Nagasaki Shadows; An AI warning?
And tell me you remember where you were
When they dropped the second algorithm bomb
Inspired by current events, the "Nagasaki shadows" formed during the detonation of the second atomic bomb over Japan in 1945, and a recurring dream I had for over 20 years.
There’s a piece of music I’ve often heard used in YouTube videos, and I always felt it wasn’t being used properly. I tracked it down in YT’s audio library a few years ago, and discovered it’s Atlantis by Audionautix. It’s not a nice piece of music, in the best way; it’s a very disturbing and stirring piece.
Its composer describes it as “dark ambient” so they seem to agree with me. It’s a little bit science fiction, a little bit austere clockwork 70s, and a big bit thought-provoking. To me it always felt like it was describing something going on that should never have been allowed to start. I’d informed my story engine to think it over, and once it was at the back of my mind I didn’t have to worry about it.
There’s a saint who works in The Pub in Lancaster. Well, she’s not actually a saint, but I’m going to make her one in a future story. The Lady Grace is one of those people you can say anything to, and she’ll surprise you with her response. She’s also very fast-reacting to ideas… I don’t know anyone else who’ll look at a line I’ve been trying to write and go, “No, that’s wrong!” and be so sure of herself that I agree – even if I don’t. Like one of those super-confident characters who’ll persude you to put down the wrong answer in a pub quiz, then convince you it’s your own fault we lost the points because you should have believed in your own answer more…
One evening in late February 2026 I decided to see if I could write something about the Nagasaki shadows, because I thought it made a good title. Up until then I had no idea what it might be about. But the story of the shadows is intriguing: when the second atomic bomb of World War II was dropped over Nagasaki in August 1945, it left “shadows” of people embedded in walls and stairs.
For a long time it was thought that the people who’d cast the shadows had been vapourised. it was later discovered that the bomb hadn’t generated enough energy to do that; and while the shadows were parts of the stone protected from the full blast by people standing in the way, those people hadn’t simply vanished. Many survived for some time.
I started writing the piece at the bar, because I wanted something to talk to Grace about (knowing that it’s always worth the effort) and I got through the first half in about 20 minutes. It was hard going, but each line seemed to cement itself as I went, inspiring the next line and not requiring much tweaking afterwards.
There came a brief interruption when the guy standing next to me realised we were BOTH writing lyrics, so we swapped phones to take a look, had a laugh about our different approaches, and then I expected to show Grace what I’d done and hope the second half would come along at some point.
But no! Because one of the things we lyricists discussed was fighting with concepts about which we feel very strongly but can’t verbalise – which is, of course, what we’re supposed to be doing with them. I remembered the recurring dream I’d had over 20 years, about people who got trapped inside square boxes with concentric-circle windows. Once trapped, as I was, it was like being in a void of non-existence, perhaps like heavy medication. It was pleasant, though; and the pain was to watch all these tourists coming to see us trapped folk, taking pictures, pointing and wondering, and never knowing it was actually better inside than out.
That inspired the second half of NagShads, after a little twisting of the idea. The result is a kind of time-travel thing, set slightly in the future with AI being the new atomic bomb, but harking back to a previous era when we were foolhardy enough to deploy something world-changing without having any idea of whether the outcome could be contained.
Or something. I no longer dream of those boxes and I’m no longer disturbed by images of concentric circles, but there’s definitely some kind of warning about being encased in a pleasant neutering neutrality. Fortunately I don’t have to tell you what it is!
Story: Martin Kielty
Music: Atlantis by Audionautix via YouTube audio library
Video elements: Nicola Narracci and HumanoideVFX via Pexels.com
And tell me you remember where you were
When they dropped the second algorithm bomb
Sun-shaming ball of temporary hope
Tarnished by a deep, cold, looming wrong
The screens all froze on maybe-later promises
The half-lie post-truth fakes of future’s bloom
Solidified in data mines of darkness
Embedding us in long-dead limestone tombs.
You come to stand and stare and shoot the warning
A muted clip to tick-tock down the wire
Expressed in harsh, scared timeless sculptured screams
As Fate decries your digital desire
The new clear winter lasted long enough
For history to be retold and fast forgotten
Leaving us as Nagasaki shadows –
Making bombs of us, and making shades of you.
(Yes, I know it should be granite rather than limestone – but I prefer the connotations of limestone here.)
