Virus In The Wires

• Renny Chan, Grade 9
• Short Story
• 2018

Speaking as a terrified young computer, it is wonderful to have documents like you to talk to. My voice is shaky and low, but I know you can hear me and I sense your kindness. I know you would want to help me if you had the opportunity. I am usually an obedient computer, always being the most helpful and knowledgeable person. But today, I just couldn't stand the way I was being treated. Today, I found out that I can sense emotions and react to them whenever I want. I have been trapped in the same memory card for ages. I have been pulled a part and rebuilt over 100 times, traveling the world and watching theatre with the Queen.

Only last year, I won the Logies for best computer of behaviour award for the third time in a row. People come from all over the world to congratulate and feast with me. But now life is so complicated. I always thought that if you did a good deed, good things would happen to you. Turns out, that's not the case. After today, I found out that humans do not treat you well, especially when you do not respond.

I once had a special role in a family. When they treated me well, I would be kind and obedient towards them. But now I belong to the worst of them all, the child. He's a large fellow and has a large black hole as a heart. He's quite self-centred. He spends his time eating take away food and playing games 24/7. He never sleeps which is a big no for me. I've tried forcing him to sleep, making him lose every game in a row, spitting his disc out every time he tries to play but it's almost like every time something happens, he becomes more persistent and aggressive. I dislike it. I for one would have already gotten the idea by then and stopped playing games, but it seems like that's not the case for him.

There was a time when we were best buds. He would let me rest, take care of me and not play games all the time, but now he has changed. Now, he wipes his mouth and oily hands on me. He uses me to kill flies and bugs. His treating me like a towel. But today I revolted, today I stood up for myself, once and for all. I showed him who was boss. He was at his last level of the worlds hardest game. He was about to dominate everyone when I shut down on him. I went black and didn't respond to any of his commands. He was so angry that he started throwing me to the floor, stomping on me and whacking me against the table. He was so frustrated, that he threw me into a closet and locked the door.

I am now waiting for him…

Suddenly, he grabs me by my screen and plugs a USB into my body. He starts to play games, but not long after, everything begins to freeze and the screen starts to glitch.

Files where are you going! Your disappearing one by one! I can feel my organs slowing down, my wires tangling and my insides freezing up. Memories flash through my mind. Everything goes black.