Lucent Saccharyn, Head Gamemaker:
The Gamemaking Room was tidied last night by an overnight crew, and a large glass conference table has been placed in the center, with all of our equipment set atop it. I sit at the head, and my subordinates line the sides. This morning, there is no friendly banter. Things are serious by necessity. Every aspect of the Hunger Games, every bit of planning, down from the foliage of the arena to the creatures concealed within it, is ready for the tributes.
They're in the Launch Rooms at the moment. They have fifteen minutes to wait there in total, and about ten of them have already passed without incident. It's imperative that the next ten minutes will go equally well, carrying us through a successful kickoff and smooth Bloodbath. Iris Whottenberg is waiting in the wings, ready for Cassus to signal her when it's time to make her introduction, and hundreds of Capitolites are already tuned into Jack Cannon's analysis programming. "Pyramus!" I snap. "I need the ascension speed of those plates right now. How many seconds will it take them to rise ten feet?"
"12.3 seconds, ma'am!"
"Cassus, you got that? Give Iris an exact time. I want that announcement spot on."
"Yes, ma'am!"
"Pinky, this labeled diagram of the platform placement is great, but where's the Cornucopia icon? Which tribute is facing the mouth?"
"Soya Orlando, ma'am, and Oscar Poudret is facing the tail!"
"Thank you." This year's arena should be shocking to all. I think the ones who will be most surprised are the tributes themselves. I have observed these tributes over the course of five days, and I've developed my own personal predictions about which ones will do the best. Right now, Livi is the tribute to beat, and it would truly be a shock if she died. As a result, most of the more intelligent tributes will likely stay away from her. However, it's not a stretch of the imagination to propose that one or two of the most arrogant outliers–Elle, for example, or perhaps even Soren–might actually try gunning for her. Both are so delusional they genuinely think they're the best tributes and invulnerable to even the Careers.
Then again, there's also the matter of Lyra-Rose, who went on a tirade at her interview about how horrible I am, and claimed that I, one of the most powerful people in the country, am jealous of her and her low-end Career score is an act of sabotage. Her craziness is getting more apparent, and Livi's liable to bounce her out of the Pack right away. It would be neither shocking nor disappointing if Lyra went down in the Bloodbath.
I'm expecting a larger Bloodbath, with perhaps as many as eight or nine deaths. Then again, there's a chance only three or four will die. It all depends how well the tributes make use of the obstacle course leading to the Cornucopia. They have the potential to take advantage of it, but this year's lot, while strong, doesn't seem particularly bright.
The other Gamemakers, while all seated, are busy as anything. They recite facts and figures to Jack and Iris so that the timing turns out exactly right, they're speaking to the broadcasters and making certain the live arena camera feeds are all set up properly, they fiddle with the temperature controls of the arena, adjusting dials just a miniscule amount, fine tuning the mechanisms to ensure that the tributes will experience exactly what we wish them to.
Gamemakers around me rattle off stats to others, and I double and triple check both the arena and the launch room footage to make sure that the tributes are all primed to rise up on their assigned platforms in the prearranged order. Everything must be perfect, and it is. This sort of commotion is to be expected, but we're just putting in the last of our failsafes. Still, I look down at my watch, and notice that time is ticking, so I hurriedly answer the few questions posed to me and continue scanning the screens for any signs of trouble.
I'm managing my team very efficiently, and now only about one minute remains until the Hunger Games will begin. The betting lounge downstairs is all abuzz as people gamble on which tributes will die and which will get the highest kill total. At this exact moment, each one should be in his or her respective tube, awaiting the moment when they're lifted up into the magnificent arena I've crafted. Cassus flicks on the intercom button. "Thirty seconds until launch!"
As he turns it off once more, I clap loudly to get everyone's attention. I look at the table full of Gamemakers, eagerly awaiting my instructions. My voice is clear and steady, and my chin is lifted in pride. "People, the Four Hundredth Hunger Games are upon us. Commencing launch in twenty-nine, twenty-eight, twenty seven…"
Hey y'all!
I know this was super short, but I just wanted to give a little insight into how the Gamemakers are just before the Hunger Games start. The next chapter will be Launch Rooms, and it will be released on Sunday. I have a new poll up, about which tributes you predict will die in the Bloodbath, since I want to see how your opinions on it have changed since the Reapings. I can't wait to see you again in only a couple of days, and let me tell you, I am super pumped about what's to come!
– LC :)