Day Pass

A lifetime in a [Matrix|galaxy-spanning computer network] provided no comparison for the detail Michael could perceive through the senses of his rental body. Striding forward into the noonday sun, he marveled at the feel of the ground under his feet and the taste of the moist spring air. His [girlfriend|companion] stepped forward out of the [download chamber] and touched him lightly on the shoulder.

"Ever been [incarnate|flesh] before?"

"No, never."

"Me neither! Can't see how our parents could throw this away!"

"It's more... solid... than my friend said it was."

"He must have taken a crusted-over work body; these have been in storage since the original owners left them behind."

"I cannot see why they would leave this behind..."

He turned and kissed her. Newfound instincts flared and passion enveloped them. A simple wire provided all the intimacy of the mind they experienced while in the machine, but the heat of the physical drove it up to another level entirely.

Afterwards, they rested on the grassy hill, basking in afternoon sun and [afterglow].

"I guess we should get on with [reality tourist|our tour]... there's a lot to see out here [glass slipper|before evening]."

"There's no rush, we have [all the time in the world]."

"What do you mean? They expect us to bring [bodies|these] back at the end of the day."

"So what if we didn't? [take the red pill|Could you really go back to the machine] when there's so much world right here, to touch?"

"I've heard of people leaving, just never thought I'd agree with them..."

"Do you see a [village], over on that hill?"

"Yes, I do..."

"Let's see what it's like!"

They stood and left the [crypt] of [abandoned bodies] behind them forever, journeying to the village of the machine's children seeking a new life in this old world.

Prosenoder's Cup 2007 (fiction)