It is the prerogative of man to seek out the ideal life. Legends speak of the Garden of Eden, the paradise created by God that was lost when they disobeyed. I cannot speak to the truth or veracity of these legends, but regardless, it is clear to me that all that drives mankind forward is the prospect of the ideal life. To some, that vision is the same, to others, it is wholly unique.

I oversee several dozen such Utopias. I ensure that each person’s tube is properly maintained, that they are receiving the nutrients that they require, and that their personal paradise is running smoothly. Where once, the world was filled with chaos and conflict, now there is only peace and prosperity.

Every human being, once they have reached the age of 40, is given the opportunity to receive their own paradise. They lie in a tube that sustains their bodies, gives them nutrition and filters their waste. We give each one of them a questionnaire to better build their personal utopia. We ask every question conceivable; wondering the time period they wish to be in, the people they wish to interact with, the things they wish to do.

Each paradise is beamed directly into their brain, giving them a whole reality within which to interact. They are given a set of commands they can input in order to change their reality to a degree, to give them more of their desired currency, to influence the minds of the people they meet, even to change the rules of their tiny little universe.

Every single one of these universes is controlled by the central computer core we have, the strain of which is lessened by the similarities of those who share their fantasies. There are some who share directly, and there are others who simply hold similar interests. Those who wished to share their paradise can interact directly with each other, but the ones who simply were similar don’t meet others, which minimizes the conflicts.

I find the paradises I watch over to be so fascinating. Other Brothers of the Order don’t look too deep into their charges’ minds, but I cannot help but watch and learn more. A great many of them wished to be heroes in their own right. Some find cures to diseases, some are men of great power and valor, and then there are the ones who wished to conquer all they set their eye to. They are my favorites. I’m always sure to give them new enemies to fight. Some of them only seem to want a simple victory song, but others truly want a challenge, and I am sure to accommodate.

There are those who call what we do wrong. But why? You asked for it. You cried out for paradise, and we gave it to you. You spend forty years on your world, and then we bring you here to live the rest of your days in a utopia of your own choice and design. We care for your every whim, your every desire. Our computers are the most advanced in the galaxy, and yet you still call us monsters.

You say we took your free will? We did no such thing. You gave it to us willingly. That is the nature of paradise, after all. You gave up your chance at Eden, and now you can only have it this way. You can have your free will, or you can have your paradise. And as we’ve already seen, you will choose paradise any day.