Well, the laptop fan decided to start working again. Not long after I posted the "I'll be gone" message, actually. That evening, I heard it start up, and it hasn't "died" since.
I think it was because I brought a TiBook home and leaned Tallis (the laptop) up against it, and Tallis knew I was serious. Either that, or burning a CD and tilting the laptop up on its side to keep it going while it was burning fixed it somehow. I don't know.
So I'm back in business. At least for now.