Clones are beings created through cloning a the process of producing individual organisms with identical genomes the artificial means. In the field of biotechnology, cloning is the process of creating cloned organisms of cells and of DNA fragments. In the Red Dwarf universe various methods have been used to create clones.
Appearances[]
In the episode "RD: D.N.A.", the crew encounter the DNA Ship It could also turn a Mechanoid into a human being, if there were even the slightest organic material used in the mechanoid's construction. Kryten used the DNA machine to become human for a time, if somewhat accidentally. This inspired Arnold Rimmer to use it to clone himself back to life using a sample of his original DNA, but this plan was thwarted when the only sample he could find was a piece of dandruff that was lost when Cat sneezed.
In the episode "RD: Demons & Angels, the Triplicator was a device adapted from the Matter Paddle. It could create short-lived copies of objects and people. While the Paddle converted matter into digital information and sent it to another point in space, the Triplicator split the signal three ways resulting in not only the original object returned to the same location, but two copies of it being created as well. It was not without flaws as one copy had all the best aspects of the original while the other copy had all the worst. Reversing the process reversed the field of the beam, causing it to project out rather than in where it copied everything it could (in that case, Red Dwarf and everything in it). This resulted in the power core of the ship being overloaded, causing it to explode. The two copies were not permanent, fading away after approximately one hour. Merging the two copies recreated a permanent duplicate of the original object.
In the episode "RD: Rimmerworld", Rimmer is stranded on a desert planet and must wait 600 years for the others to reach him. Luckily, his pod contains solar batteries to keep his hard-light drive running indefinitely. To make his wait more bearable, he uses Eco-Accelerator Rockets to rapidly terraform the planet into a lush forest, which he names "Rimmerworld." Lonely, Rimmer tries to create a female clone from his own DNA but accidentally makes a perfect copy of himself instead. Undeterred, he continues cloning, eventually creating a society of Rimmer clones. These clones, dressed as Roman soldiers, revere "the Great One" (a Rimmer clone with an "H" symbol of power) and banish or execute anyone who doesn't exhibit Rimmer-like traits, such as cowardice and pomposity. When Starbug lands on Rimmerworld, Cat, Lister, and Kryten are ambushed by the clones, arrested for their "deviant" qualities like bravery and honour, and taken to meet the original Rimmer, who has been imprisoned for 557 years after being overthrown by his own clones. Rimmer reveals that any physical flaw or "un-Rimmer-like" behaviour is punishable by death. After Rimmer explains the situation, Lister devises an elaborate escape plan, but Kryten simplifies it by suggesting they use the teleporter.
In the episode "RD: Officer Rimmer", Bio-printers came into common use some time in the mid-to-late 22nd century. During his youth in Liverpool, Dave Lister sold the rights to his unique genome to his mate "Dodgy" for $£100 and half a packet of fags. Three million years later, Lister would learn from a recently recovered bio-printer that thousands of companies had taken out a license on Lister's DNA. Lister realises that all those "smart-arse Scousers" in call centers, who "know nothing" and "all sound like they do not want to be there", were actually copies of himself.
In the episode "RD: Officer Rimmer", Space Corps exploration spaceship SS Nautilus, which had originated in the 24th century, came into trouble. With its engine burnt out, it was drifting close to an asteroid storm, and was carrying explosive nuclear waste aboard. In an automated emergency procedure, a Bio-printer aboard the Nautilus - registration 745 - began to print out a copy of its old captain, Edwin Herring. However, the old machine was faulty and it jammed, resulting in a badly deformed clone with its face printed on top of an elongated head. The boys from the Dwarf happened to be cruising close by in Starbug, and Captain Herring contacted them for assistance. Realising that Starbug was in danger, Rimmer launched a mining torpedo at the Nautilus, which ironically actually saved the Nautilus by pushing it out of danger. Thinking that the act was deliberate, Captain Herring promoted Rimmer from second tech to first lieutenant. After the skutters had unloaded the cargo of the Nautilus, Herring declared his mission complete and collapsed into a pile of goo. Rimmer used the bio-printer from the Nautilus to create dozens of clones of himself, all officers, so that he could order them about. He also had a new Officer's Club built to accommodate them. However, the plan went horribly wrong when a massive printer jam resulted in the creation of the Rimmer Monster, a horrible mash-up of mutated clones. Rimmer was forced to resign from his promoted position, in order to attain the help of his crewmates in destroying the Rimmer Monster.