My dumb brain keeps picturing a bizarre alternate universe where Gunner is an animatronic instead of a clone. Obviously this has to do with my special interest in animatronics and automations, but it could also stand for his constant dehumanization all throughout his life. He looks normal for the most part on the outside, but is an unnatural and artificial creation of humankind’s poor attempt at replicating and improving itself on the inside. And he has to bear the weight of being a “fake” human. This bot version of Gunner would be in poor condition, with visible rotting skin and exposed tube and wiring. The decay quite literally represents his metal health falling apart. He’d be janky and uncomfortable to look at, but still be in his usual upbeat mood despite all the awfulness that he’s been through. It’s not because he’s genuinely happy, or doesn’t care about his poor condition, it’s more so as a way for him to not scare off people and basically try to communicate that he’s harmless despite looking uncanny as hell. He’s probably been sub-consciously taught to “put on a happy face” despite the horrors he’s been through, including prolonged isolation. He’s the kind of person who tries to make everyone happy and comfortable while asking for nothing in return. I keep rambling about Gunner, I’m probably the only person who actually gives a damn about him anyways but I’m not going to stop. Gosh I love artificial characters who appear human but aren’t quite human. They’re precious to me.
