Ma Bell Leopard never realized it could get so warm here; when she thought of coastal New England she imagined a dreary land locked in near-perpetual winter – occupied with snow for more months than not, cool and damp for the rest. If there was any truth to this assumption she wouldn't know it; they were presently being treated to a glorious, cloudless day, the mercury already pushing seventy degrees Fahrenheit with some time left until the sun reached the pinnacle in its trip across the sparsely-clouded sky.She was having difficulty enjoying this lovely morning, however; she had a tough task ahead of her, and not a lot of time. Checking her
Technology SquareLeopard and Selectric's discussion in the cozy booth at the back of the restaurant was cut short at around a quarter to eleven. Growing weary of the last patrons' loitering – and his subsequent inability to leave for the evening – the owner ushered them, rather forcefully, out of his shop and into the mild spring night, putting up the 'closed' sign as they left.Earlier Leopard expressed worry over where she would stay for the night; Selectric had reassured her that there would be rooms available at the Lab, since it doubled as something of a hostel for traveling computers and their human companions. 'For situations just like this
In CantabrigiaThe train arrived in Cambridge half-past seven in the evening. Twilight had all but vanished into night but the sky was still well-lit with the glow of the surrounding metropolis; enough so that Leopard could read the note that PDP-chan had scribbled before promptly exiting the car. 'I have to get back home,' PDP had explained, before hefting a too-big-for-her-size piece of luggage from under her seat, 'Mom will be upset if I'm not back soon.' Before Leopard could say anything she had pushed her way through the crowd of towering adults and out of sight.Leopard inspected the note again. Written on it – in surprising good hand for a chil
Ad CantabrigiaShe had been sitting on the platform for a few minutes when the conductor finally opened the door, allowing her to enter the caboose; a messy crew's quarters that appeared to have every comfort of home packed – in a decidedly uncomfortable manner – into a narrow-gauge train car. Being inside was certainly better than sitting on the platform, but it wasn't pleasant by any stretch of the imagination; Leopard felt overcome by the cacophony of sounds and smells within. Pots and pans and other hanging items clanging against the walls competed with the rambunctious conversation of the crewmen for auditory supremacy, the allurin
Land of the Giants pt 2DOS/360 shared many of her sister's features, but somehow arranged in a less threatening way. Instead of an intimidating grimace, she wore a mild, even pleasant expression; instead of an untamed mane, her long hair was tied neatly into double-tails. The two mainframe-tans were twins in most other physical respects: equally statuesque, well-dressed and positively exuding confidence."I heard there's been a mix-up," DOS said, serenely approaching her sister, the butler and their prisoner Leopard. "You think you're HASP then, dear?" she asked, lowering herself to Leopard's eye-level."Hah!" 360 shouted, a maniacal grin on her face, "She knows
Land of the Giants pt 11972…Leopard wasn't sure what she'd gotten herself into as she timidly approached the large set of double doors which, while normal looking enough, had imprinted themselves in her mind as a symbol of looming destruction. She knew what was behind that door was large, hungry, upset – a terror of the past which she had been foolish enough to seek out, one that she would have to face if she didn't want worse happening.Picking up one large platter, she disregarded the second – thrown to the ground by a fleeing servant moments before – and the variety of food strewn across the floor and, swallowing her nervousness, stepped
The DeviceIt had been her lifelong aspiration to conquer time; more than a wish, it was her life's motivation, the very reason she was studying physics. It proved a mind-bending field of study even for a being of her intellect, but she pressed forward, slowly, steadily, attempting to absorb every drop of information she could; she would need it all someday if she was to ever realize her dream. Her sisters, artists for the most part, often questioned her pursuits but their judgments fell on deaf ears. She knew what she was going to do, even if she had no idea how to do it yet.So it surprised Leopard – to make a great understatement – to stum
A Journey of One Mile pt. 2Mark wasn't burdened by her usual attire, layers of heavy dress and delicate shoes, but she couldn't shake the habit of walking as if she was. The unnamed escort, who moved at a slightly less ladylike pace, kept looking over her shoulder making sure Mark wasn't being left behind, every so often issuing the question 'Am I walking too fast for you?' or an offer of 'If you'd like, I can slow down.' Each time Mark would decline the offer, but give thanks for the consideration.Even among these foreign MIT people the woman stood out. Her heavy accent was the first thing Mark noticed; she had been exposed to Boston accents all her life and had eve
A Journey of One Mile pt. 1What a lonely life it is, being one of the first of a new species... all sentient life ponders its own existence, and Mark was no different. She supposed her own reason for being was in her kind's very name – computer. Made to perform tasks that humans found incomprehensible, to harbor abilities impossible for them to cultivate within themselves. They possessed the fallible bodies of men, but with powers befitting the gods.But there were still people who claimed her kind were mere facsimiles of human intelligence. That computers had no souls, that the creation of the spirit was a hard-fought evolutionary battle or the domain of a divin
Far From Home pt. III"Mom was proud of me, but I told her not to be. Nothing that happened there was of any importance, the story probably wouldn't even leave the room…I suppose I just proved myself wrong?" VMS hadn't thought about that day in years and the feelings this particular memory returned to her were a bittersweet mix. She was thoroughly nostalgic at this point and couldn't help but feel a yearning for those simpler days, but took care to not forget the worse parts or tell herself it was better than it actually was.Whistler nodded, "that was such an interesting story, VMS-san! I haven't met many OS-tans of your…" she seemed to be going for th
Far From Home pt. IIWhistler lay on the smooth wooden deck of the small yacht, her head stuck down the hatch watching VMS as she stacked boxes. Whistler's incessant stare irritated VMS slightly, but she said nothing to the girl – she was merely curious toward her strange living arrangements."Do you really have everything on board?" Whistler asked sheepishly, apparently disbelieving that VMS could actually live on a boat, "Kitchen? Bathroom? Bed?""Yes, everything." VMS replied, setting the last box on the sink in the tiny galley before turning to ascend the ladder. "Sorry about the hold up," she added, "we'll be going right now."Snowflakes were startin
Far From Home pt. IThe date was February 16, 2018.A perfectly wonderful day to be alive, VMS mused not altogether sarcastically as she strolled down the crowded sidewalk. This city never was a favorite of her's, but it was a necessary stop on the trip; there was no way she would make it to her destination without stopping here to restock the ship, whose supplies of food, water and other basic necessities were rapidly running out. There was one thing she appreciated here: the wonderfully cold weather, which in turn produced a fresh coat of snowfall that covered and clung to every surface in sight. She had always loved the snow, a fondness she attributed to som
OS-tans on a ShipMultics x Emacs:Emacs: "Ah yes, my first true love... such a forbidden one too, her being my senior and a part of the MIT elite and all. ITS-sensei and Father hated our affair, but they didn't understand – so we didn't run in the same circles, should that stop two people from being with one another? I still remember the wonderful times we had together, and would like to think she taught me everything I need to know about the female variety..."ITS: "Hah, the star-crossed lovers. Dunno what they saw in each other, they came from so different of backgrounds... we raised Emacs to be a staunch advocate of our culture, and the first chance
Unix-tan fanfic pt. IIWith a congenial wave of her hand, Multics welcomed the visitors into the room. It was a small area made downright cramped by an assortment of furniture: along with the obligatory bed, there was an overfilled bookcase, several dilapidated steamer trunks, a large grandfather clock, two wingback chairs and a table adorned with a lace tablecloth and a stained and chipped, but otherwise pretty, china tea set. The eclectic collection of things shouted Multics in Unix's mind; her mother had always been a bit prone to accumulation, a habit that apparently hadn't been curbed by the loss of her fortune. Exasperated from her walk up the stairs, Unix un
Unix-tan fanfic pt. IUnix turned her attention away from her book and looked out the train window again. The scenery had transformed from dense forest into an open, hilly landscape, a sign that she was close to her destination.Taking a glance around the nearly empty coach, she drew the sad conclusion that not many people were taking this mode of transportation anymore. Narrow gauge had been common in her youth, but it had almost vanished now– lost forever to high speed rail. They started their journey upon such a train; but as they moved farther and farther into into the boonies, the infrastructure became less and less sophisticated. Makes sense, she thoug
Amnesiac part IAt the dawn of consciousness, the mind perceived future as well as past; memory comprised recollection as well as foreknowledge. And why not? On the track of time, the future is as certain and tangible as the past; there was nothing stopping those first sentient lifeforms from seeing it.While humankind's earliest Homo Sapiens ancestors were no exception, they were different; they were the first creatures to fully grasp what these memories, both forward and backward in time, meant. Memory is a powerful tool, able to guide the intellect, mold personality, but it was not without its psychological risks; remembrance of ones past could be painfu
HomecomingIt was pitch-dark by the time she was done telling her story; only the faintest glow in the western sky indicated that the sun was ever there. The veranda was alight with lanterns hung from the ceiling, as well as a small fire burning in a pit in the center of the room; Isra was still sitting on the cot and Bellatrix and Seth sat on separate ends of a nearby couch in anticipatory silence for the conclusion of her tale."That was... it?" Seth finally asked through his heavy accent. "But you did not say how you got here!""Actually I did," Isra said, "I was a guinea pig in a transdemesional transportation study." On second thought, she decide
Sta.sh
