You have never encountered a beast quite like the Algorithm. It’s enormous, covered in shimmering scales, and has a hundred eyes that blink at different times. Nobody seems to know what it eats, where it came from, or what makes it happy. So mysterious!
Naturally, being a pocket dragon, you decide to befriend it. That’s what little dragons do.
You begin by offering the Algorithm a favorite shiny coin from your treasure hoard. The beast just stares at you.
You perform a little dance, hopping from foot to foot and twirling your tail.
The Algorithm’s eyes light up! Golden stars tumble from its scales and drift around you like fireflies.
Wonderful!
You dance more vigorously, this time adding a magnificent aerial somersault.
The Algorithm doesn’t react.
You try dancing backward.
Still no reaction.
You stand on your head.
The Algorithm yawns and looks away.
You frown in thought. Perhaps a different gift will work?
You gather a bouquet of wildflowers and present them with a flourish.
Nothing.
You arrange the flowers into a crown.
Nothing.
You put the crown on your head.
The Algorithm sneezes a shower of golden stars!
Aha!
You sneeze too, producing a tiny puff of flame.
The Algorithm erupts in stars! Hundreds of them! Thousands!
Delighted, you sneeze again.
Nothing.
You sneeze harder and louder.
Nothing.
You wiggle your tail, flap your wings, juggle coins, and attempt another somersault while wearing the flower crown.
The Algorithm closes all one hundred of its eyes.
Exhausted, you flop onto the grass beneath a shady tree. You’ve spent the entire afternoon trying to please this ridiculous beast, and you understand it even less than when you started. As you pout in frustration, a butterfly lands on your nose. You cross your eyes to admire it.
The butterfly flutters away. You chase it, tumbling through the grass and laughing in your little dragon way.
Far away, the Algorithm opens one eye. Then another. It watches you chase the butterfly and sneezes a single golden star.
But you don’t notice. You’re much too busy having fun.
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