The Computer That Wouldn’t Start

A photograph slips from under Claire's keyboard: her younger self, a thin man in glasses, an old computer. Daniel works the basement and never asks.

laptop issue

The first strange thing Daniel noticed about Claire Bennett was that she kept an old photograph beneath her keyboard.

He saw it on her first morning at the company, when he lifted the keyboard to guide a cable through the narrow opening in her desk. The photograph slipped onto the carpet and landed facedown beside his shoe.

“Sorry,” he said, bending to pick it up.

The picture showed a much younger Claire sitting beside a thin man in glasses. They were on the floor of an almost empty apartment, eating noodles from white cartons. An old computer rested on a cardboard box behind them.

Claire took the photograph quickly, though not unkindly.

“That was a long time ago,” she said.

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Quick answers about The Computer That Wouldn’t Start

What is The Computer That Wouldn’t Start about?

A photograph slips from under Claire's keyboard: her younger self, a thin man in glasses, an old computer. Daniel works the basement and never asks.

Is The Computer That Wouldn’t Start free to read?

Yes. Every story on RapidTale is free to read in the browser, with no sign-up and nothing to install.

How long does it take to read?

This story runs 1 chapter — most readers finish in one sitting, and you can stop and return to any chapter using the contents list.

Who wrote it?

Nimra Khan — original fiction published on RapidTale.