Mei Cheung- District Three
I stood in the tube, looking through the glass at the servos and mechanisms that lifted me up through the metal underbelly of the Arena into the air. When the top of the tube crested the surface, the smell of salt and water hit my nose.
Are we in the middle of the ocean?
No, they already did that. And it was a huge disaster. The worst Games in history. But we were somewhere near saltwater, anyway. Then the tube rose the rest of the way and I could see for myself. The Arena was a group of islands.
There's a word for that. Archimedes, something like that. But not that. He was a guy.
I looked side to side, seeing who was next to me. It was Sojourner and Jaxxon. Nothing to be worried about… at least not right next to me. I still would have been absolutely petrified if not for one thing.
My platform was the one directly behind the Cornucopia. I was out of sight of the Careers, since Jaxxon and Sojourner were the only ones visible around the curvature of the Cornucopia. I could make a swim for it and be halfway to land before anyone saw me.
Click. The platform slid into place under me. Under the covering I stood on, I felt a faint motion, and sensed rather than heard the movement of metal. It gave me a wild idea.
No way. It couldn't be that simple.
My heart pounded as the seconds ticked away, bringing me closer to the moment I would decide whether or not to risk it all. But was it really a risk? I'd never win, not with so many Careers and Tributes stronger than me. Even if I was wrong, I would have tried.
I pricked up my ears in the last three seconds before the gong sounded. The instant the Games began, I turned around and braced my back against the Cornucopia. I wedged my legs against my platform, counting splashes all the way.
One. Two. Five. Nine…
I tried to keep tabs on the death-sounds, too, but it was hard to tell what was fear and what was mortal pain. I pushed my legs out experimentally, and almost collapsed in surprise and rapture when the platform inched closer to the edge of the floating circle we all stood on.
It was just as I'd thought. The tube withdrew entirely, leaving only a freestanding platform seeded with the mines that blew us up as we moved. And those mines would have components. Wires. Batteries for the sensors. Metal.
Twenty. The splashes stopped, and I could see some Tributes swimming in the corners of my eyes. It was time. And if I was wrong, if any of a million things went wrong, then I would die, like I would have anyway.
I shoved my legs out with all my strength. The heavy platform slid to the edge, then toppled over.
I scrambled to the edge and watched it sink. It shot downwards, sending up a fine trail of bubbles, each bubble telling of more water seeping into its cracks. My stomach went light as I thought of what was about to happen, and what would happen to me if the Cornucopia platform was made of anything conductive.
There was a tiny flash of light as some component was burned out by water meeting electricity. I thought perhaps I heard a faint puff as glass casings shattered and energy surged out.
It can't be. It really can't be that simple.
Then the noises started. They must have been playing the Anthem, but I couldn't hear it under the sound, back-to-back, of twenty-three cannons.
I fully admit to not knowing the specifics of how deadly electricity in water would be. I also fully admit this definitely wouldn't work. Finally, I admit it would be way cooler if it did. Mei Cheung, setting the undefeated record for most kills, with 19. Also the fastest Games, at 55 seconds.