What are the odds for someone to stumble upon a 2025 wonder, hidden inside a relic from 1975? Everyone would agree that the chances are slim, probably less than one in a million. Still, they are never zero; when that single possibility has the power to manifest, it can change someone’s life forever. 

 “How very kind of you to come by so quickly, darling! Honestly, I wouldn’t have the slightest clue as for where to start with all these things buried here”! Madam Julie was constantly sighing and nagging since the moment Nigel had arrived at her place. “They’re here and there and everywhere, you see? These gadgets, and cables, and tapes! And all these other nonsenses that weight more than half a tone! My poor back couldn’t handle lifting all that, even in my prime years!” she said, raising her hands dramatically, showing all the stuff that was laying around. 

 Dusty boxes full of logs and notes, printers fed up with paper yellowed from the years they spent in the old basement, piles and piles of what seemingly looked like garbage blocking every path! The woman had some right to complain; there could be rats and other pests hiding beneath all that chaos! 

 “Think nothing of it! I’m just happy I can help!”. A droplet of sweat was glimmering on Nigel’s forehead. Not so much from the heavy lifting he was doing; rather, from his anticipation to find the one piece he was looking for among this treasure cove! Searching around, knees deep in that pool of old machines and retro tech - that was every geek’s dream! “You really don’t want to keep any of it, mam?” he felt the need to ask her twice. Not that he had to; mere moments ago, the woman was about to throw this exquisite collection right into the trash!  

 “Why? Is any of this valuable?”. Her small eyes, covered behind her smudged glasses, sparkled with greedy hope. 

 “You can’t sell them for much, if that’s what you’re asking. But they are pieces from another time – one you might remember from your youth”. These pieces of tech were old; there was no denying that. But someone who knew the right person could very easily make some cash out of them. Still, Nigel truly believed that the devices themselves were underappreciated by most of the buyers out there.  

 The woman pursed her lips at the comment, but didn’t remain annoyed for long. With her arms crossed, she stood under the door and watched as the young, scrawny boy tiptoed his way through cables and punch cards, trying to reach the heavy metal box in the middle of the room. 

 “And what exactly is that box?”. 

 “It’s an Altair 8800”! Nigel realized his answer meant nothing to her and continued. “It’s the first ever computer that was created for personal usage”! The unit in front of him was probably one of the very first to hit the market – or an older one even, that could’ve been built after a special order! The lack of a serial number on a label gave that much away. If he was to open the system and check the motherboard, he believed he could discover its manufacturing date! The amount of patience he had to withstand, as to not proceed doing that right then and there, felt almost unbearable! 

 “I am not one who mingled with that kind of thing”. Mrs. Julie was, in fact, old enough to remember the fuss that computers had birthed some decades ago. Teens and young adults would spend hours tinkering with those incomprehensible machines! Magazines went on and on publishing articles about new models, new features and other ‘new’ things. But to her, that trend was just another passing craze that never really touched her. She never quite got the hang of technology – that said, she eventually learnt how to scroll through the media, hitting the ‘like’ button and leaving the occasional comment on some cute post. 

 “This is a model that started with all the basic functions! Some simple math configurations, a couple of easy commands that have entertaining responses”. Nigel was mostly talking to himself by that time, rather than answering the woman’s question. That wasn’t intentional; it was just the fact that most people who called him to pick up their ‘electronic junk’ didn’t understand half of what he was discussing with them in the meantime. The only ones who could hold an interesting conversation with him on that topic were those who shared his passion for computing – still, even them grew more and more tired of talking about last century’s tech. It was a pity that there weren’t many who were able to appreciate it as much as he did.  

 Glancing around the forgotten space, the boy made a few more discoveries; a teletype machine hidden under a sheet, cardboard boxes filled with punched cards, neatly shorted by the data they contained, and rolls of printed paper crammed into every other available crevice. A familiar unease began to stir him. It had happened before that he got excited over a finding like this; eager to uncover the thing that made the device unique, he had realized that some crucial components were missing, and that the computer was no longer functional, even after an extensive service! That’s why he had learnt to keep his hopes grounded, avoiding getting carried away that easily. Or at least he hoped he did! 

 “Coffee’s ready”! Mrs. Julie returned, balancing a tray laden with two steaming mugs of filtered coffee, alongside a plate of biscuits. To her, it would be unacceptable to let a guest leave her house without treating him something first – even if that was to be just a glass of water for the standoffish ones! Nigel though, this one she liked! He didn’t even try to refuse her once! 

 Coffee was indeed the one thing that could pull Nigel’s eyes away from his ‘new’ toy. Holding the warm mug inside his hands, he took a sip and, surely enough, he felt his spirits lift! Truly, there wasn’t any reason for him to feel pessimistic just yet; the device in front of him had survived intact for half a century. Surely, there was enough hope to go around! 

 With one swift motion, he downed the rest of his coffee in a single gulp! “Thank you, Mrs. Julie! I’d better go and load the rest of this stuff in the van now”, he hurried. The inspiration he needed for his passion to reignite had found him – dust-covered and sleep deprived, as always, but ever so ready to answer! The Altair 8800, the teletype, the memory cards, and all the paper scrolls he could fit in the back seat of his vehicle: his little treasure trove. All that was left for him to do was to behold their true value.