To everyone's shock, those memories turn out to be real as well. While finding the fantasy narcissistic, his commanders agree to plant the memories at Rekal. However, young Quail was so kind and accepting of the aliens that they decided to hold off on their invasion as long as he was alive. When he was young, Quail used to fantasize that as a child he came across minuscule aliens that were going to launch a full invasion of Earth with their superior technology. Quail turns himself in and is placed with a psychiatrist to figure out what his own personal desires are. His commanders agree, feeling that it is their obligation to help their former agent. Quail suggests going through another mind-wipe, but this time replacing his current awareness of being an assassin with the pleasant memory of an exciting life. Wondering what to do, Quail's former commanders suddenly speak to him through the telepathic transmitter.
With his memories returned, the armed men appeal to Quail to surrender, but Quail, with his abilities awakened as well, fights them off and escapes. Through this interaction, Quail suddenly remembers why he had his memories erased: Quail wasn't just a secret agent, he was an assassin who killed a political opponent for Earth's government. Two armed men suddenly enter and reveal that Quail has a telepathic transmitter in his head that allows them to read his thoughts. He confronts his wife about whether or not he has actually been to Mars, and she angrily leaves him. He returns home still believing the memories are fake but discovers a box of fauna smuggled from Mars in his desk. Quail thinks that the operation was a failure because his memories are blurry, and he remembers his trip to the office to get the procedure done. The Rekal representative, McClane, refunds half of Quail's money and sends him home. Quail's memories reveal that he really is a secret agent who has been to Mars. To the shock of the Rekal technicians, under sedation, Quail somehow regains erased memories of who he really is. Quail eventually discovers Rekal Incorporated, where he goes to receive memory implants of having traveled to Mars. The story was adapted into the 1990 film Total Recall with Arnold Schwarzenegger as the story's protagonist that film was remade in 2012 with Colin Farrell as the protagonist.ĭouglas Quail works a menial office job in the "not too distant future." His biggest dream has always been to visit Mars but he is constantly dissuaded by his wife.
It features a melding of reality, false memory, and real memory.
Dick, first published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction in April 1966. " We Can Remember It for You Wholesale" is a science fiction novelette by American writer Philip K. The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction Dick We Can Remember It for You Wholesale
0 kommentar(er)
