Dreamscapes

Dreams, they say, hold the power to heal.

The lab is a sterile, white-walled chamber filled with rows of sleek, high-tech equipment, bathed in the muted glow of monitors that cast an eerie, otherworldly hue. As a humble lab technician, I never fancied myself a scientist. Yet, Dr. Ethan Wallace, the lab director is a genius and he has pushed the boundaries of what we thought was possible.

The adaptive learning system we have in the lab is a remarkable fusion of bio-engineering and advanced artificial intelligence. Its systems effectively delve into the depths of the subjects' minds, using a series of algorithmically chosen sound cues and biofeedback measurements. It closely monitors variables such as skin conductivity, breathing patterns, and even body heat, enabling real-time adjustments to the dreamscapes. The system can discern the subjects' preferences, identifying patterns of excitement, contentment, and relaxation. Just imagine the gentle ebb and flow of ocean waves lulling you into a serene beachscape or the soft melodies of birds transporting you to a tranquil forest. With each subsequent dream, it improves its ability to artfully tailored the experiences to provide more of what brought them pleasure. It is akin to having a personal dream curator, ensuring that their deepest desires were woven seamlessly into the fabric of their slumber.

I managed the subject selection process. The subjects we enrolled in our program represented a diverse range of individuals burdened by sleep disorders stemming from past psychological trauma. From those battling chronic insomnia to individuals haunted by PTSD, our goal was simple: to help them find solace in restful slumber once again. Each subject's dream experiences were meticulously recorded and analysed, allowing us to identify only the most suitable candidates for the dream protocol. We had admitted eighteen subjects in total in the first cohort, then twenty in each of the next four cohorts.

As time went on, things became unsettling. The subjects increasingly became consumed by an insatiable need for more dreams. They found themselves willingly surrendering to extended sleep sessions. It was as if a chasm began to form between their dream world and reality, their attachment to the artificial bliss growing stronger with each passing night. They became disconnected, their waking hours losing their lustre as the dream world claimed their attention. During testing, we could see that their line between what was real and what existed became increasingly blurred, raising concerns about the lasting consequences of this immersive obsession.

I could all see that the subjects found their grip on sanity slipping away. Delusions crept into their waking hours, casting shadows of doubt on their surroundings. Paranoia seeped into their thoughts, distorting their perceptions of others and themselves. Erratic behaviour became the norm as the dream world encroached upon their fragile grip on reality. What was meant to be a respite from their torment had transformed into a treacherous addiction, eroding their sanity and leaving them teetering on the precipice of an abyss they could no longer discern from their waking nightmare.

With each passing day, my concern deepened as I witnessed the steady decline of the subjects' mental stability. The gravity of their addiction to the dream world became painfully clear, and I dreaded the irreversible consequences that awaited them. Despite the lab director's frantic attempts to restore balance, his relentless modifications to the system only seemed to exacerbate the situation. The line between his objective pursuit of a solution and the desperate haze of subjectivity blurred, leaving him grasping at straws. As the subjects spiralled further into the clutches of their distorted realities, I found myself trapped between a sense of duty to intervene and the crushing weight of my own helplessness.

The mounting tension within the lab finally reached a crescendo as the subjects' collective psychosis reached a tipping point. The patients started falling into a state of catatonia. In ones and twos at first, then large groups of subjects from across all the cohorts. 

They remain bedridden, completely unresponsive. It's a complete disaster. The moral implications of our experiment weigh heavily upon me as the imminent arrival of authorities looms like a storm on the horizon.