Perfectly Safe. Perfectly Disappointing.

“I’m Bored”

Kaito let his eyes wander up to his bedroom ceiling. His hands were behind his head, the dulling hum of the city barely registered in his brain as it travelled from the window to his ears. He would do anything to shake this feeling off. Anything.

Absolutely nothing seemed to help, not even today’s attempt to jump off the Seishin Street Bridge. He even actually tried to pump himself up for it, like today would have been any different. Maybe finally he could have felt something.. real. But even as he took the leap, his seek for the thrill was short-lived.

The nanobots in his bloodstream had kicked in, as they do every single time. The free-fall activated an invisible cushion of energy that softened his landing before the rush of adrenaline could even kick in. Instead of the icy splash that Kaito was hoping for, he sank into the water just like he had jumped onto a giant pillow. Perfectly safe. Perfectly disappointing.

He knew he wouldn’t be in danger, but was hoping that he could trick his mind, even for once.

Yesterday, he tried to invest all his savings into a risky stock, hoping for the thrill of losing his financial stability. But, of course, the automatic finance bot interrupted his move, focused on a safer investment and in the end he had made a small amount of safe money. Small amount with a smart investment. No thrill on that either, no chance of losing it all or dreams of winning hitting it big.

This was Kaito’s everyday life. Since childhood he had felt something missing from his life. He has pulled these stunts as long as he remembers. Sure, some people thought he was weird, but it never bothered him.

He rolled around his bed, feeling restless. Glancing around his room. Neat, spotless and tidy. So secure it drove him crazy. The walls were filled with posters of famous adventurers and daredevils from the time when people were actually able to do things like climb mountains, dive from cliffs, or drive fast cars with reckless speeds, all without that ridiculous NanoGuard tech in their blood, that is now coursing through our veins like it was the most natural thing in the world, making any risk or danger obsolete. But those days were just history now. This society didn’t see the point of risk, so it was simply erased.

“Kaito! Come down and eat! I got the thing!”

His mother shouted from downstairs, sounding clearly excited. Kaito had a hunch what this would be about. He quickly jumped out of bed and ran down the stairs.

Kaito took a seat at the table, eyeing the plate in front of him with equal parts of hope and a lingering frustration, that this might not work out. His mom, who was all too used to Kaito’s quirky attempts to search for excitement had gone all out, preparing his favorite dish. A curry that contained the spiciest chili in the whole world. A long-forgotten strain revived and grown here in the city’s climate controlled greenhouses.

The greenhouses were the marvels of bio-engineering, they were designed to keep any plants that were and ever will be from going extinct. Everything was cultivated under strict, automated supervision, utilizing the modern technology to ensure their perfect conditions. With a zero chance of disease or spoilage. Although originally established to preserve the biodiversity, they now served more as an attractions.

The bright red sauce was covered with the flecks of pepper, the smell was strong, almost so strong that he could imagine it would water his eyes, without those pesky nanobots getting in the way.

“Well, I finally got the real stuff for you this time. Give it a go!”

His mom said encouraging him with a hopeful glister in her eyes. She poured a glass of water for him as well.

“I heard from somewhere that drinking water will make it even spicier!”

She said nodding enthusiastically.

Kaito took a deep breath and scooped a huge spoonful, put it in his mouth and let it touch every part of his tongue. The initial flavor burst was intense. He could taste the fruity and tangy flavor layered with spice. And then, nothing. He waited, he chewed, waiting for the fiery heat to kick in, for his eyes to tear up, for his nose to run like a faucet. Nothing.

“Anything?” His mom asked, looking at him with a mix of anticipation and sympathy.

Kaito shook his head looking a bit defeated. The nanobots were already full at work. Detecting the capsaicin and adjusting his bodily responses, neutralizing anything that would be uncomfortable. All he got was a faint warmth, a gentle tingle in his mouth that could barely pass as spicy.

“Thanks, mom,” he mumbled as he was still chewing, taking more plentiful bites out of stubbornness. He stuffed his face, determined to get something out of this experience.

“Oh honey,” Kaito’s mom sighed, she gave him a gentle pat on the back. “At least the taste is goof?” She asked gently.

Kaito gave a half forced smile and nodded eagerly.

“Yeah, you are the best mom!”

Even as the heat he was craving for was nothing but a mild tingle, it did taste great, but without the intensity he was graving for, it was just one more thing that wasn’t thrilling in his life.

After dinner Kaito decided to head out. It’s not like he had anything better to do anyways. Maybe he could find a new movie from the old times. Kaito had recently stumbled upon the concept of bungee jumping, while scrolling through a database of old adventure sports. A sport where people would throw themselves off bridges or cliffs with only an elastic cord to stop their fall. He couldn’t believe it had actually been a thing. The photos showed people plunging through the air, arms spread wide, expressions a mix of pure fear and exhilaration.

He was captivated by the idea of letting gravity take hold, of falling fast and free before snapping back at the very last moment. It sounded like the ultimate thrill. Without the nanobots to destroy all the risk of course.

As Kaito was strolling around the painfully familiar streets, through the busy city plaza with a crowd of people who seemed to be content for their lives. Something that he wanted as well, but couldn’t achieve. Suddenly, he caught a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye. Something that broke the peaceful rhythm of the city momentarily. Before he had a chance to react to it, he felt a body to clash into his and he was left stunned on the ground.

It was a girl, dashing past him with a hurry, her short light-colored hair whipping behind her as she didn’t even stop, despite the clash. She just kept running. She shoot a glance over her shoulder at Kaito’s direction and for a split second, their eyes locked, and Kaito saw her face. Sharp eyes and a hint of a faint smile, that Kaito couldn’t quite read.

Kaito kept staring at the figure that urgently faded further away. She was.. well, she was absolutely gorgeous, for once. But, what even happened? The electric way that she moved, it was something Kaito had never witnessed before. As Kaito stood up, his eyes never leaving the mysterious figure, walking forward with his eyes locked on her as she dissapeared into the crowd..

*BAM!*

Kaito winced, as he had walked with a full force, face first, into a metal pole. The pain was sharp and sudden, he disorientately took a few steps back, hold his nose, clutching his fingers around it. He felt a wet sensation on his hand and a metallic taste in his mouth. He quickly pulled his hand away to see it. It was covered in red substance. Blood. His very own blood, clearly visible on his hand flowing through his finger tips.

“What the…?” He mumbled as he touched his nose again, feeling the uncomfortable ache that he had never felt before. This was not supposed to happen. The nanobots in his bloodstream should have triggered the fractions of a second he made a contact with the metal pole, healing any bruise, any break. But the blood just kept trickling down his face, leaving droplets on the street.

“Is this.. Is this blood?”