“Identity of Amir Asyif confirmed. You may enter now.”

The facial recognition system that monitored the residents of the Forest Research Institute (FRI) was still able to detect the young man despite wearing his heavily tinted motorcycle helmet. He had no idea how that was possible and notwithstanding that he was not interested in understanding every single technological progress that he owned or used but only the ones that were necessary for his continued employment with the institute. Asyif was content simply knowing that it worked and allowed him to enter and leave as he pleased while preventing undesirables the same privileges. The young man knew that his employers who provided his lodgings would have no qualms at divulging how it functioned but he had no intention on going through that hassle.

“How did the business conference went?”

This security officer in particular was always eager to strike a conversation with everyone he met unlike his colleagues which included the young man on a daily basis but Asyif was not really the talkative type even though he worked in sales. The young man just smiled while giving the elderly the thumbs up before heading up to his room. If Arman Sani who has been on duty patrolling the residential area for well over a dozen years now was a potential client, Asyif may had extended their conversation and talked more in detail about the conference that he had attended but since the products that the company that he worked for were not targeted to Mr Sani’s demographic, the young man decided against it.

“That sounds great. Have a nice day!”

Asyif was lying in his bed getting ready for some rest. It was not something that he actually wanted to do but his body did need to recuperate after a long hard day at work. If possible, the young man also wished that it was not necessary for him to eat or drink to sustain his life but the scientists and engineers have not worked out a way to avoid starvation and dehydration yet unless the person could afford to join the cryonics programme. Asyif yearned for the ability to do more things while he was asleep but the advancement of technology could only go so far.

“Your bedtime is due in fifteen minutes.”

The reminder that the young man had set was voiced by the brand ambassador of the conglomerate called Abjad. She had a soothing tone that calmed him and made sure he felt alright. The FRI that Asyif worked at was one of the many entities acquired by Abjad. They were still wary of doing research on the evolution of human biology with the use of gene editing and manipulation especially after the many arguments that were contrived on how it was going to be used and whether it will set a precedent to even more discrimination similar to how the scientists from a certain fascist nation had used eugenics to justify their racial policies.

“Your bedtime is due in ten minutes.”

Asyif hated how bureaucracy slowed things down for the changes that he wants and despised it even more for allowing the state distributed dream machines for students to be ingrained with propaganda from the government. Yet, somehow all that pent up anger inside of the young man mellowed every time he heard the sultry voice of the brand ambassador.

“Your bedtime is due in five minutes.”

There was no compulsion to accept it but the young man was not going to sacrifice his forty winks to write his sales report if he could just finish it in his sleep then upload it to the cloud. He had just brushed his teeth which was one of the few things that he could no longer do once he was strapped to the dream machine. The contraption had gone through various changes over the years and many had doubts as to their benefits while some had protested its existence during the initial conception but it has been well over a century since everyone began accepting that it was here to stay with advertisements for those who could not afford the more premium options.

“It is now your bedtime. Turning off the lights. Sweet dreams.”

Now that he could afford the dream machine with less intrusive commercials, the young man had his eyes set on getting into the cryonics programme. The preservation of life which allowed anyone to live in the dream machine indefinitely without needing to wake up ever again. The maintenance cost to support such an initiative was out of reach for common folk but the young man was determined in his goals.

“Please strap on your dream machine.”

There have been rumors circulating that the employees at Abjad were not really keeping the participants alive but freezing them to their death and keeping a facade that they were alive to the general public. It was all an elaborate ploy for people to give them money while managing overpopulation. The conglomerate which owned the dream machine production and was in charge of the cryonics programme took steps to deter these vicious lies by banning any reference of it within their means and many individuals have been sued for defamation.

“Disgraced politician who lost the recent elections has been found dead in his private chambers.”

The young man was very well aware of the people who died mysteriously while undergoing trial but the general consensus is that anyone in their shoes would opt the easy way out and no foul play was involved. The authorities were powerless at curbing these deaths especially since Abjad had their own military which led the democratically elected politicians becoming somewhat obsolete. Nonetheless, people still went out to vote as they have been involuntarily and unknowingly indoctrinated through their prolonged use of the dream machine indirectly telling them that it was their duty to go to the polls.

“The general election is a perfect excuse to meet up with people. I never really care who wins as long as I get to meet my friends.”

Asyif regularly played sports with his friends regardless but there were a select few of them who were rarely available that it felt good when he could catch up with them or at least that was what he believed. It never really mattered anyway which party won the popular vote as Abjad always got their wish and swayed the elections using the dream machine in their favor similar to how social media was used by the elite a few centuries ago. All the candidates running for office were already bought by the conglomerate in advance to smooth the transition of power. Political debates between lawmakers still got attention though especially in regards to the environment.

“A few centuries ago, the ozone layer was depleting. They said nothing could be done and that the planet was doomed. But through perseverance, it has not only been recovered but restored…”

The young man lost interest with the speech and the news about the recently deceased politician had unsettled him. It seems right about time for him to start his favourite part of the dream machine. Asyif felt insignificant in the grand scheme of things but in the dream machine, he was a hero. The savior of a fantasy kingdom which was being ruled by a tyrannical despot. The details varied depending on his settings prior to strapping in but it was always about him having a sense of purpose. In the beginning, he chose to overthrow the king and let his nephew to rule as the reigning monarch before waking up to the real world and getting ready for work in the next day.

“Thank you for getting rid of him. We are forever in your debt.”

There were an infinite number of ways to handle the situation in the fantasy kingdom and they usually end with the villagers expressing their gratitude before he would eventually wake up. When the young man was not doing work in the dream machine he would try to do the less chosen options. It was fun for him to indulge in this endeavor especially after a stressful day in the real world. The young man could never imagine how a few centuries before him, people played video games while they were awake and had to sacrifice their time in order to engage in such activities.

“Good morning, Asyif! Weather forecast for today is mostly sunny.”

The young man’s alarm worked like a charm. He was fortunate to live in an era where he could save precious time by combining recreational activities with his sleep and he knew this. Asyif opened his eyes and looked across his room. He had to get ready for another day of work. He could not for the life of him understood how people could dread their jobs and at the same time was not bothered by that.

“Please, play the audiobook while I get ready. Thank you!”

Several centuries ago, the cryonics programme was referred to as a retirement plan but a few decades after its initial development by the German chancellor Otto von Bismarck, many people could not afford to retire and had to work well into their twilight years. This led to civil unrest similar to the incident that Germany went through which caused the chancellor to introduce the concept of retirement. It was not until the dream machine took off and the cryonics programme had started did the disturbances began to mellow down. Nowadays, most people consider the term ‘retire’ as somewhat alien to them unless they were interested in history or gave the cryonics program much thought beyond not having to go to work.

“I’m done and off to work now.”

The young man was adamant in his beliefs that Abjad were benevolent in their intentions. Obviously, as a business they had to make profits in order to pay their employees and such but it was the charismatic brand ambassador which persuaded the young man that they have humanity’s interest in the forefront. Her push for an egalitarian society every time she made her presentations at any event or conference was enough reason for him to believe in them. While many had already forsaken the planet and were looking for another to call home, the conglomerate pushed to have efforts be focused on Mother Earth. They popularized slogans and spread it all over for people to see. There were billboards and hats that were imprinted with the famous chants.

“Make Earth great again!”

There was even a smear campaign against the benefactors of space technology which ruined their reputations and indirectly their company. Despite the fledgling support for the exploration of other worlds, many became disillusioned with the people in charge of those companies especially after the crusade against them after environmentalists bankrolled by Abjad voiced out their concerns on the adverse effects the rockets did to the climate.

It would seem people were not willing to put up with the alleged risks for the potential that there would be a better alternative somewhere else. Thus, the only major opponents to the conglomerate became irrelevant which allowed them to dictate the future. It would seem convenient for the conglomerate that these dubious beginnings would be airbrushed and even though Asyif was not old enough to remember these chain of events all that well, he would have still thought that the outcome was worth the actions that it took to achieve it.

“I have no clue if I actually believe that or it is just the dream machine mind control programming making me think that.”

In order to reduce carbon footprint, Abjad had promoted a more eco-friendly alternative to travelling which caused the plummeting of the tourism industry. They manufactured the virtual reality machine that created a seemingly real atmosphere to the real world for cheap. The conglomerate were able to do this with the support from other corporations in which they sneaked in product placements to their virtual environments. Skeptics who were stuck with their old-ways felt that no such invention could replicate the real experience of actually going out to the real world and seeing things for themselves with their own eyes but awareness campaigns spread through the incentive from the conglomerate curbed these naysayers into minorities.

“Some people are just slow to embrace change. There are certain that never completely accept it. I guess I am just one of them.”

There were never any laws created to outright ban recreational travelling but a lot of people were shunned for doing so. Unless it was absolutely necessary for people to go out and burn fossil fuel, most people were indoors on their virtual reality machines if they were awake or on their dream machines if they were asleep. There were then concerns that this would cause various diseases due to the sedentary lifestyles that people were living and so the conglomerate introduced economical fitness equipment for the household to keep their bodies in shape. They did not want their consumers to be perceived as any lesser than ideal human beings.

“Stay fit indoors. Get your treadmill today.”

Many who previously could not afford gym memberships let alone equipment were now able to obtain cheaper selections that they could use in the comfort of their own homes. Asyif had no qualms to do the recommended set of reps recommended by the conglomerate which he got through straight away whenever he arrived home from work. He could never imagine a few centuries ago, there were groups that were pushing for the acceptance of being morbidly obese when the conglomerate flawlessly showed that it was easy to have a toned physique with the right mindset. It went without saying that it was not an undemanding routine, but Abjad’ tireless reminders to everyone that there would never be any gain without pain helped the young man.

“You have finished with your daily reps for today.”

There were times when Asyif had treasonous thoughts about Abjad when he was alone by himself as he was right now. This was exacerbated when he met a fair maiden during a business exhibition that he went. The reason why the conglomerate introduced the importance of striving to have the perfect body was to sell their exercise paraphernalia. He felt the brand ambassador was a bit hypocritical with her endeavor for an egalitarian society when she mocked overweight people as lazy. There were certain decisions that the conglomerate made that did not necessarily need to be made but were taken anyway to maximize profits or at least that was claimed by the fair maiden when she and the young man met. She also said there was already a solution for world hunger but the conglomerate would go bankrupt if they were to undergo the operation. It was estimated that in order to achieve it, they had to introduce a programme that could alleviate indulgent wastrels but then it would severely reduce profits that come from these individuals which the conglomerate were still considering on how to proceed.

It was difficult for the young man to believe everything that she said but the fair maiden was definitely in a position to know things such as that since she was one of the few employees of the conglomerate that was favored by the brand ambassador and more than likely was going to replace her when the time comes. There was a question that was asked by the fair maiden that the young man regarded as the highlight of their meeting with each other. It was common for proletarians back a few centuries ago to squander their winnings when they hit the jackpot but nowadays the lucky winners would opt to join the cryonics programme though this was not always the case. From all that, the fair maiden asked the young man what he would do in such a situation.

Despite being prominently working for that specific goal currently, he never gave that idea much of a thought before. What if all that wealth was immediately given to him without having to put any more work into it? Before the young man was able to answer her, she got an urgent phone call from her superiors which concluded their meeting sooner than they had planned. These were the thoughts that delayed the young man from sleeping as he wanted to dwell on them without the interference of the dream machine. He looked at the business card that the fair maiden gave to him with her private phone number written on the back. They had agreed on sharing their dream world for the night to continue where they left off but the young man was beginning to have doubts about it. He have heard about the infiltration agents employed by the conglomerate to entrap antisocial members of society which had the potential to disrupt communities. The young man may have publicly expressed certain opinions that might have harmed the reputation of the conglomerate as he was slow to embrace change but he still could not help but think of this as an opportunity to figure out more about the conglomerate.

In any case, he was sure that he has not done anything illegal so there was nothing that he could be charged with at least not yet but that could change and the young man was sure to be cautious regarding that. He gave the fair maiden a call and they got together in the dream machine to recommence their discussion. The young man saw her enquiry as flawed since he did not participate in any form of gambling so he could not put himself in such a situation but he added that with a suggestion that if here given a certainty by a member of the staff that were he to join in and there was beyond any reasonable doubt that he would win then he might consider it.

The fair maiden asked him if he hated his job since he wanted to join the cryonics programme at such a young age to which the young man said he actually loved it since he was gaining a lot from it.

“I like meeting new people. We don’t get that a lot now especially if you compare to people back in the days. A few centuries ago, it was common to actually travel physically to one place from another instead of these virtual visits we have. They called the activity as tourism and those who were engaged in them were called tourists. I understand why efforts were made by the conglomerate to curb these activities to save our climate or whatever but I personally enjoy it and luckily my job enables me to do so.”

The fair maiden was curious as to why the young man did not just continue with his job and give away all that money for charity since he was so concerned about world hunger. From the looks of it, the young man was earning well enough and would likely have the sufficient amount by the time he reached his twilight years and join the cryonics programme then.

“I would reckon the resources that I use from living my life to old age be far more than if I were to join the Cry-op as soon as I can afford it. I know that world hunger will definitely be eradicated if the programme was abolished entirely and the resources that went to it was allocated to the starving people but if that were to happen then the bourgeoisie will riot if that ever happened to which I am grateful the conglomerate are doing what they are doing. Are you not a staff member? You should know more about it and I think you do. Is there something about it that you can tell me about to change my mind besides the solving hunger and achieving world peace affair?”

The young man reckoned that it was his turn to ask the questions but after a few evasive non-committal responses he ditched the idea and just enjoyed the silence as they experienced the virtual environment of the Northern Lights without the both of them ever been anywhere to the upper hemisphere of the planet and were unlikely to be in the near future. After a short while, both of them woke up and went on with their lives like before. Occasionally throughout some days, the young man had the notion that he was already in the cryonics programme but had opted for the option to not know that he was and went on his post-cryonics life with the belief that he was still working hard to obtain it for whatever reason.

It was not entirely outside the realm of possibility as he had read about that option before but the sudden presence of the fair maiden in his life still confused him as she dissapeared from his life not long after they shared their dream world during that one night. The fair maiden was probably busy herself and would get back to him when she had the time but the young man doubted it especially as she was recalcitrant on answering questions and since she was an employee of the conglomerate, she knew more than she was willing to reveal either due to contractual reasons or personal beliefs.

The fair maiden was most probably not going to jeopardize her own career to entertain questions that came from him. It could be due to the young man already having given her permission to share their dream but he could swore that there were times when he could felt her presence though this may also be just delusions of a lonely individual who lacks social interaction from members of the opposite sex similar to their age as he was too preoccupied with his career to even consider such matters that were trivial to him.

“The Cry-op is a scam. They tell their victims that when one enters the chamber, the participant will be in a state of indefinite suspended animation and it will be like as if they were strapped to the dream machine but it is actually nothing like that. The subject is simply preserved to make it look like they were still alive but that is not true at all.  There is no more life when one enters. The operation is just a mausoleum designed for the rich to believe they will become immortal. I urge you to reconsider your plans. I am telling you this so you will not make the same mistakes that they did. I know it is hard for you to accept this. The conglomerate’s indoctrination has been too thorough for anyone to escape from it and the subject will find any angle that they can get to believe that this knowledge is false.”

The fair maiden had intruded Asyif’s dream as he was working on some spreadsheets. He had not uttered a single word when she recited her spiel. There was no reaction from him as he just stared at her after  breaching more than a dozen regulations that Abjad had set for their employees. He got up from his chair and took his jacket with him to abandon his work. There was no point for him to continue anyway as his thoughts were clearly disturbed currently but in a way he was grateful that the fair maiden trusted him not to report her to the people that she worked for.

“I am not too sure what to make of all that to be honest. Whatever Abjad decides to do, I am happy to be a part of it even if it is under false pretenses. The conglomerate has been at the helm for a few centuries now and from looking at history, I can say they are doing a very good job at it. The climate has never been better and humanity are now better off. I see nothing wrong with their methods. I am waking up now. Have a nice day!”