CW: depressing, late-late-stage capitalism
The receptionist at the front desk graciously hands me back my CV with an embarrassed smile: "Sorry, being a Human is not really an asset for this line of work...". I scoff at the lack of effort of that rejection, especially since I'm actually not in the Human category anymore.
I'm used to more specificity. Not enough implants. Too many implants. Not enough arms. Feet instead of wheels. Low sense of smell. Too nyctalopic. Immune system too strong. It doesn't change a thing: being a barely Augmented is not a good fit in this economy.
I walk home dragging my feet, cursing the Population Control department under my breath. I had voted for the initiative classifying people with five or more augments as Augmented, and not as Human anymore. At the time, I had been seduced by the arguments of the proposal, and the initiative gave enough guarantees ("who has an A-Number of 5 anyway?") and enough incentives ("this will allow Augmented to access a specific job market for which they will be best suited, while leveling the field for the Human market"). What can I say, my girlfriend at the time was not the best influence.
And, in the following years, I had shaken my head after each news article classifying a new category of accessibility or health device as "augment". Until two months ago, and the day where pivot teeth officially became an augment, which, along with my eye correction, shoulder plate, immune system boost, and hormone replacement, disqualified me from the Human job market.
I wake up and listen, still groggy, to the nurse telling me that my surgery went well, and that he wishes me every matter of success with my new FastArm™. The bill will wait for me at the reception, and I am free to go at any time I wish.
I stretch and groan as I slap my face with my still-uncoordinated third arm. Nobody's going to call me a Human anymore, but I'll need some limb education before it has any chance of paying off.
As I pay my bill, on the news on the screen$ that plays in the background, the Prime is announcing that inflation makes it necessary to raise the maximum A-Number for Humans to 6. I already almost didn't get the loan for this arm.