"I remember now! I'm the admin. I created the program which placed me in that simulation. I could think of anything -- and it was there. I could converse with the machine.”

I begin disconnecting the wires from my body.

Man: "The one thing that concerns me is that at the beginning of the recording you said you were sick. What's wrong with you?"

"No, not sick physically. I said I was sick of this world."

Man: "Oh, well that's a relief -- I mean in a way. How do you feel now?"

"I'm just glad to be alive. But as you heard in the recording, I regretted my decision. It wasn't worth it. There's no telling what brain damage I may have caused myself -- or perhaps other injuries internally...sorry, but I've been wondering something ... you look very familiar, but I can't place you."

Man: "I'm -- I'm Art -- your colleague."

"I'm sorry, Art. My thoughts are in pieces. How did you save me?"

Art: "It's ok. When I found you here, you were just lying here -- seemingly lifeless -- on this table. On the monitor I saw the crashed program and the errors. It took me a while to sort out what was going on and how to fix it. You may not remember, but we have worked together on many projects, so I recognized your code. I discovered the corrupted data...anyway, long story short, I rewrote the busted code. About the time I was executing the modified program, the storm caused a power surge. As luck would have it, not only did the program recover, but the surge of electricity restarted your heart!"

"Wow, that's crazy."

Art: "Indeed! ... What do you think you learned from this experience?"

"This physical reality I wanted to escape -- although not perfect -- really isn't so bad after all. Humanity is fragile, but so is where I went. I thought I could escape the imperfections of this world by creating my own...and yet I didn't realize that I brought along my humanity into the simulation. The flawed code may have been avoided, but some other bad thing could have happened instead."

Art: "Very possibly. But I wouldn't dwell on what could have happened. The important thing is that you are here now, and you're alive."

"Yes, though I wish I could remember more about myself. I'm sure this experience did something to my brain, because I feel like there is this gap in my memories. Not everything is clear."

Art: "I'm sure with time your memories will reconstruct."

"Yeah, I hope so."

Art: "I think we should go. People are looking for you -- which is why I found you here in the first place. Can you stand?"

"Yes."

Art: "I'll walk beside you to ensure you don't fall."

As we walked through the exit door of the laboratory, the crisp, moist air of the night left after rain hit my face. The fog in my head began to clear. For the first time in my life, I began to truly understand the value of humanity -- and not just humanity in general, but also my own. My purpose is to live. I will live here -- not in some simulation.

For a time, I disconnected from reality. In my simulation, reality was suspended. Because of my experience, I feel renewed. I now have a new appreciation of the here and now. Perhaps the simulation was indeed worth it. Truly, life is an adventure.

I look forward to rediscovering and reconnecting.