your grandparents’ house

July 10.

-Welcome back, dear Billy. It's been a while since you visited your family's home, - Francis Patt said, greeting his friend, wife, and grandson.

-Francis, it's great to see you, - Billy said, embracing Francis, who was like a second grandfather to him.

-You've grown so much, young man. He will also come for his vacation and will be staying at the house. You two can go horseback riding; your uncle Jeffrey Carson has bought a new gentle mare for you to ride. She's a sweet-natured animal, and I'm sure you'll enjoy riding her, - Francis mentioned.

-Francis, help me with the suitcase, - Richard shouted from the back of Francis's car.

Francis hurried to assist Richard with the large suitcase that Billy had brought. Billy's father had sent some gifts, along with some items his grandmother had purchased during her shopping trips.

Billy rushed to help his grandmother, who smiled at him. Their relationship had improved since she saw how hard Billy worked and how impressive his achievements were in recent years. Helen recognized Billy as a hardworking young man who was willing to make sacrifices for his goals, and her affection for him had grown.

-Thank you, dear. Come, let's head to the car. Your grandmother is tired and doesn't have the same energy as before, - Helen Carson, 69 years old with her white hair cut short, gave her a no-nonsense demeanor. She was the family matriarch, the cornerstone. She insisted on the education of all her grandchildren, encouraged her husband to help their children with their jobs and businesses, and demanded that her children improve their lives for the sake of their grandchildren. Helen Carson was tough, but she was the life of Richard Carson's family.

-Helen, we'll grab a meal at the station first, - Richard said.

-Do as you please, but make sure you don't have anything to drink. You're strictly forbidden from having a drink, - Helen asserted.

Richard only nodded without responding. He might have a few drinks after he dropped Helen off at home and took Billy to visit Jeffrey.

-Relax, dear. We'll have a bite and leave. I need to visit Jeffrey, and it's been a while since Billy met his uncle, - Richard explained.

elen simply gazed out at the landscape.

The beautiful city of Austin, Texas had arrived. The next two weeks were dedicated to learning how to drive, heading to Dallas, and delivering the new console game, Doom, the 1993 version, complete with groundbreaking graphics and details. It aimed to further revolutionize the gaming industry, building upon the success of the previous game, which, according to the details shared in the latest radio interview, was considered one of the most revolutionary games of its time, worthy of the Game of the Year title.

ID Software's future outlook was straightforward: push 3D technology to its limits to be considered the pinnacle of gaming. Improve gameplay by adding various difficulty levels, such as easy, medium, hard, and insane. Introduce online play, cooperative campaigns, and various game modes. Continuously enhance the graphics and refine gameplay. The most popular games allowed multiplayer gameplay, with a few exceptions, as gaming was always more enjoyable with others.

This approach had attracted indirect collaboration requests, even from Capcom, and Nintendo had begun to explore 3D game development. The gaming world was abuzz. In comparison to the previous Wolfenstein, the new game didn't have Pixar-level design, nor the same resources or advertising budget.

Sales figures hadn't been tallied yet, but critics consistently awarded it 4 to 5 stars. Profits were on the verge of recovery, and the earnings were already being reinvested to purchase a medium-sized building in the same area, expand the teams with three more people, establish a solid distribution network, and take the company to new heights.

-Billy, my boy, order the special, - Francis said, snapping Billy out of his thoughts about future series.

-Sure. -

-Tomorrow, we'll take you to drive on the back roads. Once you learn how to handle those, you'll be ready to navigate the surrounding areas, - Richard added.

-Thanks, Grandpa, - Billy replied.

-Don't even mention it, boy. You'll learn to drive in three days, or you can stop calling me Richard Carson, - said his grandfather.

-That would be amazing, even though my dad has given me some basic lessons, - Billy replied. Richard Carson continued to look at him for a moment but then let it go. His son was very quiet and rarely spoke unless it was necessary.

Meanwhile, the second game of Doom from 1993 would feature never-before-seen novelties, such as the introduction of three-dimensionality. This included pressing structures to make them rise and cooling lava pools, as well as playing with models that exceeded the previous game. While the original was groundbreaking, by Billy's standards, there was still much room for improvement. After reviewing the Wolfenstein game with the help of Raimon, he identified numerous areas he wanted to enhance as he developed the games, aiming to establish a strong foundation for future projects.

Moreover, with the acquisition of Autodesk, he knew that the coming months would be fascinating for technical development in both companies. Autodesk had already been working on beta versions of their 3D and 2D software, such as AutoCAD, while Disney's RenderMan allowed for fantastic possibilities.

Billy arrived at his grandparents' house and reminisced about joyful moments from his childhood trips to Texas. He remembered skateboarding, playing basketball with other kids, and drawing on the front porch while his grandfather read the newspaper or took a nap.

-I'll call Jeffrey to come over. Go with Billy and get some dinner. I'll be preparing supper, so hurry up, and later you can teach him to drive when we have time, - Helen said from the kitchen.

-Come on, son, let's go get dinner, - Richard said from the porch.

-Everything, we need everything. Buy vegetables, meat, potatoes, eggs, milk, oats, cookies, and butter. Do some good grocery shopping, and I'll expect you in an hour and a half to serve dinner at 6:00. Jeffrey's kids will be coming home hungry after working all day, - Helen instructed.

-Of course, Helen, - said Richard. -Let's go, son. We'll do Grandma's shopping. -

-Your grandma is delighted to have you here. It's been a long time since she prepared a meal, let alone a feast. It's good to have you with us, son. The house is empty without anyone to share it with. I hope you'll visit us more regularly. It means a lot to Helen, - Richard added.

Billy's heart ached, and he silently made a promise. He took out his sketchbook and began to draw. He wanted to create something like the "Serial Experimental Lain," a blend of crime, terror, and mystery that would bring vitality and depth to an outstanding series.

-Go down the aisle and get eggs, milk, butter, raisin bread, tortillas, and cereal. Take as much as you think we need. I'll take care of the meat and vegetables, - Richard said as he separated from Billy.

Billy walked through the supermarket's aisles, purchased all the items his grandfather had requested, and added a bit of chocolate. It was always good to work with a little chocolate, peanut butter, and jam.

-Billy, let me introduce you to Gilbert Morris. He's one of Austin's best players, a councilman, and a good friend of mine. Just don't let him near the grill; he'll burn everything with pleasure. He burned the meat, the plantains, the chicken, the sausages, and drank all the beer, - Richard explained.

Gilbert chuckled. - Hahahaha. You're an old grudge-holder. That happened 50 years ago when I was 15. Patrick is a cantankerous guy. You guys were having fun with the girls while I was left manning the grill and cooking the meat, - he said, with tears in his eyes as he reminisced about those old times.

Setting aside those past issues, Richard continued, - This is my grandson, Billy. He just started college, majoring in business. -

-It's a pleasure. Time flies so fast. We now have grandsons who are grown men making their way in life, - Gilbert said. He embraced Richard, who, unlike his scrawny friend, had a stockier build with a thick double chin that almost merged with his neck. He had gray hair neatly combed to one side, and his striking deep blue eyes were naturally appealing, making people engage with a sense of joy. –

-Hahahahaha, we need to gather everyone. Gregory retired last year, and now he spends his days playing bingo and causing trouble at the veterans' bar. It would be good to reunite the whole gang, - Gilbert suggested.

-Consider it done, Gilbert. I have to go now, but I'm working part-time at the gas station, helping out a son of Francis, - said Richard.

-Well, I'm sorry to keep you busy in the next few days, - Gilbert replied.

-Oh, Gilbert, my boy, for the next few days, I'll be with my grandson and at the farm. But we're planning a small get-together for Harry's birthday. Sorting things out for those days will be beneficial for everyone, - Richard explained.

-We'll make it happen, - Gilbert confirmed.

-Good day, Councilman, - Richard bid farewell, watching Gilbert depart.

-That man can help you when you have a company established here in Austin and come to Antonio. He has some powerful connections. Last time, a wealthy guy opened a processing plant with some friends. As Gilbert tells it, they expedited the paperwork, arranged everything, and even managed to exclude some of those new environmental organizations. Politicians can be intimidating, Billy, so be cautious. This is just one way, but sometimes it's better to explore different avenues, - Richard advised.

-Do you think I'll need that? - Billy asked.

-Who knows, but it's always good to be prepared for all possibilities, - Richard replied.

-For now, I won't worry about these less important matters. I'm just counting on you to teach me how to drive. Remember, I have an important commitment with some important people in New York in two weeks, - Billy said.

-Don't worry, son. We'll be ready in two weeks, - Richard reassured.

....

End of the first arc.

This concludes the first arc. I will now focus on two interludes and three interludes for my patrons.

The time jump is two years ahead.

....