Martin Ponders Worlds

A flash piece. Highly speculative and experimental fiction. Enjoy, or don't.

Worlds are funny places, Martin thought. Each world is, in reality, a world entirely unto itself. They are completely incapable of ever interacting with other worlds. Each world, for now and forever, until the end of their time, completely and inescapably alone.

The bubble slowly drifted behind Martin’s field of vision. He looked over his left side to watch it rise. After the pinch, it would be released and then jiggle for a while before settling down and beginning its journey through space.

And yet, from my perspective--Martin insisted--they are most certainly not alone. From my perspective, it is absolutely clear (as clear can be) that these worlds number far greater than the minimum necessary for any one world to be alone as they are certainly greater in number than one.

Martin took three hops, his single spring-like leg, centered under his bulbous body, compressed and released as it propelled him along. Each hop accompanied by the squeak of compression, the groan of release and a pop as the suction cup gave way to momentum.

 

Martin continued his musings. Since any number equal to or greater than one is greater than none, it should stand to reason that worlds in existence would far outnumber the total number of worlds that do not.  However, I do find it odd that the total number of things that do not yet exist (a truly large number indeed) must certainly be far greater than the total number of things that do. 

A gurgling sound emanated from Martin’s center mass. His cheeks swelled and moments later, another bubble floated free. This one jiggled, rose and then slowly descended as it drifted back towards Martin’s position. 

Clearly, if you counted all those things that had not yet come into being, they would far outnumber all those things that had.

Martin’s proboscis slowly extended from between the droopy eye blobs that were perched atop his bulbous body. From the retracted position, curled up in a spiral, his member was useless. However, fully extended, it could reach a full body length beyond its point of origin.

He waited patiently, looking up at the bubble, his eye blobs quivering against the force of gravity. Once within reach, Martin’s proboscis extended fully and the bubble burst. Martin hopped gleefully, engulfed in a shower of glitter and surrounded by the gentle sounds of screaming.

As Martin’s center mass begin to swell, his sphincter pulsed in anticipation of pinching off yet another, Martin pondered the existential impact of his recent glitter shower. Does that make one less…or one More?