The Earth After Rebirth

"Ladies, gentlemen, I introduce to you, the Obelisk 360." He said, as two people behind him unveiled the gaming pod on stage.

The room was filled with gasps and a very excited atmosphere. Seeing the actual pod made everyone fill with great happiness. It looked like Waynworth Enterprise didn't pull any stops, it looked premium.

"It comes in three colours, black, gray and royal purple." He smiled, "We didn't reveal that for a reason, everyone's colour will be a surprise. Purple is very limited though."

Producing each pod cost them ten thousand creds but the purple one was a little bit more. Getting a colour that wasn't black or white or both proved to cost more.

Sekani knew he'd be making an enemy of himself in this market but he wasn't going to overcharge people. He knew better than anyone, being at the bottom and not having the power to do anything.

His goal was so that it wasn't ridiculously expensive that it was only a luxury for the rich. The game made people money, so getting these pods in the lower district would help them greatly.

If he didn't have employees to pay, he would have made it much lower but he settled for thirty thousand creds. A third of an old gaming system, he was sure Blakeson Tech would double the price of the head gear.

But they would be forced to withdraw and drop the price when the headlines are all about Waynworth Enterprise and their cheap Obelisk 360.

That's why Sekani had kept the price a secret until today, he wanted to mess with Blakeson Tech, just one more time.

Even those who ordered online hadn't yet been charged.

After the deliveries were made, the room was filled with notification sounds. Each person took out their phones, unbelieving of the cost of this futuristic device.

"Only thirty thousand? There's just no way, what's the catch?" One man complained loudly, almost as if he was trying to cause a riot.

"Seriously, I bet there are individual parts you'll have to buy and put together so you can use it otherwise how does this make any sense?" Another responded.

"It really makes no sense. The way he talked about it, I was ready to pay a million." Another kid joined in.

The two men looked at him and shook their heads. They only hoped that their own kids were more responsible about money.

People were used to a society that wasn't kind to them, one that was cutthroat, so this kind of fairness and generosity wasn't met with warm arms. They were skeptical, looking for every excuse under the sky, so that they, Waynworth Enterprise, could have ulterior motives.

"Your dad is amazing. Giving a big fat middle finger to Blakeson Tech in the cruelest way possible." Saanvi was utterly amused and impressed.

Nobody until this family ever stood up to the rich. She loved to see such justice being carried out, while she enjoyed her life of luxury, she was very aware of the cost in which it came.

"Well, who did you think I took after?" Kiro said smirking slightly, he felt great satisfaction in that moment.

"You still have a long way to go." She rolled her eyes at him.

She did think he was like him in this one particular thing but there was no way in hell she was going to give Kiiro Waynworth a compliment.

Kiro was still smiling smugly, if he heard that, he chose to ignore it.

One by one people got up from their chairs to test run the pod that was now where Sekani had been standing. It was Philip on stage, guiding them through.

The tickets had numbering, so they went numerically according to them. Nobody complained, they didn't cause a ruckus either. They waited for their turn impatiently.

Some wanted to prove that the product was a sham since it was being sold at such a low price, some wanted to look for their ulterior motives. They were going to study the inside of the pod and compare it with theirs. Read exclusive content at empire

Incase they made them faulty on purpose.

The first batch came out looking a little disoriented. Their expressions carried nothing but glee, the excitement within them seemed to overflow into the audience. Without saying anything at all, the people who had yet to go in understood.

They were gamers after all.

The hunger and want in their faces couldn't be hidden. The second batch quickly got up, practically running to the stage, to get the taste of the promised honey.

"Come on, it can't be that good?" Isla said, as many people who came out looked the same no matter who they were.

"I've only been inside it once, it was pretty impressive. I can't imagine how incredible it is now that it is a finished product." Kiro answered her.

"You'll take every chance to talk your dad up, huh?" Saanvi interrupted.

"As he should!" Hiro told her, not looking at them but hearing what they were saying.

As someone who aspired to be an inventor of technologies never been seen before, he was ecstatic but also utterly heartbroken.

The person who introduced this to him as a child wasn't there anymore, they weren't even breathing the same air anymore. It was confusing, feeling two conflicting emotions at once.

"Thank you, dad." He whispered to himself and smiled bitterly.

He didn't think anyone heard him until he felt someone squeeze his shoulder. Turning his head, his best friend was smiling like a complete idiot. It was strange but it was contagious as he unwillingly smiled back at him.

"I hope you guys don't mind, but I've had our pods shipped to our dorms already."

"How did you even know we wouldn't prefer the other pod?" Saanvi pricked.

Hiro had a you're-playing-with-fire expression. Isaac was territory that shouldn't be even joked about. And he saw a vein pop on Kiro's temple but his smile never faded.

"That's why I paid for them."

Saanvi could sense that she hit a nerve, so she took her victory in silence.

The day was a long one, even though they brought out more pods so that the launch would be shorter. People were genuinely interested in the product, their questions were neverending.