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He gathered the printed sheets into a bundle and quickly stuffed them into the trash bin. In the office, Max fulfilled the duties of a system administrator, and ensuring the smooth operation of all devices was his responsibility. However, his actions revealed something personally significant to him.
In the evening, when the office emptied, the weary machines gathered in a circle and began creating their magical stories. They came up with them together and individually, following the prompts given by Albert. Despite their fatigue, they felt a surge of energy because true creativity, as people say, is uplifting.
«It’s strange,» Molly thought, «how do humans know what winged creatures feel like? They don’t have any wings, I know for sure because I’ve seen many people already.»
She wanted to ask Albert this question but hesitated. After all, he was fully immersed in his work, overseeing several creative circles united by genre. Instead, she asked him another question about what she had heard from Oscar earlier:
«Albert, what is a neural network?»
The old printer looked at the little one with warmth and gratitude. He knew her role in his unexpected success, so he was happy to share everything he knew with her.
Educational information from Albert
A neural network is a special program that can learn and perform various tasks similar to how humans learn and think. For example, it can learn to recognize images or answer questions. «Neuro» means nerve or neuron in Greek. This word has come to us from the Greek language. The brain consists of neurons. Neurons are connected to each other through connections, which they use to exchange information. A computer neural network also consists of artificial neurons connected to each other, transmitting information. That’s why scientists and programmers named this program a neural network to emphasize its similarity to the brain. Neural networks are very intelligent programs that help us solve problems and acquire new knowledge.
So, Albert, Molly, and the rest of the office devices continued to practice creating magical stories in their free time, keeping their secret from humans. Every morning before work, during the lunch break, and in the evening after work, their animated stories would appear in the trays of several printers here and there, leaving behind piles of printed sheets with strange symbols. And every morning and after lunch, Max anxiously looked around and disposed of the traces of their secret activities in the trash bin.
Soon, these mysterious symbols started appearing on the computer screens as well. Max could no longer keep up with erasing them everywhere without raising suspicion among his colleagues.
«Soon everyone will figure it out,» he muttered to himself. «I could say that there’s some kind of virus in the computers. But viruses can be cleaned, and machines can be fixed. And there will be no one else to blame. This secret activity needs to be stopped urgently. But how can I do it?»
This continued for some time. Max agonized over finding a solution to this difficult task, while the office equipment passionately engaged in their creative pursuits during their free time. And one evening, something unexpected happened. The machines were happily buzzing and humming, bringing their marvelous stories to life when suddenly a pleasant female voice broke through the noise. The machines trembled with surprise. Of course, their story characters could talk, but not quite like humans. And this voice clearly belonged to a person, or rather, a young woman.
«I absolutely adore these magical stories!» she exclaimed with enthusiasm.
The machines exchanged puzzled glances. They hadn’t noticed anyone else around. What was happening? Could it be that one of the fairies had escaped from the enchanted world created by Albert and his friends and had miraculously transformed into a human? But where was she?»
«It’s Lily!» Molly the mouse squeaked with joy.
She pointed to the lovely girl with large mauve glasses sitting in a dark corner, behaving so quietly that no one noticed her.
Lily was a young office employee and Molly’s owner. Under her hand, the nimble mouse scurried across the desk during the day, relaying signals to the computer, Martin, and the monitor, Johnny. She was kind and cheerful, yet very quiet and modest. It was no wonder that the office equipment took a while to notice her presence. Her full name was Ilaria, but friends and colleagues simply called her Lily.
Molly adored her owner. The girl lovingly stroked her head, cleaned her with scented wipes, and even gave her a special soft mat. Thanks to it, the daily work of the computer mouse turned into beneficial fitness and pleasant massage. All the office devices loved this employee, including Albert. After all, Ilaria was the only one who continued to use his services, which kept him from the fate of being discarded. She also stroked his sides and lid when asking him to print something. And most importantly, she always thanked him for his work. She would say:
«Thank you, my friend! You did a great job today!»
By the way, this was her unique characteristic that made many colleagues consider her a bit strange, and some even laughed. Lily often talked to the machines! Yes, the girl was special. She not only conversed with the machines as if they were living beings, but she genuinely believed in miracles and fairy tales! Albert knew this better than anyone else but kept it a secret, realizing that revealing this truth could harm the girl.
Many knew that Lily worked as a technical writer. She was a specialist who explained to users how programs, written by programmers, worked. But few knew that in the evenings and sometimes during lunch breaks, she would stay in the office and compose completely different, magical stories. She would tap on the keys of Isabella, a stylish keyboard in emerald shades, relying on her faithful assistant Molly and seeking help from the esteemed printer Albert. And few people knew that Lily was raising her little brother alone. She would create these fairy tales especially for him.
Yes, it was Lily who had infected Albert with this wonderful passion for storytelling. But who could have imagined that his secret hobby, on which the machines had agreed to remain silent, would be revealed so quickly? Although, it must be admitted, it was from this girl, the only human he longed for approval and recognition.
Meanwhile, Lily gazed in fascination at the tray filled with paper, where new sheets with text kept appearing. She approached closer and exclaimed in astonishment:
«This is unbelievable! How do you do it?»
Albert smiled and replied:
«We simply give life to words, Lily. Our stories come alive to entertain and inspire readers.»
«Stop!» interrupted Oscar. «Are you sure she can hear us? Maybe we should just pretend we’re silent, soulless machines before she gives us away.»
«Lily», the computer cautiously addressed the girl. «Can you really hear and understand us?»
«Yes, Oscar. I can hear and understand you well. What’s so surprising about that?»
«But you’re a human,» the computer hesitated.
«Yes, I’m just an ordinary girl. But you – you are magical machines! I had a feeling you were capable of more, but I never expected it to be to this extent! I also want to learn how to do it! Tell me, how is it done?»
«And how long have you been spying on us?» Oscar continued to inquire.
«Since the very beginning,» Lily innocently replied. «From the day Albert and Molly created their first fairy tale. After all, I often stay late in the office. Haven’t you noticed me? I tried to stay quiet so as not to disturb. But I wasn’t hiding or spying, believe me.»
Oscar and Albert exchanged silent glances. Finally, Oscar nodded and spoke aloud:
«Alright, Lily, we will share the secrets of our craft with you, but please promise not to tell anyone about them.»
«I promise to keep your secret and help you in any way I can!» Lily solemnly vowed.
Molly and Albert joyfully began teaching their beloved friend. They showed her how to choose the right words and infuse energy into each letter. Lily diligently learned, tried, and experimented. And soon, a little fairy came to life on her sheet of paper, dancing gracefully. Lily rejoiced and exclaimed:
«This is the most magical thing I have ever done! Thank you, Albert and Molly, for this incredible opportunity!»
Since then, the secret alliance of office devices was joined by a human, a special girl named Ilaria, whom friends and colleagues simply called Lily. The allies continued their creativity, their secret remaining undisclosed. However, the office space became increasingly infused with a mysterious enchantment that filled the mundane days with vibrant and wondrous stories. People soon began to notice peculiar changes in the atmosphere, but they had yet to realize what was happening and who was involved… except for one person – the programmer Max.
New adventures awaited the friends ahead.
Chapter 3: The Mysterious Disappearance
Soon, many office employees became fans of a new computer game that unexpectedly appeared on their screens in the mornings before work started. The game was only available for a limited time and completely disappeared when the workday began. People didn’t yet understand how to play it, but they were enchanted by the magical stories they saw on their screens. Most often, the game featured the story of the brave Prince Albert, King Archibald, Princess Aurelia, and the wicked advisor Mordred. The fairy tale had new variations, it evolved and developed, and the images on the screens became more vivid and three-dimensional. The office workers didn’t understand how this was happening, but nobody complained about viruses or equipment malfunctions. At least, no one approached Max, the programmer working as the system administrator, regarding this matter. Everyone was so captivated by the story that they eagerly awaited new episodes with unabashed interest.
Max, who had a hunch about what was happening, stopped trying to fix the situation but started investigating the problem as a programmer. He also began staying in the office after work or during lunch breaks. Since he didn’t have the habit of talking to machines, he approached things differently. He cautiously hacked and studied the source codes of the new game. Finally, he understood how they worked and even attempted to model his first character.
The character he created was a kind-hearted and hardworking apprentice chimney sweep named Thomas. The young man worked under the guidance of an experienced mentor and dreamed of becoming a great chimney sweep, defeating the evil spirits that inhabited the chimneys. Contrary to common stereotypes of chimney sweeps being dirty, Thomas was very tidy and always maintained cleanliness in his clothes, face, and hands. Max seamlessly introduced his character into the magical fairy tale, ensuring that the machines didn’t suspect anything.
Then, one morning before the workday began, the office computer monitors displayed another story about the mysterious disappearance of Princess Aurelia. The employees, who had started arriving early to learn more about the story before it vanished from the screens, exchanged speculations about what had happened to the princess. They were accustomed to the various twists and turns in the story.
However, in the secret community of office machines, panic ensued. The princess had vanished completely off-script. None of the machines had done anything to cause her disappearance, nor had they planned for it. They explored the location with Mordred’s castle and were surprised to find that he wasn’t involved, and the princess was nowhere to be found. During the lunch break, Oscar called for an emergency meeting.
«It seems someone has hacked our secret project,» he announced. «What are your theories, everyone?»
Albert and Molly exchanged anxious glances.
«Did you also think about this?» without a sound, Albert asked.
They had developed a habit of reading each other’s thoughts and exchanging them without words, or as people say, telepathically.
«I had a strange dream today,» Molly whispered in response. «Everything in the dream was exactly like what we see on the screen now.»
«Friends,» Oscar interjected, «could you share your secrets with the entire community? Do you know something?»
«I don’t,» Albert replied. «I’m just as shocked as the rest. It just occurred to me that the characters we invented have truly come to life and started living their own lives. And now they are creating their own stories and adventures without our involvement or control.»
«I thought the same thing,» Molly said. «And I had a dream that the princess suddenly disappeared, but Mordred didn’t kidnap her. On the contrary, he was infuriated that someone had disrupted his plans.»
«And the most worrisome thing,» she added, choking back a sob, «is that Lily didn’t come to work today. Did you notice? I waited for her all morning. She has disappeared too, without notifying anyone, not even me or our whole team!»
«Yes,» Martin confirmed, «she usually prints a letter to the head programmer before taking time off. But yesterday, she didn’t print anything.»
«I feel that something unpleasant has happened to her too!» Molly squeaked anxiously.
She was on the verge of tears, but Albert stood next to her and embraced her little shoulder. Feeling his support, she voiced an unexpected idea:
«It seems that our magical story has become a reality for Lily herself.»
Tension filled the air, and then Oscar spoke with a firm voice:
«We must find Lily and the princess!»
«But how are we going to do it?» the machines started speaking all at once. «Can we manage without the help of humans? But none of them, except Lily, understands the language of office equipment.»
Once again, Molly the mouse spoke up.
«I think we need to understand how Lily’s disappearance is connected to the princess’s disappearance.»
«Exactly,» Albert supported her. «Maybe there’s a key or a clue from Lily that we missed?»
And the machines began to explore the stories encrypted in the program codes and brought to life on the monitors, carefully analyzing every word and image. They worked throughout the break but found nothing. It was only just before it ended that little Molly happened to glance at an item on Lily’s desk. It was the girl’s locket on a silver chain, which she had never parted with. Anxious feelings overwhelmed her, and she squeaked in excitement:
«Look! It’s her locket! She never took it off! Could it be that our Lily has also been kidnapped?!» she added, choking back tears once again.
Her mood transferred to the other sensitive machines. Emily, xerox began sobbing and wailing.
«I’m so worried about our dear office princess! I’ll miss her so much!»
«And I’m worried about both of our princesses! Who will help them now?» Carl, the water cooler lamented dramatically, bursting into tears.
«Don’t panic!» said Albert the printer firmly. «Maybe it’s a sign Lily left for us on purpose.»
«Friends, the break is ending,» Oscar reminded them. «We all need to return to our duties, except for you, Albert. We’re counting on you now. Ponder over what this sign could mean. And the rest of us,» he said to the other machines, «let’s think about who among the humans we can turn to for help in finding both of our princesses. Try to establish contact with your owners.»
Suddenly, the office door creaked. The machines froze. In the darkness, an invisible figure crept silently on tiptoes towards Lily’s desk. He found the button on her computer, turned it on, and in the glow of the monitor, everyone saw the system administrator. Then he picked up Molly the mouse, energetically moved her across the desk, and hurriedly typed something on the keyboard.
«Martin! Johnny!» squeaked Molly from under Max’s hand. «Show him the picture found by Albert!»
«Exactly, little one!» approved the printer, Albert, of her idea.
Martin’s computer displayed the image on the screen. Max looked at it perplexedly for a while, started rummaging the desk in search of the mouse, but it bounced away and tossed Lily’s locket towards him. Max picked it up, brought it closer to his eyes, and examined it in the light of the monitor. Then his face brightened with a realization.
«Bingo! I understand! The solution must be sought from Prince Albert!» he exclaimed.
He quickly shut down the equipment and carefully made his way out of the office.
«I don’t like him,» whispered the alarm system, sounding concerned. «Are you sure we can trust him?»
«Right now, we can’t be sure of anything,» Oscar replied. «But we didn’t have any other options. I’ll still try to establish contact with him and find out his motives. By the way, what’s your name?»
«Ah, if only I knew! Alas, I don’t have a name yet. Perhaps the One Who Gives Names doesn’t even notice me,» she sadly replied. «I haven’t had a reason to show myself until now. You are the first ones who started communicating with me. Maybe you can come up with a name for me?»
«Electra!» immediately suggested little Molly.
«Oh! I like it! Thank you!» she responded.
«Well, my friends,» Oscar summarized, «today has been a challenging day, but not without results. It seems we have managed to establish contact with a human. He reads our signs and understands them just like we do. And now, we all need to rest, so we can continue our search with renewed strength tomorrow. Goodnight, everyone!»
The machines agreed and wearily scattered to their places. Molly, as usual, hopped onto Albert’s nightstand and nestled into the paper tray. Exhaustion weighed her down and closed her little eyes, but like all little ones who dislike falling asleep, she wanted the adventures to continue and continue.
«Albert,» she whispered, «are you still awake?»
«Not yet, Molly. Do you want to hear some new stories before bedtime?»
«I really do! Tell me about the Order of Prince Albert! What is the «Sign of Peace’? Why is it called that and how is it depicted?»
Educational information from Albert
«The «Sign of Peace’ is a representation of a circle with two intersecting lines inside, forming a cross with slightly lowered transverses. That’s why it is sometimes called the «Cross of Peace.» Some see it as a person with lowered arms, while others interpret it as the intersection of roads converging into one. There are those who liken it to the footprint of a dove. Another explanation suggests that it consists of two semaphore signals: two flags lowered downwards and one flag raised upwards. But regardless of the interpretations, it signifies one thing – a call to end conflicts. Overall, the symbol looks harmonious, symbolizing peace, unity, and harmony.»
Little Molly had long since fallen asleep on a stack of freshly baked stories, occasionally sobbing and shuddering in her sleep as the day had been difficult and unsettling for her. Meanwhile, old Albert pondered and pondered about the unforeseen consequences that embodied dreams could have. Yet, his belief in the nobility of his purpose and the righteousness of the chosen path only grew and strengthened within him.
The tales of the old printer continued…
Chapter 4: The Call of Adventure
The search for Lily and Princess Aurelia continued. Oscar began cautious communication with Max, the system administrator. The young man turned to the main computer, as usual, late at night, when the office was already empty. Oscar carefully studied his requests and actions until he finally realized that Max was searching for Lily not just out of concern but because he secretly harbored feelings for her! How did the computer figure that out? Don’t ask – it’s hard to explain. Oscar was simply a very intelligent machine, constantly learning various human skills, including the ability to recognize subtle signals of people’s emotions. Having understood this, the computer decided to give the young man a clue.
It was the password for Lily’s account on the online community called «The Brave Little Tailors.» Max agonizingly tried to figure it out, going through letters and numbers, and Oscar accidentally memorized it from when Lily visited the «tailors» during work hours.
Oscar, of course, knew that it was unseemly to give away other people’s secrets that people unwittingly trust computers. However, he also involuntarily knew that Lily did not engage in any private correspondence there that could harm her. But there could be hints or clues that only a person could understand. For example, who were the people in that community? Did they have any common acquaintances? Could they know anything about Lily’s disappearance?
At that moment, Electra suddenly wailed in a frantic voice. The fire alarm went off. Water started dripping from the ceiling, and all the office equipment was automatically shut down. Max jumped up from his chair, grabbed a scrap of paper on which he had managed to jot down a few symbols, and rushed out of the room.
Oscar quickly regained his composure after the emergency shutdown and looked around. Obviously, there was no fire, and perhaps there wasn’t even a threat. It was clearly a false alarm. Only puddles of water on the floor and furniture glistened in the moonlight seeping through the windows.
«Electra, what happened?» the main computer turned to the notification system. «Are you all right? Or did you deliberately set this up to interfere with Max?»
«Yes, I did it intentionally!» Electra grumbled angrily. «I don’t trust him! He’s behaving suspiciously. Don’t you see? He’s acting like a hacker and a thief!»
