text: John looked out at the magnificent canyon in front of him. Layers of orange, brown, and purple underlined the indigo sky above. The scene looked almost unreal. The colors of the rocks seemed to change with the light and shadows. “Cliché as it is, it really is grand”, he thought to himself. John had always wanted to see the Grand Canyon. He had been planning this trip for years. Now, he was finally here. And he had a feeling that he would find what he was looking for. He marveled at the geological greatness in front of him. The relentless cutting action of a river carved into the terrain over millions of years to create this canyon. Now, that river appeared to be a mere thread, winding through the sheer cliffs of the canyon walls. “Nature always wins”, he mused. “There’s no escape.” John was nearing retirement age. And he had never married or had children. He never had the time. Work had always kept him busy and content. Gearing up for that promotion. Or that raise. So that he could buy more things. They all said that he was lucky to have been assigned an “intellectually stimulating” job at least. Working hard gave him the right to be in this world. As John sat there in awe of the canyon, he noticed his attention turning to a series of images from earlier in the day. Sights and sounds of the people he had seen in the afternoon. Friends, family, and lovers. Smiling and laughing. Faces with rosy cheeks kissed by the brisk air. All visiting tourists, like him, who came to appreciate the awesome, alien-like landscape on this perfect autumn day. Happy. Now, their joyous faces seemed to be but mere traces in the burnt-orange dirt. Short, ephemeral moments in the vastness of nature. Whispers of moments that disappeared as soon as they were created. “No escape”, he thought again. John felt trapped. He did choose to be here; he did choose his life's path. Just like everyone else. But this world seemed to make so many promises that he never felt like it actually kept. And that left him with nothing. A frightening feeling of emptiness. That vacuum, in turn, spawned a yearning for something. It didn’t have to be a person. In fact, he was unlikely to find a person at this point. What he wanted was a connection to something greater. He admired the view for a few more minutes before getting up to prepare his campsite. John had hiked about five miles from the nearest parking area. Now, he wanted to get settled before it got too dark. Out here, when the sun sets fully, only the dim white light of the stars and moon illuminate the earth. John had all the equipment he needed to survive a few days in the wilderness. It was the exact kind of simple respite he needed, away from the busyness of his never ending work. A tent and a sleeping bag. A portable stove and enough food and water to last him. No need, or desire, for anything more. After he had set everything up, John decided to take a short walk before dinner. He wanted to explore the area a bit and look for an undisturbed spot to just sit amongst the brush and watch the stars. He walked further and further away from his campsite. Suddenly, he heard a rustling sound in the bushes to his left. He stopped in his tracks. The sound stopped. Then another rustle. John’s breath got very quiet. This was it. This was why he had come out here. His heart beat like a drum in his chest as he slowly, deliberately turned towards the sound. Neither fight, nor flight. Just... a little... closer... And there it was: an enormous stag, wearing a resplendent set of antlers that shone like polished gold in the starlight. It stood in the shadows and stared right into John's soul with its large, dark eyes. They locked eyes. Then, with a snort and a flash of its white tail, the deer jumped away and darted into the darkness. John let out a sigh of relief. “Jesus... just a lame old deer." He turned to walk back to his campsite, heart still pounding in his chest. "At least it wasn’t a mountain lion. Or the yeti monster. What a real adventure that would've been!” As he walked back to his campsite, John couldn't help but reminisce about the experience he just had. He replayed the image of the gold-antlered stag in the darkness. He remembered how his body felt during the surge of raw fear mixed with awe. At least he thought he was walking in the direction of his campsite. John decided to look up. None of his surroundings looked familiar to him. Maybe it was the sudden rush of adrenaline. Maybe it was the pitch-black darkness. It was as if the vegetation and rocks around him had been rearranged without him knowing. A feeling of dread took over his body. He was lost. “Shit!” John leaned against a nearby tree and took some deep breaths. “Calm down. Breathe.” John sat down onto the ground and attempted to get his bearings. He looked up. None of the constellations he was familiar with appeared in the sky above him. “What the hell is going on... I’ve got to calm down.” Then, he slumped down on the ground, next to the tree. “I need to rest. I'll figure out how to get back tomorrow. What’s the worst that can happen me?” John took a slow, deep inhale through his nose. Then a long, cathartic exhale through his mouth. He let his pounding heart slow down, beat-by-beat. As he lay there, still. He felt the weight of his entire body pressed softly against the earth. Laying there on the sandy soil of the canyon, amongst the brush and under the stars, John shut his eyes. --- He heard a beeping sound. Condensation from the hot, humid air tickled his cheeks. John opened his eyes. Orange-hued lights illuminated a shadowy room full of rusting, metallic pods. Each pod was placed side-by-side, right next to another one. A bundle of wires connected each pod to the wall and the sustaining digital system beyond. Each pod contained an immobile human body. A room full of humans so close in physical proximity to each other, yet separated by worlds of entirely fabricated realities. Outside the room, hung a sign: "Simulation in progress." This was one of many such rooms. Rooms where people devoted any and all hours of the day “plugged-into” the system. The system created a controlled, virtual environment optimized for the success, satisfaction, and sense of connection that every player longed for. All for a reasonable price, of course. He couldn’t afford the simulation any longer. His time had run out. John took off his headset, and stood up.