Chapter 4: Day 1 — Bad Omens
On Samundra…
The three boats approach the beach, the boat carrying the blue team, one camera boat filming them, and one with the crew flying the drone filming overhead.
The team had been outfitted in their competition clothes.
Bob was in a frayed, stretched out tank top; baggy, drawstring shorts down to his knees and sandals.
Jerry was in a shredded t-shirt with a single tear turning it into an open front with enough missing that it cannot be brought together, shredded jeans cut at the knees and sneakers. His sleeve and back tattoos were clearly visible.
Casey was in a Halter top version of the team buff, pink running shorts, and flip flops.
Jessica, who was the bustier of the two, was in a bikini with a throw tied around her waist and barefoot. The edges of her Omn tattoo were visible in the fold of her cleavage. She was clearly very uncomfortable of being the team's designated sex goddess.
Vickie was in a threadbare t-shirt, torn capris and sneakers.
Jamal had no shirt at all, drawstring shorts barely longer than his boxers and sandals.
Daisuke was similarly dressed but his shorts were a different color. They were the male eye candy.
Nick was in a torn up button-down shirt, shredded dress pants and leather suit loafers that had the front of the soles torn off so they flopped as he walked.
Vegeta had been perfectly right. They denied everyone the right to sleep on the boat and now everyone was hung-over, had only four hours of sleep, or both.
Suddenly the boat slowed down and turned parallel to the coast out past the breaking waves.
"Alright! Everyone get out and swim!" The captain ordered.
"What?! We're out in riptide territory," Vickie shouted.
"Not our problem. Over the side!"
"And if someone drowns?"
"You have five minutes to get over the side before you are disqualified. Get moving unless you want to be sued for 150 million zeni."
Jamal hopped into the water first, "Ok, let's just get going and stay together."
Daisuke and Jerry followed next. Bob helped Vickie and Nick, who were still half drunk, into the water. Then Casey and Jessica went in and finally Bob.
The boat sped away, washing everyone in their wake and spray. Nick seemed to be treading water fine.
Vickie was not.
Vickie! Vickie!" Daisuke shouted, "Stop hitting me! We're not going to let you drown!"
Jerry swam closer, "Vickie! I got you. I got you." He came to her back. "Relax. Relax." He tried putting his arm under hers.
"Don't grope me!" Vickie instinctively went to swing at him but slipped under the water. Underneath, she grabbed Daisuke's legs and pulled him down.
Vickie thrashed violently as she tried to make it to the surface, punching and kicking Daisuke as she tried to climb over him. She kicked him hard in the face. He lost his air as the water filled with blood.
Jerry, Jamal, Casey and Jessica dived under. Cassey and Jessica grabbed Daisuke's arms and pulled him up. Daisuke gasped for air as blood poured from his nose.
Vickie was still under, now fighting Jerry and Jamal. While Jamal took the frontal assault, Jerry got behind her and got his arm under her armpits. He dragged her up. Vickie gasped for air and Jamal and Jerry took their breaths.
Vickie was still thrashing as Jerry kept being dunked.
"Vickie! …. Vickie!" he kept shouting when he was above water. Then Jerry used his free hand and pressed his thumb and index finger of his free hand on either side of her windpipe. This caused his head to go under, but she stayed above. Then she went limp.
Jerry gasped for air.
"Did you just choke her!" Casey shouted swimming over.
"I pressed her jugular. Old bouncer trick, she's not out or anything. Let's get her to shore!"
Vickie groaned and began blinking as Casey checked her pulse and breathing as well as she could in the middle of the ocean. "Need to get her to the beach."
"Anyone else spend a summer as a lifeguard other than me?" Jerry asked.
"Jamal, can you help Nick?" Bob asked.
"What do you need me to do?" Jamal asked.
"Just hold him under his arms like this."
Jamal switched with Bob. "You ok Nick?"
"Yeah…" Nick said coughing. "Just got a mouthful."
The crews followed in their boats silently filming as they swam to shore. Vickie fully became aware once they hit the break zone and again began thrashing. Bob and Jerry struggled to drag her onto the beach. Once everyone was on shore, everyone collapsed exhausted in the wet sand. Jamal slapped Nick on the back as he coughed and Casey went over to the delirious Vickie.
"Vickie! Where on shore, quit it!" Jerry said.
Vickie then threw up and began coughing and gagging. Casey tried to tend to her as the beach camera crews stood around. She was relieved at first seeing medics put rubber gloves on. But then they all went to Daisuke and began treating his bloody nose.
"I could use help over here!" She screamed at them.
"We are not allowed to intervene in drownings," one of the medics said, "but Daisuke is bleeding. We have to respond because of health regulations."
"Jerry choked her out in the water! Does that count!"
"I only pressed her jugular to keep her from killing all of us!" Jerry responded.
"Also not our problem," the team's lead field producer said, "Unless one of you murders another with the machete, any non-fatal injury that does not require immediate surgery inflicted on another teammate is allowed this season."
"And if she dies?" Bob shouted.
"That's what the wrongful death clause in the contract is for."
Everyone else on the team quickly crawled over to Vickie trying to help.
Meanwhile, on Berapi…
The three boats approach the beach, the boat carrying the red team, one camera boat filming them, and one with the crew flying the drone filming overhead.
The team had been outfitted with their competition clothes.
Vegeta was wearing his skintight blue turtleneck from his armor that showed every line and ridge of his muscles and grey cargo pants with lots of pockets. He had sneakers.
Michael was in a ripped-up business suit like Nick, except he had a tie.
Sam was similarly dressed; except he was in work casual with a polo shirt and khaki pants.
Lisa was this team's sex goddess with a bikini top and daisy dukes.
Becky proved too chubby in the bikini for the producer's liking but after a lot of screaming by both her and Lisa, she got skintight gym shorts, sports bra, the tube top version of her team's buff and sandals. Becky looked like a very pretty size 16 plus-size model.
Ichiro was bare chested with shorts and flip flops.
Hassim had a shredded t-shirt like Jerry's, chopped and torn up drawstring shorts, and sneakers.
Sugar Petal was in a frayed, pastel sailor school uniform with her hair in pigtails held together with oversized scrunchies. She had polka dotted leggings with her knees espoused and shredded so they stopped above her ankles. She had school loafers with holes exposing her toes.
Vegeta sat unflinching as the wind and salt spray battered his face. Three people, Sam, Lisa and Becky, were leaning over the sides throwing up. Ichiro was glaring daggers of pure hatred at him. Although he was sitting next to the women he had on each arm the night prior, Michael was looking at Sugar Petal. Vegeta hadn't failed to notice how pale and nervous this… this "child" was as she got in the boat.
How her handlers got her on the show was beyond him. The application forms clearly stated you needed to be 18 or older to apply, but today was her 18th birthday.
But now she somehow found a way to wither even more under Michael's gaze. He didn't blame her. That was Frieza's grin all over his face. It took most of his willpower not to smack it off.
Suddenly the boat slowed down, then turned and stopped parallel to the distant coast.
"Ok, everyone out," the captain said taking his hand off the outboard motor.
"What?!" Ichiro said. "We got three sick people!"
"Then drag them to shore," he said. "You have five healthy people."
Suddenly Vegeta growled catching everyone off guard.
"Bulma told me to pretend to care about my teammates…"
Vegeta stood up and the boat rocked from the shifting weight.
"Hey watch it," Sam tried to say, but he barfed half way through.
Vegeta walked up to the captain, spread his legs for balance, and crossed his arms. "Take us to shore now," he ordered.
"You've obviously never been on a boat before if you think you can order a captain in his own boat," the man said with an accent.
"Fajita please just sit back down," Hassim said. "You're rocking the boat."
Vegeta ignored the mispronunciation of his name and smirked realizing this man was a local. The producers would never let his identity slip to someone not an import with the show. From what he personally saw on family vacations to this region, locals were barred from foreign-owned operations. He concluded that for whatever reason; they weren't trusted. And if this farce was anything, it was a foreign-owned operation.
Vegeta leaned down in his face, "And what are you going to do about it, little man?"
The captain proceeded to stand up. He now towered over Vegeta, and his shirt stretched showing his large muscles. The captain cracked his neck. "Now what are you going to do about this, little man?"
Vegeta kicked the side of the boat.
The boat violently lurched over. The lip of the boat went under the surface briefly, taking in water. Vegeta, surprised by how much the boat rolled, slipped and fell onto the floor. Sam faceplanted into the ocean, but Ichiro and Hassim grabbed and pulled him back in before he fell out.
But the captain fell overboard. Vegeta didn't even have to do anything else. Sugar Petal accidently tripped him in her dash to grab something.
As the boat continued to rock violently, Vegeta climbed into the captain's seat and grabbed the outboard. After copying what he saw the man do to it when they first got on, the boat lurched forward then sped off… right towards the drone crew's boat.
"Oh shit!" Vegeta pulled the stick, but the boat went in the opposite direction than what he wanted, narrowly missing the rear of the boat before heading out to sea. "Ok, wrong way," Vegeta pushed the stick in the other direction making another sharp turn. The boat dug into the water as Vegeta didn't let up on the throttle before yanking on the stick. The boat popped up violently once its momentum was fully going in the same direction and began hopping over waves like a bunch of teenagers on a country road.
Michael looked back at him, "Wait… did you just toss him overboard so we wouldn't have to swim?"
"No. He just fell out like everyone else almost did," Vegeta said trying to concentrate.
Michael smiled, "Well, aren't you the intelligent little devil?"
Vegeta's blood ran cold at the familiar cadence. He retorted with the only harmless phase he thought would fit this situation. After all, he learned it from an Earth three-year-old boy.
"I'm rubber, you're glue, buddy."
Michael blinked. Then he concluded he was just made fun of. But a large bump sent him grabbing for something before he could retort. He looked over the side. "Hey! We're over coral. Slow down! You could rip a hole in the bottom."
"I don't know how! I didn't see the guy use the brakes!"
"You stole a boat and don't know how to drive it?!" Ichiro screamed.
The three sick teammates lying helpless in the bottom of the boat and Sugar Petal looked at him wide eyed in terror.
"There's no breaks on an outboard motor!" Hassim shouted, holding onto the side for dear life, "Just the throttle and sometimes reverse!"
Vegeta looked over his shoulder and saw the two boats chasing them. "Just tell me when they stop chasing us and I'll take my hand off the go-fast lever! If they won't come, that means it's not safe for the boats!"
"That's the throttle, you idiot!" Hassim shouted again.
"Fuck off! I'm concentrating!"
Sugar Petal turned around and gripped the side of the boat and watched behind them while everyone else was either lying down in the boat or hanging onto the side looking forward hoping to notice the shallow water before they beached themselves on a hidden sandbar or coral patch.
Sugar Petal touched his arm. "Mister… Mr. Driver?"
"Speak louder, woman! I'm next to the engine!"
"To the left!" she pointed.
Vegeta followed her arm to his right. Instead of the boats trying to come up on him on either side, they both were on the right and distancing themselves while still trying to catch up to parallel. Vegeta took a hard right and ran an interception course on a steep diagonal.
"Hey! We're close to the beach! Slow down you loco chico!" Michael shouted.
Vegeta played with the throttle and managed to slow down to a hard, but not kamikaze stop on the beach.
"Oh! Sweet beautiful land," Hassim said, falling to his knees on the beach.
Michael shakily stepped off the boat next. "Yeah… no kidding."
The on-land camera crews had made quick work setting up and were there to film their arrival.
Ichiro stepped off into the water and helped support the sick people onto the beach.
In the back of the boat, Vegeta also jumped into the water on the opposite side. He extended his hand, "You coming, girl?"
Sugar Petal shakily took his hand and he walked her to the front where Ichiro took her other hand and the two lifted her onto the sand.
Michael turned to look over the ocean and noticed the sand bar they would have hit if they had not turned. Michael stomped over and tried to grab Vegeta's shirt, but he couldn't get a grip on the skin tight fabric. He gave up and pointed out at the water. "You fucking idiot! You almost rammed into a sandbar at full speed and got us killed!"
Vegeta only smiled. "Thank the girl. If she hadn't noticed the boats had moved to the same side, I wouldn't have realized we had shallow water coming up."
About a minute later, the boats gentry rode up onto the sand but stopped a few feet from shore. The owner of the metal boat leaped from the crew's boat and ran over to Vegeta screaming in a language other than English. Vegeta turned around to face him and spotted the punch just soon enough to dodge it. The man threw several more before security grabbed him and pulled him back.
While they tried to calm him down, the head of the red team's security detail confronted Vegeta. "Did you seriously throw the driver overboard and steal the boat and think you could get away with it?"
Vegeta crossed his arms. "First off, I didn't toss him overboard. Check your cameras. Second, did you think you could toss three barely conscious people into the middle of the ocean and not get that kind of reaction? Or did you only think the little sheeple would simply try and carry them to shore?" Vegeta tilted his head and looked up, "Now, what was that human phrase?" He then looked back at him and leaned forward slightly. "Oh yeah," he said flatly, "It was 'lack of imagination'." Vegeta then grinned.
The security leader seized. "You!" he pointed away from the team and towards the staff from the boats. "Over there!" He looked at the red team, "Everyone else continue with the game! Go set up your camp!"
Michael nodded. He turned to the staff filming them. "I assume we were meant to be over there?" he pointed to a large swath of beach where it widened dramatically.
"Yes, that's where you're camping," a field producer said.
Michael turned to the group, "Ok everyone! You heard the staff. Let's head that way." He pointed at Ichiro and waved his finger towards Hassim, "Help the girls."
"What about me?" Sam said sitting up.
"You walked into and out of the boat by yourself. The girls didn't."
"Do you want to hold onto my shoulders, Sam?" Sugar Petal asked.
"No. I'll never live it down getting help from a fucking anime loli."
"I'm a legal adult."
Sam slowly got to his feet. "I googled you before they took our phone's away. You need to act your age and not your shoe size if you want to be taken seriously here." He wobblily wandered in Michael's general direction.
Sugar Petal pouted and ballooned her cheeks.
"Come on, kid. Let's go," Hassim said as he walked past with Becky leaning on his shoulders.
Sugar Petal sighed and followed them over to where the others were standing.
"Ok, we're all here." Michael turned and began to walk away. He raised his hand high over his head, raised his index finger and twirled his wrist. "Let's get a move on, people!"
As they walked away with the majority of the film crew, one team stayed behind to film the mess. Vegeta calmly leaned against a tree with his arms behind his head as the film crews that came ashore removed the small cameras from the boat to examine the footage.
They watched him kick the boat, but it rolled much more than it should have at that apparent strength. Then, they watched him fall from several angles and the microphones catching a soft "Oh shit."
"Wait," the security leader said pointing at the moment the captain fell overboard, "find another angle."
Eventually they watch the captain trip over Sugar Petal diving to grab the seat across from her from every camera.
"God damn it…" the leader said, pinching the bridge of his nose.
Vegeta smirked, sensing victory. "So, I'm free to go yet?" he shouted.
The man just stood still looking at the screen.
"Sir?" a crewman asked after a long silence.
"Go find your teammates!" he finally shouted. "But remember, you're on thin ice!"
Vegeta hopped to his feet. "I wouldn't DREAM of causing trouble," he said. He walked to the film crew. "Well, let's get going," he said walking past them.
They followed, but Vegeta could feel one of them boring holes in the back of his head. One of those three already hated his guts. He doubted he had any emotion towards the boatman, so this predated the game. He would need to watch this person.
Meanwhile, on Samundra beach…
Vickie was doing better and Daisuke's nose had stopped bleeding. Everyone was in the shade of the tree line.
Casey was looking at Vickie's throat, "I can't believe this isn't bruising."
"I bounced for three years. I have self-defense and takedown training." Jerry said. "She almost drowned Daisuke and broke his nose. You tell me what I was supposed to do?"
Bob stood, "Ok. Stop. Vickie's fine. We're all alive. Let's drop this. We have important stuff to do." Bob wiped his dirty glasses with his wet shirt. "Ok… We are supposed to get a tarp, pot and machete," he looked up and down the beach. "Anyone see a blue blob anywhere? My glasses are useless right now." He took them off again and rubbed them with his wet shirt again.
Jerry took his team buff out of his short's pocket and unwrapped his glasses. He put them on, "Mine are good."
Casey put her hands on her forehead to shade her eyes. "I don't see anything this way."
"I'll bet you guys a pizza when we get out that it's hidden in the trees," Jerry said.
"Ok. Casey, you're a nurse. Stay with Vickie and Nick. Everyone else, split up. Start looking."
"Yes sir, Captain Freddie," Jerry saluted.
Bob looked at him like a tired man who had been dealing with sarcastic teenagers for decades. "Very funny, Shaggy…"
"Scooby Dooby DOOOO!" Jerry howled.
"Really?" Casey said.
"Well excuse me for trying to lighten the mood," Jerry said, holding his arms out to his side, "Sorry I don't have a lamp shade to put on my head." He walked into the trees.
"Casey," Vickie coughed. "He saved my life. Just drop it."
"Ok, two up the beach," Bob points in front of him. "And two down the beach," he pointed behind him. "Who is coming with me?"
"I will," Daisuke raised his hand. "Not like it's actually broke."
"Ok, Jessica, Jamal head down the beach, if we don't find it in the sand, walk back here though the trees to help Jerry." Bob turned around and began to walk away.
Daisuke jogged up to him and walked side by side.
Jamal walked up to Jessica and extended his arm, "Ladies first." Jessica smiled, nodded and walked away with Jamal a quick second.
Once the four left, Vickie looked at Casey. "Bob's rather bossy," she said between coughs.
"He's a high school sports coach. What did you think he'd do?"
"Well, with four alpha males on this team, we got a lot of work to do."
"Hey!" Nick said in between hyperventilating. "Just because I'm not jacked doesn't mean I'm weak."
Vickie rolled her eyes at Nick. She reached out and touched Casey's hand. "I'm just saying, we girls need to stick together."
"So, Bob. Taking charge first thing. Gutsy move," Daisuke said.
"I honestly don't see it that way. Someone needs to take charge. Oh, yeah... You're a coach too. I step on your toes a little?" He chuckled and elbowed him playfully.
"You're rather chipper for someone with a hangover."
"I didn't drink that much last night," Bob looked at him. He then winced as the cloud moved out from in front of the sun. "Or at least not as much as everyone else."
"Yeah, Vickie and Nick really went at it last night. Glad they didn't drown." He sighed annoyed. "Really irresponsible tossing drunk and hungover people into deep water. Hope this isn't a sign of how the crew is going to treat us."
"Well, as long as we help each other and not do anything crazy, we should be fine. Besides, we lucked out and got the nurse."
"The nurse who believes in little green men," Daisuke said.
"You mean like Cell?"
"You know what I mean. She's an Area 51 aliens built the pyramids person."
"As long as she can pull her weight, win challenges and deliver emergency first aid, she could be Cell's daughter for all I care."
Daisuke chuckled, "Yeah, I guess you're right."
"I'm more interested in Jessica. She strikes me as that urban hippy want-a-be. Just hope she doesn't cripple us by any of her withdrawals."
"She said she didn't do drugs last night," Daisuke shook his head, "Just essential oils, healing crystals and incense."
"How can you eat out of the trash and not be on drugs?"
"So, Jessica, right?"
"And you are Jamal."
"Yeah, we didn't get the chance to talk that much last night."
"Or at least that we remember. Can you believe they tossed us overboard after most of us were late night drinking?"
"Yeah, hope Vickie and Nick will be alright… I hope Vickie almost drowning isn't a sign."
"I know. I wonder if there are any incense herbs in the jungle? I could do a cleansing and chase out all the negative energy we've accumulated already."
Jamal chuckled.
"You don't believe in negative energy?"
"No, I do. Just in my experience we don't need all the herbal stuff to get rid of all that negative juju in the locker rooms during half time."
"Still, I'd like to explore the forest a little. See what we got for food, baskets, and other things."
Jamal stopped and raised his arms in front of him. "Wait. Wait. Wait. You know how to make baskets?"
She nodded. "Yes, our collective is more than just growing food on rooftops. It's about natural, sustainable living all around. We do our own cloth weaving, baskets, pottery. Once we get camp set up, first thing I want to do is make myself a yoga mat."
"Woo!" Jamal jumped in the air. "We scored nabbing you for this team!"
Jessica giggled. "Well, I'll try not to disappoint."
Jerry was walking silently, heading west down the coast. He took his glasses off to wipe tears from his eyes for the fifth time. He sighed and put his glasses back on.
"What are you thinking?" his cameraman asked.
"Huh?" he looked at him briefly. "Oh," Jerry said looking back ahead. "Just thinking what's going to happen. If I should drop it like Bob wants or explain what a blood restrict is. I wasn't blocking her air at all. And if a person does lose consciousness from it, it's only for like 10 second at most. And I wasn't pressing hard." He takes his glasses off again and rubs his eyes. "I know I shouldn't have done it now that I think about it, but it the moment it was the first thing that came to my mind. She wasn't responding and was about to get everyone killed. Huh?" he put his glasses back on, "What's that?"
He sees something blue and very man-made in the distance. He hurried in that direction.
After several minutes of light jogging, Jerry comes to a sackcloth satchel with a folded blue tarp sticking out of it hanging from a tree. Next to it is a wooden well lawn ornament with a wooden lid. On top is the cooking pot and a set of cheap plastic blue bowls and two water canteens. On another tree is the tree mail with a packet of paper sticking out.
Jerry grabbed the cooking pot and headed straight to the beach.
"Found it!" Jerry said holding the pot above his head, "You guys owe me a pizza!"
Jessica and Jamal turned around and saw him just a few yards behind them.
"What you got?" Jamal said as they jogged up.
"Well, tree mail, and stuff is right up there," Jerry said pointing into the trees.
"Ok let's get everything and head back," Jessica said, beginning to walk in.
"Hold up," Jamal said. He scratched a giant arrow into the sand with his feet. "Ok. Now let's go."
The three come to the well.
"These are our eating bowls?" Jessica said holding them up. "What are these? A buck for five at Walmart? Past seasons have always had porcelain bowls and mugs." She looked around, "Where are the mugs?"
"That's all that was here," Jerry said.
"So, we're all sharing two canteens?"
Jerry shrugged.
Jamal looked in the satchel. "The machete is in here too. Let's get all this back to the others."
The three make their way back to Casey and the others. They wait for Bob and Daisuke to get back before going through the contents.
"So these are our eating bowls?" Casey said inspecting the flimsy plastic bowls. "Where's the cups and utensils?"
"There are none," Jessica said showing the canteens, "We're going to need to share these."
"How are we supposed to eat? With our dirty hands?" Bob said. Then he looked at Daisuke, "Please don't say chopsticks."
"I don't even know how to use them," Daisuke said. "I'm from the burbs."
"We'll just have to see what we can make from bamboo," Jessica said. "Read the tree mail."
Jerry took the papers out of the cooking pot "Here," he said, passing the pot off to Jessica. He unfolded the papers.
"Dear Samundra,
The following are the rules of conduct and regulations for camp life:
Every player will be followed by a three-person crew at all times, a field producer, a technician, and cameraman. You will have no privacy. There is a 5 strike system if your crew loses sight of you for more than 10 minutes. At the fifth reported offence, you will be removed from the game and subject to full civil penalties.
Once a camp place is chosen and camp built, the crews will decorate the area with props for broadcast. REMEMBER, any items supplied to teams like personal clothing, cookware, fire starters, tarps and machetes will not be replaced if lost or damaged.
Water in the well will be limited and replaced daily. USE WISELY. Untreated water can cause illness. Drink from wild sources at your own risk.
A measured three-day supply of rice is provided once camp is completed at 800 calories per day per person. The average calories a human needs to stay healthy and maintain weight is 2,000 calories a day. FINDING ALTERNATE SOURCES OF FOOD IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Afterwards, rice must be won in competitions once a week. If you lose the weekly reward, you must provide your own food. Rice won will be proportionally reduced as team members are voted off.
Filming ends at sunset. A radio will be provided at night for life threatening emergency purposes. If any call is deemed to not be an emergency, your fire will be extinguished and all fire-starting tools will be confiscated. Any attempt to make a fire by other means for the four-day blackout will be punished by the entire team being expelled and subject to all civil penalties listed in the signed contract.
South of the main stream is the team's main living area. Each team has one side of the hill. Rule of thumb, if you climb up then go back down, you've entered the opposing team's territory. The field producer of each player's personal crew has a GPS programmed for that team's boundaries. If the player approaches the border, it will begin to beep. Above the stream is a common playing area meant for resource procurement only. Entry and exit are prohibited without escort of your crew.
Interteam interaction should be avoided but if players of opposing teams happen upon each other, interaction is to be kept at a minimum at the discretion of the film crews. If any pattern of interaction arises, it is subject to review of the producers for approval and regulation.
For personal conduct. Within teams, all forms of conduct are allowed save for deliberate deadly force and sexual assault as defined by local laws. Between teams, any form of physical harm or sabotage of the enemy camp is forbidden, including water wells and tree mail.
Idols will begin to be hidden after the second Final Fire. Details will be provided at that time.
For personal injury, only injuries that result in visible blood loss will be immediately treated by medics. Only injuries that require immediate surgery to correct or a chronic situation deteriorating to critical levels will result in medical evacuation. All other injuries will be evaluated and if deemed appropriate, given the minimum level needed to address the situation before being returned to competition. Any medical complications resulting from starvation and dehydration are considered chronic by this definition, and include but not limited to, consistent dangerously low blood pressure and low blood sugar measured across three medical evaluations triggered by loss of consciousness events longer than 45 seconds, delirium and hallucinations that cause immediate danger to the person or other teammates, a seizure lasting longer than three minutes or three seizures clusters at least 30 minutes apart made up of one or more seizures of shorter length. Three consecutive days of visibly bloody urine and/or stools. However, independent of these complications, starvation and dehydration will not be treated in any form.
Welcome to The Last Survivor."
Jerry looked up from the paper, "And that's it." He saw at some point Casey had stood up. She was red in the face and trembling in rage.
"Casey?"
"Everything you just listed can cause severe, permanent injury just shy of death," She said as she shook so hard it made her voice vibrate. "Severe brain damage, organ failure, permanent life support systems."
Bob walked up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders, "It will never get to that point. That is just a way to force the point that we are on our own, not a license to actually attack each other. Only a monster would see this as a license to hurt others. This show is just as much about being our brother's keeper on the day to day as a couple dozen people squabbling over money. You would need to be superhuman to survive on your own. We are meant for each other."
Casey turned and nodded and began to relax.
Bob removed his hands, "So what else can you tell us?"
"800 calories is medical starvation," Casey said. "Once you get below a certain point, eating makes no difference because your body reacts no differently than if you ate nothing at all. 1000 is the lowest safe limit for daily calories."
"They've been lowering it every year, recently," Vickie said. "I'm not surprised. This is probably how low they can legally go considering it's an anniversary season."
"How much is 800 calories of rice?" Jerry asked.
"About one and a half coffee mugs a day of cooked rice," Jessica said.
"That low?!" Nick said.
"They do want us to rely on ourselves," Daisuke said crossing his arms, "Sounds like coconuts until we get fishing figured out." He looked to Bob, "Let's unwrap the tarp and see how big it is and get the shelter up."
"Ok Jerry, let's get that unfolded." Bob said walking over to him. The two begin opening it up.
"Someone grab that corner," Bob said as one came free from the inside.
"Here," Casey said grabbing it and beginning to back up. "Out of the way."
The tarp quickly untangles and Jessica grabs the final corner.
Jamal crossed his arms and tilted his head. "Well…" Jamal said studying it, "Not the biggest in the world, could cover a small car." He leans back up, "So we bending this in half like a tent or… what?"
"Let's just make this into a lean-to," Jessica said. "Tie it flat on a tilted frame. Then we can expand it with palm leaves."
"I was about to say the same thing," Casey said. "Like my grandpa's firewood shack."
Bob nodded. "We have the same type of roof for our firewood at our hunting cabin. Sounds like we have a plan." He looks at Jerry. "Ok, let's get the machete and hunt down some bamboo and some vines. We should have a fire starter kit too."
"I actually used a fire plow back when I was a boy scout," Jerry said.
Everyone looked at him in disbelief.
Jerry chuckled nervously. "Obviously that's been a long time."
"I learned how to use a fire bow in a primitive appreciation course," Jessica said. "I know it's not the same thing, but once the coal is made, it's all the same steps."
"I can build a mean fire pit," Cassy said.
"All right then. You three on fire, Nick and Vickie hang out here. The rest of us on our first bamboo expedition!" Bob clapped his hands and fist pumped in the air.
"Yeah!" Jamal cheered.
"What is this? A pep rally?" Nick asked.
Cassy starts to dance like she's holding pompoms, "Two, Four, Six, Eight. Who do we appreciate?"
Everyone laughs, except Nick.
"Save the energy for the competition! You said yourself we're on a starvation diet!"
"Nick," Daisuke said, "My dojo has an old saying from the founding master 'If you're strong enough to complain, you're well enough to practice'. Now get off your ass," Daisuke grabbed his arm and lifted him to his feet single handedly, "You're coming with us."
Jamal dropped his corner and grabbed the sackcloth satchel. He took out the fire plow kit and held the bag out to be grabbed, "Here's the machete. Who wants it?"
Bob takes the bag and puts it over his shoulder, "Ok. Let's get this expedition started. There is supposed to be lots of bamboo north of a stream of some kind."
"We'll get the camp started," Casey nodded.
"Ok, everyone. Let's head up the beach and find that stream," Bob said turning around. He began to walk off.
The others followed, some more willing than others.
"Ok, I'm going to find some rocks to line the bottom. Shouldn't be too far inland," Casey said. She knelt next to Vickie, "Ok. I want one more listen before I go. Is that ok?"
"Yes," Vickie sat up and pulled up the back of her shirt.
Casey put her ear to her back. "Ok. Deep breath."
Vickie breathed deep, then coughed.
She moved her ear to the other side of her back. "Again."
Vickie again coughed.
Casey lifted her head, "Ok put your shirt down."
Vickie does.
"You should spend the rest of the day resting," Casey said standing. She looked at the others. "You guy make sure everyone else knows she is not supposed to do anything."
"Gotcha," Jerry nodded.
Casey turned to the crews, "Well, ya'll ready?"
One of the producers nodded and touched his cameraman on the shoulder. "We need footage of you walking into the trees alone. Then wait for us."
"Tell me when." She answered.
The crews scurried to get several angles.
"Ok, go," he said raising his arm.
Casey walked into the trees.
"Daaaaaaaamn. This isn't a steam. It's a baby river," Daisuke said.
"Naw, I've gone fishing in larger streams than this," Bob said. "Just be careful around here. Could sink deep in the mud if that little marsh has anything to say about it." He pointed at the mangrove trees on the opposite bank.
"Hey! There's a path over here!" Nick said pointing into the trees.
"That's the staff ATV track to the red beach. Stay away from it!" one of the cameramen shouted.
Nick looked dejected and turned back around to look down it. Then he turned around, "But are we allowed to walk in the woods alongside the track as long as we are not walking on it?"
"Technically…" one of the field producers said reluctantly.
"Good! We got a landmark. Hey Bob! Let's go this way!"
Bob looked at the others, "Well? I don't see a problem."
"Not like they gave us breadcrumbs," Jamal shrugged.
"I'm fine with it," Daisuke said. He walked over to the tree line, "Ok, let's get going. Sooner we're done, the sooner we get a roof over our heads."
Meanwhile, on the Berapi beach…
"This sand is hot! It's burning my feet!" Lisa whined for the hundredth time.
"It's a beach, of course it's hot," Ichiro said. "We're all suffering here."
"You're being so cruel!"
Becky looked over Hassim's shoulder, who was now carrying her bride style. "Come on, you're from Asia, right? You're like a cousin of Sherpas. You can carry her."
"That's not how things work," Ichiro snapped.
"What reality show are you from again?" Hassim asked.
"Real House Wives of Beach City."
Ichiro internally facepalmed.
Hassim rolled his eyes.
Sugar Petal was visibly thinking. She looked to Ichiro, "Ichiro-san, Ganguro?"
Ichiro snickers, "Hai."
"What did you just call me?!" Becky shouted. She struggled and Hassim let her down.
She then promptly fell and was unable to get back up. She blamed Hassim.
"You fucking bell boy! How dare you shove me! Don't you know who my daddy is?! He'll chase you back onto your boat!"
"You were still drinking hard when the boat pulled into the resort after 2. It's now what? 7? 8 maybe? I'm surprised you're even awake. Fejita was right last night. They got us drunk and made us stay up all night to mess us up for the morning. We are all tired, hungover, or in your case, still completely sloshed."
She threw a handful of sand at him. "God damn gusano."
"Lady. I don't know what you're saying. I'm from Britain. Not Florida. I don't speak Florida drunk."
"You are not British!"
"I thought you said you were from Egypt last night?" Sugar Petal asked innocently confused.
Becky was silent and her ethanol drenched synapses struggled to connect.
"… … … … . . . . . . TERRORIST!"
Hassim facepalmed as Becky began screaming high enough to break glass and flailing in a failed attempt to crawl away. Then Hassim felt a shove and almost lost his balance. He turned around and saw Vegeta holding on to both of Lisa's arms.
"The ONLY person that's allowed to slap me, is my wife," Vegeta hissed. He then let her go.
Vegeta watched her go over to Becky now screaming about rape and becoming one of, Vegeta assumed Hassim from proximity in the group, his seventy virgins to a kneeling Michael. Hassim looked like he was completely done with the situation.
Vegeta looked back the way he came and saw the crew he left behind reach a crying, panicking Sugar Petal and getting in her face, literally trying to shove the camera lens in between her hands and probably getting snot on their lens for their efforts. Then the field producer grabbed her arms and pulled them up over her head. Sugar Petal tensed up so much he actually lifted her off the ground momentarily before he dropped her.
"Jason! What the hell?!" the technician with the duffle bag shouted.
Ichiro got there first. He grabbed her and turned her shoulders away from the camera. Vegeta recognized a couple words, it was whatever Kakarot's family spoke among themselves.
"Rules say English only! Speak English!" this Jason screamed.
Sugar Petal visibly winced.
Suddenly she felt a pressure around her waist, and Ichiro shouting "Hey!" After a brief sensation of movement, she got tossed into the sand. Ichiro was next to her. "What the fuck, Vegeta!"
She looked up and saw Vegeta turn and walk back to the camera crew. "You want English? I'll give you ENGLISH!" then proceeded to scream a slew of words she didn't recognize.
"What is he saying?" she whispered in Japanese.
"Words a little girl should not hear," he said standing. "Hey! Stop cussing in front of a child!" he screamed in English.
Vegeta turned to Ichiro briefly, "Tend to the girl. I'll handle this!" before returning to cussing out the camera crew.
Ichiro grabbed his shoulder, "I said stop cussing and shut up!"
"Don't touch me," Vegeta said, turning and jerking his shoulder out of the way. "For someone who knows who I am, you're being rather bold," he said quietly but in a harsh tone.
"I'm not afraid of you!"
"That's ENOUGH!" came a new voice.
Everyone looked and saw Michael walking over. "All this ends right now!" he said, pausing to look at Hassim before walking towards Vegeta and Ichiro. "No more screaming! No more fighting! We are all at our wits ends right now between the alcohol and lack of sleep! The only thing that matters right now is finding the shit they gave us to make our camp and setting it up! Then we can all go back to sleep and deal with all this shit tonight when we have clearer heads!"
"I'm not sleeping with that terrorist in the shelter!" Becky screamed.
Hassim raised his hand to shoulder height and formed a fist, "I'm not a terrorist!"
Michael rolled his eyes and turned around. "How about I sleep with the machete between you and him? Would that make you feel better?"
Becky nodded tearfully.
Hassim sighed in what sounded to Vegeta as defeat.
Vegeta suddenly looked around, "Wait. We're missing someone."
"Hey guys!"
They looked and saw Sam a long distance up the beach standing near a large dead tree with a thick trunk and the remains of large branches curving from it.
"The sand is really nice over here!"
The group walked over, this time with Michael giving Becky a piggyback ride while Ichiro helped Lisa. Vegeta walked between Sugar Petal and that particular camera crew, constantly looking over his shoulder to make sure he was blocking that camera's shots.
"Oh my goodness," Michael slipped his shoe off, "This is cooler. A lot cooler."
Becky got down and promptly fell in the sand. This time she did not blame anyone. "Oh! This is nice!" She said laying on her back. "Lisa! Lisa! Feel this."
"Wow," Lisa said as she and Ichiro entered the area. Lisa moved to sit down.
Vegeta took his shoes off and held them in his hand. "Ok this makes no fucking sense…"
Michael sat down next to the tree. "Ok. Let's rest here."
Everyone sat down, except for Vegeta who was walking around. Then he started scratching lines in the sand.
"What are you even doing? Come sit down," Michael said.
"Mapping the edges," Vegeta said.
"Why?" Sam asked.
"Just leave him," Michael said leaning back against the dead tree.
Everyone relaxed while Vegeta walked back and forth. Hassim watched to ignore Becky, Ichiro out of suspicion, Sugar Petal out of curiosity. Vegeta quickly traced out the boundary and discovered a straight path from the ocean to a gap in the tree line that ran deep into the forest. Vegeta slipped his shoes back on.
"I'll be right back," he said walking into the forest.
"Hey wait!" a field producer shouts, "We need to film this."
Vegeta ignored him and disappeared.
First thing he noticed was no trees. Literally. Not a single trace. Just bushes and shorter plants. The plants that were there looked young. Those that looked older had healed damage, broken branches and stems that had branched from the injury.
*Squish*
Vegeta looked down. Water. The ground was damp. Then spongy. Then standing mosquito filled puddles.
Then he saw it. The first broken branch, and not a small one. If he wrapped his arm around it, he could maybe touch his elbows. It was obvious where this came from. After climbing and ducking under more branches, he found the stump sticking up in the air.
Now he heard running water.
Vegeta found the stream. At this location the stream narrowed around a sharp bend that almost doubled back on itself. He wasn't sure if the water was abnormally high or if it always lapped over the side of the banks, but that didn't matter.
There was an underground branch of the stream here and when it wasn't, that tree was the result.
Vegeta ran back the way he came. He didn't even notice the screaming crew he passed in the tangle of branches and bugs.
"Hey! We got issues!" Vegeta ran out of the brush.
"What is it now, chico?" Michael groaned.
Vegeta slid to a stop in the sand. "First off, my name is Vegeta. Veh-Gee-Taa. Second," he pointed back at the woods with one hand and pointed down with the other, "The reason this sand is cool to the touch is that there's underground water here. When that stream floods," Vegeta now took both his arms and motioned them forward and back, "this whole strip is going to be underwater. We need to stay away from here."
Becky and Lisa began to laugh hysterically. "This sand is bone dry! It's not wet!"
"And when you have an ice pack, are you touching the ice or can you feel the cold through the cloth!"
They laugh even harder and tip over onto their sides and backs. "Now you're saying there's ice under here?!" Lisa laughed.
"It's an example of another instance of heat transfer!"
"It's not hot; it's cold!" Becky laughed.
"I'm not talking to you fucktards. Your fat asses are dead drunk."
The girls instantly stop laughing.
"Hey! Don't talk about the ladies like that," Michael stood up.
"Michael, I know an intelligent person when I see one." Vegeta gestured behind him, "Come feel the edges in the sand then I can show you where the groundwater is coming from."
"Vegeta, Vegeta," Michael said like talking to a child, "We've already decided. Once Hassim or Ichiro finds the tarp, we're just going to throw the tarp over the tree then call it a day."
Vegeta pointed at the tree with hand, "But this is temporary, right? Once everyone sleeps off the alcohol, we'll be making a real camp?"
Michael crosses his arms. "No. This is it. Hypothe—"
"Are you fucking insane?! This is a RAIN FOREST! It RAINS here! It rains a lot! This is going to flood!" He pointed back to the bushes, "Flood strong enough to rip that tree out of the ground and drop it all the way over here! I've seen its stump!" He pointed in Michael's face, "Your females could die! Don't you give a shit about them?"
"His females?!" Lisa shouted, "What are we? His pets?"
"You could have fooled me last night!" Vegeta retorted. He turned back to Michael, "I know this game emphasizes short term gain vs. long term stability," he pointed at the fallen tree, "But this risk is dumb. This is sui— No…" Vegeta paused.
"This… This is Homicidal…" he growled. "When it rains, WHEN this FLOODS. When the people under your command DIE, can you live with that?" Vegeta began to circle him like a predator. "You're a wealthy man. All your leadership has been a game of chess to you, and if anyone ever died from your decisions, your conscious would justify it as happenstance."
"Died?" Michael chuckled in disbelief, "because of a tech firm?" He shook his head as he followed Vegeta around his next path. "You take life way too seriously."
"And you don't take it serious enough."
"Look, Fejita…"
"It's Vegeta."
"Well, look my dear amigo," Michael put his hand on Vegeta's shoulder stopping his circling, "If you don't want to sleep under here," he pointed in a random direction and did a shooing motion with his hand, "go make yourself a little teepee something over there somewhere and sleep. Nothing is keeping you here."
Vegeta swatted his hand from his shoulder glaring at him. Then, Vegeta gave what everyone could only describe as a cartoony supervillain smirk. He squared his shoulders and held his head high. "I'll do you one better," he began stepping backwards for distance then waved his hands, first crossing themselves then separating in a circular motion as he spoke, "I'm going to build and entire second camp." Then he stopped and pointed, then did the same motion above his head, "No… An entire village! A literal 'City on a Hill' to use your tribe's phase…"
"Tribe?" Michael chuckled.
"…That way when the inevitable happens, the survivors have a safe place to dry off," he pointed at Michael, "And if YOU survive, you'll have a nice safe place to curl up in a ball and have your mental break, while I get to watch." He then gave a stereotypical villain laugh as he turned around and walked back into the bushes, "And it will be glorious!"
Once he was out of sight, Sam sighed. "Greeaaat… we have a Saturday morning cartoon villain as a team mate." He slapped both his hands in his lap and hanged his head, "Perfect…"
"Well," Michael said, turning around and sitting back where he was previously, "At least this little side quest keeps him out of our hair and out of camp politics."
"We voting him out first then?" Lisa asked.
"No! No! No! No! Becky grabbed and shook Lisa, "We need to get rid of the terrorist first!"
Michael crawled over, touched Becky's shoulder and pulled her close, "Don't worry, Becky. You're perfectly safe. Remember? Me having the machete in between you and Hassim?"
She nodded, teary eyed.
Ichiro came out of the trees from up the beach and waved his arms to get attention. "Hey!" he screamed, "Found the well and our stuff!"
"Ok Sam, guard the girls," Michael said standing, "I'll go get Hassim and escort him over."
"You found it?!"
Michael turned and saw Hassim come out of the trees down the beach.
"Yeah!" Ichiro shouted pointing into the trees.
"Coming!" Hassim started jogging up.
Michael waved and walked up to Hassim. "I'm sorry, but Becky is still freaking out. I need to walk with you," he said when they met up.
Hassim sighed and let his arms flop to his side. "I've never been called that. I can't believe this is happening now…"
"Becky is also extremely drunk," Michael said, "She'll be more reasonable once she sobers up. Tomorrow will be better. She probably won't even remember this." He put his hand on Hassim's shoulder and smiled, "If it makes you feel better, this is a worldwide broadcast. I don't think she'll be getting her reality TV gig after calling an Olympian a terrorist just because he's Muslim."
Hassim looked at him oddly. "I…" he stuttered, "I was taught forgiveness. Not vengeance."
"Then think of it as Karma then," Michael took his and off his shoulder, "Come on, let's hurry." He playfully jabs Hassim, "The sooner we get the shelter set up, the sooner everyone can sober up and we can finally get this game started properly."
Michael walked away. Hassim quickly followed.
They come up to Ichiro.
"It's over there," Ichiro shouted again pointing into the trees then jogging out of sight.
Hassim ran after him while Michael calmly walked.
Ichiro led them to the well with an open satchel with the folded blue tarp sticking out.
"The fire plow and the machete they mentioned yesterday is in the bag too. Here's the cooking pot and bowls on the well lid," Ichiro said. He then walked to a neighboring tree. "Here's the mail tree." He took a thick packet of folded paper out, "The first page is a copy of the rules. I don't know what the others are. I only glanced at it. Aaaand," Ichiro said reaching down. He holds up a rolled-up rug. "We got a rug!"
"That's my prayer rug," Hassim said, walking over and taking it.
"Oh… Yeah, you guys do that stuff, don't you?" Ichiro bowed, "I'm sorry. I got excited we could use it for the bottom of the shelter."
"Don't apologize," he smiled, "I figured that would be people's first reaction to it."
Michael smiled. Then put his arm over Hassim's shoulder. "I don't mean to sound blasphemous," he said pointing at the rug with his other hand, "But if were all being honest here. The girls would love having that rug to lay on." He looked up from the rug to Hassim's face, "I'm sure it would go a long way to winning Becky over."
Hassim rotated his shoulder to get Michael's arm from around his shoulders and took a step away, "Really, Michael? Really?"
Michael holds his hand up in front of him, "Like I said, I know this sounds really bad." He then lowered his arms and rotated his palms up. "But you know what everyone's reactions are going to be seeing that… and you know already that some of them are going to be far from reasonable. Becky has been lobbying this whole time for you to be the first vote, and between Lisa and Sam and that naïve little girl, she's got half the team already. If you want to stay, you're going to need to prove that coalition wrong and fast."
"And you didn't share this information on the way over here?" Hassim said hugging his rug tighter. "You said she'd be fine once she sobered up!"
"And I trust she will. I also trusted you can change their minds." He pointed at the rug again, "But the existence of that rug and hoarding it for yourself, just for prayer or otherwise, just changed the whole equation." His face turned serious, "That is going to turn into a symbol of your selfishness, and a reminder of all those negative emotions the alcohol brought to the surface." He put his hands in his pockets, "I only just met Becky, but I've known Lisa forever and know the type of women she hangs out with. Gossipy and Vengeful. I'm honestly just trying to help you out here. Especially since were down to seven now."
"What's happened to Vegeta?" Ichiro asked alarmed.
"He got pissy about our shelter location and stormed off into the jungle saying he'll build a whole city just to screw with us," Michael chuckled. "That guy really has some mental issues."
"He is my first target for vote off," Ichiro said, "He's dangerous."
"You're not supposed to talk about it!" Everyone in the three crews shouted almost simultaneously.
"Well… that isn't at all suspicious," Hassim deadpanned looking at the crews.
Michael shrugged, "I honestly can't see the Briefs allowing a truly dangerous person to marry into their family. He's just probably off his psych meds because of the show staff." He looked back at Hassim, "But the problem before us at the moment is that there's a 4-3 vote against you right now Hassim, and what are we going to do to stop it?"
Hassim looked down at his rug. "… Cut a bunch of palm leaves for the floor. THEN, I will allow this to be put as padding between the two layers. NOTHING ELSE. And I get to remove it to pray whenever I need it no matter who is in the shelter. Or if they are asleep or not."
Michael smiled. "Good. I think they can work with that."
Hassim facepalmed, "My mother is going to kill me… she bought this specifically for the show and now it's getting used for flooring."
"Couldn't have been too much if it was meant for a sandy beach and people not bathing for a couple months, right?" Ichiro said, trying to cheer him up.
"No… the cheapest rug I've ever seen her buy was around 20,000 zeni."
"For that tiny fr—?! Sorry, I didn't mean to curse over a special item," Ichiro backpedaled.
"Let's… Let's just go…" Hassim said, hanging his head.
Michael immediately took the satchel and pulled out the machete from its sheath. "Ok, Hassim grab the pot. Ichiro take the bag with the tarp. I'll take those papers." Michael took them and tucked them under his armpit. "Let's get the camp set up so we can all sleep."
Vegeta passed by the film crew coming back the other way. "Hey! Where are you going?!" Jason shouted.
This time Vegeta stopped. "The team and I have come to an impasse. I'm making my own camp. I assume you will be tailing me?"
"Yes…" he said frustrated, "We are the team assigned to follow you around."
"Hope you got good shoes on," Vegeta said smiling, "I'm going to drag you to hell and back." He pointed over his shoulders with his thumb, "I'll wait for you over there."
"Rules say you need to stay in camera view!"
"Then hurry and get out of the damn bugs!" Vegeta walked off leaving them tangled in the bushes.
"Well there's strike three," Jason growled.
"No it's not, look!" his technician said pointing.
Jason followed his hand and saw Vegeta up in a tree watching them.
"Got him," the cameraman said pointing his camera up.
Jason pushed the camera down, "Stop filming. Start walking."
It took several minutes, but the group finally untangled themselves from the swamp and walked over to the tree.
"Took you long enough," Vegeta said, hopping down the lower branches before jumping down. "Hope you bastards are ready to walk. I tend to get as far away as possible."
"That's a mile at least," the cameraman said.
Vegeta turned inland, "Then we better get going. The sooner we leave the sooner we get there."
The group walked in silence for several minutes.
"So, what's your plan?" Jason asked.
Vegeta did not respond.
"You know you're under contract to answer your crew's interviews. Do you want to get expelled?" Jason smiled, "I'm a god here. I control your fate even more than Bobby."
Vegeta stopped in his tracks. "The last person who said they were a god over me ended up dead," he said after several moments of silence.
"Are you threatening to kill me?" Jason asked smiling.
Vegeta glanced over his shoulder and knew this man was looking for the slightest excuse to mess with him. "No. I'm not. You started a conversation about being a god over me. I'm just following my contract." Vegeta then smirked, "But if you think your viewers want to hear the details on how he tortured people for hours on end and my witnessing his equally painful death at someone else's hands, then go ahead. Make my day."
"Don't have any better stories?" the technician asked.
Vegeta paused. "No. When a god rules, only what he wills exists beneath. Only by killing the god can any change be made."
"Then do you worship his killer as your new god?" Jason chuckled belittlingly.
Vegeta thought of the boy with the sword and the shadow of an old woman he never met.
"No, but close enough." Vegeta then fully turned around, "Now will you guys shut up! I'm trying to stay in hearing range of the damn stream!"
Jason looks at the GPS map, "There's no fucking way you can hear that from here through all these trees." He looked up at him, "Stop doing weird shit!"
Vegeta crossed his arms, "Oh really? Do you want me to wear earplugs and a blindfold then?" He turned and walked on, "Come on. Sooner I find a camp, the sooner your weak asses can rest."
Then they came out of the trees and popped out onto a cleared path. Several feet of trimmed grass with two dirt ruts with a strip of grass in the middle. A short distance away the stream turned then widened as it paralleled the path.
"Wow, we're all the way out here now?" the technician said.
"You're not allowed to walk on the staff trails," Jason warned.
Vegeta proceeded to walk along the trimmed glass next to the stream.
"I told you you can't walk on the path!"
"I'm not," Vegeta said, continuing to walk, "I'm walking on the stream bank."
The cameraman sniffled a chuckle. He looked at Jason, "He's got you there."
Jason gritted his teeth and walked forward.
Vegeta stayed silent as he kept his eyes on the stream, stopping every once in a while when he spotted a school of fish before continuing on. He was also noticing a significant amount of tree stumps on the opposite side. The cuts were fresh and white, so they had been cut down and removed in just the past few days.
"Can't do anything about dead trees. Just memorize were the fish are."
*Beep* … *Beep* … *Beep* …
"What's that?" Vegeta said turning his head.
Jason pulled out his GPS. "We're approaching the edge of the team zones. 25 yards."
"Fine." Vegeta turned around and kept walking.
"Where do you think you're going?!" he ordered.
"Another 25 yards."
*Beep* … *Beep* … *Beep* …
*Beep* *Beep* *Beep*
*Beep Beep Beep*
*BEEPBEEPBEEP*
*SCREEEEEEEEEEEEECH*
Jason took the GPS out and turned off the alarm. "We're here."
Vegeta took a 90 degree turn and walked across the track and up the hill. It took only a few minutes up the gentle slope for the bugs to start to diminish. Then Vegeta noticed a subtle change in the buzzing. The switching of insect types continued until he spotted light coming through the canopy.
Vegeta turned and entered the cleaning.
Bananas. A random banana grove in the middle of nowhere, and not a small one. Clearly untended for some time, any rows had long since vanished in the tangle of new sprouts, dead predecessors and thick weeds. His eyes were drawn to four trees with large green bunches with one just starting to blush yellow.
Vegeta put his hands on his hips and stared confused at the clearly manmade sight. "No way the show planted these, but food plants can't survive long without human intervention. What the hell?"
"What are you thinking," the cameraman asked.
Vegeta looked over, "Huh? Oh…" He looked back at the trees and crossed his arms, "That this randomly being here is fucking weird." He then began walking around it.
"Where are you going now?" the cameraman asked.
"I've found our spot. Now looking for a place to build."
He found his spot directly on the other side. Vegeta knew from all his trips with Bulma that this piece of land was also man made. Although slightly overgrown, everything was young and sickly. The ground beneath his feet was hard under foot, clearly compacted soil. There was a shack here once that was used to watch over the banana grove. It now made sense, the show removed a farmer from this area and drew the team boundaries straight down the middle of the grove for contestants to use.
Vegeta looked around the clearing. It was a little small for the two shelters he was planning. With the freak-outs and fighting he witnessed, that would be the minimum he would need. He looked to his left and spotted three trees just outside the compacted area. He walked over and put his hand on one of the trunks. The trees made a slightly over a 90-degree angle, roughly 25 feet by 14 or 15 feet apart, with nothing growing where the fourth corner would be.
Vegeta grinned ear to ear.
"You just thought of something." Jason said, "Care to share?"
Vegeta lost his honest smile and returned to a cocky smirk. "Just trying to decide where to put the pipe organ."
Jason looked confused briefly then formed his fists and gritted his teeth. Vegeta concluded he didn't get the reference and thought it was an insult. The raised eyebrows on the cameraman and excited grin on the technician however, told him they did.
Vegeta then turned and walked away again. They followed.
Vegeta walked further, this time circling around the slope. He constantly stopped and looked around before zigzagging on.
"What are you looking for," Jason demanded after a long silence.
Vegeta stopped, but ignored him as he looked around.
"I said, 'What are you looking for?'! Answer me!"
Vegeta jerked his head, then sidestepped to look past a large tree. He walked in that direction.
Vegeta's jaw dropped. Then he smiled while giving a small laugh.
It was a mountain of a bamboo cluster. The stalks were twice as wide as a human head and its tops disappeared into a small point into the sky.
Vegeta ran his hand over the stalk, "Well hello, you beautiful timber bamboo." He walked around it keeping his hands running over the stalks, "You're a dragon, aren't you? Just like that stupid hotel Bulma dragged my ass to." Vegeta found a gap in the stalks and climbed in. He began climbing up by bracing himself on the ones behind.
"What are you doing?!" Jason shouted seeing him climb higher.
"What does it look like I'm doing? Moron."
"Hold up! You're supposed to take a GoPro and a pocket drone with you for stuff like this!" the technician said taking his backpack off to pull one out.
Vegeta rolled his eyes and braced his back against the other stalks about 10 feet in the air. "Fine… Hurry up and toss me your shit!"
The man attached the camera to a head harness. He checked the feed. "Ok this is recording and ready to go."
"Toss it up," Vegeta ordered holding out his arm.
The technician tossed the harness as hard as he could and Vegeta caught it easily. "On my head and turn the knobs to tighten right?!" he shouted down.
"Yep!" he said looking at a large tablet, "Take your team scarf and turn it into a bandana. Your hair will look ridiculous otherwise."
Vegeta growled, but then pulled his team scarf over his hair. He then put the harness on his head and used it to press down his hair. "Ok, it's tight. How do I look?"
"Perfect! And the feed is good on the drone." He said piloting a palm sized drone. He landed it, folded the propeller arms inside the housing and slipped it into a tiny bag. This time he used the telescoping microphone boom to deliver it. "This thing has an accelerometer. When you get as high as you think is safe just take it out and toss it in the air. It will auto-deploy and stabilize. We'll take control of it from there."
Vegeta threw it over his shoulder and started climbing all over again.
The ground crew filmed him as he climbed higher and higher. After about 30 feet, he disappeared completely into the stalks. The cameraman lowered the camera.
"What are you doing?" the technician said surprised.
"He can fly. I don't think he's going to fall to his death." He laid it on the ground on top of the camera bag.
They crowded around the tablet. Minutes passed and the screen remained black. The time in the corner clicked off 10 minutes, then 20.
"Looks like the Predator screwed us over," Jason said standing up and stretching, "Guess we get the pizza."
The technician grabbed his hand, "Don't."
"Come on. Don't you want the pizza?" the cameraman said.
"He hasn't broken any rules yet. If we're getting the pizza, I want it to be honest."
Suddenly the tablet image snapped to life.
"Can you bastards hear me? I saw a microphone on this little shit."
Jason groaned and put the radio away.
"There's more than just a microphone," he said loudly at the tablet.
"Ah, figured once I saw the mic. You ready to follow me up?"
The crew studied the picture, the bamboo had thinned considerably and he was gripping two stalks in each hand. His feet were dangling in the air. The pilot slowly spun the drone.
"Oh my god. How high are we?"
"Almost to the top of the canopy," they heard him say, "I figured you want pictures of me going into the sunlight."
"Are you still climbing?"
"Oh, I'm not even half way up these things," they saw him looking up, "Don't worry. I won't go any higher than one of your acrobats safely would." He looked back at the camera, "You ready?"
"Will you be alright if I fly up to check shots?"
The crew watched him grab several stalks and bend them under him forming a crisscrossed seat. Vegeta took his hands off and sat comfortably in a surprisingly sturdy perch. "Do what you need."
The pilot flew the drone up and there was a bright flash of light. He pivoted around. To the north was the coastal mountains in the distance, to the south was a gentle hill rising up. To the east was a massive rise leading inland and a mangrove forest stretching along the coast. To the west was the ocean with waves crashing on a distant reef and sandbar.
He lowered the drone and found Vegeta. "Ok, we have the shot planned. Ready when you are."
Vegeta nodded and turned and grabbed the straight stalks behind his seat. The bamboo began to snap upright and a few kicks from him finished straightening them out. Vegeta moved back into view hanging like he was previously. He nodded.
"Ok, go!"
Vegeta began climbing the stalks, grabbing two or three at a time, occasionally wrapping his legs around, but mostly using his arms. The pilot mentally fist pumped as he got the perfect lens flare as he broke the canopy. He prepped to get his panoramic, but Vegeta kept climbing.
"Is he going all the way to the top?" the cameraman asked.
The pilot improvised and backed away. Then he started circling Vegeta as he climbed from a distance. Vegeta started grabbing multiple stalks as they thinned out and wrapped his legs around them more often as he built more hand holds.
Finally, Vegeta stopped climbing. He began twisting the stalks together using the leaf stems to bind them. The technician moved in closer to focus on what he was doing. Vegeta inched up the last few yards almost tying the whole bunch together.
The technician moved back out as Vegeta grabbed the top of the weave with his left hand, jammed his left foot into the bundle and allowed the right side of his body to hang free in the air. The technician again does a panoramic spin around him.
Vegeta ignored the buzzing drone and studied the landscape. He guessed he was nine or ten stories in the air since he was slightly above the hill to the east. He could see the river that was the eastern-most boundary come out behind it and enter the mangroves. He also saw the stream he had been following come out at a beach with a camp on it. He focused and saw eight people along with a large crew.
"Must be the Blue Beach," he concluded.
Vegeta swung his weight and now faced to his right. There was the small hill that was cut between the two teams. He was well above the canopy at the top, minus the various patches of dragon bamboo, but not high enough to see the downhill slope on the other side. He counted fifteen, six to his left on the Blue side and seven to his right on the Red side. Minus these and a few other shorter enclaves of bamboo, this side of the stream was all forest.
Vegeta switched out his hands and feet and now looked towards the sun. He could see his beach and the large tree, now with a bright blue tarp over it. Out beyond it was the protective reef.
He twisted his weight and faced the mountains. For supposedly untouched wilderness, those two cell towers were rather conspicuous. He spotted the opening with the banana plants that he passed through. He then saw a rocky patch of ground just above it on the other side of the stream, then the faint reflection of water.
"Another stream. That wasn't on the map."
Vegeta studied the area more closely. The far side of the stream was thick with bamboo of all species, but just short of a 50/50 mix. He now understood why it was a neutral area where they were only allowed over there during the day. It was to cut bamboo.
The canopy leveled out to the right of the water hinting at a plateau before continuing steeply to the top of the ridge. It looked like there were more bananas over there. He looked back towards the Red Beach. He followed the stream up the hillside and again saw rocks. A waterfall with no basin, just a steep gully.
Vegeta's eyes narrowed. "There you are, you little shit."
Vegeta made a note of the other 36 groups of dragon bamboo on the other side, although he knew about half were probably past the game boundary. Many were clearly the same species but shorter, meaning a downhill section. He concluded that the ridge had to be the map boundary and began climbing down.
The crew had the cameras back out to film him the last 20 feet or so until his feet touched terra firma.
"That had to be the most epic shots I've ever done," the technician said, packing the drone away.
Vegeta took the head mount off and pulled the scarf back down around his neck. "I'm sure there will be a few heart attacks with people seeing me dangle like that," he chuckled.
"Yeah, no kidding." He took the mount and unscrewed the camera. He then plugged the GoPro into his tablet while he packed the mount.
"Ok I'm going to check out another one of these I saw over there," Vegeta pointed over his shoulder with his thumb, "and cut some down." He turned and took a couple steps.
"Cut it down with what?!" Jason yelled.
"My energy." Vegeta said continuing to walk.
"You can't do that! You signed the contract!"
Vegeta turned around, "I promised to stay within defined human limits. Athletic but untrained humans have an average power level range between 15 and 35, I'm operating well within those limits."
"Human's can't use energy, asshole!"
Vegeta crossed his arms, "Then who has been defending this planet for the past 300 thousand years? It's not like mosquitos are actually an endangered species. Hell, there is no concept of an endangered species list except at the auction house. I should know, I'm fucking am one."
"Now that's just stupid!"
"Look you, I had to get my DNA forensically tested to prove my paternity to my son to get my goddess damn right to fucking marry his mother. Apparently, I'm some freaky combination of Finnish, Welsh, Melanesian, Khoi-san, Iberian, Sherpa and Inuit, but yes my DNA came back 100% Homo Sapiens Sapiens. So suck my dick asshole. Everything I can do, you can do."
Jason face reddened as veins form on his forehead. He pulled his hand radio from the harness on his waist.
The technician moved and grabbed his arm, "You can't call it in like this."
"Don't touch me, you filthy intern!" He pulled his arm away.
"You're going to be biased if you call it in like this. Take a deep breath and report this honestly."
Jason walked off.
"Hey kid, what's your name?"
"Nathan."
"I mean your full name."
"Why do you want to know that?"
"Just a hunch."
Nathan had a confused look on his face. "… Nathan Bentley," he said after a long pause.
*Ring**Ring**Ring*
"Who's calling me this time of day?" Yamcha looked over from the TV.
Puar flew over. "I.D. says Indonesia."
"Why is Vegeta calling me?" He stood and grabbed the handset. "Hello?"
"Yes, is this Yamcha, former pitcher from the Titans?"
"Yes!" Yamcha perked up momentarily thinking it's a sports reporter. "Yes, how can I help you?"
"This is Bobby Provost, Producer of The Last Survivor. We are currently recording this for our records. We would like to add you as a consultant for this season."
Yamcha chuckled and scratched the back of his head. "I'd be more than happy too. So, um, not to be rude, but what will be the salary?"
"Standard consulting contract for the show is 100,000 zeni for the entire season."
Yamcha eyes sparkled, "I gladly accept your offer."
"Ok. Verbal agreement has been reached. We will be sending a limo to your apartment complex within the hour with a lawyer to discuss and sign the contracts. Would you be willing to answer a question under the verbal agreement with the understanding that the compensation for the answer will be granted under the terms of the currently unsigned contract?"
"Yes. Of course."
"In your capacity as a member of Earth's Special Forces, are you currently aware of the presence of the alien Prince Vegeta as a contestant on this program?"
"How did you discover it was him?!" Yamcha said panicking.
"Your former teammate, Ichiro, recognized him from the descriptions you privately provided and alerted the staff of his danger."
"Ichiro is on The Last Survivor? Shit, I ranted all the time to him when we were fighting over Bulma. Not that any of it was a lie…"
"Look, Vegeta is a total asshole," Yamcha said firmly, "But he is absolutely no danger to anyone at this point. He has made peace with Earth and has been granted citizenship."
"Then you confirm all his paperwork he submitted is authentic?"
"Yes. Anything else you need to know?"
"Vegeta has gotten into an argument with staff about using his alien abilities claiming it is normal for humans within a set of numbers he used to describe the other contestants. He called it 'power level'."
Yamcha paused. "He's technically right on that," he answered. "Humans can learn everything he can do. If he's staying within the power range of the other contestants, he's going to feel completely justified in using energy-based abilities within that level because in his understanding he is not breaking any rules. For him it would be sorta like the difference between being illiterate or being able to read."
There was a very long pause on the other end.
"Are you still there?"
"Yes… So how do we make him understand the fact he can't do these things?"
"You can't. If you try, you'll only provoke him worse. The only person capable of getting through to him is his wife, Bulma Brief. Even then it will be after a few hours of screaming at each other. What specifically does he want to do?"
"He wants to cut down bamboo."
"Are you not giving machetes out this season?"
"Yes, but Vegeta has separated from his team after an argument and is preparing a secondary camp."
Yamcha sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Yeah that sounds like Vegeta…"
"So, what do you recommend?"
"If he's worked up beyond reason, you'll need to get Bulma. If he can still be reasoned with, give him what he would agree is a viable alternative, which can be difficult sometimes because he doesn't think like an Earthling would. He'll continue to vent, but he will ultimately do it once he thinks the person he's been arguing with is no longer looking. That is very important. He's already humiliating himself by giving in. But if the person has the opportunity to gloat about it, he will not compromise his dignity and honor any further. You'll need to switch out the staff first."
"And what do you believe is a reasonable alternative?"
"Stone tools may be the obvious solution for an untrained human. But energy is the first thought for any human who can use it. Do not be belittling suggesting it. He will not see the point of wasting time and effort for something he thinks is unnecessary."
"I see… And what is this power level for future reference?"
"It's a scale used to measure a person's physical strength outside Earth. That measurement determines everything in a person's life. It is an uncompromising caste system."
There was another long pause.
"Thank you, Yamcha. We will stay in touch and our lawyers will be there shortly."
"Thank you."
The busy tone filled his ear and Yamcha lowered the phone and hit the end button on the handset.
"Yamcha what was that about?" Puar asked concerned.
"Vegeta's been recognized from the invasion of Earth by one of the other contestants." Yamcha said looking at his phone. "Puar, can you hurry to Capsule Corp. Bulma needs to hear this."
"What about you?"
"They want to hire me to deal with him. Their limo will be here in a little bit."
Vegeta was leaning against the bamboo with his arms crossed tapping his finger on his arm. It had been at least 45 minutes, maybe even an hour, and his stomach was telling him it was either side of noon. The field producer was still in hearing range, and his temper was flaring worse than his at the delay in answering.
This Jason was going to be a thorn in his side for the next month.
Finally, there was a response, but it was too soft to hear.
Jason returned with a smug look on his face. Vegeta braced himself knowing he's lost the debate.
"The producers say you can't use any energy abilities. They are also not going to supply you with any extra equipment. You're going to need to either return to your team or make primitive tools." He put his hands on his hips and leaned forward, "Do you know how to smash two rocks together, space man?"
"I know what stone tools are!" Vegeta barked. Vegeta uncrossed his arms and stormed off before Jason could retort.
Vegeta stomped through the banana clearing and returned to the stream with the camera crew on his heels. The rocks were black and stood out in the red soil. He picked up a medium size rock, lifted it up over his head and slammed it into the rocky stream bed. It shattered, sending pieces flying. To Vegeta's surprise, many pieces had several sharp edges on the first try. Vegeta took one larger piece and hopped over the water to a small bamboo plant growing on the opposite bank. He began banging it against the stalk increasing the strength each hit until the rock broke.
"This is going to take forever," he thought frustrated. He dropped the stone, hopped back across and grabbed another fragment. He then made his way past the crew and walked back to the dragon bamboo he had climbed. He then turned left and after several moments came to another cluster.
Vegeta inspected this group of bamboo, tapping them as he circles it. The crew thought he suspiciously looked like he knew what he was doing. He then took an experimental swing.
"Wait! Let me get this shot." The cameraman ran around so he could get a frontal view of the cutting. "Ok, start again."
Vegeta took another swing. The chipping was slow but the stone's edge was holding up. Vegeta ran his finger over the cut, then continued. His face is one of pure concentration.
What the crew did not know was that he had slipped some energy into the hollow bamboo, crushing and cutting it gently from the inside directly opposite of the stone blade. Finally, he cut into the weakened bamboo and was relieved there was no blackening. As the stone made quick headway through the broken bamboo fibers, Vegeta moved his left hand and ran his thumb around the stalk at the same level as the cut. Once he cut through, he will lose his chance to weaken the sides. The light would shine through.
It took 10 minutes, but he cut or grooved completely around the stalk. He then climbed inside and kicked it. The huge mass crashed through the jungle like a roar of thunder.
Vegeta looked inside to see if there were any marks to what he did. He did not see anything suspicious and smiled.
"I know. I know," Vegeta said standing, "Cut it into reasonable chunks." Vegeta paced out about eight feet and started to cut again.
"Ma-a-a-a"
Vegeta raised his head as everyone looked up the hill. Vegeta looked and saw a young animal he recognized from the petting zoo he got dragged to for "Quality family time".
A much deeper "Ma-a-a-a" came from the far side of the hill and the small animal ran out of sight.
Jason took his radio off of his waist and raised it to his mouth. "Crew 9. Calling Basecamp."
*Fuzz* Crew 9 acknowledged. *Fuzz*
"The fucking goats are back."
"Not for long," Vegeta thought, returning to the cutting.
Meanwhile, on Samundra…
The group that left for bamboo had not returned yet. Vicki was still coughing, but it was not a life-threatening emergency, at least not yet. Ocean water in the lungs was bad, but it had been made clear if she wasn't actively bleeding to death, there would be no intervention.
Jerry, Jessica and Casey were gathered around the fire pit. Casey had lined it with stones to keep the sand from eating the virgin fire before it could catch hold. She filled it with a large mass of coconut husks and small twigs in preparation for the flaming kindling.
Except it wasn't coming…
Jerry stopped rubbing the stick and sighed looking up. "I give up…" Jerry said exhausted. "I'm too old for this I guess…" He looked at Jessica, "How about that bow thing-a-ma-jig?"
She nodded, then looked at his feet. "I'll need to borrow one of your shoe laces," she said standing. "I'll find what else I need while you do that."
Meanwhile, at Berapi Beach…
The tarp was over the tree. The bottom lined with palm leaves and the rug. Lisa, Becky and Sam were out like a light.
Hassim was arguing with the crew to get his spare prayer rug after Michael causally picked up the machete and heavily implied he would not be getting his rug back, ever, but worded it in a way that now the crew will not give him the spare as "he still has access to it".
While Hassim was trying to figure out how to do his noon prayer, Michael was holding the kindling while Ichiro was using the fire plow. Sugar Petal was sitting nearby with the wood she gathered at the firepit that was lined with stone at her insistence.
"Come on you fucking retard! Go faster!"
"You're the one who lost our last coal!"
*Snap*
The stick broke.
"Oh fucking hell…" Ichiro said looking up.
"You Idiot!" Michael stood up, "Now what are we supposed to do you fucking moron!"
Hassim ran over thinking Michael was about to hit Ichiro. "What's going on? What happened?"
"Ichiro broke the fire starter!"
"What the hell?" Lisa said waking up. She crawled out "Did you guys really break the fire starter?"
"Ichiro broke it!" Michael pointed at him screaming.
"Calm down! Yelling isn't going to do anything," Hassim said standing between the two.
"Why don't we try hitting the back of the giant knife on a rock for sparks?" Sugar Petal asked meekly.
Hassim turned and looked at her, "That's… actually a good idea. I've seen stuff like that done at the medieval reenactments my in-laws go to."
"And how would a little popstar know anything about making a fire?" Michael demanded.
"I…" Sugar Petal hesitated, then looked down at her feet, "I… I just do."
"Honestly, Michael," Hassim said turning back to him. "People do make fire from striking the back of a knife on a rock. Let's find a big rock and smack the back of the machete with it and see what sparks we get."
"And damage the machete?! We don't get replacements!"
"And if we don't get fire, we don't eat. At all," Hassim said. "A couple experimental whacks won't hurt it."
"I'm in charge of the machete and I say no!"
"A new stick then… maybe?" Sugar Petal said softly wringing the bottom of her shirt.
"Well go bring one of those over," Michael ordered.
"Ichiro… Can I see one of the sticks so I know what to look for?" she said quietly.
Ichiro took one of the pieces, stood up and walked over to her. "Here," he said, handing it to her.
"Thank you," she smiled and ran the few steps back to her pile of wood.
While all this is going on, Lisa noticed one of the crew suspiciously looking around as he sneaked into the trees. Right before he disappeared, he took something from his pocket. She smiled.
Lisa stood up. "Michael, how do I look?" she asked adjusting her bikini top and wiping sand off her.
"I know that smile. What are you up to?" Michael asked.
"Just tell me how I look and I'll do the rest," she winked.
"Lift your breasts up a little. That top they gave you isn't doing you any favors."
Lisa grabbed her breast and lifted it up to adjust the fabric, sending Ichiro, Hassim, and several staff spinning and closing their eyes.
"Better?" Lisa asked.
"Much better," Michael said.
"I'll be right back then," she waved dismissively and walked towards the trees.
One of the crews began to follow. "Wait for us," that field producer said.
Lisa stopped and turned to them annoyed. She raised her finger. "Now, look," she said in a lecturing tone. "You have two choices. One, stay out of the way and get the best show of your lives. Or two, get in my way and I'll make sure you won't even be able to get a job as a burger flipper in California ever again." She gets in the face of the producer. "You know who I am," she said in an almost seductive tone, "I have destroyed soooo many careers with a simple whisper. Just… Like… This. Do you want to be next?"
The field producer takes a deep breath. "Do what you want to do," she said flatly.
Lisa smiled smugly and walked away.
"Are you going to let her get away with that?" the technician asked softly.
"For now… Hurry."
In the trees, a crewmember was smoking a cigarette.
"Well, hello there, darling."
He gave a small shout and turned around. He saw Lisa sauntering over to him.
"Oh, umm," the man looked around trying to think of what to do with the lit cigarette.
"There's no shame. No need to waste a cigarette. Especially since it looks like you just lit it."
"I'm really not supposed to— wait where's your camera crew?" He looked around in a panic.
"I left them behind saying I was going to pee," she lied. The cameraman was hiding a distance away with a shotgun microphone aimed at them.
Lisa leaned suggestively against the tree he was previously leaning against himself. "I know what the struggle it can be to go without a cigarette. Could I—?"
"No," he said firmly. "It's hard enough to smuggle cigs on set as it is." He raised the lit cigarette to his mouth, "I can't…"
Lisa snatched it and took a drag.
"Hey!"
She blew the smoke in his face, "Then you wouldn't mind a quick drag, would you?" She took another puff.
He glared at her, "No. Go ahead. Keep it." He took another out and lit it.
"Why thank you," she slowly blew the smoke.
"I don't want your germs," he glared at her. "Get lost before I catch some 90-year-old fuck's STD."
Lisa face filled with rage, but kept her tongue. "Hmph," she turned and walked away.
Back at camp, Lisa was puffing away while Michael and Ichiro blew on the kindling as the ashes fell into the wad. As the cigarette finished, the wad finally lit up in a vigorous flame.
"Get it in the pit!" Michael shouted running to the fire pit. He knelt sliding in the sand and put it in the very large wad of coconut fibers and bark Sugar Petal gathered. The wad goes up in flames. Michael starts throwing large pieces of wood on it.
"No! No! Little first or it go out before big ones catch fire!" Sugar Petal said trying to pull the large ones off to pile on twigs.
Michael grabbed her hands, "Don't touch my fire!" He stood throwing her violently into the sand twisting her wrists.
She screamed in pain.
"It's going out!" Hassim shouted and ran over. He ripped it apart and thrusted twigs and more fibers into the gaps.
Ichiro also ran over and started blowing.
The fire safely took hold and the larger logs caught and started to burn.
Ichiro leaned back and sighed in relief, "Oh thank goodness…"
Hassim went over to Sugar Petal who was crying cradling her arms. He knelt, "Here. Let me see." He gently pressed her lower arms and wrists as she whimpered. "I don't feel anything wrong. Might get some bruising but that's it." Hassim wiped the hair from her face revealing her tears. "Are you going to be ok?"
She nodded whimpering.
"Hey this wood isn't going to last long if this keeps up," Ichiro said watching the flames.
"It will last," Sugar said. "We don't need a bonfire all the time. Conserve wood."
"No. he's right. Sugar Petal, Hassim, get more wood." Michael ordered.
"Sugar obviously knows more about this than you do," Hassim said helping her to her feet.
"No, it's ok," she said softly. "Big pile means not going out for more overnight. I'll show you what we need. Come," she said gently pulling on Hassim's arms.
Hassim sighed and followed with the two film crews in tow.
Michael watched them leave. "Ichiro, stay with the fire," he ordered with his back to him. "Lisa, can I talk to you for a moment?" he said with a much friendlier tone.
"Alright then," Lisa said walking away swinging her hips. Michael followed.
After a decent distance, Lisa laughed and turned around, "Ok, Michael. I know you. Sugar Petal is our first vote out, right?"
"No, that's going to be either Hassim or Vegeta. I want Sugar Petal gone before that."
Lisa looked confused. "How?"
"Medical Evacuation." He smirked.
Lisa blinks. "How? The rules make that almost impossible."
"No food or water and we work her until she passes out. And keep doing it until she quits or the staff is forced to act." He chuckled, lifting his torn shirt and pulling out the papers he had tucked in his pants. "The copy of the rules we were given in the tree mail was very specific on the symptoms that require evacuation." He opened the tri-folded papers and showed them to her. He pointed, "This is the paragraph."
She read it. She looked up, "And if she drinks from the stream?"
"Then she gets sick and taken out anyway. According to the warnings, don't drink the water isn't just for Mexico." He smiled, tucking the papers back in his pants, "What I need you to do is do what you do best. And it sounds like this Becky is going to be more than helpful for you."
Lisa also smiled, "Cinderella her until she gives up the will to live? I'll make sure Becky plays the evil step sister. We'll need to get Sam too. Rope him in… Why don't we have him guard the food and water? Everything is so limited. We need a way to make sure everything is fine."
"I think I can work with that," Michael nodded thinking. "You handle Becky. I'll talk with Sam. You go rest, and tell me when they wake up."
Meanwhile, on Samundra…
Jessica converted the fire plow into a fire drill. She had the shoe lace wrapped around the fire stick and tied to a long branch making the bow. She took a hand-size piece of wood pressing the stick into the base at the notch she pressed into it with a rock.
"Ok Jerry, once we get the rhythm of the wood, move the bow back and forth as fast as you can. Casey, keep that piece of bark there to catch the coal. Once it big enough, we put it in the tinder."
Jerry took hold of the bow, "Ready."
Casey grabbed the bundle of kindling while holding the bark in her other hand. "Ready."
"Ok, start slow, Jerry," he ordered.
Jerry began moving the bow back and forth and already the stick was going faster than he could get it. Jessica began to press the stick into the wood. It quickly began to smoke.
"Pick it up, Jerry."
It began to smoke more.
"Faster."
"Faster."
"Faster."
Now it was blowing smoke like a chain smoker and Jessica gently tilted the stick so the ashes would pile up on the notch and fall on the bark. After a couple minutes, there was a large growing pile of black, smoking wood dust.
"Ok. Get ready Casey."
Casey set up the kindling bundle. "Ready."
"Ok. Go!"
Jerry stopped the bow and Casey took the bark from under the base. She carefully dumped the coal into the kindling and started to blow.
After a mountain of smoke, it lit.
Casey calmly put it in the fire pit and it went up. Casey started putting more twigs on it. "That was really easy."
Jessica leaned back on her hands. "I can't believe that worked on the first try," she said, almost laughing. "It took my group almost an hour to get it to work."
"That just proves how awesome we are!" Jerry said sticking his arms out. "High fives, peoples."
Jessica tapped his hand while Casey leaned over and gave a full swing into his palm.
Jerry looked surprised at Casey's enthusiasm.
Understanding, Casey smiled and nodded.
Jerry smiled. "Yeah!" he said looking at Casey. "That's what I'm talking about!"
Meanwhile, back with Vegeta…
Vegeta and the crew were back at the banana grove. Vegeta had cleared the shelter area of its grasses and bushes with his cutting rocks and was currently using the top branches of the bamboo as a broom gathering the last of the dead leaves for a fire.
Jason returned to the camp, "Producers say that pile is too big to burn."
"I'm not going to burn it all at once you moron!" Vegeta snapped, "Stop treating me like a child!" He dropped his broom and grabbed the sharpened bamboo pole he used to pry up the bushes' roots and headed in front of three trees that formed an almost perfect 90-degree angle. He began to dig a large hole. He dug down six inches until he hit pure clay. He dug down even more, peeling up large chunks of red clay and placing them aside. Vegeta then headed to the stream and began carrying flat rocks into camp. He lined the bottom, then began building up the sides using the clay as mortar.
"You're going to need to stop when it gets dark. We leave at sunset," Jason said.
"This will be done by sunset if you stop talking!"
Vegeta picked up speed between the camp and the river once he was out of camera range. The stone walls quickly climbed, especially after he began leaving large gaps in the stonework after the first 2 feet.
The light began to disappear in the trees as Vegeta loaded up the bottom of the fire pit with dead leaves. Vegeta then took a piece of wood and a stick and began scraping them together mimicking the demonstration of the fire plows given to the teams that morning. The stick blurred as he scoured it into wood dust. He then took the clump of nonsmoking dust and placed it in some dead leaves that instantly lit up after a gentle blow. Jason and his cameraman glared at him as he leaned into the pit and lit the leaves, which turned into a raging fire a little too quickly for their tastes.
The sound of an engine startled the group. After several minutes of it getting closer, an ATV with two riders towing a cart with 2 large rugged, waterproof tubs rode up from the direction of the stream.
"Woops wasn't expecting to ride into camp," the driver said, "Sorry we're backing up now."
"And what's this about?" Vegeta asked, crossing his arms.
"Setting up the tiki masks. Would have been here sooner but we had to fly in more to the resort. There's also going to be a crew here overnight tonight, they are just checking their camping gear." The driver began backing out.
Vegeta began throwing more leaves and branches into the fire pit, "Seems this is now an official camp if they are setting up the hidden cameras."
The driver stopped backing up. "What makes you think these are hidden cameras?" he asked surprised.
"Because I'm not stupid."
"They just want to make sure we miss nothing," Jason said smugly.
"I grew up in what you call a police state," Vegeta stopped feeding the fire and walked over. He stopped right in front of Jason. "Cameras every three feet and your own personal cameras, microphones and GPS you had to wear 24/7 that if the live feed had a gap more than three minutes every person in range of -that camera was executed, whether their equipment was working perfectly or not." He smirked, crossing his arms. "NOTHING you say or do can intimidate me." Vegeta then backed up and raised his arms in the air, "You literally can't touch me or anything you could possibly use as leverage! You and the rest of this worthless pebble is nothing but a joke."
Vegeta returned to feeding the fire.
Meanwhile, on Berapi…
Michael came up behind Sam and friendly put his hand on his shoulder. "Sam! Buddy," he said patting him on the back with his other hand, "Hey can I talk with you a moment?"
Sam looked above him surprised. "Oh, Ok," he said standing from tending the fire. "Be right back, Ichiro."
"Right this way," Michael said extending his arm forward.
Michael led them a good distance away from the camp, almost to where they came ashore.
Michael turned around "So um Buddy," he said concerned. "I loathe to bring this up. But last night I remember you being a little awkward around Hassim, and after Becky's outburst, I just want to make sure everything is square with the group, you know?"
Sam put his arms up defensively, "What?! No. No. No. No. No. I was just nervous on how he would react to my stories for being a lobbyist." He took a step back. "The Medical Alliance and the Conservative Business Association tend to be favorite punching bags in the liberal media."
Michael dramatically sighed in relief. "Good. Good!" He put his hands in his pockets, "Yeah. Yeah. I can see that. So, the CBA, huh? You been to their Conference for a Better Tomorrow?"
Sam relaxed, "Yeah. I actually got my start as an aide at C-BeT. I just joined the team at the Central Capital last year."
"Yeah. Of course. I completely understand your nervousness about your job. I mean, with your clientele, I can see how being seen with Hassim could worry your bosses about your effectiveness lobbying."
"No, that's not… I mean…"
Michael smiled at Sam's expression knowing the seed had been successfully planted. He wrapped his arms around his shoulders and pulled him in. "So Sam, Lisa and I were talking and we decided to give you a really important job at camp."
"And what's that?"
"Guarding the food. Honestly with so little, it's only fair to pool everything together then distribute from there. We can't risk anyone stealing anything, can we?"
"No… No we can't. But let me guess," he said skeptically, pulling out of Michael's arm, "This is also about adding me to your alliance with Lisa?"
"You are completely correct. We need a core of people we can trust, and although I'm sure Lisa can always convince Becky to side with us, she's not someone we can trust with running the camp."
"And with you holding the machete and one of your alliance controlling the food, you rule the team."
Michael smiled, "We rule the team, with you as the third of four votes of course."
Sam looked down thinking, then began to nod. "Ok. I'm game," he said looking at Michael.
Michael clasped his hands, "Wonderful!" He again put his arm around Sam's shoulder. This time turning him around and pressing him slightly to start walking back to camp. "Now, about the water."
"The water?"
"Yes. Now despite the lawn ornament, the 'well' is nothing but a five-gallon spaghetti pot with a lid. I don't see why we need to walk over there every day when we can just pick it up by the handle and bring it to camp."
"And put it next to the food?"
"Exactly! If you worked for me, you'd be getting a bonus right now."
Sam chuckled awkwardly, "Thank you."
At the same time, Lisa had taken Becky up to the shade of the trees away from camp.
"Lisa what do you want? I want to go back to sleep," Becky whined.
Lisa clasped her hands, "Well, Me and Michael have a task that needs done…" Lisa then pointed at her with her two index fingers, "And I know you are the woman to help me."
Becky put her hands on her hips, "Spit it out already."
"Michael is planning on making Sugar Petal's life miserable until she gets removed from the game. He's already gotten the others to agree to take away her food and water. What our job is, is to work her to the bone in the camp."
Becky smiled ear to ear, "and crushing her soul in the process would make it go even quicker?"
"I can't say for sure," Lisa said smiling and a heavy positive innuendo.
Becky shifted her weight onto one leg and crossed her arms, "So Cinderella her to death with no Prince Charming to save her? I like it."
Lisa smiled, "I knew I could trust you. But Michael still has a few things to set up for this afternoon, so the fun can't start until tomorrow."
"Fine by me…" Becky said turning around. "I'm going back to bed." She walked away.
"Wait," Lisa said annoyed walking after her. "We need to talk about the lies I need you to back me up on tonight."
Meanwhile, back at Samundra…
The group finally returned from cutting bamboo and found Casey, Vickie and Jerry asleep. Jessica was watching the fire.
"Alright! You got the fire going!" Jamal said as the group came back dragging long pieces of bamboo, all between 3 to 4 inches in diameter.
"We had to resort to the fire bow," Jessica said standing up. She shook Jerry awake.
He opened his eyes, "What? We just changed shifts…" he mumbled.
"They're back," she said.
"Oh shit," Jerry said as he flailed half asleep trying to stand up.
This woke up Casey and Vickie.
"What the heck…?" Vickie said sleepily.
"We're back," Bob said, dropping the last bundle, "Let's get the roof up. Then we can all sleep."
"Ok," Jessica said, "cut whoever is the tallest plus two feet. Need 8. We will be burying 4 tips deep in the sand. The other 4 will be the crossbars. We'll take some vine through the grommets and pin them with stakes. Whoever is awake enough, we need palm leaves. We're in no condition to climb, so low to the ground or still green on the ground. We'll lay them on the ground to sleep on. I'll start making mats and stuff tomorrow."
"Jamal said you could weave and a bunch of other stuff?" Bob asked.
"Yes."
Bob nodded. "Ok everyone! The hippy is the lord of the castle. She's in charge of the camp."
Jessica gave him a "Really?" look before she clasped her hands together, "Ok, all the men line up! We need to find our yard stick. Sooner we get this done, the sooner we sleep!"
The sun soon set, and the blue team was out cold and snoring in the sand. The field producer decided not to wake them up for the departure instructions and ordered everyone to start packing up.
Meanwhile, at Berapi…
Sunset has ended. The staff has finished decorating the beach with dozens of tiki masks of many sizes set up on metal poles clad in bamboo. Their bottoms set in buckets filled with concrete buried under the sand.
The crews have packed up and ready to drive off on their ATVs.
"All right," the lead field producer said, "From here until dawn. You're on your own. Only use the hand radio in a life-threatening emergency. Remember in the rules that if you call and we determine it is not a life-threatening emergency, your fire will be extinguished and all fire-starting tools taken. You will be forbidden to relight it for four days. Any attempt to make another fire and your entire team will be expelled and subject to the civil penalties outlined in your contracts." He walked over to the ATVS and hopped onto a pull cart and sat on a gear tub. "Ok! Let's head out!"
They revved their engines and drove off. They turned off into the woods not far from where they landed and disappeared.
"The staff road must be over there somewhere," Michael mused leaning back on his hands. "Hey, Sugar Petal?"
"Yes?" she said enthusiastically.
"Go get more firewood. Seeing how quickly the fire is eating it, we'll need more for tonight."
Sugar looked nervous, "But it's already dark?"
He looked up at the sky, "There's still some light on the horizon. If baby sea turtles can find the water from reflective starlight, you can find your way back to the beach. Just don't wander in too deep." He pointed in the direction the ATVs went, "Why don't you head that way? You've already scavenged in the other direction."
"Ok," she said standing.
Michael watched her walk into the dark.
"Ok," he said leaning forward again, "Everyone else awake?" He looked in the shelter, "Becky? Lisa?"
"Yeah, we're awake." Lisa said using a single palm leaflet to clean under her fingernails.
Becky rolled onto her stomach, "What do you want, Michael?"
"I think we need to start pushing Sugar Petal out. She shouldn't be here. I think we can all agree on that."
Becky's head shot up, "You mean vote her out first?!"
"No, no," Michael said, "Calm down. I have another plan."
"How can we get her out if we don't vote?" Ichiro asked.
"As cruel as this sounds," he said in a regretful tone, "Medical Evac."
"You mean hurting her? What the hell, Michael?" Hassim protested.
Michael closed his eyes and sighs. He then looked back up, "Poor little Sugar is clearly overwhelmed, but we are not allowed to quit. Sugar is also very tiny and very skinny. Limit her food and water a little bit, have her work in the heat some, and she'll start feinting and the crew will be forced to take her out. She won't last to the end of the week." He then pulled out the papers, "The tree mail was a copy of the verbal rules we were given this morning. I wanted to wait till everyone was sober enough to understand."
He unfolded the papers and began to read.
"Dear Berapi,
The following are the rules of conduct and regulations for camp life:
Every player will be followed by a three-person crew at all times, a field producer, a technician, and cameraman. You will have no privacy. There is a 5 strike system if your crew loses sight of you for more than 10 minutes. At the fifth reported offense, you will be removed from the game and subject to full civil penalties.
Once a camp place is chosen and camp built, the crews will decorate the area with props for broadcast. REMEMBER, any items supplied to teams like personal clothing, cookware, fire starters, tarps and machetes will not be replaced if lost or damaged.
Water in the well will be limited and replaced daily. USE WISELY. Untreated water can cause illness. Drink from wild sources at your own risk.
A measured three-day supply of rice is provided after camp completion at 800 calories per day per person. The average calories a human needs to stay healthy and maintain weight is 2,000 calories a day. FINDING ALTERNATE SOURCES OF FOOD IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Afterwards, rice must be won in competitions once a week. If you lose the weekly reward, you must provide your own food.
Filming ends at sunset. A radio will be provided at night for life threatening emergency purposes. If any call is deemed to not be an emergency, your fire will be extinguished and all fire-starting tools will be confiscated. Any attempt to make a fire by other means for the four-day blackout will be punished by the entire team expelled and subject to all civil penalties listed in the signed contract.
South of the main stream is the team's main living area. Each team has one side of the hill. Rule of thumb, if you climb up then go back down, you've entered the opposing team's territory. The field producer of each player's personal crew has a GPS programmed for that team's boundaries. If the player approaches the border, it will begin to beep. Above the stream is a common playing area meant for resource procurement only. Entry and exit are prohibited without escort of your crew.
Interteam interaction should be avoided, but if players of opposing teams happen upon each other, interaction is to be kept at a minimum at the discretion of the film crews. If any pattern of interaction arises, it is subject to review of the producers for approval and regulation.
For personal conduct. Within teams, all forms of conduct are allowed except for deliberate deadly force and rape as defined by local laws. Between teams, any form of physical harm or sabotage of the enemy camp is forbidden, including water wells and tree mail.
Idols will begin to be hidden after the second Final Fire. Details will be provided at that time.
For personal injury, only injuries that result in visible blood loss will be immediately treated by medics. Only injuries that require immediate surgery to correct or a deteriorating chronic situation will result in medical evacuation. All other injuries will be evaluated and if deemed appropriate, given the minimum level needed to address the situation before being returned to competition."
Michael smiled, "Any medical complications resulting from starvation and dehydration are considered chronic by this definition, and include but not limited to, consistent dangerously low blood pressure and low blood sugar measured across three medical evaluations triggered by loss of consciousness events longer than 45 seconds. However, independent of these complications, starvation and dehydration will not be treated in any form.
Welcome to The Last Survivor."
Michael folded up the paper, "We just need to get her to faint. Nothing more." He tucked it back in his pants. "It won't take long."
"And what if it doesn't?" Ichiro said. "What if Sugar is actually a little trooper and toughs this out? A couple days, maybe, a week? Hell no."
"Do you really think she can make it a week?" Michael said like a tired parent explaining something to a child. "She's not even 5 feet and 100 pounds wet. Maybe 80 at most, but nothing more."
"That girl's anorexic bad," Lisa said, "I've met supermodels thicker than her. I don't know how she even made it past screening."
Ichiro's eyes went wide thinking of Vegeta, "Yeah… They really dropped the ball, didn't they?"
Michael read his face. "Thinking of Vegeta?"
"Speaking of Vegeta," Hassim said, "What's stopping her from going to his camp? As shortsighted as stealing the boat was, he did theoretically protect people from drowning."
Ichiro now became very visibly uncomfortable.
Michael smiled slightly watching Ichiro squirm.
Hassim turned and looked at Ichiro, "You alright, Ichiro? What's wrong?"
"I…" he looked away to avoid Hassim's face. He clinched his eyes, "I… might know how to keep her from going over there…"
"This about the secret the staff doesn't want us to know?" Michael asked.
"Oooo, secrets. This just got interesting," Becky said eagerly inching forward in the shelter.
"I'm not supposed to say anything," Ichiro sighed, "When they realized I recognized him, they made me sign extra documents to make sure I didn't tell anyone else who he is."
"If he did something spectacular, he'd be a celebrity like the rest of us," Lisa said, "He can't JUST be the husband to Bulma Brief. There has to be a reason he was put with us pushing that football player over with the hired help?" She partially crawled out of the shelter. She arched her back emphasizing her breasts, "Come on Ichiro, you can tell us. There's nothing recording us right now. The staff will never know."
"There is no way I could tell you guys who he is and not have it get out. It's too big of a deal that it wouldn't affect everyone's behavior."
"Lie then," Michael said suddenly.
"What?" Hassim and Sam said.
Lisa sat back in the shelter. "What good would that do?" she said pouting.
"Yeah… that takes all the fun out of it," Becky said resting her head down on her arms.
"If you can't go into specifics because it would identify him, tell a lie that's just close enough to the truth that it gets the point across without breaking the contract. Like an allegory."
"The— Oh, Sugar Petal, your back," Sam said.
Everyone turned and saw Sugar Petal running up the beach with a large bundle of sticks in her arms. She dumps them down and falls to her knees panting, "I… got… everything… as… fast… as… I… … cou… could."
Ichiro looked at her hyperventilating on her knees.
Hassim moved over to her, "Don't pant so close to the sand. You might breathe some in like that." He helped her up.
Sugar smiled, "Oh, thank you Hassim. I will remember that!"
Ichiro looked away from her and sighed.
Michael smiled. He looked at Sugar Petal. "You're just in time, Sugar Petal." He chuckled carefree, "Ichiro was about to tell us what Vegeta's big secret is since we apparently don't recognize him."
"What? But he never…"
"Oh hush, Hassim. Let Ichiro talk," Lisa said.
Ichiro looked around at everyone, stopping on Michael's face grinning like a shark in the light of the fire. And he had just been caught in those teeth.
He sighed and looked down at the fire. Ichiro closed his eyes thinking.
"Ichiro? Are you ok?" Sugar Petal asked.
He opened his eyes and looked at her. "Yes. I'm fine," he smiled. He returned to the fire with a flat expression. "Vegeta… he's… He's a hitman and serial killer from East City. Worked for a big family he later helped take down as part of a deal."
"What?!" Sugar Petal screamed, "But he seemed so nice. Weird but nice!"
Hassim was wide-eyed, thinking about the pardon Jamal mentioned. He thought he was just a jerk who got blacklisted after punching someone, not that assaults aren't serious, but a murderer? He remembered how he circled Michael mentioning homicide and if he could live with the deaths he caused. But the staff was perfectly fine with him until…
"Oh God… this is making too much sense."
"The thing about psychopaths is that they are so good at lying and manipulating people you don't realize you're in until it's too late," Ichiro answered Sugar Petal.
Michael held his arm out. "Wait. Wait. Wait. But he's married into the Briefs," Michael chuckled, "Bulma would never marry a man like that."
Hassim head jerked to look at Michael. "Is he seriously not taking this seriously?" his mind sputtered as his heart raced.
Ichiro looked up at Michael, "I'm a friend with a man who worked on his case and constantly bitched to me when the deal was being worked out. Apparently Bulma has a kink for dangerous men and had her sights on him for her next conquest before a deal was ever struck. But after he lost the Russian roulette on fathering her baby, her parents quietly lobbied for his full pardon. Without them, he wouldn't be on Earth right now."
Michael glared at him. He told him to lie, but this was too much. Casting a respectable woman like Bulma like that was too much.
Sugar Petal gasped.
When Michael looked over, Sugar Petal was trembling, hugging Hassim's arm for dear life. Hassim was also clearly spooked.
Michael sighed, thinking that at least this lie did the job. He looked up at Ichiro, "Thank you for telling us that." He looked around the group, "Now remember everyone. Ichiro was not supposed to tell us this. We need to keep this a secret."
"But… But how are we supposed to react around Vegeta?" Sugar Petal asked.
"He's given us more than enough reasons to be wary or even scared of him today," Michael said. "Just make sure you never mention we know he's a killer again. Does everyone understand that?"
"Yes. Yes. Absolutely," Becky said.
Michael sighed tired. "Ok. Everyone. Let's get to sleep. Becky and Lisa on the inside. Then Sam. Then me. Then the rest of you can work that out."
"You… you want me sleeping on the outside?!" Sugar Petal gasped.
"Don't worry, little girl," Hassim said, "Ichiro and I will be right there with you."
"Algesseoyo. Yes. Yes," she answered, tightening her grip on his arm.
"Ok, I'm going to water a tree before bed," Michael said standing, "I'll be back shortly." He held the machete in its sheath out to Ichiro. "Protect the camp," he said, lifting his head towards the shelter with the women.
"Oh… Ok," Ichiro took it hesitantly.
Michael walked a long distance away from camp and ducked into the trees. Once out of sight, he took the rules and tore them into tiny pieces, tossed them on the ground, watered them and kicked sand over them. After burying them, he walked out and ran into Hassim.
"What are you doing out here?"
"Night Prayer before bed." He looked at Michael's waist, "Your shirt is moving freely." He looked at his face, "Like there's nothing underneath it."
"Man needs toilet paper," Michael said, "Not like we need it anymore after I read it for everyone."
"Everyone but Sugar Petal," Hassim said sharply.
"I think you've forgotten the predicament you're currently in." Michael patted him on the back as he walked by, "Make sure Becky can't see you when you do your bowing."
Meanwhile, back at Vegeta's camp…
The fire now lit up the dark forest like a flood light when the sound of another ATV came along the stream. A group again rode into camp. This time, it was two riders and a third riding in the cart with the tubs.
"Shift change!" the young woman hopped off the cart.
"Hey Jackie," Nathan said walking up. They hug. He glanced back at Vegeta. "Don't worry. His bark is worse than his bite," he chuckled. Then he hopped on the cart. "Ok let's get everything set up so we can head out."
"You take care of yourself Nathan Bentley," Vegeta said with concern in his voice.
"Is something wrong?" Jackie asked.
"No. Nothing," he said helping unpack. "He's been like this most of the day."
Vegeta returned to the fire and mixed the branches with the bamboo digging pole. Sparks flew up and died in the night air.
The switch out was quick, less than 10 minutes. And the original crew drove off on the same ATV the other crew came in on.
"I can't believe that bastard," Jason fumed, driving down the path.
"With you escalating every little thing into an argument, of course he behaved like that," Nathan shot back. "When you kept your mouth shut, he was rather agreeable."
"Your fucking brain damaged if you think he's just another contestant!"
"Then why is he here? Pretty crappy intelligence operation going on a popular game show. His face is going to be on every TV on the planet."
"He needs an intelligence operation on this planet. Mosquitos being an endangered species. That's the dumbest shit I've ever heard.
"Dude, that's a movie reference," the cameraman interrupted.
"Seriously?!"
"Do you NOT watch Disney?" Nathan asked dumbfounded, "He's been making Disney references all day."
Vegeta sighed when the final engine disappeared. "Now I can finally fucking work…"
"What do you mean?" Jackie, the new field producer, asked.
"I'm sure Jason is an outstanding citizen under other circumstances," Vegeta glared at the group, "But today he was a racist asshole who spent all day screaming in my face."
"Jason is not a racist!" Jackie shouted.
"He's racist towards me. I did nothing today to draw his ire and he treated me like dirt from the first time he laid eyes on me."
"But you're a—"
"I'm a what? A legal citizen? A husband who raises his kid and supports his working wife? Vegeta pointed at them, "I walked away from ruling this entire GALAXY to commit bestiality with a female of a species not even recognized for being sentient on a primitive pebble on the edge of the galaxy. That is who I am." Vegeta held his arms out wide, "A once powerful prince now covered in mud for your fucking entertainment. Now unless you also plan on being jackasses, I have a shelter to start!"
Vegeta grabbed the digging bamboo while the crew was left blinking and walked over to the three trees. He marked out the missing fourth tree's spot and started digging deep into the clay. He then walked into the trees and pulled over about a 12-foot-long piece of dragon bamboo from his sorted piles he had spent all day cutting. Although it came from much farther up the stalk, you could not wrap your hands around it and have your fingers touch.
He laid it in the bright light of the fire and grabbed one of his smaller broken rocks. Vegeta cut a hole extremely quickly in it just above the top cell's bottom plate. He then did the same on the opposite side. He then turned it 90 degrees and cut another set of holes below that plate. He then grabbed two three-inch diameter poles, one about six feet long and another around 12, and jammed them in the holes.
Vegeta then placed the large pole in the two-foot hole in the ground and lightly packed it in. As he climbed the trees and bound the ends to them, the camera crew began to realize he had this completely preplanned.
With speed and agility that should not be possible after spending a day without food and water, they filmed Vegeta putting the base of the platform together like a set of Lincoln logs. After about an hour and a half, Vegeta was jumping up and down on a finished platform.
"Solid enough," he said pleased. "I'll add more to it tomorrow."
"How did you make that so fast?" Jackie asked.
Vegeta looked over the side at them. With his face underlit and the red clay stains on his arms and clothes, he looks like a horror film villain. "I stayed well within human tolerances," he said firmly.
"You did, but you put that together way too quickly," the technician accused, "You've studied primitive tree houses against the rules, haven't you?"
"I've done no such thing! My family stayed in the bamboo palaces in Bali and I got to visit a construction site. If you call staying in one of the most expensive hotels on this planet 'studying primitive tree houses', I'd hate to see what qualifies as advanced." Vegeta looked over at the fire pit, "Fire's burning out. If you want to keep it going for yourselves, go ahead. I'm going to bed."
Vegeta walked away from the edge and did not respond to any more questions. Jackie looked at her watch, 11:47 p.m. on the first day.
