How It All Goes Down
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- It turns out that Og, being one of the co-creators of OASIS, gave himself super-ultra-special access rights. He can go anywhere, anytime, and do—you guessed it—anything. And he's virtually invincible. Why don't they just have him blast all the Sixers like he did at his nightclub and end this thing?
- He offers to fly them all (in the real world) to his estate in Oregon. There are planes waiting for them at the closest airport. Art3mis and Shoto are able to drive, but Wade has no wheels.
- Aech is nearby, driving around in his mobile RV, so he can come pick Wade up and take him to the airport.
- He warns Wade that he doesn't "look anything like [his] avatar" (33.35) and meeting in person might be "kind of a shock" (33.37).
- Wade's a little nervous about meeting Aech, but even more nervous about meeting Art3mis in Oregon.
- A few hours later, Aech's RV, covered with solar panels, rolls up and Wade hops in.
- It's true: Aech doesn't look anything like his avatar. She's not even a he, for one thing. She's also African American. And a little wider around the middle.
- After a temporary wave of shock, Wade gets over it. Aech is still his best friend. Aw.
- On the plane ride to Oregon, she tells Wade her life story. Fly on over to our "Characters" section for the deets and get back here in time to put your tray table up for landing and your seat back in a full, upright, and locked position.
- Back? Captain Shmoop has prepared for landing. We get a view of "Og's private landing strip" (33.87), and then the plane lands, and Aech describes the manor looking "just like Rivendell (33.88) from Lord of the Rings. Elijah Wood and Liv Tyler not included.
- Og greets them in fuzzy slippers and a bathrobe. He leads them into the basement, where all his state-of-the-art OASIS rigs are set up.
- Wade gets suited up, logged in, and ready for the fight of his life.