An anonymous submitter to The Daily WTF recounts a late-career contracting engagement that went nowhere. Headhunted for specialty software skills at a spectacular salary, he spent his first day being sent home because onboarding would take weeks.

His interviewer, called Fred, gave him the first assignment: a mathematical analysis of the company's core money-maker program, so its behavior could be understood and perhaps reimplemented in a more contemporary language. Just as he was about to publish his findings, Fred died suddenly. In the resulting confusion the contractors were simply forgotten.

For roughly 18 months he was ignored. He spent the time building a development environment to work on parts of the program, sitting next to a colleague who loudly and constantly bad-mouthed management. The boss who inherited him handed out work with open hostility, and attempts to introduce automation were unwelcome among the elderly staff guarding their money-spinner.

He was eventually let go and now works out his final years to retirement as a postman. In closing, he stresses that fatal overwork is no myth and could strike anyone.