From dd6dc5a05ff998ebc17ee322ac2e31176272d4f7 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: shmick Date: Sat, 1 May 2021 22:04:41 +0300 Subject: [PATCH] Adding short stories directory to practice --- Short Stories/The Server | 60 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 60 insertions(+) create mode 100644 Short Stories/The Server diff --git a/Short Stories/The Server b/Short Stories/The Server new file mode 100644 index 0000000..1d19000 --- /dev/null +++ b/Short Stories/The Server @@ -0,0 +1,60 @@ +The Server + + +It was a warm spring's late morning when Adir decided to hunker down in the lab, pile up the many carcasses of failed computers around the workbench and bring them all back to life. + +The air conditioner was still broken, and he had both windows open, soft motes drifting in the breeze and sunlight they brought in. Adir sat down on the good chair, set the least disgusting chassis in front of him, and set on about his work. + +Prying apart the rusty, salted metal bits and pieces proved physically exhausting, and soon Adir shed the uniform's torso piece and was left in his worn, sweat stained white T-shirt. He was alone, after all - might as well make use of it. + +He had a strict procedure: First, he tears off everything than can be teared off, sets the remains on the largest window's sill, and runs it over with the blower, mindful of anyone who might approach the passage on the other side. Since the window lay behind an iron curtain, even commanders were often surprised to find it there - before Adir, it had not been opened in years. +Once blown away, he gently lays the bare computer next to the screen, and connects two brand new cables - one to the outlet, the other to the small, beat-up screen. After powering it, depending on the noise the computer makes or fails to make, he disconnects it, discharges it, and swap out one of the parts with a somewhat newer equivalent from the box he'd fetch earlier from the storage room across the hall. Finally, he tries booting again, repeating the cycle with a new part until the computer lives, or until he runs out of parts. + +This was dirty, low work; so despised it was, in fact, even the command staff preffered to perform merely a weak facade of effort before deeming a computer broken, and requisitioning a new one. Adir found it thearaputic - every hunk of junk he could make usable again was a small victory against the culture of ignorance and waste. He did it better than anyone here, and not by virtue of excessive skill. + +Between last evening and even a small excursion early this morning, Adir had managed to amass just over a dozen computers - even pausing his usually distant demeanor to gather them from reluctant users. As soon as they were piled neatly, he set aside the small box of compoments from the storage room, made himself a cup of scalding hot black coffee, and began his work. + +He himself had trouble rationalising his actions ("If we don't know what we're doing, our enemies sure as hell don't either", he mused to himself), only just managing to raise feeble excuses - it was to acquire experience, to create goodwill from key personnel around the base, to appear busy enough to avoid some other, demeaning task to be dropped on him. He liked the latter of explanations best. +He could not know what any of the others plan for him, and the computers at least were predictable. Though most questioned his actions, Adir decided himself wise - he only sheds the false hope of avoiding some other unpleasant task, and by doing so manages to regain some feeble measure of control. The rest didn't seem to see it. + +One by one, Adir tested them rigoursly, systematically - swapping out parts in order until they finally boot. Each booting computers then gets connected to a different outlet, to run the same set commands on the operating system to help restore it to good condition - much like a patient recovering after a medical operation. + +By the time Ronen burst into the room the coffee was long gone. Adir had but three computers in the pile and one set neatly in front of him, strewn on it's side and much of its' part on the table. +"What's this?" Ronen asked. +"I'm working." +"Adir? Hello? Could you look at me when I'm talking to you?" +"Give me a second. I'm in the middle of something." +"Adir." +Adir begrudginly set aside a part and turned towards Ronen. +"What are all these computers doing here?" +"In the computer lab?" +"There's, what - one, two, three... Eight computers in here! what for?" +"I'm fixing them." +"Well, drop it now. We're going to the Safety Meeting." +"I'll be there in a moment." +"Adir, I said we're going now." +Adir sighed deeply. +"Give a minute - I've been here all morning. I need to use the restroom." +"I'm waiting." +Adir stood up, and eyed Ronen with a skeptical look. +"Fine. David will be here in a moment. You can go with him." +"I can find my way just as well." +"You go with David. Now go use the restroom." + +Adir neatly set the compoments aside, swept up his cup into the bin and wiped down the spot where he'd set it. He didn't like leaving his workspace dirty - even here. +David appeared perhaps a minute after Ronen, already in a full-blown panic. +"Adir! we have to go. Come on. I know you're busy, but let's just get this over with, please - It's very important to Gilad." +"Sure it is. Let me just use the restroom. You can go, if you're in a hurry." +"You hadn't gone yet?! Oh, Adir, Ronen told me to go with you, and now we're both in a hurry! could you ple-" +Adir shut both doors behind him, for once thankfull for the restroom's bizzare design. + +"When we come back, there's that NCO in Medical, Guy - he -" +"I'm sorry, David. I'm busy." +"Oh, but I've no one else! eveyone is busy. What are you doing?" +"There's been a range of hardware malfunctions. I've been working on them all morning." +"Well, if that's all, we'll just order new ones! that's good, great. I'll see you a-" +"These are all really urgent, David. Otherwise, do you think I'd have bothered on these old husks of salt? Give me a few more hours, and I'll take care of it." +"I... I don't know, I... Well, there we are. Come on inside." + + +