Survivor: Chaos Cove

Day Three

Challenge Beach

"Come on in, guys!" Jeff called.

The castaways gave a chorus of oohs and ahs as they marched past a pair of waterslides, a colorful obstacle course and a barren, bumpy pit to Challenge Beach, lining up at their respective mats.

"Welcome to your first Immunity Challenge." He pointed to Te Dei. "Anthony, you're three days in. Give me a status update. How are you guys holding up?"

"Things have been really good! Thanks to this guy," he replied, nudging Mike, "we have fire, so we've got food in our stomachs. Sure, we're still hungry, but we're feeling good about the challenge."

The rest of Anthony's tribe supported him with cheers.

"Wow, you guys already have fire?" He turned to the other tribe. "Marta, how's life at Nuara?"

Marta laughed. "Well, we haven't been as lucky. It's okay, all they did is light a fire under our butts." The rest of her tribe joined in the laughter.

Jeff did too. "That's what I like to hear. You guys ready to get to today's challenge?"

The castaways cheered.

"Alright. For today's challenge, you'll be racing through an obstacle course in teams, relay-style. First, a team of four will maneuver a big cart through a bumpy pit to three of their tribemates. Together they'll disassemble the cart, then the team of three'll carry the crates through a rope maze."

He pointed to the waterslide. "At the end of the maze, they'll smash the crates open revealing bags of puzzle pieces. A team of two will use these pieces to solve a rotating puzzle, which will release a key that will unlock a torch. The last tribe member will then light the torch and cross a zig-zagging balance beam over the water, where they will light their tribe's banner. A big opening for a big season! Wanna know what you're playing for?"

The cast applauded.

Jeff pulled the cover from the table beside him, uncovering a skeleton statue, its skull encrusted with gold. "The Immunity idol. This is what you covet in this game. If you have Immunity, you're safe. You don't have to worry; you don't have to scramble. The first tribe to light their tribe's banner is safe tonight, nobody going home. Losers will be heading to Tribal Council where someone will be the first person voted out of the Chaos Cove.

"In addition, you'll be playing for reward." He dug something shiny from his pocket. "The winning tribe will get fire, in the form of flint. Fire is everything in this game. This'll be crucial for you, Nuara, but it'll make all of your lives easier."

The tribes cheered one last time.

"I'll give you a minute to strategize and then we'll get started."

xxx

"Alright, we have our cart-pushers! For Te Dei, it's Anthony, Greg, Kat and Steve takin' on Lukas, Marta, Stella, and Victor from Nuara. For Immunity and fire… Survivors ready?"

The cart-pushers nodded.

"Go!"

The castaways ran to their carts and began situating themselves.

Nuara's pushers lined up behind the cart.

"Ready," Stella said. "Push!"

The four pushers pushed with everything they had, propelling their cart over the first bump.

"Those carts are heavy," Jeff called. "You gotta dig deep to make progress!"

Nuara tried to push again, but nothing moved.

"Our fricken' wheel's stuck," Lukas said.

"Then get it out!" Victor replied.

"There are handles all over those carts," Jeff explained. "It's up to you how you wanna do this."

"Anthony n' I are strong," Steve said at Te Dei's cart. "We'll push. You two steer."

"'Kay." Kat and Greg obeyed, both irked by Steve's phrasing.

"Push!" Anthony yelled.

The cart didn't move at first, but once the castaways built some momentum they traversed the first bump with ease.

"Go left!" Greg called.

Kat pulled, and the cart passed another bump.

"Te Dei takes the lead," Jeff said. "Nuara's having trouble in the mud, but they're still in this!"

"We're free!" Lukas said. "Start pushing now and I'll pull from the front!"

His tribe complied and together they passed the next bump, before getting caught at the next one.

"Let's do what they're doin'!" Stella suggested. "This ain't working."

"Trust me dudes, I got this," Lukas said. "Push!"

They did as he said and rolled over another bump.

"Whoa!" Lukas fell underneath the cart, but it got stuck again before it could do any damage.

"Lukas takes a hard hit!" Jeff exclaimed.

"Okay, you're done," Marta said. "I ain't watching you get evacuated."

Lukas slid out from under the cart. "Fine. Lemme free the cart first."

"Te Dei is pulling ahead!" Jeff announced.

"That's what I like to hear," Steve said between grunts.

"We're almost there!" Kat said. "One more push. Go!"

"As soon as all four wheels are past the line, you can start disassembling," Jeff said, watching them painstakingly roll the last few meters. "You're good, Te Dei! Start taking it apart!"

Britney, Madison, and Shawn took over while the pushers caught their breath.

"Good work, you guys!" Shawn said.

Britney tried to pull a board off, but it wouldn't budge. "What gives?"

"The boards slide," Jeff said. "Once one board comes off, the rest will follow!"

As if in response to Jeff, Madison slid a board out. "Found it!" She pulled the next board, and the next, and the others rushed to help her.

Victor cursed. "We gotta go, guys."

"Ain't gotta tell me twice," Stella said. "Push!"

Jeff watched Nuara cross the line. "You're good, Nuara! Start dismantling!"

Isabelle, Alexander and Miriam rushed out while Te Dei's disassemblers worked harmoniously, removing board after board.

"You only need to take apart enough to remove the crates," Jeff said as Te Dei ripped apart their cart. "Just leave the rest."

Shawn grabbed the crates and passed them to Britney and Madison. "Let's go!"

"Te Dei's on to the maze, but this is still anybody's challenge!" Jeff called as Alexander pulled the first board off Nuara's cart.

While Shawn and Britney entered the maze and tried to get their balance, Madison climbed atop the cart to study it.

"What are you doing?" Shawn asked. "We don't have time!"

Madison held up her finger. The maze was tall, so she couldn't see the path very clearly. "Okay, we can go! You lead, I'll navigate."

"Good idea!" Britney said as they followed Shawn into the maze.

Miriam pulled another board off the cart and maneuvered a crate through the hole. "Good enough. Get over here and help me!"

"Those crates aren't heavy, but they are awkward," Jeff said. "This maze could be a huge opportunity for Nuara to make up time if Te Dei's strategy doesn't work out!"

"Go straight here," Madison said. "Right there, then left again."

Shawn and Britney did as Madison said.

"Where to next?" Shawn asked.

Madison paused, trying to recall. "The spirits say we go… right."

"You sure?" Britney asked.

"Trust me, just go!"

"Te Dei's making quick work of the maze," Jeff said. "If they're right!"

Alexander grabbed his crate and entered the maze. "I have a plan," he called to the girls. "Follow me!"

"What's your plan?" Miriam asked, skeptical.

"Fun fact, if you follow the left wall of any maze, it'll always take you to the exit."

Miriam glanced at Isabelle and raised an eyebrow.

Isabelle shrugged and followed Alexander. "I will take your word for it!"

"Already, both tribes are taking different paths," Jeff noted. "Who's right?"

"We're getting close," Madison told her tribemates. "Left here, then…" she trailed off.

Shawn turned around. "Then where?"

"Then the…" Madison hesitated. "The second right. Or is it the first…?"

"Well, which is it?" Britney asked.

"Come on spirits, don't fail me now!" Madison racked her brain to remember. "No, it's definitely the second one."

"I hope you're right," Shawn said. The trio did as Madison said and arrived at the exit.

Shawn smashed his crate on the ground and the others followed suit. Kristen and Vanessa gathered the bags and started untying.

"Madison, that was amazing!" Britney said. "How'd you remember all that?"

"Don't thank me." Madison chuckled. "Thank the spirit world."

"Te Dei is through the maze," Jeff announced. "Nuara's falling behind!"

"How long is this gonna take, Alex?" Miriam asked.

"No idea," Alexander said. "I didn't make it. I'm just solving it."

"Please hurry," Isabelle said. "The clock is ticking."

"Nuara's taking their time with this maze," Jeff commented, "opening the door for Te Dei to extend their lead!"

Kristen and Vanessa scattered the puzzle pieces in front of them. They were round, with oddly-shaped holes in the center and designs on the outside.

"This is a tricky puzzle," Jeff said. "The pieces fit on the base in a specific order, then you have to turn them a particular way. It'll release the key when you have it right."

Kristen took a random piece and started trying to fit it on. "Doesn't fit!" She tossed it on the ground and tried again. "Neither does this one!"

"Help me sort these, Kristen!" Vanessa said. "Don't just brute-force it."

"Why not?" Kristen pressed another piece and it clicked in. "Brute-forcing works just fine."

"Te Dei has their first piece!" Jeff cried.

"Alex, should one of us take over?" Isabelle asked.

Alexander shook his head. "I think we're almost there."

Miriam groaned. "And I think we're lost-"

"We're here!" Alexander climbed to the exit and smashed his crate. The girls did the same.

"Nuara's onto the puzzle!" Jeff said. "Godfrey and Ryan have a lot of time to make up. Go!"

"I can't find the next piece," Kristen said.

"I have it," Vanessa said. "Try this one."

Kristen took the piece and slid it into place. "Where's the next one?"

"I'm not sure yet! Help me sort the pieces."

Kristen rolled her eyes and tried her pieces again, one at a time, tossing them to Vanessa as she went.

Godfrey and Ryan untied their bags and scattered out their pieces. They took some time to examine them before starting.

"The empty space in the design appears to form letters," Godfrey observed. "This piece is an O."

"You're right," Ryan said. He checked a few pieces out himself. "I think it says 'Outwit Outplay Outlast!'"

Godfrey grinned. "Good eye." He clicked the first piece into place and Ryan followed up with another, and another.

"Wow!" Jeff exclaimed. "In a split second, Nuara's taken the lead! This is why you never give up!"

"Pass me the next one already," Kristen said, impatient.

Vanessa sighed in exasperation. "You have to let me focus!" She passed Kristen a piece anyway. "I'd be done by now if you just gave me all the pieces."

"Nuara's flying through this puzzle like it's nobody's business," Jeff said, "while Vanessa and Kristen can't agree on a strategy!"

Godfrey placed the last piece. "Want to do the honors?"

"Would I ever!" Ryan spun the puzzle pieces, spelling out Survivor's tagline, and unlocked the torch.

"Nuara is on the last stretch of this challenge," Jeff said. "It's up to Ruby to light that banner!"

"No pressure…" Ruby lit the torch and gingerly stepped onto the beam. She took small steps, keeping her balance.

"Ruby's taking advantage of Nuara's lead, running the beam slow and steady," Jeff said. "A safe strategy, but one misstep could force her to redo everything!"

"Hurry up, will ya lovelies?" an impatient Mike prompted.

"I got it!" Vanessa said.

"Finally," Kristen said. A little under half of the puzzle was completed, but the duo quickly assembled the rest and solved the combination.

"Go, Mike!" Jeff said.

"Don't mind if I do!" Mike took the torch and tore out onto the balance beam.

"Ruby and Mike using two very different approaches," Jeff said. "We have a challenge!"

Ruby checked over her shoulder. She was halfway across, while Mike just crossed the twenty-five percent mark. He was gaining on her though, so she sped up her pace accordingly.

"Mike's technique is reckless, but it's working so far," Jeff commented. "If he can just keep his balance, he can overtake Ruby!"

Mike got to a sharp turn and hopped over the corner. He lost his balance momentarily, flailed his arms, but stayed upright.

"Amazing save by Mike!" Jeff said, his eyes glued to the action.

"Dammit," Ruby muttered. She arrived at a zig-zag section that got progressively narrower, at the end of which was the banner. She continued taking step after careful step while Mike gained on her.

"The end is in sight for Ruby," Jeff said. "But here comes Mike!"

Mike caught up to the same section, running almost at a full sprint. He hopped gracelessly from zig to zag, but eventually his speed got the better of him. He slipped, landing hard on the beam and falling into the water.

"Oh no!" Jeff cried. "Huge fall from Mike! He has to go all the way back to the start!"

Before Mike could even get that far, Ruby tiptoed to the end and placed her torch on the banner. It lit up instantly.

"Nuara wins Immunity and reward!" Jeff announced as the tribe celebrated under their burning green banner. "An amazing come-from-behind victory, sending Te Dei to the first Tribal Council of the season."

xxx

"Nuara, congratulations. Immunity is yours." Jeff walked the idol to the winners, back on their mat. "Nobody goin' home tonight."

Ruby took the idol while her tribe applauded. "That's what I'm talking about."

"In addition, here's your reward." He tossed Nuara their reward. "Good luck getting fire started. Take your stuff, head back to camp. Enjoy the night off."

Jeff turned to Te Dei. "Can't say the same for you guys. Got nothin' for ya but a date with me at Tribal Council, where one of you is gonna be the first person voted out of this game. You've got the afternoon to figure out who it's gonna be. See ya."

Te Dei marched off, dejected. They were in for a long night.

Vanessa: Unfortunately, we lost today. We gave it our all but came up short. But I'm still hopeful! Tribal's an opportunity to strengthen our unity as a tribe and, as long as nobody tries anything reckless, there shouldn't be any trouble tonight.

Nuara Tribe

Nuara returned to camp, high spirits washing away the previous day's drama. They found a tree trunk in the center of the clearing, the perfect place to display the Idol.

Lukas grabbed the flint and struck it haphazardly with the machete, sending sparks everywhere. "Time to make a fire, my dudes!"

Lukas: That high you get from winning, I needed it so bad! The first couple days were like loss after loss and, man, I forgot how great it was at the top of the world. Wish you were here, Rhodes bros!

Victor stepped behind Lukas, and cleanly disarmed him of the machete. "That's enough of that. We don't need you to break our flint before we even get a meal in."

"Food!" Miriam said. "I'm starving, when can we eat?"

"When we make a fire," Marta replied. "But we don't got any firewood. Wanna go find some?"

"Right now?" Miriam sat up weakly. "I'm too exhausted to move…"

"I will go!" Isabelle said. "Would anybody care to join me?"

Isabelle: Today's challenge was quite literally do-or-die for me and, thankfully, we won. I have had time to think since yesterday, and I have no intention of letting my Survivor experience end so soon. They will have to drag me kicking and screaming from this island if they want to vote me out!

"Sure, why not," Victor said. "I know just the stuff we'll need."

Alexander jumped at the chance to learn some more survival (and Survivor) skills. "I'll help too!"

"I'll come too," Lukas said. "Let's get that fire made."

The group left.

"By the way," Ruby said, "I wanted to congratulate everyone for the challenge. You guys all killed it."

Ruby: I've talked a lot of smack about this tribe, but they really pulled through today. I'm actually kinda proud of this ragtag little crew. Maybe this'll be a competition to remember after all.

"Why thank you," Miriam said. "The maze was a struggle, but I made sure Alex got us through it."

"Sure," Stella said. "You of all people had the hardest part of the challenge and you rose to the occasion." She stretched her aching limbs out across the shelter. "Bravo."

Marta shot Stella a stern glare but didn't say anything.

"Watch it. I did my part. Do you really want to do this?"

Stella sighed. "'Course not. You did good. Ruby was the real MVP though, ain't nobody here got balance like you do."

Stella: Much as I hate to admit it, Marta and Ryan got to me yesterday. I ain't gonna be able to convince people of nothing if I'm fightin' with 'em all the time. And I'm not tryna be their next target, either. It's a damn shame they can't stop sayin' stupid stuff.

"It was Ryan and Godfrey who blazed through the puzzle," Ruby countered. "That was amazing."

"Godfrey figured out the pattern and everything," Ryan said. "I just knew the phrase."

Ryan: It's been frustrating, meeting all these strong-slash-successful-slash-smart people on my tribe. I'm not there yet in life. But maybe it's a blessing in disguise. Not only is there so much to learn from my tribemates, but it's the perfect dynamic for me to slip under the radar.

"'twas nothing," Godfrey said with a flourish. "The puzzle simply played to my strengths."

"Well, you guys did great." Ruby said. "Let's keep it up."

The rest of the tribe returned with firewood before long. Finally, they could open the sack of rice that'd been taunting them for three days.

Lukas shot sparks at the woodpile fruitlessly for almost twenty minutes until Victor taught him to scrape magnesium onto it first. Eventually it became a blaze, and soon after they were chowing down on rice, enjoying a scrambling-free day off.

Te Dei Tribe

The losers returned in a dour mood, humiliated by the other tribe and tensely anticipating the rest of their afternoon. The game was about to begin.

"Good work everyone," Shawn said, trying to raise morale. "We'll get 'em next time."

Shawn: I'm bummed about this loss. Probably more than anyone else. I'm getting along so well with everyone here, and I'm not ready to vote anyone out yet. (He purses his lips.) But I guess it had to happen sooner or later.

"I really thought we had 'em," Kat said. "Right up 'til the end."

"Meh," Greg said. "They had a pair of geniuses on the puzzle and an athlete on the balance beam. We were never gonna beat them anyway."

"We beat 'em in the mud though," Steve gloated. "Our cart was faster than a damn sports car!"

"And Madison got us through the whole maze from memory," Britney added. "We came out of there way ahead."

"I told you to thank the spirits." Madison gave a stern look.

Britney laughed nervously. "Whatever you say."

Britney: Is Madison actually super smart? People call me smart, but there's no way I could've memorized that whole maze. Unless she really did use psychic powers… Of course she didn't. Right?

"I know what you guys are getting at." Vanessa looked down. "Sorry about the puzzle. We had communication difficulties. I'll do better next time."

"Nah, Greg's right," Kristen said. "Once the nerds got their hands on that puzzle, we didn't stand a chance."

"We had a huge lead and lost it! We could've…" Vanessa abruptly paused and took a deep breath. "Never mind. I'm sorry. We'll get 'em next time."

Vanessa: I finally figured out why Kristen grates on my nerves. I've spent too much time around negativity and laziness, and Kristen embodies everything I've been trying to get away from. I can't be on this tribe with her anymore.

Mike groaned loudly, having moped to himself until now. "If yous are gonna blame anyone, it's my fault we lost. The beam was a bloody piece 'a piss, and the sheila I was up against was slower than a slug." He somberly removed his buff. "I don't deserve to call myself a survivor."

Anthony snatched the buff from his hands and slid it back on his head. "That's crazy, Mike. You tried your best, and we need you."

Most of the others murmured in agreement.

Kristen mimed a gagging motion to Kat, who had to stop herself from laughing.

Mike pushed Anthony away. "Piss off, you sap. Thanks, mates."

Mike: I let the tribe down today. If they had any sense, they'd vote me right out. I reckon I'd vote me out. But apparently, they wanna keep me after all the hard yakka I've put in for them. (A single tear rolls down his face.) So maybe I am doing something right.

The tribe fell into another silence. Steve, again, spoke up first. "Welp, someone's gotta break the seal." He stood up. "I'mma go get water. Join me if you like."

Vanessa and Anthony followed, and the tribe split off. Eventually, Mike, Kat and Shawn joined them as well.

"Anything change since yesterday?" Steve asked.

Steve: I ain't got a preference for tonight's vote. Don't think I'm on the choppin' block, and nobody I care about is neither. I'm happy goin' with the flow on this one and keepin' the rest of the six happy.

"Nope," Vanessa said. "We're still voting Kristen, especially considering she lost us the challenge."

Steve gave her a thumbs-up. "Works fer me."

The rest agreed too.

"Sure thing," Kat said after a pause.

Kat: I've been rackin' my brain to find a way to save Kristen, but it ain't lookin' good. It's nice to have an alliance and a plan, but what's the point if they're just gonna vote out your friends?

"But what should we tell Kristen?" Anthony asked.

Vanessa pondered that. "Good question. Madison? Kristen's always poking fun at her."

"Sure," Shawn said. "I'd hate for her to take the fall, though."

"Me too, but I'm not trying to get blindsided on round one," Anthony replied.

Anthony: Tonight's vote will be easy, assuming Britney, Greg, and Madison are on board. But it's so hard to sit still – what if they aren't? I'd hate for my experience to come to an end so soon, so we have to be thorough.

"If we all agree we should scatter," Vanessa said. "We don't need the others getting suspicious."

The alliance agreed, and its members dispersed. Shawn and Kat ended up together.

"How are you feeling?" Shawn asked."I know you're not happy about this."

Shawn: Kristen is an easy consensus vote for everyone… except for my closest ally Kat. I have no idea what she's thinking. I totally understand wanting to save your friends – I'm the same way – but at the end of the day you have to look out for yourself first.

"I'm not," Kat replied, "but I don't know what to do."

"There probably isn't anything," Shawn said. "But if you come up with something let me know."

xxx

"Hey teach," Britney said. "What's happening?"

Anthony nodded. "It's gonna be Kristen. Is that cool with you?"

"Yeah, sure. Is that all you've heard?"

"Everyone I've talked to is onboard. Did you hear anything else?"

"No, it's just…" Britney sighed. "Has anyone said my name?"

Britney: I can't shake the feeling that I'm getting played by everyone. Why wouldn't they vote me out? I don't fit in, I'm not good at challenges, and… (She collects herself.) …I just really don't want to be the first boot.

Anthony laughed. "That's what you're worried about? You're safe, I promise. Madison's the decoy."

"Not Madison!"

"Yeah, but I'm sure she'll be safe. I'll let you know if anything changes."

Britney smiled uncertainly. "Thanks."

xxx

"The vote's gonna be Kristen," Shawn said. "That work for you?"

Greg nodded. "I guess so. Why?"

Greg: Shawn came up to me and told me who to vote for. No debate, no discussion, no nothing. Shocker. Guys like him are always like that, acting like they run the place 'cuz, usually, they do. At least out here I might be able to do something about it.

Shawn shrugged. "Her name's the one that's been floating around. No need to make it complicated."

"…Can't argue with that."

"By the way, you did well today, Greg. Good work out there."

"Meh. Not good enough, but thanks."

xxx

"Psychic, you down to boot Kristen?" Steve asked.

"I suppose that works," Madison replied. "I suspected things would point that direction tonight."

Madison: (She slaps her forehead.) I messed up at the challenge today. Britney's smarter than I gave her credit for, noticing that I remembered the whole thing. If we were going to lose anyway, I should've just taken a wrong turn or two in the maze.

"Eyup, the only thing left is to make it happen. Keep it simple, stupid!"

"Indeed." Madison held up a finger. "But I can't help but feel a disturbance in the wind."

"Well, get back to me once you hear somethin' a little more concrete."

xxx

"Kristen, I've been lookin' for ya!" Kat said.

"Me too. Everything set for tonight?"

Kat looked away. "About that… what've you been hearin'?"

"Vanessa told me we were voting Madison."

"Right." Kat sighed. "I shouldn't be tellin' you this, but I don't want it to be a blindside. It's gonna be you."

Kristen sat down, letting the news sink in. "Damn. There's nothing we can do?"

Kristen: I'm almost relieved I'm on the chopping block. It's not like I've been getting along with this tribe anyway. Compared to this, a thirty-six day vacation doesn't sound too bad.

"I doubt it. Sorry."

"Well, that sucks." Kristen laid back. "Thanks for the heads-up, at least."

"Ya can't just give up!"

"What else can I do? I don't have the idol if that's what you were hoping."

Before Kat could answer, Greg showed up. "You guys know what's happening, right?"

"That I'm going home?" Kristen said. "Yeah."

"What would you guys say about voting someone else?"

Kat glanced at Kristen. "What d'ya have in mind?"

Greg: This tribe's stacked up in a way that doesn't work for me. After my conversation with Shawn I realized that, if I'm gonna do anything about it, I gotta do it now. The votes are there, if I can just convince people.

"I say we vote Shawn."

Kat's eyes bulged. "Sorry, did I hear ya right? Shawn?"

"Yeah. If you haven't noticed, strong guys are leading this tribe. Shawn, Mike, Anthony. If we let them all get too far, they're gonna run the game 'til the end. So, we gotta take him out now."

"You think you can get the numbers to boot Shawn?" Kristen asked.

Greg nodded. "We only need six outta ten. Shawn and his lapdog Britney are out. Same with Mike and Anthony. So we gotta recruit the weaker players: Madison, Steve and Vanessa. Whaddaya say?"

"Well, ya've certainly thought this through…" Kat said.

Kat: Of all the names to come up, Shawn's the last person I expected. Greg's off his rocker if he thinks anyone's gonna go through with this harebrained plan of his.

"Let's do it," Kristen said. She continued before Kat could protest. "You didn't want me to give up, right? This is perfect."

"I guess so…?"

"Great," Greg said. "I'm gonna talk to the others. Don't tell anyone."

"You're not gonna vote Shawn, are ya?" Kat asked Kristen once Greg left.

"Of course not. Did he, just, not notice that you two were close?"

"Either that," Kat said, chuckling, "or he ain't the sharpest tool in the shed. Should we try 'n switch the vote to him?"

Kristen laughed as well. "If you can without screwing yourself over, you should. But I'm not worth sinking your own game."

Kristen: I don't get why Kat's so gung-ho about saving me. It's not like I'm trying that hard to save myself. But it's hard to lay down and die when someone's fighting so hard for you.

Kat squeezed Kristen's shoulder. "Look, if I can find a way to save a friend, I do it. Besides, he's goin' after my other friend. I can't let that stand. Lemme take care of it."

xxx

"He's targeting Shawn?!" Britney cried.

Kat, Shawn and Anthony shushed her.

"He doesn't need to know I'm tellin' y'all this," Kat said.

"Why would anyone want Shawn gone?" Mike asked. "He's the best bloke here!"

Shawn shuffled awkwardly. "Thanks, Mike."

"That's just it," Kat said. "He's jealous, and he wants to blindside him 'cuz he's strong." She pointed at Anthony and Mike. "And he wanted you two gone next."

"You're really not making this up?" Shawn asked. He gave Kat a knowing look.

"I swear it. I wouldn't lie to you."

Shawn sighed. "So what do we do?"

Shawn: If Kat's telling the truth – and I have no reason not to believe her – it… kinda hurts. I knew going in people would target me as a threat, but it's only day three! And I've been nothing but friendly and helpful to Greg! I just don't understand.

"We could just vote out Greg," Britney suggested.

"I'd be fine with that," Anthony said. "But can we get everyone to switch in time-"

The group heard footsteps and hushed.

Vanessa walked around the corner, vexed. "So I just got done talking to Greg."

"Join the club," Kat said. "What d'ya think? Should we vote him out?"

"Obviously I wouldn't dream of voting for you," she reassured Shawn. "But switching the vote to Greg so late would completely fracture the tribe. We should stick to the plan for now and take him out next time."

Vanessa: As one of the weaker players in the game, Greg's plan is up my alley. These strong guys'll have to go eventually, and a week from now I'd think about it. But for now I just want to boot Kristen, and bring peace and positivity to the tribe.

"That's easy for you to say when you're not the one being targeted," Shawn replied. "Kristen's not gonna flip things around by the next time we vote."

Vanessa pursed her lips. "Look, I just want to keep the tribe unified. If everyone's willing to flip the vote, I won't argue. But I don't see it happening with so little time left."

xxx

"Whaddaya say?" Greg asked Steve and Madison.

"It's not a bad deal for us," Madison said. "I'm not against it."

Madison: I just knew something was gonna go down tonight. I'd be disappointed if it didn't. And it's not like I have any loyalty to the meatheads on this tribe. I wonder if it'd be on-brand for Madison Zeller, spirit medium extraordinaire to make such a big move on day three? It'd certainly shake things up!

"We're prob'ly gonna swap soon anyway," Steve added. "I sure don't wanna go up against Shawn in a challenge."

"You really have the numbers for this?"

Greg nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah. I'm shocked too. But it's a good plan."

Steve shrugged. "Like I been saying, I'm gonna go with the flow. If you got the numbers, I'm in."

"Awesome," Greg said, grinning widely for the first time all game.

Greg: My nerves are off the charts right now. My plan's in action, man. If I can pull a move this crazy off, I can do anything. Just gotta keep my fingers crossed that everything works out!

The trio made their way back to camp as the sun started to set over the Chaos Cove. The tribe gathered their things in silence, camp thick with tension. The reality of their situation sunk in as they lined up to leave. Someone wasn't going to make it back.

Tribal Council

The members of Te Dei marched up the great staircase leading to Tribal Council. It was their first trip of many, for all but one of them. A rite of passage for any Survivor, though not a fun one.

"Welcome to Tribal Council," Jeff said as the castaways found their seats. "Behind each of you is a torch. Go ahead and grab one, dip it in and get fire."

While the tribe did so, he continued. "This is part of the ritual of Tribal Council. In this game, fire represents your life. Back at camp, fire is your life. You need it for warmth, for comfort, for food. Here at Tribal, once your fire's gone, so are you."

The tribe got comfortable on their stumps, and Tribal Council began.

"Vanessa, walk me through your first three days. How's the Survivor life been treating you?"

"It's something else." Vanessa chuckled. "There's nothing like it. The adventure of a lifetime delivers. It's been so hard, but we all like each other and we work really well together through the difficulty."

"Steve, does that ring true?"

Steve nodded. "'Course it does. We got together as a team and got the machine up 'n runnin' in record time, so to speak. We're awesome."

"I'm proud of this tribe, Jeff," Mike said. "Our camp is state-of-the-art, and everyone pulled their weight. I bet we put the blokes in green to shame!"

"Mike, I take it you're the leader?" Jeff asked. "How's that going?"

"I'm the leader in a sense, yeah. Camping is right in my wheelhouse, so I've been directin' people in the art of survival. We've got rabbit traps set up and everything. We're winning the real game, easy. But when it comes to votin' blokes out and such, I couldn't care less. I let everyone else worry about that."

Jeff's eyes widened. "Wow, talk about a unique approach! But you're getting ahead of me. Madison, what stood out the most to you back in camp? Any groups forming, or people striking off on their own?"

Madison cringed. "Good question… While I haven't caught wind of any alliances forming myself, most people talk to everyone else. I'm sure most of us have our favorites, but nobody's being outright excluded."

"Everyone's got favorites, but nobody's on the bottom. Greg, that's a comforting thought, but is that even possible?"

Greg shook his head. "I don't think so. People have been slow to come to me with alliances too, but my first thought is that I'm doing something wrong. Someone's gotta be on the bottom, that's just the nature of this game."

"That's two people who don't have any alliances. Anthony, it's rare for Survivor to be anything but fast-paced these days, with alliances forming as soon as you hit the beach. Has the game met your expectations so far?"

"No, I agree with Madison and Greg," Anthony replied. "I'm not sure if it's something in the air or what, but on the whole we're playing an old-school game. We've been focused on building relationships and working together, and we get along so well. Which is why it sucks so bad that we're here."

"And that brings me to my biggest question. If things were so good back at camp, what happened today? Kristen, everything seemed to fall apart at the puzzle."

Kristen rolled her eyes. "We talked about this in camp. Did you see the guys they had on the puzzle? They probably spend all day in their rooms doing puzzles like the one we did today. We tried our best, and it didn't work out. Big whoop."

Vanessa snorted. "Big whoop? Seriously? We could've done so much better if we just communicated."

"You could've also just done it my way and brute-forced-"

"Guys," Shawn said, shutting them up. "Whatever it was, we lost. We'll move on and do better next time. We don't have to fight about it."

Vanessa sighed. "Sorry, you're right. We'll get 'em next time."

"Unfortunately," Jeff said, "before you can move on you gotta vote somebody out. Which brings us to tonight. Vanessa, I'm sensing some tension between you and Kristen. Do you think the puzzle might factor into tonight's vote?"

"I'd be shocked if it didn't! Kristen and I are the reason we're here tonight. We need to use this vote to unite the tribe and make sure we never end up back here."

"Kat, what do you base your vote on tonight? No matter how well you guys get along, someone has to be left out."

"No doubt," Kat agreed. "I'm all about unity myself. I wanna go back to camp tonight with people I can trust and a stronger, tighter tribe... but we don't all necessarily agree on who the best target is."

"Unity can be so hard to find in a game like this. Britney, how are you feeling about tonight's vote?"

Britney laughed nervously. "Funny you asked me. I haven't been able to sit still since the challenge ended. I'm always questioning in the back of my mind. Are people telling the truth? Is it me? I've heard a few names, but what am I not hearing?"

"For what it's worth, that's a common feeling on Survivor. Show of hands: who thinks it could be them tonight?"

The tribe members hesitated while they thought about it. Eventually Britney, Greg, Kristen, Madison and Shawn rose their hands.

"A fifty-fifty split," Jeff commented. "Vanessa, you're confident considering you just apologized for losing the challenge today."

Vanessa picked her words carefully. "Maybe there's a blindside coming my way, but I feel pretty good about the conversations I've had. Knock on wood, of course.

Jeff nodded. "Fair enough. The biggest surprise to me is Shawn. You think it might be you tonight?"

Shawn chuckled bitterly. "Call it a bad feeling. Usually I get along great with everybody, but some people I thought I was close with didn't feel the same way."

Greg raised an eyebrow. "Did someone spill the plan?" he whispered to Kat.

Kat shrugged. "Don't ask me!"

"If someone snitched, I'll be so mad." Drops of sweat appeared on Greg's brow. "We had a plan! Are we still good?"

Kat hesitated. "'Course."

"Greg," Jeff said, "something goin' on over there?"

"Nope! Just making sure nothing's changed." Greg gave a doubtful thumbs-up.

"Alright," Jeff said. "With that, it's time to vote. Steve, you're up."

xxx

Greg: (Voting for Shawn.) You're a great guy in lots of different ways, and everyone knows it. That's why you gotta go home tonight.

Vanessa: (Vote not visible.) A lot's happened today, but despite everything my vote is still about unity. Hopefully we can still be united after tonight.

Britney: (Voting for Greg.) Please don't blindside me, please don't blindside me…

Shawn: (Voting for Greg.) Man, what went wrong? I thought we were getting along great.

xxx

"I'll go tally the votes," Jeff said. Before long, he returned with the urn. "If anyone has a Hidden Immunity Idol and you want to play it, now would be the time to do so."

The castaways eyed each other, waiting for someone to make a move, but nobody stood up.

"Okay. Once the votes are read, the decision is final. Person voted out will be asked to leave the Tribal Council area immediately. I'll read the votes."

Shawn shot a glance at Greg, who looked intently at Jeff. Kristen crossed her arms.

"First vote: Greg."

Greg sighed, nodding.

"Shawn."

Shawn threw his hands up in exasperation.

"Greg. That's two votes Greg, one vote Shawn."

Greg gulped.

"Greg."

Mike yawned. Vanessa pursed her lips.

"Greg. Four votes Greg."

Greg put his face in his hands, unable to look at the others.

"Greg. That's five votes Greg, one vote Shawn."

Shawn exhaled in relief.

"First person voted out of Survivor: Chaos Cove: Greg. That's six, that's enough. Time to bring me your torch."

Greg slumped his shoulders and groaned. "Shoulda seen it coming." He grabbed his torch and walked toward Jeff. "It was worth a try," he said to the tribe.

"Was it?" Vanessa asked. "You were completely safe until you went after Shawn."

"I even vouched for you!" Shawn added.

Greg sighed. "Whatever." He slid his torch in the slot. "Send me home."

"Greg," Jeff said, "the tribe has spoken." He snuffed the torch. "It's time for you to go."

"Good game, guys. One of you better win," Greg said before leaving.

Jeff turned to the remaining tribe members. "Well, there were a few twists and turns along the way, but you managed to find the tribe unity you so desperately wanted. Hopefully you can keep up the momentum going forward."

He reached into his pocket. "Not that you need it, but the good news about coming to Tribal is that you get fire in the form of flint." He tossed the flint to the tribe. "With that, you can grab your stuff and head back to camp. Good night."

xxx

Greg: (He sighs.) Figures that it'd be me taking the bullet tonight. I knew I didn't have what it took to compete with these people, and I was right the whole time. I don't know why I even got my hopes up.

Greg: Anthony, Britney, Kat, Kristen, Madison, Mike, Shawn, Steve & Vanessa

Shawn: Greg

xxx

A/N: Thanks so much for reading this far! I'll be moving over the next couple weeks so, if you thought these last three chapters came out slowly, just you wait. But yeah, hopefully you enjoyed what's come out so far and hopefully you're excited for what comes next! This is far from over, there's a whole lot of game left to be played.