It was a perfect day. Sebastian felt it, saw it and heard it. The breeze through the window was warm and light. The sun was at its normal position in the perfect blue sky. A single Blue Jay sung outside in the garden. He felt lucky to be alive.
Breakfast was at his door. What a great life. How it worked was never a question. The newspaper was with his breakfast. The headlines were, in essence, the same each day, positive and normal. If the word “heaven” were anywhere to be seen, he would have accepted it without remorse.
It had been this way, as long as he could remember. His childhood, adulthood and retirement was just a bundle of confusion.
“Was he dead? He thought briefly everyday. His thought bore no fruit. In another minute, he would have company, a nurse with a light blue uniform to assist him with his medicine. Questions or struggles had disappeared years ago. Sebastian couldn’t remember when he arrived at SEC. For what did those initials stand? He couldn’t remember, and it was time for his game of checkers. Lunch was just around the corner.
It was a normal day. He couldn’t tell if he was living, or life was living him. He felt ok, but knew he hadn’t had a new thought in years. Today would be different.
Listening outside, Sebastian heard the little bird singing. Suddenly, the sounds stopped and he heard a ruffling through the branches. It was quiet. Disturbingly quiet. He found himself listening, listening for the bird to continue. It was still quiet.
He went outside, to explore the bird situation, first hand. There it was, lying on the ground in a heap. Had his life slowed down so much to witness a bird die? He went over, cautiously, to look. It was lifeless and listless. He picked up a stick. There were a few lying around. He picked it up and poked at the dead bird.
“Strange, “he thought out loud, “ I haven’t noticed anything but the sound in all my years here.”
He turned it over. It didn’t have any bruises or cuts.
“Must have been old age,” he thought further. It looked awful stiff already.” He poked it again. He noticed a zipper.
“How could that be?” he was astonished,” on a bird?”
He leaned down and slowly moved his hand closer and started to unzip.
“Its’ got wires and a zipper.” he was stopped by a community guard,” it fell a few minutes ago. “What are those? Maybe it just looked that way.”
The guard swiftly scooped up the bird machine into a basket and murmured something to Sebastian. It didn’t make sense, but didn’t seem important.
“Happens all the time,” he mentioned “matter of factly,” most get fixed up.” That was the end of discussion. Sebastian was left in a valley of haze.
“Did that really happen,” he thought. “Did that fellow run the bird population?”
He looked around the vicinity. “Maybe the whole place is an illusion?”
Chapter two
Sebastian awoke without a care in the world.
A bird, outside, triggered his senses. He roused himself out of bed and headed outside. He saw the bird. It was in the same place yesterday’s bird, before it fell, had been perched. It appeared as if it were the same bird, black and singing up a storm.
“How could this be?” he thought to himself,” something doesn’t fit. There was the nurse, knocking on the door. The medicine followed. His mind was on alert. He could predict her every move. He was remembering.
“There was something brewing, but he had only a few clues, the bird and his seemingly programmed lifestyle.
Chess, sunshine and a single bird singing, everyday was his life. Sebastian wondered if he had passed over and was participating in a makeshift “heaven.
” Doubtful,” he thought, “since that bird broke.”
He decided to play along, but he now, watched everything with a sense of predictability. When he was left unattended, he walked outside.
“That sun,” he noticed, “ it hasn’t been rainy in his two years there. No clouds either.
Chapter Three
Sebastian realized his information from the Nurse was done. Either she acted out of routine only, or she too, was a creation of the Boss, whoever that may be.
He needed more information. He had no friends. No neighbors with which to share. He hadn’t seen any City organizers other than the servant that day. Where was the Mayor, or at least the General Manager? Suddenly he saw the man in the white coat, the one that picked up the mechanical bird. Could he be a lead? Should he follow him? He ducked into a yard next to the big building. Sebastian decided this had to be headquarters. He waited until the maintenance man disappeared and headed for the big building entrance. Looking around first, Sebastian opened a door slowly and made his way inside. It was an office establishment. The hallways were long and filled with doors. The overhead lights were typical office style, bright and identical.
Suddenly Sebastian was hailed, from a voice at the end of the hallway.
“Halt! Who goes there?” screamed the voice, “You have no authorization here. Hold it right there.”
Sebastian turned immediately and ran. It was a long way down the hallway and he had a cushion. As he closed in on the exit, he had an urge to stay longer. He faked going out the door, opening and shutting it loudly, but slid into an office door on his right instead of leaving. He hoped it had fooled his follower.
He was greeted with the same alarm, disdain and orders by another man in a white jacket.
“Excuse me, “ he began shaking his finger at Sebastian angrily, “ How did you get in? This area is restricted, not for citizens. You’ll have to leave the building. “
Sebastian felt like he was watching a kid being scolded by an irate parent. Another man came out of an office hurriedly.
“Hold it Frank,” he said quickly, “ I’ll take it from here. You are a citizen, aren’t you?” he asked assuredly.
Sebastian had been found out, but he was in deep now. “ I have questions, “he blurted out loudly. “I want answers.”
He had taken control. Nothing short of the truth would do. He wasn’t going anywhere.
“I have to tell you an amazing fact,” said the head Doctor,” You must come inside my office. You mustn’t tell a soul of your discovery. “ He waved the assistant back.
Sebastian listened carefully. Over and over again in his mind, he had wrestled with the possibility that he was somehow involved in a simulated society, a fake contrived world that stifled fate and reality. This headman in charge was about to confirm his dilemma.
“I shouldn’t be the one to tell you,” he began cautiously, “but I sense that you already know. Your surroundings are all simulated. It’s no mistake that you see the sun out every day without rain. It’s no mistake that the same nurse, with the same manner, routinely gives you medicines every day. There is no mystery why your life is regulated and noted on these charts.
He pointed to the bulletin board and looked for a reaction by Sebastian.
“It’s a perfected life,” he continued, expecting a negative reaction and ready to defend his position and the establishment.
“We’ve researched your wants and desires, he continued confidently, “We are in essence, your servants.”
“ The best prison guards ever,” Sebastian retorted sarcastically,” Prisoners of our own diseases. Sentenced by our loving relatives. Tell me why we are so lucky.”
The Doctor looked serious. This was not easy to convey. No one had been so persevering. He took a minute and then looked directly at Sebastian. Could he also be simulated?
“ Not necessarily,” said the Director, “ Everyone has different needs, medically. Originally, people were diagnosed as incurable, or to costly to fix, so they were sent here for the present. A more humane solution right?”
Sebastian was shocked. He had suspected the place was rigged, but his body too? His anger suddenly tuned to dismay.
“Am I not human?” he blurted, not really wanting an answer, just yet.
”It’s not so sure,” he replied,” I would have to look at your case. Everyone is different. The important thing is that you are essentially human, alive. Everyone is human, to some degree, here. It might only be an internal system, a lifesaver. “
“ Some are here, “he continued,” only because of a single occurrence. A situation that required more knowledge than was available at the time. Cybernetics, human freezing. was the only way. When it became too expensive to maintain, Eden was the alternative. It took quite an ability to pay attention to details.“
“I’m really a prisoner,” Sebastian mumbled out, “a prisoner of my own fears of dying, and your supervision. Am I free to go? “
His question seemed appropriate, but the Director seemed surprised and concerned.
“Maybe tomorrow, or maybe not,” said the Director,” It depends on your case. We couldn’t be exact, about your destiny. We aren’t the creator. None of us really know the status of death. It’s just different when you control simulation.”
“This must be overwhelming, “the Director started again, “Why don’t you take some time to digest everything. It isn’t all that bad here, is it? Is there something I could change in your living arrangements? We’re here to serve, you.”
“I am afraid you mustn’t tell anyone what you know,” the Director cautioned, as he showed Sebastian the door. “ Most people, humans, don’t want to confront their immortality. You will be considered crazy, I’m afraid. You don’t want to upset the neighbors, do you?”
Sebastian didn’t like the new information. He wanted to start a riot, but he knew the Director was right. He was now the crazy resident, the moment he opened his mouth. He was on his own. He went home. One thing he knew, from the start, he didn’t much feel like playing chess.
Chapter Four
Sebastian’s nurse arrived, as usual. He really was being given the choice to continue in his simulated life. He did notice a difference. What was that pink pill? That was new.
“It’s to calm you down, ”said the nurse, “you have a new pill, that’s all Mr. Sebastian.
Sebastian lost the pills, discreetly,” slowly looking around for the office camera. So, they would try to erase his memory? It was a strong possibility now that he knew. He would have to watch his suspicions carefully now. He was being watched. He was becoming paranoid. What powerful knowledge he had in his possession? It was a true case of Life and Death, at least human death.
Chapter Four
Sebastian decided to let the questions, and his radical behavior relent. After all, it was an easy, if not predictable life. He’d practiced it for years. The only difference was now he was aware of everything.
Inside he was caught in a dilemma. His mind drifted to the “outside world.” What year was it? How many billion people were there? What was happening? Did he have a destiny? Outside, everything seemed normal. He did wonder, empathetically, what were the circumstances of his neighbors. The motivation was there, to reveal all that he knew, but the immediate repercussions were too obvious. He felt on an edge. Every action and word, he scrutinized. It drove him crazy, because, in the end, he was the only one casting doubt on perfection. He was a secret devil in paradise. Sebastian was sure of one fact. It would take sure power of significant strength to make him leave. He hadn’t thought of it much, but Death, or the certain inevitability of Death was at the heart of his choice.
He lived a lie, or bunch of lies, every day in Eden. As he knew, it was an easy life; three meals each day, limited company and free rent. Some distant, now, relative, got an automated bill deducted each month to some unknown company.
Still, he knew too much. It was like standing on a hidden human viewing tower, on constant watch, ready to announce ‘reality’ to everyone. Unfortunately, it was a ‘reality’ that would cause quite a bit of personal confusion. He was an unwanted hero waiting for the director to call ‘action!’ And the Director was himself.
What held him hostage was his own created prison of fear and freedom. Neither survived without the other. Fear was his mental servitude to ‘human death.’ Freedom was his escape from this ‘Simulated Eden, a programmed fictitious ‘survival’ organized by doctor programmers. Neither mental border had depth or realness, just mental suppression of an unknown but possible conclusion.
His immediate fellow neighbors were of no help, in contrast, undeclared enemies. He was bound by an invisible, but real, threat of ex-communication, in fact chastisement of ‘insanity,’ if he spoke the truth. He pondered these consequences each and every moment, but decided it was more advantageous to wait, until headquarters ended the “alert” status for his escape. He sensed that the Doctor Director was not as dumb as he looked. He had set the parameters. Tell other neighbors and cause a riot and be cast as an insane neighbor or risk leaving completely with a poor, ‘death’ laden medical record.
Sebastian knew the parameters. Only he wasn’t sure to what extent he was being watched. After all, what huge consequence did his leaving have on the village? His silence was backed by strong threats of insanity proclaimed by the villagers, his neighbors. That alone, was a destiny of a lifetime. What was its purpose?
No. His bigger purpose was about himself. Leave and be a human, a sick human, left alone to face the inevitability of death or stay in a non real lifestyle orchestrated by “higher ups?”
One thought was sure: he was no longer in a battle of fears of the Director. He had his job. It wasn’t a job of warden. He didn’t have to worry about discovery. His city was far removed from relatives are concerned society members. His city would rather be forgotten than supervised. His city wasn’t a place to live or even visit. His city was a secret deep in the past. Life in the real world had its own concerns.
Sebastian wasn’t a prisoner of Eden. He had served his time locked inside his mind. He was ready to leave Eden. He decided to meet the Doctor again, just for one last reassurance meeting. It was to be one last chance for the Doctor-Director to dissuade the patient. Maybe he had researched his medical records and had final opinion. Or maybe, he was more or less normal. In essence, Sebastian would check his own current resolve. He entered the headquarters.
This time he felt confident. His destiny was already in place. Nothing the Director could say would alarm him. He’d had a year to resolve any fears.
It was a quicker meeting than he expected. The Director had placed Sebastian’s case aside too. The heat of their first meeting had subsided.
“No. I have no more info,” he told Sebastian, “I’m sorry Sebastian. You were one of Eden’s first citizens. Are you leaving? It’s your decision. It’s your life.“
Sebastian felt apprehension, but no fear. He stood up, shook hands and left. It had been a nifty project, but in the final analysis, it still was a simulated experience. ;It was ike a play without an ending. Only Sebastian had the ending in his pocket and all he had to do was to cross the border. Out of Eden into the real world. Death, now, was an inevitable doorway, not an end but another scene.
Sebastian awoke the next morning full of excitement. The future never looked so bold, so full of life. He walked towards the exit. Through he houses, into the woods. He contained his excitement like a pocketful of sunshine on a rainy day. This was his decision. Sebastian had decided to face Death the same as Life. He was in a clear pasture now, far away from the city. He spotted a sign on a tree down the road. It was, as expected, a sign of the place he was living: SE. SIMULATED EDEN. He took another step past the sign and noticed a difference in the sky. It wasn’t blue any longer, but gray and cloudy. No matter. He hadn’t passed out. He was alive. It was perfect.
