The Life Story Of Beetee Latier
Author's note: At the polite request one of my readers, who goes by username - gaptasticventure, I have decided to write a story about Beetee's Games. Once I got my imagination into it, it turned out to be kind of fun for me. Hope you like what my imagination has popped out.
I have decided that in this version President Snow is not President yet, and that Caesar Flickerman is in his mid 60's during Katniss's Games. Enjoy.
Chapter 1:
Life in District 3 -
Beetee Latier was a 12 year old boy. He lived in an industrialized city in the country of Panem, by the name of District 3. Every student at the schools in District 3 were to go to school in the morning and then in the afternoon get hands-on experience in the 'Tech Factories' where any and all different kinds of machinery were manufactured by a combination of assembly-lines on conveyer-belts and the manual physical labor of human hands.
At school they where taught advanced mathematics and the workings of the machines they would have to build when they work in the factories. The adults usually worked for 12 hours a day, 6 days a week until they couldn't work anymore. Sometimes the people were made to work 7 days a week. Pay at the Tech-Factories was minimum wage, and the cheapest food was so expensive, except for the wealthy Merchant-Class that ran the businesses in the market that didn't need to slave in the Tech-Factories, and even they had to make material sacrifices. Chronic hunger was the entire population's companion and an unwelcome companion it was.
Laws written by the evil and sadistic Head Peacekeeper were strict. People were dragged into the main public square to be tied to a post and plead guilty to small and mediocre crimes, and then everyone would be forced to watch while the Head Peacekeeper would put a bullet through the accused's forehead, or if they were lucky, a whipping of 30 lashes or more.
Beetee's gifts -
Most of the school students were bright thanks to the educational curriculum, but Beetee was uniquely gifted. He had a photographic-memory; all he needed to do was glance at the page in a science text book and he would absorb all of the scientific information on the page and never forget it, ever. He had very good delicate finger control offering him a remarkable ability to put together any kind of delicate sophisticated device with any spare parts or scrap-metal he could find. He had the ability to think up unorthodox scientific ideas and then after some number crunching in his head he knew the theory was right. Then after some more hard thinking he could then think of exactly how to build an advanced sophisticated machine that could do something based on the theory. By the time he was 5 years old he was a master physicist, master computer programmer, master mechanical technician, master engineer, master electrician, and an expert on all sciences. His only problem was that he was farsighted; he could read the tiniest print from across a large room but anything right up close, he needed to squint. And his family couldn't afford to get him glasses. The optometrist in the market was actually the most generous compared to all the others, but even for his low prices, they couldn't afford to pay the lump sum.
Beetee's family -
He lived with his mother, father, and two little sisters. Elizabeth (35), Donathan (35), Mily (8), and Lori (4). He had cousins and friends as well. He and his family all had skin that was a slight olive-tone brown. He always looked out for his little sisters. He often went without food for longer periods by sacrificing his own meager share of food for his sisters, though he did everything he could to get his hands on extra food. Scrap metal was easy to get his hands on, as well as crude tools for working with, and he would build crude, but remarkably useful and effective contraptions that his family could either use or sell cheap to whoever could afford it.
They lived in a small house. He shared a small bedroom with his sisters. They had a small backyard with a garden, and a crude makeshift shed that was made out of unused discarded materials. Inside the shed was some storage that Beetee's parents allowed him to work on his gadgets, that they would either use or sell. They had a small bathroom with a sink that only had cool tepid water, and a toilet. No bathtub or shower. When they got too dirty they could give themselves a sponge bath over the sink.
Television Commercial seen on TV in the Capitol:
"You've heard him on the radio for years!" said a dramatic background voice interspersed with one-second clips. "He has appeared on countless TV interviews! He has bedazzled people in the audience with his wit and conversational and philosophical intellect! And now you can see him every single day on his very own Talk Show! He will have celebrity guests! Hunger Games Victors! District citizens! Common people with thoughts, to talk about their boring lives, and he will make their boring lives seem exciting! He will report the news! Musical guests! And comedy segments! The Pilot episode of 'The Caesar Flickerman Show', Premiering tomorrow night!"
The next day.
The audience in the studio is seen on the TV.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 'Caesar Flickerman Show'!" said the announcer excitedly.
The crowd cheered and applauded.
"And here is your host slash star of the show, CAESARRR FLICKERMAAAAAN!"
The curtains lining the back of the stage parted as the remarkably handsome 18 year old TV Star walked onto the stage smiling.
"Thank you!" said Caesar welcomingly. "Thank you, thank you thank you! And welcome to my show!"
Everyone in the audience screamed at the top of their lungs while they applauded. Caesar paced back and forth as he waited for the audience to die down. He then was crying.
"These are tears of joy because you all love me so much." he said with tenderness.
He told a few jokes, had a few guests. And then the 30 minute time slot on prime time was almost up.
"Now, it's almost time to wrap things up." said Caesar. "But now I will tell you that I have been asked by our very own President Abraham Carson, until further notice every year from now, to host the Hunger Games!"
The audience cheered and applauded.
"I look forward to seeing you all there! I'll see you all tomorrow! Thank you for coming out tonight! Good night everybody!"
District 3:
It was the middle of July. And it was the day of 'The Reaping' to decide who would be the child representatives and participants for District 3 in the '29th Annual Hunger Games'. On the stage in front of the Justice Building there was the mayor, the District 3 escort from the Capitol, Nelly Electra, and District 3's only two Victors of the Hunger Games, 37 year old Neil Osmo who won the 10th Hunger Games at age eighteen 19 years earlier, 25 year old Sora Petford who won the 21st Hunger Games at age seventeen 8 years earlier. Both victors are smart and brilliant.
Neil Osmo is six and a half feet tall and heavily muscled. Beetee observed in the Hunger Games each year that either brains or brawn individually were formidable and that person would most likely win, but since Neil Osmo had both, he had pretty much clenched the Games that year, he scored an 11 in training with the Gamemakers, and during the Games didn't disappoint.
Sora Petford won her Games by thinking like her enemy, hiding and evading the whole Games, setting traps, and luring her fellow tributes into them.
The mayor read the Treaty of Treason, and then got down to business.
Nelly Electra stepped forward. She had long glistening green hair, and was wearing elbow length green gloves, a poofy green dress and knee high green high heels, all in the abnormal fashions of the Capitol.
"Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor!" she said excitedly in her strange Capitol accent. "Ladies first."
She then walked over to the girls bowl and reached to the bottom, stirred up the pieces of paper and pulled out one at random. She walked back to the microphone and unfolded the piece of paper.
"Noria Sanders." said Nelly Electra.
Everyone looked in the direction of the 14 year olds. A short and shy girl with blond hair walked to the stage looking petrified.
"Are there any volunteers?" asked Nelly Electra.
There was no response.
She then walked over to the boys bowl. Dug her hand to the bottom and pulled one out. Beetee hoped it wasn't him, for he had his name in the bowl 6 times right now because he signed up for Tesserae on his 12th birthday. One slip of paper went into the bowl because it had to, and then an additional slip of paper for every member of his family including himself and he got a year's supply of grain and oil for each of them, though it still needed to be carefully rationed. And Beetee calculated in his head in an instant that with tens of thousands of slips of paper in the bowl it would be highly improbable that he would be picked.
And Beetee's calculations did not disappoint, for after Nelly Electra unfolded the paper she said.
"Joseph Harter."
And that was it. That was the horror. Beetee had survived his first reaping.
But the horror had only just begun, as the Capitol made the the people watch the Games.
At the Tributes Parade on television the next day, Noria Sanders and Joseph Harter were wearing long robes covered in useful gadgets.
Three days later, after their private sessions with the Gamemakers, they each scored a 5.
Two days after that, they presented themselves well in their TV interviews with the new young and famous Talk Show Host Caesar Flickerman that they both were bright, clever, and knowledgeable.
The next day they both survived the blood bath at the cornucopia after the gong sounded and got away with a backpack each, but did not ally with each other. 11 people died at that blood bath, but interestingly the boy from District 2 did not survive, for by mere luck the girl from District 6 got a knife and stabbed him through the heart in the back. With a rope and some clever knots tied, Joseph Harter made a trap right in the path of the girl from District 4 who was hunting him. And when she sprung the trap she was then hanging upside down from a tree and she dropped her knife. Joseph capitalized on it, and hunted her back by running up to her, grabbing up her fallen knife and slitting her throat. Score one point for brains. He died the next day in a Gamemaker's earthquake. Noria Sanders was killed during the top seven by the girl from District 1. The career pack turned on each other then because the competition got tight. In the end the girl from District 2 won that year.
And that went on for six more years.
Beetee had his name in the reaping bowl 12 times when he was 13. Then 18 times when he was 14. Then 24 times when he was 15. Then 30 times when he was 16. Then 36 times when he was 17. And his name was never drawn.
When he turned 16, his sister Mily was 12 and signed up for Teserea, so the whole family got twice as much grain and oil. After he turned 17 though, something happened. His sister Mily became emaciated and her bones began to show through. Beetee did some research, and found out that Mily had a genetic deficiency disease. There was a cure, but the cure was only available in the Capitol. The only other thing was a constant regular diet of high protein and potent Health Vitamins that could in theory counteract the effects of the disease. Of course they couldn't afford it, and she died shortly after Beetee turned 18.
He later found out that that Lori had the same disease. And he blamed the Capitol for this. This disease could be helped in the Capitol but they just make slaves of the people and don't care.
He looked at his sickly 10 year old sister with determination.
"Lori." said Beetee. "I will save you! I promise that I will make sure you never go hunger again! If it is within my power I will do it, or die trying!"
His vow was absolute. Unbreakable.
'I am going to win the Hunger Games!' he thought to himself.
It was the month of June. The reaping was in 23 days. He had to prepare. He then set to work. He took a pen and paper and made notes. With his photographic memory he conjured up his every recollection of every Hunger Games he ever watched. He mapped out in his mind all of the arenas he had seen and anticipated every trap and trick the Gamemakers ever used. The Careers will be strong and trained to kill. But they could be avoided easily enough and a smart person could subtly manipulate them. A few days before the Reaping, he had every possible contingency worked out. The Gamemakers believed they were a step ahead of him, he knew they were wrong because he was twenty steps ahead of them.
The day of the Reaping came for the '35th Hunger Games'. Neil Osmo and Sora Petford sat beside the mayor after he read the treaty of treason, and Nelly Electra walked up to the microphone. Her fashion style was going for a rainbow theme from head to toe.
"Happy Hunger Games!" said Nelly excitedly. "And may the odds be ever in your favor! As usual, ladies first."
She walked over to the girls bowl and took a slip of paper off the top. She walked back to the microphone and read it.
"Barbie Nettel." said Nelly.
A 16 year old girl with dark brown skin walked up to the stage. She exuded disappointment at being picked, but confidence that she would come home. Beetee knew her from school. They weren't friends, but he observed her from a distance sometimes. She was a strait A student, a science major, and whenever she was being harassed by a Peacekeeper she always showed no fear.
"Are there any volunteers?" asked Nelly.
No response.
"And our male tribute is," she grabbed a slip and read it, "Victor Tabbill."
A skinny boy of 13, walked up to the stage with a look of dread on his face.
Beetee took in a deep breath and then let it out.
'This is it!' thought Beetee. 'Moment of truth! I survived six Reapings, and now I'm doing it on purpose? Wait for her to ask the question.'
"Are there any volunteers?" Nelly said without feeling, her tone of voice just indicating protocol.
"Me." said Beetee loud enough for everyone to hear. "I volunteer as tribute."
Nelly Electra was stunned, and her professionalism faltered. Beetee was not surprised that she was surprised, as in the 35 years since the 1st Hunger Games, District 3 has never had a single volunteer. Volunteers were common for both the girl and boy in District 2 every year. In Districts 1 and 4 they usually got one almost every year. In the other Districts volunteers were rare but not entirely unheard of.
"Are you serious?" she said with both confusion and surprise.
Beetee didn't respond as he came up on stage and politely waved Victor Tabbill off the stage. Nelly Electra quickly regained her composure.
"Well, this definitely makes things more interesting." said Nelly excitedly. "What is your name?"
"Beetee Latier." said Beetee.
"Then let us have a big round of applause for this year's male tribute and District 3's very first volunteer, Beetee Latier."
Half of the people did not clap, and the other half that did clap did it only half-heartedly without enthusiasm.
"Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor." she said one more time.
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