Little Boy and Karlsson
Book One
Karlsson, who lives under the "roof"
(based on original book of A. Lindgren)
(Russian "author's" translation by M. M. A/SC)
Chapter #01
Little Boy sighed heavily. Suddenly he heard a faint buzzing. It grew louder and louder and bore no resemblance to the sound of his father's hard drive in the new EC-1842. Strangely enough, a plump little man resembling a lemming from Little Boy's favorite game flew past the window. That was Karlsson. Karlsson, who lives under the "roof".
The little man outside slowed down and, aligning with the windowsill, said:
- Hi! Can I land here and upload a couple of files?
- Yes, yes, please, - Little Boy replied hastily and added: - Is it hard to fly with unuploaded files?
- Not at all, - Karlsson said importantly, - because I am the best pilot in the world with unuploaded files! But I wouldn't recommend a cook, resembling a disassembler TRDOS, to imitate me.
Little Boy thought that it wasn't worth getting offended by the "disassembler TRDOS," but he decided never to try flying, especially with unuploaded files.
- What's your name? - asked Karlsson.
- Little Boy... Although my real name is 2:5057/18.46 MМAлыш :).
- And strangely enough, my name is Karlsson. Just Karlsson, that's all. Hi, Little Boy!
- Hi, Karlsson! - said Little Boy.
- How old are you? - asked Karlsson.
- %000OOlll. - replied Little Boy.
- Great. Let's continue the conversation, - said Karlsson.
Then, with the ease of an experienced hacker, he quickly swung his little legs over the windowsill one by one and in the blink of an eye connected a modem extracted from his pocket to the telephone line running through Little Boy's room.
- And how old are you? - asked Little Boy, deciding that Karlsson was behaving too childishly for an adult programmer.
- How old am I? - Karlsson repeated, pulling a diskette with modem software from his back pocket. - My program is only half disassembled, I can't tell you anything more.
Little Boy didn't quite understand what it meant when your program is half disassembled, as he only used exe files, which, in his opinion, were disassembled 100%. So he cautiously asked:
- At what age does a person's program start to assemble?
- At any age! - replied Karlsson with a satisfied smile, connecting the modem to the laptop strapped to his chest.
Businesslike adjusting the config in the terminal program, Karlsson slowly scratched his bald spot on his left ear.
- What the heck! - he exclaimed when he received the NO CARRIER message once again. - Where's the connection, Little Boy?
Little Boy had long realized that uploading files would not go unnoticed on the family's telephone bill, so with a deft motion of his razor-sharp nail, he discreetly cut the phone line.
- Maybe the neighbors are browsing the INTERNET again, - Little Boy replied timidly, - we have a blocker with them...
But Karlsson was no longer interested in that. Dropping the dead laptop without the modem from his bulky belly onto the floor, he rushed to Little Boy's bookshelf and pulled out the COMMODORE AMIGA 600 standing there.
- Let's start it up, - suggested Karlsson.
- We can't without Dad, - said Little Boy. Amigas can only be started with Dad or brother, after all, it's M_Too_Much_Tasking!
- With Dad, brother, or Karlsson, who lives under the "roof." The best specialist in AMIGAs in the world is Karlsson, who lives under the "roof." Just tell your dad that! - shouted Karlsson, plugging the power cord into the socket.
Although Karlsson was the best specialist in AMIGAs in the world, he plugged it into the socket rather clumsily, if not more, like a noob, mixing up the phase and neutral. The power cord immediately began to smoke and soon ignited with bright blue flames. The soot rose to the ceiling and settled on it, creating a bizarre pattern resembling the QUAKE emblem. Little Boy, who had initially lost his spatial-temporal connection, came to his senses and jumped back with a scream.
- Calm down, just calm down! - said Karlsson, raising his chubby hand in warning.
But Little Boy couldn't stand still when he saw the fire. He grabbed a cloth and smothered the flames. In another situation, he would have doused the fire, but now he thought it would be easier to smother it. About a year ago, Little Boy's friend Pockmarked Ghoul from the neighboring playground had the misfortune of uploading an overflowing tree of files onto a live wire. Since then, Ghoul hadn't stayed at any night party with the girls from the parallel class. Little Boy didn't want such a prospect for himself.
- Look how the power cord got ruined! - Little Boy said anxiously. - What will MOM say?
- She won't say anything, - Karlsson reassured him, pretending to be a great specialist, - the AMIGA has no "MOM." Everything is on one board!
Karlsson flipped the plug in the socket and sat down next to the keyboard. From deep inside the case came tapping and sobbing sounds - the AMIGA wanted to live. Karlsson's eyes sparkled.
- It's about to start working.
And indeed, it took less than a second for the AMIGA to come to life. The hard drive joyfully purred and the system began to load. Oh, it was the most beautiful of all AMIGAs and Karlsson looked so proud and happy as if he had invented it himself.
- I need to check the transfer speed from the "hard drive," - Karlsson suddenly said and began unscrewing the screws from the white plastic case of the computer. - If you don't check the transfer speed, you might lose odd bytes with a phase deviation of two or three PI!
In the blink of an eye, the cover was off the AMIGA and Karlsson, reaching the variable resistor on the hard drive controller board, began to twist it both clockwise and counterclockwise. His eyes were simply shining.
And Little Boy had already stopped mourning over the burnt cord and the stains on the ceiling. He was happy to have such a wonderful computer and to have met Karlsson - the best specialist in AMIGAs in the world, who skillfully checked the information transfer speed from the hard drive.
- Well, Little Boy, - said Karlsson, - this is indeed speed!
The hard drive buzzed at the limit of human hearing and slowly drifted into the infrasonic region and then into the ultrasonic region.
- Now that's what I call it, - Karlsson continued, - the best specialist in the world...
...But he didn't manage to finish because at that moment there was a loud explosion and the AMIGA simply ceased to exist. More precisely, its case still lay at Little Boy's feet, while the remnants of the board were scattered around the room. The hard drive itself had successfully exploded into several large pieces, one of which successfully pierced the monitor and got stuck somewhere in its vast innards.
- It exploded! - Karlsson shouted in delight, as if he had managed to install WIN'95 on the first try and faster than in 2 hours. - I swear, it exploded! What a bang! This is exactly what I call AMIGA RULEZ!
But Little Boy couldn't share Karlsson's joy. He stood bewildered, with tears in his eyes.
- My AMIGA... - he sobbed. - My AMIGA fell apart into pieces!
- Nonsense, just a life matter! - And Karlsson waved his little chubby hand. - I’ll give you an even better AMIGA, - he reassured Little Boy.
- You? - Little Boy was surprised, - An even better one?
- Of course. I have several thousand A1200s up there, and the other day they promised to throw in a couple of hundred A/BOX!
- Where is this up there?
- Up there, in my little house under the "roof"!
- Just think! A house filled with AMIGAs! - exclaimed Little Boy. - Several thousand AMIGAs!
- Well, I didn't exactly count how many are left, - clarified Karlsson, - but definitely not less than #FF.
- And you’ll give me one?
- Of course!
- Right now!
- No, first I need to check them a bit, check the data transfer speed, solder the contacts and processors... well, and so on. You'll get the machine in a few days. I give a two-century warranty on all parts!
- Seriously "two-century"? - Little Boy asked.
- They will definitely work for about two years. Well, two days is for sure, - Karlsson assured him, fastening the laptop to his belly.
Little Boy stood in the corner of the room, thoughtfully kicking with his sandal-clad foot a large centipede of a graphics chip. The chip had slightly melted at the edges, but deep down Little Boy hoped that after he glued the board together from pieces, he could insert this processor back in place so that Dad wouldn't even notice.
- It's very good that you came to me, - said Little Boy. - Although, of course, the AMIGA... Will you ever fly in here again?
- Definitely! - said Karlsson and, making an indefinite gesture directed, in his opinion, towards the Indian Ocean, he pressed a button in the area of his belly.
The motor roared, but Karlsson remained still and waited, resembling a "four" that managed to launch ZD-STUDIO through mad perversions when the propeller would spin at full power. But then Karlsson lifted off the floor and made a few circles.
- The motor is acting up. I’ll have to fly to the company and use the warranty. Although maybe I should do an upgrade right away?! I guess it’s worth it...
Little Boy also thought that would be the wiser choice.
Karlsson flew out the open window and his small chubby figure almost immediately disappeared from sight.
- Close the window, Little Boy! The machine will work faster! - Karlsson shouted as a parting remark.
Little Boy thought that it was time to change the wallpaper to a lighter one so that next time he could watch Karlsson slowly disappearing into the depths of his operating system.
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MUSIC ВУ: MARKET SOFT
Contents of the publication: Oberon #04
- From the Editorial
This editorial discusses the legal 'charges' against the creators of Oberon #4 as a humorous narrative, highlights the challenges faced in publishing this issue, and announces a potential hiatus for the magazine.
- Scroll
Analysis of the game 'Chaos' by Julian Gollop. Simplified gameplay mechanics and strategic elements. Description of creatures, spells, and tactics.
- Scroll - Unbeliever
Description of a mathematical game for ZX Spectrum where players collect formula symbols while navigating gears.
- Scroll - M.M.A
Discussion of 'Doc the Destroyer', a unique fighting and adventure game for ZX Spectrum. The article covers controls, character customization, and game mechanics. Compatibility issues on different ZX Spectrum models are also addressed.
- Overview - M.M.A
The article provides a review of games for ZX Spectrum, including KOMANDO 2, WRESTLING SUPERSTARS, TAG TEAM WRESTLING, and CAPTAIN PLANET. It highlights the features, graphics, and gameplay of each game, noting both strengths and weaknesses. The review concludes with recommendations and comparisons to other platforms and games.
- Overview
Overview of various ZX Spectrum games, highlighting their unique features, gameplay mechanics, and design elements. Includes critique on sound effects, graphics, and technical issues. Discusses games like 'Stryker in the Crypts of Trogan', 'Phileas Fogg's Balloon Battles', and 'Survival'.
- Overview - Alex Noman
The article reviews games for the ZX Spectrum, including BOOVIE, MOTOR MASSACRE, SOCCER PINBALL, and HUXLEY PIG 1 & 2. Each game is detailed in terms of gameplay, graphics, and unique features. The discussion includes comparisons to other games and highlights specific technical aspects.
- Review
A review of various games, including Little Computer People and Lost Caves, highlighting their features and versions. It also discusses 75Occ Grand Prix by Codemasters with its limitations. The article provides insights into game mechanics and versions.
- Review
Detailed review of various assemblers like Alasm 3.8, TASM 4.12, and others, highlighting their features and shortcomings.
- About Everything
Announcement of the creation of the SamZxNet network in Samara and the challenges of setting it up with HAYES modems. Explanation of the modems' power requirements and potential difficulties. Invitation for technical advice from experienced readers.
- About Everything
Description of travel to ENLIGHT'97 and meeting various demoscene participants. Observations of event organization and issues. Insights into participant experiences and scene discussions.
- About Everything
Report on the second day of ENLIGHT'97: events, challenges, and reflections. Describes voting results and organizational difficulties. Highlights future prospects for Spectrum demo parties.
- About Everything
The article features reader feedback on Oberon #04, critiquing design and content choices and discussing issues with software protection and game enhancements.
- About Everything
Discussion of the adventure game KAYLETH with gameplay tips and advice. Includes a game dictionary and suggestions from the author and their team. Calls for a local artist for future RPG development.
- About Everything
Reflection on the closure of the 'ZX-REVIEW' magazine and the adaptation of its article for 'Oberon'. Discussion on the development of ultra-short boot loaders. Optimization techniques for writing one-sector boot loaders on ZX Spectrum.
- About Everything
Exploration of amateur contributions to electronics, music, and computing history, highlighting figures like Faraday and Babbage. The evolution from handmade instruments to personal computers. Discussion on jazz, blues, and rock'n'roll's informal origins.
- About Everything
The story of Lieutenant Edward Roberts' journey from radio kits to creating the first PC, the Altair 8800, overcoming skepticism and challenges.
- About Everything
The article explores the rise and evolution of the computer industry, highlighting the transformation from passionate hobbyists to corporate dominance by giants like IBM and Microsoft.
- About Everything
An exploration of Sir Clive Sinclair's project after selling the Sinclair brand, detailing the features of the Cambridge Computers Z88 laptop.
- About Everything
Discussion of software market problems in 1997 for ZX Spectrum, highlighting lack of new software and user reluctance to pay.
- Announcement - M.M.A
Announcement of 'Black Raven' game by V. Mednonogov, focusing on gameplay, technical challenges, and upcoming features.
- Announcement
Discussion of the decline in ZX Spectrum development, reviews of new games and utilities, and announcements of future projects.
- Educational Program
The article provides an overview of FidoNet, a non-commercial computer network often considered the predecessor of the Internet, detailing its origins, growth, and unique cultural aspects.
- Hardware
Instructions for connecting the 'ALEGRO' modem to computers with normal port #FF, detailing hardware modifications required for proper signal handling.
- Hardware
Connecting Hayes-compatible modems to ZX Spectrum, focusing on Scorpion and Pentagon models, detailing hardware modifications. Specific instructions for internal port blocking and signal alignment provided. Step-by-step process and technical intricacies explained.
- Hardware
Discussion of the transition from 5.25' to 3.5' floppy disks for ZX Spectrum, including installation issues and solutions for compatibility with existing software.
- Let's Feast
A satirical story about a Rabbit who lost his house to a cunning Fox and how a Rooster helped him reclaim it.
- Let's Gourmet
A humorous tale about Malysh and Karlson's adventures with technology, drawing parallels between computers and everyday life, culminating in a comic mishap with an AMIGA computer.
- Advertising
Article discusses free advertising policy of Oberon, catalog of programs and hardware for ZX Spectrum, and adventure game engagement.
- Advertisement - Kano
Promotional campaign by Magic Soft and RPSG in Russia for Amiga multimedia computers, offering exhibitions, sales, and consultations. They highlight Amiga's advantages over other systems, describe various models, and provide price lists. Collaboration with 'Computers for Population' for distribution and services.
