last Will and Testament as they saw fit. Even a probate judge could rule that a certain statement had several meanings and then choose the one he liked best. An android was a machine with a program. It only had the ability to see issues as either black or white. Gray was not an option.

Until now.