This is a short story (or really a short story seed) I wrote after seeing a writing competition on scribophile.com asking for short stories focusing on location.
I know what you’re thinking, but you’re wrong.
I’m not crazy.
We’re trapped in a computer simulation, like that Matrix movie.
No, wait! Don’t go. Please. Just hear me out. If you still don’t believe me, you can go.
Have you ever played a video game? Yes? Good. Have you ever played one where the computer deletes objects to save memory? It’s called garbage collection. Often, it’s a weapon or item you’ve dropped on the ground. Sometimes it happens right when you stop interacting with the object. Other times it happens more gradually. The computer thinks you don’t want it anymore, so why waste the memory keeping track of it?
That’s what happens to your socks.
Think I’m making shit up, again? Think about it. Is there any other article of clothing that mysteriously disappears on a regular basis? It all goes to the same washing machine. It all stays within your house, but somehow those small socks just disappear, one at a time. And it doesn’t matter if you go looking for it. Once the computer’s garbage collected it, there’s no coming back.
It’s gone.
Still here? Starting to make sense, am I?
What’s that you ask?
If we’re trapped in a simulation, then why did the evil robots let us make a movie about being trapped in a computer simulation?
Duh. Now, when I tell people we’re stuck in a simulation, people like you just roll your eyes and tell me I must have watched the Matrix too many times.
Anyway. Who says machines locked us up?
If you ask me, we locked ourselves up. I figure we got tired of blowing ourselves up and destroying the planet and locked ourselves up somewhere we could destroy the world as many times as we want and it’ll still be here when we’re done.
What about people who ‘die’, you say? I think there’s another computer simulation for the afterlife.
That’s right. Heaven is just a simulation that gets run after this one.
Trippy.
Oh, that was too much for you? You leaving?
I’m not crazy.
We’re trapped in a computer simulation, like that Matrix movie.
No, wait! Don’t go. Please. Just hear me out. If you still don’t believe me, you can go.
Have you ever played a video game? Yes? Good. Have you ever played one where the computer deletes objects to save memory? It’s called garbage collection. Often, it’s a weapon or item you’ve dropped on the ground. Sometimes it happens right when you stop interacting with the object. Other times it happens more gradually. The computer thinks you don’t want it anymore, so why waste the memory keeping track of it?
That’s what happens to your socks.
Think I’m making shit up, again? Think about it. Is there any other article of clothing that mysteriously disappears on a regular basis? It all goes to the same washing machine. It all stays within your house, but somehow those small socks just disappear, one at a time. And it doesn’t matter if you go looking for it. Once the computer’s garbage collected it, there’s no coming back.
It’s gone.
Still here? Starting to make sense, am I?
What’s that you ask?
If we’re trapped in a simulation, then why did the evil robots let us make a movie about being trapped in a computer simulation?
Duh. Now, when I tell people we’re stuck in a simulation, people like you just roll your eyes and tell me I must have watched the Matrix too many times.
Anyway. Who says machines locked us up?
If you ask me, we locked ourselves up. I figure we got tired of blowing ourselves up and destroying the planet and locked ourselves up somewhere we could destroy the world as many times as we want and it’ll still be here when we’re done.
What about people who ‘die’, you say? I think there’s another computer simulation for the afterlife.
That’s right. Heaven is just a simulation that gets run after this one.
Trippy.
Oh, that was too much for you? You leaving?
That’s OK. I’m used to it.