Brenda Peynado's "The Touches" is a Tor.com Original short story set in a post-apocalyptic world

Salipa and Telo have perfect lives in the virtual reality world that humanity has retreated to after bacteria and viruses resistant to all medications take over the outside world.

But when the robots that take care of the necessities in the dirty outside world start glitching, Salipa must figure out what it means to truly live if they can never return to the world they once knew.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.