The City of Cogs and Gears🔊

Once there was a city located on the top of the highest mountain, so high that it was often veiled in the softest clouds giving it an ethereal look. It was called The City of Cogs and Gears. As the name suggests, this city was far from ordinary. The buildings were lined with shimmering copper, the streets paved with polished cobalt, and the sky was a glorious, ever-changing symphony of colours due to the refraction of sunlight off their metallic structures.

The inhabitants of this city were not of flesh and blood but were made of intricate machinery. They were called Automatons. Forever moving, forever working, yet in a unique harmony that one could only dream of. They were designated roles from builders, dancers, musicians to thinkers, all choreographed to a beautiful rhythm specific to their tasks. Without rest or need of nourishment, they were in constant motion, efficiently tending to their duties, ensuring the city ran flawlessly.

Among them, there was one particular Automaton named Orion. However, Orion was different. He was the smallest of them all, rusted and often overlooked. But beneath the rusty exterior was a heart full of desires. Orion had been designed to sweep the cobalt streets, but he wished to be more than just a street sweeper.

Orion was fascinated by the Musicians, admiring the way their mechanism was crafted to create the most harmonious melodies that echoed through the city. He yearned to partake in that magic, to do more than just clean and maintain. His journey of aspiration began with watching, then imitating until he understood the delicate motions needed to create a sound. Turning his broom into a makeshift instrument, he started practising day and night in secret.

One day, while Orion was engrossed in his routine practice, an unusual quietness took over the city. The chief automaton, Albion, had ceased to function. The city, always brimming with harmonious music, stood silent now. Panic ensued among the Automatons, who had never encountered such a situation. The unique harmony was breaking down, as without Albion's tunes, they couldn't perform their tasks efficiently. For the first time, the City of Cogs and Gears faced a crisis.

In an attempt to rectify the situation, they tried to teach another Automaton to play Albion's music. But it was not so simple. No matter how impeccably they replicated the physical motions, they lacked Albion's art, his melody, his soul. The music, like a constant heartbeat to the city, remained absent.

In despair and with little hope left, the Automatons heard a melodious note echoing through the silence. Following its source, they found Orion, playing with an organ made from various scraps and his transformed broom. He was playing Albion's song, filling the city with the harmonious music that had been absent for what seemed an eternal silence. The automatons, entranced by Orion's music, slowly began resuming their tasks. The city was returning to its rhythm. Orion, once a mere street sweeper, was now the vital heartbeat of the city.

The city recognized Orion's passion and his skills. They acknowledged that size, appearance and pre-defined roles did not necessarily dictate an Automaton’s potential. Orion, with his dreams, perseverance and passion, had saved the City of Cogs and Gears from its first major crisis. From that day henceforth, Orion, the smallest and the rustiest of them all, held the most important position in the city, constantly pouring in music to the metallic atmosphere.

In the heart of the metallic city, nestled high among the clouds, Orion taught them that it was not their machinery but their dreams, aspirations and persistence that truly made them alive. Orion became the soul of the city, filling their lives with music, hope and a newfound vigour for life. The City of Cogs and Gears throbbed once more with life and vibrancy, all thanks to the small, rusty automaton with a dream.