"Doctor, her family''s requesting her status," said a nurse.


    "Same as the others that keep pouring in."


    "Why''s it happening, Doctor?"


    "A mass-phobia amplified by the ''hive mind'' as if suddenly ‘reality’ became impossible to cope with."


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "But they''re all catatonic, Doctor. Can''t we just unplug them?"


    “Too dangerous—we''re dependent on our exocortex—that’d be like performing a lobotomy."


    "What can we do, Doctor?"


    "A self-fulfilling evolutionary prophecy ..."


    "Doctor?"


    "The majority of Earth population''s plugged in. Our government''s declared a state of emergency, mass-producing robotic caretakers. It''s only a matter of time till you and I are next."