Captivating
Immersive
Stunning
OMEGA
THE FUTURE OF HUMANITY IS IN SPACE
THE MISSION
Omega
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The meaning of “omega” is the end, first and last, or the ultimate limit. Omega is the name of the private-sector organization that first pioneered an underwater facility on Earth and later a massive space station and subsequent colonies in the Trappist-1 planetary system. Omega is thus an ideal name for the end of life on Earth as we know it and the beginning of advanced underwater and space exploration that began as a transnational effort to escape the effects of deteriorating societies.
Omega as a fictional company and an immersive theme park has an android named Trappe. “Trappe” is derived from Trappist-1, a star in the Aquarius constellation which has seven newly discovered habitable planets. The name Trappist was inspired by an order of monks from Trappe, France. The monks are known for their vow of silence which makes Trappe an ironically named droid because of his quirky humor and talkative nature. He is voiced by the scifi actor and fan-favorite, Nathan Fillion.
The environment and visual aesthetic of the land conveys crumbling futurism and though it draws from familiar science fiction tropes and cultural artifacts, it sets them in an original story that is inspired by real-world scientific discovery and exploration. The ideology behind the design of Omega relies on multiverses. This land is steampunk, futuristic, and ruinous. Visitors will travel from the underwaterscape aboard a spaceship to a space station and its colonies in the Aquarius constellation. There are opportunities to explore alien landscapes and creatures as guests take on roles in the narrative at hand.
In 2018, the realities of climate change - global warming, superstorms, droughts, food shortages, clean water, epidemics, poverty, war - could no longer be ignored. The window for intervention had closed. Frustrated by the inability of the worlds governments to act, William Bushway founded Omega in 2018 with a vision for survival in an uninhabitable world. Bushway would lay the foundation for a multi billion dollar company that would survive for 1000 years. Omega would pioneer two ambitious ventures: Omega-I, 2059, an underwater colony on Earth, and a space station in the Trappist system, Omega-II, 3010, as well as subsequent colonies among the many habitable planets in the system. It is September 13, 3018. Omega I is evacuating and has lost contact with Omega II. You flee Earth aboard Omnicron, a submersible spaceship. You reach Omega II to discover the station is ominously empty, somewhat dilapidated space station. Determined to find the crew and colonists you set out to explore the planetary colonies. Though the planets are considered Earth-like, they have alien qualities such as permanent day or night, rocky terrain, and due to close proximity, planets in the sky.
This park will feature original environments and stories but will feature attractions inspired by video games such as Bioshock, Soma, Elite Dangerous, and Prey, as well as cult-classic film/TV productions Firefly. This is an ideal vision board to draw from which will foster immersive interactivity for anyone but will be especially meaningful for fans. Not only does the story draw visitors in through a familiar, realistic scenario (uninhabitable Earth), it blends familiar tropes from the genre of science fiction as a whole in a simulation that fosters a suspension of disbelief for all guests. In other words, visitors are immersed in an engaging story that takes them on a journey from the familiar present to an unfamiliar but believable future. Though the journey is largely anxiety driven and at times scary it is primarily thrilling and awe-inspiring. In the end visitors can immerse in the wonders of other worlds.
Attractions may include indoor coasters, an aquacoaster, an indoor 4D or VR ride, indoor arcade, outdoor simulated environments, interactive mazes, and thematic cafes and bars. Game and food areas might draw inspiration from the parks attractions and story or a variety of science fiction media throughout history.
THE ATTRACTIONS
Three E-Ticket Attractions
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1. Omnicron: The Omnicron is an indoor and outdoor hypercoaster. The ride has three environments that take the guest from the Omega I underwater station on Earth into space where they will reach the Omega II space station from which they have their first view of the Trappist solar system. The experience will immerse guests into the overarching theme of the Omega landscape. Guests will board the ride inside where they will begin their tour of the underwater facility that is crumbling and thus the ocean will be pouring inside around them. Urged to escape while they can they will be launched upward and outside towards the atmosphere where they will reach “orbit.” In orbit they will feel a weightlessness before they are again inside, or rather the darkness of space. As they arrive to Omega II and dock, the environment transforms again to the recently abandoned station. Thought this ride will largely be a coaster with a heavily detailed indoor environment, there will be moments where the Omnicron crew members will speak to the guests to emphasize the narrative. This ride will have an immersive and interactive queue because it does not continuously board.
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2. Leaf on the Wind: This dark ride is technologically similar to the Avatar ride in Disney. This ride is drawing from the film, Serenity, from the Firefly universe. Guests will join the outcast smugglers on a thrilling escape from the midst of an epic space battle. This ride uses ultimate technology to immerse guests in the story using more than a static environment as it will employ immense screens, audiovisuals, and motion. This ride boards in large groups and will have an immersive holding area for the group next in line.
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3. Astra Planeta: The name for this ride is derived from the Greek meaning, Wandering Stars, or planets. This dark coaster will explore the colonies of the Trappist solar system with an immersive environment as vibrant as the film, Valerian. This coaster is in the likeness of Universal’s Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey wherein the technology involved is all encompassing and interactive. This thrilling adventure will bring visitors closer virtually to the alien landscapes and creatures via flight. The ride will be featured after Trappist, an additional attraction described below.
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Two Additional Attractions
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1. Simulacra: Taking Baudrillard’s concepts of replacing reality with simulation, this ride will be an opportunity for guests to design their own immersive adventure as the ultimate escape from reality (like Disney's The Sum of All Thrills, only much more immersive and in the midst of an on-going narrative). This experience will bring to life the popular video game, Elite Dangerous, which simulates future space travel and exploration.
Upon landing at Omega II guests found the station abandoned. The Omnicron crew asks the guests to use the afforded technology to design a safe way to reach the colonies on the planets below to continue the search. Guests will then board pods that will take them on their journey. The pods are 4D technology that utilize audiovisuals and motion. Guests will exit on the opposite side of pods where they will be released outside of Trappist, the last attraction. This will hopefully continue their immersive journey and carry the narrative forward.
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2.Trappist: Trappist is the mildest of all of the attractions in Omega. Guests will board vehicles in the likeness of futuristic space rovers. They will board four at a time into a continuously boarding tour of the alien landscapes and creatures of the colonies. The ride moves inside and outside where the inside will present opportunities for simulated night versus daytime. In the trappist solar system, planets and moons are rather close together and thus are visible by the naked eye. The environments will be very detailed with a variety of real but exotic flora. The animatronics/projections will be high-tech and feature newly designed creatures. The ride will end indoors where they reach the first colony and exit.
THE LAYOUT
Omega is designed largely with a grid , similar to that of Universal Studios (excluding WWOHP), however, the attractions and narrative are oriented in a clockwise layout. Visitors will arrive through the large doorway into a long rectangular entryway. It is in this area that visitors will be welcomed by Trappe, Omega’s android character mascot. This entrance is centrally located with paths leading north, west, and east.
The three E-ticket attractions will be located southwest, north, and southeast with the smaller attractions, restaurants, bathrooms, lockers, shopping, entertainment, and photo-opportunities between them. It is this hybrid pattern that immerses visitors in the environment and narrative but is also just flexible enough to allow visitors to utilize a variety of pathways. Employees and operations have paths that surround the landscape and attractions allowing their movements in and out of the park to be seamless and hidden.
The park aesthetic and wayfinding transition in a clockwise manner and feature an immersive through-way that runs diagonally through the center of the park. Though visitors can follow any direction they choose, Omnicron, Omega’s largest attraction, will be gently suggested from the entrance by audiovisual narrative devices such as Trappe. This will be an environment that is steampunk and nautical. Moving towards Simulacra, the aesthetic changes towards that of a futuristic space station. Leaf on the Wind carries the space theme, as well. Moving towards Trappist and Astraeus the audiovisuals change towards an alien planet. Trappist is situated on an island which features bridges and thus several photo-opportunities surround the beautifully landscaped environment. The three main overlooks are also opportunities for the park to incorporate meet-and-greets or other smaller interactive demonstrations. There are opportunities, also, to incorporate interactives throughout the park such as the vending machines from Bioshock, the Ark and machinery of Soma, and the Typhon from Prey. For instance, a mirror that reveals the guests "true" reflection to be that of a machine or a Typhon.
There are three bathroom/locker/food/merch/assistance areas near the entrance and in the north west and central east areas. Gastronaut, the parks premiere restaurant, is located in the north east quadrant near the detailed alien landscape of Trappist.
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If money were no object, the west portion of the park would emphasize an underwater and industrial environment, while the eastern half would immerse guests in an arboretum in space with a sophisticated dome that digitally simulates the view of Trappist-1 and its planets from the space station. The park will thus transition from underwater Earth, robots, and machinery towards the expanse of space and the stunning gardens and grand design of life on an alien planet.
THE LAND
The overall theme for the Omega section of the park will be one of interstellar exploration and exodus from earth into the galaxy beyond. From the time that one enters through the archway identifying the Omega section of the park it will be readily apparent that the transition into the distant future has transpired. With a combination of a steampunk landscape and elements of differing dystopian futuristic tropes loosely based upon differing cinematic and video gaming universes (i.e. Bioshock, Prey, Serenity/Firefly, Lost in Space etc.) one becomes immersed in the distant future of interstellar colonization.
As you travel through the land of Omega you are transported to these lands and planets that are similar to, yet so different from, the planet earth that you have just left behind you. You have entered a land that takes your imagination to its limits and leads you from science fiction of the 20th and early 21st century to the science fact of the 37th century. Trappe the android is the omnipresent assistant and guide for your visit throughout Omega. Trappe will be available to guests not only in his physical form but also within interactive touch screen displays at intervals on the walkways, in shops, at kiosks and at booths in the restaurants within the land of Omega.
Trappe will be programed to answer questions about the park itself and be able to tell the history of how humankind was able to transition to interstellar travel and colonize different planets in the galaxy. The interactive aspect of the Trappe construct enables guests to play a more active role in their experience with the ability to have as much or as little immersion in this futuristic area as they wish to encounter. This addition of the computer driven construct aspect of the android presence in the land enables the park operators to also use it as a means of tailoring differing narratives either seasonally or by holiday to further enhance the experience for the guests of the park.
Leaf on the Wind
The Leaf on the Wind ride will be a dark ride that will consist of a combination of elements of motion simulation and virtual reality technology incorporated into an exciting ride experience for our guests. This ride will be telling a story of the epic space journey that guests have taken across the stars to the human colonies outside of our solar system and the difficulties that can arise from it.
The inspiration for this ride comes from the Firefly/Serenity cinematic universe and specifically from the scene in the movie Serenity where the crew is fleeing from the Reavers and the Alliance simultaneously. While the ride is not exactly set in the cinematic universe set forth by Firefly it will have similar elements taken from how that story line evolves, mainly the settlement throughout the galaxy of humankind and its interactions with one another.
Leaf on the Wind will be a ride that simulates the space voyage from earth to the colonies throughout the galaxy. The ride queue will consist of elements that are normally associated with travel that most people are already accustomed to (i.e. luggage and security screenings) while waiting to board your spacecraft. The use of departure and arrival boards that are being updated will be displayed at various intervals to give the impression of the environment that is easily associated with modern day air travel with the exception of the destinations will be other planets and colonies beyond earth.
With the main theme of this section of the park being the future and the exploration and the overall exodus of planet earth this ride and its associated spaces will serve to continue carrying on this theme throughout. While traveling in the queue it will be apparent that there has been some sort of event that caused damages to the systems that are in place to facilitate the travel of personnel to the space colonies. This will be done by interrupting voice over against the overall announcement system with statements about how the systems are being attacked by unknown forces and board as quick as you can. The safety briefing can also be incorporated in this manner by explaining how riders need to sit and buckle up in the ride space itself and how they are trying to expedite people onto the spacecraft. As you progress to the front of the queue the dysfunction of the operating systems become more pronounced and the ride operators play a part in perpetrating the perception of danger and the need to evacuate.
The ride itself will have participants wearing a vacuum rated space survival system (virtual reality helmet) when they enter the space vehicle that will display a view of their surroundings in a 360 arc. Upon blast off the space craft moves along the track to create sensations more intense that just motion simulators alone and riders can look all around in space so each seat has its own unique ride experience. Throughout the ride one will experience dodging asteroid fields and dodging other spaceships during an epic battle while trying to find a safe haven upon the destination colony. Upon arrival riders will disembark through the interplanetary customs station, also known as the gift shop, and exit the terminal to the colony to continue their visit to the rest of the park.
DINING
With the overall thematic approach to our section of Chronoscapes being one of the distant future and science fiction our main focus for the food and drinks being offered within Omega will be one of space travel and exploration. This will be expressed mainly in the form of the exodus from earth and the exploration of the rest of the galaxy. Omega speaks toward the dream of many of being able to travel beyond the terrestrial boundaries of earth and experience space exploration in a themed setting.
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The dining options that will be available within Omega will serve to bring to mind the excitement of space travel with a sense of nostalgia for older patrons that have a prior knowledge of the space program of the 60’s and 70’s. Alongside the throwback options of dehydrated astronaut ice cream bars will be Gastronaut fuel (a fruit punch Gatorade style beverage) and space themed adult (alcoholic) beverages. The menu will be compatible with family style dining with pun style offerings that will suit every dietary requirement that any patron will have no issue finding something satisfying while not breaking the bank.
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We are designing the dining options to enhance the overall experience for all of our visitors to partake in, not just to serve as a personal refueling station necessary for continuing one’s life. Dining within the world of Omega will serve to take one totally away from their individual lives and complete the immersion into the science fiction future that is brought to life all around you.
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In addition guests will be surrounded by opportunities to play or watch others play video games will they dine. The tables will range from two to ten and there will also be several lounge areas with large sectionals and chair settings to accommodate a variety of groups. The gaming area will target the adult audiences and be the bar area of the restaurant (though guests can order from the bar where ever they are seated. The dining area will feature tvs and gaming, as well. This is NOT Dave and Busters nor is it a retro themed arcade. With the overall aesthetic continuing the immersive qualities of Omega, the gaming elements in the restaurant will emphasize science fiction games from participating indie and major developers. This will explore state of the art technology and the latest video game trends as well as exhibit the creativity, skill, and craft of developers and artists in the industry.
THE EATS
Menu
All entrees served with choice of saturn rings or space fries
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Orion’s Beltway Burger
½ pound beef patty served with lettuce, tomato and pickles.
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Phoenix Sandwich
Buffalo chicken breast (grilled or fried) with blue cheese or ranch, served with lettuce and tomato.
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Pisces Plate
Cod fillets (grilled or fried) served on a bed of coleslaw.
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The Outer Lettuce
Chef, wedge or Cobb salad with choice of dressing.
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Kid’s Meal Options:
Flying Saucer Pizza
Asteroids and Cheese
Rocket Dog
Phoenix Nuggets
Beverages
Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster
A mind-altering combination of gin, rum, vodka, tequila, creme de menthe, Galliano blended and garnished with a slice of lemon.
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Beyond Pluto’s Reach
Travel beyond Sol’s boundary with the combination of vodka, melon liqueur, orange and pineapple juice.
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The Spacewalker’s Hangover
Pick yourself up after too much EVA time outside with this combination of Jägermeister, Bacardi 151, lime juice and tonic.
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Trappe’s tonics
Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Dr. Pepper, Sunkist, Root Beer or Gastronaut Fuel served in a refillable souvenir bottle