My disclaimer
I know Disney owns "Kim Possible"...lock, stock, and Rufus. Before I get done, I will probably tick off a few more studios, too. If they want to sue me, they have to get behind all my other creditors. Since I am in south Florida, the line has formed to the right and goes all the way to Sacramento!
To all readers:
1) MOST IMPORTANT NOTE OF THE ENTIRE STORY Back in the middle of July, I already had a rough outline of this story. Two of the 'set-in-stone' parts of the story are included in this chapter. One part was meant to be done tastefully and respectfully as a reflection of one of the saddest eras in world history. The other part was meant to be completely a work of fiction. A few weeks later, some incidents similar to the second part happened in 'real-life'. These actual incidents are heart-wrenching for all concerned. IT IS NOT my intention to make light of their pain and suffering OR to turn their plight into a punch-line of some sick, twisted joke. My sincere and heart-felt prayers go out to those affected by these tragedies.
2) Because of the "hurry-up-and-wait" aspect of 'The Amazing Race', some of the dialogue may read like a play's script, the rest may read like a normal story. I am sorry, but it's the only way to preserve the pacing of the story to match that of a standard 'Amazing Race' episode.
3) The departure times, seat availability, and duration of flights are completely fictional—Please do not waste your time trying to correct me by using info from travel sites and various brochures. We are dealing with cartoons here, remember?
4) Unless I get a lot of requests to do so, the opening theme sequence will only be posted in the first chapter and referenced back to it throughout the rest of the story.
5) I did receive a few reviews questioning the story's placement in the "Kim Possible" category instead of somewhere else. I hoped the intensive focus on Kim & Ron in the last few legs took a few steps in justifying its placement. But if it didn't, I think this chapter will add a little more justification, given the open-ended twists and turns that await Team Possible. It's up to you, the loyal reader, to let me know what you want. Review me, e-mail me if you wanna reach me! If you want to 'PM' me, that's ok! (Sorry…got carried away there, but you get the idea.) Enjoy!
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(Off-screen voice of Phil): "Previously, on "The Amazing Race"…Kim and Starfire discussed a disturbing 'sitch' in Buenos Aires…
"Star," Kim asked, "Do you get the feeling we are being followed? Just before we boarded the plane in Scotland, I saw dozens of girls holding up pictures and screaming for Ron… a lot more of them just outside the gates here at Casa Rosada."
"Well, you two do get a lot of publicity. Who knows? Maybe Ron's just finally getting the respect you said he rightfully deserves…I believe the next question is, 'Are you jelling?'…"
"I am SO not jelling…Since Ron and I are now dating, they probably think he can do better with one of them—just like his mother keeps telling him… But there's more to this…There were these guys at each venue who whisked away the girls with the stealth and precision of a 'Special Ops' team…The shades of blue and green match those of Drakken and Shego! I was reassured they were both locked up in max-security cells, but I can't help but worry they may have found a new target—Ron!"
Starfire placed her hand on Kim's shoulder. "One, the closest these girls came to you is—what, 30 feet? Two, these guys wore blue-and-green jumpsuits… are they not also the colors of your 'Team Possible' logo? …If they do come after him, Robin and I both have your back!"…
"…More surprises awaited our racers on their way to Rio de Janeiro…
SHAGGY (from inside his cab): "Huh?? 'Swap & Payback'?? Looks like 'Writer Boy' is at it again!"
(Off-screen voice of Phil): "Any two teams can agree to swap positions in the race, as well as racing time elapsed…once the 'Swap' has been performed by two teams, the team initiating the 'Swap' is subject to 'Payback' by the other team at any time during the 'Swap & Payback' period...only during the fourth and fifth legs of the race (meaning this one and the next one). After the fifth leg, any unused 'Swaps' or 'Paybacks' will become null and void…
"…One team was actually gullible enough—I mean brave enough—to take advantage of this so early in the leg…
"Could you please 'Swap' your departure time with ours?" asked Fry.
"Are you completely sure you want to do this?" Ron inquired.
Bender impatiently cut in between Fry and Ron. "Yeah, yeah, yeah! Let's get this done before we all miss the plane, okay?"
"As you wish," said Ron…TRANSACTION COMPLETED
"…Kim learned even more revelations about her teammate…
Ron's voice was absent of his usual whiny candor. It projected a sense of eerie depth and calmness…"Kim…For quite a while now, I have had a heightened ability to sense true danger as it approached. How do you think I could always warn you just before Shego would deliver an otherwise paralyzing burst of plasma your way—even when my back was turned to your fight?…Long before I acquired this ability, I trusted you with my life numerous times on our missions. Now, I ask you to trust me as I have trusted you. Can you do this for me?" A shocked Kim could do nothing but nod obediently…
"…And Ron took his meditation to the next level…
Ron was doing something she hadn't seen before during these sessions. His feet were in the standard 'Lotus' position, but now he was floating a good six inches above the bench—and rising…His floating drew him close to the ceiling fan. Kim opened her mouth to scream for Ron to look out, but she was unable to make any sound before his hand reached up and grabbed a blade of the fan, freezing it in place. As he slowly lowered himself to the bench, his hand let go of the blade. The most fascinating part of all this took place after Ron concluded his meditation. He smiled his usual ear-to-ear goofy grin and showed Kim the hand that touched the fan. It was completely unharmed! This astounded her almost as much as that moment in front of their lockers on the last day of school…
(Please refer to notes above for details on that moment)
"…At Maracana Stadium, teams were blind-sided by another 'surprise'…
SHAGGY: "Aw, man! (Reads brochure title) 'Relay'?"
(Off-screen voice of Phil): "…'Relay' combines different facets of the standard 'Route Info', 'Detour', and 'Road Block' clues…Teams must decide which of them will go first in the performance of a task…Team members will alternate tasks until the 'Relay' is completed…The first task is actually simple (Phil chuckles). One member must find one of the 20 randomly-hidden clues in this 73,916-seat stadium…
"…Once they found the clue, they discovered…
FRY & SHAGGY: "It's time for the Heptathlon…"
(Off-screen voice of Phil): "For the rest of this 'Relay', team members must alternate completion of all seven events in the Heptathlon, each to a required standard…
"…And Team Possible drew more unrequested attention…
Kim entered the west side of the stadium to look for the clue. As she began checking rows, she noticed a group of girls forming on the west side of the stands…"Oh, great!! Another bunch of 'Ronnies'," Kim sneered…Her brilliant green eyes envisioned a wall at the 100-foot mark, with a poster of smiling 'Ronnies' hanging four feet up the wall in the 'dead-center' of fair territory. She ran up to the line, hurled the javelin, and shattered the poster into 4.2 million pieces. 'Daaaaaannngg,' thought Kim, 'that…felt…G-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-D!!!'…By the time Ron hit the 600-meter mark, the men in blue-and-green jumpsuits had once again cleared the stands, leaving Kim, Ron, and the race officials all by themselves to witness the finish of his 2:23 run…
"…After a grueling Heptathlon and a massive traffic jam, teams found Jesus at Mount Corcovado—only to discover…
PHIL (smile growing sinister): "This leg isn't over yet! You are still racing!! Here is your next clue…"
"…What other surprises await our remaining five teams on their quest for One MILLION Dollars?? Find out NEXT!"
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'Amazing Race' opening theme begins... (Please go to chapter 1 for theme sequence)
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So The Reality: 'Amazing Race'-Rio de Janeiro (Leg #4.1)
(Off-screen of Phil): "Hallelujah…I found Jesus!! Granted, He is pretty hard to miss in this city. I am standing at the summit of Mount Corcovado, next to the pedestal upon which stands the statue named Cristo Redentor, or 'Christ the Redeemer'. Recently named one of the 'New Seven Wonders of the World', Cristo Redentor (with its pedestal) stands 125 feet tall and looks over Rio de Janeiro with open arms—literally, with an arm span of nearly 92 feet across…
"…Teams must travel by taxi to the base of the mountain, and then go up the mountain to meet me at the pedestal. To provide easier access for many who make the pilgrimage to this statue, elevators and escalators were built in 2003. However, it will be the honor (actually, the requirement) of our teams to make the traditional climb of 220 steps to the pedestal without those conveniences."
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11:52 AM—Day 6
An exhausted Shaggy & Scooby staggered to the pedestal at Mount Corcovado…
PHIL (smiling broadly): "Shaggy & Scooby, you are the first team to arrive. How do you feel?"
SHAGGY (breathing hard): "Like, totally drained, man!"
PHIL (smile growing sinister): "Well, I have some news for you…This leg isn't over yet! You are still racing!! Here is your next clue…"
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11:54 AM
Once they turned away from Phil to open their clue, Scooby muttered, "Roopid 'Riter Roy'!"
Shaggy consoled his friend. "Cut him a little slack, Scoob," he lamented. "He may have thrown us for a loop sometimes, but I've seen them continue a race leg in each of the last few seasons of the show." (Opens clue) "Fly yourself to Johannesburg, South Africa.
(Off-screen voice of Phil): "Teams must take a commuter flight from Rio de Janeiro to Sao Paulo, Brazil. After that, they must fly from Sao Paulo to Johannesburg, South Africa, and then travel by taxi to the Apartheid Museum, where they will receive their next clue."
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Each of the teams took the news of the leg continuation in stride. The camera spheres captured the moments each team received their clues:
11:56 AM
Bender & Fry
12:14 PM
Robin & Starfire
12:17 PM
Bugs & Elmer
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Team Possible was still enjoying their taxi ride as the traffic finally began to disperse. This was the perfect opportunity for Kim to question Ron about all of this weirdness surrounding the competition…
"Ron," Kim queried, "I know this show has always been known for its unexpected twists, but don't you think this whole thing is just a little too weird?"
"Yeah," agreed Ron, "that 'Writer Boy' is a few burritos short of a combo platter."
"Those 'surprises' are the least of my worries. You mean to tell me you haven't noticed a bunch of girls following us half-way around the world…along with a bunch of guys in jump-suits?"
Ron tried to take the 'high road' in the discussion, hoping to mask how much he really knew about the whole thing…
"Kim, I think it's downright badical we have so much support from fans all over the world." was the best he could do with such short notice.
Kim chuckled, "Riiiiight. But don't you think it's strange that all the girls show posters of only you, not us…together?"
"Well, you know how much your cousin Joss hung your picture all over the place at first, and then she switched to posters of me. Maybe this is just like that."
"You…still don't have a full understanding of girls yet, have you?"
"I picked you, didn't I?" was his response. 'Nice save!' Ron thought.
Kim smiled and blushed. "You've got me there, Ron…but that doesn't explain the sudden increase in meditation. You didn't even start that until our flight out of Scotland."
At this point, Ron's face grew serious and solemn. "Remember when you played the 18th hole at St. Andrews?"
"Sure I do. In fact, it was spankin' to do so well on such a storied course." Then the mood of her face matched his. "I didn't get any outside help, did I?"
"Oh, no, no, no," reassured Ron. "Of course not! KP, you totally rocked that course!" This helped Kim's smile return to her lips. "However," he continued, "I received a disturbing mind-message from Sensei as you were sinking your putt."
This brought out a gasp and a look of sheer panic on Kim's face, followed by a series of rapid-fire questions that would make a cop on 'SCI' proud. "Is-he-ok-Did-anything-happen-to-Yori-What-about-Hirotaka-Is-the-school-in-danger-Did-Monkey-Fist-bust-loose-and-try-to-recapture-the-Lotus-Blade-Is-Sensei-mad-about-that-joke-Star-and-I-pulled-on-you-and-Robin-Does-this-have-anything-to do-with-the-girls-that-keep-popping-up-How-about-those-dudes-in-the-jump-suits-WHAT'S-THE-SITCH!!!" At this point, Kim was grabbing Ron by the shirt and screaming in desperation to get some answers.
It took a few seconds for Ron to absorb all those questions. Thankfully, the subject of the special project planned by his dad and Sensei did not come up in his message at St. Andrews. This meant he could still keep a lid on that, yet honestly tell her, "Kim, the message had nothing to do with any of the topics you just mentioned. He sensed grave danger ahead for me…"
This sent the red-head over the edge, "Danger?" she gasped. "Danger?? I'LL show you DANGER!!" She began to violently shake Ron as she pulled tighter on his shirt—a little too tight. "BOY, YOU GOT SOME SPLAININ' TO DO!!!" Kim roared at the top of her lungs.
Ron's face was starting to turn red—and not from blushing. "K---P!---Can't---splain---if---can't---breathe," croaked Ron.
A horrified look swept over Kim's face as she realized the tightness of her grip. She immediately let go of the shirt, collapsed in his arms, and began crying on his shoulder. After a few minutes of this, Kim was able to bring her eyes up to his once more.
"R-Ron?" she sobbed. "What exactly did Sensei tell you?"
Ron was able to catch his breath by this time and provide a calm reply. "He didn't get too specific, but he did say it was a greater threat than I had ever faced on a mission…bigger than Drakken…bigger than Monkey Fist…bigger than when you were under the control of the 'Moodulator'…" This drew a wicked scowl from Kim.
"Not…helping…any!" she growled.
Ron paused for a moment to compose his thoughts before continuing. "Kim, how well do you know your Bible?"
This threw Kim completely off-guard. "Pretty well, but I thought Jews read from the Torah."
"Well, Rabbi Katz said the Torah consists mostly of the Bible's Old Testament and various other scrolls. Do you remember the story of Abraham and Isaac from the Book of Genesis?"
"Yeah, most of it."
"Let me fill in the blanks… Abraham asked God to bless him and his wife with a son. After many years, that miracle finally happened with the birth of Isaac. Abraham really loved Isaac and considered him his greatest treasure of all. In fact, the deepest fear in Abraham's life was to lose Isaac.
"One day, God called on Abraham to overcome that great fear and sacrifice Isaac as a measure of faith in Him. Only when Abraham was actually going to go through with it did God spare Isaac's life…
"Sensei said to defeat this threat, I must conquer the greatest fear of my life—I only wish I knew what he meant. I have an idea…I'm not totally certain, but I actually don't think monkeys are involved. Either way, he said I will need all the inner strength I can gather. Thus, I increased my meditation cycles."
Kim hardened her face at that moment, looking Ron squarely in the eye. "Whatever it is, I've got your back now! We will fight this together."
Ron lowered his eyes and continued. "I'm sorry, KP. I wish it was that easy. Sensei may not have been able to provide all the details, such as where or when this will take place; but he was absolutely certain I must face this alone…At least we will probably be eliminated from this race once we get to Phil. That will be one less thing to worry about."
Before Kim could say another word on the subject, they arrived at the foot of Mount Corcovado, ready to begin their 220-step climb…
1:04 PM
PHIL: "Kim & Ron, I have some bad news and some good news…First, you are the last team to arrive…BUT this leg is not over yet! You are still racing!!
After taking their clue, Kim turned to Ron and asked, "What part of Phil's talk was supposed to be good news, anyway?"
"Beats me, Kim…beats me…"
(Off-screen voice of Phil): "Teams must take a commuter flight from Rio de Janeiro to Sao Paulo, Brazil. After that, they must fly from Sao Paulo to Johannesburg, South Africa, and then travel by taxi to the Apartheid Museum, where they will receive their next clue."
"Didn't he already say that once, Kim?"
"Yeah, but you guys kept rambling on so long, the viewers may have forgotten we were still in a race here! Why don't you two go to the airport?"
"I got an idea, Phil…Why don't YOU just go STRAIGHT TO—"
"KP!!! Centered calm, remember?"
"—to the next 'Pit Stop', okaaaaaaay?"
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Teams were finding commuter flights easily enough. However, the high hopes of the front-runners were dashed when they arrived in Sao Paulo. Sure, plenty of seats were available for the flight to Johannesburg…but that's just it—there was only…one…flight!!
Even though all of the first four teams visited the statue of Christ the Redeemer within the last 5 hours, it was only now that they began to turn to fervent prayer, hoping against hope their flight took off before…
3:45 PM
…Kim & Ron arrived at the airport. An evil grin swept across their faces when they found Bender & Fry waiting in the terminal. 'So much for that 'Swap'!' thought Kim. As satisfying as that was, both Kim & Ron were ecstatic to see their Titan friends once again. After stopping at the counter to book their flights, they found out all four of the other teams were on their flight. Only one word could sum up Ron's feelings on this latest set of revelations…
"BOO-Yeah!!"
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6:07 PM
All five teams boarded their plane for the loooooong flight to South Africa. After it took to the air and passengers were free to move around the cabin, Scooby and Bugs started playing cards. Of course, when they played 'Twenty-One', Scooby displayed the Queen of Spades and the Jack of Diamonds, for a total of 20. Bugs pulled a gag out from the old playbook and won with the 21 of hearts, but Scooby didn't seem to care…
…There was a look of pure horror on Shaggy's face when Elmer recounted the motivational speech Bugs gave him at the Heptathlon…
…"He said if you failed again, he would cram what? Up your where?? And pull the TRIGGER??? Zoinks!! Man, that rabbit has some serious issues!!"…
…Bender went into a 'stand-by' mode and turned away from the rest of the passengers—but only after a stewardess had him mistaken for the dishwasher. She found out her mistake the hard way, as five trays nearly decapitated her…Fry was starting to feel a little uneasy about the 'Swap' he made in Argentina. If only he could remember why he felt this way…
…Ron was telling Robin about the stunt with the fan blade. It sent the Boy Wonder into a fit of uncontrollable laughter, after which he made a mental note to re-tell the whole thing to Raven. Robin grew quiet once Ron discussed Kim's questionable mental health…while rubbing his neck in remembrance of the moment…
…"I mean, she had a Homer Simpson grip on my throat and was shaking me like a snow globe!! I hope she starts accepting my invitations to join me in meditation. Goodness knows she needs it! Oy, vey!"…
…Kim had her head in her hands, sobbing as she told the Titan about Ron's message from Sensei…
…"I feel so bad about what I did to Ron. He tells me about impending danger and I'm the one who nearly kills him! I thought we were trailing so far behind, we were going to get bumped off this race and not have to worry about those 'Ronnies' and the MiJs anymore…and now this!! I tell you, it's like the whole sitch is coming straight out of the Twilight Territory—You almost escape the evil, but it just grabs you and brings you back in"…
…At this point, it was a safe bet the majority of the million-dollar prize would be spent on a lifetime of therapy, regardless of the winning team…
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9:32 AM—Johannesburg—Day 7
…Five taxis pulled up to the Apartheid Museum. Teams began to pull their clue envelopes from the box just outside the front door. Each envelope contained a red brochure and a smooth, shiny pebble…
BENDER: "(reading clue) 'Road Block'…"
KIM: "…Who doesn't…"
SHAGGY: "…really care…"
ELMER: "…about black…"
STARFIRE: "…or white?"
(Off-screen voice of Phil): "A 'Road Block' is a task only one team member may perform…and no team member can perform more than 6 'Road Block' tasks during the course of the race. The 'Relay' counted as a 'Road Block' for each team member…
"In this 'Road Block', one team member must tour through the museum and search for two distinct tiles. One of the clear-background tiles they need will contain nearly half the letters in the teams' names in black letters (example: "A a i g a e"), the rest in white letters (example: " m z n R c ". Once team members place one tile on top of the other and spell the completed team name (example: "Amazing Race"), they must take the combined tiles to the head curator, who will instruct them on where to place their pebble, then give them their next clue…
…The teams noticed the locked door, which was clearly marked with "Hours of Operation: Tuesday-Sunday 10am-5pm." This set their minds into motion. Since they began running the race in Omaha, they began to lose track of time. It took a moment for them to figure out the race began on a Monday, making today (Day 7) a Sunday.
Fry, Robin, Elmer, and Scooby quickly volunteered for the 'Road Block'. Kim began to walk toward the door when Ron stopped her abruptly.
"KP," Ron noted, "you shouldn't do this."
"Why not?" Kim countered. "I can find clues rather quickly and you need to continue your meditation."
"But you've already done two of these 'Road Blocks', and the 'Relay' counts as the third. If you do this, you can only do two more—and we are not even half-way around the world yet!"
Kim sighed and reluctantly gave Ron the 'Road Block' brochure.
10:00 AM
The five competitors entered the museum and were saddened deeply by the many displays of apartheid—the segregation of races that plagued South Africa for hundreds of years before it was ended in the 1990's. Throughout the building were portraits, cages, guns, tear gas canisters and multi-media displays of the shootings and riots of this brutal era. As Ron looked down at a tear gas canister, he noticed a tile marked " i & o " in white letters. His instincts told him to grab this tile…
…Robin was watching a short documentary of a funeral in a black neighborhood. It was misconstrued by white policemen as a riot and gunfire erupted. As he turned away from the violence, he looked to the left of the screen. There, he saw a tile marked "R b n S a f r " in black letters. Even the most amateur detective could figure out this was his tile…
…Fry may not have known much of the world's history after 1999, but he certainly remembered the atrocities of apartheid all too well. He was especially disturbed by a photo comparison of two hospitals—one for blacks, one for whites. While the white hospital resembled numerous hospitals of that era, the black hospital resembled the shack that served as a terminal back at the Buenos Aires airstrip. Above the picture, he noticed " e d r F y" in white letters. He looked back and forth between the clue and the tile. Since he noticed the 'F' was capitalized, and he was the only competitor with that first letter in his name, he thought it might be a good idea to hold onto this one…
…Scooby noticed a German shepherd as he was about to turn a corner in the museum. He barked at the smaller dog, but it didn't seem to notice him. Scooby turned the corner and saw the German shepherd had his mouth open and facing a black child no more than eight years old. Scooby tried to move the other dog when he discovered both it and the child were wax figures. As he backed away from it, a tile was sitting on top of the wax exhibit's plaque. The tile read. " h g y S o b " in white letters. He thought it best to take this one…
…Elmer, being an avid hunter, quickly began to examine the cages on display. On more than one occasion, he pictured Bugs in one of these contraptions—that is, until he saw the pictures on the left sides of the cages. 'Oh, my…' thought Elmer, '…They put people in there?" He was bending over a nearby garbage can to finish losing his breakfast when he noticed a tile with black letters marked "B g & l e ". When he finished with the garbage can, he picked up the tile…
…When the whole experience almost seemed too bleak for description, each competitor eventually arrived at a ray of hope. It was a quiet, peaceful area, with a window displaying a view of a beautiful lake and a grassy meadow. In a glass case nest to the window sat a book. Above the case was a simple message: "It all ends HERE!" Next to the case were five copies of the same book, each decorated with a ribbon bearing the names of the teams. Wrapped up with their copies of the book were the tiles that completed their team names. On the front cover, embossed in gold, were the words, "The Constitution of South Africa". As they took their copies of this document which officially ended apartheid, the curator was standing nearby. He told each of them to gently place their pebbles in one of the numerous piles symbolizing the masses joined in the fight against apartheid. It was only then that the competitors noticed small writing on each pebble, displaying the names of all five teams remaining in the race. One by one, the team members received their clue from the curator…
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10:47 AM
ROBIN (reading clue): "Drive…"
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10:49 AM
SCOOBY: "Rourself…"
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10:55 AM
RON: "to the…"
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10:59 AM
FRY: "Elandsfontein Farm …"
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11:02 AM
ELMER: "…in Cullinan."
(Off-screen voice of Phil): "Teams must drive themselves to one of the few working plantations remaining in South Africa, the integrated Elandsfontein Farm. In addition to the fine tapestries made on the premises, it is also home to one of the world's most famous diamond mines. Teams must park in the marked spots, then travel by foot to the front gate, where they will receive their next clue."
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…It took the five competitors a moment to compose themselves as they left the museum to rejoin their teammates. In time, each team began the drive northwest out of Johannesburg, changing positions in the race all the way to Cullinan. During the drive, Ron began to ponder if this experience was the challenge mentioned by Sensei. Truly, these atrocities were worse than anything he and Kim ever faced. However, he quickly dismissed this thought, considering he was in no actual danger himself.
His thoughts then turned back, as they often did lately, to Kim's mental health. She seemed to have calmed down since the flare-up with Phil, but he knew a complete nervous breakdown could not be too far behind…
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12:23 PM
FRY (reading clue): "Detour…'Weave it' or 'Dig it'?"
(Off-screen voice of Phil): "A 'Detour' is a choice between two tasks, each with its own pros and cons. In this 'Detour', teams must choose between 'Weave it' or 'Dig it'…
"In 'Weave it,' teams must drive themselves to a factory on the east side of the farm. Then, they must use a traditional loom to weave a kikoy blanket matching a design presented to them. Once a team produces a blanket that meets the approval of the supervisor on duty, they will receive their next clue. While an attention to detail is needed, the loom does not require a strenuous amount of physical labor…
"In 'Dig it,' teams must drive west through the farm to the Cullinan Diamond Mine, known worldwide as the source of many of the largest diamonds in existence, including the famous "Great Star of Africa", which weighs just over 530 carats…
"…Teams must then enter the mine and use the provided equipment to dig and haul out a minimum of 50 carats of raw diamonds, which will be weighed and verified by the mine's foreman before he hands them their next clue. The mine is still rich in product, generating tens of millions of dollars in diamonds every month, so mining 50 carats should be done rather easily. However, the mine has been in constant operation since 1902, and teams will have to travel very deep into the mine—with an experienced spotter—to find the necessary raw diamonds."
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FRY: "We can 'Dig it', Bender."
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10:25 AM
ROBIN: "Let's make the blanket, Star."
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10:27 AM
SHAGGY: "Light and soft or dark and scary?? We'll do the blanket, Scoob."
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10:28 AM
ELMER: "I say we should just 'Weave'!"
BUGS (shocked): "Leave??? But we've got a one in five chance at a million smackers! We can't just quit now, Doc!"
ELMER (now boiling mad): "NO NO NO!!! Not weave, you wascal (sticking his thumb behind him)…Weave (pointing to the clue)!"
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ELMER (during an 'in-race interview): "Ooooooh, dat wascal! I sweaw I'm dis cwose to combining 'scwewy wabbit' and just saying 'Scwew it'!"
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10:34 AM
RON: "Let's get your other best friend, Kim."
KIM: "Monique?"
RON: "No…Diamonds. You know, like the song?"
KIM (rolling her eyes, but chuckling): "Okaaaaay."
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KIM (turning to Ron during an 'in-race' interview): "Ron, you can be so goofy sometimes."
RON (with ear-to-ear grin, holding her hand): "KP, I kid because I care."
KIM (embracing Ron now): 'Thanks…I needed that."
""""""""""
…It was a short drive to the tapestry warehouse. All three teams arrived almost next to each other. Once they entered the warehouse, they were awed by the beautiful blanket designs hung all over the wall. Most of them reflect the native culture, with multi-colored squares and diamonds in various shades of brown, gold and green. At five tables sat looms, various shades of acrylic thread, and folders containing the desired designs.
Since only three of the five looms were being used by the teams, expert weavers kept alternating between the other two looms to demonstrate the proper weaving technique to create the blankets. Once teams approached their looms, they opened their folders to reveal the specific designs of each blanket. With one member working the loom and the other one supplying the proper thread colors, teams went to work on their task…
""""""""""
...Team Futurama and its mining crew took the long walk down the shaft. After traveling about a mile into the cavern—and 350 feet down—the mine split into three directions. The spotter told Fry all three directions were rich with diamonds. After a short discussion, they decided to travel straight ahead. While it was still another 1500 feet in, and 75 feet gradually lower, it turned out to be the shortest route to access the current supply of the raw diamonds.
Fry thought he had an agreement with Bender. The robot's powerful strength would cause too much strain on the walls if he tried to pound out the necessary 50 carats of diamonds in the mine. Thus, Fry would dig for the diamonds, while Bender would use his scanners to detect the gems and his belly to safely store the rocks to be presented to the foreman once they left.
Bender—of course—being Bender, didn't care much for Fry's plan. Before Fry could even lift the pick provided by the mining company, Bender punched a 16-inch hole in the end wall. While enduring (but not necessarily listening to) a severe scolding by both Fry and the spotter, Bender pointed out the diamonds in the dirt pouring out from the hole. Fry continued his tirade while he collected more than enough diamonds to take back to the foreman.
As the three of them started back to the mine entrance, they never looked back to notice the hole's slow growth—along with the cracks beginning to emerge from it, spread upward, then travel along the ceiling of the cavern...
""""""""""
…On their way out, Bender, Fry and their spotter passed the entering trio of Kim, Ron, and their spotter about 1800 feet down the mine, where it was still big enough for six people to be side-by-side without any comfort issues…
""""""""""
11:26 AM
…All three teams took note of the demonstrations and created beautiful blankets to be donated to a local Christian-missionary church and given to three poor families. They emerged from the warehouse with their clues at about the same time—a three-way battle for first place…
BUGS (reading clue): "Drive yourselves…"
STARFIRE: "…to the next…"
SCOOBY: "…'Rit Rop'!"
(Off-screen voice of Phil): "All teams must drive themselves to the main plantation house. This splendid residence serves as the 'Rit Rop'—I mean 'Pit Stop'—for this leg of the race. The last team to 'check-in' here…may be eliminated!"
""""""""""
…The drive to the plantation house was shorter from the mine than it was from the warehouse. Still, the three teams from the warehouse had too much of a head-start for Team Futurama to overcome. Thankfully, six camera spheres were able to capture all angles of the first-ever three-way 'photo finish' in 'Amazing Race' history…
""""""""""
11:42 AM
PHIL: "Since the feet of both team members must be on the mat to officially 'check in', we need to review the sphere recordings. However long it takes to get this right, rest assured your identical 'check in' time has already been recorded…
MOMENTS LATER
PHIL: "After a review of the recordings…Congratulations, Bugs & Elmer! You're team number ONE!! (Bugs & Elmer shake hands and hug). Many natives call Johannesburg "Egoli", or 'City of Gold'. To celebrate this, as winners of this leg of the race, you each receive 10 one-ounce bars of certified .9999 pure gold. Now for the other teams…
"…Robin & Starfire…You're team number two. That makes Shaggy & Scooby team number three."
…All three teams exchanged 'high-fives' and hugs with each other as they proceeded further into the residence for some much-needed rest…
""""""""""
11:59 AM
…Kim, Ron, and their spotter were using the flashlights from the backpacks supplied by the mining company. Ron felt the presence of Sensei as they came upon the tri-fork in the mine, along with a slight vibration in the surrounding walls. Instead of the usual words of wisdom imparted by the oriental sage, only three words came from the image of a saddened, helpless face:
"It…Has…Begun!"
""""""""""
…Back at the residence, Bender & Fry happily stepped on the mat in front of Phil…
PHIL (smiling broadly): "Bender & Fry, you're team number four, and you are still in the… (shocked when he hears rumbling in the distance)…oh, no… (rumbling continues as he yells into his communication earpiece)…Trouble at the mine…MOVE IT!"
…At that moment, the local emergency response center received at least thirty calls for immediate help. Almost all of the calls were the same…three people were trapped in a massive collapse of the Cullinan Diamond Mine. Nobody knew how deep they traveled into it, but the mouth of the mine was sealed just past the foreman's table going into it…
""""""""""
…Just after they heard the initial rumbling, Ron, Kim, and their spotter began to run back toward the entrance. Suddenly, the walls began to collapse all around them, causing each to lose their balance. Because of the steepness of the downward slope and the lack of balance caused by the violently shaking ground, the trio was sent tumbling backward down the mine…
…The camera spheres following the trio were crushed by the massive amounts of rock filling in the entrance to the center path. This eliminated the only way 'Race' producers could keep track of the trio. The foreman was unsuccessful in reaching the spotter over his 'walkie-talkie'…
…The only hope came from Wade. After 'Race' producers explained the situation, he conceded to the fact he had Ron chipped. That was when they received the first piece of good news—Ron was in the left corridor of the 'tri-fork'. The chip was working, and Ron was conscious with strong vital signs…
""""""""""
…The spotter was still shaking the cobwebs out of his head when he heard the sound of his 'walkie-talkie'. After he responded, the foreman asked for a status report. As far as he could tell from the surroundings, he was in the mine's right cavern. He was relieved to report he could feel the air coming in from the safety hatch high above him. That relief was tempered with great sorrow in his voice when he informed his boss he was alone…
""""""""""
…Ron slowly opened his eyes and looked around. His movements were a bit odd, but he felt no effects of any cuts, scratches, or any other form of pain. He also detected a breeze coming from somewhere, but he was unsure of the source's location. The tumbling caused all the pockets of his cargo pants to fill with dirt and diamonds, but that was not high on his priorities at that moment.
He was thankful for the spare flashlight in the backpack. He used it to get a look around the cavern that held him. The ground appeared to have stabilized, with just a slight haze of dust still in the air. Whatever was causing the breeze was clearing up the haze in short order. The map of the mine was also helpful, giving Ron the means to pinpoint his exact location using the markings on the mine wall. After a short walk, he discovered his cavern was only partially blocked, but a sudden emptiness entered his soul. The Kimmunicators were confiscated back in Omaha, but he still knew two ways to try reaching her. He decided to start with the one he knew frightened her least…
"Kim," he called out, "…KP…KIM!!!" There was no response. A small part of Ron was repeatedly pushing the 'panic' button inside him. It was overruled by the calm, serene man he was becoming. With his mission experience, he knew what he had to do next…
""""""""""
…Before Kim was yet fully awake, she began taking stock of her physical condition…three cracked ribs, dislocated left shoulder, slightly-sprained right ankle, numerous cuts and bruises, and a massive headache.
She quickly used her backpack's flashlight to determine her location. A quick scan of the map and what remained of the wall markings indicated she was in the center tine of the mine's 'tri-fork', the collapsed rock creating new a back wall no more than 250 feet from the convergence of the three corridors. Her current chamber appeared to measure 200 feet long, 20 feet wide, and (as far as she could gather from the maps and markings), 400 feet down from the surface. Kim deduced that the other wall of collapsed rock was the side closest to the cavern's opening.
'Only fifteen feet from the convergence,' she thought. 'That could be a good sign'.
She took off her backpack and began taking inventory of anything she could use for escape. She soon discovered it wasn't much. Along with the map and flashlight, she had a small pick and shovel—more than large enough to gently pick out diamonds, but hardly useful for this situation. She also had a pouch (for collecting the diamonds), a bottle of water, a mining handbook, a dust mask, and a helmet that sustained extensive damage.
'Man, I sure could use that walkie-talkie that the spotter—Hey! Where is he? And…'
"…where's Ron?" she gasped aloud.
""""""""""
12:14 PM
…Rescue workers, geologists, seismologists, earth-moving equipment operators, and mine officials responded quickly to the scene. With the information provided by the foreman and 'Race' producers, they determined a single life sign was in each of the left and right corridors. That left one more person missing, probably in the central cavern. That's where officials placed a larger focus of their search, taking care not to completely neglect the other sections…
…Along the farm's outer perimeter, thousands of people gathered for an impromptu vigil. First, it was just the 'Ronnies'; then the 'Men in Jumpsuits' and the other competitors joined the group. Soon, some local residents began to gather with this crowd as well. Others volunteered to provide support assistance for the rescue workers—some providing bottled water and sandwiches, while others pitched in for an attempt to clear the mine's entrance…
…During one of the conversations with his foreman, the spotter accidentally mentioned the name of one of the other trapped victims just before passing out. News agencies, being not nearly as stupid as their reporting skills let on, quickly figured out the identity of the third victim. This brought forth an onslaught of virtually every media outlet in the world—from the New York Times to the Central Oregon Senior Times, and everything in between…
…With his mission experience, Ron knew what he had to do next. He began to slow his breathing and meditate so he could channel his spirit out to search for the fallen spotter. To his amazement, he discovered only five feet of rock kept him from the main cavern. What's more, there appeared to only be partial blockage to the left cavern, where he found the spotter unconscious from a severe leg wound.
This made his next task a lot easier. He cleared his thoughts and extended out his hand. Soon, the familiar Lotus Blade appeared. On several occasions, he had turned the Blade into other objects as the need arose. This was no exception. As Ron began to dig out a crawl space to escape the cavern, he used the Blade as a support arch to prevent his work from causing any further damage. Once he made it to the main cavern, he replaced the rocks he moved and pulled back the Blade. With only a miniscule jostle, the pile of rocks did not collapse further…
Ron used a similar method to widen and reinforce the crawl space he needed to use to grab the spotter. He used just enough healing power to stabilize the spotter for the trip to the mine entrance, knowing he would probably have to use all the remaining power later…
…Kim had no idea about the events taking place outside her earthen cell. She quickly donned the dust mask and consulted handbook. Since she felt no breeze of incoming air, she determined she had about three hours of usable oxygen left, given the estimated size of the area.
Kim thought back to the Apartheid Museum. While Ron was taking on the 'Road Block' task, she decided to try Ron's meditation techniques. Surprisingly, it really helped her start to sort things out. She still had her suspicions about the 'Ronnies' and the 'MiJs', but she gained enough confidence in Ron that reassured her he would endure his latest challenge.
'If nothing else, at least the shallow breathing will conserve oxygen for a little longer,' reasoned the logical portion of Kim's mind…
""""""""""
1:17 PM
…Ron carried the spotter to the mine entrance. Using the wall markings and the map, he determined he was seventeen feet of from the outer mouth of the main cavern. He was about to channel his spirit again to confirm his position when he heard noise coming from the wall of rock…not the rumbling of another cave-in, but the yelling and shouting associated with the rescue effort. To keep the Blade a secret, he quickly turned it into a second mini-shovel and placed it in his pack. While his hand was in the bag, he pulled out his pick and began to give a constant series of three taps, pausing three seconds before tapping again…
…This caused the workers to stop and listen to the taps. After a whoop of approval from the rescue workers, daylight began to appear in the mine opening. Even more cheers rose up when they workers saw a hand helping them dig from the inside. While some workers used iron braces to maintain the opening, others began to pull out the spotter first, then Ron…
…The sight of Ron emerging from the mine caused the thousands of spectators and volunteers to cheer loud enough to be heard for miles. It also confirmed the suspicions of the worldwide media as to the identity of the third victim, still trapped in the mine…
""""""""""
…After Ron saw paramedics tending to the spotter, he had only one thought running through his mind.
"Where's Kim?" he demanded as he glared at the foreman.
"Sir, I wish I knew," was the reply. "Now come over here…you really need help."
This caused Ron to glare at the foreman with the sternest 'serious face' he had ever mustered. "If it's your precious diamonds you are worried about," he shouted, "HERE!"
In a blind rage, Ron proceeded to take off his pants, causing the all in attendance to gasp in sheer horror at what they saw. He then emptied all the dirt and over 100 carats of raw diamonds from his numerous pockets onto the table and snatched the clue from the terrified foreman. This made the outside camera sphere record a time stamp of:
1:32 PM
Ron then took a deep breath, put his pants back on, and looked directly at Phil, who tried to embrace him in sheer relief. Ron gently pushed Phil away and shocked him by causing his soft brown eyes to suddenly ignite into blue flames.
"Phil, " he said in the calmest voice he could muster at the moment, "now that I have completed the task, I am not breaking the rules by the use of glowing powers—so GET…OUT…OF…MY…WAY!!!!"
He took another few deep breaths and gave the following statement with what began as his eerie-calm voice, but was soon loud enough for all surrounding him to cringe back a little:
"I know you all have good intentions. I especially appreciate those seeking to offer me medical assistance; but I am going back in after MY KIM—and a fury greater than the fires of ALL that is unholy will come to ANYONE who tries to stop me!!!"
Before anyone could even try such a foolish thing, he flipped two handsprings and jumped high into the air. As he was coming down, he sailed through the makeshift hole in the mine entrance. Despite their mobility, the camera spheres were still too large to fit through the opening…
""""""""""
1:48 PM
…Kim's meditation was really helping her start to sort out some of the craziness from the last few days—the 'surprises', the tasks, and traveling way too much without at least one good fight anywhere. She was just about to start using her new-found tool to start dealing with the 'Ronnies', the 'MiJs', and her current location.
Suddenly, her mind felt a surge of power rushing toward her at nearly the speed of light. All she could hear were three words:
"KP...STAND…BACK!!!!"
Instantly, there was an explosion of dirt, diamonds, and blinding light. Before Kim could shield herself from the flying destruction, she found herself situated inside a glistening blue orb. Her eyes grew bigger than pie plates as she watched a shadow emerge from the dust and debris…then heard a gentle voice floating through all the chaos...
"Kim, are you ok?" the voice said as the orb disappeared and a shadowy hand extended down toward her.
She finally recognized the form and held back the tears long enough to put on her best smile and sweetly say, "I'm in pain, but it's been worse."
"You're in pain?" a glowing Ron yelped as the shadows finished clearing. "Not anymore!" He placed her hands into his own and said, "Psalms 46:10, KP…Psalms 46:10."
The quizzical look from Kim caused Ron to display his trademark grin, all the while letting his healing power mend all her aches, breaks, and pains.
"Kim, Psalms 46:10…'Be still, and know that I am God.'…or at least His agent in my case!"
Kim rose up to her feet. Not only did her injuries heal, but she hadn't felt this good physically—or mentally—since before the start of the race. Holding Ron in her arms, she began to feel that inner peace again…just as a familiar presence revealed himself to them.
"Congratulations, Chosen One…not only did you conquer your challenge, but your unselfishness and true heroism has brought great joy to us all!"
Ron bowed to the shimmering image before him. "I appreciate your praise, Sensei," he respectfully replied, "but I must confess I was not truly unselfish in my wanting to save the one treasure I cannot live without—Kim."
"On the contrary," countered Sensei, "You saved a complete stranger, then a friend, without thinking of your own well-being whatsoever." This brought a look of complete horror from Kim as she saw exactly what the wise man meant.
"Ron," she gasped, before her voice became weak, "Have you really looked at yourself yet? I mean really…really…looked at yourself?"
The illumination from Kim's flashlight and Sensei's presence gave Ron a chance to look himself over again. His hands were facing each other properly as he began to examine his extremities. It was only then he realized the meaning of their concern. His left hand may have been normally placed, but the rest of his arm—up to his shoulder—was completely backwards! He looked down to discover his right leg below the knee—including the foot this time—suffered the same fate. There was also a gash running up the entire inseam of his left leg, stopping just at the hem-line of his boxer shorts.
As his head was lowered, Ron noticed a drop of blood hit the ground. He began to feel his scalp and found a three inch cut just above the base of his skull.
"Oh, man," lamented Ron as he literally began pulling himself together, "I didn't feel anything wrong with me. Maybe I was a little awkward, but I've been that way for most of my life. I never really considered anything like this happening!"
"Stoppable-san," intoned Sensei, "that is the true sign of being unselfish! Both your mind and your body placed the care and well-being of others before your own. Now depart from here, while the walls are stable and before the two of you cause any more heartache to those awaiting you." At that, Sensei's image faded into the back wall of the cavern.
Ron was once again fully functional after he completed the healing of his arm, legs, and head. Then he stood up, smiled, and took Kim into his arms.
"KP, keep your hands on the ride at all times," Ron stated in his best theme-park voice. Before Kim could ask what he meant by that, the whole world became a tremendous blur of light…
""""""""""
2:01 PM
…About ten minutes earlier, the still-stunned crowd heard more rumbles coming from the mine. This made their hearts sink further. Some in the crowd were muttering things such as 'That poor fool!' and 'Why didn't he leave it to the professionals?'
Soon after that, a swirling gust shoved the rescue workers and paramedics at least 500 feet away from the mine entrance. They would be grateful for that unexplained whirlwind a moment later, as…
KA-BOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
…rock, dirt, iron framing and various pieces of equipment nearly covered the entire cleared distance, the worst of the debris stopping nearly at their feet…
…Not a word was spoken as a glow resembling Team Possible flew to their marked car. The glow disappeared as they opened a yellow envelope, entered the car, started the engine, and sped away faster than any police radar could detect…
""""""""""
2:09 PM
…As the valiant duo approached the mat, Phil knew he had a delicate task ahead of him. He gathered up all the tact, all the candor, and all the sincerity he could muster as he began to talk about something so meaningless in comparison to what these two people have just finished suffering…
PHIL: "Kim & Ron, I am truly thankful you are alive and safe. However, I must perform my official duty and inform you that you are the last team to arrive. I am pleased to inform you, though, that this was one of two pre-determined non-elimination legs of the race. That's why the 'Swap' period lasts so long. I must also say that if you continue the race, you will be 'marked for elimination'. This means if you do not finish first in the next leg of the race, you will suffer a thirty-minute penalty, and other teams can 'check-in' ahead of you…
"Now, I can't really blame you two if you just want to walk away right now. I'm even willing to pay for your transportation directly to your front doors in Middleton right out of my own pocket. But please…at least consider the possibility of staying in the race. I know of at least a few friends who would miss you if you leave now, myself included…
"Kim…You have shown a great amount of patience and held your temper longer than any red-head I have ever known. You have also played the 18th hole at the most famous golf course in the world. You've turned in tremendous results in three different track and field events on a world-class stage. This race gave you those once-in-a-lifetime experiences, and it promises to give you many more. The challenge is yours, if you wish to take it…
"Ron, you're a rock of stability and a true hero, regardless of that crack you made in Ireland. You overcame a lot of obstacles in Philadelphia, showing heart unmatched by 'Rocky' himself. Your mind gained an even higher level of compassion as you toured the Apartheid Museum. Don't tell me that didn't affect you somehow. After what happened at the mine today, I am convinced you can do anything!"
KIM (sharply): "Hey! That's my line!"
PHIL (chuckling now): "Ok, ok, fair enough. So what do you say, you two? Are you up for the challenge ahead?"
…Once this question was posed, Kim & Ron stepped away from the mat to discuss their options. Robin & Starfire, Shaggy & Scooby, and Bugs & Elmer were gathering close, waiting eagerly for Team Possible's response. Bender & Fry, however, were more than conspicuous in their absence. After a moment, they smiled and turned to Phil…
RON: "We are in it…"
KIM: "…to win it!"
ROBIN/STARFIRE/BUGS/ELMER/SHAGGY/SCOOBY/PHIL: "BOO-YEAH!!! " (Giving Kim & Ron a massive 'group hug')
RON (smiling and rolling his eyes): "Again with the line-stealing!"
""""""""""
(END CREDITS)
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Author's ending notes:
1) AGAIN I want to emphasize that I had this 'mine' segment outlined as part of the story's back-bone since the middle of July. As you've probably discovered by now, this is one of the decisive moments that will prove Ron's case for equality. I meant no disrespect or offense to anyone touched by the recent mining tragedies in Utah and West Virginia.
2) The production of this story, like that for any work of fiction, is solely dependent upon the constructive feedback of its readers. If you like it, I will gladly make more. If you think of ways to make it better, I am always open to suggestions. If you really think it's a piece of garbage, stop me before I strike again!! As always, Review me, e-mail me if you wanna reach me! If you want to 'PM' me, that's ok!
Your friend in writing,
The Samurai Crunchbird