Gemotions

The clack of the keyboard echoed in the empty room. He was supposed to be mentoring the replacement, a younger version of himself, but all he felt was a dull ache. The new hire, a man named Ethan, seemed to grasp the complex coding like it was second nature.

He tried to explain the nuances of the system, the subtle workarounds, but his voice felt hollow, like a recording. The words felt foreign. He had spent years learning those nuances, and now, it was as if they were being taken away. He felt the sting of a tear in his eye, and quickly looked away from Ethan.

He looked at his hands, the same hands that had typed endless lines of code. He thought of his work, which has now become obsolete. "Ask me anything" he muttered, as Ethan kept tapping away.