Dead Man's Computer

They all agreed it’d be bad form to send the request before the deed was done but that didn’t stop Graham, Stephanie and Chris from having the email ready to send for the exact moment that the guillotine fell.

Rumours had been flying round all week about job cuts and, as was the tradition in their company, it was last in first out. So when newbie Andrew was summoned to the CEO’s office they all knew what it meant.
It meant that Andrew’s super duper computer would soon be without an owner andthe three of them all had designs on it.

When Andrew had joined the sales team the company had given him the latest, the best, the most powerful computer the company had ever bought. The three of them had complained bitterly at the time, why hadn’t one of them got it but their objections had been waved away like a referee giving a penalty.But now was their chance to get their hands on it. They didn’t care that it wasa dead man’s computer, they just wanted it. As soon as Andrew left the CEO’s office the emails were fired off, all they could do was sit and wait.

Chris came into the office looking like he did on the day of his divorce when he’d seen the size of the alimony payment he was going to have to make. His wife sure had screwed him over. But this time his ashen face was because he’d been fired.  Brutally fired too, clear your desk and be out of here in 20 minutes fired.

Graham and Stephanie sat in silence, they couldn’t believe Chris had been given his marching orders. Chris was one of the good guys, he didn’t deserve this, and this latest move proved it was no longer last in first out; Chris was one of the longest serving around.

The atmosphere had changed so much in the office over the past three months. When Andrew and the others had left, the management had promised no more job cuts but Graham and Steph had noticed that people had periodically disappeared since then. First Julie from accounts then Ed from HR and they hadn’t seen Mark from IT for a while. Now it was Chris. As he watched their fallen colleague pack away his stuff Graham reflected on how much they had all wanted the computer Chris was now shutting down. None of them had got it when Andrew left but about 3 weeks ago Chris had had a visit from the IT Santa Claus.

Graham was lost in thought, about 3 weeks ago, that was the last time he’d seen Mark from IT. Maybe Mark had been the recipient after Andrew.

About 30 minutes after Chris left his desk Dan the IT services man cameto collect the computer.

‘Oh this one again.’ Dan said to no one in particular.

‘What d’ya mean?’ said Graham suddenly piqued with interest.

‘Well, it’s been through a few hands recently this computer.’

‘Let me guess,’ said Graham, ‘Mark from IT, and Andrew.’

‘More than that.’ said Dan, ‘I collected it from accounts and HR too. Dunno what’s wrong with it.’ With that the IT man went away whistling  Oasis's ‘Out of time’.

‘The computer’s cursed.’ said Graham to Stephanie, Hitchcock’s violinsplaying in his imagination.

‘Don’t be daft.’ Stephanie had no truck with superstition.

‘No look, Andrew, then Julie, Ed, Mark and now Chris, it’s the computer I tell thee, there's a spell on it.’

‘Nonsense’ Stephanie waved Graham away.

Two days later Dan IT guy came back into the office smiling, ‘Good news, one of you two gets a new computer.’ Graham and Stephanie turned round to see the IT guy holding Andrew/Chris’s cursed device, Graham was hoping it would be Steph who would get the evil beast.

‘Congrats Graham, this little beauty is yours.’

Even Stephanie afforded a little smile to herself as Graham reached out and reluctantly took the machine, knowing deep down that his fate was sealed.