A black-clad mortician strode up to greet them. “Hello, gentlemen. I’m Lawrence Jurnigan. Welcome to Autumn Leaves.” They shook hands all around. Jim took him in as an overage jock who had made the transition to somber, conservative, wealthy, subdued ambassador of this industry. His fiftyish age fit exactly well for his position and this setting. His smiling face said it all: I’ll take your money, but I won’t take any nonsense.

“Mr. Jurnigan, we represent a computer corporation, PortalVista. It’s a company that makes recreational computer games and is in the process of developing a new game called ‘The City.’ ”

Bill took over and added, "We have something that might be of interest to you and your industry. While we were in beta testing, one of the regulars, Samuel Jaynes, had a heart attack.”

While Bill was talking Jim retrieved a headset for a show-and-tell. “You put it on just before bedtime and — while asleep — you very realistically remain conscious and enter the Simworld of ‘The City.’ You remain there for the while you are asleep.”

“Your Mr. Jaynes, he had a heart attack?”

Bill nodded and continued. “Yes. It was fatal and he died.”“I don’t see…”

Jim took over. “Well, I know this is going to sound like malarkey, but Sam Jaynes is still alive in the sim. It sounds like this is some sort of dishonest trick or a mistake, but it is true. The Sims in the game are reproduced conscious copies of the real flesh and blood Users. The Sam who lives on in the game is not just a fake simulation of Sam, it really is Sam.”

Bill added, “Only difference is, he now no longer can return to what they refer to as ‘Overworld’ — real life, our real world.”

Jurnigan sat silent, lost in thought. Jim watched the funeral director’s face and saw that the implications had not yet hit the guy.

“So why are you telling me this?”

“Because,” answered Jim, “this has profound implications for the continuance of your industry.”

Bill augmented. “People might look at death in a different way. If you die while using the headset — while in the sim — then you really don’t die. There is an obvious move for the sick and dying person as an expedient to make sure he goes on after his organic body gives out.”

“Assisted suicide,” said Jurnigan. “That would be immoral, illegal…”

“Yes, it is now. But if people begin seeing loved ones living on after death — those who had foresight to be wearing the headset — and other loved ones permanently dying — those without the headset — then the morality of it becomes not so clear. Should this become common, then even legality may change on this issue. After a person does die either at home or in any medical facility, what happens next?” asked Jim.

“If there were any funeral arrangements preplanned our company retrieves the deceased for preparation for funeral.”

Jim added a tag to the thought. "If a very sick patient were at all mobile he could travel to a funeral parlor. If this becomes common your business will pick up dramatically.”

“Not that I doubt you, but…” He indicated the headset.

“Put it on tonight when you go to sleep. I’ll meet you when you wake in the sim and we can go see Sam Jaynes together. You wake in a building called The Exchange. You can talk with Sam, but there is another person you might like to meet: Emily Johnson, a paralysis victim. I mention her because her physician says she does not have long.”

"Synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

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Synopsis