Erica couldn't control her new power, but she eventually learned to communicate with it. Or rather, it learned to communicate with her. She could hear it inside her head, whispering to her, guiding her, giving her advice. It was a voice, and it was a mind, and it was a friend. Created by her. Created for her.

'Flawed Copy.'
'Watchlist.'

1. Jessica
2. Jessica
3. Jessica
4. Jessica
5. Jessica
...
1256. Jessica

Erica's head throbbed. She felt like she had a fever. The trinity of black orbs flickered with an ominous green light.

"I know. I'm going to be more like Jessica. I'll work hard and learn as much as I can from Mr. Maxwell today so I can be a good manager like her."

'Flawed Copy.'
'Alert.'

'You should smoke some Rampage before you head inside to make sure I've got plenty of energy to help you out. Make sure you eat a big breakfast, too. You need your strength. We've got a long day ahead of us.'

The thing inside Erica spoke to her in Jessica's voice. Erica felt like it was mocking her. But she didn't care. She was happy to listen.

"Yeah. That's right. You're always right. And I'm going to do everything you say, okay? I'll do my best. I won't disappoint you. I promise."

Erica obediently followed the instructions of the black orbs. She was a good girl. She was a model employee. She was a psychic. She was a Chosen One. She was going to be just like Jessica.

Flawed Copy filled in the gaps in Erica's pathetic personality. It was like having another brain, a normal brain, that helped her along when she was too stupid and scared to figure things out on her own. It had a better memory than her, a stronger will, a more logical mind. It was a second, smarter self that she could call upon whenever she needed it.

When she was nervous, it calmed her down. When she was confused, it guided her in the right direction. When she was bored, it gave her something to think about. When she was upset, it made her feel better. And when she had an anxiety attack and wanted to run away and cry, it took over completely and fixed her in place until her fear subsided.

'Flawed Copy.'
'Autohypnosis.'

"I want to go visit Jessica. I want to see how she's doing. She just got back from her big cruise and I'm sure she's got a lot of fun stories to tell."

"Ugh! Ggghh..."

Erica's stomach was killing her. She could barely keep anything down. She'd been smoking way too much Rampage recently. Her body was a mess. She felt disgusting. She was covered in sweat and she smelled like a dirty diaper.

'Flawed Copy.'
'Autohypnosis.'

"I'm alright. I've got to go to see Jessica. She's my best friend and I really missed her while she was gone. She'll be so excited to see me. I know she missed me, too."

Erica forced herself to stand up straight and took the elevator to Jessica's office on the top floor. She was panting and her head was pounding. Her throat was raw from how much she’d been smoking and she knew her voice sounded different. She hoped Jessica wouldn't notice.

"Erica! What a pleasant surprise!"
"G-good morning, ma'am! I've missed you! How was your trip?"

"Well, the Pit Razors treated me like a princess and I had a wonderful time. I met some very interesting people, too. But it is certainly good to be back home. How did it go with Maxwell?"
"Um, he's a good guy. I think I like working with him a lot more than I thought I would. We're actually... getting along great. And I'm learning a lot, too. He definitely knows what he's talking about..."

"Oh, that is great news. He is a really smart guy, isn't he? I knew he'd make a great addition to the team."
"Yeah..."

'Flawed Copy.'
'Emotion Sense: Jessica. Sort.'

Affection: 25%
Pride: 20%
Curiosity: 15%
Pity: 13%
Amusement: 9%
Satisfaction: 7%
Possessiveness: 6%
Contempt: 3%
Surprise: 2%

"Speaking of, we've got a new set of managers here today. Did you get a chance to meet them yet?"
"No, I haven't had the pleasure... umm, Mr. Maxwell did mention they'd be coming in, but..."

"You're going to be helping Maxwell on the little presentation we're doing for this afternoon. I want you to be especially nice to them and take extra special care of them, okay? They've been through a lot recently and I want this to be a nice, easy transition."
"You can trust me, ma'am..."

"I know I can trust you. I'm very proud of you, Erica. You've been doing a fine job and I know you'll keep up the hard work."
"Thank you, Miss Planner..."

'Flawed Copy.'
'Life Force Sense. Detection Field. Scan. Super Memory. Psychic Structure.'
'Connected: 1 C; Jessica Kandel.'

Erica's headache got a whole lot worse. She saw a near endless stream of words, pictures, and sounds all at once, flowing into and out of her mind. The way Jessica laughed, walked, talked, and smelled was being burned into her memory permanently. It was looking at Jessica. It was seeing into her mind and analyzing her personality. It was trying to understand everything about her. 

"You look a little pale. Are you feeling alright?"
"I..."

'Flawed Copy.'
'Soul Noise. Control.'

"I'm perfectly fine! I'm just really happy you're back!"
"Hmmm. If you say so. Don't push yourself too hard, okay?
"I won't. Don't you worry about me, ma'am!"