Binky had always nursed a strong aversion to fish. Inexplicably, he held a deep-seated animosity towards the species. Nevertheless, he found himself seated on a teak bench, gazing out at the semi-cloudy, olive-toned harbor. The scene exuded tranquility, with sporadic tourists strolling by. Now and then, Binky would reach for his iPhone to capture the beauty of an attractive passerby or a seagull swooping down to scavenge on discarded refuse. Thanks to its intelligent A.I. focusing capabilities, each iPhone picture turned out flawlessly. However, Binky's tolerance for A.I. technology ended there; he was a relic from the 20th century, preferring nature over nanotech. As he contemplated his waning relevance in society, his eyes spotted an intriguing sight in the distance: a figure resembling a walking yield sign, holding what appeared to be a log. It made for an interesting shot, so he took it. As the figure drew nearer, Binky realized it was, in fact, a woman in a flowing yellow and black colored dress, cradling an infant. She halted in front of him and offered a smile, albeit one tinged with malevolence. Suddenly, she leaped toward the metal railing on the dock where it met the inviting water and callously hurled the baby into the harbor. Initially, Binky couldn't believe his eyes; his moral instinct was to jump in and save the defenseless child. However, he remained paralyzed, seated in shock. The woman turned to him, stuck out her tongue and departed casually. Then, as if someone pushed a restart button he quickly rose to his feet but sheepishly headed towards the railing to peer over the edge. As he wiped the beads of sweat dripping from his brow, all he could discern was a vague, dark shape descending into the depths. His trembling hands fumbled for his iPhone, but it slipped from his grasp, plunging into the olive abyss. With his eyes bugged out, he tried to scream, yet all he managed was to vomit before fainting.
When he awoke, he found himself in an unfamiliar location, bathed in a sterile, clinical white light. Dazed and disoriented, the memories of the horrifying harbor incident began to coalesce into a nightmarish reality. As his faculties gradually returned, he realized he lay on a narrow, clinical bed in what appeared to be a hospital room. The sharp scent of an antaseptic pervaded the air, and the rhythmic beeping of nearby medical equipment circled around him like an alien timekeeper. Binky struggled to sit up, his mind racing to comprehend how he had ended up in this unsettling place, far removed from the peaceful harbor scene he had last recalled.
Breaking the silence that had enveloped him, a gentle voice spoke from nearby. "You're awake," a middle-aged nurse said in a comforting tone as she approached his bedside. "You gave us quite a scare. You've been unconscious for a while."
Binky's throat felt parched, and he struggled to find his voice. "What happened? Where am I?"
The nurse explained that a little girl had discovered him lying motionless on the harbor dock, blood seeping from under his face. She immediately yelled for help. Binky had been urgently transported to the hospital, in critical condition, suffering from shock, a concussion and severe dehydration. The medical team had worked tirelessly to stabilize him ever since.
As the nurse recounted the details of his rescue, Binky's thoughts gravitated toward the distressing memory of the woman and the infant. He was overwhelmed with guilt and responsibility for failing to act when it mattered most. "Did they find the baby?" he asked, his voice quivering.
The nurse gave him a confused look before responding. "What baby?"
He recounted the horrifying scene to her and as he lay in his hospital bed, Binky’s heart sank, and an overwhelming sense of remorse engulfed him. He had failed to intervene, and the consequences were unbearable to contemplate. The image of the woman's evil smile and the infant's helpless descent into the harbor continually haunted him. He replayed the scene over and over in his mind grappling with his own conscience. He knew he had to find a way to help bring the perpetrator to justice. The chilling act of cruelty was indelibly etched into his mind, destined to haunt him long after his physical wounds had healed. In the hours that followed, Binky wholeheartedly collaborated with the authorities, offering a comprehensive narrative of the incident. Even though his iPhone had become a buried, watery relic, they managed to retrieve the photo of the walking yield sign from "the cloud." Although it didn't provide much assistance, it convinced the police to initiate an extensive search for the woman responsible, causing a sensational stir in the local news.
After a week of rehabilitation he was back on his feet and plugged into his mundane routine. But still, every morning a voice in his head urged him to re-visit the site of the nightmare. He resisted for a while but eventually he couldn’t take it any more. He had to return.
As he made his way back to the site, the redolent aroma of the receding tide transported him to cherished moments from his past when his family would gather for picnics in this very spot. In the distance, the melancholy intro of Seals and Crofts' song "Humming Bird" emanated from someone's car, striking him with profound sadness that penetrated the depths of his soul. Then the lonesome cry of a solitary seagull served as the final catalyst that propelled Binky to leap over the railing and plunge into the harbor. Unfortunately, he had never acquired the skill of swimming, and this impulsive decision ultimately marked the tragic end of his life. He perished, drowned by guilt.
At the same time, Binky's mother, who relied on a high tech wheelchair for mobility, entered his bedroom after he failed to respond to her knocking. Nearby, a lottery ticket that Binky had played earlier rested next to his Jesus flower vase. The abrupt swing of the door's force sent the ticket soaring through the air, slipping through the narrow gap of a slightly open window. In a stroke of synchronicity, as the ticket gently landed on the pavement below, a passerby, (astonishingly the very same woman who had thrown the infant into the harbor), caught sight of it and swiftly snatched it up. That evening, to her absolute surprise, Binky's ticket displayed the winning numbers, subsequently catapulting her into multimillionaire status.
The investigation eventually turned up a submerged item at the initial crime scene, only to discover that it was a super realistic A.I. baby doll that coincidentally Binky’s mother helped to design years earlier. Ironically, the fishes became the sole witnesses to Binky's fate, bringing his script to a rather dark yet comical conclusion.
credits
from Artificial Tales Of Gleep and Whimsy (Vol. 1),
released November 1, 2023
JT : FX, Recording, Mix
Bruce Manly : Voice
Nurse Soothing : Voice
Recorded and Mixed at Suburban Hermit Studios III, Ronkonkoma, NY
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