Talk About Predictable!

Today was going to be another one of those days. You know the ones; you start with each activity already preloaded into your smart device. You go places, you sell or buy things, you punch buttons all day until returning home exhausted. You relax to preselected music or entertainment with the goal of preparing you for tomorrow. How did Pim know it was going to be that way? Because it's like that EVERYDAY!

Not that it's a bad life. The Omnicomputer had accurately predicted he would be exactly at this point in his career at this time. His parents had been so proud. Tears streamed down his mother's face when the printout read "99% success rate determined" at his graduation. His dad already had it framed on the mantle alongside the others going all the way back to "72% live birth predicted."

Pim wasn't sure when things changed, what life was like before the computers took over. But the stories of before were scary. His grandfather sat him on his knee one time and told him about a time when a simple trip to the grocery store could lead to everything from getting rained on, getting mugged, getting lost, finally arriving at the store, and then not even having the product in stock! It was living like savages, there was no control over anything!

School had a brief class on the new rise of quantum computers. They had become so fast and accurate at planning, predicting, and filling supplies that the servant had quietly become the master. First business, then government, and eventually, even religion had handed over the "keys of the Kingdom" all within a generation. 

Pim ignored the protesters as he made his way to the people mover. That was the common name for the mass transit system. The Omnicomputer predicted that continued automobile use would result in an increased risk of untimely death, environmental devastation, heightened stress, along with other ailments so all vehicles had been eliminated. 

People were now moved along conveyor belts from point A to point B the way items are moved through massive warehouses. The protesters hated the idea of being scanned and barcoded each morning. These imprints not only determined which track you would be shuttled onto but whether your caramel macchiato would be hot or merely lukewarm. Omni analyzed the length of your trip and estimated your optimal coffee consumption time. 

Pim sipped his drink and shrugged, not too hot but neither too cold. However, he couldn't quite describe it the way old Goldilocks did. It wasn't just right. The man standing next to him said casually, "You know, it doesn't have to be this way. You can complain, you know."

The words hung in the air like smoke blown from the end of a cigarette. By the way, the tobacco industry too had been eliminated due to all the cancer it had caused. Everyone already knew that, but no one would stand up to the big advertisers. No one that is, except Omni.

The idea of complaining had only seemed appealing since his boss had posted the latest 5year projections. Pim had always enjoyed his job, interacting with the customers, ensuring satisfaction. It was fulfilling, though (you guessed it) quite predictable.

He could see himself doing this job for the next 5 to 10 years. However, the projections showed he had a less than 42% chance of maintaining desirable metrics, so he was being reassigned to the stockroom, effective next week.

He saw himself marching into his boss' office and complaining that he could and would do better. He was the best customer service rep for the past 6months, never mind what the computer had to say. His customers loved him, and he had the emails to prove it. But his boss had the data, and the data ruled the world.

Pim wandered into his office pod. It had automatically begun the activation cycle estimating his late arrival due to a 33% increase in people movement. Protesters slowed the process; they didn't stop it. But wait, something was different. Things were never different.

The pod across from him had been empty for as long as Pim could remember. The projections had proven there was no need to fill the space. Employee output had remained unchanged at 93% for the past 12months and office utilities balanced the scales nicely. Pim had become accustomed to seeing nothing in the empty space.

Still, there she was, smiling back at him. He had not yet been matched with a mate, so the very idea of romance hadn't been entered into his schedule yet. Her smile made him feel warm inside, but he didn't know why.

The next few days were not predictable. Trella was like no one Pim had ever met before. She was funny, she was smart, she was beautiful. Pim and Trella "accidentally" exited their pods at the exact same times on a regular basis. The computer took note of the 63% frequency and sent messages to their supervisors.

Their day didn't end when the work ended. Rather than go with the people movers, PimTrella, as they called themselves, walked in the opposite direction to enjoy each other's company a little longer. No more 3.5hrs of entertainment, filling the mind with useless facts to make him feel smart, but not wise. Gone too was the 75% advertisement time designed to direct his spending habits.

Now his off-duty time was spent walking in the park. Observing nature and thinking for himself. He thought of next week. This was a whole new world for him, a world of choices! Did he have to leave his department if it meant leaving Trella?

Pim's smart device buzzed early the next morning. He was to see his boss before even entering his work pod. The projections had been revised. Due to a 12% decrease in employee output as well as a 17.5% increase in gazing out the window, his commission was being ended, effective immediately.

Not only was he not going to be in the same department with Trella, but he was also losing his job! He spoke up, he complained for the first time since being statistically selected as the best man for this job. His boss' response was simple, "The numbers don't lie, you can't keep making choices against the program."

As Pim exited the building, he couldn't help but notice the dying plant next to the elevator he had taken every morning for the past 10 years. According to Omni, plants were supposed to raise morale by 29% so all offices had 3.5 plants per 10 employees. The numbers would now have to be adjusted due to his departure.

He found himself at his parents' home. Surely, they would understand and offer a solution. His dad always has solutions. When his puppy had died and he was inconsolable, his dad had explained that the city could only accommodate so many living creatures, and the sacrifice of his made survival possible for another. Another little boy was happy with his new pet.

It hadn't made a lot of sense at the time, but he chose to accept it. Tonight, was not as easy. "Son," his dad began, "can't you choose not to complain? Can't you choose to forget about Trella and just do your job?" His mother added that if the computer didn't pick this girl, maybe she wasn't even the one for him. Pim couldn't believe his ears.

He walked the lonely street. He recognized Trella in the small coffee shop sitting by herself. He explained the situation. She shared her secret. The Omnicomputer had predicted her corporate assignment had a 39% likelihood of breaking her independent spirit and cause her to conform and stop complaining.

She had chosen to walk off the job today and was drowning herself in coffee because she feared she would never see him again. He smiled and took her by the hand. They would be all right.

So today was definitely going to be a different sort of day. There was nothing preloaded into their smart devices. They had no idea what tomorrow held for them. They had no place to go and nothing scheduled to do. They had a 100% chance of doing whatever they wanted.

The computers would continue to predict and project analyses and data. Businesses would start and fail based on market research. Governments would rise and fall determined by political matrices. Even religions would topple due to statistics.

However, Pim and Trella had proven once again that our greatest gift is free will. We can choose.