Free The Mall (Evenstad Media Presents Book 2) by Voss Foster Page B

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