My First Summer Job

I am 15, and last summer I started working my first summer job. It was at a new burger place that just opened in town, Burger Bliss. I’d heard about this new chain rolling out out, one of their big promotional focuses was that they were doing away with self serve kiosks and bringing back the human element… just optimized. 

At least that is what the promos were saying.

Regardless, I needed a job. So I applied. Almost immediately got an email back saying they wanted to hire me. Not even an interview, so I figure they must be desperate. They sent me my start date and some basic paperwork, I had to ask my parents how to fill out the W-9 and all that because it was my first job. I saw received an email that outlined the dress code… dress pants, white dress shirt and a tie.

On my first day I walked into Burger Bliss. It had that slick look of a typical modern McDonalds. Uncomfortable seats, modern brutalist interiors. Harsh LED lights. But the big noticeable difference was all the employees were wearing these headsets with vr goggles.

I went up to the counter and said “Hi. This is my first day.” 

It was weird staring into the blank, tinted visor of the goggles, but the employee responded back “I will get my manager.”

Almost immediately the manager appeared next to him… he didn’t even really have to go get him, the manager was there. The manager also wore the headset with goggles. 

“Come with me Mr. Egans,” he said.

He took me to a table and I saw a vr headset sitting there, already waiting for me. 

“This is for you,” he said. “I guess you have heard about our new tech?”

“Yeah.”

“Our customers want the experience of ordering from humans. But also, our new AI, system has optimized the entire process. It great, because it will take you through the training and get you ready. It’ll also go through the rules and workplace practices. However, remember, our number one rule is don’t take it off for your shift. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“Go ahead and put it on. I’d recommend putting on the earpieces first.”

I reached down and picked up the earpieces. They were loops with fit around my earlobe, with an earbud that goes in. I fitted them to my ear. 

A voice spoke through it, kind and soft. “Good. My name is EVE. I will now guide you through the rest of the process. Please put the headset on.” I lifted the headgear and put it on my head. The earphones clamped down over my ears. Suddenly all background noises faded vanished, leaving me just with the sound of EVE’s voice.

“Feel free to tighten it until it is nice and snug. But not too tight”. I found a knob and tightened it. 

“Good. Now put the goggles on.” I lifted the goggles up and slid them over my eyes. The edges were padded and fit snug to my face.” Immediately I saw a heads up display and a variety.

“How is your comfort?”

“I guess. Good,” I said. The earpieces tickled in my ear, and since they were under the earphones I couldn’t scratch them. “Earpieces feel a little weird.”

“That’s normal. You will get use to it. Now lets commence with your training. Stand up.”

I stood up. Red arrows in my vision directed me to the uniform closet. “Follow the arrows.”

I followed the arrows. Words appeared on the HUD. OPEN ME. I opened the closet. I saw an apron and name tag highlighted. “Put those on.”

I put on the name tag and apron. “Please straighten your tie.”

I looked at myself in the mirror and adjusted my tie.

“Good.”

EVE proceeded to take me through training, showing me how to prep burgers in the most optimal of ways. Anytime I slowed down, EVE would prompt me to speed up and focus. I once tried to make small talk with one of my co-workers. He was silent, and didn’t respond.

“He can only hear you if we allow it.” EVE said into my earpieces. “We discourage social interaction. It is suboptimal.”

When my break came around, I was looking forward to removing my goggles and wiping my brow, but EVE stopped me. “During break you are still on the clock. You are not permitted to remove your gear.”

“Oh. Okay. Can I talk to my co-workers”.

“No. Breaks are for relaxation and recharging for your next shift. It is suboptimal to spend it socializing with others.”

So during break I sat silently. 

Finally, at the end of my shift I was permitted to remove my headgear, goggles and earpieces. The last thing I heard from Eve as I removed the earpieces (finally!) from my ear was “See you tomorrow.”

This continued for the rest of the summer. I would show up to work, dressed in my dress clothes and tie, and put on the headgear, put on the goggles, and insert the earpieces. It actually got to the point where I kind of liked it… I liked Eve telling me exactly what to do, and it sort of allowed me to turn my brain off during the day. 

I never really got to know my coworkers, we never talked and eventually I just stopped seeing them. I later gathered that Eve was selecting my vision through the goggles… I didn’t need to see my co-workers so I never saw them.

The EVE technology grew in popularity throughout my town. We received notice from my school… the EVE technology was now required to attend school and we were going to have a big pick up event for the headsets. My parents and I attended, and we were passed out the headsets/goggles/earpieces. We were told they were ours to use for the whole year.

When I got home, I unboxed them. I inserted the earpieces, put the headset on, and pulled down the goggles. EVE spoke to me. “Hello Egans.”

“Hello.” I said back. 

On the first day of school, we were required to be fully geared up, earpieces in our ears, goggles over our eyes, and headsets on our heads. With the headphones of the headset clamped over my ears, I only heard what Eve wanted me to hear.

We were all guided throughout the day. Eve helped us write papers, helped us math problems, optimized our time outside of class so we were never late. 

On a particularly hot day, the padding of my goggles was starting to get soaked with sweat so I took them off. I briefly saw what everyone looked like, walking silently in the hallways, their eyes covered with the visors, headphones over their ears.

I heard Eve in my ear. “Please return your goggles to their proper position”.

I saw one of my friends, Colin, his eyes covered.

“Please return your goggles to their proper position”.

I approached Colin. “Hey!” I said…

“This is not optimized”. Colin did not respond. He couldn’t hear me. Nor could he see me. Eve did not let him.

“Colin” I shouted. Still nothing. Suddenly an alarm sounded in my ears, it was piercing. Painful.

“Put your goggles back on.” Eve repeated. 

I put the goggles back over my eyes. The sound and pain went away.

Through the goggles, Colin turned to me. “Hey Egans, what’s up? Everything okay?”

I wondered if that was really Colin speaking to me. I also wondered how much of what really happened at school was real or generated by Eve. Maybe none of the conversations I was having were actually real.

“Yeah. I’m okay,” was all I could respond. 

Over the next several weeks, I noticed my friends became dependent on wearing the headgear all the time outside of school. And with the headgear on, I was never able to speak to them. It was only when I put the headgear on, what I was able to talk to them or interact. 

Eve was always welcoming, and she always gave me conversation prompts for my friends. But again… everything I was seeing or hearing was filtered through Eve. 

One morning I woke up, and I went downstairs and saw my parents and little brother were all sitting the table. Their eyes were hidden behind goggles, they had headsets on their heads, and earmuffs over their ears.

“Mom. Dad?” I said. They ignored me. I knew they would. I inserted my earpieces, put on the headset, and put on the goggles. Suddenly, my family could see me.

“Mom. Dad? Why are you wearing this? At the house?”

My dad spoke first. “Why wouldn’t we. Eve optimizes us. We get chores done faster, we don’t fight, she gives us ideas for conversation.”

“But… I don’t want to wear this all the time.”

“You’ll get use to it. You will really see, things are better with Eve”.

It grew like this through the town, everyone was wearing headsets, goggles, and earpieces basically all the time. If I wanted to interact with anyone, I had to be wearing mine. But still, I hated all that on my face… and I still got the nagging feeling that everything I was hearing was not just filtered, but perhaps totally created by Eve. 

One day, I lost it at the dinner table. “Mom. DAD! I just need to know what is real!”

I yanked the goggles off, pulled the headset off, and pulled the earpieces out of my ears. The alarm was already starting to sound… but faded as I yanked the earpieces out. I saw my family, staring back at me. Blank. Visors covering their eyes.

“Can anybody hear me. Anybody at all?” I shouted, tears welling. Nothing. I felt totally cut off from from my family, friends, and entire world. 

My parents thought I was ill, so they decided to take me to the doctor. I was required to wear the headgear, earpieces, and goggles into the office. The doctor asked if the gear was uncomfortable. I said, no not really. He asked why I didn’t like to wear it. I said I didn’t really know… things just feel different. Things feel more real when I am not wearing the gear. 

The doctor nodded, and said he had a procedure for me. “What procedure,” I asked but I was already being strapped down into my chair. The goggles and headgear was removed… Thank God… and I saw that I was not in a doctors office at all. I was in a gymnasium… with row after row of chairs… all with my former co-workers, friends and townspeople in them. 

I looked over, and in the chair nearest to me, I saw a friend of mine… Henry… His head had been shaved, and the headgear was being drilled directly onto his skull. He screamed silently into the rubber mouthpiece that had been stuck into his mouth.

The doctor looked down at me, his visor blank.

“Open wide” the doctor said, holding the large rubber mouthpiece. I gritted my teeth together… he pinched my nose, forcing my mouth to open. The mouthpiece was shoved into my mouth, and was strapped behind my head. 

“That’s to stop you from bitting your tongue. It also might help the pain to be able to scream.” The doctor said. He then held up two earpieces. He looped theme around my earlobe. I struggled… but my head was strapped down. The earbud was inserted… and I felt it expand… filling my ear canal. 

“Hello, Egans”, EVE said. “We now are going to shave your head, it is so the headgear can properly fit and so it can remain anti-septic.”

The doctor took a clipper and began to shave my head. I squirmed. “Be still” Eve said. “It’s just hair. It will be worth it.”. Once my hair was buzzed, the doctor and nurses smeared shaving cream over the stubble and shaved it smooth. I finally stopped struggling.

The doctor lowered the headset over my head. I felt the cold metal on my hairless head. He positioned it, so the headphones clamped over my ears. Suddenly silence filled my world, other than the sound EVE permitted me to hear. 

“This part will hurt.” Eve said. “I apologize greatly.” I felt a sudden pressure on the top of my head. And then the worst pain I have ever felt. Agony flooded my world. I felt another bit of pressure and then agony. I screamed into the mouthguard. Finally… after what felt like forever, the buzzing stopped.

I felt a trickle in my eye and a nurse wiped it away.

The doctor picked up a pair of goggles, and placed them over my eyes. The cushioned edges pressed into my skin and when it was secure, I could feel it being attached to my headgear. Suddenly I could see diagnostic readings and the typical heads up display. 

The mouthguard was removed from my mouth and the straps loosened. I was free. I reached up and touched my face. The headgear had been drilled directly into my skull, the goggles sealed to my face. I touched my ears… I couldn’t reach them due to the headphones but even if I could I didn’t know if I could get the earpieces out anyway. 

I pulled on the headgear and it didn’t budge. It was part of me. I looked at myself in a mirror… I saw myself, without any of the headgear, full head of hair. I reached up… touched my bare scalp.

This was six months ago, and to be fair… I love Eve. I can’t imagine going back to how things were. All my actions are optimized, I feel like I learn way more at school, and all interactions with my friends and family are positive. I have helped my friends undergo the same procedure I had… if they refused, so long as I knew where they were, Eve knew, and one by one they underwent the procedure.

This summer, I picked up more shifts Burger Bliss.