Jared awoke sitting alone in a brightly lit, echoey, sanitized room.


    "Hello, Jared," spoke a voice.


    "Why am I here?"


    "You''re here for another interview."


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    "Another?"


    "Yes, Jared, you can''t recall your real life during rehabilitation."


    "What about the others?"


    "Still active … You''re simply unplugged from the simulation."


    "All those NPCs," muttered Jared.


    "Ah, I see, Jared. Do you think everyone else is an NPC?"


    "Of course!"


    "No, Jared, they''re as real as you or I."


    "So, none are NPCs?"


    "All your fellow prisoners, Jared. Believe it or not, they''re human with feelings and fragility, just like you."