Living the Life

If you could live any life imaginable through the means of some coding and digital imaging, wouldn't you at least be intrigued to try it out? What started out as one company's venture into virtual reality and simulation experiencing, governments all around the world corrupted an innocent dream for the future of all humanity. Aurelius Corp. never intended its users to be trapped indefinitely in a loop of simulations, but the human mind always bends to the greed and promises that wealth brings.

Skylar Oakley was one among the billions living in poverty who always dreamed of a better life. Aurelius Corp. developed the solution to Skylar's dream - a simple implant, operated by downloading a simulation onto the software to be run at the discretion of the user. However, as politics infiltrated and corrupted this idea for an occasional escape from reality, Aurelius Corp. sold the rights to their technology for unlimited wealth.

While distracted by these alternate realities providing a better life for each individual, nobody questioned when everyone was subdued to the simulations indefinitely. After having lived through multiple lifelong dreams, Skylar began to notice some flaws within the system itself. Why were they so happy? Why couldn't they remember a time before the technology? Where was the exit to the program?

Why did they want to leave the perfectly programmed life just to go back to the poverty, illness, and hate of reality?

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This is my ONC 2021 project based on prompt #79: "The Virtual Implant was supposed to be a revolutionary breakthrough; for a time, it was. "