After scanning his bus pass with a practiced motion, Jay shuffled to an available spot and leaned his head on the cool metal of the standing bar. Sure it was likely covered in germs, yet what wasn't in this modern where smartphone games are advertised as being entertaining while on the toilet. He loosened his chain mail necktie undid the top button on his now sweat through dress shirt. The tie was a Christmas present to himself that he bought with a gift card he won from a Haiku contest run by his favorite novelty store. It's light aluminum links gave a tinkling sound as he sighed in disappointment from yet another pointless interview. This was the third interview with the same sales firm so he thought they liked him, just not enough to offer the salary or location offered in the job posting. Somehow there was a miscommunication and they were only offering commission and bonuses. Even though he talked about his excitement towards getting commission with the salary in the first two interviews they conveniently didn't correct him. If he didn't find a reliably paying job soon he would have to cancel his registration for his fancy life insurance and cryonic preservation policy. Sure he got a discount through his father's company that designed the liquid nitrogen tanks for the cold storage of policy holders, but if he wanted to afford this month's rent if his basemen apartment he has to trim his budget. Besides what were the odds he'd have his brain plugged into a robot in the future anyway? Other than for a tour guide of the. Museum of Humanity run by whatever dominant life form took over after our brief run of hubris as a species.
A computerized voice intoned, "approaching MacGuffin Bulverde, new stop under development Isakai District coming soon..." This elicited another sigh out of Jay's exhausted frame, they were always building new additions to his little corner of suburbia. He pushed the button for his approaching stop and headed to door. As he hopped off the bus he felt several drops of rain impact his helmet of hair hairsprayed into remaining combed as part of his usual pre-interview routine. He'd have to hurry home before his shoes soaked through. He watched the autonomous bus leave and looked both ways twice before crossing the one way street as was his faith in the remaining human drivers. There were still three seconds left on the cross walk signal as he reached the middle of middle of the puddle filled road, he began to pick up his pace when suddenly he heard the familiar ear worm that was the upbeat opening to one of this seasons latest overhyped anime blaring on the radio of a delivery truck. He only had a split second to realize that the driver was preoccupied strumming along with an air guitar and in his passenger seat was a faded body pillow of a cartoonish version of the same truck he was neglecting to steer. All Jay managed to do before blacking out was sigh yet again and think, "Great now my death will be used as more publicity for Truck-kun Deliverer of Heroes...