章 12: Seeds of Empire
Dawn crept through my window as I finalized the presentation for Rico's cousin. Not the polished PowerPoint decks I'd use in boardrooms decades from now, but a carefully crafted mix of ambition and feasibility. The warehouse plans, revenue projections, and growth strategies all calibrated to seem visionary but not impossible for 2002.
I'd spent the night weaving together three timelines: what had happened originally, what could happen now, and what needed to happen to build something even greater. Each projection, each milestone marked with precision. Some opportunities had to be missed – success that came too easily would raise questions. Other chances had to be seized at exactly the right moment.
My phone buzzed. Derek: "Outside. Ready when you are."
I grabbed my backpack, now stuffed with more business plans than schoolbooks. Mom was already gone for her shift, but she'd left another note: "Meeting the bank at 4. Don't be late. And Marcus? Make sure this dream has room for your education."
The morning air hit crisp and cool as I stepped outside. Derek leaned against the building, his MPC case slung over his shoulder. In my original timeline, this would be one of our last conversations before he disappeared into the streets. Not this time.
"Ready to see the future?" I asked, leading him toward the warehouse.
"Man, you talking crazy lately," he laughed, but followed. "Ever since that battle, you're like a different person."
If he only knew.
The warehouse loomed ahead, its brick facade weathered by decades of Bronx winters. Most people saw abandonment. I saw potential – and this time, I knew exactly how to unlock it.
"Look past what it is," I told Derek as we picked our way through the empty loading dock. "See what it could be."
I walked him through the space, painting pictures with words. "Main studio here, with sight lines to the control room. Recording booths along that wall. Your production suite would go there, overlooking the street."
"My what now?"
"I'm offering you a partnership, D. Not just studio time. A real stake in what we're building." I turned to face him, remembering headlines that hadn't happened yet. "You've got something special. The world just needs to hear it the right way."
Derek stared at the empty space, and for a moment, I saw his future Grammy-winning self superimposed over his teenage uncertainty. "This is real? You're really doing this?"
"We're really doing this. But it's more than just music." I pulled out my notebook, showed him the technical sketches I'd simplified for 2002 understanding. "We're going to change how music is made. New production techniques, new technologies. Things nobody's even dreamed of yet."
"And you want me involved? Why?"
Because in another life, you proved what you could do, once you got the chance. Because your sound shaped a decade, after you fought your way back. Because this time, you shouldn't have to fall before you rise.
"Because talent recognizes talent," I said instead. "You in?"
He studied the sketches, fingers tracing over studio layouts and equipment lists. "This is gonna cost millions."
"Start smaller. Build smarter. I've got it all mapped out." I gestured around the empty warehouse. "One year from now, this place will be the hottest studio in the Bronx. Five years? We'll be running the game."
"You sound so sure."
I smiled, thinking of the empire this moment would launch. "That's because I am. But first, we need to make a stop before the bank meeting. Time to show you some production techniques that'll blow your mind."
As we walked back into the sunshine, I felt the future shifting again. Another piece moved into place, another life redirected toward its better path.
The game was changing. This time, we'd all win.
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