It was 6am and Varun was standing by the port. The sun was just beginning to rise. He thought about how the ships that were arriving and leaving were probably at least 20% filled with bullshit that nobody needed. Smart microwaves. Glow sticks. A waterproof case for your iPhone so you could look at Instagram in the shower.
Varun was depressed and couldn't sleep. He didn't really think going out to watch the sunrise would make him
feel any better, and it didn't. But it was something to do.
He went to a coffee shop. He didn't want to have any caffeine so that it would be easier for him to fall asleep later that day. He bought a muffin because he was hungry.
"A fellow early riser, huh?"
Varun looked at an attractive woman who was carrying her yoga mat with her. "Yeah, haha," he replied.
"What do you do?" she asked.
"Software engineer. You?"
"I'm a podcaster!"
Varun nodded.
The woman stuck out her
hand. "I'm Jane!"
Varun shook it. "Varun."
He couldn't put his finger on it, but for whatever reason, he just did not see this person as fully human. He wasn't sure whether it was sleep deprivation or her body language or what. She emanated this bizarre energy. Like he was talking to an AI. It was disconcerting.
Varun paid for his muffin and left, feeling slightly nauseated after shaking the woman's hand. He wondered whether other people ever had experiences like this. He wondered
why he felt so cursed.