The Mall (Evenstad Media Presents Book 2) Read online

  ENTRY END

  JOURNAL 03BILL

  ENTRY 004

  DATE: 1/22/2075

  I think Kim wants to do the same thing I do. He's trying to manipulate me with sex. But he's really shitty at it. We did the deed, which I guess means that footage is out on the internet and everything, now. Or it will be soon, so any presidential aspirations either of us had are over. But afterward, he started asking me for things. To help keep him safe, and to go get food. I played into it a little bit, just to string him along. I was going to track down some food anyway, so it worked out.

  But it's funny, him thinking he can really do that. Maybe if I wasn't onto him, it would work a little better. But I am, and it won't. I guess it's going to make it harder for me to convince him to do what I want, too.

  I feel bad for him, I really do. It was a good plan, and could have worked on someone else. But I don't get that attached from sex. Never have. Doesn't mean I won't stick around to get my rocks off for a while. And I could still play him. It just means a bit more work than I intended. Not sure how worth it that is, now, though. I’ll have to wait and see.

  ENTRY END

  TO: Niels Evenstad

  FROM: Edward Andel

  SUBJECT: URGENT: Live and Breathe Down

  SENT 1/21/2075 AT 6:58 a.m. EST

  Niels, this is bad. All the servers have been taken down for Live and Breathe. All of them. And when anyone tries to get into the game, either from our end or from the player end, the screen just shows the same message: END THE KILLING NOW AND REPENT. There's no way off the screen other than a complete reboot.

  I hate to say it, but I think the servers were hacked, and hacked down deep, if they did this kind of damage. The only other explanation would be someone on the inside, like one of the tech guys working on the update. I don't want to think that's what happened, and I don't think anyone else does, either. I do think you need to get someone you personally trust to fix everything so we can regain control and take care of this. Hopefully, they can try to track it back to where it came from. I don't know if that's possible, but I hope so.

  I'm sorry about this. It happened on my watch. I'll keep a much more vigilant eye on everything, if you give me the chance to stay on after this.

  Dear Valued Evenstad Media Customer

  It has been brought to our attention that The Park: Live and Breathe recently suffered some technical difficulties. In the spirit of full disclosure, we do believe that the servers we use to house the game were hacked. However, upon thorough examination, there is no proof that any personal information was compromised. For the sake of safety, you may wish to change the password associated with your account, as well as the password of the connected email account.

  We are sorry for this inconvenience, and are working on getting the game back up and running. It should be secure and available for gameplay again by the end of the week. As a token of our deepest apologies, all players will be credited with a free month's subscription.

  Evenstad Media

  JOURNAL 10ALEXA

  ENTRY 005

  DATE: 1/22/2075

  I'm sitting around here, wasting time. I could be trying to make the bookstore more secure, or maybe trying to actually play this game somehow. Instead? I'm reading books. I'm checking out, and worse is that I'm lying to myself about checking out. I'm telling myself that I'm reading all these books on self-defense and survival and doomsday prepping, because those are going to be useful to me once I absorb all the information.

  The problem is that's complete bullshit. You can't learn self-defense from a book, the survival stuff is all about getting along in the wild, and I don't have the skills to do any of the stuff in those prepping books. Or the supplies. Which brings it back around to me just sitting here, wasting time, trying to ignore what's happening around me. And that's a much bigger problem than telling myself I can learn something from a book even though I clearly can't. It's a systemic problem, and there’s not a damn thing I can do to fix it. Not unless I really want to go read one of the self-help books. Really, though, that would still be me, sitting here, wasting time. Different lie, same results.

  ENTRY END

  TO: Frederick Evenstad

  FROM: Niels Evenstad

  SUBJECT: Hacking

  SENT 1/21/2075 AT 8:16 a.m. EST

  I wish to borrow someone from your company, Brother. Our game servers were hacked and I need someone trustworthy who can find and repair the holes we apparently have in our security systems, and preferably do it quickly. When you have someone, send me their credentials and I'll contact them personally.

  Niels Evenstad,

  Chief Operating Officer, Evenstad Media

  JOURNAL 05EVAN

  ENTRY 004

  DATE: 1/23/2075

  There's really only one way to bear the evils in the world and survive. It's the same way you survive anywhere, but I've subconsciously resisted the truth for too long, now. It won't be easy, but I have to let myself assimilate, be a real part of world society. Now that I'm here in this mall, it's more important than ever. Too important to ignore any longer. The only way to make it out is to become the cruelty, become the evil around me. And here, that evil is death. That evil is murder.

  That's what I need to become. I need to become evil. A murderer.

  I saw this as another turn of a cruel world, when I got here. But really, aren't all turns nasty? What matters is how you make use of them. The worse it is, the greater the chance for change. By resisting, I allowed myself to fall deeper into the role of victim. But not this time. I don't believe in any kind of God or universal spirit or whatever, but if I did, I'd say this was given to me. I'd say this was a final chance put before me to make the changes I've been ignoring for so long.

  So I'm off to join the world. No more of these guarded little steps I’ve been toying with since I woke up here. It’s time to run.

  ENTRY END

  JOURNAL 06TESS

  ENTRY 005

  DATE: 1/23/2075

  Another package got dropped off for me. I didn't question this one. Someone out there’s trying to help me through all this, which is just plain weird. I'm not going to complain, but it doesn’t make any sense to me that someone would do that in a place like this. Unless there's someone I know from outside in here. It's possible, I suppose, but then they'd probably come in and show me who they are. Not to mention I just don’t want anyone I might know having to go through this, anyway. So it's got to be a stranger, which is what makes it just so odd. It's not like anybody would want to curry favor with me in this game. I wouldn't be much good to anyone, even if they managed to.

  Best as I can see it, there's just someone who's a genuinely good person. And if that's the case, I hope I get at least one chance to say thank you, if nothing else. Without their help, it's a pretty good guess that I wouldn't have made it even as far as I have. Three weeks in. A lot longer than I ever figured I’d stay alive in this place, and it’s thanks to my stranger friend.

  ENTRY END

  TO: Marta Evenstad

  FROM: Frederick Evenstad

  SUBJECT: Niels

  SENT 1/23/2075 AT 8:46 p.m. EST

  Sister,

  I think we can't afford to ignore whatever's going on with Niels. He's already irate with me over everything after my last email. Perhaps I went too far, but it was only over worry for his well-being. Lately, more and more of our family have noticed the changes in Niels, and more and more of them are concerned. We could, as a group, confront him in person. I'm not sure it's a good idea, given how much stress he's already under, but I'm running out of options.

  Let me know what you think. I'll still be over for dinner Friday night, so we can discuss it more there, if you'd prefer.

  Frederick Evenstad,

  Chief Operating Officer, Evenstad Technologies
>
  —

  TO: Frederick Evenstad

  FROM: Marta Evenstad

  SUBJECT: Niels

  SENT 1/23/2075 AT 9:19 p.m. EST

  I don't think a confrontation would be a good idea for Niels, right now. As much as I want to help, or at least find out if there's something to help with, I agree with you that anything like that could end badly. We should give him some time to get through everything. With the servers being hacked on top of everything else, he's had a very rough time lately. But I do think that we'll have to do something, before too long Even Uncle Magnus is concerned. If we let it go too long, he'll take action on his own, which I personally don't want to deal with, and I'm sure Niels doesn't want to deal with. Magnus isn't exactly a delicate man, after all.

  I need to get to bed, but if you can wait a few days, we'll discuss it at dinner. The girls are excited to see you. It's been a long time since we've gotten together.

  Marta Evenstad,

  Chief Operating Officer, Evenstad Farms

  JOURNAL 09YESENIA

  ENTRY 005

  DATE: 1/24/2075

  Well, I'm personally just done with having these gun-toting idiots in this shop. It's basically my home, and I don't let strangers run around my home. It's really close to their next shift to run through, if I’m guessing time right at all, so I'm just going to take them out. I've still got some of the knives I brought with me. I know the patterns they follow, and they always split up at the same spot. So I can get them one by one. As long as I cut deep enough into the carotid artery, they'll be dead in a few minutes, and unconscious for most of the wait time. If I can do the same on the other side and open the jugular, all the better. Once they're incapacitated, I can go back through and finish up with anyone who might have survived. I don't want them to suffer more than necessary. Just to die.

  A few minutes, I think. Then I can get started. And maybe with this, I can get back home and see my Rosa. I still have my wallet on me, and I’ve still got that picture of her in the little sundress, but it’s not the same. I need to be in the same room as her. I need to hold her. Then everything will be all right.

  ENTRY END

  TO: Frederick Evenstad

  FROM: Niels Evenstad

  SUBJECT: Concept for The Park Season 2

  SENT 9/17/2074 AT 11:19 a.m. EST

  Brother, I think I have something that's going to do well for both of us.

  The board decided it was well worth the money to do a second season of The Park. I wasn't going to bother with it, but I was outvoted, and thus here we are.

  The concept is to put it in an abandoned mall. We have eyes on a few that are slated for demolition at the beginning of next year. The enclosed space will make the gameplay much faster, in theory. But I want to take out an insurance policy, just in case the contestants are too pacifistic. We got lucky with The Park and they were willing to kill each other.

  I know that you made a number of household robots, several years back. I'm hoping beyond hope that you have some still in storage, because I think this might be the perfect place to use them. The plating was insufficient, if I remember, but it won't make any difference for what I have in mind.

  I'd like to use them as guards. They'll carry guns so that, even if the contestants don’t want to cooperate, the tension will always be there.

  And, of course, if you could start working on a new plating for them and begin production, we could try to replicate some of what you had with the CESUs. If people see them in action, and see what they can do when pushed to the limit, even if they are defective, you could bring in another big surge of income. Not as household servants, obviously, but there are people who pay quite a lot for a programmable bodyguard. It would have to be subtler, of course, but I think it's very doable.

  I'm getting ahead of myself, though. Let me know how many of the robots you have left in storage, if any, and if you think they could do what I have in mind. And, of course, if you'd be willing to donate or sell them to the cause.

  Niels Evenstad,

  Chief Operating Officer, Evenstad Media

  JOURNAL 08QUINN

  ENTRY 006

  DATE: 1/24/2075

  I found out why I’ve never seen the guards change shifts. It's because they never do. They don’t fucking have to. I just watched a few of them go into the Mitchell's on a patrol, and this crazy lady jumped on one of them and stabbed him in the neck with a big old cooking knife. The guy went down, didn't even get a shot fired off. But there was no blood. She would have hit his jugular or his carotid. I can't remember which side is which. But whichever one, there should have been a lot of blood. Like, a lot. But he didn't bleed at all.

  He sparked and crumpled. Like a machine. I don't want to say the R-word but… like a robot. If I had to guess right now, I'd definitely say robot, though I’m not really qualified to make that claim. I'm going to take a look at the body or whatever it is. But not until after things calm down over there. I don't need them coming after me instead of that psycho bitch in there.

  If they aren't human, though, that makes this shit a lot more difficult, on the technical side of things. But morally, I feel better about going down and killing a bunch of them. Or decommissioning them, I guess. You can't kill something that isn't alive. But I don't really know for sure what's going to kill them, other than a knife to the neck. And I can't count on that being an option every time.

  I did make one trip out, just not very far. The one she stabbed dropped a gun and it skidded. It was too close not to risk it. A few seconds in and out and I had my hands on some actual firepower. Only a dozen rounds left, but it's better than what I had. This could make a real difference, and I'm not going to turn it down. Not for any reason.

  ENTRY END

  08

  WHO IS GOING TO WIN THE MALL?

  POLL 2

  1: Evan (30%)

  2: Bill (22%)

  3: Quinn (17%)

  4: Imran (7%)

  5: Kim (6%)

  6: Tess (5%)

  7: Marcus (5%)

  8: Alexa (4%)

  9: Yesenia (1%)

  10: Dana (1%)

  11: Lia (1%)

  12: Ned (1%)

  (Information Collected by The Cruise)

  JOURNAL 01MARCUS

  ENTRY 006

  DATE: 1/25/2075

  Last night, after the lights went out, I heard something. It woke me up. Not that it's hard to do that, anymore. I sleep so lightly, now that I'm in here. But I'm rambling. I went to the door to see what it might be, which is completely stupid. I should have hidden rather than put myself in a straight line of sight with someone who might want to kill me. But nobody did, so I suppose it was the right choice.

  The woman that skulks around here sometimes made the noise. She was maybe two yards from the cluster of guards directly across from me. They've been there, keeping people away from the employees only door. I brushed it off as one more thing we weren't supposed to do. Otherwise, they would have let us back there. But I guess that wasn't a good enough answer for her.

  Somewhere, she'd gotten a gun. The only ones I've seen so far are the ones those guards carry, so I suppose she disarmed one, somehow. The sound was gunfire. She shot one of them right through the head. Sparks came out of the wound instead of blood. So there's that, too. They're machines of some sort. Machines who were shooting at her, now. Not until she fired on them, though. I ducked down to avoid getting hit by any shrapnel or missed shots. I’m not stupid.

  When I dared to peek up, she still stood there. I could just barely see her in the light coming in through the windows and doors, so I don't know if she got hit. If she did, it wasn't enough to keep her from fighting. She shot two more of the guards down and moved forward. When she got in the middle of them, she dropped the gun and pulled a knife. Two more fell. She was so fast. I prayed she wouldn't turn on me, because I'd be dea
d for sure. I'm not proud of it, but I wished, just in that moment, that the final guard would kill her. At least then, there'd be one less threat.

  But my wish didn't come true. I suppose it's a good thing. Machines are more expendable than a human life. She struggled with the final one. It disarmed her and the knife slid across the floor. She kicked and it tripped back. Not much, but enough for her to grab one of the guns and shoot that one, too. The guard clattered to the tile, and it was too clear, then, that it was made of metal. Only metal made that sound.

  The other guards were shifting around like they might move in on her. I wanted to shout, but my voice didn't work. It didn't matter, either. She noticed, grabbed a couple more guns, and pushed through the double doors. I don't know where they lead, but she must have thought it was worth it to risk her life that way. I'm glad no one else had to die, but I'd be happier about it if she wasn't terrifying.

  ENTRY END

  JOURNAL 12IMRAN

  ENTRY 004

  DATE: 1/27/2075

  I've tried to deny the truth for some time now. I wanted to keep myself safe and was willing to go without food, if necessary. But it's catching up to me. Pain wracks my body, and it never truly recedes, only dulls long enough for me to sleep an hour or two. But it always intensifies again, and it's only getting worse.