A man walks into a job interview …
Jim is nervous. He knows he’s a dinosaur even though just turning 36. He refuses to upgrade himself. A minority. Today is the first job interview he’s had in months. He sits in the waiting room alone. The walls top to bottom with moving images of Earth’s most beautiful places, real enough to want to walk into. “I wonder if those places are really real?” he thinks.
He had the option of “phoning it in,” but he is a strong man, capable. Never afraid of hard work. He appreciates his body, his biology, his “spirit” all given to him by God. He wanted to walk to the interview. Move his body. Breathe the air on the way. Fell the sun on his real skin.
His interview is, ironically, with a medical facility that installs “updates,” artificial body and brain parts. Jim just wants the janitor job. Anything to sustain himself at this point. Anything to keep his real biological humanity intact for as long as he can in this time of change to the totally artificial.
Society was ok with him. They had nothing to control or fear about him. There was little he could do to thwart the changes. He was a minority in the extreme. “Biologics” like him were rare. One in 100,253 as of Jan 1, 2036.
He knew his place.
He was never hassled about it. The next stage of human evolution among him had bigger fish to assimilate to be sure. Their sense of superiority over him was that of mammal to a microbe. If anything he was becoming more of a curiosity to those so “evolved.” To see one like he was as if lighting struck beside them, a butterfly in a hurricane. His kind are now cared for like children do to retired and aging parents. Keep them busy. Keep them alive. Keep them comfortable and let them fade away peacefully. Good memories but gone forever.
He sits mesmerized by a scene of incomprehensible natural beauty until it jarringly goes dark.
A countdown appears accompanied by a soothing female voice, “5. 4. 3. 2. 1.” She now appears standing in the center of the room as a perfect and beautiful holographic female. “Is she real? Somewhere?” thinks Jim. “Shut up man. You know better.” He does know better. Its been years since he’s seen a fully biological “real” woman.
“Interview now in session. Maintenance position 00279. Hello Jim Smith. My name is Tina. Are you ready?”
“Yes,” he replies gravelly. Throat clear. He stands and reaches for a hand shake but knows the folly of it and pulls back a bit embarrassed. He sits. “Yes! Yes I am, thank you for seeing me today.”
A chair appears behind her and she sits. “Not a problem, Jim. How are you feeling?” says Tina.
“Good. And you?” he says.
“I’m fine, Jim. Shall we begin?”
“Of course,” he says.
“So, Jim, you are interested in 00279?” says Tina.
“00279? Oh right yes the job number. Yes, very much so. I want to contribute to society in anyway I’m still capable,” says Jim.
“That’s great to hear, Jim. Hold your hand out please? Just need to check your health,” says Tina.
Jim holds out his palm. A light from above hits it for a second. On the wall behind him are all his vitals for Tina to see. An amazing array of stats and graphics. Pictures of his entire life and experience go by in flashes. He’s tempted to peek over his shoulder but just keeps his eyes on her. He really misses women. Real women. He had a wife before she upgraded. He has no idea where or what “she” is now.
“You can take your hand back, Jim,” said Tina smiling. “So, you were a doctor I see?”
“Yes. Yes, I was. Had just started practicing when … everything changed,” he says.
“Curious. Why did you not continue with your profession? Our society could still use your abilities in that capacity. With or without upgrades, your skills still have some merit today,” she said.
“Yes, yes I know. I just had philosophical differences with the . . . new nature of the work.”
“I do apologize if I am being persistent but can you explain what you mean by philosophical differences?” she said.
“Well, I just have a disagreement to the upgrades. Generally,” he said. After a long pause and little response from Tina he continues. “I prefer to remain a biological human. I felt that I was not a good advocate for those wanting to change. I have no problem with those who’ve made the choice, of course.”
“Of course,” mirrors Tina.
“I just felt I could no longer remain professional in my profession.” he says with a smile and a nervous laugh.
“Don’t fuck this up, Jim,” he thinks.
“I see.” Tina says with a smile. “Well, as long as you can professionally do the duties assigned to 00279, I do not see your past as a future problem for us.”
A pause and mutual stare down.
“No, no my past won’t be a problem.” Jim says. “May I ask how many applicants there are for the . . . for 00279?”
“Just you today, Jim.” she says. “When can you start?”
And finally, if you liked this, then please heart and share it. I need to make a living at this “writing thing” someday soon. Thanks.
