I minimized the Spider-Man file and pulled up a few of this world's "top-rated" comics on a secondary screen. I needed a reminder of what I was up against, I knew that this world has a lacking in quality in their works and a big difference in it. So, I need a dose of reality to fuel my righteous indignation.
I have the memory of Old Sael, and he too, enjoyed the comics, when he was young. Still, I need a refresher on everything. I need to look at it, from my own point of view.
"Phew~ that is a lot….". It was worse than I remembered. The first one, "Star Knightess Aurora", featured a heroine whose armor seemed to be designed by a horny twelve-year-old with a chrome fetish, it looked good, but she is wearing just strings at this point.
It was all impossible physics and strategically placed glowing bits. The plot? Something about an alien invasion that was immediately forgotten the second a shirtless alien prince showed up.
But the real crown jewel of garbage was the one Grandma Nadia sometimes had lying around the living room. The famous, fifty-year-running epic: 'Captain Dicks'.
I kid you not. That was the title. Captain Dicks.
I opened a random issue. Page one: Captain Dicks, a guy with a jaw so square it could crack diamonds, is fighting some generic thugs. Page two: He's saved a woman with curves that defied the laws of anatomy. By page three, they're not even 'pretending' to have a plot anymore. It was just… full-on, poorly drawn hentai with speech bubbles.
The dialogue was literally: "You saved me! How can I ever repay you?!" and "Justice isn't its own reward, baby."
I snorted, a mix of disgust and perverted amusement bubbling up.
"Oh, come on," I muttered to the empty room.
"Even I think this is lazy." And my standards, especially in my last life, were not exactly sky-high. This wasn't titillation; it was a waste of paper and ink. There was no story, no character, no struggle. Just a repetitive, soulless cycle of fight-and-bone. I loved sex and hentai as much as the next guy, but this is just too much, there had to be some limitation somewhere, the story and plot had to go somewhere. No wonder the industry was dying. They'd forgotten how to tell a story.
'Alright. Time to build a better work. If I was going to save an entire medium, I needed to be organized about it.' I am entering the game after all.
"Sunday, you there?"
"Always, Sir"
"Okay, new project…. We're making this official, I'm spinning off two new divisions under the Meteor Studio banner… First one: Meteor Creative. That's gonna handle all the comics, manga, light novels, and eventually animation…. That's where the Spider-Man and Batman stuff lives."
I could almost feel Sunday processing, creating new digital file structures. "Acknowledged. Database and project tracking for 'Meteor Creative' initialized."
"Second one: Meteor Entertainment. That's for the music side. Millie's contract, my Sael VT stuff, any other artists we sign, and down the line, movies and shows. We gotta keep the music and the comics separate…. Makes it cleaner and easier to manage".
"Understood. 'Meteor Entertainment' structure created. Shall I migrate the existing music contracts and assets?"
"Yeah, do it. And here's the important part," I said, spinning in my chair.
"I want you to create a dedicated AI manager for each branch. Not as smart as you, obviously… But something that can handle the day-to-day stuff. Scheduling, file management, basic customer service replies, that kind of thing. You're the overlord; these AIs are the regional governors."
"A prudent organizational strategy. It will allow for scalable growth without compromising my core functionality or your final approval authority. Developing AI subroutines now. Designations: 'Curator' for Meteor Creative, and 'Aria' for Meteor Entertainment."
"Perfect." I liked that. It felt professional. I'd still be the one giving the final thumbs-up or thumbs-down on everything, but I wouldn't have to micromanage the color of Spider-Man's webbing on a lunchbox.
I could just be the idea guy. The god-emperor of nerd culture.
**********
The sound of the washing machine finishing its cycle rumbled through the floor. Right. I'd promised Grandma Nadia I'd help with the laundry today. Even digital emperors had to do their chores, beside, I am a changed man, so I had to show that I am.
I found her in the bathroom, already sorting the whites from the colors. The air was warm and smelled of clean linen and floral detergent.
"Sorry, Grandma. Got distracted," I said, grabbing a basket of damp towels.
"It's fine, my love," she said, her smile warm. "I know you're a busy man with your computer things."
We worked in comfortable silence for a few minutes, the familiar routine soothing. It was a weird contrast, thinking about world domination one second and folding my little sister's ridiculously bright socks the next.
Might as well make use of the time. "Hey, Grandma?" I asked, trying to sound casually curious.
"We ever got any other family floating around out there? Like, besides us and Aunt Vera's side?"
Nadia didn't look up from matching a pair of socks. "Oh, of course, my love. Your mother's family is… complicated. Lots of steps." She chuckled.
"Your mother has a stepsister, Tammy Pesca…. She lives in New Jersey; can you believe it? A comedian. And a chef on the television! Very loud, very Italian. She sends the best olive oil."
I blinked, a sock halfway into its ball. "Seriously?" An aunt in New Jersey who's a celebrity chef-comedian? That sounded like a sitcom character.
"Mhmm…. And on your father's side, he had a stepsister, Lee Da In. Half-Korean, half-Japanese… A very sharp, beautiful woman. She is a… what is it… a Chief Financial Officer for a television company in New Korea... Very successful."
I just stared at her, a towel forgotten in my hands. My family was like a weird, multinational soap opera. Russian-Asian grandma, blonde American mom, Latina aunt, an Italian chef-comedian, and a Korean-Japanese CFO…
Nadia finally looked up and saw my expression. She laughed, a rich, warm sound. "Yes, my love. Our family tree has many different branches…. It is not a simple one. But it is a strong one."