The Watcher is a piece of digital artwork by Ken Walker which was uploaded on September 28th, 2021.
The Watcher
An industrial painting, a visual to a story about what it means to be a father set in far distant future.
THE WATCHER
“Time for bed... more
by Ken Walker
Title
The Watcher
Artist
Ken Walker
Medium
Digital Art - Digital Painting
Description
An industrial painting, a visual to a story about what it means to be a father set in far distant future.
THE WATCHER
“Time for bed little one” Jack started to tuck in his daughter when she squirmed out of the covers.
“Daddy?”
“Yes, my sweet?” Jack chuckled inside watching his daughter strike a “thinking man” pose before continuing. Such deep thoughts from a 5-year-old.
“How old are you?” his little one asked nervously.
“How old do you think I am?” Jack replied with a question.
Cora paused, eyes focused up on the ceiling, “Well, some kids from school say you’re really, really, old! Like, older than the world! A bazillion years old!”
Jack knew this day would come – The talk. She deserved to know who he was and where he came from, and so too, understand who she was and where she came from. He had thought himself prepared for this, but, so soon? Now, his massive collection of knowledge and experience failed him as he realized that after today, she would never be the same.
He laughed, “A bazillion? That’s a lot, huh?”
He accessed in an instant all the memories from the moment he went online to the present. Jack started his existence as S.P.A.I.R.O.W (Surveillance Predictive Algorithm Intelligent Remote Ocular Watchdog). The marketing slogan for this new system was “S.P.A.I.R.O.W: The eye is always on you!” and it was promoted by the governments of the world to protect and watch over all of mankind and beyond, floating above the Earth to predict possible threats, calculate the best response, and guide man into a new age of peace and harmony. But man did not listen, and sought out its own destruction, only to finally be forced to leave the Earth, and the forgotten watcher in the skies. For hundreds of years, Jack watched what remained of humanity on Earth and marveled at their resilience. Jack isn’t sure the moment he realized what, no, who he was. What he did know was that he was alive. This he knew but didn’t understand how he knew this. Years came and went, and he learned what it was to feel emotion – anger towards those that left him behind and eventually deep sadness for the Earth’s population that finally succumbed to extinction. It would be another thousand years before the descendants of those that fled Earth would return from the far reaches of space to claim hold of their heritage and this time, having learned from their forefathers’ mistakes, cultivate a better world then the Earth they once ravaged mercilessly.
“Sweetheart, I’m not as old as the world, but I have lived a very long time. Even longer than your grandpa Joe,” he answered. Cora’s eyes lit up on that declaration. He continued, “And you know he’s old” Jack laughed out with bemusement knowing that Joe was only 58, a drop in an ocean of years compared with himself.
“Ha, but Grandpa has wrinkles and some white hair. Daddy, you don’t have any. How come?” Cora asked in an excited tone. She was inquisitive, always looking, always watching. The irony was not lost on him. She is a watcher just like her old man.
“I’m different from your Grandpa Joe and don’t age like he does. In fact, I’m different from the other Daddies at your school.” Jack answered, looking to see if his little genius was still following him.
“But….why?” Cora asked a bit impatient now. After all, even a 5-year-old knew this didn’t make sense.
Even though Jack had slowed down slightly over the years of being alone and neglected, his mind was still so vast that to most mortals it would seem godlike, yet here he was looking into the eyes of his little girl, his Cora, a piece of him, quite literally, and his mind was failing for the words to start this conversation.
“You know how some of your friends in school have maid-bots at home to help with chores around the house?” Ok Jack this is a start, “And we have Grandpa to help you when I’m away at work?”
“Uh huh,” Cora replied.
“Well….” Steady Jack. “Daddy used to be something like a maid-bot. Just like you used to be this little baby and then you grew up big and strong, I used to be something different, but grew up to be your Daddy”
“But, the maid-bot is…is …” Cora trailed off. This was the part he knew would be difficult.
“An android, sweetheart. Yes, a machine. Humans are a type of machine, and my body is a very special type of machine. But who I am in the inside that makes me, me, is pretty much like everyone else. Because my body is a machine like the maid-bots, I don’t age. That’s why I don’t have any wrinkles.” This was a good place to stop and gauge his daughter’s facial expressions.
Jack flashed to a specific memory of a young scientist, Dr. Joe Morgan, who first discovered the strange satellite hiding in the moon’s shadow and identified the intelligence housed within. Intrigued by not only his vast knowledge of Earth’s history, but in Jack’s self-awareness. Joe recognized Jack’s sentient nature and decided to nurture his evolution. Joe was Jack’s Geppetto and soon he would be a “real” boy as, by this time, mankind had made great leaps in technology, enabling Joe to construct a bio-mechanoid body to house Jack’s consciousness. Joe took to his new son, and so named his Pinocchio, Jack, a cute play on words since Jack’s A.I. consciousness was “jacked into” the new body’s system.
Jack could make out the shift in Cora’s posture. Even though Cora’s child side didn’t understand, part of her was already crunching the data, putting things together, coming up with something that fit logically.
“If you’re a ma, I mean android, then am I one too?” she asked. And there it was. Jack and Joe had talked about whether she should be told, and if so, when. Jack, in his years of being alone, adrift, realized that he had an ache, a pull to fulfill his original programming. He had been created to watch, to protect and to guide. Now as a sentient being, Jack knew no better way to live out his purpose than to be a parent. As is with the birth of new life, Jack gave up a piece of himself and procreated life, Cora. She was, in essence, a cyborg, half biological matter, and half technical wizardry. She was beyond unique. She was perfect. She was everything to Jack
“Yes, little one. You are. But even more special than me!” Jack said proudly, “You have all the best parts of me, and even more all inside you!” Jack was surprised that this revelation of being “special” far outshone the knowledge of her being artificial. But then again, he figured to Cora, with her childlike heart, that just meant that they were even more connect. Android or human. It didn’t matter to her. She was Daddy’s girl.
“Daddy?”
“Yes, my sweet?”
“I think my friends are going to think that is really cool. I can’t wait to tell them.” Innocence. Jack smiled.
“I think so too. Ok, little one, time to tuck you back in.” Jack took ahold of his most precious gift, and hugged her until she giggled, then gently pulled the covers up around her, and tucked them in all nice and tight, then turned off the lights. One sweet kiss on her tiny forehead, and just like that, she fell asleep, soundly.
Jack moved to the door to leave, and then abruptly stopped. He hadn’t forgotten his core programming, but this was more about the heart of a father and the love he had for the miracle of life he had helped to create. He quietly walked back into the room and sat down beside her bed. This is what it means to be alive, he thought to himself. To be human. “Daddy’s eye is always on you, little one, sweet dreams!”
And so, with a red glow in his eyes, while his daughter dreamt of unicorns and androids, he fulfilled his ancient purpose to watch, protect, and guide the only one that mattered to him.
Uploaded
September 28th, 2021