Obeying instructions was somewhat a problem for me; and something I should have included in my resume or at least informed my employer about.
But then again, no sane person would want to sabotage their own efforts at getting a job, and certainly not me, coming out of a midlife crisis and three years of unemployment. I had to take the job and it was one that was tailored to suit my talents – advertising.
Yes, my job was to make sure that Pinnacle Co. sold their ridiculously expensive VR Headsets at a price of a hundred-plus dollars above the competition despite having similar specs. The selling point was the Pinnacle brand, the oldest in the business.
And if it was convincing suckers to spend their money, I had a distinction in that, so the job was no issue whatsoever. At least generally. There was just the one little problem of the button.
It was big. It was red. It was flashing.
And yet, it was not meant to be touched.
The rule was given to me when I got my appointment letter. I was expecting all the normal rules – no sexual relationship amongst staff, language and so on – but then this one stood out. It was as though the stern warning not to push the button was a greater temptation to push it.
First, we all know that reverse psychology had been employed in that rule. And secondly, the button itself seemed to implore anyone passing by to push it, and yet no one ever did. It was as though everyone moved like mindless zombies, ignorant of the presence of the button. Everyone except me, who was a hundred percent eager to push it.
The opportunity did not seem to present itself at first; I was fully immersed in adjusting to my new job, trying to keep those sales high. I was good at that, and within five months, the numbers showed it. I was popular, I was successful, and I was…
Curious.
Helplessly curious.
I knew that an opportunity would come soon, and I knew that I would snatch it as it came. I was done with the games and the pretence, and with the job messing with me, with my mental health. I could feel the eyes of my boss and co-workers on me at all times, silently taunting me, daring me to prove my bravery, to satisfy my curiosity.
To push the button.
It happened on a Monday. I was the only one ay work at the time, getting done with a few things. Yes, I was working late, I had a draft that I had to present to the publicity team the next day, and I was so immersed in doing that, I didn’t notice everyone had left. Until I looked up and saw that the whole office was empty except for me and the damn button about 100 metres away.
Come on, it seemed to say, don’t be a coward; come push me NOW.
The voice was so loud I could have sworn it wasn’t just in my head. It seemed like the song of a sien, drawing me towards it. Dragging my hand towards the button. Towards it…
To touch it…
“NO!!!” I screamed as the walls around me seemed to digitize, everything seeming to be surreal. Then I noticed I was really strapped to a bed, tubes and wires all attached to my body and a strange helmet strapped to my head.
Looking to the side, I saw the scientists standing and looking at me, their faces showing that they were appalled.
“You’ll never get me, I swear!” I spat, looking at them with as much hate as I could muster. “I know all about it. I won’t fall. And soon…” I could not complete the words as the injection was pushed into my neck and I fell asleep.
The scientist turned to one another.
“Subject 662 still refuses to submit to the simulations,” the lead researcher said grimly, needlessly echoing the finding that they had all witnessed. “We shall commence Simulation 2134 in thirty minutes. We simply cannot have someone roaming those streets, aware that this entire year has been a simulation and telling everyone about it.”
