I stood naked in the dark. The book “Real Life” sat on a table lit by a light somewhere above. I tried to reach for the book but I could barely move my arm. I looked down at my hand and I willed my fingers to move. I tried again but this time my body collapsed to the floor in a heap. I tried to unfurl but I could not, I felt nothing, no sensations, no touch, and no pain. I lifted my head enough to focus again on the book above me. I wanted that book.

“You should go for a walk,” a voice echoed in the darkness.

I twitched awake. My screen was lit and the icon of the Medic was already being displayed on my screen again.

“Med Check,” It said.

“I’m alright.”

“We registered high brain activity,”

“I’m fine,”

“I am recommending a new series of medications, it seems the medication you used last night did an unsatisfactory job in allowing you to rest,”

“OK,”

“Do you have anything to add to the report?”

“No,”

"Due to these unusual circumstances, your work has been canceled and a schedule of relaxing activities have been created for you,"

“No, I need to work, I think it will help,” I said.

The System was silent for a few seconds.

“After a quick review by Central Medicine, you have been OK’d for work duty, have a good day.” The Medic said and promptly logged off.

My EC took over doing its morning tasks as the daily advertisements played. I needed to work today. I needed to do something normal. My anxiety was managed but I could still sense that it was there, that it was hiding from me.

My Screen flickered and the data began to display as I got into my work routine. I found the usual codes here and there and sent them on. I was on a roll and headed for a new personal best. It seemed easy to spot the strings of data that seemed out of place.

I was scanning, once in a while, I could decode a string, pull out the simple lines and send them on. They were usually simple words that had no context. This time I saw three words. “Go for Walk”. I stopped.

“System has detected that you have stopped, is there something to report?” The system asked.

“No, I just found a string of data that is unusual,” I replied, “I am forwarding it now.”

“The System will red flag it, thank you, and carry on.”

It must have been a good find. The system treated me to a small break and a particularly good series of ads. I continued on and did break my record. The screen flickered and confetti exploded as an acknowledgment of my performance. A golden shield dominated the screen as I unlocked the elite performance achievement. I smirked.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

My screen flickered off and then on again. A new series of advertisements and then my to-do list appeared. I saw that a new episode of my favorite show was available. I started to watch, going through the ads and then off-world. I could not stay focused. My mind kept drifting off.

“Do you find this show unsatisfactory?” The System asked.

“No it is fine, I wish to change tasks,”

A series of ads played and the show flickered off. My task list showed up and I selected to take a walk.

My EC walked me out of the building. My sun visor came down to protect my eyes and then I was outside. I could feel the air brush my cheek. Was this a real feeling? Was this created for me? I thought.

We walked the same path as before and soon came to the park that I detoured through before.

“Park,” I commanded.

I watch the required advertisements and sponsors. My EC trudged on smoothly walking through my desired path.

“Stop,” I requested.

My EC complied.

“Walk on the grass,”

“Are you sure?” The system asked.

“Yes please,”

“Recalculating route, this trip is sponsored by…” The System droned on.

I was not hearing the ads. I focused on the grass. The EC started to walk off of the path. The EC only got a few steps in.

“Stop,” I said as my EC complied.

I looked at the blades of perfectly trimmed green. I never looked at them before. Each individual blade. How green they were. I thought about the book and the story about grass. I wanted to do something else than look.

“EC, release my left leg,” I said nervously.

"That is highly unusual, let’s go over the health effect of what you are requesting,” The System responded.

“No,”

“Do you need a Med Check?”

“No, release my left leg.”

A series of ads played in my ears and echoed around in my head, I felt a rush of drugs go into my system. The EC was trying to calm down my excitement. I could hear my heartbeat in my ears. I felt restrained.

I heard the click of the Neuro tube and then another rush of drugs enter my system. The leg tube split and opened on a hinge. My leg was dangling and my toes hovered over the top of the grass was out of reach.

“Lower,” I commanded,

The EC lowered until my toes made contact with the grass. I felt nothing. I tried to my sheer will to move my leg, but it was motionless. It was the drugs, the drugs were still protecting me even if my EC could not. It was controlling the experience.

“Stop the Drugs to my left leg,” I instructed.

“That is not prudent, the result could be painful,” The System said.

“Now!”

“This is highly irregular, do you wish to have a Med Check?”

“No, just do it.”

I felt nothing and then my leg began to tingle. The tingling became more intense, nothing that I have ever felt before. I sat there and bit my lip. I waited like in the book. The pain was almost blinding. I could feel the muscles tense in my face. The tingle started to decrease and my leg felt nothing again. I looked down at my foot, it was very pale. I willed it to move again. I felt my toes this time, I saw them twitch and then flex. It was a strange sensation, surreal.

I stretched my toes again, fascinated that I could manipulate them. They were so weak but they were mine. I felt a cool sensation on the bottom of my foot, it was uneven and rigid but soft. It was the blades of grass.

I tried to swing my leg and I achieved very little motion, I should be able to do more with it. I wanted to do more. I clenched my toes. I felt the blades slip between them. Such a simple feeling. I closed my eyes and clenched and released over and over again, enjoying it.

The feeling did not last long. I felt a rush in my system as the drugs kicked in. My EC was blocking the feelings. I tried to fight to keep the feeling but the sensations left my body. I, once again, with no feeling at all in my legs.

“We do not have a Sponsor for this activity,” The System stated.

I sighed, “Home,” rolled off my lips.

My EC complied and re-calculated its route home. The Helper hands gently moved my legs to the safety of the leg tube and it closed around it. I plodded off annoyed and despondent.