The Inn: Evenstad Media Presents, #3

By Voss Foster

12 Contestants
20,000,000 Dollars
1 Survivor

Two years and two victors later, Evenstad Media's murderous reality show carries on strong. The fans are more rabid than ever, and the detractors more determined to shut it down. How many more deaths will the public take, and how many more murderers lauded for their victory? Only time will tell.

Niels Evenstad, the show’s creator, is dying. Some say it's a ploy for attention, others say it's a tragedy. Whatever the reality is, it's brought a new problem out of the woodwork: Magnus, Evenstad Enterprises' reclusive CEO. He's taken a sudden interest in the show, and in Niels himself.

As the players fight to survive, Niels fights to keep control of his company, and his life. This time, the odds are stacked against everyone.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Voss Foster
• Release date: Feb 13, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386075516

Book preview

Evenstad Media Presents

THE INN

VOSS FOSTER

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author's imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons is entirely coincidental or beyond the intent of the author.

The Inn © Voss Foster 2016

Cover art © Dar Albert 2016

All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the author.

Requests to use the material will be considered and may be directed to:

Voss Foster at: [e-mail]

For Manda, who read Shakespeare to her kid brother.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

12

11

10

09

08

07

06

05

04

03

02

01

AUTHOR'S NOTE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

12

TO: Niels Evenstad

FROM: Magnus Evenstad

SUBJECT: Addressing Complaints – Season Three

SENT 10/03/2075 AT 5:16 p.m. EST

Niels,

As I’m sure you’ve already seen, there have been a number of complaints coming from your viewers since the conclusion of The Mall. While I deemed most of them ridiculous or untenable—a surprising number of people requested that the ‘actors’ be brought back from season one—I took it upon myself to resolve a few of the more concerning issues. I’ve made your production team aware of the viewers crying misandry, since a woman has won both seasons. It’s totally unfounded, I’m sure, but still something to be aware of going forward. It would be a shame to lose viewership over something so simple to control.

I’ve also made some suggestions that the contestants be armed next season. Far too many viewers complained about the lack of any sort of personal defenses last season. I understand the direction you wanted to take it, focusing more heavily on the survival aspect and the psychology to try and appeal to a wider audience. I think it needs a more refined touch than you gave it, however, and I’d like to think my experience gives me that level of refinement. After all, this is a business of pleasing the audience, and the audience has very much made it clear that they enjoy the violence.

I wanted to update you so that you were still in the loop. I will help you in any way possible while you’re dealing with your disorder. No reason to add more stress on top of everything else, of course.

Stay well, Niels.

Magnus Evenstad,

Chief Executive Officer, Evenstad Enterprises

—

TO: Magnus Evenstad

FROM: Niels Evenstad

SUBJECT: Addressing Complaints – Season Three

SENT 10/04/2075 AT 8:08 a.m. EST

I appreciate your concern for my well-being, Uncle Magnus, but I was aware of these issues already and had put measures in place to deal with them. While I might not have your same amount of experience, I’d like to think that I’ve learned enough in the last fifteen years to handle situations such as these, no matter the state of my health. I would appreciate the chance to try and adjust for these issues myself. I’d already decided to outfit the contestants with some minimal armaments, and several members of my team are working on handling the claims that the show is favoring women. Unfounded, as you say, but I recognized the danger.

Thank you for your well-wishes,

Niels Evenstad,

Chief Operating Officer, Evenstad Media

—

TO: Niels Evenstad

FROM: Magnus Evenstad

SUBJECT: Addressing Complaints – Season Three

SENT 10/04/2075 AT 8:41 a.m. EST

I respect your right to your decisions, of course. After all, I selected you personally to head up Evenstad Media. If you feel I’ve overstepped my bounds, you’re free to tell me. I only wished to make the next season a greater success for this company. Just as you were hoping to make the best choice for your company by bringing in someone new to replace you, when the time comes. We both know how well that turned out, obviously. I think we can both agree that it was a mistake, and one I’m doubtful you’ll make again. I blame your illness clouding your judgment. But that does concern me. While I trust you, I intend to take a stronger interest in Evenstad Media until we can all be certain a lapse in reasoning won’t happen again. After all, your last one led to several successful attempts to hack your computer systems.

Stay well, Niels, and know that I’m here for you when you need me.

Magnus Evenstad,

Chief Executive Officer, Evenstad Enterprises

Sir or Madam,

You are receiving this letter because you have been selected by Evenstad Media to fill one of twelve exclusive roles in season three of our new reality show, The Inn, sequel to The Park and the Mall. You have already been collected, your information processed, and delivered to the set. Please do not attempt to leave the arena without explicit permission.

Your goal during your engagement at The Inn is simple: survive. There is no time limit. Furnishings have been provided, and sustainable rations will be made available every eight hours through automated systems located through the arena. The rations will remain available for fifteen minutes before the system shuts down again.

On your person, you will find a small pack. It contains the following: 1 Thermoblade™, 6 flash grenades, 1 lighter, and 1 Triplicate™ Non-Lethal Firearm. These tools have been provided to aid in your continued survival and success. If damaged, used, or otherwise incapacitated, there are no replacements available.

Also included in this pack is a tablet and detachable keyboard for you to keep a journal. While this is not required by the rules of The Inn, it is recommended. Extended periods of time spent in the arena may cause psychological trauma. Our experts believe that writing a journal may help to keep the mind sharp and stave off the possible ill effects of your stay.

Various spaces of the arena are outfitted with hazards that will activate on a random schedule and last for sixty seconds. While none of these hazards are, on their own, lethal, they may cause injury that could hinder or incapacitate you during further game play. An alarm will sound fifteen seconds before a space becomes hazardous as a warning.

The arena will be monitored fully at all times in order to capture the true essence of game play for the viewers. Further details of recording and broadcast were explained in your release clauses.

No criminal charges shall be filed against any action(s) performed during the duration of your participation in The Inn. All city, county, state, federal, and/or international laws are to be considered suspended during your time here.

The arena will remain closed until only a single player remains alive. The winner will receive twenty million (20,000,000) dollars (USD). The families of the losers will be provided for.

No other information will be provided, so as to protect the integrity of game play.

We wish you the best of luck,

Evenstad Media

JOURNAL 12TERRENCE

ENTRY 001

DATE: 1/1/2076

My biggest fears come true. I’ve had nightmares about this, waking up in this hellhole of a game show that’s been polluting my airwaves for the past two years. I’m not alone in those fears. I interviewed people, looked online. There are entire new forums that started to deal with the fear of being randomly selected.

Should have figured that talking about things like that would get me in trouble. The Cruise is owned by Evenstad Enterprises. I wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest if they randomly selected me to get rid of a troublesome employee. Would have been easier to fire me, I think, but it certainly sends a message about just what happens to Evenstad’s enemies.

I haven’t moved from where I woke up. It looks like I was the first one awake. We’re all still here, at any rate. Looks like a hotel lobby. A small one, but it has the distinctive feel of mass-produced faux elegance. I sat up and looked around a bit, tried to get the lay of things. Six women and six men, counting myself. They’ve all got a letter stuck to their chests, same way I did. I can only assume they have the pack with all the same tools. Mine matched the list, so at least Evenstad didn’t try to cheat me out of anything.

Another guy just woke up. He sat straight up and looked at me, then he scanned around. I wanted to trust him, of course. I always want to trust people. He didn’t seem threatening. Of course, that probably means nothing in here. I slipped the knife out of the pack just to be safe. I flicked a little switch on the handle and the blade got red hot. Honestly doesn’t seem that effective. It would close up any cuts it made. But I guess they don’t want it to be too easy for any of us.

And I hate that I have to think like that in here.

That guy looked over at one of the women. I’ve been a journalist for a lot of years, seen a lot of tragedy, but I’ve never seen someone’s face go that white that fast. He crawled over to her on his hands and knees and just touched her. It was like he couldn’t even see anything else. I guarantee you he knows her.

It didn’t seem right watching that. It felt so intimate. I didn’t dare lay back down, just in case. No point purposely being off my guard. So I figured I should start this journal while I watch. I want to keep the record as up to date as I can, too. I doubt I’ll win, and I doubt I’ll get to keep the journals if I do win, but think of the exposé this could turn into on the off chance everything actually falls in my favor. Even if I can’t get direct access to the things I wrote, maintaining a record will help me remember everything when and if I make it out.

Then Evenstad will see what kind of threat I can really be to them.

ENTRY END

JOURNAL 02JOY

ENTRY 001

DATE: 1/1/2076

I’m finally calmed down. My baby brother was there to help me out. I tell you what, that didn’t exactly help me stop panicking. Not once we figured out where exactly it was we’d gotten stuck together. I don’t want to be here, but I definitely don’t want my family stuck here.

Now we’re big TV stars. The idea came up once or twice when we were kids. Who doesn’t think about being a celebrity growing up, at least once or twice? This wasn’t the way either of us wanted that particular dream to come true. Locked up in this place with a bunch of folks, trying to murder each other? We might be from Texas, but that don’t mean either of us is looking forward to pulling the trigger on anyone else. Or stabbing them, I guess. That letter told us that the gun was useless, pretty much. Non-lethal. Weirdest damn gun I’ve ever seen, too. Three barrels, three magazines. Guess that’s the triplicate part of it.

It wasn’t exactly a hard decision for me and Max to run off together and try to get to safety. There was only one other guy awake. Nice-looking enough, probably about seventy, though I’ve always been shit at guessing ages. Max asked him to come along with us, too. Fed him some cock and bull about getting a ‘good vibe’ from the guy. Told me it was just to keep an eye on him. He was awake before Max, but no telling how long. Which meant no telling how much information he got his hands on. I wasn’t particularly thrilled to have a tagalong, but the logic was there, I guess.

Now we’re holed up in one of the rooms. It’s a hotel. We’re supposed to kill each other in a damn hotel. It’s nice enough. Two beds. One of us to keep watch when the other two are asleep, then one of us goes out to get one of the little tasteless food cakes. I don’t know. I guess having our little friend along might end up being a good thing. Unless he murders us in our sleep.

I’m just hoping Max knows what he’s doing. He’s never led too much astray, but even a little bit off the right path could end bad in this place.

ENTRY END

JOURNAL 01DEB

ENTRY 001

DATE: 1/1/2076

This is one of those days when my opinion just flips straight around. First thought when I woke up? Where am I? Terror. Nerves. Sick feeling in my stomach. Next thought? Figure this out. A quick look around told me that it was a hotel. Or it looked like one, anyway. I know what this show turns nice, normal places into.

I liked the first two seasons. A good romp. Did it make me a little uncomfortable to think there was that kind of violence on TV? Of course it did. But who in their right mind would ever think that anything happening on there was real? I don’t know, maybe it isn’t. Could it just be an elaborate ruse, even now? I suppose it’s technically possible. I do know that I don’t remember signing any contract or release paperwork for any of this, but now I’m here.