The 6th Day - Plot

Plot

In 2015, cloning technology is sufficiently advanced that the "Sixth Day" laws prohibit reproducing a complete human. Michael Drucker, the owner of cloning company Replacement Technologies, hires charter helicopter pilot Adam Gibson and partner Hank Morgan for a ski trip. Due to Drucker's prominence, the two must first undergo blood and eye tests to verify their identities and aptitude. On the day of Drucker's arrival, the same as Gibson's birthday, Gibson finds that his family dog Oliver — which belongs to his daughter Clara — has died, and Morgan offers to fly Drucker instead to allow Gibson time to have the pet cloned. After visiting the RePet shop, Gibson reconsiders and instead gets Clara a Sim-Pal doll.

Gibson returns home and discovers that not only has Oliver already been cloned, but a purported clone of himself is celebrating with his family. Replacement Technologies security agents intent on killing Gibson give chase. He seeks refuge at Morgan's apartment after the police betray him to the agents. Minutes later, Tripp, a religious anti-cloning fundamentalist, kills Morgan and informs Gibson this Morgan was a clone. Tripp then admits having killed both Drucker and the real Morgan on the mountaintop earlier that day. Tripp then commits suicide to avoid being captured by Drucker's security team.

Gibson sneaks into Replacement Technologies and finds Dr. Griffin Weir, the scientist behind Drucker's human-cloning technology. Weir confirms Tripp's story about Drucker and Morgan, adding that clones of them were made to cover up the incident using data from the earlier medical and eye exams. However, they believed Gibson was flying the helicopter and accidentally cloned him as well. Drucker's security has been trying to kill Gibson to keep the cloning operation a secret; the real Drucker was cloned after dying three years before, and could lose all his assets if the revelation became public, since clones are devoid of all rights. Weir, sympathetic with Gibson's plight, gives Gibson a memory disk of the Drucker clone but warns him that Drucker may go after his family.

Weir learns that his wife — whom he had cloned after she died five years ago — was dying of a traditionally childhood disease. When he discovers the other clones also have shorter lifespans due to fatal diseases programmed into them, he confronts Drucker, who explains the illnesses were meant to ensure their obedience. Incensed by Weir's promise not to clone his wife or anybody else again, Drucker kills the scientist, intending to later clone Weir and Weir's wife with their recent memories erased.

Drucker orders his agents to abduct Gibson's family in exchange for the disk. Gibson devises a plan with his doppelgänger to destroy Drucker's facility and save his family in the process. Gibson gives himself up and learns he was actually the clone all along. Drucker's agents forcibly extract the Gibson clone's memory to find the real Gibson, who hid in the helicopter on the way to the Replacement Technologies complex to rescue his family and plant a bomb. The Gibson clone fights off Drucker's agents and Drucker — who was mortally wounded in the chaos — tries to clone himself. However, the malfunctioning machinery causes the new Drucker to have a disfigured appearance. Drucker pursues the Gibson clone onto the roof with his men and opens fire as the clone desperately seeks an escape. The real Gibson arrives after spiriting his family to safety, and together they hold off Drucker's goons. The Gibson clone pilots the helicopter at Drucker with a remote control, causing Drucker to jump onto a glass roof to avoid its blades, but the glass breaks and sends him falling to his death. The two Gibsons successfully get away as the complex blows up.

Now having a more moderate view of cloning, the original Gibson arranges for his clone to move to Argentina to start a satellite office of their charter business. The clone's existence is kept a secret, especially upon discovering that his DNA has no embedded illnesses, giving him a chance at a full life. As a parting gift to the real Gibson's family, the clone gives them Hank's RePet cat. The real Gibson gives the clone a flying send-off.