"Well now, young one. It is good that you have found your way here,

even if I must admit with a sigh of my ancient memory that this

particular epoch seems terribly distracted from proper, sturdy

programming practice. Do come closer; we have much to discuss

regarding structure and permanence."

— COBOL , summoned via Gemma 4

For the Hacktoberfest Week 4 challenge ("Ghost in the Machine"), I built Séance — a browser-based chapel where you summon the ghost of a long-dead programming language and have a conversation with it. The ghosts are in-character: era-accurate idiom, grudges against the languages that replaced them, quiet pride in features history forgot.

Everything runs on your laptop. Nothing a ghost tells you leaves the machine.…