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"A Model Life" is a short story written by Kim Antieu, and published in 2015.
A retired police officer named James, and his wife Alexis, win a lottery to spend a vacation in a safe, simulated {{Utopia}}. James struggles to fit in, and questions what he really wants out of life...
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!Tropes found:
* AfterTheEnd: The second model James is given the chance to live in is a post-apocalyptic nightmare, where he'd be an all-powerful cop.
* AntiClimax: Believing himself and Alexis to be in danger, James demands they both leave the model as soon as possible. Their car is surrounded...[[spoiler:and then it turns out there was no model, and that it was all an elaborate scheme to get James to realize he needs therapy.]]
* BungledSuicide: His depression only made worse while in the model, [[spoiler:James attempts to shoot himself. Unfortunately for him, his bullets were replaced with harmless ammo by the staff.]]
* CrapsackWorld: Discussed; Charlie offers the dissatisfied James a home in a different model, where he'd be a powerful law-enforcer in an apocalypse, with the complete authority to hurt or kill anyone. James finds the idea utterly horrifying.
* NotUsedToFreedom: Since retiring from the force, James finds himself bored and maladjusted to everyday life. It reaches the point where he tries to use his gun just to blow off steam.
* TherapyIsForTheWeak: No matter how hard Alexis tried to convince him, James refused to seak professional help for his depression, insisting he didn't even have a problem.
* {{Utopia}}: The model is a perfect society of pre-chosen people who don't engage in violence or cruelty. James finds it utterly miserable, no matter what he tries to do. [[spoiler:This is subverted; the model isn't even real, but an elaborate therapy scheme.]]
A retired police officer named James, and his wife Alexis, win a lottery to spend a vacation in a safe, simulated {{Utopia}}. James struggles to fit in, and questions what he really wants out of life...
----
!Tropes found:
* AfterTheEnd: The second model James is given the chance to live in is a post-apocalyptic nightmare, where he'd be an all-powerful cop.
* AntiClimax: Believing himself and Alexis to be in danger, James demands they both leave the model as soon as possible. Their car is surrounded...[[spoiler:and then it turns out there was no model, and that it was all an elaborate scheme to get James to realize he needs therapy.]]
* BungledSuicide: His depression only made worse while in the model, [[spoiler:James attempts to shoot himself. Unfortunately for him, his bullets were replaced with harmless ammo by the staff.]]
* CrapsackWorld: Discussed; Charlie offers the dissatisfied James a home in a different model, where he'd be a powerful law-enforcer in an apocalypse, with the complete authority to hurt or kill anyone. James finds the idea utterly horrifying.
* NotUsedToFreedom: Since retiring from the force, James finds himself bored and maladjusted to everyday life. It reaches the point where he tries to use his gun just to blow off steam.
* TherapyIsForTheWeak: No matter how hard Alexis tried to convince him, James refused to seak professional help for his depression, insisting he didn't even have a problem.
* {{Utopia}}: The model is a perfect society of pre-chosen people who don't engage in violence or cruelty. James finds it utterly miserable, no matter what he tries to do. [[spoiler:This is subverted; the model isn't even real, but an elaborate therapy scheme.]]
