Descent into Acquisition
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa." Aiko's voice did not in fact echo as thought by the interns who were standing there but rather she said "whoa" eight times, which was approximately 7.000 times too many times to Kenta.
Isaac Hayden merely nodded. "Everything is exactly as I said. I decided that video games weren't really my forte and so I give up."
"Liar!" said Aiko, giggling. "We loooove working with you! Is this some prank to get more funding, 'cause I really will give you more funding, and-"
"The truth is," said Eugene Hong, "is that he's finally founded his seafood company. So he's done with video games."
"Oh."
It was silent. Aiko tugged at her white starched blouse and adjusted the ribbon on the front for lack of anything better to do. The Germanics really knew how to be silent. Aiko was about to go crazy in the ten second silence that followed.
So fidgety, thought Kenta. You're like a child. Quit it.
I wonder if she has to go to the restroom, wondered Katsu.
The Germans stared at her. Aiko sighed and slammed her hands on the desk, palms down.
"All right! I'll do it! Under one condition!"
"What's that?" asked Isaac, unperturbed.
"At least one of you will have to be my adviser!"
"Mr. Hong."
"Yes?"
"You are now employed by Ms. Aiko Sakurada."
-----
The accountants smiled for the first time all year. Finally, something positive. After the big slump and then the fiasco with Nuclear Kid Industries (what a dumb name for a company; honestly, who the hell is this Nuclear Kid? Mr. Evans was not a child at heart. He was a businessman in this cutthroat business world. Oh well...)
"Mr. Hong!"
"Yes?" He was getting used to this new job. Aiko Sakurada was very spontaneous.
"Come in, come in,"
He entered the excitingly off-square room to the right of the chunky office. It was dark.
"What's happening?"
"I'm screening the new commercial for First Fantasy. It's a new idea: An online miniseries that will detail some of the plot."
"Aren't you just copying Gladius, except more low-budget?"
"Quiet, Katsu." she said. "You helped make this."
-----
The empire of Dratas was a sprawling empire. It completely dominated the Old World. It happened completely by accident. The smaller countries would always slight it, then it would have to invade to restore its justice. First Draxlor, then Tider, then Imatpos, then the Free States, then the Confederation of the Rhyz, until all of a sudden it saw itself controlling the Old World. There were no more free states; they were all puppets.
The Dratasians couldn't believe it. Surely the smaller countries knew not to commit such foul acts of the largest empire in the known world. But no, apparantly not. The shining image of the Dratasian soldier, clad in white, instilled fear in the hearts of foreigners but pride in the hearts of the Dratasians, who were on a moral crusade.
The video accompanied all this with historical diagrams and maps of battles - arrows flew around everywhere, and the small country of Dratas expanded from a Free City to a veritable empire.
In fact, almost nothing could challenge the empire. It was in its Golden Age...
-----
The video ended.
"I like it, " said Aiko, and then she jumped up and ran down the halls.
-----
Studio Name: Karui Kiba Corporation
Head of Studio/Player: Aiko Sakurada/LightFang
Income: $51,000 (Above Average)
Tech/Design: 7
Employee Artistic/Programming: Average
Confidence: 9
Reputation: 7
Customer Satisfaction: 6
Production Costs: $17,000
Employee Costs: $5,000
-$17,000 Production Costs
-$5,000 Employee Costs
-$2,000 on Eight Ocean development; add Light Complex exclusivity.
-$10,000 on Phoenix Light (renamed the Light HH) development
-$5,000 to Celestial Games for Gladius this quarter; ceasing payment after this quarter.
-$2,000 to continue First Fantasy.
-$5,000 on to Celestial Games for Inferno this quarter; $5,000 next quarter and then ceasing.
-$0 on Fleet Admiral; remove Phoenix support.
-$5,000 on rushing Eight Ocean.