The Bushwalker

She took a gulp of fresh mountain air.  A drop of perspiration glistened on her forehead.  Birdsong trilled in the treetops as dappled sunlight played on her face.  A sleepy koala munched on some succulent eucalyptus leaves overhead.  A kangaroo joey clambered awkwardly into its mother’s pouch.  In the distance, a red deer’s warm wet muzzle twitched as it lapped greedily at the creek’s edge. 

Little did she know that this pristine environment was completely synthetic.

Her body, trapped in its floatation tank at Headquarters, was numb and senseless.  The only functioning thing in that space was the VR headset.