He couldn't close his eyes. The panel was behind his eyes. The only escape was the "Panic Button"—a virtual red square that hovered in the bottom right of his visual field. Pressing it would drop him from FF down to the "Basic" tier for sixty seconds. Basic was a gray void. No joy, no pain. Just a humming silence. Like being a lightbulb that had been unscrewed.
Clarity served him the memory of his mother’s funeral. Standard protocol would have muted the smell of damp earth, the squeak of the priest’s shoes, the exact shade of gray of his aunt’s tear-streaked mascara. But FF delivered it all in 8D olfactory-sonic-emotive. premium panel ff
He lived that twenty minutes every single day. In real time. He couldn't close his eyes
Elias smiled. His teeth were gray. His eyes were wet. Pressing it would drop him from FF down
He looked at the red Panic Button. He still had one press left for the day.
"Good morning, Subject 0. Your Premium Full Freedom panel is now active. Today’s emotional range is: unbridled. Please enjoy your authentic experience."