Ella is the reason for being for the protagonist, Ben. Her personality and actions in Simulation – 1988 are defined by her unwavering, reciprocal devotion to Ben, her resilience against the gGlitch’s chaos, and her ability to anchor her identity through their shared bond.
Ella is characterized by her enduring strength and her choice to prioritize love over all else in the face of existential dread.
The Steadfast Partner: Like Ben, Ella refuses to succumb to the nihilism of the simulation. Her main purpose is to find Ben, and she endures the daily “switch” and “shuffling” for the chance to be with him. She maintains her caring, gentle nature despite the surrounding madness.
Source of Identity: Her identity is inextricably linked to her relationship with Ben. While the physical world and her body change daily, her consciousness and love for him provide a constant, making their relationship the most real thing in an illusory world.
The Anchor: She serves as an emotional anchor for Ben, sharing his hope and reciprocating his efforts. When she finds him, she is immediately gentle, smiling, and tearful with relief, validating their mutual struggle.
Ella faces the same existential challenges as every other human consciousness in the glitch, but with the added pressure of maintaining the most important relationship in the simulation.
The Daily Quest: Every morning, she must endure the shock of waking up in a new, unfamiliar body and location. She must then immediately prioritize finding her way to one of the agreed upon meeting spots to rendezvous with Ben.
Physical Disorientation: She copes with the same difficulties Ben does, waking up as a different age, gender, or nationality and must quickly adapt to her new physical form to navigate the world and evade danger.
The Threat of Keith: Ella is a specific, malicious target for Keith, the “angel of death,” who has sworn to kill her body. This places her in direct physical danger and necessitates Ben’s constant protective intervention, which she is likely aware of.
The Agony of Waiting: When Ben is late or unable to find her, Ella must endure the pain of isolation and the fear that he may have been killed or that the distance is too vast to cover before the daily Reset.
Ella’s display is characterized by her reliability and trust in the shared methods she and Ben have established to beat the chaos of the simulation.
Recognition Through the Eyes: Like Ben, Ella uses the eyes of the shuffled body as the single, reliable feature to confirm Ben’s consciousness. This shared recognition method is the bedrock of their continuity.
Adherence to the System: She consistently trusts and uses their established repertoire of meeting places (like Rockport, the Corn Palace, or a specific bakery), demonstrating her commitment to the ritual they created to subvert the glitch’s chaos.
Immediate Comfort: Upon contact, she displays immediate affection and recognition, suggesting that the long search and the anxiety of the separation are instantly erased by the relief of their reunion. Her ability to “gently push him back and smile” even while tearing up shows her emotional strength and immediate return to her role as his loving partner, despite whatever body she is wearing.
