In any society there are those who fall through the cracks. In our society, I’ve fallen into a crack inside one of those cracks.
When applying for jobs I wasn’t picky… I knew the AI would place me somewhere that would utilize my skills and leave me, if not happy, then at least content. Imagine my surprise when the job listings came back and [NULL] was at the top of the list. As a lark I signed up for it, and even more surprise came my way when I got the job. I was to report to [Address] on [date]. My wage was set at [Minimum*[specialty factor]+[years worked]*[job performance + cost of living]%].
That’s how the page looked… No specifics… Nothing but broken variables.
Initially I considered the job a wash, but while attempting to fill out more job applications I continued getting notifications.
-WARNING: This job conflicts with your current career of [NULL] and is far below your current standing. Are you sure you wish to continue?
I wasn’t sure. Thankfully this uncertainty kept me from filling out more job offers, because the next morning my hand began blinking. The words ‘Please report to [Address]’.
I was given GPS instructions. With nothing else to do, I followed them… I took a tram… I got in a PodCar… I found myself at a seedy looking intersection, surrounded on all sides by looming skyscrapers whose purpose remained vague to me.
I assumed I needed to go inside one of them, yet my coordinates led me past them and into a back alley filled with flattened cardboard, garbage cans, and an odd assortment of forgotten bits and bobs.
“You the guy?” A voice asked.
I looked around and saw a small man, roughly a foot and a half tall, standing beside a pile of boxes.
“Uhhhh.” I responded. I didn’t want to be rude and comment on the man’s height, but he was only about a foot and a half tall. I didn’t want to be rude and ask what I was doing in the back alley. I didn’t want to be rude and ask why he was dressed as a garden gnome… It was none of my business.
The man beckoned to the boxes. “Help us move these.”
As soon as he spoke I saw two more figures of similar height and dress pop out from their hiding places.
Without a word I grabbed some of the boxes and followed the man to the back of the alley, where an old PodCar rested. The chasis of the vehicle was mostly removed, and there were several alterations to it that didn’t seem quite legal.
Again, I didn’t want to be rude and ask questions. Instead I moved the boxes into the back of the vehicle, stuffing them inside until it was completely filled. The three gentlemen then jumped into the driver’s seat. One handled the pedals, while another manned the steering stick.
“Thanks a lot!” The first man saluted.
“Couldn’t have done it without you!” The one wearing an orange hat agreed.
The one with a green hat simply gave a nod.
And with that the trio drove their vehicle further back into the alley before disappearing around a corner.
My hand beeped, and I saw a surprising amount of money deposited in my account. I assumed it must’ve been a mistake, but after a few days the number remained.
And that’s what life as a [NULL] is like. You service those who aren’t serviced by the rest of society.
Sometimes it’s dangerous. I once had to evict a blob of living flesh from an apartment… This flesh-beast was like a layer of skin that grew over the floors, crept up the walls, and covered the ceilings. It encased the appliances, the wall-mounted radiator, and even grew into the drains of the sinks, toilets, and tub. I had to peel the creature off every surface, and all the while it tried to grow over me…
At other times the job is simple. A strange reptilian-looking being once asked me to deliver it cheeseburgers… And that’s it. I went to the restaurant, picked up the order, walked about a mile, and gave the person(?) his(?) food.
It’s a pretty good job. It’s odd, it’s inconsistent, and I’m not exactly sure what each day will bring. Even though I had funds I was evicted from my apartment due to having no recognizable job, but I quickly found a place in a different part of the city… A stranger part of the city. Now I have a larger living space, and even though one of my neighbors is a mad genetics genius and my other neighbors are his clones, it’s a fairly normal life. Within certain groups I’m very well off, so I suppose being a [NULL] has its perks.
.