Pillow Practice

One

     To say that humans aren't evolving is frivolous. We carry computers that fit into the palms of our hands around with us everywhere. Cars are almost completely self-drivable. You can now have food delivered to your home by drone. The idea of playing a simulation in your own head isn't crazy. Especially while you sleep. 

     The Dream Driver was created by a multibillion dollar company, Prime Corp., that allows the user to enter another world as they dream. Like an online virtual reality. Everyone had heard of the creation since the first initial idea was released to the public on social media. Anyone who hadn't been living under a rock had kept up with any updates regarding The Dream Driver. It had been in the works for roughly eleven years. The company had just announced they were nearing completion with the device.

     When I checked the mail that fateful day, I had no expectations of receiving a letter from Prime Corp. My day had been uneventful. I slept till noon, just as I do every other day, and set off to work that afternoon. When I returned home, I had dinner with my family and fed my dog. I don't usually check the mail unless I'm expecting a delivery but something had given me the motivation to do so. Upon receiving a letter in my name, I rushed home and threw the rest of the mail on the dining table, taking the nearest seat to open the envelope. It was almost like receiving letters from colleges all over again. I pulled a letter out and read it so quickly, I could barely comprehend what I had just read. After reading it a second time, I found my dad sitting outside on our back porch under the pergola, throwing a tennis ball for my dog, Apollo, to fetch as the day turned to evening.

     "Hey, dad, you got a minute?" I asked excitedly.

     "Yeah, what's up?" He threw the ball again. I handed him the letter and he skimmed it quickly. When he finished, he looked up and handed me back the folded piece of paper. "Wow...." 

     "Yeah." I said breathlessly.

     "A beta tester. Thats a lot to think about." He said.

     "Yes, but everything is taken care of. They provide housing so I don't have to worry about paying bills or anything. I'll be reimbursed for my time spent there."

     "So you're going to accept?" 

     "How could I not? This is the opportunity of a lifetime. I get paid to sleep and experience a new world. They send me details for my flight to New York as soon as I get back to them." My dad gave me a thinking look. "Dad, It's about time I move out. And besides, you still have Lillian and Vince, they're not moving out anytime soon. And I'll need someone to look after Apollo. I'll be safe." My dad smiled.

     "Okay. Will you promise to keep me updated with the whole thing?"

     "I promise."

     "You know, it's a dads worst fear to see his little girl grow up." 

     "I'm an adult, you know." He nodded.

     I went back into the house and called the number listed on the letter. After giving them my name and verbal acceptance to their offer the phone call ended and I went to my room to pack the essentials. I would be returning here after the beta testing period is over, but it would still be a while until then. After the phone call, I had received an email with details on a flight that left tomorrow. It had gotten dark outside but I knew I was going to have a hard time falling asleep.

~~~

     After dropping me off at the airport, my brother, Vince, had left for the skatepark. He wouldn't admit it but I knew he'd miss me. I didn't get much of a goodbye out of him though. He was only 19 but started college early, being in his junior year. He was getting a degree in welding and was an amazing mechanic and machinist. My younger sister Lillian was 17 and finishing up high school. Lillian and I had grown up incredibly artistic and we'd spend hours upon hours painting together. I would certainly miss both of them.

     The plane ride was six hours long, but arriving in New York made it worth it. Someone was waiting at the airport for me and they took me and a few others who I assumed were also beta testers to a tall building in the middle of the city. They showed us to a floor in the building where we'd stay during our time there and barely gave us time to set our luggage down before whisking us away to a large lecture room with many seats and desks, each with a high-tech laptop sitting on it. We were all assigned a seat and was given instruction on what to do. So much for resting after my flight.

     On the computers, we were introduced to a program that would link us to our personalized Dream Driver. It begun with our basic information, name, age, where we were from. Then it asked us physical questions, height, weight, and ethnicity. They didn't have an option for wasian so I picked 'two or more races'.  At the end, everyone stepped into a chamber that would take precise measurements of you and what you looked like. Returning to our seats, we were then asked to pick out what our wardrobe looked like, any religious specifications, and eating limitations. It was almost like making a character on Sims 4. It then asked if we'd like to have a pet in our simulation. I thought back home to Apollo and decided it would be nice to have a version of him with me. I entered his details into the program, hoping for it to be as accurate as possible without him actually here to go off of. He was a young Plot Hound with a brindle coat. He knew many tricks and had high energy but loved cuddles when it was time to calm down. I decided to pick a new name for the dog though, so I wouldn't be too upset if it wasn't exactly Apollo. Flea was the name I ended up going with, because of my love for the Red Hot Chili Peppers. At the end of filling everything out, I had to choose a name for myself. Just a first name, but something that other beta testers would call me inside of the simulation. Again, going off of RHCP, I picked Zephyr, knowing it would be unique enough to not be copied, but also something I'd remember to respond to. After I hit enter, a screen congratulating me on completion of the first part popped up and someone came to escort me back to my room. 

     The room was almost like a cool college dorm without roommates but instead, a kitchen and living space. More like a studio apartment. On a wall opposite of my bed was a desk with many office supplies, probably for me to record any concerns or bugs I had found in the simulation. The person who brought me back to my room and showed me that my Dream Driver device was already set up. They showed me a little chip that looked like a flash drive and how to connect it to my device so that it held my info. After a short instruction, they left and I was left alone with my new adventure.