1999.
When you have all the money in the world, and that money is used to the point where you no longer know what to spend it on because when a person has as much money as they possibly can, and when someone possesses so much wealth that they must constantly find ways to use it—Billy's income began to decline, yet the overall capitalization of his companies continued to rise. He now devoted himself simply to collecting art. In recent days, he had made a proper acquisition: a Renaissance piece, albeit a copy, carefully cataloged by curators. It was the kind of work that could take anywhere from two to seven months to complete, though in practice it often required nearly fourteen months.
--I think there's a part of our lives that will never be recovered. -- Billy said.
--You speak of Camus so fittingly, my love. For some time now, I've been thinking that perhaps we should buy one of those houses by the sea or maybe a small building and turn it into a grand library, one of those that looks as though it came straight out of a fairy tale. -- She replied calmly, her voice heavy with drowsiness, almost drifting into sleep.
--We could buy a small house in Ireland, renovate it properly, and enjoy the frozen coasts… though I think it would be better to leave that for three years from now. -- Billy whispered, a sense of premonition in his eyes.
--My love, I don't want another house, but a beach house would be good, no, it would be wonderful. - Monica replied, kissing Billy's lips. It felt like one of those suspended moments, where time and opportunity hung quietly in the air. A bastion of creation, a shifting harmony of tones between them an ambivalent way of seeing one another.
--I needed the rest. -- Monica said, sitting beside his bed, pressing her chest against his, breathing in his scent.
--I've been working such long hours that I fall asleep completely exhausted, and I wake up craving coffee… and thinking of you. I feel like there are moments when we could escape, but what I do is right. I just want a pause, something brief, or maybe a quick trip somewhere unfamiliar, a place that, once I know it, will return to my memory years later as something worth reliving. - Monica said, speaking face to face, unwilling to let her words drift away into the room they shared before returning to their routines such tender attempts.
--Right now, you want a break? When all you've done is sleep beside me. -- Billy replied.
--No, I'm just complaining about myself. I think I'm being foolish. The truth is, after wanting rest for so long, now all I can think about is wanting one of those jobs that sound completely exhausting. -- Monica said, lacking composure. They were both tired, weighed down by that peculiar, worn-out feeling that comes from spending too long mastering the art of doing nothing a strange boundary between ideas hidden from sight.
Billy watched her closely.
He breathed in deeply, as much as he needed. He continued his marathon of films, fulfilling obligations as minimally as possible, trying to take up the least space he could, all while preparing for the awards season that was about to begin again—honoring the best films. This time, he only wanted to work as much as he could.
--They say the world will end this year. How innocent people are. - Billy said. --They say this century will begin with disasters, and that by 2050, there will be a war over water.-
***
Lux Animation was partially empty. From any angle, those who had deliverables were working, but not on January 1st, 1999—not during those dates. The company felt like a desert. After the high volume of output from the previous year and the influx of new projects, investments continued to pour in for anyone seeking a chance at success.
Anne carefully reviewed every detail that might lead to complications.
She was preparing to conduct a full study of the company across several departments, focusing only on the core group. They now had a team of fifteen people dedicated solely to overseeing Billy's multiple companies, which ran freely like horses across an open field.
Curiosity or perhaps something more came in the form of a new console, one expected to break all conventions. This video game system would completely redefine what people believed a game could do, while they continued acquiring studios—either through purchase or by building them from the ground up—perfecting a barrier to entry that, alongside Sony, effectively blocked Nintendo from entering the space.
Anne reviewed the full operational structure of Lux Animation in San Jose: 300 active employees dedicated to television animation, 300 more for film production, and 150 animators focused on video games. It was a complex system, organized around the principle that each group handled three to four projects per year, receiving new assignments as soon as one was completed to ensure continuity. Teams consisted of 10 to 20 people, capable of forming projects with three groups, or scaling up to six, depending on whether the project was a film, an animated series, or a video game.
--I didn't expect to see you here, director. -- said Jack Heimen, a German recently hired, who had moved from Bavaria with his family to work at Lux Animation. In his previous job, he had been involved in advertising and technical animated content. Recognized for his talent, he received a scholarship and was hired by Lux Animation, now enjoying a remarkable life in San Jose.
Heimen was nicknamed "the metronome" for his impeccable punctuality, discipline, and seriousness qualities admired by everyone around him. He managed video game development and graphical animation, areas in which he excelled. He had joined as an emerging animator for RPG Platforms, a fixed group dedicated exclusively to RPG projects, which were always in high demand, with a staggering workload. Yet Billy's salary of $120,000 was a considerable improvement over the $70,000 he had earned in his previous job.
--Jack, don't trouble yourself. I'm only here for some documents, you can continue your work. - Anne murmured, moving quickly as she reviewed each team's output over the past twelve months. She began compiling a list of pending tasks, which would serve as the foundation for a new set of objectives for the year a tedious task for an entire afternoon.
The list would be used—
-Good day. - Jack replied, returning to his work.
Before Anne headed toward the exit.
-For those who won't be taking holidays due to our work schedule, you may collect official gift boxes for your children. Please speak with Mr. Gorman. - Anne announced, her heels echoing as she walked away.