It was an old custom on Earth that was once popular. Humans would paint stones with pretty pictures, happy sayings, and then, when they had a fairly large collection done, would take all of these intricate stones and scatter them all over the place so other people could find them. Often with a URL on the back for people to log in with a picture of the stone to show it was found and where. A way to brighten a person's day. That person would then be encouraged to take the stone out and set it somewhere so someone else could find it. And let that cheerfulness spread. Some old customs don't seem to die, even as humans have spread through the universe, so have the pretty stones. -- Anon Guest
It was a smooth river stone that was light years from the nearest river. Large and flat and painted with a contrast code that could easily be read by any datareader. The other side of the stone, the one that had been facing up, had a stylised image on it. What it was a stylisation of was something Techie Del was unfamiliar with. Humans had been here.
Just how and why a Human would leave a river rock stuck to the underside of a desk in a derelict vessel was a mystery to Del. Further, that derelict had been marked for complete salvage by a roaming band of scavengers working the very same wreckage Sargasso. Since it had been painted, Del guessed that it was of some cultural significance and put it aside for analysis.
She never expected a rock to be a message in a bottle. After her shift was over, she scanned the code left on one side and found a message and a link to a social site called Dude, Where's My Rock? It was a long-term cross-galactic game. Of course it was. Humans were baffling that way. This game had been going on for longer than an average Human lifespan, so it was a decent bet that the hands that had painted this stone were in their grave by now. There was a message.
It began, Dear Stranger, May you see better days. It described a time of trouble and psychological woe, and the idea to spread joy. Those who found the stones were to leave a message for the next finder on the social site, then leave the stone where it was sure to be found. It was there that Del learned that the stylised image was that of a happy cat, all using symbols from the ancient Human alphanumeric symbol set. The letters M, O, and Q made the body of the cat, while an X, a numeral three, and a full colon made the face. Someone else had carefully added the words, Ceci n'est pas une chat as some form of joke.
Human nature, thought Del. She could keep it as a memento, but there wasn't any point to that. This artifact had been made to move through many hands.
Therefore, she used a random number generator to pick a departure lounge and left it slightly-less-than-conspicuously in one of the decorative planters. Cat side up.
The message she left on the social site was simple. In honour of those who have passed, in dedication to those yet to come, I too perpetuate the legacy. Play on. Play on.
Weirdly enough, after passing the stone along as proscribed, Del had just a little better luck thereafter.
[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / liveslow]
If you like my stories, please Check out my blog and Follow me. Or share them with your friends!
Send me a prompt [52 remaining prompts!]
