The cast

Jun : a relaxed man in his mid 20s who recently got a hired at a video game studio

Erika : an early 20s employee that bonds with Jun and is abused by Brian 

Howard: a lazy, incompetent employee who cuts down on work with the excuse that “it just works”

Frost : an arrogant person who tries to appeal to a totalitarian regime for money

Neil Fredrick Terryson : a nut job who constantly gets the company into legal trouble over predatory monetization

Brian : an abusive employee who forces others to work obscene hours and is particularly harsh on Erika

Big boss: the boss of the company, keeping everyone under intense surveillance and threatens anyone who wants to leave with blacklisting

Scene

A company and some people’s homes

Time

A relatively modern time period 

Act 1 

Scene 1

Setting: a mostly normal office with hidden surveillance cameras and the edges of the stage with 4 cubicles.

At rise: Jun enters the scene with Erika and Howard working on coding at their computers

Jun: (somewhat shyly) hello.

(Erika stands up and greets Jun).

Erika: (cheerfully) welcome! (She proceeds to show him what needs to be done with their game at the moment). Okay, so first we need to make sure that everything pauses, I mean everything.

Howard: (questioningly, getting out of his cubicle) I thought I was the boss of coding around here.

Erika: (under her breath) Oh no, not him.

Howard: (walking onto the scene) Oh, you must be the new guy. My name's Howard, I’m the primary coder around here. I usually figure out the errors and make sure everything just works.

Jun: (confused) Just? works.

Howard: (confidently, but clearly not understanding the problem) Of course, can’t sell an unplayable game.

Jun: I know, but working and JUST working are completely different things

Howard: And a bunch of games that just work sell more copies than a couple that are fully functional.

Jun: (uninterested in continuing such a silly dispute) I’m just going to go back to work now. (Sighing) well, every company’s got that type of employee.

Erika: We seem to attract a lot of that type, it really can’t be helped. (Whispering in his ear) It’s not like they’re breaking the law or anything.

Jun: That's a bleak outlook, and why the whispering?

Erika (panicked) Quiet, quiet, quiet! We can’t let the boss hear anything.

Jun: Wait, they’re close by? Where? I should probably greet them.

Erika: You'll see them sometime. Don’t worry about that now. It’s about time for lunch anyway. Also I should let you know we have an emergency meeting after lunch. (in an exhaustive tone) we might be getting sued.

Jun: (clearly trying to speak calmly in spite of the shock) for what?

Erika: (now in a disappointed tone) you’ll see after lunch

Act 1

Scene 2

Setting: later in the day in an office with 7 seats around an oval table. Every seat is filled except for the front, instead of having an old dial-up telephone.

(A voice begins to come out of the telephone)

The telephone: we have met here to discuss a potential lawsuit of 500,000 dollars for underage gambling in our products. We need ideas over how to defend ourselves in court. Neil, you go first, you added those after all.

Neil: We should call them something that doesn’t seem as bad, what about surprise mechanics?

The telephone: that might work with the fans, but not the law systems. Frost?

Frost: (in a mixture of boredom and confidence) I think you of all people know how much we’ve gotten from foreign countries. Especially all of the funding they give us to specifically just change a detail here and there. It’s hard work to keep it up, but we’ve got (now with pride) Millions!

The telephone: (in a cunning tone) that could definitely work. I would prefer a plan where we lose less though.(Now antagonistically) Hey! New kid, got any bright ideas?

Jun: (a little worried) I-I-I don’t understand everything going on, (now more confident, as if he didn’t have an idea at the start and is making something on the spot) but from what I’ve heard, we should allow players to unlock things for free, along with the gambling style methods

Erika: (whispering under her breath) Or just remove them altogether 

Brain: (seemingly having heard that, shouting) Shut up woman!

The telephone: calm down Brian, now’s not the time. Now I think I have an idea over what to do about the lawsuit, thank you everyone. The meeting is over. (Everyone proceeds to leave the office)

Erika: (clearly stressed but trying to decrease tension) so I guess you know everyone now.

The telephone: (weirdly right before Jun leaves) Jun, I want to talk with you. Come find me in my office on the top floor, you should be able to find it easily. (the phone cuts off)

Erika: (worried) that can’t be good. 

Jun: What could go wrong? It’s just the boss, how bad can he be?

Act 1

Scene 3

(The office is dimly lit. Behind a steel desk with a wooden top is a tall foreboding person covered in dark clothing, almost as if they are a cult leader. Nothing can be gleaned about the wearer. There are once again an abundance of cameras and recording devices. Not even being hidden this time.)

(Jun walks onto the scene not even hiding his fear)

Jun: (seemingly about to shatter from fear) Wh-wh-what do y-y-you need?

(The robed man begins to speak in the same voice and inflections as the man behind the telephone)

The big boss: you can call me the big boss

Big boss: So I finally get to see you (hesitant) in person. 

Jun. (Now even more scared) I-I-I-in person?

 Big boss: It hasn’t occurred to you yet, has it? Erika shouting at you to be quiet or her being careful with her words, or even the whispering. 

Jun: (shocked) How did you hear that?!

Big boss: (in a cunning tone with no sense of hesitation) The best boss keeps their employees in line and out of trouble. To help me do that I have eyes and ears everywhere. 

(Jun is frozen in shock)

Jun (in a calm tone that’s a blatantly futile attempt to keep himself together) I’m going to go now. 

Big boss: go where exactly? If you leave, (talking in a way that should calm him, though his voice provides the opposite effect) I’ve got a little black list for you.

Jun: (in the same tone as the last time he spoke) just back to work.

Big boss: That’s good to hear. I hope to see you at work again tomorrow.

(Jun runs offstage in a panic)

Big boss: (talking with themselves) He doesn’t seem to agree with most of what we do. He could be a threat to the company. I’ve got to have a closer eye on him and Erika.

Curtain