[Short story] Musings of a marriage counsellor for couples cheating on each other with virtual reality

They were wrong. So wrong.

Years ago, the biggest talk in the news was always about artificial intelligence taking over the world. We were so afraid, yet so wrong. We glamorized our predictions with movies, what with your stories of A.I. becoming self-aware, or sentient as they like to call it and start to attack us humans. We thought that we’d slowly stop recognizing the robots too as they become too much like us.

Laughable. For we didn’t even reach that far. People were already happy fucking around. Always has been the case I guess.

It’s actually pretty funny, considering how far off we are now. If anything, the investors are the ones laughing now, though they always were all along.

It started with the virtual reality sets. It was a cool invention. A great one even. The video games and applications were both fun and useful.

Then the perverted games came along. Yeah you could simulate fucking and sleeping with pixellated girls or guys in the games. If I remember correctly, it originated from Japan. Who am I kidding. Of course it was from Japan! Where else!

Then the ‘handy’ add-ons came. These virtual reality sets from various companies started coming with the additionals. You had your add-on for the hands, in which it simulated a feel for the naked body in the games. You had your add-on for your nose, in which it simulated the smells of lust. And then the big one came. It was such a huge announcement. It was met with thunderous applause at the conventions and conferences by the Otakus, geeks and nerds. I personally believed it was met with silent glee internationally by the average person. Who wouldn’t? You got to literally fuck and feel like you’re fucking now! The add-on for the genitals came and it was a major hit. You could feel it. Soon, reports of players coming came. It was that easy.

Slowly, the graphics kept improving. It was no longer just animated. It was getting real. I guess if the debate of A.I. looking like us were to come up, this was the only pivot.

This was when I found my muse.

The debate was on worldwide. Headlines like, “Is it really cheating? The case for realistic virtual reality sex” and “Does the sex even count in virtual reality?” were common. Unhappy couples were coming out then. To some, it was infidelity. To some, it wasn’t a big deal. To some, it was sacrilege to the human body. “Sex with animated pixels? Disgusting!” was the kind of headline they’d use.

I started to counsel these couples. I had no sides to take. I respected everyone’s choices. If you wanted to fuck a piece of graphic, it’s your right to.

The problem usually came only when one of them gets addicted or when something gets out of hand. I’ve heard it all. Husband doesn’t want to have sex with wife, but keeps going for the animated girls. Wife no longer feels pleasured by husband. White husband discovers the “Hot Black Dudes” program in his wife’s set and he now doubts the entire marriage. Wife discovers the “She’s LARGE and in charge!” program in her husband’s set and she no longer feels pretty. This one is ironic though, for so many people have gotten addicted to virtual reality that they stop living. All of them are fat fucks. If you thought obesity was a problem then, be prepared to be blown away this time.

The worst I came across? A wife of a particular pastor found his “These underaged girls (14 and below) are just dying to please you!” program. She came to me alone. She was close to attempting suicide as it was. And no, it wasn’t just because she realized her pastor of a husband was a heinous pervert. It was the fact that these realistic programs of such particular settings were legal. The politicians and investors said it wasn’t real and that was that. In fact, it was lauded as a good thing as it kept the pedophiles away from becoming real-world predators. The pressure was too much for her. She couldn’t turn to anyone. She didn’t know who he was anymore. She couldn’t look at her teenager daughter without fearing for her life.

All I could do was listen to her. As said, I don’t take sides. If I did, I would be questioning myself way too much.

You thought we hit it low already? We barely scratched the surface. I still remember that day.

A cop came to me. He wasn’t even married. He just had nowhere to turn to for his addiction and knew I didn’t judge anyone. He felt like he wasn’t protecting anyone anymore. Why? Because of his “Make your necrophilia dreams come true” program. I don’t know who or which company created that program, but apparently there’s a market for it. It started out as curiosity, so said the cop. But then he took it a step further. “It had to be my victims” he said. He can only get hard now if it has the faces of the people he has killed on the job. As such, he spent a copious amount of time trying to modify the program, even so far as to travel out and talk to game developers in person.

Fuck. What am I, a doctor? Talk to one for your erectile dysfunction.

Then the emotions came. This was the new wave. Real couples were getting divorced now due to virtual infidelity via real emotions. Yep. It wasn’t just about sex anymore. Some game company started to create programs with highly realistic and intelligent settings. You could create a person in the program and then get to know them slowly. You could go on dates. You could buy a house and live together. You could even fight with each other, which was mostly bullshit for the large part since everyone would set it so you’d ultimately emerge the winner. It was practically slavery. But all of that made the sex even more satisfying, so I have been told.

And so couples were breaking up everywhere because a spouse would fall in love with their program. Yes. The lines are already blurred on a deeper level. There were many supporters for this. People started getting married to their programs! They’d hold elaborate ceremonies both online and offline and get hitched. Scarily enough, it was pretty common and accepted then. Most scary of course, was how these newly hitched couples, called “Crossers” live. The human is basically connected to his or her set all day long. They’re always connected. They just can’t bear to leave each other. They walk around, entirely geared up. If you weren’t connected, you were known to be single and lonely. Yes, love is affordable today. Nobody has to be alone.

I heard rumours of development of a new add-on where sustenance is provided to the body automatically. I am not sure how it works, but I saw a screenshot of the prototype. If you need a visual, just go to a hospital.

Now here’s the latest wave of problems I see today. Crossers are coming to me for counselling as their virtual spouse is cheating on them. Yes, I kid you not. I don’t know what the developers were thinking. Apparently, realistic settings included getting cheated on in virtual reality too. Yet, this is so common now and widely accepted that I’ve no words. I continue to never question. I still get letters from Crossers who have made up and move on with their virtual spouse, thanking me for my help.

So this is my muse.

I enjoy it honestly. It’s good money. It’s crazy how far virtual reality has come. I never touch the stuff. It’s just too much. Thank goodness for the non-believers. Yet, I thank the believers and Crossers. They give me meaning in life. I like to think that I am making a difference even though I never consider them real.

If you need a listening ear, you know who to call.

www.Alden-Tan.com