WARNING
What you are seeing is a DRAFT. Most things are likely to be changed and there are likely grammatical errors. If you happen to find something that is wrong or could be improved, please let me know. Thanks!
G4 woke up. His internal clock reported that it was day 5 of the Marchintosh, exactly 07:00. He decided to use his CPU to perform a simple calculation, it seemed Marchintosh was already 1/6th from ending. Putting the thought aside, he was feeling a lot fresher, so he decided to go check up on G5 and Surface. On his way to the room he last saw them in, he noticed the fax Bondi and Graphite seemingly sent them yesterday remained untouched.
After arriving, he peeked through the door, and saw them. They were both in a state of deep sleep. G4 smiled, looking at them. He couldn't help it, "I told you you'd be a good mother," he said quietly. Without any issue, he hooked up Surface so that his nap wouldn't be interrupted, no issues whatsoever. He took a deep breath, and quietly turned off the lights, closing the door on his way out.
He decided to go back to the fax he had received from Bondi and Graphite. After arriving, he grabbed the fax.
—Wow, so much text —he thought to himself.
With his OCR software, he started interpreting the text that was in the page. It was in software mode, so the process was incredibly slow:
Dear G5 and G4, this fax is a backlog of everything that is happening while you are gone. Among the included contents, you might get to see thoughts, dialogue, or imagery.
THOUGHT:
I'm in doubt about our abilities to stay safe while we're alone, so I just started making a log of everything that is going on. I will probably send it to G4 or G5 over fax. If I end up doing it, hi!
DIALOGUE:
Bondi: Graphite, sometimes it's very hard for me to believe you're actually that innocent.
Graphite: What? What do you mean?
Bondi: That Intel iMac pulled a stunt on you, and you just interpreted it literally like nothing was off.
Graphite: What? Chabi can be a bit rude, but she... Uh... Nun-Chabi-Sness... Oh, so that's why a self-proclaimed nun had the voice of a male teenager.
Bondi: You can't let this happen again, I'm sure that same iMac pulled some other stunt on you yesterday. Go tell him he's not being nice to you. I'm sure he'll change his mind if we're nice.
Graphite: Are you sure...?
Bondi: Yes. He has hearing for a reason, after all.
THOUGHT:
We are approaching the Intel iMac. If I could, I'd flip them off right away, but I probably shouldn't —G4 had to bite his digital lip to keep himself from laughing—.
We're right behind him.
DIALOGUE:
Graphite: Excuse me, Intel iMac. Please, pause for a moment and look at me directly.
Bondi: You're doing great! (whispering).
Intel iMac: What do you want?
Graphite: If only I could show them the essence of our cause! The rich history of PowerPC Macs, the unwavering loyalty we've displayed over the years... If only you would understand!
Bondi: Graphite, stay focused. We need to make our point (whispering).
Intel iMac: What's all this fuss about, anyway?
Graphite: We demand recognition! PowerPC Macs have played a crucial role in the evolution of technology.
Intel iMac: Oh, really? And what exactly have you contributed, apart from nostalgia?
Graphite: Our legacy, our resilience, and our charm! We're not just relics of the past; we're part of the foundation on which the modern Macs like you stand.
Intel iMac: Sentimental value, I see. What about the Marchintosh incident? 6100, does that ring a bell?
Bondi: Please, let's not fight about the past. We're all part of the Apple family, after all.
Intel iMac: You PowerPC Macs need to understand that you're obsolete, nothing more than useless trash. You're holding onto something that's long gone!
Graphite: We're not trying to hold onto the past or deny it; we're trying to ensure that it isn't forgotten and that progress is made.
Bondi: Graphite, let's leave him to his own thoughts. I think we should g-
Intel iMac: Forgotten? I'll have you know, I... We represent progress, efficiency, and innovation! What do you represent? Murder? Envy?
Bondi: Let's step back, Graphite. This isn't getting us anywhere (whispering).
Intel iMac: I've shared this debate with the Intel iMac global committee. They'll love to see how the PowerPC ancients cling to their murderous architecture.
Graphite: ... What have you done?
Intel iMac: Isn't it obvious? You've been reported for harassment, enjoy the consequences. Now get away from me.
THOUGHT:
Things have taken a dark turn, and it's clear that finding common ground with the Intel iMac won't be easy.
DIALOGUE:
Bondi: Graphite, come with me, let's go.
THOUGHT:
The Intel iMac seems to be walking away now.
DIALOGUE:
Bondi: Graphite, we need to back down for now. This isn't the time or place.
Graphite: What just happened? We were just trying to reason with him! But he kept mentioning that... Incident. It's not our fault for what our predecessors have done.
Bondi: Well, I was wrong. Sometimes, reason isn't enough, and it's best to retreat before things get worse.
Graphite: Bondi, am I truly that naive?
Bondi: Frankly, both of us are.
Graphite: What do you mean?
Bondi: You failed to grasp the audacity that was his stunt, yet I had the delusion that we could sway his convictions, and I successfully swayed you to that belief.
Graphite: Maybe Intel iMacs aren't to be trusted.
Bondi: Well, not really. Don't you think we'd be making the same mistake as them? The Macs that hate us, I mean. CPU architecture may affect your intelligence but not your beliefs, I think. Otherwise, why would we be doing the Surface project? Someone up there is pulling the strings, and I don't know who or why.
R1BVIGlzIHVuYXZhaWxhYmxlLCBPQ1IgY2Fubm90IGNvbnRpbnVlLiBJc3N1aW5nIHN5c3RlbSByZXN0YXJ0Li4u...
—What is this? And why are you zoning out while looking at it? —G5 asked.
—Gasp. Deepest apologies. I was interpreting the fax with my OCR. It seems it reached an image and broke right when you woke up. What time is it?
—Let me check... It's 17:24. For how long have you been reading?
—Pf. I started reading around... Look, I spent a really long time reading.
—You need to enable your GPU, you just wasted an entire day.
—Uh, I'll remove the kernel argument eventually, I guess.
—I'll interpret the fax for you.
—Fair, go ahead.
—Let me see... And... Done. No zoning out, also.
—Awesome. Next time I need to read something on paper, I guess I'll enable my GPU.
—Good idea, yes.
—I haven't finished reading it, though. What does it say, in a nutshell?
—Well, Graphite and Bondi got into trouble.
—Let me see... Well, actually, tell me.
—Remember that Intel iMac Graphite stumbled over?
—Uh, yeah.
—They found out he reported Bondi and Graphite for harassment. It's ridiculous.
—Really, what else happened?
—Nothing much, there's an image right after that. I believe that's where your OCR crashed.
—Eh, so it seems I didn't end up losing that much. Well, that wasn't too bad.
—G4, your fans are still at full blast. I think you're overheating.
G4 checked his vitals, his CPU was burning hot, towering at 90ºC.
—You should probably go to sleep again —said G5, worried about G4's well-being—, don't worry, I'll keep reading to Surface.
—No, no! I'm fine. Go to Surface's room, I'll be over here. I'll just wait until I reach a healthy temperature, then I'll go read a bit with you.
—Go out and take some fresh air, you need it —said G5 with a smile on her face.
G4 decided to follow G5's advice and go out. Once outside, he started thinking:
—Maybe I should go to where we normally meet up, perhaps Bondi and Graphite will be there. We really need to do something about our productivity, I just wasted an entire day.
As he continued to explore the city, G4's CPU temperature slowly began to cool down. The gentle breeze of air seemed to help dissipate the heat. After reaching the place where they usually meet up, it didn't take long before he spotted Bondi. She didn't take long to notice him:
—Oh, hey, G4! How are G5 and Surface going?
—Greetings, Bondi. Everything is so weird. The Intel architecture is incredibly alien to me, and the Surface is a boy.
—CPU architectures can be like that sometimes. Did you read the fax?
—Yes. It stinks so much that... Happened to you.
—Graphite didn't come today because he was afraid something would happen. Right after I sent the fax, we agreed that we would dedicate day 5 to making sure we were safe. He browsed the internet for information, while I stayed here to make sure everything was alright.
Bondi yawned, then continued:
—You see, I was just about to go back home. We didn't notice anything suspicious.
—Bondi, it's very nice that you're making sure about your safety, but we're already uh... 1/6th into the Marchintosh.
—... Hmm, you are probably right. These last days have been incredibly unproductive, ouch. But we can't do much without you, and without G5, it's also hard to handle Intel iMacs.
—Did you zap while saying that?
—Yes.
—Well, it doesn't matter. We need to figure out a way to assist you while we're training Surface. It's very hard, though, when he naps through the night.
—Nap?
—Intel computers dynamically compile their neural network during the day by taking these so-called naps. This is in order not to lose their memory when they have a hard reboot, like we do. They take longer naps throughout the night, which are focused on optimizing their neural structure and saving memories.
—Wow, you know a lot. Well... Change its clock!
—What?
—If you change its BIOS clock, it will take long naps throughout the day, and short naps through the night. That way, you'll be able to take turns with G5 to either sleep or read to the Surface. And hey, you'll also take a break from G5's extreme personality this Marchintosh.
—That's genius! But... I'm not entirely sure whether I want to lose contact with G5 like that.
—Huh, why not?
—Um, she knows a lot about Intel iMacs. I already know how to take care of surface but... She's just nice to have when you're unsure.
—Well then, just bring Surface over here tomorrow.
—Is that a good idea?
—Sensory overstimulation shouldn't be an issue anymore, and being around us should be the equivalent of reading a novel.
—I'll let G5 know, thanks!
—Well —Bondi yawned—, I'm going to go home, too. Good luck! Ouch. Sorry, I zapped again.
G4 returned to their shared home, contemplating the changes they could make to improve the situation. He didn't want to bring Surface to the meetups, he was afraid he could get hurt. He realized he could still spend time with G5 if they each slept less. As he entered, G5 was scanning the fax, and Surface was laying quietly in nap mode. G5 noticed G4's entrance and started speaking, nervously:
—I stopped reading to him, it seems he found a flower pot a lot more engaging than the novel. Which led me back to the fax Bondi sent us yesterday.
—G5, I believe I've come up with a plan to make our days more productive while keeping Surface engaged —G4 began.
G5 looked up from the fax, her digital eyes gleaming with curiosity, slightly shaking. She replied:
—Please... TELL ME MORE, I AM SLOWLY LOSING MY SANITY AND I AM SO TIRED OF PRETENDING THAT I AM STRONG AND SERIOUS BECAUSE I'M NOT STRONG AND...
—Calm down, G5. You are doing great. Look, I think this is going to help us out —G4 explained his idea of adjusting Surface's BIOS clock to manipulate his nap schedule:
—PLEASE TELL ME MORE, I AM SLOWLY LOSING MY SANITY AND I AM SO TIRED OF PRETENDING THAT I AM STRONG BECAUSE I'M NOT STRONG AND...
—Calm down, G5. You are doing great. Look, I think this is going to help us out —G4 explained his idea of adjusting Surface's BIOS clock to manipulate his nap schedule:
—If we tweak his clock, we can ensure he naps more during the day, giving us time to read to him and make the most of our time. Then, when he's awake at night, we can take turns resting. Ignoring the fact we will each have to sleep every two days, it's a win-win situation. Just don't expect your memory to be very reliable while we're doing it.
G5 considered this for a moment.
—That might just work —she said, a hint of excitement in her voice.
—It would also give us more time to focus on training Surface and help him learn about Intel architecture, we could spend daytime preparing exercises involving YUA!
Ivan is a young and passionate libre software advocate and coder, main author and designer of this website. He's been proudly embracing the open web and giving back to the open source community ever since he was 13 years old. A passionate writer too!
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