Spooks. · 6:07pm Dec 5th, 2015
I just had one of the biggest scares of my life today.
Fell asleep with my laptop accidentally left on. When I awoke, I saw that it had a black screen, which I assumed was the power saving mode's fault, since I have it set to have the screen fade after a couple minutes. Pressed a button to light it up-
Laptop shut off.
I pressed the power button...
...and it wouldn't turn on.
I... I spent the next four-five minutes pressing it again and again, just staring in denial at what I desperately hoped was not a dead laptop. A dead laptop that contained so many of my notes; my work, my projects, my games, my only easy way to access the internet,..
I didn't want to believe it. The mere thought that my laptop was gone... it... it was terrifying.
The part that actually ended up worrying me the most was the fact that I wouldn't be able to progress on my story for a good while, that I had lost all the progress I had made so far on the next chapter, that I'd have to put it on hiatus...
That I would disappoint over a thousand people.
...Probably.
And so I got up (still in denial) and went to the kitchen to eat some cereal, in the hopes that when I'd come back, my laptop would be working again. I knew full well that the odds of such a thing happening "just like that" were abysmally minimal, but denial kind of held back those thoughts at the time.
It's a weird feeling, to be in denial. In a way, you're forcing yourself to feel nothing, delaying the inevitable chain of emotions...
I soon found out after reaching the kitchen that the power was out in the house, and when I went to check, I discovered that my battery charger was, indeed, "off".
A few moments later, and I confirmed that my laptop wouldn't turn on simply because it was out of power.
While words could not describe how I felt immensely relieved that I hadn't lost one of my most prized possessions, the experience still stuck with me in how easily you could lose something precious to you at any moment in time. Something that can also happen to people you know.
Cherish whatever time you have with your friends and family, because today might very well be the last time you'll see them breathing. Look forward to Christmas, not in anticipation of the presents (though those are always awesome 
) but instead to be able to spend time with people you appreciate.
And if you don't have anyone to spend Christmas with "In real life", well, I'm sure you at least have some friends here on Fimfiction 
This is why you back shit up.
While google docs has issues, that's one of its plusses.
Arranging auto-backup every 15 minutes of a small 'in progress' folder works almost as well though.
I know the feeling of despair when concerning possible dead laptops very well. The ranting and raving of denial, then the immense relief in finding out that it was just out of power. Or, the running around trying to salvage whatever you can onto another computer.
So not fun. Glad that didn't happen to you.
Fuck you technology. Stop making us care about you!
Back stuff up.
An external hard drive is pretty cheap.
Or you could use google drive for a small number of files for free.
3594958 I do have backups for the story with google drives, actually. I was worried about losing what I had recently written before I could back it up.
I know the feeling. I usually back up my important files every two weeks or so, depending on if I actually accomplish anything or not. If I lost a recent song I was working on due to a broken computer, well, I would be horrified. I had this happen once before. I forgot to back up for three months a few years ago, and lost at least forty hours of work on my music program. For some reason I had an mp3 file backup, but not an actual workable file. Which was weird. Anyways, I went through the five stages of grief. Now I back up on so many different things it's not even funny.
Glad your computer wasn't busted, and only the battery was dead.
3594969 Careful...
THE RUSSIANS MIGHT CUT THE UNDERGROUND INTERNET CCABLES!
I remember my great grand father last time i talked to him it was about crocodiles and how they fight and stuff few years later he died of an infection that was the last time i ever saw him.
I'm glad everything worked out alright for you
Interesting isnt it, how life likes to remind us of such things at the most random times. Thank you for sharing
P.S. Looking forward to your work, but don't you dare post it til you feel its ready!
I know that feeling. Glad your precious is fine!
Damn, what a relief that must be! Yikes! I really like your moral at the end too.