The Game Show Begins

A "Cape Summerland" story

By Thelma Mary Caroline

It was Eser's idea.  Mr. Eser, the owner of Eser's Tiny Caviar.  He saw an ad looking for a group of people to become involved in a science expiriment that was also a game show.  Sort of a cross between Survivor and Kid Nation, they said. 

He applied, thinking it would be good publicity, even if it meant shutting down the company for a few months.

And we got in, god knows how.  It wasn't like anyone from the company really wanted to go.  But Mr. Eser said if we didn't, we could forget a Christmas Bonus.  And so most people went.  All 18 of us that worked there.  And besides, he said, if we went we'd make a lot of money, since it was part game show.

They supplied us with matching suitcases and backpacks.  We could bring whatever we wanted.  There were some meager guidlines, like what to expect weather wise, but other than that, it was up to us.

Oh, and the place?  Not some outback, or rainforest.  Another planet.  One that had been found by scientists by "jumping" between parallel worlds.  A joke, right?  Nope.  Cesiator, they called it.  I'd read about it in the newspapers, and so had everyone else.

Cesiator had been inhabited by a group of "pioneers" of the new frontier, but abandoned due to hardship.  Scientist supplied a lot of money to get a group of people that "worked well together" to create a new city there themselves from the ruins.  Compleatly without any help from the outside world.

But it was going to be a game show too -- I didn't really understand why -- with lots of prizes and stuff.  Motivation to be there, I guess.  Plus they'd make money from sponcers and whatever.  It would get the public exciting about the new planet they hoped to eventually move people to.

The cameras were the hardest thing to get used to.  They started filming us right away, at the Maple Creek International Airport.  There we all were, barely out of our p j's and still half asleep with cameras around.  Between filming scences, we were all introduced.  My co-workers and I met Elle Jae, the woman who had come up with the idea for the show.  She was the host.  Only 19 years old!  But she was great, and we all liked her immediatly.

Chico and Sno were the boom mike operaters (or so they called themselves.  I had suspicions that they really weren't supposed to be there.  They barely looked over 15.)  Chico was really hyper and had straight blond hair.  It seemed like every sentance she spoke, if written, would end in an exclamation mark.  Sno was shy and quiet, with wild, curley black hair and the bluest eyes I had ever seen.  The two of them said they were famous, and had their own T V show, but no one believed them.

Dan and Casey were the camera men.  They were locals, fresh out of college, but very excited to be part of the show.

"This will be awesome," Elle Jae said.  "I'm really excited that they're letting me host the show!  The only thing better would be to be a contestant!"

Danny, one of my co-workers, spoke up wryly.  "You can have my spot."