Frank picked up a bundle of letters from the mailbox and headed back into his house. Before deciding to open the envelopes, he grabbed a beer from the fridge and sat down. Most of the mail he received was junk, except for one letter that caught his attention: “confidential” was stamped across the front. The return address listed his employer''s logo and the name as “V.B. Relocation Systems.” He ripped open the envelope and unfolded the letter inside:


    ————


    Dear Valued Employee,


    Your employer is undergoing a major corporate restructuring. We have been contracted to offer a relocation package. The company plans to reduce its physical workforce to accommodate a more automated and digitized infrastructure.


    Recent advancements in robotics and Artificial Intelligence technology have allowed companies to significantly reduce the need for human labor. Companies can now re-invest the cost reduction and higher creative efficiency to maintain a competitive edge in an ever-evolving technological market.


    Your employer values your mind, creativity, and cognitive abilities and wants to help you maintain your image as a viable individual with a sense of dignity and pride.


    With breakthroughs in virtual networks, an entire reality of joy and adventure awaits you. You will no longer suffer sickness, pain, or aging, and you will live forever.


    We have optimized our neural networks for a complete digital transference with zero memory degradation in order to maintain the full integrity of your sense of self, personality, and essence.


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    The company has invited select employees, like yourself, to relocate to a virtual node—a transfer of consciousness to the Virtual Bliss network. If you choose the digital transference and dissociation of your corporeal body, you may have it cryo-frozen, buried, cremated, or donated for the advancement of science.


    However, if you select to inhabit your own body, we do not guarantee a promotion, nor can we guarantee any term of employment. Communication with staff will be hindered because you will be decentralized from the company''s essential network and processes. We are authorized to offer a separation package and career counseling to help you seek other employment opportunities.


    We hope that you decide to transfer to our virtual network and grow as a mindful entity that experiences true bliss in eternity. We believe that once you experience Virtual Bliss, you''ll never desire to return to the hardened struggle of a physical existence. Through Virtual Bliss, you’ll create a life of your own choosing, while the creativity of your consciousness, your experience, and your mind will evolve and collaborate with others to bring innovation and prosperity for a better world.


    Kind regards,


    Lynne Adams, H. R. and Relocation Guidance Counselor


    Virtual Bliss, LLC—"Bringing to you a new life with limitless possibilities.”


    ————


    Frank paused for a brief moment. He folded the letter, grabbed a pencil off his coffee table, and placed them in his shirt pocket.


    He proceeded down the hallway of his home. On the walls, he looked at the mounted picture frames with academic awards, work anniversary certificates, and pictures of his daughter''s wedding, his grandchildren, and his family dressed up for the holidays. He stopped at the bedroom door, went inside, and stared at the top of his nightstand, where a picture of his late wife was displayed.


    ————


    A few days later, Frank''s body was discovered clutching the photographs that he had taken out of their picture frames. Inside his shirt pocket, they found a handwritten suicide note:


    You can''t have them. They''re mine.