Survivor: the Initiative episode 11

Survivor: the Initiative episode 11
Resolutions

Day 31

Jasper Sitwell instructed his five guests to sit behind the assembled partition while he attended to his business. And then he walked into the camp of Camp Rogers. What a mess! He’d been monitoring this place through the cameras, but it looked even worse in person. The pieces of their wooden shelter lay strewn about from where they had been crushed by Ion’s blow several days before. Instead of anyone trying to rebuild the shelter, they had just used pieces of it to burn, or to build small lean-tos. Jasper knew morale had been low, but this was ridiculous. Jasper clicked his tongue. He saw the various places around the camp where MAULER, Battle Star, and Valkyrie (er, Samantha; that little mess had to clear itself up soon) had been sleeping. Three separate little camps. Ion didn’t need to sleep, and Nocturne probably slept up in the trees or something.
It took a few minutes for one of the contestants to return to camp. It was MAULER. Jasper instructed him to find and gather the other four contestants, and in another fifteen minutes the five remaining contestants stood before him. Battle Star. MAULER. Ion. Valkyrie. Nocturne. This was it. The beginning to the penultimate challenge of the game. Three more tribal councils, then they would finally have a winner.
As Jasper addressed the five contestants, he noticed how weary they all looked. This game had been rough on them. On all of them.
“We’re going to do something we haven’t done before in our past Survivor competitions. We’ve brought one of your loved ones here to camp, and they will be living with you here at camp for the next two nights. On the third day, they will be competing with you in the new immunity challenge.”
Before any of them could react, Jasper signaled for the five family members to come in. He wondered what impact the presence of these individuals would have on their loved ones.
5 year old Daniel Doyle, his tiny frame in shorts and a Spongebob shirt, his red hair messy, walked out tentatively, looking around in surprise. When MAULER saw his son, he rushed forward and scooped him up with a whoop of joy. “Danny, m’lad!” They spun around a few times and Jasper couldn’t help but smile.
When the portly Venessa Johnson walked out, the married sister of Ion, she smoothed her blue silk dress over her ample stomach. Jasper smirked that she’d chosen to wear a dress here in the first place. Though he could not gauge emotional reactions from Ion’s emotionless face mask, Jasper saw Ion’s form draw back a bit, and then he saw the two sisters stand uncomfortably close together, their eyes on each other.
Battle Star stepped forward to hug his father, Andrew Hoskins, a strong black man with a full white beard. The two held each other for a long moment, and Jasper heard Andrew whispering to Battle Star how proud he was of him. When the two broke the hug, Jasper noticed a confidence in Battle Star’s jaw that hadn’t been there for the last several days.
Frail-looking Samantha Parrington melted into tears at the sight of her mother, Malicia Parrington looked ridiculous in a stylish safari outfit, her wrinkled face appraising her daughter with a long look. Malicia eventually put a hand on Samantha’s shoulder, and Samantha melted into her mom’s arm in a long hug.
Finally, Jasper’s gaze drifted to the elderly, yet strong, Alma Cairn, a diminutive Native American woman in her late 60s. She walked forward toward her daughter, Nocturne, without seeming to see her. Jasper watched as Nocturne flitted backward and seemed to consider running away, then turned to her grandmother instead and gave her a large hug.
Jasper walked away in silence. These contestants had plenty to worry about in the coming days, and much yet to learn about themselves.

Day 32

“Why on Earth did you come here?” Dr. Voletta Todd, Ion, looked at her sister Venessa, sitting there freezing next to the fire. “Why, after all these years, would you even want to talk to me?”
Venessa, rubbing her hands over her shoulders for warmth, snorted. “Voletta, you were always so self-righteous. The entire time we grew up, you thought you were better than me. I hated you for it, but I love you for being my sister. You could refuse to talk to me when you were in jail and refuse to contact the family when you weren’t, but this was my chance to finally talk to you. To see you face to… face.” Venessa stumbled over that last word, remembering that Voletta didn’t have a face.
“I avoided you for a reason!” Voletta felt her emotions swelling out of control once again.
Venessa, still shivering, snorted again. “For what? So your family couldn’t be reminded of how you left us after high school and refused to talk to us? So we couldn’t be reminded of how much you hated us for holding you back, for being the little country bumpkins who had embarrassed you?”
Voletta felt her annoyance spike sharply. “I was too much for that town! I had to get out!”
“And you couldn’t even come home for holidays? Call on birthdays? Even—“
“And what?” Voletta pushed away the frustration she felt at herself for reacting so emotionally. “Be pulled back into the trap of our upbringing? Squander my looks and intelligence in trade for canning peaches?”
Voletta was shocked when she saw a few tears seep out onto Venessa’s cheeks. “Voletta, what did leaving ever get you? You missed Dad’s death. You missed my wedding. And we—we never got to help you after your… accident.”
Voletta felt a mix of shame, regret, sadness, anger, and fear all at once. She resisted the urge to will her body suit forward and hug her sister. In a softer voice, she asked, “Venessa, why are you here? Why did you come here?”
Venessa looked up into Voletta’s eyes, or at least the holes in her mask. “I’m here because you are my sister and I love you.”

“You kept my earring. You took it, didn’t you? Even while you let me think you were dead all those years. You kept my earring.”
Angela Cairn, Nocturne, felt waves of compassion rolling off of her mother. Not anger, not bitterness. Just compassion, tinged with sadness. “Mother, I—I was a different being back then. I was in a sorry state. After I was transformed, all my determination, all the strength of character I had grown up with, it was gone. It was just swallowed up by my sadness at losing Jackie. I had nothing but pain at the time. And I literally didn’t know how to cope. Yes, I took the earring. I wanted a bit of connection to my old life.”
Alma smoothed a wisp of white hair over her ears and then returned to preparing the fish they’d caught over the fire. Alma didn’t look up. “You don’t seem so sad now. Your confidence, it has returned?”
Angela nodded, willing her wings to fold in behind her. “Yes. I had another transformation. You always taught me about the animal totems, mother. I was reborn in the images of creatures of the night, but those creatures seem to have found the moon shining light on the land below. My life, my path, seems more illuminated and less murky now.”
Alma set the fish aside and sat back. Angela had always been impressed at this lithe woman with her strong bones thick. Alma looked at her daughter, never flinching at her new appearance. “I have always loved you, my buffalo child. I have always raised you to embrace all of your heritages. And you have always been strong enough to forge your own path. I am proud of you, my daughter.”
Angela let the love wash out of her and into her mother. She opened her arms and embraced her mother, feeling the love wash right back into her.

Lemar Hoskins, Battle Star, had never much cared for his father. Lemar had always been a big kid. He was 6’6’’, taller than his dad’s 6’4’’. Lemar had been a bit wayward in his youth and his dad had been too strict and never around enough. And when Lemar had joined the United States Army, Andrew, instead of being pleased, had been upset that Lemar didn’t want to stay and simply take over the family business. His dad, the underachiever, who thought college was a waste of money and refused to see potential in anything.
All that had changed after Lemar had become a wrestler and, eventually, Battle Star. Andrew had suddenly started trying to contact Lemar again, to let him know how proud he was of him, how much he wanted to be a part of his life. Lemar had always suspected that that had more to do with Andrew’s divorce from Lemar’s mother than any actual desire to change. But at least he’d shown an interest.
“I’m proud of you, son.” Lemar looked over at his father, so small next to his 6’6’’ frame, and laughed. “I mean it. Don’t you laugh at that. Lots of boys want to hear their daddies say that.”
Lemar laughed again, and reached into the lake to wash his mask out with the water. Boy was he ready for a shower and a washing machine. “Dad, I’m glad you are proud, but you’ve told me that like 12 times today alone.”
“Well, making up for lost time, I suppose. I should have been more supportive of you all along. I always knew you would be a hero.”
Lemar wasn’t sure if his dad meant it, but he knew it felt darn good to hear it. And with that, he felt the last dregs of his depression drain away.

Day 33

“Samantha, darling, what is it? What’s wrong?”
When Samantha Parrington, Valkyrie, had awakened, she had tried hard not to stir so that her mother, Malicia, could sleep in longer. Malicia was in her early sixties and, despite being in good health, should not be in the Symkarian woods sleeping for three days. Since their shelter had been destroyed, and since Samantha had found herself unable to change into Valkyrie, Samantha had been sleeping in a small constructed lean-to by herself, wrapped in her meager clothing and large fronds. With her mother there sleeping by her, she had at least been warmer. But Samantha, in thinking about how she’d acted as a teenager toward her parents, in thinking about how her mother had come here to support her, had found herself in tears and her crying had awakened Malicia.
Wiping tears from her eyes, she explained to Malicia everything she had been feeling, and what her experience on the show had been like. How she’d been hiding out in the body of the immortal Valkyrie for months, and how she was now stuck as a human. Malicia listened attentively, uncharacteristically holding her daughter close to her and letting her cry it out.
“Samantha, sweetheart, your father and I have always made you the most important thing to us. Whatever you showed interest in, we’d spend money learning everything we could about it. Karate, ballet, democracy in the Soviet Union, helping the homeless, feminism. We didn’t do it to pry or to be terrible and annoying parents. We did it because we love you and want to be an active part of your life. And when you started embracing this side of your life, becoming the Valkyrie more and more, well, your father Reginald and I worried that we would lose you. We wished for you to find some way to balance your two lives. To be our little girl and the woman who saves the world all at once.”
As her mother spoke, Samantha felt the strength well up inside her again for the first time in days. She stood up abruptly, gripped the hilt of her sword, which had laid invisible at her waist, and pulled it free from its scabbard. And just like that she was transformed into the woman warrior once again. Samantha, feeling the strength of the Asgardian wash over her, threw back her head and laughed.

Using his cybernetic control over his suit, Brendan Doyle, MAULER, tilted his head downward slightly and moved his armor toward the ground. He’d taken his son on a flight over the Symkarian lake, and had delighted as his boy laughed and hooted for joy in his arms. Brendan had loved this blood of his blood and kin of his kin the first moment he’d laid eyes on him. He’d loved him before he’d even seen him. But he hadn’t known how to be a father back then. He’d tried to kidnap his own son, and only Spider-Man had helped him realize he wasn’t fit at the time to be a parent.
Brendan set his son down on the ground and little Daniel went running, punching his fist into the air. “That was so awesome!” Brendan pulled his helmet off and laughed at his son, running after him. This past three days with Daniel had been perhaps the best he had ever experienced.
“Oh yeah, ye think that was fun, wait’ll I toss ye in the water where the sharks can get ye!”
Daniel squealed and rushed off with Brendan right behind him. “Silly, there’s no sharks in a lake! It’s not salt water!” Amazed at how a five year old could know this, Brendan laughed and chased his son across the woods. When he was finished with his military training, nothing would stop him from keeping this little boy with him full time. His mom had been out of the picture for a long time now. No more foster care for Daniel. He would be with Brendan, and that was that. He’d win this whole game, get the fame, and raise his son to be the best man, the man Brendan never was.

IMMUNITY CHALLENGE

Jasper Sitwell brought the contestants and their loved ones into the arena and explained that each Survivor contestant would be blindfolded and would have to rely on the directions of their loved ones to get from one end of a maze to another. The five family members took their positions on pedestals above the maze, and the contestants were blindfolded, a special device being used to block Ion’s sight.
As the challenge commenced, Nocturne flitted about confused, overwhelmed by all the emotions and noise surrounding her. Battle Star and Valkyrie seemed to have a difficult time hearing the voices of their elderly parents. Ion was highly uncoordinated with her sight stunted. MAULER proved highly effective in the challenge as Daniel’s excited, soprano voice called out instructions to his dad, getting him through the maze in record time.
After Jasper placed the immunity necklace around MAULER’s neck, he instructed the others to say goodbye to their loved ones and meet him at tribal council.

TRIBAL COUNCIL
As the four members of the jury, Biohazard, Sandstorm, Derwyddon, and Steel Spider, entered to watch, Jasper turned toward the five contestants and began questioning them.
“Valkyrie, I can’t help but notice you have gotten control of your powers again! What happened and how are you feeling?”
Sounding like her old self, Valkyrie responded. “I’m feeling more myself than ever before. My mom’s visit just helped me put things in perspective, and I was able to overcome the emotional barrier that has been blocking me for the past several days.”
“For the past few days, the five of you have had the opportunity to have a loved one at camp with you. Nocturne, what was it like having your mother around with you? Did it change the game?”
Nocturne nodded, a small trill escaping her lips. “Yes. We’ve all been taking care of ourselves recently, and we were even less connected with our family members here. We simply spent the time with our own family and stayed away from each other. It was a welcome break, and incredibly healing for all of us, as I can tell by the emotions I am reading.”
Valkyrie interrupted. “Which reminds me, there is something I’ve been keeping from the group. The morning I woke up stuck in my human form, it was Ion who destroyed the shelter. She threw a small fit and smashed our shelter in upon itself. I thought we should all know.”
Jasper gave Ion a chance to respond, sensing the building tension within the group now. “I could lie and say it was Valkyrie, attempt to swing more votes to my side of things, but I can’t lie. That would be dishonorable. Yes, it was me. I apologize to each of you, and I’m very sorry that I haven’t worked to rebuild the shelter.”
After hearing the various reactions to this, and questioning MAULER, Battle Star, and Ion about their family visits, Jasper moved directly into the voting.
The first vote was for Ion. This was from Battle Star, who was furious about the shelter’s destruction.
The second vote was for Valkyrie. This was from Ion, who was annoyed that she’d been exposed in tribal council.
The third vote was for Ion. This was from MAULER, who wasn’t all that angry, but could tell which way the votes would go.
The fourth vote was for Ion. This was from Nocturne, who disliked the angry bitterness radiating off of Ion.
The fifth vote was for Ion. This was from Valkyrie, who had no use for her former ally any longer.
Jasper extinguished Ion’s torch and she turned, with the head of her containment suit held high, and floated out of the area. Jasper reminded them that only two tribal councils remained.

Thank you for your patience in getting this episode out! The last two episodes (almost done!!!) will be broadcast on Mondays, as my schedule and commitments have shifted a bit lately. Voting will close on Saturday night, and votes can be Emailed to me at hellochadman@yahoo.com, sent on facebook, or posted here. Thanks to those who have stuck their way through this series!
For the purpose of this episode, I created the characters of Andrew Hoskins and Venessa Johnson, and I provided a name for Nocturne’s mother. The character Daniel Doyle (though seen only as a baby) and the character Malicia Parrington already existed.
In our next episode, due to random selection, MAULER gets immunity again (that’ll make a few of you happy). I always use a random number generator online to determine immunity; Megan can verify!  Somehow we ended up with two boys and two girls at the end.

TEAM ROGERS:
Battle Star (Lemar Hoskins)
MAULER (Brendan Doyle—immunity)
Nocturne (Angela Cairn)
Valkyrie (Samantha Parrington)