"Day
46," Pike exclaims at dawn. "Only six days left. We're down the final five.
And I am out of here the day after tomorrow. And I don't care. Really.
I know I'm not made for the Final Four, and certainly not the final two.
I mean, what could I do? Try to form an alliance with Ember and Skywise?
Or else Venka and Rayek? Naw... that won't work out. It's not that I haven't
kinda pulled Venka aside and asked her... but she made it pretty clear
that that's not gonna happen, and that's fine."
Venka: The thought of forming such an alliance with Pike against Ember and Skywise had occurred to us. But the truth is there is a very good reason not to. If Rayek or I did vote Ember and Skywise out, and only one of us reached the final two, Ember and Skywise would never vote that one. If I or Rayek had to go up against Pike in the final two, then I'm sure Pike would win. It's too much to risk to say that maybe we can take Pike out when its time and go into the final two just Father and I. We have to consider every possibility."No, really!" Pike laughs. "Honest, I don't mind! Really, I've had a ball, and now I'm just ready to go. Of course the real fun is what will happen after I'm gone. Those four will be thick as thieves until three days from now, and then all hell is going to break loose. I'm just as happy to watch the massacre from the sidelines."Ember: See, if I go up against Skywise... well, he's made enemies. If I go up against Rayek... most people on the jury will want to kill him. If I go up against Venka, I know several of the jurymembers still hold grudges against her. But if I go up against Pike... his only real weakness is that he doesn't play the game viciously enough. The jury might vote Pike for sole survivor because he's just so damned sweet!
Skywise: Pike and I go way back. I mean we're family, we're friends, we've been lovemates now and then, sure! I love Ol' Squirrel-Cheeks. But I'm playing this game to win.
At noon on Day 46, the elves meet Teir deep inside the scrub forest, where scraggly trees slowly grow into huge rainforest trees. "How are we all doing today?" Teir asks. "Everyone get a good night's sleep? No friction? Good, good. Today's the very last immunity challenge, and it promises to be a memorable one. Want to know what you're doing here? Today we're having another race, but not your usual kind of race. Today, we're having a treetop race."
Ember: Eee, treetop running... I'm in my element. Let's see Rayek try to beat me... without cheating, that is.Teir outlines the race. The elves will start by climbing a large acacia tree, avoiding its many thorna, then jump across to the orchid trees, where they will begin a mile long race to the small pond deep inside the forest. The first elf to jump into the pond wins the race, but if an elf falls, he or she will have to go all the way back to the starting line. "And if I see any pushing or shoving, both people of disqualified, so play fair everyone? Want to know what you're playing for?" Teir asks. "Well, here it is." He holds up a large reel of movie film. "The ElfQuest Movie, hot of the press. The rest of the world won't see it for another twenty-seven years, but you can watch it right now, with full snack counter privileges! All you have to do is outrun your teammates at fifty feet above the ground."Rayek: Damn, why didn't we have this challenge a few days ago when Cutter was still around? I would have loved to see him fall.
Skywise: The EQ movie! It exists! I mean... oh... It's... glorious... I never... I thought it was all a myth!At the starting gun the elves start running. Rayek reaches the acacia tree first, but slips as he tries to climb it. Pike outpaces him within several feet. But Skywise, Ember and Venka soon catch up, and there is a mad scramble to stay in the tree as five elves fight over the same branch. Teir paces on the ground, watching the elves carefully for any sign of cheating.
Skywise and Rayek collide as they try to reach the branches of the orchid tree, and both fall to the ground. Teir orders them both back to the starting line, while Ember takes the lead into the rainforest. Skywise and Rayek restart, snapping insults to each other, while Ember and Venka race across the canopy. As they scramble deeper into the forest, the branches fan out and the path becomes a little easier. The elves leap from branch to branch, flipping and cartwheeling in the most impractical, yet visually stunning ways. Pike falls, but catches himself on a lower branch before he hit the ground.
Skywise soon crosses the distance lost by his fall, and catches up with Pike, while Rayek hurries to get out of last place. He finally outpaces Pike, while Venka and Ember remain ahead of Skywise. Ember bounds off a branch that proves a little too slender for her weight, and she falls through the foliage while Venka takes the lead, with Skywise close on her heels. Soon the elves are in the final leg of the race. Finally they approach the pool. Venka hesitates as she nears the pond, wondering if the water is deep enough for a dive from 50 feet. Skywise rushes past her and leaps headfirst into the water. Venka dives in a moment later.
"The
winner... Skywise!" Teir stammers as he and Ember appear from behind a
set of tropical ferns. Ember clears her throat and readjusts her halter
top while Teir congratulates Skywise. Venka pulls herself from the water
and wrings out her hair as Rayek appears in the treetops. Seeing that the
race is over, he floats down from the trees. Pike soon arrives and climbs
down from the trees himself.
Teir: Skywise, are you all ready to watch the ElfQuest Movie? Well, I've got a surprise for you."Oooh, it was so exciting!" Pike says afterwards. "We went to this nice little clearing and sat down in these two La-Z-Boys and each pulled up a big bag of popcorn and a 42 oz. soft drink. And then when it got dark the huge drive-in style screen light up and the movie started!" But for the three other New Blood tribemembers, it was another long walk back to camp, and a dinner of undercooked tusk-hog.Skywise: (deadpan) I get to take one friend?
Teir:(annoyed) Look, it's not my fault this script is derivative. Just tell me who you want to take with you.
Skywise: Pike! I'm taking Pike!
Ember: (dejected) What do you think the movie's like?Around midnight, Pike and Skywise return to camp, and the other elves gather around, peppering them with questions. "Oh, it was so incredible," Pike tells them. "Of course, you know, they took a few artistic licenses. So Cutter had slightly different clothes and Winnowill had an army of trolls, and of course there were Rayek's robot monkeys and the whole thing with the Genesis device..."Rayek: They'd better get my voice right, that's all I have to say!
Pike even brought back half a bag of popcorn, and Ember, Venka and Rayek share it among themselves while Pike and Skywise lie down on their furs and soon fall asleep. By morning they all woke up in time to watch the sun rise. By mid-morning they receive the next piece of tree-mail, a poem that suggests some sort of prison or cage situation. At noon they trek to meet Teir at the rendez-vous point, where five separate cages have been erected out of bamboo.
Teir: Welcome, Survivors. Now, today, we will be re-enacting a piece of Beacon history. Now as you all know-Teir outlines the rules of the game. Using just the debris inside their cages, and their own clothing, the elves have to create a pole which can reach the key to their "prison", hanging on a large ring and suspended on a staff six feet away. The elves are locked into their cages and the game begins. Rayek sits down and hurriedly begins to dismantle his jewelled collar, while Ember snaps the tassles off her leather tunic. Soon the elves were all creating poles out of strips of wood and leather thongs. Ember builds a long pole and begins to extend it out from her cage, but one of the leather pieces snaps and the pole falls to pieces. Pike starts throwing the rocks inside his cage at the staff, trying to knock it over and drop the key to the sand.Skywise:(deadpan) The transvestite pirates were once held prisoner by cannibalistic shamans in crappy bamboo cages?
Teir: (thru clenched teeth) Look, don't... piss me off, silver hair.
Pike knocks his staff over, and then throws out a long rope made of palm fibers and bootlaces tied to a small stone, in an attempt to catch the key-ring. Rayek completes his pole, and featuring a hook on the end made up of his three lion claws, and reaches it out towards his key. Venka reaches her pole out, but finds it's too short, and retracts it in order to add an extra piece. Ember is building a new pole, while Skywise still hasn't extended his pole yet. Rayek's claw catches the key, and he pulls in his pole quickly. Pike is just beginning to pull in his key, and Skywise is beginning to extend his pole, when Rayek unlocks his cage door and jumps out.
"Immunity, Rayek!" Teir cries.
Pike: You know, I almost had immunity. Not that I really wanted it... but hey, I wouldn't have turned it down if I had won it.The next day, Venka and Rayek go hunting for deer, and Pike gets the lion's share of breakfast. "I think they might a little guilty about so shamelessly voting me out tonight, so they gave be the best cut of the venison. Hey, I'm not complaining! And hey... did anyone notice that Ember and Venka disappeared for a while around noon. I wonder... are they planning to take out the guys and go into the final two together? Or is Venka spying for Daddy? And where is Skywise? Is he making a deal with Rayek, or is he just sitting back and letting Ember do the dirty work?"Skywise: I'm supposed to be the Uncommonly Smart One, so yeah, it was a little embarrassing to not even get it in the game before Rayek won.
Venka: Did anyone else notice the somewhat phallic symbolism in this challenge?
On the evening of Day 48, the tribemembers meet at council. The jurymembers come in, joined by Dewshine, who sports a fresh new perm and a tight white shirt with "Cutie Pie" stencilled across the front. Teir asks them about the last three days, then zeroes in on the strange situation involving Pike. "Are you sure you don't hold any grudges?"
Pike: No, not at all. I don't mind. I'm ready to go. I never even thought I'd make it this far.Pike then tears up, telling everyone that he's had a wonderful time and wants to thank everyone that got him to where he now is. Teir tells everyone to go vote, though Pike laughs and says it's hardly necessary. The votes come back, and Teir reads them off. One vote Venka, two votes Pike.Teir: Yes. You've actually narrowly missed being voted off before. Why do you think you've lasted this long?
Pike: 'Cause I'm a team player, 'cause I'm fun to be around, and 'cause unlike Dewshine, I devote myself full time to being a cuddle-bear, while she tries to balance being cute with being a competant huntress, a teen mother, a hippie, and most recently an "other woman" who pretends to be cool with the fact that Scouter now has a "real" lifemate when in fact she's scheming to take Tyleet away from the twit.
Scouter: Hey!
Teir: Please don't communicate with the players, Scouter.
Pike: Sorry, honey. Had to vote for someone."The tribe has spoken," Teir says. "Pike, it's time for you to leave."Venka: No problem, Pike.
| PIKE'S LAST WORDS |
| *Sniff* Naww... it's just been such a wonderful time. I'm never going to forget all the fun I had here - getting drunk with Rayek, gulping down all that dreamberry wine, seeing the ElfQuest Movie with Skywise... I just wish it would have lasted 48 more days. But then nothing is changeless. Okay, good luck everyone, enjoy the massacre. Try not to kill each other too much, I - oh, Skot. Hi. What's that? Yes, my jeans are kinda... tight and confining... |