�Damn it, Mitchell! How could you forget again?! This is the third time this week!� He hadn�t forgotten. It was an excuse to hide what he really did last night. He was as drunk as ever. He wasn�t an alcoholic but he did drink a lot on rare occasions with his friends. He felt and looked okay. How could he not have a hangover? He remembered having hangovers before when he didn�t drink nearly as much.

�I�m sorry, sir. My mother wasn�t feeling well. Since she can�t drive anymore, I took her to the doctor.� Teddy�s mother died last year. He remembered that day like it was yesterday. It was amazing how something that happened a year ago still had such a big impact on him. He tried his best not to show it so his boss wouldn�t know that he was lying.

�Well, your mother can wait. This company is what�s important in your life.� Teddy broke. With one graceful swing the boss was on the floor. Teddy calmly picked up his briefcase and walked out. Five minutes later it hit him. He was a single 27 year old male living in New York with a small apartment and now no job.

When he got home, he threw his briefcase on the floor and sat down at his cluttered desk to think. When he was young, he was always told he was brilliant. He had a promising future. Instead he skipped college to take a job offer which would end up like this.

That night he had dinner at the pizza parlor with Cybil. She was always there to cheer him up and he felt better just being around her. They were best friends since high school.

�So, you finally decided to give him what he deserves, huh?�

�No, I didn�t even give him half of what he deserves. Last week he threw his paperweight at me. I have a big bruise on my arm now. I guess I had it coming because I told him I would have the reports for him that morning.�

�That�s no reason for throwing a paperweight at you! Why didn�t you do anything?!�

�It was the only thing I had going for me. A decent job and I was working my way up. He just crossed the line when he said my job was more important than my mother.�

�You really loved her, didn�t you?�

�She was the only family I can ever remember having. She was the only one there for me my whole life. I mean, you were always like a sister to me but it�s not the same.� Teddy looked down at the table. Cybil leaned down and looked at him.

�I understand.�

Teddy dropped Cybil off at her house after they said their goodbyes. He went home and decided he should go to bed and figure out what to do in the morning.

The next morning he woke up and dialed Cybil�s phone number so they could meet for breakfast. After a few rings, Cybil picked up but she sounded different.

�Hey, Cybil, what�s up?�

�Who is this?� She sounded confused.

�What do you mean who is this? Are you feeling okay?�

�If you don�t tell me who you are, I�m going to hang up.� Now she sounded angry.

�It�s Teddy. What�s wrong with you?�

�Look Teddy, I have no idea who you are but I would appreciate it if you didn�t call me.� She hung up.

Teddy looked at the handset with confusion. What was that all about? Teddy dismissed it as her not wanting to talk. He got his stuff together and figured he would relax for a couple of days before he went to find a new job. He dressed himself and went out to the diner down the block for some breakfast. When he got there, he saw one of his ex-coworkers. For as long as Teddy could remember, Danny had a great sense of humor. Everyone liked him.

�Hey Danny, how�s it going?�

�Do I know you?� He was dressed in a formal suit which Teddy had never seen before. Danny always wore a nice pair of jeans and a collared shirt. What is going on? He figured it was best not to ask questions.

�I�m sorry, you look like someone I know.�

He walked up to the counter with a confused look on his face to get something to eat. The waiter came over.

�Can I help you, sir?�

�You know what? I suddenly lost my appetite.�

�Have a nice day, sir.�

Teddy walked out the door and thought he might walk the half mile to Cybil�s apartment. What�s wrong with everyone. Maybe he didn�t recognize me for some reason. I�m not in a suit, that�s it. When he got to Cybil�s building, he pushed the intercom to her apartment.

�Who is it?�

�It�s Teddy. Can I come up?�

�Listen, Teddy, I don�t know who you are or why you�re bothering me but if you don�t leave, I�m going to call the police.� He wasn�t sure if she sounded more afraid or confused.

�Just tell me if this is a bad time. What�s the matter with you?�

There was no response. He stepped back to look at her window and noticed her shades were closed. Her shades are never closed. He sat down on the steps for a few minutes to think. After about ten minutes, a police car pulled up. Cybil�s window flew open.

�That guy sitting on the steps!�

Teddy jumped up and looked at Cybil, then back at the police officers. They told Cybil to let them up and then asked Teddy if he would mind coming upstairs and he agreed. The three of them went upstairs to her apartment and sat down on Cybil�s two couches. One officer started writing a police report. This must be a joke. I wonder why Cybil would take it this far though. He wasn�t paying much attention to what was being said.

After everything was written up, the three of them left the apartment and went down to the police car. The policemen told Teddy he had to show them identification. He pulled out his wallet and showed them his driver�s license. One officer typed Teddy�s name into the computer in the car. He watched as a picture of himself came up on the screen along with the words �Should Be Considered Armed and Dangerous� and �Use Any Force Necessary.� The officer standing next to Teddy immediately pulled out his gun.

�Turn around and put your hands on the car!�

�What the hell are you talking about?!�

�Turn around right now!�

The other officer jumped out of the car with his gun also pointed at Teddy. Teddy turned around and followed orders figuring this was too much to be a joke. As they frisked him, he tried to remember something he had done wrong but couldn�t think of anything. They handcuffed him and threw him in the back of the car. On the way to the police station, he kept staring at his picture on the computer screen trying to figure out what was happening and why he was so dangerous. Nothing came to mind at all.

When they got to the police station, Teddy was rushed past a bunch of desks into an interrogation room. He thought it was best to not ask too many questions and just follow what he was told to do. After what seemed like hours, a man in a suit came with a folder and put it down on the table. Teddy could see his name on it.

�Well, well, well, if it isn�t the infamous Teddy Mitchell. Tell me something, how did you get away with it so many times? What was your secret?�

�Get away with what? What did I do?� The man let out a small chuckle.

�I think a better question is, what didn�t you do? Let�s see what we have here.� He picked up the folder and flipped a few pages in it.

�You�re wanted for seventeen murders in Manhattan in the last three years. You�re also suspected of having killed another four people in Queens and one man in Brooklyn. Personally, I could beat the shit out of you right now. I would because I think you deserve it, except the FBI wants to have their way with you so I have to hold myself back.� He looked up at Teddy with a sickening look on his face. Teddy looked straight back at him.

�I don�t know what you�re talking a--�

�You guys never do. I know how it works.� He paused and put his hands on the table. He was now looking straight into Teddy�s eyes. �Unfortunately for you, we have plenty of evidence pointing straight to you. I�m only going to ask you once because you disgust me and I can�t stand to look at you. Did you do it?�

�I didn�t do anything! I swear I have no idea what you�re talking about.� The officer turned around to the mirror which Teddy knew was a window.

�All right, lock him up here for the night. Tomorrow we�ll ship him out to a federal prison.�

A few seconds later, an officer walked into the room and told Teddy to get up and go out the door. They walked down a few hallways and through a few doors until they came to a small empty jail cell with a toilet and a wooden bed in it. The officer told Teddy he would be strip searched in a few minutes and sure enough within five minutes, he was pulled into an empty room and searched.

When he got back to his cell, he laid down on the hard wooden bed and put his head on the small pillow. He stared at the ceiling trying to figure out what was happening. Apparently the day went by faster than he thought. It was almost time for lights out. He had missed dinner and he went to sleep hungry that night.

The next morning, Teddy was waken early by a loud whistle. He didn�t see the sun shining through the window down the hall so he knew it was before seven o�clock. Within the next hour, he was taken out of his jail cell and herded down the hallway. He was pushed through a couple of doors and outside where he waited to get on a bus with a few other men who were also handcuffed. Once the bus started moving, the man sitting next to Teddy introduced himself.

�Martins my name. What do you call yourself?� Teddy looked over at him. He had a scar on the right side of his face that looked like it had been made recently.

�Teddy.� Martin looked at him with a strange expression.

�My father�s name was Teddy. What a great guy. I still miss him. So what are you in for?� Teddy looked at the floor.

�Something I didn�t do.�

�Just like the rest of us. You don�t look like a bad guy. Come on, what did you do?�

�According to them, I killed twenty two people.�

�Wow, you got me beat. I stole a car and took it for a ride. The cops found me and chased me around for a while until I flipped off the highway and killed some guy while he was changing his tire. It wasn�t my fault. He was the one in the way. I still get blamed for it though.� Teddy rolled his eyes and didn�t say anything.

It must have been hours before the bus finally let the prisoners off. Teddy got off and looked up at a huge building surrounded by a tall fence with barbed wire on top. Before he had gotten to scan the whole outside of the building, he was pushed inside and once again into a small jail cell almost identical to the last one. He laid down again and stared at the ceiling trying to figure this whole thing out. He was really confused now. Why are they doing this to me? Was I framed? Who would want to frame me? How come that detective left so fast? He didn�t seem to care about what I had to say.

A few minutes later, he was taken down to a cafeteria to get breakfast. Nothing special, just pancakes and a small orange juice container. When he got back to his cell, he didn�t feel like laying down. He now had a panic stricken feeling of not knowing what was going to happen. He paced back and forth for a while but he had no concept of time as he couldn�t think straight anymore. Eventually, two officers took him out of his cell and told him he was going to another interrogation room. He was escorted through a bunch of halls with closed doors on the sides that were looking increasingly less dirty until they reached an elevator. They stopped in front of the elevator doors and one officer stepped into a room to the left. Teddy could hear an exchange of words but couldn�t make out what was being said. A minute or two later, the officer came out with another man dressed in a suit.

�It�s okay, guys. I can handle it from here.� The officers walked away. The man took a key ring out of his pocket and unlocked the handcuffs that were on Teddy. He put them on one of his belt loops. The man pushed a button next to the elevator door then turned to Teddy.

�I bet you�re wondering what�s going on. My name is Dean Warrick and you, of course, are Teddy Mitchell.� He smiled and turned back to look at the elevator doors as they opened. They both stepped in.

�What am I doing here? I didn�t kill anybody.� Teddy was getting upset. �What are you trying to do to me? Just who are you anyway, Mr. Warrick?�

�Calm down, calm down. I know you didn�t do anything. Call me Dean.� He pushed a button on the elevator that had B3 on it and slid his identification card into a slot next to the button. They started going down. Teddy was now relieved yet very confused at the same time. He tried to keep calm.

�So what am I doing here if I didn�t do anything?�

�You�re here because we messed up.� The elevator doors opened and they stepped out into a conference room. It had a long oval-shaped table with about twenty chairs around it. In front of each chair on the table was a one inch binder filled with papers. On the front of each binder was the words �Project Hotel.� Dean started to walk towards the door at the other end of the conference room and Teddy followed. Dean was talking but Teddy was not listening. He was fixated on the binders. He looked at each one as they walked across the long room. As Teddy walked past the last binder, he quietly lifted up the cover and read the inside page. It was an almost blank page with the words �Project Hotel� and beneath it �1956.� Then at the bottom was a statement that he couldn�t understand. �Unison means Perfection.�

Dean stopped talking as they continued to walk through the door into a small room that looked like a waiting room. He walked up to a heavy wooden door with a keypad next to it. Teddy followed behind so Dean would not notice everything he was looking at. Dean pushed a few buttons on the keypad and the door opened. As they walked into the next room, Dean looked at Teddy and noticed the amazement in Teddy�s eyes. They were standing on a balcony about fifteen feet up from the floor. Teddy looked up at the ceiling which must have been forty feet high. What is this place? It�s amazing. The architecture is right out of a science fiction movie. There must be hundreds of computers down there. Look at how many people there are. Everyone was dressed casually, as if they were at home.

�We want people here to feel comfortable in their work environment. They all have very important jobs. Since no one sees them anyway, we didn�t find any need for required attire.�

Teddy just stood there in amazement. He finally spoke. �What�s that thing in the middle?� He was looking at what appeared to be a tower. The enclosed glass room at the top was at the same level they were. There was a spiral staircase wrapped around a column leading up to the room.

�That�s my office. I run everything here.�

�Well, what do you do here?� Teddy was now so awestricken he forgot about everything that had happened earlier.

�Simply put, we program you. I�ll tell you more about this later so don�t bother to ask questions. I won�t answer.�

Teddy gave a small nod as he watched Dean open a door next to the last door they had come out of. He followed Dean down a staircase and through another door onto the floor they had just been looking at. Dean walked Teddy past everything as Teddy tried to take in as much as he could. He bumped into a few people because he was not paying attention to where he was walking. They got to the back of the huge room where the ceiling dropped to the height of about eight feet. Dean walked up to a counter and poured himself a cup of coffee.

�Would you like any coffee, Teddy? Do you mind if I call you Teddy?� He took a sip.

�No, thank you, I don�t drink coffee. I don�t mind if you call me Teddy.� Dean took another sip and watched Teddy look out into the big room cluelessly.

�So, Teddy, tell me, why don�t you like coffee? Is it because you don�t like the taste? After all, you like the smell of it, right?�

�Yes, actually. How did you know that?� Dean smiled.

�There�s a lot of things I know about you. Your mother died last year. You haven�t been the same ever since. Am I right?� Teddy just gave him an ugly look.

�Just because you know my mother died doesn�t mean you know a lot about me. It�s not exactly classified information.�

�No, it�s not. You�re right, anyone could have known your mother died. The real question is how do I know she died on April third between twelve and one o�clock in the afternoon from a stroke? How do I know she was wearing a dress with flowers on it that you had given to her for her last birthday? How do I know you were having lunch with Cybil when your phone rang? And how do I know you were eating a hamburger with fries and a soda when you tell people you don�t eat fast food?� Teddy just looked at him with a blank expression on his face. Dean looked down at his coffee as he was stirring it.

�How do you know all that? What did you do to her? Nobody could know all of that. How much effort did you put into trying to make me feel like crap?� Teddy didn�t know what to say. He was very emotional and he could feel his eyes starting to tear up.

�I�m sure you are feeling angry right now. In fact, I know exactly how you are feeling. You think I had something to do with the death of your mother and you�re mad at me for not saying anything else about what�s going on. Am I right? You want to strangle me, don�t you? Do you miss Cybil?�

�Any normal person would feel the same way. You�re nothing special. You don�t know how I feel.�

�I think I know exactly how you feel. I think you are afraid. Afraid that I know too much. Afraid that you will never see Cybil again. Who can blame you? Just two days ago you told her she was like a sister to you, right?�

�Who are you? How do you know all of this?� Teddy was very frustrated. �What kind of sick place is this? What are you doing in here?�

�Calm down, I assure you nothing bad goes on here. In fact, everyone you see is here to make the world a better place. I�d like to take you somewhere where we can talk privately. Follow me.�

Dean threw out his now empty coffee cup and walked around a wall and through a door. Teddy followed closely but he had already thought out a plan on how to get out in case his life was threatened. He was very afraid.

They walked into what looked like the hallway in a fancy apartment building. Dean pulled a card out of his pocket and gave it to Teddy. He told Teddy that this was the key to the room three doors down on the left and that Teddy would be spending the night there. Teddy was a little calmer now although the thought of his escape plan still lingered in the back of his mind. Dean told Teddy that he should go into his room and stay there until tomorrow, when everything would be explained. He also said that wardrobe would be provided and there was a phone that he could call Dean with in case he needed anything. Teddy just looked at Dean then turned and walked down the hallway into his room. The clock in the room said ten o�clock at night although Teddy could not believe the day went by so fast. He was calm now, and he decided it was time for some rest. He laid down and went to sleep after a few minutes of uneasy tossing and turning.

The next day Teddy was startled awake by the phone ringing. He looked over at the clock and saw it was seven thirty six. Then he picked up the phone and heard Dean�s voice.

�Good morning, Teddy. How did you sleep?�

�Are you going to tell me what�s going on now?� Even though he was only up for a few seconds, anger could be heard in his voice.

�Relax, everything will be explained today. I promise.�

�When today? What are we going to do? What else do you have to show me?� Teddy was anxious.

�I�ll be down by eight thirty. Be ready so we can leave when I get there.�

�Where are we going?�

�I told you, I�m going to show you what is going on.�

�See you later.� Teddy hung up still feeling a little angry. He wanted to know what all of this was about already. Enough with the games. Why can�t he just tell me what this is? What is Project Hotel? Does this have anything to do with Project Hotel? It must. Time to get dressed.

�Teddy, it�s me. Can I come in?�

�Come in, Dean. Eight thirty, right on time.�

�Are you ready? I have a lot to show you.�

�Yes, I�m ready. What are you going to show me first?� Teddy wanted to leave. He was excited to find out what was going on. Dean turned around and faced the open door.

�Follow me.� They walked out and down the hallway. Through a different door this time. Down another long highway. Then they walked into the waiting room that they walked through yesterday. Back into the conference room. Teddy noticed the binders were still on the table. The room looked untouched since yesterday. Back into the elevator. Dean pushed a button that said B1 and slid his card into the slot next to the button.

�So, Teddy, can I ask what you think is going on here?�

�I think you decided to wreck everything I had going. It wasn�t much, but it was better than nothing.�

�What if I told you there was nothing to wreck? What if I told you you never had anything going? What if--�

�What are you talking about?� Teddy looked at Dean with a nasty look. Dean kept looking at the closed elevator doors.

�Before I can tell you anything more, you have to learn to not dwell on the past. Forget everything you know because you know nothing. Your mother is gone. Cybil is gone. Once you can come to terms with that, I can explain everything.� There was silence for a few seconds, then Teddy spoke.

�Nothing happened. Everyone is gone. I don�t understand. What are you trying to tell me?�

�I�m trying to tell you that nothing you think happened actually happened. Cybil has not known you since high school. She has known you for one day. In fact, she only knew you for one day. Before that, you never met her. As far as she knows, you never knew eachother after that day either. Remember, Teddy, that day when you had the fight with your boss? That was the only day she ever knew you.� Teddy was baffled. He didn�t know what to say or what to ask. The elevator doors opened. They were staring at what looked like a room in an office building with cubicles and people sitting in front of computers. Dean walked to the back as Teddy followed. They walked into the last cubicle and the man sitting at the computer stood up. He smiled as Dean and him shook hands.

�Hi, Dean. What�s going on?�

�Hey, Demp, I�d like you to meet your mistake.� The man turned towards Teddy.

�Teddy Mitchell, I presume. First off I�d like to apologize for causing you all this trouble. I�m only human and everyone makes mistakes. I�m Demp by the way. My real name is Dempster but I hate that name. Just call me Demp.� He shook hands with Teddy.

�So it�s your fault I�m here? Why did Dean tell me he messed up.� Dean chimed in. �I said we made a mistake. I never said it was me.� �So who did what to put me in this situation? I want to know who to thank.� Demp looked at Dean. �Sarcasm, something else people can�t live without.� Dean chuckled.

�What do you mean something people can�t live without?�

Dean and Demp both looked at Teddy, then Dean spoke. �Demp, tell him what�s going on. Show him.� Demp nodded.

�Teddy, you see this computer screen?� He pointed to his monitor and they all looked at it. �On computers you can do almost anything. You can travel almost anywhere without leaving your living room. You can play games as any character imaginable. Even create your own characters. It�s quite amazing the technology you have.�

Teddy stared at Demp with a confused look. �Where are you going with this?�

�I�ll get straight to the point. The technology you see is all beta testing. Ever play The Sims?� Teddy nodded. �What is the objective in The Sims?�

Teddy answered sounding unsure. �I don�t know. To make a world where people live and play God.�

�What happens when you lose?�

Teddy was starting to understand. �The world blows up. It can�t function.�

�Exactly. Everything has to be in balance or the world blows up. There has to be a certain number of bad guys, good guys, smart people, stupid people. It all has to balance out for society to keep functioning. That�s our job.�

Teddy was amazed but still confused. He had so many questions. �So you create worlds or something and try to make them function properly?�

Dean spoke. �Sort of. Demp show him his history.� Demp nodded and clicked on a few things on the computer. Teddy saw his name appear on the screen along with a bunch of dates and descriptions.

Demp looked up at Teddy. �Every morning of your life, you have waken up, and been Teddy Mitchell. That doesn�t mean you did the same thing, thought the same way, or had the same job. Since 1951, every single child that was born was implanted with a small computer chip on their brain stem. Your brain stem is connected to every part of your brain and every nerve in your body.�

Teddy was even more confused now. �What do those chips do?�

�They receive RF signals that are wired to your memory. Every single morning that you ever woke up, you were a different person. Your memory is changed every night after you go to sleep. You know what dreams are? They are your brain receiving signals and deleting all of your old memory. Some stuff gets mixed up in the transfer and that�s what dreams are.�

Teddy was awestricken. �Wait, so I�m not Teddy Mitchell?�

�You are Teddy Mitchell. You have always been Teddy Mitchell. You just wake up every morning thinking something different. You go to a different job. You talk to different people. Look at the computer screen. Last week you were a millionaire. You had a wife and two kids. You were an unhappy person though. You almost killed yourself.�

Teddy didn�t believe this. �There�s no way. I remember so clearly everything that happened. A week ago I got up and went to work. My boss threw his paperweight at me. That�s where this black and blue is from.� He lifted up his sleeve and showed them.

�Sorry Teddy, that bruise is from four days ago. Here look at the screen. You were a boxer.� There was silence as Teddy stared at the screen. He didn�t know what to believe. Then Demp spoke again. �Our job here is to create a functional society that works in unison in order to save the planet from annihilation. This is Project Hotel.� Teddy�s mouth was open. He couldn�t believe what he was hearing. Demp started to talk again. �Teddy, you were the first mistake we have ever made. Well, the computer system malfunctioned so it wasn�t really our fault. When you woke up, everyone else was different but you were the same. That�s why we had to get you over here before you had too much contact with other people.�

Teddy looked at Dean as Dean was staring at him with a straight face. �Dean, is this all true?�

�Sorry Teddy. It�s not your fault. It�s no one�s fault. I have to apologize to you for what�s about to happen.� He looked at Demp and nodded. Demp clicked a button on the computer screen. Teddy collapsed, then stood up again.

Teddy looked at Dean. �Hi, Dean.�

Dean looked at him and smiled. �How was your weekend, Mr. Mitchell?"