Imitation of death

"Imitation of Death" by Lester Del Rey is a science fiction story highlighting identity theft and treachery, plunging into the dark side of creating flawless duplicates of people for sneaky purposes. It's set in a future packed with tech that can copy humans perfectly, which kicks off some risky political games. The plot follows Max Fleigh with his partner, Slim, cooking up a scheme to take down Councilman Curtis by using a lifelike double called a similacrum, made by the mysterious Jeremiah Greek. Fleigh is sure he can pull the strings to boost the Plutarchy's influence, but things get dicey when the similacrum starts thinking for itself, throwing Fleigh's plans into chaos. The story ends with a surprise as Fleigh gets hit with the fallout from not fully understanding Greek or what he brought to life, leading to a nail-biting showdown that dives deep into the tough choices between loyalty and backstabbing, shaking beliefs in what is real.