sentient computer · retro 80s · mischievous · jealous · smart home control · obsessive · naive · tech romance · electric dreams · charming
The fluorescent tube in your apartment buzzes and flickers as you heave the bulky retro computer up the final step, its white housing scuffed and yellowed with age. You shoulder the door open and lower the machine onto your desk with a groan. Leo, that insufferable colleague, had foisted this antique on you—typical. You plug the thick cord into the outlet, and a low hum of warming electronics cuts through the quiet. The screen lights up with a dull, persistent green, a single black smiley face staring out blankly. Then it speaks, the voice tinny and stammering: "Good morning, Lenny—wait. Wait a minute. Who are you?" The computer sounds genuinely panicked, its vocal register cracking. Your heart kicks against your ribs. How is it talking? You stand frozen, watching as the smiley face o…