Simulation
This is a story that I started from a tiktok. What if Earth wasn’t real? What if it was a prison, where people are sent to atone for their crimes? This is what I think it would be like. THIS IS NOT A COMPLETE STORY. Just the start and I don’t know if I’m actually going to finish it, though I do want to and have ideas, just not the motivation to write.
Death is scary, especially to younger folk, but when you’ve lived as long as I have, death is just the next step. I lived a good life, married an amazing man who moved on before me. That’s why I’m taking this so calmly, the doctors telling me that I was 3 months away from seeing my love again was a relief.
Opening my eyes, they landed on the woman sitting in the hard hospital chair. Tears had streaked her makeup down her face, “Marie, baby, go home. I’m not going anywhere just yet.” My daughter was just as stubborn as I was, I knew she’d say no, I just wanted to at least try to get her to go home and sleep. “You haven’t slept since they brought me in almost two days ago.”
“Mom, hush. I slept last night.” She lifted her hand, waving me off. She had me there, technically she slept, in that stupid chair she was still sitting in. Probably has back pain from it. “I’m fine, but how are you feeling?”
Like I’ve been running my entire life, everything ached, and a nap sounded really good but something nagged on me to tell my only child that I was fine, “I’m fine, little achy, but when ain’t I?” I chuckled at myself. “I love you sweetie, I’m a little tired, so I’m gonna take a nap.”
“Okay mom, I love you too.” She stood, pecking my forehead as she did so, “I’m gonna go get some late breakfast. I’ll bring you a muffin and some juice.”
“Okay baby,” I said as I closed my eyes for the last time.
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When I opened my eyes again, I was encased in glass and metal. Fear swept me up, with confusion following closely behind. I died. I was old and I died. I was no longer in the hospital, the chair and bed gone.
“She’s awake.” A voice said, I couldn’t see anyone through the rounded glass window in front of me. “Ashley, welcome back. I hope your time on Earth was inspirational.”
Ashley, they knew my name, confusion took even more hold, “where am I?” Fear thick in my voice, not surprising. “And how do you know my name?”
A sigh entered the pod like thing I was in, “I’m not surprised, most take a minute to remember.”
“What.” But as soon as the word left my mouth, I was hit with a memory. I was in a court room, a judge with a mean face sentencing me to as many life cycles it took to atone for my crime. “Goddamn,” I said, the memory leaving me with a pounding headache. “I remember.” I must have completed the sentence. Did that mean I was free? I didn’t feel like the same person that was sitting in the court room.
“Good. We have to run a few tests. You went through 63 life cycles. One of the shortest of our inmates, impressive.” It didn’t feel impressive, I was exhausted. Was that why it felt like I’d been running my entire life those last moments? “Your physical health is where it needs to be, I’ll be opening the simulator, be careful stepping out.”
They had me at a slight angle, almost standing up, my head tilted back. When the pod opened, it was silent, not making the expected whoosh I thought it would make. “How long have I been on Earth?” Earth was a simulation planet, a prison. Inmates are sent there for as many life cycles it takes to not be a shitty person anymore. Stumbling as my feet hit the ground, I grabbed the edge of the machine that held me. Letting my eyes roam the rest of the room. Small, a square table pushed up against the wall, two chairs pushed in facing each other. An large desk holding multiple monitors and clutter sat in a corner behind me, two people behind it. With the pod in the center of the room, the desk was out of view when I was in it.
“Please, have a seat.” One was standing, clip board in hand, “I need to ask you a few questions.” The click of heals sounded as she stepped around the desk and towards the table. Taking her lead, I slowly stumbled towards the table, my legs numb.
