Cold Waters

Walking the cold barren streets alongside the empty piers in the dead of winter, he stared out into the fog-filled waters. Awe filled his mind as he continued to glance towards the cool calm water reflecting the bright colors of the city behind him. He wasn’t a philosopher, but still he had moments where he contemplated on the world’s state. This time he began to think about the strange fact that much of the water on Earth, or what was left of it, had remained as it had been years before. Others may have pondered upon this idea and had came up with conclusions, but he didn’t want conclusions, he liked the abyss like it was: unknown.

The city illuminated by the many street lights and colorful holographic advertisements covered the skyscraping buildings stood alongside the coast of the Pacifica, the largest ocean on the planet. Hustling through the busy streets and steaming markets he made his way towards his workshop, an overgrown boat hangar on the water. He was a blacksmith, but not the traditional tool-making kind of blacksmith, instead he made robots of all sorts. Spider-like crawling assist robots, helper/companion bots, machine arms for workbenches, and a lot more intricate trinkets.

He had been making his living off of robot demands made by the local government for uses that varied from emergency fire/police assistants to just a flower-waterer. Every robot was his own creation, filled with his ideas, inspirations, and hard work all made into a beautifully designed creature. Sadly however his values and sort of “culture” when it came to robots was not reflected by the people who used them. The government and his other various buyers used them as if they were a tool, your ordinary hammer or drill. Wearing and tearing them down until they became a useless piece of metal and computer scrap. But to him, these creatures of iron were more than just a tool or component in a much more complex system, they were beings of infinite variety and possibility.

***

His mind churning once more as the fiery forges and buzzing machinery welcomed him back to reality from his subconscious contemplation. Reviving himself and his senses with a deep breath he moved across the shop to his large wooden table. A tremendously large piece of redwood that his grandfather passed down to him, a gift to commemorate the great work he had done and his hopes for his grandson to do the same.

Spreading a large sheet of rough paper across the chipped surface he glanced upwards at a large aquarium he had built himself the first ever time he moved down here to the piers. Reminiscent of the reason why he ever came here in the first place, memories filled his head once more.

In the past, it had never been an interest of his but more of a fascination that stuck with him for years. There was something about the water, something so mystical and mesmerizing about it’s unknown void below the surface that captivated him and reeled him further towards it. His mind wandering again, he glanced at a large circular window overlooking the misty night covered sky and the cool dark ocean water.

Dotted across the horizon, with their lights ablaze, the many boats which had sailed out to enjoy the night illuminated the darkness. The fog had cleared, revealing a surreal array of stars. He leapt from his chair and climbed a long ladder up to the roof of the hangar. As he emerged atop the high building the winds had begun blowing and the city had gone quiet. With the distant sound of bells and the fluttering wings of seagulls, he sat down and gazed at the world before him and the world unknown to him.