Rejected Memories

Chapter Five - Memories

"Wow Flux, these are great! They are the best thing I've ever gotten! Thanks Flux!" I heard her say again.

"Only the best for the birthday pony!" I said. She carried me back down to the ground, and we started walking. I couldn't take my mind off of the screens I saw and the messages on them. Errors. What if this was a simulation? What if I could do something to get out of it? We arrived at my house, said our goodbyes, and went separate ways. We were going to meet up at her party later. I went to my room and laid down on my bed. I tried to focus on the screen I saw earlier. I focused so the only thing I could see was the screen. Then I felt the pulling. I was back in the pod again. This time, there wasn't an error message. I was greeted by a menu of sorts. The screen read

"Welcome to SYSTEM DELTA control interface.

User FLUXUATION has been in suspension for FIFTEEN years.

Please tap an option."

I was given a few choices: Info, Log, Maintenance and Exit. I chose Info. The screen changed to say

"USER: FLUXUATION.

AGE:15.

TIME IN SIMULATION:15y 6m 9d.

BITS:39."

The screen then gave me the option "Back". I tapped it with my hoof, and it brought me back to the menu. This time I tapped Maintenance. The screen changed and said:

"Error. User FLUXUATION is not a maintenance technician."

It gave me the option "Back" again, so I pressed it. This time, I chose log. I was presented with a new screen:

"Please select a system log to read:

LOG85.log

LOG87.log

IMPORTANT.log"

I chose IMPORTANT.log. The screen changed again to read:

"If you are reading this, consider yourself lucky. As you might know, from seeing this pod, the world that you are used to is a simulation. Everybody is real, they are in pods just like you. One thing that was not mentioned to anypony was the fact that everything can be changed. When you get back into the simulation, take a spoon. Imagine this spoon was a fork. Force every cell in your brain to believe this spoon is a fork. Look at the spoon again. I can't write much more, the maintenance bots are coming, I can't let them see that somepony made it out of the simulation. I've locked down everypony's pods so they can't accidentally get out, but don't worry, you won't starve, the simulator keeps you fed. Goodbye, brave soul, and check in here every so often. I might drop some more messages in the log files."

I was given the option back again, so I pressed it. I sat at the menu, digesting the information I had just learned. Everypony I knew was in a pod like me. They were completely oblivious to the real world. I couldn't tell them though, they would label me crazy and probably lock me up.

I hit exit, and was thrown back to my room.

I galloped downstairs and grabbed a spoon with my magic. I set it down on the table and started to think. The only thing I thought of was a fork. I blinked once and looked at the spoon. It wasn't a spoon anymore. It was a fork. I was stunned. If I believed hard enough that something would happen, it would.

I bolted as fast as I could out the door. I ran into Cloudracer not too far down the street. I told her that she needed to come and see something, and we went to my house again.

"Cloud, what I'm about to tell you may sound crazy, but I assure you, it's completely real. I want you to sit back and focus on the word "Menu" with all your might. If you do it right you'll be in a sort of pod with a glowing screen in it. You'll have some options, hit Info and memorize what it says. Then hit back and exit to come back here." I instructed.

"Okay Flux, whatever you say." she said, clearing her mind and beginning to focus. About twenty seconds in, she disappeared. Twenty or so seconds later, she reappeared.

" It said user racer, age 15, time in simulation 15 y 6 m 9 d and the amount of bits I have on me, 30." she stated, a little stunned by what she just saw.

"Ok, Cloud, good. I got a message that said everything can be changed. I want you to imagine this fork is a spoon with all your mind." I said, getting right to the point.

"Okay, but what does this mean? The pod thing?" she said.

"This isn't real. It's a simulation. Our real bodies are in those pods. Our consciousness is in this simulation. I have a "friend" on the outside of the pods that will help us." I explained.

"Does this friend have a name?" she questioned.

"I don't know, I'll go check my messages from him." I said disappearing into the pod. I quickly tapped Logs. Sure enough, I had a new log. It was named 'SECOND'. I tapped it and the screen changed and said:

"I see you got your friend to see the truth. We need everypony to do it though, before I can unlock the pods. Everypony must see the truth at least once. Another fact about the simulation: the life you live in the sim is your actual life that you lived before you were put under.  I'm adding messaging capabilities to your account, so send me a message if you need something. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you my name! My name is "CORRUPT".