BXBX NOVEL Chapter 66 - Mega-Yacht
June 9, 2013, at the Future Tech penthouse. Vince was preparing his luggage for their trip to Los Angeles.
A beautiful woman in her mid-30s entered the penthouse living room wearing the latest Future Couture outfit, like many other Future Tech executives.
"You\'re looking fabulous today, Dr. Sera. Are you excited about some time off work?" Vince asked.
"Thank you, Vince. And yes, a break from work right now is perfect. It was Leah who chose my current clothing style. She\'ll finish packing in a few minutes. Oh, and I saw your friends walking up to the helipad before I arrived." Dr. Sera mentioned.
"They\'ll be taking one of the Stingrays and will wait for us at the hangar. I\'m still waiting for Patel and his family before we can leave." Vince replied.
A few minutes later, a family of four emerged from the penthouse elevator.
"Patel, It was a good idea to bring your family with us. Mom said there was no better time to visit LA than in June." Vince stated.
"If your mother says it, I believe it. Let me introduce you to my wife, Minu." Patel replied.
Vince wasn\'t trained formally in manners and etiquette and chose to shake her hand as a greeting.
"It\'s a pleasure to meet you, Minu. Your husband has contributed enormously to this company\'s growth. I hope he still has time to spend with you and your family." Vince stated.
"The pleasure is mine, Vince. My husband spends ample time with us, thanks to Future Tech\'s work policy. He even attends our kid\'s school events at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy from time to time." Minu explained.
"This is my daughter, Shalini, and my son, Ravi. They\'ll be finishing middle school later this year." Patel stated.
"Nice to meet you both. I\'m sure you\'ll have fun seeing the LA sights with your parents. And of course, trying out the new games at E3." Vince said to both of the kids.
"Daddy mentioned we\'ll be staying on a yacht. Is that true, Mr. Dalton?" Shalina asked curiously.
"Yes, Shalina. My mother decided to rent one the moment she heard about our trip to LA. And please call me Vince." he replied.
"Awesome!" Shalina exclaimed.
"All I want is to play Everlife," Ravi commented.
"Aren\'t you a little too young to play Everlife?" Vince asked.
"You play it, and you\'re only two years older than us!" Ravi replied.
[Oh shit. I forgot I was 15 years old for a second there.] Vince thought.
"You\'re right. You can play Everlife as long as you\'re parents allow it." Vince conceded.
A woman walked out of her living quarters and arrived at the living room, pulling a luggage bag full of clothes and accessories.
"Mom, are you ready? The others are waiting for us at the hangar." Vince asked.
"I am. Is Dr. Sera here already?" Leah asked.
"She\'s in one of the restrooms. We\'ll head to the helipad while you wait for Dr. Sera." Vince stated.
He and Patel\'s family found their way to the highest floor of the building and boarded a Stingray.
A few minutes later, all the passengers were on board, and the Stingray started its vertical takeoff.
Kyle, Jessica, Rick, Sarah, Heidi, and Alexis were waiting in a Dreamliner jet.
Their entourage had a combined 50 FS operators as escorts because of the numerous corporate executives traveling together.
"Marco, what are you doing here? I thought you were busy helping with physical rehab and training of the recovering troops." Vince said in surprise.
"The E3 announcement will be a special occasion for Future Tech, so please have peace of mind with me protecting you," Marco replied.
"I appreciate it, Marco. Maybe we could train a little during the mornings on this trip. I\'ll bust out some new techniques that Tom taught me recently." Vince suggested.
The passengers who haven\'t met yet spent time getting to know each other during the 3-hour flight while enjoying the luxurious Dreamliner amenities.
"Future Tech travels in style, huh?" Marco said while reclining his sofa chair for more comfort.
"Wait till you see the yacht," Leah commented as she drank wine with Dr. Sera at the bar.
"Mom, what do you mean?" Vince asked.
"Oh, did I forget to mention? When the Los Angeles Yacht Charter found out Vince Dalton was renting a mega yacht, Lürssen Yachts from Germany sent their new model, closely resembling the one they made for Sheikh Khalifa. I bet they\'re expecting you to buy it based on your spending habits." Leah explained.
[So what if I bought three more Dreamliners from Boeing? It\'s for corporate executive use! Completely reasonable purchases.] Vince thought.
"Then I expect it to be a top-class sea vessel. I\'m not buying a random product worth hundreds of millions just because they rent one out to me." Vince replied.
"Marco, are the troop transport flights that bad?" Vince asked seriously.
"We\'ve been using the US Air Force Globemasters for the past year, which isn\'t too comfortable. However, the new FT-05 Super Galaxy is much more accomodating." Marco replied.
"Alright. Future Security will be switching to solely using Super Galaxies instead of borrowing planes from the Air Force by the end of the year, so I hope our operators can make do for the meantime." Vince replied.
"The men are prepared to do whatever it takes to perform their mission. Uncomfortable long-haul flights aren\'t a problem for us, especially when we have our quarters and access to anything we desire through the corporate online market. Our lives are entirely different from when we were regular soldiers, and for the better." Marco explained.
"Thanks for reassuring me. I know Director Price is doing his best to cultivate a good home for our troops." Vince replied.
"Stop talking about boring topics, son. Aren\'t you excited for the E3 presentation?" Leah asked.
"Of course, I\'m excited. I\'ve been working on this show for months now and our new products for an entire year." Vince replied.
"No need to be sassy about it. Here have something to drink." Dr. Sera said while handing Vince a glass of wine.
Vince accepted the glass and started drinking when suddenly he heard shouting from the entertainment room.
"Yes! Just continue piling on the DPS. The boss won\'t make it until its enrage timer goes off." Rick yelled.
"Ravi, stop buffing the group and focus on damaging the boss. We\'re already boon capped." Kyle commented.
"The AOE damage took Shalina down. Sarah, use your ult ability to rez her quick." Jessica instructed.
[They seem like they\'re having fun.] Vince pondered while drinking wine.
After a few hours flying, the Dreamliner landed at LAX, where a FAV-1 and Stingray were waiting for their arrival.
The Future Tech LA branch dispatched the vehicles and crew as Vince\'s transport accommodations while in the city.
They gathered their belongings and boarded the Stingray together with their armed FS escort.
It didn\'t take long until the aerial vehicles hovered over the coast of Malibu.
Vince looked out the window and saw a 600-foot mega-yacht featuring a helipad and swimming pools on its deck.
It looked closely like the Azzam, the second-largest yacht in 2021. The white exterior complemented the modern and sleek aesthetic.
The Stingray and its FAV-1 escort landed on the helipad, and the passengers soon disembarked.
"Welcome aboard Lürssen Yacht\'s newest creation. It currently has no name yet, until a new owner decides on one. My name is Paulos Amsel, the sales director for Lürssen Yachts. It\'s a pleasure to meet you all." Paulos stated.
"This is quite an impressive vessel you have here, Paulos. How many people can the yacht accommodate?" Vince asked.
"We can serve a maximum of 36 guests, the most people compared to any yacht in the world. In addition, your rental includes the 60 crew members required for all our guests\' needs." Paulos explained confidently.
"Please join me while I show you the numerous amenities and luxuries our new product features," Paulos added.
The interior was massive, thanks to its open design. No unnecessary pillars crowded the living spaces, which added to its size. Dozens of private quarters fully furnished with the finest materials looked like suits from a five-star hotel. It even came with a mini-submarine for underwater exploration and scuba diving.
[This German guy is selling this yacht quite effectively. He\'s roping me in bit by bit.] Vince pondered while walking around the main salon with Paulos and the others.
The FS operators were busy securing the yacht and sweeping for any hidden electronic device while Dragonflies patrolled the low-altitude air space above the sea.
Paulos looked concerned while Marco, a fully decked-out FS operator, was walking beside him so casually.
"Might I say your security detail is quite grand? Not even the Russian oligarchs I\'ve done business with employ such heavily armed personnel." Paulos stated.
"I take that as a compliment. My FS guys pride themselves on their work, and their number one priority is the safety of corporate executives." Vince explained.
[The operators do look pretty imposing, especially when fully geared. I expect the power suits will make them doubly menacing when the time comes.] Vince pondered while learning more about the mega-yacht.
Stats last time checked:
Future Tech current valuation - $300 billion
15 million BTC (currently trades at $1,000)
$10 Billion cash in Future Tech
105,000+ employees (FT AI, Future Studios, Hive Mind Manufacturing, FT Micro Devices, BitCash, FT VR, Future Tech F1, FT Investments, Future Arms, Future Med, Future Tech Robotics, Future Education, SpaceX)
20,000+ operators under Future Security
Personal Vehicles: Klassen Phantom, Agera R, Agera SFV, Boeing Luxury 787 Dreamliner
Five company collaborators (Epic, Koenegisegg, SpaceX, Tesla, Hyundai C&E)
Dozens of investments under Future Tech Holdings (i..e., Instagram)