With summer getting into full effect, prep for the 2019 IAC went into full effect. Mostly it was training and setup, as well as a few compromises.
The biggest "compromise" was the request for a "bodybuilding village" made primarily of yurts and outdoor exercise equipment with the competitors wearing mainly their posing equipment and little else. While the first two parts weren't "tampered" with too much, the final part was ultimately a no go. But that didn't mean that those who were registered didn't discard it completely, mainly for safety purposes. But this did inspire Meg to submit something to both Project Phoenix and the PR-MD offices.
"So these are technically old co-workers of yours?" asked the Project Phoenix Representative.
"Yes," answered Meg, "Female bodybuilders who are also porn stars. Unlike me, however, they obeyed what the directors wanted and had to resort to either implants or injections to attain what they want."
"Don't worry," said the Horizon Surgeon, "With your sponsorship, their implant removal services will be half price.
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The other thing that was being looked forward to was the Animalia fashion show, as well as the Bare-As-You-Dare competition, since the first one was so successful. But fortunately, Adi was (again) able to opt out of it, since she was competing in the track and field events, and the fact that she was Muslim as well.
But fortunately there was a kind of "morale booster" that helped everyone feel better about themselves. It was a video/slideshow of some of the worst celebrity photoshop edits. It also seemed to be overwhelmingly successful because it also showed some that Maggie had been subjected to. These were seen as undeniably hilarious now, especially since they made Maggie undeniably angry back then.
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Another one that was being part of the 2019 IAC was the Project Hermaphroditus showcase. Fortunately the part that showed what would be considered "inappropriate" were alerted ahead of time so anyone with "minors" could "remove" them.
There was also a chance to document more information on hermaphrodite pregnancies, both for the members and for the scientists in charge of it.
But the biggest thing was that the members of Project Hermaphroditus had finally gotten enough control over their new hormones to take part in the games, and there were at least a few looking to take home an IAC Sports Medal, but to keep from endangering the unborn children that some were "carrying" any pregnant herms were not allowed to take part for the time being. While initially upset, they were able to accept it with grace.
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There was also another thing going on. The most recent members of Animalia would be taking a tour of the established Animalian Colonies, but the most interesting/controversial members of the tour was undoubtedly Mr. Hyun and Ling. Fortunately the plan for a colony in the Korean Peninsula was well underway. While leaders of both North and South Korea wanted the colony in their nation initially, with Ling's help they were inevitably working on a solution between the two. This was clearly illustrated by one guy helping them both out while they packed for their colony tour, which was later dramatized in a Saturday Night Live skit.
"Sam" (the guy's name in the SNL skit) clearly saw that Mr. Hyun, or at least the actor portraying him, had Ling's protection in mind with the things he was bringing in his carry-on luggage. But rather than calling it either good or bad, Sam was able to do so tactfully, and the SNL skit had his words down exactly.
"You've done a really good job in keeping Ling's safety in mind, Mr. Hyun. But... when you really think about it, one of the things that will inevitably happen is souvenir purchasing, and if you purchase at least one souvenir from each colony you're visiting, you might be expected to carry your luggage from hotel room to airport terminal to hotel room, and don't you think it might get heavy after a while?" After that, he was able to help out with what to bring on a vacation.