Yes. Otherwise your apparatus has to be large enough to maintain constant internal pressure (preferably 0), AND span your theorized bumps in spacetime. I don't know how large these ripples are, or how far apart they expect to find them, but I would expect they're going to need to span more distance than would be practical on Earth.

I'm with you; of all the virtual pop idols in fiction, this smells most like Sharon Apple. As long as we can agree to keep her away form any super dimension fortresses, everyone should be just fine... Well, except for perhaps Saki Fujita and her boyfriend.

I had no trouble with it "back in the day". It had better graphics, and infinite save slots, which I appreciated. I wonder if it works on Wine... most of the old PC games that won't work on windows work just fine with Wine or DosBox.

How is someone more trustworthy just by virtue of keeping your office furniture warm? How you manage risk is entirely up to you, and your personal tolerance for it will dictate your need for insurance. If you're paranoid about the level of access admins will have to your data, run background checks on anyone authorized with that access. If you're still not satisfied, buy some insurance. I'm sure Lloyd's will insure you against even brain mice for the right premium.