Room 127

By Malcolm Pierce

You begin in a dark hallway. There are no instructions, only a blinking cursor at the bottom of the screen. It invites a response. It draws you in. Now it is too late to turn back.

Room 127 is just a computer game. Or is it? Steve Norman thought that he had landed his dream internship: writing about video games for the popular website GameCore.net. But when a mysterious disk from an unknown sender appears on his desk, his world is turned upside down. Told entirely in e-mails sent and received by the unlucky intern, this novella reveals his investigation into the enigmatic Room 127 and the dark history that preceded it.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Malcolm Pierce
• Release date: Feb 24, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301584505

Book preview

Room 127

Malcolm Pierce

Copyright 2013 Malcolm Pierce

Smashwords Edition

[e-mail] (Jason DeVries) – 5/13/13, 10:33am

to: [e-mail]

cc: [e-mail]

re: Internship Offer

Mr. Norman:

I am pleased to offer you an internship position in our Online Media division with the staff of GameCore.net. As we discussed in our interview last month, this will be an unpaid position. You will report to GameCore Senior Editor Ken Greene, and your internship will begin on May 20, 2013 and end approximately on August 16, 2013.

This position is considered temporary and either party may discontinue the internship relationship at any time and for any reason not prohibited by law.

On your first day, please bring with you documentation showing that you are eligible to work in the United States. This would include but is not limited to a passport or valid driver's license and social security card.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at [e-mail]. We look forward to the prospect of you joining our team at GameCore.net.

Sincerely,

Jason DeVries

Director of Human Resources

CDN Communications – Online Media Division

[e-mail] (Steve Norman) – 5/13/13, 11:05am

to: [e-mail]; [e-mail]

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re: I GOT THE JOB!!!!

Hey guys! I just wanted to let you know that I got the internship I was hoping for! Just got the e-mail and I'm totally excited. It's at GameCore.net, a really popular videogame website. I know it's unpaid, but I only applied to one internship that was going to pay me and that was a longshot. Don't think I wanted to work there anyway. It was an advertising company and I don't want to end up in advertising. Ick.

Anyway, the job is here in San Francisco so I guess I'll talk to my landlord about staying out here through the summer. Don't worry, I saved up enough money from the bookstore to make it until my next loan payment comes through. Just have to eat a lot of ramen, that's all.

Steve

[e-mail] (Steve Norman) – 5/13/13, 12:12pm

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re: Summer

Hey Sam, I guess I've got some good news and some bad news. I was accepted to a really awesome internship at GameCore.com. That's the website with the funny Halo videos I sent you a couple months ago. They're like the only videogame website I trust. All their stuff is really cool. Anyway, I'm going to be working there in a week! It's so exciting!

The only problem is that it's out here in SF, which means that I won't be coming home for the summer. I'm already looking into extending my lease. I don't know how much they'll expect me to be at the office, but I don't want to miss any time, so I might not even be able to make it back to Fresno at all before school starts back up again.

Ugh I feel terrible about this all coming up so quickly. I did apply to a lot of places back home, but this actually came through for me and I really want to work here. These guys get to write about videogames for a living. Can you imagine that? If I'm ever going to get a job like that, I have to start somewhere and there's no better place than GameCore.

I just thought I'd let you know... Any chance you might be able to make it out here during the summer? I know my place is cramped but I really miss you!

Love,

Steve

[e-mail] (Ken Greene) – 5/13/13, 3:30pm

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re: Welcome Aboard!

Steve:

I just got the word from HR that you'll be joining the GameCore team this summer. I wanted to be the first to welcome you because I know if Brett was the one to do it, he'd probably send you running for the hills.

Don't worry, this isn't like a lot of bullshit internships your classmates are going to be putting up with this summer. You won't be getting anyone coffee or making copies. Your writing sample impressed us enough to know you'd be wasted on that. We can find better ways to exploit you. You'll still have to do the stuff we don't want to do, but with us that means previewing shitty games, not cleaning the bathrooms.

Jason tells me you're a fan of the site, so you know we're all pretty laid back around here. Don't show up in a suit and a tie unless you want a really unflattering nickname for the next three months. And probably the rest of your life. The internet never forgets.

Ken Greene

Editor-in-Chief, GameCore.net

[e-mail] (Greg Norman) 5/13/2013, 5:01pm

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re: re: I GOT THE JOB!!!!

Steven:

I took a look at the website. Is this what passes for journalism these days? I don't want to discourage you, but will you want to put this on your resume when you graduate? I can just imagine what an editor from the New York Times or the San Francisco Herald would think if they loaded up www.gamecore.net. They'll think you spent your summer goofing off. I know you don't want to hear that, but it's my job to point these things out to you.

Dad

[e-mail] (Steve Norman) 5/13/13, 5:21pm

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re: re: I GOT THE JOB!!!!

Dad, the San Francisco Herald shut down like five years ago. This is where journalism is headed. But more importantly, they say they're actually going to let me write previews and stuff. I'll actually get to put my name on something. That's something I do want on a resume!

Steve

[e-mail] (Steve Norman) 5/13/13, 6:10pm

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re: re: Welcome Aboard!

Mr. Greene:

Thanks so much for the e-mail. I really appreciate the chance to work with you and the rest of the editors at GameCore. It's one of my favorite websites. I watch your review videos every week and send them around to all my friends.

Is there anything I need to bring with me on Monday? Let me know!

Steve

[e-mail] (Samantha Strickland) 5/13/13, 7:43pm

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re: re: Summer

Steve, I can't say I'm not disappointed. I was looking forward to seeing you for more than a few days. I thought when you transferred to SF State you said you'd come back every summer. It's hard enough being apart for most of the year, and I was already making plans for all the stuff I wanted to do together.

That said, I'm also excited for you. I know how hard it is out there to find anything, and GameCore is an awesome website. I'll try and make it up there on the weekends when I get the chance. The drive sucks, and I know you've made it a lot during the school year.

Do you think they'll let you be in any of the videos? They better if they're keeping you away from me this summer.

Thinking of you,

Sam

[e-mail] (Ken Greene) 5/14/13, 9:51am

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re: re: Welcome Aboard!

If you're gonna call me Mr. Greene, we're gonna have a problem. I'm Ken. Brett is Brett. Dave is Dave. Jill is Jill. Anything else and we all start feeling awkward about not wearing pants around the office.

And you don't need to bring anything. I already have the IT monkeys setting up a computer and a cubicle for you. You're getting the machine that's still running Windows Vista so have fun with that.

Ken

[e-mail] (Steve Norman) 5/14/13, 11:44am

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re: re: Summer

Thanks for being so understanding, Sam. Probably any other job here in SF and I wouldn't have taken it. I just can't turn down the opportunity. Not now. I couldn't even go out last night to celebrate with the guys from my class. Hardly any of them have anything for the summer, and I'm going to be working at GameCore. I don't even want to tell them!

I don't know about the videos yet, but we'll see. I'm nervous just about writing for them. Ken Greene said he liked my sample, which is amazing enough!

I'll keep you updated with everything that's going on. And if I'm going to be in a video, you'll be the first to know. But you should be reading the site either way!

Steve

[e-mail] (Theresa Evans) 5/15/13, 10:15am

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re: re: I GOT THE JOB!!!!

That's great to hear! I know you were worried about finding something this summer but I knew things would work out.

Have you told Samantha yet? Don't put it off too long. She will be disappointed, but I know you two are strong enough to make it work. You're only a few hours away from Fresno, you'll be able to visit each other plenty just like during the school year.

Love,

Mom

[e-mail] (Brett Jackson) 5/18/13, 1:22pm

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re: Your first assignment

So you're the new guy? Ken said to drum up some work for you to do. We just got in a copy of the new Iron Man 3 game for the 3DS. It's based on the movie, so that means the company probably had to push it out half-finished and barely playable.

We weren't planning on covering it. Games based on superhero movies are usually shit and we just don't have enough people around here for that.

How would you like to put together a review for us next week?

Brett Jackson

Associate Editor, GameCore.net

[e-mail] (Steve Norman) 5/18/13, 2:30pm

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re: re: Your first assignment

Brett:

Sure, I'd be glad to do that! Should I bring in my 3DS or do you have one I should use at the office? Either way works for me.

Steve

[e-mail] (Ken Greene) 5/18/13, 4:00pm

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re: Don't Listen to Brett

Steve, if there's anything you need to know before you start on Monday, it's not to listen