The Realm of the Heart

He traced a heart with his fingertips into her palm. The sensation sent goosebumps up her arm. She shivered. A lost smile briefly found its way back to her lips.

“I love your smile.” Briel’s breath staccato. He still managed to smile.

“Shhhh. Save your energy.” Tears pooled in Kayla’s eyes. Her smile fell just enough for Briel to notice.

“Don’t stop. I want it to be the last thing…”

“No. Please stop talking,” Kayla pleaded. She willed the corners of her mouth to curl, but the dam of tears broke onto her cheeks. Droplets fell to their hands.

“Kayla...You should know, it’s always been you. I’ve always loved…”

“Why do you insist on talking now? You need to save your breath. The Realm is collapsing. Your life force energy is all you have until the grid recharges.” Kayla furiously scrubbed away at tears. She couldn’t wipe them fast enough. “I can’t lose you, again.”

“No matter what, Kayla, I’m here.”

“Not if you’re dead.”

Darkness covered her before a bright green light illuminated the room.

“Simulation complete,” echoed through her head.

Kayla curled into her body. Bawling.

“Why can’t you change this?” She screamed. “It’s a simulation, so change the data!”

Her screams trailed into oblivion. No one answered. Flat anger consumed her tears.

“This must be hell. Same thing. Over and over. This. Is. Hell.”

A microphone thumped. Speaker static crackled in her ears. An automated voice filled in.

“This is your program.”

“I’m depressingly aware. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Sarcasm! What kind of AI are you that you don’t get sarcasm?”

“The changes you seek lie within your heart.”

Kayla’s words cut in, “My heart is broken. He’s gone.”

“You can try again tomorrow,” the AI plainly stated.

“Torture. No thanks.” Kayla pulled herself up to stand. The green light dimmed. She grabbed her oxygen helmet and pressed the exit button. Fiery orange light burnt the sky. She clicked her helmet in place and stepped into the dust.

The ground crackled under her feet. Nothing but dust particles filled the space that was once the Pacific Ocean. Or, what was thought to be an ocean. After The Realm collapsed two years ago, the only possible way to see the remnants of the earth was through simulations. Yet, even then, it was all a simulation we just didn’t realize it. Nothing was real. Kayla and the rest of the world were struck by this unfortunate truth after the Realm Grid became infected with an alien coded virus. No human being on the planet could clear away this virus that exposed everything for what it was - a simulation. But once the virus spread throughout 95% of the Realm Grid, reality as Kayla knew it, collapsed. Included in the destruction was Briel.

“Friends since babes” is how Kayla’s mom described her friendship with Briel. Inseparable. Not lovers though. Kayla wasn’t ready to see her best friend as a possible lover. She believed she’d be ready someday. She wanted to finish her required operations training first and then she would tell him. She even had a dress picked out. The Realm virus made sure her someday never came. Now he’s gone and even in the simulation, she can’t bring herself to hear Briel say he loves her. He was half Borge, and no entity with Borge parts survived.

Her memory slipped into the pre-virus past.

“You are real to me. More real than any of these lame-os.” Kayla let out this snark in the classroom. A few heads turned. She was unbothered.

“I feel more real, too.” Briel smiled at her. She helplessly returned the sentiment.

“I love your smile, Kayla.”

“Goodness, you’re such a dork!” She always avoided the intimacy she craved.

In a perfect robotic British accent, Briel played intimacy hot potato to help Kayla save face. “Borge to you, young fem human. Only humans are dorks. I, Briel the Borge, am incapable of dorkness.” They crumbled in their perfect for one another laughter.

The ground crumbled into bits. Dry rock pieces and dust shuffled beneath her feet. Kayla approached the front door. She rose her hand over a security palm reader. The door lifted open. She shoveled herself in. The door slam shut behind her. The oxygen helmet came off. She inhaled deep. Her tension kept her from remembering to exhale completely. Kayla lifted the case covering the house grid. “OFFLINE” blinked. She pressed a green button.

“Limited simulations available until further notice,” an automated voice filled into the quiet space. Some lights turned on. Other lights flickered. A dog barked, excited for her arrival, scrambled towards her, but stopped short of an actual greeting when the scene replayed itself over and over.

“I wish I could pet you, too, Jasper,” Kayla quietly affirmed.

Kayla turned on her shower. Steam encapsulated the bathroom. The mirror fogged up. Wrapped in her towel, she allowed her heart to lead her fingertip. Against the mirror, she cut through the fog. “I love you, too.” Kayla stepped back. Through the etched parts, she saw her reflection broken into tiny pieces within the letters. A reflected light flickered in the “Y”. Kayla squinted closer into the mirror. Silver light flickered again. She followed the trail of the reflection to the shelf behind her. Her eyes pulled her closer. Silver particles danced and came together. In a trance, she studied the particles pulling and shaping themselves in a silver necklace. At the center of the necklace, the particles organized into a heart-shaped locket. Kayla blinked and readjusted her focus. The silver particles settled into a solid form.

“How?” she whispered.

“Energy is everything,” the AI robot voice whispered in return.

“I-I guess it is…”

Kayla snatched the locket and turned the shower off.

Back at the simulation room, Kayla switched on the green light.

“Simulation starting. Please select your program.”

Kayla turned away from the touch screen. Closing her eyes, she held the heart-shaped locket close to her heart. She exhaled long and wide.

The green screen filled in. Briel stood beside her.

“Open your eyes.”

Kayla gasped at Briel’s voice not trusting to open her eyes out of disbelief.

“Open your eyes,” Briel repeated.

Kayla gently peeked. Then exhaled to completion. He was there. A new simulation.

“How did you bring up this new simulation?” Briel asked.

Kayla smiled, “I followed my heart.”