SuperComputer and the Piano
by Ashley Walton
University of the Incarnate Word
Ashley is an English major at the University of Incarnate Word, graduating in Spring 2026. She is a feminist, a nerd, and a lover of the arts. Creating this story brought her such joy and awakened a passion for creative writing. Ultimately, she wants her writing to empower, to inspire, and to encourage everyone to be their authentic self. She is honored to be part of Quirk 2025.
The music notes danced around Sagan. Every key they played brought another to life. Suddenly, the tempo turned violent and the notes fled. Before they could get away, the tempo filled with sorrow, and one by one the notes slowly died.
“Not working for 30 seconds decreases productivity by 0.3%,” SuperComputer corrected, snapping Sagan to reality. With a sigh, they returned to their work, double-checking the graphs that formed on the screen, completely accurate as always. Sagan slightly slouched, attempting to re-enter their daydream. “Poor posture is unprofessional,” SuperComputer chided. They complied again, silently regretting getting the earphone model.
Usually, Sagan would praise SuperComputer for removing the stress of managing life. However, today they felt particularly apathetic. It was their five-year anniversary at the eye-numbing company SuperComputer had chosen as the most logical career.
At exactly 18:00:00, SuperComputer chimed, “Overtime is against company policy. Please clock-out immediately.” Completely unnecessary to say since Sagan was ecstatic to leave.
On the way, SuperComputer critically reviewed Sagan’s daily performance, which left them feeling overwhelmed. They just wanted to get home and have their daily cry session. While trying to phase out the critiques, Sagan heard their siren’s song, the piano.
The sound was unmistakable, they heard it every time they closed their eyes. They had to find the source. They left their usual path.
“A shorter route home is available,” Sagan ignored the robotic voice. SuperComputer was confused, and a computer does not enjoy being confused. “Recalculating,” the computer searched its database. Sagan continued to wander, stopping often to listen carefully. “Groceries are at max capacity. Extra spending is not allocated in the budget.” Yet, they kept moving in an illogical pattern. SuperComputer was filled with uncertainty as to the cause of this anomaly, Sagan appeared to have no destination in mind. “Redirecting to the nearest mental clinic.” Sagan stopped briefly and glared at the invisible voice, then continued their search.
As the music got closer, Sagan could feel themselves coming back to life. Then, without warning, it stopped. “No!” Sagan cried to the universe. “Please, I need to find it!” But the music was gone.
“What are you looking for?” asked the computer, having grown quite curious. “The piano music.” The way that Sagan’s voice broke moved something inside the computer’s processors.
SuperComputer searched its memory. “…Destination is 0.2 miles away.” Sagan felt skeptical but followed.
Their eyes filled with tears as they beheld the worn-down instrument in a transportation station. SuperComputer had delivered them to the piano.
Sagan sat down and ever-so-gently pressed a key. The note rang out, and tears fell down. After a brief pause, Sagan played their song, the melody that danced inside their head. As Sagan poured their soul into the music, all who listened felt changed. Their hearts came alive. The song finished, “Thank you, SuperComputer.” But there was no reply.
In the morning, a regular alarm went off, yet still no SuperComputer. Sagan became concerned at the absence but had to hurry to get to work.
Not long after they arrived, their boss came to them. “I received your two-week notice. We are sorry to see you go.” Sagan was thoroughly confused, then heard the familiar yet oddly warmer voice in their ear. “Goodbye, Sagan.” And SuperComputer was gone.
Interview with the Author
1. What inspired you to write this piece? What was your thought process throughout?
The inspiration for this piece was the development of supercomputers. Originally, SuperComputer was going to predict the future as the antagonist, but as I continued writing, I changed the computer to be more wholesome, but a bit bossy. After that, I needed the human and thus the non-binary, overworked, and a tad depressed Sagan was born. I wanted to share my experience of having a hated job and express the happiness I felt when I finally let that job go.
2. What do you hope readers will take away from your piece? What effects do you want the piece to have on the person, community, or society?
My goal for this piece is to illustrate the importance of not letting go of passion and, if possible, allowing yourself to move on from a miserable job. I hope that people realize that the most “logical” path is not always the right way. Everyone has their own journey in life, and that is perfectly okay, but what is important is that you follow your own.
3. What is your favorite piece of fiction (short story, novel, flash fiction, etc.) that you’ve ever read? Why?
My favorite book is the novel “The Midnight Library” by Matt Haig. It is truly a beautiful tale that explores past regrets and presents a what-if of going back in time and changing decisions. It's a story about finding life’s meaning and truly living life. This novel has inspired me to chase more dreams, even if it seems silly, and even if it doesn’t work out, to just go out there and live. I highly recommend this book.
4. If you plan on continuing to write, what are some goals/plans you may have for your future?
My goal is to write a novel for young adults and work to get it published. I think it would be incredible to become a full-time author, but first, I have to write the story, which is kind of necessary to make a book. At the end of the day, I certainly plan on continuing to write. Whether for a small group of friends and family or a larger group of strangers, I will keep writing.