Vastness of Infinity

“Do you see this grain of sand?” He says at the beach, the streaks of the Milky Way shining behind him. The waves gently crashing ashore. The heat of the bonfire still felt although we’re a few feet away as the rest of our family are exchanging tales of their past.

I nod at him, trying to hold back my laughter because he looks so bright-eyed. Wrinkles forming around his eyes. Gazing directly at me as though we’re the only two people in the beach.

“That’s you. This tiny little grain of sand.” He reaches for a handful of sand. “This is everyone in California right now.” He reaches for another larger handful of sand. “This is everyone on Earth. And I’ve only grabbed two handfuls of sand. There’s much more on this beach. To count every grain of sand in this beach alone would be impossible.”

“But grandpa, what about the other beaches?” I say eagerly.

“That’s where things get interesting. There are countless beaches on our planet alone. But look up there.” He points to the stars. “Most of those stars each have planets surrounded them, also with countless grains of sand. There’s a good chance that there’s another grain of sand just like yours…” He picks up the original grain of sand and holds up against backdrop of the stars. “…somewhere out there.” He points to the great cosmos that surround us, looking as though he’s pointing to specific stars. “And not just one more of you, but infinite versions of you.”

“Are there infinite versions of you too?” I smile at him as he stands up, towering over me.

“Yes, and they are all probably as enamored as I am by how cute my Valiant Valerie is.” He squeezes my cheek. “Perhaps when you’re older we will be able to know more about lies out there. Perhaps you’ll follow in your grandfather’s footsteps and uncover more of the vastness of infinity.”

“…the vastness of infinity…” I repeat in a whisper holding up a grain of sand to one of the stars and then moving it away to reveal all of the surrounding twinkling lights. I don’t even know what he meant by that, but it sure does sound pretty.

Yearning for a Past that Never Existed

New York City. The year is 2022. Two women are sitting on the Williamsburg Waterfront facing a cloudy Manhattan skyline. One of them is holding up a grain of sand, squinting her eyes to see it in full clarity.

“Why is the world going through so much pain right now?” I say as admire the sand on this man-made beach.

“Beats me, Valerie. I’m here wondering if my client is going to pay me on time.” My roommate shrugs.

“I think that’s the issue. We are all stuck in our own problems. What happened to the optimism the world used to have?”

“Optimism? Wasn’t the last time the world experienced that in like… the 1980s. I wasn’t alive back then so I can’t remember.” My roommate says sarcastically.

“Exactly! …I mean I wasn’t alive back then either… but in the 1980s the world had hope, just listen to the music! It’s the perfect representation of an era where everything seemed possible. The rise of computers, global economies booming, and the introduction of synthesizers in pop music!” My eyes glow with a nostalgia for a time I never experienced.

“Oooh those pop synth songs… We still hear that in Brooklyn bands.” My roommate reminisces.

“Yea, but it’s different. Now all we have are armed conflicts erupting in the far corners of the earth. Plastic covering our oceans, snowstorms in May, and water levels rising to the point where there won’t be this man-made beach any more. And of course constant bickering between left and right, leaving us stuck in a binary world.” I chuck the grain of sand to the water.

“Perhaps we just feel that way because we’re in it? It’ll all look better in retrospect.” My roommate says looking out toward the skyline.

I catch her eye “Emma… I don’t want to wait to retrospect.”

DING! An alert from my phone.

“Perhaps you can do something about that at your new fancy job? Still have no clue what you’re doing though…” Emma says.

“To change the world is exactly why I became a computer engineer! Alright, it’s time.” I grab my backpack and take a deep breath in and out.

“You got this.” Emma assures me.

“You’re right, I got this.”

“Wait!” Emma hands me the headphones I dropped. “Can’t stop the music.”

I smile nervously at what awaits me. Placing one wireless headphone in followed by the other.

Press play.

Synthesizers rise, drowning out the drone of the city streets. The beat drops and an array of computerized instrumentation and synthesized vocals take over my soundscape.

If you would like to read the rest of the story, it’s available on Kindle or Paperback.

My intention is to make this into a short film. When it’s released you’ll be able to see it on my personal Youtube channel. Subscribe to watch my other films.

This story was also heavily inspired by Synthwave and Future Funk music. Listen to the official Retrowave Spotify playlist.

© 2020, Ariel Viera. All rights reserved.