No-Name

He knows where he lives. He knows what type of bed he has. But he doesn't know everything.

Room 247. That's where I lived.

Bed-C. That was the model of the bed I hadn't left in nearly 300 hours. That was nothing unusual of course. 

There was no real reason why I should have had to ever leave my bed at all. I didn't need to.

My health was maintained by a vitals-monitor. Based on my readings, some company far away would calculate what needed to go into my daily pills. The daily pills that kept me healthy, despite my unhealthy lifestyle.

Of course, I wasn't the only one. In fact, I was just one of millions of the people in my apartment complex. All had similar rooms. A similar C-model bed. Similar pills from a similar pill company delivered by similar drones. 

And of course, a similar D-model television set in front of me.

I was watching sports, two foreign teams were playing each other. 

I then watched some reality television show that followed the lives of some peasants from another foreign country. Perhaps the one where they monitored my vitals and made my pills.

A violent thud.

I dropped the remote.

I still shudder when I remember that sound.

I remember being very discontent. The last thing I wanted to do was get up. While the muscles in my legs were maintained by the pills, I belonged to a first-world nation. I shouldn't have to deal with such hardships. I struggled to get up.

That's when I noticed I had never seen the channel that was playing. I focused my attention on the television set.

"I think it's sad. Our nation has the best economy the world has ever seen. Yet, so few people nowadays experience the simple joys life has to offer. Walking, exercise, eating... even love."

That last word made my heart figuratively skip a beat.

"You're saying people don't... love, anymore? Or at least like how they did when you were young."

"There's no love. There's no passion, no anything. In a world where you don't have to ever leave your home, where's the motivation? Why go out of the house, right? You don't need to."

"I think the real question is: why do you leave the house, Greg?"

"That's a hard one... habit, I guess. My dear Felicia and I... we grew up in a different era..."

"Thank you, Greg, that's all the time we have. Next story, Martin Freeman 17th becomes the first man to stay indoors for more than forty years straight."

I tuned out at that moment. Something about what that Greg man said... it irked me.

It made me think:

I lived in Room 247.

I had a Model-C bed.

I watched a Model-D TV.

But who was I?

What was my name?

***

Reviews

[Q.L. Diehl]

This is great. It was a fun read and I love the content. I especially loved the lines "While the muscles in my legs were maintained by the pills, I belonged to a first-world nation. I shouldn't have to deal with such hardships." The scary thing is, while it sounds extreme, this doesn't seem out of the realm of possibility in our future.

A few minor critiques...the following section has a split infinitive, "There was no real reason why I should have had to ever leave my bed at all. I didn't need to." I stumbled over it when reading. Maybe something like, "There was no real reason why I should have to leave my bed at all, ever. I didn't need to." Also, the line "A violent thud." caught me off guard because I thought something huge was happening, as if someone had just drove a car into the side of his building. That wasn't a big deal though because the very next line helped me to understand that from his view, this was a horrible sound. The last section was excellent. I feel like “No-name,” while entertaining, is also a great warning to future generations. I’m off to read more of your work. Keep up the great writing…

[Leo Bojalil]

I like it, kind of awakening introduction for what could be a bigger story ark, it has the elements to build something with far more content and in a near future setting. It reminded me (sorry for the reference) the Wall-E movie where everything is automated and also an actual reality everybody hooked up into something "virtual" and everything is accessible with just three clicks away that we are arriving to the era you are describing of not going out.

Like I said is very good as a sketch of something to come because as a single piece kind of in my experience make me feel wanting for more, but over all is very nice.

[letmebeme66]

this was an eye opener---
very good on what's going on--
hit close to home
I have COPD and have a wheelchair
the only time I'm out is to walk the
dog-- very good
It was a fun read

[Marie]

A very good futuristic tale. Perhaps it needs a bit more expansion, but as very basic flash fiction it certainly works.

[Chris Kay]

Thank you very much for your feedback :)

[Chris Kay]

for this review and that of my other story