Survivor: The Forty-Seventh Hunger Games

Chapter 17

I went back and deleted all the half-Reapings since the full Reapings were in. If you want to review, you might have to do it as a guest, since it thinks you already reviewed this chapter.

Titian Qin, Head Gamemaker

Rumors travel fast. Some of the Districts- mostly Four- already suspected I had something planned. As usual, I did have something planned. Honestly, it had little to do with my job or the ongoing quest for higher audience approval. It was mostly a pet project- one I'd been thinking about for years.

Ever since the Patriot Games, I'd wanted to be more involved in the Games. I got to oversee Arenas and plan muttations, but it wasn't the same as actually being there. I wanted to be in the Arena, watching the action from the other side of that cold, empty screen. Ever since I blew that little boy scout's brains out, I'd had an even more pronounced taste for the Games. I wanted to be in the middle of the action. What I'd needed was an excuse.

My knowledge of history was what did it for me. Reality television didn't start with the Games. It went way back before that. The idea for the Games dated all the way back to King Minos of Crete, but we were largely inspired by the shows that dominated the airwaves in the years shortly before the Dark Days. Most of them were elimination-based, which tied right into our needs. Most importantly, for me, they all had one thing in common: a host. And who better to host than the Head Gamemaker?

Snow was much more open to innovation than Galba had been. Where she preferred to keep things simple, Snow offered a cold equation. If my idea was successful, he would reap the benefits. If it failed, he'd pin it on me. And almost certainly kill me. But I didn't get to be Head Gamemaker without a high tolerance for risk.

For my most personal Games yet, I chose my favorite game show. When I watched the tapes, I always thought it would have been the natural next step to make eliminations as permanent as they were in the Games. This year was going to be the most monumental Games since the first. And this Victor was going to be a Survivor.

Charming Goodwin, D1M

It seemed like people assumed the Career pack was a monolithic entity that came together ages before the Games. People don't realize that we're all Careers, but One, Two, and Four are very different places. We didn't know each other until the Games, and we were expected to act like we were allies for life. Before we were a sleek pack, we were a bunch of egotistical kids who had to get to know each other and size up our "allies".

Abrexa came straight to us as soon as we reached the Capitol. She wanted to get the awkward meetings done just as much as Ruby and I did. Ruby wasn't much of a talker, so I took over.

"So, rough year for Two, huh?" I asked, addressing the elephant in my room. I kept my tone sympathetic, and I didn't have to fake it. One moaned and complained if Two won, but most of us wanted to keep the victories within the Career Districts.

"Ugh, tell me about it," Abrexa said as she rolled her eyes. "I've been pretending Manny isn't there. Get this: he actually ran around trying to cripple hopeful volunteers. He gave my friend Castor a bruised rib."

"You're kidding. At least one of you wants it," I said.

"It's a living," she shrugged. I would have expected more enthusiasm from a real volunteer. Maybe there was more to Abrexa than the normal Career cliché.

"Reefe isn't a Career, either, is he?" I asked.

"No. Jackie mentioned him. She seemed more confused than let down. Apparently he really is as weird as he looks," Abrexa said.

"Let's find her and we can start laying out a plan," Ruby said. We set off as a pack, awaiting only our last member.

Nash Forger, D12

The day after the Parade, all the Tributes were summoned to the Gamemaker's Lounge of the Games Building. It was my first time seeing all the other Tributes for more than fleeting glances as I tried to peek over my chariot. I was both disappointed and relieved to see that the Tributes from One and Two weren't ten feet tall. The others mostly just looked like me.

A bowl on a pedestal stood in the middle of the room as we gathered ourselves onto curved couches that circled the round room. It looked almost exactly like the Games bowl, except it was black and opaque instead of clear. Some Gamemaker or something was standing next to it.

"Good morning, Tributes. You might or might not recognize me. I'm Head Gamemaker Titian Qin, and I have some very exciting news. You've probably heard some rumors about this year's Games. Before I tell you anything else, I'd like you all to come up and dip a hand into this bowl. Don't worry, nothing bad will happen. Just reach in and take something else. Put it into your pocket without looking at it. We'll discuss it later. In order of District, please," the main said.

Everyone went up in order, leaving me last of all. When I reached into the bowl, I felt something metallic in my hand. I tucked it into my pocket and took back my seat.

"The first exciting news is that this year's Games will involve teams," Titian said. The girl from Eleven groaned, while the boy from Eight let out a small "yay!" and blushed when everyone looked at him. Some of the Tributes started looking at possible teammates.

"The teams have already been decided. We'll reveal them soon. The other important change is that there will be no Bloodbath this year. In fact, there will be very little fighting at all," he said.

What? I thought, and barely stopped myself from shouting it. Titian waited dramatically for five seconds, taxing my patience to the limit.

"That's because this Games will be decided by vote."

"What?" It wasn't me. It was Sammy who couldn't keep quiet any longer. Titian looked down his nose at her.

"Excuse me. Anyway, this Games will be decided by vote. Pay attention, this is important. There will be two teams, or "tribes". Each day, there will be a challenge. The tribe that wins will receive a prize. Therefore, there will be no Cornucopia. The tribe that loses will be sent to Council. There, the members of the tribe will vote on which member to eliminate. The two members with the most votes will face off in a final battle. The loser... is eliminated," he said. Most of us sat gaping in shock. This changed everything. The Careers went from top of the pack to the ones we'd want to vote out first thing. The littlest ones- the cute ones, like me- actually had a chance.

"There are many bright sides to these changes. Aside from challenges and final battles, there will be no fights. You can sleep easy and enjoy calm respites between votes. In lieu of a token, you shall enjoy one luxury item that, if approved, will be shipped from your home or a Capitol store. With these changes, the Victor will be decided as much socially as physically or mentally. Alliances between tribal members- or tribes, if you can pull it off- are encouraged, as are betraying or reforming alliances. And now, let us reveal the tribes. Tributes, display your emblems," Titian said.

I took out the lump in my pocket. It was a red metal flower with four petals. Aliara had one too. Across the room, Charming swore.

"Please find the others with your emblem. You may start strategizing now. Tomorrow, you will find the training stations have been adjusted appropriately. I look forward to seeing you again as master of ceremonies for tribal council. Remember: outwit, outplay, outlast," Titian said.

The Arena isn't based on any particular nation in-universe, but in real life, I based it on Tonga, since most Survivors are on tropical islands. I picked the tribes with a random number generator.

Tribes:

Heilala tribe (Tongan national flower): Ruby, Charming, Jackie, Sammy, Lancia, Camellia, Reefe, Trent, Cross, Demetrius, Potato, Angora

Fonu tribe (Tongan national animal, the turtle): Abrexa, Manny, Sparkil, Ashton, Cain, Sherman, Hannah, Bailey, Rahina, Aliara, Gael, Nash

Luckily, the random numbers split evenly among the sexes.

I messed up! I color-coded my tribes and read them wrong. Nash should have gotten a turtle for Fonu.