He left the apartment after a quick exercise routien long ps running around the block, some squats and push-ups, and a forty-minute routine, done every m. The refrigerator was empty, and he had to do some shopping whe back, for now, he could only bite hard and do the shopping in the evening. He would have to reheat the ese rice he bought in the m. How cost-effective is life in Los Angeles? Not very, even the essentials are more expehan in San Jose, it depends on the area.

  Steam covered the bathroom mirror, even though the water wasn't very hot, the humid weather eventually caused steam to spread throughout the bathroom. Billy ed the mirror and saw the incipient beard he had been growing for two months, a somewhat thick mustache that didn't quite ect at the ers.

  He took a deep breath, with a bathrobe c his lower half, he arranged his hair so it all fell forward in a fringe, resembling a ut. He put on se-framed gsses, which he used for breaks or at night, without a prescription. Round-framed, he an oversized checkered shirt, much rger than usual, along with an oversized jacket, a size rger than he had bought at a thrift store, it was old and wrinkled, and you could see some patches on the elbows, with bck patches.

  Tight bell-bottom jeans, with a bck belt, and somewhat formal suit and shoes, trasting with the appearance of an academic as much as possible. Even the wrinkled clothes on Daniel's character were a deliberate gesture because he knew he didn't have a pce to belong.

  Jim Waitt appeared at the door just before he finished getting dressed, a preparation of more than an hour, something unon for Billy. The room was , with a mp on a nightstand. He left the room to greet his visitor, and o table, you could see some extra drawings from the Shaman King series.

  Billy opehe door, and saw Jim Waitt in a fitted suit, giving a calm smile. He ehe apartment and looked at Billy's suit with some suspi.

  -You're quite proactive, even though we know the role is Daniel Ja, an archaeologist, it seems like you have a clear idea of the character, - Jim Waitt said.

  He was somewhat anxious; the rge bets he had made on Billy had cost him David Ficher and Juliette Binoche. James Cameron had been in his position quietly, but he knew very well that only Billy's success could strengthen his position, even though he brought and made some deals, starting with Pixar and Lux Animation, it was not enough to make an impa his profession.

  -I'll take you to the studio to meet some people who have been active in the industry retly and are future directors, so you might end up auditioning for one of their films, - Jim said.

  -I don't doubt it. I'll finish my meal, and we'll go, - Billy said, reheating st night's leftovers, a bit of bck coffee with rid eggs.

  -Hurry up. We have ten minutes, - he said.

  Billy nodded and took a sip of his coffee while waiting for the reheated meal. He ate as quickly as he could and then they got into the bck van with tinted windows. As he entered, he felt the van's air ditioning hit him directly.

  The short ride took them to a luxurious coffee shop he studios. Three people were already there, enjoying their coffee. A few photographers were rushing around, and there was some otion a couple of blocks away, but Billy didn't pay much attention. He focused on following the strangers in the room while they chatted. He regained his posure and ordered another coffee.

  Jim Waitt was engaged in a detailed versation with the three people in the room. They seemed to be twins, both ag as directors and swriters, as if their minds were one, acc to Jim Waitt and the entleman at the table, who was a well-regarded film producer.

  -Well, we'll have to go now. David will be over there, - Jim Waitt said, referring to David Duy, a new t of Jim Waitt's who currently had five ts.

  As they walked to the studio, Billy simply smiled. - ime, try to break the ice, - Jim Waitt said as they parted ways.

  Although he didn't highlight anything, after all, he only o expose Billy to other people. This is Hollywood, exposure. Even if you don't talk to many people, exposure is an important trait in the business.

  -Good luck. I have to meet with a sponsor. See you ter this afternoon. Call me as soon as you finish your audition. Good luck. Most auditions you'll face will be ducted this way, - Jim said as he left Billy at the entranext to the Casting sign.

  Billy walked through the studio until he found a reception room, just as Jim had said he would.

  -Excuse me, Stargate casting, - Billy said to the young woman taking notes in a red notebook.

  -Of course, it's in room 4, - the receptionist replied, direg Billy down a school-like hallway with some chairs. He saw his future petitors; only one was dressed like an archaeologist, it seemed. Well, his ces were about to improve.

  -Quite tense, - Billy murmured, sitting down calmly. There was nothing that could g; his skills were surprisingly good, and the system had aggressively improved his ag abilities.

  -All right, is Oswald Corvas, - a powerful voice shouted from the door, the anizer, a young man whose voice carried throughout the room.

  The room of five people was on edge, filled with the stifling air of all the hopefuls who wao ehe movie, both as supp cast and lead actors. However, acc to the director's thoughts, they had already chosen a suitable profile. For Billy, in a bold move made by Jim Waitt regarding the lead role, the main character followed these thoughts to the letter. An archaeologist named Daniel Ja, the character and Billy's deep studies had made him a shy but proud person, somewhat odd, not very smart in subjects other than academics. Jim Waitt chose his attire, a long, yered hairstyle, almost like a totuma, his long hair was styled peculiarly, and he was given round-framed gsses.

  -Billion Darwin! - they called to ehe office. Billy took a deep breath and checked the room with five people who still had to duct the interviews. His ag study of immersing himself in the role was the most effective way to achieve a reasonable result. He had been wearing gsses for two weeks and ged his wardrobe to that of a ret archaeology school graduate.

  -Very well, it's a pleasure to have you here, - said a gray-haired man to the left of Ronald Emmerich. He raised his voice but focused on reading from a rge brown folder taining the profile information of the young Billiom Darwin.

  -Billion Darwin, - the man firmed.

  -Very well, Bill, you have a mio read your lines. Recite them as you like, - Ronald Emmerich said, pointing to a table on the side where a script ced on three sheets of paper, each marked as "fidential."

  Billy read for a while; he was already familiar with most of the movie's lines. He mentally prepared for a somber look, something that would help him ect with the image of a somewhat timid academic with peculiar aspects.

  -All right, let's begin, - said a man.

  Just as he had practiced for hours, he took a seat at the table, immersing himself in the role and following all the steps he had learned in numerous ag csses: improvisatiohod ag, feeling the character deeply from a personal standpoint, making the role his own.

  Billy sat down at the table with care, adjusted his posture to appear slightly hunched, and put on his gsses. He took a deep breath.

  -Whenever you're ready, - Ronald Emmerich said.

  performance

  -Okay. Well, I brought some things, photocopies, and brochures... But I didn't know there would be so many people here, so you'll have to take turns, - Billy/Daniel said, sing the room as if it were a meeting. He waited for three seds while swallowing nervously.

  -Well, obviously what we're looking at is a reprodu of the tablets. Ier circle are the symbols that are supposedly the words we o transte. Um... would you mind moving that? - Billy added, seemingly unaware of his surroundings, mimig as if he held a star chart in his hands.

  -As you see, we have a photo of the tablet, and the words you believed to be transtions are steltions, like staircases, -- he tinued, leaping up from his seat. -- Small steps. These steltions are a kind of six-point map, whereas aination in three-dimensional space requires seven points. What we're looking at is a reprodu of the tablets. Ier circle are the symbols that are supposedly the words we o transte. Um... would you mind moving that? -- he repeated.

  Billy pyed dumb and then reposed himself, feeling as though someone in front of him was saying, - He said there were seven points. -

  -Well, actually, you need seven points; the point is the destination, - Billy said.

  -There are only six figures on the cartridge; where are the seven points? - someone assisting in the rolepy shouted.

  Billy's eyes widened. - What do you mean, which device? - he began to stammer.

  -Show him the device immediately, - echoed the imaginary voice he had created in his head, which was now being a liviy.

  It ractiot just a mere illusion. This feeling surprised Ronald Emmerich as he watched how the actor captivated him. He could almost hear the pints of the boardroom as they saw Daniel, who had written the script himself, brought to life by an actor who portrayed everything he wanted in a few simple lihe nervous Dahe one who had no idea what it was like to live an ordinary life and just carried ideas in his head.

  Billy focused his gaze on an imaginary point as he observed ily. He walked slowly around the room and approached the chairs where the people were sitting. -- Stop, this is the symbht here. If you look, it's the pyramid o the sun. As you see... these twe guys are oher side of the pyramid with a ray of sun directly above it. It's also an a symbol that meah.' The ray of the sun represents the god Ra, -- Billy said, getting closer with renewed fidence.

  Time passed, and he made some gestures in lih the script, raised his eyes, and put on a magnifit look as if it were a work of art. Slowly, he began to portray a bit of pani his face, supported by his posture the slightly open movement of his mouth, and the foolish movement.

  -It stopped somewhere in the Galia gaxy. -

  -Where is it on the map? - Billy asked.

  -At point one. -

  He intoned again, attempting to pose a question but his shyness held him back, aopped quickly. His eyes paused, trying to mimic the posture of someoh a trembling voice, indig that there was a long military versation.

  -I... I could do it, - he said, trying to deliver a silly word, a few silly words. - Yes, I could do it. - He imitated the almost tearful voice that came out of his lips.

  For everyone in the room, it was a magnifit performahey eve immersed in the movie. However, they could only provide their approval, as the final word on the protagonist y with Ronald Emmerich, or so it was believed.

  After finishing their lines, along with the minimal guidance from the script, Ronald Emmerich gave his approval, but none of them gave a response regarding whether he had done a good job. They reviewed some data and cluded the operation.

  -You go, Bill. It leasure to have you participate. We'll call yent if you've beeed. Have a good one, - said the man with Billy's entire resume in the folder

  END.

  Billy's resume sisted of two voice-over roles, participation in four ercials, and three cameos in television series. At the age of seventeen, it wasn't particurly remarkable, and his youthful appearance might have been a drawback for the movie. This was his first mistake.

  He left the room and saw the same five people. Walking through the exit of the produ studios, he found a small bench at the back. Calmly, he took a deep breath. He would have to return to his small apartment, do some drawing, and wait for three days for a response. Jim Waitt estimated that this was the typical reje timeframe. The rest was just waiting. Produ was supposed to start at the end of February, but it was already March, so it was highly likely that they would receive a positive response in a few days.

  He walked to the studio's exit, pnning to catch a bus a some exercise.

  ...