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When I woke up this morning the first thing on my mind was: “Upload-day”. Or was I already dreaming about it before I woke up? The second thing I realized was my terrible sickness. I jumped out of bed and discovered I was very dizzy. I had to sit down quickly. I crawled on my knees to the bathroom, where I vomited all what was bothering me in a huge gulf. Sweating and hyperventilating I sat on the ground beside the lavatory bowl. Oh no, my head was hurting me so much, I couldn’t look up. Crawling back to my bed I saw on the alarm clock that it was still very early. Quarter pas six. I was scheduled for the upload at half past nine. Fortunately I’ve got some time. The way I’m feeling now, I have to forget about the whole session. If you’re sick or have some other vague illness, the upload is always canceled.

I have to do something. I must feel better soon. How did I get so nauseous. I haven’t drunk more than those two glasses of white wine during lunch with Hamilton. So it can’t be a hangover. Was it the food? I wish I had chosen the children’s menu, in spite of all those unusual titbits of raw fish and crustaceans. I am very fond of it and I never had any problems with it before. But that is wise talk afterwards. After thirty minutes I carefully rose up on my feet and went back to the bathroom.

Water; a lot of water in small nips. I filled an empty bottle with water and crawled back in bed with the bottle. Again everything came out, then I felt a lot better. Funny, if you look through the bottle to the label it says “naive”. Maybe that’s what I am. And because of that I lay here, far from home and being a bit sick. It became half past eight. I had to go out. Taking a shower and an aspirin. Then it will be fine for today.

Sheila and Steward were already waiting for me. Sheila looked at me in terror. “You are looking terrible, are you feeling alright?” “I guess I went to sleep a bit too late yesterday. I had such a good book.” I lied. “Besides all those uploads you are reading books as well? Are you ever here, on this world, or are you drifting between fiction and uploads for twenty-four hours a day?” I couldn’t let that happen to me: “If you would know me any better you will say something else. I have almost killed myself working that hard on the DOSS machine during the past weeks.” I retorted sharply. “Sorry, that’s not how I meant it, I was just kidding Adrian”. “Okay, sorry as well then. Shall we start?” Steward started to connect the equipment. I was lying myself cozily on the sofa, so the upload could start. Just before I dreamt away Sheila laid her cold hand on my bare forehead. “She can be nice as well.” I thought, just before going to dreamland.