Wild in the world of efficiency.

Wild in the world of efficiency.

Jim was but an office worker, describing his job wouldn’t be very efficient has he just knows what he has to do , him and everyone else. People don’t ask stupid questions because that would be a waste of time. This was the world Jim lived in.

While walking to work, Jim wouldn’t really turn his head or slow to admire. Not only was that a waste of  his time during his commute to work , but there was also nothing to admire. The buildings were all the same once they found the technology to mass produce and build them with minimal effort and maximum efficiency. Some discussions are being  had regarding the builders and how it would be more efficient to use mechanical arms or robots. Such talks turned this world into what it is. The same square buildings had a mix of office spaces and apartments. Therefore, higher ranking employees could have a shorter commute and keep the office in check. Unfortunately, Jim was not such a man.  Jim´s school did not have the new technology that programmed certain aspects for minimum efficiency in the work space. Instead, he had to waste his time listening to teachers trying to explain in too many words what him and his colleagues were going to have to do in life and what they should learn and study. It was terrible and that lack of efficiency in setting up such technology to every school cost him dearly.

Nonetheless nothing was to be done, such was life and nothing would be able to change his probable outcome. As he stood right in front of his office building, a path he had walked for years at this point, he suddenly turned his head to see a strange colour in the corner of his eye. Colour was a distracting mess so scientists were ordered to experiment on which colour would suit a  standard neutral place that would not conflict with cognitive abilities of workers. Rather than deciding between colours, the famous scientist, Boredersburg, found a way to manipulate light and apply it to tissue making the ultimate neutral colour, it has been coined NOTACO, as it was more efficient than saying “ not a colour”. Due to this , it was quite surprising seeing something orange. Like a moth  to a flame, Jim was drawn to it into a tight squeeze between two buildings. Those spaces were mostly used for structural integrity and used for possible exterior repairs. There was no reason for Jim to be there, but instinct took over for a human  for the first time in hundreds of years. After rushing through that space, he finally met what was  orange. Sitting by a NOTACO  recycling system licking his tiny orange paws was a small cat. Jim learned, even though it was not necessary that all animals were sheltered in different corners of the earth to be used for scientific purposes and maintaining the best ecosystem the earth could offer , keeping it efficient. So why on earth would a small cat be able be here where he was?

The shock was so great, Jim couldn’t even think of work, the cat stood before him took precedence. However, what could he do?  No one taught him what to do in this situation. He is perfectly aware how much time he is wasting just standing thinking, but he couldn’t do nothing else. The cat eventually noticed Jim staring and gently walked up to him, he nudged against his legs and purred. Just as Jim´s sudden panic came, It was as quick to disappear after the cat´s sweet and comforting gesture. He crouched down and met this cat at eye level. The cat had deep green eyes. So rich in colour Jim had to look away. It bothered him somehow. It felt too real for him. As if all his senses were dull and blunt. Better yet, they were flat. Nothing bothered Jim before, nothing excited him either. Food or company was all there was and there was nothing to it. Strangely looking at that cat, shook something within Jim. But he couldn’t put his finger on it. Instead, he decided to hide the cat and bring him home. There they could better figure out what to do. Jim reluctantly extended his hand and the cat nudged against it, he was petting it. A rush came over him , but not in a stressful way, in a good way.  As the cat got comfortable with Jim’s hands , there was no issue on being picked up . Jim hurried back home trying to not look awkward with the cat in his arms , but in spite of being worried if anyone saw him, he noticed all the other people walking blankly staring forward they all wore NOTACO Issued uniforms and their posture and rhythm was flawless. Perfect for a brisk pace without wasting energy. Jim was perplexed, he started asking himself how he was able to the same before , it looked so unnatural to him.

Jim finally reached his home and closed the door intensely. He leaned on it and his breath was completely out of whack. Heavy , fast and lacking any sort of control over it. Jim never felt like this before . such a rush was scary although it was more than that. Jim felt life. His touch was different he was paying attention to texture to the door or lack thereof. His eyes saw his room and it was almost like pain surged through his body, but it wasn´t. It was anger. He hated it. All of it. He stood up and slumped to his living room and threw his chair around . He broke the screen that only turned on after work reporting any important events or decisions . It was nothing but white text on a black background. Nonetheless it was destroyed now.

After the meltdown Jim had he remembered the cat, he looked around for it, concerned it could have run away. He opens every cabinet and storage container he had. Only to find him under the sheets of his bed. Unfortunately, he still needed sheets. People with high enough income get procedure that allows them to sleep immediately without needing any sort of comfort and allowing them to wake up in schedule with their work hours. The cat was stretching making himself comfortable in Jim’s bed. He sat next to him and began thinking what to do with the cat. There was no way he could keep him. He didn’t know how and it was illegal , any creature found outside its confines its be reported by the citizens. At least that’s how he remembered it. But if that was the case, how come no one reported the cat until Jim saw him? Why didn’t Jim even remember to report the car to the authorities? It was too confusing for Jim. He fell on his bed absolutely exhausted.

He woke up and was immediately concerned if the cat had left, but he was right there, cuddling his leg beneath the sheets sleeping soundly. He got himself clean, but was frustrated by the shower´s timer limit, it never bothered him before, but just a bit longer would have been nice. Pacing back and forth through his apartment, he was struggling with what to do with the cat. The same one that was eating an open can of processed food with all the nutrients for healthy living. The food doesn’t have much taste, but it goes down easily. Jim finally thought of asking one of his school teachers, the one that taught him about the animals, where their shelters were. Maybe he could make the journey and deliver the cat there. He remembered the teacher saying there were a lot of them to ensure the animals are kept to the regions they know and are adapted to.

Jim went to his house as this teacher was already retired. Retired people a made to be essential customers for promising business keeping the world economy alive for those working. The  teacher didn’t seem to please, but it was hard to tell. It was a slight frown that could pass for just his regular expression. Jim knew it wasn’t.

“ Hello, Mr porter? Hey look would you mind answer a few questions for me?”

“Listen Jim, I appreciate you visiting but shouldn’t you be at work?  What do you want me for?

“ Listen it will be quick I just need help finding his home “ Jim slowly shows the cat who was hiding in his shirt.

“ Where the hell did you find a cat? They are extinct, just by seeing one we can both go to jail , you need to take it back or reported something.”

“ That is why I am here; I need you to tell me where the animal shelters for scientific research are ?”

The teacher sighed heavily and gestured for Jim to come in. As soon as both him and the cat entered, he told them:

“ There is only one left. It’s a 2-day train ride away. To be honest I don’t think they will care much for another cat.”

“ What do you mean only one shelter? You taught us there were hundreds.”

“Well yeah and then they figured the whole ecosystem shit and animals are no longer needed, at least like it was back then . they made a big one to keep all the other animals.  But a lot died in the process. The system doesn’t need or care for animals , to be honest they want to wipe all of em out eventually. Because its just not efficient keeping them around.”

Jim felt like his entire skin was being pinched as the teacher said that, the word efficiency had lost all meaning to him. With that the world stop making sense. The only thing that made sense was how alive he felt, and how free.

“ Look , Mr Porter. I want to thank you for telling me that. I will deliver the cat to that shelter, and I have now decided to live there with him. “

Porter´s frown turned to an open mouth due to the surprise.

“ What do you mean ? you don’t what its like in there, you don’t know animals, hell you barely know the cat you are holding right now . why would you give your life away like that ?”

“ Have you truly seen the world around you Mr Porter? We shower for limited set time, to go to work in the fastest way possible, we ingrain ourselves with what is rationally best. But we never enjoy any of it. Nothing is alive, I couldn’t feel sad the same way I couldn’t feel happy . It´s horrendous. I know that now, all because I chose to look at this cat in its live, deep green eyes. They are absolutely wild. That awoke something in me I just can´t give back, its something that makes all this life worthless. So, I will find a new one, among the wild. Eventually , when the time comes, I will protect these animals from being erased, but for now I just want to be there.”

Jim grabbed the cat that was  scratching the leg of a table and left quickly. Porter sighed heavily as Jim left. His face was trembling and a tear shed across his face.

“Go get em kid “.

The train ride was not too harsh as Jim spent most of his time contemplating about the world. How and why NOTACO was created. Who would want something like that. The questions suddenly came flooding to him. Why was there need for so many office workers, how come nothing else seemed to exist? When did all this started to happen and why did people allow it to become this way? All these mysteries required an amount of knowledge he did not possessed just yet. While trying to sleep he noticed the cat was stretching and was getting ready to walk around the train . Jim panicked , everyone in his cabin was sleeping, but he couldn’t risk someone seeing him. He gestured aggressively for the cat not go and stay with him. Flailing his arms around was not working whatsoever. In desperation he let out in a stern voice just as the cat was moving to leave his seat.

“ SIT.”

It was a little loud ,but it managed not to wake anyone up. The cat on the other hand, turned around staring at Jim and sat down. A huge smile grew on his face , so much he couldn’t sleep. He started trying different things like to lay down, jump etc. A few worked but the best was realizing he could teach the cat what to do. At least when the cat felt like it. Satisfied Jim relaxed throughout the rest of trip.

They finally arrived to the animal shelter, the only place with wild animals in the world. It was this huge prison walls covered by NOTACO. A strong Metal gate looked impossible to open. There was no security because that was deemed a waste of time since crime was borderline non-existent. Nothing to secure , no need to pay people to do security. Jim was surprisingly nervous. After all, once he got in there would be no going back. A plan would fall into motion only to stop in complete disaster, or great success.

He stepped in front of the gate trying to figure out how to open it, there was no code pad, lock or nothing , there had to be a way to get in. he turned around and saw the cat was nowhere to be found. He yelled for it panicking . After all of what he has been through , he couldn’t believe he was gone. Maybe he had found his own way inside, but still he felt a deep betrayal. A new and terrible sensation.

“Meow”

He heard it , coming from the gate´s direction , he looked and there he was , with the gate opened, it looked like it only needed a nudge. The relief he felt was otherworldly and so was the happiness. He ran to it and entered the shelter. He was never taught was it looked like on the inside. But whatever Jim was looking at , was beautiful. Greenery of grass and plants, shades of pink , orange, yellow , blue from flowers he had only seen in discoloured books. The sounds of unknown chirping and the ruffle of the leaves . It was as alive as him. More than anything else outside of it.

Jim braced himself, the cat  jumped to his shoulder and they glanced at each other.

“ we got work to do…”

Jim wanted to spread this life to the world, get back a world of colour. Whether that would happen or collapse on itself. Jim was free and alive to do it. Jim believed, in the end, that he was born to be wild .