A Wonderful World

A Mind for Sore Minds

I was jerked awake when Irinia got up. She had the same lack of life in her eyes like yesterday. I waited in her room while she showered, brushed her teeth and put on her business attire. I snuck into the bathroom and got ready while she wasn't in there, and we were both ready to leave at the same time. The bright side of this strange turn of events is that I can finally walk around fully clothed, completed with a set of actual shoes. The tie was a bit much, but I didn't want to stand out from the crowd by not wearing it. We rode the crowded elevator down the 212 floors in silence. There wasn't even elevator music. After it arrived to the ground level, everyone went towards the same direction. They all went into another skyscraper a full blocks away. Along the walk, I didn't see the bum.

This building was very different than the others. It looked like a giant gym with endless rows of treadmills. Everyone lined up to get to the kiosks. I followed Irinia to get a closer look, since no one seemed to care what I was doing. Her iris was scanned, and there was a display on the kiosk. It listed all of the things she consumed, activities she did, and the ratio of calories she expended from last night. What an odd set of demographics, I thought. After the scanning was complete, the screen made a confirmation beep and Irinia went straight towards a treadmill. She walked very briskly and the incline of her treadmill increased back and forth while she was walking. Was this her workout before her job? She didn't do anything differently for at least 10 minutes, so I observed the other workers. Everyone's treadmills seemed to be running at different speeds and inclines. It dawned on me that the treadmills were automatically trying to reverse the amount of activity that the previous day had resulted. It was pure genius! That way the humans would remain healthy while still living their euphoric lifestyles. It made sense because healthcare on Earth was another resource-heavy expense. Whoever designed this planet had to be a genius. I was getting nervous just thinking about it. How did Kato think that someone like me could outsmart a genius?

I half-thought that they were going to be exercising before going to work, but they stayed on their treadmills for the entire day. I would assume the genius creator would also be harnessing power from all of these treadmills. What do they need all this energy for? Surely it wasn't just for the robots. Perhaps Kato was right that they were researching something big. I could tell the workday was ending because all the treadmills suddenly stopped the whirring. It was deadly quiet. Like clockwork everyone lined up to leave the building. I didn't see them eat all day. We all walked towards a skyscraper and entered the hotel lobby. Everyone lined for the kiosk and received their coins and then made way for the clothing store. Again, they all lined up, used the kiosk, and traded their sweaty business suits for brand new ones. Oddly enough, I didn't see the bum anywhere. Just like yesterday, we all packed the elevator and went into our respective rooms. I followed Irinia again because I didn't have a room.

I stopped Irinia from undressing in front of me again, screamed while she screamed, and managed to convince her to go get some dinner. We all left the building and walked towards the restaurant building. In the distance I saw a man shouting. It was the bum! I pulled Irinia towards his direction. She pulled back.

"Where are you going?" she asked. "The restaurant is the other way."

"Can we try a different place tonight?" I responded, continuing to tug her in my direction. She tugged back.

"C'mon baby, it's been a tiring work week and I just want the comfort of my favorite restaurant." she implored.