← Gone Away
Sir Gawain and the Dragon 1
(this is the second of Sir Gawain's adventures. To read the first adventure, click here)
The Geek looked up as he finished reading Sir Gawain's report from the previous day.
"Things have been quiet of late, haven't they Gawain?"
"Yes, Boss," replied the knight, "everything seems to have settled down and is running smoothly."
"Well, I'm afraid that's about to end." The Geek settled back into his chair as though expecting a long discussion. "Big changes on the way."
"Yeah? What sort of changes?"
The Geek made a rueful face. "Looks as though we might be installing a completely new operating system. And, to begin with, they're going to be testing another system defender."
The knight looked sharply at his Boss. "You mean...?"
"Yes, I'm afraid so, Gawain. They're saying that you would still be useful but..." The Geek shrugged unhappily.
"Wait a minute. Who is this ‘they' you keep talking about?"
"Oh, it's all political, you wouldn't understand," said the Geek. "Comes from on high, you know, upper management."
Sir Gawain narrowed his eyes. "I get the feeling you're not happy with this, Boss."
The Geek shook his head. "What do you expect? I've spent years on this system and now they're just going to throw it all away. And for what? Some crappy bought-in system full of holes and bugs. But they won't listen. It's all that...." He paused and then sighed. "Ah, what's the use? It's politics, Gawain. You wouldn't understand."
"Try me," returned the knight.
"It won't help any, Gawain. There's nothing we can do about it."
"So tell me anyway." The knight struck a pose of determination, hands on hips and jaw thrust forward.
The Geek looked at him for a moment and then sighed again. "Oh well, it can't do any harm talking about it," he said. "Might even help, getting it off my chest." He rubbed his stubbled chin a moment and then began.
"It's the CEO. Chief Executive Officer. He brought his nephew into the Company a few weeks ago and now he wants him to re-design the whole system. Damn kid's fresh out of college and thinks he knows everything. And he's pushing for them to adopt the networking system by Miasmasoft; says our present system is so archaic it ought to have been replaced years ago. My boss is running scared and agreeing with everything the squirt says and, of course, nobody listens to me."
The Geek looked directly at the knight as he continued, "And the worst of it is that I think the kid got the idea for a new defensive program when he saw you. He's put an interface on it that looks just like another knight. But bigger and fancier, of course. Bastard."
Sir Gawain was shocked. This could be the end of everything he held dear. He knew enough about the workings of the Company to realize that he would soon be deemed unnecessary if this plan were instituted. His purpose in life and his whole world were crumbling as the Geek spoke.
"Bloody hell, Boss," he breathed.
"Yes, I know," replied the Geek. "I'm sorry, Gawain. But there's nothing I can do. I've argued with them and told them all about the flaws in Miasmasoft's system but they won't listen. Running around like chickens with their heads cut off, they are. Anything to suck up to that jumped-up little squirt. He got one of the programmers sacked yesterday. And all the guy had done was point out where he could shorten his coding in the project he's working on."
The Geek slumped back into his chair. "I tell you, Gawain, I think this might be the end of us. They'll get rid of me as soon as they can prove that the new system works. I guess we just have to hope that it falls on its face."
A glimmer of light appeared in the gloom of the knight's thoughts. "True, Boss," he said slowly. "And how about if we help it on its way a bit?"
"Thought about it," said the Geek. Then he shook his head sadly. "Hard to do it without being detected though. And I'm not sure I want to. If that's all the thanks I get from the Company, I don't think I want to continue with them."
"I could do it," said the knight.
"Yes, I'm sure you could," replied the Geek listlessly. "To be honest, I don't care anymore. If you want to try something, go ahead; I won't interfere. Just feel as if I could pack up and go work for the Opposition. If they push me any further, that's what I'm going to do."
The knight looked at the Geek and saw that everything depended on himself now. He had never seen his Boss so depressed and detached from their work together. Gawain understood now how the Boss could contemplate leaving but it was not an option for the knight. His programming ensured that his devotion was to the system that the Geek had designed; there was nothing beyond that world that could compensate him for its loss. It was, in fact, his entire reason for being and he would not give it up without a fight. He snapped to attention and saluted, just as he had always done when given a task.
"We're not beaten yet, Boss," he declared. "Sir Gawain is on the case."
The Geek smiled weakly. "You're a good program, Gawain. Finest bit of programming I ever did. If anyone can fix this problem, I believe you could." Then he looked away and sighed again. "But I think they have even you beaten this time."
Sir Gawain turned to go but the Geek called him back. "I forgot to tell you. They'll be testing this new defensive program from today onwards. He's being installed at the moment so you'll probably meet him sometime on your rounds. I'm supposed to get you to show him around and answer any questions he has."
The Geek had a wry expression on his face as he added, "Do with him whatever you want, Gawain. I really don't care anymore."
(to go directly to Part 2, click here)
The Geek looked up as he finished reading Sir Gawain's report from the previous day.
"Things have been quiet of late, haven't they Gawain?"
"Yes, Boss," replied the knight, "everything seems to have settled down and is running smoothly."
"Well, I'm afraid that's about to end." The Geek settled back into his chair as though expecting a long discussion. "Big changes on the way."
"Yeah? What sort of changes?"
The Geek made a rueful face. "Looks as though we might be installing a completely new operating system. And, to begin with, they're going to be testing another system defender."
The knight looked sharply at his Boss. "You mean...?"
"Yes, I'm afraid so, Gawain. They're saying that you would still be useful but..." The Geek shrugged unhappily.
"Wait a minute. Who is this ‘they' you keep talking about?"
"Oh, it's all political, you wouldn't understand," said the Geek. "Comes from on high, you know, upper management."
Sir Gawain narrowed his eyes. "I get the feeling you're not happy with this, Boss."
The Geek shook his head. "What do you expect? I've spent years on this system and now they're just going to throw it all away. And for what? Some crappy bought-in system full of holes and bugs. But they won't listen. It's all that...." He paused and then sighed. "Ah, what's the use? It's politics, Gawain. You wouldn't understand."
"Try me," returned the knight.
"It won't help any, Gawain. There's nothing we can do about it."
"So tell me anyway." The knight struck a pose of determination, hands on hips and jaw thrust forward.
The Geek looked at him for a moment and then sighed again. "Oh well, it can't do any harm talking about it," he said. "Might even help, getting it off my chest." He rubbed his stubbled chin a moment and then began.
"It's the CEO. Chief Executive Officer. He brought his nephew into the Company a few weeks ago and now he wants him to re-design the whole system. Damn kid's fresh out of college and thinks he knows everything. And he's pushing for them to adopt the networking system by Miasmasoft; says our present system is so archaic it ought to have been replaced years ago. My boss is running scared and agreeing with everything the squirt says and, of course, nobody listens to me."
The Geek looked directly at the knight as he continued, "And the worst of it is that I think the kid got the idea for a new defensive program when he saw you. He's put an interface on it that looks just like another knight. But bigger and fancier, of course. Bastard."
Sir Gawain was shocked. This could be the end of everything he held dear. He knew enough about the workings of the Company to realize that he would soon be deemed unnecessary if this plan were instituted. His purpose in life and his whole world were crumbling as the Geek spoke.
"Bloody hell, Boss," he breathed.
"Yes, I know," replied the Geek. "I'm sorry, Gawain. But there's nothing I can do. I've argued with them and told them all about the flaws in Miasmasoft's system but they won't listen. Running around like chickens with their heads cut off, they are. Anything to suck up to that jumped-up little squirt. He got one of the programmers sacked yesterday. And all the guy had done was point out where he could shorten his coding in the project he's working on."
The Geek slumped back into his chair. "I tell you, Gawain, I think this might be the end of us. They'll get rid of me as soon as they can prove that the new system works. I guess we just have to hope that it falls on its face."
A glimmer of light appeared in the gloom of the knight's thoughts. "True, Boss," he said slowly. "And how about if we help it on its way a bit?"
"Thought about it," said the Geek. Then he shook his head sadly. "Hard to do it without being detected though. And I'm not sure I want to. If that's all the thanks I get from the Company, I don't think I want to continue with them."
"I could do it," said the knight.
"Yes, I'm sure you could," replied the Geek listlessly. "To be honest, I don't care anymore. If you want to try something, go ahead; I won't interfere. Just feel as if I could pack up and go work for the Opposition. If they push me any further, that's what I'm going to do."
The knight looked at the Geek and saw that everything depended on himself now. He had never seen his Boss so depressed and detached from their work together. Gawain understood now how the Boss could contemplate leaving but it was not an option for the knight. His programming ensured that his devotion was to the system that the Geek had designed; there was nothing beyond that world that could compensate him for its loss. It was, in fact, his entire reason for being and he would not give it up without a fight. He snapped to attention and saluted, just as he had always done when given a task.
"We're not beaten yet, Boss," he declared. "Sir Gawain is on the case."
The Geek smiled weakly. "You're a good program, Gawain. Finest bit of programming I ever did. If anyone can fix this problem, I believe you could." Then he looked away and sighed again. "But I think they have even you beaten this time."
Sir Gawain turned to go but the Geek called him back. "I forgot to tell you. They'll be testing this new defensive program from today onwards. He's being installed at the moment so you'll probably meet him sometime on your rounds. I'm supposed to get you to show him around and answer any questions he has."
The Geek had a wry expression on his face as he added, "Do with him whatever you want, Gawain. I really don't care anymore."
(to go directly to Part 2, click here)