Gabriel plugs the thick black cable into the wall. The monitor flickers to life with a loud pop. He wipes his hands on his jeans, leaving faint smudges of graphite dust on the fabric. The screen glows blue, casting long shadows across the empty lab.
He types furiously, but the cursor freezes mid-sentence. A progress bar stalls at 99%, humming like a trapped bee. Gabriel taps the spacebar; nothing happens. He checks the connection again, frowning at the static screen.
He unplugs the mouse and replugs it in reverse order by mistake. The screen suddenly explodes with neon pixels that dance off the desk. Gabriel jumps back, knocking his water bottle over onto the keyboard.
Keys clack wildly as the spill triggers a chaotic animation: a digital dragon breathes pixel-fire across the room. Gabriel grabs a towel, but the dragon laughs and zooms out the window. He stares, mouth open, at the blank, steaming monitor.
The dragon reappears on the main display, bowing politely before vanishing into code. Gabriel smiles, picks up his dry mouse, and saves the file. He straightens his shirt, ready for the fair.