Eco-Challenge FS (1)

The five teams stand at the start line, waiting by their canoes for Raegun to give the signal to start. Each team has a simple 4-man rowboat, definitely not suited to travel on the open ocean. Geredan circles overhead with Crais perched on his back, watching the team through a pair of oculars.

As they wait, they check their packs one final time to be sure that they have everything they need. Fluffy was assiduous in providing all the teams with lanterns, water-purification tablets, food cubes, and appropriate clothing, so no team should want for anything that they need.

“Okay, everyone!” Raegun announces. “All have your comms? Good. The first leg of the race is a 15 mile open ocean row. To the first island in the adventure-movie land chain. Please don’t upset the dinosaurs when you get there.” Raegun chuckles, then amplifies his voice so all can hear. “TEAMS ON YOUR MARK! ... GET SET! ... GO!!!” Raegun shoots a series of fire-works into the air over the ocean.

As Rae and Sunny take their turns rowing, they (and all the teams) hear a voice over the comm. Raegun, signing:

Larraq's voice comes on, drowning out Raegun. "Attention all teams, a tropical depression has formed over your route. Turbulent seas, high waves, rain, and possibly lightening as well. Advise that all teams take a slightly easterly route to avoid. Repeat, all teams are suggested to make an easterly deviation..."

and grinned in anticipation. The sun on her arms, and the breeze in her face, and the salty smell of the ocean. And, of course Raegun singing. What more could you ask for. This was going to be fun!

"They're using our wake to pull them along." Explained Sunny, "Once we get most of the way through the race, we'll have gotten tired and they'll still be fresh. They pull ahead of us last minute."

said Kay with a mischevious grin. she changed the course of the boat ever so slightly to force the IQ's to change their direction. Then, laughing, she tried to right the boats course, but, did so a little too sharply. "No, Kay!" cried Sunny. "Not like that! Too quick!"yelled Rae...

They array themselves in the rowboat according to Chryse's instructions. Grack in front, Wiz behind her, Chryse behind him, and 'ghost at the rudder. "OK, on my count, like I showed you. ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE......"

They all paddle in time. Soon, Chryse stopped shouting the numbers, but they had gotten into rhythm by then. 'ghost corrects their course as needed. They smoothly paddle out to sea.

Sweetie-pie over to her side of the boat..."Take over rowing for me. Put both wings on the oar. You'll be able to see better," Sunny instructed as she took over kay's job.

"Sorry dear...but I am not falling out of the boat...not here!" Sunny motioned kay to take Sweetie-pie's spot.

"Rae, let's see if we can discourage those IQs from not working for this," Sunny said with a masochistic gleem in her eye. She made a slight adjustment on their course to get them back where they needed to be.

were paddling with all their might when Mouse remembered a trick from the Aussies, and whipped out her space blanket, rigged it into a sail position, and hoisted it. After a few minutes, the little boat began to pick up speed, which was sorely needed, as the team really only had three rowers. Twig, looking glam as usual, REFUSED to row and potentially get blisters.

"Well, at least I managed to get the 'Leech-B-Gone' and the one-way booties (water and air go out, but only air goes in, eliminating that God-awful trenchfoot.") Mouse said to Kara and Spyral, while Twig imitated to guy from Titanic on Spyral's shoulder.

"Well..... <huff> I think... <Grunt> We've had about...<UgH!> enough of that... <PUFF!>" the angel said thru gritted teeth.

Team Rainbow Monkey's boat. The 4 IQs within were weilding their oars like a practiced skulling team, but, taking advantage of Team Heat Delerium's wake they weren't having to row nearly as hard.

"Hey, get off our boat. We don't need to row your weight along too." one of the IQs (asside from #1 who has purple hair, they are pretty hard to tell apart) said.

"Um boys." Sweetiepie said casually. "This might SEEM like a good strategy but let me point out that we are now in Adventure Land waters. You never know what's down there. And from below, three boats close together make a much more tempting target than three boats seperately so LOOSE THE HEARD INSTINCT AND FAN OUT!"

over the water. With Spyral and Kara rowing and Mouse tending the sail and steering they quickly outdistanced the other boats.

"Um, Twig, Twig, TWIG!" Kara yelled. "Between you doing Billy Squire and Raegun singing disco I can't hear myself THINK. Please. Don't sing."

The wind began picking up and Mouse adjusted the sail to take full advantage of it. Dark clouds moved in to cover the sun. A rumble of thunder was heard in the distance. They were heading right into the storm...

"I'm used to using quadrants and coordinates." Larraq shrugs. "East,west, north, south... What is that? Anyway, I was only going by what Raegun told me."

"Alright Larraq," Jila says, feeling the need to do something about the situation. "You take Mr. Smartypants here and Geradan, and check out this storm system. Let's see if we can let everybody know just how bad it's apt to get."

*Excuse me.* Geradan's deep voice whispers in Jila's mind. *Don't I get a say about this? I'm not terribly fond of being around lightning storms any more. Especially after that one that knocked me out of the air over that Other ocean.*

*I'm sorry old friend* Jila sighs. She knows Geradan still hasn't forgiven himself for nearly killing Chryse and ArtistStudio. *If I could think of any other way....* Jila hears Geradan's sigh but she also knows that he'll do what has to be done.

As Jila watches Larraq and Geradan take flight she rubs the back of her neck where the muscles are tightening. The Crais Mandroid walks up behind her and places his hands on her shoulders.

"Tension neck ache?" He asks, sounding concerned. "I Could 'adjust' that for you." One hand slips up to her neck.

"No Thank You!" Jila steps quickly away from Crais. "I'll deal with this on my own, if it's all the same to you." Jila recalls what the Real Bialar Crais did to his Command Second in 'That Old Black Magic'. She didn't need that accidently happening to her. With the help of Velorek, Jila switches her comm to a private channel to talk to Larraq only.

"Have Geradan drop you off on Adventure Island. You can take your storm readings from there. Geradan. Come back and get the rest of us. The teams are closer to the island then to us right now and we should be closer just in case something happens."

sky and the rumble of thunder was deafening. Though mid day it was almost as black as night. Except for the flashes of lightning strobing almost constantly in the clouds.

Mouse had taken down her sail after a strong gust had almost capsized the boat. Now, all pretense of rowing or guiding their craft gone. Team Holy Rollers huddled in the bottom of the boat and held on for dear life.

"Get Jila on the horn. NOW. She and Veloreck have got to rescue them. Rae said there are sharks in these waters." said Chryse.

...rowed over to the capsized boat. The two teams lifted up the boat inbetween theirs, emptying all of the water out of it. They then flipped back over and set it face up in the water, and helped the HolyRollers back into their boat.

"I know Rae said 'No Weapons', but since it's sort of a mutual advantage, I don't think she'll mind," the angel said as he began hacking at the tentacles attempting to drag several of the IQ's into the water.

Small bits of ichor and slimy skin flew in the air as the angel sliced thru arm after arm. With a watery roar, the remaining arms slipped back into the water and under the surface.

"GAHHHH!" came Twigs voice from the bow of the boat. She was covered head to foot in gooey ichor. "OHMIGOD! IF YO DON'T GET THIS OFF ME THIS INSTANT......" she was cut off in midsentence as Spyral lifted her from her perch and gave her several quick dunks into the water, the Whisp sputtering as he did so. He then set her back into the boat, and restowed his sword back into his wing.

Crais shouts into Jila's ear as they fly with Geradan over to Adventure Island. "It would have been against the rules. We're only here for absolute emergencies."

"Major Medical Emergencies." Crais says "Broken bones that will stop them from moving, burns, dissentary(sp?). Although that won't stop Rae. Are you sure I can't adjust your spine a little? It'll stop the headache."

"Right, and all my other aches too." Jila sighs. The storm front isn't terribly large but her friends are going to get a good soaking. Well, at least she didn't get anybody disqualified with her unneeded help.

As Geradan lands, Jila once again checks out the positions of the teams. No one has been assigned to keep notes on the Eco-challenge so, as a good Archivist should, Jila takes out the datapad that Rae has loaned her and starts making notes. Thank goodness Rae has programmed the thing to also read in English. Oddly enough it is Team Deviant that is out in front.

"Didn't I mention that three boats together would attract sea monsters? Did they listen to me? Nooooooo." Sweetiepie said.

Sweetiepie climbed into the storm. It was rough going but he gained enough altitude to spot land, even with the lousy visibility.

"DRY ROLL!" yelled #1. All of the Slewfoot team got out of the boat, walked across the bottom of it as it capsized, then got back in it after it had rolled over. The boat began to pick up speed again, causing the water to bleed off out of the bilge.

"BATTEN ALL HATCHES!" Yelled #2 Team RainbowMonkey began to connect pontoons(sp?), hand cranked propellers, and a ceiling to their yellow boat.

After it had been submerged for several minute, the man powered submarine came out of the water just in front of the Team Slewfoot boad.

"We're in the middle of the gale! Those idiotic grunts on cartography don't know thier Terran East from West! Advise you to avoid our course! We're making good time, but it's not worth it! Out!" Rae returns her attention to the oars. "Kay, more East!"

Raegun, but if he doesn't stop with all the incesent singing...I'm gonna pull out his oil chamber and shove it..."Sunny started as they all began to paddle like nothing anyone has ever seen.

"Sunny, when we get through this...I will personally tell him to can it." Rae added...noting that Sunny's sunny disposition has taken a little vacation. Sunny was not about to let anyone know that she was scared drennless about the storm or the likelyhood of them capsizing.

*Fine...but I mean it about Raegun. It was cute...but now it's just as annoying, if not more so, than Jool's metal melting screeching* Sunny responded...concentrating on not letting Team Heat Delirium capsize, especially since they are in the middle of the frellin' storm!!

Sunny glared at Rae *You mention a word about this...and those brusies I gave you when we fought....will seem like mere ant bites when I'm done with you.* Sunny paddled faster and harder. She wanted out of the storm.

The little boat leaned over dangerously in the waves but managed to stay upright and (barely) avoid the waterspout. SunAeryn and kayde screamed as the rowboat was half lifted from the water by the funnel. But between them, Sunny, Rae and Kayde managed to steer clear of the sea tornado and the currents stirred up by the thing shot them forward at a much accelerated speed.

A few minutes later they reached the beach, the first team to land, and pulled their rowboat up out of the waves.

"Here, help me with this." Rae said, pulling the boat farther up the beach. They were still being pounded by the rain and wind.

SunAeryn was white as a sheet with shock. "If you EVER tell anybody about this..." she threatened the bird.

"Hey, I ain't gonna tell." Sweetiepie said. "I wasn't even IN the boat and I was terrified. You're secret's safe with me sweetheart."

Kayde gave her a hand. They turned the boat over to drain out all the water, then Rae touched a button and it folded up into a an inch square cube which she tucked into a pocket. Kay looked surprised.

"Shut up!" Rae snaps shoves the maps at Kay. She clicks her comm. "Raegun, I've got a request on this end to lighten up on the serenades. Okay?"

"Please, Gunny?" Rae says in her sweetest tone, the verbal equivlent of eye-lash fluttering. It's a lot more believable when you can't see the look of disgust on her face that usually accompanies it.

"But I've got all the songs all picked out. 'Bungle in the Jungle' and 'the Lion Sleeps tonight' and 'Horse with no Name' and..."

Rae sighs and clicks off her comm. "I tried, Sunny." She stares thoughtfully over Kay's shoulder at the maps. "This is where we are?" she points.

"Great, then let's get moving. Wouldn't want to lose our lead. Let's try to spend less than ten minutes at the check-point. It looks like we'll hit the first dark-zone a few arns before night-fall, so we can actually look forward to a few arns of sleep."

courtesy of Geredan assemble at the first check-point to await the arrival of the others. They begin setting up.

Fluffy has provided refills of fresh-water and water-purification tablets in case either were lost during the storms.

Jila and Velorek have the first-aid tent ready, though it is doubtful that there will be a need for their services yet.

"It's the zone high-lighted in red." Raegun supplies. "Twelve miles from the check-point and ten miles wide."

"Well, with any luck at all they can get through that before nightfall." Jila notes, walking over to join them.

"I wouldn't count on it." Crais shakes his head. "The going is rugged. It's all up-hill through underbrush. The best teams will be lucky to get TO the dark-zone by night-fall."

"Difference being we were both programmed that way." Crais laughs and shakes his head. "Fluffy, any chance of us getting some Fellip nectar before the teams arrive?"

They had gotten blown off course in the storm and nearly lost 'ghost in the gales. They had needed to keep 'ghost on board and gotten behind. They pulled up on shore a few minutes after Team Slewfoot and started gathering what supplies they had left.

"geez, what's gotten into her?" asked Grack. Wiz shrugs and shoulders his pack. 'ghost shrugs too, but being immaterial can't hold a pack.

Chryse lays it on the beach and traces the route with her finger. "It shouldn't take too long to get to the first check point. But in this weather, we should take extra cautions."

"don't worry about it, let's just get moving. You go on ahead 'ghost and tell us what the terrain is like." says Chryse.

drag their little boat up on the beach, and check all their gear. Luckily, it all had been strapped to the boat (Kara's idea) and it stayed put even when the boat when over. The team took a few minutes changing into hiking boots, deflated the boat, stuck it along with some extra gear into Spyral's wing (which was great because he didin't feel the extra weight and it wasn't considered 'magic')and checked the map. The got ready and started into the jungle, also hoping to make it to the dark-zone by the right time when thy had to stop.

"According to our eye-in-the-sky Geraldan, you landed much further up the coast than the others and had less distance to walk."

Kara and Spyral picked up a few extra provisions from the supply tent while Mouse and Twig examined the map.

"Hmmm, if we follow this trail we should get to the dark zone well before night fall." Mouse said, drawing a line on her map.

"This is very rough terrain." Mouse informed her. "Maybe you can fly over obstacles but the rest of us have to walk. There's this section here in the rocky dry riverbed and this steep hill here we'll have to slog up."

Said #2 as the team RainbowMonkey boat pulled on to shore. The IQ#3 quickly began folding up the boat which he then put in his pocket. The IQs then began heading for the checkpoint at a run.

"How did that happen?!" Rae, Sunny, Kay, and Sweetie demanded to know when they reached checkpoint 1 to find out that The Holy Rollers had beat them to the checkpoint.

"They landed closer. I heard Jila on the comm explaining it." said Rae grimly. "No problem. We'll still be able to get a little ahead of them before dark."

"Oh, don't worry about THAT!" Rae calls over her shoulder. "We're not worried about that, why should you be?" Rae snickers and leads the team into the jungle. "Got our maps, Kay?"

"We're going AROUND the dark zone." Rae informs her. "By travelling all night, we can add a good half-arn to our time, retaking the lead."

"At the expense of eight hours of sleep." Sweetie-pie sighs. "Well, no one ever said you don't play for keeps."

"Look, guys!" Rae sighs. "We're behind because I made a bad call. Now, I fully plan on making that up to you, so let's MARCH!"

Raegun's voice comes over the comm. "You guys really sure you want to follow Rae into the heart of darkness?"

"No it's not." said Kara, slipping for the umteenth time in the slippery green mud that coated the bottom of the riverbed and all the rocks, large and small. Spyral grabbed her arm to help her upright again and ended up slipping himself and pulling both of them down into an ungainly heap.

"I don't see what the big problem is." Twig said. Her little wings beat like a hummingbird's as she hovered in front of them. She didn't have a speck of mud on her and looked ready for a stroll through the mall.

"Now now." Mouse said, sticking her mud smeared head around a large boulder. "If we kill one of our teammates we loose the race."

"Well, we've reached the end of this part." Mouse said. "Just around this turn we leave the slimy riverbed and head up the really steep hill covered with impeneterable brush and thorn bushes."

"As long as the mosquitos don't follow us." Spyral sighed. "Too bad you didn't mix up any mosquito repellant when you made the leech-be-gone."

They rested at the checkpoint for 30 minutes. Chryse being antsy the whole time. 'ghost floated around a bit giving the team some cool breezes to help them recover. After they rested they pushed on, hoping to get to the edge of the dark zone before nightfall.

"Not that I can see." Sweetiepie said. "It's just jungle as far as I can see. And I flew around above the trees to get a better look. Face it girls, we're lost."

"Stow it." Rae suggested, dragging the map and compas out of her pocket. "Here's the checkpoint. Here's the rocky riverbed. Here's the start of the dark zone. How could we get lost?"

"With the compass." Rae sighed. "Make the little needle point towards the S and you can tell that way is west."

"It's not irreperable." Sweetiepie said, fluttering down to take a look at the map. "We just go around the dark zone to the east instead of to the west."

Rae announces after a moment's thought. "If it weren't for Sweetie, we'd be royally frelled. As it is, we can actually ADD time. Look." She holds up a coil of fine rope. "Sweetie can fly this across the cliff, tie it off, and we can slide over. We'll actually SAVE time!"

"#1" Jila laughs shaking her head. She's forgotten that they all answer to the name as well as their individual number. "Now we can check off Team Slewfoot."

"IQ#1 has the purple hair." Jila points out the One difference in the ten IQ's. "An accident with an experiment. It's the only way you Can tell him from the others.... unless you've gone traveling with them. That's when their little idiosyncrasies show."

Just as the IQ's of Team Slewfoot are getting their backpacks repacked, Team Rainbow Monkey comes running through the trees.

"Don't worry." Three speaks up "If they're still here (he points over at his 'brothers' on the other team) we've still got a chance."

"Look guys," Jila cautions, "Don't kill yourself doing this. This whole race isn't about winning, it's about finishing with your skin intact."

Jila turns to give Raegun an evil look but he just ignores her and starts singing again. Jila growls softly to herself when she realizes that what Raegun is singing is "The Eye of the Tiger." There were times when Jila just wanted to turn him Off.

Team Rainbow Monkey emptied their backpacks, decided what they need to replace, did so, and repacked with incredible speed and efficiency. Just five minutes after Team Slewfoot left the checkpoint, so did Team Rainbow Monkey.

"Don't forget guys!" Jila calls to their backs. "The sun is going to set soon and you Have to stop for the night. This is a Mandatory Stop Zone." The last of the IQ's wave to Jila and the Mandroids and disappear into the trees.

"So, which one of you is cooking tonight?" Jila asks Crais, Larraq, and Velorek. The Mandroids gather together, and surprise Hezmana out of Jila by playing Rock-Scissors-Paper to decide who will cook. Jila grins and chuckles, then grabs her datapad to write out the last of This checkpoints notes.

Larraq has won, or lost depending on your point of view, the game and has begun the cooking. None of the has a biological Need to eat but they know that it makes the humans more comfortable when they do. They realize that some humans forget their actual nature.

"I was thinking that we should fly over to the next checkpoint right after we eat and clean up here." Jila puts the datapad in her own backpack when she finishes her notes. "What do you think?"

"hmmm, maybe not." Raegun's voice grins, "Somehow they got turned around, probably Rae's Map reading capability, <laughs> and they went a few Kilometers in the wrong direction."

"hehe, listen to this." Raegun switches on his personal comm speaker. "I TOLD YOU WE SHOULD HAVE LET KAY READ THE MAP!" Rae's voice barks. Raegun shuts off the comm again. "You think I ought to let the others in on this?" <snicker>

"NO!" Jila says disgusted with his sense of humor. She rubs her temples with both hands trying to think. "Bring her up on scan and tell me what she's doing."

"They are approximately a half a click away from a deep chasm." Raegun stops for a minute and then "And they're planning to cross it by means of... a hand-made rope conveyance."

Jila doesn't get a chance to whine too much because just as she starts Larraq brings her a plate of the most amazing smelling food. Stir Fry made with native vegatables and some dehydrated chicken that nobody took with them. <drool>

Jila takes the plate with thanks and sighs. She knows she can't do anything to stop Rae so she says a quick prayer to TPTB that everything works out okay for the Team.