Relaunch

Last choice

- Mr. Smith, let me explain you more in detail. You know all about the "ghost emotions" and that your brain needs to get used to live without your removed memories. This part of the process is really difficult to achieve because memories use to be stored fragmented simultaneously in many parts of the brain that can remain inactive until they became active. Maybe you still don't figure out how we get rid of this unexpected feelings and how we make to heal your brain after a relaunch.

- I don't know and I really don't care, Mr. Thornhope.

- You are living a simulation, Mr. Smith. After a relaunch we need to run your life in a simulation mode to release these ghost emotions. Sometimes they appear just in the early moments after you wake up again in the simulation and sometimes it take years. We can't guess in advance how they will appear, or with which form, shape, person, etc. so we set response protocols to guide you through the resolution of the orphan memories and feelings.

- So, Amanda was this "protocol #34"?

- Yes. Amanda is a conducted part of the simulation. Everything you experience as your life all these 30 years were an automated simulation, but when you talked by the first time of your nightmare with someone we evaluate the transcendence of the event. In this case, it was marked as "relevant" and we executed the protocol we consider it fits better to release this hidden memories and feelings. In this case, protocol #34 is the body and face of your wife, and the name of your daughter. The protocol was implemented to reveal that you had a daughter so it would make a response inside your brain. All the remaining brain cells would be activated with this partial memories and feelings, so we can locate them and remove properly.

- But, why now? After all these years! I have lived an entire life, I really didn't need this. Are you going to remove my last days?

- Well, in fact we are going to start a new simulation, with the new marked areas we have spotted they may make you recall memories or emotions. There is no sense to continue with this simulation.

- Hey, stop. Does it mean you are going to kill me? To make me wake up in the same hospital I woke up 30 years before? No way.

- This is not the first simulation you had, Mr. Smith. You can also view the results of the other 545 previous simulations. In the beginning, your mind waked up really unstable. You saw ghost everywhere. We were stabilizing all collateral thoughts and emotions until all your remaining disorders appeared in nightmares. After the simulation 130th your mind was stable and the recalls appeared only through nightmares. Then, we started to run simultaneously the perturbing protocols with many different actors: your wife, your daughter, Robert, also John Preston. You first react knowing them, so all memories were reconstructed in your brain. After some simulations more, you now don't recognize faces or names. Amanda was a total stranger for you. You saw your wife and you didn't feel any remaining love. This is how it works, and let me tell you, Mr. Smith, that you are progressing really well.

- Mr. Thornhope, I just want to continue with my life. Just remove my last days and let me live. Please.

- Mr. Smith, you are now talking to a piece of code. I am just another actor in your simulation. I can't do what you want me to do. Sorry.

- But, what's the goal about telling me all? You have your data. You are in my brain, so just shut me down and do whatever you need to do!

- Of course there is a reason, Mr. Smith. To start a new simulation we have to reset your brain to the initial state and proceed with the relaunch simulation, removing and fixing all data gathered plus the new delta changes. It means that all your memories will be back to your brain before we delete them and start the new test. We can't do this without your agreement.

- Do I have another choice?

- Yes, of course. You can always reject the treatment anytime. Keep in mind that your perception of the last 30 years were really few minutes in the real life. You are in the adjustment part, which uses to take only about one week. You can always stop it and recover your brain exactly as before the relaunch procedure. Well, mostly exactly how you will feel after you agree with proceeding with the new simulation and we populate your memories back.

- How many more times do I have to live my life again and again? When will I recover my real life? I feel really tired now, Mr. Thornhope.

- As an estimation, Mr. Smith, you had only two nightmares the last days in the last 30 years, so I guess it will take around 20 to 30 simulations more until you get to the next stage and experience only the last recalls before death. You know in lasts moments in life when all your life passes through your eyes? In this stage some hidden ghost emotions appear, it will get around 50 more tries to get a completely peaceful end of life. When simulation ends up with zero findings, we launch the simulation around 500 times to get a proof test of life variations. When we have a total of 100 completed simulations with no issues about past memories or emotions, then your adjustment part is over. Then you will wake up in the hospital, same as you remember, ready to live your life once again, for the last and real time.

- I am tired. All these years I lived just for nothing.

- You should be proud, Mr. Smith. You are progressing very well. This is what you wanted. You knew the procedure and you always agreed. If you quit the treatment, we may bring you the memories back and wake you up, but you know you will need to go to the asylum again, with no other chance to get relaunched in the future.

- So I only have to agree? My life will start again and I will not remember anything, neither this conversation?

- Yes, same as last 545 simulations, but when you will get your current age, these nightmares will not happen. Maybe some years later, but more and more vague and disconnected from your real past.

I couldn't say a word, just staring at him with resignation.

- Well, Mr. Smith, according to the procedure I will proceed now to speak out the terms of the service and the agreement conditions about the synaptic regeneration procedure, formerly mentioned as "RELAUNCH", ANNEX DXLVI (546) about test and simulation. In order to ensure your total satisfaction we are going to proceed with a simulation of a real relaunched environment experience. Please, move your head affirmatively if you understand my words and what this contract agreement form is about.