The air smelled faintly of fallen leaves and late summer warmth as Kobe walked across the Valenridge Institute of Technology campus. Around him, students joked, swapped stories, and debated game mechanics, their voices a comforting background hum. But inside Kobe, a quiet storm churned.
Just three days had passed since his grandfather, Michael, died. The loss felt surreal. To Kobe, his grandfather Michael wasn't just family.. he was Kobe's hero, and the man who sparked the fire in him to chase the world of games and design.
At the funeral, Kobe's aunt Stella pulled him aside.
"Kobe, I just want to let you know that Michael wanted you to have his electronics collection," she said softly. "He believed you were the one to carry on his legacy... and so do I."
Kobe nodded, the weight of those words sinking in.
After the funeral, Kobe returned to college, his mind clouded with grief and responsibility. Over the next three days, his parents stayed behind at Michael's house, carefully packing up decades of his work. Boxes piled high, labeled meticulously: **Electronics**, **Games**, **Console Parts**, **Unfinished Projects**.
It wasn't until his parents finished boxing everything that Kobe received the call.
*"Hi Koby, I just wanted to let you know We're done packing everything up. Your boxes are sitting in the garage, ready for you to pick up whenever you get the chance."* his mother told him gently.
"Okay Mom I'll be there Saturday to pick them up, love you guys, and thank you!" Kobe responded.
That weekend, Kobe made the trip to his grandfather's house. He loaded the carefully labeled boxes into his car and drove back to his dorm at the college.
Exhausted from the day's work, Kobe went to bed early, the weight of his grandfather's legacy, and memories pressing down on him like an anchor.
The next morning, he decided began unpacking. The first box he opened was marked **"Unfinished Projects."** Inside the box where scattered circuit boards, tangled wires, and faded notes that lay before him. He sifted through the loose components, frustration mingling with curiosity.
After a while, Kobe grabbed his phone and texted his best friend Seth.
*"Hey, I've got some old stuff from Grandpa's collection... You come check it out."*
Seth responded quickly. "I'm so down.. is it chill if I bring Sis over too?" Stephen text back.
*"Wait, Caroline's their..."* He thought to himself.
"Umm, yeah sure. No problem!" Kobe messaged back.. obviously flustered.
Later that day, the three of them gathered in Kobe's dorm, surrounded by boxes and electronic parts.
They spent At least an hour going through the first box comparing circuits and wiring diagrams to those in which they use in class.
It wasn't long before Carly's sharp eyes soon caught sight of a box labeled **"Games & Consoles."**
"Yoo Ko', Can I open this one next?" she asked.
Kobe nodded. "Yeah sure.. I don't see why not."
Carly lifted the box up, and brought it to the middle of the room, revealing a sleek black console with a neon blue top plate. The ting looked dusty, but unmistakably unique.
"Guys, look at this.. I think it's some kinda unreleased Console!" she called out, excitement in her voice.
The three of them stood around the box Carly had just opened. Nestled among carefully folded packing paper was a sleek, angular console. —dark gunmetal with silver trim that shimmered faintly under the fluorescent dorm lights. It wasn't long before Stephen reached in with a sort of reverence and lifted the device out.
"Whoa," he whispered. "It lookslike it's actually in perfect condition…"
Kobe leaned in as the others gathered closer. The top of the console bore a minimalist, glowing logo: **"G-DOS X-32."** Clean, futuristic lines framed its sides, and its weight gave it a solid, almost industrial heft. It was clear that this thing was built to last.
Carly pointed at a pamphlet in the box. "This says it's called a **GameDrive: OmegaStation X32**."
"Yeah," Kobe said, brushing his fingers over the surface of the console. "Wait.. this is the **G-DOS X-32**... My grandfather used to talk about this like it was Supposed the future of gaming… he said it was way ahead of its time, But it never got released due to a marketing scam.. If I remember right, he said another console designer stole the brand name from him while it was in development!"
Seth dug back into the box and pulled out more contents: four matching controllers, shaped a bit like old PlayStation or Dreamcast knockoff ones, but with translucent shells revealing internal circuits; an odd, spiral-shaped power brick; several thick, adapter-heavy cords; and most intriguing of all, three full rows of game cartridges, packed in protective foam sleeves.
"Holy hell," Carly murmured. "How many games are in here?"
"Looks like 30 maybe 50 games to me.." Seth said, flipping one over. "Yoo, check it out, This one says '**Bronze Blade Chronicle.**' Co-Op Multiplayer; ..up to four players!"
Kobe and Carly both turned to look at him.
"We should test it," Carly said, already smiling. "Before we open the other boxes. Just… see if it still works."
Kobe's heart jumped slightly as she spoke.
—Carly always had that effect on him, ever since they were kids—
Kobe nodded, maybe too eagerly. "Yeah, totally... Let's do it!"
Seth gave him a look, but didn't say anything. He just grinned and held up the cartridge. "Then Bronze Blade it is. Let's see if this thing still has juice."
They cleared off the corner of Kobe's desk and started hooking everything up. The plug gave off a small static pop as it entered the wall, and the faint glow of the console's logo lit up the room.