All-Star Survivor: Greece Episode #1 Second Chances

Taygete Tribe: Dirk Been, Carl Bilancione, Jessie Camacho, Debb Eaton, Kel Gleason, Ramona Gray, Diane Ogden, Linda Spencer
Alkyone Tribe: Ryan Aiken, Gabriel Cade, Sonja Christopher, Stephanie Dill, Hunter Ellis, Peter Harkey, John Raymond, Tanya Vance






DAY 1


Jeff Probst was standing at the front of the boat, as always.

The Greek fishing liner, -Chalcis-, was currently cutting through the choppy waters of the blue Aegean Sea. The sea, one of the most unpredictable in the world, had gone from calm to choppy in a matter of minutes, and was now pitching the boat up and down in its waves. Jeff stood in front, his hand wrapped in a thick piece of an anchor rope, as he scoured the horizon for the islands.

"There they are," he pointed to the captain, and the elderly Greek man turned the wheel to the right. They were almost there now, the boat just a small brown speck in an endless sea of blue. But the water was no less choppy than before, and Jeff refastened his grip once again, hoping that the heavy rope would keep him from being tossed into the water. Because if you ended up in the Aegean Sea during a storm, you would likely never be heard from again.

Sixteen Americans were sitting behind Jeff, watching as he stood on the deck in front of them. Jeff appeared to be looking for something, patiently watching, although none of them could see much at all. Visibility was extremely low during rainstorms out here, which was something that any fisherman could tell you.

Debb Eaton reached down to make sure her seatbelt was fastened. She grimaced underneath her red baseball cap, squinting out into the light rain, watching as it deflected off the blue sea. Whereas Jeff had to stand, the contestants were seated and, luckily, all wearing seatbelts. CBS wanted to take no chances with safety out here. This was a harsh game, of course, but no one wanted a contestant to die on the trip out to the islands. No, if they were going to die, Mark Burnett would grin, -we want it to happen on camera, during the game.-

No one was ever sure if he was kidding or not.

The boat started to slow as a small cluster of islands finally appeared on the horizon. Jeff pointed them out to the captain and said something low, unintelligible to the contestants. Sitting so far behind him, they couldn't hear a thing. But the boat turned at a 45-degree angle to starboard and headed towards the islands, at a much slower pace now. A few players let out whoops and hollers, the old familiar rush of excitement coming over them again. Hunter Ellis elbowed Jessie Camacho, and pointed out a dolphin leaping alongside the boat. She smiled and leaned over the side, watching for any other familiar marine life.

The boat was slowing now, as a series of islands loomed before it. They were small, rocky, but lush with green trees and flowers, giving off the appearance of vitality, and of life. The most pronounced feature, however, was the color purple. Fields of violets cluttered the front of the two closest islands, electric purple, as vibrant as the ocean was blue. And the contestants could see six islands in all, clustered in a loose circle. These were the Pleiades, and these would be their home for the next 39 days.

They were here.

The boat finally came to rest, as it stopped between the two southernmost islands. The rainstorm was beginning to die down now, and a rainbow was forming along the horizon. It was actually going to be a nice day. But that was just life on the Aegean Sea. Weather changes out here could occur within minutes.

Jeff smiled as the engine died down, and the boat rested calmly on the gentle surface. There was no sign now of the fierce storm that had greeted them. Jeff could also finally release his death grip on the tether rope, for which he was grateful.

"Welcome to Greece," he announced, turning to face the sixteen castaways. They greeted him with cheers and shouts, some exchanging high fives. Tanya Vance beamed a smile at him and Debb Eaton looked around at the islands, expectantly. She also looked quite nervous.

"And welcome back," continued Jeff, "To All-Star Survivor." He waited for the moment to set in, and gave a quick summary of what they had been told so far. "As you know, we are in the northeast Aegean Sea. These are Greek waters, although the closest mainland is Turkey," he pointed to his left, "To the east." He smiled. "You are sitting in the middle of one of the most -dangerous- and -unpredictable- bodies of water on the face of the Earth, so be sure to be careful out here."

Ramona Gray peered over the side of the boat, watching the blue waters below. They lapped up against the boat softly, much gentler than before. They had been here less than an hour and she had already seen the weather go from calm to violent to calm again. She scowled slightly, wishing very much to be off this boat and onto dry land. Water was never her specialty, and she wasn't particulary looking forward to getting to know the sea. No, she preferred to have her feet on the ground.

"This is a special edition of the game," said Jeff, "Compared to our past versions. You guys have all been selected for a reason. You have all played the game before, but none of you fared particularly well. In fact, none of you even made the merge."

"Yeah, thanks for remindin' us," joked Peter. "I had forgotten that paht."

"Welcome back, losers!" said Carl. He cheered, sarcastically.

Jeff chuckled, but ignored the interruption.

"Some of you got sick," he said, nodding to Ramona. "And never got a chance to get in the game." He smiled at Diane, who was sitting in the front, wearing a blue raincoat. "Some of you were overwhelmed by the conditions, and really never had a chance."

"Kim dumped out the water!" Diane complained, good-naturedly.

Jeff paused, and then nodded to Hunter. "And some of you, I felt, just plain got screwed." Hunter laughed, smiling. He made no effort to argue this point.

"Knuckleheads," he said, simply.

"For all of you," said Jeff. "This will be your second chance. This is our 'Second Chance' version of the game. You have been chosen to come back and play again, and hopefully create a new legacy for yourselves." Debb Eaton smiled at this, perhaps her first smile all day. She -still - had extraordinarily mixed feelings about all of this, but Jeff's words were starting to get her competitive juices flowing again. A little, anyway.

"We are now sitting in an island chain known as the Pleiades," continued Jeff. "Greece has nearly fifteen -hundred- distinct islands, and the Pleiades are just a small cluster of them in the northeast Aegean Sea. There are seven islands in the chain, although you can only see six of them right now." He smiled, a small twinkle in his eye. "You'll see the seventh one later. But your teams will be living on the two southernmost ones," He pointed to the flowery island to his left. "Alkyone." He then pointed to the rockier island to his right. "And Taygete." He smiled. "Once you get to your islands, you will receive more instructions, but for now, that's all you're gonna get."

Jeff smiled. And now, there was one last piece of business to take care of.

"Oh, and I'm sure you're curious about your tribes..."

Jeff moved to the side of the boat and retrieved a large object. It was covered by a black hood and sort of looked like a coat rack. Jeff brought it back and stood before them.

"In Ancient Greece," he said, "One of the overriding factors of daily life was the presence of the gods. The gods were believed to control -every- aspect of life, from the crops, to the outcome of wars, to the weather, to life and death itself. Some people loved them, some people hated them, but you believed in them and you respected them. Or else." Dirk Been scowled slightly at this information, but was wise enough to just keep listening. He knew his fervent religious background was bound to come into conflict with some of the theology out here, and he vowed to keep it to himself. For as long as possible, anyway.

"The gods represented fate," continued Jeff, "And how your destiny was sometimes out of your control. And we here at Survivor wanted to continue in that tradition. So we are going to start our team selection with a little help from fate."

He took the black hood off the object, revealing a large wooden stand. A large wheel was affixed to either side of the stand, looking much like two roulette wheels. The names of the male players were written on one wheel, in alternating blue and white sections, and the names of the females were on the other.

"We're going to pick team captains," smiled Jeff.

"Sweet," said Stephanie Dill, grinning. Her grin was matched by most of her fellow castaways. This was going to be fun.

"I'm going to spin the wheel twice," said Jeff. "To select one male and one female. These will be the team captains, who will then select their own tribes."

A few people smiled, while a few exchanged nervous glances. They did not expect to be put on the spot right away. Some of them, mainly the introverts, were terrified by this prospect. Debb Eaton looked particularly nervous. Heck, she didn't even -know- half the people here, how was she supposed to choose?

Debb crossed her fingers as Jeff said he would pick the female captain first. He then looked at the names on the wheel, written in slanted Greek lettering. Debb Eaton, the introverted prison guard. Jessie Camacho, the fiesty deputy sheriff. Tanya Vance, the sweet social worker. Linda Spencer, the outspoken guidance counselor. Ramona Gray, the talented biochemist. Stephanie Dill, the tough firefighter. Diane Ogden, the eccentric postal worker. And Sonja Christopher, the cheerful cancer survivor. They were all here, and Jeff asked if they were ready.

"Yes," announced Linda loudly, speaking for the group, so Jeff gave it a spin.

The blue and white wheel spun in a fast circle, the names whizzing by in a blur. After about fifteen seconds, it started to slow. The ladies looked on in anticipation as it slowed and slowed and slowed. Finally, the selector arrow appeared to stop on the line between a blue wedge and a white wedge. Stephanie or Diane. Both of them held their breath as the wheel thought about it for a second, and then the arrow settled in the white section.

Diane Ogden.

"Diane," smiled Jeff, "Is our first captain." Diane smirked slightly and stood up, receiving congratulatory pats on the back from Linda and Jessie. Diane shrugged at Stephanie and walked up to join Jeff, her black backpack slung across the shoulder of her raincoat. Debb breathed a quick sigh of relief.

"Congratulations," said Jeff, shaking Diane's hand.

"Thanks," she muttered, slightly amused by it all. "It's an honor, Jeff."

"And now," said Jeff, turning back to the wheel, "It's time to pick our male captain." Once again he scanned the names on the wheel. Carl Bilancione, the hard-working dentist. Hunter Ellis, the athletic pilot. Kel Gleason, the quiet Army captain. Peter Harkey, the eccentric jokester. Ryan Aiken, the flirtatious model. Dirk Been, the spiritual farmboy. John Raymond, the multi-talented minister. And Gabriel Cade, who pretty much defied any classification whatsoever.

"Ready?" asked Jeff. They said they were, so he gave it a spin.

Blue-white. Blue-white. Blue-white. The colors alternated as the wheel whizzed by, the names blurred into obscurity. Finally, the wheel slowed to a stop on a white square. There was no doubt about this choice.

Gabriel Cade.

"Awesome," smiled Gabe, letting loose one of his trademark laughs. "Ah--HA--ha!" Those who weren't used to his laugh stifled smiles, but they would get used to it in time. He tended to laugh a lot. But Gabe walked up to join Jeff and Diane, a pair of black sunglasses covering his eyes and his blond hair blowing in the wind.

"Gabe and Diane," said Jeff, greeting Gabe with a handshake. "You guys will be picking your teams."

"Right now?" asked Gabe, to which Jeff nodded.

"Here are the rules," said Jeff. "You two will alternate your picks. But there are no rules on gender or team structure. If you want to pick all males or all females, go for it. Your team is entirely up to you, so choose wisely." Diane nodded, thoughtfully.

The two of them flipped a coin and it was decided that tonight was ladies' night. Diane would get the first pick.

The postal worker smiled, a little shaken about being put on the spot. But fourteen pairs of eyes suddenly turned towards her. There was no sound for a few seconds, only the gentle lapping of the waves against the sides of the boat. A seagull chirped overhead. Diane looked over fourteen people, her mind whirring about who to pick first. Luckily, only a few of them were strangers, as a lot of the "early bootees" had made up a subculture all their own the past few years. Most of them were already friends. But that didn't make it any easier, because there were some here whose feelings might be hurt if you didn't pick them.

No, knowing your teammates didn't make the choice easier -at all.-

Diane couldn't see it, but Hunter already had his backpack gripped in his right hand. He was clearly the biggest and strongest here, other than Gabe. No one else was even close. He knew he would be picked first, so he poised, ready to stand up.

"Carl," announced Diane, surprising most everyone. "We could always use a dentist." Hunter was so shocked, he wasn't even able to open his mouth. Nearly -everyone- was shocked, and Jessie and Tanya exchanged a look. Carl? Over Hunter? But the dentist grinned and stepped forward, holding his navy blue Yankee cap to keep it from blowing away in the wind.

Diane's logic was simple enough, in her mind, anyway. Carl was her friend, and was a hard worker. They knew each other quite well, and she wanted his work ethic on her team. She loved work ethic and, even more, she loved people who thought like she did. Carl Bilancione fit the bill perfectly.

With Carl standing behind Diane, it was now Gabe's turn to select his first tribe member. Again, thirteen people expected it to be Hunter, but Gabe also had a few tricks up his sleeve.

"Peter," he announced. "My man from Millis." Peter Harkey smiled broadly and the tall man picked up his red backpack, coming over to join his friend. It was no secret that the two of them were good friends in real life. Peter Harkey was a spiritual and emotional rock. This choice had been a no-brainer for Gabe.

"Diane," announced Jeff, "You're up."

Carl wanted to confer with her, but it wasn't allowed. Diane was on her own here and, over the dentist's silent objection, she passed over Hunter yet again. She went with another middle-aged worker bee.

"Debb," she said, smiling.

Debb was surprised, but smiled and picked up her green pack, stepping over Kel to come up and join her new team. She exchanged a hug with Carl and Diane and they were now a happy family. Debb was another person Diane knew from real life, and had some similarities with. But Diane Ogden's strategy was clear now. She was picking the people most similar to herself. She was picking her friends.

"Hunter," said Gabe, finally taking the bait. Hunter's ultra-competitiveness worried him a little, but the former Navy pilot was simply massive. He looked like a Greek god. You would be a fool to have him against you. Hunter Ellis was definitely somebody you wanted on -your- side. And as the pilot smiled and went over to high-five his new team, he had only one thought in mind: -Finally-.

Diane's fourth member was Ramona, another of her good friends. Gabe selected Tanya, his North Carolina neighbor. The teams were now half full.

Diane looked over the remaining eight players. Ryan Aiken sat with a grin on his face, wearing a navy blue baseball jersey. John Raymond sat in the back, still incredulous that he had not been chosen. Stephanie Dill sat in front, a floppy white hat pulled low over her eyes, hiding her face. There were still plenty of good people to pick from.

"Hmmm," muttered Diane aloud. Her gaze shifted around the boat until she settled on Kel Gleason. She knew Kel well. The guy was a little awkward, and hard to talk to, but they were also friends. Luckily, Diane had a lot of friends here. No reason to change her strategy now.

"Kel," she announced, and watched as his face lit up. Clad in a blue jacket and hood, the former Army officer strode over to his new team.

Gabe looked directly at John Raymond, who looked hopeful. Gabe's team was shaping up to be a superteam, and John definitely wanted on it. John raised his eyebrows, but Gabe could only shrug slightly. -Sorry John. Not this time.-

Gabe chose Sonja Christopher instead.

Someone from behind Diane let out an audible gasp. Even Jeff Probst looked up from his notepad, making sure he had heard Gabe's choice correctly. -Sonja?-

Gabe confirmed the choice, and welcomed Sonja to his team with a hug. She smiled and introduced herself to Hunter and the rest, excited to be on such a strong team.

The draft was nearing its end now. Diane chose another of her friends, Jessie Camacho. Gabe finally took the beleaguered John Raymond. Diane chose fellow castmember Linda Spencer. Gabe chose Stephanie Dill. And finally, there were just two players left to choose from. And they had -not- expected to be picked last. This was -not- how they envisioned this would play out.

Ryan Aiken and Dirk Been sat alone, both with small embarrassed smiles on their faces. They were two of the youngest and most athletic guys in the group, how on earth could people pass them up? Dirk actually seemed to be laughing at the situation, while Ryan's cocky grin had been replaced by a stern look of seriousness. He could only wear the fake smile for so long, this simply wasn't funny anymore.

Diane's gaze bounced between the two. It was basically eenie-meenie-miney-mo at this point. She had no friends left to pick from, so she had to just pick one of them. Unfortunately, she had never met either one, although she would be the first to admit she had never really cared to. But she knew enough about Ryan to tell that she didn't particularly want him on her team. She would take a bible beater over a hothead any day of the week.

"Dirk," she smiled. "Farmboy." Dirk smiled and stood, saying a quick "thank you" to the Lord. He grabbed his bible and backpack, untucked his blue shirt, and was ready to go.

"Yeah," he laughed, coming over to high-five his team. "Let's kick it!"

Ryan sat alone, humiliated. But Gabe could really do nothing but beckon the young man with his finger.

"You're with us, man" he said.

"Hey," grinned Ryan. "It's all good." He stood up, placed his sunglasses on his face, walked over and exchanged a high five with Gabe and company. The teams were now complete.

"Excellent," said Jeff, as the two teams were now looking one another over. "Diane, you'll be heading over to that island." He pointed to the island on the port side of the boat. The mountainous, rocky one. "That's Taygete, and that is your new home." He turned to Gabe, and pointed to the smaller island on the starboard side. It was grassier, but still rather small and barren. "That's Alkyone, and that is your new home."

The two teams started laughing and joking around, ready to begin their journey.

"And one last thing," said Jeff. "Since this is Second Chance Survivor, we've takem some of the physical labor out of the game. None of you will be overwhelmed on the way to camp this time around." He smiled, his warmest, most friendly smile.

"Transportation to your islands will be provided."




^^




Diane Ogden sat in the back of the Taygete transport boat. The vessel was large enough to carry ten people and, like all Greek fishing boats, was made of brightly colored wood. In this case, it was blue. Blue would be their team color.

After Jeff's announcement, her team had quickly unloaded their supplies from the main boat, known as a -gulet-, down a rope ladder, and into this boat, which was more like a trireme. They sat here now, in four rows, seated side by side. But they were not alone. A large Greek man stood in the front, holding an oar. An equally large man stood in the back of the boat, also holding an oar. They were both shirtless, tanned and muscular. These would be the rowers.

"Just relax," called Jeff down to them, "And enjoy the ride. Your rowers will do all the work for you. Get to know each other!"

"I'm enjoying it already," joked Ramona, staring at the shirtless man in front of her. She sat in the front row with Jessie, and two ladies exchanged a laugh. Jessie raised her eyebrow and pursed her lips, in a coy response. -Yummy-, she thought.

The older Taygete tribe talked throughout the voyage to the island. Diane was friends with most of the people already, so it was a fairly familar group. The early bootees from past seasons had always formed a tight bunch, as they all shared a similar humiliation, and could all laugh about it. And since most of them knew one another, there really wasn't that much to learn about anyone. Even the more quiet ones like Debb and Kel had been to Survivor events, had attended cast parties, and had participated in fundraisers. No one here was a stranger.

Except one.

Dirk Been sat in the third row, next to Carl. Dirk was silent for most of the early trip, just content to sit and listen. He had never really been a part of the Survivor subculture. He had never talked to most of these people. Heck, he didn't even know who half of them -were-! He wasn't what you would call a fan of the show, and once his time on Pulau Tiga had ended, that had pretty much been it for him. He had been quite certain that his Survivor days had long since passed. But when he had been asked to come back, Dirk had jumped at the chance. He loved adventure, and more importantly, loved free vacations. It hadn't even been a debate in his mind.

"Pardon my French," he had told CBS over the phone, "But -heck- yeah! My bag's packed already."

"I'm Dirk," he said now, introducing himself to the group. "From Wisconsin." He shook hands with his new team. He said that he worked on his farm, or sometimes taught, but mainly considered himself a missionary at the moment.

"Weren't you living in your car at some point?" asked Ramona, and Dirk grinned, sheepishly. He knew her peripherally from Pulau Tiga, but they had never been what you would call best friends. They just happened to be associates.

"Just temporarily," he answered, a large crooked smile on his face. "I just go where the Lord takes me. It's just a big, crazy adventure, I go wherever I'm told."

After about thirty minutes in the water, their smooth ride ended. It was a shame for most of them, because this was a chatty bunch, and they were enjoying the free ride. But the boat finally bumped up against the sandy harbor of Taygete island. Linda cheered and raised her fist in the air, and they all stood to get out. But it was Kel who first noticed the brilliant white house, sitting out among the trees.

"Guys," he said, "Is that what I think it is? Is that a house?"

Diane and Linda stopped mid-chatter to turn towards the building. Sure enough, that's exactly what it looked like. A wooden house, bleached by the sun to a brilliant white, stood near the back edge of the beach, just at the entrance to the trees. It appeared they wouldn't have to build a shelter at all.

"You're shitting me," joked Diane. But even Carl was speechless, for a change, as they walked out of the boat and towards the house. Was it going to be this easy? Was shelter not going to be an issue?

"This thing's solid," said Carl, shaking the wood on one wall of the house. He inspected the roof, and it all looked watertight to him. He looked inside and pointed out the large sleeping area. There was enough room for everyone to sleep, albeit cramped, and there was even a small room in the back that looked like a bathroom. There were no windows or door, but it was far better than making a shelter for themselves. "It's crude," he concluded. "And looks like a box, but it'll keep the rain off. I think we're good to go."

Just next to the house, Debb found their team flag. It was a light shade of blue, with the word "Taygete" written across in white letters. They were now officially the Taygete tribe. And due to Diane's team selection, they were also the overwhelming underdogs. Sure, she had picked her friends, but she had also picked an older, weaker bunch. They had just three males, and neither Gabe nor Hunter were included. They were already at a huge physical disadvantage, and the game had barely just begun!

"Hey Taygete," pointed out Debb, causing the others to stop their inspection of the house. "Did you know we can see the other tribe from here?"




^^




John Raymond was the final member of the Alkyone tribe to leave the boat. He turned and thanked their two rowers, and then Stephanie helped him step over the edge and onto the sand.

"Are we supposed to tip them or something?" asked John, under his breath. Stephanie just shrugged, not having a clue. But the two of them went over to watch as the rest of the tribe inspected their new white house. The two rowers remained in the boat, stoically, just standing and waiting.

"I can't believe we got a house," exclaimed Sonja. "I mean, can you imagine?"

"Well, this will certainly make things easier," said Hunter, inspecting the roof. "We're set, guys. We even have a latrine back there."

"Hey, check this out," said Gabe, having found the piece of treemail that rested on the sandy floor. "Our instructions, guys." He gathered the rest of them around, and read off the rules of the game.

"Welcome to All-Star Survivor: Greece," he read. Tanya let out a "woo-hoo!" and then Gabe continued. "As you can see, the game has been made a little easier this time around. Many of you had trouble with the environmental and physical aspects of the game last time, so all efforts have been made to minimize those variables. First off, you have a house."

"And a fine one, at that," smiled Peter.

"It is nothing fancy," continued Gabe, "But it will keep the rain off. The weather in the Aegean Sea can be tricky, so you will come to love these walls more than anything else here. There is ample food to be found on the island, most notably olives, grapes, oranges and figs. There are also birds and foxes, if you wish to hunt. But the vast majority of your food will come from the sea. In keeping with Greek tradition, you have been provided with a fishing boat and net. Learn to use it well, because if you can fish, you will be well fed."

John nodded, smiling. If fishing was the game, he would be all over it. He could already guarantee it. Meanwhile, Gabe picked up the white Alkyone banner.

"Alkyone's color is white, and you will be competing against the blue Taygete tribe. The tribes are named for the islands on which you live, about which you will learn more history in the upcoming days. But for now, just relax and enjoy your stay in the Greek Islands. Oh, and since the day is growing late..." Gabe turned it over to read the postscript. "Dinner is on us. Check your fishing boat."

Ryan and Tanya volunteered to check the boat. They walked over across the soft sand and found their white fishing boat, tethered to the beach by a metal stake. Not only did they find a large platter of meat, cheese and fruit, they also had a direct line of sight into the Taygete camp. They looked across the water and saw, not more than 300 feet away, Jessie and Linda waving to them from the other team.

"Check it out, dude," said Ryan, stunned. "They're right next to us."

Tanya waved and called out, but the wind made it impossible to hear anything. They could only see one another, and possibly gesture with their hands.

"That," said Tanya, "Is going to make things interesting."




^^



As the day progressed, both teams developed their initial daily routines. Food gathering was a must, of course, and both John and Dirk took the lead in fishing for their respective teams. Picking fruit was also another task that needed to be done, and Debb even took the time to scout out Taygete island, looking for something to hunt.

And by evening, it was clear that both teams had adjusted to their new homes. No one was hungry, no one was wet, and no one was cold. Greek life wasn't so bad. Not when you had a little help from Survivor, anyway.

But as the evening came to a close, Gabriel stood on the shore of Alkyone. He was standing on the beach, talking with Sonja, as he explained the history of the islands to his elferly teammate. Well versed in mythology, Gabe knew more about their home than anyone here. He knew the legend of the Pleaides sisters. He knew how the islands came about. And he knew -exactly- why these islands had been chosen.

"There's six of them," he explained, pointing off into the distance, "Named after six sisters from mythology." He moved his finger along the nighttime sky, pointing out each individual island to Sonja. Alkyone, then Taygete, and then Maia, followed by Asterope, Elektra and Kelano.

"I thought Jeff said seven," said Sonja, as she shivered against a sudden Greek wind. She bundled up inside her red and black checked windbreaker. "Where's the seventh?"

"Ah ha," smiled Gabe. He squinted off into the distance, pointing to the northeast. His bad vision prevented him from seeing it, but he knew it was out there. There -was- a seventh sister. The outcast. The one who had married a mortal, instead of a god, and had been shunned for life.

Merope.

"She's out there," he explained. "Way off, a few miles I think. But that's where we're going for Tribal Council. The rest of the islands were formed by a volcano. Merope is pretty much off on its own."

Gabe had never been there, but he knew it was instinctively a place to be feared. There was probably a -reason- that Merope was known as the outcast island.

"Well," she said, patting him on the arm, "Let's just hope we don't end up there very soon. I kind of like our island." She smiled at him, and he smiled back.

"We're not gonna lose," he said. "You can count on it. We're all gonna be here for the long haul." He smiled. "We got ourselved a superteam."

With that, the two of them headed back to camp, ready to turn in for the evening. It was a nice night. The moon shone down upon the calm sea, the teams slept peacefully, and sixteen people had dreams of their second chance. But they had no idea of the turmoil that was soon to greet them. They had no idea of the hardships they would face. They had no idea that their creature comforts wouldn't be lasting long.

And they most -definitely- did not know about Merope Island yet. They had not seen the terrifying Tribal Council set-- the one based on a Greek temple, but also featuring aspects of Greek death rituals. They had no idea that the sea crashed against the lone island with a terrifying fury, with no wind or water breaks to soften the blow. They had no idea that they would be in mortal danger just -getting- to Merope Island. It was an untamed hellhole, and they would all be scared to death of the place within a week.

But for now, they knew none of this.

And for that reason, they all slept like babies.






DAY 2




Debb Eaton was sitting atop the Taygete shelter, watching the movements of the other team from across the bay. Her blue buff tied around her neck, she sat and watched, spying for any movement, just checking out the way their opponents were living. It had been Debb's idea last night to always have someone up here, acting as a "scout," someone who could sit and watch what the other team might be up to.

"It can only help," she had rationalized, "If we know what's goin' on over there. You can see alliances and friendships, you can see who isn't getting along."

"That's a great idea," agreed Linda, and it had been settled. Taygete would always have someone on watch, spying on the Alkyone beach. And currently, Debb was sitting up here, chewing on a piece of fig. She had drawn first watch.

The Taygete camp dynamic had been largely straightforward. As the strongest and most forceful personality, Carl Bilancione had been an easy choice as their alpha male. He knew what he was doing out here, he got along, and people listened when he spoke. But beyond all that, "Doc" was a good guy, and was fun to hang around. He was a natural choice to lead their team.

"They chose me as leader," he would say in a confessional, with a smile on his face, "Because they want to win."

Carl was only part kidding, but deep down he truly believed this was -his- tribe. The other two males on the team, Dirk and Kel, were far too quiet to be considered alpha types. Dirk was young and strong for the challenges, but clearly out of his element. Kel was a harder worker, as well as strong and disciplined, but was just plain awkward around people. He was in no way a leader, and never would be. For male leadership, Carl was it, and he knew it.

"And to be honest," he said this morning, "I almost wish we -didn't- have a shelter already. I wish we would have had to build it, because in two minutes, you can find out who the workers are, who the complainers are, and who is here to win." He looked around, already scanning his team for the problem areas. "And right now, there's not a whole lot we know about each other. I mean, sure, we hang out at fundraisers and reunions out in the real world. But whoop-de-frickin-do, that's when we're fed and happy. You have no idea who people are until you get out here and have to live with them."

Among the females of the tribe, the two who tended to stand out the most were Linda Spencer and Diane Ogden. The two of them had already taken "mother" roles, and had attempted to help organize the tribe's efforts in all activities. They were very good at delegating tasks, and it helped that the two of them were close friends in real life as well. They knew each other like sisters, despite having quite different personalities. Linda was more reserved, keeping her opinions to herself unless you annoyed her. She preferred to listen to all sides before making her stance known on an issue. And Diane was just the opposite, pretty much saying whatever popped into her head, something that often got her into trouble. She was more of a hothead, but in truth Linda and Diane had one major thing in common.

If you pissed them off, they were going to let you know about it.

Jessie Camacho was the youngest female on the team, but was still a few years older than Dirk. Her role thus far had been mostly food gathering, as she spent most of the first day off gathering figs and olives with Ramona. The two of them found a nice patch of trees along the western shores and, as Ramona suggested, didn't tell anyone where it was. It was their clumsy way of making sure they would get past the first vote. But deep down, they didn't feel it would come to that. Neither one felt they would be in that much danger right off the bat.

"Jessie is strong," said Ramona, as she sat underneath a willow tree, watching the waves. "She's a big, strong girl, and I don't think everyone realized that until we all got out here. Between her and Diane, I think the two of them can carry as much as just about any of our guys, so we need them."

She watched as Jessie snapped a branch off a fig tree, pulling it down to remove a half dozen of the rich green fruits. Jessie placed them into her backpack and went off to find another branch.

"Because we lack a whole lot of strength," Ramona commented, "I think Jessie will be around for a long time. And I also consider myself to be a strong person, although I'm not sure if others view me that way." Ramona was clearly aware of her reputation as being lazy. She hated it, but acknowledged it. That's simply how people viewed her from TV. "So I will have to work a little harder. I will probably have to work for it out here, before I get any respect whatsoever."

Ramona and Jessie had hit it off quite early, despite never having met before. They were both free-spirited, fun to hang out with, and quite stubborn. You wouldn't want to get in an argument with either one of them, not if you wanted to win. Jessie, in particular, seemed to like to argue just for the sake of arguing.

"Because I hate to debate stupid people," she would joke, in her thick Puerto Rican accent. "That just TOTALLY pisses me off. I'm like, just shut up! I don't want to hear it."

But the most common trait between Jessie and Ramona was their eating habits. Simply put, they were known to be picky, which made their role as food gatherers all the more amusing.

"I was watching Ramona last night," Diane was currently sitting with Debb, atop the Taygete shelter, as they watched two members of Alkyone try to fish. "And she wouldn't eat any of the figs. I was telling her, 'Just eat it. You'll like it!' But she wouldn't even touch the darn thing."

Debb looked over, smiling. Everyone enjoyed Diane's stories.

"And so Ramona says, 'If we don't have it in the 'hood, then I don't want it.' Just give me some oranges and I'll be cool."

Diane watched, stunned, as both Ramona and Jessie had passed on the figs, as well as the olives. In fact, Jessie had barely nibbled at their plate of cheese and meat. Jessie just didn't seem to eat at all.

"I think she's part bird," Diane concluded. "The girl doesn't eat!"

Despite the picky appetites, which Debb chalked up as "just people being spoiled," things were going well in Taygete on their first full day. Dirk, Kel and Carl were currently out in the fishing boat, the shelter was stable, they had fruit, and their home life seemed to be great.

The only problem was the challenges. All you had to do was take one look at the teams and see the disparity. Taygete was much weaker looking, and quite a bit older. They had no idea how they were going to beat the younger and stronger Alkyones in -anything.-




^^




John Raymond and Stephanie Dill had the honor of the first morning fishing trip in the Alkyone boat. The two of them had shoved off in the gleaming white vessel, net in hand, to take their first stab at catching some breakfast. They knew they probably didn't need fresh fish this soon, but it was always best to prove your skill out here. You wanted to set a precedent early, and show your value to the tribe. Plus, John had a lot of experience as a fisherman, something he never really had a chance to show in Thailand. No, out here, he would be -sure- to show them his proficiency with a fishing pole.

"I don't plan on going first again," he joked, causing Stephanie to smile. "Because you have no idea what that was like last time." He felt a tug against the net, and looked down into the calm blue sea. "I prepared for Thailand harder than anything in my life. I trained, I dieted, I prayed, and I studied. And then I was gone in three days!"

"We all thought it would be Ghandia," Stephanie drawled. She sat slumped against the side of the boat, showing off her traditional casual posture. "Frankly, we all thought you'd be around for a while."

"And you know what?" John asked. "It -should- have been Ghandia. She had no business being there until day twelve."

Stephanie shrugged, as she watched a small cluster of jellyfish glide beneath their boat. But as the fishing expedition crawled into its second hour, the two of them had a pair of skates in their bucket, and things were looking good. Stephanie wasn't proving to be the best conversationalist in the world, but she was funny and had a strange sense of humor when she decided to talk. She mostly stayed silent, however, staring at the water, and giving John very little to work with. But John Raymond had learned from his mistakes in the game. He knew better than to wait for an alliance to come to him. He had told himself that -this- time, he would make something happen. It would happen early, and it would happen correctly.

And it would happen now.

"So how do you see the tribe shaping up?" he asked, tentatively. He didn't want to get burned, as happens so often to the first schemer, but he was sure that he didn't want to get left behind. John was going to know what was going on -this- time around.

Stephanie glanced over at him, one of her patented half-smirks on her face. She always appeared to know something that no one else was privvy to.

"I think you guys are gonna take this team over," she finally said. "Just look at y'all, there's five of you, and three of us, and one of us is old and feeble." She was speaking, of course, about Sonja.

"Well now, not necessarily," he reassured her. "Sure, Hunter and Gabe are strong guys, but do you really think they'll trust one another? You can't have but one alpha male, and it's surely not me."

Stephanie shrugged. She was more worried about her own position in the tribe at this point, not the viewpoints of the others.

"I know Gabe pretty well," John continued, as he reached in the water to adjust the net. "And he's here to play the game this time. He wasn't kidding when he told us that last night. And a true player isn't gonna want Hunter around any longer than he has to be."

Stephanie nodded. Sure enough, this topic had been one of the first things that came up around last night's campfire. Once everyone had settled in, with a full belly, they had all gathered around the fire Peter had helped to create. It had been easy, of course, since Alkyone had been provided with logs, lighter fluid and matches. It was all just another perk of Second Chance, of course. They wouldn't have to worry about fire.

"So what's the deal with you?" Stephanie had asked, looking at Gabe. "What are you looking for out here this time?" Indeed, they had all been curious about the free-spirited young man. All the people here watched the show. Some of them, like Tanya and John, could even be considered Survivor fanatics. And all of them knew who Gabe was, and what he represented, before they even got here. A few of them were even friends with him in real life. But none of them really knew if he had changed his position on the game this time. Was he here to really play? Or was he going to crap out on them like last time? Could Gabe be counted on to be a team player?

Gabe had just smiled at the question. Of course it was bound to come up. It was all people -ever- asked him anymore. They didn't care about Rotu, or Vecepia, or the no-nos, or any of that. All anyone ever asked was "Why did you give up? Why were you a quitter?" And of course, after a year of this, it was bound to take its toll. The question had been like a Chinese water torture, slowly nagging away at his brain, little by little.

Quite simply, he had been haunted by it.

But Gabe, ever the philosopher, had also thought long and hard over this issue, as was his nature. He was a thinker, and had come to a conclusion that would surprise some people. Because he knew it would be different this time around. He was going into the game with a different mindset. This time, he was prepared.

In short, there was nothing wrong with playing to win, so long as it was done for the right reasons.

"I just want to say one thing," he said slowly, choosing his words carefully. "I'm here to play the game this time. I'm going to be a team player to the end, you guys." He looked slowly around the firepit, looking at each of them as he spoke. "I've always said that I wouldn't come out here just for the money, and I haven't changed my mind about that. But I -did- realize that the problem wasn't with the game, or with the money. It was with me. I was the problem."

Peter slowly nodded, a small grin on his face, as always. It was his trademark. Peter had heard this speech before, as he was good friends with Gabe in real life. And he knew exactly where this line of reasoning was headed. Lord knows Gabe thought about it enough.

"I took the game too seriously last time," Gabe finished. "It was -me-, not John, and not any of the others. I forgot that this is basically a game show, and nothing more. So no, I'm not here for the money, but I'm here for the challenge. I want to win as much as anyone here. And we -are- going to win this, guys." He smiled, finally reaching the end of his speech. "But if I end up winning, I'm giving the money away."

Ryan Aiken nearly laughed out loud at this, sitting in the back of the circle, near the house. He managed to shut up quickly, but caught a few other smirks among the tribe. Among them, Stephanie. She didn't buy Gabe's act for a second.

"That's messed up, dude," said Ryan, only half-teasing. "You'd seriously give it away?"

Gabe gave him his honest answer.

"Seriously, brother. I'm not here for the money. I'll split it between you seven if you want. I don't care."

It was quiet after that. No one really knew what to say. No one was sure if he was putting them on or not.

"I think that's beautiful," said Sonja, sitting near the base of the fire. The flames licked off her face when she spoke, as she smiled at her tribemates. "When I first came into this, I always thought that everyone here would say that. I was always surprised that people were so cutthroat about it all." She reached over and patted Gabe on the knee. "I was always here for the adventure."

Gabe smiled at her. He appreciated the sentiment, but Sonja had clearly missed the bigger picture. She didn't realize the exact meaning behind his message. Gabe was here to play the game. He was here to win. People had already questioned why he drafted Sonja so early, figuring it was some show of good sportsmanship. They thought it was the "old" Gabe, the humanitarian. But it was, in actuality, something much different. It was Gabe's symbolic gesture that he was here to win this time. He thought they would have figured it out, but he had already been misinterpreted by a few people. They just didn't seem to get it.

Gabe had drafted Sonja because you needed someone easy to vote out first. Someone your team could spare. Why, that was just common sense.




^^



As Stephanie and John finished the fishing trip, the rest of Alkyone were figuring out, more or less, what their roles would be. Tanya had volunteered for fruit detail, and Peter had come along as well. Their role was to explore the island each morning and gather oranges and grapes. Peter, for his part, was the exact -opposite- of John at this point in the game. Whereas John was determined to scheme this time around, and not be left behind, Peter had convinced himself that he would do no such thing. Peter had been badly burned last time by early plotting. So, ever the laid back guy, he decided to just chill out this time and relax. There was no need to worry about the game, it was sure to come to him in time.

It came to everybody, in time.

"This tree is gonna fall ovah," he smiled, pointing to a thin willow tree, which teetered perilously to the right. It had obviously fought a losing battle with the wind. "Look at it, slanted like that. It would make a good watahspout, if the house gets too wet."

"I've seen a bunch of 'em like that," Tanya answered, as she stuffed another bunch of grapes into her backpack. "It must get windy here 'cause we're so close to the water."

Peter walked around behind her, casually commenting on things like trees and plants. He even spotted what looked like a turtle, hiding deep in a thicket of plants. But he wasn't doing much gathering, it was clear he was here mainly to chat and just enjoy the woods. He definitely liked to chat, they had all figured that out by now.

"Maybe we can get him out," Peter said, trying to get a better look at the turtle. "We need a mascot back at camp." He paused. "Or if nothing else, we can just make soup out of him."

Tanya snickered at that comment, to which he looked up and smiled. He was always most comfortable when people laughed at his jokes. That was what he was here for, after all. He was here to entertain, and keep it light. And just enjoy it for what it was worth.

"I got bit by a snapping turtle once when I was swimmin' in a creek," Tanya fessed up. "It doesn't feel good, watch your hand. Her beak'll take it right off."

"Awww, I got two of 'em. I can spare one." Peter continued to reach in, but the turtle wasn't impressed. She just stared at him, the strange grinning man with the white buff around his forehead. But he kept at it, now calling her "Yertle," and trying to entice her with a piece of fish. But Yertle the turtle wasn't coming out. She stayed in place.

Tanya enjoyed Peter's company, but there was something about the man that always seemed a bit odd. Two days in, and she had already figured that out. Sure, he was pleasant enough, but she could not quite place why he bothered her. There was just -something- about the guy that made people nervous. Maybe it was the way he kept talking when you weren't listening. Or maybe it was the way he came in close to you when you were having a conversation. Maybe it was a personal space issue. But she was determined to place exactly -what- it was that caused him to get voted out first last time. She was just like that. She was good at reading people. After all, darnit, she was a social worker.

It would just take some time, that's all.




^^



"He's always smiling," said Hunter, as he carried wood back to camp. Between him, Gabe and Ryan, the three men could heft quite a load to and from the woods. It wasn't really necessary yet, but it didn't feel right to just sit around. So Hunter had suggested they all go get some firewood, just to stock up. You could never have too much wood.

"Peter's just like that," said Gabe, confirming this. "He's always happy, and always smiling. And for whatever reason, people seem to find that disconcerting. People have a hard time accepting that he could be so happy."

Ryan nodded, trying his best to fit in with the more mature Alpha males. Ryan was young and a bit immature, but he was no fool. He knew that he was clearly an odd man out in this tribe. He knew that he would be an easy first vote, just one more male in a tribe full of them. So he was bound to do his best to get in good with the leaders.

And those leaders were Gabe and Hunter, without a doubt.

"Is it an act?" he asked, genuinely curious. He had never met anyone like Peter Harkey in his life. Ryan was a jock, a gym rat. He was a model. You didn't meet a lot of happy people in the modeling world, that was just the nature of the business. Everyone was phony, everyone wore a mask. But not Peter.

"Absolutely," said Gabe, stopping to readjust his grip on the wood. "He just loves life."

"I tell ya," laughed Hunter. "It creeped the hell out of us back in Maraamu. No one knew what to make of the guy." Indeed, Peter was one of the few people who always made Hunter nervous. Rob's tough guy act, Sean's angry militancy, and even Vecepia's wishy-washy phoniness were easy to see through. They were all as blatant as the day is long. But Peter... now Peter was one person that Hunter could never figure out. Peter was an enigma.

And it had cost him in the end.

The three men came back to camp, hefting a large stack of logs between them. Sonja was waiting for them, clad in her black bathing suit, sitting on a log. She smiled up at them and cleared a place for the haul. John and Stephanie were slowly paddling back to shore, and the tribe was nearly intact again. The little family all greeted each other, good naturedly, and Sonja put a pot on the fire. She had volunteered for cooking duty, and had already pretty much taken over as the head chef. John was really the only other cook, and he was more interested in catching fish at this point.

Sonja had the fire started, but it turned out they wouldn't have much time for a meal, because Peter and Tanya were back.

"Tree mail," Peter loudly called. "Get ready to rock!"

Tanya laughed at the joke, since the note was attached to a large brown rock. Only Peter would attempt to get away with that pun.

"We got an immunity challenge," said Peter. "In one hour."

Alkyone scrambled to get their things in order. It looked like lunch was going to be rushed today.




^^




The first immunity challenge was going to be held on Taygete island. For the first time in history, the challenge wasn't going to be held at a neutral site.

One of the teams was going to have the home field advantage.

"I think it's over there," said Debb, as she pointed off towards a large brown crest. It was one of the peaks of rock which they called "mountains," but were really just large rock formations. Several of them jutted up from the interior of Taygete's forest, giving the island its distinctive, rocky shape.

"Meet at the base of Mount Taygete," Debb finished reading. "And be sure to not be late. For if your team can't rock and roll, you will soon be less than eight." The rest of the team was gathered around her, as the redheaded correctional officer finished reading. She held up the small brown rock that was attached to it.

"We're rolling a rock?" asked Carl. He immediately cast a glance at the members of his team, looking for strength. They had Dirk. They had Kel. And they had...

"Christ," he muttered. The females on the team were no slouch, as Diane and Debb both had physical jobs, Ramona was tough, and Jessie was stronger than she looked. But still, there was no one here to match up to Hunter or Gabe. If they won this thing, Carl was going to have to put in some major, major effort. He may have to win this thing all by himself.

"Alright, you guys," said Linda, pulling them all in. She was clearly one of the solidifying forces among the group thus far. A lady with extreme self-confidence and a strong sense of self, it was hard not to listen when she spoke. She just had that sort of charisma. "I know they're a lot younger than us, but we just have to work together. Remember that this is a -team- game, not an individual one. We work together, and we can beat anybody." She smiled at them all. "Size doesn't mean a thing out here."

"Yeah, baby!" said Dirk, trying to psych them all up. He had been a basketball coach before, and he was doing his best pre-game ritual now. It was time to get these kids psyched up. "Let's jack up this bad boy. Aint nothin' gonna stop us today!" He pumped his fist as he yelled this, trying to get them caught up in the moment.

Linda suggested they all have a group hug, and Taygete embraced. In the huddle, Dirk dropped to one knee, and volunteered to lead them in a prayer.

"That's a great idea," agreed Linda, smiling at him. It was always nice to find a kindred spiritual soul out here.

"Awesome Lord," said Dirk, his head bowed. His blue Taygete buff covered his forehead and his eyes were closed in concentration. "Please give us the strength today to conquer our foes in battle. Give us the necessary wisdom to work together, and lead us in our path to victory. We are but your humble servants, and we pray that you help us live and work together on this." Dirk was smiling now, feeling the familiar spirit grow from within. He was just about ready now. They all were. "We love you and give you thanks for this gift. In your most holy name, Amen."

"Amen," answered Linda and Carl, with murmured assent from the rest. But they were ready now. The eight blue-colored underdogs. And with the challenge now ready to begin, Dirk shifted back from prayer mode into athlete mode. He never had much of a problem with that. It was just like flipping a switch.

"Let's kick a little tail!" he shouted, excitedly trying to whip them all into a frenzy. "Let's go, baby!!"



^^



It was only a short walk for Taygete, so they waited for Alkyone to paddle over from across the strait. The white team arrived on the island a few minutes later, and the sixteen players ended up walking to the challenge together. All of them talked eagerly about the game so far, old friendships coming up, old bonds showing themselves. It was as if they were all a part of the same tribe. But there was one person who was a little bothered by the closeness of the two teams.

"We shouldn't be this close to them," said Hunter, walking in the back of the pack. He was probably the most competitive player here, and was troubled by the lack of fire between the two teams. Hunter knew just one way to play, and that was, simply, to win. Bonding with the other team was not going to help them at all.

"Do you think we can win?" asked Sonja. She was walking in the back with him. Sonja was often found in the back on the tribal walks. Simply put, she was quite a bit older than anyone else here, so she found it difficult to keep up. She had gone through a tough training regimen before coming out here, so she was in the best shape she could achieve. But still, the age. The age was not going to help her at all, yet she didn't stress over it too much. She knew she wasn't the most athletic one in the game, and knew she was probably an easy target. But she trooped through it all with a smile on her face. After all, it was an adventure on a Greek Island, who could be upset out here? If nothing else, Sonja hoped that her good cheer and never-say-die spirit would help her get past the first vote or two. She knew she was vulnerable, but hopefully they wouldn't hold her age against her.

"I don't think they can beat us," Hunter replied, quickly looking at the Taygetes. They looked older and weaker, quite a bit so, if you asked his honest opinion. "They don't have the horses to win a strength challenge."

Hunter knew that Sonja was nervous about the first challenge. He knew because she had told him. She had immediately taken to the handsome young pilot, since he seemed to genuinely care about her well being. He had taken her aside a few times on day one, asking if she was okay, and if she needed anything from the jungle. He seemed like a perfectly noble young man, and she had liked him immediately. The guy was a leader. Simple as that.

"I'm just happy," she had smiled, in a confessional, "That Hunter's on -my- team. I wouldn't want to be his opponent."

But it was true that Sonja was nervous about this first one. She knew she was a liability in challenges. She wasn't going to bother deluding herself about that. If they lost a challenge, it would likely be because of her, and she would likely be voted out over it.

It wasn't as if this hadn't happened before.

"We'll cover for you," Hunter had promised. "Gabe and I can help carry the weight if you have problems. Don't worry about it." Gabe had agreed just as eagerly to help her out if she struggled, and she thanked them both. The two of them had eased her fears greatly, and she trusted them both completely. They both seemed so sincere and genuine.

"I just hope it isn't too strenuous," she said, looking at the brown rocky hill. "I don't want to lose it for us again."




^^




Jeff greeted them at the base of Mount Taygete. He smiled, hands clasped behind his back, as the blue and white-buffed teams emerged in a cluster. They all seemed to be friendly with another. Greek life seemed to just be a garden party for some of them, and they were all having a blast.

-For now,- he thought, a smile plastered across his face. -Enjoy it while you can.-

"Your first challenge," he announced, "Is based on the mythology of the islands. Most of our challenges out here will be based on classical Greek stories, so you are going to hear some great tales, and perform some great feats." He looked at Gabe, smiling, in front of the Alkyones, and Carl, standing at the head of Taygete. They both looked ready to go.

"I want to tell you a story," Jeff continued. "About a Greek man named Sisyphus. He was a mortal, and worked as a mason. Now, Sisyphus was a crafty man, but was far more notorious for being deceitful." Jeff smiled. "Upon his death, he managed to escape the underworld, and would not return. He tried to deceive the gods, and he got caught. And if there's one thing you will learn about Greek mythology, it is that you -do not- challenge the gods. Because if you do, you will lose."

Jeff turned and pointed at two large boulders behind him. One of them was blue and one was white. They appeared to be made out of paper-mache or plaster, not rock, but still looked heavy. And they both stood about six feet high.

"For his attempts to cheat death, Sisyphus was punished, with physical labor. The gods sentenced him to roll a boulder up a hill, for all eternity. The catch is that whenever he reached the top of the hill, the stone would fall down the other side, and he would have to retrieve it and start again. He would -never- reach the top, yet would have to try for the rest of eternity. There would be no rest." Jeff smiled. "And if you have ever heard of a Sisyphian task, this is where that word came from. It is something that is impossible. Something that is futile. Something that -cannot- be done."

Gabe laughed out loud, his strange, nervous laugh. A few others tittered, nervously.

"You will -never- reach the top of this hill," said Jeff. "It is too steep. But your job is to roll your boulder as far up the side of it as you can. You will each have an hour. The team whose boulder sits the highest up the hill at the end of an hour will win immunity. It is up to you to pace yourselves as best you can, but remember that all that counts is your final position after one hour. Highest rock wins."

Both teams filtered out towards their rock. Taygete surrounded their blue rock, with Carl and Dirk placed directly behind it. Alkyone surrounded their white rock, with Gabe and Hunter, of course, placed behind it.

"This is for immunity," said Jeff, holding up the Greek immunity idol. It was a small marble statue, a fearsome portrayal of the god Zeus. Its angry eyes stared from underneath a thick white beard. "The losing team will visit me tomorrow on Merope island. And trust me, that is -not- a place you want to be." He stood between the boulders now, and raised his right hand in the air.

"Survivors ready!" He paused, turning to look at the brown, rocky hill. "Go!"

"Push!" yelled Carl, as he and Dirk applied their shoulders to the blue rock. It started to move, slowly at first, but gaining speed in time. But the Taygetes quickly discovered that strength was not the key issue here. The key issue was control. The boulder wobbled crazily as it hit the rocky slope of the hill, and threatened to roll sideways at times. Kel and Debb were on side duty, and struggled mightily to keep the boulder rolling in a straight line. Debb, in particular, was having a hard time.

"I need help over here!" she called, causing Diane and Jessie to come over and give her a hand. Together, the three ladies helped compensate for the wobble and Taygete started to slowly push their rock up the hill.

"Nice job!" called Carl, but he was dismayed when he looked over at the Alkyone rock. Alkyone already had an easy twenty foot lead on them.

"Keep it straight," yelled Gabe from behind the white rock. He had his head down, his neck and right shoulder pushing against the back of the boulder. He was using his legs to push it upwards, and combined with Hunter's upper body strength, they were clearly outpacing the Taygetes. Peter and Ryan controlled the left side, Stephanie and John the right, and Tanya was helping guide it as well. They were working great as a team.

Sonja was doing her part, of course, by staying out of the way. She clapped and cheered them from behind.

"Go guys," she said, clapping her hands. "You're working -great- together. Keep it up!"

After thirty minutes, Alkyone had a clear lead. They weren't moving quickly, but they were making slow progress. It was evident that they would not be overpowered today. They reached a spot about halfway up the hill and stopped to rest. Gabe was dripping with sweat, and Hunter turned to watch the Taygetes. The older tribe was only about half as far as Alkyone, and they were struggling. Hunter could hear muffled curses and complaints from behind, as they were having a hard time with their rock. And then, suddenly, it all came apart.

Kel and Ramona lost control of the right side of the Taygete rock. As Dirk and Carl pushed, the rock rolled crazily to the right, and they all lost a handle on it. Gravity took over, and the rock started to roll backwards. Dirk and Carl leapt out of the way, to avoid being crushed, but the boulder careened back down towards the earth.

"Aw, man!" complained Ramona, upset. She kicked at a piece of rock on the ground.

Taygete could only stand and watch as their rock rolled back down to the grass, crashing into a large tuft of weeds, where it finally stopped. No one went to go retrieve it. Carl simply let loose a big sigh and wiped his brow with his blue buff.

"C'mon guys," called Jeff, from below. "You're just giving up? Hop to it!"

The Taygetes slowly walked down the hill to retrieve their rock, while Alkyone resisted the temptation to celebrate. After all, they still had thirty minutes to kill.

"Just sit here and rest," suggested John. "They'll never make it up this far. If we all just lean against it and hold it in place, we can just run out the clock."

"Good plan," said Gabe, knocking his fist with John. He then turned and placed his back against the rock, crossing his arms against his chest. Hunter did the same, using only his legs to hold the rock in place.

"Do you need us?" asked Stephanie, still holding the right side. Hunter said no, so she sat down and rested. All of them rested, in fact, except for Gabe, Hunter and Peter. The three largest men just stood and held the rock in place, watching the Taygetes recover below them.

"You have fifteen minutes," Jeff called. He watched as the older tribe struggled to get their rock moving again. Dirk appeared to be giving it 110% effort, straining his back muscles with the exertion, but for the most part, they were done. Carl was only half-heartedly pushing with any force, and Diane and Jessie had essentially given up. Linda was just standing off to the side. They were all demoralized and exhausted.

It was over.

"Are you guys done?" asked Jeff.

"Stick a fork in us," Carl announced. "We're through."

"Alkyone," announced Jeff, calling up to the victors. "Wins immunity!" He watched as Tanya whooped in victory and hugged John. They all appeared to be celebrating, including Sonja, who gave the stronger men a big grateful hug. They had saved her, and now they would all be safe for three more days. Even Ryan looked happy and excited, reaching up to high-five Peter. He then pumped his fist in celebration.

"Guys," said Jeff, turning to Taygete. "You know what that means."

Ramona was looking down, shaking her head. Dirk was still leaning up against the rock, eyes closed. Linda was doing her best to keep their spirits up, but it was clear that they had been defeated in every way possible today. It hadn't been so much of a challenge as a slaughter.

This was going to be a long game.

"Tribal Council," said Jeff, "Tomorrow. One of you is going home."





DAY 3



Linda Spencer was one of the first ones up at Taygete this morning. She woke, rubbed her eyes, and sat up. There was a light rain falling outside, and she could hear it against the roof and walls of their house.

"Thank goodness for the roof," said Debb, as she stared out the door. She appeared to have been there for a while, just watching the rain. And the ocean. And the trees. Debb then looked over at Linda and smiled. "We get to sleep in a little."

Linda walked outside and looked up, feeling the soft rain falling against her face. But it was time for morning yoga. This was something that she had led every day, and today was no different. Rain or no rain, it was time for their daily stretching. It was the way Linda liked to start the day, and a little precipitation wasn't going to stop her.

"Can I join you today?" asked Ramona, who was sitting under a tree. Linda said it was fine, so the three ladies performed some morning stretching. Linda was out here every morning, and Debb had joined yesterday. Now today they had a third, Ramona.

"Maybe by the end of the week," said Linda, "We'll have the whole team out here."

"Don't bet on it," joked Ramona, "Jessie won't come out in the rain." She jerked a thumb back towards the shelter. "She says she's staying inside until it's dry."

Linda laughed. It was already a running joke that Jessie was somewhat of a princess. The picky eating was just one symptom, but in time they all realized that the former cop was a bit pampered. She wouldn't eat much, didn't particularly like to work, and didn't like the rain one bit. They weren't really even sure what she -did- like to do.

"Have you ever seen her dirty?" asked Linda. The others shook their heads. "I don't think she's even -touched- dirt since we've been out here." Linda smiled and shook her head. Jessie wasn't as bad as Lindsey, obviously, since Jessie was quite a bit more reserved. She didn't speak much until you got to know her. But there were clearly similarities. Jessie and Lindsey were cut from the same type of cloth, and that was bad news to a person like Linda. She had just plain -never- gotten along with Lindsey Richter, and still didn't to this day. The two of them had always been a match made in hell. And now here, another lazy female teammate. It was like Samburu all over again. Why did this have to happen to her?

"I don't want to vote anyone off tonight, guys," said Ramona. She was a little bummed out about it all, if you were to ask her. She loved her new team. They reminded her so much of her days back on Pulau Tiga, all the fun they had had there. This was also a team that loved to laugh. They all just had that energy around them. "It's gonna be tough tonight."

Debb nodded, silently stretching next to a tree. She wasn't going to comment, but she was all too aware that tonight was the first vote. Just thinking about it made her heart race, and a lot of ugly flashbacks came roaring back into her head. The first vote.

The damned first vote.

"Unfortunately," sighed Linda, "I don't think this will be our last trip there." She looked over at the Alkyone camp, across the sea. "They're just too strong. I don't know how we're going to beat them."

"Yeah," said Ramona. She shook her head. Then she expressed the thought that they all had been feeling lately. "I wish we had Hunter."

Debb didn't comment right away, but knew the implications of that statement. Hunter should have been Diane's second pick, not Debb. Everyone knew it. And to a person that worried greatly about what people thought of her, comments like that drove a stake right through Debb's heart. She hated when people thought poorly of her. She hated it more than they knew, because she was a very insecure person. She took every slight personally, which is why she took her Australian betrayal so hard. Simply speaking, she was already getting paranoid about tonight's vote.

"Hey," said Debb, trying to get a laugh. "Don't blame me, I would have picked Hunter over me too."

Linda laughed out loud.

"Honey," she said, "No one's blaming you. It's not your fault."

Debb smiled and nodded, relieved. But it wasn't easing her paranoia any.



^^



Carl was in the fishing boat, sitting with Kel. The two men had gone out early, hoping to reel in something big. But it was all just a front, and they both knew it. They were here to talk about the vote. After all, they were the alphas.

"The three of us," said Carl, leaning back against the wall of the boat, "Are pretty tight." He was referring to his African friends, of course. Carl, Linda and Diane. They were good friends both in and out of the game, and most everyone knew it. "We're not going to vote against one another under any circumstance."

Kel nodded. He was taking it all in, his white cap perched over his eyes, blocking out the rain. He was just listening for now, not saying a word.

"And there's two people who don't do shit around here," added Carl. He counted them off on his fingers. "Jessie. And Dirk."

"What about Ramona?" asked Kel.

"Ramona will work if you ask her," said Carl, as he reeled in an empty fishing line. "You just have to tell her what to do, and she'll do it. But not the other two."

Kel nodded. He was very much a strong, silent type, but considered himself to be quite adept at reading people. And he already had Carl pegged after just three days. It hadn't been hard. Simply put, Carl seemed to dislike young people. That was easy enough to see. After all, Jessie and Ramona were basically peas in a pod out here, and only Jessie seemed to get heat for it. Ramona got off scot free. Kel secretly wondered if it was because Ramona was over 30, and Jessie wasn't.

"So who would you vote for?" asked Kel.

"Jessie," answered the dentist, without a moment's hesitation. "I don't see any other choice." He sighed. "I don't like Dirk much either. The guy's a flake, but we need him for the challenges." Kel nodded to this. "Between you, me and Dirk, the team needs us for the challenges, because we just plain got screwed with our picks. This team's no good." Carl hated to say it, but he felt strongly that Diane had doomed them to lose this game. He hadn't liked the team selection at all.

"I agree," said Kel, as he untangled some fishing line. "It's really only three people, in my mind. Jessie, Ramona or Debb."

"And I can't do it to Debb," said Carl. "It's too cruel."

Deep down, a lot of the players felt this way. Whenever Debb's name came up in strategy talks, it was generally followed by "That poor thing," or "Poor girl." Few even realized that she was at a bit of an advantage here, since she was the ultimate pity vote. No one wanted to be responsible for having her repeat her nightmare from last time. Not at the first vote, anyway.

"I don't want to watch her," added Carl, "Leap off a cliff and into the ocean. I'm sorry, but that's just me. I don't want to be responsible for that woman killing herself." He was mostly kidding, of course, but there was still a kernel of truth in his words. They all worried a little about Debb's sensitive nature. They -all- knew what had happened to her in Australia, and afterwards. She still nursed the wounds of it to this day.

"So Jessie or Ramona," summarized Kel. He wasn't particularly moved by Carl's words, nor did he really even hear them. Kel tended to be pretty analytical, and not emotional in the slightest. He really didn't do small talk. Kel Gleason tended to be business at all times.

"Take your pick," said Carl. "But one of 'em's going home tonight."



^^



As Taygete recovered from their first loss, Alkyone was in a celebratory mood today. Gabe, Peter, Ryan and Tanya spent the morning swimming, laughing and playing in the surf on the eastern shore of the island. Currently, they were playing a game of football.

"Go long," yelled Peter, as he hoisted an orange into the air. They had no ball, so the orange was the best they could do. Gabe took off running after it, crashing through the knee-deep water. Ryan was on defense, so he followed closely, and Tanya trailed them both by a few steps. Peter lobbed the orange deep, and Gabe caught it, over his right shoulder.

"All the way!" screamed Peter, encouragingly, but it was all for naught. Ryan and Tanya double teamed Gabe and brought him down, Ryan using a particularly aggressive shoulder block. Gabe fell into the surf, laughing, as the flattened orange floated away.

"You guys play dirty," he accused them, smiling.

"Who, us?" Tanya feigned innocence. "That was a clean hit!"

"No way, dude," smiled Ryan. He waved his hands in the air, palms down. "Incomplete pass, check the tape. You didn't have control. That's just solid defense talkin', baby." He reached to high five Tanya, and then she went to retrieve the orange.

As the football game continued, Sonja and Stephanie were up by the house, taking advantage of Steph's luxury item. The tough-as-nails firefighter had brought something that surprised most everyone, belying her hardened image. She loved art, it relaxed her, so Stephanie had brought a set of acrylic paints to the island.

"I love to paint," she said, as she put the finishing touches on a large sun. The two of them were currently painting on the large western wall of the house. The house was wood on two sides and stone on the others. The western wall, the one facing Taygete, was like a large stone slate, perfectly white and perfectly untouched. It made a perfect canvas.

"There," smiled Stephanie, stepping back. She admired her work, a large yellow and orange sun. It definitely gave the shelter a little character, and helped break up the monotonous white.

"Allow me," said Sonja, as she dipped her brush in the black paint. She reached over and painted a large black smiley face on the sun. "Now he's happy."

Stephanie smirked and dipped her own brush in the black paint. Then she added a pair of black sunglasses over the eyes.

"Now he's cool," she drawled.

Stephanie Dill was always a hard person for people to figure out. She alternated between a tomboy side and a very girly side, depending on her mood. Some mornings she was a jokester, like today. And other times, she was surly and unapproachable, like last night. For whatever reason, some times she just didn't want to talk to anyone. So after the challenge last night, she had sat and stared into the fire, pretty much blocking out anyone's attempts at conversation.

"She's pretty much an enigma," agreed Sonja, in a confessional. "I find her perfectly charming and, face it, we girls have to stick together out here. But she is hard to know. She has to be in the right mood or she won't even hear what you say."

Ryan Aiken was more blunt in his assessment of the tall Arkansan.

"Steph? Yeah, she's got mental problems," he would laugh, only half kidding. "She's sick in the head, dude." Ryan was not known to pull any punches.



^^




The day passed slowly. Alkyone finished celebrating and went about their tasks. Per Gabe's request, no one stuck to one set role, and they all fanned out, doing their best to keep the camp strong. The rain had long since stopped, so they spent the afternoon enjoying the bright whiteness of the island, the vibrant blue of the ocean, and the fields of purple flowers that surrounded the camp.

Simply put, it was a good day to be on the winning team.

But things in Taygete were not going so smoothly. The ramifications of tonight's vote were beginning to sink in. As the hour drew nearer and nearer, the reality of the situation was becoming serious. Someone was going home tonight. One of the early bootees was about to be booted first, and that was no laughing matter. Someone was about to be humiliated for a second time.

"I don't want to go," said Diane. She was talking with Linda near the Taygete beach, as the two of them talked about the vote. "I know I said it didn't bother me before, but it does now. I don't want to be first again." Diane was not a particularly emotional person, but it was clear that this was bothering her.

Linda nodded, understanding. A lot of people felt the same way, they just didn't want to be the first boot. There was a lot at stake here, a lot more than they had realized. This was all fun and games, all just a big vacation, until the first vote came around. And then, someone's world was about to come crashing down.

"Diane and Debb have the most to lose," Linda explained in a confessional. "Because they've been through it before. They've been there and done that. But I've done my best to reassure the both of them that they will be around. No one will vote for Diane, and I -know- that no one will vote for Debb. That's just too sore an issue."

No, the name that kept coming up between Linda and Diane was that of Dirk Been.

"Dirk has always been the outsider here," Linda admitted. "And I know he's young and strong, but the fact remains that everyone else here is a pretty tight bunch. Dirk is just someone that nobody knows, and that's a huge obstacle to overcome at the first vote." She shrugged, not agreeing with the ethics of it all, but understanding the logic. "People don't vote against their friends."

Dirk had not helped his cause at all, due to the fact that he wouldn't talk strategy. He had gone into this game the same way as before, and that was as an innocent. He liked to pray. He liked to compete. And he liked to chat.

But he didn't particularly like to scheme.

"I'm not here to vote people off," he explained, "Or to make alliances. Quite frankly, alliances and backstabbing are just shallow. They are just petty attempts by people to get a little cash, and that's not what I'm all about." He was sitting in a field of violets right now, just staring at the sky, relaxing. Few things bothered Dirk Been, not when he was at peace with nature on a Greek island. "If they want to vote me off, that's their prerogative. If it's meant for me to go, then I'm not gonna fight it." This laissez-faire attitude applied not just to strategy, but to Dirk's idea of harmony on Taygete. He strongly felt that he was here to relax and enjoy things, not work, and certainly -not- strategize.

As always, Dirk just wanted to have fun.

"I have no problem voting for Dirk," added Linda, "Because he won't mind. And this vote is -too- important to -too- many people to go around breaking their hearts. And when in doubt, I will vote for someone who doesn't care, simply because I can sleep a little better at night."

Diane nodded, relieved. She still didn't feel like she was out of the woods, but knew that there was some sentiment growing against the young Christian farmboy. People really had nothing against him, except for maybe Carl. And to be fair, Carl had something against pretty much everybody. But Linda was exactly right. Too many people here would be crushed by being the first boot, and it was clear that Dirk would not be. He just would smile, say something about the Lord wanting it this way, and he would be gone. In short, he was a safe bet. An easy pick. No one would shed any tears over Dirk and he would not be missed.

It was win-win for everybody.




^^



As Dirk's demise was being planned, an alternate boot pick was being discussed. The vote was not going to be as unanimous as Linda had hoped.

"They are just too close," said Kel. He was currently speaking to Jessie and Ramona, the three of them huddled around the water hole in the center of Taygete. Jessie had suggested they meet out here, and Kel was more than happy to oblige. After all, he had some info to divulge.

"They aren't going to vote against one another," Kel confirmed. But this was no secret. Everyone knew that Diane, Linda and Carl were like a tight little family. The former African cast members had so much in common it was a little scary. And even if they -weren't- a formal alliance, it was clear they wouldn't vote each other off. No, Carl would swear up and down that there was no alliance there, but sometimes, an alliance was just a matter of semantics. A friendship was often the same thing.

This had all come about from Linda's comments just this morning. During the yoga session, Linda had casually joked that Jessie was a bit of a princess. They had all laughed, but Ramona had immediately turned and gone to her friend, warning her. They all knew Linda well enough to know that she held grudges, and that Jessie may have already crossed the line. And if Jessie went, Ramona was soon to follow. Ramona knew that as sure as she knew anything.

"You just better watch yourself," Ramona had said. "Because you may be getting some votes tonight."

Jessie wasn't really much of a schemer, but she had enough on the ball to realize that your name coming up on the day of Tribal Council was a bad thing. But she had learned her lesson last time. In Africa, she had fizzled out without so much as a whimper. But this time... this time was going to be much different.

This time, Jessie wasn't going to go down without a fight.

"Who does she think she is?" Jessie complained, in a bitter confessional. Her thick accent made her harder to understand, but the message was plain and simple. "It's not like we're living in the jungle. We have -food-, and we have a -house-. We're not suffering. So it's not like we all have to bust our butts every minute of the day to work. Just because I don't work as hard as the older ones, doesn't mean I'm lazy. And frankly, I'm insulted that a fellow African would say that about me. I mean, Linda knows me, she knows who I am." Jessie laughed, a little nervously, a little angry. Her black glasses hid her eyes, but the fire was definitely there. "But I have to do something to save myself now. I have to, there's no choice."

Jessie had gone to Ramona soon after, and Ramona had the idea to bring Kel in. She knew he would be up for something like this. Kel just had that look in his eye. So the Army intelligence officer had been brought in, and Ramona asked him what he thought about the vote. Kel was more than eager to spill his guts, and told her to meet him at the water hole. He didn't want people to overhear. And now, here they all were.

"Carl is voting for one of you tonight," admitted Kel. Kel hadn't intended to betray Carl's trust, but there was one important aspect of Kel's personality that people didn't always pick up. Kel was out for himself. He played only for Kel, thought only of Kel, and would do anything to ensure that Kel got further in the game. And that meant playing both sides if he had to. Kel hadn't even given it a second thought.

"And Linda?" asked Ramona.

Kel had no idea what Linda and Diane would do, but he assumed they would vote as a block. It was a logical assumption to make, and Carl seemed to feel the same way.

"They're all together," said Kel. "Three votes as one."

Jessie cursed under her breath in Spanish.

"Who are you voting for?" she asked Kel.

He smiled, slyly.

"I wouldn't mind voting out Carl," he admitted. "But I'm up for anything." And it was true, Kel had no ties to anyone. He rarely did.

"What about Dirk?" asked Jessie. "Would he vote against us?"

Ramona shook her head, after considering it for a second. She knew Dirk, somewhat. At least she knew the -old- Dirk. The Pulau Tiga Dirk. She had no idea if he had changed, she hadn't had a chance to talk strategy with him yet.

"All I remember about Dirk," she informed them, "Is that the dude is a sucker for pretty girls." Ramona smiled. "I remember that like it was yesterday. Kelly had him wrapped around her little finger, and she didn't even have to try. He followed her around like a puppy. And she wouldn't even give him the time of day!"

These words hit Jessie like a hammer to the brain. Almost immediately, she had it all figured out in her head. And it wasn't even that hard. A lovesick little bible beater. A Latina model and bombshell who loved to flirt. It was a match made in heaven. This wasn't going to be difficult at all...

"Is he the one who was a virgin?" Jessie asked, trying to remember.

"Yeah," both Ramona and Kel admitted.

"Is he still a virgin?" asked Jessie.

"I'm guessing he hasn't gotten any in the past two years," joked Ramona. She placed her hands on her hips and laughed. "You've met the guy, right? You tell me if you think he's getting any play." She then lapsed into an impression of Dirk's white boy street slang, the way he tended to talk when he wanted to sound "worldly." It was pretty funny, and even Kel had to smile. Ramona obviously knew Dirk Been pretty well.

Jessie, laughing, was suddenly struck by an idea, and raised her eyebrows, smiling. She took off her glasses. She reached up to unloosen her hair, letting it tumble down to her shoulders. Only three days into the game, with a minimal amount of environmental stress, she still looked great. She could still pass for a centerfold. Not that it would matter, though, with Dirk it should be easy.

"How do I look?" she asked Kel, smiling. She pouted her lips, looking sad. Kel simply smiled back.

"Like a million bucks," he said, casually leaning up against a tree. He looked her over, smiling, but she ignored him, turning to her friend instead. Kel had just been a test.

"Let me go talk to Dirk," she said to Ramona, smiling. "I think it's time the two of us met."

Ramona smiled, understanding. And then she grinned.

Poor Dirk. This wasn't going to be pretty.




^^




The daylight was starting to wane as the Taygetes loaded into their boat. The two Greek rowers had returned at dusk, bringing their warship along with them. It was going to be a hard ride to Merope Island, over choppy water, and the players were expected to relax. The rowing would be taken care of for them.

Diane Ogden and Linda Spencer sat in the front of the boat, watching the boat traverse the dark blue sea. No one had actually seen the elusive Merope Island yet, so the two ladies were on the lookout, watching for the Tribal Council set. Carl and Dirk sat behind them, the two men talking about the rock challenge. The two of them didn't have a whole lot in common, but they -had- worked well in the challenge together, so at least they had something to talk about. Jessie and Kel sat in the third row, and the final two seats were occupied by Debb and Ramona.

This seating, of course, was on purpose. Ramona had a message she had to get across. And Debb needed to hear it before they got to that island.

"We need to break them up," Ramona whispered, taking care that no one in the front of the boat heard. "There are four Africa people on this team, and they can vote us all out if they want. It won't even be that hard."

Debb sat silently, thinking it over. She didn't say a word, but sat and watched. She had talked about voting strategy with a few people. It was supposed to look like she was being strategic, but in truth she was mainly just trying to make sure that she wouldn't be going tonight. Debb still feared the first vote. And as far as she knew, there hadn't been any alliances in the tribe. Carl had denied it. Linda had denied it. Diane had denied it. Kel had denied it. They had -all- denied it. But she was well aware of the link between the Africa cast. You would have to be a fool not to see it.

Diane. Linda. Jessie. Carl.

Four of them, on one team. That was bound to be bad news. And even though Carl would swear up and down that they weren't an alliance, anyone could see the potential there. But what Debb did -not- know is that Jessie wasn't a part of it. Jessie was never a part of it, she was too young. Had Jessie been on Samburu, she would have been the enemy, and they all knew it.

"I'm afraid it will be you or me going tonight," said Ramona, somewhat truthfully. "If we don't take them apart, you and I won't last long. We have no allies."

That was really all Debb needed to hear. As the dark Aegean Sea passed by, and the cold sea air whipped across her face, Debb didn't have to say a word. She simply turned and nodded. The wheels were now in motion.



^^



They finally reached Merope Island about an hour later, and got their first look at the Tribal Council set. They saw alarge Greek structure, fashioned after the Oracle at Delphi, taking up most of the small island. A concrete slab sat in the center, and was ringed by a series of stump-like stones. In the center of the slab was a large arch, under which Jeff Probst stood right now. There were no walls surrounding the island, and the island sat unprotected, the waves lapping and crashing against the lower rocks. There was also no light on the island, save for a large bonfire burning next to Jeff.

The only other light came from the moon.

The eight castaways stepped off their boat and sat down on the circular stumps. Diane looked nervously around, as the ocean was smashing up against the rocks just about 40 feet behind her. There was very little here to protect them from the elements, and should a storm come up... they would have nowhere to go.

"Welcome, Taygete," smiled Jeff, watching as they all took their seats. The shadows of the fire flickered across his face, adding an air of surreality to the situation. But there was no doubt about it. This place was just damn creepy.

Jeff dug in with the usual questions, doing his best to expose strategies, and leaders, and weaknesses. He was focusing mainly on Carl and Linda right now, as they had taken the early leadership roles in the tribe. They were clearly where it started and ended.

"No one said it would be easy," admitted Carl. "But we're working our buns off to compete with the other team, and we're gonna succeed."

"Debb," Jeff finally turned to her, catching her off guard, "How do you feel about tonight's vote?"

Debb smiled, suspiciously.

"I think we need to keep the team as strong as possible," she said. "We're not the strongest group in the world, and we can't really make up for weakness. We don't have that luxury."

"So do you feel vulnerable?" asked Jeff.

Debb nodded, not saying a word. She didn't want to say out loud, but she was all too aware of what could happen.

"And what about you, Diane?" Jeff turned to her. "You were a first boot. Do you feel at all nervous about the vote?"

Diane simply shrugged, smiling. She wasn't really the type to stress over it, unlike Debb.

"If they vote me off, Jeff, then what can I do?"

"Well," said Jeff, "I know this is going to be a hard vote. I know that none of you got very far in the game before, and many of you just never had a chance at all. So I'm gonna cut you a deal." He smiled. "You can opt not to vote anybody out tonight. You can spare the team the indignity of losing someone after three days, and go back home tonight with eight members." He paused, waiting to add the kicker. "But there is a catch."

"Do we really want to know what it is?" asked Diane.

Jeff grinned.

"The catch is that at the next Tribal Council, you lose -two- members. And one of them will be chosen by the other team. They will get to vote one of your tribe off."

"Absolutely not," answered Carl, before Jeff had even finished. "No way."

"Can't do it," said Linda, shaking her head. She looked around to make sure others agreed, and it seemed to be the consensus. No one was really interested in the deal.

"So," asked Jeff, "Are you guys prepared to vote someone out first?"

"We're grownups," said Carl. "We can handle it."

"With that being said," said Jeff. "It's time to vote." He pointed to the ballot box, standing in a dark alcove to the side. "Carl, you're up."

Carl Bilancione stood up and walked to the podium. His Yankee cap perched on his head, he pulled out a ballot and wrote the name of the player he thought helped the tribe the least.

"Jessie," he said, holding it up. "You're a fun girl, but we don't need a princess out here."

Linda Spencer was second, and she came up to cast her vote. She, Carl and Diane had disagreed on who to vote for. Diane wouldn't vote Jessie, since they were friends. And Carl wouldn't vote Dirk, since they needed him. So it looked like the three of them were going to split their vote tonight.

"Dirk," she said, holding up her ballot. "You're a nice guy, but you just don't fit in." And of course, there was the factor that Dirk likely wouldn't care, so that had made it easier.

Diane Ogden was third to vote. She walked up, a wry smile on her face, and cast a second vote for Dirk.

"The only one who doesn't belong," she said, placing her ballot in the box.

Kel Gleason was the fourth to vote. He walked up and wrote down Linda's name on the ballot. It was mostly strategic, but also common sense. Linda was just the smallest person on the team.

"On a weak team, we can't get rid of the strong," Kel added.

Jessie Camacho cast a second vote for Linda, thinking along the same lines.

"We need all the strong people we can get."

Dirk Been walked up to cast his vote. His white buff pulled down low, almost over her eyes, he wrote out a name. Jessie had come to him just that afternoon to lay on the charm, but, surprisingly, it hadn't changed his vote. Dirk had known who he would vote for since the start, and Jessie had just been too late. He thought she was cute and all, but Dirk Been played the game the way -he- wanted to.

"Debb," he said, holding up her name. "You're a drag on the camp morale. So you gots to go."

The final two to vote were Ramona and Debb. They both cast their ballots, one after the other, and came back to sit down. Jeff waited for them to return, then he went to check the votes. He came back a moment later, holding the ivory and marble ballot box.

"The person voted out must leave the game immediately," he reminded them. "And we'll be doing things a little differently out here." He turned and pointed at a door behind him. It appeared to be made of stone, or perhaps marble. It was dark green and looked very, very solid. "When a person died in Ancient Greece, they were transported to the underworld by the god Hermes. He brought them underground to this, an adamantine gate. This gate was impenetrable, and would only open to the recently deceased. And beyond the gate..."

The gate slowly opened.

Behind it stood a dark corridor, ringed with small torches. The torches created a flickering effect as the passage sloped downwards, almost burrowing into the earth. But the passage ended at the sea, where there floated a lone boat. Near the boat stood a solitary figure, a dark man, wearing a dark hood and robe. It was impossible to see his features, but he slowly turned his head towards them, although they could not see his face. He just stared at them, wordlessly.

"Upon death, their souls were ferried across the Acheron River by the ferryman, Charon. It was his job to take them to be judged. So the person voted out tonight," Jeff smiled, "Will be ferried off the island."

Jessie exchanged a look with Ramona, who did everything she could not to shudder. This was a bit too eerie for her. And the darkness of the set wasn't helping one bit.

"And now," said Jeff, "Let's read the votes."

He pulled out the first vote.

"Dirk," he said, holding it up. Dirk simply nodded, resting his elbows against his gangly knees.

Jeff pulled out the second vote.

"Debb," he said. And he didn't have to look to know that Debb had flinched.

Jeff pulled out the third vote.

"Linda," it read. Linda smiled at Carl and winked. She knew that one of the two of them was bound to get some votes tonight.

"Jessie," read the fourth vote. Jessie chewed on her lip, anxiously. She hoped there weren't more.

Jeff pulled out the fifth vote.

"Linda," it read. That was Ramona's vote.

Jeff pulled out the sixth vote.

"Linda," it read. That was Jessie's vote.

Linda continued to smile, but her eyes had opened a bit wider now. It was the way she looked when she was trying to keep her composure, although Lindsey used to call it her "crazy eyes" look.

Jeff pulled out the seventh vote.

"Dirk," it read. That was Diane's vote.

Dirk drew a deep breath, not having suspected that he might leave tonight. But he suddenly realized it just might happen.

"That's three votes Linda," said Jeff, "Two votes Dirk. One for Debb and Jessie."

Jeff pulled out the final vote.

The deciding one.

He stared at it for a second, paused, and finally revealed the name.

"And the first person voted out of the game," he said, turning it around.


"Linda."


Linda nodded and smiled, her eyes trying not to betray her feelings. But she was disappointed. Bitterly disappointed. No one had warned her that she was going. No one had told her. Not Ramona. Not Debb. Not Jessie. Not -any- of them. And she knew that one of them had voted against her, maybe even more. But oh well, that was that. She gave Carl and Diane a hug and walked up to have her torch extinguished.

"Linda," said Jeff, "The tribe has spoken."

The seven Taygetes watched as she walked down the dark corridor, beyond the gate, and into the ferryboat. The hooded boatman simply turned his back to her and started rowing, not saying a word, carrying her away. Linda waved to them all, but was soon enveloped into the darkness, and was gone.

"I think," said Jeff, turning to face the remaining seven, "That you guys are gonna have a big obstacle in this game." He looked at the Taygetes. They looked tired and defeated, and after only three days. Some looked dirty, some looked exhausted, and Carl just looked stunned. He was dumbfounded that they had decided to take out Linda. Why Linda? Why take out someone so strong and capable at the first vote?

"I think that Alkyone looks much stronger," continued Jeff, "They look faster and they look younger. But most of all," he paused, "I think they just look better. And I just hope you guys can stay together well enough to put up a fight, because this game could get very ugly very soon." Carl nodded at this, as did Kel. Their team was no stronger now than it had been an hour ago. Linda's removal had done nothing in that regard. All it had done was break up the African alliance. And it seemed to have done it quite well, from the defeated look on Diane's face.

"Best of luck, you guys" said Jeff, sending them off into the night, "And I'll see you tomorrow."

With the game now under way, seven castaways filed back into their boat. Not much was said, not many glances were shared. Only Carl and Diane appeared to exchange a nod, but that nod pretty much said it all. One thing was perfectly clear.

This was no longer Diane's tribe. It had been taken over.

But they did not yet know by whom.







- Read Linda's Final Words!

- All-Star Survivor: Greece episode notes.

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