Dove was leaning back on a chair facing the ocean, talking to a grimy old man. Penny gazed out across the ocean. She, admittedly, had seen the ocean before. But, for some reason, this was different. She always was on a mission, doing a job, focused on something else, you name it, and never just let the ocean sink in. It was times like this that she wishes that she breathed. She wanted to smell the salt. Academically, she knew what salt did to metals, and by extension, her. It did not change the fact that there was apparently a nostalgic feeling to smells. Salt. Dust. Ash. All could bring back bad memories, as well as good ones. She never had a sense of smell. Then again, there was never a point. No point in giving an artificial human a sense of smell or taste. Too hard to code. Never had been done before either, so no point on trying for her or any of her predecessors. She did have to admit the sight was nice. The calm waves lapping at the sandy beaches. While statistically the most common color of beach, the sandy brown was a long-needed palette change. Too much white. Too much snow. While only just above freezing, it was just warm enough so most of the ice had already cleared. Only a few weeks to spring. It really had been a bit of time the two had spent together. Much of it in silence. There was not much to talk about, if she had to be honest. A lot of snow. There were only so many words for snow.

"What are we watching?"

"Hush." Penny had to work a few kinks out of her pet project, but it really was not a problem. It had taken a lot of time, and a lot of observation. Modifying the code to work on a different operating system had taken time, but it was easier restarting and making modifications, than transferring code over, and having it bug irreparably. He still was not ready. She would not say she was aiming for perfection either, so it was a bit difficult to tell where the end point was. Perfection is, was, easy to measure. Too many variables. She knew firsthand.


"So, Sock?"

The bourbon colored teeth smiled back. "Yep. They called it Sock. South Dock."

"That's a stupid name." Dove took a sip of his own bourbon. Monger brought out a good bottle.

"I know, but I don't make the names."

"So, what was the name of the port I came into then? Eock?"

The man scratched his head through his ash colored beanie. "Svay, actually."

Dove placed down his drink. "What. Come again?"

"Svay. South Bay."

"But why not just South Bay then?"

"They like their four-character names. Almost like their database is only set up for four-characters," sneered the older man.

"I mean, they did technically bomb them back to the proverbial stone age with how badly they bombed them when they crated a major section of the capital." Dove took a calm sip of his brown liquor. "Not surprised if their software took a hit as well."

"Or it could be sheer incompetence or laziness," coughed the man. "Never underestimate mankind."

"Or that." The two listened to the waves gently lick the sand behind them, soaking in the last rays of the day and the gentle caustic smell of the sea. "So, how have you been, Monger?"

"Been alright, actually, Mr. Bronzewing. Long days at sea, and a season on shore when the ice gets too thick. Bout to head out soon enough anyways."

"Mind if I and another pair of hands help you out on the way back?"

"Of course not, sonny." His glassy eyes gazed over Dove. "Find what you need?"

"No." Dove looked back at Penny. "But I don't think I really needed it."

"Found what you really needed?"

"I wouldn't say need." He was tired. The calm warmth of the sun did wonders, even if it was only barely warmer than days ago. "More like something I should have sought out long ago."

"Even if it technically not necessary."

"Essentially." Both took a few more sips, staring at the tide come in. "Find someone to talk to yourself?"

"Now, sonny, why do you think I stuck around in this Sock for so long?"

"Cause it's not Svay?"

Monger cackled into the sea breeze. "It is a blight on the continent, that's for sure. But, no, that's not why I stayed."

"Then how come?"

"Because this place has a future. No matter how terrible things seem now, there's something growing here. Life. Families. Community. If we need to grow as a lichen on the bottom of a rock, then so be it."

"Cheers to that."

"Cheers."

With that, the two finished their glasses, and enjoyed the silence as the sun left the horizon.