RAA (REALITY ADDICTS ANONYMOUS) MEETING (ZOOM)

Characters:

Chairperson

Sonya – a woman

Sam - a man

Roxy

Kit

Cat

________________________________________________________

Chairperson

Welcome to the regular meeting of Reality Addicts Anonymous. We have a new member with us today, so we re going to do the 1^st step. Would someone read the 1^st step please.

Sonya

I'm Sonya.

Everyone (includes Chairperson)

Hi Sonya.

Sonya

We admitted that our urge to live in the Real world and interact with Real people made our lives unmanageable.

Chairperson

Would the new member introduce themselves by first name only and tell us how their life has become unmanageable.

Sam

My name is Sam.

Everyone

Welcome Sam.

Sam

I went outside, and instead of getting into a self-driving car to go to an appointment, I just kept walking down the street.

Everyone makes a loud intake of breath as if in shock.

Sam

I didn't get very far, I got stopped by the drone police and taken back home. The court mandated that I attend these meetings now once a week.

Chairperson

Thank you Sam. Now, let us all help Sam by sharing our experiences with the 1^st step.

Roxy

I'm Roxy.

Everyone

Hi Roxy.

Roxy

I wanted to go walking in the woods. It was real bad. I felt claustrophobic in my apartment... But these meetings made me realize that walking in the virtual woods is better. I'm walking on my treadmill, so I'm getting the exercise. I'm breathing the same beneficial air, because I put the Woods essential oil into my air filter. It's better than real woods, because the virtual deer come right up to me, and the virtual cougars and bears can't attack me, unless I want them to, for fun. So, there is no reason for me to ever want to go to the real woods again. Yeah, these meetings saved my life. I had panic attacks, that's how claustrophobic I felt. But I'm okay now.

Sam

What if you wanted to swim in the ocean?

Chairperson

We do not do cross-talk. But since it's your first meeting, we'll allow it just once. Has anyone done any virtual swimming in the ocean?

Roxy

I have. It's easy. You make an ocean simulator appointment. You lie down on a sort of a sling suspended from the ceiling on like rubber bands, so you can move like as if you are swimming. It's perfectly real, but better, because it's safe, you can't drown. You can play with dolphins, octopuses, and even mermaids. And since some of those creatures are people acting those roles, the interactions can be very exciting. You can even have sex with them! It is awesome! Try it once and you're hooked.

Chairperson

Thank you Roxy. Anyone else?

Kit

I'm Kit.

Everyone

Hi Kit.

Kit

Even though I realized that having sex in the virtual reality is so much better, because everyone there is gorgeous, without a single flaw, and, of course, it is 100% safe – you can't catch anything in virtual reality... Even though I knew all that, I started craving having sex with a real person, even if they were ugly and fat and smelly...

Everyone takes in a loud breath.

Kit

So I managed to meet another person who felt the same way and we met in secret. What happened after was horrible – I caught a venereal disease and it was terribly embarrassing to admit to the doctor what I did. Of course, she had to report me, and I had to start attending these meetings. But I'm so-o glad! It could have been so much worse, I could have caught Covid-28 and became a zombie! And it was actually quite disappointing, having sex with a 'real' person....

Sam

What about love?

Chairperson

Sam, you must stop interrupting! The rules are no cross-talk! If you keep breaking the rules, I'll have to report you and you'll be docked social media points! This is your last warning! Now, who wants to answer this question?

Cat

I'm Cat.

Everyone

Hi Cat.

Cat

Love is waaay better and more meaningful in VR! Because you actually fall in love with the essence of the person, not their body, which they have no control over, unless they are filthy rich, so it is soooo much deeper and more real. Yes, more Real than Real! One's avatar reflects the innermost desire of what one wants to be, it's not bound by superficial boundaries of flesh – height, weight, skin color, sex. No – love in the Real world is not real compared to VR!

Chairperson

Thank you Cat. You made such a good point!

Everyone

Thank you Cat.

Sonya

Hi, I'm Sonya.

Everyone

Hi Sonya.

Sonya

I'm still dealing with the 1^st step. I am a mother of a teenager, who doesn't want to communicate in person anymore, only through VR. I still see her occasionally, whenever she comes out of her room, but she doesn't see me any more, she is always wearing her helmet. And soon she will be sixteen and will move out to her own apartment, and I'll never ever see her again! I mean, except in VR. But in there either, she doesn't want to hang out with her mom. I just can't get past this, I'm so depressed all the time. Thank you all for being here, I don't know what I'd do without you!

Everyone

Thank you Sonya.

Sam

I have a daughter too....

Chairperson

And you are?

Sam

What do you mean?

Chairperson

What is your name?

Sam

You all know; I already introduced myself.

Chairperson

The rules are, you always start by saying your name first.

Sam

Okay, sorry. I'm Sam.

Everyone

Hi Sam.

Sam

I, too, have a daughter, she is five. I never met her in person, only in VR. Because I am a man, I will never meet my child in person, because, you know, it's not essential. So, I meet her in VR regularly and we play games and go exploring. Actually, it's great, because all we do is have fun. I never thought about what it feels like for her mom, having to live with her, physically. I'd think it would be horribly hard. I can't imagine having no privacy! Living with someone, anyone sounds impossible, insane.

Chairperson & Everyone

Thank you Sam.

Cat

I'm Cat.

Everyone

Hi Cat.

Cat

I just want to talk about the positives of our lives. Especially for anyone new and still suffering. First, no one gets sick anymore. Second, there is no more crime, which used to be a huge problem. In the VR world we can do whatever we want: be a bird and fly, travel to other galaxies - things we never could do in the flesh. And most jobs nowdays are so much fun – like acting an animal, or an elf, or whatever character, so people can live their fantasies. And, yes, unfortunately, there are still necessary essential services that we still have to perform, like being a doctor, or a counselor, or a teacher. But divided in equal shares among everyone it takes only a fraction of our time, it makes for lots of variety, keeps us from being bored, and makes it more fun than work. And all the really awful jobs, such as doing surgery or construction, or collecting garbage, or manufacturing, are all done by machines. Since people are only taken on essential business in self-driving electric cars and airplanes, there are no more accidents. We don't kill animals anymore to eat them! The nutritious mush that we eat while being in VR becomes any food we love: ice cream, steak! There is no more racial prejudice or any discrimination at all, since no one meets anyone in person. There is no more homelessness, since we don't need houses or large apartments, and are perfectly happy in tiny studios. I could go on forever! We don't need 'reality' anymore or 'real' people interactions. We don't need to risk our health, our lives, we don't have to put up with annoying people and situations. This world we live in right now is, surely, the best it has every been in the history of the human race. Actually, I don't think we were even human before now, we were just smart apes. But now we are Real Humans.

Chairperson & Everyone together, clapping

Thank you Cat!

Chairperson

Our time is up. This was a very good meeting! See you all next week. Welcome again, Sam. Good by.

The end