[ WP ] A new drug let 's you live a lifetime in one dream

It started out innocently enough. The friendly commercials that spouted the amazing truth... 
 
 *Do you ever wish to live a life... and another... and another? Well, wish no more! Try Vivadoz! One pill, taken before bedtime, will allow you to dream an amazing adventure, and wake up refreshed and ready to tackle the day! * 
 
 Vivadoz was a hit, of course. Everyone wanted to escape their every day, and have an adventure, all without leaving their home. 
 
 The idea is this: You take The Pill, and then think about where you want to be, what you want to be doing... and the vivid dreams begin while you sleep. Better than a Star Trek Holodeck. Kayaking in a mountain valley? Flying a fighter jet? Exploring Mars? Watching a supernova up close? 
 
 Nothing was off limits. Whatever you could dream up, The Pill would give you... all you have to do is get 6-8 hours to do it. 
 
 But then... oh, the insidiousness of the pleasure that Pill gave people. The drug companies knew what they were doing. They were like pushers. They were damn near *giving the drug away* as soon as the FDA trials were over. The pharmas made an absolute *killing* selling the thing. And the best part? No after effects were observed. No danger. Completely harmless. Just awesome sleep, right? 
 
 Yes, absolutely! Incredible sleep. More than anything else, sleep was the best thing a person could do in their life now. The drug was everywhere. If you wanted it, you got it. And you slept. Wake up... get some food, take a pee break... then sleep, and another adventure. 
 
 Nobody kept track of anyone else... anything else... Because everyone wanted to sleep. Everywhere. Nobody escaped the lure of The Pill. 
 
 And then... it happened. Someone figured out the formula... and it was *simple*. Kids could make it... and did. Everyone did. 
 
 And so that was that... the world ended. 
 
 Well, not literally, Earth's still orbiting the sun. Animals are still about. But there's not many humans living anymore. I'm one of the lucky bastards... if you want to call me that... that survived The Slumbering. 
 
 See, when people do nothing but sleep... then they forget things need tending. Power plants, for one. Food supplies for another. People kept neglecting things. Oh, sure, crime went way the hell down, but that's little consolation when a nuclear power plant runs out of people to run it. Or a forest fire happens and nobody's around to put the fire out. Or nobody wants to be a nurse anymore. 
 
 They tried to control things, but people *rioted* to get their Pills. Struck too. No work until Pills happened. 
 
 A sad statement on Humanity, really. 
 
 So everything, everywhere, fell apart. Once a society got The Pill, it was over. Just a matter of time. And no society ever, EVER escaped the lure. From the politicians, to the armies, to the people in the streets and everyone everywhere in between. The Pill was humanity's abomination. 
 
 And in the horror of what we'd done to ourselves...'we' chose to take some more... to forget reality... to forget the pain of living in the real world... and we died as a viable, modern society. Either animals ate us as we slept, blissfully unaware of our being consumed... or we starved as food ran out, but we dreamed. 
 
 The Remainders, as we call ourselves, do n't really know why we resist... perhaps it's our statement to the Universe that we will not go quietly... or something... I do n't really know anymore. And I've kind of had enough of the harsh life I've been living since the world fell apart... 
 
 So today, I made a batch. I told myself I would n't, but... I miss my family. Jessica and the kids wait for me... in the Dreams. So I'm going to Dream. 
 
 Goodnight. 
 
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 Edit: Wow! I sort of expected this one to not get such attention. Thanks to all y'all for the kind words... and since yesterday, I've got a few ideas about this theme... so maybe I can write a little more, for those who want it.: ) 
 
 Also, yes, non-intentional, semi-coincidental plagerisim of ideas in the vein of Matrix, Resident Evil, even The Finglonger, among others. All the stories have been told by now, right? Heh. 
 
 Thanks for the great prompt!
