Making Game: CH 147 – End of Test Run (Patreon)

"COMPATIBLE!!"

The booming announcement echoed through the grand awakening hall, shaking the Kepler family to their very core.

Down on the glowing awakening slate, Marcus stood completely dumbfounded. He stared blankly at his own hands. He could physically feel it. A warm, vibrating current of newly ignited solar plasma was actively running through his veins, rewriting his physiology in real-time.

The presiding Channeller offered a professional smile. "Congratulations, young man. Please wait in the designated area for further instructions."

Marcus blinked, his voice trembling as he finally found his words. "I... uh, yes. T-thank you."

He stepped off the slate on shaking legs and walked toward the designated seating section for the newly awakened fifteen-year-olds.

Up in the VIP box overlooking the ceremony, John Kepler let out a heavy breath. He placed a steadying hand on the glass railing. "It is alright. He will be alright."

Lyra leaned forward, her eyes tracking her younger brother with sharp intensity. "We should put him in the Apex Guild immediately. I absolutely refuse to have him placed on the Accord sheets list."

Dorian nodded in firm agreement. The Accord military conscription was a political meat grinder he would never let his little brother experience. "I will call Juno for a second and get the paperwork started."

A profound sense of relief and pride washed over the group. The Kepler family finally had a genuine Solar in their ranks. Dorian hid his System abilities behind a carefully crafted facade, whereas Marcus was now an official Solar.

Things moved incredibly fast for Marcus and the rest of the family after the ceremony. Despite still being enrolled in his Tribune Senior school grade, his new Solar status instantly propelled him into the elite academy pipeline. 

However, this pathway was a fierce competition. Any newly awakened Solar who lacked a pre-arranged academy sponsorship had to go through a grueling screening process. For a whole two months, Marcus would be stationed at an isolated training camp. Only after his performance was seen and strictly graded would a top academy choose to poach him.

Weeks later, the Kepler family stood together on the windy tarmac of the local spaceport.

A massive Carrier ship sat idling on the runway, preparing to transport the newest batch of awakened youth to the offshore training camp.

Marcus turned to his father first. He hugged John tightly, whispering his goodbyes.

Next, he turned to his older sister. "Make sure you safeguard Ted and Teddy for me," Marcus instructed, referring to his beloved Arcanine and Houndoom back at the pasture.

Lyra crossed her arms, fighting back a small, emotional smile. "Just keep your wits with you out there."

Finally, Marcus turned to Dorian. The older brother wore a deeply worried, anxious expression across his face.

"We will see each other in several months," Marcus reassured him gently.

Dorian immediately began checking the straps on the duffel bag slung over Marcus's shoulder. "Make absolutely sure to use everything you got. Those infinity daggers I gave you will come in incredibly handy in close-quarters combat. Call upon the Shield of Chaos if you are ever in real danger. I have transferred the ownership and locked it into the Aspect of Beowulf for heavy defense. You cannot change the aspect yourself because you lack my access, so just focus on the block timing and..."

Marcus grabbed his older brother's shoulders, forcefully stopping the endless rambling. "I know, brother. You have said this a million times already."

Dorian stopped talking and let out a long, defeated sigh. "Come back safely. We will be waiting for you."

The two brothers pulled each other into a tight, grounding hug.

As they finally let go, Dorian pointed a stern finger at him. "Also, always go straight to the Apex Guild representative if you need absolutely anything. They have eyes on the camp."

"Yeah, yeah, brother. I got it," Marcus laughed. He turned around and walked toward the Carrier ship alongside the other newly awakened Solars.

John stepped forward, standing right between Lyra and Dorian. The three of them stood shoulder to shoulder on the tarmac, waving back at Marcus until the heavy boarding ramp closed completely.

…

Life simply kept moving forward. Two weeks later, Arthur and Logan stood completely still in the hardware lab, their eyes glued to a glowing stability monitor. The final internal test for the Caliburn VR machine was running its very last simulation.

These internal trials tested absolutely every single aspect of the Caliburn specifications. Arthur could easily argue that even the original Animus 2.0 was never tested this rigorously by Rebecca Crane. 

The diagnostic reviewed the physical adjustability of the chair, ensuring the chassis could safely accommodate the vast majority of alien races with completely different physical configurations. It tested the system's ability to maintain a safe neural link during severe network speed drops. It even ran rigorous biometric safety checks to monitor the user's heart rate, ready to sever the connection in the event of cardiac arrest or dangerous sensory over-stimulation.

This final hurdle involved a simulated scenario of physical hardware tampering. Bem crouched behind the empty prototype seat and manually tweaked the exposed wiring. The moment the hardware detected the unauthorized interference, the VR connection initiated a flawless, gentle ejection protocol. There was no user in the seat, yet the simulation registered a complete success. The chair safely executed its emergency override.

Bem wiped grease from his forehead and looked up. "I think that did it."

Ceryn, one of the senior designers, looked over at Liorin, a senior programmer. "The Caliburn is all green. All systems are completely stable."

Logan threw his hands in the air. "We did it!"

"Finally!" Bem shouted, jumping to his feet.

Arthur eagerly joined in. The three founders collided into a tight, three-way hug, jumping around the lab in pure, giddy excitement. Their raw enthusiasm was incredibly contagious. Soon, the other senior and junior developers across the room joined the rising euphoria of the massive success.

The laboratory doors slid open, and Raja Farzir stepped inside. He raised an eyebrow at the cheering crowd. "Did we break another gaming record?"

Arthur waved him over eagerly. "Raja, come here! We have done it."

"It is fully consumer-ready!" Bem declared proudly.

Logan shook his head in disbelief, looking at the sleek VR seat. "This is completely crazy. We massively cut down the standard industry estimation for building a custom VR engine and its physical hardware."

"The Codex helped us a lot," Arthur explained, referring to his System-provided blueprints. "We skipped the vast majority of the foundational research time because of it."

Logan grinned. "It is still a massive achievement."

Raja nodded slowly, tapping his datapad. "Has it gone through the official Accord tests yet?"

The cheering in the room slowly died down. Amidst the intense hype of finishing their long internal testing period, the development team had completely forgotten about the bureaucratic red tape. They still needed the official Accord tests from the Ministry of Technology to legally brand the machine ready for commercial sale.

Raja let the silence hang for a second before a wide smile spread across his face. "Well, I have some great news regarding that exact issue. I made some very influential friends during our last suing scandal. Let us just say we will only need a surface-level inspection for our Caliburn line."

Arthur felt a rush of relief. "Does that mean we will only need to wait three or four months then?"

"Two months is the absolute maximum," Raja corrected.

Bem's eyes went wide. "Two months?"

Raja reached behind his back and dramatically pulled out a hidden bottle of expensive champagne, popping the cork with a loud bang. "Then it is an absolute success!"

"Let's go!" Arthur cheered, throwing his fist into the air as the laboratory erupted into celebration once again.

…

By all intents and purposes, it was a massive party. It completely lacked the stifling high-society atmosphere that Percival usually navigated. This was Arthur's domain. The game developers, who were predominantly massive nerds, gathered in the studio lobby specifically for the towering stacks of pizza and every type of junk food they could get their hands on.

The absolute center of the party was a fierce Pokégg tournament. The stakes were incredibly high for the staff. The top three winners would receive a custom illustration card featuring them and their favorite Pokémon in the next official set of physical booster packs.

In the center of the room, Gawain the AI facilitated a massive, high-definition hologram of the Pokémon stored inside each developer's personal Pokégg. The digital creatures clashed violently in the air above the floor.

The current match featured Lin Liseli versus Vesper, a junior programmer.

Logan cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted over the cheering crowd. "Do not sully the absolute honor of the programming department, Vesper!"

Vesper grinned and threw a confident thumbs up.

The holographic battle commenced. Despite Vesper's confidence, Liseli's tactical commands quickly overwhelmed his digital partner. Liseli claimed the victory, prompting loud groans from the programming staff.

Ross Dalle stood near the edge of the crowd, holding a plastic cup of soda. He watched the digital monsters fade away. "It would be genuinely great if the actual Pokégg could emit holograms like this in the real world, don't you think?"

Bem took a bite of pizza and shrugged. "Well, the physical product has already been launched for almost a year now."

Arthur crossed his arms, his mind instantly racing with the possibilities. "Actually, do you guys think it is physically possible?"

Logan stepped up to the tournament circle to take Vesper's place. "It is actually completely doable. The chassis would need to be slightly larger to house the projection lens, however it is a minor adjustment." Logan rolled up his sleeves and glared playfully at Sorai, a senior artist stepping up to challenge him. "I gotta avenge my junior staff, guys."

As Logan and Sorai began their intense match, Liseli walked over to the sidelines and joined Arthur's group.

Arthur kept his eyes on the battling holograms. "Still, it would be an incredible feature for players to casually battle their Pokéggs around the city with real holograms coming out of the device. It elevates the product so it functions beyond just having a virtual pet and a walking buddy."

Liseli shook her head. "Yeah, however, this specific hologram display is being entirely rendered by Gawain. The AI connects the data seamlessly. Using two simple Pokégg projectors to create a unified, anchored holographic battle without a central server would be incredibly tricky."

Bem tapped his chin in deep thought. "Well, the projection itself could simply anchor onto a physical object. If we use a standard Pokémon card as an anchor point for the battlefield, we could make two or even more Pokégg holograms lock onto the exact same physical space. It would make them connect perfectly."

Arthur abruptly snapped his fingers, a massive smile spreading across his face. "Ah! So people can place a specific terrain card they get from a booster pack directly on the ground. They let the Pokégg scan the card area to establish it as a stable anchor for the battlefield!"

In the background, Logan let out a loud cheer as his Pokémon landed the finishing blow against Sorai.

Kasavin walked over, listening to the rapid exchange of ideas. "Still, will people realistically buy a second, slightly larger version of the Pokégg just to battle with holograms?"

Logan jogged back to the group, completely energized from his victory. "An extension."

Arthur blinked in confusion. "Huh?"

"An extension device," Logan clarified, grabbing a fresh slice of pizza. "We build a significantly cheaper peripheral device that directly connects to the bottom of the first version. It can empower and physically enlarge the hologram capabilities of the original models."

Liseli's eyes lit up with excitement. "We could release the hardware extension at the exact same time we launch Pokémon Arena. The timing matches perfectly. Alongside the new competitive battle-focused game, the physical Pokégg toy gets a massive upgrade too."

And just like that, the wild party celebrating the consumer-ready Caliburn seamlessly transformed into yet another passionate brainstorming session for the studio's next massive step.

…

Several days had passed. Deep beneath the Kepler estate, Dorian stood in the expansive underground hangar. He was currently prepping one of the many empty docking bays. This specific bay was being prepared for Lyra. 

She was already nineteen years old. It was perhaps a little soon for her to have a starship of her own. However, with Leo managing the navigation or perhaps her own compadre if she wanted one, she could pilot a vessel safely within planetary airspace or official Accord hyperlanes just fine.

"Hey!" A familiar voice called out from the ground level.

Dorian looked down and saw Ratik Courtie. He waved back and activated the heavy control panel, allowing the elevated docking bay lift to slowly descend to the floor.

Ratik stepped onto the metal platform as it settled. "Are you going to buy another ship?"

"It is for Lyra," Dorian explained, wiping grease from his hands. "I am planning on buying her one."

Ratik looked around the cavernous underground facility. The hangar possessed several massive docking bays, yet only a single one was currently occupied by the Millennium Falcon.

"Maybe you should buy one too," Ratik suggested casually. "A brand new corvette type line would be perfect for going around Friton and its neighboring systems."

Dorian chuckled. "I don't know. The Falcon works perfectly fine."

"Yeah, it is excellent for long journeys," Ratik countered smoothly. "However, a corvette type is significantly faster and more efficient for simply hopping around locally."

Dorian raised an eyebrow, picking up on her specific tone. "Is it just me, or are you actively telling me to spend money right now?"

Ratik smiled back. "Money left unspent is just a financial clot that the Stellar Accord is completely ready to chomp on. And just for the record, all of your earnings are always moving precisely for this reason."

They walked together toward the garage section of the hangar so Dorian could clean up at the heavy industrial sink.

"Why?" Dorian asked, turning on the faucet.

"Tax write-offs," Ratik answered nonchalantly.

Dorian felt a sudden, heavy pang of guilt. Percentage-wise, the wealthy, influential person he was right now paid significantly less in taxes than the struggling teenager he used to be back in the Nexus Prime slums. The stark reality of the galactic economic system still failed to settle well with his conscience.

Ratik tapped her datapad, shifting the subject entirely. "Anyway, about the Norva Park band. They want both songs."

Dorian splashed cold water over his face and reached for a towel. "Both? Ah, those guys. Well, tell them to sing the tracks well. That is the only clause coming from me."

Ratik quickly noted the condition down on her screen. "Anything else you need?"

Dorian shook his head softly. He tried to think of more pressing issues, and a specific name finally surfaced. "Ah, what about Ezil Zesel and his ZME label?"

Ratik offered a sharp, dangerous smile. "Already handled. Still, I highly suggest you stick entirely to the Kepler family's own drinks at parties from now on, Percival."

She tapped her screen, sending a heavy, encrypted article file directly to his holo wristband.

Ratik turned to leave. "Call me or Raja when you actually want to buy the ships. We will handle the pricing negotiations and all the official papers."

After she left the hangar, Dorian tapped his holo wristband and opened the hovering projection. He began to read the glowing article text.

The headline was massive. Vaerdin Gagnal and several of his nouveau riche billionaire club associates had just been caught in a catastrophic corruption case. The detailed article expanded heavily on how Vaerdin used illegal stock manipulation to bribe officials, sneak his way into hostile takeovers of numerous businesses, and intentionally plunge those companies into debt. He and his elite club of investors would then rapidly pull their capital out, leaving the targeted businesses to face complete bankruptcy while they walked away with billions of credits.

Dorian slowly raised his eyebrow. It seems Ratik had successfully flipped the entire board.

⋘ 𝒍𝒐𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒂.. .⋙

🎮:- Stardwey Valley: Completed.- Hades: Completed.- Pokémon: Completed.- Assassin Creed: Completed.- Monster Hunter: 77% ███████▒▒▒

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🎬:- Spirited Away: Completed.

♬:- Your Song – Elton John (ch.9)- A Lovely Night – La La Land (ch.20)- Merry Go Round of Life – Howl's Moving Castle (ch.25)- Small Fragile Hearts – Victor Lundberg (ch. 27)- Skyfall – Adele (ch. 29)- No Time To Die – Billie Eilish (ch. 30)- Yesterday – The Beatles (ch. 32)- Lovely – Billie Eilish, Khalid (ch. 47)- Best Part – H.E.R. feat. Daniel Caesar (ch. 67)- Lovely Day – Bill Withers (ch. 68)- My Song – Labi Siffre (ch. 75)- Isn't She Lovely – Stevie Wonder (ch. 89)- Gotta Catch 'Em All – Pokémon OST (ch. 90)- Don't Stop Me Now – Queens (ch. 102)- Grow As We Go – Ben Platt (ch. 102)- Feeling Good – Michael Bublé (ch. 104)- You'll Be In My Heart – Phil Collins (ch. 105)- We Will Rock You – Queen (ch. 108)- The Bones – Maren Morris feat. Hozier (ch. 110)- Achilles, Come Down – Gang Of Youths (ch. 111)- Wind of Change – Scorpions (ch. 113)- From The Start – Laufey (ch. 126)