The Sleepless by Victor Manibo

Author:Victor Manibo
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: FICTION / Science Fiction / FIC028100 - Cyberpunk, FICTION / Science Fiction / FIC028110 - Genetic Engineering, FICTION / Mystery & Detective / FIC022000 - General
Publisher: Erewhon

24.

Tuesday, 07/​​​​14/​​​​2043, 06:00 PM

Pixel by minuscule pixel, the blank room gradually materializes into a replica of my therapist’s Upper East Side office, a minimalist study in taupe. It’s daytime in this VR milieu, and though the curtains are half-drawn, midmorning light fills the high-ceilinged room. There is little ornamentation, and none that reveals anything about the doctor’s personal life. He also doesn’t have diplomas up on the walls, or rows upon rows of medical books.

As the room is fully rendered, the system chimes that Federigo Cassis has joined the conference. His voice arrives first, greeting me with a good evening. He asks me to take the chaise longue, and as I do, his avatar appears on the wingback right before me.

On Simon’s referral, I started seeing Dr. Cassis two years ago, right after New Dawn. Initially, our psychotherapy sessions were frequent and intense, as was the medical regimen he placed me on. In time, I slowly regained my grip on my mental health, save for some lingering issues with my sleep.

He helped me, too, after I took Levantanil to stop the nightmares. I agonized over the decision whether to reveal this deep secret, but I also recognized the risk of going through the transition to Sleeplessness without a trusted medical professional, so I disclosed. When I told him the full story, he was concerned and a bit disappointed, but mostly unfazed. He guided me through my hyperinsomnia transition with no fear, given the robust legal protections afforded doctors and patient confidentiality, and possibly, too, because he had seen the same, or worse.

“How are we doing today?” he asks in his usual upbeat manner, immediately placing me at ease.

“Thanks for meeting on such short notice,” I say. “It’s a bit of an emergency.”

“All right, then let’s get started.” He taps the arm of his chair, his way of marking the session recording. “What’s going on?”

“I’ve been having trouble remembering things,” I start. Over the past few hours, I’ve been debating how much I should tell him. I trust Dr. Cassis, but I want to set aside Simon’s death for now.

“Things like?”

“Conversations I’ve had. With Hannah, with Charlie, with this other guy . . .” I reply. “Last week I forgot that Hannah was coming over to pick up something. That usually wouldn’t have slipped my mind.”

“And the other things you’ve forgotten, were they the types of thing you usually would forget?”

“Honestly? No. But I never noticed it,” I say. “I suppose I should have.”

“And these are all personal interactions, I assume? Not the sphere of your life that you typically devote most of your attention to.”

There’s a subtle rebuke there, but he’s not wrong. “Well, except for one thing, which is work-related. I lost a few hours on Wednesday night.”

“What do you mean ‘lost’?”

I measure my words carefully. “I’d gone to my office that night after my usual hours, and I don’t remember any of it. I only learned I was there because someone later told me.”

“Is this why you’ve come

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