I'd been working as a freelance games journalist for a while, and finally I had a staff position at a decently sized publication. Problem was, I wasn't getting anywhere. The senior staff mostly got the big releases, which I was expecting, but I barely get thrown a bone. Even the interesting smaller stuff was given to the freelancers.
Let's get one thing straight: I don't hate my job. I'm not bad at what I do (at least, most people don't hate me), and I love writing and gaming so I've done well. The pay could be better, but at the same time I get to go all around the world for interviews and conference coverage. It's tiring, and you have no money to play with, but I'd say it's my dream job.
The issue is that about 10 weeks after I joined, the editor retired. I think he's sailing around the world on a cruise ship with his wife or something, but the new editor is a bit of a bastard. His job is to throw me the bones every now and again, take pitches and edit the features that come out of it. I've not had a single pitch accepted with the same old "Not this time, we don't have the space for it" excuse given. Plus, playing Feeding Frenzy VIII is tiring the first time, let alone the multitude of clones I get shoved.
"Fred, check your email. There's a code for the stuff you're reviewing. By next Friday. Word count is there as well." The long hair and glasses spoke, and gave me another chance to pray that his grudge against whatever I'd done in a past life hadn't interfered with the workload. Wait, did he say Friday? It's not going to take me 10 days to do another shitty clone is it? I opened the email, and saw that for once, I'd got a big release.
I gave Jane, my girlfriend, a call as soon as it hit lunch.
"Hey there babe, what's up?"
"Not much, but could you do me a favour when you get in? Just turn the PC on and I can remote in and set something downloading for when I get home."
"Erm, why? You know that using me for your sick and twisted downloading of elf porn is against the rules of relationships right?"
"Dammit, you know about that? I thought I'd cleaned all traces thoroughly."
That got a laugh. Damn how I loved that laugh.
"Well, I'll be home in about 2 hours. Want me to call you so you can get to work on your depravity?"
"Yup."
"What the hell are you downloading anyway?"
"Something for work."
"Really? Why do you need to set it? Wait, shit, have you fin-"
"Hell yeah. And it is good. Though I probably shouldn't tell you that. Embargoes and all that."
"Embargo...Fuck Fred-"
"I know you do"
Another laugh.
"Shit, you mean this is actually a big one?"