The week-long World Physics Conference was underway at the Wincastle International Conference Center.
As evening fell, a weary Ronan Joyce walked out of the conference center lobby. The sky was overcast and the wind gusted sharply. He frowned, pulling his overcoat tighter around him. 'Wincastle's winter is especially cold this year,' he thought.
After spending several years in Thailos, he found himself growing increasingly intolerant of the cold. So much so that he would fly to a tropical country for every vacation. Only then would he feel truly at ease, both physically and mentally. The sole exception... was that one country.
His assistant, Chester, had asked him more than once why he was so fond of the tropics. He would always just smile without answering. Eventually, his young assistant came to her own conclusion: he loved going to tropical places because he wanted to get a bronze tan.
