1: Foundations I

This chapter was originally called "Back to My Roots Part I" in the original text. This has since changed to Foundations as it makes more sense.

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-{Some time ago...}-

"This new genre of gaming is sure different from our parents' time," a Disney executive pondered to their assistant of five years. They were looking at current trends on the gaming scene through YouTube videos, Google searches, Twitch streams, and other platforms where various content creators showed off a small yet growing audience. "Who knew that Virtual Gaming was going to become the latest boom for the gaming industry since Nintendo's revival?"

Their assistant--a lanky yet business savvy guy of twenty-five--pondered through the reports and visual recordings of the content of latest-generation VRMMOs. It did not surprise either of them that some of the old games like Resident Evil, World of Warcraft, Hogwarts Legacy III, and RuneScape 5, had become VRMMOs with new game engines coming out like they were brand new cars. There were even engines (like Unreal Engine 14) that had Virtual Reality support and still catered to the old methods of computer and console-based gaming.

As for the both of them, it was only the assistant that spoke up after spending a few moments to ponder the question.

"I don't believe anyone did, sir," he responded as he pushed up his gold-rimmed half-moon glasses to the bridge of his nose. "Yet the higher-ups will want the gaming division to start up new projects to capitalize on this new genre."

That assistant had no idea how right he was. Even now, the higher-ups at Disney were beginning to issue orders for various sectors of the gaming division to begin making VRMMOs using the most high-end game engines available.

A fact that they would only find out a week later.

"I understand, @#$%," they responded to their assistant. Despite their unease of what this may mean for the future as they had a sense of the changing tides of history, that did not mean they were unwilling to let things go into darkness.

For both they and their assistant had their own secrets.

===|+|===

-{Twenty Years Later...}-

"How soon until it launches?" the same Disney executive--now twenty years older--asked their assistant.

Both of them were slightly anxious about what was going to be launching soon. They had first been told about this secret project--codenamed "Stardust Soul"--a few months after their discussion about Virtual Reality MMOs that had been somehow coded in a proprietary game engine that enabled a near-100 percent full immersion into whatever game was made using it. While testing for this project--and perfecting it for consumer use--took two decades, both of them were not feeling the atmosphere of joy and happiness many others were partaking in.

Not because they were scrooges ruining their Christmas, but more along the lines of what this game's release actually meant for their world.

"It will launch on May 20th, 2053, sir," the assistant coldly remarked as he used the standard American time. "At exactly midnight."

This made the executive frown slightly as they knew that the launch of this game was inevitable. They both had tried as long as they could to delay or even prevent the game from launching, but their power was not sufficient to stop an order from their regional director. Despite the order to stop meddling the waters, the best they could hope for was a year out.

It seemed that these hopes were dashed when the assistant reported in the date and time of the game's launch. Now, the only thing they both could do know as the first winter snow started to fall outside was simply wait for the inevitable.

'Five months,' the executive thought as they pondered the falling snow and the soft subtle crackling of fire being played on a mega video (at least 10 hours) nearby, 'that is how long we've all got until that happens. None of them knows what is going to happen once that game goes out.'

The duo were the only ones in the entire company that fully understood what this game truly was. Even as time marched forward and the game was a few days from launching, it was only these two people that could fully understand what it actually was while all others only saw the dark grip of greed cloud their sight or see it potentially grow their company to the forefront.

One the Master and the other an Apprentice.

===|SW: GE|===

There are many points in history that can be forever change entire universes. Some that cannot ever be altered are fixed points whereas others are constantly in flux. This is where the foundations are laid for legends that can inspire many to greatness.

Darth Bane inspired the Rule of Two which would later prove pivotal to the survival of the Sith, but he had first found the holocron left behind by Darth Revan.

Satele Shan—the many-times great granddaughter of Revan—led a war against the Sith Empire after their return to the Galaxy, but that was only when her master died in the Korriban system.

Even the Barsen'thor of the Jedi Order had been inspired to rise up to greatness, but only due in part to Syo Bakarn and their former Master falling ill to an ancient Sith plague.

Every hero and villain has their foundations to begin their legend—to leave a grand mark in universal history—which shape their lives. This story may not be usual one for the galaxy, but even as darkness falls, there will be light to meet it.

={To be Continued...}=