The Themed Resort
The Themed Resort N.A Miller (c) 2019 Sam Bennett stood outside the travel agency with his wife peering at the sign in the window with his wife Candy. He had with his wife had shopped down here with their kids, seeing a movie at the local theater a hundred times, and had never noticed the agency or the family vacations that it offered. It had been a long time since he, as an attorney working in Washington DC, at a successful practice, had taken the time with his wife and four children on a family vacation. He grimaced at the sign and his mind began to whirl. Sam is forty one, an attorney in Washington DC, tall and lanky, but fairly muscular despite what he did for a living. He has short brown hair, brown eyes, and is clad in a suit and tie as always. A rarity that he had any time off. His wife Candy is young, about thirty-five, a model with long blond hair, curvy body, blue eyes and quite attractive. They had found each other in a Hollywood party when he had been with an associate in California, helping with a case with him out there. They seemed to hit it off immediately and after six months, married each other. �And that had been decades ago.� I thought, glancing at my wife who, as always was cold to him in the last two years, constantly fighting over money, and her moving to Baltimore to be with him. It had been fine at first, their marriage, but it was not until the first two kids came along that it seemed to be more about getting pregnant, to fight over money than actual love. I shook my head, glancing at the sign again, and glanced at my wife again. I began to wonder if a family vacation for all of them would be a good thing, perhaps over the holidays in which he could arrange time off for a little family time. Here I glanced at the sign again, grimacing, almost scoffing arrogantly at the ridiculous claim that it showed there. 'Come one, Come all... Travel to the Themed resort, where it is so real that it will astound and amaze you. A vacation of the futures to come.' �You know that might not be bad.� I thought, and made a mental note to come back here another time, as myself, wife and four children continued walking down storefront row in the old section of downtown Baltimore. Monday came, and once again I was on the bullet train, bound for Washington DC, and as I sat in my seat, I grimaced as I glanced absently at the outside countryside that sped by and nodded convincingly to myself. I made the decision to do this and indeed would visit the agency come Friday, and arrange the best vacation my family had ever seen. Little did any of them know that the agency had been right on. You could choose the theme, from in your room, changing the interior, not unlike the Holodeck of Star Trek the Next Generation TV show, but a sinister surprise awaited the person who close the theme. When Friday came, after working long hours over the week, I managed to park the car and step out , closing the door, walking toward the shop where I had seen this vacation. As I stepped into the shop in the storefront row in old Baltimore, my home, my gaze glanced about the office, at the many cubical walled desks that were here, and at the posters of many glorious places for vacations around the world that were plastered on the wall. A young woman looked up from her desk facing the door and she stood up quickly, smiling as she greeted me. �Hi, my name is Julie...� The woman said, moving toward me, �Julie McCoy.� I smiled at the name, almost laughing at the young woman outright at the name from another TV program called the Love Boat that had been on TV when I had grown up. I eyed her curiously. The young woman is in her late twenties, with shoulder length brown hair, blue eyes, an attractive figure and she wore a white striped top, white skirt and a pull over blue jacket. Her name tag indeed read 'Julie McCoy.' which made me raise an eyebrow at the irony of the same name from something decades ago, growing up. �I would like to see about the themed resort.� I told her purposely, �About a vacation for six people, my wife and four children.� �Oh! That's a nice one.� She said, �A little unorthodox, and unusual to get used to at first, but a great one for family. It is a seven day, six night inclusive stay at the resort out on the Gunpowder River up in Magnolia above Baltimore. The resort is a ranch style in a real western fashion, but with the touch of modern conveniences. It goes for fifteen hundred dollars and it includes two theme picks, with all the amenities.� �You know it sounds so too good to be true. Is there anything you can tell me about the themed resort?� �How do you mean?� �It just reminds me of Star Trek, and the Holodeck from the TV show.� I replied, making her smile quietly. �Well it could be something like that, but its nothing as sophisticated like that, it might be more than that.� She said cryptically, �It was the most unique experience I ever had.� I nodded. This was exactly what my family needed, a break from the grind, and to mend the broken and breaking paths between me and my wife, and my children. They all had tablets and laptops, for school and playing games, even social media to tweet to their friends. They would not need them if I could help it, and made sure to tell them no electronic equipment this trip. It was the sheer fun of being a family, and disconnecting from social media. I knew his my would not obey that, however, with her fashion and modeling circles. Her friends never liking me anyway, based on what she was telling them. �I'll take it.� I said, pulling out his wallet and handing her the credit card. I could used this as a TAX write off, possibly, as an expense for the Firm, maybe as a preliminary for company trips for his legal assistants and office workers and the other attorneys in the office. She typed in the information into the computer that I had filled out quickly and after a moment she printed the itinerary, and booked the rooms for my wife and the girls and myself and the boys. I smiled as I shook her hand. �Thank you.� She chirped, �For choosing Baltimore Travel Adventures. Hope to see you and assist you again... Have a great trip Mister Bennett for you and your family.� I nodded and exited. When I got home, I did not tell my wife and children about their upcoming vacation, making it as a surprise for the Summer Holiday that was coming up in like a month. I looked forward to the few weeks when I would spring the trip on my family and the great adventure I and my family did not know they would be taking in real time and not as as themed as it said. When late May came, my family gathered in the living room, two weeks before the trip. School was just about to be out for the Summer holiday and it would be a perfect time to take it. �Family, we're going on a vacation.� I said, �A two week vacation at a ranch on the river up north. A themed resort that is sorta technical like the Holodeck from Star Trek. The agent said it is so real that it is almost like being there in real time. A perfect real-time virtual experience.� My family glanced at each other and I glanced at his wife who scoffed at me. �You wasted our money on this?� She demanded, letting out her inner bitch, �You didn't consult me like you are supposed to on things like this.� �Look, I thought of our kids and you for a trip to relax and unplug from the technical bullshit of the social media.� I shot back. I already knew she had been going out with her friends and cheating on me, but I couldn't prove it with the credit cards or anything, Candy always keeping cash on her when she was out shopping usually unless we agreed to use the family credit card. I sensed she was being a cold fish and my life was about to end, the marriage ending up in Divorce if I did not do anything to stop the war and rift between us. �Prepare to get packed.� I said, �There are terminals in the room, so you do not need your laptops or tablets. We're going to be a family again, and TRY to have fun together. There are plenty of shopping malls and stuff up nearby so its not like it is going to be a drag to a same old boring vacation.� Candy motioned to me, and we both went into the kitchen as my two boys, Michael and Sammy were grinning, jazzed on the idea of a Star Trek type experience, being total science fiction nuts on watching movies and TV programs that were �Trek�. Their sisters, Kirsten and Jennifer, grimaced at them, revolted at the idea of nothing having their equipment with them for social media. I had lied, there was no terminal at the resort that I knew of, already having looked into it further. It was legit, and amazing, a perfect place to unplug them from the idiocy of social media. Two weeks, we drove to the resort on the Magnolia River, and as promised the facility is rather large with multiple buildings, and a large hotel type building. It looked almost futuristic and strange for being a ranch of sorts in the country outside of Baltimore. As I got out, I opened the trunk of our plush SUV, and sent Michael to fetch a cart, which he brought back and loaded the luggage on it. My older boy pushed the cart to the lobby, and as we entered were wowed at the futuristic theme that was something out of Science-Fiction itself. I grinned at the lobby, equally amazed as my boys and my wife scoffing, but surprised like my daughters that something like this could exist in the real world. �Well we're here.� I said, stepping up to the desk, getting out keys and the tablet that was used for the room themes. �We need to agree on a theme for the suite we have. We have a choice of many things.� �Are there Disney themes?� Jennifer asked, being only seven, she was a fan of Disney. �I can check on that.� I half-promised, as I touched the tablet that beeped. I typed in our family name, Bennett, and the ages of our family. It beeped again and on the color screen of their website, scrolled across the thousands of themes that were even possible, for world excursions around the world. I showed them the themes and even my wife gasped at them, having been to many of the place in real life, not really interested to going to the atypical places she had been at, like Paris, Frankfurt, Shanghai, London, Amsterdam and various places she had been with her modeling fashion exhibits. �Okay, how bout somewhere warm.� I suggested, �Like Tahiti, or Fiji or even Puerto Vallarta, Mexico?� �They have Fiji?� Kirsten stammered, �Wow.� �It is as real as it gets.� I said, �So real it's like really being there.� My kids made suggestions, and we all decided on Fiji. My wife was grimacing, already on her phone, typing in a poison message to her friends about my so called family time on a ridiculous trip to a themed resort. �If I knew you were going to be a cold hardhearted, arrogant, bitch I would have not married your ass.� I thought, grimacing at her. My kids were already seeming to settle in and starting to have fun. I nodded as the interior seemed to change, an almost shimmer making the room seem strange and even distorted, as it cleared. I nodded as I opened the curtain, and almost gasped aloud. The country-side of the Baltimore area in Maryland had changed, a familiar territory I knew well. Outside was a patio, our suite having not changed, but the exterior of the landscape certainly had. I gasped loudly as I peered at the white beaches, the palm trees, and beautiful clear and light blue ocean that was below us. I opened a window, and inhaled the salt air, the sound of the surf and warm humid air sweeping into the room. I glanced at my family who were jabbering away as they were checking out the enormous suite and their rooms. I motioned to Michael and put my finger to my lips, pointing to the window. He gasped, his eyes wide as he peered down upon the strange landscape. �Is it real or is it virtual?� �I don't know, honestly.� I murmured, and we just stood staring out over the spectacular view being on the tenth floor of the high rise. Kirsten glanced at us and joined us and her brother stepped into front of the window. �What are you up to Mikie.� She demanded, and he crossed his arms. �You would not believe it if you saw it.� He replied cryptically and she pushed passed him to peer at the spectacular view of the outside. �What the fuck?� She stammered, and I grimaced at her for the language, being only twelve, but I made allowances this time, understanding her surprise and amazement. Jennifer and Sammy joined us as did my wife, and all of us peered outside of the window. I was clad in jeans and a shirt, and I glanced down, thankful that I had brought swim trunks and even shorts, being a trifle overdressed for this trip. My family glanced at each other and my wife was just stunned by the beauty of something so real that it felt like you were there. We all did not realize that it was real-time, we were in Fiji, and this was not virtual reality, that was reserved back in Baltimore for the Futuristic and science-fiction, fantasy themes that were offered. �But how true could that have been if we would have actually chosen one of those?� I asked, I still did not have an answer. �Let's go check this out.� I said, �Everyone change into something cooler, I dare say to fit in, we should look that part.� I suggested, and we all changed. I noted Jennifer had a pink shirt on and her white shorts. I led my family to the door, and locked it, going to the elevator to push the button. I was half-expecting the lobby we had entered to appear when we got to the bottom floor, and I grit my teeth as I grimaced at the disappointment they would have if it were not something good like I thought it would have been. I glanced at Michael who was grimacing at me and as the doors opened, a different lobby appeared and stunned again, we stepped out into it. Strange people who had not been their before when we arrived were behind the desk and who nodded a silent greeting to us. I led my family passed the desk, and toward to door and stepping out through it, we stood blinking in the bright sunlight, and warm clear day, the sound of the light blue water surf washing up on the nearby beach. I glanced at Michael and he was grinning. �Yeah Buddy.� He exclaimed and we all moved to the rail. I put my arm around my wife who did not struggle, and she turned to peer at me in question. A look that seemed to say, 'How the hell did you manage this?' I shrugged at her question, and just held her, as the warm tropical breeze whipped at us, and the warmth of the sun on our faces. It was family time and we were here together, in the most spectacular and beautiful place on Earth. How I did not know, but hopefully someone could give me an answer and made a note to look at the tablet for any information about what was really going on here. �A hell of an experience for my firm and workers.� I thought, �They'd love this.� I shook my head. Work was out, relaxation was in, and we sat down, ordering food as we discussed what we wanted to do first in the most real experience we would ever have in our lives, starting at Baltimore in Maryland and home and ending up in the tropical paradise of Fiji within a few minutes after our arrival at our room. I wondered if this were possible, and realized that we were really here, when I glanced at my cellphone, typing in the GPS locator and the map altered quickly far away the USA, and down to the South Pacific. �Holy shit...� I exclaimed, and fell silent, the only thing I was able to say at this very moment, in absolute amazement. We were really here. End. WC: 2962
Copyright © 2019 Nathaniel A Miller |