The Computer Population

• Tegan Patrick, , Southbrook Primary School
• Short Story
• 2001

Finalist in the 'Zapped! 2001' competition

Once upon a time, there was a computer. This computer was very normal computer. It had a mouse, mouse pad, keyboard, monitor, CD drive, cursor, and everything else a normal computer has – including a family from the Computer Population. No, the Computer Population is not a club. They live in the computer, and they busy themselves night and day with magic to make the computer work. This is a story about the family in that computer.
“I’m bored,” whined Mouse. “Oh, you’re always bored. You know, I’m sure you could be pulling your weight around here instead of stuffing your face,” said his older sister Kersa.
“Excuse me,” said their mother Seedee. “You need to make a Q, Mouse.”
“Can’t do Q’s,” mumbled Mouse. “Hurry up, your father’s in a bad mood today, “Seedee said pointedly. “What’s wrong this time?” sighed Kersa, sending a perfectly rounded Q to the screen.
“His wand won’t do commas or numbers,” Seedee explained, “if I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a hundred times, it’s for Them to sort out. The keys’ll be jammed or something,” cried Kersa exasperatedly. But when Seedee had that look on her face, Kersa knew that wasn’t the real reason. But in a few weeks, they found out what it was.
Onitor, the father, had them all packing at midnight ready to leave at 6. The magic in the computer was fading, and without magic, the Computer Population can’t live. When the time came, Onitor pulled out his wand. “Take us to the nearest computer,” he boomed. Then, he added, “One with lots of magic.” Kersa felt herself whirling at a sickening pace, much faster than she could stand, unit she slowed, and fell to the ground – startling a human. “I thought the little boy was the last one,” he said. Then he put her in a glass jar. Kersa saw Onitor, Seedee, and Mouse there as well. Instinctively, they all pulled out their wands, and blasted the jars into smithereens. Then they all ran into the safety of the computer, where they began a new life and lived happily ever after.