In the Center Ring of the Carnival de’ Carnel you’ll find two of our greatest attractions! First and foremost our Carnival Ferris Wheel Of Fortune! 35 gondolas of mystery and fantasy! Take a ride; you’re sure to get lucky! And our second attraction – the lovely; the exciting; the thrilling; the tantalizing mistress of ceremonies, Kharma Lucky, and the Carnival de’ Carnel Company of Celestial Creatures! Nearly two-hundred of the most talented and daring acrobatic flyers, fire eaters, contortionists, magicians and much, much more!

Tonight, I want you to fulfill your every fantasy; indulge in every pleasure and experience the finest in fine dining, including a taste of heaven! Introducing a Carnival de’ Carnel exclusive – Ambrosia! Watch as the airy and ethereal substance falls from the sky! Savor the intoxicating aroma as you taste it, and realize that you truly have found yourself on the steps of the Pearly Gates!

Now, go and enjoy yourselves! Tonight, the drinks – and the fantasies – are on me!

I wasn’t always the owner of the world’s greatests and most lucrative casino. I was actually born in relative squalor in a rundown section of Greensboro, North Carolina. You’ve probably been led to believe that after the chasm left by the Great Quake of 2016 and in the wake of the subsequent rise of Platinum City, everyone just got up and moved to the side of the country that most fit their sociopolitical ideologies. Well, that’s true for those who could afford to move. For people like my grandparents, there was no relocating and no great awakening of intellectual discourse. There was just a continued pattern of generational poverty. And by the time I was born, despite everything that Platinum City stood for, the chances that I would one day be anything more than a poor black man in the south were slim to none.

But from an early age I was always looking for ways to tip the odds in my favor. And luckily, both me and my brother, Vic, were hustlers at heart. We learned how to rig dice games, fix card games and win bets before we were out of grade school. And then when we got to middle school we discovered a new way to make money – hyper serums.

We – well, mostly Vic – had a knack for mixing potions that would give human beings enhanced abilities. And in the late 21st century, there were lots of people looking for ways to get a leg up on the competition. Neither one of us ever attended a day of high school. Instead, we did our own research and experiments in our bedroom (our parents were too sedated from the rum to ever really check on us), and made a number of potions that we sold for fair prices to whoever was willing to buy.

By the time we reached our 20s, we had made enough money to buy a house and build a lab in which we continued to make and sell hyper potions. Vic was the main mastermind behind the science and I took care of the finances. Soon, our business was nationally known, and not long after that we were working with an international clientele base. We made millions.

And then Vic was busted. He sold a potion to an undercover police officer. The officer thought Vic was selling marijuana but after arresting him, the authorities found that what he was selling was far worse. The FBI was called in and Vic was brought in on charges of unsanctioned experimentation and illegal distribution. Millions of dollars in fines were levied against my brother. And he could have walked free… if I had made the funds available to him.

But I didn’t. Instead, I took the money and ran. I ran away to Las Vegas without even thinking twice. I laid low for a few months, expecting to have the door kicked in at any moment and handcuffs placed on my wrists. But it never happened. Vic apparently never turned on me. He never told them about my involvement and he never told them where and how to find the money.

So, I came out of hiding and in a stroke of incredible luck, I was able to purchase a rundown casino that was on the verge of closing its doors forever. A hired a genius of a man named Simon Charles and with his tech savy, my business flare and a little help from a friend, Reina Valencia, I rebuilt the facility and created the spectacle that is now the Carnival de’ Carnel Casino Hotel and Resort!

Speaking of Reina, she and her boss, Edgar Lockhart, have just arrived here in Vegas. It seems that there is some heat on Mr. Lockhart in Platinum City and he needs me to hook him up with some hyper-serums. The only problem is that ever since my brother was locked up, I’ve not been able to replicate potions as pure and potent as the ones he and I were able to create together. This is not going to be good.

When I walk into my office, Reina and Edgar are giving Simon an earful. I immediately try to defuse the situation. I dismiss my right hand man and security specialist and inform my guests of the trouble my team of scientists are having with the potions. But I promise them that we are indeed on the verge of breaking through and that we need just a few more days. Reina tells me that I have 24 hours to deliver them a complete and fully functional serum or there will be hell to pay. They leave and I’m left wondering how in the world I’m going to pull this off. Reina Valencia is someone you do NOT want to disappoint.

I plop down on my plush, Corinthian leather sofa and bury my face in my hands. A few moments later, I feel a hand on my shoulder. I look up and to my surprise, I see the face of my brother, Victor Carnel looking down at me…