IP: The Last Bug

[Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

From: "John F. McMullen" <johnmac () acm org>
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 1998 17:26:29 -0400




The Last Bug
"No program is perfect,"
They said with a shrug.
The client is happy ...
What's the one little bug?
But he was determined.
The others went home.
He dug out the flowchart.
Deserted. Alone.
Night passed into morning.
The room was cluttered.
With memory dumps, microfiche;
"I'm close," he muttered.
Chain smoking, cold coffee,
Logic deduction.
"I've got it," he cried.
Just change one more instruction.
Then change two, then three more,
As year followed year.
And strangers would comment
Is that guy still here?
He died at the console
of hunger and thirst.
Next day he was buried,
face down, nine edge first.
And his wife through her tears
Accepted his fate.
Said, "He's not really gone,
He's just working late.
The last bug in sight,
an ant passing by,
Saluted his tombstone and whispered,
"Nice try."
-anon
Datamation sometime 1968-1970