The day after meeting with Bill Gates at the luxury hotel, Zaboru promptly boarded his private jet en route to Microsoft Headquarters in Washington. The flight would take approximately four and a half hours, but for Zaboru, that time was far from idle. While in the air, he activated one of his most powerful abilities—Emulator Mind.
This unique skill allowed Zaboru to conjure an entire mental workspace within his mind. It was as if he had a fully functional digital workstation embedded in his consciousness. Inside this simulated environment, he could design, plan, code, and test as though he were sitting in front of an actual computer. The results of his mental work would be instantly saved into his memory, supported by another of his abilities—Deep Memory Dive, which granted him flawless recall and the inability to forget anything he consciously experienced.
This combination was nothing short of a game-changer. It meant that even while traveling—especially on private flights like this—Zaboru could be fully productive. Though he would later transfer and finalize the work on physical devices, the early conceptual and developmental stages were already completed in his mind. It saved valuable time and made his brainstorming sessions remarkably efficient.
After the flight, Zaboru arrived in Washington and made his way directly to the Microsoft Campus in Redmond. It wasn't long before he was on-site, where a group of employees warmly welcomed him. Even Bill Gates himself came out to greet him personally. Without delay, Gates escorted Zaboru through the campus toward the meeting and technical demonstration room, where he planned to unveil Microsoft's newest operating system.
On the way to the designated meeting room, the walk was surprisingly long, and the path was lined with curious and excited Microsoft employees who had gathered outside. As Zaboru and Bill Gates made their way through the crowd, the atmosphere buzzed with energy. Bill Gates turned to Zaboru with a grin and said, "I hope you won't mind—we have a lot of your fans here. Video game fans, music fans... some people just really admire your work. Would you be okay giving a few autographs?"
Zaboru chuckled in surprise, raising an eyebrow before shrugging and smiling. "Sure, it's fine. I don't mind at all."
As soon as he agreed, a wave of employees approached him with various memorabilia in hand. Some brought out their prized Z&Z albums, others held up well-preserved issues of ZAGE Power Magazine, and a few proudly ZEPS 2 cartridges or ZAGE PC game boxes. One employee even presented a one-shot manga titled Fate/Stay Night, manga that created by Zaboru's. Zaboru signed everything with patience and grace.
The impromptu signing session lasted nearly fifteen minutes. Despite the unexpected detour, Zaboru found genuine joy in seeing how much his work meant to these people. Their enthusiasm and gratitude lit up their faces, and in return, Zaboru felt a rare sense of self-satisfaction.
Then Zaboru and Bill Gates arrived at the showcase room. Bill offered an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that. As soon as the news spread that you were visiting the campus, a lot of employees requested a chance to meet you and ask for your autograph."
Zaboru nodded with a grin. "It's fine, Bill. Besides, you were generous enough to let them do it, right?" he said, chuckling.
Bill Gates smiled and nodded, then quickly made his way to a nearby PC where one of his engineers was already seated and ready. Zaboru followed, curious about what they were about to reveal. As his eyes landed on the monitor, he froze in astonishment. The user interface displayed on the screen was nothing like what he remembered from Windows 98 in his previous life. No, this was unmistakably the polished, modern interface of Windows XP.
His eyes widened in disbelief—he hadn't expected to see this OS, not this early. The familiar clean layout, the iconic start menu, and the sharp, responsive windows—it was all there. This wasn't some prototype or rough concept. This was fully realized Windows XP, years ahead of its expected time.
Zaboru couldn't help but feel a deep wave of nostalgia as he stared at the iconic green grass wallpaper. The vibrant image instantly brought back memories from his previous life. He smiled and said, "What a nice UI. Do you call this OS Windows 97?"
Bill Gates chuckled and shook his head. "No, we're calling it Windows XP. We've come a long way since Windows 94. The progress we've made is substantial—especially in terms of game development. We're now using DirectX 8.1, which is a massive leap from our previous versions. It opens up far more potential for developers, both in terms of performance and graphical fidelity."
He continued, walking Zaboru through the system's advancements. "Beyond gaming, we've also made major strides in storage capabilities, particularly when it comes to handling video and music files. Compression algorithms are more efficient, and playback is smoother. Additionally, we're integrating basic firewall protection—our way of giving users a safeguard against hacking attempts or data breaches over the internet. It's still early, but it's a big step toward more secure computing."
Zaboru nodded slowly, absorbing the information. The OS looked beautiful and intuitive, but what truly impressed him was how far Microsoft had leapt ahead of its time.
Zaboru was genuinely stunned—it was truly Windows XP, the operating system that, in his original timeline, wasn't supposed to be released until 2001. And not just any OS—this was arguably the best version of Windows ever made, especially when it came to compatibility, performance, and stability for PC games. The realization hit him hard, and his thoughts raced. How had Microsoft accelerated development so drastically in this world? It wasn't just software—everything seemed to be moving faster than expected.
Hardware giants like AMD and NVIDIA were clearly generations ahead of schedule, already producing technology that mirrored what he remembered from the early 2000s. Even Intel, typically cautious and methodical, seemed to be pushing forward with CPU architectures and chipsets that felt too advanced for the mid to end-'90s. Zaboru couldn't wrap his head around the scale of this leap.
This timeline was vastly weird compared to the one he came from, and there had to be a reason behind it. Microsoft wasn't just improving—they were revolutionizing their own trajectory. The entire tech ecosystem appeared to be evolving at an almost unnaturally fast rate.
What Zaboru didn't yet realize was that he was the butterfly effect behind all of this. The explosive growth of ZAGE in the multi-entertainment industry had sent ripple effects through the entire tech ecosystem. Microsoft, now fully aware of Zaboru's influence and reputation, had started pushing itself harder and faster than ever before—far more aggressively than in Zaboru's original timeline. Bill Gates and his executive team were motivated not just by innovation, but also by competition, prestige, and the inspiration Zaboru's rapid advancements brought to the industry.
As a result, hardware development timelines had shortened drastically. NVIDIA and AMD, both previously limited by budget and direction, suddenly found themselves injected with fresh capital and strategic partnerships. Just recently, ZAGE had officially acquired another 20% shares for both of them and it make ZAGE the owner of 50% stake in both companies, making Zaboru a major player in shaping the future of PC graphics and processing. But that wasn't all—he had also funneled additional research grants to both companies, allowing them to hire more talent, expand their labs, and experiment freely with bleeding-edge ideas.
This influx of resources and support didn't just supercharge their progress—it set a new industry pace. Seeing how rapidly AMD and NVIDIA were advancing, Intel refused to be left behind. The processor giant accelerated its roadmap, pouring resources into research and launching designs that, in Zaboru's original life, would've taken years longer to see the light of day.
Zaboru unknowingly had become the catalyst behind a technological renaissance. The world was reshaping itself around him—and the future he remembered was already being rewritten before his eyes.
Then, after the reveal, Bill Gates and one of his lead engineers began walking Zaboru through the fundamentals of how to use Windows XP. They discussed the system's design philosophy, key usability features, and technical improvements over previous operating systems. For most people, this would be a deep and enlightening crash course—but for Zaboru, it felt like revisiting an old friend.
He listened politely and nodded in all the right places, but in truth, he was already beyond familiar with every aspect of Windows XP. This was the OS he had used extensively in his previous life, the one that had powered many of his most gaming years. Its shortcuts, quirks, and system behaviors were engraved in his memory.
Still, he appreciated the enthusiasm and clarity with which they presented the information. He asked a few probing questions to keep the conversation engaging and to ensure he didn't raise suspicion with his knowledge. Internally, though, he was already ten steps ahead—his mind racing with all the things he wanted to test, tweak, and optimize the moment he got his hands on the system.
For Zaboru, this wasn't just another software tool. It was a key—one that would unlock even more possibilities for ZAGE's future projects. And he couldn't wait to fully immerse himself in it again.
Zaboru grinned and said, "Honestly, Bill, this OS is incredible. I seriously can't wait to get my hands on it and start integrating it with my projects. And as for the game you mentioned, don't worry—I can guarantee it will be crafted with care, precision, and the kind of innovation you're hoping for. You're going to be very satisfied with the result."
Bill Gates smiled in return, clearly reassured. He trusted Zaboru more than anyone when it came to video game development. After all, Zaboru wasn't just any developer—he was widely considered the best in the world right now, with a reputation for delivering genre-defining masterpieces that pushed hardware and imagination to their limits.
"Sure thing, Zaboru," Bill replied, his voice filled with confidence. Then the two of them turned their attention to the next step. They began drafting an official agreement, laying out the framework of an early access partnership. Within minutes, legal teams were notified to formalize the deal. Once everything was reviewed and signed, Zaboru and ZAGE would gain exclusive access to Windows XP well before its public release.
This wasn't just a show of trust—it was a strategic alliance. Microsoft was opening its doors to Zaboru, knowing that his use of their OS would lead to breakthrough applications that could showcase Windows XP's true potential to the world.
To be continue
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