Breakthrough

My second life started on May 6, 2012. I drove to the Virtual Lifestyle Assignment building, which was situated at a right angle to the highway and across from Moody's delicatessen on Broad Street. I couldn’t believe my luck; This was the first and only time I’d ever won anything, and the timing couldn't be better. My nephew, Ajax had passed away in a terrible motor vehicle accident only two weeks ago, a loss that left our entire family reeling. I struggled with depression on a regular basis, and the news of Ajax’s untimely death had only served to send me further into a downward spiral. I’d done my best to be a present source of support for my brother and his wife, but the lure of the escape had drawn me in, and I’d applied to the Lifestyle contest and won.

I walked into the expansive glass building, expensively decorated, with polished tile floors and efficient air conditioning. Today was an uncharacteristically hot day in New Mexico, and the weather forecast predicted a heat wave for the remainder of the week.

I won’t be here, I reminded myself with a smile. I gave the receptionist (Laurie, according to her name tag) my name and took a seat there in the lobby, gripped with anticipation. Just beyond the desk that Laurie occupied was a set of large double doors, and beyond that, the Virtual Lifestyle suite, where customers were treated to an escape from reality. Virtual Lifestyle was an increasingly popular trend, especially among the high social classes. Similar to virtual reality, the consumer was injected with a sedative to slow their heart rate and make their brain more malleable, or susceptible to external stimuli. Then, according to the health professionals, the Lifestyle Coordinator would introduce a series of pre-calibrated, customized stimuli into the brain, inducing a euphoric state of being in the client. 

My job was a simple one. I consented to the preliminary entrance interview and routine metabolic testing before the day of induction, and then, once I’d been medically cleared by the on-site physicians, I selected the characteristics of my Virtual Lifestyle. They offered nearly a dozen of them, including exotic beach vacations, hiking in the Alps, boating, and more. Each Lifestyle corresponded with a predetermined time frame (anywhere from thirty minutes to two days in length). I’d opted for the two-day excursion, a Virtual vacation of sorts, somewhere where the reality of my depression and the sudden loss of my nephew couldn’t reach me. 

I straightened as the double doors opened and a well-dressed woman emerged wearing a pencil skirt and a collared blouse with a blazer. Her brown hair stopped just above her shoulders and her blue eyes sparkled behind thin framed glasses.

“Mr. Kieth, we’re ready for you now,” she beamed, extending her small hand. I accepted and returned the hearty smile, ignoring the way the muscles tightened in my stomach. I’d never experienced Virtual LIving before, but I’d read up on it.

“My name is Veronica, I’ll be assisting your Lifestyle team this morning,” she advised me, leading me back down the hallway. Unlike the bright reception area with its floor-to-ceiling windows, this area was dimly lit and quiet, reminding me of a spa. I supposed in some respects, it was not much different. Stopping at the fourth door on our right, she pushed it open and ushered me inside, where two balding men perched on high chairs, a large mechanism resembling a tanning bed (with linens) erected just behind them.

The man closest to me stood up first, his smile transforming his somber features.

“Good morning, I’m Frederick Carlson, the Lifestyle Manager in charge of your virtual experience.”

“I’m Tucker Vallance, the Coordinator’s assistant,” the other man said. 

Veronica led me to the bed, instructing me to remove my shoes and lay back in a comfortable position.

“Mr. Kieth, I see that you’ve completed your medical clearances, but before we begin, did you have any questions?”

I laid back and stared up at the high ceilings, the recessed lighting dimming above me. A soft fragrance began to filter into the room, reminding me of beaches and colorful flowers, and right away I felt my muscles begin to relax.

“I’ll be in the virtual lifestyle for two days?” I clarified, feeling my eyelids droop. I could hear Veronica whisper something to the two men, but my body felt increasingly heavy and warm, and I didn’t want to expend the energy to turn and look at them.

“That’s correct. You selected the extended experience option, which means you will remain in the virtual experience for a total of forty-eight hours. We will have a medical team monitoring your vital signs the entire time, and should any complications arise, we will administer the antidote and withdraw you from the experience. Otherwise, enjoy your vacation,” he beamed, and I mumbled something, my vision growing dark.

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The sand beneath me felt warm, like a heated blanket in November. The waves crashed somewhere nearby, the delicate spray cascading across my skin. Seagulls called out above me, and when I opened my eyes, I squinted against a bright sun in a crisp blue sky. I sat up, now fully awake, and glanced all around me, sifting the white sand through my fingertips. I couldn’t remember how I’d gotten here, but as I drew in a breath of fresh air, I knew that there was nowhere I would rather be. Climbing to my feet, I walked over to the surf, crystal clear water sweeping up onto the shore and then retreating just as quickly. The water danced across my bare toes and skirted back, a perfect temperature. Palm trees swayed behind me, tall and perfect, surrounded by shrubbery with various flowering plants interspersed between them. Their scents perfumed the air, reminding me of something familiar.  Everything seemed to glitter in the sunlight, and I laughed and began to run along the surf, reveling in my newfound peace. 

I stopped short when I glimpsed someone standing perhaps a hundred yards away, her long hair blowing in the gentle breeze. Seagulls circled her from above, and the water crashed up along her legs as if bowing to its queen. I stumbled toward her, squinting as I recognized the woman- Veronica- from somewhere, though I couldn’t quite place her. Her hair seemed longer than it ought to be, and a long, white dress whipped around her bare ankles, wet at the hem. 

“There you are,” she smiled, extending her hand. I smiled and accepted, allowing her to lead me back into the copse of trees. She glanced back at me every so often, her eyes flickering, almost changing in color. Her grip grew firmer as she tugged me impatiently toward the dense tropical expanse and away from the clear beach. The sunlight seemed further away from us now, the shadows encroaching on our little corner of the perfect beach. As we stepped into the dense canopy, panic seized me, and I glanced around me for an escape route. Sensing my unease, Veronica gripped my wrist, her fingertips leaving bruises on the delicate skin there trapping me in her hold.

“Where are we going?” I questioned her, and she glanced back, her lovely blue eyes flashing red, her face shifting into something grotesque. I gasped and tried to disengage myself, but all at once, I was overcome by an oppressive weight, unable to move my limbs any longer. The trees around me grew, disappearing into the clouds, and the entire island seemed to shake and contort all around me. Off in the distance, something rumbled, a powerful volcano of impending doom. I struggled to catch my breath under the weight of an invisible force, and the woman grew as the trees had, transforming into a hideous beast with gnarled skin and the color of ash. Her hair was replaced by flames, red and blue and flickering at all angles. Her dainty hands had grown long, bent fingers with claws, and her small lips were hideously malformed, with wickedly sharp fangs protruding.

Tears stung my eyes as I remembered where I was- who I was- and struggled to break free. It was like being caught in a nightmare, similar to the sleep paralysis I’d endured so many times before, only this time I was not waking up. 

“Help! Somebody help me!!” I screamed, and the monster seemed to laugh at that, my desperation as if it were an amusing joke. Gripping my legs, the beast hurled me into the air, catapulting me deeper beyond the treeline. I seemed to fall forever, with no concept of depth or time, only falling. I landed in a small pond and continued to sink, swallowed up by the depths of the inky water below the surface. I drew in a desperate breath, marveling at the feeling of sweet oxygen filling my lungs rather than the drowning sensation I’d been expecting. I used my arms to propel myself further down toward the bottomless pond, searching for another means of escape. When I surfaced, the beast would be waiting for me. I allowed myself to be swallowed up by the gentle current, hidden in the comfort of the darkness and the soundlessness of the water.

I recoiled as something drifted past me, brushing across my bare foot. Glimpsing its tail, I rotated myself around to face whatever new beast this false reality had conjured up, and was faced with a woman so beautiful it nearly hurt to behold her. The tail I’d glimpsed belonged to her, attached at the waist. Above it, flawless skin sparkled with the sheen of fish scales. Her eyes were a strange purple, and clear as glass. Her hair was deep ebony, wild, and floating around her like sea kelp. I opened my mouth to speak to her, unsure if my words would transmit underwater, when she swam up to me and gripped my chin in her cold fingers, pressing a delicate kiss on my lips.

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I woke to a lancing pain throughout my entire body. Somewhere nearby monitors beeped, and several people called out panicked instructions, their bodies rustling as they worked. I felt cold, my limbs numb and unmoveable. I opened my eyes, squinting at the bright overhead glare of the recessed lighting. I recognized the two men from earlier, Tucker and Frederick, and I gasped at the sight of Victoria, her face screwed into worried lines above where I lay.

“Mr. Kieth, welcome back,” Tucker said with relief. I heard a distorted, garbled voice over a radio device, and Frederick turned and hit a series of buttons on a monitor to my right.

“What happened?” I grunted, testing my limbs. I tried not to panic when they didn’t move. That was probably just a side effect of the medications they’d given me. No doubt it would wear off soon enough. I watched Frederick shine a small light into my eyes, assessing, and noted how much older he seemed. Come to think of it, Tucker had aged, too, and certainly more than just a few days. I slid my eyes over to Victoria, noting that she’d changed her hair color; Dyed it red. I couldn’t be sure if this was simply a coincidence or if she was mocking me, a reminder of her red, flaming hair in the Virtual Lifestyle she’d occupied. The lifestyle that was supposed to be a dream come true.

“You died for a few minutes,” Tucker said calmly. “Your heart stopped working properly and we had to shock you. Your vital signs all appear stable now, and everything is going to be alright,” he promised. I eyed him, watching the way his skin seemed to sweat profusely. Victoria darted nervous glances at the two men, and a pregnant silence hung in the air.

“Why can’t I move my arms?” I whispered, bracing for the reply. 

“That’s a side effect of the medication,” Frederick said abstractedly.

“It should wear off sometime within the hour. You had what’s called a breakthrough,” he explained.

I snorted, fear and panic giving way to sheer frustration.

“Tell me about it. Miss Veronica turned out to be a massive beast with flaming hair that tried to kill me,” I laughed uncomfortably. My arms and legs vibrated with energy and the I.V. in my right arm pinched. The men glanced at Veronica, who watched me with an intense expression. Her eyes narrowed slightly, a flicker of something in her cold gaze. Panic seeped into my body a second time as I realized that she’d orchestrated it herself.

“Mr. Kieth, how long do you suppose you were in that Virtual Experience?” Tucker asked gently. My heart rate increased as I considered the question.

“No more than a few hours, I’d expect,” I answered. Another loaded look between the two men. I repressed the urge to crawl away from Victoria, whose intent gaze left me feeling trapped in a spider’s web. Once again she held me in her dark gaze, my limbs unable to move or do anything about it.

“It’s been three years,” Tucker said quietly.

“E-Excuse me?! Three years!? What are you talking about?! How is that possible!?”

Frederick mopped his face with a corner of his white coat, heaving a sigh.

“Virtual Lifestyle is a relatively new science,” he hedged. “The waiver you signed touches on the possibility of adverse reactions and-”

“FREDERICK!” My voice echoed through the quiet space, but I didn’t care. My heart was beating at an alarming rate, and my limbs refused to obey my brain. Now I was being told that the two-day Experience I’d won had somehow translated into a three-year nightmare?

“Sometimes our brains don’t always follow the regular neurological pathways when certain types of medication are introduced into the body. Similar to traumatic events, the brain will attempt to maintain homeostasis by dissociating or shutting down entirely. In your case, it did both. You suffered what we call a Dissociative Process during the Virtual Experience and when we administered the medications to withdraw you from it, you suffered a coma that lasted for three years. Your heart eventually stopped, and when we revived you, it somehow triggered your brain’s normal cognitive processes.”

“Unfortunately, you’re not awake yet,” Victoria said, and the men averted their gazes.

I swallowed the bile that surged up and ignored the increasing pressure that threatened to smother me. The room seemed to grow darker, colder even, and as my vision narrowed, all I could see was Victoria and her flaming hair, and the malice behind her eyes. She leaned in closer, her hair brushing against my skin and leaving goosebumps in its wake. 

“There’s more, Mr. Kieth,” she hissed, and I screamed.