Dolly


 * This article refers to the clone. For the Academy City project referenced in volume 3 visit Clone Dolly.

Dolly (ドリー), referred to as Prototype (0号（プロトタイプ）), was a minor character introduced in Toaru Kagaku no Railgun. She looked suspiciously like Misaka Mikoto and was a friend of Shokuhou Misaki when she was younger.

Etymology
Her name most likely comes from the legendary sheep known as Dolly, the first mammal to be cloned from an adult somatic cell, using the process of nuclear transfer.

Her epithet of Prototype likely refers to her being experimental and to her being a clone that is a prototype for Exterior.

Appearance
Dolly, appears as though she has medium brown hair, with front bangs. When she was first introduced she was wearing a small black tank top. She apparently looks middle school aged.

She looks like Misaka Mikoto, implying that she is a clone of hers (albeit a protoype).

Background
Her origins are shrouded in mystery, being a clone, her naming and appearance suggests that she is the benchmark for the Radio Noise Project clones, a prototype for them, but is numbered differently as she is not part of it, though this is just speculation. She apparently was born with some queer disease that forced her to have machines embedded inside of her. These machines are apparently poorly embedded, easily displaced if she is jolted. There are scars on her person of unknown origin.

She is apparently part of the Clone Dolly Project, where the Exterior Project, a project to create Exterior, a DNA computer that creates esper powers, that involved replacing Shokuhou Misaki, was being held. There, she was in some sort of nursery and had a friend, Mi-chan, that would visit her every day. However, one day she saw Dolly naked and the machines that are upon her while she was being checked up, and from that point on never came to visit her again. Dolly becomes depressed, worrying the researchers as she is a valuable research subject. The researchers later request Misaki to brainwash Dolly to make her think that Shokuhou was Mi-chan in order for them to get valuable data from her. At first, Misaki hesitates and is even horrified at what she sees embedded inside/onto Dolly. However, after hearing Dolly's tragic story from her about the loss of her friend Mi-chan, Misaki eventually acquiesces. A week later, Dolly has come to believe that Misaki is her friend,Mi-chan who has come back to visit her again.

And thus, many days are spent on them becoming friends, and Dolly even shares with Misaki her dream of wanting to see the ocean and to get outside of the research institute. But alas, this dream was never realized. Dolly one day collapses. Misaki becomes worried and in the throngs of her pain, Dolly asks Misaki's name, and thanks her for being her friend, apparently revealing she knew of her ruse as soon as Misaki was unable to demonstrate the same powers as Mi-chan.

Her body apparently had limits which could not be extended by Academy City's medicine, and was predicted by the researchers who had adjusted their plans accordingly to her lifespan.

Dolly later passes away. Her death later has a profound effect on Misaki, who later forces the truth out of the researchers after taking over the entire facility.

Daihasei Festival Arc (Railgun)
A flashback to Misaki and Dolly's past occurs after Misaki is forced to use the Exterior in order for her to force the people in the streets of several kilomters in their car into moving away, enough for her car to move and speed up.

Trivia

 * Due to their similar serial numbers, fan speculate that Dolly is somehow related to the mysterious Misaka 00000, also known as Full-Tuning.

Quotes

 * (To Misaki): "I wonder what it's like outside the lab. I want to see the ocean."
 * (To Misaki): "Misaki-chan. Thanks for... being my friend..."