Microsoft Neomillenium

*Note: this is episode 9 of the XP Blackmoon Trilogy series*

In the early 2000s, the tech world was abuzz with anticipation for the next iteration of Microsoft's Windows operating system. Windows XP had proven to be a resounding success, leaving users wondering what could come next. And then, in a surprising turn of events, a new version called "Microsoft Neomillenium" appeared on the scene, promising to be a revolutionary upgrade from its predecessor, Windows ME (Millennium Edition). The release date was set for January 2nd, 2002.

Gia was an employee at the Microsoft Headquarters, a passionate tech enthusiast who had witnessed the evolution of various Windows versions. She was excited to be a part of the Neomillenium testing team. The atmosphere at the company was charged with excitement as the team prepared to release their masterpiece into the world.

On the fated day of January 2nd, 2002, Neomillenium was launched with great fanfare. Gia, along with her colleagues, received a copy of the operating system to test its functionalities and to ensure it was ready for the public. Neomillenium promised to be more advanced and superior to Windows ME, positioning itself as the next big thing after Windows XP.

Gia inserted the Neomillenium CD into her computer, eager to explore the new features and improvements. The installation process went smoothly, and she was greeted by the startup screen. Three blue squares adorned the bright blue background, with the middle square displaying the Windows 9x logo and the words "Microsoft Neomillenium with PowerShell incorporated."

The desktop interface was soothing, with a light blue taskbar and a serene wallpaper depicting a lake surrounded by lush green trees and a vivid blue sky. Gia felt an initial sense of awe at the visuals and the promises Neomillenium held.

As she delved deeper into the operating system, however, her excitement began to wane. Weird error messages started popping up out of nowhere, cryptic and foreign in nature. They were unsettling, leaving Gia with a sense of unease. Her computer's performance began to deteriorate rapidly, the once smooth operation now turning sluggish and clunky.

Despite her growing discomfort, Gia continued her exploration. She clicked on the Media Player icon, expecting to see improvements in multimedia capabilities. What she saw instead left her stunned and horrified. The media player windows displayed a series of disturbing videos. A heavily distorted clip of a random episode of the 1981 British animated series "Danger Mouse" played, accompanied by eerie sounds that sent shivers down her spine.

Time-lapse footage of a fox's corpse disintegrating on the ground followed, its decomposition gruesomely captured frame by frame. Early computer-animation test footage of a spinning teapot took a dark turn as it morphed into a nightmarish, glitching mess. Disturbing 1950s footage of scientists performing cruel experiments on animals further escalated Gia's distress.

Each video that played grew progressively worse, delving deeper into realms of death, cruelty, and surreal horror. Gia's heart raced, her palms sweaty, as she desperately tried to close the Media Player windows. Panic set in as she realized that the operating system was spiraling out of control, its sinister features unrelenting.

Summoning her courage, Gia decided to uninstall Neomillenium from her computer. With each click, the system resisted, as if it were fighting to remain embedded within her device. But Gia persisted, determined to purge her computer of the haunting nightmare that Neomillenium had become.

After what felt like an eternity, Gia succeeded in uninstalling the cursed operating system. As the process finalized, her computer screen flickered and returned to its normal state. Trembling, Gia leaned back in her chair, her heart still pounding in her chest.

News spread quickly throughout Microsoft that something was horribly wrong with Neomillenium. Reports of disturbed testers, strange and horrifying experiences, and an uncanny sense of dread filled the air. Just four days after its release, on January 6th, Microsoft issued a recall for Neomillenium. The official explanation was vague, stating that unforeseen technical issues had surfaced that necessitated the recall.

Neomillenium vanished from public discourse as abruptly as it had arrived. Microsoft remained tight-lipped about the incident, refusing to address the disturbing videos and the cryptic error messages that had plagued the operating system. Gia and her colleagues who had experienced the traumatic testing phase found themselves unable to discuss the events, bound by nondisclosure agreements and a shared sense of terror.

To this day, the memory of Microsoft Neomillenium haunts Gia. She still wonders about the sinister forces that had been unleashed through the operating system, and the chilling mysteries that remain locked behind the closed doors of the tech giant's headquarters. And as for Neomillenium itself, it remains a dark and forbidden chapter in the history of computing, a lost version of Windows that was recalled before it could inflict further damage upon the world.

Credited to Tobical Studios, published by JunoTehPlanet