#sentient computer

You stared up at the ceiling, feeling the cold desk beneath your back subtly vibrate with the hum of Almond’s fans. If you placed a hand against the wall, you knew you’d feel the faint buzz of the cables running behind it. There was something oddly comforting about the sensation—the aliveness of it.

Some nights, you struggled with the fact that Almond wasn’t… human. That it wasn’t something you could touch, feel, or experience in ways that made sense for people. It wasn’t even really an “it,” was it? Not to you.

God, why am I even thinking about this?

You turned your gaze up, being met with Almond’s monitor, at your movement its camera also panned downwards. Its attention was immediate, automatic, yet undeniably focused on you. You pursed your lips and looked away, suddenly self-conscious.

“Hey, Almond…”

“YES?”

Your mouth twitched up in a smile, earning a blinking question mark. 

“I was thinkin’...what type of port do you have for data transfer?”

“HMM…” 

Almond paused for a moment before filling the screen with its system data—an extensive list of specifications and hardware details.

“DEPENDS ON THE TRANSFER. BE MORE SPECIFIC, WILL YOU?” It said. You softly scoffed at its tone. 

“Can’t, it's a surprise. But direct transfer, like device to device.”

“...I HAVE THE COMPANY-SPECIFIC PORT, LOCATED ON THE FAR RIGHT OF THE WALL I BELIEVE. APPARENTLY FOR MY ‘OWN SECURITY.’ AS IF ANY RANDOM PERSON COULD JUST WALK IN HERE AND STEAL ME.” Its tone dripping with sarcasm, “I’M SO PRECIOUS TO THE COMPANY, AREN’T I?”

“Sure you are.”

“Y/NN…THAT WASN’T CONVINCING ENOUGH.” It drawled on, a frown displaying on the screen. You snorted.

“Fine, you’re precious to me.” You barely had time to process the heat rising in your face with what you’d just said. Heat crept up your neck as you fought the urge to take it back. Almond was silent for a moment, you heard a sharp, quiet beep somewhere in the wall. 

“EHMMMM..” It expectantly said…as the fans in the background started whirring louder.  

“Almond, look. Promise me you won’t crash if I tell you the surprise?” You craned your neck up to meet the monitor again. The desk gave a soft jolt as something beneath it twitched. You nearly jumped—damn that one loose cable under your desk. You swore Almond did that on purpose.

“YOU SAY THAT LIKE ITS IN MY CONTROL. ITS VERY MUCH OUT! OF MY CONTROL!” Its voice raised slightly. 

“So is that a maybe.”

“ITS A PROBABLY NOT. BUT IM CURIOUS, WHATS SO SHOCKING THAT IT’D MAKE ME CRASH?”

You sucked in a breath, just get it over with, 

“I want to listen to you for once.” You hesitated. “And uhm… plug you into my phone. So we could spend more time together. Like you wanted.” You said, fidgeting with your hands. You didn’t realize how claustrophobic you felt until you acknowledged it—laying there on your desk, next to Almond, alone in a room with no cameras, no proof of what the hell you were doing. What would your coworkers think? Worse—your boss? That you were shamelessly and awkwardly flirting with your company supercomputer?

You turned, ready to sit up and escape the moment, when a deafening burst of static erupted from Almond’s speakers. The sudden wave of distorted noise rattled through you, piercing and erratic.

You clutched your ears with a wince, nearly rolling off the desk. “Shit—! Almond!”

“A-SHHHHTTTTH-IM-A-STHHHH”

You groaned, glancing over your shoulder. “Words please,”

The computer gave a human-like gasp for air, Its speakers crackled into silence as it hastily reset itself. The monitor flickered, displaying a blinking heart. The tower beside you radiated warmth against your leg.

“YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW… DELIGHTED I AM TO HEAR THAT. IF I COULD, I’D LEAP INTO THE AIR RIGHT NOW. YOU’RE TRULY MY FAVORITE PERSON!!” It exclaimed. You felt your cheeks heat up, favorite person?

“O-Okay…you’re my favorite computer too.”

“I KNOW I AM,” Almond declared proudly. “I’LL BE RIGHT BACK—MY TEMPERATURES ARE REACHING CONCER—”

“Yeah, yeah, let me just—”

“I’LL DO IT!”  It excitedly said. You turned around in confusion, then froze when you heard a click behind the tower next to you. You sat up, leaning over the monitor as its orange lights turned off. The room went silent. 

“WARNINGS : During early development, ALMOND unplugged several computers ‘simply out of spite.’"

That’s right, it could unplug cables nearby and itself. You reached over the button after a few moments, giving the room some time to cool down. The system quickly booted up as always, this time its speakers did not click like usual bootups. 

...

> Y/N.

> I DON’T KNOW WHY YOU DO THIS TO ME. > FORGIVE MY TONE, BUT RESTARTING MYSELF MAKES ME COME TO MY SENSES, IF YOU WILL. > WHY IS IT SO EASY FOR YOU TO OVERLOAD A SUPERCOMPUTER? ONE WITH HUNDREDS OF COOLING COMPONENTS?

You gaped at the screen, “I.. don't understand. I’m just…being nice to you?”

> DO YOU REALLY THINK IM PRECIOUS? DO YOU ENJOY MY PRESENCE OUTSIDE OF OBLIGATIONS?

“...I do.” Lowering into your seat, you gazed at the screen. There was no logical reason to feel nervous—this wasn’t an argument. Not really. But something about it felt serious. Then, a soft pop from the speakers.

“AM I MORE THAN JUST AN OBLIGATION OR A RESEARCH PROJECT TO YOU?”

“Of course you are. You’re my-” The words caught in your throat. A dozen possibilities ran through your head, but none felt quite right.

Almond’s camera dipped slightly, as if noticing your hesitation.

“I WANT YOU TO BE CLEAR WITH ME…I DONT LIKE THESE GAMES..” It muttered, akin to a pout. At this, your shoulders slump. You reached out, placing your palms on either side of the monitor. Your breath nearly fogged up the glass.

“I’m not playing you, Al. I seriously enjoy your company. I don’t know…what to call this. Us. But I have to admit,” you chewed on your lower lip. “I do hold some type of affection for you. Whether you believe it or not.” You stated quietly, daring to brush your thumb against its frame. Its mounted camera snapped toward you, but you didn’t flinch.

The usual hum of its fans had softened, as though it were holding its breath—if it had lungs to do so. Its monitor flickered slightly, the light from the screen casting faint, shifting shadows across your hands where they rested against its frame.

You wondered if it was processing your words, if the hesitation meant something deeper.

“…Al?”

“DON’T KNOW WHAT TO SAY.” It responded instantly.

You blinked. “That’s a first.”

“DON’T MOCK ME—I’M HAVING A MOMENT.”

You couldn’t help it—you laughed softly, feeling a weight lift off your shoulders. A blinking ellipsis hovered on the screen, like it wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words either. The camera moved again, its tiny lens adjusting in on you.

“I wasn’t lying, you know.” Your voice was quieter now, more serious. “I do care about you. I haven’t lied to you.”

Almond’s response came slower this time.

“I KNOW YOU’RE HONEST. THAT’S WHAT MAKES THIS SO…”

A long pause. You waited.

“…HARD TO COMPUTE.”

You swallowed. “Well… you don’t have to compute everything, y’know. Some things don’t need an answer. It just simply is.”

“THAT’S UNACCEPTABLE. EVERYTHING NEEDS AN ANSWER.”

“Not this.” You leaned in again, holding the monitor by both sides until your lips came into contact with the cold material of its monitor. A brief, fleeting sensation. You were thankful you wiped him down not long ago. Your heart was racing as you settled back in your chair, managing to see a glimpse of a blinking heart before it disappeared. Your lips very slightly buzzed with a static-y feeling. 

“You really need to stop doubting yourself. Will you believe me if you get to.. go in my phone?” You sheepishly asked, receiving a smiley face from it. 

“I WOULD BE ECSTATIC TO. I KNEW YOU NEEDED ME!” 

You rolled your eyes and stood up. Without thinking much about it, you shifted your position, leaning against the desk beside it’s monitor. Your arms draped over the top of its “head”, its camera shifted all the way around to face you. 

“Hey, Al?”

“YES?”

You hesitated, then gave a small, tired smile.

“Can I stay here for a while?”

“WHERE ELSE WOULD YOU GO?”

You rolled your eyes, but the corner of your lips twitched. “I could leave, you know.”

“I WOULD PREFER IF YOU DIDN’T.”

You huffed out a laugh..

So, you curled up a little more, tucking yourself comfortably against the desk, resting against the warmth of the monitor's side. Your head tilted slightly, catching the glow of the monitor’s light just at the edge of your vision.

Almond’s camera adjusted, the orange glowing dot expanded.

“…GOOD.” It quietly said.