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She slips the button through the buttonhole。
The silence between her and her father is louder than a scream。
How he looms。 Looms。
Sometimes it ends here。 Other times。 。 。 。 。 。 he will not be so easily turned away。
She has not （trawl： blood。 Sometimes site does。
At last he leaves the room； slamming the door behind him so hard that the windowpanes rattle。
Susan sits alone； shaking partly with fear and partly with triumph。
Gradually the scene fades into blackness。
She has not drawn blood。
Maybe the next time。
She remained on the motorized recliner in the master…bedroom retreat； ensconced in the VR gear； for more than another half hour； responding to and surviving threats of violence and rape made by a man long dead。
Of the uncountable assaults that young Susan had suffered at the hands of her father between the ages of five and seventeen； this elaborate therapy program included twenty…two scenes； all of which she had recalled and animated in excruciating detail。 Like the numerous possible plot flows of a CD…ROM game； each of these scenes could progress in a multitude of ways； determined not only by the things Susan chose to say and do in each session but by a random…plotting capability designed into the program。 Consequently； she never quite knew what was ing next。
She had even written and animated a hideous sequence in which her father reacted with such vicious fury to her resistance that he murdered her。 Stabbed her repeatedly。
Thus far； during eighteen months of this self…administered therapy； Susan had not found herself trapped in that mortal scenario。 She dreaded encountering it and hoped to finish her therapy soon； before the program's random…plotting feature plunged her into that particular nightmare。
Dying in the VR world would not result； of course； in her death in the real world。 Only in witless movies were events in the virtual world able to have a material influence in the real world。
Nevertheless； animating that bloody sequence had been one of the most difficult things that she'd ever done and experiencing it three…dimensionally； not as a VR designer but from within the scenario； was certain to be emotionally devastating。 Indeed； she had no way of predicting how profound the psychological impact might be。
Without such an element of risk； however； this therapy would have been less effective。 In each session； living in the virtual world； she needed to believe that the threat her father posed was fearfully real and that terrible things might indeed happen to her。 Her resistance to him would have moral weight and emotional value only if she genuinely believed； during the session； that denying him could have terrible consequences。
Now the motorized recliner reconfigured itself until Susan was standing upright； held against the vertical leather pad by the harness。
She moved her feet。 The upholstered rollers on the walking pad allowed her to simulate movement。
In the virtual world； a younger Susan child or adolescent was either advancing on her father or determinedly backing away from him。
'No；' she said。 'Stay away。 No。'
She looked so achingly vulnerable in the VR gear； temporarily blind and deaf to the real world； sensing only the virtual plane； restrained by the harness。
So vulnerable。 Still struggling courageously to overe the past； alone in her great house with only the ghosts of days gone by to keep her pany。
After lunch； Susan sat on the master…bedroom balcony； in the summer sun； reading a novel by Annie Proulx。
She wore white shorts and a blue halter top。 Her legs were tan and smooth。 Her skin appeared radiant with captured sunlight。
She sipped lemonade from a cut…crystal glass。
Gradually the shadows of a phoenix palm crept across Susan； as if seeking to embrace her。
A faint breeze caressed her neck and languorously bed her golden hair。
The day itself seemed to love her。
A Sony Discman played Chris Isaak CDs while she read。 Forever Blue。 Heart…Shaped World。 San Francisco Days。 Sometimes she put the book aside to concentrate on the music。
Her legs were tan and smooth。
Then the household staff and the gardeners left for the day。
She was alone again。 Alone。 At least she believed that she was alone again。
After taking a long shower and brushing her damp hair； she put on a sapphire…blue silk robe and went to the retreat adjacent to the master bedroom。
In the center of this small room stood a custom…designed black leather recliner。 To the left of the recliner was a puter on a wheeled stand。
From a closet； Susan removed VR virtual reality gear of her own design： a lightweight ventilated helmet with hinged goggles and a pair of supple elbow…length gloves； both wired to a nerve…impulse processor。
The motorized recliner was currently configured as an armchair。 She sat and engaged a harness； much like that in an automobile： one strap fitting securely across her abdomen； another running diagonally from her left shoulder to her right hip。
Temporarily； she held the VR equipment in her lap。 Her feet rested on a series of upholstered rollers that attached to the base of the chair； positioned similarly to the footplate on a beautician's chair。 This was the walking pad； which would allow her to simulate walking when the VR scenario required it。
She switched on the puter and loaded a program labeled Therapy； which she herself had created。
This was not a game。 It was not an industrial training program or an educational tool； either。 It was precisely what it claimed to be。 Therapy。 And it was better than anything that any disciple of Freud could have done for her。
She had devised a revolutionary new use for VR technology； and one day she might even patent and market the application。 For the lime being； however； Therapy was for her use only。
First she plugged the yR gear into a jack on an interfacing device already connected to the puter； and then she put on the helmet。 The goggles were flipped up； away from her eyes。
She pulled on the gloves and flexed her fingers。
The puter screen offered several options。 Using the mouse； she clicked on Begin。
Turning away from the puter； leaning back in the recliner； Susan flipped down the goggles； which fit snugly to her eye sockets。 The lenses were in fact a pair of miniature； matched； high…definition video displays。
She is surrounded by a soothing blue light that gradually grows darker until all is black。
To match the unfolding scenario in the VR world； the motorized recliner hummed and reconfigured 111 to a bed； parallel to the floor。
Susan was now lying on her back。 Her arms were crossed on her chest； and her hands were fisted。
In the blackness； one point of light appears： a soft yellow and blue glow。 On the far side of the room。 Lower than the bed； near the floor。 It resolves into a Donald Duck night light plugged in a wall outlet。
In the retreat adjacent to her bedroom； strapped to the recliner and encumbered with the VR gear； Susan appeared oblivious to the real world。 She murmured as though she were a sleeping child。 But this was a sleep