November 1, 1981.
While James was practising his [ADAPTIVE VOCALS] skill, he received a system notification.
[CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ARTIST'S ALBUM SALES!]
[MILESTONE SALES: 200,000~]
[YOU HAVE BEEN AWARDED A $20,000,000 MONEY BAG!]
'Yes! The money's rolling in!'
///////////////////////////////////NEXT SCENE///////////////////////////////////
December 1, 1981.
Chris Cornell's tour, which ran from September through November, had officially wrapped—and a new one was already underway. So far, the response has been phenomenal. Nearly every venue reached near-full capacity night after night.
Album sales had remained strong, now spreading steadily across Europe and Asia. Joseph Kennedy Sr. reported that many international venues and festivals were eager to invite Chris to perform sets. James left all scheduling to Joseph, confident things were running smoothly.
With that trust in place, James made a bold decision: to upgrade Chris Cornell's contract. From 8% net profit sharing, he raised it to 35%.
The reasoning was clear—by January 1982, Chris Cornell would begin recording the Louder Than Love album.
After that, once his sabbatical concluded in 1985, James planned to have him record Badmotorfinger.
'Damn, I never thought he'd be this good this early,' James thought as he watched the recorded footage of Chris Cornell's November 1981 gig at The Vogue in Indianapolis.
'At 17, he was already this powerful. What would he sound like in his 20s?'
'Damn... I can't imagine his vocal prowess by then. He might be able to sing the Audioslave songs better than he did in the original timeline.'
///////////////////////////////////NEXT SCENE///////////////////////////////////
December 1, 1981.
After a month of strong touring and sales, James received another system notification—this time, separate from Chris Cornell's show earnings.
[CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ARTIST'S ALBUM SALES!]
[MILESTONE SALES: 300,000~]
[YOU HAVE BEEN AWARDED A $30,000,000 MONEY BAG!]
'Now… What's my current cash balance in the system's inventory?'
James checked—and his eyes widened.
[BALANCE: $84,386,272]
'For real!? How… how do I even spend this much money?'
'Ah, well… I'll set this aside for contingencies. I need to increase funding for Apex Legends Publishing.'
'It's good the company's registered under Carl Barks. There won't be any suspicions in the future, and I can let Carl manage it until it grows into an empire.'
'As for F.W. Murnau's side, filming has been smooth with no issues so far. I'll probably get to watch the full movie by mid-1982.'
'Now… I need another act aside from Chris Cornell. Guess it's time to plunder Sonic Youth and Eddie Vedder this month.'
///////////////////////////////////NEXT SCENE///////////////////////////////////
Around mid-December, Jason Bourne arrived in New York. Intelligence from earlier investigations confirmed that the members of Sonic Youth frequently visited a particular dive bar downtown. Using this knowledge, Jason timed his arrival perfectly.
After a short wait, he spotted them: Thurston Moore, Kim Gordon, and Lee Ranaldo, sitting at their usual table, ordering drinks.
Jason noticed the empty seat beside Thurston and slid into it with practiced ease. Thurston, distracted in conversation, didn't notice him at first.
With precise timing, Jason lightly tapped Thurston on the shoulder.
"What?" Thurston Moore turned his head.
"Thurston Moore?" Jason Bourne said.
Thurston Moore became alert, eyeing Jason warily "Yeah?"
Jason calmly pulled a sleek black business card from his coat and slid it across the table. In silver foil, it read:
SUB POP INC. — Est. 1980
"My name's Jason Bourne. I scout for Sub Pop Inc. Heard your set at Hoboken last week. You're not just noise, you're carving out something new. And we think you're ready."
Kim Gordon leaned in, intrigued. "Sub Pop? Chris Cornell's label? The ones with those MTV videos?"
Jason Bourne nodded, ""That's us. Four videos in regular rotation—Circle of Life, Beyond the Wheel, Flower, and All Your Lies. Chris went from dive bars to the Cobo Arena and Day on the Green in under a year. We see the same fire in you.""
Lee Ranaldo looked doubtful and asked, "You're not from one of the majors, right?"
Jason Bourne smiled again and replied, "Sub Pop's independent. But our distribution, marketing, and strategy aren't. Jem Records handles our national reach. We're based in Westport City—label office, full studio, elite staff. We don't waste time with empty promises—we get results."
Thurston Moore quickly played it cool but deep inside he was clearly impressed, "And you want us?"
Jason Bourne nodded, "We're not handing out deals like candy—but yes. We want Sonic Youth on our roster. We'll fly you to Westport—flights, hotel, meals, all covered. You'll tour our HQ, meet the team, and see the machine behind Chris Cornell."
Kim Gordon seemed skeptical about the man and the offer so she asked, "Is this legit? You're not some scammer?"
Jason Bourne smiled, "Give me until tomorrow. I'll send over your flight info. We fly out the day after. And someone—very important—wants to meet you."
Lee Ranaldo asked further, "And what about contracts? Will we get one when we arrive?"
Jason Bourne shook his head as he smiled, "No need to worry. The person who requested your signing is the same one who greenlit Chris Cornell. Once you meet him, you'll know. If things go well, the deal's signed by the end of the day."
Lee Ranaldo added, "And if we don't sign?"
Jason Bourne still smiled, "Then you'll have gotten a free trip to Westport and met the label that turned Chris Cornell into a national name. You still win."
The band exchanged looks. This wasn't some sales pitch—it was real. They'd watched Chris Cornell's rise with fascination. Ultramega OK and Screaming Life/Fopp had surged through the New York underground. Their friends were fans. Everyone was talking about Sub Pop and Chris Cornell.
The label had power, vision, and momentum. Now it wanted them. Thurston glanced at Kim and Lee. Both nodded, eyes gleaming.
He sighed, turned to Jason, and extended his hand.
Thurston said, "When do we leave?"
Jason stood up and shook his hand firmly, "Tomorrow night. Pack light."