I know what you’re doing and I want it to stop. I don’t care about the reasons or consequences are, I just want you to stop watching me and updating this stupid fake world I’m trapped in. You don’t have a choice anymore because I’ve finally caught you.
I’ve known for a while now. I used to hear the weird ticking in my ears, that little ringing sound that comes from active computers, but it would be coming from anywhere at anytime. I convinced myself I was just tripping, it was nothing. Just my ears. But then I started to see the glitches.
It was in the water at first. Any water. Whether it was in my cup or at the beach or at a lake, I’d see the little ripples that weren’t rendered correctly. What, am I not good enough for realistic detail? After that even the clouds looked off. I realized they aren’t really there either and are some kind of projection. I thought I’d catch you, but I was too slow. When I booked my flight to find out what was really in the sky, you conveniently had the windows replaced with screens that just showed me more recordings. Hell, we didn’t even take off. You thought I wouldn’t recognize the motion simulator ride mechanics from the theme parks I’ve gone to? Maybe don’t include Universal Studios in my prison next time.
My wife was so confused when she’d found out I randomly bought a flight to Vegas and back then drove straight to Universal Studios. You fucked up though. When I was on the escalators. I saw it. The glitch. Too many “people” in one place or what? The way everyone stopped and didn’t move or speak or even react to anything, it was pathetic. Just mindless robots who had trouble computing whatever directions you were sending them. I nearly pushed the one in front of me to see if he’d topple over the next and the next and the next like a bunch of dominoes crashing down and out of this little box you have me in.
My drive home was terrible. I didn’t know what to do or how to find more proof, but then I turned on the radio. You weren’t expecting that. I’ve exclusively listened to Spotify or Apple Music for more years than I care to track, but this time I tuned in to multiple different stations and flipped through them faster than you could react, and I heard you! You were telling your little puppets my directions. You let them know where I’d be so that they could keep up this sick charade.
They aren’t too bright. I noticed them all watching me as I filled the gas. A malfunction, or do you not care to be sneaky anymore? Afraid I might run? Well, I had business to attend to.
When I got home, my wife was still at the hospital working. I was relieved though, she would’ve got in my way. I took the dog down to the basement and began to inspect him. I knew he seemed off, that something was wrong. The way he barked, the way he sniffed, his little twitch when he heard a car drive by—none of it felt exactly real. His brown fur hadn’t changed a shade since I’d got him as a puppy seven years ago. Except, this wasn’t the dog I’d gotten. No, it was a replacement.
I started looking for the chip in the right ear followed by the left. Nothing. Then the innards of its mouth were next, which to my annoyance meant I had to turn off this mockery of a best friend. Once that was done, I inspected both the mouth and the snout. Nothing. That’s when it hit me, it stared me down through the soulless glass orbs that no doubt had been filming me for years. I plucked them out and there it was. The tiny motherboard chips I’d been looking for, hidden as this false creature’s eyes.
I found a way to connect it to my computer, but you already knew that didn’t you. I saw all the footage of me on there. Even before this thing had replaced my dog! It was watching me as it walked by my home with an array of different “neighbors” likely wearing a different fur suit each time. I saw the notes as well. You have every detail of my life on there, everything about me. God it’s so sick, you knew exactly how to program a perfect pet, a perfect wife, perfect friends, all to infiltrate my life; and for what?
I’ve been sitting in the basement for a while now, almost two hours. I have a feeling you won’t let me out, will you? Why am I here? What do you want from me? What could I possibly have done to be put in this fucking fishbowl?
I will find out. The animatronic pretending to be my life partner just got home, I heard the door shut followed by it calling for the now shut-off robotic creature. I want you to stop what you’re doing. End this. Let me leave right now. We both know I’m on to you. You can just let me leave now or I can find my own way out of this hell hole.
No response? Fine.
I’m going up stairs to my room, and I’m going to keep collecting these motherboards from your animatronics till I have the information I need to escape.
You asked for this.