Page 4 of Claws and Controllers

Mara glanced over at Letty and chuckled. “I suppose we should.”

Gerri chuckled. “Don’t worry. Soon enough you’ll both be celebrating your children’s match. Mark my words.”

ONE

The first rays of dawn crept through the towering skyscrapers of Manhattan, casting long shadows across the bustling streets. Ellie navigated the early morning traffic with practiced ease, her compact electric car humming quietly as she wove between taxis and delivery trucks. The Javits Center loomed ahead, its glass facade glinting in the soft morning light.

Ellie’s heart raced as she pulled into the parking garage. Today was the day. After months of grueling work, countless sleepless nights, and more cups of coffee than she cared to admit, she would finally unveil her latest creation to the world.

The convention center was eerily quiet as Ellie made her way inside, her footsteps echoing in the cavernous space. A few early-bird staff members nodded in greeting as she passed, but for the most part, she had the place to herself. It was perfect. She needed this time to prepare and center herself before the chaos of the day began.

Ellie’s booth was nestled between two gaming giants, their elaborate displays dwarfing her more modest setup. But she didn’t mind. Her game didn’t need flashy gimmicks or overblown marketing. It would speak for itself.

As she began setting up her equipment, Ellie’s mind wandered back to the journey that had brought her here. The past year had been a roller coaster of emotions and challenges. There were nights she’d wanted to throw in the towel, when the code refused to cooperate or when her creative well ran dry. But for every low point, there had been a breakthrough, a moment of pure elation when everything clicked into place.

Ellie smiled to herself as she booted up her game station. She remembered the exact moment the core concept of her game had come to her. It had been during one of her late-night anime binges, a bowl of stale popcorn balanced precariously on her lap as she watched the protagonist of some obscure series navigate a complex virtual world. The idea had hit her like a bolt of lightning, and she’d scrambled for her notebook, scribbling furiously as the episode played on, forgotten.

From that spark of inspiration, “Infinite Odyssey” had been born. A multiplayer game that blended elements of strategy, role-playing, and social interaction in a way that had never been done. Ellie had poured her heart and soul into every line of code, every character design, every sweeping landscape. She and her team had worked hard to put it all together and she’d barely slept for months.

As she adjusted the display screens, making sure the game’s vibrant artwork was showcased to its best advantage, Ellie’s thoughts drifted to her family. The Maddens were a force to be reckoned with in the business world, their influence stretching across multiple industries. And while they had always supported her passion for gaming, there was an undercurrent of expectation, a silent pressure to live up to the family name.

Her father’s words from their last Sunday dinner echoed in her mind. “You’ve got Madden blood in your veins, Ellie-girl,” he’d said, his eyes twinkling with a mix of pride and challenge. “Show them what that means.”

Ellie took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders. She would make them proud. More importantly, she would prove to herself that she had what it took to succeed on her own terms.

The sound of laughter broke through her reverie, and Ellie looked up to see two familiar faces approaching. Noa, her best friend since college, was grinning from ear to ear, her blonde waves bouncing with each step. Beside her, Ellie’s sister Frankie walked with her usual grace, a more reserved smile playing on her lips.

“There’s our gaming goddess,” Noa called out, waving a paper bag in one hand and a tray of coffee cups in the other. “We come bearing offerings of caffeine and carbs.”

Ellie couldn’t help but laugh, the tension in her shoulders easing at the sight of her support system. “You two are lifesavers,” she said, reaching for the largest coffee cup. “I was running on fumes.”

Frankie raised a brow, giving Ellie a once-over. “Did you sleep at all last night? You look like you went ten rounds with your keyboard.”

“Sleep is for the weak,” Ellie quipped, taking a long sip of her latte. “And for people who don’t have game-changing demos to perfect.”

Noa set down the bag of pastries and placed her hands on Ellie’s shoulders, fixing her with a stern look. “Okay, Miss Workaholic, time for a reality check. You’ve been killing yourself over this game for months. It’s brilliant, you’re brilliant, and today is going to be amazing. But first, you need to eat something before you pass out on your fancy tech setup.”

Ellie opened her mouth to protest, but her stomach chose that moment to growl loudly. Frankie smirked, reaching into the bag and pulling out a croissant. “Doctor’s orders,” she said, pressing it into Ellie’s hand.

As Ellie nibbled on the pastry, Noa circled the booth, taking in the displays with wide-eyed enthusiasm. “Damn, Ellie, this looks incredible. Remember when we used to dream about stuff like this back in our dorm room? You with your coding books spread out everywhere, me trying to design characters that didn’t look like mutant potatoes?”

The memory brought a genuine smile to Ellie’s face. Those late-night brainstorming sessions with Noa had been the foundation of her journey. “We’ve come a long way from stick figure concept art, that’s for sure.”

Frankie, ever the pragmatist, was examining the technical setup with a critical eye. “Everything seems to be in order,” she murmured, tapping on one of the screens. “But maybe we should run through the game one more time, just to be safe.”

Ellie nodded, grateful for her sister’s attention to detail. As they began walking through the presentation, checking each element for potential glitches, Noa’s voice rang out again.

“Hey, remember that time in our junior year when you stayed up for three days straight to finish that game design project? What was it called again? ‘Zombie Prom’ or something?”

Ellie groaned, though she couldn’t hide her grin. “‘Undead Homecoming,’ thank you very much. And let’s not forget who was responsible for the truly terrifying prom dress designs.”

Noa struck a pose, flipping her hair dramatically. “Excuse you, those dresses were haute couture meets horror chic. We were ahead of our time.”

The banter continued as they worked, Noa peppering the air with anecdotes from their college days, each one a reminder of Ellie’s passion and talent. It was exactly what she needed to hear, a counterbalance to the doubts that had been gnawing at her.

As Frankie stepped away to take a phone call, Noa’s tone grew more serious. “You know, Ellie, I hope you realize howincredible this is. What you’ve created here... it’s not just a game. It’s a work of art.”

A lump formed in her throat, touched by her friend’s sincerity. “Thanks, Noa. I just hope everyone else sees it that way.”

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