Chp 26 : Realm of Light?

After a good show, the transaction was finally completed. Graphic Groups was sold for $7 million and Al has promised to inject $5 million more and move the company from San Francisco to Los Angeles.

George Lucas and Spielberg congratulate him on a successful transaction.

"Al, come with me every time I have some business transaction, maybe they will afraid of your bargaining skill." Spielberg joked.

"Okay but I want commission 20%," Al said with a smile.

"You are ripping me brat." He just smiled and shake his head. Then he saying farewell to him and continue to discuss the <Indiana Jones> post-production results with Lucas.

He already called Ari Emanuel to find a good office in LA and found them in Playa Vista for $70,000 a year.

The new President will be Alvy Ray Smith, and Al will meet some of the rest 40 employees to discuss the Graphic Group problems.

The next day, they arrive at the Graphic Group office in Richmond, California. He meets with some of the co-founders of Graphic Group.

All of the Graphic Group employees knew that Edwin was quitting and some of them resigned and followed him, so now the company only had 25 people left, most of them are young.

"Okay, I want to ask what this Graphic Group has made before?"

Alvy said, "Well we have this program called REYES, a 3D converter computer program, and also an Image Computer, we called it Pixar Image Computer, used for working on CGI and we also trying to work on animation department, John Lasseter here have made animated the short film The Adventures of André & Wally B."

He told his new boss what they have planned with Edwin before, to sell Image Computer and make an animated film.

He was afraid that his new boss would disregard their 3D animation dream and focusing on making CGI effects.

Al smiled and nodded, and said, "Okay, I won't cancel any of your work before, but the opposite. Firstly I plan to rename this company name, it's too old fashioned, I will rename it to Alfheim Studios."

"Alfheim?" Alvy asked, "It means the realm of light elves." Answered Al.

Alvy asked again "Weird name, is it Greek?" Al just shrugged and said, "No, it's from Norse mythology."

"A good name." Everyone else also nodded.

"Then this company will be focused on 3 things, as you said before I will continue the animation department, not only 3D but also 2D."

Everyone felt happy about it, especially Alvy and John, Edwin was not here to see this day come. Too bad he is underestimating this boy, sometimes he is too arrogant and felt humiliated to work under a boy.

"Second is to continue the CGI works, but I need improvement and new technology. So this department will be combined with the researcher department. I want to make the effects as good as possible and all of you here going to help me to realize it."

Everyone agrees with this idea. Al really planned to bring a 2020s CGI, VFX, and motion capture technology to the 90s. He will make many acquisitions to some special effects company and bring it under the banner Alfheim Studio.

"Third is to make a game developer department, but this won't realize until 3 to 5 years. The current game console only has an 8-bit processor, I plan to make 16 ... no, 32-bit and make this best game company, but due to lack of graphic expansion slot in some computers and console, we plan to delay this first, just make some foundation."

Now everyone saw Al in a different light, he really understand about computer and graphic technologies, not only that, he aim it higher.... no, highest.

After some discussion, they agree to make Malcolm Blanchard as Vice President, John Lasseter as Alfheim Animation Leader, and Ralph Gugenheim as Special Effects Leader. For the game, he will do some outsourcing.

The Alfheim employees were also surprised by their boss's knowledge of programming and made many suggestions to improve the software capabilities of REYES.

The only problem was how the hardware could not cope up with their software. The current technologies are suck, no graphic slot enhancement in a regular computer, how the hell he supposed to do any rendering.

So they just improve slowly, wait the right time for hardware developed, and they are focusing on improving Pixar Image Computer first.

The Alfheim Studios will move to Playa Vista next month after New Year 1984 and no one in Alfheim Studios has a problem with it.

Well, 3 of the 9 realms have completed, Muspelheim Film, Nidavellir Finance, and Alfheim Studios.

The next thing is he really needed to go back to the orphanage before Christmas or Mrs. K and Mary will be very mad at him.

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Today is Christmas Eve, so the 7 of them are decorating the Christmas tree, now they are glaring at Mary who relaxing and drinking her coffee.

"Oh come on Mary, really?" Al said, complaining to Mary, while the 7 other kids are also repeating his words.

"Oh come on Al, it's the first day of my vacation, yesterday was really tiring! Let me relax a little." She complained.

"Mrs. K!! Mary won't help us!" He called Mrs. K, "Solve it on your own Al, I'm too old for this." Mrs. K said and made Al have a black line.

Then Al sneaked behind Mary and pull her into the Christmas tree, with the help of other kids of course.

Now Al's height has reached 168 cm or 5'6" and now a bit taller than Mary's. So he easily carried her to be sacrificed under the Christmas tree.

He now has a lean and strong muscle due to the exercise program and food diet he plan. He also forced the boys to join his training programs. The girls also joined too, well only Annie but she is a singularity that can't be corrected even when the Counter Guardian came.

After they made Mary help them, Mrs. K brought them a hot chocolate and a few cookies. They gather in the living room and Mary had a little talk with Al.

"Please Mary, be CEO of Yggdrasil! You have promised that if I made a company, you'll be the CEO! Even Toby and Jon also want to join my company!" Al begging her.

"Yeah Mary, we can be coworkers." Toby also encouraged her.

"Oh, really Toby? I'll make sure you become my errand boy for 10 years, Toby." She smiled evilly

Toby's face became pale and immediately said to Al "For another thought Al, I disagree to let Mary join Yggdrasil."

"Marrryyyyy," Al whined. She smiled and said, "Okay okay, I can't believe I made that promise years ago. Guess I will babysit you again until you're an adult."

"Woohoooo, Mary finally join!" Al and others are cheered, except Toby.

"But I won't join now, wait at least 1 year, I need to finish some business in my current work first."

"I will wait but not long, or I'll find another person to become CEO of multibillions media company!"

After some debacle created by this munchkin, they have another relaxing night, the time was showing 9 o'clock and they are watching some tv series together.

This year's winter is colder than before. A small rain occurs this morning and now the only drizzle can be seen from the evening.

There is no snow in LA, even in winter, the last time snow appeared in LA was in late January 1962.

Suddenly, the front doorbell is ringing and everyone is confused. Who would have come this late night on Christmas Eve?

Al came to the front door, open it, and see the image that will haunt him forever.

To Be Continued.....