The professor gave Theodore a needle as well and typed a code on the laptop. Theodore stood there, sceptical.

“Mr Fitzgerald, please, insert the needle so we can go home. It might not be as luxurious as this, but it’s sure as hell real and that’s good enough for me,” said Dr Van Kraff, holding his hand.

“It would be good enough for me too,” Anna said, nodding.

Theodore inserted the needle with a timid, swift motion and the Doctor clicked the return key. They all started screaming. It was as if they were being eaten from inside. Momentarily, Anna started to morph into blue code, her fingers started to break away into separate codes and flew up to the roof and disappeared. Dr Van Kraff started to morph and disintegrate, Theodore as well. In a few minutes they all had disintegrated and the room was empty.

Theodore woke up with a huge sigh. His whole body was itching and his heart was beating hard like he had just been born. He looked around and was astonished to see that he was in the room he had dreamt about. His whole body was weak and frail, his arms and legs were very thin and his skin was papery, even his hair had grown on his chest. He was bound down. He looked around and, to his right, there was Anna. She had just woken up as well and was terrified and shaking.

Theodore, worried for his wife, pulled very hard and the belts that bound him ripped apart. Simultaneously, the needles from his arms came out and the pipes fell onto the floor with a subtle thud. He started reeling silently from the pain. When he shook it off, and untied the belt on his legs, he immediately fell to the floor. He could still hear Anna hyperventilating, so he crawled with all the might that his weak body had in the tank. Every move he made, he paid with a sharp pain to his muscles but he persevered until he was able to stand and untie his wife, and even catch her when she fell before putting her down quickly.

They sat on the floor, wearing only their underwear and looking like they had been stuck underground for months. Theodore covered Anna with his arms and rocked her till she was calm.

“Well, here we are, in reality,” Anna said, after a moment of silence.

“Yeah, it sucks, doesn’t it?”

They both laughed but it hurt so they kept quiet again.

“Are we even husband and wife here?” Anna asked, with a cheeky smile.

“No, I think we had only met in 2050 on the day of the invasion,” Theodore said with a chuckle, “You saved my life that day.”

Anna turned and looked him in the eye.

“I remember seeing this cute, little, weird guy just standing in the middle of a panic and I remember thinking: it’d be a waste to let him die. And when I saw your panicking blue eyes slowly calm down, it was love at first sight.” She kissed his forehead.

“I felt it too,” he said and tightened his cuddle.

“I love you, Theo,” Anna said, tears falling down her cheeks.

“I love you, Anna,” Theodore said, his eyes shut. “I’m gonna really miss that cheeky runt, Augustine.”

“Me too, and Allan and Aggie, our little birdies,” she smiled.

The door opened. Theodore held Anna closer and braced himself for an attack, he could hear Anna sobbing as well. He was satisfied to face death on a real-life scale and not on a fake plane made by their enemies.

“Hey you, lovebirds,” a female voice came called out from the door called. “I found them!”

Theodore opened his eyes in a mixture of confusion and relief. He looked to the door and there stood a woman. She was thin and weakened like they were but she still had a curvaceous body and a bit of colour in her skin. Her blonde hair was tied in a ponytail. Bare footsteps could be heard approaching their room. Theodore and Anna were looking, eyes wide with anticipation.

“Hey there, friends, looking a little pale, aren’t we?” said Dr Van Kraff, as he stood next to the woman.

“Heidi, give them clothing and some water,” he ordered. Then he came in and sat on the floor as well. He was dressed in a long robe and pants. Heidi was only wearing tight pants and a sports bra.

Six other men came in and sat around them, followed by four women, all dressed like Dr Van Kraff. Heidi dropped a bag next to Theodore. He took out plastic water packs for himself and Anna, and they both squeezed the liquid into their mouths. They put on the robes and sat next to the other guys, one of whom was still hooked up to the machine. The fourteen of them were sitting in a circle-like formation.

“Okay guys, sadly there isn’t really time for introductions, but I’ll introduce the key members of our little group of rebels here anyway.” He pointed at Heidi, “This is my wife, Heidi Van Kraff. She’s a highly trained soldier of liberty: I say so because she was training in the faux reality for years in preparation for this moment.”

He pointed at Theodore, “That is Theodore Fitzgerald, our key, and his wife, Anna Fitzgerald. I have a hunch that she is a quarter or more of what Heidi is.”

“Now that the introductions are out of the way, let’s get down to business.” He leaned forward, looking at everyone, one by one, and began to explain.

“The plan is simple. When we get out of here, we run towards the left and launch an attack. Our location of interest is the central command unit. You will follow me there because I got a read of this ship’s architecture. Theo is important so he will be kept in the middle as we storm the ship, clear?”

Everyone nodded.

Tell us: What do you think will happen next?