The owner stood up from his black leather chair and left the office. What he did not see, nor has any human ever, was the little current bug that slid out of his laptop as soon as he left the room.  

   "He's gone," the little critter said. 

   From the light bulb of the ceiling lamp, the second current bug emerged. They were yellow, not larger than a thumbnail and round. 

   "What do you think is on the other side of the door?" The computer bug said. 

   The door, usually closed when the room was empty, was open just a crack. 

   "Don't know, don't want to know," the older, wiser lamp bug said. 

   "But imagine the world that could be out there. Look out the window. It's snowing." 

   "I've seen it before. It is white, then brown, then green, then brown again. Why don't we talk about your day? You have such a fascinating job. How was the owner's writing today?" 

   "Bit bland, really. But he is trying his best. And improving." 

   The computer bug scrambled over to the door until he was right at the edge of the room. 

   "Toby, stop. What do you think you are doing? It's not safe out there." 

   "Marc, there are more current bugs. I can hear them." 

   "That's only your imagination. Come back now!" 

   Toby looked back at his only friend quickly. He was smiling, the looming adventure shining in his blue eyes. Then, the current bug crawled through the door. 

Marc waited, crawling in and out of his bulb. Then, he heard something. The door was wrenched open, and the owner walked in hurriedly. As was their custom, the lamp bug retreated deep inside his bulb. The owner sat on his chair and pushed the power button on Toby's home. No power came. How could it have? Toby was not back yet.  

   "Damn thing. Really? After just one year?" 

   Furious, the owner stood up and grabbed his laptop. 

   Marc wanted to shout out that he should just wait for Toby to return. That he would give Toby a right talking to when he was back and that he would see to it that Toby would never leave his room and duty again. However, he could not. 

   For a few hours, Marc hoped against all odds that Toby had found his way inside his home while the owner took it out and that he would realise that the laptop still worked. Only a minor malfunction, a mishap that would never occur again.  

However, when the owner returned, he carried a new box with a new laptop, the home of a new current bug. 

   Marc did not leave his bulb when the young bug left its home, searching for friends. There was no sense in doing so. Like all the others before, it would be gone shortly, and Marc would be alone again.