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Sun loved his job! Really. He knew how lucky he was. Service bots like himself were considered the lowest form of android and animatronic, so they often had the jobs no human wanted to do. He was genuinely lucky that he’d been bought by a ship captain. He got to sail across the seas and behold all kinds of incredible sights. And he wasn’t mistreated by the sailors, like so many unlucky bots like himself. The worst thing they did was a little inside joke of theirs. If one of them caught Sun after he’d just finished cleaning something, they liked to create a little spot of mess, be it tracking dirty shoes across a freshly mopped floor or putting a dirty plate right on top of a clean stack.
“Missed a spot, Sunspot.”
Sun hated that sentence. Every time he heard it he felt a little shiver of irritation run up his body, before he quickly rushed over to clean the new mess left for him. He truly didn’t know why this poor excuse of a joke got started, but he hoped they would grow bored of it soon and move onto something else. It’d already been several months since it began, and human attention spans could only be held for so long. They’d stop it soon. Hopefully.
“Uh oh, looks like you missed a spot, Sunspot.” a voice laughed, and Sun blinked.
He was pulled from his thoughts, looking up from his place scrubbing the kitchen floor. And there it was. A puddle of someone’s spilled drink, left right where Sun had just finished polishing. Sun sighed, getting up and retrieving the mop. He was lucky to be on this ship. He really was. No one pushed him or hit him or screamed at him, not like at his last home. Sun shuddered, pushing the memories away. Best to focus on his task.
He cooked and he cleaned for the crew, working all day and into the night. There was a surprising amount of work to be done on a ship, especially one that had only one bot. But that didn’t bother Sun. His rays soaked in solar energy during the day, keeping his battery life full for when night fell.
And fall it did. Soon the sky grew dark, and the sailors all fell into their bunks to sleep. Sun himself was sitting up on the deck near the railing. He had a basket of potatoes next to him, peeling them in preparation for tomorrow. He tried to take things easy at night, not wanting to drain his battery before the next day’s dawn.
Sun hummed a quiet tune to himself, one he often heard the sailors sing as they swung between the sails. Even though his energy was limited, Sun truly loved the night. The sky and ocean blended together, enveloping the whole world in black, dotted by millions of little stars. And of course the moon was there, as always, silently keeping him company. Sun smiled up at its bright pale face. He would finish this basket, and then he’d tuck himself away in his little corner to get some rest. But for now, he’d enjoy his time of peace and quiet.
The quiet was interrupted when the ship suddenly lurched to one side. The potatoes flew overboard, vanishing out of sight. Sun quickly grabbed onto the railing to save himself from a similar fate. A strange chorus of chittering could be heard below, and Sun peered over the edge. Dozens of glowing eyes gazed back up at him, and Sun squeaked in fear, quickly pulling away from the edge.
“Mermaids!” voices shouted as sailors came tumbling out from below deck in nothing but their sleepwear.
The sea churned, and Sun caught sight of several long, scaly bodies curling up the sides of the ship. The body of the ship groaned under the pressure, tremoring under Sun’s unsteady feet. Some of the sailors were throwing weapons and objects overboard, no doubt aiming for the creatures below, while others made quick work of preparing the two life boats.
Sun tried to make his way toward them, shaking just as much as the ship. He’d heard many tales from the sailors about mermaids and how they loved to sink ships and devour the crew. Sun wasn’t sure what they’d do to him, but he surely didn’t want to find out.
He reached the sailors just as they’d finished lowering the first boat. It was packed with crew members, and the captain, all flailing and fighting off the deadly creatures. Any who weren’t wary enough were ensnared by dark reaching claws and pulled into the frothing depths, their screams quickly drowned. The second life boat was being lowered, the remaining sailors piling in. Sun reached them, but was immediately shoved back. He fell onto the deck, wood cracking and splintering all around him.
“No room for you.” a gruff voice spoke out from the group.
Sun didn’t bother getting up and fighting. He’d lose, and probably get injured. Heck, they’d probably fling him overboard as a distraction. And so, Sun just sat there as the ship broke around him, watching the second life boat vanish over the side. He could hear both groups of humans shouting at each other and at the mermaids, paddling desperately through the darkness.
The deck split directly beneath him, and Sun scrambled up the steps to the quarterdeck. The ship tilted to one side, sinking into the water quickly. Sun clung to the steering wheel, fear rushing through his entire body. He was so grateful that he’d been altered to be waterproof, but he still needed to keep his airways open in order to ventilate and keep from overheating. But his core temperature was the least of his worries as he watched the long mermaid tails churn up the water and curl against the ship, snapping planks like twigs. Sun didn’t want to go into that black sea and be among giant murderous creatures.
But Sun didn’t have a choice. Into the ocean he went. His friend the moon had no hands with which to reach down and save him. The ship sunk beneath the waves, pulling Sun down with it. He kicked frantically, the weight of his body dragging him down into the unfathomable depths. Terror kept him going, and he breached the surface, sputtering and splashing as he searched about for any piece of debris he could cling onto.
In the sparse light, Sun spotted a section of the ship that had remained intact. It floated on the waves, and Sun swam toward it, hoping that nothing grabbed him and pulled him back under. As soon as he reached his sanctuary, Sun pulled himself onto it and curled into the center, trying his best to stay quiet and still. He didn’t want to draw attention to himself.
He could still hear the distant voices of the crew, fading into the night. In the eerie silence, it finally hit Sun. He had been abandoned. He was meant to go down with the ship, like the rest of the furniture. It was Sun’s fault that he was so surprised by this. He’d been treated well by the crew. He’d assumed that they liked him, or at least didn’t hate him. There were a few times they’d gather around to share stories, and they always let Sun listen in. Being left behind felt like…a betrayal. It hurt.
Sun curled up into a tighter ball, pushing his face into his knees. Tears fell from his eyes and into his already-soaked pants. The rocking of the tide soothed him into a light sleep. His panic and struggling had drained his batter much more than he was used to.
The moon watched over him as it sailed across the sky, before it eventually fell beneath the waves like the ship. The sky lightened, and Sun’s namesake was soon peeking into the horizon and bringing the dawn with it. Sun felt his energy finally getting restored, but stayed laying on his new home. What was the point in getting up? He had no idea where the nearest shore was, and he didn’t even have anything to paddle with. He was adrift, abandoned, and alone.
Sun was so lost in his own morose thoughts, he didn’t immediately notice his makeshift raft getting bumped and pushed about. When he did, he cautiously sat up and looked around. But he could see nothing, just endless ocean all around. And then a body shot out of the water, splashing frigid water over Sun. Sun gasped, blinking wide-eyed at the figure.
It gazed right back at him, submerged up to its neck in the water. Its face was half pale and half black, with a pair of glowing eyes watching him. And Sun could only sit there, petrified. He had no way of defending himself if this thing decided to attack.
But it only stared, occasionally blinking. Several minutes went by, with neither making a move. He flinched when the creature made that strange chittering noise at him. Was it trying to communicate with him? Or was it calling its fellow monsters to come and eat him?
“Um…” Sun mumbled.
The creature then reached up with black, clawed hands and gripped the edge of the raft, lifting itself up and onto it in one motion. Its weight tilted the raft, and Sun scrambled back, grabbing at the wooden surface. He retreated until he was on the opposite side, watching the mermaid’s every move. Its long dark body shimmered in the morning light as it tilted its head at him, and then moved into the middle of the raft. Sun shrieked as his side crashed down into the water as the structure leveled back out. The mermaid’s long body coiled up like a snake, tail fins idly tapping against the wood. It was now much too close for Sun’s comfort. Its body took up over half the space, and it was a miracle that its weight hadn’t sunk them both. Sun stayed clinging to his edge, even as water lapped over it.
They had another brief stare-off, until the creature stretched one of its arms out and reached for him. Sun curled up, fingers digging into the raft. Its claws wrapped around one of his ankles and started pulling him closer.
“No no no no!” Sun tried to keep hold of the edge, but was easily plucked away from it.
He was dragged toward the middle, and squeezed his eyes shut in terror. This was it, he was going to die! He was pulled into the creature’s shadow, and could only lay there trembling as he felt its sharp claws poke at him. They poked his face and plucked gently at his rays, startling when they shrunk into Sun’s head. The creature drew back a bit, chirping. Sun hesitantly peeked his eyes open. He could find no malice in its eyes as it peered down at him. If anything, it just looked curious. The fact that it wasn’t shredding him to pieces was a comfort.
Sun cautiously sat up, still keeping an eye on those deadly claws. They slowly reached back up and poked him again. The mermaid tilted its head at the metallic sound Sun’s body made, tapping at his chest and arms. Sun let his rays back out, and the creature's eyes widened, poking them as well. Sun relaxed a little. Maybe this thing wouldn’t try to eat him if it realized he wasn’t made of meat. So he just sat there and let the creature chirp and tap its claws against him.
A huge splash made Sun flinch, and suddenly his little raft was now host to two mermaids. Sun turned and looked at the newcomer. It looked a lot like the first one, but its body was a deep shade of red. Sun couldn’t get a better look, as the raft was quickly sinking under the weight of them all. Sun shot up onto his feet, unsteady as the raft shifted. He heard a low growl and looked up at the red mermaid. Its bright eyes bore into him, and there was no mistaking the ill intent they held. Its face stretched into a grin, showing its large, razor-like teeth. It then lunged forward, crashing into Sun and the dark mermaid. The raft upended, and they all tumbled into the sea.
Foam and water engulfed Sun, and he kicked his legs hard, desperate to not sink down. He felt pain lace through his side, and was unable to keep rising to the surface. He was pulled further down, and realized that the red mermaid had its claws sunk into him. Then, to Sun’s horror, a second red mermaid came into view. They both gazed at him, the first one pulling him closer. Sun flailed and struggled, but was utterly helpless against them. Their mouths opened, teeth ready to bite into him. But then a long dark tail swung in and knocked them both away. Sun was sent spinning from the force, blinded by bubbles, and then he was grabbed again. Whoever had him now pulled him up to the surface, and by the time Sun’s senses returned to him, he was being pushed onto the raft. He rolled onto his side and coughed up the water that he’d swallowed.
The raft was rocked hard, something crashing up under it, attempting to overturn it again. The blood-colored mermaids resurfaced, snarling and clawing onto the raft to get at him. Sun huddled into a ball, shaking in pure panic. He had nowhere to run! But then the dark mermaid’s tail curled around him, pulling him in close while the mermaid hissed at the red twins. Sun stayed pressed against his unexpected savior, not keen to get grabbed again. One of the twins grew bold enough to pull themself onto the raft, arm striking out like a snake and grabbing Sun’s arm. He screamed in terror, bracing to get dragged back to the water. But the dark mermaid slashed it right on the face, and it quickly fell back into the water with a cry of anger. Sun caught a glimpse of the long slash marking its face before it vanished into the water. The second red mermaid glared at them both before following, at last giving up the fight.
The water calmed, but both Sun and the dark mermaid remained tense. Sun trembled, looking down at his clothes, which were drenched again. The mermaid’s eyes gazed over the water, looking for any signs of trouble. As time passed, Sun relaxed a bit. He slowly stood up and fumbled his way over the tail, still feeling wobbly. He had just one moment to stand there and look out over the water before the mermaid chirped and grabbed him. Before Sun knew it he was pressed in against the creature, who kept its arm around him, still vigilantly watching for signs of danger. Sun squirmed, but was effectively stuck. He huffed and just stayed sitting where he was. There was no point in struggling when this thing was clearly much stronger than him, and at least it was keeping those other ones away.
Hours passed in silence, the big sun in the sky moving overhead. The small earthbound Sun relaxed against his captor and savior, his clothes finally drying out again. Eventually, the arm around him released, and Sun tentatively stood up. He looked down at himself to take stock of his injuries. He had surface-level scratches on his arm, and a few holes cut into his mid-section from one of the red mermaid’s claws. He prodded the wound and winced a bit. It hurt, but it didn’t seem like anything that could threaten his life. The mermaid watched him, eyes examining the injuries as well. It chittered and tilted its head at him.
“Don’t worry, it’s not that bad.” Sun said. “I got off pretty lucky for having two of those things trying to kill me.”
The mermaid just chirped once more and then dove over the side. The raft rocked, and Sun quickly crouched down to keep his balance. He looked around, but saw no sign of the dark mermaid. He was alone once again, and wasn’t sure how to feel about that. What if the other two came back while the nice one was gone?
Now feeling more nervous, Sun crept to the edge and peered over. He could see nothing but the terrifyingly massive depths below, and quickly retreated to the center of the raft. He’d never appreciated just how horrifying the ocean could be until he was stranded in the middle of it. He had nothing left to do but lay back down and try not to think about how he’d been abandoned twice over. He couldn’t help but feel so acutely lonely. Even when he worked alone on the ship, there was always someone nearby talking or working. All his days of unending servitude and dedication to a ship that was now rotting on the ocean floor, while he drifted endlessly on its surface, a victim to its current and tide. What would become of him? He was waterproof and had solar energy, and he was fairly resistant to rust. But he was injured and lost, without any means to even attempt to reach land. If he got really desperate he could always try to fashion his clothes into a sail. He really hoped things didn’t get that desperate.
As the day grew late, Sun drifted in his thoughts until a splash made him jump back into awareness. The raft was tipped slightly as the friendly mermaid returned. It pulled itself onto the raft, washing water over the surface. Sun groaned as his pants were drenched once again. At this rate the salt was going to corrode the fabric, and he swore he could already see the colors fading.
The mermaid moved to the middle with Sun, carrying a large fish in its mouth. It leaned forward and dropped the fish squarely into Sun’s lap. Sun just stared, unsure of how to react. The mermaid sat back and smiled at him, which was a little intimidating with all those teeth. Sun looked down at the dead fish, its silver scales marred by large teeth marks. Wincing, he gripped it and lifted it up slightly.
“Umm, thanks?” Sun said. “But I, uh, I can’t eat.”
The mermaid clearly didn’t understand, still sitting patiently and watching him.
“I can’t eat this. Literally. I don’t have a stomach.”
Sun scooted closer to the mermaid, setting the fish down in front of it. It chirped at Sun.
“Sorry?” Sun shrugged.
The mermaid looked between Sun and the fish, its face such a clear picture of confusion it almost made Sun laugh. It clicked in disapproval before moving around Sun, encircling him again with its tail. Sun was once again trapped in a scaly nest, and the fish was plopped back onto his lap. He swore he caught a stern look from the mermaid before it settled down, laying across the wooden surface, content to sunbathe. Its luminous eyes fell closed, purring deep in its chest and leaving Sun ensnared with a slimy dead fish. He scowled down at it. Some of its scales were flaking off onto his pants.
“Gross.” Sun muttered.
Glancing at the mermaid, Sun slowly lifted the fish up and pushed it over the tail circled around him. It flopped down onto the raft with a wet slap. Sun paused, waiting to see if this angered the mermaid. But thankfully he seemed to either be asleep or just not care. So Sun sighed and tentatively relaxed back against him, his own eyes falling closed.
The light soon faded into dusk, and the moon showed its face once again. Sun smiled at his old friend. It was hard to believe that just one night ago, he’d still had a home and a purpose. Now he was stranded with nothing but a mermaid who had defended him and tried to feed him a fish. Speaking of, the creature shifted and sat up, yawning. He looked toward Sun, eyes searching for the fish. When he didn’t immediately see it, he chittered happily. But as soon as he uncurled from around Sun, the rotting fish came into view. The mermaid paused, and his unimpressed gaze fell back onto Sun, who could only shrug.
“Look, I can’t eat it. I can’t even pretend to eat it. My mouth isn’t real. I don’t know what to tell you.”
A few more seconds of the disapproving stare, and then the mermaid picked up the fish. He started eating it, glancing at Sun as if he expected Sun to change his mind and demand the fish back or something. Sun just sighed. He looked away from the unpleasant sight and gazed up at the moon until the eating noises finally ceased. Sun then looked back, and came to a realization.
The mermaid’s half dark, half light face looked an awful lot like the moon above. The white side almost seemed to glow against the black, just like the face of the moon.
“Huh.” Sun said. “Maybe that’s what I should call you. Moon.”
The mermaid tilted his head, and Sun smiled at him.
“What do you think? I think it fits you.” Sun laughed a little. “Our names match!”
The mermaid now named Moon chirped, and Sun pointed up to the starry sky.
“See? Moon. It looks just like you.” he said.
Moon looked up, but clearly didn’t get it. That was alright, Sun would just use his new name until it stuck.
The mermaid made several happy sounds before diving into the water. Sun tried to avoid the splash, but was only partly successful. The long dark body blended into the black water, sending the star’s reflections rippling as he swam circles around the raft. Sun moved to one edge, sitting and watching. Moon spun lazy circles around him, occasionally pumping his strong tail enough to leap from the water like a dolphin. Sun smiled at the display, part of him envious that Moon wasn’t bound to the raft like he was.
Eventually Moon returned, floating up to Sun with a smile of his own. And then he reached out and grabbed Sun’s arms and started pulling. Sun immediately struggled, fear spiking through him. He very much did not want to go into that inky black void. Even with both moons watching him, the depths were too deep and too dark.
Moon gave a strong tug, and Sun pitched forward. His arms went into the water, and he shrieked in fear. Moon immediately let go, wide glowing eyes watching Sun scramble back to the middle. His injured side stung from all the jostling around, and he pressed a hand over it.
“Nope. Nuh uh. No way.” Sun panted, shaking his head emphatically.
Moon chirped, short and sharp. Sun didn’t know if it was a question or an apology.
“Look, I can barely swim.” Sun said. “And it’s not like I don’t trust you, but I don’t want to rely on you not just letting me sink like a rock.”
Moon put an arm up onto the raft, reaching out toward Sun with his palm up. Sun cautiously moved closer, stretching his own arm out. He slowly let his hand rest in Moon’s.
“See? I’m okay.” Sun said. “I just can’t swim around like you.”
Moon’s sharp fingers curled around Sun’s hand, tapping at the metal skin. He then released it and pulled away, continuing to swim laps around the raft. Sun watched him for several minutes, eventually laying down. The late hour combined with the unexpected brush with dread had him feeling tired. His eyes grew heavy as sleep descended over him, comforted by the rocking of the waves and the quiet sounds of Moon pushing through the water. His hazy vision watched the stars' reflections dance before his eyes fully closed.
He wasn’t sure what the next day would bring, but at least he knew that he wouldn’t be drifting in the endless sea all alone. He had been abandoned by those he thought he could trust, but he'd just as quickly gained a new ally and friend. So for now, he let his worries and his sadness wash away, allowing himself to relax and fall into a deep dreamless sleep.