The Island Experience
While still in the Air, Wesley, his parents, and his friends were all enjoying their time on the flight with various conversations taking place. Whether discussing the ongoing battle with the DoS at Ra Solutions, Healthy dieting, or simple laughter and jokes. As they were getting closer, Andrew asked, "Hey bud, I know you bought this Island and I noticed we just passed Florida, but where specifically is this Island?"
"The Island I bought is a decent sized one, and it is in the Bahamas. We bought it from their government for around a little bit more than this Jet. The Island has an airstrip, docks, and a facility for everyone to stay at. Over time I plan on upgrading the Island to accommodate our needs." Wesley stated in a factual manner.
"Oh wow okay, in the Bahamas, that's nice!" Andrew replied back.
Thus the flight remained uneventful until they started to descend, getting closer and closer to their destination. Upon seeing the Island from the air, it was a lot bigger than the pictures made it out to be. The Island was shaped similar to that of a pear, where the north side of the island was mostly filled with sand and rocks, while the south side of the Island had a slight hilly environment filled with various trees and plants. The airstrip was on the north side of the Island facing perpendicular to its position. Allowing for easy landing and take-off. Next to the airstrip seemed to be a gravel or concrete pathway that led to the middle of the Island where a small facility, about the size of a general supplies store. Once the group landed, everyone stretched and got off the plane in satisfaction. Looking around them they couldn't help but feel in a small oasis. The fresh air carried an unique and invigorating feeling, allowing one to relax and enjoy a therapeutic like aroma. The group went to the beach and could feel beneath their feet, soft white sand, contrasting the bright clear blue water before them.
Leaving the airstrip behind, the journey transitioned from the open expanse of the beach to a more secluded and inviting gravel pathway, which meandered towards the small, yet intriguing, facility in the distance. The crunch of gravel underfoot provided a rhythmic accompaniment to the journey, each step further immersing the travelers into the lush embrace of the island's natural beauty. The path itself, bordered by an array of vibrant plant life, seemed to celebrate the diversity of the ecosystem, with each twist and turn revealing new botanical wonders. Vividly colored flowers burst forth from the foliage, their petals a delicate contrast to the verdant leaves that danced gently in the soft island breeze.
As they progressed, the occasional sight of iguanas basking in the sun added a prehistoric ambiance to the setting, their still forms momentarily camouflaged among the stones and plants before their sudden movements betrayed their presence. These ancient creatures, with their leisurely demeanor and intricate scales, seemed like guardians of the pathway, indifferent to the human passage yet integral to the fabric of the island's life. The group couldn't help but pause, captivated by the sight of these reptiles, whose calm existence stood in stark contrast to the usual pace of life beyond the island.
The air was filled with the subtle fragrances of the tropics, a mix of floral scents and the fresh, clean smell of verdant growth, which seemed to cleanse the lungs with every breath. The sound of distant waves crashing against the shore provided a soothing backdrop, a natural symphony that underscored the tranquility of the surroundings. The canopy of trees overhead filtered the sunlight into a mosaic of light and shadow, painting the path with ever-changing patterns that played upon the ground and the travelers' skin alike.
Upon arriving at the facility which took the group around 30 minutes to walk, they noticed that the outside had an aged look to the building. The green paint on the building once created to blend in with the environment had been stripped by age and erosion, yet gave a distinct feel to the building. Upon walking through, the inside was a stark contrast to the outside. The building was up to date with A/C, and electricity, alongside the various bedrooms, bathrooms, and other rooms with various functions such as a telecommunications room, medical room, and big open kitchen and living room area. Wesley and the group were more than pleased with the place overall and were excited to spend the next day exploring the Island before heading back to their everyday lives.
As the group got settled since it was starting to get dark, everyone went to their own rooms to unpack and rest for a minute before meeting back up to hangout and eat dinner. While the group was busy with this, Wesley went to the telecommunications room to inspect it. Upon entering, he noticed that it had a lot more room than he initially expected, partly because only one side of the room had any equipment. There was currently electrical wiring and a long table with various controls on them to send messages through the radio, or other means of communication. The back side of the room had a simple storage locker but besides this, it was just enough room to create all the new quantum servers here tomorrow.
After finishing up inspecting the telecommunications room, Wesley headed to the living room where he found his parents, Kohen, Keaton and Ashlin all in more casual lounge wear, getting ready to cook some food.
"Hey Wes, outside the screen door over there, we found a small fire pit area to hangout around, after dinner we should all relax and enjoy our time outside away from the city." Ashlin said with excitement palpable in her eyes.
"Oh nice! Yeah I'd like that, I'm sure the others are okay with that?" Wesley asked, looking around the room.
"Sure sounds good" Andrew said, with the rest of the group nodding their heads in agreement.
Thus the group began to prepare the ingredients for dinner and cook everything since everyone was starving. For dinner, the group was having one of Ashlin's recipes, which was asparagus spinach strawberry salad on the side, with Fish tacos with avocados, corn, lime, fish, red onions, green peppers. The food's scent filled the entire kitchen causing everyone to salivate at the thought of digging in. Once the food was finished, everyone quickly grabbed their food and began to dig in immediately, leaving not even a crumb behind. If someone were to look at the scene before them they would be in utter confusion, as the group was ravishly scarfing the food down without even saying a word to one another. Once everyone was full, the group made their way to the fire pit to get things going.
"Dad, looking at everything before us, it is crazy to think where life and circumstances have taken us." Wesley thought aloud to the group in a look of gratitude.
"Agreed, to think of the times when you were just a little boy, to now seeing you be the man you are today is a stark yet amazing contrast. Your mother and I could not have been more proud." Andrew said while looking at Rachel with a loving gaze as she nodded in agreement.
"Yeah it is wild to think about, I remember as a kid when I was just obsessed with star wars and transformers, wanting to battle the bad guys and fight alongside my favorite heroes haha." Wesley thought of the fun memories shared by those around him.
"Haha for real, that is literally how we became friends" Kohen said with a smile on his face.
"I've been around since elementary school with you and I don't plan on leaving, just instead of fighting bad guys, we fight politicians now." Kohen said with an amused laugh escaping his lips.
"Haha, well, is there really a difference?" Ashlin replied thinking of all the craziness in the world.
Then everyone burst into laughter thinking of how true that statement really is. The night continued to grow as the group was enjoying their time together around the fire and creating a new memory while remembering the old.
Once morning arrived, Wesley decided it was time to create the new servers while everyone else goes and explores the Island and enjoys the day. Thus Wesley approached the storage locker within the room and activated the Wisp of Conversion. Because of all the practice that he has been doing within the Minerva simulation, his efficiency in his powers has grown drastically. Upon finishing breaking down the locker into various balls of liquid 'matter' he slowly began to transform them into the new quantum server room he needed here on the Island for Orion to use as his temporary 'home' until they build their full design here later. Thus 8 new server racks were completed with all the necessary parts to allow Orion to run the Minerva simulation and store his database here. This left the rest of the information regarding the gaming engine, and their game in the States.
After finishing the servers, Wesley met up with everyone else to enjoy the rest of their time on the island for the day. Ashlin and Rachel went on a hike to the southern side of the island while the guys went to the docks to go fishing and enjoy the scenery. Afterwards, everyone packed up and got back on the jet to head back for the time being. Thus the trip ended and Wesley had to head back to begin the next phase of his plans.