Pushing Forward

8th September 1988

As Mark drove through the busy streets of Brooklyn, his mind buzzed with thoughts of the project. The familiar sounds of the city—honking cars, the occasional shout from a street vendor—faded into the background as he thought about how Alex had been quietly weaving in story elements as they continued developing the game.

The car rattled a bit as Mark pulled onto the bumpy street where his younger sister's kindergarten was located. The school building came into view—an old brick structure with colorful murals painted on the walls, a bright contrast to the otherwise industrial surroundings of the neighborhood. Pulling into the small parking lot, Mark spotted a few other parents, some chatting with their kids or checking their watches impatiently.

Mark parked his red Chevrolet Cavalier and shut off the engine, taking a deep breath before stepping out. It had been a long morning of coding, and though his mind was still full of thoughts about the project, he always looked forward to seeing his sister. She was a burst of energy that helped him disconnect from the constant stress of work, if only for a little while.

He made his way to the school entrance and pushed open the heavy door. The sound of children's laughter echoed through the hallway. Mark smiled as he approached the classroom where his sister, Emma, was waiting. At eight years old, she was the light of his life—always curious, always smiling, with her dark brown hair often tied into pigtails.

"Mark!" Emma shouted as soon as she saw him, her face lighting up. She ran across the room and hugged him around his legs.

" You're in a cheerful mood today. You happen to pick on anyone else today. " he said, ruffled her hair. "Ready to go home?"

"Yeah!" she said excitedly, her little backpack bouncing as he took her hand.

After signing her out, Mark carried her back to the car. She immediately started talking about her day, telling him about the drawing she made and how her friend Amanda had shared her launch. Mark listened, nodding, though his mind occasionally wandered back to the studio and the work that still awaited him.

As they drove through Brooklyn's winding streets, Emma kept up a steady stream of chatter, her voice blending with the hum of the city outside. They passed familiar landmarks—the corner bodega, the local pizza joint where Mark and his team occasionally grabbed lunch during crunch time, and the rows of brownstones that gave the neighborhood its distinct charm.

"Mark, can we get ice cream?" Emma asked suddenly, breaking his train of thought.

He glanced at her in the rearview mirror, catching the hopeful look on her face. It had been a long day for him, but the thought of taking a short break to make his sister happy sounded like a good idea.

"Sure, why not," Mark replied, smiling. He took a left turn, heading toward their favorite ice cream shop on 5th Avenue.

They parked in front of the shop, a small, cozy place with a retro vibe. As they stepped inside, the smell of waffle cones and sweet cream hit them. Emma rushed to the counter, already eyeing the colorful tubs of ice cream displayed.

"One scoop of chocolate, please!" she said, bouncing on her toes.

Mark ordered himself a large vanilla cone and sat with Emma at one of the booths. As she happily devoured her ice cream, he leaned back, savoring the brief moment of peace.

The two sat together enjoying their ice-cream cones. Chatting away this brief moment helped clear Mark thoughts, as he tried to listen attentively.

"Mark, can I have another scoop?" He laughed. "Let's save room for dinner, alright?"

She nodded, her face smeared with chocolate. As they finished up and headed back to the car, Mark felt a little more relaxed. Spending time with his sister always had that effect. They drove back home, the late afternoon sun casting a warm glow over the city.

Brooklyn was alive with its usual hustle and bustle, but for now, Mark was content to focus on the simple things: his sister's laughter, the taste of ice cream, and the feeling that, despite the pressures of work, everything would come together in the end.

Fire Foxx Production Studio, New York

Harry Office:

Leaning back in his chair, feeling a wave of relief wash over him as he held the rating report in his hands. A smile slowly formed across Harry's face. Laura then entered the room and sat down, her curiosity evident. "Is this what you expected?" she asked.

"Of course. Do you think I'd doubt my own nephew's abilities?" Harry replied confidently, though Laura could sense the exaggeration in his voice. She rolled her eyes at the obvious lie.

"So, does this mean we'll be following whatever that little guy suggests now?" Laura teased, a playful glint in her eyes.

Harry smirked. "You're talking as if you didn't suggest turning our UK studio into a history-reality hybrid channel yourself." He placed the report aside.

"I never said his ideas didn't have merit," Laura shot back, though she couldn't entirely hide her amusement.

Harry continued, explaining the situation. "We've agreed that he'll keep writing scripts for television and movies as long as the projects he's working on with us prove successful."

"What? That's quite a change. Did his parents finally force him back to school?" Laura asked, surprised.

"No, nothing like that. He's focusing on the game studio he's set up with his friends. That's all there is to it," Harry replied, brushing off the question before steering the conversation in a different direction. "Now, my biggest concern is expanding into movies while strengthening our television business. That's why I called you in for this impromptu meeting."

Laura straightened up in her chair, intrigued. "Go on. Don't leave me hanging."

Harry hesitated briefly, then continued. "My brother-in-law and I have had serious talks, and we've agreed to your suggestion. You're getting full authority to implement your plans for the UK branch."

"Really?" Laura's excitement was evident, but before she could say more, Harry raised a hand to stop her.

"I'm not done," he said, waiting for her to calm down. After a moment, Laura nodded, regaining her composure.

"Sorry about that. Please, continue."

"As I was saying, we've agreed to your suggestion, and you've got the green light. That means you'll be moving back to the UK. But, in the short term, I need you here for a few months to help find me a new assistant and assist with setting up a News Division. You've got about five to six months to prepare for the move."

Laura nodded, her mind racing with the possibilities. The next few months would be hectic—multiple projects were still in production, and setting up a News Division while finding a new assistant for Harry would be no small task. But the opportunity ahead of her was too exciting to pass up.

"As long as you know I'll be expecting you back here after we finish reorganizing things," Harry added with a hint of seriousness.

"Of course," Laura replied with a smile. She knew Harry had enough on his plate with his plans for expansion, and personally overseeing the UK reshuffle would have been impossible for him. Still, she was eager to prove herself in this new role.

Blue Star Interactive Headquarters, Brooklyn

14:00 p.m.

Mark parked his car in front of the building, glancing in the rearview mirror as he wiped away the breadcrumbs from his mouth. He'd just dropped off his younger sisters at Michael's house, where Maria, who was on maternity leave, was waiting for them.

Maria, expecting her first child since marrying David, had taken maternity leave early this time. It was her third pregnancy, with the previous two tragically ending in miscarriage. When she and David discovered they were expecting again, Maria immediately decided to focus entirely on her pregnancy, taking no chances.

Fearing another loss, she chose to stay home full-time for most of the pregnancy, though she still ventured out occasionally with family and friends. Alex and Michael even volunteered to take her on morning and evening walks. Everyone was deeply involved, determined to make sure this pregnancy went smoothly.

After brushing off the remaining breadcrumbs stuck to his face, Mark stepped out of the car and hurried into the building, eager to dive back into work.

As fall settled in, the teams got to work. The days were long, often stretching late into the night. A large whiteboard dominated one wall of Michael team's room, filled with scribbled notes, sketches of the city layout, and feature ideas that seemed too ambitious for the hardware they were working with. But the challenge of pushing the limits of what was possible excited them.

Ronnie spent countless hours designing the city's layout. He wanted players to feel like they were in a living, breathing metropolis — even if they were seeing it from a top-down perspective. The limitations of the era's computers meant they couldn't offer 3D graphics, but Ronnie found beauty in simplicity. The city streets, the alleys, the parks, the industrial zones — he laid them all out with care, creating a world that was gritty, dangerous, and alive.

Meanwhile, Eric dug into his research on criminal organizations, street gangs, and law enforcement. He crafted a storyline that was more than just a backdrop — it was integral to the player's experience. In his mind, the player would take on missions for different criminal factions, climb the ranks of the underworld, and battle against an ever-more relentless police force. He saw each mission as a story of its own, a piece of the larger puzzle that would pull players deeper into the world.

Alex decided to for go participate in the mission structures and storyline for the game. Which didn't need to be deep or complicated, he had also wanted to give Eric room to grow. Since, he'd show his own talent for storytelling.

"Players need choice," Eric argued during one of the team's late-night brainstorming sessions. "They should be able to decide how they approach the missions. It can't be just about following a linear path."

Michael agreed. He wanted players to feel a sense of freedom, an ability to choose whether they were the villain or just a survivor in a world gone mad.

But as the team's ideas grew, Michael, Robert and Sam were faced with the daunting task of making it all work. Building a game where NPCs reacted to the player's actions was a monumental challenge. Robert, however, thrived under pressure. He worked from early in the morning, tweaking the game's AI system so that police would chase players dynamically based on their criminal activities. Sam worked alongside him, learning the intricacies of the AI system and helping iron out bugs.

The first time they got a prototype running, it was rough. The city was basic — just a collection of simple roads and a few cars. But when Michael sat down to play, he felt the rush. He stole a car, the police chased him, and for a moment, everything clicked. "This is it," he said, smiling for the first time in days. "This is the game."

During the spring, the game had taken shape. Jack added life to the city, designing buildings, cars, and even small details like fire hydrants and streetlights. His art brought a sense of vibrancy to the pixelated world, making each district feel distinct, from the grimy industrial zone to the high-rise business district.

And as winter crept in, the team faced constant challenges. The hardware limitations were always there, lurking in the background. Every feature they added strained the system. "We're going to have to make cuts," Michael warned one day as they neared a major milestone. "We're trying to do too much, and we need to focus."

It was a hard pill to swallow. Ronnie had big ideas for more interactivity in the city, and Eric had scripted out complex mission structures. But Michael was right. They needed to polish what they had, not drown themselves in ambition.

In October, they completed a working prototype. The core was there: players could steal cars, evade police, and explore a city that felt alive. Eric's missions were coming together, and Robert had successfully integrated the "wanted level" system, where the more crimes the player committed, the more intense the police pursuit became. Jack's art made the city feel gritty, even in its pixelated form, and Sam had added small but important touches to the NPC behavior.

In the final months of 1988, the team was in a sprint to the finish line. They knew they had something special, but they also knew the road ahead wasn't easy. They worked day and night, fueled by coffee, adrenaline, and the shared belief that they were about to change the gaming landscape.

As the year drew to a close, Michael gathered his team once again. The office was cluttered with crumpled paper, empty pizza boxes, and the remnants of months of hard work. But the game was nearly there, and the finish line was in sight. "We did it," Michael said, holding up a disk containing the latest build of Grand Theft Auto. "We built something that no one has ever seen before. And this is just the beginning."

With that, the team pushed forward into 1989, ready to unleash their chaotic, open-world creation on the world. And not just Michael team but, Alex and Mark team pushed forward.

With project like Mortal Kombat and SimCity in the can and ready for it's launch the coming year.