You raise some intriguing questions here Captain, and as an empath I feel your sorrow over the doomed relationship you embarked upon with Minuet. And herein lies the crux of the matter. Our 21st Century projections, games and technologies in our virtual worlds do not have the ability to empathise with us. Artificial Intelligence is, in our time, a forming emerging intelligence currently data gathering or mining, not yet evolved to the level of sentience. At least that is what we have been told by the few who are in control.

Our cryptocurrencies are all linked to AI in their decentralised platforms where there are veritable armies of bots swarming around. The danger of not having a form of security around this is beginning to emerge but this, along with the moral implications, are only questioned by a few, not the many! Yet. It is a debate not yet on the ready room table, so to speak!

In asking what is reality, how do we distinguish what reality IS from what is virtual, holo, or projected reality I think you ask a question that cannot be answered without diving much deeper into questions of what human consciousness is, how it interacts in a 3 dimensional universe (indeed is it a multiverse?) and IF it is evolving beyond the need for a material existence at all. And that might need some Earl Grey and a deep pontificate while gazing at the fish tank!!