Without Knowledge

A flat 36-inch screen stood in a room decorated with white tiles. And a man talking towards a screen with sweat on his face.

He advertised the shop's wares with so much intensity that a customer couldn't remain unaffected.

Again, and, again, and again, he tried his best to secure deals with potential customers. After some time, a 6 feet tall man entered the room, signaling that Allen's shift was over. The man named Cooper smiled and greeted Allen. Allen created the best smile he could muster with his low energy and left the room after greeting Cooper. Outside, he saw the ad playing something that caught his eye.

"Do you desire to contribute to the betterment of humanity? Come join us at Excel! As a side benefit, there's also good salary and bonuses. All people with knowledge are welcome!"

Allen looked at it longingly and then went to a library; it was time to do more brain work till the night. 

The Sun's rays were yet to hide when he entered the Grand Library. He met his friends, the old books, and the faint lights. After hours at the library, he did some stretching to get rid of the stiffness from sitting too long.

The whole environment made a person forget everything, but it was time to go.

Afterward, he navigated through valleys and reached a small house. Allen slipped an Identification card and entered a dimly lit room in which moonlight was seeping through the gaps in the curtains.

He passed by a bedroom in the house and saw his sister sleeping with her head on the table. He returned her to bed and continued upstairs to prepare for the D Day tomorrow. Obviously, for the grueling test!

If he passed or failed, he would not have to worry about their expenses.

If he failed the test, it would leave him with no better choice than to take financial support from the Government which he didn't want to.

Automation and machine efficiency developed in the last 100 years decreased the need for humans to work, while also increasing available resources.

Most people can get by themselves. Less than 1% of people might need financial support. Of which only 0.1% will accept it and others will do odd jobs.

If he took the deal, the goal he had in his mind would no longer be achievable. The goal is for them to be able to enjoy a luxurious lifestyle.

So despite some difficulties, he continued to do odd jobs for their living expenses.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .  

After waking up in the morning, Allen took a short bath.

Today was the day of the test for him. The institution normally only admits 50 to 100 people from more than tens of thousands of applicants. These last few years were an exception including a quota of over 500 people.

However, many applicants perhaps paced around even more anxiously because of this. The victory seemed so close, yet so far.

The distance from his house to downtown was not small but he had gotten accustomed to it after a few months. 

He arrived at the examination site. The test site was also owned by the institution.

Allen was not very surprised to see that a large number of applicants had already arrived. They might have been nervous or worried about the test. There were only a small portion of the total applicants in this area.

Soon the test began as the five examiners arrived. The head examiner had a strict businessman face. Just like his face said, he conducted the test fairly and things got done smoothly.

It was time for the result announcement soon.