Evan Angelman slumped in his chair, staring at the dimly lit screen of his VW-E.1 lab computer device. The thing was practically an antique handed down from his uncle who swore it was "state-of-the-art" back in its day.
"What in the inferno is this now?" he muttered as strange vibrations rattled the desk. Symbols began flashing across the screen jagged lines, circles within circles, patterns that made no sense.
Evan groaned, running a hand through his messy hair. "Can this computer get any worse? Just let me do Mr. Gilbert's project in peace, gosh!"
He leaned forward, jabbing the keys in frustration. The symbols didn't go away. If anything, they multiplied, filling the screen with chaotic, glowing shapes. The vibrations grew stronger, making his coffee mug tremble dangerously close to the edge of the desk.
"Okay, nope. Not dealing with this," he said, throwing his hands up. He tried restarting the computer, but it wouldn't turn off. The power button blinked mockingly, refusing to cooperate.
"This is beyond me," Evan muttered, grabbing his phone. He dialed Levi Arnault, his tech-genius neighbor and go-to savior whenever his aging computer decided to rebel.
But instead of the usual ringtone, he was met with a robotic voice. "Service unavailable."
Evan frowned, staring at his phone. He tried sending a text nothing. Social media? Blank. "What the hell is going on?"
He stared at the wall separating his house from Levi's. They lived so close, yet for some reason, Evan couldn't contact him at all.
"Fine, I'll just do this the old-fashioned way," he grumbled, grabbing his hoodie and stepping out. He crossed the small patch of grass between their houses and knocked on Levi's door.
"Levi, man, come on, I need help—"
The door creaked open, revealing Levi, who was still in his pajamas, his messy curls sticking up in every direction. He looked at Evan, a smirk playing on his lips. "Let me guess. Old-ass computer again?"
Evan rolled his eyes. "Hell yeah. Can you just come fix it already?"
Levi leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. "You know, one of these days, you're gonna have to get something made in this century."
"Yeah, yeah, lecture me later. My project's due tomorrow, and my computer's… I don't even know what it's doing anymore. It's flashing weird symbols and vibrating like it's possessed or something."
Levi's teasing expression shifted to a more serious one. "Weird symbols? Vibrations? That's not normal, even for your dinosaur of a computer."
"Exactly why I need you. Can we not stand here discussing it?"
Levi sighed and stepped outside, slipping on his shoes. "Fine, let's see this mess."
Back in Evan's room, Levi crouched in front of the VW-E.1, his eyes narrowing as he examined the screen. "This… this doesn't look like anything I've ever seen."
Evan threw his hands in the air. "That's what I said! So can you fix it or not?"
Levi ignored him, leaning closer. "These symbols… they're not random. They're repeating. And the vibration" He placed a hand on the desk, feeling the faint tremor. "It's rhythmic. Like a pulse."
"A pulse?" Evan repeated, his voice tinged with worry.
Levi nodded, his expression grim. "Yeah, like… it's alive."
"Alive?!" Evan took a step back, staring at the computer as though it might sprout legs and attack him. "Okay, no. Don't say creepy stuff like that. Just fix it!"
Levi didn't answer. He was too focused on the screen, his fingers gliding over the keyboard. "When did this start?"
"About twenty minutes ago, right before my phone and everything else stopped working."
Levi froze. "Wait. Your phone isn't working either?"
"Yeah. I tried calling you. Service is out. Nothing's working"
Before he could finish, the screen suddenly went dark, and the vibrations stopped. Evan and Levi exchanged a look, their confusion mirrored in each other's eyes.
Then, as if in response, the computer emitted a low hum. A voice soft and distorted echoed from the speakers.
"Host detected."
Evan backed away, his face pale. "What… was that?"
Levi stared at the computer, his jaw tightening. "I don't know. But I think we've got bigger problems than your project, Evan."