Tech Talk with Nix Nighthawk

richardlevesqueauthor January 28, 2016 Science Fiction 1

Welcome to Another Edition of Tech Talk

Today we’re talking with enLIGHTen coder Nix Nighthawk, who’s agreed to take a moment out of his busy schedule to share with us what it’s like working for the most innovative, exciting company around today. Welcome, Nix.

Nix: Thanks.

Tech Talk: Can you start by telling us what you do for enLIGHTen?

Nix: I write code. It’s about as simple as that. I don’t usually know what my code is being used for. I just get an assignment for something that’s probably part of something bigger, and I set out to get it done by my deadline.

Tech Talk: So for all you know, you might be coding the next generation of the Loop?

Nix: I suppose anything’s possible.

Tech Talk: That’s exciting. Can you describe for our readers what life is like for a coder inside enLIGHTen’s headquarters?

Nix: Sure. Everything’s provided–food, drink, entertainment, you name it. There’s a gym on the fourth floor so you can code and still get some exercise. If you need to go out when the weather’s bad, you can requisition hats and coats. There’s really not anything we need that the company doesn’t provide.

Tech Talk: That’s great. I’ve heard that the living accommodations are a bit…sparse.

Nix: Ah. Well…yes, it’s no frills. The Cubes where most coders live are just four walls and a futon and a very nice ergonomic chair where we can get our work done. But…when you think about it, what more do we need when we’re Looped?

Tech Talk: You have all the diversions you need, yes?

Nix: Exactly. I mean, you don’t want to run so much content in the background that it slows down your work. But beyond that, it’s pretty much anything goes, the same as it is for anybody else with a Loop. Movies, music, the Crawl.

Tech Talk: But wouldn’t some frills be nice?

Nix: Well, I suppose. But there wouldn’t be much time to enjoy them. I mean, it’s a pretty heavy duty schedule we’re on.

Tech Talk: And what do you do in your time off?

Nix: Honestly? I sleep. That’s the number one thing most coders do when they get the opportunity.

Tech Talk: And dream, of course.

Nix: Sure.

Tech Talk: Do you have a favorite dreamer you follow? Or do you run your own dreams?

Nix: I usually just do my own thing. I’ve downloaded some dreams, but there’s no one I follow.

Tech Talk: I don’t mind telling you that we did a little background checking on you before starting this interview. It seems you’ve dabbled in professional dreaming yourself.

Nix: Ah. That. It was just once, a few years ago. It got a little interest, but it never went anywhere.

Tech Talk: Can you tell us about it?

Nix: It was this dream where you were in a valley with all these sheep, and every sheep had a bell around its neck that played a different musical note. In the air, there were doves, and they had bells, too. So you’d walk through the valley and the sheep and doves would make all this incredible music. That’s pretty much all that happened in the dream.

Tech Talk: And what happened when you uploaded it?

Nix: People got a little bit excited about it. There was a flurry of downloads, but then it fizzled out. Every now and then, there’ll be someone who stumbles onto it.

Tech Talk: Well, maybe now some of the people streaming this interview will go find your dream. I hope they do.

Nix: That would be nice.

Tech Talk: It would be. Far nicer than the kinds of things you hear about people downloading these days. Do you think there will be any way for enLIGHTen to clamp down on illegal dreamers like The Somniscient?

Nix: I really don’t know. But probably. enLIGHTen has done a lot of things no one would have thought possible. Busting up some hacker dream network shouldn’t be that challenging.

Tech Talk: I think you’re right. Who knows? Maybe the code you’re working on is part of their plan to bring down The Somniscient and others like him. Wouldn’t that be interesting?

Nix: It would. And speaking of the code I’m working on…

Tech Talk: You need to get back to work, don’t you?

Nix: Yes, I do.

Tech Talk: Well, we’ll let you then. Thank you so much for your time. You’ve given us a nice glimpse into the life of an enLIGHTen coder. Maybe some of our viewers will think of taking up the trade. And maybe some will download that dream of yours!