A satisfied smile played on my lips as I adjusted the fit of my home VR headset. Yesterday had been a thing of beauty. Watching Brigham's bloated, red face turn purple with rage as nineteen of his best women walked out the door was a memory I'd cherish forever. The clean break from Morrison Group, that den of vultures, was its own reward.
But the real win was my team. Sabine, Amanda, Saiko, and all the assistants and clerks—they'd followed me without a second's hesitation.
Their trust was a humbling thing. And Sael… God, Sael had backed my play completely. I'd told him I needed to bring my people, and his only question was 'How much do they cost?'
I'd pitched him a number that felt audacious—five hundred thousand a year, plus full benefits. A life-changing sum for every single one of them. Their old salaries at Morrison were a paltry ninety-five K, a slap in the face for the work they did.
Sael hadn't even blinked. "Done. If they're your people, they're worth it. Get them onboard." The transfer of loyalty that simple act had bought was priceless. Sabine, Amanda, and Saiko were now my direct subordinates, my lieutenants in the legal war to come.
Last night, his call had been excited, like a kid showing off a new toy. "The VR space is ready! I sent you the link. Tell your team to meet there tomorrow at nine. Oh, and I'm calling it the Meteor Studio VR Mall for now."
I'd chuckled. "The VR Mall? Really? Sounds a bit… pedestrian for the most advanced entertainment company on the planet."
"It's a placeholder!" he'd insisted, his voice full of mock indignation. "A working title! Just get everyone there."
I'd sent the secure access links out immediately. And now, at 9 AM sharp, I took a steadying breath. "Okay, Kate. Showtime." I activated the headset.
The world didn't fade; it bloomed.
One second, I was in my tastefully decorated apartment, the next I was standing on impossibly smooth, cool stone. The air was fresh, carrying a faint, clean scent of ozone and water. The sound of a gentle, cascading fountain filled my ears.
My jaw literally dropped.
Before me was a vast, circular fountain, and in its center wasn't some marble statue, but a genuine, pockmarked meteor.
It hovered, wreathed in a slow, hypnotic dance of cerulean fire. The words METEOR STUDIO orbited it in a graceful, silent ballet. I looked up, and my breath caught. A dome of crystal-clear glass revealed a deep, black expanse of space, glittering with a million distant stars. It was breathtaking.
I wasn't the only one stunned into silence. All around me, my team was materializing. I saw Sabine, her usually composed face wide with wonder. Amanda was slowly turning in a circle, her sharp eyes trying to take in every detail. Saiko just stood perfectly still, a rare, awe-struck smile on her face. The clerks and assistants were whispering, their voices hushed with reverence.
"Mon Dieu…" Sabine breathed, her French accent thicker than usual. "What is this place?"
"I've never seen a VR construct like this," Amanda stated, her analytical mind already working. "The public shopping malls are just simple rendered rooms. This… this feels real. The scale is insane."
Just then, a soft, pink orb of light, about the size of a grapefruit, materialized in the air directly in front of each of us.
A calm, melodic voice that I recognized as Sunday's spoke, seemingly from my own orb. "Welcome to the Meteor Studio Virtual Mall. Identity confirmed. Name: Katherine Beck. Position: Meteor Studio Legal Director. Employee ID: Legal Zero-One. Welcome, Director Beck."
I heard similar, personalized greetings echoing softly around me as my team was welcomed by their own AI guides. The personal touch was immaculate. Sael and Sunday had thought of everything.
"Shall I provide an orientation?" my Sunday-orb asked politely.
"Please do," I managed to say, my professional facade finally kicking back in.
The orb led us on a brief but impressive tour. We stayed in the central park, but it gestured towards the three majestic buildings that bordered it.
"Meteor Creative handles our narrative intellectual properties. Meteor Entertainment manages our musical and theatrical talents. This central structure is Meteor Studio proper, which houses our gaming division and corporate offices."
The scale and design were flawless. It felt less like an office and more like a campus for the world's most creative minds.
Soon, we were led into the central building and up to the first floor. The office space was exactly what I would have designed myself—modern, open, with plenty of glass and comfortable collaborative spaces. It was professional but didn't feel sterile.
"Please, find a seat. The meeting will commence shortly. You will find relevant dossiers available on the desktop displays at each station," the Sunday-orb informed us.
Everyone found a spot around the large central table, their faces a mix of excitement and focused determination. Soft clicks filled the room as they accessed the files, quickly scanning the incredible summaries of the company they now worked for. The atmosphere was one of intense, professional anticipation. We were all ready to get to work.
Then, the door to the conference room slid open with a quiet hiss.
Every head in the room turned. Every single one of us froze.
Standing in the doorway was the man himself. The mask, the sleek motion-capture suit, the aura of casual, unshakeable confidence. Sael VT. The most mysterious man on the internet. And he was walking into our meeting.