Perl Adventure: The Ubiquitous Prototype

You are a software engineer on a tight deadline, tasked with creating a prototype for a new project. Your boss insists on using a language that is both ubiquitous and easy to learn. In a desperate attempt to meet the deadline, you turn to Perl, a language you've never used before. With only hours left, can you navigate the steep learning curve and create a functional prototype before time runs out?