A/N: I had this idea like ages and ages ago! I thought I would never write it but then I did. lol. If you haven't seen the game-show Golden Balls it may not make much sense…but never mind. Lol! Let me know if you worked out who 'the girl watching' was before it said at the end! Please R&R!:
Golden Balls - Future Style:
'Hello' An electronic voice said on a blank screen. The blankness soon moved to reveal an android that - so the audience had been told - represented an old Brummy called Jasper Carrat who'd lived centuries ago 'I'm Jasperoid and welcome to Golden Balls'
The title credits rolled on. The audience was told that the opening credit were near on identical to the ones the original game of Golden Balls had used. No one knew for definitely though and no one dared to disagree with the Game Station.
The girl watching this episode of Golden Balls was sitting on the floor in front of her sofa in her small one-bedroom flat. She was about 20 years old give or take a few years. Her light-blondey-brown hair was tied loosely in its usual pigtails. She hated watching these games but she didn't dare not watch them.
'Tonight's contestants are: John, Thomas, Carrie, and Susan' the TV showed the four contestants as the Jasperoid said their names. The girl looked closely at each one as she always did. 'John' the Jasperoid was stood directly in front of where the first contestants was sat. 'So you work for Torchwood'
'That's right' John had short-yet-fluffy brown hair. The girl guessed he was about 5 foot 11 or 6 foot in height. He looked slightly braver than the contestants usually did. She wondered why this was. Had he been expecting to be chosen? Or was the brave face an act? She guessed it was probably a bit of both. He started talking about working for Torchwood. The girl wondered if he had family or not. He looked like he was in his mid thirties, so he could have teenage children or young children. He could have a wife at home terrified of the out come of this.
'John, show us what you have on your front row' the Jasperoid said.
John unclipped one of the golden balls from his front row. He smiled slightly '750 credits' he said turning the opened bal around so that the Jasperoid and the audience watching could see it. 'And' his smile faded as he opened the second one 'a killer' he said, showing it'
'Bad luck' said the Jasperoid and moved over to he second contestant 'Thomas, you're a doctor, correct?'
Thomas nodded. He was a picture of nerves and try as he might there was no way he could hide it. The Jasperoid as always asked Thomas to tell them about that, and Thomas talked about how his great-grandfather, his grandfather and his Dad had all been doctors, and now his son was continuing the family tradition and training to be a doctor. 'They'll be more Dr. Jacksons to come' Thomas joked weakily.
The girl realised this was the first person she'd ever heard mention their family in this way. People had mentioned parents and grandparents but no one had even mentioned a son. People rarely spoke about their families. The girl guessed it was just easier for them not to.
The Jasperoid told Thomas to show what was in his front row. Thomas did so revealing a '50 credit' ball and a '350 credit' ball.
The third contestant, Carrie, looked numb through shock. When she had to speak there was no emotion in her voice. She was a shop assistants, but currently on maternity leave. She was 6 months gone and excepting a baby girl. The girl watching wondered if she had a boyfriend or husband waiting at home. Carrie looked quite young so she guessed this was her first child. Shakily she opened the golden balls on her front row. First up was a killer and second was '250 credits'
Susan looked cunning. She was there to win and win she was going to do. She didn't work, but she wasn't unemployed, she just didn't need to work for the simple fact that she could live off of Daddy's loaded bank account. When she opened her front row she revealed a '500 credits' ball and then a '300 credit' ball. She smiled, obviously very pleased with these golden balls.
'Now look at the balls you have on your back row, but keep them to yourselves' the Jasperoid told all of them.
The girl couldn't help but think it was typical and unfair that the youngest contestant, who had a baby on the way had the worst front, and the horrible girl had the best front.
Once they had all looked at the two golden balls on their back row the discussion started. John claimed a 100 credit ball, and a 75 credit ball. David admitted to one killer and claimed a 400 credit ball. Carrie claimed a 325 credit ball and a 550 credit ball. Susan claimed a 600 credit ball and a 200 credit ball and she was quick to accuse Carrie of being the one with the missing killer. Carrie thought it was Susan with the missing killer because she was so quick to stick it onto her. John and David both stayed pretty quiet while the two woman argued it out. After a while they stop going on at each other and turned to the men. Susan didn't believe that David had 400 credits, she said it was probably a lower ball and he was making it higher so that they would take him through. He told her that she was too quick to accuse everyone else of having smaller amounts of lying and that suggested that it was her that was lying. She denied this fiercely, and the argument went on.
'John' The Jasperoid spoke loudly and everyone went quiet. 'Why should they keep you in the game?'
'Because I have 3 good balls, I know I have one killer but I have 3 good cash amounts and I'm here to play and honest game' said John.
'David, why should they keep you in the game'
'I'm being completely honest, have admitted to the one killer I have on the back row, and apart from that I have 800 credits worth in my 3 cash balls' replied David.
'Carrie, why should they keep you in the game?'
'Y-you can see the only killer I have 1,125 credits all together in my cash balls' replied Carrie. 'which is a great amount I'm an honest person, here to play an honest game'
'And Susan, why should they keep you in the game'
'I've got four brilliant balls which total to a fantastic 1,600 credits.' replied Susan.
'Right, now, time to vote off one contestant' said the Jasperoid.
The four contestants shuffled between the three cards with other contestants names on it. Each contestant passed one of the cards to the Jasperoid.
'Right. The votes are in. The first vote is for; Carrie'
Carrie swallowed loudly in fear when she heard this. The camera zoomed in on her reaction. She was closed to tears with fear. The girl watching hoped more than anything that Carrie wasn't voted off. Not when she was so young and had a baby on the way.
'The second vote is for; John'
As the camera zoomed in on John his slight smile faded. He didn't look at scared as Carrie, but he was obviously worried.
'The third vote is for; Susan'
Susan looked positively horrified that anyone would dare vote for her when the camera zoomed in her.
'The fourth vote is for;…' The Jasperoid paused for dramatic effect. 'Carrie'
'No!' the girl watching shouted at the screen.
Carrie broke down in hysterical tears. 'B-but I told the truth'
'Carrie, show us the golden balls you have on your back row' the Jasperoid spoke as if he hadn't heard Carrie speaking. The girl knew only an android could be so heartless. Carrie opened the balls to reveal that she had in fact been telling the truth and did have a 325 credit ball and a 550 credit ball. 'Hard luck Carrie. Bin your balls and you're out of the game'
Carrie was shaking as she placed her golden balls into the 'bin' beside her. She stood up and walked into the spotlight. She had tears running down her face, and was shaking so much she could hardly stand. The Jasperoid stood in front of her, a laser red shot came from it's mouth piece and hit Carrie. She became a pile of ash on the ground. The girl watching closed her eyes tightly as the Jasperoid hit Carrie.
One by one the Jasperoid told the other 3 contestants to open their golden balls. John and David had also been telling the truth. Susan's so-called 600 credit ball was in fact a killer though. She shrugged it off saying she had to lie else she may not have got through.
'Round two of Golden Balls'
The golden balls the 3 remaining contestants had were put into a machine and mixed up, 2 more cash balls were added, and one more killer ball. Each contestant was giving 5 golden balls, 2 for the front row and 3 for the back.
John opened his front row first revealing a 200 credit ball and a 400 credit ball. He was mildly pleased with this result. Thomas went next revealing a killer, and then another killer. He was so obviously horrified by this. Susan went last revealing a killer and 250 credit ball. 'One of the new ones' she said as she revealed it.
'Now look at your back row' The Jasperoid told them.
Once they had Susan quickly jumped in to claim she had the 750 credit ball from the last round, another new ball a 550 credit ball and a 100 credit ball. John said this couldn't be true because he had the other new ball and it was a 450 credit ball. John also claimed to have the 350 credit ball from the first round, and the 500 credit ball from the first round. Thomas claimed the 300 credit ball, the 75 credit ball and the 50 credit ball all from the first round.
'So it's between you' he looked towards Susan 'and you' he turned to John 'as to who's lying. And who has the missing killer'
'Well I haven't got it' Susan defended a bit too quickly.
The girl watching remembered that Susan had been the only one who had lied through the first round. So believed she had the missing killer.
'You must have because I haven't' John said.
Susan looked at Thomas 'You aren't really in any position to be taking charge anyway' she told him. 'You have two killers on your front'
'I'm well aware of that' replied Thomas 'I'm just trying to work out where the fourth killer is. If you have it I don't want to take all four of them with me'
'You wouldn't be' insisted Susan.
'You would be' disagreed John. 'I haven't got a single killer. What I say I have I have. She must been lying'
'Right' the Jasperoid stopped them. 'John, why should they keep you in the game'
'I have 5 cash amounts and I've played a completely honest game' replied John.
'Thomas why should they keep you in the game?'
'Although I have 2 killers on the front, I have three good-ish cash amounts on the back'
'And Susan why should they keep you in the game?'
'Coz I've only got one killer and 4 cash amounts' replied Susan.
'Now cast your votes'
Each contestant once again shuffled through the name-cards they had and each passed one to the Jasperoid.
'The first vote is for; Thomas' the Jasperoid said
Thomas's face was now a picture of terror. The girl watching was unsure what to think now. She tensed up the way she had at the first round and the way she always did when watching these game shows, she didn't want it to be Thomas who was killed next, but then she didn't want either of the others to be killed either.
'The second vote is for; Susan'
This time a suggestion of fear was noticeable in Susan's face.
'And the third vote is for; Thomas'
Thomas no longer looked scared, he just looked shocked. As if he knew what was going to happen but it was happening to someone else and not him.
'Thomas, show us the golden balls you have on your back row'
Thomas did so, revealing that he had been telling the truth and did in fact have the 300 credit, 75 credit, and 50 credit golden balls.
'Hard luck, Thomas, please bin your golden balls. You're out of the game'
Thomas placed his golden balls into the 'bin' beside him and walked into the spotlight just as Carrie had done. The girl watching tightly closed her eyes as she knew what was coming next. Just like with Carrie, just like every other time she'd seen this game, Thomas was killed. Turned to ash.
'John, Susan, you've made it to the third round of Golden Balls.' The Jasperoid commented. 'So far you've worked against each other to get here, now you must work together to work up the credits'
The golden balls - along with one extra killer ball - were placed randomly in an unknown order on the table between Susan and John. The Jasperoid explained how they had to choose 5 golden balls and bin 5 golden balls, and the 5 they choose would be the amount of credits up for grabs. However, if a killer ball made its way into the 5 they choose it was half the credits.
'John, your up first, choose a golden ball to bin' The Jasperoid said.
John's hand hovered over all the golden balls and he picked up the one that was right in the centre of them. He opened it, smiled slightly and showed it to Susan 'A killer' he said.
Susan smiled back at him and whispered 'brilliant'
John binned this golden ball, and the Jasperoid told him to choose a golden ball to win. Next John chose the golden ball that was closest to him. When he opened it and revealed it, it was the 350 credit ball.
'Good start' John commented, and the Jasperoid told Susan to choose a golden ball to bin.
She did so, revealing the highest credit ball the 750.
'Damn' she muttered annoyedly.
'Never mind' John said kindly, and she binned it.
The Jasperoid then told her to pick a golden ball to win. She did so revealing the 200 credit ball, with a sigh of relief.
They continued choosing golden balls to bin and to win, and ended up with the 350 credit ball, 200 credit ball, a killer, the 250 credit ball, and the 100 credit ball in their chosen 5, and all the rest were binned.
'There is 475 credits up for grabs' The Jasperoid said. 'You've got it, but can you keep it?'
He explained how they now had a 'split' golden ball, and a 'kill' golden ball, and they had to make a knowing decision in choosing one of them. If they both chose the 'split' ball then they would split the 475 and each go home with 237.50 credits each. If one of them chose the 'split' and the other chose the 'kill' the one who chose the split would be killed and the one who chose the kill would take home all the money. And if they both chose the 'kill' they would both be killed.
'Please split' The girl watched whispered, though she didn't trust Susan.
And she was proved right not to. Susan and John discussed what they were going to do and both agreed to split. John was true to his word and did choose the split ball, but Susan chose the kill ball.
'Susan. You have stole the 475 credits, and killed John' The Jasperoid commented, and the camera zoomed in on John, who looked completely horrified. Slowly he walked into the spotlight and the Jasperoid killed him, just like Carrie, and just like Thomas.
The girl watching turned over the TV quickly as soon as it finished.
Lynda hoped she never ended up on one of these games.