Tales of Rimworld

Dreams of a Spa Resort

Timur and Jennifer had a dream, and it was to build their own spa resort. The married couple had set their eyes on a touristic world, but Timur couldn't bear to leave his father on his own, and so he convinced Zhang "Trumpet" to come with them. However, their journey through the stars took an unexpected turn. The reactor of the transport ship suffered a catastrophic malfunction, leading to the imminent explosion of the vessel. Forced to use the escape pod, the couple was launched into space and landed on a frontier planet.

Despite being stranded on an inhospitable planet, the young couple didn't give up on their dream. They found a decent spot near a river and an old wooden bridge. With some elbow grease, they set up their camp, built a shelter out of wood from the lush forest nearby. The trio worked well together. Jennifer tended the fields, Timur acted as the main builder, and Trumpet would hunt games.

They were soon joined by Victor, a lost preteen, who they welcomed with open arms. He was unofficially adopted by the couple, and they would teach him practical skills whenever they had free time. The young man discovered a passion for cooking and he became the de-facto cook of the colony. "With all the vegetables we have, I think I can make more sophisticated dishes! Here, try this one," Victor said while serving food during the evening.

Weeks later, Frieder joined the community after being attracted by a small festival the colony had held. Being an academic, he helped the spa resort by researching ways to produce food and produce energy with watermills. His knowledge made him an invaluable doctor whenever someone got injured or got infections because of the mosquitoes. "Your fever is subsiding, that's a relief. You'll be on your feet in no time, Victor," Frieder declared with a smile.

Days passed and the spa resort grew, welcoming guests and providing with comfortable accommodations. Guests could enjoy the indoor pool, the small restaurant, and they could browse the small shop. Timur and Jennifer were quite proud of their budding resort as it attracted regular visitors. "It may not be on a civilized world, but I think we've got ourselves a small haven. What do you think?" Jennifer declared, holding her husband's hand as they walked in the main street.

Their peacefulness was soon disturbed by Timur's father. His apparent alcoholism had been kept under control since the resort produced its own supply, but when winter came, the stock couldn't be replenished as quickly as Trumpet's drinking habits. As a lush person, he preferred croaking before even thinking of stopping his consumption. And when the beers ran dry, his patience did as well. Trumpet, despite being 61, acted like a spoiled child as he threw tantrums and had catatonic breakdowns when his needs weren't fulfilled. Even with the frequent intervention of the colonists, Trumpet's bad attitude became hard to handle.

The alcoholism was already a problem, but it became worse when the old man began overtly flirting with Jennifer, making her feel quite uncomfortable around him. Timur was torn between his love for his wife and the love for his flawed father. Thankfully for the son, when spring arrived, the production of beer finally resumed and his father's antics quickly ceased. With a bitter smile, Timur watched as his father returned to his old self, a beer in his hand.

After the stressful events faded, the staff had a new employee in the name of Vicky. She used to be an engineer in another settlement before deciding to join the growing spa resort. With her help, the colony managed to build a working car from scratch. While it struggled off-road, it became a valuable asset to visit and trade with friendly settlements. With Vicky's homemade family car, a sense of normalcy settled in the colony. "Hey! Careful with the paint job!" the engineer scolded  a drunk Trumpet who tripped in his feet next to the car.

Days and seasons passed, with the resort expanding more and more. New guesthouses were built, gendered saunas were installed, and the brand new warehouse made the logistics much more easy. They even had an automated garage door to allow the car to drive in before dropping off its cargo. The married couple smiled with contempt as they watched their striving resort. Their latest staff member was a man named Dennis who was tasked with keeping the facility clean and tidy. He didn't say much, but he always attended the social gathering with a smile.