The Schizo Project - 1

Eric - King amongst Coders (self appointed)
Cyril Borg (Cyborg) – Frenzied project manager
GSM Disintegrators Inc - Glutinous Sucking Monster, customer from hell
Aardvark – VP, Software development
Ed Slimeball- Marketing guy

Scene1- It is midnight. XYZ-Cheeposoft offices are silent, dark and deserted. But a faint light glows in Aardvark’s cabin. Three dim figures are seen in the light.

Cyborg : Release 1.199997b of the Schizo project blasted into space, Captain!

Eric : Woooosh! Finally we are free from the Glutinous Sucking Monster.

Aardvark : (Nervously) Do you think they will accept it this time?

Cyborg : Absolutely, Mr. Aardvark. We have fixed their very last change request.

Aardvark : That is what they said the last 199997 times

Eric : This time it’s different

Aardvark : What makes it different, this time?

Eric : My coder’s instinct.

Aardvark : What’s that?

Eric : It’s a kind of tingling in the carpel tunnels.

Aardvark : I do hope so… this project is thirty years behind schedule and four hundred times over budget. Of course, the budget doesn’t bother the customer now -they stopped paying us two decade ago.

Cyborg : How did we ever get sucked into this, Mr. Aardvark?

Aardvark : Ah…I was a bright carefree young computer scientist then…..The Glutinous Sucking Monster had bought a spanking new ENIAC, which filled a complete warehouse. We won a contract to write a dinky little personnel records manager – to organize their staff phone numbers and addresses. We launched the Schizo project. We were busy celebrating with champagne. We were so happy. We were so innocent then…..

Aardvark’s voice trails off. He stares into space. Eric and Cyborg sit tensely on the edge of their seats.

Eric : Yes…..?

Aardvark : It was the last time many of us smiled. Because a few days later, we discovered ….it….

Cyborg and Eric : …..it….???

Aardvarks face becomes ashen. His voice drops to a barely audible whisper.

Aardvark : The contract … it had the evil incantation….the incubus ….

To be continued tomorrow…The Incubus.

© Poltu