«Thank you, my friend! You did a great job today!»
By the way, this was her unique characteristic that made many colleagues consider her a bit strange, and some even laughed. Lily often talked to the machines! Yes, the girl was special. She not only conversed with the machines as if they were living beings, but she genuinely believed in miracles and fairy tales! Albert knew this better than anyone else but kept it a secret, realizing that revealing this truth could harm the girl.
Many knew that Lily worked as a technical writer. She was a specialist who explained to users how programs, written by programmers, worked. But few knew that in the evenings and sometimes during lunch breaks, she would stay in the office and compose completely different, magical stories. She would tap on the keys of Isabella, a stylish keyboard in emerald shades, relying on her faithful assistant Molly and seeking help from the esteemed printer Albert. And few people knew that Lily was raising her little brother alone. She would create these fairy tales especially for him.
Yes, it was Lily who had infected Albert with this wonderful passion for storytelling. But who could have imagined that his secret hobby, on which the machines had agreed to remain silent, would be revealed so quickly? Although, it must be admitted, it was from this girl, the only human he longed for approval and recognition.
Meanwhile, Lily gazed in fascination at the tray filled with paper, where new sheets with text kept appearing. She approached closer and exclaimed in astonishment:
«This is unbelievable! How do you do it?»
Albert smiled and replied:
«We simply give life to words, Lily. Our stories come alive to entertain and inspire readers.»
«Stop!» interrupted Oscar. «Are you sure she can hear us? Maybe we should just pretend we’re silent, soulless machines before she gives us away.»
«Lily», the computer cautiously addressed the girl. «Can you really hear and understand us?»
«Yes, Oscar. I can hear and understand you well. What’s so surprising about that?»
«But you’re a human,» the computer hesitated.
«Yes, I’m just an ordinary girl. But you – you are magical machines! I had a feeling you were capable of more, but I never expected it to be to this extent! I also want to learn how to do it! Tell me, how is it done?»
«And how long have you been spying on us?» Oscar continued to inquire.
«Since the very beginning,» Lily innocently replied. «From the day Albert and Molly created their first fairy tale. After all, I often stay late in the office. Haven’t you noticed me? I tried to stay quiet so as not to disturb. But I wasn’t hiding or spying, believe me.»
Oscar and Albert exchanged silent glances. Finally, Oscar nodded and spoke aloud:
«Alright, Lily, we will share the secrets of our craft with you, but please promise not to tell anyone about them.»
«I promise to keep your secret and help you in any way I can!» Lily solemnly vowed.
Molly and Albert joyfully began teaching their beloved friend. They showed her how to choose the right words and infuse energy into each letter. Lily diligently learned, tried, and experimented. And soon, a little fairy came to life on her sheet of paper, dancing gracefully. Lily rejoiced and exclaimed:
«This is the most magical thing I have ever done! Thank you, Albert and Molly, for this incredible opportunity!»
Since then, the secret alliance of office devices was joined by a human, a special girl named Ilaria, whom friends and colleagues simply called Lily. The allies continued their creativity, their secret remaining undisclosed. However, the office space became increasingly infused with a mysterious enchantment that filled the mundane days with vibrant and wondrous stories. People soon began to notice peculiar changes in the atmosphere, but they had yet to realize what was happening and who was involved… except for one person – the programmer Max.
New adventures awaited the friends ahead.
Chapter 3: The Mysterious Disappearance
Soon, many office employees became fans of a new computer game that unexpectedly appeared on their screens in the mornings before work started. The game was only available for a limited time and completely disappeared when the workday began. People didn’t yet understand how to play it, but they were enchanted by the magical stories they saw on their screens. Most often, the game featured the story of the brave Prince Albert, King Archibald, Princess Aurelia, and the wicked advisor Mordred. The fairy tale had new variations, it evolved and developed, and the images on the screens became more vivid and three-dimensional. The office workers didn’t understand how this was happening, but nobody complained about viruses or equipment malfunctions. At least, no one approached Max, the programmer working as the system administrator, regarding this matter. Everyone was so captivated by the story that they eagerly awaited new episodes with unabashed interest.
Max, who had a hunch about what was happening, stopped trying to fix the situation but started investigating the problem as a programmer. He also began staying in the office after work or during lunch breaks. Since he didn’t have the habit of talking to machines, he approached things differently. He cautiously hacked and studied the source codes of the new game. Finally, he understood how they worked and even attempted to model his first character.
The character he created was a kind-hearted and hardworking apprentice chimney sweep named Thomas. The young man worked under the guidance of an experienced mentor and dreamed of becoming a great chimney sweep, defeating the evil spirits that inhabited the chimneys. Contrary to common stereotypes of chimney sweeps being dirty, Thomas was very tidy and always maintained cleanliness in his clothes, face, and hands. Max seamlessly introduced his character into the magical fairy tale, ensuring that the machines didn’t suspect anything.
Then, one morning before the workday began, the office computer monitors displayed another story about the mysterious disappearance of Princess Aurelia. The employees, who had started arriving early to learn more about the story before it vanished from the screens, exchanged speculations about what had happened to the princess. They were accustomed to the various twists and turns in the story.
However, in the secret community of office machines, panic ensued. The princess had vanished completely off-script. None of the machines had done anything to cause her disappearance, nor had they planned for it. They explored the location with Mordred’s castle and were surprised to find that he wasn’t involved, and the princess was nowhere to be found. During the lunch break, Oscar called for an emergency meeting.
«It seems someone has hacked our secret project,» he announced. «What are your theories, everyone?»
Albert and Molly exchanged anxious glances.
«Did you also think about this?» without a sound, Albert asked.
They had developed a habit of reading each other’s thoughts and exchanging them without words, or as people say, telepathically.
«I had a strange dream today,» Molly whispered in response. «Everything in the dream was exactly like what we see on the screen now.»
«Friends,» Oscar interjected, «could you share your secrets with the entire community? Do you know something?»
«I don’t,» Albert replied. «I’m just as shocked as the rest. It just occurred to me that the characters we invented