was a placard emblazoned with a simple, yet strange phrase which can not be erased from my memory:

Make a dream with enemies that can kill you.

The other settings were so predictable. Just that one stood out. Why would anyone want to encounter enemies in their dreams? But seeing as I was hired to test the device, of course it was the first setting I selected. "If anything's gonna be broken, it's this one." I thought to myself. I plugged the thin wire into my notchslot and leaned back into the worn chair. It creaked into a stable rest and I closed my eyes.
"Run." I spat aloud.
"Ok. Are you sure?"
The disembodied voice of a digital lady said politely.
I felt something catch in my throat. I had heard the same dithering platitude shot from machine mouths since childhood, yet now I found myself genuinely unsure.
Was this really worth the pay?
What enemies would I face?
Would they really be able to kill me?
Or would I simply wake with some malfunction and be forever scarred?

"Yes."