Have you ever dreamed of walking on the Moon or climbing Mt. Everest? How about an exotic massage? Want to commit a horrific crime? You can! You can do anything you desire with any virtual partners you would like, wink, wink. We won't tell, and no one will ever know. We can provide any experience you can imagine, and it will be indistinguishable from the real thing. No limits. You must be seventeen to enter.

 

The carnival barker at SimWorld blared. I jostled in line with people using their phones, watches, and smart glasses to select from a menu of simulations or to custom design their own experience. When it was my turn, the scanner read my identity and payment chip implant, and a humanoid-shaped robot led me into a private suit-up room.

Having seen the prep video, I was not surprised when I was instructed to remove all my clothing and get into the haptic sim suit selected for my size. The robot assured me it had been meticulously cleaned and sterilized. It was like a snug form-fitting rubber wetsuit with millions of tiny sensory nubbins all over the inside.

 

With the VR goggles shooting stereo images into my eyeballs, I was excited and ready to go. I gave the robot a thumbs up, and the room vanished. I had always dreamed of visiting Machu Picchu, and there it was. It was a spectacular day at the iconic Inca ruin.

 

The ancient city was remarkably well preserved. The thin mountain air smelled sharp and fresh, and vibrant green grass was soft and cushy under my feet. I stopped to pet the soft fur of one of the grazing llamas and was amazed at how realistic the simulation was. Roaming through an ancient stone house, I dipped my hand in running water flowing through a mini-aqueduct. The cool liquid felt wet and refreshing.

 

While leaving the house, I saw a shadow and heard footsteps from behind. Startled, I spun around to see someone leering at me, someone I immediately recognized.

 

“Well, fancy meeting you here.”

 

I was flabbergasted at encountering an abusive ex-partner. “Morgan?!”

 

“Surprised to see me, lover? We had planned on coming here together someday. We finally made it, didn’t we?”

 

“How… how did you know I’d be here? How could you just pop in like this? This is a solo sim.”

 

“I hacked your accounts and put suggestions in your news feeds to lure you to SimWorld. I have a job now in their software department, so I tracked you, waited oh so patiently, and then patched into your sim. I’ve been looking forward to this.”

 

My heart was pounding. I yelled, “Get a life! You’re deranged.”

 

“You never should have ghosted me. Now I’m going to enjoy killing you with my bare hands.”

 

My throat went dry, and I croaked, “You can’t hurt me in a sim.”

 

Morgan laughed. “Don’t be so sure. I overrode all the safety features. The forces in your suit will exactly match the simulation.”

 

“You’ll never get away with this.”

 

“Oh, I will. I’ll never physically touch you, only your sim suit will. It’ll be a tragic accident – blamed on a suit malfunction. It’s the perfect murder.”

 

Morgan inched closer, then rushed me and grabbed my body in a bear hug before I could react. “It feels nice to hold you again, lover,” then I felt hands around my neck, “and even nicer to watch you die.”

 

Morgan was choking me, and I couldn’t breathe. I started to black out but remembered Morgan had a weak left knee, so in a panic, with the last of my strength, I kicked it hard, felt a crunch, and heard a painful yell as the hands left my neck. I stumbled away and saw Morgan on the ground holding the struck knee.

 

“Hey,” I gasped through labored breaths. “Looks like your safety overrides are also disabled.” I saw a flicker of fear in Morgan’s eyes and then a hardened look of searing rage.

 

Morgan ignored the pain and leapt up while I turned to run as fast as I could. Even with a hurt knee, my pursuer was gaining. In a panic, I dashed up rocky steps and around the ancient stone houses. The chase ended at the edge of a sheer cliff with Morgan an arm’s reach behind.

I stumbled to a sudden halt, painfully twisting my ankle, and fell just short of the precipice. Morgan tripped over my body and went over the edge with a scream that echoed and faded into the void. Slowly crawling to the edge of the abyss, I stuck my head over the side. I spotted my ex-lover’s body crumpled on a boulder far below. Was Morgan really dead?

 

Shaking from the aftermath of the adrenaline rush, I wandered through Machu Picchu in a daze, wondering if what had happened was real. My sore neck and twisted ankle sure felt real. Then my time was up, and the majestic mountains of Peru disappeared, replaced with the room at SimWorld. The robot helped me un-suit, get back into my clothes, and find the exit.

 

I staggered into the blinding daylight. The barker’s pitch was replaced by a calm voice stating that the amusement park was closing for safety reasons. Police were dispersing the crowds as I stepped onto the escalator to the metro, and an ambulance screamed. Far in the distance were Morgan and our dreams of Machu Picchu.