Chapter 10: Broadcast Buff and Backroom Blitz

Friday morning arrived with an electric stillness.

The kind where everything felt just a little too quiet—like the whole day was holding its breath.

Ethan stood behind the front counter of Level Up Arcade, a warm cup of coffee in his hands and the small TV above the vending machine tuned in to Channel 6 News.

He rarely watched it—usually preferring the comforting chaos of attract mode screens and game jingles—but this morning was different.

This morning, he was on TV.

The "Community Pulse" segment had been advertised to air at 7:15 a.m., and now the digital clock on the token machine glowed 7:13.

He hadn't eaten. Hadn't slept much either. But none of that mattered now.

The bell over the entrance jingled softly as James, Amanda, and Trevor stepped in, each carrying a breakfast burrito and a barely concealed sense of amusement.

"We figured you'd forget to feed yourself," Amanda said, tossing him one.

"You look like a man who's about to see himself in HD for the first time," Trevor added.

"I'm not ready," Ethan muttered.

"Too late," said James, pointing at the screen.

[The Broadcast]

The segment opened with soft music, followed by b-roll shots of retro arcade cabinets powering on—glowing joysticks, blinking coin slots, CRT screens flickering to life. Then came a shot of the front of the arcade, and the voiceover from Sierra Reyes began.

"In a city that's constantly moving forward, one young man is reaching backward—to bring something special back to life."

Ethan's face appeared on-screen mid-interview, standing in the arcade, framed by light from a glowing Galaga machine.

Amanda gasped. "Oh my god, you don't look like a disaster!"

James whistled. "He even combed his hair."

Trevor smirked. "Only because a camera was involved."

Ethan rolled his eyes but kept watching, heart hammering in his chest.

"Ethan Reeves, 18, inherited Level Up Arcade from his late grandfather. What was once a quiet relic has been restored into a retro paradise—and tomorrow, it's hosting a city-wide tournament that's drawing serious attention."

The broadcast showed tournament posters, snippets of gameplay, the bracket boards, and finally the framed vintage posters behind the counter—prizes for Saturday's event.

"It's more than nostalgia," Ethan said onscreen, voice calm but determined. "It's about bringing people together again."

Sierra closed the segment with a smile.

"Level Up Arcade's 'Retro Showdown' tournament kicks off Saturday. Entry is just five dollars. Whether you're a button-masher or a joystick legend, this is your chance to step back in time."

Then it ended. Silence hung in the arcade for a second.

Then:

Ding.

[BROADCAST COMPLETE]

[Exposure Surge Detected]

[+2,300 Local Impressions | +780 Interactions | +340 Shares]

[Tournament Visibility: Viral]

[Projected Turnout: 110 – 150 Participants]

Ethan's stomach sank.

Amanda leaned in. "That… is a lot of people."

James laughed. "Dude. You're about to get mobbed."

Trevor gave a slow nod. "Hope you're ready for chaos."

Then a second, more concerning notification appeared:

[Warning: Current Playable Machines – 24]

[Projected Machine Demand: 30+ Needed to Sustain Peak Hours]

[Risk: Queue Overflow | Player Dissatisfaction | Mechanical Failure]

And worse:

[Staff Assigned: 1]

[Recommended Minimum Staff: 3]

Ethan stared at the screens. "Oh no."

Crisis Management: Activate

He opened the Business Basics menu and found a new notification blinking at the top:

[Event Planning Tools Unlocked – Business Basics Level 2]

[Would you like to initialize the Event Coordination System?]

"Yes," Ethan muttered.

A new interface unfolded in his mind—sleek and efficient, like a strategy game UI. It immediately began assessing resources, capacity, and operational weaknesses.

📋 Event Coordination Panel – Retro Showdown

Event Status: Pre-Tournament | Time Remaining: 1 Day

🔹 Logistics

Expected Capacity: 120+ attendeesTournament Machines Needed: 30+Token Flow: 82% capacity – Restock suggestedSeating Space: Limited

🔹 Personnel

Assigned: 1 (You)

Warning: Critical Understaffing Detected

Suggested Roles:ScorekeeperMachine MonitorCrowd ControlRegistration / Sign-in

🔹 Supplies

Snacks/Drinks: Medium stockTokens: Order queuedRepair Parts: Limited spares – urgent restock recommended

Ethan ran both hands through his hair. "Okay. So I'm not just understaffed, I'm under-machined."

Amanda stepped forward. "Alright, where do we sign up? Assign me to crowd control. I can wrangle overexcited nerds."

James nodded. "Scorekeeping. I already know the bracket logic."

Trevor added, "I'll be your Machine Monitor. I'll keep things moving and prevent total meltdowns."

Ethan grinned despite himself. "You guys sure?"

"Come on," Amanda said, "we've been here since day one. You think we're sitting out now?"

[Volunteer Roles Assigned – Operational Capacity +60%]

[Bracket Management: Optimized]

[Customer Experience Projected Rating: Positive]

"Alright," Ethan said, energy rising. "Let's fix the next problem—machine count."

__________________________________________________________________________________

That night, after closing up and double-checking sign-in sheets and signage, Ethan rolled up his sleeves and opened the storage room.

Six unused cabinets sat in the shadows. Dusty. Damaged. Forgotten.

Golden Axe. Tekken 3. Soul Calibur II. X-Men. Rampage. House of the Dead 2.

All beyond neglected. But not beyond him—not now.

[Optional Quest: Reinforcements Required – Repair 6 Additional Machines by Tournament Start]

Reward: Repair Skill +1 | Bonus: Machine Durability Boost

Ethan accepted and got to work.

His Repair Skill Level 6 let him move faster, smarter. He didn't have to stop and second-guess. The right wire. The weak point in the chassis. The subtle sound of a failing power relay. It all clicked.

Golden Axe had a cracked PCB and ancient wiring. He stripped and rewired the internals, reinforced the power input, and reseated the monitor.Tekken 3 was water-damaged. He salvaged parts from a gutted Cruis'n USA cabinet to rebuild its input board.Soul Calibur II's screen was dead, but the system board was intact. One CRT swap and it roared back to life.

[Machine Restored – +10 XP]

[Repair Progress: 94% to Level 7]

He kept going.

By 3:00 a.m., sweat-soaked and gritty, Ethan stepped back from the final unit—House of the Dead 2—as its attract mode screamed to life.

[Optional Quest Complete: Reinforcements Required – 6/6 Machines Restored]

[Repair Skill Level Up – 6 → 7]

[Bonus Acquired: Machine Durability Boost – Tournament Duration +15%]

He leaned against a crate and closed his eyes for a moment, exhaustion pressing on him—but so was pride.

The reinforcements were ready.

The plan was set.

And tomorrow, the real game began.