CreepsMcPasta Creepypasta Radio - "I Was Offered €100,000 To Beta-Test a New Piece of VR Tech" Creepypasta

Episode Date: June 2, 2020

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combe. doesn't mean you have to stay there. A quote by Michelle Parsons. That was the reason I found myself in front of a small, mundane office building in the outskirts of Berlin. It should have been the greatest mistake of my life, even more so than all the stuff I'd pulled before. To make a lengthy story short, I had massed this serious debt. Let's just say, I thought I was far smarter than I was, and made a few questionable investments. I tried to find a way out. I did.

But there weren't many options available for a university dropout like me. Before long, I scurried the less reputable parts of the internet for ways of making a few quick bucks. Nestled between shady offers and medical trials, I found one that piqued my interest. Company searching for beta testers of new virtual reality technology. I'd skim the article, but the moment I read, they'd pay me 100,000,000. I laughed and told myself it was nothing but a hoax or a scam. After a few phone calls, half a dozen exchanged emails and a bit of research, I learned that the company and their offer were genuine.

Why they offered to pay that much, I didn't know. But damn could I use it? To be honest, I expected to find a high-tech building, the type that consisted of nothing but glass and steel. The reality, as so often before, proved to be different. The moment I entered, the young woman behind the reception desk

greeted me. Welcome, may I help you? Are you here for the beta test? Yeah, I mean, yes, I am. I handed her the invitation letter they had sent me, and, after giving it a short look,

she nodded. Great, we still have a bit of time, so please have a seat in the waiting area over there. She pointed at the packed room to my left. There was nothing inside the room apart from a few lonely chairs. Everything here gave me the impression of being quickly put together. The walls were bleak and empty, almost sterile. Was this really the office of some high-tech company? I took out my phone and went to a Magicom's website again to see if I'd somehow messed things up when I heard a door

opening. A well-groomed man in an inexpensive looking suit walked up to me. Mr. Perlow, welcome to a Magicom. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, he said, and chuck my hand. My name is Gabriel Brandt. I am responsible for the beta test. We're stunned to have you with us. He said with a smile that was so typical to business people. He'd probably perfected it over many years. Likewise. Now, just a question. How come you're paying that much money for a test like this? His smile didn't waver for even a second, but I could see a slight squint of the eyes. Let's discuss the details in my office. We've got quite a few things to talk about anyway. I thought about pressing the issue, but I might as well listen to the rest of his proposal.

Sure, lead on. He led me. through a short hallway as bleak as the rest of the building. It seemed we were the only people there apart from the reception lady. Before I could look around though, Brandt opened the door and led me into his office. The room looked different from the rest of the building. It was almost completely white and seemed far more modern, almost futuristic in design. A sleek white table filled the centre of the room and one wall was nothing but a giant wall display. Brandt motioned for me to sit down on a chair. Once he'd taken a seat opposite

me, he pressed a button somewhere below the table and a video started to play on the display. It started with the catch line. In Magicom presents the most immersive virtual reality experience ever. The video showed a quick succession of various photorealistic environments from a person's point of view. Then the system itself was showcased. It differed from anything I'd ever seen. There was no bulky headset, no gloves, nothing like that. Instead, it showed a pair of connectors placed on the person's head, a sort of membrane won war over the face, and a small black box responsible for connecting to a Magicom's cloud. So, what do you think? Brand asked me once the video was over.

is this real? That looks like something from a science fiction movie. Brand smiled, but for the first time, his emotions seemed to be genuine. There was an edge to his expression, however. Something sharp. Well, Mr. Perlow, reality isn't so different from science fiction anymore.

So, if this is a beta test, I get to use one of those things, right? Somehow, I wasn't convinced. This seemed way too advanced To be honest I expected the video was nothing but a marketing ploy to get some investors

The actual system was probably way different Indeed You will be the very first person To test our new system Outside of your company I assume Naturally He answered And once more he showed me his trained smile

Now let me ask you again Why are you paying such an exorbitant amount of money. Brandt pressed another button and a small touch display activated on the table in front of me. Well, to be honest, I'm only responsible for scheduling the beta. You can find all the other details in the contract forms in front of you. Please take your time to read through them and sign them. Should you have any questions, feel free to ask me.

I started to read the first form. It was a simple non-disclosure agreement. The second one handled the eventuality of damaging the system itself, while the third one was on the company's terms and conditions. The fourth was another non-disclosure agreement, this time about the virtual environments. It was the fifth form that discussed the payment. It was a new revolutionary system. The compensation was so high because they required absolute secrecy about the system itself

and the virtual environments showcased. and there details about the payment popped up, but there were dozens of these forms. I read the first few carefully, but before long, I started to skim. Then I only took a few looks and eventually signed them without so much as reading the title. It still took me more than an hour to work through all of them. Well, that's that. All done, I said, after signing the last one. Perfect, Brandt said, and the displaying.

in front of me vanished again. A moment later, a similar one appeared in front of him. Let me just cross-check everything. It should only take a few minutes. After a little while, he pressed another button. Cynthia, something to drink, please. How about coffee? He said out loud.

A few minutes later, the reception lady entered the room and brought us each a hot steaming cup of coffee. She barely put it down when I took the first sip. God, I was tired. They'd scheduled the test to start at 8 in the morning. Not such an unusual time, you might say. The problem was, I had to make it to Berlin first. The company offered to book me a train ticket and pay for it,

but it also meant I had to get up 3 in the morning if I wanted to make it in time. I finished a whole cup in a matter of minute, but it didn't seem to help one bit. I sat there, drowsily, while Brandt took his time going through the dark. documents. Well, Mr. Perlow, he said, and brought me back from my half-a-sleep state. It seems everything's in order. We're happy to start with the examinations right away.

Examinations? It's all standard procedure. As explained in Form 32, Section D, you're required to pass a few additional evaluations. Please, follow me. Before I could so much as frown, he pressed another button and the wall behind him slid open, revealing another hallway. I hadn't even noticed the sliding door until now. This part of the building was much more modern.

The walls were pristine and stainless, the complete opposite of what I'd seen so far. It felt like we weren't even in the same building anymore. For the first time, I saw other people, apart from Brent and Cynthia, the reception lady. There was a group ahead chatting next to a futuristic vending machine and others hurried up and down the long haul. I was about to ask Brandt about the company, but we'd already made it to the examination room.

Hello there, I'm Dr Kitagawa, a man in a lab code introduced himself. He followed it up with a lengthy list of honours and explained he was an expert in neuroscience. Grant gave him a brief nod before he turned from the room. The evaluations lasted almost the entire day. They started with a detailed assessment of my general health and fitness. It was to make sure I didn't suffer from any serious health conditions like respiratory or cardiovascular problems. After that came several brain scans.

Kitagawa explained that certain brain conditions could influence our perception of reality. A certain percentage of the population wouldn't be able to discern between the real and the simulated reality. For those people, the possibility of actual injury existed. in a simulation. The most common one was hurting or overstaining your muscles. The second, rarer one, was nerve damage because of the brain believing that a simulated injury was a genuine one.

To avoid any of those, they had to make sure I didn't suffer from any of those brain conditions. I don't even know what sort of brain scans they did. Kitagawa threw around so many terms, half of which I hadn't even heard before. CT, MRI, MRI, MRI, MRS, you name it. Once those were done, it was time for the last part, the psychological evaluation. The questions were all standard. Did I suffer from depression? Had I been diagnosed with any mental illnesses, did I have any mental condition they might

want to know about? The only condition I could tell them about was the ADHD I suffered from and sometimes used medication for. They didn't linger on the topic for too long, and assured me it would be no problem. What they seemed to linger on, though, was phobias, general fears and anxiety. After they'd asked me more than a dozen questions on the topic, I spoke up. Kitagara assured me it was all standard procedure and important for the design of the simulation and a smooth run of the beta itself.

So, I explained, I suffered from slight bouts of ingotting. anxiety because of my situation. As for phobias, I told them I suffered from a rachnophobia, but I also added, embarrassingly, that I wasn't fond of the dark, confined places either. Once the psychological evaluation was over, it was already early evening. I realized I'd been here more than half a day already, and the test hadn't even started. Still, I was exhausted, and apart from a quick lunch after the first half of the examination, I also hadn't eaten a damn thing. Thankfully, the company had prepared for all that.

I'd expected them to have booked me a hotel or some other accommodation. Instead, they led me to what they referred to as, my private quarters for the duration of the beta test. The room was as modern as the rest of the complex. Half of it was made up of a bed that looked more comfortable than anything I'd ever slept in. There was also another one of the giant wall displays opposite the bed. Before I could even ask, they informed me that my dinner would be served in a few minutes. It was juicy.

Tender pieces of beef with a side of vegetables. After eating nothing but fast food and microwaved meals, it felt like heaven to me. Once I was done with a meal I threw myself on the bed activated the wall display and switched through the available media most of it was long videos about nature with low

relaxing background music for a while I watched colourful fish and stunning coral reefs before I felt myself dozing off when I woke up again I couldn't feel the soft bedding anymore instead I lay on a cold damp floor

It took me a few moments to realize that I was somewhere different. I jerked up, confused, and when I looked around, I noticed I was in an empty, dark room. The surrounding walls were damp, dirty, and covered in moss. A quick check revealed that I was still wearing my clothes and my phone was still with me. The screen showed that it was already long past midnight and that I didn't have a signal. Once the shock was over, I used the phone's flashlight to illuminate the area I was in. Old brown stains covered the floor and a pair of rusty chains dangled from a wall behind me. A few metres ahead of me was an opening that led into a tunnel.

There was no other light source apart from my phone. Damn, what the hell was going on? How did I get here? Had I been kidnapped and put into some sort of torture dungeon? Had it all been a farce to lure me here, but why go through the effort to... No, wait, think, Andre, that's not it. This room, the tunnel ahead, I realised as fear washed over me. It was a dark, confined space, wasn't it?

I remembered the evaluation, the questions about fears and phobias. As I realised, I grinned. They must have waited till I fell asleep and started the test How I hadn't woken up through that ordeal was a mystery to me Still where I was right now had to be a simulation And I was sure they wanted to see how I'd react to the simulation I found myself in Well, you got me I said to no one in particular So what now you want me to explore or something

No answer. I crossed the room and put my hands against the walls. They felt cold, solid and musty. If I hadn't known I was in a simulation, I wouldn't have believed it. As a fresh surge of anxiety washed over me, I took a deep breath before I entered the tunnel. Now, here's the thing. You might know things aren't real and that you're in a simulation,

but it doesn't help a single bit. However much I tried to convince myself, things felt and looked way too damn real. With each step, the sound of my footsteps reverberated through the gloomy tunnel ahead, and I couldn't help but cringe. The only other sound was the slow dripping of water from the ceiling. It didn't stay like that for too long. After only a minute, I heard other, weirder sounds.

The distinct rattling of chains and the sound of shuffling feet made me shiver. There's nothing here that can hurt you, None of it is real. I repeated those two lines over and over again, like a mantra. I considered going back to retreat to the room I'd come from. But then what? Wait till they turn the damn thing off? And how long would that take?

Slowly, another thought crawled into my mind and scratched at my sanity. It was the stupid, impossible thought of what if this was no simulation after all? Calm down, Andre, calm down, I told myself, and pushed the thoughts back into the back of my mind. Still, this simulation was too damn real. They'd explained before that they were simulating all sorts of central inputs and transferring them into the brain. That's why it felt so real. Once more, I reached out a shaking hand to touch the wall next to me. Cold, damp and solid.

If this wasn't real, I shouldn't be able to... Suddenly, a hand jerked from a hole in the wall I hadn't seen before. Damn! I called out and cringed back. My heart skipped a beat as I stared at the outstretched hand. Who's there? I called out in a quiet voice. But all I heard was the rattling of chains from behind the wall.

Whoever was behind there was panting, moaning, and, after a few moments, the hand retreated. I stood there. frozen, afraid, and as I illuminated the tunnel ahead, I saw dozens of similar holes. Then, further ahead, I could make out a sturdy, wooden door. As I stood there, more chains rattled. I heard the shuffling of feet and bodies, more hands reached out, clawing at the walls, and wordless screams seemed to be directed at me.

Oh my God, I cursed as I hurried on, and pushed past all of them, repeating my mantra like before. Get away from here, I told myself, get away and reach the end, wherever that was. Right at that point, a distant, lonely light started flickering at the end of the tunnel. My steps got faster, passing hole after hole. But then I heard something,

a growling ahead of me. Then someone screamed. There was a loud bump, the creaking of wood, and then the sturdy door I'd seen before was pushed outwards. For a moment, dust and wood splinters filled the air, but then I saw it. A giant, bulging figure pushed itself from the doorway and into the tunnel. When I cursed up in surprise and shock and the figure turned towards me, I cringed back a single step, then another, before I turned and ran back down towards the room I'd awoken in,

Behind me, another scream cut through the air before I heard heavy footballs from behind me. I ran with all the strength I could muster, but I didn't make it far. A giant pore of a hand came to rest my shoulder. I was ripped backwards, saw a terrifying, grinning face, and then all light vanished. I screamed and struggled against something on top of me. When I opened my eyes, I was back in the same bed. I'd fallen asleep in. What I'd struggled against were the bed sheets.

My heart was beating hard against my chest. As I lay there, my eyes darted around the room, afraid to find the giant figure lurking somewhere inside of my room. You can calm down now, Mr. Perlow. There's nothing to be afraid of. It was all part of our simulation. A friendly female voice said. What the hell was that?

I screamed. Are you crazy? What if I'd gotten a heart attack? The thing was... I can assure you that your heart is fine. As you might recall, during the examinations, we informed you that this simulation won't put you in harm's way. The chances of you suffering a heart attack

from the previous simulations were evaluated and deemed to be zero. God damn it, I cursed. I didn't sign up for the surprise stuff. You did indeed, Mr. Perlow. In Section 2D on Form 54, you gave full consent to be subjugated to see. simulated inputs of any sort of that proper... Yeah, yeah, I get it, I said with a sigh.

Have a good night, Mr. Perlow. The friendly voice said, before she disconnected with an audible click. A good night? Yeah, right. Damn, what was this about form 54? Then I remembered how I'd not given any of the later forms so much as a glance. Damn, how could I have been so stupid? How many of the freaking things had I'd signed?

Hey, I've got a question. Can you hear me? Nothing. Damn, I guess they won't even talk to me anymore. I cursed once more. If things got out of hand, I should be able to tell them I was out, right? There are rules to these things, aren't there? Annoyed and slightly worried, I turned back to the wall display and turned it on. The fish and the ocean depths were gone.

Instead, the display showed a beautiful beach. and a similarly beautiful woman walking through the sand. Well, better than nothing, I thought, and lean back to listen to the quiet, relaxing background music. As the video continued, the woman approached the camera, getting closer with each step. The moment I could make out her face, I noticed that she was crying.

Help me, she spoke up. All right, what the hell? While I searched for the display small remote, she repeated it over and over. Help me, Andre, she suddenly said, emphasising the name, my name. When I looked up again and found her eyes resting on me, I felt goosebumps all over my arm. You have to, she said once more, her face growing harder. What the hell? I pressed out, confused.

You dare not to help me? she screamed at me. I finally found the remote to turn the damn thing off, but whatever I pressed, there was no reaction. Instead, her face grew angrier and angrier, becoming a distorted version of a former, beautiful self. And then, to my horror, she got even closer. By that point, her face filled out the entire display.

A moment later, she pushed her giant head through, not against the display, but out of it. right to my direction. I screamed, jumped off the bed, and hurried for the door, but it didn't open. When I turned around, I saw in disbelief that a giant head was inside of my room. It dangled from a long, stretched out neck that vanished somewhere in the depths of the wall. You dare to ignore me?

The creature screamed again, and my ears rang because of a belling scream. I pushed my hands over my ears and threw myself against the table. door. Once, twice. And then, when I did it a third time, the door sprang open and I pushed myself outside. What the hell was that? The answer popped into my head right away. I was in the simulation. I had to be. There was no doubt about it. The moment I'd woken up, there had been no connectors, no facial mask, nothing at all. They must have ended one simulation and plunged me straight into the next one, a simulated version of my private quarters. They tricked me, complete with the call of an assistant to tell me the simulation was over.

No, wait, that wasn't correct. She'd never said a word about it being over, had she? As I stood there, in the hallway, the same woman spoke up again. Mr. Perlow, if you'd please continue down the hallway to room number 34, please take a seat there so we can continue with the test. I looked up, but there was no sign of where the voice was coming from. For a moment, I looked around, before I started on my way down the hall. Everything looked the same as when I'd arrived here.

The walls, the doors, only the people were gone. But I was in the simulation, I told myself. When I made it to room 34, I saw that it was the examination room I'd been in before. I looked around for a moment. but I was alone. Eventually I popped down in one chair. Right away I felt a hand of my shoulder. I jerked around to find Dr. Kitagawa standing next to me.

Mr. Perlow, are you all right? I looked at him, confused. Wait, why are you? I broke up and shook my head. The man stared at me for a moment, before he frowned. We were finishing your MRI when you passed out. Yeah, sure I did. hilarious.

This is nothing but a simulation. His frown deepened and a worried expression replaced it. You haven't entered the simulation yet, Mr. Perlow. Your tests are all scheduled for tomorrow and the day after. Today we're evaluating your mental and physical capabilities. I laughed a little bit. Well, whatever you say. So what sort of test is this going to be?

Mr. Perlow. He started again, his voice serious. Do you often suffer from episodes such as this one? What episodes? Oh, you mean this? No, I've never before entered the simulation. His face still showed a word expression. What I'm talking about are the episodes of prolonged memory loss,

distorted memories, vivid daydreams or hallucinations. I didn't react. Instead, my eyes scanned the room. Can you come here for a moment? I got up and stepped over to one of the monitors. What you see here is a small swelling in your visual cortex. It's not necessarily anything malicious or dangerous, but, as I said, it might lead to various problems related to your memory.

I'm asking since what you're talking about might be an indicator for, all right, is this a sick joke? I called towards the ceiling of the room. Did you put this into the simulation? because of my stupid ADHD? Mr. Perlow, please calm down. You're disturbing the rest of the personnel. Now, please tell me what you remember about your trip here to Munich.

What the hell are you talking about? You arrived here at our Munich facility this morning to test our new immersion rig. With that, Dr. Gittagawa pointed at a different contraption, one I'd never seen before. It looked almost like a giant wheel a person could be strapped to. A variety of gadgets, a visor, a headset and gloves were connected to it. You signed up for our beta test for compensation of a thousand euros. This test is scheduled to last between two and four days. Wait, hold on, that's bull, I laughed, but it came out more nervous than I'd hoped for.

I'm still in the simulation. People who suffer from damage to the visual cortex can often suffer from a different perception of reality. This can not only lead to false interpretations of what's in front of you, but can also lead to distorted memories. It's often influenced by the person's subconscious beliefs and wishes. All right, very funny. First of all, the equipment I used was totally different, and I was offered a compensation of...

But I broke up. Distorted memories influenced by personal wishes? When I thought about it, would anyone really pay 100 grand to test some piece of technology? For now, I'll have a look at the test results and see if what I found might impede you from joining the test. Depending on those results, it might be better to reschedule an examination at a nearby hospital. For now, though, we should start on the general physical examination.

I nodded and smiled. But I couldn't shake off the weird feeling that flooded over me. This was the simulation. Wasn't it? were just trying to mess with my brain again. There was no damn way I could have imagined any of the stuff that happened before. All right, Jesus, Andre, don't fall for their shenanigans again. You're in the simulation, and none of this is real.

Right, I said to Kitagawa. Let's go do the stupid fitness test then. The man frowned at my answer, but nodded. The test was simpler than before. Kitagawa led me to an exercise bike in the back of the round. room and tested my heart rate and general stamina, nothing else. The same was true for the psychological evaluation. He just asked me a handful of questions, and that was it. Once it was all over, he called an assistant that led me from the room. When I stepped outside, I stopped for a moment.

The hallway was different. There weren't any pristine white walls. Instead, it looked like any other office building I'd seen before. Nothing about the place screamed high-tech or fancy. The same was true for my private quarters. It reminded me of a room in a simple hostel. There was a bunk bed, a small nightstand and an old cupboard. The assistant who led me here excused himself and hurried away. Once he'd left, I'd slumped down to the bed and took out my phone.

I opened up WhatsApp and had a look at my messages. The last one was sent to my best friend, telling him about the beta test in Munich I would take part in. Yeah, it's not a lot of money, but at least I won't have to just eat ramen for a month. I'd written to him. I frowned at that. It sounded like me, exactly the way I'd talk about myself. But I didn't remember writing that message. Hell, I had told no one about the amount of compensation I'd be paid.

This is bull crap. With that, I dropped the phone on the bed next to me and leaned back. None of this was real anyway. A few minutes later, I got up and hit my fist against the wall. I don't know why I did it, but the result was as expected. The resulting pain felt real enough. I picked up the phone again and had a look at my emails. It was all there.

The instructions, the compensation for my travels, everything. Only the details. were all different. While I read through the emails, someone knocked against the door. I opened it, and a nervous man stood outside. His eyes were wide

and darted left and right before he pushed himself past me. Hey, what are you? Quiet, close the door. I laughed and did as he told me. All right, what now? Listen, I know this will sound weird,

but everything that's going on here is not what it's supposed to be. Yeah, no, duh, I said. This is all just a simulation. The man's face turned grim, and a wordless curse escaped his mouth. Then he leaned forward, putting his face right in front of mine. All right, you're not in assimilation. They're trying to make you believe you're in one.

But that's not what's going on here. The whole damn thing has got nothing to do with any new virtual reality technology. Did you inspect the damn rig and all those gadgets? Why do you need all of that for virtual reality? It's all the front. They'll run you through test after test after test. Reschedule them before they tell you they found some anomaly. Let me guess.

Your brain or your heart, right? When I looked up, the man smiled knowingly. Where do you think you're at? Where's that simulation you're in taking place? Berlin, I said, in a quiet voice. The guy grinned. Mine was scheduled in Dortmund. We've got someone here who say they're in Hamburg.

Another guy, just two rooms further down, said he went to Munich. So, where the hell are we? The guy laughed. Don't you get it? No one knows. We all think we're in different locations. You might think you're in Munich or Dresden or Hamburg, but that's not where we are. Did they give you anything to drink when you arrived?

Coffee, water, maybe a soda. I nodded once more. They spiced it with something. Some new, messed up drug that scrambled up your memory. Once you're in here, you won't have a clue anymore what's real and what's not. It's all because of that damn drug. None of the participants here have any clue what's going on. I went back to bed and picked up my phone.

Once more, I went over the emails. That's when I noticed something else was wrong. The dates. I'd talked to them for almost two weeks. So, why were all the emails from the beginning of this month? Then, I checked the date on my phone. I stared at it, confused. Wait, why was it on the fourth?

I got here on the 12th, didn't I? The WhatsApp message I'd sent to my friend yesterday was dated the fourth. If this was... That's how they get you, the guy cut me off. It was right at this point that the door opened again. I recognised Brandt by his trained smile right away. Mr. Perlow, it's nice to meet you. I'm Mr. Zimmer, the CEO of a Magicom.

I can see you've already met Mr. Schuster, one of our other participants. Schuster's face changed, and for a moment, an expression of pure terror was visible. He fought hard to suppress it before he turned to the supposed CEO. Mr. Zimmer, I better get going. I'm sure you have things to talk about with Mr. Perlow here. With that, he gave me and Brandt. No, Zimmer, a nod, and hurried from the room.

All right, Mr. Zimmer, I started and emphasised the name. Where's Mr. Brand? Brand. We don't have anyone working here by that name. I'm not sure who you're referring to. I'm talking about the man who showed me the introduction video and... Ah, Dr. Kitigara. His first name is Satoshi, in case you're wondering.

Brilliant man. He informed me about the anomaly he discovered during your brain scans. However, he already said it doesn't seem to be serious. If we make a few changes to the simulation, there shouldn't be any problems with the beta test. He continued to ramble on about the test and what was to come. But I didn't listen anymore. My head was throbbing.

This was all too damn real. and way too strange. Would anyone even go through all this effort and create a simulation like this? Why? As I stood there, I thought about what you're supposed to do when you find yourself in a dream and want to wake up. Would something like that even work in a simulation? Damn, I had no clue.

Until then, you're at your leisure, Mr. Perlow. We'd like you to stay in your room if possible, but we understand if you're interested in the project itself. If you need any additional information, our promotional manager, Mr. Witch in room 14b, would be more than happy to have a talk with you. Well, I got to leave now. Thanks again for joining our beta test. Please be ready at 4 to continue with a schedule.

With that, he left the room. For a moment, I stood there, trying to figure out how to prove what was real and what wasn't. As my eyes scanned the room, I noticed something. It was small and partway hidden behind the ceiling lamp. I could only see it from a certain position. Was that a... Camera? Why was it up there and why was it hidden like that?

Were they spying on me? I stared at it for a while before I turned away. Was this really a simulation? Would they put all those details in? Damn, this entire thing was driving me insane. I couldn't stay in this room anymore. The longer I sat still, the more confused I got. A few moments later, I was outside again and started to walk down the hallway.

A lot of other people in their office attire flocked the hallway, going through their normal workday. Yet somehow, when I passed them, they all looked up, watching me, and whispered to one another. It made my skin crawl in the worst way possible. something was definitely wrong here as I continued I wondered how big this place was it felt like the hallway went on forever I passed room after room

and other identical hallways for a moment I felt disoriented as if I was trapped in a maze I was about to follow down a different hallway when I bumped into Schuster he looked up at me with a serious expression we've got to get out of here he whispered to me.

What? I just saw. I saw what they're going to do. Good God. He shivered before he got a hold of my arm and pulled me after him. Schuster walked normally, trying his best to make a bit of small talk. As he dragged me along, I saw how sweaty he was and how much he fought to keep the anxiety at bay.

What did you see? I asked him again. I don't know. There are people. strapped to these things, but they're bleeding and... He broke up again. There was yet another group of office workers ahead of me that eyed us with curious intent.

Schuster seemed to be as disoriented as I was, his eyes darting left and right as he chose his directions haphazardly. Finally, though, we arrived at an enormous glass door. Schuster pushed it open, and we entered a giant lobby. The moment we got there, the woman behind the dead, desk looked up. Mr. Perlow, Mr. Schuster, can I help you?

Schuster didn't say a thing. Instead, he hurried towards the building's entrance door. He pushed, then threw himself against it, but the door didn't budge. For a moment, as I looked at the receptionist, I could have sworn I saw a smile on her face. Mr. Schuster, we've been over this before. She started in a warm, friendly voice.

Unfortunately, you're not allowed to leave the premises until the end of your clinical trial. No, screw your trial. I'm getting out of here. You're all insane. This entire thing here's insane. When Schuster beat against the door with all the force he could muster, the receptionist pressed a button. A few moments later, two men in suits appeared in the lobby. When Schuster saw them, he freaked out, screamed obscenities at them. The men didn't waver. walked up to him and restrained him with next to no effort. Mr. Schuster, everything's all right.

One of them whispered at him while he struggled against the grip. It's just the after effects of the new medication. Everything is all right, the other chimed in. As they said this, Schuster was screaming, still struggling while they dragged him back through the glass door. What the hell's going on here? I yelled at the receptionist. I'm very sorry about that, Mr. Perlow.

Mr. Schuster is part of a different test group, a test for a new type of medication against certain mental issues. Unfortunately, some test subjects suffered from mild cases of reality distortion and paranoia. I assure you though, it's normal and no reason for concern. No reason for... what? He was screaming. What the hell are you even... You know what? I'm out of here. It doesn't even matter if this is a messed up simulation or if this is real, but I'm out. It's all standard procedure, Mr. Perlow, she continued. Might I remind you of paragraph 5 on Form 27?

Unless there's the immediate danger of brain damage or circular arrest, the beta test will continue. Now, of course, you're free to end the test here and now, Mr. Perlow, but we will pay no compensation in that case. Furthermore, as paragraph 11 on Form 41 states, should a person quit the beta test after giving their official consent, Imagicom will be forced to take legal action which might include fines of substantial height. I stood there and listened as she rambled on about some damned legal matters. What the hell are you talking about? What's that about those damned forms?

You can't just... But I broke up when the two men that had taken Schuster away appeared again. We can assure you, Mr. Perlow. We can indeed. With that, the two men got a hold of my arms. I struggled against their grip, but soon realized that they were much strong.

stronger than me. They dragged me back towards the hallway. They whispered the same calming words they had at Schuster before. They didn't even react when I caught them out in their BS. I thought they'd bring me back to my room, but they dragged me back to the examination room. Kitagawa was already there, waiting for me, smiling. Excellent news, Mr. Perlow, he said with excitement. We've just got confirmation that you're eligible to take part in our test. Kitagawa's face transfer. formed, twisted by a sadistic smile. The hell can't attest are you...

I couldn't keep talking anymore, because one of the men pushed a gag into my mouth. Well then, why didn't you take Mr. Perlow down to Hall B? I think Model 13 should be free at the moment. With that, they dragged me outside again, down the hall. A few office workers who were still around watched the entire ordeal with excited faces. You should be honoured, Mr. Perlow,

you'll be contributing to the advancement of human society, Kitagawa rambled on. I wanted to say something, scream at him, and call him insane, but the damn gag didn't allow for any of that. All that escaped with my mouth were muffled, indistinguishable sounds. It wasn't long before Kitagawa pushed open the door to another room, much bigger than I'd been in before. The moment we entered, the iron smell of blood reached me. and I could hear the low moans and muffled screams of the other participants. They were all strapped to one of the wheel-like contraptions Kitagawa had called the new immersion rig. The moment I saw them, I fought against the grip of the two men once more.

The first participant was twisting and shaking against the restraints of the contraption. A gag covered another's mouth, but I could see the blood that streamed from the visor. I could hear his muffled screams. yet another's teeth were grinding against one another before they started biting at his lips and leaving them a tattered, bloody mess, and then way further down in the last contraption. I saw Schuster.

He was barely recognisable anymore. Blood leaked from his mouth, the visor and the headphones. His arms and legs looked different, twisted as if the joints had popped and his tendons were snapped. He dangled there, almost lifelessly. only twitching once in a while. Kitiko's eyes wandered to the man.

Well, guess Model 17 is available for a new participant already, he said with a smile. I stared at the man, wide-eyed. Oh, don't worry about you, Mr. Perlow. It's all standard procedure. There's not a thing you've got to worry about. As the two men started to strap me to Model 13, I inhaled sharply,

mustered up all my strength, and threw myself forward. forward. One restraint snapped open, then another, and I was free. Adrenaline rushed through my veins, and I could somehow avoid both men's outstretched arms. In an instant, I was out in the hallway. I heard Kitigawa scream after me, and a second later, the two men came running after me. All I could do was run. I pushed on, down one hallway, then another. I ran left, then right, almost crashed into a group of office workers before I changed directions again. Where the hell was I even going?

I had no idea where the damn lobby was. Everything looked the same. The walls, the room, even the people. I hurried around another corner and threw myself into the first room I saw. With shaking hands, I took out my phone. I dialed the number for the police, but nothing happened. Damn, I realized I didn't have a signal. I scanned the room and instantly saw the glass panelling that.

separated me from the outside world. If nothing else, then... I picked up a chair standing in the room and hurled it against the panel. The chair crashed against the glass right as my tubas who were stormed into the room. They were still smiling the same smile, still uttering the same rear-sharing words. I avoided the first man's grip, threw him to the ground. But right at that moment, the second man tackled me. His body crashed into mine and I was thrown backward. I felt the impact as my body crashed against the glass panelling. Then, there was the sound of shattering glass

as the surface exploded into a thousand pieces. For the blink of an eye, I was weightless. There was no impact, though. Instead, I lay in the soft grass. I freaked out, jumped up, but felt no pain. There was no damage, no blood and no glass. When I turned around, though,

the office building had vanished too. It had all been fake, a farce. It had been nothing but another one of their damned simulations. As I sat up in the grass, I realized that it had all been fake, the entire second reality, the insane Ketagawa and even the supposed brain damage I was suffering from. It had all been another part of their simulation. I grew angry before rage overtook me. The hell do you think you're doing?

This is messed up. I thought it was real. I thought... This is insane. Why didn't you just get me out of here right now and... Mr. Perlow, I like to inform you. A voice parted out of nowhere. In Form 48, paragraph 4. C. You specifically agreed to... Yeah, well, get lost. I screamed an answer. This time, the voice didn't say anything else. I stood up and looked around. I was in a meadow and further ahead was a small lake. The moment I saw it, nostalgia washed over me. I knew this lake.

It was the one that had been right next to the village my grandparents had lived at. I let my eyes wander around and I recognised the old cherry tree nearby, the dirt path that led from the lake to the village and even the distant forest. How in the hell had they created this? Had they researched my past or had they somehow scanned my memories? Was something like that even possible? After a while, not knowing what else to do, I began walking up the path that should lead me to the village. I was stuck in here anyway, without a way to end this simulation myself, and I had to admit, I wanted to see the old village.

I'd barely taken a few steps when I found an old bike lying in the grass. I noticed the black-red metallic colour, the old dirty gears and the rusted bell. It was the mountain bike I'd owned as a kid. The memories of childhood returned to me and I saw myself racing down dirt paths and forest tracks. I couldn't help but smile. Things were so different back then. For a moment I considered picking up the bike,

but I was way too tall to drive it anyway. The path from the lake led to a tiny hill and once I made it up there, my eyes grew wide. I couldn't believe it. Once more, I wondered how they'd created all this. For a while I stood there, marvelling at the site below. There was the huge old farmstead. Here were the holiday homes at the edge of the village. Further away was the major part of the village, with a church in its centre. In front of me, though, was the part that my

eyes rested on the longest. It was the lower part of the village, which consisted of only a handful of houses. One of them was my grandparents. been over 15 years since I had last been there. As I went to my way, I couldn't help but be impressed by how real everything was. I felt the grass against my legs, the sun of my face, and I smelled the fresh summer air. You could almost forget you were in a simulation, I thought. No, I reminded myself, don't fall for it again, you idiot. Not a second time. Hell, not a third. My steps led me to my grandparents' house almost an autopilot.

It was a small house with a barn next to it. They'd been farmers for the better part of their life. When I was born though, they'd already abandoned the old trade and had opted for a more relaxed way of living. The closer I got, the more memories returned to me. I felt goosebumps on my arm when I saw a cat in the grass nearby.

It eyed me curiously, and when I noticed the brownish, grey stripes on its, back. I knew it had to be my grandma's old cat, Leo. The cat watched me for a few more moments before it came over to me, purring and rubbing itself against my leg. Hey, little fellow, I greeted it and leaned down to pet it. I wondered how they got everything right up to the smallest detail. Then I wondered if this was really what grandma's cat had looked like. What if they created a vague image of a cat and my brain made the necessary communication. connections that weren't there and filled in the gaps. Was that how they did all this? Providing

nothing but a vague framework for the rest of the brain to work with? While I stood there, petting the cat and thinking about this, the sky suddenly grew dark. Within moments, thick clouds had formed and blocked out the sun before it began to rain. It wasn't long before the rain had turned into a full-on downpour. Sure, it was a simulation, but I still felt myself getting wet, and I felt the cold, gusty wind. Within moments I was freezing and hurried to open the front door of the house. I watched as the downpour continued and saw Leo rush away to the barn. They'd done it all, to the minutest detail.

As I stood there, I wondered why they'd throw me into a simulation like this. Why in my grandparents' house? Then something crawled back into my mind. as I stood there in the small entry hall I shivered as a memory came back to me the memory of the single worst day of my entire childhood I'd never told them about that day

hell I'd buried it so deep in my mind I hadn't even remembered it until now so how did they know about it no I told myself I wouldn't go in I wouldn't enter this house they couldn't make me could they I rushed back outside All care about the downpour or the cold had vanished.

I'd make it to one of the other houses or just over to the barn. I don't know what I was expecting if I thought I could actually do anything. What I wasn't expecting were the spiders that suddenly swarmed the ground. At first there were only a few, but soon it was hundreds, thousands. They cover the grass, the trees, the barn, everything. Everything but my grandma. parents' house. For a moment I closed my eyes.

If I don't see them, they can't hurt me, right? None of this was real. It was a simulation. Just run, you damn idiot. Run and get away from here. Yet, I'd barely taken a few steps. When I could feel them, crawling all over me. They made their way up my legs, my back, and even my arms.

I shuddered and tried to ignore it. But finally, I screamed. opened my eyes and swatted them off me. I was shaking, and as I looked ahead, I saw that the entire village, no, the entire outside world was covered in thick, heavy spider webs. This whole simulation had become an arachnophobic hell.

When I couldn't fight it anymore, when my phobia kicked in with full force, I rushed back into the house. I didn't want to go there again, but my body didn't seem to listen to me anymore. Still, I knew why they forced me back here. This time, they couldn't make me. No, I wouldn't move.

I'd stay here next to the front door. Once more, the dreaded memory pushed itself into my head. I lost my balance and started shaking and sweating. You goddamn sickos! Screw you! I screamed up at the empty, quiet house. The last time I'd been here was a few days after my grandma had died. After that day, I'd never been to that house again, and I'd never wanted to return.

My grandpa had died when I was ten years old, and, after his death, my grandma had lived on her own. She died one year later. I shuddered, thinking about the day I found her. I sat down on the ground and didn't do a damned thing. All I did was breathe slowly and steadily to keep the panic at bay as I watched the spiders outside. Mr. Perlow, we have to inform you again that you are required to participate in the simulation. We are aware that you know where you're supposed to go. Should you remain here without continuing, we are forced to...

Shut the hell up! I'm not doing it! I'm not going there! I screamed again without moving a single inch. I tried. I honestly tried. But how can you fight something that you've got no control over? What can you do in a world that can become...

anything and do anything to you. I sat there, unmoving, but after a short while, the spiders outside grew restless before they rushed towards the building. I could barely throw the front door shut, but I could feel it, the pressure of thousands of spiders

trying to force their way in. Then, I heard it, the sounds, the sounds of spiders crawling and skittering all over the walls outside. As I desperately pushed myself against the door, I saw the windows, the glass, the cracks. A moment later, the glass gave away, and a flood of spiders made its way inside. They weren't crawling inside, they swept into the building.

It was nothing but an endless wave of eight-legged horrors. Within moments, they filled the entire first floor of the building. In my panicked state, I picked the only direction that wasn't covered in them. the stairs to the second floor the spiders were coming after me chasing me I could feel them on my legs my arms

felt them tearing at my skin and biting into my flesh in a panic I ripped them off my body by the dozens before I threw myself into the only room that wasn't infested with them I was a shivering shaking mess

bloody bites covered my arms and legs tears streamed from my eyes and I was too exhausted to even curse It was only after a few minutes after I calmed down that I'd noticed the sweet, disgusting smell that wafted through the air. I realized where I was. In a state of shock, I turned away from the door to take in the sight in front of me. It was my grandma's bedroom.

She was right there, lying in a bed and moving, the same as she'd been when I was 11 years old. This time, though, I knew. what was in front of me. Right there, between the sheets, was the decomposing body of my grandma. She'd been dead for almost four days when I found her. Back then, my parents and I lived in a small town

only a few kilometres away from her. One day on a whim, I decided to go visit her. After Grandpa's death, she'd become a lonely woman and had isolated herself from the rest of the world. Still, I loved my grandma, and I thought she'd be happy to see me. When I didn't find her outside, I searched the house and finally found her up in a bedroom. A wave of a disgustingly sweet smell hit me when I opened the door.

The same smell I'd known from bad, rotten apples. I remembered walking up to my grandma to waker, telling her there must be some apples that had gone bad. It was only at this point that I saw the state she was in. Her face was not that on my grandma anymore. Because of the summer heat and the stuffy air inside the room, it had become a bloated, mushy heap of flesh, covered by maggots and flies. I remember screaming and running from the house, only to be found by a neighbour. It was he who called the doctor and the mortician.

For years the memory of a rotten face and the sweet smell of a rotten body had stayed with me before I'd been able to bury it. It was this same sweet smell that now crawled at my nostrils. I froze, unable to move or do anything. Suddenly, I was 11 years old again. I was not Andrew Perlow, the 27-year-old man, in a virtual reality simulation anymore. No, I was little Andy, a scared 11-year-old boy in his dead grandma's bedroom. After the initial shock was over, I turned back to the door of the room.

But I couldn't see it anymore. Where the door had been was now nothing but a solid wall. I looked around, confused, but there were no hints of it anymore. The door had vanished. I went forward, hitting and beating against the wall, hoping to find a way out. With each passing second, the smell of rot grew more and more intense. I gagged, pushed myself as far away from the bed as I could, back into the corner of the room.

I cried, I screamed, and pleaded with them to end the simulation. The money didn't matter anymore. Nothing did. All I wanted was to get out of the simulation. As I sat there, rambling on and on, I heard a different sound. At first, I thought it was the spiders again. But, then I heard it again.

A quiet, wet, squishing. I almost vomited when a fresh wave of the rotten stink hit me. My eyes watered. I blinked once, twice, and then I saw it. In front of me, between the sheets, Grandma's body was... Moving.

I thought it was a reaction because of the decay, but it wasn't. In sheer and total horror, I watched as a rotten corpse got up. and a bloated, mushy face focused on me. Her lips were gone, her eyes were tiny, shriveled up like dried raisins. The worst, though, was the maggots that now fell from it in droves. I screamed, scrambled back against the wall, began beating it, throwing myself against it,

to get away somehow. But it was futile. Oh, my dear little Andy! I heard a distorted version of her over. voice. The words were barely distinguishable from one another, but not much more than a wet gurgle. How nice

of you to come visit your old grandma! The bed sheets parted, and I could see the full, disgusting horror of a rotten body. The bed was almost a sea of body fluids, and she was nothing but an amalgamation of wet, mushy flesh.

Her body was torn open, revealing her insides, as she pushed herself to her feet, Something big and wet burst from her abdomen and into the bedsheets below. For a moment she wavered, almost collapsed into herself. But then she moved, crawled towards me. Oh, how grandma missed you, little Andy. And then, as she touched me, as I felt a wet, squishy hand on my shoulder,

despair overtook me. The world stopped existing at this point. My mind broke, and I clawed at the wall. I ripped at the wallpaper, dug into the plaster and brickwork below, until my fingers were nothing more than bloody stumps. My consciousness retreated and became an audience to my perils, and I could do nothing as I mutilated my body. At first, the only sounds I heard was the scratching of my flesh and bones against the plaster.

But then, the same wet gurgling started again. Grandma was singing an old nursery rhyme, the one she'd sang me when I couldn't fall asleep. As I lay there, as I couldn't go on anymore, she closed the rotten arms around my crippled, mutilated body. I don't know how long the embrace lasted. Every second felt like an eternity and a song seemed to go on in endless repetition.

All the while, her body decomposed further and further as she held me. I can't tell you when or how this simulation ended. I only remembered struggling against the grip of other people. The details are nothing but a blur. There was security personnel, an ambulance, and finally, I awoke in a hospital in Berlin. A plump nurse was checking my vital signs and looked up in surprise when she saw I was awake.

As she rushed from the room, everything felt different. It was my head, my brain. As the memory of grandma's rotting body came back to me, I screamed again. They gave me a heavy dosage of sedatives, and once I calmed down enough, one of the doctors explained what had happened. After the test, some electronic device had gone horribly wrong. They had brought me here. Apart from a few bruises, there were no visible external damage.

Most of the injuries I'd suffered were related to the brain and the nervous system. Shock washed over me and I tried to push myself up but my hands and fingers didn't react I tried again but I could barely move them couldn't even ball my hands into a fist as I stared

at my almost useless appendages tears streamed from my eyes the doctor stood there an expression of misery visible on his face he spoke but I barely listened full recovery was out of the question

partially functional might be possible, various approaches, therapy, and on and on he went. Somehow, though, I could tell that I was damaged beyond repair. I knew, and I cried. The brain damage I'd sustained was more severe than originally thought. I had trouble to recall certain memories, and anything beyond simple math problems was impossible for me. I don't know if I'd ever been smart before all this, but I knew I wasn't anymore. The most serious issue was the complete loss of my sense of smell. The doctors don't know why, but I know the reason.

I know that while the rotten corpse my grandma held me, the smell must have been too much for my psyche. My brain must have cut off my sense of smell. I stayed at the hospital for months. Once I could leave, people urged me to sue Imagicom. I went to a lawyer, explain my situation. it was not even a week before he got back to me. There wouldn't be a case.

Imagicom was a subsidiary of a huge international conglomerate. They had all the money in the world to bury any case against them. Even worse though, they'd provided him with all the forms I'd signed. And in them, I'd agreed to pretty much anything. Even the eventuality of lasting damage to my body. There was nothing that could be done. It's been more than a year since the entire thing happened But I've only been able to write it down now

It was a long and arduous process With only the two fingers of my left hand that remained functional after all this But there's one last thing I have to mention The funniest most messed up thing about all this The day I was released from the hospital And had gotten back home I'd checked my bank account I laughed for hours when I saw the huge six-digit number of 100,000 euros that had been transferred to my account the day the beta test ended.

They'd gone and paid me. They'd paid me in full, just like they'd promised. I have enough money now, enough to get rid of my debt. I'd gotten a second chance in life, only now, as damaged as I was. I wouldn't be able to make any. anything of it.