Star Horizon, Growing Pains

Williams Residence

As the Williams family gathered for dinner, the warm glow of the kitchen light bathed the dining table, highlighting the comforting aroma of Martha's culinary creations. The absence of Jennifer, Ashley, and Ji-woo was felt, as they had recently returned to the University of Cambridge to continue their studies three weeks ago.

Ashley and Jennifer had taken a semester off following Alex's near-fatal accident the previous year, while Ji-woo had resumed her education after escaping an arranged marriage orchestrated by her family. Daniel, playing a pivotal role in assisting Ji-woo's re-enrollment at the university.

Despite their absence, the conversation naturally turned to the day's events. Oliver exchanged a quick glance with Alex and Duke before addressing the family. "The meeting went well," he began, his tone measured but pleased. "Your uncle Daniel was impressed by what the boys presented."

Martha's golden eyes brightened. "That's wonderful to hear. Your uncle must be proud of all the hard work you've been putting in."

Alex, always composed, set his fork down and leaned back slightly in his chair. "Michael led with the numbers from Castle Wolfenstein 3D," he began, his hazel eyes reflecting a maturity beyond his years. "It's been a big success—25,000 physical copies sold, 3,000 digital. That's over $1.4 million in revenue, and the expansions are already in the works. It was the perfect way to start the meeting."

Duke chimed in, his voice steady. "Michael also gave an update on Grand Theft Auto, which is still in development. He's got a clear vision for it, and that showed. Uncle Daniel liked how we're balancing current successes with planning for the future."

Alex smiled faintly, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. "Mortal Kombat is progressing well. The promotional campaign is focusing on arcade hardware, and we're starting to generate buzz. There were concerns about the violence, especially from Uncle Daniel."

"Violence, really Alex. I still don't understand why the three of you insist on making such games. But I have to admit it seems to be working out well for all of you. " Martha said, her brows furrowing slightly. Still a little unhappy with the type of games her and her friends sons all were working on.

The only bright side was SimCity, and that only came out because of the hiring of Will Wright. And the oldest hiring so far for Blue Star Interactive.

" Quite true, mother" Alex replied, "but it's also a new concept for the time. People aren't used to seeing that level of action in games. I explained that it's about more than just the violence—it's about creating something innovative. Still, I emphasized that SimCity is on track for February next year. That helped ease some of their concerns."

"Good call," Oliver said, nodding in approval.

" Well, I'm glad there finally something more appropriate you're all working on over there. And that especially goes for you Alex." Martha's words were a little harsh towards the end there but Alex didn't mind it.

"So. What about Mark's project? Did he present anything?" Martha asked, changing the subject having already expressed her concerns several times towards Alex and the other two. Leaving it at that.

Duke nodded. "Yes, as you already know mother he's leading Shadow Strike: Ninja Uprising. A 2D action platformer set in the future. They started it after shelving DOOM due to hardware limitations. From what I and father saw today, it's shaping up to be a solid game."

"And Duke," Martha said, her voice gentle, "how did your presentation go today? Knowing you definitely knocked it out of the park right?"

Duke straightened a bit, a hint of pride in his expression. "Of course, I updated everyone on Blue Space. It's still in development, but the potential is huge. If I can get the core functionality right, it could change how people use the internet. It's slow going since I'm working on it mostly alone, but it's coming together."

Oliver reached over patting Duke shoulder lightly. With pride in his expression. "You certainly did not disapoint any of us at the meeting today. I know you'll make it work soon enough."

The family fell into comfortable conversation, the clink of utensils and soft laughter filling the air. The bonds around the table were palpable—an unspoken understanding that they were building something extraordinary together. As the meal wound down, the sense of accomplishment and shared purpose lingered, grounding them as they looked toward the future.

---

Hunter Residence

The dinner table brimmed with the warm hum of familial chatter. The smell of roasted chicken and vegetables wafted through the air as everyone passed dishes back and forth. Damien sat at the head of the table, his calm demeanor unchanged despite the long day.

Mark, seated next to him, had been recounting parts of his presentation with eager energy, but Donna turned her attention to Damien.

"You gave quite the speech today," she said, her voice tinged with pride. "From what Mark said, you practically stole the spotlight."

Damien chuckled softly, adjusting his glasses. "It wasn't about stealing the spotlight, Donna. I just wanted to make sure everyone understood what we've been working on and where we're heading."

Mark chimed in with a grin. "Dad was amazing. He laid everything out perfectly, from the sound chip's success to the plans for the console. Even Daniel seemed impressed."

Damien gave a modest shrug, though a faint smile crept across his face. "The sound chip has been a team effort, really. Daniel and David helped secure the manufacturing deal, and the numbers speak for themselves. 20,000 units sold and over $1.2 million in revenue in such a short time—it's a good start."

Emma, her eyes wide with curiosity, leaned forward. "What's a sound chip?"

Damien turned to her, his tone gentle but explanatory. "It's a piece of technology that makes games sound better. It helps create more realistic sound effects and music for the games people play."

Emma nodded, though it was clear she was still piecing it together. "That sounds cool. So you make games sound awesome?"

"Exactly, but not only for video games. It has broad range of hardware it can be used for. " Mark added with a grin. " But, in term of video games. It's like turning up the cool factor for Shadow Strike and other games we're working on."

Donna smiled at Emma's enthusiasm before focusing back on Damien. "And this console you mentioned—how big of a deal is that. Really?"

Damien set down his fork, his expression thoughtful. "It's huge. The console is a chance for Blue Star Interactive to become self-reliant. Instead of depending on companies like Nintendo or Sega to distribute our games, we'll have our own platform. It's ambitious, but if we do it right, it could change everything for us."

Mark jumped in, his excitement palpable. "Dad's been talking about using the sound chip in the console and even experimenting with online play. Can you imagine? Playing games with people across the country!"

Donna raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Online play? That sounds... futuristic."

"It is," Damien admitted, his voice steady. "But if we can pull it off, it'll set us apart from the competition once the internet becomes widely available to the public. The console is still in the conception and planing phase, but the vision is there. We've even got plans for a three-year timeline to get it market-ready."

Emma looked up at Damien, her eyes sparkling. "Can I play it when it's done?"

Damien chuckled, reaching out to ruffle her hair. "We'll see, kiddo. It's going to take a lot of work to get there."

Donna studied Damien for a moment, her expression softening. "It's good to see you so passionate about this. You've always had a way of tackling this type of projects, I sincerely hope this all works out for all of you."

Damien met her gaze, a quiet determination in his eyes. "Thank you. This is about building something meaningful, not just for for Mark, Alex, Michael, and everyone else at Blue Star. But for myself too. They have incredible ideas, and if I can help bring them to life, that's worth all the effort."

Mark leaned back, his tone reflective. "It's been a team effort all around. Grayson and I wouldn't have gotten this far with Shadow Strike without Dad's support—or Alex and Michael for that matter. Everyone's been pitching in."

Damien nodded, his expression thoughtful. "And that's how we're going to succeed—with teamwork. The console, the games, everything—it's all connected. If we stick together, we can handle whatever challenges come our way."

The conversation flowed easily after that, the family alternating between lighter topics and the ambitious plans ahead. By the end of the meal, the Hunter household buzzed with a shared sense of purpose and excitement.

As they cleared the table, Damien exchanged a glance with Donna, offering her a quiet nod of gratitude. It wasn't just the meeting or the projects that gave him strength—it was the support of his family, grounding him and driving him forward.

---

Williams Residence – Master Bedroom

The room was quiet except for the occasional rustle of sheets as Martha shifted closer to Oliver, her head resting on his chest. His arm was wrapped around her shoulders, fingers absently tracing patterns on her arm. The dim light of the bedside lamp bathed them in a soft, golden glow.

"So," Martha began, her voice low and soothing, "how do you think it really went? The meeting, I mean."

Oliver exhaled slowly, his chest rising and falling beneath her. "Honestly? I think I might've scared them."

Martha tilted her head to look up at him, her dark eyes curious. "Scared them? How?"

He let out a dry chuckle, his free hand running through his hair. "I could see it in their faces. Especially the newer folks. They just don't get it yet. An online bookstore? A platform where people can shop for books—or anything—without stepping foot in a store? It's… unprecedented. And I think that's part of the problem. There's no roadmap for this, Martha. No one's done anything like it before."

Her brows furrowed slightly, and she brought a hand to his chest, lightly stroking the fabric of his shirt. "But that's also what makes it brilliant, Oliver. We're not following a trend; we're creating one. That's bound to make people uncomfortable. Beside the internet wasn't been made public yet, if what Duke and Alex said is right our loses will dramatically decrease once that happens."

Oliver smiled at her encouragement but shook his head. "That all true, but we should also consider Duke and Alex thoery could be wrong, about the direction of the internet as maped out. And you should've seen their faces when I talked about the numbers. The orders we're processing are impressive—250 to 280 a day —but the expenses are eating us alive. They were focused on the fact that we're operating at a loss, not on the growth we're achieving. I tried to explain that it's all part of the plan—build the brand, gain the trust of customers, and the profits will come later on. But I don't know if they believed me."

Martha propped herself up slightly, her hand moving to cup his cheek. "Did you believe yourself?"

The question hung in the air for a moment. Oliver's gaze softened as he looked into her eyes, the vulnerability he rarely showed anyone else surfacing. "I do," he said quietly. "But it's hard not to second-guess when you're one of the only few in the room who sees it. Even Daniel, who's been supportive, had this look like he was trying to figure out if I'd gone off the deep end, or he'd made a mistake by supporting us with this venture. "

Martha leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to his jaw. "It's because they can't see what you and I see yet. You've always been ahead of the curve, Oliver. You and Damien were the first to recognize Alex's and the others potential with Blue Star Interactive. And now you're doing the same with Star Horizon. It might take some time, but they'll catch up to went well achieve."

Oliver's arm tightened around her, pulling her closer. "I hope you're right. Alex was there today, watching me pitch this whole thing. I could feel his pride—and his nerves. This was his idea, after all. If Star Horizon stumbles, it's not just me who takes the hit. It's him, too."

Martha smiled softly, her fingers brushing against his cheek. "Alex has become quite mature and resilient ever since that- incident. He's got your drive and a vision, and I'm sure he knows this is a long game. You've taught him and Duke that. And even if it doesn't go perfectly right now, it doesn't mean the idea's wrong. It just means we're ahead of our time."

Oliver let out a deep sigh, his hand coming up to cover hers. "Ahead of our time or just plain crazy? I told them this wasn't just about books. That we could turn Star Horizon into a platform for everything. A one-stop shop for anything you could need—just a click of a button. I thought my passion would be contagious, but most of them just looked… skeptical."

Martha tilted her head, a teasing smile playing on her lips. "Passion doesn't pay the bills, love. But it does pave the way. They'll come around."

He laughed softly, leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You'd probably lose your mind," she quipped, resting her head back against his chest. "But seriously, Honey, you've got to stop putting so much pressure on yourself. We're allowed to take risks. That's what being an entrepreneur is about. And if this doesn't work out exactly as planned, we'll adjust. We always do."

Her words settled over him like a balm, easing the tension in his shoulders. He kissed the top of her head, inhaling the familiar scent of her hair. "Thanks, darling. For believing in us when I don't sometimes."

She smiled against his chest, her voice soft but firm. "Always. We're not just building a business, Oliver. You're building something that could change the way people live. That's worth the risk."

They lay together in silence after that, the weight of the day fading into the warmth of their shared embrace. Whatever uncertainties the future held, in this moment, they had each other—and that was enough.