Thom is a "wild mind", a person who has refused to undergo the process of "optimization" that renders humans emotionless, clear thinkers, with massively improved mental functions -- essentially, perfect employees. Thom goes to an orgy for businesspeople in London where he meets a woman named Hellene. They go back to Thom's place to talk. There, they discuss Thom's Catholicism and meditative practices, which Helene argues are not necessary for optimized people. Thom remembers the rise of optimization: advances in technology led to complete understanding of the workings of the human brain, which subsequently led to knowledge becoming easy to attain; soon, people were judged on their willingness and clearheaded ability to work, and optimization rose as a procedure to make people disciplined and highly employable. Thom also remembers his wife, Sophia, and how they argued about her wanting to get optimized. Hellene begins to try to convince Thom to get optimized, but he resists. She shows him that optimized people can not only control their emotions, but also have free reign over their physical abilities and involuntary functions. She has Thom try on a device to show him what it feels like to be optimized. With the device on, Thom feels clear, unburdened, and intelligent -- he is able to sense everything around him and is rid of his emotions. Thom is disgusted with the experience. He remembers his wife, Sophia, and how she became emotionless and hyper-analytical after being optimized. He remembers that he killed Sophia. But when he was tried for his crime, a panel of neuroanalysts administered some chemical adjustments and anger control classes, and released him without punishment or blame. He turned to religion, instead, to acknowledge that he had sinned and that he must feel guilt and repent. Hellene leaves Thom's apartment. Thom looks out onto the city and thinks about how he prefers the parts of it that have not been touched by optimization. He relishes even the darkness of the human condition and the un-optimized mind.