America's Got Talent.
Wow. The name alone made Zane feel a jolt of pure excitement. He knew how big this show was. It had versions in Britain and all over the world. It was a license to print money.
His "system" was so funny. It was either completely silent, or it dropped a giant, life-changing idea on him. This was a really big one.
Zane had seen the show in his old life, so he knew the basic idea. But he could never remember all the little details to make a full show. Now, the system had just handed him the complete blueprint. The amount of money this one idea could make was amazing.
His first thought was to call his lawyer, David, and lock down the rights to the show. But for the first time, Zane stopped.
"Tomorrow is the anniversary," he mumbled. "The day his... 'mother'... passed away."
Zane had been an orphan in his old life. He didn't really have a mother. The whole idea felt strange to him. But now, all alone in his quiet house, he felt a deep, strange sadness. He didn't feel like working. He just felt... empty.
"Darn it," he grumbled, surprised at his own mood. "Since when do I get all sad like this?"
The next morning, Zane put on a nice black suit. He drove over and picked up Adriana Lima.
"Sweetheart, you're so early," she said, giving him a hug. She could tell something was different about him.
"Change of plans for today, Lima," he said, his voice quiet. "I need you to come with me somewhere."
"Okay. Of course," she said. She was curious why he was so serious and dressed up.
He drove in silence until they got to a place that explained everything: the cemetery.
"Mom... may you rest in peace," Zane said quietly. He put flowers on the grave and sketched a small cross in the air.
"Rest well, Auntie," Adriana whispered. Her heart ached for him. She took his hand. "Zane... I'm here for you."
"You're here?" A small, strange laugh escaped his lips. It was supposed to be a sad, touching moment, but he just felt... like a fake. This woman's death didn't mean anything to him. He had no memory of her. How could he be sad about a stranger? He felt guilty for not feeling sad.
The sun rose again, and Zane's focus on work came back.
At Wald Pictures, three movies were being worked on. Hard Candy was almost finished and Juno was just getting started.
"What do you mean Richard Linklater doesn't have a final script for Juno yet?" Zane asked his CEO, Victor.
"It's true, boss," Victor said.
This was strange. Mr. Linklater was usually a very reliable director. Zane and Victor went to the writers' room to see what was wrong.
They found the director in a very heated, excited talk with his writers.
"Gentlemen, the script needs work!" Mr. Linklater was saying. "Yes, Juno is a great script. I love it. But it has problems!"
"Problems? What problems?" a writer asked.
"Oh, for goodness sake!" Mr. Linklater said. "It's missing... a pulse! It's missing a connection to today. And most important, it's missing... heart."
"Heart?" another writer asked.
"Yes, heart! Warmth!" the director exclaimed. "A teenage girl in this spot... her fear, her family's messy, crazy, but strong support... the laughs, the fights, the quiet moments. That's the good stuff we're missing! That's the warmth that will make this movie great!"
Zane stood in the doorway, listening. The director's words hit him like a ton of bricks. He was right.
Zane had written the first script from his memory of a movie from 2007. But this was 1996. The world was different. A story about a pregnant teenager would be seen differently now. Without that real, emotional part that Mr. Linklater was talking about, the movie might not work. It might even make people upset.
A famous director is famous for a reason, Zane thought. That $1.I2 million salary is worth every single penny.
After a short, supportive chat with the director, Zane and Victor went back to the CEO's office.
They barely got through the door when Martha, his development boss, came in.
"Mr. Jones—oh, boss, you're here too. Perfect," she said. "I just got off the phone with the theaters. They are thinking of a July 19th release date for Hard Candy. I need your final 'okay.'"
The present day was calling. The work had to be done. The past, and the grave, could wait.
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