Daniel had, since a young age, been intrigued by how mechanical and electrical devices worked. Though life’s challenges had thoroughly dulled his passion for it, a seed of curiosity remained. It wasn’t until Emily came into the picture—thanks to the support of her loving family—that Daniel’s old interests began to reawaken within her.
During quiet times, Emily loved to watch and assist her father, Thomas, as he tinkered with household repairs—whether it was fixing leaky faucets or squeaky doors, painting drywall, or occasionally working on the family car. Her natural curiosity for how things worked grew over time, and there was something else, too. Deep within her mind, the presence of Daniel, who had once built his own computers and hardware, began to subtly surface. His knowledge and experience mixed with her own curiosity, even though Emily didn’t fully understand this connection yet.
One evening, feeling confident in her growing skills, Emily asked her parents for a Meccano set.
“Are you sure she’s ready for this?” Sarah had asked, eyeing the box filled with small metal parts and tools. “It looks pretty complicated—maybe she’s a bit too young?”
Thomas had smiled. "She has been a great helper - I know she is young but our daughter is mature beyond her years. I think it’s time."
When Emily received her Meccano set, it was more than just a toy—it became a gateway for Daniel’s old knowledge to quietly flow into her thoughts, further strengthening their bond, teaching them to harmonize their consciousnesses, problem solve and address challenges together. As she built cranes and trucks, it felt like more than just instructions guiding her. Flashes of Daniel’s memory, and occasionally direct advice, appeared in her mind making the process smoother, almost familiar.
But the real test came one rainy weekend evening. The family’s old desktop computer, a vital tool for both Thomas’s work and occasionally Emily’s play, suddenly refused to turn on. Thomas attempted some basic troubleshooting but was at a loss—while he was confident with plumbing and drywall, computers were not his domain.
“Emily…I think we can fix this,” Daniel muttered to her, his excitement at being able to troubleshoot computers spreading through Emily in waves. “You have my knowledge, we can work together…like we have on the Meccano set.”
“Do you think we’re ready?” Emily asked, smiling to herself but cautious nevertheless.
“Oh God yes…these old computers were predictable,” Daniel excitedly replied.
“Okay then, Daniel…here goes nothing,” Emily replied internally.
Taking a deep breath, feeling a strong sense of confidence she couldn’t quite explain, Emily asked, “Dad, can I take a look? I may be able to help…” Her eyes were glowing with the thrill of examining the PC.
Thomas sighed, "I don’t think it’s a good idea, Emily. This is a complicated machine - I’ll have to find a professional to repair this..."
“Oh that’s bullsh…” Daniel began, quickly censoring himself. Emily had to suppress a giggle as she felt his irritation. “Computers aren’t rocket science!” he continued, grumbling.
Emily reluctantly stepped back but quietly muttered so that no one else could hear her, “Don’t worry, let’s have a look at this tonight…after everyone has gone to bed.”
“Oh man—you're naughty... I love it…” Emily felt Daniel chuckle within her. “I’m sure I should discourage this or something but…hey, why not?”
Later that night, when her parents had gone to bed, Emily, guided by Daniel’s excitement, stealthily crept down the stairs to Thomas’s garage. Grabbing her father’s screwdriver and multimeter, Emily tiptoed into the study. As she approached the computer, she felt Daniel’s quiet but confident presence in the back of her mind.
“You know, I think computer repairs were not cheap in this time,” Daniel quietly mused. “If we play our cards right, I think we may save your dad a lot of time, money, and stress!”
“Oh, shush Danny…” Emily whispered as she quietly unpacked the toolkit. “Let’s be honest, you’re just having fun.”
“Danny…?” she felt Daniel ask her with a small laugh that pulsed through her. “So…I have a nickname now? I…like it!” he added playfully.
Emily paused for a moment, a soft smile crossing her face. “Yeah…you do…” she started. “Danny…has a nice...ring to it.”
The moment felt light, but also significant. It was the first time Emily had given Daniel a name of her own—a small but meaningful step in solidifying their bond.
—
The moment finally came. Emily quietly disconnected the cables from the computer, her heart racing with excitement, tempered by a hint of nervousness. She could feel Daniel’s knowledge surging to the forefront of her mind, seamlessly guiding her every move.
Carefully, she opened the computer case, surprised by how much heavier and bulkier the desktop felt compared to her smaller frame.
‘Oof, Danny,’ she thought to herself, ‘you made it look a lot lighter in your memories...’
“It was lighter in my time,” Daniel shot back cheekily. “Computers in your time are just oversized bricks.”
Emily couldn’t help but grin. As she leaned closer to inspect the components, Daniel’s voice chimed in again, this time with mock seriousness.
“Are you... ahem... forgetting something?”
Emily blinked, then smacked her forehead lightly. “Oh, right... discharge the capacitors… duh,” she thought, feeling mildly embarrassed.
“Yeah… let’s not shock ourselves right out the gate, Ms. Know-it-all,” Daniel teased playfully.
“Oh, relax,” Emily grumbled. She quickly held down the power button to ensure all the electronics were safely discharged before proceeding. “But thanks for watching my back,” she added softly.
“Always,” Daniel replied warmly.
–
The components inside the computer looked familiar, yet slightly different from what Emily remembered through Daniel’s eyes. As she methodically inspected the motherboard, power supply, and various connections, Daniel’s voice was a constant presence in the back of her mind.
‘Wow, this thing is ancient,’ Emily thought, recalling images of modular PCs from Daniel’s memories.
"Welcome to the Stone Age," Daniel teased. "But it’s still fixable."
After a few minutes of tracing cables and checking components, Emily spotted the problem: a loose power cable connected to the hard drive.
"Huh, I wonder how this got loose," she muttered to herself. "Maybe it wasn’t plugged in properly at the factory."
"Or it just got jostled over time," Daniel suggested. "Either way, we’ve got this."
Carefully, Emily straightened the pins and tested the cable’s integrity with the multimeter, guided by Daniel’s quiet expertise. With everything checked and in place, she reseated the cable and double-checked the other connections. Each movement felt precise and instinctive, their thoughts flowing as one.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Carefully, Emily straightened the pins and tested the cable’s integrity with the multimeter, guided by Daniel’s quiet expertise. With everything checked and in place, she reseated the cable and double-checked the other connections. Each movement felt precise and instinctive, their thoughts flowing as one.
Emily frowned as she noticed a layer of dust clinging to the inside. ‘I wish I had a can of compressed air for all these dust bunnies,’ she grumbled.
"Compressed air?" Danny quipped. "More like your dad needs to actually vacuum this room. I mean, look at this—how does he live like this?"
Emily giggled softly. "Good point."
–
As Emily rechecked the cables and connections, she realized that there was something deeper than just Daniel’s voice guiding her. Every move she made, every adjustment she made, felt like it resonated through both of them.
Suddenly, Daniel’s voice came through filled with awe. “Emily… I can feel that. When you touch things—it’s like I’m touching them too.”
Emily froze, her fingers hovering over the hard drive. “Wait… you can feel what I’m doing?” Her voice was barely a whisper, her heart skipping a beat at the realization.
“Yeah,” Daniel responded, his tone surprised, excited and almost reverent. “We’re in sync. Not just me helping you. We’re both doing this. It’s… it’s like we’re one.”
Emily’s breath caught. She hadn’t even realized how seamless their connection had become. No longer just a voice in her head, Daniel was moving with her, both souls thinking together, guiding each other without effort. “How long has this been happening?” she asked, her voice tinged with wonder.
“I’m not sure,” Daniel admitted, his tone soft. “I didn’t even notice until just now. But… I think..like we’ve been like this for a while. Maybe since we started playing with the meccano sets? Or maybe…earlier?”
Emily sat back on her heels, her hands trembling slightly as she grasped the magnitude of the moment. “This is incredible. We’re… we’re really working as one.”
There was a beat of silence before Daniel responded, a mixture of joy and disbelief in his voice. “Maybe this is what we’ve always been, Em. Maybe we were meant to be like this—when things are good, when there’s no stress or danger. Two minds, two souls, perfectly synced.”
Emily’s eyes glistened with unshed tears, the weight of their connection suddenly more profound than she had ever imagined. “You’re always going to have my back right? ” she asked, her voice trembling slightly.
“Damn straight,” Daniel whispered back. “Always,” he added, his warmth flooding her mind, steadying her hands as they moved in perfect harmony once more.
Emily took a deep breath, blinking away the moisture in her eyes. She smiled to herself, feeling both reassured and exhilarated by their bond. “Okay then,” she said quietly, the tremor in her voice fading. “Let’s finish this together.”
After verifying that everything was ready, Emily carefully reinstalled the computer casing and pushed the desktop back into place, wincing at the loud scraping sound it made against the table’s wooden surface.
"Could've been quieter, but hey—small victories," Daniel laughed softly within Emily, his laughter radiating as pulses through her.
Emily chuckled softly. "Let’s hope Dad doesn’t notice that noise in the morning," she thought, plugging in the exterior cables with practiced ease. Taking a deep breath, she pressed the power button, her heart pounding with anticipation.
The computer whirred to life, and then came the familiar 'all clear' beep particular to 90s’ computers.. Both of them felt the surge of excitement as the monitor blinked on and the computer began booting.
“We did it”, Emily thought with a triumphant smile. “Hell yes we did!” Danny added with his own excitement.
The victory was more than just a repair. It was a moment where Emily embraced her new identity and their shared legacy. This wasn’t just Daniel’s knowledge or skill; it was now part of who Emily was too.
With a satisfied smile, Emily packed up her father’s tools, and quietly made her exit. She couldn’t wait for her father to discover the computer miraculously working again the next morning.
"Let’s just hope he doesn’t ask too many questions," Daniel quipped, as Emily quietly slipped out of the room, her heart light with anticipation. “Ah may make things more fun…” Emily quipped back.
–
The next morning, Thomas and Sarah were indeed surprised—and frankly bewildered—to find the computer working perfectly. Thomas scratched his head, staring at the screen. "I swear I couldn't get this thing to work last night. It seems fine now…"
Sarah frowned, her mother’s instinct sensing something amiss. "Thomas, look at this." She pointed to faint, small footprints left indented in the office carpet. Thomas raised an eyebrow. "Did Emily...? No way…" he added chuckling..’Wait could it be?’
Thomas called Emily into the study. As soon as she saw the computer on and her parents' concerned expressions, she felt sheepish, realizing she had been caught. "Emily, hon - be honest - did you fix this?" Sarah asked, both impressed and concerned.
Nervous about being admonished, Emily nodded, unable to hide a small smile. "I did. Dad looked so stressed and …I just wanted to help."
Thomas knelt down to her level, looking into her eyes with a mix of concern and bewilderment. "Emily, I don’t know how you fixed this machine, but you need to understand that some things can be dangerous. You can’t tinker around with them on your own! You could have gotten really hurt!"
"Not really… low voltage crap… would just sting…" Daniel grumbled internally, the irritation clear in his voice. Emily, on the other hand, feeling her confidence boosted by her success, but a little irritated that her efforts were being downplayed, couldn’t resist launching into an explanation.
"Dad, I was safe. I knew it was a hardware issue because the computer wasn’t even booting up. That usually means something is wrong with the motherboard, power supply, or connections. I checked the connections and found the hard drive power cable had come loose. I adjusted and reconnected the cable, then made sure the memory and other components were seated properly. That’s all it took."
She felt Daniel beam with pride from within. "Mic drop!" he muttered, and Emily struggled to stifle a giggle.
Thomas and Sarah exchanged baffled glances, their concern mixing with disbelief. "Emily, where… how… did you learn all this?" Thomas asked, his voice carrying both amazement and confusion.
‘Uh-oh,’ thought Emily, not expecting this particular question. As her mind raced, she felt a surge of panic. "Danny... help!" she thought frantically.
"Oh hell… think quick, Danny…" he murmured, but she didn’t have time to wait for his response. Instinctively, she blurted out, "I don’t know, I guess I just understand these things. I’ve been watching you fix things around the house, and I’ve been reading about computers in the books and magazines you leave lying around."
“Meccano set! Throw that under the bus!” Danny piped up hurriedly.
"Plus, I’ve picked up a lot from those Meccano sets you got me," she added quickly, hoping the excuse would be enough to satisfy their questions. She smiled, trying to sound casual and hoping they would buy it.
Sarah, still processing what she heard, gently patted Emily's head. "We’re so proud of you, Emily. You’re incredibly smart, and we’re impressed. But you must promise us you’ll be careful. Computers and electricity can be dangerous."
"I promise," Emily said, feeling both proud and humbled. Inside, Daniel’s adult mind bristled slightly, understanding their concern but feeling the lecture was unnecessary after proving her capabilities. She took a deep breath and decided to let it go, focusing instead on the satisfaction of fixing the computer and the pride in her parents' eyes.
She felt Daniel grumble within her as they walked away, leaving their bewildered parents to discuss the situation in hushed tones. “I guess… they’re just being parents… I mean, there really wasn’t a way you could have gotten hurt… unless you licked the power supply or something, or maybe got a jumper wrong…” Daniel mused, sounding half-amused, half-annoyed.
Emily smiled softly, shaking her head. “Let’s just call it a win, Danny,” she gently chided him. “We fixed the computer—no pun intended—and saved Mom and Dad a couple of hundred bucks.”
“It’s still a freaking dinosaur,” Daniel playfully retorted, his voice carrying that familiar humor.
Giggling together in their shared mindscape, the two of them moved on with their day, curious and excited about whatever new adventure awaited them next.
----------------------------------------
Later that night, after Emily had gone to bed, Thomas and Sarah sat down to talk.
"She’s really something, isn’t she?" Thomas said, shaking his head in amazement.
"She is," Sarah agreed. "But…how, Thomas? How did a child know how to fix a complicated piece of equipment?"
Thomas's amazement faded, turning to bewilderment. "I... don’t know, Sarah. I just... I know our daughter is smart, I sometimes wonder if she is a genius, but... this is not something you can just pick up around the house or from books... or maybe you can. I don’t know anything anymore."
They both thought about the multitude of times that Emily had surprised them—acting well beyond her age, understanding terms, using language, and showing a level of maturity that was far beyond her years. A pattern was building in their minds, but their rational thoughts struggled to grasp the complex reality of Emily’s mind.
The next morning, Thomas and Sarah found themselves instinctively watching Emily more closely, their minds replaying the events of the previous day. Every time Emily mentioned something slightly beyond her age, they exchanged knowing glances, their concerns deepening.
As Emily prattled happily over breakfast, Sarah couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something she was missing—a key piece of the puzzle that was just on the periphery. She watched her daughter, wondering if she’d ever truly understood her.
"We need to talk to her soon, Sarah," Thomas said quietly when Emily left the room. "You see it too, right?"
Sarah nodded, her eyes following Emily. "I agree. We need to understand what’s going on with her."