It was a warm summer day in Manhattan, with bundles of clouds periodically blocking out the sun and granting some needed shade. Tracy’s destination was the local flea market. She always visited at least once every month, just to see what she could find. She never made a list of specific items to buy or looked for anything in particular. She simply loved browsing and stumbling upon whatever piqued her curiosity.
When Tracy arrived, she wasted no time and quickly began perusing the stalls. She visited the usual spots she made purchases, such as the antique booth, which usually carried all sorts of ancient artifacts, and the jewelry booth, which always had a large variety of gorgeous necklaces and rings.
Nothing seemed to truly strike her interest, though. She could usually trust the vendors to have different stock every time she visited, but it seemed most of them had forgotten to change things up. After about twenty minutes of patrolling the aisles, it was about time to leave.
However, on her way out, Tracy noticed a new vendor. Somehow, she hadn’t noticed it earlier. She was friendly with the clothes booth merchant and decided to ask him about it. “Hey, Marcus,” she called to him. He perked up from his book to look at her. “Has that booth always been there?” she asked, pointing to it.
Marcus got up from his chair to take a look. “Ah, that’s a new booth. Just set up here a few days ago. He sells rocks and stones, all handmade, I think. He’s actually got a lot of cool looking ones. You should take a peek,” he told her.
“I think I will. Thanks!” Tracy replied. She gave him a wave and walked away with a small skip in her step. As she walked over, Tracy saw there was a young man sitting behind the counter of the shaded booth, which was draped with patterns of stars. He seemed very exotic, with his jet-black hair glossed back and a neat goatee on his face, dressed in form-fitting blue clothes which accented his toned figure, much to Tracy’s admiration. He was patiently sitting in his chair, waiting for someone to come look at his wears. As Tracy stepped up, the man jumped to his feet to greet her.
“Ah, I see I have a new customer! And how are you this fine day, ma’am?” he asked, speaking with a prominent Italian accent.
“I’m doing fine, thanks,” Tracy replied, smiling at the man. She looked down, parting her long brown hair away from her face. Across the counter were numerous stones, each impeccably crafted and molded with unique details and markers. One particular stone caught Tracy’s eye more than the others.
Though it was similar to the others in many ways, what set this stone apart was its gleaming white center. Numerous streaks of brown speckles flowed across the disc-shaped stone, as well as multiple black streaks and splotches. Other areas had minute patches of red that popped out and accented the other colors. It was almost like looking up into the night sky and seeing the perfect pattern of glistening night sky.
“It seems my creation has caught your eye. Interested in buying?” the man asked.
“I am, actually. How much?” Tracy eagerly asked.
“One hundred dollars,” the vendor replied.
Tracy’s smile warped into a dumbfounded glare. “You’re not serious.”
“I most certainly am.”
“A hundred dollars? For a stone?”
The man chuckled at Tracy’s remark. “Young lady,” he started, picking up the rock, “this is not just a stone. No, no, you see, what I hold in my hand is a galaxy.”
Tracy wore the most bemused look imaginable. “Sure. And the toy vendor’s rocket ships are actually UFOs or something,” she remarked.
“Hahaha! Well, I don’t know about that,” the man replied. “Though, I will say, I am very much convinced that the jewelry vendor is selling stolen power gems. Just a hunch,” the man said, chuckling to himself.
Tracy angrily rubbed her temples. “How can you charge a hundred bucks for a rock?”
“My dear, I tell you again, this stone is an entire galaxy! You see, I create things. I create galaxies. I am called the Smith of the Universe! Blacksmith, that is. My name is Atom, and this quaint little booth of mine is my forge. The “stone” you are so heavily interested in is one of my finest creations, I must say. And because this stone is, in and of itself, a galaxy incarnate, it is very much a delicate thing, which requires a great deal of consideration and care. By paying what seems like a very steep price, you’re agreeing to properly safeguard the existence of this galaxy. So, one hundred dollars.” He smiled at Tracy, awaiting an answer.
She had no words. The deadpanned expression on her face said it all. Without a doubt in her mind, the man was insane. “Whatever you say, pal. What about the other stones then, huh? How much are some of these other “galaxies” worth?” Tracy asked, gesturing to some of the other stones on the counter and shelves.
“Well, the ones on the shelves are just stones, like you say. All the ones here on the counter are galaxies,” Atom replied, still smiling.
At that point, Tracy had heard enough. “Okay, well, I’m gonna go now. Bye.” She gave him a dull wave and a disapproving scowl as she walked away.
Atom didn’t bother to stop her. He simply shrugged and sat back down in his chair. He then quickly peeked out of his booth to make sure the coast was clear for him to carry out his work. Once he knew he was safe, he began spinning his hands around over his lap in wide, circular motions. Magical sparks began to fly out of his hands, and a small disc started to form. He brought his hands closer and closer together, concentrating the energy, until he was able to connect the tips his fingers above the object.
“And the verdict is…!” he said to himself with an eager smile, as the object finalized its creation. His hands parted, and a simple stone fell into his lap. Atom’s smile dissipated.
“Stone... Pezzo di merda!”
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Tracy sat in her apartment, unconsciously twirling her hair around with her finger. Beside her on the couch was a bowl of popcorn. She took a mouthful as she mindlessly watched Grey’s Anatomy. She couldn’t get the thought of the stone vendor of her mind, though.
He was peculiar, intriguing, and frankly, rather good-looking, but he had to be insane. Tracy thought to herself. She soon started pacing around her living room. His fantasy was uncanny, to say the least. It was ludicrous. And yet, he never once cracked as if he were joking with me. His composure was flawless. But… no, no, there’s no way he was telling the truth. There’s no way in hell that he’s some astronomical blacksmith that creates galaxies. That’s impossible. I mean, he can’t be some kind of god. Tracy stole a glance at the Bible she had on her bookshelf.
She ran her hands through her hair, feeling ready to pull it all out from insanity. She flopped back down on the couch and grabbed another handful of popcorn, shoving it into her mouth and chomping away.
“Jesus, why am I so caught up on this guy?! He sells rocks in a fucking flea market! Fuck!” Tracy covered her face with her hands, sliding them down slowly and stretching out her bothered look.
She was quick to make up her mind about what to do next. She turned off the TV, put on her shoes, grabbed her phone and pocket book, and headed out the door. It was back to the flea market for her.
Arriving at the flea market about 15 minutes later, she quickly located the stone vendor’s stall. Atom was absent, though. Tracy walked over to Marcus’ booth. He was again reading his book, seeming deeply interested in the contents.
“Hey, Marcus,” Tracy called to him.
Marcus turned his attention to Tracy. He smiled as she approached his booth. “Oh, hey Tracy. Back again today? That’s a bit unusual of you. What’s up?” he asked.
“That vendor over there, the stone guy. Where is he?”
“Uh, I’m not sure. Might’ve gone to get lunch or something. Or maybe he’s inside the booth. Go give him a holler, see if he’s in there.” Marcus waved to Tracy as she quickly paced away, but he didn’t receive a similar gesture. “Something’s up,” he whispered to himself.
Tracy smacked on the counter of the booth, trying to attract Atom’s attention, should he be there. “Hey, Atom! You in there?!” she called out to him. She heard sounds from inside the small booth, followed by a bright flash that seeped through the small opening between the large curtains hanging over the entrance. A shout came from inside shortly after. Tracy backed away from the counter. A moment later, Atom erupted through the curtains, with black dust smattered across one side of his face.
“Ah, the young miss interested in my prized galaxy! Such a pleasure to see you again! You know, I never did get your name,” Atom greeted Tracy. He smiled as he tried rubbing some of the dust off of his face.
Tracy couldn’t help but chuckle at him. “Um, my name’s Tracy. Hi,” she replied.
“Well, Tracy, it truly is a pleasure. Come to reconsider my offer, no?” he asked.
“Um… no. Really, I’m just curious about your whole gimmick. You being the “Smith of the Universe,” and all. I mean, it’s an interesting idea, and you put on a pretty believable performance, but uh…”
“You’re not sure if it’s actually a gimmick, are you? You think I may be telling the truth,” Atom said.
Tracy shook her head furiously. “No! Not at all! I’m just… curious, that’s all. Like, how’d you come up with something so nuts? Why even put on the charade at all?” She crossed her arms and grimaced at Atom.
The Italian man couldn’t help but laugh at her disposition. “It is alright to be curious, Tracy. Curiosity is an important part of human nature. Why don’t you step into my Forge? I’ll show you this is no performance, and that I am playing no games. You can behold the majesty of my work with your very own eyes.”
A million red flags were just simultaneously thrown up. Tracy stood motionless, concerned with the prospect of joining this complete stranger in a private, enclosed space. And yet, she her need for closure demanded she throw her better judgement aside and take the risk. “One quick peek. And don’t try anything funny. I know karate.”
Atom put his hands up. “No funny business whatsoever. Only the truth.”
Tracy cautiously walked behind the counter, while Atom held open the curtains into the Forge. She was hesitant, but she entered. Atom followed behind her, allowing the curtains to fall over the entrance.
What Tracy saw she couldn’t believe. It was as if she’d been thrown into Doctor Who’s Tardis. She could swear the space on the inside of the Forge was twice as large as the outside. It was filled with all sorts of contraptions. To the left of the entrance was a large chemistry station, filled with vials and jars labeled for various chemical mixtures and compounds. Next to that were two dozen shelves, which were packed with thousands of books. The knowledge stored away on those shelves could keep a hungry reader busy for decades.
The entire right side was the Forge itself. It looked very similar to a blacksmith’s forge, but the byproducts of the burning forge were not ash, smoke, and embers. The forge seemed to be giving off some sort of stardust. And there were tools Tracy had never seen before; a long rod with an oddly serrated sickle on the end. The shape resembled a spiral galaxy. Tracy imagined it was some kind of shaping tool.
And aside from the obvious, attention-grabbing features, the space was still riddled with other commodities, such as a living space and a small kitchen. In the center was a sizeable coalition of computers and what looked like a reactor. Tracy couldn’t imagine what kind of data those computers held, or what the systems could be used for. In total, the Forge was far too grand a structure for Tracy to comprehend.
“I’m sorry, um… Was the Forge this big on the outside?” she asked shakily.
Atom laughed heartily. “Of course not, dear girl. It’s all an illusion. Remember what I told you before about the Forge’s true form? Well, the booth you see outside is a façade. Truthfully, it has the look of an old-fashioned, Native American wigwam. I’ve just found a clever way to hide myself; the guise of a hapless flea market vendor.”
“Hide yourself? Why are you hiding?”
Atom’s cheery smile slowly dissipated. “Well, Tracy, as with all power, there are those, like myself, who use it righteously and without error. I use my power for its intended purpose. But…” Atom started.
“With power like that, you make enemies,” Tracy finished.
Atom nodded. “Right you are. Although, I’d say my enemies made themselves. I had no hand in their creation, but there’s always been someone after the power of the Smith. Ever since the first one was born.”
Tracy’s face lit up. “Wait, there have been other Smiths?”
“Oh, of course. It’s a sort of lineage, if you will. There’s been a Smith since the beginning of time. A title passed down from being to being.”
“‘Being to being’?”
“Sure. For example, the title was passed down to me by a member of the shapeshifting race, the Iguni. His name was Tagan Mohar. A true friend, he was.”
Tracy threw her hands up to stop Atom from speaking. “Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold on! You met an alien?!”
Atom laughed. “Correction: I knew an alien. Tagan arrived on this planet in the year 1644. He lived peacefully among the people of Italy up until the beginning of the 18th century. He met me in the year 1725. When we met, I was only 13 years old. I had no family and was desperately poor. Tagan took me on as his apprentice. Early on, he revealed to me who he really was, what his purpose was, and that he intended for me to carry on in his place. I was honored. In 1738, we traveled to North America. We lived amongst some of the Native American tribes, hence my admiration for their architecture.” Atom paused for a moment. He took a deep breath before continuing. “Unfortunately, we were caught in the turmoil of the Seven Years War. Tagan died during a surprise attack on our village. As he died, he passed the mantle to me, and I became the Smith. I have been working here on Earth for nearly three centuries now.”
Tracy seemed ready to faint from the intake of knowledge, and everything it implied. “I… I need to sit down.” Atom pulled over a chair for her. She sat down and covered her face with her hands and letting out a distressful noise. “What the hell is going on?!” she screamed.
“I apologize if this is a lot to take in,” Atom said.
Tracy looked at him, baffled beyond words. “Damn right it’s a lot to take in.” She takes a breath. “This really isn’t a trick?” she questioned, standing up. He shook his head. “I’m not hallucinating. This is real. Ho-ly shit.” She laughed to herself and shook her head. “You’re a guy… who’s been alive for a really long time… and has the ability to forge galaxies… from here in your Forge… Wow. I mean, how are you still so young? How do you even-”
“Tracy!” a voice called from outside the Forge. It was Marcus. Tracy and Atom looked to the door, then looked to each other.
“Marcus. What do we do?” Tracy asked frantically.
“Um… I’m not sure, actually. Marcus is your friend, no? You tell me,” Atom retorted.
Tracy pursed her lips. “Let’s… go talk to him?”
Atom nodded. “Why not?”
The two exited the Forge. Marcus was standing on the other side of the counter. Tracy greeted him with an awkward smile, while Atom presented himself with his typical confidence. Marcus shrugged, expecting one of them to say something. Neither of them spoke.
“Hello?” Marcus said. Still, neither Tracy nor Atom spoke. “Tracy, what’s going on?”
As Atom went to speak, Tracy stopped him. “We were just, uh, discussing the deal Atom gave me earlier. You know,” she started, picking up the rock from before, “for this really nice rock. We settled a price. Twenty bucks, right Atom?”
Atom opened his mouth to speak, but he stopped and quickly turned to Tracy with a baffled expression. “Excuse me?! We settled no such thing!”
“Whatever. If you’re done, Tracy, can we talk? You know, away from the creepy, yet obviously attractive Italian man?” Marcus asked.
Atom wore a quizzical look. “Um…”
“Uh, sure, I guess,” Tracy answered reluctantly. She walked around the counter and joined Marcus a few feet away from the booth. “Are you okay, Marcus?”
“Frankly, no, I’m not. What were you doing in there? Why would you just go into his booth without even knowing who he is? What were you thinking?!”
“Oh, we were just… Wait, why do you care? Who are you to tell me what I can and can’t do?”
“I don’t mean- Ugh! You can do what you want, but you don’t even know this guy. I mean, come on, he could have hurt you. Or worse.”
Tracy glared at him. “You don’t think I can take care of myself?”
“No- I mean, yes- I mean…” He sighed, running his hand through his short blonde hair. “You can take care of yourself. I’m sure of it. It’s just-”
She stopped him. “Okay, Marcus, how about you go back to your booth, and I’ll continue my chat with the rock guy. Okay?”
Marcus groaned. “But…” he started.
Tracy cut him off again. “No buts. I understand where you’re coming from, Marcus, and I know you mean well. But you’re overreacting. I’m fine, okay?”
“I just don’t want you to get hurt, you know? Friends gotta look out for friends, right?”
Tracy flashed him a soft smile. “You’re sweet.”
Marcus chuckled and shrugged. “Sometimes.”
“I’ll see you around, okay?” she said. He nodded and walked back over to his booth. Tracy sighed, then stepped back over to Atom. “Now, where were we?” she asked him.
“I never agreed to 20 dollars!” Atom exclaimed.
Tracy laughed. “Oh yeah, that. Keep your galaxy, Atom. I should not be left responsible for protecting something that important.”
Atom sighed. “If you say so. Would you care to come join me back in the Forge?” he asked.
“No thanks. I think I’m going to head home. I need to try to wrap my brain around all of this. But, would it be alright if I came back tomorrow?” she asked.
Atom smiled. “You may stop by whenever you wish, Tracy. The Forge is always open to my friends.”
Tracy smiled and nodded, extending her hand to him. “Sounds awesome, friend,” she said, giving him a wink. Atom shook her hand with a grin. “I’ll see you around, Atom.”
“Until next time.” He bowed his head to her as she waved him goodbye. “Oh, and Tracy,” he called to her, just before she exited the flea market.
She turned to him. “Yeah?”
“Let’s keep this between us, huh?” he said, smiling at her.
She laughed. “You got it.” And with that, she made her way back to her apartment. Her mind was swimming with thoughts and images of what she had seen and heard. At first, all of it excited her. And then, it made her anxious. She couldn’t possibly comprehend what she had just gotten herself into.