THE GAME

III

      The meeting room in Sundrill was already busy that morning. The board members had their seats and had their hands busy on their destops, all trying to put up a game plan in their heads to present to their boss.
There were sidetalks and murmurs and clicks and unclicks...
She walked majestically into the meeting room with her P.A following her close behind, holding a tab in her hands.
The board members stood to welcome her.
She walked to her seat.
"Let's get to business, shall we?" She started and they all sat down.
"Who's opening the stage?" She asked looking at all their faces.
They exchanged glances each one of them expecting the other to start first.
"Oh come on, we talked about this yesterday, there's really no need wasting time, we all have ideas. Let's see them." She said looking at each of them.
Her P.A stood up and walked to the front, with her tab in her hands.
"Errr... Well, I guess I might have an idea." She said.
"Go on, Stella." Catlin permitted and Stella nodded.
"Well... This game is a kitchen game." She said operating her tab and explaining the concept of the game and the graphics of her explanation dominated the screen behind her.
"The kitchen race is what I call it." She said and rubbed her neck.
There were low giggles among the members of the staff.
Stella rolled her eyes.
"Go ahead and laugh guys, it's funny." She said and chuckled while the rest of them liberally laughed.
"Ok... Nice presentation, Stella." Catlin appreciated as Stella went back to her seat.
"Feedbacks?"
A hand shot up in the air.
"Yes, Conner.?"
"The name!" He said and laughed. "It's damn weird." He added and the others agreed with him too.
"It's just the name and it can be changed." Stella said feeling a but stung
"Ok ok... Any other feedbacks?" Catlin asked
Crickets.
"None?"
Silence.
"So, we all think this game can sell?" She asked again and they nodded their hands in confirmation.
"Well, turns out, I don't think so!" Catlin said.
"We need a new idea something new! Fresh!... Tell me, Stella, what's the different between this game and Food hunt we came up with months ago?"
The people began to nodded in realisation..
"Yeah..."
"Not much of a difference.. "
"It's just the same.."
Stella shrugged.
"Well err... It's kinda different... I'd say kitchen race is a more mature... Err.. a different brand of food hunt." She said and smiled nervously
Catlin slapped her head
"No way, Stella. We don't make different brands of our own games. Other companies see our game and make another brand not us!" She said.
Stella's shoulders slumped in disappointment.
"I'm sorry but we'll skip it." Catlin said and turned to the rest of them
"Any other ideas.?" She asked them.
Jane stood up with her tab and went over to the front to present her own idea.
"This game is em..." She covered her mouth to keep herself from laughing.
"Well em... Don't laugh guys... It's actually a SpongeBob game." She said
And they all started laughing. She laughed too.
"Yeah well, I know. It was weird to me too." She admitted and operated on her tab so that her game would be on the screen.
"Well, last night, I watched SpongeBob with my kids, the episode that Plinton tried to break out of prison... It was ridiculous but it was inspirational. The main game character turns out to be Plinton and not SpongeBob..."
"Wait... What makes you think we watch SpongeBob?" Bryan asked in a chuckle and they laughed.
"How about we all shut up and hear her out, huh?" Catlin snapped and the room quieted.
"Thanks boss." Jane said and went ahead to explain her game.
"...and then we can call it 'Prison break'.
She ended.
The staff strock their chins a bit.
"Errm... I think at first the game made sense but along the line, it began to look damn childish." Conner detected.
"Yeah... I mean like, how would Plinton be held by such big cuffs.?" Gary added
Jane rolled her eyes. "It happened in the movie.!" She said.
"... And besides, it's a game. Not reality." Catlin supported
"As a matter of fact, I like the idea. Turns out, we'll just do a whole lot of readjustments on it. Thank you Jane." She added and they applauded Jane as she went over to her seat.
"Any other ideas?" Catlin asked.
"I had one but I think Stella's feedback goes to me too." Conner confessed.
"Me too." Gary said lifting a hand
"Yeah, and me too... Mine is lot like Underwater shower." Kess said and giggled.
Catlin stood and went over to the front.
"Seriously guys? The Game Co will be here all the way from Russia. And if we don't present something new to them that'll impress them, they'll not partner with us.!" She said pacing.
"We need to be serious! Think outside the box! Don't rethink what we've already produced!" Catlin said.
"We need to put out head together and think about this. Rack your brains. That's will you six are the here. You're the brains of Sundrill. I really appreciate the efforts you're all making but we need to work harder."
"We're no longer the only sensible Game co in America as we used to be. Competitors have arisen! And so far, GGG is our greatest rival!"
"Ha... They don't stand a chance.!" Bryan scoffed.
"You think? Dellers from Japan came over to America last month and they chose their game over ours... And that isn't rivalry?" Catlin stated.
"This is serious." Mel said after a gasp.
"Yes, it is! And we don't want Sundrill out of business now do we?"
"No!" They chorused.
"Good! So, we have to be serious about this. If the Russians take our game, it's Sundrill back to the top, baby." Catlin announced and they smiled.
"So... Each and every one of you come up with a game... Something no one else can think of but you! Something creative and real. Something new and original! We'll see it tomorrow!" She added.
"Tomorrow?" Jane asked.
"Yes."
"But, we need more time." Mel pleaded
"There is no time for more of it. The Russians will be here in less than a month and whatever game we choose to present to them has to be ready before then." Catlin said.
They all agreed.
"You're dismissed. Get to work already. See y'all tomorrow." Catlin said..
They stood and left the meeting room.
Leaving Catlin left in her thoughts.
"Do you need me to..." Stella asked.
"No! Go. You're dismissed too." She said and Stella left the room too.
"Arrrrrgh!" Catlin groaned in frustration. At least she was able not to let the frustration show in front of her employees.
She hit her head with her hand wanting so much for the dead bulb in there too light up.
She slumped into a chair.
"Oh God!.." she exclaimed.
So many thoughts ran through her brain. None of them worthy enough for the occasion.
Great! She really needed a brain cool.
She really needed to take her mind off Sundrill and Game Co for a while. Even GGG. She groaned.
When they started off at first, she thought their name was so stupid. Gamers Gaming the Game. GGG.
It was still stupid to her. But men, they were becoming a challenge to Sundrill.
But it was war. She had to prepare. GGG and Sundrill started off in the same year but, Sundrill turned out to blow before GGG. And then, GGG was coming up so fast and although she was supposed to be happy about their achievement, it got her worried that they would kick Sundrill out of business.
No! It couldn't happen. She had a lot of brains in Sundrill. Jane, Conner, Stella, Bryan, Gary, and Melissa. Even Wayne and Jasper had a way of giving her some tips of a new game.
There was no way Sundrill would go out of business with such backups.
Wayne was definitely going to take over her company. He had that passion for games and he had an active brain too.
The ideas he brought up were confound but the only problem was that it was either full of violence or it was sorrowful..
But she didn't blame him in that case. His childhood was not one any child would love to have.
She had tried her best to make it up to him., She spoilt him with material things and love. She tried to make him good and socialable but he just saw himself as a bad boy that didn't deserve to be loved.
She felt for him most times but she knew that what had happened 5 years ago when he was only 13 made him cold and froze his heart. It wasn't something anybody could just heal of.
The watch she had given him on his last birthday was one of the many gifts he cherished.
He didn't like to take it off, even while he slept.
When she had found out the girl in the park that she assumed stole the watch from him because she was selling it, she was surprised.
How did the girl manage to take the watch from him?
Why would such a young pretty girl steal?
She certainly didn't suit the title of a thief.
Catlin knew it may be because she needed the money and maybe she was not privileged to have enough from her parents. That was why she bought her son's watch from a thief.
A bulb lit in her head all of a sudden and her eye widened a bit.
It was a perfect game plan.
Men! Sundrill will be impressed.
They were going to see the world with the eyes of a thief and form up the game! Together as a team!
That's it!!