42 The Expedition Package

(Yes, the arc is over. Hope you enjoyed that 20 chapter banger. As a note, I got way too engrossed in the plot and forgot to progress that chain quest. I've retconned it.)

I pulled the headset off my head, revealing the comforting sight of my bedroom. The past half week had been a blur.

The escape from Aldera took four days. FOUR DAYS! I made sure to properly time myself and log out at least once every 12 hours in order to maintain my physical health. I found that short but intense bouts of exercise while in the real world made it even better.

During the escape, I talked with Galen a lot. We learned a lot about each other both in terms of personalities and our personal lives. Apparently his name was Gavin and he was from Boston, Massachusetts. This was just a short few hour drive away from my home in the District of Columbia AKA Washington D.C..

I also discovered that he was paying for the Expedition Package through a payment plan. He definitely had the line of credit considering that weapon he has. My dad and I were lucky that we had a decently large sum of money put away from my mom. Dad also had quite the successful career in YouTube and streaming before she passed so that was a large chunk of that money.

Speaking of that weapon, apparently it was a Handheld SCL or Seismic Charge Launcher. As I had thought, it was what he had gotten from the Epic Holocron along with a crate containing hundreds of shells. Neither the weapon nor the ammunition is made anymore as the technology had been lost in the Great Hyperspace War which happened over a millenia ago.

Its value was immeasurable and I suggested that I help him approach General Kroos about having the Republic research it. I would leverage my relationship with the good general to get a great deal out of it. Of course, the weapon wouldn't be sold. However, I would try to ensure that Galen can get whatever blueprints come out of it. I intended on experimenting with engineering in the game so maybe I could produce at worst a replica of the weapon and more ammunition.

After escaping, I found myself at level 17. This was undoubtedly the highest level of any player in the game. This might sound like an impressive feat but I was still a mere shit stain in that galaxy, waiting to be cleaned up by any average Joe.

I also got to meet the Royal Family of Alderaan, which was pretty cool. Well, it would have been cool if not for Jace getting all lovey dovey with the princess. Surprisingly, King Alonna was fine with it. This led me to believe that there was more to Jace than his measly rank of Captain. He must have some pull in the political sphere if he was being allowed to casually get cozy with the only princess of a major system. While there was also a prince, who was likely to take the throne, this was still a big deal.

After that, I finally got to leave Alderaan, leaving the rest in Jace's capable hands. I arrived back in Coruscant before renting a penthouse hotel room with Galen, Jeremiah, and Tomas before logging out, leaving me where I am currently.

However, none of this mattered today. There was a special reason I had logged out today. That reason was that there was a certain item being delivered. Well, four items to be exact but only two of them were coming to my house.

I got out of bed and made a steady pace towards the bathroom. It was a good time to shower as the delivery would arrive about an hour from now at 10 AM.

After washing up, I headed downstairs. As I went, I was texting with Jordan and Taylor. They were both also logged out and waiting for their respective deliveries. They would all arrive at the same time.

We also discussed creating a groupchat with Gavin in it and they both agreed. Thus, I added him in. Apparently, he would be receiving his delivery today as well.

Once downstairs, I enjoyed a long and delicious breakfast with my dad. The maid we had hired bought fresh ingredients for us so we prepared a feast of epic proportions. Well, it was definitely a feast for two and probably wouldn't feed more than that.

Bacon, eggs, pancakes, hashbrowns, fresh fruit, we had it all. The bacon was super thick too, not that cheap bullshit excuse for bacon. Like super thick, with at least 3 "c's", a few "q's", and a "ue" at the end. Hands down, best bacon I've ever had. We had the whole package.

We also gave a pancake to the cats. They enjoyed it before laying down on their backs with inflated stomachs.

*Ding* *Dong*

While I enjoyed rubbing their bellies, the doorbell rang. I perked up and shot towards the door. Although I sprinted, my dad somehow beat me there.

The door was already open and he was chatting with the delivery guy. "Good morning!"

The delivery man nodded and smiled. He spoke with a thick accent that originated from Eastern Europe. "Good morning, Mr. Zimmerman. If I am not mistaken, you have ordered the Expedition Package for four. Two are here with me and the other two are going to addresses nearby, yes?"

Ethan nodded. "Yep, that's correct. They're for my son's friends."

The delivery guy smiled. "How generous of you. My name is Stephan and my associate is Jorge. We are both certified plumbers, electricians, and contractors. With these skills, we are ready to install the equipment you have ordered."

"I just need your signature on all four of these release forms. In addition, a consent form must also be signed by the intended user of said equipment. The release form confirms the delivery of the equipment and the consent form establishes a relationship between the signee and Walt Disney Games."

"You may read through the form if you choose, but I will provide you with a summary of the terms and conditions. In essence, the form ensures that any issues encountered resulting from the usage of the Expedition Package and its resultant equipment shall be brought up with Walt Disney Games and their designated support hotline. Any contact with media outlets or revelation of problematic details through other sources shall be met with prosecution."

"This might sound excessive, but this is a new technology. As I'm sure you have read, an almost negligible amount of incidents have occurred throughout the testing of the equipment. This contract is merely to protect all parties involved. In addition, the contract states that the user is entitled to reimbursement for an appropriate amount of medical care should the unlikely case of an incident occur. Please let me know if you have any questions, sir."

My dad shook his head as he took the tablet from the man. He quickly signed five times, swiping to another page in between each signature. Then he handed the tablet to me. I shrugged and put my name down.

There was essentially zero risk with this contract. On top of the probability of such an incident occurring being near zero, a massive company such as Disney wouldn't risk drafting a contract with mal-intent. The full might of the United States Government would crush the mega-corporation if they were to abuse the rights that belong to its citizens.

After Stephan received the six signatures, he smiled and nodded. "Very good, sir. With your permission, I have authorized the delivery of the other two packages to their respective destinations. The recipients just need to sign the consent forms and then they will be all set. Do I have permission to enter your home?"

Ethan nodded, gesturing for him to come in. "Yes, of course. Come inside."

Stephan smiled and walked inside. "This is a very nice home, sir. Might you show me where the equipment will be installed?"

While they were dealing with that, I glanced outside through the front door. Parked on the street in front of our house was a massive truck. I had never seen a truck that large in my entire life. Aside from the extra large truck in the front, the trailer was significantly larger than any I had ever seen before.

I thought it unnecessary until I saw the size of the box that the other technician removed from the back of the truck. Of course, he wasn't doing it by hand. There appeared to be a crane inside the trailer that lifted the boxes and placed them onto motorized dollies.

For the next three hours, I watched them lug the massive parts into our home and into what used to be our dining room and den.

My dad and I thought it best that we have our suspension tanks in separate rooms since we would have to fully undress before entering. While it wasn't that big of a deal since we were father and son, privacy still adds a bit of comfort.

Our original plan was to have the tanks go into two empty bedrooms upstairs. However, the technicians immediately rejected that idea, stating that the equipment was too heavy to put on the upper floor.

I had brought up that there was still the basement below us but they adamantly insisted that the main floor was fine. While the basement would be the safest as the foundation is directly attached to it, the main floor was also perfectly fine.

They told us how during the testing of the equipment, they tested the installation location. Over 50% of the time, the tank would be too heavy for the structure to support and, as a result, fall through the floor.

After hearing this, we immediately started moving the furniture in the dining room and den. We still had the kitchen and living room on the main floor so it wasn't that big of a deal. It would just make it so we couldn't have too many people over unless we rearranged the living room and put the dining room table in there. That, however, wasn't much of a concern for now.

After those three hours, my dad and I were standing by the door. We were facing the two technicians that had just installed the tanks. "The installation is complete. The water and electricity lines have been connected as well as a new breaker being installed that is exclusively for the tank's systems."

He then raised his hand, holding out a folder with the game's logo on the front. "This folder contains a copy of all eight contracts, a voucher for your next several orders of nutrient solution, and the information regarding the lifetime data plan. In addition, there is also a quick start guide for the capsule as well as a QR code that will bring you to a PDF copy of the full instruction manual."

"If you plan to move your capsure at any point in the future, please contact the support hotline so we can handle the relocation. The equipment is sensitive and requires certified personnel to ensure the safe transportation of the components. Before we depart, Mr. Zimmerman, do you have any questions?"

Ethan shook his head. He then reached his hand into his pocket and took out $300 in cash. He handed it to the man as he replied. "I think that will be all. Thank you for everything today."

Stephan smiled as he accepted the tip. "Thank you for your patronage, sir. We, at Disney, hope you enjoy your experience with the Expedition Package. Have a magical day!"

He then turned and exited through the front door with Jorge. Ethan closed the door behind them before turning to me. "Shall we?"

I nodded excitedly. "We shall."