The New Sands construction was completed this week! Though the resort is open for guests now, the official grand-reopening is planned for after Karlie's maternity leave is over - but I thought I'd share some of the images Karlie's considering for the new website Karlie plans to launch around the same time as the grand re-opening. And then after that, some pretty big things happened at the science center this week that you'll want to find out about!
We'll start with some shots of the exterior. In the first shots we have an aerial view, a view of the wedding ceremony area including the now famous "Indestructible Arch of Eternity", and shots of the front in both daytime and nighttime settings
Next are the shots of the back. Karlie is particularly proud of the pool, which she designed herself. Flowing scalloped edges, waterfalls, fountains, a gorgeous bridge with a see through floor and bamboo pavilion, and snack bars all with an amazing view of the ocean and surrounding islands ensure guests can make the most of their fun in the sun surrounded by modern artistic, as well as natural, beauty.
When they walk into the lobby, vacationers will be greeted with their first tastes of luxury. Beautiful works of art, Italian marble floors, and custom silk wall coverings adorn their welcome, along with a view of the gorgeous patio where visitors and friends alike can enjoy any number of the impeccable desserts created by our world class pastry chefs.
From the lobby, visitants looking for a bit more adventure can test their skill against Lady Luck with our state of the art casino or grab one of our famed "Fresh and Fruity" umbrella drinks at our bar made with perfect 100% organic fruit grown in the gardens of our own world famous oceanographer Dr. Niella Antoniou. Decorated in decadent rich reclaimed leather, plush deep red velvet, gold leaf accents and exclusive "Smoke and Fire" chairs by Muniz, guests will find all of the excitement of a Vegas jackpot cradled by the richness of privileged extravagance.
Guests looking for even more indulgence can retreat to the penthouse luxury suite of their dreams. Complimentary French Champagne and Swiss truffles welcome each guest into their private getaway. Each two room suite grants exclusive access to the VIP pool area, complete with private pool bar, breezy yet private cabanas, and even a snow cone machine! Just downstairs our posh, private showroom, Apollo's Playhouse, features star music, magician, and Cirque acrobatic performances.
Hungry vacationers can find an endless buffet featuring breakfast, lunch, and dinner 24 hours a day. Highlighting a wide selection of specialty foods, from sushi to dim sum, with choices that will leave even the finickiest children and even those with strict dietary restrictions with full, satisfied, tummies.
Those looking for something a little more casually intimate yet equally delectable for a dining experience find themselves wandering into Gator Joe's, our five star Cajun bistro which, along with fabulous food, hosts free tastings of our own private label wines.
And just in case our guests, despite all of our best efforts to encourage the utmost relaxation, want to dedicate a little of their stay towards working off that second dessert, they can swing by our state of the art workout facilities, featuring top of the line treadmills and machines, and virtual golf. Make sure to hit the free juice bar while you're there to recharge after your work out - you earned it!
Hope you enjoyed the peek. I'll make sure to post some pics when they have the grand opening! Now, on with the show!
Story Update Below
The week at the science center flew by, each team completely immersed in their missions. Javiera and Emily continued to work with Christoph and Damien, attempting to learn as much of their language as possible. Masao split his time between working with Lopita running further analyses on the transmorphic pollen and working with Alex and Ammon on building the disc and loading it with the A.I. Javiera had requested each team turn in reports with their progress by Thursday and by the end of the day it was clear that Niella would want to be present when they first turned on the disc the next day after all other employees had gone home for the day. Javiera made the call. Niella told Javiera she and Emily needed to be present at the meeting as well, to assist with translation if needed.
A work table was brought into the tech room and at the end of the work day on Friday, everyone gathered around it, the new disc in the center. Alex leaned in and touched the disc. "Hello? Anyone there?" she said as she gently tapped the top. Instantly a third AI emerged and slowly rotated it's gaze around the table, expressing excitement at each new face. It's form was again unique, more resembling a fish, and it glowed a rich orange. Ammon cleared his throat "Doctor Batista, why don't you introduce our new friend to one of our old friends." When he did, the orange sprite spun to face him, chirping in glee as if it knew exactly what he had said.
Javiera tentatively placed the disc down on the table. "Which one?" she asked Niella. "Let's introduce him to the calmer one" Niella instructed. "Christoph?" Javiera gently called to the disc. When he appeared both sprites squealed with glee and recognition and instantly began chittering in their strange language. "Alex, let's see if our new friend brought someone with him" Ammon directed, almost intuitively. Alex pulled out her remote control and pressed the appropriate buttons...
And just as suspected, the orange AI disappeared and in it's place was a fourth sprite, this one resembling a red fox-like character. Again Christoph squealed in glee. They both turned to Javiera and Christoph began repeating the same two words and soon the red sprite chimed in, as if they were two school children frantically begging their mother for money as the sound of an ice cream approaches. "Morrrree, uh, th... three" Javiera slowly worked out the translation. "More three??" she said and as she did the two sprites squealed again. "Alex, I think they're asking for three more discs. Did you happen to make more?" Niella asked. "Of course! Why are you asking me that again??" She answered, starting to pull them from her apron pockets. As soon as she laid three more on the table, all four sprites appeared above discs that were surrounding a central, still empty, disc. And when they did, the power in the lab immediately cut out.
Simultaneously, the four sprites began reciting script at incredible speed, facing the center disc. As they did, they projected intense auras of color and sharp flashes of light sliced the air from seemingly nowhere. As the colors intensified, the speed of their recitation grew. While everyone reacted with various looks that ranged from excitement to shock, no one - not one of them - seemed to be afraid. Suddenly the still-empty disc seemed to turn itself on and in a sparkling flash a fifth AI appeared over it.
As soon as the new AI emerged, the power in the lab came back online. While the previous 4 AI emitted a soft glow of the single color it's AI was mostly made of, the new AI seemed to actually NOT emit any glow but instead the other four AIs around it became much more brilliant in color. It was what looked to be a white unicorn with a rainbow main and tail. With a final collective squeak, all five of them, as if now controlled by one AI, turned to Ammon. "Hello Dr. Mesbah," they spoke with precision in unison. Ammon was not the only one who gasped in shock. The center AI then continued, seemly able then to speak with all of their voices."We've waited so long. What an honor it is to finally to meet you."
@AbellaKellaher FINALLY I have the time to sit down and read the recent chapters in your story.
(These comments will be brief, sorry, as my dry eyes are still giving me grief right now. )
Aww, I'm SO happy Niella and Shari could talk and get their feelings out in the open. I'm thankful that Niella understood why her mother did what she did and when she said, "I know you can't be the mother I needed then. But maybe you can be the mother I need now?" was so touching. I know Shari will be there for her always now, and never let her, or Ammon, down again.
The resort is gorgeous! Great job dressing it up on the outside and inside. Wow!
OMGosh all those sprites are adorable. I do like the unicorn one the most.
They seem to be familiar with Ammon...interesting. 🤔
I'm glad you were finally able to catch up (sorry about your eyes, though )
Re: Shari/Niella - I try to put myself in their shoes. Being adopted, it was fairly easy for me to connect with the lifelong loss that we adoptees sometimes feel and being a mother made it easy for me to draw from that to inspire Shari's feelings.
Re: The resort - Thanks! sounds like you might have recognized the building - it's the regency arcade moderately modified (room and size changes, added floors, etc. and of course I redecorated everything) I've just always thought that building looked far more like a casino than a game arcade. I grew up in game arcades, none of them looked like that. Mostly they were either just some store in the local mall or some dark and grungy slot in a row of brownstones. They never looked like that 🐸🐸🐸🐸, not even Dave and Busters is that fancy lol! It's funny, though, every time I thought I was done I'd save it, play for a bit, then think of something else I wanted to do, go back, futz, rinse repeat lol.
Unfortunately I'm having issues with my windows photo viewer and can now only view screenshots one at a time by opening them in photoshop. I take hundreds and sometimes even thousands of screenshots to create each of my chapters, to see which shots best convey conversations, etc. Opening each image individually one at a time just to cull seems impossibly tedious so I'm hoping to be able to figure out the issue here soon because at least ONE of the moments everyone seems to be waiting for is in the next update, and I'm anxious to post it. Unfortunately this week is going to be crazy crazy. Got a few projects that have quick deadlines and Thursday through Monday we will be doing some construction on our house (did I mention the used cat litter cement my son made? Lord give me strength, and no that is not in vain lolol.) So it might be a bit before the next chapter is posted, which kills me since I have all the pics just sitting there waiting lol!
Comments
We'll start with some shots of the exterior. In the first shots we have an aerial view, a view of the wedding ceremony area including the now famous "Indestructible Arch of Eternity", and shots of the front in both daytime and nighttime settings
Next are the shots of the back. Karlie is particularly proud of the pool, which she designed herself. Flowing scalloped edges, waterfalls, fountains, a gorgeous bridge with a see through floor and bamboo pavilion, and snack bars all with an amazing view of the ocean and surrounding islands ensure guests can make the most of their fun in the sun surrounded by modern artistic, as well as natural, beauty.
When they walk into the lobby, vacationers will be greeted with their first tastes of luxury. Beautiful works of art, Italian marble floors, and custom silk wall coverings adorn their welcome, along with a view of the gorgeous patio where visitors and friends alike can enjoy any number of the impeccable desserts created by our world class pastry chefs.
From the lobby, visitants looking for a bit more adventure can test their skill against Lady Luck with our state of the art casino or grab one of our famed "Fresh and Fruity" umbrella drinks at our bar made with perfect 100% organic fruit grown in the gardens of our own world famous oceanographer Dr. Niella Antoniou. Decorated in decadent rich reclaimed leather, plush deep red velvet, gold leaf accents and exclusive "Smoke and Fire" chairs by Muniz, guests will find all of the excitement of a Vegas jackpot cradled by the richness of privileged extravagance.
Guests looking for even more indulgence can retreat to the penthouse luxury suite of their dreams. Complimentary French Champagne and Swiss truffles welcome each guest into their private getaway. Each two room suite grants exclusive access to the VIP pool area, complete with private pool bar, breezy yet private cabanas, and even a snow cone machine! Just downstairs our posh, private showroom, Apollo's Playhouse, features star music, magician, and Cirque acrobatic performances.
Hungry vacationers can find an endless buffet featuring breakfast, lunch, and dinner 24 hours a day. Highlighting a wide selection of specialty foods, from sushi to dim sum, with choices that will leave even the finickiest children and even those with strict dietary restrictions with full, satisfied, tummies.
Those looking for something a little more casually intimate yet equally delectable for a dining experience find themselves wandering into Gator Joe's, our five star Cajun bistro which, along with fabulous food, hosts free tastings of our own private label wines.
And just in case our guests, despite all of our best efforts to encourage the utmost relaxation, want to dedicate a little of their stay towards working off that second dessert, they can swing by our state of the art workout facilities, featuring top of the line treadmills and machines, and virtual golf. Make sure to hit the free juice bar while you're there to recharge after your work out - you earned it!
Hope you enjoyed the peek. I'll make sure to post some pics when they have the grand opening! Now, on with the show!
Story Update Below
The week at the science center flew by, each team completely immersed in their missions. Javiera and Emily continued to work with Christoph and Damien, attempting to learn as much of their language as possible. Masao split his time between working with Lopita running further analyses on the transmorphic pollen and working with Alex and Ammon on building the disc and loading it with the A.I. Javiera had requested each team turn in reports with their progress by Thursday and by the end of the day it was clear that Niella would want to be present when they first turned on the disc the next day after all other employees had gone home for the day. Javiera made the call. Niella told Javiera she and Emily needed to be present at the meeting as well, to assist with translation if needed.
A work table was brought into the tech room and at the end of the work day on Friday, everyone gathered around it, the new disc in the center. Alex leaned in and touched the disc. "Hello? Anyone there?" she said as she gently tapped the top. Instantly a third AI emerged and slowly rotated it's gaze around the table, expressing excitement at each new face. It's form was again unique, more resembling a fish, and it glowed a rich orange. Ammon cleared his throat "Doctor Batista, why don't you introduce our new friend to one of our old friends." When he did, the orange sprite spun to face him, chirping in glee as if it knew exactly what he had said.
Javiera tentatively placed the disc down on the table. "Which one?" she asked Niella. "Let's introduce him to the calmer one" Niella instructed. "Christoph?" Javiera gently called to the disc. When he appeared both sprites squealed with glee and recognition and instantly began chittering in their strange language. "Alex, let's see if our new friend brought someone with him" Ammon directed, almost intuitively. Alex pulled out her remote control and pressed the appropriate buttons...
And just as suspected, the orange AI disappeared and in it's place was a fourth sprite, this one resembling a red fox-like character. Again Christoph squealed in glee. They both turned to Javiera and Christoph began repeating the same two words and soon the red sprite chimed in, as if they were two school children frantically begging their mother for money as the sound of an ice cream approaches. "Morrrree, uh, th... three" Javiera slowly worked out the translation. "More three??" she said and as she did the two sprites squealed again. "Alex, I think they're asking for three more discs. Did you happen to make more?" Niella asked. "Of course! Why are you asking me that again??" She answered, starting to pull them from her apron pockets. As soon as she laid three more on the table, all four sprites appeared above discs that were surrounding a central, still empty, disc. And when they did, the power in the lab immediately cut out.
Simultaneously, the four sprites began reciting script at incredible speed, facing the center disc. As they did, they projected intense auras of color and sharp flashes of light sliced the air from seemingly nowhere. As the colors intensified, the speed of their recitation grew. While everyone reacted with various looks that ranged from excitement to shock, no one - not one of them - seemed to be afraid. Suddenly the still-empty disc seemed to turn itself on and in a sparkling flash a fifth AI appeared over it.
As soon as the new AI emerged, the power in the lab came back online. While the previous 4 AI emitted a soft glow of the single color it's AI was mostly made of, the new AI seemed to actually NOT emit any glow but instead the other four AIs around it became much more brilliant in color. It was what looked to be a white unicorn with a rainbow main and tail. With a final collective squeak, all five of them, as if now controlled by one AI, turned to Ammon. "Hello Dr. Mesbah," they spoke with precision in unison. Ammon was not the only one who gasped in shock. The center AI then continued, seemly able then to speak with all of their voices."We've waited so long. What an honor it is to finally to meet you."
(These comments will be brief, sorry, as my dry eyes are still giving me grief right now.
Aww, I'm SO happy Niella and Shari could talk and get their feelings out in the open. I'm thankful that Niella understood why her mother did what she did and when she said, "I know you can't be the mother I needed then. But maybe you can be the mother I need now?" was so touching.
The resort is gorgeous!
OMGosh all those sprites are adorable.
They seem to be familiar with Ammon...interesting. 🤔
I'm glad you were finally able to catch up (sorry about your eyes, though
Re: Shari/Niella - I try to put myself in their shoes. Being adopted, it was fairly easy for me to connect with the lifelong loss that we adoptees sometimes feel and being a mother made it easy for me to draw from that to inspire Shari's feelings.
Re: The resort - Thanks! sounds like you might have recognized the building - it's the regency arcade moderately modified (room and size changes, added floors, etc. and of course I redecorated everything) I've just always thought that building looked far more like a casino than a game arcade. I grew up in game arcades, none of them looked like that. Mostly they were either just some store in the local mall or some dark and grungy slot in a row of brownstones. They never looked like that
Unfortunately I'm having issues with my windows photo viewer and can now only view screenshots one at a time by opening them in photoshop. I take hundreds and sometimes even thousands of screenshots to create each of my chapters, to see which shots best convey conversations, etc. Opening each image individually one at a time just to cull seems impossibly tedious so I'm hoping to be able to figure out the issue here soon because at least ONE of the moments everyone seems to be waiting for is in the next update, and I'm anxious to post it. Unfortunately this week is going to be crazy crazy. Got a few projects that have quick deadlines and Thursday through Monday we will be doing some construction on our house (did I mention the used cat litter cement my son made? Lord give me strength, and no that is not in vain lolol.) So it might be a bit before the next chapter is posted, which kills me since I have all the pics just sitting there waiting lol!