Ticket here, and welcome back to yet another chapter of "Man versus Machine"! In this chapter, we'll see the fallout of a villain's departure, as well as some camp life! Nice break from the game. Plus, more connections are made, some are broken, and another reward challenge aids a tribe in their success!

P.S: I messed up last time. Megatron was supposed to sit out in the last chapter, but he still played in the competition. My forgetfulness struck again, and that sucks donkey dick. I'll be sure to actually remember who sits out this time, and Jeff will address it head on. A big production slip up that hopefully won't happen again.

That's enough from me though. Enjoy!

Man: Brandon, Chun-Li, Daisy, Drax, Rick, Sackboy, and Ulala

Machine: Clank, Cyrax, Dark Samus, Megatron, Mighty Gazelle, Monty, Rocket, Sektor, and Silver Sonic

Sixteen are left. Who will be taken out next?

Man

Night 6

The seven get back to camp, and lean their torches on a tree. Brandon's first words sum up all their thoughts on the night.

"Rough night."

Chun's the first to address him. "Nothing he said turned us against you. He was just desperate, and betraying you was a last resort."

"Can people stop blaming me for five minutes? I'm just trying to LIVE and these

"Don't be afraid to talk game with us. Nobody's done until their torch is snuffed."

The Irishman forces a smile on. "Thanks for the advice."

Chun-Li: We're working on a majority, but anything can happen. Hell Drax can blow himself up and the kid can save himself. Nabbit was ok until he pulled what he did. He still has hope.

Man

Day 7

It's another sunny day in Borneo, and the tribe's taking advantage of the conditions. There's a bamboo net set up, and a volleyball game is in session.

Drax and Sackboy stand at one side of the net, while Daisy and Ulala are on the other side. Rick, Brandon, and Chun-Li are just staying on the sidelines this time, with the street fighter acting as the referee.

Daisy: After the sh*tshow yesterday, i thought Volleyball would be a fun distraction. We all need one anyways. Even me…being bitter is draining.

Chun and Brandon place their bets.

"Daisy has the experience factor. She's my favorite to win." Chun bets.

"She's got a resume but Drax got the power. The only thing that can hold him back is Sack, and I dunno how athletic he is." Brandon counters.

Rick interjects. "I wouldn't count Sack out. He could have experience and we wouldn't know. He never talks."

The four stand ready, and Chun steps up as the ref. "BEGIN!"

Daisy serves the coconut, and sends it over the net. Drax rushes up and returns it to the sender! The princess smacks it to Ulala, who sends it up, gets some air and sends it to the guys! It's coming in hot, so Sackboy gets onto his teammates' shoulder…

"Now, Sack!"

He jumps off and smacks the ball past Ulala! She dives for it but can't reach it in time.

"Score one for Drax and Sack!"

Daisy's actually a sportsman about it and applauds. "Nice job boys! But you aren't ready for the next one."

Drax and Sackboy are in a confessional together! A rarity in Survivor.

Drax: With our talents, we will take the Volleyball world by storm. It's only a matter of time until we are the very best.

The two fist bump.

The second round has begun.

Drax sends the coconut over the net, and Ulala…smacks it back towards Daisy! Sarasaland's princess smacks it back to her, and the two guys run around on their side. The two ladies continue sending the nut towards each other. Is this even legal?

Who knows, but Ulala sends that nut up. Daisy leaps up, Drax comes forward..but sends it back to Ulala! Drax falls on his back, and Ulala sends the coconut over! Score for the women!

"Woo!" Chun cheers. Since she seems closer with the likes of Daisy and Ulala, she won't be able to hide her favoritism that much.

As for Rick and Brandon, they're just discussing the game itself.

"We're on for a tiebreaker. Got anyone?" Rick asks.

"The women got better strats mate. Goin with 'em. You?"

"I'll bet on whoever wins." They share a laugh. Either way Rick wins.

The camera pans back to the game at hand, where Drax brushes the sand off himself. "They are stepping up in strategy. We just do the same." The sack just scratches his head. "If we can confuse them, then this game is ours." he elaborates.

Daisy and Ulala have smirks on their faces, ready to get this game point…

Then the camera fades out…how's the cliffhanger?

Machine

Day 7

Clank, Cyrax, Dark Samus, Megatron, Mighty Gazelle, Monty, Rocket, Sektor, and Silver Sonic

Unlike the fun game at the Man tribe, tensions are still higher at the machines camp.

Gazelle's taking his convo from the reward challenge to Clank, who's also suspicious of those without the Decepticon's inner circle.

"Sektor gave me the most scripted apology I've ever heard. It sounded like a YouTube apology." Gazelle rants. "Cyrax didn't give any input so I don't know how he feels, man."

"He's still deciding. He and Sektor may be the same model but that doesn't make them the same. Sure they have a strong bond but i doubt they think the same the whole game." Clank points out.

"Trust me I know. Sektor acts all tough while Cyrax will actually sit down to talk with ya. I can only imagine the game talk that goes on in Mega's circle. That's probably all they talk about any way." Gazelle responds.

"That sounds dreadful. I spoke with Rocket about how we came to be a few days ago. It was more interesting than the small game talk I had with Megatron." Oh that must have happened off-screen. "He's still trying to turn us against Silver Sonic."

"Of course he is, it never stops with this guy. At least we have something to bond over."

"You could tell me how you came to be."

"I'm not the only one with a tragic backstory? That's good to know."

Clank chuckles. "Glad that put you at ease."

Clank: Everyone has more to them man or machine. It's what draws me towards those like Rocket or Gazelle. From what he says, Cyrax has more as well. If he seems like the reasonable one, it's likely cause he is.

Cut to Gazelle's confessional, where she shares his sentiments.

Gazelle: I feel for Cyrax, man. Being stuck with the most arrogant bots here has to be exhausting. This island's too big for all that ego…

Cut to, what do you know, game talk between the Machines Majority. Megatron, Sektor, Cyrax, Dark Samus, and Monty.

Megatron opens. "We must go over the pecking order. It seems like an easy path to merge, but we can be surprised any time, whether it's a swap or an injury."

Sektor speaks up. "Silver Sonic is an easy first. He's not just a clone but I've seen him conversing more. NONE he has spoken to are within this group. As far as I'm concerned, he's already an enemy."

The gator winces, catching everyone's attention. "Naaaah, I'm gonna have to stop ya right there. Clank can go first. He's gonna be a problem when we get down and dirty, just LOOK at him, they could crush him!"

Cyrax comes to his clan members defense. "He and Rocket are our best in puzzles, it's not wise to cut either first. There's more to these challenges than brute force."

The gator raises a metal brow. "Then how about Gazelle huh?"

"He proved himself to be a decent swimmer. There will be times when we have to use the water or do a puzzle." Cyrax explains.

The gator growls, the sudden aggression sensed by everyone. "Then who's left? After Silver then we've GOT to cut one of 'em!"

Sektor steps back in. "You should watch your tone."

"Or what?"

"You'll take his place."

Monty grits his teeth, but the Decepticon sets a hand on his chest. "Back off. If we can't settle on the first boot than let's stick to Silver Sonic and move onto the next." The gator's breathing slows down, but he's still got that evil eye on Sektor. "Ok. I'll stick by Clank."

Sektor nods. "That, we could work with. Cyrax?"

"I'm game."

Cut to Monty's confessional, where his shades are off.

Monty: Ketchup and Mustard are gonna be a problem. I say a name, and they jump down my throat. Not really teamwork, is it?

Back to the convo, Megatron's back on the mic. "If we squabbles less and put our heads together more, then we would be a well oiled machine. Silver Sonic's first, Clank's next, and that's final. Now moving onto the third target…"

While they break that down, Dark Samus is still keeping to herself. Luckily for her, her next confessional makes the air.

Dark Samus: No matter what Megatron wants to happen, this group is going to implode and if you can't see that, don't apply. But I will benefit from coasting, for when that happens I'll slide away amidst the chaos.

Unlike her positive tone with the dysfunction, Cyrax isn't so fond of it.

Cyrax: That rockstar will be a bigger issue. He gets slight pushback and his first instinct is aggression. They always say to trust your instincts, but there is no chance I trust his. This majority may be doomed from the start if there's already infighting.

Reward Challenge

Day 7

"Come on in!"

The machines enter first, nothing of value lost. They come to a stop and Jeff greets them. "Hello machines, welcome to your second reward challenge. Before we begin, get a look at the Man tribe…."

The seven repping mankind enter, no purple in sight. "Nabbit voted out at last night's Tribal Council…" nobody on the machines side seems very shocked…definitely not Megatron, who has something to say yet again. "What a fool…"

Drax looks his way. "For once, we agree."

"Enjoy it while it lasts, Kylosian."

Drax snaps back. "I never said I would." The Decepticon just exhales as the host takes over, focusing on the destroyer's tribe. "Alright. Before we begin, the last time we saw your team, a thief ruined your day. Now that he's gone, has morale improved?"

Rick answers. "Best it's ever been. We had a fun day today, but we're still focused cause this reward can help us get one over 'em." That gets a snicker from the alligator.

"Of course…" Drax mutters.

Jeff ignores that. "We'll see if that focus pays off, cause another reward is up for grabs. For today's challenge, you're going to leap off a tall tower into the ocean. Then you'll climb a stack of crates and dive back in to retrieve a key attached to a buoy. Then the next person goes. Once you've retrieved all three keys, the remaining two tribe members will use them to unlock pieces to a turtle puzzle. First tribe to finish wins reward, losers leave with nothing."

Welcome back "Turtle Head."

"You'll be playing for a trip to a private island, where you'll be provided with free food, drinks, and time to yourselves. I'm sure you'll have plenty to do." Jeff reveals. "Now normally I'd have two people sit out because of the numbers game, but I said THREE keys needed to be retrieved. That's because only three of you will be playing."

Ok, that's a new twist.

"Megatron, since you still ended up competing last time, you're automatically going to sit THIS one out." The Decepticon gives him some push back. "It's not my fault production didn't know what they were doing."

"They'll remember this time."

"I'm sure they will…" Megatron brings out his sarcastic side as he heads to the Sitout bench. Machine huddles to find one more sit-out, and it doesn't take long because Silver Sonic steps out. "I will be joining him."

"Then go right ahead."

The silver bot joins his enemy on the bench. No words are exchanged at all, the Decepticon just looks ahead.

Silver Sonic: Can't even look at me. Somebody please stop his tyranny.

Megatron: Of course I won't give him the time of day. They say keep your enemies closer, but I know what type of player he is. Keeping him close is a death wish.

With the rules explained, reward revealed, and a couple sit-outs determined, there's…still more to come.

Playing for Man: Chun-Li, Daisy, and Drax

Playing for Machine: Cyrax, Gazelle, and Rocket

The six are on their platforms, ready to jump into the water below. In line first for Man is Drax, and the first one for machine is Rocket. The Kylosian decides to make some small talk.

"You will be left in the dust, Rocket."

"Who told you my name?"

Drax's eyes widen. "The Survivor Gods." The cover was almost blown then and there. Brandon keeps his eyes on Drax though.

While they course correct, Jeff cuts in. "Reward on the line. Survivors ready?"

.

.

.

"GO!"

The two guardians dive in, and keep an equal pace as they head to their first and only obstacle until the puzzle: the crates. The raccoon's just a little faster and climbs onto that platform first.

"Rocket's on the crates!"

Drax immediately climbs up after. "Drax is up, and we've got a challenge!"

The raccoon jumps up those crates like it's light work, Drax only behind by a second..both dive into the water and head to retrieve their keys!

"It's close already…"

Both of their keys are untied and float up!

"Daisy, Gazelle, you can go!"

Those two leap off, and swim for the crates. They're still at a somewhat even pace, but Daisy's edging him out. That experience sure comes in handy. She gets to the crates first, Gazelle a second after, and they scale them.

"We're so even that one slip on those crates can cost your team!"

Neither one slips and jumps off towards the second pair of keys. They get to untying and Daisy's the first to untie her key! Gazelle unties his a good second after. Both tribes aren't out of it at all.

"Chun, Cyrax, last up!"

Those two jump in and head for the crates. They're dead even, and a fatal mistake on the crates could end it for their team…

They're both careful and quick at the same time, no slips, and jump to untie their keys. The first to untie their key is…

Cyrax!

"Cyrax has the last key!"

Chun unties hers!

"Chun-Li's got the last key!

Both keys are on the surface of the ocean, and the two set it with the other keys their teammates collected!

"Next you're going to unlock pieces to the turtle puzzle!" Jeff explains again.

The teams get to unlocking, and they must really know how to lock pick cause locks are flying off like it's nobody's business. Eventually the pieces are free and the two from each team step up.

Daisy and Chun-Li for humanity, Cyrax and Rocket for the machines.

"It all comes down to this. Which tribe's taking it home?"

The four separate the pieces and calculate what to do, each having their own thought process.

The raccoon keeps his idea on the down low. "Ok Goldie, here's what we can do: you take the left, I take the right. It's quicker."

"Affirmative."

As for Man, the princess puts some pieces in but has to replace a couple others. Chun looks over to see the machines 'divide' strategy and taps Daisy. "They're splitting up the puzzle."

"..why do that when you can—oh nevermind…"

The race continues as piece after piece is put where it should be. There are mistakes along the way, but time waits for them.

At the end of the day, there's only one team that can win reward. It's super close, both teams only having a few pieces of that turtle left.

Down to three.

Down to two….

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.

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The machines BARELY slot the last piece in! Daisy and Chun shove the last piece in, but it's too late as Jeff saw who finished first.

The hands go up..

"MACHINES WIN REWARD!"

The machines applaud their three teammates for clutching it up, and reunite. That's four wins in a row, and in a couple days they'll be looking for their fifth.

As for the losers, they aren't happy as Daisy smacks the puzzle. "You're KIDDING!" The rest of the tribe comes over and Ulala slides her hand on her shoulder. Her frustration can't be held back any longer.

Daisy: Any time we come close, they're one step ahead. This is just depressing!

The tribes get back to shore, and meet with Jeff again. "Congratulations machines, you get to enjoy another reward. A boat will come to take you to the island tomorrow. For now, head back to camp and bask in your win." The machines leave the challenge area, which just leaves the host alone with the losers yet again.

"You came close, but I've still got nothin' for ya. Head back to camp, I'll see you at the immunity challenge." With that dismissal, humanity makes the hike back to camp, and it's another bad pill to swallow. Yet, some people on the tribe aren't going to be swallowed by misery.

Rick: We can't give up. Alexandria would have died if I just let the Saviors walk all over me. This isn't the end of the story, this is the part where we grit our teeth, come back, and show them how good we really are. Those machines have been on the ropes, all we gotta do is give them the final blow.

What a bummer for the 'Man' tribe. No reward for them even though they were one piece away from winning. The people on this tribe must have some serious patience, except for Daisy. Nonetheless, the machines get to enjoy another reward…but even though they're on a streak, it's still a little messy over there. Will they actually get to enjoy the reward at all?

We'll find out in next chapter, featuring the reward on the machines side and fallout on mankind's side. Ticket out, have a good one.