rpg

The Cubicle Farm

Alex Ward

Jun 26, 2023 • 2 min read

This is part of a series of Ten Candles Settings we're sharing every Friday and Monday. Sign up for more!

PC Load Letter? What the fuck does that mean? You know what, you've got six different bosses all asking you why you've not put the cover on your latest TPS report and you've had enough! Your colleague, Michael Bolton (no, not that one), has figured out a way to stick it to the company without anyone being the wiser.

You see, he's devised a computer virus that can take fractions of a penny, that normally get rounded off, and divert them into an account you control. There's no way that anything could go wrong. Well, that is, until something went wrong. Initech has hired a pair of business consultants to help downsize the company. Michael has already been laid off, and you're due for an evaluation soon.

To make matters worse, Lumburgh is breathing down your neck constantly, and you've still got several more TPS reports to file. That damned printer isn't making things easier - sometimes you just want to smash it to pieces. You know what, today is the day. Michael doesn't have access to the building anymore, so it's up to you and your co-conspirators. You know what you have to do: Get access to the server room, plug in Michael's special USB drive, activate the computer virus, finish your TPS reports, steal that damned copier and smash it to pieces. All without getting fired. Or the building going up in flames. You up for it?

Play Notes: Okay, so this is very obviously Office Space and it takes the horror trope and turns it into a comedy. Instead of playing to see when your characters meet their ultimate demise, you're playing to see when your characters get found out and escorted from the building. You should ham up the comedic aspects of the scenario - coworkers trying to invite you to a going-away party, Lumburg dropping by to tell you to work over the weekend or hassle you about TPS reports. As characters, you don't necessarily need to work at Initech, you could take on the role of a waiter who's fed up with needing mandatory pieces of flair.

Moments should be based on succeeding at work, showing defiance while keeping your job. Some examples include: "I will find hope when Lumburg finally acknowledges that I've done a good job" or "I will find hope when I stand up for myself and get my red stapler back".

Brinks should be fairly mundane, but cathartic. Those things you wish you could do at work - flipping a table, smashing a keyboard on the desk, and so on. Here's an example:

"I've seen you throw your coworkers under the bus just to save your own skin. You got Julie fired a week before she retired just to avoid responsibility for that failed project".

They are the downsizing consultants and upper management. They're everywhere and they want you to slip up so they can justify firing you.

Scenes of Note: At the cubicle, chatting in the breakroom, gaining access to the server room, visiting the basement, stealing the copier, smashing it to bits, checking your earnings, blind wild panic when you realize Michael misplaced the decimal point.

Goal: Dodge "Them" long enough to gain access to the server room, upload Michael's virus, steal the malfunctioning copier, and smash it to pieces.