Chapter 7: CHAPTER 6 — HOMECOMING
USER WORLD (EARTH)
ENCOM TOWER-SAME DAY
ENCOM Tower displays a gleaming and proud structure, its architectural supremacy standing taller than those of its business and artistic peers. Although, the interiors narrate a different tale: that of polarization, physical and psychological. The lower half of the Skyscraper is as responsive and functional as usual, unflinching of the politics and the market pressure of brand-new content, irrespective of quality. It's the latter part that laughs at the internal conflict of the Corporation through the management and new physical changes to the cubicles, creating mayhem in the coding circles that the Dillinger Era would rear its ugly head yet again. Disclosing the civil war to the public and the market would be straight-off suicide in this ever-changing and challenging industry as if the lion is declared unfit to rule the jungle.
Alan surprised yet dejected at Sam's absence this time, composes a mental reminder to check on him after office hours. Being the Chairman, adding CEO duty temporarily to his belt rewound his mind to the last days of CEO Kevin, who left ENCOM to build his vision of the "future". First off, checking in on emails from VCs and NYSE shares of the gaming veteran, followed by routine tabs on arch-rivals Ubisoft and Activision, with EA being the latest entry, slowly gaining the edge with its promising franchise "Dead Space". Pressure on ENCOM to deliver a groundbreaking entry into the market is at an all-time high, created by Ubisoft's brand-new AC: Brotherhood and Activision's "Black Ops", a new member in Call of Duty's Family Tree. Loyal fans have been expecting, or in actual terms, demanding the next entry to either be an FPS title or a large-scale epic storyline entry, reestablishing the gaming icon to its former glory.
Sliding into the coder's segment, Alan approaches and calls John Kravitz from behind, updating himself on the status of their upcoming mystery title. John re-emphasizes the urgent requirement of additional story panel members for campaign mode's quality padding along with the release date extension, to which Alan replies in a half-hearted agreement, knowing well the civil war makes it impossible for complete agreement. Finally, Alan sends the enthusiastic yet naïve Pack Leader back to his work, saying that any resources he needs will be at his fingertips, but no compromise in title development is to be entertained. As Alan passes to the HR Dept, he feels sad for the hopeful blue-collared programmers and coders, joyfully contributing to the result despite the return of claustrophobic zero-space cubicles, oblivious to the cunning political schemes of the Upper Management, a position he and Kevin were once forced to overcome.
Having a fast and hurried lunch break, the Chairman then initiated the private meeting with the Company's impatient Investors and VCs, starting with the update on the resolution brought by CEO and a formal yet brief apology on CEO's behalf. Shifting to ENCOMs latest title in development, Alan then requests for the fund allocation, to which one of the investors claims that the pitch by Ed Dillinger to the panel the previous night was even better and more efficient than the present one, which shows a slump in progress. Alan, shocked at Ed's secret and cunning move, suppressed all the anger on Ed inside and listened to the VCs. They continued to share their opinion as to how the safe bet on the current MMORPG Genre would lift the company from the deficits and profits are just one step away, to which Alan reminds the Panel of the reason for ENCOM sustaining its peak stage and the safe bet is for a conventional studio, unlike an experienced player in the industry. Concluding the two-hour meet, Alan gets ready to exit his cabin ten minutes later when he gets a call from Frank Nichols, one of the VCs in the meeting panel. Being a long-time friend of the Chairman since the 90s, Frank suggested Alan two choices: Either speed up the project and better be worth the penny, which he promises to support under the radar, or else get the better of Dillinger.
Storming into Dillinger's cabin, Alan demands to talk to Ed then and there. Ed signaled his partner to leave, indicating at carrying their chat later, and tried to cool Alan into seating himself opposite to him. Checking around to ensure no one heard them, Ed was about to begin his usual chit-chat tactic but Alan was in no mood for such theatrics. In came the barge of accusations regarding the monopoly of Dillinger on the Board Panel, creating and leading a parallel system against ENCOM, to which Ed said that the company was once led by Dillingers and the power would return to a Dillinger instead of vanishing into its foes. Alan reprimanded Ed to stop these two-sided replies, an indirect hint at acquiring the company for himself, and then arrived at the main topic:
- Who is the Chairman here, Ed?
- (sarcastically). It's you, for now, Alan. Is your memory failing you lately?
- Maybe so, but my memory says that Chairman and CEO are the only ones getting to talk with VC guys, not some random Board Member on their own turf.
- I am a Dillinger, Alan. You of all people must remember what one did to you back then (sly smile). And I had a small open bar with my friend last night, not any hideous VC con-call like in your 90s "Conspiracy Fantasies".
- And your friend became an overnight VC, big enough to fund ENCOM since what, 10 hours back?
- Yeah yeah, Mike is a VC. A classic combo of Old Monk and Budweiser a night erases the artificial positions of CEO, VC, Chairman….and voila!!! You are just partners in crime (smiling proudly).
- Keep your drunken fantasies to yourself, kid. Non-compliance towards the Upper Management is a direct violation of Company Policies. Send an Apology Letter to the Board ASAP!!
- You don't have any evidence of my direct interaction with any of the VCs, Alan. Mike is innocent, he doesn't know it's me who pitched the idea, poor guy. And secondly, if your Project doesn't wrap up on the final date, my idea is still feasible and the only valid one, Dear Chairman.
- Innocent, my ass. Throw all the tricks you want from your pocket, Ed. I have shielded this company from predators like you. And Sam is Kevin's Son, you know what happened to Dillinger for messing with Flynn?
- (Hinting at his absence) Pussying out just because his resolution didn't pass, is that the Flynn you saying bout? Bet you he's going to hand over his cabin and power to me within a month. Get a bar of chocolate for your Sambaby, Uncle!! (Laughingly undermining Sam being in Alan's shadow).
- In your dreams, Ed. In your dreams (barging off from the cabin).
FLYNN'S ARCADE- DUSK
Taunted by Dillinger on an infuriating level, Alan set out to confront Sam, only to be informed by Quorra that he went to Flynn's Arcade and cut off his contact since then. Driving his Bentley to the Arcade, Alan searched for Sam all over the Arcade for an hour to no avail. Finally, he observed the fresh marks on the lining near the Tron Machine. Inserting the coin into the parlor, the nostalgic gaming machine opens the door in a curved fashion, paving a spiral stairway to Alan. Climbing down the stairs and leading inside the huge metallic boulder-like door, Alan is surprised to see Sam immersed in the bliss of the Macintosh 0s and 1s, naïve and determined to achieve his digital goal.
Old Kevin would do the same geeky stuff with his video game programs forever back in the day,with zero fucks given to those corporate mind games and plagiarism of his work. Seeing Kevin in Sam, all the frustration and anger cool and drains down from Alan as water from the hose pipe. Alan approaches Sam in a kinda gentle but concerned way:
- Sam, what is this rusty hideout? You've been missing all day, no text, no call. What's the matter?
- I've been working on some crazy shit, Alan. You wouldn't believe it!
- (Caressing Sam's hair after hugging him from the back) I don't wanna miss you, Sam. Losing Kevin is the last thing that will happen.
- (Shouting in excitement) Got Dad's location, Alan. Time for Dad's Homecoming!!!
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