Reminiscent: A Collection

A Single Ship in the Sea

Believe it or not, the world was once a buzzing hub of life and action. People could zip from one side to the other within hours and could communicate even faster.

It used to be a place of grandeur, with a lively world market and culture. But that was before.

Now all we have is a single ship in the sea.

Just one.

No more.

At one point there was thousands. Hundreds of thousands that were much greater and much faster than the one that remains.

But that was before.

Now there is just one singular captain alone in the great and vast seas.

Every morning they awaken in their cabin and roll from their bed, without a crew in sight. After a brief cup of joe, they get to work, for there is a long day ahead of them.

First they raise the anchor. Hard and grueling work. Almost impossible to do alone, but the captain manages. They've been doing it themselves their entire life.

They make their way to the first port of the day. The sea is thankfully quiet that morning and the wind is in their favor.

They load the supplies they must bring onto the next without complaint. The crates are heavy and covered in splinters, but it is their job to this work and it has to get done.

"Excuse me! Are you the captain?"

"That's I."

"I'm sorry, I've been waiting all morning for your arrival."

"Oh?"

"Yes...I was just wondering...I have this letter and it needs to make it across the sea. Could you take it for me?"

In our world, humans have always been very dependent on the tools they create-one of the few attributes that cause homo sapiens to stand out from their fellow organisms. In the older ages, the most notable of these tools was the boat. Even in it's most rudimentary forms, the boat made travel much easier, leading to increased interactions and population booms with every new development. As a species, humans are widely dependent on ships and that's why I'd like you to peer into a different world and to imagine what life would be like without this monumental tool. This is A Single Ship, an original.

Now let me dive back into our story. The woman that had just approached the captain stood panting before them. "Please. My sister and I-we haven't spoken in ages."

Perhaps somebody else would have asked what was in it for them, but the captain, knowing it was their job and their job alone to take things across the sea, agreed to take the letter. It would not be too much of a hindrance on their daily routine.

As they loaded crates onto the ship, the letter faded from their thoughts until it was as inconsequential as a leaf fluttering in the wind.

They left port that morning, feeling a slight twang of melancholy as they pulled the lone ship out of port.

The ship cut across the ocean and the captain took their regular readings-measuring the water levels and salinity and whatnot.

When the seas were calm, the captain stood at the bow, staring out into the sea. They did not know what they were feeling.

They'd always done this. What was this empty feeling?

The captain took the letter from their breast pocket, unfolded it, and examined it briefly. The contents of the letter are not important, just know that it was soft and loving. One full of longing and lost.