Written by Jiin Jeong
Illustrated by Seoyoung Ko
“Hi! I’m the Imagination Machine. I turn your imagination into reality.” The machine sang in an
unusually high, shrill, and trembling voice. “I’m not quite used to my voice yet,” it squeaked apologetically, “I
hope you understand.”
“I did it!” The scientist put up his hands in bewilderment, pride, and elation. His electric blue eyes
glittered as he arranged his scrupled greying hair tidily and hungrily probed over his completed, seemingly
perfect invention. Nathan Evens, his silver nametag on his white lab coat read. One of the brightest inventors
to be living in the era, Nathan Evens was not the evil genius usually portrayed in movies. No, he was a kind
and benevolent inventor who wanted to help the humanity and bring some good into the world.
The machine, the “Imagination Machine”, stood humbly in the center of the room. It looked like a
simple trash can standing on four small legs; however, inscribed in cursive were the words “Imagination Machine: Expunging the Border between Reality and Imagination.” A quite lofty goal and a very fancy name, but
it was what the machine aimed to do.
“Hi! I turn your imagination into reality. I would really like to take your order,” it reiterated politely
after Nathan lost himself in self-congratulations. Nathan turned around and faced the machine. The twenty
years of skipping meals, experimenting, and imagining finally paid off. Now, he had the ability to turn everyone’s imagination into reality. He was able to create the world he imagined…a joyful, peaceful world with no
wars, misery, or sadness.
“I imagine…I imagine…” Inside his head, a world filled with laughter and joy, a world filled with
well-meant jokes and humor, stretched in front of him. “I imagine a world where everyone is always happy.”
“Order registered!” Imagination Machine let out an ominous creak-creak-crack. Nathan looked around
but noticed nothing changed. He walked out onto the street and saw expressionless people walking around.
‘Is this happy? Is this happy?’ He asked himself, worrying for the slightest possibility that his inventible
contained a foible. Nathan stopped a middle-aged man walking blank-faced to work. “Are you happy?” He
questioned. The person looked at him as if he didn’t even know why anyone would ask such a question. “Why,
of course I am!” He exclaimed and went on his way.
“Wait! Wait!” Nathan cried out desperately after him. “So you’re not sad, depressed, angry…you’re
happy?”
“What does it feel to be sad? How do you feel depressed?” The man truly looked baffled. “I’m happy.
I always am.” Nathan asked couple more people but they all parroted the same answer. They’re happy. They
don’t know sadness. Anger? Never heard of such a thing.
Dismayed, Nathan went back to his house and reset the Imagination Machine.
“I imagine a world where everyone is the same.”
Nathan again walked out, imagining a world where every human was treated equally regardless of
race, gender, wealth, and religion. He couldn’t believe what he saw. Every street was painted black; everyone
was wearing drab, faded grey clothes. Every individual was waiting in a long line for their portions of the food
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