Paradisio Pt. 01: Mere Mortal

Adam, just Adam, was the name he had used to book the trip. By all accounts "Adam" was an ordinary 25 year-old man, working as a consultant in a multinational IT company, occasionally going to the gym, driving a car from a few years ago, married to a fairly beautiful, though somewhat average wife, no children. Every winter, after the rushed workweeks of the autumn, he got his week off of work. For the last six of those winters he had spent those vacations in his average home, with his wife, reading books and repeatedly confirming to one another how they enjoyed their lives, despite how hollow those words rang. It was an average existence for Adam, one just like a billion others.

As is often the case, he had had an idea based on an ad on the internet. It was one of those banners that permeated every more or less shady website, most of which promised eternal bliss, sexual prowess and all-but-immortality for mere 9,99$. This one had promised an "Exotic vacation on a remote island, full of wonders both imaginable and unimaginable, with complete satisfaction guaranteed". The ad was so vague, so ridiculous, that it was unlikely any sane person would touch it. A mouse click later Adam was perusing one of the strangest websites he had ever seen. Amidst promises of explicit pornography and outright prostitution were both images and video footage of a quaint island resort, faces of people in garish hawaiian t-shirts blurred out as they walked in and out of the camera's view, beautiful and barely clothed women clinging to their arms. The description spoke of a small island, it's natives now refugees in their homeland due to a tsunami which had wiped out the island's rickety infrastructure, leaving the indigenous people living in the ruins, barely clothed and fed. The company running the website boasted having brought new economy and tourism to the island, creating a seemingly impossible paradise in which wealthy individuals could spend their vacations on the islands many resorts, server by the local people, while their money would be split between maintaining the resort and aiding in the rebuilding effort of the island, turning this resort for rich people into a guilt-free charity organization. In name, at least.

The pricelist was ridiculously overpriced, a barrier to keep mere mortals out, but after looking around the payment and booking sites and tracking the security certificates, Adam felt almost confident that the site was legit. But what did it matter to him? In the dark hours of the night Adam filled out the forms and booked a room for a weekend, the price amounting to such a sum that were it even slightly higher it would cost him his average house and his average car. Hell, it might do so even as it was.

"A small price to pay..." -Adam remembered thinking that night. He made the payment using an anonymous online currency transfer service and when asked for what name the reservation would be, he chose his alias to be as blank and untraceable as possible: "Adam". Seeing that he was about to enter a paradise on earth, at least according to the website's boasts, and since he indeed yearned a taste of the forbidden fruit, the name seemed more than appropriate.

--

As the small plane landed on a landing strip barely worth the name, Adam felt relieved. At least, should the resort be revealed to be a scam, he had gotten a plain ride to an honest-to-God tropical island out of it. As the plane taxied to a halt he watched the idyllic palm trees swaying gently in the tropical breeze, and he could not help but smile a little as he saw the miles and miles of pristine sandy beaches, glistening waters, and the small villas that acted as rooms of the island-wide resort complex, nestled at the edge of the jungle that enveloped most of the island. The sight almost wiped Adam's mind of the division he had seen from the air, the smoky ruins and run-down slums of a small coastal city and the wrecked villages that dotted the other side of the island, the one he was not supposed to think about too much. Adam had read up on the island, and indeed it had been a flourishing tropical paradise, complete with small-scale industry mostly specializing in intricately crafted pieces of furniture and other decorative luxury items.

The incredible quality of the crafts and the prices they fetched back in the states and in continental Europe, had funded an economy that allowed the island's population of just under six thousand to live in relative luxury. A tropical paradise of natives. That was all until a tropical storm, a freak of nature and a one-in-a-million chance, struck down the island, annihilating its industry, killing over a third of its population and crippling its infrastructure. While the nations of the world had pondered on how they should assist this stricken island nation, the gears of bureaucracy grinding ever so slowly, a wealthy businessman who remained anonymous had stepped up and airlifted in private emergency workers, supplies, food and medicine. His price had been a seemingly reasonable deal that allowed him exclusive rights to run a resort on the island, free of rules, regulations and restrictions, and most importantly: free of international laws of which the island was exempt. When the international help had arrived in the form of a large cargo ship, the natives had turned it away. They were better off this way.

--

A polite young male steward assisted Adam as he exited the plane. A row of expensive cars and their drivers, all dressed in black suits, awaited him and the handful of other passengers of the plane. Adam's luggage, a single suitcase which contained his second change of clothes and some basic toiletries, was carried to him by a negro man clearly of local origin, smiling politely and nodding often, though remaining curiously silent and wordless. Adam had read that most of the locals didn't speak a word of english, instead preferring their own native language, and as he glanced around he realized that was probably one of the many reasons this resort could operate as openly as it did. He shrugged, glancing up at the pristine blue sky with a smile on his face as he sat down in the car he had been directed to. The negro driver, who had offered to carry his luggage by gesturing wildly, carefully closed the car door behind him before entering the driver's seat and slowly driving off. Of all the things, smooth jazz was playing in the car stereo. If the resort was indeed a scam to lure in rich fools and Adam was about to be abducted and tortured, this would be right about the time.

--

The trip to the hotel was a short one, just ten minutes from the makeshift airport on a freshly paved road that twisted and turned amidst the jungle trees. Looking out of the car window, Adam had a hard time in deciding how he felt about his arrival. He was alone here, in a place marketed on a shady website as paradise on earth, most of his funds were tied to this one weekend stay and, most unexpectedly, it was starting to look like this would not be a scam after all. Was he disappointed? Had he sought adventure in putting himself at risk? Adam shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts, as the car stopped softly on a palm tree-lined parkway in front of a luxurious reception building identified as such only by a small signpost outside. There were no advertisements, slogans or anything that betrayed the place as a hotel or a resort, just the word "Paradise" emblazoned atop the arched doorway that served as entrance to the building of glass, steel and decorative marble. The driver, his designated driver, Adam now realized, stepped out of the vehicle with the engine still running, and opened Adam's door for him, nodding and smiling pleasantly as he gestured politely for Adam to stand. As Adam stepped out of the car the driver gestured him to enter the reception building and bowed politely, before turning back to tend to the vehicle. Adam's luggage was still in the trunk, but he felt adequately at-ease to leave them there. Something about the place just made everything feel carefree, friendly and oddly trustworthy. His shoes made a pleasant clack on the pale marble tiles as Adam crossed from the parkway and into the cool air of the reception building.

"Hello, Mr Adam, and welcome to Paradise."

A well-tanned man in a white suit stepped up to him and shook his hand in a firm and encouraging manner, his smile warm and friendly, rather than the rehearsed used-car-salesman smile Adam was used to in his day-job. Adam returned the handshake and took measure of the man. He seemed strong and well kept, his hair had been cut short and his face and square jaw were cleanly shaven, and there was a tiny hint of cigar smoke around him, that seemed appropriate considering the locale.

"I will be your assistant during your arrival procedures, and am here to answer any questions you might have. Right this way, Mr Adam, we need to go over a few minor details before we can take you to your villa. I assume you've read the online brochure, yes?"

Adam remembered the extensive document, listing all sorts of legal jumble on clauses, secrecy and security. He had spent an hour trying to fully understand the document, to find the potential legalese traps that might have been hiding there, but had eventually given up.

"I've examined it, yes, though I expect you will give me the bullet points?"

"Of course, Mr Adam. We'll take care of that first and then we shall take care of registration." The man in the white suite began to walk deeper into the building, while gesturing for Adam to follow him.

"I am obliged to remind you, that once registration process takes place, you are expected to have fully understood the legalities involved herein, and violating any rules and regulations pertaining to our customer's secrecy, as well as that of our facilities and staff, will have severe consequences. Until the time you go through registration, you are free to back out. The plane will remain at the airfield until noon and should you decide to cancel your stay, we will refund seventy per-cent of the your initial fee within fifteen business days of your departure. Is this all well with you?"

Adam took a few seconds to digest this information, but finally nodded. He didn't intend to back out now.

"Yes, sounds perfectly fine to me. Let's get started."

As Adam and his new assistant ventured deeper into the building's lavishly decorated halls, he could hear a voice behind him, rather similar to the one that had greeted him just moments ago, welcoming another visitor as they arrived.

--

A seventeen-slide PowerPoint presentation and a cup of exquisite coffee later, Adam was ready for registration. At the request of his assistant a pair of people in white lab coats, a young female Adam could only guess was a nurse, and a slightly older bespectacled man whose appearance could be summed up with the word "Doctor", entered the room with a small metal tray, upon which lie a thin metal instrument and a bottle of disinfectant. The tanned man in a white suit, clearly used to the somewhat terrified posture Adam realized had crept up on his face, spoke words of reassurance.

"Do not worry, Mr Adam. The registration process is very simple and almost painless. For the duration of your visit you will be implanted with a subdermal microchip, a few millimeters thick, that serves many functions, such as tracking your health and location on the island, as well as some others which I will describe in further detail once we arrive at your villa. I assure you, there is nothing to be worried about."

Adam glanced at the man, unsure as to what to do with himself, but finally gave a careful nod of agreement. He was alone, and if these people wished to inject something into him with or without his permission, there was little Adam could do about it now. The nurse gently took his hand and swiped it with a moist cotton swab, smiling reassuringly, and the doctor moved in with the metal instrument that looked like some kind of syringe, only thicker.

"Not to worry, Sir, you will barely feel a thing." -the doctor assured in a well-spoken British accent.

Just seconds later it was over, an a tiny lump the size of a grain of rice now sat nestled under Adam's skin. The doctor and the nurse asked if he felt all-right and whether he felt any pain where the chip had been implanted, and finally wished him a pleasant stay as they left the room. Adam's assistant gestured for Adam to stand up and to follow him.

"Well, Mr Adam, you are now officially a guest of our little Paradise on earth. As mentioned in the brochure, all food and drink is covered by your initial fee, all services are provided free of additional charges and should you wish for anything at all, you need but ask either one of our designated assistants, recognizable by our white suits..." the man made a wide gesture to himself, "...or by calling number one-two-three on any public or private phone on the island, and giving us your name, which we will use in combination with the implanted RFID chip to identify you. Say you want a cool drink, you call us up and tell us what you need and a delivery will be made based on the location of the chip. You need not worry about where you are or when you make the call. Very simple, yes?"

Adam nodded, feeling a sense of relief to be moving on. The implanting of the chip had made him a bit queasy, or perhaps it was just the realization that he was about to go into the rabbit hole, crossing over from the world of mere mortals and into a short visit in the lives of the wealthy and the powerful.

"Since we do offer a rather extensive list of services beyond what is automatically delivered based on the packaged services that are delivered to your villa based on your application, there are lists of additional services, all free of charge as mentioned, available at your villa, where you will be spending this vacation. If at any time you feel you wish to extend your stay, simply let us know and we will simply check if the charged sum for additional days of stay is accepted by your banking service and your stay can continue for as long as you like.

I shall call on your driver, whom will remain on-station and ready to serve you at any hour of the day during your stay, and request that he transfer us to your villa. I shall show you around and everything should be ready for you to start enjoying your stay well before noon."

--

The car pulled up to a lush garden of trees and bushes that offered protection from prying eyes, as if there were any, as well as exotic plants and flowers that produced a heady cocktail of scents and aromas. Glimmering patterns of light danced on the white walls of the villa, betraying the presence of a swimming pool beyond the garden. Adam was starting to get used to his situation and comfortably stepped out of the car as the driver opened his door. The white-suited assistant accompanied Adam through the garden while the driver opened the trunk of the car and carried Adam's luggage into the villa. And what a villa it was: white marble, lavish engravings, statues and other works of art decorated the expansive building.

"All of this is completely at your disposal..." The assistant spoke as he showed Adam the interior. "...and your only responsibility to us is to leave it standing. Should you get the urge to demolish a wall or perhaps burn some portion of the structure to the ground, we will be forced to collect on the damages, as I am sure you understand." The assistant gave an odd little laugh, sounding almost childish. Adam chose to ignore it, too busy taking in the precious works of art and the grand design of the structure he was in. They had a quick walk-around of the villa, which consisted of two stories. Upstairs there were two spacious bedrooms, a bathroom and a large covered terrace, complete with a jacuzzi. Downstairs there was a large living room fit to throw a party for a hundred people, a third luxurious bedroom, and a well-equipped kitchen brimming with food and drinks of all kinds. Adam was amazed, to say the least, especially considering his early expectations regarding this resort. He was finally almost certain he had not been scammed, and his surprise was insurmountable.

"Now then, Mr Adam, before I leave you to enjoy our resort, I wish to explain a few basic features. Just this way."

The assistant lead Adam into the living room, and only now Adam realized there was a person there; a young female corresponding perfectly with the features Adam had listed in his application, details he had forgotten about until this very moment. She was young, probably just barely eighteen, though Adam had his suspicions even of that, slender and well-built. Her hair was dark, fairly short and spiky, and combed to her left side. Her skin was dark, like coffee with the tiniest hint of milk in it, and so smooth it almost seemed to shimmer and glow in the sunlight that reflected from the swimming pool outside. Her slender body and breasts that bordered between B and C cup were covered by a collared shirt with short sleeves, made of a thin white fabric that did little to cover up the curves beneath. Her nipples stood erect and cast tiny shadows on the white fabric. A shapely bottom was barely covered by a tan mini skirt, only about seven inches long, which tightly wrapped around the beautiful curves beneath. She was barefoot, the nails on both her fingers and toes unpainted. Her being brought to mind a wild jungle girl only barely recognizing the civilization and customs around her, the plain clothes a mere restraint on her wild self.

Adam stopped dead at the doorway, unable to utter a single word. As he took in the sight that greeted him, he could not help but have what might have been the most massive hard-on of his life, one that was barely contained by his loose denim jeans. His assistant, seemingly oblivious to Adam's predicament, approached the girl, and gave her a cursory glance culminating in an accepting nod. She simply stood there, hands to her sides, her emerald eyes occasionally blinking slowly, barely registering the new arrivals. She breathed slowly and deep, and Adam found himself wondering what her voice sounded like.

"Well, Mr Adam, I hope she is to your liking. We try our best to accommodate any and all requests, and yours were fairly easy for us to fulfill, compared to most."

Adam awed at the beauty of this woman, so perfect, so precisely as he had dreamed. It was almost unreal.

"She is Taisha, or whatever you choose to call her, and she is your default companion for the duration of your stay. She does not speak english, but I am sure you will be able to communicate adequately. Should you wish to replace her with another companion at any time, or perhaps request more companions to be provided to you, you can make your selections at the touch screen console in the main upstairs bedroom. This console can also provide additional information on your current companion and I suggest you take a moment to examine this information. Since direct communication is not possible, you can also request any of your companions to change outfits or other equipment at the touch of a button, the instructions will be transmitted to her via an embedded earpiece, identical to the ones worn by all of our staff members in order to coordinate our actions." The assistant tapped a finger at his temple. "Anything you wish can be accommodated, and no matter the nature of request, do not hesitate to ask our staff about anything and everything."

Adam stood still, and was barely able to give a small nod. The pulsating sensation in his pants was about to drive him mad. His assistant beamed a knowing smile his way.

"Well then, Mr Adam, It seems you are pleased with what has been provided so far. The only thing left to explain is how our funding works. You see, this resort is absolutely dedicated to your well-being and enjoyment. To ensure that our staff provide services of utmost quality, their payment is determined by a measurable level of enjoyment our guests receive while in our care. This is done by the chip that was implanted upon registration, and I am sure you will come to understand the factor used to measure our success. For every successful action our staff undertakes to make your stay pleasurable, a pre-determined sum of money from your initial fee is transferred from the resort's funds to the payment of the staff member or members currently active at your location, and thereby every time you enjoy yourself at our resort, you are also funding a charity fund committed to rebuilding this island and improving the quality of life of it's residents."