Friday, 13 June 2014
A state of mind
Even though he was under heavy sedation Richard was still vaguely aware of the sensors and probes working their way through his subconscious mind.
He felt his imagination being stretched ever so slightly. The occasional frisson as a stray negative thought was terminated. A slight tickling here and there as some of his emotions were enhanced and others dulled. From time to time he experienced a prolonged cerebral itchiness as major re-routing or rewiring work was in progress.
Richard awoke to the beaming smiles of the doctor, and technician. He sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes.
“How did it go Doc?”
“Oh, extremely well.” Replied the doctor. “You see, happiness has absolutely nothing to do with possessions or achievements, it is purely a state of mind. Now, if you would just sign these papers, here... here... here... and here. And then you can be on your way. The new, happier you.”
The doctor's grin grew even wider as he passed the pen to Richard.
Richard scanned the main points on the document. It would mean selling almost every possession he owned to pay the initial medical costs. House, car, electrical equipment and such. Forty percent of his wages would be deducted at source until he reached state retirement age too, but Richard did feel deliriously happy as he scribbled his signature.
©2014 Stephen. J. Green.
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I imagine Doc feels quite chipper, too. I mean, helping folk out like that is reward in itself. Unless he buys into his own medicine. :) Short and sweet. Happy Friday the 13th.
ReplyDeleteThanks David, I reckon the doc's bank account is probably quite chipper too. :-)
DeleteHa ha the Dr. is making the world happy including himself. I've always said happiness lies not in material things but is more a state of mind, now you can buy it! ^_^ That's progress for you.
ReplyDeleteThey do say you can't buy happiness, but they are wrong, it is rather expensive though. :-)
DeleteVery clever and enjoyable read. I can already tell I'm going to be thinking about this idea the rest of the day.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jason. I hope you have happy thoughts while doing so. :-)
Deleteoh, love this! What an interesting take on "buying happiness"! Nice!
ReplyDeleteThanks Claudia. Let's hope Richard's happiness lasts through all the years he will be paying for it, and beyond. :-)
DeleteCan't help thinking that is a price too high to pay!
ReplyDeleteMe too Icy. He might have been better off keeping his money, and being happy some of the time. :-)
DeleteSounds amazing but I'm of the old frame of mind where happiness is nothing without sadness. I don't think one without the other would mean much. Sounds pleasant though :).
ReplyDeleteBalance and contrast are very important in our lives, as you say Casey, it's easier to appreciate one side of the coin when you have experience of the other.
DeleteSome people pursue happiness through mind-altering drugs, Richard went for the permanent option of mind-altering surgery. :-)
Zen Buddhism turned US TV evangelist exploitation - nice!
ReplyDeleteHaha, especially the exploitation bit. Thanks Marc. :-)
DeleteJeez..could it be that this awaits us in the future? But then again can you blame the human for wanting to be happy? And can, or should you blame him for being too weak to achieve it on his own?
ReplyDeleteIn other words - sci-fi can be pretty cool and can be pretty scary, and if this turns out bad like Deux Ex, I hope this operation comes with a refund!
Hi Cindy. No, we couldn't blame him for wanting to be happy, everyone deserves happiness, and the right to pursue it. It certainly didn't come cheap for Richard though, did it?
DeleteKudos to you for mentioning Deus Ex. I owned that game many years ago, and played it through so many times in different ways that I eventually wore the disc out. :-) I think if the story were set in that era, then the doctor may have implanted a kill switch like the one Denton had. No refunds, just an exploding head!. :-)
There is nothing wrong with your television... we control the horizontal... While he may be blissfully happy, he can't be himself. I would rather suffer through a few pains and heartaches than to be programmed to always feel happy. To me, this is a scary weird story, Steve. It has hints of slavery in it. He now has to give up so much in order to be "happy." How sad.
ReplyDeleteWell done.
Not to mention the financial cost to him too, Stephen.
DeleteAs both yourself and Casey touched on, life is not really life without the ups and downs it involves, we need the one to appreciate the other.
The story was intended to be humour, but there is definitely a sinister side to any kind of mind manipulation.
The tone reminded me of classic 1950s literature, and certainly the topic did as well, with its "science can improve everything!" perkiness. Then the part at the end puts it solidly in PK Dick territory. Well done you!
ReplyDeleteThanks Katherine. Like many of my flashes, this started out with my toying with a catch-phrase, in this case "Happiness is just a state of mind", and this is what ended up on the computer screen. :-)
DeleteI’m glad Cindy sparked your Deus Ex response! While reading I was both thinking No way in hell I’d sign that! and wondering What would happen if I didn’t? And there can be only one answer: You have to or else [à la Dirty Harry] I’ll flip a switch and “blow your head clean off." Ahahahaaa!
ReplyDeleteGood little flash, Steve :-D
Miss A
Thanks Miss Alister.
DeleteI think Richard was taking the happiness surgery voluntarily, a bit like people pay for cosmetic surgery these days, those tweaks don't always go to plan either, do they? :-)
Re Deus Ex, that game was fantastic, it won Game of the year award, and was critically acclaimed as one of the best games of all time.
I played it countless times in different ways. (Kill everyone. Kill no-one. Handguns only. Melee weapons only, etc etc.)
Trying to complete the game without actually killing anyone was fun, I found myself chasing people all over the place trying to hit them with a baton. LOL
I'm currently slaughtering my way through Dead Island for the second time, gotta love zombies, haven't ya? :-)
Oh never mind me, my artistic radar is screwy from a horrid work project that won’t die : ) But I’ve read enough of your stories and comments to appreciate the image of your mind wrapping every whichway around the intricacies of rules and tools and warping Matrix-like with carefully nuanced techniques! Ewww but zombies, they’re soooo gross! At least, as with spiders, it’s both instinctual and exculpable to kill them :-D
DeleteOh Miss Alister, I just love this comment, thank you for the smiles. :-)
DeleteAs for the zombies, just have to kill 'em really, them people will just NOT be reasoned with. LOL.
Favourite weapon? Toxic samurai sword. Yeah baby yeah! :-)
"prolonged cerebral itchiness" I like that bit. Those are the kind of itchies that you can't scratch.
ReplyDeleteHi Jon, glad you liked it. It would be a bummer if the itch remained after the surgery was over, wouldn't it? Maybe it could be reached with a knitting needle in the ear, a bit like people do when they are itching in that unreachable place under a leg cast? LOL.
Delete