Room 127
Page 8
brettjackson@gamecore.net (Brett Jackson) 6/10/13, 2:01pm
to: st_norman1992@izmail.com
cc:
re: fwd: I heard a beautiful sound
Good morning Brett.
When I was a child sometimes I would turn on the television and turn the dial to a station that we didn't get. This was back when televisions had dials and when you could set the dial to a station that simply didn't exist. These days there is a station for everything; for every number. Not then. Everything passed through the air but not everything was received and not everything made sense.
I would put the static on the screen and turn up the volume and look at the screen. I would pretend that I could see and hear something in the random noise. Something only I could hear. Something meant for my ears only.
You can't do that anymore today. Everything is regulated. Everything is gated off. It is so difficult for the noise to get through. But it's still there. It's still waiting.
I heard a beautiful sound today. Will you listen with me?
Dave
st_norman1992@izmail.com (Steve Norman) 6/10/13 2:14pm
to: awalker@cdncommunications.net
cc:
re: fwd: fwd: I heard a beautiful sound
Anna, now look at this. This is the last e-mail Dave sent to someone in the office. At least to that I know of. Presumably he sent it from his computer here. I have to see what else is on there.
Steve
awalker@cdncommunications.net (Anna Walker) 6/10/13, 2:31pm
to: st_norman1992@izmail.com
cc:
re: Okay
Steve: Meet me in the employee lounge on the second floor at 6:00. Most people should be out of the office by then. I know the entire IT team is usually gone by five.
Anna
rand@burlingtonfreepress.com (Yancy Rand) 6/10/13, 3:57pm
to: st_norman1992@izmail.com
cc:
re: re: I've reconsidered
Mr. Norman:
That is truly good to hear. I, too, am unsure how the bomb incident could have anything to do with what you are investigating, but I am glad that we are helping each other. More, I am glad that you pointed me back towards this case. If not for your initial request, I would have never realized how many students from that class had met terrible fates.
Now, to your question. The bomb in question was planted in a vent underneath a computer lab. I looked into the computer science teacher at the high school at the time. His name was Victor McDowell. Unfortunately, he will not be much help. He was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimers in 1995. He was only fifty-two. If he's alive—and I highly doubt it—he wouldn't be in any condition to answer our questions.
The good news is that I have a bead on an administrator who worked at the school in 1995. he was an assistant principal at the time. Now he's a superintendent of Chittenden County. I thought to send you his name and e-mail address, but it is probably best if you send your questions through me. I cannot guess how he would respond getting inquiries about the bombing from a college student who writes for a video game website.
Let me know if you have any specific questions for him.
Yancy
st_norman1992@izmail.com (Steve Norman) 6/10/13, 4:44pm
to: rand@burlingtonfreepress.com
cc:
re: re: I've reconsidered
Yancy:
I know you mentioned it before, but I never put it together. The bomb was set in the computer lab, right? How much trouble would it be to figure out what kind of computers the school had? What was installed on those computers?
Most importantly, I need to know if this adminstrator has ever heard of something called Room 127.
The computer lab wasn't Room 127 in the school, was it?
Steve
st_norman1992@izmail.com (Steve Norman) 6/10/13, 6:51pm
to: st_norman1992@izmail.com
cc:
re: Files from Dave's computer
attachment: notes.txt; trephination.pdf; bacau.png; bacaustreets.png
BLANK
st_norman1992@izmail.com (Steve Norman) 6/10/13, 8:24pm
to: awalker@cdncommunications.net
cc:
re: Thanks
Hey Alice, I just wanted to thank you for letting me take a look at Dave's computer. I know we didn't find much, but anything is better than nothing. And I've felt like I've had nothing for the majority of this investigation.
From glancing at the notes file, it looks like Dave made it pretty far into room 127. They become increasingly incoherent as he progresses. I thought about showing this to Ken in the hopes that it would prove my theory—the game had some effect on Dave that we can't understand.
Here's the problem: I believe the notes also reveal the solutions to the next few puzzles in Room 127. If I show Ken and he doesn't believe me, he'll blaze through that part of the game. Then he'll be right at the point where Dave's notes stop making sense. Showing him these might be dooming him to the same fate, so I won't be telling Ken that I even found this. I hope it takes him a long time to figure out the puzzles on his own.
Honestly, I'm not sure if the notes are even referring to the game by the end. I start to feel anxious even reading them, as if I can sense an echo of whatever was going through his mind.
Based on the file names, I've figured out that the maps we found are of the city of Bachau in Romania. This fits with the music in the game, which is a loop of a former Romanian national anthem.
I know you're as curious as anyone by now. I'll try to tell you if I stumble on anything new.
Steve
rand@burlingtonfreepress.com (Yancy Rand) 6/11/13, 7:51am
to: st_norman1992@izmail.com
cc:
re: Room 127
Steve:
No, the computer lab was on the second floor of the building. It couldn't have been Room 127.
I went back over some of my old notes last night. I found something that I didn't mention earlier. It wasn't in my original story because my editor thought it wasn't necessary and might draw too much sympathy to the bomber.
The bomb that the police found was an amateur job. The explosive element was constructed well enough and, if they hadn't gotten to it in time, it would have destroyed a good portion of the school. However, the timer was wired strangely. It had been set for twelve hours, though the bomb squad technician who disarmed it theorized that its builder had tried to set it for twelve minutes.
Whoever called in the threat told the police exactly where the bomb was and even how to disarm it. It was as if they'd had second thoughts about going through with it.
Yancy
st_norman1992@izmail.com (Steve Norman) 6/11/13, 8:55am
to: levin@doccs.ny.gov
cc:
re: Contacting a prisoner/Rhonda Bourn
Ms. Levin:
My name is Steve Norman and I am a reporter working out of San Francisco on a story regarding a prisoner who is housed within the Albion Correctional Facility named Rhonda Bourn.
I have researched the standards and procedures for contacting inmates within the New York Department of Corrections, but I am in something of a difficult situation. The story I am working on is time sensitive. I need to get in contact with Ms. Bourn as soon as possible, preferably via phone.
Please let me know if this could be arranged and what steps I would need to take in order to facilitate this.
Thank you for your help,
Steve Norman
levin@doccs.ny.gov (Marcia Levin) 6/11/13, 9:55am
to: st_norman1992@izmail.com
cc:
re: re: Contacting a prisoner/Rhonda Bourn
Mr. Norman:
I am writing in acknowledgment of your request to speak with one of our prisoners, Rhonda Bourn, through alternative channels. I regret to inform you that at this time your request has been denied. To be qui
te honest with you, the circumstances of Ms. Bourn's incarceration at our facility has made her a subject of particular interest for many reporters, investigators, and members of the public.
We do not believe that it is in the interest of our facility or Ms. Bourn to take any action which might foster media interest in her case. With that in mind, we do not intend to allow access to her beyond the postal system which is available to contact any of our prisoners. You are free to send her correspondence through this system and she is free to respond, but keep in mind that any such communication is subject to monitoring by facility personnel.
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about this decision.
Marcia Levin
New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision
st_norman1992@izmail.com (Steve Norman) 6/11/13, 10:28am
to: rand@burlingtonfreepress.com
cc:
re: Rhonda Bourn
Yancy:
I've hit a brick wall with trying to get in contact with Rhonda Bourn. She was the only name you gave me that was both alive and not in maximum security prison. I'd hoped that the NY Department of Corrections might give me a bit of leeway and I could get her on the phone. I get why they're doing it. She probably has desperate high school guys and weirdos who are all Normally I wouldn't mind interviewing her via mail but time is something of an issue...
Any luck on the assistant principal you tracked down?
Steve
rand@burlingtonfreepress.com (Yancy Rand) 6/11/13, 11:41am
to: st_norman1992@izmail.com
cc:
Re: re: Rhonda Bourn
Steve:
Sorry to hear about the situation with Bourn. I could look into it myself. Perhaps the official you spoke with saw your email address and assumed that you were one of the desperate weird young men he's worried about. It's regrettable, but it's a problem any young reporter must deal with. Many people will think you're just playing around until you're established. And good luck getting established in this day and age...
I spoke to the principal just this morning. He doesn't remember much of anything from the time of the bombing. It was a big deal at the time but even the most frightening day can fade to nothingness over two decades. He was able to provide one key piece that had been missing from my original story.
Two weeks before the bomb incident, the computer science teacher had taken a few days worth of vacation time. He'd been replaced by a substitute-a young man named Corey Thatcher-who had not gotten along well with several of the other teachers. For quite a while, this young man was the focus of the investigation. The police had him pegged as both the one who planted the bomb and the one who called in the threat. When they looked into it they found that he moved out of the area right after leaving the assignment at Monmouth Hills. By the time the bomb was planted, he was somewhere in Iowa so he couldn't have been the suspect.
Do you mind if I ask why this story is time sensitive? I can't guess why all this would suddenly be important after over eighteen years.
Yancy
awalker@cdncommunications.net (Anna Walker) 6/11/13, 11:59am
to: st_norman1992@izmail.com
cc:
re: Coffee
Hey Steve! I hope this isn't too weird, but I was wondering if you'd like to grabcoffee after you get off work. Let me know!
Anna
kengreene@gamecore.net (Ken Greene) 6/11/13, 1:02pm
To: brettjackson@gamecore.net; jillwright@gamecore.net; st_norman1992@izmail.com
Cc:
Re: E3 Coverage
Attachment: releases.pdf
Hey everyone, I know everything has been hard lately. It isn't easy to think about work, and it isn't easy to be here. Our fans understand that and I'm sure they'd forgive us if we took the next few weeks off. But that's not what I want to do and I don't think that's what Dave would want us to do.
Today's the first day of E3 and I'd like to start putting some fresh content on the site. I've compiled a list of games that have been announced leading up to the show. Pick out a couple of these, find the trailers and demo videos. Write up your thoughts. Try to make them funny. Make sure you credit your sources! Normally we're there to see things first hand. Our fans will tolerate our absence from the show this year, but they won't tolerate plagiarism or, as some writers like to call it, homage.
Swing by my office and let me know what you're working on. I've hit another dead end in Room 127 so I might even give you my full attention.
Ken
st_norman1992@izmail.com (Steve Norman) 6/11/13, 1:47pm
to: awalker@cdncommunications.net
cc:
re: re: Coffee
I have to admit that I am a totally clueless guy about some things, so... I'd totally be down with going to get coffee and talking about my investigation but I also should tell you that I'm in a relationship.
I don't know whether I just avoided future awkwardness or created a ton of it. Anyway, if you still want to get coffee that still sounds good!
Steve
st_norman1992@izmail.com (Steve Norman) 6/11/13, 2:36pm
to: rand@burlingtonfreepress.com
Cc:
re: re: Rhonda Bourn
I've been reluctant to fill you in on the whole story because I was afraid I would sound a little crazy.... I wrote an article about a strange video game that showed up at our offices. In response, I was emailed by a man who told to pull the article. He acted like the game was dangerous. He wrote a vague reference to the "wounds of Monmouth Hils" and then deleted his email account.
A few days later, Dave disappeared after, I believe, finishing the game. You can google his name to find out what happened to him. The reason that I'm in a hurry is that another one of my editors is playing the game now.
I hope this isn't too insane for you to believe.
Steve
awalker@cdncommunications.net (Alice Walker) 6/11/13, 2:55pm
to: st_norman1992@izmail.com
cc:
re: re: Coffee
No, Steve, that sounds great. Totally understand. Sorry if I made anything awkward.
Let's meet at the Starbucks across the street at 5:30. I've actually been poking around in Dave's computer some more and I might have something interesting for you.
Anna
st_norman1992@izmail.com (Steve Norman) 6/11/13, 5:09pm
to: kengreene@gamecore.net
cc:
re: Articles
attachment: CoD.wps; NFS.pdf
Ken:
Attached are my articles on the new info we've received on the next Call of Duty and Need For Speed games. Thanks again for letting me handle these, even though they aren't long they'll probably end up with more pageviews than everything else I've written put together.
Steve
kengreene@gamecore.net (Ken Greene) 6/11/13, 5:33pm
to: st_norman1992@izmail.com
cc:
re: re: Articles
Don't worry, it's not really a favor. The rest of us are tired of writing about that shit.
st_norman1992@izmail.com (Steve Norman) 6/11/13, 7:49pm
to: awalker@cdncommunications.net
cc:
re: re: Coffee
Hey Anna, I figured you probably just decided against meeting me this afternoon. I totally understand. It's too bad everything will be weird now. I'd still like to be friends, and I'm really curious what you managed to find on Dave's computer. Maybe we should meet up tomorrow at the office, before we start work. That should be way less awkward.
Steve
awalker@cdncommunications.net (Anna Walker) 6/12/13 1:08am
to: st_norman1992@izmail.com
cc:
re: Subject
I don't know why I did it. I shouldn't have done it. I started the game. We'd found all those hints and I just wanted to see. I wanted to understand.
There are some things we're not supposed to understand.
to: st_norman1992@izmail.com
cc:
re: This Morning
Steve:
I just wanted to thank you for everything you did this morning. Our family here at CDN Communications has lost too much already this month. Your quick thinking saved Anna's life. I don't know you knew... But you did the right thing. I probably sounded angry with you on the phone. It was the middle of the night and I didn't understand why you were calling or why you needed her address. I was just confused. But I'm glad you persisted. We all are.
Again, thanks.
Jason DeVries
Director of Human Resources
CDN Communications – Online Media Division
st_norman1992@izmail.com (Steve Norman) 6/12/13, 9:21am
to: kengreene@gamecore.net
cc:
re: Anna
Ken:
I don't know if you've heard what happened to Anna. She was hospitalized last night. She tried to play the game. Room 127. She found it on Dave's computer and decided to boot it up.
You have to stop. I know you don't want to believe me, but it does something. Something we can't understand. Until I know more, I think everyone should just try and stay away from it.