PRIVATE EXECUTIVE RETREAT
had spent enough money to make arriving on Wielu remarkably uncomplicated.
For anyone travelling through the planet's spaceport, private transfers waited beyond arrivals. Larger company delegations had been accounted for in advance, while those bringing their own craft received separate instructions for landing, docking and onward transport to the island. By the time a guest reached the resort, accommodation had already been assigned and their luggage was somebody else's problem.
Panoptic was paying for that too.
The company had reserved the resort for the Exchange, giving its guests three days in which most of the usual barriers between arranging a meeting and actually having one had been quietly removed. Executives, founders, investors, financiers, industrialists and company representatives had come from across the region and beyond. Some invitations bore Rezlan Ves's name directly. Others had gone through companies, existing clients, referrals and associates.
Precisely how somebody had made the list mattered rather less once they were there.
The programme reflected that.
There were roundtables and smaller discussions available to anyone interested, along with rooms set aside for private meetings and enough Panoptic staff on hand to arrange introductions where requested. None of it was compulsory. Guests could spend the entire weekend moving from one conversation to another without entering a conference room at all.
The resort offered plenty of alternatives.
Beaches, pools, private dining, bars, lounges, spa facilities, fitness rooms, yacht excursions, sailing, diving, water sports, gaming rooms, conference spaces, secluded terraces and private villas all remained available throughout the Exchange, along with a list that seemed to grow whenever somebody asked for something that had not already been thought of.
That was more or less the point.
Put enough interesting people somewhere comfortable, remove most of the inconveniences, then see what happened.
By sunset the first arrivals had spread through the resort. Some had gone directly to their rooms. Others had already found the bars, pools or terraces overlooking the water, while Panoptic staff continued moving newly arrived guests away from the landing facilities and into whatever part of the island interested them.
Rezlan had resisted the temptation to programme anything more ambitious for the first evening.
There would be time for business tomorrow.
Tonight, tables had been laid along one of the broad terraces overlooking the sea. Drinks were already being served, dinner would follow once the sun disappeared beneath the horizon, and there was no seating plan designed to trap anyone beside a stranger for three hours.
Rezlan stood near the edge of the terrace as the gathering began to fill around him, one hand tucked into the pocket of a dark tailored coat while the other held a glass he had so far barely touched.
He had invited enough of these people personally to recognise faces as they appeared.
The unfamiliar ones were opportunities.
When there were finally enough guests gathered to justify interrupting them, Rezlan stepped far enough forward to claim their attention without making a production of it.
"Welcome to Wielu."
His gaze passed across the terrace.
"Panoptic has covered your accommodation, transport around the island, dinner, drinks, and anything on the Exchange programme. If we've missed something reasonable, we can accommodate."
A faint smile surfaced.
"There are meetings available tomorrow for those who want them. There is also an entire resort for those who don't."
He lifted his glass slightly.
"For tonight, please make yourselves comfortable, share introductions, find your rooms or freshen up. Then we can proceed to our evening dinner and drinks on the main pavilion's sea terrace. Relax, unwind, everything else can wait until morning.
"Enjoy the resort, and welcome once again."
With that, Rezlan stepped back and allowed the guests space.
He would introduce himself properly throughout the evening.
