The Absconsion

The Fab 5

A15(Jackson): That is a bit long and a complex story.

D18(John): Yeah. I did not understand even half of it. The moment the questions started, it all seemed like a blur.

A15: You are right. Do you think there is a connection between the story and the game that we are about to play?

D18: Well, there must definitely be some connection between them, otherwise, narrating the story is totally irrelevant and waste of time.

A15: I don't know what messed up game we would be playing today. I just wish we make it out of here alive. The thought of going back to our lives with tons of money is what keeps me here. We can change every aspect of our lives. I am even ready to die for the welfare of my loved ones because I am not afraid of death, but the suspense of when and how am I going to die is what frightens me.

D18: Yeah. It is not about the death, but the moments before you die that are horrific. But we need that fear inside us as that is what keeps me on my toes.

A15: In the first round, when the snake came out of the box, I felt like m heart skipped a beat. I was so afraid that I could even scream. People when they face an extreme situation, they react in one of the three ways which are fight, flight and freeze. I froze. When the snake might come out and attack you, what might agitate it, everything was uncertain and the fear of unknown is the thing that frightens you.

D18: I guess, we were both afraid of the situations we were in. But I would say that we were lucky. We did our best. You stayed calm despite the danger and I committed an act for which I might never forgive myself. But whatever that we did, whether good or bad, it was the reason we are alive now.

A15: Let us make a promise to each other. If we make it out of round 2, then we both will share why we are here. Deal?

D18: It's a deal.

They both exchanged smiles and were now eagerly waiting for the next round. A15 and D18 were one of the few people who developed a kind of  trust between them. Most of the players were teaming up but playing for themselves, but they both were playing for themselves as well as trying their best to help their teammates win too. 

The players were not excited and anxious to play the round, but they are eagerly waiting for it to start because they want to be done with it. All the waiting was making them impatient and frustrated for unknown reasons.

                                                                                    ----*----

P4(Elly) was sitting on her bed and was thinking about the next round. If the organizer requests to make a team of 2 again, then should she find a new partner as D4 warned her to stay away from him or team up with D4 as he also mentioned that she can be his teammate during the rounds.

In the beginning, his stares alarmed her, but now he had not laid his eyes on her even for once. P4 could not understand the reason behind this sudden and drastic change. Is this a ploy to get her to think about him all the time or is it something else? If the former idea is true, then he sure is successful because all she thinks about is him and his mysterious behavior. The moment she realized she was not being herself, she brushed her mind off from all the current thoughts and started to think about the game. She realized that the bonds that she might form here over time are temporary ones and she should prioritize her thoughts and actions. The reason why she was here is money. She decided to remind herself the reason why she is here every morning, so she will not deviate from that path anymore. The brilliance that she usually projects is absent right now and she can sense that. She needed to be on her A-game every moment if she want to make it out of here alive. Crying or feeling bad for ourselves will not help them to survive or to win. She needs to make things happen the way she wants them to. In the first round when D4 told her that he could not kill the puppy, instead of convincing him, she broke down. If D4 had not ended the puppy then she would have already died. She made up her mind to be strong rather than a pathetic little girl. 

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E3: Do you know about this story?

E7: Well, being an Indian, I definitely heard about it.

E3: Same. I know about Mahabharata and many stories in it, but this was something I must have missed.

P9: Well, it looks like you both have an upper hand in this game.

E7: This is not a memory-based game that they will be asking the same questions that were narrated in the story. I don't think knowing about this story is going to give us an advantage.

P9: But these stories need to mean something. Why narrate a story before every game? I am sure that storytelling is not for entertaining us. There must definitely be a connection.

E7: I think so too. Before the first game, the organizer told the story of two friends about how one friend does things that needed to be done and move ahead in life, and the other refrains himself because of the ethics that he adhered to which made his life miserable. I think the moral of that story was relatable to the prey and predator because no one generally even thinks about harming another living thing, but in the game, the predators had to kill something. The behavior of the two people in the story can be thought of as choices in the game. A predator can either do something that is against his nature or choose to be themselves and do nothing.

E3: Exactly. The story that the organizer is narrating does not give a clue about what the game is but gives an idea about what characteristics are needed to play the game.

E7: I did not know there existed a female sherlock until now.

E3: Shut up, now. We need to think about what the game might be.

P9: Yeah. I think it is definitely going to be a quiz. What do you guys think?

E3: It is possible. The characteristics that we can see in the story are knowledge and maybe not being ignorant.

E7: That means we need to find people who are smart. If a quiz is the game in the second round, then we need to have as many brilliant players as possible.

P9: We still do not know how many players should be in a team. We need to wait for further instructions.

E3: Well then, shall we ask each other some general knowledge questions to fuel our brains?

P9: I must say that I am not that brilliant. If current affairs are a part of it, then I can help, otherwise, I am not worth it. Also, I have seen in a movie that humans use only 10 percent of their brains, I guess I must be using only half of that.

E7: Cut yourself some slack, P9. We might know things that others do not. We are in search of smart players, I agree, but I am not going to abandon you no matter how you play. I want you to remember that. And coming to using only 10 percent of the brain, it is not quite true. According to a research, we humans do not use 60 percent of the brain, and when I say brain, I mean neurons. We all know that the interconnection of billions of neurons is the underlying mechanism of the human brain. According to the scientists, this 60 percent do not have a purpose. For example, when we walk on the road barefoot and step on some pointy object, then we might feel the pain instantly. But there is a lot of process involved which occurs at a very fast rate. Stepping on the pointy object is the stimuli, that are carried by sensory neurons to the central nervous system or brain. Now the input is processed and the response is sent by the central nervous system to the respective body part which is subjected to the stimuli through motor neurons. So, the possible response for that particular stimuli is withdrawing your leg. Now, this is an example of one of the common stimuli that we might face in our day-to-day lives. Sixty percent of the brain that I mentioned earlier is said to be made of dark matter which does not react or become active in these common stimuli. Therefore, it can be said that we are not utilizing a majority of our brain functioning.

E3: Oh my God, we got a geek here. I think you alone is enough for us to get through this round, if the round is going to be a quiz. Where did you even get all this information?

E7: I wish, I was a geek, but unfortunately I am not. And I read about this on f******k. 

P9: I wasted countless of hours on social media watching tiktoks, pranks and what not. I used to hate myself sometimes for not doing anything productive. But I am glad to see that there are people who absorb good stuff from social media too.

                                                                                    ----*----

Just as all the players were discussing among themselves, the organizer popped on the screen which elevated the heartbeats of everyone, as it was time for them to face their next battle and that too without any guarantee that they would make it out of there alive. Every round was like do or die.

' I hope all the players are now ready. We are now going to start round 2. Form proper lines and follow the officers and generals who will guide you to the location. '

Since the organizer did not ask to form lines as per their codes, players who became friends stayed together and formed lines. The players traveled through the same maze as that of the first round, but this time, they went through different doors. H8(Zain) felt that remembering the path was useless as they were traveling through a different path  for every round, but since he was idle, he could not help but remember the way. Memorizing the way helped him in maintaining a steady heart rate. The situation they were in, it is easier to get freaked out, but the key to winning is staying calm and analyzing the situation rather than freaking out which results in time loss and also prevents the effective utilization of one's brain. H8 was the kind of person, who attempts to control most of the variables in either desirable or undesirable situations.

After walking for around 20 minutes, they reached a huge hall. The setup in front of their eyes was concealed with a cloth, so they could not see what they were dealing with, unlike the first time where they got to see all the cages. The players started to whisper, but since the hall was empty, the combined noise of those whispers was loud enough to fill the entire room.

' Hello, players. I know you all must be eager to see what is behind the cloth. We have our reasons for disclosing the information about the name of the round and the setup for this round. Now, before we explain to you about the round, we want you to make of team of five players. After forming your teams, stand in separate lines and each of the team members should select a number between 1 and 5. Every team must then stand in ascending order of the numbers that they had chosen. You will be provided with twenty minutes to form your teams. The time starts now. '

There was a screen at the center of the grand hall on which the timer was counting back from twenty minutes to zero minutes, zero seconds.

E7, E3, and P9 have already become a group, so they need to find two more players and make them join their team. E3 went to recruit a candidate and she obviously did not want to recruit the guy who she teamed up with, in the earlier game. He kept staring at her, which made her uncomfortable, so she went a bit farther from him to search for a potential candidate. As she was on the lookout, her eyes fell on P4(Elly), who was standing alone. E3 felt like she was in the same position as her and decided to ask her to join their team. When she approached P4, she was looking at D4, who had already teamed up with people who looked dangerous just like him.

E3: Hey, there. If you are looking for a team, we have a few openings.

P4 smiled and nodded her head.

P4: I would have said my name, but since no one are using their names here, I do not want to share. I am sorry.

E3: You have nothing to apologize. One's safety is important. Why do we need names, when we got codes. I am E3, by the way.

P4 laughed faintly and said, ' I am P4. '

E7 and P9 were also looking for a teammate, and suddenly a guy obstructed their path and began to say, ' Do you remember me? You have give me your pie, yesterday. Can I join your team, please? '

E7 and P9 exchanged glances and they did not have any reason to reject him, so they agreed. They were on a look out for smart players, but how can one decide whether a person is smart or not just by looking at them? 

By that time, E3 also brought back the new recruit.

E3, E7, I1, P4, and P9 successfully formed a team.

                                                                                   ----*----

A15(Jackson) and D18(John) were collectively looking for a team. The players did not really want to team up with females and those who looked weak, because if the game turned out to be something that requires physical strength and stamina, then they will not have an upper hand. It was not optimal to form a team based on only one assumption. The team must consist of players who are sharp as well as strong, but it was difficult to find out about a player's intellect as they do not know each other. So, assuming the players are intelligent, they decided to recruit strong looking players.  Most of the players, despite how they looked, wanted to be a part of a team that involved muscular players. H8(Zain) was also on the lookout for a team, and his eyes landed on A15 and D18. Now, A15 and D18 were not muscular but appeared strong and competitive. H8 did not want to waste any time as every second he delays, there is a good chance that the team he wants to join gets filled. So he approached them directly and asked, ' I would like to join your team if there are spots left. '

A15: Sure. With you on our team, we still need to find 2 more players.

H8: Alright, then, let us search for a teammate. Now remember, we only recruit males, who appear strong. Are we clear? I am not discriminating against gender, but we need to be ready to face any kind of game. If the game requires intellect, I can take care of it, but if requires brute force, then we need stronger men. I hope my point is clear.

D18: Sure, thing. We will be on the lookout for players as you described.

H8 dispersed into the group and was now on recruitment duty.

A15: Does that guy seem okay to you? He joins and then bosses around and the way he is talking, I feel like he is an opportunist.

D18: I feel the same. He is clearly not a team player, but he sure appears to be smart. It is good to have players who know what they are doing, as it will benefit us. Let us keep our guard up against him and play along.

A15: Exactly. We need to keep an eye on him, just in case he tries to do something. 

H8 recruited C15 who appeared strong but seemed dumb, but H8 knew that some compromises need to be made in situations like these. Also, it would be easier for him to manipulate dull players. on the other hand, A15 and D18 recruited N19 who looked similar to A15 in every way. H8 was successful in forming a team, full of strong and moderately strong men. It does not matter whether the game is mental or physical as he got both of them covered. Therefore he now covered both the possibilities and was ready to face any round.

A15, C15, D18, H8, and N19 were now standing circularly. It was time for them to discuss what number each of them should select. Now the question was, was the numbers just a part of the game, or is it something crucial? If it is important, then which number was the safest one. Usually, in situations like these, no one wants to select number 1 as it indirectly signifies leading. No one wanted to be any kind of leader there, all wanted to play it safe. H8 could sense the tension in the atmosphere and before anyone could say anything, he broke the ice by saying, ' Guys, I understand that these numbers might be confusing, but since we are one team, even if the numbers mean something, the others will be there back you up. Now if each of us is given an opportunity to pick a number of our choice, then conflicts might arise if two of them select the same number and none of them are willing to compromise. We do not want to reach an impasse as that will affect our morale and team spirit. We do not want to develop any kind of hatred towards one another as our lives depend on it. '

Even though H8's words sounded like manipulation, he does have a point. A conflict will have a negative effect on their team which would indirectly impact performance, which might cost them their lives.

C15: Well, then. What do you suggest? How should we select numbers that make sense and no one has a problem with it.

H8: I thought, what if we assign numbers in the order of the recruitment? If we follow that, then since A15 and D18 were the first members on the team, A15 would be assigned with 1, D18 would be assigned with 2, and then I joined the team, so I would assume number 3, and the next recruit is N19, who becomes number 4 and number 5 will be given to C15. Raise your hands if you all are in agreement with this.

The team members looked at each other, and this way of assigning seemed logical and rational. A15 did not want to be number 1, but reluctantly he had to raise the hand. After they had chosen the numbers, they stood in a line in the order of their numbers.

Many other teams were still arguing over who gets what number. Some players wanted to stick to their lucky number, and others have some superstitious beliefs behind the reason they chose a particular number and that is the reason they are not backing out. After watching this situation of other players, he felt relieved since he was the one who is indirectly pulling all the strings in his team and taking all the major decisions and the rest of his team were simply following him. But he does not know was A15 and D18 were a bit suspicious about him.

                                                                            ----*----

E7: I would like to welcome P4 and I1 into our team and since we have formed our team, it is time to pick out numbers.

P4: What do you think is behind selecting the numbers? Is it safe to take

the first, or the middle ones, or the last?

E3: They can either mean something or not. We cannot assume anything so I suggest we pick a number that we wish for.

P9: I am okay with any number so people who want to choose first may go for it.

E3: Since my code has 3 in it, I will select 3.

P4: Same reason. I will select 4.

I1: Then that makes it 1 for me. I am alright with that.

P9: Since 9 is the last number, I am going to choose 5, if that is alright with you, E7.

E7: No problem. That makes me 2. Well, that went smoother than I thought. Let us form a line now.

P9: Should we have a team name or something?

E7: Well, that is not a bad idea. How about "The Fab 5?"  

                                                                                ----*----

The teams who were done choosing had already formed lines. Five minutes were left and there were still teams who were debating over which number goes to which one.

The voice of the organizer silenced everyone. ' The teams who fail to select the numbers in the given time would straight away be considered lost and would not get an opportunity to participate in round 2. '

After hearing this, the process of selecting accelerated, and when one minute was left, all the teams had completed forming the lines. The officers then approached and conducted some shuffling and when all the teams were adjusted, P4's(Elly) team had D4 on their left side and A15's(Jackson) team on their right. P4 was happy that D4 was adjacent to her and literally stared at him hoping he would see her. He had glanced at her once and before she could flash a smile, he looked elsewhere.

' It is time to use your brain, Elly, not get lost in those useless thoughts. Remember, your life depends on how you and your team perform, ' she said to herself.

Everyone was now eager to know what is behind the huge concealing curtain.

' So players. ' said the organizer, ' it is time to proceed to round 2. The curtain would now raise which will reveal the arrangement made for the next round. Trust me, it is a feast to the eyes. '

The eyes of 260 players were fixed on the curtain and this was one of the situations where people wished that they had X-ray vision like Superman, so they can just see through the curtain rather than standing there impatiently and waiting for it to open slowly.