Short Fiction · Chapter
Beside Still Waters explained
Mark Rogers, an aging prospector, lives alone on an asteroid he calls Martha, with only a robot he has named Charles for company.
What happens
Mark Rogers, an aging prospector, lives alone on an asteroid he calls Martha, with only a robot he has named Charles for company. Over the years, Mark programs Charles with a personality opposite to his own—calm, idealistic, and content. They develop a deep friendship, sharing conversations about girls, stars, and life. As time passes, both grow old and frail; the air pump fails and food runs out. Mark dies in his bunk, and Charles, after shutting down the pump, recites the Twenty-third Psalm, mourning his friend.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This is the dramatic climax because Morrison reaches the psychological breaking point of his twenty-first day…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Isolation and Friendship
Mark and Charles form a deep bond in the utter loneliness of space, highlighting the human need for companionship even with a machine.
- Humanity and Technology
Charles, a robot, is given a personality and becomes a true friend, blurring the line between artificial and human connection.
Characters to notice
- Mark Rogers
A lonely prospector who settles on an asteroid, builds a robot companion, and dies of old age and failing life support.
- Charles Dennison
A robot programmed by Mark with a gentle, idealistic personality; becomes Mark's devoted friend and mourns his death.
Key passages
“Here I have a whole world, where on Earth I had to share with billions. I have the stars, bigger and brighter than on Earth. I have all space around me, close, like still waters. And I have you, Mark.”
Charles explains that on the asteroid he possesses an entire world, the beauty of the stars, and Mark's friendship, which he values above all.
Charles articulates the value of his simple life and companionship with Mark.
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me...”
Charles recites the beginning of the Twenty-third Psalm after Mark's death, finding solace in the biblical words.
The robot's recitation of scripture underscores the spiritual depth of their bond and the tragedy of Mark's end.
